There are nineteen faders. The first sixteen are for each of the mono inputs. There's one for the stereo input, a master stereo output fader, and a RTN/SEND fader. The faders have multiple functions. Obviously, they adjust mix levels, but they also serve as send level controls for the four sends of the ProMix. This is where the fun begins! Imagine having all sixteen faders set for a mix from a 16-track recorder. Now, imagine another set of sixteen faders, but these faders control send levels. More than likely, the mix level and the send level of each channel will be different with regards to the position of the fader for that channel. Pressing the SEND1 button to the left of the LCD display switches the fader function to send level control, and these motorized faders move instantly to their respective send level position. Press the METER button, and they move instantly back to the previous position. By instantly, I mean literally a small fraction of a second. It's pretty slick!
Above each fader are ON buttons to turn the channel on. Above each ON button is a SEL button. These are used to select channels that you intend to perform a function on, such as EQ, effects, and other functions done with the aid of the LCD display. The SEL button also solos the channel. The LCD display is relatively large. Measuring 5" wide and almost 1.5" high, the 240 x 64 dot back-lit display features graphics capabilities as well as text info. To the right of the display is the LCD CONTRAST control, a set of four cursor buttons used to select options on the display, and the PARAMETER wheel used to adjust parameter values. Just to the left of the wheel is the ENTER button, used to accept values set with the PARAMETER wheel. It also acts as an on/off switch for parameters that have only two settings, such as EQ On/Off. Immediately to the right of the display are two 12-segment LED meters which are dedicated to the stereo output levels.
To the left of the display is a set of twenty buttons which access the ProMix's various LCD functions. (This is a good time to remind you to stop thinking of the ProMix as a mixer in the conventional sense. What we have here is a computer hooked up to a mixer.) Four of the twenty buttons access the Scene Memory functions. You guessed it; the ProMix can store mix "scenes." And we're not talking mix levels only. The ProMix stores virtually all mix settings including channel on/off settings, EQ, pan, balance, send levels, effect parameters, and more. The ProMix can store up to fifty mix scenes. Scenes are automatically numbered and can be given an 8-character name.
The other sixteen buttons access various LCD functions of the ProMix. Press the UTILITY button for several utilities including a nice oscillator complete with pink noise. There's also a battery check utility and an option to protect scene memory to avoid overwriting wanted scenes.
