24
U
O
O
+10
U
O
O
+20
U
O
O
+20
U
MAX
O
O
U
+10dB
O
O
RUDE
SOLO
LIGHT
U
BAL
+28
CLIP
0dB=0dBu
+10
LEFT
RIGHT
+7
+4
+2
0
-2
-4
-7
-10
-20
-30
POWER
AUX 1 MASTER
AUX
RETURN
1
2
MAIN MIX
/ PHONES
LEVEL SET
ALT 3-4
ASSIGN
TO MAIN MIX
SOURCE
TAPE
MAIN
MIX
EFX TO
MONITOR
NORMALLED
MON/PRE
POST
AUX 1
SELECT
CONTROL
ROOM
AUX 1 SELECT (MON/PRE or POST)
Besides being used to work effects into your
mix, Aux Sends serve another critical role —
that of delivering cue mixes to stage monitors,
so musicians can hear what they’re doing. On
the MS1202-VLZ,
AUX SEND 1
can play either
role, depending on the position of this switch.
With the
AUX 1 SELECT
switch up (disen-
gaged),
AUX SEND 1
will tap a channel
pre
-fader (
GAIN
) and
pre
-
MUTE/ALT 3-4
,
meaning that no matter how you manipulate
those controls as they feed the
MAIN MIX
, the
AUX SEND
will continue to belt out that
channel’s signal. This is the preferred method
for setting up stage monitor feeds.
EQ
settings
will affect all
AUX SEND
s.
With the switch down, the
AUX SEND 1
becomes an ordinary effects send —
post
-
fader (
GAIN
) and
post
-
MUTE/ALT 3-4
. This
is a must for effects sends, since you want the
levels of your “wet” signals to follow the level
of the “dry.”
AUX 1 MASTER
The
AUX 1 MASTER
provides overall level
control of
AUX SEND 1
, just before it’s deliv-
ered to the
AUX SEND 1
output. (
AUX SEND
2
has no such control.) This knob goes from
off
(turned fully down), to unity gain at the cen-
ter detent, with 10dB of extra gain (turned
fully up). As with some other level controls,
you may never need the additional gain, but if
you ever do, you’ll be glad you bought a Mackie.
This is usually the knob you turn up when
the lead singer glares at you, points at his
stage monitor, and sticks his thumb up in the
air. (It would follow suit that if the singer
stuck his thumb down, you’d turn the knob
down… but that never happens.)
AUX TALK
First of all, there is no
particular alliance between
AUX SEND 1
(or
2
) and
AUX
RETURN 1
(or
2
). They’re
just numbers. They’re like two complete
strangers, both named Fred.
Sends
are outputs,
returns
are inputs. The
AUX
knob
taps the signal off the channel
and sends it to the
AUX SEND
outputs . The
AUX 1
signal is sent to the
AUX 1 MASTER
knob before going to the
AUX SEND 1
output
and the
AUX 2
signal goes directly to the
AUX
SEND 2
output.
These outputs are fed to the inputs of a re-
verb or other device. From there, the outputs of
this external device are fed back to the mixer’s
AUX RETURN
jacks . Then these signals are
sent through the
AUX RETURN
level controls,
and finally delivered to the
MAIN MIX.
So, the original “dry” signals go from the
channels to the
MAIN MIX
and the affected
“wet” signals go from the
AUX RETURN
to the
MAIN MIX
, and once mixed together, the dry
and wet signals combine to create a glorious
sound. So, armed with this knowledge, let’s
visit the Auxiliary World:
