Phase 3

Table of Contents

Overview

This is where we do “live implementation” of the DAW solution and mix session they have already approved. 

Nothing you will ever do working for stream sounds is more important than every step in this guide. This phase being executed properly is the make or break of at least their first live service, possibly our entire relationship with the church. 

What you do here ensures that the mix they have already approved will be their live sound. Attention to every detail I’ve laid out here is of the utmost importance. I was a lot more chill on a lot of other instructions. I am not on these. You must do all of these and for the love of God ask for help if you need help or have questions. If you don’t have my personal number, let me know on slack and I’ll give it to you. 

Pre-Call info/PSA text

Same as phase 1. Reach out first thing each day to all your calls and verify you’re still on, and that they’ll be at the church in front of all the equipment. You’d be surprised how many people that think this can be done at home. 

DOWNLOAD COMPLETED MIX SESSION

You’ll download this session from our dropbox. If you haven’t been added to our dropbox account/added to the necessary folders for easy access to this, let me know. 

The folders where all audio is stored should be named “File Requests” or “Master Client Folder”.

The correct mix session should be appropriately named. If you can’t locate the one you need, let me know.

All you should need to do is right click on folder you need to put on their computer, click “copy dropbox link,” and paste that into a browser on their end. Then download it. 

Install waves plugins if necessary

When you open up the session, it should become readily apparent if they have the plugins they need or not. We either mix with stock plugins or waves plugins, depending on what they pay for. 

Our waves creds are:

  • User: software@claytonmixes.com
  • PW: Showtime1!

 

You’ll obviously want to download waves central onto their computer. I trust most of you have done that before.

If the licenses you need aren’t there, reach out and let me know.

Establish Signal Return to Console

This is going to vary per console, so I’m probably gonna stick to theory here. 

  1. Ensure DAW output is coming over outputs 1-2
  2. Go into their console and assign USB/Card 1-2 to aux inputs or channel inputs
  3. MAKE SURE YOU TURN OFF ANY EQ, COMPRESSION OR ANY OTHER PROCESSING OR GAIN/TRIM LEVEL ON THE CHANNELS YOU’RE ASSIGNING RETURN TO. 
  4. ENSURE WHATEVER CHANNELS YOU ASSIGNED THAT TO ARE REMOVED FROM MAIN FADER/FOH MIX, AND NO SENDS ARE BEING SENT ANYWHERE.
  5. If necessary, you’ll want to either group two channels into one stereo channel, or convert the channel into a stereo channel. 
  6. Assign the inputs that you’ve set up to direct out 2x physical XLR/1/4 outputs.
  7. You absolutely must verify that their connection is stereo. You may need to instruct them to buy a cable. If you need help with this, reach out to me.
  8. When you’re done HAVE THEM TELL YOU WHAT SCENE THEY LOAD, AND UPDATE THEIR SCENE. TELL THEM THEY GOTTA LOAD THAT ONE AND IF THEY MAKE ANY NEW ONES, THEY MUST MAKE THEM FROM THAT SCENE.

If they have a Dante network, this will be a lot different. You’re just gonna “transmit” 1-2 from DAW computer to be “received” on their streaming side, which will need to be DVS on their streaming computer and DVS set up as audio input in their encoder.

If you aren’t familiar with DANTE at all, I’ll help. You won’t run into it much though. 

Video side Audio inputs and signal flow

Just like the last step, there will be a lot of equipment variables on their end, so I’ll lay out the theory.

  1. Get logged into their streaming computer
  2. Start a test tone with “tone generator” in studio one. Set the tone level to like -.87 or whatever the closest to zero it will go. I can’t remember.
  3. Verify that tone is at that same level on the console
  4. Make necessary gain/trim/fader adjustments in their switcher control (ATEM) software to have signal match the tone.
    1. this is very tricky. most trickiest part. if you need me to do it for you a few times, I’m happy to.
    2. Turn off any EQ/compression that could be on the input channels in their switcher. It is there. It could be on.
    3. If they’re using an audio interface, you must instruct them to turn gain ALL THE WAY DOWN on both channels. Signal will still be too hot. You’ll have to trim the signal down on the console. 
    4. With an ATEM, there’s input gain, channel fader, and master fader. again, you just may need to watch this done. This can be tricky because the signal on the master fader could LOOK like it’s at the right place, when really you trimmed the level down with the channel fader, but the input is still too hot and you can’t tell that immediately. It is more apparent if you play tracks from studio one instead of tone. 

STUDY THIS SECTION VERY HARD. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. IF IT’S NOT DONE CORRECTLY THE MIX COULD BE WAY TOO LOW OR WAY TOO HOT. BOTH VERY BAD. ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED HELP. I WILL HELP. AS MANY TIMES AS YOU NEED.

Console Networking

Gonna leave this here from Phase 1 instructions. On the off chance this hasn’t been done on P1. 

This is going to vary based on their mixer. I’m just gonna imbed videos for popular mixers. Feel free to reach out to me if you get stumped here. This will a lot of times involve walking them through basic networking over the phone. It sucks. I’m sorry. 

This is a few, but not all. A video for any other mixer can be easily found on YouTube. 

Console desktop control apps

These will need to be downloaded on THEIR COMPUTER.

 

Again, not all but some common ones. Mixing Station is a third party app that will basically control any console. You guys may prefer to use that. I don’t care. 

PipeDrive

This is our project management software. Pretty easy to use. Watch video below.

The aforementioned video

For Phase 3’s, typically the projects will have already be put into the Phase 3 stage by me after I finish the mix. when you get done, move them to “Add to Calendar” upon successful completion of the phase 3. 

Conculsion

This is pretty much it. if you guys would like something added or expanded upon, let me know and I’ll work on it.