Hello,

--- In pro-audio@yahoogroups.com, cfrobw@... wrote:

> I'm really new at all of this I wouldn't even call myself an amateur, more
> likely I would say I'm likely to be a short between the mixer power switch and
> the floor. I know enough to be dangerous. What I have accomplished is as
> follows:

No worries - I always think that the best way to learn is by doing, so nothing
wrong there.
Just take it a step at a time...

> 1. Mixer L/R main mix output passing through a 31 band EQ to the Main PA L/R
> inputs.
> After which I have EQ'd the room

Sounds spot on.

> 2. Mixer Aux 1/2 output running through a 15 band EQ to the Monitor PA L/R
> inputs.
> After which I EQ'd the stage.

Also good.

> If I I understand correctly,
>
> 3. Either don't use the BBE Sonic Maximizer at all so that I can better
> learn the Desk and how it interacts in the sound output, OR if I use it, plug
it
> into the main (Left/Right) desk output feeding the PA? inline with my 31
> band EQ?

Exactly. I've never personally used the BBE Sonic Maximizer, so I'm not entirely
sure how
well it works.

I'd be tempted to leave it out of the loop for the timebeing - but that is
entirely your
choice. Reading the PDF it sounds like it does some "clever things" - which I'd
be wary of,
until you have a better feel of things like eq on the desk and eq in the room.
You might
even find then that you don't need the magic marketing of the BBE.

...or I could well be selling it short, and it might be the best thing since
sliced bread.

Just make sure you know _what_ the difference is when you plug it in, so that
then you can
make a balanced judgement as to whether it is a beneficial thing to have in your
drive
rack!

> If I understand correctly here
>
> 4. I could connect from Aux Send 3/4 to the to the input on the PHONIC DFX
> 256 and then from the output go to say AUX Return 3/4.
>
> ...<text removed for brevity>...
> appropriately the effects are appropriate for that individual. Is that
correct?

Yes, that all sounds correct to me.

> New Subject about Recording!
>
> I have a PC with a SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card. Is there a way that
> I can record selected channels from the main mix by using for example the
> MIX-B outputs?
>
> Adjust the signal on channels all channels to supply Main Mix and MIX-B and
> then control MIX-B output to Sound card by turning the volume the MIX-B
> volume knobs on selected channels?

There are _many_ ways to skin a cat with this one!

Partly it depends on how many tracks you can record, and therefore how many
splits (and
of what form) you want to take.

If you had a multitrack recorder, you could take a direct out from each channel
and feed
this to a track on your multitrack, thereby recording everything individually
and allowing
you to remix at a later date.

I'm getting the sense from you that all you are after is a stereo mix?

If so, then it would appear that you can use the Mix-B output for this purpose.
This isn't
the typical use for the MIX-B which you may or may not realise. Mackie being
Mackie have
just added a few more components to make the function more useful should you not
want
to use the desk more traditionally.

So, if in an instance you couldn't use the MIX-B, you could use another pair of
auxes,
rather like we did to feed the FX box before. Just send that aux to your
computer. You
could set this to be either pre-fade - so that the mix was pre-determined that
you were
going to record, or post-fade to allow it to follow what you're doing on the FOH
mix.

Either is valid in differing circumstances....

You could use a pair of the sub-group busses, and take an output there.

There are also a pair of balanced main outputs and a pair of unbalanced main
outs. If your
sound card only has unbalanced inputs, you could used the (presumably) spare
unbalanced main outs, and these would copy your FOH mix for recording.

Doing a stereo mix whilst doing a PA mix is always a matter of compromise, and
typcially
the recorded mix suffers at the expense of the PA mix, as the PA mix is the main
gig here!

> Thanks Richard and any others who will help me (a dangerous person, to be
> safe with sound! LOL)

No problem - Hopefully its of some use. As you appreciate, there are many shades
of grey
in all the above, so ask if you want anything any more specific anywhere.

I hope it all goes well for you. If something doesn't work out too well though,
just chalk it
up to experience, learn for the next time and move on.

And believe me, you never stop learning!

Golden rule: always keep it simple!

Best wishes,

Richard.