Yamaha MG 6FX Руководство пользователя

MIXING CONSOLE

Owner’s Manual

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

Pages 6 to 18

MG16-6FX.book Page 1 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

MG16/6FX

Precautions

—For safe operation—

WARNING

●

Connect this unit’s AC power adaptor only to an AC outlet of the

type stated in this Owner’s Manual or as marked on the unit.

Failure to do so is a ﬁre and electrical shock hazard.

●

Do not allow water to enter this unit or allow the unit to become

wet. Fire or electrical shock may result.

●

Do not place a container with liquid or small metal objects on

top of this unit. Liquid or metal objects inside this unit are a ﬁre

and electrical shock hazard.

●

Do not place heavy objects, including this unit, on top of the

power cord. A damaged power cord is a ﬁre and electrical shock

hazard. In particular, be careful not to place heavy objects on a

power cord covered by a carpet.

●

Do not scratch, bend, twist, pull, or heat the power cord. A dam-

aged power cord is a ﬁre and electrical shock hazard.

●

Do not remove the unit’s cover. You could receive an electrical

shock. If you think internal inspection, maintenance, or repair is

necessary, contact your dealer.

●

Do not modify the unit. Doing so is a ﬁre and electrical shock

hazard.

●

If lightning begins to occur, turn off the power switch of the unit

as soon as possible, and unplug the power plug from the electri-

cal outlet.

●

If there is a possibility of lightning, do not touch the power plug

if it is still connected. Doing so may be an electrical shock haz-

ard.

●

Use only the included AC power adaptor (PA-30) for this unit.

Using other types may be a ﬁre and electrical shock hazard.

●

If the power cord is damaged (i.e., cut or a bare wire is exposed),

ask your dealer for a replacement. Using the unit with a damaged

power cord is a ﬁre and electrical shock hazard.

●

Should this unit and AC adaptor be dropped or the cabinet be

damaged, turn the power switch off, remove the power plug from

the AC outlet, and contact your dealer. If you continue using the

unit without heeding this instruction, ﬁre or electrical shock may

result.

●

If you notice any abnormality, such as smoke, odor, or noise, or

if a foreign object or liquid gets inside the unit, turn it off imme-

diately. Remove the power plug from the AC outlet. Consult your

dealer for repair. Using the unit in this condition is a ﬁre and

electrical shock hazard.

CAUTION

●

Keep this unit away from the following locations:

- Locations exposed to oil splashes or steam, such as near cook-

ing stoves, humidiﬁers, etc.

- Unstable surfaces, such as a wobbly table or slope.

- Locations exposed to excessive heat, such as inside a car with

all the windows closed, or places that receive direct sunlight.

- Locations subject to excessive humidity or dust accumulation.

●

Hold the power plug when disconnecting it from an AC outlet.

Never pull the cord. A damaged power cord is a potential ﬁre and

electrical shock hazard.

●

Do not touch the power plug with wet hands. Doing so is a

potential electrical shock hazard.

●

To relocate the unit, turn the power switch off, remove the power

plug from the AC outlet, and remove all connecting cables. Dam-

aged cables may cause ﬁre or electrical shock.

●

Do not cover or wrap the AC power adaptor with a cloth or blan-

ket. Heat may build up under the cloth or blanket, melting the

case, or causing ﬁre. Use only in a well-ventilated environment.

●

If you know you will not use this unit for a log period of time,

such as when going on vacation, remove the power plug from the

AC outlet. Leaving it connected is a potential ﬁre hazard.

Installation

Operation

In case an abnormality occurs during operation

Installation

Operation

MG16-6FX.book Page 2 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Precautions

MG16/6FX

—For correct operation —

●

XLR-type connectors are wired as follows

Pin 1: ground; Pin 2: hot (+); Pin 3: cold (–).

●

INSERT TRS phone jacks are wired as follows

Sleeve: ground; Tip: send; Ring: return.

●

The performance of components with movable contacts—such

as switches, rotary controls, faders, and connectors—deteriorates

over time. While the rate of wear may vary greatly according to

usage conditions, some amount of wear is unavoidable. When

parts wear out, consult your dealer about appropriate replace-

ments.

●

Use of a mobile phone near this unit may induce noise. If noise

occurs, move the phone further from the unit.

Copying of commercially available music data and/or digital audio ﬁles, except for personal use, is strictly prohibited.

Illustrations in this manual are for explanatory purposes only, and may not match the actual appearance of the product during operation.

Company names and product names used in this Owner’s Manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA. (class B)

• This applies only to products distributed by Yamaha-Kemble Music (U.K.) Ltd. (2 wires).

Connector pin assignments

Replacement of Consumable Parts

Interference from Cell Phones

●

Always turn the power off when the mixer is not in use.

