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SAC User Manual

1. Navigation Links This option controls how the various views link together during navigation Combined with the use of the individual view lock option this offers some exciting operational flexibility The following sub menu choices are available gt Link Full Mixer View To HotChan When activated causes the Full Mixer view to chase the current Hot Channel gt Link Zoom Mixer View To HotChan When activated causes the Zoom Mixer view to chase the current Hot Channel gt Link Wide Mixer View To HotChan When activated causes the Wide Mixer view to chase the current Hot Channel gt Link Epld Mixer View To HotChan When activated causes the Exploded Mixer view to chase the current Hot Channel gt Link Midi Hardware Controller To HotChan When activated causes the Midi Hardware Controller to chase the current Hot Channel aligning the first fader to the Hot Channel gt Link Midi Hardware Controller To Full Mixer View When activated causes the Midi Hardware Controller to chase the Full Mixer View only aligning the first fader to the Hot Channel gt Link Midi Hardware Controller To Zoom Mixer View When activated causes the Midi Hardware Controller to chase the Zoom Mixer View only aligning the first fader to the Hot Channel gt Link Midi Hardware Controller To Wide Mixer View When activated causes the Midi Hardware Controller to chase the Wide Mixer View only aligning the first fader to the Hot Channel The
2. 2 Operating Console Controls ccceeeeceesseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesceeeeeeseeeseeeeeeesscaeeseneeeeseseeeeesseeneeeeseeeeeneeeees 30 3 Full View Mixer Window ccccceceeesesesesessseneneneeeeeeseeceeeeeenseseseneeeeseseecaeaaesnsnseeeneseesenoaeansenes 31 4 Zoom View Mixer WINdOW edeeuEEEEegENEKKENEEEEEUNEENENEeSEEEEEEN Ebbe naaa naaa anaa aaia daaa anani 36 5 Exploded View Mixer Window 1cccccecseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeseeeeseeeeeesneeeseeeeeseeeeeseeeeeeseenes 40 6 Wide View Mixer VW upgdouw ege nnana neaei aaa ee aaea od Aa E aa NEESS AAEE E iR 43 7 Effects View WIMGOWS geed cree gd aa aaaea aa aaaea a a r aaa aema aaa Aaaa Aaaa a AAEN aiaa aE TEE SaR 47 8 Scenes View WIN GOW gege AgEeecdeieh gie ege SEENEN art adadda daadaa Ree e 48 9 Touch Panel View iiine aaa aaan aaa aaa a Aaa aaa aaa SEENEN 52 10 Operating Special Dialog Box Control ssssssseunesennnenennnnnunnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnunnnnnnnn nunne nnnnnn nunnana 54 Part V Understanding The Virtual Console 54 1 Routing And Signal Flow sssassssnnsenunnnunnenunnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnn ennnen nnnnnnnnn nnmnnn ennenen 54 let A E 54 Return Aux Master Modules ciscccscsscescssssusctvesvessec desszescsctesstanceccashdaacetssasavaeds cesnasiccesstsecsctesdbaseccarcsbdaasstsvevaxacavesdnadandcsticee 61 OUTPUT Module sgesgeceegea eege deegeee seteas coceecdecssessuessccdescascezcay steabedcuedeecasuescnsiusardacsaasudesessse
3. Se Deactivating and reactivating the mono button will return the setting to the default L Plus R 6dB Return Attenuator The data next passes through the Return Attenuator routine which can trim the signal level down from 0 dB data untouched to a muted condition or up to 20db to add signal gain to the entire channel for weak signals This can be used to adjust the level of very strong source data right at the top of the module to eliminate potential clipping problems in the following processing sections and or to adjust the final working range of the channel fader more into the nominal range of the fader s position when mixing In most cases this control can be left at its default 0 dB setting Return Phase Reverse Switch This switch will flip the audio phase of the data 180 degrees This can help adjust frequency cancellation problems with out of phase microphone placements and reverse phased signal cabling problems that might be part of the original signal 4 Left Clicking on the Phs Rvs label next to the button displays an options menu The choices are Both L Only R Only This can be useful when a stereo file contains left and right signals that are out of phase Playing such a file in mono will cause the signal to cancel badly Using the Left Only or Right Only phase reverse can instantly solve this problem Se Deactivating and reactivating the Phs Rvs button will return the setting to the default L Plus R 6dB R
4. 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 92 SAC User Manual 9 3 Sc The main program title bar will display the Host User Rights IP address computer name and the Host Master mode icon When a system is active as a Host Master you may Left Click on the Host Master icon on the main titlebar to display a list of connected remote computers and their user rights er Each computer connected to the system will be assigned a particular User Rights status The options are FOH MON MON FOH PER MON x Personal Monitor Mixer 1 24 and NO ACCESS If a remote computer has NO ACCESS as its setting all windows will be disabled The computer will see signal meters but will have no control of the mixers and other windows All remote computers start out with NO ACCESS status until the Host Master computer sets the user rights in the TCP IP Computer User Rights List option er All connected remote computers should have read and write access to all drives and folders which SAC will be using or remote file operations will be limited You should also be signed on to the network and have entered any required passwords in Windows before attempting to connect within SAC You should verify that you can copy and paste files from and to the host computer in the Windows explorer before attempting the SAC connection It is also recommended that you disable the Windows Firewall on both the host and remote machines for improved network performance
5. Controls the mixer Aux 3 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 3 Level to its default setting Sets the mixer Aux 3 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 3 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 3 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 4 Level Controls the mixer Aux 4 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 4 Level to its default setting Sets the mixer Aux 4 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 4 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 4 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 103 Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button Aux Send 6 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button Dyn Comp Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 Rotary Param Knob 3 Rotary Param Knob 4 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button 5 Button Dyn Gate Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 Rotary Param Knob 3 Rotary Param Knob 4 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button 5 Button 6 Button Dyn Key Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 Rotary Param Knob 3 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button EQ Gain Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 Rotary Param Knob 3 Rotary Param Knob 4 Rotary Param Knob 5 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button 5 Button 6 Button EQ Frequency Mode Rotary
6. Selects the associated workspace view e Shift mode Sets the associated workspace view to the current screen display e Alt mode Performs the operation on the alternate workspace view set providing a total of 16 workspace views Creates an undo file of the current session state Saves and updates the current session Mackie Baby HUI Surface Top The Mackie Baby HUI Surface gives you a wide range of control in a small box The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Controller Surface Faders Mute Buttons Solo Buttons Signal Lights Rotary Knobs with Shift Btn Rec Rdy Left Right Arrow Btns Bank With Shift Button Channel SAC Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input Return and Output channels based on channel and bank select switches Control mixer mutes Control mixer solos Display when active audio data is present Open and close record meters for the corresponding track Increment and decrement mixer Hot Chan selection scrolling the active bank eight channels at a time left or right Increment and decrement mixer Channel selection scrolling the active bank 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 101 Mixer Button Pan Assignment Button Pan Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 Send 1 thru 4 Assignment Buttons Aux Send 1 Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 turn R
7. Version 2 9 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Contents l Table of Contents Part Part Il Part Ill 1 Part IV 1 Foreword 0 Introduction 4 About This Hel pfile cccccceceeeeeeeeeeeeeneee eee eeesneeee senses neeeeseeeengneeeeseeeeesneeeeeeeeengaeeeeeeeensneceeeeeeenes 4 About This Helpfile iicissisiccssiccceccssccaetcsssissacactccteiaadesconssescasesendssccandsaaiestcadaivaanseteiaadedeoeadensaiesencssccagdsseosaacicadvecsiatedaadescens 4 Helpfile Conventions and Terminology sscsscecsssseesesseeseeseneseeseesenseeseeseaseneneeseusenseeseeeseeseeseeseeseaseesensseeseesenseesentenees 4 Product OVEN VIO W xa ege ee EES eeh 5 ee E CT 5 SAC Fundamentals 9 EU le e VE 9 SAC Terminology E 9 The Fundamentals Of Digital Audio cccssseeeessseeeeeeeeeseneeeeeeenneeeeesaesseseeeeesseeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeees 10 Whatis Digital AUGi0 E 10 Understanding Bit Resolution and Dither sei Essential Basic Concepts eeeekEEEEXSRREEEERREEEERREEEEEREREEEEERREEEERREEEEEREEEEEEERREEEEREEEEEREEEEEEERREEEE NEE ACTIVE WINMGOWS eege Eed 12 SIZing and MOVING WINKOWS i seceseccc2ssesccscesserserccecececeeceeseescezeescuectecesctenescpeccacendcscecanecteastsebacescedvetnendeedueatasteesasedtececauies 12 e ASU BOX EE 12 Using the File Dialog Boxes Open Save s ccsecsseseeeeeeeesseeeeeeenensneeeeeeeneneneeseeeeeeesaeeseeeeeesaeseeeeeneesaeseeeeeeeeeaeeenes 12 Wing Online Help E 13 Progr
8. Controls the mixer Aux 3 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 3 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 3 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 3 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 4 Level Sets the mixer Aux 4 Level to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 4 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 4 Pan to its default setting 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 98 SAC User Manual Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Aux Send 5 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Aux Send 6 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Dyn Assignment Button Dyn Comp Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 turn Rotary Param Knob 4 push Rotary Param Knob 5 push Dyn Gate Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 turn Rotary Param Knob 4 push Rotary Param Knob 5 push Rotary Param Knob 6 push
9. Exploded View Mixer 40 Knobs And Switches 40 Label Display Zone 40 Using Channel Group Menu Options 40 Exploded View Mixer Window 40 Ska Fader Tapering 116 File Dialog Boxes 12 Using the Open Save 12 File Menu 112 File Path Setup 128 F Key File 112 FOH MON Button 71 Force Single CPU 128 Frontier Design TranzPort 94 Full Mixer Label Position 116 Full Mixer View 124 Displaying 124 Full View Mixer 31 Channel Selecting 31 Hot Channel 31 Knobs And Switches 31 Link Buttons 31 Using Channel Group Menu Options 31 View Locking 31 View Switching 31 Full View Mixer Window 31 Function Key Assignments 23 Saving Alternate 23 Function Key File 23 Opening An Existing Alternate 23 FX Button 71 Effects View Window 47 FX Choices 124 FX Post Patches 124 FX Pre Patches 124 FX Solo Patches 124 G Group Button 70 Effects View Window 47 Grouping FX Plug Ins 70 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Index 139 H Help Contents 135 Helpfile 4 About this 4 Conventions and Terminology 4 InfoMenu 135 Input Attenuator 54 Input Aux Sends 54 Input Channel Fader 54 Input Dynamics Section 54 Input EQ Section 54 Input FX Post Fader Patch 54 Input FX Pre Fader Patch 54 Input Modules 54 Input Mono Switch 54 Input Mute Switch 54 Input Out Assign 54 Input Pan Slider 54 Input Phase Reverse Switch 54 Input Solo Switch 54 Input Source 54 Input Swap L R Switch 54 Input XY Surround Pan 54 Install
10. Operating Special Dialog Box Controls 54 Options Icon 48 Options Menu 128 Output Channel Fader 65 Output FX Post Fader Patch 65 Output FX Pre Fader Patch 65 Output Modules 65 Output Mono Switch 65 Output Mute Switch 65 Output Out Assign 65 Output Pan Slider 65 Output Solo Switch 65 Output XY Pan Assign 65 P Performance Considerations 19 Plug Ins 72 Patching In 72 Preferences File 112 Pre Fx Patch Signal Flow 116 PreLoad Buffers 21 R Recall Button 48 Recalling Scenes 48 86 Recent Mix Session FileList 112 Recovering An Undo File 24 Redoing A Single SessionManipulation 24 Rem Button 71 Effects View Window 47 Remote Control of Plugins over a Network 92 Rename Current Scene 48 Re Ordering Patches 72 Resolution 11 Tips and Suggestions for Optimizing the Use of 11 Return Attenuator 61 Return Channel Fader 61 Return FX Post Fader Patch 61 Return FX Pre Fader Patch 61 Return Input Source 61 Return Mono Switch 61 Return Mute Switch 61 Return Out Assign 61 Return Pan Slider 61 Return Phase Reverse Switch 61 Return Solo Switch 61 Return Swap L R Switch 61 Return XY Surround Pan 61 Return Aux Master Modules 61 Routing And Signal Flow 54 ze SAC Overview 5 SAC Terminology 9 Save And Update Mix Session 112 Save Mix Session As 112 Save Mix Session Copy As 112 Saving Channel Settings 68 Saving Function Key Assignments 23 Saving The Current Function Key Setup As The Default 23 Scene Selection 48 Sc
11. Reset To Original Vintage This option allows you to switch back to the original SAC interface graphics The active graphic library can be saved with the Preferences as the default Exit This option exits the program If the engine is still live the program will display a warning message You must manually shutdown the engine before exiting Mixer Menu SampleRate This option displays a list of SampleRate choices for the entire session This determines the destination session SampleRate The following sub menu choices are available gt 44100 gt 48000 gt 88200 gt 96000 gt Custom Select any rate between 3000 and 400000 This setting can be saved with your preferences Resolution This option displays a list of resolution settings for the entire session This determines the destination resolution of the session and the audio device hardware must be capable of playback at this setting The Mix Engine internally keeps all data at the 24 bit level and dithers or truncates on the final output only according to the chosen settings The following sub menu choices are available gt 16 Bits gt 20 Bits gt 24 Bits This setting can be saved with your preferences Dither This option will add a 1 bit random dither noise pattern to the output device buffers Unfortunately the newer Behringer ADA8000 units since Dec 2009 Date Code 0912 have changed the audio codec chip to a new Cirrus Logic chip This chip has become
12. Right Clicking any Scene in the listbox will display the scene properties dialog and allow you to alter what controls channels and mixers are affected in the scene as well as adjust fade times and switch channel group selection options You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene update will maintain that info as is If you answer YES the current selected channel status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information Pressing the Enter key will also display the scene properties dialog of the seleceted scene and allow you to alter what controls channels and mixers are affected in the scene as well as adjust fade times and switch channel group selection options You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene update will maintain that info as is If you answer YES the current selected channel status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information The Scene Properties dialog displays many options that control h
13. The data next passes through the Aux Master Channel Fader routine This controls the overall direct signal strength for this Aux Master Send This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Return Input Source Each FOH Return channel can obtain its source audio data from either the internal Virtual Buffers or from any one of the hardware device inputs When set to the internal Virtual Buffers the data is gathered directly from the corresponding Aux Master above it The Aux Master must also be set to Virtual in order to complete the connection Each Monitor console beneath it can obtain its signal source from one of two tap off points on the FOH console above it You can select from a Pre Fdr or Pst Far tap Return Mono Switch This switch sums the left and right signals together and applies a 6 dB level adjustment to the result By default the resulting data will be exactly the same on both the left and right signal paths from this point on This switch will also engage when selecting mono input sources and activate the L Only or R Only modes 4 Left Clicking on the Mono label next to the button displays an options menu The choices are L Plus R 6db L Plus R L Only R Only L Minus R 6db L Minus R 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 62 SAC User Manual
14. This option will disable the spacebar from activating a scene recall and can be saved with the preferences Rename Current Scene This option allows you to rename an existing scene and it will handle the details in the background by copying the scene file to a new one with the new name and altering the name in the listbox This method allows other sessions linked to the old scene file to still operate correctly You must save and update the session to retain the scene listbox changes and the 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using The Scenes View 85 new scene file links Import Scene To Current Session This option will copy a scene file from another folder into the current session Scenes folder and add the scene into the current session scene list If there is a scene name conflict in the list you must change the name If there is a duplicated scene file name already in the current scene folder you will be given the option to adjust the name or keep it as is In the latter case the current scene file will be used and the new scene added to the list This allows you to link in scenes from different mix session spinoffs within the same folder New Button 4 Left Clicking the New button allows you to create a new Scene which takes a snapshot of the current state of all 25 mixers A name dialog window is displayed so you can name the Scene You must first be in an active Mix Session before you can create Scenes
15. This updates and overwrites the current Mix Session File with no further prompting Save Mix Session As This options saves the current Mix Session to an MXS file with a new name and makes that the current session If the new save destination is in a different folder this function will automatically extract and save all the session scene files in that new folder within the Save operation Save Mix Session Copy As This option saves the current Mix Session to an MXS file with a new name but does not switch sessions to the new one If the new save destination is in a different folder this function will automatically extract and save all the session scene files in that new folder within the Save operation Mix Template File Mix template files can be overlaid on the current session at any time These files store all console settings all FX patch information and Mixer labels 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 114 SAC User Manual The installation includes some basic mix templates to make it easy to start a new session and assign chan sources in groups of 8 chans When starting a new session just use one of the basic mix templates found in the SAC Mix folder The following sub menu choices are available Mix Template options gt Open This option opens an existing Mix Template file which controls the entire mixing console layout assignments and settings including channel names These files can be ove
16. since the Scenes are files that are placed in a Scenes folder under the project folder Scene names must also be legal filenames with only numbers letters spaces underscores hyphens and a few other specific punctuation characters allowed Entering a new scene filename that contains illegal characters will flag you with a message listing all legal characters you can use and then allow you to re enter the name or cancel e You should always create a new folder for each project and place the session files in that folder This will keep the Scenes folder unique to that project and prevent corruption between projects with the same scene names e You can create partial scenes which will overlay only selected channels on selected mixers and not disturb other mixers and channels when recalled To create a partial scene first select only the channels on whichever mixers you want to be altered when the scene is recalled and then create the new scene or update an existing one a Each time a scene is created or altered the scene properties dialog will display that allows you to set which controls channels and switches are active within a scene and which mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether switches react first or last when a fade is active Fades require the engine to be live since they use the sample clock for timing The display will also show you the channel list of the scene s
17. type the full drive and path and original dll filename on the first line of the file Make sure to finish the line with a carriage return by pressing the Enter key to return the cursor to the start of the next line Then save the file as an ini file using the same name as the plugin itself For example if a VST Plugin called TestPlug dll is installed to D VWST Work then create an ini file called TestPlug ini and inside the file type the line D VST Work TestPlug dil followed by a carriage return This ini file placed in the VST_Pluglns folder under SAC will now link SAC to find the VST plug in in its originally installed path This can help solve compatibility issues with hardwired path plug ins and their various copy protection schemes Regarding VST Plug In Latency Some VST plug ins add a certain amount of latency delay to the processed buffers depending on their processing algorithms SAC will not allow the use of latency causing plugins because it is designed to be a live input driven engine and buffer size altering or witholding is not possible in a live data stream without causing a delayed signal SAC will attempt to detect latency causing plug ins and automatically bypass them keeping the live signal data stream in sync Operation DirectX FX Bypass D The DirectX and VST plug in windows include an FX Bypass icon in the top left corner Left Clicking this icon allows each effect to be individually bypassed 20
18. Activating TCP IP as Remote To connect as a remote into the main SAC system host you use the SACRemote program on the remote machine This program is free to all and available as a download on the SAC site at www SoftwareAudioConsole com This program can be freely distributed and installed on desktop or laptop computers to be used as FOH MON MON FOH or PER MON x Personal Monitor remote control stations for a Host Master SAC system The SACRemote version has no audio engine or hosting abilities and requires connection to a SAC Host Master system to be functional although all other interface functions remain the same and it is also a perfect way to learn the basic SAC interface and create session templates and scenes while run in stand alone mode to be later imported into the main SAC sessions The SACRemote system does not require any audio interface cards of its own The remote pulls settings and metering data from the host system once a connection is made M From the Options menu of the SACRemote program select Activate TCP IP Remote Mode to allow the program to operate as a Remote machine that can control another machine running SAC as the Host Master The Remote machine will link and synchronize to the Master machine when a connection is established The Host Master mode must first be activated on the host machine e The main program title bar will display the Remote User Rights computer name and Remote ID number icon Left clicking on
19. Device Setup This option opens a dialog of options to setup your Sync devices for SMPTE or MIDI MTC synchronization The following settings are available in the Sync Device Setup dialog box Reset Resets all Sync Devices to None Cancel Cancels all changes and exits the dialog box Ok Accepts changes and exits the dialog box MTC In Out Devices Assigns a driver to an MTC In and Out device for receiving and sending MIDI MTC synchronization code SMPTE In Out Devices Assigns a driver to a SMPTE In and Out device for receiving and sending SMPTE synchronization code The SMPTE Out device that you select must be one of the Audio Out devices set up in the Audio Device Setup For example if you have a 16 channel sound card your Audio Device Setup would list devices 1 8 stereo devices 2 channels per device Selecting Device 8 for the SMPTE 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 130 SAC User Manual Out device would send SMPTE out channels 15 and 16 of your sound card These settings can be saved with the preferences Touch Device Setup Added support for the 3M MicroTouch 10 finger touch screen Now you can grab multiple faders at once onscreen with your fingers recommend you set the Touchscreen mode in the Mixer Menu to avoid faders snapping to your finger position You must install the MT7 drivers and select Legacy Mode when asked also recommend you then use the driver calibration tool to calib
20. Dyn Key Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push EQ Assignment Button EQ Gain Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Controls the mixer Aux 4 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 4 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 5 Level Sets the mixer Aux 5 Level to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 5 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 5 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 5 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 5 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 6 Level Sets the mixer Aux 6 Level to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 6 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 6 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 6 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 6 Pst Fader switch Selects Dynamics mode The LCD top row displays the Param labels The LCD bottom row displays the Param values Pressing the button repeatedly cycles through the various Dynamics sub modes Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Comp Attack Sets the mixer Comp Attack to its default setting Controls the mixer Comp Release Sets the mixer Comp Release to its default setting Controls the mixer Comp Ratio Sets the mixer Comp Ratio to its default setting Controls the mixer Comp Threshold Sets the mixer Comp Th
21. Increment decrement the current Hot Chan in any mixer view e Menu mode Navigate up down in any menu Toggles Zoom mode On Off The Zoom button light is on when Zoom mode is active Toggles Scrub mode On Off This button interacts with the scrub wheel to provide alternate functionality The Scrub button light is on when Scrub mode is active e Menu mode Navigate up down in any menu Scrolls up down mixer module 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 100 SAC User Manual Scrub Wheel Control Track View active Shift Button Ctrl Button Alt Button Auto Mode Button Fade Button View Filter Button Enter Button Cancel Button Undo Redo Button F Key View Buttons 1 8 Snapshot Session Button Save Update Session Button Navigates up down through list box entries Toggles Shift mode On Off e The Shift button light flashes when engaged Toggles Ctr mode On Off The Ctrl button light flashes when engaged Toggles Alt mode On Off e The Alt button light flashes when engaged Toggles Mixer Automation mode On Off Writes a default automation fade in or out for the Selected channels when Automation mode is active Toggles the Automation View filter On Off Emulates the Enter key for answering dialog boxes Emulates the Esc cancel key for answering dialog boxes Cancels Shift Ctrl or Alt mode operations Undo the last operation e Shift mode Redo the last undo
22. Instruments and SoftSynth plug ins If the plug in is a synth you must select a MIDI port from the Options icon menu as the source for the plug in to generate sound The sound will only be generated while the engine is running Using The Scenes View Overview Scenes View Overview The Scenes View window displays all Scenes that have been created as part of the current session Scenes are snapshots of all 25 mixer settings and can be used to instantly recall the consoles to a 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 84 SAC User Manual 8 2 8 2 1 preset state Each scene contains a powerful properties dialog that can control exactly what settings are affected when the scene is recalled You can activate or de activate individual controls and module sections as well as control which channels and mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether switches react first or last when a fade is active A Scene also saves and recalls the patched plugins and plugin settings for each chan on each mixer If the plugin patch list stays the same within a mixer channel from scene to scene the plugin patches will not be altered and only the plugin settings will be saved and recalled If the plugin patches on a channel are different from scene to scene the patch list will be cleared and the new plugin patches will be recalled Therefore you can actually have a scene add
23. Labs 78 SAC User Manual aie Left Holding the right half of the Delay Time readout area and moving the mouse forward or backward changes the delay time by 1 millisecond ms increments Shift Left Holding doubles the speed of the changes Left Clicking the left half of the Delay Time control displays a popup menu of available settings in various increments This menu also displays a reference distance in Feet or Meters selectable in the Blue Pyramid Options based on the speed of sound through dry air at 68 degrees F 20 degrees C Click the desired setting or click anywhere outside of the menu to close it e The default value for this control is displayed in bold on the menu The DelayTime and FeedBack controls can be stereo latched when using the Ctrl key and any of the control adjustment methods Right clicking on the Delay Time setting will cause it to match the delay time value of the opposite channel Left Right Clicking the right half of the control resets it to its default setting Left Right Tap Lights These Lights activate Tap Mode which allows you to set Delay Time by tapping to the tempo Pressing the Ctrl key when clicking either of these lights will latch both channels together Left clicking in the Tap zone between the lights twice in succession when either light is active will calculate the delay time between taps and set the active channels Pressing the Left Arrow Ri
24. Menu to the top if they are hidden The Start Menu 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 53 will close after a few seconds leaving the taskbar available to jump to other programs Right Client Area CTRL Lite This icon can be clicked to engage Ctrl Mode The lite will flash and as long as it is flashing all mouse or touch actions will act as if the Ctrl Key is depressed Some functions may automatically disengage this mode when completed Otherwise clicking again on this icon will clear it and stop the flashing This may be used in combination with the Shft and Alt Mode lites Right Clicking anywhere in the Touch Panel view will disengage all active modifier modes SHFT Lite This icon can be clicked to engage Shft Mode The lite will flash and as long as it is flashing all mouse or touch actions will act as if the Shft Key is depressed Some functions may automatically disengage this mode when completed Otherwise clicking again on this icon will clear it and stop the flashing This may be used in combination with the Ctrl and Alt Mode lites Right Clicking anywhere in the Touch Panel view will disengage all active modifier modes ALT Lite This icon can be clicked to engage Alt Mode The lite will flash and as long as it is flashing all mouse or touch actions will act as if the Alt Key is depressed Some functions may automatically disengage this mode when completed Otherwise clicking again on thi
25. Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 Controls the mixer Aux 5 Level Controls the mixer Aux 5 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 5 Level to its default setting Sets the mixer Aux 5 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 5 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 5 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 6 Level Controls the mixer Aux 6 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 6 Level to its default setting Sets the mixer Aux 6 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 6 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 6 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Comp Attack Controls the mixer Comp Release Controls the mixer Comp Ratio Controls the mixer Comp Threshold Sets the mixer Comp Attack to its default setting Sets the mixer Comp Release to its default setting Sets the mixer Comp Ratio to its default setting Sets the mixer Comp Threshold to its default setting Controls the mixer Comp On switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Gate Attack Controls the mixer Gate Release Controls the mixer Gate Floor Controls the mixer Gate Threshold Sets the mixer Gate Attack to its default setting Sets the mixer Gate Release to its default setting Sets the mixer Gate Floor to its default setting Sets the mixer Gate Threshold to its default setting Controls the mixer Gate On switch Controls the mixer Gate Reverse switch Operates on the curr
26. Parameter Knob Pan Button Send Button EQ Button Plug In Button Track lt Button Track gt Button Flip Button Transport Stop Button Transport Play Button Touch Strip Either of these knobs act as a function selector scanning through different control types Use the left or right knob depending on whether you are left or right handed so you do not cover up the display as you turn the knob The current selectable control types are Layer Fader Pan Aux 1 In Aux 1 Pst Fdr Aux 1 Lvl Aux 1 Pan Aux 2 In Aux 2 Pst Fdr Aux 2 Lvl Aux 2 Pan Aux 3 In Aux 3 Pst Fdr Aux 3 Lvl Aux 3 Pan Aux 4 In Aux 4 Pst Fdr Aux 4 Lvl Aux 4 Pan Aux 5 In Aux 5 Pst Fdr Aux 5 Lvl Aux 5 Pan Aux 6 In Aux 6 Pst Fdr Aux 6 Lvl Aux 6 Pan Comp In Comp Gn Comp Thr Comp Ratio Comp Rel Comp Att Gate In Gate Rvs Gate Thr Gate Flr Gate Rel Gate Att Dyn Key Listen Dyn Eq Lo Dyn Eq Hi Dyn Key Eq In Eq LoCut In Eq LoCut Frq Eq HiCut In Eq HiCut Frq Eq Gn 1 Eq Frq 1 Eq Q Bandwidth 1 Eq Gn 2 Eq Frq 2 Eq Q Bandwidth 2 Eq Gn 3 Eq Frq 3 Eq Q Bandwidth 3 Eq Gn 4 Eq Frq 4 Eq Q Bandwidth 4 Eq Gn 5 Eq Frq 5 Eq Q Bandwidth 5 Mono Swap LR Phase Rvs Attenuator MultiTrack Position The LCD dislays the currently selected type and value This knob adjusts the value for the currently selected control type Pressing the knob as a switch sets the control to the default value e Shift Mode For Aux_Lvl control
27. Remote machines must use the same port There is a list of possible available ports in the dialog for setting this value TCP IP Host Computer Name Address This option allows you to enter the network computer name or TCP IP address for the Host Master machine This option is only used for the Slave and Remote machines Auto Save Recall ShutDown Session This option will auto save the current session settings to a background Shutdown mxs file located in the SAC Mix folder When you restart the program this file will be recalled resetting all mixer settings Note the session name will reflect that you are inside the shutdown session file not the original session file which may have been opened at the time The original file was never overwritten unless you chose to manually save it before you exited the program or choose to save and overwrite it now After activating this option save the preferences 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 134 SAC User Manual Background AutoSave Delay Time This option allows you to set a delay time from 0 to 300 secs which will auto save the current session settings to a background AutoSave mxs file located in the SAC Mix folder The option is turned off if the value is set to zero The File menu now includes an option to open this AutoSave session file at any time Note the session name will reflect that you are inside the autosave session file not the original session file which m
28. Solo Bus Out Device This option can be used to route the FOH solo signal to a separate device output to monitors or headphones leaving the main mix bus intact so as not to disturb the FOH signal gt The MON Solo Bus Out Device This option can be used to route the Monitor solo signal to a separate device output to monitors or headphones leaving the main mix bus intact so as not to disturb the FOH or Monitor signals gt The Solo Bus Level This option can be used to adjust the solo level feeding the Solo Device This can also be set by Right Clicking the Main Solo light when the solo mode is set to one of the bus modes gt The Clear Solo Bus Master Offset Chan This option clears any preset Master Solo Offset Output Chan which is used as a latch that allows the master solo bus level to chase a specific output chan fader You can set any output chan fader as the master offset chan by Right Clicking on its solo switch and selecting the Master Solo Offset option Very useful in a studio configuration where your solo bus device is the same as the Control Room Setting the Master Output channel as the Master Solo Offset chan will keep the solos chasing the control room volume when they interrupt the normal mix You can also use this option to designate an extra output fader onscreen to control the master solo level instead of using the popup menus gt The Solo In Place Mutes Other Channels This mode internally mutes channels that ar
29. Stereo Output Channels leaving 16 channels to be used as subgroups similar to the FOH mixer The input splits can be taken from the FOH Src Pre Attenuator FOH Src Pre Attenuator Pst EQ Pst Dyn Pre fader or Post Fader or from the Monitor 1 mixer This allows the Monitor 1 mixer to be used as a completely separate master monitor mixer with all other monitor mix taps coming from it Monitor mixer 1 still taps from the FOH mixer but the rest of the Monitor mixers can use the FOH taps or monitor 1 taps labeled with the letter M at the end to tap from Monitor mixer 1 This allows complete separation of the Monitor mixers and FOH for use with two mixing engineers FOH can use its own EQ and DYN and Monitor mixer 1 can act as a master Monitor mixer with a src split tap and its own EQ and DYN The rest of the Monitor mixers can then tap from Monitor mixer 1 as a master instead of FOH Each monitor console and individual input channel can use any one of those split points independently of every other channel opening up a brand new dimension in monitor mixing routing and control Scenes And Automation SAC offers some of the most comprehensive automation capabilities ever designed for the live sound industry The automation engine is based on a live streaming design as well as a scene snapshot design creating an incredibly smooth and fluid motion during automation and scene changes with down to the sample timing accuracy A Scene View stores and r
30. This option opens the Latest Release Notes file All update enhancements and bug fixes will be listed here Check this file every time you receive a new version update About This option displays the latest version information about the program 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Index 137 Index 1 Scenes 124 9 2 Sequence 124 3 3 Control 124 A About 135 Add Button 71 Effects View Window 47 Altkey 14 Use ofthe 14 Applying Stored Channel Settings to Another Channel 68 Assigning A Workspace View To A Function Key 23 Audio Device Sound Card 16 Installing Your 16 Audio Device Setup 128 Audio Driver Model 128 Auto Advance After Recall 48 Auto Save Recall ShutDown Session 128 Aux Master Channel Fader 61 Aux Master Out Assign 61 Aux Master Pan Slider 61 B Background AutoSave Delay Time 128 Behringer BCF2000 94 Bit Resolution 11 Understanding 11 Buffer Size 21 C Chan Disable 54 Chan Fader Taper 116 Changing Scene Properties 48 86 Channel Store Recall 68 Clear All Mixers To Default 116 Clear Current Or Selected Mixer Labels 116 Clear Current Mixer 116 Clear Mixer Labels 116 Clearing A SessionUndo History File 24 Clearing Channel Settings 68 Clearing Pre and Pst Patches 72 Clearing Solo Patches 72 Close Mix Session 112 Clr Button 48 71 Effects View Window 47 Color Setup 128 Creating Workspace Views 23 Current Mixer Zone 27 D Default File Pat
31. after a scene recall operation perfect for stepping through a series of scenes in a show lineup and can be saved with the preferences Disable SpaceBar Scene Recall This option will disable the spacebar from activating a scene recall and can be saved with the preferences Rename Current Scene This option allows you to rename an existing scene and it will handle the details in the background by copying the scene file to a new one with the new name and altering the name in the listbox This method allows other sessions linked to the old scene file to still operate correctly You must save and update the session to retain the scene listbox changes and the new scene file links 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 49 Import Scene To Current Session This option will copy a scene file from another folder into the current session Scenes folder and add the scene into the current session scene list If there is a scene name conflict in the list you must change the name If there is a duplicated scene file name already in the current scene folder you will be given the option to adjust the name or keep it as is In the latter case the current scene file will be used and the new scene added to the list This allows you to link in scenes from different mix session spinoffs within the same folder New Button 4 Left Clicking the New button allows you to create a new Scene which takes a snapshot of the
32. applicable plug in dll file s into the VST_PluglIns folder directly Some VST Plug In installations will hardcode or otherwise force their plug in path to remain intact as installed and will not allow the dlls to be moved into the SAC VST_PlugIns folder SAC will allow VST plug ins to reside in any folder on any drive by placing an ini file substitute in the VST_Plugins folder pointing to the full path of the dill file itself Create an ascii text ini file in the Notepad and name it the same as the original d file Inside the file type the full drive and path and original dll filename on the first line of the file Make sure to finish the line with a carriage return For example if a VST plug in called TestPlug dll is installed to D VST Work then create an ini file called TestPlug ini and inside the file type the line D VST Work TestPlug dll followed by a carriage return This ini file placed in the VST_Pluglns folder under SAC will now link SAC to find the VST plug in in its originally installed path This can help solve compatibility issues with hardwired path plug ins and their various copy protection schemes Y Regarding VST Plug In Latency Some VST plug ins add a certain amount of latency delay to the processed buffers depending on their processing algorithms SAC will not allow the use of latency causing plugins because it is designed to be a live input driven engine and buffer size altering or witholding is not possible in a live d
33. automatically clears all active Solo switches H Left Clicking the light when no solo switches are active turns the light green and engages a special Output Master Chan Solo Mode The first Master Out Chan will be soloed so you can hear the main mix for the current mixer Engaging any other Master Out Chan solo will add that to the Master Out Solo Template for that mixer and will automatically recall each time you engage the special solo mode While monitoring in this mode engaging any input chan return chan or non master out chan will override the master out solo and act as a normal solo per chan When disengaging the last of these solo switches the original special Master Out solo mode will be automatically reset If you change mixers while in this special solo mode the Master Out Chan Solo mode will chase to the new mixer allowing you to monitor its Master Out Solo Template Left Clicking the solo light again will disengage this special solo mode 46 Alt Left Clicking on the So o Light when no solo switches are active turns on Hot Channel Solo Mode The light turns solid red and the current Hot Channel is soloed Changing to another Hot Channel automatically causes the solo to follow always keeping the Hot Channel soloed The solo buttons are locked out when this mode is active You may change Hot Channels from the Full Zoom or Wide Mixer Views 4 Alt Shift Left Clicking on the Solo Light when no solo switches are active turns on Hot
