RCF M 20X User Manual

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M 20X Digital Mixer User’s Manual

M 20X Digital Mixer - User’s Manual

Date: 07 Jan 2020 Rev.: 2.1

This document refers to Firmware version 158

M 20 series products offer all-in-one mixing, processing and routing capabilities, including a comprehensive set of recording and playback functions. The User Interface has been designed so that every parameter is reachable within few operations. All models are equipped with 20 analog inputs (16 of which are with remote controlled preamps) and 14 output channels, between the balanced analog outputs and the AES/EBU digital output.

M 20 series digital mixing consoles are based on floating-point DSP (digital signal processors), running at a sample rate of 48 kHz, ensuring maximum audio quality and low noise floor, an essential requirement for modern audio applications.

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Sommario

1. OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Hardware Description ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

System Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 8

2. FIRMWARE UPDATE .................................................................................................................................................... 9

FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................................... 9

3. BACKUP & RESTORE .................................................................................................................................................. 11

BACKUP FUNCTION PROCEDURE .................................................................................................................................. 11

RESTORE FUNCTION PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................................. 12

4. PROCESSING ............................................................................................................................................................. 14

INPUT PROCESSING....................................................................................................................................................... 14

CHANNEL SECTION .................................................................................................................................................... 15

GATE SECTION........................................................................................................................................................... 17

PARAMETRIC EQ ....................................................................................................................................................... 18

DYNAMICS – Compressor/DeEsser ........................................................................................................................... 20

SENDS........................................................................................................................................................................ 22

OUTPUT PROCESSING ................................................................................................................................................... 24

CHANNEL VIEW ......................................................................................................................................................... 25

8-Band PARAMETRIC EQ ........................................................................................................................................... 26

DYNAMICS – Master Compressor/Limiter ................................................................................................................ 28

30-Band GRAPHIC EQ ................................................................................................................................................ 29

EFFECTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 30

REVERB ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31

DELAY ........................................................................................................................................................................ 32

MODULATION ........................................................................................................................................................... 33

FX RETURN ................................................................................................................................................................ 34

MONITORING ................................................................................................................................................................ 35

METERS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

RTA ............................................................................................................................................................................ 35

PHONES ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36

PLAY/REC ...................................................................................................................................................................... 37

SETUP ........................................................................................................................................................................ 37

PLAYER ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38

RECORDER ................................................................................................................................................................. 39

5. SYSTEM ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41

SHOW ............................................................................................................................................................................ 41

NETWORK AND WIFI ..................................................................................................................................................... 42

USER KEYS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 42

I/O ROUTING ................................................................................................................................................................. 44

INPUTS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 44

OUTPUTS ................................................................................................................................................................... 45

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REC OUTPUTS............................................................................................................................................................ 45

STREAM OUTPUTS .................................................................................................................................................... 46

ROUTUNG PRESETS ................................................................................................................................................... 46

MUTE AND DCA GROUPS .............................................................................................................................................. 47

UTILITIES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 48

AUDIO OUTPUTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 48

SURFACE UTILITIES .................................................................................................................................................... 48

CUSTOM FADERS ...................................................................................................................................................... 48

CONFIG MIXER .......................................................................................................................................................... 49

TALKBACK.................................................................................................................................................................. 49

USB & SD CARD FORMAT .......................................................................................................................................... 50

SIGNAL GENERATOR ................................................................................................................................................. 50

CHANNEL UTILITIES ................................................................................................................................................... 50

INFO .............................................................................................................................................................................. 52

USB STORAGE ............................................................................................................................................................... 52

IMPORT ..................................................................................................................................................................... 53

EXPORT ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54

MIDI SETTINGS .............................................................................................................................................................. 55

MIDI MAPPING.......................................................................................................................................................... 55

6. VIEW BUTTONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 57

FADER SELECT VIEW...................................................................................................................................................... 57

USER KEYS VIEW ........................................................................................................................................................... 57

7. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 58

8. BLOCK DIAGRAM ...................................................................................................................................................... 60

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M 20X Digital Mixer User’s Manual

1. OVERVIEW

Hardware Description

1. MENU KEYS

4 menu keys allow an intuitive and immediate navigation through menu pages.

2. TFT CAPACITIVE TOUCH SCREEN

A highly responsive 5-inch TFT touchscreen offers intuitive navigation of all the available features, and can be optionally paired with an external tablet to augment interaction with the M 20X.

3. LEVEL METER

This 12 LED elements level meter normally allows you to control the Main Mix output level. When a channel CUE button is pressed, the level meter shows the PFL level present in the selected channel. Keep the input level below the “-20” indication to avoid overloaded signals that can cause distortion.

4. WI-FI DONGLE ENABLED LED INDICATOR

This led light up when the WI-FI AP function for the USB port “B” is enabled, allowing the use of a WiFi USB dongle.

5. MINI JACK STEREO INPUT 19-20

Connect here your stereo line level sources like smartphones, laptops or others external audio devices.

6. USB PORTS

Two USB host ports on the top panel are available for WiFi dongles, USB-MIDI devices, and USB mass storage devices that can be used for stereo audio record/ playback, system backups and firmware updates.

7. PHONES

Connect your headphones here either for CUE or the Main Mix listening.

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8. SD CARD SLOT

An integrated SD card multitrack engine offers a maximum of 20 simultaneous tracks at 24-bit, 48 kHz, with extensive routing options.

9. CUE ACTIVE LED

This led light up when one or more CUE button are pressed.

10. PARAMETERS EDIT ENCODERS

5 dedicated encoders allow an intuitive and immediate control of each function and parameter on the screen.

11. USER KEYS

A set of 8 User Keys with extensive programming option are always available, and offers immediate control of scene selection, play/record transport, tap tempo, user interface shortcuts. The USER KEYS functions can also be driven remotely via MIDI (through a MIDI-USB interface).

12. FADER SELECTION KEYS

4 layers of faders assignments allow immediate access to input channels 1-10 and 11-20, to FX returns and outputs.

13. GEQ ON FADER SELECTION LED

This LED lights up when the function Graphic EQ on Fader is enabled.

14. MAIN SELECTION KEY

The control surface can be assigned to the stereo MAIN mix buss; the MASTER fader is always associated to the output level of the selected bus.

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15. FX SELECTION KEYS

1. MIC Inputs 1-8 Female XLR Connect your Microphones to these remotely-controlled 60dB gain-range inputs. Use balanced XLR cables to obtain best performance from your microphones.

2. MIC/LINE Inputs 9-16 Combo Input 9 to 16 provide Mic inputs on the XLR connection and Line input on the TRS jack connection.

3. MIX Outputs 1-8 Male XLR Connect to these +24dBu balanced XLR outputs your stage monitors or external effects. RCF spa

The control surface can be assigned to 4 FX busses; the MASTER fader is always associated to the output level of the selected bus.

16. MIX SELECTION KEYS

The control surface can be assigned to 8 MIX busses; the MASTER fader is always associated to the output level of the selected bus.

17. MOTORIZED FADERS

11 x 100-mm motorized faders allow precise mix control with immediate visual feedback. Special care has been taken to minimize movement noise.

18. FADER SELECTION LED

These 4 leds light to show the current assigned layer of faders.

19. CHANNEL MUTE KEYS

MUTE buttons when pressed inhibit the signal to flow to output bus or main mix paths.

20. CHANNEL CUE KEYS

The CUE keys allow to listen the signal present on the channel, through the cue bus routed to PHONES OUTPUT. All audio paths can be monitored at any time via the CUE bus, which features a real‑time analyzer (RTA).

21. CHANNEL SELECTION KEYS

The SELECTION KEYS allow an intuitive and immediate navigation through channel functions and parameters.

M 20X Digital Mixer User’s Manual

4. MIX Outputs 9-10 TRS Connect to these +24dBu balanced TRS outputs your stage monitors or external effects.

5. POWER Use this switch to turn On and Off your M 20X device. Connect to the VDE inlet the provided power cord.

6. MAIN OUTUT Connect your active speaker or your amplifier, in case of passive speakers, to these +24dBu balanced Output.

7. LAN PORT The mixer can be remotely controlled via LAN, and an external Wi-Fi Access Point can be connected to the LAN port to communicate with remote control apps running on iOS and Android.

8. USB AUDIO PORT A 24-track. 24-bit, 48-kHz audio interface is available and allows access to all inputs and several internal signal nodes. Extensive routing options allow both offline sound check and host-based effects processing.

9. AES DIGITAL OUTPUT Connect here any AES/EBU device. Each of the audio output paths is routable to the AES/EBU port.

10. LINE INPUTS 17-18 TRS Connect here your line level sources like keyboard, external audio device or other small analog consoles used for submix.

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System Overview

The M 20X Digital Mixer is a feature-packed unit that includes several of the useful blocks required to arrange a goodsounding live act.

Signal processing capabilities of the M 20X Digital Mixer

A total of 16 summing bus are present in the M 20 Digital Mixer:

 MAIN LR bus  FX SEND 1-4 bus  MIX SEND 1-8 bus  Stereo PHONES bus

Each of the 20 inputs features a 12 dB/oct HPF, a noise Gate, a Compressor/De-Esser (inputs 1-16 only), a flexible 4band Parametric EQ, and a Delay line. The source can be selected between the analog inputs, the USB audio interface, the SD card player, into different insertion points for maximum flexibility.

M 20X boast 4 stereo FX engines available on dedicated busses, offering two high quality digital reverbs, a programmable delay and a 4th effect which can be configured as a modulation or a second delay. All FX Engines offer multiple algorithms to match the specific needs of a show.

A complete processing section is available on all outputs: a flexible 8-band Parametric EQ with several selectable modes that also allow different slopes, a Delay with up to 85 meters compensation, a Compressor/Limiter. A stereo 30-band Graphic Equalizer is available on the MAIN outputs for precise correction of the overall frequency response.

Extensive routing capabilities are available in the M 20 Digital Mixers to provide a wide flexibility for your live and studio sessions. A fast reacting 5-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5 dedicated encoders and 4 menu keys allow an intuitive and immediate control of every function and parameter. You have full control of your live mix, all within one of the most compact systems on the market.

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2. FIRMWARE UPDATE

FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE

1. Download the latest firmware package available on the web page

https://www.rcf.it/en_US/products/mixing-consoles/m-series/m-20-firmware-update

2. Unzip the .zip file and copy the RCF-M20X-xxxx.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.

3. Turn on the M 20X digital mixer.

4. Once the boot is completed, pressing SYSTEM button on the left side of the 5” touchscreen display, go to the

page SYSTEM > UTILITIES > FIRMWARE UPDATE.

5. Insert your USB stick into the USB A port. The upper side shows the firmware version that is currently

installed on the mixer. The bottom side shows the firmware version on the USB stick ready to be installed.

6. If the new package is not automatically detected, please press CHECK NOW

7. Once the new package is detected, press UPDATE and then confirm the system reboot required to apply the

new firmware.

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8. After a few seconds you will see a confirmation notice before mixer restart.

9. After rebooting the new features will be ready to be enjoyed.

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3. BACKUP & RESTORE

M 20 series digital mixers provide backup and restore utilities to save and recall the entire state of the mixer, including all presets, shows and global settings.

