live sound – matt dale

OSC Controller Button Box

By combining my knowledge and experience of Python programming, web site construction, and basic electronics, I was able to construct a hardware device that sends OSC commands. I used a Raspberry Pi running a simple web server and listens for button presses. When a button is pressed, it sends the OSC command.

The concept is simple, a 4 button box that sends OSC commands when a button is pressed. These OSC commands are configurable with a web page that the device hosts. The first iteration of this box was used on a Broadway show to trigger a global system mute. When the button was pressed, it sent an OSC message to mute the eight Meyer Sound Galileos and change the Meyer Sound D’Mitri scene to the MUTED scene. After completing this device, I realized that it could be developed into something much more versatile.

The second revision includes programmable LCD buttons, multiple scenes, OSC subscriptions and an opto-isolated General Purpose Input. Using the Q5 switch from http://www.ledswitches.co.uk/lcd-oled-products/lcd-switches/q5-lcd-switch.html was the first challenge. These amazing switches are similar to what is used on the DiGiCo sound consoles. Their specs are quite good, and they are fairly easy to use. Although it is probably not the best choice due to speed, I chose to use Python to program the switches, and through much trial and error, came up with this library. This experimental library functions well enough, but has been significantly improved in the production code.

The Q5 does not have a chip select pin, so in order to address each switch individually I multiplexed the clock signal from the Raspberry Pi. The following picture shows this in action.

Q5 Breadboard — Q5 Switches on a breadboard

Once the switches were working on a breadboard, I attempted to design a PCB for the box. I learned just enough KiCAD to design a board, and used OshPark to produce it.

This PCB worked reasonably well, but like all first attempts, it can use some improvement. After populating this board, I designed a front panel using Front Panel Express. This allowed me to make a very professional looking front panel for this device.

Finally, Felix Kutlik helped make an enclosure to hold the PCB and the Raspberry Pi. In its current state, the OSC controller functions, but I am adding more features to it. Using the web configuration console allows changing button colors, text, OSC messages, confirmation messages, etc.

The Bodyguard US National Tour Production Engineer

Working as the Production Sound Engineer for The Bodyguard US National Tour was a terrific experience. My responsibilities were a bit more than a typical PSE role since the design team had already built this system many times before and none of the design team were a part of the shop prep. It was up to me to determine how to package and cable the system by interpreting the designer’s spec and translating it to Masque Sound’s inventory. The main PA is 12x Meyer Sound Leopards installed in 2x stack-

Leopard Sound Tower — Meyer Sound Leopard Towers

able 8′ towers with a 5′ lower section with a Meyer Sound UPJ-1P for infill.

Gary Stocker designed these towers with an internal gimbal that allows panning and tilting of the pinned array. Array angles can be changed easily since the new Leopard bottom up captured rigging system is very easy to use.

The UPJ-1P infill has limited tilt, but a wide range of panning. It provides additional front fill coverage for venues with wide proscenium openings. The additional room at the bottom of the tower provided a nice space for a patch panel and power panel to make connecting the towers simple and efficient.

The design team wanted to use the Meyer Sound 900LFC subwoofers in their cardioid configuration, and since this did not fit inside the tower footprint, they are stacked three high next to the tower.

The Center Cluster consists of 10x Meyer Sound Mina speakers, hung on a truss with 2x Meyer Sound 900LFC subwoofers on either side. The FOH Electrics truss is hung underneath.

Meyer Mina and Meyer 900LFC — 10x Mina, 2x 900LFC

The rest of the system is a straightforward touring rig. There are around 40 channels of wireless mics with Sennheiser 1046 receivers and Sennheiser 5212 transmitters. There is an 8 channel Sennheiser 9000 series digital system used for handhelds on all the pop songs for the show which sound particularly good.

The console is a DiGiCo SD7T with a redundant Waves SoundGrid Server system. Band monitoring is handled by the Roland M48 mixer. This system interfaces with the DiGiCo SDRack via a MADI output. Interfacing the system this way required the Associate Designer, Tom Marshall, to be very creative in the layout of the MADI stream since the M48 picks off the first 40 channels of inputs of the MADI stream only. To be able to provide a drum submix to the M48 system, he placed an AES I/O card in slot 4 of the rack and physically looped the outputs to the inputs of this card. This allowed him to send groups to the M48 efficiently.

Overall, the tech process went very smooth since the show has been produced in many other locations. We used a DiGiCo EX-007 for programming help, with Allison Ebling at the SD7 and Tom Marshall at the 007. Both Tom Marshall and Richard Brooker were a pleasure to work with, and I couldn’t have pulled it off without the support of Masque Sound, including Gary Stocker, George Hahn, and Scott Kalata.

Digico EX-007 tech — Digico EX-007 in a hazy tech

sound system design

the concept

Due to the nature of Lustinger’s music, there is inherently a large number of electronic instruments and the sync between them is very important. The entire system was designed for ease of setup and consistency. Even though the band is playing small venues, we carry our own Behringer X32 mixing console so that we can maintain consistency between venues and reduce the impact that we have on the venue.

