User Manual

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Hint: A secondary mix, prepared on an Aux bus, can serve many purposes. For example, you might wish to
record a mix with all sound from talent microphones but that excludes any sound effects or music.
Let’s summarize what we have learned so far: A
‘send’ pipes audio signals from an input to a discrete
pathway called a ‘bus’. Multiple sends can be used to
place sound from a given source onto one or more
internal busses.
What else should we know?
Each audio bus is discrete. Each can be directed
along different output paths. And even when the
blend of signals it carries is otherwise identical to
another bus, it can be processed separately. Thus its
levels, equalization, and compressor/limiter settings
can be unique.
The Audio Mixer provides four primary audio busses.
These are identified in the Audio Mixer as:
• MASTER
• AUX 1, 2 and 3
The Audio Mixer provides controls for each of these
busses, allowing you to manage levels and signal
processing. It is important to understand the
distinction between busses and outputs. Now that we
understand the former, let’s consider the latter.
An output may be physical, or virtual – i.e., it may involve a connector on the rear panel, or not. For example,
audio recorded internally does not require an output connector. Likewise, it may initially be analog or digital.
Note: Analog outputs 1 and 2 are permanently assigned to MASTER and AUX 1, respectively. In contrast, digital
(or ‘embedded’) outputs are configurable in the Output Configuration panel.
SUB-MIXES AND ‘MIX MINUS’
At times you may require specially configured audio mixes. For instance – some installations call for sending
audio from one or more internal sources (such as a DDR or the Sounds player) to a secondary distribution
system. Alternatively, you may want a ‘clean’ output from one or more sources for use apart from the main
primary output mix.
Specialized sub-mixes of this latter sort are often referred to as ‘mix-minus,’ since one or more sources are
deliberately subtracted from the main program. Mix-minus capabilities can be invaluable for productions
like ‘phone-in’ shows. The remote caller needs to be able to hear the interviewer; but if you simply send the
primary mix back to him, he is forced to endure a late-arriving echo of his own voice. Needless to say, this
would be confusing and undesirable.
FIGURE 205 (VMC1)