Posts by Advocat666

    Thanks for your answer. Since the currently available tremolo has no "tap tempo" parameter, I assume you mean the Tempo enable function in the Rig menu, or am I wrong?

    Deactivating the tempo in the rig menu does indeed lead to a rate-based tremolo rate, but unfortunately it doesn't change the audible clicks when morphing.

    Hi guys,

    after updating to firmware 10.2.2, I noticed that the tremolo reacts and sounds differently than before. For example, when I used to morph from 1/16dot to 1/32, the tremolo's rate change sounded smooth and without audible cracking. Now you can hear a distinct crack with every rate change. Unfortunately, this ruins an essential rig for me.

    It would be great if the tremolo could be morphed again without cracking. Alternatively, a time-based rate would be great.

    Hi guys, we (aeons end) are happy to share the fifth and final article of our in depth rig rundown with you today. This time we describe how we program and set up our own light show and light hardware.


    We hope you enjoy reading and may find some helpful informations.

    5. Light Show

    If you have ever witnessed a nice concert with a great light show, you know the extra dimension lights can add to a performance and experience. Maybe you also experienced the opposite and realised how destructive a bad light show can be.

    For a band of our size, there are five ways to play live with a light show:

    1. play with steady lights
    2. play with random lights
    3. bring a lightning engineer
    4. trust the lightning engineer at the venue
    5. play with a midi-triggered lightshow

    We decided for option e) and even extended this by bringing our own light hardware to the venue, to be as independent and constant as possible.

    Please keep in mind, nobody in the band is a professional lightning engineer and everything we show is self-taught and may be called low budget or negligent, but the results are highly enriching for our live performance and perception.

    With our own limited hardware we’re able to play small clubs and venues. If venues are getting bigger, we’re able to embed selected parts of the house light easily and fast, which will be shown later.

    5.1 Light Concept

    We perform to a silhouette-based light concept. This means we dispense all front light and rely on back lights only. We like the generated atmosphere from the audience perspective and think it fits our music aesthetically well. Because of the missing front light you have to be able to perform without seeing your instrument or fretboard.


    Each song is programmed around one main color. For additional effects we bring in complementary colors or evolve a main color to another color to fit the intention and progression of a song. With blind and strobe effects we create accenting effects.

    5.2 Hardware

    5.2.1 Overview

    Our MIDI-triggered light show is programmed and controlled via Enttec DMXIS hard- and software. As mentioned in part 1, the DMXIS interface, which is converting MIDI to DMX commands, is permanently mounted to a rack tray inside our main rack and connected to our MacBook Pro, running Logic Pro X, via USB hub. Within our Logic session, the DMXIS software is hosted as an VST plugin.


    We use five LED spots (Stairville Quad Par Profile 5x8W RGBW 45°) in 6 channel mode. With a 45 degree beam angle those spots create a wide and nice beam and surprisingly rich colours, even in the pastel range.


    We use two Stairville LF-12 LED Flash 12 DMX as strobes and blinders in 3 channel mode. Those devices are really flexible and bright.

    Except for two LED spots, we’ve mounted all lights on cast base mic stands for a beam angle at body height.


    We are aware of the unauthorized misappropriation of the base mic stands, but managed to perform with this setup without admonition ‘til today.



    5.2.2 Positions

    For creating the mentioned silhouette effect, we’re placing the LED spots behind each band member. Two spots are placed behind our drummer on the floor. The strobes are placed besides the drum kit. The following picture gives you an impression of the overall look:


    5.2.3 Cabling

    We connect all lights serial by using the DMX and mains in- and outputs of each device. To reduce the effort involved in setting everything up on stage in turbulent changeover situations, we’ve connected DMX cables and mains extensions with fluorescent marking tape and call them “chains”. For example 3m chains are orange, 5m chains are purple, 10m chains are yellow and so on. This way orientation and setup gets easy. Grab a chain, start at the interface, connect two lights and go on like that. We also pre mount the lights on the stands.


    This way, our light setup on stage is ready in approximately less then five additional minutes during changeover.


    We are aware of the risks with running a stage setup like this (connection problems with one light will kill all lights following) and think about inserting an DMX splitter for a parallel setup in the future. Another advantage would be the galvanic isolation of sound and light mains circuits in order to avoid interferences, if analog house lights or dimmers are involved.

    The following schematic represents the positions of the spots and strobes, as well as their chain connections, cable length, and DMX start addresses.



    5.3 Light Programming

    5.3.1 DMXIS

    For each song of our live set one bank is created in DMXIS software. Each bank contains a multitude of scenes. Each scene is designed with its own light program for a specific part of a song.


      


    With a dedicated light check, we’re able to check the proper cabling of our setup, with automatically triggering one light after another. If everything is communicating and visible circling around, we’re ready to go.

    Before and after each song, there is the same colored pause light (everything blue).

    This gives us the freedom to mix up the setlist or to start and stop the Logic session at any time, because no interruptions get visible between songs.

    We put the DMX start addresses of our own light hardware on the very end of the DMX universe, because usually venues start their house lights on channel 1. This way, we’re able to copy the light commands for our hardware easily to the house lights without overlap, if necessary and possible. A dedicated explanation of embedding house lights will follow later.

    5.3.2 MIDI


    We run two dedicated MIDI tracks for our own light show. MIDI track 1 is triggering the song bank (sending on MIDI channel 15). MIDI track 2 is triggering the scenes within the banks (sending on MIDI channel 16). The MIDI channel assignment is predefined by DMXIS.

    The first bank in DMXIS can be triggered with the lowest MIDI note (C-2). The first scene in this bank is triggered with C-2, too (remember both tracks are sending on different channels).


    In the graphic above you can see the scene progression within one bank/song through the ascending MIDI notes. Now you just have to make sure that your scenes fit your aesthetic vision and are triggered in the right moment of the song.


