Using DCA over Group (and Vise Versa)

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Hi all,

I was just wondering what would be someones prefs to use DCA’s over Groups or vice versa.

For an FOH mix, I personaly always use Groups instead of DCA’s, simply because I can also throw some processing on a full band Group, drum Group or vocal Group.

I have not found any downsides of this workflow yet, but please tell me what your workflow is and why you choose it over the other?

Would like to hear and learn from you.

^Tinjo

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As you alluded to, DCAs are not actual audio paths and therefore don’t have any processing. They are simply a “remote” fader for the member items.

Busses (groups/auxes/matrixes) on the other hand are audio paths so you can add processing (EQ, compression, etc) on them.

Outside of the obvious requirement to use busses (groups/auxes/matrixes) when you need additional audio processing, there is no hard fast rule why you would use one over the other (DCAs vs Busses). I would suggest using DCAs when you don’t need audio processing because it is simpler and you don’t use up any of your available busses - leaving them for use when you do need additional audio processing.

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I use both on my broadcast desk. I’m streaming a band playing 2 sets in a session. I have DCAs for my Drum, Instrument, Bass, and Vocal busses (which have processing). Plus a couple extras. With my DCAs zeroed, I mix my busses to get a static mix. For dynamic changes I use the DCAs, and reset to zero for the next set. Also if I have mix notes for my broadcast engineer, we always have the start point to adjust from before the second set. That’s just one use case.

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I use both, for lots of reasons.

Examples:

  • I have a drum group for group compression. But I will have a DCA for just {Kick, Snare, Hat} - AKA “The Groove” - and one for the whole {Kit}. If there is a drum solo I will bring up the Whole Kit DCA, but if I find the mood or density of a song changes and I need more-or-less of just “The Groove” to stay in the pocket I can adjust that DCA, within my existing drum mix.
    The group processing will respond accordingly; compressing more with the boost to the Kit vs. less with the boost to The Groove - but most importantly: when I put either DCA back to U my drum mix is consistently back to where it was.
  • Also, boosting the subgroup does not increase the Post-Fader FX sends to those channels, meaning as you increase volume on the group your FX may grow thinner in the mix, decreasing the volume can cause the inverse to occur. The DCA solves this by also boosting any members’ post-fade sends.
  • I might have the lead vocal go to the VOX Subgroup or I might not… but I have a Lead Vocal {Ld Vx} DCA and a Background Vocal {BGV} DCA. Like the Drums, these are great for when I am happy with the mix of the individual elements, including their group processing, but I want the one type of elements higher or lower in the mix. I set my group processing accordingly so that I know what will happen if I push any one of those DCAs above +5 or below -5, etc..
  • Why put only one input on a DCA? (e.g.{Ld Vx}) The “Spill DCA on Select” latching softkey enables access to all the member-inputs of a DCA at the press of that DCA’s Select button.
    So, I build a layer that may have one-or-two key inputs and/ or busses, my DCAs, and my FX returns. This means that after I have most of the mix set, I can just stay in this layer and mix most, if not all, of my show. If I need an individual input, it’s two button presses (DCA Select - to spill - and that input’s Select, for sends/ processing) No more jumping across layers constantly.
  • Finally, musicians; vocalists AND instrumentalists, can be inconsistent. I will assign ALL instruments on-stage to their own DCA, usually the last one. If halfway through the show my vocalists begin to struggle, or the musicians get excited and they start playing louder, I can turn down the entire band a few dB to bring the vocals back on top, WHILE PRESERVING THE CHARACTER OF MY MIX. This is great for when you are going to have guest vocalist that are coming onstage from who-knows-where and haven’t rehearsed.

These are just a few examples. And these only deal with Front-of-house. There are corporate and monitor applications as well.

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THIS ^^^^^^

the first point is the best example of DCA over group.

that and parallel patching something like. bass… I have sent a dry and a wet signal to a Bass DCA .. the dry and wet parallel patch are down on layer E and the DCa on layer A

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