signal trickling out will read, you guessed it, 0 VU on its meters. So when is 0 VU actually 0 dBu? Right now!

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 4•Bus’ wide dynamic range, you can get a good mix with peaks flashing anywhere between –20 and +10 dB on the meters. Most amplifiers 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 “+10.”

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).

Note: The L/R meters indicate solo levels whenever an AFL or PFL solo switch is pushed in.

PHONES level turned all the way down before connecting headphones to the PHONES jack. Keep it down until you’ve put on the headphones. Then turn it up slowly.

Why? Always remember: “Engineers who fry their ears, find themselves with short careers.”

Phones/Monitor, Solo, Mono, and Talkback Section

47. PHONES Level Control

This controls the signal level at the stereo headphone output [46].

48. MONITOR Level Control

This controls the signal level at the MONITOR output [78].

Manual Owner’s

43. RUDE SOLO Lights

These LEDs flash on and off when a channel’s solo is active, as an additional reminder beyond the indicating LEDs next to each PFL or AFL button. The green LED indicates PFL solo mode, and the amber LED indicates AFL solo mode. 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 lights. It’s especially handy at about 3 am when no sound is coming out of your monitors but your multitrack is playing back like mad.

44. POWER Indicator

This LED indicates when power is applied to the Onyx mixer and the POWER switch is on.

49. SOLO LEVEL Control

The SOLO LEVEL control is used to adjust the volume of the solo’ed signal as it is routed to the MONITOR [78] and PHONES [46] outputs. This control is independent of, and prior to, the MONITOR and PHONES level controls.

This controls the solo signal level for both PFL and AFL solo modes. You can use the SOLO LEVEL control to balance the solo levels with the main or tape levels at the MONITOR or PHONES out.

50. MONO Level Control

In addition to the Left and Right Main Mix outputs, the Onyx 4•Bus provides an independent monophonic output. The Left and Right Main Mix signals are summed and sent to the MONO OUT [84]. This controls the signal level at the MONO output.

45. LAMP Connector

This female BNC connector provides +12 volts DC for gooseneck lamps. See your Mackie dealer for gooseneck lamp recommendations (12 V lamp with BNC connector).

46. PHONES Jack

This is where you plug in your stereo headphones. It is a 1/4" TRS stereo jack and provides the same signal that is routed to the MONITOR outputs [78]. The volume is controlled with the PHONES knob [47].

WARNING: The headphone amp is designed to drive any standard headphones to a very loud level. We’re not kidding! It can cause permanent hearing damage. Even intermediate levels may be painfully loud with some headphones. BE CAREFUL! Always start with the

51. MAIN TO MON Switch

This switch routes the stereo L/R Main Mix signal (post-fader) to both the Monitor and Phones outputs when there are no solo switches engaged. The L/R Main Mix signal is overridden in the Monitor and Phones outputs by any PFL or AFL solo.

Note: If a PFL solo switch is engaged, it overrides the AFL solo mode, including MAIN TO MON/PHONES.

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Owner’s Manual

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