CAPTURE CLIPS AUTOMATION SSL J9K SERIES CONSOLES

Intro
Capture Clips is an innovative feature on SSL J9K series consoles, which allows the system to capture audio ‘clip’ information from the console’s channels, via the opening and closing of gates in the channels’ dynamics sections. Once captured, an on-screen representation of the audio can be used as an aid to the editing of automation data. Capture Clips makes your life easier to clean up noise on audio program’s, isolate those tomes that happen once or twice in the track, or even FX tracks including one time hitters, among many more advantages. I personally prefer it over Pro Tools ‘Strip Silence’ function.

Set-up
First you need to set-up the gates on the channels which have the necessary audio coming through them. The system assumes that audio is present when no LEDs are lit on the gate meter.

NOTE: If this is your first experience with Capture Clips, we suggest you read through this section before proceeding, so that you are aware of the potential benefits of this innovative function.

The Steps

1.) Select: Mix-Desk > Events, and click or stab on the ‘Clips’ box at the top left of the Events List. This results in two new boxes to the right named: Capture and Clear.

2.) To select the channels you want to capture the clips on, either click or stab on Capture. Now the channel selector pop-up will appear. To select a sequential range of channels, simply hold down the fader status button of the first channel and press the button on the last channel.

3.) Hit play in Pro Tools.

4.) When you hit stop in Pro Tools you will be given the option to Save or Discard the captured clips. If you save the clips, select the Mix-Desk > Overview display to view the captured audio for each channel represented by a series of blue blocks.

5.) If you subsequently wish to discard the clips on one or more channels, select Clips followed by Clear on the Events List. This again will call up the channel selector pop-up. Choose the channels on which you want to clear the Captured Clips information. When done hit OK.

NOTE: Clips will be captured from the first time you hit play in Pro Tools after the Capture Clips function is armed. Make sure that Pro Tools is located to the correct start point before you select channels as described before. To avoid capturing excessive material, you should start and end the run in silence. The simplest way to do this is to select a SOLO button on an unused (empty) channel. However, if you don’t start and end with the gates closed, the system may assume that there is a clip running from 00:00:00:00 up to the start of the track, and another clip running from the end of the track to 23:59:59:24 or 29 (!!!).

Outro
The K Series computer’s mix system provides a set of automation modes which are specifically designed for use with Captured Clips. If you are lucky enough, as I’m often, to work on a K series 9000 console cleaning audio is a bit easier.

Signing off,

Yours truly!