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Fender PX-2208 User's Manual

1. Page 61 B Properties Of Page 61 1 Voltage Pressure Page 61 Ba IN Met 61 Direct Current 62 B Alternating Page 62 C What Do We Mean By Phasing amp 62 1 An Exercise Help Me I m Page 62 2 An Exercise Polarity amp Page 63 4 Grounding Shielding amp Electrical SEG ie aca foa nne Ee Page 66 Ps Ese anniren equ 66 B Grounding For Safely 00 0 Page 67 C Grounding To Reduce External Noise Pickup Page 67 H Using Proper Shielding To Reduce Noise PIGKUD Page 67 Reducing Noise Pickup From AC a a Page 67 J Finding The Source Of A Noise Problem Page 68 K More Tips On Reducing Noise 68 6 Part 6 Troubleshooting Dealing With Feedback Hum Hiss amp Other Noises Page 68 to 71 A Feedback eene on ut teste iie C PELAGO EEUU GOES a Page 68 B Acoustic Solutions To Feedback see Page 69 CHU
2. Page 57 Series Parallel Impedance Calculations s Page 58 Impedance amp Power Page 58 Part Five Cables Interconnects Microphones Speakers amp Electrical Safety Pages 58 to 71 1 Understanding Balanced amp Unbalanced Lines Page 58 2 Connectors amp emen 59 A Some General Notes On Page 59 B Some General Notes On Page 59 1 XLR 1 59 2 1 4 Phone 59 RCA Phono 1 60 C Cable amp Connectors For Microphones amp Low Level Devices Page 60 D Microphone amp Snake Page 64 E Cables amp Connectors For Line Level Devices Page 64 F Cables amp Connectors For Loudspeakers Page 64 G AGAPE TEM Page 65 H Attenuator Pads eree Page 65 ucl ECT Page 65 3 The Electrical Representation Of Page 61 A Signal
3. Page 36 2 Establishing A Page 37 L What Is A Mix Page 37 M The Pan Page 37 1 How Pan Pot Works Page 38 2 Operating The Pan Control cm Page 38 An Exercise Using The Pan Control Page 38 IN OUD ees qoe itae ameti Page 39 TORRE eto ped NE exc Page 39 stir ai cue Page 39 O Auxiliary 5 Page 39 1 Pre Fader Page 40 2 Post Fader Sends Page 40 An Exercise Using The Monitors 40 _ A Some Helpful Tips On Stage Monitors Page 42 B The Purpose Of Stage Monitors Page 42 C Types Of Stage Monitors Page 43 1 Floor Wedge Monitors Page 43 2 Side Fill Cabinets Page 43 3 Overhead Fills Page 43 4 Headphone Monitors Page 43 D Why Use A Pre Fade Monitor Send Page 43 E An Acronym 1 Page 44 F Using The PX 2200 As A Monitor Mixer Page 44 P The Effec
4. pue pa N dury oL 01385 OF WYdeipH PON UDIIMS 1ozienb3 E JBAOSSOSD HHHHHRHH x 22 uonezgenb3 asnoH JO indino 30014 104 JaAOSSOID 941 sindino 9 awn ag Aew 02915 V JUIOY p103 ja1depy 0 9 9 6 6 6 010 0 indui WH Japu Jayu induj yup ynduj 8 4 1340X oL Uew 1uDhi indino 451 v jeuueu indino 8 jauueu ndut aur indio indui puoaau ade OL ade oL ul our oder Wy uai Oo dor dde opne a2uanbas pieoqday ndut 83 input Channel insert Points See wiring of E Monitor Mix Output Used To Feed A Mix From ter plug below Multiple Microphones Used As Direct Outputs And Routed To Mult Track inputs One Or More One Through Eight Line Level Input Keyboard sequencer drum machine iine level audio gear Graphic
5. The MAXIMUM VOLTAGE AMPLI FICATION chart contains informa tion about the gain more accu rately amplification from any input connector to any output connector Using the numbers in this chart you can determine the level at any output connector from source at any input connector Just add the dB Amplification given in the chart to the dB level of the source This output level assumes that all faders and the Trim control are at their maximum positions To find the output level with faders or Trim at some lower position subtract the dB number on the fader or Trim control from the sum of the source level and the dB amplifica tion number These numbers are approximate and may vary due to slight differences in control accuracy The O dB Reference When we use the term dB to indicate a voltage amplification factor gain no reference is implied 101 dB of Voltage Ampliti cation means that if you take 20 times the Log base 10 of the output voltage divided by the input voltage the answer will be 101 dB When we use the term dB to indicate a voltage we are implying a 0 775 volt reference voltage level Thus a voltage level expressed as 44 dB was calcu lated by taking 20 times the Log base 10 of the actual voltage 1 23 volts divided by the refer ence voltage 0 775 volts The choice of a 0 775 volt refer ence was not arbitrary dBm is a common method of rating power levels
6. What s a mixing bus Well it s just like a regular bus but in lieu of passengers a mixing bus carries electrical signals A mixing bus is an electrical line that collects the various signals passengers fed to it and sends them to another place Through the use of appropriate controls signals are directed onto a bus wire where they combine like cars on a freeway with other signals on that same wire The signals on each individual bus are prevented from crossing to the other channels that enter the bus through circuitry designed to keep this freeway running in only one direction input to output PX 2200 Series Input Module 24 As the mixer is the heart of the sound system the mixing buses are the veins and arteries of the mixer Okay so we ve got a mixed metaphor what better place huh The Mixer Input Module This module is the long vertical _ strip of controls that keeps repeat ing itself across the face of our PX 2200 It controls all of the functions relating to a single input signal such as a single micro phone or an individual line level source such as the left or right channel output of a CD player The mixer input channels while clearly being the most impressive element of any mixing environ ment due to their sheer number are by no means as complicated as they look Before anything can be done with an audio signal its got to get into the mixer How you get a sign
7. sazyenby indino VHD yun Julod jouueu OL p405 upxjed H xny 9 sag andino nding PUY E S9XIA IONUOW 1220 4 1 73 1 Indu s 7 3 gt 3 957 104 pagi A E aeus bumids auoudooiwy OOE W cic E Bisuueu wvipuueq 1 97 I au enit 6126 45 E OGE sabpam 682 i POW z sabpam 682 BPOW zi OML XIN JONUOW EDCA 9UO XIN JOJIuOW T indui yy JO 30013 OL SINGING 8l 85 Specifications We publish these specifications to help you understand the features and performance of your Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer There are separate sections for Models PX 2208 and PX 208D and another section for the models PX 2212D and PX 2216D Refer to the SPECIFICATIONS section for information on the performance and features of each mixer Refer to the INPUT IMPEDANCE AND LEVEL and OUTPUT IMPEDANCE AND LEVEL charts for information about the various input and output connectors
8. Mixing Console Compressor Loudspeaker Basic Sound System Block Diagram Using Individual Components Tape Record feed PX2200 Series Stereo Stereo Mixing Console Graphic Equalizer Stereo Digital Effects Stereo Power Microphone Amplifier i Pis DeltaComp Limiter 8 12 or 16 Stereo External Effects Basic Sound System Block Diagram Using The PX 2200 Powered Mixing Console i LOW MID HIGH 80 Hz 2 5 kHz 12 kHz posee TRIM PAN MIC CHANNEL FADER E pL 1 J I Left Channel Right Channel Monitor 1 Monitor 2 Effects Pan Buffer ms MY gt gt s e C d gt O S TA I l ING Microphone Po I UD Fader 3 Preamplifier Equalizer Buffer E PEAK Solo Logic ed DC SOLD b I e Channel Inputs solder pad jumpers INPUT CHANNEL ONE OF 8 12 OR 16 SHOWN ALL OTHERS IDENTICAL f gt A nU PART OF MASTER CONTROL PANEL i To AUX RETURN AUX RET TO MON 1 N e y es Bufer gt AUX RETURN AUX RET Summing TO MON 2 Amplifier AUX RETURN BALANCE TO MAIN i Buffer A a Solo Logic ve oe DC EFFECTS RETURN EFFECTS RET L TO MON 1 SOLO E ES Input EFFECTS RET R EFFECTS RETURN Summing TO MON 2 Amplifier C7 EFFECTS RETURN i BALANCE
9. Other com mon trouble spots are fuses and circuit breakers Switches and controls that are in the wrong positions and problems with house A C power Logical Troubleshooting The process of troubleshooting involves logical thought and methodical tracking down of a problem by the process of elimina tion Logical thought processes come into play when a problem first occurs If a single microphone suddenly goes dead your logic tells you that the power amplifier Probably isn t at fault If on the other hand your whole System is suddenly quiet the power ampli fier might be at fault but it s not likely that all of your microphones have failed at once A methodical elimination process can track down the source of most problems very quickly The idea is to find out what component microphone cable mixer ampli fier loudspeaker is causing the problem and to replace it bypass it or repair it During a performance of course bypassing or replacing a faulty component is the most likely cure since a repair might take up too much time Your mixer is a good place to begin the trouble shooting Process because it has the controls for the entire system If you hear a noise in the system for example look at your VU Meters and Peak LED indicators This alone may tell you that the noise problem is coming from one microphone Pull down the fader for that Input Channel If the noise goes away unplug the microphone
10. PFL referred to as a Cue Switch on some mixers stands for pre fader listen or ji fader level v if itis con nected to a mig meter PFL allows you to examine an individual channel before it reaches the fader by sending that channel s signal directly to the headphone monitor and meters PFL provides the advantage of checking out what s going on with any channel without altering your mix You can track down a vocal Oh there he is on 17 or the possible source of distortion or noise On the PX 2200 the input channel solo switches and the effects and aux return solos are PFL solos PFL is post eq signal giving you the added advantage of being able to listen more closely to the sound created by your various eq adjust ments 39 AFL You may have already guessed that AFL stands for after fader listen The AFL button not only gives you a glimpse of the solo signal but also a sense of its overall level AFL solos are most often used on outputs as it allows you to meter and monitor exactly what is coming out of that particu lar output jack On the PX 2200 AFL solos are used on the Stage Monitor Mas ters 1 amp 2 the Mono Sum Master the Effects master and the Aux master AUXILIARY SENDS The overall utility control auxiliary sends offers the flexibility of having multiple independent mixes separate from the main left and right mix buses On the PX 2200 these are the four
11. SOLO 1 i Line Amplifier 1 AUX OUT Amplifier i Solo Logic o a I 9 EFFECTS MASTER SOLO yp ond 1 1 Mix Line Amplifier 5 EFFECTS OUT Amplifier 7 L REV OUT R REV OUT PART OF MASTER PATCH PANEL 19 1 Y Y PART OF MASTER PATCH PANEL To CLIP at LED Meter AMP A l speaker connection JU AMP B 1 Speaker connection Keep the block diagram handy and as we work through each Section of your PX 2200 note where you are on the block diagram and you will begin to understand the lay of the land An Exercise Reading The PX 2200 Block Diagram Each section of a mixer block diagram represents Some impor tant function For example the triangles represent amplifiers pre amplifiers line amplifiers and power amplifiers The rectangles represent the graphic equalizers and the reverberation unit The circles with an arrow through them controls pan controls tone Controls sends and so on A small vertical rectangle with an arrow through it is a slide fader The lines connecting all of these devices represent real wires or traces on a printed circuit board inside the Mixer and the vertical lines near the center of the block diagram represent the mix buses you can always tell a mix bus because it has a large number of inputs connected to it Additional Symbols represent your Mixer s Switches
12. ance and a loudspeaker with an extremely low minimum imped ance could overload your power amplifier The power amplifiers in your PX 2200 Series Mixer are designed to accept impedances as low as 2 ohms because of the very low minimum impedance of some loudspeakers Many 8 ohm loudspeakers 8 ohms is the rated or nominal impedance for example have minimum impedances of 6 ohms or even as low as 5 ohms Two of these loudspeakers in parallel would have a minimum impedance of 2 5 ohms which would still be within the safe limits for your PX 2200 Mixer The easiest way to describe the change in power output with different load impedances is to take an example Let s use the Fender SPL 9000 Power Amplifier which is rated at 450 watts per channel into a 4 ohm load The SPL 9000 has a minimum load impedance of 2 ohms even though its 450 watt power rating is at 4 ohms 450 watts into 4 ohms means exactly that If you connect a 4 ohm loudspeaker to one channel of the SPL 9000 the amplifier will produce as much as 450 watts into that loudspeaker If you connect two 8 ohm loud speakers in parallel to one channel of the SPL 9000 the SPL 9000 will again produce as much as 450 watts into the 58 resulting total impedance of 4 ohms Each 8 ohm loudspeaker in this example will receive exactly one half of the total power or a maximum of 225 watts If you now connect a single 8 ohm loudspeaker to one channel o
13. applications headphones and even small spot monitor speak ers may also be used Floor Wedge Monitors One of the big advantages to floor wedges is that they are typically angle up directly at the musician and many have a tighter horizon tal coverage pattern than a typical p a speaker i e horizontal high frequency dispersion That is why the H F horns on Fender stage monitors for instance are ori ented vertically giving more even coverage as the performer moves back and forth from the microphone with minimum coverage side to side This helps to eliminate overlap between speakers see mud above allowing each performer or groups of performers such as two vocalists right next to each other to have their own monitor with little interaction between Speakers As such floor wedges are most often used as a form of spot as opposed to fill monitoring Floor wedges are often the most flexible type of cabinet to have as most can be positioned two or three Ways and can double as side fills if needed Side Fill Cabinets Any good sound reinforcement Speaker can be used as a side fill cabinet Usually these are larger cabinets than the floor wedges and are often full range or multi way p a speakers Side fills can have many benefits First they can cover a larger area than a floor wedge allowing several musicians to use a single speaker Secondly since they are often located right
14. equalizer is referred to as fixed EQ Afixed EQ will allow you to Cut or boost the signal level for a specific bandwidth around specific frequency ranges The straight lines in Chart D above shows the frequency range of an electric bass guitar and a flute Don t confuse this term frequency range which shows the highest and lowest notes that can be played on the instrument with the similar term frequency response which normally applies only to electronic devices and not to musical instruments op ano Flut PI Viol ES in SN Hug ELE ER CIN LL 100Hz 1 kHz 10kHz 20kHz Chart E Also keep in mind that the range of upper harmonics will vary from instrument to instrument thus these charts are not exact The curves show the changes in Input Channel frequency response produced by boosting or cutting the Low control bass tone control You can see from these lines that the Low control can have a significant effect on the sound of an electric bass but will have much less effect on the sound of a flute The curves in Chart E above shows the changes in Input Channel fre quency response produced by the High control alongside th same electric bass and flute frequency ranges Here it s apparent that the High control can have consid erably more effect on the sound of the flute th
15. remember those tiny parts of an atom make up any electrical signal and they have an unstoppable desire to flow from negative to positively charged points As we discussed above this is DC A transistor radio battery has a and a terminal Put it in a radio with its terminal connected to the radio s terminal and the battery s polarity is said to be normal Turn the battery around so that it s terminal is connected to the radio s terminal and you will have a very unhappy smoking radio although all 9 volt batteries are keyed to prevent you from hooking them up backwards But 1 digress if the battery was hooked up backwards it could be said that the battery s polarity is reversed The polarity of a microphone is a bit more complex but similar in concept Audio as you may have guessed by now is an AC signal sound wave in the air consists of alternate layers of compressed and rarefied uncompressed air URGE VAM tvi ot a PET wil crucis w gente 2h o Pin 2 s The compressed layers are defined as positive pressure the rarefied layers are defined as negative pressure When a positive pressure wave hits the diaphragm of the micro phone it produces a positive voltage on one of the pins of the microphone connector relative to one of the other pins That pin is the pin
16. wide frequency range The dispersion in the vertical plane however usually narrows at the high frequencies in a similar manner to a straight horn Radial horns are sometimes called sectoral horns Although it is sometimes mis used the term sectoral means that the horn is made from a sector of a sphere Sectoral has nothing to do with the number of sections in the horn see Multi Cell horns below Straight horns are sometimes used in packaged loudspeaker systems but radials are a more common choice Because a well designed straight or radial horn usually has a very pleasing sound quality they are often used in entertainment music plus voice oriented loud speaker systems Multicell horns are actually made from groups of narrow coverage angle straight exponential horns Multicells were an early and reasonably successful attempt to overcome the high frequency beaming problem of straight exponential horns Multicells are primarily used in voice only systems and because of their good dispersion control they are often used in highly reverberant rooms Good dispersion control means you can point the sound at the audience and do a good job of keeping it away from the walls and ceiling So called constant directivity horns have very good dispersion control in both the horizontal and vertical planes over a wide frequency band Some constant directivity horns have very good sound quality Unfortunately for a
17. 1 will be routed to the input of graphic equalizer A and out of the graphic equalizer into the input of power amplifier All you need to do to use this as a stage monitor system now is to plug your monitor speaker into the speaker output jack of power amplifier A If you don t have a monitor wedge the loudspeakers you are using for these exercises will work fine Although convenient if you wish torun a stereo sound system or two mono mixes using the built in power amplifiers and graphic equalizers on the PX 2200 it will be necessary to provide a sepa rate power amplifier and if de sired a graphic equalizer We recommend using the Fender M 300 Stage Monitor Amplifier which includes powerful controls for controlling feedback altering the sound of the monitors and a moderate size power amp perfect for driving a single pair of moni tors If you wish to use a separate power amplifier such as the Fender M 300 connect its input to the Mon 1 out jack at the mixer patch bay not at the speaker output of amplifier A and connect the M 300 s speaker outputs to your loudspeakers If you wish to use the graphic equalizers on the PX 2200 as well as the notch filters on the M 300 see the suggested hookup charts inthe rear of this manual Now that we are hooked up let s turn the Monitor 1 and Monitor 2 output faders all the way down as well as all of the monitor mix send controls
18. 15 dB 12 KHz Mid Frequency Peak Dip EQ 12 dB 2 5 KHz Low Frequency Shelving 15 dB 80 Hz Monitor 2 Send Control Pre Fader Monitor 1 Send Control Pre Fader Aux Send Control Post Fader Effects Reverb Send Control Post Fader Input Channel Pan Control Input Channel Solo Channel Scribble Strip Channel Fader PX 2200 Series Input Channel Peak Indicator Input Section Features PX 2200 Series Power Amplifier Module Features Amplifier A Speaker Output Jacks Amplifier B Speaker Output Jacks A C Power Cord Air Intake Fan A C Power Switch Flow Through Exhaust Ports Effects Mix Monitor 1 Lett Main Mono Sum Output Jack Output Jack Output Jack Output Jack Aux Mix Right Main Output Jack Output Jack Monitor 2 Output Jack PX 2200 Series Output Section Graphic Features EQ 6 Graphic EQ B BNC Illumination Lamp Socket xx ed 26 E Tape Playback Inputs Aux Return Tape Record Outputs Aux Return Amplifier Amplifier Left amp Right LeftInput Left amp Right Right Input Alnput Input PX 22080 POWERED MIXING CONSOLE PEL o Graphic EQ B Power ON LED Graphic EQ B T Assignment Switch i ovas 0 MM Phantom Power ON LED Stereo Tape Out i 48 Volt Phantiom Power Record On off Switch pue Level 1 SHORT i Stereo Tape In Reve
19. Built In Stand 4 Take the lid you removed in step 2 and put the bottom of it into the two black metal guide slots located in the side paneis of the mixer Examples 5 6 and 7 Be sure the two silver quick release spring loaded latches are on the top side of the cover where you can get to them Now push the lid down into the guides as far as it will go Example 8 It will stop in ex actly the right position When fin ished the quick release latch pins should be lined up with two small holes in the black metal guide slots Example 9 5 Rotate the knurled handle on the quick release spring loaded latch and the latch should pop into the hole in the guide slot Example 10 thus securing the X shaped stand assembly comprised of the PX 2200 road case and the cover 6 Set the unit down on the floor It should now stand on its own Example 11 7 Now slowly lower the mixer panel until it rests on the top of the carpet covered lid Example 12 and 13 It s that simple Now you have a stand to hold the mixer at hand height while playing if the band is mixing themselves on stage ora desk that the sound engineer can sit at holding the mixer at desk height for ease of operation and providing plenty of leg room for the sound engineer Example Four Lifting The Mixer Panel Example Five The Metal Lid Guide Slots Example Six Inserting The Lid Into The Metal Lid Guide Slots Tear D
20. Equalizers May Be Used As Control oom Monitor EQ s Or As Outboard Equalizers As Required For More Extensive input EQ Using The Channel insert Points And Tne GEQ in amp Out Jacks 8 When Used With These Jacks The Position Of Tne Assignment Switch Does Not Matter Since 1 2 3 4 5 Input Channel insert Points Used As Direct Outputs See wiring of adapter plug below And Routed To Mi rack Inputs One Through Eig Reverbs Between Insert Point And Multi Track Recorder Inputs 5 7 AsRequired For Tracking Or Overdubbing With Effects EXAMPLE FIVE Eight Track Recording amp Mixdown Using The Channel Insert Points As Direct Outputs The Normal Signal Flow is interupted Insert Signat Processing Compressors Limiters Equalizers Noise Gates Ang Multi Track Recorder inputs As Opposed To Taking A Direct Feed For Each Track MultiTrack Tape Outputs One Through Eight To Console Line inputs Nine Through Sixteen Mixdown Deck Cassette or DAT Line Output L amp R To Tape Playback input Jacks L amp R Output Tc Outboard Digital EFX Input Right EFX Output To Aux Return Right RCA Output To Multi Track Recorder Line inputs Conncection To Ring Conductor TRS Plug To Channel insert Jacks J Tip To Outboard EFX Device Output Steeve Ring To Outboard EFX Device input Stereo Mixdown Deck Cassette DAT or DAW Left EFX Output To Aux
21. Faders are used for more active functions like mixing While the fader may occasionally be used to raise the level of gain on a channel a fader s primary _ Purpose is precisely that to attenuate to fade or lower the signal in order to blend the various elements together With most mixers there will be Some indication a 0 dB reference a shaded area or some other Symbol of where the fader should be set for nominal level when originally setting the input signal at the trim control From this point you will generally bring the fader back in order to create the neces sary level adjustments for your mix However if you find that you re having to bring the level consistently toward the bottom of its throw you may want to readjust the trim control in order to give yourself more room to maneuver with the channel fader Conversely if you find that you generally do not have enough gain and run out of room at the top of the fader you may need to raise the input gain Slightly at the trim An Exercise Using The Faders See The Exercises if you haven t already done so Start your CD and set the input gain control like you did in the previous exercises Then set the Main Left and Right master faders to their 0 posi tions nearly 2 3rds of the way from the top of the fader s travel Now slowly bring up the fader on Input Channel 1 and listen to the music from your CD player or recorder come out of yo
22. In a very real way you are mixing these two sources the CD tape machine outputs to your loudspeaker Establishing a Balance The 0 position also called the nominal position should be considered the ideal setting for the Main L amp R master faders Of course you will change the position of the inputs faders continuously as a normal part of mixing a performance and may need to slightly boost or cut the master left and right faders occasionally The exception to this would be a gradual fade out where you would pull down both the main left and the main right fader to fade out a song For normal operation however keeping the Program faders at or just below their 0 position has two important benefits First it gives you maneuvering room to mix the output levels up or down at will If you keep the master left and right faders too near the top or bottom of their travel you limit your ability to increase or decrease the output _ level Second keeping the master left and right faders near their positions along with careful setting of the Trim controls allows you to mix the Input Channel faders at positions that are rea sonably near their O positions This mixing technique establishes a balance between Trim control input fader and master fader positions that gives you maximum maneuverability and also opti mizes the signal to noise ratio inside the mixer What is a
23. Line Out 2 Tape Line In D Tape Playback Right Left Right To Tape Record lt Input Jacks E Output Jacks BANER 402 Fender 2915 Tour Series Loudspeakers Channel B Right Amplifier Output Channel A Left Amplifier Output CH A Output Graphic Equalizer Assignment Switch Graphic EQ A set to Left Position and Graphic EQ B set to Right Position Two Channel Compressor Limiter Noise Gate ccc M 300 Speaker Output Fender SPL 1285 Stage Monitors 2240 EXAMPLE THREE A Small Stereo P A With An External Monitor System And A Stereo Recording Mix 82 SOXIIN 41031uow oBe3s puy 52235 9 J EPu193X3 YUM pedury uj 031915 y INOJ A TdlIAVX3 suiais S aBuey 14 5162 20 7162 p 0 51300 qn 5 811 52025 AD sayeads jO 11013 s13jo0 qns 7 0006 145 ouow pabpug SIAYA 3 H Y 9 100097145 OasaIs p sow sans e PA SU IH Y SPIN sqns a BARE indup indui epe aen asio d id Bp Va v Jouueu T tov uonsod Z 01195 03
24. Return Left 3 Conductor Phone Plug To Mixer Front Panel Headphone Jack This Allows You To Use The Built Power Amps For Control Room Monitors While Maintaining Solo 5 This is Plugged into Either The GEQ Or The Pwr Amp inputs Important Note When Using The Headphone Output Jack Feed The Power Amplifiers For Control Room Monitoring Start With The Level The Way Down And Brin To The Desired Level Tnis A Very HOT Output Control Room Monitor Loudspeakers Monitor 2 Mix Output To External Power Amplifier input For Use As Headphone Feed For Engineer And Musicians Outboard Digital Effects Processor 7 0 09 Headsets Many As Are Tip Headphone Distribution Box TI 84 Burxiy 95 1u014 93e1edos V 9josuo Bux 1011u0yyJ 9be3s uo uy sv 0022 QL XIS 3 1dAVX3 1 i s 7 indui jog 0006 1dS QL PO 5626 45 OWNS sy aues DJeOQ 2y Adu 9 oaiais 5126 45 OL INO pjooaw ade 02S 9100 SSION IoUIHOSS2ICLIO OML uofiisod z uOW 01135 pue UORISOg uOW 01 Jas v OF
25. TO MAIN IPAN NE 2 e ES Ore i SELECTABLE ONBOARD L__t i DIGITAL EFFECTS REV IN AND REVERB Pen eee Spring reverb on units so equipped je t PART OF MASTER PATCH PANEL REVERB DEFEAT 18 SOLO Power Amplifier CLIP from DELTACOMP lo logi p Left Right i LED LED olo Meter Meter M N Mix x 5 ve Amplifier i Meter Amplifier 4 85 pu Amplifier i HEADPHONES por e M Me Bue OUT T Amplifier 6 Amplifier cc 11 2 ume LE im 0 06 RECORD LEFT MAIN n Amplifier 5 1 OUT Amplifier y RI gt Ke ae L MAIN OUT TAPE IN MONO SUM Se MAIN OUT A E our L Buffer 17 Summing I 8 Amplifier Amplifier u 5 R CA Ps a 2S pg i TAPE Amplifier yp 4 PLAYBACK OQ 7 IN gt GEQ A IN RIGHT MAIN i Amplifier Amplifier 2 SUE 1 gt 95 GEQ B IN 88 Pl 1 pud ma za our Solo Logic e gt DC 9 3 1 GEQ B OUT Solo Logic Bu en DC 5 4 1 MONITOR 1 SOLO o Ave A IN a i 2 m Line Amplifier sa Amplifier ds i 1 Solo Logic w DC i i AMP B IN MONITOR 2 SOLO i i OUS Solo Logic id m DC i EEE E EE e ring AUX MASTER
26. almost invariably high quality the quality of com mercially available phone plugs can vary widely Your best bet is to purchase a well known brand name like Switchcraft or Neutrik at a reputable audio store like your Fender dealer RCA Phono to T S Phone VW TAVS Phone to XLR male RCA Phono Hi Z Mic to Lo Z Mic in Line Transformer 3 RCA Type Phono Plugs Note the term phono not phone indicating that these plugs got their start on phono graphs assumably those manu factured by the RCA company Phono plugs or RCAs are used primarily on hi fi and semi pro audio equipment Most likely you Will need to use them to Say hookup CD player DAT re corder or even a multi track audio recorder to your Fender Mixer Phono plugs however are fragile and do not make good general purpose pro audio connectors We have included two sets of RCA jacks on your Fender PX 2200 The first is a left and right Record output used to plug into the record inputs of a DAT or cas Sette deck The second is a set of Playback inputs for easily hooking the outputs of a DAT Cassette or CD player into your PX 2200 Cable and Connectors For Microphones and Other Low Level Devices Lo Z balanced microphones most professional microphones are in this category use shielded two wire cable and XLR type connec tors 60 Hi Z unbalanced microphones usually use a 1 4 phone plug conn
27. amp Headroom Page 26 NOMEA e DL Page 27 1 The Initial Control 29 iic MONDE Page 29 3 Using The Peak LED Page 29 4 Using The Trim Page 29 H Phantom Power For Condenser Microphones Page 30 1 An Explanation Of Phantom Power Page 30 2 Adapters amp Phantom POWE istius Page 30 3 Auxiliary Equipment amp Phantom Power Page 30 l Mixer Input Channel Equalization Tone Controls Page 30 4 1 What The Input EQ Controls Page 32 2 Center Frequency Page 32 Bandwidth 32 4 Amplitude E 32 5 Types Of PEE Page 32 6 Shelving EQ 32 7 Peak Dip EQ Page 32 8 The PX 2200 Input Channel Equalizers Page 32 9 An Exercise Using The Input Equalizers Page 33 10 Input EQ amp Mixed Instruments Page 35 11 A Precaution About Over using Input EQ Page 35 J The Insertion Page 35 The Input Channel Faders Page 36 1 An Exercise Using The
28. and EFFECTS RETURN TO MONITOR 2 combine the Stereo effects return signal into a Single mono source while not affecting the stereo return to the main left and right busses and allow you to return this mono effects signal into the stage monitor mixes If you d like to experiment with these controls set up your system the way you did when we first discussed the use of the Monitor mixes Then try mixing some reverbera tion into Monitor 1 and Monitor 2 using the Effect Return Monitor 1 and Effect Return Monitor 2 controls The individual input channel effects sends and the effects master controls work just like they do when using the stereo effects return to the left and right main bus In a live performance you might do this when you are using one of the Monitor mixes to feed a System in a separate room or more likely if you are mixing monitors for a performer who asks for a little reverb in my monitor Using The Effects Send With An Outboard Processor It s easy to connect an external effects device in place of the built in DSP section However since the DSP section built into the PX 2200 is of exceptional quality you will probably not want to do this If you must however just connect the device input to EFFECTS OUT jack and the device output to the EFFECTS RET L and EF FECTS RET R jack This auto matically disconnects the internal DSP Reverb in your PX 2200 Mixer replacing it w
