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Preset Libraries

Site: QSC
Course: TouchMix Training
Book: Preset Libraries
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Monday, 29 April 2024, 5:26 PM

Description

Table of contents

Video Transcript

0:07
Today we’re going to look at TouchMix’s comprehensive Preset Library and Mixer Scenes,
0:12
tools that are designed to help you get a great mix as quickly and as easily as possible.
0:16
TouchMix has many high quality factory-programmed channel presets that are good for a variety of instruments,
0:22
microphones and musical styles. The concept behind these tools is similar to that of a “point and shoot"
0:28
feature on a high-end digital camera. You may not be a professional photographer,
0:33
but it’s easy to get a great shot by changing the camera’s mode for an action shot,
0:38
a night-time shot, or a landscape shot. The TouchMix channel presets work in much the same way.
0:45
Just select a preset that’s right for what you’re doing.
0:47
Before we dive into how to use the presets, we’d like to tell you about how they were created.
0:52
QSC started by using a wide variety of typical gear that working musicians would use.
0:57
Our skilled and experienced concert sound mix engineers spent hundreds of hours
1:02
creating these presets in live venues, with real musicians and their instruments.
1:07
We used PA systems ranging from small two-way speaker systems
1:10
on sticks to full three-way club PAs with subs.
1:15
We also chose a variety of the most commonly used microphones
1:18
and stage monitors at live performance volume. Then our engineers set all the filters
1:24
and dynamics for each instrument to minimize feedback and maximize sound quality.
1:29
Finally, we validated these presets using multiple instruments and a variety of musicians.
1:34
It means that less-experienced users can get a great mix in a flash,
1:37
while professional mixers will love it because it saves them a lot of time.
1:42
The presets are designed to be used with common microphones
1:44
and pick-up systems in real live sound applications – and they work.
1:50
People who have used TouchMix report getting great results with little or no modification.
1:55
When you add one to your channel, you’re getting the combined experience of decades of
2:00
professional audio mixing applied with the touch of a button.
2:03
All you have to do is load a preset and then fine tune it to your own preference.
2:08
Alright, now that we know the backstory, let’s explore the channel presets.
2:11
To work with channel presets, you start by pressing the Home button,
2:15
select a channel and touch the Presets tab.
2:18
Make sure that the Factory / User switch is in the Factory position.
2:23
In the left window you’ll see a list of instrument categories – Bass, Drums, Frets, Keyboards and so on.
2:29
Touch an instrument category name and a list of specific instruments appears in the middle window.
2:34
Select a type of instrument and the right window will display a list of options for that instrument.
2:40
Depending on the instrument selected, there may be options with and without gates
2:44
and compressors as well as options for various types of microphones
2:48
and pick-ups or different styles of music. Select the one that seems best for your application.
2:54
If you want to learn more about that preset, touch the Preset Info button
2:58
and a pop-up with details such as type of microphone and placement will appear.
3:03
Once you’ve found the right preset, just touch Recall Preset.
3:07
Values for equalization, compressor settings and gate settings will be loaded into the channel,
3:13
as well as assigning it a default channel name, level and phantom power.
3:18
In the Presets tab you can tap the Next arrow to move to the next channel
3:22
and repeat the process until all of the channels you need are set up.
3:26
You can tell which channel you are working on by looking at this window.
3:29
But let’s say you are midway through setting up your mix, you’ve customized some channel names
3:34
and made some level adjustments on your main faders.
3:36
But now you’ve decided that the preset you’ve used for “Jeff’s Fiddle" isn’t right for your mix
3:40
and you want to recall a different preset, but you want to keep your custom channel name and level adjustment.
3:47
To do that, you will simply choose a new preset, but also engage the “Omit Levels" and “Omit Name".
3:54
This will place all of the EQs, comps and gates, but leave the existing Levels and Names alone.
3:59
And remember Simple & Advanced mode? When you load a preset,
4:04
it recalls all the information to that channel regardless of whether you’re operating in Simple or Advanced Mode.
4:09
So if your channel is in Simple Mode before you recall the preset, it will still be in Simple Mode afterwards,
4:15
but all the advanced settings of the preset will still be applied in the background.
4:19
Once all your channels have the appropriate presets,
4:21
you have the option to then continue to fine tune your sound manually.
4:25
When you’re done, it’s a good idea to save your preset, or save the whole scene!
4:30
To save a preset, return to a channel’s preset window, switch over to User mode,
4:35
and press “Save/Save as". You can give your preset a custom name,
4:40
and decide whether you want to save the preset to the mixer itself, or onto an external USB drive.
4:47
To save the entire mixer as a scene, press Menu, and then Scenes.
4:51
Just like in presets you can give your scene its own name, and decide where to save it.
4:56
Saving a scene includes all the mixer’s settings on every channel, including its presets,
5:01
effects selections, pan, equalization, compressors, gates and limiters, and level settings.
5:07
You may also notice that TouchMix comes with a few factory-installed scenes.
5:11
These are a great way to load a collection of common presets
5:14
for a basic band setup to get your mix started even faster.
5:18
And don’t forget … Over the course of a performance,
5:20
you’ll likely be fine-tuning your mix for the venue and the way the group sets up.
5:25
Once you’ve got your mix dialed in to your liking,
5:28
be sure to save it with a new name so you’re ready to go next time you’re in the venue.
5:32
That’s it for the Channel Presets and mixer scenes. We’ll see you next time.

Lesson Description

The Preset Libraries are truly one of TouchMix's most powerful features. Use these to get a great mix up quickly and easily.