Hi, I do live sound for concerts that include drama, choir, orchestra, jazz and rock bands. The back line is fixed for the night however the vocal mics are also used by the horns in the jazz bands. We use 3 DPA choir mics for the choir and orchestra. So there is quite a bit of movement with mics throughout the show. I would love to better understand how auto align processes the phase and polarity when the mics are repositioned so frequently between different ensemble types over a 2 hr concert. Would appreciate some insight. My usual workflow is to mix the overall performance in one session and not as individual songs. Unfortunately time and budget does not allow for this.
Hi @dustybohdan,
Thanks for your message!
In the scenario you described, Auto-Align 2’s algorithm is being asked to find a single, suitable alignment for tracks that include different content, positions, and bleed.
Since it is an algorithm, it can do that, but you are right to suspect you may get better results by splitting the shared content tracks into dedicated horns and vocals tracks.
Auto-Align 2’s alignment is static and optimized for studio use, providing one fixed correction for the entire track.
For situations where mics are moving a lot, you might want to check out Auto-Align Post.
AAP’s delay and spectral filters are dynamic and change over time. Note that in AAP, tracks align to a user-specified reference track, unlike AA2, where all group members are aligned against each other. It was designed with Post-Production needs in mind.
I’d recommend starting with this basic separation by editing the long tracks into dedicated Vocal and Horn tracks and see if you’re getting a better sounding result.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at support@soundradix.com.
Best,
Oran