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A-2 Overview for Local 16 Employees. Tom Adams Lisa Woodward. What does an A-2 do?. Represents Local 16. Communicates with the A-1. Asks questions. Follows instructions. Interfaces with client and talent. A-2 is in charge of:.
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A-2 Overview for Local 16 Employees Tom Adams Lisa Woodward
What does an A-2 do? • Represents Local 16. • Communicates with the A-1. • Asks questions. • Follows instructions. • Interfaces with client and talent.
A-2 is in charge of: • Audio power distro, snake runs, hanging speakers, wireless mics, stage mics, backstage monitors. • Audio to and from: video, computers, press, prompter. • Intercom. • Micing the talent. • Monitoring all of the above during the show.
What an A-2 does not do: • Mix the show. • Choose the equipment. • Redesign the system. • Whine about the equipment. • Give the client/talent “a piece of your mind”. • Read the newspaper by the wireless rack...
Represent Local 16 • Attitude. • On time. • Proper tools. • Proper attire.
Communicate with the A-1 • Get information! • Give information! • Get a stage plot. • Get a patch sheet. • Don’t know? Don’t guess…. Ask! • Keep track of info, take notes and tell the A-1.
Interface with client • It’s all attitude: you represent us all! • Be polite. • Be calm yet attentive. • Be discrete. • Be efficient. • Be proactive. • Be accommodating yet firm. • Be persuasive. • Be PROFFESIONAL. (YOU!)
Power Distro • Find out from Electrician where comes from and goes. • Have someone (if not you) meter before any equipment is turned on. • You are in charge of getting power all audio equipment AND keeping others off our circuits to prevent ground loops.
Snakes • SEND is the snake from the stage to the FOH. MALE ends (pins) to the FOH! This is for mics and playback. • RETURN is the snake from the FOH to the stage. MALE ends to the stage.This is for: amps, monitors, record, press, com, etc. • FOH audio AC power is run with these as well. Female to FOH. • Keep Audio snakes away from AC power other than our own!
Amp Set Up • Find out from A-1 or stage manager/TD where they go. • Find out from A-1 which one will be for mains, delays, fills, monitors, subs. • Label them. • Consult A-1 about settings on each. He/she may not want them automatically set at full. • Biamp & Triamp systems.
Patching • Get patch sheet from A-1. • LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!!!!!!!! Label at the male & female end of a mic cable. Label at the male end of a return feed at the snake, and the extension cable. Label all mult boxes and DA’s at the box and the out going end of each cable. Label rec sends at the male end. • Did I mention labeling?
Speaker Cabling • Find out where the speakers go and find the simplest, most efficient, safest path to lay the cables. Remember the out! • Did I mention labeling? • All cables should be labeled at the amp end (at least). • Any cable in the air should be labeled at both ends. • Powered Speakers. • Be neat. It looks good, tends to be safer and goes out faster.
Hanging Speakers • An A-2 must be lift certified. Period.You will spend a lot of time in a lift. • Learn 3 knots: clove, bowline, taught line hitch. • Hardware and hanging technique should have been figured out by the vendor. Find the vendor and ASK. The head rigger and/or A-1 get paid to answer them. Someone’s life could depend on you.
Hanging con’t. • Label all cables in the air. Pay extra attention when patching in the air. Double check all connections. • Generally we hang speakers upside down. Why? • Speaker focus will be called by A-1 from the ground. This is where your protractor will be a helpful tool. A radio would be good, too. • What is a “delay” anyway? • Double check your labels and connections before moving on to the next one!
Stage mics • Know your mics!
RF Basics • Transmitter • Receiver • Carrier Wave • FM-Frequency Modulation • Frequency Range • VHF • UHF • Diversity • Intermodulation • Squelch • Tone Key andDigital Code Squelch
Setting up a RF mic system • Set up receivers • Place antennae and cable to receivers • Connect audio output to sound system • Choose and program frequencies on receiver • Program transmitters • Choose mics • Test
Antennae Placement • Maintain a line-of-sight between the transmitter and receiver antennas. • Avoid placing antennae where metal or other dense materials may be present. • Avoid placing the receiver near computers or other RF generating equipment. • Point the antenna tips away from each other at a 45° angle from vertical. • Maintain a distance of at least 10 ft between the transmitter and receiver to prevent overloading the receiver. • Keep diversity antennae at least 10 inches apart. • Do not let antennae touch. Source: http://www.audio-technica.com/using/wireless/quicktip/oneplus.html; uhf_en.pdf at www.shure.com
Cable Type VHF UHF Cable Length for 30% Range Reduction Length for 50% Range Reduction Length for 30% Range Reduction Length for 50% Range Reduction Lo-cost RG 58 33' (10 m) 65' (20 m) 15' (4.5 m) 30' (9 m) Quality RG-58 54' (16 m) 107' (32 m) 24' (7 m) 48' (14 m) Lo-cost RG-8 70' (21 m) 140' (42 m) 31' (9.5 m) 63' (19 m) Quality RG-8 110' (33 m) 220' (66 m) 48' (14.5 m) 96' (29 m) Foam RG-8 (Belden 9913) 165' (50 m) 330' (100 m) 75' (23 m) 150' (46 m) Source: http://www.audio-technica.com/using/wireless/advanced/cables.html
Shure UA830 • Antennae amp • 50 ohm cable only (RG8) • Up to 25’ use the 3 dB gain • Up to 50’ use the 10 dB gain • May gang two together for more than 50’ • No more than two ganged together Source: http://www.shure.com/pdf/userguides/guides_wireless/ua830_en.pdf
Antennae Dividers or Distros • Allows several receivers to use just 2 antennae. • Connect the antennae to the input of the distro. • Connect the antennae outputs of the distro to the inputs of the different receivers. • Terminate unused outputs with 50 ohm BNC terminators (but not inputs!). • Use cascade output ports to connect additional distro together. • Be sure to check that frequency range is compatible with the rest of the system.
