GLYPH GPM216 Details
A collaborative system for creating individual monitor mixes.
The Glyph GPM-216 is a self-contained monitoring network that lets each musician create their own individual monitor mix, exactly the way they want it, on stage or in the studio. Musicians plug instruments and microphones into the front-panel audio inputs, where the signals are digitized and distributed to other units over a network using standard Ethernet cables. Using the front-panel interface, you can create your own mix of local and networked audio sources, and it has front-panel connectors for headphones or earbuds, and line outs on the back for powered wedges or other audio gear. Send/Return loops allow musicians to patch in external effects or EQ for their overall mix, or apply them to their own input channels.
Features:
Peer-to-peer, no monitor board or monitor engineer required.
Instruments plug directly into the GPM-216.
Loop outputs allow signal to loop back out of the unit to the sound board.
Front-panel inputs, gain and three-color LED input meters.
Each GPM-216 transmits 2 streams of audio and can mix up to 16 stereo or mono incoming streams.
Large LCD screen and "soft labels" display the functions of controls on the front panel. The same knob, in different modes, is used to adjust various parameters.
Save and restore settings on the GPM-216 and get the same monitor mix every show for quicker setup and more consistent sound.
Multiple monitor "profiles" allow you to quickly change between pre-set settings
Front and back panel outputs for use with headphones, earbuds and powered wedges.
Setup mode allows programming the unit in advance of the performance.
Enclosure can be tabletop or rack-mountable with optional rack ears.
Uses standard network protocols for use with other computers.
Graphical configuration via Java and web interface.
GPM-216 in a live sound environment
Each musician carries a GPM-216 with them to the
gig and sets it up with their gear on stage. The unit
acts as a console for mixing each musician’s
monitor. Here’s how it’s connected:
• Musicians connect instruments to the front-panel
analog inputs, which can accommodate sources
such as vocal mics, instrument mics, direct guitar,
keyboard or bass signals.
• “Loop through” outputs are connected to the
FOH mixing board. The signals delivered to the
FOH console are unaffected by the GPM-216. It is
essentially a cable split.
• Musicians connect the main outputs to their
monitor of choice, which could be headphones,
earbuds or amplifiers driving traditional wedges.
• GPM-216 units are connected together via
standard CAT5 Ethernet cable through an
Ethernet 100 switch.
Signals from everyone in the band are seen as "inputs" on every unit. Musicians mix local and
incoming sources, and broadcast their own sources
onto the network for others to mix. Musicians
simply select a source via a front panel selector
button, and can quickly change volume, pan, mute
and solo for that source. It is designed for easy
readout with an LCD screen for identifying names
of sources, placement in the stereo spectrum and
status of mute or solo. All of the controls and the
screen are well lit for stage use.
Front Panel User Interface
You can think of the GPM-216 as a basic rack-mounted mixer. Like a mixer channel, it has inputs, gain (trim), pan, mute, solo, faders, aux buses and inserts. But unlike a traditional mixer, you will mix 16 channels with only one set of fader, mute and solo controls. These controls are shared between each channel using soft labels on the LCD screen. When you press one of the selector buttons to select a source, the LCD will display information about that source, and you use the Mute, Solo and Volume controls under the LCD to mix that source with the others.
As an example, say you have four audio sources to mix: sax, bass, drums and keyboards. Each source is mapped to a channel. You have chosen to place sax on channel 1, bass on channel 2, keyboards on channel 3 and drums on channel 4. If this were a traditional mixer, you would have done this by physically patching the inputs into the unit. With the GPM, however, you have "patched" them in advance by creating a profile. (See About Profiles below). If you want to change the volume of the bass in your mix, you will press Selector button 2 to select the bass channel. You then turn the Data knob to change the volume of the bass. If you then want to change the volume of the sax, press Selector button 1. Turning the Data knob will then change the volume of the sax in the mix.
The LCD provides information to help you when using the GPM. It will display labels for the Selector buttons, the P1 and P2 buttons and the Data knob. It will also display information about the selected audio source, such as its name ("sax") and its current volume, mute and solo settings.
Selector Buttons
There are 16 Selector buttons on the front of the GPM-216. Each button has three LEDs behind it that deliver different information to the user. In Perform Mode, the buttons are used to select the incoming signal and display information about that signal using a green LED, red LED and amber LED. The figure below shows the location of the LEDs behind the button.