29. and bring the channel fader back up If there is no noise great Turn it back down and then plug in another microphone into it and bring the fader back up If the new mic works well you have eliminated the input channel of the mixer as the problem and limited the problem to either the microphone or the mic cable Try the suspect mic with a new cable if it works OK you have found the problem If it doesn t try a different mic with the new cable If it works go back to the original cable If that works you have eliminated all the causes of the problem except for the mic and that mic is at fault If your entire system all micro phones suddenly goes dead again check out your VU Meters and LEDs If they are still active then you know your system is working a least through the Mixer Thus some component further along in the system must be the culprit Think through your block diagram at this point to find the next suspect component One component that s often a prob lem is the house A C power in a device upstream in the signal path When possible patch around suspect components to see whether the problem is in the suspect component For example a limiter or graphic equalizer can be completely removed from the system and the System will still operate Thus if you suspect a specific device or sub section of your PX 2200 use a patch cable to bypass the device in question For example
30. and is located directly above the input channel pan pot The effects reverb mix comes from each input channel via the effects send control What the Effects Mix Does The Effects mix operates much like the Monitor mixes that is it mixes each Input Channel onto the Effects bus in a similar manner to the way the Input Channel Monitor 1 and 2 controls mix each Input Channel onto the Monitor 1 and 2 buses There are a couple of important differences however The Effects mix is both post EQ and post fader the Monitor mixes are pre EQ and pre fader This means that when you make changes in the settings of any of the three Input Channel Equalization _ controls that action will also change that Input Channel in the Effects mix and unlike the Monitor mixes when you change the setting of the Input Channel fader that action also changes the level of that Input Channel in the Effects mix The Effects Mix Master Section These signals combine on the effects mix bus are controlled as a group by the effects master level control The Effects mix has a master level control but no master fader The effects master level control is located directly below graphic equalizer A A solo switch is also provided allowing monitoring via headphones and output metering of the effects mix The Effects Section Patch Bay Output Jacks The output of the effects mix finally comes out of the mixer on jack in the patch ba
31. apparent loudness Keep the VU Meters Swinging at or below the nominal position it s okay to allow them to swing above nominal on occasion The Two Switchable Master Graphic Equalizers The Master and Monitor Graphic Equalizers appear in the block diagram before the Master or Monitor faders That is they are pre fader In the Master Output Channels the Line Out jacks are normalled normally connected to the G EQ IN jacks Connecting an external device to the G EQ IN jack automatically disconnects this normalled connection An Introduction to the Master Graphic Equalizers The two main graphic equalizers perform tone control like functions for the master outputs in a similar manner to the way the Low Mid and High controls work on the Input Channels There are however two important differ ences First the two master equalizers are graphic equalizers graphic equalizers are discussed in detail in the section entitled Using The Graphic Equalizers This means that there are more controls each control affects a narrower frequency range it s like having three Low three Mid and three High controls each at a Separate frequency and bevause the controls are slide faders you get a graphic representation of the EQ curve Second the master graphic equalizers affect an entire mix That is the master Left Equalizer affects the frequency response and therefore the sound quality of every input th
32. behind or below the main house p a speaker stacks they can help alleviate the empty feel many stages have without significant time delays especially in larger more reverberant halls Third they can be used for a mix of those signals all the performers need more of while spot moni tors can be used to provide an individual player the specific instruments they need such as a bass player and drummer in order to keep time Used at a reason able level side fills can be very helpful especially on larger stages and in larger halls Overhead Fills Except in very special situations and usually only in permanent installations overhead fill moni tors should be avoided They are difficult to rig for a small band and can be problematic if not set up properly Headphone Monitors Stage monitoring with regular headphones is popular with some players particularly drummers Additionally many larger groups now use in ear monitoring systems comprised of a wireless receiver and small ear pieces molded to an individuals ear shape If the entire band is using headphone monitors and there is little chance for feedback this can be a good option though some performers have complained of feeling cut off from the audience If not done properly using head phones can have tragic conse 43 quences Massive feedback Static pops a dropped micro phone or feeding a high level tone burst accidentally in
33. both monitor 1 and monitor 2 on each of the input channels Make sure that no solo switches are pushed in anywhere on the console To see if any input channel effects returns or output masters are soloed check the red solo LED near the bottom of the two LED bargraph meters The solo LED should be off When you solo any input chan nel or output master by pushing the solo switch this LED will turn on The purpose of this LED is to show you when any input or master channel is soloed in the metering and headphone monitor ing system When an input channel or output master is soloed the meter and headphone circuit is disconnected from the stereo main left and right outputs and is switched to what ever input output or groups of inputs and outputs that are selected by engaging their respec tive solo switches This allows you to meter the level of any signal to help set input gain or to meter any of the sends or the mono sum output and to monitor it by headphones This can be very useful Turn on your CD player or tape machine Press the solo switch above the Monitor 1 master slide fader This automatically switches both the left VU meter and the headphone monitoring system from the main left output to the Monitor 1 output The Solo LED should now light Bring up the Monitor 1send control on Channel 1 to its center position Now bring up the Monitor 1 output fader until you reach a comfortable li
34. can now see what was once only a simple rectangle or square with a name inside of it is made up of a number of controls amplifiers connectors etc This is like looking at a City map it shows you how to get around inside this section Each major subsystem of your PX 2200 can be broken down in this way The key to understanding HOW a signal travels through your PX 2200 is to trace the flow of a signal from the input through to the output tying the block diagram symbol to the actual controls and circuit sub blocks inside the PX 2200 Again the block diagram is your road map Use it or be condemned to wander in the wilderness of ignorance Now lets get into the PX 2200 starting at the most logical begin ning place the mixing console subsection and the place it all begins the inputs Fixed Resistance airy Rotary Linear H Control Control Adjustable Trim Control Audio Earth Ground Common Ground Jack Break Jack Normalled Transformer Transformer Indicating Phase Center Tapped Transformer Variable Resistance Volume Control fa if Tip Ring Sleeve Sleeve Tip _ AA Ganged Pan Controls Pot Stereo 59 Ganged Switches Stereo m Relay 55 5 Switch Type 9 1 it Phone Left Loudspeaker Stereo Stereo Power Graphic Amplifier Equalizer Chan Unpowered
35. current from an ampli fier to which it is connected The lower the impedance the more power the loudspeaker will draw at a specific signal voltage Because of this interaction be tween loudspeaker impedance and amplifier power most equip ment manufacturers provide amplifier power ratings for at least two specific load impedances The minimum load impedance on most amplifier specs will be 4 ohms though some may state a load impedance of 2 ohms It s usually not a good idea to have less than a 4 ohm load impedance in a professional sound situation Smaller load impedances put undo Stress and strain on your amplifier s Impedance involves both resis tance and Reactance is frequency based meaning its value changes as the frequency changes and subsequently the impedance rating is also fre quency based Loudspeaker specs will generally provide a nominal impedance given in ohms but this figure will vary widely during actual opera tion The most helpful type of impedance specification is a graph of the Loudspeaker Impedance Curve in which impedance is plotted against frequency Like other graphically presented specifications such information gives you a much better picture of what to actually expect when you employ that loudspeaker in an actual concert situation Converting Amplifier Power to SPL This incredible increase of available power is pointless if it isn t ultimately convert
36. given fre quency range true constant directivity horns tend to be some what larger than other horn types A constant directivity or CD horn combines the best of both a radial an exponential horn __ In a two way system the woofer and tweeter share the midrange frequencies In a three way or multi way system a separate component is used to cover the midrange That component may be a compression horn and driver or it may be a cone type loud speaker depending on the fre quency range it must cover and its SPL output Some systems include sub woofers or super tweeters or both A sub woofer is designed to extend the low frequency re sponse of a loudspeaker system or to improve the SPL capabilities of a system in the lower frequen cies Sub woofers are usually 15 or 18 loudspeakers in vented _ bass reflex or bandpass style enclosures although some are also horn loaded Super tweeters are designed to extend the high frequency response of a loud speaker system Sometimes a compression driver and horn are used as super tweeter Ring radiators piezo electric tweeters and other devices are also used as super tweeters Choosing Loudspeakers Besides the obvious question of budget here are a few other things to consider in making a choice of loudspeakers 1 Power Handling The loud speaker system should be able to handle the full power output of your power amplifier 150 to 300 wat
37. instruments and voices coming into Channel 1 had any reverbera tion added to them Now with both Effect controls up you have added reverberation to the instruments and voices on both Channel 1 and Channel 2 Now for another subtle effect turn down both Effect controls on the Input Channels Pan input channel 1 fully left and input channel 2 fully right so that you have the direct Signal coming from your loud Speakers in true stereo Center the Effect Return Pan control and place the Effect Return Master control about half way up Now bring up the Chan nel 1 and 2 Effects send controls until you hear reverberation in your loudspeakers The reverbera tion is a mix of the reverberated Signals from both Channel 1 and Channel2 The signal going to the reverb is mono from combining the input channel 1 amp 2 effects sends but the output of the DSP section is stereo putting different reflec tions of the reverberated sound into the left and right channels Turn the Effect Return Pan control from left to right This places the reverberation in either the Left or the Right loudspeaker Play with the effects settings selecting different types of re verbs with dark and bright voicings and vary the delay time Your mind should be whirling with a vortex of possibilities There are two more controls in the Effect Return cluster you should try out These two controls EFFECTS RETURN TO MONI TOR 1
38. jacks may rise to as high as 22 dB however before clipping occurs The power amplifier in your PX 2200 will begin to limit itself way before that however There is a full 22 dB of room at the mixer output jacks when to meter is at it s nominal position of 0 This 0 dB output level along with its full 22 dB of headroom allows your PX 2200 Mixer to be compat ible with a vast array of auxiliary audio devices designed for these levels such as tape recorders limiters equalizers special effects devices and so on When you Connect one of these auxiliary devices with either a 0 dB nominal input level to the mixer main Out jacks the 0 position on your PX 2200 Mixer s VU Meters becomes the nominal position If the device s nominal input is 4 dBM or dBU the nominal 0 position on the mixers LED meters would be slightly above the 3 dB LED Some auxiliary devices like consumer audio recorders and some low cost multi track tape recorders are designed for a Nominal input level that is below the 0 dBu output level of your PX 2200 Mixer A 10 dB input level is common on these machines In order to match levels Properly the nominal position on your PX 2200 Mixer s VU Meters must be about 12 dB lower between the 10 and the 15 LED onthe VU meter Alternatively to keep the 0 position as the nominal posi tion you could insert a 10 to 12 dB pad between the Pre Amp Out jack and
39. line level trans former be used for microphone level conversions it would also distort although in a different manner Thus when selecting transformers you must define _ your needs in terms of both the impedance ratio desired and the level of the devices that will be connected to the transformer One valuable use of a microphone Hi Z to Lo Z transformer is to convert a high impedance micro phone to low impedance to allow it to be used with longer cable lengths and balanced microphone lines A high impedance to low impedance line level transformer could be used to allow a high impedance line level device to be used with longer cable lengths too input Mic i balanced knievel devi Switchcraft Part 5 For more specific information on pads and transformers consult your Fender dealer or one of the recommended reference books listed in the bibliography of this owners manual Grounding and Shielding Caution In any audio system installation governmental and insurance underwriters electrical codes must be observed These codes are based on safety and may vary in different localities 66 Pre Amp Out nd Power Amp between mp Position to be nominal see In jacks The VU Meters Construct in mergi project box Use or SO Values assume 3000 Mixer Power Amp n input impedance of Output 3 Mixer input 1 AU Pa
40. of left and right the knob is turned This has the effect of allowing you to position an instrument or vocal anywhere within the stereo field Technical note If both sections of a pan pot maintain full output when the pan is at center there will be a 3 dB boost of the signal In order to avoid this bump the resistance curve of a pan pot ina quality mixer should be designed So that the separate channel signals are attenuated by 3 dB half the power when the pot is at center In this way the total power coming from the system remains constant throughout its range o movement j Operating the Pan Control Besides its ability to move the apparent source of a sound from one place to another the Pan control may also be used to position an instrument more or less permanently at some point between two loudspeakers This widens the apparent size of the Sound source at least for people sitting in an area where they can hear both loudspeakers i e true stereo The Pan control can also be used to send entirely different mixes to the master Left and Right outputs You might do this if your two loudspeakers were pointed at entirely different areas in a room an L shaped club for example or if you wanted to use the stereo master busses as two indepen dent sub groups when used with the mono sum output For example put a vocal subgroup on the left master and the rest of the instruments on the right master and t
41. player recorder like you would use in a home stereo system You may need a pair of RCA phono jack to 1 4 phone plug adapters Ask your Fender Dealer about these adapters Get a collection of CD s or tapes and search out some with strong solo instruments and voices a clear and open sound and a wide dynamic range If you have any doubts ask your Fender dealers advice for a good demo CD We ll pretend that these CD s or tapes are live instruments which is the reason you should look for good solo passages Also prepare a tape of the voice of Someone you know very well and talk with often your spouse or a close friend is an excellent choice If that person sings ask them to sing If they feel shy about being recorded have them read from a book or newspaper The idea is to get the chance to hear how the controls on your Fender Mixer affect the sound of a voice that you know very well Your own voice by the way is a very poor choice for this test 23 Remember how foreign your own voice sounded the first time you heard it on a tape recorder Imagine how the microphone will be used in a live performance and ask your friend to duplicate those conditions as much as possible For example if you will be mixing a live musical performance the performers will likely hold a microphone close to their mouths and sing loudly Thus you should ask your friend to do the same watch out for the increased bass response
42. signal voltage or current fluctuates at exactly the same rate as the acoustical energy that it represents and the amplitude of the audio signal the signal level is proportionate to the amplitude of the original sound wave Properties of Electricity There are four basic properties of electricity that are necessary to an understanding of sound reproduc tion These are voltage current resistance and power If we take a trip to the railroad station we may get a better glimpse at how these four ele ments interact As the Atchison Topeka pulls into the station it pulls up on the Santa Fe just sitting there unbuckled waiting to get it together Let s face it the collision is not pretty but it gives us a beautiful demon stration of electrical current as the engine car of the A T rams the caboose of the Santa Fe sending it hurtling into the baggage car which in turn rams the mail car which in turn rams the dining car where a formerly delighted group of celebrants have just had their hors d oeuvres dumped uncer emoniously on their laps this thing is getting uglier by the minute the dining car hurtles into the club car to the passenger car to the engine which having nothing to ram into hurtles off the track and through the wall of the passenger terminal 61 Now while the cars have not moved a great distance with the exception of the poor solitary Santa Fe engine they have communicate
43. sound 6 Delay amp Reverb This simu lates putting a digital delay before a reverb chamber thus increasing the time it takes for the first early reflection to occur 7 Ambient This effect is great for simulating stereo out of a mono signal 8 Reverb Regeneration This has the effect of setting up a low level not runaway feedback in the reverb thus regenerating the delayed signal and increasing the reverb time dramatically At the bottom of the DIGITAL REVERB AND EFFECTS section is a small push button switch called REVERB DEFEAT This Switch performs the same function as the Defeat position on the top rotary switch That is it turns the reverb or effect off without requiring you to change the send and return level controls This can be extremely handy for instance at the end of the song when the performer steps up to the mic to thank the audience and is all of a sudden is greeted by a wash of reverb If you have carefully set the send and return level controls where you want them for music this switch allows you to tempo rarily turn off the reverb then turn it back on when you go back to music Please take the time to carefully listen to each of these effects You will notice subtle differences that make certain settings more desirable for use on a specific voice or instrument and a little time spent learning these sounds will pay off incredible creative dividends in the near future The Effects
44. than most dynamic mics Newer condenser microphones are however are more rugged and will handle higher SPL levels than earlier models Thus your choice can be based on pickup pattern and subjective sound quality The cardioid pickup pattern is valuable in pro audio because a cardioid microphone rejects sound that comes from behind the microphone like audience noise or leakage from other instru ments Because of this rear rejection a cardioid micro phone is less prone to feedback howling caused by stage monitor loudspeakers feeding back into the rear of stage microphones Cardioid microphones on the other hand may have non uniform Sound quality as you move off axis That is if you talk into the side of a cardioid microphone the sound level will decrease and the sound quality will change This is undesirable especially for micro phones that need to pick up more than one sound source like a mic used for a pair of vocalists or a choir mic in a house of worship This effect varies greatly among brands and models of micro phones so don t automatically reject a cardioid mic for a multi source application just check it out carefully The sound quality of a cardioid pickup microphone may also vary with distance away from the microphone This is known as a proximity effect and it results in more bass response a warmer sound as a singer moves closer to the microphone In some cases this can be an asset
45. that The audio mixer is like the kitchen of a big fancy restaurant where a dozen chefs are busy working on their particular piece of a fabulous meal The basic ingredients are brought into the mixing environ ment they are moved around to various destinations where additional ingredients are added and blended and then the entire preparation is carefully placed in position and presented to the diner which can be routed in an assort purposes These separate mixes In the case of an audio mixer the diner is the audience and the preparation is hopefully a feast for the ears Inch by Inch amp Row by Row wc 9 A Mixing Console Close Up 2 One of the most enticing and daunting images in audio is the UNE look of a massive mixing console A whether in a recording studio or in concert hall It s simultaneously inviting look at all those knobs 00 and buttons and repelling look at all those knobs and buttons but the key to understanding mixers is like the key to under standing life it s all one step at a time You re either on the bus you re off the bus Any mixing console is made up of a certain number of input channels ment of combinations to a certain number of output channels Most mixers provide the capability of creating several independent mixes to be used for very specific are created by sending the appropriate signals from each input to selected mixing buses
46. the input of the 10 dBV tape machine See Pads and Transformers Most professional power amplifiers are designed to produce their full output power when they receive an input signal of between 0dB and 8 dB The two power amplifiers inside your PX 2200 reach their full output of 150 watts PX 2208 amp PX 2208D and 300 watts PX 2212D amp PX 2216D into 4 ohms when they receive a 4 dB signal at the Power Amp in jacks 52 That means that the 4 dB Input level is the maximum not the nominal input level to the Power Amp In jacks Above 4 coming out of the mixer the Delta Comp circuitry will begin to limit the input to the power amplifier Remember thatthe 0 dB output level of the Pre Amp Out jacks is not their maximum but their nominal output level The maximum output level from the Mixer Output jacks is 22 dB In order to have 10dB of headroom in the power amplifier before you begin to limit via Delta Comp the nominal output would have to be 6 dB between _ the 5 and 7 LEDs not 0 dB This may seem a bit confusing at first but it does allow your PX 2200 to be compatable with an extremely wide range of pro and Semi pro audio equipment It is also an audio industry standard to publish the maximum input level to power amplifier and the nominal output level of a preamplifier mixer or other low level or line level device The reason for this difference is that you will commonly insert seve
47. to geta better sound out of a Specific instrument or vocalist in a particu lar situation 20Hz 50Hz 100Hz 200 2 2kHz SkHz 10kHz 20 2 Chart A ChatB _ 1 1 M eec rm ER NN T d 7 20Hz 50Hz 100Hz 200Hz 500Hz 1kHz 2kHz SkHz 10 2 20kHz Chart C 31 What the Input Channel Equalization Controls Do The Equalization controls have much the same effect on the frequency response of the Input Channel as the tone controls on your stereo system have on its frequency response The purpose of these controls is to give you the ability to alter the frequency response of a voice or instrument to improve its subjective sound quality Here in fact is the place where you can really show your Skill as an audio artist In order to understand the various elements of the EQ section it is necessary to have a handle on a few basic concepts Center Frequency The center frequency of an equalizer is the reference point frequency from which the EQ is measured Bandwidth Also known as the Q the term bandwidth describes the width of the affected frequency area surrounding the selected center frequency Amplitude The amount of boost or cut that occurs at the center frequency measured in dB when that particular equalizer control is moved from center 2 cut boost Types of EQ All mixer input channel
48. which other con nectors Second by inserting a patch cable into one of the two connectors you can break the normalled connection the chart tells you which one Due to our policy of continual product improvement features specifications and prices are subject to change without notice 2 Mixer Section Fr q ericy Response 20 Hz to 40 KHz 1 dB Distortion lt 025 20 to 20 KHz Mic Pont to any line level mixer output Signal To Noise Ratio 90 dBu ref 4 dBu all channels assigned and at unity gain MiercBhiie Equivalent Input Noise 133 8 dBv input shorted 131 5 dBv 150 ohms Max Output Level 22 dBu Line Level Max Gain 84 dB Mic input to unbalanced main output Dynamic Range 116 dB 20 Hz to 20 KHz Adjacent Channel Crosstalk 85 dB Mic Input Gain 48 dB Channel Fader Gain 10 dB Channel Fader Attenuation 106 dB 87 Power Amplifier Section Output Power 150 Watts 4 Ohms PX 2208 PX 2208D 300 Watts 4 Ohms PX 2212D PX 2216D 150 Watts 8 Ohms continuous sine wave output power both channels driven with 120 volt AC line 1 dB Power Bandwidth 10 Hz 10 68 KHz 3 down points from rated power at less than 0196 Frequency Response 5 Hz to 68 KHz 0 3 dB rated power 8 ohms Rise Time Less than 52 uSeconds Slew Rate Greater than 13 5 Volts per uSecond Total Harmonic Distortion 0 0396 rated power 4 Ohms 20 to 20 KHz Hu
49. while the reverberation effect remains the same This can be done by two methods First you can repatch using the patch bay in the upper right hand side of the PX 2200 mixer panel This would allow you to use one of the pre fader sends monitor 1 or monitor 2 and route that send into the digital reverb section input jack The other way is to modify your Effects and or Aux sends on the PX 2200 to pre fader opera tion However this modification should be done by a qualified service technician and performing this modification voids the war ranty This modification can be helpful however especially if you wish to use the aux send as another monitor mix An Exercise Using The Monitors If you haven t already done so read The Exercises You ll need additional connections to try out the Monitor mixes Do it it s worth while to find out how these impor tant mixes work You can either use a separate power amplifier or Switch the internal graphic equalizers and power amplifiers in your PX 2200 Mixer If you want to use one or more of your PX 2200 Mixer s internal power amplifiers and graphic equalizers for stage monitor purposes use the master graphic equalizer assignment selector Switch located next to graphic equalizer A 40 and switch it up to the Mon 1 position see front panel features for a description of these important switches By doing this the output of stage monitor mix
50. you may encounter however may have this style of connector Check the speaker systems owners manual to see how to wire that particular speaker to your PX 2200 Adapters If all audio devices used the same connector we wouldn t need adapters Suffice it to say that we do need them often Take care in using the adapters shown here They will in most cases allow you to connect one type of device to another They do not help you maintain impedance and level compatibility In some cases you may need pad or a transformer or even a preamplifier along with an adapter in order to be able to connect two audio devices to gether Consult your Fender dealer if you need help with these connections 65 Pads and Transformers Attenuator Pads An attenuator pad is a resistor circuit that reduces the output level from a source device to make it level compatible with load device For example a pad could be used to connect the output of a 4 dB limiter to the 10 dB GEQ In jack on your PX 2200 Mixer ES The pads shown here are of two types balanced and unbalanced The balanced pads are meant for balanced microphones or for low source impedance balanced line level devices In most cases however you will not need a microphone pad with your PX 2200 Mixer since proper adjust ment of the Trim control achieves the necessary level compatibility The unbalanced pads are meant for low source impedance
51. you simply turn down all your faders and have a helper talk into the microphones one by one while you watch the Signal LEDs on each channel If all the Signal LEDs come on at the appropriate mic check you are reasonably assured that these Input Channels will work properly when your performance starts There are of course other things that could cause the Signal LEDs to light like bad cables for example but we ll cover that in the section on Troubleshooting near the end of this Manual As a final example assume that you ve been cooped up in an enclosed room perhaps with the lighting crew and told to mix a performance This of course is an extremely undesirable situation because you can t hear what the audience hears and your ability to do your job well has been dramati cally impaired How do you mix the performance By listening to the system using a tape before the performance to get an idea of how loud it will be for a given VU Meter reading Then during the performance you can watch the VU Meters and have a reasonable idea of the actual loudness in the audience Even watching the VU Meters closely however and even if you have a good set of control room monitor loudspeakers it s Still a good idea to move out into the audience area as often as possible to get a live viewpoint of the sound In brief review then the Input Channel Peak LED indicates the presence of a high level input signal Don t co
52. 20 degrees vertical and are usually only needed in large concert systems and permanently installed systems Medium throw horns are usually 60 degrees horizontal by 40 degrees vertical and may have either a 2 or a 1 exit diameter Medium throw systems are useable in many portable as well as permanently installed systems Short throw horns are usually 90 degrees horizontal by 40 degrees vertical with a 1 exit diameter and are used to reach the front of an audience or may be used to Cover an entire audience in a small portable system 5 Sound Quality Only your ears can tell you the answer to the all important question How does it sound It s an entirely subjective evaluation and that means that your own personal tastes play an important part That s the way it Should be of course In a sense the sound System is your instrument and it should Sound like you want it to sound Yet your goal should not neccessarily be to radically alter the sound of a performance but to reinforce and to some extent to subtley enhance the sound ofa performance Your subjective evaluation of the sound quality of a loudspeaker System then should be based on how well you believe that loudspeaker System will accurately reinforce your performance You must be familiar with the way your performance Sounds without reinforcement to judge the accuracy of a loud Speaker system In addition you should do your listening tests with li
