LAWO mc266 Tutorial

mc²66

Tutorial

Version: V1.3/0
Edition: 05-12-14

Copyright

All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or electronically reproduce any document or graphic in

whole or in part for any reason is expressly prohibited, unless prior written consent is obtained

from the Lawo AG.

All trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners. It cannot be

guaranteed that all product names, products, trademarks, requisitions, regulations, guidelines,

specifications and norms are free from trade mark rights of third parties.

All entries in this document have been thoroughly checked; however no guarantee for correctness

can be given. Lawo AG cannot be held responsible for any misleading or incorrect information

provided throughout this manual.

Lawo AG reserves the right to change specifications at any time without notice

© Lawo AG, 2005

T

able of Contents

mc²66 V1.3/0 5/ 68

Table of Contents

T

UTORIAL 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5
PREFACE 8

About This Manual 8

Conventions 8
Headings 8
Instructions and Results 8
Marginal notes 8
Action Buttons 9

CHAPTER 1: TUTORIAL 11

Welcome 11
Control Surface Overview 11
Signal Flow 12
The Power of Layering 13
Integrated Digital Routing Matrix 14
Console Reset 15
Timecode Automation 16
ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN and SCREEN CONTROL 17

The ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel 18
SCREEN CONTROL 21
Entering Names from the Keyboard 26

Getting Started 27

Switching on the Power 27
Loading a Setup Production 28
Interrogating the Channel Fader Strips 30
Switching Banks and Layers 30

Creating Your Own Configuration 32

Assigning Channels to Fader Strips 32
Source Routing 35
Bus Assignments 37
Control Room Monitoring 38
AFL & PFL Monitoring 39
Routing Sources to Multiple Channels 40
Controlling Microphone Pre-amplifier Settings 42

Saving Your Settings 43

Saving a New Production 43
Renaming the Production 45
Updating the Production 46

Configuring Audio Sub Group Masters 47

Re-assigning Channels to Groups 47
Monitoring the Group Output 50

Creating Stereo Channels or Masters 51

T

able of Contents

6/ 68 V1.3/0 mc²66

Routing Masters to Output Destinations 52
Using Auxiliary Sends 54
Creating a Mix Minus (N-1) 55

Configuring the Mix Minus Auxiliary Sends 55
Activating the Mix Minus Sends 58

Using VCA Grouping 59

Assigning VCA Masters to the Control Surface 59
Assigning Channels to a VCA Master 60

Applying Signal Processing 61

Using the 4-band Equaliser 63
Using the High and Low Pass Filters 64
Setting a Compressor 65
Inserting Channel Delay 66
Inserting Outboard Processing 66

Assigning the Fader Strip Free Controls 69

T

able of Contents

mc²66 V1.3/0 7/ 68

P

reface

8/ 68 V1.3/0 mc²66

Preface

A

bout This Manual

Before we guide you through the operation of the m

c266 broadcast production console, first a

few words about this manual.

Chapter 1 provides a step-by-step tutorial to common console operations. If you are new to
the console, please read this chapter first.

Chapters 2 to 8 cover each area of operation in greater detail. Use the Table of Contents at the
beginning of the manual or Index Directory (Page Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert.) to locate
help on a particular topic.

Appendices, technical data and the index directory are provided at the end of the manual.

Conventions

Throughout this manual we will be using a number of conventions:

H

eadings

Every new topic is clearly identified in large, b

old font.

I

nstructions and Results

Specific operational procedures are written as a sequence of numbered instructions which
guide you through the task. The result of the operation is written in italic letters giving you the
chance to identify errors at an early stage. For example:

1. To make the route press the CONN (Connection) soft key located above the trackball.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route between your source and
destination.

Marginal notes

The following marginal notes are used to draw your attention to:

User tips

Notes

P

reface

mc²66 V1.3/0 9/ 68

A

ction Buttons

We will also be using some conventions to help distinguish explanatory text from the text
referring to items on the console:

Silk screened text on the console’s front panel is referred to in UPPERCASE and button cap
engravings are written in b

old – for example, press the INPUT button located on the ACCESS

CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel in the centre section of the console.

On-screen buttons which action a function and descriptive text on the console displays are
both referred to in b

old. For these, you will be advised when an on-screen button actions a

function – for example, select the M

ix minus box to choose a mix-minus auxiliary.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 11/ 68

Tutorial

W

elcome

Welcome to the m

c266 Broadcast Production Console, Lawo’s
purpose designed solution for on-air and live-to-tape broadcast
operations.

The m

c266 is a very flexible mixing console with the power to
deal with a range of production types. This tutorial guides you
step-by-step through some of the principal console operations.
Each topic is given a reference to more detailed information in
the chapters to follow.

C

ontrol Surface Overview

The m

c266’s control surface is constructed in 8-fader sections,
with typical sizes scaling from 16 channel faders + 8 masters up
to 48 channel faders + 8 masters.

Within each channel section, you will find 8 dedicated fader
strips providing basic channel controls, such as level, mute and
monitoring. Four assignable rotary controllers (free controls) offer
additional local channel control. A fifth upper controller is
dedicated for input gain. In addition, every 8-fader channel
section houses a high resolution TFT display providing feedback
on channel metering and bus assignments.

Any DSP channel may be accessed from the Central Control
Section offering direct control of

all

settings – input control,
signal processing, panning, level, AFL/PFL and auxiliary sends.
The M

ain display works in parallel with these controls providing
clear visual feedback on the channel’s settings as you adjust
them. Below the Central Control Section you will find eight
additional main fader strips for dedicated masters.

On the right hand side of the centre section are the automation
and snapshot/sequence controls; the monitoring control panels;
the user panel which may house functions such as
communications, machine control, etc.; and the ACCESS
CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel for bus and fader strip
assignment, layering access, joystick and centre screen
navigation.

T

utorial

12/ 68 V1.3/0

Signal Flow

The m

c266 provides the flexibility to configure as many input
channels, monitor return channels, groups, sums (main mix
outputs) and auxiliary sends as the production requires. In
addition, these resources can be allocated full signal processing
or reduced signal processing enabling you to assign EQ,
Dynamics, etc. to both inputs and outputs such as groups, sums
and auxiliary sends.

For any given hardware specification, you may choose from a
variety of DSP configurations designed to meet a variety of on­air, recording and post production needs. Configurations may be
changed at any time, making it easy to modify the mix structure
if you decide, for example, that the production requires some
additional groups. The choice of DSP configuration is stored and
recalled in the console production, independently of snapshots.
This allows you to use snapshots to recall settings while on-air
without re-configuring DSP resources.

The number of full and reduced processing channels, and their
configuration, is determined by three factors – the hardware
specification of the console, the choice of sampling rate and your
choice of DSP configuration.

Fully Featured Channel
Signal Flow:

INMIX

DELAY

DIGIAMP

FILTER

EQ

IMAGE

DYN

INSERT

FADER

DIROUT

BUS

32AUX

INMIX

DELAY

DIGIAMP

FILTER

EQ

IMAGE

DYN

INSERT

FADER

DIROUT

BUS

32AUX

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 13/ 68

The Power of Layering

The console’s control surface includes both channel and main
fader strips. Any fader strip may control any type of channel ­input, monitor return, group, sum, auxiliary or VCA master –
allowing you to lay out your source channels and output masters
where you want them.

In addition, the physical size of the control surface does not need
to restrict the number of processing channels available.
Regardless of the size of the control surface, the number of audio
processing channels may be scaled by fitting more DSP cards
within the HD core. The extra channels are then accessed by
paging the console’s fader strips using banks and layers:

Up to six control surface banks may be configured; think of each
fader bank like a separate console, with fast global switching
between banks. They may be used, for example, to access
different sets of music channels during a live entertainment
show, or to separate different location sources during a sports
production.

