section 3: general information

20

Do you need to read this section at all?Many of you reading this manual have a lot

of experience in using large mixing consoles.For you battle-scarred pros, Section 2 and theBlock Diagram will probably be all that youneed to look at.

Then there are those of you who have workedextensively with smaller mixers such as our CR-1604 — but who have less experience witha larger, multi-bus console with lots of gazintasand gozoutas. For you, we recommend at leastadding Section 4 (Recording) and/or Section 5(PA) to your reading list. These chapters coversome of the more unusual or less familiar fea-tures of your new 8•Bus console.

Finally, there are those who are either new tousing mixers or just like to read even largerquantities of our glib prose. For you, we haveprovided this short section that discusses the ba-sic concepts and procedures used in recording,mixing and sound reinforcement work. If youcan make some sense of it, you’re ready for thenext two sections, which relate these conceptsto actually configuring and using a Mackie8•Bus Series mixing console.

Also, if the system Block Diagram does notlook as familiar to you as the menu at McD’s,spend a little time in this section.

GENERAL INFORMATIONHere is a primer covering a few important

ideas you should be on good terms with beforeyou sit down to a mixing console.

LEVELSMicrophones have very

low output levels. Power am-plifiers have very highoutput levels. One of the

functions of a mixing console is to amplify or at-tenuate (reduce) these signal levels properly.Since it’s easy to degrade the signal by not han-dling levels well, and since it’s your hand on thecontrols, you should be sure you know how muchgain to apply and where to apply it.

NoiseEvery electronic circuit produces noise or

hiss or hash or buzz, and any noise present onthe input of an electronic circuit will be faith-fully passed through. Turn it up high enough,and you will hear the noise.

HeadroomEvery electronic circuit also has a point of

overload — a clip point, where the voltage sim-ply cannot rise any higher, no matter what theinput signal and your fader move would like.This overload, or clipping, will show up as tooth-grinding distortion.

Somewhere between the noise and the clip-ping is an optimum level for your signal: highenough above the noise floor to render the hissinaudible, and far enough below the distortionpoint to allow range for loud peaks of music topass without clipping. This safe operating zonemight be called operating level or nominal levelor zero or perhaps line level. The range betweenyour operating level and clipping is called head-room, which defines just how tall your signal canbe without having to duck for the rafters.

Your mission as a designated Master of the Lev-els is to get the low-level signals up to line-level assoon as possible and to keep them there as muchas possible. But don’t turn them up too loud.

Unity GainOn a Mackie 8•Bus console, the easy way to

do this is to set all the level controls accordingto the Sensitivity Adjustment procedure de-tailed on page 1.

MeteringWhen the meters read 0dB, the level will ac-

tually be +4dBu at the outputs (or –10dBV atthe submaster outputs, if you’ve engaged their+4/–10 switches). Don’t pay too much attentionto the meters. A meter is an aid, a window look-ing onto part of the dynamic range of your signal,and it will tell you if your level is in the ballpark,so to speak.

Try to keep your signals in the middle rangeof the meters, for the most part. If the signal isalways very low, you may not be getting the bestnoise figures you can. If the meter LEDs arealways solidly lit from bottom to top, you arelikely distorting both the console and your re-cording tape regularly. Keep the signal in themiddle, with occasional peaks into the yellow.Remember, the top yellow LED of the meter(+10) represents an audio level of +14dBu, andthe Mackie 8•Bus doesn’t clip until +28dBu.Even banging the meters hard, you still havearound 14dB of headroom for your peaks. (TheL/R meters have an additional red LED segmentto show clipping at +28dBu.). There are not

SECTION 3: GENERAL INFORMATION

GENERALINFO

21

HI MID Variable 1: Boost/Cut

HI MID Variable 2: Bandwidth

HI MID Variable 3: Band Center

3 HI MID VARIABLES

many recorders, and no amplifiers, that can tol-erate such high signal levels. Therefore, it’s bestthat the red LEDs never light up.

But, if your music is sounding good, don’tworry if you’re in the yellow a lot or if some partsof the track hardly read at all. You’ll quickly get afeel for what works for you, when you can getaway with really smacking the tape or the elec-tronics too much.

BUSESMore often than not, the goal in a mixing con-

sole is to mix two or more inputs into oneoutput. Like a coach who has two or more play-ers to get to the same ballgame, consoledesigners use a bus. Even Webster’s UnabridgedDictionary agrees, defining the word bus in elec-tronics as “a conductor serving as a commonconnector for three or more circuits.”

