Mackie Onyx 1640i Quick Start Guide - Page 13

Modification: Pre-EQ Aux Sends The pre-fader aux sends are post-EQ, so they are affected by the channel EQ controls. The circuit boards can be modified so the pre-fader aux sends are pre-EQ instead of post-EQ. For example, your stage monitors will not be affected by any channel EQ adjustments. This modification can be done by an authorized service center. Contact our technical support chaps for details. AUX RETURN 1-4 These 1/4" TRS stereo input connectors allow you to add the stereo processed output from external effects processors or other devices to the main mix. Adjust the level of the incoming signals with the aux return master controls. Alternatively, you can use these inputs to add any stereo line-level signals to your main mix, so it could be another line-level source, not just an effects processor. If you are connecting a mono source, use the left (mono) aux return input, and the mono signals will appear on both sides of the main mix. If the aux returns 3 send to main/subs button is up, the subs 1-2/3-4 button does absolutely nothing. Let's now assume it is pushed in. Aux return 3's stereo signal will not be sent to the main mix, but to the subgroup faders 1 and 2 (subs 1-2/3-4 button up) or to subgroup faders 3 and 4 (subs 1-2/3-4 button down). Let's say you've made a stereo drum submix on subgroup faders 1 and 2, so you can ride those two faders instead of the seven channels that the drums came from. Subgroup fader 1 has its assign to main mix left button engaged and subgroup fader 2 has its assign to main mix right button engaged, blending the drum submix back into the main mix. The drum channels are also sending signals to your reverb via the aux sends and the reverb outputs are patched into the aux return 3. Even though you could send aux return 3 directly to the main mix (aux return 3 send to main/subs button up), you don't want to. Instead, engage the aux return 3 send to main/subs switch and make sure the subs 1-2/3-4 switch is up. Now the reverb return is blended into the drum submix, and as you ride the two subgroup faders, the reverb level will follow. EFX TO MON Level Controls These controls route the signal from aux returns 1 and 2 to the aux 5 and 6 sends. This allows you to use an external effects device, like a reverb or delay, exclusively for the monitors. When these controls are turned up, the stereo effects return signal is summed to mono and combined with the signals coming from all the channel aux 5 and aux 6 send controls. If you want to add reverb or delay to the stage monitor mixes, these are the knobs for you. Operating independently of their respectively numbered aux returns level controls, these knobs are exactly the same as the aux 5 and aux 6 knobs found in the channel strip. These two knobs feed their respective stereo aux return signals to a mono summing amp and then: 'to aux 5' feeds 'aux return 1' to 'aux send 5' master, and 'to aux 6' feeds 'aux return 2' to 'aux send 6' master. They are off when fully turned down, and provide up to 10 dB gain turned fully up. RETURN 3 to MAIN/SUBS With this button up, aux return 3 behaves like the other aux returns - it delivers a stereo signal, regulated by its level knob, to the main mix. When you push this button in, the aux return 3 signals are removed from the main mix buses and sent to the subs 1-2/3-4 switch, which diverts the signal once more. Why do we want that? Because if you had just sent the reverb directly to the main mix (aux return 3 send to main/subs button up) and you did a drum fade-out using the subgroup faders 1 and 2, the "dry" signals would fade out, but the "wet" signals would continue on, defeating the purpose of the ever-important drum fade-out. All you would hear is the drum reverb (the "wet"), and none of the original drum signals (the "dry"). That is because the reverb is being fed by the channel's aux send, and they have no idea that you've pulled down the subgroup faders. That is why we included these switches. RETURN 4 to CR/PHONES When this button is up, aux return 4 is routed to the main mix bus, just as aux returns 1-3 are. When this button is down, the aux return 4 stereo signal is routed to the CR/phones matrix instead. It does not matter if any of the source buttons are assigned, but it will be interrupted, as usual, if a solo button is engaged. Let us pretend that you are doing a live mix to a computer, a house PA, or both, and you want to play along to a click track. You could run the click track directly into the main mix, but you do not want the computer or audience to hear it. Instead, it may be routed directly to the control room and phones outputs. Similarly, it may be used for voice-over tracks, narration, anything you want heard by the engineer and players but not by the audience and mixdown deck/computer. Quick Start Guide 13