RCF M-18 Data Sheet
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 1
M 18 Digital Mixer - User’s Manual
Firmware Version 03.02.230 (230)
iOS MixRemote App Version 2.0.3 build 166
Android MixRemote App Version 2.2.1 build 55
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 2
Sommario
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
2. Overview ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Hardware Description ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
System Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 7
3. FIRMWARE UPDATE .................................................................................................................................................... 9
FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................................... 9
BACKUP FUNCTION PROCEDURE .................................................................................................................................. 10
RESTORE FUNCTION PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................................. 10
4. NETWORK CONNECTIONS......................................................................................................................................... 11
INTERNAL WiFi .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
EXTERNAL WIFI ROUTER ............................................................................................................................................... 13
USB TETHERING ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
5. MixRemote App ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
FADERS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 17
INPUTS View ............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Input Channel: PRE-DYN, MULTI FX .......................................................................................................................... 19
Inputs 09-10 .............................................................................................................................................................. 22
Inputs 11-18 .............................................................................................................................................................. 26
Stereo Player (from USB flash drive) ........................................................................................................................ 26
Input PEQ .................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Channel View ............................................................................................................................................................ 28
EFFECTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 30
SEND FX ..................................................................................................................................................................... 30
MULTIFX .................................................................................................................................................................... 33
OUTPUT ........................................................................................................................................................................ 34
AUX PEQ .................................................................................................................................................................... 34
MAIN OUT Processing ............................................................................................................................................... 35
PHONES ......................................................................................................................................................................... 37
PLAY/REC ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38
PLAY .......................................................................................................................................................................... 38
REC ............................................................................................................................................................................ 40
METRONOME............................................................................................................................................................ 42
METERS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 43
LOAD/SAVE ................................................................................................................................................................... 43
SNAPSHOTS ............................................................................................................................................................... 47
SHOWS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 48
PATCHES ................................................................................................................................................................... 48
SETTINGS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 49
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 3
GLOBAL ..................................................................................................................................................................... 49
SYSTEM ..................................................................................................................................................................... 55
NETWORK ................................................................................................................................................................. 56
INFO .......................................................................................................................................................................... 57
6. M 18 Usage ............................................................................................................................................................... 58
Secret of mixing on a digital console ............................................................................................................................ 58
Sound Shaping with M 18 ............................................................................................................................................. 59
DRUMS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 59
BASS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 61
KEYBOARDS ................................................................................................................................................................... 61
ELECTRIC GUITARS ........................................................................................................................................................ 61
ACOUSTIC GUITARS ...................................................................................................................................................... 62
VOICE ............................................................................................................................................................................ 62
7. DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................................... 63
8. Startup Sequence & Recovery .................................................................................................................................. 66
Restoring the unit with firmware ver. 182 ............................................................................................................... 67
Restoring the unit with firmware ver. 203 (or higher) ........................................................................................... 68
9. MIDI Implementation Chart ...................................................................................................................................... 69
10. BLOCK DIAGRAM ................................................................................................................................................. 71
11. Technical Specifications ....................................................................................................................................... 73
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 4
1. Introduction
A new family of compact Digital Mixers have been designed by RCF, with the aim to address the requirements
of modern performing musicians.
The main goal is to allow the user to minimize the amount of equipment needed for a live act. Therefore, a
significant effort has been spent to include all the main features to ensure a seamless performance. These
features are the following:
• compact size: the mixer is small and can be placed anywhere within the stage or between the
instruments
• full remote control over WiFi of all features
• integration of high-quality amplifier modeling
• internal WiFi Access Point and Power Supply
The M series of Digital Mixers are ideal in all cases where a dedicated sound engineer may not be available,
and therefore a FOH mixer would be inappropriate. The musicians themselves can perform the sound check
by moving in from of the house PA with a tablet and setting up the mixer accordingly.
Two independent amplifier simulation algorithms, licensed from Overloud™, have been included into a
multieffect-like organization of internal effects. This enables a further option to avoid bringing on the stage
bulky and large amplifiers, relying on the main PA and stage monitors.
A high-quality stereo player is available on the unit, accessing files from a USB flash drive, representing a further
option in minimizing the amount of equipment required for a live gig.