The Mackie 8•Bus Series has, in fact, manymore than eight buses. The eight memorializedin the name are important, but there are also sixAUXiliary buses, a pair of L/R Mix buses, the al-ternate pair of MIX-B buses, and a pair of Solobuses. We will try to be clear just what bus weare talking about when we do talk about buses.

SENDS AND RETURNSSends are outputs, and returns are inputs. So

why don’t we call them outputs and inputs?Well, actually, the terms send and return can

mean many things, but the way they are gener-ally used in mixing console parlance is to refer tosends, which tap off a little of a signal to send tosome effects device (like a reverberation unit),and returns, which function to return that reverbback into the mix.

Sends are also used to tap some mix of signalfrom a collection of channels for a headphonecue mix. For that matter, sends can be used asadditional mix buses, if needed.

In the same way, if you don’t need them forreverb or effects, returns can be used as addi-tional inputs to your mix.

SOLOSolo is a standard console function that al-

lows you to listen to one or more sources all bythemselves (soloed).

You can check EQ, possible distortion or buzz,or just listen to see if a particular mic is open ornot. This function can also be handled by eachchannel’s -20/OL LEDs. See Section 2 “–20 andOL LEDs” for more details. When soloing morethan one source, you can listen to the blend ofjust part of your mix: only the sopranos, for ex-

ample, or just the tom mics on the drums.The solo circuits are designed not to inter-

rupt the recording process. The solo bus signalis sent directly to the control-room monitorswithout affecting any of the inputs, outputs orrecording buses.

When you are mixing or monitoring with re-verb, remember to not only solo the channelyou’d like to hear, but also the AUX Return carry-ing your reverb. Otherwise, you will hear thechannel soloed dry, without its echo.

EQEverybody knows what EQ is, but just in case

you’d like a refresher, we’ll put in a few para-graphs here.

Equalization (EQ) refers to purposely chang-ing the frequency response of a circuit,sometimes to correct for previous unequal re-sponse (hence the term, equalization), and moreoften to add or subtract level at certain frequen-cies for a pleasing effect.

Bass and treble controls on your stereo areEQ; so are the devices called parametrics andgraphics and notch filters.

A lot of how we refer to equalization has to dowith what a graph of the frequency responsewould look like. A flat response (no EQ) is astraight line; a peak looks like a hill, a dip is avalley, a notch is a really skinny valley, and ashelf looks like a plateau (or ashelf). The slope is the gradeof the hill on the graph. For in-stance, if you lived in Texas,you would set y’all’s EQs flat.

Graphic equalizers haveenough frequency slider con-trols to form a graph of the EQright on the front panel. Para-metric EQs let you vary severalEQ parameters at once. A fil-ter is simply a form ofequalizer that allows certainfrequencies through unmo-lested and either reducesother frequencies or elimi-nates them entirely.

The equalizer on the 8•BusSeries combines several differ-ent types of EQ into fivedifferent sections.

The HI MID EQ section is afully parametric equalizer.This means all the significantparameters can be varied, asyou can see in Figure 1. The

Fig.1

GENERALINFO

22

detent if you are unfamiliar with the bandwidthfeature. This setting will give you a semi-para-metric type of EQ.

The 8•Bus console’s set of three HI-MID con-trols (boost/cut, frequency center andbandwidth) is VERY powerful in its effects.Rarely if ever will you need more than a few dBof boost and cut or, as noted above, will you wantto stray from the NORMAL (2 octave) bandwidthuntil you gain some experience recording andmixing.

The LO MID EQ section is called a semi-para-metric equalizer, because the bandwidth is notadjustable (Figure 2). The frequency range is 45Hzto 3kHz and the bandwidth is fixed at 2 octaves.

boost or cut of this section,through a range of ±15dB, isset with the top knob. The cen-ter frequency is dialed in withthe middle knob, and can beset anywhere between 500Hzand 18kHz. Finally, the band-width of the bell-shapedresponse curve around theselected frequency (also some-what inaccurately referred toas a ratio known as Q) can beselected with the lower knob.The range is from as wide as 3octaves to as narrow as 1/12octave. Leave it at the center

LO MID Variable 1: Boost/Cut

LO MID Variable 2: Band Center

2 LO MID VARIABLES

Fig. 2

2

3

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RCA Plug used on some outboard gear

“Y” insert cable for connectingsignal processors’ inputs and

outputs to 8•Bus insert

Tip/Ring/Sleeve (TRS) Plug

Tip/Sleeve (TS) Plug

Female XLR

Male XLR

Figure 4: Common Connectors

23

The LO and HI sections of the EQ are shelv-ing equalizers, with a family of curves shown inFigure 3. As you can see, shelving EQs lift orlower the entire range of frequencies above orbelow a certain point. Most tone controls onstereos are shelving EQs, often set at 100Hz forthe bass and 10kHz for the treble. The LO EQ onthe 8•Bus is at 80Hz and the HI is at 12kHz.

