Connect to MusicTech server from off-campus

The musictech server does not have a public IP address. Meaning….. you cannot connect to the server when you are outside BSU’s local area network. To connect, you must first sign in using virtual private network (VPN) software.  This authenticates you and encrypts communication between your computer and BSU’s services.

Here’s BSU’s site explaining the whole process. Basically, you download the VPN software specific to your computer’s operating system.  Install.  Run. Use preset to connect.  And, you’re IN.  Stay connected while you connect to the musictech server.  Note: On a mac, you’ll want to use the “connect to server…” or CMD-k method.  When you are done, disconnect from the musictech server, then disconnect the VPN connection.

Connect to MusicTech server from WindowsXP

Connect from an on-campus Window XP computer by easiest way I know how.

1. Click on the Start menu and select “My Computer”
2. Click on “My Network Places” in the left sidebar
3. Type \\10.160.16.59  in the address bar
4. 
5. A login dialog box will appear asking for your User name and password. Enter your username and password.
6. Click “OK”
7. A list of folders will appear in the “My Network Places” window.  Double-Click on the one that has your username.

To disconnect:

Log out of windows.  I don’t know any other way.

How to connect to the MusicTech server

In the Finder window, choose “All…” under SHARED (left-hand sidebar), then click on musictechxserve.  Your local computer will attempt to connect to the server, but will most likely fail because it is using the wrong username and password. Click on the “Connect As…” button to enter your username and password. If musictechxserve does not appear in the list, then go to the “Go” menu at the top of the screen and select “connect to server.”  Type in musictech.bsu.edu  NOTE:  This only works if you are on campus or have a VPN connection. For windows XP users see this blog entry. For Window Vista users see this blog entry. Plus, you might need the IP address if the musictech.bsu.edu address doesn’t work.  See Jeff for the IP address.

Add your username and password. To change your password, select the action drop menu (looks like a gear).

Once connected, the finder window will display the folders in which you have permission to see. I would suggest storing your files in either the Desktop, Documents, Movies, Music, or Pictures folders because no one else has permission to see inside these folders.

To disconnect from the server. Choose from several different options.  You can disconnect individual folders by clicking on the eject symbol next to the folder name.  Or, click on the folder and choose eject from the Finder file menu.  Or, press the Disconnect button.  Or, click on the eject symbol next to the volume name in the sidebar (shown below left). Or, drag the connected volume to the trash on the dock.  The trash can will turn into a giant eject symbol (shown below right).

Headphone/Cue System Helpful Hints

1. Use pre-fader mode for your individual channel sends.  This way your movement of faders will not affect the send level to the cue.  Plus solo-safe the aux channel so that any soloing of individual tracks will not cut off the cue (normally if you solo a track it will mute the other tracks, including the aux track). These actions will insure that the headphone mix stays consistent for the performer.
2. You can monitor the cue mix on headphones by using headphones hooked into the D-control.  The headphones can receive signal of the main mix or any of the cue signals. Read the D-control manual for setup instructions.
3. Use Pro Tools “copy to send” to quickly setup a cue send mix.
4. Monitor levels to cue sends on the D-control.  Show sends meter view.
5. Command-click the sends selector button to change the sends view to show meter and level, pan and mute controls.
6. The D-control has a cardioid microphone built into the meter bridge near the output meters. You will need to “Assign Talkback” to each cue that you want to talk back to the musicians.  Read the D-control manual for setup instructions.

Furman Headphone/Cue system

Studio 1 has a stereo analog headphone/cue system capable of doing three separate mixes.  On the D-Control, the are labeled as Cue 1, Cue 2 and Cue 3.  On the MPS panels in the soundhouses and ISO booths they are labels as Cue A, Cue B, and Cue C.  This is not meant to confuse anyone, it just the way it is.  Obviously, Cue 1 routes to Cue A and so on. Studio 2 has same capabilities but with just two separate mixes.