    We also enabled a Logic feature called “MIDI chase” which basically keeps the light show in the right bank and scene depending on where we place the playhead in Logic. That means when we put the playhead in the middle of the song, the Lights will actually go to the right scene without directly being triggered by the playhead running over a certain MIDI note.


    In the beginning of the light programming process we had problems with programming/implementing short strobe shots, e.g. on the first beat of a measure. The solution was to program a very slow “strobe” with a frequency of 25 shots per minute. By putting the corresponding MIDI note to the “shot scene” 3/16 before the first beat of a measure, the shot is in time. For an example please check the video at the end of this article at 0:15. Everything seen there is just our basic setup.

    5.3.3 Integration of house lights


    In certain situations it becomes necessary to integrate the existing house lights of a venue. The bigger a venue gets, the more lights need to be integrated as compensation for our limited hardware. As there is no “copy & paste” feature within DMXIS, you’re forced to work with Python scripts to mirror lights. Those scripts can be load as macros within DMXIS. With mirroring, we mean telling a certain house light to do the exact same thing then what for example our LED Spot “Git L” is doing. There are a lot of scripts available at the DMXIS forum, but not what we needed for mirroring our scenes to the house light. We programmed a solution, to even send multiple DMX channels to multiple destinations. The screenshot is giving you a hint.

    As you can see in the example, channels 449 to 451 get copied and sent to starting channel 1 and 10. This means channel 1, 2, 3 and 10, 11, 12 are now doing the exact same thing as channel 449, 450 and 451.

    To get everything even more safe and flexible, we’ve prepared 30 scripts for different DMX regions of our show that need to be mirrored.

    For each LED spots there are scripts for:

    • RGB
    • WHITE
    • STROBE
    • DIM

    Both strobes got scripts for:

    • BRIGHT
    • FRQ

    This way we are able to prepare the extension of our light show in advance, if the venue provides us with a professional light rider some days before the show.

    We connect the house lights with the last spot of our own setup and are ready to go.

    During the first lockdown in Germany back in 2020, we got the chance to evaluate our light show and set up in a great local venue. On this occasion we’ve started to implement moving heads, too.


    To give you an impression what everything looks and sound like when coming together, please enjoy this video of a live session from last year:


    aeons end - aera [live @Blue Hospital Studio]

    Hi guys,


    time for a new article today. This time we go full detail on our Logic Pro X Session - providing our backing arrangement with click track and VST instruments, dual KPA MIDI control, our MIDI to DMX lightshow - operated by a MIDI controller on stage.


    As always: We hope you enjoy reading and may find some helpful informations. Feel free to ask questions or explain your setup and solutions!


    Sunday after next will see the release of the fifth article, dealing with the setup and the programming of our lightshow.

    4. Logic Pro X Session

    From the beginning of Aeons End in 2014, we knew that we’ll have to use a DAW for backing-tracks, live effects and click. Back in the day we still had a vocalist and played our first shows with Ableton Live 9. This DAW is known for its live performance and we enjoyed its possibilities – especially in pulling off live effects on the vocals such as reverb and delay. Nevertheless, we’ve been used to Logic Pro X from our recording and mixing processes so we dropped Ableton when we started playing as an instrumental band only. The workflow from songwriting into live-production just seemed easier for us.

    4.1 Routing

    Our Logic project holds all the songs we’re playing live, including click-tracks, MIDI-tracks for the Kempers, MIDI-tracks for the light show, additional stems (guitars, synths) and also some live VSTs such as pianos and synths. The actual songs have markers at the beginning which allow us to jump from song to song with a simple push of a button. The usage of markers will be explained in section 4.6. In order to keep things as clear as possible we also put most of the tracks in folders which can be expanded if needed.


          


    We set up our digital outputs as following:


    output signal explanation
    output 1 + 2 additional guitars and synths
    • sum of all pre-leveled guitar and synth layers
    output 3 + 4 drum stems
    • only for rehearsing without a drummer
    • stems can be muted individually in our IEMs
    output 5 crowd mic
    • Beyerdynamic MCE 86 S ii – directional mic pointed at the crowd
    • a mic we put on stage on point to the audience so we can hear some feedback in our IEMs, also we programmed an automation for this mic to mute it during the songs
    output 6 click track
    • simple metronome for our IEM (Logic’s built-in Klopfgeist VST)
    • song title as spoken word at the beginning of a song (only audible in IEM)
    output 7 + 8 live VSTs
    • pianos, synths and some effects such as reverb and delay


    These particular output settings in our Logic sessions enable us to provide a pre-mixed and leveled signal (live guitars + additional guitar stems + live VSTs + synth stems) to the FOH, as described in part 2. Also we can individually set up our IEM systems the way we want. That’s why our live VSTs have a dedicated output as well – not everybody in the band needs them in their personal IEM mix. Speaking of the IEMs: they can make you feel isolated from the crowd, so our solution with the crowd mic is very beneficial for the overall live feel.

    4.2 Click

    For the actual click we use Logic’s own plugin called “Klopfgeist”. Every song starts with a spoken word audio file with the title (for example “Confess”) and a pre-click of two bars. For guidance the pre-click is pitched higher as the regular click which – once it’s started – lasts for the whole song. Of course the click picks up any tempo changes. As already mentioned, we can set the level of the click in our personal IEM-mix individually.

    4.3 Backing Tracks, Stems, Leveling

    In aeons end we often have three or more guitar layers going on, but we’re actually only two guitar players. To cover that, using backing tracks was essential from the very beginning of the band. Additional guitars or synths usually get exported from a song writing project as a stereo .wav-file. Later we import those stems into our live project in Logic.