Within each of the six banks, each fader strip has two layers –
Layer 1 and Layer 2. Layers can be switched either globally or
individually, making them ideal for fast access to related sources.
For example, assign a main microphone channel to Layer 1 and a
backup microphone channel to Layer 2, or assign your input
channels to Layer 1 and monitor return channels to Layer 2.

By isolating fader strips from the bank and layer switching, you
can decide which channels require dedicated access (e.g.
presenter’s microphones) and which can be hidden from view
until required (e.g. audience microphones). This enables consoles
of a modest size to handle very large productions.

In addition to controlling onboard DSP, fader strips may be
assigned to General Purpose Channels (GPCs), allowing control
of parameters within external devices via MIDI. For example, to
control camera microphone levels using a MIDI to VCA converter
or to control faders and other parameters within an external
DAW.

Depending on which snapshot is currently loaded, you may be
sitting in front of a fully configured control surface with sources
and fader strips pre-assigned, or your console may look blank
waiting for fader strips to be configured.

Channel Fader Strips

T

utorial

14/ 68 V1.3/0

Integrated Digital Routing Matrix

In addition to powerful mixing features, the console includes an
integrated digital routing matrix:

Any source may be routed to any channel, and any output mix
routed to any destination. In addition, you may route sources
directly to destinations, for example to feed a Mic/Line input to
an AES output for archive recording purposes.

Perhaps the most important feature of the routing matrix is that
all routes may be stored and recalled from a snapshot, reducing
the amount of manual patching within the installation and saving
hours of set up time!

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 15/ 68

Console Reset

One of the major benefits of the m

c266 is the ability to store and
recall all the settings required for a live show or type of
application.

Productions form the top level for user data storage and store

all

the settings required for a production or type of job. Productions
may be recalled at any time, reducing the amount of setup time
required before repeat or similar shows. Productions store low
level settings, such as the DSP configuration, SRC settings,
S

ystem display options and Metering display setup, in addition to
snapshots, sequences and automation mixes. Settings are stored
on the console’s internal user data flashcard.

Within each production, folders may be created to store
snapshots and sequences:

Snapshots provide the ability to store different mixes/setups for
recall before or during the show. For example, you may use
snapshots to recall a different mix for each band appearing in a
live entertainment show. Or, snapshots may be used to recall
scene changes during a live theatre production. To manage
snapshot recall, snapshot isolate and filtering may be applied to
protect channels or elements of the desk.

Sequences are provided for convenient recall of snapshots during
a live broadcast or theatre production. A sequence is a list of
snapshots which can be loaded in sequence during a live show.
Note that the sequence itself does not store any settings, but
simply creates a list of pointers to snapshots stored within the
production folder.

T

utorial

16/ 68 V1.3/0

Timecode Automation

The m

c266’s automation system provides the ability to automate
console settings referenced to timecode. Note that in addition to
providing automation of channel parameters such as faders,
mutes, aux sends, EQ, etc., the system allows you to automate
other settings such as bus routing, channel signal flow, etc. Also
note that the channels you automate may be any type of
channel – inputs, groups, sums, auxes, VCA masters, GPCs, etc.

Automation data can be written with timecode rolling forwards,
backwards and at any speed, providing fast and efficient mixing.
The way in which data is written is governed by a number of
modes, allowing you to write dynamic or static automation; step
in or step out of write to make updates; protect channels to
prevent overwriting existing moves; and isolate channels to
remove them from the automation system completely.

Each stream of automation data is recorded as a ‘Pass’, and
multiple passes are stored within a ‘Mix’. The ‘Pass Tree’ shows
the history of the mix and enables you to A/B between different
passes:

Multiple mixes may be created for each production and are
stored permanently on the system when you update the
production.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 17/ 68

ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN and SCREEN
C

ONTROL

Located in the centre section of the console are two very
important control areas used throughout the operation of the
console:

•

The ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel is used for
a variety of tasks including Central Control Section, bus
and fader strip assignments. In each case, the philosophy
of operation is to place a channel ‘in access’ and then
assign it directly to a destination. This provides fast
configuration of the console without navigating through
screen-based displays.

•

The SCREEN CONTROL panel interacts with the centre
control screen and is used for a variety of screen based
tasks. In each case, you ‘focus’ on an area of the display,
and then perform operations from the four soft keys
located above the trackball.

Let’s look at each of these areas in a little more detail.

T

utorial

18/ 68 V1.3/0

The ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel

The ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel is located in the
centre section of the console beneath the BANK and LAYER
switching buttons:

The panel consists of:

•

Ten channel type selection buttons – INPUT, MON, AUX,

G

PC, GROUP, TRK, SUM, MAIN FADER, STRIP and VCA.

•

Two 8-character CHANNEL and LABEL displays.

•

The numeric keypad.

•

The ASSIGN button – changes the operation of the panel

from access to assign

•

The ESC button which can be used to exit any operation.

•

Navigation buttons – LEFT, RIGHT, NEXT and PREV.

•

The ENTER button – for confirmation.

Note that the ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN panel is

always

active,

and normally, with A

SSIGN deselected, selects the channel in
access. Note that the channel in access is always the channel
assigned to the Central Control Section. The name and label are
shown in the CHANNEL and LABEL displays, and in the top left
hand corner of the Central Control Screen throughout all
displays.

Note

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 19/ 68

There are three ways in which you can modify the channel in
access providing that the L

OCK ACC (lock access) button is not

selected:

1. Press the SEL button on a channel or main fader strip.

This is the simplest method for accessing channels on the active
control surface. However, there are times when you will wish to
access channels on an underneath bank or layer of fader strips.
In these cases, you may use either method 2 or 3 as follows:

2. Select the channel type and number using the channel

type selection buttons and numeric keypad:

•

Select a channel type by pressing one of the following:

ο I

NPUT – Input channels (up to 384).

ο M

ON – Monitor channels (up to 96).

ο A

UX – Auxiliary masters (up to 32).

ο G

PC – General Purpose Channels (up to 256).

ο G

ROUP – Group masters (up to 48).

ο T

RK – Track busses (up to 96).

ο S

UM – Sum masters (up to 48).

ο V

CA – VCA masters (up to 16).

ο M

AIN FADER – selects the channel type as

assigned to one of the 8 main fader strips.

ο S

TRIP – selects the channel type as assigned to

one of the channel fader strips.

The channel type button flashes and buttons on the numeric
keypad illuminate; the flashing T

YPE NUM message is guiding

you to enter a number.

• Enter the channel number by pressing a number on the
numeric keypad followed by the Enter button. For
example, press 1

, 2 and Enter to enter the number twelve.

•

Alternatively, enter a three digit number. For example,
pressing 0

, 1, and 2 will also enter the number twelve.

Having entered a valid number, the channel type button stops
flashing and the displays update to show the name and label for
the selected channel.

If you try and enter an invalid selection, for example GRP 897,
the CHANNEL display tells you by flashing the letters
N

OTAVAIL for ‘Not Available’. Press the ESC button to exit the

operation, and start again.

Note

T

utorial

20/ 68 V1.3/0

3. The third method of changing the channel in access is to

increment or decrement the current channel number:

•

Press the NEXT or PREV buttons to increment or
decrement the channel number by DSP type. For
example, to scroll up or down through Input channels 1­192, Monitor channels 1-96, Groups 1-48, Sums 1-48,
Auxes 1-32, VCA Masters 1-16 and General Purpose
Channels (GPCs) 1-256:

•

Alternatively, press the LEFT or RIGHT buttons to assign
the next channel as assigned to the console control
surface. For example, if Input channel 8 is currently in
access and assigned to channel fader strip 8, pressing the
L

EFT button selects the DSP channel assigned to fader

strip 7.

The name and label for your selected channel are shown in the

CHANNEL and LABEL displays.

Note that the channel in access may be locked by pressing the
L

OCK ACC button:

For example, you may wish to lock INPUT 24 into access so that
it remains accessible from the Central Control Section at all
times during the production.

