PRO6 Overview

The Midas PRO6 is the second networked digital audio system from Midas and is at the heart of the PRO Series Live Audio Systems. The PRO6 can provide up to 64 simultaneous input processing channels and up to 35 discrete mixes in monitor mode, all of which feature Midas EQ and a choice of many dynamics processing options. By adding additional I/O hardware the PRO6’s network can be expanded up to 288 inputs and 294 outputs. These connections can be patched and routed on a scene-by-scene basis, by use of the PRO6’s powerful snapshot automation.

As with all the PRO Series the PRO6 benefits from the mix and match of all the Midas I/O box options, from the fixed configuration DL251 stage box to the highly acclaimed DL431 24 channel 5-way mic splitter. Flexibility can be further increased by adding the Klark Teknik DN9650 digital format converter offering MADI and Dante connectivity.

Users can navigate the channels intuitively without resorting to layers with the aid of Midas’ VCA and POPulation groups. It naturally features the legendary and muchloved Midas sound characteristics with comprehensive choice of effects and dynamics processing, including the much-acclaimed XL8 compressor styles.

The PRO6 can to the fully-loaded at a later date to an 88-channel PRO9 with additional hardware and firmware upgrades.

PRO6 Configuration

• 288 inputs x 294 outputs (max capacity) point-to-point routing anywhere within the Network
• 56 primary inputs
• 8 return inputs
• Up to 80 simultaneous mix channels
• 16 Group/Aux & 16 Matrix - 32 Mixes in “monitor” mode
• 35 mix busses
• 10 VCAs
• 6 POPulation Groups
• 8 Effects devices
• Up to 36 KT Graphic EQ’s - with optional DN9331 Rapide control
• Configurable “Area B”
• Standard surface I/O  (3 configurable card slots) DL443 “TRS” card DL452 AES/EBU Input and Output “D” card  DL442 Analogue Output “O” card
• Stage I/O  DL351 56 in / 8 out configurable I/O
• Dual-Redundant HyperMac (192x192) CAT5-e digital snake included
• Fibre Optic connections for optional maximum 500 metre snake
• Control centre supplied in flight case
• 16U flight case supplied for DL371 DSP and DL351 I/O**

Midas Digital Sound Quality

The Midas reputation for fantastic audio quality has evolved over 40 years of development and research. By designing the best mic pre’s, equalisation and using the superior components, Midas has carried this tradition into the digital realm. Adding the best converters and custom processing algorithm to the mix Midas, takes audio quality to another level. In addition Midas digital systems are the only live sound systems in the world to have a comprehensive and automatic latency management system. Which, in addition to managing all internal routing and processing latency, also includes compensation for external analogue inserts. This means that all audio samples are synchronised before summing, resulting in absolute phase coherency at all outputs.

Midas digital feels, as well as sounds superb. All the variable controls on the console are genuine analogue high precision potentiometers, not mechanical encoders. These access the FPGA-DSP engine through precision instrumentation A-D converters and Midas’ custom interpolation algorithms. This means that as well as all audio, all operator input is fully interpolated to ensure a linear, analogue-style, silky smooth “feel” to your mix.

The Midas microphone pre-amp is the one by which all others are judged. Still built from discrete components, and still based on the designs which were so successful in the legendary Midas analogue consoles such as the XL3, XL4 and Heritage, the current expressions in the XL8 range and PRO Series sound better than ever. Whether you want pristine, transparent reproduction, or that renowned Midas warmth and colouration, Midas’ dual (analogue and digital) gain stages enable you to shape the mic amps’ character according to your own preference.

A major problem affecting many digital consoles is a lack of attention to delay management. All digital processing takes time to run – typically just a few samples, but never zero. ADCs and DACs have much bigger delays (typically a few milliseconds) so if analogue insert points are used, the channel in question will be delayed significantly relative to the others.

Mix engineers working on analogue consoles routinely combine signals with different signal paths and processing and expect to do the same with digital. On many current digital consoles, combining signals in this way leads to the summing of signals that are in effect partly out of phase. This causes undesirable “comb filtering” effects, where specific frequencies are cancelled out completely. All Midas digital consoles have comprehensive automatic time alignment to correct any path related delays. Plus the additional latency introduced by the A to D conversion on the analogue inserts is also automatically compensated.