• The Physical signal path starts by assigning a track send or track output to cue output.  There are many ways to do this but two make the most sense (to me) are by using channel sends direct to cue outputs or channel sends bussed to a stereo auxiliary (aux) track with its output set to cue.  The advantage to using the aux. track is that you can add effects, like reverb, to the cue.
• Once the cue output is assigned, Pro Tools sends the signal out the second Digidesign 192 IO analog outputs (as directed in the Setup IO).
• Signal from the second Digidesign 192 is normalled into the XMON cue inputs on the patchbay.  This allows the D-Control to control the overall gain of the cue signal in the audio monitor section.  Also the D-Control can interject a talkback signal.
• Signal outputs the XMON and is normalled into Hafler amplifiers located in the top of the right most NMR rack.
• From the amplifier, the signal goes to a distribution block and then out to cue connectors on MPS panels throughout the facility.  This is all outlined on line drawing AVC-407

Pro Tools software setup: Option 1, Send to cue system directly from channel send.

1. Click-and-hold on send button in mix window (or edit window if sends view is enabled).  Navigate mouse to interface option, then to cue of choice.
2. The output window should pop up showing the send. If not, just click on the send name.  You can vary the send volume, pan, and pre/post fader settings.  The volume will be set to nominal gain unless the “sends default to -INF” setting is checked in the preferences (operations section).
3. I would set the send to pre fader.  Click on the pre button.  It will illuminate (or turn white).  White button with blue letter means pre-fader, while grey button with black letters means post-fader. The whole idea is to create a personal mix for the headphones.  It could be the same as the control room mix but most of the time the performer will want you to customize their headphone mix.  With the send set to pre-fader, action that you do in the control room, like soloing/muting tracks or changing track levels will not effect the mix setup to go the the headphones.

Pro Tools software setup: Option 2, Send to cue system from an Auxiliary Track.

1. Click-and-hold on send button in mix window (or edit window if sends view is enabled).  Navigate mouse to bus option, then to a bus of choice.
2. For those advanced users, name your busses in the IO setup (or right click on the name)
3. Add a new track, a stereo auxiliary input track.  Under the Track menu, choose new.
4. Choose your bus from step #1 as the auxiliary track input (bus) the cue number of choice for the output (interface).
5. The auxiliary track becomes a master volume control of sorts for your cue send.  It also allows you to add plug-ins to the cue send, like reverb

Aviom Personal Headphone System

Studio 1 has a 16 channel Aviom personal monitoring mixing system. Fifteen channels can be sent from pro tools and the last channel (channel 16) is reserved for talkback.

Studio 2 will have the same system but will only have 8 channels.

Signal flow.

• Assign a send to Aviom channel or stereo pair for each pro tools track.  More than one pro tools track can be sent to Aviom channels.  This allows you to submix multiple Pro Tools tracks to Aviom channels.  For example, you might send kick, snare and overheads to the same stereo Aviom channels. Remember channel 16 should not be assigned because it will get a talkback signal from the D-Control.
• The Pro tools I/O setup has Aviom outputs routed to the analog outputs of Digidesign 192 interfaces three and four.
• The fifteen line level outputs from the digidesign 192 interfaces go to the first 15 inputs of the Aviom AN-16i input module.
• The A-Net output of the AN-16i input module goes to the A-Net input of the A-16D Pro A-Net Distributor. The distributor is copy the single input to eight separate A-Net outputs.  It will allow send power out each output to remote power the personal mixers.
• Patch A-16D Pro outputs to Cat5e locations throughout the rooms around studio 1. This is done on the cat5 patchbay.
• In the studio, you can take the A-Net output of one personal mixer and connect to another personal mixer but the second mixer (and each additional mixer down the line) will have to powered from an AC power adapter (wall wart).

The Aviom AN-16i input module converts the analog inputs into a digital A-Net signal. There are a few switches available on the front panel.  Don’t worry about the input gain switched as they are set to accept the +4 dBu signal from the Digidesign interfaces. The stereo link switches, on the other hand, are useful in customizing the A-Net signal. If you assigned your pro tools tracks to go to an Aviom stereo pair, then move the appropriate stereo link switch to its right side position.

The A-16II Personal Mixer takes the A-Net signal and provides a control surface to mix the 16 incoming channels. Each channel has a volume and pan control. Channels can be soloed, muted and grouped together. There is a master volume plus a general treble and bass control over the entire mix. If you setup for some channels to be stereo linked, then there will be one common volume control between them. The pan knob will allow you to vary the spread of the stereo signal from extremely narrow to fully wide.

Be good to your musicians and mark the mixers with the channel assignments.  NOTE: use the white board tape. Don’t mark directly on the mixers. And if you’re really good, dial in a sample mix and hang their headphones on a music stand conveniently located in the space where they will be recording.