Behringer X32 DCA to MIX BUS

[ukdeveloper]

If you have for example all drums on DCA 1 and then the bass player wants a bit of ALL drums in his monitor, is there anyway to send a dca mix to a mix bus to bring up everything on that DCA through a particular monitor, rather than a sends on fader mix to each bus?

 

Ta,

 

UKD.

[Shez]

A DCA is just a control signal - there isn't any summing of signals involved.

[top-cat]

This might be a really good read for you as you seem to be unsure about VCAs/DCAs and what they do.

 

http://174.120.239.2...llen_health.pdf

 

Basically the difference between a DCA and a group is that in a group, the signals are sent to the group and summed into one stereo pair. With DCAs / VCAs, one fader (the VCA / DCA fader) controls the output on all the selected channels simultaneously. If you setup, say (your example) a drum DCA, watch the meters of the drum channels as you run the DCA up and down - you will see the channel output going up and down, as if you were using the channel fader. So pulling down your VCA fader is like pulling down all the channel faders that are assigned to that VCA, simultaneously. If you turn a group down, the channel outputs on the contributing channels will not be affected.

 

To do what you want to do, you'd be better sending the drums to a group rather than a DCA, then sending the group to the aux out for the bassist's monitors.Because there is summing in a group, this will achieve your desired effect.

[smalljoshua]

The only hickup with top-cat's plan there is that you can't route a group to an Aux on an X32.

 

Josh

[top-cat]

The only hickup with top-cat's plan there is that you can't route a group to an Aux on an X32.

 

Josh

 

OK, didn't know that!

 

Can you route them to a physical output? Do that then hard patch them back into a normal channel strip.

[Shez]

To be fair, I think you can select a mix bus as the source of a channel, from where you could then send it to an aux. Saves messing about with patch leads and the resulting latency of extra conversions.

[smalljoshua]

To be fair, I think you can select a mix bus as the source of a channel, from where you could then send it to an aux. Saves messing about with patch leads and the resulting latency of extra conversions.

I shall have to try that one tomorrow!

 

Josh

[top-cat]

To be fair, I think you can select a mix bus as the source of a channel, from where you could then send it to an aux. Saves messing about with patch leads and the resulting latency of extra conversions.

 

Is there much latency when doing this? There shouldn't be - as it would affect the use of analogue outboard too.

[paulears]

None detectable that I've been able to hear. You can occasionally get yourself intro trouble when doing complex routings if you have a chain and accidentally route it back to itself, but I think most people fall into the VCA trap at some point because it's not immediately obvious if you're working with ordinary groups, or VCAs. It usually only makes itself known when you can't work out why the sends don't seem to work, and then you realise why!

[timsabre]

I can't think of many reasons for using analogue outboard gear with an x32. You can do pretty much anything within it.

[paulears]

Autotune is one I find handy.

[top-cat]

I can't think of many reasons for using analogue outboard gear with an x32. You can do pretty much anything within it.

 

That is a can of worms!

 

If your view on, for example - compression, is that a compressor is a compressor is a compressor - then fine. But out in the world of analogue, there are all sorts to choose from! And I have met numerous vocalists in particular who have particular reverb units which they like for their voice, or certain compressors. (Some tour complete channel strips).

 

The fact that engineers are not always happy with just the plugins provided 'in the box' is proven in the development of things like the Waves Live plugin bundles for higher end desks. So in the same way that they like their fancy plugins, there are still many engineers who have certain favourite pieces of analogue gear of which they prefer the sound to the built-in processing in the desk. Digital desks have long had built-in 'outboard', but one of the reasons that even desks designed primarily for remote stagebox use have kept local I/O is to allow you to plug in analogue outboard.

[timsabre]

Most people using an x32 are grateful just to have compressors and eq built in... I can understand your points for more expensive desks.

[top-cat]

Most people using an x32 are grateful just to have compressors and eq built in... I can understand your points for more expensive desks.

 

I think it's fairly naive to assume that just because it's a cheap desk, it's mostly used by people who aren't used to working with higher end kit.

[timsabre]

Most people using an x32 are grateful just to have compressors and eq built in... I can understand your points for more expensive desks.

 

I think it's fairly naive to assume that just because it's a cheap desk, it's mostly used by people who aren't used to working with higher end kit.

 

I was more thinking of budget than operator experience - if you can only afford an X32 you are not going to be using a load of expensive outboard gear. And cheap outboard gear will be worse than what's built in.