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Mackie DIGITALXBUS X.200 User's Manual

1. 0000000000 id Save As Template i 0 File M 24 pen d 909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Launch Executable EXE 24 Install Packages 9909090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 24 ee Shutdown 0 999090909009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 24 The Edit Menu Undo Ctrl Z 9990900090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 25 A 25 142 22 e OQ 25 Copy Ctrl C 9990909000900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
2. Owner s Manual 1 404461 40 1 10 sauoudpesy we doaysaq oL 4 D q 22667 4 2 HHHHHHHP 5 sseg m 4 d on Go zzz donc ICI d pon zzz T 25 Sc a n n 1294 SE nou zz I EB E 2 58 SIEM HZ 29 123u JAIN 2 dap 8 084 08 TV EU jo oO o Dum eee mee ss 225 e 5 ee ee exe 5 v 5 2124 LL MEL NETTE Ze 5 ae 1 a ee TO 9o 0 min ie ue a ME p z 24 ay i aon eren axe e 1 AN 2 5 mu gt L ae 688 2 a maca
3. Manual Rev 1 0 4 March 7 2005 OWNER S MANUAL X 200 Important Safety Instructions Read these instructions Keep these instructions Heed all warnings Do not use this apparatus near water 1 2 3 4 Follow all instructions 5 6 Clean only with dry doth 7 Do not block any ventilation openings Install in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions 8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat 9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 11 Only use attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer 12 Use only with a cart stand tripod bracket or table specified by the manufacturer or sold with the apparatus When a cart is used use caution when moving the cart apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip over PORTABLE CART WARNING Carts and stands The Compone
4. OR 8 5 CARD r p M M SQ v Other C ti 13 9 SWITCH and P RR ERR n 10 SERIAL 9 PIN 999090900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 n MIDI IN and OUT 9909090000900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 n D ETHERNET 999009000900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 n 13 058 13 Receptacle 9990090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
5. ggg 95955595595 2092900000000 BB 000000000000 BH sess 0090000000000 6050660099006 From PCI MIDI MIDI IN OUT OUT MIDI MIDI IN PCI 324 card output Word Clock OUTPUT 2408 Word Clock INPUT You probably have bad word clock sync tion if You hear audio but it cuts in and out at regular intervals There is no audio signal at the input of the Digital X Bus even though everything seems to be connected properly meters are full on and you hear a very ugly grating grinding static sound When the record playback device transport is engaged you see the sample rate indicator flashing at the top of the right screen Troubleshoot through the system from the mas ter through the slaves Connect the first two de vices and verify their functionality Once they re up and running add the next device and so on This 15 the most efficient manner to check out a system Verify connection integrity and quality of all sync cables Verify a consistent sample rate setting on all connected sync devices all set to the same sample rate 44 1 48k etc Verify that the master sync source word clock output is connected to the word clock input of the slave and that additional slaves also receive word clock Slaves can either receive word clock directly
6. o 2 Je 5 esses e e 2 2 Other Connections In addition to the cards in the card slots there are more connections to be made on the rear panel These two 1 4 TS jacks are provided for foot switch control of various functions These functions are assignable in the Windows Setup window and include Talkback Play Stop Next Marker Previous Marker New Marker and enabling disabling the Fader Swap function This DB9 connector is an RS 422 port that sup ports the Sony 9 Pin device protocol It is con figured to operate as a controller so it should be connected to a device DEV that is configured to be controlled by a controller CONT This is used primarily to transmit tape transport commands from the Digital X Bus to a Sony 9 Pin compatible recorder These standard MIDI connectors female 5 pin DIN can be used to send or receive MIDI Time Code MTC and MIDI Machine Control MMC when connecting to equipment with transport con trols and a position display The MIDI connectors can also be used to control your DAW application when the MIDI fader bank is selected up to eight channels You can turn MTC on and off in the Sync Card setup window Windows gt I O Configuration and touch the Sync card by clicking the Generate MTC box You can select MTC as the timecode source in the same setup window by clicking the TimeCode Sourc
7. m 30 MU ud dM Md 31 To PERRO IRR 7 7 7 18 18 18 Control Room Section Phones Section Talkback Section Solo Section Macros Transport Section Owner s Manual Digital X Bus Fhe Overview Meters and Switching 21 Accessing Windows Channel Layout Reconfiguration Fader Swap The File Menu Session Ctrl N 0 0 990000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 22 Open Session Ctrl O 22 pen ession tr T 99090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000 Save Session Ctrl S ONT OREN Save Session As Ctrl Shift S Import D8B Session
8. Post Production Setup Bouncing Summing Using Bus Outs Editing A i 75 it ng utomat ion 9990900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Appendix A Service Information ee eret 76 16 77 Warranty Service Troubleshooting Repair endix Connections J 090909090909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 78 78 18 18 XLR Connectors 1 4 TRS Phone Plugs and Jacks Balanced Stereo Headphones 1 4 TS Phone Plugs and Jacks 78 RCA Plugs and Jacks 78 Unpalancing ISO ETUR KE UL Cubic iratus DB25 Connectors 19 Analog 19 Digital 19 AES EBU 9090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 79 n S 79 endix C Technical Info 80 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 80 Specifications Under Construction Digital X Bus X 200 Signal Flow Diagram Digital X Bus
9. 1 2 AUX 3 AUX 4 AUX 5 AUX 6 AUX7 8 Mone Inputs Select Setup Windows gt Setup and set Mix Options SETUP General Macros Surround Mode Mixing Options One Button Record Record Safe Song Offset 00 00 00 00 1 Select phantom power button in the Assign x Solo Latch cum window for mic inputs if required Meters Footswitches Note Condenser mics and active DIs use phantom power Moving coil mics ribbon mics and most electronic instruments don t need phantom power Show Meters Test each instrument and mic to verify suffi 4 1 cient level at console input meter Input Src Mic Line In 1 10 dB Ifusing MIC LINE cards select 10 dB button on channels using line level inputs Assign Fader Bank 1 Channels 1 24 to Out puts 25 48 Options gt Bank to Outputs gt Out puts 25 48 This routes all 24 inputs on Fader Bank 1 to the SLOTeB Outputs going to the multitrack recorder s Adjust input trim Gain for a reading around File Edit Channel Automation Solo Latch 15 on the meter LJ Select L R in the ASSIGN BUTTON SETUP section to confirm Assign lights on for all 2 desired channels or look on screen to verify that all necessary channels have L R button DAVY Emulation Mode gt highlighted in Bus Assign section ASSIGN
10. Owner s Manual Aux 9 10 and 11 12 are perfect for stereo head 1 Adjust the channel aux levels to route channels phone sends It s often convenient for the musicians to outboard effects to at first monitor the L R mix in the cue section CUE 1 and 2 Once the initial L R mix is estab lished copy it to the appropriate cue PHONES SETUP Copy Mix to Cue then customize for individual monitoring needs PHONES SETUP Phones 1 Phones 2 1 2 Phones 1 Input Assign Phones 2 Input Assign J Adjust headphone monitor volume in the Verify that the MIX OUT is connected to the PHONES section mixdown machine PHONES 1 PHONES 2 Cassette or DAT Recorder 14 Route individual channels to the internal effects in the ASSIGN window ASSIGNS The mix should be arriving at the mixdown re corder It s good to check this as part of your track ing process At the conclusion of a session the artist will probably want to take a rough mix for evalua tion you ll look better if it s already set to go 1 Record a pass on the multitrack Play multitrack back playback should sound identical to tracking and you re ready to print a rough mix SASUMO Owner s Manual Sample Tracking and Mixdown Setup This diagram shows a typical hookup for tracking and mixdown With the signal routing flexibility of th
11. EE 2 NOILnva3 Sdavo ANIV IIN 20A pue ONDPIOVelLL 406622044 3283443 Owner s Manual Effects Plug ins Before we look at more setup examples lets cover some quick tips on efficient use of the Digital X Bus plug ins Follow these easy steps to use the Digital X Bus internal plug ins The Digital X Bus comes with a Stereo Delay and a Reverb Additional plug ins can be purchased and installed on the Digital X Bus using the Package Installer File Install Packages Visit our website at www mackie com to learn more about available plug ins Note Other 3rd party plug ins not tested and packaged by Mackie can be installed using the Launch 3rd Party Installer command under the File menu This runs any executable exe file at tached to a USB port CD or Flash drives or from the internal hard drive 1 Open the Effects Rack Windows gt Effects Rack 2 Clickthe New Plugin button in the upper left corner and select an effect from the list of avail able plug ins in the NEW PLUGIN window then click OK NEW PLUGIN Select the plugin s you wish to load and click OK Available Plugins BT Equalizer PEQ2C BT GateLimiter GL 201 BT Limiter LM2S Reverb lt ROCK LEGENDS Nomad Factory saneVWave Antares X 200 3 Youcan select the same plug in multiple times They appear as consecu
12. None Card 1 Card 2 Card 3 Card 4 Card 5 In 33 Card 6 In 34 Card 7 In 35 Card 8 In 36 Card 9 In 37 38 In 39 Phase Reverse In 40 Phase Reverse e Click the Phase Reverse button to invert the polarity of the signal by 180 Phase Reverse Digital Trim Delay rn 0 00 dB 0 Digital Trim e The Digital Trim allows you to adjust the input level just after the A D converter and before the channel Provides a method to trim the input signal when using Digital I O cards Delay e Adds delay to the selected channel Ranges from 0 ms to 500 ms This can be manually ad justed with the V Pot or automatically adjusted when using the Adjust Channel Delay feature Channel Adjust Channel Delay Bus Assigns e Click the Bus Assigns buttons to assign the output of the channel strip to Bus 1 8 and the L R bus Bus Assigns Pre Insert e The Pre Insert point is located just before the channel DSP section e Used to insert a plug in effect into the channel pre DSP e Click the Pre Insert drop down box to select a plug in from the available effects in the Effects Rack Pre Insert Mane Hewverh 1 Note One or more plug ins must be installed in the Effects Rack Ctrl 8 before a Pre Insert can be selected or None will appear in the drop down box e Ifit s a stereo effect a channel can be assigned to the left or right input of the effect e corr
13. tings refer to Setup on page 31 e DAW Main In Out setup window settings are automatically stored e DAW Ext 1 In Out and are recalled in subsequent boot ups e DAW Ext 2 In Out 1 General e Date and Time e Touch Calibration Connecting Input Sources 4 Install three MIC LINE 4 or MIC LINE 8 cards e Language into the Digital X Bus AeSLOTS or whatever cards you choose to use for the inputs to the Smart Save Digital X Bus Create New Files Using appropriate cable connect your micro phones and line level signal sources to the mic e Load Last Session at Power up or line level inputs 1 Macros e User defined Screen Sets 1 Mix Options e Surround Mode Connecting Analog Multitrack s 1 For 24 track recording install three LINE cards into the Digital X Bus BeSLOTS Using the appropriate cable connect the 25 pin D Sub OUT connectors on the LINE cards to the multitrack inputs e Mixing Options One Button Record Record 4 safe Song Offset Solo Latch Use Pre Roll Pre Roll time Meters Show Meters Peak Hold Footswitch Assignment 9 Using the appropriate cable connect the multi track outputs to the 25 pin D Sub IN connectors on the LINE cards Make sure all connections are tightly secured SETUP Macros Mix Options Date amp Time Year Minutes Calibrate Touch Screens Language Defaults Left Right Both Smart Save On Off Create New Files Load
14. 0 2 dB 20 Hz 40 kHz 06 kHz 0 2 dB 20 Hz 40 kHz Owner s Manual Digital X Bus Digital X Bus X 200 Signal Flow Diagram 8 Channel Input 2 Source x72 Mic Line 8 Digital Trim x8 Mic Line 4 Line 0 500 o Floating t Send 5 MM Hardware Output 2 x8 ASSIGNMENT ___ oda o SWITCH 5 t Ret Floating Insert Return Hardware lt ul 5 AES A Card lt Pre DSP FireWire 72 Post DSP Channels insert Hardware Direct Output Output x8 Pre Aux Send 1 12 i PFL SOLO tc 2 2 Pre Fader Masters 5 Channel Mute Meter cr lt Solo Bus Aux Returns id LL VSTs i Post Fader Post Aux Meter Send 1 12 Talkback Mic Ponner Hardware Software Patch Destination x8 x8 x8 x8 x 24 72 10 12 Line Digital AES FireWire Channel Bus E Line 8 Card Card Card Card Input Assign Bre channel count measured at 44 1 48kHz 4 exact number of VST returns available is determined by VSTs used d Owner s Manual X 200 AUX SEND MASTER x 12 x 72 CHANNEL INPUT CHANNEL INSERT SEND x 72 VST EFFECT S x 72 CHANNEL INSERT RETURN BUS INSERT SEND x 10 x 10 BUS INSERT RETURN BUS AUX ASSIGNMENT Floating Insert Send ASSIGNMENT
15. sor increases the output level increases linearly until the threshold point is reached After that point the output level no longer increases linearly Instead it increases at a reduced rate determined by the ratio setting The compressor is represented graphically by a diagonal line across an X Y coordinate display The horizontal axis represents the input signal level to the compressor and the vertical axis represents the output signal level from the compressor When the compressor is not acting upon the signal below the threshold the input equals the output and the line moves diagonally across the display When the compressor begins acting on the signal the output no longer follows the input signal but is reduced by an amount determined by the Ratio control The greater the ratio setting the less the output level changes as a function of the input level There are five controls for the compressor along the bottom edge of the window These are controlled by the V Pots located just below them Threshold e Determines the level at which the compressor begins to act on the incoming signal It is cali brated in decibels ranging from off to 0 dB Attack e Determines how fast the compressor reacts once the threshold has been exceeded It is calibrated in milliseconds ranging from 1 ms to 100 ms 1 10 second DYNAMICS ie COMPRESSOR SOLO R Key Trigger Input X 200 Release e De
16. with other esoteric numbers including the measured sample rate and I O latency DSP Profiler 8 x Applications Setting Up For a Session This section of the X 200 Owner s Manual pro vides very application specific descriptions of some common usages your skills and knowledge increase try new techniques Build a system that s optimized for your specific application Listening Environment In any serious recording situation the listening environment is one of the most important consid erations Be sure the Digital X Bus is connected to excellent reference monitors like the Mackie HR824s In addition set up the system in an acous tically controlled and balanced environment Avoid a control room with identical dimensions in any direc tion and set it up with a good mixture of absorption and reflection When mixing in stereo or surround select the best location typically called the sweet spot to critically assess the entire mix Eliminate guess work Maximize efficiency Channel Configuration Planning This actually has a lot to do with how well any audio experience unfolds If you know where you re headed with track expectations and instrumenta tion you ll be able to make better choices along the way Plan plan again think about it then plan some more Devise a mock up of the final track sheet to plan your session before you begin recording You ll know more about how to get where you want t
17. 0 50 onfiguration Ctri 0 Tools Submenu 5 0000000 0000000000 0000000000 Applicati Dp Le Le o IRR TR RR Setting Up For a Session Listening Environment Channel Configuration Planning Installation and Connection of Optional 1 0 Cards Anti Static P i 53 nti tatic datae seseris taS see DD 54 1 MIC LINE 4 CARD 999090090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 54 Installation Procedure 0000 2 MIC LINE 8 CARD 99909090090009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
18. 8 2 2555 2 CONTROL ROOM SELECT LMX o o 1 3 INPUT ASSIGN 1 L o o 4 o INPUT ASSIGN 2 L o o ie SOLO CONTROL CONTROL ROOM SELECT R MIX 000 101 INPUT ASSIGN 1 8 79 4 gt INPUT ASSIGN 2 19 SOLO SOLO D CONTROL FROMSOLO gt LEVET 2 SOLO DIM L MIX OUT L NEAR SPEAKER A L MAIN SPEAKER B R Owner s Manual 87 Appendix D Software Installation Digital X Bus Software Installation Procedure Windows XP Users Requires a USB Flash Pen drive 1 2 10 11 12 13 mmen Download the Software update from www mackie com to your local hard drive Insert a USB Flash Drive into your computer Make sure that Windows identifies the Flash Drive as a USB Mass Storage Device in the pop up balloon message from the System Tray Right click on the downloaded file and select Extract from the pop up menu this will launch the Windows Compressed Folders Extraction Wizard say that ten times fast Click Next Click Browse and point the directory at the root level of the Flash Drive usually marked with an Ez or designation Click OK Click Next to start the Extraction Once that is completed click Finish Remove the Flash Drive from your computer and
19. Audio Workstation DAW e You can use the X 200 MIDI ports with a USB MIDI interface USB USB MIDI Interface You can also use the USB port on the X 200 with a USB MIDI interface However because the X 200 USB port and a computer s USB port are both con figured as hosts which are designed to connect to a USB port configured as a device like a USB MIDI interface you must use two USB MIDI interfaces connected as shown below This configuration al lows you to use many more MIDI channels than the 16 provided by a standard MIDI port up to 64 chan nels when using two 4x4 USB MIDI interfaces Host Device USB MIDI Interface USB MIDI Interface Device x64 Host When you don t include computer in your setup you need a device like the Alesis BRC to transmit MTC to and from the X 200 for time reference when performing automation BRC SYNC MIDI SYNC Digital X Bus The Digital X Bus provides control over some key MIDI parameters These parameters affect your system s ease of use and efficiency and should be verified in the Setup Mix Options and Setup MIDI windows e MMC DEVICE ID Some 8 track digital re corders require that you define the device ID numbers used for each recorder in the MIDI Machine Controller Typically tracks 1 8 are device 0 tracks 9 16 are device 1 and tracks 17 24 are dev
20. CH 1 2 OUT CH 7 8 IN CH 7 8 IN CH 5 6 IN CH 5 6 IN CH 3 4 IN 3 4 IN CH 1 2 IN CH 1 2 IN 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Digital DB25 AES EBU Output Note A variety of alternate pin out configurations have been developed by various manufacturers for the AES EBU DB25 interface Make sure the device you are connecting to has the same pin out configu ration as the Digital X Bus AES card If not you will need to make a conversion cable so the signals arrive at the correct pins on the receiving end of the cable The DIGI card has a DB25 connector that pro vides digital I O for eight channels in the TDIF format This connector is wired as follows WX Ebog 2 8 5 lt SA SBOROYIZZOOOTYOLFOEFOEOE Zee ee 20 23 Zo 20 2020 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Digital DB25 TDIF Input Output Owner s Manual Appendix C Technical Info Specifications preliminary All specifications are subject to change without notice All measurements were calculated between 44 1 kHz and 96 kHz sampling frequencies For these preliminary specifications no measurements were calculated for 192 kHz sampling rate Dynamic Range maximum signal level to noise level Dynamic range measurements are identical for all Option Cards 22 Hz to 22 kHz 48 kHz SR FS 22 Hz to 40 kHz 96 kHz SR FS Analog In to Digital
21. Cue 2 Aux 11 12 if you want to use a stereo effect 2 Openthe Effects Rack Windows gt Effects Rack and if you haven t done so yet load the effect into the Effects Rack using the New Plug in button 3 Select the Aux Send as the input source for the effect If using the stereo feature of an effect select Aux 9 Aux 10 or Aux 11 Aux 12 as the left and right input sources respectively 4 Onanunused channel select the output of the effect as its source If using the stereo feature of an effect assign the effect s left output to one channel and the right output to an adjacent channel Use the PAN control to pan the effects return left and right 5 Usethe instrument or vocal channel s Aux Send touch the Auxes section of the channel strip to open the AUXES window or click and drag on the horizontal bar in the Auxes section to ad just the amount of signal going to the selected effect 6 Usethe Aux Master Fader Bank 4 MASTERS to adjust the overall level going to the selected effect Note The default setting for each Aux Master level is 0 0 dB unity gain This typically provides sufficient send level and doesn t usually require adjustment 7 Usethe channel fader for the effect return s to control the amount of processed signal returning to the left and right bus make sure L R is selected in the Assign section for the channel s To use an internal effect on a channel or master insert 1 Openthe As
22. Department of Communications ATTENTION Le pr sent appareil num rique n met pas de bruits radio lectriques d passant las limites applicables aux appareils num riques de class A de class selon le cas prescrites dans le r glement sur le brouillage radio lectrique dict par les ministere des communications du Canada 19 Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing loss Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise induced hearing loss but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed 10 sufficiently intense noise for a period of time The U S Government s Occupational Safety and Health Administration 05 has specified the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart According to any exposure in excess of these permissible limits could result in some hearing loss To ensure against potentially danger ous exposure 10 high sound pressure levels it is recommended that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pres sure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment is in operation Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth here Sound Level dBA Slow Response Duration Per Day In Hours Typical Example Duo in small club 8 6 4 Subway Train 3 2 Very loud classical
23. Digital X Bus meter bridge adjust the Digital Trim in the ASSIGNS window for a reading around 15 with no clipping indications on the peaks With channel faders off set the Master Fader at unity U signal at the SPEAKERS and SPEAK ERS B output is determined by the Control Room Source selection in the Control Room Section SPEAKER A 15 used for the Control Room Monitors X 200 e Assign L R as the Control Room Source Adjust the speaker level to a moderately conservative level about 9 00 e You can connect a pair of headphones to the PHONES 1 or 2 jack and monitor the signal there as well Select CONTROL ROOM as the source in the PHONES 1 or 2 Section e Adjust the channel faders for an appropriate monitor mix Mixdown setup is very similar to the monitoring setup The main difference is that you are mixing the signals that have already been recorded rather than monitoring the signals as they are being re corded During mixdown you can use internal and external effects and automate your mix There is more about automation to come The configuration shown has four external digital effects devices connected to an AES card for moni toring and mixdown Typically you would use the aux sends to route signals to external effects Open the AES Card Setup window Windows I O Con figuration AES Card and assign the appropriate aux sends in the Output Source drop down boxes You can also route indi
24. Master Fader to assign the Master Fader to the channel strip position Fader Swap The Fader Swap button located next to the time code display in the upper right corner of the touch screen causes the faders to take on the function of the V Pots allowing more precise control over V Pot setting If it is a level function fader down is minimum and fader up is maximum If it is a pan function the fader is centered when the pan is centered For example a good use of the Fader Swap func tion is when you are doing a frequency sweep in the EQ Using a channel fader to control this parameter gives you more physical space and throw with which to make your setting that much more accurate e 8 9 amp 8 8 This chapter provides a quick well maybe not so quick but certainly helpful rundown of all the menus and screens accessible from the menu bar at the top of the touchscreen in 200 The File Menu Contains New Session Ctrl N Open Session Ctrl O Save Session Ctrl S Save Session As Ctrl Shift S Import D amp B Session Save As Template Open File Manager Launch Executable EXE Install Packages shutdown Ctrl Q New Session Ctrl N e Press Ctrl N on the keyboard or touch File and then New Session e This opens a window that asks if you want to save changes to the current project first Select Yes No or Cancel The Select Template window open
25. ORIGINAL PURCHASE FROM AN AUTHORIZED MACKIE DEALER UPON EXPIRATION OF THE APPLICABLE WARRANTY PERIOD LOUD TECHNOLOGIES INC SHALL HAVE NO FURTHER WARRANTY OBLIGATION OF ANY KIND LOUD TECHNOLOGIES INC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE MACKIE PRODUCT OR ANY WARRANTY CLAIM Some states do not allow exclusion or limitation of incidental special or consequential damages or a limitation on how long warranties last so some of the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you This warranty provides specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary from state to state Owner s Manual e 16220 Wood Red Road Woodinville WA 98072 USA www mackie com sales mackie com United States and Canada 800 898 3211 Europe Asia Central and South America 425 487 4333 Fax 425 487 4337 Middle East and Africa 31 20 654 4000
