Live performance audio mixing system with simplified user interface

• US 20040030425A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gibson Brands, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fleet Capital Corporation (Bank of America Corp.)
• Inventors: Vallier, Jeffrey, Yeakel, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

A digital audio mixing system for live performance venues includes a software user interface and system host PC with an internal digital signal processor to perform digital mixing functions. The system includes a console having an array of multiple touch screen displays with corresponding fader board (tactile) control surfaces operatively connected to the host PC, and an audio patch bay unit. One or more stage boxes are linked to each other and to the system host PC by wired or wireless connections. The user interface includes multiple functional views and configuration presets, displayed in setup and real time modes, to allow the user to operate the system in a user friendly and simplified environment.

Claims

1. A digital audio mixing system comprising:

a. a host computer having a processor operable to perform digital audio mixing functions on audio signals in response to mixing controls signals;

b. an audio patch bay unit operatively coupled to the processor, the patch bay unit having a plurality of inputs, the inputs adapted to receive audio signals from a plurality of different source audio source components and a plurality of outputs adapted to transmit audio signals to a plurality of audio destination components;

c. a system console operative to generate and transmit the mixing control signals to the processor, the system console comprising at least one touch sensitive display and at least one tactile control surface having audio faders,

d. a system user interface, the user interface comprising software operative in combination with the host computer to generate multiple functional views on the display;

the multiple functional views including a stage view and a virtual console view; and

e. the stage view comprising a plurality of different pre-defined and user selectable icons on the display, each of the icons visually representing different types of the audio source and destination components connected to the system, the icons movable by the user on the display to positions representing stage locations of the stage elements corresponding to the icons, and

a plurality of user selectable stage element configuration presets, the presets including a predefined selection and arrangement of audio source and destination components.

2. The system of claim 1, the user interface further comprising a setup view, the setup view comprising a virtual patch bay table of system inputs and input audio properties associated with each input, each of the inputs having user-assignable user-friendly names, the user friendly names representing different stage elements assignable by the user to the input.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the virtual console view includes an array of touch screen faders.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the touch screen faders are arranged in channel strips having multiple audio channels to visually simulate a non-virtual mixing console.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the each of the channels in the channel strips includes an EQ control icon, a pan control icon, a sole mode toggle operative to mute all other system audio sources, a mute toggle operative to mute the audio source corresponding to that channel, a text display of all insert effects for the corresponding audio source, a VU and margin display, a trim fader, and a text display of the name of the corresponding audio source component.

6. The system of claim 4, the user interface further comprising a mixer functions view, the mixer functions view comprising a pan control window and an EQ control window.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the virtual console view and mixer function view each include a cute view window, the cute view window displaying the icons selected and arranged by the user to represent the types and locations of the audio source and destination components on stage.

8. The system of claim 6, the cute view further comprising a visual display of audio parameters associated with an audio source represented on the display.

9. The system of claim 3, the user interface further comprising a drum editor view.

10. The system of claim 3, the setup view further comprising user selectable, pre-defined show setup configurations.

11. The system of claim 10, the setup configurations including venue-type configurations and performance-type configurations.

12. The system of claim 1, the user interface comprising selectable simplified and advanced user interface modes.

13. The system of claim 1, the stage view further comprising at least one user definable adjustment icon, the adjustment icon operative when touched to implement a pre-defined adjustment to one or more pre-defined audio parameters associated with a pre-defined stage element.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one stage box operatively linked to the host PC by.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the host PC, stage box, and stage elements are linked by a universal digital audio link.

16. A user interface to allow a user to operate a digital audio mixing system in a live performance venue comprising:

a. a console having at least one touch screen display and a tactile control surface;

b. a plurality of functional views displayed on the display, including a system setup view for selecting icons representing stage elements connected to the system, a stage view displaying the selected icons in on-screen locations corresponding to on stage positions of the respective stage elements, and a virtual console view, the virtual console view including a display of virtual faders operatively linked to the tactile control surface.

17. The user interface of claim 16, the functional views further comprising a mixer functions view.

18. The user interface of claim 17, the functional views further comprising a drum editor view.

19. The user interface of claim 16, the stage view further comprising a plurality of user selectable stage configuration presets.

20. The user interface of claim 16 wherein the user interface is switchable between simple and advanced modes.