    The final step is dialing in the level of the individual audio files. Since we use Logics built-in normalize feature, the imported audio files usually get set to -23 dB LUFS. After setting the right pre-fader level, we typically adjust the track volume via automation. As explained in part 1 and 2, live guitars and backing tracks share a stereo analog output on our output panel, so after recording a new song directly in the x32 mixer, setting the appropriate levels is quite easy. We’re listening to the recording on studio headphones, IEM-headphones and also our PA system to make sure everything is set the way we want.

    4.4 Kemper MIDI & programming

    For controlling the Kempers we have two individual MIDI tracks, sending on two different MIDI channels. Most of our MIDI changes are PCs (program changes) which switch between different performances and slots. For certain situations we also programmed CC (control changes) within the MIDI tracks to control volume, panorama or morphing.

    In the screenshot you can see the two highlighted MIDI tracks. The numbers on the actual MIDI regions are the programmed PCs. What occurs as darker lines on “MIDI Oli” is a PC we put in. For programming those CCs and PCs no actual MIDI notes are necessary (at least in Logic Pro X, maybe this is different in other DAWs).

    While programming we also discovered that there is a slight delay from the MIDI change to the Kemper actually reacting to those changes. In order to fix that, we usually put in the MIDI changes a 16th note earlier. But this also depends on the song. We move around the MIDI change as long as it starts to “feel right”.




    We ran into another problem with programming MIDI that took us quite a while to solve. After morphing parameters had been triggered, the Kempers started to crash or stopped responding to the MIDI information we put in. In that case restarting the Kempers was the only way to get them back to function. After many hours of frustration and research on the Internet we finally found the reason for this mess. Morphing is triggered by the expression value in the MIDI files and can be set anywhere between 0 and 127. We’ve learned that the Kempers need a “morphing reset” before the next PC or CC. That means after putting in a full morph (value 127 in the screenshot) we had to get back to 0 (no morphing) before changing to another slot. Having that in mind putting in new morphing parameters hasn’t been an issue anymore.



    We also enabled a Logic feature called “MIDI chase” which basically keeps the Kempers in the right performance slots depending on where we place the playhead. That means when we put the playhead in the middle of the song, the Kempers will actually go to the right performance without directly being triggered by the playhead running over a certain CC or PC.

    4.5 DMX MIDI & programming

    We run two dedicated MIDI tracks for our own light show. MIDI track 1 is triggering a song bank. Each song has its own bank. MIDI track 2 is triggering the presets within banks. A dedicated explanation to the process of programming light MIDIs and our own lighting hardware will follow in part 5.


    4.6 MIDI-Keyboard for controlling and triggering

    After setting up a few songs for live performance we were looking for a solution to quickly jump between songs without actually going to the laptop and manually place the playhead on a specific spot at the Logic project. We first ended up using a wireless bluetooth numpad that is hooked up to the laptop via USB and then mapped our song markers to the keys.

    Mapping the markers and triggering them with the numpad works like a charm. We can easily place the wireless numpad anywhere on stage, for instance next to our drummer, to manually jump to a specific song. This gives us the freedom to mix up the setlist or start and stop the Logic session at any time.

    However for some songs we recently started utilizing VSTs to manually play certain piano or synthesizer parts. After testing the practicability of this approach with a simple MIDI controller, we decided on getting a new one that also allows us to expand our marker mapping and VST control. The controller we finally purchased is a M-AUDIO Code 61 that features 61 full-size keys, 16 pads, 9 faders on a whole bunch of assignable buttons. In addition to that a sustain pedal by M-Audio was added as well. Now the markers are assigned to the pads as following:


    pad assignment description
    1 marker 1 light check, MIDI check, click check
    2 marker 2 first song in the project
    3 marker 3 second song in the project
    4 marker 4 fourth song in the project
    5 marker 5 fifth song in the project
    6 marker 6 sixth song in the project
    7 marker 7 seventh song in the project
    8 marker 8 eighth song in the project
    9 marker 9 ninth song in the project
    10 marker 10 ambient light (just an indirect warm light situation)
    11 not assigned yet
    12 select previous track allows us to toggle between different track with different VSTs
    13 not assigned yet
    14 not assigned yet
    15 not assigned yet
    16 select next rack allows us to toggle between different track with different VSTs


    The M-Audio Code 61 controller also comes with a neat software that helps setting up the controller, changing colors of and saving presets. For orientation we changed the color of the pads which trigger song markers according to the main color we programmed for lighting. For example: for our song “reflect” we programmed green as a main color for the light show. Therefore the marker in the Logic project as well as the pad on the MIDI controller are both set to green.

    Also we connected some of the encoders (360 degree pot-like buttons) to certain synthesizer parameters such as cutoff, resonance, attack, decay, sustain and release. Besides the pad and encoder assignment we also programmed other functions to MIDI controller:

    • play project
    • stop project
    • jump to previous marker
    • jump to next marker

    Hi guys, we (aeons end) are happy to share the third article of our in depth rig rundown with you today. This time we go full detail on our dual KPA setup.

    Sunday after next will see the release of the fourth article, dealing with our Backing-, Click-, MIDI- and DMX tracks coming from Logic Pro X.

    We hope you enjoy reading and may find some helpful information.

    3. Kemper Setup

    3.1 Guitars

    Both of our guitarists play sevenstrings. To make the profile exchange, pre-production and overall sound as consistent and uniform as possible, they decided on playing the exact same guitar as well. The instrument they chose is a Schecter KM-7 mk1 equipped with Seymour Duncan Nazgul and Sentient Pickups. It has a 3-way switch, a single volume knob and many other nice features we like about it but don’t want to bother you with for now.

    The only thing we changed about the guitar is the volume pot, which has been a push/pull pot for coil splitting. Since we change and split pickups a lot during our songs, we replaced it with a push/push pot. That actually made a big difference.


    3.2 Kemper

    In the songwriting-, production-, rehearsal- as well as in the live-situation, we use Kempers exclusively. They became essential for writing and performing music from the very beginning of the band. Although both Kempers are the rack version, one of them has a power amp in it. The power amp isn’t in use though since we only rehearse and perform with a PA.

