Behringer MX2642A User Manual

Users Manual

Version 1.1 January 2001

ENGLISH

®

MX2642A

EURORACK

www.behringer.com

EURORACK MX2642A

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not remove

the cover (or back). No user serviceable parts inside;
refer servicing to qualified personnel.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not

expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts
you to the presence of uninsulated
dangerous voltage inside the enclosure
 voltage that may be sufficient to
constitute a risk of shock.

DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:

All the safety and operation instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.

Retain Instructions:

The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.

Heed Warnings:

All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.

Follow instructions:

All operation and user instructions should be followed.

Water and Moisture:

The appliance should not be used near water (e.g. near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet
basement, or near a swimming pool etc.).

Ventilation:

The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilaton. For
example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa rug, or similar surface that may block the
ventilation openings: or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the
flow of air through the ventilation openings.

Heat:

The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

Power Source:

The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions
or as marked on the appliance.

Grounding or Polarization:

Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance is not defeated.

Power-Cord Protection:

Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed
upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles and the point
where they exit from the appliance.

Cleaning:

The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer.

Non-use Periods:

The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time.

Object and Liquid Entry:

Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.

Damage Requiring Service:

The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:

- the power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or

- objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or

- the appliance has been exposed to rain; or

- the appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or

- the appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.

Servicing:

The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that which is described in the Operating Instructions.
All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts
you to important operating and
maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Read the
manual.

2

EURORACK MX2642A

FOREWORD

Dear Customer,

Welcome to the team of EURORACK users and thank you very much for expressing your confidence in
BEHRINGER products by purchasing the MX2642A.

It is one of my most pleasant tasks to write this letter to you, because it is the culmination of many months of
hard work delivered by our engineering team to reach a very ambitious goal: making an outstanding device that
will become a standard tool used by studios and P.A. companies. The task to design the MX2642A certainly
meant a great deal of responsibility, which we assumed by focusing on you, the discerning user and musician.
It also meant a lot of work and night shifts to accomplish this goal. But it was fun, too. Developing a product
usually brings a lot of people together, and what a great feeling it is when everybody who participated in such
a project can be proud of what weve achieved.

It is our philosophy to share our joy with you, because you are the most important member of the BEHRINGER
family. With your highly competent suggestions for new products youve greatly contributed to shaping our
company and making it successful. In return, we guarantee you uncompromising quality (manufactured under
ISO9000 certified management system) as well as excellent technical and audio properties at an extremely
affordable price. All of this will enable you to fully unfold your creativity without being hampered by budget
constraints.

We are often asked how we are able to produce such high-grade devices at such unbelievably low prices. The
answer is quite simple: its you, our customers! Many satisfied customers mean large sales volumes enabling
us to get better conditions of purchase for components, etc. Isnt it only fair to pass this benefit back to you?
Because we know that your success is our success too!

I would like to thank all people whose help on Project MX2642A has made it all possible. Everybody has
made very personal contributions, starting from the designers of the unit via the many staff members in our
company to you, the user of BEHRINGER products.

My friends, its been worth the trouble!

Thank you very much,

Uli Behringer

3

EURORACK MX2642A

®

EURORACK

Professional 26-Input 4-Bus Mixing Console

s Ultra low-noise 26-channel 4-bus mixer with assignable subgroups

s Extremely high headroom  offering more dynamic range

s 4 assignable subgroups for multitracking / mixing

s 8 mono input channels with insert points and direct outputs

s Ultra low-noise discrete mic preamps with +48 V phantom power

MX2642A

s 4 stereo input channels

s 4 additional multifunctional stereo line inputs with aux sends

s 6 aux sends, with aux 1 & 2 switchable pre-/post fader

s Ultra-musical 4-band EQ on stereo channels

s Parametric midrange EQ and switchable Low-Cut filter on mono channels

s Balanced inputs and outputs

s Solo-In-Place and Pre-Fader-Listen function

s Separate mix and monitor / headphones outputs with insert points on mix outputs

s 2-track inputs assignable to main mix or monitor / headphones outputs

s High-quality 60 mm laser-trimmed faders and sealed potentiometers by ALPS

s State-of-the-art 4580 ICs and high quality components ensure crystal-clear audio performance and excellent

noise figures

s Moveable connector panel for table-top or rack mounting

s Rugged construction ensures long life even under the most demanding conditions

s Manufactured under ISO9000 certified management system

4

EURORACK MX2642A

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. THE MANUAL ........................................................................................................................................ 6

1.1 Nomenclature .................................................................................................................................. 6

1.2 Keys ............................................................................................................................................... 6

2. EURORACK OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Architecture .................................................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Metering .......................................................................................................................................... 7

2.3 PSU (Power Supply Unit) ................................................................................................................ 8

3. MONO INPUT CHANNEL ...................................................................................................................... 8

3.1 Input Level Setting ........................................................................................................................... 8

3.2 Equalizer ......................................................................................................................................... 8

3.3 Aux Sends ...................................................................................................................................... 8

3.4 Routing, Fading and Muting ............................................................................................................ 9

4. STEREO INPUT CHANNEL ................................................................................................................... 9

4.1 Input Level Setting ........................................................................................................................... 9

4.2 Equalizer ......................................................................................................................................... 9

4.3 Aux Sends .................................................................................................................................... 10

4.4 Routing ......................................................................................................................................... 10

5. SUBGROUPS, DIRECT OUTPUTS AND INSERTS ............................................................................. 10

5.1 Subgroups .................................................................................................................................... 10

5.2 Multitracking ................................................................................................................................. 10

5.3 Direct Outputs .............................................................................................................................. 10

5.4 Inserts ............................................................................................................................................ 11

6. MAIN SECTION ....................................................................................................................................11

6.1 Aux Sends ..................................................................................................................................... 11

6.2 Stereo Line Inputs .......................................................................................................................... 11

6.3 Metering ........................................................................................................................................ 12

6.4 Channel Mode ............................................................................................................................... 12

6.5 2-Track Input and Output ............................................................................................................... 13

6.6 Monitoring ..................................................................................................................................... 13

7. CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 14

7.1 Relocating the Connector Panel .................................................................................................... 14

7.2 Connectors ................................................................................................................................... 14

8. SETTING UP ....................................................................................................................................... 16

8.1 Selecting Inputs ............................................................................................................................ 16

8.2 Initializing Channels for Gain-Setting ............................................................................................. 16

8.3 Auditioning a Signal and Setting up a Channel .............................................................................. 16

8.4 Desk Normalization ....................................................................................................................... 16

8.5 Multitrack Initialization .................................................................................................................. 16

8.6 Recording Levels ........................................................................................................................... 17

8.7 Lining Up Recorder/Sampler Inputs ............................................................................................... 17

8.8 Auditioning a Mix .......................................................................................................................... 17

8.9 Track Sheet .................................................................................................................................. 17

9. APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................................... 18

10.SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 21

11.WARRANTY ......................................................................................................................................... 22

5

EURORACK MX2642A

1. THE MANUAL

Congratulations! In purchasing our EURORACK MX2642A you have acquired a mixer whose small size belies
its incredible versatility and superlative audio performance. Your EURORACK is built to the same outstanding
quality as our top-of-the range console, the BEHRINGER EURODESK MX9000.

The MX2642A offers you a choice of mono and stereo input channels, four assignable subgroups, and four
stereo line inputs.

+ This manual first describes the terminology used, so that you can fully understand the MX2642A

and its functions. Please read the manual carefully and keep it for future reference.

Your EURORACK was carefully packed in the factory and the packaging is designed to protect the unit from
rough handling. Nevertheless, we recommend that you carefully examine the packaging and its contents for
any signs of physical damage, which may have occurred during transit.

+ If the unit is damaged, please do not return it to BEHRINGER, but notify your dealer and the

shipping company immediately, otherwise claims for damage or replacement may not be
granted. Shipping claims must be made by the consignee.

+ Please make sure that all units have a proper ground connection. For your own safety, it is

advisable not to remove the ground connection within the units or at the supply, or fail to
make this connection at all. Please make sure that your local voltage matches the voltage
required by the unit (as indicated on top of your PSU).

+ Please note that both PSU and EURORACK will heat up during operation. This is completely

normal and does not indicate a malfunction.

1.1 Nomenclature

Most specialist subjects are not really all that difficult provided you understand the language used, and the
vocabulary of mixing is pretty straight-forward. Nevertheless it is as well to be clear about what certain terms
mean. A slot in a recorder will always be referred to as a track, while that in a mixer will invariably be a
channel. We will attempt to be as unambiguous as possible with terms, since much confusion can arise from
sloppy definitions.

1.2 Keys

At the end of this manual you will find some pages with drawings showing the front and rear panel of your
EURORACK respectively. Keep them turned over, lying to the left of the text pages, while studying the manual.

All functions will be numbered consistently throughout the manual, whether they be in the text or on an
illustration. In addition the following prefixes will be used to denote the various types of function control in any
text respectively:

Prefix Meaning

SSwitch
LLED
P Potentiometer
F Fader

Tab. 1.1: Prefixes and their meaning

After every prefix, you will find the function number.

6

1. THE MANUAL

EURORACK MX2642A

2. EURORACK OVERVIEW

The configuration is 26 into 4 into 2. This means that there are 26 inputs in total (8 mono and 4 stereo channels,
4 stereo line inputs, and an extra 2-track stereo input which can also be routed to the main mix. 2 stereo (or 4
mono) subgroups are provided for connecting to multitrack tape recorders, or for use as an aid during mixdown
or a live concert mix.

2.1 Architecture

Mono Input Channels

Channels 1 - 8 are mono, with a choice of balanced mic or line inputs. The vintage-style high-current
discrete mic amps are of the same incredible quality as those found on the acclaimed
BEHRINGEREURODESKMX9000, while a large external power supply ensures low noise and superior transient
response at all times. Insert points and direct outputs are also provided, giving big console functionality to the
mono input channels.

Stereo Input Channels

A further 8 line inputs on the MX2642A are configured as 4 stereo input channels, accepting line level signals
at -10 dBV (semi-pro) as well as at +4 dBu (professional) operating levels. These are ideal for multitrack tape
returns, or for accepting outputs from MIDI and other electronic instruments.

Channel Outputs

A high-quality true-logarithmic 60 mm fader feeds the main via a constant-power channel PANORAMA control.

On your MX2642A, subgroup buses are fed via SUBGROUP and MIX ASSIGN switches, too. Here the channel
PANORAMA control also selects between odd and even-numbered subgroup buses.

Subgroups

For ease and flexibility of mixing, four mono (two stereo) assignable subgroups are provided on your MX2642A.

Aux Sends

There are six aux send buses on the MX2642A, each with PFL.

Stereo Line Inputs

Four stereo line inputs, each with Solo/PFL, lie above the subgroup faders. These inputs are each assigned to
two aux send buses. When these are used for returning tape tracks, these aux sends could be used as cue
feeds to the performers headphones, or as effects sends for wet monitoring. Alternatively, the stereo line
inputs could be used for MIDI instruments etc.

Main Mix Output

Main mix output level is via a high-quality true-log 60 mm stereo fader, and is monitored by a pair of accurate
12 segment bargraph peak meters, surrounded by four status LEDs. Other functions of the main section
include headphones output with gain, and a 2-track tape return, which doubles as an extra stereo line input
available to the mix with its own level control, completing the 26 input channels of the innovative MX2642A.

2.2 Metering

Channels 1 - 8 on your MX2642A have overload LEDs, while the L and R outputs have 12 segment bargraph
meters. The L/R meters double up as mono PFL or stereo solo meters.

+ The master bargraph meters should average around 0 dB during loud passages. If they read

persistently higher, or are peaking above +10 dB (top segment of the main L/R LED display),
reduce either the main L/R fader, the subgroup faders and/or channel faders, or (as a last
resort) channel input gain. Maybe its time to do a round of PFL metering.

2. EURORACK OVERVIEW

7