●

Even when the power switch is in the “STANDBY” position, electricity is still ﬂowing to the mixer at the minimum level. When you are

not using the mixer for a long time, make sure you unplug the AC power adaptor from the wall AC outlet.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM

Connecting the Plug and Cord

IMPORTANT. The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:

BLUE : NEUTRAL

BROWN : LIVE

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the coloured makings identifying the terminals in your

plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured BLACK.

The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured RED.

Making sure that neither core is connected to the earth terminal of the three pin plug.

1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT!

This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions con-

tained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modiﬁcations

not expressly approved by Yamaha may void your authority,

granted by the FCC, to use the product.

2. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories

and/or another product use only high quality shielded cables.

Cable/s supplied with this product MUST be used. Follow all

installation instructions. Failure to follow instructions could void

your FCC authorization to use this product in the USA.

3. NOTE: This product has been tested and found to comply with

the requirements listed in FCC Regulations, Part 15 for Class “B”

digital devices. Compliance with these requirements provides a

reasonable level of assurance that your use of this product in a

residential environment will not result in harmful interference with

other electronic devices. This equipment generates/uses radio

frequencies and, if not installed and used according to the

instructions found in the users manual, may cause interference

harmful to the operation of other electronic devices. Compliance

with FCC regulations does not guarantee that interference will

not occur in all installations. If this product is found to be the

source of interference, which can be determined by turning the

unit “OFF” and “ON”, please try to eliminate the problem by using

one of the following measures:

Relocate either this product or the device that is being affected by

the interference.

Utilize power outlets that are on different branch (circuit breaker

or fuse) circuits or install AC line ﬁlter/s.

In the case of radio or TV interference, relocate/reorient the

antenna. If the antenna lead-in is 300 ohm ribbon lead, change

the lead-in to co-axial type cable.

If these corrective measures do not produce satisfactory results,

please contact the local retailer authorized to distribute this type

of product. If you can not locate the appropriate retailer, please

contact Yamaha Corporation of America, Electronic Service Divi-

sion, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park, CA90620

The above statements apply ONLY to those products distributed

by Yamaha Corporation of America or its subsidiaries.

FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.)

MG16-6FX.book Page 3 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

MG16/6FX

Introduction

Thank you for your purchase of the YAMAHA MG16/6FX mixing console. This mixing console

combines ease of operation with support for multiple usage environments, and is ideal for SR

setups, installed systems, and many other such applications.

Please read through this Owner’s Manual carefully before beginning use, so that you will be

able to take full advantage of this mixer’s superlative features and enjoy trouble-free operation

for years to come.

●

The MG16/6FX provides 16 input channels and mixes the sig-

nals into Stereo and Group outputs.

●

With high-quality digital effects built in, the MG16/6FX can

deliver a wide range of sound variations even when used on its

own. It also includes an EFFECT SEND jack that can be used to

connect an external effector.

●

The monitor includes a convenient C-R OUT jack. This jack can

be used to monitor the main Stereo output, the PFL signal, or the

Group 1-2 signals.

●

The mixer includes dual AUX SEND jacks and a single

RETURN jack. The two independent AUX buses may be used as

sends to external effectors and monitor systems.

●

Phantom power supply enables easy connection to condenser

microphones that run on external power.

●

The mixer provides channel-speciﬁc INSERT I/O jacks for input

channels 1 to 8. These jacks make it possible to insert different

effectors into different channels.

●

Input channels 1 to 8, 9/10, and 11/12 are each equipped with

both an XLR mic input jack and a TRS phone-type line jack.

Input channels 13/14 and 15/16 are each equipped with both a

TRS line input jack and an RCA line input jack. This wide

assortment of connectors enables connection to many different

devices, from microphones to line-level devices to stereo-output

synthesizers.

Introduction ............................................................... 4

Features ............................................................... 4

Contents .............................................................. 4

Before Turning on the Mixer ................................. 5

Turning the Power On .......................................... 5

Making the Most Of Your Mixer ................................. 6

A Place For Everything and Everything

In Its Place ....................................................... 7

Where Your Signal Goes Once It’s Inside

the Box .......................................................... 10

The First Steps in Achieving Great Sound .... 11

External Effects, Monitor Mixes,

and Groups .................................................... 13

Making Better Mixes ...................................... 16

Front & Rear Panels ................................................ 19

Channel Control Section .................................... 19

Master Control Section ...................................... 21

Rear Input/Output Section ................................. 23

Setting Up ............................................................... 25

Setup Procedure ................................................ 25

Setup Examples ................................................ 25

Rack Mounting ................................................... 27

Appendix ................................................................. 28

Speciﬁcations .................................................... 28

Dimensional Diagrams ....................................... 30

Block Diagram and Level Diagram .................... 31

Features

Contents

MG16-6FX.book Page 4 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Introduction

MG16/6FX

(1) Be sure that the mixer’s power switch is in the STANDBY

position.

Use only the PA-30 adaptor included with this mixer.

Use of a different adaptor may result in equipment

damage, overheating, or ﬁre.

(2) Connect the power adaptor to the AC ADAPTOR IN con-

nector (

) on the rear of the mixer, and then turn the fas-

tening ring clockwise (

) to secure the connection.

(3) Plug the power adaptor into a standard household power outlet.

• Be sure to unplug the adaptor from the outlet when

not using the mixer, or when there are lightning

storms in the area.

• To avoid generating unwanted noise, make sure

there is adequate distance between the power

adaptor and the mixer.

Press the mixer’s power switch to the ON position. When you are

ready to turn the power off, press the power switch to the

STANDBY position.

Note that trace current continues to ﬂow while the

switch is in the STANDBY position. If you do not plan

to use the mixer again for a long while, please be sure

to unplug the adaptor from the wall outlet.

Before Turning on the Mixer

Turning the Power On

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MG16/6FX

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

An Introduction

You’ve got yourself a mixer and now you’re ready to use it.

Just plug everything in, twiddle the controls, and away you go … right?

Well, if you’ve done this before you won’t have any problems, but if this is

the ﬁrst time you’ve ever used a mixer you might want to read through this

little tutorial and pick up a few basics that will help you get better

performance and make better mixes.

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place

1-1. A Plethora Of Connectors—What Goes Where?

Questions you’re likely to encounter when setting up a system for the ﬁrst time might include “Why all

these different types of connectors on the back of my mixer?” and “What’s the difference?”.

Let’s start by taking a look at the most common connector types.

The Venerable RCA Pin Jack

This is the “consumer connector,” and the one that has been most commonly used

on home audio gear for many years. Also known as “phono” jacks (short for

”phonogram”), but the term isn’t used much these days—besides, it’s too easily

confusable with “phone” jacks, below. RCA pin jacks are always unbalanced, and

generally carry a line-level signal at –10 dB, nominal. You’re most likely to use this

type of connector when connecting a CD player or other home audio type source

to your mixer, or when connecting the output of your mixer to a cassette recorder

or similar gear.

The Versatile Phone Jack

The name “phone jack” arose simply because this conﬁguration was ﬁrst

used in telephone switchboards. Phone jacks can be tricky because you

can’t always tell what type of signal they’re designed to handle just by

looking at them. It could be unbalanced mono, unbalanced stereo,

balanced mono, or an insert patch point. The connector’s label will

usually tell you what type of signal it handles, as will the owner’s manual

(you

keep your manuals in a safe place, don’t you?). A phone jack that

is set up to handle balanced signals is also often referred to as a “TRS”

phone jack. “TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, which describes the

conﬁguration of the phone plug used.

The Sturdy XLR

This type of connector is generally referred to as “XLR-type,” and almost always

carries a balanced signal. If the corresponding circuitry is designed properly,

however, XLR-type connectors will also handle unbalanced signals with no

problem. Microphone cables usually have this type of connector, as do the inputs

and outputs of most professional audio gear.

White

Red

Stereo/TRS phone plug

Mono phone plug

Male

Female

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

1-2. Balanced, Unbalanced—What’s the Difference?

In a word: “noise.” The whole point of balanced lines is noise rejection, and it’s something they’re very

good at. Any length of wire will act as an antenna to pick up the random electromagnetic radiation we’re

constantly surrounded by: radio and TV signals as well as spurious electromagnetic noise generated by

power lines, motors, electric appliances, computer monitors, and a variety of other sources. The longer

the wire, the more noise it is likely to pick up. That’s why balanced lines are the best choice for long

cable runs. If your “studio” is basically conﬁned to your desktop and all connections are no more than a

meter or two in length, then unbalanced lines are ﬁne—unless you’re surrounded by extremely high lev-

els of electromagnetic noise. Another place balanced lines are almost always used is in microphone

cables. The reason for this is that the output signal from most microphones is very small, so even a tiny

amount of noise will be relatively large, and will be ampliﬁed to an alarming degree in the mixer’s high-

gain head ampliﬁer.

To summarize:

Microphones: Use balanced lines.

Short line-level runs: Unbalanced lines are ﬁne if you’re in a relatively noise-free environment.

Long line-level runs: The ambient electromagnetic noise level will be the ultimate deciding factor, but

balanced is best.

■

How Do Balanced Lines Reject Noise?

** Skip this section if technical details make you queasy. **

Balanced lines work on the principle of “phase cancellation”: if you add two identical signals out of

phase (i.e. one signal is inverted so its peaks coincide with the troughs in the other signal), the result is …

nothing. A ﬂat line. The signals cancel each other out.

A balanced cable has three conductors:

1) A ground conductor which carries no signal, just the “ground” or “0” reference against which the

signal in the other conductors ﬂuctuates.

2) A “hot” or “+” conductor which carries the normal-phase audio signal.

3) A “cold” or “–” conductor which carries the reverse-phase audio signal.

While the desired audio signals in the hot and cold conductors are out of phase, any noise induced in

the line will be exactly the same in both conductors, and thus in phase. The trick is that the phase of

one signal is reversed at the receiving end of the line so that the desired audio signals become in-

phase, and the induced noise suddenly ﬁnds itself out of phase. The out-of-phase noise signal is effec-

tively canceled while the audio signal is left intact. Clever, eh?

Normal-phase signal.

Reverse-phase signal.

No signal.

(Phase cancellation)

Normal-phase signal

+ normal-phase noise.

Normal-phase signal

+ reverse-phase noise.

Desired signal

with no noise.

MG16-6FX.book Page 8 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

1-3. Signal Levels—Decibel Do’s and Don’ts

From the moment you start dealing with things audio, you’ll have to deal with the term “decibel” and its

abbreviation, “dB”. Things can get confusing because decibels are a very versatile unit of measure used

to describe acoustic sound pressure levels as well as electronic signal levels. To make matters worse there

are a number of variations: dBu, dBV, dBm. Fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert to make things

work. Here are a few basics you should keep in mind:

●

“Consumer” gear (such as home audio equipment) usually has line inputs and outputs with a nomi-

nal (average) level of –10 dB.

●

Professional audio gear usually has line inputs and outputs with a nominal level of +4 dB.

●

You should always feed –10 dB inputs with a –10 dB signal. If you feed a +4 dB signal into a –10 dB

input you are likely to overload the input.

●

You should always feed +4 dB inputs with a +4 dB signal. A –10 dB signal is too small for a +4 dB

input, and will result in less-than-optimum performance.

●

Many professional and semi-professional devices have level switches on the inputs and/or outputs

that let you select –10 or +4 dB. Be sure to set these switches to match the level of the connected

equipment.

●

Inputs that feature a “Gain” control—such as the mono-channel inputs on your Yamaha mixer—will

accept a very wide range of input levels because the control can be used to match the input’s sensi-

tivity to the signal. More on this later.

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

Where Your Signal Goes Once It’s Inside the Box

At ﬁrst glance the block diagram of even a modest mixer can look like a space-station schematic. In reality,

block diagrams are a great aid in understanding how the signal ﬂows in any mixer. Here’s a greatly simpliﬁed

block diagram of a generic mixer to help you become familiar with the way these things work.

2-1. Greatly Simpliﬁed Mixer Block Diagram

■

Input Channel

Head Amp

The very ﬁrst stage in any mixer, and

usually the only stage with signiﬁcant

“gain” or “ampliﬁcation.” The head

amp has a “gain” control that adjusts

the mixer’s input sensitivity to match the

level of the source. Small signals (e.g.

mics) are ampliﬁed, and large signals

are attenuated.

Equalizer

Could be simple bass and treble con-

trols or a full-blown 4-band parametric

EQ. When boost is applied the EQ stage

also has gain. You can actually overload

the input channel by applying too much

EQ boost. It’s usually better to cut than

boost.

Channel Peak LED & Fader

The channel peak LED is your most

valuable tool for setting the input “gain”

control for optimum performance. Note

that it is located after the head amp and

EQ stage.

■

Master Section

Summing Ampliﬁer

This is where the actual “mixing” takes

place. Signals from all of the mixer’s

input channels are “summed” (mixed)

together here.

Master Fader & Level Meter

A stereo, mono, or bus master fader and

the mixer’s main output level meter.

There could be several master faders

depending on the design of the mixer—

i.e. the number of buses or outputs it

provides.

1234 5

Input Channel Master Section

Signals from the mixer’s

other input channels (if

they are assigned to this

master output or “bus”).

MG16-6FX.book Page 10 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

The First Steps in Achieving Great Sound

Before you even consider EQ and effects, or even the overall mix, it is important to make sure that levels are

properly set for each individual source. This can’t be stressed enough—initial level setup is vitally important for

achieving optimum performance from your mixer! Here’s why … and how.

3-1. The Head Ampliﬁer “Gain” Control Is the Key!

Let’s review our simpliﬁed mixer block diagram:

Each and every “stage” in the mixer’s signal path will add a certain amount of noise to the signal: the

head amp, the EQ stage, the summing ampliﬁer, and the other buffer and gain stages that exist in the

actual mixer circuit (this applies to analog mixers in particular). The thing to keep in mind is that the

amount of noise added by each stage is usually not dependent to any signiﬁcant degree on the level of

the audio signal passing through the circuit. This means that the bigger the desired signal, the smaller the

added noise will be in relation to it. In tech-speak this gives us a better “signal-to-noise ratio”—often

abbreviated as “S/N ratio.” All of this leads to the following basic rule:

In our mixer, that means the head ampliﬁer. If you don’t get the signal up to the desired level at the head

ampliﬁer stage, you will need to apply more gain at later stages, which will only amplify the noise con-

tributed by the preceding stages. Just remember that too much initial gain is bad too, because it will over-

load our channel circuitry and cause clipping.