BACKUP FUNCTION PROCEDURE

1. Go to page SYSTEM > USB STORAGE > BACKUP & RESTORE

2. If you do not connect a USB key drive, this screen will appear:

3. Insert your USB stick into the M 20 USB port A

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4. Type a name (a single word without space and special characters) of your backup in the BACKUP NAME area

and then press the BACKUP button.

5. A full backup has been successfully created on the root of the USB stick (* .mbu file). The backup packages will

be listed in the box on the right side of the page, ready to be restored.

RESTORE FUNCTION PROCEDURE

1. Go to page SYSTEM > USB STORAGE > BACKUP & RESTORE

2. If you do not connect a USB key drive, this screen will appear:

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3. Insert your USB stick into the M 20 USB port A

4. From the list box in the right side of the page select the backup package that you want load on your mixer and

then press RESTORE button. A message box will appear:

5. If you want to proceed, click on “OK”

6. The restore procedure has been completed

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4. PROCESSING

Channel strip area that always shows the principal information of the selected channel: name, meter bar, fader level value, pan value and on-off processing status bar

Processing Tabs: Touch the block or press SEL to change view. The yellow outline indicate the current view. Each block also shows the preview of processing settings.

This status bar shows the on-off status of each function available on the selected channel.

Encoder parameters change accordingly to the processing page

Processing section hold touch buttons and display boxes of to the encoders values

Channel Number

Encoder 1 is fixed to PAN control related to the selected Input or Output channel

Press any SEL button to select a channel and the touchscreen will display the dedicated channel processing. The display will automatically change every time the SEL button is pressed in order to cycling between the single processing pages.

It’s also possible to select the processing block touching the processing tabs on the upper side of the screen. Once a

block is selected, the display changes accordingly and the parameters available in that section are assigned to surface encoders below the screen.

INPUT PROCESSING

The Input Processing screen is divided into the following tabs (from left to right):

 CHANNEL  GATE  PARAMETRIC EQ  DYNAMICS

You can touch each of these section to jump to the relevant page.

 SENDS

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CHANNEL SECTION

PREAMP GAIN Value display

Phase inverter

12 dB/oct HPF On/Off

Encoder Parameters assignment

Channel Rename

Stereo Pairing Enable

Phantom Enable

Delay Time value display

HPF frequency value display

Set the Input Routing: for each source type select which input is routed to the selected channel processing

The first block allow the channel settings accordingly to the input.

Input channels 1-16

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The CHANNEL parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

IN SOURCE: this parameter allows to select the source type between these items:

Input channels 19-20 have an additional item in the Source Selector. Besides Analog, Stream and SD Card source, it’s possible to select USB Stereo Player as input.

IN SOURCE: this parameter allows to select the source type

GAIN: this parameter set the value of the input gain

 ANALOG: Mic Input  STREAM: 24-track USB audio interface  SD CARD: 20-track Player

GAIN: this parameter set the value of the input gain accordingly to the selected input source

 ANALOG: range [0: 60] dB with step of 1 dB  STREAM: range [-10: 10] dB with step of 1 dB  SD CARD: range [-10: 10] dB with step of 1 dB

HPF FREQ: this parameter set the value of the HPF cutoff frequency in the range [20: 1k] Hz DELAY: this parameter set the value of the input Delay time in the range [0: 100] ms

Input channels 17-20

Hardware inputs from 17 to 20 have line connections, with no Phantom option and with the preamp gain parameter in the range [0: 10] dB.

between these items:

 ANALOG: Mic Input  STREAM: 24-track USB audio interface  SD CARD: 20-track Player  DRIVE: USB Stereo Player (for CH19-20 only)

accordingly to the selected input source

 ANALOG: range [0: 10] dB with step of 1 dB  STREAM: range [-10: 10] dB with step of 1 dB  SD CARD: range [-10: 10] dB with step of 1 dB  DRIVE: range [-10: 10] dB with step of 1 dB

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GATE SECTION

Viewing Area

Encoder Assignment

Switch the Gate On or Off using the on-screen ON button

Preset View shows the last chosen category of presets. For the GATE block are available 2 banks of presets:

 USER BANK – 100 locations where

save your custom settings.

 ROM BANK – 10 locations with

carefully crafted presets. Press BACK to return to processing page. Choose your preset directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to recall it.

All inputs are equipped with a Noise Gate processor that allows to reduce the output signal by a specific amount (Range) when the input signal level is lower than a specific amount (Threshold). A gain reduction level (visible also when the processor is off) allows to set all parameters before hearing the effective sound.

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The GATE parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

ATTACK: this parameter allows to set the value of the Attack Time in the range [1: 1000] ms

RANGE: set the value of the Range in the range [0: 60] dB

Switch the PEQ On or Off using the on-screen ON button

Touch these boxes to select a band and automatically assign the 3 rightmost encoders to the related parameters

Encoder Assignment

Reset the EQ parameters using the INIT button

Select band rotating Encoder 2

Viewing Area

ZOOM View allows a more accurate setting of the equalizer curve using touch screen

View and adjust HPF frequency in the EQ page also.

RELEASE: this parameter allows to set the value of the Release Time in the range [10: 1000] ms THRESHOLD: set the value of the Threshold in the range [-100: 0] dB

PARAMETRIC EQ

All inputs are equipped with a 4-band Parametric EQ that allows an accurate equalization of signal input.

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For the input Parametric Equalizers are available 10 banks of presets divided into categories:

 USER BANK – 100 locations where

save your custom settings.