The EQ IN/OUT SWITCH will completely re-move the EQ circuit from the channels signalpath when disengaged, and activate the EQwhen engaged.

When the EQ section is split between thechannel strip and Mix B, the EQ IN/OUT switchwill only shut off the HI MID and LO MID bands.

The LOW CUT filter (also known as a high-pass filter) reduces everything below about100Hz. 75Hz is -3dB, and the lower thefrequency, the greater the attenuation. The slopeof the filter is 18dB/octave.

ConnectorsIf you’ve used a Mackie CR-1604 or

MicroSeries 1202, you’re familiar with the vari-ous kinds of connectors used with a mixingboard. If you’re new to this whole thing, reviewthe drawings in Figure 4 on Page 22. They’re alsodescribed in detail in Appendix A on page48 of this manual.

A BIT MORE ON MIX-B/FLIPIn Section 2, we described FLIP’s use

during tracking and mixdown. Before youactually get involved with recording, we’dlike to spring a couple of block diagramson you that may clarify things further.

The switch labeled FLIP selects theinput that is actually fed into the channelfader (and the MIX-B control).

As the label indicates, the MIC/LINE input(after Mic/Line preamp) is fed to the channelfader when the FLIP switch is in the up position

(Figure 5). When FLIP is up, the channel is fedMIC/LINE and MIX-B gets TAPE. That way, youcan use MIX-B to monitor the signal as it comesback from the recorder. This is the normal modefor tracking and overdubbing.

In the down position, the TAPE return (theoutput signal from the corresponding track ofyour recorder) is fed to the channel fader (Fig-ure 6). When FLIP is down, the channel input isTAPE and MIX-B receives MIC/LINE. That en-ables you to use each channel’s MIC/LINE inputfor another input during mix down. Thus downis the normal position for mixing.

For PA, leave the FLIP switch up.

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Figure 6: FLIP/MIX-B signal path during mixdownshowing additional input (“flip” switch down)

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Fig. 3GENERAL

INFO

24

RECORDING OVERVIEWThe recording process can be as simple as one

microphone recorded on a monaural tape recorder.Not much advice needed for that.

But since you’ve bought such a large mixing con-sole, we expect you’ll occasionally be doing prettybig sessions. This section will describe at leastone way of approaching a large session—for ex-ample, a big drum set, bass, guitar, piano,scratch vocal and horns, with background vocalsand synthesizer overdubs. Let’s assume there is a16-track recorder already patched in to the first16 Tape In and the 16 Tape Out jacks on the8•Bus Console. There is a set of Master Track-ing, Overdub and Mixdown drawings farther onin this section for general reference.

SETUPOkay, now let’s get ready for your session.

Make a diagram of your studio setup showingmic positioning. Then assign an input channel toeach mic.

Trying to make your microphone-to-input layoutsensible now will avoid confusion later. Groupsimilar instruments together. If there is a left-to-right pattern to the mics (like drums mics or avocal group), keep the same left-to-right sequenceon the console. Plan your basic track assignmentsthe same way. It’s very confusing to have inputsrandomly strewn across a mixing console.

Now, normal your console (also called “zero-ing”). This means check the position of everyswitch and every knob to be sure they are in thenormal position. Your normal may be different fromsomeone else’s, but generally it means all switchesoff or up, all knobs either all the way down or attheir Unity detent. If you are working in a certainmode, say, for example, all AUX 3-4 SHIFT switchesin TAPE, this is the time to set them all.

Lay a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" white paper tapeacross the top of the input faders and label all yourinputs. (By the way, avoid masking tape. It willslime your console. Take the time to go to an artsupply store or a recording supply store and getsome better-quality “low tack” tape.)

Since your multitrack returns will be cominginto the MIX-B inputs on some of the same inputstrips, you might want to divide your label intomultitrack track labeling and input labeling. SeeTRACKING drawings 1&2 on pages 26 and 27.

If you have any careful submixing to do duringthe recording, you might want to lay strips of 1/4"

white paper tape alongside each fader slot (busfaders too, if you need them). Then you can markyour place as you rehearse your fader moves.

RECORDING AND OVERDUBBING

Using BusesIf you have to combine two or more inputs

into one output (two trumpets on one track, fivedrum mics panned across a pair of tracks), youmust assign the inputs to a common bus or pairof buses.

If you have only one source going to one tapetrack, you have a choice: you can assign the chan-nel to the bus feeding that track, or you can patchthe tape track into the channel’s Direct Out.

