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1. If you hear a very slight popping from my MixAmp every few seconds when your game is quiet check This quiet popping can be easily fixed if it bothers you If you can hear it simply put some AA batteries in the tray of the MixAmp and this will go away instantly The batteries don t need to power the MixAmp however and you can still use P32 USB power The USB power will override the batteries in the tray as long as the cable is connected and receiving power This clicking is a voltage detection of the rechargeable battery feature If a battery is present the circuit stops functioning The more you know If you are playing on Xbox Live and your controller misfires and twiches randomly check This glitch isn t due to the MixAmp itself but an anomaly related to the wired controller for the Xbox 360 this can occur using the standard Xbox Communicator as well as the 40 Audio System An overvoltage occurs when the mic is blown into or gets a very loud signal from another player on Xbox Live such as the sounds that occur during a rhinoceros attack that may cause the player aim to adjust slightly without input Sometimes guns fire and grenades are thrown on their own usually at inopportune moments causing teammates to shun and ridicule you There are a couple of workarounds to this The first is to switch to a wireless controller or a wireless controller with a Play and Charge cable attached if
2. 4 of full volume before adjusting the MixAmp You may get an unacceptable amount of hum and background noise if the television is at or near full volume depending on the quality of your TV s audio so try different settings to find the best quality CONSOLE SETUP TU P15 Step 2 Connect Voice Communication Xbox Live You can easily mix in voice communication from Xbox Live and balance it with your game audio For Xbox 360 users connect the 2 5mm to 2 5mm cable to the back of the 360 controller Then connect the free end of the 2 5mm cable to the CONTROLLER port the front of the MixAmp If you are using the MixAmp with the original Xbox simply use the original Microsoft Volume Pod along with the supplied ASTRO Gaming 2 5mm to 2 5mm cable Playstation Network Start by connecting the included USB to USB Mini B cable to an available USB port on the PS3 and attach the other end to the USB input on the MixAmp In the Playstation 3 Cross Media Bar XMB navigate to Settings gt Accessory Settings gt Audio Device Settings and make sure that the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp is recognized and selected for both the microphone input and output You ll also be able to set your voice level in this menu screen Set the level so that the bar graph on the top just hits the red when you speak loudly You can hear how you ll sound to others if you go back to the Accessory Settings menu and enter the Voice
3. ASTRO PC headset OPTIONAL CABLES P11 SETUP The preceding package contents descriptions should give you a good idea of how each cable fits into your system before you get started Go back and read through those if you skipped Section 2 There are many ways to use the MixAmp and we ve packed in specific cables that should get you going with all of your equipment That is except digital audio cables digital cables can be quite expensive depending on the type and length and we didn t want to make the overall price of the MixAmp package higher by including an expensive item not every user needs All of the ASTRO Gaming accessories including digital cables are available at www astrogaming com That is not to say that ASTRO Gaming doesn t recommend using a digital connection we do Optical and coaxial digital audio cables carry much more accurate surround information and contain discrete data for each speaker channel unlike analog cables In other words you ll be able to hear your enemies attempting to sneak up behind you with much greater accuracy and clarity by going digital The MixAmp is also a powerful headphone amplifier and will naturally increase background noise and hum inherently present on nearly every analog audio path With a digital connection however the background noise floor drops to virtually zero and will give you a far better audio experience WARNING Always adjust the volume of the MixAmp t
4. hardware mixing is enabled between voice communication game sound and music Never lt Alt Tab gt yourself to an untimely death again trying to manage a software based music player just connect your mp3 player to the MixAmp and keep your gaming rig focused on the task at hand ABOUT THE AGG In a LAN environment your MixAmp can be daisy chained with any number of other MixAmps creating a private hands free and full duplex voice communication channel much higher quality than VoIP systems with zero network lag ABOUT DOLBY SURROUND TECHNOLOGY Unlike many other generic 5 1 audio products on the market today the 40 MixAmp is a genuine Dolby product containing Dolby Pro Logic II Dolby Digital 7 1 and Dolby Headphone surround technologies Dolby is the universal standard format used to encode current games and authentic Dolby products should be your only choice when you want a superior audio experience While you might be aware of what Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital do in a multi channel environment you may not be aware that Dolby Headphone offers the same benefits to users of two channel headphones Using advanced patented audio processing technology Dolby Headphone simulates a multi channel speaker array using any standard pair of stereo headphones Dolby Pro Logic and the double D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Inc ABOUT
