Choosing the final inputs . . .

ME ME General Discussions
1

This isn’t so much a technical question about ME, but more of a question of sound mixing choices for IEMs in general, given the Me’s format. I’m starting to program some start point selections for the 16 buttons on both ME-1 and ME-500. I know the basics, like asking each user what they want, giving them enough of their own vocal and instrument, giving vocalists a group of the other vocalists (maybe panned slightly LR), including other individual instruments or groups of instruments, including a reverb return, considering ambience mics, or “band talk” mics.

But I’m finding that in certain circumstances, I have to carefully select key assignments on the ME. For example, my singing drummer! He wants to control each of Kick, Snare, HH, Toms, OHs. Fair enough. He rightfully wants bass by itself. His own vocal, of course. Groups for other Vocalists, Keys, Gtrs, Horns. Some Reverb. OK, Now we are up to 12 buttons. I definitely want Talk Mic since we change setlist midstream and sometimes have emergency comments or arrangemenet reminders. That makes 13. I’m tempted to give him voice doubling effect for singing confidence. (14). We may or may not need ambience or audience coverage, but a stereo group would make input 15.

I don’t want to have to re-invent the wheel. For those of you who have been using ME for awhile, what have you learned about what to include or exclude among the 16 key selections? I’m asking for input from the guys and gals who would say, “When I first started, I did it one way, but I discovered through experience that it was better to do it another way.” Thank you.

2

we find that using the groups gives plenty of flexibility. in your example, set a group for the drums. each individual channel can de adjusted from within the group, leaving other keys free for different inputs. the question to ask would be how often through the set would he need to change the drums? most of our band have their MEs offstage, and simply get their mix sorted during soundcheck. thus the extra button pass to get into a group is no issue.

3

Me-500 doesn’t have groups. The best you can do is create a “group” in the mixer itself. Then have that group LR be one of the first 16 monitor inputs. It is a mental challenge to get monitor inputs set in a way that works for multiple Me-500. In retrospect, I think larger bands are better off with me-1. Only small bands with 16-20 or so inputs have flexibility with me-500. All players with me-500 can only select from 16 sources and they are from the ‘pool’ of the first 16 inputs chosen on the monitor section of the I/O page of the mixer. It currently works OK for me because I have a horn section that is fine with individual horns, bass, gtr, along with mixer groups of drums, vocals, keys. But that only works because the horn guys want the same kind of choices, as if they were a band to themselves. A singer, for example, couldn’t have a different set of choices from the “pool.”

I hope my education as to this reality helps people trying to fully understand the differences. They are not trivial.

4

very good point, we are only using ME-1’s so i hadn’t thought of that