Inside Out : Greg Price

Greg Price with VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 - On the "Crazy Train" Stop #4

Greg Price — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

"The Crazy Train pulls into the Time Machine Station"

Stop #4 finds the Crazy Train pulling into the "Time Machine" station. Brad Madix, FOH engineer for the Rush Tour "Time Machine", is in rehearsals working on the Avid VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 platform. Brad has great insight on the power of this new working synergy. This is a great opportunely for all of us to look into the rehearsal setting of a band and the incredible work that can be done in this environment. Brad is very articulate, and in the coming weeks will write very specifically on the workings of "VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9. Stay tuned for Brad and his blogs as we roll along. OK, let's fire up the "Crazy Train" video below and we will get rolling.

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Band Rehearsals

I would like to emphasize the power of band rehearsals and building your mix. Brad will write in depth on this subject, however I want to take the opportunely now to emphasize how important band rehearsals are. Building mixes, working with the band, finding new plug-ins, working on the power of "VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9": all this great stuff can really be worked into your mix in the comfort of rehearsals. Take the time, stay after class, and have fun with your mix.

South America

The Crazy Train has arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We drive down to your usual soccer field and find the sea container there with all our gear in it. The equipment has floated from Florida to Buenos Aires, Argentina on a sea freighter and we are about to unload. After setup I am ready to make some noise and get started with line check and virtual playback. My point here is that this FOH has traveled around the world on this tour. Hence the "Crazy Train", it is crazy what we have asked and done to the equipment. The FOH has traveled in trucks, boats, airplanes, and trains. Bumped along East Europe Highways, the streets of Detroit, on the deck of a ship from Florida to Buenos Aires, Argentina, rattled around on Russian air freight pallets, etc. Point is, I have had zero breakdowns with this Avid equipment. Show after show since February 2010, this console and Pro Tools system have played along with the Crazy Train. Doing what ever I asked it to do day in and day out. I have updated software during this tour with no problems. It is very comforting to know that I can rely on my FOH equipment and it's performance. NO PROBLAMO, SI.

Jet Lag and Brad Madix

With the "Crazy Train" stopping for a visit at the "Time Machine", I am going to try to cure the case of jet lag I have acquired. While I take a rest, Brad is going to start his blog from the "Time Machine". I am looking forward to Brad's experiences with VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 while we starts his rehearsals with Rush. Please send in your questions and dialog. We look forward to your comments. Thank you traveling with us.

Greg Price with VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 - On the "Crazy Train" Stop #3

Greg Price — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:26:00 GMT

Stop #3 finds us joining you with a great young group of future engineers, and we are all learning "The Avid Way". Greg Price is currently on a World Tour that started April of 2010. This is stop #3 of "The Crazy Train" where I discuss my progress and the exciting new changes I am finding in the new VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 synergies.

I love to share a "Life Changing" experience. For me, after mixing for 35 years, the "Avid Way" has enabled me to make great changes in the way I work and mix.

Avid has brought the studio to "Live Mixing". I started in the studio as a new engineer and the VENUE 2.9/PT HD9 synergy brings me even closer if not "IN" the studio way I engineer and my workflow. The benefits of VENUE 2.9/PT HD9 are studio like in every way. As I stated in Stop#2, I urge all engineers to pick up a copy of the "Live Recording Guide" for VENUE Systems and Pro Tools. The Live Recording Guide is a great reference and step-by-step map. I go to it first when I have an idea or problem that needs to be worked on.

Pro Tools HD 9

So the band shows up at the gig the other day unexpectedly early, wanting to record and work on songs. I was almost caught in the "Not Ready" position. However, PT HD9 saved my butt. I simply opened Pro Tools, selected "Session from VENUE" and Boom, I was recording. Pro Tools received all the data it needed for the session from my Venue console. I also made a text of the session data. I normally use a template for my Pro Tools sessions, I like the colors, however opening new recording sessions using "Session from VENUE" is great. PT HD9 looks into the VVENUE console with VVENUE Link and sees where the inputs are and where they will need to be on playback. In a way it is a no-brainer. The band takes the stage and starts playing, I start recording. As we all have experienced during a recording session, there is always starting and stopping of songs. Snapshot Markers help with that. My band came that day to work on new ideas for a record, as well as to fix verses and choruses of songs that are in the show set. Marking the session was very easy and accurate. This is just one of the many great changes in Pro Tools and the "Link" to the VENUE console that make engineers daily lives much simpler.

