Phonic AM5GE, AM6GE operation manual

AM5GE
AM6GE

AM6GE

User's Manual
Manual del Usuario

English Español

AM5GE AM6GE

COMPACT MIXERS
MEZCLADORAS COMPACTAS

ENGLISH ......................................I

ESPAÑOL .....................................II

APPENDIX ...................................III

V1.0 10/26/2018

USER'S MANUAL

CONTENTS

English

INTRODUCTION

FEATURES

INSTANT SETUP

COMPUTER CONNECTION

TF/BT MODULE

MAKING CONNECTIONS

CONTROLS AND SETTINGS

SPECIFCATIONS

APPENDIX

APPLICATION

Phonic reserves the right to improve or alter any information within this
document without prior notice

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AM5GE / AM6GE

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

English

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in

8.

9.

10.

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12.

13.

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18.

accordance with the manufacture’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such

as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other

heat.
Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
or grounding plug. A polarized plug has two
blades with one wider than the other. A grounding
plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong is provided for

your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement
of the obsolete outlet.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched particularly at the plugs, convenience
receptacles, and at the point where they exit from
the apparatus.

the manufacturer.
Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,

manufacturer, or sold with the
apparatus. When a cart or rack is
used, use caution when moving the
cart/apparatus combination to avoid
injury from tip-over.
Unplug the apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.

Servicing is required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way, such as power supply
cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled
or objects have fallen into the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate
normally, or has been dropped.

building-in space such as a book case or similar
unit, and remain a well ventilation conditions at
open site. The ventilation should not be impeded
by covering the ventilation openings with items
such as newspaper, table-cloths, curtains, etc.

Use this apparatus in moderate climates.
No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles,
should be placed on the apparatus.

Class 2 Wiring for all other TERMINALS provided
the audio output power exceeds 10 W per channel
under normal operating conditions or the apparatus
is intended to be installed or interconnected in the
field by a SKILLED PERSON.

19. WARNING: The mains plug/appliance coupler is

20. This apparatus is for professional use only.

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE

used as disconnect device, the disconnect device
shall remain readily operable.

NE PAS OUVRIR

ATTENTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN!

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER AS THERE ARE NO

USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER

SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

21. WARNING:
shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or
moisture. The apparatus shall not be exposed to

liquids, such as vases, shall not be placed on
apparatus.

22.

Warning: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do
not remove cover (or back) as there are no user-

personnel.

23. Protective earthing terminals. The

an equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of non-insulated
“dangerous voltage” within the product’s

magnitude to constitute a risk of electric
shock.

The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and
maintenance instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.

apparatus should be connected to a
mains socket outlet with a protective
earthing connection.

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AM5GE / AM6GE

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on purchasing one of Phonic’s many
quality compact mixers. The AM Gold Edition Mixers
– designed by the ingenious engineers that have
created a variety of mixers fantastic in style and per­formance in the past – were created to provide a more
elegant mixing experience with more pleasing asthet­ics than previously available. The AM series features
full gain ranges, amazingly low distortion levels, +22
dBu line signal handling, and incredibly wide dynamic
ranges, just showing the dominance these small ma­chines will have in the studio or live venues.

We know how eager you are to get started – wanting
to get the mixer out and hook it all up is probably your
number one priority right now – but before you do, we
strongly urge you to take a look through this manual.

Inside, you will nd important facts and gures on the

set up, use and applications of your brand new mixer. If

you do happen to be one of the many people who atly

refuse to read user manuals, then we just urge you to
at least glance at the Instant Setup section. After glanc­ing at or reading through the manual (we applaud you
if you do read the entire manual), please store it in a

place that is easy for you to nd, bec ause chances are
there’s something you missed the rst time around.

FEATURES

AM5GE

 Balanced Mic/Line Neutrik “Combo” input with

compressor and 2-band EQ

 2 stereo inputs with balance and level controls
 Stereo USB audio interface for connecting to Win-

dows and Mac computers (24-bit, 48 KHz)

 Playback of digital media les from TransFlash media
 Internal TransFlash module for high quality stereo

recording in WAV or MP3 formats

 2.4GHz BT connectivity for streaming digital audio

directly from smartphones and tablets

 +48V phantom power for mic input
 Peak and VU metering (10 segments)
 Peak indicators on mono input channel
 2T RTN assignable individually to Main or Headphones
 Stereo RCA 2T Return inputs plus mini-stereo
 Balanced master output with main rotary control

AM6GE

 2 balanced Mic/Line Neutrik “Combo” inputs with

3-band EQ and variable compressor

 2 stereo inputs with 3-band EQs
 Stereo USB audio interface for connecting to Win-

dows and Mac computers (24-bit, 48 KHz)