    Additionally to the Kempers we have the Kemper remote as well. That device usually will be used for tuning purposes or experimenting at the rehearsal space. In live situations we put the remotes in front of us, but only for tuning and orientation during a set. Also we could technically switch slots and performances manually in case the MIDI-programming would stop working. Gladly this hasn’t happened yet.

    For the connection with the X32 mixer, we use the main XLR outputs on the back of the Kemper. Also we run a MIDI cable from a MIDI interface to the MIDI input of the KPAs. Input-wise one of our guitarists uses the regular front input with a guitar cable, the other uses the alternate input on the back of the Kemper in combination with a wireless guitar system from Line6.


    3.2.1 Performance Setup

    To MIDI-program the Kempers we tried to find a solution as logical as possible. In perform mode, each song has its own bank with up to 5 slots. Usually those 5 slots are enough to cover all of the different tones and effects. If we need more than 5 different settings, morphing comes in quite handy and can handle variations with ease.

    Here is an example of how we put together a performance:


    Song: Soulmate Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Slot 4 Slot 5
    Bank 10 PC #45 PC #46 PC #47 PC #48 PC #49
    Kemper 1 Rhythm L (mono) Rhythm (stereo) individual profile individual profile individual profile
    Kemper 2 Rhythm R (mono) Rhythm (stereo) individual profile individual profile individual profile


    As a constant, we put our mono rhythm tones in the first slot and our stereo rhythm tones in the second slot of a performance. The following three slots are used for individual profiles, depending on the song and the layer we agreed on playing. Those profiles are typically clean tones, crunch tones, glassy tones, lead tones or drones. The majority of them are stereo. For planning and programming we once put together an excel sheet with banks, slots and their specific PC values. This makes programming faster. Programming automated changes of performances, slots and morphing will be explained in part 4 of the rig rundown though.

    3.2.2 Profile Setup

    First and foremost it was most important for us to get quality tones in all varieties from super clean to high gain. Over the years owning Kempers, we’ve tested quite a number of different profiles made by various manufacturers of various amps.

    At some point we got our hands on the Blackstar SeriesOne Profiles from The Amp Factory (Kemper User and44). Those particular profiles fit our music, playing style and instruments very well. In fact, we’re almost exclusively playing those profiles now in all gain stages.

    Other than that a few of our cleans are based on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe profile made by Kemper-User Maurizio70 which we found for free in the rig exchange. Our glassy tones are based on an EVH5153 profile by Keith Merrow.


    High Gain Components

    • before the amp: graphic EQ, noise gate

    • Blackstar SeriesOne Amp Profile
    • after the amp: graphic EQ

    Soundcloud: High Gain // aeons end


    Lead Components

    • before the amp: graphic EQ, noise gate
    • Blackstar SeriesOne Amp Profile
    • after the amp: graphic EQ, delay

    Soundcloud: Lead // aeons end


    Crunch Components

    • before the amp: compressor, delay or chorus (depending on the song)
    • Blackstar SeriesOne Amp Profile
    • after the amp: graphic eq, chorus, delay, reverb (depending on the song)

    Soundcloud: Crunch  // aeons end


    Clean Components

    • before the amp: compressor, delay
    • Blackstar SeriesOne Amp Profile
    • after the amp: graphic eq, chorus, delay, reverb (depending on the song)

    Soundcloud: Clean // aeons end


    Glassy Components

    • before the amp: noise gate, compressor
    • EVH 5153 profile with cab section turned off
    • after the amp: chromatic pitch, graphic eq, delay, reverb

    Soundcloud: Glassy // aeons end


    Drone Components

    • before the amp: delay
    • Blackstar SeriesOne Amp Profile
    • after the amp: graphic EQ

    Soundcloud: Drone // aeons end

    3.2.3 Stereo Imaging

    Since layering different guitars is a quite essential part of our songwriting, we care about stereo imaging in live situations a lot. Typically both of our guitarists play different parts and tones during a song. Only on a few occasions, for example in a groove, they play the same riffs. We decided against panning hard left or right since that usually results in a total lack of the left guitar on the right side of the PA and vise versa. So panning hard left and right would simply affect the live experience for the audience in a negative way. To compensate that our mono rhythm sound is set to -3 and +3 in the panorama of the rig, so there will be some bleed on each of the guitars both left and right. The archived stereo width with those settings is our reference for all other stereo guitars.


    In order to compensate for stereo width we use the Delay Widener, introduced in Kemper OS 7.5. After testing quite a few settings we agreed on a 12ms delay since those parameters gave us the best compromise of feel and sound. The delay widener works best for us when put at the very end of the signal chain (Reverb Slot). The results, even with clean or crunch tones (also with delay and reverb), are rather convincing.

    The main benefits of using the delay widener are (1) wide stereo image even with just one rhythm guitar, (2) space in the stereo center for additional layers, lead and bass and (3) improvisation of the IEM-mixes. Nevertheless, we are aware of the Haas effect but assume that this only could be a problem if listening to the live mix on headphones or standing at the sweetest sweet spot at a venue. Also the Haas effect gets less obvious (if noticed by the listener at all) in a complete live mix with drums, bass and layers.


    Hi guys,

    we (Aeons End) are happy to share the second article of our in depth rig rundown with you today. This time we go full detail on our X32 setup.


    Sunday after next will see the release of the third article, dealing with our dual KPA setup with profile and performance examples, sound examples and stereo image analysis.


    We hope you enjoy reading and may find some helpful information.



    2. Mixer and IEM Setup

    We exclusively use our X32 rack for all routing and mixing purposes, including five independent stereo IEM mixes. We also use it as an audio interface with up to 16 digital input channels and 8 digital output channels within our DAW via Behringer X-USB expansion module in the X32 extension slot.