26. Other applications include applying dynamics and EQ to an external effects send via a master Aux send channel Fader Bank 4 MASTERS or apply ing dynamics and EQ to an external effects return returned via an unused channel In addition the eight master buses Bus 1 8 and the Mix Left and Right buses have dynamics and EQ controls as well Dynamic and EQ control should occur only once in any given signal path Avoid subjecting any signal path to multiple stages of dynamics or EQ processing As a rule fewer circuits almost always result in more pristine and accurate audio even though the X 200 signal path is incredibly accurate and transparent Many engineers prefer to save all EQ for mix down so as to include the least audio manipula tion for a more pure sound Many recordists rough the sound in when recording using whatever EQ and dynamics they feel the sound needs then they perfect the audio during mixdown Many excellent recordings have been the result of these techniques and more Experiment and let your ears determine what works best for you Owner s Manual Your Digital X Bus works very well when rated in a MIDI network using a computer refer enced to time code Be sure to connect the X 200 MIDI jacks to your MIDI interface Within your computer based MIDI sequencer set the MIDI channel connected to the X 200 to transmit MIDI Time Code MTC This is necessary to run automation from a Digital
27. Out e 111 dB 48 kHz e 110dB 96 kHz Digital In to Analog Out e 108 dB 48 kHz e 108 dB 96 kHz Analog In to Analog Out e 108 dB 48 kHz e 106 dB 96 kHz THD N Measured from analog channel input to analog direct output e lt 0 02 20 Hz to 20 kHz 14 dBu 48 kHz SR measurement BW 10 Hz to 40 kHz e 0 0296 20 Hz to 40 kHz 14 dBu 96 kHz SR measurement BW 10 Hz to 80 kHz Crosstalk e Better than 80 dB 1 kHz adjacent input channels Microphone Inputs Measured 20 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth maximum input gain Rs 150 ohms Input pad e Microphone Input Sensitivity 75 dBu EIN 127 dBu Latency Channel processing enabled disabled does not affect latency measurement analog I O measurements the same for any analog nection on any Card digital I O measurements are the same for any digital con nection on any Card 441 kHz 48 kHz SR e Mic Line In to Line Out 246 samples 2 samples e Mic Line In to Mix Bus Out 256 samples 2 samples e Digital In to Digital Out 187 5 samples 2 samples e AES Input with SRC enabled 139 samples 88 2kHz 96kHz e Mic Line In to Direct Line Out 426 samples 2 samples e Mic Line In to Mix Bus Out 434 samples 2 samples e Any AES Input to any AES Output 508 samples 2 samples e AES Input with SRC engaged 139 samples Analog Input Sensitivity input sensitivity measurements
28. PS 2 style mouse 17 Keyboard This 6 pin miniDIN connector is used to connect a PS 2 style keyboard 18 USB These are four additional USB ports for connect ing more USB devices to the Digital X Bus If you are connecting a USB CD ROM drive or a USB MIDI interface use one of these ports rather than the USB ports on the rear panel 13 19 Video Card The video card has two connectors one for each touchscreen The upper connector is a VGA type and connects to the left touchscreen while the lower connector is a DVI type and connects to the right touchscreen You can use two video splitters to connect two external displays if desired Note The first production run of X 200s requires that the external monitors be rotated 1807 be cause the video signal is upside down While testing the touchscreen displays we determined that the clarity was better at the required viewing angle if the touchscreen displays were mounted upside down If you are using external flat panel LCD or plasma displays this is not a problem However conventional CRT type displays gener ally will not work in this application Also note that the touch function does not work with an external display This feature is built into the actual touchscreen displays on the Digital X Bus USB PORTS Console Surface Controls Channel Strip The touchscreens are actually an extension of the channel strips so we ll begin by describing the channel strip
29. The on screen buttons and V Pots map to the selected DAW application simplifying your ability to work with the Digital X Bus and the DAW at the same time f f wu i7U wuake an fA 8 C V L il 1 The 1 0 Configuration window allows you to select the various cards you have installed in the card cage and customize their I O configurations and other settings for your session When the I O Configuration window opens you see a graphical representation of all the cards installed in the card cage Click a card to open the setup window for that card Depending on the card the options available will differ Generally for I O cards you can rename the inputs and outputs as Oscillator 1 Volume Freq INPUT sign the output sources to virtually any signal path in the Digital X Bus and configure other parameters specifically related to the card The Mix Card setup allows you to select the out put source for AES EBU Phones 1 and 2 Mix Out and Speaker Out 1 and 2 The Sync Card setup has options for Sample Clock Sample Rate Time Code Source Frame Rate Clock In Adjust and Clock Out Adjust Tools Submenu There are two choices in the Tools submenu Au dio Toolbox and System Info OUTPUT TAPE 25 48 MIC LINE 1 24 16 Audio Toolbox Ctrl T The Audio Toolbox has a built in spectrum ana lyzer and setup for three built in oscillato
30. access the rear panel 3 Use the screwdriver to undo two screws and remove any unused plate from card slots A B or C Keep the plate in a safe place as you may need it one day Note Do not remove or reposition the two cards that come with your Digital X Bus The D slot is not used on the X 200 and is described in the Digital X Bus X 400 manual 5 Now is the time to install the new Move the bag containing the card close to the Digital X Bus Touch your hand against any exposed metalwork of the Digital X Bus as this will help remove any excess static Without taking any footsteps remove the card from its anti static bag Take great care to hold it by the rear metal plate only Never touch the circuit board its electronic components or input output connec tors Gently slide the card in place making sure that the top and bottom edges align with the nylon runners of the Digital X Bus The card should just gently slide in place until the last quarter of an inch then you can press gently but firmly against the metal plate until the card is fully in place Do not press against any input or output connectors Finger tighten the screws to secure the card The Digital X Bus is now ready to take its place in polite audio society and your job here is done Gather 50 good friends and tap dance out into the
31. action cannot be undone Copy Mix To Bus COPY TO BUS Copy selected channels L R mix to Hus 1 amp 2 Hus 3 amp 4 Hus 5 amp 6 Bus 7 amp 8 Unassign from LR Cancel Copy e Copies the current L R mix to a pair of buses e Selections include Bus 1 and 2 Bus 3 and 4 Bus 5 and 6 or Bus 7 and 8 e Check Unassign from LR Mix to remove the selected channels from the L R Mix and copy to the selected bus pair Channel Settings Ctrl B Channel Presets setup Groups Ctrl G Un Group Link Channels Ctrl L UnLink Channels Ctrl U Faders to Unity Ctrl Faders to Off Ctrl Adjust Channel Delay Reset Channel Delay Reset Selected Channels Select Fader Bank Alt A Select All Faders Alt Shift A Channel Settings Ctrl B 1 CHANNEL SETTINGS SOLO ISOLATE Allows for quick and easy setting of global channel parameters Change the channel name Easily set groups Solo isolate channels Quickly set channel links Channel Presets CH 1 PRESETS Current preset directory Presetsich Caspian s Vocal New Greg s Keyboard Save 5 Delete Kick Steve s Guitar Preview Change Folder Cancel Allows you to save and open preset channel parameter settings Click New to create a new channel preset Enter the new name using the keyboard or on screen keyboard Owner s Manual e Click Save to update the channel preset wi
32. are within 40 2 dB LINE CARD INPUT 1 kHz tone with 150 ohm source With a 4dBu input reference 0 dBFS 24 3 dBu e With a 10 dBV input reference 0 dBFS 11 0 dBV MIC LINE 4 OR MIC LINE 8 MIC INPUT 1 kHz tone with 40 ohm source e AtOdB input gain with 10 dB pad engaged 0 5 24 9 dBu e AtOGB input gain without 10 dB dBFS 14 8 dBu Atmaximum gain 465 dB 0 dBFS 50 9 dBu MIC LINE 4 LINE INPUT 1 kHz tone with 150 ohm source With a 4 dBu input reference 0 dBFS 24 1 dBu e With a 10 dBV input reference 0 dBFS 10 8 MIC LINE 8 LINE INPUT 1 kHz tone with 150 ohm source e AtOdB input gain with 10 dB pad engaged 0 dBFS 25 7 dBu e AtOGB input gain without 10 dB pad 0 dBFS 15 7 dBu e Atmaximum gain 65 dB 0 dBFS 50 0 dBu Analog Output Sensitivity Measured with 1 kHz tone Z00k ohm impedance LINE CARD OUTPUT e OdBFS 24 4 dBu 0 2 dB MIC LINE 8 CARD OUTPUT e OdBFS 244 dBu 0 2 dB MIX OUT CARD OUTPUT e OdBFS 24 4 dBu x 0 2 dB Frequency Response Reference signal 1 kHz 4 dBu e Analog Line Card Input to Analog Line Card Output 44 1 kHz 0 1 dB 20 Hz 20 kHz 48 kHz x 0 05 dB 20 Hz 20 kHz 88 2 kHz 0 15 dB 20 Hz 40 kHz 96 kHz 0 1 dB 20 Hz 40 kHz e Digital AES Input to Analog Mix Bus Output 44 1 kHz 0 15 dB 20 Hz 20 kHz 48k Hz 0 15 dB 9 20 Hz 20 kHz 88 2 kHz
33. bidirectional digital audio This con nection requires a 25 pin D sub cable Tascam Part Number PW 88D This card provides eight digital inputs and eight digital outputs in the AES EBU standard format Con nection is made through a 25 pin D Sub connector AES EBU is a standard two channel digital proto col used for long balanced cable applications Thus each conductor actually transmits two channels of digital audio data The FireWire card uses the IEEE 1394 protocol for connecting digital devices It currently provides 24 inputs and 24 outputs of digital audio at 48 kHz and 8 inputs and 8 outputs at 96 kHz SYNC a SLOTS E SLOTS SLOTS v 7 LINE CARD MIC LINE 8 CARD MIC LINE 4 CARD 2 2 Q o ee OE esses N e e 2 e Checkli st for Basic Operati on al 4 Connect Speakers Out A to an amplifier monitor speakers combination or a pair of powered Functionality monitors Amplification system off power amps or pow Basic system functionality depends on the ac i ered monitors curate selection of a few key items Work through this checklist to verify console settings The previ 1 Master Fader down ous chapters provide an explanation of each item This checklist simply provides a mental road map to Switch Console Power on verily proper funct
34. controls on the touchscreens 20 Meters The meters indicate the signal strength at a point in the signal path determined by the meters option setting Options Meters Touching the meter section toggles the display between a lower resolution display of all the meters Channels 1 72 Aux 1 12 Bus 1 8 L R mix and a higher resolution display of the meters for the selected fader bank Tip An easy way to change fader banks is to toggle to all meter display then touch the section in the meter display corresponding to the fader bank you want to switch to 21 Assign This section of the channel strip indicates the buses to which the channel is assigned as well as the input source for the channel the direct output assignment and the pre and post insert assign ments Touch the assign section of the channel strip to open the ASSIGNS window See The Screens The Windows Menu Assigns for more info 22 Auxes The Auxes section indicates the Aux Send level for Auxes 1 12 and the Aux Pan for Aux 9 10 Cue 1 and Aux 11 12 Cue 2 Touch the Auxes section of the channel strip to open the AUXES window See The Screens The Windows Menu Auxes for more info 23 Dynamics The analog style VU meter indicates whether the channel s compressor or gate are turned on the meter lights up when the gate or compressor are turned on When one of the dynamics processors are on the meter indicates the input signal stre
35. drop down box to turn on the key input EQ the background of the EQ graph lights e The key input EQ filters the key input signal prior to Key Trigger Input triggering the gate It isa peaking filter and allows you to tighten the trigger signal to a narrow band of frequencies e There are two controls for the key input EQ Frequency and Q Use the V Pots below the graphic representation of the knobs to adjust the controls The SURROUND window offers precise control over image positioning in any mixing panorama along with individual subwoofer level and depth of center control surround position control is available from the control surface by using the individual channel PAN L R and PAN F B V Pot controls Global Surround Mode e Click the drop down box to select the surround mode The choices are Stereo default Quad LCRS 5 1 7 1 SDDS and 7 1 TP e Changing the surround mode changes the posi tion of the speaker icons in the surround panner display e The surround outputs are automatically as signed to the Bus 1 8 outputs Click the buttons in the Surround Bus Assigns section to assign the surround signals from the selected channel to the bus outputs duplicates the bus assign ments in the Assign window Surround Panner e Simply click and drag the ball in the surround panner display to move the source location of the signal within the surround panorama The top of the display represents the fron
36. for balanced signals and stereo headphones Balanced Mono 1 4 TRS Balanced Mono Wiring Sleeve Shield Tip Hot Ring Cold Stereo Headphones RING SLEEVE SLEEVE RING TIP 1 4 TRS Stereo Unbalanced Wiring Sleeve Shield Tip Left Ring Right X 200 1 4 TS Phone Plugs and Jacks TS stands for Tip Sleeve the two connection points available on a mono 1 4 phone jack or plug They are used for unbalanced signals SLEEVE SLEEVE 1 4 TS Unbalanced Wiring Sleeve Shield Tip Hot 4 RCA Plugs and Jacks RCA type plugs also known as phono plugs and jacks are often used in home stereo and video equipment and in many other applications They are unbalanced and electrically equivalent to a 1 4 TS phone plug SLEEVE TIP SLEEVE TIP RCA Unbalanced Wiring Sleeve Shield Tip Hot 4 Unbalancing a Line In most studio stage and sound reinforcement situations there is a combination of balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs on the various pieces of equipment This usually will not be a problem in making connections e When connecting a balanced output to an unbal anced input be sure the signal high hot con nections are wired to each other and that the balanced signal low cold goes to the ground earth connection at the unbalanced input In most cases the balanced ground earth will also be connected to the ground earth at the unbal
37. from the master device or daisy chained through connected slaves Patch word clock out of a connected slave into the word clock input of any other slave Verify that the master device word clock status is set to INTERNAL Verify that all slave devices are set to follow EXTERNAL word clock If the system doesn t seem to work correctly you might have an intermittent or broken sync cable Always use high quality 75 BNC word clock cables Owner s Manual Digital Audio Workstation Setup When connecting the Digital X Bus to a Digital Audio Workstation Digital Performer Studio Vision Pro Cakewalk Pro etc word clock synchroniza tion must be addressed the master and slaves must be established the clock rate must be consistent throughout and the audio path into the console must be intelligently configured Let s consider a common computer based setup using A combination digital audio MIDI software package e A MIDI interface or in this example two 4x4 USB MIDI interfaces e A digital audio interface with lightpipe audio connections Cabling and Hookup Refer to illustration on the next page 1 Connect the Digital X Bus lightpipe output from the DIGITAL card to the digital audio interface lightpipe input Likewise connect the lightpipe output from the digital audio interface to the Digital X Bus lightpipe input 2 Connect the digital audio interface to the com puter per the manufacturer s speci
38. in a safe place A LOUD Technologies Inc warrants all materials workmanship and proper operation of this product for a period of ONE year from the original date of purchase If any defects are found in the materials or workmanship or if the product fails to function properly during the applicable warranty period LOUD Technologies at its option will repair or replace the product This warranty applies only to equipment sold and delivered within the U S by LOUD Technologies Inc or its authorized dealers B Failure to register online or return the product registration card will not void the one year warranty C Service and repairs of Mackie products are to be performed only at a factory authorized facility see D below Unauthorized service repairs or modification will void this warranty To obtain repairs under warranty you must have a copy of your sales receipt from the authorized Mackie dealer where you purchased the product It is necessary to establish the purchase date and determine whether your Mackie product is within the warranty period D To obtain factory authorized service 1 Call Mackie Technical Support at 800 898 3211 7 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday Pacific Time to get a Service Request Number Products returned without a Service Request Number will be refused 2 Pack the product in its original shipping carton Also include a note explaining exactly how to duplicate the problem a copy of the sales
39. individual channel param eter data to copy to the clipboard COPY FILTERED Select channel groups to copy Fader Mute Pan EQS Dynamics Busses Surround Assigns Cancel These parameters include Fader Dynamics Mute Buses Pan Phase Auxes Surround EQs Assigns e selected channels parameter settings not changed e The data on the clipboard can be pasted to an other channel Only the selected parameters are pasted into the new channel The unselected parameters are left intact e You use the Undo command Ctrl Z to undo a Copy Filtered command Paste Ctrl V e Replaces the parameters in a selected channel with the data in the clipboard e The data on the clipboard remains intact so it can be pasted to multiple channels e You use the Undo command Ctrl Z to undo a Copy command Modify Levels e Opens the MODIFY LEVELS window Use this control to modify individual parameters for the selected channel s MODIFY LEVELS For all selected values value ta 00 dB Modify Cancel Owner s Manual 25 e Choose the type of parameter from the top pull down box Fader Mute MODIFY LEVE 500 0 For all selected Phase Delay Direct Out Leve value to Surround AUKES Bus Assign Gate Dynamics e Choose the action from Set Trim Min and Max MODIFY LEVELS values For all selected Fade gt
40. insert it into one of the available USB ports on your Digital X Bus Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus Select the new Digital X Bus build from the list and select Run Installer Select when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads Up to Date then move on to Step 13 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 13 select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded Requires a CD burner attached to your PC as well as a USB CD ROM drive attached to the Digital X Bus 1 2 oN we oY M im 3e Make sure you have a CD Burner and the appropriate software loaded on your computer Download the Software update from www mackie com to your local hard drive Right click on the downloaded file and select Extract from the pop up menu This will launch the Windows Compressed Folders Extraction Wizard Click Next Click Browse and click on Desktop in the folder list Then click Make New Folder Type in a name for this new folder such as Digital X Bus Update or s
41. lamp 5 POWER switch Make sure the POWER switch on the rear panel is in the ON position up Bad Channel 5 the MUTE button pushed in 5 the input GAIN control for the channel turned up 5 the fader turned up e Is the Input Source correctly assigned in the ASSIGN window e Is the signal source turned up Make sure the signal level from the selected input source is high enough to light up some of the INPUT meter LEDs next to the channel s fader e 5 the channel assigned to a bus or output the same source signal in another channel set up exactly like the suspect channel X 200 Bad Output 5 the associated level control if any turned up 5 the output source correctly assigned in the Card Setup window e stereo pair try switching them around For example if a left output is presumed dead switch the left and right cords at the mixer end If the problem stays on the left side it s not the mixer Bad Sound Is the input connector plugged completely into the jack sitloud and distorted Make sure the input GAIN control for the input is set correctly Reduce the signal level on the input source if possible e If possible listen to the signal with head phones plugged into the input source device If it sounds bad there it s not the Digital X Bus causing the problem Noise Hum e Turn down each channel one by one If the noi
42. not compatible with each other So when you are connecting the Digital X Bus I O cards to other equipment make sure you know what flavor DB25 connectors you have and that they are compatible with each other Analog The inputs and outputs on the Mic Line 8 card and the Line card provide eight balanced line level signals per DB25 connector These connectors are pin for pin compatible with the analog not TDIF DB25 connectors found on TASCAM DTRS record ers which has become an industry standard for many professional audio manufacturers They are also the same pinout as the analog cards for the Mackie D8B and hard disk recorders CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 CH5 CH6 CH7 8 a a a a a a a a 554 a a 5 a 55 625825 56205 00205 o oroorooroorcocorcoroor oor 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Analog DB25 Output Several companies make DB25 to DB25 cables specifically for audio with proper shielding to re duce crosstalk and noise DB25 cables that break out to XLR 1 4 TRS or TT connectors for connecting to other mixers or au dio gear are also readily available See your Mackie dealer for details Digital The AES card has a DB25 connector that pro vides digital I O for eight channels in the AES EBU format This connector is wired as follows SHIELD SHIELD SHIELD SHIELD CH7 8 CH 7 8 OUT 5 6 5 6 3 4 3 4 1 2
43. of channels from the control sur face press and hold the SELECT buttons of the two adjacent channels you wish to link This opens the Link Setup window e Select Pan Inverse to have the pans linked inversely This means that rotating the pan control on one channel causes the pan control on the linked channel to rotate in the opposite direction UnLink Channels Ctrl U e Removes a link between channels e Select a linked channel and then select Unlink Channels in the Channels menu Faders to Unity Ctrl e Sets the selected channel faders to unity e Affects faders only including Master L R faders Does not affect any other channel parameters Faders to Ctrl e Sets the selected channel faders to off e Affects faders only including Master L R faders Does not affect any other channel parameters Adjust Channel Delay CHANNEL DELAY set the of samples 0 250 to offset non selected Channels 0 Cancel e This features provides a means to shift chan nels in time relative to each other e Select the channels that will remain at the original position all unselected channels will be offset by the selected number of samples 255 e Use to compensate for phase and timing dis crepancies in a synchronization scenario or any multitrack playback record device setup e For example if you place a plug in with 100 samples of delay on a channel the audio will be behind the rest of the
44. plug in from the Effects Rack Ctrl 8 The History List window lists actions taken in the Mix Editor In addition Automation Passes Clear Automation Delete Global Time Insert Global Time Delete Events and Modify Levels commands are logged as single list items Each of these actions is available for Undo as long as they remain on the History List HISTORY Active Description Cut Pasted Modify Levels Automation Pass Reset Channel Reset Channel Automation Pass 8 Reset Channel 8 Channel Automation Pass lt Automation Pass Using this list it is possible to regress to any point in the mix If at some point things went in the wrong direction it is easy to go back to The Channel Menu The Channel menu contains where the mix was on the right track Highlight any item in the list to deactivate all forthcoming listed actions When the mix is played no actions listed below the selected event will occur e eventis selected in the list and then a change is made in the Mix Editor all events fol lowing the selection will be replaced by the new event e Use the Undo command from the Edit menu Ctrl Z to regress through the History List steps one at a time e Use the Clear History command from the Edit menu to remove all events from the History List This action cannot be undone Clear History e Removes all items from the History window e This
45. radio button type parameters e g Mutes EQ On OFF or Bus Assign that aren t of a ramping type are displayed as stepped values Event markers appear in the Mix Editor s time bar and can be dragged forward or backward Automation tracks may be cut copied and pasted in typical graphic editor fashion using click and drag highlighting with mouse cursor and the I Beam tool highlighter Single segment copy and multiple pasting may be performed easily with repeatable segments for a groove repetition approach An entire time region across all parameters or channels according to the current view may be selected by clicking and dragging across a region with either a single channel or All Channels selected Highlighted regions may be nudged up down left or right for trim or offset needs using the four nudge arrows e Click the MENU button to Cut Copy and Paste the selected region to and from the clipboard DSP Pool Undo Automation Pass e The Tool submenu allows you to select one of the editing tools I Beam Pencil Eraser or Magnify These tools can also be selected by clicking their icons in the bottom left corner of Cut Copy Delete Tool Time Format the Mix di tor Nudge srair The Time Format submenu allows to Follow Selected Channel choose either SMPTE or BBT formats for the Insert Time time format displayed in the time bar and the time code readout in the upper righ
46. should Language selection is a drop down box used to select your preferred language English is the default setting e Smart Save is a function that automatically saves your sessions every five minutes Check the Create New Files box to save the session as a new session without overwriting the previ ously saved version Check Load Last Session at Power up to automatically open the last ses sion you were working on when you boot up the Digital X Bus rather than the default Startup session Macros SETUP ws User Defined Screen Sets General Mix Options Shift 1 Shift 2 v Shift 3 Shift 4 Shift 5 Shift 6 Shift 7 VO Configuration Shift 8 The Macros window allows you to assign virtu ally any function to the Macro buttons in the Screen Sets section located above the Transport section on the control surface This gives you quick and easy access to windows and frequently repeated actions Mix Options SETUP Mix Options Surround Mode General Macros Stereo Mixing Options Song Offset loo 00 00 00 One Button Record Record Safe Solo Latch Use Pre Roll Pre Roll Meters Footswitches Clear Overloads Show All Meters lt Peak Hold Surround Mode e This pull down list provides access to the vari ous surround sound modes available on the Digital X Bus Owner s Manual 3 e standard surround sound modes are select able including Ster