5. teammates with your music they won t hear it P30 SETUP USING MIXAMPS TOGETHER IN LAN OR AT A TOURNAMENT PC Using the built in voice communication function will instantly enable a high quality lag free voice channel while using ZERO network bandwidth and no CPU cycles This voice communication channel is also hands free Simply use the included daisy chain connector or an optional 3 5mm to 3 5mm cable for longer runs to connect two or more MixAmps to each other Connect two or more MixAmp s by using the front 3 5mm connectors where the Daisy chain connector usually resides Once both units are powered on you can now freely speak to your teammates in this new voice channel Adjust the BALANCE control dial to mix in the ideal amount of Game Voice ratio Important You can continue to use VoIP programs as well as a local daisy chained voice channel simultaneously as long as your MixAmp is set as the Default Recording Device in your Audio Properties menu Using a PTT push to talk key is best for this scenario but experimentation with different configurations will pay off in the long run SETUP LAN P31 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Game audio and voice communication is heard from the PC but the BALANCE control doesn t seem to have any effect on the mix Remember that in order to mix between two different signals you ll need to have TWO separate audio connections connect
6. the player itself in order to find the right balance of music to game sound Also if you are connected to other MixAmps in Daisy chain configuration don t worry about bothering your teammates with your music they can t hear it CONSOLE SETUP TU P17 CONNECTING THE MIXAMP TO A GAMING CONSOLE USING A HOME THEATER RECEIVER AS YOUR A V HUB Step 1 Connect the Main Game Audio The MixAmp will give any connected equipment the benefits of Dolby Surround and high quality amplification There are many different ways to connect the MixAmp in this section we ll tell you how to connect it using your home theater as the hub of your A V system In other words you only use your television as a monitor if you don t then skip back to the previous section We ll also list the connections you should use in the preferred order of quality Xbox BETTER BEST AUDIO OUTPUT AUDIO INPUT oo o oo o L R OPTICAL L R OPTICAL P18 CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER Playstation 3 BETTER BEST AUDIO OUTPUT AUDIO INPUT oo 0 00 QO 1 R OPTICAL L R OPTICAL A Coaxial Digital cable not included Connecting to the MixAmp s rear COAX input this type of connector is very durable and long runs are reasonably inexpensive However most gaming consoles use optical Toslink connection ports If you wish to use a coaxial digital cable with your MixAmp you ll first need to connect your console to a ho
7. you wish The voice comm is now wireless even with the Play and Charge kit alleviating the problem If you d like to continue to use a wired controller you ll have to lower your incoming voice level this prevents overvoltage from reaching the controller through the Xbox 360 software layer To do this hit the Guide Button gt Personal Settings gt Voice and lower the incoming voice Volume from 10 default down to at least 4 At level 4 you ll still get few anomalies with the loudest incoming sounds but it s really very rare see rhinoceros attack above At level 3 the problems go away 100 Recheck this setting every once in a while there seems to be some kind of bug where it ll get reset to the default 10 every so often Fortunately for users of the A40 Audio System you can simply dial back more voice by using the Balance control knob on the MixAmp and you ll probably need to raise the overall Volume to get back to where you were at before P33 If the MixAmp turns on briefly when switched on but then turns off again check 15 a headset connected to the MixAmp The MixAmp is designed to shut down automatically if there is no headset present to prevent accidental discharging If game sound is very low check 15 the BALANCE control knob dialed all the way to the VOICE side If so turn it back to the 12 o clock position and adjust from there Is the unit connected to a sou
8. A Piggyback cable for gamers who would rather get their game audio feed from their computer or TV s headphone jack Connect to the headphone jack of any television handheld gaming system PC or mp3 player you ll get instant Dolby Pro Logic Surround for all of your DVD s music and games Keep in mind that connecting through a headphone jack is a lower quality audio signal and your volume level is subject to the volume setting of your audio source For the best audio quality we recommend using a digital audio connection or line level audio connected with the included RCA to RCA cable 3 5mm to 3 5mm Cable Optional This cable is a convenient length to connect the MixAmp PC MIC output to your PC s microphone input You can also use it connect to the MP3 input on the back of the MixAmp This cable can also be used for daisy chaining two or more MixAmps together when you find that the Daisy chain connector is too short like in a PC LAN Dual Jack to 3 5mm 4 pole Adapter Optional This adapter will enable the use of any standard 3rd party headset with separate microphone and audio jacks with the MixAmp The ASTRO Gaming 40 Headset combines audio and microphone signals into a single cable and a single connector for a simple clean connection In other words you don t need to use this adapter when using an A40 Headset Important You will need to use this adapter to use any non
