Using an Allen & Heath Qu-16 with timecode sync

It's a regular thing in this industry: A last minute call for a production that is happening in 2 days time or the other side of a weekend with requirements a little bit outside of what you can provide out of your own standard kit store.

I was asked recently to provide a mix and multitrack of eight inputs for a quiz panel show in just such circumstances. Thankfully I'd already made a vague plan about how to go about this ever since I'd picked up my Allen & Heath Qu-16 digital desk and had even thought of a few things that add functions which, on the face of things, aren't really part of its design remit.

Gear Review: Fostex AR501 Mic Preamplifier

    Fostex are a company that have always been in and around the field audio recording market. With their industry leading portable DAT recording machines and excellent preamps they have always historically brought good products to market.
    The Fostex AR501 is a single channel (although capable of being ganged into a stereo configuration) microphone preamp which can provide +48V Phantom power which can run off a single AA battery. The concept behind the product is a high quality preamp that can be used quickly and easily with small camera setups on cameras that lack proper XLR inputs. However Fostex have had the forethought to include an XLR direct output should you require it (I do!).

Music: Nighthawk Theme by me

This is a song I put together for a YouTube competition being run by Andertons Music store in Guildford, UK. I composed it the day before and then recorded and edited this in about 3 hours.

I didn't win or even get short-listed, but it is the most rapidly viewed thing I've ever uploaded to YouTube. So I'm quite proud of it.

Also, If you are considering purchasing a Blackstar HT Dual 2 channel distortion pedal, the guitar track for this video is made entirely using the 3 distinctively different sounds you can get from this unit.

Video after the break