53. 5 1 Types Of Loudspeakers 2 Page 75 2 Two Way Three Way And So 2 2 Page 76 3 Woofers amp Tweeters Page 76 4 Choosing Loudspeakers Page 77 5 Using Loudspeakers T Page 78 8 Example Systems ed auteurs cd meret disces Pages 80 to 85 A Example One A Small Mono System 80 B Example Two A Small Mono System With RA Monitors amp A Stereo Recording Mix sss nnne Page 81 C Example Three A Small Stereo P A System With An External Stage Monitor System amp A Stereo Recording Mix Page 82 D A Large Stereo Tri Amped P A System With External Amplifier Racks amp Speaker Stacks amp 2 Stage Monitor Mixes Page 83 E Example Five An 8 Track Home Project Studio Using The Channel Insert Points As Direct Outputs eee Page 84 F Example Six Using The PX 2200 As An On Stage Monitor Mixing Console With A Separate Front Of House Console Page 85 Setting Up The PX 2200 Powered Mixing Console We re not going to start out by underestimating your intelligence right off the bat Were all big kids and all know how to open a box and pull out a unit right If not this manual WON T be able to help
54. 78 79 Line Level Input Keyboard sequencer drum machine line level audio gear Banaan lt lt 284 Baap pa Effects Device Out To Line inputs Limiter CHA input Graphic Equalizer Assignment Switch Both Graphic EQ A and Graphic EQ Set To The Center Mono Position Two Channel Compressor Limiter Noise Gate Q EXAMPLE ONE SMALL MONO PA SYSTEM Channei B Amplifier Output Channel A Amplifier Output DNIG OO3 H O3M3LS SHOLINOIN uu 8 INALLISAS Vd TIVINS V OML AX Idi AVX3 3SION Ja lLur Iossadui0 Jouueu OML uOniSOd 01125 g O3 Hyde pue uOnisOd JONUOW 01 395 OF quawUBissy 1ozjenb3 iudeio VHD andino V H2 T 58183 0002 4 jauueu pIo uxieg JaIdepy andino sayyduny Ser indino 8 puueyD gt ade uj aur syoer induy ade 396 aur ade lo v z Aol sJaxeadspno sauas uno 6162 LIIS ETET 2226 pjeoq Kay nduy jo 31 aur 81 Line Level input Keyboard sequencer drum machine line level audio gear M POG oy Tape
55. AS 212 PX 2 y 8 a Introducing Fender Professional Sound Equipment and the PX 2200 Series Professional Powered Mixing Consoles Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Fender PX 2200 Series powered mixing console We are sure that it will provide you with many years of trouble free service At Fender we know that artistry exists on multiple levels There is the individual musician guitar player bass player keyboardist percussionist or vocalist who has dedicated years of practice to his or her craft and puts their soul on the line every time they get up in front of an audience And there are sound engineers and others in the technical performing arts who are every bit as much a creative artist as the performers on stage We understand your needs because we are performing and technical artists ourselves We are also skilled engineers in various disciplines and fine craftsmen in materials and finishes Like you all of our people have dedicated their lives to their art and have invested it in the product you have just purchased Our art is to help you extract your art allowing you the freedom to reach the level of your talent and to help you provide it to your audience thus enriching everyone s life That is what has made Fender the benchmark line of guitars basses and amplifiers throughout history and what makes us different from many of our compe
56. EQ s are made up of one or both of the two basic types of equalization cir cuitry shelving and peak dip Like much of what we have already considered the names are largely self explanatory Shelving EQ Shelving EQ affects all the frequencies above for high frequency EQ or below for low frequency EQ a selected frequency 32 This is the most basic form of EQ and most people are familiar with it as the tone controls of simple stereo units i e bass and treble It is called shelving equalization because it basically creates a frequency shelf to which all affected frequencies are raised or lowered Chart A on page 31 shows a low frequency shelving control while chart B shows a high frequency shelving control Peak Dip EQ The other basic form of equaliza tion allows for a cut or boost of the signal to be applied to an area of frequencies surrounding a Selected frequency only with certain adjacent frequencies affected to a lesser extent de pending on the bandwidth of the control This is referred to as peak dip equalization because the center frequency is peaked when boosted or dipped out when cut Chart C on page 31 shows a peak dip midrange control The PX 2200 Input Channel Equalizers The equalization circuits on the PX 2200 mixer input channels are a high frequency and low fre quency shelving EQ with peak dip equalization at the mid range frequency This type of an input
57. LEDs meters and input and output jacks Page 18 and 19 is the block diagram of your PX 2200 mixer Now that we have taken a close up look at the elements that make up the mixer try your hand at following the Signal path from where it enters the PX 2200 mixer all the way through to the outputs If you have trouble page back through the section to locate the appropriate symbol for review Start at the Lo Z balanced input Which is where you plug in a microphone or low level source Notice that even though your Mixer has at least eight inputs only one is shown This simplifies the block diagram considerably but doesn t reduce its usefulness at all the inputs are the same anyway Just past the Lo Z input jack you See a vertical line indicating the presence of phantom power on that jack provided the phantom power supply is turned on Then the signal flows through a pream plifier stage You may also note the line level input that comes from an input jack is attenuated and combines with the Lo Z input going into the Preamplifier In this preamplifier stage is the Trim Control and you can now see how one Trim contro can work for either the 10 2 or Hi Z inputs they share the preamplifier stage One of the inputs to the channel PEAK LED s detector Circuitry is also located at this preamplifier stage So that it can detect signal at either the Lo Z or Hi Z input jacks From this preamplifier stage the s
58. LR Lo Z input connector on your PX 2200 Mixer While on some mixers this adapter would short out the phantom power it is perfectly acceptable on your PX 2200 Mixer The Phantom power will n t Work on the channel that has the adapter plugged in however In other words go ahead and use adapters as needed even when you are using your PX 2200 Mixer s Phantom power feature Again Phantom power only shows up on the balanced Lo Z micro phone connector and not on the 1 4 line level Hi Z input jack Auxiliary Equipment and Phantom Power Some types of direct coupled auxiliary equipment could be harmed by being connected to the Lo Z Inputs of your PX 2200 Mixer when the Phantom power is turned on While this is unlikely i s a good idea to check with the manufacturer of the auxiliary equipment if you have doubts about this connection or plug the auxiliary equipment into some other input such as the Hi Z Line Input 30 Mixer Input Channel Equalization Tone Controls Like the residents of George Orwell s Animal Farm all sounds are created equal but some Sounds are more equal than others As you listen more care fully to the sounds around you both in and out of a concert Situation you will begin to be able to identify their various frequency ranges as well as the ranges where there is too much or too little Minor adjustments in the level of the signal at more isolated fre quencies will allow you
59. Mix or a Mix Bus In Latin the word omnibus means all In audio and in the English language the word mix usually is used to describe the way an operator adds together all of the inputs and routes them to an output For example if we are talking about the main Left output channel we may refer to that as the Main Left Mix because all the inputs have been mixed into the main Left Output before they get to the Program Left Output they are summed onto the main Left mix bus see next paragraph Similarly when we talk about the Monitor 1 Mix we mean that group of inputs which by use of the Monitor 1 control on the Input Channels have been mixed onto the Monitor 1 Output via the Monitor 1 mix bus 37 A bus or mix bus is a physical connection point where the outputs from of a group of Input Channels or other signals are physically connected together we often say the signals are summed on the mix bus The mix buses in your Fender PX 2200 Mixer are shown as continu ous vertical lines on the block diagram If you study the block diagram for your Mixer you can see how all of the Input Channels are connected to the main Left and main Right mix buses for example The Pan Control Pan controls appear in each Input Channel on the Aux Return section and on the Reverb Effects Return section When used for Stereo mixing each channel of your board need
60. Reduce External Noise Pickup The primary reason we ground our audio equipment is for safety An important secondary reason is that with AC powered equipment under some conditions proper grounding can help reduce external noise pickup The third reason that we must pay attention to grounding is that while proper grounding won t always reduce external noise pickup poor grounding can unquestionably increase external noise pickup Poor grounding practice usually results in ground loops and avoiding these ground loops is the second most important part of proper grounding the first most B important part of course is maintaining the safety ground It s worth noting that by using balanced connections between two pieces of audio equipment you can lift disconnect the shield at the sending end of the audio cable to interrupt the type of ground loop discussed in Ex ample 2 Since in a balanced line the shield does not carry audio signal you can disconnect _ the shield at one end without interrupting the audio signal and without disrupting the effective ness of the shield This may require the use of outboard transformers or adapters Using Proper Shielding to Reduce Noise Pickup Proper grounding helps prevent the pickup of noise that is trans mitted magnetically Magnetically transmitted noise most often comes from motors refrigerators air conditioners or more com monly in audio f
61. Return Section Effects returns are actually inputs in the output section As opposed to your average every day inputs returns are called to a special purpose Basically they provide a Way to return outboard effects back to the mixes The effects returns act as addi tional stereo or mono inputs and allow you to select how much of the reverb signal is routed to the stereo main and to the two stage monitor mixes The EFFECTS RETURN TO MAIN return section provides a Stereo level control a pan balance pot for positioning on the stereo master left and right buss a solo Switch to help you isolate and fine tune the reverb settings by listen ing over the headphones The return sections both effects and aux returns can operate in either a true stereo mode or in mono mode In the true stereo mode where the stereo output of the effects device both left and right are plugged into the effects L In and effects R IN jacks the level control acts like a dual control adjusting both the volume of the left and the right channel and the pan balance control acts like a balance control on your Hi Fi allowing you to shift the stereo image to the left or to the right In the mono mode you can plug the output of your effects device into either the left or the right return jack In this case the mono return is fed through the level control and to the pan balance pot which now acts just like the input channel pa
62. TE BUIZZeS un oe ose nete E Page 69 HiSS S 69 E Othier Noises sarte a tee eis kh bie dn Fade oa ERES ta RET RATS Page 70 F Trouble Shooting A Sound System Page 70 1 Know Your Block Diagram sees 70 2 Know What Each Component Is Supposed 70 3 Know Common Trouble Spots 2 22 70 4 Logical Troubleshooting T MP Page 70 Part 7 Microphones Speakers Etc EET Page 71 A Types Of Microphones 71 B Choosing MICIODBPOTIBS uo acre made Ebene ee Rye tedio Page 72 C Using Direct Boxes amp Other datu T Des Page 72 D Other Sources eene 73 E Using Special Effects Devices ssseee een Page 73 1 Using Compressors Limiters Noise Gates amp Expanders Page 73 2 Equalization 2 74 A Using 2 2 2 Page 74 B So Called Room Page 75 C Equalizers amp Loudspeakers ee Page 75 F Choosing amp Using PETERE Page 7
63. al into the system and what you do with it once it s there depends on what kind of signal it is Basically there are two types of inputs mic and line The micro phone inputs in on a three pin type connector marked as mic and the line level inputs come into the mixer via the 1 4 phone jack connector labeled line The PX 2200 is configured to allow simultaneous oper tion of mic and line inputs If both types are plugged into a single channel they will be mixed together in that channel Normally however you will want to only use one input in each input channel as this allows you to control the level tone placement etc of a single input source And remember the purpose of the mixer is to control each individual sound letting you mix them into a tasty whole that everyone will enjoy Mic Inputs Utilizing a female three pin XLR type connector the mic input accepts the low level microphone signal and feeds it directly to the mic preamps The output level of a micro phone is a very small signal around 775 millivolts AC a millivolt is 1 1000 of a volt This proves inadequate to the task of running around a mixing console without picking up enor mous amounts of noise and eventually pooping out from exhaustion In order to accommo date these low voltage levels virtually every mixer mixing board has a system of mic preamps as its first input stage These PIERDE boost the
64. alanced Floating and Unbalanced Lines Balanced Line Connecting Two Audio Devices VU 1 VU 2 VU 3 On a true balanced ine VU 41 and VU 2 will rad exactly 35 the value of VU 3 On a floating line readings of VU 1 and VU 2 are undetermined Both balanced and floating lines help reject nosse pickup An Unbalanced Line Connecting Two Audio Devices In a balanced line the shield does not carry audio signal Thus a balanced line requires two addi tional wires to carry the audio signal for a total of three wires In a true balanced line the audio signal level is balanced between the two audio wires and the shield which is normally grounded Thus two VU meters each connected between one of the audio wires and the shield would display the same reading 1 2 the total audio signal level The primary advantage of a balanced line is that it is much less likely to pick up external electronic noises hum buzzing static radio stations than an unbalanced line This reduced noise pickup is very important for low level devices like microphones Thus the Lo Z inputs on your Fender PX 2200 are all balanced and allow you to use either balanced or unbalanced microphones Like the microphone inputs the Line inputs on your Fender PX 2200 are all balanced as well allowing you to use balanced or unbalanced line level devices Some so called balanced devices are actua
65. als to the front of house mixer and off to a separate on stage monitor mixer The PX 2200 When the PX 2200 is used for stage monitor mixing the Monitor 1 output will feed one set of monitors and the Monitor 2 output Will feed another set This would use both of the internal power amplifiers and graphic equalizers of the PX 2200 for equalizing and powering Monitor 1 amp 2 The Effects and Aux sends if modified for pre fader use could be used to feed two more monitor mixers Monitors 3 amp 4 using external amplifiers and graphic equalizers The left and right main outputs could be used for a pair of side fill monitors also using external graphic equalizers and power amplifiers This would give a total of six separate monitor mixes While most small bands won t need this kind of diversity in monitor mixing two mixes one for vocals and one for drums or keyboards will usually be enough in a small club this kind of dedicated monitor mixer is common in larger entertainment systems and it is illustrated in the System Example System 6 in the rear of this manual THE EFFECTS AND REVERB SYSTEM OF THE PX 2200 The effects reverb system of the PX 2200 is actually comprised of three sections 1 the send mix from the mixer 2 the internal reverb effects unit and 3 the effects return section of the mixer The Effects Mix Controls The Input Channel Effects Reverb send control is post EQ and post fader
66. amps in a stereo sound System The master level controls for the left and right main are the two white colored slide faders The Mono Sum Output This is a combination of the left and right main output summing them together The mono main outp t uses a slide fader Sub masters If the PX 2200 is used as a mono Sound system the stereo left and right main busses may be used as sub masters and the mono sum as the master Sub masters are used for many different and quite useful functions One of the most valuable func tions of sub masters is to allow for the creation of audio subgroups that can be simultaneously adjusted from a single sub master control Audio subgroups are created by using the pan pot to send the chosen signals to a selected sub master left or right output chan nel Once this has been done a sound engineer can make adjustments in the level of the entire group from one sub master control Since few of us have been blessed with seventeen hands this can be very helpful when dealing with large mixes both in live sound and recording situa tions Sub masters can be also used to provide multiple feeds in live sound and broadcast situations In a recording studio sub masters can be used to route a signal to the inputs of a multi track recorder Auxiliary Send Master s Monitor Effects and Aux are some of the labels you re likely to find on these master level con t
67. an the electric bass The curves in Chart F on page 34 shows the changes in input Channel frequency response produced by the Mid control The dark lines show the frequency range of a typical male and female voice as well as the electric bass and flute shown in Charts D and E on pages 32 and above Here it s apparent that the Mid control can cause significant changes in the sound quality of all these instruments In other words of the three controls the Mid is the most powerful and probably the most important Finally the solid lines in Chart G on page 34 show the changes in frequency response of a typical cardioid microphone for different microphone to voice distances The increase in bass response of a cardioid microphone at short microphone to voice distances is known as proximity effect and is discussed in more detail in the section on Choosing and Using Microphones In some cases you might want to use the Low Control to reduce this proximity effect In other cases you would welcome the increased warmth the proximity effect can add to a voice Also note the slight rise in the high frequency response of this typical cardioid microphone This is a planned feature of the micro phone known as a presence boost 33 It can help bring out the sibilants consonant sounds in a voice In some cases this presence is desirable in other situations you may wish to reduce the presence of a micro
68. ape machine fade the Channel 2 input all the way down Set the master Left and Right faders at equal levels Now bring up the channel 1 fader to a good level and then turn the Channel 1 Pan control all the way counter clockwise toward the 1 left Side Notice that the sound is now coming entirely from your left loudspeaker and that the Left VU Meter is the only one showing any activity Try turning the Pan control all the way clockwise to the R right position The sound is now coming entirely from the right loudspeaker and the Right VU Meter is doing its thing while the Left VU is off Pan back and forth for a while to get the feel of the control Then set the Channel 1 Pan all the way left and set the Channel 2 control all the way right Now bring up the Channel 2 fader Presto Stereo Channel 1 the left channel of your CD or tape machine is feeding only the main Left output your left loud speaker Channel 2 the right channel of your CD or tape 2 machine is feeding only the main Right output your right loud speaker Try cross fade by simulta neously turning the Channel 1 Pan control all the way right and the Channel 2 Pan control all the way left The sound mixes to mono and centers then splits again with the image reversed from its original position This could turn out to be fun SOLO v It s January 17 1993 and Michael Jackson is standing on the steps of t
69. as opposed to our voltage level ratings The 0 dBm refer ence is one milliwatt 1 1000 watt If a mixer produces 0 dBm into exactly 600 ohms the voltage level is 0 775 volts Thus for true 600 ohm lines the dBm power terminology and our dB voltage terminology are equivalent The Gain Level Diagram The purpose of this diagram is to express the maximum and nomi nal voltage levels and the noise floor of each section of the mixer and to show the gain or loss between sections Once you understand signal flow in the mixer you can use the GAIN LEVEL DIAGRAM to help you optimize signal to noise ratios and avoid clipping Each section of the GAIN LEVEL DIAGRAM from left to right corresponds to a section of the mixer sections are shown in the Block Diagrams The dashed line at the top shows clipping levels in each stage Below the clipping line two lines show the level in each section corresponding to maximum and minimum settings of the Trim control The lower two lines indicate the noise floor in each section for both line level and mic level inputs 86 The Connector Normal Charts Some of the connectors on your Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer are normalled normally connected to some other connector in the mixer When you insert a patch cable into one of the two connec tors you disconnect this normalled connection The chart shows you two things First it indicates which connectors are normalled to
70. at is panned to the left mix bus Because they operate on indi vidual Input Channels you will normally use the Input Channel Equalization controls to affect the tonal character of an individual Source a microphone or instru ment pickup connected to one of the Input Channels 54 Because they operate on an entire mix an entire main mono or monitor output channel you will normally use the master graphic Equalizers to affect the tonal character the frequency re sponse of one of the outputs used in your system That is the master Graphic Equalizers are used to EQ the system be it the main front of house p a or the stage monitor system s An Exercise Using The Graphic Equalizers If you haven t already done SO read The Exercises Then playa tape or CD of a group of instru ments and or voices Experiment with the sound quality changes you get when you boost or cut the various sections of the master Left and Right Graphic Equalizers Notice that each control causes similar effects to those you experienced when using the Input Channel Low Mid and High controls The Program Graphic Equalizer controls however affect a narrower frequency band You can hear that by first trying the Input Channel Low control then set it back to its center position and then trying the Master Graphic Equalizer 125 control which means 125 Hz Experiment with the other controls comparing them to the In
71. be anywhere from 0 degrees to 360 degrees or even a large multiple of 360 degrees In the second part of the diagram you see a flute player and the sound coming from the flute Two microphones are placed at different distances from the flute 63 325 phia ivit eo CEA VAM Wn Eran 7 Because these two microphones are at different points in the sound wave we can say that they are truly out of phase with each other even though their polarity is the same This kind of out of phase condition causes the problem known as comb filtering Comb filtering causes a flat frequency response to look like the third part of the diagram Polarity amp Phasing An Exercise If you want to hear this kind of problem take your two micro phones again and connect them to two Input Channels of your PX 2200 Mixer but this time don t use the polarity reversal adapter Place the microphones a foot or so apart on two stands bring the faders on both Input Channels up to the same point and have a friend talk into both microphones at the same time from a position like that shown in the fourth part of the diagram Now have your friend keep talking but walk around the pivot point shown while facing the microphones The sound quality will change dramatically as your friend moves around the mi
72. correctly If you do approach clipping as indicated on the mixer by the input channel peak LED s and the VU meters or on the power amplifier by the power amp clip LED indicators the PX 2200s Delta Comp limiting kicks in providing an extra 18 dB of headroom and then reducing the gain to help protect against amp clipping Delta Comp only works on the power amplifier however Be careful and don t just rely on Delta Comp as clipping distortion can occur in low level circuitry anywhere along the signal path The Trim control and Peak LED can help you adjust the gain of the Input Channels in your mixer to avoid input Channel clipping Watch the Clip LED near the channel fader to avoid clipping the input channel and watch the power amplifier clipping LED s near the VU bargraph meters to prevent clipping the power amplifi ers An Exercise Setting Up Your System And Using The Inputs Trim Control And Peak LED s Connect the CD player or tape recorder s outputs to the Channel 1 and 2 Hi Z Line inputs on your Fender PX 2200 mixer Connect the microphones to the remaining Input Channels using the Lo Z inputs for low impedance micro phones as well as high impedance microphones If you have a microphone with a 1 4 phone plug connector you must use an adapter to connect it to the Lo Z input see the input wiring diagram on page 65 T S Phone Plua to XLR Connector for pin 3 high hot syst
73. cro phones This effect is usually called phasing accurately and the special effects devices called phasers duplicate this effect electronically by slightly delaying the signal in time In sound Systems however for normal operation the phasing effect is _ undesirable and the best way to prevent it is to use a single microphone for each source for each singer or group of singers and for each instrument with minimum leakage of the sound Source into other microphones For individual Singers or instru ments ask the performer to stay as close as possible to the micro phone This allows you to turn down the fader on that micro phone which minimizes the pickup from other sources and therefore minimizes phasing problems from those other Sources This same problem happens between two loudspeakers and you can experience it by playing a constant source at equal level through two loudspeakers Sepa rated by a few feet Use the inter station noise from an tuner or a pink noise source if available or use a single micro phone in another room picking Up a sustained guitar or piano chord Walk between the two Speakers at some distance from them and listen to the results The radio inter station or pink noise source will sound like a jet plane taking off with similar effects on the guitar or piano It s almost impossible to com pletely eliminate this problem in a real sound system but y
74. d immersed in a magnetic field to convert sound to electrical energy Condenser microphones use a pair of electrically polarized plates one moving one fixed to convert sound into electrical energy Condenser microphones require some kind of external power Source either a battery or phan tom power from a mixer your PX 2200 Mixer supplies 48 volt phantom power which is the standard voltage for pro audio use gt The directional pickup patterns of microphones fall into two general categories omni directional and directional Ideally the frequency response of an omni directional microphone is very uniform at any angle away from the front of the microphone The pickup patterns of directional microphones vary with their design The most common pro audio directional microphone has a cardioid pickup pattern somewhat like a heart shape rotated into 3 dimen Sions Omni directional and directional microphones are available with either dynamic or condenser elements and in both Lo Z and Hi Z impedances Choosing Microphones Dynamic microphones are noted for their ruggedness their reliabil ity and their ability to handle very high sound pressure levels without distortion Condenser micro phones are somewhat less rugged and may distort when presented with extremely high SPL levels Condensers are not necessarily inferior however for their sonic characteristics might be described as more open or brighter
75. d a great deal of energy The force voltage of the Atchison Topeka has sent the cars of the Santa Fe current hurtling into each other and eventually created an enormous amount of havoc power at the other end Things would have been much worse if the brakes on the cars resistance had not been locked keeping them at least partially weighted against a free rolling disaster Voltage PRESSURE Voltage can be thought of as electrical pressure It is the force which causes current to flow through an electronic circuit The measurement of voltage is ta dah Volts Current _ Everything around us is made up of atoms and atoms are made up of protons neutrons and elec In some materials the electrons which move around outside the nucleus of the atom can be made to jump from one atom to another creating what we call current Materials with loosely bound electrons such as most metals are referred to as conductors because they allow this current to flow easily The electrons in other materials like rubber or ceramic are more tightly bound together and don t flow so easily maybe they just like each other more Such materials are called insula tors and as you may have guessed prove very useful in situations where you don t want current to go Current is rated in Amperes or Amps and comes in two different flavors named for the manner in which the electrons are made to flow Direct Curren
76. d for use with Lo Z microphones for low impedance X Construct with in line evel outputs Use 16 dB 0 0 VU 20000 Fender Musical Instruments Corp Shall not be liable for incidental or consequential damages including injury to persons or property resulting from improper unsafe or illegal installation of a Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer or of any related equipment neither shall Fender Musical Instruments Corp be liable for any such damages arising from defects or damage resulting from accident neglect misuse modification mistreat ment tampering or any act of nature Only qualified personnel should attempt to use the PX 2200 Any person installing and or operating the PX 2200 assumes full respon sibility for the safe use of the PX 2200 and all other devices connected to it Under no circumstances should the A C ground pin round prong on the A C power cord be disabled or lified It must always be used with a propely grounded A C receptacle Grounding for Safety The third round prong on the A C cable of your PX 2200 Mixer is the A C safety ground It is connected to the metal chassis of your PX 2200 Mixers power amplifier panel When you plug this cable into a properly wired A C receptacle the chassis of your Mixer is connected to the A C ground through the third prong of the A C receptacle Grounding to
77. d has some valuable data on using them with your PX 2200 As the old saying goes garbage in garbage out If you use poor quality transduc ers even the best electronics like your PX 2200 can t help much You may avoid a lot of grief by reading this section Part VIII shows several example systems and how you can use the PX 2200 with other equipment These examples are not all inclusive however Only your imagination will limit the number of different ways you can use the PX 2200 Finally Part IX is a reference section with gain maps specifica tions and technical documents schematics and component layouts as well as your warranty statement So please take some time to read at least the first part of this manual as it contains important information about your PX 2200 including how to extract some of its really neat tricks Contents Maud c c EP Pages2 amp 3 22202 Pages 4 to 7 Part One Unpacking Setting Up amp Tearing Down The PX 2200 Console Pages 8 to 11 A Unpacking The I Pr Page 8 B TheQuickSetUp e o MC Page 8 C Using the Stand Table Set UB disci tiende pe Pages 8 amp 9 D Tear Down E EL EL TS Page 10 Part Two PX 2200 E 12 amp 13 Mixer In