34. back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Del Button A Left Clicking the Del button allows you to delete an existing Scene The selected Scene is removed from the Scenes listbox The actual file is not deleted from the Scenes folder in case other spinoff Mix Sessions are also using this Scene Cir Button 4 Left Clicking the Cir button allows you to delete all existing Scenes All Scenes are removed from the Scenes listbox The actual files are not deleted from the Scenes folder in case other spinoff Mix Sessions are also using any of these Scenes Recall Button 4 Left Clicking the Recall button allows you to recall a Scene Using the Alt key with the Recall button will cancel any fade action that is part of the scene properties Using the Ctrl key with the Recall button will overide the Partial Chan Selecet property and force the selection of partial scene channels as a temporary group Navigation Scenes List Area Scrolling amp The Scenes List may be scrolled by Left Dragging the right scroll bar area or by pressing the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys Scene Selection In The Listbox se Left Clicking on a Scene selects and highlights it in the listbox 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 51 Using the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys scrolls up and down the list selecting one Sce
35. balance of signal levels split off to the eight surround points designated around the perimeter of the control These eight split off signals are blended together in the surround pan internal buffers and output to discreet audio device outs based on the XY Pan Out Assignments on the output channels The Sub Send controls the signal level sent to the separate Sub XY Pan Out Assignment The Center Send controls the signal level sent to the separate Center XY Pan Out Assignment The XY Pan In Out switch enables or disables the use of the XY Pan routine for this channel If surround panning is not being used this switch should be left out so there is no unnecessary extra load on the CPU Processing the signal to the surround buffers will add processing load to the overall playback performance The XY Pan has individual node point control You may click on each of the eight node surround points on any channel and the node will toggle between active and inactive The node turns red when it is inactive When a node is inactive audio from that XY Pan will not feed that particular output bus You may use this feature to keep music out of the center channel for instance These nodes may be automated allowing you to toggle them during automated playback Input Out Assign The data ends up at the Out Assign switches These switches control the destination routing of the channel signal These switches may be combined allowing the channels to be routed to mul
36. console coupled with 24 duplicate monitor mixing consoles with digital split points from 5 locations within the FOH Input Channels or Master Monitor 1 channels creates a whole new way of mixing live sound while eliminating and replacing racks of physical equipment snake cabling and splitters The FOH Console The virtual console is designed as a 72 input channel 72 output channel FOH console with Input Source Mono Attenuator Phase Reverse Swap L R 5 Band Stereo fully parametric EQ with additional Hi and Lo Cut filters Keying Gate and Compressor with bandpass filter Pre and Post FX patch points 6 Stereo Aux Sends with Pan 24 Stereo Output Assigns 8 point XY Surround Pan with separate Sub and Center Chan Solo Mute Stereo Pan long throw Fader with a Stereo Hi Resolution 60 dB Meter on each channel Any input channel may be assigned to any or all output channels at the same time 8 Master Output channels may be routed to any hardware output device while the remaining 16 Output channels can be used as subgroup faders folding back to any or all of the 8 Master Faders In addition the subgroup faders can be used as fader latches to the input channels assigned to that group similar to VCA Fader groups When used in this manner the input channel signals are not routed through a subgroup bus but instead are linked to the use of the group fader as a master group control The group master can be re located anywhere on the console direct
37. controls sixteen channels and the 8 Wide General MIDI Template controls eight channels The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Korg 168RC Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 108 SAC User Manual Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Solos Control mixer solos Panasonic WR DA7 Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration
38. current SAC Hot Chan Selects I O mode Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Attenuation Level Sets the mixer Attenuation Level to its default setting Controls the mixer Phase switch Controls the mixer L R Swap switch Controls the mixer Mono mode selection Sets the mixer Mono mode to its default setting Selects Pan mode The LCD top row displays the channel numbers or labels The LCD bottom row displays the Pan values Pressing the button again changes the LCD bottom row to level meter displays Control the associated mixer channel pan Selects Aux Send mode The LCD top row displays the Param labels The LCD bottom row displays the Param values Pressing the button repeatedly cycles through the various Aux Send sub modes Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 1 Level Sets the mixer Aux 1 Level to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 1 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 1 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 1 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 1 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 2 Level Sets the mixer Aux 2 Level to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 2 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 2 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 2 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 2 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 3 Level Sets the mixer Aux 3 Level to its default setting
39. cursor to the left or right edge of this window or inside of the mixer label area initiates an automatic scroll in that direction Left Clicking near the left or right edge of this window initiates a single scroll action Right Holding will change the mouse cursor to a vertical directional arrow icon and latch a vertical scroll mode This mode will scroll the window at a speed dependent on how far you push the mouse off the center point which engaged the scroll action You do not have to keep the mouse moving just positioned above or below the point which engaged the action The Left Arrow key scrolls the view to the left one channel at a time Pressing Shift Left 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 38 SAC User Manual Arrow scrolls the view to the left one page complete view width at a time Pressing Ctrl Left Arrow scrolls the view to the previous section from Outputs to Returns to Inputs The Right Arrow key scrolls the view incrementing one channel at a time Pressing Shift Right Arrow scrolls the view incrementing one page complete view width at a time Pressing Citrl Right Arrow scrolls the view to the next section from Inputs to Returns to Outputs The mousewheel may also be used to increment and decrement channels The Page Up key scrolls the view up to the next console section Faders Labels Out Assigns Aux Sends FX Patch Dynamics Eq Input Attenuator The Page Down key scr
40. data from this point on All signals before this switch are still active and untouched This switch has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the muting action occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response which can be used in place of a quick fade to ramp a signal up or down smoothly amp Pressing the Ctrl key when activating the mute switch will mute the FOH and all monitor mixers also for that channel This can be very useful for muting output channels or returns across all mixers at the same time Temporary grouped channels will also respond to this feature w l Right Clicking any Mute switch on the FOH or Monitor Mixer 1 console view will display the Mute Thru Monitors Latch option If this is activated on an FOH channel that channel s mute switch will always latch thru to all monitor mixers regardless of the mixer tap point If this is activated on a Monitor Mixer 1 channel that channel s mute switch will always latch thru to all the rest of the monitor mixers independent of the FOH mixer In this way you can maintain the separation between a Monitor and FOH engineer This option can be very handy for RF mic channels for example where it may be desirable to mute those channels in all monitor mixers with the press of the FOH mute switch even though the monitor mixers are tapped at SRC or other points that normally do not follow the FOH mutes Input Channe
41. device that you have installed If you have more than one device installed repeat this for each one If your audio device has an unmatched number of inputs and outputs you should set the matching input and output pairs to the same device number leaving unmatched devices set to none You may however assign devices in any order and leave unassigned devices in any location Click the Up Down Arrow zone to display the next 12 devices You have three screens of 12 devices each The devices are listed as stereo devices representing a total of 36 stereo 72 mono outputs If using ASIO you will most likely only see the odd number channels listed but each device actually represents the odd even pair of channels S For example if your audio device has four stereo analog outputs and one stereo digital output but only one stereo analog input and one stereo digital input thereby creating an unmatched set of inputs and outputs set out device 1 to driver out 1 2 out device 2 to driver out 3 4 out device 3 to driver out 5 6 and out device 4 to driver out 7 8 and out device 5 to driver out digital 1 2 Then set in device 1 to driver in 1 2 and in device 5 to driver in digital 1 2 leaving in device 2 3 and 4 set to none PreLoad Buffers This setting controls how many buffers of data are preloaded to the audio device before output streaming begins This affects the response time of live controls such as mutes solos faders etc If this setting is
42. drawn wherever there is a chan type change or a label color change to help keep channels visually grouped together Knobs And Switches w l Left Clicking on any control will allow direct adjustment of its setting Link Keys Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to switch to different mixers by using two number keys not on the NumPad in sequence The mixers are numbered from 00 FOH to 24 After pressing the first number key a mixer list will be displayed with mixer labels The list will be hi lited to display the range of active remaining selections Press the second number key to select the desired mixer For instance if you first press 1 then the list will display the mixers with 10 to 19 hi lited and expect the second number for the desired mixer You can also press the M key Mixer to pop the list up as a reference and then enter the two number keys The NUMPAD may also be used in the same manner when the keyboard is set to NUMLOCK Label Display Zone a eB Shift Left Clicking in the Label Display zone displays a channel label dialog box allowing a name for the channel to be entered You must press the Enter key for the name to be accepted Ctrl Left Clicking in the Label Display zone allows you to enter labels for sequential channels Pressing the Enter key after a label name has been entered will automatically prompt for a label name for the next channel To close or cancel the label dialog box Left Click eith
43. flat and SAC handling the processing You can also use Output Channel sources to playback complex sessions as a single stereo mix or with multiple sub assignments and have SAC handle the playback as stems from the original session thereby taking less SAC channels but still giving you hands on live control of various sub groups from the original session Recording a live session from the SAC FOH setup is a breeze with SAWStudio running in the background in a relaxed state accepting signals direct from SAC s input assignments on a channel by channel basis And the SAC mix setup and input assignments can be easily passed to SAWStudio with a single menu option so SAWStudio is ready to record in seconds with a preset playback mix ready to go The record signal comes from the Source input of the SAC channels If the FX Pre Patch point is moved to the top of the channel the record signal will pickup after the Pre Patch signal Use this method for recording from VST synth plugins on a SAC channel There are also various Control Track options for sending commands thru the SAC Link to control various SAC functions like recalling scenes etc Menu Reference Guide SAW Link This option allows a quick link to switch to SAWStudio when the SAWStudio SAC Link is active It will restore and switch to the SAWStudio or SAWStudioLite program when that program is running and linked with the SAWStudio SAC Link option File Menu Open Mix Session
44. half of the control and moving the mouse forward or backward changes the filter setting 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 76 SAC User Manual Right Clicking the control turns the filter on or off Left Clicking the left half of the control displays a popup menu of all available settings Click the desired setting or click anywhere outside of the menu to close it e The default value for this control is displayed in bold on the menu Left Right Clicking the right half of the control resets it to its default setting Lo Cut Filter The Lo Cut filter control is a shelving filter that will attenuate low frequencies below the cutoff frequency setting The rate of attenuation is 12 dB per octave 4 Left Holding the right half of the control and moving the mouse forward or backward changes the filter setting Right Clicking the control turns the filter on or off Left Clicking the left half of the control displays a popup menu of all available settings Click the desired setting or click anywhere outside of the menu to close it Ka The default value for this control is displayed in bold on the menu Left Right Clicking the right half of the control resets it to its default setting Vol Trim The Vol Trim control can be used to trim the overall volume to eliminate clipping that may occur when boosting or cutting frequency bands in a loud section of audio 4 Left Dragging the Vol Trim slid
45. ini file modification Hyperthreading can and most likely will cause low level driver interactions and glitches when trying to achieve low latency performance Dual processors can add performance on heavily loaded sessions by splitting the display and meter threads as well as splitting the low level driver threads across the two processors you will just have to experiment with your system If you are having stability issues try the single cpu boot method and see if things stabilize 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Getting Started 21 3 2 3 Wave Devices The Audio Device Setup option from the Options menu first displays the wave output device selections Start with Wave Device Out 01 and select the audio device driver that matches the device that you have installed If you have more than one device installed repeat this for each one You may assign devices in any order and leave unassigned devices in any location Click the Up Down Arrow zone to display the next 12 devices You have three screens of 12 devices each The devices are listed as stereo devices representing a total of 36 stereo 72 mono outputs If using ASIO you will most likely only see the odd number channels listed but each device actually represents the odd even pair of channels Next click the Out In device toggle zone to display the wave input device selections Start with Wave Device In 01 and select the audio device driver that matches the
46. leave this channel alone This allows you to recall settings to multiple channels in a new session with channel labels that match the channel template names By labeling channels in a similar fashion across all sessions you can easily exchange mix settings from one unrelated session to another one channel at a time or all at once Se The Recall All From File And Duplicate To Selected Channels option opens the file dialog and allows you to select a file The settings will be recalled and duplicated on all selected channels Clearing Channel Settings e Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu Selecting the Clear Current Channel option clears the current channel to default settings If the current channel is one of a group of selected channels all selected channels are cleared Set Channel Label Color e Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu Selecting the Set Channel Label Color option allows you to select one of the 16 label outline colors for this channel or no label color If this channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected The default behavior sets this chan color for all mixers If you press the Alt Key when activating the menu choice only the current mixer will be affected This data saves with mix sessions mix templates and with scenes On scene recalls with active label properties the chan label color will change with the l
47. loosely defined concerning resolution definitions beyond 16 bit there may be compatibility issues at the 20 and 24 bit resolution settings with certain audio device drivers There is a special 24 bit WDM compatibility mode that you can try but in general you should be fine using the ASIO driver model Installing Your MIDI Device SAC has the ability to generate and read MTC time code and also send and receive MIDI mixer control information with any MIDI device Complete the hardware installation of your MIDI device according to the manufacturers instructions that accompany the device Refer to the Midi Device Setup and Sync Device Setup options under the Options menu in the Menu Reference Guide for further information on setting up SAC to use the installed MIDI device Installing SAC On Your Computer To install the SAC program onto your computer you should place the downloaded program file into a folder on your harddrive not on the desktop and double click the self extracting program exe file recommend creating an INSTALL folder on one of your drives and then create subfolders for the different companies or products that you download For example create a C Install RML Labs folder place the downloaded programs in there and they are easy to find anytime you need to re install at a later time Installing SAC From A Downloaded Program File w l From the Explorer window navigate to the location where you saved the downloaded self
48. may also be used in the same manner when the keyboard is set to NUMLOCK Label Display Zone WS Shift Left Clicking in the Label Display zone displays a channel label dialog box allowing a name for the channel to be entered You must press the Enter key for the name to be accepted e Names entered on the FOH Mixer or Master Monitor Mixer 1 Input channels will automatically pass through to all channels on the following Monitor mixers Names entered on any Monitor Mixer 2 or higher are only entered on that mixer Pressing the Alt key along with one of the Shift or Ctrl options to create a label will block the automatic pass thru allowing you to label changes on the current mixer without affecting other mixers Set Channel Label Color e Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu Selecting the Set Channel Label Color option allows you to select one of the 16 label outline colors for this channel or no label color If this channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected The default behavior sets this chan color for all mixers If you press the Alt Key when activating the menu choice only the current mixer will be affected This data saves with mix sessions mix templates and with scenes On scene recalls with active label properties the chan label color will change with the label text You might set a group of vocals to one color and horns to another etc Or you
49. may find it useful to just set the first vocal chan to a color and then the first horn chan to a different color to visually mark and separate the groups without flooding the label area with colors Scrolling 4 Right Holding will change the mouse cursor to a vertical directional arrow icon and latch a vertical scroll mode This mode will scroll the window at a speed dependent on how far you push the mouse off the center point which engaged the scroll action You do not have to keep the mouse moving just positioned above or below the point which engaged the action The Page Up key scrolls the view up to the next console section Faders Labels Out Assigns Aux Sends FX Patch Dynamics Eq Input Attenuator The Page Down key scrolls the view down to the next console section Faders Labels Out Assigns Aux Sends FX Patch Dynamics Eq Input Attenuator Ctrl PgUp snaps you to the top of the module Ctrl PgDn snaps you to the bottom of the module 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 42 SAC User Manual The Left Arrow key scrolls the view to the left one channel at a time The Right Arrow key scrolls the view incrementing one channel at a time The mousewheel may also be used to increment and decrement channels Channel Selecting D SD Left Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection on and off Alt Left Clicking in the channel label a
50. minute whereas a 16 bit resolution 44100 Hz SampleRate stereo soundfile requires approximately 10 5 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs SAC Fundamentals 11 megabytes of hard disk storage per minute 2 2 2 Understanding Bit Resolution and Dither Bit Resolution discussions have generated much controversy in recent years Along with the controversy has come a shroud of confusion and in many cases misinformation This section attempts to cut through the confusion and at least shed some light on how SAC handles the audio data stream resolution What Is Bit Resolution As mentioned earlier each sample in a digital audio signal represents the instantaneous volume level of the original audio at the moment the sample was taken The computer represents the sample values as binary data based on the building block called a bit More bits can represent larger values For instance one bit can represent two values 0 and 1 Two bits combined can represent four values 0 1 2 and 3 The formula for figuring the number of values is 2 to the nth power 2 where n represents the number of bits Representing an audio signal with more bits of resolution can create a much finer and more detailed rendering of the original signal The theoretical dynamic range of a 16 bit digital audio signal is 96 db from maximum to minimum signal whereas for a 20 bit signal it s 120 db and higher for a 24 bit signal Realize that as you app
51. mix stage The final destination resolution decides what happens to the data at the output stage If the final resolution is less than the 24 bit internal data path then the data is simply shifted down to the final resolution setting and the low level bits are truncated If the final resolution is set to 24 bits then the internal mxing path is left completely intact 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 12 SAC User Manual 2 3 2 3 1 2 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 4 Essential Basic Concepts Active Windows The SAC interface displays many windows at the same time The window title bars can be used to determine which window is the active window with the keyboard focus The active window will display its title bar text in yellow while in active windows will display their title bar text in dark gray Clicking inside of any window typically makes that the active window Many common keystrokes will cause different actions depending upon which window is the active window Make sure you take notice of which window is active before depending on keystroke command functions Sizing and Moving Windows If a window can be sized you may do so by pointing the mouse arrow to the edge of the window until a double headed arrow is displayed When you see the double headed arrow click and hold the left mouse button and drag the window to the desired size Move any window by clicking and dragging its title bar and moving the wind
52. mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Yamaha 03D Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes 11 Using Th
53. off Whenever channels are selected the mixer mouse pointer will change to CHN to indicate that channels are selected If multiple mixers have selected channels a plus sign will be added to the new mouse cursor Selected channels respond as a group to mixer adjustments and this mouse pointer serves as a reminder that channels that may not be in view are currently selected so you may clear those selections if desired before adjusting controls Channel Re Ordering D ED ED Shift Left Dragging on a channel number area just beneath the title bar allows a channel to be dragged to a new location out of order from the normal sequential count Ctrl Left Clicking on any channel number area just beneath the title bar automatically arranges all channels in numerical order You will be prompted to OK this action Shift Left Clicking a channel number when one or more channels have been selected channel number inversed will move all selected channels to this new destination and group them together For example to move channels 8 10 and 12 up to channel position 2 select channels 8 10 and 12 by Left Clicking in the channel numbers inversing them then Shift Left Click channel 2 as the destination The new channel order will then be set as 1 8 10 12 2 3 4 etc Using Channel Group Menu Options D Groups Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu allows you to save and
54. off e Alt Left Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection from the last toggled channel to the current channel on and off The selected channels are indicated by an inverse coloring of this label area Selected channels are grouped and any selected channel can become the group master Adjusting any control on the group master will also adjust the same control on all other selected channels Any control that reaches its max or min levels will maintain its over range internal value and keep its relative position within the group as the levels are brought back into range SR Right Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles all selected channels off er Whenever channels are selected the mixer mouse pointer will change to CHN to indicate that channels are selected If multiple mixers have selected channels a plus sign will be added to the new mouse cursor Selected channels respond as a group to mixer adjustments and this mouse pointer serves as a reminder that channels that may not be in view are currently selected so you may clear those selections if desired before adjusting controls Using Channel Group Menu Options Groups 4 Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu allows you to save and recall preset channel groups There are 32 Group preset assignments and a few special groups for mixer section selections ie input
55. one of the 32 Group preset options creates a new group and assigns the currently selected channels to that group and prompts for a group name Left Clicking on one of the 32 Group preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels Left Clicking on the Select AN option selects all input return and output mixer channels Left Clicking on the Select All Inputs Select All Returns or Select All Outputs option selects the corresponding mixer channels Cirl Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options will blend the preset with any currently selected mixer channels When a group of channels are selected any control adjustment on one of those selected channels activates the adjustment on all of the group channels simultaneously You may override the group at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust individual channel controls When you are finished with the group operation simply Right Click in the channel label area just beneath the title bar to clear the group The group assignments will save with the session and mix templates 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 43 Latches These work similar to Group presets but add the power of automatic latching anytime one of the preset latched channels is adjusted These latched groups do not require pre selection before adjusting controls the latch between channels is automatic when any one of
56. performs the same function Recovering An Undo File M The Recover Last Undo option under the Edit menu opens a file dialog displaying the U00 undo data information files for your different sessions Pick the session of interest and the last stored undo file will attempt to be opened In most cases this will recover you from unsaved or crashed data circumstances to the last or close to the last editing operation performed when the session was last open er If your session crashed or was closed without saving exercise this option to open the session for the best chance of recovering potentially lost data If this option fails to recover your session try the Display Undo History option to access all of the undo history files available for this session Recovering An Undo M The Recover Undo option under the Edit menu allows you to see all undo files u01 u99 for each session in a folder You may select any one of them to attempt to recover a session that was somehow lost or corrupted Displaying Current Session Undo History M The Display Undo History option under the Edit menu displays an Undo History listbox with undo history listed from the most recent change to the oldest change going back as many 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 26 SAC User Manual levels as you have setup in the Set Undo Levels configuration Each entry will have a date and time stamp and a text message describing the event Do
57. popular in other devices as well This chip is supposed to be of higher quality than the previous codec but has a default Auto Mute behavior which mutes the DAC side of the chip when it sees a series of 8192 zero 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 117 data buffers The chip then un mutes when it sees new data with non zero values Unfortunately the un muting can behave in a random fashion and actually ramp up in a slow manner like a slow timed release gate sometimes taking 3 6 secs to open up completely depending on the audio material The chip can be programmed to disable this so called feature unfortunately the Behringer units do not do this at this time currently July 2010 This behavior causes the initial attack of playback material or solo material to be lost for a random amount of time Any audio software that starts and stops playback will miss the first audio attacks The dither option can be activated in SAC to keep the chip active at all times fixing this otherwise annoying behavior Unfortunately there is no current method for fixing this behavior within SAWStudio the Media Player I Tunes player or any other audio program that starts and stops playback Hopefully Behringer will address this issue and hopefully other hardware products using this chip will properly disable this behavior If you have newer ADA8000 units that exhibit this missing data behavior on startup or on th
58. process all 25 consoles to get the next buffer of data ready in time for the soundcard to stream it to the hardware Depending on SampleRate and buffer size there is a fixed amount of time between buffers going out to the hardware This value represents how close to that allotted time it takes the engine to get the next set of buffers ready As the value climbs up towards the 100 mark the engine is working extra hard to process the amount of data required by your setup If you are using a single processor system the graphic and meter display redraws will begin to slow down when the load climbs above 50 because the display code will take a backseat to the mix processing code If you are using 2 or 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 28 SAC User Manual more processors the load can climb very close to 100 without affecting the screen displays because the engine is split between processors 4 Left Clicking on the Load Display will popup a small message window which displays the current count of input and output slipped buffers since the engine has been started This slippage will have been automatically re synced so there is no overall latency drift If your system is running completely stable under load these values should remain zero Solo Light This light will flash as an indicator when one or more active Solo switches are pressed somewhere on one of the consoles 4 Left Clicking the light when active
59. starts Link Keys Keyboard shortcuts can be used to switch to different mixers by using two number keys not on the NumPad in sequence The mixers are numbered from 00 FOH to 24 After pressing the first number key a mixer list will be displayed with mixer labels The list will be hi lited to display the range of active remaining selections Press the second number key to select the desired mixer For instance if you first press 1 then the list will display the mixers with 10 to 19 hi lited and expect the second number for the desired mixer You can also press the M key Mixer to pop the list up as a reference and then enter the two number keys The NUMPAD may also be used in the same manner when the keyboard is set to NUMLOCK 6 2 2 Effects View Top Client Area FX Patch Lists Each of the Pre Pst and Solo FX Patch List windows include the following buttons Add Button 4 Left Clicking the Add button on any Pre or Pst patch window will add the selected effect from the FX Choices list to the respective patch window Rem Button 4 Left Clicking the Rem button on any Pre or Pst patch window will remove the selected effect from the respective patch window Cir Button SR Left Clicking the Cir button on any Pre or Pst patch window will clear all effects from the respective patch window If the current channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected amp Pressing the Ctrl key whe
60. status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties Dialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Pressing the Enter key will display the scene properties dialog of the seleceted scene and allow you to alter what controls and mixers are affected in the scene as well as adjust fade times and switch channel group selection options You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene update will maintain that info as is If you answer YES the current selected channel status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties Dialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Ka Fades require the engine to be live since they use the sam
61. sure the Enable Key Sequence checkbox is not checked PoNM gt To disable hotkeys language switching in Windows NT 1 Open the Control Panel and select Keyboard 2 Click on the Input Locales tab 3 Under the Switch Locales section be sure the radio button that says None is selected for each language installed 2 4 5 Forced Engine Shutdown Special code has been added to activate a complete forced Engine Shutdown in the event of a driver or audio engine lockup condition during live operation Pressing the Ctrl Break key labeled Pause on many keyboards will force all engine threads to shutdown in sequence to break the engine out of a locked loop A Forced Engine Shutdown message will display on the screen while the program attempts to reset the threads to a stable condition e Some keyboards have separate Break and Pause keys and many laptops may require the use a special function key denotes by color coding on the keyboard It is recommended that you test this feature on your system during ordinary playback to determine which key or key combination activates this break function so in the event of a real lockup you will have a chance for a simple recovery 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 16 SAC User Manual 3 1 3 1 1 3 1 3 Getting Started Installation System Requirements SAC is designed to run under Microsoft Windows NT Windows 2000 or Windows XP on a high end PC co
62. the Control View and brings it to the top Touch Panel Displays the floating Touch Panel View and brings it to the top Touch Panel Visable As Default Forces the display of the the floating Touch Panel View as the default Select this option then Save the Prefernces Default File 12 5 Smpte Midi Menu Smpte Mtc Format This option allows you to choose a Smpte MTC Format for your project This setting saves with the Session The following sub menu choices are available 30 Non Drop 30 Drop 29 97 Non Drop 29 97 Drop 25 24 23 97 Non Drop VVVVVVV Smpte Mtc Sync This option allows you to select a method to synchronize SAC to other software applications or hardware devices These settings save with individual MXS files The following sub menu choices are available gt Generate Smpte Sync Causes SAC to generate Smpte LTC timecode as the master to any selected stereo audio device out with no additional SMPTE hardware required The device is selected in the Sync Device Setup option under the Options menu The software generated timecode is extremely precise and maintains exact 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 126 SAC User Manual sync with the audio device clock The Output Chan controls for the specific device out allow you to route and adjust the timecode data level The Output Chan will be automatically labeled and assigned as a direct device out gt Generate Mtc Sync Cause
63. the latch preset channels is adjusted These latch presets can be very handy for creating stereo latched L and R channels which will then always adjust the pair simultaneously You may override the latch at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust channel controls These latch presets save with Mix Template and Mix Session Files ER Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu also allows you to save and recall preset Latch groups There are 32 latch preset assignments Se Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name se Alt Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new RVS Reverse latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name A RVS Latch group works in reverse of a standard Latch group The group of selected channels will operate as independent when making any normal adjustment but will be latched together whenever any one of the channels is adjusted while pressing the Alt Key The RVS Latched channels do not have to be actively selected once created to operate all together in latched mode This can be very handy for creating mute groups The group will remain individual during normal mixing adjustments but clicking a mute switch while pressing the Alt Key will instantl
64. the overall shape of the resulting EQ curve Each of the seven bands has adjustments for center frequency and bandwidth There are also adjustable Hi Cut and Lo Cut filters and a control to trim the output volume The Equalizer plug in interface includes a popup menu list of all settings for each control The frequencies for each band include the entire range from 40 to 15k with many smaller increments in between The bandwidth ranges from 1 10 to 3 octaves All parameters can be automated except the reset switch This effect is completely non destructive and operates in real time Operation Slider Controls 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Plug In Effects 75 The Slider Controls adjust the amount of boost or cut at the associated center frequency The dB representation is displayed above each control w l Left Dragging a slider adjusts the EQ Left Right Clicking resets any control back to zero dB Freq The Freq controls adjust the center frequency for each of the seven frequency bands The frequency range covers the full spectrum from 40 15000 cycles allowing complete versatility in setting frequency combinations Each frequency band is a high resolution bandpeaking filter that affects only the audio frequencies that are near the center frequency setting and lie within the bandwidth range evenly balanced on either side 4 Left Holding the right half of a frequency control and moving the
65. then 100 snapshots will be taken per second making the SampleRate 100 The higher the SampleRate the more snapshots per second there are making the facsimile closer to the original We will refer to each snapshot as a sample Each sample in a digital audio signal represents the instantaneous volume level of the original audio at the moment the sample was taken PC computers represent number values as binary data The basic building block of binary data is called a bit The higher the number of bits the higher the value they can represent For instance one bit can represent two values 0 and 1 Two bits combined can represent four values 0 1 2 and 3 Eight bits can represent 256 values 0 through 255 Sixteen bits can represent 65 536 values When representing an audio signal with eight bits the facsimile of the original is very limited in detail only 256 values available When representing the same signal with 16 bits 65 536 values available the amount of detail captured more closely duplicates the original signal The amount of detail is referred to as resolution The higher the resolution and the SampleRate the higher the quality of the digital audio captured The tradeoff to using the higher resolution and SampleRate values is the need for more computer memory and speed to store and manipulate the data For example an 8 bit resolution 44100 Hz SampleRate stereo soundfile requires approximately 5 25 megabytes of hard disk storage per
66. too low for your system audio stuttering or glitching during playback may occur especially when minimizing or sizing windows etc on a complex session This setting combines with the Out Buffer Size setting to determine the final latency Use the PreLoad Buffers listbox to choose a setting between 1 and 6 Lower values will give you faster response times Buffer Size Use the Buffer Size listbox to choose from six different settings ranging from 32 to 1024 samples The combination of the Buffer Size and the PreLoad Buffer value control the latency of the real time engine Lower latency values give live instantaneous response and the feel of a real physical console You will need to achieve settings of 3 x 128 or lower for a realtime live audio console feel 5 Some combinations that result in the same low latency value will cause the system to glitch while other combinations will perform comfortably For instance 4 buffers at 64 size might cause static or glitching on certain audio devices but the same latency value can be obtained by using 2 buffers at 128 size and the audio device may play back perfectly 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 22 SAC User Manual 3 2 4 When you are finished with all adjustments click OK then save your default settings by clicking on the File menu and selecting Preferences File Save Default Setting Up Default File Paths Having a thorough understanding of Windows fi
67. toward a more even or linear reaction near the zero dB position gt Linear This option creates an even scaling of motion to dB changes across the entire range of the fader gt Custom This is a special option that allows you to alter the way the fader reacts in five actual scaling zones When selecting this option an exploded view of Channel 1 is displayed and the main fader shows three nodes along the right side of the fader zone These three nodes control the 6dB 12dB and 36dB points starting from the top down The 6dB node controls the plus section of the fader above the zero dB position providing two separate scaling areas above and below the node The other two nodes control the reaction of the fader below the zero dB position providing three more scaling zones By Left Dragging these nodes you can control the actual stretching or shrinking of the various zones and determine how the main sweet spot center area of the fader reacts to movement You may also select one of the preset tapers while this special edit mode is active which will allow you to start with that as a basis for building your own taper The custom taper is updated when you close this special exploded view window Selecting any one of these options and then saving your default preferences will save your selected fader taper and use that as the default each time you open the program 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 120 SAC User Manual
