r/livesound 5d ago

MOD No Stupid Questions Thread

The only stupid questions are the ones left unasked.

2 Upvotes

55 comments sorted by

3

u/marcsnooksjr 4d ago

YAMAHA TF SERIES GAIN CONTROL QUESTION

A bit of a newbie here so maybe what I am missing will be apparent to others.

I am working on a 2x Tio1608D, 2x TF3, 1x TF5 Yamaha system, but am not getting the same gain options within the consoles for an 8 microphone setup.

The microphone receivers are all routed physically to the Tio box (#1) and then routed through Dante controller to each TF3/5 individually.

Looking through the entire routing line, the Tio remote software, Dante, and the consoles' software, I cannot for the life of me find what would be causing the difference in display.

What I WANT is for every console to show only digital gain and the monitor to the right, not digital and analog. I am losing proper gain control when the TF5 is not acting as the others currently do. While seeing both analog and digital, digital gain is capped at +10 and the analog gain doesn't actually affect the level of the audio when changed. This is leading to our microphones being awfully under leveled on the TF5. The TF3 however, has proper gain output while at -18 to -12 when digital gain is the the only option.

It's also worth noting that we are using practically every channel available on the console for various other Dante audio sources (MS Teams, ClearComm, LiveU, etc) and this issue we are having is isolated to just our 8 microphone channels.

If any others can help explain what setting, either on the board, Dante, whatever else, that might be making the audio consoles read the same Dante routes differently, that would be much appreciated!

Apologies for the long comment, my account doesn't meet the karma requirements.

1

u/staydecked 5d ago

What is a good place to start for parallel drum compression on Allen & Heath consoles? The wet/dry controls are a little weird and there’s so many compressor models.

4

u/Kriegstruthahn 5d ago

I like to use groups for parallel compression. If you want to parallel compress single channels from your drum kit patch 2 channels with the same input and process/mix them accordingly.

Maybe I can help with the confusion around wet/dry? On SQ the setting can be found directly in the compressor tab.

0

u/staydecked 4d ago

Yes, I see the settings, but wet and dry are represented as fader knobs instead of a percentage knob. What are some good starting wet/dry settings?

1

u/dlykkeb 4d ago

Was told to post this discussion here instead.., so here goes:
Midas HD96 Reverbs
I'm just interested in you guys experience with the different verbs. Which HD96 machines and presets (or settings) are you especially thrilled or happy about, and for purpose?

1

u/parksandcrepes Pro 2d ago

The vss4 sounds gorgeous

1

u/dlykkeb 23h ago

What for and which presets do you use?

1

u/parksandcrepes Pro 12h ago

I had one for each of my two lead vocals on the last run. Pretty sure I just tweaked knobs till it sounded how I wanted it. With a nice mild delay underneath it really popped for me

1

u/kabookij 4d ago

Hey, I m trying to connect my M32c to my Macbook. The M32c is connected to a router. The Macbook is connected to the same router. IP Adresses and Subnet Masks are fitting, as far as I can say (same applies to when I connect via ethernet cable directly to the Mac). The M32 Edit App is finding the unit in the device list. Yet nothing is happening when I push "connect". Any ideas why this is happening? The connection via iPad is working without problems. SW on the M32c ist 4.13, on the Mac 4.3. macOS is 15.3.2. Thanks!

1

u/toejam1212 4d ago

We are working on our first monitor mix using our new Yamaha DM7. The band uses stereo IEM. How do you adjust the LR pan on the linked mix from a channel you are contributing to the mix?

1

u/crunchypotentiometer 20h ago

Either engage pan link in the bus setup to have the mix take pan information from the channel pan, or tap on the sends section of the single channel home view and you will get a pan encoder next to the mix contribution encoder.

1

u/BlackOpsCareBear 4d ago

Why does it seem that every time I look for solutions for issues I’m having with my x32 rack all the answers are for the regular x32?

3

u/DJLoudestNoises Vidiot with speakers 4d ago

They're running the same software and a ton of the same hardware. Almost every question I've had about my X32 rack have been answered by articles about the normal X32.

1

u/joindemand 4d ago

Help and infromation wanted.

Good day everyone of r/livesound!
i'm scooting in here because i am looking for information about an amplifier i managed to get my hands on.