47. signal path to the end you ll succeed in each audio task When multitrack recording using the Digital X Bus it s helpful to visualize the basic signal flow between fader banks For any multitrack setup it s important to keep track of the signal path from the console to the multitrack then from the multitrack back into the console The illustration below is a review dem onstrating an important signal flow concept Work your way though this checklist for multi track recording Connect input sources to Digital X Bus Connect multitrack ins and outs to Digital X Bus 1 Follow basic power up procedure Select fader bank 1 24 12 eee 1 24 25 48 Tracking Ovt from BeSLOTS Audio Sources to AeSLOTS Fader Bank 1 24 Tracking Figure 4 2 Basic Connection for Multitrack Recording Multitrack Out to BeSLOTS Mixdown Owner s Manual Open Assign window Windows gt Assign and Configure Auxes for desired Pre Post status assign input sources for each channel used Input 5
48. street taking care to follow all road safety rules and tap dance instructions Owner s Manual 1 0 Cards You can install the optional I O cards in any of the slots labeled A B or C in any combination to suit your particular application You can configure the cards in the I O Configuration window Windows I O Configuration Refer to Appendix B for wiring diagrams of the various connectors used on the I O Cards This card provides four analog mic line inputs on female XLR connectors and four analog line level inputs on 1 4 TRS connectors for a total of eight analog inputs Note that this card does not provide any outputs This card provides eight analog mic or line level inputs and eight line level outputs Connections are made through two 25 pin D Sub connectors This card provides eight analog line level inputs and outputs Connections are made through two 25 pin D Sub connectors This card provides eight digital inputs and eight digital outputs Connections are provided in both ADAT Multichannel Optical Interface and Tascam T DIF 1 formats The connection for ADAT is made with a fiber op tic cable sometimes referred to as lightpipe This connection provides eight channels of digital audio You can purchase this cable from your Alesis dealer Monster Cable Hosa or other cable manufacturer The connection for T DIF 1 is made with a 25 pin D Sub connector This connection provides eight channels of
49. the Effects Rack Each plug in has a drop down box to select input source If it s a stereo effect it has sepa rate input source selection boxes for the left and right inputs Each plug in has an ON button Memory and B and a Menu drop down for cut copy paste and saving and loading presets e Click right pointing arrow in the upper left corner of the plug in to open the controls for the particular effect Some plug ins have a GUI but ton to open a separate window with a custom ized user interface e controls for the selected plug in also ap pear at the bottom of the EFFECTS RACK win dow so you can use the corresponding V Pots to adjust the parameters e You can select a particular plug in more than once For example if you want to have a reverb effect on channel 1 and channel 2 select the Reverb plug in twice in the New Plugin drop down box They will appear as Reverb 1 and Reverb 2 Delete Plugin e Click this drop down box to select a plug in to remove from the Effects Rack e Deleting a plug in from the Effects Rack auto matically removes it from its input source and output destination Running e Indicates that the system is operating smoothly with no overloading to the processor Usage e This indicator shows how much of the available processing power is being used by the plug ins loaded into the Effects Rack The more effects you load into the Effects Rack the higher th
50. the console or keyboard while pressing channel s SOLO button solo isolated chan nel is always active the solo bus and therefore will not mute when other channels are soloed The SOLO button blinks to indi cate Solo Isolate mode Note The CLEAR button does not turn off Solo Isolated channels You must hold down the ALT key while pressing the SOLO button to turn off a Solo Isolated channel e Mutes the signal after the channel fader e Mute is prior to the L R bus and Bus 1 8 Does not affect the Channel Out Direct Out or pre fader Aux send It does affect the post fader Aux send e Controls the signal level from the channel to the bus or buses it is assigned to typically the L R bus and the Bus 1 8 output does not affect the signal going to the Direct Out Channel Out or the pre fader Aux send Control Room Section The Control Room section is where you define the source for monitoring in your control room Typi cally you would use the Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 outputs on the Mix Card for control room monitor ing giving you the choice of near field and far field monitoring through the two stereo line level speak er outputs This is configured in the I O Configura tion window Windows gt Configuration Press the SETUP button 32 in the Control Room section to open the Control Room Setup window e Select the output destination for the surround sound stems When
51. the fader level to boost or cut the sum of your previous adjustments for the selected channel Automation of EQ dynamics and effects is simple Select automation mode ALL e Open the Automation window and click the Filter button to open the Automation Filter window e Make sure EQs Dynamics and Misc checked e Start the playback record device e Make changes In order for these parameters to record ALL must be selected in the control surface AUTOMATION section or OTHER in the Automation window Once automation has been recorded on the Digital X Bus it can be edited in the Mix Editor Refer to the description of the Mix Editor on page xx for information on using the Mix Editor tools to edit automation data Owner s Manual Appendix Service Information Warranty Service Details concerning Warranty Service are spelled out in the Warranty section on page xx If you think your Digital X Bus has a problem please do everything you can to confirm it before calling for service Doing so might save you from the deprivation of your Digital X Bus and the associ ated suffering These may sound obvious to you but here are some things you can check Read on Troubleshooting No Power e Our favorite question Is it plugged in Make sure the power cord is securely seated in the IEC socket and plugged all the way into the AC outlet e sure the AC outlet is live check with a tester or
52. the level is increased when punched out of write record When Write Flyback is off parameter adjust ments in automation remain at their last user adjusted setting even after the end of the automation pass Use Pre Roll e Sets the playback cursor a specified amount ahead of the locate point e The amount of Pre roll is set in the Windows gt setup Mix Options window e is used to provide a set time period for all synchronized device transports to lock together e Ideally Pre roll is equal to the sync lock time for the recording system s transports so that synchronized playback is a reality by the time the devices roll past the locate position e is also useful when you are punching in a solo or voice overdub and want to give the talen some extra lead in time to prepare record ing their part s Record Safe e When Record Safe is selected the channel RECORD buttons will not engage However automation data can still be written One Button Record e When this option selected record mode is tivated by pressing the RECORD button in the control surface s transport section When One Button Record is not selected the PLAY button must be held down while pressing the RECORD button to engage record mode e To punch out of record mode simply press PLAY STOP REWIND or FAST FWD e Button Record only affects the punch in procedure The punch out procedure is the sa
53. the same number build you just downloaded Mac OS 9 x Users This operation on OS 9 requires the installation of the Zip It utility which is available from WWW maczipit com Requires a USB Flash Pen drive 1 Insert a USB Flash Drive into your Mac so you can see the icon of that drive on your desktop 2 Download the Digital X Bus Software update from www mackie com to your desktop 3 Double click on the Digital X Bus Software Update file you just downloaded and point the Open File Dialog to the Zip It Utility This should create a folder on your desktop that has the same name as the Digital X Bus Software Update file 4 Openthat same folder so you can see all the contents and files 5 Drag all the contents of that same folder onto the icon of your Flash Drive Owner s Manual 10 Remove the Flash Drive from your computer and insert it into one of the available USB ports on your Digital X Bus Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the
54. the talkback signal to the selected headphone outputs Solo Section The Solo Section lets you select the solo mode clear all soloed channels and adjust the solo level e Press MIXDOWN 42 to activate mixdown soloing This interrupts the L R mix output with the signal from the soloed channels e Use this mode whenever e The CLEAR button 45 blinks whenever channel is soloed Press the CLEAR button to clear all soloed channels This is particularly useful when working with solos across multiple fader banks e Adjust the solo signal level with the knob 46 in the Solo section Macros The row of buttons just above the Transport section is called Macros 47 It consists of eight buttons labeled 1 8 and a SHIFT button e The Macros buttons provide instant access to 16 frequently used windows or functions Buttons 1 8 and SHIFT Buttons1 8 e Define the window or function executed by each button in the Macros Setup window Windows setup Macros you want the soloed chan nels to be the complete SHIFT 1 mix a rhythm section is a good example of this Mixdown solo is post DSP and post fader e Press AFL 43 to monitor the post fader signal in the Control Room output This is a stereo bus post pan so soloed channels are heard in their correct pan position e Press PFL 44 to monitor the pre fader signal in the Contro
55. to link Fader Mute Phase EQs Dynamics Busses Pan Pan Inversely Preserve Ch 1 s values Preserve Ch 2 s values Cancel e Channel linking allow you to control a pair of channels at the same time All channel param eters can be linked or just selected parameters For instance in many cases only the faders need to be linked all other parameters should remain independent for the individual track e Any channel can be linked to any other channel Linking allows a stereo channel to be input on two channels and controlled as a pair of con secutive faders e To link a pair of channels select the left channel of an adjacent pair and choose Link Channels from the Channel menu or press Ctrl L on the keyboard The Link Setup window appears e To link a pair of non adjacent channels select the first channel then SHIFT SELECT the second one then select Link Channels from the Channel menu e Select the parameters that you want linked between the channels All checked parameters are adjusted together for both linked channels e Select how you want the channels linked In this case we are linking channel 1 and 2 Check Preserve Ch 1 s values to copy channel 15 parameters over to channel 2 Check Preserve Ch 2 s values to copy channel s parameters over to channel 1 e Click the Link button to link the channels you have selected or click Cancel to cancel the link ing process To link a pair
56. value to il 00 dB Trim Min Modify Cancel Set moves the selected parameter setting to the specified value for all selected channels Trim adds or subtracts the specified value from the selected parameter for all selected channels Min limits the minimum value for the selected parameter and applies it to all selected channels Max limits the maximum value for the selected parameter and applies it to all selected channels INSERT GLOBAL TIME starting At Amount of Time Cancel e With the Mix Editor open this feature globally inserts a region of no data change at the se lected start point on all channels for all data 26 X 200 7 o 7 selecting Insert Global Time the Edit menu opens a window with settings for the insert start point and length of time inserted DELETE GLOBAL TIME starting At Amount of Time Cancel With the Mix Editor open this feature globally deletes a region of data change at the selected start point on all channels for all data Selecting Delete Global Time in the Edit menu opens a window with settings for the deletion start point and length of time deleted Removes all automation data globally for the selected channels and the selected categories The Mix Editor window must be closed to use the Clear Automation command This action can be undone as long as it remains in the History List Plug in automation is cleared by removing the
57. 000000000 25 Filtered Ctrl Shift C 99090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 25 Paste Ctrl V 990909090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 25 Clear Automation 99900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 26 History List Ctrl H 26 ear Istory 999090909009009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0006 0000000000 T Copy Mix 9909090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 27 The Channel Menu Channel Settings Ctrl B 9999090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
58. 0000000000000000000000000000000 54 3 LINE CARD 4 DIGITAL CARD 5 AES EBU CARD 6 FIREWIRE CARD 000 54 54 54 55 Checklist for Basic Operational Functionality Input Channel EQ and Dynamics Signal Routing Monitor Speaker 239 Power up Procedure etu D In OW 56 56 Connecting Input Sources 00000000000000000 Connecting Analog Multitrack s Connecting Lightpipe Multitrack s Connecting TASCAM TDIF Multitrack s Multitrack Recording 57 62 Ti racking 9990909009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
59. 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 62 Monitori 62 00000000000000000000 own 9999090909090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 64 65 000000000000 009 00000000000000000 00000000000 117 990909 00000 000000000 00000 Sample Tracking and Mixdown Setup 5 SASUMO U MIDI and the Digital X Bus 06 MIDI A PERPRU Word Clock and the Digital X Bus The Kitchen Sync OF Proper Syne Connecti Oi Verifying Word Clock Sync Between Devices and the Digital X 5 11 1 1 41 4 68 Troubleshoot
60. 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 27 Channel Presets 221 Setup Groups Ctrl G 990909090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 28 Un Group 9909090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 28 Link Channels Ctrl L 90909009009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 28 UnLink Channe ls Ctrl U 999909090090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 28 Faders to Unity Ctrl 99909000900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 28 Faders to Off Ctrl 29 Adjust Channel Delay 99909009009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
61. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 13 15 Power itch 9990090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Connections 14 16 MM 17 Keyboard 99909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 18 058 99000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 D 19 Video Card m r X O O O O 9 Console Surface Controls 999909090909090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 15 Channel Strip 15 20 Meters 9990900
62. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000 Snapshots Ctrl 2 999009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 J Locator Ctrl 3 38 Equalizer Ctrl 4 39 5 Ctrl 5 cc 13 000000 Surround Ctrl 6 99999909000900000000900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 42 Auxes 99990909090900009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 43 Assi 43 5 4 Mix Editor Ctrl 7 46 IX itor tr 9999099090009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 99990900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Effects Rack Ctrl 8 49 MIDI Map QS DAW Bank 50 1 0 Confi ion Ctrl
63. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 31 Dynamics Submenu 000000000000000 31 DAW Emulation Mode SUDORE cum EH DEM MIELE DEI MERE UE E 31 Route to Bank Submenu Bank to Outputs Submenu HP PRICE TUR MEO 0006 0000000000 200 Windows Menu ABE O pga DD MEME S E 32 Keys C Ua HR T Close All Wind 3 ose 4 Setup Ctrl 1 33 i 36 utomati on 99909090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
64. 00000000000000000000000000006 29 0006 0000000000 Reset Channel Delay 999009009000900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000006 29 Reset Selected Channels 29 Select Fader Bank Alt A 29 Select All Faders Alt Shift A 000000000 6909609000920090900009090209009009020909092000000002020990009000092000900000209202000090000920260000900200020000000092290202009 29 000000 The Options Menu Solo Automation Submenu 9909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 29 ransport SUDO IEA EL ELE 30 Meters 4 9909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 31 VU Meters Submenu 99909090090000000000000000000000000000000
65. 0025 20 iL 0 000 gt lt 525 2 lt lt lt SLOT2 SLOT 3 SLOT 4 SLOT 5 SLOT 6 SLOT 7 SLOT 8 SLOT 9 0 SLOT 1 SLOT2 SLOT 3 SLOT 4 SLOT 5 SLOT 6 SLOT 7 SLOT 8 SLOT 9 PFL SOLO MAIN LEFT MAIN RIGHT BUSES 1 8 AUX SEND 1 8 AUX SEND 9 AUX SEND 10 AUX SEND 11 AUX SEND 12 SOLO PFL AFL MIXDOWN PFL AFL MIXDOWN SOLO SENDS ONLY SOLOED CHANNELS TO MAIN L R BUS 99 FLOATING FLOATING PRE KEY INPUT POST POST CHANNEL aa INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT METER m SEND RETURN SEND RETURN INPUTS SEND RETURN CHANNELS BUSES PLUG INS AUXES PLUG INS ONLY TALKBACK OSC PLUG IN ONLY oe 4 ofe 4 DYNAMICS TO CHANNEL TO PFL SOLO AFL SOLO METER CTRL CTRL T CTRL BUS BUS INPUT 588 255 2i CHANNEL E PRE FADER Eg TO CHANNEL 5 METER POST FADER i SOLO MUTE MASTER Wy A 5 lt lt lt lt GATE EQ 3 1 1 1 TO CHANNEL MIX LEFT METER 1 1 FADER POST FADER i FROM MIX RIGHT FADER MASTER FADER CHANNEL METER LEVEL FLOATING FLOATING PRE PRE K
66. 12 Send AUX 9 10 and 11 12 PAN Digital TRIM LEVEL TO TAPE Owner s Manual ES When of the above buttons is selected lit all 24 V Pots control that function for each of the 24 chan nels in the selected bank In addition windows that contain adjustable param eters like the Dynamics and EQ windows have their controls situated above the channel V Pots which temporarily become controls for the parameters in the window overriding the V Pot Assign selection As soon as the window is closed V Pot control returns to whatever is selected in the V Pot Assign section e Selects a channel for editing Double pressing the SELECT button opens the Dynamics and EQ windows for that channel Pressing and holding the SELECT button opens the Channel Settings window Channel Chan nel Settings for that channel Pressing and holding two SELECT buttons at the same time opens the LINK SETUP window for linking two channels e The function of the ASSIGN button is deter mined by what is selected in the ASSIGN BUT TON SETUP area ASSIGN BUTTON When is selected the AS SETUP SIGN buttons arm channels for recording via MMC MIDI Machine Control ASSIGN button blinks to indicate REC READY status When RECORD is activated in the Transport section the ASSIGN but ton lights steadily to indicate the channel is recording e When L R is selected the AS SIGN buttons indicate the channels WRI
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68. 4 outputs from the selected bank to 24 consecutive outputs Outputs 1 24 Routes and assigns the outputs for the cur rently selected bank to hardware outputs 1 24 Cards 1 3 Outputs 25 48 Routes and assigns the outputs for the cur rently selected bank to hardware outputs 25 48 Cards 4 6 Outputs 49 72 Routes and assigns the outputs for the cur rently selected bank to hardware outputs 49 72 Cards 7 9 X 200 The Windows Menu The Windows menu contains About Hot Keys Close All Windows setup Ctrl 1 Automation Snapshots Ctrl 2 Locator Ctrl 3 Equalizer Ctrl 4 Dynamics Ctrl 5 Surround Ctrl 6 Auxes Assigns Mix Editor 7 Effects Rack Ctrl 8 MIDI Map Ctrl 9 DAW Bank I O Configuration Ctrl 0 Tools Submenu About This window displays the OS version copyright information and acknowledgements MACKIE 1 01 01 gt 52 Engineered by SaneWave Inc for Loud Technologies Inc Copyright 2003 SaneVVave Inc All rights reserved SANE WAVER http www htip www mackie com Hot Keys Displays a list of hot keys or keyboard short cuts The more of these key commands you learn the faster and more efficient you will be at recording Some adjustments are necessary on the control surface or with the mouse or touchscreen but many settings and windows can be changed or opened very quickly from the keyboard Once you begin to inc
69. 900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 15 00000 1 5 0 000 15 1 4 22 Auxes 99900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 uE Iizer 9990900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 25 Surround 990990909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 15 26 V POLS C ia 5 27 SELEC Ne 28 ASSIGN H Qo e a S UPS 29 SOLO
70. 92 kHz two channels of digital audio are transmitted on a single wire one 3 pin XLR at four times the normal speed 4x Note Check the owner s manual for the device you are connecting to the AES EBU card to find out if it supports the double fast or single wire method The AES EBU card is wired the same way as the Yamaha standard pinout for transmitting AES EBU over 25 pin cable Be very careful about specifying these cables at a retailer or a cable manufacturer as there are several varieties of 25 pin D Sub cables and we want to be sure you get the correct ones Make sure to specify 25 D Sub AES EBU digi tal cable wired in the Yamaha standard The FireWire card uses the IEEE 1394 protocol for connecting digital devices and is compatible with standard Mac and PC FireWire connections It currently provides 24 inputs and 24 outputs of digi tal audio at 48 kHz and 8 inputs and 8 outputs at 96 kHz with room for expansion as driver technol ogy improves It will appear as available patch points to any audio software application that supports one of the following formats ASIO 2 0 Windows XP 2000 e WDM Windows XP e Core Audio Mac OS X This provides several outputs with the addition of an AES EBU and S PDIF input typically used for control room monitoring headphones and main outputs AES EBU IN and OUT These are XLR connectors that send and receive standard AES EBU two channel digi
71. BUTTON Faders To SETUP Route to Bank Bank to Outputs Outputs 1 24 B Outputs 25 48 Outputs 49 72 1 Set Master Fader to Unity position Place tape inputs in record ready to verify sig nal at machine _ It s typically best to monitor signal from the multi track rather than from the channel input Iflevels on the multitrack appear too hot or cold adjust level with the LEVEL TO TAPE control Direct Out Level in the ASSIGN win dow 20 CUE 1 CUE2 e MIC LINE Turn channel faders up to hear instrument or mic Ifyou want to monitor from the multitrack remove Bank 1 24 from the L R mix This has no effect on the output to tape 88 8 ASSIGN BUTTON SETUP REC To remove channels from the L R mix Select L R and turn off the channel ASSIGN buttons ASSIGN ASSIGN assin ASSIGN L R ASSIGN assin ASSIGN ASSIGN 1 Once each channel is verified and audible press channel mute Rean WRITE 1 Adjust control room monitor mix from Bank 25 48 using the channel faders Verify channel assignment to the L R bus 49 72 MSTRS GROUPS MIDI Set levels in headphone system for musicians 88 8 8
72. EY INPUT POST POST INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT SEND RETURN SEND RETURN INPUTS SEND RETURN CHANNELS BUSES v PLUG INS AUXES PLUG INS TO CONTROL ONLY TALKBACK OSC PLUG IN ONLY ROOM AUX SOLO 4 ret lt _ lt DYNAMICS gt 4 Key Ea HT TO CHANNEL METER SER METER CTRL CTRL CTRL BES 83 g TO CHANNEL METER 8010 PRE FADER BUS ee TOAFLSOLO CHANNEL BUS METER Cua POST FADER BUSES 1 8 and AUX 1 12 lt lt MIX LEFT AND RIGHT 8 LINE OUT 8 22 01 LINE OUT 8 ID to A INPUT ASSIGN 2 NEAR MAIN BALANCE AES CARD 42 AES EBU OUT 5 DIGITAL CARD TDIF 8 CHANNEL OUT m ADAT OPTICAL 8 CHANNEL OUT 7 5 FIREWIRE CARD C 24 CHANNEL OUT gt MIX OUT CARD AES EBU amp S PDIF STEREO OUT a PHONES SELECT PHONES x2 a PHONES L__ o o boy eee T gt INPUT ASSIGN 1 MIX OUT UR SPEAKER LEVEL A 2 22 monz H zZ ow u i iL gz9ou 000
73. Fast Track Graphic representation of this procedure e Wait until all other gear is powered up before turning on the monitor system 1 Enjoy the creative process Connect Mix Out Card Speaker A to Amp or Powered Monitors Amp or Powered Master L R Console Select a Starting Snapshot Windows gt Snapshots or Power On Open Your Master Template File gt New Session Monitors Off Fader Down 2 Ni N em 6 ee Connect Instruments Set Sample Amp or Powered and Microphones Clock Monitors On n a ee E Power Amp 10 Figure 4 1 Power up Procedure Owner s Manual 55 MIDI MIDI File Tempo The Setup Window Windows Setup is very im portant to the functionality of the Digital X Bus Its Default Tempo settings determine how the console operates within e MIDI Device ID s its own architecture as well as how it interfaces with other digital equipment e MTC In Follow the checklist below to verify that each MMC Out Setup Window parameter is intentionally set For MIDI Map In Out specific recommendations for various parameter set Setup Window
74. Last Session at Power up Connecting Lightpipe Multitrack s For 24 track recording install three DIGITAL cards into the Digital X Bus BeSLOTS Using fiber optic lightpipe cables connect the OPTICAL OUTs A or B on the DIGITAL cards to the ADAT digital input connectors on the multitrack recorder Using fiber optic lightpipe cables connect the ADAT digital output connectors on the multi track recorder to the OPTICAL INs A or B on the DIGITAL card 1 Ifthe Digital X Bus is to be the slave the sync source should be connected to the SYNC card BNC WORD CLOCK IN and the Sample Clock setting should be set to Word Clock BNC in the I O Configuration window Windows I O Configuration Word Clock Setup Connecting TASCAM TDIF Multitrack s For 24 track recording install three DIGITAL cards into the Digital X Bus BeSLOTS Using 25 pin D Sub digital cables TDIF con nect the TDIF I O connectors on the DIGITAL cards to the TASCAM MDM e g DA 88 TDIF I O connector Ifthe Digital X Bus is to be the slave the sync source should be connected to the SYNC card BNC WORD CLOCK IN and the Sample Clock setting should be set to Word Clock BNC in the I O Configuration window Windows gt I O Configuration gt Word Clock Setup Multitrack Recording Multitrack recording involves a continuous as sessment of signal flow If you follow a well planned thought process from the beginning of the
75. MIX EDITOR window contains a graphic representation of automation data Though automa tion data is primarily entered through the control surface knobs buttons and faders it can also be altered graphically in the Mix Editor Precise level and timing information is easily entered and adjust ed here The window supports various selectable views from 1 to 30 channels or parameters of data on the Y axis and any length of time region on the X axis up to 24 hours A vertical scroll bar allows for paging or incremental viewing of the channels or parameters and the horizontal scroll bar allows for paging or scrolling time chunks according to the current time resolution Click and drag the edge of the scroll bar to increase and decrease the resolu tion in the horizontal or vertical direction dupli cates the function of the left right and up down arrows in the upper left corner The Mix Editor can view a single channel with all of its parameters or by selecting the channel in the Show drop down box or you can view mul tiple channels of one parameter type by selecting Channels and the parameter type in the second show drop down box X 200 Automation Event curves are displayed as dots actually small squares that represent nodes and lines that represent value ramping The nodes rep resent editable points that are either created during the automation process in real time or by the Pencil tool in the Mix Editor On Off or
76. Reverses an action If you ve made a bad automation pass cut something you didn t re ally want to cut pasted somewhere you didn t want to paste etc simply select Undo or type Ctrl Z on the keyboard and the Digital X Bus reverts to its previous state e Selecting Undo multiple times steps back through the history list list of actions taken all the way back to the top level starting point if necessary Open the History List Ctrl H to check it out Redo Ctrl Shift Z e Reverses an Undo If you ve undone an action or set of actions you might determine that your original guess was best and want to return to actions you removed e Redo is a multilevel command like Undo so multiple redo commands retrace your steps through any undone actions in reverse order Cut Ctrl X e Copies all the selected channel s parameter data to the clipboard and sets the channel s param eters to their default settings e The data on the clipboard can be pasted to another channel e You can use the Undo command 2 to undo a Cut command Copy Ctrl C e Copies all the selected channel s parameter data to the clipboard and leaves all the selected channel s parameters intact e The data on the clipboard can be pasted to another channel e You can use the Undo command Ctrl Z to undo a Copy command Copy Filtered Ctrl Shift C e Opens the COPY FILTERED window This al lows you to select the
77. SWITCH Hardware Output Floating Insert Return Hardware Input Post DSP Bus Insert Pre Fader Meter Post Fader Meter Hardware Software Destination Patch x8 x8 x8 x8 x 24 72 x9 x 12 Line Digital AES FireWire Channel Bus oe Card Card Card Card Room Input Assign Phones running at 44 1 or 48kHz Owner s Manual Hardware Input Sources Digital X Bus X 200 Block Diagram MIC LINE 4 CARD MICIN xa 21948 L Koo gt 48V i0dB LINE IN i A to DL MIC LINE 8 CARD Loue MIC LINE IN x8 TRIM 10 TRIM LI 6 48V LINE CARD LINE IN 98 4 dBu 10 Tt AES CARD AES EBU IN x8 SRC gt DIGITAL CARD TDIF 8 CHANNEL IN gt OPTICAL 8 CHANNEL IN FIREWIRE CARD B 5 24 CHANNEL IN x2 gt AES EBU 8 S PDIF STEREO IN x2 m TALKBACK INPUT gt SELECT INPUTS x72 gt Software Input Sources X 200 TALK TO PHONES 1 TALK TO PHONES 2 CHANNELS x72 BUSES 08 MASTERS x12 AUX RETURNS VSTs TALKBACK MIC OSCILLA
78. Status column reads to Date then move on to Step 10 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 10 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select the About Window from the Windows Menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded Requires a CD Burner and any relevant software installed to your Mac as well as a USB CD ROM Drive attached to your Digital X Bus 1 2 10 11 12 Download the Software update from www mackie com to your desktop Double click on the Digital X Bus Software Update file you just downloaded and point the Open File Dialog to the Zip It Utility This should create a folder on your desktop that has the same name as the Digital X Bus Software Update file Open that same folder so you can see all the contents and files Insert a blank CD into your Mac s CD Drive and confirm that an icon of that CD appears on your desk top Using whatever CD creation burning software you have installed in your Mac proceed to burn all the files in the Digital X Bus folder directly to the root directory of the CD Note Do not create any additional folders or sub directories Make sure you burn your CD so it will be readable by various types of computers Once the CD has completed burning eject the CD from your Mac and insert it into the USB CD ROM drive attached to your Digital X Bus Select Install Packages from the File Menu on
79. TE that are assigned to the L R mix bus This lets you quickly assign and unassign channels from the L R mix and have an overall view of the assigned to the L R mix for the selected bank When READ is selected the ASSIGN buttons determine which channels playback automation If a channel has automation data associated with it and it 1s not Read enabled automation data will be ignored for that channel When WRITE is selected the ASSIGN buttons determine which channels can be written to au tomation channel must be Write enabled and the BYPASS button turned off in the AUTOMA TION MODES section in order to write automa tion data for that channel READ BE E Pressing SOLO lets you hear only the soloed channel in the Control Room output or the Left and Right Mix if Mixdown solo is enabled Select the solo mode in the SOLO section PFL AFL and Mixdown see the SOLO section description for more information on solo modes e The CLEAR button in the SOLO section blinks whenever any channel is soloed Press the CLEAR button to turn off all SOLO buttons e e Soloing multiple channels is E accomplished by holding the SHIFT key on the console or xm keyboard while pressing the _ SOLO buttons desired 9 5 channels Also selected Solo Latch in Windows gt Setup gt Mix Options allows you select multiple solos e Solo Isolate mode is accom plished by holding down the ALT key on
80. TORS Mackie Digital X Bus Block Diagram 9 29 04 TO CHANNEL METER PRE FADER FLOATING FLOATING PRE PRE KEY INPUT POST POST CHANNEL INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT METER SEND RETURN SEND RETURN INPUTS SEND RETURN CHANNELS BUSES PLUG INS AUXES PLUG INS ONLY TALKBACK OSC PLUG IN ONLY oo 4 0 DYNAMICS 4 TO CHANNEL L METER CTRL CTRL CTRL a 222 258 HE oz P e HO W AL gt DIG TRIM PHASE DELAY GATE EQ 2 CHANNEL INPUT x12 x72 CHANNEL INSERT CHANNEL INSERT SEND LLL VST EFFECTS M RETURN 12 PLUG INS BUS INSERT BUS INSERT SEND L x10 x10 SLOT 3 SLOT 4 SLOT 5 SLOT 6 SLOT 7 SLOT 8 SLOT 9 PFL SOLO SOLO SOLO MAIN LEFT MAIN RIGHT BUSES 1 8 AUX SEND 1 8 AUX SEND 9 AUX SEND 10 AUX SEND 11 AUX SEND 12 el ul nD CHANNEL OUT DIRECT OUT LEVEL LEVEL TAPE T OUT DIRECT ASSIGN TO VO CARDS PFL SOLO TO CHANNEL METER POST FADER AUX 9 10 AUX 11 12 KREEEEEEERSA 555655556090948 000222 000000000 1
81. Touch Timeout is 0 ms to 5000 ms 5 sec Write Flyback This determines what happens to the parameter levels upon punch out of automation record When Write Flyback is selected each param eter recorded into automation returns to its previously adjusted status at the end of a record pass A track that was off for an entire ar rangement snaps back to off after the level is increased when punched out of write record When Write Flyback is off parameter adjust ments in automation remain at their last user adjusted setting even after the end of the automation pass Return Time When Write Flyback is selected the Return Time control determines the amount of time between when the control stops moving and when automation stops writing data for that parameter The range for Return Time is 0 ms to 5000 ms 5 sec snapshot is just what its name implies It is a snapshot of all the settings on the console that is stored in memory for later recall SNAPSHOTS New Edit Delete Recall Store Filtered None Description Intro Verse 1 Chorus 1 Break Verse 2 Drums only Drums sans EQ Without EQ recall Double Click to Recall New To create a new snapshot click the New button e Each new snapshot is automatically given number and the name Snapshot e To change its name double click on Snapshot then type the new name Press ENTER on
82. UE asn mem a v ANIV IIN 1 dav SIN 20A la 4249 A 40 e419eu 6924noe 4ndui 244 40 e4nd4no auoudpesy 55515 2 noc 64496u 49456 JO 4nd4no 2 091246 paeo LNO XIN PUL 9429 9 i LSA 164101 eng 34 244 joey 8422444 4 244 pue i E 542242 u424x2 40 2 pue 2 2 paeo Y 5 5 291 Myd 22 eng 244 2 ITEITE HE 8 406622044 199444 jn 9 HIINIIN BR 20A IAIN 30 ejeuueuo zz N o4 5298494 JAIN OML MY 244 404 pae INAS 244 UO SINO NI ALANS 941 4 414 vay 2 24 244 5 pue 04 9xo 4 4ndui pue 4nd4no pz 24 epaeo 22441 eandui _ 449423 942243 4 Z pue eandui 2uri 21W 21 eandui pue yz o4 dn
83. X 200 Block Diagram X 200 Appendix D Software Installation 99909090909090090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 88 D t So 15 tallatior 9990900090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 9 8 ido WS 20 0 0 1 V IE 9 85 User m 89 Mac OS X Users C n X 9 Mac OS 9x ASIEI EN MEI SERE MM 91 9990909090909000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 94 Digital X Bus Limited Warranty 90990909090909090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 97 Don t forget to visit our website at www mackie com for more information about this and other Mackie products Part No 0012121 Rev 1 0 4 03 05 02005 LOUD Technologies Inc All Rights Reserved Owner s Manual Introduction Thank you for choosing a Mackie Digital X Bus for your next generation digital recording console The Digital X Bus offers you the flexibility to config ure it for virtually any recording application through its extended card cage and I O routing options And it was designed with the ability to upgrade as advancements are made in digital recording technol ogy But with 32 bit floating point processing you have more power than just abo
84. ance matched cabling It s worth it Word Clock OUTPUT MTP g 5000060090008 0600005600068 MIDI MIDI IN OUT PCI 324 9 pin IN Control Track IN MIDI MIDI IN OUT Control Track 1 Word Clock DTP INPUT Word Clock OUTPUT Verifying Word Clock Sync Between Devices and the Digital X Bus When the Digital X Bus is set to Internal in the Clock Card Setup window it generates word clock as a master device All other devices must be connected as slaves CARD 10 CLOCK sample Rate Sample Clock Time Code Source Frame Rate 2 Clock In Adjust BNC Clock Out Adjust BNC v Tip A quick way to open the Clock Card Setup window is to touch the sample rate display in the upper right part of the screen next to the L R meters Fader Swap If the Digital X Bus is slaved properly to a mas ter word clock source the sample rate indicator in the top menu bar right screen lights con tinuously If the Digital X Bus is improperly connected as a slave to the digital network or not receiving a valid Word Clock at the WORD CLOCK IN con nector the sample rate indicator blinks OUTPUT Word Clock
85. anced input If there are ground loop prob lems this connection may be left disconnected at the balanced end e When connecting an unbalanced output to a balanced input be sure that the signal high hot connections are wired to each other The unbalanced ground earth connection should be wired to the low cold and the ground earth connections of the balanced input If there are ground loop problems try disconnecting the unbalanced ground earth connection from the balanced input ground earth connection leaving the unbalanced ground connected to the balanced input low cold connection only In some cases you may have to make up spe cial adapters to interconnect your equipment For example you may need a balanced XLR female connected to an unbalanced 1 4 TS phone plug Many common adapters can be found at your local electronics supply store The balanced to unbalanced connection has been an ticipated in the wiring of Mackie jacks A 1 4 TS plug inserted into a 1 4 TRS balanced input for example will automatically unbalance the input and make all the right connections Conversely a 1 4 TRS plug in serted into a 1 4 unbalanced input will automatically tie the ring low or cold to ground earth DB25 Connectors Not all DB25 connectors are alike Some provide analog audio signals and some provide digital audio signals In addition there are a variety of digital formats that use the DB25 interface which are
86. and hold in the upper half of the field to scroll the number or click and hold in the lower half of the field to scroll the number down Double click in the desired field and enter the number from the keyboard Press Enter to complete Or touch the desired field to open the numeric keypad on screen enter the number and touch Enter to complete Press the SET button in the Transport Sec tion on the control surface then enter a locate time using the numeric keypad on the control surface Press ENTER to complete New Click this button to create a new locate point The new locate point is created at the current time code position Each new locate point is automatically given a number and the name Locate Delete select a locate point then touch the Delete but ton to remove it from the locate list This cannot be undone Rename To rename a locate point select it and then touch Rename This highlights the name Description of the locate point Type the new name from the keyboard then press Enter on the keyboard to complete the naming proce dure Another method is to touch the name Locate to highlight it then touch it again to open the on screen keyboard Type the new name then touch ENTER on the keyboard Renumber Touch the Renumber button to renumber the locate points in consecutive ascending numeri cal order Store To reassign an existing locate point select the locate point the
87. arify ter minology and basic layout refer to the Automation Window description page xx in this manual Automation In Bypass e Begin by setting up a basic mix with automation off Select BYPASS in the Automation section of the control surface or in the Automation win dow Windows gt Automation Clear Automation To avoid errant data select all channels and clear all types of automation data e Under the Channels menu choose Select All Faders Alt Shift A e Choose Clear Automation from the Edit Menu Make sure the Mix Editor window is closed e Check Entire Channel from the CLEAR AUTO MATION window then click OK Owner s Manual Save Session As Name your mixes in a manner that is easy to reference consecutive revisions For example BigBadBob Mix 1 or BigBadBob rev 1 0 e Using rev 1 x rev 2 x etc provides an easy way to indicate major conceptual changes 1 0 2 0 3 0 etc from minor refinements 1 0 1 1 1 2 etc Setup Rough Mix e the basic sound of the mix Include funda mental EQ Pan Surround Dynamics Groups etc e Save frequently or set the Digital X Bus for Smart Saves Windows gt Setup gt General at regular intervals Save Snapshot For Safety As you build the mix save snapshots as soon as the music begins to reveal itself Label the snap shots for your own reference Sometimes these ba sic mixes which are deriv
88. art Opens the Package Installer window Scans any attached USB peripheral for a Mackie packaged installation file Reports the status of all installers detected Used for all Mackie approved plug in and soft ware installations Press Ctrl Q on the keyboard or touch File and then Shutdown The Digital X Bus asks you if you want to save the current session before shutting down Select Yes to save the session No to continue shut ting down without saving the session or Can cel to continue working in the current session SHUTDOWN SAVE The DXB is about to shutdown Save session before shutting down Cancel In the Shutdown window select Shutdown to close the Digital X Bus software Restart to reboot the operating system or Cancel to continue working in the current session SHUTDOWN Shutdown Restart Cancel After shutting down you will notice the mixer will turn off and the screens will shut off Once that has happened you need to turn off the power switch on the Digital X Bus You must turn the switch to the off position before you can turn it back on to restart the console The Edit Menu Contains Undo Ctrl4 Z Redo Ctrl Shift Z Cut Ctrl X Copy Ctrl C Copy Filtered Ctrl Shift C Paste Ctrl V Modify Levels Insert Global Time Delete Global Time Clear Automation History List Ctrl H Clear History Copy Mix To Bus Undo Ctrl Z e
89. aterials return freight and insurance Products repaired under warranty will be returned freight prepaid by LOUD Technologies to any location within the boundaries of the USA G LOUD Technologies warrants all repairs performed for 90 days or for the remainder of the warranty period This warranty does not extend to damage resulting from improper installation misuse neglect or abuse or to exterior appearance This warranty is recognized only if the inspection seals and serial number on the unit have not been defaced or removed H LOUD Technologies assumes no responsibility for the quality or timeliness of repairs performed by an authorized service center I This warranty is extended to the original purchaser and to anyone who may subsequently purchase this product within the applicable warranty period A copy of the original sales receipt is required to obtain warranty repairs J This is your sole warranty LOUD Technologies does not authorize any third party including any dealer or sales representative to assume any liability on behalf of LOUD Technologies or to make any warranty for LOUD Technologies Inc K THE WARRANTY GIVEN ON THIS PAGE IS THE SOLE WARRANTY GIVEN BY LOUD TECHNOLOGIES INC AND IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS AND IMPLIED INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE THE WARRANTY GIVEN ON THIS PAGE SHALL BE STRICTLY LIMITED IN DURATION TO ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF
90. cation lighting remote mixing show controls etc Any mapped control information may be transmitted via manual adjust ment on the console snapshot recall and automa tion playback which may include snapshot or other Event track playback Menu MIDI MAP New MIDI Route Route To From Parameter Open MIDI Map Save MIDI Map Delete MIDI Route 4 New MIDI Route A route is made up of the following attributes e Selection The first column with no column heading denotes the route number and selected route within the map list The number is a simple identifier as there is no sorting mecha nism for the MIDI routes MIDI Type This choice offers the type of MIDI message If the route is mapping a switch parameter with two value states it will be as signed as a Note message If the parameter is continuously variable the Controller or After touch types may be used e Number This assignment is in the range of 0 127 decimal values for the associated MIDI Type e Channel This is the MIDI channel that is used for the selected route Note Maps using Ch 1 will not function when DAW Emulation mode is enabled If you are us ing a DAW Emulation use only channel 2 16 for MIDI routes e Route To From This assigns the MIDI route to a console channel strip Aux master Bus mas ter Group MIDI channel Groups bank DAW channel MIDI bank or Left or Right Master The actual para
91. channels by that amount To compensate you would select the channel choose Adjust Channel Delay and enter a value of 100 e The Channel Delay control appears in the As sign window for the selected channel Reset Channel Delay RESET CHANNEL DELAY Reset the channel delay on selected channels Cancel e This resets the delay to 0 ms on the selected channels e To reset all channels Select All Faders Alt Shift A then select Reset Channel Delay Reset Selected Channels e Resets the selected channels to their default settings L R assign Level to Tape and Digital Trim to 0 dB EQ on and flat Auxes off Pan centered Fader off Gate and Compressor off and at default settings Select Fader Bank Alt A e Selects all 24 channels in the currently selected fader bank for clipboard automation and other operations pertaining to multiple channel modi fications Select All Faders Alt Shift A e Selects all 118 channels in five fader banks not counting MIDI for clipboard automation and other operations pertaining to multiple channel modifications The Options Menu The Options menu contains Solo Latch Automation Transport Meters DAW Emulation Mode Faders To Tape Route to Bank Bank to Outputs Solo Latch e When Solo Latch is selected a checkmark ap pears next to Solo Latch in the Options menu you can solo more than one channel at a time e When Solo Latch is off only one chan
92. corder and as soon as time code is received the Digital X Bus reverts to PLAY mode 59 REWIND e Engages external machine and the time code display to fast rewind 60 FAST FWD e Engages external machine and the time code display to fast forward vI EDIT 7 5 4 med E a 3i aem Se tu WIE Wn SET o REWIND FAST FWD STOP PLAY L START ENTER 61 STOP Stops external machines and the time code display at the current position 62 PLAY e Engages external machine and time code dis play to play at normal speed from the current location 63 RECORD e Engages Master record function on external machines e Must be pressed with PLAY to engage record mode unless One Button Record is active One Button Record allows punching into record mode without hitting PLAY see Windows gt setup gt Mix Options 64 SCRUB e Engages the jog wheel to advance external ma chines forward or backward with single frame accuracy when using MMC RECORD SCRUB The Screens The touchscreens provide an elegant user inter face for accessing and controlling the signals as they are routed through the Digital X Bus Overview Before getting into the details of all the menu items and windows that are accessible on screen it s worthwhile to mention at this point that a number of shortcuts are built into the touchscree
93. dBFS to 0 dBFS These three options allow you to change what is being displayed in the VU meter in the dynamics section of the channel strip These options have no effect on the meter bridge at the top of the screen In Displays the signal level at the input to the compressor Reduction e Displays the amount of gain reduction being applied to the signal by the compressor With no compression the meter indicates fully right As gain reduction is applied to the signal the meter moves to the left to indicate the amount of gain reduction in real time Out e Displays the signal level at the output of the compressor after compression and makeup gain has been applied Peak Hold e When Peak Hold is selected a thin bar appears in the meter bridge display to indicate the level of recent transient peaks in the signal The Peak Hold bar has a slower decay rate than the normal response of the signal meter e Peak Hold does not affect the meters when in VU mode Clear Overloads e Ifthe metered signal reaches 0 dBFS the clip indicator at the top of the meter bridge blinks to indicate that digital clipping has occurred clip indicator continues to blink until you manually clear it either by selecting Clear Overloads in the Options Meters Submenu or selecting Clear Overloads in the Windows setup Mix Options window Use the DAW Emulation Mode submenu to select a third party DAW Digital Audio Worksta
94. e usage indicator will go MIDI Map Ctrl 9 MIDI MAP MENU MIDI Type The MIDI Map window offers setup options for bidirectional MIDI control of practically the entire console s parameter set The MIDI Map provides complete parameter access to almost all channel functions master fader channel strip and Aux master controls and all plug in parameters In addi tion the Master section and Transport controls are assignable to MIDI messages MIDI continuous controller polyphonic after touch and note on messages are assigned to the various parameters via the MIDI Map in a linear approach of one controller type per parameter Any variable controller may be a continuous control mes sage or a poly aftertouch message and any switch message on off assignment switches can be as signed to a note on or note off as note on of veloc ity 0 message Messaging may be bidirectional This means you can control the console from a sequencer or control a sequencer from the console Note that MIDI pro gram changes may also be used to trigger Digital X Bus snapshots Snapshot program change messages may occur simultaneously with MIDI Map control messaging Owner s Manual Applications for the MIDI Map include remote transport control from MIDI applications that don t support MMC or the HUI protocol but do allow their own internal parameter mapping surround joystick control or any continuous controller or two state switch appli
95. e zip file to create a folder on your desktop labeled after the build version you just downloaded Open that same folder so you can see all the contents and files Drag all the contents of that same folder onto the icon of your Flash Drive Remove the Flash Drive from your computer and insert it into one of the available USB ports on your Digital X Bus Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu X 200 8 Ifthere is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads Up to Date then move on to Step 10 9 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 10 10 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded Requires a CD Burner attached to your Mac as well as a USB CD ROM Drive attached to your Digital X Bus 1 Download the Software update from www mackie com to your desktop 2 Double click on the zip file to create a folder on your desktop labeled after the build version you just down
96. e Digital X Bus you don t need to change your connections when moving from the tracking to the mixdown stage Microphones and instruments are connected to the Mic and Line inputs on three Mic Line 4 cards installed in the AeSLOTS on the Digital X Bus If any of the microphones require phantom power it can be turned on for the applicable channels in the Card Setup window Windows I O Configuration Note During tracking dynamics control like com pression and limiting are often used on individual channels Effects like reverb delay and chorus are best left for adjustment during mixdown or during tracking for monitor use only Each input channel 1 24 is assigned to a tape out put via three DIGI cards installed in the BeSLOTS on the Digital X Bus using the Bank to Outputs command Options Bank to Outputs Outputs 25 48 or individually using the Direct Outputs in the ASSIGNS window The OPTICAL OUTs on the DIGI cards are connected to the Optical Inputs on the digital multitrack recorder Connect the outputs from the recorders to the Op tical Inputs on the Digital X Bus Assign the Optical Inputs to channels 25 48 Options Route to Bank Inputs 25 48 This allows you to monitor the sig nal as it s being recorded assuming your recorder has that capability To do this Assign channels 25 48 to the L R bus e Roll tape to verify signal at Bank 25 48 e If any track reads excessively hot cold on the
97. e Select Click on the EQ type pop up box to select from Low Shelf High Shelf Peak ing Low Pass and High Pass Gain Freq and Q controls These are adjusted using the V Pots just below the controls on screen Note that when High Pass or Low Pass are selected the Gain control has no effect elu Vm r4 R SOLO Owner s Manual Dynamics Ctrl 5 This opens the Dynamics window for the selected channel which contains controls for the Compres sor and Gate ON Button The compressor and gate each have an On Off button located at the top of their respective dis plays It works as a bypass switch so you can easily make an A B comparison of the sound with and without compressor and gate Memory A B Each memory stores the most recent settings made for the selected channel e Click either of these buttons to instantly recall the stored settings e Ideal for making quick comparisons be tween settings MENU e Click the MENU button to Cut Copy and Paste the compressor and gate settings to and from the clipboard e Select Reset to return all the compressor or gate controls to their default settings e Select Comp Presets or Gate Presets to open the Presets window Here you can save or load preset compressor or gate settings from the presets directory Compressor A compressor is used to reduce or limit transient peaks in a signal As the input level to the compres
