switching off the speakers, when opening the mics

  • Thread starter Thread starter perler
  • Start date Start date
P

perler

New member
hi,

we are doing some radio broadcasting from home (instead of from our radio stations studio). one feature every "real" radio station studio has is, that when you opening the mic, the studio speakers are turned off.

is there a technique, hardware or software, to have the same feature at home?

right now we are broadcasting semi live (take by take) in samplitude with an edirol ua-25 and a soundcraft compact mixing board, but I think about getting a Boss BR-800. I read about the ability to have routing presets in the BR-800, so maybe you can accomplish it with them?

anyway, I'm open for suggestions,

PAT
 
The Kinect audio tuner can find and fix problems with sound. Run the tuner if you move Kinect or add speakers. Thanks.
 
He means that when the mic is ON in the studio, the monitors are automatically shut off. I would think this could be controlled with a 3-way switch = push the switch to turn on the mic/off the speakers, and vice-versa.
Chat software does this so you don't get feedback - when you press the button to talk, you can't hear anyone else until you release the button.
 
exactly, that's what I mean. So I would need a new mixing board with a 3way switch (is there such a thing?) - or did someone stumble over a DAW software or software ASIO-mixing software to accomplish this?

I really wonder, that there is not more demand for this, as I can imagine, that a singer songwriter could use this feature too, listening to his recordings over the speakers and mute them automatically whenever he records a new take..
 
Yeah. I handle this problem with my console. The Yamaha PM1800. It's a large console format with tons of routing options.
Maybe something along the lines of a Cough Drop wired to your speakers would help you.
 
yeah, the yamaha is a bit to large for my kitchen ;)

re cough drop, as we usually have three mics in a show, I would rather put a switch into the speaker cord, but this is far from ideal..
 
moresound said:
Yeah. I handle this problem with my console. The Yamaha PM1800. It's a large console format with tons of routing options.
Maybe something along the lines of a Cough Drop wired to your speakers would help you.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about the Cough Drop too.
 
perler said:
I really wonder, that there is not more demand for this, as I can imagine, that a singer songwriter could use this feature too, listening to his recordings over the speakers and mute them automatically whenever he records a new take..
Click to expand...

Actually...it's done all day long in most every studio...it's just that people simply turn the volume down on the speakers, or if they have a console or some sort of monitor control box...they hit a mute button or something.

That thing that makes your request odd is needing an "automatic" flip between speakers and mic. Most studios have multiple mics, and multiple preamps, so it's not just a single mic/monitor consideration. Also, most mics are just ON, so really all you need is to be able to turn off the monitors prior to tracking...and that you can do with the volume knob easy enough.

Here's something I use: TC Electronic | Level Pilot

It's just a big volume knob that is great for monitors that don't have their own or when they have it on the back where it's hard to get at.
For added simplicity, I've added a few hash marks on the knob where I have my 2-3 default listening levels, so it's very fast/easy to turn them off and on as needed.
When I use my console during tracking...I just hit one button on the console and the monitors are out of the signal chain, so I don't even need to turn the knob.

Anyway...usualiy the simplest solution is the best one. Just turn down the volume of the monitors as needed. ;)
 
sure, that's what we do now on our soundcraft console, but you tend to forget it in the heat of the show - and as we have the comfort described in the broadcasting studio I just thought I might ask this here. thanks anyway for you input. we will try to live with it :)
 
I'm sure there is some solution for a "live broadcast" setup. Most stations have it built right into their mixers, so all the DJ does is to hit a button. Maybe check out some broadcast mini-consoles on eBay...maybe you can find something that will wire in easy enough?

Otherwise, I'm just not seeing how you could easily/simply hook a up a switch between a mic and the monitors without messing up the signal of either, and without getting all kinds of POPS, since the monitors will actually be ON all the time, you are just breaking their signal.

Anyway...if you are forgetting to switch off the monitors now...why would adding another switch make you less forgetful? ;) :D
 
This doesn't make sense to me... I always thought broadcasters use headphones and if there are speakers in the studio the mic is not routed to the speakers? It's not rocket science and doesn't require a sophisticated setup.
I've been in "real" radio stations and the mic's / speakers do not operate as you describe.
Keep it simple.
 
Thinking about this..... I'm wondering if the OP is talking about "ducking"? (bear with me) To the outsider it would appear that the speakers are being automatically turned off and on when the mic is being used?? See where I'm going??
 
i can easily send you a video of our not very modern but professional broadcasting studio which shows, that, whenever I move the mic fader, the monitor is switched off. I promise! ;)

and sure, we have headphones on when we are talking, but when the music is running, we like to have them off (it's no talk radio..)

yes, I know what ducking is, and we do it, but this is the outgoing signal, we are talking about the internal monitoring..
 
So what you are saying then is that you ALSO want to tie the internal studio monitors to that same fader...?...or you already have them tied to that fader, but instead want some other kind of on/off setup...???

You lost me... :)
 
no, just as asked originally, whenever I arm a track (or open the mic by fader), the studio monitor should be switched off/muted automatically.
 
But what does this refer to....it sounds like you are already doing that...?


perler said:
i can easily send you a video of our not very modern but professional broadcasting studio which shows, that, whenever I move the mic fader, the monitor is switched off. I promise!
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top