CHISTO REVIEWS
Tag Archives: Live Sound
Sennheiser MD 435 and MD 445 Microphones – A Real-World Review
Posted on December 22, 2020 by Fela Davis
Sennheiser's MD 435 and MD 445
In November, Sennheiser introduced the new dynamic MD 435 and MD 445 handheld vocal microphones for use in live sound settings. The heads on these mics are based on the legendary Sennheiser MD 9235 wireless handheld microphone head, used on the biggest stages and artists in the world. Many of my friends that mix big hip-hop artists rely on 9235s for their ability to handle loudness and their cardioid rejection—great for avoiding feedback from the monitors.
Fela Davis is a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee at Full Sail University. She also owns 23dB Productions and One of One Productions Studio, which specializes in podcasting, video, and music production. Clients include the Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams podcast, Sirius XM, Atlantic Records, iHeart Radio and numerous Grammy award-winning musicians. www.oneofoneproductions.com
Those features can be found in these two mics as well: The MD 445 is a high-rejection, super-cardioid microphone and the MD 435 is cardioid. Both microphones are great for loud sound pressure levels (163 dB) like a snare drum or guitar amps, but they can also handle a delicate human voice. They're not as sensitive as a condenser mic, of course, but each one has a great natural sound in the higher frequencies. After checking out the frequency responses for each microphone, I noticed the MD 435 peaks at around the 5k-7k range in a way that reminded me of the Sennheiser 935, capturing very clean sound with a little help in the higher frequencies for vocals. Meanwhile, the MD 445 has a darker yet slightly fuller sound, because the frequency response has a smoother curve at those 5k-7K Hz frequencies. Both microphones needed a decent amount of gain from my mic pre to get a respectable signal, but there was little to no white noise created.
I'm a big fan of the super-cardioid polar pattern from my live-mixing days—and now in my studio, too, for getting for ultimate rear rejection—and in that respect, the MD 445 really knocks it out the park. The beautiful vocal response that it produces is second to none in dynamic handheld microphones, and I found I like this microphone on male vocals a little better for the darker lower frequencies.
In use, I found that handling noise for both the MD 445 and 435 handhelds was almost nonexistent, as you can hear for yourself on a special episode of The Art of Music Tech podcast that I recorded with my business partner, Denis. We recorded an entire podcast using the microphones, and at one point switched mics to hear them on female and male vocals. I was amazed at the silence of switching hands with the microphone and not getting those weird low-frequency thumps that are heard with all handheld microphones. That truly blew me away—and it's exactly why I would use them for a live podcast setting: They sound excellent and reject the noise that's happening behind the microphone.
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Out of the two, the MD 435 is my favorite for a female vocalist because of the sweetness around the 8 kHz range. I didn't need to EQ frequencies as much as I would for the MD 445; I don't like to tweak things if I don't have to, so I would definitely have this in the audio toolbox for a female vocalist. As I mentioned earlier, the MD 435 sound reminds me of a richer toned Sennheiser 935, and they share similar frequency responses with the MD 435 at 40 Hz – 20 kHz, and the 935 topping out at 18k Hz. The MD 435 has a silky tone on the top end that's not too harsh, but lets the vocals sit on top.
Overall, the MD 435 and MD 445 are amazing microphones. The bodies of the microphones are a slick, black finish and have that nice feel and shape that we're used to seeing from the Sennheiser brand, along with a weight that is solid and but not heavy. Each microphone retails at $499, so it's not a beginner's microphone, but well worth it for a road warrior engineer or vocalist. I'd even suggest it to podcasters that record in a non-studio setting. Sennheiser has continued its legendary evolution in the microphone world.
