Microphones

Connect your microphones to the female XLR connectors on mono channels 1-8. The microphone preamps feature our Onyx design, with super high fidelity and headroom. Professional ribbon, dynamic, and condenser mics all sound excellent through these inputs. Microphone-level signals are passed through these splendid microphone preamplifiers to become line-level signals.

48V PHANTOM POWER

Press the 48V phantom power switch if your microphones need it. Most modern professional condenser mics require 48 V phantom power, which lets the mixer send low-current DC voltage to the mic’s electronics through the same wires that carry audio.

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 XLR input jacks with phantom power on, unless you are certain it is safe to do so.

LOW CUT

Mono channels 1-8 each have a low-cut switch that cuts bass frequencies below 75 Hz of the mic and line inputs. This will reduce any thumps and bangs due to stage noise and rumble, and mic handling.

We recommend that you use low-cut on every microphone application except kick drum, bass guitar, or bassy synth patches.

Using the low cut switch also allows you to add some bass EQ to your vocals without boosting the really-low lows.

EQUALIZATION

Mono channels 1-8 have a 4-band EQ, with shelving- low, shelving-high, and peaking-high-mid and low-mid. The frequency of the low-mid can be adjusted from 100 Hz to 2 kHz, and the high-mid from 400 Hz to 8 kHz.

This loving attention to detail in the mid EQ section is ideal for vocal equalization, so you might consider using channels 1-8 for your main vocal microphones.

INSERTS

Channels 1-8 have insert jacks on the rear panel. These allow you to send the mic and line signals out to an external device, and back in again on the same connector. For example, vocals benefit from having an external vocal compressor. Use standard 1/4" TRS "insert" connectors, where tip=send, ring=return, and sleeve=ground.

SETTING THE MICROPHONE GAIN

The gain controls allow you to set your input signals to an optimum level: not so hot that the mixer is overloaded, and not so low that the signal is lost in noise. For a signal entering the XLR mic inputs, the adjustment range is from 0 to 60 dB. Use the following procedure for setting the gain just right:

1.Press the solo switch at the bottom of the channel your microphone is connected to. The flashing rude solo light is a reminder that what you are listening to in the control room and headphones, and shown on the main right meter is the soloed channel.

2.Make sure the solo mode switch is in the PFL (pre-fader listen) position (out). This is just below the rude solo light.

3.Sing/talk/shout/scream into the microphone at typical loudness levels.

4.Adjust the channel gain control until the right main meter level is hovering around the 0 dB mark (labeled "level set").

5.Now that the gain is set correctly, disengage the solo switch.

6.During a performance, if you notice that the OL (overload) LED comes on next to the channel fader, carefully decrease the gain until OL no longer comes on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inserts

XLR Mic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inputs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low Cut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gain 48V

48V

48V

48V

 

48V

48V

48V

48V

 

48V

 

 

Level

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set

EQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mode

 

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

 

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

MUTE

OL Led

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solo

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

 

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

SOLO

8Onyx 1620i