Using the Soundcraft Expression for musical theatre

[@commuterdan5919]

This video has helped me help my local high school theater so much! Can't thank you enough for sharing.

[@cgrote714]

I'm still putting together a list of topics to cover in Part 2. I want to encourage people to assign vocal effects masters to the vocal submaster instead of the LR buss, show how a Dante network is set up with stage snakes, QLab, and recording software, and how to label channel names to make it easier to identify inputs on Dante stageboxes. Please comment if you have any other topics you want me to cover. I may also cover some of the feature updates from the latest Expression firmware.

[@jen3800]

one of the best tutorials ever. i have upped my workflow tenfold at least. thank you!!

[@stanbekker]

Thanks! I have worked with the desk before, but I am going to mix a band tonight and I feel very confident after seeing this, this mixer rocks!

[@CantSeePurple]

Fantastic video. So many small things i didn't know. I have Guys and Dolls next week and this has been a big help.

[@brentiden8282]

Love the video.....and the desk! I think this is a great board for Musical Theater.

[@dbrowne5051]

amazing video, im doing majority corporate AV at Metro toronto convention center, but also im working the john basset theatre with the exression 3, your video is spot on when having to deal with theater specific solutions, very sharable video

[@xmanxmansyr3147]

Excellent video, This is really helpful. thank you! we r waiting Part 2.

[@ArtTistic]

Your knowledge and explanations of how to incorporate this desk for live theatre is spot on. Could you explain the setting up/ storing and editing of cues for a show and how to save the show to a USB drive? I have an upcoming production of RENT at our HS and I would love to take advantage of the cue list so we can have students operate the console for the production. Many thanks!

[@cgrote714]

Actually I suggest using a delay of 79ms for the modulated delay vocal doubler, as 79 is a prime number and this should reduce modes and other undesirable acoustic effects.

[@randallpatrickc]

Excellent Input stuff! Can you tell me how to assign the main LR mix to a pair of outputs pls? Is it easy?

[@Mr89netrom]

Know this video is anchent at this point, but as a fellow SD i wonder if you could make a video on you're workflow in the actuall performance. Used to the oooold analog desk, and dont really use the digital advanteges. Cheers

[@tristanbuet321]

Thank you so much for all these useful tips

[@jthunderbass1]

Thanks for the video. Very helpful. My new audio gig Ill be mixing on an SI, not really thrilled about that part, but Its what I have to mix on.

[@soundscenesdcmusicmedia2709]

Still finding little places I missed something on the reconfiguring of this but those are small... Overall it's great. the idea of duplicating group masters over layers was a revelation

[@the_kengineer]

Working another play right now, one bit of advice: set up Groups for the different sets of actors: Lead, Ensemble (male) Ensemble (female) and Kids if applicable. That makes it easier to balance the sets of vocals in large group songs, and having the Lead characters separate from ensemble makes it easy to keep their vocals on top of the ensemble. If an actor only has one or two solo lines in the play I put them in the Lead group JUST for those cues.

[@Gkh_lx]

will you make more sound videos?

[@shishirxs]

Hello chris. thanks for a vast explanation of this mixer. i am a bit confused regarding the mini stagebox 32 and the si expression 3 console. is it possible to connect two mini stagebox 32 with a single si expression 3 console, which means i want to use 64 input channels. if possible then please explain me how? Regards shishir

[@simoncarnell8445]

Hi Chris, firstly a big thankyou for producing this indepth tutorial, especially helpful to a relative newby like myself. I just have one question: The venue I am working in is a bizarre shape, very assymetrical, and has random pillars and walls which bounce the sound all over the place. I would like to do a GEQ for Left FOH and a separate one for Right FOH but I just can't figure out how........

[@soundscenesdcmusicmedia2709]

Just finished 3 days of giddily turning my EXP2 inside-out to my own preferences... thanks for this clear simple talk... NOW: is there a way to get FX to follow groups without using a separate FX processor for EACH group...? My thought says that if a vocal mic in vocal group-1 is using FX1, then if ANYTHING in ANY other group uses FX1, the reverb comes back with EVERYBODYS reverb return from ALL groups... or am I missing something...

[@cgrote714]

+Soundscenes DC:Music & Media FX 1-4 are separate busses each with a separate processor, whatever you dump into FX1 comes out of FX1.

[@the_kengineer]

Agreed, I have mixed Les Miserables, Spamalot and Phantom of the Opera (local JC plays) using the Expression 3 and a stagebox, 56 channels on Phantom. Best mix of my life. Only issue I have is with Cue management, would be nice to have a better way to add new cues within lineup (when working with 90+ & have to add one early in the show, major pain in butt).

[@cgrote714]

Ken Braziel ALT-STORE inserts a cue after the current cursor position (not the currently active cue)

[@the_kengineer]

Thanks, I'll try to remember that on my next play

[@irbinmiliano9356]

thanks for that video it made me know more about my board....when are you doing the second part??

[@cgrote714]

+Irbin Miliano Within the next 60 days. I plan on covering Dante configuration, clocking, Whirlwind ES4TD digital snake, cross-patching, gain setting, and an update on the latest Expression firmware features. Let me know if you want anything else covered.

[@cinstan]

Thanks very much for the two videos Chris, I learned a lot. I have been mixing Live Music for many years, just getting into musical theater, whew :-)

[@dampfmaschine399]

Very good video!! Thanks a lot!

[@jakenewcomb8897]

can this board (im actually llooking at purchasing the si 3 expression) have snapshots recalled via midi command?

[@cgrote714]

+Jake Newcomb Yes but the Expression sends and receives "Midi Program Change" not "Midi Show Control" so just make sure the controlling device supports MPC. You specify which channel and program number the Expression cue is triggered from the Edit Cue screen. MPC might have some limitations as far as the number of cues that can be controlled, I have no experience with controlling the Expression from another device using MIDI.

[@jakenewcomb8897]

Excellent Chris. Thnx for the speedy response. Went deep into the manual online and found that this board can do exactly what I need to be doing. MPC will used via QLab to recall snapshots. I'm curious how many snapshots the SI 3 Expression can store as well...thanks for the video

[@cgrote714]

+Jake Newcomb I haven't run into a cue limit on the Expression yet, most of my shows have 150-200 cues. I was more worried about the total number of midi channels and program number combinations that could be sent to the board.

[@jakenewcomb8897]

Excellent. We rarely go over 100 cues at the theater I work at. Thanks again for all the help!

[@jandertalen5063]

Excellent video, thank you!

[@samlevy9593]

This is really helpful. Thanks!

[@singhaudiovideosystum8860]

nice

[@KevinStCroix]

priceless!