Getting reverb into the monitors is a little more involved, since there is no return assignment switch to MIX-B. You have three choices:

•Assign MIX-B to L/R Mix in the MIX-B master section. Then, select L/R Mix as your only source in the monitor section. Finally, use Stereo AUX Returns 1-6 to bring the reverb into the L/R Mix buses. Make sure that none of the channel L/R switches are engaged. There is no disadvantage to this patch, unless you are already using the L/R Mix buses for some other function.

•Patch the returns into unused tape returns, using the Tape In jacks on the rear of the console. Then route them into MIX-B, just as if they were additional tape tracks.

RECORDING

• Patch the returns into unused channel strips,

 

using the Line In jacks. Then you can route

 

the reverb anywhere your heart desires.

Let’s Record!

Here’s one way to set the board up (another option is shown in the hook-up drawings…either works just fine):

Kick Drum ............

to Channel 1 .........

Direct Out to Track 1

Snare Drum ..........

to Channel 2 ...........

Direct Out to Track 2

Cymbals Left .........

to Channel 3 ...........

Bus 3 to Track 3

Cymbals Right .......

to Channel 4 ...........

Bus 4 to Track 4

Tom 1 .....................

to Channel 6 ...........

panned between Buses 3 & 4 to Tracks 3 & 4

Tom 2 .....................

to Channel 7 ...........

panned between Buses 3 & 4 to Tracks 3 & 4

Tom 3 .....................

to Channel 8 ...........

panned between Buses 3 & 4 to Tracks 3 & 4

Bass Amp ...............

to Channel 9 ...........

Bus 5 to Track 5

Bass Direct ............

to Channel 10 .........

Bus 5 to Track 5

Scratch Vocal .........

to Channel 11 .........

Direct Out to Track 11

Guitar near ...........

to Channel 12 .........

Bus 6 to Track 6

Guitar far ..............

to Channel 13 .........

Bus 6 to Track 6

Piano L ..................

to Channel 14 .........

Bus 7 to Track 7

Piano R ..................

to Channel 15 .........

Bus 8 to Track 8

Trombone I ............

to Channel 16 .........

panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10

Trombone II ...........

to Channel 17 .........

panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10

Flugelhorn .............

to Channel 18 .........

panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10

Trumpet .................

to Channel 19 .........

panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10

Your monitoring and cue signals come from the MIX-B inputs corresponding to the tape tracks:

Kick ..................

Track 1 ..............

Tape Return 1 ............

MIX-B

Snare ................

Track 2 ..............

Tape Return 2 ............

MIX-B

Drums L ...........

Track 3 ..............

Tape Return 3 ............

MIX-B

Drums R ..........

Track 4 ..............

Tape Return 4 ............

MIX-B

Bass ..................

Track 5 ..............

Tape Return 5 ............

MIX-B

Guitar ..............

Track 6 ..............

Tape Return 6 ............

MIX-B

Piano L ............

Track 7 ..............

Tape Return 7 ............

MIX-B

Piano R ............

Track 8 ..............

Tape Return 8 ............

MIX-B

Horns L ............

Track 9 ..............

Tape Return 9 ............

MIX-B

Horns R ............

Track 10 ............

Tape Return 10 ..........

MIX-B

Scratch Vocal ...

Track 11 ............

Tape Return 11 ..........

MIX-B

At this point, your recording should pretty well take care of itself. Keep on top of the play- ers: be sure they’re in tune, keep them tight. You’ll have great tracks before midnight.

Overdub, Anyone?

See the OVERDUB drawings on page 30 and 31. Once you’ve got your basic tracks down, take a moment and log all your settings, right down to

headphone sends and outboard compressor thresholds. You may be back next week doing it all over again, and you won’t remember it all. It seems some engineers use a camera for this step, but our Polaroids never come out that well.

One easy way to do this is to copy the 8•Bus panel layouts from the end of the manual and mark your settings on them in color.

Now, normal all the channel inputs and EQs and sends—anything that does not affect your MIX-B monitor and cue submix. Do not change the FLIP switch settings yet.

Then, pick a convenient input channel or two and use them as your input for overdubs. As you record on different tracks, just reassign the bus outputs from the channels, no sweat. Remember, with the triple busing feature, explained in Section 2 (“Submaster/Tape Outputs”), you won’t have to repatch anything to feed up to a 24-track recorder. And your monitor mix and cue mix haven’t changed. At the end of the night, you can run the monitor mix into a cassette or DAT and take a rough mix home.

If you’re going to do your final mix right away, you have another option during overdubbing. First, pick an input channel for your overdub mics beyond the number of tape tracks you have. If you have a 16-Track, choose channels 17 and

18.These will be your inputs, which you will then assign to open tape tracks for the overdubs. Now, push the FLIP buttons on channels 1-16. This will bring the Tape Inputs into the main channel faders, and you can begin working on your mix while you monitor on the L/R Bus. Headphones can still be fed via the AUX Send of your choice, or by assigning monitor to the phones. When you’re done overdubbing, your mix is ready.

MIXING OVERVIEW

See the MIXDOWN drawings on pages 32 and 33. Recording and overdubbing require care from

the recording engineer, but the focus really has to be on the performances. It’s important to get a good sound, but it’s more important to keep the musicians really in it, keep the pace up, be ready to snag that killer track when it happens.

Good mixing, however, focuses solely on the engineer and requires an emphasis on precision and meticulous setup. Creatively, you must blend the tracks so they at least sound like music again; technically, you must take into account

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