Setting up - with loudspeakers

[rob aylestone]

We've been talking lots recently where people have said "but what speakers....." We're doing some pre work for some pre-production on some shows coming up in the summer and we had a thought - set up an audio system in the video studio, using just what was laying around - plenty of monitors, audio and video but some PA style powered 12" plastic box cabinets we use for dance stuff - as in stick 'em on a pole and bluetooth from people's phones. The old office macbook, a spare master keyboard and while the old Lexicon Omega interface won't work on the last two windows versions as there are no working drivers, the macbook was quite happy with it. It doesn't have much in the way of sounds but the synths sound amazing on these speakers, as the bass goes down far more than the 5" speakers we've got in the studio office we occasionally record voiceovers on. The video large screens work well as computer monitors, and the layers of drapes on the pipe grid make it pretty dead in there and we've also got cameras and switchers that we can maybe use? Kind of a multi-media studio - still enough space for the odd green screen project, but we can do more 'modern' stuff, I guess, too. It does suffer a bit from people upstairs dropping things - which do come through the ceiling/floor, but we can live with that.

 

[spantini]

What's that bit of NESS gear on the left? I tried to search for it and got nothing but software stuff - no hardware.

 

[rob aylestone]

I didn't expect that question! It's broadcast comms panel - it has wired, or XLR in's and out. - so there are 8 balanced ins, 8 balanced outs on XLRs, and then a terminal block in parallel - mic or line level on each one, with a rear gain trim. Mains powered, or even battery. We use it as an intercom and a monitor. you can select individual outs, and send the internal mic or plug in gooseneck to those outputs, while listening to other channels coming in. There's another identical unit in another room - but we use them on location too for complicated things - so you can connect them to a clearcom system with separate send and return, and mix and match who you want to hear and who you want to hear you. You can also use to send certain things to presenters ear pieces. Really versatile. when you pull them out of the rack, two little feet can drop down to tilt it up for desk top operation. The stupid thing though is the XLRs are on the top - so that means hardwired connection when in a rack. I think they were French.

I figured people might spot the harmoniser/autotune and tick me off!