Therefore, you can leave home several items, such as the multicore snake, external effects that would normally
connect to the mixer, guitar and/or bass amplifiers, external file players, and yet obtain a high-quality and
professional result.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 5
2. Overview
Hardware Description
All connectors are available on the rear panel, for maximum compactness.
1. MIC Input 1 to 6 – XLR Female
Connect your Microphones to these remotely-controlled 60dB gain-range inputs. Red LEDs indicate
the Phantom power status ON or OFF for MIC input groups 1 to 4 and 5 to 8. To obtain best
performances from your microphones, use balanced XLR cables.
2. MIC/LINE Input 7 and 8 – Combos
Input 7 & 8 provide Mic input on the XLR connection and Line input on the TRS jack connection.
3. MAIN OUTPUT L&R
Connect your active speaker or your amplifier to these +21dBu balanced Output. The green LEDs
show the signal presence on MAIN MIX channels independently for LEFT and RIGHT outputs.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 6
4. External Wi-Fi Antenna connector
M 18 includes an internal antenna and provisions for an external antenna. Attach the provided
external antenna to this connector for optimal performance of the MixRemote app.
[please refer to Statement for Detachable Antenna in Appendix A/1]
5. Power switch
Turn On and Off your M 18 device.
6. Power cable inlet.
Connect here the provided power cord.
7. AUX Output 1-6 Balanced jacks
Connect to these +21dBu balanced output your stage monitors or external effects.
8. LAN connector
It is possible to connect here an external Wi-Fi Access Point for advanced communication
configurations. This port is intended also for future applications.
9. Dual footswitch connector
Connect here a single or dual external footswitch. The footswitch port allows connection of a single
or double stage footswitch to recall effects’ presets or to mute effects’ returns, as well as providing
several other control functions.
10. Internal access point reset pushbutton
Press this button during normal operation (for less than 10 seconds) to restore the default settings
for both the internal Wi-Fi Access Point and the LAN port, as follows:
LAN
IP configuration
Static
IP address
192.168.0.18
Netmask
255.255.255.0
Gateway
0.0.0.0
DNS
0.0.0.0
WiFi
Band
2.4 GHz
Country
NONE
Channel
3
Security
OPEN
SSID
M18-xxxxxx
External Antenna
Enabled
This button is available also for other functions, you can review them more in detail at page 67.
You can modify these settings from the MixRemote app in the SETTINGS > NETWORK page.
11. USB Type A port
Insert here a USB stick to play high quality audio files. .WAV, .AIFF and MP3 file allowed for
reproduction.
12. MIDI connectors
Connect here your MIDI controller. See the dedicated page on MixRemote (SETTINGS > MIDI) to
view the assigned MIDI channels for specific functions.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 7
13. Headphones stereo output
Connect your headphones here either for PFL, Personal Monitoring or the Main Mix listening.
14. LINE Input 11-18
Connect here your line level sources like keyboard, external audio device or other small analog
consoles used for submix. These input are unbalanced, and their operating levels can be set to
+4dBu or -10dBV.
15. LINE Input 9-10 with switchable HiZ input
Connect to these unbalanced inputs your line-level sources, at +4 dBu or -10 dBV, or highimpedance passive instruments, like electric guitars, electric basses or piezo pickups. You can
individually enable the Hi-Z option, that offers a 1 Mohm input impedance when activated.
System Overview
The M 18 Digital Mixer is a feature-packed unit that includes several of the useful blocks required to arrange a
good-sounding live act.
Signal processing capabilities of the M 18 Digital Mixer
In addition to the usual essential processing blocks that are present in every mixer (equalizers, compressors),
several effects are available, arranged as follows:
• Three global stereo effects, each with a dedicated FX SEND buss
• Two 5-stage MultiFX blocks, dedicated to channels 9 and 10; in each of these two blocks, an amp
simulator is available
• Two 3-stage MultiFX blocks, dedicated to channels 5 and 6 or 9 and 10
• A highly musical Mastering Processor on the MAIN L & R output signals
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 8
• A 31-band stereo Graphic Equalizer on the MAIN L& R output signals, after the Mastering Processor
The MultiFX blocks can be managed independently from the mixer, with a set of memories (which we call
PATCHES), to allow the same flexibility which would be available with an external multieffect unit.
