I've been using my Soundcraft Vi6 as my FOH console for several years in festival situations because of its ease of use mixing on the fly and getting guest engineers up and running quickly. There were a couple of additional features, however, that I wanted to implement on my console. The first was the ability to record to 48 tracks and bring them back into the console to create a virtual sound check, and the other was to have the ability to use plugins.
Recording and Plugins
I sought the help of a friend, Buford Jones of Meyer Sound, whom I knew had been using MADI to record to Apple Logic. Buford was using the RME MADIface laptop interface and suggested I do the same. Around the same time I also noticed Waves had introduced its new MultiRack software that would run on a host computer. I had been using Waves' Mercury and SSL bundles with my Profile for a couple of years, and was excited by the prospect of using Waves with my Vi6.
The Vi6 Local Rack has 64 channels of MADI I/O, and I realized I could use 48 channels for the recording and still have 16 channels to use with the MultiRack. I quickly purchased an RME MADIface card, Apple Logic Express, Waves MultiRack and a MacBook Pro quad core, and was up and running with the ability to record 48 tracks while simultaneously using up to 16 channels of Waves plugins. I was also able to use the same iLok USB key with my Waves TDM licenses to run the Native licenses required for Waves MultiRack.
MADIface Setup
The setup of the MADIface card was quite easy once I downloaded the correct driver to my MacBook Pro. The MADIface card uses a small interface box which has both an optical and coax I/O in addition to a short FireWire cable (although RME warns it is not FireWire and not to connect it to a FireWire interface!) that attaches to an Express 34 card that inserts into the express 34 slot on a MacBook Pro. Apple has eliminated the Express 34 card slot on all but the 17-inch models.
I connected the MADIface to my MADI optical I/O in the back of my Local Rack's S-core mix engine. Both Apple Logic and the Waves MultiRack then see all 64 channels of I/O. For the recording, I assigned all of the direct outputs on the input channels to MADI outputs 1-48 pre hi pass filter in the Local Rack. I then saved that as a "Show" snapshot and scoped everything out except for the input patch. I then setup a new snapshot labeled "Virtual Sound Check," where I reassigned all the inputs to MADI inputs 1-48 and again scoped out everything except the input patch. Now, the only thing that changes between the Show snapshot and the virtual sound check snapshot are the input patches.
Storing Changes
Any changes made to EQ, comps, gates, or FX can then be stored after returning back to the Show snapshot. The first 48 channels of my Vi6 were now ready to record directly to Logic post head amp, pre high-pass filter, and playback. I find the ability to playback individual tracks of a sound check to be invaluable, not so much to alter balances, but to fine tune individual channels whether it be gates, compressors, EQ, or FX after the band has left the stage. This is especially helpful with support acts in festival situations that never have enough time for a proper sound check.
With regard to the Waves plugins, MultiRack is a host that allows for the configuration of racks of outboard processors, compressors, gates, EQ, and FX. There are a total of 64 single space racks that can have up to 8 plugins in each rack assigned to a mono or stereo source or return. Any of Waves' ‘Live' plugins work in the MultiRack. In MultiRack, you add a channel of processing by simply clicking on the blank panel. Below the rack number there is a small window labeled ‘none' on each side of the rack to assign inputs on the left and outputs on the right. Selecting this window allows that rack to be configured mono in/mono out, stereo in/stereo out, or mono in/stereo out.
With the MADIface card inserted in the computer, a dropdown menu also appears showing all 64 I/O. Since I have assigned my first 48 channels of MADI I/O to Logic, I have channels 49-64 available for the MultiRack plugins. Over on the Vi6 up to 24 inserts can be configured. I simply go into the insert setup page and assign insert 1 to MADI Send 49 and MADI Return 49, insert 2 to MADI Send/Return 50, and so on through 64. I can choose from any of those 16 insert setups to insert on a desired channel. I can then go to my computer and add plugins to each individual rack by selecting the [+] window inside the rack.
Snapshots
MultiRack also allows up to 1,000 snapshots to be stored in addition to grouping of processors for ease of use. My only request to Waves would be to eventually enable the ability to "tile" multiple processors in the Rack View. I have not found latency to be an issue, as long as I'm not sending a monitor send back to the stage from FOH. Latency alignment for parallel bus compression can be avoided by using the Waves H-Comp, which has a mix control that allows mixing of the compressed and non-compressed signal. This can be inserted into a stereo group for drums, or an individual channel such as vocal or guitar.
Having been in this business for over 36 years, as much as I embrace and enjoy new technology, I am also a bit "old school," and like having an FX rack separate from my mixing control surface. Having the Waves MultiRack takes me back to the days when I had an FX rack at my side with everything at my fingertips. The combination of MultiRack with the ability for a virtual sound check makes Waves and MADIface a great plugin solution for the Soundcraft Vi series.
