Mackie 1402-VLZ Pro Owner's Manual - Page 18

OO OO OO U +15 U +15 U -15 +15 U -12 +12 U -15 +15 AUX 1 MON/ EFX 2 EFX EQ HI 12kHz MID 2.5kHz LOW 80Hz PAN LR 1 MUTE ALT 3-4 dB 10 SOLO 5 U 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 CHANNEL STRIP DESCRIPTION The ten channel strips look alike, and function identically. The only difference is that the six on the left are for individual mics or mono instruments and have more gain available, while the next four are for either stereo or mono line-level sources. (Each of the stereo channel strips is actually two complete circuits. The controls are linked together to preserve stereo.) We'll start at the bottom and work our way up... "U" LIKE UNITY GAIN Mackie mixers have a "U" symbol on almost every level control. This "U" stands for "unity gain," meaning no change in signal level. Once you have adjusted the input signal to linelevel , you can set every control at "U" and your signals will travel through the mixer at optimal levels. What's more, all the labels on our level controls are measured in decibels (dB), so you'll know what you're doing level-wise if you choose to change a control's settings. You won't have to check it here and check it there, as you would with some other mixers. In fact, some don't even have any reference to actual dB levels at all! Ever seen those "0-10" fader markings? We call these AUMs (Arbitrary Units of Measurement), and they mean nothing in the real world. You were smart - you bought a Mackie. FADER The FADER controls the channel's level... from off to unity gain at the "U" marking, on up to 10dB of additional gain. Channels 1-6 use mono controls, and channels 7-14 use stereo controls. SOLO This lovable switch allows you to hear signals through your headphones or control room without having to route them to the MAIN or ALT 3-4 mixes. Folks use solo in live work to preview channels before they are let into the mix, or to just check out what a particular channel is up to anytime during a session. You can solo as many channels at a time as you like. Solo is also the key player in the Level Setting Procedure . Your 1402-VLZ PRO has "Dual-Mode Solo." A switch in the master section determines 18 which mode you'll be hearing. With the switch up, you'll get "AFL" (After Fader Listen), which is post-FADER and post-PAN, making it ideal for mixdown soloing. With the switch down, you're in "PFL" (pre-fader listen) mode. This is the required mode for the Level Setting Procedure . Soloed channels are sent to the SOURCE mix , which ultimately feeds your CONTROL ROOM, PHONES and METERS. Whenever SOLO is engaged, all SOURCE selections (MAIN MIX, ALT 3-4 and TAPE) are defeated, to allow the soloed signal to do just that - solo! MUTE/ALT 3-4 The dual-purpose MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch is a Mackie signature. When Greg was designing our first product, he had to include a mute switch for each channel. Mute switches do just what they sound like they do. They turn off the signal by "routing" it into oblivion. "Gee, what a waste," Greg reasoned. "Why not have the mute button route the signal somewhere else useful...like a separate stereo bus?" So MUTE/ALT 3-4 really serves two functions - muting (often used during a mixdown or live show), and signal routing (for multi-track and 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 OUT LEFT and send it to tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7, and ALT OUT RIGHT 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