Green LED
When the green LED is lit solid it means that this button is selected. The green LED does not have a blinking state.
Red LED
The red LED shows a special circumstance about that source or menu choice. For instance, in Perform Mode, if the red LED is on solid the source is muted. If the red LED is blinking, the source is solo'-ed.
Amber LED
The amber LED shows that there is a choice available for that button. In Perform mode, if the amber LED is on solid or blinking, there is an audio source available for that button. On solid means that the audio source is from another GPM, blinking means that the audio source is from a local input on that GPM unit. When performing, you only need to remember blinking means me.
Graphical Configuration Software
The Graphical Configuration software allows you to setup and configure the GPM-216 units from a computer on the same local network as the GPM-216 units. It allows you to set the unit names, number and type of input, input names and channel mapping from one utility using a Mac or PC computer with an ethernet port. There are two ways to configure the GPM-216 units within the Configurator Software. Configure All Units allows you to make general changes to many units at the same time, while Configure Single Unit allows you to make detailed changes to a single GPM unit. The changes you make will be stored as a Profile in the memory of each GPM-216 unit.
About Profiles
Profiles are a snapshot of the saved settings on your unit. Once you have configured the unit you store the settings. Every time the unit is restarted it will restore your settings. If you wish, you can create more than one profile. If you play in more than one band, or you are in a studio environment and different bands use the GPM system, you can save the changed settings in a new profile. You can then select the stored profile that contains the pre-set settings appropriate for your performance.
Peer-to-peer / Musician-to-musician Architecture
Using the Glyph Monitor system on stage is dramatically different than using a traditional monitoring setup because it does not require a dedicated monitor mixing board or engineer. Its design implements a peer-to-peer architecture, where all the units connect to one another, instead of connecting to a central mixer. Signals from performers are split at each performer's unit, sending to both the monitoring network and the front of house (FOH) mixing board. Each performer's unit contains the basic functions of a mixing board (mic pre, gain, volume, pan, mute, phase reverse), eliminating the need for a monitor mixing board.
Why the GPM-216 Architecture Rocks
Other personal monitoring systems, which use a transmitter/receiver architecture, require a mixing board because signals need to be centralized and distributed onto the network from one box, the transmitter. This works fine if the signals are already gathered in one place, but fails in situations where the central mixing board doesn't have the outputs needed to patch into the transmitter, or if the outputs are already being used for other things. This proves to be a problem for sound engineers to accommodate in many situations.
Since all of the units connect to each other without the use of any outputs from the main board, a band can use the GPM-216 system in venues where monitoring would be otherwise very difficult. Picture a venue where a band brings it's own PA system, including a front of house mixing board, but does not want to bring a separate monitor mixing board or monitor engineer. By first connecting the instruments to each GPM-216 on stage, the engineer does not need to bother with monitors at all. The signal flow is truly from musician to musician.
Connecting the GPM-216 on stage
Each musician carries a GPM-216 with them to the gig, and sets it up with their gear on stage. The unit acts as a console for mixing each musician's monitor.
Here's how it's connected:
Musicians connect instruments to the analog inputs, which can accommodate sources such as vocal mics, instrument mics, direct guitar, keyboard or bass signals. It can also handle the output from a mixer, or output from guitar/bass amps.
The "loop through" outputs on the back of the unit are connected to the FOH mixing board. This can be done through the existing stage snake head. The signals delivered to the FOH console are unaffected by the GPM-216. It is essentially a cable split.
Musicians connect the main outputs of the GPM-216 to their monitor of choice, which could be headphones, earbuds, or amplifiers driving traditional wedges.
GPM-216 units are connected together via standard CAT5 Ethernet cable through an Ethernet 100 switch.
Signals from everyone in the band are seen as "inputs" on every GPM-216. Musicians mix local and incoming sources, and broadcast their own sources onto the network for others to mix. Musicians select a source via a front panel selector button and can quickly change volume, pan, mute and solo for that source. It is designed for easy readout with an LCD screen for identifying names of sources, placement in the stereo spectrum and status of mute or solo. All of the controls and the screen are well lit for stage use.
Glyph GPM216 Personal Monitoring Sys
