Random Rescue Mission

I just came back from a rescue mission to bring back Sandy and Cody from an accident in the city. The rescue mission was successful.

Here is what happened:

After receiving a call from Sandy, me and my roommate Godly(Mr. Lucius Fox) got into a full rescue mode. 

The time was 1:08AM, and we had to go back into the city this late because Cody's car had been taken away.

I wanted to save this picture for last, but this was one of my white elephant gifts that I took for myself. It does look like a gear batman would wear.

Mr. Lucius Fox cleaning snow off my Batmobile. 

Calling to make sure no one was hurt from the accident.

From inside of batmobile view- it looks like this when you are driving. 

Right now I am in a Full Camouflage Mode (FCM).

 

We couldn't document actual photos from rescuing our friends because of confidentiality issues but here are some actual video footage that we took 

It's hard to be a super hero.

It's even harder to be a batman when paparazzies are always invading my missions.

More videos to come... 

Virtual Christmas Party White Elephant

I bought 3 christmas gifts today for some white elephant events that I have next week. A store near me was going out of business. So I got some amazing gifts for you future gift receiver. 

Let me show you what I bought. 

Gift #1

Gift #2

Gift #3

Pick one now and I will show you what they were after my white elephant event is over. 

PS. If you guess right what any of these gifts actually are by looking at these photos, I will give it to you. Just don't sneak into my room. Each person can guess only once. Don't cheat. 

A phun blog post for you and me. 

Happy Cake Day

Happy belated turkey day and black friday.

I baked a cake for a first time and there was no one around to share it with. So I thought of dedicating my cake to this blog. 

Dont judge me for making a "blog cake"... I am not that crazy. It was just black friday and I had the afternoon to myself. 

I used photoshop "dodge tool" you cant even notice my technique. 

You are supposed to make holes in the cake according to the instructions. 

(First step to becoming a good sound engineer-read every gear instruction manuals carefully!)

Very simple ingredients for a very first timer.

At the supermarket. This is where my idea begins.

So relating cake to the subject of my blog...audio, this is Chad Franscoviak (John Mayers sound guy) birthday cake. Now, that's a frosting job! It looks like a very complicated console. I can't wait for my next birthday.

Hello RWC SOUND BLOGGGG

Should I solder?

The power adaptor for announcement wireless mic transmitter broke which is why the wireless mic turned off randomly 2 sundays ago. I could buy a new one, but should I still try to solder and see if it works?

On another note...

I had sweaty fever today so didn't make it to potluck dinner but at home.. i just opened up a handstove I bought in Korea during 2006 winter visit and warmed up myself from freezing in sleep. I took pictures...

pre-button-pop-shot

during-button-pop-shot

(these pictures were only made possible because of the technique called the fast-paced-index-finger-clicking-away-camera-button-photography-after-reaction technique)

Full on heat blast by the hand warmer robot.

Didn't have a thermometer but I want to tell you the temperature.(100C+273.15=373.15K)

Happy Robot and 100% power up.

11.16.2008

Set list-Same

Song list-Don't remember

Drummer-Minnow

Worship-

I am officially afraid of Minnow's drum playing but its ok, we'll get through this.

It's been 3-4 months now since I first started manning as FOH, and the recent couple of weeks felt so much different than the first couple of weeks I started. I feel strongly that I'm called to do this ministry for now for whatever reason and until whenever the church needs me. I can say this... because of my reaction to worship is slowly changing as this person who does audio in the back... looking at the changes in people and their reactions to worship every sunday and me facing the same direction as the congregation-not towards the band, but towards Christ. I see some people clinging and clinging on to God for that 45 minutes temporary letting go of something else and I can't even express how humbling and encouraging it is to see God being satisfied. I see people meeting Him for that 45 minutes of worship to just beg and beg for clarity in their lives and it helps me see Him working in my life more clearly than ever and then I'm so amazed.

I see Andy, Minnow, Dave, Mikey, Funko, Steve, and Cheryl trying.. and trying to bring people in and trying again to enjoy God presence despite the discussion-filled meetings we had the night before about our heart as worship team members and then I'm humbled again.

I feel called here... for now ..and for this position because I see how God wanted to show me this.... How always beautiful this has been in his eyes and He just wanted to share with me because he saw that I forgot all about it since the day I was saved in the midst of praise and worship when I was a teenager.

