Equipment List:
- Yamaha EMX 5016 CF Mixing Desk
- Power Amp, ASX 18 dB Technology for mixing desk, the t.amp A1400 for main speaker, the t.amp A2400 for the sub speakers
- Sub speakers (dB's)
- Main speakers (dB's)
- Support pillars
- XLR cables
- Jack cables
- Speakon cables
- Masking tape
- Power leads
- Shure SM58 microphone
Risk Assessment:
The lids from the boxes are hazard, as somebody may trip over them. To avoid this, you need to place the lids neat and tidy, away from where people will be walking. The boxes moving are a hazard, as they may roll, and cause damage to the equipment, or hurt someone. To prevent this, you should lock the wheels on the boxes so they don't roll. The wires are a hazard, as somebody may trip over them. To stop this from happening, you should tape the wires to the floor, away from the area people will walk. Unwanted noises from the desk may damage people's hearing or the equipment. To avoid this, you should flat line the desk before adding power. Live wire exposure is an electricity hazard, and to avoid this, you should ensure that all cables are safe and not broken, before using them. Plug sockets are a danger, as they also cause an electricity hazard. To avoid hazard, you should switch off the power when it is not in use. Water near electric is another electricity hazard, and can be avoided by keeping food and drink away from the area. There is a health risk of injuring your back when lifting the heavy equipment. Make sure that you lift using your knees, and keep your back straight. The noise levels should be kept below the 120dB level, so no damage is caused to the equipment.
Steps taken:
First, you take the boxes apart. You take off the lids, and place them neat and tidy, out of the way so that people won't trip over them. Keep the mixing desk on the power supply, and move the desk into the correct position. Once in this position, lock the wheels on the box, so you avoid the boxes rolling and hurting someone. Now you need to move the base bins into the correct positions, on the right and left side of the room. Make sure that when these are moved, two people are lifting them, and they lift using their knees so that they don't hurt their backs. Doing this creates an even split in the sound. Now you need to screw the support pillars into the top of the base bins, and ensure they are secure so nothing will move and hurt someone. Now, you need to lift the main speakers up, and onto the pillars. Again, ensuring that two people lift these, so people don't hurt their back. Ensure these are secure so that they won't move and hurt someone. Make sure they are the same height so that there is an even distribution in the sound. Connect the speakon cables into the back of each of the speakers, and connect these to the power supply. This gives power to the speakers. After you have connected the cables, you need to tape down the cables so that nobody will trip over them. Now you need to connect the desk to the amps, using the jack leads, making sure they are balanced. Now you need to plug everything into the mains, giving a power supply to everything. Ensure you flat line the desk before turning it on, so that no unwanted noises are created, and a feedback loop is prevented. Turn on the desk, checking the lights are on indicating that all the cables are plugged into the right place and everything is working. If the lights aren't on, double check the cables are in the right place, or if there is a faulty cable. After the you see the lights indicating everything is working, you need to check if the microphone is getting a signal. This will be shown in the bottom left hand corner of the desk. If the microphone is receiving a signal, a light will flash on and off, indicating this. Once the microphone receives a signal, you can test the levels and adjust as necessary.
Recording Studio Set Up
First, you log into the mac with the username and password provided. Next, you need to go into Finder, Applications and find Cubase 7. Make sure you click cancel on any screen that pop up. Once the main screen has loaded, you need to go to 'file' at the top of the screen, and click on 'new project. Now you need to select 'empty' from the tab on the right.
Now you need to check that the desk is on. To do this, you go to 'devices' on the bar at the top of the screen, and click on 'device setup'. Check the audio driver (ASIO) is connected to the Onyx Firewire, which is the desk. Next you need to go back onto 'devices' and click on 'VST connections'. Under 'inputs and outputs', the preset should be on ONYX. If it isn't, you need to select ONYX, in order for the desk set up to be complete.
On the bar at the top of the screen you need to go to 'project' and 'add track', and add as many mono tracks as you will need. To change the input for each track, go to the bar on the right, which says 'mono in'. Each of the inputs responds to the input on the desk. Click 'monitor' on the track, which appears as a little speaker icon. Do this to test that the audio is coming through.
Once you have set up Cubase and the desk, you need to go into the studio and connect the microphones to the wall ox, using XLR leads. You now need to open the mixer in Cubase, to monitor the levels. You get to this by clicking on 'devices' and 'mix console'. Next you need to set the gain on the desk. You need to get the performer to play as loud as they would for the real recording, to get the gain to sit at 0dB on the mixer. If it is too high, it will clip. The performer may choose to have headphones which are plugged into the control box in the studio, in order to hear the backing track or click track. Now you're ready to record. To start recording and testing the set up, you need to click the red button on the transport bar.
Microphones:
The different types of microphones used are Condenser/Capacitor microphones, or dynamic ones.
Condenser Microphones:
A capacitor has two plates with a voltage in between them. One of these plates in a condenser microphone, is very thin and acts as a diaphragm. When sound waves are detected, the diaphragm vibrates, which then changes the distance between the two plates. This then changes the capacitance. When the plates are closer together, the capacitance increases, meaning a charge current occurs. When the plates are further apart, the capacitance decreases, and a discharge current occurs. For the capacitor to work, a voltage is required. The voltage can be supplied either through a battery in the mic, or through an external phantom power. A condenser microphone has a much greater frequency and transient response, which is the ability to reproduce the speed of an instrument or voice. They have a louder output, and are sensitive to loud noises. To work, they require the use of a 48V 'phantom power'. This is supplied by most mixing desks, or power supplies. Condenser microphones are usually only used in studios, as they are very sensitive to loud noises and are fragile.
Dynamic Microphones:
Inside the dynamic microphone, there is a diaphragm. This is attached to a coil. When a sound waves is detected, the diaphragm vibrates in response. This then means that the coil moves backwards and forwards as it is attached to the diaphragm. This moves forward and backward, across a magnet. Because of this, a current is created within the coil, which is then channelled from the microphone and through the wires. They are better suited than the condenser microphones, in terms of they can handle higher volume levels better. These sorts of microphones can be used on stage, as they are stronger and sturdier than the condenser microphone. They don't require their own power supply, like a condenser. They can withstand high sound pressure levels, like guitar amps, drums and live vocals.
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