Sennheiser • www.sennheiser.com
Original Resource is ProSoundNetwork.com
Posted in World News | Tagged Fela Davis, Gear and Technology, Live Sound, MD 435, MD 445, Microphone, New Products, Podcasting, Real World Review, Recording, Review, Sennheiser
Wharfedale Pro Launches WLA-210XF Line Array
Posted on December 7, 2020 by ProSoundNetwork Editorial Staff
Wharfdale WLA-210XF
Huntingdon, UK (December 7, 2020)—The new WLA-210XF line array system from Wharfdale may use the same custom-made Wharfedale Pro 10″ drivers and the same 3.0″ Neo compression driver as the company's WLA-210X, but the new model has the additional feature of having been IPX6 certified, making it appropriate for all-weather use.
Wharfedale Pro Ships I Series Loudspeakers
The WLA-210XF system reportedly delivers up to 138 dB Max SPL @ 1 meter, while its recommended adjoining subwoofer, the new dual 15" WLA-210XSUBF, offers a reported Max SPL @ 1 meter of 145 dB. Both models are constructed of up to 18 mm premium birch plywood, are covered in waterproof paint and use integral anti-corrosion, aluminum steel rigging hardware. Flat front grilles forged from 3 mm aluminum front the cabinets.
Helping keep the elements at bay, wax-wrapped components and an aluminum inner case protect the drivers and crossovers from water damage, and Neutrik NLT4 MP BAG waterproof connectors have been used as well. Both the WLA-210XF and the WLA-210XSUBF are supported within EASE.
Wharfedale Pro • www.wharfedalepro.com
Posted in World News | Tagged Gear and Technology, Live Sound, Loudspeaker, New Products, wharfdale, Wharfdale WLA-210XF
Star Spangled Panner Aims to Aim Speakers
Posted on December 4, 2020 by Clive Young
The Star Spangled Panner and Star Spangled Panner Mini.
London, UK (December 4, 2020)—Live sound engineer Matthew Russell has used pandemic downtime to invent the Star Spangled Panner and Star Spangled Panner Mini—tools for precisely setting the horizontal pan of speaker cabinets.
"These products have been specifically designed to address the difficulties in achieving the precise real-world realization of the orientation of event fixtures according to a CAD model, such as those generated in ArrayCalc or MappXT," he told Pro Sound News. "From a sound perspective, which is my background, the purpose [is] to optimize HF coverage of point sources; however, I also see them having applications in the world of LX and AV."
Yorkville Sound Launches Synergy SA102, SA115S Loudspeakers
While it is relatively easy to adjust the vertical tilt of a speaker cabinet to ensure coverage matches that suggested by analysis software, adjusting horizontal pan is often done by eye—so the Panner aims to bring a greater level of precision to that effort.
Designed to work with clamps by Doughty, the Panner is placed between the rigging frame yoke and clamp. The clamp is then used as a fixed reference to determine the pan of an individual fixture or splay of adjacent fixtures.
Produced and sold by Augment The Event Ltd., the Panners are CNC milled out of 6082 T6 Aluminum which are then black anodized and engraved for touring durability. The laser boxes are 3D printed out of matte black PLA.
Russell is a UK-based production sound engineer with 12 years experience in the UK theatre industry, working for a number of theatre producers including ATG Productions, RSC, National Theatre Productions, Fiery Angel, Headlong and Chichester Festival Theatre.
Star Spangled Panner • www.starspangledpanner.co.uk
Posted in World News | Tagged Augment The Event, Concert Sound, Gear and Technology, Installation, Live Sound, Loudspeaker, Matthew Russell, Measurement, New Products, PA, Star Spangled Panner, Star Spangled Panner Mini, theater sound
Yorkville Sound's new Synergy SA102 loudspeaker and SA115S subwoofer.
Toronto, Canada (December 3, 2020)—Yorkville Sound has added to its Synergy Array Series with the new SA102 active full range loudspeaker and SA115S active subwoofer. Paired together, they create a smaller, lighter, more portable version of the Synergy point-source system.