A total of 13 summing busses are present in the M 18 Digital Mixer:
• MAIN left & right buss
• FX SEND 1,2,3 buss
• AUX SEND 1,2,3,4,5,6 buss
• Stereo PHONES buss
Among these, the stereo personal monitor deserves special mention.
You can set the PHONES buss in one of two modes:
• PFL mode (pre-fader listen), in which the input channels put in SOLO mode are summed and sent
to the PHONES output, through the EQ and PHONES fader; the PFL level is shown on the MAIN L
and R VU meter. Please notice that the stereo PFL VU meter display reflects the PAN value, and of
course, being pre-fader, is not affected by the fader level.
• Personal Mix mode, in which a separate mix of all inputs, including the 2-channel player, is
available and allows a complete stereo mix to be routed to the PHONES output (and optionally to
a pair of AUX outputs; see routing options)
A complete overview of the M 18 internal features is shown here below:
The internal Access Point is a dual-antenna MIMO WiFi interface; one of the two antennas is external, while the
other is located on the top right side (when facing at the RCF logo).
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 9
3. FIRMWARE UPDATE
MixUpdate is a dedicated application for M 18 firmware update. MixUpdate for iOS also features BACKUP
and RESTORE functions. BACKUP allows saving all the Snapshots, Shows and Effects’ Patches from the mixer
into a USB stick inserted in the M 18. Then, the RESTORE command brings the contents back to the M 18,
either the same unit or a different one.
FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE
1. Install the RCF app MixUpdate on your iPad or Android tablet. You can find MixUpdate on the App
Store and Play store.
2. Download the latest firmware file available on the web page
https://www.rcf.it/products/mixing-consoles/m-series/m-18-firmware-update
3. Unzip the .zip file and copy the
RCF-M18_0XXX.mpk
file on the root directory of a FAT32 formatted
USB stick. Be sure to have one
.mpk
file only in the USB stick, to avoid file mismatch.
4. Insert your USB stick into the M 18 USB slot and turn it on.
5. Connect the tablet to the M-18XXXXXX network through WiFi settings.
6. Launch the MixUpdate app and click on "Connect".
7. The left column shows the firmware version that is currently installed on M 18. The right column
shows the firmware version on the USB stick, ready to be installed.
8. Click on the Update button to install the most recent version and press OK to proceed
9. After a few seconds you will see a confirmation notice
10. Press the OK button to reboot the M 18. This procedure will take a few seconds.
11. After rebooting the following notice will appear:
Go back to your iPad’s WiFi configuration page and check the network connection.
Make sure you are connected to the M18-XXXXXX network.
12. Launch the MixRemote App again and enjoy the updated M 18 mixer.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 10
You may need to perform a two-step firmware update, depending on firmware version currently installed on
your M18 unit. If you current firmware version is 187 or earlier, please update to version 221 first. Then, after
power cycling the unit, you can perform the desired firmware update to the latest version. Here is a summary
of required actions, depending on your current firmware version:
• 177 → update to 221 first → update to the latest version
• 182 → update to 221 first → update to the latest version
• 203 or later → update to the latest version
For iOS version only, a Backup & Restore page is available on the MixUpdate app
BACKUP FUNCTION PROCEDURE
1. Connect to the M-18XXXXXX network through the WiFi settings in the Configuration menu of your
tablet
2. Launch the MixUpdate app and click on "Connect"
3. Insert your USB stick into the M 18 USB slot
4. Touch the BACKUP tab on the left
5. Press the Backup button in the left column of the screen
6. A notice will appear, click on “OK” to proceed
7. A complete backup has been successfully created on the USB stick
RESTORE FUNCTION PROCEDURE
1. Connect to the M-18XXXXXX network through the WiFi settings in the Configuration menu of your
tablet
2. Launch the MixUpdate app and click on "Connect"
3. Insert the USB stick containing the M 18 backup into the M 18 USB slot
4. Touch the BACKUP tab on the left
5. Press the Restore button on the right column
6. If you want to proceed, click on “OK”
7. The restore procedure has been completed
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 11
4. NETWORK CONNECTIONS
There are several options to connect with the Digital Mixer:
• Wireless via the internal WiFi Access Point
• Wireless via an external WiFi Access Point connected to the LAN
• USB tehering to an Android tablet
INTERNAL WiFi
The M18 is equipped with an internal Wi-Fi double antenna supporting dual band connection (2,4 GHz and 5
GHz). If the M Mixer is rack installed or used in a demanding environment, an improvement of Wi-Fi connection
is possible thanks to the provided external antenna.