98. e Selecting Trim mirrors the TRIM button on the console e Sets all faders to unity position when Trim From Unity is selected and assigns all param eter controls except mutes to globally add or subtract from existing settings and recorded moves e This is perfect for raising or lowering a com plete set of automation moves For example if the vocal track is perfectly crafted and struc tured yet the entire track needs to come up a couple of dB in the mix fear not Select Trim start time code enter WRITE mode and with one move increase the vocal track fader 2 dB throughout the duration of the pass X 200 Trim From Unity e When this is checked selecting Trim or Touch mode causes the faders to jump to unity posi tion e When Trim From Unity is not checked the faders remain at their current positions Mov ing the fader up or down adds or subtracts the difference from the automation data recorded for that channel Faders e This readies the automation computer to record all fader movements for any write enabled chan nel Pans e This readies the automation system to record all pan movements for any write enabled channel e All surround pans are recorded as well as L R positioning However surround output depth of center and LFE Level are not written with this selection use Other All to write automation for these parameters Mutes e This readies the automation computer to record all mute activi
99. e dropdown box and selecting MIDI MTC The Digital X Bus has many different MIDI func tions MMC MTC a MIDI Map and the MIDI Control Surface It is up to you to route the MIDI functions of the console to from the physical MIDI port using the MIDI Patch Bay in the Setup window Windows gt Setup gt MIDI b E MIDI ETHERNET OUT 11 OO mes SERIAL 9 PIN If you need additional MIDI ports you can at tach a third party USB MIDI interface to one of the USB ports on the rear of the console load the third party drivers into the console and use those ports for whatever MIDI transmissions you want to use Please see Connecting and Controlling a Digital Audio Workstation for complete details on support ed USB MIDI Interfaces and how to configure them This is a standard RJ45 telco connector At the time of this printing the Ethernet connector is dis abled We reserve its use for future applications or feature enhancements to the Digital X Bus The two USB ports on the Digital X Bus can be used to connect a USB equipped mouse keyboard or USB memory stick USB flash memory See More Con nections just ahead to see how to connect more USB devices and a PS 2 style keyboard and mouse with a 6 pin miniDIN connector There are two power receptacles on the Digital X Bus one to provide power to the Digital X Bus and the other to connect to another device and provide power to it These are standard 3 prong IEC p
100. e transports to lock together e Ideally Pre roll 1s equal to the sync lock time for the recording system s transports so that synchronized playback is a reality by the time the devices roll past the locate position X 200 Surround Mode Song Offset e Sets the consistent time difference between the record device time code and the Digital X Bus reference time code e Generally used to zero reference a song s starting point in BBT It s easier to jump to measure 1 than 2 01 23 usually e Offset can be as little as one frame or as much as 23 hours 59 min utes 59 seconds and 29 frames Mix Options Mixing Options Song Offset Pre Roll Footswitches Pre Roll Sets the time difference between a Locate point and the actual start point Since many record devices require a few sec onds to synchronize the Pre Roll time allows a brief time period in advance of the locate point to ensure transport sync and accuracy Meters These meter options are also available under the Options Meters submenu The Meters drop down box allows you to select the point in the signal flow where the meters are indicating Input meters display the signal at the input prior to any controls on the Digital X Bus Pre Fader The meters display the signal just prior to the fader post Digital Trim EQ Compressor Gate and pre fader insert Post Fader e meters disp
101. ed except Input Source selection Direct Output selection e Floating Pre and Post Insert selections Digital Trim Phase Reverse e Direct Out Level Automation moves are divided into two basic types snapshot and dynamic Snapshot automation makes it possible to instantly reset all automated console settings to a predetermined fixed static position with a single command snapshot recall Dynamic automation allows you to record and play back any parameter changes like fader positions or mute toggles in real time while locked into time code The Digital X Bus is powered by Mackie s Real Time 051 automation software Upon initial power up the console Automation Section 1s bypassed Snapshot Automation snapshot automation refers to simply scrolling through various snapshots at the appropriate time and place Recalling snapshots in the proper order and position can be accomplished through connec tion to a MIDI sequencer or by placing snapshot events in the Event Automation Track Your MIDI sequencer sees a snapshot selection as a simple patch change which can be recorded as part of the same sequence that might contain all or a portion of your music Set the sequencer to receive and record MIDI patch change data from the D8B MIDI channel and cable Select MIDI Snapshots in the Setup Mix Op tions window e Run the sequence with the D8B receiving MTC from the sequencer Place the se
102. ed from your initial gut reaction to the music are the most powerful Basic dynamic automation does not require these snapshot saves but they re often useful as the mix comes together even if only as a cross reference If you develop a string of snapshots that are very pow erful they can be strung together during automa tion However the procedure we re outlining here highlights dynamic automation Route MTC The Digital X Bus requires MIDI Time Code MTC at the MIDI input to operate automation along with the record playback device e Connect the MIDI output of your computer sequencers MIDI interface or transport control to the MIDI input of the Digital X Bus e Most sequencers or other record playback devices that transmit MTC need to be config ured to route to a specific MIDI channel cable or device Consult your MTC source operator s manual to confirm accurate and verifiable rout ing to the Digital X Bus Verify MTC at Digital X Bus Locator Position Display e When your sequencer or other record playback device is running and MTC is transmitted the Digital X Bus control surface position readout window upper right corner of screen will scroll MTC You will see a continuous increase X 200 of Hours Minutes Seconds and Frames If you see this scrolling time code in the time code display it s almost automation time e MTC also displays in the Locator window Once your ducks are in a row you re read
103. eo no surround Quad LCRS 5 1 7 1 SDDS and 7 1 TP Mixing Options Several of the Mixing Options are also available under the Options menu One Button Record Macros e When this option is selected record mode is activated by press ing the RECORD button in the control surface s transport section When One Button Record is not selected the PLAY button must be held down while pressing the RECORD button to engage record mode Show All Meters e To punch out of record mode simply press PLAY STOP REWIND or FAST FWD e One Button Record only affects the punch in procedure The punch out procedure is the same regardless of the status of One Button Record hit any other transport button to punch out usually STOP Solo Latch e When Solo Latch is selected you can solo more than one channel at a time e When Solo Latch is off only one channel may be soloed at a time e You can manually solo more than one channel when Solo Latch is off by pressing the Shift key while soloing multiple channels Record Safe e When Record Safe is selected the channel RECORD buttons will not engage However automation data can still be written Use Pre Roll e Sets the playback cursor a specified amount ahead of the locate point e The amount of Pre roll is set in the Windows gt Setup gt Mix Options window e is used to provide set time period for all synchronized devic
104. epaeo 3NI1 2IW 29441 oipne e eng 6211 244 28N 04 211 NOILVLSJAOM Olanv Post Production Setup The Digital X Bus is an amazing tool no matter what the setup However the more complex the setup the more amazing the Digital X Bus becomes Post production provides the potential to use any tracks effects snapshots automation moves and general madness mayhem Most post production facilities use house sync to lock all video equipment together The same piece of gear that generates house sync can provide the Digital X Bus and all connected audio gear with the necessary word clock to get everything functioning properly together In order for the Digital X Bus to follow external word clock the Sample Clock setting for the Sync card must be set to Word Clock This is also the type of setup that might be found in a home studio that incorporates a central sync generator Bouncing Summing Using Bus Outs You may find that you need to free up some more tracks to get everything to fit You can do a submix and combine several tracks into one or two using the BUS 1 8 Submasters Maybe you have six separate tracks for the kick drum snare drum cymbals left cymbals right tom 1 and tom 2 You can free up five extra tracks by bouncing these down to one track or free up four extra tracks if you want to bounce them d
105. ermine which piece of gear is the master The master must be able to generate proper word clock that can be read by all other digital equipment e Set all digital equipment to the exact same word clock rate the X 200 can operate up to 192 kHz e Connect the word clock output from the mas ter device to the word clock input of the slave devices Each digital device connected to the digital audio chain must receive a common word clock source either directly or from a slave tis common procedure to chain word clock through digital devices The X 200 can provide master word clock to a central word clock hub then the hub can send to multiple digital slaves DAWs MDMs digital effects etc Set every slave device to respond to external word clock Owner s Manual Draw a digital word clock flow chart for your system This will help you verify a logical connection scheme One piece of equipment connected incorrectly can mess up your entire system Rats The following illustration shows a common sync setup using the Digital X Bus as the master word clock source and a hub to distribute to other digi tally connected devices Digital X Bus Master Word Clock Out From Digital X Bus Sync Hub gt gt two more sample setups that include the Digital X Bus and other digital devices which depend on accurate and solid word sync Use expensive properly imped
106. esponding output of the effect is re turned to the channel s Pre Insert point Post Insert e The Post Insert point is located just after the channel DSP section e Used to insert a plug in effect into the channel post DSP e Click the Post Insert drop down box to select plug in from the available effects in the Effects Rack Pre Insert Post Insert Note One more plug ins must be installed in the Effects Rack 8 before a Post Insert can selected or None will appear in the drop down box If it s a stereo effect a channel can be assigned to the left or right input of the effect The corresponding output of the effect 15 re turned to the channel s Post Insert point Direct Output The Direct Output is located after the channel DSP and just before the fader mute and pan controls Click the Direct Output drop down box to assign the selected channel s Direct Output to the output of any I O card None Card 1 Card 2 Card 3 Card 4 33 TDIF ADAT Out 33 card 5 34 TDIF ADAT Out 3 35 TDIF ADAT Qut 35 36 TDIF ADAT Out 36 37 TDIF ADAT 38 TDIF ADAT Out 38 39 TDIF ADAT Out 39 TES 40 TDIFJADAT Out 40 Direct Out Level The Direct Output Level control corresponds to the LEVEL TO TAPE V Pot control on the console surface T OUT It ranges from off e9 to 10 dB Owner s Manual Mix Editor Ctrl 7 E 00 00 55 11 The
107. fer to Appendix B for a wiring diagram of these connectors The Line card also has the 10 dBv 4 dBu jump ers described for the Mic Line 4 card that can be left in place for 4 dBu operation or removed for 10 dBv operation Note The Mic Line 4 card Mic Line 8 card and Line card all support analog to digital conversion at sampling rates up to 192 kHz and word lengths of either 16 or 24 bits This card provides up to eight channels of digital audio in two formats TDIF 1 on a DB25 connector and ADAT optical on four TOSLINK connectors The input type is selected in software either TDIF or ADAT However just because we can we made both sets of outputs alsways active for you to use This makes the Digital card a great format converter between TDIF 1 and ADAT optical digital devices SYNC Ce SLOTS NE PEEL At 44 1 48 kHz sample rates each optical TOSLINK connector provides either eight inputs or eight outputs of digital audio At 88 2 96 kHz sample rates the S MUX protocol is used to provide four channels of I O on the A connectors and four channels of I O on the B connectors At 176 4 192 kHz sample rates the S MUX II protocol is used to provide two channels of I O on the connectors and two channels of I O on the connectors for a total of four inputs and outputs Note The TDIF connector does not operate above 96 kHz The AES EBU card has one DB25 connecto
108. fications 3 Connect the SMPTE I O from the Digital X Bus sync card to the SMPTE I O on the digital audio interface to provide time code communication 4 Connect the two 4x4 USB MIDI interfaces together via their MIDI IN and OUT connectors and connect one to the USB port on the Digital X Bus and the other to the USB port on the digital audio interface X 200 Settings Digital X Bus j Open the I O Configuration window Click the Digital Card to open the TDIF ADAT Setup window 3 Click the ADAT Inputs box at the bottom of the TDIF ADAT Setup window CARD 4 TDIF ADAT Output Source Input Name Output Name m The inputs and outputs for the Digital card are configured for their default settings based on the card s position in the card cage You can change the output settings in the TDIF ADAT setup window and the input settings in the input Assign window Open the I O Configuration window and click the Sync card to open the Clock Setup window set the Digital X Bus Sample Rate to match the computer s sample rate typically 48kHz or 44 1kHz Selecting Internal in the Sample Clock drop down box establishes the Digital X Bus as the master Everything else in the digital chain must be capable of slaving to the Digital X Bus DAW 1 Setthe digital audio interface to follow ADAT optical at the interface input from the Digital X Bus lightpipe output 044402 404
109. for inputs and one for outputs The input connector accepts eight balanced analog in puts that can be switched between mic or line level inputs As with the Mic Line 4 card each mic input provides a phantom power switch and a digitally controlled input trim The output connector provides eight balanced line level outputs These DB25 connectors use the TAS CAM standard pinout for analog signal connections the same standard used on the analog cards for the Mackie D8B and Hard Disk Recorder If you are connecting these to another device using the same DB25 standard you can use a DB25 to DB25 audio cable Otherwise you will need to use DB25 cables that breakout to XLR 1 4 TRS or TT connectors SLOTS P D SLOTS v 7 2 MIC LINE 8 CARD MIC LINE 4 CARD Q z eee 2 m 22 2 Owner s Manual s The Line card has two female DB25 connectors One provides eight balanced line level inputs and the other provides eight balanced line level outputs They use the TASCAM standard pinout for analog signal connections the same standard used on the analog cards for the Mackie D amp B and Hard Disk Recorder If you are connecting these to another device using the same DB25 standard you can use a DB25 to DB25 audio cable Otherwise you will need to use DB25 cables that breakout to XLR 1 4 TRS or TT connectors Re
110. fused Tech Support will tell you where to ship the Digital X Bus for repair We suggest insurance for all forms of cartage We ll try to fix the Digital X Bus within three to five business days Ask Tech Support for the latest turn around times when you call for your service Request Number The mixer must be packaged in its original packing box and must have the Service Request Number on the box Once it s repaired we ll ship it back the same way in which it was received This paragraph does not necessarily apply to non warranty repair Note You must have a sales receipt from an Au thorized Mackie Dealer to qualify for a warranty repair Need Help You can reach a technical support representative Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 5 PM PST at 1 800 898 3211 After hours visit www mackie com and click Support or email us at techmail mackie com Owner s Manual Appendix B Connections XLR Connectors Mic Line 4 cards use 3 pin female XLR connec tors on the MIC inputs They are wired as follows according to standards specified by the AES Audio Engineering Society LAE EFF SO Qi XLR Balanced Wiring Pin 1 Shield Pin 2 Hot Pin 3 Cold 1 4 TRS Phone Plugs and Jacks TRS stands for Tip Ring Sleeve the three connec tion points available on a stereo 1 4 or balanced phone jack or plug TRS jacks and plugs are used
111. hantom center channel Memory A B Each memory stores the most recent settings made for the selected channel Click either of these buttons to instantly recall the stored settings Ideal for making quick A B comparisons be tween settings MENU Click the MENU button to Cut Copy and Paste the surround settings to and from the clipboard Select Reset to return all surround controls to their default settings MORPH Click the MORPH button to smoothly fade from one memory setting to the other Memory A and B The amount of time it takes for this transition is set in the time window next to the MORPH button Morph time can be set as low as 0 1 second or as high as 30 seconds Auxes The AUXES window allows you to see all the Aux sends settings for the selected channel e You can also open the AUXES window by click ing the Aux sends section on a channel strip e Click the ON button to turn individual Aux sends on and off without changing the gain settings e Click the PRE buttons to change the Aux sends from post fader to pre fader e Click the MONO STEREO buttons to toggle between mono and stereo pairs e Click the MENU button to Cut Copy and Paste the Aux send settings to and from the clipboard Assigns The ASSIGNS window is perhaps the most power ful feature of the Digital X Bus for it is here that you select the input source multiple insert points and outputs for a channel You will come t
112. hreshold The amount of reduction gradually increases until the full ratio setting is reached slightly after the threshold is crossed This can be seen as a curve around the knee point on the compressor graphic display Meters There are three vertical bars to indicate metering for the compressor One indicates the input signal level entering the compressor IN one indicates the output signal level leaving the compressor OUT and one indicates the amount of gain reduc tion being applied to the signal R The gain reduc tion meter indicates from the top to the bottom starting at O dB no gain reduction and moving down as the compression increases Note that the meters indicate compressor function only and do not indicate the closing or opening of the gate Gate gate is used to duck or mute a channel when the signal level drops below a certain point This can reduce the overall noise level in your mix by muting unused or noisy channels The gate is represented graphically by a diagonal line across an X Y coordinate display The horizontal axis represents the input signal level to the gate and the vertical axis represents the output signal level from the gate When the input signal level is below the threshold setting for the gate there is no output and the red indicating LED in the gate window lights When the input signal level is above the threshold the signal passes through the gate unaffected There are five con
113. ice 2 so these are the default set tings e ONE BUTTON PUNCH You can also select whether to press the PLAY and RECORD but tons to enter record mode or just press the RECORD button One Button Record Note We recommend leaving One Button Record off to provide an extra measure of safety in case you inadvertently press the RECORD button in the Transport Section SONG OFFSET Song Offset can be used to in dicate the starting time deviation of a Standard MIDI File SMF referenced to absolute time code TEMPO If you use a sequencer in your recording process you can create a standard MIDI file from the song s you ve recorded Copy the tempo map from the SMF to the Digi tal X Bus and synchronize the X 200 display to the Bars Beats Ticks of the sequenced pro gram SMFs are loaded from a USB Flash drive Word Clock and the Digital X Bus The Kitchen Sync In order for all digital components to function together in unity they must all move together sample by sample through the digital data stream Word clock is an incredibly important part of digital recording The concept is simple If multiple devices are synchronized together via word clock they progress together through the digital data stream one sample at a time This is called sample accurate sync Each system works in reference to one master device Forty eight thousand times a second or whatever the common sample rate is digital slave
114. icing instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance Le point d exclamation Pint rieur d un triangle quilat ral est employ pour alerter les utilisateurs de la pr sence d instructions importantes pour le fonctionnement et l entretien service dans le livret d instruction accompagnant l appareil X 200 13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time 14 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way such as power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus the apparatus has been exposed 10 rain moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped 15 This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no ob ject filled with liquids such as vases shall be placed on the apparatus 16 This apparatus has been designed with 10551 construction and must be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing con nection the third grounding prong 17 This apparatus has been equipped with an two pole rocker style AC mains power switch This switch is located on the rear panel and should remain readily accessible to the user 18 This apparatus does not exceed the Class A Class B whichever is applicable limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interterence regulations of the Canadian
115. ing Word Clock Problems OF Digital Audio Workstation Setup we 10 Cabli ng and Hookup 9999900900090000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 70 S i 70 ett 1165 ight an Using Basic Automation What Type of Data Can Be Automated POeP ET Two Types of e oet M M UM Where Do Start 73 Playback DCS 74 Start Automation 7A Trim Levels 990909009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000006 75 Automate EQ Dynamics and Effects 999009000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000006 75
116. ion record mode Rewind playback record device to the beginning of the automation pass Start Playback from Beginning of Track e If you ve followed these directions thoroughly you ll see the fader move that you recorded playback automatically Welcome to the wonderful world of Digital X Bus automation Repeat this Action for More Parameters e sure you ve selected the desired parameter before attempting the automation pass e Each time you perform a new automation pass new data combines with the old in a seamless manner Continue building the mix until every thing is just right This mode is perfect for updating sections of a mix If you ve worked and toiled over a track throughout a mix adjusting the levels frequently try TRIM mode This valuable mode simply adds or subtracts from a previously adjusted automation track This mode only applies to faders previ ous moves are maintained but the overall volume changes e Press TRIM in the control surface Automation section or in the Windows Automation win dow If you select Trim From Unity the faders all snap to unity position Usethe channel faders to boost or cut previ ously automated channel data When Trim From Unity is selected the faders automatically set at unity so they can be easily used to boost or cut the previously adjusted track content e This is an excellent mode to globally adjust channel levels e Simply raise or lower
117. ionality e The Digital X Bus will load the untitled tem Input Source plate which is a Startup file with default settings l if a user set template has not yet been specified 4 l 1 Open and load a snapshot a session optional 1 Line Instrument e t s a good idea to keep a snapshot of each L 3l and Dunamiec k Channel EU and Dynamics Dynamics working configuration as a starting point track 9 EQ ing overdubs symphony grunge band etc Compression 1 Connect all mics and instruments O Gate e Be sure all channel faders are down Signal Routin g Turn Master Fader down e Turn Speaker level down 2 1 Setup sample clock To Bus e Verify consistent sample rate settings throughout all digital multitrack recording Cran MONITOI Speake devices Control Room selection correct e Word clock and digital data transfer connec tions are very important to the efficiency and Power up Procedure functionality of any digital system Verify them A well thought out power up procedure saves Most systems work best when the Digital X wear and tear on all your gear This procedure helps Bus is the Master word clock source Use the minimize the opportunity for equipment damage Sync card to send word clock to slave devices while maximizing the chance of SUCCESS Refer to 2 Tum amplification system on Figure 4 1 for a
