Mackie DXB 200 - CONNECTIONS Quick Start Manual - Operational Basics
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dXb.200
dXb.200
9
Quick-Start Guide
Quick
-Star
t Guide
Operational Basics
Are you ready to get started? Let’s turn on the
dXb and go over some of the general operational
features before we start passing audio through it.
Turning on the dXb
Connect the supplied power cord to the male IEC
connector on the rear panel. Plug the other end of
the power cord into an outlet properly configured for
the voltage indicated on your particular model. Turn
on the power switch. The faders start moving and
the dXb loads its software into memory. This may
take up to 60 seconds. When the screens display
the channels strips, you’re ready to go.
About Fader Banks
If you have used a digital console before, then
you are probably familiar with the concept of fader
banks. Unlike an analog board, a digital mixing con-
sole can reassign a channel strip to route any input
to any output. This can be done on an individual
channel basis, or globally, by switching banks and
reassigning all 24 channel strips at once.
You can think of each bank as a separate layer
of controls, stacked one on top of each other. The
dXb.200 has six banks:
1-24
25-48
49-72
MASTERS
GROUPS
MIDI
Thus, 24 channels strips suddenly become 144
channels (24 channels x 6 banks = 144 channels)!
The first three banks, channels 1-72, provide a
72x72 channel I/O matrix. With nine I/O cards in-
stalled, you can have 72 individual inputs and outputs
(8 inputs/outputs x 9 cards = 72 inputs/outputs).
The MASTERS bank is used for the 12 Aux Send
masters, 8 Bus masters, and the L/R mix master.
The GROUPS bank has the controls for Groups
1-12, and for 12 MIDI channels.
The MIDI bank is used to convert the dXb.200
into a control surface for any DAW that supports the
Mackie Control Universal protocol. You can select
the DAW you are using from an emulation mode
box to configure the MIDI bank to work with your
particular DAW via the MIDI IN/OUT connectors.
About V-Pot Controls
Just below the touchscreens are a row of rotary con-
trols called V-Pots, which is short for virtual potenti-
ometer. Again, unlike an analog console where a rotary
pot can control one function, a digital console allows
you to assign a V-Pot to many different functions.
Using the buttons to the right of the touchscreens,
you can assign the V-Pots to control the following
functions:
PAN L/R (Left/Right)
PAN F/B (Front/Back,
for surround sound)
AUX 1-8 Send
AUX 9/10 and 11/12 Send
AUX 9/10 and 11/12 PAN
Digital TRIM
LEVEL TO TAPE
When one of the above buttons is
selected (lit), all 24 V-Pots control that
function for each of the 24 channels
in the selected bank. What would take
384 controls on an analog console can
be done with 24 controls and 16 but-
tons on the dXb!
In addition, windows that contain
adjustable parameters, like the Dy-
namics and EQ windows, have their
controls situated above the channel
V-Pots, which temporarily become
controls for the parameters in the
window, overriding the V-Pot Assign selection. As
soon as the window is closed, V-Pot control returns to
whatever is selected in the V-Pot Assign section.
Touchscreens
Although using the touchscreens may seem unfamil-
iar at first, the touchscreen interface will quickly be-
come second-nature to you. The dual 15" TFT touch-
screens not only give you a detailed, high-definition
view of what is happening with the dXb, but they also
give you almost instant access to alternate screens,
settings, and controls. As you become familiar with
navigating the touchscreen interface, you will find
yourself accessing screens and controls with increas-
ing speed and efficiency.
Keyboard and Mouse
In addition to the touchscreens, you can use a
keyboard and mouse to select and change controls
on the dXb. Use a keyboard to enter keyboard short-
cuts (hot keys), or to enter letters and numbers
whenever a keyboard graphic appears on-screen.
Use the mouse to click on-screen where you would
otherwise touch to open, close, or select something.