eMotion LV1 Tutorial 3.11: Channel Window – Links and DCAs

Mar 01, 2017 | 4,094 Views

Learn how to globally adjust mixer parameter controls across several channels, using the Links and DCAs in the eMotion LV1 live mixing console.

Links

Links are a way to globally adjust mixer parameter controls across several channels. When channels are assigned to a Link group, their controls move together. Changing one mixer control moves the corresponding control of the other channels in the Link group.

Channels can be assigned to Links in 3 Mixer locations:

A Link Channel’s input section.
The Channel Window output section of any channel except cue and talkback.
The Patch Window’s internal patching view.

The mixer has 16 LINKS, each of which has its own channel. A mixer channel can be assigned to any number of Links. Channel Assignments are on the left, and there’s fader on the right. This is used for DCA fader trim control, which we’ll get to in a moment.

There’s a button in the Mixer window that enables you to turn Linking on and off. Beneath that is a drop-down menu that’s used to select which link you want to apply. Only the selected link is active.

When the button is engaged and a link is selected, the linked channels are identified by small numbers next to the Panners. Click on the SPILL button to see all the channels that are members of this link group.
The Channel controls of all of the members of this link group will now move together; while keeping their offsets. To change control values of individual channels:

1. De-select the ‘LINK’ button.
2. Make the changes.
3. Then re-engage the button.

A preamp’s 48V On/Off is not controlled by the link group.

Links enable multiple control of plugin sections’ On/Off switches in the Mixer window Dynamics/EQ mode. They do not link plugin individual plugin parameter controls.

DCAs

A DCA is a way of remotely trimming the values of a group of assigned faders. It is not an audio path, such as a group channel, which is a mix of several channels’ audio. Rather, a DCA is a controller.

A channel assigned to a Link group is assigned to the corresponding DCA.

The gain values of channels that are assigned to that DCA will change under its control.

When moving a DCA fader, the controlled faders don’t move. They stay at their original positions, while ‘ghost faders’ show the current channel level, as determined by the offset introduced by the DCA fader.

So if the DCA fader remains at 0 zero, then there’s no effect on the controlled faders. And, no ‘ghosts’. But, a DCA fader move of, say, +5 dB will result in a +5 dB change in the position of the ghost faders and a +5 dB gain increase for all the channels in the DCA group. Still, the channel faders don’t move.

As long a channel is assigned to a DCA, its fader is tied to the DCA fader. The LINK button on the Mixer window and the menu choice do not affect DCA control.

De-couple a channel from a DCA by deselecting it on in the Link menu panel.

That’s it for the Channel Window. We’ve seen how to use this window to control absolutely every parameter of the selected channel.

In the next few videos we’ll learn to use the Mixer window, which provides a broad view of an entire layer.

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