When connecting an M 18 Digital Mixer to your tablet for the first time:
1. On your tablet open the Wifi Settings
2. A Wi-Fi network with SSID called M 18-xxxxxx will appear in the available network list (xxxxxx is an
alphanumeric string related to the internal MAC address).
3. Select the M 18 Wi-Fi network.
4. No password is requested by default.
5. Wait for the connection (typically five to ten seconds).
6. Now, launch the MixRemote application, select Wi-Fi option and press Connect
7. If MixRemote app is already open in background, M 18 will be connected as soon as the application
is moved to foreground.
Please notice that if you have modified the Wi-Fi settings (SSID name, password, etc..) the connection
procedure may vary.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 12
We recommend to configure the WLAN AP Settings using the SETTINGS/NETWORK page of MixRemote app:
After you perform all changes to WLAN parameters, you must press Save Changes to modify these settings
into the mixer.
IMPORTANT: to obtain best WiFi connection performance, avoid placing any object over the M 18 top
cover, as it will obstruct the internal antenna, reducing Wi-Fi connection range and reliability. Always connect
the provided external antenna and select your country on MixRemote App. SETTINGS > NETWORK section.
Failing to select the country will result in degraded WiFi performance.
SSID
You can modify the factory setting to provide a name you can remember. The factory name is in the form
M18-XXXXXX where the latter are a combination of letters and numbers.
Country
By selecting the appropriate country where you are operating the mixer, you can comply with local radio
regulations. Please notice that if you leave to the default value NONE, transmitting power is limited and
you will not obtain the best performance from the M 18 Digital Mixer, including maximum distance and
robustness to interference
(feature not allowed on USA/Canada software version)
Band
You can select between the usual 2.4 GHz band and the less crowded 5 GHz band, depending on your tablet
capabilities. For USA and Canada markets, the 5 GHz band is not allowed, according to the local FCC/IC
regulations.
Channel
You can minimize interference from other Access Points by selecting a channel not being used by others.
There are several scanning software applications that enable you to view which channels are available.
Security
You can either keep the Access Point open, or enable WiFi security (WPA2/PSK). In this case, you will be
able to modify the default password.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 13
EXTERNAL WIFI ROUTER
It is possible to use an external WiFi router connected to the M 18 Digital Mixer via the internal 1 Gbit LAN
port. This capability is available for both iOS and Android devices. Two options are available on the M 18: by
setting a static IP or enabling the DHCP client.
METHOD 1 – STATIC IP
1. Use a Wireless Router with DHCP Server Enabled and take note of its IP Address (in this document
we will assume 192.168.10.99).
2. Connect the M 18 to the Wireless Router with a Cat5E cable.
3. Connect the tablet to the M 18 internal WiFi, launch MixRemote and connect to the M 18 using the
standard method (WiFi).
4. Go to the SETTINGS / NETWORK page, select <Static> in the IP configuration and type an address in
the same subnet of our Router (ie. 192.168.10.80) with the default NetMask (255.255.255.0) and the
Router IP Address in the Gateway and DNS field (In our case 192.168.10.99):
5. Press Save Changes & Reboot to save these modifications on the M 18.
6. Connect the Tablet to the Wireless Router WiFi network.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 14
7. Launch the MixRemote App; on the welcome page, select LAN in the bottom part of the software
interface andtype the static IP address previously assigned to the M 18 (192.168.10.80), then press
OK
8. If connection fails, it may be due to the fact that the selected IP address is already assigned to
another device; in this case, repeat from step 3 and type a different static address.
9. Press CONNECT; the app is now connected to the M 18 Digital Mixer via the external WiFi Router
METHOD 2 – DHCP
1. Use a Wireless Router with DHCP Server Enabled and take note of its IP Address (in this document
we will assume 192.168.10.99).
