… with a wet/dry mix. That way you can set a curve to compensate for the proximity for that specific mic model, and then dial in how much you want to apply that curve based on how close the speaker/performer is to the mic. Also, it’d be great if you could assign that wet/dry mix to those knobs above the fader for quick access, and be able to have this be a separate option from the existing filter and EQ options in the scene recall filters and Actions system.
I’d even be happy if those stole a band from the PEQ since you can’t bypass individual PEQ bands (although in that scenario it’d have to be optional since I’m sure a lot of people would rather have all four PEQ bands).
Most people use a dynamic EQ or compressor for this functionality. When set correctly, the system will reduce the buildup of the low end created by the proximity effect while not affecting the “normal” audio.
The DLive has 64 instances of the Dyn8. They can be inserted into a channel for this purpose.
I’m already using the Dyn8’s EQ bands for other problem areas in insert B. I guess I could add another one in insert A though.
Or… I don’t know, maybe I’m the problem… maybe I should EQ the room less flat since a full half of my Dyn8’s EQ bands are in the same areas on so many channels. Maybe I should just dump a couple frequencies next rehearsal and see if I miss them.
Even so, though, I still want what I suggested because it lays the groundwork for using proximity sensors on mics to tell the console how close the source is to the mic and applying corrective EQ regardless of volume.
(Yes, that reminds me of those opto gates, too… I’m just talking about letting the board know how close someone is to their mic. There’s a lot more you can do with that information at the board than a simple in-line gating or attenuating circuit can do on its own.)
If you are using a high pass filter + EQ + dynamic eq + multiband comp, and you are still having issues with proximity effect…then I don’t think adding another Dyn8 is going to help you. You already have the tools you need to resolve it…you just need to work on it.
The OP is wanting the console to be able to “read” some sort of distance data to automatically reduce certain frequencies. Basically a dynamic EQ that works on distance instead of volume.
That being said, the OP has no structure as to how this will work. Obviously the most basic element of a system like this is going to be some sort of mechanism/device to measure the distance from the user to the mic. This is not something mixing consoles are designed to handle, nor can that data pass over an standard XLR connection, so any “solution” is likely going to be created by some one/company other than a console manufacture - ie a mic manufacture, a company like optogate, some enthusiast, etc, etc, etc . That third party device is going to have to have a open source communication protocol before the various console manufactures could even start to implement a solution that the OP is asking for. However the third party solution would need to become popular enough (ie become the “industry standard” solution) before any console manufacture is going to feel compelled to use company R&D resources (ie time and money) trying to implement this.
Long story short, the OP has this “fantasy of an idea” and is asking A&H to integrate their consoles with a device that simply doesn’t exist yet. I don’t think it is too far of a stretch to safe say that this is never going to happen until someone first creates an industry standard/accepted “measurement device” that is so widely accepted that A&H would be at a competitive disadvantage if they didn’t support it.
Given that there are currently techniques that can adequately deal with proximity effect (like the use of dynamic eq/compressors) I doubt any solution as complex as what this would require is going to “change the industry”. Of course I could be completely wrong too. Just look at how popular the Alpha Lab’s “Defeedback” plugin has become. Still, the use of that plugin doesn’t require entirely new hardware/devices like this solution would require. The Defeedback plugin works like any other VST plugin.
No, not at first anyway. I think all that stuff about reading mic distances is an obvious thing you can do once you’ve already got the concept of an EQ filter that you blend in as-needed to compensate for the proximity effect.
I mean, you ‘are’ asking for more tools. I’m just wondering why. If you want some variability in handling proximity effect, a shelf is probably a better option anyway. For that you could basically just use one band of the a Dyn8 dynamic eq with a shelf and set the appropriate threshold. Then it is completely variable and basically just removes low end as the artist moves closer to the mic. You could also lower a single band on the multiband comp…if the high-pass + PEQ + Dynamic EQ + Group and Mastering processing somehow isn’t enough to handle it.
From the outside it just seems like an honest to god non-issue.