 ROM BANKS

o DRUM

20 locations with carefully crafted

drum presets

o PERCUSSION

10 locations with carefully crafted

percussion presets

o BASS

10 locations with carefully crafted

bass presets

o EL. GUITAR

10 locations with carefully crafted el.

guitar presets

o AC. GUITAR

10 locations with carefully crafted ac.

guitar presets

o KEYBOARD

10 locations with carefully crafted

keyboard presets

o VOICE

10 locations with carefully crafted

voice presets

o ORCHESTRA

10 locations with carefully crafted

orchestra presets

o MISC

10 locations with carefully crafted

miscellaneous presets

Press BACK to return to processing page. Choose your preset directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to recall it.

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PEQ parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

BAND SELECT: this parameter allows to select the single filter band

Switch the DYN On or Off using the on-screen ON button

Viewing Area and assign Parameters

Encoder Assignmen

Switch DE-ESSER On to enable the De-Esser mode. Switch DE-ESSER Off to enable the Compressor mode.

Touch & Adjust

function is available for ATTACK, RELEASE and FREQ. Touch one of these parameters and adjust the value using Encoder 5.

When in De-Esser mode select the Filter Type (between High Pass and Band Pass) of the Side Chain and adjust the Frequency

The yellow label indicates which parameter has been assigned to ENCODER 5

FREQ: set the value of Frequency of the selected band in the range [20: 20k] Hz GAIN: set the value of Gain of the selected band in the range [-12: 12] dB TYPE/Q: this parameter change according to the selected filter band:

 Band1

o Low SHELF Filter type o HP Filter type o Peaking Filter Q parameter in the range [1: 20]

 Band2 & Band3

o Peaking Filter Q parameter in the range [1: 20]

 Band4

o High SHELF Filter type o LP Filter type o Peaking Filter Q parameter in the range [1: 20]

DYNAMICS – Compressor/DeEsser

All 16 MIC inputs are equipped with a Dynamics processor that can be setted as Compressor or as De-Esser.

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THRESHOLD: set the value of the compressor threshold in the range [-80: 0] dB

For the input Parametric Equalizers are available 10 banks of presets divided into categories:

 USER BANK – 100 locations where

save your custom settings

 ROM BANKS

o COMPRESSOR

10 locations with carefully crafted compressor presets

o DE-ESSER

10 locations with carefully crafted de-esser presets

Press BACK to return to processing page.

Choose your preset directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to recall it.

DYN parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

RATIO: set the value of the Ratio in the range [1: 20] POST GAIN: set the value of Gain of in the range [-30: 30] dB ASSIGNABLE: this parameter change according to the selected parameter:

 ATTACK: set the value of the Attack Time in the range [1: 1000] ms  RELEASE: set the value of the Release Time in the range [1: 1000] ms  FREQ: set the value of the Side Chain Frequency in the range [200: 8000] Hz

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SENDS

APFL channel send

 PRE / POST  ON/OFF

4 FX channel sends

 PRE / POST  ON/OFF  Level

8 MIX channel sends

 PRE / POST  ON/OFF  Level

DCA and MUTE GROUPS assignment

Encoder Assignment

Select Send block by moving Encoder 2

SEND SEL: this parameter allows to select the single send-on-mix block

LEVEL: according to the send type, this parameter allows to set the send level in the range [-inf: +10] dB

For each input channel, the SENDS page allows to control all channel sends to every mix bus: FX [1-4], MIX [1-8], and APFL. For each send-on-mix are available different parameters: Pre/Post, on/off and Level. The encoder parameters change according to the selected block send-on-mix.

The SENDS parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

PRE/POST: this parameter allows to select if the selected send-on-mix is Pre or Post Fader

ON/OFF: this parameter allows to enable or disable the selected send-on-mix

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CHANNEL PRESET

M 20 digital mixers provide 100 locations where save your custom settings of all input processing chain. Press BACK to return to processing page. Choose your preset directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to recall it.

COPY & PASTE

M 20 digital mixers provide the possibility to copy the current processing parameters of a channel and to paste them to other channels. Press COPY on the channel that you want to replicate. Go to desiderata channel, press PASTE and select which processing blocks you want to overwrite selecting the relative buttons.

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OUTPUT PROCESSING

Channel Name

Meter bar

Fader Level Value

Balance Value

On-Off processing status bar

Processing Tabs: Touch the block or press SEL to change view. The yellow outline indicate the current view. Each block also shows the preview of processing settings.

Output Channel

Encoder parameters change accordingly to the processing page

Current Page

A complete processing section is available on all outputs: a flexible 8-band parametric EQ with several selectable modes, that also allow different slopes, a delay with up to 85 meters compensation, a compressor/limiter. A stereo 30-band graphic equalizer is available on the MAIN outputs for precise correction of the overall frequency response. Extensive routing options allows flexible use of physical outputs.

The MIX [1:8] output processing screen is divided into the following tabs:

 CHANNEL VIEW  PARAMETRIC EQ  DYNAMICS

The Main LR processing screen is divided into the following tabs:

 CHANNEL VIEW  GRAPHIC EQ  PARAMETRIC EQ  DYNAMICS

Similarly to the input channels, the left side of the screen doesn’t change when navigate between the processing pages of the channel. The left column is the Channel strip that shows the principal information of the selected channel: name, meter bar, fader level value, balance value (for the stereo channels) and on-off processing status bar.

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CHANNEL VIEW

COPY & PASTE COPY the current processing parameters of an output and to paste them to other outputs. Go to desiderata output, press PASTE and select which processing blocks you want to overwrite selecting the relative buttons.

Send the output mix channel to:

 APFL bus to monitoring and analyzing the audio mix  LR bus if you want to use mix as a subgroup

DCA and MUTE GROUPS

assignment

Encoder Parameters

Stereo Pairing Enable

CHANNEL PRESET M 20 digital mixers provide 100 locations where save your custom settings of all input processing chain. Press BACK to return to processing page. Choose your preset directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to recall it.