Equipped with a 10" LF woofer and 1 HF Compression Driver, the SA102 delivers 1,200 Watts (Program) and 2,400 Watts (Peak) and provides a 7 Degrees Up, 38 Degrees Down coverage pattern. Like its predecessor, the cabinet can be turned 180 degrees from top to bottom to flip the coverage pattern. Using multiple boxes in tandem, the SA102 can provide broader coverage; for example, three put together create a 90-degree pattern, wider than previous Synergy products.
Meanwhile, the SA1153 subwoofer sports a Danley-patented 15" tapped horn, allowing it to deliver 6,400 Watts (Program) and 13,000 Watts (Peak) in a compact cabinet. The SA102 can sit secure on the sub using interlocking feet or can be raised up by connecting a speaker pole to the SA115S built-in mounts.
The Synergy Array Series first debuted at the 2019 Winter NAMM Loudspeaker Showcase. Jeff Cowling, Yorkville Sound's vice president of Sales & Marketing, recounts, "In 2019, we created the most versatile array system of its kind; scalable in both horizontal and vertical planes, and adaptable to suit any coverage pattern needed. We wowed club owners, retailers and sound technicians with its sheer output and bass. With the new SA102 and SA115S, we deliver our most accessible Synergy System with all the brand's signature features in a smaller footprint, that is easy to lift and transport in a mini-van."
Yorkville Sound • www.yorkville.com
Posted in World News | Tagged Concert Sound, Gear and Technology, Live Sound, Loudspeaker, New Products, Point Source, SA102, SA115S, Subwoofer, Synergy Array Series, Yorkville Sound
Restart-19 COVID Concert Experiment Shares Results
Posted on December 3, 2020 by Steve Harvey
Dr. Stefan Moritz, head of Halle University's clinical infectious diseases department, presents one of the trackers used
to record where concertgoers went during their time at the Restart-19 test concerts. Halle University
Leipzig, Germany (December 3, 2020)—According to the results of Restart-19, an experiment in Germany, indoor sports and cultural events including music concerts could return soon—under the right conditions. The test was conducted by a team from Leipzig's Halle University, who report that "seated indoor events, when conducted under hygiene precautions and with adequate ventilation, have small effects on the spread of COVID-19."
The study was held in August at an 8,000-seat arena in Leipzig, where popular German singer Tim Bendzko and his band played to about 1,200 people. The 10-hour event was designed to test the potential spread of the novel coronavirus through contact and exposure to aerosol droplets. The results, published in November, have not been peer reviewed.
The team, led by Dr. Stefan Moritz, head of the university's clinical infectious diseases department, designed the event to study three different scenarios: a pre-pandemic concert with no safety measures, an event with some social distancing and a hygiene regimen, and a reduced crowd with concertgoers positioned about six feet apart. The experiment included various entrance and exit scenarios, bathroom breaks and simulated food and drink purchasing.
Attendees, who were required to have tested negative for COVID-19 no more than 48 hours prior to the event, had their temperatures taken on arrival, were given N95 face masks and were provided with tracking devices to measure their social distancing. Fluorescent disinfectants were applied to their hands so that the team could study which surfaces concertgoers touched the most. The results suggest that good ventilation, strict hygiene protocols, limited capacities and social distancing can minimize the potential for spreading the virus. Computer modeling of larger audiences—the organizers had hoped for 4,000 volunteers—showed similar results.
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Adequate ventilation appears to be key to safely hosting mass gatherings of people in indoor venues. Researchers found that the density of viruses in aerosols was decreased through regular air circulation. "We knew that ventilation was important, but we didn't expect it to be that important," the team's Dr. Michael Gekle told The New York Times.
The report stresses the importance of good ventilation: "[I]n scenarios with physical distancing, the resulting contact numbers are rather low and the effective risk depends primarily on the adequacy of the ventilation. Thus, under hygiene protocols and good ventilation, even a substantial number of indoor MGEs [mass gathering events] has only minimal effects on the overall number of infections in the population. However, poor ventilation systems can lead to a considerably higher rate of aerosol expositions and can thereby result in a high number of infections."
