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Mackie 72 channel Owner`s manual

1. From the screen There is no screen equivalent for this feature Changing the Display Matrix of the Parametric EQ You can change the way in which the parametric EQ is displayed in the Fat Chan nel by pressing the PREVIOUS or NEXT button located just to the left or right of the V Pots Think of it as rotating the default matrix 90 degrees Now the first SELECT button is used to change the band the first V Pot also changes bands The second V Pot controls the gain of the selected band the third V Pot controls the frequency and the fourth V Pot controls the Q Press the PREVIOUS or NEXT button again to return to the original display mode Saving Loading and Resetting EQ Settings EQ settings can be saved and recalled from the hard drive You can save and load files from either Memory A or Memory B TO SAVE AN EQ PATCH From the console 1 With EQ selected for channel process ing press SAVE PATCH in the Fat Channel Section 2 default name appears in the Fat Channel Display such as EQ 1 You can accept the default name or you can change it to one of your own choice To change the name e Turn the first V Pot to change the letters e Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to move the cursor left and right You can use up to 23 characters to name a file 3 When the name appears as you want it press the SELE
2. 49 72 a K SELECT MASTER L R 8 iri o e CD ENCODING DAL RATIS TO 855 SELECT LEVEL CONTROL ROOM 64 FIELD SPEAKERS 67 DIM CLIP BOARD CUT ZERO SET PASTE MASTER L R WRITE e 2 23 iul SHORTCUTS CONTROL ALT dh Sa I 5 2 m lt m B SELECT SELECT SELECT E SFS E E LOW MID HI MID e gt PHONES CUE M PHONES CUE MIX 2 E 2 35 em 53 AUX 11 12 TALKBACK LE ASSIGNMENT ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 1 BUS 2 6 ROUTE TO TAPE m Ee H Oo SMPTE VIEW BARS BEATS TICKS e C C gt ENTER LOOP STORE SNAPSHOT 09 A L SHUTTLE J JOG amp SHUTTLE Digital 8eBus Description 2 17 g LINE INPUTS BAL UNBAL 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SURROUND OUT 14 13 39 wale e PR eR OR OR PR OR OR OR ORR ORI MASTER OUT Be ae PHONES 1 PHONES 2 LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN 1 6 0 6
3. MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER AOD HHH Hel EE eee Ee ep fPlalsis From the console 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup menu appears in the Fat Channel Display 2 Press the SELECT button below Auto Save in the Fat Channel Display The Auto Save menu appears 3 Press the SELECT button below Each Pass to auto save the session after every automation pass or Press the SELECT button below Set Timer to set the amount of time between saves 1 10 minutes Press the SELECT button below Never to turn off the auto save function 4 When finished press SELECT below Exit 5 Press the PREVIOUS button to get back to the General menu or press the GENERAL button to return to normal Fat Channel operation enuew 5 Start Up Digital 8eBus Start Up General Language Display Intensity Date amp Time Month Year Hours Minutes Day aug B 1998 B Plug ins Auto Save Mewer After Each Fazz minutes Create Mew Files amp ux Surround Setting Aux Sends Pre Post Fader You can individually configure the aux sends to be pre or post fader If you re using an aux send as a moni tor feed you probably want to set it pre fader so FOH DIGI
4. Channels 1 24 TRACKING HALF Fader Bank 1 Digital Multitrack Recorders The Split Console Approach This concept is presented in the Digital Quick Start Guide but it is so important we decided to include it here also One of the primary applications the Digital 8 was designed for is multitrack recording up to 24 tracks This involves tracking and monitoring bouncing and overdubbing and mixdown Tracking The first 24 channels on Fader Bank 1 are used for tracking Microphones and instruments are connected directly to the input jacks on channels 1 24 and their signals are direct assigned to the Tape Outputs 1 24 and not to the L R bus The Tape Outs are then connected to your multitrack recorder s Monitoring In order to monitor these signals from your multitrack as you re recording switch to Fader Bank 2 Channels 25 48 are located here and they let you hear the signal the way it will go to tape They are assigned to the L R bus an analog mixer you d need 24 channels for tracking and 24 more for monitoring But here using the split console concept you can switch between Fader Banks 1 and 2 with the touch of a button The D8B s 24 channel strips do the work of 48 analog strips Actually they do more than that But we ll get to that later pese pe
5. OL 00 0 104 024946 6Xnv OLXNVY LLXNV Digital Delay Stereo Reverb NANT NINN Om Om ay la 9 20A peat lt 2 ojdurex3 PUNOS sngeg P224 1 2 AIL tO 23 0911457 25 LSNHd 23 122 2442862 Processor Stereo Processor ald YVAN J9p40223 ojeuy Jea 2 014225 os 124161 epe 12 01440 2 172 ug ddvl 4 1 ddvl 3dVl OL ddvl OL ddvl OL DOIVNVL o 2 SIW 6 79 Starting a New Session 3504 sngeg je3isiq mum mum N 044 0 uuu Jape pue oan uJn323
6. ul olpne Gas sngeg 118164 3 80jeuy sngeg je3isiq 4 2 oufG 88 spied 12401440 100 Q O J ADL OA HONd 2 tino oianis axova z O ZSNHd LS Hd MNO 1no E 681110508 NI VOlLdO Lvdv LNO NI 1vav LNO NI 3 Id Se SA Gee EE 04 LZ c 24 ouf L SL 9 ZL 8 Starting a New Session 6 78 2Pe46 je41bip uanga 4 sss ul oipne iQ Vocal Enhancer ouou 42404 vXnv Sxnv a 5 Jopej Zpue n OL ue 55 E CL
7. 3 15 Timecode 1 Timecode Source MIDI Synchronization 4 6 Track MIG LIB 2 3 Tracks Bouncing DOW 6 19 6 20 Trackin 1 5 6 1 2 TRACK A B and ButtonS ee uice eet dba eere Dx aie 2 7 2 TRACK and C L R Inputs 2 14 Transport SEC HOM 2 10 Transport Controls 2 11 TAD EE 5 Digital TIIM 2 4 6 6 TET anao Neer QAAE 2 1 Trim Levels 2 9 Levels 7 2 Touch Auto Touch 7 2 Auto Touch Button 2 9 Troubleshooting oc 9 1 TRS PIUS c 4 1 A 5 4 1 A 6 7 14 U Unbalanced twisted and warped A 6 5 19 UNDO Button 2 8 Undo Edil 7 12 Unity Upgrading the Operating System Appendix H UV22 Apogee UV22 c Appendix Selecting UV22 on Outputs 6 27 Using Apogee UV22 6 26 Version Determining the Operating
8. 7 11 7 12 LOOD I 7 13 Table of Contents Te ME GI Or 7 14 Dsing The MIZ 7 15 The Eyont 7 15 Including And Removing Channels 7 15 Selecting Events BY 7 16 Deleting a 7 16 Chane nea MIC 7 16 Creating a Fade In and Fade Out Event 7 16 Editing Fade In And Fade Out 5 7 17 Mackie Real Time OS Automation Edit Example 7 17 Inserting Blank Time Delete Time 7 18 7 19 7 19 8 Advanced Functions Advanced 8 1 Recording EQ Compressor Gate and Effects Changes 8 1 Virtual Grouping Ungrouping 8 4 AOE 8 6 Stereo Paired Faders sees 8 8 Controlling External Effects Processors via MIDI 8 0 Surround OUO 8 9 Surround 8 10 SOS ECO AE REEE E TEE 8 10 OU Aes ones unde ves 8 10 8 11 8 11 8 12 Surround Sound Co
9. 4 Advanced 8 1 epi B 4 F 1 APE M nMH 1 Pt T cem 6 14 AFL SOLO Button 2 6 ATOSS F 1 PASE aT IM A 1 ACL BUO 2 9 ACT 2 8 ALTTO nC m 2 13 Analog Analog vs 1 1 Analog to Digital Converter A 1 B 1 Analog I O 2 12 Audio Connections 4 1 External Effects 1 4 2 Headphones 4 5 Microphones and Line Level Connections 4 1 4 4 Recording Devices 55 4 2 Channels 1 24 Tape Outs 4 2 Channels 25 48 Tape Returns 4 2 Bus Out 1 8 Connections Surround 4 2 Final Mik D ck 4 5 4 1 TRS 2 14 PB 2 14 Apogee Digital D O 2 13 Apogee UV22 risien eini 6 26 Appendix D ASSIGN Button 2 1 M I 1 Assign Channe
10. 7 3 Final Mix Monitoring 6 26 Floppy Disk Copying Files to Floppy Disk 5 4 Floppy Drive Internal 1 3 Saving Sessions to a Floppy Disk 5 0 Frame EEE 1 PCS 3 Changing the Center Frequency 6 30 From To BOXES pee 7 14 FX Downloading Plug Ins to the FX 3 14 G E er 3 Gain Setting changing 6 29 QU EEAS 3 Gain Structure Diagram stir ER eii G 1 Gate Adding G te 6 71 Adjusting Gate 6 47 Copying Gate Settings 6 52 Cutting Gate Settings cuoco SEHE E RN 6 51 Mf C HORS A 3 GALE 2 6 Loading a Gate Patch 6 50 Pasting Gate Settings 6 53 Recording 8 1 os catis 6 51 Saving a Gate Patch 6 49 Selecting 6 46 Using the Gate 6 46 GENERAL 2 10 General CUD 3 2 Gender Vocal Studio 205 4 Appendix A
11. 2 6 CLEAR SOLO Button sisisp visti Had poe ei Ead enl 2 7 Master SOLO Button 2 4 Mixdown Solo 6 16 MIXDOWN SOLO Button erit RR mE et FREE 2 6 PFL SOLO 2 6 R d Solo Light 2 7 SOLO LEVEL Button 2 7 SOLO MN 2 2 6 13 5 Soloing Aux 6 15 Soloing Channel Yt e prr 6 14 Sound and Sinal ES B 1 4 6 B 4 Speaker 2 8 SDEDIHOAELIONS QE YET G 4 Split Console 1 5 Stat 3 1 Stered CUES 6 73 Stereo Paired Faders ERI 8 8 SLOP 2 11 STORE B ttON 2 11 Studio Studio L R 2 14 STUDIO LEVEL BUCO 2 7 Studio Monitors Connecting iier te oper tie 4 5 TALKBACK TO STUDIO Button 2 7 Subs Routing Channels 0 6 66 Surround Sound seereis ei 8 9 A 5 Monitoring in Surround Sound 8 13 Surround Control Panel Jetta ERR ph Haa 8 12 Surround Modes 8 10 DC UIE os en sU 3 3 Stereo Quad 8 10 LORS ia 8 11
12. gt ETE GERE MACKIE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b PTT TT ahelale MENU T bh General Display Intensity General Hetywork Language English French German Spanish i Aug ry 1998 16 Hours Minutes 24 Create Mew Files oR Never After Each Pass e After 2 Press the SELECT button below LANGUAGE in the Fat Channel Display to view the Language menu 3 Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows in the Fat Channel Display to scroll through the available languages JOUMO 4 When language you want to select appears in the display press the SELECT button below OK The selected language will now be used by the Digital 8eBus TO SELECT A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE enuew 5 From the screen 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens 2 Click on the General icon on the left side of the box The General dialog box opens 3 Click and hold on the Language box Drag down to the desired language and then release to finalize your selection 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Setting the Surround Mode There are a variety of surround modes you can
13. 4 yr E T i LIES E i ET 1 igh 4 Lt File Edit Channel Automation Windows New Session Ctrl W Open Session Save Session m Save Session As Disk Manager Session Files i Dave s Not Here Gooch s Mix G Greg s Sessions mix 1 mix 2 mix 3 mixse4 Pick a file to open 2 The Save File As dialog box appears with the default name mix 1 If you want to rename the session you can type it in now 3 When you re satisfied with the name of the new session click on the Save button to complete the operation Recalling a Session TO RECALL A SESSION From the console 1 Press the LOAD button in the Setup Section on the front of the console The Load Session menu appears in the Fat Channel Display 2 The Fat Channel Display shows the first session file in alphabetical order in the current folder Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to scan through the stored session files 3 When the one you want appears in the display press the SELECT button below Open to complete the operation TO RECALL A SESSION From the screen 1 Using the mouse choose Open Session from the File menu in the upper menu bar The Session Files dialog box appears 2 Double click on the Session name you want to load or click on it once and then click on the Open button 3 The
14. 6 22 RUDE SOLO LIGHT 2 7 5 Sampling Frequency 5 Sample Rate Setting t Pob nde 3 13 ee B 2 Saving and Retrieving Files from a Floppy Disk 5 4 Saving and Retrieving Files from the Hard Drive 5 1 SAVE BUTON 2 9 SAVE AS Button 2 10 SAVE PATCH Button 2 6 Saving Compressor Patches 6 41 Effects 6 58 EQ Patches 6 33 NT 6 49 Screen edes t oma AR KU Appendix J Sections Automation Section 2 9 Bus Assignment Section 2 8 Card Cage Section 2 12 Clipboard Section ento 2 8 Control Room SOCOM 2 7 Fat Channel Section 2 5 Master Fader Bank Select Section 2 3 Master Input Output Section 2 13 Master 2 8 Master Section Description 2 3 Phones Cue MIX 2 7 Session Setup Section 2 9 Shortcuts SECHOM 2 8 Studio Solo Section 2 6 Transport 2 10 V Pot Select Section 2 4 SELECT Button PP PN UE 2 2 2 8 Selecting Events
15. 2 7 Master L R Section uan da 2 8 Studio L R Outputs 2 14 2 Track A B and C L R Inputs ose eim 2 14 Language 5 1 3 2 LED Fader Bank Select 2 2 Left Right LED Ladders soveeskeetvetbtm mtn 2 5 Meter LED Ladder 2 2 Position LED Display ossi 2 10 Range LED Display 2 10 Levels Adjusting the Aux Send levels 6 4 6 68 Adjusting for Nominal Input and Output Levels 6 8 AUX 9 10 LEV BL 2 4 AUX 11 12 LEVEL Button 2 4 Leve oee E E O E E A 3 LEVEL to TAPE ia 2 4 Level avs 2 7 SOLO LEVEL Button 2 7 Speaker Level V Pot 2 8 STUDIO LEVEL Button ssa mid ors RM OS 2 7 TALKBACK LEVEL Button sissseseveccesseossssserens 2 7 TRIM LEVELS 2 9 2 1 Trim Levels Mode Tr 7 2 LORS Surround Mode oreet 8 11 Light E 2 7 A 3 Line Level Connecting 4 1 Live MIKINE 6 64 LOAD Button 2 10 LOAD PATCH 2 6 Loading Loading a Compr
16. FREDLY DAMPING DIFFUSION ROLLOFF Le re m b B TO ADD EFFECTS From the screen l Click on the CARD A B C or D but ton in the lower menu bar to open the Effects control panel Select the type of effect you want to use with the selected FX card and ad just the parameters for the selected effect See Selecting Internal Effects on page 6 53 for more information on selecting and adjusting internal effects Click on the AUX button in the V Pot Select Section that corresponds to the effect you want to use Click and drag on the V Pots of the channels you want to send to the se lected effect to adjust the aux send level Alternately you can click and drag on the horizontal bar in the auxes section at the top of the channel strip to adjust the aux send level Click and drag on the Master V Pot to adjust the overall aux send level to the selected effect You can click on the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Sec tion to monitor the aux send signal Click on the EFFECTS button to select Fader Bank 3 Click and drag the FX return fader s corresponding to the selected effect to control the amount of processed signal returning to the left and right bus Adding Effects to the Main Outputs Making a Recording While If you want to add an external effect to the Doing a Live Mix main outputs you have two options You re all set up ready to go when the For a serial process
17. PUNCH I O TALKBACK 22 2 Connecting Headphones There are two 1 4 TRS headphone output jacks labeled PHONES 1 and PHONES 2 They are located just above the STUDIO OUTS on the rear panel of the Digital 8eBus You can independently assign the signal going to these two outputs and adjust their output levels in the Phones Cue Mix Section PHONES CUE MIX 1 PHONES CUE 2 8 AUX 9 10 COPY MIX TO CUE AUX 9 10 COPY MIX TO CUE AUX 11 12 CONTROL ROOM LEVEL AUX 11 12 LEVEL CONTROL ROOM These outputs are designed for stereo headphones where the tip and ring carry the left and right channel signals respectively and the sleeve is the ground return for both signals Connecting Your Final Mix Deck After you ve finished all your tracking and you re ready to make your final mixdown to track use the 1 4 TRS MASTER OUT or XLR MASTER OUT jacks on the rear panel to connect to your 2 track recorder The same signal appears at the 1 4 and XLR outputs with the exception that the 1 4 jacks have a maximum output level of 22 dBu and the XLR jacks have a maximum output level of 28 dBu These can both be connected to balanced or unbalanced inputs so choose the one that matches your 2 track deck MASTER OUT 22 8 _ N e FIELD L D R MASTER OUT If you re mixing down to DAT use one of the d
18. 6 70 Adjusting the Compressor Settings 6 39 Compressor FES esdassnvevet es S nM xe 6 41 Loading cessen 6 42 Savino MP 6 41 Editing Compressor 6 43 Recording Changes n Dtm Ded iod 8 1 Resetting Compressor 6 43 DCE CTU 777772 6 39 S 4 1 Control Room Monitors cierre etti ida resin el 4 4 Digital Audio Connections cade 4 6 Ethernet 4 7 External Effects Devices ertt 4 2 Final 4 5 Headphones 4 5 2 16 Gy 4 7 Line Level Devices 4 1 NHUCEODHOHGS NUN 4 1 MIDI Connections cbr 4 6 4 7 Monitor 0 0000 710 4 7 Recording DEVICES 4 2 Studio Monitors 4 5 Console 2 15 2 8 CONTROL Button 2 7 Control Room 2 7 Control Room Monitoring rtt UU DO 6 12 COPY BUON 2 6 COPY MIX CUE Button 2 7 Copying Files to Floppy Disk 5 4 Copying Files between Folders 5 4
19. LI GG 45 e 725 C amp D amp B CPU amp gt gt gt gt gt gt 2 2 21 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 21 2 2 2 9 c gt CE lt gt CE CE gt CC CONSOLE SHIPPING WEIGHT 75 Ibs 33 1 kg SHIPPING WEIGHT Ibs Technical Info Appendix H Upgrading Your Mackie Digital 8eBus console came with a package containing among other things a floppy disk with the current Mackie OS at the time of manufacture From time to time the
20. 7 15 Automation Edit Example 7 17 Changing Time 7 16 Copying An Entire Segment Of Mix 7 17 Creating Fade In and Fade Out Event 7 16 Deleting Fade In or Fade Out Event 7 17 Deleting a 7 16 Editing Fade In And Fade Out Events 7 17 Inserting Blank Time Delete Time 7 18 Including Removing Channels 7 15 Selecting Events By 7 16 Modes Absolute Mode 7 1 Auto Touch Mode 7 1 Surround 8 10 Levels WIC 7 2 Monitor SVGA 1 3 Color Monitor Port 2 16 Monitor Tape IN 2 3 4 4 1 5 Monitoring in the Control Room 6 12 Monitoring in Surround Mode 8 13 Monitoring Final MIX eode aceites 6 26 Setup Monitor Mixes for Performers 6 68 MONO Button ta devia center tenner ioca doudou 2 7 Morphine E 6 38 Morph in Surround Mode sscssecss noveris 8 13 Motorized Faders oo 1 3 Mouse 2 16 Moves Recording Fader
21. 6 37 Pasting Compressor Settings 6 45 Pasting Gate Settings 6 53 Pasting Effects Settings 6 61 PASTE Button 2 8 LOAD PATCH Button 2 6 SAVE PATCH 2 6 PPD E 6 14 4 PEL SOLO BHO OB 2 6 Phantom POWE 4 2 4 Phasing cocco NOU 4 Phase Setting 2 T CAE 3 15 Phone Jack and A 4 Phones Cue Mix Section 2 7 Phones 1 and 2 QUEDUD 2 14 Pitch Correction Vocal Studio cccsiecvecscccasscsiuniisecdccssadsuses E 7 Pitch Shift Vocal Studio 0000 00 E 7 PLAY Button Rr T Y 2 11 PLUG INS DULLOB 2 6 2 10 Plug Ins Downloading to the FX Cards 3 14 Plugs text acer 4 1 Ports Color Monitor Port 2 16 Keyboard POL est reo ai 2 16 Mouse Port terse 2 16 2 16 Serial Controllers Port rentrer ha 2 16 Position LED Display 2 10 Post Fader Pre Fader eese A 4 Setting Aux Sends to be Pre or Post Fader 3 8 6 63 Power Supply Un MUI ENS AM p IE 2 15 Power Supply Cable 2 16
22. 6 7 8 9 0 LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L MODE FAST FWD STOP gt 44 ON MEMORYA EQ GATE PLUG INS SAVE PATCH TO RECORD EQ COMPRESSOR AND GATE CHANGES From the console 1 Turn off the Bypass button button light off in the Automation Section to engage the automation functions Press the ALL and AUTO TOUCH buttons Press the PLAY button in the Transport Section or Play on the recorder to initiate timecode Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to adjust Press either EQ COMPRESSOR or GATE in the Fat Channel Section to select the processor you want to adjust At the desired times adjust the V Pots in the Fat Channel to make your changes Upon completion of the automation recording pass if you re satisfied with the recorded processor adjustments make sure to save the session press SAVE in the Session Setup Section Advanced Techniques Digital 8 Bus Locator zi wY BYPASS SMPTE 67 m MEMORY FADER FAN TRIM EVENTS 5 MUTE EQUALIZER A 67 Hz 12 1 dB 1 19 MENU MEM E 2297 12 1 dB MORPH 110 M An Before we leave this subject there s one other option you should know about Mackie Real Time OS automation allows you to automate switc
23. 7 17 Name Type Value Time 7 15 Selecting Events By Type 7 16 External Effects Devices Connecting 4 2 External MIDI Effects Processors Connections for 4 6 Controlling from the Console 8 0 External Processing 6 62 External Recorders Arming from the Console 6 10 Faders Fader Automation 7 3 Recording Fader Moves in Trim Mode 7 2 Fader Bank Select LEDS 2 2 FADERS OUD 2 9 Fad r Motors P n 7 4 FADER MOTORS OFF Button 2 9 8 8 MASTER L R Fader 2 3 Motorized 100mm PFaders o ette 1 3 Setting Auto Fade ssim bevor a YE LEX EUER ER 8 6 Setting Aux Sends Pre Post Fader 3 8 Fade in Fade out Creating a Fade In and Fade Out Event 7 16 Deleting a Fade In or Fade Out Event 7 17 Editing Fade In And Fade Out Events 7 17 FAST FWD 2 11 Fat Channel 1 3 2 5 6 28 2 5 File pi dS 5 1 Filters Automation
24. o NM VB S Vo oos m N mir p 2 5 8 g 3 20 5 N 4b wn m m m 8 20 8 Connect a signal to a channel e f the channel is used with a microphone the MIC switch should be down e f the channel is used with a line input the MIC switch should be up Connect the Control Room output to your control room amplifier speaker combination 50 you can monitor the signal MASTER OUT e Nal e le p NEAR FIELD XL SZ SZ 4 Select Fader Bank 1 by pressing the MIC LINE 1 24 button MASTERS SHIFT 121 25 48 MIC LINE TAPE IN TRACK MONITOR 49 72 EFFECTS BANK SELECT Set the channel strip controls as follows e TRIM controls all the way counterclock wise 20 dB e All the faders to their U unity markings including the MASTER L R e There is a Digital Trim control located just after the A D converter in the channel signal path This defaults to unity gain which is where you would normally leave it See Ad justing the Digital Trim on page 6 6 to see how to adjust it Starting a New Session Press the PFL SOLO switch in the Studio Solo Section In this mode the faders do not affect the solo level at the Control Room output STUDIO SOLO MIXDOWN SOLO CLEAR SOLO RUDE SOLO PFL
25. 6 33 MEMORY and B Buttons 2 6 Metering Analog vs 4 1 F 2 Microphones 4 1 MIC 2 1 Mic Line Track 2 3 Level 3 Talkback 2 4 Microphone Preamp 4 MIDI Configuring MIDI Parameters 3 4 External Effects Processors 4 6 etr Er PERO A 4 MIDI Inand 2 15 MIDI 4 6 MIDI Machine Control 4 6 Synchronization 2 Mix Copying an Entire 7 17 To Copy Moves from One Time to Another 7 17 IM 1 6 6 22 Mizdowti co 6 16 MIXDOWN SOLO Button 2 6 Mixes setup of Cue Headphones 6 16 Cue Mix 6 17 Mix Effects Adding to Main Outputs 6 64 Mixing EE ARE 6 64 Mixer Channels Routing to Outputs and Buses 6 8 Mix Editor n 7 14 Edit Meni 7 14 Mackie Real Time OS Automation Event 7 14 Using The Mix Editor tds 7 15 The Event
26. 9 16 Se 02 27 gt many cable manufacturers make cables especially for this purpose With nothing plugged into the INSERT jack the send signal is directly connected to the return pin via the normalling jack The INSERT jack can also be used as a direct out from the mic preamps to tape If you insert a TS mono 1 4 plug only partially into the INSERT jack to the first click the plug will not activate the jack switch and will not open the insert loop in the circuit thereby allowing the channel signal to continue on its merry way through the mixer This allows you to tap the channel signal at that point in the circuit without interrupting normal operation If you push the 1 4 TS plug in to the second click you will open the jack switch and lA VN U i 2 1 1 MIC create a direct out which does interrupt the signal in that channel Do not overload or short circuit the signal you are tapping from the mixer Doing so will affect the E internal signal SEND to processor Pena tip ring A geag TRS plug This plug connects to one of the mixers Channel Insert jacks ring RETURN from processor Connections Connections Channel Insert jack MONO PLUG Direct out with no signal interruption Insert only to first click MONO PLUG PLUG Channel Insert rt Direct out with
27. EET EE 8 12 Surround Outputs Bus Out 1 8 2 13 4 2 1 3 4 7 2 13 Synchronization oesisics abe ERI pO End de curatione Appendix C Data and Synchronization I O 2 15 Synchronizing MIDI Time Code Source 4 6 5 Digital 8eBus IN 6 Index T Talkback RT Im 2 14 6 10 TALKBACK LEVEL Button 2 7 2 4 Talkback System 5 TALKBACK TO STUDIO 2 7 Tape Adding EQ Dynamics Effects to Tape Returns 6 28 LEVEL TO TAPE 2 4 ROUTE Button 2 9 Tape Adjusting the Level usce nen 6 7 Tape In Monitor Secr vv papiro 3 2 12 Tape Outputs Assigning Channels 6 8 Routing Mixer Channels 6 8 Selecting UV22 on the Tape Outputs 6 27 Tape Outs Ch 1 24 4 2 Tape Returns Ch 25 48 4 2 Technical OP Appendix G B 4 6 46 Time Deleting TIME 7 18 Inserting Blank 7 18 Set Time Button 2 10 Time Date setting
28. OL 4041u0 A a 1 46 BI0A TAI uieea2044 12943 241 eubig u4n325 OL 222222 pies 88 2019 1 4 om 600000000000 n xnv 9 Xnv LXnv 8 6 OLXnv 1 Z2LXNV WIL 0 1 HON 52 e puas E IL 110 olanis 8 1 9019 MO uanga L 1 SNHd V 43157 E LIII S esi aci 4 NIANIT NIANI NIANI NIANI NIANI NIANI NINT NI 955 Ei B S 9 L 8 1no 8 1 LNO sna NI NI 22922209 D ul oipne N 2 2 gt 2 o A 2 Jo eas 49442Au02 04 IWAN ano 1 i a _ j lt ii IAIN A Aajo4 IAIN 42919 429 1000
29. SS 2 2 5 2 ES A 2 TRACK IN B STUDIO OUT 4 INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT f LR LR 22 22 22 22 22 22 6 2 ee oe e e e e e e e e e e e ec SZ 57224 SZ SZ SZ SZ 57224 SZ SZ P NEAR FIELD 1 r 2TRACKINC 4 PUNCHI O TALKBACK 9 9 T 134 AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX AUX 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 MASTER OUT BAL UNBAL MACKIE DESIGNS e 9 CONCEIVED DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC WOODINVILLE WA USA MADE IN USA FABRIQUE AU USA COPYRIGHT 1997 EC EE ane P OTHE PEE RUTES ee 1 THE FOLLOWING ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC DIGITAL SYSTEMS 088 AND THE RUNNING MAN FIGURE PATENTS PENDING 2 THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY INTERFERENCE RECEIVED THAT MAY CAUSE UNDESIRED OPERATION TAPE 17 24 TAPE 1 8 TAPE 9 16 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL 1 0 1 Digital 212 DIGITAL MIXER AES EBU WARNING SHUT OFF REMOTE POWER SUPPLY BEFORE CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING POWER SUPPLY CABLE FROM CONSOLE TO TAPE TO TAPE TO TAPE POWER CONSOLE SUPPLY DATA DIGITAL O 2 S PDIF FROM TAPE FROM TAPE FROM T
30. Flip this switch to the UP position to turn on the Digital 8eBus The Fat Channel Display lights up and the console boots the Mackie Real Time OS operating system initializes the internal DSPs and lets you know when it s ready to start mixing 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL MACKIE REALTIME OS CPU amp C 3 CONSOLE POWER SUPPLY MUR Digital 8eBus Description E 3 REC RDY lt gt 2 26 A3 v 27 SELECT SELECT GROUP 1 FX 1 GROUP 2 FX 2 2 26 GROUP 3 FX 3 9 RU lt 79 p B gt lt 4 9 0 REC RDY WRITE REC RDY SY were 13 37 14 38 16 40 SELECT SELECT selec soto MIDI 1 FX9 9 gt E 1 4 S 0 54 gt 3 4 5 lt 0 721 m ED 5
31. We suggest that you read this entire chapter before digging into automation because there s many ways to skin a cat in automation land It s best to know how to perform these functions before you go too far This chapter covers the five automation modes filters and a number of different ways to initiate and exit automation Dynamic Automation Dynamic automation writing overwrites ALL subsequent events for a changed para meter while time code is running For example if you put a channel into write mode with the FADERS button selected any fader moves that were previously written on that channel are erased while you edit the fader moves for the channel but only if timecode is received If the Write switch LEDs are solidly lit but no timecode is received there will be no data written into the automation buffer Dynamic automation has four modes of operation Bypass Absolute or Replace Auto Touch and Trim Levels Bypass Bypass is engaged as the default write safe mode on startup It is used to stop all automa tion playback and recording You must turn off the BYPASS button in order to begin automat ing a session Re enabling Bypass will extinguish all currently armed Write tracks so it s a quick way to completely disable all cur rently enabled channels Bypass cannot be toggled on and off while timecode is running Note When performing functions other than automation such as tracking live mixing
32. shelving A term used to describe the shape of an equalizer s frequency response A shelving equalizer s response begins to rise or fall at some frequency and continues to fall or rise until it reaches the shelf frequency at which point the response curve flattens out and re mains flat to the limits of audibility If you were to graph the response it would look like a shelf or at least more like a shelf than say a hiking boot The EQ controls on your stereo are usually shelving equalizers Signal to Noise ratio S N This is a major specification that describes how much noise an audio component has com pared to the signal Usually it is expressed in dB below a given output level snapshot In reference to the Digital 8eBus snapshots are used to capture and save the settings for the channel strips at any instant Snapshots can be recalled at a later time solo Italian for all alone on Saturday night In audio mixers a solo circuit allows the engineer to listen to individual channels buses or other circuits singly or in combination with other soloed signals surround sound Multi channel audio playback systems in 4 5 6 or 7 channel formats Surround sound is typically found in movie theaters and home theater systems talkback system A system that allows the engineer in the control room to talk to the talent in the studio The Digital 8eBus has a talkback mic built into the console surface The talkback bu
33. 6 28 Consider Compression 6 28 The Fat Channel 6 28 nU H 6 28 Selecumnp me Cone ne ee Re PN HUNE 6 28 Changing the Gain 6 29 Changing the Center Frequency Setting 6 30 Changing the Q 6 31 Changing the Parametric EQ Frequency Bandwidth 6 32 Changing the Display Matrix of the Parametric EQ 6 33 saving Loading and Resetting EQ Settings 6 33 Editing EQ SC es TERN 6 36 Moro MNE UEM 6 38 Using Compressor cocos viii dt enun tun Cen ettet 6 38 Selecting the Compressor eese 6 39 Adjusting the Compressor Settings 6 39 saving Loading and Resetting the Compressor Settings 6 41 Editing Compressor 6 43 6 46 selecting the Gate 6 46 Adjusting the Gate Settings 6 47 saving Loading and Resetting the Gate Settings 6 40 Editing the Gate Settings ere erre teneros 6 51 Using Internal Effects 6 53 Selecting Internal Effects e 6 55 Adjusting the Effects 6 56 Turning the Effects On and 6 57 saving Loading and Resetting the Effects Se
34. EVENTS MUTE New B Renum Store The REC RDY button corresponds to the Tape Out assignment For ex ample if you ve routed Channel 1 to Tape Out 9 press the REC RDY button on Channel 9 to record the signal on Channel 1 to Track 9 5 2 Press the Master RECORD button in the Transport Section The red LED in the button lights steadily and all the REC RDY button LEDs also light steadily The MDM DAW goes into Record Pause mode 3 Press the PLAY button The green LED in the PLAY button lights and the tape deck DAW begins to record The time code display should begin counting TO ARM CHANNELS FOR RECORDING 2 From the screen 1 Click on the REC RDY button for each Tape Out you want to record The red LED in the button flashes The REC RDY button corresponds to the Tape Out assignment If you ve routed Channel to Tape Out 9 click on the REC RDY but ton on Channel 9 to record the signal on Channel 1 to Track 9 ww gt 2 Click on Locator button in lower menu to open the Locator window 3 Click on the Master REC button in the Locator window The red LED in the Master RECORD button on the console lights steadily and all the REC RDY button LEDs also light steadily The tape deck DAW goes into Record Pause mode Note Depending on the MDM model pressing the Record switch may sta
35. Editing EQ Settings You can cut copy and paste EQ settings from one channel to another TO CUT EQ SETTINGS From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the chan CUT ZERO SET nel you want to edit 2 Press the CUT ZERO SET button in the Clipboard Section Digital 8eBus 3 Press the EQ button in the Fat Channel section 4 Press the SELECT button below Cut in the Fat Channel Display or press the CUT ZERO SET button again The EQ settings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The EQ reverts to its default state itis reset TO CUT EQ SETTINGS EQUALIZER 1 From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the EQ control panel 2 Dragdown to Cut The EQ settings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another chan nel The EQ also reverts to its default state it 15 reset TO COPY EQ SETTINGS From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit 2 Pressthe COPY button in the 8 Clipboard Section CUT ZERO SET COPY 77 3 Press the EQ button in the Fat PASTE UNDO Channel section 4 Pressthe SELECT button under Copy in the Fat Channel Display or press the COPY button again The EQ Starting a New Session TO COPY EQ SETTINGS FC 96 4 Hz GH 1
36. GROUP 4 Aux Sends 3 8 are independent analog mono outputs fed from the corresponding internal aux buses If additional D8eFX cards are installed these aux sends are directed to their corresponding internal effects buses as well See Appendix F for more info on installing D8eFX cards Aux Sends 9 10 and 11 12 are analog stereo pairs referred to as CUE 1 and CUE 2 on the screen There are two buttons in the V Pot Select Section associated with these stereo aux sends LEVEL and PAN Select LEVEL to adjust the stereo aux send level using the channel V Pot and select PAN to adjust the left and right aux send balance using the channel V Pot When AUX 9 10 or AUX 11 12 is selected as a Cue Mix source the signals from those aux buses are sent to the Headphones and Control Room outputs So where are the effects return jacks You can use any of the unused channels 1 24 as external effects returns Follow the Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure for Channels 1 24 in Chapter 6 to set the TRIM control for the channels used as effects returns and set the channel fader to adjust the amount of the effect you want to mix into the main buses You can monitor the mix using headphones or control room speakers and soloing the effects return channel s Connecting MASTER OUT Control Room Monitors There are two pairs MAN of 1 4 TRS stereo line D 6 level outputs provided on the rear panel of the Digital 8eBu
37. INS LOAD PATCH 5 To monitor the aux send mix click on the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section The aux send is routed to the Control Room Output Use the V Pot in the Studio Solo Section to adjust the Solo level make sure the SOLO button is on If you re monitoring on head phones select CONTROL ROOM in the Phones Cue Mix Section console only see next section JOUMO Headphones If you like to check things out in your phones and especially if you want to use the Digital 8eBus solo or functions as a cue circuit set your phones up like this e Plug your headphones into one of the two PHONES output jacks let s say PHONES 1 Now select CONTROL ROOM as the PHONES CUE MIX 1 source e nthe Control Room Section select MASTER L R as the source Since the solo bus only feeds the Control Room you need to monitor the L R mix via the Control Room circuit to get to the solo bus enuew 5 Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Input Signals The only difference between using EQ and effects on our digital mixing console in stead of an analog console is that there s only one set of knobs to adjust rather than a gazillion Just push the SELECT button on the channel you want to adjust and the Fat Channel becomes an extension of that channel showing you the settings for the selected processor EQ compressor gate internal effects and allowing you to easily and accurately adjust the parameters for
38. LXnv 8 6 XNV OL XNV IE ADAL Nd 2 5 3 5 axovaLz m gt 5 5 1 024246 jeuBis J 1 Cees eos mmm pong o 4no olpne 3391 OL a ul olpne Optional 0 8 Cards NIANA NANT NANT NI3NIT QU p QD QU QD a Y a 5 5 L Y 9 8 6 OL LL cL 42 Jo 1222 _ 2211 2 6 77 Starting a New Session lt u pue dala e e20A TAI Z pue lt paeo 8422444 XAW OL jeubic o exnv Sxnv 9xnv LXnv 8xnv 6 xnv OLXNY LLXnv pues 4 qno oipne ul opne Qs NIANA
39. 214095 IUAG 2019 04 2 4048422 DUKG Starting a New Session 6 80 7 Automation Automation moves are divided into two basic types snapshot and dynamic Snapshot auto mation makes it possible to instantly reset all automated console settings to a predetermined fixed or 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 8eBus is powered by Mackie s Real Time OS automation software Upon initial power up the console Automation Section is bypassed Prior to beginning an automated mixing session then it is necessary to disengage the BYPASS button in the Automation Section and select the desired automation mode s Note that snapshot automation described in Chapter 5 Creating and Storing Snapshots is active at all times Bypass is only relevant to snapshot automation when recording or playing back snapshots as events in a dynamic automation pass See A word of warning about snapshot automation relative to dynamic automation page 7 2 The screen equivalents to the buttons in the Automation Section are found in the Locator window click on the Locator button in the bot tom menu bar on the screen
40. 22 MO 9045 22 8 1 sng pues ued Jape jouueuo O3 pueq t JossaJduioo jepp gp Gi up gp ued gp 01 dn 01 dn gp S dn 02 dn dsd 18 gp 02 SSO gp 0 22 Vc r 09 ure 07 SSO gp 0 22 Ul eui Technical Info Digital 8eBus Block Diagram MIC LINE 1 through 12 ING RET TRIM PHASE HI PASS MIC IN MIC LINE TRIM LINE 13 through 24 TRIM PHASE HI PASS LINE IN FROM TAPE 25 through 32 TRIM PHASE HI PASS TRIM PHASE HI PASS TRIM PHASE HI PASS Inputs 55 64 optional B C D cards ALT I O CARD 65 through 72 optional AES EBU amp S PDIF STEREO INPUT TDIF ADAT amp channel format optional TO CONTROL ROOM SELECT DIRECT ASSIGN AUX 9 10 AUX 11 12 TAPE 1 amp TAPE 9 16 TAPE 17 24 PFL SOLO SOLO SOLO MAIN LEFT MAIN RIGHT BUSES 1 8 AUX SEND 1 amp AUX SEND 9 AUX SEND 10 AUX SEND 11 TAFE 1 6 TAFE 9 16 TAFE 17 24 FFL SOLO SOLO SOLO R MAIN LEFT MAIN RIGHT BUSES 1 8 AUX SEND 1 6 AUX SEND 9 AUX SEND 10 AUX SEND 11 AUX SEND 12 AUX SEND 12 d Los D amp B OUTPUT SECTION 2X gt lt
41. CUE MIX 1 and 2 can be assigned to separate mixes via the AUX 9 10 and AUX 11 12 buses or you can patch the Control Room outputs to a suitable headphone amplifier Refer to the Live Mixing Hookup Diagram on page 6 79 while reading this section First let s take a moment and set everything up sensibly Just like in a recording session it s good to group your inputs by instruments stage position or whatever else suits you Try to keep the drum mics next to each other the vocals to gether and so on Label your cables color code your windscreens lay tape across the arm rest they re going to play sing strike Don t just play a single sustained note but rather jam away as you would be during a recording or make a cheat sheet iron your shorts give yourself performance break It can be confusing enough mixing big show without wondering which channel is which 8 Using aux send return loops to insert outboard gear is the same as when recording unless you want to use the aux sends as independent cue mixes by engaging the PFL function for those aux sends Adjust the TRIM control The goal is to get the channel meter reading at or around 15 The peaks should regularly hit and occasion ally exceed the 15 designation on the meter This is equivalent to a 5 dBu analog D level and provides plenty of headroom for 2 Adjusting Input Signals transient peaks before reaching 0 dB FS 412 FOLL
42. Click and drag up on the control to increase the attack time and drag down to decrease the attack time The third control adjusts the compres sor release time with a range from 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms 2 5 seconds Click and drag up on the control to in crease the release time and drag down to decrease the release time The fourth control adjusts the com pression ratio with a range from 1 00 1 to 19 99 1 Click and drag up on the control to increase the ratio and drag down to decrease the ratio The fifth control adjusts the gain of the compressor with a range from unity to 20 00 dB Typically you would leave this set to unity gain Click and drag up on the control to in crease the output gain and drag down to decrease the output gain Saving Loading and Resetting the Compressor Settings Compressor settings can be saved and recalled from the hard drive You can save and load files from either Memory A or Memory B TO SAVE A COMPRESSOR PATCH JOUMO MACKIE 8 56 input 72 CHANNEL the console 1 With COMPRESSOR selected for chan nel processing press SAVE PATCH in the Fat Channel Section enuew 5 A default name appears in the Fat Channel Display such as comp 1 You can accept the default name or you can change it to one of your own choice To c
43. Index 5 Digital 8eBus Index CPU Power Supply 2 15 CR Main L R Outputs 2 14 CR Near Field L R Outputs 1o insere rrr tes 2 14 Creating Creating Locate Points 5 13 Creating a New Folder 5 2 Creating d 5 5 Creating SnapeliOUs rre 5 11 Cue MIX M A 1 Cue Mix SeUBHp p c 6 16 6 17 Cues Stereo ess 6 73 CUT ZERO SIS T Button 2 8 D DASS Connecting F 1 DAT A 2 Data Console Data 2 15 Data and Synchronization I O 2 15 Power Data Section 2 15 Date Setin 3 15 DAW Digital Audio Workstation A 2 dB dBu dBy dBV A 2 dBu 4 1 DB 25 Pinout Identification Jussusoo exe ceri tier tee re 4 3 Deck Connecting your Final Mix Deck 4 5 Default Settings Recalling 3 1 Delay 2 7 16 Deleting Time 7 18 Detune Vocal Studio E 4 Dial Encoder 2 11 Digital Analog to Digital Converter ADC B 1 Digital Audio Connections 4 6
44. MIXDOWN SOLO CLEAR SOLO RUDE SOLO LIGHT PFL SOLO SOLO LEVEL AFL SOLO STUDIO LEVEL TALKBACK TO TALKBACK LEVEL STUDIO LEVEL TO SOLO AN AUX SEND From the screen 1 Click on an aux button above the Mas ter V Pot on the right side of the screen 2 Click on the SOLO button next to the Master V Pot 3 The red LED in the SOLO button on the console lights and the RUDE SOLO LIGHT in the Studio Solo Sec tion begins flashing 4 Whatever source is selected for the con trol room is overridden by the solo signal Press SOLO LEVEL in the Stu dio Solo Section to adjust the master solo level with the LEVEL V Pot The solo signal is routed to the Control Room outputs and the Master L R meters indicate the signal level of all so loed channels and aux sends when one or more SOLO buttons are engaged 5 Youcan select a different aux bus and solo it in the same way Only one aux send can be soloed at a time You can still solo multiple channels along with the soloed aux send The aux send re mains soloed until you either turn the SOLO button off or press the CLEAR SOLO button in the Studio Solo Sec tion The CLEAR SOLO button is not available on the screen Mixdown Solo In some situations you may want to isolate in dividual channels in the Main Outputs MIXDOWN SOLO allows you to quickly mute every channel except for the ones that are soloed MIXDOWN SOLO operates a little differently than no
45. The following notes may prove helpful Powering Up see Chapter 3 If you are using Digital I O cards you should power up the console first then turn on your Tape machines or whatever is connected to the cards The console is the synch master and so must be on before the slaves are powered up 6 Automation Recall The FX window level input master as far as automation recall is concerned is part of the con sole i e itis part of the Aux master not part of the patch module settings This is not a recallable wet dry mix control This level indicator doesn t get updated when a patch is recalled nor does the on off state of the module and is actually updated by the console operation via manual control or snapshot recall 5 Addendum Digital Mackie Designs Inc 16220 Wood Red Rd NE Woodinville WA 98072 USA 800 898 3211 Outside the US 425 487 4333 Fax 425 487 4337 e www mackie com email sales mackie com 1998 Mackie Designs Inc All rights reserved 820 076 00
46. fRIelsielt foieem TO CONFIGURE MIDI PARAMETERS From the console 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup menu appears in the Fat Channel Display JOUMO Press SELECT button below MIDI in the Fat Channel Display The MIDI menu appears enuew 5 The default Device ID assignments appear in the display To reassign a device turn the V Port below the Device ID Press the NEXT button to scroll to page 2 of the MIDI menu to set MTC offset Press the SELECT button below the arrows in the display to set the amount of offset Then press SELECT below Set Press SELECT below Zero Set to reset the offset back to zero Press the NEXT button to scroll to page 3 of the MIDI menu Press the SELECT button below On or Off to turn on or off the single button record option Tip We recommend you leave the single button record OFF This provides an extra measure of safety to prevent you from accidentally putting your recorder s into record mode Press the NEXT button to scroll to page 4 of the MIDI menu Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to see the available SMFs in the display Press the NEXT button to get to the ChangeDir menu for stepping through the various directories or for changing drives Press the PREVIOUS button to get back to the Load Tempo Map menu Press the SELECT button below Open to load the selected SMF Te
47. iis Lii 2 Select Copy from the Edit menu 3 Double click on the folder you want to copy the file s to When the target folder s name appears as the current directory select Paste from the edit menu The file s now appear in the target folder You can copy an entire folder of files in the same manner Just click on a folder to highlight it and select Copy from the Edit menu Then Paste it into another location In addition to the Cut Copy and Paste functions the Edit menu allows you to delete selected files duplicate a file by appending copy into the name rename a file empty the Bin you can drag files into the Bin to temporarily hold them before deleting them refresh the file list and select all the files displayed You can create a new folder by clicking on the New button and open a session by clicking on the Open button You can save and open files quite easily from the console or the File menu on the screen but the Disk Manager is the place to go to organize your files and back them up to floppy Creating a Session TO CREATE A SESSION enuew 5 dad From the console SAVE SAVE AS Nat pied 1 Press the NEW button in the Setup indi Section The Fat Channel Display asks GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL if you want to save changes to the current session Make your s
48. pressed in decibels such as a line amplifier with a gain of 10 dB gain stage An amplification point in a signal path either within a system or a single device Over all system gain is distributed between the various gain stages gate This is a circuit that will automatically turn off an input signal when the signal drops below a certain level This can reduce the overall noise level of your mix by turning off noisy inputs such as old tube gear effects pedals or ambient noise picked up by microphones Threshold attack time and release are some of the gate adjustments available headroom The difference between nominal operating level and peak clipping in an audio system For example a mixer operating with a nominal line level of 4 dBu and a maximum output level of 22 dBu has 18 dB of headroom Plenty of room for surprise peaks Hertz The unit of measure for frequency of oscilla tion equal to 1 cycle per second Abbreviated Hz kHz is pronounced kay Hertz and is an abbreviation for kilohertz or 1000 Hertz internal effects The Digital 8eBus comes with one internal effects card with the option of adding more A plate of chicken vindaloo will also yield plenty of remarkable internal effects many in the audio frequency range level Another word for signal voltage power strength or volume Audio signals are some times classified according to their level Commonly used levels are microphone level 40 dBu
49. the console to the original factory default settings POSITION e RANGE HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO SET TIME SMPTE VIEW ENTER LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L MODE 3 FAST FWD STOP PLAY gt gt o L SHUTTLE 1 JOG amp SHUTTLE 4 JOG When the Digital 8eBus is first turned on it recalls the Startup Session which contains the default settings for the console You can modify the Startup Session according to your own pref erence and save it If you download a plug in to the FX card and save the Startup Session the CPU downloads the effects algorithms that were assigned to the FX card s every time you reboot the console This may take several minutes de pending on how many FX cards you have installed In order to start working you should create a new session or load a previously saved session see Chapter 5 for information on creating and re calling sessions If you ve made some initial settings and want to move on save the session before creating a new session using either the Save or Save As command There is an easy way to quickly zero the console TO RECALL FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS From the console 1 Press the SNAPSHOT button in the Transport Section 2 Enter the number 00 with the numeric keypad 3 Press the ENTER button The console recalls Snapshot 00 which contains the Factory
50. tors surrounding the pot When the LED located at 2 o clock is lit the signal going to the aux send is unity gain Start with the channel aux send levels at unity gain If you find that you want the channel s sig nal to have more or less of the effect you can turn the aux send level up or down accordingly Adjust the overall aux send level using the MASTER V Pot The overall aux send level is in dicated in the L R meters when the SOLO button next to the MASTER V Pot is pressed You ll want the overall aux send level to be compatible with the effects device to which it s being sent Most professional effects devices will accept a 4 dBu level which corresponds to 15 dB FS If it has RCA type connectors on it it will probably need a 10 dBV level which corresponds to 30 dB FS Use the MASTER V Pot to adjust the aux send output level accordingly Patch the output of the reverb or delay unit to an Effects Return input which offers level and pan controls as well as all the EQ and DSP ef fects and assign switches to put your effect where you want it There are up to twelve chan nels available for Effects Returns channels 12 24 This allows you to send and return to six stereo effects units and bring all the reverbs and echoes back in If you want more wet sound turn the Effects Return fader up a little more If you want less dry sound turn the fader down a bit and turn up the appropriate AUX send to compensate a
51. 1 1 5 1 11 23 24 REC REC SOLO WRITE WRITE 23 24 Lom REC REC PAN SOLO WRITE WRITE cued Pan Talkback The Digital 8eBus has a built in talkback mic for remote communication with talent or whoever the engineer needs to talk to The signal from the talkback mic is routed to the PHONES outputs when the TALKBACK but ton is pressed in the Control Room Section Use the LEVEL V Pot in the Studio Solo Section with TALKBACK LEVEL selected to adjust the gain of the talkback signal You can route the signal from the talkback mic to the Studio output by pressing the TALK TO STUDIO button in the Studio Solo Section The LEVEL control in the Studio Solo Section controls the gain of the talkback signal to both the Phones and Studio outputs Overdubs After you ve recorded all your tracks you may want to record another pass on one of the instru ments the trumpet player missed that high C or you might want to take several passes of the lead vocalist for comping CUE LEVEL 7 Click on the CUE 1 PAN button in the V Pot Select Section 8 Click and hold on the V Pot Aux 9 10 Send Pan on each channel you want to pan in the Cue Mix 1 and adjust by dragging the mouse left and nght 9 Press SOLO in the Master V Pot Sec tion to monitor Cue Mix 1 in the control room no equivalent on screen 10 Repeat steps 2 8 for Aux 11 12 to cre ate a sec
52. 7 16 E E A 5 Sensitivity Input Adjustment for Ch 1 24 6 1 Serial Controllers POE cec i tex Oen 2 16 mE du NOE 0 1 Sessions Creating q Des SIDE 5 5 Preparing a SESSIUI SERT RIPE PASE 5 1 Recalling a Session 5 8 Saving a 5 6 Saving a Session under a New 5 7 Saving Sessions to Floppy Disk 5 0 Starting New Session 6 1 Te ELD DTP PPS 6 1 SET TIME BUON Erde UR pt 2 10 2 6 64 Setup General rdv 3 2 REN 2 6 SNEINS PNE TT 5 2 3 vino 1 sis Appendix 1 SHUTTLE 2 11 Signal to Noise Ratio S N tank A 5 SmartChord Vocal Studio E 6 SmartKey Vocal Studio E 6 1 SMPTE VIEW Button VE 2 10 Snapshots Creating and Storing Snapshots 5 11 Recalling Console Snapshots Live 6 74 Recalling Snapshots 5 12 6 74 A 5 Snapshot Automation 7 2 Writing Snapshots into Automation 7 11 SNAPSHOT BUltOll EY SS edet 2 11 SOLO AFL SOLO
53. ALT I O v AUx1 AUX8 Digital 8eBus Specifications Analog Input Output Section Inputs Frequency Response 20Hz 20kHz 0 5 dB Crosstalk 0 dBu 1kHz Adjacent channels 90 dBu Aux sends feed through 90 dBu Main outputs 90 dBu Channel Section Mic Line Line input balanced 1 4 TRS input Mic Input balanced XLR input Preamp dynamic range 114 dB max E LN 129 5dBu 1500 source 131 2dBV 1500 source CMRR 83 dB 1kHz Distortion 0 005 1kHz 14dBu output level 20Hz 20kHz filter Mic gain range Unity to 60 dB Line In gain range 20 dB to 40 dB channels 1 12 20 dB to 20 dB channels 13 24 Ch fader gain range 100 to 10 dB 2 Track Input gain 0 dBu Line Input max level 4 dBu nominal 22dBu clipping Input Impedances Mic preamp input 2 4kQ Line inputs Balanced gt 10kQ Technical Info Outputs Maximum Output Levels 0 dBu 0 775v rms Left and Right Outputs 22dBu balanced 1 4 TRS 28dBu balanced XLR Bus Tape out 22dBu balanced 1 4 TRS Aux send 22dBu balanced 1 4 TRS Inserts 22dBu unbalanced 1 4 TRS Output gain ranges Aux Send Off to 10 dB Bus Off to 10dB Master L R Fader 100 dB to 10 dB Solo 100 dB to 10 dB Talkback fixed at 60 dB gain on panel mic Dim 20 dB attenuation on control room outputs Speaker Mains Near Field 100 to 0 dB Studio 100 dB to 10 dB To Tape Level 100 dB to 10 dB Output
54. Digital 8eBus Decay This adjusts the amount of time that reflections continue to propagate A live room will have a longer decay time than a dead room It is calibrated in seconds S with a range from 1 1 seconds to 2 2 seconds PreDelay This adjusts the amount of delay be tween the dry audio signal and the start of the wet reverberant signal Adjusting this control can provide better separation and definition to the dry signal It is calibrated in milliseconds mS with a range from to 299mS 0 3 seconds Damping This control causes the higher frequencies to roll off faster than the low frequencies The higher the damping setting the faster the high frequencies roll off This is a unit less measure with a range from 0 to 10 Diffusion This controls the increase in echo density over time in the reverberant signal The higher the diffusion setting the higher the echo density This is a unit less measure with a range from 0 to 10 Rolloff This adjusts the cutoff frequency for rolling off the entire reverberant signal This is different from the damping control which rolls off only the higher frequencies over time It is cali brated in Hertz Hz with a range from 500Hz to 20kHz It also has a Flat position which by passes the control Mono Delay The mono delay effect provides an adjustable delay which is returned to the left and right ste reo effect return It also provides an adjustable feedbac
55. GROUP Button 2 10 Hard Drive rr Pc 1 3 Saving and Retrieving Files 5 1 Harmony Vocal Studio HER E 3 Harmony Control cues qe E 5 ROREM Ed Mu HU 6 60 Connecting Headphones 4 5 Setup of Cue Headphone Mixes for Performers 6 16 lul 3 HELP EES 2 6 2 m 3 Hookup Diagrams Analog Recording Mixdown 6 77 Analog Recording Overdub 6 78 Analog Recording Tracking 6 75 Digital Recording Tracking 6 76 Live Sound Reinforcement 6 79 seeds cass AQUA DEUS 6 80 How to use 1 5 How to use this Manual 1 4 Connectors 2 16 eese sesso tr ene cud NUES 1 1 IN OUT ALPO 2 13 em 2 12 Analog In Connections ch 25 48 Tape Returns 4 2 Apogee Digital M IHE 2 13 Data and Synchronization I O 2 15 Digital I 0 ett 2 13 Cards Inst
56. High 5 Press the SELECT button below Exit to return to the General menu TO SET THE DISPLAY INTENSITY 2 2 From the screen 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens 2 Click on the General icon on the left side of the box if it s not already selected 3 Click and hold on the Display Intensity box Drag down to the desired intensity setting and then release to finalize your selection 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar console up to date through the use of on line and floppy disk upgrades Mackie maintains a web site which has the latest software updates TO DETERMINE THE OPERATING SYSTEM VERSION From the console 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup menu appears in the Fat Channel Display 2 Press the NEXT button to scroll to the next page of options 3 Press the SELECT button below About in the Fat Channel Display The version number of the current Mackie OS is displayed MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL mixer AOD 3 lols flee edel File Edit Channel Automation Windows About 8 v1 03 Close All Setup Mix Editor Snapshots Locator Compressor EQ Gate Surround Card Card B Card C COMP COMP About
57. Load Session Confirmation dialog box opens asking if you want to save changes to the currently active session Make your selection to complete the operation Saving Sessions to Floppy Disk In order to preserve hard drive space and to supply clients with copies of their session files you may want to copy files onto floppy disks Additionally floppies can be used to store your EQ Compressor Gate and Effects patches Copying a session to floppy disk copies all of the JOUMO automation information for that session TO SAVE A SESSION TO FLOPPY DISK lt CDU From the console 63 Z Ga CB 1 Ifyou havent already done so save the CU NET session to hard drive Also make em sure you have 3 5 floppy disk inserted in the floppy drive GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL I O 2 Press the SAVE button in the Setup MACKIE D8B 56 ineut 72 CHANNEL Mixer Section The Save Session HUE appears in the Fat Channel Display Ifeli gt ETE E 3 An arrow appears in the right side of the display to indicate that there is another page available Press the 4 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER dQb NEXT button and the directory navigator appears in the display The Ty current folder f
58. OFF strip Channel 1 Channel 2 1 Inthe OUT box at the top of the chan Channel 3 3 nel strip a hyphen indicates that the Channel 4 3 channel is not assigned to a direct out Channel 5 Click and hold in the OUT box and a Channel 6 drop down menu appears Select the di Channel 7 rect out you want by dragging down Channel 8 menu until channel you want is Channel 9 highlighted then release the mouse to Channel 10 select it The number will appear in the Channel 11 OUT box Select OFF to disconnect the Channel 12 channel from a direct out and select Channel 13 RESET ALL to clear all the channels Channel 14 to Channel 15 Channel 16 Channel 17 Channel 18 Channel 19 Channel 20 Channel 21 Be channel 22 aoe Channel 23 Channel 24 enuew 5 WRITE Eu Assigning Channels to a Bus Output All If you assign a channel to an odd even pair of buses Buses 1 and 2 Buses 3 and 4 etc the channel pan control pans the signal between the two buses Note The Bus Assignment Section is dis abled on Group Master amp MIDI faders 1 16 when Fader Bank 4 is selected TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO BUS OUTPUTS From the console 1 Press a BUS button in Bus Assign ment Section The ASSIGN button lights on all channels that are already assigned to the selected bus 2 Press the ASSIGN button on any chan nel to assign it t
59. Pitch recognition does more than just take a note and shift its pitch The pitch shifting algorithm detects the exact pitch of the note in order to provide the most natural shifted sound Intelligent Harmony The Vocal Studio has musical knowledge It took lessons from some amazing musicians By using different control modes you can choose how much of this intel ligence the Vocal Studio will use when creating your harmonies By selecting the key and scale that the vocal passage is in and with IVL Vocal Studio s pitch recognition an intelligent harmony can be created with 1 to 4 voices The Interface VOCAL S TUDIO Harmony Pitch Correction amp Reverb INL Bl amkPreseti s a AUX SEND CONTROL MODE Harmony Smart Chord SmartKey Pitch Shift Pitch Correct EDIT HARMONY ENSEMBLE Interval DETUNE centz Random 88 On Gender Detune Store Volume OUTPUT MODE Pan Styles USE MIDI 11777 VOICE MUTING 2 Active 3 Active 4 Active Utilities Harmony Pitch Corect Store Harmony This button puts the IVL Vocal Studio into harmony mode allowing 4 voices of harmony or doubled voices to be added to a mix Pitch Correct This button puts the IVL Vocal Studio into pitch correct mode allowing a vocal line to be nudged to the note your ear wants
60. Save As Default Save as Startup bootup session Disk Manager Load Ctrl D Preferences General Ctrl 1 Undo Undo Ctrl Z Cut Zero set Cut Ctrl X Copy Copy Ctrl C Paste Paste Ctrl V Delete Time Insert Blank Time Modify Events Ctrl M Select All multiple actions Ctrl A View ch 1 24 Mic Line F9 View ch 25 48 Tape F10 View ch 49 64 Effects View Master fader Mute Time Code Counter set time s enter Sort by column title in window New Open Save Snap Locate any listing window tab s enter D Mouse click or pull down E File New session Un File gt File Manager File Save session lt File gt Save session as File gt Save Startup file Y File gt Disk Manager Setup Edit gt Undo channels or moves Edit gt Cut channels or moves mE Edit gt Copy channels or moves Edit Paste channels or moves Edit Delete time Edit Insert blank time Edit Modify Events Edit Select all Mic Line Tape Effects Master click on counter s enter tab highlight column enter click on title in window For the following window views ctrl the number will both open and close these windows Feature Surface View Setup General Plug ins and I O Card View Mix Editor Ctrl 2 View Snapshots Ctrl 3 View Locator Ctrl 4 View Compressor Ctrl 5 View EQ Ctrl 6 View Gate Ctrl 7 View Surround Ctrl 8 View Card A FX 1
61. The morphing feature allows you to smoothly change from one EQ setting to an other You can start with the settings stored in Memory A and morph to Memory B or start with Memory B and morph to Memory A This feature is only accessible from the EQ control panel in the video monitor TO MORPH THE EQ From the screen 1 Select the starting EQ curve by click ing on either MEM A or MEM B in the EQ control panel 2 Click in the Time box just below the EQ window in the control panel Enter the amount of time in seconds you want the morph to take by clicking on the time and dragging the mouse up or down 3 Click on the MORPH button to initiate the operation Using the Compressor A compressor is used to reduce or limit tran sient peaks in a signal As the input level to the compressor increases the output level increases linearly until the threshold point is reached After that point the output level no longer increases linearly but increases at a reduced rate that is de termined by the ratio setting There are several other settings for the compressor that we should examine Threshold This control determines the level at which the compressor begins to act on the in coming signal It is calibrated in decibels with range from 60 00 dB to 1 00 dB e Attack This determines how fast the compressor reacts once the threshold has been exceeded It is calibrated in milliseconds with a range fro
