A photographer's recording experience

AlanRatcliffe

A (photographer-type) spent a few days in the studio with a band. It's always interesting to see what a non-musician brings away from the studio experience:

http://journal.nearbennett.com/2013/02/25/in-the-studio-with-kingsblood/

briang-telkomsa-net

Nice one Alan - one never knows what goes into someone else's craft until you see it or do it for yourself.
The photographer was telling us that he/she was having a hard time capturing the events as well and I thought you just point and click ?

Big-G

As both a photographer and sound engineer, I can relate to the difficulties experienced for both crafts, that most 'normal' people just do not see nor understand!

Thankfully, I think that part of these being specialist crafts in their own right is what makes them interesting to me, regardless as to whether anyone else 'gets it'. Love it!

Regards
G!

Gearhead

Could someone talk us through this (sort of) setup? What would the main difference between the left set and the right set of these channel strips be? Am I understanding it correctly when I suppose that there are 4 group channels immediately to the right of the left set of strips? Obviously the VU meters up top relate to the strips they are over, but why are there three in the center? Etc...

Big-G

With regards to the left set of channels to the right set of channels, it really depends on how that particular studio has it set up, but technically, there is no difference at all... 24 channels on the left, and 24 on the right with the master/group/sub/aux section in the middle. They could have it set up to use the 24 on the left for the 'live' feed from the sound room, for recording, then the 24 on the right to use as playback from the recording device (analog/digital/DAW? Whichever!). I'd imagine though it would more likely be a combination where they have all channels available for recording, and some/all available for playback? Again this really depends on their setup?

As for the groups, I too assume that those immediately to the right of the left bank are the group outs, but I'm not 100% sure which desk this is? Only that would confirm this for sure, or at least a shot of the full desk in higher res?!

I assume the three bars on the meter bridge are the main outputs L (left) R (right) and S (sub), but again without knowing which model desk this is, I cannot confirm this?

Sorry its such a vague answer!
Regards
G!

AlanRatcliffe

That is an Amek/Neve 9098i - one of the kings of analogue, but fully automated boards. Very GAS worthy. ? Google it and drool...

Gearhead wrote Could someone talk us through this (sort of) setup?

The most important thing to understand is that these are modular systems, so are assembled and set up to customer demand. They are reconfigurable to some degree too.

What would the main difference between the left set and the right set of these channel strips be?

No difference. Having the master section in the middle is a convention often used on bigger boards to keep the workflow manageable.

Am I understanding it correctly when I suppose that there are 4 group channels immediately to the right of the left set of strips?

No. Those are stereo input channels. The groups/bussing is all done on the master setting. The bus faders are hidden by the engineer in the pic (which doesn't have the fader sections shown anyway).

Obviously the VU meters up top relate to the strips they are over, but why are there three in the center? Etc...

I think those are assignable or switch depending on the bus you are busy working on in the master section. Once again the modular nature comes into play though - you can see an analog meter module on top of the meter bridge which is normally fitted inside the master section of the bridge. There is also the LCD screen above the master section, right in front of the engineer.

Big G wrote 24 channels on the left, and 24 on the right

I think you'll find its a 72 channel (counting the stereo input channels on the LH module), so 36 right, 36 left. The 9098 was available in up to 96 channel for standard configs, but I've seen some absolute custom monstrosities with up to 4 x 48 channel input modules: