Mixing a Musical

Software / Hardware We Use

Yamaha CL5 Console (mixing console)

TheatreMix (DCA programming software for populating the DCA's) - you can download to play with it if you want, but we have a license on the computer that will be controlled by the CL5 console.

QLab (sound effects playback and show control) - you can download to play with it if you want, but we have a license that will be controlled by the CL5 console as well.

Manuals / Guides

QLab Online Manual

TheatreMix Overview

CL5 Training Videos
*It would be a good idea to be familiar with the following videos so that you understand the layout of the console, basic input channel functions, output routing, and output bus functions.
1.1 - Console Overview
3.4 - Input Channel Basics
3.7 - Assigning an Input Channel to a Mix
3.8 - Output Bus Basics

Technique: Line-by-line Mixing

For musical theatre, we use a technique called "line-by-line mixing,"  Below you will find some video tutorials on what line-by-line mixing is and how we use it when mixing a show.

*This is a great example because this musical is mixed on a CL5 console, which is the same console you will be mixing on.  

*This is a good example of a dialogue section - notice how actors mics are brought up/down line-by-line while following the script (hence the name "line-by-line mixing").

*Starting around 4:00 the audio engineer talks about operating the board using the line-by-line technique.  Feel free to watch the whole video though.

*Nice upclose view that also shows you how the DCA's get repopulated with different actors microphones through different scenes/snapshots.