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Emergency Digico SD5 Optocore Procedures

By Nathan Lively

emergency-digico-sd5-optocore-procedures-mixing-board

UPDATE: This article appears in The Ultimate Guide to Creative Mixing on the Digico SD5.

sound-design-live-emergency-digico-sd5-optocore-proceduresThese emergency Optocore procedures could save your ass.

How did I learn all of this?

I recently started working as an Audio Supervisor on Ringling Bros. Circus’ new Out Of This World tour. Right before the very first rehearsal, all of my outputs from the Digico SD5 stopped working and I had 100 people waiting on me while I tried to fix it. I made it through that and several other minor emergencies and now I know the entire Digico tech support department by name. Here are the fixes they taught me.

To be clear, the SD5 is an amazing console and the company provides excellent support. Most of these fixes can be done in a matter of seconds and I’m really happy about that.

If you lose output at FOH and are unable to regain control of the outputs (yes, this has happened to me):

  1. At FOH: Setup -> Audio IO -> Setup Optocore -> Optocore Details -> Clear all outputs
  2. At Mon: Setup -> Audio IO -> Setup Optocore -> Optocore Details -> Broadcast only my ID
  3. At FOH:
    1. Reassign outputs in Audio IO (in my case Nanorack ports).
    2. Reassign Group outputs like Master and monitros.

If you are getting Optocore errors due to Snd/Rcv Console issues:

  1. Check all output cards to confirm you have correct ✔ or X.
  2. Setup Optocore -> Optocore Details -> Broadcast all output IDs

Other Emergency Procedures

If your startup session gets corrupted (this is also a good thing to practice once a month):

  1. Quit to Windows.
  2. Right click on startup menu -> Explore
  3. D:\SD5 and delete startup.ses and startup.mrdb
  4. Relaunch SD5

If you get an error about the sd5.exe file being corrupted:

  1. Try to load the SD5.exe in the d:\SD5\backup folder.
  2. If that works, move the backup SD5 folder to where the old one was and move the old one to backup.

If you loaded your session, but none of the Waves plugins loaded (this happens to me at least once a month):

  1. Open Waves
  2. Click Session -> Import session
  3. Import the last known good *.mrdb file.
  4. Your plugins should load. Sometimes you’ll need to go through a few files until you find one that works.

If Waves will not load and therefore you cannot save or load a session:

  1. Load Waves session manually.
  2. If you cannot open waves:
    1. Quit to Windows.
    2. Right click on startup menu -> Explore.
    3. D:\SD5 and delete startup.mrdb and Preferences folder.
    4. Relaunch SD5.

sound-design-live-emergency-digico-sd5-optocore-procedures-SIMImportant SD5 Notes

Here is a selection of some of the most important notes I have collected. Some you can find in the manual, but some I had to figure out on my own.

Startup Procedure

  1. Power up (or restart if already running).
  2. Load last known good session.

Shutdown Procedure

  1. Save session to internal and external drives.
  2. Shutdown from File menu.
  3. Power down both power supplies.

Optocore

  • Even-numbered Optocore IDs are for mirrored desks only.
  • System diagnostics on the SD5 to see errors.
  • Only one console can be in charge of an output module.
  • If you hear ticks and pops you may have a sync issue.
  • On the D-Rack and Nano-rack display, the tiny triangle under the “o” means that it is receiving timecode.
  • When one SD5 is loading a new session, the other will show a momentary Optocore error.

Surface

  • Option-all breaks a gang.
  • Option-all to turn everything up on a page. Hit channel LCD to exclude some.
  • Digico button affects rotary resolution.

Snapshots

  • If you keep all of your snapshots in a group, it can make updating all of them at once pretty easy:
    • Make sure Relative Groups is enabled.
    • Fire a snapshot that loads the setting that you want to change.
    • Change that setting.
    • Press Update Group.
    • At this point, you may want to take all snapshots out of the group, because if you accidentally press Update Group in the future…you’re hosed.
  • Input channel safe does not protect the input gain because that is a function of the rack.

Waves

  • The Waves server wants to be networked to both the Waves port on the back of the SD5 and the network port. The Waves port is for audio processing. The network port handles the GUI. Careful with these CAT5 cables. They have a short life.
  • If the Waves server is not appearing in the Waves inventory table: hard reset on the back of the unit.
  • To recall safe a Waves rack: Right-click on the left of the rack and choose recall safe.
  • To switch between Setup and Show modes, go to the Master view->System tab->Security and switch between Setup and Live.

Connect a computer

  1. Connect both devices to router.
    1. Wireless adapter settings: Make sure Wifi is first in the list. Also it seems to like it better when you set the IP manually. So try that if it doesn’t work.
  2. Under Network – select your computer.
  3. Send session.
  4. Mirror from console.

emergency-digico-sd5-optocore-procedures-timeMisc

  • Don’t send channels to an aux and also a group because they will be out of time.
  • If your sessions are not saving with the correct time, you may have a mismatch between Windows and the SD5 software. To correct this: Reset the time zone and time in Windows to GMT, then set the time in the SD5 software to your local time.

Bonus Super Helpful Macro Instructions

In production meetings I sometimes get the note that a certain song “had the wrong mix.” I made a special button to fix that. 😉

Is IATSE worthwhile for sound engineers?