In the experiment, contact was generally less than 15 minutes between participants. Prolonged contact of several minutes was observed during the breaks between performances and during entry to the venue. In the pre-pandemic scenario, contacts tended to accumulate over the duration of the event.
Commenting to The New York Times, Emily Eavis, co-organizer of the Glastonbury Festival, said, "Obviously if masks are going to work for larger gigs, then that's big progress." The Leipzig experiment focused on seated events, where social distancing can be managed. Outdoor festivals, though well ventilated, are likely to remain riskier ventures until vaccine use is sufficiently widespread.
The organizers of Spain's Primavera Sound festival are reportedly helping to conduct research into the efficacy of rapid COVID-19 testing as a method for screening music fans. In the United States, Ticketmaster has floated a plan to vet concertgoers once they have purchased tickets. The scheme would involve third-party testing and vaccine distribution providers and health information reporting companies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any such digital screening services.
Posted in World News | Tagged Business, Concert, Concert Sound, COVID-19, Dr. Stefan Moritz, experiment, Germany, Halle University, Leipzig, Live, Live Sound, Restart-19, science, Tim Bendzko
Baseball-Themed 'Rigoletto' Covers Bases, Audience
A ground-stacked array of four Kiva enclosures was positioned behind the orchestra section at home plate for center stadium reinforcement for the Tulsa Opera performance.
Tulsa, OK (December 3, 2020)—Mention ballparks and singing to most people and they'll picture Fenway Park belting "Sweet Caroline," or maybe a half-sober round of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at their local field. That's fine – but what if you added opera singers? In fact, what if you flat-out staged an opera at a ballpark?
That's what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 9 at ONEOK Field, home of the Tulsa Drillers minor league team. The Tulsa Opera staged a baseball-themed version of Verdi's opera Rigoletto with the help of local sound provider Axiom Audio, which fielded an L-Acoustics Kara PA system to cover 1,685 socially-distanced audience members seated in the 2,700-capacity stadium.
Tulsa Opera performs a baseball-themed Rigoletto at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma Shane Bevel
The system consisted of 24 Kara enclosures, six SB18 subs, and three four-speaker clusters of Kiva II used as center and sidefills, all powered by six LA12X and three LA4X amplified controllers. The components were on an Optocore fiber network that also included a DiGiCo SD10 FOH mixing console paired with two SD-Racks.
The event's PA design was as unique as the venue itself. The stadium management wouldn't allow rigging to be erected on the field's grass areas, so the Kara speakers were loaded onto wheeled carts that lined the first and third baselines, four per side, facing the grandstands. A ninth cart was positioned at home plate, just in front of the low risers that were the stage for six orchestra members: two violins, viola, cello, bass and piano. This arrangement provided the necessary coverage for all of the widely-spaced grandstand seating.
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However, it also created the added challenge of putting loudspeakers on the field as the opera vocalists, unfamiliar with wearing wireless microphones, would roam about during the performance, creating the potential for feedback each time they neared a speaker cluster. The solution was to make each cart its own node on the system, putting each of the nine speaker pods on a matrix at the front of house, allowing Front-of-House engineer Steve Colby to turn off individual loudspeaker clusters as a performer approached one.
"We made the speakers individually controllable through the matrix," said Axiom Audio president Ben Bruce. "Performers were moving all across the infield, and they're opera singers, so they would be loud. Having individual control over the elements in what was essentially a distributed audio system greatly reduced the potential for gain-before-feedback. The Kara speakers were a perfect fit, in terms of size and power, for this."
Colby added, "Kara's coverage properties allowed for a large and effective stereo field between any two of the arrays deployed around the field," he says. "As a result, we could pan vocals and effects a little farther apart than usual without diminishing the experience for audience members who were not centered between the arrays. In particular, this was noticeable with the amount of artificial acoustic 'space' we created using a touch of reverb. The available SPL and overall fidelity of the speakers are quite amazing given the compact size and light weight of the product."
