Mackie CFX12.mkII Owner's Manual - Page 14

OO U EQ HI 12k -15 +15 U MID -15 +15 600 150 1.5k FREQ 100 8k U LOW 80Hz -15 +15 PAN LR 11 MUTE ASSIGN dB 10 1-2 5 3-4 U 5 10 20 30 40 SOLO 50 PFL 60 PAN PAN adjusts the amount of channel signal sent, left versus right, to the SUB OUTs (and ultimately the MAIN OUTs via the SUB ASSIGN switches). On mono channels, the knob places the signal somewhere between hard left and hard right. On stereo channels, it works like the balance control on your home stereo, by attenuating one side or the other. With the PAN knob hard left, the signal will feed SUB 1 and SUB 3 (assuming the channel's ASSIGN switches are engaged). With the PAN knob hard right, the signal will feed SUB 2 and SUB 4 (assuming the channel's ASSIGN switches are engaged). With the PAN knob set somewhere in between, the signal will be shared across both sides of the mix. MUTE When you engage a channel's mute switch, its signal disappears from these outputs: MAIN OUT , MAIN INSERT , SUB OUT 1-4 , AUX SEND 1 & 2 , EFX SEND 1 & 2 (including the send to the EMAC EFFECTS PROCESSOR ). The only thing it doesn't mute is the channel's SOLO PFL switch, so you can audition channels, via headphones, without sending them to the main mix. ASSIGN Used in conjunction with the PAN knob, ASSIGN determines the final destination of a channel's signal. Engaging ASSIGN 1-2, for instance, sends that channel's signal to the SUB 1 and 2 Faders and, via their SUB ASSIGN switches, the MAIN MIX Fader . Typically, ASSIGN 1-2 will be engaged on all channels destined for the main mix. By configuring SUB 1 and 2 to feed the main mix, the channel ASSIGN 1-2 switches become the equivalent of being "Main Mix" switches. Some channels can use ASSIGN 3-4 instead; creating a submix for a set of channels (all the drum channels, for instance). Then, by configuring SUB 3 and 4 to also feed the main mix, you can "ride" the SUB 3 and 4 Faders independently of the rest of the mix. SUB Faders , SUB ASSIGN , and MAIN MIX Fader will explain this further. FADER nal. Subtle adjustment of the channels' fader positions is the key to a finely-tuned mix. Typically (providing the GAIN knob is set correctly) the fader position will be positioned somewhere between 0 dB ("U") and -30 dB. If you have a fader set all the way up, adding 10 dB of gain, that's usually a sign that your GAIN knob is set too low. Conversely, if the fader is set way down, your GAIN may be set too high. "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 line-level, 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. SOLO PFL Engaging a channel's SOLO switch causes this dramatic turn of events: The PHONES and Meters , which ordinarily receive the main mix signals, instead receive the SOLO PFL signal. PFL, being a mono signal, is sent to both sides of the PHONES outputs and to the LEFT meter. Additionally, the RUDE SOLO LED flashes obnoxiously to remind you that "you're in solo." The SOLO PFL signal is tapped before the channel's MUTE and Fader controls. It does, however, follow GAIN , LOW CUT , and EQ settings, making it the perfect tool for quick inspections of individual or multiple channels. The channel's PAN , MUTE and Fader settings have no effect on the SOLO signal. See RUDE SOLO for more information. WARNING: Pre-fader SOLO taps the channel signal before the fader . If you have a channel's fader set well below "U" (unity gain), SOLO won't know that and will send a unity gain signal to the PHONES output. That may result in a startling level boost in your headphones. Although the most self-explanatory item on a mixer, we'll explain it anyway: The fader is the master level control for the channel's sig- 14