    The colour marked areas in the table below represent all analog inputs (orange) as well as the yet unmentioned digital (blue) and internal (yellow) inputs. The table also shows their sources as well as their corresponding channels in the X32. All shown signals are used for our IEM mixes (pink) and either a rehearsal mix (green) or a live mix (purple).


    We will explain the difference between the last two and also show how we can switch between them in no time using the internal X32 routing functions. We use the X32-Edit software on our MacBook Pro for routing, editing and mixing our live and our rehearsal mix. For our IEM mixes, we use our mobile devices with the app mixing station. At times, five devices are simultaneously operating their individual mixes via the WIFI function without problems, which is very smart and handy.


    With linking channels in the X32, we’re creating dedicated stereo channels for stereo signals. The X32 is panning those channels automatically hard left and hard right and is linking both faders.

    2.1 X32 input setup

    2.1.1 X32 analog inputs (orange)

    As you can see, the first 16 channels are corresponding to the physical order of our input-/split panels and their paths to the physical inputs on the backside of our X32 (see paragraph 1.3 for details).

    2.1.2 X32 digital inputs (blue)

    Our song arrangements often contain multiple layers of guitars, synths, keys and effects. In order to perform our songs as close to the original arrangement as possible, we’re relying on backing tracks, providing all necessary additional layers.


    We assigned each instrument/signal, coming from our Logic Pro X session, running on our MacBook Pro, to its own input channel using the Behringer X-USB card outs (channel 17-24), marked blue in the table. Therefore a separate output is defined for each Logic signal (details will follow in part 4).


    To get everything tight and synced, we’re playing to a click track, coming from our Logic session too, via card out 6 to channel 22.


    All backing tracks (guitars, keys, synth etc.) in our Logic session are leveled and matched to our live guitar sounds coming from our Kemper Profiling Amplifiers. All those tracks are sent via card out 1 & 2 to channel 17 & 18.


    We’re also using a midi master keyboard (M-Audio Code 49), to perform live piano and live synths through stereo VST plugins, hosted in our Logic session. Those signals are sent via card out 7 & 8 to ch 23 & 24.


    We’re routing our crowd mic through Logic and programmed an automation for this mic to mute it during songs. This way, we just hear the crowd in our IEM during song breaks. Therefore we created a track in Logic which utilises channel 10 of the X32 as an interface input. The automated signal is sent back to the X32 via Card Out 5 which is assigned to channel 21 for IEM tweakability.


    In case our drummer is not available for rehearsals, we’ve assigned another linked stereo input (channel 19 & 20) via card out 3 & 4 to drum backings, hostet in Logic Pro X, too. A detailed explanation of the creation and implementation of all mentioned signals above will follow in part 4.

    2.1.3 USB recording (yellow)

    We’re regularly using the USB recording function of the X32, to evaluate and store rehearsals and sessions. We’ve assigned channel 25 & 26, to level the recorded playbacks in all potential mixes. To record a session, we just need to put a USB stick to the X32 and press record. Usually we record our rehearsal mix, as shown in the X32-Edit screenshot in paragraph 2.2.2.

    2.1.4 Multitrack recording

    Because we’ve set up the X32 as an interface, we’re able to multi track all channels in real time in our Logic session. This is actually great for analyzing and leveling signals, or saving them for post production.

    2.2. Mixing in the X32

    In the following paragraphs we will distinguish our rehearsal- (green) and our live mix (purple), as well as our IEM mixes (pink). The graphic below shows the first screenshot of our X32-Edit settings with all input channels. All output channels will be shown in a second screenshot in paragraph 2.2.2.



    As you can see we’re making use of the internal channel compressors, noise gates and EQs, especially on kick, snare and toms, to place them properly in our IEM and rehearsal mix. Snare and toms are also sent to a dedicated drum FX channel (bus 15), with an X32 internal reverb on it. Toms and overheads (OH) are panned according to their physical position on the drum kit, for a nice stereo image.

    All analog signals (orange), except bass guitar, are eq’d, to sit in the mix properly. A low-cut at 90hz is added to guitars, to remove unnecessary bottom end. Backing tracks get low-cut at 35hz. We will not discuss the settings of the effects in detail since this is a very broad topic and depends heavily on the kind of music you’re playing, the used equipment etc. If you are interested in our settings, check the link to our X32 scene in paragraph 2.4.

    We’re not using any DCA groups or matrixes.

    2.2.1 Rehearsal mix (green)

    We utilize the main mix of the X32 as our rehearsal und recording mix. This way we’re able to control and mix everything inside the X32 to our liking and send it directly to the PA in our rehearsal room, even if we’re rehearsing just over IEM most of the time. Crowd mic and click are set to -∞dB in the mix and are therefore not present in the USB recordings or the PA, but are still audible and tweakable in our IEM mixes. When we rehearse, we map the main mix to XLR out 1 & 2 of the X32 (see the graphics in paragraph 2.3).

    2.2.2 Live mix (purple)

    Our live mix differs from our rehearsal mix, because we just send selected signals to FOH, instead of a full band mix.


    For micing the drum kit, three scenarios are possible:

    1. We leave micing the whole drum kit to the FOH engineer and ask for a full stereo drum mix via our dedicated stereo live return way for IEM.
    2. We leave micing the whole drum kit to the FOH engineer, but mic snare and/or bass drum additionally with our own mics and ask for stereo drum mix containing OH and toms via our dedicated stereo live return way for IEM.
    3. We mic the snare and bass drum on our own and offer FOH the splitted pre X32 signals via our outputpanel and ask for a stereo drum mix containing OH and toms via our dedicated stereo live return way for IEM.

    The signal of the bass guitar is split pre X32 with the Behringer MS8000 (input-/splitpanel) and sent to FOH via our output panel (see paragraph 1.3 and 1.4 for details).


