This is where you plug in things such as: microphones,
line-level instruments,guitars, and effects, a recorder,
PA system, powered monitors, powered subwoofer etc. (The speaker-level outputs from the internal power amplifiers are on the rear panel.) Check out the hookup diagrams for some connection ideas. See Appendix B (page 25) for further details and some rather lovely drawings of the connectors you can use with your mixer.
We use phantom-powered, balanced microphone
inputs just like the big studio mega-consoles, for exactly the same reason: This kind of circuit isexcellent at rejecting hum and noise. You can plug in almost any kind of mic that has a standard XLR -type male mic con- nector.
Professional ribbon, dynamic, and condenser mics all sound excellent through these inputs. The mic inputs will handle any kind of mic level you can toss at them, without overloading.
Microphone-level signals are passed through the mixer's splendid microphone preamplifiers to become line-level signals. Because more gain is required to boost the microphone level signals, make sure the gain switch [28] is in the up position when you are using microphones.
Channels 1 to 4 have the extra benefit of built-in signal in-line compressors [29]. These can be adjusted to add just the right amount of compression to your vocals and help prevent distortion and the effects of tonsillitis.