Tulsa Opera's Rigoletto • www.tulsaopera.com/rigoletto
Axiom Audio • www.axiom.audio
L-Acoustics • www.l-acoustics.com
Posted in World News | Tagged Axiom Audio, ball park, Baseball, Concert Sound, Kara, L-Acoustics, Live, Live Sound, loudspeakers, ONEOK, Opera, Regional and Local, Sports Venue Sound, Tulsa, Tulsa Opera
EAW MKD1200 Series Loudspeakers Debut
EAW MKD1200 Series
Whitinsville, MA (December 2, 2020)– Eastern Acoustic Works has introduced the MKD1200 Series as an addition to its MKD Series of installation loudspeakers. The two EAW MKD1200 speakers—the MKD1294 and MKD1264—are three-way designs engineered to produce high output levels, for use in applications ranging from stadiums to small music venues.
Both models incorporate dual 12-inch low-frequency transducers with 3-inch vented voice coils, and coaxial 3.5-inch voice coil midrange and 1.75-inch voice coil high-frequency compression drivers. Nominal beamwidth of the MKD1294 is 90º horizontal x 45º vertical, while that of the MKD1264 is 60º horizontal x 45º vertical. The large-format horn utilized in the MKD1294 and MKD1264 may be rotated for altered pattern control, providing sound system integrators with installation options.
All models in the MKD Series employ EAW Core Technology including Beamwidth Matched Crossovers that are intended to eliminate polar irregularities in the crossover region, and Focusing, which uses advanced DSP to refine the impulse response of the loudspeaker in the time domain to reportedly eliminate horn "honk."
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The dual woofers are configured in the enclosures using a slanted mounting technique first developed for the KF860 touring line array cabinet and now used in QX Series loudspeakers. According to EAW, the configuration improves time coherency and also reduces the overall length of the cabinet.
Frequency response for the MKD1294 and MKD1264 ranges from 47 Hz to 20 kHz, and maximum SPL is 145 dB and 147 dB, respectively. Audio input is via rear-panel terminal block connectors, and both models may be operated in passive or biamped modes. All EAW MKD1200 Series loudspeakers feature enclosures constructed from Baltic birch, and are available in standard black or white finishes with options for custom colors as well as weather protection.
Eastern Acoustic Works • www.eaw.com
Posted in World News | Tagged Eastern Acoustic Works, EAW, Gear and Technology, Installation, Live Sound, Loudspeaker, MKS series, New Products
Sounding Board: Networking Works When You Know Your Part
Posted on November 30, 2020 by Mike Dias
For our industry, here's the sliding scale of what the new normal looks like: You were previously working on some aspect of streaming and now you're busier than you've ever been before. Or you successfully pivoted and you are now working harder than ever, doing more with less. Or you're stuck in a holding pattern.
Mike Dias writes and speaks about What Entertainers Can Teach Executives and Why Nobody Likes Networking. He is the executive director for the In-Ear Monitor International Trade Organization and the vice president of sales for Earthworks Audio. He loves to trade stories, to talk shop, and to hear about your networking successes and failures! [email protected]
Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, giving yourself some breathing room will help provide clarity. It's been hurry up and wait for over eight months and now it's time to recalibrate.
The first thing to do is admit that this unsettled period is going to last longer that you want it to, which means that it's time to have some difficult discussions and make some challenging decisions. It also means that it's time to lean on your friends and extended social network.
If you're in a good position and you're gainfully employed at a company that has successfully navigated today's economic challenges, don't take it for granted. This is the time to stay put and double down. Work even harder and add even more value. Make the rounds and personally thank all the people responsible for successfully shepherding you and your colleagues to safety. I guarantee it was not luck. There were plenty of sleepless nights on management's watch where painful decisions were made and programs were cut. Take the time to acknowledge that and give credit where credit is due. If you lost peers as a result of those changes, it is part of your job to check in on them and look after them. Take the initiative and open up your network to help make sure they land softly. If you're successful, then be helpful.
