sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
Might be sort of a mixing 101 question, but I'm grappling with my 12 x 8 x 2 prototype Tascam mixer right now and working through how I ultimately want the devices in the studio to connect to it...thinking about typical scenarios I'll encounter as far as effects units, cue mixes needed, etc. Basically how I want to use the auxilliary busses on the mixer, and I'd love to hear from veteran recordists and engineers that contribute here regarding the Monitor Buss.
There was a thread some time back that led to a discussion on program group busses and it, particularly comments from A Reel Person, really opened my mind to the original use and intention of those busses and that was really great. So I guess I'm hoping for the same kind of thing here.
My situation with my mixer is that I plan on having a mixdown deck connected, an 8-track open reel deck, up to 12 individual sends and returns to and from my DAW (using direct outs for sends and line inputs for returns so the mixer can be used for analog summing), and at least two stereo effects units that could have mono inputs returned in stereo to the mixer.
I anticipate having no more than 3 artists at a time needing cue mixes and typically it will be just one artist at a time. I want to have at least one stereo cue mix available as that seems to work really well for vocalists...having the program mix panned center but to be able to return a stereo reverb to that cue mix.
The Tascam mixer is really a 12 x 12 x 12 x 8 x 2 mixer since two of the three inputs can be accessed, routed and summed through alternate paths while the third is routed through the channel strips. Then there is a stereo aux buss (that can function also as two mono sends) and then a 3rd and 4th aux buss...there is also the Monitor Buss. I have been assuming that this is a special buss for the engineer. Is that right? The Monitor Buss on the Tascam mixer is really comprehensive, being able to access 1 of 5 possible inputs independently across each of the 12 channels, and one of those input sources can be instantly switched between two source busses which in turn have 4 possible global sources...the Monitor Buss can be picked up by either pair of aux busses, dumped to the STEREO buss, and simultaneously routed to its own master knob which is output to jacks and also can be switched into the control room or studio outputs (which are present at their own jacks and can also be monitored in the headphones).
So my question in point is if you were the engineer, would you use the STEREO buss as the feed for the mixdown deck, the 8 PGM groups as 8-track sends, two mono aux sends for effects feeds, and the stereo aux send for a primary cue feed (could split to two mono if more than one artist is present) and then use the Monitor Buss as the engineer to be able to flexibly monitor all kinds of stuff without messing with the rest of the busses? Is that usually what its for?
I guess as I'm typing this all out I'm thinking "duh...of course that's what its for", but I've been getting my head twisted around a bit wondering how to get three separate cue mixes (one stereo, two mono) and two separate mono effects sends out of only 4 mono sends and I started wondering if the Monitor Buss was ever used as a comprehensive cue feed for talent.
It would just be valuable to this DAW convert who has little to no experience recording ensembles to hear from those of you for whom these situations are old-hat, audio veteran or not.
Thanks in advance!
There was a thread some time back that led to a discussion on program group busses and it, particularly comments from A Reel Person, really opened my mind to the original use and intention of those busses and that was really great. So I guess I'm hoping for the same kind of thing here.
My situation with my mixer is that I plan on having a mixdown deck connected, an 8-track open reel deck, up to 12 individual sends and returns to and from my DAW (using direct outs for sends and line inputs for returns so the mixer can be used for analog summing), and at least two stereo effects units that could have mono inputs returned in stereo to the mixer.
I anticipate having no more than 3 artists at a time needing cue mixes and typically it will be just one artist at a time. I want to have at least one stereo cue mix available as that seems to work really well for vocalists...having the program mix panned center but to be able to return a stereo reverb to that cue mix.
The Tascam mixer is really a 12 x 12 x 12 x 8 x 2 mixer since two of the three inputs can be accessed, routed and summed through alternate paths while the third is routed through the channel strips. Then there is a stereo aux buss (that can function also as two mono sends) and then a 3rd and 4th aux buss...there is also the Monitor Buss. I have been assuming that this is a special buss for the engineer. Is that right? The Monitor Buss on the Tascam mixer is really comprehensive, being able to access 1 of 5 possible inputs independently across each of the 12 channels, and one of those input sources can be instantly switched between two source busses which in turn have 4 possible global sources...the Monitor Buss can be picked up by either pair of aux busses, dumped to the STEREO buss, and simultaneously routed to its own master knob which is output to jacks and also can be switched into the control room or studio outputs (which are present at their own jacks and can also be monitored in the headphones).
So my question in point is if you were the engineer, would you use the STEREO buss as the feed for the mixdown deck, the 8 PGM groups as 8-track sends, two mono aux sends for effects feeds, and the stereo aux send for a primary cue feed (could split to two mono if more than one artist is present) and then use the Monitor Buss as the engineer to be able to flexibly monitor all kinds of stuff without messing with the rest of the busses? Is that usually what its for?
I guess as I'm typing this all out I'm thinking "duh...of course that's what its for", but I've been getting my head twisted around a bit wondering how to get three separate cue mixes (one stereo, two mono) and two separate mono effects sends out of only 4 mono sends and I started wondering if the Monitor Buss was ever used as a comprehensive cue feed for talent.
It would just be valuable to this DAW convert who has little to no experience recording ensembles to hear from those of you for whom these situations are old-hat, audio veteran or not.
Thanks in advance!