68. types sets the control to Ant Switches the Control Type to Pan for the current channel The Pan LED lights when in Pan Mode Switches the Control Type to Aux_LvI_1 for the current channel Repeated pressings switch to Aux_Lvl_2 Aux_Lvl_3 Aux_Lvl_4 Aux_Lvl_5 Aus Lu 6 and then back around to the beginning The Send LED lights when in Aux Mode Switches the Control Type to Eq_In for the current channel Repeated pressings switch to Eq_Lo_In Eq _Hi_In Eq_Gain_1 Eq_Gain_2 Eq_Gain_3 Eq_Gain_4 Eq_Gain_5 and then back around to the beginning The EQ LED Lights when in Eq Mode Activates and opens if needed the FX_Pre and FX_Pst views e Shift Mode Closes all FX patch views Decrements the Channel e Cirl Mode Set by pushing the left or right parameter knob Lights both track button LEDs and jumps down one section from Output to Return to Input channels Increments the Channel e Cirl Mode Set by pushing the left or right parameter knob Lights both track button LEDs and jumps up one section from Input to Return to Output channels Switches the Control Type to Position The LCD now displays Timeline position information in the current Timeline display mode Pressing the button again switches the Control Type back to the previous type selection Stops playback record and live input operations e Shift Mode Saves and updates the session edl e Msg Dialog Mode When a message dialog box is active acts as a cancel or
69. used as a Starting point to save time and maintain consistency from session to session Zone An active area in the SAC workspace not considered a button used for navigation purposes and accessing menu options The Fundamentals Of Digital Audio What is Digital Audio Prior to the computer age and the introduction of digital audio concepts analog technology ruled the audio recording industry Analog audio can be considered a continuous stream of fluctuating electronic pulses a perfectly smooth facsimile of the original acoustic audio signal Digital audio however is actually a series of individual snapshots of the original acoustic audio signal taken at defined time intervals which when sequentially reassembled creates a facsimile of the original signal Because the components of a digital audio signal are discreet in nature they can easily be stored and manipulated as files in a standard PC computer environment Different data streams can be mixed and processed solely in a math based environment without the need for complex circuitry and mixing bus schemes to control and manipulate large audio mixing tasks The time intervals between snapshots we refer to as the SampleRate The smaller these intervals are the more snapshots there are within a specified time For example if the time interval is a tenth of a second then ten snapshots will be taken per second making the SampleRate ten If the time interval is a hundredth of a second
70. with any midi sysex dump utility program like Midi Ox or something similar Save this to a single preset in the unit Make sure that preset is the selected preset on the unit Set the unit to USB 1 mode if using usb connection or Stand Alone 4 mode if using midi Multiple BCF2000 units may be used up to 4 units for a total of 32 faders To do this you must download each of the respective sysex files to the 4 units and make sure you label them somehow to connect them in the proper order from 1 thru 4 Connecting multiple units is done as follows Unit 1 USB 4 mode Out A to Unit 2 In Unit 2 Stand Alone 4 mode Out B to Unit 3 In Out A back to Unit 1 In if only 2 units otherwise Out A to a Midi Merge box In Unit 3 Stand Alone 4 mode Out B to Unit 4 In Out A to the Midi Merge box In Unit 4 Stand Alone 4 mode Out A to the Midi Merge box In The Midi Merge box Out must be connected back to Unit 1 In With the use of a Midi Merge box for more than 2 units you may experience fader glitching and odd behaviour if grabbing more than one fader at the same time across separate units This can be caused by the merge not keeping individual NRPN data strings together from each unit This can be solved with the use of some virtual mergers like MidiOX Midi Yoke which give you the option to lock NRPN strings together keeping the full data packet from being interrupted midstream The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of th
71. with scenes On scene recalls with active label properties the chan label color will change with the label text You might set a group of vocals to one color and horns to another etc Or you may find it useful to just set the first vocal chan to a color and then the first horn chan to a different color to visually mark and separate the groups without flooding the label area with colors Scrolling w l Left Dragging the mouse cursor to the left or right edge of this window or inside of the mixer label area initiates an automatic scroll in that direction Left Clicking near the left or right edge of this window initiates a single scroll action Wi Right Holding will change the mouse cursor to a vertical directional arrow icon and latch a vertical scroll mode if the window is sized smaller than the full height of the graphic This mode will scroll the window at a speed dependent on how far you push the mouse off the center point which engaged the scroll action You do not have to keep the mouse moving just positioned above or below the point which engaged the action The Left Arrow key scrolls the view to the left one channel at a time Pressing Shift Left Arrow scrolls the view to the left one page complete view width at a time Pressing Ctrl Left Arrow scrolls the view to the previous section from Outputs to Returns to Inputs The Right Arrow key scrolls the view incrementing one channel at a time Pressing Shift Right Arr
72. without interference from each other The Personal Monitor users have a special solo mode that keeps their signals in place and routes to their own monitor output mix This mode cuts all non soloed signals by 12 db thereby allowing them to continue in perfect time with the performance while still featuring a soloed signal The scene recalls work independently for each user allowing each to recall scenes that modify only their mixers without interference with the rest This allows the FOH engineer to use scene recalls that control his mix while the monitor engineer can recall scenes to control the monitor mixers while each individual personal user can recall his own scenes that just control his personal mix The focus of this design concept is to allow one master system to remain off the side of the stage with all mic inputs connecting there eliminating the need for a large multi pair snake feeding the signals to the FOH position The FOH engineer can connect with a remote computer and do all he needs to do on the same system while at the same time the Monitor engineer can sit at the stage system or any other remote location to handle monitors and individual performers can also connect and control their own personal mixes This one system powered by SAC can replace two large 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Introduction 9 2 1 2 1 1 mixing desks and at the same time add multiple separate mixing desks for all
73. 0 SAC User Manual e Each time a scene is created or altered the scene properties dialog will display that allows you to set which controls and switches are active within a scene and which mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether switches react first or last when a fade is active Fades require the engine to be live since they use the sample clock for timing The display will also show you the channel list of the scene s active channels and actively select these channels in the mixer views You can also see and adjust these options by Right Clicking on a scene in the Scene View window also You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene update will maintain that info as is If you answer YES the current selected channel status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information Once in the dialog you can click OK or use the Enter key to exit and save the changes or click Cancel or use the ESC key to exit and cancel any changes If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties Dialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to
74. 08 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 82 SAC User Manual Close w l Left Clicking the Close button closes the plug in window Any settings that were made remain in effect Options Icon Clicking on the blue pyramid Options icon available while the engine is Live displays a small popup menu containing the following options Built In Presets This option opens a list of built in presets that come with the individual plug ins if any Load SAC Presets This option loads presets for the filter that were previously saved with the Save SACPresets option Save SAC Presets For DirectX plug ins this option saves presets for the filter A folder is created under the SAC main folder called DirectX_Presets and preset files dxp are placed in separate folders for each filter using the filter s name as a folder name Help This option opens up the plug in s HelpFile if provided Operation VST FX Bypass W The DirectX and VST plug in windows include an FX Bypass icon in the top left corner Left Clicking this icon allows each effect to be individually bypassed Close B Left Clicking the Close button closes the plug in window Any settings that were made remain in effect Options Icon Clicking on the blue pyramid Options icon available while the engine is Live displays a small popup menu containing the following options Set Midi In Port This option is active for VST SoftSynth plug ins as well
75. 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 113 This option opens an existing Mix Session MXS file Mix Sessions should always be created in their own project folder A Mix Session saves all mixer sttings as well as Scenes and Sequence and Automation data When first opening a Mix Session the live engine will be forced to shutdown until the settings have been processed The Live light will flash when the session is ready to go Right Click the Live Light to start streaming audio Close Mix Session This option closes the current Mix Session and clears the Mixers to default settings Recent Mix Session FileList This option displays a list of the last 30 accessed Mix Session files and complete paths which can be used to quickly re open commonly accessed session files The list is ordered with the most recent session file on top amp Pressing the Shift key when selecting an entry will remove that entry from the list Open Last AutoSave Session This option allows you to open the last AutoSave session file if one exists from the activated automatic background save option Note the session name will reflect that you are inside the autosave session file not the original session file which may have been opened at the time The original file was never overwritten unless you chose to manually save it before you exited the program or choose to save and overwrite it now Save And Update Mix Session Ctrl S
76. 4 Using 24 Clearing 24 Displaying 24 Undoing A Single SessionManipulation 24 Updt Button 48 Using Undo 24 View Menu 124 VST Operation 81 W Wave Devices 21 Wide Mixer 124 Wide View Mixer 43 Channel Menu 43 Channel Selecting 43 Knobs And Switches 43 Label Display Zone 43 Using Channel Group Menu Options 43 View Locking 43 Wide View Mixer Window 43 Windows 12 Active 12 Sizing and Moving 12 Setting Your 16 Workspace Views 23 Assigning To A Function Key 23 Clearing Default F Key File 23 Opening An Existing F Key File 23 Saving F Key Setup As Default 23 Saving Function Key Assignments 23 Z Zoom Mixer View 124 Displaying 124 Zoom View Mixer 36 Channel Selecting 36 Hot Channel 36 Knobs And Switches 36 Label Display Zone 36 Using Channel Group Menu Options 36 View Locking 36 View Switching 36 Zoom View Mixer Window 36 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs
77. Channel Solo Mode keeping the Return channels active so you can hear the Return effects Each time you switch to a new Hot Channel it will react to the Shift key so you can switch the Returns on and off at will as you jump around by pressing the Shift key or not The light turns solid red and the current Hot Channel is soloed Changing to another Hot Channel automatically causes the solo to follow always keeping the Hot Channel soloed The solo buttons are locked out when this mode is active You may change Hot Channels from the Full Zoom or Wide Mixer Views This mode only works when the Solo Mode is the Solo In Place option w l Left Clicking on the Solo Light again turns this mode off 4 Right Clicking on the Solo Light will display a popup menu of level settings for the master solo bus mode level l R O Jump Zones B Left Clicking on any of the three jump zones labeled R and O will jump you to the first Input Return or Output channel respectively and will force the applicable section to the left edge of any open mixer views WS Shift Left Clicking in one of these zones will jump to the next channel in sequence of that 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 29 section and keep incrementing until the end of the section is reached at which time the jump will start at the beginning of the section again These jumps will follow the physical sequential order regardless of how the chann
78. DM driver model Previous Multimedia compatibility would only work in 16 bit mode gt DWave Protocol The DWave Protocol is a SAWStudio and SAC original driver model offering much more direct communication between the sound card and the application for very high performance possibilities This mode is currently still under development gt Asio Protocol Asio Protocol should allow low buffer latencies to be attainable on most machines if your audio card has ASIO drivers When this mode is engaged all input and output devices supported by the ASIO driver are setup as default in the Audio Device Setup section If you re not using all inputs and outputs you might obtain slightly better performance by clearing unused devices from the Audio Device Setup section The ASIO driver dictates the buffer size to the host application Therefore when the ASIO protocol is engaged the buffer size option in the Audio Device Setup section reflects the size set by the driver but is not adjustable in this location If the ASIO driver requests a buffer size that is not an even power of 2 i e 64 128 256 512 etc performance may be slightly impaired In this situation try using the AS O Driver Setup option and see if the driver allows you to adjust the buffer size in the driver control panel to an even power of two for best performance Whenever the Asio Protocol mode is selected the ASIO Data Format Type will be displayed on the Asio Protocol menu option l
79. List The newly selected folder name will be displayed in the Drive Folder Drop Down List and its contents will be displayed in the Contents List e Use the Up One Level button to go backwards in the file structure e Use the Create New Folder button to create a new folder inside of the currently displayed folder e Use the Contents View button to display just the names of the files and folders in the Contents List e Use the Detail View button to display the names of the files and folders along with the size type and last modified date of each file e To open a file navigate to the desired folder location click the desired file name and click Open e To save a file navigate to the desired folder location type the name of the new file in the File Name text box and click Save Filename extensions will be appended automatically e Use the File Type drop down listbox to choose a different file type extension e To use context sensitive help inside of a Windows dialog box click the What s This button then click on the dialog box item you want more information on An applicable help screen will be displayed e Click the Close button to close the Save As dialog box 2 3 5 Using Online Help The SAC helpfile is carefully written and very useful once you spend some time with it In fact it is strongly recommended that you take a couple hours to read or at least browse the entire file using the gt gt and lt lt buttons on the hel
80. OH This allows true spearation of FOH and Monitor mixes in the case where there is a separate monitor engineer The FOH console is also capable of feeding Aux Sends to hardware device outputs and the Returns can also take signal back from hardware device inputs allowing the FOH console to use hardware Reverb and Effects units as an insert into the Aux Send Return loops Input Modules There are 72 Input Modules The following information will help with understanding the signal flow 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 55 through an Input Module Y Regarding Signal Flow The FOH input module Eq Dynamics and Pre Fx Patch insert point signal flow may be altered from the default The Pre Fx Patch insert point may be moved in front of the Eq Dynamics section and the Dynamics section can be moved in front of the Eq section using the signal flow options from the Mixer menu For details see the Mixer Menu section in the Menu Reference chapter Chan Disable Each FOH Input channel has a channel disable switch which can completely disable the chan while leaving all of it s settings intact When a channel is disabled it contributes no cpu load to the engine loop and it will display a red X in the mixer chan number display zones at the top of each mixer view Input Source Each FOH Input channel can obtain its source audio data from the soundcard hardware device inputs as either a s
81. P IP Slave Mode This option allows the program to operate as a Slave machine that can sync to another machine running SAC as the Host Master The Slave machine will link and synchronize to the Master machine when a connection is established TCP IP Computer User Righis List This option allows you to set user rights for the Host Master computer as well as all remote connected computers You can assign each computer by name and lock it s user rights to FOH MON MON FOH or any one of the Personal Monitor Mixers These settings automatically save in their own Jo file each time they are altered If a remote computer has NO ACCESS as its setting all windows will be disabled The computer will see signal meters but will have no control of the mixers and other windows All remote computers start out with NO ACCESS status until the Host Master computer sets the user rights in the TCP IP Computer User Rights List option A user with FOH rights has access to all mixers and uses the FOH Solo bus when soloing A user with MON rights hass access to all monitor mixers only and uses the MON Solo bus when soloing A user with MON FOH rights has access to all mixers but still uses the MON solo bus when soloing A user with PER 1 24 rights has access to only his own mixer and uses the special 12db cut of all other chans when soloing TCP IP Port This option allows you to enter the network port to be used for network communications The Master and Slave
82. Reference Guide 127 gt Sync Trigger Auto Format Detect Activates a format auto detection function when sync is first received If this option is on whenever a new format is detected in the incoming timecode the format is changed to match and the Sequence is re cued If this option is off you may preset the format and it will not be changed even when timecode is received in a different format This can be useful for receiving 29 97 MTC code for instance because there is no provision in the MTC protocol to define this format This value saves with the preferences gt Sync Trigger Auto Stop Detect Activates the auto stop detection function If this option is on whenever incoming sync trigger timecode is lost for any reason the program disengages any active Sequence operation This value saves with the preferences Smpie Mic Start Offset This option allows you to set the SMPTE MTC Start Offset time for the Sequence session When a start offset is set the entire Sequence timeline will be shifted so that the home position is then equal to the start offset value and all lesser values are no longer visible When selecting this option the Enter Smpte dialog box is displayed Set the desired time and click OK While in Smpte Mode you may Left Click in the Position Readout area to display the Input Smpte Dialog Box Entering a Smpte position will jump the Sequence position to that position when the dialog box is closed without ca
83. Return key You may also Left Click on the Sync Light to temporarily toggle the Trigger Mode on and off The system remembers the mode it was in when it toggles off and resets the same mode when it toggles on gt Chase Trigger From Smpte Sync Not yet active gt Mtc Trigger Sync Advance Determines how many seconds of preload time is added when determining the trigger point On fast systems with smaller session loads you can set this value to 2 or 3 seconds On dense sessions which take a few seconds to pre load before Sequence operation begins you should set this value to 4 6 seconds If this value is set too low the session will miss the trigger point and simply drop out of lock and stop the operation This value saves with the preferences gt Mtc Trigger Sync Delay Frame Count Determines how many frames are thrown away when the first sync signals arrive This allows you to adjust for skewing problems as a tape deck with sync code comes up to speed or a sync generator that creates initial noise or spikes when first started before settling down to a steady code output This value saves with the preferences gt Mtc Trigger Sync Latency Adjust Allows you to compensate for MIDI latency by offsetting the trigger point by a certain number of sub frames This allows you to adjust for inherent system delays and gain a more accurate sync This value saves with the preferences 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu
84. Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Master Fader Controls the mixer Output 1 fader Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Sony DMX R100 Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Inpu
85. The solo level may also be adjusted with the Solo Bus Level options 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 123 gt The Solo Bus Post Fader Input Return Pre Fader Output This mode functions as a combination console bus solo For Input and Return channels this mode leaves all other channels alone and feeds the post fader signal of soloed channels into a separate mix bus which can be assigned with the Solo Bus Out Device option For Output channels it feeds the pret fader signal This mode is similar to a solo in place mode but without other channels being muted It maintains a fairly constant level between input return and output chan solos and keeps the chans stereo image within the mix If the Solo Bus device is your main mix bus the solo signal will interrupt the main mix output but not disturb any other channel signals The solo level may also be adjusted with the Solo Bus Level options gt The Output Post Fader Solo Tap At Post Fx This option taps output post solo modes after the Pst Fx patch point The default mode for post fader solos is pre of the Pst Fx patch This is useful when you do not want to hear various output monitor eq patches in your solo monitors that may be inserted strictly to adjust for different monitor speakers and in ear monitor variations Activating this option taps the post solo signals after the Pst Fx so you will hear any Fx patched there gt The FOH
86. Threshold setting determines the trigger level where the Compressor responds The Compressor On switch allows for a quick bypass of the Compressor routines for comparison or for use in automating the Compressor in and out of the mix The Dynamics Gain setting allows you to adjust the overall output gain of the Gate or Compressor when either one or both are active The Dynamics Gain Reduction Meter displays the overall amount of signal gain reduction occurring as a combination of the Gate and Compressor action 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 58 SAC User Manual Input FX Pre Fader Patch The data next passes through the FX Pre Fader Patch Optional This allows you to patch in SAC or SAWStudio native plug ins or DirectX or VST plug ins These FX process in the order they are patched SS The yellow FX icon will display a bar graphic across the two holes when plug ins are assigned Left Clicking on this icon will display a broken bar which means the plug ins are bypassed This FX Patch processes the data at an internal resolution of 24 bits regardless of the final session resolution setting e If you are using VSTi Synth plug ins that generate sound you would probably want to route the FX Pre Fader Patch point in front of the Eq Dyn section so that you could use the EQ and Dynamics processing to alter the signal Input Aux Sends At this point the data stream can be split off into multiple directi
87. abel text You might set a group of vocals to one color and horns to another etc Or you may find it useful to just set the first vocal chan to a color and then the first horn chan to a different color to visually mark and separate the groups without flooding the label area with colors Using Effects Views Overview Effects View Overview SAC will display all installed plug ins in the FX Choices view These plug ins may be grouped for easy location and organization Supported effects include all plug ins written under the SAC and SAWStudio API and any DirectX or VST and VSTi Synth plug ins The patched plug in window position and visibility information is saved with the session so that any 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 70 SAC User Manual 6 2 6 2 1 opened FX plug ins will re open to their same position when you open the Mix Session All of the FX View windows can also be saved with the F Key workspace views Y Regarding installation of VST Plug ins Many VST installers will ask for a destination folder You should choose the VST_Plugins folder under the SAC main folder Some of these installers will create another subfolder inside of the chosen folder For VST plug ins to show up correctly inside of SAC they must be directly inside of the VST_Plugins folder If a VST plug in does not show up in the SAC FX Choices list check the VST_PlugIns folder to see if a subfolder was created and simply move the
88. abs Getting Started 23 3 2 5 4 Left Clicking the Reset zone can be used to revert back to the program default paths Creating Workspace Views One of the biggest time saving tips for working in SAC is in this section As you work with SAC and become more comfortable with the interface you may wish to change the view of the main screen by moving and sizing the different windows to more easily facilitate your work The Function Keys are reserved as WorkSpace View Holders You can arrange any combination of windows however you like and save them to a Function Key by pressing the Shift key along with the desired function key Pressing the applicable function key alone will instantly restore the WorkSpace to the saved view making it extremely quick and easy to navigate to different views within the same session These function key sets can be saved in files for instant loading of different WorkSpace sets SAC comes by default with a set of function key assignments already built in You should review these defaults by pressing each Function Key and get familiar with the different views These can be overwritten with new function key assignments at any time Assigning A Workspace View To A Function Key After arranging the SAC display to your specifications press Shift F1 or whatever function key you wish to assign the current view to The F Key Properties window will be displayed allowing you to select certain properties tha
89. active When a node is inactive audio from that XY Pan will not feed that particular output bus You may use this feature to keep music out of the center channel for instance These nodes may be automated allowing you to toggle them during automated playback Return Out Assign The data ends up at the Out Assign switches These switches control the destination routing of the channel signal These switches may be combined allowing the channels to be routed to multiple output destination devices at the same time These switches represent stereo audio device outputs To force the destination to one side of the output device use the Pan Slider coupled with the Mono switch if needed When using the XY Surround Pans the Out Assign switches should most likely be left off and the final signal destination will be controlled by the XY Pan Out Assignments on the Output Channels 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 65 5 1 3 Output Modules There are 24 Output Modules The first 8 Output channels are designed as hardware Master device outputs The remaining Output channels can be used as Sub Groups and routed back to any one of the Master Output channels The following information will help with understanding the signal flow through an Output Module The source data for all Output channels comes from the Input and Return channels that are assigned to this particular Output as a destinatio
90. active channels You can see and adjust these options by Right Clicking on a scene in the Scene View window also Once in the dialog you can click OK or use the Enter key to exit and save the changes or click Cancel or use the ESC key to exit and cancel any changes If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties Dialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Updt Button ER Left Clicking the Upat button allows you to update an existing Scene The selected Scene is overwritten with the current state of all 25 mixers You will be asked whether you want to update the partial channel info or not If you elect to do so the current selected chans will be used to change the original channel selection You will still have the option inside the Properties Dialog window to alter the partial channel info again before saving the the updated 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 86 SAC User Manual 8 2 2 properties Ka Each time a scene is created or altered the scene properties dialog will display that allows you to set which controls channels and switches are active within a scene and which mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether s
91. al e Master Direct Audio Device Output The first 8 Output channels are designated as Master Outputs These will send the audio direcrtly to a hardware device output Master Direct Audio Device Output channels will display their fader and pan knobs as a deep red color e Sub Group Output The remaining Output channels are designated as sub group outputs and will re route their signal data back to the selected Master destination channel or multiple Master destination channels or be used as a Group Latch VCA type fader to control the actual input channel faders as a group master In this case the signal is not re routed through the output summing group bus Any input or return chan assigned to the group bus will be controlled as a group by the sub fader Pressing the Alt Key while moving the group latch fader will temporarily disengage it from the group In this mode the meter will display the SRC tap of the group channels regardless of the global meter tap setting This concept allows you to set an offset limit by riding the group fader near the bottom or top of its range Using the Left Right Click feature on an Output Group Latch fader will return the fader to its default zero db position and offset the latched fader channels by the same amount of change This can be useful to return all latched channels to a starting default position after having made mix adjustments The Mute and Solo switch will also operate on the group These assignment
92. all settings for all 25 mixers Deleting Scenes 4 To delete a Scene select the Scene you wish to delete in the listbox and Left Click the Del button The selected Scene is removed from the Scenes listbox The actual file is not deleted from the Scenes folder in case other spinoff Mix Sessions are also using this Scene Clearing All Scenes D To clear all Scenes from the listbox Left Click the Cir button All Scenes are removed from the Scenes listbox The actual files are not deleted from the Scenes folder in case other spinoff Mix Sessions are also using any of these Scenes Recalling Scenes B Double Click any Scene in the listbox to instantly recall the scene and alter the settings of all 25 mixers according to the scene properties Press the SpaceBar to instantly recall the scene and alter the settings of all 25 mixers according to the scene properties e Pressing the Alt key when recalling a scene will cancel any fade action that is part of the scene properties E Pressing the Ctrl key when recalling a scene will overide the Select Partial Chans property and force the selection of partial scene channels as a temporary group Using TCP IP Master Slave Remote Mode Using the TCP IP Options The TCP IP functions offer a powerful way to link multiple SAC workstations for the purpose of controlling a Master machine from multiple remote locations A simple Ethernet 100 base T or higher speed wired network or G or highe
93. am le 14 We Of The E 14 Wmte ractive Bi 14 Mouse Wheel Suppl isccieicecccccccsctececctesccecesecscascnsdseccenszcersscescecuecctaei scieceseustescusseteudsnesteccosdadeasues eis acencvaescesstecedsueereoet 14 Multi Language HotKey Compatibility cc scseccseseeeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeseneneeeeeeeseeenaeeeaeseeeeneaenaeeseneneeesaeseeeenaeenaeeees 15 F rced Engine SHUtQ OWI eegene Seege Ee Eege Eeer 15 Getting Started 16 JEC UE RE 16 System E Wen 16 Setting Your Windows Display isicisiciccciscecesecesescccsedccsectscecectenessccsesceseciiceceseieneisccsedcesoesscececeseaessccsececeocttrecescdeseizscseuerss 16 Installing Your Audio Device Sound Card ccecceeceeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeneeesaeeeeeenaeeneeeeeeenaaenaesneeeneeenaessenenenenaeeees 16 Installing Your MIDI Device csscesscesssenteessessseesteessessseesseessesseeesieeseecsneesieenseesneesnesasessneesieessesseeeseessessseeseeanerses 17 Installing SAC On YOUr Computer ic icscessciessecsecsnciveocescesceceaccesteccaseaocsacrsacseacersecsneseacesaersceseaccesbeecasvasceacesacbesssrsbcseseses 17 lat a el IC 18 E dk ET LE 18 Adjusting Device Parameters szcb regeeeberbeegeet eegEuSeEEESEEEESEE EES 19 VEH EA Setting Up Detault File Paths ess geu geed EeeesEe Eegen Ee 22 Creating Workspace Viewer eegene ENEE EES EEE eeh 23 Using Undo Navigation 27 Main WING e EE 27 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs H SAC User Manual
94. annels are selected If multiple mixers have selected channels a plus sign will be added to the new mouse cursor Selected channels respond as a group to mixer adjustments and this mouse pointer serves as a reminder that channels that may not be in view are currently selected so you may clear those selections if desired before adjusting controls Channel Re Ordering D ED ED Shift Left Dragging on a channel number area just beneath the title bar allows a channel to be dragged to a new location out of order from the normal sequential count Ctrl Left Clicking on any channel number area just beneath the title bar automatically arranges all channels in numerical order You will be prompted to OK this action Shift Left Clicking a channel number when one or more channels have been selected channel number inversed will move all selected channels to this new destination and group 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 39 them together For example to move channels 8 10 and 12 up to channel position 2 select channels 8 10 and 12 by Left Clicking in the channel numbers inversing them then Shift Left Click channel 2 as the destination The new channel order will then be set as 1 8 10 12 2 3 4 etc Using Channel Group Menu Options Groups 4 Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu allows you to save and recall preset channel gr
95. arameter display zone latches keyboard entry mode You may type the maximum number of characters in a zone and automatically jump to the next zone or you may type fewer characters and press the Tab key to jump to the next zone Pressing the Enter key accepts the values and exits the dialog Pressing the Escape key cancels any adjustments made and exits the dialog 4 Each parameter zone has a Lock zone above it Left Clicking these zones toggles the zone between locked and unlocked mode When a zone is locked the value is displayed with gray text and the zone is no longer adjustable Left Clicking the Default To Keyboard button automatically sets dialog entry to keyboard mode so you can begin typing immediately 4 Left Clicking the Close zone in the upper right corner of the dialog will cancel any changes made and exit the dialog Understanding The Virtual Console Routing And Signal Flow Input Modules The console is divided into three main sections the Input Channel modules the Return Aux Master Channel modules and the Output Channel modules There are a total of 25 consoles in the SAC interface One Front Of House FOH console and twenty four Monitor consoles All physical hardware device inputs feed the FOH console and the Monitor consoles are fed from signal tap off points along the FOH channels Monitor Mixer 1 can be designated as a master Monitor mixer and signals for mixers 2 24 can be tapped from that mixer instead of F
96. as VST plugins that accept midi parameter controls only and offers selections for all Midi In hardware ports The MIDI port selected becomes the source of trigger information for the SoftSynth to create its sounds Multiple plugins on different channels may trigger from the same midi port allowing layering of sounds Assign SoftSynth Multi Out Chans This option displays a popup menu of synth output channel choices The stereo mono grouping of the synth is displayed next to the associated pre assigned SAC channel The channel assignments follow in sequence starting with the channel that the synth is patched into The outputs are kept inactive for performance reasons until selected on this menu The alternate outputs of the synth are then routed to the Pre Fx Patch insert point on the associated channels You must also manually 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Plug In Effects 83 8 1 8 1 1 assign each of these channel input sources to the FX Source option By altering the signal flow of the Pre Fx Patch insert point you may route the synth signals directly into the console Eq and Dynamics section for direct processing These assignments save with the session edl and also with the SAC presets Disable SoftSynth This option allows you to completely bypass the internal routing of a VST Synth plug in and pass underlying audio track data through This allows you to keep a patched synth on the track but still re
97. ata stream without causing a delayed signal SAC will attempt to detect latency causing plug ins and automatically bypass them keeping the live signal data stream in sync Interface Effects View Top Client Area FX Choices List Group Button A Left Clicking the Group button on the FX Choices list window will allow you to group selected effects for easy organization and location Up to 30 groups can be created As groups are created they are automatically saved to disk for exact recall the next time the program is run Group Button Menu Left Clicking the Group button displays a group menu which allows you to create name and maintain plug in groups Add Selected To This option allows you to add the currently selected plug ins to any group 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Effects Views 71 Remove Selected From This option allows you to remove the currently selected plug ins from any group Clear All From This option allows you to clear all plug ins from any group Rename This option allows you to enter names for any group Group 1 Thru 30 Choosing one of these options clears the listbox and displays only those plug ins belonging to the selected group Plug ins may belong to multiple groups Set Cur Group As Default This option displays the current default group and will change it to the currently active group when selected The default group will be the active group when the program first
98. ate the virtual band mix tweaking concept You can create a scene with all inputs set to device sources for recording then create another scene with all inputs set to the corresponding SS Mixer Chan for virtual Band playback Recall the scenes to switch back and forth between the live inputs and the virtual band playback Solo Mode These options select the way in which the solo switches operate Solo Bus mode is generally used for live mixing situations and routes the solo signal to one of the solo bus devices without disturbing the FOH or any other outputs There are two independent solo buses one for FOH and one for Monitors This allows a FOH and Monitor engineer access to the same host system with independent routing of solo selections Any connected computer that has FOH User Rights will solo out to the FOH Solo Bus Device while MON User Rights computers will solo out to the MON Solo Bus Device Solo In Place mode is used more for studio mixing situations where an exact reference of position and level are needed This operates by muting all other signals and leaving the soloed signals in place Remote computers with Personal Monitor User Rights use an enhanced solo mode that acts similar to Solo In Place mode Engaging solo on a remote personal monitor computer will highlite the soloed channel in place by dropping the other chans 12 db This allows the performer to stay in time with the rest of the performance while still hearing the soloed
99. ating the faders and pans from the FOH or from any other Monitor mix as well as duplicating input source settings and eq and dynamics All of these options will respond to Selected Channels and only modify those channels gt Duplicate Chan Order From This option displays another popup menu of choices for which mixer to duplicate from To use the features change to the mixer you wish to create the new chan order on and then select the source mixer to duplicate from Operating Console Controls There are three basic console control types for adjusting mixer settings Knobs And Faders D SD Left Dragging a knob or fader control allows direct adjustment of their levels Left Right Clicking or Ctrl Left Clicking while grabbing a knob or fader control will reset the control to its default setting Beside many of these controls are two small arrows Left Clicking on or near one of those arrows will adjust the control one value at a time in the direction of the arrow A special version of this control type is also seen in the Eq graphic display bar near the bottom of the Eq section This display as well as graphically displaying the Eq level settings can be grabbed as individual adjustment controls Left Clicking in the up down arrow zone in the channel main faders increments and decrements the fader value by 1 4 dB Ctrl Left Clicking in the up down arrow zone increments and decrements the fader value by 1 dB Left Clic
100. ay have been opened at the time The original file was never overwritten unless you chose to manually save it before you exited the program or choose to save and overwrite it now After activating this option save the preferences Force Single CPU This option allows you to force the Mix Engine back to one CPU if desired for testing and comparing or to allow other applications full use of the second processor This option will be grayed out and unavailable on single CPU machines Force High Priority Class This option allows for safely increasing the process priority internally to High priority You may force the priority of the program to be raised above normal for a possibly more robust performance level Be careful with this however because you will force SAC above other system processes and if the program locks for some reason you may not be able to escape even from the Task manager This can be useful however for stopping interference from other background services and processes and may allow smooth audio operation at very low latency settings Force RealTime Priority Class This option allows for safely increasing the process priority internally to RealTime priority You may force the priority of the program to be raised above normal for a possibly more robust performance level Be careful with this however because you will force SAC above other system processes and if the program locks for some reason you may not be able to escap
101. ay still be spawning multiple threads to multiple CPU s outside of SAC s control and therefore total stability in a dual cpu system involves potentially hundreds or thousands of interwoven code segments throughout the entire system to be working in perfect sync You may find much more stability by actually forcing the boot to only seeing a single CPU by using the boot ini ONECPU flag You can tell if you have hyper threading active or are running a dual cpu system by Right Clicking the TaskBar and selecting the Task Manager select the Performance tab and look at the graph of the cpu usage If there is more than one graph hyper threading or more than one cpu is active You can force the system to boot to a single cpu mode by editing the boot ini file found in the root of the boot drive and add the onecpu option flag at the end of the first line under the operating systems section You may copy the line and change the name to reflect the single cpu option and create a boot choice 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 20 SAC User Manual that allows you to select single or dual mode when the machine first boots For example your boot ini file may look something like this boot loader timeout 30 default multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS operating systems multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Microsoft Windows XP Professional fastdetect The last line is the actual bo
