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Before You Begin

Blue­rooms 1 is a 24 chan­nel record­ing stu­dio based around an SSL AWS 924 Delta.

Before you begin your ses­sion it is impor­tant to reset the desk to our work­ing default.

Please remem­ber to return the desk to this state when your ses­sion is over.


 

Before You Begin:

1. Before you begin to return the desk to it’s default make sure that the desk is in “Ana­logue Focus Mode”. To do this check that the “Focus Switch” is in Ana­logue Focus.

The Focus Switch is to the right of chan­nel 24’s Solo and Cut but­tons. The but­ton is as shown, an upwards and down­wards arrow.

When illu­mi­nated Blue, the desk is in Ana­logue Focus, when not illu­mi­nated the desk is in DAW Focus.


 

Mon­itor Con­trol, Mode, Source and Selection:

1. Firstly, ensure that none of the Misc level LEDs next to the Mon­i­tor level con­trol are active.

Then ensure the mon­i­tor con­trol level is set to 0 (dis­played as “OFF”)

Make sure that the mon­i­tor dim but­ton is off. The dim but­ton lights up yel­low when active.

And check that the cut but­ton is also off. The cut but­ton acts as a mute for the mon­i­tors and lights up red when active.

2. Mov­ing over to the mon­i­tor mode sec­tion, make sure all of the but­tons in this column are off.

Remem­ber the but­tons are illu­mi­nated when active.

3. Next we’ll look at the mon­i­tor source section.

As there are mul­ti­ple audio paths within the 924, this sec­tion allows you to select the audio path you wish to monitor.

In our case we’re going to mon­i­tor the “MIX” bus.

Firstly make sure that the “SUM” but­ton is not illu­mi­nated, then sim­ply hit “MIX”.

4. Next, we need to make sure we have the cor­rect set of mon­i­tors selected.

The 924 sup­ports 2 sets of 5.1 speak­ers, and 2 sets of stereo speakers.

In our setup, the Gen­elec 1037C mon­i­tors are con­nected to the desks main out­put that is con­nected when none of the Mon­i­tor select but­tons are active. To des­e­lect a mon­i­tor and return to the main set sim­ply press the active but­ton once and the main out­puts will be active.

Sec­ondly the Gen­elec 8040A mon­i­tors are con­nected to the ALT 5.1 button.

Make sure that nei­ther “MINI A” nor “MINI B” are active as no speak­ers are con­nected to their outputs.

5. Finally ensure that none of the mon­i­tor out­puts have been muted.

To do this sim­ply make sure none of the Mon­i­tor Mute/​Solo but­tons are illuminated.


 

Reset­ting the Chan­nel Strip — Gain Stage:

1. Now it is time to begin reset­ting the chan­nel strips. Here we will walk you through one chan­nel strip. As each chan­nel is sim­ply a copy of the last.

How­ever they all require reset­ting.

2. At the top of the chan­nel strip we have the Gain section.

Firstly, ensure that the red gain pot is turned all the way to the left, the +48v but­ton and Pad but­ton are both off.

Next check that the phase invert but­ton (Ø), Instru­ment input selec­tor (“INST”) are also off.

Finally make sure that the grey line gain dial is set to the cen­tral point (+/​-​0dB) and hit the flip but­ton so that the green LED is lit.

Tip: The Flip but­ton and sev­eral other “soft switches” can be set across the whole desk simul­tan­eously using the func­tion keys.


 

Reset­ting the Chan­nel Strip — EQ:

1. Mov­ing fur­ther down the chan­nel strip we reach the EQ section

Firstly check that all of the EQ gain dials are set cen­trally to +/​-​0dB. The gain dials are high­lighted in the photo. Also make sure that the HPF dial (the black dial at the top of the EQ sec­tion) is set all the way to the left.

Option­ally you can also reset the Fre­quency Select and Q dials to their min­i­mum val­ues.

Now check that the “BELL” but­tons at the top and bot­tom of the EQ, the “G-​EQ” and “PRE” but­tons are not active. (The but­tons are active when depressed, and inac­tive when not pressed).


 

Reset­ting the Chan­nel Strip — Direct and Sends:

1. Mov­ing on we reach the Aux sends sec­tion and Direct Chan­nel Outputs.

Firstly, ensure that the direct out­put but­ton is enabled. The LED next to the but­ton should be illu­mi­nated RED.

Don’t worry if the LED is GREEN, we will cover how to change that in the next section.

2. Next ensure that all of the green Sends dials are all the way to the left (-∞) and that the orange “On” LEDs are off.

To turn the LEDs on or off press down on the respec­tive gain dial, you will feel a faint click and the dial’s state will be changed. Alter­ing of the On/​Off State is a soft switch.

Also make sure that the “ST CUE” pan dial is set to the Cen­tre and that the “POST” but­ton is not depressed.

3. Next make sure that the “CUE B”, “FX3” and “FX4” but­ton are depressed.

Finally make sure non of the “EFX” but­tons are active (their LEDs will be illu­mi­nated Green if they are active).

By deac­ti­vat­ing the EFX but­tons the Direct LED should no longer be green, if it isn’t illu­mi­nated at all sim­ply press the but­ton once and the red LED should illuminate.


 

Reset­ting the Chan­nel Strip — Busses:

1. Now it’s time to look at busses.

Firstly we’ll look at the Mix and Record Busses.

Sim­ply ensure that the “MIX” bus is active and the “REC” bus is inac­tive. When active the LEDs light up Green and Red respectively.

The “MIX” and “REC” but­tons are soft switches.

Also check that the pan con­trol is centred.

2. Next we need to look at the Track busses.

Track busses are located on the metre bridge above the gain section.

To return to the default ensure that non of the but­tons in this sec­tion are active.

The track busses (1−8), “IP”, “OP” and Dynam­ics selec­tors (1−2) all illu­mi­nate when active.

Also check that the “PRE” and “PAN” but­tons are depressed.


 

Reset­ting the Chan­nel Strip — Fader Section:

1. Finally we move onto the Fader and Pan Section.

Firstly check that the fader is all the way down (-∞).

2. Next ensure that the chan­nel is not “CUT” (Muted) or Soloed. The Cut and Solo but­tons light up Red and Yel­low Respectively.

Note: If another chan­nel is soloed the chan­nel you are reset­ting will appear to be Cut and press­ing the Cut but­ton will have no effect. If this is the case check that no other chan­nels are soloed by press­ing the “SOLO CLEAR” but­ton on the far right of the desk in the mon­i­tor mode sec­tion.


 

Master Fader Section:

1. Now that we have reset our chan­nel strips and mon­i­tor it’s time to reset the Mas­ter fader section.

There are two parts to the mas­ter fader sec­tion, the Mix/​Rec Func­tion matrix and the mas­ter fader.


 

Mix/​Rec Func­tion Matrix:

1. As there are two main busses audio can be routed down (Mix & Rec), this requires a matrix to assign func­tions to either the Mix or Record bus or in some cases both.

Oper­at­ing the Matrix involves two but­ton presses. Firstly the selec­tion of which bus you wish to assign a func­tion too and then the selec­tion of said function.

To return the desk to it’s default sim­ply hold the mix but­ton and deac­ti­vate all of the func­tions (func­tions are active when their respec­tive LEDs are lit) except fader.

Repeat this step with the Rec Bus.


 

Mix/​Rec Mas­ter Fader:

1. Ensure the Mix-​Fader function is active then push the main stereo fader to minimum.

Reme­mber to do the same with the Rec Bus.

Note: The Mas­ter Fader can only con­trol the Rec or Mix bus not both at the same time.


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