Dan Dugan has been making automixers longer than just about anybody. The Model D set the standard for automixing, finally delivering the ability to reliably and automatically mix multiple inputs to the correct level without feedback and the audible artifacts usually associated with noise gates. The Model D has long been discontinued, replaced with newer models.
When Dan Dugan designed the original automixer, he set out to solve three problems. First, to provide a better solution than simple noise gates. Gates are notoriously difficult to set up to sound natural, and tend to either open too often, or not quickly enough, cutting off words. Room noise also tends to confuse the gate, which adds to overall system noise.
A second problem is that of multiple mic's in use simultaneously. As more mic's are opened up, the chance of feedback goes up, so the automixer must keep track of overall system gain.
If you find yourself regularly trying to juggle multiple microphones at once, or simply need a way to run simple events unattended, the Dugan Automixer would be a great solution.
Finally, an overall sense of natural ambience needs to be maintained. This is especially important for broadcast mixes. While the mixer is making rapid and large changes to individual microphone gain, to the listener, it should appear nothing is happening at all—except for the right mic being on at the right time.
Dan Dugan Sound Design has produced a variety of stand-alone products over the years, and a few years ago, released a MY-Card version for Yamaha mixing consoles. During the recent WFX event, Dugan announced a new version, the Dugan-VN16 for Avid consoles.
The VN16 is an option card that plugs into an SC48, FOH Rack- or Mix Rack-based system, and provides up to 16 channels of automated mixing for speech microphones. The Dugan system goes beyond simply noise-gating all the channels. Like other Dugan mixers, the VN16 uses real-time voice analysis to automatically lower the volume of unused mic's, while raising the volume of microphones currently being used.
By keeping unused mic's turned down, feedback, comb-filtering and background noise are all greatly reduced, and because the process is automated, it happens much faster than an operator could manage.
The VN16 card's processing channels are accessed via the console's insert screen. Three modes of operation are available to the user. First is standard mode, which provides 16 channels of automixing, assignable anywhere on the console. Second, shared mode allows eight channels of automixing, along with eight channels of ADAT I/O. Finally, ADAT I/O mode, as you might guess, provides 16 channels of general purpose ADAT I/O for system expansion.
The VN16 is designed to be use right out of the box; however if you prefer additional control, the included Dugan Control Panel software, or the Dugan Control Panel for iPad (additional cost) allow finer adjustment of the systems settings.
If you find yourself regularly trying to juggle multiple microphones at once, or simply need a way to run simple events unattended, the Dugan Automixer would be a great solution. While not inexpensive at $3,750 (US MSRP), it is certainly the best in its class. It will be available in Q4 of 2013 worldwide through Avid resellers.