Channel Rename (Press Enter to confirm)

The first page allows the channel settings accordingly to the output.

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CHANNEL VIEW parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

SEND SEL: this parameter allows to select the send-on-mix block:

Encoder parameters change

according to the selected band

Select band moving Encoder 2

Switch the PEQ On or Off using the onscreen ON button

Touch these boxes to select a band and automatically assign last 3 encoder to the related parameters

Reset the EQ parameters using the INIT button

Viewing Area

For the output Parametric EQ, 100 locations are available where your custom settings can be saved and recalled

ZOOM View allows a more accurate setting of the equalizer curve using touch screen

 Send to APFL (for LR and MIX outputs)  Send to LR (for MIX outputs only)

PRE/POST: this parameter allows to select if the selected send-on-mix is Pre or Post Fader

ON/OFF: this parameter allows to enable or disable the selected send-on-mix

DELAY: this parameter set the value of the input Delay time in the range [0: 250] ms

8-Band PARAMETRIC EQ

All outputs are equipped with an 8-band Parametric EQ that allows an accurate equalization of signal output and that can be configured in various operating modes: the first two and last two bands have selectable filter types, and they can be combined into a single, 24-dB/oct HPF or LPF. This also allows for crossover filtering, useful in combination with the extensive routing capabilities, when a subwoofer is connected to one of the MIX outputs.

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PEQ8 Operating Modes

BAND SELECT: this parameter allows to select the single filter band

PEQ parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

FREQ: set the value of Frequency of the selected band in the range [20: 20k] Hz

GAIN: set the value of Gain of the selected band in the range [-12: 12] dB

TYPE/Q: this parameter change according to the selected filter band:

 Band1

o Low SHELF Filter type o High Pass 12 dB/oct Filter type o High Pass 24 dB/oct Filter type  Band1 combined with Band2 o Peaking Filter Q parameter in the range [1: 20]

 Band2, Band3, Band4, Band5, Band6, Band7

 Band8

o Peaking Filter Q parameter in the range [1: 20]

o High SHELF Filter type o Low Pass 12 dB/oct Filter type o Low Pass 24 dB/oct Filter type  Band7 combined with Band8 o Peaking Filter Q parameter in the range [1: 20]

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DYNAMICS – Master Compressor/Limiter

Switch the DYN On or Off using the on-screen ON button Viewing Area

Encoder Assignment

For the output DYN are available 100 locations where save and recall your custom settings.

All outputs are equipped with a Dynamics processor configured as a Compressor/Limiter

DYN parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

ATTACK: set the value of the Attack Time in the range [1: 1000] ms

RELEASE: set the value of the Release Time in the range [10: 1000] ms

THREASHOLD: set the value of the compressor threshold in the range [-80: 0] dB

RATIO: set the value of the Ratio in the range [1: 20]

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30-Band GRAPHIC EQ

Select frequency zone moving Encoder 4

Select filter band within the selected zone moving Encoder 2

Select frequency zone touching one of the 3 areas:

 Zone1

[25-200] Hz

 Zone2

[250-2k] Hz

 Zone3

[2k5-20k] Hz

The yellow line indicates the selected frequency zone

Select band touching one of the 10 sliders The yellow line indicates the selected band

Switch the GEQ On or Off using the on-screen ON button

For the GEQ, 100 locations are available where your custom settings can be saved and recalled

Set all band gains to 0 dB

When enabled, the 10 input faders control the 10 bands relative to the selected frequency zone in order to allow a fine control of each gain band

The Main OUT processing provides a 30-Band GEQ with the center frequency of each band spaced 1/3 of an octave away from the center frequency of the adjacent bands, so that three bands (three sliders on the front panel) cover a combined bandwidth of one octave.

GEQ parameters assigned to the Encoders are:

BAND SELECT: select one of the 10 bands for each selected zone

 Zone1 Bands: 25, 31, 40, 50, 63, 80, 100, 125, 160, 200 Hz  Zone2 Bands: 250, 315, 400, 500, 630, 800, 1k, 1k25, 1k6, 2k Hz  Zone3 Bands: 2k5, 3k15, 4k, 5k, 6k3, 8k, 10k, 12k5, 16k, 20k Hz

GAIN: set the value of the selected band in the range [-12; +12] dB

ZONE SELECT: select the frequency zone

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EFFECTS

FX1 – REVERB

 HALL: Large Bright/Warm, Medium Bright/Warm  PLATE: Vintage, Modern  ROOM: Medium Bright/Warm, Small Bright/Warm  AMBIENCE: 2 models

FX2 - REVERB

 same Reverb models as FX1

FX Selection Tabs

Encoder Assignment

FX Master SEND meter and Level

Algorithm Selection

Model Selection

Preset recall

FX3 - DELAY

 Stereo  Modern  Vintage  Dual  ER

FX4 – DELAY or MODULATION

 same Delay models as FX3  Chorus  Flanger  Tremolo

All M 20 models boast 4 stereo FX engines available on dedicated busses, offering two high quality digital reverbs, a programmable delay and a 4th effect which can be configured as a modulation or a second delay. All FX Engines offer multiple algorithms to match the specific needs of a show. The internal effects pages are accessible through the FX button on the left side of 5” TFT Display or through the SEL button on each Master FX strips.

FX ALGORITHM LIST

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REVERB

TYPE

VARIATIONS

Hall

usually perfect for smooth and deep reverberations

large/medium warm/bright

Room

the algorithm to start with if you are looking for hi impact reverberations

large/medium warm/bright

Plate

classic “all purpose” algorithm with unique character

digital/vintage

Ambience

the first choice if you are looking for something to expand the stereo field or to somehow enhance the sounds

model 1, model 2

The M Series provides two simultaneous full Digital Reverbs available on Send FX1 and Send FX2. Digital Reverb is a very intuitive and smooth sounding processor and represents an essential ingredient of the final mix. Great care has been taken to provide the highest quality algorithms and presets.