9. Changer P16 CONSOLE SETUP TU Once you are connected incoming voice from the PS3 can now be balanced with game audio by using the BALANCE control on the MixAmp Step 3 Connect an External Audio Source optional With the MixAmp you can mix an additional external audio source like an mp3 player into your games Use an optional 3 5mm to 3 5mm cable to go from the headphone output of your player to the MP3 input on the back of the MixAmp This enables you to instantly inject your own soundtrack and keeps your mp3 player within arm s reach for easy adjustment Be creative The mp3 input isn t just for music players you can connect any device that would normally output to a standard set of headphones by using this port Some of our customers have attached baby monitors used the MixAmp as a portable electric guitar amplifier and connected to timer devices in tournament settings Imagination is your only limitation Important The MP3 input is NOT connected to the balance function on the MixAmp You ll need to use the volume control on the player itself in order to find the right balance of music to game sound Also if you are connected to other MixAmps in Daisy chain configuration don t worry about bothering your teammates with your music they can t hear it adjustment Important The MP3 input is NOT connected to the balance function on the MixAmp You ll need to use the volume control on
10. SS 5 gt 8 NaN Nos NW Kw oy N 3 N N y 122 Saw CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE MIXAMP CONTROLS PACKAGE CONTENTS SETUP CONSOLE SETUP TV CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER CONSOLE SETUP LAN PC SETUP PC SETUP LAN TROUBLESHOOT ING WARRANTY CONTENTS P3 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of the ASTRO Gaming MixAmp Whether you are a professional video gamer a casual player or a hardcore hobbyist we d like to welcome you into the ASTRO family of performance gaming accessories The MixAmp is the result of countless hours of research and development by the foremost experts in the audio industry extremely talented industrial designers and an elite cadre of professional video gamers Despite its small size the MixAmp contains a complex electronics package and we d like to ask that you to continue to read this instruction booklet Please also keep it for later reference it contains important warranty information and a handy troubleshooting guide For all of you Han Solos out there the Quick Start Guide should be enough to get you started but come back later for deeper advice and better tips than the Quick Start Guide can give you INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE MIXAMP The MixAmp is your own personal audio mixer and headphone amplifier We developed it specifically for enhancing the audio and communications experience
11. THE AGO CONTROLS While the ASTRO Gaming MixAmp contains a complex electronic package controlling it is quite simple The MASTER VOLUME knob raises and lowers volume of all incoming audio feeds together It will not raise or lower the volume of your outgoing voice communication The distance between your microphone and your mouth is the best way to adjust this The BALANCE control enables you to dial in the perfect mix of game to voice communication Important is possible to bring either the GAME or the VOICE volume down to 0 volume at either end of the BALANCE control dial spectrum Most people find that the ideal mix is somewhere between 11 and one o clock The DOLBY on off button turns on Dolby Digital 7 1 when connected with a digital cable or Dolby Pro Logic when connected with an analog cable Dolby is active when the surrounding RED light is illuminated When the DOLBY button is not illuminated the MixAmp is operating in 2 Channel stereo mode and no Dolby processing is applied to the incoming audio signal The MASTER POWER button does exactly what you might expect and is a convenient way to mute the audio to your headset or headphones Important When the headset is disconnected the 40 will automatically shut down This feature is to prevent accidental power loss when you are traveling with your MixAmp If you reconnect your headset within a short period of time the unit will automatica
12. are connected incoming voice from the PS3 or Xbox 360 can now be balanced with game audio by using the BALANCE control on the MixAmp Important If you are using a non ASTRO headset be sure to use the optional Dual Jack to 3 5mm 4 pole Adapter to integrate the microphone function of your headset with the MixAmp Otherwise your headset will function normally but without the microphone feature P22 CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER Step 3 Connect an External Audio Source optional With the MixAmp you can mix an additional external audio source like an mp3 player into your games Use the optional 3 5mm to 3 5mm cable to go from the headphone output of your player to the input the back of the MixAmp This enables you to instantly inject your own soundtrack and keeps your mp3 player within arm s reach for easy adjustment Be creative The mp3 input isn t just for music players you can connect any device that would normally output to a standard set of headphones by using this port Some of our customers have attached baby monitors used the MixAmp as a portable electric guitar amplifier and connected to timer devices in tournament settings Imagination is your only limitation Important The MP3 input is NOT connected to the balance function on the MixAmp You ll need to use the volume control on the player itself in order to find the right balance of music to game sound Also if you are con