62. X From the screen 1 Click on the Fader Bank button con taining the channels you want to assign to the bus 2 Click on the bus assign buttons on the channels that you want to assign to the buses 3 Ifyou want to assign multiple consecu tive channels click and hold the mouse button on the first channel s bus assign button and swipe the cursor across the row of bus buttons Starting a New Session RI Digital 8eBus 75000 Aux 2 Starting a New Session Setup of Monitor Mixes for Performers Any of the aux buses can be used to feed a stage monitor mix Set the aux sends in each channel to pre fader see page 6 63 and patch the aux send outputs to the appropriate amplifiers See the Live Mixing hookup diagram on page 6 79 1 48 DIGITAL TRIM If you need to provide a simultaneous independent mix for a stereo recording use the stereo Aux 9 10 or Aux 11 12 Sends Setting the Aux Send Levels TO SET THE AUX SEND LEVELS From the console 1 Press the AUX button in the V Pot Select Section you want to use Adjust the channel V Pots to set the aux send level on each channel you want send to the AUX output The LEDs around the V Pot indicate the relative level with 2 o clock being unity Adjust the Master V Pot to set the overall aux send level for the selected aux bus The LEDs around the Master V Pot indicate the relative level with 2 o clock being unity
63. amp 2 Ctrl 9 View Card B FX 3 amp 4 Ctrl 0 View Card C FX 5 amp 6 Ctrl View Card D FX 7 amp 8 Ctrl Front Window Close AII Keyboard Ctrl 1 Ctrl 2 Ctrl 3 Ctrl 4 Ctrl 5 Ctrl 6 Ctrl 7 Ctrl 8 Ctrl 9 Ctrl 0 Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl W Ctrl Mouse click or pull down Window Setup Window Mix Editor Window Snapshots Window Locator Window Compressor Window EQ Window Gate Window Surround Window Card A Window Card B Window Card C Window Card D File Close Window Window Close Shortcuts NE In Shortcuts Feature Track Selection Multiple Track Selection single Event Selection Multiple Event Selection Unselect All faders Fade Shapes Group UnGroup Go to Unity Go to Off Fade In Fade Out Link Faders UnLink Faders Write toggle Solo toggle Mute toggle All Mutes toggle Feature Play Stop Play Stop Record mode Location 00 99 Store Locate Return to Zero RTZ Rewind Fast forward Next Locate Snapshot ODDS N ENDS Feature Channel strip name Equal aux trim levels Bus assigns FUNCTIONS on SELECT ed Channel Example Select channels 1 5 and type the letter and these channels will mute To unmute these same selected channels type either a comma or hold down the shift key and type the letter M Surface Keyboard select arrow shift select shift L R arrow Or up down arrow shift up d
64. channels assigned to the L R bus and L R se lected as the Control Room source or the Main L R Output and use the channel faders to adjust individual levels Leave the TRIM controls alone This will give you the best sig nal to noise ratio in your mix Note If you use the built in compressor on any channels you can get away with turning the TRIM control up a little higher since the com pressor will reduce the chance of transient peaks reaching digital clipping see Using The Com pressor on page 6 38 Using the Channel V Pots These are non detented pots with no stop range gt 360 degrees and a 12 segment LED indicator collar Each V Pot controls a single function at a time on its given channel globally chosen and applying to all channels The default assignment is Pan which can be selected with the PAN button in the Master V Pot Section Other assignment options include eight mono and two stereo aux sends located in the V Pot Select Section Digital Trim for each of the 48 channels and tape send level for the Tape Outputs When Pan is selected in the Master V Pot Section the LED pattern around the V Pot indicates the relative panoramic position of the channel between the left and right buses When the Pan control is set to exact center an LED located at the 6 o clock position lights Note The Pan function does not apply to Fader Bank 4 The MIDI Controllers Pan control works as a continuous contro
65. end to a MIDI Time Code generating device 1 MIDI interface SMPTE to MTC converter etc Upon the arrival of MTC at the MIDI input the Remote CPU will chase and lock to the incoming timecode Using MMC MIDI Machine Control If you are using any device that responds to MIDI Machine Control you can control the transport mechanisms with the transport buttons on the console surface To do this connect one end of a standard 5 pin MIDI cable to the MIDI OUT connector on the back of the Remote CPU Connect the other end to the input of the timecode master 1 MIDI interface Computer Interface ACI BRC SY88 card etc See Configuring MIDI Parameters in Chapter 3 for information on setting up MIDI Machine Control Connections for External MIDI Effects Processors External effects processor settings may be edited and stored in the console To do so connect one end of a standard 5 pin MIDI cable to the MIDI OUT connector on the back of the Remote CPU Connect the other end of the cable to the MIDI input on the back of your effects processor Using a separate MIDI cable connect one end to the MIDI Out on the back of your effects processor and connect the other end to the MIDI IN connector on the back of the Remote CPU You can sequence fader levels using MIDI Channel Voice Messages The L R Master Fader is MIDI Channel 0 and MIDI Channels 1 through 48 follow the channel numbers on the console Se
66. if you re satisfied with the automated V Pot moves make sure to save the session press SAVE in the setup Section TO WRITE CHANNEL V POT MOVES From the screen 1 Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Locator window appears on the screen 2 Click on the ALL and TOUCH buttons in the Locator window to initiate Auto Touch mode 3 Begin rolling tape by either pressing PLAY in the Locator window or on the recorder 4 Click on PAN in the Master V Pot Section to adjust the pan settings or click on one of the AUX buttons in the AUXES Section to adjust an aux send level Note DIGITAL TRIM moves are not dy namically automatable DIGITAL TRIM settings can be stored in snapshots 5 Atthe desired times click hold and drag on the V Pots you want to automate Move the mouse to the right to rotate the pot clockwise and move the mouse to the left to rotate the pot counterclockwise Automation enuew 5 Digital 8eBus 7 10 22 SOLO WRITE TM BYPASS FADERS MUTES AUTO TOUCH FADER MOTORS PAN ALL TRIM LEVELS OFF IRM TRIM 12 gt ASSIGN ASSIGN Automation ROUTE TO TAPE Locator gt Ww BYPASS 5 MEMORY FADER TRIM EVENTS cP Wire EET Alternatively click on a bar in the individual channel s AUXES section to adjust an aux send le
67. in the opposite direction in your mix Also check your speaker polarity This is a seemingly basic thing but it s amazing how many times we ve found studio speakers especially near field monitors which are often plugged and unplugged regularly connected with opposing po larity You should train your ears to notice out of polarity conditions instantly It s easy to hear to us it sounds like a combination of not hearing enough bass and feeling like our eyes are slightly crossed and getting polarity right will save you much grief in mixing Remember that you need to mix so that your music or program sounds good on anybody s sys tem Be sure you have some real world monitor speakers in addition to the monitors you like so well and check back and forth frequently This is easy to do with the Digital 8eBus Simply use the SPEAKERS switches in the Control Room Sec tion MAIN and NEAR FIELD Check at different monitoring levels too A mix that sounds great Starting a New Session when it s loud will not necessarily sound good at low volume Listen at a barely audible level from time to time You should still be able to hear the essential pieces of your mix Also check your stereo mixes in mono regu larly during your mix That s what the MONO button in the Control Room Section is for Televi sion and radio are still sometimes broadcast in mono and your mix has to sound its best both ways When MONO is selected the L R Main LED
68. like Stop Play etc from the Digital 8eBus are sent as ALL CALL to any de vice in your studio setup The channel strip REC RDY buttons are active regardless of the selected fader bank on the D amp B These switches are specifically mapped to the MIDI s according to the setup MIDI Device Starting a New Session ID assignment They send out an MMC com mand when pressed that arms the corresponding track for recording The following is a summary of REC RDY LED activity 1 The LED will not light if REC RDY is not en gaged 2 The LED flashes whether tape is rolling or not when channel REC RDY is enabled and the Master RECORD is not enabled 3 The LED lights continuously when tape is roll ing the channel REC RDY is enabled and the Master RECORD is enabled Audio is being re corded TO ARM CHANNELS FOR RECORDING From the console 1 Press the REC RDY button for each Tape Output you want to arm for recording The red LED in the button flashes Note The Master Record button in the transport sec tion performs double duty as a dynamic automation Master Write button The function of the button is de termined by whether the Write buttons in the channel strips are engaged Write standby or if the Rec Rdy buttons are engaged Record standby Make a note of which mode you are in Write or Record FAST FWD STOP PLAY gt gt L SHUTTLE 00 00 0 MEMORY ADER
69. opens Click and hold on the box for the parameter you want to reconfigure Drag down to the desired selection and then release to finalize your selection Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Setting the Consoles Sample Rate The Digital 8eBus console can operate at ei setting doesn t matter Commercial compact ther of two user selected sample rates 44 1kHz discs are standardized at 44 1kHz If you intend and 48kHz When beginning a new session think to complete your project by mastering for CD about which sample rate is best for job Ifyou you may want to choose this sample rate Ifa intend to stay in the digital domain from start to project is recorded at 48kHz but will eventually JOUMO finish on a project you must consider what end up on a 44 1kHz CD it will be necessary to sample rate the final product requires If you go through one stage of analog at the main out aren t using digital inputs and outputs then this puts or to use a sample rate converter TO SET THE CONSOLE S SAMPLE RATE From the console 1 Press the DIGITAL I O button in the 7 Setup Section The Digital I O Setup PIE menu appears in Fat Channel Display enuew 5 2 Press the NEXT button in the Fat Channel Section to scroll to page 2 of the Digital I O Setup menu 4 BE DSB 5 INP
70. operating software for the Digital 8eBus may be revised to improve its performance and add more features See Determining the Operating System Version in Chapter 3 to find out what version of the software is installed in your console You can check our web site at www mackie com or call our Tech Support department to find out what version of the operating software is currently shipping If you determine that the operating system OS version on your console requires updating you can download a new version from our web site or request that a floppy disk update be mailed to you Note Always back up any crucial data such as Sessions Patches etc before upgrading the console See Saving Sessions to Floppy Disk in Chapter 5 for information about backing up files Upgrading the OS with a Floppy Disk You must have a keyboard mouse and monitor connected to the console to perform this operation e Turn the power switch OFF on the Remote CPU e Insert the first disk Disk 1 containing the new operating system into the floppy drive on the Remote CPU e Turn the power switch ON The console will boot off the disk Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the operation 1 gt 1 Upgrading Appendix Shortcuts Feature Surface New Session New Open Session Load Save Session Save Session Save Session As Save Session As Keyboard Ctrl N Ctrl O Ctrl S
71. sim ear eed Digital 8eBus Tempo Etica ra 3H X xx 7 Oe xk xx Qn xk 222 Ur 2175 228 225 Qd xn xm za Qr 2 xk 29 eed _ F rte _ __ eer _ ___ __ Mix Editor Locator mimi 00 00 00 00 00 NORMALLED 999 TOTALRECALL FADER TRIM 55 am TOUCH BYPASS a Locator Window DoubleClick Gray to Recall Snapshot Window In Screen Shots SURROUND SOUND 5 Lg rc MEMU FLYBACK MORPH 4 Surround Sound Matrix T DOCTR DLY DAMPING DIFFUSION ROLLOFF Reverb Mackie FX Control Panel VO CAL STUDIO Harmony Pitch Correction amp Reverb Se empty patch 7 AUX 1 CANTROCMODE PROCESSOR MODE Manual SmartChord mar tke Fitch shift Harmony Epp nHHSNENBSEMBLE 22 Interval x eh On sional EM 00 2 Menu Detune E OUTPUT MODE Oo Ure Fan Styles Key Scale VOICE _ 3 On IVL Vocal Studio Control Panel Screen Shots In Digital 8 Bus Screen Shots Disk Ma
72. unbalanced microphones and some electronic equipment such as some wireless microphone receivers can short out the phantom power and be severely damaged Check the manufacturer s recommendations and be careful phasing A delay effect where the original signal is mixed with a short 0 to 10 msec delay The time of the delay is slowly varied and the combination of the two signals results in a dra matic moving comb filter effect Phasing is sometimes imitated by sweeping a comb filter EQ across a signal A comb filter can be found in your back pocket phone jack Ever see those old telephone switchboards with hundreds of jacks and patch cords and plugs Those are phone jacks and plugs now used widely with musical instruments and audio equipment A phone jack is the female connec tor and we use them in 1 4 two conductor TS and three conductor TRS versions phone plug The male counterpart to the phone jack de scribed above post fader A term typically used to describe an aux send that is connected so that it is affected by the setting of the associated channel fader sends connected this way are typically but not always used for effects See pre fader pre fader A term typically used to describe an aux send that is connected so that it is not affected by the setting of the associated channel fader Sends connected this way are typically but not always used for monitors foldback See post fader Q bandwidt
73. 0 e desired two digit locate number The number appears in the RANGE display e a ENTER 3 Press the ENTER button The POSITION display updates according to the new locate point and a corresponding MMC locate message is REWIND FAST FWD STOP PLAY o gt gt gt L SHUTTLE E sent out the MIDI port to the oe JOG amp SHUTTLE recorder s TO RECALL LOCATE POINTS Horn Entrance Ww From the screen 1 Click on the Locator menu button in the lower menu bar The Transport window appears in the screen FADER EVENTS CPH MUTE Start First verse Bridge Horn Entrance Second Verse Mew Delete Renum Store x PAN TRIM 2 F ALL TOUCH 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 00 00 01 Leitern eS 00 02 1 7 22 00 02 02 25 Double click on the desired locate point s number in the gray area The console updates according to the new locate point and a corresponding MMC locate message is sent out the MIDI port to the recorder s Preparing for a Session 5 15 Y 9 SET TIME 4 SMPTE VIEW 60 en 1 2 ES 6 7 ENTER LOOP L SHUTTLE Preparing for a Session FAST FWD gt gt POSITION e HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES RANGE FROM STORE STOP LOCATOR L PLAY TO SNAPSHOT DE
74. 00 dB 73 HI MID B GATE LOAD PATCH Starting a New Session e Attack This determines how fast the gate opens once the threshold has been exceeded It is calibrated in milliseconds ms with a range from 0 10 ms to 599 99 ms 0 6 seconds Using a short attack time with a relatively high threshold can sound like the signal is suddenly turned on when the gate opens Stretching out the attack time can soften the attack so the signal gradually fades in Release This determines how fast the gate closes after the hold time has expired It is calibrated in milliseconds ms with a range from 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms 2 5 seconds Using a short release time with a relatively high threshold can sound like the signal is suddenly turned off when the gate closes Stretching out the release time can soften the release so the signal gradually fades out Range This determines the change in output level as a function of the change in input level once the signal level drops below the thresh old This is sometimes called downward expansion It is calibrated in decibels with a range from 0 00 dB to 100 00 dB Typically you would leave this set to maximum expansion Selecting the Gate TO SELECT THE GATE From the console 1 Select the channel you want to gate by pressing its SELECT button 2 Press the GATE button and the ON button in the Fat Channel Section
75. 1 JOG amp SHUTTLE 4 JOG Looping Between Two Locate Points TO LOOP BETWEEN TWO LOCATE POINTS From the console 1 Create locate points at the starting point and ending point of the desired loop as described previously 2 Use the number buttons to type in the two digit locate number for the starting point and then press ENTER The number appears under FROM in the RANGE display 3 Pressthe LOOP button in the Transport Section Use the number buttons to type in the two digit locate number for the ending point and then press ENTER The number appears under TO in the RANGE display 4 Press the PLAY button in the Transport Section The recorder s will play the section from the starting point to the ending point and will continually repeat between these two points until the STOP button is pressed Note Pressing PLAY when the POSITION display indicates a time before the first Loop point causes the transport to play through to the second Loop point and then begin repeating from then on Pressing play when the POSITION display indicates a time after the second Loop point simply causes the transport to play through to the end of the tape hard disk etc No looping will occur TO LOOP BETWEEN TWO LOCATE POINTS 2 From the screen This function is only available from the console Clipboard The Clipboard lets you perform the common editing functions you ll find in most computer program
76. 13 4 2 CR Main L R Outputs 2 14 Output CR Near Field L R Outputs 2 14 Digital 2 13 Digital XLR 2 13 Master Input Output Section usse rtt 2 13 MIDI Out o P m 2 15 PHONES 1 and 2 Output 2 14 PUNCH IU 2 14 Routing Mixer Channels to Tape Outputs 6 8 Routing Tape Returns to the Main Outputs 6 22 Selecting UV22 on the Tape ALT and Stereo Outputs 6 27 STUDIO L R 2 14 TAG 2 12 Operating System Determining the Version 3 10 Mackie Real Time OS Automation 7 14 7 17 Upgrading the Operating System Appendix H Optical ADAT B 4 Optional Digital Cards iier nnn 6 19 Paired 8 8 Pan AUX 9 10 PAN Bitten 2 4 AUX 11 12 PAN Button iiec ttt ARR de HS 2 4 Master PAN Button 2 3 Pan Automation 2 22220 220022 22 22 7 3 PAN BUON 2 9 PAN Control Adjusting 1 eet trenes 6 3 Vocal SD uio E 4 Paste Clipboard as coepto vt ER RERHIREHFR EYES PRETI E 5 18 Patdmetrie EQ tas cx Y ba A 4 Parametric EQ Frequency Bandwidth 6 32 Paste Pasting EQ Settings
77. 14010 E 4 6 S PDIF 4 6 Digital Basics B 1 Digital Appendix Digital Interface Standards B 4 Digital I O BUTTON M 2 10 COMM PUTAS E 3 11 2 13 RCA S PDIF 2 13 RCA S PDIF Output uoi eos tunt ecu used Us 2 13 XLR AES EBU Input rtis 2 13 XLR AES EBU Output 2 13 DIGITAL 2 7 DIGITAL IN 2 Button Serve eoa 2 7 Digital vs Analog 1 1 Digital to Analog Converter DAC A 2 Digital vs Analog 4 1 Digital m 2 4 Adjusting eui Ds 6 6 DIM M Reem rere 2 8 Dimensions Physical G 6 F 1 OC MUNERE 5 4 Copying files between Folders 5 4 Copying files to Floppy Disk 5 4 Display Channel Select Display 2 5 Fat Channel Display iier rette 2 5 6 28 Position LED Display 2 10 Range LED Display 2 10 Display Intensity Setting sess 3 0 Dither M A 2 B 3 D 1 Downloading Plug Ins to the FX Cards 3 14 Drives Buil
78. 19 8 Advanced Techniques Advanced Automation Recording EQ Compressor Gate and Effects Changes In an automated mix faders are frequently moved and mutes are constantly changing That s why they each have their own mode of automa tion This makes it easy to erase over a previous move without affecting the rest of the mix EQ compressor gate and effects settings can be automated in Touch Write mode However it s good practice to wait until you have your fader moves and mutes written to automation before at tempting to automate EQ compressor gate and effects Once you begin to automate these param eters Mackie Real Time OS automation thinks you prefer the recorded settings over the static Memory A and Memory B settings Since it s quite likely you ll be adjusting EQ settings on various tracks until the last minute that is up until your final mix you ll find it s wiser to wait until then to automate EQ You may even decide to leave EQ out of your automated mix altogether After all EQ is a set it and forget it event 99 of the time So keep in mind Every time you hit PLAY the parameters will go to the last automation recorded settings After you ve racked up some enuew 5 automation experience you ll live by this saying Just because it can be automated doesn t mean it has to be os BYPASS AUTO TOUCH FADER MOTORS PAN ALL TRIM LEVELS a aaa 1 2 3 4 5 a
79. 48 channels as well as any internal FX return ALT I O or BUS 1 8 can be assigned to a Tape Out with the exception that a Tape In channel be as signed to its own Tape Out When ROUTE TO TAPE is selected press the SELECT button on the source channel you want to route to a tape output then press the ASSIGN button on the channel corresponding to the Tape Output you want to use Note The 24 tape outputs are always assign able across any selected fader bank Automation Section Use this section to create automated mixes AUTOMATION BYPASS button Turns on and off all automation when the tape rolls You must turn this button off before any automation can be recorded or played back FADER MOTORS OFF button Disengages fader motors and prevents any automated fader motion during automation play back This does not affect audio changes that have been recorded during automation record passes All automated fader levels will play back but the faders won t actually move If you have an SVGA monitor connected to the Remote CPU the faders still move on the screen Note When this button is engaged all the faders snap to OFF FADERS button Allows writing automation only of fader moves When FADERS is activated all the fader moves of write enabled channels are writ ten into automation MUTES button Allows writing automation of only channel mutes When MUTES is activated all mute change
80. 8 Auto Fading This feature can be used to set a custom length fade with various preset and or user modified fade curve shapes TO SET AN AUTO FADE From the console This feature is not available from the console Advanced Techniques TO SET AN AUTO FADE File Edit Channel Automation Windows Load Edit Channel From the screen 1 Click on the SELECT button on the channel you want to fade You can auto fade any channel s fader including the master fader JOUMO 6 Stereo Link TE B Unlink 2 Click on Channel in the upper menu bar and drag down to select Edit Fade The Fade Curves window appears enuey 5 3 Click on the Fade In or Fade Out button in the lower left corner of the window to choose the fade you want to edit Fade Curves for Channel Ch 1 4 You choose a preset fade by clicking in the Custom Curves box in the lower right corner of the window and choosing one of the selections Seconds Custom Curves Fade In Fade Out aM 5 5 You set the fade time by clicking in the Seconds box and highlighting the number Then enter the new number using the number keys on the keyboard Fade Curves for Channel Ch 1 6 You can modify curve by clicking in the Rubber Band box then clicking on the line in the graph This adds an anchor point to the line which you can move to shape the curve
81. 86239 Hz lected channel if desired Now you hear just that channel the Control Room Ns output Changing the Gain Setting TO CHANGE THE GAIN SETTING MACKIE 8 56 72 CHANNEL DiciaLMixer dD From the console 1 Rotate the V Pot beneath the desired band clockwise to boost the gain by up to 15 dB and rotate it counterclock wise to cut the gain by up to 15 dB The gain is adjustable in approximately 0 25 dB increments Note You can also use Next to have the cm VFD display each EQ band s gain Frequency and Q Starting a New Session EQUALIZER 1 63 Hz Digital 8eBus GN 12 198 iN MENU MEM E 12 1 79 _ MORFH 3 0 e D8B 56 1INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER Epee 15 2 e m m i BIB i e CD ENCODING C a amp SELECT 494 GN 12 198 121 4B o 110 119 a See 3020 Hz 8455 GN 12 1 dB n 111 1 20 1 10 1 10 4 FC 3030 Hz FC 8455 Hz HELP NEXT SELECT SELECT SELECT PREVIOUS LOW LOWMID HMD HI ON SETUP MEMORY A MEMORY B EQ GATE C
82. 9xnv exnv oxn nv ziv Q Q Q Q all Lo as f ZSNHd 1 SNHd annnmummmmum aa umous 62440 jyay Q Q 18401440 O 23 N3ISVIN Q 1440 LVAV 1440 LVAV LNO 1 1 1 unga 4101 nnn 4no oipne Q ojpne 4no oipne M ul olpne SSS 4498u olpne NIANA D 100 5 33909 33909 33909 8 1 170 sna O 2 Stereo Effects MIDI Controlled Processor Vocal Enhancer Reverb 228j424u 9UAG gt 40 LNO NI IAIN 041409 Starting New Session 6 76 Owner Manual 4041UO A 1041102 UMOpXIW AI L P o Y sngeg 181 i SJOPIUOWN naa eav Q Q Q Q Q Q Q O O 124 81q LXNV XNV vxnv 9
83. Box bd Mackie Realtime OS for Digital 8 Bus 1 02 Software and firmware written by Robert Tudor and Peter Watts Copyright 1998 Mackie Designs Inc Cool fancy about box coming soon os Digital 1 0 Setup Settings that fall under Digital I O setup include input and output select when one or more DIOe8 digital tape I O cards are installed Apogee UV22 AES EBU or S PDIF input select and sample Rate Configuring Digital 1 0 If you re using digital inputs and outputs par ticularly if you ve installed the optional Digital Tape I O cards in the Digital 8eBus there are a number of parameters that you must define for your particular application e INPUT If you have Digital Tape I O cards in stalled you can select the TDIF 1 or the ADAT optical input e OUTPUT You can independently select the TDIF 1 or the ADAT optical output In addition you can choose to dub from TDIF 1 input to ADAT output or from ADAT input to TDIF 1 output UV22 The Digital 8eBus is equipped with Apogee s acclaimed UV22 encoding This is be coming an industry standard process for final mastering to 2 track for CD recordings Tus ans Mattis 4 Pressthe PREVIOUS button to get back to the main menu or press the GENERAL button to resume normal Fat Channel operation TO DETERMINE THE OPERATING SYSTEM VERSION From the screen 1 Click on Windows in the upper menu bar Select About in the drop down
84. CPU which can be connected to MMC compatible devices If you are using the optional Video Sync I O card ESAM II machine control is transmitted at the RS232 422 9 Pin D Sub connector on the card see Appendix C for an explanation of Video Sync I O card installation and connections REWIND button Engages external machines to fast rewind with no given locate point FAST FWD button Engages external machines to fast forward with no given locate point 108 STOP button Stops external machines at the current position Note The STOP button lights when time code is no longer received 09 PLAY button Engages external machines to play at nor mal speed from the current position It lights when time code is being received RECORD button Engages the Master Record function on ex ternal machines regardless of transport activity 11 JOG amp SHUTTLE button Engages the rotary dial to advance external machines forward or backward with single frame accuracy Rotary Dial Encoder This multifunction dial enables the scrub function with external machines and allows for data input and screen paging 5 Digital 8eBus Description En Rear Panel Description This section describes the rear panel con nector types their functions and associated signal buses Channels 1 12 3 2 DEN MIC 48V PH Channels 1 through 12 have the following connections 3 pin XLR mic
85. Click on the eraser to remove anchor points 7 Click on the Close icon in the upper right corner of the window to Seconds Custom Curves lt fia 15 close the Fade Curves window Fade Out 8 Click on Channel and drag down to Fade In or press Ctrl D The selected channel will fade in according to the selected fade in curve 9 Click on Channel and drag down to Fade Out or press Ctrl F The selected channel will fade out accord ing to the selected fade out curve Advanced Techniques Digital 8eBus MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b Essen REELLELTLLTLEEREBETELEFERERLEBEED File Edit Channel Automation Windows Open Channel Goto Unity gt COMP Advanced Techniques Stereo Paired Faders Under some circumstances it may be de sirable to move two faders together as a stereo pair Any two adjacent odd even fad ers can be linked so they move in tandem TO CREATE A STEREO FADER PAIR From the console iB Select two adjacent odd even channels by pressing and holding the two channels SELECT buttons The Create Stereo Pair menu appears in the Fat Channels Display You can make one of three choices e Move gt copies the left channel fader level to the right channel and an equal but
86. Control Room output Select DIGITAL IN 1 in the Control Room section to monitor the AES EBU input The monitoring level of the AES EBU input is controlled by the SPEAKER LEVEL control in the Control Room Section S PDIF S PDIF Sony Philips Digital Interface Format is similar to AES EBU but is more often used in consumer grade digital devices The obvious difference is in the connector type used The less obvious difference is in the formatting of the non audio digital data channel status bits that is transmitted along with the digital audio S PDIF uses an unbalanced RCA type connector Resist the temptation to use a standard audio grade cable The digital signals transmitted by the S PDIF jack are much higher in frequency than standard cables are designed to handle Many audio cable manufacturers have cables specifically designed for S PDIF digital audio transmission The S PDIF output connector is fed from the Master L R output fader The S PDIF input connector is routed to the Control Room Output Select DIGITAL IN 2 in the Control Room section to monitor the S PDIF input The monitoring level of the S PDIF input is dictated by the SPEAKER LEVEL control in the Control Room Section MIDI Connections Connecting a MIDI Time Code Source for Synchronization To synchronize the Remote CPU to MIDI Time Code connect one end of a standard 5 pin MIDI cable to the MIDI IN connector on the back of the Remote CPU Connect the other
87. Enter a name for this Gate Starting a New Session MACKIE 8B 5 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER AOD 25 Digital 8eBus SELECT SELECT PREVIOUS LOW LOW MID HI MID ON MEMORY A Mi B EQ GATE COMPRESSOR PLUG INS LOAD PATCH SAVE PATCH EL MENU Undo Reset T E Open Gate ee Gate 43 REC WRITE Pick a file to open Starting a New Session TO LOAD A GATE PATCH From the console l p With GATE selected for channel pro cessing press the SELECT button on the channel you want to load with the Gate file Press and hold the SHIFT button in the Master V Pot Section to select more than one channel Press MEMORY A or MEMORY B to choose the memory location to which you want to load the file Press LOAD PATCH in the Fat Chan nel Section The Fat Channel display shows the first Gate file in alphabetical order in the Gate folder Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to scroll through the stored Gate files When the one you want appears in the display press the SELECT button be low Load to complete the operation TO LOAD A GATE PATCH From the screen Click on the SELECT button of the channel you want to load with the Gate file Press and hold the SHIFT key to select more than one channel Click on MEM A or MEM B to choose the memory loca
88. Grouping Ungrouping The Digital 8eBus has eight software based Virtual Groups These are similar to the analog subgroups you re used to but with virtual groups there are no separate buses no separate gain stages and no separate outputs Instead you are merely instructing the DSP en gine to apply the same commands be they fader moves or mutes to all faders assigned to that group In other words when you move a group fader up 3 dB the DSP engine adds 3 dB to each fader assigned to that group As with hardware groups you don t actually see the individual faders move but you do hear the results in real time For instance let s say you have five channels of backing vocals on channels 8 12 assigned to a Virtual Group and you need to drop their levels about 5 dB relative to the rest of the mix When you pull down the group master fader each of the channels in that group is affected equally As your group master is being pulled down the process of calculating channel output is happening smoothly and invisibly throughout the fader throw Advanced Techniques It is important to remember that because you do not have a separate gain stage you cannot add gain with a group fader beyond the gain available in each individual fader assigned to that group Say you have Fader 1 at about 4 dB above Unity roughly MIDI number 110 you as sign it to a group and then try to add 10 dB of gain with the group fader It can t go pas
89. INS DIGITAL I O MACKIE D8B 55 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b Digital 8eBus SETUP Pa Tlalplel 1 8 taliri l el MACKIE 55 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b felol elta el lailai talai lelet UH Hm General TAPE 1 8 TAPE 9 16 TAPE 17 24 Type Empty Empty Empty TDIF 1 ALT 1 8 TDIF gt AD AT ADAT TDIF Empty Stereo 170 Input Status Bits Signal OFF Internal Sample Rate 48k pn Start Up TO CONFIGURE DIGITAL 1 0 From the console l Press the DIGITAL I O button in the Setup Section The Digital I O Setup Menu appears in the Fat Channel Display Press the SELECT button below the Tape I O card ALT I O card or Stereo I O you want to reconfigure Stereo I O is selected on page 2 of the Digital I O setup Menu Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows in the display to scroll through the available options When the option you want appears in the display press the SELECT button below OK Press the DIGITAL I O button to return to normal Fat Channel operation TO CONFIGURE DIGITAL 1 0 From the screen Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens Click on the Digital icon on the left side of the box The Digital dialog box
90. Left Rear and Right Rear buses Bus 5 and Bus 6 The side speakers provide constant power panning between the Left Rear and Left Side buses Bus 5 and Bus 7 and the Left Side and Left Front buses Bus 7 and Bus 1 and panning between the Right Rear and Right Side buses Bus 6 and Bus 8 and the Right Side and Right Front buses Bus 8 and Bus 2 creating full front to rear panning The one bus unac counted for in the side and rear panning schemes is the Center bus which is not included in this panning curve algorithm Surround Sound Control Panel Click on the Surround button in the lower menu bar to open the Surround Sound Control Panel It is comprised of a rectangle with varying numbers of speaker icons surrounding it depending on the sur round mode selected The Surround Sound Control Panel opens with the speaker icons turned off by default The number of speakers range from 2 stereo to 8 7 1 A red or green dot sits in this rectangle to show current position ing Each dot represents one of two surround positions or dynamic sweeps you can store with each channel The dot may be moved in an X Y man ner within the grid and the speakers representing the pan buses may be toggled on and off by clicking on the speaker icons to mute specific pan buses For example if a voice is meant to stay front and center only then you would turn off all but the Left Center and Right speakers to isolate the dialog audio from reach
91. MIDI sequencer the engineer first needs to reimport the longer sequence to work with The engineer then selects Channels 1 to 14 and opens the Mix Editor She changes the view to bars beats tics and then selects the Fader events between the Start and End times of 1 1 0 and 8 4 479 all of the 8 measures right up to the final tic To copy moves from one time to another The engineer then chooses Copy from the Edit menu in the Mix Editor This copies all of the selected events onto the computer clipboard Automation 7 17 V Digital 8eBu 7 18 Automation The engineer then chooses the Paste com mand from the Edit menu and she is prompted with a dialog box asking her where in time she wants the data placed She types in 109 1 0 and hits the Enter key or clicks on Paste The first 8 bars of Channel 1 are now cloned to be the last 8 bars of Channel 1 The same thing happens with Channels 2 through 14 Inserting Blank Time Delete Time These two commands can be found under Automation in the upper menu bar You can use them to insert blank time or delete time from your entire mix In other words these com mands affect all channels Insert Blank Time has the effect of bumping backward all events in your mix If you insert time at the beginning of your mix it will move all events back by that amount of time This is similar to programming an offset into a syn chronizer If you insert time into the middle of a mix i
92. Moves 7 5 Recording Moves in Trim 7 6 Recording Channel V Pot Moves 7 8 MUTES Button 2 9 Muting Channels T m 6 28 Ij e a 7 3 Recording a 7 7 Deleting 7 16 N NEAR FIELD Button 2 8 NEW BUOD 2 10 New eS SOON 6 1 Nominal Input and Output Levels Adjusting 6 8 6 64 Number Buttons 2 10 Number System 1 Nyquist Sampling 4 Noise Hum Troubleshooting occisos eter Er 9 2 Off Turning the Effects and 6 57 7 4 UE RR E 2 6 Output Adding Effects to the Main Outputs 6 73 Adjusting for Nominal Output Levels 6 8 6 64 ALT VO 2 13 Analog XLR Outputs ioco veraces 2 14 Analog TRS Outputs 2 14 Analog Connections 1 24 Tape Outs 4 2 Apogee Digital Mte vei epp ERI 2 13 Assigning channels to Bus Outputs 6 0 Assigning Channels to a Tape Output 6 8 AUX DUCDULS 2 14 Bus Out 1 8 Surround Out 2
93. PATCH EQUALIZER WRITE WRITE WRITE Pick a file to open m EQUALIZER mm REC REC REC REC WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE 8 9 i0 TEE Save EQ Hi MEMNU Open E m Reset l WRITE FLOPPY H FC 36 4 Hz H Open EQ E MENU REC WRITE WRITE WRITE 15 16 17 From the screen Click on the SELECT button of the channel you want to load with the EQ file Press and hold the SHIFT key to select more than one channel Click on MEM A or MEM B to choose the memory location to which you want to load the file Click and hold on the MENU button in the EQ control panel Drag down to Open EQ The EQ Files dialog box appears Click on INTERNAL if the file is on the internal hard drive or click on FLOPPY if the file is on a floppy disk Click on the name of the file to high light the one you want to load Click on Open to load the EQ file to the selected channel s You can also double click on the name of the file to load it TO RESET THE EQ From the console To reset or zero the EQ use the Cutting operation described on the next page TO RESET THE EQ From the screen Click and hold on the MENU button in the EQ control panel 2 Drag down to Reset and release enuew 5 Starting a New Session
94. SOLO SOLO LEVEL AFL SOLO Z TALKBACK TO STUDIO STUDIO LEVEL TALKBACK LEVEL LEVEL Press the channel SOLO button The LED in the button lights Make appropriate noise into the channel in put For example have a performer play sing strike something or someone etc at the level they re going to record or perform Don t just play a single sustained note but rather jam away as you would during a recording or per formance If the channel is being used for a tape input during mixdown roll an already recorded track from your recorder Adjust the TRIM control The goal is to get the channel meter reading at or around 15 The peaks should regularly hit and occa sionally exceed the 15 designation on the meter This is equivalent to a 4 dBu analog level and provides plenty of headroom for transient peaks before reaching 0 dB FS 36 To monitor the signal press SOLO LEVEL in the Studio Solo Section and adjust the LEVEL V Pot Make sure the SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot in the Control Room Section is turned up 10 If desired press the channel s SELECT but ton and adjust the EQ in the Fat Channel see page 6 28 You may need to readjust the channel s TRIM control after changing the EQ setting 11 Repeat steps 4 9 on the next channel that is being used 12 Once you ve achieved a rough mix using this method clear all soloed channels and monitor the mix in the Control Room outputs with all
95. Select Fader Bank 1 by pressing the MIC LINE 1 24 button MIDI 4 4 Set channel strip controls as follows FX 12 12 TRIM pots all the way counterclockwise 36 20 dB Set all the faders to their U unity mark ings including the MASTER L R 5 5 s There is a Digital Trim control located just af ter the A D converter in the channel signal path This defaults to unity gain which is where you would normally leave it lt 5 Press the PFL SOLO switch in the STUDIO STUDIO SOLO SOLO section In this mode the faders will not E affect the solo level at the PHONES output li RUDE SOLO LIGHT N 6 Press the channel SOLO switch The LED in the switch lights STUDIO LEVEL TALKBACK LEVEL mE Starting a New Session 7 Make appropriate noise into the channel in put For example have a performer play sing strike something or someone etc at the level TALKBACK TO STUDIO Digital 8eBus Routing Channels to Mains and Subs You should normally use the L R Mix buses as your main or house feed Patch out from the L R outputs preferably the balanced XLR outputs into the input to your amp stack usually your house graphic equalizer If you re used to assigning groups of instruments or voices to a submaster so you can control the level of an entire group with a single fader you ve probably realized by
96. Select button is engaged Digital 8eBus Description 23 Digital 8eBus LEVEL TO TAPE Master SOLO button Pressing this button solos the cur rently selected aux bus Only one aux bus may be soloed at a time along with any number of channels The aux bus remains soloed until it is manually disengaged or until the CLEAR SOLO button in the Studio Solo Section is pressed Aux bus soloing is post Master V Pot only Pressing the PFL SOLO button in the Studio Solo Section does not affect the aux bus solo V Pot Select Section These buttons assign the V Pots on each channel to control indi vidual aux send levels Unity gain is at the 2 o clock position AUX 1 button Assigns channel V Pots to con trol individual send levels to Aux 1 output Additionally an identical signal is sent simultaneously to in ternal effects processor 1 DIGITAL TRIM AUX 2 button Assigns channel V Pots to control individual send levels to Aux 2 output Additionally an identical signal is sent simultaneously to inter nal effects processor 2 Tip Internal effects 2 is returned via FX 3 and FX 4 in Fader Bank 3 AUX 3 8 buttons Assigns channel V Pots to control individual send levels to Aux 3 8 outputs respectively If additional FX cards are installed in the card cage the Aux 3 8 sends are sent simultaneously to internal effects processors 3 8 Tip Internal effects 3 8 are returned via FX 5 through FX 16 in Fad
97. Snapshots __ Auxes an You can select multiple channels using the SHIFT button and all the selected channels will appear in the window The Event List The Event List portion of the Mix Editor main area of the box is a scrollable temporal display of all events as determined by both the event fil ter checkboxes and the channels selected You can select either individual or multiple events by using the mouse and the Shift key All events can be cut copied or pasted There are four columns in the Event List to convey information about each automated event Name This column tells you the channel that is associated with the automated event dis played in the corresponding row It might say Channel 1 for a mic line input channel Channel 25 for a tape input channel Aux 1 for an auxil iary send VG 1 for a Virtual Group FX 1 for an internal effects return Bus 1 for Submaster 1 or L R for the MASTER L R output This column may not be edited Type This column describes what automat able function is indicated in the row This is one of the included types categories listed at the bottom of the Mix Editor window Fader Mute Pan etc This column may not be edited Value The Value column is used by all of the different event types and it represents an event value for a given time either as a decibel value or as an on off mute type display Time This is the event timestamp The time can be adjusted by using
98. System 3 10 Video Quick lt 1 4 Virtual Groupie Un Sou 8 4 Vr cmo EPA C 2 Vocal Appendix E bins qoem 1 3 2 2 A 6 Channel Me 6 3 Level V Pot 2 7 Mast r 2 3 Master V Pot Section 2 3 Recording Channel V Pot Moves 7 8 Speaker Level V POG viiese 2 8 V Pot 2 5 V Pot Select Buttons 2 5 V Pot Select Section 2 4 W Warranty Registration Card 1 4 Warranty Service 9 1 Wet E E E A 6 WATE RENNES see Recording 2 1 2 8 7 4 7 5 Write Fader Moves in Trim LEVELS Mode 1 6 Write or LETRA 7 7 Write Channel V Pot Moves 7 8 Write Bus Assignments 7 10 Writing Snapshots into Automation 7 11 X XLR Analog XLR L R Master Output 2 14 Digital XLR AES EBU Stereo Master Input 2 13 Digital XLR AES EBU Stereo Master Output 2 13 XLR connectors Figure 4 1 ALR microphone 55 2 12 1 CUT ZERO SET Button 2 8 Addendum
99. To monitor the aux send mix with the aux bus selected in the V Pot Select Section press the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section The aux send is routed to the Control Room Output Use the V Pot in the Studio Solo Sec tion to adjust the Solo level make sure the SOLO button is on If you re monitoring on headphones select CONTROL ROOM in the Phones Cue Mix Section see next section TO SET THE AUX SEND LEVELS From the screen 1 Click on the AUX button you want to use in the V Pot Select Section Click and drag on the channel V Pots to set the aux send level on each chan nel you want to send to the AUX output The box just below the V Pot indicates the level Alternately click and drag on the hori zontal bar in the AUXES section of the channel to adjust the aux send dB level Click and drag on the Master V Pot to set the overall aux send level for the se lected aux bus The box just below the Master V Pot indicates the dB level PHONES C E MIX 1 CONTROL ROOM AUX 9 10 COPY MIX TO CUE 2 TRACK A DIGITAL IN 1 AUX 11 12 CONTROL ROOM 2 TRACK B DIGITAL IN 2 2 TRACK C MASTER L R LEVEL MONO NEAR FIELD MAIN SPEAKERS SPEAKER LEVEL DIM TALKBACK COMPRESSOR SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT LI PREVIOUS LOW LOW MID HI MID EXT SETUP MEMORY A MEMORY B GATE COMPRESSOR J
100. a left to right pattern to the mics like drum mics or a vocal group keep the same left to right sequence on the console Plan your basic track assignments the same way It s very confusing to have in puts randomly strewn across a mixing console Now normal your console also called zero ing This means checking the position of every switch and knob to be sure they re in the normal position Your normal may be different from someone else s isn t that always the case but generally it means all switches off or up and all knobs either all the way down or at their unity setting This can be accomplished quite easily with the Digital 8eBus by recalling snapshot 00 or any other snapshot you may have reserved for your own normal settings There are two strips provided for labeling channels Lay a piece of 1 2 or 3 4 white pa per tape between the meters and the analog TRIM controls and label your inputs for track ing Do the same across the bottom of the faders and label all your tape returns for mixdown By the way avoid using masking tape It will muck up your console Take the time to go to an art supply store or a recording supply store and get some better quality low tack tape If you re using a video monitor connected to the VIDEO port on the Remote CPU locate the monitor just behind the console This way you can easily refer to either the console or the screen to see the current settings on the Digital SeBus Al
101. a listing of shortcut keys ALT button Used in combination with other buttons as a modifier key See Appendix I for a listing of shortcut keys Bus Assignment Section This is where you assign channels to up to ten differ ent buses as well as to any ASSIGN ASSIGN direct TAPE OUT BUS 1 8 buttons Selects a bus for channel assignments Only one bus may be assigned at a time Press a channel s ASSIGN button to route the channel s post fader signal to the selected bus Since the ASSIGN button lights when its channel is assigned to a se lected bus you can quickly see what channels have been assigned Press the ASSIGN button again to unassign the channel from the se lected bus MASTER L R button Pressing this button allows you to assign channels to the L R bus by pressing the chan nel ASSIGN buttons The internal FX returns FX 1 16 and alternate returns RET 1 8 can also be assigned to the L R bus Since the AS SIGN button lights when its channel is assigned to the selected L R bus you can BUS 6 ASSIGN BUS 7 BUS 8 z ROUTE TO TAPE quickly see what channels have been assigned to it Press the ASSIGN button again to unassign the channel from the L R bus ROUTE TO TAPE button This is the Digital 8 55 built in patchbay Use it to assign a selected channel to one of the 24 tape outputs Any of the
102. bass and drums featured very loud in their cans headphones for the uninitiated which may be killing the vocalist Likely as soon as you are close you will be required to come up with some new cue feeds for the players Aux Sends 9 10 and 11 12 are designed to set up two different cue mixes for the perform ers Assign each of the tracks from the recorder to AUX 9 10 and AUX 11 12 In the Phones Cue Mix Section assign one cue mix to Aux 9 10 and the other to Aux 11 12 Now you can create a different mix for each of the Phones outputs by adjusting the aux send level and pan for each track Press the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section to monitor the individual cue mixes TO SET UP A CUE MIX From the console 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by pressing the TAPE IN 25 48 button 2 Press the AUX 9 10 button in the V Pot Select Section 3 Press AUX 9 10 in the Phones Cue Mix Section Use the Phones Cue Mix LEVEL V Pot to adjust the Phones out put level 4 At this point you can copy L R mix to the cue mix by pressing the COPY MIX TO CUE button in the Phones Cue Mix Section This copies the fader lev els from each channel to the channel V Pot aux sends The Effects Returns on Fader Bank 3 are also copied to the cue mix 5 Adjust the V Pot Aux 9 10 Send Level on each channel you want to modify in the cue mix 6 Press the AUX 9 10 PAN button in the V Pot Select Section 7 Adjust the V Pot Aux 9 10 Send
103. be found in an outboard effects device such as a reverb or delay unit or it can be integrated into a DAW or digital mixing console Usually means without reverberation or without some other applied effect like delay or chorusing Dry is not wet i e totally unaffected dynamic range The range between the maximum and mini mum sound levels that a sound system can handle It is usually expressed in decibels as the difference between the level at peak clipping and the level of the noise floor dynamics processor Dynamics processors are used to correct or control signal levels The Digital 8eBus pro vides gate and compressor dynamic processing for each of the first 48 channels The reflection of sound from a surface such as a wall or a floor Reverberation and echo are terms that can be used interchangeably but in audio parlance a distinction is usually made echo is considered to be a distinct recognizable repetition or series of repetitions of a word note phrase or sound whereas reverberation is a diffuse continuously smooth decay of sound Echo and reverberation can be added in sound mixing by sending the original sound to an electronic or electronic acoustic system that mimics natural echoes and then some The added echo is returned to the blend through additional mixer inputs Highly echoic rooms are called live rooms with very little echo are called dead A sound source without added echo or reverb is dry one wit
104. between source and playback as you put the deck into stop play fast wind record and so on That way you re always hearing the instruments after they travel through the multi track deck regardless of whether or not the tape is rolling This method allows you to set up a custom mix of the tape tracks independent of your re cording levels You can independently adjust the level pan reverb and even EQ in your monitor mix while you record You can even patch the L R outputs into a 2 track recorder for a rough mix of the session TO MONITOR IN THE CONTROL ROOM From the console 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by pressing the TAPE IN 25 48 button 2 Press the L R button in the Assign ment Section 3 Ifthe channels arent already assigned to the L R bus sweep your finger across all the channel ASSIGN but tons to assign all the channels to the L R bus 4 Pressthe MASTER L R button in the Control Room Source Section 5 Tum SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot all the way down Select speakers you want to use for monitoring by pressing their corre sponding button MAIN or NEAR FIELD 7 Adjustthe SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot to a comfortable listening level solo MUTE 111 13231 Dar 0 COMP COMP COMP COMP TO MONITOR IN THE CONTROL ROOM From the screen 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by clicking on the TAPE button located above the Ma
105. boxes contains a list of all the automation events in the current session This is a scrollable temporal display of all the events as determined by the selected channel s and the event filter checkboxes at the bottom of the Mix Editor window Included Event Types This section contains all of the event types found in Mackie Real Time OS automation Se lect or clear these checkboxes to display the event types for the currently selected channels in the scrolling event list above Channel event types include fader mute pan auxes EQs com pressor gate buses and All Channel Types which displays all of the categories with one click o the mouse Plug in and snapshot events are not channel related and can be viewed separately as Other Event Types While performing edits on all other events it s important to make sure that the plug ins and snapshots checkboxes are not checked If they are you will erase events that arent listed the Event List For instance if you Select AII and then cut all of the events in view and had the plug ins box checked you would erase all plug in events that exist for the entire session Mackie Real Time OS Automation Event Insight Each automated event is discrete and time stamped A Fade In is a series of fader events with ascending values within a certain time resolution less than 15 frames that ends in a maximum value Conversely a Fade Out is a series of fader events with descending va
106. condenser microphone plugged in or any mic that requires 48VDC phantom power engage this switch If you have a dynamic ribbon or tube mic that does not require phantom power leave the Phantom Power switch out Caution Turn all output levels 1 down before operating this switch to avoid the possibility of a pop in your speakers Connecting a line level input to an XLR input connector with the phantom power switched on could damage the output of the source device We recommend using the 1 4 jacks for line level inputs enuew 5 Connections TAPE 1 8 TO TAPE lt 2 n LL Connections Connecting Recording Devices This section discusses how to connect your recording device to the Digital 8eBus whether it be DAT MDM HDR or something else The type of connections you make are determined by which Tape I O cards you have installed Our discussion here centers on analog Tape I O to and from the recording devices with the Analog I O cards installed Direct digital connections for tracking and mixdown are possible using one of the optional Digital I O cards Apogee Digital I O or ALT I O See Appendix F for information on installing and connecting the optional Digital I O cards TO TAPE Connections Channels 1 24 Tape Outs With three Analog I O cards installed in the TAPE IN OUTS slots there are three 25 pin D Sub connectors TO TAPE for connecting up to 24 tracks d
107. console gt 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup Menu appears in the Fat Channel Display GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL RE DSB ME ineutT 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER QOb 2 Press the NEXT button in the Fat Channel Section to scroll to the next Flat FI page of options Lisinigialalale Start Up Digital 8eBus MACKIE D8B 55 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b PE E ee iresi ry Hiilal teklik General Language Display Intensity General Network Low pans son Medium Honth TES Aug B B imag Auto Save a Never Create Mew Files e After Each Pass After B minutes Determining the Operating System Version One of the most beneficial and persuasive reasons for using the Digital 8eBus is the fact that the internal op erating system is entirely upgradeable As new features and updates are provided you ll be able to keep your SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL I O EVE SEC EC RE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b kelelele Pap Ipiisleltlalul 3 Press the SELECT button below Display in the Fat Channel Display The Display Intensity menu appears 4 Press the SELECT button below the desired intensity Low Medium or
108. dicate the starting time of a Standard MIDI File SMF referenced to absolute timecode This option allows you to enter a MIDI File Offset using the number buttons in the Transport Sec tion This is used to re reference the Digital 8eBus to a starting point other than zero TEMPO If you use sequencers in your re cording process you can create a standard MIDI file from the song s you ve recorded You can copy the tempo map from the SMF to the Digital 8eBus and synchronize the D8B to the Bars Beats Ticks of the sequenced program SMFs are loaded from the floppy disk drive SAVE SAVE AS NEW GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL MACKIE D8B 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b kelelele felre 7 D8B 5 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER gt Sl Ree kefe 111 11 PT ei 4 DSB 56iNPUT 72CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER GOD tejel ajel gt gt MACKIE DSB 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b LLL ELLE keleke RECORD eee DSB 5 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER GOD ef gt
109. dio Solo Section begins flashing 3 Whatever source is selected for the control room is overridden by the solo signal Press SOLO LEVEL in the Stu dio Solo Section to adjust the master solo level with the LEVEL V Pot The solo signal is routed to the Control Room outputs and the Master L R meters indicate the signal level of all MIXDOWN SOLO SUBE SCIO CLEAR SOLO LIGHT soloed channels when one or more Z Z SOLO buttons are engaged Solo is ac PFL SOLO SOLO LEVEL tive in all four fader banks AFL SOLO e STUDIO LEVEL TALKBACK TO TALKBACK LEVEL STUDIO LEVEL TO SOLO A CHANNEL From the screen 1 Click on the SOLO button in the channel you want to direct to the solo bus The SELECT button automatically engages MUTE MUTE 4 MUTE on the soloed channel Ch 1 Ch z 5 Starting a New Session MIXDOWN SOLO PFL SOLO AFL SOLO TALKBACK TO STUDIO RUDE SOLO LIGHT LEVEL CLEAR SOLO SOLO LEVEL STUDIO LEVEL TALKBACK LEVEL MIXDOWN SOLO AFL SOLO TALKBACK TO STUDIO RUDE SOLO LIGHT LEVEL CLEAR SOLO SOLO LEVEL STUDIO LEVEL TALKBACK LEVEL 2 The red LED in the SOLO button on the console lights and the RUDE SOLO LIGHT in the Studio Solo Section begins flashing 3 Whatever source is selected for the control room is overridden by the solo signal Press SOLO LEVEL in the Studio Solo Section to adjust the m
110. dry without its echo Starting a New Session JOUMO 5 AFL PFL AFL stands for After Fader Listen and PFL the input of the channel For listening to the mix stands for Pre Fader Listen The AFL SOLO of individual voices or instruments AFL is usu and PFL SOLO buttons in Studio Solo Sec ally the preferred setting so you can hear and tion allow you to globally change the solo bus adjust the blend with the faders 2098 LOL NN Note If you switch from AFL to PFL be wary If i Note These buttons only affect channel solo the fader is set below unity the U symbol and ing They have no effect on aux soloing which you press the SOLO PFL button in the Studio is always post Master V Pot Solo Section to turn it on i e change to pre fader the solo signal will become louder much 970 There are times when each are useful For louder if the fader is below about 5 dB This troubleshooting purposes PFL is usually the might surprise you so much that you could spill C preferred setting because you can have the your cup of coffee all over yourself fader turned down and still hear the signal at Soloing a Channel TO SOLO A CHANNEL From the console 1 Press the SOLO button on the channel you want to direct to the solo bus The SELECT button automatically engages on the soloed channel 2 The red LED in the SOLO button lights and the RUDE SOLO LIGHT in the Stu
111. even more DSP processing Assigning Channels to the L R Bus TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO THE L R BUS From the console 1 Selectthe Fader Bank containing the channels you want to assign to the L R bus 2 Pressthe L R button in the Bus Assignment Section 3 Press the ASSIGN button on all the channels that you want to assign to the L R bus TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO THE L R BUS 2 From the screen 1 Click on the Fader Bank button con taining the channels you want to assign to the L R bus 2 Click on the channel L R assign but tons on the channels that you want to assign to the L R bus 3 Ifyou want to assign multiple con secutive channels click and hold the mouse button on the first channel s L R assign button and swipe the cur sor across the row of L R buttons ASSIGNMENT gt a gt ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 1 BUS 2 gt ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 3 BUS 4 gt gt ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 5 BUS 6 gt gt ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 7 BUS 8 ASSIGN ASSIGN L R ROUTE TO TAPE COMP COMP COMP Fra 4 Assigning Channels to BUS 1 8 TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO BUS 1 8 JOUMO 6 From the console 1 Select the Fader Bank containing the channels you want to assign to the bus 2 Press one of the BUS 1 8 buttons in the Bus Assignment Section 3 Press the ASSIGN button on all the channels that you want to assign to the selected bus enuew 5 TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO BUS 1 8
112. for selecting the effects package to download to the internal FX cards DIGITAL I O button Brings up the Digital I O menu in the Fat Channel Display for selecting Tape I O ALT I O and Stereo I O AES EBU and S PDIF settings and selecting the inter nal sample rate Digital 8eBus Description Transport Section This section provides control for external re corder transports time display and snapshot automation POSITION LED Display This display shows numeric representation of SMPTE or MIDI Time Code HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES or the more musical display of BARS BEATS TICKS If the console is set to receive external time code and MIDI Time Code MTC or SMPTE is being input to the console the position display will continually update according to the time code position RANGE LED Display This display shows the snapshot number when in Snapshot mode or the locate point when in Locator mode that is currently en tered When looping it shows the beginning FROM and ending TO points of the loop SET TIME button Press this button to enter a new time in the POSITION DISPLAY Use the number buttons to enter the time then press the ENTER button SMPTE VIEW button This button toggles between SMPTE MTC time and BBT in the POSITION display Number Buttons 0 9 Use these buttons to numerically enter Snapshots Locate and Loop points in the RANGE display and time values in the POSI TION display Ge