Based on 12 algorithms, it allows to easily find the perfect reverberation for every kind of application in a few clicks. The algorithms are been designed and tailored to focus immediately the sound you are looking for and then fine tune it with the essential parameters available through the five pots.

The algorithms are also available in some cases into two variations (Bright/Warm or Digital/Vintage) to further help in selecting the proper starting point.

Four different reverb types are available:

You can create your own configurations for Hall and Room by modifying the following parameters:

 Predelay (delay before reverb)  ER (amount of primary reflections)  Decay (time decay)  Spaceness (percentage of spatialization)  Damping (percentage of absorption of the higher frequencies)

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Plate reverb parameters:

TYPE

VARIATIONS

Stereo

usually perfect for smooth and deep reverberations

large/medium warm/bright

Vintage

the algorithm to start with if you are looking for hi impact reverberations

large/medium warm/bright

Modern

classic “all purpose” algorithm with unique character

digital/vintage

Dual

the first choice if you are looking for something to expand the stereo field or to somehow enhance the sounds

model 1, model 2

Early reflections to simulate the sound of a room without introducing an audible tail

 Smoothness  Colour

Ambience reverb parameters:

 Richness

TIP

The reverberation is one of the most crucial signal processors to achieve a correct mix, so it’s very important to use it with care. Often the reverberation of the venue affects our overall sound, especially because usually the sound check is done without audience that is another element that can drastically change the reverberation time of the venue. So keep in mid to evaluate the reverberation time of the empty venue, and then consider that it will be shorter with the audience during the live gig; for these reasons, it could be useful to check the amount of the reverb also on headphones.

DELAY

The M Series provides two simultaneous full Digital Delays available on Send FX3 and Send FX4.

Five different delay types are available:

You can create your own settings for Stereo and ER by changing the following parameters:

 Time (length of the delay)  Feedback (% of delay feedback)  Lo Cut (low cut filter frequency)  Hi Cut (high cut filter frequency)  Width (amplitude)

Vintage delay parameters:

 Offset (offset time compared with main Time) instead of Feedback  Filter (da 0,00 a 100) is a Band-pass filter

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Modern delay parameters:

 Offset (offset time related to main Time) instead of Feedback  LoCut (low cut filter frequency) instead of Hi Cut.

Dual delay parameters:

 Factor (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8 and 1/16) instead of Feedback  Feedback 2 (% of delay 2 feedback) instead of Hi Cut

MODULATION

The M Series provides a Modulation processor available on Send FX4. The Modulation processor can be configure as Chorus-Flanger or as Tremolo effect.

Chorus-Flanger parameters:

 Rate (frequency swing)  Width (amplitude)  Depth (depth swing)  Feedback (% effect feedback)  Blend (% mix between dry signal and processed)

Tremolo parameters:

 Rate (frequency rate)  Depth (depth swing)

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FX RETURN

8 MIX FX sends

 PRE / POST  ON/OFF  Level

APFL FX send

 PRE / POST  ON/OFF

DCA and MUTE GROUPS

assignment

Encoder Assignment

Select Send block moving Encoder 2

FX RETURN strip parameters:

 METER  LEVEL  PAN

FX RETURN ROUTING M 20 digital mixers provide 5 sources for each FX return:

 Internal FX  Stream USB IN 17-18  Stream USB IN 19-20  Stream USB IN 21-22  Stream USB IN 23-24

Press BACK to return to FX Return page. Choose your source directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to select.

For each effect is available an FX RETURNS send-on-mix page accessible through the first four SEL buttons on the FX RET – CUSTOM faders layer.

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MONITORING

Through the HOME button is possible to enter in the monitoring pages, organized into two tabs: METERS and RTA

METERS

A dedicated page is available to monitor all Input, Output, FX signal levels of your session. This page also contains all mutes on/off information, channel stereo pairing indication and Gain Reductions indication for all dynamics processors available on inputs and outputs (Gate, Compressor/DeEsser and Master Compressor/Limiter). As additional information, the last loaded show is shown on the upper side of the page.

RTA

M 20 Series Digital Mixers provide a Real-Time Analyzer available on the CUE bus. In this way is possible to analyze the frequency content of the audio signal of all Inputs, Outputs and FX Returns with CUE button activated. For each channel, CUE activation is shown with a yellow square behind the channel number.

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PHONES

If one or more CUE are activated, the CUE ACTIVE led is on and the audio signal of CUE bus is routed to PHONES output and monitored by the Vu-Meter bars on the right side of the 5” TFT Display. Otherwise, when no CUE is activated, the CUE ACTIVE led is off and the audio signal of MAIN LR output is routed to PHONES output. The Vu-Meter bars will show the Master Level of the selected MIX.

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PLAY/REC

STEREO Player / STEREO Recorder

Playback and recording from USB Drive.

MULTITRACK Player / STEREO Recorder

Playback from SD Card and record to USB drive.

STEREO Player / MULTITRACK Recorder

Playback from USB drive and record to SD Card. In Multitrack Recorder mode, according to your live session, it's possible to select how many tracks will be recorded, to optimize SD Card usage.

The M 20 Series Digital Mixers offer both Multitrack Player/Recorder and Stereo Player/Recorder that can be combined together for high versatility. Different Play/Rec modes correspond to different external storage devices:

 Multitrack Player/Recorder manage up to 20 tracks from/to SD Card  Stereo Player/ Recorder manage stereo tracks from/to USB Mass Storage device (USB pen drive, or external

HDD) in different file formats

From PLAY/REC button on the left side of display you access PLAY, REC and SETUP pages.

