Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Discussions about the use and operation of SAC (Software Audio Console)

Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Postby Jeffsco » Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:45 pm

Don't think I could post this on the "Official" forum..but here's a question....

Do you take a Back up Board or system to a gig and if so...what is it?

I realize there is going to be a difference in the answer depending on the size of the Venue and level of gig (example: national touring act vs. 150 seat pub gig)

If you do...is it a back up SAC system? Is it an Analog board and if so....what do you recommend? Is it a small format digital board?

I'm going to have a regular gig coming up in the new year and I'm trying to cover my bases.
Jeffsco
 
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:32 am

Re: Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Postby Butch » Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:02 am

I always have 1 of anything that can end a show if dead
Spare SAC computer keyboard mouse and monitor. I used to carry an analogue board and effects rack but that just took up to much space and I could not do a fast change over if SAC took a dump (ALWAYS backup mix to a usb drive just in case ;) ) So far knock on wood never a fail during a show just at start up
preamp converter
power amp
couple mics
Tools and meter to fix anything else
Maybe even a generator if I think power may be questionable
I have had 2 bad power supplies and 2 ART Tubeopto 8s die in about 4 1/2 years and we won't talk about how many power amps speakers misc cables etc that crapped out

Butch
Butch
 
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:41 pm

Re: Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Postby IraSeigel » Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:20 am

As a backup to a SAC setup, I'd say something like an 01V would give you a lot of security in as small a package as possible. They're pretty inexpensive, too. If you hate the UI, use Studio Manager with a laptop.
IraSeigel
 
Posts: 213
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 9:58 pm
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA

Re: Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Postby RBIngraham » Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:04 am

I prefer the drive fast.. take chances method.... :-)

OK.. a bit more seriously, I typically send out space parts for things I feel are most likely to fail. It also depends on where the show is taking place and how hard it would be to get them new parts in a hurry and how much they are paying. It's unfortunate but true (at least where I come from) but smaller theatres with little to no money just don't have back up systems. If the light board dies, they can either cancel the show, or do the show in work lights. So I try to have conversations with the powers that be about expectations when time allows and hopefully prior to the proverbial hitting the fan. I do however make one thing perfectly clear to all artisitic leadership.... there is nothing you can do, no money you can spend that will 100% guarantee that you'll never have to cancel a show. (even if you take human illness out of the equation) As soon as you think you have a spare of everything you might need... something new will break you've never seen before.

Case in point... at one theatre recently we thought we had a Nexo amp failure. It was popping a breaker. Turned out it wasn't the amp... it was the power sequencing bar built into the rack. Who would have thought of that? And if the entire thing had failed rather than one outlet... we would have been screwed... pretty much no show until it was fixed.

Anyway, a good example I use is when I've sent SAC out to Idaho since that is very far from home and although Boise has most of your typical city amenities it takes at least 2 days to get things there unless you blow the wad on over night shipping. So I sent out a 2nd tower with sound card and spare MOTU I/O Modules and spare preamps. They have plenty of the typical computer parts so no need for that stuff. We don't have spare for everything, but for most of the stuff that would typically fail.

I would do something similar if I was doing the set it up and tear it down every night thing as well. And it's what I do for my local one off events or important recording gigs, etc... have an extra computer and all it's cables, have extra I/O capacity and extra convertors. That should cover 90% or more of issues involving the SAC system.

Carrying around an analog console or even another small digital desk seems odd to me. Yeah you've got the "I can grab it and plug it in no time flat" thing going for you, however it's going to be a completely different architecture of console you're dealing with, you likely won't have enough inputs and if it's analog you'll have little processing unless you're hauling around an outboard rack as well. There are probably scenarios where that might make the most sense, but I don't think that would fit the bill very often. Unless the SAC system was just dead out of the truck, you don't typically have time to completely rethink how you're going to mix the show to the degree this would require. Of course if the option is that or no performance, maybe that is acceptable. But it would rarely work for me.
Richard B. Ingraham
RBI Computers and Audio
http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com/
SAC details and goodies at: http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com/SAC.html
RBIngraham
 
Posts: 1021
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:05 pm
Location: Cleveland, OH USA

Re: Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Postby jlepore » Sun Nov 30, 2014 11:56 am

This is one of those points where what Richard does would make it difficult or impossible to swith systems. For me, we usually have something, even if it's a junk 12 channel yamaha analog thing in one of the work cases. Can't do the full show on it, but could pull something off if we needed to.

One of the advantages to using profires in my SAC rig is if shit really goes wrong, I can run a FW cable to one of them, rework the ADAT cables and do a 24 channel show off either my sac machine or my laptop running sac or amp. As close to a redundant backup as I can. Can't do all 48 channels, but if I can't make it through a show on 24, something is really wrong.
Gigabyte H55-USB3 i5-650/4G/XP/SSD Profire 2626x3/ADAx2/MLA7x1 Motormix x2 AMP/SAC/SAWLite
User avatar
jlepore
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:35 am
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Re: Backup Mixer....just in case...What do you use?

Postby Jeffsco » Sun Nov 30, 2014 12:02 pm

RBIngraham wrote:I prefer the drive fast.. take chances method.... :-)

I would do something similar if I was doing the set it up and tear it down every night thing as well. And it's what I do for my local one off events or important recording gigs, etc... have an extra computer and all it's cables, have extra I/O capacity and extra convertors. That should cover 90% or more of issues involving the SAC system.

Carrying around an analog console or even another small digital desk seems odd to me. Yeah you've got the "I can grab it and plug it in no time flat" thing going for you, however it's going to be a completely different architecture of console you're dealing with, you likely won't have enough inputs and if it's analog you'll have little processing unless you're hauling around an outboard rack as well. There are probably scenarios where that might make the most sense, but I don't think that would fit the bill very often. Unless the SAC system was just dead out of the truck, you don't typically have time to completely rethink how you're going to mix the show to the degree this would require. Of course if the option is that or no performance, maybe that is acceptable. But it would rarely work for me.


Richard....your statements pretty much articulate my concerns on the matter. What better than to have than a second SAC system / Computer ready to go. It's going to be a lot less hassle to plug in a new system...especially since I'm putting together an Appsys ADAT Extender based Digital snake. I thought of carrying an analog backup rig but then I'm carrying a 100 ft Copper snake as well and the whole point was to minimize load in load out for low paying pub gigs. Then there's having to set up the new mix on the fly while Band and patrons glare at you....not a fun position to be in.
Jeffsco
 
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:32 am


Return to SAC Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

cron