To me, this audio stuff doesn't even matter as much anymore. Give me a broken, beat up, and crappy mixer with no effects. I'll do it all for the glory of God.

Hollar.

Things to try coming week

Always something I forget to mention in a blog.


Things to try:

1. Not mess up.
2. Try not to mess up.
3. Okay for real now- Past sunday everyone was so tired I just left the compressor attach and release to the auto settings with a ratio of 3:1 for vocals. However the Bass Drum was compressed as well (not auto set). Ratio around 6:1 with short attack and release time where I was looking at the meter/listening to wave curve getting released and coming back in the next beat. I might've been hullucinating though.
4. Vocals- Alright I am facing an issue here. The only reason I'm using the compressors these past week seemed to me was because I'm able to raise the output gain extra high (more than dbs that are getting compressed below the threshold) so it will stand out in the mix. Therefore causing hi feed back when cheryl and dave moves away from the mic- i also use the gates on the vocal compressor to eliminate possible feedbacks/noise-but the gain is no jokingly high it really doesn't matter. And that is why we couldn't hear minnow vocals very well. His vox wasn't going through the compressor with the high output gain.
5. Bass: I need definition coming out in the mix. Help me. Maybe I'll compress it this sunday. Should I? If not I would want a same signal as funko is getting.

Gotta head out. If there is anything else let me know~

James

Comments now

1. 2 files are here for listen and to see what's done to the raw audio. To me, both sounds unsatisfying. Nothing is really better than the other. The whole team was tired, and everyone was in lala land the whole sunday. And indeed.. there is like no bass in these recordings probably because there wasn't enough coming into the control room outputs from the mixer so only thing for me to try mastering was to raise around 80-100hz on the graphic EQ.
Well nothings always really easy so finding this bass sound for the next few weeks might be fun.







-Reverb unit on Ozone. Nice one.

-Little Graphical EQ on Ozone. Usually try not to mess around with these during recording mastering because my ears aren't that trained for these but tried those two peaks.

-The hottest feature on the Ozone: Tube Simulator thing on each bands. Low, lowmid, himid and his. This is the only effect on this plugin you could crank up so much and it still sounds good!

It would take a whole day playing around these stuff to get everything perfect, but since I don't own much time.. just a few basic fixages and called it done on those files that are linked here.


One day.. we will set up and there will be no(zero) technical problem at all and it will sound decent. One day it's going to happen.


For more information on Ozone izotope: http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/

College Retreat/10.12.08

College Retreat Setup
College Retreat Setup Sheet 10/11-10/13
Input Instr. Mic ETC Assign Aviom Sub Assign
1 Bass Drum D112 3,4 1 1 L
2 Snare SM57 3,4 2 2 R
3 Drum - - 3,4 3 3 L
4 Open 3,4 4 4 R
5 Bass DI Comp 1 1,2 5
6 Synth DI 1,2 6
7 Eguitar.L.Min SM57 1,2 7
8 Eguitar.R.ND SM57 1,2 8
9 Aguitar 1,2 9
10 Vox1.Dave Vocal Mic Comp 2 1,2 10
11 Vox2.Minnow.L Vocal Mic Comp 3 1,2 11
12 Vox3. Cheryl.R Vocal Mic Comp 4 1,2 12
13/14 Speech(Chan. 4) Vocal Mic 1,2
15/16 1,2

Monitor Wedge (Using 1 output Daisy Chain):
AUX Sends 1(L)-->19,(20)(Snake)-->19,(20)(Out of Snake)-->1/4" balanced cable-->Convert 1/4" to XLR Female
(Cont')-->(XLR Female to XLR Male Convt.)-->XLR Cable-->Mackie Srm450.L-->Thru XLR-->Input of Srm450.R
Main Speakers (Using Main Out L and R)
Main Out XLR, L/R-->(Female XLR-1/4" Convt.)-->Balanced 1/4"-->17,18(Snake)-->CrownXS500 1/4" Input-->Output--
(Cont')>Speakon Cables-->Turbo Sound TXD151.

