Mackie 802-VLZ4 Owners Manual - Page 13

Owner's Manual 5. Low Cut (Channels 1-3) Each low-cut switch, often referred to as a high-pass filter (all depends on how you look at it), cuts bass frequencies below 100 Hz at a rate of 18 dB per octave. We recommend that you use low-cut on e­ very microphone application except kick drum, bass guitar, or bassy synth patches. These aside, there isn't much down there that you want to hear, and filtering it out makes the low stuff you do want much more crisp and tasty. Not only that, but low-cut can help reduce the possibility of feedback in live situations, and it helps to conserve amplifier power. Effects: Serial or Parallel? The next sections toss the terms "serial" and "parallel" around like hacky sacks. Here's what we mean by them: "Serial" means that the entire signal is routed through the effects device. Examples: compressor/limiters, graphic equalizers. Line-level sources may be patched through a serial effects device before or after the mixer, or preferably through the insert jacks [4]. Insert Send Dry Signal Signal Processor (e.g., Compressor) Insert Return Processed Signal Another way to consider low-cut's function is that it actually adds flexibility during live performances. With the ­addition of low-cut, you can safely use low equalization on vocals. Many times, bass shelving EQ can really benefit voices. Trouble is, adding low EQ also boosts stage rumble, mic handling clunks and breath pops. Applying low-cut ­removes all those problems, so you can add low EQ without losing a woofer. 6. Instrument Switch (Channels 1-2) Press these in if you want to connect a guitar or other instrument-level source directly to the line inputs of channels 1 and 2. You will not need a DI box, and your guitar will perform flawlessly (well, as long as your playing is that way). 7. Gain (Channels 1-3) If you haven't already, please read the getting started section on page 5. The gain knobs for channels 1 and 2 adjust the input sensitivity of the mic and line inputs. This allows signals from the outside world to be adjusted to optimal internal operating levels. The gain control for channel 3 just affects the channel 3 mic input only. "Parallel" means that a portion of the signal in tphreocmesixsSeeAIeSndrunsexdeniardstntdaprSpeigtneaudl rPrnoocfeefsdstootrothtRheeARIetneudustxreumenrrtnviixceer (aux SOseuecttpniuodtn ), (stereo return) to be mixed with thS(eeig.gn.o,aRlrPeirvgoecriben)ssaorl "dry" sWiegtnSiagnla.l This way, mDurylStiigpnalle channe(el.sg.,cCoamnpreaslslorm) ake use of the ­device. ExampleChsa:nnreel Pvaethrb, digital delay. same Mix Stage ePfrPofrceoSecicsgesnsteassdled Signal Dry Signal(s) Dry Signal(s) Aux Aux Output Send Return Section Signal Processor (e.g., Reverb) Wet Signal Dry Signal(s) Channel Path Mix Stage Dry Signal(s) Processed Signal 8. Stereo Return This is where you connect the outputs of your parallel effects devices. They can also be used as an extra pair of stereo line inputs if you have a lot of synths for example. These balanced inputs are similar to the stereo line in [3] inputs (only without EQ, aux sends, pan, mute, and solo). The circuits will handle stereo or mono, balanced or unbalanced signals. They can be used with just about any pro or semipro ­effects ­device on the market. The signals coming into these inputs can be adjusted using the stereo return [38] knob before passing onto the main mix bus (see page 21 for more details). If the signal originates through the XLR jack, there will be 0 dB of gain with the knob fully down, ramping to 60 dB of gain fully up. Through the 1⁄4" input (ch 1 and 2 only), there is 20 dB of a­ ttenuation fully down and 40 dB of gain fully up, with a "U" (unity gain) mark at 10:00. This 20 dB of a­ ttenuation can be very handy when you are i­nserting a very hot signal, or when you want to add a lot of EQ gain, or both. Without this ­"virtual pad," this s­ cenario might lead to channel clipping. If you have an effects device with a mono output (one cord), plug that into s­ tereo return, left/mono, and leave stereo return, right, unplugged. This way the signal will be sent to both sides, magically appearing in the center as a mono signal. 9. Alt 3-4 Outs These 1⁄4" outputs are the sum of any channels that have the mute/alt 3-4 [23] switch pressed in (see page 16 for the tender details). The outputs are TRS 1/4" and may be connected to balanced or unbalanced lines. For example, you can use these to feed a recorder, and just record individual channels by pressing their mute/alt 3-4 switches one at a time. Owner's Manual 13