Auto Trim question

[silverhead]

I will be working with a new band next week - my largest setup to date. It's a 9 member band. Inputs are 8 mics (5 vocals, 1 kick drum, 2 overhead drum), 1 stereo line in (keyboards) and 2 direct in (bass, guitar). I have an hour with them for sound check before show time. I've already created the M20d Setup and want to be as efficient as possible during the sound check.

 

I've used Auto Trim before but only with a couple of input channels simultaneously. I'm looking for advice on how to use Auto Trim most effectively with these inputs. Specific questions are:

 

- should I use it with all 8 mic channels simultaneously? If not, how should I proceed?

 

- should I use it at all with the non-mic inputs, or just handle that manually and individually?

 

- after the Auto Trim analysis is complete I know you are presented with an option: apply the suggested adjustments or not? This will happen while the band is somewhere in the middle of playing a song. If I select 'Yes - apply the adjustments' will there be an immediate sudden and noticeable change in overall volume level as the trim adjustments take effect? Or does the M20d also adjust the Level parameter for each channel to maintain overall volume level? In other words, it a specific channel's trim setting is increased by, say, 5 db is the volume level setting for that channel decreased by 5db or is the channel suddenly 5db louder as the band continues to play?

 

Any other tips in working for the first time with a larger band with this setup would be appreciated!

 

Thanks in advance.

[SiWatts69]

Masters all down (though you could have some monitor level for them.

 

Auto trim Kick and Snare independently to get a baseline

I then auto trim the overhead while drummer plays full kit. As they often give it more beans whilst playing the full kit I tend to get the o/h first then re-autotrim all three drum channels. You'll likely find it takes a bit off snare and kick.

 

DI'd input should ideally still be auto-trimmed if its the first time you've encountered them. If its DI direct outs, check they are set to PRE GAIN on the amp head. All these inputs can safely be auto-trimmed at the same time.

 

Mics are different beasts. Unless you have a passage of a particular song where ALL mics are in play, auto trimming them together will be impossible. I tend to get each individual to do a 1-2 into their mic initially to get a reasonably close trim level, then run auto trim whilst they play a passage/. (which helps take the backline bleed into account). Ask your band to isolate passages where a number can be autotrimmed together to save time.

 

Auto-trim will NOT adjust the output level for a channel. SO, if you've set output levels already and auto-trim adjusts, the channel will either get louder or quieter. Nothing will prevent it doing that.

 

If I do run auto trim in the middle of a song, I tend to review the modification being suggested and only apply it if I feel it safe to do so. Drummers tend to play much louder at performance than they do at soundcheck!

 

When I did a festival with my rig last summer, I reset all the channel levels for vox to 0db, guitars and everything else to -5db, had each band do a run round of each instrument for auto trim and then set them off and did an on the fly mix in their first song as I only had 30 minutes between bands. Worked well for all but one whose vocalist was a little on the weedy side, giving me feedback headaches. Just stress to the band, they need only create enough volume so they can hear themselves. Keep a lid on that on stage volume and all should go well :-)

 

Like you though, I always know what the lineup is and have the basic presets setup up on screen BEFORE I depart.

[silverhead]

Very helpful. Thanks a bunch!