What is the CUE Feature?

If you are in need and want to listen into an artists mix, this is what we call CUE. In the following we will explain the Musician CUE that is designed for musicians that want to temporarily help out a bandmate during soundcheck on the same KLANG hardware and the Engineer CUE that is designed for the specific demands of a monitor engineer.

The Musician CUE mode is the elementary CUE function offer by KOS. It allows to CUE from one mix into another on the same unit. Each mix of a unit can cue into another mix.

How to activate Musician CUE?

Please note that Musician CUE is not available in Admin mode when working on a cascade of units. It is always available in Show mode, which only connects to one KLANG hardware at a time.

Step 1 – Select your own mix

Regardless if you are a musician and want to help out a bandmate or if you are the sound engineer, select your mix that is associated with your in-ears and headphones. In the example we us Mix #5 of a KLANG:vier which is called “This is ME”.

Step 2 – Activate Musician CUE

Click on the tablet icon on the right in the top fast user switch bar to activate Musician CUE. Your mix will be highlighted in purple.

Step 3 – Dial into another mix

Select another mix on the KLANG hardware. In the example we selected Mix #1 labelled “DRUMS”. Now you can listen to the Drummers mix and at the same time work on the mix. A comment line in your own mix will indicate that you are cueing into another musician’s mix.

Step 4 – Deactivate Musician CUE

Return to your own mix – in our example go to mix #5. Click again on the tablet icon on the right to leave the musician CUE mode.

Please note, that mix number 5 in this example is a fully indepedent mix and that the Musician CUE only temporary overwrites the audio output with the signal of another mixes output. Also the output EQ used for the copied mix is included as well as the master level and solo and mute settings.

There is a second CUE function called Engineer CUE mode. It allows to switch between an external CUE input and a CUE into a mix on the unit. This CUE mix is not an independent mix as the musician CUE mix and hence does not reduce the I/O channel count.

How to Activate Engineer CUE

The default CUE mode when starting KLANG:app in Show or Admin mode is the Musician CUE mode. To activate the Engineer CUE mode, click and hold the CUE icon for 3 seconds in the top right corner in KLANG:app. It will turn from a tablet symbol into a KLANG device symbol. When clicking this icon you will turn on Engineer CUE into a mix on this unit (button is purple). As in Musicians CUE simply click onto a mix to cue into this mix. When clicking again on the CUE button the CUE on this unit is deaktivated and the external CUE input will be passed through to the external CUE output (1-2 samples latency between input and output).

How to route Engineer CUE

Step 1 – External CUE Input Routing

KLANG:vier

On KLANG:vier the external CUE input is fixed and will be taken from channel 63/64 (left/right) from the Dante input (KLANG:vier Dante Version 1.2+ required).

KLANG:fabrik 

On KLANG:fabrik the CUE input can be choosen from ADAT, MADI or Dante. Whatever 8 channel block is routed to the “CUE in 7-8” destination, channel 7 and 8 from this block will be used only.

DMI-KLANG

There is no cue input on DMI-KLANG. This device cannot be used in a cascade with forwarded engineer cue. 

KLANG:konductor

KLANG:vokal

Step 2 – CUE Output Routing

KLANG:vier

On KLANG:vier the CUE output is fixed on Dante output channel 15/16 (left/right).

KLANG:fabrik 

On KLANG:fabrik the CUE output is routed with the last 8 channel block from 3D in-ear mixing on channel 7 and 8.

• 1-3 mixes: CUE output on last 2 channels of “3D Mix 1-4“
• 4-7 mixes: CUE output on last 2 channels of “3D Mix 5-8“
• 8-11 mixes: CUE output on last 2 channels of “3D Mix 9-12“
• 12-15 mixes: CUE output on last 2 channels of “3D Mix 13-16“
• 16 mixes: There is no Engineer CUE available.

DMI-KLANG

On DMI-KLANG the cue output is routed to output channel 33 and 34. 

CUE and Cascade Mode

Musicians CUE is not available when working on a Cascade of units in Admin mode. KLANG:app will automatically switch to Engineer CUE mode instead.

Please note: If a musicians wants to CUE into another musicians mix when working on a unit belonging to a cascade SHOW mode has to be used instead.

The Engineer CUE output of one unit can be routed (via the audio format of your choice) to another unit, i.e. in Cascade mode the monitor engineer can switch between mixes and always listen to this mix (except for DMI-KLANG since it does not have a CUE input).

Please note: When the Engineer CUE mix source is on the same unit the CUE output will be activated on this unit and copy the signal of the mix. If the CUE mix source is on another unit, KLANG:app will automatically switch all other units of the cascade to CUE pass through. If Engineer CUE button is deactivated the external CUE input from the first unit will be used, e.g. a mixing console.

Example: Cascade and CUE with 3 x KLANG:fabrik

We will use 3 x KLANG:fabrik fed by a 96kHz MADI stream in the configuration 4 mixes/33 input channels. The MADI stream will be daisy chained via MADI BNC to the following 2 KLANG:fabrik units. The first unit syncs to MADI BNC1 input 1. The 3 units have been assigned with a new unit names (CONFIG > INFO > Set > Advanced > Set Unit Name). The first with KF(1), the second unit KF(2), the third unit KF(3).

Step 1 – Dante Settings

All Dante module have been assigned with corresponding device labels. We use the prefix KF1-, KF2-, KF3- for better readability. All modules are set to 96kHz.

1.A. External Clock

Since KF1 syncs to MADI its Dante module needs to be set to “Enable Sync to External” and “Preferred Master”

1.B. Routing KF1 to KF2

1.C. Routing KF2 to KF3

Step 2 – KLANG:app Routing Screen Settings

2.A. Routing KF1

[Optional] Cue Input (Dante 31/32 to Cue in 7 / 8)

Please note: This CUE input can be used to route a different Dante stereo feed to the first KLANG:fabrik and this stereo feed will be used if engineer CUE is off.

CUE output to Dante Channel 31/32

2.B. Routing KF2

Cue Input (Dante 31/32 to Cue in 7 / 8)

CUE output to Dante Channel 31/32

2.C. Routing K3

Cue Input (Dante 31/32 to Cue in 7 / 8)

CUE output to XLR stereo output 8 on KF3

[optional] CUE output to Dante Channel 31/32

Since KLANG:app has detected a cascade it will automatically hide the musician CUE and switch into engineer CUE mode. You just need to switch the CUE on by pressing the icon in the top user switching bar.

You can now simply switch between all mixes of all units and listen to the CUE on stereo XLR output 8 on KF(3).