TL Audio Fat Track - Manual (Page 12)

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needed, activate it before setting the gain by depressing the button marked '48V' on the
channel strip. Although the Fat Track provides 48V of phantom power, microphones
requiring less than 48V can still be connected without any difficulties.
Phantom Power.
+48V phantom power is available at the mic socket, selected by a front switch.
Phantom power should only be used in conjunction with suitable condenser
microphones. ( Phantom power will not damaged other types balanced microphones
apart from ribbon mics, if you have no unbalance or ribbon mics it is usually OK to
leave the phantom power on subject to the caution below )
CAUTION: Operation of the phantom power switch, or plugging a microphone in or
out with phantom power applied, may cause a click or thump in your loudspeakers.
To prevent this happening, ensure that the system gain is set to minimum (e.g. on your
mixing console fader or power amplifier), before operating the switch or plugging in a
microphone.
Phase Reverse
The phase reverse switch is used to invert the phase of the input signal. It is active on
both mic and line inputs. This function could be required when processing a signal
that is out of phase with other signals in a mix, in which case the resultant phase error
typically appears as a loss of low frequency content, due to cancellation of out of
phase components. Phase reverse is commonly used when recording the bottom of a
snare drum (if also using a mic on top of the snare), the back of a guitar cab (if also
recording signal from the front of the cab), and when performing the stereo recording
technique known as an MS pair. If 2 sources of the same audio signal are mixed
together in mono and one is out if phase with the other ( e.g. pins 2 and 3 are wired
incorrectly on one of the inputs ) then cancellation will occur. To demonstrate this
plug a stereo mix into the 2 channels pan 1 left and 2 right and play back – now select
the phase reverse switch on one of the channels, no cancellation yet but you should
detect a loss of bass and a loss in the stereo imaging, you may also feel a slight
pressure in the ear but you will hear the whole of the stereo recording. Now put both
pans to the centre and the whole centre of the mix will disappear, you will only hear
those parts of the signal which were panned fully left or fully right in the mix, the part
of the stereo mix which was common to left and right, the singer for instance, and bass
guitar and bass drum etc. will all have disappeared. Out of phase signals can be used
to great effect sometimes but NEVER if you are mixing for vinyl. It is not possible to
cut a vinyl master if the final mix contains out of phase signal.
High Pass Filter
This low cut filter provides 12dB per octave of gain reduction with the -3dB point
being at 90Hz. Like the phase reverse switch, the high pass filter is active on mic,
instrument and line inputs, and is ideal for removing low frequency rumble. The filter
can be useful in restricting 'popping' on vocals or even low frequencies caused by