102. b 2 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button Aux Send 5 Mode SAC Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input Return and Output channels based on channel and bank select switches Control mixer mutes Control mixer solos Control mixer Hot Chan selection within the active bank of eight faders Increment and decrement mixer Hot Chan selection scrolling the active bank one channel left or right Turns bank selection on and off When this function is active the View Left and Right Arrow buttons scroll one bank of eight channels at a time Jumps to the next or previous mixer section Inputs Returns Outputs Selects between Pan Aux Sends Dynamics and EQ mode designating which group of mixer settings will be adjusted by the parameter knobs and buttons Control the associated mixer channel pan Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 1 Level Controls the mixer Aux 1 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 1 Level to its default setting Sets the mixer Aux 1 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 1 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 1 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 2 Level Controls the mixer Aux 2 Pan Sets the mixer Aux 2 Level to its default setting Sets the mixer Aux 2 Pan to its default setting Controls the mixer Aux 2 In switch Controls the mixer Aux 2 Pst Fader switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Aux 3 Level
103. be positioned anywhere you desire on your desktop display area This facilitates the use of dual monitor displays to maximize screen real estate In all cases we recommend setting your screen resolution to the highest settings possible with your equipment to maximize the ease of navigating through so much visual display information Installing Your Audio Device Sound Card Complete the installation of your audio device s according to the instructions that accompany the device s Follow the manufacturer s recommendations and complete any necessary testing to insure that the device is functioning prior to running SAC SAC requires that your soundcard be able to deliver stable performance at very low latency settings Buffer sizes of 3 x 128 or lower will be needed for live audio performance SAC supports the older MME protocol standard and the more recent ASIO driver standard The newer soundcards and Windows Vista no longer support MME so you will most likely be forced to use the ASIO driver 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Getting Started 17 model SAC also supports RML Labs own protocol called DWave which we are currently attempting to gain more support for from the various soundcard manufacturers With ASIO you should be able to reach buffer settings of 1 or 2 x 64 for very realtime live audio performance WY Regarding High Resolution Compatibility Since the original Windows MultiMedia standard is at best
104. before adjusting controls the latch between channels is automatic when any one of the latch preset channels is adjusted These latch presets can be very handy for creating stereo latched L and R channels which will then always adjust the pair simultaneously You may override the latch at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust channel controls These latch presets save with Mix Template and Mix Session Files Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu also allows you to save and recall preset Latch groups There are 32 latch preset assignments Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name Alt Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new RVS Reverse latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name A RVS Latch group works in reverse of a standard Latch group The group of selected channels will operate as independent when making any normal adjustment but will be latched together whenever any one of the channels is adjusted while pressing the Alt Key The RVS Latched channels do not have to be actively selected once created to operate all together in latched mode This can be very handy for creating mute groups The group will remain individual during normal mixing adjustments
105. but clicking a mute switch while pressing the Alt Key will instantly mute the group Left Clicking on one of the 32 Latch preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels Note that this is not needed to utilize the group itself simply adjust anyone of the latched channels and the entire group will be affected 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 47 4 7 Effects View Windows Top Client Area FX Choices List Group Button 4 Left Clicking the Group button on the FX Choices list window will allow you to group selected effects for easy organization and location Up to 30 groups can be created As groups are created they are automatically saved to disk for exact recall the next time the program is run Navigation Scrolling amp The Effects View windows may be scrolled by Left Dragging the right scroll bar area or by pressing the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys Top Client Area FX Patch Lists These windows will chase the current Hot Channel when active and display the list of plugins currently patched on that channel Each of the two FX Patch List windows include the following buttons Add Button 4 Left Clicking the Add button on any Pre or Pst patch window will add the selected effect from the FX Choices list to the respective patch window Rem Button Wi Left Clicking the Rem button on any Pre or Pst patch window will
106. call button will cancel any fade action that is part of the scene properties Using the Ctrl key with the Recall button will overide the Select Partial Chans property and force the selection of partial scene channels as a temporary group Scenes View Navigation Scenes List Area Scrolling Sei The Scenes List may be scrolled by Left Dragging the right scroll bar area or by pressing the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys Scene Selection In The Listbox e Left Clicking on a Scene selects and highlights it in the listbox Using the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys scrolls up and down the list selecting one Scene at a time 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using The Scenes View 87 The Home key will jump to the first Scene in the list The End key will jump to the last Scene in the list Recalling Scenes D Double Clicking any Scene in the listbox will instantly recall the scene and alter the settings of all 25 mixers according to the scene properties Pressing the SpaceBar will instantly recall the scene and alter the settings of all 25 mixers according to the scene properties Pressing the Alt key when recalling a scene will cancel any fade action that is part of the scene properties Pressing the Ctrl key when recalling a scene will overide the Select Partial Chans property and force the selection of partial scene channels as a temporary group Changing Scene Properties 48
107. ce they use the sample clock for timing The display will also show you the channel list of the scene s active channels and actively select these channels in the mixer views You can see and adjust these options by Right Clicking on a scene in the Scene View window also Once in the dialog you can click OK or use the Enter key to exit and save the changes or click Cancel or use the ESC key to exit and cancel any changes Updating Scenes D To update an existing Scene recall the scene you wish to update and make whatever changes to the mixer settings you desire then Left Click the Upadt button You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 90 SAC User Manual update will maintain that info as is If you answer YES the current selected channel status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information The selected Scene is overwritten with the current state of all 25 mixers The Scene Properties dialog will display so you can make adjustments if needed Remember that the recall of the scene will follow the selections in the Scene Properties dialog and only recall the selected items even though the scene snapshots
108. channel clearly above the rest gt The Solo Bus Pre Fader This mode functions as a true console PFL Solo This mode leaves all other channels alone and feeds the pre fader signal of soloed channels into a separate mix bus which can be assigned with the Solo Bus Out Device option If this device is your main mix bus the solo signal will interrupt the main mix output but not disturb any other channel signals The solo level may also be adjusted with the Solo Bus Level options gt The Solo Bus Post Fader This mode functions as a true console bus solo This mode leaves all other channels alone and feeds the post fader signal of soloed channels into a separate mix bus which can be assigned with the Solo Bus Out Device option If this device is your main mix bus the solo signal will interrupt the main mix output but not disturb any other channel signals The solo level may also be adjusted with the Solo Bus Level options gt The Solo Bus Pre Fader Input Return Post Fader Output This mode functions as a combination console bus solo For Input and Return channels this mode leaves all other channels alone and feeds the pre fader signal of soloed channels into a separate mix bus which can be assigned with the Solo Bus Out Device option For Output channels it feeds the post fader signal If the Solo Bus device is your main mix bus the solo signal will interrupt the main mix output but not disturb any other channel signals
109. ched SE The yellow FX icon will display a bar graphic across the two holes when plug ins are assigned Left Clicking on this icon will display a broken bar which means the plug ins are bypassed This FX Patch processes the data at an internal resolution of 24 bits regardless of the final session resolution setting Return XY Surround Pan FOH Console Only The data next passes through the XY Surround Pan routine This joystick type control adjusts the balance of signal levels split off to the eight surround points designated around the perimeter of the control These eight split off signals are blended together in the surround pan internal buffers and output to discreet audio device outs based on the XY Pan Out Assignments on the output channels The Sub Send controls the signal level sent to the separate Sub XY Pan Out Assignment The Center Send controls the signal level sent to the separate Center XY Pan Out Assignment The XY Pan In Out switch enables or disables the use of the XY Pan routine for this channel If surround panning is not being used this switch should be left out so there is no unnecessary extra load on the CPU Processing the signal to the surround buffers will add processing load to the overall playback performance The XY Pan has individual node point control You may click on each of the eight node surround points on any channel and the node will toggle between active and inactive The node turns red when it is in
110. ched mode This can be very handy for creating mute groups The group will remain individual during normal mixing adjustments but clicking a mute switch while pressing the Alt Key will instantly mute the group w l Left Clicking on one of the 32 Latch preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels Note that this is not needed to utilize the group itself simply adjust anyone of the latched channels and the entire group will be affected 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 36 SAC User Manual View Switching Sea Shift Right Clicking on any area of the console displays the Wide Mixer View on the current channel View Locking 8B Right Clicking on the Close button of the Full Mixer view locks or unlocks the view Moving around in any of the other views will not cause the current locked view to chase along You may still change chans in the locked view itself but it will no longer be linked to affect other views The Close button will change to display a small padlock when the view is locked 4 4 Zoom View Mixer Window The Zoom View Mixer window displays the mixing console in a zoomed view showing all individual controls for each channel The knobs and switches are directly reachable This view can be expanded to display more than one channel at a time The Titlebar will display the current mixer FOH or Monitor Mixer being viewed Monitor mixers will dis
111. control is displayed in bold on the menu Right clicking on the Feedback setting will cause it to match the feedback value of the opposite channel Left Right Clicking the right half of the control resets it to its default setting Left Right Strength Pressing the Ctrl key when adjusting the left or right fader will latch both channels together 4 Left Dragging the Strength setting controls the loudness of the main echo relative to the original audio volume It will also affect how many repeats are heard at a particular Feedback setting Right clicking on the Strength setting will cause it to match the feedback value of the opposite channel Left Right Clicking resets the control to its default setting Src Vol B Left Dragging the Src Vol control will adjust the level of the original source signal in the output mix Dropping the level to zero will remove the original source signal completely leaving only the echoes and delays Left Right Clicking resets the control to its default setting Mode 4 Left Clicking the Mode setting switches between Normal and Cross delay Left Holding in the Mode readout area and moving the mouse forward or backward will also change the setting Normal delay mode keeps the left and right echoes in place on their respective channels Cross delay mode crosses the left channel echo over to the right channel and the right channel echo over to the left channel With a high percentag
112. cord the data as audio on the same track and ignore the patched synth while still keeping it in the edl with all its settings in case you need to make changes and re record again When this option is active a large Red X displays across the Blue Pyramid Options Icon This option saves with the session edl Built In Presets This option opens a list of built in presets that come with the individual plug ins if any Load SAC Presets This option loads presets for the filter that were previously saved with the Save SAC Presets option Save SAC Presets For VST plug ins this option saves presets for the plug in A folder is created under the SAC main folder called VST_Presets and preset files vsp files are placed in separate folders for each plug in using the plug in s name as a folder name Cancel Always On Top Status This option cancels the On Top status of the window allowing misbehaved dialog boxes on some VST plug ins to display on top of the plug in window This option will remain set even when the window is hidden The option will be cleared when the plug in is unpatched This option saves with the session edl Initial Plugin Latency This option displays the reported latency of the plugin This option is grayed out and only used for informational purposes This number should be zero for the plugin to operate correctly in SAC VST Virtual Instruments and SoftSynth Plug Ins The VST implementation is designed to handle VST Virtual
113. current state of all 25 mixers A name dialog window is displayed so you can name the Scene You must first be in an active Mix Session before you can create Scenes since the Scenes are files that are placed in a Scenes folder under the project folder Scene names must also be legal filenames with only numbers letters spaces underscores hyphens and a few other specific punctuation characters allowed Entering a new scene filename that contains illegal characters will flag you with a message listing all legal characters you can use and then allow you to re enter the name or cancel e You should always create a new folder for each project and place the session files in that folder This will keep the Scenes folder unique to that project and prevent corruption between projects with the same scene names e You can create partial scenes which will overlay only selected channels on selected mixers and not disturb other mixers and channels when recalled To create a partial scene first select only the channels on whichever mixers you want to be altered when the scene is recalled and then create the new scene or update an existing one s Each time a scene is created or altered the scene properties dialog will display that allows you to set which controls and switches are active within a scene and which mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether switches react first or last when a fade i
114. dB level adjustment to the result By default the resulting data will be exactly the same on both the left and right signal paths from this point on This switch will also engage when selecting mono input sources and activate the L Only or R Only modes S Left Clicking on the Mono label next to the button displays an options menu The choices are L Plus R 6db L Plus R L Only R Only L Minus R 6db L Minus R a Deactivating and reactivating the Mono button will return the setting to the default L Plus R 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 56 SAC User Manual 6dB Input Attenuator The data next passes through the Input Attenuator routine which can trim the signal level down from 0 dB data untouched to a muted condition or up to 20db to add signal gain to the entire channel for weak signals This can be used to adjust the level of very strong source data right at the top of the module to eliminate potential clipping problems in the following processing sections and or to adjust the final working range of the channel fader more into the nominal range of the fader s position when mixing In most cases this control can be left at its default 0 dB setting Input Phase Reverse Switch This switch will flip the audio phase of the data 180 degrees This can help adjust frequency cancellation problems with out of phase microphone placements and reverse phased signal cabling problems that might be
115. de This can be very handy for creating mute groups The group will remain individual during normal mixing adjustments but clicking a mute switch while pressing the Alt Key will instantly mute the group B Left Clicking on one of the 32 Latch preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels Note that this is not needed to utilize the group itself simply adjust anyone of the latched channels and the entire group will be affected View Switching Sea Shift Right Clicking on any area of the console displays the Wide Mixer View on the current channel View Locking SS Right Clicking on the Close button of the Zoom Mixer view locks or unlocks that view Moving around in any of the other views will not cause the current locked view to chase along You may still change chans in the locked view itself but it will no longer be linked to affect other views The Close button will change to display a small padlock when the view is locked Exploded View Mixer Window The Exploded View Mixer window displays a single channel of the mixing console in a zoomed view showing all individual controls for that channel The knobs and switches are directly reachable Monitor mixers will display a deep red titlebar color 4 This view can be opened by Double Clicking on a color link button or non control area of the Full View window The window may be closed by Left Clicking outside of its boundar
116. deeeaseasenedaecuraccsaesedesey sccuavscuscuscesuseaesanerencceec 84 Scenes View Navigation Scenes List Area c ssceessseesensseeseeeesseeseesensenesessesseeseesensenseeseeeensseaseesenseeseeesesseeseesenees 86 3 Operati EE 89 Scenes View Editing And Control s ssassesussnusunsunnunnnnnunnnnnunnnnnunnnnnunnunnunnunnunnnnnunnnnnunnnnnunnunnunnnn nunnur nunnnn mnnn nn nunnan nennen na 89 Part IX Using TCP IP Master Slave Remote Mode 90 1 Using the TCP IP el E 90 2 Activating TCP IP as Host Master ssssssssnnnenunnnenunnnnnnnnnnnnnnunnnununnnnnnnnnnnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn mannanna 91 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Contents Ili 3 Activating TCP IP as Remote cc ecccceteceeseeeeeseeeeeessaeesenseessesneeeessaaeesensaeeseaseeaesseaeeeenseesenseneees 92 4 Sele ting a TCP IP Port EE 94 5 Selecting a Network Computer Name cccceccsseeeeseceeeeeeeeeeesenenesseaeeseeseeeseseeeeesseaaeeeeseeseeneeeaes 94 Part X Using MIDI Controller Devices 94 1 Using MIDI Controller Devices 0 ccceccceceeceeeseeeee setae eeeeeeeeesneeeeeseaesenseeeaeaneeeeeessaeseeseeeeesneeeeeees 94 Part XI Using The SAWStudio Links 110 1 Using The SAWStudio Links 2 0 0 2 eset cence eens eee e ee neeeeeeeeee eee eneeeeeeaee senses sesneeeeeseaesenseeeeeeneenens 110 Part XII Menu Reference Guide 112 1 SAW LAIN AE E EE E E E A E E 112 2 File M nu saeia aa ERE TAAA EA AEAT ARAA AEA 112 3 Mixer Menu s
117. derecuectscesea essocesenseesas 65 Lei IER E UE 68 Part VI Using Effects Views 69 BR e TEE 69 Effects View OVerview geesde ene ek sk A eee 69 2 Tu e Ce NEE 70 Effects View Top Client Area FX Choices List sssssssssereesseessesensenseeseeeensseeneeseaseasenseeseeeseesenseesseseesseeseseesensanse 70 Effects View Top Client Area FX Patch Lists ssssssssssserseeseeseesenseeseeeeeeeneseeseeseaseaseeseessneseesenseeeseseneseesesensensnes 71 Effects View Navigation wicisessicisescescsssasscecdsessecsteccesasssasteadeseissccbeccssasseasseacdsansecateccesadssasteacesaasuasbeacesaissnateacdsaussaateccesaise 72 2 Nal e cee csietcc ccs ccec sane de dente ca tered de ges coee eel ec cut tet ee aaaea ea a aS aa Aaaa aaa a a naana daaa diaaa iadaaa 72 Effects View Editing And Control cceecsseseeeeeeeseeeeneeeeeesneeeneeeneesneseneenessneseneeeessaesseeeeeeesasseeeeeeeseaeeeeeeeneeeaeeenee 72 Part VII Using Plug In Effects 74 1 Equalizer E 74 2 le AT 77 3 DirectX amp VST PlUQ 9s eet ccctececeete ceeds ceceeeececnevecededevacdeevedicanetenuduslscendecsdusitecaucevuedeects 81 Part VIII Using The Scenes View 83 1 o TEE 83 Scenes View Oye Vie erara AER E Ea aE aa Eaa rra Naaa a AAEE Ea a AAE aAa A E daarde ae NEn Ad danaa aR 83 2 Int rla eege ege taeae aaa aa a aa e a aa aa Aaea aa aA uss szvessevetucdesensasvavsaveusedetucdeesubels 84 Scenes ViewTop Clenthrea ee regesresgruetegebeEeEeseEE dee saectezcce
118. dio native plug ins or DirectX or VST plug ins These FX process in the order they are patched 4 The yellow FX icon will display a bar graphic across the two holes when plug ins are assigned Left Clicking on this icon will display a broken bar which means the plug ins are bypassed This FX Patch processes the data at an internal resolution of 24 bits regardless of the final session 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 67 resolution setting Output XY Pan Assign FOH Console Only If XY Surround Panning is being used and has been assigned on nput and Return channels these switches are used to control the final destination for each of the eight surround points and the separate sub and center channels e LR Front This switch mixes the Left and Right Front surround points into this Output channel e LR Center This switch mixes the Left and Right Center surround points into this Output channel e LR Rear This switch mixes the Left and Right Rear surround points into this Output channel e FB Center This switch mixes the Front and Back Center surround points into this Output channel e Sub This switch mixes the separate Sub send into this Output channel e Center This switch mixes the separate Center send into this Output channel Output Out Assign The data ends up at the Out Assign control This controls the final destination routing of the Output channel sign
119. do not have to keep the mouse moving just positioned above or below the point which engaged the action If the Right mouse button is tapped while in this mode the control will be reset to its default setting Some of these controls have been enhanced for quicker control operation displaying a popup variable sized fader for instant and direct adjustment with a fader knob The fader will adjust its length to fit the exact number of parameter values available for the control When you release the mouse the fader will disappear The fader will popup to the right of the control zone to allow the readout to be used as a visible reference while you adjust the value The mouse will automatically jump to the current fader position and return back to its original position when the fader disappears Some of these control types will contain a small triangular mark in the upper left corner of the display window Left Clicking the left side of one of these controls will popup a menu listing of all possible values for this control Left Clicking a selection will instantly set the control to this value The default value is displayed in bold and the current value is displayed with a checkmark e When a triangular mark appears next to a control label or in a control section Left Clicking on that label or section will display other information For example you will find a triangular mark next to the labels Pre Fader and Pst Fader on the mixer views Left C
120. e Post Patch information to the right side of the zone Link Keys Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to vertical scroll displayed Z Mixer and E Mixer sections Pressing the I key will scroll to the Input Attenuator section Pressing the E key will scroll to the Eq section Pressing the D key will scroll to the Dynamics section Pressing the A key will scroll to the Aux section Pressing the O key will scroll to the Output Assign section Pressing the L key will scroll to the Label section Pressing the F key will scroll to the Fader section Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to switch to different mixers by using two number keys not on the NumPad in sequence The mixers are numbered from 00 FOH to 24 After pressing the first number key a mixer list will be displayed with mixer labels The list will be hi lited to display the range of active remaining selections Press the second number key to select the desired mixer For instance if you first press 1 then the list will display the mixers with 10 to 19 hi lited and expect the second number for the desired mixer You can also press 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 33 the M key Mixer to pop the list up as a reference and then enter the two number keys The NUMPAD may also be used in the same manner when the keyboard is set to NUMLOCK Label Display Zone w l Shift Left Clicking in the Label Display zone displays a channel
121. e even from the Task manager This can be useful however for stopping interference from other background services and processes and may allow smooth audio operation at very low latency settings Message Dialog Box Position This option allows control over message and dialog box placement on dual screen monitors The following sub menu options are available Top Left Top Center Top Right Center Left Center Center Right Bottom Left Bottom Center Bottom Right Follow Mouse VVVVVVVV VV This option saves with the preferences 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 135 12 7 Monitor Configuration This option allows the program to keep popup messages and dialogs that follow mouse positions from splitting across the gap between monitors The following sub menu options are available gt Single gt Dual Left To Right gt Dual Top To Bottom This option saves with the preferences Max Screen Resolution Override The program attempts to determine the full virtual screen resolution across all monitors This will not work on all systems or video card drivers so the reported resolution can be overridden if needed and new values can be manually entered and saved with the preferences This option allows you to set a new max screen resolution which will control the limits of all window positions Info Menu Help Contents This option opens the SAC HelpFile Latest Release Notes
122. e Hot Channel The Hot Channel displays with a red highlight around it This also links optional the Zoom and Wide Mixer View and the Patch Effects Views changing those views to reflect this new Hot Channel Link Buttons D ED Double Clicking on a colored link button or a non control area of a channel displays an exploded view of the entire channel starting at the specific section of the channel you clicked on For example double clicking on the red Eq button links to an exploded view of the channel positioned at the Eq section Right Clicking inside or Left Clicking outside the Exploded View closes that view Left Clicking on a colored link button of a channel will vertical scroll displayed Z Mixer sections The dead zones at the top of the Full Mixer faders are also active zones for jumping to the fader sections These colored links are also used to display I A Eq Dyn and Fx status information The I A link display live input assignment information L Only sources display as a bar on the left side of the zone R Only sources display as a bar on the right side of the zone Stereo and other combined mono sources display as a bar in the center of the zone The Eq link displays Eq switch information in the center of the zone The Dyn link displays Gate switch information to the left side of the zone and Compressor switch information to the right side of the zone The Fx link displays Pre Patch information to the left side of the zon
123. e Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 96 SAC User Manual Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input Return and Output channels Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Top Buttons In Bot Right Bank Switch up or down Bot Buttons In Bot Right Jump To Next Console Section I R O Mackie Control Surface Top The Mackie Control is a very flexible controller surface The right side of the device can utilize overlays customized for different application programs You may obtain a SAWStudio overlay from Mackie if one was not included with your controller You may also download the pdf version at www sawstudio com downloads htm as a reference The button labels referenced in this section refer to the labels on the overlay not the default labels on the controller There is also an included Mackie Control Extender template for use with the Extender controllers Only one Master Control or Extender can be controlled at any one time with the templates The Mackie Control LCD display is used to show parameter and channel labels in the various selection modes Pan mode is used as the default mode to display channel numbers or labels for the current bank as well as signal level meters This template defines three special modifier buttons which extend the functionality of many of the controls and other buttons They are d
124. e Mono Attenuator Phase Rvs Swap LR and Eq and Dynamics section of the channel to directly process the synth output signals These settings save with the Mixer Templates and also with each session edl file These settings clear when sessions are closed If you use a default Mixer Template you can arrange the default console signal routing any way you like and those settings will be used each time the console is reset Eq Dyn Signal Flow This option allows the Dynamics section to be moved in front of the Eq section of the channel modules on a channel by channel basis Selecting this option displays a popup channel menu Left Click any channel to toggle the option on and off You may also Ctrl Left Click any channel to toggle all channels at the same time S These settings save with the Mixer Templates and also with each session file These settings clear when sessions are closed If you use a default Mixer Template you can arrange the default console signal routing any way you like and those settings will be used each time the console is reset SAC Link Rec Play Tap Point At SRC PRE ATT This option sets the record and playback tap point for SAWStudio using the SAC Link connection to the source signal before the Attenuator control The playback signal from SAWStudio when changing the input source to the SS Mixer Chan will insert at the same place so that the exact signal will be fed thru the module chain to facilitate the virtual ba
125. e SAWStudio Links 11 1 Using The SAWStudio Links SAC includes internal links directly to SAWStudio Lite and Full The SAC Link option is activated from within the SAWStudio app and once a connection link between SAWStudio and SAC has been established you can now pass data in both directions for recording and playback with SAWStudio using internal shared memory buffers that completely bypass the Windows soundcard drivers SAWStudio will automatically disconnect from the drivers and use the internal shared buffers to 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using The SAWSitudio Links 111 communicate with the outside world through the SAC engine The menu options are selected from within SAWStudio and show up as follows The Activate SAC Link option on the SAWStudio Options menu will establish the internal connection between the two programs SAC and SAWStudio must both be running at the time and when the connection is established a SAC lt gt LI NK icon will appear in the left corner of the SAWStudio main titlebar The SAC Link Options option expands out to include these following choices The Export Mix Data To SAC option allows you to instantly transfer the main MT track and channel mix data directly to the SAC FOH console This will also automatically preset each SAC console channel input source to point to the associated SAWStudio MT track This option allows you to playback the SAWStudio MT tracks in a 1 to 1 confi
126. e from the dialog box and click Open From the Smpte Midi menu select Midi Control In Active and Midi Contro Out Active Gite The communication between SAC and your MIDI device is now established This connection can be saved with the default preferences to automatically be reestablished each time you run SAC Below is a list of operational details for the currently supported devices Quick jump links Behringer BCF2000 Mackie Control Surface 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 95 Mackie Baby HUI Control Surface CMA MotorMix Control Surface Frontier Design TranzPort Frontier Design AlphaTrack Fostex VM200 Mixer General MIDI Controller Korg 168RC Mixer Panasonic WR DA7 Mixer Sony DMX R100 Mixer Soundcraft Spirit 328 Mixer Tascam TM D1000 Mixer Yamaha ProMix 01 Mixer Yamaha ProMix 01V Mixer Yamaha 03D Mixer Behringer BCF2000 Top The Behringer BCF2000 is one of the most directly functional Templates for use with SAC The BCF2000 template gives you control of the 8 faders in high resolution mode as well as mutes solos and pans The top 2 buttons in the bottom right corner of the unit can be used to bank switch up or down and the bottom 2 buttons of that group can be used to jump forward or backward to console sections I R O To use the BCF2000 Template you must first download the sysex file of all the presets into the BCF2000 unit You can dump this file
127. e not soloed giving a true exact In Place Solo for critical mix decision making This mode will affect channel signals and console outputs 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 124 SAC User Manual 12 4 All of these options can be saved in the preferences file Touch Screen Mode When this option is active it forces you to touch the fader knobs accurately and will not attempt to jump the touch position to the knob as it does with the mouse click position This will also adjust the popup fader window position to place the current knob under your touch position This mode keeps you from radically jumping a fader when using a touch screen View Menu Full Mixer Displays the Full Mixer View and brings it to the top Zoom Mixer Displays the Zoom Mixer View and brings it to the top Wide Mixer Displays the Wide Mixer View and brings it to the top FX Choices Displays the FX Choices View and brings it to the top FX Pre Patches Displays the FX Pre Patches View and brings it to the top FX Post Patches Displays the FX Post Patches View and brings it to the top FX Solo Patches Displays the FX Solo Patches View and brings it to the top 1 Scenes Displays the Scenes View and brings it to the top 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 125 2 Sequence Displays the Sequence View and brings it to the top 3 Conirol Displays
128. e of feedback you can create a ping ponging effect of echoes bouncing back and forth between channels With 0 feedback and a delay time of 20 to 40 ms you can create the effect known as Cross Delay Stereo which can give the illusion of a wider overall stereo image from a mono signal source er Creating a Cross Delay Stereo effect requires that the plug in be patched in Post Fader The source track must be panned to one side or the other and the Delay Time should be set between 20 40 ms Set the Strength for that channel to the maximum setting and select Cross delay mode This should result in the mono signal being spread across the left right stereo 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 80 SAC User Manual image The width of the spread can be controlled by the delay setting Mixer Channel Number Display The Channel Number Display shows the reference mixer and channel for the currently displayed settings Opening a new Echo Delay on another channel will change settings and channel reference numbers on the same open window 4 Left Clicking the Channel Number Display shows a list of all mixer channels that have an Echo Delay assigned and allows you to select another channel to view There is also an Auto Tracking option at the top of the list which allows the display to change automatically with the current Hot Chan selection in any Mixer view This option may be saved with the module preferences 4 Left Cl
129. e solo bus activate the Dither option and save the preferences Clear All Mixers To Default This option clears all mixers to the internal default or default mix template settings Clear Current Mixer This option clears only the current mixer including the monitor Master Out 1 label if the mixer is a monitor mixer Clear All Mixer Labels This option clears all the mixer labels Clear Current Or Selected Mixer Labels This option clears selected channel mixer labels or all channel mixer labels for the current mixer only Meter Active This option activates the built in meter displays on the Full Zoom and Wide Mixer Views The meters do add CPU overhead to the mix engine and can therefore be de activated if needed The following sub menu choices are available gt Full Mixer View Controls meter displays for the Full Mixer View gt Exploded Zoom Wide Mixer View Controls meter displays for the Exploded Zoom and Wide Mixer Views These settings can be saved with your preferences 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 118 SAC User Manual Meter PeakHold This option controls how the peak information is displayed on the meters The following sub menu choices are available gt Off PeakHold information is not displayed gt Infinite PeakHold information is displayed forever Higher peaks keep pushing the display to a higher notch on the meters gt Slow PeakHold information is retain
130. ecalls complete scene snapshot storage for all 25 consoles Each scene has its own filter properties dialog which determines what controls channels and mixers the scene operates on You can set a scene to operate just a mute switch on a certain channel on all monitor mixers or any combination of module controls and sections along with channels and mixers This allows separate scenes to control only FOH others to control only monitor mixers or any single monitor mixer This power is easily set and modified after the scene creation Scenes can be positioned in the listbox in any order and therefore easily grouped to the operator s desire Scenes can also contain a fade time property which controls the time it takes for the scene to complete its action This creates automatically timed and generated crossfades on all controls with switch action adjustable to occur at the fade start or end Every control that fades will do so from its 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Introduction 7 current position to its new destination position and complete its action at the same time The fade engine is independent of new scene recalls while the last scene is still fading therefore you can overlap scene recalls and live control adjustments without fear of cutting off a previous action midstream A Sequence View allows you to arrange Scenes in any order to automate a complete show performance Scenes in the Sequence View can be adjust
131. ection modes The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is set to Native Mode TaskBar Icon to ensure compatibility with this template Using the Shift Mode does not require you to hold down the Shift Button Just press it once and it will engage and light up to show that Shift Mode is active You can cancel Shift Mode by pressing the button again Most commands that use Shift Mode will automatically disengage it after the command is executed Controller Surface SAC Fader Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input Return and Output channels based on track channel select switches Touching and adjusting the fader will automatically switch the LCD to Fader Mode and display the fader data Shift Button Toggles Shift Mode on off Using the Shift Mode does not require you to hold down the Shift Button Just press it once and it will engage and light up to show that Shift Mode is active You can cancel Shift Mode by pressing the button again Most commands that use Shift Mode will automatically disengage it aftter the command is executed Solo Button Toggles Solo on and off for the current channel e Shift Mode Toggles all active solos off Mute Button Toggles Mute on and off for the current channel 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 106 SAC User Manual Left or Right Parameter Knob Center
132. ed on the meter for a reasonable length of time and then starts to decay Higher peaks will push the display higher again gt Fast PeakHold information is retained on the meter for a short time and then starts to decay Higher peaks will push the display higher again These settings can be saved with your preferences Meter Response This option controls the response time of the meters to transient information The following sub menu choices are available gt Slow Meters have a long decay period essentially smoothing out the overall response and absorbing fast transient material gt Med Meters have a good average decay period allowing for a smooth visual display but still catching and displaying fast transient material gt Fast Meters have a short decay period effectively display all very fast transient material Overall appearance can become jerky These settings can be saved with your preferences Meter Tap Point This option controls the tap point within the channel signal flow for the meter data The following sub menu choices are available gt Input Return Src This option displays the meter data at the source position at the top of the module after the attenuator phase and mono sections gt Input Return Pre Fdr This option displays the meter data just before the mute switch and fader 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 119 gt Input Return Pst Fd
133. ed to include fade times which create seamless crossfades between scene changes SubScenes may also be created within a single Scene cue which can execute in realtime as a sequence of complex events with a single Trigger command The Engine The underlying architecture is an entirely new from the ground up virtual mixing engine based on many years of experience with the development and maturity of the SAW product line The focus of this new engine design is centered around the live low latency input driven technology that forces the engine to sense and trigger precisely from live input data stream timing This engine assembles the data LIVE on the fly directly in front of the actual data being played out by the sound devices delivering instant reaction time and the feel of a physical console without glitching the audio data The engine makes extensive use of multi processor and priority multi threaded code design and with its hand coded assembly language techniques is capable of reaching performance levels not thought possible within the standard Windows environments The engine is also self correcting in the event that something in the Windows environment steps on the processing threads and causes the loop to not have a buffer ready in time for output This new design detects and re syncs the engine on the fly to eliminate any possible slipped buffer latency drift over time The design uses advanced assembly language techniques to e
