Basic FX Setup:
You have two options with fx.
A. You can print them with effects in the first place or
B. Add effects to them after they are down.
The procedure is surprisingly similar and simple in both cases.
1. Select the appropriate fader bank.
If you are recording the tracks and want to print them with fx,
that would be the "input" fader bank,
If the tracks are recorded and you want to add fx to
the mix you would select the fader bank for that track.
2. Depress the mixer screen button and then select "channel".
3. Select either the input or the track (depending on the above scenarios)
and you're back at the page devoted to just that channel (track or input).
4. Using the cursor, highlight the fx1 send.
Key in a numerical value on the keypad...
for this example just key in three "0s" and press the "enter" key.
You should now see the fx1 send snap to the 0 level. You now have a send set.
5. Next, press the "fx" key and you'll be at the main fx page.
Highlight fx1 with the cursor and then move horizontally to the fx list.
For this example scroll down to the "studio" effect
(a beautiful and subtle ambience type reverb with pre-delay)
and then press the "recall" button.
You will now see that fx #1 shows "studio" for it's listed effect and the
screen shows all the parameters available for this effect.
6. Now, while either playing live or playing back the track
(depending again on which is the appropriate scenario)
start raising the fx #1 fader (group/fx fader bank).
The stereo "studio" effect will increasingly be added to the sound being monitored.
In order to print that effect, you have to do the appropriate routing.
If your setting up already recorded tracks for mixdown,
the effect will be printed to the mix with all the other sounds since
what's being recorded is the sum at the L/R master.
There are other ways to do this (the system is very flexible)
...and remember the "Q" channel as a shortcut.
You can also easily set up an assignment for monitoring with effects for
inspiration while only recording the dry signal so that you can better judge
what the appropriate effects will be in the context of the entire mix.
When experimenting with the effects, take the time to explore all the
ones you have. They are all great sounding, musical and adjustable.
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FX section of the dps mixer overview:
You have the equivalent of four independent stereo fx processors.
These can be assigned to inputs and used to record various sources with fx.
Or they can be assigned to tracks and used to add fx at mixdown.
You can setup a send from the channel you want to add fx to
(either an input or a track). Using either the "Q" channel or the send control
of the mixer screen let's use send #1 to get a signal at fx #1. Press the mixer
button to go to the mixer screen.
Then press the channel button (F1). Next, you select the channel you want to
add fx to. If it's a track, press the fader bank button for the track you
want to send signal from to fx #1.
If it's track 14, press the fader bank button for tracks 13-24 and then press the
select button above track 14 (fader #2).
Once you press the select key...the screen will give you a detailed account of
what's going on for that channel (in this case...a disk track).
Using the cursor keys. highlight the fx#1 send. You can now increase that
send by either keying in a numerical value on the keypad, or just pressing
and holding the "+" key.
Raise the value to "0". You are now sending a signal to fx #1 that is
equivalent (unity) to the original track's signal. In order to hear the effect,
you need only go to the group/fx fader bank and raise fader #9 which is fx #1.
Keep in mind that any other channel can simultaneously send to that same fx
so you will need to lower the send of all the simultaneous sends so as not to
send too much signal (the sum of all the channels that are sending to fx#1).
There are also 3 more internal fx channels you can send to from either the
same or different mixer channels (in this case...disc tracks).
As opposed to going to the channel page, you can simply use the
"Q" channel which is a brilliantly simple interface. Just call up the channel
(via the fader bank and then "select" key you want to work on and then press
the "Q" channel button...now, the entire row of rotary encoders become
physical controls for the channel's functions instead of their default "pan"
function.
Slide fx send #1 and you're sending from that channel to fx #1...that's it.
The fx possibilities can get verycomplicated, depending on how deep
you want to get. For instance, you can "chain fx" so that one fx is sending
to another to create complex fx algorithms. Also, you can record just
the fx signal to a track by assigning that fx as the source for a record track.
Once the fx has been recorded, you now have freed-up that fx for other uses.
Also, once a fx has been recorded...it can be modified by all the normal
channel tools (ie, eq dynamics etc.). It can even be edited as an alternative
to using automation to "bring it in and out" at specific points.
