Soloing Channels On The Main Outs?

[KeefPilchards]

Hi

 

I was wondering - is there a way to have the solo buttons operate on the main outputs (not just the headphone jack)? Last night I was using Quick Capture & iPad to do a mix, and I wanted to listen to tracks individually whilst tweaking.  It seems the solo buttons don't do this, at least not by default.

 

Instead, I muted all the channels individually and unmuted  the channel I wanted, but this seems quite cumbersome.

 

Also it struck me as odd that the Mute Mics and Mute All buttons aren't replicated on the app.  Is there any reason for this?

 

Thanks

Keef

[litesnsirens]

Those mute buttons are actual hardware switches not software based so there's no way to remotely activate

[ArneLine6]

Hi Keef,

 

The solo function is a typical live mixer solo function to prevent anything unintended happening to the main mix during a performance. A "solo in place" where all other channels are muted is, if available at all, very well hidden and protected on live mixers. The solo is usually used to listen into one or more channels during a performance.

If you want to quickly mute all channels you can program the Mute Mics button as a mute group. While the Mute Mics button is pressed activate all channel mutes. The next time you press the mute mics button it remembers the mute status and you don't have to press every single one.

 

Thanks,

 

Arne

[KeefPilchards]

Hi Arne

 

Yep, I understand the rationale for traditional mixers, but that's my point - the M20 isn't a traditional mixer!  It creates an entirely new use case - ie soundchecking by recording all channels, and then tweaking the settings.  It's only during that specific use case that you'd want solo functionality on the main outputs - not in real-time performance mode.

 

This is the use case in its simplest form:

 

I'm a musician in the band, I'm also running sound.  The desk is placed next to me on stage.

To soundcheck, I record a quick capture of the whole band.

I then grab an iPad and walk out into the venue to tweak the sound.

First thing I want to do is mute everything except the percussion, and tweak that.

Then I might mute the perc and tweak the two guitars, listening to each in isolation, and then the two together.  Then I put the drums back in and adjust accordingly

etc etc.

To achieve this, I need to individually mute all channels, and then selectively unmute and re-mute as I go.  If I want to quickly flip between the whole mix and a single channel, I have a lot of buttons to press.  Remember, the Mute All buttons aren't available on the app, so I don't have easy access to those.

 

With a traditional mixer and dedicated sound man, you'd do the above the old way - ie by asking individual musicians to play one at a time.  With the M20, we don't have to do that any more!

 

So, my suggestion would be to have an option to apply solo buttons to the main mix, but ONLY when playing back a recording (Quick Capture or multitrack), it would NOT apply when in normal performance mode, to avoid the scenario you described above with traditional mixers

[ArneLine6]

You can also create a group containing all inputs. To do that double click an empty encoder in setup mode and select all channels in the dialog. When you mute this group now all group members are muted. Also helpful to group drums, fx etc.

[KeefPilchards]

Good suggestion - thanks Arne.  I'll give that a go!