Mackie Digital 8Bus D8B v5.1 User Manual

• MODE toggles between STEREO and MONO

when using the UFX card. Each UFX card is
divisible into two halves. Either half can be selected
as stereo or two-channel mono. In other words,
each UFX card can be configured as two stereo,
four mono, or one stereo and two mono plugins.

• The MODE selection is not applicable to the

MFX cards.

• MODE selection determines the plug-in options

from the UFX card.

• Select the desired plug-ins in the PLUGIN column.

The available options are dependent on the
installed plug-in card(s).

• Each of the four card slots is allocated four pos-

sible inputs and four possible outputs. MFX cards
are automatically configured with two mono inputs,
each feeding a separate user-selected effect. Each
MFX effect has a stereo output, automatically re-
turning to two faders in the control surface
EFFECTS bank. UFX cards offer a potential of
four discrete inputs and outputs, configurable into
plugin-specific stereo and mono configurations.

• When using the MFX card, each mono input feeds

a stereo effect; each stereo effect returns to two
faders on the EFFECTS bank by default. For
example, with an MFX card installed in mixer
card slot 1 and selected in the Plugin
Configuration window, INPUTs are available at
slots 1 and 2. If Aux 1 is selected for SLOT 1, the
Aux 1 send feeds the input to Stereo Effect 1,
whereas the returns enter the mixer at EFFECTS
bank faders 1 and 2.

• Once the plug-in is selected, the plug-in-specific

input options appear in the INPUT menu.

• In addition to an aux send, a plug-in can also

receive its input from a channel pre- or post-DSP
insert, the main stereo left and right bus, or a Bus
1-8. When a plug-in is inserted “in-line” in this
manner, its output is routed directly back into the
channel or bus by default.

• A plug-in can also receive its input from an FX

Return. This allows two or more plug-ins to be
chained. For example, assign a plug-in output to
its default FX Return, and assign the input source
of the next plug-in to the FX Return of the
previous plug-in.

• In addition to an FX Return, a plug-in output can

be routed to a channel pre- or post-DSP insert, the
main stereo left and right bus, or a Bus 1-8.

 Use extreme caution when assigning

plug-in outputs to channel inserts to avoid
creating feedback loops!

• This command opens the Plugin Configuration

window. It is here that plug-ins are selected, input
sources are chosen to feed plug-ins, stereo or
mono modes are selected, and plug-in output
destinations are selected.

• There are sixteen plug-in slots—four dedicated to

each FX card. Card one is allocated plug-in slots
1–4. Card 2 is allocated plugin slots 5–8. Card
three is allocated slots 9–12. Card four is
allocated slots 13–16.

• For each active plug-in, the SLOT number button

opens and closes the plug-in window.