By Nathan Lively

sound-design-live-iatse-opera-sound-engineer-nat-koren-featured

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of the Sound Design Live podcast, I talk to Nat Koren about his audio career with the San Francisco Opera. We answer these questions:

  • What are the pros and cons of working with the union?
  • How do you mix an opera?
  • What does a sound designer do for an opera?
  • What specialized gear do they use at the opera house?
  • How do they mix the show and operate 12 cameras without any humans in the room?

sound-design-live-iatse-opera-sound-engineer-nat-koren-park

Show notes:

  1. All music in this episode by The Nagual Orchestra
  2. IATSE = International Alliance of Stage Employees
  3. BAFTA = British Academy of Film and Television Arts
  4. Meyer Sound CQ-1, CAL96 column array
  5. Pyramix, Horus
  6. Dante, AVB, CobraNet
  7. Quotes
    1. The benefit of working with the union is that I am able to make a living and have healthcare.
    2. I could be here from 8am to 11pm. I often am.

Mixing the most difficult musical on Broadway: Rock of Ages

By Nathan Lively

sound-design-live-podcast-mixing-musical-broadway-rock-of-ages-daryl-bornstein-featured

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of the Sound Design Live podcast, I talk with Daryl Bornstein about Rock of Ages, the most difficult play he has ever mixed. We discuss:

  • How he first got work on Broadway.
  • How he got the gig with Rock of Ages.
  • The complicated setup procedure before every show.
  • The sound system design and tuning.
  • How to visualize sound in a room.
  • What it takes to learn an intense Broadway musical.
  • The moment of panic on every show.

People want to work with somebody who is a team player, who is going to do what they need to do to make sure their work isn’t compromised, but understands the big picture and approaches problems as a challenge as opposed to an annoyance.

Show notes:

  1. All music in this episode from Rock Of Ages (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  2. Hardware/software: Avid Profile, LCS, Galileo, Sennheiser 5212 and HSP2 and MKE1, Ultimate Ears
  3. Quotes
    1. Think of it as light. How is it going to reflect off of walls and other surfaces?
    2. Rock of Ages is the most difficult show I’ve ever had to mix.
    3. It’s unlike any other show I’ve ever done, because you cannot make a mistake.
    4. The single most important decision I ever made was to approach a producer and lobby to be the production sound engineer on a musical…
    5. The only criteria [for hiring crew] was, “Is this somebody that you want to sit across from at dinner and have a fun time?” You want to be around people that you enjoy being around. And that’s probably what makes for success, aside from skills.
    6. This particular [Digidesign Profile] has more plugins on it than any other Profile in the world.

sound-design-live-podcast-mixing-musical-broadway-rock-of-ages-daryl-bornstein-set

Turn Your iPhone into a Wireless Microphone

By Nathan Lively

sound-design-live-podcast-crowd-mics-tim-holladay-wireless-microphone-iphone-featured

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of the Sound Design Live podcast I talk with Tim Holladay about why customer service is so important and how Crowd Mics can solve your wireless microphone problem.

sound-design-live-podcast-crowd-mics-tim-holladay-wireless-microphone-iphone-pollNotes from the podcast:

  1. Crowd Mics and Tim on Twitter
  2. Gary Vaynerchuk
  3. Tony Hsieh and Delivering Happiness
  4. Live chat service

sound-design-live-podcast-crowd-mics-tim-holladay-wireless-microphone-iphone-audience

Frequency Coordination and Antenna Placement for a Rock-Solid Wireless Microphone System

By Nathan Lively

sound-design-live-wireless-microphone-frequency-coordination-antenna-placement-karl-winkler-singer

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

 

In this episode of Sound Design Live I interview Karl Winkler from Lectrosonics. We discuss the basics of frequency coordination, wireless microphone myths, and how the Super Bowl manages 1,000 channels of wireless devices. Karl also explains what a backup frequency is, whether bluetooth devices, microwaves and cell phones will cause interference, and how to prepare for rogue wireless devices.

sound-design-live-wireless-microphone-frequency-coordination-antenna-placement-karl-winklerNotes:

  1. Music in this episode by The Giovanni Quartet, Brodsky Quartet, The Bartok Quartet, and Brentano String Quartet.
  2. USC Recording Arts
  3. Karl’s principles for success in audio
    1. Have a good attitude. If your job is to roll tires from the back of the store to the front, you should be so good that people will pay to see you do it. Don’t be afraid of the work or think of it as being beneath you.
    2. The basics always matter. Every art and science requires you to know the fundamentals.
    3. Really listen. Learn to use use your ears as a troubleshooting tool. See Trouble-Shooting Audio Systems tutorial.
  4. SynAudCon – Making Wireless Work
  5. Wireless Workbench
  6. Myths
    1. Wireless mics are voodoo.
    2. A directional antenna is always better.
    3. I can get more range with boosted antennas.
    4. Lectrosonics is too expensive.
  7. Interview with Jim Venable from the Wireless Speaker Association
  8. Axient system from Shure
  9. Spectra Pulse from Audio Technica
  10. Lectrosonics Facebook Group and FAQ page
  11. Words
    1. sound-design-live-wireless-microphone-setupCavity Filter = Pass band filter. Blocks out bands of frequencies to focus only on the ones you want.
    2. Shark Fins = Directional antennas = LPDA (log periodic dipol arrays)
    3. Intermodulation distortion = Occurs when two or more signals mix within an active device and create phantom frequencies.
    4. Backup/spare frequencies = Pre-coordinated channels that you don’t need at the moment, but are already calculated to fit into your system design, preventing guess work.
  12. Big Mistakes
    1. Not separating your IEMs, comms, and mics into different bands.
    2. Bad antenna placement.
    3. Not calculating signal loss for long antenna cable.
  13. Quotes
    1. “Audio is a guilded career. You start as an apprentice. That’s how most people get their start.”
    2. “Your attitude is irreplaceable.”
    3. “There is something to learn from everything you do in life.”
    4. “Any time you add an active component, you are potentially raising the noise floor and increasing distortion. It can mix signals and create intermodulation products. You always want a net zero gain between antenna and receiver.”

wireless-microphone-frequency-coordination-antenna-placement-karl-winkler-life

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