13. can to answer your questions and resolve any issues within 24 hours Exclusive remedy This Limited Warranty is fully transferable provided that the current owner furnishes the original proof of purchase THE MAXIMUM LIABILITY OF ASTRO GAMING SHALL NOT EXCEED THE ACTUAL PURCHASE PRICE PAID BY YOU FOR THE PRODUCT IN NO EVENT SHALL ASTRO GAMING BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES OMG CAPSLOCK WARRANTY P35 www astrogaming com www astrogaming com support 2009 Astro Gaming Inc All rights reserved
14. ed to the MixAmp If only the USB cable is connected attach an audio cable from your PC s soundcard or motherboard audio output into either the Left Right RCA connections or the Toslink Coaxial digital connectors Follow the setup instructions contained in this guide Connecting the MixAmp to a PC at Home If two cables are already connected make sure that the Voice Recording Playback audio device is set to the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp and the Audio default device is set to your soundcard or motherboard audio hardware Check the aforementioned setup section for specific information about your operating system If the mic output seems to be spotty full of static or accompanied by a background hum or other interference on Xbox Live when you talk check There are a few possibilities as to why this may be occurring The most likely culprit is the 2 5mm cable connected to your controller Please make sure the connectors are wiped clean of any dust or residue many of these connectors had residue left on them from the molding process and this will create a poor connection Also please be sure that your boom mic is fully inserted into place and that the Daisy chain connector is either fully inserted or totally removed It wouldn t hurt to pull it out and FIRMLY push it all the way back in making sure that the connector isn t upside down the ASTRO logo should be right side up when the MixAmp is resting on a flat surface
15. er IP VoIP programs have a provision to use a USB device as their voice input output option if you have such an option select the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp as your audio device SETUP 25 Step 1 Connect the Main Game Audio As it does for console games the MixAmp will give any connected PC the benefits of Dolby Surround and high quality amplification without using processor cycles or internal hardware There are many different ways to connect your new MixAmp we ll list the connections you can use in the preferred order of quality A Coaxial Digital cable not included Connecting to the MixAmp s rear COAX input this type of connector is very durable and long runs are reasonably inexpensive Many PC motherboards and sound cards come standard with a coaxial digital output and we recommend using your MixAmp with this type of input You may need to adjust your PC s Audio Properties and enable Digital I O usually a check box Consult your motherboard user s manual for further information B Toslink Optical Digital cable not included Connecting to the MixAmp s rear OPTICAL input Many PC motherboards and sound cards come standard with an optical Toslink digital output You may need to adjust your PC s Audio Properties and enable Digital output with XP this is usually a check box Consult your motherboard or soundcard user manual for further information C RCA Analog Connecting t
16. fault device you will not be able to select it since it is already selected Important Windows Vista will set the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp as the default playback device when the MixAmp is first installed which will combine voice and game sound at your PC and negate the MixAmp s hardware mixing capabilities and the function of the BALANCE control Follow the above instructions to reset your default playback device to a soundcard or onboard audio output Alternatively you may leave the default playback device set to the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp if you DON T want to connect an extra audio cable and DON T want to use the mixing feature of the MixAmp A single USB cable is all you ll need for this type of configuration Simply mix game and voice volumes using the levels in the software for your audio and voice programs Next click on the Recording Tab and confirm that the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp is set as the default device should display a green check mark this should be automatic upon installation If not right click on the microphone icon that is associated with the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp and select Set as Default Device in the pop up menu You can also set your microphone recording level through this menu Be sure to click Apply to change the settings before you exit The ASTRO MixAmp will also work with many other operating systems including Mac OSX and Unix Linux variants Visit us at www astrogaming c
17. get an unacceptable amount of hum and background noise if the receiver is at or near full volume depending on the quality of your receiver s audio so try different settings to find the best quality Step 2 Connect Voice Communication Xbox Live You can easily mix in voice communication from Xbox Live and balance it with your game audio For Xbox 360 users connect the 2 5mm to 2 5mm cable to the back of the 360 controller Then connect the free end of the 2 5mm cable to the CONTROLLER port on the front of the MixAmp If you are using the MixAmp with the original Xbox simply use the original Microsoft Volume Pod along with the supplied ASTRO Gaming 2 5mm cable CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER Pel Playstation Network Start by connecting the included USB to USB Mini B cable to an available USB port on the PS3 and attach the other end to the USB input on the MixAmp In the Playstation 3 Cross Media Bar XMB navigate to Settings gt Accessory Settings gt Audio Device Settings and make sure that the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp is recognized and selected for both the microphone input and output You ll also be able to set your voice level in this menu screen Set the level so that the bar graph on the top just hits the red when you speak loudly You can hear how you ll sound to others if you go back to the Accessory Settings menu and enter the Voice Changer Voice Game BALANCE Control Once you
