Problem with DIM-function talkback

[GVDB]

When dubbing cartoons for television our directors like to work with an open talkback system, so they can talk with the voice-talents all the time. With the Pro Control there is no way to completely bypass the DIM. This is very irritating because we should purchase seperate monitor/talback systems to achieve this. Does anyone or Digidesign know a solution for this?

regards,
Geert, Meta Sound Studios

[Roy Pahlman]

How about using an aux input with a mic input in the control room? Don't put the control room mic out to the control room monitors and make your cue mix using sends (not mix to cue). Put an on /off switch on the mic or mute when not used to keep the mix from bleeding in the cues all the time.

[airwavejoel]

Our studio came across the same problem.
So, we bought a Mackie submixer and ran ProTools MixL/R out into two channels of the Mackie mixer.

Then, plugged a mic into an another open channel in the Mackie. Finally, feed Mackie Main mix out to Cue amp--which includes both the Open TB info as well as the ProtTools info.

[GVDB]

Thanks for the reply Roy&Airwave, we've thought about both options too, while the first option is the cheapest and quite easy to do. I hoped that Digi could make a fix for this, so we could use the Pro Control like it is supposed to be used.

Regards,

[Nashville Bass]

Originally posted by Roy Pahlman:
How about using an aux input with a mic input in the control room? Don't put the control room mic out to the control room monitors and make your cue mix using sends (not mix to cue). Put an on /off switch on the mic or mute when not used to keep the mix from bleeding in the cues all the time.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">This is exactly what I would say. An option that we use to prevent mics being open all the time is to wire up a talkback footswitch. What we did it interupt a mic cable with a cheap Hosa footswitch so when you want to talk just press the switch.

Also you have have the mic going through the PB monitors but it would be at such a low level anyways (the talent should hear it plenty loud in their cans) that it shouldn't feedback.

If you have any questions just email me & I'll send you a diagram.

[GVDB]

Tanks for the reply Chris, we will probably end up doing it the way you described (which is in fact the same Roy described.) But you don't need the signal going to your control room monitors, just mute the aux channel with mic input and put the send to the can on pre-fader. I make cue-mixes via sends almost all the time, so that's not a problem.

Digi can you bypass or make the DIM-level 0dB?

regards,

[GVDB]

and BTW, this DIM-problem is the same with a Control24 we use.

regards,

[engineerjoel]

Then, plugged a mic into an another open channel in the Mackie. Finally, feed Mackie Main mix out to Cue amp--which includes both the Open TB info as well as the ProtTools info.
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Wait, my mistake. I double-checked my routing. I did NOT use an additional external mic, but rather, I used the ProControls mic. I connected the SLATE out of the ProControl to the Mackie submix. Now, when I press TB on the ProControl, it does NOT dim or disrupt any PT information feeding any of the Cue mixes or control room PB.

Feed back Does not ocurr in CR PB because SLATE/TB is assigned Soly to cue mix via Mackie Mixer.

[Bill of the Top]

>>>Digi can you bypass or make the DIM-level 0dB?<<<

That would be important for me too. I am considering the purchase of a ProControl and I would hate a fixed DIM level that is lower than 0dB. For the same reasons Geert described.
Don't tell me that I have to buy a Mackie in addition to a ProControl just to make this happen.

Please?

Bill

[Wayne B]

If you press the dim switch and turn up the control monitor level then the volume in the control room doesn't change when you push the talkback switch. Ie. the dim is always "On". That seems to work for us. We've also replaced the talkback switch with a latched version from the same manufacturer. Now it's simple. Dim on, talkbalk on , record, play, ta da.