EQ Magazine - October 2008 - (Page 53)

MACKIE U.420D MIXER PRICE: $359.99 STRENGTHS: Nice mic pres and EQ. FireWire loopback function. It’s a DJ mixer, too. LIMITATIONS: No MIDI port. 30mm faders on channels 1 and 2. The U.402d has multiple identities: It’s a small studio mixer, DJ mixer, keyboard mixer, and general utility mixer. It features two mic/line inputs with +48V phantom power (one includes a DI function for guitar or bass), and two stereo line level ins, both with RIAA turntable inputs. Outs include stereo Main, stereo Aux, and phones. There are some unexpected features; the two mic/line ins have 3-band EQ (high 12kHz, low 80Hz, and sweepable mid 100Hz–8kHz), while the two stereo ins have fixed high, mid, and low frequency controls which when rotated full left, provide a DJ-style “kill” function. Furthering the DJ options, there’s a crossfader (with slow/fast curve option) for channels 3 and 4, and a Cue function for feeding channel signals into your headphones. The U.420d is also a good bet if you want to preserve vinyl, as you can take advantage of the phono inputs and stream the audio to your computer via FireWire. In the studio, one cool function is that you can add overdubs easily thanks to the routing, which places the headphones and associated volume control upstream of the master control for the monitors. Suppose you want to overdub vocals: Plug in the mic, turn down the monitors, turn up the headphones, and go—there’s a return from your DAW for monitoring. For live recording (onstage or in the studio), you can take a feed from software running on your laptop, add more signals via the analog inputs, and send the combination to the master outputs. However, there’s also a FireWire “loopback” function so the entire mix can be recorded back into your computer. The main limitations are no MIDI input—if you want to use a hands-on controller with your software, you’ll need a separate MIDI interface. Also, all faders are 30mm; this makes setting levels on channels 1 and 2 fiddly, although the shorter travel lets you do wicked fast moves with the crossfader (rotary controls set the levels for channels 3 and 4). Also, unlike Mackie’s compact VLZ3-series mixers that are encased in metal and built like a tank, the U.402d has a high-impact plastic case. Keyboard mixer applications are obvious if you’re running a keyboard rig live: The FireWire out can take the output from virtual instruments running on your computer (although the lack of a MIDI input is a bump in the road), while inputs 3 and 4 can take stereo outputs from a hardware workstation, and you can stick a couple mics into the first two inputs for your vocals. While not a full-blown mixer, the U.420d is a handy utility mixer that does double-duty as a surprisingly serviceable DJ mixer, and can serve in other applications as well. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Sure, any musical instrument works onstage or in the studio. But a new breed of keyboard workstations does a lot more than just play back strings and pianos, and groove-oriented instruments (like Akai’s MPC series) can move seamlessly between studio and stage. A lot of the action involves handson control and studio integration; look no further than Korg’s M3 and Yamaha’s Motif XS series. The M3 includes sliders with templates for controlling many popular sequencers and virtual instruments, as well as velocity-sensitive drum pads. What’s more, it includes a computer editor and can serve as a VST plug-in, so you can “insert” an M3 right into your sequencer of choice. (Of course, unlike software, you can only instantiate one instance of hardware.) Want more? Thanks to external inputs, the M3 can also serve as a signal processor—whether you want to add vocoding effects, or create a credible guitar rack. You can even hook up an external USB drive, and with the M3’s sampling functions, record stereo WAV files up to 80 minutes—perfect for recording rehearsals. The Motif XS has similar capabilities (control surface, signal processing for audio feeding the external audio inputs, recording, editing software, etc.), although there are a few differences. For example, instead of having 8 pads, the control surface adds 8 knobs to the 8 sliders. But the big deal is integration with Cubase AI, from having the Motif XS serve as an audio interface (with the addition of an optional mLAN card) to transferring audio between the Motif XS and your computer. You can even call up sequences from the Motif XS, and open them within Cubase. And of course, there are plenty of master keyboard controllers with control surfaces (e.g., CME, M-Audio, Novation, etc.) that can change tone generator parameters live, or edit sequencer mixers in the studio. www.eqmag.com OCTOBER 2008 EQ 53 http://www.eqmag.com

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EQ Magazine - October 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Smashing Pumpkins Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 7 Steinberg Cubase 4 Studio Meets Stage Gear for the Studio and Stage Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - October 2008

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