2019SP Advanced Recording Techniques (MP-385-007)

My Courses ▸ Courses ▸ 2019SP MP-385-007 ▸ Week 8 - March 13 ▸ MP-385 Midterm Exam

Started on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 8:38 PM

State Finished
Completed on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 11:48 AM
Time taken 15 hours 9 mins
Overdue 13 hours 9 mins
Grade 93.00 out of 100.00

Information

The Midterm Exam presents a series of problem-solving tasks in the context of a hypothetical tracking session.  Each question requires a written
explanation of your solution.  Be thorough and detailed in your explanations – don't assume your professor knows what you're talking about!
Engineering problems often have more than one "correct" solution.  As you consider each question, think:  What would you do, and why?
Your setup information is in this document (opens in a new window/tab).  Refer to it carefully for each question.

Question 1 Complete Mark 20 out of 20

Describe how best to send monitor feeds to the Aviom mixers.

Specify which instruments you would feed to which channels.  Indicate all patches and console settings necessary to achieve this.
Be sure to include the synth and drum machine (monitor channels 21-24)!
Remember to include talkback from the control room.
How will you handle the individual players’ talkback mics?
Ensure the musicians can hear your reverb.
Be certain that your cues will work for playback as well as recording!

Turn on aux send 3-4 in pre fader mode on Kick, Snare and OH and press 3-4 next to the small fader of those channels. Feed aux 3-4 to cue 1 and patch
from cue1 output to aviom 1-2 
Patch multitrack return 9 (bass) into aviom 3, multitrack return 13 (guitar) into aviom 4, multitrack return 11-12 (piano) into aviom 5-6, multitrack return 14
(VX) into aviom 7, patch talk back cue3 output (fed by botton inmaster sction) into aviom 8. 
Send large faders 21-22 (drum machine) to auxes 5-6 in prefader mode (same procedure as drums), feed aux 5-6 to cue 2 and patch the cue output to
aviom 9-10
Same procedure with large faders 23-24 (synth) this time into aux 7-8 in pre fader mode. Feed aux 7-8 to cue 3 and patch cue 3 output to aviom 11-12
Finnaly patch Rev return into aviom 13-14 making sure that the reverb is set to mono L intup, beeing fed through aux 1 and turned on the rev return and
routed to 1-2 stereo mix in master section
Set the proper links on the aviom channels on the machine room.

Comment:
Question 2 Complete Mark 10 out of 10

There's a problem with track 9.  You notice an intermittent crackling sound that seems to be random,  but frequent enough for you to realize that you’re
hearing it on the large fader of channel 9.
1. Explain the steps you would take to find the cause of the problem, and
2. List what the possible causes could be (there are at least eight of them).

First I would check the wave form in pro tools to determine if the noise is actually bing recorded or if it happens on the monitor path. If it is being
recorded, I would change the output of the bass from the bus to direct output. next stop I would rout the preamp straight into the stereo mix to check if it
is happening on the channel path or before. next stop would be to change the cable form tieline to preamp on the patch bay and if the noise is still
happening change the xlr from the DI to the tieline, next change the jack from the bass to the DI and if it still is there, plug the bass into the amp.

The posible causes are: 

-problem in the monitor path
-problem from output of the board to pro tools
-problem in the channel path
- problem in the patch bay 
-problem in the tieline
-problem in the xlr cable
-problem in the DI
-problem in the bass

Comment:

Question 3 Complete Mark 9 out of 10

You've gotten all your drum sounds and a decent monitor balance.  As the band runs down the song, you decide to add some reverb (Bricasti M7 #1) to
the drums, guitar, and vocal.  The producer says,  “Whatever effect you've got on the drums sounds great!  Can we print that drum reverb on a couple of
open tracks?"  Describe in detail everything you have to do to accomplish this.

Assuming we are only sending the drums to the reverb, create a new audio track in pro tools and set i/O 25-26. Patch rev return to multitrack send 25-26.
Send faders 25-26 in the console to stereo mix and enable pan pots. Finally, patch from multitrack return 25-26 to aviom 13-14

Comment:
You should then stop monitoring it from the Reverb return in the center section, since you are monitoring it from large faders 25726, otherwise you
would have twice the amount of reverb in the mix, and diluted control over it.
The detail of re-patching the Avioms from a previous question was a good addition.

Question 4 Complete Mark 5 out of 5

You've recorded a take, and it's time to listen back.  You go to the top, press PLAY and nothing – no sound.  But you verified that the record lights were
on, the meters were moving and you heard the musicians while recording.  Nothing has changed since then.  
There are at least two possible reasons you can't hear playback.  What are they?