78. d only serve to bring the high impedance output of a condenser microphone in line with standard low imped ance mics While the output of a condenser mic will typically demonstrate higher levels than the average dynamic mic they are still not within the range necessary to drive a line level input The microphone preamplifier amplifies the low level microphone signal from around 50 dBu to a line level around 0 dBu The actual amount of signal gain at the microphone preamplifier is con trolled by the trim control A maximum of 48 dB of gain is available in the PX 2200 micro phone preamplifiers The Trim Control The knob at the top of the input Strip the knob closest to the connectors is the trim control This small knob adjusts the gain of the input signal to the mixer by varying the gain of the microphone preamplifier on each input chan nel The trim control is perhaps the most impor tant element in the mixing chain It is here that the wide ranging dynamics of an audio program from the Softest stage whisper to the loudest drum adjusted to Some sem blance of i X uniformity that the rest of the system can handle By optimizing the preamplifier gain for different sources you minimize preamplifier hiss noise and maximize preamplifier headroom Because the Trim control is a continuous adjustment you can optimize the gain for almost any type of input from a very low level m
79. e 1 XLR Type Connectors The term XLR was first used by the Cannon Company but has almost a generic label for these high quality audio connectors now made not only by Cannon but also by Switchcraft Neutrik ADC and others XLRs are the connector of choice for any balanced low level microphone or line level audio signal 2 1 4 Phone Plugs The term phone comes from the telephone company who used a type of phone plug in their early non automated switchboards Recording studio patch bays are close relatives of these telephone switchboards and again use some type of phone plug The most common type of phone plug used in pro audio has a 1 4 diameter shank and comes in a two wire known as Tip Sleeve or TS version and three wire known as Tip Ring Sleeve or TRS versions 1 4 phone plugs are commonly used for instrument amplifiers hence the term guitar cords Hi Z microphones and other signals TRS jacks are used extensively on your PX 2200 Mixer Beware when you purchase a blister pack phone plug how ever because smaller diameter varieties exist which are in metric due to the fact they are made in the Orient They may not work properly in some pieces of audio equipment causing intermittent problems Smaller varieties of phone plugs typically 1 8 in diameter like those used on portable hi fi equipment are Seldom used in pro audio Unlike XLRs which are
80. e plug in the AC power flip the Switch and you re Teady for prime time By now you h ve probably figured out how easy it is to set up the PX 2200 and get up and going quickly THE CHECK THIS OUT SETUP USING THE BUILT IN STAND Second scenario You get to the gig in plenty of time to set up and hopefully to even sound check Figure out where you want to set up the PX 2200 and locate your Source of AC power If you have a PX 2208 or PX 2208D this can probably be performed by one person If you have a PX 2212D or PX 2216D you may require the assistance of another person to help set up the mixer at least in Step 4 Now follow the steps outlined below and watch what happens 1 Setthe PX 2200 down on it s end standing up with the Cover latch on the top see example 1 2 Unlatch the lid pull it back and then off examples 1 amp 2 Set the lid close to you so it can be put back into the unit to form part of the stand The PX 2200 Folded Up In Its Roadcase Example One Unlatching The Lid Example Two Removing The Lid Grab the black handle at the top of the mixing console near the center of the case and slowly pull it up and towards you The mixer should freely rotate on its pivot point Example 4 You should now be able to see the two black metal guide slots in the inside center of both side panels _ Example Three Quick Set Up Not Using The
81. e of any kind from a live musical drama to a rock concert to a guest speaker at a place of worship As you learn to use your Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer you will find that it enhances your capabilities and helps you carry out those artistic responsibilities For that reason in this manual we recog nize your artistic responsibilities and we comment on the artistic well as the technical nature of the various connections and controls The Exercises Throughout this section of the manual we will explain each part of the PX 2200 in an easy to understand manner Then we will provide you with the opportunity to out an exercise actually using the PX 2200 The purpose of these exercises is to allow you to learn how to use your mixer s controls and switches and begin to appreciate the things you can do during an actual performance Even though that performance may be anything from a large outdoor rock concert to a special choir service learning the controls and switches now will get you past 22 the mechanics Stage what happens when turn down the Mid control and farther towards the artist stage how can improve the vocal quality of that nasal voiced singer At the end of each Section the exercise will be identified bya term such as An Exercise Using the insert choice Con trol The Site There s no reason why these exercises can t be done at home in your living room You may
82. e Source of the problem or move your audio _ equipment to a different circuit In the end you may have to try all of these methods to solve a given problem but if your System is carefully grounded and Properly shielded in the first place you ll be less likely to experience a noise pickup problem Here then are some final tips on noise reduction More Tips On Reducing Noise Pickup 1 Rack mount your equipment Rack mounting especially when the rack mount rails are made of metal connects together the chassis of all your equipment into a unitized shield Perhaps more important rack mounting allows you to use shorter connecting cables and to keep them closer together When rack mounting large power amplifiers however do not place Sensitive low level equipment right next to them in the rack The power transformer in a large power amplifier can produce a large alternating magnetic field that can induce hum in low level equipment Rack mounting can however sometimes cause a ground loop by tying the chassis together through the rack rails If you add a new piece of rack mount gear to your system and get a ground loop try removing the piece by disconnecting all audio cables and unplugging the new piece from the A C strip If the hum goes away you have found the offender There are commercially available insulators available Hum Frees etc which electrically isolate the unit from the rack rails wh
83. e same device In fact many such devices are called compressor limiters expander is a similar device All three devices monitor the Signal level and change it like an automatic volume control in some pre determined way A compressor reduces the level of high level signals and increases the level of low level signals In other words it reduces the dy namic range of the signal Com pressors are used by background music suppliers to keep the level of their music nearly constant This allows the music in a ment store for example to always be loud enough to hear above Crowd noise but never so loud as to be annoying or thoroughly irritating depending on your orientation You could use a compressor for the same purpose in mixing a quiet group for a hotel lounge They may also be used artistically to bring an instrument forward in a mix making it appear louder by compressing its dynamic range and making it stand out from other signals Compressors are also useful for tape recording The dynamic range of live music must be reduced to fit the dynamic range capabilities of a tape recorder and compressor can be used for this purpose For analog tape ing special noise reduction devices like those made by Dolby and DBX and others are probably a better choice for this purpose however A limiter operates like a compres Sor but it reduces the level of high level s
84. eak ers and run line level signals in shielded cable over the long distance Loudspeaker connectors are another story The most common loudspeaker connector in pro audio is the 1 4 phone plug Unless you use very high quality phone plugs however they are actually not very suitable for the high current use they get in pro audio Thus 1 4 phone plugs are only suitable for low and medium level loudspeakers perhaps up to 300 watts or so per loudspeaker For higher power loudspeakers a higher current connector like a dual banana connector is a good choice XLR connectors are Adapter Wiring Diagrams TiS Phone Plug to XLR Connector Fin 2 high systems tor pin 3 high systems reverse wiring of pins 2 and 3 CHRIS Phone Plug to XLR Connector tor Pin 2 high systems Use this wiring to connect a balanced line evel device to the Hi 2 Ih jack lor pin 3 high systems reverse wiring of pins 2 and 3 Wiring for 3000 Mixer insertion Connector sometimes used for loudspeaker connectors but their current capacity is limited too and they should not be used for higher power capacity systems Perhaps the best loudspeaker connector outside of the dual banana plug is the new Neutrik Speakon connectors These are 4 conductor and 8 conductor connectors and are most often used for hooking up bi amplified or tri amplified sound systems using a single connector Some loudspeaker systems
85. ear the term out of phase for example that probably means reversed polarity reversed polarity is a more technically accurate description of the problem discussed in the previous paragraph Phase is a way of measuring in degrees the distance between two points in a sound wave or of two points in the corresponding electrical signal In the first part of the diagram you can see that the phase difference between one positive portion of this sound wave and the next positive portion of the sound wave is always 360 degrees The wave form shown is called a sine wave and is typical only of very pure tone instruments like a flute Most sound waves are much more complex Yet for a discussion of phase this wave form is useful because of its simplicity If the distance between one positive portion of the wave and the next positive portion of the wave is always 360 degrees then the distance between a positive portion and the adjacent negative portion of the wave must be 180 degrees If you reverse the polarity of a microphone that causes the positive electrical signal from the microphone to become negative and vice versa Thus a polarity reversal is very similar to a 180 degree phase shift moving from the positive portion of the wave to the negative portion of the wave This is the origin of the use of out of phase or 180 degrees out of phase to mean polarity reversal Atrue phase shift however can
86. ector Microphone cable should have a flexible tough outer sheath a braided or spiral wrapped shield and stranded inner wires Although the XLR type connector is an industry standard for Lo Z balanced microphones unfortu nately the wiring of these connec tors 5 NOT completely standard ized While pin 1 on the connector is almost always connected to the cable shield some manufacturers use pin 2 as high hot or and other manufacturers use pin 3 as high hot or with the remaining pin low cold or This means that if you use two microphones from different manufacturers with different pins the two microphones will be out of phase with each other and that can cause undesirable effects like comb filtering when the microphones are very near each other and both are picking up the same sound source see What Do We Mean By Phasing and Polarity About your only defense against this problem is to make sure you know which is the pin on any microphone you use and on any piece of electronic equipment you use that has XLR connectors for inputs or outputs and try not to use both types in the same System Your Fender dealer will also be able to help you resolve this problem with a special type of adapter or cable known as a polarity reversal or phase reversal adapter The Electrical Representation Of Sound In order to better under
87. ed by a loudspeaker into sound pressure waves that impact the ear drum of the listener The sensitivity of a loudspeaker is the factor that relates this amplifier power to SPL The sensitivity of a loud Speaker is a measure of its responsiveness to an audio signal Generally specified in dB SPL loudspeaker sensitivity is mea sured on axis directly in front of the loudspeaker at 1 meter away when 1 watt of power is fed to the loudspeaker Admittedly NO ONE listens to concert loudspeakers at one meter in front of them but it does give us a standard of measurement that everyone agrees on Loudspeakers on the other hand are often connected in parallel and sometimes connected in series Connecting loudspeakers in series will degrade their performance somewhat it lowers the damping factor and thus degrades tran Sient response but connecting them in parallel will cause no degradation at all provided the power amplifier is not overloaded 57 The only way you can know whether or not the power amp is overloaded of course is to calculate the total impedance connected to it Here s how Series Impedance Calculations Series impedances see diagram are easy You just add them up Thus two 4 ohm loudspeakers connected in series result in a total impedance of 8 ohms Three 16 ohm loudspeakers connected in series results in a total imped ance of 48 ohms Parallel Impedance Calculations Parallel imp
88. edance s combine according to this formula Formula 1 Total Impedance 1 n et M WZ 12 1 2 1 2 Where 2 is the first impedance and Z is the nth or last imped ance This formula works on any group of parallel impedances even if they are different values Fortu nately it s a lot easier if there are only two impedances Then the formula reduces to this next one Formula 2 Total Impedance Two Impedances in Parallel 2 2 24 2 This formula like the previous one works even if the two impedances are of different values The most common situa tion in audio however is even easier When we parallel two or more loudspeakers which all have the same impedance the total impedance is just the impedance of one loudspeaker divided by the number of loudspeakers in parallel In other words paralleling two 8 ohm loudspeakers results in a 4 ohm total impedance Paralleling two 16 loudspeak ers results in an 8 ohm imped ance Paralleling three 8 ohm loudspeakers results in a 2 67 ohm total impedance 8 divided by 73 Series Parallel Calculations Occasionally we connect a set of loudspeakers in series parallel To get the total impedance in the first series parallel diagram you calculate the impedance of each series group just add them and then combine those groups in Parallel by using one of the parallel formulas above To get the total impeda
89. eedback Hums amp Buzzes Hum and buzzing may be caused by internal problems in a piece of audio equipment or they may be caused by external noise sources If the problem is internal to a piece of audio equipment the solution is simple get it fixed If the problem is pickup of external noise the solution may not be so simple Read the sections entitled Imped ance and Level Watching Grounding and Shielding and Cable and Connectors for some suggestions Hiss Hiss is random electronic noise that is generated by every piece of audio equipment certain amount of electronic noise is in escapable in any piece of audio gear In a high quality audio device like your PX 2200 Mixer this hiss level is extremely low Some hiss may be generated however when we connect two pieces of audio equipment to gether see Impedance and Level Matching You actually have a great deal of control over this process Simply adjusting the Trim control properly for each Input Channel will help a lot That s because properly adjusted the Trim control boosts the level of an incoming signal as high as pos sible without causing clipping of the Input Channel This higher level signal helps bury the hiss noise bringing meaning to the term signal to noise ratio Another way you can reduce hiss noise is to simply plug devices into the appropriate input For ex ample if you plugged a Hi Z microphone into the line inpu
90. ems reverse wiring of pins 2 and 3 T R S Phone Plua to XLR Connector Use this wiring to connect a balanced line level device to hg Hi Z In jack for pin high hot systems reverse wiring of pins 2 and 3 Wiring for a Professional Mixer Insertion Connector __ o From Auxiliary Device Output o To o 4 Auxiliary Device Balanced for pin 3 high hot systems reverse wiring of pins 2 and 3 Unbalanced for pin 3 high hot systems reverse wiring of pins 2 and 3 28 Similarly if you have a high impedance microphone you should use it with an impedance matching transformer Your Fender Dealer again is the most likely source for these adapters the adapters come unwired see the section of this manual entitled Connectors and Cabling You may also want to check out the adapter wiring chart found on page 63 of this manual If you have any auxiliary devices you may wish to hold off connect ing them until the discussion of the Insertion feature and the Effects mix Be ready to connect your loud speakers to the Power Amplifier Output jacks and connect the Mixer s AC Power Cable to a grounded 120 volt 60 Hz outlet This equipment your PX 2200 Powered Mixing COnsole is equipped with a grounding type supply cord 10 reduce the possibil ity of shock hazard DO NOT ALTER THE AC PLUG WARNNING This equipment must always be prope
91. ents of the P A System This is handy for running a tape of the evenings perfor mance In addition if you use the left and right mix busses as sub masters in a mono p a System it allows you to still make a record ing Even if the masters are turned all the way off you will have level provided the tape out control is turned up If you wish to make a recording that captures all of your master fades you can also take the left and right main outputs and feed that signal into the inputs of your recorder This will not interupt the signal fed to the EQ Selector Switch and to the graphic EQ s and power amplifiers Plugging into either the GEQ in GEQ Out or Power Amp in jacks will how ever interupt the signal Power Amplifiers Power amplifiers amplify power and ideally they accomplish this rather singular purpose with little or no interference to the basic nature of the signal Amplifier Basics We have said that the function of an audio amplifier is to increase the power of the audio signal What precisely does that mean What precisely does it do The basic principle of an audio Power amp is that a large amount of available power i e the 60 Hz 56 AC of a typical power line con verted into DC through the power amplifier power Supply circuitry is modulated by the weak audio Signal fed from the mixer The weak audio signal is thereby converted into a much Stronger Signal which drives a
92. er is the DC direct current power required for most condenser microphones and some other items like active direct boxes to operate Although Some electret condenser micro phones also run on batteries if they run out in the middle of a performance you re sunk By powering the microphone from the mixing console you can be assured of uninterrupted opera tion The reason itis called phantom power is due to the fact that the D C power for the micro phone is sneaked down the Same set of wires as the A C audio signal from the microphone without affecting the sound or the performance of the mic The 48 volt D C Phantom power is Supplied to pins 2 and 3 of all balanced Lo Z microphone input Connectors with pin 1 for ground common whenever the Phan tom power switch is engaged If any of your chosen microphones require phantom power turn the phantom power switch depressed The phantom power Switch is located next to the red Fender Electronics logo in the upper right hand side of the mixer panel When it is depressed a red LED will light Showing that phantom power is on Don t worry the phantom power supply won t harm any non condenser micro phones nor will it cause any performance changes In other words you can leave the Phantom switch on all the time if you want to Adapters and Phantom Power You might use an adapter to connect a microphone with a 1 4 phone plug to the X
93. erb to occur during the time the direct signal is on but does not result in a washy sound as the reverb trails off This effect is very popular on drums listen to a Phil Collins _ record as well as on other instruments and even voices particularly where a tight mix is desired Each of the 14 reverb selections can be adjusted for a short reverberation decay time or for a long decay time using the top rotary switch in the positions to the right of the center line which acts as the REVERB DELAY TIME control These range from short CE position 1 near the top to long Of the 8 basic types of reverbs 6 _ position 8 near the bottom Listen to each of these different settings When the bottom switch is rotated to the SPECIAL EFFECTS position the top switch should be rotated to the left of the center line This then selects from seven other special effects These include 1 Defeat In this position the effects section is bypassed 2 Multi Tap Delays This simu lates a multiple tap outputs at various delay times digital delay 3 3 Tap Pan This simulates an automated pan control that stops in the left center and right posi tions Auto panners are great for having a signal move in position during a mix 4 2 Tap Pan Like 2 above but only left right does not stop in the center 47 5 Cross Echo This effect puts a delay on the opposite channel from the direct
94. ere are two ways to reduce this problem 1 Install filters on the dimmer circuits filters on your audio equipment won t help as much and probably will cost a lot more and 2 Make sure the dimmer circuits are properly loaded That is if the dimmers are rated for 1500 watt loads make sure they have 1500 watts worth of lighting connected to them Or add a suitable dummy load to simulate a full rated load on the dimmer The reason for this is that the noise filters if there are any will only work properly when the dimmer is loaded properly this is an ex ample of impedance matching 3 Make sure the lighting circuits are properly grounded improper grounding can increase noise levels at the source as well as at your audio equipment 4 Use a different A C circuit you know it s a different circuit if it uses a different house fuse or circuit breaker Finding The Source Of A Noise Problem This can be the hardest part A buzzing noise in your system may be attributable to a set of lighting dimmers in the house but you must find out how the noise gets transmitted from those dimmers into your system before you can cure the problem Is the noise transmitted magnetically f 50 eliminating ground loops in your system should help Is it transmitted Capacitively If so look for poor quality shields or faulty connectors Is it transmitted through the power lines Install filters at th
95. erent types of reverbs and effects These are selected via the two blue rotary switch controls located in the DIGITAL REVERB AND EFFECTS section on the right hand side of the mixer below the red Fender logo These two controls work together to select and modify each reverb Sound or algorithms This section is laid out in a way that the top Switch can perform two functions This is indicated by the panel graphics which show a light colored section and a dark colored section If one was to draw a vertical line through the center of the top control the settings to the 46 right of the center line would work with the 14 reverb selections of the bottom control which are shown as dark gray text on a light gray background The top switch settings to the left of the center line work when the bottom switch is set to the SPECIAL EFFECTS setting shown as light gray text on a dark gray background These two controls are continuously variable optical encoders which mean that unlike a regular rotary Switch these can be rotated all the way around without a stop position They are detented to allow the feeling of a switch to aid in quick selection These two switches work in conjunction with ROM read only memory circuitry inside the DSP section and send the control instruction software to the DSP computer chip thus modifying the sound of the effect chosen There are 14 reverb selections plus a dela
96. ers all intended to allow the operator to control the blend or mix of individual instru ments or sounds graphic equaliz ers for controlling feedback and shaping the tone of a sound System power amplifiers to drive loudspeakers and crossovers for splitting low and high frequencies within a speaker system Proces sors would also include special effects devices such as compres Sors limiters and even a rever beration and other time delay devices In a very real way your Fender PX 2200 Mixer is an entire sound system all in one easy to transport box A Internally it is made up of input connectors microphone phantom power supplies pre amplifiers line level amplifiers equalizers mix amps graphic equalizers compressor limiters power amplifiers delay lines and even an advanced digital reverberation and special effects unit In order to understand how all of these entities are hooked together and how a signal gets from the mic to the speakers and what controls affect it along the way we need our road map the block diagram Understanding Block Diagrams Here are a few examples of the kind of symbols one would find in a block diagram Loudspeaker Headphones Current Signal Source Source Now lets put these symbols to use The first example shown on the top of page 17 illustrates a basic sound system block dia gram While not as busy as other block diagrams we will
97. eve jack with an internal switch between the tip and sleeve contacts If no plug is inserted the switch closes the circuit and the signal flows along its norma path normally connecting the tip to the ring When a connector is plugged into this Circuit the switch is opened and the signal is routed along the connector s path out through the tip back in through the ring The Input Channel Faders After the signal has come out of the equalizer and through the insert jack it is routed to the channel fader While the faders are certainly the most visually commanding feature of a mixing console it is really a small ele ment in the rather complex system that is a modern mixing board The term fader comes from the stage lighting business where a Slide type control fades the light level up or down In audio a fader is a slide type control that fades the sound volume up or down Faders are more desirable than rotary volume controls ona professional mixer since you can see their individual positions and their relative positions the mix at a glance In addition faders are a better human interface than rotary controls It s easy to bring several faders up and down with one hand but almost impossible to do the same with several rotary controls For this reason rotary controls are used for functions that you can pretty much set and forget like the Trim control
98. f the SPL 9000 that loudspeaker will still only receive a maximum of about 225 watts The actual power will be slightly higher If you connect a single 16 ohm loud speaker it will receive a maximum of about 112 5 watts In other words doubling the load imped ance halves the power output of a power amplifier Conversely halving the load impedance doubles the amplifier s power output Remembering this simple relationship can help you make sure that a loudspeaker and power amplifier will be compatible in terms of impedance and power levels thus helping protect your loudspeakers and your power amplifiers Understanding Balanced and Unbalanced Lines The term line refers here to cable or connection between two pieces of audio equipment Every audio signal requires at least two wires In an unbalanced line no we not referring to your mental state so don t take offense the shield outer conductor is also one of the audio signal wires Thus an unbalanced line needs only the shield and one additional wire a total of two wires The term shield is used to describe that wires intended function i e to shield the other wire and hence the signal from Stray pickup of unwanted signals truckers on CB noise and other garbage Often the shield wire will be a braid or wrapped totally around the other wire The inside wire is hot or the send and the shield is return or cold B
99. frequent swings above nominal probably means that you are overdriving any auxiliary equipment connected to the main Left amp Right Out jacks or you may be overdriving your PX 2200 Mixer s internal power amplifiers which will cause the Clip LED to light When this happens you may experience the kind of distortion known as clipping which you will hear as a very raspy irritating sound quality The VU Meters give you an idea of the loudness the average power level of the signal While the VU Meter shows average power level the VU Meter Peak LED indicates the presence of high level but normal program peaks and the Clip LED indicates the presence of very high level undesirable program peaks In addition unlike the purposely slow response of the VU Meters the VU Meter Peak and Clip LEDs respond very fast This means that the VU Meter Peak LED may turn on occasion ally even when the VU Meter is at or below its nominal position As long as you don t hear any distortion it s probably okay for the Clip LED to light occasionally If the Clip LED begins to light frequently or stays on longer than an instant turn down the level Power levels high enough to cause this kind of sustained clipping will not only produce severe distortion they may harm your loudspeakers Severe clipping distortion is one of the most common causes of _ loudspeaker damage In fact the clipping distortion produced by overdriving a sma
100. ften muddy up the entire sound of the band in the main PA as well as the monitors even if you re not fighting feed back Monitor speakers will leak into open microphones and whenever multiple Speakers are used spread across the stage their signals overlap Time delays will result based on the distance the speaker is from the performer Although the same Signal is fed to each speaker at the same time FM the acoustic energy from the Speaker nearest you will hit your ear first followed by each succes sive speaker that is further away These very short time delays cannot often be discerned as distinct sounds from an individual Source but instead are perceived a muddy sounding system with a lack of detail and clarity Be cause of this it is often good to take a minimalist approach i e less is more Use just the number of speakers and the on stage level you need for everyone to hear properly and turn microphones down or off when not in use TYPES OF STAGE MONITOR LOUDSPEAKERS When most people hear the word stage monitors they immediately think of wedge style speakers on the floor angled upwards and aimed at the performers While floor wedges are the most com mon types of stage monitors there are other types as well Wide area speakers are often used either on the sides of the stage side fills towards a group of players or even flown over the stage overhead fills In certain
101. ge 51 F Monitoring amp 1 Page 51 TC VU METES ent dese ches elds lt 8 Page 51 2 The Nominal 5 Page 51 Using V U Meters Page 53 4 An Exercise Using The VU Page 53 G The Two Switchable Master Graphic Equalizers Page 54 1 An Introduction To The Master Graphic EQ s Page 54 2 An Exercise Using The Master Graphic EQ s Page 54 Headphones Page 55 The Solo Level Control TD Page 56 J The Tape In Level Control amp Tape Playback Jacks Page 56 The Tape Out Level Control amp Tape Record Out Jacks Page 56 6 Power Ampllflere 56 A Amplifier 1 mc PC 56 Dual Channel Power Page 56 C Amplifiers amp EM Page 57 D Impedance Concerns 22 Page 57 E Converting Amplifier Power To 1 Page 57 F Series Impedance Page 57 G Parallel Impedance
