Topic: Mute groups – DCA | Allen & Heath Digital Community

Mute groups – DCA

This topic contains 9 replies, has 8 voices, and was last updated by jcarter 10 years, 11 months ago.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

Author

Posts
2013/04/10 at 6:45 pm #23716

GSLC-Tech
Participant

Hi all,

We are getting our GLD this summer. Since there is no real concept of mute group, my rep said we should be using DCA’s. Can you assign a channel to multiple DCA’s. On our GL3300 we have the vocals on one subgroup and instruments on another. All vocals except one are on a mute group.

I’m also toying around with the idea of having a DCA for just the men and another for the women.

If DCA’s are not the right route, what else could I try?

Rick Kohrs
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – West Campus
Verona, WI

2013/04/10 at 7:04 pm #33685

cctrieloff
Participant

Yes, you can assign a channel to any number of DCA’s

Carl.

2013/04/10 at 8:20 pm #33688

Chris93
Participant

Muting a DCA has the effect of muting all channels assigned to it. (or at least they behave as if they are muted).

If you want to you can lock the DCA fader to unity so that it only functions as a mute group. I tend not to do this though, I just don’t move the fader unless I want to. []The DCA mutes can be assigned to softkeys too.

There’s no reason you can’t set up your subgroups exactly the same on the GLD as you do on the GL, but you have more options. Bear in mind that muting a subgroup a channel is assigned to isn’t the same as muting the channel. (the channel will still pass signal to auxes etc.)

The DCA is like a big hand on all the faders assigned to it. A good use for this is to assign a DCA to your vocal FX sends and turn it down (or mute it) between songs when the singer is talking and turn turn it back up when the song starts.

Do you use your PA in mono or stereo?

Chris

2013/04/30 at 2:55 pm #33860

GSLC-Tech
Participant

Example setup.

Six vocals and a bunch of instruments with the following break down:

3 women – one is the worship leader.
3 men
I’d like a DCA for the women
I’d like a DCA for the men
I’d like a DCA for all vocals

Bunch of instruments
I’d like a DCA for just the instruments.

For mute groups, I’d like one that mutes everyone except for the Worship Leader and an instrumentalist.

So I would set up as follows:
Assign women to one DCA (never use mute)
Assign men to one DCA (never use mute)
Assign vocals to one DCA (never use mute)
Assign all instruments to one DCA (never use mute)
Assign all vocals and instruments (with the exception of the worship leader and one instrument) to a DCA and use that as a mute group.

Is that what people would do?

Rick Kohrs
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – West Campus
Verona, WI

2013/04/30 at 3:37 pm #33861

eotsskleet
Participant

Yes, that’s possible, for my opinion the DCA with ALL the vocals is mostly useless! If you have the men- and female-DCA’s next to them you wan’t use the overall vocal-DCA! Don’t forget to switch the “all except of one vocal and one instrument” to “Fader to unity” so no change of the DCA-Fader take affect of the volume! (Change it to a “only mute – DCA)

GL2400 32CH ==> GLD-80 / AR2412 / AR84

2013/04/30 at 3:54 pm #33863

Pit Lenz
Participant

quote:

I’d like a DCA for the women
I’d like a DCA for the men
I’d like a DCA for all vocals

Does it make sense to put three channels(I assume they`re side by side) on a DCA?
I think they`re easy to grab`n move with one hand, I´d rather do that than blocking one of my 20 faders fot this.

…no offense, just my thought….

2013/04/30 at 6:28 pm #33867

BobWitte
Participant

At our Church we would have DCA’s for Sopranos. Altos. Tenors. Plus all Vocals (except the worship leader). Then when the vocals are done but the instruments are still playing background music, we could Mute (or fade out) all Vocals so I don’t get mic noise/handling noise etc. in the mix. We also have the worship leader vocal and keyboard on a DCA and the band on a DCA and drums.

Now, if short DCA’s, I would just go with a All Vocals DCA (which we do sometimes)

The key is you have flexibility within the realm of the number of features on the GLD, to do what is best for your application.

Bob

GLD80, AR2412, 2xAR84, Dante

2013/05/01 at 4:29 am #33869

GSLC-Tech
Participant

Thanks all. Seems like each person does things a little differently and like Bob points out that flexibility is the main issue of importance.

Quick comments …

Pit Lenz … 3 was just an example. I can have 10 vocals. Now that I understand the difference between a sub group and DCA, it is the route to go when you want to increase the volume all faders equally Oh, no offense ever taken, we won’t be getting our board until later this month and I’m learning everything I can so we have an easy transition)

eotsskleet …
I’d probably use the all vocal DCA more than the men/women DCA. We currently have use vocal and instrument subgroups with our GL – I’d be lost without them.

Thanks for the reminder to use the fix at unity trick. I have soooo much to learn.

Rick Kohrs
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – West Campus
Verona, WI

2013/05/02 at 5:13 am #33875

Colin-Entner
Participant

Instead of using DCA’s you could just gang the mutes for the women and do the same for the men – that way it is still only one button push to mute the women or men. You don’t have to have a DCA on a strip somewhere to mute – or use one of the assignable buttons.

Colin Entner
Audio Director First Baptist Church
Nanaimo British Columbia

2013/05/04 at 7:47 pm #33901

jcarter
Participant

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Entner

Instead of using DCA’s you could just gang the mutes for the women and do the same for the men – that way it is still only one button push to mute the women or men. You don’t have to have a DCA on a strip somewhere to mute – or use one of the assignable buttons.

Colin Entner
Audio Director First Baptist Church
Nanaimo British Columbia

If the mutes are ganged, though, don’t you lose the ability to mute one channel individually?
Author

Posts