Mackie 1640 33. SOLO LEVEL, 34. SOLO MODE, 32. RUDE SOLO Light, listening at all, “–10” (–10dBV=0.32 V) operating, Remember, PFL mode taps the chan

1640	The reason for this is because you want the meters to
	The reason for this is because you want the meters to
	reﬂect what the engineer is listening to, and as we’ve
	covered, the engineer is listening either to the CON-
ONYX	TROL ROOM outputs or the PHONES outputs. The only
	difference is that while the listening levels are con-
	trolled by the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES knobs, the
	trolled by the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES knobs, the
	meters indicate the SOURCE mix before those knobs,
	giving you the real facts at all times, even if you’re not
	listening at all.
	When a channel is soloed, the meters change to
	reﬂect the level of that channel’s signal level, pre- or
	post-fader, depending on the SOLO MODE [25] setting.
		You may already be an expert at the
		world of “+4” (+4 dBu=1.23 V) and
		“–10” (–10 dBV=0.32 V) operating
		levels. What makes a mixer one or
		the other is the relative 0 dB VU (or
		0 VU) chosen for the meters. A “+4”
	mixer, with +4 dBu pouring out the back will actually
	read 0 VU on its meters. A “–10” mixer, with a –10 dBV
	signal trickling out will read, you guessed it, 0 VU on its
	meters. So when is 0 VU actually 0 dBu? Right now!

especially handy at about 3 am when no sound is coming out of your monitors but your multitrack is playing back like mad.

33. SOLO LEVEL

The SOLO LEVEL control is used to adjust the volume of the solo’ed signal as it is routed to the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES outputs. This control is independent of, and prior to, the CONTROL ROOM and PHONES level controls.

This controls the solo signal level for both PFL and AFL solo modes (see next paragraph).

34. SOLO MODE

Engaging a channel’s SOLO switch will cause this

dramatic turn of events: Any existing SOURCE matrix selections are replaced by the SOLO signal, appearing at the CONTROL ROOM OUTPUTS, PHONES and at the RIGHT METER (LEFT and RIGHT METERS when in AFL SOLO MODE). The audible SOLO levels are then controlled by the CONTROL ROOM knob [20]. The

PHONES

LEFT RIGHT 0dB=0dBu

CLIP 28
10
7
4
2
0
2	LEVEL
	LEVEL
4	SET
4
7
10
20
30
RUDE
SOLO

MAX

SOLO

LEVEL

PFL

AFL

SOLO MODE

Mackie mixers show things as they really are. When 0 dBu (0.775 V) is at the outputs, it shows as 0 dB VU on the meters. What could be easier? By the way, the most wonderful thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.

Thanks to the Onyx 1640’s wide dynamic range, you can get a good mix with peaks ﬂashing anywhere between

–20 and +10 dB on the meters. Most ampli ﬁers clip at about +10 dBu, and some recorders aren’t so forgiving either. For best real-world results, try to keep your peaks between “0” and “+7.”

Remember, audio meters are just tools to help assure you that your levels are “in the ballpark.” You don’t have to stare at them (unless you want to).

32. RUDE SOLO Light

This large green LED ﬂashes on and off when a channel’s solo is active, as an additional reminder beyond the indicating LEDs next to each SOLO button.

If you work on a mixer that has a solo function with no indicator lights and you happen to forget you’re in solo mode, you can easily be tricked into thinking that something is wrong with your mixer. Hence, the RUDE SOLO light. It’s

SOLO levels appearing on the meters are not controlled by the CONTROL ROOM knob—you wouldn’t want that. You want to see the actual channel level on the meters regardless of how loud you’re listening.

With the SOLO MODE switch in the up position, you’re in PFL mode, meaning Pre-Fader Listen (post-EQ). This mode is required for the “Set the Levels” procedure and is handy for quick spot-checks of channels, especially ones that have their faders turned down.

With the switch down, you’re in AFL mode, meaning After-Fader Listen. You’ll hear the stereo output of the soloed channel—it will follow the channel’s GAIN, EQ, FADER and PAN settings. It’s similar to muting all the other channels, but without the hassle. Use AFL mode during mixdown.

In PFL mode, SOLO will not be affected by a channel’s MUTE switch position.Remember, PFL mode taps the chan-nel signal before the fader. If youhave a channel’s fader set way below“U” (unity gain), SOLO won’t know that and will send a unity gain signal

to the to the C-R OUTS, PHONES output, and meter dis- play. That may result in a startling level boost at these outputs when switching from AFL to PFL mode, depending on the position of the SOLO LEVEL knob [33].

ONYX 1640