Thanks Hudson for the kind words. It is grand to work with a skilled and experienced team.
The universe seems to like testing one's "audio faith" from time to time, doesn't it?

Hi deedeeyeah,

Thanks for your interest and questions. Since the other engineers who worked these shows may not wish there work flow discussed, I shall refrain from some questions.

For my part, I used my custom built, silent PC with modified audio cards running ProTools 2019. An old Mackie fader pack in HUI mode allowed me to control the PT "mixer" so I could perform my balance and mastering in real time. Conversion by JCF & Lavry. Everything powered through my custom balanced power package. Finite setup time, budget and the complexity of interfacing with a variety of audio and streaming subsystems prevented using an analog solution (which would have been my preference).

The number of mics varied with the size of each show. That Vivaldi show was around 40 mics. An earlier show with the supremely talented Natalia Lafourcade, her 8 piece band and the LA PHIL was something like 160? Many of those mics are for sound reinforcement purposes, less so for the broadcast mix.

Since you asked, but before I answer, would you share your impression of how many ambience mics you felt were used?

for those ca. 160 mic, i would have been keen to hear about the signal flow and the desk (and i don't quite get why some folks do not want their gear list to become known (unless they fear some accountants are lurking around here?!) it's just the gear! - i'm mostly using my studer vista desks, to record, to mix live (foh and/or monitors) and to mix in the studio (plus of course for broadcasting).

you can't be serious you would have preferred to use an analog desk with 160 inputs?! or what was your part?

hard to judge the number of ambis as i dunno if you mixed any samples in - i'm mostly using about 4 pairs: two at sl/sr (shotguns and whatever), another pair (often x/y) flown high above center stage if there is not speaker/beamer/noisy spotlight etc., a pair at foh (often ortf) if there is any, a widely spaced at the far end of the venue or at the delay towers (whatever type, often ldc to keep s/n reasonable) and sometimes i even take splits from measuring mics if there is no other way of deploying mic/running cables... - i'm using less ambis if just mixing stereo, often two pairs then.

Maybe my OP wasn’t clear. My part was to balance the music-to-picture presentation from the various sub-mixes, ambi & aux feeds then perform real-time mastering for streaming. My analog comment refers to the mastering chain. For the 160 ch show there were two separate mixers feeding me; the band’s touring mixer and then LA Phil staff engineer for the orchestra.

You mean “canned” or pre-recorded applause? Hahaha, what an unexpected notion! Has never crossed my mind nor have I ever been asked to do it for a live broadcast.

At any rate, for the Vivaldi we deployed two pairs: one up on the Halo and another out at FOH. In the end I only needed the single halo pair. I like to think the chosen mic technique, along with the Pueblo preamp’s uncanny ability to harvest ambience cues, allowed this minimal approach which achieves a satisfying sense of “sharing-in-the-moment” for the home viewers.

many thx! - regarding 'samples': i know some folks doing this (for pop&rock), but i rather thought about using some applaus gathered elsewhere during the evening.

in my experience, applause in each venue has quite a typical sonic imprint/spectral balance and density which i mostly don't want to mess with by adding samples stemming from elsewhere.

the reason i'm often using multiple ambi mics is not to mix all of them in for the music all the time but to have options to choose from and use different ambis for applause than for music: i mostly do not like the room to open up on the applause but rather make the soundstage smaller - i often ride ambis for broadcasts (and mixes).




p.s. i assume you are the man behind pueblo preamps then? didn't get to try them but most likely won't buy any - not because i wouldn't be interested in hearing them but a) i'm pretty happy with my studer pres b) i have lots of them and c) it's very convient to have the option to control pres remotely from a desk, gang them, move control over them between different desks etc. so chances i'll replace mine are very, very low.

Just a little bluegrass thing today... All fits in my Pelican 1510?