2. Connect the M 18 to the Wireless Router with a Cat5E cable.
3. Connect the tablet to the M18 internal WiFi, launch MixRemote and connect to the M 18 using the
standard method (WiFi).
4. Go to the SETTINGS / NETWORK page, select <DHCP> in the IP configuration:
5. Press Save Changes & Reboot to save these modifications on the M 18.
6. After the reboot, reconnect the tablet to the M 18 internal WiFi, launch MixRemote and connect to
the M 18 using the standard method (WiFi).
7. Go to the SETTINGS / NETWORK page and take note of the IP address assigned to the M 18 by the
external WiFi Router; quit the MixRemote App.
8. Connect the Tablet to the Wireless Router WiFi network.
9. Launch the MixRemote App; on the welcome page, select LAN in the bottom part of the software
interface and type the IP address found in step 7.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 15
10. Press CONNECT; the app is now connected to the M 18 Digital Mixer via the external WiFi Router
Note: We suggest to work with a static IP Address (Method 1) to always identify the M 18 in your network.
Using the DHCP (Method 2), it may happen that the IP address previously given to the M 18 is assigned to
another device. In that case you have to repeat the steps of the DHCP Method from number 6.
USB TETHERING
The M 18 Digital Mixer can be directly connected to a Samsung device (both tablets and smartphones) via a
wired USB connection. These feature is available only on the MixRemote app for Android.
Please follows these steps to enable the connection every time you connect the Samsung device:
1. Connect the USB cable between the M 18 and the Samsung device
2. Launch the MixRemote app on the Samsung device
3. In the lower part of the welcome screen, select USB TETHERING
4. When you press OK, the app redirects you to the Settings page of the Samsung device where you
can enable USB Tethering:
Please notice that this page differs from model to model
5. Press the BACK button (or icon) on your Samsung device, that allows you to return back to the
MixRemote app to the Welcome screen
6. Press CONNECT; the app is now connected via wire to the M 18 Digital Mixer
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 16
5. MixRemote App
The MixRemote app ensures a comprehensive control of M Series mixer. Featuring attractive and intuitive
graphics created by audio professionals, the app allows you to navigate between pages and fully control
all mixer parameters while playing. The MixRemote app is available for iOS and Android operating systems.
Several enhancements are periodically added to the app, therefore we suggest to check periodically for updates
on iTunes and Play Stores. Before downloading an updated app, please verify on the release notes if it is required
to upgrade the hardware unit via a firmware update before using the updated app.
When you first launch the app, a welcome screen is shown; at this point, you are still not connected to the
mixer.
Welcome screen
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 17
In this view, you can choose between the following:
Offline: you can browse all features of the app without the need to connect to a physical M 18 unit
Connect: the mixer connects to your control device in few seconds, provided that you have selected
the proper mixer WiFi Access Point
On the bottom row, you can modify the IP address of the target mixer; there is a button to recall the default
value intended for the internal WiFi Access Point
(only available on MixRemote ver 1.1.0 or newer)
.
After pressing Connect, you are directed to the real operative views of MixRemote.
FADERS
INPUTS View
The first page you access is the FADERS INPUTS page, which shows on the top left the MIX REMOTE logo (1).
It you tap on the MIX REMOTE logo, you will be directed to the main FADERS > INPUTS view; this is a sort of
“Home” button that leads you always to the initial page with input faders.
In the central area, on the upper side, there is a small text box with indications of the currently active session
(2). Below there is a row of main tabs, named from left to right FADERS (4), EFFECTS (5), OUTPUTS (6), PHONES
(7), PLAY/REC (8), METERS (9), LOAD/SAVE (10) and SETTINGS (11); the active tab is backlit. On the right side
there's the RCF logo (3), which is lit (in brilliant white) when your controller is connected to the M 18 Digital
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10
11
12
13
19
20
21
22
14
15
16
17
18
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 18
Mixer. A small indicator just below the logo signals lights up to indicate that the M 18 Digital Mixer is busy and
the app is waiting for a response.
The fader caps are color coded consistently throughout the app:
SILVER caps
Input faders; Monitor output faders; FX buss master faders
ORANGE caps
FX send faders, for each input channel
GREEN caps
AUX send faders, for each input channel
RED cap
MAIN output fader
The FADERS page, as most pages, is divided in three areas.
