K403/K503 Assignment 2: EQ and Outboard Effects

Review the CECM web pages entitled Mixing Console Basics and Mixing Console Troubleshooting (which includes Effects Sends).

  1. Record into Peak at least one example using two simultaneous sound sources. You can use any combination of microphone, K2600, or audio CD. Try out different equalizations on the input channels.

    NOTE: Insert your CD into the drive built into the computer. (Press and hold the eject key, in the upper right corner of the Mac keyboard, to open and close the CD tray). The iTunes program should appear, with the CD tracks listed. If it doesn't, just double-click one of the "files" on the CD.

    The CD sound comes into the mixer as line inputs, on the channels labeled "MOTU Main Out."

    (The setting that determines where the CD plays is in the Sound panel of System Preferences. Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, click the Sound icon, click the Output button, and choose "MOTU 828mk2."

  2. Using the SPX990 effects processor, record five more selections with different effects and any source you want. Definitely use a reverb, as in presets 1-30; a delay (echo), as in presets 34-40; and a pitch effect, as in presets 41-56. Choose two more that you like, but noticeably alter their parameters. Experiment with different EQ and pan options on the SPX990's return channels on the board.

    Use aux send 1-2 controls on your source's mixer channel strips to route some of the signal into the SPX990. The SPX990 output returns to a pair of mixer channels.

    CAUTION: Be very careful with the aux send 1-2 controls on the SPX990 return channels! If you route the output of the SPX990 back into its input, you'll get ... FEEDBACK! Although this is analog electronic audio feedback, not acoustical feedback, it can still hurt your ears and our speakers. A little bit of feedback, applied carefully in this manner, can sound very interesting, though.

    See below for tips on using the SPX990.

Playing the Kurzweil K2600 from the PC88mx keyboard

Normally, we'll be using the synthesizers with MIDI sequencing software running on the Mac. But for this assignment, you'll just be playing sounds on the K2600 synthesizer and recording these into Peak, without using sequencing software. In order to do this, you must change a setting on the MOTU MTP AV MIDI interface in the rack.
  1. Usually, the MTP AV display will read "BASE-SETUP 1." You need to change it to base setup 2 for use without a Mac sequencer program.
  2. Spin the VALUE knob to the right until it reads "BASE-SETUP 2."
  3. Press the YES/NO button to lock in the new base setup.

Changing presets on the SPX990

  1. Press the MEMORY key to enter memory mode.
  2. Press the MEMORY key to select the desired memory type: PRESET.
  3. Select a PRESET using the DATA ENTRY dial.
  4. Press the function key under Yes to recall a PRESET.
    The program number should stop flashing.

Editing effects on the SPX990

  1. Press the EDIT button to enter the Edit Mode.
  2. Press either of the arrow buttons directly underneath "MainFX." (You can also try editing the parameters under "PreFX" and/or "PostFX.")
  3. The Page select keys can be used to scroll through the editable parameters for the chosen Preset. Use the function keys or the DATA ENTRY dial to change the values of the selected parameter. Some abbreviations:

©2007, John Gibson, Christopher Cook, Jeffrey Hass