Channel Strip Description; U" Like Unity Gain; Fader; Solo - Mackie 1402 VLZ Owner's Manual

CHANNEL STRIP DESCRIPTION

AUX
U
1
MON/
EFX
+15
O O
U
2
EFX
The ten channel strips look alike, and
+15
O O
EQ
U
function identically. The only difference is
HI
that the six on the left are for individual mics
12kHz
-15 +15
or mono instruments and have more gain
U
available, while the next four are for either
MID
2.5kHz
stereo or mono line-level sources. (Each of
-12 +12
U
the stereo channel strips is actually two com-
LOW
80Hz
plete circuits. The controls are linked
-15 +15
together to preserve stereo.) We'll start at the
PAN
bottom and work our way up...
L R
1
MUTE
–
ALT 3 4
dB
10

SOLO

5
"unity gain," meaning no change in signal level.
U
Once you have adjusted the input signal to line-
5
level , you can set every control at "U" and your
10
signals will travel through the mixer at optimal
20
levels. What's more, all the labels on our level
30
controls are measured in decibels (dB), so you'll
40
know what you're doing level-wise if you choose
50
60
O O to change a control's settings.
You won't have to check it here and check it
there, as you would with some other mixers. In
fact, some don't even have any reference to ac-
tual dB levels at all! Ever seen those "0–10"
fader markings? We call these AUMs (Arbitrary
Units of Measurement), and they mean noth-
ing in the real world. You were smart — you
bought a Mackie.

FADER

The FADER controls the channel's level...
from off to unity gain at the "U" marking, on
up to 10dB of additional gain. Channels 1–6
use mono controls, and channels 7–14 use
stereo controls.
SOLO
This lovable switch allows you to hear signals
through your headphones or control room
without having to route them to the MAIN or
ALT 3–4 mixes. Folks use solo in live work to
preview channels before they are let into the
mix, or to just check out what a particular chan-
nel is up to anytime during a session. You can
solo as many channels at a time as you like.
Solo is also the key player in the Level
Setting Procedure
Your MS1402-VLZ has "Dual-Mode Solo." A
switch in the master section
18

"U" LIKE UNITY GAIN

Mackie mixers have a "U"
symbol on almost every level
control. This "U" stands for
.
determines
which mode you'll be hearing. With the
switch up, you'll get "SIP" (Solo-In-Place),
which is post-FADER and post-PAN, making it
ideal for mixdown soloing. With the switch
down, you're in "PFL" (pre-fader listen)
mode. This is the required mode for the Level
Setting Procedure .
Soloed channels are sent to the SOURCE
, which ultimately feeds your CONTROL
mix
ROOM, PHONES and METERS. Whenever
SOLO is engaged, all SOURCE selections
(MAIN MIX, ALT 3–4 and TAPE) are defeated,
to allow the soloed signal to do just that — solo!
MUTE/ALT 3–4
The dual-purpose MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch is a
Mackie signature. When Greg was designing
our first product, he had to include a mute
switch for each channel. Mute switches do just
what they sound like they do. They turn off the
signal by "routing" it into oblivion. "Gee, what a
waste," Greg reasoned. "Why not have the
mute button route the signal somewhere else
useful...like a separate stereo bus?" So
MUTE/ALT 3-4 really serves two functions —
muting (often used during a mixdown or live
show), and signal routing (for multi-track and
live work) where it acts as an extra stereo bus.
To use this as a MUTE switch, all you have to
do is not use the ALT 3–4 outputs. Then, when-
ever you assign a channel to these unused
outputs, you'll also be disconnecting it from the
MAIN MIX, effectively muting the channel.
To use this as an ALT 3–4 switch, all you
have to do is connect the ALT 3–4 outputs to
whatever destination you desire. Two popular
examples:
When doing multitrack recording, use the
ALT 3–4 outputs to feed your multitrack. With
most decks, you can mult the ALT 3–4 outputs,
using Y-cords or mults, to feed multiple tracks.
So, take ALT OUT LEFT and send it to tracks 1,
3, 5 and 7, and ALT OUT RIGHT and send it to
tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8. Now, tracks that are in
Record or Input modes will hear the ALT 3–4
signals, and tracks in Playback or Safe modes
will ignore them.
When doing live sound or mixdown, it's often
handy to control the level of several channels
with one knob. That's called Subgrouping. Sim-
ply assign these channels to the ALT 3–4 mix,
engage ALT 3–4 in the SOURCE matrix, and the
signals will appear at the CONTROL ROOM