Yamaha PM4000 Owner's Manual (image) - Page 113

On the other hand, if one "pulls down" the conventional Group Master Fader in the first example above, the level of the double-assigned input will only drop 3 dB, whereas pulling down a VCA Master Fader will completely kill any input channel assigned to that VCA group. Ultimately, the selection of VCA or conventional Group Master Fader assignments should be dictated by the specific requirements of the application. 7.2.3 Using The Channel Insert In Jack as a Line Input The input channel INSERT IN jacks [102] are electronically balanced, line level inputs that come after the channel PAD switch and GAIN control. These jacks may be used to accommodate any balanced or unbalanced +4 dBu nominal line input source. Why would one want to use the 1/4" phone jack INSERT IN rather than the XLR channel input? There are several possibilities. Certainly, the most obvious is that if the input source is equipped with a +4 dBu phone jack output, then the INSERT IN jack enables a standard phone plug-to-phone plug cable to be used without any adaptor. However, the INSERT IN jack also can save time. If the PM4000 is being used for recording work, then tape machine returns (playback from the tape recorder) can be plugged into the INSERT IN jacks, while microphones or other line level sources can be plugged into the channel XLRs. When recording the basic tracks, the channels' PAD switches and GAIN controls can be set, as needed, for the various input sources. When playing back the multitrack tape, the PAD switches and GAIN controls need not be readjusted; instead, simply engage the channel INSERT ON switches [16] to select the tape returns. The same concept applies where the console is used for multiple stage setups (as in subsequent scenes in a theatrical presentation, or different sets for a live musical show). Provided one of the sources is a +4 dBu line level source, it can be connected to the INSERT IN, and the other mic or line level source can be connected to the channel XLR; the INSERT switch then permits instantaneous selection of one or the other input source without need to disconnect and connect cables. NOTE: The INSERT IN/OUT point on mono input modules is after the channel EQ unless the INSERT PRE switch is engaged [15]. Stereo input modules do not have this switch, and are shipped with the insert point being post-EQ. Internal jumpers on the each stereo input module can be moved to change this to a pre-EQ insert point, as explained in Section 6.5. 7.2.4 Understanding and Using The Mix Matrix The PM4000 Mix Matrix consists of 11 smaller mix level controls [28][29][30] and one larger MTRX MASTER control [31] on each of the eight Master Modules. These 96 controls can be thought of as a small mixer within the larger console. In general, the matrix is used to create different output mixes from the same set of mixing busses. The matrix is considerably more convenient and less costly than actually using an external line mixer, and in the case of the PM4000, it is more flexible as well. Let's "walk through" the PM4000 mix matrix. Each matrix "channel" (a vertical row of controls) is identical. All the Group busses (1-8), plus the Stereo bus (L & R) are mixed to a mono signal using the individual matrix mix level controls. Additionally, there is a SUB IN control which adds a signal from the correspondingly numbered MTRX SUB IN connector [110] to the matrix channel mix. The overall level of the mix of these 11 sources can be adjusted with the MTRX MASTER control. If you examine the block diagram of the matrix provided in Figure 7-3 (next page), you will see that the level adjustments made in one channel of the matrix affect only that matrix output. They do not affect levels in any other matrix channel, nor do they affect any other console outputs. On the other hand, assuming the signals are fed to the matrix after the Stereo Master Fader [58] and after the Group Master Faders [42] (which is how the PM4000 is supplied from the factory), then adjustments of the Group and Stereo bus output levels will affect the levels applied to the matrix. NOTE: The signal fed from each Group bus to the matrix is factory wired so that it is derived after the Group Master Fader. A slide switch in each Master Module may be reset so that the feed to the matrix is derived ahead of the Group Master Fader (see section 6.12). In that case, the Group Master Fader setting would not affect the matrix levels. Similarly, the signal fed from the Stereo bus to the matrix is factory wired so that it is derived after the Stereo Master Faders. A pair of slide switches in the Stereo module may be reset to derive signal ahead of the L and R Stereo Master Faders (see Section 6.13) in which case those Faders would not affect matrix levels. The eight matrix channels can be used to create eight different 11:1 mono mixes, or they may be used to create four different 11:2 stereo mixes, or any combination of mono and stereo mixes. These multiple mixes can be used for a variety of purposes, depending on the application. Page 7-7