The system is contained in one 12 space rack and all cabling is fed into this rack via three bundles of cabling. The cabling was designed to drop in key locations on the stage for easy patching so that the area around the rack is not crowded.

The entire system can be setup in 10 minutes and cleared even faster.

the playback system

I decided on Qlab for playback since it handles audio tracks and MIDI tracks simultaneously. Each song is represented by a group cue and each group cue has multiple audio and MIDI tracks in it. There is a click track and a backing track audio file as well as a lighting MIDI file and a Mainstage trigger MIDI file in each group cue. Each group cue also has a global STOP cue to stop any other cues that were playing for fast switching between songs. I added an auto-follow to the last cue in each group cue so that the set will run automatically without the drummer having to trigger each song. This playback system drives the entire show and all its effects.

mainstage

Since Joseph writes all his songs with Apple’s Logic, it made sense to use Mainstage for the synth, electronic drum and special vocal effects. It was very simple to copy the channels from the demo’s Logic session into the Mainstage concert. Qlab’s MIDI output switches the Mainstage patch changes automatically during each song. Automatic patch changes allow the system to be autonomous.

Although Mainstage’s interface is not the most intuitive, it allows for reliable effects and synth patches. We are even able to control parameters during the performance to add a more live feel to the performances.

monitoring

In a typical small venue show, the use of stage monitors makes the performer’s job and the sound person’s job very difficult. I decided to use an Aviom system to alleviate this problem. Each band member has an Aviom A16-R that they use to mix their own wired in-ear mix. This system works fairly well, although I have learned that the separate mixes have isolated the band members from each other in such a way that they don’t always hear their performances in the same way thus making for a less cohesive overall sound. This is something we will work on in the future by setting stage volumes without the in-ears. The band members’ experience onstage contributes to the audience’s energy. When the band is not having a good time due to tech issues, it translates to the audience.

vocal effects

Most of the special vocal effects used in the songs originate from Mainstage. These were copied from the original Logic sessions, then modified for live use. They include distortions, delays, chorus and reverbs. Since they are triggered with the Qlab MIDI file, the patch changes happen automatically as the song is played. The output is patched to the console on its own channel and allows for easy blending with the dry vocal channel. Additional vocal effects come from the Kaoss Pad that Niko plays. This signal chain is explained further in the signal flow section. The effects provide a distinct sound that is unique in the local music scene.

signal flow

To accommodate this complex signal flow, I provided an 8 channel mic splitter. One side of the mic splitter goes into the Behringer S16 and the other goes into a Behringer ADA8000 8 channel preamp. The Behringer preamp output feeds into the Aviom A-16i input unit for the two guitars and the bass.

The vocal mics have a different flow. The output of the ADA8000 for Joseph’s vocal channel is “y’d” into the Mainstage input and to the Kaoss Pad input. The vocal mics feed into the S16 and each has its own mix output that feeds the Aviom system which allows us to EQ the vocal mics into their in ears. The drum mics feed directly into the S16 and a mix output feeds the “drums” channel of the Aviom system. A final output mix from the S16 provides a reverb return on the vocals to the Aviom system.

The S16 MIDI input allows for scene changes automatically which keeps the performances consitent. This MIDI feed is fed from the Qlab file.

lighting system design

The lighting system was designed to be driven with MIDI so that the band didn’t need an extra person for operating a lighting console. It also made it easy to program the lights so that each song was repeatable and editable. In order to follow the aesthetic of the band, all the lighting is very rhythmic with the music and we used it more as an effect than to light the stage.

lustinger visual experience

concept

The concept of the visual system continued from my experience building a custom LED lighting rig for a now defunct band called The Minimalist. As LED technology got better and cheaper, I was able to build a system that was cheap, easy to setup and provide a large visual impact.

My way to make a large visual impact was to make the system as bright as possible. I wanted the system to be able to be scaled up to be able to be used as a supplemental system in the largest venues. With fabrication help from Felix Kutlik from Masque Sound I built four vertical red, green, blue, white LED sticks 66″ tall. These mount to mic stand bases with Atlas QR-2 quick releases for fast and efficient setup and strike. Two of the sticks have custom fabricated Par Boxes mounts on the top. These boxes have two 150 Watt halogen Par bulbs in them to contrast with the LED light.

The sticks are arranged around the rear of the band to create a “set” and the all the light is focused directly to the audience. In order to light the band members from the front, Felix built taller and wider vertical sticks that act as side washes for the band. In addition, each band member has an “uplight”; a 90 Watt halogen placed at the base of their mic stand to cast shadows on their body and face and to contrast with the stark LED light.

producing the Lustinger tech experience

Lustinger is a Brooklyn based industrial-rock band that I’ve been working with since 2012. Due to the heavy synthesizer, backing tracks and vocal effects in this music, I wanted to develop a system that would translate the depths of the music to an audience in any size venue with the utmost clarity and efficiency.

The band isn’t signed to a label and doesn’t have any financial backing which made the technical production very difficult. The caliber of production I wanted to provide is something that most bands do not have(especially at this level of touring) and makes the band’s live performances very unique and of utmost quality.

The technical system is always being improved, and was designed from the beginning for ease of transport, load in and to reduce the burden on any given venue’s technical staff.