At the risk of stating the obvious, this is where you plug everything in: microphones, line-level instruments and effects, headphones, and the ultimate destination for your sound: a tape recorder, PA system, etc. A few of the features described in this section are on top of the mixer, but most are out back on this “pod.”
See Appendix B (page 27) for further details and some rather lovely drawings of the connectors you can use with the 1604-VLZ3.
E-Z INTERFACE
Concerned about levels, balancing, imped- ances, polarity, or other interface goblins? Don’t be. On your 1604-VLZ3, you can patch anything almost anywhere, with nary a care. Here’s why:
•Every input and output is balanced (except insert, phones and RCA jacks).
•Every input and output will also accept unbal- anced lines (except XLR jacks when phantom power is on).
•Every input is designed to accept virtually any output impedance.
•The main left and right mix outputs can deliver 28 dBu into as low as a 600 ohm load.
•All the other outputs can deliver 22 dBu into as low as a 600 ohm load.
•All the outputs are in phase with the inputs.
All we ask is that you perform the Level-Setting Procedure every time you patch in a new sound source. So stop worrying and start mixing!
1. MIC INPUTS
We use phantom-powered, balanced microphone inputs just like the big studio mega-consoles, for exactly the same reason: This kind of circuit is excellent at rejecting hum and noise. You can plug in almost any kind of mic that has a standard XLR-type male mic con- nector.
Professional ribbon, dynamic, and condenser mics will all sound excellent through these inputs. The
1604-VLZ3’s mic inputs will handle any kind of mic level you can toss at them, without overloading. Be sure to perform the Level-Setting Procedure on page 3.
Not every instrument is made to connect directly to a mixer. Guitars commonly need a Direct Injection (DI) box to connect to the mixer's MIC inputs. These boxes convert unbalanced line-level signals from your guitar, into balanced mic-level outputs, and provide signal and impedance matching. They also let you send your gifted guitar renditions over long cables or audio snakes, with minimum interference or high-frequency signal loss. Ask your dealer or guitar maker about their recommendations for a good DI box.
PHANTOM POWER
Most modern professional condenser mics
are equipped for Phantom Power, which lets the mixer send low-current DC voltage to
the mic’s electronics through the same wires that carry audio. (Semi-pro condenser mics often have batteries to accomplish the same thing.) “Phantom” owes its name to an ability to be “unseen” by dynamic mics (Shure SM57/SM58, for instance), which don’t need external power and aren’t affected by it anyway.
The 1604-VLZ3’s phantom power is globally controlled by the PHANTOM [22] switch on the rear panel. (This means the phantom power for all channels is turned on and off together.)
Never plug single-ended (unbalanced) microphones, or ribbon mics into the MIC input jacks if phantom power is on.
Do not plug instrument outputs into the MIC input jacks with phantom power on unless you know for certain it is safe to do so.