18. he Daisy chain and delayed through Xbox Live This is normal You can MUTE Xbox Live communication at any time by disconnecting the 2 5mm cable the Daisy chain voice communication channel between you and your teammates will remain unaffected While playing games with proximity voice detection like Halo for example your opponents will NOT be able to hear you and your teammates speaking That is until you plug the cable back in and smack talk in the game lobby P24 CONSOLE SETUP LAN CONNECTING THE MIXAMP TO A PC AT HOME coo BETTER BEST REAR ANALOG REAR ANALOG DIGITAL 0960 INPUT om INPUT OUTPUT an OR 9 Simple USB Method The ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp can simply be connected with the supplied USB cable enabling both game audio and voice communication with a single connection Although this is a simple and easy way to connect by combining both of these audio streams together on one cable the MixAmp will not be able to function as a Mixer That is the BALANCE control will not function Using the MixAmp to its Full Potential Connecting Two Audio Sources By connecting game audio and voice communication separately using the USB cable for power voice and a separate cable for main game audio the MixAmp becomes an audio hub that enables full control over voice to game balance in hardware even when you are playing a game Most voice ov
19. ight click on the Volume icon in your system tray and open the Adjust Audio Properties box on your desktop Navigate to the Voice tab and confirm that both Voice Playback and Voice Recording are set to the ASTRO Gaming USB If not change this using the drop down menu on each of these categories Next click on the Playback tab and confirm that your Default Device is either set to your soundcard or onboard audio solution for Sound Playback This will enable the MixAmp to be the default device for voice in out and your soundcard for game audio and give you full hardware mixing control via the BALANCE dial Important Alternatively you may set the Sound Playback to the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp if you DON T want to connect an extra audio cable and DON T want to use the mixing feature of the MixAmp single USB cable is all you ll need for this type of configuration Simply mix game and voice volumes using the software for your audio and voice programs Using Windows Vista Upon installation right click on the Volume icon in your system tray and open the Audio Devices sub menu Under the Playback Tab set your soundcard or onboard audio solution NOT the MixAmp in other words as the default playback device by right clicking on the icon and selecting Use this as my Default Playback Device in the pop up menu SETUP P27 If there is a green checkmark next to the currently selected de
20. lly return to the state you had it in before it was disconnected If you reconnect after this short time you ll need to restart it manually CONTROLS When your MixAmp s batteries are low the RED ring around the MASTER POWER button will flash ON and OFF intermittently A SOLID RED button indicates adequate power If you are using the optional rechargeable battery pack an AMBER ring around the MASTER POWER button with flash ON and OFF when the battery is recharging plugged into USB power When the charge is complete a SOLID AMBER ring will illuminate You can check the power state of the MixAmp at any time whether or not a headset is connected The MASTER POWER button will illuminate for a short time indicating how much charge the battery contains FLASHING low or SOLID OK and then the MixAmp will shut back down automatically CONTROLS MIXAMP OPTICAL MP3 PC MIC USB POWER VOICE LEFT RIGHT COAXTAL MASTER VOLUME BALANCE DOLBY ON OFF MASTER POWER HEADSET CONTROLLER DAISY CHAIN CONNECTORS CONTROLS P9 PACKAGE CONTENTS MixAmp and Daisy chain Connector The MixAmp comes docked with a Daisy chain connector This connector enables you to easily connect to other MixAmps instantly opening up a private high quality voice communication channel Important Always keep the connector TIGHTLY inserted and FULLY seated for proper operation An incorrectl
21. me theater receiver that has an optical cable From there you can use a coaxial cable from the RECORD OUTPUT of the receiver Be sure to enable the record function of your receiver read your receiver s instruction manual to learn how to do this B Toslink Optical Digital cable not included Connecting to the MixAmp s rear OPTICAL input the Xbox 360 Sony Playstation 3 and Playstation 2 come with optical Toslink outputs for Dolby Digital 5 1 audio and can be simply connected this way to your MixAmp s OPTICAL input CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER P19 The original Xbox requires an add on box like the Microsoft Xbox High Definition A V Pack and some Xbox 360 models require the Microsoft HDMI A V Cable kit The Nintendo Wii and GameCube output only via analog signals but both support Dolby Pro Logic through the included analog cables The best method is to connect the MixAmp to your home 5 RECORD OUTPUT with an optical cable This is the way to go if you have multiple consoles connected to your system your receiver will automatically send audio from the selected source out to the MixAmp Important make sure to select Dolby Digital 5 1 in your audio preferences inside your console setup options section If you have PCM 2 0 selected for example you will NOT get the benefit of Dolby Digital 5 1 surround sound C RCA Analog Connecting to the MixAmp s rear LEFT RIGHT inputs use this connec
