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2.Control Elements and Connectors

This chapter describes the various control elements of your mixing console. All controls, switches and connectors will be discussed in detail.

2.1 Mono channels

2.1.1 Microphone and line inputs
Fig. 2.1: Connectors and controls of mic/line inputs
MIC

Each mono input channel offers a balanced microphone input via the XLR connector and also features switchable

+48 V phantom power supply for condenser microphones. The XENYX preamps provide undistorted and noise-free gain as is typically known only from costly outboard preamps.

◊Please mute your playback system before you activate the phantom power supply to prevent switch-on thumps being directed to your loudspeakers­. Please also note the instructions in chapter 2.4.2“Voltage supply, phantom power and fuse”.

LINE IN

Each mono input also features a balanced line input on a ¼" connector. Unbalanced devices (mono jacks) can also be connected to these inputs.

XENYX 1204USB/X1204USB User Manual

COMPRESSOR

Each mono channel features a built-in compressor which lowers the dynamic range of the signal and increases its perceived loudness. The loud peaks are squashed down and the quiet sections are boosted.

Turn the COMP knob clockwise to add more compression effect. The adjacent LED with light when the effect is engaged.

2.1.2 Equalizer

All mono input channels include a 3-band equalizer. All bands provide boost or cut of up to 15 dB. In the central position, the equalizer is inactive.

The circuitry of the British EQs is based on the technology used in the best-known top-of-the-line consoles and providing a warm sound without any unwanted side effects. The result are extremely musical equalizers which, unlike simple equalizers, cause no side effects such as phase shifting or bandwidth limitation, even with extreme gain settings of ±15 dB.

Fig. 2.2: The equalizer of the input channels

The upper (HI) and the lower band (LO) are shelving filters that increase or decrease all frequencies above or below their cut-off frequency. The cut-off frequencies of the upper and lower band are 12 kHz and 80 Hz respectively. The mid band is configured as a peak filter with a center frequency of 2.5 kHz.

2.1.3 Aux sends

XENYX 1204USB/X1204USB User Manual

volume in a channel corresponds to the position of the channel fader. If this were not the case, the effects signal of the channel would remain audible even when the fader is turned to zero. When setting up a monitor mix, the aux sends are generally switched to pre-fader; i.e. they operate independently of the position of the channel fader.

Both aux sends are mono, are sourced after the equalizer and offer up to +15 dB gain.

◊If you press the MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch, aux send

1 is muted, provided that it is switched post-fader. However, this does not affect the aux send 2 of the X1204USB.

AUX 1 (MON)

In the X1204USB, aux send 1 can be switched pre-fader and is thus particularly suitable for setting up monitor mixes.

In the 1204USB, the first aux send is labeled MON and is permanently switched pre-fader.

PRE
When the PRE switch is pressed, aux send 1 is sourced pre-fader.
AUX 2 (FX)

The aux send labeled FX is for sending to effects devices and is thus set up to be post-fader.

In the X1204USB, the FX send is routed directly to the built-in effects processor.

◊If you wish to use the internal effects processor, the STEREO AUX RETURN 2 connectors should not be in use.

◊X1204USB: you can also connect an external effects processor to aux send 2, however the internal effects module will be muted.

2.1.4 Routing switch, solo and channel fader

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PAN

The PAN control determines the position of the channel signal within the stereo image. This control features a constant-power characteristic, which means the signal is always maintained at a constant level, irrespective of position in the stereo panorama.

MUTE/ALT 3-4

You can use the MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch to divert the channel from the main mix bus to the Alt 3-4 bus. This mutes the channel from the main mix.

MUTE-LED

The MUTE LED indicates that the relevant channel is diverted to the submix (Alt 3-4 bus).

CLIP-LED

The CLIP LED lights up when the input signal is driven too high. In this case, turn down the GAIN control and, if necessary, check the setting of the channel EQ.

SOLO

The SOLO switch (X1204USB only) is used to route the channel signal to the solo bus (Solo In Place) or to the PFL bus (Pre Fader Listen). This enables you to monitor a channel signal without affecting the main output signal. The signal you hear is sourced either before (PFL, mono) or after (solo, stereo) both the pan control and the channel fader (see chapter 2.3.6“Level meters and monitoring”).

The channel fader determines the level of the channel signal in the main mix (or submix).

2.2 Stereo channels

2.2.1 Channel inputs

ENGLISH

◊Please remember that you can only use either the microphone or the line input of a channel at any one time. You can never use both simultaneously!

LOW CUT

The mono channels of the mixing consoles have a high-slope LOW CUT filter for eliminating unwanted low-frequency signal components (75 Hz, 18 dB/octave).

GAIN

Use the TRIM control to adjust the input gain. This control should always be turned fully counterclockwise whenever you connect or disconnect a signal source to one of the inputs.

Fig. 2.3: The AUX SEND controls in the channel strips

Aux sends take signals via a control from one or more channels and sum these signals to a so-called bus. This bus signal is sent to an aux send connector and then routed, for example, to an active monitor speaker or an external effects device. The return from an external effect can then be brought back into the console via the aux return connectors.

For situations which require effects processing, the aux sends are usually switched post-fader so that the effects

Fig. 2.5: Stereo channel inputs and LEVEL switch

Each stereo channel has two balanced line level inputs on ¼" connectors for left and right channels. If only the connector marked“L”is used, the channel operates in mono. Stereo channels are designed to handle typical line level signals.

Both inputs can also be used with unbalanced jacks.
LEVEL
For level matching, the stereo inputs feature a LEVEL switch

Fig. 2.4: Panorama and routing controlswhich selects between +4 dBu and -10 dBV. At -10 dBV (home-recording level), the input is more sensitive than at +4 dBu (studio level).