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To get FX going:
The easiest way to set the amount of FX on a specific track/input,
is to use the Q-channel key - this calls up the channel page, select
the channel and use the rotary pots above faders 9-12 to set send
level for fx 1-4 for that channel - use the FX/aux 1-4 keys above the
pots to select pre/post for each FX.
Or (another way), you can use the cursor in the "channel page,"
simply move the cursor to the FX you want (FC1, FX2, etc.),
then turn the Q-knob to the right. Precision settings can also be entered
in with the 10-key pad above the jog wheel.
Another method is to go to the channel page for the track you want to
add effects to…(mixer screen, channel/F1)...then press select for the track
after having gone to the track fader bank for the track you want to add FX to).
Scroll to FX send 1 and input a value on the keypad (try 00.0)...you'll notice
that "enter" is now flashing, that's it's way of saying "hey!, push
me".
You'll now see a send for FX1. Next, press the fx button under the LCD.
FX1 should be highlighted...scroll right then up or down the list to select
an FX...press recall. You now have assigned that type of effect to FX1.
The only thing left is to go to the group/FX fader bank and slowly raise
FX1 (fader #9), while the track is playing. Since the FX are (by deault),
assigned to the L/R masters you will hear the FX along with your tracks
(assuming that your tracks are still assigned to the L/R also...that's it.
In the default config of the user bank, faders 1-4 are the master sends for
FX 1-4, faders 5-8 for aux 1-4, and fader 9 controls the stereo aux in.
For the FX to work, the FX has to be on in the fx page
(no 'X" next to its name),
the master send in user bank has to be open,
the FX return in group/FX bank has to be open.
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Recording from one track to another with effects added
Question: How do I record from tracks 7&8 (as a stereo pair)
through the on-board FX and back onto tracks 9&10?
The only way I can come up with is to assign the FX returns to a pair of groups
and then assign those groups to tracks 9&10.
It seems kinda cheesy though. Also, to do this as a stereo pair, it seems like
I only really get 2 FX because I need to use an independent FX slot for Left and Right.
Answers:
If you want tracks 9 & 10 to be a mix of dry and wet signals,
I think the group bus is the best way to do it. Basically, you'll be using
a pair of group channels as a sub-mix.
You don't have to hard-route the FX outputs anywhere, just assign them,
and tracks 7 & 8, to the same group. That way, you'll have access to all
four FX. Once you've got the sub-mix the way you want it, assign the track
input sources for 9 & 10 to the group outputs and record.
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It depends if you want to record only the FX return (wet) on a pair
of tracks (9&10) and keep the dry signal on 7&8 or if you want to record
a mix of the source signal and the associated FX on the same tracks.
Of course, to record a mix of both, you have to go via the Groups (assign both
tracks 7&8 and the FX Rtn to Group 1-2 to record on Tracks 9&10).
To record only the wet FX return, you can record via the Groups as usual,
or you can select the FX Rtn (L or R) as a direct record source for each
recording track, either in PATCH mode or in MIXER/CHANNEL of Tracks 9
and 10 (Q1 is Record Source Select, as labelled).
Regarding FX on a stereo signal, if you want the same FX (such as a reverb)
on both tracks, you can use a single FX slot and the same send for tracks 7&8,
for instance if you use FX1 for the Reverb, turn Send 1 on both tracks 7&8
(if the tracks are paired as a stereo track, turning the send on one will automatically
turn in on the other).
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Using the Groups makes more sense for recording the mix of dry and wet signals.
So, for the FX, if I do as you suggest and pair the channels and use a single send level,
does the resulting output in the FX return reflect the panned stereo image of the original
inputs? Another way to ask this is - are the FX inputs mono or stereo?
At this point, I'm imagining that each of the FX input slots are mono and that what I'm
going to get from a single FX output will be a stereo effect, but that that effect is
generated
from a summed mono input of all the channels that have their send levels for that FX slot
turned up. Is that right? I'm just trying to get a good picture of how the FX work between
mono (FX1 level, FX2 level) and stereo (FX1 level, FX1 pan).
All the FX inputs are mono and all their outputs are stereo.
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