Aux Sends Solo; Aux Returns (Level); Effects To Monitor; Main Mix To Subs (Aux Ret 3) - Mackie 1604-VLZ PRO Owner's Manual

AUX SENDS SOLO

Once again, in a live sound situations AUX
SEND 1 and 2 are likely to feed your stage
monitors. You'll want to check the mix you're
sending them, and that's what these two but-
tons are for. (AUX 3 through AUX 6 have no
such switch.) Beside each switch is a green
LED that, just like the channel's –20 LED
helps you find the rogue SOLO switch.
The only thing different about AUX SENDS
SOLO is that it's not really PFL (pre-fader lis-
ten), and it's not really SIP (solo-in-place), it's
actually AFL (after-fader listen, and yes, we
know there's no fader in this case.) During
NORMAL (AFL) mode
SEND 1's solo signal, post-AUX SENDS master
level, in the left side of the C-R OUTS,
PHONES output and meter display, and AUX
SEND 2 on the right side. (If you ever use AUX
1 and 2 to create a stereo monitor mix, you'll
understand why.) In LEVEL SET (PFL) mode,
you'll get the signal dead-center, but still post-
AUX SENDS master level.

AUX RETURNS (LEVEL)

These four controls set the overall level of
effects received from the stereo AUX RETURN
input jacks
handle a wide range of signal levels — each
knob goes from off, to unity gain at the detent,
to 20dB gain fully clockwise, to compensate for
1604-VLZ PRO
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, you'll get AUX
. These controls are designed to
low-level effects. Signals passing
through the STEREO AUX
RETURN level controls will pro-
ceed directly to the MAIN MIX
fader , with exceptions that
we'll discuss in a moment.
Typically, these knobs can
just live at the center detent,
and the effects device's output
control should be set at what-
ever they call unity gain (check
their manual). If that turns out
to be too loud or too quiet, ad-
just the effects device's outputs,
not the mixer. That way, the
mixer's knobs are easy to
relocate at the center detent.
EFFECTS TO MONITORS
If you want to add reverb or delay to the
stage monitor mixes, these are the knobs for
you. Operating independently of their respec-
tively numbered AUX RETURNS level controls,
these knobs are exactly the same as the AUX 1
and AUX 2 knobs found in the channel strip
These two knobs feed AUX RETURN signals
,
to their respective AUX SEND outputs
AUX SEND 1 feeds AUX RETURN 1 to AUX
SEND 1 master, and TO AUX SEND 2 feeds
AUX RETURN 2 to AUX SEND 2 master. They
are off when turned fully down, deliver unity
gain at the center detent, and can provide up
to 15dB of gain turned fully up. AUX RETURN
3 and AUX RETURN 4 have no such knobs.

MAIN MIX TO SUBS (AUX RET 3)

With this switch up, AUX RETURN 3
behaves like all the others — it delivers a
stereo signal, regulated by its level knob, to the
MAIN MIX
. When you engage this switch,
the signals are removed from the MAIN MIX
buses and sent to the 1-2/3-4 switch, which di-
verts the signal once more. We're not finished.
Please read on.
1–2/3–4 (AUX RET 3)
As you've just read, if the MAIN MIX TO
SUBS switch is disengaged, the 1–2/3–4 switch
does absolutely nothing. Let's now assume it's
engaged. AUX RETURN 3's stereo signal will not
be sent to the MAIN MIX, but to subgroup fad-
ers 1 and 2 (1–2/3–4 switch up) or subgroup
faders 3 and 4 (switch down).
Let's say you've made a stereo drum submix on
subgroup faders 1 and 2, so you can ride those
two faders instead of the seven channels that the
drums came from. Subgroup fader 1 has its
ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX, LEFT button engaged
and subgroup fader 2 has its ASSIGN TO MAIN
MIX, RIGHT button engaged, blending the drum
submix back into the MAIN MIX. The drum
channels are also sending signals to your reverb
via the AUX sends and the reverb outputs are
patched into AUX RETURN 3. So far so good.
Even though you could send AUX RETURN 3
directly to the MAIN MIX (MAIN MIX TO SUBS
switch up), you don't want to. Instead, engage
the MAIN MIX TO SUBS switch and make sure
the 1–2/3–4 switch is up. Now the reverb return
will be blended into the drum submix, and as
you ride those two faders, the reverb level will
follow.
Why do we want that? Because if you had
just sent the reverb directly to the MAIN MIX
.
: TO