Rationale for using a bus:• It’s there, it’s easy, it sounds great.• You meet interesting people on the bus.

Rationale for using a Direct Out:• You’ve already assigned all eight of your buses to

other duties.• You are a purist and you think you can hear

the additional circuitry used in a bus.

MonitoringThe most straightforward way to monitor dur-

ing a recording or overdubbing session is bylistening to the output of the recorder, playedthrough MIX-B. Properly configured, your re-corder will automatically switch between sourceand playback as you put the deck into stop, play,fast wind, record and so on. That way, you’re al-ways hearing your instruments after they travelthrough the multitrack deck, regardless ofwhether or not the tape is rolling.

MIX-B allows you to set up a custom mix ofthe tape tracks, independent of your recordinglevels. You can set level, pan, reverb and even EQin your monitor mix while you record. You caneven patch a cassette recording into the outputsof MIX-B for a rough mix of the session.

Both the FLIP and MIX-B SOURCE buttonsshould be in their up positions. This connectsthe Tape In amplifier to the MIX-B level control,and MIX-B will monitor the recording machine.

Cue MixInitially, as you are setting up, set the Phones

source to the MIX-B selection. This way, the mu-sicians will at least have something to listen to

SECTION 4:RECORDING WITH THE MACKIE 8•BUS CONSOLE

RECORDING

25

right away so they can tune up and rehearse,providing all your chosen tracks are in recordmode and auto-switching to input when tape isnot rolling.

Keeping the Phones on MIX-B may work for theentire session, but usually the musicians will wantone or even two custom mixes. The bass player anddrummer may want bass and drums featured veryloud in their cans, which may be killing the vocal-ist. Likely, as soon as you are close, you will berequired to come up with some new cue feeds forthe players.

AUXiliary Sends 3-4 and 5-6 are designed to setup two different cue mixes from the same source asMIX-B, which should be the signal from your re-corder. Simply push the SOURCE button by Sends3-4-5-6 down to the MIX-B position, and push thePRE button down (to bypass the MIX-B level con-trol). With the system configured like this, you willbe able to send a custom mix from each tape trackto either Sends 3-4 or Sends 5-6, depending on theposition of the AUX SHIFT switch. It’s like havingan extra Mix B section.

Sends 3 and 5 are set to feed the left head-phone, and 4 and 6 the right headphone. An equalsetting on both knobs will place the sound in thecenter of the image.

Additional Note: By using modification V (Aux1/2 source mod, page 55) an additional 2 Auxsends can be used as cue mixes from Mix-B(tape returns). This would allow all 6 Aux sendsto access Mix-B during tracking or overdubbingfor cue mixes as well as effects.

Wet or Dry Monitor?Usually, you will not record wet (with reverb)

onto your multitrack master. You can’t undo it later.However, it is nice to hear a little echo on thetracks as you are working, and with the 8•BusSeries, you have the option of wet monitoring.

Since you are using MIX-B as your monitor sub-mix, you should derive the reverb send from thesame source. When the SOURCE button next toSends 3/4/5/6 is depressed but the PRE button isnot, the sends are connected after the MIX-B levelcontrol and make great wet monitor reverb sends.

Once you have your sends happening, you canassign the return from your reverb into the head-phone cues by using Stereo Returns 3 or 4, whichcan directly assign into the phones. (Even if youare using Send 6, there is no reason not to patchthe output of the reverb into Returns 3 & 4. TheSend and Return numbers do not have to match.)

FOLLOW THIS LEVEL-SETTINGPROCEDURE FOR EACHCHANNEL IN USE:

1. ■■ Assign signal to channel fader:• If channel will be used with a micro-

phone, MIC/LINE switch should be up &FLIP switch should be up.

• If channel will be used with line input,MIC/LINE switch should be down &FLIP switch should be up.

• If channel will be used with a tape input,the FLIP switch should be down.

2. Set channel strip controls as follows:■■ TRIM pot all the way counterclockwise(+4dB)■■ AUX SEND controls all the way counter-

clockwise (off)■■ EQ switch up■■ LOW-CUT switch either on or off

(on recommended for mic inputs)■■ Channel fader at UNITY■■ SOLO switch down

3. ■■ Make appropriate “noise” into the channelinput. For example, have a performer play/sing/strike something or someone, etc. atthe level they’re going to record or perform.Don’t just play a single sustained note,but rather, jam away as you would be duringrecording or performance. If the channel isbeing used for a tape input during mixdown,roll an already-recorded track from yourrecorder.

4. The channel’s –20dB LED should light. The L/Rmain meters will show the actual internaloperating level of soloed signals. Now you willoptimize levels.