Remember that updating the channel in access is how you
assign a channel to the Central Control Section. In addition, you
update the channel in access to perform an operation such as
assigning a channel to a fader strip or routing a channel to a
bus.

We’ll cover these operations later in this tutorial, but first let’s
look at screen display navigation.

Note

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 21/ 68

SCREEN CONTROL

The SCREEN CONTROL panel is located in the centre section of
the console beneath the joystick, and works in conjunction with
the centre control screen and keyboard, located in the console
arm rest or connected to the keyboard USB port, to provide
screen-based control for a variety of functions.

The panel consists of:

•

Two rows of display selection buttons – SIGNAL,
M

ATRIX, BUS, DSP CONFIG, CHAN/CONFIG,

S

NAP/SEQUENCE, METER, SYSTEM/STATES and AUTO.

•

Rotary control – used for scrolling selections within certain
displays.

•

The ESC button.

•

The Left/DEC, Right/INC, Up, Down and Enter navigation
buttons.

•

Four soft keys, each with its own alphanumeric display.

•

The trackball with left and right (blank) select buttons:

One of the displays is

always

active on the central control

screen, and some buttons such as S

IGNAL cycle through
multiple pages. For clear feedback of information, there are no
pop-ups or windows – every display stands alone with clearly
defined control areas.

At the top of every display is a title bar containing some
common elements:

•

The name and label of the channel in access (e.g. INP1).

•

The number of pages available from the SCREEN
CONTROL button, and the current selection – for
example, 1

of 2.

•

The local time – for example, 17:28:02 – or timecode.

•

The title of the display – for example, Channel.

•

The name of the active production – for example,
F

ormula one 2005 - and the current snapshot if one has

been loaded e.g. Imola.

•

If applicable, a red hazard warning flag

T

utorial

22/ 68 V1.3/0

The SCREEN CONTROL buttons provide access to:

1. Press SIGNAL to page between two displays:

•

Signals - controls signal routing

•

Settings - adjusts I/O parameters

2. The MATRIX button is reserved for future

implementation.

3. Press BUS to view the Bus Assignments for a channel

4. Press DSP CONFIG to view or change the DSP

C

onfiguration

5. Press CHAN/CONFIG to page between two displays:

•

The Main display shows channel settings for the channel

in access

•

Channel Config - sets the channel signal flow

6. Press SNAP/SEQUENCE to page between three displays:

•

Snapshots - for loading, saving and managing console

snapshots

•

Sequence – used to create and run real time sequence

automation

•

Edit Sequence - for offline editing of sequences.

7. Press METER to view the four pages of assignable meters

within the M

etering display

8. Press PROD FILE to manage the console’s productions

9. Press SYSTEM/STATES to page between two displays:

•

System - for setting console options

•

States - provides graphical feedback on the hardware

status of the system

10.Press AUTO to page between two displays:

•

Mixes – lists the automation mixes in the production

•

Pass Tree – for managing passes of timecode automation

To page between multiple displays quickly, use the trackball and
select button to click directly on the page number in the title bar
at the top of each display (e.g. 1

, 2, 3, etc.).

The area below the title bar contains the main information for
the display and follows a number of conventions:

Tip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 23/ 68

• The area of the display outlined by the dotted black and
white line is ‘in focus’. By focussing on different sections
of the display, you can change the soft key functions,
located above the trackball, in order to perform different
operations.

• Text within grey boxes may be selected to provide further
options – for example, selecting D

igital updates the

Subdirectories list on the above display.

•

Selected boxes are highlighted in black.

Text or graphics shown within dark grey areas on the display
are for information purposes only.

T

utorial

24/ 68 V1.3/0

To make a selection on a display, you may use the trackball,
navigation buttons or rotary scroller:

1. To use the trackball, position the cursor above the box

you wish to select, and then press either the left or the
right select button beneath the trackball:

The display entry, for example AES3_003, highlights in black
and is ready for the next operation.

2. Alternatively, use the navigation buttons as follows:

•

Press the DEC/Left or INC/Right buttons to focus on an

area of the display, for example

Source

Name and Label:

The focussed area is shown by the dotted black and white
outline.

Note that the INC/Right button cycles around the display in a
clockwise manner, and the D

EC/Left button navigates in an

anti-clockwise manner.

•

Now press the up or down arrow buttons to select entries

within the focussed area.

•

Or, turn the rotary control to scroll through the entries

within the focussed area.

The display entry highlights in black and is ready for the next
operation.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 25/ 68

Having selected an entry on the display, the four soft keys
above the trackball are used to action operations. Note that their
functions vary depending on the display selection. For example:

1. Select the Snapshots display by pressing the

S

NAP/SEQUENCE button.

The soft keys update to provide LOAD, SAVE and UPDT
functions as indicated in the alphanumeric displays.

2. Select the Signals display, by pressing the SIGNAL button.

The soft keys update to provide CONN and DCON functions.

3. And so on for the remaining centre screen displays.

4. Press the PAGE button to page the four soft keys to a

second level of functions.

Not all displays require second level functionality, and you will
be advised when to use the P

AGE button.

We will cover more details on specific display operations as we
work through this tutorial.

T

utorial

26/ 68 V1.3/0

Entering Names from the Keyboard

The keyboard is used for naming display entries, such as a
console snapshot. You may also connect an external keyboard
using the USB ports in the front arm rest of the console.

1. Press the SCREEN CONTROL SNAP/SEQUENCE button

to view the S

napshots display and, using either the
trackball or navigation buttons, select a snapshot to
rename.

The snapshot name is highlighted in black:

2. Select the PAGE button, located in the middle of the

SCREEN CONTROL soft keys.

The four soft keys update to PROT, EDIT and DEL.

3. To rename the snapshot, press EDIT.

A green cursor appears highlighting the first letter of the
existing name, in this case the letter s

.

4. Edit the name by typing a new name on the keyboard. As

you type, you overwrite the existing name. Therefore,
rather than deleting existing characters, type your new
name and press the space bar to remove any remaining
characters from the name.

5. When you have finished, press the Enter button on the

keyboard to confirm the new name.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 27/ 68

6. If you make a mistake or want to exit the naming mode,

press the E

sc button on the keyboard or deselect the EDIT

button.

G

etting Started

Having covered some of the concepts behind the m

c266, let’s
look at how to get started on the console. We are assuming that
your console is fully commissioned such that all of the basic
configuration tasks are complete. Your console should also
contain a generic setup production which will provide an
excellent starting point for new templates you wish to create.

S

witching on the Power

The m

c266 consists of three principal system components:

•

Console surface with integrated control system.

•

HD Core - DSP and routing matrix core.

•

DALLIS I/O interfaces, which may be connected remotely
to the system (up to 2km from the core).

The components may be powered in any order, including the
option to power the console (including the control system)
before I/O interfaces if desired. This enables you to begin
setting up the console before remote I/O interfaces have
received power.

T

utorial

28/ 68 V1.3/0

From power on, the console’s control system boots in a few
seconds; during this time the centre control screen reports back
on the boot-up progress.

At the end of boot-up, the control system automatically loads
the following:

•

Configuration data – these are fixed settings specific to
the console. For example, the programming of the CRM 1
and 2 monitor selector panels.

•

Warm start data – the complete status of the console as
stored when the system was last shut down.

Depending on who was last using the console, you may be sat
in front of a fully configured control surface with DSP settings
or a series of blank fader strips! In either case, the fastest way to
reset the console is to load a production.

L

oading a Setup Production

Productions form the top level for user data storage and store

all

the settings required for a production or type of job. Depending
on the installation, you may have a number of setup productions
or only one. Each should be clearly labelled – for example, T

V1

S

etup.

All setup productions should

always

be protected and

only

be
modified by an authorised member of staff as they provide a
common starting point for all users. Use the production to load a
starting point; then save a new production to store your own
settings.

Settings will vary from console to console, but generally a setup
production should reset the following console elements:

•

DSP configuration to a working default.

•

Input and Output sample rate converter settings to match

installed equipment.

•

System page options to a working default.

•

Metering page setup to a working default.

•

The assignment of channels to fader strips to a working

default.

•

DSP settings to flat.

•

Basic signal routing and user labels – for example, routing

to output distribution, monitoring and external metering.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 29/ 68

To load a production:

1. Press the PROD FILE button, located on the SCREEN

CONTROL panel in the centre section of the console.

The Production display appears on the centre control screen:

The Production display is divided into two main areas: at the
top of the display you will see the name of the A

ctive
production; in the lower part of the display are listed all the
productions stored on the internal user data flash card.

2. Select the production you wish to load from the lower

part of the display using the trackball or navigation
controls, for example O

lympic Games 2004.

The selected production is highlighted in black.

3. Press the LOAD soft key, above the trackball, to complete

the operation.

The console status will update, and the display now shows that
O

lympic Games 2004 is the Active production.

For additional confirmation, watch the top of the display and
you will see a red l

oading… message indicating that production

data is being loaded.

T

utorial

30/ 68 V1.3/0

Interrogating the Channel Fader Strips

Depending on the settings within the setup production, you
may now be able to open the faders and monitor audio! Don’t
worry if this is not the case as we will look at how to modify the
configuration shortly.

You can interrogate which channels have been assigned to the
control surface, their input metering and current bus
assignments by looking at the C

hannel displays across the

console. Note that the bottom of the C

hannel display tells you

which channels you are controlling from each fader strip:

•

The two grey boxes display the fixed system names for

the DSP channels assigned to the 1

st

and 2nd layer fader
strips. In our example, input channel 1 is assigned to the
active layer (I

NP1) with nothing assigned to the alternate

layer.

•

The two black boxes display the programmable user labels

for these channels. In our example, I

NP 1. Your console
will display the user labels which were loaded from the
setup snapshot.

S

witching Banks and Layers

To interrogate alternate fader banks:

1. Locate the six BANK access buttons, numbered 1 to 6

above the ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel in
the centre section.

One of these buttons will be illuminated; this is your active
fader bank.

2. Press any numbered button to switch to a new bank of

channel and main fader strips.

As you do this, all fader labels, control positions and Channel
displays update across the console to reflect the new settings. If
there are no channels assigned to the bank, then you will switch
to a series of blank fader strips.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 31/ 68

To switch between layers within a bank:

1. Press the 2ND button located on the fader strip to switch

an individual strip.

The fader’s label, control positions and Channel display update
to reflect the settings for the second layer. If there is nothing
assigned to this layer, then you will switch to a blank fader strip.

2. Alternatively, locate the four LAYER access buttons above

the ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel in the
centre section.

3. Press the FLIP button to invert the layer for

all

fader strips

- channel and main.

This inverts the current layer selections allowing you to view all
‘hidden’ channels on the alternate layer with one button push.

4. Press the ALL 1ST button to reset

all

fader strips - channel

and main - to Layer 1.

5. Press STRP 2ND to switch the channel fader strips to

Layer 2.

6. Press the MAIN 2nd button to switch the eight main fader

strips to their second layer.

When you deselect any of these three buttons, the console
reverts to its previous layer status.

Press and hold the ALL 1ST, STRP 2ND or MAIN 2nd buttons for
more than 3 seconds to reset the layer status to all 1st or all 2nd.

Fader Strip

Tip

T

utorial

32/ 68 V1.3/0

Creating Your Own Configuration

Having loaded a setup production, you will want to modify the
configuration to suit your particular show or mix. You can
perform these operations in any order, but the most efficient
way is as follows:

• Select the DSP configuration – this sets the number of
input channels, monitor channels, groups, sums, auxes,
etc, for the production.

•

Set up your signal user labels and routing – by routing
sources to channels before you lay out the control surface,
you can make decisions such as which input channels,
groups, sums, need to be mono, stereo or surround.

•

Assign your channels to the fader strips – design your
console layout by assigning your input channels, groups,
sums, etc. where you want them.

For the purposes of this tutorial, we are going to assume that
you have a DSP configuration with some input channels, groups,
sums and auxes.

We are also going to assign our channels to the control surface
before making any routes so that you can see audio appear as it
is routed.

Assigning Channels to Fader Strips

Let’s take an example where we wish to assign input channels 1
to 24 across fader strips 1 to 24, and assign them to a single
sum master channel controlled from main fader strip 8.

If you want to clear down the fader strip assignments loaded
from the setup production to start from a series of blank fader
strips, use the C

LEAR BANK function.

To assign the sum master channel (SUM 1) to main fader strip 8:

1. Select SUM 1 from the ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN

control panel, by pressing S

UM, the number 1 and the

Enter button.

This puts SUM 1 into access; the CHANNEL and LABEL displays
show the name and label for sum master channel 1.

Tip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 33/ 68

2. Now press the global ASSIGN button, located on the

STRIP ASSIGNMENT: ASSIGN MODES panel:

The ASSIGN button flashes, and across the console the fader
S

EL buttons flash, in green, to indicate possible destinations for

your selected channel:

3. Press the fader SEL button on main fader strip 8 to

complete the assignment.

The fader SEL button stops flashing and changes colour, from
green to red, to indicate the assignment. In addition, the Fader
Label display updates to show the new system name for the
fader strip - S

UM 1.

T

utorial

34/ 68 V1.3/0

With the ASSIGN mode still active, now assign input channels
1-24 onto the control surface:

1. Select INP 1 from the ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control

panel by pressing I

NPUT, the number 1 and the Enter

button.

This puts input channel 1 into access; the CHANNEL and LABEL
displays show the name and label for input channel 1.

2. Select the FIRST LAST button, located on the STRIP

ASSIGNMENT: ASSIGN MODES panel:

3. Press the fader SEL button on channel fader strip 1

followed by the fader S

EL button on channel fader strip

24.

The console incrementally assigns input channels 1 to 24 from
the first selection (channel fader strip 1) to the last selection
(channel fader strip 24).

4. Deselect the global ASSIGN button or press ESC, on the

ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel, to exit the
assign mode

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 35/ 68

Source Routing

Now let’s route a new audio source, for example a CD player,
into input channels 23 and 24.

1. Press the SIGNAL button, located on the SCREEN

CONTROL panel, to view the S

ignals display:

Note that each time you press the S

IGNAL button you toggle

between two pages – S

ignals and Settings. The current page is
always highlighted at the top of the display – in our example,
page 1

of 2.

In our example, the CD player is connected to AES inputs 01
and 02.

2. Using the trackball or navigation buttons, select the

source directory (e.g. D

igital) and sub-directory (e.g. HD

AES IN 1-24) on the left of the display.

Your selections are highlighted in black and the Source Name
and L

abel columns update to show all available sources.

3. Now select either the Name or Label for the source you

wish to route (e.g. H

D AES301).

Your selected source is highlighted in black.

4. Next, select the destination in a similar fashion. For

example, select I

nputs/Mon as your directory, INP 1-24 as

the sub-directory followed by I

NP23 from the Name and

Label list.

Your selected destination is highlighted in black.

Note

T

utorial

36/ 68 V1.3/0

5. To make the route press the CONN (Connection) soft key

located above the trackball.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between A

ES301 and INP23.

Look at fader strip 23 on the control surface; the fader strip and
C

hannel display name and labels update and hopefully you are

metering some audio:

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 to route the right hand side of the CD

player (A

ES302) to input channel 24 (INP24).

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between A

ES3 02 and INP24.

Fader Strip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 37/ 68

Bus Assignments

Next we need to assign input channels 23 and 24 onto our main
output (SUM 1). We may use either forward or reverse bus
assign to perform this operation; let’s use reverse bus assign:

1. First select the destination (Sum 1) by pressing the SEL

button on the main fader strip controlling SUM 1 – main
fader strip eight:

This puts SUM 1 into access as indicated on the ACCESS
CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel’s displays.

