Using The Midas M32C To Mix An Amphitheater (Spirit Of The Bear) Budweiser Stage Toronto

[@nukethefox]

You can see the lights positioning by the lights engineer at 04:02 ... very cool!

[@MrMercho4416]

Great job! and all with your M32c

[@blakewhiting1669]

I live there! Amazing that you do this with an iPad! Great video as always!

[@ubermenschstream6765]

this is amazing, thank you for sharing this.

[@djabthrash]

@billy : just to be sure : the steep cuts on the MAIN LR are to prevent feedback, while the other wider cuts on the matrix are here to make music sound good in this venue ? So i guess you used a mic to ring out the PA for the first instance, and then played reference mixes for the second one ?

[@billylaguardia]

Correct, the narrow cuts are to prevent feedback. Sometimes I will use a vocal mic and walk in front of the PA, in larger venues I will generally use the master fader to bring all the mics up at once to see where the PA wants to ring. I don't want to be surprised if the drum overheads, BGV mics, or the whole mix needs to come up once people enter the venue. I use the matrix EQ to color the PA to my ears. Generally my channel EQ's remain the same from venue to venue, with the only matrix EQ's changing night to night.

[@djabthrash]

@@billylaguardia Thanks a ton !

[@petterrong1590]

Awesome! What is the song at 9:12 called?

[@billylaguardia]

It’s called “terrible truth”. It’s not released yet. Follow Spirit Of The Bear, I believe it’s coming out soon.

[@petterrong1590]

@@billylaguardia Great, will do, sounded awesome here at least. Especially the drums sounds killer, even on your phone/camera recording. I always have to do a reality check when watching your EQs, because my mind tells me those big dips and boosts can't possibly do any good, but I've yet to hear anything that sounds bad from your videos

[@billylaguardia]

@@petterrong1590 Thanks! @jamievitullo8602 is a great drummer with a killer sound to begin with. He doesn't make me work very hard for a good drum sound. My EQ is often debated however it works with the way I mix. Ive had people get on my show file and have a hard time with it - when for me its almost set and forget. We all hear things in a certain way and get to the end result differently. Perhaps I listened to too many 90's Bob Rock Metallica mixes and thats why I like scooped drums!

[@Heywoodj1969]

Im super disappointed that such an expensive and awesome rig would need that much treatment to behave... I would have thought the opposite. Like you say, just cause its bigger, doesn’t mean its any better

[@billylaguardia]

@@Heywoodj1969 The room sounded bad eg..a metal roof, concrete everywhere and no acoustic treatment. Nothing really to do with the PA or the tune. It was like mixing in an empty swimming pool. I barely touched the subs and it was too boomy. The headliner was having the same problems as me with 5k more people to soak up the sound. I hate to say this, but the brand of speakers really doesn’t matter to me. It’s all about the System Engineer. A good or bad SE will make or break a show. I always say that SE’s are under appreciated. A wizard SE can solve a lot of problems before I bring a fader up. A bad one…well…sometimes you need ALL the EQ!

[@TR_145]

Still can't believe you're not using the Mixing Station Pro app.

[@billylaguardia]

Im not really wanting for anything in the standard app. Whats the benefit of Mixing Station Pro vs the stock app?

[@polakdan]

@@billylaguardia for me it’s the ability to rearrange layers just like the physical console and also the fact that it works with so many different consoles from different manufacturers makes hopping between them easier. Also you can plug real midi faders into your iPad if you have the right adapters which is something I’ve been meaning to try.

[@gregmcveigh9966]

Is Crowded House on wedges?

[@billylaguardia]

Hmmm…I think it’s half and half, though I really wasn’t paying attention. Thanks for stumping me Greg! 😂😂

[@rodaliste]

Interesting you had to EQ so much on the low end. Wasn't the PA calibrated and/or using proper filters such as LINKWITZ-RILEY?

[@billylaguardia]

Yup, they had a Lake at FOH to handle the system tune. In situations like this where I don’t have a lot of time, I prefer to handle the system EQ from my console. It’s easier for me to make the adjustments I need while the band is playing vs explaining my issues to the system engineer.

[@richardbelisle4807]

Looking to use m32c for FOH and monitor ….with waves at foh…

[@ckjjclan]

Lol at the end….big ass console to the right… and you on your iPad and a mixer you can get at Sweetwater in 3 days and it comes with candy. Sounded GREAT!

[@prodbystars4103]

When his iPad loses RF with the mixer or iPad dies you aint got no show.

[@ckjjclan]

@@prodbystars4103 I believe he was on the iPad because the Midas Control surface was the bit of gear that let him down, and it was the iPad that saved the day… I guess my point was, we live in an amazing time that sounding great could be as big as that awesome console, or, as awesome as a bit of gear I can buy and have in my home in a few days - anyway you cut it, it’s amazing.

[@billylaguardia]

@@ckjjclanthat’s correct! The control surface is what ended up dying on the first gig. I kept my network rack at FOH for these shows. I stood directly over the access point.

[@john26660]

@@prodbystars4103 Your assumption is that consoles have no issues? They are just computers. I have toured with DigiCo and I assure you that every level of sound has its inherent problems.

[@cephaswesley7684]

It’s a brain freeze to see you mix such a big show on an IPad and make it sound really good! I’m a bit surprised that system tech did not do his job of tuning the PA to the room?? Am I wrong? they usually tune the pa to a acceptable target curve…. Looking at those mains and sub eq and filters the system tech just deployed the PA time aligned every gave you drive lines ?

[@billylaguardia]

I was mixing the opener in this video so I was trying not to be too needy. I try to stick with whatever the house EQ is at and not mess with things. As a house engineer for a long time, I used to hate when people took my EQ off by the way it looked - a recurring theme in my life. The guest engineer shows always were a struggle. Two metaphors I live by: "if its good, its good" & "you mix here every day, so I trust you". The systems guys were cool, however I got the PA to do what I needed it to without asking them. If I am mixing the headliner, the systems human and I are besties! As the opener's engineer, I just try to be quick and get out of the way. Good system engineers are worth their weight in gold. SE's never get the credit they deserve.

[@cephaswesley7684]

@@billylaguardia fully agree with you on the house EQ and SE’s .. end of the day if it sounds right it sounds right. Your too humble sir!

[@gregmcveigh9966]

I love it.

[@StereoAnthony]

Pretty rad! I live about 20 min from where you are. The aluminum roof causes terrible harsh reflections, be forewarned!

[@billylaguardia]

Oh I know haha! I barely used any sub and it was still too much bass. Most of the bass you are hearing is from the main hangs.

[@StereoAnthony]

@@billylaguardia I bet! It sounds well controlled, and clean. Great sub taming and mix!

[@billylaguardia]

@@StereoAnthony thanks! It was a tricky room for sure. Crowded's FOH (who is really really really good) was dealing with the same stuff I was even when the room filled up. It would sound so much better in there with some treatment on the ceiling. I kept my show at 89db with peaks at 91db, the systems engineer says the roof rattles at 100db!

[@soundshopvlogs]

Leslie's are absolute beasts. Haha. So damn Loud. Anyway, Billy, if ever down to collaborate, let me know. Can maybe pop in play with some Digico's. Also....we're always looking for freelance A1s in the NY/NJ area. 🤔

[@billylaguardia]

In! Shoot me an email: [e-mail]

[@laszloturi9633]

With eq you are messing up the phase and also the balance After eq you need to check again