Hi,

Here is my learning curve again.

We have moved to the "new" building and have temporarily set up the sound system. I have taken the manual home and read it but haven't figured it all out. We still have to take it down each week becaused we are still drywall finishing. We haven't gotten it set up correctly ever (old buildling or new). I have posted a drawing of what I think it should look like, but would like some input from you audio gurus.

We haven't been able to split out the voices from CD's without pulling one plug from where the CD connects for the stage monitors. Will this set up work for that? If not how, please.

Also, we will be connecting a computer so we can show DVD's with stereo sound. Where should that go?

As you can see from the graphic it is a Mackie 1642-VLZ Pro 16 channel Mic/Line Mixer.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

http://www.churchmedia.net/MXC/showphoto.php?photo=6268

Hey Sue,

What do you mean by splitting the voices from the CD's? Are you trying to drop the vocals on a CD, or do you mean how things are grouped? I had one of these mixers ao myabe I can help...

I have a similar mixer from Bheringer and pretty much the same problem -- lack of knowledge. I've been trying to "tape" the speaker from the tape out directly into my laptop with no success for months. There is a company called fits and starts http://www.fitsandstarts.com/ that do audio training. I'm waiting for them to have a session near me to attend to get up to speed once and for all.

Thanks,

I am trying to drop out the vocals.

We want it to go into the camera while recording. We have just been taping what comes over the speakers and so get LOTS of ambient noise. Like the camera man singing, talking with daughter, etc.

Forgive me, it's be a long day... Ok, so the thought is to remove the vocals from a CD, right? If this is the case the mixer isn't the issue. While CD's are recorded on 24 tracks, as you know the final product is left and right stereo. All tracks are mixed down to these two base tracks in the end process. So it's a mush of data that would require a combination of skill, luck and planetary alignment to overcome.

Some have tried to EQ out the vocal range, but without a 30 band graphic equalizer (the mackie is a 3 band) it's really not possible. Even then it all depends on the recording. I'm assuming professional/commercial CD's here.

About the camera input. It looks like you are running directly out of the mixer into a camera through the mixer's mono out. Why would this pick up extraneous ambient sound? Is the problem that the ambient audio is actually in the mix? Or the camera is only recording the mix on one channel and leaving the second open to local audio from the camera mic?

Again, sorry for the questions and if I'm off track speak up

Joe, what's the specific issue you are facing? Getting the sound into the PC? Software?
This should not be a problem if the laptop is well suited with memory, etc. Maybe we should try to pull off a NJ CMN meetup I need to repay Phugger for the drive he made to my meeting...

Thanks for your willingness to answer my poorly worded questions.

At this point we are only recording from the camera mic without running through the mixer. I would like to run the sound from the system to the camera to vastly improve the sound that the nursing homes get when they see the videos. This is one outreach ministry we have and I would like to supply them with better audio on the tape.

I do know that some of the CD's are supposed to be split tackable(?) so that you can play the music to sing by without the words. I don't know if all are. I have to rely on the vocalists for that.

Assuming they can be split to drop out the vocals how do we set it up?

Thanks

About the "dropping the vocals out of a cd" ---are these CD's split-track? Vocals on one side, instruments on the other? You probably need to plug your CD player into 2 separate channels on the board, pan both to center, and lower the channel that has the vocals on it. Yes, it takes up two channels but you don't have to keep plugging and unplugging things. If you are trying to eliminate vocals from a regular stereo CD, it would take some kind of "vocal eliminator box" that you would run your player through before it goes to the board.
As far as hooking up a DVD player or a computer with stereo sound, that would take two inputs as well, and if you desire true left and right stereo, pan both channels the their respective sides.

Robert

As far as the CD voices...I don't think you can drop those out without having a split track CD. I've heard of a few small recording studios that can do it, but I don't know.

As far as your mixer diagram...here's what I'd do:

Assign all your channels to sub groups 1 and 2, then do subgroup 1 and 2 out to the camera left and right and assign the subgroups to go out to the mains. I personally don't like running the mono out at the same time as the stereo outs. I'd also move the keyboard to one of the mic line inputs and put the computer on the other stereo pair. But that's just me.

About the camera audio issue, here is one way that I did this in the past. If you are sending audio from an output on the board such as "mono out" this is usually a line level signal. If you send this signal to the average consumer camcorder, you will have to plug it into the cameras "mic" input. You usually don't find a "line in" that you can use at the same time as the camera's lens. I found an adapter from the "shack" that attenuates (lowers) the level so that it is not distorted when it goes through the mic plug. Remember though, when taking the audio right off the board, you won't pick up any sound that doesn't go through a mic, such as the guy in the congregation that has something to share and feels that he "doesn't need a microphone." But overall it does sound better and the message from the pastor can be more easily understood. Experiment and listen to what works for you.

Robert

As far as dropping vocals out of a cd winamp has amodule which does that fairly well (although it doesn't seem to work well on MP3's). I have it but something I've loaded on my system is interferring with it and I need to uninstall and reload (hopefully that would fix it).

Jeff -- anytime you'all want to come down let me know, I would love to host a NJ meeting, just can't seem to get any locals interested.

If your CD isn't split track, I wouldn't try to take out the vocals.

What those programs do (as far as I know) is remove frequencies that are common with the human voice.

It would be like taking out certain keys on a piano. The piano needs those keys (when played) to sound full.

Another way you could record audio to your camera is to assign your signal to an "aux" output, In your aux section of the mixer, you'd turn up what you'd like to go to your camera on the individual channels.

I'd go this route for a few reasons. Mostly though, it woudl allow you to get a more specific mix. If you were to run a "line (or tape) out" from your console, you have no control over you mix as this is just a copy of is being sent to your speakers. Using your aux section is like having a seperate smaller mixer which'll give you greater control over what you want and don't want to be sent to your camera.