    To guarantee matching levels between live instruments and backing tracks, we decided to premix and sum all relevant signals into a stereo subgroup (bus 1 & 2, red box in the screenshot below).


    Therefore, we send live guitars (channel 1-4) as well as the backing tracks (channel 17-18) and live keys (channel 23-24) to bus 1 & 2. Bus 1 & 2 is then mapped to XLR Out 1 & 2 and sent to FOH.

    Matching all levels is always a tough and long process, but the result is very satisfying and convincing. This way soundchecks are also shortened because we don’t need to check and level each guitar signal, live keys, backings and so on, but just:

    1. stereo live sum (pre mix of live guitars, live keys, backing guitars, backing keys, backing synths, etc.)
    2. drums
    3. bass guitar

    With remapping either the rehearsal mix (LR, the brown box in the screenshot below) or the live mix (bus 1 & 2, the red box in the screenshot below) to XLR out 1 & 2, we prevent changing the settings for our rehearsal mix and IEM mixes. The actual switching between both mixes will be shown in paragraph 2.3.



    To alternative scenarios to remap outputs are possible:

    1. work with different scenes for rehearsal and live situation
    2. utilize the spare XLR outs und busses 3 & 4

    We think the benefit of our way is the reduction of working with scenes and the quick switch between the mixes with just few internal clicks (shown in paragraph 2.3) as well as keeping the spare outs clear for future extensions (e.g. live & backup vocals etc.)

    2.2.3 IEM mixes (pink)

    We use the app mixing station to adjust our individual IEM mixes via WIFI . Everyone is logging into his personal IEM bus and can adjust signals and channel layout to taste.



    The following screenshots are an example of personal IEM settings. Because all stereo channels are linked, the display of just one channel side is necessary.

     

    2.3 X32 output setup

    The following table shows our X32 output setup. We utilize all XLR outs and even the AUX outs for our live mix (red) and rehearsal mix (brown) as well as for our IEM systems (pink).



    In the matrix shown below, bus 1 & 2, and therefore our live mix (red), is mapped to XLR Out 1 & 2. By just dragging the markers to “L” and “R” we can map the rehearsal mix (brown) to XLR Out 1 & 2. It’s that simple. If for whatever reason we can’t use X32-Edit we can do the same thing directly on the X32.



    Last but not least, here’s our Aux out routing:


    2.4 X32 scene

    To give all Behringer X32 enthusiasts the chance to evaluate our setup, here is our current mixing scene, which can be opened, checked and edited in X32-Edit (v 4.1): Aeons End_X32_scene

    1.3 Analog Inputs

    As shown in the table, we have to handle a lot of signals from different sources. We also send them to different destinations with different demands: The FOH doesn’t need all the signals that we want for our IEM. And we all have different preferences for our IEM mixes. The result is a pretty complex routing. At the end of part 1 we will show a complete routing scheme, but for clarity’s sake let’s start with the input panels.


    Input Signal Source Phantom
    1 Git 1 L Kemper A XLR Output L
    2 Git 1 R Kemper A XLR Output R
    3 Git 2 L Kemper B XLR Output L
    4 Git 2 R Kemper B XLR Output R
    5 Bass Line6 Helix
    6 Kick the t.bone BD 500 Beta
    yes
    7 OH L AKG P17 yes
    8 OH R AKG P17 yes
    9 Snare Sennheiser e904
    10 Crowd Beyerdynamic MCE 86 S ii yes
    11 Floor Tom L AKG P4
    12 Rack Tom L AKG P4
    13 Rack Tom R AKG P4
    14 Floor Tom R AKG P4
    15 Live Return L FOH
    16 Live Return R FOH




    The following scheme shows the front and back of our MS 8000 input panels with all the signals:



    As you can see, 8 of the 16 inputs are used for drum mics. Originally we didn’t plan to mic the whole drum set but we found it to have some benefits: (1) We have a complete IEM mix for rehearsal as well as potentially live. In-ear monitoring can make you feel a little isolated (which also led us to use a crowd mic, more on that later) so having all instruments present is very pleasing. We plan to use Input 15 and 16 in upcoming live situations if the sound engineer can’t provide all the single drum inputs. This way he can send us his stereo mix of the drumset. (2) We can record complete band mixes for demos as well as getting an impression of how our set will sound. As mentioned at the beginning we want to operate as independent as possible and deliver a high quality performance at a constant and reliable level.

    The drawback is that we don’t have any inputs left for other sources, e.g. vocals. But since we’re currently playing instrumental it’s not so bad. Besides we can always extend our input possibilities in the future, e.g. with stage boxes.

    As mentioned above, the MS 8000 provides two outputs for each input. We use these in different ways. For example, the bass signal gets split: The Link Out is sent to the output panel (which will be shown later) and straight to the FOH; the Direct Out is sent to the X32 for our IEM. There is another important point with the Link Outs: only they can accept Phantom Power from the X32! So for example the kick drum mic is sent to the X32 via Link Out to get Phantom Power; the Direct Out is sent straight to the output panel and to the FOH.


    Let’s take a look at the input section on the back of our X32:





    We organized the patch cables in a way that the inputs of the MS 8000 match with the inputs on the X32. For example, Input 1 on the MS 8000 is patched to Input 1 on the X32 and so on (at the beginning of our rack journey however, we were less organized and everything was a little bit messy).

    To the USB input of the X32 we send different digital signals from our laptop and Logic Pro X. They are shown in the final routing scheme at the end of this part and explained in detail in part 2 and 4 of this rundown.

    1.4 Analog outputs

    Let’s take a look at the output section of our X32:




    As you can see, all the input signals are pretty much merged into a live stereo mix and the stereo mixes for our IEM. We merge the live guitars, additional guitar layers, synths and live VSTs into one mix because (1) it makes sound checks easier and (2) it keeps the individual levels as well as the panning the way we want. To achieve this we had to, among other things, change the Main Outs of the X32 to be regular outputs. The routing and mixing inside the X32 will be explained in detail in Part 2, so let’s leave that for later. The “Spare Outs” were used for vocals earlier and we left all the routing in place for days to come (resoldering cables for the output panel is also quite a pain).