MISC. Check List
13-XLR Cables for Instruments(1 Extra included)
5-Vocal Mic Stand
5-Music Stand
4-Vocal Mic Any Type
4-SM 57s or Vocal Mic (1 Extra Included)
2-Mic Stands For Guitar Amp
2-Speakon Cables For 2-TurboSounds
2-Small DI box for 8 and 13/14
1-Mic Stand For Bass Drum Mic
1-D112 Bass Drum Mic
1-Tape-in converter cable for Ipod
00-1/4" Instrument Cables for Band.


Recording from 10.12.2008: Heart of Worship and Mikey talking

Wireless Info

Ok. Anyone have any idea about the cell phone interference? An iphone was right next to one of the transmitter during service but even then I would want to prevent that..

10.5.08

Holland Tunnel Traffic and then,

1. Bass Drum: D112
2. Snare: SM57
3. OH: AKG P200
4. Bass DI
5. Synth
6. EGuitar.L.Minnow:SM57
7. EGuitar.R.Andy:SM57
8. AGuitar DI
9. VOX 1: Dave
10. VOX 2: Steve
11. VOX 3: Minnow
12.-
13. Anonuncement
14. Sermon
15. Tback

Everything Sounded Fine. Fun being in control. Labeled "do not turn off" on announcement mic 'cus we had the crazy noise popping again when Ryu turned it off.
We got Minnow, Steve and Funko on Avioms now and they seem to not mind them. We should get Andy, Mikey and Dave to finally use that hopefully starting next sunday.
The sermon wireless mic don't have much problems with plosives because I turned the subwoofer completely off during sermons. Genius move you.

Things to try out but have not yet because of the holland tunnel traffic today:
1. Mic Toms, Left and Right Cymbals with just SM 57s- 4 57s should be enough. And then group channel 1 through 6 into 1-2 Subgroups and send it to just 1st and 2nd channel of aviom.
2. Record Room Sound with P200 Condenser and Mono Mix so I could hopefully get a satisfying song file to put it on here.


Ending Worship from 9.14.08.
Main Console Mix mostly on Left and Room Mic on Right Stereo so kinda sounds weird. Should be getting cooler recordings later.

9.28.08

Setup List

1. Bass Drum -D112
2. Snare- SM57
3. OH(Mono)-AKG P200
4. Bass DI
5. Synth
6. E.Guitar-Minnow(L)-SM57
7. E.Guitar-Andy(R)-SM57
8. A.Guitar-DI
9. Vox1-DH(C)-SM58b
10.Vox2-SC(L)-SM58b
11.Vox3-MP(R)-SM58b
12.-
13.Wireless Speech
14.Announcement
15.T.back

Comments:

1. Used AKG Perception 200 condensor LD for drum mono overhead. It worked really well when and Low and the Mid was cut off completely and boosted Highs at 12kHz about 1.5 dB. Captured Hats and Cymbals pretty decently. Need toms and stereo Overheads indeed. It will help alot.
2. Main 2-way Speaker Position-Changed from previously down the stage to onto the stage up highest possible. Needed more space between first row and Main speakers. Helped very much. Also, now the sub is in front of the 2-way speaker and since bass freq. travels slower, noticed Bass Drum and Bass guitar being controlable in my hands which was pretty sweet.
3. Two Electric gutiar amps moved to side of the stage-Biggest hit of the day. Again, gained control over these electric guitar sounds compared to previous set up.
4. Avioms-Minnow tested himself. It didn't make much difference for now since it was just him on it but talking to band members between song feature is amazing.

5. Sennheiser Wireless G2 System needs to be mastered by myself to really be safe in choosing frequencies and not making anymore mistakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyVAjZq9HF8.
6. Bass DI started humming during 2nd part of worship as I turned on the Sub. I was confused because it didn't during the start. But I realized later I connected a Aviom separate for myself in the back during sermons which made a ground loop in the system before the last worship started.
7. Realizing Aviom has 16 channels all together or something like that so conserving channels might help in the future with new singers: Possibility is to group all drum mics in the aviom system together to conserve 2-3 channels.
8. Next Week Aviom: Dave Hong needs the crowd sound during worship. Nothing can be done yet except we need a few condensor mics.

Conclusion of the day: Everything really started clicking together this past sunday but not yet near perfect. Congregation of apprx. 300 people still sings very loud, but we're at a good level now.