22
1642VLZ4
164
2VLZ4
50. Aux Sends Solo and LED
Once again, in 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 buttons are for. (Aux 3 and 4 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 listen), and it’s not really
SIP (solo-in-place), it’s actually AFL (after-fader
listen). During AFL [44] mode , you’ll get aux send 1’s
solo signal, post-aux sends [49] master level, in the left
side of the control room outputs, 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 PFL mode, you’ll get the
signal dead-center, but still post-aux sends master level.
51. Stereo Returns (Level)
These four controls set the overall level of effects
received from the stereo return [7] input jacks. These
controls are designed to handle a wide range of signal
levels — each knob goes from off, to unity gain at the
detent, to 20 dB gain fully clockwise, to compensate for
low-level effects. Signals passing through these level
controls will proceed directly to the main mix fader
[37], 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 whatever they call unity gain (check their
manual). If that turns out to be too loud or too quiet,
adjust the effects device’s outputs, not the mixer.
That way, the mixer’s knobs are easy to relocate
at the center detent.
52. To Aux 1 and To Aux 2
If you want to add reverb or delay to the stage
monitor mixes, these are the knobs for you.
Operating independently of their respectively
numbered stereo returns [51] level controls, these
knobs are exactly the same as the channel strip
aux 1 [35] and aux 2 knobs.
These two knobs feed stereo return signals to their
respective aux send [6] outputs:
To aux send 1 feeds stereo return 1 to aux send 1
master, and:
To aux send 2 feeds stereo 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 15 dB
of gain turned fully up. Stereo return 3 and 4 have no
such knobs.
53. Main Mix To Subs (Stereo Return 3)
With this switch up, stereo 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 diverts the
signal once more. We’re not finished. Please read on.
54. 1–2/3–4 (Stereo Return 3)
If the main mix to subs [53] switch is disengaged,
this switch does absolutely nothing. Let’s now assume
it’s engaged. Stereo return 3’s stereo signal will not be
sent to the main mix, but to subgroup faders 1 and 2
(this switch up) or subgroup faders 3 and 4 (this 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 [39], 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 [6], and the reverb outputs
are patched into stereo return 3 [7]. So far so good.
Even though you could send stereo return 3 directly
to the main mix (main mix to subs [53] 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 (main mix to subs
switch up) and you did a drum fade-out using subgroup
faders 1 and 2, the “dry” signals would fade out, but the
“wet” signals would keep on singing. All you would hear
is the drum reverb (the “wet”), and none of the original
drum signals (the “dry”). That’s because the reverb is
being fed by the channel’s aux sends, and they have no
idea that you’ve pulled down the subgroup faders. That’s
why we threw in these switches.