22. nected to other MixAmps in Daisy chain configuration don t worry about bothering your teammates with your music they can t hear it CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER P23 USING MIXAMPS TOGETHER IN LAN OR IN A TOURNAMENT CONSOLE 97 109 97 109 9 fe gt 4 gt Using the built in voice communication function of the MixAmp will instantly enable a high quality lag free voice channel You ll find the voice quality between Daisy Chained MixAmps is MUCH higher than Xbox Live for example so always use the MixAmp s voice communication feature when you game together in the same place with friends To enable the voice communication channel simply use the included Daisy chain connector or the optional 3 5mm to 3 5mm cable for longer runs to connect two or more MixAmps to each other Connect the MixAmps by using the front 3 5mm connectors at the bottom of the MixAmp where the daisy chain connector usually resides Once both units are powered on you can now freely speak to your teammates in this new voice channel Adjust the BALANCE control to dial in the ideal amount of Game Voice ratio Important You can continue to use Xbox Live communication at the same time you use a local daisy chained voice channel as long as the MixAmps CONTROLLER port is connected to your Xbox controller with the included 2 5mm to 2 5mm cable However you ll hear teammates twice immediately through t
23. nto either the USB port or the Daisy chain connector only Also sort of Important If you are using a non ASTRO headset be sure to use the optional Dual Jack to 3 5mm 4 pole Adapter to integrate the microphone function of your headset with the MixAmp Otherwise your headset will function normally but without the microphone feature PC SETUP P29 Step 3 Connect an External Audio Source optional With the MixAmp you can mix an additional external audio source like an mp3 player into your games Use the optional 3 5mm to 3 5mm cables to go from the headphone output of your player to the MP3 input on the back of the MixAmp This enables you to instantly inject your own soundtrack and keeps your mp3 player within arm s reach for easy adjustment Be creative The mp3 input isn t just for music players you can connect any device that would normally output to a standard set of headphones by using this port Some of our customers have attached baby monitors used the MixAmp as a portable electric guitar amplifier and connected to timer devices in tournament settings Imagination is your only limitation Important This MP3 input is NOT connected to the balance function the MixAmp You ll need to use the volume control on the player itself in order to find the right balance of music to game sound Also if you are connected to other MixAmps in Daisy chain configuration don t worry about bothering your
24. o a safe level BEFORE putting on headphones or inserting earbuds The headphone amplifier of the MixAmp will increase the volume of the product that it is connected to considerably The high performance amplification is welcome in noisy situations like professional gaming tournaments but permanent hearing loss may occur if headphones or earbuds are used at a high volume for an extended period of time Reduce the volume or discontinue use of the MixAmp immediately if you experience any discomfort feel blood or bile oozing out of your eardrums or hear ringing in your ears 1 SETUP CONNECTING THE MIXAMP TO A GAMING CONSOLE USING A TELEVISION AS YOUR A V HUB Step 1 Connect the Main Game Audio The MixAmp will give any connected equipment the benefits of Dolby Surround and high quality amplification There are many different ways to connect the MixAmp in this section we ll tell how to connect it using your television as the hub of your A V system In other words you don t use a home theater receiver if you do then skip to the next section We ll also list the connections you should use in the preferred order of quality Xbox AUDIO OUTPUT VIDEO INPUT Or PR OR FIXED OL Ors OL Or CONSOLE SETUP TV P13 Playstation 3 HEADPHONES AUDIO OUTPUT VIDEO INPUT Or PR OR FIXED OY UE 1 Toslink Optical Digital cable not included C
25. o the MixAmp s rear LEFT RIGHT inputs use this connection if you don t have an available digital connection The MixAmp supports Dolby Pro Logic Il giving you full surround sound even with an analog connection You can use the optional 3 5mm to RCA cable to connect your MixAmp to the AUDIO OUT on your PC Important If you connect to an analog 2 channel output on your PC motherboard or soundcard you will need to adjust the PC s volume control in addition to the MixAmp s MASTER VOLUME control Start out with the PC s volume control at least halfway up You may get an unacceptable amount of hum and background noise if your PC is at or near 100 volume depending on the quality of your PC s audio Lowering the PC s volume slider slightly and raising the MixAmp s main VOLUME level generally works the best Try several different settings to find the best sound quality P26 SETUP Step 2 Connect the Microphone Setting up the MixAmp as a USB Input Output Device The second step in connecting your new MixAmp is to attach the included USB cable to an available USB port on your PC This will provide continuous power and also act as a conduit for your voice communications channel Upon connection your computer will indicate that the ASTRO Gaming USB MixAmp has been found installed and ready for use The MixAmp is driverless and installation is automatic Using Windows XP After installation r