5. ■■ • For mic or line inputs, adjust the TRIMcontrol clockwise to get peaks thatregularly hit 0dB on the L/R meters.OR

■■ • For tape inputs, set the +4/–10 switch onthe console back panel to its in position(–10) if the signalpeaks are below –10dBon the L/R main meters.

6. If desired (optional):■■ Press the EQ switch in.■■ Adjust the channel strip’s EQ to about what

you will be using during the session.■■ Re-perform Step 5.

7. ■■ Return the channel strip’s SOLO button to itsup position.

8. ■■ Repeat Steps 1-7 on the next channel that isbeing used.

Text continued on Page 28

RECORDING

26

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13 14 15 1612

28

Getting reverb into the monitors is a littlemore involved, since there is no return assign-ment switch to MIX-B. You have three choices:• Assign MIX-B to L/R Mix in the MIX-B master

section. Then, select L/R Mix as your only sourcein the monitor section. Finally, use Stereo AUXReturns 1-6 to bring the reverb into the L/R Mixbuses. Make sure that none of the channel L/Rswitches are engaged. There is no disadvantage tothis patch, unless you are already using the L/RMix buses for some other function.

• Patch the returns into unused tape returns, usingthe Tape In jacks on the rear of the console. Thenroute them into MIX-B, just as if they wereadditional tape tracks.

• Patch the returns into unused channel strips,using the Line In jacks. Then you can routethe reverb anywhere your heart desires.

Let’s Record!Here’s one way to set the board up (another

option is shown in the hook-up drawings…eitherworks just fine):

Overdub, Anyone?See the OVERDUB drawings on page 30 and 31.Once you’ve got your basic tracks down, take

a moment and log all your settings, right down toheadphone sends and outboard compressor thresh-olds. You may be back next week doing it all overagain, and you won’t remember it all. It seemssome engineers use a camera for this step, but ourPolaroids never come out that well.

One easy way to do this is to copy the 8•Buspanel layouts from the end of the manual and markyour settings on them in color.

Now, normal all the channel inputs and EQs andsends—anything that does not affect your MIX-Bmonitor and cue submix. Do not change the FLIPswitch settings yet.

Then, pick a convenient input channel or twoand use them as your input for overdubs. As yourecord on different tracks, just reassign the bus out-puts from the channels, no sweat. Remember, withthe triple busing feature, explained in Section 2(“Submaster/Tape Outputs”), you won’t have torepatch anything to feed up to a 24-track re-corder. And your monitor mix and cue mixhaven’t changed. At the end of the night, you canrun the monitor mix into a cassette or DAT andtake a rough mix home.

If you’re going to do your final mix right away,you have another option during overdubbing. First,pick an input channel for your overdub mics be-yond the number of tape tracks you have. If youhave a 16-Track, choose channels 17 and 18. Thesewill be your inputs, which you will then assign toopen tape tracks for the overdubs. Now, push theFLIP buttons on channels 1-16. This will bringthe Tape Inputs into the main channel faders,and you can begin working on your mix whileyou monitor on the L/R Bus. Headphones canstill be fed via the AUX Send of your choice, orby assigning monitor to the phones. When you’redone overdubbing, your mix is ready.

MIXING OVERVIEWSee the MIXDOWN drawings on pages 32 and 33.Recording and overdubbing require care from

the recording engineer, but the focus really hasto be on the performances. It’s important to get agood sound, but it’s more important to keep themusicians really in it, keep the pace up, be readyto snag that killer track when it happens.

Good mixing, however, focuses solely on theengineer and requires an emphasis on precisionand meticulous setup. Creatively, you must blendthe tracks so they at least sound like musicagain; technically, you must take into accountthe sound of home and car speakers, mono com-

Kick Drum ............ to Channel 1 ......... Direct Out to Track 1Snare Drum .......... to Channel 2 ........... Direct Out to Track 2Cymbals Left ......... to Channel 3 ........... Bus 3 to Track 3Cymbals Right ....... to Channel 4 ........... Bus 4 to Track 4Tom 1 ..................... to Channel 6 ........... panned between Buses 3 & 4 to Tracks 3 & 4Tom 2 ..................... to Channel 7 ........... panned between Buses 3 & 4 to Tracks 3 & 4Tom 3 ..................... to Channel 8 ........... panned between Buses 3 & 4 to Tracks 3 & 4Bass Amp ............... to Channel 9 ........... Bus 5 to Track 5Bass Direct ............ to Channel 10 ......... Bus 5 to Track 5Scratch Vocal ......... to Channel 11 ......... Direct Out to Track 11Guitar near ........... to Channel 12 ......... Bus 6 to Track 6Guitar far .............. to Channel 13 ......... Bus 6 to Track 6Piano L .................. to Channel 14 ......... Bus 7 to Track 7Piano R .................. to Channel 15 ......... Bus 8 to Track 8Trombone I ............ to Channel 16 ......... panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10Trombone II ........... to Channel 17 ......... panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10Flugelhorn ............. to Channel 18 ......... panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10Trumpet ................. to Channel 19 ......... panned between Buses 1 & 2 to tracks 9 & 10

