Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro Owner's Manual - Page 19

live work) where it acts as an extra stereo bus. To use this as a MUTE switch, all you have to do is not use the ALT 3-4 outputs. Then, whenever you assign a channel to these unused outputs, you'll also be disconnecting it from the MAIN MIX, effectively muting the channel. To use this as an ALT 3-4 switch, all you have to do is connect the ALT 3-4 outputs to whatever destination you desire. Two popular examples: When doing multitrack recording, use the ALT 3-4 outputs to feed your multitrack. With most decks, you can mult the ALT 3-4 outputs, using Y-cords or mults, to feed multiple tracks. So, take ALT OUTPUT L and send it to tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7, and ALT OUTPUT R and send it to tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8. Now, tracks that are in Record or Input modes will hear the ALT 3-4 signals, and tracks in Playback or Safe modes will ignore them. When doing live sound or mixdown, it's often handy to control the level of several channels with one knob. That's called subgrouping. Simply assign these channels to the ALT 3-4 mix, engage ALT 3-4 in the SOURCE matrix, and the signals will appear at the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES outputs. If you want the ALT 3-4 signals to go back into the MAIN MIX, engage the ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX switch , and the CONTROL ROOM/SUBMIX level control becomes the one knob to control the levels of all channels assigned to ALT 3-4. Another way to do the same thing is assign the channels to the ALT 3-4 mix, then patch out of the ALT OUTPUT L and R back into an unused stereo channel (5-6, 7-8, 9-10 or 11-12). If that's your choice, don't ever engage the MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch on that stereo channel, or you'll have every dog in the neighborhood howling at your feedback loop. Another benefit of the ALT 3-4 feature is that it can act as a "SIP" (Solo-In-Place): just engage a channel's MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch and the ALT 3-4 switch in the SOURCE matrix and you'll get that channel, all by itself, in the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES. MUTE/ALT 3-4 is one of those controls that can bewilder newcomers, so take your time and play around with it. Once you've got it down, you'll probably think of a hundred uses for it! PAN PAN adjusts the amount of channel signal sent to the left versus the right outputs. On mono channels (ch. 1-4 or 5-12 with connections to the L input only) these controls act as pan pots. On stereo channels (5-12) with stereo connections to L and R inputs, the PAN knob works like the balance control on your home stereo. PAN determines the fate of the MAIN MIX (1-2) and ALT 3-4 mix. With the PAN knob hard left, the signal will feed either MAIN OUT L (bus 1) or ALT OUTPUT L (bus 3), depending on the position of the ALT 3-4 switch. With the knob hard right, the signal feeds MAIN OUT R (bus 2) or ALT OUTPUT R (bus 4). CONSTANT LOUDNESS ! ! ! The 1202-VLZ PRO's PAN controls employ a design called "Constant Loudness." It has nothing to do with living next to a freeway. As you turn the PAN knob from left to right (thereby causing the sound to move from the left to the center to the right), the sound will appear to remain at the same volume (or loudness). If you have a channel panned hard left (or right) and reading 0dB, it must dip down about 4dB on the left (or right) when panned center. To do otherwise (the way Brand X compact mixers do) would make the sound appear much louder when panned center. 3-BAND EQ The 1202-VLZ PRO has 3band equalization at carefully selected points - LOW shelving at 80Hz, MID peaking at 2.5kHz, and HI shelving at 12kHz. "Shelving" means that the circuitry boosts or cuts all frequencies past the specified frequency. For example, rotating the 1202-VLZ PRO's LOW EQ knob 15dB to the right boosts bass starting at 80Hz and continuing down to the lowest note you never heard. "Peaking" means that certain frequencies form a "hill" around the center frequency - 2.5kHz in the case of the MID EQ. 19