Virtual soundcheck using scenes via Dante

[John-SParticipant]

I recall some kind sole posted a step by step instruction on how to set up the GLD80 so you can playback a virtual sound check via Dante, make programming decisions and save them to scenes. It was wonderful and I cannot find it. Does anyone know where this info is?

I want to use GLD editor to configure the board and load it when I get there. I saved the latest configuration from my board that has a M-Dante card present in it.

I tried to do an advanced search but this forum has not seen fit to make finding info easy. I am forced to look through hundreds of posts of gear that was not even manufactured when this post was made. I cannot filter out unwanted forum or dates.

I tried to look it up in the written material but Allen Heath decided people do not need instructions.

Allen Heath does not provide a sticky section like the rest of the civilized world’s forums either.

Should I have to spend hours finding this and any other info I need?

I am exasperated.

[BobWitteParticipant]

Type in the normal search box: Dante and soundcheck The “and” limits the search to matches with both words (I think). Found this in 3 minutes:

Scenes/shows – setup question

Bob

[dcongdonParticipant]

For what it’s worth, here are the steps I take in setting up dante for recording/playback (for virtual soundcheck).

1. Build your channel list with clear labeling.
2. Patch i/o (I/O Port Out) with the correct feeds. I use Input Sockets to pull post Preamp and pre EQ. Direct outs also work if you are willing to pull from the global pick point set in the Routing menu (and post Trim).

– NOTE: If you set I/O Port Out Ch 1 to start at Input Socket 1, and then select the “End” windown and scroll all the way to channel 48 on the GLD, it will apply channels in this order: dSNAKE 1-24, dSNAKE Exp 1-16 (even if you only have an ar84), Local Exp 1-8, and finally Local 41-48. You can definitely work around this, but I have been messed up a couple times because I expected a 1-to-1 patch. If you mindlessly scroll the “End” until all channels are patched, you have actually setup 56 outputs to dante. We use an ar2412 and two ar84s. If we don’t route correctly, we will send audio on channels 1-32 and 41-56, with channels 33-40 blank. This can screw up virtual soundcheck when you route things back 1-to-1 and you have no audio on ch 33-40.

3. Connect m-dante card (set GLD to sync clock to option card) via the primary port to a laptop with Dante’s virtual soundcard installed. Turn on the soundcard, set sample rate and channel count. Use Dante Controller to make sure devices are sync’d and routed correctly. Note: your Dante option card must be up-to-date on firmware or it will not pass audio to DVS.

4. Setup your recording software (in our case, Reaper) with the Dante Virtual Soundcard as the audio source. Make sure each track is set to pull it’s feed from the correct channel. You will also need to set the output for each track to be its channel number (e.g. track 4’s output is output 4). By default, most software has the output of all tracks summed to a master bus (LR), which Dante sees as channels 1 & 2.

5. Save a scene on the GLD for your show. Your I/O Port Out should still be properly patched for dante while the rest of your I/O is patched for the live performance.

6. Save a scene called “Playback” (if using multiple scenes during the show, I would suggest saving the playback scene in a location that you won’t accidentally activate). In the Playback scene, go to the I/O Port In, in the “Start” window, select Input 1. In the “End” window, scroll to channel 48 (obviously, be mindful of step 2 that you have routed things correctly). Once you have done this, you’ll notice that all of the physical I/O sockets are now unassigned.

7. Save “Playback” scene. Select “Recall Filter” and deactivate everything except Other/Patchbay

8. After recording soundcheck, playing it back to the GLD, and making adjustments to your mix, save another scene titled “Edited Settings.” This will capture all of the changes you’ve made using the virtual soundcheck. Select “Recall Filter” and deactivate all settings you do not wish to update. I usually deactivate Mix, DCA, Softkeys, MIDI Strips, and Others. Adjust as necessary.

9. Recall original scene with the pre-virtual soundcheck updates

10. Recall Edited Settings scene to update mix

_____________________

I am still getting use to running virtual soundchecks. Like you, I haven’t found well-documented, standard practices for dante and the GLD. Once you work with it, the process gets easier. But I have learned most of what I know from trial and error. Here is a thread I started a while ago on the topic: https://community.allen-heath.com/forums/topic/gld-m-dante-option-card-setup. Some of the responses were very helpful.

Good luck!

[BazAlexParticipant]

Hello We are using gld-80 in our church. With dante card I was able to record multi tracks to my mac but still confused how to setup VSC. Could somme one who had success may be share their show and theme here for us to download for practical purposes?

Thank you

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