New Monitor Console

Andrew Broughton

Andrew Broughton

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Feb 2, 2011
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I've been using the PM5D forever, and it's still a good one on riders because it's easy to find. That may not last, however. At some point I'll need to update the rider to a more modern board, but I'm wondering if there really is anything out there that's better suited (or least as well suited) to monitor usage as the PM5D?

What I like is that I can see all mix values at once on the surface. I like that I can send to a mix pre-comp and post-comp on the same strip. I like it's reliability.
There's also things I don't like - the difficulty in moving channels around on the board, the library/scene system, the lack of granularity in the "safes" system...

I've used DiGiCo, Avid, Midas, Soundcraft, other Yamaha consoles, all for FOH, but not for monitors.

So, what are the newer consoles out there that people are finding easy to work QUICKLY on? Again, I'm only talking about monitors, don't really care about plugins and other FOH-friendly features.
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Andrew Broughton said:
Haven't used it, but I'm thinking it might not be a rider-friendly choice due to it's lack of popularity in the touring markets.
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Are you asking about something to use personally on a tour (and to put on your own rider to be provided for you), or are you looking to add something to production inventory?

If it's for you, who cares if it's rider friendly***. You're making it rider friendly by using it :)

If it's for a production company, yeah, I'd avoid it.

***Since they're so cheap, you could probably buy one and tour with it, if that's an option.
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Evan Kirkendall said:
The Midas Pro series are awesome on mons. The MCA's make them very quick. We have a Pro 2 running 8 stereo IEM mixes + drum sub and side fill subs. It is very easy and very quick to get around on.



Evan
Click to expand...

What's an MCA? Other than an ancient expansion bus for computers (how many of you guys remember that one!?).
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Caleb Dick said:
MCA's are basically VCA's for the outputs. Awesome for mixing monitors.
Click to expand...

Well, the iLive has 'sends on fader' both the usual way and backwards. In the backwards way, any one channel can be mixed to ALL sends, on faders, at once. No other console that I know of does this. It is the only console I've used where I can be adjusting multiple monitor mixes simultaneously with one hand.
 
The mix button on the iLive is great, but don't know how rider friendly it is.

The MCA function - imagine mixing IEM's and a muso wants all the drum inputs up 4 dB. Rather than turn up all the sends from the respective inputs like normal, you select that mix, and push up the drum VCA by 4 dB.
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Silas Pradetto said:
Well, the iLive has 'sends on fader' both the usual way and backwards. In the backwards way, any one channel can be mixed to ALL sends, on faders, at once. No other console that I know of does this. It is the only console I've used where I can be adjusting multiple monitor mixes simultaneously with one hand.
Click to expand...

Behringer X32.

Possibly some of the Innovason desks.
 
Silas Pradetto said:
Well, the iLive has 'sends on fader' both the usual way and backwards. In the backwards way, any one channel can be mixed to ALL sends, on faders, at once. No other console that I know of does this. It is the only console I've used where I can be adjusting multiple monitor mixes simultaneously with one hand.
Click to expand...

Not having used the iLive, but Innovasun had 2 modes, the usual everything in a mix, and a send to multiple mixes
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Caleb Dick said:
The MCA function - imagine mixing IEM's and a muso wants all the drum inputs up 4 dB. Rather than turn up all the sends from the respective inputs like normal, you select that mix, and push up the drum VCA by 4 dB.
Click to expand...

Put another way, each aux output has its own set of VCAs... or rather, each input has a separate VCA for each output. So you can mix from VCAs on each monitor mix, which is pretty cool.
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Silas Pradetto said:
Are you asking about something to use personally on a tour (and to put on your own rider to be provided for you), or are you looking to add something to production inventory?
Click to expand...
The 1st one. It's provided to me.

kristianjohnsen said:
I'm unsure of what this means. Can one send a channel compressed to some auxes and uncompressed to others?
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Exactly. Bass is uncompressed to the bass player, compressed to everyone else, without using a 2nd strip. Not all consoles can do that.
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Andrew Broughton said:
Is there still no Windows Editor for the Midas consoles?
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Or a Linux-based editor... I understand Midas uses Linux under the hood. Ubuntu is an easy install these days, handling repartitioning of drives and installation without much fuss at all. I just put it on a little netbook that shit its Windows install. Will probably use it as a home theater PC for the time being...
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Silas Pradetto said:
Well, the iLive has 'sends on fader' both the usual way and backwards. In the backwards way, any one channel can be mixed to ALL sends, on faders, at once. No other console that I know of does this. It is the only console I've used where I can be adjusting multiple monitor mixes simultaneously with one hand.
Click to expand...


You just described running an aux post fader. Pretty sure even a mackie can do that one!
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Daniel Nickleski said:
You just described running an aux post fader. Pretty sure even a mackie can do that one!
Click to expand...
I haven't seen this, but if it's like the software I wrote for the Yamaha, it allows you to select one channel, and each fader becomes a mix send for that one channel, allowing you to adjust any or all the sends without any re-selection. It's great for initial monitor setups.
 
Re: New Monitor Console

Daniel Nickleski said:
You just described running an aux post fader. Pretty sure even a mackie can do that one!
Click to expand...

Clearly you haven't used an iLive, that is not what I am talking about.

You can have ALL the sends on fader, for any one channel, at any time. So, channel 1 could be mixed, independently, to any or all of your auxes, at once. Depends how many fingers you have available to push faders.
 
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