26. of video gaming With Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital 5 1 decoding feeding into Dolby Headphone the MixAmp is a home theater in the palm of your hand Whether you re gaming at home alone socially on a LAN ona console or a PC the MixAmp has something to offer For Xbox and Xbox 360 users at home the MixAmp enables you to combine voice communication and game sound in one headset ideal for discreet midnight gaming sessions You can also add your own soundtrack to any game as you play Simply connect your music player to the mp3 input and you re good to go Playstation 3 users will enjoy the benfits of the MixAmp for surround gaming out of the box with the included RCA to RCA cable or add an optional TOSlink optical cable for a fully digital experience For online multiplayer use the MixAmp s USB port is fully compatible with the PS3 s voice communication capabilities when connected with the included USB cable The MixAmp draws power from the Playstation s USB port saving you from powering it with batteries The MixAmp combines voice and game audio and enables you to fully balance between the two using the BALANCE control For PC gamers the MixAmp enables your computer to offload surround sound decoding and voice communication duties and will combine multiple audio streams thanks to its built in USB audio input By setting your VoIP program to use the MixAmp as the USB input output device full
27. om support and navigate to the FAQ for more information P28 SETUP Connecting with the optional 3 5mm cable As an alternative to the preferred USB connection on the rear of the MixAmp you ll find a PC MIC output which can be used to pass your microphone output signal to your computer via an analog connection If you have USB voice recording enabled you don t need to use this port To use this connection plug an optional 3 5mm to 3 5mm cable from this output to your PC s LINE IN jack This is usually indicated with a line in arrow icon or a blue 3 5mm jack Really Important Set the voice input in your audio or VoIP software to recognize the LINE IN port as your incoming voice signal The ASTRO MixAmp outputs a full strength line level signal and if it connected to the microphone input your computer will amplify the signal much more than necessary causing static and interference If your computer doesn t have a Line In connection use the Microphone port and set the incoming voice level to a low setting and be certain that 20dB Boost is set to OFF unchecked When using Voice Over VoIP software in this configuration you will not be able to adjust the voice game balance using the BALANCE dial Voice communication software and game sounds are mixed together at your PC make any adjustments within your software The BALANCE dial mixes game sound with voice communication coming i
28. onnecting to the MixAmp rear OPTICAL input the Xbox 360 Sony Playstation 3 and Playstation 2 come with optical Toslink outputs for Dolby Digital 5 1 audio and can be simply connected this way to the OPTICAL input The original Xbox requires an add on accessory called the Microsoft Xbox High Definition A V Pack and your specific model of Xbox 360 may require the optional HDMI A V Cable kit in order to gain a TOSlink optical port if your model doesn t have an available port The Nintendo Wii and GameCube output only via analog signals but both support Dolby Pro Logic through the included analog cables Important make sure that Dolby Digital 5 1 is selected in your audio device For example on the Xbox 360 these preferences reside in the audio setup options section of the dashboard If PCM 2 0 is selected for example you will NOT get the benefit of Dolby Digital 5 1 surround sound P14 CONSOLE SETUP 2 RCA Analog Connecting to the MixAmp s rear LEFT RIGHT inputs use this connection if you don t yet have a digital cable The MixAmp supports Dolby Pro Logic and its variants giving you full surround sound even with an analog connection You can use the supplied 4m RCA to RCA Piggyback Cable to connect directly to the RCA output of your television Alternatively if you don t have a free OUTPUT you may use the Piggyback feature to intercept audio from between your console and your television b
29. r domestic customers Furthermore if you purchased one of our products from a retailer other than ASTRO Gaming you ll need to register it with us otherwise we ll have no idea who you are when you call Register ASTRO products here http www astrogaming com register What is covered All defective parts or faulty workmanship What is not covered The warranty does not cover damage caused by accident misuse abuse neglect lightning sharks power surges other acts of nature god s unauthorized product modification or repairs or failure to follow the instructions outlined in this Setup Guide What we will do We will repair or replace any defective parts within a reasonable amount of time and free of charge at any time within the warranty period After service we will ship your product back to you at our expense What we ask from you You will be responsible for shipping or transportation charges to us We recommend that you keep the original shipping materials as it is important that the product will not be damaged during shipping ASTRO Gaming cannot be responsible for damages incurred during shipping due to poor packing but should this occur we hope that we can still be friends How to obtain ASTRO Gaming warranty service If you have any questions about your warranty coverage need help or you think you may need service email the ASTRO Gaming Authorized Service Center at support astrogaming com We will do everything we
