If you don't know what it is then likely you're not using it but I'll explain just in case. Ducking, in the case the I'm referring to anyway, would be increasing the attenuation (decreasing the volume) of one input when signal is detected on a second input. So for example on the radio when the DJ is talking over the music and the music stays at low volume, when the DJ stops talking the volume of the music automatically comes up to listening level. That's ducking.
So I ask because I came across another compressor for my rig that I got for a steal of a deal. Right now I have compression on all five of my vocal channels and another channel that I use for instruments (either my own or my guests that bring them in). So I really don't need any additional compressors at thsi point. However, I have given some thought to setting it up to perform ducking on my "house" music that I run between singers so that it would "duck" the music when I make announcements (next singer, bar announcements, etc). Many times I'm not near the console for these announcements and have to run back to pull down the fader on the music channel. I'm just curious if anyone has used ducking in a similar situation and what your experience has been. Was it useful. Was it more trouble than it was worth?
The other way I had thought of maybe setting it up is to have the compressor duck the house music when the karaoke music starts. It would be a poor man's form of automatic cross fading and would make it so I don't have to be at the console to bring the house music back up when the karaoke song is done. Thoughts? If you had the choice, what would be more useful to you, or would you bypass it all together and stick to manual control?
Anyone using ducking??
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alfalfa4381
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:06 pm
Maybe not quite the solution, but here is a cool remote-control trick. I have a recording studio and use this trick to record my vocals while I am in the vocal booth. Since my console is in the control room, I have to hit RECORD and run into the booth, and if I make mistakes and need to frequently start and stop the recording process, I find myself doing a lot of running. Here is the solution:
I have a wireless router and use Remote Desktop Control. Using a laptop I remote into the control room PC, and take the laptop into the vocal booth with me. No wires, and works like I'm sitting in front of the control room PC. The remote desktop is responsive and not annoying at all. It is fast because you are on a local area network connected at 100mbs. No internet access is needed.
This idea opens up a lot of possibilities for KJs as well as do-it-yourself bar owners-KJs. Just think, you can take your second laptop out in the audience and mix the sound while hearing what the crowd is hearing, or move to where the singer is to hear the monitors. Or, for the bar owner turned KJ who is short handed, run the show from the bar.
Of course, to "run the show" you will need a little different setup than you currently have. In it's simlest form, all you will be able to do with the equipment that you now own is manage the playlist and adjust the volume from your Karaoke software.
I am researching and building a karaoke show for churches and for the lodges that my company operates. I already own a great sound system, I have acquired a few hundred songs so far( need a LOT more, I know), and I am ripping all my CDGs to the computer. I have decided on my software player, and next I need to tackle the video monitor for the singers to use on stage. I plan to build into my setup the capability to use remote desktop sharing as described above.
Since I have most of the equipment and software, I will try to have a working model in a month or so. If anyone is interrested in how it works let me know. Food for thought - It will require a usb zero latency digital audio interface with about 8 inputs and stereo outs (like an M-Audio-appx $200-$300). Next, you will need a lite version of Cubase, Sonar, etc., it will probably come with the interface. You will only need a few channels on your hardware mixer, two to drive your stereo speakers may be enough. I will probably yank my Mackie 14 channel from the top of my roll-around rack mount cabinet and replace it with a laptop velcro-ed down. I might install a small Tascam 8 channel rack-mount mixer to replace the Mackie. All your mics and laptop will plug into the interface. Sonar will provide hundreds of reverbs, delays, flangers, multi-band EQ, etc.
I have a wireless router and use Remote Desktop Control. Using a laptop I remote into the control room PC, and take the laptop into the vocal booth with me. No wires, and works like I'm sitting in front of the control room PC. The remote desktop is responsive and not annoying at all. It is fast because you are on a local area network connected at 100mbs. No internet access is needed.
This idea opens up a lot of possibilities for KJs as well as do-it-yourself bar owners-KJs. Just think, you can take your second laptop out in the audience and mix the sound while hearing what the crowd is hearing, or move to where the singer is to hear the monitors. Or, for the bar owner turned KJ who is short handed, run the show from the bar.
Of course, to "run the show" you will need a little different setup than you currently have. In it's simlest form, all you will be able to do with the equipment that you now own is manage the playlist and adjust the volume from your Karaoke software.
I am researching and building a karaoke show for churches and for the lodges that my company operates. I already own a great sound system, I have acquired a few hundred songs so far( need a LOT more, I know), and I am ripping all my CDGs to the computer. I have decided on my software player, and next I need to tackle the video monitor for the singers to use on stage. I plan to build into my setup the capability to use remote desktop sharing as described above.
Since I have most of the equipment and software, I will try to have a working model in a month or so. If anyone is interrested in how it works let me know. Food for thought - It will require a usb zero latency digital audio interface with about 8 inputs and stereo outs (like an M-Audio-appx $200-$300). Next, you will need a lite version of Cubase, Sonar, etc., it will probably come with the interface. You will only need a few channels on your hardware mixer, two to drive your stereo speakers may be enough. I will probably yank my Mackie 14 channel from the top of my roll-around rack mount cabinet and replace it with a laptop velcro-ed down. I might install a small Tascam 8 channel rack-mount mixer to replace the Mackie. All your mics and laptop will plug into the interface. Sonar will provide hundreds of reverbs, delays, flangers, multi-band EQ, etc.
Yeah the RDP idea is a cool one however for a mobile show like mine, it wouldn't work out to well (unless I did RDP from a BlackBerry or something). I could be anywhere in the venue when I need to duck the music for me to talk so carrying around a laptop wouldn't be so great.
The other thing that I wouldn't like is that I prefer to use the laptop as simply a static input. I prefer to mix the music levels at the console rather than with the mouse on the computer. It's easier, faster and ensures a consistent level coming into the channel without having to adjust input attenuation or worry about getting the volume control on the PC set right. I sound check at the beginning of the night, get my gain structure all set and from there its all controls on the console (just like mixing for the band).
I like what you've got going though as far as for the venues you're looking at. Should be a very cool solution in those cases. Now if you really want to put this thing on steroids, use Pro-tools for your mixing and control that through RDP. It'd be really cool if you could control the control surface that way.
Then you could mix your gig from home - LOL - OK maybe that wouldn't work out so well.
The other thing that I wouldn't like is that I prefer to use the laptop as simply a static input. I prefer to mix the music levels at the console rather than with the mouse on the computer. It's easier, faster and ensures a consistent level coming into the channel without having to adjust input attenuation or worry about getting the volume control on the PC set right. I sound check at the beginning of the night, get my gain structure all set and from there its all controls on the console (just like mixing for the band).
I like what you've got going though as far as for the venues you're looking at. Should be a very cool solution in those cases. Now if you really want to put this thing on steroids, use Pro-tools for your mixing and control that through RDP. It'd be really cool if you could control the control surface that way.
Then you could mix your gig from home - LOL - OK maybe that wouldn't work out so well.
