The SC-Never Let'em See Us Sweat!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- The Sound Couple heads out for another wedding just outside of DT at an Event Center!
We gotta a lot going on in this video. From a technical side, we encounter a physically weak power receptacle that causes our backline equipment, including our NSB stage boxes, to have up and down power glitches. Our PreSonus eco-system did not like this and sent us on a wild spree during sound check and minutes before the band starting uncertain if everything was on-line and functioning
We debut Stacy's wonderful case making talents as we show off our new in-ear case package. Now we are able to combine two cases to one and all of our in-ear units and accessories are much more organized and easily available.
Next, Bart pumps new life into his trusty 2011 MacBook Pro by using OpenCore Legacy Patcher to upgrade to the latest MacOS Monterey. The system proves completely functional by running UC Surface and recording 20 multi-tracks in Capture with no problems....except for the USB glitch that involved power cycling the mixer. This randomly happened prior to the upgrade as well!
To learn more about extending the life of an older Mac, we highly suggest starting here with your research:
dortania.githu...
and checking out Mr. Macinstosh's TH-cam channel:
/ mrmacintoshblog
The Sound Couple primarily use PreSonus gear featuring:
PreSonus UC Surface
PreSonus CDL12
PreSonus CDL18s
PreSonus 32R
PreSonus SW5E
PreSonus NSB Stageboxes
PreSonus AVB-D16
As long as the guests have a good time, there is no major interruptions to the evening and the band is overall happy, then you’ve done a great job. Thank again for sharing.
Well said! Thanks!
Fantastic, love these videos. Great job Stacy with the bag for the in-ear gear, it is genius. Also, Bart, well done for sorting the issues with no one knowing.
Thank you David! We are having fun doing them! Stacy did a really nice job on the case and it's getting some good use already! We are fully recovered now and have had a good run of gigs since this one. So we all live to see another day!
Oh wow that case is awesome Stacy!!!!!!!!
Thanks! I enjoy a good challenge- I should’ve been an engineer!
@@thesoundcouple definitely!!!!
That live recording capture in studio one was amazing. The horns were sounding amazing. Just drop some ambient crowd noise in and DAM.
Thanks! This was one of the first videos we shared this kind of work, so appreciate the comment!
Really amazing work the 2 of you do.
If you don’t you should teach a class on live digital mixing/recording in your area.
Again just blown away by the mix on the horns… very few can do it that well… especially live. You have a great ear.
This is truly nice of you to say....we are humbled by your comment. We sometimes really get our mixes good....but never take it for granted when it does. There are so many factors and emotions rooted in triumph and defeats that go into each mix. Our concern to the young generation taking this over from us is them understanding that these results aren't always easy and come from a lot of hard work (and luck) with many failures along the way. One of our missions of our channel is to keep it real...we still screw up all of the time but recovery and perseverence is what separates. If we ever had the opportunity to share on in a face to face forum, we would be honored to! Not to ramble...but my early years of mixing horn bands is a story in itself...some really patient and not so patient band leaders!
Thx for sharing knowledge and tips. Great job guys
Thank you Mark!
I always do walkthroughs and sound planning. I'd even go to the extreme of pre-producing some aspects such as using Smaart to find resonances and EQ the room. Now with digital that's even easier as I can just dump a snapshot and save lots of time. I do believe is worth it as it lowers the risk of finding surprises during the day of the event. I'd like to avoid that in the future once I can have multiple backups and extra tools on a van.
Walkthroughs are nice for those purposes....unfortunately the logistics, budgets, and resource availability/willingness are often obstacles in making it happen.
Yes! Happens once in a while, and nobody notices these things if you stay sharp and do your best :) Great work guys!
Thanks...we are trying to keep it real. Every gig has it challenges!
It's experiencing gigs like this why I'll never solely rely on an iPad to mix. If I don't have room for a FOH position, I'll at least dump a console side stage, and mix on cans if I have to. Anything mission critical for me can't be reliant on a wifi connection as it's just not reliable enough.
Nice work on that soft case for your personal mixers. I definitely would've just put them in a Peli
Agreed! Stacy just looked up the Peli cases....we didn't know they existed but they look promising. Thank you for watching!
@@thesoundcouple yeah, they’re bulletproof. I’ve got a 1510 that I take with me all the time with adapters, spare mics/DI’s cable tester etc… just general work box stuff. Then I’ve got my dLive mix rack in an IM2875, which is perfect for flying. The 1510 actually fits in carry on, which is super handy
@@dustinthiessen Cool, thanks for sharing. We are learning a lot!
@@thesoundcouple I'm always happy to share what little knowledge I have 👍🏼
I use iPad mixes a lot, especially now that gear has become much more reliable and easy to use. I like learning about sound, but over the last 10-15 years of using wifi I've become a reluctant expert on wireless routers and networking, etc.! I do not trust wireless or computer boot ups, so I set up the mixer at FOH or beside the stage AND I always carry a smaller analog backup to get me through the gig. I've had to use it a few times due to unexpected weather and low voltage power issues! I have two trailers set up for gigging: my bigger rig is a Yamaha TF5 with a Yamaha MG16/6FX back up in the monitor rack and my small rig is a Presonus 16.4.2 console (it has some failing faders/sliders so I've recently been trying out a Soundcraft Ui16) and I carry an analog Soundcraft GigRac 8-Channel Powered Mixer with Lexicon effects for back-up. BTW, Pelican cases are awesome for many things!
