EXPLORING OTHER USES
We’ve had a few interesting questions regarding different applications of the BACKBONE. Some
customers have decided it would make an excellent teaching tool. The ability to simply and easily dem-
onstrate the importance of gear sequence (especially when making use of the SWAP button) makes the
BACKBONE well-suited for educational purposes. Still others are planning to use their BACKBONE
for tracking needs, rather than the mastering applications for which it was designed.
In terms of tracking, another somewhat more complex use of the BACKBONE has been suggested
by a few people - using it to route three different mics through many different microphone preampli-
fiers. We didn’t design the BACKBONE for this purpose, but we DO build a product called the Manley
MicMAID that is designed to do just that very thing. Check out our website (www.manley.com) for
more information!
As mentioned before, the BACKBONE was not designed for this purpose. Because of the way the
unit’s signal flow is structured, using a mic pre as an insert has one major complication - UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU USE +48V PHANTOM POWER WITH ANYTHING CON-
NECTED TO THE BACKBONE. Turning on +48V on your mic pre would mean sending those 48V
into your BACKBONE, which would potentially (read: “almost certainly”) damage crucial compo-
nents. Also, the BACKBONE was designed for line-level signals, not mic-level ones. Since signal from
a microphone has about 1/100th the level of a line-level one, and the BACKBONE has not been opti-
mized for such a signal, it simply wouldn’t function correctly for this application.
With that said, once a signal has been brought up to line level it can be used in many ways with the
BACKBONE. Tracking, mixing, mastering - use your imagination!
LABELING YOUR SWITCHES
The EAO switches for each input and insert on the front panel can be labeled, e.g. “EQ #1”,
“COMP #4”, etc... If you desire the label to be on the INSIDE of the button (perhaps slightly more
permanent than just a sticker on the outside), we advise that you go to a local office supply store and
purchase a P-Touch machine (or a similar label-printing device) and some “black on clear” tape for it.
This will let the light shine through around the letters, enhancing legibility.
To remove the switchcaps, you’ll just need a pair of
pincer-style pliers - you have to be able to grip the top and
bottom sides of the switchcap and pull it away from the
socket. You will notice some small indents on these sides of
the switchcap, which make it easier to remove. Be very gentle
when you grip and pull the switchcap - the more delicate
the pliers, the better. Once you have the switchcap in hand,
you can easily pull out the diffuser by pinching the two tabs
towards each other and pulling away from the clear cover.
Print your label and stick it to this diffuser (observing the
orientation of your lettering so that it is not upside-down and/
or backwards), then put the diffuser back inside the clear
switchcap. Re-installing the switchcap is as simple as pushing
it back into the socket. Now you’re done!
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