Headphones, Monitors & Pfl - Behringer PRO MIXER DX2000USB User Manual

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PRO MIXER DX2000USB User Manual
5.6 Effect return
A line-level stereo effect RETURN (54) (Max. gain 30 dB) feeds directly into the
mix, level being adjusted by the FX RETURN knob (42) . This input is designed
to accept the output from a mono or stereo effects unit (see chapter 10
"CONNECTIONS"). It could also be used to return another stereo music source such
as DAT or mini disc if five stereo channels are not enough for your music needs.
5.7 USB connection
The DX2000USB has built-in USB connectivity, allowing stereo signals to be
sent to and from the mixer and a computer. The audio sent from the mixer
to a computer is identical to the RECORD OUT signal. Audio being sent from a
computer to the DX2000USB can be selected with the Channel 3 INPUT button.
Connect a USB type B plug into the USB jack on the mixer, and the other end
into a free USB port on your computer. There are no required drivers, but we
recommend that PC users install the included ASIO driver. The driver can also be
downloaded from behringer.com.
6. Headphones, Monitors & PFL
6.1 Monitoring
A separate stereo MONITOR output (68) is provided. Level is controlled by a single
60 mm MONITOR stereo fader (32) . The monitor signal is taken directly from the
main mix. Engaging PFL anywhere on the board changes the monitor source
to PFL.
◊ Main fader adjustments will not affect the level of the monitor
output—unlike on standard recording consoles where monitor follows
the main faders.
6.1.1 PFL in the studio
In a studio setup, the monitor output is normally sent to an amplifier driving
a pair of speakers facing the operator. (The main output might feed a tape
recorder (recording studio) or transmission line (broadcast studio)). In the studio
environment, PFL (Pre-Fader-Listen) is the preferred way to set up an individual
channel. Depressing a channel's PFL button cancels the mix from the monitor
output and replaces it with that channel's signal. Now the DJ or engineer can hear
in isolation what's going on in one (or more) channel(s), via headphones or the
monitor speakers. During PFL, channel level is sent to the PFL meter to enable
accurate gain setting.
6.1.2 PFL in the club
In a club, the main output would normally drive the house PA, while the monitor
output could offer foldback into the DJ area, usually via a separate amp and
speaker(s). In the club environment, things get messy. You can't hear any sound
in isolation, either on a foldback system or headphones, because both are to
some extent drowned out by the main PA system. You should, however, be able
to hear the PFL signal loud enough to detect the beat, cue starts etc. What you
can't do is to judge by ear exactly what level the next track will come in at.
For that you must use your eyes and the highly-accurate bargraph meters.
◊
PFL is in stereo: if you PFL a stereo channel you will hear it in stereo
even though there is only one PFL bargraph meter. If a mono channel
is PFL-ed, you will hear it according to the position of the channel
PAN. This is a professional feature and called "Solo-In-Place" in big
recording consoles.
6.2 Headphones—read carefully—this
is tricky!
The PHONES section lies to the far right hand side of the DX2000USB, below the
headphones stereo jack socket (43) . PHONES LEVEL (45) controls headphones
level. Right, that's the easy bit explained. Now pay attention.
OPTION 1:
The PHONES output can have as its source either PFL or Main mix selected by the
MAIN/PFL switch (44) . When this switch is down, headphones follow the same
logic as monitor, i.e. main mix unless any channel has PFL engaged. When it
is up, headphones audition PFL only, i.e. if no channel's PFL is engaged,
the heaphones will fall silent. (NOTE: SPLIT switch is UP here)
OPTION 2:
Depressing the SPLIT switch (47) disables the PFL/MAIN switch, activating
instead the BALANCE control (46) . The headphones mix is now in mono instead
of stereo as previously, and BALANCE controls the blend of the PFL and MAIN
mix signals. This gives you the interesting possibility of hearing both the
outgoing (MAIN) and incoming (PFL) tracks simultaneously through a single
output, via your headphones. The same signal can be heard at the monitor
output so long as the PHONES TO MONITOR button (31) , sited above the MONITOR
fader, is depressed. (PHONES TO MONITOR forces the monitor output to follow
the headphones.)
6.3 Permanent PFL—using PFL as a
listening subgroup
We have seen that with both the PHONES TO MONITOR and PFL/MAIN switches
depressed, your monitor output is always looking at PFL, not switching
automatically between PFL and the main mix. Now you can actually use the
stereo PFL bus as a subgroup with its own stereo output (the MONITOR output).
◊
Another way to keep the monitors fixed on PFL is to make sure
a PFL button is always left engaged somewhere on the desk.
You could simply leave a PFL button depressed on an unused,
unassigned channel.
If your channel fader is always brought up to +6 dB (i.e. full-on as per usual with
you DJ types) then comparing PFL values will give a true indication of relative
mix volume between tracks. Now all you have to do in order to achieve a totally
professional-sounding volume-consistent mix is to adjust each successively
incoming track's gain until the PFL meter is hitting 0 dB (or whatever level you
think you can get away with) before you bring it in with the crossfader. It's that
simple. Try it ...