Modern sound engineers have more processing tools at their disposal than ever before, with plug-ins for live sound becoming as commonplace as their hardware counterparts. Especially in large-format music mixing and broadcast audio, racks full of processors are being replaced with DSP servers capable of running hundreds of studio-standard plug-ins in live environments. Whether you mix sound at your church services or run front of house for a large touring act, mixing with plug-ins offers some distinct advantages over hardware processors. At Sweetwater we’ve helped countless sound engineers integrate plug-ins into their live shows, and here we’ll address some of the most common questions that we’re asked.
What do I need in order to mix live sound with plug-ins?
Speaking simply, you need two things to integrate plug-ins with your live sound system: a computer or dedicated DSP platform to run the plug-in software, and an interface with enough inputs and outputs to allow you to route audio signals from and back to your mixing board. The basic idea is that instead of routing channels from your board to hardware processors and back again, you route them to your computer, process channels with whatever plug-ins you want, and return the processed audio back to channels on your board.
However, switching over to plug-in processing for live sound isn’t as simple as connecting a laptop with an audio interface to the inserts on your analog board. In large-format music mixing and broadcast audio, maximum reliability and efficiency are paramount. There are a range of fully integrated solutions, such as Avid’s VENUE mixing system and DiGiGrid’s SoundGrid DSP platform, which are designed and proven to work in the most demanding situations.
Choosing a fully integrated system has numerous benefits. Setting up the system is much simpler, because all components are designed to be used together. All connectivity between the DSP processor and your soundboard is digital, minimizing the amount of analog cabling you’ll need. And you can mix your show with the peace of mind that you’re using a reliable system that thousands of pro sound engineers rely on every day. So for maximum performance, efficiency, and reliability, choose a dedicated plug-in mixing platform as opposed to setting up an extra computer with an audio interface.
What can I do with plug-ins that I can’t do with hardware processors?
When you’ve spent years managing audio for live music or broadcast with hardware processors, it may not be immediately obvious how mixing with plug-ins instead can improve your workflow. There are many ways that plug-in processing can not only save you time, but allow you to achieve more consistent results too.
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Use multiple instances of the same plug-in
You can only use a hardware processor for one task at a time, which also means you’re deciding not to use it for any other task. However, you can use multiple instances of any plug-in you own, right up to the processing limits of your DSP platform (which normally supports hundreds of simultaneous plug-ins). Use two instances of your de-esser plug-in on a presenter with a lisp, for example, or two compressors in a row, one with gentle settings and another set more aggressively, for taming an erratic vocalist. While technically you could do this with hardware processors too, plug-ins allow you to use whatever type of processing you need, wherever you need it, without worrying about available resources. Said another way, you won’t have to make compromises when choosing which processor to use for a given application.
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Save/recall show presets for faster setup
Because plug-ins allow you to store your own settings as presets for easy recall, you can save a lot of time during setup and soundcheck. If you regularly work with the same musicians or broadcast material, chances are you’ve already figured out what type of processing works best for specific tasks. With plug-ins, you can save each band member’s processor settings as a custom chain during soundcheck, then instantly recall it during their set. Whether it’s live music or broadcast, once you’ve gotten the plug-ins dialed in, you can recall those settings anytime, and faster than you ever could with hardware. -
Re-configure multiple processors simultaneously
This dovetails with saving and recalling presets: many plug-ins allow you to save “snapshots” of their settings for fast changes during the show or broadcast. For example, your EQ settings help a vocalist sit perfectly in the mix during performance, but they may sound too bright or harsh when the singer is speaking to the audience. With plug-ins, you can save different settings for EQs, compressors, and other processors and switch between them depending on whether the talent is singing or speaking.
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Redundancy with multiple DSP engines
No matter how reliable you consider your rig, there’s always the potential for a hardware processor’s power supply to fail or have some other mechanical issue. And of course, an intermittent patch cable can always ruin your signal flow. It’s simply not practical to have a fully redundant hardware-based processing rig, but plug-in-based mixing systems make full redundancy possible. Pro-level plug-in mixing platforms like Avid’s VENUE and DiGiGrid SoundGrid systems allow for fully redundant power and processing. Even if some type of hardware or software fault arises, the redundant system ensures the show won’t stop.
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Use studio settings onstage
In live music settings, plug-in processing makes it easier for artists to take their studio sound onstage. Musicians can save their plug-in settings when producing in the studio, then recall those settings for live use: all it takes is a bit of communication between the musicians and engineers before the tour starts.
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Put any processor anywhere you need it, when you need it
Plug-in mixing systems allow you to put plug-ins on inputs, outputs, aux sends, groups, or any other bus in your system instantly. Instead of locating an unused hardware processor, finding cables, and patching it in, you can load up a plug-in and get to work.
Are there any other benefits to plug-ins vs. hardware?
Mixing with plug-in processors simplifies your setup, allows you to change processor settings fast and precisely, and makes it easy to achieve studio-quality sound onstage. There are many other benefits to a plug-in-based live sound or broadcast system.
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Much less gear to transport
With a plug-in-based mixing system, you can finally say goodbye to racks full of compressors, EQs, effects, and other processors. The DSP processor rack you’ll use will be about the same size as a mini fridge or even smaller, with enough power to run hundreds of plug-ins simultaneously. And this isn’t just about making setup easier: transporting thousands of pounds of rack equipment takes a lot of space, costs a lot of money, and demands special care due to their delicate nature. Whether you’re running the show or running the touring company, the smaller size of plug-in-based mixing systems should be a big consideration for you. -
Minimal cabling requirements
Whether you’re using an analog mixing console or a digital board, mixing with hardware processors means keeping lots of cables on hand. Plug-in mixing systems connect with your main soundboard via simple digital connections, often with full redundancy in the unlikely event of a cable failure. You won’t need to keep hundreds of feet of analog cable on hand, and you’ll enjoy a quieter system by reducing the number of analog cables used. You’ll also eliminate the possibility of a faulty or mis-patched cable from ruining the performance or broadcast.
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Control your processors from your mix position
When you’re mixing with plug-ins, you can access everything you need right from your mix position. You won’t have to turn around and duck down to adjust the graphic EQ at the bottom of the rack or need to have an assistant tweak a processor that’s remotely located.
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Set up for your shows before entering the venue
With a plug-in-based mixing system, you can actually get a lot of work done before you even get to the venue. Once you have an idea of what kind of signals you’ll be dealing with, it’s easy to set up custom plug-in chains from a laptop computer. You’ll have most of your processing routed before soundcheck, giving you more time to focus on getting a great sound instead of setting up your processing racks.
So how do I start using plug-ins for live sound?
If you’re designing a system from scratch, you have a lot of options for plug-in-based mixing solutions. And if you currently use a digital mixing console, it may already offer an expansion slot you can use to connect to certain DSP plug-in systems. If you’ve decided that mixing with plug-ins is the best step forward for your applications, the next thing to do is give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call. We work closely with major live sound manufacturers to understand the wide range of systems available, and we’ve helped countless clients design purpose-built systems for their specific applications.