    Last but not least, here are the back and front of the output panel:




    So these are the signals that we send to the FOH in the end. Remember that bass, kick and snare are sent here directly from the input panels via Link- or Direct Outs. The IEM outputs for our drummer are positioned on the front because he uses a wired IEM system unlike the rest of us.

    That pretty much wraps up our rack and the analog signals we run for our setup.

    Part 2 will explain how we route and mix all our signals inside the X32. To conclude part 1 we show the announced scheme with the complete routing which hopefully will be understandable with the explanations given so far:



    1. Core Components

    1.1 MacBook Pro

    The core of our whole setup consists of a MacBook Pro in combination with a Behringer X32 mixer. Currently, we’re using a 2014 MacBook Pro (15-inch display, 2,5 GHz i7 Quad Core, 500 GB SSD, 16 GB of RAM) with a copy of the latest Logic Pro X version (at this point it is 10.6.1).

    In addition to stock Logic plugins we have some Waves plugins and also a copy of db audioware DMXIS installed. Additionally, we use the X32 Edit Software for controlling the mixer on the laptop as well as the latest Rig Manager version for our two Kemper Profiling Amps.


    1.2 Rack

    Rack components from top to bottom

    • Kemper B (Git 2 – Oli)
    • Kemper A (Git 1 – Pat)
    • LD Systems MEI 1000 (Oli)
    • LD Systems MEI 1000 (Pat)
    • LD Systems MEI 1000 (Konni)
    • LD Systems MEI 100 (spare)
    • Behringer X32 Rack
    • Output panel (DIY)
    • Input panel A (Behringer MS 8000)
    • Input panel B (Behringer MS 8000)

    1.2.1 Rack Case

    We’re using a 12U hard plastic double door rack case for our main rack. The case is solid but still lightweight. Our two Kempers are also mounted in similar hard plastic rack cases, so everything can be transported independently and stacked together safely and nicely. We always carry our Kempers back and forth between our home studios and our rehearsal spot, where the main rack is staying all the time. As you can see in the picture above, we have 2U left in our main rack for future extensions.

    1.2.2 Behringer X32 Rack

    The centerpiece of our rack setup is a Behringer X32 in rack format. It manages all analog and digital in- and outputs. Serving as an audio interface, it handles and routes our backing arrangement in Logic Pro X, our premixes and separate outputs for FOH. Additionally, we use the X32 as a mixer for our five independent stereo in-ear monitoring (IEM) mixes – all controllable independently via app-remote (Mixing Station). In fact, we’re using all 16 XLR inputs, all 8 XLR outputs and also all 6 AUX outputs. We also intended to use the X32 for sending MIDI commands for controlling our Kempers, but came to realise that the X32 isn’t able to do dedicated MIDI-sends (which nearly every other cheap interface does in a handslight). The X32 is connected to the MacBook Pro via USB hub. A network cable connects the X32 to our wifi router, as the X32 lacks an internal router, different to the X-Air series, too. All mentioned aspects and solutions will be explained in the following articles.



    1.2.3 Behringer MS 8000 (Input/Split panels)

    All connectors of the X32 are located at the backside. Just the imagination of plugging 30 different cables in a dark rack full of different equipment in a turbulent changeover situation caused pain in our heads. So the goal was clear: we have to bring all connectors, except the permanently connected IEM systems, to a color-labeled panel at the front of the rack. First idea was to solder an appropriate panel for all 16 inputs, but then the Behringer MS 8000 appeared on our horizon.

    This unit provides 8 XLR Inputs splitted to 16 XLR outputs with ground lift and Phantom Power Link. This is just perfect, because with this gem it’s possible to route all input signals into our X32 while splitting certain signals, e.g. kick and bass, directly to FOH. All for less than the material price of a self made panel.

    Like mentioned above, we’ve labeled all cables and affiliated inputs with the same colored marking tape. This way, everyone is able to get the routing safely.

    In conclusion we’re running two Behringer MS8000 as input panels. All 16 XLR inputs of the X32 are available at the front and can be splitted directly.

    1.2.4 Output panel

    Of course all external outputs (to FOH & the wired IEM system of our drummer) needed to be transferred to the front as well. Because we’re utilising the XLR Outs and AUX Outs (jack-sockets) of the X32, no fix hardware was available. So we decided to build an DIY panel. We’ve used the opportunity to convert all jack sources (AUX Outs) to XLR Outs.

    Our first iteration was a cheap and straight panel. We put sockets in and soldered them with Cordial cables with Neutrik connectors. Long story short: nearly every physical contact resulted in cable break at the open soldered socket points. Frustrating as hell. After some search we found the Adam Hall 872215 U-shaped Rack Panel 1U. The clou is that the u-shaped cable holders work as a strain relief. We’re using cable ties to fix the soldered connections to the panel and never experienced a cable break since that. Highly recommended!

    We’ve also labeled all cables and affiliated outputs with the same colored marking tape.

    In fact, we run some certain splitted input signals from the input panel directly to the output panel for providing them to FOH. A detailed explanation will follow later on. So our output panel consists of the Adam Hall 872215 U-shaped Rack Panel 1U, 16 Neutrik XLR male sockets, symmetric cordial cables and different Neutrik connectors matched to the output signal socket source.




    1.2.5 IEM Systems

    Pat, Oli and Konni are using LD Systems MEI 1000 G2 in stereo mode. Rapha is using a Behringer Powerplay P1 also in stereo mode. The fact that we all use stereo IEM mixes is a good part of the reason why we have to use all the XLR and AUX Outs of the X32. We tried mono IEM mixes in the past but were not satisfied with the results. With an LD Systems MEI 100 G2 (labeled as IEM Vox), we have one stereo wireless IEM system as a spare and backup unit.