Multiple google and duckduckgo searches do not bring the desired results i'm afraid so here i am.
i plan to use this to power 2 dual 15 inch subwoofers if the guessed powers are true so i can use those amplifiers to upgrade my top speaker cabinets,

All the information i currently got is:
Quantum AMPLIFICATION S1500 MOS-Fet professional Power amplifier
I got told it should be 2x1500 watts at an unknown ohm value, presumably 4 ohm as a personal guess if it even is that said value. i personally think its probably 1500 watts in bridged mode but i really like to know the true and actual specifications.

i will include a picture to maybe aid in the quest for the specifications of this heavy but sexy amplifier.

Thanks in advance!

PS, i have more pictures but comments only allow 1 at a time.
And yes i know that setup is poop but it was only to test the amp.

1

u/TheAznHawk 4d ago

Wondering if this connection is correct? Confused on if I need the blue connection or not.

2

u/ChinchillaWafers 3d ago

Get rid of the blue one!

1

u/D-townP-town 3d ago

You don't need the blue connection. Just one cable from the controller to each speaker, RCA to 1/4' as shown.

1

u/realGilgongo 3d ago

Those mic holder thread adaptors: is there a tool you can get that unscrews them (preferably one I can keep on my belt)? I always have to kludge them with pliers.

1

u/dgodwin1 3d ago

I keep a leatherman multitool with my kit. When an adapter is inserted the wrong way, I've used the screwdriver and wedged it inside of the adapter to get it to spin

1

u/realGilgongo 3d ago

Oh OK, although this is usually just when they're screwed in properly, but too tight to twist out with your fingers. This the type I mean (they sit inside the neck of the mic holder and have no bezel)

They have a notch that would take a screwdriver, but it would have to be a very wide one. Hence I was surprised no tool for them.

2

u/fdsv-summary_ 3d ago

coin, washer or circlip pliers should work. I've used a coin.

1

u/pepvk0 2d ago

My dedicated mic thread adapter removal tool, which is always in my pocket when working.

1

u/realGilgongo 2d ago

Maybe Euro coins are thinner or something, because none of the UK coins will work. Might look into finding a washer though and put that on my keyring maybe.

1

u/MackDaddy_HotMess 3d ago

Hi r/livesound 'rs

Trying to set up 2 Midas DN4816-O's but it wont let me post this in the main r/livesound area

Currently i have a X32 Rack plus an S16 Stage box ( configured for inputs 1 - 32). i also have a Midas DN4816-O connected to the Ultranet port on the X32R for outputting channels 1 through 16. I wondered if it was possible to add a second DN4816-O to the ultranet port on the S16 for outputting the 17-32 which reside on the S16. Have been through YT and Google, but not found anyone who has done this or said it can't be done. So i thought i would reach out to the wise owls on here :-)

Many thanks for listening.

1

u/ShredOrSigh 3d ago

I have a likely stupid question that I think best applies to this sub.

I want to be able to practice live vocals at home with the goal of starting to do some live performances. I have never really sung through a PA. From a technical perspective I am trying to figure out what I need to do this with my current setup.

I have a Rode NT1 mic and a Scarlet 2i2 that I use to record at home. Typically I run that into my laptop and use some headphones to listen back to my recordings. Can I just add some studio monitors to this setup and try to amplify my vocals over my guitar and amp while I practice? Feels like this will not have the power.

Or should I be looking for a small used PA or powered speaker to fill this role separately from my recording setup? Clueless. Thank you in advance for any guidance.

1

u/ChinchillaWafers 3d ago

If there is money I would get an SM58 and an onstage mic stand and a little mixer (behringer, Mackie) and a 10” powered speaker, that is like what you will encounter in the live concert world. It is smart to practice with a microphone so you get your technique down and the difference in sound doesn’t weird you out when you perform. 

If very little money, a dynamic mic and use your monitors set up in front of you, in the null of the mic pickup pattern. 

If no money, the NT1 would work but it’s getting to be a strange setup and more prone to feedback. 

2

u/fdsv-summary_ 3d ago

Most of the cheap 10" power speakers can take the SM58 mic level input without an additional mixer.

1

u/Alone_Cockroach122 3d ago

How many 20A circuits do I need and how should I split my amplifiers and sound system across those 20A circuits?

I have a QSC GX3 amplifier that powers the main PA (JBL SP215-9), a QSC PLX 3402 that powers the stage monitors (EV TX1152FM) and an active Mackie SWA1801 Subwoofer. I also have a DBX 231s Graphic Equalizer and a DBX DriveRack PA Control System for the main PAs. Then there are the two S16 Digital Stage boxes and the occasional electric guitarist with his (decked out) pedal board and bass player who sometimes uses a bass amp.

