Mixing
Front panel mix controls
Nothing beats hands-on control of your mix
What makes the 4pre unique? Immediate, hands-on control of your mix using the front-panel knobs and status LEDs. To adjust the volume of an input, just turn its knob. The 4pre lets you control mix volume independently from the input's trim level, so you never have to sacrifice sound quality for a balanced mix.
Four separate mixes
Dial up a separate mix for each output pair
The 4pre mixer takes signals from its six inputs and mixes them to an output pair, such as the main outs. You control the volume of each input. Better yet, you can adjust input volumes differently for each output pair. In other words, each output pair can have its own unique mix. For example, you might create a balanced mix going to your PA via the main outs, but bring up the guitar for the mix going to your stage monitors via the line outs, so you can easily monitor your guitar sound. You get a separate mix for main outs, line outs, S/PDIF digital out, and phones.
As a live mixer
Bring the 4pre to your next gig
Immediate volume adjustments are always within reach, so the 4pre serves as the perfect compact, portable live mixer, with or without a computer. Even without a computer, the 4pre gives you complete control over all four mix busses with direct access to volume, mute and solo for each input.
As a studio mixer
Use the 4pre as the mixing hub in your personal studio
Back in your personal studio, you can of course use the 4pre to connect your mics, guitars, and other inputs to your computer. Sometimes, however, you just want to play your instruments, without the computer. The 4pre continues to serve as your studio mixer, even when your PC or Mac is turned off.
As a monitor mixer
Eliminate host latency while tracking in the studio
When recording into your computer, host audio software can sometimes introduce a slight delay (latency) in what you hear as you track. You can use the 4pre mixer, instead of monitoring through the software, to completely eliminate this delay. The 4pre even provides talkback and listenback for working with talent in your studio's isolation booth.
CueMix Software
On-screen mixing & control
CueMix gives you comprehensive graphic control over your mix and other settings in the 4pre. CueMix can be operated side by side with any host audio software for Mac or Windows, and it can be controlled from the Mackie Control Universal Pro automated worksurface, or any HUI-compatible controller.
Control room monitoring
Talkback and listenback
CueMix provides Talkback and Listenback features. Talkback allows an engineer in the control room to temporarily dim all audio and talk to musicians in the live room. Conversely, Listenback allows musicians to talk to the control room. For Talkback, you can set up a dedicated mic in your control room and connect it to a mic input on your interface. For Listenback, you can use one of the recording mics in the live room or you can set up a dedicated listenback mic for the musicians and connect it to a spare mic input.
Stereo operation
Configure inputs as stereo pairs
Two channels can be grouped to a single fader for true stereo operation. Two stereo panning modes are available: balance and width. Balance mode works much like a normal stereo balance control, one channel fades in and the other fades out. Width mode collapses the stereo image to mono by adjusting the relative pans of each channel gradually to center.
