What's in your live-rack? (no recording, just mixing)

[George Necola]

ok.. pictures welcome.

I am also wondering how you deal with the different connections if you just do remote jobs and do not have your own desk..

[trompetfreak]

Well, Pictures will be here shortly. I just realised I don't have any of just my gear!


I have my rider pretty much sorted out most of the time. If it's not there, the venue will have to rent. (nothing special... PCM91, M3000 and a couple of nice comps and gates will do most of the time)

If I know I go to a crap venue with trouble in the low-end (lack of power, cheap PA...) I bring my BBE MaxCom to put on the master.
For some sources I bring a D&R compressor.
And I have a Lex mpx-100 (yes cheap, but does the job) in case I find myself in a situation where there is absolutely no reverb supplied. That is usually in the type of venue where you can't quite hear the difference...


Oh and my mics are with me most of the time, but are not in a rack so not here.


I bring standard unbalanced jack (insert-)cables to connect.

[George Necola]

thanx

I have an SPX90..
never heard about the DBX.. I do not usually work with a master-comp live (working a lot with group comps..). I will look into this..


what about the rack? do you use flight cases or ordinary rock bags?

cheers
G

[surflounge]

Still need faders for my API DSM mobile rack! Any help is appreciated.

[Jim vanBergen]

Live rack:

Purple MC76
ARTProVLA
Summit EQ200B
Meyer CP10
Drawmer 241
Drawmer DS404
Drawmer DL441 (3)
SPX 990
Lexicon PCM70
Eventide H3000SE
RNC (2)
RNLA
2-tk Recorder

[trompetfreak]

Originally Posted by George Necola

thanx

I have an SPX90..
never heard about the DBX.. I do not usually work with a master-comp live (working a lot with group comps..). I will look into this..


what about the rack? do you use flight cases or ordinary rock bags?

cheers
G

I like the SPX on snare and percussion instruments. It's a bit to metal-ish for vocals and horns IMO. Like "the mens room" preset on the m3000. Nice on snare!

Check out the max-com, it's quality wise a bit like the dbx166, but has a different feel/sound to it. I really like the maximizer feature to hype the highs a bit and pump up the lows. That are usually my trouble zones in smaller venues.

I carry it in a rock-bag. bought it for convenience, but it turned out to be relatively heavy and not easy to carry.
I'd now prefere one of those smaller but tough racks. SKB or something...

[Murton]

Running digital so my console rack is the following:

Yamaha LS9-16 Digital Mixing Console /w ADAT card
Furman PL PRO DMCE Power Conditioner
M-Audio ProFire 2626
M-Audio ProFire 2626
Apogee Big ben

Using the 2626's as extra pre's for the console and to do live recording
I'm thinking about a stereo pre, something like the JoeMeek Twin Q.

When I'm mixing analogue I only use a two channel DBX comp and a two channel 31 band graphic. I wish I had another few comps and another two channel graphic but alas. I usually chuck the comp ont he kick and snare or the vocal if it really needs it. I've done a few parallel comp situations like one channel each on the groups, so 1 and 3, leaving 2 and 4 uncompressed. So drums to 1&2 and vocals to 3&4 and then mix compressed/uncompressed with the subgroups all panned centre.

http://www.rpmaudio.com.au/gallery/B...ingTheLoft.JPG

Here's my business affiliate mixing on the digital rig with the analogue gear next to it, as using the analogue graphic is faster than using the LS9's graphics for problem frequencies which appear all of a sudden.

[George Necola]

respect. mixing an FOH show with the LS-9 is tough. I never got a great sound out of it. you have to drive the micpres relativly low and its a pita to step trough the EQ settings, other settings..

if you buy joemeek buy one of the older series.. same shit as focusrite.. made in china these days.. quality stinks.

[Murton]

Yeah, I have found that the mic pres sound better driven softly as they have oodles of gain and the amount of gain you pick up in the EQ section is massive as you have to drive the EQ very hard to get decent results which makes grouping and master bus EQ come into play as you over in the EQ section before the mic pres or fader will over.