        


    1.2.6 Rack tray

    We acquired the Thon Rack Tray 1U for small but necessary equipment in our main rack. All following parts are mounted nicely and safely with cable ties to the numerous drill holes. This thing is a steal for the price. Maybe we will move all mounted parts to a rack drawer some day for better accessibility, but at the moment everything works fine the way it is.


    1.2.6.1 USB hub

    All the following parts on the rack tray are connected to an 7-Port USB 3.0 hub also mounted on the rack tray, which is connected with our MacBook Pro. The USB hub is supplied with a 10W power adapter.


    1.2.6.2 MIDIface

    In fact the Behringer X32 isn’t able to send MIDI commands, which is a real bummer. So we are forced to use a MIDI interface and decided for the Miditech MIDIface 2×2, which is working like a charm and mounted to the rack tray. Connected via USB to the USB hub, it handles all MIDI commands related to our Kempers. Pat is using channel A and Oli is using channel B. We went for different colored MIDI cables for minimizing human errors while connecting.

    1.2.6.3 DMXIS

    We run a MIDI-triggered lightshow which is programmed and controlled via Enttec DMXIS hard- and software. The DMXIS interface, which is converting MIDI to DMX commands, is mounted to the rack tray and connected to the USB hub. A dedicated explanation to the process of programming light MIDIS and our own lighting hardware will follow in a few weeks.

    1.2.6.4 WIFI router

    Like mentioned above, the X32 does not have an internal wifi-router, so we are forced to operate an external router to use the possibility of wireless remote control via app. The router, an TP-Link TL-WR841N N300, is connected via ethernet cable to the X32. You have to set the same parameters as IP address and gateway on both units to get them communicating properly.

    1.2.7 Power supply

    We’re running ten electrical consumers in the periphery of our main rack. Therefore we’re using two parallel mounted t.racks Power 8 S straight power distribution strips on the backside of the main rack. Small but efficient life hack, if you’re in need of a lot of power slots.

    list of power consumers

    • MacBook Pro
    • X32 Rack
    • Kemper A (Git 1 - Pat)
    • Kemper B (Git 2 - Oli)
    • IEM LD Systems MEI 1000 (Oli)
    • IEM LD Systems MEI 1000 (Pat)
    • IEM LD Systems MEI 1000 (Konni)
    • IEM LD Systems MEI 100 (spare)
    • USB hub
    • Wifi Router

    1.2.8 Num pad

    All important events in our Logic session (like songs, sound- & light checks) have markers on their starting points, which allow us to toggle between them with a simple push of a button. Additionally to the programmed trigger pads on our master MIDI keyboard, we also installed a simple wireless bluetooth num pad with an USB receiver on the USB hub, which triggers each event. More on Num Pad and MIDI keyboard later.



    (As there's a maximum of ten pics and 10.000 characters per post, a split is needed. Please read on below.)

    Hi guys, this is Oliver from Aeons End, providing you the first article of the in-depth look into our whole setup. In the name of the band: Have fun!

    Introduction

    Aeons End consists of four members and the following instrumental line up:

    • Pat – Git 1 (Kemper A)
    • Oli – Git 2 (Kemper B)
    • Konni – Bass
    • Rapha – Drums

    You can check us out via:


    www.facebook.com/aeonsendband

    www.instagram.com/aeons_end

    aeons end on YouTube

    aeons end on Spotify

    www.aeonsend.eu


    Besides our common love for enjoying, writing and performing atmospheric and rhythmically complex music, we’re dedicated to the idea of maximum independence at all artistic- and technical areas, by reducing the level of necessary intervention from external influences like back line situations, FOH engineers, monitor engineers, lightning engineers etc.


    Our goal is to deliver a high quality performance at a constant and reliable level in songwriting, music production, live performance including band sound and live lights, as well as visual content and the overall presentation of the band.


    So, basically we’re just giant music loving tech nerds on the quest for the perfect independent plug&play band setup, hoping you enjoy our music, too.


    In the following rundown we will show our whole current live setup as well as explain the thought process that went into building it. In part 1 we talk about the core components of the setup, which means we give an overview about most of the equipment that we use and that will be explained in detail later. The focus will be on our live rack as well as our analog routing. Part 2 deals with our mixer and IEM setups and will provide information about how we use our Behringer X32 Rack Mixer. The Kemper setups as well as other guitar stuff will be discussed in Part 3. In Part 4 we show our Logic session and how it controls pretty much our whole setup. Part 5 will be all about our light show: which hardware we use, how we program and control it etc.

    Hi guys,


    my bandmate and me are using Kemper racks in „perform-mode“ while changing banks & slots via midi-commands (program-changes) in Logic Pro X. We’re using a Miditech MIDIface 4x4 as our midi-interface. His midi-track and kemper are set to midi-channel 1, mine are set to midi-channel 2. We're correctly connected to the midi-interface.


    Before the update to beta 7.1.7 on both Kempers, everything was working like a charm.


    After updating we’re running into the following problem:

    After some playing time (3-4 songs, order doesnt matter) his kemper starts to fail changing slots, banks or anything else, while showing the input of a midi-command on the display. This is also happening, when his kemper receives a fast (but not overlapping) number of program-changes or channel-changes. Sometimes his remote is „crashing“ too and starts to reboot. (Problem also appears when no remote is connected)


    Problem can be solved for a short time through reboot or setting his kemper to browse-mode and back to perform-mode, but the error keeps repeating after the described process above (ca. 15min or the fast number of commands).


    We've already:

    -changed midi-cables

    - reinstalled the MIDIface

    - changed midi-channels (midi-output of his track in Logic and on the kemper)


    Anybody ran into the same problem and/or can offer a solution?


    Thanks in advance