To achieve the best overall system S/N ratio, amplify the input to the desired average

level as early as possible in the signal path.

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

3-2. Level Setup Procedure For Optimum Performance

Now that we know what we have to do, how do we do it? If you take another quick look at the mixer

block diagram you’ll notice that there’s a peak indicator located right after the head ampliﬁer and EQ

stages, and therein lays our answer! Although the exact procedure you use will depend on the type of

mixer you use and the application, as well as your personal preferences, here’s a general outline:

That’s basically all there is to it. But do keep your eyes on the main output level meters while setting up

the mix to be sure you don’t stay in the “peak zone” all the time. If the output level meters are peaking

constantly you will need to lower the channel faders until the overall program falls within a good range—

and this will depend on the “dynamic range” of your program material.

Start by setting all level controls to their minimum: master fad-

ers, group faders (if provided), channel faders, and input gain

controls. Also make sure that no EQ is applied (no boost or

cut), and that all effects and dynamic processors included in

the system are defeated or bypassed.

Apply the source signal to each channel one at a time: have

singers sing, players play, and playback devices play back at

the loudest expected level. Gradually turn up the input gain

control while the signal is being applied to the corresponding

channel until the peak indicator begins to ﬂash, then back off

a little so that the peak indicator ﬂashes only occasionally.

Repeat for each active channel.

Raise your master fader(s)—and group faders if available—to

their nominal levels (this will be the “0” markings on the fader

scale).

Now, with all sources playing, you can raise the channel fad-

ers and set up an initial rough mix.

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

External Effects, Monitor Mixes, and Groups

4-1. AUX Buses For Monitor Sends and

Overall Effects

There are a number of reasons why you might

want to “tap” the signal ﬂowing through your

mixer at some point before the main outputs: the

two most common being 1) to create a monitor

mix that is separate from the main mix, and 2) to

process the signal via an external effect unit and

then bring it back into the mix. Both of these func-

tions, and more, can be handled by the mixer’s

AUX (Auxiliary) buses and level controls. If the

mixer has two AUX buses, then it can handle both

functions at the same time. Larger mixing con-

soles can have 6, 8, or even more auxiliary buses

to handle a variety of monitoring and processing

needs.

Using the AUX buses and level controls is pretty

straightforward. The only thing you need to con-

sider is whether you need a “pre-fader” or “post-

fader” send. AUX sends often feature a switch that

allows you to conﬁgure them for pre- or post-

fader operation.

Pre/Post—What’s the difference?

pre post

A “pre-fader” signal is taken

from a point before the

channel fader, so the send

level is affected only by the

AUX send level control and

not by the channel fader.

Pre-fader sends are most

commonly used to provide

monitor mixes.

A “post-fader” signal is

taken from a point after the

channel fader, so its level

will be affected by both the

AUX send level control and

the channel fader.

Post-fader sends are most

commonly used in conjunc-

tion with the mixer’s AUX or

effect returns for external

effect processing.

Pre-fader send for a monitor mix. The send signal is fed to the monitor power ampliﬁer and speaker system.

The channel fader does not affect the send level so the monitor mix remains independent of the main mix. No

return signal is used in this case.

Post-fader send for external effects processing. The send signal is fed to the external effect unit—a reverb

unit, for example—and the output from the effect unit is returned to the AUX Return jack and mixed back into the

main program. The send level is affected by the channel fader so the effect level always remains in proportion to

the channel signal.

Channel

Fader

Master

Fader

AUX Send

Level

AUX Send Level AUX Return Level

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

4-2. Using Groups

Group buses and faders can greatly simplify the mixing process—particularly in live situations in which

changes have to be made as quickly as possible. If you have a group of channels that need to be adjusted

all together while maintaining their relative levels, grouping is the way to go. Simply assign the group to a

group bus, and make sure that group is also assigned to the main program bus. Then you can adjust the

overall level of the group using a single group fader, rather than having to attempt to control multiple

channels faders simultaneously.

Group buses usually also have their own outputs, so you can send the group signal to a different external

destination from the main mix.

Channel faders Assigned to Group

(Controlled As a Group)

Stereo

Master

Fader

Group

Fader

Channel faders Assigned to Stereo

(Controlled Individually)

A group of channels whose levels need to

maintain the same relationship—a drum mix, for

example—can be assigned to a group bus.

