Tutorial II: Music Lab Central Rack

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This tutorial will instruct you on how to: Send audio to Speakers Record to DAT, MiniDisc, or cassette Use the Patchbay for Signal routing (including the Guest Panel, Record from a station, DAT, mini disc, CD, or cassette to computer) Patch to/from the Project studio Audio to speakers Make sure the power distributor at your station is on (Juice Goose - the console to the left). Pull out Mackie mixing console on the right beneath the keyboard. Turn all the faders down all the way. If you'll be using the audio from the Mac, turn up channels 15&16. If you'll be using the K2500 turn up channels 1 & 2. Turn up Sub-faders labeled "1/Left" and "2/Right." Move over to Rack and turn it on (the switch is on the top right (see picture)). Stations 1-7 Turn up appropriate faders that correspond with your station on the 16-channel mixer (mixer A) in the main rack. Station 1 = channels 1&2, Station 2 = channels 3&4, etc... Turn up the sub faders on Mixer A. (Turn up Main fader to control headphones at Mixer A) Below is an example of what the mixer A setup would be for station 2: Stations 8-10 Turn up channels 15&16 on mixer A. (The audio signal from mixer B comes in through these 2 channels) Turn up sub faders. Sub faders 1,2,3 & 4 control the levels of the speakers around the lab. Speaker 1 is above station 1 and the order continues counter-clockwise around the room. Turn up the appropriate faders on mixer B. Station 8 = ch. 1&2, Station 9 = ch. 3&4, etc... Turn up main and sub faders on mixer B to unity. Below is a picture of how the mixers should when working at station 9. Record to DAT, MD, or CASS Patchbay The basic use of the patchbay is to transfer audio signal from one place to another: (e.g. from your station to one of the recording devices on the bottom of the rack.) The patchbay is clearly labeled for your convenience: The MD, DAT, & CASS patches have two options: in and out. To send an audio signal to a particular machine, you must patch into it. Example: you are trying to get signal from station 2 to the cassette deck so you can record something onto a tape. Here is how the patch bay should appear: Make sure cassette deck is on and you have inserted a blank cassette tape. Either side of the tape deck will record. Set the levels correctly. Press record on the deck and play the audio from your station. Wait for the selection to completely play through before stopping the cassette. Guest Panel - allows you to hook up your personal equipment that you have brought in. Located just below the patch bay. Bi-directional signals: Signal can go in or come out from the guest panel. For example, a signal could go from your equipment to the cassette deck, or from the CD player into your equipment. There are 2 types of connection inputs on the guest panel. Ch. 1-4 are adapted for 1/4" inputs and ch. 5-6 are adapted for XLR inputs. Once plugged into the guest panel, your signal is routed directly to the patch bay under the label "Guest" (see diagram above). Example of what the patch bay should look like when recording from your equipment (through the guest panel) onto minidisc. Record from a station, DAT, minidisc, CD, or cassette to computer (Station 8) The top of the right side of the patch bay is labeled "To Stations," meaning you can transfer audio signal from any of the devices and import to station 8. Patch from CD out, MD out, DAT out, etc... to station 8 (CPU 8 L&R). You can record to station 8 from another station. Simply follow the patching diagram above. (FROM station, TO station) Patch to/from the Project Studio On the patching diagram, you'll notice two labels "PS bi-directional." PS stands for Project Studio. (Room behind the glass window) Like the guest panel, signals can be sent and be received through these 8 patches. Follow similar patching instructions: FROM station (or whatever you wish) TO Project Studio, or vice versa.