Unless you know for certain it is safe to do

so, never plug single-ended (unbalanced) microphones, instruments, ribbon mics, or electronic devices into the MIC [1] input jacks if the

phantom power is on.

2. LINE INPUTS

These 1/4" jacks share circuitry (but not phantom power) with the mic preamps. You can use these inputs for virtually any signal you’ll come across, from instrument levels as low as –50 dB to operating levels of –10 dBV to +4 dBu, as there is 45 dB of gain available via the GAIN [3] knob. Note that channels 1-8 line inputs are intially attenuated by 15 dB.

Always be sure to perform the Level-Setting Procedure (page 3) when you connect a new input.

To learn how signals are routed from these inputs, see the details lovingly described in the Channel Strip section.

To connect balanced lines to these inputs, use a 1/4" tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) plug, the type found on some stereo headphones:

Tip = positive (+ or hot) Ring = negative (– or cold) Sleeve = shield or ground

To connect unbalanced lines to these inputs, use a 1/4" mono (TS) phone plug or standard instrument cable:

Tip = signal (+) Sleeve = ground

 

3. GAIN

 

These controls are not in the patchbay, but

3

they are the top row of knobs in the channel

strip section. (They are so vitally linked with

 

the inputs, this seemed like a good place to

 

describe them.)

Every time you plug something into a

MIC [1] or LINE [2] input jack, you should

perform the Level-Setting Procedure, and that

procedure is basically “how to use the GAIN

knob.”

GAIN adjusts the input sensitivity of the

MIC and LINE inputs. This allows signals

from the outside world to be adjusted to

­optimal internal operating levels.

Through the XLR jack (MIC), there will be 0 dB of gain with the knob fully down, ramping to 60 dB of gain fully up.

Through the 1/4" input (LINE), there is 15 dB of attenuation fully down and 45

dB of gain fully up, with unity gain (U) at 10:00.

This 15 dB of attenuation can be very handy when you are inserting a signal that is very hot, or you want to add a lot of EQ gain, or both. Without this “virtual pad,” a scenario like this might lead to channel clipping.

The GAIN controls for stereo channels 9-10 and 11-12 are only used to adjust the Mic inputs. The line inputs are set to unity gain.

The GAIN controls for channels 13-14 and 15-16 only adjust the line-level inputs, as they have no Mic inputs.

4. INSERT

Found only on channels 1–8, these 1/4" unbalanced jacks are for connecting serial effects processors such as compressors, equalizers, de-essers, or filters. The insert point is after the GAIN [3] control, but before the channel’s EQ [32], LOW CUT [34], FADER [25] and MUTE [30] controls.

Insert cables must be wired thusly:

 

ring

 

SEND to processor

“tip”

tip

(TRS plug)

 

sleeve

 

 

This plug connects to one of the

RETURN from processor“ring”

mixer’s Channel Insert jacks.

Tip = send (to effects device input)

Ring = return (from effects device output) Sleeve = common ground

Even though channels 1–8 already have DIRECT OUT

[5]jacks, INSERT jacks can also be used as channel direct outputs (as they are post-GAIN, pre-EQ, pre-LOW CUT, pre-FADER, and pre-MUTE).

Appendix B, page 27 has a lovely diagram (Figure F) showing three ways you can use the INSERT jacks.

Owner’s Manual

Manual Owner’s