ALESIS Studio 24 Reference Manual Contents Contents Important Safety Instructions ................................................................................ 5 Safety symbols used in this product ........................................................................................... 5 Please follow these precautions when using this product:..................................................... 5 Instructions de Sécurité Importantes (French) .......................................................................... 7 Symboles utilisés dans ce produit............................................................................................. 7 Veuillez suivre ces précautions lors de l’utilisation de l’appareil: ........................................ 7 Beim Benutzen dieses Produktes beachten Sie bitte die folgenden Sicherheitshinweise: (German)..................................................................................................... 9 CE Declaration of Conformity...................................................................................................... 10 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 11 How to use this manual................................................................................................................. 11 For beginners .................................................................................................................... 11 For the experienced: a quick overview ....................................................................................... 13 About the Studio 24........................................................................................................................ 15 Basic Principles of Mixing & Multitrack Recording................................................................. 17 The stages of multitrack recording............................................................................... 18 The different mixes and what they’re needed for .................................................................... 20 Multitrack Mix..................................................................................................................20 Monitor (Control Room) Mix......................................................................................... 22 Aux Sends and Returns: Effects .................................................................................... 24 Guided Tour .............................................................................................................. 25 Recorder Mix/Monitor Mix System............................................................................................ 25 Starting at the source: input and trim .......................................................................... 25 The equalizer .................................................................................................................... 26 Fader and assignment section ....................................................................................... 27 Monitor 1/2 section......................................................................................................... 28 Aux Send/Return System ............................................................................................................. 29 Aux sends.......................................................................................................................... 29 Stereo Aux Returns.......................................................................................................... 29 Control Room System .................................................................................................................... 30 Control Room source ...................................................................................................... 30 Solo ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Meters................................................................................................................................. 31 Hooking It Up ........................................................................................................... 33 Unpacking and Inspection ............................................................................................................ 33 Power ................................................................................................................................................ 34 Avoiding ground loop noise.......................................................................................... 35 Channel Inputs and Outputs........................................................................................................ 36 Mic Inputs ......................................................................................................................... 36 Line Inputs ........................................................................................................................ 37 Tape Inputs ....................................................................................................................... 37 Direct Outputs..................................................................................................................38 Insert................................................................................................................................... 38 Master Inputs and Outputs........................................................................................................... 39 Main Outputs....................................................................................................................39 Main Inserts ...................................................................................................................... 39 Group Outputs ................................................................................................................. 39 Group Inserts.................................................................................................................... 40 Control Room Outputs ................................................................................................... 40 2 Track Inputs................................................................................................................... 40 Stereo Aux Returns.......................................................................................................... 40 MONITOR OUTS 1/2 and AUX SENDS 3/4............................................................. 40 STUDIO 24 REFERENCE MANUAL 1 Contents Headphones......................................................................................................................40 Chart of Connections...................................................................................................................... 41 Connecting to an Unbalanced -10 dBV Multitrack Recorder .................................. 42 Connecting to a 2-Track Mixdown Deck..................................................................... 43 Connecting to a Control Room amplifier .................................................................... 44 Connecting to a Headphone Amp................................................................................ 44 Connecting to a Patchbay............................................................................................... 44 Effects and Signal Processing................................................................................ 45 Connecting Aux Sends and Returns to Outboard Effects....................................................... 45 Should you use one or two inputs to effects?............................................................. 46 Using Effects .................................................................................................................................... 47 Connecting Signal Processors to Insert Jacks ............................................................................ 49 Multitrack Recording Applications........................................................................ 51 Recording ......................................................................................................................................... 51 Setting Levels.................................................................................................................... 51 How to Record a Single Source to One Track............................................................. 53 Recording Multiple Sources to One Track .................................................................. 54 Recording Multiple Sources to Two Tracks (Stereo)................................................. 55 Recording Tips ................................................................................................................. 57 About Metering................................................................................................................ 57 Overdubbing.................................................................................................................................... 58 Using MONITOR 1/2 to Monitor the Multitrack...................................................... 58 Using the Channel Faders to Monitor the Multitrack............................................... 59 Getting the Mix to the Headphones 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