113. ladder indicates the summed mono signal in both sides Take a hint from film soundtrack mixers and set your dialog or lead vocals to about 85 dB c at the mixing position This is a moderate normal volume not quiet but definitely not thundering If you have a sound pressure meter available you can take a measurement to get a feel for how loud 85 dB is If you don t run down to Radio Shack and say I want 33 2050 or 33 2055 Here s 34 99 or 59 99 plus applicable taxes Every set of self respecting ears should own one This monitoring volume will keep you honest in the 90s sense of the word and keep your mixes balanced for playback You should listen at very low levels too and crank it from time to time to remember why you re in this line of work but stay at the moderate 85 dB c setting most of the time You will save your hearing and also make better mixes Using Apogee UV22 The Digital 8eBus is equipped with Apogee s UV22 encoding which we believe provides the best method available for dithering down 24 bit words to 16 bit words for digital mastering You can select one of two strengths when applying the UV22 encoding For 2 track master ing use the Normal setting on the AES EBU or S PDIF outputs called Full Power in the Fat Channel Display However you also have the op tion of using UV22 while tracking In this case the best procedure would be to use the Low Power UV22 setting on the
114. left and right The box below the V Pot indicates the pan position numerically from zero at center to 127L and 126R When an AUX button is pressed in the V Pot Select Section the channel V Pots adjust the selected Aux Send level Note The Aux Send function does not ap ply to Fader Deck 4 When Fader Deck 3 is selected the Aux Sends associated with each FX Return are locked out to prevent feedback loops For example if Aux 2 is selected in the V Pot Select Section the Aux Send control on FX 3 and 4 are disabled Adjusting the Aux Send Levels TO ADJUST THE AUX SEND LEVELS From the console 1 Press of the AUX buttons in V Pot Select Section The Master V Pot becomes the Master Aux Send Level control for the selected aux bus and the channel V Pots become the channel aux send Level controls 2 Rotate the channel V Pot to the right to increase the signal in the selected aux bus and to the left to reduce the amount of signal in the selected Aux bus The ring of LEDs around the V Pot indicates the relative position setting of the control 3 Rotate the Master V Pot to the nght to adjust the overall Aux Out level for the selected aux bus JOUMO ADJUST THE AUX SEND LEVELS From the screen 1 Click on one of the AUX buttons above the MASTER V Pot The Master V Pot becomes the Master Aux Send Level control for the selected aux bus and the channel V Pots become the channel Aux Send Level con
115. menu The About Box appears on the screen our web site at www mackie com or call our Tech Support department to determine if you have the current version of the software If you discover that you need to upgrade the operating system OS refer to Appendix H Upgrading to see how to proceed The UV22 process can be switched on or off at the digital tape outputs the ALT I O outputs or the Stereo AES EBU output depending on your application You can also select whether to use the UV22 at full power or low power at each out put Use Full Power for final mastering when you haven t used it elsewhere during the recording process Otherwise use Low Power if you use it for both tracking and mixdown The AES EBU and S PDIF Stereo Master Outputs are normally 24 bit digital outputs You can enable UV22 encoding on the AES EBU out put or the S PDIF output and dither it down to 16 bits while still retaining the accuracy and linearity of the 24 bit signal See Appendix D for an in depth discussion of the UV22 process If you have installed the DIO 8 cards in the Tape I O slots or the ALT I O slot see Appendix F their outputs are normally 16 bit but trun cated down from 24 bits You can enable the UV22 process for the digital tape outputs pro viding a much lower noise floor and improved linearity Note From time to time you should check enuew 5 Start Up SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD GROUP GENERAL PLUG
116. mic and line input capabil ity and channels 13 24 which have line level inputs only e Fader Bank 2 includes 24 channels of Tape Inputs which are accessed through the three optional TAPE IN OUT cards in the rear panel e Fader Bank 3 includes sixteen internal ef fects returns FX 1 16 and eight alternate returns which are accessed through the op tional ALT I O card in the rear panel e Fader Bank 4 includes eight Virtual Groups eight MIDI controllers and eight Bus Mas ters Bus 1 8 Each channel strip has the following Meter ladder dB FS e Analog TRIM control Latching MIC Line button Ch 1 12 only MMC REC RDY button e ASSIGN button e Automation WRITE enable button e V Pot controller 2 Fader Bank indicator LEDs per channel e SELECT button e SOLO button e MUTE button e 100mm motorized Fader Fader Bank 7 Channels 7 2 1 documenting the settings of Tracking fader Bank 2 Channels 25 43 Fader Bank Tv aK 3 Return 7 76 AL 7 Return 7 8 Monitor Tape Mixdown TRIM control This is an analog preamp trim control for channels 1 24 only its circuit is similar to the one we use in our large format analog mixing consoles Channels 1 12 share the same pre amp for both the Mic and Line inputs channels 13 24 are line input only The Mic level pre amp s gain range is from 0 dB to 60 dB The line input gain range on channels 1 12 is from 20 dB pad to 40 d
117. of each of the four harmony voices So what is this gender thing gender jen der m 1 The condition or quality of being of the male or female sex In IVL Vocal Studio Gender will give your harmony voices distinct character When the gender amount is set at O in the middle there is no gender effect applied to the harmony voice As you lower the gender amount more male qualities are introduced into the voice As you raise the gender amount more female qualities are introduced into the voice This is the control that gets you that deep bottom end you have been undoubtedly waiting for Detune The detune sliders can be adjusted indepen dently for each harmony voice Detune is like a fine tune adjustment on a keyboard The detune amount ranges from 50 cents to 50 cents 50 cents is equal to 1 semitone There is also a normal or random button located in the top right corner of the detune window When normal is selected the detune amounts are fixed at their settings With random se lected the detune amounts are randomly generated from 0 detune to the setting for each harmony voice Detune is very useful for two different applications IVL Vocal Studio 1 Harmonies Detuning each harmony voice can create natural sounding harmonies In real life nobody sings perfectly in tune so why should the IVL Vocal Studio have to 2 Doubling Detuning unison harmony voices can create the fattest of ph
118. of the Direct Outs However if you are using the Main Outputs for monitoring purposes you can select the MIXDOWN SOLO button in the Studio Solo Section and the stereo solo bus is routed to the Main Outputs as well as to the Control Room Outputs In addition you can solo any aux send by pressing the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section whenever an aux bus is selected in the V Pot Select Section Solo is useful for isolating an individual channel to troubleshoot a problem like distortion or buzz to adjust EQ or dynamics parameters or just to listen to see if a particular mic is open or not When soloing more than one source you can listen to the blend of just part of your mix for example only the sopranos or just the tom mics on the drums The solo circuits are designed not to interrupt the recording process The solo bus signal is sent directly to the control room monitors with out affecting any of the inputs outputs or recording buses The L R Main LED ladders rep resent the summed signal level for the soloed channels When an aux send is soloed the L R Main LED ladders represent the summed signal level for the selected aux send If a stereo aux is soloed the L R Main LED ladders represent the stereo signal of the soloed aux When you are mixing or monitoring with re verb remember to not only solo the channel you d like to hear but also the aux return carry ing your reverb Otherwise you will hear the channel soloed
119. on the floppy Click on the file you want to load then click on the Open button or double click on the filename To set the MIDI File Offset time click on the Set button in the bottom of the dialog box The Ask Time window opens Enter the MIDI start time for the session that is the point in SMPTE timecode when the MIDI file should start Click on the Enter button or press the Return key to set the offset time and close the window General Tempo Map Machine Control Button Record Device w 9 16 Ip 1 17 24 Device ID2 6 Click on the Single Button Record box under Machine Control in the MIDI Sync dialog box to turn on and off the single button record function Tip We recommend you leave the single button record button OFF This provides an extra measure of safety to prevent you from accidentally putting your recorder s into record mode 7 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Configuring Auto Save You can set up the Digital 8eBus to auto matically save your session periodically as you work TO CONFIGURE AUTO SAVE CE gt UF x SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL mixer lt gt Piola gt 01
120. operates independently of dynamic automation A snapshot is a singular global event not specifically related to individual channels If a snapshot has been recorded into a dynamic automation pass it can be cut copied and pasted as an event in the Mix Editor and or its timestamp can be changed Snapshot automa tion may be written into dynamic automation only in Auto Touch mode with the ALL filter but ton engaged snapshots are recalled either by e Entering the snapshot number and pressing ENTER while in Snapshot mode or e Clicking on the snapshot in the on screen snapshot window As a reminder snapshots capture and store the set it and forget it settings for the channel strips including pans aux send levels bus as signments and DSP settings EQ gate compressor internal effects and the master fader Snapshots do not include solo Control Room or Cue Mix settings You can modify a snapshot save it and the changes are copied over to the automation the next time you make a pass A word of warning about snapshot automation relative to dynamic automation snapshots can operate independently of the dynamic automation they can be manually stored and recalled at any time or snapshots can be stored and recalled as a global event independent of specific channel automation events in the dynamic automation memory This means that a snapshot can be timestamped and recalled at a specific time or at any number of tim
121. opposite pan setting e Move lt copies the right channel fader level to the left channel and an equal but opposite pan setting e Zero Set sets both channels to a nominal zero state faders down pans fully left right Press the SELECT button below your choice to complete the operation Now whenever you select one of the paired channels both channels SELECT LEDs light Move one fader up or down and the adjacent fader moves with it Move one pan control and the adjacent channel s pan moves in the opposite direction TO CREATE A STEREO FADER PAIR 2 From the screen 1 Hold down the Shift key and click on the Select buttons on any two adjacent odd even faders Click on Channel in the upper menu bar and drag down to select Stereo Link or press Ctrl L Make Stereo Pair Start with Both Channels Normalled Match Right Channel Match Left Channel 5 ____ 25 t lulibul 111 ini Dr Controlling External Effects Processors from the Console via MIDI Fader Bank 4 includes 8 MIDI controllers channels 81 88 which can be used to transmit MIDI continuous controller messages and note on off messages through the MIDI OUT connector on the back of the Remote CPU The channel fad ers and V Pots transmit continuous controller messages and the channel mute buttons transmit the note on off messages The con
122. pad can be used for entering Snapshot Cue numbers SMPTE times etc The keyboard connector on the Remote CPU is an IBM compatible 5 pin DIN style connector The Ethernet Connection Included inside the Digital 8eBus Remote CPU is a high speed Ethernet card The Ethernet connection can be used to download Mackie Real Time OS upgrades and effects plug ins make on line diagnoses and make peer to peer connections for transferring sessions from one user to another The Ethernet connector is a standard U S style RJ45 telco connector If you have a computer that has an Ethernet connection we recommend that you purchase an Ethernet hub so you can have multiple devices sharing that connection Connect one end of the supplied RJ45 telco cable to the Ethernet connector on the back of the Remote CPU then connect the other end of the telephone cable to an existing Ethernet connector or Ethernet hub Refer to Appendix H for more information on upgrading the operating software in your Digital 8eBus enuew 5 Connections Digital 8eBus 5 Preparing for a Session Before beginning a new session we recommend that you first create a new session file By creating a new session file nght away any automated snapshots locate points and rough mixes for a given client or project are stored with the session file eliminating the need to recreate the mix when resuming that project Stored elements may also include aux sends
123. playback system in which analog signals are converted to digital form and stored on magnetic tape It offers all the benefits of digital audio including low noise and wide dynamic range DAW digital audio workstation A dedicated recording editing software ap plication and hardware system used for hard disk non linear random access playback and recording Many DAWS are used with personal computers using Windows 95 or Macintosh operating systems though some use their own proprietary computers dB Dog Biscuit see also decibel dBu A unit of measurement of audio signal level in an electrical circuit expressed in decibels referenced to 0 775 VRMS into any impedance Commonly used to describe signal levels within a modern audio system dBv A unit of measurement equal to the dBu but no longer in use It was too easy to confuse a dBv with a dBV to which it is not equivalent dBV A unit of measurement of audio signal level in an electrical circuit expressed in decibels referenced to 1 VRMS across any impedance Commonly used to describe signal levels in consumer equipment To convert dBV to dBu add 2 2 dB decibel dB The dB is a ratio of quantities measured in similar terms using a logarithmic scale Many audio system parameters measure over such a large range of values that the dB is used to simplify the numbers A ratio of 1000V 1V is equal to 60 dB When one of the terms in the ratio is an agreed upon
124. quality cables for this application Some also make breakout cables with a 25 pin D Sub connector on one end and connectors used by other popular MDMs and HDRs on the other end BUS OUT 1 8 Connections Surround Outputs This is a single 25 pin BUS OUT 1 8 D Sub connector on the rear panel for connecting eight submaster outputs directly to an 8 track recorder to separate monitor feeds or to any device that requires a custom audio feed These are balanced analog line level connections that can feed directly into an analog balanced line level input See Figure 4 5 for the wiring configuration of this connector As with the Tape IN OUT connectors this connector is compatible with the analog 25 pin connectors used on Tascam digital multitrack recorders ee MASTER OUT Connecting External Effects Devices The Digital 8eBus comes equipped with two internal stereo effects processors that can be programmed via the Fat Channel These internal effects are driven by Aux 1 and Aux 2 and returned to the signal path using the FX 1 4 faders in Fader Bank 3 GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4 FX 3 FX 4 3 4 27 28 Up to three more effects cards can be installed in the card cage for a total of up to eight internal effects operating at one time Refer to Using Internal Effects in Chapter 6 for more information Description and ALT 9 16 Signa
125. send to the selected effect 6 Turn the Master Aux level V Pot to ad just the overall aux send level to the selected effect You can press the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section to monitor the aux send signal Pre FX Starting a New Session 6 55 Digital 8eBus L DELAY R FEEDBACK F L pamping R 8 MACKIE 8B 5 72 CHANNEL DiciaLmixeR dib Starting New Session TO SELECT INTERNAL EFFECTS 2 From the screen 1 Click on the CARD A B C or D button in the lower menu bar to open the Effects Control Panel Alternately Ctr1 9 Ctrl 0 Ctrl and Ctrl on the keyboard will open and close the respective control panels Click on the ON switch if the Effect isn t already on defaults to ON If the card isn t loaded with an effects algorithm go to the SETUP section in the lower left corner of the screen and click on the Plug Ins icon Click on the Aux Send button corre sponding to the effect you want to assign channels to Click and hold on the V Pots of the channels you want to send to the selected effect and adjust the send levels by dragging the mouse up and down Alternately you can click and hold in the Aux Send bargraph near the middle of the chan nel strip to adjust the aux send level Select the effect you want to use in t
126. signal interruption Insert all the way in to the second click IK ae Channel Insert RI T use as an effects loop TIP SEND to effect RING RETURN from effect Aux Buses The Digital 8eBus has 12 analog aux send outputs that can be used for monitor sends or for connecting external effects devices These are eight mono and two stereo pair TRS line level output jacks They are wired like this Tip signal positive Ring signal negative Sleeve shield ground SLEEVE RING RING SLEEVE 9 RING COLD TIP HOT SLEEVE SHIELD Use the buttons in the V Pot Select section to choose the aux sends for each channel When an AUX button is selected the channel V Pots become aux send level controls You can have up to 8 mono aux sends AUX 1 8 and two stereo aux sends AUX 9 10 and AUX 11 12 channel The versatile architecture of the aux sends allows you to be creative and flexible in your use of effects You can independently assign each aux send to be pre or _ post fader see Setting Aux eo E sends Pre Post Fader in Chapter 3 Aux Sends 1 and eb 2 are sent to the two internal _ sis effects buses as well as to the mo xe AUX 1 and 2 send outputs e You can defeat the internal e effects signal by muting the e amp FX 1 4 faders in the EFFECTS fader deck i MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE GROUP 1 GROUP 3 FX 1 GROUP 2 FX 2
127. signal to noise ratio without having to readjust the analog input TRIM control or the DIGITAL TRIM control DIGITAL TRIM Pressing this button causes the channel V Pots to become digital trim controls Digital Trim is positioned just after the A D converter stage in the signal path for channels 1 48 so it s the first digital process in the channel If the Digital I O cards are installed 010 8 there is no A D converter in the sig nal path for channels 25 48 so the digital trim is the first digital control in the signal path af ter the Tape I O card Digital Trim is a recallable function unlike the analog TRIM control and can be auto mated in a mixdown session It is also the only trim control for channels 25 48 Talkback Mic Sounds arriving at this mic are routed to the Phones Cue Mix Outputs Talkback can also be routed to the Studio Outputs e The talkback mic is activated by pressing the TALKBACK button in the Control Room section e Talkback is routed to the Studio Outputs by pressing TALKBACK TO STUDIO in the Stu dio Solo section e The talkback level is controlled by pressing TALKBACK LEVEL in the Studio Solo sec tion Turn the V Pot to adjust the talkback level LLEEEEEL TL TL TL JG 2 5598 TONAN re NN a PEAS SUPER CD ENCODING JJ PREVIOUS Fat Channel Section When a channel is select
128. slot you want to fill See Figure F 5 Figure F 5 Remove Cover Plate for Tape I O Card 2 Holding the card so that the components on the green circuit board face to the left see diagram line up the card so the top and bottom edges fit into the white guide slots Do not touch any of the circuit board components or solder joints Be sure to push the card in all the way until the front of the I O card is flush with the back panel of the D8B This may require a good solid push so don t be shy see Figure F 6 3 Hand tighten the spring loaded screws on the I O card Do not use a screwdriver as overtightening the screws may strip the threads on the D amp B Now is a good time to be shy a very endearing quality See Figure F 7 Figure F 7 Hand Tighten thumbscrews on Tape I O Card Optional 1 0 Cards Digital 8eBus Appendix G Technical Info Digital 8eBus Gain Structure Diagram 86 01 8 eJnjonujs ules sng g 22 O V LL 8 1 8 2 sinduj ueb Ajuf 9 9 XEN 0 0 0 0 01 dn 22 NEP 22 541 DO xne uo 03 z up 21 dn ILN ued xne 15 or je el 01 oL dn je el 281 seuoud
129. standard value such as 0 775V 1V 1mw the ratio becomes an abso lute value i e 4 dBu 10 dBV or 0 dBm delay In sound work delay usually refers to an electronic circuit or effects unit whose purpose it is to delay the audio signal for some short pe riod of time Delay can refer to one short repeat a series of repeats or the complex in teractions of delay used in chorusing or reverb When delayed signals are mixed back with the original sound a great number of audio effects can be generated including phasing and flang ing doubling Haas effect positioning slap or slapback echo regenerative echo chorusing and hall like reverberation Signal time delay is central to many audio effects units dither This is an interesting technique used to re duce low level distortion by adding random noise to the analog signal before the sampling stage Adding dither decorrelates the quantiza tion error from the signal level allowing the digital system to encode amplitudes smaller than the least significant bit DSP Abbreviation for digital signal processing DSP can accomplish the same functions found in analog signal processors but performs them mathematically in the digital domain with more precision and accuracy than its analog counter part Since DSP is a software based process parameters and processing functions are easily changed and updated by revising the software rather than redesigning the hardware DSP can
130. the GATE button in the Fat lt ii a P Channel Section gt 3 Adjust gate parameters as desired 5 TO ADD GATE ES CU MENU From the screen 1 Click on the Gate button in the lower menu bar and the Gate control panel appears 2 Select the channel you want to gate by clicking on its SELECT button 3 Adjust the gate parameters as desired Adding Effects TO ADD EFFECTS From the console 1 Press the PLUG INS button in the Fat Channel Section 2 Select the aux send in the V Pot Select Section corresponding to the effects processor you want to use 3 Adjust the V Pots on the channels you want to send to the selected effect LEVEL TO TAPE DIGITAL TRIM en 4 Turn the Master V Pot to adjust the overall aux send level to the selected effect You can press the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section to monitor the aux send signal 5 Select the effect you want to use with the first V Pot in the Fat Channel and adjust the effect s parameters as de 29 sired See Selecting Internal Effects on page 6 53 for more information on selecting and adjusting internal effects 6 Press the EFFECTS button to select Fader Bank 3 Adjust the correspond ing FX Return fader to add the effect to the Left and Right buses Starting a New Session SIZE Digital 8eBus SOLO Starting a New Session DECAY SELECT SOLO
131. the L R Main Outputs When MIXDOWN SOLO is activated soloed channels are isolated in the Main Outputs So loed channels can still be monitored in the Control Room outputs when L R is selected as the source in the Control Room Section PFL SOLO button Press this button to activate pre fader lis tening on the solo bus The channel fader has no effect on the soloed channel when PFL SOLO is on AFL SOLO button Press this button to activate after fader lis tening on the solo bus The signal on a soloed channel is post fader so the fader does affect the soloed signal Note PFL AFL affects channel soloing only and has no effect on aux send soloing TALKBACK TO STUDIO button Routes sounds arriving at the in panel Talk back Mic to the Studio Outputs Note Make sure the studio speakers are lo cated in another room to avoid feedback when the TALKBACK TO STUDIO button is active CLEAR SOLO button Disengages all solos throughout the console with the push of a single button SOLO LEVEL button Press this button to assign the V Pot in the STUDIO SOLO section to control the solo level being fed to the Control Room outputs STUDIO LEVEL button Press this button to assign the V Pot in the STUDIO SOLO section to control the output level to the Studio outputs TALKBACK LEVEL button Press this button to assign the V Pot in the STUDIO SOLO section to control the preamp level for the in panel Talkback Mic 50 R
132. then reverts to the default state Starting a New Session umes ATTACK 42 43 REC REC WRITE Digital 8eBus 1ums RELEASE 44 REC WRITE 45 REC WRITE RANGE 46 REC WRITE Undo Reset Open Gate Save Gate As Cut A Copy Paste 5 42 43 REC REC WRITE Starting a New Session RELEASE 44 REC WRITE CUT ZERO SET COMPRESSOR 45 REC WRITE COPY UNDO RANGE 46 REC WRITE SELECT MI LOAD PATCH Reset Open Gate Save Gate Cut Copy HELP HI NEXT SAVE PATCH TO CUT GATE SETTINGS From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Gate control panel Drag down to Cut The gate settings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The gate then reverts to the default state TO COPY GATE SETTINGS From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the chan nel you want to edit Press the COPY button in the Clip board Section Press GATE in the Fat Channel sec tion Press the SELECT button below Copy in the Fat Channel display or press the COPY button again The gate settings for that channel are retained and are temporarily stored in the clip board memory in case you want to paste them to another channel TO COPY GATE SET
133. they ll stay on the notes played on the instrument track Because you ll probably want to add notes here and there to your control track it s often a good idea to copy the instrument track to another open track in your sequencer and use the copy as your starting point In manual mode there is an editing param eter called Envelope You can use Envelope to shape the entrances and exits of harmony notes triggered through MIDI ENVELOPE The graph in the Envelope window represents volume against time Adjusting the Attack time with the spin dial will vary the slope on the leading edge of the graph A shallow slope will fade in the harmony notes after Vocal Studio is IVL Vocal Studio triggered through MIDI Adjusting the release time will vary the slope on the trailing edge of the graph A shallow slope will fade the har mony notes out after the MIDI trigger is released Steep slopes will make instantaneous attacks and releases SmartChord SmartChord uses the intelligent harmonies of the Vocal Studio in conjunction with a MIDI key board hooked up to the D amp B On the keyboard you would play the chords of a song in real time with the lead vocal IVL Vocal Studio recognizes the chords and creates correct harmonies SmartChord mode will follow the melody of your voice while staying musically related to the chords on the MIDI control track To get harmonies in SmartChord mode you first need to select inter
134. time and counterclockwise to decrease the release time Starting a New Session MACKIE D8B 5 72 CHANNEL DiciaLMixeR Digital 8eBus INPUT 9 03 On THRESH ATTACK RELEASE RATIO OUTPUT Starting a New Session The fourth V Pot adjusts the compres sion ratio with a range from 1 00 1 to 19 99 1 Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the ratio and counterclock wise to decrease the ratio Press the NEXT button to scroll to the next set of parameters for the Com pressor The last adjustable parameter is the compressor gain with a range from unity gain to 20 00 dB Typically you would leave this set to unity gain 00 00 dB but it depends upon how much makeup gain you need Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the output gain and counterclockwise to decrease the output gain TO ADJUST THE COMPRESSOR SETTINGS COMPRESSOR From the screen 1 Click on the Compressor button in the lower menu bar The COMPRESSOR control panel appears on the screen The first control in the COMPRESSOR window adjusts the compressor thresh old with a range from 60 00 dB to 1 00 dB Click and drag up on the control to increase the threshold and drag down to decrease the threshold The second control adjusts the com pressor attack time with a range from 0 31 ms milliseconds to 2560 00 ms 2 6 seconds
135. to be more creative in less time than with analog alone The number of channels and the sheer magnitude of operations that can be performed with a digital console would require more than twice the space in the analog world In other words digital gives you more power in a smaller package with fewer parts Imagine the number of components it takes to build a 4 band parametric EQ in an analog mixer If you can t we re talking upwards of 100 resistors capacitors and integrated circuits Then multiply that by 48 channels In the digital domain this can be accomplished with a few digital signal processors DSPs more accurately and at a lower cost You can dial in precise frequencies Qs and boost cuts rather than guessing according to the numbers on the knob Or you can click and drag in the EQ control panel and shape the EQ curve graphically in real time to achieve the sound you want Affordable Technology Digital technology is now affordable for nearly everyone The Digital 8eBus has a built in 166MHz Pentium compatible computer that is dedicated to the powerful on board Mackie Real Time OS automation system It has 25 DSPs dedicated to Fat Channel processing parametric EQ compressor gate which together are capable of executing 1 billion instructions per second 1 gigaflop The D8B s computer supervises all automation operations You can automate a mix save it then go back and make changes to it as many times as i
136. to unity position and the fader motors dis engage When TRIM mode is entered the on screen faders and hardware faders take on a new role On the screen a green vertical level bar appears on each channel strip next to the fader track to show what the current level position is In a default session setting all fader levels are off to start with completely down so if you dont see a green bar when you enter Trim mode the fader level is currently off In Trim the hardware or screen faders control the Trim offset and are no longer displaying the absolute level unless the fader just happened to match the level when you first entered Trim mode on that channel Note The Master fader default position is Unity gain so it may be confusing when you first enter Trim mode and the only green level indicator dis played is the Master fader s level Also Fader Bank 4 has default levels that will display levels other than the off position You must engage a channel s WRITE button in order to modify a control in automation See also Write Standby and Master Record on page 7 4 Auto Touch Trim Levels Mode You can activate Auto Touch along with Trim Levels mode and the channel automatically goes into Write mode as soon as you alter the fader level You can then punch out of Trim Levels by turning off the WRITE button by pressing STOP in the Transport Section or by stopping timecode Automation Snapshot Automation snapshot automation
137. toggled on and Automation Digital 8eBus off regardless of whether tape is rolling which allows this filter to act as a real time write safety operation for automation writing other than faders mutes and pans Note The ALL filter is a very powerful filter which obviously encompasses everything that is automatable and may in some instances be used to accidently overwrite parameters that weren t meant to be overwritten Before engaging any au tomation Write activity SAVE your sessions be it to disk or floppy And then proceed with caution Even after you learn how to use the ALL filter re member to save your work often That is all Write Standby and Master Record Automation Write Record Enable The basic channel strip WRITE button opera tion and the transport Master RECORD enable button are both explained in Chapter 2 The pur pose of discussing these two operations in this section is to clarify when these buttons are used according to which Automation mode is enabled The following points about parameters and Write engage status are very important for you to understand 1 Write Standby occurs when Auto Touch is not used i e using Absolute or Trim without AUTO TOUCH engaged 2 The Master RECORD button does not need to be engaged for Auto Touch to record automation moves The Master RECORD button will not auto matically engage when Touch mode is engaged There is one more automation filter which is availabl
138. used primarily in the audio video industry to day SMPTE and MIDI They both serve the same purpose to allow two or more machines to lock to a common time frame One source serves as the master and all the others are slaves This means that the master generates a time code while the slaves other devices read it and follow along Types of Synchronization You ve probably heard of a click track It s a prerecorded track with a series of evenly timed clicks that allow the musicians to play at a con sistent tempo Think of a metronome persistently consistently clicking away When dubbing or overdubbing the talent listens to the click track in their headphones This type of syncing is called pulse synchronization the pulse signals convey the rate of speed tempo but that s all In order for machines to be in sync they must start at the same time and at the same point in the program A more complex synchronization method sometimes called timepiece synchronization uses place markers to identify the location of each in dividual pulse within the program This allows the machines in the system to sync to each other even if they don t start at the same time or the same place in the program In this case the slaves in the system chase to the location indi cated by the master and then lock to it SMPTE is an example of timepiece synchronization SMPTE SMPTE time code pronounced Simp tee was chosen by the So
139. 2X lt lt lt 55 5 5 5 5 X2 LEFT AND RIGH SSE SHS SHC lt lt lt lt RIGHT SOLO TO MAINS MASTER Q FADER SOLOIPFL A SOLO AUX SOLO 9 10 AUX MASTER 2 v TO SOLO BUS j lt o o PHONES SELECT CTRLRM gt O AUX SOLO 11 12 D 2 PH 1 LEVEL a CTRLRM 2 L L P AUX 1 12 MASTER as PH 2 LEVEL 4 nnz D vl 1 ll TB LEVEL 1 TB ON OFF FROM S PDIF IN gt va gt FROM AES EBU IN 2 1 va gt CONTROL ROOM SELECT 2 TRK IN DIG IN 1 4 V LEVEL gt O vA e 27 o 2 METERS DIM c 2 eer lt BUS SOLO ASSIGN amp eBUS LEVEL 06 n LEVEL TO TAPE SSSSS5 5 gt gt gt 1 gt seee gt AUX SOLO 1 of 8 AUX1 of 8 1 2 gt 2 2 FX METER SELECT xg xx gt lt lt lt lt 7 FX CARDS Technical Info S PDIF DIGITAL OUT LEFT R AES EBU DIGITAL OUT LEFT R MAIN OUT LEFT R MAIN OUT LEFT R AUX 9 10 PHNS 1 LEFT PHNS 2 LEFT AUX 11 12 STUDIO OUT LEFT NEARFIELD SPKR LEFT R MAIN SPKR LEFT R BUS 1 8 TAPE 1 amp TAPE 9 16 TAPE 17 24
140. 3 3 dB MENU Undo Reset H Open Save EQ From the screen 1 settings for that channel are retained and are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel JOUMO Click and hold the MENU button in the EQ control panel Drag down to Copy The EQ settings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The EQ settings for the selected chan nel are retained enuew 5 TO PASTE EQ SETTINGS From the console E CUT ZERO SET COPY qos 2 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to paste an EQ setting to Press the PASTE button in the Clipboard Section Press the SELECT button below Paste in the Fat Channel Display The EQ settings for that channel are replaced with the settings that are stored in the clipboard memory TO PASTE EQ SETTINGS From the screen Undo Reset TI E GN 0 0 Open Save EQ 2 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the EQ control panel Drag down to Paste The EQ settings for the selected channel are replaced with the settings that are stored in the clipboard memory Starting a New Session 6 37 Digital 8eBus MENU MEM MEMNU MEM E MORPH rA DM Morphing
141. 5 SELECT WRITE T TRACKING TRACKING AGES LEVEL PHASE X PHASE PHASE GATE BATE GATE DIGITAL TRIM TRIM COMP COMP COMP COMP CUE LEVEL CUE LEVEL 1 2 1 2 CUE CUE 1 1 2 From the screen 1 Click TRACKING LEVEL button near the top of the Master Section on the upper right side of the screen The Master V Pot becomes disabled and the channel V Pots become level to tape controls Click and hold on the channel V Pot and move the mouse up to increase the input level and down to decrease the level The box below the V Pot indi cates the trim level numerically from OFF to 10 with 0 unity gain Alternatively click and drag on the T bar in the OUT box near the top of the channel strip to increase and decrease the level to tape Starting a New Session enuew 5 Digital 8eBus Routing Mixer Channels to Tape Outputs and Buses If you have only one source going to one tape track you ll simply assign the source to a Tape Output If you have to combine two or more in puts onto one or two tracks two trumpets on one track five drum mics panned across a pair of tracks you must assign the inputs to a common bus or pair of buses because you can t assign more than one channel to a Tape Out Why you d use a direct tape out e You want to have a single voice or instrument on one track for
142. 8 Tape Inputs this may serve as an input trim control LEVEL TO TAPE DIGITAL TRIM HASTER SELECT WRITE TRACKING LE EL PHASE PHASE GATE GATE COMP CUE 1 2 MASTER SELECT WRITE TRACKING D D PHASE PHASE TRIM CUE LEVEL 1 2 FAM COMP COMP Dig Trim CUE PAN 2 Starting a New Session The Digital Trim LED pattern wraps clockwise from 7 o clock minimum off to 5 o clock maximum 10 dB Unity gain is at 2 o clock TO ADJUST THE DIGITAL TRIM From the console 1 Press the DIGITAL TRIM button at the top of the V Pot Select Section The Master V Pot becomes disabled and the channel V Pots become digital trim controls active in Fader Banks 1 and 2 only Rotate the channel V Pot to the right to increase the input level The ring of LEDs around the V Pot indicates the relative position setting of the control TO ADJUST THE DIGITAL TRIM From the screen 1 Click on the DIGITAL TRIM button near the top of the Master Section on the upper right side of the screen The Master V Pot becomes disabled and the channel V Pots become digital trim controls active in Fader Banks 1 and 2 only 2 Click and hold on the channel V Pot and move the mouse up to increase the input level and down to decrease the level The box below the V Pot indicates the trim level nume
143. AN Buttolt cer rro rere 2 4 AUX 11 12 PAN Button 2 4 AUX 9 10 Button 2 7 AUX 11 12 Button voee opp 2 7 AUX BUSES 4 4 1 AUX TE 2 14 Aux Sends Setting Pre or Post Fader 3 8 6 63 Setting the 6 68 E E E ET 6 15 B Balanced 1 1 Changing the Bandwidth 6 32 Binary Number System 1 1 Blank Time Inserting essc edes ee 1 18 Block Did G 2 G 3 Books Appendix K Bouncing Down Tracks 4 s issiowmseniaeansrssmnssenaecnnaasens 6 19 e 1 Assigning Channels to Bus Outputs 6 9 Assigning to L R DUS eerte tnra ri Rit iin 6 66 Assigning to Bus 18 6 67 Buses AUX dicutentcciesoiidtiduesssdutnaacsouncssasdeddeewancskensacts 4 4 Bus Out 1 8 Surround Out 2 13 4 2 Routing Channels to Tape Outputs and Buses 6 8 or me 7 1 Card Cage Section 2 12 Cards Installation Appendix F Center Frequency 6 30 Channel
144. APE OF ELECTRIC SHOCI NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL AVIS usquc ve cuoc pas CAUTION conn nerone canen ruse ATTENTION ace rc ecce UTION WARNING oF Are on RECTRIC stock DO NOT SERIAL NUMBER EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT RAIN OR MOISTURE 00 NOT REMOVE COVER WARNING SHUT OFF POWER TO UNIT BEFORE INSTALLING OR REMOVING CARDS gt 120 119 Digital 8eBus Description 3 Start Up Most of the procedures described in this manual can be performed from the console s surface or with the optional Video Monitor Keyboard Mouse combination Therefore all operations and proce dures are presented in this sequence From the console followed by From the screen Initial Power Up See the Quick Start Guide for instructions on how to connect the Remote CPU to the console Once you have the Remote CPU properly con nected to the console turn on the power switch located on the front panel of the Remote CPU then turn on any peripheral equipment such as multitrack recorders Upon power up the internal computer initializes the DSPs and console sur face There is a short delay about 60 seconds while the Remote CPU loads the Mackie Real Time OS into the console s memory and engages the DSPs es Returning to Factory Default Settings Occasionally you may find it necessary to return
145. AR FIELD L R Outputs These connectors are two 14 TRS stereo line level outputs for sending signals to control room speakers They are balanced analog stereo paired outputs fed post DSP fader and DAC The signal at this output is the same as the CR MAIN output but with independent level control and is determined by the Control Room source selection These outputs can drive a balanced or unbalanced input PHONES 1 and 2 Outputs These are unbalanced 14 TRS jacks for connecting stereo headphones The TRS jacks are wired as follows Tip Ring Right output Sleeve Shield audio ground These outputs are designed to drive virtually all stereo headphones The signal at these outputs is determined by the PHONES CUE MIX 1 and 2 source selection Adjust the Cue Mix LEVEL control to compensate for headphones with exceptionally high or low impedances Digital 8eBus Description 132 STUDIO L R OUTputs These connectors are two 14 TRS stereo line level outputs for sending signals to the studio They are balanced analog stereo paired outputs fed post DSP fader and DAC The signal at these outputs is determined by the Control Room source selection These outputs can drive a balanced or unbalanced input PUNCH This connector is for a remote punch in punch out switch Use a normally open switch 134 TALKBACK This connector is for a remote talkback switch It duplicates the Talkback switch in the Control Room Section U
146. AVIS crate ne pas CAUTION sue cono nerone rus ATE WARNING SHUT OFF POWER TO UNIT BEFORE INSTALLING OR REMOVING CARDS gt Connect the supplied 25 pin D Sub Power Data Section CONSOLE DATA computer cable between the CONSOLE DATA connector on the rear panel of the console and this connector on the Remote CPU This cable must be installed in order for the computer to communicate with the console POWER SUPPLY Connect the POWER cable 149 from the Remote CPU to the POWER SUPPLY on the console enuew 5 Remote CPU Power Supply Description Data and Synchronization These connections are for non audio functions Note The MIDI card installed in the Remote CPU has a 15 pin D Sub connector Use the supplied 15 pin to Dual DIN adapter with the MIDI card to make connections using standard MIDI cables MIDI IN This standard 5 pin DIN MIDI connector can be used to bring in MIDI Time Code MTC from a Modular Digital Multitrack MDM recorder or other external device The MIDI IN can also be used to receive Program Changes and Sysex dumps from outboard gear Note The initial version of the software may not accept all MIDI commands Please contact our Tech Support department for upgrades as they become available MIDI OUT This standard 5 pin DIN MIDI connector can be used to send out
147. Appendix C for the pin out diagram for the 25 pin D Sub connectors Y Apogee Digital 1 0 These cards have an optical digital input connector for connecting eight tracks to an ADAT or ADAT optical compatible MDM They also have a 25 pin D Sub connector for connecting to a Tascam MDM Along with the 25 pin connector is a Sync BNC connector for providing sample rate clock information to a Tascam MDM See Appendix C for the pin out diagram for the Digital 1 0 25 D Sub connector 19 ALT This slot is provided for an optional card AIOe8 1098 that can be installed to provide eight additional analog or digital inputs and outputs Any channel 1 48 Aux Send or Bus 1 8 output can be assigned to the ALT I O outputs Any digital ALT I O input can be assign ed to Bus 1 8 or the L R bus See Appendix F for more information on using I O cards Sync This slot is provided for an optional card that can be installed to provide word clock or blackburst in SMPTE in and ESAM II machine control See Appendix F for Digital I O options Digital I O 2 Digital XLR AES EBU STEREO MASTER Input single plug balanced stereo digital input directly feeds the L R bus Digital XLR AES EBU STEREO MASTER OUTput single plug balanced stereo digital output fed post DSP and fader but pre DAC This output is driven by the main L R bus Digital RCA S PDIF MASTER Input single plug unbalanced stereo digital input directly fee
148. B while channels 13 24 range from 20 dB to 20 dB The trim control 1s active at all times re gardless of whether Fader Bank 1 2 3 or 4 is selected MIC button The MIC button appears on channels 1 12 since these are the only channels with mic in puts This button engages only one connector to the preamp so if MIC is engaged any signal connected to that channel s line input jack is disconnected Note TRIM controls and MIC switches cannot be controlled with the mouse keyboard combi nation nor can they be automated or saved with snapshots In most cases though these controls are set at the beginning of a session and then left alone We have included a Track Sheet at the back of this manual for these controls if necessary REC RDY enable button Press this button to arm the corresponding HDR MDM track via MIDI for recording audio The REC RDY LED flashes when the recorder is in record standby mode and lights con tinuously when the master RECORD button in the transport section is engaged ASSIGN button The ASSIGN button serves two functions it s used to assign a channel to a bus or tape output and to indicate if the channel is assigned to a se lected bus or tape output with its LED WRITE button Press this button to enable arm a channel for an automation pass Used with the buttons the Automation Section 60 67 Fader Bank Virtua Digital 8eBus D
149. CT button below OK to complete the operation Starting a New Session enuew 5 EQUALIZER Digital 8eBus Enter a name for this EQ EVEZACCECHEE DSB 56 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER QOD Starting a New Session TO SAVE AN EQ PATCH From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the EQ control panel Drag down to Save EQ As The Save File As dialog box appears A default name for the EQ is auto matically displayed such as EQ 1 If you want to rename it simply type in the name you want using up to 23 characters Click on Save to complete the operation TO LOAD AN EQ PATCH From the console 1 With EQ selected for channel process ing press the SELECT button on the channel you want to load with the EQ file Press and hold the SHIFT button in the Master V Pot Section to select more than one channel Press MEMORY A or MEMORY B to choose the memory location to which you want to load the file Press LOAD PATCH in the Fat Channel Section The Fat Channel Display shows the first EQ file in alphabetical order in the EQs folder Press the SELECT but tons below the arrows to scroll through the stored EQ files When the one you want appears in the display press the SELECT button be low OK to complete the operation TO LOAD AN EQ
150. DIGITAL 8eBUS OWNER S MANUAL MACKIE S 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL FULLY AUTOMATED DIGITAL AUDIO MIXING CONSOLE Digital 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 pointe 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 l ctrocution The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance Le point d exclamation l int
151. Default settings all level controls at unity gain EQ and pan controls centered enuew 5 Start Up Digital 8 Bus 321 Start Up Snapshots Edit 00 01 Snapshot 1 02 Snapshot 2 151 ALL 152 CLIFBO ARD 153 UNEO Double Click Gray to Recall TO RECALL FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS From the screen 1 Click on the Snapshots button in the lower menu bar The Snapshots dialog box opens 2 Double click on 00 in the list of snapshots click in the gray area on the number 3 console recalls Snapshot 00 which contains the Factory Default settings all faders off EQ and pan controls centered Power Down Since power down is the complement of power up it s worth mentioning here Before you power down the console save your work to the hard drive Then back it up to floppy disk The proce dures for saving files and backing them up to floppy disk are described in Chapter 5 Preparing for a Session later on in this manual After you ve saved your files return the con sole to a zero state by the methods described in the previous section so it s ready for the next session Now simply turn off the power switch on the front panel of the Remote CPU Re booting After Power Failure If the console had been powered off by an AC line failure or other power loss all console settings at the time of power loss will be st
152. Digital 4 1 6 76 Analog Recording Mixdown 020 00 01 6 77 Analog 6 78 Live Sound 6 79 Post Produ TION NEUE 6 80 7 Automation Paame ATOA 7 1 IDV 7 1 Absolute Mod 7 1 Toui ModE 7 1 Levels ModE 7 2 Fad rs in Trim Mode 1 2 Auto Touch Trim Levels 1 2 Snapshot Automatt coca ui DR ORO D d stu sU cuve uber iE 1 2 Automaton Filters IER Tm 7 3 7 3 GS 7 3 PAM caste otic 7 3 N 7 3 Write Standby and Master 1 4 Fader 7 4 Waung Fader NONO UR E dn Re 7 5 Writing Fader Moves in Trim Levels Mode 7 6 Writing Mutes 7 7 Writing Channel V Pot 7 8 Writing Bus Assignments 7 10 Writing Snapshots into
153. E COMPRESSOR COMPRESSOR INPUT REDUCTION OUTPUT ua 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in Reset 1 the COMPRESSOR control panel ng x Open Compressor WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE Editing Compressor Settings You can cut copy and paste compressor settings from one channel to another TO CUT COMPRESSOR SETTINGS 7 From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit 2 Press the CUT ZERO SET button in the Clipboard Section Ge 3 Press the COMPRESSOR button in the amp Fat Channel section seems p ENS qu ii 4 Press the SELECT button below Cut in the Fat Channel Display or press the d CUT button again The compressor Gm 58 727 settings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The compressor then reverts to the default state Starting a New Session COMPRESSOR WHENU Undo Reset Open Compressor Digital 8 Bus CONIPRESSOR Em LJ MENU Undo Reset 1 255 Open Compressor Starting a New Session TO CUT COMPRESSOR SETTINGS From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Compressor control panel Drag down to Cut The compressor settings for that channel are tempo rarily store
154. ECTS SETTINGS From the console This feature is not available from the console TO PASTE EFFECTS SETTINGS From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Effects Control Panel 2 Drag down to Paste The effects set tings for the selected patch are replaced with the settings that are stored in the clipboard memory enuew 5 Starting a New Session sleeve This plug connects to one of the mixer s Channel Insert jacks Using External Processing Compressors gates and equalizers are generally inserted into the signal path They are referred to as serial devices used in series with the signal path All the signal goes into the device then out and back to the mixing console s signal path The compressor gate and EQ in the Digital 8eBus follow this model Reverb echo delay aural excitement and spatial enhancement are usually set up as send return devices These are referred to as parallel devices Some amount of the signal is borrowed from a channel via an aux send sent to the device processed and returned to the console as a new wet signal to be mixed with the original dry signal The plug in effects in the Digital 8eBus follow this model SEND to processor gt tip TRS plug rin g RETURN from processor MONO PLUG e Channel Insert jack Direct out with no signal interruption Insert only to first click MONO
155. EMU From the screen 1 is 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in Undo he E 1 Recut the EQ control panel Open Compressor 2 Drag down to Paste The compressor THRESH ATTACK RELEASE RATIO OUTPUT Compressor As settings for the selected channel are replaced with the settings that are UNE stored in the clipboard memory 2 3 Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus Using the Gate A gate is used to turn off a microphone or sig nal source when the signal drops below the threshold setting This can reduce the overall noise level in your mix by muting unused or noisy channels You might use the gate if you re miking noisy guitar amp so you don t hear the noise when the guitar isn t playing Or you might gate the bass drum signal to prevent the rest of the drum kit from leaking into the bass drum mic Or you might use the gate to reduce reverb tails on a vocal track with a little too much reverb on it 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 turning it off Remember to close the gate or the cows will get out There are a number of settings for the gate that we should explain e Threshold This control determines the level at which the gate acts on the incoming signal It is calibrated in decibels with a range from 60 00 dB to 1
156. ES From the console 1 Connect the AUX 9 10 or 11 12 out puts to the line level inputs on your tape recorder 2 Press AUX 9 10 or AUX 11 12 button in the V Pot Select Section 3 Adjust the V Pot on all the channels you want to send to the auxiliary mix 4 Press the AUX 9 10 or AUX 11 12 PAN button in the V Pot Select Section 5 Adjust the V Pot on all the channels you are sending to the auxiliary mix to control the amount of left or right pan ning for each channel TO USE THE STEREO AUXES dp CUE LEVEL From the screen 1 Connect the AUX 9 10 or 11 12 out puts to the line level inputs on your tape recorder 4 2 2 Click on CUE 1 or CUE 2 LEVEL in the V Pot Select Section Starting a New Session E CUE LEVEL 172 oe Digital 8eBus POSITION RANGE HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO BAR um ee 5 BEATS TICKS LOOP 28 ae ae OE a eie SMPTE VIEW 2 7 0 ENTER LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L MODE 1 REWIND FAST FWD STOP PLAY o gt o gt L SHUTTLE 1 PN SELECT NORMALLED 999 TOTALRECALL SOLO MUTE Double Click Grau to Recall Setup Mix Editor 1 Snapshots Starting a New Session 3 Click and drag on the V Pot for all the channels you want to send to the aux iliary mix 4 Click on the CUE 1 or CUE 2 PAN bu
157. G 5 1 lj M P OO 5 1 Creating a New 5 2 Using the Disk Manager e obe HIN AS 5 4 Copying Files to a Floppy 1 5 4 Copying Files from One Folder to Another 5 4 Creating 5 5 Saving AC TOP 5 6 saving a Session Under a New Name 5 7 Recalling a Session vi 5 8 Saving Sessions to Floppy Disk i osse teeth tr e s 5 9 Creating and Storing Snapshots 5 11 Creating 5 11 Recalling 9 5 12 Locate POINTS 5 13 Recalling Locate 5 15 Looping Between Two Locate 5 16 Clipboard M 5 17 CH orrn cite 5 17 5 18 5 18 5 19 Table of Contents 6 Starting a New Session 6 1 6 1 Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure for Channels 1 24 6 1 Using the Channel 6 3 Adjusting the Channel PAN Control 6 3 Adjustin
158. Impedances All balanced outputs 240Q All unbalanced outputs 1200 Meters 20 LED ladders 24 LEDs per channel from 50 to 0 dB FS 0 dB FS 20 dBu Digital Input Output AES EBU Connector Type XLR 3 Pin Impedance 600Q Maximum Output 0 dB FS Maximum Input 0 dB FS Bit Resolution Output 24 Input 24 Format IEC958 Professional S PDIF Connector Type RCA Impedance 75Q Maximum Output 0 dB FS Maximum Input 0 dB FS Bit Resolution 24 bit input and output Format IEC958 Consumer Converters 24 Bit 115 dB Signal to Noise Ratio EIAJ 106 dB Dynamic Range 128X oversampling DSP 32 bit gt 190dB dynamic range Apogee UV22 16 bit Super CD Encoding on board Digital Trim gain range 100 dB to 10 dB Equalizer Gain range 15 dB Frequency range 20 20kHz split into 4 bands Q 1 12 to 3 octave Compressor Threshold 60 00 dB to 1 00 dB Attack 0 31 ms to 2560 00 ms Release 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms Ratio 1 00 1 to 19 99 1 Output 0 00 dB to 20 00 dB Gate Threshold 60 00 to 1 00 dB Attack 0 10 ms to 599 99 ms Release 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms Range 0 00 dB to 100 00 dB Remote CPU Processor 166 MHz Pentium compatible CPU Storage via floppy drive internal hard drive or 10 base T Ethernet network T O Connections Mouse 6 pin mini DIN PS 2 style Keyboard 5 pin DIN IBM compatible Video High Density 15 pin D Sub SVGA output 1024x768 pixel resolution 72Hz mini
159. In the analog world as a signal dies away it does so smoothly if nothing is wrong with the system As the level drops the signal gets progressively quieter At some point it reaches the same level as the noise and as the signal level continues to drop you can still hear it even though it lies below the noise floor This constitutes an important aspect of the way that analog signals behave you can hear coherent audio information even when it has a significantly lower level than random noise In the raw digital environment things are dif ferent As the level of a signal drops fewer and fewer binary digits represent the audio informa tion Ultimately you simply run out of bits and when this happens the signal just stops and in a 16 bit system this happens at an audible level This behavior is one of the factors that gave early digital recordings a bad name and led some pundits to claim that digital audio sounded fundamentally inferior to analog Adding noise to the signal provided one solution to the problem At low levels this effectively turns the last few bits on and off at random smoothing out the sound and ensuring that everything does not simply disappear as the level falls We call this noise dither noise or simply dither The word literally means to tremble or quiver a reference presumably to the least significant bits turning on and off at random The disadvantage of this process you introdu
160. It is calibrated in Hertz Hz with a range from 500Hz to 20kHz It also has a Flat position which bypasses the control Ping Pong This effect is the same as stereo delay with the exception that the left feedback is directed to the right delay input and the right feedback is directed to the left delay input In this way the delayed signal echo bounces back and forth be tween the left and right channels Chorus The chorus effect generates a mono or stereo simulated chorus of voices It has the following controls Depth This adjusts the depth of the chorus modulation for all the voices It is calibrated in milliseconds mS with a range from to 10 0mS Delay This adjusts the amount of time be tween the original signal and all the generated chorus voices It is calibrated in milliseconds mS with a range from OmS to 100mS Thicken This defines the number of delay taps used to generate the chorus effect and how they are distributed across the left and right channels There are four settings 0 one mono voice 1 one stereo voice 2 two stereo voices 3 three stereo voices Speed This controls the rate of the chorus modulation and applies to all voices It is cali brated in Hertz Hz with a range from 0 1Hz to 10 082 Waveform This defines the waveform that is used for modulating the voices There are three settings including sine triangle and random The random setting applies random sine tria
161. MIDI Machine Control MMC commands to an MMC compatible recorder The MIDI OUT can also be used to transmit Program Changes and Sysex dumps to outboard gear Note The initial version of the software may not transmit all MIDI commands Please contact our Tech Support department for upgrades as they become available Ethernet connector This RJ 45 connector accepts standard network plugs It is used to connect to an Ethernet hub for communication with the outside world via the Internet This provides a method for upgrading the Mackie Real Time OS as well as accessing new plug in effects Additionally peer to peer connections are possible through this connection See Appendix H Upgrading for more information Digital 8eBus Description 2151 22 COLOR MONITOR Port Connecting an optional SVGA monitor allows for graphic display of many console functions including secondary console layout m equalization compression gating software library and hierarchy menus See GUI Description page xx for software screen listings Video pixel resolution at this port is 1024x768 C 43 CONSOLE DATA o0 Connect the supplied 25 pin D Sub computer cable between CONSOLE DATA 137 connector on the rear panel of the console L and this connector on the Remote CPU This cable must be installed for the console to communicate with the CPU PARALLEL Port You can use this 25 pin D Sub co
162. OMPRESSOR PLUG INS LOAD PATCH SAVE PATCH Starting a New Session TO CHANGE THE GAIN SETTING From the screen This can be done in one of two ways 1 Click and drag in the small EQ display for the channel you want to adjust Move the mouse up and down to ad just the gain setting The settings are immediately updated in the Fat Chan nel Display 2 Click on the EQ button in the lower menu bar to view a larger amplitude vs frequency graph of the EQ settings for the selected channel The graph shows the EQ settings for the selected Memory A or Memory B You can click and drag the line in the EQ window up and down to adjust the gain settings Or you can click in the box showing the gain value and drag the mouse up and down to change the gain The set tings are immediately updated in the Fat Channel Display Changing the Center Frequency Setting The center frequency can be adjusted for each band of the EQ We recommend using the default frequencies to start and then adjusting them as required for each particular application TO CHANGE THE CENTER FREQUENCY SETTING From the console 1 Press the SELECT switch above the V Pot for the band you want to adjust so that FREQ is displayed Tip You can also use Next to have the VFD display each EQ band s gain Frequency and Q 2 Rotate the V Pot clockwise to increase the frequency and rotate it counter clockwise to decrease the frequency setting Freque
