Specifications

MIDAS Digital Audio Systems
VCAs, MCAs 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 ow used by sound engineers and to provide control and supporting
feedback of system status at all levels, from the highest overview to the nest 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 specic 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 nding 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.
Advanced Navigation Modes
There are three modes of channel navigation. These options make it possible for an
engineer to easily and eciently mix a large number of inputs on a compact control
surface. When the FLIP button is engaged, selecting an output will ip the input
faders to become the input channel send levels to the selected output.
When the GEQ NAVIGATION button is engaged, selecting an output which has a GEQ
assigned, will present the GEQ on the VCA faders. Scrolling the VCA faders left and
right will provide access to all 31 GEQ faders. If FADER FLIP is also engaged, the input
channel faders will become the contributions to the selected mix. If COLLAPSED
FLIP is selected, the operator will only be presented with input channels which are
sending to that mix.
When the FX NAVIGATION button is engaged, selecting an output which is patched
to an internal FX processor, will deploy that FX processor on the screen, and map the
ASSIGNABLE CONTROLS to it. If FADER FLIP is also engaged, the input channel faders
will become the contributions to the FX processor. If COLLAPSED FLIP is selected, the
operator will only be presented with input channels which are sending to that FX
processor.
If the MCA button is engaged, when an output (mix) is selected, the MCA faders
for that output are deployed on the VCA fader bank. When in Advanced navigation
mode and MCA navigation is engaged, the MCA faders control the contributions
of their members only to the currently selected buss. This is a unique and powerful
mixing tool, which puts MIDAS in a class of it’s own for innovation and usability.
This makes working with the console as simple as requirements dictate, or as deep
and complex as a user desires. To introduce the concept, think of multilayered 3-D
VCAs, or a mixing console with a bank of VCAs for each input! Both are valid starting points.
Hide/show unassigned channels when ipped. When in this mode, and the FLIP
button is engaged, selecting an output ips the input faders to become the input
channel send levels to the selected output. The console will only populate with the
input channels which are assigned to the selected output.