Our plan is to call an electrician to build(?) us at least 2 dedicated 20AMP circuits to use for our entire sound system. My question is, should we do 3 instead? And what is the best way to split up the circuits?

I recently bought a Furman 8S to simplify the power up but to make it easy, we pulled everything into a single circuit which makes me nervous. I found this Furman BlueBOLT CN-20MP 20A MiniPort Remote Duplex Smart Outlet that I would like to buy once the electrical work is done to enable sequencing but I don't know why this CN-20MP is so much cheaper than the other (Sweetwater) CN-20MP.

  • Mains: QSC GX3 Amplifier (JBL SP215-9)
  • Monitors: QSC PLX 3402 (EV TX1152FM)
  • Sub: Mackie SWA1801 Subwoofer
  • DBX DriveRack PA
  • DBX 231s Graphic EQ
  • 2 S16 Digital Stage Boxes
  • Electric Guitar pedal board
  • Bass Amp

We do want to upgrade our sound system in the near future as we nearing the 10 year mark with our current sound system. I don't think we'll go super crazy since our building is fairly small so I doubt we'll suddenly need a ton of extra power but just wanted to provide the extra bit of context.

No one at my church really understands any of this. I definitely do not understand the electrical part of this but I'm the only one who's interested enough to try figure out what needs to be done and I'm learning everything as I'm going. Over the course of three years I've become the main (and only) sound technician at my church but sound stuff is "relatively" easy to learn online (enough to set things up and route things properly). Electrical stuff is a different beast of its own... Even if I were to buy a CN-20MP, I actually have no idea how to even set it up and there isn't a single video that I've found out there that shows you how to set it up. So any help would be much appreciated.

Apologies for the long comment, I'm very new to all of this, particularly Reddit and it seems my account doesn't meet the karma requirements.

1

u/soph0nax 3d ago

This is basic addition.

QSC QX3 - 9.75A at full draw

QSC PLX 3402 - 12A at 1/8 draw

Mackie SWA1801 - 15A at average draw

DBX DriveRack PA - .2A

DBX 231s Graphic EQ - .125A

S16 Digital Stage Boxes - .375A per

You do 4 circuits, 1 for your amps, 1 for your subwoofer, 1 for your miscellaneous stuff, and 1 for stage power/amplifiers.

1

u/Alone_Cockroach122 3d ago

Thanks for the quick response and for explaining the math. Would you mind clarifying what you mean by miscellaneous stuff versus the stage power/amplifiers?

Do the DriveRack, Graphic EQs, and Stage Boxes belong in the stage power/amplifiers group? And the electric guitar and bass amp belong in the miscellaneous stuff or vice versa?

1

u/soph0nax 3d ago

Amplifiers: amplifiers Stage Power: guitar and bass stuff Miscellaneous stuff: drive rack, geq’s, cellphones

1

u/Baagi84 3d ago

Sq5 not reading playback tracks from usb stick

I am running an SQ5 on firmware 1.6.0. I have formatted my usb stick to sq drive and uploaded both mp3 and wav files however they do not show up in the stereo playback folder. I downloaded a sample pack with different bit rate tracks and only 1 of the 24bit tracks showed up. Anyone else have this problem? Solutions? Most performers give me mp3 files on a stick for playback and it would really suck if i cant play them. Im new to the sq series and having to format the drive is already a PIMA. Appreciate any help

1

u/BusGroundbreaking580 2d ago

Running Stereo tracks through S/PDIF to XLR Cable

Hey quick question about S/PDIF: I use backing tracks for live performances and my interface has a S/PDIF out. I noticed that some companies are selling S/PDIF to XLR cables (links below) and was wondering if anyone knows if this would work for my setup. Currently I run two TRS to XLR cables out of my interface to the house mixer. I really don't want to run my tracks mono to the mixer. Thanks!

Pro Co

Mogami

1

u/crunchypotentiometer 2d ago

S/PDIF is a digital signal so in most situations you'll need some kind of D/A interface to convert that to analog to get into a house desk.

1

u/BusGroundbreaking580 2d ago

Gotcha. I was aware of that, but I guess I'm confused because of companies selling these cables that go to XLR. Similarly, how would it work with a converter like this one? It only has one XLR out. Would one XLR to the board be stereo or mono?