118. itor press LOCATE then enter the locate number using the number buttons then press ENTER 49 To store a locate point move the timeline cur sor in the Mix Editor to the position you want to put the locate point With LOCATE lit press STORE 55 then enter the locate number you want to use to mark the position then press ENTER 49 To reset a locate point to a new location move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor to the new location With LOCATE lit press SET 58 You can also recall and store locate points in the Locator window Windows Locator Owner s Manual 58 SET move the timeline cursor to a new position in the Mix Editor with LOCATE 57 lit press SET then enter the time you want to move the cursor to using the number buttons then press ENTER 49 Transport Controls These buttons control external devices that respond to MIDI Machine Control MMC MMC is transmitted from the MIDI OUT port on the rear pan el of the Digital X Bus to MMC compatible devices Transport controls can be programmed to export specific MIDI messages other than standard MMC protocol See MIDI Mapping for more details Note MMC is not bidirectional The Digital X Bus sends out MMC commands to your tape recorder s but if you arm tracks or operate trans port controls from the tape recorders the activ ity is not transmitted back to the Digital X Bus via MMC You can however press Play on your re
119. ked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer 9 Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu 10 If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads Up to Date then move on to Step 12 11 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 12 12 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded Owner s Manual Requires a CD burner attached to your PC as well as a USB CD ROM drive attached to the Digital X Bus pe ee IK 18 25 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Make sure you have CD Burner and the appropriate software loaded on your computer Download the Software update from www mackie com to your local hard drive Create a new folder on your desktop and label it Digital X Bus Update Double click on the file you just downloaded which should launch the WinZip Utility Highlight all files displayed in the WinZip window and select Extract Point the WinZip Extractor to the new Digital X Bus Update folder on your desktop and Click Once the Extraction is completed close the WinZip utility Insert a blank CD ROM into your computer s CD drive or
120. l Room output This is pre pan as well so the fader and Pan controls have no ef fect in PFL solo Note If the channel fader is set low less than unity gain soloing the channel in PFL mode could result in a startling increase in volume Be forewarned TALK BACK Transport Section This section provides control for external recorder transports time display snapshots locates and loops 48 Number buttons 0 9 e Used to numerically enter Snapshot Locate and Loop points e When numeric buttons are used to enter data you must press ENTER to complete the action 49 ENTER button e Initiates numeric changes that have been typed into the Recall Snapshot or Recall Locate win dows EDIT START Press this button to move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor and the position display to the Edit In point END Press this button to move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor and the position display to the Edit Out point The Edit and Edit Out points are used to copy cut and paste sections of automation data in the Mix Editor To set the Edit In and Edit Out points 52 53 54 Move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor to the point where you want to start editing Press STORE and then EDIT START Move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor to the point where you want to stop editing Press STORE and then END You can also click and drag the Edit In and Edit Out marker
121. lay the signal just after the fader Clear Overloads e Ifthe metered signal reaches 0 dBFS the clip indicator at the top of the meter bridge blinks to indicate that digital clipping has occurred The clip indicator continues to blink until you manually clear it either by selecting Clear Overloads in the Options Meters Submenu or selecting Clear Overloads in the Windows setup Mix Options window Show Meters e Select this option to display all 94 meters in cluding the L R mix Touch the meter bridge in the display to toggle between showing the 24 meters in the currently selected bank and all meters Peak Hold When Peak Hold is selected a thin bar appears in the meter bridge display to indicate the level of recent transient peaks in the signal The Peak Hold bar has a slower decay rate than the normal response of the signal meter e Peak Hold does not affect the meters when in VU mode Footswitches These drop down boxes allow you to select the function assigned to each of the two footswitch jacks available on the rear panel The functions available include e Talkback e Play Stop e Next Marker e Previous Marker e New Marker e Fader Swap MIDI SEIUP General Macros Mix Options MIDI File Tempo MIDI Event sue MIDI Map MIDI Out DAW Main In DAW Main Out DAW Ext 1 In Reset Wem DAW Ext 1 Out DAW Ext 2 In Default Tempo Acti
122. loaded 3 Open that same folder so you can see all the contents and files 4 Inserta blank CD into your Mac s CD Drive and confirm that an icon of that CD appears on your desk top 5 Drag all the contents of the Digital X Bus x x x folder on your desktop onto the blank CD icon 6 CTRL Click on the icon of the blank CD and select Burn Disc from the pop up menu Or burn and finalize the CD from Toast or other CD burning software for the Mac Make sure you burn your CD so that it will be readable by both Mac and PC computers Once the CD has completed burning eject the CD from your Mac and insert it into the USB CD ROM drive attached to your Digital X Bus 7 Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus 8 Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select OK when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer 9 Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu 10 If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads Up to Date then move on to Step 12 11 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 12 12 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running
123. me regardless of the status of One Button Record hit any other transport button to punch out AutoPlay e When AutoPlay is selected playback starts automatically when you jump to a locate point e This is handy when you are jumping from one locate point to another listening for something in particular Show All Meters Select this option to display all 94 meters in cluding the L R mix Touch the meter bridge in the display to toggle between showing the 24 meters in the currently selected bank and all meters Input e The meters display the signal at the input prior to any controls on the Digital X Bus Pre Fader e The meters display the signal just prior to the fader post Digital Trim EQ Compressor Gate and pre fader insert Post Fader The meters display the signal just after the fader e When VU Meters is selected the meter bridge in the display changes to an analog VU style meter e When VU Meters is off the meter bridge changes to a vertical bar display Meter Reference Point The next three options allow you to adjust resolu tion of the meter display The higher the resolution the more detail you can see in the signal as it ap proaches 0 dBFS co to 0 dB e meters display the entire signal range from no signal to 0 dBFS 24 dB to 0 dB e meters display the signal from 24 dBFS to 0 dBFS 12 dB to 0 dB The meters display the signal from 12
124. meter within any chosen func tion is assigned in the Parameter column X 200 e Parameter Available choices follow whether switch or variable control is selected under MIDI Type e Mode The Mode option is enabled when Note is selected as the MIDI Type The two options available are Normal and Toggle These refer to how the switch responds to received MIDI data and is therefore only relevant if the Direction is set to Receive or Both In Normal mode a Note On message engages the switch and a Note Off or Note On with velocity of zero disengages the switch In Toggle mode alternating Note On messages engage and disengage the switch while Note Off messages are ignored e Direction The MIDI route is set to Receive Send or Both Take care to avoid MIDI feed back Open MIDI Map e Recalls a saved MIDI Map from disk If a map is currently in place it well be entirely overwnit ten by the map from disk upon loading Save MIDI Map As e Saves the current MIDI Map to disk as Map file which is available for recall at a later date Delete MIDI Route e Deletes the currently selected Route s within the list D 1 B m BEA WW 4 DANK selecting DAW Bank under the Windows menu switches to the DAW Bank MIDI This bank allows you to control a number of DAW software applications with the Digital X Bus Select the DAW application of your choice in the Emulation Mode drop down box
125. mple the default template sets all the faders down so you can create a new template where the faders are all set to unity Owner s Manual Band mix B Daves Not Here mix amp Mute Witness mix Red Wine Blues mix Rudy s Red Riders mix amp Runnin Blue Ray mix e Gives you direct access to file management features such as copying or moving files and folders deleting files and creating new folders e Rename files e Allows you to copy and move files from the internal drive to an external drive for backup Note The destination drive or folder must be opened and displaying its contents for proper placement to occur You can t drag and drop files in the File Manager window You must use the Move and Copy arrows LAUNCH INSTALLER X Up New Folder File Name Version Documents and Settings Packages Presets Program Files session Cancel e Opens the Launch Installer window which al lows you to browse to an executable file exe a link to an executable Ink or installer file on the hard drive Used to install 3rd party plug ins run third party authorizer applications or MIDI interface drivers X 200 PACKAGE R Size Date Newest Vers Status DXB 7580K 07 21 04 1 0 83 Not Installed Pivot 2586K 07 19 04 1 0 1 Up to Date SWinstaller 860K 06 03 04 1 0 18 Up to Date Package check complete Rest
126. music 1 1 Tami screaming at Adrian about deadlines 0 5 0 25 or less Loudest parts at a rock concert WARNING To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this apparatus 10 rain or moisture Table of Contents ducti ntro uction 909090900090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 8 Getting Started 90999009090090900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 9 9 Connections 1 Cards 1 MIC LINE 4 CARD 999900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 2 MIC LINE 8 CARD 99900900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 9 3 LI N E CARD sd ios savannas ease sas PC RR 0 4 DIGITAL CARD 5 AES EBU a Se SEN eee d Ri Mi 6 FIREWIRE CARD 7
127. n interface to quickly get to where you want to be Meters and Switching Banks Touching the meters at the top of the screen toggles between a view of just the meters for the selected bank or a total view of all 92 meters The bank view provides a magnified view with clipping indicators while the total view allows you to see what is happening with all the channels all at once Touching the meter for a specific channel or group of channels while in the total view causes the Digital X Bus to switch to the bank in which the channel or channels belong while switching the meter view to the view for that bank This allows you to quickly switch from one bank to another from the touchscreen Accessing Windows In addition specific windows pertaining to a chan nel can be opened by simply touching that area in the channel strip Note Touching an area on the touchscreen some times results in a different action than clicking the same area with the mouse For example e Touch the bus assign area just below the me ters on a channel strip to open the ASSIGNS window which is also accessible by selecting Windows gt Assigns Click in the bus assign area to turn the individ ual bus assignments on and off and to change input insert and direct output assignments Touch the auxes section just below the channel number to open the AUXES window Click in the auxes section to adjust the indi vidual aux send levels and cue pa
128. n touch the Store button to re assign the locate point to the current time code position Locate To To move to a locate point select the locate point and touch Locate To You can also double click on the locate point number to move the timeline cursor to the locate point position Equalizer Ctrl 4 This opens the Equalizer window for the selected channel ON Button This is an On Off button located at the top of the Equalizer window It works as an EQ bypass switch so you can easily make an A B compari son of the sound with and without EQ Memory A B Each memory stores the most recent EQ set tings made for the selected channel Click either of these buttons to instantly recall the stored settings Ideal for making quick A B comparisons be tween EQ settings MORPH Click the MORPH button to smoothly fade from one memory setting to the other Memory A and B The amount of time it takes for this transition is set in the time window next to the MORPH button Morph time can be set as low as 0 1 second or as high as 30 seconds MENU Click the MENU button to Cut Copy and Paste the EQ settings to and from the clipboard select Reset to return all the EQ controls to their default settings select EQ Presets to open the EQ Presets window Here you can save or load preset EQ settings from the presets directory Each band of the 4 band EQ has An On Off button for the individual band EQ Typ
129. n use the Digital X Bus as a master clock source and lock several different digital devices to the digital audio outputs of the console You need to refer to the external digital devices product documenta tion and or manual s to learn how to lock external devices off the ADAT SPDIF or AES EBU outputs of the Digital X Bus Remember that the Digital X Bus cannot slave to any external source unless it is locked via the word clock connection The SMPTE input can receive an LTC signal from 24 through 30fps frames per second and includes support for pull up and pull down drop amp non drop frames rates When using the Digital X Bus with a SMPTE input we recommend locking the word clock of the Digital X Bus to the same source that is generat ing the SMPTE output This will ensure that the console does not drift from your video or other playback source The SMPTE output simply mirrors the SMPTE input Without a SMPTE input present the SMPTE output will not be active Even though the Clock settings window has an Internal setting for the time code source selection the Digital X Bus does not actually generate MTC or SMPTE signals at the corresponding outputs Time code is also provided through MIDI time code MTC SMPTE time code is more commonly used in motion picture and broadcast applications B SLOTS Socr A SLOTS Ry ER v 7 LINE CARD MIC LINE 8 CARD MIC LINE 4 CARD 2
130. nd continues to be overwrit ten throughout a pass even if the parameter s control ceases to change When Latch is off automation data for the selected parameter begins to be overwritten as soon as the parameter s control is adjusted but as soon as the parameter s control stops chang ing the subsequent automation data is left intact Faders This readies the automation computer to record all fader movements for any write enabled chan nel Mutes This readies the automation computer to record all mute activity for any write enabled channel Pans This readies the automation computer to record all pan movements for any write enabled chan nel surround pans are recorded as well as L R positioning However surround output depth of center and LFE Level are not written with this selection use Other All to write automation for these parameters Other sets the automation computer to record all pa rameter changes for the write enabled channels other than the individually selectable Faders Mutes and Pans X 200 Write Flyback This determines what happens to the parameter levels upon punch out of automation record e When Write Flyback is selected a checkmark appears next to Write Flyback in the Automa tion submenu each parameter recorded into automation returns to its previously adjusted status at the end of a record pass A track that was off for an entire arrangement snaps back to off after
131. ndows 2000 985 Users The procedure for Windows 2000 985 is identical to the procedure for Windows XP with the only exception being the need to have the WinZip Utility Program installed WinZip can be downloaded either as a demo version free or a commercial version charge from www winzip com and installed on your PC Requires a USB Flash Pen drive with the appropriate drivers for Windows 2000 ME 98S E 1 Download the Digital X Bus software update from www mackie com to your local hard drive 2 Inserta USB Flash Drive into your computer You may have to install special drivers to interface your PC with your USB Flash drive see the USB Flash Drive product documentation for more information 3 Double click on the file you just downloaded which should open the WinZip Utility 4 Highlight all files displayed in the WinZip window and select Extract 5 Browse to the base level root directory of the USB Flash Drive and select Note Make sure the WinZip utility does not create a master folder on your Flash Drive if it does then cut the files from that master folder and paste them all to the root directory 6 Remove the Flash Drive from your computer and insert it into one of the available USB ports on your Digital X Bus 7 Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus 8 Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select OK when as
132. nel may be soloed at a time e You can manually solo more than one channel when Solo Latch is off by pressing the Shift key while soloing multiple channels Automation Submenu Bypass e Selecting this option mirrors the BYPASS but ton on the console e When Bypass is selected automation data is neither recorded nor played back e When Bypass is not selected all write selected parameter adjustments are written into automa tion data and referenced to time code Trim e Selecting Trim mirrors the TRIM button on the console Sets all faders to unity position when Trim From Unity is selected in the Windows lt Auto mation window and assigns all parameter con trols except mutes to globally add or subtract from existing settings and recorded moves Owner s Manual This is perfect for raising or lowering com plete set of automation moves For example if the vocal track is perfectly crafted and struc tured yet the entire track needs to come up a couple of dB in the mix fear not Select Trim start time code enter WRITE mode and with one move increase the vocal track fader 2 dB throughout the duration of the pass Latch This determines the action of overwriting auto mation data during a pass When Latch is selected a checkmark appears next to Latch in the Automation submenu au tomation data for the selected parameter begins to be overwritten as soon as the parameter s control is adjusted a
133. ngth to the processors Touch the VU meter to open the DYNAMICS window See The Screens The Windows Menu Dynamics for more info 24 Equalizer The small EQ window indicates whether the channel s equalizer is turned on the EQ window lights up when the EQ is turned on It also indi cates the EQ setting for the channel in a graphic display amplitude vs frequency Touch the EQ window to open the large EQUALIZ ER window See The Screens The Windows Menu Equalizer for more info 25 Surround The small surround window indicates the surround panning for the channel Left Right and Front Back In stereo mode it simply indicates the left right panning of the channel In surround mode it indicates the surround pan position Touch the surround window to open the large SURROUND window See The Screens The Windows Menu Surround for more info 26 V Pots Just below the touchscreens are a row of rotary controls called V Pots which is short for virtual potentiometer These correspond to the rotary control that ap pears at the bottom of the touchscreens Unlike an analog console where a rotary pot can control only one function a digital console allows you to assign a V Pot to many different functions Using the buttons to the right of the touchscreens you can assign the V Pots to control the following functions PAN L R Left Right PAN F B Front Back for surround sound AUX 1 8 Send AUX 9 10 and 11
134. nning Touch the VU meter to open the Dynamics win dow e Touch the EQ graphic display to open the Equal izer window Click the EQ graphic display to turn the EQ on and off e Touch the Panning graphic display to open the surround window Click in the Panning graphic display to adjust the surround position Owner s Manual EE Channel Layout Reconfiguration The channel number provides access to a hidden menu that allows you to move channel strips around and to lock a channel strip so it is visible no matter what fader bank you have selected Right click on the channel number to open the channel assignment menu or the number 4 e Select Lock Channel to lock the channel in place so it is visible with any fader bank selected Select Lock Channel again to unlock it Alternatively hold down the ALT button or ALT key and press a channel SELECT but ton to lock and unlock a channel Select Reset All to change all the channel strips back to their original configuration numerically sequential e Select Reset Bank to change all the chan nel strips in the currently selected fader bank back to their original configuration numerically sequential e Use the Channels Masters Groups and MIDI submenus to reassign the channel strip position to a different channel Lock Channel Reset All Reset Bank Channels Masters 2 Groups 2 MIDI Master Fader e Select
135. nt should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer A Component and cart combination should be moved with care Quick Stops excessive force and uneven surfaces may cause the Component and cart combination to overturn CAUTION AVIS RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR CAUTION TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER OR BACK NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ATTENTION POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L USAGER CONFIER L ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE AVIS POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D INCENDIE OU D ELECTROCUTION N EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE A LA PLUIE OU A L HUMIDITE The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons Le symbole clair avec point de fl che l int rieur d un triangle quilat ral est utilis pour alerter l utilisateur de la pr sence l int rieur du coffret de voltage dangereux non isol d ampleur suffisante pour constituer un risque d I ctrocution The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance serv
136. o appreci ate the power and flexibility of the signal routing capability of the Digital X Bus You can also open the ASSIGNS window by touching the assign section on a channel strip ASSIGNS Pre Insert us Assigns Post Insert Floating Insert Send Floating Insert Return Input Src e Click the Input Src Source drop down box to select the signal source that is routed to the input of the selected channel strip Typically you would choose an input from one of the I O cards that you have installed However you can select from a number of other sources including another channel an aux send one of the eight buses the talkback mic or one of three built in oscillators oscillator setup is in the Audio Toolbox under Windows gt Tools Owner s Manual None Inputs Talkback MIC Reverb 1 Floating Insert Send e Click the Floating Insert Send drop down box to select where to send the channel s floating insert send You can use any I O card s output Typically you would use this to send the signal to an external processor and return the signal to the channel using the Floating Insert Return None Card 1 Card 2 Card 3 Card 4 Card 5 Out 33 Card 6 Out 34 Card 7 Out 35 Card 8 Out 36 Card 9 Out 37 Out 38 Out 39 Out 40 Floating Insert Return e Click the Floating Insert Return drop down box to select where to return the floating insert signal You can use any I O card s input
137. o be Installation and Connection of Optional 1 0 Cards The Input Output cards are an essential part of the Digital X Bus multitrack system There are several optional cards available for the X 200 which you can install into the card cage in the rear panel of the console These cards provide up to 72 inputs and outputs for use with any common analog and digital formats since the I O cards are optional and interchangeable you need to install them before you begin creating hit recordings Refer to Connections on page 9 for an in depth review of the various I O cards available Anti Static Precautions The Digital X Bus I O cards come packaged in an anti static bag for protection against electro static discharge ESD Do not remove the card from the bag until the exact moment you are ready to install it When the time comes to remove the card from the bag take great care to hold it by the rear metal plate only Never touch the circuit board its electronic components or input output connectors Do this procedure in an area that is not carpeted 5 You are probably getting anxious to install the card but count to ten and read these instructions first Installation Procedure You will need a medium size slot head screwdriver 1 Turn the power off and remove the power cord and all other cords from your Digital X Bus 2 Place the Digital X Bus on a flat horizontal surface where you can easily
138. omething obvious Click on the newly created folder and then Click Click Next to start the Extraction Once that is completed click Finish X 200 9 Inserta blank CD ROM into your computer s CD drive or other attached CD Burner 10 Open whatever CD burning software you use to create CDs from your PC and burn all the contents of the Digital X Bus Update folder or whatever you named it directly to the CD Make sure you finalize the CD so it can be read by other computers 11 Remove the CD from your computer or attached CD drive and insert it into the USB CD ROM drive at tached to your Digital X Bus 12 Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus 13 Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer 14 Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu 15 If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads Up to Date then move on to Step 17 16 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 17 17 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded Wi
139. on window Windows Automation e Assign the channels you want to automate by pressing the WRITE button in the ASSIGN BUTTON SETUP section on the control surface and pressing the ASSIGN button on the chan nels you want to automate Note Faders Mutes and Pan apply individu ally to the one parameter they name ALL applies to all automation parameters other than Fad ers Mutes and Pan Open the Automation Filter window from the Automation window to select the individual parameters included under the ALL or Other selection Safety Net You can undo any automation pass or series of passes using the History List You can also redo your undo Or undo your redo Or undo your hairdo Start playback device e Verify MTC in the Locator position display e Verify selection of desired automation param eters for now select FADERS MUTES PAN and ALL e Verify selection of desired channels by mak ing sure their ASSIGN buttons are lit when the WRITE button is lit This is also indicated in the channel strip on the Touchscreen just below the EQ window by an illuminated W button Move a channel fader e As soon as the fader moves on a write enable channel automation data 15 recorded e Open the Mix Editor Windows gt Mix Editor to verify that automation data has been recorded Exit Record and Rewind to Beginning of Track Stop playback or turn off the ASSIGN button on the active channels to exit automat