102. green knobs on each input channel When you look at these four green knobs you will find two auxiliary sends marked as Monitor 1 and Monitor 2 and two more marked Aux and Effects The two sends marked Monitor are intended for creating up to two independent stage monitor mixes P so the musicians on stage can hear themselves to play better They can also be used for other functions which we will describe later The send control marked Effects is normalled into the built in digital reverb and effects section of the PX 2200 The send marked Aux is intended to provide a second effects mix to an external special effects processor although it to may be used for a different purpose if desired Regardless of what they re named on the front of a particular mixing board there are two basic types of auxiliary sends named for the point where the signal is intercepted in the input channel block diagram also sometimes referred to as the pick off point pre eq pre fader and post eq post fader Pre fader Sends Monitor 1 amp 2 pre fader send branches away from the signal path before the channel fader This means that as you adjust the level of the main _ signal via the slide fader you have an affect on the main mix but you have no affect on the auxiliary signal If you fade the channel out of the main mix it will remain on the send channel provided that the pre fader send control is up When yo
103. hat can be thrown at youl But as we noted earlier the sound system operator also deserves to be recognized as an artist as much an artist in fact as the musicians or performers on Stage At one time a performance of any type had to be held in a room or outdoor area small enough that the performance could be properly heard by everyone in the audi ence That just isn t true anymore Most performances now depend on some type of sound equipment either for sound reinforcement sound effects or both In other words the sound system has become an integral part of the performance In fact many performances Simply couldn t be held without a sound System Knowing this the sound System operator faces the responsibility of carrying the audio portion of a performance to everyone in the audience The orchestra balance once solely the responsibility of the orchestra conductor 15 now in the hands of the sound System operator The tonal character of an instrument once controlled solely by the musician is now controlled by the musician and the sound System operator The quality and intelligibility of a voice once the exclusive respon sibility of the vocalist now de pends a great deal on the vocalist s microphone technique and the abilities of the sound System operator In brief the sound System opera tor now shares a significant portion of the artistic responsibility for a performance which can bea performanc
104. he ability to hear what s going on as well after all we are talking about sound The headphone circuit allows you to monitor with head phones coincidentally a variety of mixes by selecting them with the solo button Generally you have the capability of monitoring any output channel as well as any input channel selected with Solo on the headphones If the channel s you wish to monitor are stereo as with the left and right main the signal will be heard in stereo on the headphones If it is a mono signal as with effects sends sub masters etc the signal will be heard in mono over both channels of the headphones One of the big advantages to headphone monitoring is that it allows you to hear separate mixes such as the stage monitor mix that you would otherwise not be able to hear On the PX 2200 the headphone level control and headphone jack are located directly above the bargraph meters and amplifier clip LEDs J Program and Monitor Graphic Equalizers Solo Level As we mentioned when examining the solo function the Solo Switches on the PX 2200 provide the advantage of monitoring what s going on with an individual channel without altering the main mix It is in the monitor Section on the headphone and or meters that this solo monitoring is accom plished Activating any of the solo Switches will override the left and right main in the monitoring Circuits and send a solo sig
105. he Lincoln Memorial amid 3 dozen other performers including the newly elected President of the United States in front of thou sands performing for millions and his mic doesn t work He s standing up there doing an excellent impression of Marcel Marceau doing an impression of Michael Jackson while everybody else sings America the Beautiful along with Ray Charles What happened to his mic One of the ways to track down a specific problem with an individual input in the midst of a massive or even a not so massive mix is with the Solo feature It s very easy in the midst of a large concert setting to get so deeply enmeshed in the proverbial forest that you can t see the proverbial trees The solo options on a mixing console allow you to examine the lay of the land one tree at a time The solo system on the PX 2200 works by switching the soloed channel be it an input or an output to the headphone monitor amplifier and to the appropriate LED bargraph meter When a solo switch is pushed the stereo main mix which normally appears in the headphones and meters is inter rupted and the solo signal is routed to the headphones and meter This allows you to listen to an individual source as well as to meter either the level at the insert point on the input channels or the output level of a soloed master There are many types of solo buttons named for their position in the signal path These include PFL
106. he feedback and pull down the Graphic Equal izer control nearest the feedback frequency Pull it down just enough to quiet the feedback and then increase the Monitor fader a little more Chances are after you do this two or three times a different feedback frequency will appear Work on two or three of these feedback frequencies at the most Trying to cure more than that will result in a very unnatural sound quality because of the settings of the Graphic Equalizer and also will result in diminishing returns you find yourself turning down nearly all of the bands think for a moment about what you are doing By pulling down a specific band you are reducing the level of that particular frequency By pulling down a large number of sliders to reduce feedback in essence what you are trying to do is to reduce the overall level A better solution is to center the equalizers and just back off the monitor master fader slightly and then find another solution to the problem of feedback A narrow band third octave equalizer with 30 bands typically or a sweepable notch filter may work better at feedback reduction than the relatively wide band filters in your PX 2200 Mixer s Graphic Equalizers which unlike narrow band types were designed primarily to enhance the audio sound quality You will however always reach a point of diminish ing returns in this process and remember that almost any change in the stage se
107. hen use the mono sum master as the mono mix feed to one or more of the power amp sections of the PX 2200 If as in most situations at least Some part of the audience cannot hear both loudspeakers well it is a good idea to avoid panning an Input Channel entirely to one side or the other That would cause it to disappear from one loud speaker and part of your audience would then not hear that input in the mix This same situation where at least part of your audience cannot hear one of the loudspeakers well often prevents you from doing a true stereo mix a mix where the apparent placement of instruments in the mix corresponds to their physical placement on stage The sound system operator is in a sense the representative of the subjective tastes of each member of the audience This is one reason experienced operators always try to position themselves and their mixer in an average seat Typically this average seat will be about 1 3 of the way back from the performance area and Slightly off center to avoid the frequent bass frequency build up near the center of an audience area 38 Positioned in this average seat you can hear the results of chang ing the Pan control setting for example and you can be certain that such an action has enhanced not degraded the mix An Exercise Using The Pan Control If you haven t already done so read The Exercises Then while playing your CD or t
108. hey can help but are not a cure all We now know that room reverberation can only be affected by acoustic treatment and that feedback has complex causes that are not all related to system frequency response You can however use the two assignable Graphic Equalizers on your PX 2200 Mixer to help compensate for poor room acous tics For example most highly reverberant rooms have their worst reverberation in the lower frequencies Reducing the level of the lower frequencies on your Graphic Equalizer may help the system sound less boomy Try to avoid high SPL levels in a rever berant room too In many rooms lowering the overall SPL level will help reduce the apparent rever beration At the opposite end of the rever beration problem too little rever beration as opposed to too much some hotel lounges have so much carpet acoustic tile and padded furniture that they absorb reflected sounds and thus sound extremely dead Adding a little high frequency boost with your PX 2200 Mixer s Graphic Equal izer can bring some life back into the sound use the PX 2200 s internal digital reverberation system too Equalizers and Loudspeakers Most non biamplified loudspeak ers have some amount of equal ization designed into their cross over networks The purpose of this equalization is to help smooth their frequency response These loudspeakers seldom require additional equalization to improve the
109. hm load can have a power of 800 watts into 8 ohms when it is driven into clip ping as will inevitably occur at some point in a major concert where amplifier power is already being driven to the extreme If you re not prepared for this you may find yourself spending the next morning shopping for speakers But clipping does not occur just in power amplifiers Again clipping can occur at any stage if it is overdriven beyond the capabilities of the D C power supply powering that amplifier Other terms you will hear in connection with clipping distortion are squaring up which means the same as clipping and hitting the rails the power supply rails or voltages which means the signal is so high its voltage level exceeds the power supply voltages which causes clipping In most cases about 10 dB of headroom is considered adequate to avoid noticable clipping That means the average power from your PX 2200 Mixer s power amplifiers will be about 30 watts the peak power will be 10 dB above this or 300 watts Now you can see the importance of a large power amplifier like those in your PX 2200 Mixer 27 in your PX 2200 Mixer of course you don t have to think much about clipping or headroom Just adjust the Trim controls properly watch the Peak and Clip LEDs and the VU Meters and listen If your ears tell you that the sound quality is good that s a good indication that your adjustments have been made
110. however want to set up a pair of loudspeakers one or two micro phones and several pieces of external electronics and try out the system at higher than living Toom sound levels If your living room doesn t give you the re quired space or your family or neighbors won t put up with the Sound levels we suggest that you practice on site wherever your performance will take place Differences Between Various Models Of The PX 2200 Series In these next few Sections we ll discuss the controls and features of the PX 2200 series If you have a PX 2208D you have the same controls and features as the PX 2212D or PX 2216D just fewer Input Channels and Slightly lower power If you have a PX 2208 all controls are the same except for the digital reverb effects section which has been omitted in favor of built in spring reverb System All other controls are the same Necessary Equipment Your Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer includes just about every piece of electronics you need to perform these exercises You just add the sources microphones compact disc players etc and loudspeakers You should have at least one microphone preferably of the type you ll be using on the job If you ll be using several types of micro phones try to get one of each type for your exercise sessions For your musical sources use a compact disc player or a Stereo DAT or cassette machine prefer ably a high quality stereo
111. icrophone to a high line level Synthesizer The Peak Indicator Many mixers will have Peak Level Indicators connected to each channel to guide you as you make adjustments to the gain of each individual channel Peak level indicators are small red LEDs located near the faders on the PX 2200 that blink at you when the channel signal is peak ing at or very near maximum level kick are first Ideally these lights will occasion ally flicker your board should be able to handle momentary peaks of a much higher level than the ongoing signal but you don t want them burning like the light at the end of a tunnel If the peak LED is staying on all the time turn down the trim control Before during and after you have adjusted the Trim control the Peak LED gives you important information on the incoming signal strength The Peak LED lights when a high level peak signal is present at the Lo Z In or Hi Z Input connector or when any control is rotated past the point where clipping distortion begins 26 The Peak LED lights up 6 dB before the onset of clipping distortion at any stage in the input channel and acts as a warning light to the operator telling him or her to adjust the controls to prevent distortion and overload Such an overload could occur at the input preamplifier requiring the trim control to be adjusted the input channel equalization controls low mid and high frequencies
112. if a level is boosted above a point where clipping occurs or at the channel fader If you rotate a control too far and the input channel Peak LED begins to flash simply back off the control you just changed until the peak LED goes off If you have not adjusted any controls and the peak LED is flashing slowly turn down the Trim control until the flashing stops The Peak LED and trim controls are the same for all Fender PX 2200 Series Mixers Input Levels Dynamic Range and Headroom The speedometer on your car probably has a maximum of about 100 miles per hour Of Course you never drive that fast but theoreti the car has enough power to be capable of that kind of speed Why Because you need that power for those brief acceleration periods when you pass another Car Headroom in a piece of audio electronics is very similar It s unlikely for example that you will run the power amplifiers in your PX 2200 Mixer full bore all the time at their full 150 to 300 watts of output power You will seldom need that much power Yet you need it occasionally for the peaks in music and speech Examples of these peaks include the sharp attack of an electric guitar or of a drum stick on a wood block These peaks may be as high as 10 to 20 dB above the average level of your program which means they require 10 to 100 times as much power This difference between the average and peak levels in your program i
113. ight even be able to emphasize the voices on Channel 1 and the bass instru ments on Channel 2 The impor tance of this exercise is that live performance you can use these techniques to emphasize a particular voice or instrument without increasing the volume level There s a lot more to mixing than just fader settings In a live performance you may find that the Input Channel Equal ization control settings you used for an individual instrument during a practice session just doesn t sound the same when there are other instruments or voices present This is a normal effect of a live mix The point is there is no right or wrong way to set the Input Channel Equalization controls for a particular instrument or What is important is the subjective sound quality you achieve during an actual live mix Think in terms of the entire mix If the piano sounds like a piano and the other instruments and voices also sound correct during the actual perfor mance then you ve done your job right A Precaution About Over using Input Channel Equalization Equalization is a very powerful tool Used carefully it can signifi cantly enhance your artistic capabilities Used to excess it can actually hinder the process of sound reinforcement The trick is to use the Input Channel Equalization controls in a subtle way like an artist uses a fine line paint brush Over use these controls b
114. ignal flows through the Input channel Equalization Controls Low Mid and High These are like the tone controls on your hi fi but they only Work on the input channel signal as opposed to the entire mix Notice also that there are also several inputs to the Peak LEDs detector circuitry at the output of the mic preamp the Equalization Control Section and after the Input Channel fader buffer amplifier This allows you to detect an overload condition anywhere in the input channel After the input channel equalizer the signal is routed to the insertion jack and through the normalled Switch located on that jack If no connector is plugged into the insertion jack the signal flows through the input channel through a buffer amplifier and on to the input channel fader If an external device is connected to the Inser tion jack the Signal will then flow out through the tip of the jack to the input of an external processing device The output of the external Processing device would return into the mixer via the ring of the insertion jack and then the signal goes on along its merry 20 After the fader the signal goes through another buffer amplifier the pan buffer used to isolate the fader from the Pan and Effect controls and then on through the Pan control to the Program Lett and Right mix buses The signal splits before the equalizer and the fader to feed the Monitor 1 and Monitor 2 controls
115. ignal processor or removing a faulty loudspeaker from the system But before you can repair a System you must find the source of the problem and that is what troubleshooting is all about 71 Choosing and Using Pro Audio Microphones Types of Microphones There are three primary ways to classify microphones by imped ance by element type and by directional pickup pattern Pro audio microphones are either low impedance Lo Z or high impedance Hi Z A low imped ance microphone will have a source impedance see Imped ance and Level Watching of anywhere from about 50 ohms to as high as 600 ohms but 150 ohms to 250 ohms is most common high impedance microphone will have a source impedance ranging anywhere from 1000 ohms to as high as 10 000 ohms 10k ohms or greater Because of the problem of high frequency loss with Hi Z micro phones using long cables most pro audio microphones are low impedance In addition because of the superior noise rejection of a balanced line most pro audio microphones have a balanced output as opposed to most Hi Z microphones which are unbal anced There are many different ways to convert sound energy to electrical energy and the portion of a microphone that accomplishes this task is called the element For pro audio most microphones use either a dynamic or a con denser element Dynamic micro phones use a moving coil at tached to the diaphragm an
116. ignals that go above a predetermined threshold point but it does not affect low level signals below that predetermined thresh old While compressors are operating most of the time a limiter only operates above the selected threshold That is the limiter begins to reduce the signal level only when it exceeds some preset level Limiters are used by radio stations to avoid Over driving their transmit ters Limiters are also used extensively in pro audio They may be used on an individual micro phone to automatically ride gain On a vocalist or they may also be used to keep the audio signal from overdriving a power amplifier overdriving a power amplifier can cause clipping distortion and can even cause damage to the power amplifier and loudspeakers The DeltaComp Circuitry in your PX 2200 Mixer is a very sophisti cated form of a limiter preset to help you avoid overdriving the power amplifiers in your PX 2200 Mixer External limiters are probably the best Way of protect ing your external power amplifiers and loudspeakers from damage and are an excellent way to help you avoid clipping distortion expander actually increases the level of high level Signals and reduces the level of low level signals Thus an expander increases the dynamic range of a Signal Expanders in pro audio are used primarily for Special effects expander used improperly could present a danger to your System since it could inc
117. ile still allowing it to be rack mounted You may also be able to lift the shield or the pin 1 ground on a balanced line on either the input or output of the unit and accomplish the same result 2 Keep your cables short Rack mounting can help here too So can simple neatness 3 Keep cables of the same type close together By the same type we mean cables that carry the same signal level like line level signals 4 Keep cables of different types as far apart as possible That means keep your microphone cables away from loudspeaker cables and keep all audio cables away from the A C power cables On long cable runs keep line level cables and microphone cables Separated If you absolutely must Cross two different cable types such as A C and microphone Cables orient them at 90 degree right angles from each other at the place they cross 5 It s a common but risky procedure to run microphones through a snake a multi microphone cable to a mixer and then run the outputs from the mixer back to the power amplifier through the same snake 68 This mixing of levels in a long cable run greater than about 25 feet could be a problem and can cause a form of electronic feed back that could cause harmful oscillations in your mixer or other pieces of your equipment 6 Keep your Wiring neat Care fully made cables of the proper length not too long and carefully laid out on a Stage or in an ins
118. in a cardiod microphone used up close Choose a pair of full range loud speakers with at least 200 watts power handling capacity It s possible that for this practice session you could get along with a pair of lower powered loud speakers like your home stereo speakers But if the system unexpectedly goes into feedback howling the full 150 to 300 watts will be sent to your loudspeakers In other words beware There are two Power Amp speaker level output jacks on each output channel of your PX 2200 Mixer This allows you to connect more than one loudspeaker to each power amplifier in the PX 2200 Just make sure the total imped ance connected to each power amplifier is 4 ohms or greater That means you could connect up to two 8 ohm loudspeakers one for each Power Amp Out jack to each power amplifier in your PX 2200 Mixer Kf you expect to be using any auxiliary electronic effects devices Such as an external reverb or a compressor limiter bring them to your practice site too The PX 2200 Mixer What is A Mixer The basic point of the entire process of sound mixing is to bring a wide range of sounds together amplify them blend them in a creative mixture and send them back out in some sort of pleasant sounding whole The heart of this system is the mixer or mixing console By this defini tion the mixer is truly the Mother of All Signal Processors but it s also much more than
119. ing at least this section is an absolute MUST _ Part of the manual quickly shows you an input channel the output section and the power amplifier module of your PX 2200 and points out the key features you will be using Part shows how the 2200 is a complete sound system This section contains detailed block diagrams of the entire system as well as each section and includes an explanation of how to read block diagrams for beginning users Part IV is self teaching guide on how to use the PX 2200 If you are new to sound equipment of this complexity this is a great way to gain much knowledge that you can use right away It takes you through the knobs and switches one by one and explains not only their operation but also artistic ways you can use these controls The exercises suggested in the self teaching guide allow you to actually try out each control in a way that will show you the reason for using the control that way and how it can help you in a perfor mance f you are an experienced user you may wish to skip this section Part V is a crash course on cables interconnects and electrical safety when using sound equipment Again if you are new to sound equipment reading this section is highly recommended Part VI deals with troubleshooting your sound system and can bea valuable help when you don t know where to turn Part VII deals with microphones amp loudspeakers an
120. ir frequency response The same applies to those loudspeak ers which come with an external active equalizer meant to be installed between a mixer and power amplifier The equalization in that active equalizer is all you should need Adding additional equalization to these loudspeak ers to for example increase their bass response may work very well at low power levels At higher power levels however this kind of additional equalization may result in amplifier clipping and even loudspeaker damage Thus if your loudspeaker system always seems to need additional low frequency boost equaliza tion consider adding a sub woofer If your loudspeaker system always seems to need additional high frequency boost equalization consider adding a super tweeter instead Biamplified or triamplified etc systems designed from separate components may need some equalization to smooth out their frequency response 75 In most cases you ll need a reduction of some frequency bands However if more than 3 or 4 dB of boost seems necessary your loudspeaker system may need additional or different components or more probably your electronic crossover is set up incorrectly Choosing and Using Loudspeakers Types of Loudspeakers There are two basic ways to purchase a loudspeaker system as a prepackaged system and as a component system Pre packaged systems are usually designed and built in a single enclosure b
121. ith the external effects device The internal DSP section can now be patched into an input channel or whatever other source you may desire The Aux Send The AUX short for auxiliary send and returns works just like the EFFECTS send and returns with one minor exception There is no built in internal DSP reverb effects processor between the send and the return controls The AUX mix is intended to allow you to add a Second outboard effects unit or to use it as a general purpose post fader auxiliary mix It can also be used for an extra stage monitor mix should you desire one The AUX send like the EFFECTS send is post EQ post fader 49 However it may be modified to pre EQ pre fader operation by a qualified service tech if desired The AUX RETURN TO MAIN level control pan balance control solo control aux return to monitor 1 and aux return to monitor 2 controls work just like their counterparts Using True Stereo Effects Sends amp Returns If for some reason you need a true stereo effects mix discrete left and right sends plus left and right returns you can use the EFFECTS send and the AUX send mixes with a true stereo stereo L amp R in stereo L amp R out external effects device and bring the outputs of these effects devices back in through either the Effects returns or the Aux returns Since each return is true stereo both returns are not needed unlike the send controls B
122. ither the main or monitor mixes via the Effects and or Aux send outputs and the Effects and or Aux returns or into an individual input channel via the Input Channel Insertion jack These connections were discussed earlier in this manual The most common effects include reverberation instrument effects fuzz phasing flanging etc delay lines expanders and the various noise sources used in live theater 73 Omni directional pickup pattern micraphones pick up sound uniformly irom directions A complete digital reverberation and time effects section is built into your PX 2200 series mixer unless you have a PX 2208 non D model in which case a spring type reverberation system is included If the device is an instrumental special effect you may only want to use it on one instrument In that case you would use it through the Insertion jack on one of the Input Channels of your PX 2200 Mixer or connect it directly to the instrument output itself or through an effects loop on your instrument amplifier If the device is meant to enhance a voice then you would again probably use it on a single Input Channel via the Insertion jack Some effects however like reverberation will probably be used on a mix of selected instru ments and voices Use these through the Effects mix Using Compressors Limiters Noise Gates amp Expanders Actually limiters and compressors are two versions of th
123. l and notice its effect on the presence of the voice You can emphasize or de emphasize If there are two of you doing this practice session now is perfect time to try out your micro phones Do these exercises with a microphone instead of your tape machine or CD s And do thing more original than testing one two If you don t want to sing the best way to try out this set of controls then at least read Something from a book or maga zine to get some variety into these tests Try to make the voice sound warmer or less warm by using the Low control Notice the effects the Mid control can have 34 10 2 20kHz the sibilants high frequency consonant sounds in the voice with the High control You can also affect the sibilants to a lesser degree with the Mid control If at all possible try out the Input Channel Equalization controls with a live voice other than your own and your various microphones Not only will you discover the difference between live and recorded signals you will hear the differences among the various 10 2 20kHz Chart G microphones Listen in particular for proximity effect an increasing bass boost noticeable in many cardioid microphones as the talker moves closer to the microphone How would you counter this effect if it was excessive A
124. leshooting A Sound System Repairing a sound system may require the skills of a trained technician Troubleshooting and finding the problem is something almost anyone can do if they 1 Know the block diagram of _ their system 2 Understand wtiat each compo nent in the system is Supposed to do 3 Know where to look for com mon trouble spots Know Your Block Diagram sound system block diagram tells you how the various compo nents in the system are connected to each other and what happens to a signal as it flows through the System Reading a block diagram is relatively easy see the section entitled Understanding Block Diagrams for a review Because the block diagram shows the way the sound system operates it is extremely useful in the trouble Shooting process Know What Each Component is Supposed To Do obvious as it may sound you can t tell whether a component is working properly or not unless you know what it s Supposed to do in the first place Thus it s a good idea to keep instruction manuals on all components handy Some repairs are as simple as reposi tioning a control knob or throwing a switch that someone has inadvertently changed 70 Know Common Trouble Spots Cables and connectors are by far the most common sources of problems in audio systems This is the best reason to keep lots of Spares especially of cables that are moved around a lot like microphone cables
125. let s say something appeared to be wrong with one of the graphic equalizers or the power amplifier on your PX _ 2200 First check the switch on the graphic equalizer that selects where it takes its input signal main left mono sum or monitor 1 for graphic equalizer A or right main mono sum or monitor 2 for graphic equalizer B If the switch is in the wrong position not the one you want flip it to the desired position If the signal comes back you have found your problem If that has no effect take a patch cord and try patching from the desired mixer output left or right main out mono out or monitor 1 _ or 2 directly to the power ampli fier input Amp A In or Amp B In jacks If the signal comes back then the equalizer is at fault Usually no matter how bad the problem as long as you have A C power you can find a way to get something happening When the suspect component is necessary to the operation of the System try to replace it with some other equivalent component If you suspect a bad loudspeaker for example try switching your left and right loudspeakers or using a monitor loudspeaker temporarily in place of a main system loud Speaker If you suspect your mixer try running a tape machine directly into your power amplifier to make sure that the power amplifier portion of the system is still working Repairs may be as easy as replacing a bad cable or patching around a bad s