134. efault This option clears the default Function Key file and SAC will revert back to its internal F Key defaults Preferences File The following sub menu choices are available Preferences File options gt Open This option opens an existing Preferences configuration file and re initializes the program to those settings gt Save This option saves the current program setup as a PRF file This is handy for saving different configurations or sound card setups for different project types gt Save Default This option saves the current setup as the default Preferences for when the program starts Use this option each time you change a global setting or option that you wish to retain each time you start the program gt Clear Default This clears the default Preferences file and SAC will revert back to its internal defaults Shades This option allows you to load different graphic libraries called Shades available as free downloads at www SoftwareAudioConsole com and from third party developers which completely control how the SAC interface looks The following sub menu choices are available Shades options 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 116 SAC User Manual 12 3 gt Open This option displays the Open Shades File dialog box to the Shades program folder where you may choose from available shd graphics files listed The name of a loaded shade file will be displayed next to this option gt
135. eference Guide and experiment with the Navigation Links option found under the Mixer menu S The SAC installation defaults to having most links active References to this feature throughout the helpfile will assume that links are active MouseWheel Support MouseWheel support is included in SAC SD In the Mixer Views the wheel will scroll the view left and right changing Hot Channels by one increment per wheel click Pressing the Shift key at the same time will change the view one page at atime 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs SAC Fundamentals 15 2 4 4 Multi Language HotKey Compatibility If you have multiple language options installed in your Windows configuration language switching hotkeys must be disabled to prevent interference with SAC s use of the Control Shift and Alt modifier keys To disable hotkeys language switching in Windows XP Open the Control Panel and select Regional and Language Options Click on the Languages tab Under Text Services and Input Languages click Details button Under Preferences click the Key Settings button Go Advanced Key Settings and under Hot Keys for Input Languages disable all language switching radio buttons Gr be To disable hotkeys language switching in Windows 2000 Open the Control Panel and select Keyboard Click on the Input Locales tab Under the Hot Keys for Input Locales section click the Change Key Sequence button Be
136. elected signals amp Pressing the Ctrl key when deactivating any Solo switch will automatically deactivate all engaged Solo switches Whenever any solo is activated a flashing Solo Mode light in the top left corner of the Main top client area will keep you informed 4 Left Clicking on this flashing light automatically clears all active solo switches A Right Clicking any mixer Solo Switch when in Solo Bus Mode will display a popup menu of 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 66 SAC User Manual level settings for that channel s solo bus send This data is stored with the mixer settings and is saved with Mix Session and Mix Template files This can be very useful in balancing input chan solos against output chan solos or low level signals against high level signals in Pre Bus mode Output Mute Switch The data next passes through the Mute routine This switch mutes all data from this point on All signals before this switch are still active and untouched This switch has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the muting action occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response which can be used in place of a quick fade to ramp a signal up or down smoothly WS Right Clicking any Mute switch on the FOH or Monitor Mixer 1 console view will display the Mute Thru Monitors Latch option If this is activated on an FOH channel that chan
137. election before adjusting controls the latch between channels is automatic when any one of the latch preset channels is adjusted These latch presets can be very handy for creating stereo latched L and R channels which will then always adjust the pair simultaneously You may override the latch at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust channel controls These latch presets save with Mix Template and Mix Session Files SR Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu also allows you to save and recall preset Latch groups There are 32 latch preset assignments Se Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name se Alt Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new RVS Reverse latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 40 SAC User Manual 4 5 name A RVS Latch group works in reverse of a standard Latch group The group of selected channels will operate as independent when making any normal adjustment but will be latched together whenever any one of the channels is adjusted while pressing the Alt Key The RVS Latched channels do not have to be actively selected once created to operate all together in latched mo
138. els are re arranged B Alt Left Clicking in one of these zones jumps you back to the last selected Hot Channel for that section This allows you to jump to the output section for example and then immediately jump back to the last selected Hot Channel you were working on in the input or return section 4 Right Clicking in one of these zones jumps you back to the last selected Hot Channel for that section emulating the Alt Left Click function This allows you to jump to the output section for example and then immediately jump back to the last selected Hot Channel you were working on in the input or return section Repeated Right Clicking in the same zone will jump to the next channel in sequence of that section and keep incrementing until the end of the section is reached at which time the jump will start at the beginning of the section again These jumps will follow the physical sequential order regardless of how the channels are re arranged emulating the Shift Left Click function Sync Light This light flashes yellow whenever a trigger mode is activated and waiting for sync When the trigger point is reached the Sync Light turns green The Sync Light will also turn green during any operation that is generating sync Current Mixer Zone This zone displays the current mixer you are working on It is either the Front Of House FOH mixer or one of the 24 Monitor mixers w l Left Clicking in this zone displays a popup menu of mix
139. els in the various selection modes Pan mode is used as the default mode to display channel numbers or labels for the current bank Alternate midi controller templates are included to allow two MotorMix controllers to be used at the same time for 16 channels of control or three controllers for 24 channels The MotorMix units must be upgraded with a new internal ROM chip available from MotorMix in order for this to work When ganged together and turned ON each controller will set itself to a different midi chan chan 1 and chan 2 etc The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 102 SAC User Manual S f using a single controller make sure it is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface Faders Mute Buttons Solo Buttons A H Buttons View Left Right Arrow Buttons Bank Button Next Last Button Rotary Selector Knob Turn Pan Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 Aux Send 1 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button Aux Send 2 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button Aux Send 3 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button Aux Send 4 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Kno
140. ene Selection In The Listbox 48 86 Scenes View Navigation Scenes List Area 86 Scenes View Overview 83 Scenes View Top Client Area 84 Scenes View Window 48 Scrolling 48 86 Set Channel Label Color 31 36 40 43 68 Setting SessionUndo Levels 24 Shades 112 Smpte Midi Menu 125 Smpte Mtc Format 125 Smpte Mtc Start Offset 125 Smpte Mtc Sync 125 Snapshot Function 24 Solo Mode 116 Sound Card Setup 128 Special Snapshot Function 24 Starting SAC 18 Startup Command Line Options 18 Switches 30 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Index 141 Sync Device Setup 128 System Requirements 16 oe Tapering 116 TCP IP 91 Activating as Host Master 91 Activating as Remote 92 Activating Host Master Mode 128 Activating Remote Mode 128 Activating Slave Mode 128 Remote Commande 92 Remote Control over a Network 92 Remote Machine Opening Sessions ona 92 Selecting a Network Computer Name 94 Selecting a TCP IP Port 94 TCP IP Computer User Rights List 128 TCP IP Host Computer Name Address 128 TCP IP Options 90 Using the 90 TCP IP Port 128 The Solo Bus Post Fader 116 The Solo Bus Post Fader Input Return Pre Fader Output 116 The Solo Bus Pre Fader 116 The Solo Bus Pre Fader Input Return Post Fader Output 116 To Clear The Default Function Key File 23 Touch Device Setup 128 Touch Panel 124 Touch Panel Visable As Default 124 Touch Screen Mode 116 U Undo 24 Recovering A Session 2
141. ent Hot Chan Controls the mixer Dyn Key selection Controls the mixer Dyn Key Low EQ Controls the mixer Dyn Key High EQ Sets the mixer Dyn Key to its default setting Sets the mixer Dyn Key Low EQ to its default setting Sets the mixer Dyn Key High EQ to its default setting Controls the mixer Dyn Key Listen switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Band 1 Gain Controls the mixer EQ Band 2 Gain Controls the mixer EQ Band 3 Gain Controls the mixer EQ Band 4 Gain Controls the mixer EQ Band 5 Gain Sets the mixer EQ Band 1 Gain to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 2 Gain to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 3 Gain to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 4 Gain to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 5 Gain to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ In switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Band 1 Frequency Controls the mixer EQ Band 2 Frequency 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 104 SAC User Manual Rotary Param Knob 3 Rotary Param Knob 4 Rotary Param Knob 5 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button 5 Button EQ Q Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 2 Rotary Param Knob 3 Rotary Param Knob 4 Rotary Param Knob 5 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button 5 Button EQ Lo Hi Cut Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 Rotary Param Knob 3 1 Button 2 Button 3 Button 4 Button LCD Display Con
142. entioned above apply also across the internet because you do not normally have access rights to see the host drive directly unless special adjustments are made to the firewall router box to allow full drive and folder sharing across the internet Opening Sessions on a Remote Machine When a link is first established the Remote will attempt to synchronize all session data from the Master machine across the network You will then be able to operate the Master machine from the Remote machine controlling the consoles remotely Remote Control over a Network The Remote machine does not use its audio device it does not even need one installed Audio only plays on the Master machine The Remote machine acts truly as a sophisticated remote interface When you save the session you are saving the Master session as if you were working on the Master machine Scene recalls can be done from the remote without sharing access rights but scene creation and updates and other file based operations will be limited to the host only unless all drives and folders being used are shared between the machines Remote Control of Plugins over a Network Remote control of native plugins can be done for plugins that are SAC network protocol aware Check for plugin updates as they become available The plugins must be installed on both the Host and Remote machines When the remote connects the FX Choices view will list all plugins installed on the Host machine and gray o
143. enu Reference Guide section for details on all menu options Title Bar Underneath the Menu Bar is the TitleBar which you can use to grab and position the window within the available screen space The TitleBar also displays certain network icons as well as the current Mix Session file name Live Light This light displays the current state of the mix engine When this light is off or flashing the engine is not active and no audio will pass through the consoles When you first load a new Mix Session or Mix Template the light will flash when the consoles are routed and all control settings are ready to go Wi Right Clicking on the Live Light will activate the mix engine and start streaming audio Right Clicking it again will stop the engine and shutdown all audio streaming SS Left Clicking on the Live Light when it is flashing in Rdy Mode will cancel the Rdy Mode and turn off the light 4B Shift Left Clicking on the Live Light while the engine is active will re sync all engine buffer pointers by stopping and immediately re starting the engine If the engine slips buffers and starts loosing sync adding latency use this function Load Display The Load display shows the current engine load percentage This value will be different than the Task Manager CPU percentage as it reflects only the load of the mix processing engine This value is calculated as a percentage of time it takes to complete a cycle through the mix engine and
144. er choices allowing you to instantly switch to a different mixer er The Monitor mixer choices will display the name entered on the first Master Output channel of the Monitor mixer SS Right Clicking in the Current Mixer zone will display a popup menu of options for duplicating sections of mixers to other mixers The options are gt Duplicate Fdrs Pans From This option displays another popup menu of choices for which mixer to duplicate from To use the features change to the mixer you wish to create a new mix on and then select the source mixer to duplicate from gt Duplicate Src Ins From This option displays another popup menu of choices for which mixer to duplicate from To use the features change to the mixer you wish to create a new mix on and then select the source mixer to duplicate from gt Duplicate Eq From This option displays another popup menu of choices for which mixer to duplicate from To use the features change to the mixer you wish to create a new mix on and then select the source mixer to duplicate from gt Duplicate Dynamics From 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 30 SAC User Manual 4 2 This option displays another popup menu of choices for which mixer to duplicate from To use the features change to the mixer you wish to create a new mix on and then select the source mixer to duplicate from These features make it easy to quickly setup a new Monitor mix by duplic
145. er the close button or outside of the box or press the Esc key Names entered on the FOH Mixer or Master Monitor Mixer 1 Input channels will automatically pass through to all channels on the following Monitor mixers Names entered on any Monitor Mixer 2 or higher are only entered on that mixer Pressing the Alt key along with one of the Shift or Ctrl options to create a label will block the automatic pass thru allowing you to label changes on the current mixer without affecting other mixers Set Channel Label Color ec Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu Selecting the Set Channel Label Color option allows you to select one of the 16 label outline colors for this channel or no label color If this channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected The default behavior sets this chan color for all mixers If you press the Alt Key when activating the menu choice only the current mixer will be affected This data saves with mix sessions mix templates and with scenes On scene recalls with active label properties the chan label color will change with the label text You might set a group of vocals to one color and horns to another etc Or you may find it useful to just set the first vocal chan to a color and then the first horn chan to a different color to visually mark and separate the groups without flooding the label area with colors 2008 2011 Robe
146. er trims the volume When this control is at the top no volume processing occurs Mixer Channel Number Display The Track Number Display shows the reference mixer and channel for the currently displayed settings Opening a new EQ on another track will change settings and channel reference numbers on the same open window B Left Clicking the Channel Number Display shows a list of all mixer channels that have an EQ assigned and allows you to select another channel to view There is also an Auto Tracking option at the top of the list which allows the display to change automatically with the current Hot Chan selection in the Mixer views This option may be saved with the module preferences Left Click anywhere in the Equalizer window to close the popup list box without changing selections Reset WS Left Clicking the Reset button resets all EQ frequency bands to the center flat position This button does not change the frequency or bandwidth settings 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Plug In Effects 77 7 2 Bypass w Left Clicking the Bypass button bypasses this effect without affecting other modules patched into this track Close B Left Clicking the Close button closes the EQ window Any settings that were made remain in effect Options Icon SS Left Clicking on the blue pyramid Options icon displays a small popup menu containing the following options Save Preferences Thi
147. ers on each device listing but that device is actually picking up the odd even pair Performance Considerations To use SAC effectively you will want to achieve the lowest buffer latency settings you can while still maintaining system stability There are many things to consider in order to make this happen Your system may have a single fast processor or dual processors or dual core processors in one chip or even a single core processor with Hyperthreading which makes it appear as a dual processor to the system Dual processors are touted as a way to offer higher performance because the OS will delegate multiple tasks to the different processors at the same time But this may not always pan out as expected in the real world especially in an application like SAC that will be switching between many driver and data threads at speeds of a millisecond or less The actual thread and context switching time between processors all sharing the same memory and data bus can actually add overhead to the time it takes to get the job done as compared to keeping everything inline on one fast processor When using buffer sizes of 64 samples or less you may find higher stability and performance in single CPU mode on many multi CPU systems The processor and thread switching overhead can interfere in many cases with the extremely fast loop times required to maintain these low latency settings and actually start causing slipped buffers Also note that drivers m
148. es 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 129 The combination of the Buffer Size and the PreLoad Buffer value control the latency of the real time engine Lower latency values give live instantaneous response and the feel of a real physical console You eill need to acheive settings of 3 x 128 or lower for a realtime live audio console feel Some combinations that result in the same low latency value will cause the system to glitch while other combinations will perform comfortably For instance 2 buffers at 128 size might cause static or glitching on certain audio devices but the same latency value can be obtained by using 4 buffers at 64 size and the audio device may play back perfectly When you are finished with all adjustments click OK then save your default settings by clicking on the File menu and selecting Preferences File Save Default Midi Device Setup This option opens a dialog of options to setup your Midi devices for hardware controller devices The following settings are available in the Midi Device Setup dialog box Reset Resets all Midi Devices to None Cancel Cancels all changes and exits the dialog box Ok Accepts changes and exits the dialog box Midi In Out Devices Assigns a driver to a Midi In and Out device for receiving and sending Midi controller information to external hardware controller devices These settings can be saved with the preferences Sync
149. esignated as the Shift Ctrl and Alt buttons Pressing and releasing one of these buttons engages it s mode indicated with it s associated flashing light Pressing the button again will disengage the mode Any combination of modes may be simultaneously engaged Pressing the Cancel button disengages all active modes The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options The Mackie Control uses multiple MIDI channels and requires it s own MIDI port Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input Return and Output channels based on channel and bank select switches e Ctri mode Touching a fader returns it to it s default 0 dB position Master Fader Controls Output channel 1 at all times e Ctri mode Touching the master fader returns it to it s default 0 dB position Mute Buttons Control mixer mutes Solo Buttons Control mixer solos e Ctri mode Turning off any Solo button clears all active solo buttons Select Buttons Control mixer Hot Chan selection within the active bank of eight faders Signal Lights Display when active audio data is present Channel Left Right Buttons Increment and decrement mixer Hot Track selection scrolling the active bank one channel left or right Bank Left Right Buttons Increment and decrement mixer Hot Track selection scrolling the active bank 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI C
150. esiis A EEEE EE RTE 116 Al View Menu sisian ann ARa n Ra RAER AAA 124 5 Smpte Midi Menu risissirupua ted cecebee iuan ae ERNEST a aaa aeaa aa aeaaaee S aaa daa 125 6 Dptensc hMienu 220 GEESS 128 T Mfo MOI es seo as sence cn ct scscedevesend AE A ETAR AAAA RRA 135 Index 137 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs SAC User Manual 1 1 1 1 1 Introduction About This Helpfile About This Helpfile Version 2 9 This helpfile is designed as a guide for understanding and using the features and functions of Software Audio Console SAC This product is continually being updated with new features which will be included in the helpfile with each update Once you receive an updated version look for details on any new features and maintenance fixes in the Latest Release Notes located in the Info dropdown menu within the program Updated pdf manuals will be available for download at the SAC website at www SoftwareAudioConsole com Helpfile Conventions and Terminology The following chart contains symbols and formatting will be used throughout this helpfile to indicate special terms notes warnings and actions SAC is designed to be primarily a mouse driven interface Therefore this chart also contains many mouse conventions which will be used throughout this helpfile The hand symbol will be used to indicate important notices and warnings d The pointing finger symbol will be used to indicate a point of mentio
151. eturn Swap L R Switch This switch swaps the left and right signals of the stereo source data Return FX Pre Fader Patch The data next passes through the FX Pre Fader Patch This allows you to patch in SAC or SAWStudio native plug ins or DirectX or VST plug ins These FX process in the order they are patched 4 The yellow FX icon will display a bar graphic across the two holes when plug ins are assigned Left Clicking on this icon will display a broken bar which means the plug ins are bypassed This FX Patch processes the data at an internal resolution of 24 bits regardless of the final session resolution setting Return Solo Switch The data next passes through the Solo routine The output and return solos may be operated together and output group solos may be nested with individual channels still contained within the group The routines keep an internal updated count on each channel that is soloed 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 63 You may combine solos from multiple channels to hear a blend of selected signals ee The Return solos are enhanced to maintain the in place solo feature while still allowing both pre and post Aux Send input channel information to reach the Return bus Therefore you may solo just Return tracks and hear the blend of all Aux Send information coming through that Return amp Pressing the Ctrl key when deactivating any Solo switch will a
152. evels be set to a reasonable number like 10 or 20 to avoid creating large numbers of history files for each of your sessions and using up valuable hard drive space unnecessarily In most cases the session condition has changed significantly after 10 20 manipulations most likely making it meaningless to recover an undo beyond that level Special Snapshot Function Pressing the key on the keyboard numpad will force a snapshot undo of your current session This can later be recovered as an undo item Use this before performing automation or recording so you can revert back to before the numerous changes were made if you change your mind er This feature overrides the Auto Undo option This allows you to turn off Auto Undo under the Options menu for quicker editing when sessions are loaded down with plug ins and still create an instant undo backup file anytime you wish 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 27 4 1 Navigation Main Window The Main Window encases the entire SAC interface and should be stretched to fit across your available monitor space You can size the window to any size and save F Key workspaces that do not fill the entire screen but it is highly recommended that you also enclose all SAC windows within that Main Window space Menu Bar The top of the window displays the Main Menu Bar which contains options for many commands and functions within the SAC environment See the M
153. extracting program file called SAC_xx exe Double Click the file Follow the prompts to complete installation SAC will install into its own folder you can specify a different one if you like The installation of SAC will in no way affect any of your system files All files are installed to one location without adding files to system folders or changing existing configuration files or writing to the Windows Registry The program will also create subfolders under the application folder for storage of various files required for operation E Although the program defaults certain operations to these subfolders it is recommended that you use the File Path Setup option under the Options menu to setup alternate paths for the session files and undo storage at a separate location outside of the program folder preferably on a large designated audio storage drive WY Important Information Regarding Product Updates Please read the Latest Release Notes file in the program s Info dropdown menu for recent information about your current program version This file will always contain information and operation guidelines for new features 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 18 SAC User Manual 3 2 3 2 1 added First Things First Starting SAC Once you have successfully completed the setup program installation you are ready to run the SAC program w l Left Click the Start menu on the taskbar point to Program
154. ff gt Mutes Off gt Solos Off This setting can be saved with your preferences Options Menu Audio Device Setup This option opens a dialog of options to setup your audio device hardware and settings which control audio playback and real time latency The following settings are available in the Audio Device Setup dialog box Up Dn Arrow Zone Switches the display of Wave Devices between the first 18 and the second 18 Out In Switches the display of Wave Devices between Output devices and nput devices Reset Resets all Wave Devices of the displayed type to None Cancel Cancels all changes and exits the dialog box Ok Accepts changes and exits the dialog box Wave Devices Assigns a audio device driver to a specific Wave Device in SAC PreLoad Buffers This setting controls how many buffers of data are preloaded to the audio device before output streaming begins This affects the response time of live controls such as mutes solos faders etc If this setting is too low for your system audio stuttering or glitching during playback may occur especially when minimizing or sizing windows etc on a complex session This setting combines with the Out Buffer Size setting to determine the final latency Use the PreLoad Buffers listbox to choose a setting between 1 and 6 Lower values will give you faster response times Buffer Size Use the Buffer Size listbox to choose from six different settings ranging from 32 to 1024 sampl
155. g and saving a SAC mix template The Session Undo Path determines the default location for all session undo files If left blank all undo files will be saved to the currently open Session file path location You may create a separate Undo folder to store all undos for all sessions if desired Another option is to use a as the first character in the undo path and this will create a separate folder under the project folder for each project keeping all the undo files neatly tucked away but within reach of each project folder For example entering Undo will create an Undo folder under each project folder Changing Default File Paths 4 Left click inside the applicable text box then click the Browse zone to display the Browse For Folder dialog box Navigate to the desired location then click Ok to change the default path to this new location Click Ok on the Default File Path Setup window to accept your changes and close the window Ka To permanently save any changes in the Default File Path Setup dialog from the File menu choose Preferences File and Save Default If you don t choose this step once you close SAC your changes will be lost and your default paths will revert to their previous settings B Left Clicking inside of the text box whose path you wish to change then Left Clicking the Current Path zone replaces the existing default path with the path of the currently opened session 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML L
156. ght Arrow Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys twice in succession when the Echo plugin is the active window will calculate the delay time between taps and set the active channels Pressing the Space Bar key twice in succession when the Echo plugin is the active window will calculate the delay time between taps and set the active channels Ka You can tap any combination of these keys once each for quicker response times and the delay time will be calculated between taps Left Right Feedback The Feedback setting determines how much of the echo signal is fed back to the input This creates repeating echoes spaced at the Delay Time interval each one at a slightly lower volume than the previous eventually fading away to nothing Using 0 Feedback creates a single echo of the original sound acting as a simple delay effect Pressing the Ctrl key when adjusting the left or right settings will latch both channels together ER Left Holding the right half of the Feedback readout area and moving the mouse forward or backward will change the Feedback amount by 1 increments Shift Left Holding doubles the speed of the change 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Plug In Effects 79 Left Clicking the left half of the Feedback control displays a popup menu of available settings in increments of five Click the desired setting or click anywhere outside of the menu to close it e The default value for this
157. guration through the SAC console You can then use the SAC Monitor mixers to setup separate performer mixes SAWStudio will not play audio through its own driver devices while the SAC Link is active You do not have to make any preference changes in SAWStudio the buffer settings will be internally set to relax the SAWStudio cpu load and rely on SAC to handle the low latency performance The internal link will adjust for SAWStudio playback buffer size changing and latency causing plugins and deliver a fixed data stream to SAC with no changes needed to your edl session in SAWStudio The Import Mix Data From SAC Input Chans Active Selected option allows you to instantly transfer the SAC FOH console setup directly into SAWStudio including automatically creating a record template with all channel input assignments preset ready for a live recording of the current SAC session This function includes only active input source assigned and not disabled input chans and properly handles re ordered SAC chans when creating the new Record Template If SAC chans are selected then only those chans are included in the import All that is needed after this option is activated is to Ctrl Click the first track s record button in the SAWStudio MT to open all record meters for all active SAC channels already pre assigned You may also Alt Click any track s record button to automatically open the record template on the proper first imported track Once again SAWStud
158. h which resets all gain adjustments to flat and the master EQ n Out switch to allow for quick bypass of the EQ routines for comparison or for use in automating the EQ in and out of the mix 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 57 Input Dynamics Section The data next passes through the Dynamics routines Optional Both the Gate and Compressor use the same Key Buffer to activate their threshold detecting routines The Key Buffer contains the source data used to trigger the Gate and Compressor into action This data is available from the channel source data itself Self or from any other channel source data 1 72 The data is processed through a Hi Cut and Lo Cut overlapping EQ routine that pre processes what the threshold detecting routines see This can be used effectively to allow the Compressor to work as a de esser or the Gate and Compressor to trigger and respond to a limited range of frequencies The Key Listen switch acts as a Solo switch for the Key Buffer This allows you to audition precisely what the threshold detecting routines are seeing The Gate Attack setting controls how fast the Gate opens up when the signal goes above the threshold setting The Gate Release setting controls how fast the Gate shuts down when the signal drops below the threshold again The Gate Floor setting controls how far the Gate shuts down The lower the setting the farther the signal is a
159. he simple helpfile interface to maximize your knowledge of the program and truly become a SAC pro Program Notes Use Of The Alt key The Alt key is used for a variety of operations and as a modifier key to force popup properties menus in certain areas of the interface As a result its default behavior for accessing the main menu bar has been altered from standard Windows behavior You must press and release the Alt key to access the main program menu bar via the keyboard then press the associated keys to access the individual menu options While the Alt key is held down SAC will be waiting and considering its use as a special modifier key for varied operations and interface control Interactive Links There are optional interactive links designed into the SAC interface between the Mixer Views and the multiple control views that facilitate control of the environment If active these links can assist tremendously in the complex control of the program These links make it possible to display just one zoomed mixer channel which will always follow the Full Mixer positioning thereby placing all controls for the track or channel of focus directly at your fingertips This can save valuable screen real estate for other views and windows The individual links can be broken making it possible to lock a particular mixer view onto certain channels making them always visible This mixer view won t be affected unless you manually adjust it Read the Menu R
160. hs 22 Changing 22 Setting Up 22 Understanding 22 Del Button 48 Device Parameters 19 Adjusting 19 Digital Audio 10 Whatis 10 DirectX Operation 81 DirectX amp VST Plug Ins 81 Close 81 FX Bypass 81 Options Icon 81 Disable Default Value Snap To 116 Display Control Combo Boxes 30 Displaying Current Session Undo History 24 Dither 116 Dual Monitors 16 The Use of 16 Duplicate Dynamics From 27 Duplicate Eq From 27 Duplicate Fdrs Pans From 27 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 138 SAC User Manual Duplicate Src Ins From 27 E Echo Delay 77 Bypass 77 Close 77 Effect Automation 77 Left Right Delay Time 77 Left Right Feedback 77 Left Right Strength 77 Mixer ChannelNumber Display 77 Mode 77 Options Icon 77 Playback 77 Src Vol 77 Echo Delay Operation 77 Echo Delay Overview 77 Effects View Editing And Control 72 Effects View Navigation 72 Effects View Overview 69 Effects View Top Client Area FX Choices List 70 Effects View Top Client Area FX Patch Lists 71 Effects View Window 47 Add Button 47 Clr Button 47 FX Button 47 Group Button 47 Rem Button 47 Effects View Windows 47 Opening 72 Eq Dyn Signal Flow Equalizer 74 Bypass 74 Close 74 Effect Automation 74 Freq 74 Hi Cut Filter 74 Lo Cut Filter 74 Mixer Channel Number Display 74 Options Icon 74 Playback 74 Reset 74 Slider Controls 74 Vol Trim 74 Width 74 Equalizer Operation 74 Equalizer Overview 74 116 Exit 112
161. ialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Fades require the engine to be live since they use the sample clock for timing Make sure to also set the Switches First option on or off depending on whether you want the switches to operate before or after the fade It is suggested that you select only the channels of interest and only the switch options that you desire to be recalled for each scene For example if you want a scene to mute four input vocal channels on the FOH mixer make sure to set the partial chan info to those exact four channels and clear all other switch lights except the Input chan mute switch and clear all mixer switches except only the FOH switch Create scenes that operate in small chunks on specific controls of specific channels When using scenes it is also a good idea to create a Starting Scene with everything selected to instantly return the consoles to a specific starting condition It may be a good idea to create a starting scene for each song in a set list for example You may also find a starting scene for each monitor mixer useful to bring the individual monitors back to a starting condition even after they have been adjusted during a performance It can also be useful to create an ending scene which you ca
162. ick anywhere in the Echo Delay window to close the popup list box without changing selections Bypass A Left Clicking the Bypass button bypasses this effect without affecting other modules patched into this track Close 4 Left Clicking the Close button closes the Echo Delay window Any settings that were made remain in effect Options Icon H Left Clicking on the blue pyramid Options icon displays a small popup menu containing the following options Save Preferences This option allows you to save preferences for the Echo Delay module which includes the load and save file paths and the current Echo Delay window position Load Presets This option loads a previously saved preset file containing all adjustable settings for a specific Echo Delay setup A file dialog box is displayed allowing you to select the folder and file name of the preset file you wish to load Echo Delay preset files use the EKO extension Save Presets This option saves a preset file containing all adjustable settings for the current Echo Delay setup A file dialog box is displayed allowing you to select a folder and enter a file name for the preset file you wish to save Ms Menu Distance Reference In Feet This option displays the Ms distance reference in feet This option saves with the plugin preferences Ms Menu Distance Reference In Meters 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Plug In Effects 81 7 3 This optio
163. ies or Right Clicking within its boundaries or clicking the close button in the upper right corner of the mixer window Knobs And Switches D Left Clicking on any control will allow direct adjustment of its setting Link Keys Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to vertical scroll displayed Z Mixer and E Mixer sections Pressing the I key will scroll to the Input Attenuator section Pressing the E key will scroll to the Eq section Pressing the D key will scroll to the Dynamics section Pressing the A key will scroll to the Aux section Pressing the O key will scroll to the Output Assign section 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 41 Pressing the L key will scroll to the Label section Pressing the F key will scroll to the Fader section Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to switch to different mixers by using two number keys not on the NumPad in sequence The mixers are numbered from 00 FOH to 24 After pressing the first number key a mixer list will be displayed with mixer labels The list will be hi lited to display the range of active remaining selections Press the second number key to select the desired mixer For instance if you first press 1 then the list will display the mixers with 10 to 19 hi lited and expect the second number for the desired mixer You can also press the M key Mixer to pop the list up as a reference and then enter the two number keys The NUMPAD
164. iew will display the applicable FX patch window Hint Quickly get to the effects portion of the Zoom Mixer view by clicking on the FX hot link in the Full Mixer view Create at least one F Key workspace view that contains the Effects View windows you use arranged neatly in their own space with no window overlapping This way you may simply press the assigned F Key when you need to add remove or otherwise access your plug ins Patching In Plug Ins Wi Plug ins are patched by first selecting a plug in from the FX Choices window and then Left Clicking the Add button of the desired patch window Assigning a plug in to any of the patch windows will display a connecting patchbar on the FX portions of the Zoom Exploded and Wide Mixer views and will automatically open the plug in for adjustment Se Shift Left Clicking the Add button of the desired patch window will assign the selected plug in without opening the plug in setup window 4 Left Clicking on the yellow FX icon on the mixer will toggle between Bypass and Normal FX mode Bypass is displayed as a broken patchbar e Plugins that cause latency by buffer size changing or witholding can not function in SAC due to the fact that SAC is tied to a live input data stream These plugs will be detected and automatically bypassed internally during the engine loop Re Ordering Patches Selecting any patched plug in from any of the patch views and pressing Ctrl Up Arrow will shift the
165. ill always latch thru to all the rest of the monitor mixers independent of the FOH mixer In this way you can maintain the separation between a Monitor and FOH engineer This option can be very handy for RF mic channels for example where it may be desirable to mute those channels in all monitor mixers with the press of the FOH mute switch even though the monitor mixers are tapped at SRC or other points that normally do not follow the FOH mutes Return Channel Fader The data next passes through the Channel Fader routine This controls the overall direct signal strength for this channel in the mix This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Return Pan Slider The data next passes through the Pan routine This controls the left right balance of the data in the overall stereo levels of this channel signal 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 64 SAC User Manual This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Return FX Post Fader Patch The data next passes through the FX Post Fader Patch This allows you to patch in SAC or SAWStudio native plug ins or DirectX or VST plug ins These FX process in the order they are pat
166. ine This information will display the Integer or Floating Point data format type that the driver uses gt Asio Driver Setup This option allows access to the ASIO Driver Control Panel settings if the driver supports that option If any driver settings are adjusted SAC will automatically reinitialize the driver link and reset all applicable data buffer settings If settings are changed some ASIO drivers will only issue a reset request once the engine is started In this case SAC will handle the re initialization at that time and there will be slight delay before data streaming begins Activate TCP IP Host Master Mode This option is available on the main SAC program only and allows the program to operate as the Host Master machine across a standard Ethernet 100 base T network Activating this option displays the Host Master signature on the main window title bar and allows the program to accept up to 28 Remote machine connections Left Clicking in the Host Master icon area will display a list of all connected remotes and their user rights 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 133 Activate TCP IP Remote Mode This option is available on the SACRemote program only and allows the program to operate as a Remote machine that can control another machine running SAC as the Host Master The Remote machine will link and synchronize to the Master machine when a connection is established Activate TC