 Playback of digital media les from TransFlash media
 Internal TransFlash module for high quality stereo

recording in WAV or MP3 formats

 2.4GHz BT connectivity for streaming digital audio

directly from smartphones and tablets

 One stereo AUX return
 Post-fader AUX send on every input

AM5GE / AM6GE

 Global +48V phantom power for microphone inputs
 Peak and VU metering (10 segment)
 Peak indicators on both mono input channels
 2T RTN assignable individually to Main or Control room
 Balanced master output with 60mm fader control
 Headset mic and headphone connectors perfect

for livestreaming and web conferencing

INSTANT SETUP

Getting Started

1. Ensure all power is turned o󰀨 on your mixer. To

totally ensure this, the AC cable should not be
connected to the unit.

2. All faders and level controls should be set at the

lowest level and all channels switched o󰀨 to en­sure no sound is inadvertently sent through the
outputs when the device is switched on. All levels
can be altered to acceptable degrees after the
device is turned on.

3. Plug all necessary instruments and equipment

into the device’s various inputs as required.
This may include line signal devices, such as
keyboards and drum machines, as well as micro­phones and/or guitars, keyboards, etc.

4. Plug any necessary equipment into the device’s

various outputs. This could include ampliers and

speakers, monitors, signal processors, and/or
recording devices.

5. Plug the supplied AC power supply into the inlet

on the rear of the device and then into a power
outlet of a suitable voltage.

6. Turn the power switch on and follow the channel

setup instructions to get the most out of your
equipment.

Channel Setup

1. To ensure the correct audio level of the input

channel is selected, each of the level input con­trols of the Mixer should be turned counterclock­wise as far as they will turn (which should be the

-∞ mark).

2. No input other than the one being set should

have any device plugged in. This will ensure the
purest signal is used when setting channels.

3. Ensure the channel has a signal sent to it similar

to the signal that will be sent when in common
use. For example, if the channel is using a mi­crophone, then you should speak or sing at the
same level the performer normally would during a
performance; if a guitar is plugged into the chan­nel, then the guitar should also be strummed as
it normally would be (and so on). This ensures
levels are completely accurate and avoids having
to reset them later.

4. Set the gain so the level meter indicates the au-

dio level is around 0 dB.

5. This channel is now ready to be used; you can

stop making the audio signal.

6. You can repeat the same process for other channels.

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English

COMPUTER CONNECTION

By simply connecting the USB cable provided along
with your AM GE mixer to the device and your personal

English

computer or laptop, you are able to send DVD quality
(16-bit stereo, with a 48 kHz sampling rate) signal to
and from your mixer. By doing this, you are turning your
mixer into a highly useful plug’n’play soundcard for your
computer.

The USB sends an audio stream of the Main Left and
Right (record out) signal of your mixer to the computer.
You can use almost any dedicated Digital Audio Work­station (DAW) software to record the signal from the
mixer. You can also set the mixer as your default audio
device.

The USB interface also returns a stereo audio signal
from your computer back to the 2T RTN/USB mix.

Windows

1. Connect the mixer to the computer via the provid-

ed USB cable.

2. Let Windows nd the device and install an appro-

priate driver.

3. Enter the Control Panel and select Sounds and

Audio Devices.

4. When here, go to the Audio tab and select the

“USB Audio Codec” as your default sound record­ing and playback device.

5. Depending whether you have Windows XP, Vista,

7, 8 or 10, this may di󰀨er slightly, but the setting

can always be found within the Control Panel’s
audio menu.

6. If you don’t want to use the mixer as your default

audio device, you can simply enter your DAW or
other audio program and select it as your default
device in the program only.

7. Be sure to set your minimum bu󰀨er settings to 64

samples as to avoid clicks and pops.

Mac

1. Connect the mixer to the computer via the provided

USB cable.

2. Enter the AUDIO MIDI SETUP menu.

3. Select the “USB Audio Codec” as your input and

output device.

4. The AM mixer is now your default audio device.

5. Alternatively, enter your DAW software (or other

relevant audio program) and select the “USB Au­dio Codec” in the device preferences.

6. Be sure to set your minimum bu󰀨er settings to 64

samples as to avoid clicks and pops.

TF/BT MODULE (BLUETOOTH SETUP)

1. Select the Bluetooth function through the TF/BT

module.

2. Enter your smartphone or tablet’s Bluetooth setup

options to nd the “PHONIC” Bluetooth device.

3. If requested, the password for the Bluetooth

function is 0000. Many modern smartphones will
enter this as the default password.

4. Audio signals received through the Bluetooth in-

terface will be routed to the TF/BT channel on the
mixer.

5. To reset the connection, turn your smartphone

or tablet’s Bluetooth connection o󰀨 and then on

again.