126. line level devices and should not be used with high impedance micro phones The balanced pads may be constructed inside a Switchcraft Model S3FM using 1 4 watt or 1 2 watt resistors The unbalanced pads may be constructed in a small metal parts box or using 1 4 watt resistors and a lot of care they may be assembled inside a 1 4 phone plug make sure to mark the cable that has such a pad plug attached Hi Z Mic to Lo Z Mic In Line Transformers Transformers are devices that can sometimes be used to connect devices with unlike impedances and levels For example a Hi Z to Lo Z microphone transformer converts the high voltage level and high impedance of a high impedance microphone to the low voltage level and low impedance of a low impedance microphone Other transformers can convert high impedance high line level devices to low impedance low line level devices Because a transformer is not an active device however it cannot amplify In fact most audio transformers have some loss Thus when you Convert from high impedance to low impedance for example you also convert from high level to low level A trans former cannot convert impedance without also converting level usually in the direction we don t want Transformers are also level sensitive That is a microphone Hi Z to Lo Z transformer cannot be used for line level impedance conversion it would distort Neither can a
127. ll power amplifier Can actually be more dangerous to a loudspeaker than a higher level of unclipped power from a larger power amplifier Using The VU Meters An Exercise If you haven t already done so read The Exercises Then play a tape through Input Channels 1 and 2 As you mix the Channel 1 and 2 inputs to the Program Left and Right outputs watch the VU meters The VU Meter Peak LEDs will light occasionally on normal program peaks their operation is similar to the Input Channel Peak LEDs The Clip LEDs should not come on except very rarely during normal operation The indicators on your Fender PX 2200 Mixer can do a lot more than just tell you whether or not a signal is present and how loud it is or whether it s too loud For ex ample you re mixing an unfamil iar singing group of all female voices One voice stands out and needs to be lowered in level but which one is it With a little practice you can tell from how often the Peak LED is lighting The Peak LED will light more often and stay on longer on the channel with the loudest Signal the stand out voice 53 As another example imagine that the audience is arriving and you still haven t managed to get a full sound check no matter how well you plan You know the performance but are all the mics working You don t want to disturb the audience by having Check One Two coming through the loud speakers so
128. lled graphic eq out jacks and finally into the normalled input jacks which in turn feeds the signal into the input of one of the two power amplifiers in the PX 2200 Notice that the amplifier Clip LED reads the level at the input of the Power Amplifier and detects overload at the power amplifier as opposed to the mixing console After following the signal flow through the Mixer you can see how valuable the block diagram can be As you read the rest of this manual we suggest that you study the various sections of the block diagram Experienced mixer operators often keep a copy of the block diagram close at hand at all times to remind them of the way the various parts of the mixer operate and interact with each other Got it Good Believe it or not once you know how to read a block diagram you are well on your way to becoming a mixer maven The rest of this page has been left blank intentionally so you may make notes to yourself regarding the block diagram 21 10 2200 mixing Series powered console A self teaching guide The Artistry of Mixing The sound system operator usually has a title having some thing to do with technical opera tions sound Crew or some other title implying behind the Scenes status Provided the operator is in the bands good _ graces If not you don t want to know the kind of titles t
129. lly floating On a floating line connecting two VU meters between each of the two wires and ground would show undetermined results that is each wire floats at an undetermined voltage from ground In most cases floating lines provide the same advantages as balanced lines but not in all cases In other words the difference for our purposes is academic and the two terms may be treated as equivalent Connectors and Cabling As simple a subject as this may seem faulty connectors and cabling are the source of a major ity of sound system problems 59 Well made cabling of the proper type with the right connectors for the job on the other hand will keep your system operating at maximum efficiency with a mini mum of noise pickup Here are some tips on how to do it right Some General Notes on Cable No we are not talking about MTV and ESPN here so put down those remote controls and pay attention A cable is a group of two or more wires usually in a single outer insulating sheath and designed for a particular function Cables for portable audio systems should always be made from stranded not solid wire Solid wire cables will break after the repeated flexing of portable usage Shields should be braided or spiral wrapped wire not foil for the same reason Some General Notes on Connectors There are only a few types of connectors in general use in professional audio The most common of these ar
130. look at later this systems block diagram shows you how the individual compo nents are ordered to create a basic sound system This will be our equivalent of a National map This block diagram is made up primarily of boxes and other symbols which leads us to one of the basic rules to understanding a block diagram When In doubt about a block diagram symbol draw a box label it and show the inputs and outputs to it At this level if we were to make up a block diagram of a sound system using your PX 2200 mixer it would look like the second block diagram found on the bottom of page 17 He de Horn Driver General Microphones E ues soles Balanced TH Output Unfortunately that is not very clear To understand what is really going on we need to know what is happening inside the PX 2200 This would be akin to a State Map showing us how to get around inside the state and would look like the illustration on the top of page 18 and 19 Thus inside the PX 2200 the block diagram of your Mixer looks a lot like the block diagrams of a complete sound system sans the transducers In order to better understand the PX 2200 we will break it down into the major components the mixer the graphic equalizers the DSP reverb special effects sec tion the power amplifiers For example lets take a look at the mixer section of the PX 2200 which can be found on pages 18 and 19 15 As you
131. lso listen for the difference in presence high frequency response in the microphones How would you increase presence if it were lacking in a microphone or voice Try to correct for a twangy nasal voice The Input Channel Equalization Controls and Mixed Instruments Now that you have a good idea of the effects of the Input Channel Equalization controls on solo instruments it s time to try out your skills on an ensemble Find a CD or tape with a group of instruments and at least one voice An uncluttered piece of music like a country or folk song would be ideal Avoid a piece with lots of reverb and complex effects Run both channels of your tape machine or CD player and use both Channel 1 and Channel 2 on your Fender Mixer Bring the faders up to a comfortable listen ing level This is a simulation of a real performance The only differences are that you don t have individual control over the various inputs and that there will always be some differences in the sound of live versus recorded sources Nevertheless you can try out some live performance techniques here In particular you should attempt to isolate particular instruments and increase their apparent level Since you don t have individual volume controls for each instrument on the tape you are limited to using the Input Channel Equalization controls For example you should be able to bring out the voice s with the Mid control You m
132. m and Noise 95 dB below rated output 4 ohms 20 Hz to 20 KHz broad band IEC A weighted 102 dB Damping Factor Ref 8 Ohms 5 Hz to 20 KHz 30 1 KHz gt 175 Power Amplifier Input Impedance 33 KOhms Separation gt 65 dB 1 KHz Sensitivity 1 8 dBv for rated power 1 KHz The Connector Normal Charts Some of the connectors on your Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer are normalled normally connected to some other connector in the mixer When you insert a patch cable into one of the two connectors you disconnect this normalled connection The chart shows you two things First it indicates which connectors are normalled to which other connectors Second by inserting a patch cable into one of the two connectors you can break the normalled connection the chart tells you which one Jack Is Normalled To Connector This Jack The Normal 15 Broken By Patching Into This Jack Which Disables This Signal Channel Patch Point Internally Access Out to Access In Graphic EQ Input A amp B Graphic EQ Assignment Switch Switch Graphic EQ Output A amp B Amp In A amp B Reverb In Effects Out Effects Return L amp R Rev Out L amp R 89 Channel Patch Point allows use as an insert point or Direct Out Graphic EQ Input A amp B Amp In A amp B Reverb In Effects Ret L amp R Channel EQ Out To Channel Fader Input Feed From Graphic EQ Assignment Switch Output of EQ to Po
133. me woofers are horn loaded that is they are placed behind a low frequency horn which is usually a part of the enclosure Horn loading can increase effi ciency and provide a measure of control over the woofer s disper sion at higher frequencies above 200 Hz In order for a horn to work at low frequencies however it must be very large and the horns that are used with most woofers actually work well only in the midrange Thus horn loaded woofers are most often seen in two way systems where the woofer covers at least part of the midrange frequencies Horn loading is often combined with a vented enclosure In this case the horn section aids the woofer s performance in the midrange and the vented enclosure aids the woofer s performance in the low frequencies This type of system is sometimes called a vented horn Tweeters high frequency loud speakers come in several variet ies Hi fi and low level pro audio loudspeaker systems sometimes use small cone loudspeakers or dome type loudspeakers for tweeters Almost all medium to high SPL level pro audio loud Speaker systems however use some form of compression driver and horn to cover the high fre quencies 76 A compression driver is a device that works much like a cone loudspeaker that is it has a magnet voice coil and a cone Or more likely a dome A compres Sion driver however has a device known as a phase plug between the dome and the output of
134. ment that might be plugged into the PX 2200 might sound like a firecracker going off or on and the PX 2200 being the obedient servant it is will just sit there and amplify that bang To protect against such loud speaker damage it s a good idea to turn on your entire system without any program material playing Always turn on all out board equipment plugged into the PX 2200 first and then turn on the PX 2200 last When shutting off go in the reverse order by turning off your PX 2200 first followed by all the other gear Using The Peak LED Choose any tape or CD from your collection and start your tape machine or CD player Now while watching the Peak LED turn up the Trim contro clockwise on the input channel you have the player plugged into until the Peak LED 29 begins to blink on and off regu larly Now turn the Trim control back down just a bit so the Peak LED blinks only occasionally That s all there is to it You have just optimized preamplifier gain maximum headroom and minimum noise Now repeat the process for all the other inputs you re using For microphones talk or sing into the mic while you are adjusting the Trim control or have a friend do the talking singing Talk or sing at approximately the same level you would expect in a performance for a musical performance this may be much higher than normal speaking voice Once you have set the Trim controls on all channel
135. microphone you can plug the output from most direct boxes into the Lo Z micro phone input jack on your PX 2200 Mixer The signal sent to the instrument amplifier is unchanged from the normal signal Other instrument pickups include their own preamplifiers The output of these preamplifiers may be low line level which means that you can connect it to the 1 4 line input on your PX 2200 Mixer Direct boxes instrument pickups and their associated preamplifiers are sometimes called microphone substitution devices because they are sources whose output level is nearly the same as a microphone Pickup Patterns annm mm EDT x N N Cardioid pickup pattern microphones atenuate sound from the rear Other Sources Most other sources from sizers to CD players or tape machines to tuners can be connected to either the unbal anced 1 4 line inputs the effects and or Aux returns or the tape input jacks of your PX 2200 Mixer Phonograph turntables of course require an RIAA phono preampli fier to correct for a built in curve introduced when an LP is cut Several manufacturers make small separate phono preamplifi ers which usually have low line level outputs Or you can use the preamp outputs tape outputs or auxiliary outputs on your hi fi preamplifier receiver or integrated amplifier Using Special Effects Devices Special effects devices may be connected to e
136. minimal mic input levels to a workable line level voltage approx 775 Volts as opposed to 775 millivolts Line Inputs The output of many signal sources synthesizers tape recorders outboard effects units re verbs high imped ance mics etc have signal levels that do not need the boost pro vided by the mixer s mic preamp The output of a typical line level is around 12 to 4 dBu The Line inputs comes into the PX 2200 on each channel through the line input utilizing a standard quarter inch 3 conductor phone jack This input is balanced although it may also be used with any unbalanced input with no reduction in level 25 Once the line level comes into the console through the input jack the signal goes through an attenuator that reduces the signal level to that of the microphone input and then it is fed along with the mic input into the microphone pream plifier Mic Preamp The mic preamp is the first active stage the signal meets upon entering the mixer One of the most important con cerns in considering a mixing console is the preamp design The mic preamps can make or break the sound of the entire console Like a bad report card in first grade noise and distortion introduced at this stage will follow the signal for all of its life The mic preamps in a mixer are not to be confused with the preamps in a typical condenser mic which are designed solely as impedance converters an
137. mpedance changes that can occur when signals are added to the bus The Master Level Controls Next the master level control is used to adjust the output level of the signal from the summing amp Note As input signals are added to a mixing bus the overall signal level is increased generally necessitating an overall reduction of signal level at the output If you find that you re bottoming out the master level control in order to obtain a more reasonable output level you should go back and reduce the levels on each of the input channels feeding the mixing bus Both slide faders and rotary knobs are commonly used as master level controls Line Amplifiers The line amplifier is the next step following the master fader The purpose of the line amplifier is to send the signal out to the world To accomplish this the line amplifier output which is typically designed to drive a low imped ance load is sent to the output connectors on the mixer As with the mixer input channel the basic design of the output channel is repeated over and over again in the mixer output section each output tied to a different buss The number of output channels that are available and the terms used to describe them depend on the intended use for each mix that has been created On the PX 2200 this would include The Left amp Right Main Output This stereo output from the mixer is generally used to drive the power
138. n control allowing you to place the return signal anywhere in the stereo spread An Exercise Using The DSP Reverb And Effects If you haven t already done so read The Exercises For this session we ll use the Internal DSP Reverb but you can repeat this Session with an external effects device if you wish Play a tape of a group an unclut tered tape with the least possible amount of reverb and effects and the Input Channel faders and the Master Left and Right faders for a comfortable listening level Bring up the Channel 1 Effect control about half way Look at the digital reverb and effects section of the mixer For starters make sure the REVERB DEFEAT switch is NOT pushed in This switch is used for turning off the reverb in between songs when someone is speaking Rotate the bottom reverb selector switch until it is in the LARGE PLATE REVERB BRIGHT setting 48 Turn the control above it to the right until the REVERB DELAY TIME control is in the 8 LONG position Slowly bring up the EFFECTS RETURN TO MAIN control and center the BALANCE PAN pot located directly above the effects return control Wow Reverb Try moving the Effect Return Balance Pan control from L to R and the reverberation will move from your Left loudspeaker to your Right Loudspeaker Bring up the Effect send control on Channel 2 and you ll notice a subtle change When you only had effects on Channel 1 only those
139. nal from the selected channels instead In order to allow the engineer to match the solo level in the head phones to a comfortable monitor ing level the Solo level control is provided Without this control the solo level may be too high or too low in the headphones requiring constant adjustment of the head phone level control This is due to the fact that the PFL Solo being prefader may be far hotter than the other Signals that have been combined onto the mix buss via the faders and pan pots Tape In Level Control amp Tape Playback Jacks The two tape playback RCA phono jacks located on the patch bay of the PX 2200 are routed to the stereo tape playback level control This control is located directly below graphic equalizer A in the master section This control acts as a stereo line level return directly to the stereo mix allowing you to play back a stereo tape or CD without tying up an input channel Tape Out Level Control amp Tape Record Out Jacks The two tape record RCA phono jacks located on the Patch bay of the PX 2200 are intended to feed the inputs of a stereo cassette deck or DAT recorder They take their signal from the stereo main left and right buss but their pick off point is PRE the stereo main left and right master faders This allows you to set a totally indepen dent stereo record level off of the Stereo mix buss without having to worry about changing levels due to the requirem
140. nce in the second series parallel diagram you calculate the impedance of each parallel group and then combine these groups in series In each case you break down the connec tion into groups calculate the impedance of each group and then treat each group as if it were single impedance The most common use of series paralleling in audio is to take a group of 4 loudspeakers all having the same impedance and connect them in series parallel The resulting impedance is exactly the same as a single loudspeaker Four 8 ohm loudspeakers in series parallel for example results in a total impedance of 8 ohms x Impedance and Power Transfer Again We discussed impedance and power transfer in the section entitled Some Notes on the Power Amplifiers But it s worth reviewing here what happens to the power output of an amplifier when you connect different impedances to it You have to know the rated power output of the amplifier and its rated load impedance That rated load impedance of course will often be the amplifier s minimum acceptable load imped ance In addition you should know the loudspeaker s true minimum impedance as well as its rated or nominal impedance Normally you will use the loudspeaker s nominal impedance to make impedance watching calculations like those described in the next paragraph A loudspeaker s minimum imped ance however can fall signifi cantly below its nominal imped
141. nfuse the Input Channel Peak LED with the Powe Amplifier Clip LED The Power Amplifier Clip LEDs light when the output signal is so high that it is actually causing clipping distortion in the power amplifier The VU Bargraph Meter red peak LED functions much like the Input Channel Peak LED except that the VU Meter Peak LED indicates the presence of high level peak signals in one of the output channels It is normal and even desirable for either the input channel Peak LEDs or the red bargraph VU meter LED s to light occasionally even frequently but not stay on continuously However it is definitely not desirable for the amplifier Clip LED to light fre quently and highly undesirable for the Clip LED to stay on for any length of time it is okay for it to light infrequently for an instant The VU Meter shows a continu ously varying display of output signal level in a way that approxi mates the way we hear Thus the VU readings are a good indication of the apparent loudness of the signal level Again the green signal LEDs on the VU bargraph meters means low level signal it will stay on when signal level gets higher yellow means pay attention and the red Peak means high level peak signals Peak can light frequently but not continuously Clip means the signal level is too high and is causing distortion it s okay for Clip to light infrequently The VU Meters show average Signal levels which corresponds to
142. ng protectors on stage to help you buzz out the system Play back a CD you know in the house system and equalize it until it sounds right to you Once that is done bring up all the mics to the level they will have to be at in the performance in the house p a system Correct for feedback as necessary When the house mix is set bring up the vocal mics in the monitors one at a time to the point where they feedback Use corrective filtering from a graphic eq or a notch filter as needed and find the threshold of feedback Turn it down from that point by at least four dB 44 Then while the first mic is bring up the next mic and repeat the routine then the next etc until all vocal mics are at the right level and the system is not howling ringing etc Finally with all mics up to the right level bring the overall stage monitor system master level until feedback begins to occur make the last filter corrections and then reduce the master stage monitor system gain by at least six dB From that point you can proceed to sound check with the band and tweak the system until everyone is happy Using The PX 2200 As A Separate Monitor Console In some venues you may want to use another console for the front of house mix and your PX 2200 Mixer exclusively for stage moni tors mixed the side of the stage To do this you will need a mic splitter snake that splits the microphone sign
143. nitor system is every bit as important for the band to be able to perform prop erly and unfortunately it s one area that is very often overlooked Set up properly a good monitor mix can give you a consistent point of reference regardless of where you play For the band and for the band s sound engineer having good stage monitoring equipment alone is not enough Even the best equipment can Sound terrible if not used properly and can cause more problems than they solve excessive feedback muddy Stage sound fisticuffs over bad mixes etc Getting a monitor mix that every one is pleased with is no easy task Mixing monitors whether in a small club or on a touring concert level is probably the hardest job in audio The Purpose of Stage Monitors At their simplest Stage monitors are basically complete sound systems turned around to face the performers as opposed to the audience They are intended to reinforce the level of certain performers and instruments bringing them up to the level of other members in the band This keeps them from being drowned out by louder instruments such as drums guitar and bass amps This is particularly important in the case of vocals certain acoustic instruments and some electronic keyboards and percussion where on stage keyboard amplifiers are not used Monitors are also useful to help keep timing and pitch and in general for the musician to know what is hap
144. nless you are the only one who Will use the board K I S S Stands for keep it simple stupid and is great advice when it comes to creating a monitor mix everyone is happy with Once you have your moni tors set where the band is fairly happy leave it alone Do not try to actively mix the stage monitors changing levels and effects This is extremely important If there is one thing musicians hate it is a soundman who is trying to constantly alter the stage monitor mix Once your monitors are set up to the bands satisfac DON T CONSTANTLY TWEAK WITH IT This makes performers extremely uneasy and unsure of their performance Think of the moni tors as a point of reference If the ground is shifting under your feet all the time and you don t know where you stand you start to Worry For better or worse with smaller clubs and bands usually the person running sound for the main house p a will also handle the stage monitor mix One of the key things to remember in setting upa monitor mix is to start by talking to the band Find out what they want and need in their monitors and give them just that starting with a good vocal mix Keep it simple and people will usually be much happier Before the band ever hits the stage or the house ever opens buzz the system out and ring out the monitors in a pre sound check Sound check Have one person preferably with ear plugs or other heari
145. noises or even feedback if a technician moves a microphone to the wrong position during a set change If you are using wireless micro phones and a performer walking off stage forgets to turn off their transmitter the off stage conversa tions did you see that idiot in the front row will continue to come through the monitors too One way to avoid having to remember to turn down the Monitor mixes is to have a quali fied service technician perform the Monitor post fader modification to your PX 2200 Mixer That way when you turn down the input channel faders the input channel monitor controls because they are now post fader are also effec tively turned down This can also be helpful should you desire the equalizer to also affect the monitor mix or if you want to be able to use a single control the fader to reduce or increase level equally on all the monitor mixes assum ing you are using more than one equally without varying the trim or the individual monitor send level controls It all really comes down to your preferences and the style of working you find most comfort able This modification is probably undesirable for experienced operators who like the idea of a totally independent monitor mix Pre fader monitor sends are pretty standard however so an operator coming in from outside would probably prefer a pre fader send Our recommendation is to leave the monitor send controls pre fader u
146. of the microphone connector the other pin is the pin Thus if pin 2 of the microphone connector is Specified as the connector you know that a positive pressure wave striking the diaphragm of the microphone will produce a positive voltage on pin 2 of the connector with pin 3 used as the reference 62 or pin and pin 1 the shield or ground If you plug this micro phone into a mixer which also uses pin 2 as its pin the polarity will be normal If the mixer uses pin as its pin the polarity will be reversed Reversed polarity between a microphone and a mixer is seldom problem Using two microphones With different polarity standards can on the other hand be a real problem at least when the micro phones are close together and both picking up the same sound Source The reason is that the same positive pressure wave striking the diaphragms of both micro phones will cause a positive voltage on pin 2 of one micro phone and a negative voltage on pin 2 of the other microphone When these two microphones are mixed together inside a mixer Positive voltage from one micro Phone partially or completely cancels the negative voltage from the other microphone and you end up with bad sound or no sound at all An Exercise Help Me Phasing You can experience this effect by taking two microphones of the same model and brand and using a pola
147. oint but they shouldn t stay there Remember an averag ing meter is showing you the average level of the program and if it s staying too long or too often above the nominal reference point you re probably overdriving something Additionally while any musical program is likely to have some loud transients that will light the Peak LEDs if the light is burning steadily it means Something is probably wrong On the PX 2200 the top LED of the 12 segment bargraph meters labeled clip only lights if you are about to clip the output of the mixer This may or may not mean that you are driving the power amplifier into clipping gt To see if the amplifier is limiting itself using the built in circuitry check the two small round red LED s just above the bargraph meter CLIP If the one labeled is lit the signal feeding amplifier A is causing it to clip To determine which output you need to turn down look at the assignment switch on graphic equalizer A which also Selects the feed to the power amp providing that nothing is plugged into the graphic eq in out jacks or the Amp A In jack on the patch bay If the AMP B clip LED is lit turn down its source master as selected by the assignment switch near graphic equalizer B The VU Meters on your PX 2200 Mixer read 0 when the signal level at the mixing console output jacks is 0 dB The Signal level at those
148. omenon You may also notice an increase in presence in some bass instru ments which have an appreciable high frequency content lots of high harmonics a Synthesizer for example You may wish to try these same experiments with high frequency instruments like a flute and with several midrange instruments like Saxophone violin and piano You can also do some pretty amazing things to the sound of a good drummer with the Input Channel Equalization controls In other words the best way to under stand the operation of the Input Channel Equalization controls is to find CD s or tapes of as many different instruments as possible and experiment One instrument you should work with in this exercise is the human voice If for some reason you didn t get a tape of a frieng s voice find a tape or CD from your collection with a solo singing voice You want one with as little reverberation and effects as possible An acappella voice would be ideal If you have a choice of male and female choose one and then do this exercise over again with the other on the relative harshness of the voice Depending on whether the voice is male or female and on the particular voice qualities you will probably find that some combination of all three bands low mid and high frequencies is optimum for controlling this particular voice Some other voice of course might respond better to a different setting Now try the High contro
149. onnectors as microphones instruments and other low level devices That is balanced line level devices normally use XLR type connectors and unbalanced line level devices normally use 1 4 phone plug connectors Some balanced line level devices use three conductor 1 4 Tip Ring Sleeve TRS connectors Polarity is again unfortunately not stan dardized on balanced line level devices using XLR connectors 64 Either pin 2 or pin 3 may be the pin pin 1 will almost always be the shield or ground Thus you Should check the polarity of any unfamiliar device you may be using Cable and Connectors For Loudspeakers Speaker cable carries much higher levels of electrical power than either microphone or line level cable For this reason Speaker cables use larger gauge wire Typical speaker cable uses anywhere from 18 gauge wire to as large as 10 wire 18 gauge Wire is suitable only for low power loudspeakers like the hi fi speak ers in your home 16 gauge wire is suitable for short runs less than 25 feet of low to medium power pro audio loudspeakers 14 gauge wire is suitable for most pro audio work unless loud Speaker runs are longer than about 75 feet In that case 12 gauge wire should be used For very long runs of high power speaker cable use 10 gauge or even 8 gauge wire A better way to handle long speaker runs however is to move the power amplifier closer to the loudsp
150. ore multi way That is they use two three or more different types of compo nents to cover the audio frequency range Two way systems are common in permanent installations and speech only systems Some two way systems are designed for low to medium SPL entertainment music and voice applications Three way and multi way systems however are more common for medium and high SPL entertain ment systems and four way and even five way systems are used for some high SPL Systems Woofers and Tweeters Most woofers low frequency loudspeakers are cone type loudspeakers Smaller systems may use 8 10 or 12 diameter loudspeakers as woofers Mid size systems may use 12 or 15 diameter woofers and large systems almost always use high power 15 or 18 woofers A small diameter woofer may be able to produce very low frequencies quite well but a larger diameter woofer will in most cases be able to produce those same low frequencies at higher SPL levels In trade the smaller woofers usually have better midrange response which makes them a good choice for two way systems which have no separate midrange component Woofers may be installed in simple sealed wooden enciosures often called infinite baffle enclo sures A vented or ported bass reflex enclosure has a hole s or tube s in the front baffle which can improve the low frequency response of the woofer compared to an infinite baffle enclosure So
151. ou can minimize it by using each loud Speaker to cover a specific area of the room In other words don t overlap the coverage any more than you have to It s those overlap areas where the phasing problems occur Fortunately unless you have critical listeners in your audience and you are reinforcing sustained chords and the listeners are moving from point to point the audible effects of phasing are not great Still for the best sound quality everywhere in a room it s a good idea to try to minimize these effects before a perfor mance begins Microphone Snake Cables A snake cable is actually a group of microphone or line level cables all in one outer sheath These _Cables use foil shields to reduce their overall diameter to a reason able size Because of the fragility of the foil shields in a snake cable and because of the high cost per foot you must take extra care in their handling Avoid sharp bends in these cables Also avoid placing heavy objects on a snake cable or rolling heavy objects across them Snake cables can be a money Saver and a time saver when you are setting up a large multi microphone system They also allow you to move your mixer off the stage to a place in the audi ence where you can hear better Ask your Fender dealer for help in selecting a snake for your system Cable and Connectors For Line Level Devices Line level devices normally use the same type of cable and c
152. out yourself Also remember that no two mics are the same even between the same model form a single manufac turer and mics should also not be considered as good or bad except as they apply to a given instrument or vocalist Your microphones are the paints on your sonic artist s pallete Learn what they sound like their strengths and their weaknesses and use them selectively to paint your masterpiece Three excellent references for more information on microphones are Making The Connection The Fender Pro Audio Primer by Tom Butler Available from your Fender Pro Audio Dealer The Micro phone Handbook by John M Eargle published by ELAR Publishing Company of Plainview N Y and Microphones a short text available from Gotham Audio Corp 741 Washington St New York NY 10014 Using Direct Boxes And Instrument Pickups A direct box is a device that splits the signal from an electric guitar or any instrument with a high impedance pickup or output and sends it to both the normal instru ment amplifier and also converts it to a balanced low impedance signal like a low impedance balanced microphone and sends it to the microphone inputs of a mixer The direct box usually includes a transformer or in an active direct box a preamplifier to convert the high impedance unbalanced instrument pickup to a balanced low impedance signal Since this signal is about the same level as a low impedance
153. own To disassemble the unit pack it up and head home follow the Steps outlined below 1 Unplug all audio connectors from the PX 2200 and unplug the unit from the wall 2 Carefully lift the mixer panel up by the black metal handle near the top of the mixer 3 While holding the mixer up reach in to where the two quick release Spring loaded latches are located and pull back on the handle rotating them thus freeing the pin from the side panel and locking it in place Example 9 Example Seven Sliding The Lid Lid In Position For Latching Through The Slots 4 Keep holding the mixer up with T one hand and with the other hand pull the cover panel up and out of the mixer and set it on the side 5 Lower the mixer panel down until it rests even with the side panels 6 Grab the cover panel and fully set the bottom edge Example 8 diae inside the two metal lid guides Th h Mg eee inside lower part of the road rough The Guide Slots case near the power amplifier 4 module 7 Close the lid into the case Secure the latch and hit the road The unit is now secure for transport Example 11 Setting The Stand Assembly On The Ground Example 12 Following Page Setting The Mixer Down Example Ten Flipping The Latches 10 Microphone Input Line Input Channel Insert Patch Point Mic Preamp Trim Control High Frequency Shelving EQ
154. pening and what they are putting out Particularly in large halls where all you may hear on stage is the reflected sound of the house system off the back and side walls a good quality monitor system is crucial Due to the musician s location on Stage i e their proximity to another player or due to their individual requirements to play off of another player such as in the case of the drummer and bass piayer different musicians may need a different mix than others in the band On stage for example a drummer may want a mix that emphasizes the vocals and de emphasizes the drums A vocalist may want a mix that de emphasizes the instruments but emphasizes the vocals and has just enough drums to help the vocalist keep on time 42 In a stage monitor system since you are aiming a loudspeaker right at a microphone and a performer feedback can be a royal pain Even without the problem of feedback it is important to remem ber that the purpose of a stage monitor system is to hear everyone at the right levels It is not a challenge just to get the monitors so loud that everyone s ears bleed Nor is it like a main P A where you are trying to throw a signal to the rear seats in the hall Once again the purpose of stage monitoring is to equalize the band and reinforce your signals to the point everyone can hear and play off of each other Having excruciatingly loud stage monitors and or lots of them on Stage can o
155. phone with the High control such as in the case of excess nasality in the tone of voice An Exercise Using the Input Channel Equalizer If you haven t already done so read The Exercises Be sure the pan control is centered the EQ controls low mid and high are in their center detented positions and the Channel fader is all the way down Select a series of CD s or tapes with lots of different instruments again Use solo instruments whenever possible Try a low frequency instrument first like an electric bass or organ Set the main Left and Right faders for a comfortable volume level from your loudspeakers Now while playing the tape or CD experiment with the Channel 1 Low control Can you make the instrument sound more or less mellow Notice that the Low control because it affects most of the frequency range of the instru ment almost acts like a volume control for instruments with range in the low frequencies Keep the same tape running and reset the Low control back to its center position Now try out the Mid control What effects does the Mid control have on the sharpness of the sound quality Now reset the Mid control to its center position and with the same CD or tape still running try out the High control You probably won t notice much effect on the sound of the bass instrument You may notice an increase in hiss x Tape hiss is primarily a high frequency phen
156. put Channel controls if you wish Because they affect an entire mix you wouldn t use the Master Equalizers to try to enhance the presence of a lead singer s voice because your actions would affect everything else in the Master mixes You might however use the Master Equalizers to enhance the presence of the entire sound System in a dull sounding room full of carpeting draperies and over stuffed furniture some hotel lounges are like this In other words use the Input Channel Low Mid and High Equalization controls when you need to affect an individual instrument or voice 63 125 250 500 IK Use the Master Graphic Equaliz ers when you need to alter the sound quality of an entire mix or your entire sound system Like the Input Channel Equaliza tion controls the Master Graphic Equalizers are powerful tools And like the Input Channel controls the Master Equalizers can enhance a performance or detract from it Remember that in almost every case 3 dB to 6 dB of boost or cut on any individual control should be sufficient Don t hesitate to use the Master Equaliz ers as much as you need them that s why we put them there But think of them as artist s tools and use them with an artist s touch 2 2 05 1 TZ 4K 16x Headphones While the metering circuits give you an invaluable visual reference point its important to have t
157. put Channel Features xc EA Page 12 B Mixer Master Output Features 13 Power Amplifier Features 12 Part Three PX 2200 System Block Diagrams i esce cem ren Pages 14 to 21 A What Is A Block 14 B Systems amp DOR E PC ed een Page 14 C Understanding 14 D Basic Sound System Individual Components Block Diagram Page 17 E Basic Sound System PX 2200 Block Diagram s s Page 17 F PX 2200 Complete Block Diagram eee Pages 18 amp 19 G An Exercise eading The Block Diagram DR Page 20 522 Notes a 21 Part Four Self Teaching Exercise How to Use Your PX 2200 Console wie Pages 22 to 58 A The Artistry Of POA a 22 E VOTADOS I Page 22 eiu NER ELM UE age 22 2 Differences Between Various Models Of The PX 2200 Page 22 3 Necessary s iauna ie cat Page 23 24 24 2 Inch By Inch amp Row BY ROW S e A Page 24 3 You re Either On The Bus Or Off The Page 24 4 The Mixer Input Module M c sities ioe Page 25 e IC MIDIS E Page 25 p e IU eui Ed nn C Page 25 Lem cd TT Page 25 CONC PE Page 26 ee SOW sr o e Page 26 F Input Levels Dynamic Range
158. ral auxiliary devices between the output of a mixer and the input of a power amplifier Some of these auxiliary devices may cause loss in level of up to 1O dB or more This loss can be overcome however by the additional output level available from the mixer Your PX 2200 Mixer s main Left amp Right output jacks have a maxi mum output of 22 dB for exactly this reason You can insert auxiliary devices having as much 5 18 dB of loss a passive graphic equalizer for example and still have enough output level to drive the internal power amplifi ers to full output Almost all professional unpowered mixers are designed this Way although most powered mixers are not When you are not using any auxiliary devices however the main Left amp Right Output jacks are capable of 18 dB more output level than needed to drive the Power Amp to full power This means that the nominal 0 VU Meter position must be lowered to 6 dB on the face of the VU Meter Alternately to keep the 0 position as the nominal position on VU Meters you can insert a 6 dB pad between the Pre Amp Out jacks and the GEQ out and the Power Amp In jacks See Pads and Transformers Using the VU Meters In general it s a good idea to keep the VU Meter swinging around the nominal position or below The nominal position may change of course as explained in the previous section Occasional Swings above nominal are accept able but
159. rations of contem porary sound reinforcement a map isn t a bad idea either A block diagram serves as a map The map can show you the way through an entire sound system more like a national map or through a specific piece of audio equipment somewhat akin to a city map If you aren t used to it a block diagram may look remarkably similar to another form of technical diagram the schematic Sche matic diagrams detail the compo nent circuitry of a unit and can quickly become difficult to follow Schematics are of primary use to technicians and repair people The schematic diagram of your Fender PX 2200 Mixer found in the reference section shows every integrated circuit every resistor every connection Although at Some point you may need this information it can actually get in the way of an understanding of the operation of the Mixer from the user s point of view For block diagrams on the other hand the key is simplicity Utiliz ing a set of very simple symbols and a whole lot of labeled boxes block diagrams can be very helpful to the end user by providing an easy way of understanding just what s going on inside the equip ment without requiring a degree in electrical engineering _A block diagram removes all the unnecessary detail from the Schematic and leaves only that necessary to understand the way the Mixer operates By learning how to read a block diagram the user can have a reference poin
160. rb Time Playback Special Effects Level Selector Graphic EQ A 1 Switch Graphic EQ A om Assignment Switch H Aux Master Bottom Aux Solo Reverb Delay Effects Program Selector Effects Master DELAYS Sl Switch Effects Solo M mcos dp ANN Aux Return 1 v LARGE ROOM REV To Mon 2 SMALL PLATE REV Aux Return Solo Aux Return REVERB and EFFECT To Mon 1 6 Effects Return Solo Reverb Defeat Switch Aux Return To Main Balance Pan Control Effects Return To Monitor 1 Effects Return To Mon 2 Monitor 1 Solo Stereo Headphone Output Jack N LEFT MAIN 4 Stereo Headphone Level Control pe 9 oN Amplifier B DeitaComp Clip LED Amplifier A DeltaComp Clip LED Monitor 2 Solo Monitor 1 Peak Indicator Monitor 2 Peak Indicator Monitor 1 Master Solo Level Control Headphones Aux Return To Main Stereo Level Control Monitor 2 Master Mono Sum Solo Main Mix Left Master Left Submaster Effects Return To Main Balance Pan Control Main Mix Right Master Effects Return To Main Stereo Level Control Right Submaster Mono Sum Master Left VU Meter Bargraph Solo ON LED Right VU Meter Bargraph 13 Reading and Understanding Block Diagrams What Is A Block Diagram If you want to get from Tucson to Tucumcaree or Tehachapi to Tonopah you re most likely going to need a map With sound equipment especially in the complex configu
161. rease high level peaks to the point of clipping Noise Gates are also extensively used in pro audio A noise gate is device much like a squelch control on a CB radio When the signal falls below a certain thresh old the noise gate turns the signal off automatically muting the signal This may be used to turn off unwanted microphones to help prevent feedback or as an effect such as on a output of a reverb system to shorten the decay time of the system 74 Equalization What Do We Mean By Equaliza tion The term equalization originally meant to equalize the frequency response of a sound System to match a room The term equalization however now applies to just about any process that changes the frequency response of a signal The Input Channel Equalization controls for example would probably be called tone controls on a hi fi product In pro audio however they are called Equalization controls A graphic equalizer is so called because the position of its sliders form a curve like a graph of the frequency response Using Equalizers As we discussed in The Input Channel Equalization Controls the Input Channel Equalization controls are used to change the tonal character of an individual voice or instrument The two assignable Graphic Equalizers on your PX 2200 mixer or an exter nal graphic equalizer are used to affect the frequency response of an entire mix to compen
162. riod of time Our natural hearing tends to average out the sounds the ear is bombarded with and an averaging VU meter operates in the same Way As we ve mentioned before in a normal sound program there will generally be some very loud peaks rim shots the sharp strike of a piano etc yet the overall level may remain fairly low In other words if the average level of a program increases the program sounds louder If on the other hand the peak levels in the program increase but the average level stays the same the apparent loudness to our ears will prob ably not increase These sounds can have a very high peak level and still not sound very loud An averaging meter will smooth out these peaks and blend them with the rest of the sound program 51 This gives the engineer an indica tion of the overall signal level similar to what the ear will hear but no real indication of the level of these transient peaks The peak hold function of the PX 2200 s meters however show the maximum level the system is having to provide at any time The 0 or Nominal Position When using either an averaging or a peak reading meter the best engineering approach is to adjust the signal levels of the mix so that the metering indicator floats somewhere near the nominal point the 0 reference on the face of the meter As a rule of thumb it s okay for the needles or lights to temporarily register above the 0 reference p
163. rity reversal adapter with one of them see Adapters Plug each microphone into an Input Channel on your PX 2200 Mixer and set the controls on both Input Channels the same Start however with one fader all the way down and adjust the other fader for a comfortable listening level Now holding the two microphones very close together talk into both of them and bring up the second fader which has the microphone plugged into the polarity reversal adapter and then into the mixer As the level of the second fader approaches the level of the first fader the sound level goes down not up You can check the polarity of unknown microphones in a similar manner Select a standard micro phone one whose polarity is known and check all the others against this standard just like you did in the above exercise omit the polarity reversal adapter If the unknown microphone is out of polarity with the standard microphone the level will go down as you bring up the second fader You can use a polarity reversal adapter with an out of polarity microphone to bring it back to standard polarity Or it s okay to use out of polarity microphone without the polarity reversal adapter Just don t use two microphones with opposite polarity to mic the same or a nearby instrument or voice Phase and polarity are related but different concepts even though the terms are often used inter changeably When you h
164. rly earthed grounded WARNING This unit has user servicable parts inside refer servicing to qualified personnel only If you are using your Fender Mixer outside the USA confirm that the AC Power voltage current and frequency are correct for all of your electronic equipment The Initial Control Setup Before turning on the AC Power Switch set all faders slide volume controls at their infinity fully down positions Set all pan controls and input equalizer low mid and high controls at the center detented positions Also center the slider type graphic equalizer controls Set all other rotary type volume controls Reverb Effects Auxiliary Monitor Input Gain etc at their 0 positions fully counterclock wise All front panel switches should be in the up not de pressed position The slide switches on the graphic equalizers should be set to the position closest to you marked left and right respectively Turning It On Some types of audio electronics produce a sharp thump when they are first turned on This is called a turn on transient Some audio devices also produce a similar noise when they are turned off a turn off transient While these transients are usually harmless in some cases they can reach high levels and represent a danger to your loudspeakers While we have designed your PX 2200 to have a very low turn on and turn off transient other pieces of equip
165. rols The names chosen for these channels will coincide with the names given to them on the input module Their function is to provide alternative mixes for stage monitoring outboard effects or anything else you might warit to send a separate signal to You ll find both sliders monitor 1 amp 2 and rotary controls Effects and Aux used for these master controls Monitoring amp Metering Since the basic configuration of any mixer is designed to allow for simultaneous multiple mixes it s important to be able to check what is going on at any given point The output section provides several options both visual and aural to accomplish this VU Meters VU Meters have been around since the early days of audio Whether they be in the form of a mechanical meter with a swinging needle an LED bargraph display as used in the PX 2200 an LCD display or a graph on a video monitor the purpose of a VU VU stands for volume units is the same Sometimes you need more than your ears to understand what s going on with a mix VU meters provide an invaluable visual reference to supplement what your ears hear On the PX 2200 a bar graph LED meter is used LED stands for a light emitting diode which is a solid state lamp that will never burn In addition to just showing the average output level the LED bargraph on the PX 2200 also indicates momentary signal peaks by holding the highest point for a brief pe
166. rom large A C power transformers either build ing transformers or the power transformers in a power amplifier or other piece of audio equip ment i Proper shielding on the other hand helps prevent pickup of noise that is transmitted capaci tively Capacitively transmitted noise may be in the form of radio waves from a radio station or CB radio or it may be in the form of static from certain types of motors or from lighting dimmers Noise from lighting dimmers may also come through the A C lines as discussed below Fortunately proper shielding is pretty easy Just make sure that you are using high quality shielded cables on all microphones and on all line level equipment Some very low cost audio cables including some guitar cables have poor quality shields Watch for these potential sources of noise pickup It is seldom necessary and in fact can be extremely problematic to use shielded cable for your loudspeakers since they operate at very high levels 67 The noise picked up loud speaker cable is actually as high of a level as the noise picked up by a microphone cable but because the loudspeaker operates at a much higher level than the microphone the signal to noise ratio is vastly better and the noise is seldom a problem Reducing Noise Pickup From A C Lines Some types of noise notably noise from lighting dimmers gets into your audio equipment from the A C power cable Th
167. s you should not have to reset them unless you plug something different into the input or there s a drastic change in input level like a strong voiced singer replacing a very weak voiced singer Using the Trim Control Before an actual performance you should perform a Trim control adjustment on each Input Chan nel As you become familiar with your equipment you should be able to judge the proper settings for the Trim controls from experi ence If the same singer always uses the same microphone for example you ll be able to set the Trim control in the same place each time and probably just leave it there if you always use the same Input Channel Watch the Peak LEDs The Peak LED can help you determine the relative level of two different inputs whichever input is loudest will light the Peak LED more often However if the Peak LED stays on for more than an instant or if it lights frequently you may be experiencing some clipping distortion and you should probably readjust the Trim control downward slightly Phantom Power For Con denser Microphones Before we move on from the inputs the mic preamplifier and the trim control we should men tion the phantom power feature of the PX 2200 series An Explanation of Phantom Power Your Fender PX 2200 Series Mixer provides phantom power via the phantom power switch and internal circuitry for powering condenser microphpones if desired Phantom pow
168. s known as headroom Maintaining adequate headroom is important to avoid what is known as clipping a form of distortion that happens when the signal level is too high in one or more sections of the mixer and that section overloads causing distortion Clipping distortion adds a very raspy sound quality to a signal Since it causes an amplifierto produce excessive power levels extreme clipping can actually damage your loudspeakers Clipping can happen in any piece of audio electronics but it occurs most frequently in the input sections of a mixer or preampli fier and in power amplifiers Like a big dumb puppy dog any amplifier preamp buffer amp line amp or power amplifier will loyally attempt to lift any signal that it is fed at the input When an amplifier is fed a signal at a level that exceeds its design capabili ties clipping occurs When the wave form of an audio signal exceeds the capabilities of the amp the amplifier will flatten out the wave form and continue to produce at maximum power until the wave falls below that maxi mum level This creates a very strong impression of a square wave severely increasing distor tion that may endanger high frequency loudspeakers A severely clipped sound wave has the same effect as an overall 3 dB increase in voltage or double the amplifier s maximum continu ous power In other words an amplifier with a power rating of 400 watts into an 8 o
169. s to be assigned to its appropriate place in the Stereo panorama The pan pot very short for panoramic potenti ometer accomplishes this quite handily The term is adapted from panoramic as the term is used in the movie business To pan a camera while filming a movie means to swing it from one side of a scene to the other to show the audience a panoramic view In audio to an audio Signal means to vary the volume of the signal from one loudspeaker to another which makes the apparent source of the audio move from one loudspeaker to the other A Pan control performs this function by panning a signal between the Program Left and Right buses This is how the signal from each input channel is routed to the stereo master left and right busses How A Pan Pot Works The pan pot adjusts the amount of signal flow to each of two chan nels in a stereo mix Each pan pot consists of two variable resistors wired in such a way that as the level of one increases the level of the other decreases When the pan knob is set in the middle of its throw centered at its detent at 12 o clock it will send an equal amount of signal to both channels of a stereo mix As the knob is moved to the right the signal level sent to the right channel is increased while that sent to the left is decreased and vice versa The amount of signal sent to each side is dependent on how far to the extremes
170. sate for room acoustics for example Elaborate test equipment includ ing pink noise generators and real time analyzers are available to aid in the process of room equalization The instruction manuals that come with a real time analyzer usually explain the process of room equalization Or you can purchase one of several books on the subject including Sound System Engi neering by Don and Carolyn Davis published by Howard W Sams So called narrow band equaliz ers or notch filters are some times used to help stop feedback howling in a System or the ringing that comes just before feedback Using equalizers to help control feedback is covered in more detail in the section entitled Dealing with Feedback Hum Hiss and other Noises E An equalizer of any type is a powerful tool Equalization can indeed help compensate for undesirable room acoustics An equalizer can within limits be used to compensate for poor loudspeaker frequency response graphic equalizers or notch filter can be used again within limits to control feedback And of course tone controls like the Input Channel Equalization controls on your PX 2200 Mixer can be used to enhance an individual instrument or voice So Called Room Equalization At one time it was thought that an equalizer could actually reduce reverberation in a room it can t Equalizers were also thought of as the answer to controlling feedback t
171. set of loudspeakers transforming the Sound wave pattern of the power amp signal back into an acoustic replication of the original sound wave only a lot louder The crucial issue in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of a given amplifier is how well and over how wide a frequency range bandwidth does it perform this modulation while maintaining the basic integrity of the signal Dual Channel Power Amplifiers D Professional amplifiers are not the LN fancy faced gadget laden audio Shelf art that most people think of Mwot yi Nai ined sa UR 160 biki Pert 3 Pat Fraawney when they picture a typical home Stereo receiver but rather plain and powerful workhorses that do the muscle work of sound reinforcement Generally profes sional power amplifiers have line level inputs and high level out puts and usually a power switch Amplifiers And Loudspeakers A power amplifier has one pur pose to provide a usable signal to the loudspeaker s Because of this there is a very real sense in which amplifiers and loudspeakers function as a single unit and it is important to understand the ways in which loudspeaker performance affects amplifier performance and vice versa Impedance Concerns Loudspeaker impedance is a measure of how much opposition the loudspeaker provides to the flow of AC
172. stand some of the principles involved and to have a basis for what will come later let s have a brief lesson in basic electricity and how wires conduct that electricity We promise we won t dwell on this so long that you turn into a propeller head but a little basic knowledge never hurt When sound waves impact microphone or other electronic input device they are converted from waves of air pressure to waves of electricity and are subject to the laws of electricity thank you Thomas Edison It is the existence of these electrical principles and our manipulation of them that is the foundation of the modern sound system and all its benefits It is imperative that one understand some of the basics of electricity if one is going to under stand audio production today Signal Voltage Amplitude A wave by any other name is still a wave unless of course it s a particle An audio signal is an electrical representation of a sound in the form of a fluctuating current When a sound wave meets a microphone it changes its basic make up from acoustic to electrical energy but it also remains the same a wave Eventually it will be changed back from electrical to acoustic energy In the process we may have increased its gain the amplitude of the wave or other wise altered the form of the wave but it still remains essentially the same thing Within the limits of the audio equipment the
