Question about mix stage monitoring

[macaholic]

I had a question about how things were monitored on a proper mix stage.

I mix TV only, and use the X-Mon on my ICON in a properly calibrated room, and set my monitor level to reference by the main rotary knob, where I can physically turn it down when talking with a producer, etc... so my question is not about proper calibration.

What I was curious about was, once the calibration is set in the larger rooms (running multiple DAW rigs), is there a "master" variable volume control, or just a dim switch to be able to turn it down when someone is taking a call. Seems like the "safest" approach would be to just have an "on/dim/mute" sort of setup, so there are no "surprises" once you wrapped your last reel.

Make sense?

[Max Holland]

I have a dim and a mute switch... thats what I usually use, but I also have the proper levels marked on all the appropriate knobs in case I gotta twist em.

[FullFrequency]

I was at a film studio over here in the UK doing some work, and they were using a PEC direct switcher, which had multiple PT rigs plugged into it for different stems.

In terms of level they had pre calibrated settings recallable at the touch of a button for 82db and 85db and they also had a pot to turn it down/up manually that gave a reference of what db reference you were now monitoring at, as well as a dim, and mute/solo buttons for each speaker.

They used the main output switch to monitor between the main outputs and the layback PT rig which recorded all splits and took a DMU feed aswell.

Hope that made sense. I don't work on a dub stage every day so please correct if some of that's a bit misleading or badly explained.

[postprosound]

I think that all desks have some sort of a monitor section or another. and for the most part, they have a 'knob' that you can adjust the SPL's.

Here's the Ephonix board, for example.

Harrison and the DFC's have a similar thing.

[macaholic]

Thanks FullFrequency, just the stuff I was wondering... I have a display to let me know what SPL I am monitoring on the ICON, but it's just me and one PT rig, so I was curious how the "multi operator" stages did it.

Preset switches, with variable trim makes sense, and I figured there was some fool proof way to make sure you were monitoring at proper ref, without relying on a pot. Sort of the way my old StudioComm did back in the day... a big button labeled "Ref" that would override whatever position your volume knob was set.

Thanks for the link postprosound.

[Steven1145]

Multi operator stages usually use the onboard monitoring section of the mixing desk. On all real desks (ie. not controllers) there is a monitor matrix that allows:
- level, dim and mute control
- individual mute or solo of a speaker
- monitoring format change with downmixing (to quickly listen in mono or stereo if you think there are wild things going on with phase in your 5.1 mix)
- PEC-Direct switching (meaning monitoring the "tape"/hard disk return or the bus output)
- Dolby or other encoder insertion

Some multi-operator consoles are in fact two desks running together, with one cascading it's busses into the other (Euphonix), other desks operate as a single unit. In both cases each operator usually has access to a monitoring panel, though each panel will control the same thing when it comes to Level, Dim, Mute and Speaker Mute/Solo. However the PEC/Direct switching will vary from one mixer to the other.

For stages using controllers like the Icon or the S5MC, there are either Xmon like solutions, or outboard solutions like the MartinSound MultiMAX, or the ADGIL Director.

[ErikG]

Or if using Nuendo the monitoring section is pretty useful as well.

[Steven1145]

Originally Posted by ErikG

Or if using Nuendo the monitoring section is pretty useful as well.

That's right, and I'm sure it'll get much better in the near future.