In General-
Before doing anything, make sure all the knobs (pots) are in the 12:00 position and the slides (also called pots or channel faders) are down.
The board is a lot simpler than it looks. Every row (from the pad button to the channel fader) is exactly the same.
The Controls (from top to bottom)-
PAD button - leave alone. It should be in the off position --or up -- at all times.
GAIN CONTROL - leave alone. It should be in the far left position --or at -20db at all times.
EQUALIZER - the green pots. It is used to add bass or treble to source audio or clean up static or hums.
To equalize a human voice from a live mic or a pre-recorded source, slowly turn the MID-FREQ pot to the left and right. If it does nothing or you don't like the effects, try turning the MID pot.
The MID-FREQ and MID pots should also be used to EQ horn-like sounds, some bells and some drums.
HIGH - pot can take high pitched squeals out of the mix. Use the HIGH EQ to adjust sounds in the treble range.
LOW - pot controls the bass sounds. It will also cut static or hiss from a bad recording.
**Note: When equalizing, remember you're adjusting all sounds not just the one you don't like.
AUX 1,2,3 - are used to control auxiliary equipment such as a tape deck you don't want wired into your board all the time. Right now, don't worry about these pots.
PAN - should be in the 12:00 position at all times. This board isn't set up to mix stereo.
CUE - when the CUE switch is pressed, the signal from that channel is fed to the HEADPHONES jack on the lower right hand side of the board. The CUE allows you to preview or cue up a tape without messing up your mix. You control the loudness to the HEADPHONES (not the audio source level) with the CUE/PHONES pot.
CHANNEL FADER - This is the main level control for each channel. It determines the level of the signal sent to the master buss. The fader can be set at any level (depends what you're trying to do) but shouldn't go higher than the beginning of the red zone on the VU meter.
Other knobs, buttons and stuff -
On the upper right hand corner of the board you'll see two rows of four buttons each. The left hand set controls the far left VU meter. AUX 1,2,3 controls whatever you have patched into the auxiliary jacks. If you press the CUE button, you can monitor the level of the source while cuing a tape or record.
TALKBACK - the right buttons control the talkback system. If you want to record your own voice, plug a mic into the female XLR jack. Push the ST or stereo button. Turn the TB switch on. Adjust the level with the Talkback pot.
VU METERS - the middle and right meters monitor the master mix. The left meter monitors either what's coming out of the AUX (The Mac) channels or the CUE channel.
HEADSET - plug the headset phone plug into the jack. Adjust the level your ear hears --not the level of the mix itself -- with the CUE/PHONES pot.
STEREO CUE - turning this switch on sends the main program to the headset. You control the volume to the headset with the CUE/PHONES pot. If you want to monitor anything other than the main program (such as a cue channel) this button must be off.
STEREO MASTER FADERS - the red faders. Controls the overall level of your mix.
AUDIO MIXING (or, how all this stuff comes together)
1. Check to make sure all the dials, pots, bells and whistles on the audio board are in the 12:00 or in the off position. Compare the pots to the picture posted on the left side of the board.
2. Turn on the master power switch. It's the gold switch mounted above the cassette decks. Also turn on the board.
3. Turn on the tuner. Check to see the selector switch is on phono. Control the speaker volume by the two knobs on the right.
4. Check to see all the power switches on the machines are on.
5. Make whatever patches, if any, you need for your project.
6. To play a cassette, cd etc. pot both stereo master faders (the red faders) about 3/4 of the way up. Start whatever it is you're trying to play using the controls on the machine. Pot up the appropriate channel fader until the needle on the middle and right VU meters just hits the red zone. Adjust your speaker or headset level using knobs on the tuner box for the speaker or the CUE/PHONES pot on the board for the headset.
7. To record from one machine to another.
You can only record on the Reel to Reel or Cassette #2 (the top one).
CASSETTE to CASSETTE - Put the original cassette in Deck #1 (the top one). Put the blank cassette into Deck #2 (the bottom one).
Cue the tapes - pot the stereo master faders (red ones) 3/4 of the way up. Put on the headset and press the stereo cue button.
Press Play/Record and Pause on the record machine. After you found the exact place where you want your original tape to start, back the tape up just a beat. Set the machine in play and immediately hit pause. When you're ready. Take the record machine out of pause and let :10-:15 seconds roll off with out doing anything. Take the playback machine out of pause and slowly (doesn't have to be real slow, but don't whip it) pot up the channel fader to your predetermined level. Listen to the tape through the headset or speakers and "ride" the levels. At the exact spot where you want the tape to stop recording, pot down the channel fader. Don't stop the machines until you've potted the fader down or you'll get the sound of the machine stopping on your tape.
To playback your work. Follow the playback instructions.
The same theory applies to the Reel to Reel. Follow the instructions on how to operate the Reel to Reel recorder. Pay close attention that you've patched the same channel(s) on the patch pay and the reel to reel (the function selection buttons). Also check to make sure the SOURCE button on the RR is pushed when you want to record/monitor one channel at a time or the SYNC when you want to record on one channel and monitor what you've done on another channel at the same time. To playback the reel to reel (when you're not recording anything) push the PLAY button. Each of the RR's four tracks are controlled by separate channel faders.