If you're able, now is the time to give generously. There are plenty of organizations set up to help ensure that those in need find support. If you cannot donate monetarily, then overcompensate with your time. Be available whenever someone calls. Take the lead and check in on friends and acquaintances across the world.
For those of you who lost your main source of income but picked up something stable in the meantime, keep both feet planted firmly where you are right now. You're ahead of the game! You might not like it, you might be miserable, but that's irrelevant and beside the point. You are employed and you are meeting your responsibilities and keeping things afloat. That's your primary focus—so run circles around everyone else and go all in; nail the work with your eyes closed. Just don't get too comfortable, and be open to shifting depending on opportunity.
Sounding Board: Networking From Six Feet
Since need is not pressing, you have time to plan and think about the larger picture. Be thoughtful and meticulous about what you pursue. Make a point to call on your entire network. You don't need an excuse to call. Simply pick up the phone and say this: "I was thinking of you and wanted to see how you are doing." Those 13 words cut across space and time; they open up dialogue and endless possibilities. No matter how things were left before, that phrase is a reset button. Share what you are doing and why. Then tell them specifically what you are looking for and directly ask for help. That old saying really is true: you get what you ask for.
Which brings us to hoping and waiting—two of my least favorite words. If you're out there looking but not getting anywhere, you've lost your flow. I know how you feel. When all this uncertainty first started, I relived every bad decision I ever made, each choice leading me right back to nothing. It's not a good place to be.
If that sounds familiar, then take any work just to break the cycle—because ironically, if you are in that dark place, it is impossible to do the one thing that can get you out. Do you really think you can make calls and ask for help from there? Nope. Never. That's the cul-de-sac of networking. You're at that bummer dead end, just spinning in circles. Take any job or project just to get out of your head. Buy some time to plan for that next right move—and realize that you have an entire audio community at your back available to help. If you don't know where to turn first, then start with me.
Mike Dias writes and speaks about What Entertainers Can Teach Executives and Why Nobody Likes Networking. He is the executive director for the In-Ear Monitor International Trade Organization and the vice president of sales for Earthworks Audio. He loves to trade stories, to talk shop, and to hear about your networking successes and failures! [email protected].
Posted in World News | Tagged Blogs, Business, employment, Engineer, job, Live Sound, Networking, work
60 Seconds: Preston Gray, Yamaha Corp. of America
Posted on November 30, 2020 by ProSoundNetwork Editorial Staff
Preston Gray is the new director of marketing for Pro Audio, Yamaha Corp. of America.
Q: What is your new position, and what does it entail?
I am excited to take on the role of director of marketing for Pro Audio at Yamaha Corp. of America. We are responsible for developing strategies to reach and engage new customers for Yamaha, Nexo and Steinberg products. At a deeper, more human level, I believe a simple melody, or even a few notes, can trigger an emotional bond with another person, and that sound and music have a transformational impact on individuals and the world around us. Our job in Yamaha's Pro Audio team is to make sure those notes are heard, and to facilitate that connection between people.
Q: How has your background prepared you for your new role?
I am fortunate that I have been able to follow my passion for music and technology from day one of my career. I spent time touring with national artists in arenas and stadiums, where I gained firsthand experience with how the Yamaha, Nexo and Steinberg products perform cohesively as integrated systems in the real world. I experienced daily how Yamaha's unique and intimate connection with music and musical instruments shines through in the sound quality of our pro audio systems.
While most pro audio systems are designed to amplify music, Yamaha uniquely knows exactly what that music should sound like, as we empower artists to create music by developing musical instruments. My role in the field, touring and tuning our systems, confirmed this confidence and excellence in sonic performance, and I can't wait to share that experience with the world.
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Q: What new marketing initiatives are we likely to see from the company?