167. ined within the group The routines keep an internal updated count on each channel that is soloed You may combine solos from multiple channels to hear a blend of selected signals amp Pressing the Shift key when activating the first Solo switch keeps the Return channels active so you may hear the blend of reverb returns with the soloed channels This only works when 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 59 the solo mode is the Solo In Place option Whenever any solo is activated a flashing Solo Mode light in the top left corner of the Main top client area will keep you informed SE Left Clicking on this flashing light automatically clears all active solo switches When using one of the Solo Bus modes two independent solo buses are available one for FOH and one for MON Each operator can have their own solo bus out device to maintain separation during a solo operation between the FOH and Monitor engineers 4 Right Clicking any mixer Solo Switch when in Solo Bus Mode will display a popup menu of level settings for that channel s solo bus send This data is stored with the mixer settings and is saved with Mix Session and Mix Template files This can be very useful in balancing input chan solos against output chan solos or low level signals against high level signals in Pre Bus mode Input Mute Switch The data next passes through the Mute routine This switch mutes all
168. ing SAC On Your Computer 17 Interactive Links 14 116 K Knobs And Faders 30 i Label Display Zone 40 Exploded View Mixer 40 Full View Mixer 31 Wide View Mixer 43 Zoom View Mixer 36 Latest Release Notes 135 Link Keys 70 Link Mixer V Offset to F Keys 116 List Box 12 Usinga 12 Mackie Baby HUI Surface 94 Mackie Control Surface 94 Max Screen Resolution Override 128 Message Dialog Box Position 128 Meter Active 116 Meter PeakHold 116 Meter Response 116 Meter Tap Point 116 MIDI Controller Devices 94 CMA MotorMix Control Surface 94 Fostex VM200 Mixer 94 General MIDI Controller 94 Korg 168RC Mixer 94 Panasonic WR DA7 Mixer 94 Sony DMX R100 Mixer 94 Soundcraft Spirit 328 Mixer 94 Tascam TM D1000 Mixer 94 Using 94 Yamaha 03D Mixer 94 Yamaha ProMix 01 Mixer 94 Yamaha ProMix 01V Mixer 94 MIDI Device 17 Installing Your 17 Midi Device Setup 128 Midi Control In Active 125 Midi Control In Filter 125 Midi Control Out Active 125 Midi Control Out Filter 125 Midi Control Template 112 Mix Template File 112 MixerMenu 116 Monitor Configuration 128 MouseWheel Support 14 Moving Scenes Within The List 48 86 Multi Language HotKey Compatibility 15 N Navigation Links 116 New Button 48 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 140 SAC User Manual O Online Help 13 Using 13 Open Last AutoSave Session 112 Open Mix Session 112 Opening An Existing Function Key File 23 Operating Console Controls 30
169. io completely bypasses the soundcard drivers and gathers its audio data directly from the SAC engine This allows SAWStudio to perform the MT record operation with very little added cpu load on the system and also relaxes the buffer settings to essentially coast along quietly in the background while SAC handles the low latency monitoring load The Arm Last Imported Record Template option opens the record template and assures that the record arming begins on the proper imported start track so that all record input assignments will correctly follow the imported SAC channels You may also Alt Click any track s record button to automatically open the record template on the proper first imported track The Input Chan Play Tap At SRC option selects the SAWStudio tap for sending its track data to SAC This option sends the data from the SRC position at the top of the chan module just after the Mono section Using this option means you are essentially sending the playback data directly from the wav files on each track with no added processing from the SAWStudio virtual console The Input Chan Play Tap At PRE PATCH option selects the SAWStudio tap for sending its track data to SAC This option sends the data from just after the PRE PATCH position within the chan module This option would allow VST Synths data to be passed onto SAC and the Pre Patch position routing options within SAWStudio will still apply so some signal processing from SAWStudio may be part
170. is section is a brief glossary of terms which are used throughout this helpfile Many terms are similar in description and in some cases interchangeable Use this guide as a reference if you need further clarification on a specific term Buffer An area used to store data temporarily Channel Refers to a channel in any one of the mixer views Three types are available Inputs Returns and Outputs Console Refers to the virtual mixing console Used interchangeably with the term Mixer Default The values or configuration settings automatically loaded when SAC is started Mix Session Mix Session File which stores all session related information including automation mixer configuration scene and sequence data Hot Channel The currently selected channel in any mixer view Scene A complete snapshot of the current Mixer configuration and layout Recalling a scene will instantly return the entire console to an exact setup configuration Resolution The amount of detail in a digital audio image 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 10 SAC User Manual 2 2 2 2 1 Sample A snapshot of the original acoustic audio signal which when assembled sequentially with other samples creates a facsimile of the original signal Samplerate The interval between Samples The higher the samplerate the closer the facsimile is to the original Mix Template Mix Template File which saves a console pre set configuration which can be
171. ixer views to page flip the current mixer to higher chan numbers For instance if 8 Z Mixer chans are visible and the start chan is currently chan 1 this gesture would flip the view to start on chan 9 3M MicroTouch Resolution Sets the screen resolution of your 3M MicroTouch display 3M MicroTouch X Offset Sets the X Offset of the display if it is used as a second monitor 3M MicroTouch Y Offset Sets the Y Offset of the display if it is used as a second monitor These settings can be saved with the preferences File Path Setup This option sets up various default paths for session configuration data and other files used within the SAC environment The following settings are available in the File Path Setup dialog box 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 131 Click in the desired path you wish to change and type the new path or click the Browse or Current Path zones to select a new path Browse Opens a browse dialog for navigating to the folder of your choice Current Path Inserts the path currently being used for the specified choice Reset Resets all paths to internal defaults Cancel Cancels all changes and exits the dialog box Ok Accepts changes and exits the dialog box Session EDL Path The Mix Session Path text box allows you to specify the default location you wish to access when either opening or saving a Mix Session mxs file By default this path is set t
172. king a meter display in any mixer view displays a Meter Options Menu The Clear Current Meter Peaks option will clear the current meter s peak limit displays The Clear All Meter Peaks will clear all meter s peak limit displays Pressing Up Arrow or Down Arrow in any mixer view will adjust the Hot Channel fader up or down in 5db steps Pressing Shift Up Arrow or Shift Down Arrow will adjust the Hot Channel fader in 1db steps and pressing Ctrl Up Arrow or Ctrl Down Arrow will adjust the Hot Channel fader in 25db steps Switches 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 31 4 3 D There are numerous on off switches in the SAC environment such as Mute and Solo switches Left Clicking these controls will toggle their state between On and Off Display Control Combo Boxes D This type of control offers the most amount of power in the least amount of space replacing rotary knob controls and separate display value windows All of these controls have direction arrows in the right or left side of the display window Left Clicking on one of those arrows adjusts the control one value at a time in the direction of the arrow Left Holding changes the mouse cursor to a Plus Minus icon Pushing the mouse up or down will latch an automatic adjustment mode This mode will increment or decrement values at a speed dependent on how far you push the mouse off the center point which engaged the action You
173. l Fader The data next passes through the Channel Fader routine This controls the overall direct signal strength for this channel in the mix This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Input Pan Slider The data next passes through the Pan routine This controls the left right balance of the data in the 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 60 SAC User Manual overall stereo levels of this channel signal This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Input FX Post Fader Patch The data next passes through the FX Post Fader Patch This allows you to patch in SAC or SAWStudio native plug ins or DirectX or VST plug ins These FX process in the order they are patched B The yellow FX icon will display a bar graphic across the two holes when plug ins are assigned Left Clicking on this icon will display a broken bar which means the plug ins are bypassed This FX Patch processes the data at an internal resolution of 24 bits regardless of the final session resolution setting Input XY Surround Pan FOH Console Only The data next passes through the XY Surround Pan routine This joystick type control adjusts the
174. l device in and out assignments so you can recall channel control settings from other channels without affecting input source and output device destinations You can also use this for a quick compare between different settings on a single channel for example storing different EQ settings to different cells and then recalling them for an instant compare between settings The eight memory cells are stored as internal clipboards and will retain stored information until the SAC application is closed This allows you to transfer settings from one Mix Session to another Applying Stored Channel Settings to Another Channel Sea Alt Right Clicking or Left Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu 4 Select one of the Store options to choose which section of the channel you wish to store in one of the cells To apply the stored channel information to another channel switch to the destination channel and choose the desired Recall option Stored channel date must be recalled to the same channel type i e Inputs to Inputs Returns to Returns and Outputs to Outputs All memory cells are set to console channel default settings when SAC is first run therefore recalling a cell section that had nothing stored to it will apply default settings Y Regarding Channel FX Store Recall Recalling FX plug ins will clear and overwrite any currently patched plug ins in the destination channel For more efficient handling the FX recall option
175. l to the Output Assign section Pressing the L key will scroll to the Label section Pressing the F key will scroll to the Fader section 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 37 Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to switch to different mixers by using two number keys not on the NumPad in sequence The mixers are numbered from 00 FOH to 24 After pressing the first number key a mixer list will be displayed with mixer labels The list will be hi lited to display the range of active remaining selections Press the second number key to select the desired mixer For instance if you first press 1 then the list will display the mixers with 10 to 19 hi lited and expect the second number for the desired mixer You can also press the M key Mixer to pop the list up as a reference and then enter the two number keys The NUMPAD may also be used in the same manner when the keyboard is set to NUMLOCK Label Display Zone B Shift Left Clicking in the Label Display zone displays a channel label dialog box allowing a name for the channel to be entered You must press the Enter key for the name to be accepted Se Ctrl Left Clicking in the Label Display zone allows you to enter labels for sequential channels Pressing the Enter key after a label name has been entered will automatically prompt for a label name for the next channel To close or cancel the label dialog box Left Click either the close butt
176. label dialog box allowing a name for the channel to be entered You must press the Enter key for the name to be accepted Se Ctrl Left Clicking in the Label Display zone allows you to enter labels for sequential channels Pressing the Enter key after a label name has been entered will automatically prompt for a label name for the next channel To close or cancel the label dialog box Left Click either the close button or outside of the box or press the Esc key E Names entered on the FOH Mixer or Master Monitor Mixer 1 Input channels will automatically pass through to all channels on the following Monitor mixers Names entered on any Monitor Mixer 2 or higher are only entered on that mixer Pressing the Alt key along with one of the Shift or Ctrl options to create a label will block the automatic pass thru allowing you to label changes on the current mixer without affecting other mixers Set Channel Label Color amp Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu Selecting the Set Channel Label Color option allows you to select one of the 16 label outline colors for this channel or no label color If this channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected The default behavior sets this chan color for all mixers If you press the Alt Key when activating the menu choice only the current mixer will be affected This data saves with mix sessions mix templates and
177. le management is crucial to working with a program such as SAC which creates and saves many related files for a single session When working with computers understanding file management is one of the most important necessities We suggest either spending time with the Windows help files or getting other file management instruction to aid in getting familiar with how the Windows Explorer functions Knowledge of the Windows Explorer will greatly assist in the understanding of setting up default file paths in SAC Understanding Default File Paths M From the Options menu select File Path Setup to display the Default File Path Setup dialog box There are several path options available as follows The Mix Session Path text box allows you to specify the default location you wish to access when either opening or saving a Mix Session mxs file By default this path is set to the Mix folder inside the SAC program folder on the drive you installed the program This default is intended as a temporary path only We recommend creating a Mix Session folder in a separate location from your SAC program folder and on a drive containing sufficient hard disk space It is also recommended that for each new session project you first create a separate project folder and then place the mxs session files inside that Scenes and other operations will create other files and folders under the project folder The Mix Template Path determines the default location for openin
178. licking these labels will display the applicable FX patch windows Full View Mixer Window The Full View Mixer window displays the mixing console in a reduced view for a larger overview of individual channels within the available screen resolution The faders and mute and solo buttons are directly reachable The colored link buttons can be used as shortcut jumps into an exploded view of any specific section of the console The Titlebar will display the current mixer FOH or Monitor Mixer being viewed Monitor mixers will display a deep red titlebar color 4B Right Clicking in this view will popup a menu listing of every channel on the console with named labels allowing you to instantly jump to any particular channel by Left Clicking on your selection The selected channel will become the first displayed channel in the view unless there are not enough channels left to fill the window size in which case the display will adjust to fit to the end You may also switch to any Monitor Console from this menu Separator 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 32 SAC User Manual lines will be drawn wherever there is a chan type change or a label color change to help keep channels visually grouped together Knobs And Switches D Left Clicking on a fader mute or solo switch will activate that control Hot Channel 4B Left Clicking on any other part of the console display will change that channel to be th
179. ly beside the channels it is controlling The Aux Sends may be internally routed as virtual or patched out to any device output and returned from any device input in sync direct into the FOH mix through 6 independent Return 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs SAC User Manual channels each with complete FX patching capabilities and their own Hi Resolution Meters XY Surround panning is built in and can be assigned in any manner to up to 6 discreet outputs The surround setup can be saved in templates making 5 1 7 1 quad surround or any configuration available at the touch of the mouse The console can be displayed in different views independently or simultaneously allowing quick access to multiple perspectives of the current information The console has extensive navigation capabilities and is intimately linked to the different views There are popup navigation menus that display labeled channels and track references allowing instant one click access to anywhere you need to go The Monitor Consoles The FOH console inputs internally split to 24 monitor consoles giving essentially duplicate versions of all FOH console views and allowing you to mix monitors from master faders instead of Aux Sends or Matrix knobs This allows each monitor mix to be its own 72 channel stereo mix with its own overlayed Eq and Dynamics sections as well as its own 6 stereo Aux Sends and Returns Each Monitor console has 8 Master
180. monitor mixes while replacing multiple snake cables and splitter boxes and external racks of graphic equalizers for all the power amp racks The art of Live Sound is about to change forever Direct Link To SAWStudio SAC includes internal shared memory buffer hooks directly into the SAWStudio Lite and Full programs You can have SAWStudio running at the same time as SAC and linked with the Sac Link option to pass audio data directly between the two programs in both directions The beauty of this design is that SAWStudio drops its connection to the soundcard hardware and reaches the outside world directly through SAC SAWStudio is internally set for larger buffers so it operates in a relaxed state while SAC does all the hard work of handling the low latency monitoring SAC will allow you to select SAWStudio Input Channels and Output Channels as source signals and SAWStudio will allow you to select SAC Channels as recording input sources Recording a live performance from the SAC FOH setup is a snap with SAWStudio running effortlessly in the background You can even pass mix setup information from SAC to SAWStudio or the other way around to make it easy to link sessions between the two The links allow both programs to function together transparently on the same computer It s time to let SAC change the way you work with live audio forever Welcome to the dawn of a new era of Live Sound Mixing SAC Fundamentals Terminology SAC Terminology Th
181. mouse forward or backward changes the frequency setting Right Clicking turns the individual band on or off Left Clicking the left half of a frequency control button displays a popup menu of all available settings Click the desired setting or click anywhere outside of the menu to close it e The default value for this control is displayed in bold on the menu Left Right Clicking on the right half of a control resets it to the default frequency for that band Width The Width controls adjust the bandwidth of the frequency range affected by the filter A smaller bandwidth has a sharper sound and can be used to zero in tight on a specific frequency A larger bandwidth has a smoother sound and can be used to affect a wider range of frequencies with one control 4 Left Holding the right half of a bandwidth control and moving the mouse forward or backward changes the bandwidth setting Left Clicking the left half of a bandwidth control button displays a popup menu of all available settings Click the desired setting or click anywhere outside of the menu to close it er The default value for this control is displayed in bold on the menu Left Right Clicking the right half of a control resets it to the default bandwidth Hi Cut Filter The Hi Cut filter control is a shelving filter that will attenuate high frequencies above the cutoff frequency setting The rate of attenuation is 12 dB per octave Wl Left Holding the right
182. mpatible system Currently Windows 95 98 are not capable of handling the priority threading required by the SAC engine SAC requires a Pentium 4 1 8ghz or higher with as much RAM as possible The current min requirement is 512 Mb but 1 gb is much better The video card must handle 1024 x 768 or higher at 65 000 colors SAC requires at least one Windows compatible multi channel 16 bit audio device and supports up to 36 stereo devices 72 simultaneous inputs outputs A dual CPU or Hyperthreaded CPU can deliver much better display performance when the engine is loaded down Setting Your Windows Display SAC is able to display a substantial amount of information on the screen at any given time and requires a video resolution of 1024x768 or higher with at least 65 000 colors Video resolutions of 1280x1024 or higher are recommended for the most efficient use of the interface The 768 vertical height will not display the Wide Mixer View without overlapping the main Client Y Btn area Even though your video card and monitor might be capable of these higher resolutions the Windows operating system installs at a default resolution of 640x480 You must specifically select one of the higher resolutions Refer to your video card documentation the manufacturer or your computer supplier for information on adjusting your video resolution The Use Of Dual Monitors All window views in the interface are popup windows with no boundary restrictions that may
183. mulate all functions of the console portion of the program Faders eq dynamics aux sends and returns meters echo delay reverb etc are all emulated DSP routines that rival the performance of hardware based units when used on high end computers This design also eliminates the need for special DSP based hardware sound devices allowing standard audio sound cards access to all of the design features The new engine design allows for most every program operation to be performed live while the engine is running without the need to stop the data stream to change device assignments input and output routing or save sessions and manipulate Scene and Sequence data Because of the low latency capabilities this engine is a perfect match for external fader packs and mixer controllers SAC uses a complete virtual lookup table design to link incoming controller signals to virtual console controls and other internal functions of the engine Different hardware controller information can be stored in templates without the need to update or rewrite the program code that can be instantly loaded into the program to change from one controller type to another without the need to restart the program Templates are available for a wide variety of the most popular controllers and future templates will be made available for download as new hardware is released FX Processing A brand new powerful SAC API Application Programming Interface has been developed fo
184. n about a particular feature or concept The clock symbol will be used to indicate a time saving suggestion eo The mouse symbol will be used next to instructional text to quickly denote that techniques described involve using the mouse EI The keyboard symbol will be used next to instructional text to quickly denote that techniques described involve using the keyboard EI The keyboard and mouse symbols together will be used next to instructional text to quickly denote that techniques described involve using both the keyboard and the mouse EI 1B The keyboard and mouse symbols separated by a slash will be used next to instructional text to quickly denote that techniques described involve using either the keyboard or the mouse The M symbol will be used next to instructional text to quickly denote that techniques described involve accessing a menu M The keyboard and M symbols together will be used next to instructional text to quickly denote that techniques described involve holding a key on the keyboard while access a menu Italics Capitalized italics will be used to identify screen objects menu items and reference to terms relating to audio will be written in italics Examples Click the Cancel button Move to the Zoom Mixer the current HotChan Bracketed Keyboard commands and mouse moves will be indicated with a bracketed font Click or Select When instructions indicate to click or select an object pre
185. n activating this function will clear all channels of the associated Pre or Pst patches 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 72 SAC User Manual 6 2 3 6 3 6 3 1 FX Button w l Left Clicking the FX button on any Pre Pst or F Res patch window will display the FX Choices window The Solo Patch List windows also includes the following button FOH MON Button A Left Clicking the FOH MON button on the Solo patch window will swicth the list to look at the FOH or MON Solo Bus Effects View Navigation Scrolling amp The Effects View windows may be scrolled by Left Dragging the right scroll bar area or by pressing the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys Selection f Left Clicking on an Effect View entry selects and highlights it in the listbox clearing all other selections Left Dragging selects all entries included in the drag Se Shift Left Clicking on an entry selects it and all entries between it and the last selected entry Ctrl Left Clicking an entry selects and adds it to the other selected entries Using the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys scrolls up and down the list selecting one entry at a time Shift Up Arrow maintains the originally selected entry and adds contiguous entries one at a time moving up the list Shift Down Arrow maintains the originally selected entry and adds contiguous entries one at a time moving down the list The Home key will jump to the first e
186. n and or the XY Surround Pan Buffers if assigned Output Mono Switch This switch sums the left and right signals together and applies a 6 dB level adjustment to the result By default the resulting data will be exactly the same on both the left and right signal paths from this point on Wel Left Clicking on the Mono label next to the button displays an options menu The choices are L Plus R 6db L Plus R L Only R Only L Minus R 6db L Minus R e Deactivating and reactivating the mono button will return the setting to the default L Plus R 6dB Output FX Pre Fader Patch The data next passes through the FX Pre Fader Patch This allows you to patch in SAC or SAWStudio native plug ins or DirectX or VST plug ins These FX process in the order they are patched Wl The yellow FX icon will display a bar graphic across the two holes when plug ins are assigned Left Clicking on this icon will display a broken bar which means the plug ins are bypassed This FX Patch processes the data at an internal resolution of 24 bits regardless of the final session resolution setting Output Solo Switch The data next passes through the Solo routine The output and input solos may be operated together and output group solos may be nested with individual channels still contained within the group The routines keep an internal updated count on each channel that is soloed You may combine solos from multiple channels to hear a blend of s
187. n displays the Ms distance reference in meters This option saves with the plugin preferences About This option displays the About information window including current version information DirectX amp VST Plug Ins Installed DirectX and VST plug ins will be listed in the FX Choices listbox DirectX plug ins list in pink and VST plug ins list in Green Only VST plug ins that supply their own graphic interface will be listed and usable D Regarding installation of VST Plug ins Many VST installers will ask for a destination folder You should choose the VST_PlugIns folder under the SAC main folder Some of these installers will create another subfolder inside of the chosen folder For VST plug ins to show up correctly inside of SAC they must be directly inside of the VST_Pluglns folder If a VST plug in does not show up in the SAC FX Choices list check the VST_Pluglns folder to see if a subfolder was created and simply move the applicable plug in d file s into the VST_PlugIns folder directly Some VST Plug In installations will hardcode or otherwise force their plug in path to remain intact as installed and will not allow the dlls to be moved into the SAC VST_PluglIns folder SAC will allow VST Plugins to reside in any folder on any drive by placing an ini file substitute in the VST_Plugins folder pointing to the full path of the dll file itself Open the Notepad or any other ascii text editor to create a new text file Inside the file
188. n update at the end of the show The scene properties can then be adjusted at a later time to recall specific control settings from individual channels and mixers that you may decide to keep permantly in the main show scenes For instance perhaps you made adjustments to the Guitar channel eq throughout the show and decided that the eq you ended up with is better than the original eq you had saved in the starting scene You can adjust the ending scene properties to activate only the guitar channel and only the eq section and then recall that scene over top the starting scene Now by updating the starting scene the ending guitar eq will become part of the original scene 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using The Scenes View 89 8 3 8 3 1 Moving Scenes Within The List Pressing Ctrl Up Arrow or Ctrl Down Arrow will move the scene position up or down in the listbox allowing you to group the scenes in any order you desire It can be useful to create blank scenes that take no action everything off in the scene properties and use them as title separators between scene groups Name them with dashes or stars and a label for example Mute Groups e Operation Scenes View Editing And Control Creating Scenes To create a new Scene make any adjustments to the mixers controls and signal routing you desire then Left Click the New button on the Scenes View Top Client Area A name dialog window i
189. nceling S For more information on using the Enter Smpte dialog box see the Working with Smpte Mtc TimeCode helpfile section Midi Control In Active This option activates the M D Control input functions This allows external hardware MIDI controller devices to send commands to SAC controlling many mix and transport operations This option requires a MIDI device to be setup in the Midi Device Setup option under the Options menu This setting can be saved with your preferences Midi Control In Filter This option filters incoming signals from MIDI controllers or mixers The commands that are filtered are ignored The following sub menu options are available gt Faders Off gt Mutes Off gt Solos Off This setting can be saved with your preferences Midi Control Out Active This option activates the M D Contro output functions This allows SAC to send MIDI controller commands to external Midi devices for control and feedback of many mix and transport operations This option requires a MIDI device to be setup in the Midi Device Setup option under the Options 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 128 SAC User Manual 12 6 menu This setting can be saved with your preferences Midi Control Out Filter This option filters outgoing signals to MIDI controllers or mixers The commands that are filtered are not sent to the controllers The following sub menu options are available gt Faders O
190. nd click Save to save the file with an fky file extension 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 24 SAC User Manual 3 2 6 Saving Alternate Function Key Assignments M After assigning desired workspaces to the alternate function keys from the File menu select F Key File Save Alternate The Save F Key File dialog box is displayed Enter an F key filename and click Save to save the file with an fky file extension Opening An Existing Function Key File M From the File menu select F Key File Open Choose the desired fky file and click Open This will load the complete set of workspace views from that template Opening An Existing Alternate Function Key File M From the File menu select F Key File Open Alternate Choose the desired fky file and click Open This will load the complete set of alternate workspace views from that template Saving The Current Function Key Setup As The Default M From the File menu select F Key File Save Default A confirmation prompt is displayed Click OK to accept the changes or click Cancel to close the dialog box and cancel the operation To Clear The Default Function Key File M From the File menu select F Key File Clear Default A confirmation prompt is displayed Click OK to clear the file and revert back to the internal F key defaults or click Cancel to close the dialog box and cancel the operation er Whenever the default F key file is saved the curre
191. nd mix tweaking concept You can create a scene with all inputs set to device sources for recording then create another scene with all inputs set to the corresponding SS Mixer Chan for virtual Band playback Recall the scenes to switch back and forth between the live inputs and the virtual band playback SAC Link Rec Play Tap Point At SRC PST ATT This option sets the record and playback tap point for SAWStudio using the SAC Link connection to the source signal after the Attenuator control The playback signal from SAWStudio when changing the input source to the SS Mixer Chan will insert at the same place so that the exact signal will be fed thru the module chain to facilitate the virtual band mix tweaking concept You can create a scene with all inputs set to device sources for recording then create another scene with all inputs set to the corresponding SS Mixer Chan for virtual Band playback Recall the scenes to switch back and forth between the live inputs and the virtual band playback SAC Link Rec Play Tap Point At PRE FDR 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 122 SAC User Manual This option sets the record and playback tap point for SAWStudio using the SAC Link connection to the source signal just before the main fader The playback signal from SAWStudio when changing the input source to the SS Mixer Chan will insert at the same place so that the exact signal will be fed thru the module chain to facilit
192. ne at a time The Home key will jump to the first Scene in the list The End key will jump to the last Scene in the list Recalling Scenes 4 Double Clicking any Scene in the listbox will instantly recall the scene and alter the settings of all 25 mixers according to the scene properties Pressing the SpaceBar will instantly recall the scene and alter the settings of all 25 mixers according to the scene properties SE Pressing the Alt key when recalling a scene will cancel any fade action that is part of the scene properties e Pressing the Ctrl key when recalling a scene will overide the Partial Chan Selecet property and force the selection of partial scene channels as a temporary group Ka Touching any control that is part of an active scene fade will disengage and overide that control Changing Scene Properties SS Right Clicking any Scene in the listbox will display the scene properties dialog and allow you to alter what controls and mixers are affected in the scene as well as adjust fade times and switch channel group selection options You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene update will maintain that info as is lf you answer YES the current selected channel
193. nel s mute switch will always latch thru to all monitor mixers regardless of the mixer tap point If this is activated on a Monitor Mixer 1 channel that channel s mute switch will always latch thru to all the rest of the monitor mixers independent of the FOH mixer In this way you can maintain the separation between a Monitor and FOH engineer This option can be very handy for RF mic channels for example where it may be desirable to mute those channels in all monitor mixers with the press of the FOH mute switch even though the monitor mixers are tapped at SRC or other points that normally do not follow the FOH mutes Output Channel Fader The data next passes through the Channel Fader routine This controls the overall direct signal strength for this channel in the mix This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Output Pan Slider The data next passes through the Pan routine This controls the left right balance of the data in the overall stereo levels of this channel signal This control has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the level change occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response Output FX Post Fader Patch The data next passes through the FX Post Fader Patch This allows you to patch in SAC or SAWStu
194. no response The LCD will display many important messages directly e Shift Mode Activates Live Mode e Msg Dialog Mode Acts an Okay Yes or Enter response Acts as a position shuttle which adjusts the MultiTrack cursor position When first touched the Flip button is activated and the LCD will display the cursor 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 107 position Fostex VM200 Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Master Fader Controls the mixer Output 1 fader Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes General MIDI Controller Top The General MIDI Template requires the use of a separate MIDI channel for each control channel The basic General MIDI Template
195. nt workspace view becomes the default startup view Using Undo These features are not yet implemented SAC has some very powerful built in undo features above and beyond the standard undo format Reading this section will give you some important insight into the ways you can recover your session from undoing a single manipulation to actually recovering the state of an entire session from days or months earlier Because SAC automatically maintains an undo history file it is possible to recover an unsaved session even after a system crash or a power failure Take time now to understand the many undo and recover options available One of them may save the day for you when you most need it SAC s Undo system works by creating complete background mxs files just before a function modifies the session SAC s assembly language code makes this possible while remaining virtually transparent to the user Only in extreme cases of incredibly large and complex projects with many VST plug ins that are slow to initialize etc will there be a slight noticeable delay as you make changes to your session In these cases you may turn off the auto undo option under the Options menu to eliminate the background 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Getting Started 25 undo file creation each time you edit If you disable this feature it is suggested you use the SnapShot function Key to manually create undo files as you work Ce
196. ntry in the list The End key will jump to the last entry in the list Operation Effects View Editing And Control Opening Effects View Windows M To open an Effects View window from the View menu click the desired FX window Three views are available for effects handling e FX Choices This window displays a list of all effects plug ins installed including SAC and SAWStudio 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using Effects Views 73 Native DirectX VST and VSTi e FX Pre Patches This window displays a list of all plug ins patched to the Pre Fader FX patch on the current mixer Hot Channel This window chases the Hot Channel and updates the list e FX Post Patches This window displays a list of all plug ins patched to the Post Fader FX patch on the currentmixer Hot Channel This window chases the Hot Channel and updates the list e FX Solo Patches This window displays a list of all plug ins patched to the FOH or MON Solo Bus patch The listbox top client area displays which bus you are looking at and this can be selected by clicking on the FOH MON button Note that these FX will only process whenever a solo is active and for about five seconds of blank buffers after the solo is released to allow plugin meters to decay back to infinity after the signal goes away This design then releases any FX cpu load when solos are not engaged A Left Clicking the Pre Fader or Pst Fader labels on any mixer v
197. o the Mix folder inside the SAC program folder on the drive you installed the program This default is intended as a temporary path only We recommend creating a Mix Session folder in a separate location from your SAC program folder and on a drive containing sufficient hard disk space It is also recommended that for each new session project you first create a separate project folder and then place the mxs session files inside that Scenes and other operations will create other files and folders under the project folder Mix Template Path Sets the default path used for Mix Template files EDL Undo Path The Session Undo Path determines the default location for all session undo files If left blank all undo files will be saved to the currently open Session file path location You may create a separate Undo folder to store all undos for all sessions if desired Another option is to enter a sub folder of the EDL project folder by starting the folder name with a backslash character For example entering Undo will force all undo files for each session to be saved in a sub folder named Undo under the session folder This helps keep the session folder better organized and easier to maintain If you decide to use this feature you must manually create the same folder under existing session folders and copy all existing undo files for current sessions into this folder in order for them to be automatically available New sessions will automatically create
198. of the signal chain before the data reaches SAC The Input Chan Play Tap At PST FDR option selects the SAWStudio tap for sending its track data to SAC This option sends the data from the bottom of the chan module which includes all chan processing and automation Very useful for show playback of pre recorded tracks 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 112 SAC User Manual 12 12 1 12 2 Once the SAC Link is initiated the SAC input source options will expand to allow individual SAWStudio Mixer Chan selections instead of just the hardware device selections You will see all SAWStudio label references for each channel in the list You may select any Input Chan from SAWStudio or any Output Chan Selecting an Output Chan allows you to maintain a complete mix in the SAWStudio environment and only use one stereo input chan in SAC to playback the entire 72 tracks from SAWStudio Any Input Chan selection is subject to the above mentioned Tap points set in SAWStudio Likewise in SAWStudio the record meter Input Zone will display the SAC channel list with the SAC labels You may record from any SAC channel which will automatically adjust the record file to mono or stereo based on the SAC source assignment By using the various playback tap points and SAWStudio Mixer Channel source selections you can set SAC to play SAWStudio tracks one on one with processing coming from SAWStudio and SAC set flat or with SAWStudio set
199. olls the view down to the next console section Faders Labels Out Assigns Aux Sends FX Patch Dynamics Eq Input Attenuator Ctrl PgUp snaps you to the top of the module Ctrl PgDn snaps you to the bottom of the module The Home key scrolls the view to the first channel The End key scrolls the view to the first output channel The Tab key scrolls the mixer view to the next section from Inputs to Returns To Outputs then back to Inputs The Shift Tab works in reverse Channel Selecting D ec Left Clicking or Left Dragging in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection on and off Alt Left Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection from the last toggled channel to the current channel on and off The selected channels are indicated by an inverse coloring of this label area Selected channels are grouped and any selected channel can become the group master Adjusting any control on the group master will also adjust the same control on all other selected channels Any control that reaches its max or min levels will maintain its over range internal value and keep its relative position within the group as the levels are brought back into range Right Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles all selected channels off Whenever channels are selected the mixer mouse pointer will change to CHN to indicate that ch