Snapshots as session markers:

As the band continued to work on their show songs, I made session markers from my show snapshots on the recording. This was a great help at the end of the session. The band wanted to hear those verse and chorus changes that we were working on. The markers made from snapshots during the recording now gave me a start marker for playback. I could drill into the verse or chorus that the guitar player wanted or simply just play his solo, all at my finger tips thanks to VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9. Playback becomes just as easy a task as recording. Now with the markers in place, it is easy to locate a song and the verse, chorus, solo, whatever you need from that song for your band. Mixes for band members are made very painless. You can drill right to the spot that they want. Do a mix and print. All made very easy.

VENUE 2.9

Third party plug-ins. I have noticed a mark improvement in the loading and instantiate process of these plug-ins. It appears that plug-in racks that are loaded with third party items, load much faster. Is 2.9 responsible for this improved performance? I am not sure, but I like the quicker loading time.

"Crazy Train" runs into the "Time Machine"

Remember, as I continue to find great workflow ideas for my applications, next month Brad Madix will start up rehearsals with Rush and the "Time Machine" Tour. Stay tuned as we travel together into the future.

Greg Price with VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 - On the "Crazy Train" Stop #2

Greg Price — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:16:00 GMT

Greg Price here on the "Crazy Train" with Ozzy Osbourne. We are currently on a World Tour that started last April of 2010. This is stop #2 of my progress with the exciting changes I am finding in the new VENUE 2.9 and Pro Tools HD 9 synergies.

A Little background: I am using the VENUE "D" Show console, 2 x stage racks, Tons of plug-ins, and Pro Tools HD3 on Mac Pro. I have said before:

The evolution of this technology has forever changed what we do. For future engineers [VENUE] is essential.

This new breakthrough in workflow possibilities in 2.9/HD9 takes us further into the future. I urge all engineers to pick up a copy of the "Live Recording Guide" for VENUE Systems and Pro Tools and "What's New in VENUE Software 2.9 for VENUE Systems". The thing here is not just manuals of new products but a great place to start thinking how you can change your workflow from day to day. It is also a place to find new ideas for new projects. I have already used the guides for the next generation Pro Tools system that I want to build. So with that I would like to go into VENUE Link.

VENUE Link.

My first go at the link was a little difficult. I am no genius when it comes to this computer stuff, however with the step by step guides and a little hand holding from my friends at Avid, I got it linked. Once Linked, I have not thought about it again. From the start the power of the link to Pro Tools has helped me do things I never could do before. From the show last night, I marked all the songs on the Pro Tools session from my snapshots during the show. Ozzy skips around his set list every night. No problem. I have snapshots for all of the possible songs he might play in a given show. I skip down to that song snapshot and VENUE Link marks the new song on the session. At the end of the show, it was very easy for me to make copies of the songs that the band requested to hear. Every song from last night's performance was marked by the link. I could then go into the session, copy the songs I want quickly. For Virtual SoundCheck, I can find that favorite song from the last show to play the next day. All the songs where marked automatically when I made snapshot changes during the show. For Virtual SoundCheck, I select the snapshot recall and Pro Tools is ready for me to hit play. It is that easy.

"Crazy Train" goes "Time Machine"

As I continue to find great workflow ideas for my application, next month Brad Madix will start up rehearsals with Rush and the "Time Machine" Tour. Brad will share his workflow ideas and discoveries also. Stay tuned as we travel together into the future.

On the "Crazy Train" with Ozzy, Greg, PT HD9, & Venue 2.9

Greg Price — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Greg Price here on the "Crazy Train" with Ozzy Osbourne. We are currently on a World Tour that started last April of 2010. This tour will continue on though the end of August of 2011.

A Little background: This will be my 16th year riding the train with Ozzy. I started using the Venue "D" Show and Pro Tools on the 2006-2008 tours. As you could imagine, I have used many consoles while on board the "Crazy Train". The workflow that I have for Ozzy and the show has been reduced to (easy as pie), with the Venue/PT systems. We can all agree that when you are raging down the tracks on the "Crazy Train", it can be very easy to choke on that pie. Venue 2.9 and PT HD9 makes it even better and very fun to use.

My FOH: I started the tour with a Venue "D" Show system, 2 stage racks, and Pro Tools HD3. Since the "Crazy Train" departed from LA, I have upgraded the system software twice while on the tour. We did this on a show day and during a tour break. Both upgrades where seamless and never effected my set up or mix. If I did have a problem, I could always find someone at Avid to bug and lend a hand. So, no problamo on the upgrades. If you haven't upgraded to 2.9/HD9, do it today. You will be happy you did. The new features provide more choices for your workflow.

Venue 2.9 and PT HD9: In the next couple of days I will go over some of the new features that help me day to day while riding the train. 2.9/HD9 only helps me get better as an engineer. It helps me develop better mixes for the show and let's not forget how much fun I am having with it. Stay tuned for the next train station stop.