Mackie Mixer Moves

As a vocalist and keyboard player, I own a Mackie mixer. It's fairly new but has only 6 channels and is not the multilayer-ed "beast" that Tom Beyer brought into the class for us to work with.
Mackie makes these large analogue mixers with functionality in mind- as part of a PA sound reinforcement system, as well as a live audio and video recording machine - where there will be monitor and main speaker mixes, head phone mixes and video. One aspect of this Mackie that I am not so sure of is Bus Channels so, I went searching:
Bus: compute data channel: a channel or path for transferring computer data, especially between the central processing unit and a peripheral device. Therefore, having these BUS channels means that any tech setup where data will be controlled via computer, will need an analogue mixer with BUS Channels - boy, I hope that's correct thinking!

The class has used this Mackie three times for different setups and there is something so beautifully powerful - and yet so simple about setting up for Audio --it is the most straight forward; Three mics, three XLR cables , female to male etc. three boom stands and
three input channels at the back of the mixer. The straight line approach, although not necessarily the one that will work in every day life, is the one that works in audio. From A to A to A to A etc.... keep things uniform. Number 1 mic into #1 Cable into #1 Input at the back of the mixer, and then controlled by the #1 Chanel.

Connectivity - More About Cables

Perhaps I am more interested in CABLES and CONNECTORS then I ought to be; however, as
our Collaboration Class progresses through more complex setups I respect man's development of this type of technical "workhorse" --the BNC and RCA connectors and their uses are described here: It is an alternative to the RCA connector when used for composite video on commercial video devices, although many consumer electronics devices with RCA jacks can be used with BNC-only commercial video equipment via a simple adapter. BNC connectors were commonly used on 10base2 thin Ethernet networks...

The next and more complicated set up Tom Beyer took us through was a more realistic video setup that would most likely be used at NYU for our part of the artistic collaboration project coming in November. Cameras' 1,2, &3 into audio distribution box of their own and then into video mixer 1, then into video mix 2 into vhs- and in this class, everyone gets the concept of "keep the numbers lined up" -in other words, if you have numbered the csmeras, then you number the inputs, and outputs to be consistent with the camera number

Lights, Cameras, Action

Professor Tom Beyer, Dr.John Gilbert and the Collaborative Class are involved again with setup. The above photo is the small but mighty BNC connector cable (male version) Incidentally, the electronic and cable world is heterosexually oriented...that is, male to female, and female to male...(more said about this soon)

Class Room Collaboration is assigning three people who may have three different strengths and weaknesses to one camera station; that is, the one person, male or female may be more informed about tripods and one other person more informed about cables. The third may have Tech Intuition(there may or may not be such a thing) that also can be used for trouble shooting a problem.

The Diagram or pathway for this first setup is Camera 1, Camera 2, and Camera 3 are being set up with correct cables which then feed into a small video mixer, and then into a VHS and then to a projector

Class members begin to match their camera outputs and mixer imputs, since that is the
first pathway. Cables to choose from: S. Video Cables,BNC,RCA. Then, Tom has several kinds of adapters - all separated by type in the neatest drawstring bag. Pretty Cool.

Up in Tok Alaska + our class doings here at NYU

Oct 6
Our class teamed up with Professor Tom Beyer this last Tuesday evening for a trip through hands on video setup. I learned many things. In the past, I roomed with several music tech people who went out on the road - touring with productions yet, after these several classes, I never realized how much goes into working as a tech..( I was just happy to have the apartment to myself-), however...Lighting tech, video tech, sound tech...it's all very specific stuff- time to get ones brain organized...

We were to be there early - this class was the first of three, where each would take his or her turn dealing with the proper cables, inputs, adapters, cameras,tripods,and a small mixer as well as trouble shooting when/if certain connections did not go well. It is this I think: we, the class members could take time,but in real life, a professional, has a set up schedule until show time...and then his/her set up must be perfect.

Video editing and video conferencing are phrases I have known and that have passed through my own lips, yet, the hands on "doing" is quite another thing. So,I went searching though the web to find "just a practical scenario " for justification of all of the new technology and how middle aged people who are not in a progressive eastern university setting up for an artistic collaboration project...how and what they are doing with video, now that it has become a regular household item.

And this story popped up- "Co working in Rural Places" A woman in Tok, Alaska writes of her new thoughts using Skype and using video conferencing :

My understanding of co working is to create a space — rent, build, borrow, co-op — where people who work remotely and solo can work in close proximity with others, usually people in similar industries, but not always. The purposes for doing this vary, but it helps diminish the isolation, provides networking opportunities, allows cross-pollination of services, and generally builds community where there otherwise was not one because of the inherent separation of working remotely.

SHE SAID: When your options — or even suitable coworkers — are so limited, video conferencing seems a viable option for creating a pseudo co working “space.” Just the other day, my Denver-based business partner and I wound down our video chat but didn’t hang up. We both just started doing our work while still connected on Skype.

When I realized, I laughed and pointed out to her what we were doing. But do you know what? Before I had paused to mention the fact that we had both started working while our video chat windows were still open, I actually had felt for those few minutes that we were working in the same room. We were independent, yet together. That feeling is what co working offers, so why not do it via video when you can’t actually be there?

What a medium-- and as people spread out over the globe, it means great things from
different corners of the globe at the same time..being an audio visual geek ain't so bad!

Traveling and Documenting

Some thoughts
It took a while, but as I adjusted to NYU and the Masters in Music Education Program, and talking with musicians as well as navigating the web - (and that I had been doing for some time ..since the mid 90's.) -I realized something very simple- that the World Wide Web and the related technology that has sprung out of it has made it necessary to document what we do..if it's going to have any life span to it. Technology now makes it possible to capture every "move we make" - either we'll be watching us(I) or someone else will be sharing the same thing-- so what's up with this? Do we all have to have great hair cuts..clothes that are up to date and tailored,
complexions that sparkle--(just in case we are captured on a pic or a vid that will end upon You Tube ?.....(and , that's now a global thing.)

Parallel in time to the advancement and accessibility of video and other "capturing devises" is the development and accessibility of EDITING devises-simple deletes or more complicated but doable ...No longer is it just the honor of the Movie Director who yells "CUT.cut,cut " ..but it could be me or the guy in the Fair Way - Editing-- taking away what is not necessary, embarrassing, bad audio noises - and anything that is not going to fit the philosophy/intent/artistic direction of the overall video/ pic. I have often used a funny expression in conversation - "Ok roll back the tape,I take that back" ..yes,a form of editing! In this fast moving present, that responsibility is in the hands of all of us with our digital cameras and recording devises that are able to do more every time you blink an eye- and that in itself could change the consciousness of mankind...editing.Just a bloggy kind of a thought!

Pe