Mono Line Inputs (Ch. 1 And 2); Stereo Line Inputs (Ch. 3-8); Aux Send 1 And 2; Aux Return 1 And 2 - Mackie Onyx 820i Owner's Manual

Insert jacks can be used as channel direct outputs;
post-gain, and pre-EQ. See the connector section on
page 30 (fi gure G) showing three ways to use insert
cables.

10. MONO LINE INPUTS (Ch. 1 and 2)

These 1/4" jacks share circuitry (but not phantom
power) with the mic preamps, and can be driven by
balanced or unbalanced sources.
To connect balanced lines to these inputs, use a 1⁄4"
Tip-Ring-Sleeve (TRS) plug, wired as follows:
Tip = Positive (+ or hot)
Ring = Negative (– or cold)
Sleeve = Shield or ground
To connect unbalanced lines to these inputs, use a
1⁄4" mono (TS) phone plug, wired as follows:
Tip = Positive (+ or hot)
Sleeve = Shield or ground
These line-level inputs can also accept instrument-
level signals if the hi-z switches [18] are pressed in.
This allows you to connect guitars directly to channels 1
and 2, without the need for a DI box. The input
impedance is optimized for direct connection, and
high-frequency fi delity is assured.

11. STEREO LINE INPUTS (Ch. 3-8)

These 1/4" jacks can be driven by balanced or
unbalanced sources.
To connect balanced lines to these inputs, use a 1⁄4"
Tip-Ring-Sleeve (TRS) plug, wired as follows:
Tip = Positive (+ or hot)
Ring = Negative (– or cold)
Sleeve = Shield or ground
To connect unbalanced lines to these inputs, use a
1⁄4" mono (TS) phone plug, wired as follows:
Tip = Positive (+ or hot)
Sleeve = Shield or ground
If you just have a mono source, plug it into the left
input (labeled left/mono), and the signal will appear
(as if by magic) equally on the left and right of the main
mix.

12. AUX SEND 1 and 2

These 1/4" TRS connectors allow you to send balanced
or unbalanced line-level outputs to external effects
devices, headphone amplifi ers, or stage monitors. These
could either be passive stage monitors powered by an
external amplifi er, or powered stage monitors with
built-in power amplifi ers.
Aux send 1 and aux send 2 are independent of each
other, so you can set up two separate aux mixes.
The aux 1 send signal is the sum (mix) of all the
channels whose aux 1 send control [32] is set to more
than minimum. The aux 2 send is the sum of all the
channels whose aux 2 send control is set to more than
minimum. The overall aux output level can be adjusted
with the aux send master controls [45].
The aux sends can either be pre or post fader,
depending on the position of the pre/post switches [46].
For stage monitor work, use pre, so the stage monitors
do not increase in volume when the channel level is
adjusted. Imagine how upsetting that can be to big hairy
drummers. This allows you to set up the monitor mix
and levels just right, and not have it change every time a
channel level is adjusted.
For external processors, use post. In this way, the
feed to external processors will vary with the channel
level, so the level of any returned effect (like an echo)
will also change if the channel level is changed, keeping
them in the same ratio (wet/dry).

13. AUX RETURN 1 and 2

These 1/4" TRS stereo input connectors allow you to
add the stereo processed output from external effects
processors or other devices to the main mix.
Level adjustment of the incoming signals is made with
the aux return controls [47].
The signals going into aux return 2 can also be added
to aux send 1 by engaging the return to aux 1 switch
[48]. For example, you could add effects from an
external effects processor to your stage monitors.
You can also use these inputs to add any stereo line-
level signals to your main mix, so it could be another
line-level source, not just an effects processor.
If you are connecting a mono source, use the left
(mono) aux return input, and the mono signals will
appear on both sides of the main mix.

14. LEFT/RIGHT 1/4" MAIN OUTPUTS

These 1/4" TRS output connectors provide the
balanced or unbalanced line-level output of the main
mix to an anxiously-waiting world. This is the same
signal that appears at the XLR main outputs [4] on the
rear panel, except it is not affected by the main output
level switch [5].
Connect these outputs to the next device in the signal
chain, such as an external processor (graphic equalizer
or compressor/limiter), external power amplifi ers
running passive loudspeakers, or to the inputs of
powered loudspeakers. They could also be connected to
the inputs of a balanced 2-track recorder, when doing a
"live to 2-track" type recording.
Owner's Manual 15