Assisting Session Audio Engineer

Assisting Audio Engineer: In Studio or Stage Capture & Remix Roles

• This position is a 2-3 hour weekly commitment and is staffed by self-directed volunteer sign-ups via the project's Smartsheet. For access and instructions, contact the Chief Production Officer.

• Each session will have a primary engineer (either volunteer or staff) and an assisting engineer in training. Opportunities to assist with capture both in Studio and as FOH in our venue The Stage will be handled by first to claim system. Both Smartsheets have columns and fields for these roles. A volunteer wishing to handle assisting duties or remix duties should choose their own name in the column and row accordingly. If you do add yourself to a role, and later remove, please immediately inform the Chief Production Officer that you are no longer available for the role.

• Remix assignments will be approved by the Chief Production Officer, and will be supervised by the primary/capture engineer, who are responsible for overseeing final mix quality prior to publishing. Assisting engineers will need to move quickly to keep our production cycle moving at pace, and should be aware that the supervisor may at some point need to take back control of the forward progress.

• As an assisting engineer at KDHX, you will be expected to make a minimum 2 hour weekly commitment to remix engineering on KDHX audio sessions, for which KDHX staff will provide 30-60 minutes of weekly training and review time. This time will need to be requested in advance of the studio appointment, specifying the type of input needed. The Training Checklist of concepts and topics below should help guide you to appropriate training asks. Ideally, the input is handled by the primary/capture engineer, so please request the input directly from that person with adequate notice, and scheduling options.

• If you request a content review of a mix in progress, please be sure prepare the session for the meeting, in order to make the most of the trainer's time. Be sure that you are at a stage in the mix that is actually ready for review, or instead, request the time as more of a check-in on a puzzling aspect, identifying if its a problem with data, EQ, compression, or whatever.

Assisting with a Session Capture

1. Primary responsibility: ASSIST! Stay out of the way until asked, and then move quickly.
2. Help usher the band and their equipment in, cases and personal belongings out to the hallway, and show them the locations of our restrooms, coffee and tea in the kitchen area, and any guests should be shown to Prod3 for observation.
3. Watch levels and record playback. Keep an eye on recording levels, and double check that recording is rolling. Inform the primary engineer if levels are approaching or are in RED.
4. Generate markers in the ProTools recording session tracking, using title as possible, and make retake notes - which one is preferred to use by the band?
5. Please hold general questions until an ideal time for discussion – likely after recording. (Take notes of questions to ask later.)

Assisting Engineer Training Checklist

Topics related to knowledge specific to our space - we'll go over these in training prior to qualifying volunteers to participate in our weekly program: (take notes!)

A. Signal Paths:

-how XLR, TRS, and Ethernet receptacles are labeled and used

B. Mic and Accessory lockers:

-how to collapse mic stands (quick lock head up)

-avoid over tightening mic stand adjusts

-how to wrap cables, hang up with like cabling

-where things go - headphones, PM15 systems, power and patch cabling

-identify mics by name and standard use

C. Outboard Gear:

-CDR

-Patch Bays

-FX

-Monitoring System - source vs. mon sys

D. X32 Mixing Console:

-use of Select and Solo

-Aux INs

-Gain

-FX (on board)

-Compressors (on board)

-EQ

E. Prod 2 setup/nuance:

-I/O with ProTools

-record LR onboard Mix from channels 31,32

-managing FX recording...?

F. ProTools training:

-Setup new session for capture

-Remix Basics

-Mastering

-Authoring

-Air CD and Soundcloud publishing

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X32 Console Training Points

Occasionally we offer hands on training with the X32 console in a seminar format. Topics covered:

• scene selection, tools, screens and general function
• signal routing and topology
• channel selection and using pre-amps, dynamics, and EQ
• setup of X-USB as interface to ProTools for capture
• routing mixes and mics to monitoring systems and to other studios (bussing v sends on fader)