With time comes faster mixing on the LS9, I've got much faster in the EQ section and the Dynamics section aswell as the sends on fader. It's knowing all the little tricks which make mixing on the LS9 a fast affair.

Yeah, I've seen Focusrite products going down hill recently. My mentor bought a ISA430 and the problems he's had with it have been incredible including getting quiter over time. And getting a replacement or getting it fixed have been wrought with trouble.

[jude]

i usually spec a drawmer M500 as mix comp (or bring my own)
Dn360/3600
Drawmer gates (4-6 channels depending on the show)
KT compressors (NOT SQUARE 1!)
2 x SPX990
2 x M3000

[rmx16]

My analog rack back in my metal days

TC 2290
Eventide H3000
Lex PCM 70
8 Drawmer 201's
8 Dbx 160x's

And my secret weapon AMS RMX 16

Peace

[Rondel]

My personal rack has a SPL Transient designer4, and (for now) a Focusrite Green EQ channelstrip combined with a TC Triple-c multiband comp for vocals.
The Triple-c is verry versitle and easy to set up. I have 3 units and really like to use them, but it's time to upgrade to something more high-end.

At the moment I want to upgrade the vocal strip to a BSS Dpr/XTA D2 + ISA-430 (or keep the green and buy a distressor for limiting).

Also want a programmable reverb/delay (M-one or better) as a decent go to reverb or backup in case there isn't a decent unit at the gig...

[trompetfreak]

For the tour that started today, I'm only bringing my mics and my MIO.
Since the soundcheck hasn't started yet, I can still choose to either record it, or use my MIO for inserts...

[jensenmann]

My liverack consists of
1 Lexicon Jamman
1 TC M2000
1 Korg SDD1200
1 DIYed 1176
2 Neumann U473
2 Urei LA4

My wiring for the FX in the rack goes to a XLR patchpanel at the rear. From there a XLR snake goes from the patchpanel to the desk. I´m carrying all adapters for every eventually upcoming desks and connecting schemes with me.
For dynamics I direct wire either unbal insertwires or balanced XLR to jack snakes for seperate send/returns (plus necessary adaptors). In case the unbalanced insert jacks have send and return reversed I carry adaptors with me to change them back to my wiring system. I guess all wires and adaptors in my rack have the same weight as the gear itself.
Additionally I always use some of the outboard gear that is locally available. Unfortunately most PA companies try to avoid analog FoH for cost, maintenance and ignorance reason. If I have to mix digital there are a few desk I absolutely do not work on. Since the band I work for is not so cheap we get something better than LS9 (which I consider to be toys for boys, not tools for real professionals). Promoters have to accept that. Mixing digital is already enough compromise. I bloody hate that.

[hbphotoav]

Decidedly mid-line, and used as much for corporate as for music (gotta pay the man and the taxman, you know)... normally mix on a Soundcraft Series Two or Mackie Onyx 1640.

Minirack:

Sabine IntelliQ
M-One (tc electronics)
(2) Peavey Architectural Series dual-15 band (occasional use wedges)
Furman AR-1215

In the vehicle/as needed:

PreSonus ACP88, racked
Orban ParaSound stereo 4-band parametric, racked with
RANE dual 16-band graphic

Main rack:

PreSonus ACP88
Sabine FBX2020 (2)
Yamaha SPX90
Alesis MultiVerb
Lexicon M200
3-space drawer
DBX2231
EV231 (2)
DBX215 (2)
Soundcraft PS200 (for the Series Two)

Workbox with dozens of mic and adapter cables, subsnakes, insert snakes, and, for needy guitarists, a couple of instrument cables.

Looking forward to moving to a digital desk... but not yet holding my breath. The PreSonus is becoming a bit of a temptation, though...