200. on or outside of the box or press the Esc key a Names entered on the FOH Mixer or Master Monitor Mixer 1 Input channels will automatically pass through to all channels on the following Monitor mixers Names entered on any Monitor Mixer 2 or higher are only entered on that mixer Pressing the Alt key along with one of the Shift or Ctrl options to create a label will block the automatic pass thru allowing you to label changes on the current mixer without affecting other mixers Set Channel Label Color e Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu Selecting the Set Channel Label Color option allows you to select one of the 16 label outline colors for this channel or no label color If this channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected The default behavior sets this chan color for all mixers If you press the Alt Key when activating the menu choice only the current mixer will be affected This data saves with mix sessions mix templates and with scenes On scene recalls with active label properties the chan label color will change with the label text You might set a group of vocals to one color and horns to another etc Or you may find it useful to just set the first vocal chan to a color and then the first horn chan to a different color to visually mark and separate the groups without flooding the label area with colors Scrolling B Left Dragging the mouse
201. ons at once There are six stereo Aux Sends which can mix the channel data stream with other channel data streams into the Aux Master section The Aux Masters can be routed back to the Return channels virtually allowing reverb and other plug ins to be processed across multiple channels at once or can be routed externally to any of the audio device outs for headphone monitor feeds or external processing units like reverbs which can then be brought back into the mix live in almost perfect real time sync The Aux Send Pan allows left right balance adjustment of the data being sent to the Aux Master mix The Aux Send Volume Slider allows level adjustment of the data being sent to the Aux Master mix The Aux Send In switch allows the send to be activated or deactivated The Aux Send Post Fader switch forces the data split off to occur after the channel fader and pan controls when engaged and before the fader and pan controls when not engaged 4 Left Clicking on the individual Aux Number text 1 2 3 etc or the main Aux Asgn text in any of the Aux Send sections will display a menu of special Aux Send options Aux Master Labels This section displays the Aux Master labels for reference only Selecting any item will close the menu No action will be taken Input Solo Switch The data next passes through the Solo routine The output and input solos may be operated together and output group solos may be nested with individual channels still conta
202. ontroller Devices 97 Flip Button UO Assignment Button I O Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 turn Rotary Param Knob 4 push Pan Assignment Button Pan Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 Sends Assignment Button Aux Send 1 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Aux Send 2 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Aux Send 3 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Aux Send 4 Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push eight channels at a time left or right e Shift mode Pressing either Bank button selects Return Track 1 as the Hot Track and updates the active bank e Cirlmode Pressing the left Bank button selects Input Track 1 as the Hot Track and updates the active bank Pressing the right Bank button selects Output Track 1 as the Hot Track and updates the active bank Updates the active bank aligning the first controller channel to match the
203. or remove plugin patches from any mixer channel as well as only alter plugin settings The appropriate FX Pre and FX Pst options in the Scene Properties window must be active for the Plugins to be affected by the scene recall Mixer channel re ordering and channel labels can also be saved and recalled with a scene The Mixer Channel re ordering option operates on all channels within a specific mixer so the Mixer properties must be active for the desired mixers to be affected This can be very useful for doing festival type jobs where there is more than one band setup Now each band can have a starting scene that can reset everything including new chan labels and chan re ordering setups without having to stop the engine and load a new session file If you are not using these features in a particular scene turn off these scene properties options to improve scene recall performance The title bar of this window always displays the current Scene count There is no built in limit to the number of Scenes one session can handle only the limitation of your RAM Interface Scenes View Top Client Area Options Icon w l Left Clicking the blue pyramid Options Icon opens a popup menu of various options Auto Advance After Recall This option automatically advances to the next scene entry after a scene recall operation perfect for stepping through a series of scenes in a show lineup and can be saved with the preferences Disable SpaceBar Scene Recall
204. ot control that starts the OS You can copy and paste the line so it looks like this operating systems multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Microsoft Windows XP Professional fastdetect multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Microsoft Windows XP Professional fastdetect Then modify the text within the quotes as follows operating systems multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Windows XP Professional Single CPU fastdetect multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Windows XP Professional Dual CPU fastdetect Then add the onecpu option at the end of the first line as follows operating systems multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Windows XP Professional Single CPU fastdetect onecpu multi 0 disk 0 rdisk 0 partition 1 WINDOWS Windows XP Professional Dual CPU fastdetect You will now see a screen when starting the system with the two text lines giving you a choice to select the Single or Dual option Hyperthreading has been known to cause many low level issues in many systems when trying to do realtime low latency audio streaming of the nature that SAC would like to achieve At the time of this writing it is recommended that you turn Hyperthreading OFF in the bios before installing your Windows system If Windows is already installed with Hyperthreading active you will need to boot the system into single cpu mode by using the boot
205. otary Param Knobs 1 8 push Aux Send 2 Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 turn Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 push Aux Send 3 Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 turn Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 push Aux Send 4 Mode Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 turn Rotary Param Knobs 1 8 push Rewind Button When a popup menu is active Fast Fwd Button When a popup menu is active Stop Button When a popup menu is active Play Button When a popup menu is active Write Button Undo Button LED Display one channel left or right Updates the active bank aligning the first controller channel to match the current SAC Hot Chan Selects Pan mode Control the associated mixer channel pan Select Aux Send mode Control the associated mixer channel Aux 1 Level Set the mixer Aux 1 Level to its default setting Control the associated mixer channel Aux 2 Level Set the mixer Aux 2 Level to its default setting Control the associated mixer channel Aux 3 Level Set the mixer Aux 3 Level to its default setting Control the associated mixer channel Aux 4 Level Set the mixer Aux 4 Level to its default setting Navigates up the menu options Navigates down the menu options Acts as the Cancel key Acts as the Enter key Toggles MultiTrack Automation mode On Off Undo the last operation Displays the first channel number of the current bank CMA MotorMix Control Surface Top The MotorMix LCD display is used to show parameter and channel lab
206. oups There are 32 Group preset assignments and a few special groups for mixer section selections ie inputs returns and outputs Se Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options creates a new group and assigns the currently selected channels to that group and prompts for a group name w l Left Clicking on one of the 32 Group preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels B Left Clicking on the Select AN option selects all input return and output mixer channels Left Clicking on the Select All Inputs Select All Returns or Select All Outputs option selects the corresponding mixer channels Se Ctrl Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options will blend the preset with any currently selected mixer channels When a group of channels are selected any control adjustment on one of those selected channels activates the adjustment on all of the group channels simultaneously You may override the group at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust individual channel controls When you are finished with the group operation simply Right Click in the channel label area just beneath the title bar to clear the group The group assignments will save with the session and mix templates Latches These work similar to Group presets but add the power of automatic latching anytime one of the preset latched channels is adjusted These latched groups do not require pre s
207. ow scrolls the view incrementing one page complete view width at a time Pressing Ctrl Right Arrow scrolls the view to the next section from Inputs to Returns to Outputs The mousewheel 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 34 SAC User Manual may also be used to increment and decrement channels The Home key scrolls the view to the first channel The End key scrolls the view to the first output channel The Tab key scrolls the mixer view to the next section from Inputs to Returns To Outputs then back to Inputs The Shift Tab works in reverse Channel Selecting D SD Left Clicking or Left Dragging in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection on and off Alt Left Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection from the last toggled channel to the current channel on and off The selected channels are indicated by an inverse coloring of this label area Selected channels are grouped and any selected channel can become the group master Adjusting any control on the group master will also adjust the same control on all other selected channels Any control that reaches its max or min levels will maintain its over range internal value and keep its relative position within the group as the levels are brought back into range Right Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles all selected channels
208. ow the scene will recall In the center area you will see many lighted switches that allow you to select the various controls on the three module types The Input Channel switches on the left the Return Channel switches next and the Output Channel switches next On the right side you will find the mixer selection switches The Select All Clear All buttons operate on each of the sections independently Any switch that is lighted will become an active recall element Any switch not lit will be ignored during a recall The individual mixer switches must also be lighted or that mixer will be ignored during the recall In the top left corner is a list box which displays the current channel information If it reads ALL then all channels are active during the recall If it reads PARTIAL then only the channels listed within the dropdown listbox will be affected during the recall When the Properties dialog opens all partial channels will be selected in the mixer views showing which channels are 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 88 SAC User Manual actively engaged for the scene You can clear the selected channels in any mixer view and re select new ones on the different mixers and then Left Click the Update Channels button to change the partial information If no selected channels exist the channels listbox will be set to ALL Individual channels must be selected on each mixer that you expect to be affected during
209. ow to a desired location Using a List Box To navigate inside of a list box in SAC such as the Scenes View window use one of the following methods e Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move up and down the list one item at a time e Use Page Up Page Down keys to page up or down through the list one screen at a time e Click the scroll bar arrows to move up or down one item at a time e Drag the scroll box inside of the scroll bar to move to a relative position e Click inside of the scroll bar on either side of the scroll box to move up or down a page at a time e Use the Home End keys to go instantly to the top or bottom of the list e Use the Whee control on a wheel mouse Using the File Dialog Boxes Open Save y Regarding File Management It is recommended that you learn the basics of file management in the Windows platform Windows Explorer or My Computer from one of the many books available 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs SAC Fundamentals 13 on the subject or by studying the online help files built into the Windows operating system Basic concepts e The Drive Folder Drop Down List indicates the folder you are currently accessing Click the arrow to the right of the list box to display the hierarchy and drive information or select a new drive folder location e To navigate to a folder residing within the current folder double click the desired folder name displayed within the Contents
210. part of the original signal 4 Left Clicking on the Phs Rvs label next to the button displays an options menu The choices are Both L Only R Only This can be useful when a stereo file contains left and right signals that are out of phase Playing such a file in mono will cause the signal to cancel badly Using the Left Only or Right Only phase reverse can instantly solve this problem Se Deactivating and reactivating the Phs Rvs button will return the setting to the default Both Input Swap L R Switch This switch swaps the left and right signals of the stereo source data Input EQ Section The data next passes through the EQ routines Optional There are five high resolution bandpeaking filters that can be adjusted independently or all at the same time Each filter includes an overlapping frequency center from 40 to 15 000 hertz The BW or bandwidth adjustment ranges from 1 to 3 octaves and the boost cut gain ranges from plus to minus 15 dB There is also a Hi Cut filter that ranges from 15 000 to 40 hertz which attenuates frequencies above the filter setting using an 12 dB per octave roll off There is also a Lo Cut filter that ranges from 40 to 40 hertz which attenuates frequencies below the filter setting using an 12 dB per octave roll off A set of graphic adjustable bars can be used for quick boost and cut adjustment much like a simple set of graphic EQ sliders At the bottom of the EQ section is a Reset Flat switc
211. pfile toolbar The time you ll soend reading the helpfile will easily be made up for when you find your sessions are requiring less and less time because you ve expanded your knowledge base of the program and can move much quicker If you need to look something up quick in the helpfile use the FIND tab on the Help Contents window If you ve not used this before you will be given a one time prompt to let Windows build a helpfile database which then displays a list of every word in the entire helpfile This is a great way to search for help on something like mute or solo bus Once you ve typed in a word to look up you ll quickly be given a list of each helpfile topic that contains that word You can then pick the topic s that are most applicable and read just those There are times when the INDEX tab may be more efficient For example if you want to find out what the UP button is used for in SoundFile View Typing the word up in the INDEX tab will take you right 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 14 SAC User Manual 2 4 2 4 1 2 4 2 2 4 3 to that button s helpfile Typing the word up in the FIND tab will give you a complete list of every help topic containing the word up no matter what the context which would not be desirable this case The SAC helpfile is a gold mine of information not just in understanding SAC but in understanding digital audio and mixing concepts as well Take advantage of t
212. play a deep red titlebar color 4 Right Clicking in this view will popup a menu listing of every channel on the console with named labels allowing you to instantly jump to any particular channel by Left Clicking on your selection The selected channel will become the first displayed channel in the view unless there are not enough channels left to fill the window size in which case the display will adjust to fit to the end You may also switch to any Monitor Console from this menu Separator lines will be drawn wherever there is a chan type change or a label color change to help keep channels visually grouped together Knobs And Switches B Left Clicking on any control will allow direct adjustment of its setting Hot Channel B Left Clicking on any non control part of the console display will change that channel to be the Hot Channel The Hot Channel displays with a red highlight around it This also links optional the Full and Wide Mixer View and the Patch Effects Views changing those views to reflect this new Hot Channel Link Keys Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to vertical scroll displayed Z Mixer and E Mixer sections Pressing the I key will scroll to the Input Attenuator section Pressing the E key will scroll to the Eq section Pressing the D key will scroll to the Dynamics section Pressing the X key will scroll to the Fx section Pressing the A key will scroll to the Aux section Pressing the O key will scrol
213. ple clock for timing Make sure to also set the Switches First option on or off depending on whether you want the switches to 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 52 SAC User Manual 4 9 operate before or after the fade Moving Scenes Within The List Pressing Ctrl Up Arrow or Ctrl Down Arrow will move the scene position up or down in the listbox allowing you to group the scenes in any order you desire It can be useful to create blank scenes that take no action everything off in the scene properties and use them as title separators between scene groups Name them with dashes or stars and a label for example Mute Groups Touch Panel View This floating always ontop window gives access to important keyboard functions when using a touch screen or tablet type laptop which covers the keyboard The functions can also be used with a mouse if desired The window position and an auto display option may be saved with the preferences file Left Client Area AV lt gt These icons function as the Arrow keys on the keyboard and couple with the use of the modifier options next to them This icon opens a virtual keyboard for typing in labels and filenames 0123456789 These numbers function as the number keys across the top of the keyboard and can be used to switch monitor mixers quickly ESC This icon functions as the Escape key This icon forces the taskbar and Windows Start
214. plug in up one position in the patch order Selecting any patched plug in from any of the patch views and pressing Ctrl Down Arrow will 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 74 SAC User Manual shift the plug in down one position in the patch order er This procedure can be done live during active operation with no interruption in the signal flow Plugins are processed in the order in which they are patched Clearing Pre and Pst Patches 4 Left Clicking the Rem button on any Pre or Pst patch window will remove the selected effect from the current Hot Channel for the associated patch window Left Clicking the Cir button on any Pre or Pst patch window will clear all effects from the current Hot Channel from the associated patch window If the current channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected amp Pressing the Ctrl key when activating this function will clear all channels of the associated Pre or Pst patches Clearing Solo Patches 4 Left Clicking the Rem button on the Solo patch window will remove the selected effect from the current Solo Bus Left Clicking the Cir button on the Solo patch window will clear all effects from the current Solo Bus 7 Using Plug In Effects 7 1 Equalizer Overview This plug in effect offers many different ways to alter the frequency content of your audio Adjusting the slider controls creates a somewhat graphic representation of
215. r The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options This template requires the use of a separate MIDI channel for each control channel Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Yamaha ProMix 01 Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Master Fader Controls the mixer Output 1 fader 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 110 SAC User Manual Mutes Control mixer mutes Yamaha ProMix 01V Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the
216. r If the plugin patch list stays the same within a mixer channel from scene to scene the plugin patches will not be altered and only the plugin settings will be saved and recalled If the plugin patches on a channel are different from scene to scene the patch list will be cleared and the new plugin patches will be recalled Therefore you can actually have a scene add or remove plugin patches from any mixer channel as well as only alter plugin settings The appropriate FX Pre and FX Pst options in the Scene Properties window must be active for the Plugins to be affected by the scene recall Mixer channel re ordering and channel labels can also be saved and recalled with a scene The Mixer Channel re ordering option operates on all channels within a specific mixer so the Mixer properties must be active for the desired mixers to be affected This can be very useful for doing festival type jobs where there is more than one band setup Now each band can have a starting scene that can reset everything including new chan labels and chan re ordering setups without having to stop the engine and load a new session file If you are not using these features in a particular scene turn off these scene properties options to improve scene recall performance Top Client Area Options Icon SS Left Clicking the blue pyramid Options Icon opens a popup menu of various options Auto Advance After Recall This option automatically advances to the next scene entry
217. r This option displays the meter data at the end of the channel signal chain gt Output Src This option displays the meter data at the source position at the top of the module after the attenuator phase and mono sections gt Output Pre Fdr This option displays the meter data just before the mute switch and fader gt Output Pst Fdr This option displays the meter data at the end of the channel signal chain The separate Input Return and Output settings can be quite handy for example to monitor input src signals to set mic pre gain trims while at the same time monitor output pst fader levels to see actual mix levels being sent to the amps These settings can be saved with your preferences Chan Fader Taper This option allows you to select from different fader control tapers that affect how the fader reacts in its dB to movement ratio effectively allowing you to control the sweet spot of the fader in five separate zones gt Standard Log This is the default option and is a true log taper reacting very much like a long throw physical console fader in its movement to dB ratio There is a comfortable working range in the center of the fader to make finer adjustments to dB level changes gt Expanded Log This option expands the sweet spot around the zero dB position to allow for smaller increments in dB changes with longer movements of the fader in both directions gt Condensed Log This option condenses the sweet spot
218. r EQ Band 1 Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Band 1 Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 2 Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Band 2 Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 3 Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Band 3 Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 4 Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Band 4 Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 5 Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Band 5 Frequency to its default setting Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Band 1 Q Bandwidth Sets the mixer EQ Band 1 Q to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 2 Q Bandwidth Sets the mixer EQ Band 2 Q to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 3 Q Bandwidth Sets the mixer EQ Band 3 Q to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 4 Q Bandwidth Sets the mixer EQ Band 4 Q to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 5 Q Bandwidth Sets the mixer EQ Band 5 Q to its default setting Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Lo Cut Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Lo Cut Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Lo Cut In switch Controls the mixer EQ Hi Cut Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Hi Cut Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Hi Cut In switch Activates and opens if needed the FX Pre and FX Pst views e Ctrl mode Closes all FX patch views e Menu mode Navigate left right in any menu
219. r handling FX Plug Ins This interface offers one of the most direct and streamlined protocols for passing information between the application and processing plug ins This design also offers enhanced power 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs SAC User Manual and control including automation capability while actually increasing overall efficiency The API is compatibile with most Native SAWStudio plugins The DirectX and VST protocols are seamlessly woven into the engine design with all plug ins of all types showing in one common effects choice window With the current availability of numerous DirectX and VST plug ins to choose from you can begin FX processing immediately without waiting for future development Effects are hot patchable meaning they can be plugged in and out in real time during playback The engine will automatically initialize and insert the plug in directly into the audio loop in perfect sync without the need to stop the stream Note that any plugin causing latency by witholding data can not be used in this live mixing environment and will be detected by the engine and automatically bypassed internally TCP IP Remote Network Access SAC also includes an extensive internal networking engine that allows up to 28 remote users to access the system via standard TCP IP network connections You can use a simple ethernet cable and hub or switcher or a wireless system to allow complete freedom to roam
220. r speed wireless network running the TCP IP protocol is all that s needed One machine is designated as the Host Master machine and up to twenty eight additional machines may be connected as Remotes using the SACRemote program which is available as a free download on the www SoftwareAudioConsole com website The SACRemote program can be freely distributed and installed on desktop or laptop computers to be used as FOH MON or Personal Monitor remote control stations for a Host Master SAC system The SACRemote version has no audio engine or hosting abilities and requires connection to a SAC 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using TCP IP Master Slave Remote Mode 91 9 2 Host Master system to be functional although all other interface functions remain the same and it is also a perfect way to learn the basic SAC interface and create session templates and scenes while run in stand alone mode to be later imported into the main SAC sessions The SACRemote system does not require any audio interface cards The remote pulls settings and metering data from the host system once a connection is made A Remote machine operates directly on the Master machine session and does not keep its own session copy locally It also does not utilize its own audio device as the Master machine is the only machine generating audio output The Remote machine can be used as a sophisticated remote control device operating the Master machine from a
221. rate the touch screen and also set the double click area to about 50 of the slider bar Some useful gestures built into the SAC MT7 driver support to learn and practice are Right Click done by tapping two fingers held very close together in a short single tap movement The finger to the left is the actual right click screen point so you can use this as the actual tap position as if you right clicked with a mouse pointer at that specific screen position There is only a single tap but both fingers must hit the screen at the same time Right Hold done by creating the right click two finger gesture but keeping the fingers in contact with the screen the left finger is the important touch position This can then be used for vertical scrolling the Zoom Mixer window by sliding the finger up or down in the same manner as when using the mouse Only the left finger needs be held on the screen once the two finger right click gesture is recognized Left Flick done by a single finger touch and a quick flick motion to the left with the finger dragging on the screen This can be used in the mixer views to page flip the current mixer to lower chan numbers For instance if 8 Z Mixer chans are visible and the start chan is currently chan 9 this gesture would flip the view to start on chan 1 Right Flick done by a single finger touch and a quick flick motion to the right with the finger dragging on the screen This can be used in the m
222. rea just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection from the last toggled channel to the current channel on and off The selected channels are indicated by an inverse coloring of this label area Selected channels are grouped and any selected channel can become the group master Adjusting any control on the group master will also adjust the same control on all other selected channels Any control that reaches its max or min levels will maintain its over range internal value and keep its relative position within the group as the levels are brought back into range Right Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles all selected channels off Whenever channels are selected the mixer mouse pointer will change to CHN to indicate that channels are selected If multiple mixers have selected channels a plus sign will be added to the new mouse cursor Selected channels respond as a group to mixer adjustments and this mouse pointer serves as a reminder that channels that may not be in view are currently selected so you may clear those selections if desired before adjusting controls Using Channel Group Menu Options Sc ec Groups Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu allows you to save and recall preset channel groups There are 32 Group preset assignments and a few special groups for mixer section selections ie inputs returns and outputs Shift Left Clicking
223. recall preset channel groups There are 32 Group preset assignments 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 35 and a few special groups for mixer section selections ie inputs returns and outputs Se Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options creates a new group and assigns the currently selected channels to that group and prompts for a group name 8B Left Clicking on one of the 32 Group preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels SS Left Clicking on the Select AN option selects all input return and output mixer channels Left Clicking on the Select All Inputs Select All Returns or Select All Outputs option selects the corresponding mixer channels Se Ctrl Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options will blend the preset with any currently selected mixer channels When a group of channels are selected any control adjustment on one of those selected channels activates the adjustment on all of the group channels simultaneously You may override the group at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust individual channel controls When you are finished with the group operation simply Right Click in the channel label area just beneath the title bar to clear the group The group assignments will save with the session and mix templates Latches These work similar to Group presets but add the power of automatic la
224. remove the selected effect from the respective patch window Cir Button 4 Left Clicking the Cir button on any Pre or Pst patch window will clear all effects from the respective patch window If the current channel is one of a group of selected channels then all selected channels will be affected amp Pressing the Ctrl key when activating this function will clear all channels of the associated Pre or Pst patches FX Button 4 Left Clicking the FX button on any Pre or Pst patch window will display the FX Choices window e The title bar on each of the FX Patch windows contains a track label for easy channels identification 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 48 SAC User Manual 4 8 Scenes View Window The Scenes View window displays all Scenes that have been created as part of the current session Scenes are snapshots of all 25 mixer settings and can be used to instantly recall the consoles to a preset state Each scene contains a powerful properties dialog that can control exactly what settings are affected when the scene is recalled You can activate or de activate individual controls and module sections as well as control which channels and mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether switches react first or last when a fade is active A Scene also saves and recalls the patched plugins and plugin settings for each chan on each mixe
225. reshold to its default setting Controls the mixer Comp On switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Gate Attack Sets the mixer Gate Attack to its default setting Controls the mixer Gate Release Sets the mixer Gate Release to its default setting Controls the mixer Gate Floor Sets the mixer Gate Floor to its default setting Controls the mixer Gate Threshold Sets the mixer Gate Threshold to its default setting Controls the mixer Gate On switch Controls the mixer Gate Reverse switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer Dyn Key selection Sets the mixer Dyn Key to its default setting Controls the mixer Dyn Key Low EQ Sets the mixer Dyn Key Low EQ to its default setting Controls the mixer Dyn Key High EQ Sets the mixer Dyn Key High EQ to its default setting Controls the mixer Dyn Key Listen switch Selects EQ mode The LCD top row displays the Param labels The LCD bottom row displays the Param values Pressing the button repeatedly cycles through the various EQ sub modes Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Band 1 Gain 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 99 Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 turn Rotary Param Knob 4 push Rotary Param Knob 5 turn Rotary Param Knob 5 pu
226. rlaid on the current session without disturbing existing Scenes gt Save This option saves the current mix template information to a MXT file gt Save Default This option saves the current mixing console setup as the default setup This setup will be used each time the program is started or a session is closed to start a new one gt Clear Default This option clears the current default Mix Template file and SAC will revert back to using its internal mixing console defaults for new sessions When first opening a Mix Template the live engine will be forced to shutdown until the settings have been processed The Live light will flash when the session is ready to go Right Click the Live Light to start streaming audio Midi Control Template For specific MIDI controller device details see the chapter titled Using MIDI Controller Devices The following sub menu choices are available Midi Control Template File options gt Open This option loads a template containing the MIDI commands and function hooks for different MIDI Controller devices A dialog box will be displayed showing the currently available MIDI control templates New templates will be added as the different controller data becomes available The active template can be saved with your preferences gt Save This option saves the current MIDI commands and function hooks to a MCT file gt Clear This option clears the currently open MIDI controller templa
227. roach these resolutions many other factors come into play such as amplifier thermal and cable noise that pull the realizable dynamic signal range below these values but nevertheless you can see that the higher the bit resolution the better the digital audio image How Does SAC Handle Bit Resolution The internal audio data path in SAC is maintained at a full 24 bit resolution stored within full 32 bit DWORD buffers All audio input or file data is shifted up to 24 bit resolution as it comes in This does not add fidelity to 16 bit audio signals but does place them in position to be processed and mixed with other data that is at a higher resolution The internal math is handled as high resolution integer math coded in assembly language with a full 64 bit internal overspill data register to allow for high mixing levels without internal signal clipping thruout the data path This engine can sum 128 channels of 24 bit audio data at just under clipping levels without internally clipping any of the summing buffers This allows SAC to deliver smooth analog sounding results without the harshness and scrathiness normally associated with digital audio systems Another advantage to working at the 24 bit internal resolution even on 16 bit source data is that all signal processing such as equalization dynamics reverberation etc will retain the extra low level bits that result from the processing algorithms and pass them through the chain to the final
228. rt Lentini and RML Labs Navigation 45 Scrolling The Left Arrow key scrolls the view to the left one channel at a time Pressing Shift Left Arrow scrolls the view to the left one page complete view width at a time Pressing Ctrl Left Arrow scrolls the view to the previous section from Outputs to Returns to Inputs The Right Arrow key scrolls the view incrementing one channel at a time Pressing Shift Right Arrow scrolls the view incrementing one page complete view width at a time Pressing Ctrl Right Arrow scrolls the view to the next section from Inputs to Returns to Outputs The mousewheel may also be used to increment and decrement channels The Home key scrolls the view to the first channel The End key scrolls the view to the first output channel The Tab key scrolls the mixer view to the next section from Inputs to Returns To Outputs then back to Inputs The Shift Tab works in reverse View Locking w l Right Clicking on the Close button of the Wide Mixer view locks or unlocks that view Moving around in any of the other views will not cause the current locked view to chase along You may still change chans in the locked view itself but it will no longer be linked to affect other views The Close button will change to display a small padlock when the view is locked Channel Selecting 4 Left Clicking in the channel label area just beneath the title bar toggles channel selection on and
229. rtain operations do not create auto undo files when their creation might interfere with normal workflow For instance to create an undo history while moving a fader from zero db to minus infinity would require the creation of 340 undo files one for each 1 4 db step of the fade Many mixing controls do not create undo files In these instances you can always use the SnapShot function Key to manually create undo files prior to performing these operations To become familiar with which operations do and don t create undo files you can open the Display Undo History view window from the Edit menu and observe whether or not undo entries are added to the list when editing functions are performed Undoing A Single Manipulation M The Undo option under the Edit menu allows you to undo the last manipulation SAC has the ability to maintain up to 99 levels of multiple undos Each time this option is used SAC steps backward one more level in the undo history When the oldest undo level is recalled this option will be grayed and unavailable Pressing Ctrl lt performs the same function Redoing A Single Manipulation M The Redo option under the Edit menu allows you to redo the last undo operation SAC has the ability to maintain up to 99 levels of multiple undos Each time this option is used SAC steps forward one more level in the undo history When the newest undo level is recalled this option will be grayed and unavailable Pressing Ctrl gt
230. s Point to SAC and Left Click the SAC program icon You may also create a program shortcut on the desktop and double click the icon to start the program To create a shortcut icon open the Windows Explorer and size the window so that a portion of the desktop is visible Navigate to the SAC folder Right Click on the SAC exe file and choose Create Shortcut from the popup menu This will leave the shortcut in the SAC folder Left Drag the shortcut to the desktop You could also simply Right Drag the file to a blank spot on the desktop and when you drop it it will popup a menu Choose Create Shortcut to create a shortcut directly on the desktop amp M_ Left Clicking the X close button in the upper right corner of the program windows will close SAC You may also choose Exit from the File menu Startup Command Line Options SAC accepts an mxs filename on the command line when starting up This will run the program and automatically load the Mix Session file The Live engine light will flash letting you know the mixer is ready to go Check your levels and connections and then start the Live engine by Right Clicking on the Live Light in the top left corner of the Main Window Client Y zone For example to have SAC load a Mix Session on startup from a shortcut icon on the desktop 1 2 From the Windows desktop Right Click the SAC shortcut icon Select Properties from the shortcut menu Click the Shortcut tab In the Targe
231. s returns and outputs 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 46 SAC User Manual ec ec Sc ec Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options creates a new group and assigns the currently selected channels to that group and prompts for a group name Left Clicking on one of the 32 Group preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels Left Clicking on the Select AN option selects all input return and output mixer channels Left Clicking on the Select All Inputs Select All Returns or Select All Outputs option selects the corresponding mixer channels Cirl Left Clicking one of the 32 Group preset options will blend the preset with any currently selected mixer channels When a group of channels are selected any control adjustment on one of those selected channels activates the adjustment on all of the group channels simultaneously You may override the group at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust individual channel controls When you are finished with the group operation simply Right Click in the channel label area just beneath the title bar to clear the group The group assignments will save with the session and mix templates Latches These work similar to Group presets but add the power of automatic latching anytime one of the preset latched channels is adjusted These latched groups do not require pre selection
232. s SAC to generate MTC MIDI timecode as the master through any selected MIDI out port The port is selected in the Sync Device Setup option under the Options menu The software generated MTC code can then be routed back to a MIDI In port on the same computer or to another computer or hardware sequencer to lock MIDI sequencer playback to the Sequence position gt Generate Smpte And Mtc Sync Causes SAC to generate both SMPTE LTC and MTC MIDI timecode to their respective output devices gt Trigger From Smpte Sync Not yet active gt Trigger From Mtc Sync This option sets the system ready to read incoming timecode for triggered Sequence operations This mode only looks for external sync when you first press the SpaceBar or Return key The Sync Light flashes yellow notifying you that the system is waiting for external timecode to start the Sequence operation You may press the SpaceBar or Return key again to cancel the waiting mode The system reads the incoming timecode skipping the Delay Frame Count number of frames then immediately jumps the Sequence position to the proper cue point and adjusts the position by the Trigger Advance and Latency Adjust values pre loads the data and starts synchronized sequence playback when the timecode reaches the cue position This is a one time operation When the Sequence is stopped you are free to work without the external sync until you initiate the waiting sequence again with the SpaceBar or