140. oom button for the headphone source but you can have two custom sources configured in the Phones Setup window Press the SETUP button in the Phones 1 or Phones 2 section to open the Phones Setup window e Click Copy Mix To Cue 1 or 2 to copy all the channel fader settings to Cue Mix 1 Aux 9 10 or Cue Mix 2 Aux 11 12 This is a quick way to copy the Master L R mix including effects to the phones output e Click the Input Assign drop down boxes to select two custom input sources for each head phone output e Adjust the headphone listening level with the knobs 39 in the Phones 1 and Phones 2 sections Talkback Section The Talkback section allows you to communicate from the console to someone listening over the head phones Press the SETUP button 40 in the Talk back section to open the TALKBACK SETUP window e Select the source for the talkback function by clicking the Source drop down box This can be either the built in talkback mic in the Talk back section or a microphone connected to an input card PHONES 2 PHONES 1 TALK BACK o N o Owner s Manual 1 SETUP e Click Talk to Phones 1 to send the talkback sig nal to the Phones 1 output and Talk to Phones to send the talkback signal to the Phones 2 output e Adjust the talkback signal level with the Level slider in the Talkback Setup window Press the TALK button 41 in Talkback sec tion to activate the Talkback function and send
141. ord clock synchroni zation in and out of the console on a pair of BNC connectors and SMPTE time code also called Longitudinal Time Code LTC in and out on a pair of 1 4 jacks The word clock input is the only means to slave the Digital X Bus sampling clock to an external clock reference device such as a house sync box or a clock distribution system The Digital X Bus can lock to a word clock source running between 44 1 kHz to 192 kHz The word clock input provides a 75 ohm termination which prevents the clock signal from feeding back to the source and causing synchronization problems If you are slaving the Digital X Bus off an external word clock source we do not recommend using the word clock output of the console to distribute that same clock signal to another digital device There will be a certain amount of propogation delay from the input to the output and this may cause a syn chronization problem between your Digital X Bus and other equipment If you are using multiple digi tal devices in your studio we recommend using word clock distribution device that can send a word clock signal equally and evenly to all slave devices SYNC Ce SLOTS note about clocking and sync The AES EBU SPDIF digital audio specifications include the presence of a clock refer ence signal through the same physical connection as the audio signals This means that you ca
142. orporate these into your routine you ll quickly realize the power and creative freedom they offer KEYS 35 Hot Key Ctri C Command Copy Cut Ctrl xX Delete Del Paste Cirl Audio Toolbox Ctri T Channel Settings Ctrl B Ctri Shift C Copy Filtered Dynamics Cirl 5 Effects Rack Ctri 8 Equalizer Cirl 4 Faders to Off 041453 Faders to Unity 931153 History List Ctri H O Configuration Cirl 0 Link Channels Ctri L Locator Ctrl 3 Midi Map 9 Mix Editor Ctrl 7 e This does just what it says it closes all open windows in the display The Setup window has four sub windows Gen eral Macros Mix Options and MIDI all selectable with the buttons at the top of the Setup window General SETUP Macros Mix Options Date amp Time Year Minutes mE d2 Calibrate Touch Screens Language Left Right Defaults Both Smart Save On off Create New Files Load Last Session at Power up The General Setup window provides access to the following functions Date and Time allows you to set the date and time for the Digital X Bus This is important to keep your files in the correct chronological order e Touch Calibration initiates a routine to calibrate the touchscreens by having you touch a dot in the corners of both touchscreens You may need to recalibrate the touchscreens from time to time especially if it seems that the touchscreen isn t responding as quickly as it
143. other attached CD Burner Open whatever CD burning software you use to create CDs from your PC and burn all the contents of the Digital X Bus Update folder or whatever you named it directly to the CD Make sure you finalize the CD so it can be read by other computers Remove the CD from your computer or attached CD drive and insert it into the USB CD ROM drive at tached to your Digital X Bus Select Install Packages from the File Menu on the Digital X Bus Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select OK when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads to Date then move on to Step 16 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 16 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded Mac OS X Users Requires a USB Flash Pen drive 1 2 3 Insert a USB Flash Drive into your so you see the icon of that drive on your desktop Download the Software update from www mackie com to your desktop Double click on th
144. ower connec tors Connect the detachable linecord included with your X 200 to the male power receptacle and plug the other end of the linecord into an AC outlet with the correct voltage for your particular Digital X Bus To connect another device to the female IEC power receptacle you need a power cord with a male IEC power connector on one end and a female IEC power connector on the other end These can be purchased at most electronic supply stores FOOT SWITCH 115V Samp 60Hz 230V 4 5amp 50Hz 1100W Max Owner s Manual ET 15 Power Switch This one is self explanatory When the POWER switch is turned ON power is supplied to the Digital X Bus and it boots up When turning off the Digital X Bus you should select SHUTDOWN from the File menu At the end of the shutdown procedure the Digital X Bus lets you know when it is okay to turn off the power switch Before turning on your Digital X Bus please read the Power up Procedure section on page 55 of this manual for complete step by step instructions 115V Samp 60Hz 230V 4 5amp 50Hz OOW More Connections There are even more connections available behind the removable panel on the back of the Digital X Bus Use a small headed Phillips screwdriver to re move the ten screws securing the panel to the chas sis to access these additional connections which we call the Motherboard Access Area 16 Mouse This 6 pin miniDIN connector is used to connect a
145. own to a stereo pair of tracks The following steps show an example of how to bounce tracks 1 6 down to tracks 7 and 8 by using Bus 1 and 2 By using Buses 1 and 2 whatever pan positioning you ve set up is retained 1 Turn off the L R assignments for the six chan nels serving as the tracks 1 6 returns Turn off the L R assignments for any other channels you don t want to monitor while bouncing down 2 Assign six channels to Bus 1 and Bus 2 X 200 B Input Open the I O Configuration Window and select Bus 1 and Bus 2 as the Output Source for two unused outputs on an I O card Route the two outputs to tracks 7 and 8 inputs on the record ing device CARD 4 TDIF ADAT Output Source Output Press the MSTRS button next to the Master Fader to select Fader Bank 4 The Bus Masters default to unity gain but you can adjust the Bus and 2 Masters to optimize the signal going to the recording device On the recording device select record ready on tracks 7 and 8 Play the song while recording tracks onto the multitrack After recording with the original 6 channels muted monitor the bounced tracks 7 and 8 through the Digital X Bus tape in channels Using Basic Automation Virtually all of the Digital X Bus channel param eters are available for automation However there are a few exceptions some obvious and some not so obvious Digital X Bus channel parameters can be automat
146. p DAW Main In e Selects the MIDI interface used to receive MIDI commands for the first eight channels when the MIDI fader bank 1s selected DAW Main Out e Selects the MIDI interface used to send MIDI commands for the first eight channels when the MIDI fader bank 15 selected DAW Ext 1 In e Selects the MIDI interface used to receive MIDI commands for the second eight channels 9 16 when the MIDI fader bank is selected DAW Ext 1 Out e Selects the MIDI interface used to send MIDI commands for the second eight channels 9 16 when the MIDI fader bank is selected Owner s Manual ES DAW Ext 2 In e Selects the MIDI interface used to receive MIDI commands for the last eight channels 17 24 when the MIDI fader bank is selected DAW Ext 2 Out e Selects the MIDI interface used to send MIDI commands for the last eight channels 17 24 when the MIDI fader bank is selected Automation The Automation window provides access to some of the functions available under the Options lt Auto mation submenu and the control surface as well as some additional functions AUTOMATION Trim From Unity Filter Touch Timeout 1000 0 ms Return Time 1000 0 ms Write Flyback Bypass e When Bypass is selected automation data is neither recorded nor played back e When Bypass is not selected all write selected parameter adjustments are written into automa tion data and referenced to time code Trim
147. quencer in record mode on the D8B channel as you scroll through snapshots Each of these snapshot changes record into the sequence e Play the sequence back with the D8B receiving MIDI playback at its MIDI input e Snapshots will playback in the same time and order that you selected them e fine tune snapshot placement open the se quence track and adjust the time position in the MIDI sequence Dynamic Automation Dynamic automation is a function of the Digital X Bus automation system The power and flexibility offered by the Digital X Bus is awesome This one tool can revolutionize the way you do music Each new automation pass helps mold and shape the music into a brilliant work of art Dynamic au tomation involves real time crafting of the mix with the assistance of a computer processor Where Do Start Automation is somewhat intimidating at first For tunately it doesn t need to be The power flexibility and ease of use provided by the Mackie designers makes the Digital X Bus painless and intuitive If you ve used other automation systems you have a definite advantage The concepts involved as they apply to the Digital X Bus are similar to most automation systems The advantage the Digital X Bus offers over most other automation systems is its mind boggling ability to automate virtually every parameter on the console The following is a step by step streamlined procedure to help get you automating To cl
148. r providing eight channels of digital I O in the AES EBU format The original AES EBU specification IEC958 1 provides for carrying two channels of digital audio at resolutions up to 24 bit at 48 kHz When higher sampling rates became possible two methods were developed to transmit digital audio at the higher sample rates double fast and double wide The double fast method also called single wire clocks the digital I O port at twice the speed to get twice the information through providing support for resolutions up to 24 bit at 96 kHz The double wide method also called dual wire transmits one channel of digital audio instead of two channels through a single digital I O port again pro viding support for resolutions up to 24 bit at 96 kHz The AES EBU card currently uses the double fast method so eight channels of digital I O are sup ported up to 192 kHz B SLOTS SLOTS v 7 LINE CARD MIC LINE 8 CARD MIC LINE 4 CARD 2 o 2 Je 5 OE esses e e 2 2 At sampling rates to 48 kHz two channels of digital audio are transmitted on a single wire one 3 pin XLR at normal speed as specified by the AES EBU standard At sampling rates of 88 2 96 kHz two channels of digital audio are transmitted on a single wire one 3 XLR at twice the normal speed 2 At sampling rates of 176 4 1
149. r sources The spectrum analyzer allows you to view the spectral characteristics of a signal in real time where the horizontal axis represents frequency and the vertical axis represents amplitude There are two inputs to the spectrum analyzer so you can select different sources for the two inputs Input 1 and Input 2 drop down boxes and compare their spectral content For example you might want to compare the left and right sides of a final mix to confirm that their overall frequency responses AUDIO TOOLBOX Spectrum Analyzer Oscillator 2 Volume Freq gt Waveform Square 58 74 dB 591 21 Hz Input 1 1 Input 2 None Window Type Hamming Oscillator 3 Volume Freq Waveform Type Waveform Type Sine 6 00 dB Saw Owner s Manual are similar You can also choose from a variety of window types for displaying the spectral readout including Rectangular Bartlett Hamming and Han ning Click the Freeze button to catch a particular instance on screen for closer examination The three oscillators have identical controls including On Off Volume Frequency and Waveform Type Sine Triangle Saw Square White Noise Pink Noise Each of these oscillators can be se lected as an input source for any channel System Info The System Info window gives you an overview of system resources in real time DSP CPU Usage and DMA Load are displayed in percentages along
150. receipt with price and date showing and your return street address no P O boxes or route numbers please If we cannot duplicate the problem or establish the starting date of your Limited Warranty we may at our option charge for service time 3 Ship the product in its original shipping carton freight prepaid to the authorized service center The address of your closest authorized service center will be given to you by Technical Support IMPORTANT Make sure that the Service Request Number is plainly written on the shipping carton E LOUD Technologies reserves the right to inspect any products that may be the subject of any warranty claims before repair or replacement is carried out LOUD Technologies may at our option require proof of the original date of purchase in the form of a dated copy of the original dealer s invoice or sales receipt Final determination of warranty coverage lies solely with LOUD Technologies F Any product returned to one of the LOUD Technologies factory authorized service centers and deemed eligible for repair or replacement under the terms of this warranty will be repaired or replaced within thirty days of receipt LOUD Technologies and its authorized service centers may use refurbished parts for repair or replacement of any product Products returned to any authorized service center that do not meet the terms of this warranty will not be repaired and returned unless payment is received for labor m
151. rol Room source is selected in the CONTROL ROOM section of the console press the SETUP button in the CONTROL ROOM section for more setup options The Control Room Left and Right outputs are as signed to the SPEAKER A and B outputs by default However the source for the SPEAKER A and B outputs can be reassigned in the I O Configuration window Windows gt Configuration gt Touch or select the Mix Out Card PHONES 1 and 2 These are stereo 1 4 TRS jacks that provide a stereo output for headphones or for connecting to a headphone distribution box These are assigned to the Phones 1 and Phones 2 outputs by default but can be reassigned to virtually any input or output source The Phones 1 and Z sources are selected in the PHONES 1 or PHONES 2 section on the console press the SETUP button in the PHONES section for more setup options MIX OUT These are balanced 1 4 TRS jacks that provide a line level analog signal These are assigned to the left and right mix outputs by default but can be reas signed to virtually any input or output source Con Owner s Manual EZ nect these outputs to the inputs of a 2 track recorder for mixdown or to the inputs of a power amplifier to drive a pair of speakers for the studio or whatever Note Remember that the level for the Main L R Mix Out is always controlled by the Master Fader on the console The Control Room volume knob does not affect this level The Sync card provides w
152. rs by pressing the Shift key on the keyboard or on the console while clicking on track names Owner s Manual You can select multiple non contiguous channels parameters by pressing the Ctrl key on the keyboard or on the console while clicking on track names Pencil Tool Hand Tool Use this tool to enter new data nodes and to alter existing ones The Pencil tool can create and move new or cur rent automation nodes while time code is being received on the fly editing before or to the left of the current time or while time code isn t being received at any point on the timeline Eraser Tool Use this tool to remove automation data Click on a node to remove it Magnify Tool Use this tool to select specific data lengths and to expand the data time to fill the screen Click and drag with the Magnify tool to zoom into a specific area Hold the Ctrl key while in magnify mode to zoom out Auto Scroll The right pointing arrow button next to the Magnify tool toggles Auto Scroll on and off You can toggle Auto Scroll while time code is running Nudge Arrows e Click the Nudge Arrows button to open the NUDGE window e You can move or nudge a selected region by an amount indicated in the NUDGE window e You can select the nudge time horizontal axis for nudging a selected region left and nght by entering a value in the box between the Left and Right buttons Click the box to open the numeric en
153. s keep track of the word clock status of the master device they only output the next sample when the master device outputs the next sample This type of system provides very accurate synchronization Incorporating a time reference like MTC along with sample accurate sync enables time stamping of data changes like start stop time snapshot placements real time automation data etc Hence ultimately flexible and way cool automa tion capabilities of virtually every control on the Digital X Bus Yahoo The Sync card in your Digital X Bus provides a means to send and receive digital word clock This card is used e When digitally combining the Digital X Bus with a computer based DAW MDMs video recorders etc e When the Digital X Bus must send or receive word clock other than through ADAT lightpipe or AES EBU connections Sync data can transmit directly through ADAT Lightpipe and AES EBU connections However a complete sync system needs two main ingredients e Word clock sample accurate sync This is provided through the Digital X Bus optical or AES EBU connections and through the Sync card e Time reference to stamp automation data for accurate playback This is typically provided through MIDI Time Code MTC Every digital system needs a master sync source The X 200 prefers to be the master source but will function as a master or slave Follow these simple steps to help assure a successful digital setup e Det
154. s which al lows you select a pre saved template for your new project Select a template if you wish and touch OK or touch Empty to open the de fault new project template SELECT TEMPLATE Dave s Default Unity Delete Cancel Open Session Ctrl O Press 11 40 on the keyboard or touch File and then Open Session OPEN SESSION Up New Folder Version 1 0 083 Beta 1 0 083 Beta 1 0 083 Beta 1 0 083 Beta 1 0 083 Beta File Name Dan Band mix Daves Not Here mix Mute Witness mix Rudy s Red Riders mix Runnin Blue Ray mix Cancel Use this to open pre existing session file As soon as the session is opened the faders and all other parameters move to their proper settings for the current time code location Press Ctrl S on the keyboard or touch File and then Save Session save the current session to its assigned loca tion on the hard drive You can turn on the Digital X Bus Smart Save feature Windows Setup which automati cally saves your session every XX minutes If you have Smart Save turned off be sure to save your session often to protect yourself from lost work stutf happens Press Ctrl Shift S on the keyboard or touch File and then Save Session As Opens the Save Session 5 window Enter a new name for the session using the keyboard or touch the Name box to open the on screen keyboard SAVE SESSION AS Dan Daves Here mix M
155. s in the time bar in the Mix Editor screen or click and drag across the screen to define the start and stop points for an edit LOOP START Press this button to move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor and the position display to the Loop In point STOP Press this button to move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor and the position display to the Loop Out point ON Press this button to start loop playback from the points defined by the Loop In and Loop Out points in the Mix Editor To set the Loop Start and Stop points Move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor to the point where you want to start looping Press STORE 55 and then LOOP START 52 TAR START mo 4 56 REWIND FAST FWD 56 57 Move the timeline cursor in the Mix Editor to the point where you want to stop looping Press STORE 55 and then STOP 53 You can also click and drag the Loop In and Loop Out markers in the time bar in the Mix Editor screen SNAPSHOT To recall a snapshot press SNAPSHOT then enter a snapshot number using the number but tons then press ENTER 49 To store a snapshot with SNAPSHOT lit press STORE 55 then enter the snapshot number you want to use to store the console settings then press ENTER 49 You can also open the Snapshot window Win dows Snapshots to store and recall snapshots LOCATE To recall a locate point moves the timeline cur sor to the locate point in the Mix Ed
156. s located Show These drop down boxes allow you to select individual channels to display in the Mix Editor or individual parameters across all channels Click the Empty box to clear the Mix Editor from displaying any automation data Start Time End Time These boxes display the start time and end time of a selected region for editing When a region is selected markers appear in the time bar named Edit In and Edit Out at the start time and end time Cursor Value The Cursor box displays the time position of the mouse cursor as it moves around the Mix Editor screen The Value box displays the corresponding value of the cursor s position Useful for editing auto mation data Zoom Arrows The four arrow at the top of the channel parameter list expand and contract the time axis left and right arrows and change the dis played number of automation tracks or param eters up and down arrows when clicked Edit Tools Click on the edit tool icons at the bottom of the Mix Editor screen to select them I Beam Tool Highlighter Use this tool to select data by time and channel Click and drag across a the horizontal axis to highlight a specific time region Click another track name left column to move the current highlighted region time segment to the selected track Click and drag across the top timeline bar to select a region across all tracks Note You can select multiple adjacent channels or paramete
157. se disappears it s coming from whatever is plugged into that channel e Check the signal cables between the input sources and the Digital X Bus Disconnect them one by one When the noise goes away you ll know which input source is causing the prob lem e Sometimes it helps to plug all the audio equip ment into the same AC circuit so they share a common ground Repair service for Mackie products is available at a factory authorized service center Service for Mackie prod ucts living outside the United States can be obtained through local dealers or distributors If your Digital X Bus needs service follow these instructions 1 Review the preceding troubleshooting sugges tions Please Call Tech Support at 1 800 898 3211 7 am to 5 pm PST to explain the problem and obtain a service Request Number Have your Digital X Bus serial number ready You must have a Service Request Number before you can obtain service Pack the Digital X Bus in its original pack age including endcaps and box This is VERY IMPORTANT Mackie is not responsible for any damage that occurs due to non factory backaging Include a legible note stating your name ship ping address no P O boxes daytime phone number Service Request Number and a detailed description of the problem including how we can duplicate it Write the Service Request Number in BIG PRINT on top of the box Units sent without a Service Request Number will be re
158. sign Window Windows Assign and select the effect in the Pre Insert or Post Insert drop down box Note The effect must be loaded in the Effects Rack before it appears in the drop down box 2 The signal is automatically routed to the ef fect s input and returned to the selected insert point in the channel s signal path Note See the instruction manuals for your plug ins for specifics on individual functionality Dynamics and EQ Applications Dynamics and equalization are typically applied in one of two ways 1 Processing Dynamics and EQ Before Tape e Touch the Equalizer box on a channel that is being routed to tape Fader Bank 1 in the chan nel strip to open the EQUALIZER window or select Windows Equalizer e Adjust the EQ to taste Double click the SELECT button on the channel to open the on screen Dynamics window Com pressor and Gate Set compression or gating 2 Processing Dynamics and EQ After Tape e Touch the Equalizer box on a channel that is re turning signal from the multitrack recorder for mixdown Fader Bank 2 to open the EQUAL IZER window or select Windows gt Equalizer e Adjust the EQ to taste e Double click the SELECT button on the channel to open the on screen Dynamics window Com pressor and Gate e Set compression or gating Since a tape return receives its feed from the mul titrack dynamics and EQ changes made here don t affect what is printed to tape
159. t corner of the right touchscreen Delete Time Play From Selection The Nudge submenu allows you to nudge a selected node or nodes up down left or right The nudge values are selected in the NUDGE window click the Nudge icon with the four ar rows at the bottom of the Mix Editor The Scrolling submenu allows you to choose how the timeline cursor behaves while time code is rolling With Auto Scroll selected the timeline cursor scrolls until it reaches the center of the screen and then the screen scrolls past the timeline cursor while it remains centered With Page Flip selected the timeline cursor scrolls to the right side of the screen and then jumps back to the left side while the screen flips to the next page When None is selected the screen does not fol low the timeline cursor When Follow Selected Channel is checked when a single channel is selected in the View box the channel displayed in the Mix Editor follows the channel selected with the SELECT button Select Insert Time to insert a region of no data change at the start point of a selected region The amount of time inserted is equal to the time of the selected region Select Delete Time to delete a selected region of data Play From Selection starts playback of automa tion from the time entered in the Start Time window at the top of the Mix Editor The start time is the beginning of a selected region or the time at which the playback cursor i