Your monitoring and cue signals come fromthe MIX-B inputs corresponding to the tapetracks:

Kick .................. Track 1 .............. Tape Return 1 ............ MIX-BSnare ................ Track 2 .............. Tape Return 2 ............ MIX-BDrums L ........... Track 3 .............. Tape Return 3 ............ MIX-BDrums R .......... Track 4 .............. Tape Return 4 ............ MIX-BBass .................. Track 5 .............. Tape Return 5 ............ MIX-BGuitar .............. Track 6 .............. Tape Return 6 ............ MIX-BPiano L ............ Track 7 .............. Tape Return 7 ............ MIX-BPiano R ............ Track 8 .............. Tape Return 8 ............ MIX-BHorns L ............ Track 9 .............. Tape Return 9 ............ MIX-BHorns R ............ Track 10 ............ Tape Return 10 .......... MIX-BScratch Vocal ... Track 11 ............ Tape Return 11 .......... MIX-B

At this point, your recording should prettywell take care of itself. Keep on top of the play-ers: be sure they’re in tune, keep them tight.You’ll have great tracks before midnight.

RECORDING

29

patibility, human perception changes under dif-ferent listening conditions, matching similarproduct in your market, not to mention tonaland level balance between songs, and meetingthe criteria for tape and disc mastering.

MIXING SETUPClean and align your mixing machine accord-

ing to the manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s adigital machine, sacrifice a full floppy disk in itspresence to ensure smooth operation duringmixdown.

Group all your inputs in some sensible way, keep-ing drums, vocals and synths next to each other.

You’ll probably have to repatch some of yourtape returns to do this. Lay a strip of 1/2" whitetape across all the console input channels for label-ing. Put 1/4" strips of tape vertically along eachfader to mark levels.

Pick a ModelGet copies of music you’d like to approximate in

your mix, and patch the CD or DAT machine into theexternal jacks on the console. Then you can A-B yourmix against your model at the flick of a switch to seeif you’re really getting that snare sound or not.

Consider CompressionYou can mix an entire project without a lick of

compression; many engineers do. The dynamicrange of a CD can certainly handle it. But con-sider: most people listen to what you mix underless than ideal conditions. There is backgroundnoise and road noise, and most people don’tlisten as loud as you mix. A little gentle compres-sion, whether on individual tracks or on theentire mix, can reduce the dynamic range a bitand pull your mix together. Also, if you want tosimulate what your mix will sound like over theairwaves, you can compresss the heck out of it,like they do. They use very fancy compressors,but any compressor will give you an idea of whatwill happen. This is good for checking things out,but not for your final mix.

DOING THE MIXAssuming the console has been normalled, all

you have to do to get ready to mix is to engagethe FLIP and L/R MIX switches (unless you areusing the submasters to group channels) oneach of the input channels and select L/R MIXas your Monitor Source. Pull all the channel in-put faders down.

There is a tendency for levels to creep upwards asyou add more and more tracks to your mix. One way

to keep a handle on this is to set the L/R masterfader a few dB above unity, and to set your initialmonitor levels pretty high. As you get closer andcloser to your final, you can ease the monitor levelsdown and easeup the master fader to unity, which iswhere it should be.

If your multitrack tape machine will do it, put it inthe loop mode so it will just play the song over andover. Start mixing a group of tracks that run through-out the song, maybe drums or the rhythm section.

Set the panning, level, EQ, reverb and delay,and bring in more tracks as the mix begins tojell. Don’t make any level marks on your fadertapes yet, but as the mix comes together, try tonote which sections work without a lot of fadermoves. Look for what appears to be the loudestpart. Sometimes turning the Control Room Levelway down, so the mix is very quiet, will revealwhat sounds are clearly louder than others.

Now take a listen to your model on CD or DAT.Make some adjustments in your mix to put itcloser. When you think it’s getting reasonable, findthat loudest section that you located, and pull themaster fader back to get the levels close to normalon the main meters. Then go to the section thatworks by itself and start making little marks onthe fader strips. You’re getting close.

Listen to the model again. Start making moremarks for the moves. Repeat until it sounds likea hit. Serves four adults.

