Mackie SR408 / SR568 Owner's Manual - Page 24

U -15 +15 U -15 +15 2.5k EQ HI 12k HI MID 700 6k FREQ 500 15k U -15 +15 250 LOW MID 70 700 FREQ 45 3k U -15 +15 LOW 80Hz HPF 150 EQ IN 75 220 45 350 FREQ 30 800 LR PAN 40 MUTE dB 5 1-2 U 3-4 5-6 5 7-8 CENTER L-R 50 60 OO SOLO FADER Point Before: MUTE . Point After: PAN , CENTER (ASSIGN) , DIRECT OUT , AUX (with PRE switch up), AFL CHANNEL METER . The Fader is almost the last control in a Channel's signal path. It's placed after the EQ and the MUTE controls but before the PAN control. The "U" mark, about three-quarters of the way up, indicates unity gain, meaning no increase or decrease of signal level. All the way up provides an additional 10dB, should you need to boost a section of a song. If you find that the overall level is too quiet or too loud with a Fader near unity, you'll want to confirm the trim setting by keeping an eye on the Channel Meter (with the METERING: INPUT SECTION PFL/AFL switch in the "up" position), or performing the Level-Setting Procedure . A CLEAN FADE Fader mechanics are not rocket science - a Fader operates by dragging a metal pin (the wiper) across a carbon-based strip (the track). Despite the elaborate dust barriers built into the SR40•8's Faders, it is still remotely possible for airborne crud to land on the track. Should that happen, you may hear scratchy noises or signal dropouts as the wiper stumbles over the crud. Do all you can to keep airborne crud out of your profession. Avoid smoking near the mixer, keep food and drink away from the mixer, and for pity's sake, never put the mixer in the kitchen! We also recommend "exercising" the Faders - give them a few full-travel excursions once a week or so, and that will help scare the crud away. We do not recommend spray cleaners. PAN Point Before: Channel Fader . Point After: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (assignment switches) , SOLO (in AFL mode) . PAN adjusts the amount of Channel signal sent to the left versus the right outputs. PAN determines the fate of the LEFT/RIGHT mix, Subgroups, and SOLO (in AFL mode). With the PAN knob hard left, the signal feeds the LEFT mix, SUBs 1, 3, 5 and 7, and the left AFL SOLO (assuming their assignment switches are engaged). With the PAN knob hard right, the signal feeds the RIGHT mix, SUBs 2, 4, 6, and 8, and the right AFL SOLO. With the PAN knob set somewhere in between left and right, the signal is divided between the left and right buses. Be aware: Since CENTER assignment occurs before the PAN control, it will receive the same level as the Fader output, regardless of the PAN position. With stereo sources your life will be easier if you follow this standard convention: When patching stereo sound sources into Channels, always plug the left signal into an "odd" Channel (1, 3, 5, etc.) and the right signal into the adjacent "even" Channel (2, 4, 6, etc.). Then PAN the odd Channel hard left and the even Channel hard right. CONSTANT LOUDNESS The SR40•8'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 left to center to right), you want the sound to move, but the volume (loudness) must stay the same. To accomplish this trick, the SR40•8 has a constant loudness pan circuit, meaning the signal level dips down about 4dB on each side when panned center. Without this trick, the sound would appear louder when panned center. 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, L-R (assignment switches) Point Before: PAN . Point After: LEFT/RIGHT mixes and SUB 1-8 mixes . Alongside each Channel Fader are five buttons labeled 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and L-R. These are collectively referred to as stereo assignment switches. 1, 3, 5, 7, and L are the left sides of these stereo pairs, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and R are the right sides. Used in conjunction with the Channel's PAN control, these switches determine the destination of a Channel's signal: With the PAN knob set at the center detent, the left and right sides receive equal signal levels. To feed only one side or the other, turn the PAN knob accordingly. If you're doing a conventional stereo mix (with no center Channel), simply engage the L-R switch on each Channel that you want to hear and they'll be sent to the main 24