Oh hey, Fellow OpenCore Legacy Patcher users hah! I had Monterey on my 2011 13" Pro for a while. Cool to see it works well for ya!
Our 2011 still going strong!
I really enjoy your vids. I have done sound gigs for too many years. I don't have as much cool gear as you guys do. I do mainly small gigs like weddings, birthday parties, proms, street festivals.and school musicals. My digital system is a SAC (software audio console) system. Getting long in tooth compared to the new stuff but at my age not into soending $$$ on upgrades. I am glad to see i am not the only one having issues at every gig. Haven't done any gigs since covid. Good luck. Nice to see a real sound professional giging sound and not a twenty something who plays guitar and doesn't know a parametric equalizer from a pair of pants. 👍
Thanks Larry! A fellow sound guy used SAC for years and was a real believer in it...way ahead of it's time. Now the digital offerings are a bit tough to pass on, but they were true innovators in digital mixing!
I remember back in those early days when there were a few rough gigs.....but now, the "kids" don't realize how easy they have it :). I remember walking into places that provided a PA, but you were on your own. You spent the majority of your time not setting up, but figuring out what didn't work or re-hooking the system up from the guy how tore it apart the night before! I recall one gig where I had to keep banging on the console to keep the channels going...LOL!
@@thesoundcouple i started out with a Mackie 1604, a Ross stereo graphic EQ a couple used amps, homemade speakers, cassette deck and some second hand church mics. I thought i was hot stuff and people even paid me. Ignorance was bliss then i went to Syn Aud Con classes and realized how ignorant i i really was.
This issue without drops I have mostly experienced it with presonus rack mixer. Changing the wireless router from 2.5 ghz to 5ghz helped. However behringer Rack mixer has a more stable connection and even if it drops out I don't have to power of the mixer to reconnect.
We use the 5 GHz as well. We are keeping eye on things as normally you would expect wireless issues to have a global impact to any app running on the device. However, at a recent gig, I noticed when I was experiencing drops with UC Surface, another application (NoMachine), was working just fine.
Wow. That sounds like a loud room!
We typically refrain from commenting on stuff like this as we always appreciate the opportunities we have, but I couldn't help myself on this one. It's a newer entrainment venue and this is what we end up with acoustically.....I would really like to discuss this with the genius's that came up with this design. Unfortunately, it seems like it's the norm now. It's sad that venues probably don't even understand that bad acoustics is a determent to their success and it's the entertainment that is burdened with managing it.
@@thesoundcouple I've experienced rooms like that several times. What is funny (to me at least); many rooms are advertised as having good acoustics yet the majority of them have horrible acoustics and ring like a bell as the room you were in does.
I just ordered my 1st IEM!
Nice! Good luck!
As a response to the walkthrough- I was recently on a tour where we plug a rack console into a house PA and get rolling within 8 minutes - walkthrough…no way. We line check during the 8 minutes we’re setting up and that’s it!
For those who are interested- the setup is full drums, guitar and bass built into one instrument with two outputs (it’s a two piece) - a cab for guitar and bass through a kemper for stage volume, 5 lights, and every input runs through Studio One into an X32 via ADAT, the purpose of studio one is to handle delay tempo and throws, automatic volume automation, automatic muting of the guitar and/or bass, switching kemper profiles, trax playback, and light automation, plus we can run Waves and other plugins without a soundgrid server! As the front of house engineer my only job is to make the mix sound good in the room! Cool to see other people running iPad mixers at a professional level!!
And for those who are really interested, my job was FOH, “spotlight op” (aka stand on stage at the beginning of the set and follow the band with a bright flashlight as they enter from the back of the room for their bold intro), merch, and stage tech. The touring life sure is interesting- the entire band and crew is three people and we all fit in a similar sized van to what Sound Couple has! No trailer needed. We love laughing while the headliner and direct support figure out how to park their busses while we hang out in a hotel
I know of a couple of bands over the years that were super efficient and organized and EVERYONE is responsible and has a role in set-up and tear down. One bigger name band I recall was known to be up and/or out within minutes....and we are talking a pretty big show.
Walk-throughs are nice but it's never guaranteed to be the same a week later let alone the next day. And with venues at a distance it doesn't make sense just get there early and be prepared.
I fill in for one band who likes to do events in Pennsylvania I live in West Virginia with most of the band. So it's usually an hour drive at least.
Agreed. When convenient- they’re great!
What kind of table/stand you use for the rack and laptop?? That thing seems to come in handy.
We are amazed how many comments this table receives! There is a similar table available from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Yellow-Station-Outdoor-American-Plastics/dp/B097Q8Z9XV/ref=sr_1_24?crid=FSZR9WMEAE0S&keywords=portable+work+table&qid=1653236750&sprefix=portable+work+t%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-24
@@thesoundcouple thanks for the link! Will definitely put this on the purchase list! As always, we enjoy your videos!!
