Making the Most Of Your Mixer
MG16/4, MG12/4
14
4-2. Using Groups
Group buses and faders can greatly simplify the mixing process—particularly in live situations in which
changes have to be made as quickly as possible. If you have a group of channels that need to be adjusted
all together while maintaining their relative levels, grouping is the way to go. Simply assign the group to a
group bus, and make sure that group is also assigned to the main program bus. Then you can adjust the
overall level of the group using a single group fader, rather than having to attempt to control multiple
channels faders simultaneously.
Group buses usually also have their own outputs, so you can send the group signal to a different external
destination from the main mix.
Channel faders Assigned to Group
(Controlled As a Group)
Stereo
Master
Fader
Group
Fader
Channel faders Assigned to Stereo
(Controlled Individually)
A group of channels whose levels need to
maintain the same relationship—a drum mix, for
example—can be assigned to a group bus.
Usually the group bus signal can be output
independently via “Group” outputs, or it can be
assigned to the main program (stereo) bus to be
mixed in with the main stereo program.
Once the mix between the channels assigned to
the group is established via the channel faders,
the overall level of the entire group can be
conveniently adjusted via a single group fader.