2. Now press the INPUT button, located on the BUS

ASSIGNMENT: REVERSE panel.

The INPUT button flashes, and across the console the fader SEL
buttons on fader strips which are controlling input channels
(INP 1-24) flash, in green, to indicate possible sources for the
chosen destination:

3. Press the fader SEL buttons on the fader strips controlling

IN23 and IN24 to complete the assignment.

The fader SEL buttons stop flashing and change colour from
green to red to indicate that the channels are assigned to the
selected destination. Note also that the Channel display above
fader strips 23 and 24 shows the bus assignments onto sum 1.

4. Deselect the INPUT button or press ESC, on the ACCESS

CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel, to exit the assign mode.

T

utorial

38/ 68 V1.3/0

Control Room Monitoring

The final step before we can hear our audio is to look at the
control room monitoring. Both main and alternate monitor
outputs are controlled from the CONTROL ROOM
MONITORING panel:

1. Press one of the 24 pre-programmed buttons to select

S

UM 1 as your monitor source.

2. Use the CRM 1 rotary control to set the main monitor

level.

3. Press the ALT button to switch the CRM 1 output to an

alternate set of speakers.

4. To listen to the output of an external source, press a

different button from the source selector panel.

These buttons are programmed within the low level system
configuration; please refer to the m

c266 Installation Manual for

full details.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 39/ 68

AFL & PFL Monitoring

At any stage, you may listen to the output of a channel using
the AFL and PFL buttons:

1. To monitor the channel post fader, press the AFL button

located on the fader strip.

2. To listen to the channel pre fader, press PFL.

3. Press the CLEAR AFL/PFL button, located on the Control

Room Monitoring panel, to clear all current AFL and PFL
selections.

Note that depending on your monitoring configuration, AFL
and PFL signals may appear on the Control Room 1, Control
Room 2 or external monitor speakers. In addition, you may
have access to A

FL to Mains and PFL to Mains switching from
the 24 programmable Control Room Monitoring panel buttons.
These settings are programmed within the low level system
configuration; please refer to the m

c

2

66 Installation Manual for

full details.

Fader Strip

T

utorial

40/ 68 V1.3/0

Routing Sources to Multiple Channels

Next let’s assign some microphone sources to more of our input
channels. For example, mic/line sources 1-8 to input channels 1-

8.

1. Press the SIGNAL button, located on the SCREEN

CONTROL panel, to view the S

ignals display:

2. Using the trackball or navigation buttons, select the

source directory (e.g. S

tagebox) and sub-directory (e.g.

M

ics) on the left of the display.

Your selections are highlighted in black and the Source Name
and L

abel columns update to show all available sources.

3. Now select either the Name or Label for the first source

you wish to route (e.g. M

ic_06.1)

Your selected source is highlighted in black.

4. Next, select the destination in a similar fashion. For

example, select I

nputs/Mon as your directory, INP 1-24 as

the sub-directory followed by I

NP1 from the Name and

Label list.

Your selected destination is highlighted in black.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 41/ 68

5. Now press the PAGE button, located above the trackball,

to access the second page of soft key functions.

The displays above the four soft keys update to show EDIT and
S

TEP functions.

6. Press the STEP button to activate the step forward mode.

7. Now deselect PAGE and press the CONN soft key to

make the first route.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between M

ic_06.1 and Inp 1. In addition, the source and
destination selections automatically step down to the next
entries in the list.

8. Continue pressing the CONN button until all eight

microphone sources are connected to input channels 1 to

8.

As you step down through the list, note the red and white
crosses which appear to indicate routes are made to or from
sources and destinations within the list.

9. Now repeat the reverse bus assign operation, as described

on Page 37, to assign all eight input channels onto Sum 1
for monitoring.

T

utorial

42/ 68 V1.3/0

Controlling Microphone Pre-amplifier Settings

Each microphone pre-amplifier may be remotely controlled in
order to set input gain, phantom power, etc. prior to analogue­to-digital conversion. These settings may be controlled either
from the fader strip or the Central Control Section. Let’s use the
dedicated controls on the channel fader strip:

1. Use the GAIN control to remotely set the microphone

preamplifier gain.

The gain range is normally adjusted from 0dB to 70dB, although
this may vary depending on your hardware configuration.
Please refer to the DALLIS I/O technical data for details.

2. Press the 48V button to select 48V phantom power.

3. Press the high pass filter button to insert an analogue

subsonic filter prior to the A-D conversion.

4. Toggle this button to cycle through the filter roll-off

frequency options: Off, 40Hz, 80Hz and 140Hz.

The button changes colour to indicate the selected frequency ­green (40Hz); yellow (80Hz); red (140Hz).

5. Press PAD to insert the 20dB PAD.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 43/ 68

Saving Your Settings

Console settings are saved within productions onto the internal
user data flash card. Each time you update a production you
store a one-shot memory of the current console status, including
low level settings such as DSP configuration, and high level
settings such as your mix and console layout.

It is a good idea to save and organise your productions early on.
Don’t overwrite your studio’s setup production with your own
settings! Instead, save a new production for each of your own
templates or for a particular show.

Note that within each production, you may create folders to
store snapshots. Snapshots store high level settings and provide
the ability to store different mixes/setups within the production.
For example, you may use snapshots to recall a different mix or
console layout for each band appearing in a live entertainment
show. Or, snapshots may be used to recall scene changes during
a live theatre production.

S

aving a New Production

To avoid overwriting existing settings, we are going to save the
current status of the console into a new production:

1. Press the PROD FILE SCREEN CONTROL button to access

the P

roduction display:

The last production loaded was D

TM 2004, therefore this is the

Active production.

T

utorial

44/ 68 V1.3/0

2. Using the trackball or navigation buttons focus on the list

of productions in the lower part of the display.

The four soft key functions update to show LOAD, NEW and
S

AVE.

3. Press the SAVE soft key to save the current console

settings into a new production:

A new entry appears in the productions list with a default name
(e.g. p

roduction 0009). This entry contains all the settings of
the console and is time and date stamped. The new production
automatically becomes the A

ctive production as shown on the

display.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 45/ 68

Renaming the Production

To rename the production:

1. Using the trackball or navigation buttons focus on the

Active production name at the top of the display.

2. Press the PAGE button, located in the middle of the

SCREEN CONTROL soft keys, to access the second level
of soft key functions.

The four soft key functions update to show UPDT, PROT, DEL
and E

DIT.

3. Press EDIT:

A green cursor appears highlighting the first letter of the
existing name, in this case the letter p

.

4. Edit the name by typing a new name on the keyboard.

Note that as you type, you overwrite the existing name.
Therefore, rather than worrying about deleting existing
characters, type your new name and then press the space
bar to remove any remaining characters from the name.

5. When you have finished, press the Enter button on the

keyboard to confirm the new name.

This completes the naming operation.

6. If you make a mistake or want to exit the naming mode,

press the E

sc button on the keyboard or deselect the EDIT

button.

T

utorial

46/ 68 V1.3/0

Updating the Production

You should save your settings regularly as you work by updating
the A

ctive production.

Note that updating overwrites the production data. Therefore,
make sure that you have selected the correct production to
update. To avoid accidental updates, always protect setup or
template productions.

Note that you can also undo accidental mistakes by loading a
backup production.

To update a production:

1. Select the production by focussing on its name either

using the trackball or navigation buttons. Note that the
A

ctive production, production0009, is selected by default.

2. Press the UPDT (Update) soft key, located above the

trackball.

The selected production is overwritten with the current console
settings. You can confirm this by looking at the new date and
time stamp.

For additional confirmation, watch the top of the production
display and you will see a red s

aving… message indicating that

the production data is being saved.

Note that a protected production cannot be updated.

Note

Tip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 47/ 68

Configuring Audio Sub Group Masters

So far, we’ve routed our input channels directly to a main sum
output. However, for many productions, you will want to use
groups either to create independent mixes, like an international
version, or to provide greater control over separate elements of
the mix, for example to compress all of the music channels
separately to the main presenter’s microphones.