Usually the group bus signal can be output

independently via “Group” outputs, or it can be

assigned to the main program (stereo) bus to be

mixed in with the main stereo program.

Once the mix between the channels assigned to

the group is established via the channel faders,

the overall level of the entire group can be

conveniently adjusted via a single group fader.

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Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

4-3. Channel Inserts for Channel-speciﬁc Processing

Another way to get the mixer’s signal outside the box is to use the channel inserts. The channel inserts are

almost always located before the channel fader and, when used, actually “break” the mixer’s internal sig-

nal path. Unlike the AUX sends and returns, the channel insert only applies to the corresponding chan-

nel. Channel inserts are most commonly used for applying a dynamics processor such as a compressor or

limiter to a speciﬁc channel—although they can be used with just about any type of in/out processor.

Channel insert jacks must be used with a special insert cable that has a TRS phone jack on one end and

mono phone jacks on the split “Y” end. One of the mono phone jacks carries the “send” signal to be fed

to the input of the external processor, and the other carries the “return” signal from the output of the pro-

cessor.

Channel

Fader

When a plug is inserted into the channel insert jack, the inter-

nal signal path is interrupted and sent outside the mixer for

external processing.

Tip

Ring

Sleeve

To the INSERT I/O jack

To the input jack of the

external processor

To the output jack of

the external processor

TipSleeve

MG16-6FX.book Page 15 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

Making Better Mixes

5-1. Approaching the Mix—Where Do

You Start?

Mixing is easy, right? Just move the faders around

until it sounds right? Well, you can do it that way,

but a more systematic approach that is suited to

the material you’re mixing will produce much

better results, and faster. There are no rules, and

you’ll probably end up developing a system that

works best for you. But the key is to develop a

system rather than working haphazardly. Here are

a few ideas to get you started:

Faders Down

It might sound overly simple, but it is usually a

good idea to start with all channel faders off—all

the way down. It’s also possible to start with all

faders at their nominal settings, but it’s too easy to

lose perspective with this approach. Start with all

faders down, then bring them up one by one to ﬁll

out the mix. But which channel should you start

with?

Example1:

Vocal Ballad Backed by Piano Trio

What are you mixing? Is it a song in which the

vocals are the most important element? If so you

might want to build the mix around the vocals.

This means bringing the vocal channel up to

nominal ﬁrst (if your level setup procedure has

been done properly this will be a good starting

point), and then adding the other instruments.

What you add next will depend on the type of

material you are working with and your approach

to it. If the vocals are backed by a piano trio and

the song is a ballad, for example, you might want

to bring in the piano next and get the vocal/piano

relationship just right, then bring in the bass and

drums to support the overall sound.

Example2:

Funky R&B Groove

The approach will be totally different if you’re

mixing a funky R&B number that centers on the

groove. In this case most engineers will start with

the drums, and then add the bass. The relation-

ship between the drums and bass is extremely

important to achieve the “drive” or groove the

music rides on. Pay particular attention to how

the bass works with the kick (bass drum). They

should almost sound like a single instrument—

with the kick supplying the punch and the bass

supplying the pitch. Once again, there are no

rules, but these are concepts that have been

proven to work well.

Music First—Then Mix

In any case, the music comes ﬁrst. Think about

the music and let it guide the mix, rather than try-

ing to do things the other way around. What is the

music saying and what instrument or technique is

being used to drive the message? That’s where the

focus of your mix should be. You’re using a high-

tech tool to do the mixing, but the mix itself is as

much art as the music. Approach it that way and

your mixes will become a vital part of the music.

MG16-6FX.book Page 16 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

5-2. Panning For Cleaner Mixes

Not only does the way you pan your individual

channels determine where the instruments appear

in the stereo sound ﬁeld, but it is also vital to give

each instrument it’s own “space” so that it doesn’t

conﬂict with other instruments. Unlike live sound

in a real acoustic space, recorded stereo sound is

basically 2-dimensional (although some types of

surround sound are actually very 3-dimensional),

and instruments positioned right on top of each

other will often get in each other’s way—particu-

larly if they are in the same frequency range or

have a similar sound.

Spread them Out!

Position your instruments so they have room to

“breathe,” and connect in the most musical way

with other instruments. Sometimes, however,

you’ll want to deliberately pan sounds close

together, or even right on top of one another, to

emphasize their relationship. There are no hard-

and-fast rules. Normally (but this is not a rule),

bass and lead vocals will be panned to center, as

will the kick drum if the drums are in stereo.

5-3. To EQ Or Not To EQ

In general: less is better. There are many situations

in which you’ll need to cut certain frequency

ranges, but use boost sparingly, and with caution.

Proper use of EQ can eliminate interference

between instruments in a mix and give the overall

sound better deﬁnition. Bad EQ—and most com-

monly bad boost—just sounds terrible.

