Creating a Session Template
Programming a session template file can save you a lot of problem solving down the line … (Photo by Marko Alpner)
During this prolonged period of not working on shows, there are still things you can do to become more prepared for when you return to live sound environment. Especially if you are working as a touring engineer without your own gear, you can get ahead in the game by preparing a mixing template session for all of the consoles that you think might come your way (or even those you think are very unlikely to show up). Having a starting point for a session when you are under a time restraint (which is always) can not only help you cut down on time, but also ensure a better mixing experience for everyone involved.
Weirdly, every time I mention this topic to a fellow engineer, their mind almost always jumps right to input channel settings, asking about channel strip settings for specific instruments. However, that is actually the last thing on my mind when I start creating a new console showfile. For me, session templates are primarily about the consistency of my workflow. Having a familiar layout across all consoles is much more crucial when setting up a template than the compression settings on a kick drum channel. A good template is the one that can provide a recognisable starting point on a console. I know I will always have to adjust a specific channel setting with a new session, but how my faders are placed on the board, how my signal flow structure is created, my shortcuts, my FX placement - that can and should be consistent no matter which artist or console I am working with.
Scalability
One thing that I try to keep in mind when designing my session templates is the scalability of the template. A lot of digital console manufacturers will have the same offline software (or at least provide means of transferring the sessions) for consoles in the same series. So which console software should you pick for designing your session - the smallest format or the largest one? My preferred way of doing it is to actually use the largest console’s offline software (or the largest console I know can become available to me), but then design the session in such a way that it fits the smallest console first and then add channels and routing for consoles with more capability. This means that if I need to cut down on channels, faders or shortcut buttons because I am working on a smaller console, I know that the routing paths will still work and none of my essential channels will be gone.
Console Layout and Limitations
How many faders does the console have and how are they distributed among fader bays? How many channels of matrices? How many user assignable buttons do I have available? What about bussing? How many FX slots are there? All these considerations come to mind when preparing your template session. They should drive your decision making process with your session design by forcing you to consider what is the common denominator between your workflow and the capabilities of the console. Let’s face it - console manufacturers are not making it easy on us. Each has their own philosophy on how many faders in a fader bay, how to lay out a channel strip, how many assignable buttons you will have on the surface - and that is just the layout. It is up to you to decide how that all fits in with your approach to mixing. Through the years I have developed my own “must have” list of items I need to have available to me at all times on the console. That is something you should consider for yourself. You should be able to take a look at a console’s surface layout and see your anchor points - the most reached for controls that define your workflow. Then program your session by populating those anchor points and filling out the rest.
Routing
To ensure my session is as bulletproof as possible, I design my signal path from the top down - meaning that I start by creating my matrix channels, buses and FX channels first, and later focus on the input channels. It is like building a house first, so you can put the furniture in it later on. I usually start with matrix channel programming first. Remember the scalability consideration? Here is when it comes to life. In the largest console software that I am using for my template I might have 12 matrix channels available, but in the smallest console only 8 are at my disposal. So I start by programming the 8 channels first, starting with my most important channels first - for a FOH mixing session that would probably be my PA system outputs and my recording outs. Once I have that all dialed in, the remaining 4 matrix channels are programmed for things I know I will probably encounter on larger format shows (maybe additional PA system outs, or communication channels). That way I know that my last 4 matrix outs are expendable and can be removed if I use the session on a smaller console.
Then I turn to my routing and deploy the same process for busses. I decide how many busses I have available to me on the smallest console and divide those between FX sends, monitor sends and other busses I might want to use (groups, external outboard sends, other routing capabilities). After programming those, I fill in the rest of the processing space with stuff I might use or I think might come in handy. The exact same logic then gets applied to the FX rack programming and DCA assignment.
Layout
Probably the most important consideration that can make or break a successful console template is how consistently you can design your fader assignment layout. Sometimes the limitations are such that you can’t really do much about it - maybe a console is designed in a way that keeps input channels strictly on one fader bay and the busses and DCAs on the other. And you will definitely struggle with having a consistent template if you decide your console templates should all have 12 faders available to you in a fader bay, because the consoles are not all built that way. For me, it is all about the layers. I try keeping a consistent layer layout across all consoles. That way I always know my drums are on the first layer, no matter which console I am on or how many faders in a bay. I also know how my DCAs are assigned, no matter what console I am on. It does not matter how you layout your faders and channels, as long as you keep that layout consistent throughout your used console line.
Shortcuts
Surely, we must then focus on the input channels now, right? Well, not yet. There is still one more aspect that is in my view more important in a template session file, and that is programming your shortcuts, macros, user defined keys - whatever it is that gets you around the console more quickly. Take a look at the capabilities of the console and your workflow needs, then combine those two together. Again, as with the routing, your most crucial and most frequently used shortcuts get programmed in first, adding others if the layout and console software make them possible. Try grouping these shortcuts together in a consistent manner, so that you know where they are and how to get to them easily. Although having the same functionality and programmability options is unlikely to be exactly the same across all manufacturers (or sometimes even different series of the same manufacturer), most of the functions we have available are pretty standard so you should be able to get them quite close. Just keep the template shortcuts simple and effective - you can always create something specific for a particular session down the road.
Input channels
When creating templates for input channels, I try programming a blank slate if I have never used a console before. What I mean by that is that I get my channels ready - routing is in place, EQ points are set (only in frequency, not in gain changes), compression is engaged and initial parameters are set, but the threshold is not set yet - every processing point is instantiated, but not actually affecting the channel. If I have used a console before and I have a show file I can refer to, then channel libraries are a great tool of transferring your channel settings between sessions. At this time, make sure your routing is correct and everything is going exactly where you want it to go. If you are using complex routing paths or third party plugin processing, then also make sure your latency issues are eliminated and taken care of, so that you can enjoy full benefits of that processing without any of the painful side effects those applications can cause.
Managing your templates
One last thing to consider is how to manage those templates. Once they are created, the file name should include an indication that this is a template file, the console name, firmware/software details, and date of creation. That enables you to avoid any mismatched sessions that are not compatible with the console. It also means you should update them by creating new versions when new console firmware is released. Last, but not least, make sure you have a proper medium of transfer available. A USB drive with the right capacity, formatting and file structure should be created and properly labeled, so that you are not always guessing how to get that template file from your computer to your console.
Session templates are a great tool for a modern sound engineer. They allow you to be efficient and fast, while on the other hand the process of their creation also provides an always needed opportunity to reflect on your own workflow and come up with ways of making it even better.