The left area, under the MIX REMOTE logo, enables the recall of the INPUTS tab, which is the default one.
Below, there are FX1, FX2, and FX3 tabs in orange, as well as AUX1, AUX2, AUX3, AUX4, AUX5, and AUX6
tabs in green. At the bottom there is a double arrow allowing you to scroll down 8 inputs at a time, or more if
some channel are stereo linked.
The right column, under the RCF logo, is dedicated to the MAIN OUT section, featuring the * key (19) to recall
the MAIN settings page, a box (20) indicating the level of the stereo fader in dB, the Mute button (21), the
MAIN OUT text box and the red stereo fader (22), which remains active in almost every page of the mixer. At
the bottom there is a double arrow allowing you to scroll up 8 inputs at a time, or more if some channel are
stereo linked.
The central area is reserved for a view of 8 faders (12);
this area can be scrolled by swiping your finger
horizontally. Above each fader there is a * (13) to recall
its setup pages, a box indicating the pan-pot position or
each fader level in dB (14) and a Mute button (15).
Please note that clicking on the pan-pot, a larger
windows opens, allowing better setting accuracy.
Then there's a text box (16) which by default shows the channel number, e.g. CH.01 by clicking on the button
appears a keyboard allowing you to enter up to 12 characters to name the channel. On the right of each fader
there's the relevant level indicator, and under the fader there is the headphone icon (17) if the PFL mode is
activated – please see the Settings tab, Global page. Finally there's the number of the hardware input (18),
which can't be modified. The PFL function (Pre-Fader Listen), when enabled, redirects the level indication from
the PFL bus into the Main VU meter; a yellow LED indicates that the Main VU meter is showing the PFL level
instead of the actual audio output.
On the Main bus (INPUTS Tab) there are 27 strips available:
18 analog inputs faders, Play L and Play R faders (dedicated to signals from USB stereo player), 3 stereo FX
RTN faders for internal effects returns and 4 DCA faders to control DCA Groups.
On the FX busses (FX1, FX2, FX3 Tabs) there are 20 strips available:
18 analog inputs faders and Play L and Play R faders (dedicated to signals from USB stereo player).
On the AUX busses (AUX1, …, AUX6 Tabs) there are 23 strips available:
18 analog inputs faders, Play L and Play R faders (dedicated to signals from USB stereo player) and 3 stereo
FX RTN faders for the internal effects returns
The Play L-R channels don't have the PRE-DYN section, the FX RTN channels have only boxes for dB level,
MUTE, fixed name, and PFL, as well as the fader, and the DCA channels, in addition to fader, mute and level,
have an edit button to jump directly to DCA Group Assignment Page in the SETTINGS/GLOBAL/DCA GRP view.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 19
Input Channel: PRE-DYN, MULTI FX
By clicking on the EDIT button you access each channel settings page; please note that these pages are different
for inputs 1-8, which hardware section is provided with XLR and combo connectors, allowing the use of
microphones, eventually provided of Phantom power, see SETTINGS tab GLOBAL page. Note that channels
05-08 may have the MULTI FX page - with up to three effects.
Inputs 09-10 hardware sections allows the use with a Hi-Z signals, with a specific selector in mixer channels,
and have a large MULTI FX page - with up to five effects. Channels 11-18 features line level only inputs, with
a different RCF PRE layout.
In the left column the last modified section between PRE/DYN, EQ, MULTI FX (only for channels 05-10) and
SEND is lit. The right column, shows the MAIN OUT controls.
Inputs 01-08
The left part of the center column contains
on the top left a BACK button (1) to allows
you return to the INPUTS view, followed
by the pan control which also shows fader
value in dB when moved (2), the Mute (3)
button, the channel editable name (4), the
fader (5), the PFL (6) button and the noneditable number of the hardware input
(7). The larger part of this page shows a
rack containing RCF PRE, RCF GATE and
RCF COMPRESSOR, above the latter two
there is a box to recall presets.
The two large arrow buttons on bottom left and right enable you to change input channel immediately, without
requiring to go back to the INPUTS view.
The RCF PRE preamplifier features a single GAIN control (from 0 dB to 60 dB in 31 dB steps), the LED indicating
the activation of the Phantom 48V power over the INV switch (phase inversion). The display shows the values
of each parameter, including the frequency of the HPF (selectable between 10Hz and 500Hz) which is activated
via its ON button.
1 5 3
4
2 6 7
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 20
The second unit is the RCF GATE, topped by its Preset box,
with ATTACK and RELEASE time controls, THRESHOLD
level and RANGE intervention, completed by the display
and the activation switch. On the left you can see the
characteristic curve of the internal GATE: when the input
signal goes below the THRESHOLD, its level is reduced by
RANGE dBs.
The third unit is the RCF COMPRESSOR,
topped by its Preset box, with a display on the
left, followed by ATTACK and RELEASE times
controls, THRESHOLD level, RATIO
compression, POST GAIN level and the
activation switch. On the right, the
characteristic curve of the compressor is
shown, including the contribution of POST
GAIN control.
For faster adjustments, the compressor features the Easy option, located in a small box on the left of the Preset
box - Easy has only the COMPRESSION control (based on input level signal with preset thresholds, with
automatic Post Gain adjustment) against the five controls of Advanced option.
Inputs 5-6 and 7-8
The left part of the center column
contains on the top left a key (1) to
return to INPUTS followed by the level of
the individual fader in dB (2), the Mute
(3) key, the name of the channel (4), the
fader (5), the PFL (6) key and the noneditable number of the hardware input
(7). The larger part of this page shows a
rack containing RCF PRE, RCF GATE and
RCF COMPRESSOR, above the latter two
there is a box to recall presets.
0 dBFS
IN
OUT
0 dBFS
THRESHOLD
RANGE
0 dBFS
IN
OUT
0 dBFS
THRESHOLD
POST
GAIN
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 21
Inputs 5-6 and 7-8 left column is a little
bit different, since these channels may
have MultiFX (MFX) additional
section. MFX assignment is made in
SETTINGS tab GLOBAL page.
The MultiFX section allows you to use
up to three chained effects selectable
between MOD (Chorus, Flanger or
Tremolo), FX (Pitch Shifter, Auto Wah,
Ring Modulator, Octaver), and DEL
(Mono Delay, Vintage Delay, ER Delay).
Pressing the Order selector appears a
drop-down menu allowing you to
choose the order of effects which
better suits your needs for each song,
as you can see in above pictures.
At the top of each pedal there's a display showing the last modified control value. At the bottom there's the
activation switch; its status is displayed by a light which is lit when the unit is on.
IN DEPTH
These channels let you use up to three cascaded effects types:
MOD Chorus FX Pitch Shifter DEL Mono Delay
Flanger Auto Wah Vintage Delay
Tremolo Ring Modulator ER Delay
Octaver
You can change the order of cascaded effects through the selector Order, and view the result on
the top right indicators. These indicators show the ON/OFF status, an also allow you to select
which pair of effect is visible on the central section for editing. The order from left to right of the
FX, MOD and DEL buttons reflect the actual audio cascading.
If you touch any of the effect button, the editing view
for effects will shift to include the effect you have selected.
RCF S.p.A. M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual 22
Inputs 09-10
Hardware inputs 09 and 10 have line-level sensitivity, but also allows the direct connection of electric guitar
and bass instruments, as they feature a Hi-Z option.
The -10dBV and +4dBu options are similar to the other line-level inputs; the Boost option allows you to insert
another 2 dB boost to the analog stage; while the Hi-Z option enables a real high-impedance stage to get the
best sound from your passive instrument. When in Hi-Z mode, the impedance is 1 MΩ. When using active
instruments, we suggest maintaining the Hi-Z option OFF.
These two channels offer additional capabilities to tailor your own sound, as they both feature a 5-effect
MultiFX.
Similarly to channels 5 to 8, the effects are
displayed in pairs, and you can jump to the desired
insert effect by touching the dedicate button on
top right (see the red box here below).
You change effect daisy-chaining using the Order
Selector, immediately to the left of the insert
sequence indication. If you drag the rightmost part
of the list, you can modify the insert position of a
specific effect, and the change is effective
immediately.
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