Cut For a Cleaner Mix

For example: cymbals have a lot of energy in the

mid and low frequency ranges that you don’t

really perceive as musical sound, but which can

interfere with the clarity of other instruments in

these ranges. You can basically turn the low EQ

on cymbal channels all the way down without

changing the way they sound in the mix. You’ll

hear the difference, however, in the way the mix

sounds more “spacious,” and instruments in the

lower ranges will have better deﬁnition. Surpris-

ingly enough, piano also has an incredibly power-

ful low end that can beneﬁt from a bit of low-

frequency roll-off to let other instruments—nota-

bly drums and bass—do their jobs more effec-

tively. Naturally you won’t want to do this if the

piano is playing solo.

The reverse applies to kick drums and bass gui-

tars: you can often roll off the high end to create

more space in the mix without compromising the

character of the instruments. You’ll have to use

your ears, though, because each instrument is dif-

ferent and sometimes you’ll want the “snap” of a

bass guitar, for example, to come through.

Boost With Caution

If you’re trying to create special or unusual

effects, go ahead and boost away as much as you

like. But if you’re just trying to achieve a good-

sounding mix, boost only in very small incre-

ments. A tiny boost in the midrange can give

vocals more presence, or a touch of high boost

can give certain instruments more “air.” Listen,

and if things don’t sound clear and clean try using

cut to remove frequencies that are cluttering up

the mix rather than trying to boost the mix into

clarity.

One of the biggest problems with too much boost

is that it adds gain to the signal, increasing noise

and potentially overloading the subsequent cir-

cuitry.

MG16-6FX.book Page 17 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/6FX

5-4. Ambience

Judicious application of reverb and/or delay via

the mixer’s AUX busses can really polish a mix,

but too much can “wash out” the mix and reduce

overall clarity. The way you set up your reverb

sound can make a huge difference in the way it

meshes with the mix.

Reverb/Delay Time

Different reverb/delay units offer different capabil-

ities, but most offer some means of adjusting the

reverb time. A little extra time spent matching the

reverb time to the music being mixed can mean

the difference between great and merely average

sound. The reverb time you choose will depend

to a great degree on the tempo and “density” of

the mix at hand. Slower tempos and lower densi-

ties (i.e. sparser mixes with less sonic activity) can

sound good with relatively long reverb times. But

long reverb times can completely wash out a

faster more active piece of music. Similar princi-

ples applies to delay.

Reverb Tone

How “bright” or “bassy” a reverb sound is also

has a huge impact on the sound of your mix. Dif-

ferent reverb units offer different means of con-

trolling this—balance between the high- and low-

frequency reverb times, simple EQ, and others. A

reverb that is too bright will not only sound unnat-

ural, but it will probably get in the way of delicate

highs you want to come through in your mix. If

you ﬁnd yourself hearing more high-end reverb

than mix detail, try reducing the brightness of the

reverb sound. This will allow you to get full-bod-

ied ambience without compromising clarity.

Reverb Level

It’s amazing how quickly your ears can lose per-

spective and fool you into believing that a totally

washed-out mix sounds perfectly ﬁne. To avoid

falling into this trap start with reverb level all the

way down, then gradually bring the reverb into

the mix until you can just hear the difference. Any

more than this normally becomes a “special

effect.” You don’t want reverb to dominate the

mix unless you are trying to create the effect of a

band in a cave—which is a perfectly legitimate

creative goal if that’s the sort of thing you’re aim-

ing for.

5-5. Built-in Effects & EQ

Your MG mixer features a high-performance inter-

nal effect system and graphic equalizer that offers

extraordinary sound-processing power and versa-

tility without the need for external equipment.

The internal DSP (Digital Signal Processor) lets

you individually add reverb and delay to each

channel in the same way that you can with an

external effect unit – but you don’t need to wire

up any extra gear, and won’t suffer the signal

quality loss that external connections sometimes

entail. The graphic equalizer is ideal for shaping

the response of the overall mix, and for minimiz-

ing feedback in live situations. For details see

page 22.

MG16-6FX.book Page 18 Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:13 AM

MG16/6FX

Front & Rear Panels

GAIN Control

Adjusts the input signal level. To get the best balance between

the S/N ratio and the dynamic range, adjust the level so that the

peak indicator (

) comes on only at about maximum input

level.

The –60 to –16 scale indicates the MIC-input adjustment level.

The –34 to +10 scale indicates the LINE-input adjustment

level.

PEAK Indicator

Detects the peak level of the post-equalizer signal, and lights

up red when the level reaches 3 dB below the clipping level.

On stereo input channels equipped with XLR jacks (CHs 9/10

and 11/12), detects both the post-equalizer and post-mic-amp

peak levels, and lights up red if either of these levels reaches 3

dB below the clipping level.