HB

[ray_subsonic]

Originally Posted by jensenmann

I´m carrying all adapters for every eventually upcoming desks and connecting schemes with me. I guess all wires and adaptors in my rack have the same weight as the gear itself ..

This is the gold standard and would be a pleasure to deal with on a festival date as a system engineer. If only everyone else was this prepared though. Most production companies are fairly gracious, but If you haven't advanced with them, then it is not the system engineers role to be a "mindreader" and supply extra looms and adaptors out of thin air.

Originally Posted by jensenmann

we get something better than LS9 (which I consider to be toys for boys, not tools for real professionals). Promoters have to accept that. Mixing digital is already enough compromise. I bloody hate that.

LS-9 .. Ok if you can program a show or band mix in rehearsal .. But as a walk up .. I'm with Jensenman .. A bit of a horror mixing music .. For walk up's, the M7 is entry point for mixing music .. Yamaha PM5D WITH a laptop and Studio Manager AND a system tech who knows how to deal with different FOH engineers is a must .. Most of the Digidesign, Digico, Soundcraft Vi6 and all the Midas digital consoles are fine because you can literally load your show off a USB stick .. Allen Heath iLive is surprisingly impressive too.

But when it really comes down to it ... I HATE them all .. With a passion. Give me a Midas XL4/3/200, Heritage 2K/3K, Yamaha PM 4K/5K, Soundcraft Series 5, MH2/3/4 and RACKS of outboard

[trompetfreak]

Originally Posted by ray_subsonic

Most of the Digidesign, Digico, Soundcraft Vi6 and all the Midas digital consoles are fine because you can literally load your show off a USB stick .. Allen Heath iLive is surprisingly impressive too.

I look the same way way at digital desks as you described in your last post. But I have an addition to what you said in this quote. The desks you mentioned here (including the iLive) have a very analog "feel" to them and they have a very good overview. Desks like the M7 need a totally different "digital" state of mind and because of that you need the laptop/studiomanager/house tech.
On tour I have trouble with the digital yamaha's, but with digital Midas, Digico and most of the time the digidesigns, I can survive on my own like I would with an analog desk.

[ray_subsonic]

Originally Posted by trompetfreak

On tour I have trouble with the digital yamaha's, but with digital Midas, Digico and most of the time the digidesigns, I can survive on my own like I would with an analog desk.

Yup. Same .. .. George, sorry if we're going OT ..

Unless you're working with an act that's doing over a certain level of traffic (with a budget to match), it's now pretty hard for me to take what I'd like in a rack. Rising air freight costs have seen to that .. A much higher percentage of bands doing international touring are having to travel with carry-on ONLY.

So, the padded carry-on rack bag with just a few comps and enough insert cables, and an fx unit with any major fx changes pre-programmed is about it at the moment. I've also taken to carrying The Boss CE-20 (Space Echo pedal) and a reverb pedal as back-ups for smaller rooms with house P.A's in regional areas.

I have given myself 6 months to sell/buy gear and get all my outboard into rolling racks. It'll be interesting to see how things are progressing in 6 months.

Cheers RAy

[studjo]

George when I do live stuff I make sure what kinda PA company is supplying the stuff. If they are decent I don't carry much stuff with me but when it's one of the low end companies I take this with me:

TC M2000
3 Drawmer DL251
1 Symetrix quad gate (I have no clue how it's called)
1 TLA blue tube comp (is ok on some stuff ...)

Jo

[Rondel]

Upgraded with spl frontliner with lundahl mod and tc m-2000....

[xaMdaM]

I don't do many flypack gigs, so, I'm usually racks...

4 - 160XT's
2 - 166's
1 - DL251
1 - DS201
1 - DS404

For FX, I usually try to find out what it is I'm pushin' faders for, but I usually take 2-3 of the following;
SDE1000
H3000B
Rev7
PCM81
PCM90
LXP1/LXP5

If I have a chance to spec things... 160XT's, D-One and D-Two are what I see mostly available, after SPX90's... which are fine with me.