@@thesoundcouple we purchased two of these, per your recommendation, and they are wonderful. We are going to order two more!!👍👍
@@RegularTennesseeJoe Glad they are working out for you! We have a new appreciation for these tables after all of the comments. When you really think about it, the design of them are fantastic! They are extremely durable and practical, yet take up little space for transport and storage.
Wow that was intense! Wireless issues are my greatest fear. They’re are some many unknowns and possible issues that are are sometimes out of your control. I’m just trying to get myself started so I’m sticking to wired but wireless is all the rage and that worries me.
We are discovering that wireless reliability is a moving target. We will be looking into to ways of being more proactive on stabilizing wireless control because it's fundamental to us.
I have always required walk-throughs because there are often things that the client or the venue don't tell you over the phone.
While I agree with being careful when the venue is at a distant location, I think it has to be a judgement call.
Probably now, I would not necessarily do a walk-through for every event, but probably still for certain large or high-profile events.
You made me think a bit also, that some of the ownership is on the band that hires us as well. We have a list of requirements that they understand...if during their booking of the gig, if they don't account for one of them, then we are able to place some of the responsibility on them. If we are hired directly from the client, the odds increase that we will do a site visit...however, these are usually higher paying gigs that are better able to support the additional work since we are the ones negotiating the price. The difference with our regular clients is that we have more of a base rate.....we win some and lose some, but they provide us a lot of our business so it equals out.
👍🏻❤❤🎶🎶
Wireless can be a pain. Was your wireless issue with the wireless on the Presonus?
No, the issue was not with the Presonus, but with our router. It can be tough being in a downtown environment surrounded by a lot of apartments/condos all competing for wireless frequencies!
@@thesoundcouple gotcha!!! I come from an analog world and just moved over to wireless on some aspects. We run into that Everytime we run in downtown Cleveland. There's so much activity it's hard to find channels. So I fe your pain lol
Another light question …. I also have the Chauvet 4 bar lights as well a couple of the 3ft bar lights. Can you details how you actually connect/mount the bars lights to the stands? I’d like to give that a try…
The fixtures have a collar with a connected pin that is strapped to it. We just slip the fixture over the pole and insert the pin horizontally in the holes that are provided with the Ultimate stands. So, it's the pin that keeps the fixture from sliding down the light tree pole.
Thx. I’m actually referring to the vertical bar lights (they may be Blizzard) and how are they mounted to the stand
@@soundadvicewithrob3083 Ahhh ok, yes, those are Blizzard StormChasers (discontinued, but I believe they have a newer model). Picture is worth a thousand words. If you could send an e-mail to our contact info, we would be more than happy to send you a pic! (I do recall there was a drill involved to widen the mounting hole on the bracket).
Any reason a lot of your videos are only in 480p? Or is that just me?
Hi Karsten - We are exporting/uploading in 1080p, but will double check that something didn't change. Thanks!
@@thesoundcouple I've noticed it on several videos. The highest i can choose is 480. Weird.
@@karstenpe Will need to check into this more. So far, can't find any obvious reason why this is the case.
How much louder you presonus speakers?
Hi Jerry - I would say they do very well for their size. The CDL's are each relatively compact speakers, so you need be realistic that one speaker can only do so much regardless of the brand.
Great videos. Troubleshooting live is always a challenge. Question about the front liights. What units are you using on the speaker poles and do performers ever complain about lights right at eye level rather than from above? Thx
Those are the COLORpallette's by Chauvet. Yes, we have had complaints, but literally only once. We use these a lot in our videos...from a perfect lighting perspective, is it the ultimate choice?? The answer is no, but what they do is take up no additional space and are the right choice when we are balancing space and aesthetics in the space we are provided. We try to make sure they are not directly in the performers eyes.
@@thesoundcouple Thx. Enjoy your vidoes and I feel your pain doing similar work for many years :)
Excellent job dealing with the inevitable... it's bound to happen! I have this kind of night once in a while. 🙋♂ You just have to know what to do, and you did a great job pressing on with the program. I especially enjoyed the different mixes/recordings of the live band, the mixes were very good and so was the band! I also play instruments and have some experience with horn bands - once you get everything going it's always fun and high energy!
Thanks Todd! This was an interesting video as honestly, I was sort of unmotivated to do it based on the night we had, but the recording, especially with Tower of Power cover lifted me up and that section made it all worth it! I am guessing this song is not the most popular song at a wedding, but it helps when the groom and best men are up there participating.
@@thesoundcouple I had the fortune luck to catch Tower of Power in a small theater in Roanoke, Virginia while working there/staying overnight in a nearby hotel and it changed my life! It was that good! They’re amazing!
Maybe not the issue, but when I'm getting a little frustrated, I'll tell the drummer to stop playing. It distracts me. The bands could always make it a little easier...
P.S.
I also play in a band, so I know the band could be a help when soundchecking!
Keep on doing what you do!
What a keen observation...I have requested that from him before.
I always enjoy your videos, but this one stressed me out a little🫣
Yes, thankfully we feel we have moved forward a bit!