Mackie Onyx 1220 Owner's Manual - Page 15

Owner's Manual 23. PHONES Knob This controls the volume at the PHONES output, from off (∞) to maximum gain (MAX). 24. LEFT/RIGHT Level Meters The Onyx 1220's peak meters are made up of two columns of twelve LEDs, with three colors to indicate different ranges of signal level, traffic light style. They range from -30 at the bottom, to 0 in the middle, to +20 (CLIP) at the top. The 0 LED in the middle is labeled LEVEL SET to show where the level should be when adjusting a channel's gain in the solo mode, as described in "Set the Levels" on page 5. If nothing is selected in the CONTROL ROOM/ PHONES SOURCE matrix (20) and no channels are in SOLO, the meters won't do anything. To display a signal level, a source must be selected in the CONTROL ROOM/PHONES SOURCE matrix, which feeds the CONTROL ROOM (48) and PHONES (42) outputs. The meters reflect the program level of the selected source prior to the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES level knobs. Thanks to the Onyx 1220's wide dynamic range, you can get a good mix with peaks flashing anywhere between -20 and +10 dB on the meters. Most amplifiers clip at about +10 dBu, and some recorders aren't so forgiving either. For best real-world results, try to keep your peaks between "0" and "+7." Remember, audio meters are just tools to help assure you that your levels are "in the ballpark." You don't have to stare at them (unless you want to). 25. RUDE SOLO Light This large green LED flashes on and off when a channel's solo is active, as an additional reminder beyond the indicating LEDs next to each SOLO button. If you work on a mixer that has a solo function with no indicator lights and you happen to forget you're in solo mode, you can easily be tricked into thinking that something is wrong with your mixer. Hence, the RUDE SOLO light. It's especially handy at about 3 am when no sound is coming out of your monitors but your multitrack is playing back like mad. Auxiliary Section The reason for this is because you want the meters to reflect what the engineer is listening to, and as we've covered, the engineer is listening either to the CONTROL ROOM outputs or the PHONES outputs. The only difference is that while the listening levels are controlled by the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES knobs, the meters indicated the SOURCE mix before those knobs, giving you the real facts at all times, even if you're not listening at all. When a channel is soloed, the meters change to reflect the level of that channel's signal level, pre-fader. You may already be an expert at the world of "+4" (+4 dBu=1.23 V) and "-10" (-10 dBV=0.32 V) operating levels. What makes a mixer one or the other is the relative 0 dB VU (or 0 VU) chosen for the meters. A "+4" mixer, with +4 dBu pouring out the back will actually read 0 VU on its meters. A "-10" mixer, with a -10 dBV signal trickling out will read, you guessed it, 0 VU on its meters. So when is 0 VU actually 0 dBu? Right now! Mackie mixers show things as they really are. When 0 dBu (0.775 V) is at the outputs, it shows as 0 dB VU on the meters. What could be easier? By the way, the most wonderful thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from. This section includes the AUX MASTERS (Sends) and the AUX RETURNS. These can be a bit confusing to the uninitiated, so here's the whole idea behind aux sends and returns: sends are outputs and returns are inputs. AUX SENDs tap signals off the channels, via the AUX knobs (13/14), mix these signals together, then send them out the AUX SEND jacks (38). These outputs are fed to the inputs of an external processor like a reverb or digital delay. From there, the outputs of this external device are fed back to the mixer's AUX RETURN jacks (39). Then these signals are sent through the AUX RETURN level controls (28), and finally delivered to the MAIN MIX (36). So, the original "dry" signals go from the channels to the MAIN MIX and the affected "wet" signals go from the AUX RETURNS to the MAIN MIX, and once mixed together, the dry and wet signals combine to create a glorious sound! They can also be used to provide another mix for stage monitors, for example. In this case, the AUX RETURNS aren't used to return the signal. Instead, they can be used as additional stereo inputs. Owner's Manual 15