Mixing Functions

You can configure the internal busses for each virtual mixer separately. To do this, select the desired <mixer> from the project tree and select the Mixing Functions tab.

Mixing Functions tab

On this tab, you can configure the number of summing busses, Aux busses, the talk functions and special functions of the clean feed system (N-1).

Toolbox configuration software offers simple opportunities to realise complex bus structures within an Series 52 mixing device.

Busses are separated according to their Bus Type. You can create busses of the types Program, Aux, CF (Clean Feed) and PFL. Two program busses and one PFL bus are available by default. You can delete these default busses or change their settings. The total number of available busses depends on the DSP capacity of the system.

Generally, all summing busses are calculated in stereo, but by mono summation (-3 dB) of the left and right channels they can also be used as mono. In the Edit Bus area, select Mono in the Format box, to enable mono summation. After that, the bus appears in the selection window for audio sources under the node Mixing Functions only as one entry and without the extensions L or R.

If you want to use a bus mono and stereo at the same time in a configuration, or if you want to attenuate the mono summation to a different value than -3 dB, create the mono signal by using an output function. (See also Output Functions)

To create a summing bus, do the following:

1. In the Available Buses area, below the list, there are buttons for each bus type. Click + PFL, + AUX, + PGM or + CF(Clean Feed / n-1) to add one bus for the selected type.
   

   Note
   In the Bus Options area, in the Bus Type list, you can change the type of the bus, later on.

2. In the Bus Options area, you can define the properties of the created bus. To do this, select the bus from the list.
3. Insert a distinctive name in the Label box.
4. Select a bus type from Bus Type box (Program, Aux, PFL) and type or select a number in the Bus Number box.
5. In the Format drop-down menu, you can set if the bus is Stereo (default) or Mono.
6. If you want to change the level of a summing bus during operation, select in the Master Level Control box a physical element for controlling (e.g., a potentiometer on the operating desk or an external potentiometer at an ACI input).

When configuring the mixing functions you can distinguish summing busses according to certain signal characteristics, for example to the type of the signal. On some mixers, busses are identified according to the type of signal. We generally distinguish between voice signals (Voice) and other signals (Music), mix them separately and route the sums to different signal processors (internal or external).

The Standard signal type is selected by default and defines a program bus which can be fed with fader signals via the key function Program Bus Nr. On/Off. The configured program busses are separated using the serial bus number.

Within the system, depending on the DSP core hardware type, up to 48 program busses can be configured.

Apart from this, there is an opportunity to change the type of signal, despite using busses with different serial numbers. The integrated additional functions influence the signalisation in the system and can be misunderstood. Therefore, this mode makes sense only in special applications.

In broadcast mixers, program busses are often distinguished by the kind of signal they are fed with. The signals are separated into voice and music that are mixed on different busses and processed differently, before they go On Air. In addition, mostly there is a third so called recording bus (Recording or Off Air). Two additional bus types exist, Off Air Voice and Off Air Music. Busses with the Voice, Music, Off Air, Off Air Voice and Off Air Music signal types are fully featured sums, onto signals can be switched on exclusively. This means that fader signals can be fed either on Voice, Music, Off Air, Off Air Voice and Off Air Music.

On Air bus structure, example for a broadcasting structure.

To assign a signal to one of the described busses, you have to configure a fader key function for each bus type in the fader channel, on a TFT view or in the central section of your mixer.

It is possible to talk into each summing bus via until Toolbox v9.0.3 & FW 9.0.1: two, since Toolbox v9.0.4 & FW 9.0.2 and with license 52-8581: four signal paths.

On the Mixing Functions tab, in the Common Mixing Options area, you can select these signals in Talk (x) Source. You can use any available signal on the TDM bus as a source for the talk function, but mostly this is a microphone signal routed over a Fixed Processing (with compressor and limiter). Both Talk Sources are summed up on the signal of the summing bus. The busses can be attenuated between 0 dB and -101 dB (which equals off) in steps of 1 dB. Use the Talk Attenuation selector to change the attenuation value.

To select a talk signal source, click Select next to the desired Talk Source box. The Audio Sources window opens. Select the desired audio source. Click Assign, or double-click on the source or use drag & drop.

For every configured bus, you can assign up to four logic sources Talk 1 Condition to Talk 4 Condition (since Toolbox v9.0.4 & FW 9.0.2 and with license 52-8581), which trigger the talk function. By default, the default talk condition for all busses is not assigned. If no condition is assigned, you can't talk into the bus.

To select the logic sources, select the desired bus in the list and click Select next to one of the Talk Condition boxes in the Talk Condition area. The Logic Sources window opens. Select the desired logic source. Click Assign, or double-click on the source or use drag & drop.

You can use any logic source available in the system as a talk condition, as shown in the following examples:

When a Clean Feed Bus is selected in the Available Buses area, a Clean Feed Options area will be shown.

You can select a Fader Channel from the Fader Channel drop-down menu. The selected fader channel will be assigned to the selected Clean Feed Bus. The source of the fader channel will be set as CF Source too. (See Fader Channels – Configuring Signal Sources)

A flexible opportunity to supply a return line with a signal different from the clean feed is offered by the Output Select function. It can feed an alternative signal to the return line instead of the Clean Feed. The signal is fed into the signal path before the functions Clean Feed Cut and Talk are processed.

The selection of the alternative signal is based on a list of audio sources. You can define from which list of signals the alternative signals for a certain clean feed shall be taken. Therefore, select the desired bus in the Available Busses list and then select the desired signal list from the Output Selector Source List box.

If you activate the CF Out Gain Disabled check box, you can not influence the output level of the clean feed.

There is a total of 10 different signal lists (Source Lists), from which you can choose a maximum of 150 sources. These 10 lists are also used for the Rotary Monitor Selectors. Which signals are used in which list can be defined under Audio/Selector Source Lists. (See Selector Source Lists)

To use an alternative return signal, the following steps are necessary:

1. Toggling between clean feed and alternative signal: Configure a key with the function Output Select in the fader strip. This toggles between the clean feed signal and the signal list (Output Selector Source List) and shows the status of the function to the user. If the key can not be supplied in the fader module, the toggling has to be done using the Access key and a control module key On/Off Functions/CF Output Select.
2. Selecting the alternative signal: Configure an encoder function CF Output Select. Name the sources of the assigned signal list accordingly (Selector Source List). If no separate encoders are available for this function, you can access them via Access and a corresponding key on a control module.

• With this function, you can toggle between a signal and its clean feed version. To do this, for the alternative signal (the non-clean-feed signal) you have to define the source Mixing Functions/Program Bus 1 in the assigned list of signals.
• A tone sound can be routed. Therefore, you have to define a Fixed Processing using a sine generator (Sine) and register it in the assigned list of signals. (See also Fixed Processing)
• The clean feed of another fader channel can be put out. To do this, you have to assign this clean feed or the clean feeds of all fader channels to the list of signals.
• If you assign a clean feed to a recording device like DAT, Tape or MD, you can make an output routing with an appropriate list of signals, for example to record a source directly during a production. One summing bus is occupied by this. Alternatively, for this application the rotary monitor selectors, the PC routing software or the routing functions via keys are available.

In each summing bus, a simple limiter can be integrated that does not need additional DSP resources. For this function, select the Limiter check box.

You can set the Threshold of the limiter between -30 dBint and +20 dBint, the Release between 3 dB/s and 20 dB/s. The attack time can not be adjusted, it is always set to quick.

If other limiters become necessary (e.g., a transient limiter), you can insert them as separate fixed processing after the summation. In this case, you better deactivate the limiter in the bus. (See also Fixed Processing)