Gain for Receivers • Mic/line level • Shure “mic/line” switch in the rear • Sony “level” switch –20 on the front • Output gain knob all the way clockwise • The set the “mixing” switch on Sony receivers to OFF • Use XLR connectors when ever possible
Programming Receivers Shure UHF and Sony UHF 800
Programming Shure Receivers Source: uhf_en.pdf at www.shure.com
Frequency Band Number Classification Abbreviation 30 - 300 Hz 2 Extremely Low Frequencies ELF 300 - 3000 Hz 3 Voice Frequencies VF 3 - 30 KHz 4 Very Low Frequencies VLF 30 - 300 KHz 5 Low Frequencies LF 300 - 3000 KHz 6 Medium Frequencies MF 3 - 30 MHz 7 High Frequencies HF 30 - 300 MHz 8 Very High Frequencies VHF 300 - 3000 MHz 9 Ultrahigh Frequencies UHF 3 - 30 GHz 10 Super-High Frequencies SHF 30 - 300 GHz 11 Extremely High Frequencies EHF 300 GHz - 3 THz 12 - - Frequency Bands Source: http://www.testeq.com/charts/freqclas.lasso
Frequency Ranges of Popular Brands • Shure UHF • “UA” series: 782.125-805.875 MHz • “UB” series: 692.125-716.000 MHz • Sony 800 UHF • TV Channel 64: 770 MHz to 782 MHz • TV Channel 66: 782 MHz to 794 MHz • TV Channel 68: 794 MHz to 806 MHz • Sennheiser 3000 • Range: 434 - 960 MHz Sources: http://www.Shure.com; http://bpgprod.sel.sony.com/proaudio/index01.htm; http://www.sennheiserusa.com/
channel Frequency (MHz) channel Frequency (MHz) channel Frequency (MHz) 2 54-60 25 536-542 48 674-680 3 60-66 26 542-548 49 680-686 4 66-72 27 548-554 50 686-692 5 76-82 28 554-560 51 692-698 6 82-88 29 560-566 52 698-704 7 174-180 30 566-572 53 704-710 8 180-186 31 572-578 54 710-716 9 186-192 32 578-584 55 716-722 10 192-198 33 584-590 56 722-728 11 198-204 34 590-596 57 728-734 12 204-210 35 596-602 58 734-740 13 210-216 36 602-608 59 740-746 14 470-476 37* 608-614 60 746-752 15 476-482 38 614-620 61 752-758 16 482-488 39 620-626 62 758-764 17 488-494 40 626-632 63 764-770 18 494-500 41 632-638 64 770-776 19 500-506 42 638-644 65 776-782 20 506-512 43 644-650 66 782-788 21 512-518 44 650-656 67 788-794 22 518-524 45 656-662 68 794-800 23 524-530 46 662-668 69 800-806 24 530-536 47 668-674 TV Frequencies in the US *Currently allocated for Radio Astronomy only. Source: http://www.flyingwombat.com/usa_tv_freqs.html
64 51 692 770 698 776 KFTL KDTV-DTV Stockton San Francisco Mt. San Bruno Channel Frequency Frequency NTSC DTV DTV City of Transmitter From MHz To MHz Station Station Status License Location 52 65 776 698 782 704 KLXV KICU-DTV San Jose San Jose 66 53 782 704 710 788 KPST KVIE-DTV Vallejo Sacramento Mt. Sutro 67 54 710 788 794 716 KSMS KTEH San Jose Monterey 68 " 794 800 KWOK KFTY-DTV Santa Rosa Novato 55 69 800 716 806 722 KTXL-DTV Sacramento Bay Area TV Stations Source: http://www.lns.com/sbe/Bay_Area_TV.html
Groups, Channels andTV stations on Shure and Sony • Groups and channels are arbitrary designations to make frequency choices easier. • In both Shure and Sony choose channels within the same group so frequencies will not overlap. • The Shure A/1 and A/2 are master groups and cross all other groups (1-7). Groups 1-7 also cross each other with in the same series. • The Sony 00 group is a master group and crosses all other groups (11, 12, 13, A1, A2, A3). Sony groups cross each other within the same TV channels. • Sony TV Channel 66 and TV Channel 68 overlap Shure series “UA”.
Example of Cross Frequencies Source: Spread sheet by Jim Risgin of On Stage Audio
Choosing Clean Frequencies • Manually scan through frequencies • Contact other operators • Use the same group for all frequencies • Frequency separation • Frequency intermodulation • Shure website at www.Shure.com • Audio Technica website at www.audio-technica.com/index2.html
Shure Transmitters Default setting is –6 Start with gain all the way down
Power Lock and FrequencyLock on Shure Transmitters • Power Lock : • Press and hold the SET button, then press and hold the MODE button. Hold both keys down until “PoL” (for power locked) is displayed. • To unlock, repeat the steps. • Frequency Lock : • Turn the transmitter power off. • Turn the power back on while holding down the SET button until the fuel gauge on the transmitter is active. “Fr L” will appear momentarily, until you release the SET button. • To release, repeat steps.