Assign To Main Mix; Meters - Mackie 1402 VLZ Owner's Manual

ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX

Let's say you're doing a live show. Intermis-
sion is nearing and you'll want to play a
soothing CD for the crowd to prevent them
from becoming antsy. Then you think, "But I
have the CD player plugged into the TAPE in-
puts, and that never gets to the MAIN
OUTPUTS!" Oh, but it does. Simply engage this
switch and your SOURCE matrix selection,
after going through the CONTROL ROOM /
PHONES fader, will feed into the MAIN MIX,
just as if it were another stereo channel.
Another handy use for this switch is to en-
able the ALT 3-4 mix to become a submix of
the MAIN MIX , using the CONTROL
ROOM/PHONES fader as its level control.
Side effects: (1) Engaging this switch will
also feed any soloed channels into the MAIN
MIX, which may be the last thing you want. (2)
If you have MAIN MIX as your SOURCE matrix
selection and then engage ASSIGN TO MAIN
MIX, the MAIN MIX lines to the SOURCE ma-
trix will be interrupted, to prevent feedback.
Then again, why on earth would anyone want
to assign the MAIN MIX to the MAIN MIX?
METERS – MANY DISPLAYS IN ONE!
The MS1402-VLZ's peak metering system is
made up of two columns of twelve LEDs. De-
ceptively simple, considering the multitude of
signals that can be monitored by it.
If nothing is selected in the SOURCE matrix
and no channels are in SOLO, the METERS
will just sit there and look stupid. To put them
to work, you must make a selection in the
SOURCE matrix (or engage a SOLO switch).
Why? You want the METERS to reflect what
the engineer is listening to, and as we've cov-
ered, the engineer is listening either to the
CONTROL ROOM outputs or the PHONES
outputs. The only difference is that while the
listening levels are controlled by the CON-
TROL ROOM / PHONES fader, the METERS
read the SOURCE mix before that control, giv-
ing you the real facts at all times, even if you're
not listening at all.
You may already be an
expert at the world of "+4"
(+4dBu=1.23V) and "–10"
(–10dBV=0.32V) operating
levels. Basically, what makes
a mixer one or the other is the relative 0dB VU
(or 0VU) chosen for the meters. A "+4" mixer,
with a +4dBu signal pouring out the back will
actually read 0VU on its meters. A "–10" mixer,
with a –10dBV signal trickling out, will read,
you guessed it, 0VU on its meters. So when is
0VU actually 0dBu? Right now!
At the risk of creating another standard,
Mackie's compact mixers address the need of
both crowds by calling things as they are —
0dBu (0.775V) at the output shows as 0dB 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 MS1402-VLZ's wide dynamic
range, you can get a good mix with peaks flash-
ing anywhere between –20 and +10dB on the
METERS. Most amplifiers clip at about +10dB,
and some recorders aren't so forgiving either.
For best real-world results, try to keep your
peaks between "0" and "+7."
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).
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