30. rce with a separate volume control like a television s headphone jack or PC If so make sure that the TV or PC volume is sufficient about halfway up is a good starting point If voice communication cannot be heard from Xbox Live check Is the BALANCE control knob shifted all the way to GAME Dial it back to the 12 o clock position and fine tune it from there Is the Xbox Controller connected with the 2 5mm to 2 5mm cable Make sure that it is properly and fully inserted at both ends If voice communication cannot be heard when two or more MixAmps are Daisy chained and or there is interference and noise check That all connection cables are fully inserted and seated That all MixAmps in the voice communication chain are powered ON Do all MixAmps in the chain have GOOD power status no flashing red lights If not replace the batteries or connect with USB power and see if this alleviates the problem Support If you have an issue and you need further help to resolve please contact us via email at support astrogaming com P34 TROUBLESHOOTING WARRANTY All product purchased directly from ASTRO Gaming comes with an automatic 1 year warranty on defective parts or faulty workmanship No registration is required That being said if you register your product with us we will be able to provide you with even better customer service and we ll cover your shipping in both directions if a repair is needed fo
31. tion if you don t yet have a digital cable The MixAmp supports Dolby Pro Logic 11 and its variants giving you full surround sound even with an analog connection Use the supplied 4m RCA to RCA Piggyback Cable to connect directly to the RCA output on your home theater receiver Alternatively you may also use the Piggyback feature to intercept audio from between your console and your receiver if you don t have an open output As described in the digital sections above it is best to connect to your home theater receiver s RECORD OUT this way the MixAmp will receive an audio signal from whatever source you have selected Important If you don t have a RECORD OUT on your home theater receiver simply connect the RCA to RCA Piggyback cable in between your console and where it is plugged in to the receiver This is a line level signal full volume and you will only need to adjust the volume of the MixAmp to achieve full volume control P2 CONSOLE SETUP HOME THEATER D 3 5mm Headphone Jack If you are unable to connect your MixAmp using one of the methods described above you may also use the headphone output jack on your receiver by connecting an optional 3 5mm to RCA cable The volume of your receiver s headphone jack is tied to the volume of the receiver itself so be sure to increase the volume to a suitable level usually about halfway to 3 4 of full volume before adjusting the MixAmp You may
32. y seated Daisy chain connector may cause feedback or other interference 4 I 4M RCA to RCA Piggyback Cable This long cable is used to connect your console to the MixAmp providing a line level feed of game audio The Piggyback end can fit right in between your gaming system RCA connectors and your television without hogging another input output spot 115 1 2 5mm to 2 5mm Xbox Live Controller cable This cable handles the Xbox Live communication between your controller and the MixAmp Just connect it from the back of the controller to the 2 5mm input on the front of the MixAmp the side that says CONTROLLER 4M USB to USB Mini B cable This cable powers the MixAmp when you want to conserve battery power or need to recharge your rechargeable battery kit available separately Connect it to any USB port on your PC or gaming console When used with a Sony Playstation 3 or a PC the USB cable may also serve as a dedicated voice input output connection When used in conjunction with a separate cable for main game audio you ll be able to fully control the voice game mix with the BALANCE dial on the MixAmp Important Read about how the MixAmp interfaces with your PC and how to connect it in the following Setup section P10 PACKAGE CONTENTS OPTIONAL CABLES 2 1 i 3 5mm to RCA cable Optional This cable is an alternative to the RCA to RC
33. y unplugging the current RCA cables inserting the ASTRO Gaming piggyback ends into your television and then replacing the original cables by reinserting them into the female ends of the piggyback connectors Care should be taken not to mix up the left right cables by matching the red and white ends to the matching colors of their connectors As described in the digital sections above it is best to connect to your television s AUDIO OUT this way the MixAmp will receive an audio signal from whatever source you have selected If your television has both FIXED and a VARIABLE outputs make sure to use the FIXED output so that you only have to adjust the MASTER VOLUME control on the MixAmp The televisions own volume doesn t affect a FIXED output Important If you don t have FIXED audio outputs on your television simply connect the RCA to RCA Piggyback cable between your console and your television This is a line level signal full volume and you will only need to adjust the volume of the MixAmp to achieve full volume control 3 3 5mm Headphone Jack with optional cable If you are unable to connect your MixAmp using one of the methods described above use the headphone output jack on your television by connecting the optional 3 5mm to RCA cable The volume of your television s headphone jack is tied to the volume of the television itself so set the TV volume to a suitable level usually about halfway to 3

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