The number of groups is determined by your choice of DSP
configuration; note that not all DSP configurations support
groups.

Providing groups are available, they are assigned to the control
surface in exactly the same way we assigned our input and sum
channels. Repeat the fader strip assignment operation, described
on Page 32, to assign GROUPS 1 to 4 onto main fader strips 1 to
4 now.

R

e-assigning Channels to Groups

At the moment we have our input channels assigned directly to
the sum master (SUM 1). To modify this routing so that our
microphone channels are routed via a sub group, let’s use
reverse bus assign.

First remove input channels 1-8 from SUM 1 as follows:

1. Select the destination (Sum 1) by pressing the SEL button

on the main fader strip controlling SUM 1:

This puts SUM 1 into access as indicated on the ACCESS
CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel.

2. Now press the FADER button, located on the BUS

ASSIGNMENT: REVERSE panel.

Note

T

utorial

48/ 68 V1.3/0

The FADER button flashes, and across the console the fader SEL
buttons flash, in green, to indicate possible sources for the
chosen destination:

Note that the SEL buttons on the first eight faders strips (INP 1
to INP 8) are illuminated in red showing that they are already
assigned to the selected sum master.

3. Press the SEL buttons on the fader strips controlling INP 1

to INP 8 to undo the bus assignments.

The fader SEL buttons change colour from red to green, and the
C

hannel display indicates the updated bus assignments.

4. With FADER still selected, now press the fader SEL

buttons on the fader strips controlling GRP 1 to GRP 4 to
assign the group master channels to Sum 1.

The fader SEL buttons stop flashing and change colour from
green to red to indicate that the channels are assigned to the
selected destination.

5. Deselect the FADER button to complete the operation.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 49/ 68

Now, we need to assign input channels 1-8 to one of the groups
– let’s use Group 1:

1. Select the destination (Group 1) by pressing the SEL

button on the main fader strip controlling GRP 1:

This puts GRP 1 into access as indicated on the ACCESS
CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel’s CHANNEL and LABEL
displays.

2. Now press the INPUT button, located on the BUS

ASSIGNMENT: REVERSE panel.

The INPUT button flashes, and across the console the fader SEL
buttons on fader strips which are controlling input channels
(INP 1-24) flash, in green, to indicate possible sources for the
chosen destination:

3. Press the fader SEL buttons on the fader strips controlling

INP 1 to INP 8 to complete the assignment.

The fader SEL buttons stop flashing and change colour from
green to red to indicate that the channels are assigned to the
selected destination. Note also that the Channel display above
fader strips 1 to 8 shows the bus assignments onto group 1.

4. Deselect the INPUT button or press ESC, on the ACCESS

CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel, to exit the bus assign
mode.

T

utorial

50/ 68 V1.3/0

Monitoring the Group Output

Your Control Room Monitor output should still be selected to
SUM 1, so push open all the faders and you will be hearing a
mix of your microphone channels (input channels 1 to 8) and
the CD player (input channels 23 & 24), with the overall level of
all eight microphone channels controlled by Group master 1.

To monitor just the group output, you may either:

1. Press one of the pre-programmed monitor selector

buttons to monitor GRP 1, if available:

2. Press the AFL button located on the fader strip controlling

GRP 1 to listen to the group output post fader.

3. Press the PFL button located on the fader strip controlling

GRP 1 to listen to the group output pre fader.

Note that depending on your monitoring configuration, AFL
and PFL signals may appear on the Control Room 1, Control
Room 2 or external monitor speakers. In addition, you may
have access to AFL to Main and PFL to Main switching from the
24 programmable Control Room Monitoring panel buttons.
These settings are programmed within the system
configuration; please refer to the m

c

2

66 Installation Manual for

full details.

Fader Strip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 51/ 68

Creating Stereo Channels or Masters

Up until now, we have been dealing with mono input channels,
mono groups and a mono sum. However, any of theses
channels may easily be changed from mono to stereo either
from the Central Control Section or S

ignals display.

For example, to change SUM 1 from mono to stereo:

1. Press the SEL button on the main fader strip controlling

SUM 1 to assign it to the Central Control Section.

The CHANNEL and LABEL displays update to show the system
name and label for SUM 1.

2. Locate the IMAGE controls on the Central Control

Section:

3. Press the STE button.

This links SUM 1 to its adjacent DSP channel (SUM 2) to create
the stereo channel.

To indicate that the channel is now stereo, you have stereo
metering, a S

TE LED on the fader strip, a stereo indicator on the

M

ain display and the Image section becomes active.

Note that if SUM 2 was assigned to the control surface, then
the SUM 2 mono channel disappears leaving a blank fader strip.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to change any of your groups or input

channels from mono to stereo.

T

utorial

52/ 68 V1.3/0

Routing Masters to Output Destinations

So far we have looked at how to route sources into channels,
assign channels to group and sum masters, and monitor the
various paths. Next let’s look at how to assign your groups and
sum output to new destinations, for example to feed a recorder
or distribution chain. The operation is very similar to routing a
new source to a channel, only this time we are going to select
the bus master channel as our source (e.g. SUM 1) and a
physical output (e.g. AES output 1) as our destination:

1. Press the SIGNAL button, located on the SCREEN

CONTROL panel, to view the S

ignals display:

2. Using the trackball or navigation buttons, select the

source directory (e.g. B

us Out) and sub-directory (e.g.

D

Out Sum 1-28) on the left of the display.

Your selections are highlighted in black and the Source Name
and L

abel columns update to show all available sources.

3. Now select either the Name or Label for the source you

wish to route (e.g. S

UM1).

Your selected source is highlighted in black.

4. Next, select the destination in a similar fashion. For

example, select D

igital as your directory; HD AES 1-24 as

the sub-directory followed by A

ES3_001 from the Name

and Label list.

Your selected destination is highlighted in black.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 53/ 68

5. To make the route press the CONN (Connection) soft key

located above the trackball.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between S

UM1 and AES3_001.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 to route the right hand side of the

stereo sum master (S

UM2) to AES3_002.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between S

UM 2 and AES3_002.

T

utorial

54/ 68 V1.3/0

Using Auxiliary Sends

Auxiliary sends may be used for a variety of applications such as
cue feeds, effects sends, mix minus (N-1) sends, etc. Depending
on your choice of DSP configuration, each channel may access
up to 32 sends.

Send controls are paged onto the eight rotary encoders within
the Central Control Section. For example, to open an auxiliary
send from input channel 23:

1. Press the SEL button on the fader strip controlling INP 23

to assign it to the Central Control Section.

The name and label for channel in access updates in the
CHANNEL and LABEL displays, and the Central Control Section
panels update to show the current settings for the sum master.

2. Locate the AUXILIARY/ AUDIO FOLLOWS VIDEO

controls on the Central Control Section.

3. Press AUX 1..8 to assign the first eight auxiliary sends

onto the rotary controls.

The names AUX 1 to AUX 8 appear in the alphanumeric
displays showing which send is allocated to each control.

4. Press the ON button to activate the auxiliary send.

5. Now use the rotary control to adjust the send level.

The send level may be adjusted from -128dB to +15dB.

Note that auxiliary send levels may also be controlled from
faders using the FADER CONTROL feature

Auxiliary masters are assigned onto fader strips in the same way
we assigned the input channels, groups and sum master earlier.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 55/ 68

Creating a Mix Minus (N-1)

One of the most common functions required during a live
production is the mix minus, or N-1, output. The m

c

2

66 may use
any of its 32 auxiliary sends to create mix minus feeds. Let’s take
an example where we wish to create separate mix minus feeds
for the first four microphone inputs we assigned to fader strips 1
through 4 earlier.