Make sure that multitrack monitors on the Neve is set to tape and make sure the input monitoring on pro tools is disabled.

Comment:
Question 5 Complete Mark 11 out of 15

The producer decides he wants to have stereo room mics for the drums on the second song.  He asks you to do an M/S set up.  You look at your mic
selection and spot two Sanken CO-100Ks and two Shure KSM 44s.  You will be plugging into mic inputs 17 and 18 and recording to tracks 17 and 18 in
stereo, i.e. decoding on the console.  Which mics would you select, and how would you set them up – in the studio and on the console?  (Describe your
decoding method.)

Use the KSM 44, one in cardioid mode and on in bidirecional mode. Set stereo track in pro tools with I/O 17-18.
On the console, bus channel 17 (mid) to 17-18. and bus channel 18 to 17 and 30. On preamp 30, press GRP and bus the channel to 18. revers polarity
on channel 17. Listen to small faders 18 and 30 and set levels so that the signal is canceled. Then set the desired imaging by adjusting small fader 17

Comment:
Hmm, inverting the polarity should be in one of the side channels, 17 was the mid channel. You should listen to the summing of channels 18 and 30, but
not from the channel path, but from the monitor path.
More repeated confusing between the mid and side channels from then on in your answer.
Answer incomplete.

Question 6 Complete Mark 5 out of 5

Just as you’re about to record another take, you realize there is no signal on your left drum overhead track.  Something has stopped working!  To
troubleshoot, you cross-patch the two overhead mics from the mic panel to the console mic inputs – swapping 7 and 8.  After cross-patching, there is
still no signal on the left overhead track.
What did you just prove?

This means that the problem is between the preamp and the monitor path since if the problem was before the preamp, we would have gotten signal into
the track after cross-patching.

Comment:

Question 7 Complete Mark 9 out of 10

Now the drummer wants to use six toms (four rack and two floor), and he’s added more cymbals to his kit.  You also notice that while the 10" deep snare
he brought for this song sounds good in the room, your snare mic sounds dull, dark and lifeless by comparison.  You have no more mics to choose from. 
What would you do to get this expanded drum kit sounding great?

For the snare, I would see if there is a way to place the mic in a better position to capture a more accurate representation of it's actual sound, and play
with EQ and Compression to bring life to the sound. As far as the toms and cymbals goes, I would reposition the Overhead mics to capture as best as
possible the full kit with it's new configuration. 

Comment: And don't forget to re-check polarity after moving the mics

Question 8 Complete Mark 9 out of 10

Now it's time to overdub some backing vocals – a group of four singers.  At the producer's request you set up four individual close mics and a stereo
ambient pair, and bus all six channels together to tracks 19 and 20.  You set the desired balance, but now you want to EQ, compress, and gain ride the
whole blend (the stereo mix of all six channels) to Pro Tools.  How can you do this on the Neve – without doing any patching?

Press group button on preamps 19-20 and turn on direct out switch. Raise small faders.  Set desired on board compression and eq on track 19 and copy
to track 20. Then link tracks 19-20 to ride the gain evenly on both channels. 

Comment:
OK, but you didn't say how are you going to EQ and compress. You explained the most difficult part, but left the easiest. Just insert outboard gear or
use onboard in channels 19 and 20.
Question 9 Complete Mark 5 out of 5

Now the producer wants to record a shaker onto track 21.  You assign one of the overhead mics to bus 21, put track 21 into input, set the large fader on
channel 21 to 0 dB, check that it isn't muted, and you can see the multitrack meters moving – but you can't hear it.  
What is the problem?  (Hint:  Check your setup!)
And how do you solve it?

I can't hear the signal because the drum machine is patched into monitor inputs 21 and 22. Unpatching it should solve the issue.

Comment:

Question 10 Complete Mark 10 out of 10

Finally, the producer wants to do a track of guitar fills.  He wants to use his own outboard mic preamp with the R-121 that's already on the guitar amp. 
He would like to record with the Urei 1176 compressing the signal.  Describe in sequence everything you would do (including specific patch points,
button pushes, etc.) to accomplish this in two ways:
1. Avoiding the console completely, recording directly to the multitrack.
2. With a post-compressor level control on the console (to adjust level into the multitrack). 

1- Plug R121 to the external preamp and from the preamp to tieline. Patch from the tieline into the compressor  and out of the compressor to multitrack
send 13. Create a pro tools audio track with I/O 13
2- Plug R121 in to the external preamp, and from preamp to the tieline. Patch from the tielin into line B input 13. Press CO on preamp. Then patch
insertion send 13 to the 1176 and out of the 1176 into insertion return 13. press the ins button on module 13 and press dir above small fader. Create a
pro tools audio track with I/O 13.

Comment: