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16-CHANNEL4-BUS MIXER w/ ONBOARD EFFECTS
owner’s manual
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14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing CAUTION AVIS is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid DO NOT OPEN RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, NE PAS OUVRIR the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK not operate no
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Contents Safety Instructions .....................................................2 Getting Started .........................................................4 Introduction ...............................................................6 Hookup Diagrams .....................................................7 Blend 16 Features ....................................................9 Mono Channels ...................................................9 Stereo Channels ..................................
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Getting Started The following steps will help you set up your mixer, and get the levels and adjustments just right. Please follow the instructions in the order they are presented, rather like following the instructions for mixing a lemon bundt cake, or running a nuclear power station, for example. . Choose one of the microphones or instruments ZERO THE CONSOLE: connected to the mono MIC or INST inputs. 1. Turn everything off, including the mixer’s rear panel . Press that channel’s SOL
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9. Now that you have a rough mix going, you • Only plug your amplifier’s speaker-level outputs may need to readjust the MAIN MIX FADER to a into speakers, never to the mixer. comfortable listening level. The meters should • Never use guitar cables to connect amplifiers to indicate by lighting most of the green LEDs when speakers. music is playing, and occasionally light the yellow. • Before making connections to an external 10. Depending on how much time you have, keep amplifier, or reconf
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Introduction Thank you for choosing a TAPCO Blend 16 mixer, with 16 channels of pure goodness. It has even more channels than an 8 channel mixer, and not quite as many as most 20 channel mixers. The TAPCO family of mixers hails back to the days of TAPCO Corporation, Greg Mackie’s first company. TAPCO revolutionized the audio industry back in 1969 with the very first 6-channel mixer designed for keyboards and rock ‘N’ roll PA. The first TAPCO mixer, although primitive by today’s standards, was
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Hookup Diagrams Stereo PA system 7 Active Stage Monitors Tape Player/Recorder Rhythm Guitar Mono in/Stereo out Reverb Vocal Mics Drum Mics (optional) Bass Guitar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 L L 1 L MON (MON0) POWER Lead Guitar PHANTOM 48V R R LAMP PHONES 2 R FX IN OUT STEREO GRAPHIC EQ AUX FX CD/TAPE SENDS RETURN INPUT/OUTPUT MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT L (MONO) L (MONO) L (MONO) L (MONO) BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBA
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Studio tracking and overdubbing Tape Player/Recorder Rhythm Guitar Vocal Mics Mono in/Stereo out Reverb Drum Mics (optional) Bass Guitar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 L L 1 L MON (MON0) POWER PHANTOM 48V Lead Guitar R R LAMP PHONES R 2 FX IN OUT STEREO GRAPHIC EQ AUX FX CD/TAPE INPUT/OUTPUT SENDS RETURN MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT L (MONO) L (MONO) L (MONO) L (MONO) BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL BAL BAL B
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. INSERTS Blend 16 Features 1 These 1/4" TRS inputs allow you to insert external processing equipment into the channel signal path (after the LOW CUT (6) switch and before the EQ). MONO CHANNELS Using a special Insert plug, the mono signal can Mono channels 1 to 8 allow adjustment be sent out to a processor, and the processed signal of EQ, Pan, and Level for mono signals. The returned, all on the same plug (see Appendix B). 1 output from each channel strip can be Nice. assigned to the
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1 8. MID FREQ EQ 1 . PAN This adjusts the frequency of the MID EQ This adjusts how much of the channel signal plays (9) control from 100 Hz to 8 kHz. This gives in the left side of the main mix and subgroups, and you great flexibility in shaping your sound. how much plays in the right. Careful use of PAN Listen carefully for its effect. allows you to set up a nice stereo image in the left and right. MIC 9. MID EQ For the mono channels, if PAN is in the center position, the mono signal appe
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1 L ( ) 2 R AUX FX CD / TAPE For an example, suppose your channels, and the right signals into band is performing on stage, and even-numbered channels. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) you hear something unusual (well, 0. LINE/PHONO switch more unusual than normal). Without 19 interrupting their performance, you (channels 1 and 1 only) can Solo each channel in turn, and In the up position, channel 13 and listen in the headphones until you 14 accept line-level signals. identify the problem channel or
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5. CD/TAPE INPUTS AUX SENDS and RETURNS This is where you connect the outputs of your intermission entertainment. Any line-level mono or stereo device can be used, such as: tape, DVD/CD player, television audio, etc. 1 L Signals coming into these inputs are routed ( ) 6 5 directly to the CD/TAPE TO MAIN MIX (49) control and through to the main mix. You will need to MUTE R 2 (14) all the other channels, if you just want to hear the CD or Tape. AUX FX CD / TAPE The signal
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8. PHANTOM POWER LED This light comes on when the rear panel PHANTOM POWER (54) switch is turned on. This POWER 9 0 7 indicates that the XLR MIC (1) inputs are supplied PHANTOM 48V 8 LAMP PHONES with 48 volts. STEREO GRAPHIC EQ 9. LAMP +15 15+ This female BNC connector allows you to attach 10 10 5 5 a “Littlelite” brand gooseneck lamp or equivalent, 0 0 to shine a light on the control surface, and give you 1 5 5 that mysterious cool look, as you work in the dark. 10 10 -15 15
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INTERNAL EFFECTS The internal effects circuit receives mono signals from the AUX 2 FX bus, and it outputs stereo signals POWER onto the main mix buses. It also adds a summed PHANTOM 48V LAMP PHONES mono signal to the stage monitor mix (AUX 1 bus). The outputs are controlled by two FX RETURN (45, 46) STEREO GRAPHIC EQ knobs described on the next page. +15 15+ Inside the processor, the analog audio is 10 10 converted to digital, this is processed, and the result 5 5 0 0 converted into ster
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Push SUBS 1-2 to hear subgroup 1 and 2 outputs. 8. USB OUTPUT: MAIN MIX/SUBS 1- Push SUBS 3-4 to hear subgroup 3 and 4 outputs. This switch allows you to choose if the main mix or Note: If any channel has its SOLO (18) switch in, then if subgroups 1 and 2, are sent out of the mixer’s USB only the SOLOed channels are heard in the control (62) output to your computer. room or headphones. If pressed in, the A/D converters of the USB section receive the output from subgroups 1 and 2 . AU
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amplifiers clip at about +10 dB, and some recorders aren’t so forgiving either. For best real-world results, try to keep your peaks between 0 dB and +8 dB. If your meters are too high, you will get distortion. POWER PHANTOM 48V If they are too low, then your signal-to-noise will LAMP PHONES suffer. Use the meters to help you adjust the mixer for STEREO GRAPHIC EQ optimum performance without distortion or noise. +15 15+ Then you can adjust your amplifier’s level controls for 10 10 good ove
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MAIN OUT POWER PHANTOM ON ON 55 5 RIGHT LEFT MAIN INSERT CONTROL RM OUT SUB OUTS USB IN/OUT TIP SEND / RING RETURN BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL 56 5 PHONO GROUND 57 RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT 4 3 2 1 58 59 60 61 6 57. PHONO GROUND REAR PANEL FEATURES If you have a turntable connected, use this screw terminal to connect the turntable’s ground wire. This 5 . POWER SWITCH will prevent a hum in your system. Push the top of the switch labeled “ON” to turn the mixer on; you should see the POWER LED (27) 5
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KEYBOARD R KEYBOARD R MIC KEYBOARD L MIC KEYBOARD L MIC BASS MIC BASS MIC GUITAR MIC GUITAR MIC MIC MIC MIC KEYBOARD R MIC KEYBOARD L MIC BASS MIC GUITAR MIC MIC Appendix A: Using the Blend 16 At first glance, the controls on the front panel of the • The FX RETURN input has a similar control to adjust Blend 16 may seem more at home in a space movie, the level of internal and external effects going on right next to the Navigation officer. Like most things, to the main mix. it’s worse than that
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OH RIGHT MIC OH LEFT MIC SNARE MIC KICK MIC 1 POWER PHANTOM 48V LAMP PHONES STEREO GRAPHIC EQ +15 15+ 10 10 5 5 0 0 5 5 10 10 -15 15- 64Hz 125Hz 400Hz 1kHz 2.5kHz 8kHz 16kHz MAIN MIX BYPASS AUX1(MON) EQ IN INTERNAL EFFECTS REV + CHORUS VOCAL 1 16 1 15 2 REV + FLANGER VOCAL 2 14 3 REV + DELAY LG HALL 13 4 CHORUS SM HALL FLANGER LG ROOM 12 5 1 L ST DELAY SM ROOM 11 6 ( ) M DELAY PLATE 10 7 9 8 SPRING TAPE REV VARIATIONS 2 R FX FX INPUT Three controls configure how the USB connection BYPASS Subg
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Studio: Direct Monitoring Studio: Software Monitoring Configuration: Configuration: 1. Connect your mics and instruments to the mixer’s 1. Follow steps 1 to 6 above to get your sounds into inputs (leave channels 15-16 unused). the computer, using subgroups 1-2. Do not assign 2. Connect your amplifier/speaker system (or the subgroups to the main mix. powered speakers) to the Control Room outputs, Here is where Software Monitoring comes in: or connect headphones to the Phones output. 2. To liste
