Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums > Audio Measurement and Testing
Smaart with 3 mics and a line array question.
Kevin Maxwell:
Smaart with 3 mics and a line array question.
I am getting 2 new measurement mics, they are on their way to me now. I am anxious to get into using multiple mics with Smaart and this was the last piece of gear I needed. I am most likely going to be the BE for a show very soon that is at an outdoor venue with an installed line array. This is all lawn seating and the lawn is racked up from the stage. I have heard the system there sound great and I have heard it not sound so great, 2 different people mixing 2 different bands. I actually assume that the system is well tuned but I want to see how it measures. And I assume that I will have access to EQs in the digital console, if I need to make any changes. Is there a standard way to measure a line array outdoors with multiple mics? I am asking about basically mic placement. Do I put the mics in a straight line from the stage or is there some other trick that is recommended?
Ivan Beaver:
--- Quote from: Kevin Maxwell on June 02, 2017, 10:57:52 PM ---Smaart with 3 mics and a line array question.
I am getting 2 new measurement mics, they are on their way to me now. I am anxious to get into using multiple mics with Smaart and this was the last piece of gear I needed. I am most likely going to be the BE for a show very soon that is at an outdoor venue with an installed line array. This is all lawn seating and the lawn is racked up from the stage. I have heard the system there sound great and I have heard it not sound so great, 2 different people mixing 2 different bands. I actually assume that the system is well tuned but I want to see how it measures. And I assume that I will have access to EQs in the digital console, if I need to make any changes. Is there a standard way to measure a line array outdoors with multiple mics? I am asking about basically mic placement. Do I put the mics in a straight line from the stage or is there some other trick that is recommended?
--- End quote ---
This is how I would do it on any system.
Turn off 1 side.
I would put the mics a little bit off axis. Some speaker have a "hotspot" right in the middle. And since there are more people off axis than on axis, you are tuning for the greater majority of the people
Put the first mic around the closest listener. The 2nd one at FOH and the 3rd towards the furthest listener of interest.
All in a row.
But BEFORE I put out any mics, you MUST calibrate the levels. I choose any position (it does not matter) and put the mic elements close together.
Then run some pink noise-It does NOT MATTER what the response is-don't waste time trying to flatten it out. ALL you are looking to do at this point is to adjust the gains of the mic pre so that all the mics read the same-or as close as possible.
DO NOT adjust the mic gains after this is done.
Now put the mics out-set the time for each one and adjust as needed.
Get ready for things you are not expecting-----
If you can't get the same response and level (which should be the goal) at all the seats, then settle for the same overall response shape-with lowering levels as you go back.
Brandon G. Romanowski:
Step 1- don't forget to mix your band
Ivan Beaver:
--- Quote from: Brandon G. Romanowski on June 03, 2017, 08:25:05 PM ---Step 1- don't forget to mix your band
--- End quote ---
I was "assuming" the mics would be out during system alignment.
I don't like the idea of mics out in the audience during the performance.
Ivan Beaver:
--- Quote from: Brandon G. Romanowski on June 03, 2017, 08:25:05 PM ---Step 1- don't forget to mix your band
--- End quote ---
Here is a real "No shiter".
Years ago (OK the late 80s), I worked with a band that had 2 "engineers".
This was an "arts festival".
I was running monitors and noticed the PA started sounding "odd"
I went to FOH to find 2 guys running sound.
1 guy was on the console-as usual.
The other guy (I could wring his neck) was "mixing the sound system".
What I mean is, he was constantly changing the house eq (to great extremes) AND the crossover levels and freq!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
And the console operator was also constantly changing eq quite a bit.
DO WHAT???
I am NOT kidding.
Of course everything was analog.
I reset the eq and xover to where I could remember it was and went back to monitor world.
A little while later he was doing it again
What a nightmare. I had brought plenty of PA, so nothing was damaged.
After that show, the xover was moved from FOH to the amp racks.
Yes, it was a weird show.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version