Posts Tagged ‘mixers’

Buena Park, CA (February 4, 2010)–Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. has announced a newaddition to the M7CL digital console product line: the M7CL-48ES.

Available in the spring of 2010, the desk’s main I/O interface is the SB168-ES remote stage box, which connects via a single Cat5 cable. The new console includes a built-in EtherSound interface with a third port for PC control and monitoring, eight Omni Ins (Mic/Line), eight Omni Outs, and three MY card slots. The M7CL-48ES supports up to three SB168-ES stage boxes and, like the M7CL-48, can mix up to 48 mono plus 4 stereo inputs to 16 Mix Buses, 8 Matrix Outs, Stereo and Mono Outputs. The new Stage Box Quick Set up feature provides plug-and-play connection of up to three SB168-ES units.

“Using the I/O within the SB168-ES stage boxes will provide end users with up to 48 remotely controllable mic preamps and 24 outputs,” states Kevin Kimmel, mixer product manager. Utilizing the onboard Omni Inputs and Outputs brings the number of mixable channels to 56 and 27 Outputs. “The M7CL-48ES is physically laid out much the same as the original M7CL-48, so for those users who are familiar with the M7CL, they will immediately feel comfortable on the new console.”

With the built-in EtherSound interface, the M7CL-48ES provides a digital network infrastructure while allowing the card slots to be used for other purposes, such as personal monitoring systems and recording outputs.

Because the new M7CL-48ES console runs the same software as standard M7CL consoles, there is direct file compatibility between all M7CL models. And, new Version 3 software updates, available in coming weeks, will include Direct Sends on Fader access from the M7CL knobs in Sends on Fader mode, Sends on Fader in M7CL Editor; new Recall Safe parameters (Input Patch, Output Patch, Direct Out Patch, Insert Out Patch); inclusion of VCM Effects (Comp 276/276s, Comp 260/260s, Open Deck, EQ601); additionally, Omni In 1-8 can be used for Talkback.

The new console consumes 50 percent less power (150w vs. 300w). Other new features include on board analog insertion via Omni In/Out and added Output Port Delay for each EtherSound output.

To learn more about the Yamaha M7CL-48ES visit our M7CL-48ES product page, Email JSS , or call (615) 534-1190.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.
www.yamahaca.com

Feedback. Well…it is probably the most disliked word in professional audio other than “ground hum” or “power outage.” For our sake we will focus on feedback so as not to create any additional heartaches for our blog readers.

Feedback is created by a loop of audio signal. As shown in the attached picture, the signal enters in the path from the microphone and is then passed into the mixer. After the signal leaves the mixer it enters the amplifier and in turn the speaker cabinet. Out of the speaker cabinet, the same exact signal is “fed back” to the microphone…thus, creating a loop, or that awful sound we like to call “feedback.”

If you don’t already, assume that we highly dislike feedback and we want to get rid of it completely. There are some very easy practices that can help provide the highest gain in your audio system before feedback. In order to have an effective system or process to eliminating feedback we have to focus on reducing any unnecessary gain in your signal path. Here are 4 of the most basic practices that will help eliminate feedback:

1. Make sure that your main speakers are in front of your closest microphone to the audience. This way you are not battling the powerful high frequency drivers in your main speaker cabinets; trust me, those things always win no matter how much of a rockstar audio engineer you are.
2. Do the research, find out what the polar pattern of your microphone is so that you can place your monitor wedges accordingly. For instance, a directional microphone with a cardioid polar pattern (such as a Shure SM58) picks up sound in one direction. Therefore, placing the monitor wedge directly behind the microphone is the best option when trying to eliminate feedback. If you are unsure what polar pattern your microphone uses, call myself or the JSS Team, we are always happy to help. After all, it is what we do.
3. Move the source of sound as close to the microphone as possible. This will help reduce the amount of unnecessary gain in your signal path. Remember, we are focused on creating the most gain before feedback.
4. If the first 3 tips don’t work or you really want to go the extra mile, try “wringing out” your monitor wedges. “Wringing out” is an industry term for using an equalizer, generally a graphic equalizer to attenuate problem frequencies in your system. The simplest way to describe how to do this is install a graphic equalizer in between your mixer’s monitor output and your monitor power amplifier. Make sure that the equalizer is not bypassed and all of the available frequencies are set to zero. Turn the problem sources send all the way down or off. Set the problem sources gain to unity gain. Now slowly raise the send level of the source and you should begin to hear your problem frequencies emerge from the wedge(s). Find them on your equalizer and attenuate them as needed.

If you are experiencing an extreme feedback situation, please contact JSS. We are a full service company that can tune your system and provide maintenance that will help ensure that you do not have those same feedback issues. If you have any questions, please contact me. We’ll wring out your monitors!

Forrest Colegrove
Account Manager
fcolegrove@jss.net
615.663.4481
www.JSS.net

In the past several years, audio technology has evolved to the point where audio designers, installers and touring professionals have a wide array of software and hardware to help analyze, predict and solve almost all types of audio problems that may arise in any situation. One would think that all our audio troubles would be over. But this is far from the truth. In churches, clubs and live on many touring stages around the world volume is still the number one problem. No new measuring device, software-analyzing program or state-of-the-art digital console can solve what a simple turn of a knob can do, Reduce Stage Volume.

The answer to volume issues in a live situation is always the same. Turn Down. Removing the stage monitors and instrument amplifiers is the number one way to drastically reduce stage volume and dramatically improve sound quality at the front of house. Simply replacing the floor monitors with a personal monitor mixing system like the Aviom Pro 16 Personal Monitor Mixing System is a sure fire way to reduce stage volume, increase performers monitoring ability and clean up the look of the stage.

The Aviom Pro 16 Personal Monitor Mixing System transports line level audio from a mixing console to a 16-channel A-16II personal monitor mixer. Each musician gets an A-16II mixer and with a pair of personal in ear monitors, headphones or ear buds has the ability to create a full stereo monitor mix independent of all the other musicians on stage. The A-16 II personal monitor mixer allows musician to control level, pan and stereo spread along with save and recall.

Integrating an Aviom personal monitor mixing system into a church, performance space, club or a touring bands production system is low stress and affordable. Aviom makes a wide array of system cards for Yamaha digital mixing consoles along with cards for Digico, Digidesign, Innovason and Soundcraft digital mixing consoles. Aviom also manufactures the necessary input and output devices and accessories to help customize or augment existing or new systems. Please contact JSS and we will be more than happy to answer any questions or design an Aviom system to fit your needs and solve any volume issues you may be having on stage

Ed Frebowitz
Audio Engineer
www.JSS.net