Mackie d.4 Pro FireWire stream from computer, Timecode Vinyl/ CD

			FireWire to computer
			FW OUT
	CD			FW OUT
	L			SWITCH
	R		LINE/PHONO
		LINE/PHONO SWITCH
		(SET TO PHONO)	PGM1
	LINE/PHONO		LEVEL			wet
					L
	L	PHONO
			LO MID	HI
		PREAMP			VCA	dry
							wet
	R				R
		PHONO					dry
			3-BAND EQ
		PREAMP
TURNTABLE WITH	FireWire Inputs
	1		SOURCE
PHONO-LEVEL
			SWITCH	PGM1
OUTPUT
	2		(SET TO	METER
			FIREWIRE)

Figure 1: FireWire output to your computer from a turntable

CUE

Wet = 100% to Aux, 0% to Main Mix

Dry = 0% to Aux, 100% to Main Mix

		FILTER X			ON
					OFF
	BP	LP	FREQ	Q
					BUMP
FILT X	HP	OFF
PGRM
FILT Y					ON
	BP	LP	FREQ	Q	OFF
					BUMP
	HP	OFF

FILTER Y

Manual Owner’s

switches takes it out via FireWire to your computer. You can use the source switch to select FireWire or a CD to play into this program channel without upsetting the phono FireWire output (see dashed lines in figure 1). This would be the way to play a timecode record. While on the subject, I feel a paragraph or two coming on...

Timecode Vinyl/ CD

Timecode vinyl is a conventional vinyl record that plays timecode information, as do timecode CDs.

The phono output from your turntable is converted to line-level by the d.4 Pro phono stage (see figure 1). This analog audio output is converted to a digital stream by the FireWire interface and sent to your computer.

Timecode tracks are carefully laid down by talented timecode musicians. They like nothing better than to get together for impromptu all-night timecode

jam sessions, and tell stories of the

good old days before 33 1/3.

Much-respected in this field are “The Timecode Cowboys,” whose latest record “Like a Timecode Cowboy,” is getting rave reviews.

FireWire stream from computer

The following table shows the outputs from your computer to the d.4 Pro’s FireWire interface:

If you are playing a timecode CD on a CD deck, then connect it to the line/phono inputs [4] and set the line/ phono switch [5] to line. (If it was connected to the CD inputs [3], then the computer will not receive the direct signals, but only those after the source selector, level and EQ.)

Software provided by your timecode vinyl people takes the digital stream and creates a virtual turntable on your desktop. You can add any audio track to the virtual turntable, and affect its output by scratching your physical turntable to your heart’s content. The timing of your audio track is replaced by the timecode of your turn- table. If the physical turntable slows down or reverses, so does your audio track. Now you have control over any audio source you care to play.

You do not want the timecode audio to actually play in your system. In figure 1, out it goes to the computer without a care in the world. With the source selector set to FireWire, you can now bring in the affected audio from your virtual turntable, and play it through the same program channel and onto the main mix bus (see dashed lines in figure 1).

From	To
Computer output 1	Input to PGM 1 L
Computer output 2	Input to PGM 1 R
Computer output 3	Input to PGM 2 L
Computer output 4	Input to PGM 2 R
Computer output 5	Input to PGM 3 L
Computer output 6	Input to PGM 3 R
Computer output 7	Input to PGM 4 L
Computer output 8	Input to PGM 4 R

Each 2-channel stream from the computer enters the mixer through the FireWire connector and is converted to analog. Select FireWire as a program choice using the desired channel’s source switch [30], the same way you select a phono/line level, or CD player input.

Beware of a possible feedback loop if you are feeding the d.4 Pro main mix back into an input that is assigned to the main mix.

Owner’s Manual 27