163. OW THIS SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE FOR EACH CHANNEL IN USE 1 Ifyou re starting from scratch it s a good idea to zero the console to some starting To monitor the signal adjust the Solo Level in the Studio Solo Section by pressing SOLO and adjusting the LEVEL V Pot point such as all level controls down and EQ and pan controls centered Snapshot 00 is 9 If desired press the channel s SELECT switch and adjust the EQ in the Fat Chan nel You may need to readjust the channel s TRIM control after changing the EQ setting pre programmed with our default factory set tings our version of a zeroed console You can reprogram Snapshot 00 so that it re sets the console to your preferred zero state or keep the factory default settings 10 Repeat steps 4 10 on the next channel that and save your own settings to another snap is being used shot Snapshot 01 for example 2 11 Once you ve achieved rough mix using this method clear all soloed channels to monitor the Main L R Output and use the channel faders to adjust individual levels Leave the TRIM control alone This will give you the best signal to noise ratio in your mix c 2 Connect a signal to a channel 4 e If the channel will be used with a micro phone the MIC switch should be up 72 m e If the channel will be used with a line input the MIC switch should be down B 3
164. PHASE PHASE GATE GATE COMP INPUT REGUCTION OUTPUT MEMU MEM E HE on ATTACK RELEASE RAHGE MACKIE D8B 5 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER 11 Gj SELECT THE GATE From the screen 1 Click on the GATE button near the top of the channel strip you want to gate 2 Touse the graphic view click on the GATE button in the lower menu bar or press Ctrl 7 on the keyboard enuew 5 Adjusting the Gate Settings TO ADJUST THE GATE SETTINGS From the console 1 With GATE selected in the Fat Channel the first V Pot adjusts the gate thresh old with a range from 60 00 dB to 1 00 dB Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the threshold and counter clockwise to decrease the threshold 2 The second V Pot adjusts the gate at tack time with a range from 0 10 ms milliseconds to 599 99 ms 0 6 sec onds Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the attack time and counter clockwise to decrease the attack time 3 The third V Pot adjusts the gate re lease time with a range from 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms 2 5 seconds Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the re lease time and counterclockwise to decrease the release time The last adjustable parameter is the range with a range from 0 00 dB to 100 00 dB Typically you would leave thi
165. PLUG PLUG Channel Insert rt Direct out with signal interruption Insert all the way in to the second click 2 RI Insert jack T use as an effects loop TIP SEND to effect RING RETURN from effect Starting a New Session You can add external processing devices in addition to the internal processors of the Digital 8eBus If you want to use an external serial device on a channel such as a compressor equalizer de esser or specialized filter use the channel INSERT jack available on channels 1 12 The channel INSERT point is after the TRIM control but before the A D converter and DSP effects The send tip is low impedance 120 ohms capable of driving any line level device The return ring is high impedance over 2 5k ohms and can be driven by almost any device Insert cables must be wired thusly Tip Send output to effects device Ring Return input from effects device Sleeve Common ground connect shield to all three sleeves Besides being used for inserting external de vices these jacks can also be used as channel analog direct outputs post TRIM and pre EQ In fact Mackie mic preamps have become so fa mous that people buy our compact mixers just to have four or six of these preamps in their arse nal Here s three ways you can use the channel INSERT jacks If you want to use an external parallel device on a channel such as a reverb or digital delay use the AUX sends and Ef
166. PSHOT L MODE FAST FWD STOP PLAY o gt gt L SHUTTLE 1 GONE MEMORY FADER TRIM EVENTS CPU TOUCH 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 00 00 00 20 00 New Delete B Renum Store Preparing for a Session Note If you enter a number that is already used you will overwrite the previous locate time with the new one 5 Press the ENTER button The Fat Channel Display indicates that the locate point has been stored You can store a locate point on the fly Roll the tape e With LOCATOR selected in the Transport Section press the STORE button e Enter a two digit number to identity the locate point e Press the ENTER button at the point in time you want to store the locate TO CREATE LOCATE POINTS 2 From the screen 1 Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Transport window appears in the screen 2 Click on the time display to enter a new time using the keyboard Tab left or Shift Tab right to navigate in the display 3 Click on the New button at the bottom of the Transport window A new locate point appears in the cue list using the first unused number Note You must Tab out of the display in order for the New button to work 4 You can change the name of the locate point to something more useful like First Verse Double click on the Untitled name to highlight it and typ
167. Pan on each channel you want to pan in the Cue Mix 1 8 Adjust the Master V Pot to control the overall aux send level Starting a New Session enuew 5 6 17 Digital 8eBus CUE LEVEL AR SOLO i AUX 9 10 AUX 11 12 CONTROL ROOM 4 LEVEL 24 REC WRITE WRITE Cue 1 Starting a New Session 9 Press SOLO in the Master V Pot Sec tion to monitor the cue mix in the control room 10 Repeat steps 2 8 for Aux 11 12 to create a second cue mix TO SET UP A CUE MIX CUE From the screen Select Fader Bank 2 by clicking the TAPE button Click on the CUE 1 LEVEL button in the V Pot Select Section Press AUX 9 10 in the Phones Cue Mix Section no equivalent on screen Use the Phones Cue Mix LEVEL V Pot to adjust the Phones output level At this point you can copy the L R mix to the cue mix by pressing the COPY MIX TO CUE button in the Phones Cue Mix Section no equiva lent on screen This copies the fader levels from each channel to the chan nel V Pot Aux Sends The Effects Returns on Fader Bank 3 are also cop ied to the cue mix Click and hold on the V Pot Aux Send Level on each channel you want to modify in the Cue Mix and adjust by dragging the mouse up and down Click and hold on the Master V Pot and drag the mouse up and down to control the overall aux send level
168. Power Switch Front 2 16 Power DOWN SS 3 2 Power Failure Rebooting After 3 2 Power Up Initial 3 1 Preparing for Session ys 5 1 PREVIOUS and NEXT Arrow Buttons 2 5 Processing External 6 62 DSP Plug INS 1 3 BUE Dp 2 14 Q Q bandwidth RR PHP A 4 Changing the Q Setting 6 31 Quad Surround Sound 8 10 TO PRO A 4 B 2 Figure 4 Quantization B 3 Quick 1 4 Quick Start Video 1 4 R RAM Random Access Memory A 4 RANGE LED Display 2 10 RCA S PDIF MASTER IDpt 2 13 RCA S PDIF STEREO MASTER OUTput 2 13 Rear Panel Description aiibi sd DRE DIR MEER 2 12 Rebooting After Power Failure 3 2 Recalling Recalling Console snapshots 6 74 Recalling Factory Default Settings 3 1 Recalling Locate Points 5 15 Recalling Snapshot 5 12 6 74 Recalling Session 5 8 Recommended BOOKS Appendix K NEP 6 1 Ar
169. SE static settings for the selected channel d Ir IE to the clipboard memory The channel M Paste then reverts to the default zero state Select Fader Bank 5 17 Preparing for a Session CUT ZERO SET COPY PASTE UNDO Digital 8eBus MACKIE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b d 1 PS 2 Copying TO MAKE A COPY From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit Press the COPY button in the Clipboard Section and the Copy menu appears in the display Press the SELECT button below Copy Mix to copy all automation events for the selected channel to the clipboard memory The automation events for the channel remain in place 4 Select Copy to copy the static settings for the selected channel to the clipboard memory The channel retains its settings TO MAKE A COPY Copy 5 4 Ctrl C I DUT ap Cut Channels D 3 Copy Channels PHASE Paste All gt COMP COMF Select Fader Bank co File Edit Channel Automation Windows J Undo Cut All Ctrl rom e screen E rimmimn 1 Click on the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit Click on Edit in the upper menu bar and select Copy Moves from the drop down menu to copy all automation events for the selected channel to the clipboard memory or press Ct
170. Start At Length 3 In the Length box enter the amount of time you want to insert For example if you want to add a minute at the beginning of your mix enter 00 00 00 00 in the Start At box and 00 01 00 00 in the Length box If you want to add a minute and fifteen sec onds of blank time at two minutes into your mix enter 00 02 00 00 in the Start At box and 00 01 15 00 in the Length box 4 Click on the Insert button Insert Blank Time is handy for putting an offset at the beginning of a mix to lock it up to an audio source that has a different start point It s also handy if for example you added some time in a sequenced music piece and now you need to add the time to your mix This could require some tweaking if the inserted time falls in the middle of events as noted previously Deleting Time 1 Choose Delete Time from the Automation menu at the top of the screen Windows Modify Events Ctrl M m E Insert Blank Time Automation Lik Delete Time 3 penne Automation Info In the Start At box enter the time at which you want your deletion to start Delete Time Delete all automation events from the start time for given length Start At End 4 3 In the End At box enter the time at which you want the deletion to end 4 Click on the Delete button Delete Time is handy if you have too much offset time at the beginning of a mix Or in the reverse of the a
171. TAL I O TO CONFIGURE AUTO SAVE From the screen 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens 2 Click on the General icon on the left side of the box The General dialog box opens 3 The Auto Save options appear at the bottom of the box Click on Never to turn Auto Save off or Click on After Each Pass to save your session after each automation pass or Click on After 10 minutes to save your session periodically You can change the amount of time between saves by clicking in the minutes box and entering a new number using the number keys on the keyboard Or Click on Create New Files to save the session under a new name each time the session 1s saved 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Front of House level changes wont affect the monitor mix If you re using an aux send as an external effects send you may want to set it post fader TO SET AUX SENDS PRE POST FADER From the console 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup Menu appears in the Fat Channel Display 2 Press the NEXT button in the Fat Channel Section to go to page 2 of the General Setup menu MACKIE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b 2 Press the SELECT button below Pre Post in the Fat Channel Display The kee
172. TINGS From the screen Click and hold MENU button in the Gate control panel Drag down to Copy The gate set tings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The gate settings for the se lected channel are retained CUT ZERO SET COPY PASTE UNDO TO PASTE GATE SETTINGS From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit JOUMO 2 Press PASTE button in Clipboard Section Or press the Select lt button under PASTE in the Fat CU channel display PASTE GATE SETTINGS _ From the screen su 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in _ IE e Open Gate 42 43 44 45 46 ae TTE ams THRESH REC REC REC REC Cut WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE Using Internal Effects The Digital 8eBus comes with one DSP card installed to provide two stereo effects Three additional cards can be installed for a total of up to eight mono in stereo out internal effects available simultaneously The console ships with the Mackie FX 8 plug in installed This plug in provides five useful effects that can be globally selected and used with the aux sends and FX returns Each effect has a 3 Band Parametric EQ which filters the signal prior to the actual effect 3 Band Parametric EQ This provides a low sh
173. Tape Outputs and then use the Low Power UV22 setting on the AES EBU or S PDIF outputs For a more in depth look at UV22 refer to Appendix D LOAD PLUG INS DIGITAL I O rlo HHH el 2 4 ale PLUG INS MACKIE DSB 56 72 CHANNEL mixer db rop Digital TAPE 1 8 TAPE 9 16 TAPE 17 24 Type Empty Empty Empty i Output ALT 1 8 Type Empty Stereo 170 Input Status Bits Pro Internal Sample Rate 441k Selecting UV22 TO SELECT UV22 ON TAPE OUTPUTS ALT OUTPUTS AND STEREO OUTPUTS AES EBU OR S PDIF From the console 1 Press the DIGITAL button in the Setup Section 2 The Digital I O Setup Menu appears in the Fat Channel Display 3 Press the PREVIOUS and NEXT but tons in the Fat Channel Section to view all the menu choices 4 Press the SELECT button below the Tape ALT or Stereo that you want to configure The Digital I O options appear in the display 5 Press the SELECT button below UV22 to toggle through the various settings TO SELECT UV22 ON TAPE OUTPUTS ALT OUTPUTS AND STEREO OUTPUTS AES EBU OR S PDIF 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens 2 Click on the Digital icon on the left side of th
174. UDE SOLO LIGHT Whenever a SOLO button is engaged the RUDE SOLO LIGHT blinks to let you know In addition when the SELECT SHIFT CONTROL or ALT buttons are pressed the RUDE SOLO LIGHT lights continuously to indicate that a modifier key is active Phones Cue Mix Section These two matrices select the source s for the Phones outputs set Phones levels and add effects to the cue mix 54 AUX 9 10 COPY MIX TO 5 UX 11 12 CONTROL LEVEL LEVEL AUX 9 10 button Assigns the stereo Aux Send 9 10 to the PHONES output AUX 11 12 button Assigns the stereo Aux Send 11 12 to the PHONES output COPY MIX TO CUE button Pressing this button causes all the channel fader settings to be copied to the channel V Pots for the selected Aux 9 10 or Aux 11 12 Send including the effects returns on Fader Bank 3 This allows you to quickly create a cue mix based on your overall L R mix which you can then fine tune to suit your performers Note The COPY MIX TO CUE function may not be implemented in the first release of the Mackie Real Time OS software Stay tuned to Mackie s web site for software updates 6 CONTROL ROOM button Assigns the same source as the Control Room to the PHONES output Solo signals are also routed to the PHONES output when Con trol Room is selected LEVEL V Pot Adjusts the PHONES output level 5 Control Room Section These buttons select the
175. UT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b 3 Press the SELECT button below samplerate in the Fat Channel Display The Sample Rate Setup menu appears 4 Press the SELECT button below the MACKIE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b desired sample rate PER e 5 The console is now set to operate at ELELELELELELLLL ihe selected sannieTate TO SET THE CONSOLE S SAMPLE RATE TEM Click on the Setup button in the lower s menu bar The Setup dialog box opens TAPE 1 8 TAPE 9 16 TAPE 17 24 Type Empty Empty Empty mE ooo 2 Click on Digital icon on the left side iu ne een of the box The Digital Setup dialog box opens ALT 1 8 Empty 3 Inthe Internal Sample Rate section ane input Status Bits click the desired sample rate Signal 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the Setup dialog box to Internal Sample Rate 44 1k 45k close it or click on the Setup button in k the menu bar Start Up p WY Downloading Plug Ins to the FX Cards The Digital 8eBus comes with one internal ef When you start a new session you may want fects card installed with the option of installing to change the plug in effects that are loaded in up to three more Each effects card can process the FX Cards two different effects which you can
176. VGA monitor will show full screen graphic resolution Note Most SVGA monitors are multisync a k a multiscanning monitors which automatically adjust to the signal frequency of the video display driver If you have a fixed frequency monitor be sure the monitor is capable of reproducing 1024 by 768 pixels with 256 color resolution at a minimum of 72Hz refresh rate Using a Mouse In conjunction with the SVGA display an optional PS 2 style mouse can provide greatly increased ease of use Use the mouse to select all graphic symbols on the screen including the SMPTE display Snapshots Locate points graphic editing windows etc The mouse input is an IBM compatible 6 pin mini DIN PS 2 style connector JOUMO There are two other standards for mouses on a PC the serial mouse and the bus mouse A serial mouse connects to the computer s serial port which is usually a 9 pin D Sub connector using RS 232 or RS 422 data transmission protocol A bus mouse connects to an expansion board plugged into a computer slot and the connection can vary depending on the board A PS 2 mouse connects to a PS 2 port which is a 6 pin mini DIN connector on the computer and is often referred to as can you guess the mouse port Using a QWERTY Keyboard The final input output option is an IBM compatible keyboard which can be used to input alphanumeric names and parameters An extended 101 key keyboard with a 10 key entry
177. a spring loaded pitch bender would work on a keyboard Use the mouse to drag the pitch bender up to raise the pitch Drag the pitch bender down to lower the pitch When you release your mouse button the pitch bender will spring back to the center position where the pitch will be unaffected You can also use an external pitch bender from a MIDI keyboard with the same results IVL Vocal Studio JOUMO 5 PITCH BEND RANGE Semibanes Pitch Bend Range sets a maximum amount the pitch can be corrected using the Pitch Bender The pitch bend range is set by grabbing the red circle located in the Pitch Bend Range window with your mouse When the range is set to maximum the pitch can be corrected by 12 semitones 1 octave with the Pitch Bender When the pitch bend range is set to its minimum the pitch can be corrected by 50 cents 1 semitone Set the range for the maximum amount of pitch correction needed If the vocal track travels a full semitone out of tune set the range to 1 or 2 semitones Digital 8 Bus PITCH CONTROLLER m mm Pitch Controller is used to force the vocal line to an exact pitch With the spin dial located above the pitch controller keyboard set the oc tave of the note you want to force the vocal line to sound Once you have set the octave trigger the note you want using the Pitch Controller keyboard As long as you are holding triggering the note with the mou
178. aining in a room after the source of sound is stopped It s what you hear in a large tiled room immediately after you ve clapped your hands Reverberation and echo are terms that can be used interchangeably but in audio parlance a distinction is usually made reverberation 1s considered to be a diffuse con tinuously smooth decay of sound whereas echo is a distinct recognizable repetition of a word note phrase or sound Reverberation and echo can be added in sound mixing by sending the original sound to an electronic or electronic acoustic system that mimics natural reverbera tion or worse The added reverb is returned to the blend through additional mixer inputs Highly reverberant rooms are called live rooms with very little reverberation are called dead A sound source without added reverb is dry one with reverb or echo added is wet ROM Read Only Memory In computers and computer controlled equipment this is an area of processor memory that can only be read from sampling frequency This is the rate at which an analog signal is sampled during the analog to digital conver sion process It is selectable between 44 1kHz and 48 kHz rates which are fast enough to ac curately capture the analog signal information into digital form send A term used to describe a secondary mix and output of the input signals typically used for foldback monitors headphone monitors or ef fects devices Mackie mixers call it an aux send
179. al Pitch Controller Use the keyboard to force the vocal to an exact pitch Pitch Octave Spin Dial As we could only fit one reasonably sized keyboard octave on screen the octave spin dial lets you decide which octave the keyboard represents Slope Use this lovely window to set the transition rate between the original vocal sound and the pitch corrected sound On Off This turns the pitch corrector on or off Operation Harmony Harmony mode is used to create everything from harmonies to doubled voices To make sure you are in Harmony mode make sure it is selected The Editing Parameters The editing parameters are the tools that allow you to put some spice into your harmonies or doubled voices Some of the editing para meters are used in all control modes and others are specific to one control mode SmartChord PitchShift Interval Gender Detune Volume Pan Styles Envelope Key Scale Interval JOUMO Using interval sliders you can adjust interval of each of the four harmony voices Basically Interval controls the voicing of the harmonies relative to your lead note When in the SmartChord and SmartKey control modes the interval settings are divided into seven coarse steps Each step directs the voice in a different way The following table describes the individual intervals in musical and nonmusical terms Note that although the descriptions for the SmartChord and SmartKey i
180. al 8eBus File Structure Heirarchy 1 GuitarBu gat N N Patches and Bin You can create new folders and store any file in any folder see Figure 5 1 Sessions The Sessions folder is the default location to store session files You can store sessions under different names perhaps the title of a song or name of a piece that has several segments or verse chorus etc All automation snapshot and locate points are stored in the session file Session files have a d8b extension which is automatically appended to the filename you don t need to add it yourself The extension isn t visible during normal file loading and saving operations but is visible in the File Manager window on screen only Patches The Patches folder is the default location to store channel chn EQ equ gate gat compressor cmp internal effects efx and surround sound sur settings As with sessions the extensions are automatically appended to the filename and are not visible during normal file loading and saving operations EQ compressor and gate settings are select able per channel but internal effects settings are selected and assigned globally to the aux sends A number of factory presets for the internal effects are stored in the MackieFx and Vocal Studio folders in the Patches folder It s a good idea to store a modified effects preset under a different name so that the origin
181. al presets are always available You should also back up the factory presets to a floppy disk so they are always available Bin The Bin folder is where files go that have been dragged into the trash bin in the Disk Manager window You can retrieve files from the Bin by copying them and pasting them into another folder Otherwise click on Edit in the upper left Backup d amp b Mix 1 d8b Joe s Garage d amp b Bonnie d amp b o set x o and select Empty Trash Bin to delete the files from the Bin folder m efx 9 und sur FourCorners sur 9 patch 1 efx Small R surr patch 2 efx Voice Doubler efx Preparing for a Session 5 1 Digital 8 Bus MACKIE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b e 0001 011 RE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b H kel k 22 lr RE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b TTT TT TT TET EET s21 Preparing for a Session NEW PLUG INS LOAD DIGITAL I O Creating a New Folder You can create a new folder at any level of the file heirarchy TO CREATE A NEW FOLDER From the console 1 Press the SAVE button in the Setup Section Note You c
182. all gl c oes PE Appendix F Configuring Digital 3 11 DIGITAL 1 0 Button 2 10 RCA S PDIF Input 2 13 RCA S PDIF Output sc serenitate 2 13 XLR AES EBU 2 13 XLR AES EBU Output 2 13 Input Signals Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects 6 69 Input Levels Adjusting 6 8 6 65 Master Input Output Section 2 13 MIDI eae 2 15 PUNCH T O T 2 14 R R 2 12 Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure for Ch 25 48 6 23 Inserts HAB us ee tta tee rent ian 4 3 Intensity Display Setting ccce 3 9 Internal Effects Selecting 6 55 Iuterual 3 IVL Vocal Studio Appendix E E 3 Harmony Control 5 1 Pitch Corrector MOE E 7 E 3 J 4 JOG amp SHUTTLE Button 5 6 seas teu 2 11 K PG GAC 1 3 47 2 16 Keyboard Shortcuts sescenti Appendix I L L R 2 14 Analog XLR L R OUipiitSs eio 2 14 CE Main L R lt equi dn 2 14 CR Near Field L R Outputs iiia eras 2 14 Master L R Button
183. an create a new folder from the Save Save As New or Load menus 2 The Fat Channel Display now shows the Save Session menu An arrow appears in the right side of the display indicating that you can access another page by pressing the NEXT button Press the NEXT button and the directory navigator appears in the display The current folder folder and directory are used interchangeably here is indicated in the upper right side of the display You can navigate to a different folder by using the SELECT buttons under ChangeDir and the Scan arrows To move toward the root directory scan left until BACK DIR appears in the upper left side of the display then press the SELECT button under ChangeDir To move away from the root directory scan right until the folder name you want to open appears in the display then press the SELECT button under ChangeDir When you have the folder you want displayed as the current directory press the SELECT button under New to create a new folder within the current folder The Create Folder menu appears To name the folder e Turn the first V Pot to change the letters e Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to move the cursor left and right You must use at least 3 and up to 20 characters to name a file When the name appears as you want it press the SELECT button below Create to complete the operation The new folder b
184. ance to AUX 5 8 and AUX 9 12 if desired Press the PREVIOUS button to move back through the menu DSB 5 72 CHANNEL 5 Press the SELECT button below each Aux to toggle between Pre and Post gt 6 When finished press PREVIOUS to get back to the General Setup Menu and then press the GENERAL button to re turn to normal Fat Channel operation TO CONFIGURE AN AUX SEND TO BE PRE OR POST FADER EL From the screen 1 Clickon the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens 2 Click on the Aux Surround icon on the Aux Surround 0 left side of the box The Aux Surround dialog box opens Checkmark auxes you want Pre Fader above m 4 7 3 Clickin the boxes corresponding to the auxes you want to configure pre fader B HB uro A checkmark indicates pre fader is J axs _ selected 4 Click on Close button in upper Surround Sound Mode right corner of the dialog box to remove the Setup dialog box from the screen or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Starting a New Session Digital 8eBu Adjusting for Nominal Input and Output Levels The channel V Pot indicates the relative send level for the selected aux bus by the LED indica
185. annel New Session 8 Open Session Close Window Save Session Save Session PHASE PHASE Disk Manager Ctrl D B Jnanne s Garage Mix Enter a name for this Sezzion File Edit Channel Automation _ New Session Ctrl gt Open Session Save Session m Save Session As i Disk Manager Dave s Not Here Gooch s Mix G Greg s Sessions mix 1 mint mints mix34 Fick a file to open Preparing for a Session display press the PREVIOUS button to return to the Load Session menu e Scan until the session s name appears in the display then select Open to load the session from the hard drive TO SAVE A SESSION TO FLOPPY DISK 2 From the screen 1 Using the mouse choose Save Session As from the File menu in the upper menu bar A dialog box appears asking if you want to save any changes to the current session Make your selection to continue 2 The Save File As dialog box appears with the name mix 1 or the next numerically available number Click on the Floppy Drive Icon to select it Make sure you have a 3 5 floppy disk inserted in the floppy drive 3 Ifyou want to create a new name for the session you can type it in now 4 Click on the Save button to save the session to the floppy disk Note Your working directory is now the floppy drive You must load the session from the internal hard drive in order
186. annel 10 Channel 11 Channel 12 Channel 13 Channel 14 Channel 15 Channel 16 Channel 17 Channel 18 Channel 19 Channel 20 Channel 21 Channel 22 Channel 23 Channel 24 Reset All TO BOUNCE RECORDED TRACKS DOWN TO ONE OR TWO TRACKS From the screen 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by clicking on the TAPE button next to the Master Fader Turn off the L R assignments for chan nels 25 30 tracks 1 6 returns Turn off the L R assignments for any other channels you don t want to monitor while bouncing down Click and hold on the 1 button at the top of channel 1 Sweep across to channel 6 to assign channels 1 6 to Bus 1 Click and hold on the 2 button at the top of channel 6 Sweep across to channel 1 to assign channels 1 6 to Bus 2 Click on the MASTERS button next to the Master Fader to select Fader Bank 4 Click and hold on the OUT box at the top of BUS 1 channel 89 Drag down to channel 7 to assign Bus 1 to channel 7 tape out Click and hold on the OUT box at the top of BUS 2 channel 90 Drag down to channel 8 to assign Bus 2 to channel 8 tape out Channels 25 30 are now assigned to Bus 1 and 2 and Bus 1 and 2 are assigned to tape outs 7 and 8 respectively Adjust the V Pot Pan controls on each channel to achieve the proper left right balance If you assign a channel to an odd even pair of buses the channel pan control pans the signal between the two buses You can run through a test m
187. aster solo level with the LEVEL V Pot The solo signal is routed to the Control Room outputs and the Master L R meters indicate the signal level of all soloed channels when one or more SOLO buttons are engaged Solo is active in all four Fader Banks enuew 5 Soloing an Aux Send Note Aux Send soloing is always post Master V Pot regardless of the AFL PFL selection in the Solo Studio Section TO SOLO AN AUX SEND From the console 1 Select an aux bus by pressing one of the Aux buttons in the V Pot Select Section 2 Press the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section 3 The red LED in the SOLO button lights and the RUDE SOLO LIGHT in the Studio Solo Section begins flashing 4 Whatever source is selected for the control room is overridden by the solo signal Press SOLO LEVEL in the Stu dio Solo Section to adjust the master solo level with the LEVEL V Pot The solo signal is routed to the Control Room outputs and the Master L R meters indicate the signal level of all soloed channels and aux sends when one or more SOLO buttons are engaged 5 Youcan select a different aux bus and solo it in the same way Only one aux send can be soloed at a time You can still solo multiple channels along with the soloed aux send The aux send re mains soloed until you either turn the SOLO button off or press the CLEAR SOLO button in the Studio Solo Section Starting a New Session Digital 8 8 5
188. at Channel Section The PLUG INS menu appears in the Fat Channel Display At desired times adjust the V Pots in the Fat Channel to make your changes 7 Upon completion of the automation recording pass if you re satisfied with the recorded effects adjustments make sure to save the session press SAVE in the Session Setup Section Advanced Techniques Digital 8 EVENTS FADER TRIM CFU E MUTE New Delete Renum 0 Store 4 L Ms empty patch RECORD EFFECTS CHANGES Locator z 55 00 00 00 00 From the screen 1 Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Locator dialog box appears on the screen 2 Click on the TOUCH button in the Locator window to initiate AUTO TOUCH mode make sure the Bypass button is turned off 3 Begin rolling tape by either clicking Play in the Locator window or from the recorder 4 Click on the CARD button in the lower menu bar to open the control panel for the effect you want to change 5 At desired times click hold and drag on the controls you want to automate 6 Upon completion of the automation recording pass if you re satisfied with the recorded effects adjustments make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session os Virtual
189. at vocal sounds without singing a vocal line four times Volume These sliders provide individual level con trol over your voices If you are in QUAD output mode VOLUME edit will not be avail able volume will be controlled via the four assigned aux return faders If you are using the Vocal Studio in Stereo output mode you will want to mix your voices using the Vocal Studio volume controls Pan pum Now the sliders are going the other way The pan controls are used to place your harmony Voices in a stereo field Just as with the volume controls you will want to set your pan controls differently depending on which output mode you are using When in QUAD output mode PAN is not available to edit Instead you control the pan on their dedicated aux returns Styles Vibrato adds another level of human quality to the harmony voices The majority of singers use some amount of vibrato Basically Vibrato is like the modulation wheel on a keyboard which modulates a harmony voice s pitch by a small amount The Vibrato presets are based FOWL Parra on the amount of modulation the rate of the modulation and when the modulation starts 0 off no vibrato Light low depth medium rate with onset delay Medium medium depth medium rate with onset delay Heavy high depth medium rate with onset delay Light amp Fast low depth fast rate with onset delay Med Fast medium dept
190. ation pass 2 The Mix Editor can be opened and used to cut copy and paste data in case of overwrites or unintended tweaks 3 Save often Use the Auto Save feature set to Save after every pass if you feel more comfortable working with a safety net Automation doesn t take up much space on your hard disk and floppies so save as often as you think is necessary Fader Motors Off At times you may find fader movement distract ing during automated playback The FADER MOTORS OFF button in the Automation Section al lows you to turn off the fader motors and prevent any fader motion during automated playback When this switch is engaged the faders drop to the off po sition all the way down regardless of which fader bank is selected BYPASS FADERS AUTO TOUCH FADER MOTORS TRIM LEVELS OFF FAST FWD STOP PLAY gt gt o gt SHUTTLE J JOG amp SHUTTLE 4 JOG E AS NEW SAVE gt lt GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL All previously written automated fader moves still play back when the fader mo tors are off but the faders are disabled and will not accept new dynamic automation changes until the fader motors are turned back on Writing Fader Moves TO WRITE FADER MOVES JOUMO From console 1 Press the BYPASS button in the Automation Section to engage the automation functions enuew 5 2 Press the FADERS button to engage Fad
191. ation to IVL Vocal Studio to low the note and how long it takes for the create harmonies harmony voice to scoop to the actual note no scooping low amount fast rate scooping high amount medium fast rate scooping low amount medium slow rate scooping high amount slow rate scooping low amount very slow rate scooping IVL Vocal Studio Digital 8eBus 2 Intelligent Harmonies IVL Vocal Studio uses intelligence to help create natural harmonies Smart Smart Action Manual Chord Ke Shift Use intelligent harmonies Manual Because you can choose exactly which harmony notes you want Manual mode is excellent for creating unusual harmony treat ments Where the SmartKey and SmartChord control modes follow the ascending and descending direction of your voice Manual mode allows you to play a descending harmony line over an ascending melody line for example You can combine this aspect with the ability to play dense chord voicings with lots of sixths sevenths and ninth color notes to create harmony parts that are truly unique When using Manual or SmartChord modes the keyboard control modes you can save time by using a MIDI sequencer to play any or all of the instrumental parts in your composi tion As there are often pad chords on a synth or piano track these can also be used to trigger harmonies When you choose Manual mode in this situ ation the harmony parts won t follow the melody lines you sing
192. bility D B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER lt 4 lt HI lt E LOAD PATCH SAVE PATCH Fat Channel Display This vacuum fluorescent display provides an interface for selecting and adjusting channel EQ and dynamics global plug in effects and for selecting operating system options prefer ences and managing files V Pot SELECT buttons These buttons are used to select an option appearing in the Fat Channel Display or to toggle through a series of parameters related to a function For example when viewing the parametric EQ settings for a channel pressing the SELECT button for LOW EQ cycles the dis play through the Gain Frequency and Q parameter settings for the Low EQ V Pot controllers These knobs provide control of the currently selected parameter chosen by the V Pot SELECT buttons A ring of eleven discrete LEDs surround the V Pots to indicate the relative position of the current setting with an arc from 7 o clock to 5 o clock An additional LED located at the 6 o clock position lights when the V Pot control is exactly cen tered or normalled for example when an audio track is panned precisely in the center of the stereo picture PREVIOUS and NEXT Arrow buttons When more than four parameters are associ ated with a particular effect or menu the PREVIOUS button scrolls the items in the dis play to the left and the NEXT button scrolls the items to the right allowing you
193. bove situation you can use it to take sections or time slices out of a mix How ever this can be somewhat risky It is important that you are extremely care ful when you use the Delete Time command If you delete a time segment that contains a change event that change suddenly disappears from the Event List This not only affects what ever events are contained in the time window that is deleted but because Mackie Real Time OS automation is a preceding event applica tion meaning each event is based on the prior event it can also affect later events For example if you delete a prior event such as a fade in a later event such as a fade out has nothing to reference to and will result in a sud den jump from off to on before fading out For most of what you re likely to do in auto mation all of this really doesn t matter But for that one time where you have to do delicate time surgery understanding this concept could save you some head shaking and hair pulling Modify Events select Modify Events from Automation in the upper menu bar to open the Modify Auto mation dialog box or press Ctrl M Windows Etri M Insert Blank Time Delete Time values to Increase Decrease Set channels This allows you to select an automation pa rameter such as Fader Pan or Aux Send level and modify all the values for that parameter on the selected channel You can change their val ues to a minimum or maxi
194. button on channels 25 through 30 5 Press BUS 2 in the Bus Assignment Section 6 Press the ASSIGN button on channels 25 through 30 7 Press the ROUTE TO TAPE button in the Bus Assignment Section 8 Press the MASTERS button in the Master Fader Bank Select Section to switch to Fader Bank 4 9 Press the SELECT button on BUS 1 10 Press the ASSIGN button on channel 7 11 Press the SELECT button on BUS 2 12 Press the ASSIGN button on channel 8 Channels 25 30 tracks 1 6 are now assigned to Bus 1 and 2 and Bus 1 and 2 are assigned to tape outs 7 and 8 respective ly Adjust the V Pot Pan controls on each channel to achieve the proper left nght balance if you assign a channel to an odd even pair of buses the channel pan control pans the signal between the two buses You can run through a test mixdown to adjust the levels EQ and effects for the submix You can even automate it Dont forget to press the REC RDY buttons on channels 7 and 8 when ready to record OFF Channel 1 Channel 2 Channel 3 Channel 4 Channel 5 Channel 6 Channel 7 Channel 8 Channel 9 Channel 10 Channel 11 Channel 12 Channel 13 Channel 14 Channel 15 Channel 16 Channel 17 Channel 18 Channel 19 Channel 20 Channel 21 Channel 22 Channel 23 Channel 24 Reset All SELECT Solo MUTE BUS 1 Channel 1 Channel 2 Channel 3 Channel 4 Channel 5 Channel 6 Channel 7 Channel 8 Channel 9 Ch
195. by either pressing PLAY in the Locator window or on the recorder If you re not using TOUCH mode make sure to click on the WRITE buttons on the channels that are to be automated At the desired times click the MUTE buttons on the channel s you want to automate Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the auto mated mutes make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session Writing Channel V Pot Moves TO WRITE CHANNEL V POT MOVES From the console 1 Turn off the BYPASS button in the Automation Section to engage the automation functions FADERS BYPASS MUTES AUTO TOUCH FADER MOTORS PAN ALL TRIM LEVELS OFF Locator tras 00 00 00 00 hy m FADER TRIM EVENTS cP TOUCH Sf PLN NIV PAN SOLO L F 2 Press ALL and AUTO TOUCH buttons V Pots are automated using Auto Touch mode 3 Press the PLAY button in the Transport Section or press Play on the recorder to initiate timecode 4 Press PAN in the Master V Pot Section to adjust the pan settings or press one of the AUX buttons in the V Pot Select Section to adjust an aux send level Note DIGITAL TRIM moves are not dy namically automatable DIGITAL TRIM settings can be stored in snapshots 5 the desired times rotate the V Pots 6 Upon completion of the automation pass
196. ce noise into the system and therefore effectively degrade performance More than that the noise actually sounds quite objection able Truly random white noise contains all frequencies and it sounds particularly obnoxious As a result several manufacturers and research ers have attempted to improve the situation by developing methods of hiding or shaping the noise created by the dithering process This may appear even more important when you record a signal say in 24 bit form and want to reduce it to 16 bit for compact disc If we could preserve the detail of a 24 bit recording by making the noise floor more transparent more like analog then we would achieve an audible improvement in the quality of the final CD and we would enjoy audible benefits by recording be yond the 16 bit level even for a conventional 16 bit compact disc Most of these noise shaping techniques rely on the fact that the ear seems more sensi tive to midrange frequencies around 4kHz than to either low or high frequencies In trans ferring a 20 bit recording to the 16 bit world of compact disc for example we remove the last four bits of the 20 bit signal and feed them back into the input signal through a filter that both adds dither and changes the spectral shape Originally the filter shape proposed by researchers primarily at the Audio Research Group at Waterloo University Ontario and based on psychoacoustic principles added more n
197. ce the operation of the Digital 8eBus Since a monitor keyboard and mouse are natural extensions of a computer you might feel more comfortable using them to perform the more computer like functions built into the console like saving files cutting pasting copying etc Introduction Introduction How To Use This Manual This manual is designed to cover the basics first and then get into the more detailed information later on That way you can do a minimal amount of reading to get started and read the in depth sections as it becomes necessary Notice that the page numbers include the chapter number For example page 6 23 is the 23rd page of chapter 6 The contents section in the front of this manual as well as the index section in back will help you answer questions about specific buttons and or operations of the Digital 8eBus The Digital 8eBus is designed to be used as a stand alone console However it does provide connections for a keyboard mouse and SVGA monitor Whenever an operation is described that can be performed either from the console surface or with the mouse keyboard monitor combination both methods of operation are described If you have a mouse keyboard and monitor connected you can compare the two methods and decide which works best for you Chapter 1 Introduction This is the section you are now reading a gentle guide to the features and manual of your new console Chapter 2 Digital S
198. channel bus assignments EQ dynamics and effects settings Additionally doing so will give the added benefit of letting you recover your work in the event of a power failure Saving and Retrieving Files from the Internal Hard Drive All automation information for a project is stored on the internal hard drive in the Remote CPU in a single file called a session You can store numerous session files in the Sessions folder limited only by the amount of hard drive space available In addition you can store individual static settings for the EQ compressor gate and internal effects in the Patches folder also on the internal hard drive The main areas on the console to access these functions are in the Setup Section and the Fat Channel Section on the front of the console On the screen these commands are accessed under File in the upper menu bar File Structure Hierarchy The 8 file structure is similar to most computer file structures The hard drive in the Digital 8eBus is labeled the B drive There are three primary folders on the B drive Sessions i Internal Hard Drive Floppy Drive Ethernet A Compressors Bob s Mix mp Beebop 1 d amp b Beebop 2 d8b Skittle d8b Skattle d amp b Startup d amp b Mix 1 d8b Dog amp Pony d amp b Jimmy s Jam d amp b strip 1 chn Trumpet chn Trombone chn Sax chn comp 1 cmp Jon s Vocal c EQ 1 equ KickEQ equ Figure 5 1 Digit
199. cide which works best for a particular instrument or voice If PLUG INS is selected in the Fat Channel MEMORY A and B store the settings for the plug in effect chosen for the selected aux send EQ button Press this button to display the EQ param eters for the selected channel in the Fat Channel Display GATE button Press this button to display the gate param eters for the selected channel in the Fat Channel Display COMPRESSOR button Press this button to display the compressor parameters for the selected channel in the Fat Channel Display Digital 8eBus Description PLUG INS button Press this button along with an Aux 1 8 button to select and edit the internal effects plug ins for each internal FX card The basic console comes with one FX card installed to provide up to two effects Three additional FX cards can be installed for a total of up to eight simultaneous internal effects processors See Appendix F for information on installing addi tional FX cards LOAD PATCH button Press this button to load an individual EQ compressor gate or internal effects setting previously stored in the onboard Library SAVE PATCH button Press this button to store an individual EQ compressor gate or internal effects setting to the onboard Library Studio Solo Section LEVEL MIXDOWN SOLO button Normally when a solo button is pressed the soloed signal appears in the Control Room out puts without affecting
200. ciety of Motion Picture and Television Engineers as the industry standard for synchronization in 1971 The purpose of SMPTE was to allow for editing of video tape It not only indicates tape speed but also tape posi tion A SMPTE time code generator produces a continuous string of digital words that convey timing information in the form of hours min utes seconds and frames This information can be read back by a time code reader so that you can find the exact spot in a film or video where an event occurs and edit the audio so it is per fectly in time with the picture The hours minutes and seconds used by SMPTE are universal but the frame rate and number of subdivisions of each second differs according to the application There are four frame rates primarily in use today 30 Frame 30 frames per second was the original frame rate used by SMPTE In the United States black and white video runs at 30 frames per second which was derived from the 60 cycle AC line frequency 30 Drop Frame When color television came along the frame rate had to be reduced slightly in order to accurately reproduce the color 29 97 frames per second to be precise But by solving one problem it created another The time code ran slightly slower so that one hour by 30 Drop Frame standards actually lasts one hour and 3 6 seconds So a scheme for periodically dropping frames was developed to compensate for the time differential 108 frames are
201. configure Drag down to the desired plug in and then release to finalize your selection Note The plug ins available on your model may be different than those shown 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Note Refer to Using Internal EFFECTS in Chapter 6 for information on how to select and adjust individual effects from the Mackie Standard Effects package Start Up Setting the Date and Time You can reset the clock in the CPU so it corresponds to your specific time zone Note There is no console equivalent for this function TO SET THE DATE AND TIME From the screen 1 Click the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens General General Date amp Time 2 Click on the General icon on the left Month Year Hours Minutes side of the box if it s not already aug H y H selected Auto Save 9 Never i F 3 The Date and Time settings appear in 6 After Each Pass the middle of the General window After Click on the arrows next to each setting to change it 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Setting Channel Phase You can switch the phase of the input signal on any the 1 4 TRS jack However
202. crete event This is more time consuming to accomplish but allows you much more control to fine tune the fade curve Deleting a Fade In or Fade Out Event You can delete a Fade In or Fade Out curve from memory by selecting Delete Curve from the Custom Curves box Fade Curves for Channel Ch 1 Custom Curves Fade In Curves Fade In Curves Add Curve Seconds Fade In Fade Out Delete Curve PD s Fadeln Dave s Not Here Jj weaselFade The Delete Fade Curves box appears Select the curve you want to delete from the list then click Delete This permanently removes the Fade Curve from memory Select a curve to delete from the list below PO s Fadeln Dave s Mat Here WeaselF ade Delete You can also delete a channel fade curve once it s been written to automation Select Fader in the Included Types section Select the fader events and then choose Cut from the Edit menu A milder caution applies here you may unwit tingly create unwanted volume jumps until you become a master of the technique Recording a Fade In or Fade Out Event into Dynamic Automation Select any number of channels to be write enabled At the point where you want to write an auto fade into the automation type W on the computer keyboard to write enable Make sure Master Record is engaged Then type ei ther an to fade in or fade out You can punch out of aut
203. cters 4 There are a number of other options available in the Edit menu for deleting snapshots renumbering in sequential numerical order beginning with 1 changing and storing a snapshot and locking and unlocking a snapshot 5 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to remove the Snapshots dialog box from the screen or click on the Snapshot button in the menu bar or press Ctrl 3 on the keyboard Recalling Snapshots TO RECALL SNAPSHOTS From the console 1 Press the SNAPSHOT button in the Transport Section if it s not already selected 2 Type in the two digit snapshot number you want to recall using the number buttons The number appears in the RANGE display gt gt Press the ENTER button The console updates to indicate the selected snapshot If you re recording an automation pass the snapshot data will be written to the current session NORM ALLED Snapshot 1 Snapshot 2 151 ALREC ALL 152 CLIPBOARD 155 UNDO Double Click Gray to Recall POSITION e RANGE HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO LOOP ENTER LOOP STORE REWIND FAST FWD STOP PLAY 44 gt gt gt L SHUTTLE 1 oe LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L JOG amp SHUTTLE TO RECALL SNAPSHOTS From the screen D 1 Clickonthe Snapshot menu button in the lower menu bar The Snapshots dialog box appears da 2 Double clic
204. ctions Connecting Microphones and Line Level Signals Channels 1 12 have both XLR Mic inputs and 1 4 TRS Line inputs while channels 13 24 have 1 4 TRS Line inputs only Mackie consoles use 3 pin female XLR connectors on all microphone inputs so use a male XLR connector to connect to the console s mic preamps The XLR and 1 4 TRS inputs are balanced analog inputs When connecting a balanced signal using the XLR or 1 4 jacks be sure they re wired per AES Audio Engineering Society standards like this XLR TRS Hot Pin 2 Tip Cold Pin 3 Ring Shield Ground Pin 1 Shield Figure 4 2 XLR Connectors Unbalanced TS tip sleeve lines can be accommodated via the TRS jack Make sure the cord terminates with a TS plug like a guitar plug or if it s a TRS plug like a headphone plug make sure the ring is tied to the shield preferably at the source RING SLEEVE N RING COLD TIP HOT SLEEVE SHIELD Figure 4 3 1 4 TRS Plug When connecting microphones to the XLR inputs on channels 1 12 be sure to turn the MIC switch on LED lit Otherwise leave the switch off for line level signals RING SHORTED SLEEVE SHIELD Figure 4 4 TS Plug Phantom Power Each of the XLR mic inputs on channels 1 12 has its own individual 48V phantom power switch Phantom power is required to operate most condenser microphones some condenser microphones are battery powered If you have a
205. d grouping assign ments 9 SOLO button The channel Solo button places the channel s signal on the stereo solo bus This signal is post fader level AFL and post pan by default but can be changed globally to pre fader by pressing the PFL SOLO button in the Studio Solo section If the MIXDOWN TO SOLO button is engaged in the Studio Solo Section the soloed channel s signal is isolated on the main L R bus p Digital 8eBus Description MUTE button Press this button to mute the signal post fader and prior to the output buses including the aux sends MUTE doesn t affect the signal going to the Tape Outputs the Solo bus or the Aux sends if they are PFL assigned The MUTE but ton LED lights when the button is engaged Fader The channel fader track is 100mm in length with a dB level range from dB bottom of travel fully off to 10 dB fully on It does not pass audio but rather remotely controls the channel level via DSP The faders are motorized and act as automa tion controllers when a channel is armed for automated level recording using the channel WRITE button or Auto Touch mode Each fader controls the level on one of the 24 mic line channels Fader Bank 1 one of the 24 tape returns Fader Bank 2 one of the internal effects returns and alternate ALT I O returns Fader Bank 3 and one of the Groups MIDI controllers and Bus Masters Fader Bank 4 When switching from one Fader Bank to another
206. d in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to an other channel The compressor then reverts to the default state TO COPY COMPRESSOR SETTINGS From the console L Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit Press the COPY button in the Clipboard Section Press the COMPRESSOR button in the Fat Channel section Press the Select button below Copy in the Fat Channel Display or press the COPY button again The compressor settings for that channel are retained and are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel TO COPY COMPRESSOR SETTINGS From the screen Click and hold on the MENU button in the Compressor control panel Drag down to Copy The compressor settings for that channel are tempo rarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The compressor settings for the selected channel are retained TO PASTE COMPRESSOR SETTINGS From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit JOUMO 2 Press PASTE button in Clipboard Section 3 Press the SELECT button below Paste in the Fat Channel Display or press the PASTE button again The compressor settings for that channel are replaced with the settings that are stored in the clipboard memory enuew 5 TO PASTE COMPRESSOR SETTINGS COMIPRESSOR pout pon M
207. d is written to auto mation all other automated events from previous passes for the channel remain intact unless you alter a control Auto Touch is great for minor tweaks as you get closer to the final mix small fader rides a mute you may have missed earlier on etc As in Absolute mode you must also have one of the automation filters active in the Auto mation Section FADERS MUTES PAN or ALL The channel remains in Write mode until it is manually turned off pressing the WRITE button for a punch out or if STOP is pressed in the Transport Section or if timecode stops Automation Digital 8eBu You can punch out a channel while in Auto Touch Mode by turning off its WRITE button and reen gage Write mode by altering a control on the channel at another time Trim Levels Mode Trim Levels mode applies to all types of moves except on off data Trim Levels is a mathematical recalculation process that modifies levels by some positive or negative offset value This mode does not replace existing fader data but rather merges data from any new moves with those that have al ready been written In other words Trim Levels mode adds or subtracts your new moves from those you already did It s very handy when you ve just finished a complex series of moves a tricky vocal ride for example but you then discover that the overall level needs adjusting Faders in Trim Mode When you activate TRIM LEVELS the faders default
208. directional digital audio This connection requires a proprietary cable made by Tascam Part Number PW 88D AES EBU Card This card provides 8 digital inputs and 8 digital outputs in the AES EBU standard format Connection is made through a single 25 pin D Sub connector You can install this card in any of the Tape In Out slots or in the ALT I O slot Connections for AES EBU AES EBU is a standard two channel digital protocol used for long balanced cable applications Thus each conductor actually transmits two channels of digital audio data Refer to Figure F 2 on the next page for the pin out diagram of the 25 pin connector 5 2 a 2 Pohl g 52 555 8 8 Pas E E 14 Ch8 Ch24 Pin 15 Ch23 16 shield Ch7 Ch15 Ch23 Pint7 6 Ch14 Ch22 Pin 18 Ch5 Ch13 Ch21 Pin19 shield Ch5 Ch13 Ch21 Pin20 Ch4 Ch20 Pin 21 Pin 22 shield Ch3 Cht1 Ch19 pin23 Cn2 Pin 24 Chi Ch17 Pin25 shield Ch1 Ch9 Ch17 Optional 1 0 Cards 5 oi FR two additional DSP engines for running internal effects The Pin 16 Digital SeBus is MD UM 61182046 Pinio three more MFX cards in Slots B C and D Ping Ch788In Gnd 21 Make sure toinstall Pno Chseno Pin22 them in that order In Pin 23 not into slot C or D Pints NC Figure F 2 DB 25 Pin ou
209. down to two tracks 3 Connect the MASTER L R outputs the Digital 8eBus rear panel to the in puts of your two track master tape recorder Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure for Channels 25 48 15 dB FS on the meter is equivalent to 5 dBu analog FOLLOW THIS SENSITIVITY ADJUST MENT PROCEDURE FOR EACH CHANNEL IN USE 1 Ifyou re starting from scratch it s a good idea to normal the console also called zeroing to some starting point such as all level controls down and EQ and pan controls centered 2 Connect the tape outs from your re corder to the TAPE IN connections on the rear panel of the Digital 8eBus 3 We re assuming you already have the Control Room outputs connected to an amplifier speaker combination Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus PFL SOLO 6 24 Starting New Session Select Fader Bank 2 by pressing the TAPE IN 25 48 button Set all the faders to their U unity markings including the MASTER L R Press the DIGITAL TRIM button near the TALKBACK MIC This causes the channel V Pots to become digital preamp trim controls Use this instead of the TRIM control at the top of the channel strip Set the PFL SOLO switch in the Stu dio Solo Section to PFL the LED lights In this mode the faders do not affect the solo level at the Control Room output 8 Press the channel SOLO button The LED in the button lights 9 Roll the tape and adj
210. dropped every hour the equivalent of 3 6 seconds worth This is currently the standard for U S network broadcast of color television 25 Frame In Europe the AC Iine frequency is 50 cycles per second The European standard time code for both black and white and color television is 25 frames per second This applies to any country that uses the 50Hz line reference 24 Frame The film industry uses 24 frames per second so 24 Frame time code was introduced to correspond to film Synchronization Digital 8eBus LTC vs VITC There are two common methods for recording time code described as follows Longitudinal Time Code LTC can be used on either audio or video tape On audio tape itis recorded onto one track of the tape On video tape it is recorded on one of the linear audio tracks of the tape This method of recording SMPTE time code is the most common in the audio industry The time code is recorded onto tape as a square wave Due to the high frequency harmonics of a square wave some precautions must be exer cised when putting SMPTE time code onto audio tape The process of putting the time code onto tape is called striping the Itis best to record the time code on an outside track since it can only bleed through to one adjacent track If you re using an 8 track recorder this means recording the time code onto either track 1 or track 8 If possible leave the adjacent track blank to further isola
211. ds The Component 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 8 Power Sources This Mackie product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in these operation instructions or as marked on this Mackie product 9 Power Cord Protection Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked upon or pinched by items placed upon or against them paying particular attention to cords at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit this Mackie product 10 Object and Liquid Entry Care should be taken so that objects do not fall into and liquids are not spilled into this Mackie product 11 Damage Requiring Service This Mackie product should be serviced only by qualified service personnel when A The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged or Objects have fallen or liquid has spilled into this Mackie product or This Mackie product has been exposed to rain or D This Mackie product does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance or This Mackie product has been dropped or its chassis damaged 12 Servicing The user should not attempt to service this Mackie product beyond those means de