C

onfiguring the Mix Minus Auxiliary Sends

The first step is to configure the auxiliary sends to be used for
each mix minus feed. This is done from the signal S

ettings
display by linking the auxiliary you wish to use to the input
source. To keep things simple let’s use auxiliary sends 1 to 4 for
our configuration:

1. Press the SIGNAL button, located on the SCREEN

CONTROL panel, to view the S

ignals display.

2. Using the trackball or navigation buttons, select the

directory (e.g. S

tagebox), sub-directory (e.g. Mics) and

the first source (e.g. M

IC_06.3) you wish to assign a mix

minus send:

The selected Source Name and Label are highlighted on the
display.

T

utorial

56/ 68 V1.3/0

3. Now press the SCREEN CONTROL SIGNAL button again

to switch to the S

ettings display:

Your selected source name and label (e.g. MIC_06.3) are
shown in the S

election box at the top left of the display, and a

list of the current destinations for this source in the D

estinations
list below. This display is used to configure a number of source
and destination settings. We are interested in the M

ix-minus

box at the bottom left of the display.

4. Select the Mix-minus box, either using the trackball or

navigation buttons, and use the rotary control located
above the trackball to scroll through the auxiliary sends 1
to 32. For our example, select A

UX 1.

5. Press the SET soft key to confirm the selection.

The name and label boxes beneath Mix-minus update to show
the name and label of the selected aux.

6. Repeat steps 1 to 4 to configure auxiliaries 2, 3 and 4 as

the Mix-minus sends for mic inputs 2, 3 and 4.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 57/ 68

7. Having configured a link between the input sources and

mix minus auxiliary sends, now return to the S

ignals

display by pressing the S

IGNAL button again.

The next step is to route the output of the auxiliary sends to the
relevant mix minus destinations. In this example, we want to
route auxiliary 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the ear piece feeds for our guest
channels (e.g. four Stagebox analogue outputs).

8. Using the trackball or navigation buttons, select the

source directory (e.g. B

US Out), sub-directory (e.g.

D

irOut AUX X 1-16) and Name or Label for the source

you wish to route (e.g. A

X 1):

Your selected source is highlighted in black.

9. Next, select the destination, for example Stagebox as your

directory, A

nalog 2 as the sub-directory followed by

A

NA_13.1 from the Name and Label list.

Your selected destination is highlighted in black.

10.To make the route press the CONN (Connection) soft key

located above the trackball.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between A

X 1 and ANA_13.1.

11.Repeat steps 8 to 10 to route all four auxiliary send

masters to the corresponding analogue outputs for the
mix minus feeds.

T

utorial

58/ 68 V1.3/0

Activating the Mix Minus Sends

Having configured auxiliary sends 1, 2, 3 and 4 to provide mix
minus feeds for Microphone Inputs 1 to 4:

1. Go to the fader strips controlling MIC 1 to 4 and press the

C

ONF buttons on all four channels.

The mix minus is automatically activated for each of the four
channels.

2. Depending on your talkback configuration, the TALK

button on each fader strip may be used to talk to the mix
minus.

3. To add channels not within the coordination group to the

mix minus, press their C

ONF buttons. For example, you
may wish to send the output of several replay machines to
all the mix minus recipients.

The channels are routed onto the mix minus bus; therefore feed
all mix minus sends.

The CORD button changes the mix minus from an N-1 into a
pre-talk auxiliary send. Use this mode to generate a conference­style feed for your guests and presenters. This allows members
of the conference group to talk to each other pre-fader while
they are off-air. However, as soon as their channel fader is
opened and they are on-air, their conference auxiliary feed is
muted.

Note that each mix minus is linked to the input source, rather
than the DSP channel. This means that if you route the input
source (e.g. MIC 4) elsewhere, the mix minus controls
automatically follow.

Fader Strip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 59/ 68

Using VCA Grouping

A common application for the eight main fader strips is to use
them as VCA group masters. The console supports up to 16
dedicated VCA masters and you may assign any number of
fader strips to a dedicated VCA. This provides the ability not
only to control input and monitor channels but also groups,
sums and auxiliary masters.

A

ssigning VCA Masters to the Control Surface

As we have already assigned groups 1 to 4 and sum 1 onto the
first layer of our eight main fader strips, let’s use the second
layer to create eight VCA masters:

1. Bring the second layer of main fader strip onto the active

surface, by pressing the M

AIN 2ND button, located on

the LAYER access panel.

2. Now select VCA master 1 from the ACCESS

CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel, by pressing V

CA, the

number 1

and the Enter button.

The CHANNEL and LABEL displays show the name (VCA 1) and
user label for the master.

3. Select the FIRST LAST button, located on the STRIP

ASSIGNMENT: ASSIGN MODES panel.

This automatically selects the global ASSIGN button, and across
the console the fader S

EL buttons flash, in green, to indicate

possible destinations for your selected channel.

4. Press the fader SEL button on the first main fader strip

followed by fader S

EL on the last main fader strip.

The console assigns VCA masters 1 to 8 to main strips 1 to 8.

5. Deselect the global ASSIGN button or press ESC, on the

ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel, to exit the
assign mode.

T

utorial

60/ 68 V1.3/0

Assigning Channels to a VCA Master

Let’s assign our CD player, on input channels 23 and 24 to VCA
master 1:

1. Press the fader SEL button on the fader strip controlling

VCA 1.

This puts VCA 1 into access as indicated on the ACCESS
CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel’s CHANNEL and LABEL
displays.

2. Now press the VCA button, located on the BUS

ASSIGNMENT panel.

The VCA button flashes to indicate that it is active, and across
the console the fader S

EL buttons flash, in green, to indicate

possible sources for your chosen master:

3. Now press the SEL buttons on the fader strips controlling

input channels 23 and 24.

The fader SEL buttons stop flashing and change colour from
green to red to indicate that the channels are assigned to the
selected VCA master. On each assigned channel, the VCA
master number is shown in the figure of eight display.

4. Deselect VCA, on the BUS ASSIGNMENT, panel or press

E

SC, on the ACCESS CHANNEL/ASSIGN control panel, to

exit the VCA set up mode.

Fader Strip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 61/ 68

Applying Signal Processing

Depending on your choice of DSP configuration, full signal
processing may be available on your input channels, monitor
return channels, groups, sums and/or auxiliary masters. This
allows you to compress a group output or EQ an auxiliary master
in the same way you would apply signal processing to an input
channel. Please see Chapter 3 for more details on Signal Flow
and DSP configurations.

The following provides a step-by-step guide to some of the
signal processing sections within the Central Control Section.

1. Press the SEL button on a fader strip to assign it to the

Central Control Section:

The controls update to show the current settings for the
assigned channel.

When controlling processing, note that all rotary controls on the
m

c266 are touch sensitive encoders with the following features:

•

The dedicated alphanumeric display shows either the
parameter name or value which is being adjusted.

•

The ring of LEDs indicates the current position of the
control. Note that for levels, a corona appears around the
control indicating the amount of deviation from the
default value.

•

The LED square beneath each control changes from green
to yellow when a parameter is not set to its default value.

The controls default to provide fine parameter adjustment. For
coarse adjustment (5 times faster), push down on the control as
you adjust the parameter.

Tip

T

utorial

62/ 68 V1.3/0

2. If not already selected, press the CHAN/CONFIG button,

located on the centre section SCREEN CONTROL panel,
to view the M

ain display:

The Main display is divided into the same sub sections as the
Central Control Section front panel. As you adjust controls, the
display updates to reflect your settings.

Note that the name and label for the channel you are adjusting is
always shown at the top left of the display.

Also note that the heading above each area of the display, for
example E

Q, GATE, etc, changes colour from grey to green

when that section is switched into circuit.

The M

ain display also includes a meter, which follows the same

metering options as set for the C

hannel display.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 63/ 68

Using the 4-band Equaliser

1. Locate the SCF/FILTER/EQUAIZER panel on the Central

Control Section:

2. At the bottom of the panel, press the EQ DISP button to

display the 4-band equaliser on the four sets of GAIN,
FREQ and Q controls.

