Step By Step Using the Soundcraft Sound Console
This is intended to give a basic step by step guide for basic operation of the Soundcraft sound console and is not a complete user guide, nor does it go in to more complicated use including setting EQ or using FX.
Powering on the console
Press the power button that is located on the top right of the console. Do not press and hold, just tap the button to turn on the console.
Show File
When starting a new show, load the base rep show file to ensure to clear out any settings made by a previous user.
On the touch screen, touch the SHOW button.
On the bottom of the screen, touch the LOAD button.
Use the knob to select the MMC (internal drive) by pressing the knob down like a button.
Scroll down to the appropriate show file and then on the touch screen press the OK button. Most users will use the basic default show file.
Using a wired microphone
Connect a wired mic to any of the mic inputs throughout the room using an XLR cable. Make note of which mic input you've selected.
On the console, locate the mic number you've plugged into above the faders. Select that fader by pressing the SEL button. Be sure that the correct fader page is selected to the right. Page A refers to the top row of inputs on the faders, B is the next row and so on.
Adjust the gain knob toward the top of the fader and raise the fader itself to adjust the volume as needed. Additional EQ may be needed on the mic, but there should be a basic EQ already on the mic faders.
Using a wireless microphone
The wireless microphones (handheld and lavaliere) are located in the drawer of the small sound rack in each booth. Rechargeable batteries are in a charge on top of that same rack.
The wireless microphones show up on the console on Fader bank A and there should be color coded tape along the bottom of the faders that correlates to the wireless mics.
With the mic turned on, you should see signal on the fader. There is a base EQ on the wireless mics set up for handheld mics. The belt packs generally need additional fine tuning of the EQ.
Adjust the volume on the mic using the gain and/or the fader as needed.
Using Qlab
The iMac in the booth is connected to the console via a USB cable and there are 4 channels preset on the console set up on the faders.
When in Qlab, you must ensure that the Soundcraft MADI / USB Combo is selected as the audio output to send audio to the console. Qlab generally defaults to the internal audio when starting a new file.
The simplest way to do this is to change the default output #1 to the MADI / USB Combo in the audio settings.
To do this, select the small starbust icon at the bottom right of the Qlab window to open settings.
Select audio on the left hand side and then in the drop down menu to the right, change audio patch 1 to Soundcraft MADI/ USB Combo. This will ensure all of the cues created automatically default to the MADI.
Additional details on using Qlab can be found here
Using the PCDI
The PCDI is connected directly to the console and is available for clients to plug in a computer of phone with 3.5mm connection.
The PCDI is set up on the faders and once a device is connected, can play audio thru the console. Use the gain and fader to adjust volume as needed.
Using the CD and CDR
There is a regular CD player and a CDR located in the small audio rack in the booth.
Both of these devices are assigned to faders on the sound console and are labeled along the top of the faders. Volume for both can be adjusted using the gain and fader..
The CDR also has the ability to record audio directly from the console.
Matrix 4 is set up as a duplicate of the signal going to the mains, so any audio going thru the console can be sent to the CDR.
You must format whatever device (USB Drive, SD card, etc) you plan to record to, to ensure that it's in the right format for the CDR. You do this using the remote that's wired to the back of the CDR.
Select Menu on the remote and then scroll down to the UTILITY option and press enter.
The top item in the Utility menu is Memory Format. Select that by pressing enter to format whatever device you're recording to.
Once formatted, press the menu button until you get out of the menu options.
Press record on the remote or CDR itself to get the player in standby mode. Once ready, press the play button to start the recording.
It's a good idea to check the input level on the CDR to ensure that you're getting an adequate recording level. That can be adjusted on the CDR itself in the Menu option under the REC tab.
Because the CDR shows up on the faders as an input, you will want to ensure that the faders are all the way down to prevent feedback.
Ties on the console
The ties that are indicated on the faders are inputs that have to be patched in the rack in the amp room. They are indicated as the console returns.
The ties that are in the theater itself are simply connection points that can either be inputs or outputs. To connect a mic to a tie in the theater, you must patch it via the rack in the amp room to the appropriate console return.
The ties on the console do not have any EQ preset on them, so when using a mic on one of those ties, you would need to adjust the EQ.
You can copy the EQ from one of the existing mic lines by following these steps.
Select the fader EQ that you want to copy from and press the Copy Paste button on the touch screen.
Press and hold the Paste button on the touch screen, and then tap the SEL button on the fader that you want to paste to.
Using Mixes
Mix 1 - 4 are connected directly to FX Amp A - D. JF8 speakers can be connected in the room using the speaker connection and then signal patched directly to them using Mix 1 - 4.
Note - Mix 1 in MB 2 is already set up as the fold back speaker for the stage. Qlab should already be set up to go to that speaker, but anything that's added on top of Qlab would need to be added to that mix to be heard thru that speaker on stage.
Mix 5 - 8 are available as sends in the rack in the amp room and are labeled accordingly. They can be patched to locations in the room as needed to powered speakers or to portable amps as available.