212. ds the L R bus 122 Digital S PDIF STEREO MASTER OUTput Single plug unbalanced stereo digital output fed post DSP and fader but pre DAC This output is driven by the main L R bus DIGITAL EFFECTS There are four slots available to install up to four digital effects FX cards The Digital DIGITAL EFFECTS DIGITAL I O 1 AES EBU TO TAPE TO TAPE TO TAPE DIGITAL 2 S PDIF FROM TAPE FROM TAPE FROM TAPE 120 1 1 8eBus ships with one card already installed These cards have no external connections but are connected internally to the Aux Sends FX in and to the Left and Right Bus via the FX RETurns Fader Bank 3 Master Input Output Section Master outputs are provided with both analog and digital connections In all instances Master outputs are fed from the Master L R fader on the console surface Other output connections including PHONES STUDIO OUT and CR MAIN and ALT are fed from their respective dedicated buses as indicated on the console surface BUS OUT 1 8 SURROUND OUT MASTER OUT 2TRACKINA PHONES 1 PHONES 2 61250 61 19 SHAE EVE lt 2 5 m M N 6120 9 NS 7135 22 132 NEAR FIELD 2 TRACK IN C PUNCH I O TALKBACK ee e 133 BUS OUT 1 8 SURROUND OUT Eight balanced analog line level outputs are provided with a single 25 pin D Sub con
213. e in the new name using the keyboard At the bottom of the Transport window are three more buttons for managing locate points To delete a locate point click on the name of the locate point to highlight it and then click on the Delete button To renumber the locate points click on the Renum button The stored locate points are re ordered chronologically according to SMPTE times Note that some of the locate numbers may change e To change a locate point to a new time highlight the locate point enter the new time in the time display and click on the Store button Untitled BYPASS MEN SMPTE You can store a locate point on the fly P Roll the tape e With the Transport window open click on the New button at the point in time you want to store the locate A new locate point appears in the cue list using the first unused number 6 MEMORY FADER TRIM EVENTS CPU MUTE TOUCH 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 00 00 00 20 00 Note The name of the most recent locate point appears as the Title in the Transport window enueyw 5 Recalling Locate Points TO RECALL LOCATE POINTS POSITION e RANGE e HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO SET TIME From the console 1 Press the LOCATOR button in the SMPTE VIEW Transport Section ae amp 1 2 3 4 5 2 Use the number buttons to enter the E us
214. e Chapter 8 Advanced Techniques for more information Note These features may not be available at the time your Digital 8eBus was manufactured Contact Mackie Technical Support or check our web site for software upgrades as they become available Other Connections not necessary for operation You can operate virtually every function of the Digital 8eBus from its control surface However through the use of optional input output devices you may enjoy increased productivity and ease of use Using an SVGA Monitor Through the use of an optional user supplied SVGA monitor it is possible to view almost all console parameters from the built in proprietary Mackie Graphical User Interface GUI Notice that we specify using an SVGA monitor That s because SVGA provides higher resolution than a VGA monitor The video card in the Digital 8eBus produces an output resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels with 256 colors The highest resolution a VGA monitor can produce is 640 by 480 pixels with 16 colors Because of this only part of the picture would be reproduced on a VGA monitor rendering it useless The SVGA output uses a High Density 15 pin D Sub connector Nearly all IBM compatible SVGA graphic displays use the same connector A 17 monitor is the recommended minimum and 21 is preferable for reproducing the GUI with easy to read clarity When switching monitor sizes no user adjustments are necessary from the console Any S
215. e box The Digital I O dialog box opens 3 Click and hold on the UV22 box below the Tape ALT or Stereo I O you want to configure Drag down to the desired setting and then release to finalize your selection 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close it or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Starting a New Session enuew 5 6 27 Digital Muting Channels The MUTE button mutes the corresponding channel and affects the output at the L R bus Bus 1 8 and aux sends when the aux send is set for AFL Press this button to mute the signal af ter the fader and prior to the output buses including the aux sends The MUTE button LED lights when the MUTE button is manually en gaged or while playing back previous automation tracks with mute data Press the button again to turn it off For channels 1 48 mute is post DSP post fader and pre bus assign Mute does not affect the tape outputs the Solo bus or the aux sends if the aux send is set for PFL Mute is active in all four fader banks In Fader Bank 4 if MUTE is engaged on a Virtual Group all channels assigned to the group are muted If MUTE is engaged on a MIDI Controller a control change message is transmitted at the MIDI OUT port Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Tape Returns If you re like most people you record your tracks with minimal EQ and effects You just want to get th
216. e on a per track basis rather than as a parameter change such as faders or mutes This filter is the Write engage on each channel and operates in conjunction with the Master RECORD button and the other filters in the Automation section We could have labeled the button Write Ready but the WRITE button works in more ways than one In Absolute or Trim mode without AUTO TOUCH engaged and without the Master RECORD button enabled pressing the WRITE buttons will cause their LEDs to flash Now they are in Write standby and are ready to have auto mation written to their specific tracks But Touch mode is similar to the analog mixer concept of grabbing a knob and moving it without having to think about whether a track DSP module or automation is engaged In Touch mode D8B s parameters are always in standby So if the console senses that a parameter has been changed the WRITE button LEDs will not flash first they will simply go solid and the updated pa rameter will be written as soon as tape rolls Or it will be written if tape is already rolling However when AUTO TOUCH is not engaged it s possible to specifically change a parameter at Automation a certain point by punching in write engaging by pressing the PLAY and Master RECORD buttons at a specific point in time with tape rolling with the knob in a different position Whether the track is in Touch mode or not you can al ways punch out at a specific time by
217. e rak SETUP Pap Pre Post menu appears Bleed E 115 510 Jol 4 Press the NEXT button in the Fat Channel Section to advance to AUX 5 8 and AUX 9 10 AUX 11 12 Press MACKIE D8B 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER the PREVIOUS button to move back through the menu JOUMO Fla z t 5 Press the SELECT button below each Aux to toggle between Pre and Post 6 When finished press the GENERAL button to return to normal Fat Channel operation enuew 5 TO SET AUX SENDS PRE POST FADER EL From the screen 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower Aux suround menu bar The Setup dialog box opens SEDEM 2 Click on the Aux Sends icon on the left Checkmark auxes you want Pre Fader above m A side of the box The Aux Sends dialog Network aux 1 aux 5 9 10 box opens aux 2 aux 6 11712 4 3 Click in the boxes corresponding to the aux send you want to configure pre fader A checkmark indicates pre fader SARI IE is selected 4 4 Click the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Setting the Display Intensity This option allows you to adjust the brightness of the Fat Channel Display TO SET THE DISPLAY INTENSITY SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD From the
218. e the number buttons to type in a known blank snapshot number two digits The number appears in the RANGE display Note If you enter a number that is already used you will overwrite the previous snapshot settings with the new ones 5 Once you ve entered the snapshot number press the ENTER button in the Transport Section 6 The display indicates that the new snapshot has been stored TO CREATE A SNAPSHOT 2 From the screen 1 After creating a Session click on the Snapshot menu button in the lower menu bar The Snapshots dialog box appears Preparing for a Session Store Snapshot Lock Selections Unlock Selections Renumber All Delete Selections SelectAll Double Click Grau to Recall POSITION HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L MODE REWIND FAST FWD STOP PLAY 44 o gt gt gt L SHUTTLE Preparing for a Session 2 Begin setting rough mixes These may include send levels to tape monitoring levels from tape aux send levels and EQ and effects settings 3 Once the desired settings have been made click on Edit in the upper left side of the box and select New Snapshot in the drop down menu A new snapshot is created using the first unused number You can give the snapshot a new name by double clicking on the name and typing in the chara
219. e track down on tape in a pure and unadulterated form with the intention of sweet ening it in the mix later The best way to add EQ dynamics and effects is to solo each channel individually add EQ or an ef fect then switch it out of solo and hear how the adjustment sounds in the mix You may need to dy namically adjust the EQ or an effect during the mix This too can be automated And that s just another way the Digital 8eBus can make your life easier Starting a New Session Consider Compression You can mix an entire project without a lick of compression many engineers do The dynamic range of a CD can certainly handle it But con sider most people listen to what you mix under less than ideal conditions Typically their listening environment features background or road noise and most of the time they don t listen as loud as you mix A little gentle compression whether on individual tracks or on the entire mix can reduce the dynamic range a bit and pull your mix to gether Also if you want to simulate what your mix will sound like over the airwaves you can compress the heck out of it This is good for checking things out but not for your final mix Okay roll the tape The Fat Channel Display When a channel is selected the channel num ber appears in the CHANNEL SELECT window and the DSP parameters for that channel appear in the Fat Channel Display Up to four param eters can appear in the display at one
220. eBus Description You ll find a large foldout diagram of the D8B s top panel and rear panel here along with a diagram of the Remote CPU s rear panel Its numbered callouts are referenced to the text in this section which describes every knob button control and jack on the Digital 8eBus In addition there s a picture of the graphical user interface screen with a description of each control Chapter 3 Start Up This section discusses how to start up the D8B its system defaults and how to change system options Chapter 4 Making the Connections Here we discuss the kinds of connections you make between the Digital 8eBus and the various external equipment that you may use with it From microphones to external effects to analog or digital recorders it s all covered here Chapter 5 Preparing for a Session This is a getting started guide for automation Creating new sessions saving files to the hard drive or floppy drive and creating snapshots and locate points are some of the topics discussed Chapter 6 Starting a New Session Live Mix This section discusses what you need to do when starting a recording session or a live mix You ll also find a few examples of typical hookups you might use in a studio or live sound situation Automation is discussed in more detail Chapter 7 Automation This section discusses the various lovely automation features and techniques including dynamic automation snapshots recording and t
221. each one Adding EQ TO ADD EQ From the console 1 Select the channel you want to EQ by pressing its SELECT button 2 Press the EQ button in the Fat Channel Section 3 Adjust the EQ as desired Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus CONIPRESSOR Starting a New Session 1 295 2 Hz iN 14 8 TEENE 19 5956 4 10 0 de SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT TT TO ADD EQ From the screen 1 Click on the EQ button in the lower menu bar and the EQ control panel appears 2 Select the channel you want to EQ by clicking on its SELECT button 3 Adjust the EQ as desired Adding Compression TO ADD COMPRESSION From the console 1 Select the channel you want to com press by pressing its SELECT button 2 Press the COMPRESSOR button in the Fat Channel Section 3 Adjust the parameters as desired TO ADD COMPRESSION From the screen Click on the Compressor button in the lower menu bar and the Compressor control panel appears Select the channel you want to com press by clicking on its SELECT button Adjust the compressor parameters as desired Adding Gate TO ADD GATE po 9 G amp G 0 a um e From the console i 1 Selectthe channel you want to gate by EN 4 gt pressing its SELECT button T bii 658 SS 2 Press
222. eck out the list of recommended books in Appendix K Nevertheless this section is devoted to the fundamentals of digital audio which for some may be new information and serve its intended purpose and for others may serve as a refresher course to exercise those brain cells and refresh your internal RAM memory Sound and Signal Sound waves have two important attributes used to describe them One is frequency which describes the number of vibrations that occur per second The higher the frequency the faster the vibration and the higher the pitch The other attribute is amplitude which de scribes the intensity of the vibration The higher the amplitude the louder the sound These attributes are conveyed through the atmosphere in the form of varying air pressure A sound wave is composed of a region of high pressure compression followed by a region of low pressure rarefaction A microphone has a sensitive diaphragm that moves in response to these sound waves and converts the mechani cal energy of the sound into electrical energy The electrical signal that is used to repre sent the sound wave is composed of alternating positive voltages corresponding to compres sions and negative voltages corresponding to rarefactions The electrical signal is what we re concerned with here because that s what the Digital 8eBus uses We ll use a sine wave in our examples which represents a perfect tone at a single frequency see F
223. ecomes the current directory JOUMO 7 Press the PREVIOUS button to return to the Save Session menu You can save the session in the new folder or you can press SELECT under Cancel to return to normal operation this won t cancel your new folder it s already been created 6 CREATE NEW FOLDER enuew 5 File Edit Channel Automation New Session ee From the screen 4 Open Session 1 Using the mouse choose Disk lr Manager from the File menu in the upper menu bar Save Session E E Save Session AS xx Note You can create new folder from the Save Session As New Session Open Session or Disk Manager windows 2 The Disk Manager window appears in the display Select the folder you want to put your new folder in To move toward the root directory i click on the Up Arrow next to the Current Directory box at top of the window To move away from the root B Acadia i directory double click on a folder in the rq list of folders and files 3 When you have the target folder displayed as the current directory click on the New button A window appears to enter the new folder name Type the name with the keyboard You must use at least 3 and up to 20 characters to name a folder Enter a name for the new 4 When the name appears as
224. ed the Fat Channel Vacuum Fluorescent Display 8 shows the editable DSP parameters for that channel Parameters may be edited within the parametric EQ Compressor Gate and internal plug in ef fects Additionally the Fat Channel can display and allow you to modify global console param eters including Aux Pre Post selection Help functions and loading stored effects settings from the onboard library It also shows file loading and disk management functions synchronization settings naming functions er ror messages and warning indicators The Fat Channel has an open architecture and will accommodate additional functions and parameters in the event of system additions upgrades and installation of third party soft ware plug ins LEFT RIGHT LED Ladders These meters indicate the signal level of whatever source is selected in the Control Room section These include the L R bus DIGITAL IN 1 and 2 and 2 TRACK A B or C In addition if the solo function is activated by pressing a solo button the meters indicate the stereo solo bus level If the MONO button in the Control Room Section is activated both meters indicate the mono level CHANNEL Select Display Indicates the last channel selected by any channel select button The channel that is indi cated in the CHANNEL SELECT display is also the currently active channel selected for edit ing in the Fat Channel Note Only channels 1 48 have Fat Channel DSP capa
225. ed in the U S A Table of Contents 1 Introduction About the Digital 8eBus Thank you for choosing Mackie Designs Digital 8eBus Mixing Console If you unfamiliar with digital mixing consoles rest assured you made the right choice With the Digital 8eBus s easy learning curve you ll quickly realize the benefits it has to offer over other similarly priced digital consoles Mackie didn t do affordable digital mixers first we just did them nght When Greg Mackie and his handpicked team of digital design engineers sat down to design Mackie s first digital console they immediately realized that our digital mixer had to be extremely user friendly With Greg s track record in analog mixing design he knew the Digital 8eBus would have to work and feel just like an analog mixer Experienced audio pros can sit down in front of any analog mixer and understand its capabilities very quickly We think you ll find that the Digital 8eBus reveals its abilities and assets almost as fast Take a look at the D8B Along the top is the meter bridge the channel strips have Input Trim controls and Mic Line select switches and at the bottom of the strip is a fader Just like on an analog console Between these beacons of familiarity are a few buttons and a unique knob that performs multiple functions The knob with the LEDs around it is a V Pot A single V Pot controls the D8B s aux sends and pan replacing a slew of controls that y
226. eer making your life easier and giving you the tools to be more creative and more productive at what you do Fader Bank 1 Fader Bank 2 Fader Bank 3 Fader Bank 4 ib di DA N Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4 Mic Line Inputs Tape Inputs FX Return 1 16 ALT Return 1 8 Groups 1 8 MIDI 1 8 Bus 1 8 Channels 1 24 Channels 25 48 Channels 49 72 Channels 73 96 Figure 1 1 How to fit 96 Channels into 38 inches Digital 8eBus Unique Features The Digital 8eBus has a number of unique features that distinguish it from other affordable digital consoles Here s a short rundown D8B Console V Pots V Pot is short for Virtual Potentiometer It is similar to but uniquely different from the rotary pots found on analog mixers A V Pot rotates continuously without physical stops Because it is actually an infinitely variable digital controller it can emulate any analog knob function and you can change its function at the push of a button The relative position of the V Pot is represented by a ring of LEDs around the V Pot Depending on the function of the V Pot the actual values may be displayed in the vacuum fluorescent display VFD located in the upper right corner of the console in the meter bridge or on an optional SVGA monitor The V Pots in each channel str
227. el Click and drag on each control and adjust to taste Turning the Effects On and Off TO TURN THE EFFECTS ON AND OFF From the console 1 With PLUG INS selected in the Fat Channel Section press the ON button to toggle the effects on and off The LED in the ON button lights to indicate that the effects are enabled When the ef fects are turned off the current settings remain in memory so that when the ON button is pressed again the effects are restored This lets you quickly compare the channel with and without effects TO TURN THE EFFECTS ON AND OFF 2 From the screen 1 Click on the appropriate Card A B C D button in the lower menu bar 2 Click on the ON switch in the FX con trol panel The LED above the switch lights to indicate that the Effect is on Starting a New Session 6 57 Saving Loading and Resetting the Effects Settings Effects settings can be saved and re called from the hard drive You can save and load files from either Memory A or B TO SAVE AN EFFECTS PATCH From the console MEAS 1 With PLUG INS selected for channel apen co encon processing press SAVE PATCH in the o Fat Channel Section gt 2 default name appears in the Fat Channel display such as Patch 1 8 You can accept the default name or you can change it to one of your own seer T D choice Digital 8eBus 3 Tochange the name e Turn the first V Pot to chan
228. el changes and switch on off changes referenced to time code dynamic automation auxiliary In sound mixers supplemental equipment or features that provide additional capabilities to the basic system Examples of auxiliary equip ment include serial processors equalizers compressors limiters gates and parallel de vices reverberation and delay Most mixers have aux send buses and aux return inputs to accommodate auxiliary equipment balanced In aclassic balanced audio circuit the two legs of the circuit and are isolated from the circuit ground by exactly the same imped ance Additionally each leg may carry the sig nal at exactly the same level but with opposite D polarity with respect to ground In some bal anced circuits only one leg actually carries the signal but both legs exhibit the same imped ance characteristics with respect to ground Balanced input circuits can offer excellent re jection of common mode noise induced into the line and also make proper no ground loops system grounding easier Usually terminated ED with TRS or XLR connectors bandwidth The band of frequencies that pass through a device with a loss of less than 3 dB expressed in Hertz or in musical octaves Also see 0 bit The smallest component of a digital word represented by either a one or a zero bus An electrical connection common to three or more circuits In mixer design a bus usually car ries signa
229. election to continue 2 The Fat Channel Display now shows the New Session menu A default name appears in the Fat Channel Display such as mix 1 You can accept the default name or you can change it to one of your own choice To change the name e Turn the first V Pot to change the letters e Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to move the cursor left and right You must use at least 3 and up to 20 characters to name a file Preparing for a Session 55 Digital 8eBus Save Session Save Session As Greg s Sessions AL PO s Sessions Startup File Edit Channel New Session Open Session Close Window Ctrl N o Ctrl Ww Ctrl 5 Automation Gp New L_save MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b PTE TTT LETT sSESsraN gt Windows Save Cancel Enter name for this Session SETUP EW N PLUG INS LOAD DIGITAL I O File Edit Channel New Session Open Session L Clase Window Preparing for a Session Automation Ctrl YY When the name appears as you want it press the SELECT button below NEW to complete the operation The console reverts to its default nominal settings to start a new session TO CREATE A SESSION From the screen 1 Using the mouse choose New Session f
230. elving filter with a corner frequency at 100Hz a mid band fully parametric EQ and a high shelving filter with a corner fre quency at 10kHz Low Shelf Gain This adjusts the boost and cut below 100Hz This is calibrated in decibels dB with a range from 12 dB to 12 dB High Shelf Gain This adjusts the boost and cut above 10kHz This is calibrated in decibels dB with a range from 12 dB to 12 dB the Gate control panel 2 Drag down to Paste The gate set tings for the selected channel are replaced with the settings that are stored in the clipboard memory Mid Gain This adjusts the boost and cut at the mid frequency setting This is calibrated in decibels dB with a range from 12 dB to 12 dB Mid Frequency This adjusts the center fre quency of the parametric EQ This is calibrated in Hertz Hz with a range from 100Hz to 10kHz Mid Q This adjusts the bandwidth of the fre quencies affected by the parametric EQ Itis a unit less measure with a range from 0 1 to 10 A low Q setting provides a very tight bandwidth less than an octave and a high Q setting pro vides a very wide bandwidth covering several octaves Reverb This uses a room reverberation algorithm that provides the following controls Room Size This adjusts the time between re flections to simulate different room sizes It is calibrated in meters m with a range from 3 0m small to 40 0m large Starting a New Session
231. em functions such as Virtual Groups Digital I O meter assign ment and MIDI parameters SAVE button saves the currently active session to the in ternal hard drive Press SAVE then press the SELECT button beneath SAVE in the Fat Channel Display Alternatively to do a quick save press the SAVE button twice Digital 8eBus Description JOUMO 5 ENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL SAVE AS button Saves the currently active session under a new name Press SAVE AS then use the V Pots and SELECT buttons in the Fat Channel Display to enter the new name Alternatively to do a quick Save As and accept the default ses sion name press the SAVE AS button twice NEW button Press this button to start a new session The New Session menu appears in the Fat Channel Display LOAD button Brings up the Load Session menu in the Fat Channel Display for loading previously saved files from the hard disk and the floppy disk GROUP button Brings up the Group menu in the Fat Chan nel Display for creating Virtual Groups GENERAL button Brings up the General menu in the Fat Channel Display for changing languages set ting up the Surround matrix setting up MIDI or Auto Save selecting Effects Return meter ing and pre post settings for auxes and buses and determining the serial number and operat ing system version PLUG INS button Brings up the Plug In menu in the Fat Chan nel Display
232. er Bank 3 AUX 9 10 LEVEL button Assigns channel V Pots to control the indi vidual output level being sent to Aux 9 and 10 outputs as a left right stereo pair Aux 9 and 10 can be used as a cue mix for PHONES 1 and 2 by selecting AUX 9 10 in the Phones Cue Mix 1 and 2 section AUX 11 12 LEVEL button Assigns channel V Pots to control the indi vidual output level being sent to Aux 11 and 12 outputs as a left right stereo pair Aux 11 and 12 can be used as a cue mix for PHONES 1 and Digital 8eBus Description Tip Internal effects 1 is returned via FX 1 and FX 2 in Fader Bank 3 by selecting AUX 11 12 in the Phones Cue Mix 1 and 2 Section AUX 9 10 PAN button Assigns channel V Pots to control the stereo balance of the signal being sent to Aux 9 and 10 outputs as a left right stereo pair AUX 11 12 PAN button Assigns channel V Pots to control the stereo balance of the signal being sent to Aux 11 and 12 outputs as a left right stereo pair LEVEL TO TAPE This button is designed to give you more control over your tape sends while tracking The direct Tape Outs are positioned after the channel DSPs and before the fader in the sig nal flow so the channel fader has no effect on the Tape Out signal Pressing the LEVEL TO TAPE button causes the channel V Pots to become Tape Send level controls after the channel DSPs This lets you adjust the V Pot to get the recom mended meter readings on your tape deck for the best
233. er and Right Front buses Bus 3 and Bus 2 D 5 1 Left Front Bus 1 Out Right Front Bus 2 Out Center Bus 3 Out Sub Bus 4 Out Left Rear Bus 5 Out Right Rear Bus 6 Out This is a combination of the LCRS and rear Quad panning Constant power panning is between the Left Front and Center buses Bus 1 and Bus 3 the Center and Right Front buses Bus 3 and Bus 2 and between the Left Rear and Right Rear buses Bus 5 and Bus 6 There is no panning between the front and rear speaker buses Advanced Techniques 71 Panning Center Left O dB Right 7 O dB 5 dB Bus 1 O dB Left Front Center Bus 3 Bus 2 Right 1 Front 8 Digital 8 Bus 7 Bus 8 Left Right Side Side Side Side Left Right 7 Rear Rear Bus 5 Bus 6 Left Right O dB O dB Figure 8 5 7 1 Panning SURROUND SOUND d Ami MENU FLYBACK MORPH SUE Advanced Techniques E 7 1 Left Front Bus 1 Out Right Front Bus 2 Out Center Bus 3 Out Sub Bus 4 Out Left Rear Bus 5 Out Right Rear Bus 6 Out Left Side Bus 7 Out Right Side Bus 8 Out This is a combination of the LCRS and rear Quad panning with side speakers to create two front to rear constant power pans Constant power panning is between the Left Front and Center buses Bus 1 and Bus 3 and the Center and Right Front buses Bus 3 and Bus 2 and between the
234. ers mode if it s not already lit If this is an initial automation pass make sure TRIM is off p Press the PLAY transport control or press Play on the recorder to initiate timecode 4 Ifyou re using Absolute Write mode instead of AUTO TOUCH make sure to engage the WRITE button on the channels that are to be automated 5 Atthe desired times move the fader s 6 Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automated fader moves make sure to save the session press SAVE in the setup Section TO WRITE FADER MOVES TRIM MUTE a TOUCH From the screen 1 Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Locator window appears on the screen 2 Click on the BYPASS button to turn it off and engage the automation functions 3 Click on the FADER button to engage Faders mode if it s not already lit If this is an initial automation pass make sure TRIM is off Automation BYPASS 00 00 00 16 SMPTE FADER Trin EVENTS CPU MMUTE TOUCH New Delete Renum f Store File Edit Channel Automation _ New Session Ctrl N Open Session Ctrl 0 Digital 8 8 5 L Clase Window Ctrl W AUTOMATION BYPASS FADERS MUTES AUTO TOUCH FADER MOTORS PAN ALL TRIM LEVELS 2 FAST FWD STOP PLAY gt gt o gt SHUTTLE J JOG amp SHUTTLE TRIM MODE maxi
235. es snapshots are elastic within the dynamic automation track That is if a snapshot is altered and stored in the same snapshot location then that specific updated snapshot is recalled by the dynamic automation every time it plays back in the dynamic automation Snapshots in memory are isolated stored and recalled from dynamic events so if snapshot 05 is recorded into a dynamic automation pass three times and you later store a new snapshot at 05 it will play back as the new edited and stored snapshot those three times Now here s the warning Since a snapshot is an entity unto itself operating independently of other dynamic events it would be wise to sepa rate snapshot events from dynamic events as much as possible Recording a snapshot inside of a series of contiguous dynamic events may result in an audible blip Consider that a snapshot is a single event at some timestamp and the automation playback will not change any event levels fader levels EQ parameters mute status etc until another event occurs maybe even another snapshot As an example an automation pass is made that consists of a smooth dynamic fader level fade in from 30 dB to Unity gain 0 dB over a five second period Subsequently a snapshot is re corded in the center of that fade in with a fader level of 10 dB When you play this section back you ll notice an audible jump in fader level at the timestamp where the snapshot was taken A frame
236. escription p lt gt REC RDY A 12 36 SELECT 8 8 gt S REC RDY 8 8 o 5 6 V Pot This is a non detented pot with no stop range gt 360 degrees and a 12 segment LED indicator collar Each V Pot controls a single function at a time on its given channel The function is chosen in the V Pot Select or Mas ter V Pot section and applies to all channels The default assignment is Pan selected with the PAN button in the Master V Pot Section Other assignment options include eight mono and two stereo Aux Send level controls Digital Trim controls and Tape Send LEVEL TO TAPE controls all accessed in the V Pot Se lect section Fader Bank Select LEDs These LEDs indicate which bank is cur rently selected e f Bank 1 is selected Channels 1 24 the green LEDs light e If Bank 2 is selected Channels 25 48 the red LEDs light e If Bank 3 is selected Channels 49 72 both of the LEDs light e If Bank 4 is selected Masters neither of the LEDs light SELECT button The SELECT button LED lights solid green when it is engaged Select highlights only the specific channel s DSP parameters in the Fat Channel s Vacuum Fluorescent Display for edit ing See also Fat Channel in the Master Section description on page 2 5 It s also used for cut copy and paste operations an
237. essor 1 6 42 Loading an Effects Patch uero ttt ertet 6 59 loading an EQ Patch 6 34 Loading a Gate Patel 6 50 Locate Points 5 13 Looping Between Two Locate Points 5 16 Recalling 5 15 LOCATOR 2 11 LOOP BIO 2 11 TOP UAE 7 13 LTC Longitudinal 5 C 2 M MAIN Button 2 8 Main L R Outputs Control Room 2 14 Main Outputs Routing Tape Returns 6 22 Mains and Subs Routing channels to 6 66 Master Analog TRS 2 14 Analog XLR Outputs 2 14 Digital RCA Input and Output 2 13 Digital XLR Input and Output 2 13 ST 2 3 Master Input Output Section 2 13 Master L R BUTtOD esci acies eret 2 7 Master L R Fader 2 3 Index J UMO enuew s Digital 8eBus Index Master L R SeOcEIOILe EAR ARIS 2 8 Master PAN Button 2 3 Master SOLO Button 2 4 2 3 Master V Pot Section 2 3 Matrix Changing the Display Matrix of the EQ
238. etc the BYPASS button should remain engaged preventing any inadvertent automation writing or playback if any exists Upon completion of an automated mix BYPASS should be engaged to prevent inad vertently modifying the saved session Absolute Mode Absolute mode is sometimes called Replace or Update mode There is no button to engage Absolute mode it is the default mode whenever Bypass is turned off and Auto Touch and Trim Levels are off The channel WRITE button must be manu ally engaged to replace current values with new values You must also have one of the au tomation filters active in the Automation Section FADERS MUTES PAN or ALL You can engage the WRITE button prior to rolling tape punch in but the automation will not record moves until approximately 22 frames af ter stable timecode is received It is best to write enable after timecode is being received or pre roll tape prior to when you intend to write the automation The fader motor is disabled while WRITE is engaged and a channel remains in Write mode until it is manually turned off punch out or STOP is pressed in the Transport Section or timecode stops The fader motor is enabled once WRITE is disengaged See also Write Standby and Master Record on page 7 4 Auto Touch Mode Auto Touch mode is a variation of Absolute mode all channels are automatically placed in Write mode as soon as a control is altered Only the control being altere
239. etermined by your trim move Note Be careful that you don t run out of headroom you cannot have your fader near the top of its travel already and then add a lot more to it in Trim mode The ceiling stays at 10 dB no matter how you do it TO WRITE FADER MOVES IN TRIM MODE Locator hed e From the screen by 90 99 94 1 Click on the Locator button in the z T lower menu bar The Locator window amp appears MEMORY FADER EVENTS JOUMO 2 Click on the TRIM button in Locator window All the faders jump to their unity positions You can readjust the fader positions at this point if required If you are going to add more than 10 dB to the existing fader value lower the fader so that you have enough fader movement available to add to the existing fader position see note below CPU MUTE TOUCH enuew 5 3 Roll your tape by clicking on the PLAY button in the Locator window 4 Place all the tracks you want to write to automate into WRITE mode or engage AUTO TOUCH mode 5 Make your level changes by clicking on the fader s and moving them up or down at the desired points Note that NE any previous moves are retained but at 9 level a modified overall level determined by EE your trim move original pass Note Be careful that you don t run out of headroom you cannot have your fader nea
240. f analog to digital and digital to analog convertors error correction sample rate conversion and digital signal processing but there s just not enough room for it in this owner s manual If you still want more refer to Appendix K Recommended Books Appendix C Synchronization Synchronization is a topic that is often con fusing to the first time user of multitrack recording equipment MIDI sequencers and automated mixing The source of the confusion is not so much in understanding synchroniza tion itself but in understanding the various types of synchronization that exist and how they are used This section details the various types of synchronization and time code that have developed over the years where they came from and how they are used We hope that this short guide will help you better under stand how to use the Digital 8eBus automation What Synchronization Is For Synchronize as defined by Websters New World College Dictionary comes from the Greek syn meaning together and chronos meaning time for a nice cup of tea Basically synchronize means to move or occur at the same time or rate Nothing magical here In fact synchroniza tion has been around as long as drums have kept time to music Keeping the beat so that multiple devices can run at the same speed is one of the primary purposes of synchronization Types of Time Code There are two forms of time code that are
241. f the effect voices and put them in octave positions for interesting effects too Reverb When any of the harmony modes are being used you can also add a reverb harmony effect However to engage the reverb harmony effect you must be in Stereo Output mode This sends your harmonies to one set of stereo returns on your D8B and your reverb to another set of stereo returns Reverb can be very useful in placing your harmonies deeper in your mix Operation Pitch Correction Mode To make sure you are in Pitch Correction mode select Pitch Correct from the Vocal Studio screen What is Pitch Corrector Mode Everyone mixing vocals has experienced out of tune vocal tracks Typically there hasn t been much at your finger tips to fix those nasty notes Some lucky folks have been able to in vest thousands of dollars in computer editing suites to do pitch correction IVL Vocal Studio gives a simple yet effective pitch corrector to doctor your vocal tracks with your D8B Vocal Studio s pitch corrector is operated manually Therefore you have control over pitch fixing at all times Generally the less you correct the note the more natural the result However the pitch corrector can force a vocal note any where What are the Controls The Pitch Corrector screen is separated into four control areas PITCH BENDER Pitch Bender is used to bend out of tune vocal notes to the desired pitch The pitch bender works just as
242. fects Returns chan nels 13 24 The AUX Sends 1 8 are post fader mute and pan by default You can configure an aux send to be pre fader post EQ if desired in the Fat Channel Setup Post fader is almost always the preferred mode for reverb sends Keep the sends assigned post fader unless you don t want the reverb to follow the fader moves Remember when you have an aux send configured post fader with the level below unity and you switch the aux send to pre fader the signal will be louder at the aux send This could be a startling experience for your ears and your tweeters Configuring an Aux Send O TO CONFIGURE AN AUX SEND TO BE PRE OR POST FADER J a SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD From the console 5 gt 1 Press the GENERAL button in the GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL Setup Section The General Setup Menu appears in the Fat Channel display lt MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL mixer lt gt 2 Press the NEXT button the Fat a S channel section to go to page 2 of the TT TTT gt alalla slali elanla General Setup menu Press PREVIOUS C if you want to go back to page 1 3 Press the SELECT button below Post in the Fat Channel display The Pee PEES 4 Press the NEXT button to adv
243. g the Aux Send Levels 6 4 Adjusting the Digital 6 6 Adjusting the Level to 6 7 Routing Mixer Channels to Tape Outputs and Buses 6 8 Assigning Channels to a Tape 6 8 Assigning Channels to a Bus Output 6 0 Arming External Recorders from the Console 6 10 Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Input Signals 6 12 Monitoring in the Control Room 2 6 12 s VI 6 13 n 6 14 Solomp Chanel 6 14 Soloing an AUX Send 6 15 Mixdown 6 16 Setup of Cue Headphone Mixes for Performers 6 16 T Da E 6 19 Burzi 6 19 Bouncing Down 6 19 Mi OW 6 22 Routing Tape Returns to the Main Outputs 6 22 Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure Channels 25 48 6 23 Monitoring the Final Mix 6 26 loo o RAP E 6 26 Df 6 27 CHANG IS cischvchsasannnsenseusscseagansncsadsdeaionpoadersesdensausmasears 6 28 Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Tape Returns
244. ge the letters e Press the SELECT buttons below the lt lt gt gt arrows to move the cur sor left and right You can use up to 23 characters to name a file When the name appears as you want it press the SELECT button below SAVE to complete the operation TO SAVE AN EFFECTS PATCH AUX 1 O TYPE L DELAY R L FEEDBACK R L DAMPING R 10 Ste reo Diy 250ms 250ms 20 20 50 50 9 1 5 Reset Flat AEL at Q Q From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the AUX control panel Effect Files 2 Drag down to Save Effect As The EC Save File As dialog box appears 3 A default name for the effect is auto matically chosen such as patch 1 If you want to rename it simply type in the name you want 4 Click on Save to complete the patch 1 operation patch 2 Enter name for this MackieFX Starting a New Session L FEEDBACR R E JE Effect Files L DAMPING Save Effect As Cut Copy 6 patchs Pick a file to open TO LOAD AN EFFECTS PATCH From the console l With PLUG INS selected for channel pro cessing press MEMORY A or MEMORY B to choose the memory location to which you want to load the file Press LOAD PATCH in the Fat Channel Section The Fat Channel display shows the first effects file in alphabetical o
245. graph of the EQ right on the front panel Parametric EQs like those used in the Digital 8eBus let you vary several EQ parameters at once A filter is simply a form of equalizer that allows certain frequen cies through untouched while reducing or eliminating other frequencies Aside from the level controls EQs are prob ably the second most powerful controls on any mixer no the power switch doesn t count EQ curve A graph of the response of an equalizer with frequency on the x horizontal axis and ampli tude level on the y vertical axis Equalizer types and effects are often named after the shape of the graphed response curve such as peak dip shelf notch knee and so on frequency The number of times an event repeats itself in a given period Sound waves and the electri cal signals that represent sound waves in an audio circuit have repetitive patterns that range from a frequency of about 20 repetitions per second to about 20 000 repetitions per sec ond Sound is the vibration or combination of vibrations in this range of 20 to 20 000 repeti tions per second which gives us the sensation of pitch harmonics tone and overtones Fre quency is measured in units called Hertz Hz One Hertz is one repetition or cycle per second gain The measure of how much a circuit ampli fies a signal Gain may be stated as a ratio of input to output values such as a voltage gain of 4 or a power gain of 1 5 or it can be ex
246. gy at around 22kHz This results in an essentially flat noise floor at the theoretical 16 bit level 4 to 5 dB below that of conventional flat dither In addition the noise floor does not have the distinctive and an noying hissiness of conventional dither The UV22 noise floor sounds audibly quieter and less objectionable than other techniques In ad dition you cannot hear any audible artifacts Yet as with analog you can hear coherent audio signals several dB below the noise floor thus retaining much of the detail and audio quality inherent in the original signal SUPER CD ENCODING Apogee UV22 Apogee UV22 Appendix E IVL Vocal Studio About the IVL Vocal Studio The IVL Vocal Studio is a truly unique tool that offers natural sounding harmonies wild vo cal effects and vocal utilities You will hear that Vocal Studio can help you to quickly create killer vocal tracks In order to get you excited and for your general information here is what s packed into IVL Vocal Studio e Formant Preserving Pitch Shifting e Intelligent Vocal Harmony with four operating modes e Pitch Corrector Vocal Special Effects e Integral Reverb Effect Technologies Used Formant Preserving Pitch Shifting No chipmunks or Darth Vader here With IVL s patented formant preserving pitch shifting algorithm the Vocal Studio uses precise analyzation techniques on the input voice to naturally shift it higher or lower
247. h A way of stating the bandwidth of a filter or equalizer section An EQ with a Q of 75 is broad and smooth while a Q of 10 gives a nar row pointed response curve To calculate the value of Q you must know the center fre quency of the EQ section and the frequencies at which the upper and lower skirts fall 3 dB below the level of the center frequency Q equals the center frequency divided by the dif ference between the upper and lower 3 dB frequencies For example a peaking EQ cen tered at 10kHz whose 3 dB points are 7 5kHz and 12 5kHz has a Q of 2 quantization The digital representation of an analog sig nal involves sampling the amplitude at a fast rate Quantization is the measurement of the amplitude at the time of each sample expressed in a digital form or word Where an analog signal will be continuous as if it were going up a smooth path quantization will have discrete steps RAM Random Access Memory In computers and computer controlled equipment this is an area of processor memory that can be read from and written to return A return is a mixer line input dedicated to the task of returning processed or added sound from reverb echo and other effects devices Depending on the internal routing of your mixer and your own inclination you could use returns as additional line inputs or you could route your reverb outputs to ordinary line in puts rather than the returns reverberation reverb The sound rem
248. h fast rate with onset delay Heavy amp Fast heavy depth fast rate with onset delay Light amp Slow low depth slow rate with onset delay Med amp Slow medium depth slow rate with onset delay Heavy amp Slow high depth slow rate with onset delay Chorale low depth very slow rate with no onset delay In Styles you can create that extra amount of personality and realism for your harmony voices Each style is controlled by a spin dial Spin the dial up or down to change the param eter all of the Style parameters are adjusted globally for each harmony voice 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Timing adjusts the entrances of the har Portamento is used to limit the hard step mony voices With Timing turned off the ping between moving harmony notes harmony voices enter at the same time as Portamento can add realism to the movement lead voice Each timing parameter delays the of harmonies With Portamento each harmony harmony voices from the lead vocal Just like note slides into the next at a selected rate The tuning no group of singers sings the notes at rates are selected with the Portamento spin exactly the same time The timing presets have dial from 0 fastest to 10 slowest 2 PitchBend Range sets the pitch bend range that can be applied to the harmony voices using hi a MIDI device The pitch bend range can be set creates delay time for each voice from 0 dela
249. h reverb or echo added is wet effects devices External signal processors used to add re verb delay spatial or psychoacoustic effects to an audio signal An effects processor may be used as an insert processor serial on a par ticular input or subgroup or it may be used via the aux send return system parallel See also echo reverberation EIN Equivalent Input Noise Specification that helps measure the quietness of a gain stage by deriving the equivalent input noise voltage nec essary to obtain a given preamp s output noise Typically ranges from 125 to 129 5 dBm equalization EQ This refers to deliberately changing the fre quency response of a circuit sometimes to correct for previous unequal response hence the term equalization and more often to add or subtract level at certain frequencies for sound enhancement to remove extraneous sounds or to create completely new and different sounds Bass and treble controls on your stereo are EQ so are the units called parametrics graph ics and notch filters A lot of how we refer to equalization has to do with what a graph of the frequency response would look like A flat response no EQ is a straight line a peak looks like a hill a dip is a valley a notch is a really skinny valley and a shelf looks like a plateau or shelt duh The slope is the grade of the hill on the graph Graphic equalizers have enough frequency slider controls to form a
250. hange the name e Turn the first V Pot to change the let ters e Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to move the cursor left and right You can use up to 23 characters to name a file 3 When the name appears as you want it press the SELECT button below OK to complete the operation TO SAVE A COMPRESSOR PATCH COMPRESSOR From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Compressor control panel 2 Drag down to Save Compressor As The Save File As dialog box appears 3 Adefault name for the Compressor is EEB m automatically displayed such as comp 2 comp 1 If you want to rename it FLOPPY simply type the name you want 4 Click on Save to complete the operation Enter a name for this Compressor Starting a New Session 8 56 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER AOD Digital 8eBus 1 255 255 20 mms d ams THRESH RELEASE RATIO OUTPUT WRITE Starting a New Session Undo Reset Open Compressor TO LOAD A COMPRESSOR PATCH From the console 1 With COMPRESSOR selected for chan nel processing press the SELECT button on the channel you want to load with the compressor file Press and hold the SHIFT button in the Master V Pot Section to select more than o
251. harmony voice Pan Controls the stereo placement of each harmony voice Styles Styles are preset modifiers you can use to add realism to the harmony voices Timing This allows you to control the en tries of the harmony parts from 10 millisecond to random delays Scoop This controls how a harmony part slides into each note Do they bend up to it How much do they bend Vibrato This controls the amount of vibrato in your harmony parts Envelope This control is used with the Manual control mode When in Manual con trol mode a MIDI keyboard is used to trigger harmony notes The Envelope control adjusts the attack and release timing of the harmony MIDI notes This can add bite or smooth out the manual harmony sound Key Scale When the SmartKey control mode is used the key and type of scale of the song must be selected for the intelligent har mony to choose musically correct harmonies Pitch Correct Mode VOCAL STUDIO Shifting Pitch Correction amp Reverb IND SLOPE M AUX SEND gt PITCH BEND RANGE Semitones Harmony Pitch Correct OUTPUT MODE 2113 r PITCH BENDER C4 Pitch Bender Use bender to manually raise or lower the pitch of the shifted voices This works just like a spring loaded keyboard pitch bender PITCH CONTROLLER Pitch Bend Range The range parameter lets you set the maximum amount of pitch bend that can be applied to the voc
252. he Mix Editor Chapter 8 Advanced Techniques Once you become familiar with the Digital 5 basic functions you might want to turn here to learn some advanced techniques Virtual grouping auto fading mixing for surround sound and more are discussed in this section Chapter 9 Service This section includes a troubleshooting guide and information on obtaining service for your Digital 8eBus Chapter 10 Appendices These include a number of sections that go into further detail about things covered elsewhere in the manual The glossary has a generous helping of both analog and digital terms used in this book and throughout the audio world Next comes a discussion of the basic principles of digital audio a Digital 101 course for those who find themselves in unfamiliar territory and want to learn more Along the same line other sections cover the basics of synchronization the Apogee UV22 encoding process the IVL Vocal Studio various optional digital I O cards that can be installed in the Digital 8eBus and much more Index Just as you d expect this section will help you find information relating to specific functions or features of the D amp B Track Sheet Since you can save all the settings on the Digital 8eBus to disk in most cases there s no reason to have a track sheet But the Trim controls are analog non automated knobs so we ve provided a track sheet showing the Trim knobs and the Mic Line switches i
253. he control panel and adjust the effect s parameters Click on the EFFECTS button just above the Master Fader to select Fader Bank 3 Adjust the correspond ing FX Return fader to add the effect to the Left and Right buses Adjusting the Effects Settings TO ADJUST THE EFFECTS SETTINGS From the console l Press the PLUG INS button in the Fat Channel Section The Fat Channel display instructs you to select an aux send that has an FX plug in card installed If you have only one card installed press AUX 1 or AUX 2 in the V Pot Select Section Rotate the first V Pot to scroll through the available effects for the selected FX card Stop when the one you want appears in the display AUX 1 O TYPE SIZE DECAY PREDLY DAMPING DIFFUSION ROLLOFF gt MEMORY B EQ GATE LOAD PATCH AUX 1 O TYPE L DELAY R L FEEDBACK R o 3 The parameters associated with the se lected effect appear in the display Rotate their corresponding V Pots to adjust their parameters to taste TO ADJUST THE EFFECTS SETTINGS From the screen 1 Click on the CARD A B C or D button in the lower menu bar to open the con trol panel for the FX card you want to program 2 Click on the TYPE control to view the available effects for the selected FX card Stop on the one you want to use 3 Depending on which effect you choose a number of parameters appear in the control pan
254. he following connectors TRS Tip Ring Sleeve line input connectors accept balanced and unbalanced signals Tape Outputs for channels 13 24 are 3 conductor balanced line level direct outputs fed post DSP and pre fader Note Optional digital I O cards may be added changing the physical connector and specifications for the channel direct outs see Appendix F for digital I O options Card Cage Section TAPE IN OUTS There are 24 TAPE OUTS which are direct line level balanced analog outputs and can be fed from any of channels 1 48 The TAPE INS are line level balanced analog inputs that feed into channels 25 48 Connections for the tape inputs and outputs depend on which Tape I O cards you have installed Analog 1 0 Each analog I O card has two 25 pin D Sub connectors one for connecting eight balanced line level inputs from a multitrack recorder to the Digital 8eBus and the other for connecting eight balanced line level outputs from the Digital 8eBus to a multitrack recorder You can install up to three cards in the card cage on the rear panel to accommodate up to 24 tracks These connectors are compatible with the analog 25 pin connector used on Tascam digital multitrack recorders Several audio grade cable manufacturers make high quality cables for this application Some also make breakout cables with a 25 pin D Sub connector on one end and connectors used by other popular MDMs and HDRs on the other end See
255. hey lost count sometime back in the late 70s Console graphics and illustrations were created using Adobe Illustrator 7 0 Screen shots were created by tracing them on an old Winky Dink screen transparency with a sharpened crayon No animals were harmed during the production of this manual 2 gt gt is a trademark of Alesis Corporation TASCAM is a registered trademark of TEAC Corporation Apogee and UV22 Super CD Encoding are trademarks of Apogee Electronics IVL is a trademark of IVL Ltd The following are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mackie Designs Inc The Mackie Logo Mackie Real Time OS V Pot the Running Man figure and the D amp B Badge design other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged 1998 Mackie Designs Inc All rights reserved e LI J UMO enuey 5 ital 8eBus 1995 sngeg 31814 Session Date TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM UM 20dB 2 20dB 3 20dB A 20dB 5 20dB 20 7 20dB 8 20dB 9 4 0 E 1 E 2 00000000000 Index A ADAT Connection 1 ADAT Optical
256. hing between MEMORY A and MEMORY B settings and allows you to load patches from the hard drive in real time into the dynamic automation pass Say you want to make a radical change in EQ during a mix Set up MEMORY A with the initial settings and MEMORY B with the final settings Then during a Touch Write automation pass start with MEMORY A engaged for the selected channel then press MEMORY B at the Advanced Techniques TO RECORD EQ COMPRESSOR AND GATE CHANGES From the screen 1 Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Locator dialog box appears on the screen Clickonthe ALL and TOUCH buttons in the Locator window to initiate AUTO TOUCH mode make sure Bypass is turned off 3 Beginrolling tape by either clicking Play in the Locator window or from the recorder 4 Click on the SELECT button for the channel you want to adjust 5 Click on the EQ Compressor or Gate button in the lower menu bar The control panel for the selected processor appears in the screen 6 Atthe desired times click hold and drag on the controls you want to automate 7 Upon completion of the automation recording pass if you re satisfied with the recorded processor adjustments make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session Note You can view a graphical representa tion of the EQ parameters for each channel in the box located midway in the channel str
257. igital OUT connectors on the DIGITAL I O card which is equipped with an AES EBU XLR type OUT connector and a S PDIF RCA type OUT connector Select the output you want to use in the Digital I O Setup menu I O CARDS button in the Setup Section or Setup Digital I O on the screen You ll probably want to monitor the final mix from the 2 track tape you re recording with To do this connect the outputs from your 2 track deck to one of the 2 TRACK inputs A B or C on the rear panel of the Digital 8eBus Then select the corresponding 2 TRACK source in the Control Room Section Connections LJ DIGITAL I O 1 AES EBU DIGITAL 2 S PDIF 6 DIGITAL I O 6 CONTROL ROOM Connections Digital Audio Connections AES EBU AES EBU also known as AES3 is a standard interconnection established by the Audio Engineering Society AES for transmitting two channels of digital audio information between two devices see the glossary for more information This is a balanced XLR type connector Resist the temptation to use a standard microphone cable The digital signals transmitted by the AES EBU jack are much higher in frequency than microphone cables are designed to handle Many audio cable manufacturers have cables specifically designed for AES EBU digital audio transmission The AES EBU output connector is fed from the Master L R output fader The AES EBU input connector is routed to the
258. igure B 1 o lt Positive Voltage C Negative Voltage Figure B 1 Sine Wave The Binary Number System You probably know that in the digital world the language spoken consists of ones and zeros This is the binary number system We re used to using the decimal system which is base 10 With the decimal system we have ten different symbols to represent numbers one for each finger When we reach the tenth symbol we start a new column which represents how many 10s we ve counted Each column increases by a factor of 10 over the previous column In the binary system we have only two sym bols to represent numbers so it s base 2 When we reach the second symbol we start a new column which represents how many 2s we ve counted Because of this binary numbers look lot bigger than decimal numbers For example the number 20 is written 10100 in binary So how can a rapidly changing analog elec trical signal be represented by a bunch of ones and zeros The Analog to Digital Converter The analog signal must be converted into a series of binary numbers by an analog to digital converter ADC The ADC takes periodic mea surements of the analog signal and assigns a numeric value to represent the level of the sig nal at the time it is measured In this fashion the ADC takes snapshots of the analog audio signal much like a motion picture camera takes snapshots frames of a live scene When the still pictures a
259. individually select for each installed card TO DOWNLOAD PLUG INS TO THE FX CARDS 9 4 60 SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD From the console em em 1 Press PLUG INS button in the C GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL I O Setup Section The Plug In oe appears in the Fat Channel Display 2 Press the SELECT button below the MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER dQb Card you want to reconfigure al tle el ella Dol 3 Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows in the display to scroll through the available plug ins _ 7 4 DSB 5 ineut 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER GOD 4 When the plug in you want to use TT EF TTT TTT TTT TT EE REED appears in the display press SELECT button below TRANSMIT The selected plug in will now be downloaded to the FX Card TO DOWNLOAD PLUG INS TO THE FX CARDS H ss Plug ins From the screen paii recs 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower Empty menu bar The Setup dialog box opens Network Empty Ir WLDiva Empty 2 Click on the Plug ins icon on the left NLDiva Empty side of the box The Plug ins dialog box opens MackieFs Authorized on all Cards j YocalStudia Demonstration mode 3 Click and hold on the Plug in box for the card you want to re
260. ing Effects Settings 6 58 Loading an Effects Patch 6 59 Resetting 6 59 Saving Effects 1 6 58 Selecting Internal Effects 6 53 6 55 Turning the Effects On and 6 57 EIN eec 3 Encoder Rotary 2 11 ENTER Button 2 11 EQ Adding EQ to Input Signals 6 12 6 69 Adding EQ to Tape Returns 6 28 Changing the Display Matrix of the EQ 6 33 Changing the Frequency Bandwidth 6 32 Editing EQ Settings uses er EDEN 6 36 CUTIE 6 36 6 36 PS LP 6 37 Egualzation A 3 EQ BUTTON 2 6 EQ Curve S rm A 3 Loading EQ 6 34 Resetting EQ 6 35 SEITE 6 29 Saving EQ 6 33 Recording changes 8 1 Ethernet 2 15 4 7 Event CiSt 7 15 Creating Fade In and Fade Out Event 7 16 Deleting a Fade In or Fade Out Event 7 17 Editing Fade In And Fade Out Events 7 17 Including And Removing Channels 7 15 Mackie Real Time OS Automation Edit
