Mackie SR408 / SR568 Owner's Manual - Page 42

ULTRA MUTE™ AUTOMATION Almost every signal path in the SR40•8 and SR56•8 has an electronically-controlled MUTE switch, including all channels, MAIN AUX RETURNS (A1-A4), SUBS 1-8, AUX SEND MASTERS, and MATRIX A-D. Thanks to the on-board microprocessor-based ULTRA MUTE system, these MUTE switches can be activated in four different ways: • By pressing a signal path's local MUTE switch. • By assigning signal paths to one or more Mute Groups. There are 9 Sets of 10 Groups. Any combination of Groups (up to ten) within a Set can be in effect at any one time. Mute Groups allow you to mute related signals (e.g., horns, background vocals, drums) with the push of a button, and are useful in live sound when you need to mute groups of channels "on the fly." • By assigning signal paths to a Mute Snapshot. Snapshots differ from Mute Groups in that they take a "picture" of all MUTE switch settings at a given moment. Recalling a Snapshot causes all MUTE switch settings to revert to the setting they were in when the Snapshot was taken. Consequently, only one Snapshot may be in effect at a time. Snapshots are typically used in theatrical applications, where mute settings do not change within one cue, but do change from event to event, or scene to scene. • Via the MIDI or DATA jacks, any sequencer can be used to control complex muting cues. A sequencer is a computer program that is used to create and edit MIDI files. On playback, the sequencer does all the work. All mute nodes (except AUX RETURNS B1-B4, TAPE RETURNS A and B, and MONITOR) are accessible via MIDI or DATA using a Note On Channel Message for each signal path, where the note number corresponds to a mute node. Snapshots can be changed using Program Change Messages. Typical Applications From the board point of view: Group Mode works best to mute groups of instruments or voices. For example, within one Set you might assign all the drum mics to one Group, all the horns to another Group, background vocals to a third Group, keyboards to a fourth, and other electric instruments to a fifth (Group, that is!). In a show with several different bands performing, you can assign Set 1 to the first band, with 10 different Groups available for them, Set 2 to the second band, with 10 different Groups available for them, etc. Snapshot Mode works best with theater or choreographed acts where timing is essential, and the show is repeated in exactly the same manner. You can create a sequence of Snapshots that mute the unused microphones during each act or scene, and simply increment the Snapshot in ULTRA MUTE at each scene change. You can even automate this with a sequencer via the MIDI or DATA ports using Program Change messages. From a MIDI point of view: Use Note On Channel Messages to turn on and off mute nodes for individual channels. In addition, you can record mute sequences from the board into a sequencer, which can later be played back along with a band. Note Messages can also turn on and off Groups 0 - 9 within each Set. You might use a remote MIDI controller to turn Groups on and off from a remote location. Note: Set numbers can't be changed via MIDI, only the Group numbers within each Set. Use Program Change Messages to change Snapshots. INSERT RETURN SUB SUB 5 6 SUB 7 SUB 8 SEND 3 RETURN SEND 7 LINE IN SEND 4 RETURN SEND 8 MIC 25 DC POWER IN (MACKIE 400-WATT POWER SUPPLY !) MIDI IN MIDI OUT TALK BACK MIC PHANTOM POWERED INTERCOM DATA 42