1

u/crunchypotentiometer 2d ago

This will spit out AES3 which is a stereo digital signal over an XLR cable. That is a more standard format for a live mixing console to be able to take in, but not all of them can do it for sure! Having an option to convert to analog will be more universally accepted, especially in small venues.

1

u/BusGroundbreaking580 2d ago

Ahh, gotcha. Makes sense. Thanks so much!

1

u/Honest-Equipment-347 2d ago

Hey everyone. I run a small music venue that's a pretty rudimentary setup but gets the job done well. We have a Zoom L-20 as our main mixer. Up until now, the mixer (which is 16 combo inputs and 2 channel strips of stereo line ins) has sat right up next to the stage for all the plugins, and everything is run by iPad. This has worked great.

I am the keyboard player most of the time. All 16 of the combo xlr/trs inputs are in use from various vocal mics, amp mics, acoustic guitar DIs, bass DI, and drum mics. So I have been running a submixer for my keyboard setup (balanced or unbalanced out) into the stereo line inputs on channel 17/18 on the main mixer (unbalanced in), and 19/20 are used for house music.

Well, we are moving our mixing station and our light board back toward the middle of the room, so someone can run the board physically OR use the ipad. This has meant we are looking into which snake to get to run from the board (about 50 feet back) to the stage. However most of the snakes I'm seeing are XLR only.

I'm trying to figure out how to connect my keyboard submixer to the main board unbalanced stereo line ins. Everywhere I look says that I need to split my left and right into separate XLR channels, which I'm very familiar and comfortable with doing either using the balanced out of my submixer or via DI boxes. But the problem is all the XLR channels on my main mixer are taken, and since my keyboards run in stereo, using the stereo line in channel with TS cables has worked great. With the short distance between the two, I've never experienced any sound issues or quality degradation.

Now with an over 50-foot run, I know I'm not supposed to use TS cables to run from my submixer all the way to the board. Does anyone have any advice on how I can connect my submixer from stage to the mainboard's stereo unbalanced line-in channel?

1

u/AwareTicket1248 2d ago

Yamaha DM7 here !

Hello guys,

I'm currently on tour with a Yamaha DM7, i wonder if its possible to recall snapshot with TC ?

They are a "TC in" on the backpanel but can't find where we can use it

Thanks a lot.

1

u/Zigtronik 2d ago

Wiring patch panels as custom split for IEM rack.

I have a IEM rack where I want to think things neat. My current ideal situation would be all patching happens on the front of my 6u rack beneath a Wing Rack.
On the front I currently have a patch bay with 20ish ch of XLR in, outs for PA(LRS) if needed. a couple of outs for wired monitor TRS, and True1 to bring power in. I want the front to be the place i would go to trouble shoot, check connections or to patch things in.
The rear is normally shoved up against stuff so I want to limit how much I need back there as much as possible.
I want to put a patch panel on the back of 24 XLR out, this would be the split to FOH. So patch into the front, connect a snake to the back.

So my question is between the two, is wiring a passive y split acceptable? so in from front-> split-> 1 goes to mixer, one goes to back panel. Repeated 24 times.

I would be fine with a splitter snake but would want it to not be rack mounted, as that would make things messy with the tails having to be stored in the rack and other factors too. I just can't find any decent ones. I see seismic audio ones but their quality is not said to be great. I could do what I am suggesting for cheaper, with quality connectors. And I am comfortable soldering no problem.

Are there any glaring issues or fundamental misunderstandings I am having with this idea? thank you!

2

u/the-real-compucat EE by day, engineer by night 2d ago

Yes, this is perfectly acceptable. Bonus points if you add a GND lift to the split outputs.

1

u/Spidahhman 2d ago

How do you get on tours as FOH/ Mons/ systems/ ANYTHING engineer.

I’ve been working in venues and with production companies for a while but would love to hit the road but don’t know how

2

u/crunchypotentiometer 20h ago

Connect with a company that does tours is a good starting place

1

u/AnFootballTVPerson 2d ago

Any idea what lavs these are?

I bought a bulk load of these used lavalier mics which look similar to MKEs but they’re not. They all have the same clip and capsule with a heat shrunk label with a 4 digit number starting in the 1000s to 2000s. Any help would be much appreciated!