Switch (High Pass Filter)

This switch toggles the HPF on or off. To turn the HPF on,

press the switch in ( ). The HPF cuts frequencies below

80 Hz. (But note that regardless of the switch setting, the mixer

does not apply this HPF to the line inputs of stereo input chan-

nels.)

Equalizer

• Monaural (CHs 1 to 8)

This three-band equalizer adjusts the channel’s high, mid,

and low frequency bands. Setting the knob to the position

produces a ﬂat frequency response. Turning the knob to the

right boosts the corresponding frequency band, while turning

to the left cuts the band. The following table shows the EQ

type, base frequency, and maximum cut/boost for each of the

three bands.

• Stereo channels (CHs 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, 15/16)

This four-band equalizer adjusts the channel’s high, hi-mid,

lo-mid, and low frequency bands. Setting the knob to the

position produces a ﬂat frequency response. Turning the knob

to the right boosts the corresponding frequency band, while

turning to the left cuts the band. The following table shows

the EQ type, base frequency, and maximum cut/boost for

each of the four bands.

Channel Control Section

0 0 0

Channels

1 to 8

(Monaural)

Channels

9/10 and 11/12

(Stereo)

Channels

13/14 and 15/16

(Stereo)

Band

Type Base Frequency Maximum Cut/Boost

HIGH Shelving 10 kHz

±15 dBMID Peaking

250 Hz – 5 kHz

(variable)

LOW Shelving 100 Hz

Band Type Base Frequency Maximum Cut/Boost

HIGH Shelving 10 kHz

±15 dB

HI-MID Peaking 3 kHz

LO-MID Peaking 800 Hz

LOW Shelving 100 Hz

MG16-6FX.fm Page 19 Friday, June 27, 2003 4:08 PM

Front & Rear Panels

MG16/6FX

5 AUX1 and AUX2 Controls

The AUX1 knob controls the signal level that the channel sends

to the AUX1 bus; the AUX2 knob controls the signal level to

the AUX2 bus. These knobs should generally be set close to the

position.

If you are using stereo channels, the signals from the L (odd)

and R (even) channels are mixed and sent to the AUX1 and

AUX2 buses.

These controls allow you to output the signal to the

AUX buses regardless of the setting of the ST

switch

6 PRE Switch

Selects whether the pre-fader or the post-fader signal is fed to

the AUX2 bus. If you set the switch on ( ), the mixer sends

the pre-fader signal—the signal prior to passage though chan-

nel fader

B—to the AUX2 bus, so that AUX2 output is not

affected by the fader. If you set the switch off ( ) the mixer

sends the post-fader signal to the AUX2 bus.

Note that this switch applies to AUX2 only. The signal to the

AUX1 bus always passes through the channel fader ﬁrst.

7 EFFECT Control

Adjusts the level of the signal sent from the channel to the

EFFECT bus. Note that the signal level will also vary accord-

ing to the setting of the channel fader.

If you are using stereo channels (CHs 9/10, 11/12, 13/14,

15/16), the signals from the L (odd) and R (even) channels are

mixed and then sent to the EFFECT bus.

8 PAN Control (CHs 1 to 8)

PAN/BAL Control (9/10 and 11/12)

BAL Control (13/14 and 15/16)

The PAN control determines the positioning of the channel’s

signal on the Group 1-2/3-4 buses or on the Stereo L and R

buses.

The BAL control knob sets the balance between left and right

channels. Signals into to the L input (odd channel) feed to the

Group 1/3 bus or to the Stereo L bus; signals into the R input

(even channel) feed to the Group 2/4 bus or the Stereo R bus.

On channels where this knob provides both PAN

and BAL controls (9/10 and 11/12), the knob oper-

ates as a PAN control if you are inputting through

the MIC jack or into the L (MONO) input only, and

operates as a BAL control if you are inputting into

both L and R inputs.

9 ST Switch

This switch assigns the channel’s signal to the Stereo L and R

buses. To send the signal to the Stereo bus, set the switch on by

pressing it in ( ). The switch lights up orange to indicate that

it is on.

0 PFL (Pre-Fader Listen) Switch

This switch lets you monitor the channel’s pre-fader signal. To

set the switch on, press it in ( ) so that it lights up. When the

switch is on, the mixer outputs the channel’s pre-fader signal to

the PHONES and C-R OUT jacks, for monitoring.

A GROUP Switches

Use these switches to send the channel's signal to the Group

1-2 and/or Group 3-4 buses. Setting the switch on ( ) causes

the signal to be sent to the corresponding group buses.

These switches allow you to assign the signal to

either or both groups regardless of the setting of the

ST switch 9.

B Channel Fader

Adjusts the output level of the signal being input to the chan-

nel. Use these faders to adjust the volume balance among the

various channels.

To reduce noise, set the fader sliders for unused

channels all the way down.

NOTE

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