261. ing device band s manager comes up to you with a DAT Feed the Master Outputs from the console di machine and goes The producer wants us to rectly to the inputs of the external device Then send him a recording of tonight s gig and run the outputs from the device to your two track you go patch it into the house mix and recorder he goes No I d rather get a special mix just For a parallel processing device for the tape and you roll your eyes and go Assign all the channels to an unused You should really get a remote truck and he submaster as well as to the L R outputs Connect rolls his eyes and goes Here s the tape the submaster output to the input of the external Make it so and we might hire you next time device Then connect the output from the exter Piece of cake with the Digital 8eBus nal device to an unused effects return channel Aux 9 10 and Aux 11 12 are stereo aux Assign that effects return channel to the L R out sends that can be used to make a stereo re put This is the wet signal and you control the cording Simply assign the channels to the amount of wet signal in the mix by adjusting stereo aux send individually adjust their the Effects Return fader level in Fader Bank 3 levels and pans and send it off to the 2 track recorder See Live Sound Reinforcement Hookup Example on page 6 79 enuew 5 Using the Stereo AUXes TO USE THE STEREO AUX
262. ing the rear or side speakers The speaker icons are placed in a logical and symmetrical distribution around the surround box rectangle These speaker icons represent the bus outputs and may be toggled on and off by clicking on them to re strict the pan access hard on off bus output of the signal on a per channel basis This is stored and recalled with the session Ball icon Displays the relative signal position in the pan grid This is stored and recalled with the session A B red ball green ball Use for panning positioning comparison and automation Morph This button is a trigger to move the ball in a timed fashion on a straight line track between the A and B positions according to the time amount box below the morph button 0 1 to 10 1 seconds Flyback This causes the position ball to jump im mediately back to its original start point mouse driven only where releasing the mouse button causes the ball to fly back enuew 5 Menu This button is identical to the menu T buttons in the EQ gate compressor and EN effects control panels It provides clipboard functions and storing and recalling surround patches A two digit current channel designator in the upper right hand corner has the same function as the Channel Select Display on the console SURROUND SOUND Open Surround Save Surround As Monitoring in Surround Sound You should reserve eight
263. io Ken C Pohlmann e Random Access Audio by David Miles Huber e Sound Reinforcement Handbook Gary Davis e Sound System Engineering Davis amp Davis e Tech Terms by Peterson and Oppenheimer 1 gt Recommended Books Colophon This manual was a collaborative effort Written and laid out by David Franzwa with assistance from the following team members Final production assistance by Steve Eborall final editing and composi tional assistance by Marsh Gooch whom we just call Gooch technical information and support provided by Tom Bain and Brian McCully final proofreading provided by the inimitable Linn Compton cover designed by Sheila Smith Hookup diagram art by Sara Delahan and Bruce Yunker typesetting assistance by cre ative guru Ron Koliha real world perspectives provided by Paul Larson Keith Medley Randy Neiman Jay Schlabs and Michael Worona fun at the Christmas party provided in part by the Naked Mole Rats adult super vision provided by Greg Mackie Bob Tudor and Peter Watts Thanks go to Richard Elen for dithering away at the Apogee appendix Preliminary text was written on a Power Macintosh 8100 100AV using Microsoft Word 6 0 Typesetting was performed on the same Power Macintosh using Adobe PageMaker 6 5 Steve and Gooch worked on inferior Mac clones souped up beyond belief with so many accelerator cards and RAM upgrades that t
264. ip You can even click and drag in the box to change the EQ parameters just as you would in the EQ control panel Or you can double click in the box to open the EQ control panel required time The change is recorded in the session You can switch back and forth between MEMORY A and B as many times as you want You can also load EQ settings from the hard drive as well as gates compression and channel patches From the EQ window under the Menu option select the desired EQ patch and when you re ready to load it on your Write enabled channel press Open This may be more time consuming than simply clicking the A amp B settings but it allows you to take mini snapshots of dynamic events on a local DSP basis EVEZACCECHES 8B 56 ineut 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER dD 01 dels TT is TTI TO RECORD EFFECTS CHANGES Remember any changes made to the in ternal effects affect all channels assigned to the aux send feeding the effect From the console 1 Turn off the Bypass button button light off in the Automation Section to engage the automation functions 2 Press the AUTO TOUCH button 3 Press the PLAY button in the Transport Section or Play on the recorder to initiate timecode 5 4 Select the Aux Send for Effect you want to automate 5 Press the PLUG INS button in the F
265. ip represent Aux Send 1 12 levels Send To Tape levels Digital Trim levels and Pan settings The Fat Channel s V Pots represent the EQ compression gate and internal effects settings for each selected channel Fat Channel Yes Fat Channel Instead of 24 vertical channel strips each with an assortment of analog rotary pots the D8B s Fat Channel is made up of four V Pots laid out horizontally underneath the VFD All digital signal processing is controlled from there Select the channel you want to work with then use the Fat Channel V Pots to set EQ compression gate and internal stereo effects for that channel This knob saving marvel is one reason the Digital 8eBus has such a small footprint Because we re in the digital domain and because Mackie s job is to make you more creative we ve set up the Fat Channel with two memories per channel You can store and easily recall one of two different groups of EQ compression egate settings either manually or via real time dynamic automation You can also use this feature to compare two different settings and determine which sounds best The Fat Channel also contains a Library for storing frequently used EQ and internal effects settings which can be recalled and used by any channel DSP Plug ins The Digital 8eBus has a built in board with two digital effects processors and card cage slots for adding up to three more DSP effects boards Each board contains two digital effect pr
266. irectly to your recorder s Tape Outs 1 8 appear on the first card TAPE 1 8 Tape Outs 9 16 on the second TAPE 9 16 and Tape Outs 17 24 on the third TAPE 17 24 Any of the 48 channels effects returns internal FX and ALT returns channels 49 72 and BUS 1 8 can be assigned to the Direct Tape Outputs These are balanced analog connections and the signal at this point is post EQ and pre fader for channels 1 48 See Figure 4 5 for the wiring configuration of these connectors FROM TAPE Connections Channels 25 48 Tape Returns With three Analog I O cards installed in the TAPE IN OUTS slots there are three 25 pin D Sub connectors FROM TAPE for connecting up to 24 tracks directly from your recorder to the Digital 8eBus The inputs to channels 25 32 appear on the first card Tape 1 8 channels 33 40 appear on the second Tape 9 16 and 41 48 appear on the third Tape 17 24 Fader Bank 2 TAPE IN is dedicated entirely to the Tape Inputs These are balanced analog connections and the signal for each track goes directly to its own dedicated A D converter followed by a DIGITAL TRIM control DSP for all the same processing functions as channels 1 24 fader mute and pan See Figure 4 5 for the wiring configuration of these connectors The TO TAPE and FROM TAPE connectors are compatible with the analog 25 pin connectors used on Tascam digital multitrack recorders Several audio grade cable manufacturers make high
267. irst we ll look at recording from the standpoint of tracking how to create individual tracks on your multi track recorder bouncing down tracks to free up more room for tracking and setting up cue mixes for the performers Next we ll look at mixing down those tracks with effects to create a two track master Then we ll take a look at the unique requirements of live mixing To finish up we ll take a look at automation and what you can do with it Recording Tracking The recording process can be as simple as one microphone recorded to one track or as complex as 24 tracks or more with cascaded consoles recorded simultaneously composed of a number of microphones instruments and submixes fed direct out to tracks and each submix composed of a number of microphones and instruments Whew Most sessions fall somewhere in between Refer to the Record ing Tracking Hookup Diagram at the end of Chapter 6 while reading this section Setup We ll assume that you ve already connected your multitrack recorder s to the Digital If you haven t refer to Chapter 4 Making the Connections Okay now we ll get ready for your session Make a diagram of your studio setup showing mic positioning keyboards and other line level input sources Then assign an input source to each mic and line level input Clarifying your mic line to input layout now will avoid confusion later Group similar instru ments together If there is
268. ixdown to adjust the levels EQ and effects for the submix You can even automate it Don t forget to click the REC RDY but tons on channels 7 and 8 when you re ready to record Starting a New Session JOUMO enueyw 5 Mixdown Now you have all your tracks recorded and you re ready to mixdown to two tracks Tracking and overdubbing require care from the recording engineer but the focus there is on the perfor mances In tracking it s important to get a good sound but it s more important to keep the musi cians really in it keep the pace up and be ready to snag that killer track when it happens Good mixing however focuses solely on the engineer and requires an emphasis on precision and meticulous setup Creatively you must blend the tracks so they re brilliant together techni cally you must take into account the sound of ASSIGNMENT C MASTERS SHIFT ASSIGN BUS 1 1 24 25 48 MIC LINE TAPE IN TRACK MONITOR EFFECTS ASSIGN BANK SELECT diss N N mir MASTER OUT 4 SZ xN MAIN 1 SZ NEAR FIELD oe MASTER OUT Starting a New Session ASSIGN ASSIGN ASSIGN gt amp o9 eg UJ Uu UJ a AR ASSIGN BUS 8 ASSIGN ROUTE TO TAPE home and car speakers mono compatibility and human perception changes under different lis tening conditions not t
269. k on the snapshot number lt in the gray area you want to recall from the list of available snapshots The console updates to indicate the selected snapshot If you re recording an automation pass the snapshot data QU will be written to the current session Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to remove the Snapshots dialog box from the screen or click on the Snapshot button in the menu bar or press Ctrl 3 on the keyboard Creating Locate Points TO CREATE LOCATE POINTS From the console 1 Press the LOCATOR button in the Transport Section Set the desired SMPTE BBT time where the locate point should be e Press the SMPTE VIEW button next to the POSITION display if you are working in SMPTE time otherwise the display will be in Bars Beats Ticks e Press the SET TIME button The SET TIME and ENTER LEDs start blinking e Enter the desired time using the number buttons Press ENTER The SET TIME LED turns off and an MMC command is sent to advance the tape to the new time Press the STORE button The STORE LED lights and the ENTER button begins blinking Enter a two digit number using the number buttons to identify the locate point The number appears in the RANGE display Preparing for a Session 5 13 Digital 8eBus POSITION e RANGE HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO SMPTE VIEW B LOOP ENTER LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNA
270. k path for a multiple echo effect The mono delay has the following controls Delay This adjusts the amount of time be tween the original signal and the delayed signal It is calibrated in milliseconds mS with a range from OmS to 1599ms 1 6 seconds Feedback This adjusts the amount of signal that is fed back to the input of the delay It is cali brated in percent with a range from 096 to 99 Rolloff This adjusts the cutoff frequency for roll ing off the feedback signal It is calibrated in Hertz Hz with a range from 500Hz to 20kHz It also has a Flat position which bypasses the control Stereo Delay The stereo delay effect provides independently adjustable delays which are returned to the left and right stereo effect return It also provides an adjustable feedback path for a multiple echo ef fect The stereo delay has the following controls Left and Right Delay This adjusts the amount of time between the original signal and the de layed signal It is calibrated in milliseconds mS with a range from to 799ms 0 8 seconds Notice that the stereo delay effect has precisely one half the amount of delay available per chan nel as the mono delay Starting a New Session Left and Right Feedback This adjusts the amount of signal that is fed back to the input of the delay It is calibrated in percent with a range from 0 to 99 Rolloff This adjusts the cutoff frequency for roll ing off the feedback signal
271. k with the channels that will be included in the group 4 Press the SELECT buttons on the channels you want to assign to the Virtual Group Their inclusion in the group will be indicated by the channel SELECT LEDs being lit Note You can assign channels from different fader banks to the same Virtual Group but you can t assign a channel to more than one group 5 Repeat steps 2 through 4 until all desired channels are assigned to all desired Virtual Groups 6 When assignments are complete press the SELECT button below Exit in the Fat Channel Display to leave group assignment mode Advanced Techniques TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO VIRTUAL GROUPS From the screen 1 Click on the SELECT buttons on the channel s you want to add to a group Use the SHIFT key to select more than one channel You can select channels from more than one fader deck Digital 8eBus 2 Click on Channel in the upper menu bar and drag down to select Group or press Ctrl G B Save Channel As E Group m Stereo Link B Unlink The Group Selections window opens 3 Click in the Group Select box and Pick a Group below to add choose the group number you want to add the selected channels to 4 Click on the Group button to complete Group 1 ms Group 2 the group assignment The selected Group 3 faders now have the group number Group 4 and color for easy identification Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group
272. key and scale once at the beginning of a song and the Vocal Studio automatically creates natural harmonies in real time This mode produces the most common type of harmony in popular music Pitch Shift Use this button to set a chromatic interval between the lead vocal and pitch shifted voices to create true parallel melody lines This is useful more for special effects than harmonies because our ear is tuned to the moving third interval that parallel chromatic harmonies don t provide 227 IVL Vocal Studio Edit Harmony Ensemble EDIT HARMONY ENSEMBLE nterval Gender Detune e volume Styles Interval In SmartChord SmartKey and Pitch Shift control modes Interval determines how much higher or lower the harmony note is than the lead note In SmartChord and Smart Key modes the intervals are intelligent that is they will sharpen or flatten automatically to make the harmonies sound musically correct For Pitch Shift the interval chosen is always in parallel with the lead regardless of the key and scale Gender The gender of each harmony voice can be changed to create mixed vocal ensembles without needing to see that special doctor in Sweden Detune Who sings a perfect third No one really Detune adjusts a harmony note s pitch to be slightly above or below the exact note it is creating Volume Controls the level for each
273. l Bus 1 8 Pin 1 Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 h16 Ch24 h16 Ch24 h15 Ch23 h14 Ch22 h14 Ch22 h13 Ch21 h12 Ch20 h12 Ch20 h11 Ch19 h10 Ch18 h10 Ch18 Q gt N ololololol Tape 1 8 gt gt Pin 5 Pin 6 Pin 7 Pin 8 Pin 9 Pin 10 Pin 11 Pin 12 Pin 13 Q gt E gt A 7 7 gt Figure 4 5 DB 25 Pin out Identification DIGITAL EFFECTS FX Cards located behind this cover plate DIGITAL EFFECTS In addition to the internal effects the Digital 8eBus provides several ways to connect external effects devices Channel Inserts Channels 1 12 are equipped with INSERT jacks for connecting external processors into each channel s signal path The insert point comes after the Mic Line preamp and just before the analog to digital converter This is a TRS jack specially configured as a combination Send Return connection point It is configured with the Tip Send Ring Return and Sleeve Ground This has become somewhat of a standard in the industry and Signal Description Tape 1 8 Bus 1 8 and ALT Pin 14 Pin 15 Pin 16 Pin 17 Pin 18 Pin 19 Pin 20 Pin 21 Pin 22 Pin 23 Pin 24 Pin 25 gt h16 24 h15 Ch23 h15 Ch23 h14 Ch22 h13 Ch21 h13 Ch21 h12 Ch20 h11 Ch19 h11 Ch19 10 Ch18 9 Ch17 9 Ch17 Q OIOIOIOIOIO SIE
274. l Signals 4 1 Phantom 4 1 Connecting Recording Devices 1 4 2 TO TAPE Connections Channels 1 24 Tape Outs 4 2 FROM TAPE Connections Channels 25 48 Tape Returns 4 2 BUS OUT 1 8 Connections Surround Outputs 4 2 Connecting External Effects Devices 4 2 LTS cocos aa 4 3 POU DISCS mae ____4_46 _6_6_ _ 4 4 Connecting Control Room Monitors 4 4 Connecting Studio Monitors 4 5 Connecting Headphones 4 5 Connecting Your Final Mix Deck 4 5 Digital Audio Connections pus eI xs 4 6 AE 7 015 T 4 6 SPD e 4 6 MIDI Connec Hons tasas eus 4 6 Connecting a MIDI Time Code Source for Synchronization 4 6 Using MMC MIDI Machine Control 4 6 Connections for External MIDI Effects Processors 4 6 E 4 7 Using an SVGA 4 7 Usine a MoU Ea 4 7 Using a QWERTY Keyboard 4 7 The Ethernet Connection esee 4 7 5 Preparing for a Session saving and Retrieving Files from the Internal Hard Drive 5 1 File Structure Hierarchy eese 5 1 5 1 PA
275. later mixdown e You ve already assigned all eight of your buses to other duties Why you d use a bus e You want to economize tracks by combining several microphones onto a single track e t s there it s easy it sounds great e You want to help reduce single occupancy vehicles SOVs on the road by using the bus Assigning Channels to a Tape Output The tape out assignment defaults to off that is no channels are assigned to the tape outputs You can assign a channel to any tape output by using the ASSIGN button along with the ROUTE TO TAPE button in the Assignment Section There are 24 direct Tape Outputs Any of the 48 channels can be assigned to a tape out In addition the ASSIGNMENT lt gt ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 3 BUS 4 gt gt ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 5 BUS 6 ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 7 BUS 8 gt gt ASSIGN ASSIGN L R ROUTE TO as 12 A 13 Starting a New Session 16 internal Effects Returns the 8 ALT Returns and the BUS OUT 1 8 can be assigned to a tape out Note You can assign only one channel to a direct tape output Similarly you can t assign a channel to more than one tape out Adjusting for Nominal Input and Output Levels Refer to the Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure on page 6 1 to properly set the TRIM controls on channels 1 24 Now we ll concentrate on getting the optimum signal level from the Digital 8eBus to the recorder This is actually a simple procedure fro
276. le Are any of the meters hitting the OL mark Try turning down the TRIM control channels 1 12 or the Digital Trim control channels 1 48 Or try turning down the signal source volume control Solo the signal source and listen to it in the Control Room Output or with headphones in the Phones output Select PFL SOLO in the Studio Solo Section Make sure the SOLO LEVEL control is turned up in the Studio Solo Section and the Control Room LEVEL control is turned up in the Control Room Section If the signal sounds bad with PFL SOLO selected the problem lies somewhere before the channel fader with the source itself or the input settings on the console If the signal sounds okay the problem lies somewhere after the channel fader with the output settings or the amplifier speaker combination after the console Noise Hum Check the signal cable between the console and the power amplifier Make sure all connections are secure Make sure signal cables are not routed near AC cables power transformers wall warts or other EMI sources Is there a light dimmer or other triac based SCR device on the same AC circuit as the console Use an AC line filter or plug the console along with all other audio equipment into a different AC circuit If you re connecting an unbalanced source to the balanced input using an XLR or TRS connector try disconnecting the unbalanced ground from pin 1 XLR or sleeve TRS Appendix A Gl
277. lick on the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit 2 Click on Edit in the upper menu bar and select Paste All or Paste Channels depending on the last clipboard operation from the drop down menu or press on the keyboard The automation events or the static settings for the selected channel are replaced by those stored in the clipboard memory Undoing TO UNDO From the console 1 Press the UNDO button to delete the last edit command that was performed and return the settings to their previous state 2 Press the UNDO button again to redo the last edit command that was performed and return the settings to the edited state undo the undo TO UNDO From screen 1 Click on Edit in the upper menu bar and select Undo Cut Channels this may display differently depending on the last clipboard operation from the drop down menu or press Ctrl Z on the keyboard to undo the last edit command that was performed and return the settings to their previous state 2 Select Undo again to redo the last edit command that was performed and return the settings to the edited state undo the undo Preparing for a Session enuey 5 Digital 8eBus Preparing for a Session 6 Starting a New Session In this section we ll see what it s like to ac tually use the Digital 8eBus in three of the most common applications F
278. ller When an aux send is selected the channel V Pot controls the aux send level for its respec tive channel and the Master V Pot located at the right end of the V Strip controls the summed aux send level of all the channels assigned to it The aux send level LED pattern wraps clock wise from 7 o clock full off dB to 5 o clock full on 10 dB Unity gain is at 2 o clock Adjusting the Channel PAN Control TO ADJUST THE CHANNEL PAN CONTROL From the console 1 Press the PAN button below the MASTER V Pot The Master V Pot becomes disabled and the channel V Pots become pan controls 2 Rotate the channel V Pot to the right to position the signal right of center and rotate it to the left to position the sig nal to the left of center The ring of LEDs around the V Pot indicates the relative position setting of the control When the V Pot is centered the small LED at the bottom of the V Pot lights Starting a New Session enuew 5 Digital 8eBus EN TNT Pan L R SELECT 500 MUTE MUTE MUTE Ch 3 Ch 10 Ch 11 1 48 LEVEL TO TAPE DIGITAL TRIM Starting a New Session TO ADJUST THE CHANNEL PAN CONTROL From the screen 1 Click on the PAN button below the MASTER V Pot The Master V Pot be comes disabled and the channel V Pots become pan controls 2 Click and hold on the channel V Pot and move the mouse left and right or up and down to pan the signal to the
279. ls from a number of inputs to a mixing amplifier just like a city bus carries people from a number of neighborhoods to their jobs channel strip The physical representation of an audio channel on the front panel of a mixer usually a long vertical strip of controls chorusing An effect available in some digital delay effects units and reverbs Chorusing involves a number of moving delays and pitch shifting usu ally panned across a stereo field clipping A cause of severe audio distortion that is the result of excessive gain requiring the peaks of the audio signal to rise above the capabilities of the amplifier circuit Seen on an oscilloscope the audio peaks appear flattened or clipped off To avoid distortion reduce the system gain in or before the gain stage in which the clipping occurs See also headroom compressor This is used to smooth out any large tran sient peaks in an audio signal that might otherwise overload your system or cause dis tortion The amplitude threshold and other parameters such as attack time release time and tire pressure are adjustable cue mix A separate output usually having an indi vidual mix and level control specifically for the talent to monitor The Digital 8eBus has two cue mix phone outputs Glossary Digital 8eBus Glossary D A converter Digital to analog converter a device that transforms incoming digital signals into analog form DAT Digital Audio Tape is a recording
280. ls to a Bus 6 9 Assign Channels to a Tape Output 6 8 Assign Channels to Virtual Groups 8 6 Attenuate IR 1 7 1 Advanced Automation 8 1 Recording changes 8 1 Automation 7 3 Automation Section 2 9 1 3 Dynamic 7 1 Absolute Mode 7 1 Auto Touch Mode 7 1 55 eicere 7 1 Trim Levels Mode 7 2 GOP HIS 7 13 PROC OT 1 4 Bus Assignments 7 10 Channel V Pot Moves 7 8 Fader Moves in Trim Mode 7 6 MULES 7 7 Snapshot Automation i i ere erre ratoris 7 2 Writing Snapshots into Automation 7 11 The Mix Editt T 7 14 i Bou Cr Hla 7 12 E AE RE 8 6 Auto Save 3 7 AUTO TOUCH Button ccs cccacansssiatienvseunasnsen 2 9 Aux Buttons AUX 2 4 AUX a MU DEUS 2 4 AUX 3 8 Buttons 2 4 AUX 9 10 LEVEL Button 2 4 AUX 11 12 LEVEL Button epe rrr ERE R9 2 4 AUX 9 10 P
281. lues ending with a minimum value Fader EQ com pressor gate pans aux and cues and plug in effects changes are all continuous events bro ken down into high resolution discrete events in the Event List Mutes bus assignments phase reverse snapshots and EQ gate and compressor on off are all singular events Using The Mix Editor To familiarize you with the Mix Editor let s first take a look at what the various functions do for the edit process The Mix Editor can only be viewed in the monitor screen not from the console Fat Channel display To open the Mix Editor use the keyboard shortcut Ctr1 2 from either the keyboard or the console Okay let s get started If no automation has been written on the selected channel before you open the Mix Editor the window will ap pear blank as shown here Included Types _ Mute _ EQs _ Compr _ Gate __ Busses Plugins _ Snapshots __ Auxes an On the other hand if you have already writ ten some automation on the selected channel before opening the Mix Editor the events for that channel appear in the window as shown in the following picture 00 00 0517 00 00 05 18 00 00 05 20 00 00 05 21 00 00 05 22 00 00 05 25 00 00 05 25 00 00 05 26 o a mm 00 00 05 27 00 00 05 28 Included Types __ Fader __ Mute __ _ EQs __ Compr _ Gate _ Busses _ Plugins
282. m of the 25 pin connectors 010 8 This card provides 8 digital inputs and 8 digital outputs Connections are provided in both ADAT Multichannel Optical Interface and Tascam T DIF 1 formats You can install this card in any of the Tape In Out slots or in the ALT I O slot You can mix any combination of the AIOe8 and DIO 8 cards in the Tape I O slots to suit your particular application You can configure the card in software and select which I O connector you want to use Refer to the section Configuring Digital I O in Chapter 3 for more information 5 s S 2 amp 2 jes E So 5 o 56 ssel 8 B QO ms Pin 1 Ch8 Ch16 Ch24 Pin2 shield Ch8 Ch16 Ch24 Ch7 Cht5 Ch23 Pin 4 Ch14 Ch22 Pin5 shield Ch14 Ch22 Ch5 Ch21 Pin 7 Ch4 Ch12 20 Pin8 shield Ch4 Ch12 Ch20 Pind 1 Ch19 Pin 10 Ch10 Ch18 11 shield Ch2 Ch18 Pini2 1 Ch17 13 NC 4 Figure F 1 DB 25 Pin out Identification Connections for ADAT The connection for ADAT is made with a fiber optic cable sometimes referred to as a lightpipe This connector provides 8 channels of bidirectional digital audio You can purchase this cable from your Alesis dealer Connections for DA 88 The connection for T DIF 1 is made with a 25 pin D Sub connector This connector provides 8 channels of bi
283. m 0 31 ms to 2560 00 ms 2 6 seconds Release This determines how fast the compres sor turns off once the signal falls below the threshold It is calibrated in milliseconds with a range from 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms 2 5 seconds Starting a New Session Ratio This determines the change in output level as a function of the change in input level once the threshold has been exceeded It is calibrated in decibels with a range from 1 00 1 to 19 99 1 Thus if itis set to 10 1 an increase in input level of 10 dB assuming the input is above the threshold level results in a 1 dB increase in output level As a general rule use ratio settings from 1 1 5 to 1 5 for compressor use Settings from 1 10 to 1 20 are more useful for limiting pur poses because in that range the output level changes very little as the input increases Gain This determines the overall gain of the compressor from input to output as measured with the signal below the threshold level You can use this control to compensate for the loss of gain caused by the action of the compressor It is calibrated in decibels with a range from unity 00 00 dB to 20 00 dB Selecting the Compressor TO SELECT THE COMPRESSOR JOUMO Ae From the console gt 1 Select the channel you want to com 89 EN HE press by pressing its SELECT button gt aS 77 2 Press the COMPRESSOR button a
284. m the Digital 8eBus point of view The signal going to tape is pre fader so the fader levels won t affect the signal going to tape The channel V Pots can be configured as Tape send level controls Just press the LEVEL TO TAPE button and use the channel V Pots to adjust the signal level as it appears in your recorder s meter You should refer to your recorder s instruction manual at this point and review their recommendations on setting input levels for recording Generally you will want to keep the channel fader close to the U designa tion which provides a 4 dBu output from the Digital 8eBus to the recorder if you ve followed the Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO TAPE OUTPUTS From the console 1 Press the ROUTE TO TAPE button in the Bus Assignment Section 2 Press the SELECT button on the chan nel you want to route to tape This could be any of the channels 1 24 on Bank 1 channels 25 48 on Bank 2 FX Returns on Bank 3 or BUS 1 8 on Bank 4 3 Press the ASSIGN button on the chan nel whose TAPE OUT you want to route to the selected channel It is not necessary to change banks when pressing the ASSIGN button Since there are only 24 Tape Outputs and 24 ASSIGN buttons the console knows which Tape Output you are as signing the selected channel to TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO TAPE OUTPUTS From the screen Tape out assignment is made with the OUT box at the top of each channel
285. mage that occurs due to non factory packaging 5 Include a legible note stating your name shipping address no boxes daytime phone number RA number and a detailed description of the problem including how we can duplicate it 6 Write the RA number in BIG PRINT on top of the box It must appear on the outside of the box 7 Ship the product to us We recommend United Parcel Service UPS We suggest insurance for all forms of cartage Ship to this address unless told differently by your friendly Tech Support person Mackie Designs SERVICE DEPT 16220 Wood Red Rd NE Woodinville WA 98072 8 We ll try to fix the product within three business days We normally send everything back prepaid using UPS BLUE Second Day Air However if you rush your product to us by Air Shipment we ll treat it in kind by letting it jump to the head of the line and we ll also ship it back to you UPS RED Next Day Air This paragraph does not necessarily apply to non warranty service Troubleshooting Guide Three Things to Keep in Mind As you become familiar with the Digital 8eBus you ll find it helpful to keep these three questions in mind at all times 1 What Fader Bank is selected 2 What channel is selected 3 What is the V Pot assignment In 90 of the cases if something isn t working as you expect it should it s because one of these three settings isn t where you intend it to be No power e Our favorite ques
286. ming Channels and Recorders 6 10 Bouncing Down Tracks uoce rer etes 6 20 Recording Bus Assignments 1 10 Recording Channel V Pot Moves 1 8 Recording Devices Connecting 4 2 Recording EQ Compressor Effects Changes 8 1 Recording Fader MOV S etin eret tii 7 5 Recording Fader Moves in Trim 7 6 Recording MOS 7 7 RECORD Button 2 11 REC RDY Enable Button 2 1 Registration Card BR m 1 4 Remote CPU Power Supply Description 1 3 2 15 G 5 Removing Channels In The Event List 7 15 9 1 Resetting Resetting the Compressor 6 43 Resetting the Effects acri epi tont aas indt ioris 6 59 the EQ iinei 6 35 Resetting the 6 51 Retrieving Files from the Internal Hard Drive 5 1 tact E A 4 Reverberation 5 REWIND 2 11 ROM Read Only Memory A 5 Rotary 2 11 ROUTE TO TAPE 2 9 Routing channels to Mains and Subs 6 66 Routing Mixer Channels to Tape Outputs and Buses 6 8 Routing Tape Returns to the Main Outputs
287. mpo Map Press the SELECT button below Reset to return to the default settings Press the PREVIOUS button to get back to the General menu or press the GENERAL button to return to normal Fat Channel operation Start Up 35 Digital 8eBus Device ID 3 Dewice ID 4 Device Midi File Offset 00 00 00 00 FLOPPY Open Pick a file to open General Tempo Map Machine Control Single Button Record Network Ti 1 8 9 16 Device D1 17 24 Device D2 Midi File Offset 00 00 00 00 Enter the MIDI Start Time for this SPSsion Start Up TO CONFIGURE MIDI PARAMETERS 2 General 1 4 Tempo Machine Control Single Button Record Network 2 m 1 8 Device j 9 16 Device ID 1 s 17 24 Device D2 Device ID 0 3 Device ID 1 Reset Load TENENTE D2 n From the screen Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens Click on the MIDI Sync icon on the left side of the box The MIDI Sync dialog box opens To set the device ID for MIDI Machine Control MMC of each 8 track recorder click in the Device ID box and drag down to the desired selection Release to finalize your selection Click on the Load button to load a tempo map file from a floppy disk The MIDI Files dialog box opens Click on the FLOPPY icon to display the files
288. mpressor Sort Bypass Sync Motor Faders off Toggle checkbox edit field Bypass Automation Motor Faders off button Space bar Click bar right mouse button swipe either direction Click bus any mouse button swipe either direction Click button any mouse button swipe either direction Click title bar Bypass Automation Mouse Click Appendix J Screen Shots Here are some of the panels and dialog boxes you will be using on screen PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP 4 5 REC REC 10 REC WRITE WRITE WRITE SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT 5010 SOLO SOLO SOLO SOLO SOLO SOLO MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 9 Ch 10 Ch 6 Setup Mix Editor Snapshots Locator Startup Screen MENI GATE COMP MUTE Ch 11 Compressor PHASE GATE SOLO MUTE Ch 12 EQ PHASE PHASE GATE GATE COMP COMP 14 REC WRITE SELECT SOLO SOLO MUTE MUTE Ch 13 Ch i4 da Gate PHASE GATE COMP SELECT SOLO MUTE File PHASE GATE COMP SOLO MUTE 16 Ch 17 E on S
289. mum increase or decrease their values by a specified percent age or set them to a value of your choice Note If you need to fine tune a single event you can click on its value in the Mix Editor with the mouse and drag up or down to increase or decrease its value You can also use the automation Trim Mode to perform modifications to exis ng events Automation Info Another option is Automation Info Select this option to see how many automation events are available mpm ra Insert Blank Time Delete Time Automation Info You have 418 events used with a total of 124582 available Continue There is room for 125 000 automation events You can monitor the memory and events usage from the gas gauges in the Loca tor Control Panel Take A Breather Okay take your propeller beanies off and stuff your pocket protectors back in the drawer That s about all you ll ever want to do in the Event Editor at least if you do what most of the rest of us do for a living or for fun in the world of audio mixing If you are ob sessed with very precise radical slam banging of sounds hither and yon feel free to explore the intricacies of the Event Editor until your heart s content Or to the limits of your sanity And if you stumble across some astonishingly useful techniques that aren t too terribly diffi cult to accomplish drop us a line so we can include them in the next edition Automation 7
290. mum refresh rate MIDI 9 pin D Sub MIDI IN MIDI OUT Supplied adapter converts 9 pin D Sub to two 5 pin MIDI connectors Ethernet 10 base T Power Requirements US 120VAC 60Hz Europe 240 50 60Hz Japan 100VAC 50 60Hz Korea 240VAC 60Hz Mackie Designs is always striving to improve it s products by incorporating new and improved materials components and manufacturing methods Because we re always trying to make things better we reserve the right to change these specifications at any time without notice Technical Info 65 Imensions Digital 8eBus and Remote CPU D 122 lt 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 00000 60606000 006000 00000 006000 6006000 exo 00 de 00 q 0 o EERE 955mm 37 6 ub LE 6 6e C C C O 88 00 GG a oc O O C 000 00 SO gt gt 80 K lt 000 GG 90 00 C
291. n pac trol surface and screen at MASTER any given time Which 24 L channels are accessible is determined by the following four buttons MIC LINE TRACK Selects channels 1 24 Fader Bank 1 to be the currently accessible chan nels TAPE IN MONITOR selects channels 25 48 Fader Bank 2 to be the currently accessible chan nels You must have one two or three TAPE I O cards installed in the card cage to use channels 25 48 EFFECTS Selects channels 49 72 Fader Bank 3 to be the currently accessible channels Fader Bank 3 controls the sixteen internal effects re turns and the eight ALT I O returns The basic console has one internal FX card installed consisting of two stereo effects pro cessors Each FX card is equivalent to two rack mounted stereo processors 1 two mono in stereo out processors The two stereo effects returns are returned to the L R bus via FX 1 4 You can install up to three more FX 8 8 8 rr Ear ar 11 cards in the card cage for a total of eight inter nal effects sends Aux 1 8 and sixteen internal FX returns FX 1 16 You must have the optional ALT I O card in stalled to use the eight alternate return inputs RET 1 8 MASTERS Selects channels 73 96 Fader Bank 4 as currently accessible channels The first eight faders control the eight Virtual Groups A Vir tual Group fader changes the overall level of all the channels as
292. n case you want to preserve their settings for future reference Warranty Registration Card This section describes the limited warranty that comes with your Digital 8eBus Please take the time to fill out the registration card attached to the back cover of this manual and send it in We ll pay the postage and you ll have Mackie s renowned tech support at your fingertips Quick Start Guide and Quick Start Video There are two companions to the Digital Owner s Manual the Digital SeBus Quick Start Guide and the Digital 8 Bus Quick Start Video Most of your fundamental questions about hookup and operation can be answered by referring to the Quick Start Guide or by watching the video How To Use Help The special Help button located in the Fat Channel Section of the console s control panel can help you quickly determine how to use a button or configure a particular aspect of the Digital 8eBus When the HELP button is on the green LED lights and the console switches to interrogate mode After pressing the HELP button press the button associated with the feature you re interested in and some descriptive text will appear in the Fat Channel Display Note The Help function may not be implemented in the first release of the Mackie Real Time OS software Stay tuned to Mackie s website for software updates Tape Outs or Bus Outs
293. nager Last Modified Delete Duplicate Rename 8 11 98 18 54 25 5 8 11 98 18 55 51 8 12 94 18 59 27 Empty Bin Refresh 8 11 98 18 50 55 30K 8 11 98 18 51 07 30K SelectAll mix 4 496 PD s Sessions Ctrl 8 11 98 18 51 15 30K 8 11 98 19 00 43 30K 8 12 94 18 56 07 29 RainbowFish d3b Startup d amp b 8 11 98 18 52 52 3 8 11 98 18 49 28 30K Disk Manager File Edit Channel Automation New Session Open Session Windows Automation L Close Window Ctrl Save Session m Save Session As Stereo Link B Unlink Disk Manager File Menu File Edit Channel Automation Windows Undo Automation Edit Ctrl Z Cut Channels Copy Channels Paste Channels Insert Blank Time Delete Time Windows About DSB v1 03 Close All Mix Editor Locator Compressor EQ Gate Surround Card Card Windows Menu Appendix K Recommended Books You may have an interest in reading more about recording digital mixing and audio in general Here is a list of titles we recommend for reference or further reading The Art of Digital Audio by John Watkinson The Audio Dictionary Glenn White Handbook for Sound Engineers by GlenBallou Mackie Mixer Book Rudy Trubitt Modern Recor ding Techniques by Huber amp Runstein Practical Recor ding Techniques by Bruce amp Jenny Bartlett Principles of Digital Aud
294. name periodically See Configuring Auto Save in Chapter 3 TO SAVE A SESSION UNDER A NEW NAME enuew 5 From the console 1 Press the SAVE AS button in the Setup Section DIGITAL 2 The Fat Channel Display now shows the Save Session As menu A default name appears in the Fat Channel TT 182015 Display such as mix 1 You can accept the default name or you can change it to one of your own choice ETT To change the name Turn the first V Pot to change the letters e Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to move the cursor left and right You must use at least 3 and up to 20 characters to name a file 3 When the name appears as you want it press the SELECT button below SAVE to complete the operation Tip A faster way to save a session under the default name is to press the SAVE AS button twice TO SAVE A SESSION UNDER A NEW NAME File Edit Channel Automation Windows New Session Open Session From the screen 1 Using mouse choose Save Session As from the File menu in the upper menu bar Preparing for a Session Digital 8eBus Preparing for a Session Save File As Al Greg s Sessions Cl PD s Sessions Startup Enter name for this Session LOAD DIGITAL I O MACKIE DSB 5 72 CHANNEL
295. namic range To put this in perspective the noise level of a jet engine is around 140 dB at close range while the background noise in a quiet recording studio might be 20 dB for a total dynamic range of 120 dB Dither As a signal gets softer it is repre sented by progressively fewer bits until it reaches a point where it runs out of bits and the signal just stops In a 16 bit system this can occur at an audible level Dither was invented as a solution to this problem Adding a small amount of white noise or dither noise to the audio signal prior to digital conversion causes the waveform to jump around randomly crossing the threshold from one bit to another bit more often see Figure B 5 At low levels this results in a smoother fade out so the signal actually drops into the noise floor before disappearing altogether The trade off is that noise is being added to the signal Dithering is also applied in the digital do main when a digital wordlength needs to be reduced This is sometimes called redithering or dithering down For example when record ing a CD often times the digital master is recorded in 20 bits or 24 bits and it has to be reduced to 16 bits The Digital 8eBus uses Apogee s proprietary UV229 process to reduce the wordlength to 16 bits See Appendix D for more information on Apogee UV22 and dither ing down Digital 101 VN J ae e nu Digital 101 Clip
296. ncy is adjustable in increments of 1 20th of an octave TO CHANGE THE CENTER FREQUENCY SETTING JOUMO From the screen This can be done in one of two ways 1 Click and drag in the EQ display for the menu bar to view a larger amplitude vs frequency graph of the EQ settings for the selected channel The graph shows the EQ settings for the selected oe Memory A or Memory B You can click a SERGE 0 and drag the line in the EQ window left MENT and right to adjust the center frequency settings Or you can click in the box showing the frequency value and drag the mouse up and down to change the frequency The settings are immediately updated in the Fat Channel Display channel you want to adjust Move the mouse left and right to adjust lt frequency setting The settings are immediately updated in the Fat Channel Display 5050 Hz 8455 Hz 2 Click on the EQ button in the lower QM Changing the Q Setting The last adjustable parameter in the parametric EQ is the Q This adjusts the bandwidth of the affected frequencies around the center frequency The default value is 1 9 Q has no unit of measure A higher Q value creates a tighter bandwidth so fewer frequencies around the center frequency are affected A smaller Q value creates a wider bandwidth so more frequencies around the ce
297. nd keep the wet level the same You can use channels 13 24 as additional in puts to the console if you want You can also use channels 1 12 as reverb returns Simply patch the return into any LINE input Note Be sure the aux send feeding that reverb is turned fully down on the channels being used as reverb returns If you dont every dog in the neigh borhood will come begging for treats or mercy Adding Final Mix Effects to the Main Outputs In addition to the various EQ and effects on in dividual tracks you may want to add an effect to the overall mix going to two track If you want to add an external effect to the overall mix you have two options For a serial processing device Feed the Master Outputs from the console di rectly to the inputs of the external device Then run the outputs from the device to your two track recorder Starting a New Session For a parallel processing device Assign all the channels to an unused submaster as well as to the L R outputs Con nect the Submaster output to the input of the external device Then connect the output from the external device to an unused Effects Return channel 13 24 Assign that Effects Return channel to the L R output This is the wet sig nal and you control the amount of wet signal in the mix by adjusting the Effects Return fader level in Fader Bank 3 Alternately you can install the optional digital or analog ALT I O board in the rear
298. nd the ON button in the Fat Channel Section TO SELECT THE COMPRESSOR enuew 5 METTE From the screen 1 Select the channel you want to compress by clicking on its SELECT button 2 Click on the COMP button near the top _ of the channel strip COMPRESSOR Im 3 use the graphic view click on the REGQUETION Compressor button in the lower menu 25 bar The Compressor control panel opens This also has an ON OFF button MEM B HE E UM THRESH ATTACK RELEASE RATIO OUTPUT A Adjusting the Compressor Settings TO ADJUST THE COMPRESSOR SETTINGS MACKIE 8B se ineut 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER AOD From the console 1 With COMPRESSOR selected in the Fat Channel the first V Pot adjusts the compressor threshold with a range from 60 00 dB to 1 00 dB Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the thresh old and counterclockwise to decrease the threshold 2 The second V Pot adjusts the compres sor attack time with a range from 0 31 ms milliseconds to 2560 00 ms 2 6 seconds Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the attack time and counter clockwise to decrease the attack time 3 The third V Pot adjusts the compressor release time with a range from 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms 2 5 seconds Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the re lease
299. ne channel Press MEMORY A or MEMORY B to choose the memory location to which you want to load the file Press LOAD PATCH in the Fat Chan nel Section The Fat Channel Display shows the first compressor file in alphabetical or der in the Compressors folder Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to scroll through the stored Compres sor files When the one you want appears in the display press the SELECT button be low OK to complete the operation TO LOAD A COMPRESSOR PATCH From the screen 1 Click on the SELECT button of the channel you want to load with the compressor file Press and hold the SHIFT key to select more than one channel Click on MEM A or MEM B to choose the memory location to which you want to load the file Click and hold on the MENU button in the COMPRESSOR control panel Drag down to Open Compressor The Compressor Files dialog box appears Compressor Files ay 5 Click on INTERNAL if the file is on the Cj compressors 0 internal hard drive or click on FLOPPY if the file is on a floppy disk 6 Click on the name of the file to high light the one you want to load JOUMO 7 Click on Open or double click on file name to load the Compressor file ea ee to the selected channel s TO RESET THE COMPRESSOR enuew 5 From the console 1 Refer to the instructions below for Cutting Compressor settings TO RESET TH
300. nector Any channel 1 48 can be assigned to one or more Bus outputs as well as any FX Return or ALT Return and the output level controlled by MASTER OUT Digital 8eBus Description 2 3 V Digital 8eBu the BUS 1 8 Masters Fader Bank 4 The Bus Outputs are also used for surround sound mixing See Appendix F for the pin out diagram for the Bus 1 8 25 pin D Sub connector 27 Analog XLR L R MASTER OUTputs These are the main left and right outputs They are balanced analog XLR output connectors fed post DSB fader and DAC These outputs are driven by the main L R bus 28 Analog TRS L R MASTER OUTputs These connectors are two 14 TRS stereo line level outputs for sending signals to control room speakers They are balanced analog stereo paired outputs fed post DSP fader and DAC The signal at this output is the same as the CR ALT output but with independent level control and is determined by the Control Room Source selection These outputs can drive a balanced or unbalanced input CR MAIN LR Outputs These connectors are two 1 4 TRS stereo line level outputs for sending signals to control room speakers They are balanced analog stereo paired outputs fed post DSP fader and DAC The signal at this output is the same as the CR NEAR FIELD output but with indepen dent level control and is determined by the Control Room source selection These outputs can drive a balanced or unbalanced input CR NE
301. nels and can handle up to 24 bit words even though the original ADAT records in 16 bits The data transmission rate is 256 times the sample rate which is four times faster than AES EBU and S PDIF This makes sense however because it is transmitting four times the number of channels as AES EBU and S PDIF TDIF Soon after the ADAT was introduced TASCAM came out with the DA 88 its version of an eight track MDM Their proprietary inter face is called TEAC Digital Interface Format or TDIF which uses 25 pin D sub connectors with 25 conductor cables to transmit and re ceive eight channels of digital audio Unlike any of the previously described interface stan dards which require separate cables to transmit and receive TDIF transmits and re ceives on a single cable Each wire in the cable carries two multiplexed channels in a format similar to AES EBU with a maximum resolu tion of 24 bits Jitter Jitter is the result of instability in the timing of the digital data This can be caused by the clock in the A D or D A converter circuits called sampled jitter or by errors introduced by the transmitting or receiving circuits or even by the transmitting cable called data jitter Jitter can result in data errors in the transmission of digital audio causing increased noise and distor tion in the analog audio signal after conversion We could go on about other aspects of digital audio like oversampling the different types o
302. nerally when numeric buttons are pressed in Locator Snapshot or Set Time modes it is necessary to press the ENTER but ton to initiate any changes PQ ON ONDS FRAMES JOG amp SHUTTLE 4 JOG ENTER button This button initiates numeric changes that have been typed into the POSITION or RANGE display with the console number buttons or with a standard IBM style keyboard connected to the console 102 LOOP button This button is used to set the ending locate point in a loop First enter the starting locate point using the number buttons then press EN TER you must be in Locator mode Next press LOOP enter the ending locate point number us ing the numeric buttons then press ENTER 03 STORE button This momentary button is used to save lo cate points and console automation snapshots LOCATOR button This button allows the number buttons to be used for entering specific location numbers When in this mode the left two digits in the RANGE display indicate the locate point number 105 SNAPSHOT button This button allows the number buttons to be used for entering snapshot numbers When in this mode the left two digits in the RANGE display indicate snapshot numbers Transport Controls These buttons control external devices that respond to MIDI Machine Control MMC and ESAM II with optional Video Sync I O card MMC is transmitted at the MIDI output port on the rear panel of the Remote
303. ng out fader position A punch in punch out Automation 4 Click on the PLAY transport control or press Play on the recorder to initiate timecode 5 Ifyou re using Absolute Write mode instead of AUTO TOUCH make sure to click on the WRITE button on the channels that are to be automated 6 At desired times click hold and drag on the channel faders you want to automate 7 Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automated fader moves make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session Writing Fader Moves in Trim Levels Mode TO WRITE FADER MOVES IN TRIM LEVELS MODE From the console 1 Press the TRIM LEVELS button in the Automation Section All the faders jump to their unity positions You can readjust the fader positions at this point if required If you are going to add more than 10 dB to the existing fader value you need to lower the fader so that you have enough fader movement available to add to the existing fader position see note below 2 Roll your tape by pressing the PLAY button in the Transport Section 3 Place all the tracks you want to automate into WRITE mode or engage AUTO TOUCH mode 4 Make your level changes by moving the fader s up or down at the desired points Note that any previous moves are retained but at a modified overall level d
304. ngle waveforms to each voice independently The Digital 8eBus also comes with a library of effects settings patches stored on the hard drive that can be readily selected Additional plug in effects will become available Only one effect can be assigned to each internal effects bus Aux 1 is routed to the Internal Effects 1 bus and is returned to the L R bus via the FX 1 and FX 2 faders in Fader Bank 3 Aux 2 is routed to the Internal Effects 2 bus and 1s returned to the L R bus via the FX 3 and FX 4 faders in Fader Bank 3 If additional DSP cards are installed this pattern is repeated for up to eight internal effects buses and sixteen effects returns EVEZACCECHES D8B 56 ineut 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER Selecting Internal Effects TO SELECT INTERNAL EFFECTS From the console 1 Select the Aux Send in the V Pot Select Section corresponding to the effect pro cessor you want to use 5 2 Press the PLUG INS button and ON button in the Fat Channel Section 3 Press the EFFECTS button to select Fader Bank 3 Adjust the correspond ing FX Return fader to add the effect to the L R buses Start at unity gain you will be returning to this bank often to adjust the wet return 4 Select the effect you want to use with the first V Pot in the Fat Channel Sec tion and adjust the effect s parameters as desired 5 Adjust the Aux level V Pots on the channels you want to
305. nnector to connect peripheral devices such as backup drives and printers Note This port is not currently active but will be implemented in future software revisions 45 SERIAL CONTROLLERS Port This 9 pin D Sub connector is provided for external control of surround sound functions and data I O using a joystick or trackball Note The initial version of the software may not support the serial port Please contact our Tech Support department for upgrades as they become available KEYBOARD Port Connecting an optional IBM compatible QWERTY keyboard provides an alternative method of accessing console functions See Appendix I Shortcut Keys for keyboard mouse console equivalencies and functions 4 MOUSE Port Connecting an optional IBM compatible PS 2 mouse to this port provides an alternative method of accessing console functions See Appendix I for keyboard mouse console equivalencies and functions IEC Connectors This connector is for attaching the supplied linecord to the Remote CPU Make sure the linecord is pushed all the way in to the IEC connector A second connector is provided for connecting an optional color monitor to the AC power This second AC connector is unswitched and will provide power as long as the Digital 8eBus is plugged into an AC outlet POWER SUPPLY Cable Connect this cable to the POWER SUPPLY 138 connector on the rear panel of the console 50 Power Switch on the front panel
306. now that the submasters on the Digital 8eBus don t patch directly to L R outputs We did anticipate your need for this however That s why there are eight Virtual Group Faders in Fader Bank 4 See Virtual Grouping Ungrouping in Chapter 8 to see how they work You can use the submaster outputs as indepen dent outputs for a variety of purposes In our Live Mixing hookup example on page 6 79 we are us ASSIGNMENT gt ASSIGN BUS 2 ASSIGN ASSIGN BUS 4 ASSIGN gt ASSIGN BUS 6 ASSIGN gt ASSIGN BUS 8 ASSIGN 5 N gt gt ASSIGN ASSIGN L R ROUTE TO TAPE deum r m Starting New Session ing all eight submaster outputs to connect to an 8 track recorder But you can use them to create a separate submix for special monitoring pur poses or even as additional aux sends If you assign a channel to an odd even pair of buses i e Buses 1 and 2 Buses 3 and 4 etc the channel pan control pans the signal between the two buses If you really need to assign audio buses 1 8 to the L R mix you can route the bus outs to the ALT I O returns 1 8 and then assign the returns Fader bank 3 to the L R mix This will also al low you to add effects to the buses by sending auxes from the returns to the effects and return ing the effects to the mains You can also bring the buses into the channels in the same manner for
307. nter frequency are affected TO CHANGE THE Q SETTING MACKIE 8B se ineut 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER AOD From the console 1 Press the SELECT switch above the V Pot for the band you want to adjust so that Q is displayed Tip You can also use Next to have the VFD display each EQ band s gain Frequency and Q 2 Rotate the V Pot clockwise to increase the Q and counterclockwise to decrease the Q Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus Hz aca He GN 12 1 dE ACH 12 1 dE 01416 Eo iig d FC 2020 Hz 8455 Hz MENU MEM MACKIE 8B s6iNPUT 72 CHANNEL DiciaLmixeR dib SELECT LE SELECT SELECT PREVIOUS LOW LOW MID ON SETUP MEMORY A MEMORY EQ GATE COMPRESSOR PLUG INS LOAD PATCH SAVE PATCH e CD ENCODING SELECT HI HI MID NEXT Starting a New Session HELP TO CHANGE THE Q SETTING X From the screen This can be done in one of two ways 1 Click and drag in the EQ display for the channel you want to adjust Click and drag the mouse left and right while holding down the ALT key on board to adjust the Q setting or right click with the mouse The settings are immediately updated in
308. ntervals are similar SmartChord intervals follow the lead voice loosely and SmartKey intervals follow the lead voice s every pitch movement musical non musical musical SmartChord non musical Step description description description description lowest root of chord lowest octave below lead octave down Baritone low 3rd of chord in low 3rd of chord in the octave down the octave below Tenor just underneath 5th of chord in just underneath 5th of chord in lead the octave below the lead the octave below Unison 1 unison the same note unison as the lead Alto just above 3rd of chord just above intelligent 3rd lead the lead Soprano highest an octave above highest octave above lead the root When using the Pitch Shift control mode In terval works in a different but simple way Pitch Shift interval is set from 24 to 24 for each voice Each digit corresponds to one semitone above or below the lead pitch For example 24 would be two octaves below the lead 12 would be an octave above the lead The intervals for Pitch Shift are represented with numbers as they are not intelligent intervals Pitch Shift intervals are always a paral lel distance away from the lead note no matter what the key and scale of the music enuew 5 SmartKey SmartKey IVL Vocal Studio Digital 8eBus Gender Diner p ENER Using these sliders you can adjust the gender
309. ntrol Panel 8 12 8 13 red ball green 8 13 lj Ce 8 13 BI 8 13 8 13 Monitoring in Surround 8 13 9 Service 9 1 9 1 Troubleshootine UUE 9 1 9 1 e 9 1 9 2 77707 02 9 2 Table of Contents Appendices 1 Appendix Digital Basics B 1 Appendix Synchronization 8 C 1 Appendix D Apogee 022 D 1 Appendix b 2 Vocal SUHGIO E 1 Appendix Optional I O F 1 Appendix G Technical Information eese G 1 Appendix 1 LS SOLOS 1 Appendix Screen SOUS J 1 Appendix Recommended K 1 Colophon Track Sheet Index Warranty amp Registration Card Please write the serial numbers of your Digital 8 Bus console and Remote CPU here for future reference i e insurance claims tech support return authorization etc Date of purchase EE Part No 820 076 00 Rev A 8 08 1998 Mackie Designs Inc All Rights Reserved Print
310. o comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense WARNING reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture Digital Hons Mackie Designs Inc 16220 Wood Red Rd Woodinville WA 98072 USA 800 898 3211 Outside the US 425 487 4333 Fax 425 487 4337 e www mackie com email sales mackie com 1998 Mackie Designs Inc All rights reserved 820 076 00 Digital 8eBus Owner s Manual Table of Contents 1 Introduction About Digital 8 1 1 The Digital 1 1 Digital 8eBus Unique 1 3 DSE OT 1 3 LR 1 3 Fat Danne E 1 3 DSP PIUA 1 3 Moto
311. o mention tonal and level balance between songs and meeting the techni cal criteria for tape and disc mastering Before proceeding it s a good idea to zero the console by recalling Snapshot 00 or any other snapshot you may have reserved for nomi nal settings This way you re starting afresh which can eliminate problems later on down the road Refer to the Recording Mixdown Hookup Diagram on page 6 77 while reading this section Routing Tape Returns to the Main Outputs TO ROUTE TAPE RETURNS TO THE MAIN OUTPUTS From the console 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by pressing the TAPE IN 25 48 button 2 Press the L R button in the Bus Assignment Section 3 Press the ASSIGN button on all the channels that are going to be mixed down to two tracks 4 Connect the MASTER L R outputs on the Digital 8eBus rear panel to the in puts of your two track master tape recorder s 0 T D I M od ot es 13 ANALOG ANALOG ANALOG gt otoo FROM TAPE FROM TAPE FROM TAPE _ TO ROUTE TAPE RETURNS TO THE MAIN OUTPUTS 5 D From the screen 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by clicking on the TAPE button T lt 2 Click and drag across channel L R C assign buttons on the channels that are going to be mixed