Using External ProcessingCompressors, gates and equalizers are gener-

ally inserted into the signal path. They arereferred to as “serial devices,” used in serieswith the signal path. All the signal goes into thedevice, then out and back to the mixer’s signal path.

Reverb, echo, delay, aural excitement andspatial enhancement are usually set up as send/return devices. These are referred to as “paralleldevices.” Some amount of signal is “borrowed”from a channel via an AUX Send, sent to the de-vice, processed and returned to the mixer as anew, wet signal via the AUX Returns, to be mixedwith the original, dry signal.

Insert DevicesA compressor/limiter after EQ will compress

differently than one inserted before the EQ. Acompressor/limiter inserted before a master faderwill limit consistently, but one after the samefader will effectively have its threshold moved bythe fader level. None of these choices are right orwrong, they just have different effects.

Text continued on Page 36

RECORDING

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13 14 15 1612

36

as reverb returns. Simply patch the return into aLine Input, if you have enough inputs to handlethis. (Bonus: you now have console EQ availableon your reverb return. Be sure the AUX Sendfeeding that reverb is turned fully down on thechannels being used as reverb returns. If youdon’t, every dog in the neighborhood will want tohump your leg.)

Using SubgroupsThere will be many times during mixing that

you will want to set up subgroups within yourmix. A subgroup allows you use just one or two(for stereo) faders on a larger group of tracks(say, drums or horns or background vocals). Thismakes for easier control (especially if you do nothave automation), and also allows you to patcha single (or a matched pair for stereo) EQ orcompressor on the set of tracks.

The Mackie 8•Bus console offers you several op-tions using subgroups, depending on thesituation.• To assign channels to a subgroup during

mixing, first de-assign the channels you wantto subgroup from the L/R MIX. Then choosethe bus or pair of buses you’d like to use as asubgroup and reassign the channels to thatsubgroup. The channel pan controls theselection of buses for a mono subgroup, andthe position between buses for a stereosubgroup. For example, if you want a monosubgroup using Bus #1, select 1/2 assign andpan those channels fully left. Now, in theAssign area above the submaster faders,select the combination of L MIX, R MIX andMONO L+R switches that suit you. The L MIXand R MIX switches are upstream of theMONO L+R switches, and must be engaged tomake the Mono switches work. Compressorsor EQs can be inserted into the SubmasterInsert jacks at the top of the Output section.

• Another option is to bypass the bus assignswitching above the 8•Bus masters andinstead patch the output of the bus(es) backinto the inputs of a channel fader or two.Then assign those channels only to the L/RMIX to reinsert the subgroup into the mix. Ifyou have enough input channels, this configu-ration gives you console EQ and Sends onyour subgroup, which may be handy.

Finding More Inputs: MIX-B to L & R BusesThere are never enough tracks on your re-

corder, and there are never enough inputs onyour console. It’s always the case. Your unbridledcreativity will find ways to use up everything,whether you are routing the vocals through a

There are three common points for insertingprocessing devices in the signal path during mix-ing:• In a pre-EQ channel insert point (for one

channel only)• In a sub-master bus insert point (for a

subgroup)• In the L/R Mix insert point (to affect the

whole mix)

Send / Return DevicesSince you’re not setting up custom phone cue-

ing while you’re mixing, you will normally have allsix AUXiliary sends available. Use a couple as yourprimary reverb sends, perhaps one for a brightplate and the second the same with a slap or pre-delay. That leaves you four for special effects. Youcan also use the MIX-B outputs or an unused 8-track bus as additional sends. If you only need toput the effect on one channel, you can use thechannel Direct Out as a send (and the effects in-put level as the send level).

Lots of options at this point. Post-fader is al-most always the preferred mode for reverbsends. Keep the sends in post unless you don’twant the reverb to follow the fader moves. If youwant the “wet” sound (lots of reverb), turn thefader down a bit, and turn up the appropriateAUX Send to compensate. Now you have less“dry” signal and more “wet.” Dreamy!

Patch the output of the reverb units to the AUXReturn inputs, which offer level and pan controls,and assign switches to put your effect where youwant it. Notice that each of the six returns has twoinputs, for a total of twelve. This allows you to sendand return to six stereo effects units and bring allthe reverbs and echoes back in.

Also note: There is no rule against sending on 3and patching the returns into 5 and 6. If your re-verb has stereo inputs, try feeding a mono signal,using just one AUX Send, into its “mono” input.Most reverbs are not true stereo, input-wise. You’lllose nothing and get back an AUX Send.

If you are using a mono effect or only onechannel of a stereo effect, using only the Left in-put jack of a return will place the effect in thecenter of your mix. If you use the Right jack, theeffect will be placed on the right side in yourmix. To put the effect on the left side only, patchthe return into the Left jack, and place anunwired dummy plug into the Right jack. Thatwill defeat the left-goes-to-center normallingand allow the signal to remain on the left in themix.