173. stening level Re adjust the two controls if you wish to bring them both into their nominal positions about mid point for the Monitor 1 Input Channel control Now move the Channel 1 fader up and down and then all the way off Notice that the Monitor level does not change In other words the Monitor 1 function is indepen dent of the position of the Input Channel fader Again Monitor 1 is pre fader which means that the connection to the Monitor 1 control comes at a point in the block diagram before the signal has passed through the Input Channel fader 41 Disengage the monitor 1 solo switch above the monitor 1 master fader Bring down the monitor 1 master fader and the channel monitor send 1 level control Now try the same experiment with the Monitor 2 control and the Monitor 2 master output fader Is Monitor 2 also pre fader Clue It should be Try altering the tonal quality of the Monitor 1 or Monitor 2 mixes with the Input Channel equalization controls You will see that these controls do not affect the Monitor 1 and 2 mixes In addition to being pre fader we can also say that the Monitor mixes are pre EQ which means that the connection to the Monitor 1 and 2 controls comes at a point in the block diagram before the signal has passed through the Input Channel equalization controls You may also wish to experiment with the Trim and Pan controls The Pan control affects only
174. t Direct current or DC is a single minded optimist kind of phenom enon The electrons flow in one resolute direction from negative to positive DC moves on a forward juggernaut never looking back never reconsidering and never stopping to smell the flowers Batteries operate with Direct Current The simplicity of the set up allows for their compact nature Alternating Current Conversely alternating current or AC is truly a schizophrenic member of the electrical commu nity It switches back and forth from positive to negative several times a second House current for example is 60 cycles AC That means that the current at the two prongs of a home outlet changes from positive to negative 60 times every second I know some people that do that but come on The neat thing about AC is that it has a particular affinity for one of our old friends the audio signal or sine wave As the current flows in one direction it creates a voltage peak which alternates with a voltage drop of the same size Convenient for those of us in audio this back amp forth up amp down behavior precisely resembles the up and down nature of the alter nating compression and rarefac tion in a sound wave What Do We Mean By Phasing and Polarity OK so how does this all get back to cables and audio hookup Well let s think for a minute about polarity Every electrical signal or point of connection has a polar ity Electrons
175. t jack and turned up the trim control far enough you could probably get an audible sound However you would also get a lot of hiss be cause the Hi Z microphone just doesn t have enough output level to work well in the Line Input jack Plug the Hi Z microphone back into its proper input the micro phone input jack on the Input Channel using an adapter or preferably an impedance match ing transformer and things will work right again One common source of hiss is an analog tape machine in which case the best solution is to use a tape noise reduction device or to turn off the input when no signal is present Another source of hiss is a broadcast or wireless micro phone tuner receiver in which case you may get an improvement from a better tuner antenna Other Noises One unfortunately very common Source of noise is faulty audio cables or connectors A bad cable can make a loudspeaker sound like it is blown or it can make a microphone sound like a kazoo In fact bad cables are so common that you should probably suspect them when just about any problem occurs in your system If you Suspect a bad cable try replacing it If the problem goes away you have found the culprit Sometimes bad cable may not be baq all the time but may have an intermit tent failure that causes a problem when the cable is moved a certain way Try shaking the cable to see if the problem gets worse or better Troub
176. t that helps explain how signals are routed inside the PX 2200 and why a control works the way that it does If you do not know how to read a block dia gram we recommend that you carefully study the next section That will explain not only how to read a block diagram but it will tie the diagram to the real inputs control knobs features and operation of your PX 2200 We ll get back to block diagrams in a second but for now lets take a look at just what is inside your PX 2200 series powered mixer Systems amp Components In the past and in many larger sound systems the system was built of many independent pieces of equipment all interconnected into a hopefully cohesive sound System In any sound system there are two basic types of components transducers and signal proces Sors That s it Like missionaries the job of transducers is to convert In the case of microphones converting sound waves into electrical waves and in the case of loudspeakers converting electrical waves back into sound waves The job of Signal processors is to do some thing with that audio signal in between its transduction points 14 complete sound system would be comprised of transducers such 2 as microphones and speakers and signal processors Signal processors would consist of mixers a big box consisting of multiple pre amplifiers equalizers level controls mix amps and line level amplifi
177. tal lation are probably the best way of all to reduce external noise pickup Dealing With Feedback Hum Hiss and Other Noises Feedback Feedback is the howling sound caused by bringing a microphone too close to a loudspeaker As simple as it Seems however feedback is actually a complex phenomenon and Solving feed _ back problems involves working with a number of variables Equalizers are commonly used to control feedback They aren t necessarily the best way as discussed below When you use 3 an equalizer like the Graphic Equalizers on your PX 2200 Mixer to help control feedback you pay a price That price is an uneven frequency response and the resulting UN natural sound quality caused by using the Graphic Equalizer to control feedback rather than equalize the System to make it sound This price may be acceptable on a monitor System however since the per formers not the audience are the only ones who hear it You can pre set the Monitor Graphic Equalizers for minimum feedback by starting out with all the Graphic Equalizer controls at their mid position and then care fully turning up the Monitor 1 or 2 _ fader until you get just the begin ning ringing of feedback We urge care in this operation because high level sustained feedback can damage loudspeak ers and ears Then using your musician s ears or real time analyzer determine the approxi mate frequency of t
178. the Master mixes and does not affect the Monitor mixes The Trim control affects the Monitor mixes a in the same way it affects the P Master mixes because it is the first control in the block diagram and both the main and the monitor sends come after it That means you can set up the Trim control just once and it will be right for both the Monitor and Master mixes Be cautious about altering the setting of the Trim control during a performance however You the system operator will normally be unable to hear the on stage monitor loudspeakers Yet a change in a Trim control setting could affect your monitor mix drastically In other words a change in the Trim control could significantly alter your on stage Monitor mix or greatly increase the possibility of feedback Using both the Monitor 1 and Monitor 2 mixes is very similar to using the Master Left and Master Right mixes even though you use a rotary control the monitor send control instead of a fader and a pan pot to put the signal on a mix bus in this case the monitor bus 1 amp 2 instead of the left and right main bus Some Helpful Tips On Stage Monitor Mixing The magic of live music happens when people hear each other interact with each other and play off of each other building an overall level of energy that gets the audience on their feet As important as a main P A System is for the crowd to hear the a stage mo
179. the driver and a compression cham ber behind the dome from whence comes its name Com pression drivers are usually very efficient Typically a compression driver will produce from 4 to 10 times as much sound per electrical watt as cone type loudspeaker It would be very difficult however to design a compression driver to Work well at low frequencies so compression drivers are used as midrange and high frequency components A compression driver must be Connected to a horn or in some cases a lens which performs much the same function as a horn The horn loads the driver in much the same way that an enclosure loads a woofer This horn loading makes possible the efficiency of the compression driver the same way that horn loading woofer can improve its efficiency The horn also helps control the dispersion of the sound There are several types of horns Exponential horns come in two varieties straight and radial Straight exponential horns are low cost small in size for a given frequency range and usually have a pleasant sound quality but may become very beamy narrow dispersion pattern at high fre quencies Radial exponential horns are slightly higher in cost about the same size for a given frequency range as straight exponential horns and usually have a pleasant sound quality The dispersion pattern of a radial horn in the horizontal plane is usually fairly consistent over a
180. titors today Obviously you know this because you have just bought a Fender product But allow us to let you in on a little secret Because of this dedication we have put a huge number of hours into creating a quality instrument yes because we believe that sound equipment is a creative instrument just like a Strat Tele or Twin This instru ment the PX 2200 will come to life under your hands and holds many secrets that you will dis cover as you use the product over time Like nearly anything good in life this will require practice and use If however you would like to take a short cut achieve quick enlight enment learn some of the secrets this little box has to offer and how you can make use of that knowl edge in your art now take a few hours to read this owner s manual While we cannot promise that you will discover all the secrets of the universe it will help you to come up to speed on this product quickly In order to do this the manual is broken down into easy to swallow segments In writing this we didn t Set out to recreate War and Peace and wouldn t expect you to put aside a huge chunk of your life to hearing our words of wisdom So please don t let the size of this manual have you looking for the oxygen masks and emergency exits After the table of contents part 1 of the manual deals with setting up the PX 2200 Because of its unique integral road case stand design read
181. to a singer who knows how to use this effect to their advantage to add a sense of intimacy like talking lowly into someone s ear For someone who doesn t understand micro phones however proximity effect could cause unwanted boominess in the sound Proximity effect is also discussed in the section entitled The Input Channel EQ Controls 72 Another aspect of a microphone s Sound quality is known as pres ence A microphone with a lot of presence probably has a slight boost in the mid to high frequen cies to improve the clarity of the sound Presence can enhance the sound quality of many vocalists and can increase intelligibility in _ Speech only systems Omni directional microphones have much more uniform sound quality as you move around the mic than do cardioid microphones They may however be more prone to feedback and cannot reject noises coming from the rear of the microphone One way to overcome these problems is to work the mic very closely That is the performer should sing or play their instrument very close to the microphone at all times That way the mixer operator can reduce the level of the fader on that Input Channel which helps reduce feedback and noise pickup The sound quality of an omni directional microphone also does not vary appreciably as you move away from the microphone This can be an advantage Again however the best way to judge a microphone s sound quality is to try it
182. to the monitor system could cause irreparable hearing damage For this reason the use of head phones and stage monitor loud speakers together is highly discouraged WHY USE A PRE FADER SEND FOR MONITORS Generally the Monitor sends are pre fader and pre eq The reason for this is that it s usually not necessary to eq the monitor mix the same as the house mix In fact it be downright problem atic Signals that are boosted in the house mix for example to make an adjustment for acoustic deficiencies in the room or to boost certain high or low frequen cies that maximize the sound the audience hears may cause feedback in the monitor because of the close proximity of micro phones to monitor Speakers Additionally the optimum sound for the players may be significantly different from the optimum sound for the audience One minor precaution about the Monitor 1 and 2 mixes At the end of a performance or during a break you will probably bring down the Master Left and Right faders to keep stage noises from reaching the audience Remember to bring down the Monitor 1 and 2 master faders too Since the Monitor mixes are entirely inde pendent of the Master mixes they will keep operating normally even when the Input Channel faders and the Master Left and Right faders are all the way down This means for example that the audience near enough to the stage to hear the stage monitors could still hear stage
183. try will not apply Instead you have a unit with a high quality Spring reverb There are no controls to worry about except for the effects send controls on each input channel the effects master controls and the effect return Section These controls operate the same as the DSP equipped units There are no controls for selecting the types of reverb the delay time it is fixed on spring units or a defeat switch Before those of you with DSP units gloat consider this for certain Guitar sounds NOTHING beats an old fashioned spring reverb and the unit inside the PX 2208 is one of the best spring units money can buy If you want to add digital effects you can still add on outboard unit and use the Aux sends and returns for digital effects while maintaining the spring reverb The person with the PX 2208 also spent less money than you so there But and this is a big but the PX 2208 owner shouldn t gloat either since the person with the PX 2208D PX 2212D or PX 2216D did have more money to play conspicuous consumer and can now also Source one of the new Fender Outboard Tube Reverb Units which are the best sounding spring reverb units ever made and use that on the Aux send and returns They have the best of both worlds But enough of this tit for tat Let s move on The internal DSP digital audio Signal processing system of your PX 2208D PX 2212D and PX 2216D provides 127 diff
184. ts Reverb System Of The PX 2200 Page 45 1 The Effects Mix Controls Page 45 A What The Effects Mix Does Page 45 B The Effects Mix Mater Section Page 45 C The Effects Section Patch Bay Page 45 D The Built In Reverb Effects Section Page 45 E The Effects Return Section Page 48 An Exercise Using The DSP Reverb Page 48 G Using The Effects Send With An Outboard DSP Page 49 Q The Aux 2 0 2 0 0 Page 49 R Using True Stereo Effects Sends amp Returns Page 49 5 The Output Section Page 49 A The Return Of The Magic 5 Page 50 B The Summing Page 50 C The Master Level Controls Page 50 D Line Amplifiers Page 50 E The Master Outputs 1 The Left amp Right Main Page 50 2 The Mono Sum Page 50 5 3 Submasters pe Page 50 4 Auxiliary Send s Masters Pa
185. ts per channel for your PX 2200 Mixer for an extended period of time over the full rated frequency range of the loud speaker 77 2 Erequency Range and Response The loudspeaker s response should be smooth over its intended operating range If your system will be used primarily for voice you can choose a loudspeaker system whose low frequency response is limited to high as 70 or 80 Hz If you must reinforce an entire musical group especially a popular musical group the system s low frequency response should extend down to about 40 Hz 3 Sensitivity This is a measure of the loudspeaker s efficiency It tells you how many dB SPL the loud speaker will produce at a given distance from the loudspeaker when the input power is a certain number of watts High sensitivity is an advantage because it not only increases maximum SPL output capabilities it also improves headroom Remember that a decrease of only 3 dB in sensitivity means double the amplifier power needed to maintain the same SPL 4 Coverage Pattern In a pre packaged system you will usually get a short to medium throw coverage pattern about 90 degrees horizontal by 40 degrees vertical in a component system you can choose several mid and or high frequency horns with different coverage patterns so that you can have long throw medium throw and short throw devices Long throw horns are usually 2 exit diameter 40 degrees horizon tal by
186. tup can change the entire feedback situation in your system Acoustic Solutions To Feedback Feedback is an acoustic problem Thus the primary way to deal with feedback is to trace its source and attempt to stop it by acoustic means this may be as simple as altering your stage setup First find out which loudspeaker and which microphone are causing the feedback You can do this by simply turning off all but one microphone and all but one loudspeaker and then trying the next microphone and so on When you find out which micro phone and loudspeaker are the culprits try moving one or the other or several if it seems like several mics are involved Sometimes a small microphone or speaker movement can cure feedback since feedback can be caused by reflections from floors walls or even table tops as well as direct sound from a loud speaker to a microphone You may also try a different micro phone As discussed in the section entitled Choosing and Using Microphones a cardioid micro phone may help lower your system s feedback potential 69 Teaching the performers to work the mic close to their mouths or instruments can help immeasur ably in controlling feedback because this technique allows you to reduce fader levels this also _ reduces bleed or leakage from one instrument to more than one microphone Only after you have tried all of these cures should you resort to using an equalizer to control f
187. u only want to pick off a copy of the audio signal unaf fected by equalization or level changes you want to make use of the pre fader pre eq auxiliary sends stage monitor 1 amp 2 The Input Channel Monitor controls are pre fader and pre EQ The Output Channel Monitor master faders are completely separate from the Left amp Right Master Output functions Post Fader Sends Effects amp Aux The meaning of post fader sends should be fairly obvious Coming after the signal processing that is done for the input channel signal EQ and level adjustment the post fader signal is often sent to reverb or delay units allowing you to fade the effect as you fade the channel Additionally a post fader effect which is always post eq allows you to make the same frequency adjustments to the effect as you re making to the channel signal If your channel fader is all the way off there will be no signal even if the post fader send control is all the way up On the PX 2200 the effect and aux sends are post fader allowing you to fade the effect along with the main signal There may be times however where you may want to use a pre fader send for an effect in order to achieve a specific goal pre fader reverb for example will allow you to fade the main signal but leave the signal in the effect This can create the illusion of Someone fading off in the distance moving the source off into the distance
188. ur loud Speakers 36 Go ahead and bring the fader up to a comfortable listening level but avoid turning the level up loud enough to cause distortion Keep the VU meter indication at below the 0 VU position for now we ll talk about the VU meters later Note that even though only one Input Channel is operating which is connected to the left output from your CD or tape machine both of your loudspeak ers are making music This is because of the centered position of the Pan control Leave the Pan control centered for now we ll get to change its position in a minute or two Now slowly bring up the fader on Input Channel 2 to the same position as the Channel 1 fader after setting the input trim control on channel 2 properly Now both the left and right outputs of your CD or tape machine are being routed to your loudspeakers but they are mixed together in mono To confirm this turn down one of the master output faders at a time either left or right and note that the sound from both loudspeakers is indeed a mix of the left and right channels from your tape machine or CD Next bring the level of the Main Right fader all the way down Now alternately mix the Input Channel 1 and Input Channel 2 faders up and down which will alternately bring the left and right outputs of your tape machine into the left loudspeaker If you wish try the same procedure with the Program Left fader all the way down
189. ve sources if at all possible Recorded music of any kind especially if played from a cas sette machine or tuner hides many defects in a loudspeaker System Live music or even a simple live microphone test because of its increased dynamic range and transients reveals the true nature of a loudspeaker System If on the other hand you re buying a set of loudspeakers for disco use by ail means evaluate them with recorded music Using Loudspeakers The one on each side of the Stage approach can work quite Well for a portable System In permanent mono installations however except in very low ceiling rooms a single loudspeaker cluster usually works better than a pair of widely Separated loudspeakers The reason is the phasing problem discussed in the section on microphones Here are some additional tips on loudspeaker usage 1 Keep Voice Coils in Line When stacking loudspeakers try to keep their voice coils lined up ina vertical line This will help mini mize those phasing problems 2 Stack Vertically not Horizon tally Whenever possible stack two loudspeakers on top of each other not side by side Again this helps minimize phasing problems 3 Keep High Frequenc Compo nents Together When stacking two of the same kind of packaged loudspeaker System turn the top one upside down so that the horns are close together This can improve the throw of the stack in the high frequencies
190. wer Amp Input Effects Mix to Reverb Input Reverb Output To Effects Retum In Portions of this manual were reproduced from previous Fender manuals 3106 3206 3208 3212 3216 4200 Series 2200 Series 2800 Series etc and from Making The Connection The Fender Pro Audio Primer written by Tom Butler and Pete Horsman This manual is the sole property of Fender Musical Instruments Corp and may not be reproduced without written permission The PX 2200 is a trade mark of FMIC Delta Comp is a registered trademark of FMIC This manual Copyright FMIC 1994 all rights reserved ELECTRONICS Fender Musical Instruments Corporation 7975 N Hayden Rd Scottsdale Az 85258 Phone 602 596 9690 Fax 602 596 1384
191. which in turn feed the Monitor 1 and Monitor 2 mix buses Since the signal feeds the Monitor controls before it passes through the Input Channel fader the Monitor controls are prefader that is they are not affected by the fader position The Effects Reverb and Auxil iary send controls on the other hand come after the equalizer and the fader and is therefore post fader it is affected by the position of the fader The Monitor controls can be changed to post fader by changing the location of a jumper on the printed circuit board this modification must be performed by a qualified Service technician After the Program mix buses the Signal flows through a mix amplifier This mix amplifier performs the duty of mixing together the Signals from all the Input Channels while keeping them from affecting each other Next the signal flows through the master fader either left and or right main After the master fader the signal flows through another buffer amplifier to a line ampli fier and finally to the real world via the main left or right Output jacks and out to any external device connected to these jacks This signal is also fed to the input selector switches for the graphic equalizers From the equalizer selector Notes Switch the signal is routed through the graphic equalizer input jacks into the graphic equalizer out of the graphic equalizer through the norma
192. y effects out 45 The signal that appears on the effects out jack is also hooked up through normalled switch con tacts into the reverb input jack REV IN _ If a cable is plugged into the REV IN jack the normalled signal the effects mix is interrupted and the Internal Reverb is automatically disconnected Whatever signal is plugged into the REV IN jack is then routed to the DSP reverb effects system The Built In Reverb Effects Section Of The PX 2200 From the REV IN jack the signal is fed to the internal digital or in the case of the PX 2208 the spring reverb and effects cir cuitry The built in reverb and effects section in the PX 2200 has a mono input but also has a true stereo output Where reverbera tion is concerned a monophonic effects mix is actually better than a true stereo mix This is because natural reverberant sound from music in a room comes from random acoustic reflections which have no apparent source The output of the reverb is true stereo and is sent to the left and right reverb out jacks L REV OUT and R REV OUT jacks which are in turn normalled to the effects return controls via the effects return left and right input jacks EFFECTS RET L and EFFECTS RET Plugging a cable into either the EFFECTS RET L or EFFECTS RET R jack interrupts the normalled connection If you have bought a PX 2208 the following section on the DSP circui
193. y a manufacturer Most pre packaged systems are designed for low to medium SPL applications In groups however they may be useful in medium to high SPL applications Some pre packaged systems are designed primarily for portable usage and come with handles corners and a protective finish Others are designed primarily for permanently installed systems and come in furniture finish or neutrally finished wood enclosures Because they are manufactured on an assembly line pre packaged systems are usually a better value per dollar spent Component systems are con structed from individual woofers midrange loudspeakers and tweeters and may be assembled by a dealer or knowledgeable end user A suitable component system can be assembled for any permanent or portable application Because they are custom as sembled a component system may cost more than an equivalent pre packaged system unless you do much of the work yourself Component systems however can be custom designed to fit the exact requirements of your application Two Way And Three Way And So On A few loudspeaker Systems are one way that is they use only one type of loudspeaker to cover the full range of audio frequencies Column speakers are often one way so are some of the loudspeakers which use an external active equalizer such as many models from the Bose Corporation Most loudspeaker Systems however are two way three way or m
194. y setting that are selected by the bottom rotary switch The 14 reverb selections are grouped into 8 basic types of reverbs They emulate most popular acoustic and electro mechanical reverberators that are used in recording studios a small hall reverb large hall reverb small room reverb large room reverb small plate reverb and large plate reverb of them can be selected for a bright or dark setting This selects the high frequencies that pass through the reverb system also referred to as H F damping In addition to these there are also two other reverb settings plus straight delay settings The other two reverb settings include reverse reverbs and gated reverbs In a normal reverb there is the initial early reflected sound at nearly the same level as the direct sound followed by a long decay tail of reverberation that fades out as the reflected sounds die off With a reverse reverb effect the opposite is true The initial reflected sound is nearly off but the level increases instead of dying out up to the limit of the reverb time This is also some times called backwards reverb since it sounds somewhat like a tape being flipped over and played backwards gated reverb simulates the sound of a reverb chamber followed by a noise gate set to fade off the reverb tail as the direct signal fades as opposed to hanging on after the direct signal has faded This allows a dense rev
195. y turning them too far up or down and you risk excessive noise distortion phase cancellation problems and a very unnatural sound quality 35 We ll discuss equalization in more detail in another section For now don t hesitate to use the Input Channel Equalization controls but remember that it is very rare to need more than 3 dB to 6 dB of boost or cut for the vast DRUG of voices or instruments The Insertion Point On every input channel of the PX 2200 there are the two input jacks mic and line as well as a third jack the insert jack While the jack itself looks identical to a line input jack its actual makeup and purpose is quite different Generally the insertion point is a TRS tip ring sleeve connection like a standard 3 conductor stereo headphone jack that will allow you to remove the signal from the board the send point which comes out on the jack tip send it to another piece of equipment come out of that other piece of equipment and bring it back again into the mixer the return point which comes in on the jack ring with a common ground for both the sleeve Almost always this insertion point connection is normalled Unlike some of the musicians you may work with there is something to be said about being normalled but it has little to do with being in the mainstream having a house in the suburbs 2 4 kids a dog and a station wagon A normalled connection is a tip ring sle
196. y using the stereo effects return to bring back a true stereo return from an external effects device using both the effects and aux sends the Aux Return can then be used as a stereo input channel for key boards tape machines etc if desired The Output Section While the mixer input channel module may be the most impres sive element of a mixing console if for no other reason than its incredible repetition its main task is to direct the signal to the business end of the mixer the output section The main mixes that feed power amplifiers or recorders the monitor mixes that supply signal to Stage monitors and the effects or auxiliary mixes that are sent to outboard signal processors are all routed through the output section It is here that you find effects returns monitoring and metering communications and other functions The Return of the Magic Bus After each of the signals from the input modules have been sent to their chosen buses each bus connects to its own output channel Every output channel represents a different mix that has been routed along it s own particular bus As with the input modules each output channel consists of several different elements The Summing Amplifier The summing amplifier is the first Stop on the output channel The purpose of the summing amp is to combine that is to sum all the signals on an individual bus into one mixed signal and isolate them from i
197. you By now you have probably taken the unit out of the shipping carton how else would you be reading this manual and have at least lifted the hood to see what is inside that big black rectangle That s feel free you bought it Now lets do more than look lets get to work QUICK SET UP NOT USING THE BUILT IN STAND All right here s the scenario You arrive at the gig a half hour late due toa snowstorm car break down spouse parents children whatever Forget the sound check the room is packed with people checking their watches and scowling at you How do you get up and running quickly While your bandmates bring in the other gear you get to work setting up the p a Simply find the nearest table and set the PX 2200 down on it preferably with the lid cover face up and located near some Source of clean AC power If the band is mixing this will probably be on stage If the soundman is mixing any unpopulated table close to a wall outlet and where you can hear the band well will suffice Remove the cover from the PX 2200 road case and set it on the side Put your house p a speakers preferably on stands and stage monitor speakers where you want them run your speaker cables to the PX 2200 series and plug them in Run your snake or mic cables up to the stage and plug the inputs into the PX 2200 input connectors Put the mics on the Stands plug them into the snak

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