312. o the selected bus You can change Fader Banks to assign channels from different banks to the selected bus Press the ASSIGN button again to remove it from the selected bus the ASSIGN LED turns off Starting a New Session BUS 5 BUS 7 BUS 8 ASSIGN ASSIGN L R ROUTE TO TAPE Digital 8eBus TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO BUS OUTPUTS EJ PHASE GATE COMP COMP COMP From the screen 1 Click on the appropriate button above the Master Fader to select the fader deck containing the channel you want to assign 2 Click on the bus assignment numbers at the top of the channel strip to as sign the channel to one of the eight buses You can select the L R buses here too The selected bus numbers light when selected 3 Youcan click and hold on a bus as signment button and sweep across adjacent channels to assign the se lected bus to multiple channels You can repeat this step to remove chan nels from a bus See Chapter 8 Advanced Functions to learn how to create groups using the ASSIGN button MT Arming External Recorders from the Console If yur MDM DAW has MIDI Machine Control MMC capabilities connect a MIDI cable be tween the MIDI Out on the Remote CPU and the MIDI timecode interface as described in the MIDI Connections section in Chapter 4 You can control the transport mechanisms with the transport but tons on the console surface Transport MMC control messages
313. ocessors for a total of eight internal digital effects which can run simultaneously The D8B comes with the Mackie Standard Effects package and Vocal Studio Optional software packages from Mackie and third party plug ins from your favorite digital effects manufacturers designed specifically for the Digital 8eBus are on the way Motorized 100mm Faders All 25 faders are motorized allowing you to see what s happening when you re in automation mode When you recall a scene the faders automatically move to their stored positions In Touch mode you can grab a moving fader on the fly and update a move automatically If you choose the fader motors can be globally shut off with the push of a button Automation The Digital 8eBus has Mackie Real Time OS Automation software built in This powerful automation engine provides a method of storing fader moves pans EQ changes and mutes all synced to time code for dynamic automation In addition it can store and recall up to 100 snapshots of fader EQ effects pan and mute parameters and an unlimited number of snapshots when using the optional screen keyboard mouse combination The Remote CPU Built in Hard Drive and Floppy Drive All automation information is stored on the internal hard drive and you can back up the information on 3 5 floppy disks with the built in floppy drive SVGA Monitor Keyboard and Mouse These items are optional but can greatly enhan
314. of the first 48 channels Fader Banks 1 and 2 for moni toring your surround sound mix The signal flow should be as follows refer to Figure 8 6 on the following page 1 Use up to 40 of the first 48 channels for signal input reserve eight of them for monitoring If you have an I O card installed in the ALT I O slot you could use the 8 ALT inputs as well but not for monitoring 2 Use the Surround Sound Control Panel to locate each signal source within the sound field The signals are routed to the BUS 1 8 outputs Remember you can mix any of the internal FX returns in surround sound too Advanced Techniques 2 3 Ifyou re using the analog inputs on your your surround amplifiers and speakers 5 multitrack recorder you can go directly from Remember you can t assign the monitor c the SURROUND OUT 25 pin D Sub connector channels to the same Tape I O card as you re on the rear panel of the console to your using to input the channels this is a safe multitrack recorder s analog inputs guard to prevent feedback during recording For example if you re using channels 41 48 If you have a digital Tape I O card installed for tape returns use could use Tape Outputs m you can assign the Bus 1 8 channels to the 0 16 to go to your monitor speakers is eight digital Tape Outputs provided by your 10 8 card Connect them to the multitrack You can assign the eight tape returns to a recorder s digital inputs
315. oise in the upper frequencies while lowering the noise floor at around 4kHz the frequency at which measurements indicate the ear s maximum sensitivity In fact they could have achieved even better results by adding the noise back in at low fre quencies to which the ear is even less sensitive hence loudness controls on your receiver or car stereo but this requires significantly more processing More recently a number of manufacturers have claimed that their own proprietary filter shapes sound audibly superior to the theoretical designs Unfortunately these noise shaping techniques can cause problems First although they lower the noise floor at the most audible frequency they unavoidably increase the overall noise They also according to independent mea surements add audible artifacts to the sound The fact remains that dithering is an impor tant tool for digital audio But how can we do it so that the results sound good Apogee has the answer Apogee takes a completely different approach with the UV22 process incorporated in Apogee s converters and now for the first time in your Mackie Digital 8eBus console UV22 does not constitute a new flavor of dither noise Instead UV22 essentially modu lates the data from the least significant bits of a signal on to the 16 bit signal according to a special algorithm which adds an inaudible high frequency bias to the digital bit stream placing a clump of ener
316. older and directory are LTT kkl used interchangeably here is indicated in the upper right side of the display 4 Move toward the root directory B by scanning left until BACK DIR appears in the upper left corner of the display then selecting ChangeDir until FLOPPY appears Press ChangeDir one more time and the current directory becomes the floppy drive Cur A If there are any folders contained on the floppy disk the name of one will be displayed in the upper left corner 5 Press the PREVIOUS button to return to the Save Session menu Select Yes to save the session to the floppy disk Note Your working directory is now the up dub qu floppy drive You must load the session SAVE SNR um SE from the internal hard drive in order to gu eh return to it as your working directory e Press LOAD in the Setup Section e Press NEXT to get to the directory navigator Scan left and select ChangeDir until INTERNAL appears in the upper left corner of the display Select ChangeDir and work your way Preparing for a Session GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL MACKIE DSB 5 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER back to the folder containing the session file you re using When the folder s name appears in the PP Digital 8eBus File Edit Ch
317. omation at any point us ing the rules you learned earlier or you can stop the fade in out by re typing F or G mid way through an active fade Roll back listen to the fade and watch it on the screen Check out the fader events in the Mix Editor Hit Undo or erase the events if necessary Change the fade curve or time in the fade curve editor and redo the automation pass if necessary It s easier than tweaking the events in the Mix Editor enuey 5 Copying An Entire Segment Of Your Mix Now we re getting into some heavy duty stuff You would use the following technique if for example you ve worked out some ex tremely tricky moves on multiple faders during the first chorus and now you want all those same moves on the second chorus This works only if the two segments are identical in length which if you work in the MIDI world is likely the case A Little Mackie Real Time OS Automation Edit Example One of the most powerful things about the Mix Editor is that you can now select a range of events on a range of faders in a given range of time and put it elsewhere or make it disap pear Here s an example Channels 1 to 14 have been mixed and put to bed But now the songwriter producer wants to add the intro music 8 bars of quasi auto mated fade in to the end of the 108 bar song as a style effect that leaves the listener want ing for more OK Since this music was generated using a
318. omputers like to store numbers in groups of 8 bits An 8 bit binary number allows the com puter to count up to 256 You can calculate this with the simple formula 2 where n number of bits The greater the number of bits the greater the accuracy of the sampled data With 8 bits there are 256 discrete values that can be repre sented For audio purposes this leaves too much of a gap between the steps resulting in round off errors and audible distortion of the sig nal called quantization noise represented as a signal to error ratio With 16 bits there are 65 536 discrete values minimizing the round off errors and providing much higher accuracy CDs are recorded using 16 bit quantization see Figure B 4 Signal to error ratio is similar to signal to noise ratio in an analog sys tem and both relate to dynamic amp range ofthe system Dynamicrange is the difference between the loudest possible sound and the background noise given in decibels dB The i greater the number of bits the lower the background noise and the greater the dynamic range A general rule of thumb to estimate dynamic range is to multiply the number of bits by 6 dB Thus 8 bit sampling has 48 of dynamic range and 16 bit sampling has 96 dB of dynamic range The Time Figure B 5 Dither Signal below one significant bit with dither is still reproduced 24 bit converters in the Digital 8eBus provide a theoretical 144 dB of dy
319. on Digital 8eBus Monitoring the Final Mix The best way to monitor the final mix is by lis tening to the output of the 2 track recorder Properly configured your recorder will automati cally switch between source and playback as you put the deck into stop play fast wind record and so on That way you re always hearing your mix after it goes through the 2 track deck regardless of whether or not the tape is rolling This is easily accomplished by connecting the left and right outputs of the 2 track recorder to ei ther the 2 TRACK A 2 TRACK B or 2 TRACK C inputs on the rear panel of the Digital 8eBus You can select any of these sources in the Control Room Section If your multitrack tape machine will do it go into LOOP mode so it will just play the song over and over Start mixing a group of tracks that run throughout the song maybe drums or the rhythm section There is a tendency for levels to creep up wards as you add more and more tracks to your mix One way to keep a handle on this is to set the L R Master Fader a few dB below unity and to set your initial monitor levels pretty high As you get closer and closer to your final you can ease the monitor levels down and ease up the master fader to unity which is where it should be Check your speakers and amplifiers to be sure that they re balanced left to right and mounted symmetrically to your mixing position A 2 dB shift in monitor balance will produce a 2 dB shift
320. on verted into digital words The theorem states that a continuous ana log signal must be sampled at a frequency higher than twice the highest analog frequency present in order to be accurately reproduced or aliasing will occur Filtering of the signal be fore sampling will reduce aliasing errors see aliasing parametric EQ A fully parametric EQ is an extremely pow erful equalizer that allows smooth continuous control of each of the three primary EQ param eters frequency gain and bandwidth in each section independently Semi parametric EQs allow control of fewer parameters usually fre quency and gain they have a fixed band width but variable center frequency and gain PFL An acronym for Pre Fade Listen Broadcast ers would call it cueing Sound folks call it being able to solo a channel with the fader down phantom power A system of providing electrical power for condenser microphones and some electronic pickup devices from the sound mixer The sys tem is called phantom because the power is carried on standard microphone audio wiring in a way that is invisible to ordinary dynamic microphones Mackie mixers use standard 48 volt DC power switchable on or off Most qual ity condenser microphones are designed to use 48 VDC phantom power Check the manufacturer s recommendations Generally phantom power is safe to use with non condenser microphones as well especially dynamic microphones However
321. ond cue mix Overdubbing is easy on the Digital 8eBus simply take all the channels out of REC RDY mode except the one you want to record You can reassign the instrument or vocal to another track by pressing the ROUTE TO TAPE button and you can change the cue mix specifically for the musician doing the overdub It s that simple Bouncing Down Tracks 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 down 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 ex tra tracks by bouncing these down to one track or free up four extra tracks if you want to bounce them down to a stereo pair of tracks The following pages show an example of how to bounce tracks 1 6 down to tracks 7 and 8 by using Bus 1 and 2 enuew 5 Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus 6 20 Starting New Session TO BOUNCE RECORDED TRACKS DOWN TO ONE OR TWO TRACKS From the console 1 Select Fader Bank 2 by pressing the TAPE IN 25 48 button 2 Press L R in the Bus Assignment Sec tion Turn off the ASSIGN buttons for channels 25 30 tracks 1 6 returns Turn off the ASSIGN buttons for any other channels you don t want to monitor while bouncing down 3 Press BUS 1 in the Bus Assignment Section 4 Press the ASSIGN
322. opean Broad casting Union and is officially named AES3 It uses balanced cables with XLR connectors for transmitting data Two channels of digital audio are multiplexed on a single pair of wires This means that a digital word from the first channel is transmitted followed by a digital word from the second channel followed by the next digital word from the first channel and so on It can handle digital words up to 24 bits and transmits data at 64 times the sampling frequency S PDIF sony and Philips both wanted to develop a standard for transmitting digital audio between consumer devices so the Sony Philips Digital Interface Format or S PDIF was developed Many of the engineers who worked on the AES3 standard were from Sony and Philips so S PDIF is very similar to AES3 The main dif ference is that it uses unbalanced cables with RCA connectors for transmitting data Like AESS3 two channels are multiplexed together on a single conductor and it can handle up to 24 bit words ADAT Optical Alesis introduced the ADAT modular digital multitrack recorder MDM in 1992 capable of recording eight tracks of digital audio on an S VHS videocassette They developed a proprietary optical digital audio interface called the ADAT Multichannel Optical Interface for transmitting all eight channels of digital audio sometimes referred to as the ADI interface or Lightpipe It uses a single fiber optic cable to transmit eight multiplexed chan
323. or lower instrument level 20 to 10 dBu line level 10 to 30 dBu and speaker level 30 dBu and above line level A signal whose level falls between 10 dBu and 30 dBu mic level The typical level of a signal from a micro phone A mic level signal usually but not always coming from a microphone is generally below 30 dBu With a very quiet source a pin Glossary Digital 8eBus Glossary dropping the signal can be 70 dBu or lower It is also possible for some microphones to de liver more signal than this in which case it may be referred to as a hot mic level Alter natively you can just say Boy is that loud mic preamp Short for microphone preamplifier An ampli fier that functions to bring the very low signal level of a microphone approximately 50 dBu up to line level approximately 0 dBu Mic preamps often have their own volume control called a trim control to properly set the gain for a particular source Setting the mic preamp gain correctly with the trim control is an essen tial step in establishing good noise and headroom for your mix MIDI Acronym for musical instrument digital in terface MIDI is the music industry s standard serial communication protocol Nyquist Sampling Theorem An incoming analog signal must be con verted to a digital signal before the Digital 8eBus can do its thing The amplitude of the analog signal is sampled at a fast rate and c
324. or so after the 10 dB event played the volume would jump back to continuing its smooth fade in Therefore as a general rule we don t recom mend following dynamic automation with snapshot automation If you want to mix and match we suggest that you use snapshots to set up a rough mix then superimpose dynamic events in between the snapshots to fine tune the mix Automation Filters The majority of your dynamic automation will involve fader moves pans and mutes These can be accomplished quickly and easily by pressing their corresponding buttons in the Automation section These buttons provide selective Write Automa tion filtering for specific moves you want to write into automation They also serve as a safety to prevent you from accidentally overwriting previous moves such as accidentally writing over a fader move when you were only intending to change the channel s pan setting Perhaps less often used in automation are changes in bus assignments and aux send levels You can dynamically automate these changes by pressing the ALL button or consider changing these parameters with single timestamped snap shots The ALL button opens the door to a wide range of parameter control and should be used with caution until you have a good handle on what you re going to be automating For more advanced users EQ compression gating and internal effects can be dynamically automated too However this kind of automation requires more at
325. ored in a special snapshot within the active session labelled TotalRecall Snapshot 151 After restoring power to the console load the session you were working on and recall Snapshot 151 to restore the settings just prior to the power loss Snapshot 151 is a fail safe mechanism to guard against losing your settings in the event of a power failure SETUP NEW PLUG INS DIGITAL I O General Setup Nearly all parameters on the console can be stored and automated on a per channel basis However certain options are global while others are Session based Global options remain in ef fect and do not change from session to session Session based options are saved and recalled with each session Global options include Language Auto Save Display Intensity and Date Time Session based options include Surround mode MIDI settings Aux Pre Post Plug ins Sample Rate and Digital settings Selecting a Language The Digital 8eBus ships with English as the default language If you prefer to view all con sole software messages and screens in a language other than English you may do so after initial power up French German and Spanish will become available as software upgrades TO SELECT A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE From the console 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup menu appears in the Fat Channel Display MACKIE DSB 56 72 CHANNEL mixer AOD
326. ory A or Memory B JOUMO TO SAVE A GATE PATCH 72 CHANNEL AOb From console 1 With GATE selected for channel pro cessing press SAVE PATCH in the Fat Channel Section enuew 5 SUPER CD ENCODING e d 2 default name appears in the Fat Chan e nel display such as gate 1 You can gt accept the default name or you can i change it to one of your own choice e 5 3 change the name the first V Pot to change let e Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to move the cursor left and right You can use up to 23 characters to name a file When the name appears as you want it press the SELECT button below SAVE to complete the operation TO SAVE A GATE PATCH Undo From the screen Reset 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Gate control panel _ TUE Open Gate ATTACK 54 CCA 2 Drag down to Save Gate As The 18 Save File As dialog box appears REC REC WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE save oS 3 default name for the Gate is auto Q Sates _____ gt 0 matically chosen such as gate 1 If mem gu you want to rename it simply type in the name you want gate 2 4 Click on Save to complete the operation
327. ossary This Glossary contains brief definitions of many of the audio and electronic terms used in discussions of sound mixing and recording Many of the terms have other meanings or nuances or very rigorous technical definitions that we have sidestepped here because we figure you already have a lot on your mind If you d like to get more information see Appen dix K for a list of recommended books on related subjects AFL An acronym for After Fade Listen which is another way of saying post fader solo function A D converter ADC Analog to digital converter a device which transforms incoming analog signals into digital form aliasing This is a type of distortion that can be caused during the analog to digital conversion process The frequency of the analog signal must be one half or less than the sampling rate in order to be accurately represented in the digital domain see Nyquist Sampling Theorem Careful design and filtering before the sampling stage can reduce aliasing to a minimum assign In sound mixers assign means to switch or route a signal to a particular signal path or combination of signal paths attenuate To reduce or make quieter automation system A system that memorizes fader positions switch settings and all send EQ dynamics and effects settings on a console Mackie s Real Time OS automation is a powerful system that not only memorizes static settings snapshot automation but also all lev
328. ote CPU Power Supply Description 2 15 Top Panel Drawing with Callouts 2 17 Rear Panel Drawing with Callouts 2 18 3 Start Up Initial Power UD E 3 1 Returning to Factory Default 3 1 PONC DOWI I URSI I 3 2 Re booting after Power 3 2 General Dae festen iut 3 2 DE d PO 3 2 setting the Surround 3 3 Configuring MIDI 3 4 COMM Se Anto assem mra PCS IE UN INS IN Ue UN 3 7 setting Aux Sends Pre or Post 3 8 setting the Display 3 0 Determining the Operating System Version 3 10 heer 3 11 Configuring Digital 0 3 11 Setting the Console s Sample 3 13 Downloading Plug ins to the FX Cards 3 14 setting the Date and Time 3 15 Setting Channel Phase 3 15 Table of Contents 4 Making the Connections Analog Metering vs Digital 4 1 Analog Audio Connections Connecting Microphones and Line Leve
329. ou would normally find on an analog mixer What about EQ parameters Equalization for every channel all 48 of them is controlled by the four V Pots in the upper right section of the Digital 8eBus s control panel Again very few V Pots replace what would have been a whole lotta knobs Back on the channel strip you ll find mute and solo buttons and of course the inevitable fader The D8B s faders are just like analog faders However because the audio signal is in digital form they act as digital controllers that set the output level from the channel to the digital mix bus They re also motorized for automation But aside from their advanced digital abilities they re basically faders There s a whole lot more to the Digital 8eBus But the point is it s laid out in a way that makes it as easy to understand and use as an analog console You ll spend much more time being creative than you will trying to learn how to operate this digital mixer Which is exactly how it should be You won t have to tear through a fat owner s manual dig through a serious nest of computer menus or perform tedious command rituals in order to use the D8B All you ll have to do is that creative thing you do The Digital Advantage So why change Why go to the trouble of learning how to use a digital mixing console when analog has served you well for all these years It s all about choices Digital technology provides more flexibility and allows you
330. own arrow press any select left or right arrow TRANSPORT FUNCTIONS Ctrl K Group select Ctrl G Group select Ctrl U Ctrl Ctrl G F hold adj select s Ctrl L hold adj select s Write W enable E or shift W disable Solo S enable D or shift S disable Mute M enable or shift M disable T Surface Keyboard Play Stop space bar Play F8 Stop F7 Record F9 in locate mode 00 99 numeric entry followed by Enter in locate mode 00 99 numeric entry followed by Store empty locate enter lt lt F5 gt gt F6 Ctrl Enter surface only Alt Enter Surface Keyboard Mouse click or pull down Click on ch selector shift Swipe across channel select s Right mouse button swipe across channel select s shift click Click on any select Faders gt Fade shapes Faders gt Group Faders gt UnGroup Faders gt Go to Unity Faders gt Go to off Faders gt Fade in Faders gt Fade out Faders gt Stereo Link Faders gt UnLink Write Solo Mute Mute button Mouse click or pull down Play Stop Play Stop Play Stop Record Locate window double click line Locate window click New Mouse click or pull down Click on name field enter text tab right or shift tab left see clipboard ops see clipboard ops Bus swipe Assign s DSP function On off toggles Phase EQ Gate Co
331. panel card cage of the Digital 8eBus You can assign the Bus Out 1 8 to the ALT Output and return the processed signal to the left and right buses via the ALT Input and RET 1 8 in Fader Bank 4 Live Mixing One of Mackie Designs primary product philosophies is to make our mixing consoles as multipurpose as possible This has always applied to our analog consoles and it also applies to our digital mixing consoles The Digital 8eBus was designed to operate like our analog mixing consoles the way you re used to mixing in the studio and for live sound See the hookup diagram on page 6 79 Although the mechanical design of the Digital 8eBus is no less durable than our roadworthy analog mixing consoles the Remote CPU has a built in hard drive so it is necessary to exercise some caution in transporting it Treat it as you would any computer A hard drive is a precision instrument that could be damaged under ex treme conditions of vibration or shock If the Digital 8eBus is going to spend some time on the road we recommend that you invest in a shock mount case for the Remote CPU Better to be safe than sorry Setup From a features standpoint the Digital 8eBus is easy to configure for public address and sound reinforcement applications whether you are mix ing the house stage monitors or both at once Use the L R main mix buses and the main L R outputs as your main signal path If you want separate headphone cue mixes the PHONES
332. pied event then click on Paste Select Undo Ctrl Z to undo the last written automation events or clipboard operations in the Mix Editor The UNDO button in the Clip board Section performs the same function From To Boxes These boxes define the beginning time From and ending time To of the selected au tomation events referenced to SMPTE timecode or Bars Beats Ticks if SMPTE is disabled You can manually enter the From and To times into the boxes using the number keys or you can se lect multiple events in the Event List below and the beginning and ending times of the selected events appear in the boxes To enter time values in the From To boxes 1 Click in the two digit box you want to change 2 Enter the new number using the number keys on the keyboard or console 3 Press the Enter key on the keyboard or con sole As soon as you press Enter you ll notice that all events framed by the new time are highlighted and available for editing 4 Use the Tab key to highlight the next box to the right Use Shift Tab to highlight the next box to the left To select multiple events in the Event List 1 Click on the first event you want to select It becomes highlighted in the Event List 2 Hold down the Shift key and click on the last event you want to select All events between the first and last selected events become highlighted and are available for editing Event List The rectangular area below the From and To
333. ping Now that we have a general understanding of how an audio signal is represented in the digital domain it s time to talk about clipping This is important because clipping takes on a different characteristic in the digital domain and is not at all as subtle or excusable as it can be in small doses in the analog domain When recording with analog tape recorders if the sig nal level gets too hot it can start to saturate the tape and cause distortion In most cases occa sional excesses of this nature will go unnoticed But if you exceed the maximum recording level with a digital tape recorder there s no ignoring it Clipping in the digital domain sounds very different than in the analog domain with a very harsh and unpleasant character to the sound If you re tracking you ll have to record the track over again with the level turned down a bit If you re mixing down you should first make a dry run of the transfer in Record Pause to make sure the levels are set correctly and you don t exceed 0 dB FS Digital Interface Standards A number of interface standards have been developed over the years for transmitting digital audio from one piece of equipment to another We ll introduce a few of the most common ones and explain the differences between them AES EBU This is probably the most accepted digital audio interface in the professional audio industry It was developed jointly by the Audio Engineering Society and the Eur
334. r the top of its travel already and then add a lot more to it in Trim mode The ceiling stays at 10 dB no matter how you do it fader position ae 2 B punch in punch out Writing Mutes TO WRITE MUTES From the console 1 Turn off the BYPASS button in the Qu ZEND Z Z Automation Section to engage the BYPASS FADERS MUTES automation functions ALL TRIM LEVELS 2 Press the MUTES button to engage Mutes mode if it s not already lit 3 Press PLAY transport control or press Play on the recorder to initiate timecode Automation Digital 8eBus MEMORY FADER EVENTS CPU UTE ALL SELECT Solo MUTE AER MUTE Ch Automation BYPASS TRIM TOUCH If you re using Absolute Write mode instead of AUTO TOUCH make sure to engage the WRITE button on the channels that are to be automated At the desired times mute the channels you want to automate Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automated mutes make sure to save the session press SAVE in the Setup section TO WRITE MUTES From the screen l Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Locator window appears on the screen Click on the MUTE button in the Locator window to initiate Mute mode Begin rolling tape
335. r is to manually engage the Write pressing the WRITE button with the Master RECORD button engaged to allow takeover of the fader from the OS Mutes When MUTES is selected in the Automation Section engaging disengaging any write enabled channel s MUTE button writes the mute informa tion as part of the current session All other moves are ignored unless their corresponding buttons are turned on FADERS PAN ALL When MUTES is off and ALL is off mute on off events not recorded to automation The channel MUTE buttons may be toggled on and off regardless of whether tape is rolling though They just wont be written into automation Pan When PAN is selected all write enabled channel pans are written as part of the current session All other moves are ignored unless their corresponding buttons are turned on FADERS MUTES ALL When PAN is off and ALL is off pan moves are not recorded The channel pan controls may be used regardless of whether tape is rolling though They just won t be written into automation All When ALL is selected all write enabled channel moves are written as part of the current session Automatable parameters include faders mutes pans aux sends bus assigns phase reverse and all parameters associated with EQ gate compressor and internal effects When ALL is off fader mute and pan moves may still be recorded when their respective filters are selected ALL may be
336. r service including reading through the Troubleshooting section of this owner s manual Doing so might save you from deprivation of your console and the associated suffering Of all Mackie products returned for service which is hardly any at all roughly 5096 are coded CND Could Not Duplicate which usually means the problem lay somewhere else in the system Repair service for the U S versions of our digital consoles is available only from our factory located in sunny Woodinville Washington Service for products living outside the United States can be obtained through local dealers or distributors If your console needs service follow these instructions 1 Review the troubleshooting suggestions in your owner s manual see next section Please 2 Call Tech Support at 1 800 258 6883 8am to 5pm PST to explain the problem and request an RA Return Authorization number Have your Digital 8eBus or Remote CPU serial number s ready You must have an RA number before you can obtain service at the factory 3 Set aside the power cord owner s manual or anything else that you ll ever want to see again We are responsible only for the return of the product being repaired 4 Pack the product in its original package including the foam end caps and the upper tray This is VERY IMPORTANT When you call for the RA number please let Tech support know if you need new packaging Mackie is not responsible for any da
337. rder in the FX folder Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to scroll through the stored effects files When the one you want appears in the display press the SELECT button be low Load to complete the operation TO LOAD AN EFFECTS PATCH From the screen 1 Click on MEM A or MEM B in the AUX control panel to choose the memory lo cation to which you want to load the file 2 Click and hold on the MENU button in the AUX control panel 3 Drag down to Effect Files The Patches dialog box appears 4 Click on INTERNAL if the file is on the internal hard drive or FLOPPY if the file is on a floppy disk 5 Click on the name of the file to high light the one you want to load 6 Click on Open to load the EQ file to the selected channel s TO RESET THE EFFECTS From the console This feature is not available from the console Starting a New Session enuew 5 TO RESET THE EFFECTS AUX 1 O TYPE L DELAY L FEEDBACH R L DAMPING R Stereo Dly 250ms 250ms 20 20 Flat 09999 From tho ee OFF 10 0 00 0 00 0 00 o 00 500 lat 500 lat 1 Chi k d h ld th MENU b tt 1 Po 1000100 1CK on the utton the Effects Control Panel 2 Drag down to Reset and release Effect Files Save Effect Save Effect As Cut Copy Paste Digital 8 Bus Editing Effects Settings You can cut copy and paste effects set ting
338. re shown in rapid succes sion it fools the eye into thinking you re seeing movement or motion pictures In the same way when the binary numbers are played back through a digital to analog converter DAC it fools the ear into thinking you re hearing con tinuous analog sound This method of sampling is referred to as pulse code modulation PCM see Figure B 2 Time gt UMO v p Digital 8 Bus Digital 101 Amplitude One Sampling Time 5 Period Figure B 2 Sampling Sampling Experiments have shown that if still pic The sampling rate is defined as the number tures are shown at a rate of less than 20 per of samples or snapshots the ADC takes of the second the eye can distinguish between indi analog audio signal per second The most com vidual frames But above 20 pictures per mon sampling rate used in digital audio is second they tend to blend into a continuous 44 1kHz 44 100 samples per second because stream In the U S films are made at a of 15 what 15 used in making CDs This 24 frames per second Due to the nature of seem like a lot and it is but remember that we sound and the sensitivity of the ear audio sig have to be able to sample frequencies up to nals must be sampled at a much higher rate 20kHz With a 20kHz signal this allows for Amplitude gt Signal below the Nyquist Freq
339. remembers each move and plays them back each time you make a pass adding your creative touch to each and every track When you re finished hit PLAY and sit back and watch the console perform the complex tasks you ve programmed it to do Now you can concentrate more on the art and less on the mechanics of mixing SS SSS SSS 9 9 9 90 9 99 Gi ce 1 0 00000000000000000 CUE MIX 5 5 ds Channels 1 24 TRACKING HALF Fader Bank 1 Tape Tracks In to Bus Outs This routing is internal Figure 1 3 Bouncing Tracks with the D amp B Introduction Channels 25 48 MONITORING HALF Fader Bank 2 2 Digital 8eBus Description Refer to the foldout page at the end of this chapter for a complete view of all of the Digital 8eBus s features and components Channel Strip Description There are 24 channel strips on the Digital 8eBus configurable as one of four tiers or banks We refer to them as Fader Banks 1 2 3 and 4 e Fader Bank 1 includes channels 1 12 which have both
340. rically from OFF to 10 with 0 00 representing unity gain 3 Alternatively click and drag on the D bar in the OUT box near the top of the channel strip to increase and de crease the digital trim level Adjusting the Level to Tape The Tape Outputs are post DSB pre fader signals from each channel assigned to a Tape Output When LEVEL TO TAPE is pressed the channel V Pots become send levels To Tape for channels 1 48 This is useful for matching the tape send levels to the optimum input level for your recording devices The Tape Send level LED pattern wraps clockwise from 7 o clock full off dB to 5 o clock full on 10 dB Unity gain is at 2 o clock 1 24 1 48 LEVEL TO TAPE DIGITAL TRIM Note The LEVEL TO TAPE control corre sponds to the Tape Out assignment For example if channel 1 is assigned to Tape Out 9 turn the V Pot on channel 9 to adjust the Level to Tape Out 9 The V Pot Level to Tape assignment is independent of the D8B fader bank assignment TO ADJUST THE LEVEL TO TAPE From the console if Press the LEVEL TO TAPE button at the top of the V Pot Select Section The Master V Pot becomes disabled and the channel V Pots become level to tape controls Rotate the channel V Pot to the nght to increase the input level The ring of LEDs around the V Pot indicates the relative setting of the control TO ADJUST THE LEVEL TO TAPE MASTER MASTER SELECT
341. 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 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1 Read Instructions All the safety and operation instructions should be read before this Mackie product is operated 2 Retain Instructions The safety and operating instructions should be kept for future reference 3 Heed Wamings All wamings on this Mackie product and in these operating instructions should be followed 4 Follow Instructions All operating and other instructions should be followed 5 Water and Moisture This Mackie product should not be used near Water for example near a bathtub washbowl kitchen sink laundry tub in a Wet basement near a swimming pool swamp or salivating St Bernard dog etc 6 Ventilation This Mackie product should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation For example the Component should not be situated on a bed sofa rug or similar surface that may block any ventilation openings or placed in built in installation such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through ventilation openings 7 Heat This Mackie product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators or other devices which produce heat PORTABLE CART WARNING Carts and stan
342. rive to a floppy disk and vice versa Copying Files To a Floppy Disk TO COPY FILES TO A FLOPPY DISK USING THE DISK MANAGER 1 Select Disk Manager from File in the upper menu bar 2 Click on the file you want to copy in the list of files found in the Disk Manager window 3 Dragittothe FLOPPY icon on the right side of the window and release the mouse when the icon is highlighted A dialog box indicates the file is being copied Note Make sure a 3 5 floppy disk is installed in the floppy drive on the Remote CPU You can reverse the process and copy a file from the floppy disk to the internal hard drive Just click on the FLOPPY icon to view the files available on the floppy disk Click and drag a file to the INTERNAL icon to copy it to the internal hard drive Note The file is copied to whatever directory is current on the hard drive This is indicated near the top of the Disk Manager window just under the Edit menu Copying Files from One Folder to Another TO COPY FILES FROM ONE FOLDER TO ANOTHER 1 With the Disk Manager window open click on the file or files you want to copy To select multiple files hold down the shift key while clicking on files ae Aii Serrius e kiia aT i a Lei briith du E briith F brizi iS nS iit F briith
343. rized 100mm 1 3 1 3 Cr TIU MUNI 1 3 Built In Hard Drive and Floppy Drive 1 3 SVGA Monitor Keyboard and Mouse 1 3 How to Use This Manual 1 4 How wU 1 5 The Split Console Approach 1 5 2 Digital 8eBus Description Channel Strip Description 2 1 Master Section Description 2 3 Master Fader Bank Select Section 2 3 Master V Pot 2 3 V Pot Select SECTION 2 4 Fat Channel 2 5 5 6 2 6 Phones Cue Mix Section 0 222222000000 1 2 7 Control Room Section eee essere ror 2 7 Clipboard SECON 2 8 Master L R Section 2 8 SECON OE 2 8 Bus Assignment Section essessesssssssssssssssossesrrsrrrereeeese 2 8 Automation Section Phat ROC 2 0 Session Setup SOCHOE cera ea a 2 0 Transport oecon ooo IR 2 10 Rear Panel 2 12 Rem
344. rl C on the keyboard The automation events for the channel remain in place Select Copy Channels to copy the static settings for the selected channel to the clipboard memory The channel retains its settings Pasting TO PASTE CUT ZERO SET PASTE UNDO Preparing for a Session From the console 1 Press the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit Press the PASTE button in the Clipboard Section and the Paste menu appears in the display MACKIE DSB 56 72 CHANNEL mixer AOD E cafael fPlaisitiel File Edit Channel Automation Windows Cut Channels Copy Channels 5 Paste All ae coMP C MP Select Fader Bank co fl co CLIPBOARD CUT ZERO SET COPY PASTE UNDO MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL mixer AOD Uhda img ERR 00 File Edit Channel Automation Windows M Lindo Cut Channels E 2 Cut Moves U Copy Moves i Cut Channels Copy Channels Paste Channels b a Select Fader Bank 3 Press the SELECT button below Paste in the display The automation events or the static settings for the selected channel are replaced by those stored in the clipboard memory TO PASTE X From the screen 1 C
345. rmal soloing because the signal at the Main Outputs doesn t come off the Solo bus In stead when you press the SOLO button on a channel all the other channels are immediately muted The SOLO LEVEL control has no effect on the signal at the Main Outputs MIXDOWN SOLO is AFL only and the channel faders and Master L R fader control the signal level Pressing additional channel SOLO buttons simply unmutes those channels allowing their signals to pass on to the Main Outputs The same signal is heard in the Control Room outputs when L R is selected as the source in the Control Room Section Starting a New Session Setup of Cue Headphone Mixes for Performers The Digital 8eBus has two separate phones outputs each of which can be independently as signed a different source Initially you can assign the L R outputs as the source for Phones Cue Mix 1 and 2 by press ing the CONTROL ROOM buttons in the Phones Cue Mix Section This sends the signal you have selected as a source for the Control Room to the Phones output in this case the L R bus This way the musicians will at least have something to listen to right away so they can tune up and rehearse providing all your chosen tracks are in record mode and auto switching to input when tape is not rolling Keeping the Phones assigned to CONTROL ROOM may work for the entire session but usu ally the musicians want one or even two custom mixes The bass player and drummer may want
346. rom the File menu in the upper menu bar or press CTRL N on the keyboard A dialog box appears asking if you want to save any changes to the current session Make your selection to continue The Save File As dialog box appears with the name mix 1 If you want to rename the session you can type the new name in now When you re satisfied with the name of the new session click on the Save button to complete the operation The console reverts to its default nominal settings to start a new session Saving a Session TO SAVE A SESSION From the console l Press the SAVE button in the Setup Section The Fat Channel Display now shows the Save Session menu which asks if you want to save the session Press the SELECT button below Yes Tip A faster way to save a session is to press the SAVE button twice TO SAVE A SESSION 2 From the screen Using the mouse choose Save Session from the File menu in the upper menu bar or press CTRL S on the keyboard The session has now been saved Saving a Session under a New Name You can save a Session in progress under a new name This is useful if you want to retain the session in its current state while you continue working on it If you don t like what you ve done you can always go back to the previously saved session and start over JOUMO Note You can configure Auto Save feature to save your session under a new
347. rom the con sole or the Aux Surround window in the Setup dialog box from the screen The surround modes are global whatever surround mode you select applies to all channels The surround outputs are routed to the D8B s outputs The buses used depends on the sur round mode you have selected You can individually pan and locate the signal from each channel within the sound field by dragging the point source dot in the Surround Control Panel You can save the static location as a surround patch or you can automate a dynamic move for example a sweep from left rear to right front and save it as part of your session What s more you can copy the move in the Mix Editor and paste it to another channel For example you could copy a sweep to an effects return channel but place it at a point in time slightly behind the dry signal to get a cool trailing sweep effect JOUMO 5 Advanced Techniques Stereo Panning 5 dB Level 100 Left Right Left Right 7 O dB O dB 5 dB 100 Bus 1 Bus 2 Left Right Front Front Figure 8 1 Stereo Panning Quad Panning Left Right 7 O dB O dB 5 dB 100 1 Bus 2 Right Front l Q Right Bus 5 Bus 6 100 5 dB Left L O O dB Figure 8 2 Quad Panning Advanced Techniques Surround Mode
348. rophone connector Each microphone connector has an individual 48 volt phantom power switch 114 which should be activated when using condenser microphones When switched on pushed in this switch feeds 48VDC to pins 2 and 3 of the XLR microphone connector relative to pin 1 ground 1 4 TRS Tip Ring Sleeve line input connector accepts balanced and unbalanced signals When connecting a line level input to the LINE IN connector make sure the MIC button located just below the TRIM control is in the OUT position 116 1 4 TRS insert connector serves as a combination signal output and input This is a normalling jack so with nothing plugged into it the send signal is connected to the return pin inside the jack ring SEND to tip This plug connects to one of the e ring mixer s Channel Insert jacks RETURN from processor 9 Insert cables must be wired like this e Tip Send output to effects device e Ring Return input from effects device Sleeve Common ground connect shield to all three sleeves Tape Outputs for channels 1 12 are 3 conductor balanced line level direct outputs fed post DSP and pre fader 212 Digital 8eBus Description Note Optional digital I O cards may be installed changing the physical connector and specifications for the channel direct outs see Appendix C for digital I O options Channels 13 24 220506 Channels 13 through 24 have t
349. rovides absolute tim ing based on actual hours minutes seconds and frames It is tempo independent meaning that even if the tempo changes the time code remains constant Relative timing is tempo dependent and 15 based on beats and bars measures If the tempo speeds up or slows down the time code speeds up and slows down along with it MIDI Song Position Pointer SPP An SPP message keeps track of how many 16th notes have elapsed since the beginning of the song Since it is based on the tempo of the song it is considered relative timing MIDI Clock Messages The MIDI clock emits 24 MIDI clock mes sages every quarter note This too is relative timing because it is tempo dependent These MIDI sync signals cannot be recorded to tape because they run at 31 25kHz too high for multitrack recorders to handle They are primarily used between MIDI devices such as sequencers drum machines and keyboards MIDI Time Code MTC MTC is generated from SMPTE by a SMPTE to MIDI converter which translates SMPTE time in hours minutes seconds and trames into SPP data MTC contains the same absolute timing in formation as SMPTE but takes the form of a digital signal traveling down a MIDI cable rather than an audio signal on an audio path This allows MIDI devices to sync to absolute time if necessary Put the kettle on it s time for that nice cup of tea Appendix D Apogee UV22 Dither And UV22 The Apogee Difference
350. rt the deck in record mode Usually Play and Record are both pressed together 4 Click on the PLAY button The green LED in the PLAY button lights and the tape deck DAW begins to record The timecode display in the Locator window and on the console should begin counting enuew 5 Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Input Signals As a general rule you want to minimize your use of EQ and effects when recording on your multitrack master That said there are occasions when you will want to use them particularly the dynamics processors compressor and gate Due to the tremendous power of the Digital 8eBus you can assign compression and gating to any channel with two individual settings for each channel This can save you the cost of a rack full of external compressors and gate processors Refer to Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Tape Returns on page 6 28 for details on how to use these functions 2 TRACKA DIGITAL IN 1 2 TRACK B DIGITAL IN 2 2 TRACK C MASTER L R MONO NEAR FIELD MAIN SPEAKERS SPEAKER LEVEL DIM TALKBACK Starting a New Session Monitoring in the Control Room The most straightforward way to monitor dur ing a recording or overdubbing session is by listening to the output of the recorder played through channels 25 48 and assigned to the L R bus Properly configured your recorder will auto matically switch
351. s TO SET THE SURROUND MODE From the screen 1 Click on the Setup button in the lower menu bar The Setup dialog box opens 2 Click on the General icon on the left side of the box The General dialog box opens 3 Click and hold on the Surround Mode box Drag down to the desired surround mode and then release to finalize your selection 4 Click on the Close button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close the Setup dialog box or click on the Setup button in the menu bar Se Configuring MIDI Parameters The Digital 8eBus Remote CPU has a MIDI card installed in the rear panel The MIDI I O ports on it can be configured to send and receive MIDI channel messages and Sysex messages or to send MIDI Machine Control MMC and re ceive MIDI Time Code MTC The following parameters can be configured MMC DEVICE ID Some 8 track digital recorders 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 device 2 SINGLE BUTTON RECORD You can also select whether to press the PLAY and RECORD but tons to enter record mode or just press the RECORD button Single Button Record We recommend leaving Single Button Record off to provide an extra measure of safety in case you inadvertently press the RECORD button in the Transport Section MTC OFFSET MIDI File Offset can be used to in
352. s The surround modes available include the following A Stereo Left Front Bus 1 Out Right Front Bus 2 Out This is separate from the main stereo L R output The channel s V Pot pan con trol indicates the position between Bus 1 and Bus 2 Out Constant power panning is between the Left and Right Front Bus 1 and Bus 2 B Quad Left Front Bus 1 Out Right Front Bus 2 Out Left Rear Bus 5 Out Right Rear Bus 6 Out Constant power panning is between Left Front and Right Front buses Bus 1 and Bus 2 and between the Left Rear and Right Rear buses Bus 5 and Bus 6 There is no panning between the front and rear speaker buses LCRS Panning O dB 5 ae Level 100 dB L bus 1 C bus 3 R bus 2 Left Right Lf sad O dB O dB O dB 100 1 Bus 3 Bl 6 Front E Bus 2 Right 4 Front 9 Surround Bus 4 Same signal goes to both Surround speakers Figure 8 3 LCRS Panning 5 1 Panning al O dB O dB O dB 100 1 Bus 3 Bus 2 6 Right Front Front enter Left Right 7 Rear Rear Bus 6 Sub Bus 5 Bus 4 100 LA Left 0 db Figure 8 4 5 1 Panning C LCRS Left Front Bus 1 Out Right Front Bus 2 Out Center Bus 3 Out Surround Bus 4 Out Constant power panning is between the Left Front and Center buses Bus 1 and Bus 3 and between the Cent
353. s Arming Channels for Recording 6 10 Assigning Channels to a Tape Output 6 8 Assigning Channels to Bus Outputs 6 0 Assigning to L R Bus 6 66 Assigning to Bus 1 8 6 67 Channels 2 12 2 12 Channel ics ons sv 4 3 Channel PAN Control Adjusting 6 3 Channel Phase PUER 3 15 Channel Select 2 5 Channel Strip Description 2 1 A 1 Channel V Pots EU ER HERRERA 6 3 Fat Channe NE 1 3 NS 6 28 SEDULO 2 5 Input Sensitivity Adjustment Channels 6 1 Channels 25 48 6 23 MUE E 6 28 Routing to Mains and Subs 6 66 Routing Channels to Tape Outputs and Buses 6 8 SOLO 6 14 1 CLEAR SOLO BUTTON 2 7 ROTO OG 5 17 Clipboard Section EN PERI SEMINA 2 8 MEG 5 18 5 17 e YE QUAERE A 1 B 4 Had an RU e A 1 6 28 6 38 COMPRESSOR Button 2 6 Adding
354. s You can use these editing functions to copy the settings from one channel to another or to copy and paste automation information Un Cutting TO MAKE A CUT lt Mr J C Z 7 From the console MK 1 Press the SELECT button on the 9 CE channel you want to edit 5 UNDO 2 Press the CUT ZERO SET button in the Clipboard Section and the Cut menu appears in the display MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL mixer 11 3 Press the SELECT button below Cut Mix to move all automation events for Uell POC Tela B im 4 Select Cut to move the static settings for the selected channel to the clipboard memory The channel then reverts to the default zero state TO MAKE A CUT 11 12 13 REC REC REC From the screen WRITE WRITE WRITE 1 Click on the SELECT button on the channel you want to edit SELECT SELECT soo soo SOLO MUTE MUTE MUTE Ch 11 Ch 12 Chaz File Edit Channel Automation 2 Click on Edit in the upper menu bar gt Undo Ctrl 7 and select Cut Moves from the drop E rirmirmm down menu to move all automation 5 Cut M Ctrl x events for the selected channel to the NE NES clipboard memory or press Ctrl X on the keyboard Cut Channels 3 Select Cut Channels to move the g Copy Channels PHA
355. s for sending signals to 3 control room speakers These be connected to the inputs of an amplifier driving the control room monitors or directly to the monitors if they are active with built in amplifiers Many engineers and producers like to listen to their mix on standard reference monitors as well as on smaller monitors Typically you use the MAIN output for your standard reference monitors and the NEAR FIELD output for smaller or alternative monitor listening You can select the signal source sent to the control room outputs in the Control Room Section Though both outputs carry the same signal only one output can be switched on ata time Use the MAIN and NEAR FIELD buttons in the Control Room Section to quickly switch back and forth between them Use the SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot to adjust their individual output levels SPEAKER LEVEL Connecting Studio Monitors One pair of 1 4 TRS stereo line level outputs is provided on the rear panel for sending signals to the studio or wherever you want it to go Connect these outputs to a power amplifier and speakers or powered monitor speakers or a headphone distribution amplifier DA for the musicians This is the same signal that is assigned to the Control Room outputs However it is not affected by the DIM button in the Control Room Section nor is it interrupted when a channel is soloed PHONES 1 PHONES 2 22 VN ioo
356. s from one patch to another TO CUT EFFECTS SETTINGS From the console This feature is not available from the console TO CUT EFFECTS SETTINGS AUX 1 O SIZE DECAY X PREDLY DAMPING DIFFUSION ROLLOFF 4 Jare Y i From the screen Q Q Q Q 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Effects Control Panel Undo P Reset 2 Drag down to Cut The effects set tings for that effect are temporarily Save Effect As stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another patch The effect then reverts to the default state Starting a New Session AUX 1 O TYPE SIZE DECAY PREOLY DAMPING DIFFUSION ROLLOFF 4 o 209000029 Co Undo Reset Effect Files Save Effect Save Effect As AUX 1 O SIZE DECAY PREDLY DAMPING DIFFUSION ROLLOFF 2 2000000 Undo Reset Effect Files Save Effect Save Effect As Cut Copy TO COPY EFFECTS SETTINGS From the console This feature is not available from the console TO COPY EFFECTS SETTINGS From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in the Effects Control Panel 2 Drag down to Copy The effects set tings for that patch are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another patch The effects settings for the se lected channel are retained TO PASTE EFF
357. s on write enabled channels are written into automation PAN button Allows writing automation only of pans When PAN is activated all pan changes on write enabled channels are written into automation ALL button Activates all automatable functions When ALL 1s activated all write enabled channel and Fat Channel moves are written into automa tion This includes faders pans mutes digital trims phase reverse aux levels bus assign ments direct tape out assignments parametric EQ compressor gate effects stereo and sur round panning cue mix level and pan and snapshot events AUTO TOUCH button Activates Auto Touch write mode In this mode of automation all console control points become write enabled once they are touched modified from their current state It is not necessary to engage individual channel WRITE buttons as they become automatically engaged when a channel s parameter is changed Note One of the automation buttons must be simultaneously active FADERS MUTES PAN or EVERYTHING or nothing will be written to automation TRIM LEVELS button Activates Trim Level automation on all write enabled channels In Trim mode fader or V Pot moves are not replaced but rather new ones are added or subtracted from the previ ously recorded ones The fader motors are turned off on all write enable channels Session Setup Section Buttons in this section are used for file man agement and setting up syst
358. s set to maximum expansion Turn the V Pot clockwise to increase the range and counterclockwise to decrease the range Starting a New Session Digital 8eBus ATTACK Starting a New Session MENN MEM am TO ADJUST THE GATE SETTINGS g D From the screen 1 Click on the Gate button in the lower menu bar The GATE control panel ap pears on the screen The first control in the GATE window adjusts the gate threshold with a range from 60 00 dB to 1 00 dB Click and drag up on the control to in crease the threshold and drag down to decrease the threshold The second control adjusts the gate at tack time with a range from 0 10 ms milliseconds to 599 99 ms 0 6 sec onds Click and drag up on the control to increase the attack time and drag down to decrease the attack time The third control adjusts the gate re lease time with a range from 10 00 ms to 2500 00 ms 2 5 seconds Click and drag up on the control to increase the release time and drag down to de crease the release time The fourth control adjusts the range of the compressor with a range from 0 00 dB to 100 00 dB Typically you would leave this set to maximum ex pansion Click and drag up on the control to increase the range and drag down to decrease the range Saving Loading and Resetting the Gate Settings Gate settings can be saved and recalled from the hard drive You can save and load files from either Mem
359. scribed in this operating manual All other servicing should be referred to the Mackie Service Department 13 Do not remove the cover on the console It is permissible to remove the outer cover on the Remote CPU to install accessory cards Do not remove the inner power supply cover 14 To prevent electric shock do not use this polarized plug with an extension cord receptacle or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure Pour pr evenir les chocs lectriques ne pas utiliser cette fiche polarise avec un prolongateur un prise de courant ou une autre sortie de courant sauf si les lames peuvent tre ins r es fond sans laisser aucune d couvert 15 Grounding or Polarization Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of this Mackie product is not defeated 16 This apparatus does not exceed the Class A Class whichever is applicable limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian 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 B selon le cas prescrites dans le reglement sur le brouillage radio lectrique dict par les ministere des communications du Canada FCC Information NOTE This equipment has been tested and found t
360. se a normally open switch 2 TRACK A B and C L R Inputs These are balanced 1 4 TRS jacks for connecting line level input signals from a 2 track recorder The separate left right pairs feed the 2 TRACK A B and C buses in the control room monitoring section These inputs can accept balanced and unbalanced signals 13 AUX Outputs There are eight mono and two stereo pair TRS line level balanced auxiliary outputs Aux Outputs 1 and 2 are analog outputs paralleled with the internal effects send buses 1 and 2 respectively AUX outputs 3 through 8 are independent analog mono outputs fed from the corresponding internal aux buses AUX outputs 9 through 12 are analog stereo pair outputs Auxes 9 10 constitute a single left right pair and Auxes 11 12 constitute a single left right pair These outputs can drive a balanced or an unbalanced input When Aux 9 10 is selected as a Cue Mix source aux outputs 9 and 10 are paralleled with the Cue Mix source from the internal aux buses 9 and 10 The same principle applies when Aux 11 12 is selected as a Cue Mix source Left output x a L3G axe AUX OUT BAL UNBAL 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER Digital pror SHUT OFF REMOTE POWER SUPPLY BEFORE CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING POWER SUPPLY CABLE FROM CONSOLE POWER SUPPLY DO NOT SERIAL NUMBER MANUFACTURING DATE oa Aee SM 10 USER SENECA PARTS ISDE AH SERVING T PERSONNEL
361. se or MIDI keyboard the vocal line will sing the corrected pitch indefi nitely Only when you release the note will the vocal line return to the original pitch An exter nal MIDI keyboard can also be used to give immediate access to multiple octaves IVL Vocal Studio PITCH Garret Actual Slope controls the switching rate between the pitch corrected sound and the original sound when using the Vocal Studio s keyboard control graphic Use the red circle in the Slope window to adjust the slope When the Slope is pulled all the way to the left the switch between original and pitch corrected sound is instantaneous The more you pull the slope to the right the more gradual the fade between original and pitch corrected sound becomes This parameter can be set to make pitch correction more natural Appendix F Installation and Connection of Optional 1 0 Cards There are several optional cards available for the Digital 8eBus which you can install into the card cage in the rear panel of the console These cards provide additional inputs and outputs for specific applications or additional digital signal processing power for effects AlOe8 This card provides 8 analog line level inputs and 8 analog line level outputs Connections are made through two 25 pin D Sub connectors You can install this card in any of the Tape In Out slots or in the ALT I O slot Connections for AlOe8 Refer to Figure F 1 for the pin out diagra