160. t speakers and the bottom of the display represents the rear speakers and the subwoofer e The subwoofer is not affected by pan Its signal is tapped prior to the surround panning SURROUND A SOLO Global Surround Mode v Surround Bus Assigns 4 ON LFE Level LFE Cutoff Center 7 12 00 dB LFE Low Frequency Effects The LFE feature makes it possible to handle all your bass management functions right from the channel panning rather than purchasing an external surround bass management box Click the LFE Cutoff ON button to turn on the LFE channel subwoofer When the button is off there is no output to the subwoofer channel Bus 4 and all the low frequency information is routed to the main surround speakers When the LFE Cutoff button is ON lit the low frequencies are routed to the subwoofer output Rotate the LFE Cutoff knob to select the cutoff or crossover frequency for the subwoofer out put It ranges from 20 Hz to 8 kHz Rotate the LFE Level knob to adjust the sub woofer level It ranges from 0 dB unity gain to off Center 96 This controls the amount of center channel signal going to the center channel output At 096 all the center channel signal is routed to the center channel output Bus 3 At 5096 the center channel signal is evenly distributed among the L C and R outputs At 10096 the center channel signal is routed to the Left and Right outputs p
161. tal signals The source for the AES EBU OUT is selected in the Mix Out Card setup window Window I O Configura tion Touch the Mix Out Card The default input numbers for the AES EBU inputs are 65 and 66 in any of the Input Source As signment drop down boxes Even though the stereo AES EBU input is intended for a digital two track return you can assign them to feed channels buses the control room or whatever you like S PDIF IN and OUT These are RCA type connectors that send and receive standard S PDIF two channel digital sig nals The S PDIF OUT follows whatever is selected for the AES EBU OUT in the Mix Out Card setup window Touch the S PDIF Input box in the Mix Out Card setup window to use the S PDIF IN instead of the AES EBU IN The default input numbers for the S PDIF inputs are 67 and 68 in any of the Input Source Assignment drop down boxes As with the AES EBU inputs you can route the S PDIF inputs to feed channels buses the control room or whatever you like SPEAKERS A and B These are two sets of stereo monitoring outputs using 1 4 TRS jacks They produce a line level analog signal that you can connect to the inputs of the amplifier powering your control room monitors or the inputs to your active studio monitors The NEAR button in the CONTROL ROOM sec tion on the front of the console corresponds to the SPEAKER A outputs and the MAIN button cor responds to the SPEAKER B outputs The Cont
162. termines how fast the compressor turns off once the signal falls below the threshold It is calibrated in milliseconds ranging from 10 ms to 1000 ms 1 second Ratio e Determines the change in output level as a function of the change in input level once the threshold has been exceeded The Ratio control ranges from 1 00 1 to 20 00 1 Thus if the ratio is 10 1 an increase in input level of 10 dB as suming the input is above the threshold level results in a 1 dB increase in output level e When set to 20 1 the compressor acts as a peak limiter After the initial attack time the output changes very little once the input crosses the threshold Output e Determines the amount of makeup gain applied after the compressor Use this control to com pensate for the loss of gain caused by the action of the compressor It is calibrated in decibels ranging from unity 0 00 dB to 20 00 dB Soft e This button turn on the compressor soft knee function The knee of the compressor describes the point on the input output graph where the threshold begins to reduce the output A hard knee compressor means that up until the moment the input signal crosses the thresh old no compression occurs Once the threshold is crossed the full ratio of gain reduction is applied to the input signal assuming the attack time has passed With the soft knee engaged the gain reduc tion begins to occur before the input signal reaches the t
163. th the current selected channel s settings the channel parameters EQ Dynamics and DSP Insert patch points are saved as well Highlight the desired preset and click Load to copy the preset settings to the selected channel e Click the Preview box to observe the channel preset settings on the selected channel before clicking Load Click Change Folder to organize channels into logical groups band name instrument type singers drums guitars etc Setup Groups Ctrl G SETUP GROUPS Pick a group below to add selected Channe Is Grp 1 Grp 2 Grp 3 Grp 4 Grp 5 Grp 6 Grp 7 Grp 8 Grp 9 10 Grp 11 Grp 12 e Provides a convenient way to group faders for control by a group master fader in the GROUPS fader bank e Simply select the group to which you want to as sign channels and then select those channels on the console e This does not override any previous group set tings outside the selected channels however a channel can only be assigned to one group The most current group selection does override a previous channel group assignment e This feature provides a way to add faders to an already existing group Un Group e Provides an easy way to remove channels from a previously established group Select some or all of the grouped channels to re move the selected channel s from group status Link Channels Ctrl L LINK SETUP Link Ch 1 and Ch 2 Select the parameters
164. the keyboard to complete the naming procedure Or touch the name Snapshot to highlight it then touch it again to open the on screen key board Type the new name then touch ENTER on the keyboard e Double click in the Description column of the snapshot to enter a text description Edit e Select a snapshot then touch the Edit button to open the Snapshot Filter window e The Snapshot Filter window allows you to filter out certain parameters so they do not get over written when the selected snapshot is recalled You can also exclude certain channels from being overwritten when the selected snapshot is recalled Delete e Select a snapshot then touch the Delete button to remove it from the snapshot list e Ifthe snapshot is locked it cannot be deleted e This cannot be undone Once you delete a snap shot it is gone forever Recall e Select a snapshot then touch the Recall button to overwrite all the parameters or selected param eters from the Snapshot Filter window on the Digital X Bus with those stored with the snapshot e Youcan also double click or double touch on the snapshot number to recall it Owner s Manual Store To update and overwrite an existing snapshot select the snapshot then touch the Store button to overwrite the snapshots with the new settings Menu The drop down menu list duplicates the New Recall Store Edit and Delete buttons in the snapshot window In addi
165. the Digital X Bus Select the new build to be installed from the list and select Run Installer Select when asked to shut down the Digital X Bus application in order to run the Installer Once you are back to the main mixer screen re select the Install Packages from the File Menu If there is a System Update file in the list and the Status column reads Needs Update then high light the System Update file and select Install But if the Status column reads Up to Date then move on to Step 12 Re boot the console If it re boots itself then move on to Step 12 Once you are back to the main mixer screen select About from the Windows menu and verify you are running the same number build you just downloaded X 200 digi 9 SASUMO Index SASUMO Owner s Manual 95 Acknowledgements ADAT is a registered trademark of Alesis Corporation TASCAM is a registered trademark of TEAC Corporation VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH The following are trademarks or registered trademarks of LOUD Technologies Inc The Mackie logo V Pot HUI the Running Man figure and Digital X Bus All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trade marks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged 02004 LOUD Technologies Inc rights reserved Digital X Bus Limited Warranty Please keep your sales receipt
166. tion software for controlling with the MIDI bank of the Digital X Bus Since the Digital X Bus has 24 faders when using the Mackie Control emulation mode it works like a Mackie Control Universal with two eight channel expanders One of the following DAW software applications can be selected in the DAW Emulation Mode drop down box in the MIDI bank see next page Owner s Manual EE Generic Mackie Control Emagic Logic Audio DigiDesign Pro Tools HUI MOTU Digital Performer Steinberg Nuendo Steinberg Cubase SX SL Cakewalk SONAR Adobe Audition Cool Edit Pro RML Labs SAWStudio sony Vegas Magix Samplitude Sequoia Soundscape Faders To Tape When Faders To Tape is selected the Level To Tape V Pot Direct Out Level in the Assign win dow from the selected channel s output follows the channel s fader position For example if channel 12 is assigned to direct out AN Out 12 adjusting channel 12 s fader directly affects the Level To Tape Route to Bank Submenu This provides a shortcut to route 24 consecutive inputs to a selected bank Inputs 1 24 Routes and assigns the hardware inputs 1 24 Cards 1 3 to the currently selected bank Inputs 25 48 Routes and assigns the hardware inputs 25 48 Cards 4 6 to the currently selected bank Inputs 49 68 Routes and assigns the hardware inputs 49 68 Cards 7 9 to the currently selected bank Bank to Outputs Submenu This provides a shortcut to route the 2
167. tion it allows you to Lock and Unlock a snapshot When a snapshot is locked as in dicated by the closed lock icon in the snapshot list it cannot be deleted or overwritten The Renumber option renumbers the snapshot list in consecutive ascending numerical order SNAPSHOTS New Edit Delete Recall Store Filtered None Description None None None None None EQ Without EQ recall Renumber Snapshots Double Click to Recall Locator Ctrl 3 The Locator window contains transport controls and allows you to create new locate points LOCATOR Description Time 00 00 10 00 00 00 55 00 00 01 32 00 00 02 23 00 00 03 03 00 Verse 1 Chorus Verse 2 Chorus 2 Break Delete Rename Renumber Store Locate To Transport Controls The transport controls operate any connected record or playback devices using MIDI Machine Control MMC via the MIDI port These controls mirror the transport controls on the control surface and include Return to Zero not on the control surface Rewind Fast Forward Stop Play and Record X 200 Numeric Transport Position Indicator This window display time code in either SMPTE or BBT Bars Beats Ticks depending on what is selected in the Mix Editor drop down menu This mirrors the time code readout in the upper right corner of the touchscreen Ways to Enter Locator SMPTE Position Double click in the desired field Hours Min utes Seconds Frames and click
168. tively numbered effects in the effect rack e g Reverb 1 Reverb 2 etc Fader Swap Delete Plugin MENU gt Reverb 1 v Src R Jone 5 StereoDelay1 gt Src L w Src 4 Sre L Note Each effect has a drop down box to select the input source for the effect You can select an Aux Send 1 12 or a channel or master pre or post insert point e f you select an Aux Send as the source for the effect you must return the signal to the mix by selecting the output from the effect as the input source on an unused channel Ch 49 Input Src e None Inputs Channels Busses Talkback MIC Osc Reverb 1 stereo Delay 1 Reverb 2 0 00 dB e If you select a channel or master insert as the source for the effect the output of the effect is au tomatically returned to the channel s insert point You can save the settings for an effect as a preset Click the MENU button in the upper right corner of the effect and select Presets to open the PRESETS window Click New to save the settings under the NEW PRESET name of your choice Click Load to copy a preset s settings to the effect use internal effect an Aux Send 1 Adjustthe Aux Send level on the individual channel s you want to send to the internal ef fect Windows Auxes Use Cue 1 Aux 9 10 or
169. trols for the gate along the bot tom edge of the window These are controlled by the V Pots located just below them Note When we say the gate opens it means the gate is not acting on the signal and the signal is allowed to pass When the gate closes the gate acts on the signal by attenuating it Threshold e Determines the level at which the gate acts on the incoming signal It is calibrated in decibels ranging from off to 0 dB Attack e Determines how fast the gate opens once the threshold has been exceeded It is calibrated in milliseconds ranging from 0 1 ms to 100 ms Hold e This determines how long the gate remains open after the input signal has fallen below and remains below the threshold before closing It is calibrated in milliseconds ranging from 20 ms to 1000 ms 1 second Release e Determines how fast the gate closes after the hold time has expired once the signal falls below the threshold It is calibrated in millisec onds ranging from 10 ms to 1000 ms 1 sec ond Owner s Manual Determines the amount of gain reduction ap plied to the signal once the signal level drops below the threshold It is calibrated in percent ranging from 096 no attenuation to 10096 full attenuation Key Trigger Input Uses the signal from another source to trigger the dynamics for a channel Click the drop down box to select the key input source e Touch the EQ window below the
170. try window e You can select the nudge amount vertical axis for nudging a selected region up and down by entering a value in the box between the Up and Down buttons Click the and buttons to change the nudge amount or click the box to open the numeric entry window You can enter a value from 1 to 100 Delete Cut Copy Paste Buttons e These buttons perform the same editing func tions that appear in the Mix Editor menu e The editing function are applied to a selected region highlighted between the Edit In and Edit Out markers 00 00 55 1 1 00 00 55 1 1 Effects Rack Ctrl 8 The EFFECTS RACK window is where you select the plug ins you want to use in your session The Digital X Bus comes with a variety of plug ins ready to use In addition you can install any VST plug in a first for any digital mixing console in this class You can select multiple plug ins to use as internal effects processors for inserting into a channel s pre or post insert point or to drive with an Aux send and return via an unused channel EFFECTS RACK Stereo Delay 1 on Src R Reverb 1 Src x R ON In L Out L Ambience 1 Src R ParisEQ 1 R R TU ON A In L Dut L S R R In L Src R RubyTube 1 Src R BLOCKFISH 1 v Src R Out L xi R R In L Out L d R R ON A ij In L Out L R New Plugin e Click this drop down box to select a plug in to add to
171. ty for any write enabled channel Other e Selecting Other mirrors the ALL button on the console e Sets the automation computer to record all pa rameter changes for the write enabled channels other than the individually selectable Faders Mutes and Pans Filter e Opens the Automation Filter window This allows you to select individual parameters for automation from a list of available parameters other than Faders Mutes and Pans e Parameters include Auxes EQs Dynamics Buses Phase and Misc everything else AUTOMATION FILTER When in Other automation mode the following parameter groups will be automated Auxes Dynamics Busses Misc Cancel Latch This determines the action of overwriting auto mation data during a pass When Latch 15 selected automation data for the selected parameter begins to be overwritten as soon as the parameter s control is adjusted and continues to be overwritten throughout a pass even if the parameter s control ceases to change When Latch 15 off automation data for the selected parameter begins to be overwritten as soon as the parameter s control is adjusted but as soon as the parameter s control stops chang ing the subsequent automation data is left intact Touch Timeout When Latch 1s off the Touch Timeout control determines the amount of time between when the control stops moving and when automation stops writing data for that parameter The range for
172. uired to oper ate the Digital X Bus the mouse and keyboard can be handy for quickly entering data or when clicking is easier than touching the touchscreen Depending on your particular configuration and re quirements we have a variety of analog or digital I O cards that you can install in the card cage to suit your application Here s a quick run down of what we offer I O Cards This card has four female XLR balanced micro phone inputs and four 1 4 TRS balanced unbalanced line level inputs for a total of eight analog inputs Note that this card does not provide any outputs SLOTS 2 7 AES CARD Each mic input provides an individual phantom switch 48 VDC and a digitally controlled input trim All these controls are found in the I O Configu ration window Each line input on the Mic Line 4 card has a cor responding 10 dBv 4 dBu jumper J10 J13 on the card that determines the input level reference point These jumpers come pre installed from the factory at a 4 dBu input level However if you have unbal anced or low line level sources you may choose to remove these jumpers and set the input reference to 10 dBv to better use the headroom of the mixer You can physically see these jumpers on the printed circuit board of the card itself and they can be removed simply by pulling them off the card The Mic Line 8 card has two female DB25 con nectors one
173. ut any other digital mixing console in its class If you have any experience using a digital mix ing console like our D8B you ll find that using the Digital X Bus is very similar and you ll be mixing away in no time If this is your first experience with digital mixing we ll run you through some of the unique aspects of using a digital mixing console You will find that once you ve learned these differ ences and the incredible flexibility that digital mix ing has to offer you will have a very short learning curve and wonder how you have lived without the power of digital mixing for so long HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL We know that many of you can t wait to get your new Digital X Bus hooked up and you re probably not going to read the manual first sigh So refer to the Digital X Bus Quick Start Guide to help you get the mixer set up fast so you can start using it right away At the end of the Quick Start Guide are some hook up diagrams that show typical hookups for tracking mixdown and using the Digital X Bus with a DAW Digital Audio Workstation Please write your serial number here for future reference i e insurance claims tech support return authorization etc d Purchased at 2 Date of purchase d Then when you have time read this owner s manual It contains descriptions of every knob button and slider on the console and all the menus and windows on the touchscreens Throughout this manual
174. ute Witness mix Rudy s Red Riders mix Runnin Blue Ray mix Cancel Touch Save to save the session to the default session folder or you can navigate to another folder at the top of the Save Session As window An extremely useful feature for saving varia tions of a session Lets the current session be saved under a new name leaving the original file untouched from that point on Good for backing up session data under a new file name or to an external USB Flash drive e For Digital 8eBus users converts D amp B ses sion file to a Digital X Bus session Note This feature imports channel fader mute and pan settings for channels 1 72 and the aux send levels pans for auxes 1 12 along with the master aux sends ands buses 1 8 levels Channel EQ compressor and gate settings are also im ported into the Digital X Bus session but because the algorithms for the EQ and dynamics sections are different in the Digital X Bus the sound will be somewhat different on the Digital X Bus than it was the D amp B IMPORT D8B SESSION Up New Folder File Name new sessions are based on template template is stored separately from sessions but can be updated at any point with the current static mix levels setup parameters and channel settings of any given mix Simply select Save As Template under the File menu SAVE AS TEMPLATE Cancel e Allows you create a new template For exa
175. ve 120 00 DAW Ext 2 Out MIDI Device ID s 1 8 9 16 IE 17 24 MIDI File Tempo Map e Import a MIDI Tempo Map from a standard MIDI file to synchronize the Digital X Bus Bars Beats Ticks display with your MIDI sequencer MTC reference Default Tempo Sets the MIDI tempo reference for position alignments during an automation pass or loca tor activities Active Tempo e Displays the actual tempo currently in use MIDI Device ID 5 Sets the Device ID reference for connected record devices such as the HDR24 96 ADATS DA Series or other multitrack recorders A unique ID is required for using MMC MIDI Machine Control with multiple recording devices The following boxes select the MIDI port s used to send and receive MTC MMC and MIDI commands between the Digital X Bus and external multitrack recorders and DAW applications The MIDI port s must be connected to the Digital X Bus in order to be detected and appear in the lists MPU 401 is the built in MIDI IN and OUT connectors on the rear panel MTC In Port e Selects the MIDI interface used to receive MIDI Time Code in the Digital X Bus MMC Out Port e Selects the MIDI interface used to transmit MIDI Machine Control from the Digital X Bus MIDI Map In e Selects the MIDI interface used to receive MIDI commands as defined in the MIDI Map MIDI Map Out e Selects the MIDI interface used to send MIDI commands as defined in the MIDI Ma
176. vidual channels to the internal effects in the ASSIGN window via the chan nels inserts Effects devices must already be cre ated in the Effects Rack for them to appear in the insert drop down boxes The Left and Right MIX OUT jacks are con nected to the 2 Track recorder for the final mixdown If you prefer to monitor from the output of the mixdown recorder simply connect the outputs of the mixdown recorder to a pair of unused in puts or the AES EBU or S PDIF digital inputs on the MIX OUT card and choose those inputs for the Control Room Source Record the mix and enjoy the mind boggling capabilities of the Mackie Digital X Bus Jens esed 12240 SIW 20A 41 2114299 542243 024246 044409 40 940110 46 sauoydpesy 4 D 4ndui 241 20 e3nd4no auoudpesy 024248 pue 40 NIVW Z 1 eandano woo 2 2 2ui 091946 LNO XIN 244 pue 244 204 deo 8492442 u424x2 40 eu1n324 pue Gay uy x eua 04 epo IAIN DLW pue 22 244 04 04402 utu ew JAIN IWW 8 IAIN 241 40 42p4022
177. y to begin the automation process Automation can be written from the beginning of time code 00 00 00 00 to the end 23 59 59 30 Save Default Levels saving the Digital X Bus settings to a default state determines the starting point for the entire mix You may have already created one or more default states and saved them as templates Determine that your mix is solid enough that you d like to have all parameters written as defaults Don t get too freaked out about this you ll be tweaking the mix to perfection anyway e Select Save As Template from the File Menu e Enter a name for your new template and click OK e Ifyou need to recall your static mix at any point you can save or update snapshots at any time Exit Bypass Mode Once the default levels have been set it s time to exit BYPASS mode turn the BYPASS button off From this point on any parameter change can be written into automation Select Parameters Choose the parameters you d like to record as automation data on the first pass This is typically a great time to ride basic fader mute and pan set tings However there is no problem with selecting Faders Mutes Pan and ALL so no matter what moves you make they can be recorded and recalled by the automation processor Any Combination of Faders Mutes and Pans on First Pass Choose automation parameters by selecting them in the control surface AUTOMATION sec tion or in the Automati
178. you are mixing in surround sound you assign the eight bus outputs to the I O cards in this window e Select the input source for control room moni toring There are four buttons labeled 1 2 Surround and L R These correspond to the buttons on the console labeled 1 2 SUR and L R 33 The Custom Input Assigns 1 and 2 drop down boxes are used to select virtually any input source for the left and nght control room outputs Select Surround to have your surround sound stems pass through the Control Room section This allows you to have individual gain controls for each stem at the bottom of the Control Room Setup window using the console V Pots and activate the surround calibration which sends pink noise to each surround output to verify that each speaker is set to the same relative volume e Select Near Speaker 1 or Main Speaker 2 con trol room outputs 34 35 e Adjust the listen ing level of the Near or Main outputs with the knob 36 in the Control Room sec tion on the console or the Near Main control in the Con trol Room Setup win dow The DIM button 37 allows you to temporarily duck the control room output by a preset amount which you can set in the Control Room Setup window with a range of off to 0 dB CONTROL ROOM Phones Section The Phones section 38 allows you to select the input source for the headphone outputs Phones 1 and 2 Typically you would select the C R Control R
179. you ll find illustrations with each feature numbered If you want to know more about a feature simply locate it on the appro priate illustration notice the number attached to it and find that number in the nearby paragraphs This icon marks information that is critically important or unique to the X 200 For your own good read them and remember them They will be on the final test gt E gt This icon leads you to in depth explanations of features and prac tical tips While not mandatory they usually have some valuable nugget of information Note If you are unfamiliar with using digital mixing console refer to Operational Basics in the X 200 Quick Start Guide for information on fader banks V Pot controls and using the touchscreen Getting Started Once you ve unpacked your new Digital X Bus you ll want to posi tion it where you can sit comfort ably and reach the touchscreens and controls and have relatively easy access to the rear panel in case you need to make any changes to the connections Typically once you ve set it up and made the connections you won t have to make any changes unless you change your external equipment Connections The Digital X Bus comes with a Mix Out card con trol room card and a Sync card already installed in the card cage in the rear panel There are also con nections for a USB mouse keyboard footswitches MIDI and other fun stuff While not req

Mackie DIGITALXBUS X.200 User's Manual

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