Live Mic reverb echo effect

[hamlett22]

HI
I want to create an 'on-demand' on/off reverb echo effect for my actors. I utilize 4 Shure Axient wireless receivers and 8 dual channel Shure UR4D receivers and matching beltpacks with countryman mics for our musicals.

What device can I put in-line to one or more of my Shure receivers so that I can turn an echo or reverb effect on and off as I need it?

I thought of a quick, dirty and cheap possibility: a computer with QLAB and the mic reverb effect on a 'cue', but I think it would be cumbersome and I would need a computer dedicated to each channel on the board that feeds my Shure receivers to do this.

So, any ideas a bit more efficient than that?

Thanks much,
Chad

 

[DaveySimps]

Typically this is done with some sort of effects processor. What kind of sound board do your wireless systems plug into? Most digital boards these days have built in effects units. If not, we could recommend one once we know your budget and what sound board you are using.

Dave

 

[DrewE]

The standard way to do this would be to hook up the reverb or echo to an aux send from your mixer and turn the sends up and down (or mute the aux as a whole) as needed. On many digital mixers that could be automated with cues, though possibly it would be just as easy to do it manually.

And yes, the reverb/echo itself is a standard effects that most any effects processor would have. Even a fair few analog mixers have effects units built in, and external ones are not hard to come by. Under some conditions a guitar effects pedal can even work effectively (although interfacing them to a mixer can be a bit tricky at times).

 

[almorton]

As an aside, although I wouldn't be recommending going the Qlab route as the built in effects of a mixer (as already mentioned) are probably much easier, you don't usually need a computer per input channel since typically you'd interface several channels to Qlab at once through whichever I/O unit you're using. We used to use a Behringer that gave 16 in and out, we now use the USB on our mixer directly which effectively uses the mixer as a 32 in 32 out I/O card, so Qlab can process several channels simultaneously.

 

[waltg]

hook up the reverb or echo to an aux send from your mixer and turn the sends up and down (or mute the aux as a whole) as needed

This is what I run on my mixers, or to a very similar extent. I use a VCA group with similar effects (Vox Effects, Drum Effects, etc) thrown in that I pull up and down as needed, then if I want to mess around with the balance of them I can just open up the VCA. Works great and is quick because it’s all under one or two faders. 9/10 times I just use onboard effects unless I'm craving something special, as most digital consoles have the basics out of the box. Of course if you are limited on open inputs and aux sends this could be difficult, but in that case you could put an effect processor into the signal chain before you plug into the mixer. As @DaveySimps mentioned depending on your mixer this could be different, so let us know .

 

[hamlett22]

I have an analog board from the early 2000s. No effects onboard. I'm going to need an external add-on. It is a one-off since we are upgrading the theatre in two years so I don't want to throw a bunch of coin down when we'll have a digital board in 24 months. Any suggestions?

 

[themuzicman]

That's wild...the budget for Axient with an old analog desk! You could have sacrificed a single channel and at least picked up an X32 and still saved some money!

I only joke a little...But the real crux of the issue is how much latency is acceptable? If some visible/audible latency is acceptable than QLab is a perfectly fine way to achieve this. You'd probably end up returning both a wet and a dry bus back to the desk so you can mix it a little, but theoretically they'd be more in time than if you just sent a wet return and tried to mix that straight down your vocal bus.

On the cheap I'd probably keep it as analog as I can, and you can do this really inexpensively too! On the "high end" of keeping things low end I'd search eBay and try to pick up something like a TC Electronic M-One or a Yamaha SPX90/900 for $100-$150 new, and you can either build or buy an insert cable (1/4" TRS to Dual 1/4" TS, TRS to the console, TS to the Reverberators. I see you're in Shanghai so maybe roll the dice and see what's good on AliExpress, tons of knockoffs and I'm sure you can get something usable if you work outside the presets and dial in something.

On the super low budget, a guitar reverb pedal inserted on a bus would do what you want. $20, blam, done. Total roll of the dice if you'd find a cheap pedal that'd sound solid on vocals but it'll be fun! A total aside, but some of my favorite reggae bands just throw a Space Echo Guitar Pedal (analog tape delay!) onto their master bus. Working local crew was the first time I ever saw a guitar pedal just plopped into a desk, and now I know indie artists do it all the time, so why not? A solution is a solution (but also all things look like a nail when you're a hammer? The metaphor totally doesn't even work here, I just like it).

 

[RonHebbard]

That's wild...the budget for Axient with an old analog desk! You could have sacrificed a single channel and at least picked up an X32 and still saved some money!

I only joke a little...But the real crux of the issue is how much latency is acceptable? If some visible/audible latency is acceptable than QLab is a perfectly fine way to achieve this. You'd probably end up returning both a wet and a dry bus back to the desk so you can mix it a little, but theoretically they'd be more in time than if you just sent a wet return and tried to mix that straight down your vocal bus.

On the cheap I'd probably keep it as analog as I can, and you can do this really inexpensively too! On the "high end" of keeping things low end I'd search eBay and try to pick up something like a TC Electronic M-One or a Yamaha SPX90/900 for $100-$150 new, and you can either build or buy an insert cable (1/4" TRS to Dual 1/4" TS, TRS to the console, TS to the Reverberators. I see you're in Shanghai so maybe roll the dice and see what's good on AliExpress, tons of knockoffs and I'm sure you can get something usable if you work outside the presets and dial in something.

On the super low budget, a guitar reverb pedal inserted on a bus would do what you want. $20, blam, done. Total roll of the dice if you'd find a cheap pedal that'd sound solid on vocals but it'll be fun! A total aside, but some of my favorite reggae bands just throw a Space Echo Guitar Pedal (analog tape delay!) onto their master bus. Working local crew was the first time I ever saw a guitar pedal just plopped into a desk, and now I know indie artists do it all the time, so why not? A solution is a solution (but also all things look like a nail when you're a hammer? The metaphor totally doesn't even work here, I just like it).

@themuzicman You've brought tears to my eyes remembering my Yamaha REV7, oh how I loved my NEW toy.
I proudly racked it with my DBX 162 and Orban (622B I think it was) two channels, each with four bands of fully parametric filters; 8 bands of mono if/when I cascaded the two channels.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[DaveySimps]

I agree with Muzicman, shop for a used effects unit. They are so cheap these days. You could also see about renting what you need from your local music store or sound shop. If you give us the make and model of your board, we could tell you how to set it up and route it once you have a unit in hand.

~Dave

 

[waltg]

You could also see about renting what you need from your local music store or sound shop

This is what I would recommend, after all if it's only off then you could rent a sweet effect processor for the price of getting an OK one used. Plus you avoid any chance of a 'kick it till it works' processor from eBay (been there done that).

Congrats on having an upgrade in the near future! Always so exciting to have new toys to play with.

 

[TimMc]

20 years ago the budget-friendly vocal FX processing was the combination of tc electronic M-1 and D-2. Still a nice pair (so to speak) for those with analog consoles.

 

[Dan Fischer]

Do you have a local rental house? Just rent an outboard effects processor for $25-50 for the week.