As mentioned above, you can use the AUX Re-turn inputs as additional inputs to the console ifyou wish. You can also use channel input strips

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pair of Leslie speakers or keying a gated set ofreindeer bells with the snare signal.

The Mackie 8•Bus consoles can’t give you theinfinite number of channels you dream of, unlessyou buy an infinite number of expander consoles,but you can very easily double the number ofinputs by using the MIX-B buses.

If you are mixing off tape as we set it up a fewpages ago, you have engaged the FLIP switch to putthe tape returns into the main channel fader andEQ. The FLIP switch also switches the Line Inputto the MIX-B circuitry, and that provides your extrainputs. You can get an AUX Send for the extras us-ing the SOURCE switch in the AUX Send 3/4/5/6area, and you can SPLIT the EQ if you need to.

Check over in the MIX-B/MONITOR sectionabove the Sub meters and you’ll see the MIX-B TOL/R MIX ASSIGN button, which will bring allyour MIX-B inputs back into the main mix. Voila!Twice as many inputs!

Monitoring and LevelsCheck your speakers and amplifiers to be sure

that they’re balanced left-to-right and mountedsymmetrically to your mixing position. A 2dBshift in monitor balance will produce a 2dB shiftin the opposite direction in your mix.

Also, check your speaker polarity (sometimesinaccurately called phase). This is a basic thingwe all know about, but it’s amazing the timeswe’ve found studio speakers (especially near-field monitors, which are often plugged andunplugged regularly) connected with opposingpolarity. You should train your ears to notice out-of-polarity conditions instantly. It’s easy to hear(to us it sounds like a combination of not hear-ing enough bass and feeling like our eyes areslightly crossed), and getting polarity right willsave you much grief in mixing.

Remember that you need to mix so that yourmusic or program sounds good on anybody’s sys-tem. Be sure you have some real-world monitorspeakers in addition to the monitors you like sowell, and check back and forth frequently. SeeSection 2 (“Studio Output”), for details on howto use two sets of control room monitors. Checkat different monitoring levels, too. A mix thatsounds great loud will not necessarily soundgood at low volume. Listen at a barely audiblelevel from time to time. You should still be ableto hear the essential pieces of your mix.

Also, check your stereo mixes in mono regu-larly during your mix. Much television and radiois still heard in mono, and your mix has to soundits best both ways.

Take a hint from the film mixers and set yourdialog or lead vocals to about 85dB/c at the mix-

ing position. This is a moderate, normal volume;not quiet but definitely not thundering. If youhave a sound pressure meter available you cantake a measurement to get a feel for how loud85dB is. If you don’t, run down to Radio Shackand say: “I want #33-2050 or #32-2055. Here’s$31.99 or $59.99 plus applicable taxes.” Everyset of self-respecting ears should own one.

This monitoring volume will keep you honest,and keep your mixes balanced for playback.Sure, listen at very low levels, too, and crank itfrom time to time to remember why you’re in thisline of work, but stay at the moderate 85dB/csetting most of the time. You will save your hear-ing and also make better mixes.

A Word About AutomationThere is an optional MIDI automated mixing

capability that will be available for the Mackie8•Bus Series Consoles, so we won’t talk aboutautomated mixing here. That’s in the manualthat comes with the automation components.

For those of you without automation, there ishope. Billions and billions of great mixes havebeen done on non-automated consoles. Here area few tips:• Use subgroups, discussed earlier.• “Mult” tracks that need drastic EQ or reverb

changes to two channels, and alternatebetween them with the MUTE switches.(Multing means connecting one output totwo or more inputs by simply paralleling theconnections. Some patch bays have paralleledmult strips available. You can also make multboxes or just use “Y” adapters. Note: Nevermult two or more outputs into one input.That’s what mixers are for. Only mult oneoutput into two or more inputs. See AppendixA: Connections.)

• Enlist several sets of hands.• And last, most terrifying, but most powerful

and effective: edit between sections of yourmix. It would be wise to make two passes ofyour mix before you chop up your only one.If you’ve been wildly editing mixes for years

and years, you know what we’re talking about. Ifnot, learn to do it. Whether you do it digitally oryou use a razor blade, you can fix that tiny detailin an otherwise perfect mix; you can mix a com-plicated track in sections rather than like amarathon; you can go from 200 instruments to asingle whispered vocal and back again in a heart-beat; you can even fix a mix weeks later withoutlosing the original magic—you just remix the onechorus that needs fixing and cut it in.

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section 3: general information

Documents