Adding more inputs to the GLD 80

gafftaper

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I have a GLD 80 in my theater. Up in my catwalks I have my main patch bay area with a 24 channel AR 2412 and the 8 channel AR 84 expander. In my booth I have a second 8 channel AR 84 expander (it's full with 8 wireless mics in that rack). I am getting ready to install a computer with SFX and a multi-track sound card for sound playback. I would also like to add some more wireless mics in the booth. So I need more inputs. However the way I reading the GLD documentation it sounds like I have already maxed out the system capacity for A&H inputs. Is that correct? What I would like to do is add a second 24 channel AR 2412 to my system. Is that possible? What about adding an AB 168 portable rack to my system? Is that possible or is the 48 total inputs a hard limit? I don't need more than 48 inputs functional at the same time, heck it's rare that I need more than 24 at the same time. What I need is patching flexibility, can I get it using the standard GLD accessories?

If none of those options work, it sounds like I can get more inputs by adding a networking module. How does that work? I know nothing about Dante and the other options. Can I add a card and a digital snake and have access to up to 64 additional inputs? That sounds really expensive.

Thanks!
 
I've very limited experience with digital mixers, but with my one example (Soundcraft Si 3, please don't laugh), the amount of inputs the console could use was fixed (64 in the Si 3's case) and could be mapped to either an analog input on the rear, or the expansion card connected to that input range (the input modules have to be assigned to channel ranges, and only 1 can be assigned to a given range at a time). So adding 64 channels of digital I/O to the 64 built in analog preamps did not give a 128 channel desk, it was still a 64 channel desk.

Due to technology marching on, when that venue invests in digital stage boxes, the console's also going to be replaced as it only supports MADI and CobraNET, and for remote control of head amps, MADI only.
 
Without adding an I/O port the GLD-80 is limited to the above digital snakes that you mentioned gafftaper, also with those snakes you have 43 mic pres and two stereo rca ports and one talkback....

A cheaper option might be to either add an XLR patch bay, or add an additional snake and patch whichever box you want for each show.

I know its not a great option, but that's part of the reason the GLD-80 costs what it does. Its still a great console though!
 
Thanks @rsmentele that's kind of what I figured but I wanted to ask. It also looks like the add on I/O port and additional digital snake option would be REALLY expensive. It's cheaper and probably easier to just run a snake from my booth up to the main patch bay where the AR 2412 and the AR 84 are located. That would solve my problems at a fraction of the cost.
 
While it's not the cheapest option, does the 112 offer more inputs? I know it works with the AR 2412, but is it just a bigger form factor or can it handle more inputs?
 
The only real difference between the GLD-112 and GLD-80 is physical faders/ larger size, no additional I/O support, natively.
 
Running the snake is probably your best bet, though if you do get the Dante card for the GLD you could use input boxes like these for your wireless mics and other line level devices: http://www.atterotech.com/products/dante-d4i/ . Based on the documentation I think this would allow you to patch the Dante devices or the stage box on the console so you would have more physical inputs, but you still would be limited to 48 channels at one time (don't quote me on it, though - I haven't run across a GLD with a Dante card yet).

You would only want to use boxes like the Atterotech for line level devices because you won't be able to remotely control the preamp with your console like you can control the A&H stage box. If you needed additional mic inputs, you would need a separate computer to control the pres which is a little clunky.
 
Thanks @rsmentele that's kind of what I figured but I wanted to ask. It also looks like the add on I/O port and additional digital snake option would be REALLY expensive. It's cheaper and probably easier to just run a snake from my booth up to the main patch bay where the AR 2412 and the AR 84 are located. That would solve my problems at a fraction of the cost.
The GLD series is fixed-architecture. Originally that meant 1 AR2412 with an AR84 plugged into the AR2412 and a second AR84 plugged into the surface. A late add is you can now run an AR2412 with the new AB168 stagebox plugged in, giving you 40 inputs on just the one Cat5 run; however that doesn't increase your total channel count.

A Dante card in the GLD would offer some flexibility, however you need to have Dante boxes to get your channels into the Dante world, which are expensive and not integrated with the GLD - i.e. no head amp gain settable from the GLD. Dante is also not exactly intuitive. It's very powerful, but that comes at a cost of some required knowledge. If all you wanted to add was a computer with SFX, the Dante card wouldn't be too bad a way to go, as you can get a Dante "virtual soundcard" - a piece of software running on your computer that turns your Ethernet card into a sound card pretty inexpensively and I believe you can fudge the 48 input limit a bit using effect return channels (this is only possible via the expansion card slot - there are only 48 physical inputs available no matter what the GLD rack configuration is), but we're grasping here.

Your solution of an analog snake/patchbay is likely going to be your best bet.

BTW, I love my GLD. The amount of power and usability in a really small box is awesome.
 
BTW, I love my GLD. The amount of power and usability in a really small box is awesome.
Agreed. The GLD is an outstanding console for a theater like mine.

I'm going to install an ART P-16 in my booth rack and a second one up in my patch rack where my AR2412 and AR84 are at. Run 100' of snake between the two and I'll have the ability to patch in 16 inputs from the booth for under $800. Which is cheap compared to the other options.
 
I'm going to install an ART P-16 in my booth rack and a second one up in my patch rack where my AR2412 and AR84 are at. Run 100' of snake between the two and I'll have the ability to patch in 16 inputs from the booth for under $800. Which is cheap compared to the other options.
So before I go spending money on this plan, am I going to have any signal loss issues sending signal through an ART P-16, a 100' snake, a second ART P-16, A short XLR patch cable, before finally going into the AR2412 and back to the mixer?
 
So before I go spending money on this plan, am I going to have any signal loss issues sending signal through an ART P-16, a 100' snake, a second ART P-16, A short XLR patch cable, before finally going into the AR2412 and back to the mixer?

No, signal will be fine... but you can do it cleaner and cheaper.

100' of this... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/269977.html
16 of these... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/461634.html
16 of these... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/461635.html
2 of these... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/280233.html

200 bucks cheaper and a hell of a lot cleaner. Won't take that much soldering to do.
 
No, signal will be fine... but you can do it cleaner and cheaper.

100' of this... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/269977.html
16 of these... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/461634.html
16 of these... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/461635.html
2 of these... http://www.fullcompass.com/product/280233.html

200 bucks cheaper and a hell of a lot cleaner. Won't take that much soldering to do.

Agreed. Much better way to go. Only additional is to add strain relief to the multicable at both ends, before the breaking out the individual pairs to the soldering connections.
 

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