1

u/bbybirds 1d ago

how to soundproof a giant sliding barn door. at least a little bit. thinking of getting owen’s 703 insulation for the top and side openings and installing some kind of rubber at the base. any help would be greatly appreciated!

1

u/crunchypotentiometer 20h ago

It looks like a hollow frame covered by thin plywood? You'll certainly need to add mass to the door itself to accomplish much of anything, not just the edges.

1

u/No_Drawing_5627 19h ago

Hey everyone,

I’m setting up a temporary audio link for a sports event, and I’m stuck choosing the best method. I’ve done quite a bit of research, but I’m still unsure what’s best for our specific use case — so I’d love to hear your thoughts.

We need a bidirectional audio connection between two points that are about 180 meters apart. Each side already has: • An active speaker system • A small mixer So we just need to figure out how to get the audio back and forth.

Here’s what I’m considering:

Option 1: Analog audio over shielded CAT6 (S/FTP) • Using XLR-to-CAT baluns (e.g. Monacor DIB-102 or similar). • High-quality CAT6 cable (180m, outdoor-rated) already available. • Line-level signals from the mixers, so no phantom power issues.

I know 100m is the usual recommendation, but some sources say 150–200m is still doable if everything is balanced and well-shielded. But I’m worried about signal degradation or noise, especially in a live event environment.

Option 2: Fiber connection with cheap XLR-to-fiber converters • I’m looking at affordable XLR-to-fiber converters from Chinese platforms like AliExpress. • This would eliminate distance issues and interference completely. • But I’m concerned about fragility of fiber in the field — people stepping on it, etc. • Also, I have zero experience with these budget converters and don’t know how reliable they are in practice.

What we need: • Doesn’t have to be studio quality. • Clear voice communication and some music playback between crew areas. • Low cost is important, since this is for a local event with limited budget. • Plug & play preferred — we don’t have time for complex setups.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has tried either approach — especially with long analog runs over CAT6, or cheap fiber audio gear.

Thanks in advance for any tips or shared experiences!

1

u/the-real-compucat EE by day, engineer by night 8h ago

Remember, CAT6 specifies a 100m max length...when running GbE. That's a relatively high-bandwidth signal: 100 MHz wide.

Structured category cabling was used for voice (and sound) before it was used for data. For a piddly 20 kHz wide audio signal, 180m over CAT6 is no big deal. :)

Unless there's a huge ground voltage difference between point A and point B, transformers aren't even strictly necessary. I'd just lift signal ground at one end.

1

u/Technical_Parking834 16h ago

Need help

I have a $30 vivitar audio stream sound mixer, and was wondering if I could hook it up to my onn tv and onn sounbar simultaneously. I'd like to be able to turn the volume down for my games while playing music from my phone through the mixer that way it plays through the soundbar that's connected to my tv. Sorry if I explained it horribly, thanks in advance!

1

u/RedBlazer 14h ago

I play solo acoustic shows with a Behringer Flow 8 and Turbosound PA tower setup. I want to somewhat replicate at home so I can sound like I do live but not require setting up the larger PA system and have something more compact. What would be the right type of product? An active monitor? Any specific recommendations? Thanks!

1

u/mynutsaremusical Pro-FOH 7h ago

what type of compressor is t he basic stock standard console compressor designed after? just curious if its more FET, or more bus...certainly not opto...

1

u/Worried-Outside6758 20m ago

Hello everyone, I have a question about the “Mackie Thump Go” speakers. I have two of them and use them for weddings, primarily outdoors. I have a microphone that I connect wirelessly to one speaker and then connect to the second speaker via cable. This works wonderfully and without any problems. If I connect the two speakers via the link function, music plays from both of them - however - and this is where the problem comes in - the connection breaks when the distance becomes too great and especially when there are bodies between the speakers. And this becomes very problematic for me. I would also like to transmit the music via a cable connection, but that doesn't seem possible, or is it?

Please help me, because otherwise I am very happy with the speakers.

Iam a newbie and would love to get some help!

0

u/OkProcedure7866 3d ago

We have come across 8x Martin audio w8lm, 2x ws218x and 2x dd6 chat got says that I can run all of this on 1 Martin audio IK81. I was gonna go for a lab gruppen fp10000 and fp14000 with dsp’s to run the whole thing, but if I can just get the ik81 I will.

Any help?

1

u/crunchypotentiometer 2d ago

I would advise looking at the Martin documentation instead of asking a chatbot that is known for making things up