Lesson Description
Basic Navigation of the TouchMix: Part 1
10m 20s
Learn to navigate the TouchMix family of digital mixers.
Video Transcript
Basic Navigation of the TouchMix: Part 1
10m 20s
00:15
Alright, let’s get familiar with some of the basic navigation on your TouchMix.
00:20
Most of your workflow will take place on the touch screen of your mixer.
00:25
QSC has made it really easy to navigate and get around.
00:29
And while the TouchMix is packed with many rich features,
00:32
this video will cover the features you are most likely to use on a regular basis in the House of Worship environment.
00:39
Up at the top of the screen we have the navigation strip.
00:43
This allows us to navigate through the different banks of faders.
00:47
Each bank will display 8 faders.
00:50
So, from the beginning on the left we have input channels 1-8, input channels 9-16,
00:57
followed by 17-24 on the TouchMix-30 Pro.
01:01
After the mic input banks we have the stereo inputs and 2-track record and playback channels.
01:08
Next we have the FX master faders, then all of the Aux main faders.
01:15
The TouchMix-30 Pro has an additional bank for Sub Groups.
01:19
After these we have our DCA group faders.
01:23
And while we're talking about navigation strips, this section on the left of your screen allows you to access all your outputs.
01:31
Right now the output for the main mix is selected and highlighted in blue.
01:36
Notice that the faders for the main mix are white.
01:40
This is another indicator that you are making adjustments to the main mix.
01:46
Underneath the main mix are your auxiliary mixes, or auxes for short.
01:52
In order to access these, simply touch that box and it will be highlighted in blue
01:57
indicating that you are now making fader changes to that mix.
02:02
In this case aux 1.
02:05
Notice that the faders have changed color; another indication that we are no longer making changes to the main mix.
02:12
As I scroll through the various auxes, you’ll notice that each one has a different color.
02:19
And now we’ll return to the main mix by touching that box in the upper left corner.
02:25
Now look to the right of the screen and you’ll see your L/R master fader.
02:30
This fader strip will become the master fader for which ever mix you have selected.
02:35
So, if you select aux 1, then the master fader is now the overall volume control for aux 1.
02:43
If you select aux 7, then the master fader is now the overall volume control for aux 7
02:49
and so on and so forth.
02:53
Once again, we will select our main mix.
02:55
Direct your attention once again to the top navigation strip.
03:00
As we make changes to the main mix, you’ll notice that these changes are reflected in the mini faders on the nav strip.
03:07
Whichever aux mix we’ve selected, the nav strip will reflect the faders’ positions of that mix.
03:14
For example, if you select aux 3 and make a fader change to channel 9,
03:20
that change is reflected in the mini faders of the nav strip.
03:25
Now let’s take a look at channel settings.
03:27
Channel settings for an individual channel can be accessed by selecting this gray box just above the cue button.
03:35
Notice that your navigation strip now reflects channel parameters available to you.
03:40
I like to think of our channel settings as the artist’s palette.
03:46
This is where we get to shape and mold each individual sound into sonic art.
03:52
Right now I will introduce you to the channel parameters but we will learn in more detail
03:56
how to create our sonic landscape using these controls when we get to the video, tips and tricks for your mix.
04:03
So, don’t worry if you don’t understand yet exactly how to apply these controls.
04:09
Right now the overview screen is selected.
04:12
This page allows us to view all of our show critical controls on a single page.
04:17
EQ curve, compressor, gate, fx and aux routing.
04:24
Up here at the top you can access channel presets, you have a polarity reverse button,
04:30
digital gain, input delay and the reset button which will reset all the channel parameters to their default position.
04:39
Probably not a good idea to push that one during a live service.
04:44
Basically, this overview screen is a complete configuration of a channel on a single page.
04:50
And all of these parameters are active.
04:53
We can select any control on this screen and make adjustment to it.
05:00
The next 7 parameters give us more detailed control of everything we saw on the overview screen.
05:07
This is the EQ page.
05:09
EQ stands for "equalization".
05:12
Right here where it says PEQ, that stands for parametric EQ and that’s what this type of EQ is.
05:22
This button here indicates whether your PEQ is engaged or not engaged.
05:28
There are a few ways to adjust your EQ.
05:32
You can grab any one of the points and move it around.
05:37
To change the width of the Q, select any point and then pinch.
05:43
Another way to adjust the EQ is to select either the gain, frequency or Q
05:49
on any one of the bands and turn the encoder wheel.
05:53
You can adjust the low cut or high cut simply by touching this symbol
05:57
and then using the knob below to adjust the frequency.
06:03
Next in our channel strip is our compressor.
06:06
Right here it will indicate whether the compressor is engaged or not engaged.
06:12
If it’s in, then it’s engaged.
06:15
The graph is a representation of a waveform
06:18
with the line representing what’s happening to that waveform as we adjust the compressor controls.
06:25
Here is your threshold slider, which tells you at what signal level your compressor will start to compress.
06:33
Here is your ratio slider, which will tell you how many dB’s you’re compressing.
06:40
Your attack slider tells you how quickly the compressor is reacting.
06:45
The release slider tells you how quickly or slowly the compressor is letting go.
06:51
Right here is the make-up gain, should you need to add some level back to the compressed signal.
06:59
Next is our gate.
07:01
Right here indicates whether the gate is engaged or not.
07:05
Again, here we have the graph showing a representation of a waveform
07:10
with the line representing what’s happening to that wave form as we adjust the gate controls.
07:15
I’m going to turn it on.
07:18
This threshold slider tells us at what meter level the gate will open.
07:25
This is the attenuation slider.
07:28
Attenuation means decreasing.
07:31
This slider indicates how much the level was turned down when the gate closed.
07:37
The attack slider indicates how fast the gate engages.
07:43
The release slider tells us how fast or slow the gate is letting go.
07:49
The hold knob tells us how long the signal will sustain until it starts to release.
07:56
Next is the FX screen.
07:58
Here you can add various digital effects to your channel.
08:04
Next is the Auxes screen where you can send your channel to your other mixes.
08:13
Next is your Presets screen.
08:16
Here you can choose instrument presets with channel parameters already loaded
08:21
for whichever instrument or application you choose.
08:24
This feature is so rich and useful that we dedicated a whole video to it.
08:30
More on this later.
08:32
Next is our set up screen.
08:35
Click in this box to name your channel.
08:39
This link button will link 2 channels together so that when you make changes to one channel
08:44
it will automatically make changes to the second channel.
08:48
If you’re recording this channel you would press this button to arm the channel.
08:54
If you’re playing back multitrack through a channel click this button to play it back.
09:00
Right here is where you can reverse the polarityon a channel.
09:05
Here is your phantom power button.
09:09
Over here is the input delay section.
09:13
It’s engaged when the IN button is highlighted blue.
09:18
This knob here adjusts your delay time.
09:21
This here is a channel safe button.
Downloads and Links
Basic Navigation of the TouchMix: Part 1
10m 20s