Unique to Midas digital are the I/O and DSP units which can be freely distributed into multiple locations. In particular I/O units can be placed exactly where they are needed – on the stage, around the auditorium, at FOH or remotely in a broadcast truck. Midas’ digital audio network is easily configurable to route signals from where and by when they are needed since the patching is done a scene-by-scene basis.

Every transition of a network adds delay. Midas networks have only 70 micro-seconds of latency per hop so even a multi-hop routing has negligible aggregate delay (latency) making it perfect for in-ear monitoring. All inputs and all outputs are time-aligned to sample accuracy, no matter where they are in the network or how they are routed. This is another major contributor to the performance of a Midas digital console and that magical Midas sound.

VCA and POPulation Groups

With the advent of digital technology consoles channel counts and processing features have grown to a point where it is just not practical to have all controls physically available at the same time. Additionally the logistical advantages of smaller control surfaces are attractive. Midas’ unique approach to solving this problem is to mirror the natural work flow used by sound engineers and to provide control and supporting feedback of system status at all levels, from the highest overview to the finest detail. This encourages the development of a mental picture, or “Mind Map”, of the whole system even though at times focus may be on one or two specific functions.

For example: as a default channel faders are not layered but scrolled; so the console faders act as a window onto the available channels in the system and allow you to think of them as a simple linear progression, like on an analogue console or a channel list, rather then having to remember which layer things are on. Unlike analogue consoles in this way the console comes to you rather then the other way around. But this is only the beginning.

At the heart of any Midas control centre are the VCA faders that provide primary mix control of multiple channels (typically grouped into musical clusters by sound engineers). A unique innovation in this established mixing approach is the ability to access all the channel faders belonging to any of the VCA groups at the press of a switch: again the channels come to you rather than having to go looking for them. VCA groups can be Solo’d and Muted.

If you think of the VCA faders as if they were each containers for all the channels they control then finding channels becomes a natural and easy task. This method is further expanded through the provision of user customised POP (POPulation) groups each of which can contain any combination of channels that you want to accesses instantly at the press of a switch. Rather like a VCA without a fader.

This work flow approach is applied to every area of the control surface ensuring ease of use and appropriately fast access to all controls.

To help further improve the “Mind Map” live sound engineers have typically used colour when navigating mixing consoles by applying different coloured adhesive tape and swapping coloured fader knobs to help make console navigation faster and more intuitive. Midas have taken this established principle of channel recognition and applied it to VCA and POPulation groups with assignable colour-coding and digital write on buttons.

The Midas commitment to innovation was recognised in 2009 with Alex Cooper, Midas R&D Director, receiving the prestigious Gottelier Award, only the third person to be so honoured. This award recognises the product developers who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the development of equipment and tools that have enabled entertainment technology practitioners to push the boundaries of event production, presentation and installation.

Selecting a VCA or POP group will bring all of the members of that group to the designated area of the control surface, populating from the VCA area outwards. If the group has more members than visible channels, the group can be viewed by scrolling the input bay.

Effects Processing and Graphic EQs

Midas digital consoles include an ever expanding library of effects processing devices. The 2010 range includes:

• KT DN780 reverb with multiple styles: Hall, Plate, Room, Chamber, ALIVE!, Non-linear, Reverse, Infinite room
• Multi-band compressor
• Stereo pitch shifter
• KT Square ONE 8-channel dynamics processor
• KT DN370 Graphic EQ
• Stereo delay with precision tap tempo
• Stereo flanger

The effects devices are presented as a virtual rack of units. XL8 can have up to 16 multichannel devices (plus 32 Graphic EQs), PRO Series has 6 or 8 devices depending on model (plus Graphic EQs). The effects device types can be changed and/or re-patched on a scene by scene basis.

There are many patching options for the effects processors and graphic EQs. Some of these are:

• Assign to any insert send/return
• Assign to any network input or output
• Assign FX out to aux return
• Assign FX in to aux send (post fade)
• Assign FX out to bus direct in
• Assign FX in to channel direct out

The Midas’ FX and dynamics are incorporated within the systems automatic delay management system, so that wherever they are patched, the audio will be absolutely phase-coherent when summed into the mix.

Graphic Equalisers: You can have up to 36 1/3 octave Klark Teknik GEQs on a PRO series and up to 51 on an XL8, which can be patched into any output or insert point. The Graphic EQs can be controlled by a Klark Teknik DN9331 Rapide fader remote which is standard on the XL8 and an option on the PRO Series or from controls on the console surface. The STS system allows the use of a select button on a Send to automatically pause the Rapide motor faders to move to settings for that send.