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Webcast: Pro Audio Meets IT

So what happens when ProAudio meets IT? The combination of a mixer, a Firewire port, a computer, networks, and software changes the paradigm for how you want to think about a mixer--in a powerful way.

Webcast: Pro Audio Meets IT

Dec 2, 2010 2:43 PM

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So what happens when ProAudio meets IT? The combination of a mixer, a Firewire port, a computer, networks, and software changes the paradigm for how you want to think about a mixer—in a powerful way. So imagine the traditional analog-esque experience in a digital mixer, but then think about how software can allow you to set up and control the digital mixer virtually with a computer and/or an iPad. Software also can allow you to recast the mixer as a recorder, DAW and mastering device. Join SVC editor Cynthia Wisehart on Thurs Dec. 9th for an indepth session on how IT can simplify existing workflows and enable new ones for you and your end users.

In some ways this shift is most important for integrators and end users in churches, corporate, education, local government and the like, because these are environments where the users are most often not audio professionals. And increasingly they need simple ways to record and distribute their services, training, meetings and the like. When you combine the mixer with these types of software capabilities, you actually have a tool that can grow with the user. The mixer becomes a kind of platform or a hub for both their live production and recording and mastering needs—even if some of those needs are in the future.

IT can also simplify for the integrator or a technical director because software can give you so much control over the mixer functions like set up, presets, dynamics processing, EQ, effects, etc. Software also allows you to control these functions remotely over the public internet or via VPN–which may save you a drive to site. It may save you one of those phone calls where you are blindly walking someone through the menus and hoping they’re not doing too much damage—because software allows you to essentially “see” the mixer from afar.

So in short, imagine a virtual mixer that duplicates the desk and communicates bi-directionally with it. Imagine you could do things like create libraries of scenes and presets and even send them via email or Skype. It allows you to reset the mixer to defaults with a single mouse click from your laptop over the internet. So you can see how this can simplify set up, service and support.

Now—in addition, software opens up another line of possibilities: it allows you to recast the mixer in the role of recorder—and even to use it as a digital audio workstation, for editing, mastering, and distribution.

In the corporate or education space, you may have a client who wants to archive and publish their training sessions, maybe it’s a courtroom that wants to make audio recordings of trials available, or you want to record a city council or PTA meeting, make a cd or distribute over the internet. Or as we’ll see later, maybe your client puts on rollerderby events. Or maybe your need is not about recording and publishing at all. Maybe what you’re dealing with is a campus with multiple live presentation environments—through software they can be set up and controlled over existing networks from one central location, saving a tech running from room to room.

Because IT-based features are scaleable, these types of scenarios can be planned for or they can be discovered and implemented over time as users need change and grow. This IT-driven trend has been growing gradually throughout AV on a lot of fronts. Today we’re going to focus on how the integration of a digital mixer and a computer is not only the digital equivalent of an analog mixer but actually a more powerful, more modern tool.

Join SVC editor Cynthia Wisehart on Thurs Dec. 9th for an indepth session on how IT can simplify existing workflows and enable new ones for you and your end users.

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

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