Stage Announce on FreeSpeak II

[Jay Ashworth]

We've been running FSII here for about 5 years now -- long-time denizens will remember my Full Review -- and I finally have the energy to implement the one thing I've wanted but not had til now: Stage Announce.

I've run the XLR from the base station to the next-to-last input on my LS9, right next to our wired god mic, and I can hear the audio just fine in cue when someone pushes the SA button... but it sounds like hell through the actual PA, and I suspect that it's feedbck, even though I've installed the EQ curve for our house mics, with 3 dips and lo-cut and an added hi-cut.

With only that much for hint, any suggestions? Anyone else set SA up on this system?

Our crew headsets are the lightweights, but I have CC-110, 220 and 95s I could test with -- though I wouldn't stick our house crew with 95s if I could avoid it....

 

[TimMc]

We've been running FSII here for about 5 years now -- long-time denizens will remember my Full Review -- and I finally have the energy to implement the one thing I've wanted but not had til now: Stage Announce.

I've run the XLR from the base station to the next-to-last input on my LS9, right next to our wired god mic, and I can hear the audio just fine in cue when someone pushes the SA button... but it sounds like hell through the actual PA, and I suspect that it's feedbck, even though I've installed the EQ curve for our house mics, with 3 dips and lo-cut and an added hi-cut.

With only that much for hint, any suggestions? Anyone else set SA up on this system?

Our crew headsets are the lightweights, but I have CC-110, 220 and 95s I could test with -- though I wouldn't stick our house crew with 95s if I could avoid it....

If it's genuinely acoustic-coupled feedback (even with the latency in FSII), there is something seriously wrong with levels/gain structure *somewhere*.

For what, exactly, are you using the stage announce signal? Typically the SMs use it for dressing room / green room paging; a few use it to feed walkie talkies. If you're using it for SM to house... eh, I'd prefer to give the SM a separate Voice of Gawd mic.

edit ps: verifying that +48v on the LS/9 input is not on...

 

[Jay Ashworth]

No, I checked; no Phantom.

I've got a crew in; I'll try to get a recording of it, but in general, it's sort of wide and whiny; doesn't actually sound like traditional feedback, though that could be a side effect of the delay; sounds pretty pristine in the cans on cue, though.

I don't have a specific goal, just seems a useful capability; why it's P3 to get it working.

Our god mic is a Senny 825s on an arm in the booth with our house curve, no feedback from that at any usable level.

 

[FMEng]

I think you answered your own question. The latency is causing comb filtering.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

The latency is not purposeful, designed to *avoid* feedback, then? Crap.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Patched it through a 250ms delay and now it doesn't feed back (much). Still thinner than I like, but it sounds saveable...

 

[TimMc]

Patched it through a 250ms delay and now it doesn't feed back (much). Still thinner than I like, but it sounds saveable...

If that's the case, the SA signal is getting mixed back to itself and creating the comb filter @FMEng mentions. I think there is a pilot error condition at the mixer.

 

[FMEng]

Are you sending audio to Freespeak as well as receiving audio? If so, disconnect the send and see if it sounds better. If diconnecting the send works, then you need to feed it with a mix-minus (a buss with everything but it's own audio).

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Are you sending audio to Freespeak as well as receiving audio? If so, disconnect the send and see if it sounds better. If diconnecting the send works, then you need to feed it with a mix-minus (a buss with everything but it's own audio).

I am sending FS's Studio Announce XLR out to an input channel on my LS9; with the HA gain set to a reasonable level, I get a reasonable sounding person-talking in my cue channel; it sounds mostly equivalent to the same person talking through com into my PH-88.

Once I send it to my mains or monitors, it blows to hell.

Nothing is going *back* to the FS; we don't do program monitor. We're a live house; everyone is usually in ears-reach of "program".

 

[TimMc]

I am sending FS's Studio Announce XLR out to an input channel on my LS9; with the HA gain set to a reasonable level, I get a reasonable sounding person-talking in my cue channel; it sounds mostly equivalent to the same person talking through com into my PH-88.

Once I send it to my mains or monitors, it blows to hell.

Nothing is going *back* to the FS; we don't do program monitor. We're a live house; everyone is usually in ears-reach of "program".

I agree with FM, there is double-routing or some other TIME thing going on. Is there any way the signal is assigned to both L/R and a bus or mix that also sends to L/R?

 

[Jay Ashworth]

I agree with FM, there is double-routing or some other TIME thing going on. Is there any way the signal is assigned to both L/R and a bus or mix that also sends to L/R?

I just checked; all 16 AUX routes out of 31 are OUT.

On reflection, though; we've changed shows for Dance, so that isn't telling me anything.

I'll recheck that tomorrow before Jazz.