On another thread I explained (forget where) that several mixer manufacturers need to read these threads, since they CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT PHASE IS EITHER !!! When you see a "phase" SWITCH, say to yourself, "polarity" - Polarity only means that you swap wires, so that any part of the audio signal that used to go positive, now goes negative and vice versa. This is what those switches SHOULD be labeled, NOT phase.
This wouldn't be anywhere NEAR as confusing if console manufacturers and audio journalists would both get their heads out of their asses and use correct terminology.
The ONLY time a switch labeled "phase" actually causes a complete reversal of phase, is in the case of a pure sine wave at one particular frequency, OR when considered in a real-time situation, at the output of that switch.
If the input signal has phase problems, as the phase of one frequency compared to another which is present in the same signal, the "phase" switch will only cause a reverse-polarity version of that same, screwed up signal. All the inherent frequencies in that signal will still be incorrectly "phased" relative to each other, but flipping the switch will invert the polarity of that screwed up signal.
Unless there are ample low frequency components in the above signal, you would not even hear a difference without referencing it to another channel of the stereo pair. If there ARE low freq sounds, you would probably hear a difference in VOLUME, since out of phase/polarity bass will cancel.
I think I'll try to find the time to write a book JUST on phase/polarity, whether I'm right or not I oughta sell a bunch of 'em... Steve