SETUP

SETUP page allows to configure the Player and Recorder modes. The allowed possibilities are:

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PLAYER

Playback bar

 Play/Pause  Previous track  Next track  Elapsed Time  Remaining Time

Scroll bar

Shows the current position within the file. You can grab the scroll bar and move to the desired position, either when in playback mode or stop mode.

USB key select (STEREO mode)

Up to 4 USB flash drives can be managed; this is required in case multiple USB flash drives are connected through a USB hub.

SD CARD (MULTITRACK mode)

Recognized device info

AUTO Mode When the current song reaches the end, the next track is automatically loaded and played.

FILE BROWSER

Navigate through the device folder and

choose your song directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press OK to select it.

Press CANCEL to return to Player page. Current Song

The internal PLAYER change in Stereo Mode or Multitrack Mode according to the SETUP configuration. The PLAY tab allows to control the playback functions. When in STEREO mode, a flexible stereo file player can access USB mass storage devices (up to four different drives), with arbitrary sample rate, in MP3, WAV and AIFF formats.

When in MULTITRACK mode, the 20-tracks file player can access SD Card, in multichannel WAV format, and is enabled only for 48 kHz sample rate.

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Stereo Player files can be reproduced by channels 19-20 according to channel routing.

Multitrack Player files can be reproduced on the corresponding channels when SD CARD source is selected for each channel.

When in STEREO mode, all stereo recordings are stored in the /REC folder within the USB Mass Storage devices (up to four different drives), with source points fully configurable through the IO routing page.

When in MULTITRACK mode, all multichannel recordings are stored in the /REC folder within the SD Card, with channels tap points configurable through the IO routing page. You can record all 20 input channels or you can configure your recorder with a reduced number of channels to optimize the SD Card files size.

A default name is generated if no specific name is entered, of the form m20_rec_XXXX_0.wav, where XXXX is a numeric counter to ensure a unique filename.

To modify the filename touch this area and type the new file name; press Enter to confirm

Record bar

 Rec/Stop  Elapsed Time  Remaining Time (size

available on your device)

RECORDER

The REC tab allows high-quality, stereo or multitrack recordings according to the SETUP configuration. The currently available format is 24-bit, 48 kHz (the internal sample rate of the M 20 Digital Mixer).

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FAT32 is the only supported file format on M series digital mixers and is also the safest cross-platform (Mac / PC) format. Avoid FAT16 formatting, as random problems in audio file playback have been noticed.

Please notice that the minimum supported device size for audio recording is 4 GB (mainly due to variations if formatting results for smaller sized devices).

For STEREO mode, USB 3.0 compatible storage devices are recommended, as these guarantee higher data throughput. Furthermore, consistent and error-free results have been obtained with premium, good-quality USB pens. Several lower-quality devices can cause random errors due to their lower data transfer performance. We have found that on several USB devices it is recommended to have at least 50% free space on the USB key; beyond this percentage, most USB keys show significant fragmentation and in this case, glitches can appear in recorded files.

For MULTITRACK mode, SDHC and SDXC formats are supported.

Due to filesystem limitations, the internal recorder can generate a file with maximum size of 4 GB, corresponding to about 4 hours of continuous stereo recording or 20 minutes of continuous 20 channels recording. If this limit is exceeded, the recorder closes the current file and creates another file with no audio gap, without interrupting the recording process. Thus, the complete recording can be reconstructed on audio editing software.

In case you need to reformat a USB pen or SD Card for audio recording, the M 20 digital mixer provides Format tools between the System utilities.

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Holding DEFAULT button will load default values for all parameters, without changing the Global settings.

5. SYSTEM

Saved in each Show

Saved in Global Configuration

Input Processing

Network & WiFi settings

Output Processing

User Keys settings

Effects

Talkback settings

Play/Rec Setup

Signal Generator settings

I/O Routing

Fader Calibration

DCA & MUTE Groups settings

Surface settings

Custom Faders settings

MIDI settings

AES OUT and PHONES settings

SHOW

M 20 digital mixers provides 100 locations where shows can be saved. Select the show location you want to load from or save to by scrolling on the screen or using Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press LOAD to recall it, or SAVE to store all parameters into the selected location.

The SYSTEM button enables access to all global configuration parameters and miscellaneous settings.

SHOW

M 20 digital mixer provides 100 SHOW memories used to store and recall all mixer parameters. The SHOW is suited to save all settings after a sound check for immediate recall when doing a live act in the same venue. In addition to SHOWs, the M 20 provides Global Configuration parameters that are stored in the mixer as soon as they are modified.

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WIFI AP Settings

Touch the ENABLE AP button to configure USB port B to manage external wifi adapters.

M 20 digital mixers support several WiFi chipsets:

 RTL 8192CU  RTL 8188EU  RTL 8192DU

Select the driver relative to your wifi dongle.

Some WiFi-related adjustments can be made:

 SSID - modify the factory name to provide a

name you can remember. The default name is in the form M20-XXXXXX where the latter are a combination of letters and numbers.

 PASSWORD - WiFi security is always enabled

(WPA2/PSK). You can modify the default password. This is strongly suggested to improve security of the system.

 WiFi Channel – you can select a specific

channel to minimize interference with other WiFi AP.

NETWORK AND WIFI

LAN Settings

Touch the DHCP Client button to switch DCHP mode on or off. Static settings cannot be adjusted if DHCP mode is on.

If DHCP Client is OFF, IP Address, Subnet Mask and Gateway can be set manually, according to the addresses of external equipment connected to the LAN port.