6. When using cell phones and tablets, it may be

an idea to turn “Airplane Mode” or “Flight Mode”

on to stop phone calls or push notications from

interrupting your audio.

Note: Not all modern Bluetooth-enabled devices al­low for use of external audio playback. In the case of
laptops in particular, Bluetooth may be used for data
transmission only - depending on the model. This is a
limitation of these devices and you will not be able to
use the Bluetooth function with these devices.

TF/BT MODULE (TF PLAYBACK)

1. Insert an appropriately formatted TF card.

2. Select the “Music” option in the main menu and

press PLAY to enter the playback function. The
STOP/MENU button acts as a ‘back’ button when
navigating menus.

3. Select ‘All Songs’, ‘Artists’, ‘Albums’, ‘Genres,’

etc - as applicable.

4. Press the PLAY button to play the current track

through the TF/BT channel, or the << and >> but­tons to skip forward and backwards between tracks.

The mixer can play MP3, WAV and FLAC les.

5. Push and hold the STOP/MENU button to stop

playback.

6. During playback, quickly press the STOP/MENU

button to access the Shu󰀪e and Repeat functions.

Repeat Mode – There 4 repeat modes available.
No Repeat – Play each le in the current folder or

root once.

Repeat 1 – Continuously repeat selected song.
Repeat all – Continuously repeat all songs.

Shu󰀪e – Random playback of les in current folder.

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AM5GE / AM6GE

TF/BT MODULE (TF RECORDING)

1. Insert a FAT-32 formatted TF card (up to 64GB).

2. In the main menu, select ‘Recordings’ and press

the PLAY.

3. Here you have the options: ‘Start voice recording,’

‘Record Settings’, ‘Record Format’ and ‘Recordings
library’ (among others).

4. Adjust the ‘Recording Format’ (MP3 or WAV) and

‘Record Settings’ as necessary (available record­ing bitrates depends on format).

5. Select “Start voice recording” to begin recording

immediately. The unit will save an audio le to a

‘RECORD’ folder on your inserted TF card.

6. Push the PLAY button to pause recording. Push-

ing the PLAY button again will resume recording
from the position at which it was paused.

7. Press the STOP/MENU button at any time to stop

the recording. The device will then ask if you wish
to save your recording. Select “Yes” or “No”. Your
records can later be found in the “Recordings
library.”

8. Press the STOP/MENU button to exit.

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AM5GE / AM6GE

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MAKING CONNECTIONS

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Inputs and Outputs

1. Combo Input Jacks

These jacks accept both 3-pin XLR and 1/4” TRS
phone jack inputs for balanced and unbalanced
signals. They can be used in conjunction with
microphones – such as professional condenser,
dynamic or ribbon microphones – with standard XLR

male connectors, and feature low noise preampliers,

serving for crystal clear sound replication. They can
also be used with various line level devices, such as
keyboards, drum machines, electric guitars, and a
variety of other electric instruments.

NB. When these inputs are used with condenser microphones,
the Phantom Power should be activated. However, when
Phantom Power button is engaged, single ended (unbalanced)
microphones and instruments should not be used on the
Mic inputs unless specifically approved by the microphone
manufacturer.

2. Stereo Channels

The AM5GE and AM6GE mixers each features 2
stereo channels, thrown in for maximum flexibility.
Each of these channels features two 1/4” phone jacks
for connection of various line level input devices, such
as electronic keyboards, guitars and external signal
processors or mixers. Stereo channels can also be
used as mono channels, where the signal from any
device plugged into the left input will be duplicated to
the right (this does not work in reverse).

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AM6GE

AM5GE

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3. Stereo AUX Return (AM6GE only)

These 1/4” TS inputs are for the return of audio to
the mixer, processed by an external signal processor.
If really needed, they can also be used as additional
inputs, with a level control located on the face of
the mixer. Like with the stereo input channels, these
inputs can be used as mono channels by connecting
any device into the Stereo AUX return’s left input.

4. AUX Send (AM6GE only)

This 1/4” TS outputs may be used to connect to
an external digital effect processor, or even to an

amplier and speakers (depending on your desired

settings) to the mixer. The signal is taken from the
AUX control on each input channel.

5. Phones

This stereo output is suited for use with headphones,
allowing monitoring of the mix. The audio level of
this output is controlled using the Phones or Phones/
Control Room control.

6. Headset Connectors

A stereo headphone output and microphone input
(1/8” TRS and TS connectors, respectively) are
included for connection of modern headsets. These
are perfect for livestreamers and digital conferencing
when using the AM Gold as a soundcard.

AM5GE / AM6GE

AM5GE

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AM6GE

7. Main L and R Output

These two ports will output the nal stereo line level

signal sent from the main mixing bus. The primary
purpose of these jacks is to send the main output to

external devices, which may include power ampliers

(and in-turn, a pair of speakers), other mixers, as well
as a wide range of other possible signal processors
(equalizers, crossovers, etcetera).

8. Record Out

These outputs will accommodate RCA cables,
able to be fed to a variety of recording devices. the
AM5GE also features a mini-stereo output, perfect
for consumer-level digital recording devices.

9. 2T Return

These RCA inputs are used to connect the mixer
with parallel external devices, such as sub mixers or

external e󰀨ect processors, receiving the processed

signal from another source and feeding it to either
the Main L and R or the Phones mixing bus.

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Rear Panel

10. Control Room Outputs (AM6GE only)

These two 1/4” phone jack outputs feed the signal
altered by the Control Room/Phones level control on
the face of the AM6GE. This output has extensive
use, as it can be used to feed the signal from the
mixer to an active monitor, for the monitoring of the
audio signal from within a booth, or, alternatively, for
the addition of external signal processing devices
or mixers, as well as acting as a “side fill” output,
supplying audio to indoor areas that the main
speakers do not reach.

12. USB Interface

This USB-B connector is for connecting the AM Gold
to any modern PC computer. When connected, the
computer should recognize the AM Gold as a sound
card, allowing stereo audio to be sent to and from
the computer.

12. Power Connector

This port is for the addition of the external power
supply, allowing power to be supplied to the mixer.
This accepts 5V of DC voltage through a USB-C
connector. Phonic have included a power adapter
and cable to power the unit. Please be sure of the
voltage before powering the AM Gold mixer. The
power button can be found on the face of the mixer.

AM5GE / AM6GE

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CONTROLS AND SETTINGS

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Channel Controls

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13. Pad Button

The PAD button is used to
attenuate the input signal by 25
dB. This generally will only be
used when using line-level input
devices are connected.

14. Line/Mic Gain Control

This controls the sensitivity
of the inputsignal of the Line/
Microphone input. The gain
should be adjusted to a level
that allows the maximum use of
the audio, while still maintaining
the quality of the feed. This can
be accomplished by adjusting it
to a level that will allow the peak
indicator occasionally illuminate.
The AM5GE features a single
gain control for channel 1,
located on the face of the mixer,
whereas the AM6GE features a
gain controls on both channels 1
and 2, located directly below the
Line inputs.

15. Compressor and Indicator

This controls the onboard compressor function on
mono channels. Turning this control up towards
the 12 o’clock position will adjust the threshold and
ratio of the compressor at varying degrees. Once
you reach the 12 o’clock position, the control will
then adjust the compression settings along with an
onboard expander (or, in other words, a compander).
The LED that accompanies this control will light up
when the compressor is triggered.

16. High Frequency Control

This control is used to give a shelving boost or cut
of ±15 dB to high frequency (12 kHz) sounds. This
will adjust the amount of treble included in the audio
of the channel, adding strength and crispness to
sounds such as guitars, cymbals, and synthesizers.

17. Low Frequency Control

This control is used to give a shelving boost or cut
of ±15 dB to low frequency (80 Hz) sounds. This will
adjust the amount of bass included in the audio of
the channel, and bring more warmth and punch to
drums and bass guitars.

18. AUX Control (AM6GE only)

These controls alter the signal level that is sent to the
AUX Sends, which can be used in conjunction with
external signal processors, or simply as an auxiliary
output for any means required.

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19. Pan / Balance Controls

This alternates the degree
or level of audio that the left
and right side of the main mix
should receive. On mono
channels, this control will
adjust the level that the left
and right should receive (pan),
where as on a stereo channel,
adjusting the BAL control will
attenuate the left or right audio
signals accordingly (balance).
Each model features a PAN or
BAL control on every one of
their channel strips.

20. Peak Indicator

This LED indicator will
illuminate when the device
hits high peaks, 6 dB before
overload occurs. It is best to
adjust the gain of the channel
so that the PEAK indicator
lights up on intervals. This
will ensure a greater dynamic
range of audio. The Peak
indicator is featured on the
mono channels of every model.

21. Level Control

This control will alter the signal level that is sent from
the corresponding channel to the main mixing bus.

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Record/Playback

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22. TF Card Slot

Insert an appropriately formatted (FAT-32) ash card

into this slot. This card can then be used to record

MP3 or WAV les.

23. Display

This display will display the track number currently
being played. It also offers play, pause and record
indicators as well as the current play/record time.

24. Stop/Menu Button

Push this button to stop playback or recording when
applicable. Push and hold the button to access the
TF recorder/player’s main menu.

AM5GE / AM6GE