Yamaha empowers artists to make waves with sound and music. We will focus on initiatives that provide the systems and solutions to amplify art and voices that inspire connection to make waves.
Q: What are your short- and long-term goals?
In the short-term, we want to continue to be a solid and trusted partner to our customers, building on our strong brand image and reputation. As we look further into the future, we will continue to share our expertise in music and sonic quality across every aspect of our pro audio systems, from recording and creation with Steinberg, to processing, mixing and performance with Yamaha, and powerful, linear sound reinforcement from Nexo.
Q: What is the greatest challenge you face?
As the world faces changes and uncertainty, we know that music has the ability to unite and connect us. We must not lose sight of the fact that, as professionals in the pro audio industry, we have the power to amplify the voices of those around us to make an impact, progress personally and come together with others. At the same time, we will continue to support our customers in every way as the live event and commercial sound industries embrace new opportunities.
Posted in World News | Tagged 60 Seconds, Business, director of marketing, HOW Sound, Installation, interview, Live Sound, Nexo, Preston Gray, Pro Audio, Yamaha, Yamaha Corp. of America
Floating the Audio of the World Rowing Championships
The audio needs at this year's World Rowing Championships included live and streaming sound, eight commentary channels in multiple languages, wireless mics for the medal ceremonies and music playback—all handled on one console.
Poznan, Poland (November 30, 2020)—There are nautical enthusiasts who may row, row, row their boat gently down the stream—but they are nowhere to be found at the World Rowing Championships. The word "gently" doesn't appear either, because the event draws the best athletic rowers from around the world and the competition is fierce. The three-day rowing regatta is the annual culmination of the sport, bringing with it all the drama and excitement that one might expect as boats tear their way across aquatic expanses in record time. Ensuring that all in-person spectators at this year's edition, held on Lake Malta in Poznan, Poland in October, could hear the commentary and become immersed in the experience was audio engineer Marcin Baran of MTS Studio, who mixed the event on an Allen & Heath SQ-5 console.
Baran chose the SQ-5 to handle all live and streaming sound, including eight commentary channels in multiple languages, wireless mics for the medal ceremonies and music playback. The SQ-5 was fitted with an SLink card, giving Baran the extra SLink port needed to deploy independent GX4816 and DX168 I/O expanders. One expander fed the various zones of the lakeside complex, while the second fed the main PA in the medals area as well as multiple speaker zones in the stands, with help from the built-in delays on the SQ's busses. Further mixes were sent to commentators' headphones, to two separate livestreams and to an OB van.
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As heats started on the far side of the lake and ended 2 km from the spectators, a key challenge was to give fans in the grandstands and viewers at home a sense of immersion in the races. A submix of ambient mics captured the waterside sounds and starting signal from the start line, sent via old analog cables laid under the lakebed many years ago. The signal proved quite noisy, so Marcin connected a laptop running Waves X-Noise Native via the SQ's USB port to identify and tackle the problem frequencies. Once the boats were underway, feeds from ambient mics from cameras mounted on a boat that followed the athletes, keeping the audience in contact with the action on the lake.
With so many different elements to stay across, automation and streamlining of workflows were essential, as Baran noted, "I created one group for all commentators that didn't feed into any of the mixes, but triggered the duckers on all music inputs. I used an analog Bettermaker mastering limiter for the streaming and I used eight instances of SQ's DynEQ4 dynamic EQ on all the commentator channels. With the mixer set up in this way, everything practically mixed itself, leaving my hands free to look after the music. For me, the SQ is a small, handy mixer with enormous possibilities. I love using this mixer on tour with bands, also SQ-5 is the heart of my mobile recording studio setup."
Allen & Heath • www.allen-heath.com
Rowing World Championship • www.worldrowing.com
Posted in World News | Tagged Allen & Heath, console, International, Live, Live Sound, Livestream, Mixing, Regional and Local, Sports Venue Sound, World Rowing Championships
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