Mono/Stereo Switch; Monitor Level; Phones Level - Mackie Onyx Blackjack Owner's Manual

then slowly increase the level of the to mon knob [7]
until you can hear it. Since the to mon knob routes
signals directly to both the monitor and phones, either
or both of these volume pots must be up at least a little
in order to hear this analog input monitoring path.
When working on "basic tracks" (i.e. not overdubbing
over prerecorded material), it is probably best to turn
the monitor and/or phones knobs down fairly low and
the to mon knob [7] to the maximum. This will ensure
the cleanest possible signal to the phones or studio
monitors. In fact, you will generally find that having this
knob up high (between 3 o'clock and max) is normal for
direct monitoring.
Meanwhile, if you are overdubbing (i.e. singing over a
guitar part or rapping over an audio bed of pig squeals
and explosions), you'll want to control the overall
volume of the combined input and output signals
with the monitor and/or phones knob [9, 10], and the
amount of input you hear in relation to playback with
the to mon knob [7]. It's really quite simple. Think of it
as a "more me" knob and you'll be golden.
Turning up the input gain [4], to mon knob [7]
and monitor knob [9] with a microphone plugged
in may result in some really nasty distortion.
Typically, you will want to record with the phones up and
monitor down. Then make sure to turn down the to mon
knob when you want to hear playback of what was just
recorded (without the interference of the microphone still
routed to the monitors or headphones).
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5 6
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INPUT
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MONITOR
2x2 USB RECORDING INTERFACE
MONO
PHANTOM
STEREO
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TO MON MONITOR PHONES

8. MONO/STEREO Switch

This switch allows you to choose whether to monitor
the inputs in mono or stereo. Signals are still recorded
as independent streams in either scenario.

9. MONITOR LEVEL

This knob is used to adjust the volume at the
monitor output [2], from off to maximum gain (max).
When microphones are connected, always make sure
that the To Mon knob [7] is down in the input monitor
section before turning the monitor volume up.
Monitor and phones share the same "mix", whether
that's playback, signals sent via the input monitor
section, or both (e.g. while overdubbing).

10. PHONES LEVEL

This knob is used to adjust the volume at the phones
output [11], from off to maximum gain (max). Phones
are ideal for use with the input monitor section when
recording in just about all scenarios.
Monitor and phones share the same "mix", whether
that's playback, signals sent via the input monitor
section, or both (e.g. while overdubbing).
WARNING: The headphone amp is loud, and
can cause permanent hearing damage. Even
intermediate levels may be painfully loud
with some headphones. BE CAREFUL! Always turn this
control all the way down before connecting headphones
or doing anything new that may affect the headphone
volume. Then turn it up slowly as you listen carefully.
Owner's Manual
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