3. Turn on the master EQ ON button.

From left to right, the controls default to provide low shelf,
constant Q, constant Q and high shelf equaliser bands.

4. Use the GAIN, FREQ and Q or Q/SLP rotary controls to

set the gain, frequency or Q for each of the 4 bands:

Frequency may be set from 20Hz to 20kHz, and the value is
shown beneath the front panel control, and in the F

REQ box on

the M

ain display.

Gain may be set from -24dB to +24dB.

Q may be set from 0.1 to 80dB for the Constant Q sections,
and the slope of the shelving bands may be set to 6dB per
octave, 12 dB per octave or 18dB per octave.

5. Use any of the four OFF buttons to switch an individual

band out of circuit.

6. Use the two EQ type buttons to switch between bell, shelf

and pass band filters for the high and low bands, and bell,
constant Q and notch for the middle bands.

The TYPE boxes on the Main display update to show the new
selection.

T

utorial

64/ 68 V1.3/0

Using the High and Low Pass Filters

1. At the bottom of the SCF/FILTER/EQUALIZER panel,

press the FILTER D

ISP button to switch the four sets of

GAIN, FREQ and Q controls to the 2-band filter section.

Controls on the left side of the panel now adjust the high pass
filter, and controls on the right side adjust the low pass filter.
The two bands default to provide constant Q equalisation.

2. Turn on the master FILTER ON button.

3. To change the two bands to high and low pass filters, use

the EQ type buttons.

The TYPE boxes on the Main display update to show Hi-P or
L

o-P respectively.

4. Use the FREQ rotary control to set the roll-off frequency

for the filter.

Frequency may be set from 20Hz to 20kHz, and the value is
shown beneath the front panel control and in the F

REQ box on

the M

ain display.

5. Use the Q/SLP rotary control to set the slope of the filter.

The slope may be set to 6dB per octave, 12 dB per octave or
18dB per octave and is shown in the Q

box on the Main

display.

6. Press either of the two OFF buttons to switch the

individual filters out of circuit.

The two filter bands may be used for filtering, shelving EQ or
constant Q operation by adjusting the EQ type selection
buttons. You can also set each band independently. For
example, to keep your high pass filter, but use the other filter
band as an extra band of EQ.

Tip

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 65/ 68

Setting a Compressor

The console provides four independent blocks of dynamics
processing (Gate, Expander, Compressor and Limiter). Any of
the four sections may be placed anywhere within the channel
signal flow. For example, to gate pre EQ and compress post EQ,
or to limit the channel signal post fader while compressing the
feed to the direct output. In addition a dedicated 2-band filter
section may be inserted into the sidechain of the gate or
compressor. Let’s look at how to set a compressor:

1. Locate the COMP/LIM panel on the Central Control

Section.

2. Check that the LIM button is turned off.

3. Press the ON button to switch on the Compressor.

4. Check that the 2nd button is off and use the four rotary

controls to set the compressor attack time (ATT/RLS),
threshold level (THRS/LAHD), ratio (RATIO/HOLD/KNEE)
and output gain (GAIN).

5. Now turn on the 2nd button and use the two upper

controls to set the release time (ATT/RLS) and look ahead
delay.

The front panel displays, and boxes on the Main display update
to show the relevant settings

The action of the compressor is best described by looking at the
Compressor graph on the M

ain display. Note that as you adjust
your settings, the bouncing ball shows the position of the signal
level relative to the threshold and ratio you have set. In addition,
the vertical G

AIN meter displays the amount of gain reduction
being applied to the signal. Finally, the two meters below the
graph show the input (I

N) and output (OUT) levels to and from

the section.

The Compressor parameters may be set as follows:

ο Threshold Level – from -40dB to +20dB.

ο Ratio – from 1:1 to 10:1.

ο Attack Time – from 0.3ms to 250ms.

ο Release Time – from 0.04secs to 10secs.

ο Look Ahead Delay – from 0ms to 10ms.

ο Gain – from -20dB to +20dB.

For a smoother compressor, insert the 2-band sidechain filter
and set -10dB gain for an 18dB/octave low shelf at around
125Hz to remove unwanted low frequencies.

Central Control Section

Main Display

Tip

T

utorial

66/ 68 V1.3/0

Inserting Channel Delay

To apply delay to a channel, for example to compensate for
video processing delays:

1. Locate the DAMP/DELAY/INS/DIROUT panel on the

Central Control Section.

2. Press the DLY button to assign the controls to the channel

delay audio module.

3. Press the ON button to switch the delay into circuit.

4. Toggle the MODE button to cycle around the channel

delay unit options – milliseconds (ms), frames (frms) or
meters (m).

The TIME box on the Main display updates to show your
chosen units.

5. Move the rotary control to adjust the delay value.

The amount of delay is displayed in the TIME box on the Main
display. Channel delay may be set from 0 to 1800ms (or 612m
or 45 frames).

Inserting Outboard Processing

To insert an outboard piece of equipment into the channel path,
for example to apply external compression:

1. Press the INS button on the DAMP/DELAY/INS/DIROUT

panel to assign the controls to the channel insert module.

2. Press the ON button to switch the insert return into

circuit.

If an insert return is not assigned, you will get silence when you
switch the insert into circuit.

3. With the insert ON, adjust the rotary control to set the

level of the insert send.

The SEND level is shown on the Main display and may be
adjusted from -128dB to +15dB.

Central Control Section

Main Display

Central Control Section

Main Display

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 67/ 68

The insert send and return assignments are made from the
S

ignals display:

1. Press the SIGNAL button, located on the SCREEN

CONTROL panel, to view the S

ignals display.

2. Using the trackball or navigation buttons, select the

source directory (e.g. I

nsert Send), sub-directory (e.g.

I

nsSnd Inp 1-24) and source (e.g. INP1i) on the left of the

display.

Your selected source is highlighted in black.

3. Next, select the destination in a similar fashion. For

example, select S

tagebox as your directory, Analog 1 as

the sub-directory followed by A

NA_11.7 from the Name

and Label list.

Your selected destination is highlighted in black.

4. To make the route press the CONN (Connection) soft key

located above the trackball.

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between the source and destination.

T

utorial

68/ 68 V1.3/0

5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 to route the line input from the

compressor (e.g. A

NA13.1) to the insert return (INP1i):

The Signals display updates with a green line showing the route
between the source and destination.

T

utorial

mc²66 V1.3/0 69/ 68

Assigning the Fader Strip Free Controls

On each channel fader strip are four, and on each main fader
strip two, assignable Free Controls. These provide local channel
access to settings such as EQ, Panning, Dynamics, Auxiliary
Sends, etc.

Each control is touch sensitive and when turned provides fine
control. Push down and rotate the control for coarse adjustment
of a parameter value.

Each control also has its own dedicated 4-character alphanumeric
display. The normal mode shows the parameter function (e.g.
E

Q1G – EQ Band 1 Gain) until the control is touched, when the

display then updates to show the parameter value (e.g. +

12).

There are three ways you may assign parameters onto the free
controls, but to get you started let’s use the global FC PRESET
buttons located to the left of the Central Control Section.

1. Check that the Page 2 button is turned off.

2. Press the EQ 1/FI 1 button.

Working up the channel, the four free controls are now
assigned to On/Off, Gain, Frequency and Q for band 1 of the
Equaliser section. The value of the parameter is shown in the 4­character display below the control as it is adjusted.

If a control is assigned to a switched function, such as EQ
On/Off, turn the rotary control clockwise to activate the
function (EQ On) and anticlockwise to deactivate the function
(EQ Off).

3. To access the second level of functions, for example, the

Filter controls, press the P

AGE 2 button.

Congratulations on completing this tutorial! Hopefully, we have
given you enough information to being working with the
console immediately. If you need more assistance, use the Index
Directory located at the back of the manual to locate
information on a particular topic. Otherwise keep reading to
learn more about each area of the console’s operation.