233. s active Fades require the engine to be live since they use the sample clock for timing The display will also show you the channel list of the scene s active channels and actively select these channels in the mixer views You can see and adjust these options by Right Clicking on a scene in the Scene View window also Once in the dialog you can click OK or use the Enter key to exit and save the changes or click Cancel or use the ESC key to exit and cancel any changes If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties Dialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Updt Button 4 Left Clicking the Upat button allows you to update an existing Scene The selected Scene is overwritten with the current state of all 25 mixers You will be given the option to overwrite the current partial channel information already in the scene with the current channel selection status or keep the original partial channel information intact If you answer NO the current partial channels will be automatically selected for you and the scene update will maintain that info as is If you answer YES the current selected channel status will be used to overwrite the current scene partial information 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 5
234. s displayed so you can name the Scene You must first be in an active Mix Session before you can create Scenes since the Scenes are files that are placed in a Scenes folder under the project folder Scene names must also be legal filenames with only numbers letters spaces underscores hyphens and a few other specific punctuation characters allowed Entering a new scene filename that contains illegal characters will flag you with a message listing all legal characters you can use and then allow you to re enter the name or cancel You should always create a new folder for each project and place the session files in that folder This will keep the Scenes folder unique to that project and prevent corruption between projects with the same scene names You can create partial scenes which will overlay only selected channels on selected mixers and not disturb other mixers and channels when recalled To create a partial scene first select only the channels on whichever mixers you want to be altered when the scene is recalled and then create the new scene or update an existing one Each time a scene is created or altered the scene properties dialog will display that allows you to set which controls channels and switches are active within a scene and which mixers will be affected You can also set a fade time for the scene in milliseconds and also select whether switches react first or last when a fade is active Fades require the engine to be live sin
235. s from the rest MON FOH users will operate as MON users but also have access to the FOH mixer Personal Monitor users will only have access to their 1 monitor mixer and will maintain a special in place solo mode that drops the level of all non soloed channels 12 db while featuring the soloed channels at normal level in their own output device Independent remote users will maintain their own screen displays F Key views and independent midi controllers and not interfere with what other users are seeing Users with duplicate User Rights will see certain operations duplicate on their machines if they happen to be looking at the same mixer as changes are made from multiple locations Scene selections remain independent on different machines with different access rights The host computer will echo certain commands through to all machines of similar access rights All TCP IP options will save with the Preferences including the current Host or Remote mode option This allows the program to automatically startup and immediately activate Host or Remote mode as a default Activating TCP IP as Host Master M From the Options menu on the main SAC machine select Activate TCP IP Host Master Mode to allow the program to operate as the Host Master machine across a standard Ethernet network Activating this option displays the Host Master signature on the main window title bar and allows the program to accept up to twenty eight Remote machine connections
236. s icon will clear it and stop the flashing This may be used in combination with the Cirl and Shft Mode lites Right Clicking anywhere in the Touch Panel view will disengage all active modifier modes F1 F12 These icons function like the F Keys and can be used to switch F Key WorkSpace views Coupled with the SHFT modifier F Key views can be created 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 54 SAC User Manual 4 10 5 1 5 1 1 Operating Special Dialog Box Controls SAC control dialog boxes such as the Enter Smpte Start Offset dialog allow you to adjust individual parameters in a number of ways 4 Left Clicking in the right side of a parameter display zone increments or decrements the value by one depending on whether the mouse position is above or below the vertical center of the zone Left Holding the mouse in the right side of a parameter display zone changes the cursor to a shape that then allows you to increment or decrement the value by pushing or pulling the mouse position from vertical center The further from the center that you push or pull the faster the movement Right Clicking during this operation will reset the value to zero w l Left Clicking in the left upper portion of a parameter display zone pops up a menu list of all possible values The default value is bolded and the current value has a checkmark displayed next to it amp Left Clicking in the left lower portion of a p
237. s option allow you to save preferences for the EQ module which includes the load and save file paths and the current EQ window position Load Presets This option loads a previously saved preset file containing all adjustable settings for a specific EQ setup A file dialog box is displayed allowing you to select the folder and file name of the preset file you wish to load Equalizer preset files use the EQ extension Save Presets This option saves a preset file containing all adjustable settings for the current EQ setup A file dialog box is displayed allowing you to select a folder and enter a file name for the preset file you wish to save About This option displays the About information window including current version information Echo Delay Overview This effect creates a variety of digital delay and repeating echo effects Individual left and right controls are available for the Delay Time Feedback and Strength of the delayed signals There is absolutely no noise and no degradation of the audio signal on repeating echoes The Echo Delay plug in interface includes a popup menu list of all settings for each control This effect is completely non destructive and operates in real time Operation Left Right Delay Time The Delay Time setting determines the amount of time between echo repeats Pressing the Ctrl key when adjusting the left or right settings will latch both channels together 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML
238. s will not automatically open patched FX windows Saving Channel Settings e Alt Right Clicking in any mixer view displays the Store Recall menu The Save All To File From Memory and Load All From File To Memory options allow any memory cell to be saved to a disk channel template file or loaded from a disk channel template file The file extension used is cht 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 69 6 1 6 1 1 Se The Store All From Channel To File and Recall All From File To Channel options allow direct transfers to and from channel template files to mixer channels through memory cell 1 This can act as a very powerful partial mix template system These options operate across selected channels The starting channel opens the File Dialog allowing you to specify a path and name The default name is filled in to match the channel label Each selected channel will write a separate file named the same as the channel label This creates a channel mix template of individual files one per selected channel Recalling channel settings from a file also operates across selected channels The starting channel opens the File Dialog allowing you to specify a path and name The default name is filled in to match the first channel label Each selected channel will look for a file named the same as its label and if one is found in the specified path it will load If no matching file is found it will
239. se settings can be saved with your preferences S Right Clicking on the Close button of the Full Zoom Exploded or Wide mixer view locks or unlocks that view Moving around in any of the other views will not cause the current locked view to chase along You may still change chans in the locked view itself but it will no longer be linked The Close button will change to display a small padlock when the view is locked Full Mixer Label Position This option allows you to place the Full Mixer vertical labels at the top center or bottom position within the label area The following sub menu choices are available gt Top gt Center gt Bottom This setting can be saved with your preferences Disable Default Value Snap To 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 121 This option disables the Left Right Click or Ctrl Left Click snap to default values for all controls Pre Fx Patch Signal Flow This option allows the Pre Fx Patch insert point to be moved in front of the Eq and Dynamics sections to the source position of the channel modules on a channel by channel basis Selecting this option displays a popup channel menu Left Click any channel to toggle the option on and off You may also Ctrl Left Click any channel to toggle all channels at the same time Moving the Pre Fx Patch insert point to the front can be very useful when using VST Synth plug ins This allows you to use th
240. selections represent stereo audio device outputs To force the destination to 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 68 SAC User Manual one side of the output device use the Pan Slider coupled with the Mono switch if needed Sub Group Output channels will display their fader and pan knobs as a pale red color Multiple Output channels may be assigned to the same hardware device out and the signals will be properly mixed together as if routed through an external hardware mixer You can also use this feature to assign two separate monitor mixers to the same hardware stereo device pair but use the Master Mono switch and pan on each one to force all audio to one side only on each mixer This will allow you to obtain two separate mono mixes from each side of a stereo device output pair one mixer feeding the left hardware output the other mixer feeding the right Channel Store Recall The Channel Store Recall feature allows you to store all or part of the mixer channel settings to one of eight possible memory cell locations You can then recall those settings from any of the memory cells to the same or a different mixer channel This allows instant copying of channel settings including FX plug ins with all the plug in parameters between channels If the Recall channel is one of a selected group of channels the recall operation will duplicate the settings and FX plug ins on all selected channels The recall ignores al
241. separate location Each computer connected to the system will be assigned a particular User Rights status The options are FOH MON MON FOH PER MON x Personal Monitor Mixer 1 24 and NO ACCESS If a remote computer has NO ACCESS as its setting all windows will be disabled The computer will see signal meters but will have no control of the mixers and other windows All remote computers start out with NO ACCESS status until the Host Master computer sets the user rights in the TCP IP Computer User Rights List option Remote computers with PER MON x Personal Monitor access rights can not start and stop the host live engine All connected remote computers should have read and write access to all drives and folders which SAC will be using or remote file operations will be limited You should also be signed on to the network and have entered any required passwords in Windows before attempting to connect within SAC You should verify that you can copy and paste files from and to the host computer in the Windows explorer before attempting the SAC connection It is also recommended that you disable the Windows Firewall on both the host and remote machines for improved network performance Different User Rights computers will remain independent of each other on the system FOH users will have access to all mixers and can maintain a separate solo bus from the rest MON users will have access to all monitor mixers 1 24 and also maintain a separate solo bu
242. sh Rotary Param Knob 6 push EQ Frequency Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 turn Rotary Param Knob 4 push Rotary Param Knob 5 turn Rotary Param Knob 5 push EQ Q Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 turn Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 turn Rotary Param Knob 4 push Rotary Param Knob 5 turn Rotary Param Knob 5 push EQ Lo Hi Cut Mode Rotary Param Knob 1 turn Rotary Param Knob 1 push Rotary Param Knob 2 push Rotary Param Knob 3 turn Rotary Param Knob 3 push Rotary Param Knob 4 push Plug Ins Mode Left Right Arrow Buttons Up Down Arrow Buttons Zoom Button Scrub Button Scrub Wheel Scrub Wheel Zoom Mixer View active Sets the mixer EQ Band 1 Gain to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 2 Gain Sets the mixer EQ Band 2 Gain to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 3 Gain Sets the mixer EQ Band 3 Gain to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 4 Gain Sets the mixer EQ Band 4 Gain to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Band 5 Gain Sets the mixer EQ Band 5 Gain to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ In switch Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixe
243. ss and release the left mouse button quickly 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Introduction 5 1 2 1 2 1 Left Click When instructions indicate to Left Click press and release the left mouse button quickly Right click When instructions indicate to Right Click an object press and release the right mouse button quickly Double click When instructions indicate to Double Click an object press and release the left mouse button twice quickly Left Holding When instructions indicate Left Holding press and hold the left mouse button Right Holding When instructions indicate Right Holding press and hold the right mouse button Left Dragging When instructions indicate Left Dragging press and hold the left mouse button while dragging the mouse Right Dragging When instructions indicate Right Dragging press and hold the right mouse button while dragging the mouse Left Right Clicking When instructions indicate Left Right Clicking press and hold the left mouse button and then tap the right mouse button once Product Overview SAC Overview SAC is the acronym for Software Audio Console This program runs in Microsoft Windows and turns your Windows PC into a powerful Virtual Live Mixing Console SAC opens new realms of live sound mixing capabilities with virtual mixing technology built around a core hand coded assembly language engine The look and feel of a fully controllable Front Of House FOH
244. t channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Soundcraft Spirit 328 Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 109 will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixer The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is transmitting and receiving on MIDI channel 1 to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface SAC Faders Control mixer channel faders Can operate Input channels only Pans Control mixer pans Mutes Control mixer mutes Solos Control mixer solos Tascam TM D1000 Mixer Top Since a mixer manipulates the audio connected to it s inputs on its own using a mixer as a controller requires special consideration Since the mixer controls will now control SAC s virtual mixer and SAC will be manipulating the audio the audio signals should not be run through the same channels that are being used as the controller In most cases the audio should be kept completely out of the mixe
245. t of possible available ports in the dialog for setting this value e When using SAWStudio in the background on the SAC host and remote machines you must set SAWStudio to a different port if SAWStudio remote control is also desired Selecting a Network Computer Name M From the Options menu in the SACRemote program select the TCP IP Host Computer Name Address option to enter the network computer name or TCP IP address for the Host Master machine you wish to connect with This option is only used for the Remote machines Using MIDI Controller Devices Using MIDI Controller Devices Various MIDI controller devices can be used to control many of SACs mixing and editing operations through the use of MIDI Control Templates A template contains the MIDI commands and function hooks for different MIDI controller devices Each device functions uniquely within the SAC environment based on its capabilities and the complexity of the template The current templates have all been carried over from the SAWStudio interface These will be adjusted in the future to be specific for SAC gt Setting up a MIDI Controller Device 1 From the Options menu select Midi Device Setup and choose a control input and output port for your computer MIDI interface and click OK Connect your MIDI controller device to the selected input and output ports From the File menu select Midi Control Template File and click Open Select the applicable MIDI Control Templat
246. t textbox click at the end of the command line Add a space then type the pathname for the MXS File Example c SAC SAC exe D Mix Sessions Test Test mxs Click OK Double click the icon to start the program Note that if any of the target line paths or names contain spaces be sure to enclose the full pathname in quotes 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Getting Started 19 3 2 2 Example c SAC SAC exe D Mix Sessions Test 2 New Test mxs Adjusting Device Parameters When you first run SAC you must configure the program to work with your audio device s From the Options menu choose Audio Device Setup There are several options to adjust If you decide to use the ASIO protocol the devices are automatically filled in for you You may still modify the list choices and save your preferences and the modified list will become the default First select the Audio Driver Model option from the Options menu There you can select one of the MME options the DWave option or the ASIO option When selecting ASIO a small popup menu will be displayed with a list of available ASIO drivers for your installed hardware Pick your soundcard and the Audio Devices list will be filled in with all of the available device channels Note that all devices are treated as stereo pairs although you can access individual mono inputs in the mixers themselves When using ASIO drivers the numbering may display only the odd numb
247. t will affect the workspace recall Activating the Vertical Offset property will restore the current vertical offset position of the Zoom Exploded or Full Mixer views Activating the Start Channel property will force all unlocked mixer views to restore to their current start channel position Activating the Mixer property will force the restore of the current mixer when the workspace is recalled Activating the Hot Channel property will force the Hot Channel to the current Hot Channel when the workspace is recalled Leaving these properties not active will maintain the current mixer and Hot Channel focus when the workspace is recalled and the mixer views will redraw according to their navigation link and lock status er For another layer of function key assignments press Alt Shift FunctionKey for a total of 24 workspace views on a 12 function key keyboard SE When assigning a workspace view to a function key the active window information is also saved Before saving your current view to a function key be sure to click on the window you wish to have as the active window when accessing that view 6 To recall the view press the assigned function key such as F1 or press Alt FunctionKey for the second layer of alternate workspace views Saving Function Key Assignments M After assigning desired workspaces to function keys from the File menu select F Key File Save The Save F Key File dialog box is displayed Enter an F key filename a
248. tching anytime one of the preset latched channels is adjusted These latched groups do not require pre selection before adjusting controls the latch between channels is automatic when any one of the latch preset channels is adjusted These latch presets can be very handy for creating stereo latched L and R channels which will then always adjust the pair simultaneously You may override the latch at anytime by using the Alt key as you adjust channel controls These latch presets save with Mix Template and Mix Session Files SS Right Clicking on the Full Mixer View title bar displays the popup Group menu This menu also allows you to save and recall preset Latch groups There are 32 latch preset assignments Se Shift Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name se Alt Left Clicking one of the 32 Latch preset options creates a new RVS Reverse latch group and assigns the currently selected channels to that latch group and prompts for a latch group name A RVS Latch group works in reverse of a standard Latch group The group of selected channels will operate as independent when making any normal adjustment but will be latched together whenever any one of the channels is adjusted while pressing the Alt Key The RVS Latched channels do not have to be actively selected once created to operate all together in lat
249. te If preferences have been saved with an open MIDI controller template the program will always load with that template active Using this option to clear the open template and then saving the preferences will allow the program to load without an active template F Key File 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Menu Reference Guide 115 The following sub menu choices are available F Key File options gt Open This option opens a Function Key template file that contains a complete set of workspace views and makes this the active set of function keys When you exit the program and restart the program the current workspace views will be return to the default F Key Template To save the current set of workspaces as the default function keys use the Save Default F Key File option from the File menu gt Save This option saves the current Function Key workspace views to a FKY file This can be handy for creating different workspace environments for different project types or screen resolutions gt Open Alternate This option opens a Function Key template file that contains a complete set of alternate workspace views and makes this the active set of alternate function keys gt Save Alternate This option saves the current alternate Function Key workspace views to a FKY file gt Save Default This option saves the current Function Key setup as the default for when the program starts gt Clear D
250. tereo or mono signal or from SAWStudio Input and output channels or from an FX Pre Patch point using a VST Synth or other audio generating plugin A popup menu displays these choices and also displays a char next to each device that is currently in use and already assigned for your reference Each Monitor console beneath it can obtain its source audio from one of 6 tap off points on the FOH channel above it or the Monitor 1 mixer can be used as a master monitor and feed taps to the rest of the Monitor mixers below You can select from Src Pre Attenuator Src Pst Attenuator Pst Eq Pst Dyn Pre Fdr Pst Mute or Pst Fdr tap Monitor mixers 2 thru 24 can also select the Src Split M Pst Eq M Pst Dyn M Pre Fdr M Pst Mute or Pst Fdr M taps coming from the Monitor 1 mixer used as the master e When a channl is not being used for input it should be set to OFF to eliminate it s load on the cpu Using buffer settings of 3 at 128 or less will actually emulate realtime The console is capable of realtime performance for live input sound reinforcement operation with these low latency buffer settings Multiple input channels may be assigned to the same source input device for internally duplicated signal creation All routing assignments can be done in realtime with the engine live and SAC will sync the new signals into the mix loop perfectly on the fly Input Mono Switch This switch sums the left and right signals together and applies a 6
251. the ID number zone displays a popup menu with one option allowing you to refresh the Remote machine to re sync it s data display to the Master in case unsupported session changes on the Master machine have occurred Remote computers with Personal Monitor access rights can not start and stop the host live engine Sa Remotes can make the host connection and synchronize mix data with no sharing necessary This special feature serves the data from the host to the remotes bypassing Windows file access rights But be careful with no sharing access since you will now not have access to the host drives for saving session files AS something new in a new folder Save AS and Save 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using TCP IP Master Slave Remote Mode 93 Copy AS will now force you to the remote local drive since it can not access the host drive without proper sharing rights Certain Scene updates and other file based operations will not be functional on the remote and be limited to the Host computer It is still recommended that you share all drives on both the host and remote machines It is also recommended that you disable the Windows Firewall on both the host and remote machines for improved network performance Remote connections can also be made across the internet To connect across the internet you just need to forward the port SAC uses in your internet firewall router box to the host machine IP address Sharing issues m
252. the recall and the individual mixer switch must also be lighted for recall activity to occur on that mixer In the top center area are two options which control how fast the scene recalls fader and variable control data The Fade ms readout allows you to enter fade times in ms 1000 ms 1 second which will automate crossfades for each variable type control from the current value to the new value when the scene is recalled The Switches First switch will determine whether switches like mutes are activated first before the fade occurs or after the fade is complete The next top option Select Partial Chans if lighted will select the channels that are active into a temporary group when the scene is recalled thereby allowing you to create unlimited special group combinations with scene recalls that then allow you to control multiple selected channels of controls using any one channel as the master In the bottom center area you will find an option that allows Mixer Chan Order to be altered with scene recalls This option works hand in hand with the mixer selection switches Channel re ordering is global for each individual mixer and the corresponding mixer switch must be lighted for that mixer to be affected When finished adjusting all settings you can Left Click the OK button to save and exit the dialog or Left Click the Cancel button to exit without altering any settings If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties D
253. the venue and control everything from a remote laptop A set of user stats can control the access rights of anyone connected to the host system You can connect as a FOH engineer which gives you access to FOH and all 24 Monitor consoles You can also connect as a MON engineer which gives you access to only the 24 Monitor consoles A final tier allows a PERsonal connection to just 1 Monitor console which opens the door for any performer onstage to have complete control of his and only his complete Monitor console Remote control of SAC is handled by a separate program spinoff called SACRemote and this program is available as a free download from the website This program can be freely distributed and installed on desktop or laptop computers to be used as FOH MON or Personal Monitor remote control stations for a Host Master SAC system The SACRemote version has no audio engine or hosting abilities and requires connection to a SAC Host Master system to be functional although all other interface functions remain the same and it is also a perfect way to learn the basic SAC interface and create session templates and scenes while run in stand alone mode to be later imported into the main SAC sessions The network protocol design allows users to remain independent and operate their separate mixers without interference from others connected to the same host The FOH engineer and Monitor engineer can have separate solo buses and therefore solo simultaneously
254. this folder when the first undo file is created These settings can be saved with the preferences Color Setup This option allows you to set Mixer Channel Label Colors as well as the Mixer Hot Channel color This option pops up a dialog listing 16 label colors and the Hot Channel color Clicking in any one of the color squares pops up the Windows Color Picker dialog You may change any of the colors and then click OK to exit and save the new color selections If you click CANCEL no changes will be applied When color data has been altered a SAC_CustomColor dat file is created in the main SAC folder When using remotes the color set of the Host machine will be sent to each remote when first 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 132 SAC User Manual connecting so that session color information matches on each remote When the remote disconnects the original remote color set is restored Audio Driver Model This option displays a choice of driver models The following sub menu options are available gt Standard MultiMedia This choice is the common Windows MultiMedia driver mode gt Hi Performance MultiMedia This choice eliminates certain redundant driver function calls during playback record operations for slightly higher performance possibilities Not all sound cards support this mode gt 24 Bit WDM Compatible MultiMedia This choice allows full 24 bit operation for newer sound cards which use only the W
255. tiple output destination devices at the same time These switches represent stereo audio device outputs To force the destination to one side of the output device use the Pan Slider coupled with the Mono switch if needed When using the XY Surround Pans the Out Assign switches should most likely be left off and the final signal destination will be controlled by the XY Pan Out Assignments on the Output Channels 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Understanding The Virtual Console 61 5 1 2 Return Aux Master Modules There are six Return Modules The following information will help in understanding the signal flow through a Return Module Aux Master Out Assign The mix of data sent from the Aux Sends arrives at the top of the Aux Master section The mix for each of the Aux Sends can be routed to either the internal Virtual Buffers or any of the audio device outputs When set to the Virtual Buffers the data is passed straight down to the corresponding Return Section below it When set to an audio device output the data is fed to the final output stage which feeds directly to the assigned audio device This allows the data to be used externally for headphone monitor feeds or as a feed to an external processing unit Aux Master Pan Slider The data next passes through the Aux Master Pan routine This controls the left right balance of the data in the overall Aux Master signal Aux Master Channel Fader
256. trols the mixer EQ Band 3 Frequency Controls the mixer EQ Band 4 Frequency Controls the mixer EQ Band 5 Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Band 1 Frequency to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 2 Frequency to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 3 Frequency to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 4 Frequency to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 5 Frequency to its default setting Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Band 1 Q Bandwidth Controls the mixer EQ Band 2 Q Bandwidth Controls the mixer EQ Band 3 Q Bandwidth Controls the mixer EQ Band 4 Q Bandwidth Controls the mixer EQ Band 5 Q Bandwidth Sets the mixer EQ Band 1 Q Bandwidth to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 2 Q Bandwidth to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 3 Q Bandwidth to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 4 Q Bandwidth to its default setting Sets the mixer EQ Band 5 Q Bandwidth to its default setting Eas SSS Operates on the current Hot Chan Controls the mixer EQ Lo Cut Frequency Controls the mixer EQ Hi Cut Frequency Sets the mixer EQ Lo Cut Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Lo Cut In switch Sets the mixer EQ Hi Cut Frequency to its default setting Controls the mixer EQ Hi Cut In switch Displays all mode control labels and settings Frontier Design TranzPort Top Controller Link options The Frontier Design TranzPort is a
257. ttenuated The Gate Threshold setting determines the trigger level where the Gate responds The Gate Rvrs switch causes the gate to operate in reverse When the signal is greater than the threshold the gate closes down to the floor setting and when the signal falls below the threshold the gate opens back up to full This can be used to create a simple and powerful ducking processor by assigning the key to another track which will then control when this track lowers its level Set the floor value to the desired ducked level and adjust the attack release and threshold to control the overall timing You can also use this mode with self keying to create a new sounding limiting effect When the signal rises above the threshold on loud transients the gate will lower the level to the fixed floor level This sounds different than limiting or compression because the transient is actually dropped below the level of the rest of the average signal The Gate On switch allows for a quick bypass of the Gate routines for comparison or for use in automating the Gate in and out of the mix The Compressor Attack setting controls how fast the Compressor starts to squeeze when the signal goes above the threshold setting The Compressor Release setting controls how fast the Compressor lets go when the signal drops below the threshold again The Compressor Ratio setting determines the ratio of signal attenuation when the Compressor is triggered The Compressor
258. uble Clicking any of the items will safely open that undo file allowing you to freely look around the entire history This does not damage the list or main file in any way The top of the list is the most recent operation saved Sometimes one more level of redo is available to reach the final status of the session er Undo history is saved as separate MXS files and can be accessed at anytime even weeks or months after the session was last open Clearing An Undo History File The Clear Undo History option under the Edit menu clears the undo files and the history of the open session or a session of your choice if there is no active session open If the current session has not been named selecting this option opens the File dialog box displaying all u00 files for all sessions Select the session history file you wish to clear and click OK All associated uxx history files for that session will be deleted If the current session is named a confirmation prompt is displayed Click OK to delete the history files for the current session or Cancel to cancel the operation Setting Undo Levels The Set Undo Levels option from the Edit menu allows you to select the number of undo levels that will be saved during session manipulations When selecting this option a dialog box is displayed allowing you to enter a number from 1 to 99 This setting can be saved with your preferences w Regarding setting undo levels It is recommended that undo l
259. ut plugins which do not have a remote local version installed All plugin choices can be added re ordered and removed using the remote but only plugins which are not grayed out will be available to display and adjust controls and settings Plugins that are coded completely for remote access will operate and update live on both the remote and the host when adjusted from either side and will also display live meter data on the remote Remote control of VST and DirectX plugins can also be done but there are certain limitations when using these plugin types since the plugins themselves are not directly aware of the SAC network control protocols The plugins must be installed on both the Host and Remote machines Meters will not be functional on the remote Controls can be changed on the remote and then must be updated to the host by Right Clicking on the blue pyramid Options icon at the top of the plugin window If plugin changes are made directly on the host they will only be visible and properly updated on the remote by closing the plugin and re opening it on the remote or simply opening the plugin if it is previously closed 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs 94 SAC User Manual 9 4 9 5 10 10 1 Selecting a TCP IP Port M From the Options menu select the TCP IP Port option to enter the network port to be used for network communications The Master and Remote machines must use the same port There is a lis
260. utomatically deactivate all engaged Solo switches Whenever any solo is activated a flashing Solo Mode light in the top lefrt corner of the Main top client area will keep you informed 4 Left Clicking on this flashing light automatically clears all active solo switches 4 Right Clicking any mixer Solo Switch when in Solo Bus Mode will display a popup menu of level settings for that channel s solo bus send This data is stored with the mixer settings and is saved with Mix Session and Mix Template files This can be very useful in balancing input chan solos against output chan solos or low level signals against high level signals in Pre Bus mode Return Mute Switch The data next passes through the Mute routine This switch mutes all data from this point on All signals before this switch are still active and untouched This switch has a slope value associated with it that controls how fast the muting action occurs Smaller slope values create a more instant response and larger values create a slower response which can be used in place of a quick fade to ramp a signal up or down smoothly w l Right Clicking any Mute switch on the FOH or Monitor Mixer 1 console view will display the Mute Thru Monitors Latch option If this is activated on an FOH channel that channel s mute switch will always latch thru to all monitor mixers regardless of the mixer tap point If this is activated on a Monitor Mixer 1 channel that channel s mute switch w
261. wireless remote controller with a lot of power packed into a very small box The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware The surface can be made to chase SAC s Hot Chan by using one of the Mixer Menu Midi Hardware Controller Link options Make sure your controller is set to Native Mode TaskBar Icon to ensure compatibility with this template Controller Surface Track Channel Buttons Mute Button Solo Button Punch Button SAC Increments and decrements the channel e Shift mode Increments and decrements by eight channels Toggles Mute on and off for the current channel Toggles Solo on and off for the current channel e Shift mode Toggles all active solos off Used as a special function button When active it causes the scrubwheel to act as a function selector scanning through different control types The current selectable control types are Layers Fader Pan Aux 1 In Aux 1 Pst Fdr Aux 1 Lvl Aux 1 Pan Aux 2 In Aux 2 Pst Fdr Aux 2 Lvl Aux 2 Pan Aux 3 In Aux 3 Pst Fdr Aux 3 Lvl Aux 3 Pan Aux 4 In Aux 4 Pst Fdr Aux 4 Lvl Aux 4 Pan Aux 5 In Aux 5 Pst Fdr Aux 5 Lvl Aux 5 Pan Aux 6 In Aux 6 Pst Fdr Aux 6 Lvl Aux 6 Pan Comp In Comp Gn Comp Thr Comp Ratio Comp Rel Comp Att Gate In Gate Rvs Gate Thr Gate Fir Gate Rel Gate Att Dyn 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs Using MIDI Controller Devices 105 Key Listen D
262. witches react first or last when a fade is active Fades require the engine to be live since they use the sample clock for timing The display will also show you the channel list of the scene s active channels and actively select these channels in the mixer views You can see and adjust these options by Right Clicking on a scene in the Scene View window also Once in the dialog you can click OK or use the Enter key to exit and save the changes or click Cancel or use the ESC key to exit and cancel any changes If you press the Ctrl Key when closing the Scene Properties Dialog the selected partial chans will not be cleared making it easy to create more scenes for the same partial chans back to back You can then clear the selections afterward by Right Clicking in the mixer chan selection zone at the top of any mixer view Del Button 4 Left Clicking the De button allows you to delete an existing Scene The selected Scene is removed from the Scenes listbox The actual file is not deleted from the Scenes folder in case other spinoff Mix Sessions are also using this Scene Cir Button H Left Clicking the Cir button allows you to delete all existing Scenes All Scenes are removed from the Scenes listbox The actual files are not deleted from the Scenes folder in case other spinoff Mix Sessions are also using any of these Scenes Recall Button 4 Left Clicking the Recall button allows you to recall a Scene Using the Alt key with the Re
263. y mute the group B Left Clicking on one of the 32 Latch preset options clears any existing selected mixer channels and selects that group of mixer channels Note that this is not needed to utilize the group itself simply adjust anyone of the latched channels and the entire group will be affected 4 6 Wide View Mixer Window The Wide View Mixer window displays a single channel of the mixing console in a wide view showing all individual controls for a complete mixer channel at one time The knobs and switches are directly reachable The Titlebar will display the current mixer FOH or Monitor Mixer being viewed Monitor mixers will display a deep red titlebar color Sa This view can be opened by Shift Right Clicking in any area of the Full or Zoom View window 46 The window may be closed by Left Clicking the close button in the upper right corner of the mixer window 4 Right Clicking in this view will popup a menu listing of every channel on the console with named labels allowing you to instantly jump to any particular channel by Left Clicking on your selection The selected channel will become the first displayed channel in the view unless there are not enough channels left to fill the window size in which case the display will adjust to fit to the end You may also switch to any Monitor Console from this menu Separator 2008 2011 Robert Lentini and RML Labs A4 SAC User Manual lines will be
264. yn Eq Lo Dyn Eq Hi Dyn Key Eq In Eq LoCut In Eq LoCut Fra Eq HiCut In Eq HiCut Fro Eq Gn 1 Eq Frq 1 Eq Q Bandwidth 1 Eq Gn 2 Eq Frq 2 Eq Q Bandwidth 2 Eq Gn 3 Eq Frq 3 Eq Q Bandwidth 3 Eq Gn 4 Eq Frq 4 Eq Q Bandwidth 4 Eq Gn 5 Eq Frq 5 Eq Q Bandwidth 5 Mono Swap LR Phase Rvs Attenuator The LCD dislays the currently selected type and value e Shift mode Resets the current selected control type to its default value Shift Button Used as a momentary modifier key in conjunction with other buttons Scrubwheel When the special function Punch button mode is not active the scrubwheel adjusts the MultiTrack cursor position forward and backward on the timeline The LCD displays the current time position in all timeline display modes e Special Function Punch Button mode Selects various control types e Shift mode Adjusts the current control type Transport Stop Button Stops playback record and live input operations e Shift mode Saves and updates the session edl e Msg Dialog mode When a message dialog box is active acts as a cancel or no response The LCD will display many important messages directly Transport Play Button e Msg Dialog mode Acts an Okay Yes or Enter response Frontier Design AlphaTrack Top The Frontier Design AlphaTrack is a usb connected remote controller with a full sized fader in a small box The LCD display is used to show parameter and channel labels in the various sel

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