L
R
S
75Hz
SUB OUT
MAIN OUT
MAIN
OUTPUT
LEVEL
R
+4 MIC
MAIN OUTS
L

Main Output Level Switch

Several compact mixer models are equipped with a switch that

attenuates the XLR main outputs by 30 dB, bringing them down

to approximately the level of a microphone. If you’re submixing

a group of instruments on stage (say a bunch of keyboards), by switching the output to MIC level,

you can send this submix back to the main mixer just as if it were

another microphone. It’s also handy for connecting to the one mic input they give you in the hotel meeting room.

Mono Output

Several Mackie mixers have a dedicated Mono output for those requirements that seem to pop up now and then, demanding a monaural mix of a painstakingly -created stereo panorama. The last thing you want to do is start twirling all your carefully-placed PAN settings to one side. What to do? Stick a cable in the MONO output, hand the other end to Mr. Mono, and you’re done. He’s got his mono mix and you’ve still got your stereo mix. The MONO output is nothing more than an equal mix of the left and right MAIN MIX outputs.

Mono Level Control

So, Mr. Mono comes running back, screaming about the level being so loud that his camcorder is melting. Just reach for this knob and turn it down a bit. Just the thing for sending mono signals to mic inputs like camcorders, telephone interface boxes, even answering machines.

Subwoofer (75 Hz) Output

The CFX series of mixers is

equipped with a unique feature – a mono output followed by a 3rd order 75 Hz low-pass filter. It sums the left

and right main outputs and removes everything but the deepest bass. Connect this output to a high- powered subwoofer, and the music

police will be right over. The level of the subwoofer output is fixed relative to the main outputs, so be sure that

your subwoofer amplifier (or powered

sub) has an adjustable input level for balancing the bass level.

MIXER ANATOMY: CHAPTER 2

Don’t confuse this subwoofer output with its similarly named neighbors, the SUB (subgroup) outputs.

Tape Outputs

These unbalanced RCA jacks tap the MAIN MIX outputs to make simultaneous recording and sound reinforcement more convenient. They’re also handy for interfacing consumer recorders or semi-pro computer sound cards.

Direct Outputs

The 1/4" jacks on the 1604-VLZ PRO, 1642-VLZ PRO, and 8-Bus, deliver the signal from nearly the tail end of the channel path: post-TRIM, post-EQ, post-LOW CUT, post-fader, and post-MUTE.

The Onyx mixers also have direct outputs, but they’re a bit different, both in form and function, and they’re labeled RECORDING OUTS. Rather than using separate 1/4" jacks, these mixers use 25-pin D Subminiature (D-Sub) connectors, providing eight fully balanced direct outputs on each connector. The direct outputs on the Onyx series are more truly “direct,” coming straight from the mic preamp stage (which also incorporates the instrument and line in- puts). These outputs are unaffected by the equalizer or fader settings and are designed for the cleanest recording of the direct microphone signal.

Optional for the Onyx is a FireWire® (IEEE-1394) card, which provides direct outputs in digital format. This is great for recording your live gigs with a laptop computer.

Not all compact mixer models have direct outputs. Some have direct outputs on only the lower-numbered channels, and only the 8-Bus and Onyx have a DIRECT output on every channel.

Direct outputs are useful for sending the channel straight to a track of a multitrack recorder. A direct output can also be used to send a single channel’s signal to an effects processor without using up an Auxiliary send.

 

 

Compact Mixer Reference Guide

21