362. siayeads X S L XAV Xnv Xnv vxnv xnv 9Xxnv LXnv gv 6xnv OL XNV Nd o ovaLz TH J 170 4 jeutiG lt uun4ay x 2 Q eg ee OO El 110 0000 25 I ddvl ddvl Wows ddvl 691 O I e DOIVNV 3 Ol v 1no ANNOXYNS Eu DIM 3dVl OL 3dVl OL 3dVl OL Stereo Effects Procesor Reverb Vocal Enhancer jeuBis pues nnmnnn unga P 4no oipne NIINI NIANI NANT NIANI NIANA NANT NANT rr 422q Se umm hUD eee 46221 LNO NI IGIW 6 75 Starting a New Session oipny 1641014 1 8 BLA TETTE SNgeg elle fuum pue u1n423 OL asnnnnnnnn _ 1 SSS M y A mmEEEEES suco ea LXnv zxnv vxov sxnv
363. signed to that particular group This is useful for example to raise or lower the level of all the background vocal parts as signed to a group without affecting the balance between the individual parts group members The second set of eight channel strips are MIDI controllers The faders V Pots and Mute buttons send control change messages via the MIDI OUT port on the rear panel of the Remote CPU See Appendix G for specific MIDI imple mentation The last set of eight faders controls the lev els to the eight Bus outputs BUS 1 8 which are output via the 25 pin D Sub connector on the rear panel of the console SHIFT button Pressing this button allows more than one channel SELECT button to be engaged simulta neously This is useful for functions such as cut copy paste commands for multiple chan nels When SHIFT is pressed the RUDE SOLO LIGHT blinks to let you know the Shift func tion is on MASTER L R Fader There is one 100mm fader that controls the Master L R stereo bus output Similar in func tion to the channel faders this fader does not pass audio it remotely controls level via DSP The dB level range is from dB fully off to 10 dB fully on Master V Pot Section MASTER V Pot Acts as a master level pot for the currently selected Aux bus Master PAN button This button assigns all channel V Pots to act as Pan controls channels 1 72 and 81 88 This button stays lit continuously until an Aux
364. so there is a scribble strip located just above the faders in the monitor screen You can use this to label your channels with up to five alpha numeric characters so you don t have to stick tape on your monitor screen After you ve connected all the inputs follow this input sensitivity adjustment procedure for each and every input Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure for Channels 1 24 15 dB FS on the meter is equivalent to 5 dBu analog The input sensitivity adjustment procedure is similar to that of an analog mixing console be cause the input section for channels 1 24 is the same as on most analog large format consoles FOLLOW THIS SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE FOR EACH CHANNEL IN USE Channels 1 24 1 Ifyou re starting from scratch it s a good idea to normal the console also called Zeroing to some starting point such as all level controls down and EQ and pan controls centered Snapshot 00 is pre programmed with our default factory settings our version of a normalled console You can reprogram Snapshot 00 so that it resets the console to your preferred normal state or keep the factory default settings and save your own settings to another snapshot Snapshot 01 for example See Creating and Storing snapshots in Chapter 5 Starting a New Session LS NW 2088 40dB S E ASSIGN gt N lt n m m E n M MM
365. so called a standard phone plug or jack unbalanced An electrical circuit in which the two legs of the circuit are not balanced with respect to ground Usually one leg will be held at ground potential Unbalanced circuit connections require only two conductors signal hot and ground Unbalanced audio circuitry is less expensive to build but under certain circum stances is more susceptible to noise pickup unity gain A circuit or system that has its voltage gain adjusted to be one or unity A signal will leave a unity gain circuit at the same level at which it entered In Mackie mixers unity gain is achieved by setting all variable controls to the marked U setting Mackie mixers are optimized for best headroom and noise figures at unity gain V Pot M Abbreviation for virtual potentiometer the V Pot is considered a soft knob because it performs various functions determined by the software It acts as a continuous or variable controller and also reflects current value or po sition via its surrounding 12 segment LED collar wet With added reverberation or other effect like echo delay or chorusing Appendix B Digital 101 If you ve been involved in the audio biz for a while chances are you have at least some fundamental knowledge of the physics of sound and of what digital audio is all about Numerous articles papers and books have been written on the subject and doubtless you ve read some of them If not ch
366. source for the Control Room outputs turn CONTROL Room the outputs on and off and adjust the listening level Ca 29 62 672 TRACK A button E Selects the signal at the 2 TRACK A inputs as Control Room source NEAR FIELD MAIN SPEAKERS SPEAKER LEVEL DIM TALKBACK 2 TRACK B button Selects the signal at the 2 TRACK B inputs as the Control Room source 2 TRACK C button Selects the signal at the 2 TRACK C inputs as the Control Room source DIGITAL IN 1 button Selects the AES EBU digital input as the Control Room source DIGITAL IN 2 button Selects the S PDIF digital input as the Con trol Room source MASTER L R button Selects the main L R output bus as the Con trol Room source MONO button Combines the left and nght signals into a monaural signal and sends it to the left and right Control Room outputs NEAR FIELD and MAIN This lets you quickly monitor how your mix sounds in mono Sy d Digital 8eBus Description Digital 8eBus NEAR FIELD button Turns on the Control Room NEAR FIELD output MAIN button Turns on the Control Room MAIN output Note The NEAR FIELD and MAIN buttons cannot both be on at the same time SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot Adjusts the individual output level of the se lected Control Room output NEAR FIELD or MAIN This control does not affect the signal level that is sent to the Phones Cue Mix Section DIM button Quickly at
367. ster L R fader 2 Ifthe channels arent already assigned to the L R bus click and hold in the L R assignment button at the top of the first channel strip number 25 and drag the mouse across all the channel L R buttons to assign all the channels to the L R bus 3 Press the MASTER L R button in the Control Room Source Section there is no equivalent on the screen 4 Turn the SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot all the way down 5 Select the speakers you want to use for monitoring by pressing the correspond ing button MAIN or NEAR FIELD 6 Adjust the SPEAKER LEVEL V Pot to a comfortable listening level os Solo The channel Solo function places the channel s signal on the stereo solo bus This signal is post fader level AFL and post pan by default but it can be changed globally to pre fader by pressing the SOLO PFL button in the Studio Solo Section see AFL PFL next Whenever a SOLO button is engaged the stereo solo bus is routed to the Con trol Room Outputs overriding whatever signal source is selected in the Control Room Section The SOLO button LED lights red when it is en gaged and turns off when manually disabled The CLEAR SOLO button in the Studio Solo Section turns off all Solo buttons that are currently en gaged A global RUDE SOLO LIGHT flashes continually whenever any solo button is engaged on the console You can solo any channel or channels at any time without affecting the Main L R output or any
368. stes S tc e 6366 66 66 6 6 66 6 6 6 6666 6 6 6 6 ool 7 Channels 25 48 MONITORING HALF Fader Bank 2 Figure 1 2 Tracking and Monitoring with the D amp B DAT Recorder gt CUE MIX ELI 2 Track Master o gt V Introduction 55 Overdubbing and Bouncing Tracks A corollary of Murphy s Law states that no matter how many tracks you have available for recording you ll always need at least one more So you may have to bounce some tracks down to make room for the background vocal parts Assign the tracks you want to bounce down to one for a mono mix or two for a stereo mix of the Bus 1 8 Masters on Fader Bank 4 and direct assign the Bus Master s to the Tape Outputs After you ve bounced the tracks down you ll have freed up more tracks for recording When you do you ll monitor the previously recorded tracks and the new vocal tracks together through the monitoring half of the console see Figure 1 3 Bounce down to one or two tracke Digital Multitrack Recorders Mixdown Mixing down is an art unto itself and the Digital 8eBus gives you the tools to make the job easier Since the D8B is fully automated you can go through a step by step process of adjusting levels pans EQ and effects in a very efficient manner The console
369. t 10 dB MIDI 126 so you will run out of headroom You can make most of your grouping decisions before you even sit down to mix For example you might put all the drum tracks in one group the horn section in a second group and the back ground vocals in a third Note Any number of faders in Fader Banks 1 2 3 and 4 can be assigned to a Virtual Group how ever a single channel cannot be assigned to more than one group at a time Additionally a channel that is assigned to a Virtual Group can still be controlled by its own channel fader and any moves will be in proportion relation to the group it is assigned to TO ASSIGN CHANNELS TO VIRTUAL GROUPS JOUMO From the console ae Ga Z 1 Press the GROUP button in the M isi cse Session Setup Section of the console GROUP GENERAL PLUG INS DIGITAL The Group menu appears in the Fat Channel Display Also the Fader Bank select buttons automatically revert to TREE Fader Bank 4 2 Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows to choose the Group number you want to modify It s also possible to pick the group master by using the SELECT button on one of the first 8 channels of Fader Bank 4 MACKIE DSB 56 72 CHANNEL mixer AOD enuew 5 3 Using the Fader Bank select switches MIC LINE TAPE EFFECTS MASTERS choose the fader dec
370. t Identification for AES EBU card lt ital 4 D Installation Instructions for FX Cards gt IMPORTANT Shut off power to the Digital 8eBus s remote CPU before installing or remov ing cards Also install your FX cards in order For example put your first FX card in the slot marked A your second FX card in slot B etc 1 Loosen the four spring loaded screws on the blank cover plate to the FX card slot you want to fill See Figure F 3 2 With your finger in the hole on the FX card and the components on the circuit board facing to the left push the card firmly into the white connector slots so it fits snugly See Figure F 4 Do not touch any of the circuit board components or solder joints 3 Replace the cover plate and hand tighten the screws Do not use a screwdriver as overtightening the screws may strip the threads on the D amp B r2 Optional 1 0 Cards Figure F 4 FX Card Installation Installation Instructions for 1 0 Cards IMPORTANT Shut off power to the Digital 8eBus s remote CPU before installing or removing cards Also install your I O cards in order That is put your first I O card in the slot marked Tape 1 8 your second card in the slot marked Tape 9 16 etc 1 Using a 2 Phillips screwdriver unscrew the blank cover plate corresponding to the I O card
371. t fade is linear 4 Select the rubber band box to edit the curve This allows you to click on the line rep resenting the curve to create anchor points that you can move and place wherever you like The more anchor points you create the smoother you can make the curve 5 Select the eraser box to remove anchor points from the curve 6 You can change the Seconds box to speed up or slow down the fade You can enter any number from 0 to 9999 seconds 7 When the fade curve is finished you can save it by clicking in the Custom Curves box and selecting Add Curve Fade Curves for Channel Ch 1 Custom Curves Fade In Curves ww Fade In Curves Add Curve Seconds 15 2 Fade In Fade Out 8 The Save Curve As box appears Enter the name under which you want to save the curve then click on Enter Please enter a name for this new fade curve PD s Fadeln 9 To retrieve the fade curve click on the Cus tom Curves box and select one of the saved curves from the drop down menu Editing Fade In And Fade Out Events You can edit a Fade In or Fade Out curve by recalling it in the Edit Fade Curve box making your changes then saving it under the same name This permanently changes the fade curve stored in memory You can also edit a channel fade curve once it s been written to automation by going into the Mix Editor and modifying either the values or the time for each dis
372. t in Hard Drive and Floppy Drive 1 3 Copying Sessions to Floppy Disk 5 4 Saving and Retrieving Files from the Hard Drive 5 1 Saving and Retrieving Files from a Floppy Disk 5 4 3 DSP Digital Signal Processing Dynamics Adding Dynamics to Input Signals 6 60 Adding Dynamics to Tape Returns 6 28 PROC SS DP E DEM UE A 2 Dynamic Automation eti RR SU n URS SS PERI UR 7 1 Dynami ESPERE US 2 E 2 Editing Gate Ya tU FR DH PIE 6 51 Editor Mix Editor 7 15 Edit Ment 7 14 Mackie Real Time OS Automation Event Insight 7 14 To enter time values in From To boxes 7 14 To select multiple events in the Event List 7 14 Using The Mix Editor aider 7 15 Effects Adding EHeCtS 6 71 Adjusting the Effects Settings 6 56 Editing Effects Settings uico pa 6 60 Copying Effects 6 61 Cutting Effects Settings 6 60 Pasting Effects Settings 6 61 Iur AEE 2 3 DC VICES p 3 Saving Loading and Resett
373. t takes to get it right Save it to the hard drive or a floppy disk and you can recall and repeat it weeks or months later All the fader levels fades mutes EQ dynamics and effects settings are stored for future use Very handy and efficient This much power in a digital console cost upwards of 200 000 only a few years ago Today it s available from Mackie Designs for a whole lot less A whole lotta less S 5 A e Cee o N gt 8 a 8 gt o Introduction 12 Introduction Accuracy Perhaps the most important reason to go digital is to preserve the absolute accuracy of the signal throughout the tracking and mixing process The Digital 8eBus s internal 32 bit digital processing provides an extremely high degree of precision for processing audio signals For a more in depth discussion of the digital world see Appendix B Digital Basics Basically when you make a copy of a digital recording digital to digital it is identical to the original No hiss no signal loss Itis a perfect clone and that means there is no degradation of the signal when bouncing tracks and mixing down Your final master mix will be as clear and noise free as the first take on the first track Purely Mathematical The analog signal is converted to the digital domain just after the mic preamps post insert The resulting signal s
374. t will move all events after the insert point to a later point by the specified amount If you have fader events with start times before the time insertion and end times after the inser tion these events will be extended However Mackie OS Real Time automation does not in terpolate if you insert time in the middle of an event For example if you have a fade that be gins at 10 seconds and ends at 20 and you insert 20 seconds of blank time at 15 seconds you will not get a smooth 30 second fade You will get a fade that stops at 15 seconds holds there for 20 seconds and then resumes Delete Time has a similar but opposite ef fect Delete time removes the specified time starting at the time designated in the Delete Time window Note If you have imported a Standard MIDI File SMF you may press the SMPTE VIEW button next to the Position Display or click on the SMPTE button in the Transport window to choose either SMPTE code or bars beats tics as the time reference Inserting Blank Time 1 Choose Insert Blank Time from the Auto mation menu at the top of the screen File Edit Channel Automation Windows fe PT fe ses Events Ctrl elo InsertBlankTime p Delete Time jee Automation Info 2 In the Start At box enter the time at which you want to insert the blank time Insert Blank Time Insert space in front of all events from the start time for a given length
375. tape back to some point within the loop or prior to the loop With the LOCATOR button still engaged press PLAY and the tape will now loop between the two cue points Note This function is available only from the console Automation 7 13 Digital 8eBus 7 14 Automation The Mix Editor Slip in your plastic pocket protector and put on your propeller beanie because now we re taking off for a journey deep into the heart of Tweakland The Mix Editor presents a comprehensive visual record of everything you do in your auto mated mix When you stop to think about it this can be a huge amount of information Just to give you an idea Mackie Real Time OS auto mation writes just one single fader move by listing every MIDI level change second by sec ond frame by frame The Mix Editor can only be accessed from the screen It is used for concise editing of spe cific event types within certain time ranges and on single or multiple faders It uses the cut copy and paste commands for more re stricted fader and time slices that need cleanup and manipulation Edit Menu This is located near the top of the Mix Edi tor window These menu items allow you to edit events in the events list Use the mouse to select an event or events then select Cut or Copy in the Edit menu to put the event on the clipboard cut removes the event copy leaves the event in place Select a new spot in the event list where you want to paste the co
376. tape by either clicking on PLAY in the Locator window or on the recorder 5 Atthe desired times click on a bus button at the top of the channel strip 6 Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automated bus assignments make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session os Writing Snapshots into Automation Snapshots can be stored or recalled in real time making it possible to instantly change the status of any or all console parameters to a prede termined fixed position Furthermore snapshots can be recalled during an automated pass to in stantly change the settings of the console to those POSITION RANGE HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO SET TIME SMPTE VIEW 1 2 6 7 ENTER LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L MODE SETUP SAVE SAVE AS NEW LOAD GROUP PLUG INS DIGITAL stored in the snapshot These new settings are then written to the automated session Refer to Creating and Storing Snapshots in Chapter 5 for a refresher on how to perform these functions We re assuming at this point that the snapshots you want to use for your au tomated session have already been created TO WRITE SNAPSHOTS INTO AUTOMATION From the console 1 Press the SNAPSHOT button in the Transport Section 2 Turn off the BYPASS button in the Automation section and press the ALL and AUTO TOUCH but
377. tays digital for the remainder of the recording session from tracking to overdubs to mixdown Audio passes through Mackie s high quality low noise mic preamps which prepare the signal for conversion into the digital domain by way of high precision 24 bit 64X oversampling A D analog to digital converters Any changes to the signal for example equalization reverb or compression are all done mathematically Remember the signal is just a series of ones and zeroes at this point Noise crosstalk and distortion are virtually eliminated Finally the digital signal is converted back to analog using high quality 24 bit 64X oversampling D A converters The analog signal is output at the L R XLR and TRS MASTER OUTPUTs You can keep the signal in the digital domain by going direct from the Digital 8eBus to a digital 2 track recorder via the AES EBU or S PDIF digital outputs And with the optional Digital Tape I O cards installed you can do all your tracking and mixdown in the digital domain as well direct to ADAT optical or Tascam TDIF With the D8B s built in Apogee UV22 Super CD encoding the digital signal can be brought down to 16 bits for mastering to digital media This process has proven superior to noise shaping and bit mapping systems and creates a lower more transparent noise floor that actually allows the audio signal greater dynamic range Going digital offers a wealth of benefits to the sound and recording engin
378. te on the piano Select the scale using the spin dial above the piano keys The Difference SmartKey harmony usually requires you to enter the one key that works for a whole song SmartKey harmonies will sound correct in many songs but not all and this is why you have a choice between it and SmartChord SmartKey harmonies are also more active in harmony motion SmartChord harmony requires you to input a different chord change for every chord in a song They can be applied to almost any song you can play This is the only practical differ ence between the two harmony types Pitch Shift This mode doesn t have the smarts that the other control modes do so you re best to stay away from harmonies and use this for spe cial effects and doubling unless you actually want your harmonies to sound like Gregorian chants You can produce some interesting spoken word effects by muting your input voice and pitch shifting a single effect voice down a few tones or even an octave Combine this with a little male gender and you can get pretty close to a newscast voiceover Subtle pitch shifts are better though for changing male to female and vice versa Pitch Shift mode is also handy for unison or octave doubling effects Turn on all four voices and place the interval settings in the middle If you add detuning and a bit of scoop style this will thicken up your vocal as if you had quadruple tracked your voice You can also take one or two o
379. te the time code track from the audio tracks This also prevents any thing from the audio tracks from bleeding into the time code track which can degrade and interfere with the synchronization Typically time code is recorded at a 6 dBu or 6 VU level onto the tape For the most stable signal record directly from the output of the time code generator to the input of the re corder If you do record through a mixer don t use any equalization or processing on the sig nal Stripe the entire tape first before recording any audio Allow at least one minute of running time code before program material begins This leader area provides time for the system to synchronize and to get beyond any tape imperfections dropouts that may occur at the beginning of the tape Vertical Interval dine Code VITC nounced Vit see is used exclusively for video editing The SMPTE information is recorded within the video picture during the vertical blanking interval VITC offers some advantages over LTC for video editing because it can be read from a still frame and provides half frame accuracy Although SMPTE is still primarily used in video production it is often used in digital audio production as the master clock while MIDI is used as the interface between the various pieces of equipment Synchronization MIDI Before we delve into the MIDI world let s explore the concept of absolute timing versus relative timing SMPTE p
380. tention and care This will be dis cussed further in Chapter 8 Advanced Techniques Note Just because you can automate something doesn t mean you should Most of the time EQ pan compression and gating are one time only events You set them once and then forget them Chances are you ll settle on EQ pan and compres sion settings and leave them that way for the whole mix This is where taking a snapshot at the begin ning of a mix would act as an initial set up and then dynamic automation would include fader and mute changes Faders Engaging the FADERS button makes it pos sible to write automated fader moves when lt channel WRITE buttons or AUTO TOUCH are en J gaged When writing fader automation in this D mode any previous fader moves will be replaced u When the AUTO TOUCH button is engaged Fad i ers mode is similar to a null function moves are only written when the fader is moved by user This is known as Touch Updating When FADERS is off and ALL is off fader moves are not recorded to automation FADERS may be toggled on and off regardless of whether 5 tape is rolling i e time code is being received which allows this filter to act as a real time write safety operation Note Auto Touch will only engage faders that are in a static non moving state or position If the fader is under motor control i e moving the only way to enable Write automation on the fade
381. tenuates the Control Room output by 20 dB in case you re interrupted by a visitor or the phone ringing TALKBACK button Routes the signal arriving at the in panel Talkback Mic to Phones Cue Mixes 1 and 2 Clipboard Section Provides cut copy paste and undo functions for specific fader opera tions channel parameters and automa tion events CUT ZERO SET button Deletes parameters from the currently se lected channel s and returns the channel settings to the default Options are selected in the Fat Channel Display COPY button Copies parameters from the currently se lected channel s Options are selected in the Fat Channel Display PASTE button Pastes copied parameters to the currently selected channel s UNDO button Reverts the currently selected channel s to their previous status before a cut copy or paste operation was initiated There is only one level of undo Pressing the UNDO button a second time will undo the undo or redo the operation CLIPBOARD Digital 8eBus Description Master L R Section The buttons in this section apply to the Mas ter Fader SELECT button Selects the Master Fader for edit operations WRITE button Engages the Master Fader to record auto mation events dependent on the current automation mode MASTERL R SHORTCUTS WRITE Shortcuts Section CONTROL button Used in combination with other buttons as a modifier key See Appendix I for
382. the Fat Channel Display 2 Click on the EQ button in the lower menu bar to view a larger amplitude vs frequency graph of the EQ settings for the selected channel The graph shows the EQ settings for the selected Memory A or Memory B You can click and drag the line in the EQ window left and right while holding down the ALT key on the keyboard to adjust the Q setting or right click with the mouse Or you can click in the box showing the Q value and drag the mouse up and down to change the Q The settings are immediately updated in the Fat Channel Display Changing the Parametric EQ Frequency Bandwidth The parametric EQ is programmed us ing an analog model with four discrete non overlapping bands This can be glo bally changed so that each band s center frequency can be set anywhere within the entire 20Hz 20kHz frequency range TO CHANGE THE FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH From the console 1 Pressthe SETUP button in the Fat Channel The EQ Setup Menu appears in the Fat Channel Display Press the SELECT button below the arrows in the display to scroll through the available options 3 When the frequency mode you want to use appears in the display press the SELECT button below Exit The se lected bandwidth will now be used TO CHANGE THE FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH MACKIE D8B 56 72 CHANNEL mixer lt gt EVEZACCECHES 8B se ineut 72 CHANNEL DIGITALMIXER db
383. the Tab number and Enter key s or clicking on a value with the mouse and changing it with the number pad Pressing Enter will update the new time value and the dynamic parameter event will be repo sitioned in its proper temporal position in the Event List enuew 5 Including And Removing Channels in The Event List From the console To add more channels to the Event List press and hold the SHIFT button and push the SELECT button on the channel s you want to add To remove channels from the Event List press and hold the SHIFT button and push the SELECT button on the channel s you want to remove to deselect those channels From the screen To add more channels to the Event List hold the SHIFT key on the keyboard and click on the SELECT button on the channel s you want to add To remove channels from the Event List hold the SHIFT key and click on the SELECT button on the channel s you want to remove to deselect those channels Note You can right click hold and drag across the SELECT buttons on multiple adjacent chan nels to quickly select or deselect them Automation 7 15 Digital 8eBus 7 16 Automation Selecting Events By Type To select events of a specific type click the appropriate Included Types checkboxes All is the default setting but you can select individual types by clicking in their checkboxes at the bottom of the Mix Editor window If you do NOT want an e
384. the actual of the first 48 channels This is equivalent to swapping phase reversal occurs in the digital domain pins 2 and 3 on the XLR connector or tip and ring on after the mic pre and for channels 1 12 after the Insert jack Note There is no console equivalent for this function TO SET CHANNEL PHASE Startup From the screen 1 Click on the PHASE button at the top of the channel strip When the PHASE but ton is lit the signal is inverted 180 When the PHASE button is unlit off the signal is non inverted 0 5 PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE Pare COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP enuew 5 Start Up 35 4 Making the Connections Analog Metering vs Digital Metering Unlike analog console meters which typically use 0 dB as a nominal range the Digital 8eBus meters use 0 dB to represent full bit resolution When a signal reaches 0 dB full scale on the console the analog to digital converters are using all 20 bits to represent a single sample 0 dB full scale 0 dB FS is equivalent to an analog output of 19 dBu and 15 dB full scale is equivalent to 4 dBu the average nominal level of most professional analog consoles dBu equivalent 20 dBu 18 16 13 10 10 20 0 25 5 30 10 5 15 40 20 50 30 dBu 12 36 Figure 4 1 Digital 8 meter dBu equivalents Analog Audio Conne
385. the console remembers the indi vidual fader setting for each fader in each Fader Bank Meter LED Ladder The meters indicate pre fader audio signal level for each channel 1 48 and for the internal effects returns and ALT returns They indicate post fader levels for the BUS 1 8 Masters The audio level display is scaled in digital dB FS decibels full scale where OL is 22 dBu 10 dB FS is 10 dBu 15 dB FS 15 5 dBu and minimum indication is 50 dB FS Markings screened next to the LED ladders are denoted as 50 dB FS to OL Markings are similar in function to those of digital recorders Note Typically in digital recording devices such as MDMs HDRs or DATs there is a built in overhead of 3 to 4 dB above the 0 dB FS mark to match the typical maximum unbalanced ana log console bus output level of 22 dBu Master Section Description The Master Section is divided into 12 sub sections They are as follows e Master Fader Bank Select Section e Master V Pot Section e V Pot Select Section e Fat Channel Section e Studio Solo Section e Phones Cue Mix Section e Control Room Section e Clipboard Section e Master L R Section e Shortcuts Section e Bus Assignment Section e Automation Section e Session Setup Section e Transport Section Master Fader Bank m Select Section All 96 channels are al Ways active all of the time However only 24 of them 15 are accessible from the co
386. time and each parameter corresponds to a V Pot and Se lect button located just below it If there are more than four parameters associated with a par ticular menu use the NEXT arrow button to see the rest of the parameters The Select button is used to choose an indi vidual parameter and the V Pot is used to adjust the value of its corresponding parameter Using EQ Each of the first 48 channels has a four band parametric equalizer with the capability of storing two separate EQ curves per channel Selecting the EQ TO SELECT THE EQ From the console 1 Select the channel you want to EQ by pressing its SELECT button 2 Press the EQ button and the ON button in the Fat Channel Section 3 Press the SOLO button on the selected channel if desired Now you hear just that channel in the Control Room output JOUMO SELECT THE 2 From the screen 1 Select the channel you want to EQ by clicking on its SELECT button EE ur enuew 5 2 Click on the EQ button near the top of the channel strip MUTE MUTE 3 use the graphic view click on the EQ button in the lower menu bar or double click in the small graphic view below the EQ button The EQ control panel opens This also has an ON OFF FC 67 Hz button GH 12 1 dB GN 12 1 dE 11 12 E EQUALIZER MENU amm 4 Click on the SOLO button on the se E 4 FC 2297 Hz FC
387. tion 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 Our next favorite question Is the POWER switch on If not try turning it on e Is the Fat Channel Display working If not make sure the AC outlet is live check with a tester or lamp If so refer to No Sound below e Make sure the DC power cable is securely connected at the rear panel of the console No Sound e sthe signal source working correctly and properly connected to an input on the console e s the TRIM control channels 1 12 or the Digital Trim control channels 1 48 turned Service Digital 8eBus Service all the way down See Input Sensitivity Adjustment Procedure in Chapter 6 Is the MIC LINE switch set to the correct position Is the channel fader control turned up Has the channel been assigned to an output bus in the Bus Assignment Section Is the master level control for the selected output bus turned all the way down Try soloing a channel and listen to the Control Room Outputs or use headphones connected to the Phones Out with Control Room selected in the Phones Cue Mix Section Make sure the Solo Level is turned up in the Studio Solo Section and the Control Room Level is turned up in the Control Room Section Bad Sound Is the input connector plugged completely into the jack Is it loud and distorted Turn down the output level on the conso
388. tion to which you want to load the file Click and hold on the MENU button in the GATE control panel Drag down to Open Gate The Gate Files dialog box appears Click on INTERNAL if the file is on the internal hard drive or FLOPPY if the file is on a floppy disk Click on the name of the file to high light the one you want to load Click on Open to load the Gate file to the selected channel s TO RESET THE GATE From the console Refer to the instructions below for cutting Gate settings JOUMO RESET THE GATE From the screen 1 Click and hold on the MENU button in Reset the Gate window enuew 5 jones Open Gate aS Im iem Save Gate ATTACK 2 Drag down to Reset and release Cut WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE Copy Paste Editing the Gate Settings You can cut copy and paste gate set tings from one channel to another TO CUT GATE SETTINGS gi From the console Gm 1 Press SELECT button on the zm channel you want to edit 2 Press the CUT ZERO SET button in AE iid the Clipboard Section 3 Press the GATE button in the Fat Channel Section 4 Pressthe SELECT button below Cut in the Fat Channel Display or press the CUT ZERO SET button again The gate settings for that channel are temporarily stored in the clipboard memory in case you want to paste them to another channel The gate
389. to return to it as your working directory Choose Open Session from the File menu in the upper menu bar or press Ctrl O on the keyboard The Session Files dialog box appears e Click on the INTERNAL icon Double click on the session name in the list of session files to load the session from the hard drive HOURS POSITION e RANGE MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO BARS BEATS TICKS LOOP 1 2 6 7 ENTER LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT L MODE 1 REWIND 44 FAST FWD STOP PLAY L SHUTTLE 1 C 00 NORMALLED 999 TOTALRECALL Double Click Grau to Recall JOG amp SHUTTLE Creating and Storing Snapshots Once you ve loaded a session you ll have access to as many as 100 0 99 snapshots 150 from the screen within that session This makes it possible to recall all settings for a session except analog trim levels and the Mic switch position setting Creating Snapshots TO CREATE A SNAPSHOT From the console 1 After creating a session press the SNAPSHOT button in the Transport Section located just above the RECORD button 2 Begin setting rough mixes These may include send levels to tape monitoring levels from tape aux send levels and EQ and effects settings 3 Once the desired settings have been made press the STORE button in the Transport Section The STORE button lights and the ENTER button begins blinking 4 Us
390. to control the extra parameters Digital 8eBus Description 2 5 Digital 8eBus HELP button This button is available to use at any time to get information about a particular control con figuration or operation By pressing this button and then pressing any other button the Fat Channel Display will provide on line con text sensitive help messages Note The Help function may not be imple mented in the first release of the Mackie Real Time OS software Stay tuned to Mackie s web site for software updates ON button Turns the EQ compressor or gate on and off for the selected channel Select EQ COM PRESSOR or GATE then press the ON button to toggle the selected processor on and off SETUP button This button allows you to make per channel preference changes to the selected EQ com pressor or gate Select one of these options then press the SETUP button to see what erences are available for the selected processor MEMORY A and B buttons Each channel has two memory locations to store individual EQ Compressor and Gate pa rameters determined by which function is selected in the Fat Channel Section simply make the adjustments you want to the EQ Compressor or Gate and the settings are automatically stored in the selected memory bank You can use the MEMORY A and B buttons to make a quick change to the EQ Compressor or Gate settings on a channel or to compare different settings to de
391. to hear On Off This button turns the IVL Vocal Studio on or off Name This button is used to name or change the name of a preset Store This button saves any changes made to a preset to the same preset number Output Mode Stereo This button selects two independent mono in stereo out effects blocks One effects block is used for pitch shifting harmony and doubling The second effects block assigned to IVL Vocal Studio enuew 5 Digital 8eBus second aux send is used for reverb The input to the reverb effects block comes from a mix of its assigned aux send and the output of the harmony effects block Each effects block then returns its processed signal to an individual stereo return OUTPUT MODE Quad Selects mono in quad out Input from one auxiliary send is routed to the harmony processor Four harmony voices are given dis crete outputs to two stereo returns Control Mode SSS CONTROL MODE Manual SmartChord SmartKey Pitch Shift Manual Any notes played on a MIDI key board become the harmony parts These parts will stay on the note assigned by the keyboard even when your voice shifts to a new pitch Using pitch bend and or a modulation wheel realistic expression is introduced SmartChord Chords played from a MIDI keyboard are interpreted by the Vocal Studio to create natural harmony parts that move in tandem with your voice SmartKey Enter the
392. toggling either the individual track WRITE buttons off or by pressing and disabling the Master RECORD button or stopping timecode In Touch mode Write enabled tracks turn off if time code is stopped When the console is not in Touch mode Write enabled tracks go back to their flashing state when time code is no longer received or the STOP button is pressed or the Master RECORD button is toggled off Note The Master RECORD button also acts as the audio Master Record button i e the MMC Master Record en gage button If you are remotely arming tracks on an MMC compatible multitrack for whatever reason and you press the Master RECORD button and send a message to engage the Master on the multitracks you may accidentally erase audio on the multitrack 5 gt We recommend that you always arm and 915 arm individual tracks of the multitrack from the D8B Rec Rdy buttons to avoid any mix ups or heartbreaks that may occur Remember Write is for automation and Rec Rdy is for audio as simple as it may seem but the Master Record serves both purposes Why did we design it this way Because some people prefer to automate and record audio simul taneously If you can keep all that information straight in your head then go for it Automation Mistakes What if I get all of this confused and mess up my automation tracks There are three things to remember 1 The UNDO button will undo the last auto m
393. tons 3 Press PLAY in the Transport Section if you using an MMC compatible recorder Otherwise make sure that the console is receiving timecode indicated by the POSITION display 4 Prior to the desired point at which snapshot is to be recalled enter the two digit snapshot number using the number keys in the Transport Section The number appears in the RANGE display 5 the desired time press the ENTER button to recall the snapshot The console updates according to the snapshot settings 6 Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automation pass make sure to save the session press SAVE in the Setup Section Automation enuew 5 7 11 Digital 8eBus 7 12 Locator MEMORY CFADER PAN TRIM EVENTS CPU MUTE TOUCH New f Renum Store NORM ALLED Snapshot 1 Snapshot 2 TOT ALREC ALL CLIPBOARD UNCC New Session Open Session Mix Editor Ch 1 Undo Last Pass Cut Moves Copy Moves 00 00 00 00 Paste 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 Select All Included Types Fader E Mute Ets Compr Gate an Busses Plugins E Snapshots Automation TO WRITE SNAPSHOTS INTO AUTOMATION From the screen Click on the Locator button in the lo
394. trol messages and note on off mes sages are as follows MIDI Faders BO 00 XX to BO 07 XX XX is a value ranging from 00 to 7F MIDI V Pots 580 08 XX to BO 0F XX XX is a value ranging from 00 to 7F MIDI Mute 90 00 XX to 90 07 XX Mute on Note on 40 Mute off Note off 00 3 The Make Stereo Pair window appears 4 Youcan select one of three options in this dialog box e Start with Both Channels Normalled means that both faders will return to a nominal setting faders down pans fully left right e Match Right Channel means the left channel fader will snap to the same level as the right channel fader with an equal but opposite pan e Match Left Channel means the right channel fader will snap to the same level as the left channel fader with an equal but opposite pan 5 Click on Pair in the Make Stereo Pair window to link the two channels two channels fader knobs now labeled L and to indicate they are stereo paired Move one fader up or down and the adjacent fader moves with it Move one pan control and the adjacent channel s pan moves in the opposite direction Surround Sound The Mackie Real Time OS automation system provides a powerful method for automating surround sound mixes by using the Surround Control Panel on screen only You can select one of five different surround sound modes in the General menu f
395. trols lt a CU 5010 2 Click and hold on the channel V Pot and move the mouse or to the right to increase the signal in the selected aux bus and down or left to reduce the amount of signal in the selected Aux bus The box below the V Pot indicates the Aux level numerically from OFF to 10 with O representing unity gain The Aux levels are also indicated as bar graphs just above the EQ section on each channel 3 Click and hold the Master V Pot and move the mouse up and down to adjust the overall Aux Out level for the se PAM SOLO lected aux bus The Master L R meters can indicate the overall aux send level if you press the SOLO button in the Master V Pot Section Mono master aux sends 1 8 are indicated equally on the Master L R meters and stereo Aux Master aux sends 9 10 and 11 12 are indicated in stereo on the Master L R meters Note You can also click and hold on any auxiliary bar level or pan and drag to set levels Clicking and holding the right mouse z button while dragging across the screen 23 will set adjacent channels auxes to the same levels as the original clicked aux level NE NN Starting a New Session Digital 8 Bus Adjusting the Digital Trim When DIGITAL TRIM is pressed the channel V Pots for channels 1 48 adjust the signal level post A D converter and pre DSP For channels 25 4
396. ttings 6 58 Editing Effects 6 60 Table of Contents Chapter 6 continued Using External Processing eee tiet hens 6 62 Configuring Aux Send 6 63 Adjusting for Nominal Input and Output Levels 6 64 Adding Final Mix Effects to the Main Outputs 6 64 XU INDE esso E mU M EUIS 6 64 e e BD o 6 64 Adjusting Input Signals 6 65 Routing Channels to Mains and 5065 6 66 Assigning Channels to the L R bus 6 66 Assigning Channels to BUS 1 8 6 67 Setup of Monitor Mixes for Performers 6 68 setting the Aux Send Levels 6 68 6 60 Adding EQ Dynamics and Effects to Input Signals 6 60 0 I 6 69 Adding 5101 6 70 P 0 000 oe eee ee eee es 6 71 Adding Effects x siiscsensneseiinvserdaniexdonsentantessissasoaseaneaheobstdeasonss 6 71 Adding Effects to the Main Outputs 6 73 Making a Recording While Doing a Live Mix 6 73 Using Stereo 068 6 73 Recalling Console Snapshots During Performance 6 74 Hookup Diagrams Analog Recording Tracking eese 6 75
397. tton in the V Pot Select Section 5 Click and drag on the V Pot for all the channels you are sending to the auxil iary mix to control the amount of left or right panning for each channel Recalling Console Snapshots During a Performance The power of automation can make your life a whole lot easier If you ve saved some snapshots of the console s audio path settings you can instantly recall them at any time during a show see Chapter 7 Automation You might have set up dif ferent mixes in advance for each individual song which you can recall in succession during the show During a live theater per formance this can be invaluable to make quick changes from scene to scene TO RECALL A SNAPSHOT From the console 1 Press the SNAPSHOT button in the Transport Section 2 Enter the two digit snapshot number you want to recall using the number buttons The number appears in the RANGE display 3 Press the ENTER button to recall the snapshot TO RECALL A SNAPSHOT 2 From the screen 1 Click on the SNAPSHOT button in lower menu bar 2 The Snapshot window opens contain ing a list of snapshots currently stored with the session 3 Double click on the snapshot title in the gray area you want to recall from the list Zunea 8 80jeuy sngeg 810 T pue Jape lt u y pue r jen 3 64
398. tton is located in the Control Room Section and routes the signal from the talkback mic to the Phones Cue Mix outputs 1 and 2 The TALKBACK TO STUDIO button in the Studio Solo Section routes the talkback signal to the Studio outputs trim In audio mixers the gain adjustment for the first amplification stage of the mixer The trim control helps the mixer cope with the widely varying range of input signals that come from real world sources It is important to set the trim control correctly its setting determines the overall noise performance in that channel of the mixer See mic preamp TRS Acronym for Tip Ring Sleeve a scheme for connecting three conductors through a single plug or jack 14 phone plugs and jacks and mini phone plugs and jacks are commonly wired TRS Since the plug or jack can carry two signals and a common ground TRS con nectors are often referred to as stereo or balanced plugs or jacks Another common TRS application is for insert jacks used for insert ing an external processor into the signal path In Mackie mixers the tip is send ring is re turn and sleeve is ground Glossary Digital 8eBu Glossary TS Acronym for Tip Sleeve a scheme for con necting two conductors through a single plug or jack 1 4 phone plugs and jacks Vs mini phone plugs and jacks are commonly wired TS and are sometimes called mono or unbalanced plugs jacks 1 4 TS phone plug or jack is al
399. two digits in RANGE stamped point relative to the POSITION display display indicate the starting loop point FROM POSITION HOURS MINUTES SECONDS FRAMES FROM TO SET TIME SMPTE VIEW BARS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ENTER LOOP STORE LOCATOR SNAPSHOT LH MODE 1 REWIND FAST FWD STOP PLAY moe L SHUTTLE gt VAI gt V TO CREATE LOOP U i From the console 1 Ifyou haven t already done so you must create cue points for the beginning and end of the section you want to repeat Press the LOCATOR button in the Transport Section to enter Locator mode 2 Rewind the tape to some point prior to the section you want to repeat Press PLAY Using the number keys enter a two digit cue number that you haven t used yet The number appears in the RANGE display under FROM This will be the starting cue point of the loop 4 Press STORE The STORE button lights and the ENTER button blinks As soon as the tape reaches the point where you want to begin the loop press ENTER The cue point is now saved referenced to the time in the POSITION display 5 Press LOOP Enter another two digit cue number that you haven t used yet The number appears in the RANGE display under TO As soon as the tape reaches the point where you want to end the loop press STORE The cue point is now saved referenced to the time in the POSITION display 6 Press STOP and rewind the
400. uency o 75 5 lt Signal at the Nyquist Frequency Amplitude gt Signal above the Nyquist Frequency results in aliasing Figure B 3 Aliasing slightly over two samples per cycle A 20Hz signal on the other hand re ceives over 2000 samples per cycle In fact there is a rule called the Nyquist Theorem which states that in order to accurately represent a sig nal there must be at least two samples per cycle So when using a 44 1kHz sampling rate the highest frequency that can be accurately rep resented is 22 05kHz Attempting to convert anything higher than half the sampling frequency results in a phe nomenon called aliasing Aliasing occurs when the digital to analog con verter is fooled into thinking that the frequency of the signal is lower than it actually is Figure B 3 might help you better understand this concept Quantization Another important aspect of digi tal audio is quantization or sampling resolution Sampling represents the time of the measurement and quanti zation represents the amplitude value of the measurement This goes back to our discussion about the binary number system so let s define a few more terms Time Figure B 4 Quantization A binary digit is called a bit A multibit binary number is called a word e The number of bits in a word is the wordlength A word of 8 bits is called a byte C
401. urround MERU A E On RAHGE THRESH RELEASE Gate Control Panel ais THRESH 03 Al TACK PHASE GATE COMP SELECT MUTE Windows 17 24 Li 1 2 Edit Channel Automation MASTER SELECT WRITE TRACKING LEVEL PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE DIGITAL TRIM GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP COMP CUE LEVEL mi CUE P AN 18 REC 19 REC PAN SOLO Pan L R p TAPE WRITE WRITE SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SELECT SOLO SOLO SOLO SOLO 50 0 SoLo SOLO SOLO MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE EFFECTS Ch 18 Ch 19 Ch 20 21 Ch 22 Ch 24 MASTERS Ch 23 TIE T TIL ETIN TIE Card 0 MEM 11 5 RELEASE RATIO OUTPUT Compressor Control Panel Screen Shots General Mr boni Uhprimark ee ipea sore Prefer teh A XN DIE Dato amp iL jme 31 ua TZ Piet D Hear _ E _ sun uf wH aH a HELM ee __ mam mE Ain __ Pies er Fach
402. ust the V Pot Digi tal Trim control The goal is to get the channel meter reading at or around 15 The peaks should regularly hit and occasionally exceed 15 desig nation the meter This is equivalent 2 to 4 dBu analog level 36 37 STUDIO SOLO 10 To monitor the signal adjust the Solo Level in the Studio Solo Section by C 7 pressing SOLO LEVEL and adjusting MIXDOWN SOLO CLEAR SOLO the LEVEL V Pot 11 If desired press the channel s SELECT button and adjust the EQ in the Fat Cap Channel see page 6 28 You may need to readjust the channel s TRIM control 7 QD after changing the EQ setting TALKBACK TO TALKBACK LEVEL STUDIO LEVEL 12 Repeat steps 8 11 on the next channel being used 13 Once you ve achieved a rough mix us ing this method clear all soloed channels and monitor the mix in the Control Room outputs with all chan nels assigned to the L R bus and L R selected as the Control Room source or the Main L R Output and use the channel faders to adjust individual lev els Leave the Digital Trim controls alone This will give you the best signal to noise ratio in your mix Note If you use the built in compressor on any channels you can get away with turn ing the TRIM control up a little higher since the compressor will reduce the chance of transient peaks reaching digital clipping see Using The Compressor on page 6 38 Starting a New Sessi
403. vals for one to four of the harmony voices You can select the inter vals from the Interval edit window See the previous section on Intervals SmartChord mode on the other hand will follow the melody of your voice while staying musically related to the chords on the MIDI control track SmartKey With the right combination of input vocal melody and underlying chord structure the SmartKey mode can produce harmonies that sound unbelievably real When you have a song that has a simple chord structure like those found in country and blues you can dial up SmartKey mode and be on your way to a killer harmony line in mere moments The key to making SmartKey work prop erly is to set the key and scale correctly While it sounds like you d need some music theory background to do this don t despair if you can lean over and tell a fellow musician what key you re going to play the next song in you can set up SmartKey mode effectively Let s break it down into the two components of key and scale Determining the key is easy it s often the first chord in a song However some songs are in a different key than the first chord such as Sweet Home Alabama which is in G but starts with a D chord Scale can be either major or minor and depends on the notes that make up the scale To select Key and Scale you want to be in the Key Scale Edit mode shown above Once in this editing window Key is selected by clicking on a no
404. vel A numerical representation of the aux send level appears in place of the channel number just above the AUXES box Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the auto mated fader moves make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session Writing Bus Assignments TO WRITE BUS ASSIGNMENTS From the console Turn off the BYPASS button in the automation section to engage the automation functions Press the ALL and AUTO TOUCH buttons Bus assignments are automated using Auto Touch mode Press the PLAY button in the Transport Section or press Play on the recorder to initiate timecode Press one of the BUS buttons in the bus Assignment Section At the desired times press the ASSIGN button on the channels you want to assign to the selected bus Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automated bus assignments make sure to save the session press SAVE in the Setup Section TO WRITE BUS ASSIGNMENTS From the screen l Click on the Locator button in the lower menu bar The Locator window appears on the screen Click on the BYPASS and ALL buttons in the Locator window Click on the TOUCH button in the Locator window to initiate Auto Touch mode LL E PHASE PHASE PHASE GATE GATE GATE COMP COMP COMP ro IP 4 Beginrolling
405. vent of a particular type in cluded click on its box to deselect it Deleting a Mute This is a snap Find the Mute On event in the Name column for the mute you dont want and click on it to select it Then choose Cut Event in the Edit menu to delete the mute The event automatically vanishes from the Event List Changing a Time Equally easy Just click in the time column to select it then type in the new time This technique is very handy if you have a tricky mute and the timing is just a hair off Creating a Fade In and Fade Out Event Mackie Real Time OS automation includes a special feature that lets you trigger fade ins and fade outs of any length on any faders and at any point during your mix You can create a custom fade and save it for future use 1 Click on Channels in the upper menu bar Select Edit Fade from the drop down menu Hle Edit Channel Automation Windows E 8 Laad Edit Channel 2 Stereo Link nlink Tor GATE Go to Unity 2 The Fade Curves window appears The main portion of this window contains a Fade Curves for Channel Ch 1 Custom Curves Fade In Cures Seconds 2 Fade In Fade Out graphical display of the fade curve where the x axis represents time and the y axis represents amplitude 3 Select Fade In or Fade Out by clicking on the corresponding button in the lower left corner of the window The defaul
406. virtual group and use the group fader as a Virtual Control Room master volume control o 4 Return the eight tracks from your multitrack for monitoring all eight surround stems because recorder to the eight channels you ve the Control Room Level control works only for reserved for monitoring For example you the stereo Control Room outputs might return the eight tracks to channels 41 You can also assign the eight tape returns to 48 via the third Tape I O card the L R bus for a stereo dub and to check for coherence Make sure the source channels are 5 Assign the eight monitor channels to eight not assigned to the L R bus to avoid double unused Tape Outputs which you can route to monitoring IN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN LINEIN Optional Cards 40932044 242243 024946 20A MASTI TOU 2 PHNS 1 PHNS 2 0609466 rc gt o Qe Figure 8 6 Surround Sound Monitoring Advanced Techniques 9 Service Warranty Service Details concerning Warranty Service are spelled out on the Warranty Card included with your console if the card is missing let us know and we ll rush one to you If you think your console has a problem please do everything you can to confirm it before calling fo
407. wer menu bar The Locator window appears in the screen Click on the ALL and TOUCH buttons make sure the BYPASS button is off Click on the Snapshots button in the lower menu bar The Snapshots window appears Begin rolling tape by either clicking on Play in the Locator window or on the recorder At the point where the snapshot is to be written double click on the snapshot number in the gray area The screen and console settings update according to the snapshot settings Upon completion of the automation pass if you re satisfied with the automation pass make sure to save the session click on File in the upper menu bar and choose Save Session Undo Edit Anytime you complete an automation pass you can undo what you did by press ing the UNDO button in the Clipboard Section or selecting Undo Last Pass Ctrl Z in the Mix Editor s Edit menu Looping You can create a loop between two cue points on the tape to repeat over and over again This is useful when you need to make several passes over a section of the tape in order to get multiple fader moves just right or for difficult EQ or pro cessing on a track Note Locate points specifically refer to a time and the right two digits indicate the ending loop point TO Loop points are cues that send an lt MMC command message out of the MIDI OUT connector on the back of the computer to the multitrack recorders In Loop mode the left
408. work with which you can save as an option with your session When mixing for surround sound the eight bus outputs BUS 1 8 are used for the surround out puts You can select from Stereo Quadraphonic LCRS 5 1 surround and 7 1 surround Note See Chapter 8 Advanced Functions for more information on mixing for sur round sound applications TO SET THE SURROUND MODE LOAD PLUG INS DIGITAL From the console 1 Press the GENERAL button in the Setup Section The General Setup menu appears in the Fat Channel Display Start Up 33 Digital 8eBus Start Up MACKIE DSB 56 INPUT 72 CHANNEL DIGITAL MIXER d b 2 Press the SELECT button below SETURL EPP MACKIE D8B so ineuT 72 CHANNEL mixer SURROUND in the Fat Channel Display to view the Surround menu 3 Press the SELECT buttons below the arrows in the Fat Channel Display to scroll through the available surround alkola MENU modes PLT EE TTT TT TT IE Aux 5urround General Checkmark auses you want Pre Fader above Network Aux 1 Aux 9 Aux 910 j __ Aux 2 Aux 6 Aux 11712 Aux 5 7 4 amp ux 8 Surround Sound Hode LCRS T 4 When the mode you want to select appears in the display press the SELECT button below OK The selected surround mode will now be used by the Digital 8eBu
409. y from 0 to 12 semitones to the delay time specified The timing presets are listed below Key Scale is an edit mode used only in SmartKey mode The use of Key Scale is described farther on under the SmartKey ame E Off none section Tight Mix between 5 and 12ms none Medium Mix between 10 32ms none Envelope is used only in the Manual control mode The use of Envelope is 5ms Rand Max Delay of 5ms per voice B 10ms Rand Max Delay of 10ms per voice described in the Manual section on page E 6 20ms Rand Max Delay of 20ms per voice 30ms Rand Max Delay of 30ms per voice 40ms Rand Max Delay of 40ms per voice 50ms Rand Max Delay of 50ms per voice The Harmony Control Modes 80ms Rand Max Delay of 80ms per voice amp Harmony Control Modes determine the way in which harmonies are created IVL Vocal Scoop adjusts how a voice attacks a note Studio has four control modes Each of these Even professional singers never hit a note right Modes is tailored toward a different application on pitch They hit their note slightly lower than They be categorized by two items the pitch they are aiming for and then scoop 1 Requires MIDI input Using the D8B s up to the correct note The scoop presets are MIDI input a keyboard or sequencer sends created using the amount of scoop how far be inform
410. you want it Folder click on the Enter button to complete the operation You can click on Cancel to return to normal operation or click on the the Close button in the upper EET right corner of the window to remove the Disk Manager box from the screen Preparing for a Session 53 Digital 8eBus File Edit Channel New Session Open Session Close Window Save Session Tm Save Session Disk Manager COMP Edit 7 em Luce Herr didi em em iab gu iub lt gu rat m ge a Pie s Seria gu ichs c em Pilea Preparing for a Session Automation Windows Ctrl D COMP ini COMP COMP COMP a ae Sam cal im 2 82 Bt ini xp Z m mdi xk in og mt Using the Disk Manager Although a method of file management is available from the console surface via the directory navigator it is somewhat limited due to the size of the Fat Channel Display In fact there are certain operations that can t be performed from the console surface such as deleting files emptying the Bin and copying multiple files or folders File management is much easier to accomplish using the Disk Manager on the screen You can quickly copy files from the internal hard d

Mackie 72 channel Owner`s manual

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