On National Sound Check Day (12.12) we were at The Apollo Theater to record 64 tracks of audio for an on location six camera video shoot. Load in, ESU, sound check, blocking, camera rehearsal, capture, strike and load out happened in one seriously long day...

Care to describe your rack & setup, or do you have a link where I could read up on it?

Signal flow was as follows...

We had our 56/52X3 isolated mic splitter that took the stage mics and split them to FOH/MON and our recording rig. From there, everything was self contained within our Big Bertha 64 channel triple redundant recording setup.

A little about the 'Transformation of Big Bertha.' In the summer of 2017 I re-imagined what this old roadcase from the mid-'80s was going to become. Originally Big Bertha was our 40 channel BSS four-way active mic splitter for our third truck, Jethro. I've been wanting to do something with this rack from the mid-80s for decades when the BSS splitters eventually were re-designed and installed in a newer (at the time) roadcase. It's great to see this this old roadcase make it into the next millennium and in action as one of our new recording systems.

Big Bertha has eight 8-channel Midas XL48 totaling 64 channels. The ADAT Lightpipe outputs feed an RME ADI-648 and converts them to MADI which then feeds two (Video) Sound Devices PIX270i recorders and the SSL DeltaLink to the late model 2012 quad core Mac Mini via an Avid HD Native box. We have a few DAW options that include, Protools, Reaper, and Logic. There is a Brainstorm word clock distributor and a Avid Sync HD. It also has two single rack Tripp Lite 1000VA UPS battery backup units split up accordingly.

In this session, the stereo output from HD Native fed the XTA DS800 which was distributed to the Studio Comm Controller for the Neumann KH120As, the TC Electronic LEVEL PILOT that had the potential to feed the stage monitors and green room. The XTA DS800 also fed the TV truck. The Dub Output from the Studio Comm fed the Tascam CD-RW1000 which was a simple way to achieve stereo output metering and headphone monitoring. It was already in the Studio Comm rack, so it was a no-brainer to use it for this purpose.

I attached a better image of Big Bertha for your review.

Any questions or thoughts?

Just noticed the Chaos com box. Yet another NYC staple.

D.

I purchased my first Chaos Audio Comm system in the late seventies. It is still in use today. They are indestructible, and the best sounding comm system out there.

All my mobile units have a Chaos Audio comm system in them. We of course also have an RTS system to interface with the rest of the world. I also have extra CA comm systems when I want to use them with our portable rigs.

I think Bob Goddard and Bob See were friends from the Fillmore days. Goddard used to be seen often in the shop when I worked for See Factor in the 1970's.

Wow, a lot of "memory lane" lately. I probably should get out. No, wait! I can't go out.

D.

Actually, John Chester was the former Chief Sound Engineer at The Fillmore East. John also owned Chaos Audio, which Bob Goddard purchased from him way back when and incorporated it into Goddard Design Company.

Yes, John, Bob and Bob were indeed good friends from back in the day.

Ah, right you are. John Chester.

D.

https://imgur.com/gallery/vqB9CgS

Came here to post a question and saw the show and tell, couldn't resist, I built this studio by hand including the booth.
Jody Baxmeyer, co-owner of JaM Advertising and Productions Inc.
We do commercial stuff, radio ads, that sort but my background was broadcast and VO guy so this is our ADR studio as well.

The booth is equipped with Black Box video terminal tech and is wired with both XLR and TRS. 1/2 mdf panel with insulated roof, floor and 4 inch Corning 704 to round out the interior along with the production bay. Home made bass bins in the background to match



I'm using UA ADDA (Apollo Quad) and UA 6176 for my starters, Protools rig with a new Dell rack 3930 (which is going back and will be made into a desktop tower and given to the graphics department upstairs and I'll be switching to a mac)

I've been producing and engineering on Adobe Audition prior to that Cool Edit Pro, so the jump to Protools has been a great leap in engineering methodology and mixing practice, my brain got at least one micron size bigger, I think I can feel it. haha

Does what I need it to do...