Mackie ProFX12 Owner's Manual - Page 19

Owner's Manual Another way to consider low cut's function is that it actually adds flexibility during live performances. With the a­ ddition of low cut, you may safely use low EQ 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 r­ emoves all those problems so you can add low EQ without blowing the subwoofers. 3-BAND EQ The ProFX mixer has 3-band equalization at carefully selected points - low shelving at 80 Hz, mid peaking at 2.5 kHz, and high shelving at 12 kHz. "Shelving" means that the circuitry boosts or cuts all frequencies past the ­specified frequency. For example, rotating the low EQ knob 15 dB to the right boosts bass starting at 80 Hz and continuing down to the lowest note you never heard. "Peaking" means that certain f­requencies form a "hill" around the center ­frequency - 2.5 kHz in the case of the mid EQ. The following graphs of frequency vs. signal level show the approximate overall effect of EQ adjustment on the frequency range. 22. HI EQ This control gives you +15 up to 15 dB boost or cut +10 above 12 kHz, and it is flat +5 (no boost or cut) at the 0 -5 detent. Use it to add sizzle -10 to cymbals, and an overall -15 sense of transparency, or 20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz edge to keyboards, v­ ocals, Hi EQ guitar and bacon ­frying. Turn it down a little to reduce s­ ibilance, or to hide tape hiss. 23. MID EQ Short for "midrange," +15 this knob provides 15 dB +10 of boost or cut, centered at +5 2.5 kHz, also flat at the 0 -5 center detent. Midrange -10 EQ is o­ ften thought of as -15 the most dynamic, because 20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz the frequencies that define Mid EQ any particular sound are almost always found in this range. You can create many interesting and useful EQ changes by turning this knob down as well as up. 24. LOW EQ This control gives you up +15 to 15 dB boost or cut below +10 80 Hz. The circuit is flat at +5 the center detent position. 0 This frequency represents -5 -10 the punch in bass drums, -15 bass guitar, fat synth 20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz patches, and some really Low EQ serious male singers. +15 +10 Used in conjunction with +5 the low cut [21] switch, 0 you can boost the low EQ -5 without injecting a ton of subsonic debris into the mix. -10 -15 20Hz 100Hz 1kHz Low EQ with Low Cut 10kHz 20kHz MODERATION DURING EQ With EQ, things may be upset royally. We've designed a lot of boost and cut into each equalizer circuit, because we know everyone will occasionally need that. But if the EQs are maxed on every channel, the resulting mix is mush. Equalize subtly and use the left sides of the knobs (cut), as well as the right (boost). Very few platinum-record-album engineers ever use more than about 3 dB of EQ. If more than that is necessary, there's usually a better way to get it, such as placing a mic differently (or using a different kind of mic entirely). 25. AUX MON These knobs tap a portion of each channel's signal to set up a nice monitor mix feeding stage monitors, independent of the main mix. Adjust these controls on each channel until the band is happy with the stage monitor mix. The aux mon feed from hybrid and stereo channels is a mono sum of the left and right sides of these channels. The controls are off when turned fully down, deliver unity gain at the center detent, and can provide up to 15 dB of gain turned fully up. The channel fader [30], pan [27] and mute [29] do not affect the monitor output, but the other channel controls will. (The aux mon is pre-fader.) The monitor signal from the monitor output jack [12] is the sum (mix) of all the channels whose aux mon control is set to more than minimum. The overall output level may be adjusted with the monitor fader [46] and its EQ tweaked with the graphic EQ [36] if the main mix/mon switch [37] is pressed in. Internal FX may also be added to the monitor mix with the FX to mon knob [53]. Owner's Manual 19