The NETWORK view allows configuration of both LAN settings and of the local WiFi Access Point, available when a suitable USB WiFi adapter is used. Please notice that the right part of this settings page does not related to any external WiFi AP connected to the LAN, but only to the specific case of a USB WiFi dongle connected to USB port B.

The CHECK NOW button allows you to verify if the driver is correctly interacting with the WiFi dongle. If it running fine, it will display “OK” just below the CHEK NOW button. When you insert a WiFi dongle and you do not need to modify any of the WiFi AP parameters, it is strongly recommended to press CHECK NOW to ensure a proper initialization.

USER KEYS

A set of 8 User Keys with extensive programming options is available, offering immediate control of scene selection, play/record transport, tap tempo, user interface shortcuts.

Go to SYSTEM > USER KEYS page to configure each key:

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USER KEYS PROGRAMMING

 Choose your function by scrolling directly in

the screen’s function area or using the Encoder 1 (FUN SEL),

 If available, choose your param1 by scrolling

directly on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (PAR1 SEL),

 If available, choose your param2 by scrolling

directly on the screen or using the Encoder 5 (PAR2 SEL),

 Then press OK to configure the selected

user key.

Depending on the selected function, one or two extra lists can appear on the right, to show all programming options.

Function List

PAR1 List

PAR2 List

None

Show Recall

Show Sel [1: 100]

Show Save

Show Sel [1: 100]

Show Overwrite

Copy

Paste

Jump to Screen

Chan: IN [1: 20], FX[1: 4], Main OUT, MIX [1:8], Utilities

choose the page depending on selected channel

Mute all Outs

Toggle/Momentary

Mute all FX

Toggle/Momentary

Mute Group

Mute Group [1: 4]

Mute DCA

DCA Group [1: 4]

Mute Chan

IN [1: 20], Main L, Main R, MIX [1:10], FX RTN [1: 4], FX SEND[1: 4]

GEQ on Fader

- - Tap Tempo Delay 1

Player Play/Pause

Player Next

- - Player Prev

- - Record Start/Stop

Routing Recall

Preset Sel [1: 100]

Routing Save

Preset Sel [1: 100]

Routing Overwrite

Talkback

Toggle/Momentary

Tap Tempo Delay 2

An overview of functions associated to user keys is available when pressing the VIEW button located just below the USER KEYS.

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IO ROUTING SETUP

 Choose your source type by scrolling

directly in the screen’s function area or

using the Encoder 1 (TYPE SEL),

 choose your channel source by

scrolling directly on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (SOURCE SEL),

 Then press OK to confirm your routing

CH 01:16

Analog[1 : 16]

Stream[1: 16]

SD Play[1: 20]

CH 17:20

Analog[17: 20]

Stream[17: 20]

SD Play[1: 20]

FX RET 01:04

Internal FX

Stream[17: 18]

Stream[19: 20]

Stream[21: 22]

Stream[23: 24]

I/O ROUTING

The IO Routing page allows to set the routing of Input Channels, Output Channels, Record Outputs, Streaming Outputs

and Direct Patch. Furthermore it’s possible to save and recall your routing presets.

INPUTS

Through the Input page it’s possible to select the source for each input channel and FX return channel.

Based on available sources, M 20 digital mixers provide 3 groups of Input routing:

When select Internal FX, the relative internal effect will be route to the FX return:

 For FX RET1 the relative internal effect is Reverb 1,  for FX RET2 the relative internal effect is Reverb 2,  for FX RET3 the relative internal effect is Delay 1,  for FX RET4 the relative internal effect is Modulation / Delay 2

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Tracks 19-20 of the SD Card multitrack record correspond to the L-R tracks of the USB Drive Stereo record.

OUTPUTS

MIX OUT 01: 10, AES OUT LR, PHONES LR

FX Send [01: 04]

MAIN OUT

 L Post GEQ  L PFL  R Post GEQ  R PFL  L+R Post GEQ  L+R PFL

MIX Bus [01:08]

Stream IN [17: 24]

REC OUT 1:16

Direct Patch [01: 16]

REC OUT 17:20

FX Send [01: 04]

MAIN OUT

 L Post GEQ  L PFL  R Post GEQ  R PFL  L+R Post GEQ  L+R PFL

MIX Bus [01:08]

Stream IN [17: 24]

Direct Patch [17: 20]

Through the Output page it’s possible to select the source for these output channels: MIX OUT 1:10, AES OUT LR and PHONES LR

Available sources for all outputs:

REC OUTPUTS

Based on available sources, M 20 digital mixers provide 2 groups of Record Outputs routing:

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STREAM OUTPUTS

STREAM OUT 1:16

Direct Patch [01: 16]

STREAM OUT 17:24

FX Send [01: 04]

MAIN OUT

 L Post GEQ  L PFL  R Post GEQ  R PFL  L+R Post GEQ  L+R PFL

MIX Bus [01:08]

Stream IN [17: 24]

Analog IN [17: 20]

DIRECT PATCH 01

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 02

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 03

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 04

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 05

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 06

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 07

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 08

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 09

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 10

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 11

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 12

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 13

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 14

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 15

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 16

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 17

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 18

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 19

PRE EQ

DIRECT PATCH 20

PRE EQ

CH 01

Analog IN 1

CH 02

Analog IN 2

CH 03

Analog IN 3

CH 04

Analog IN 4

CH 05

Analog IN 5

CH 06

Analog IN 6

CH 07

Analog IN 7

CH 08

Analog IN 8

CH 09

Analog IN 9

CH 10

Analog IN 10

CH 11

Analog IN 11

CH 12

Analog IN 12

CH 13

Analog IN 13

CH 14

Analog IN 14

CH 15

Analog IN 15

CH 16

Analog IN 16

CH 17

Analog IN 17

CH 18

Analog IN 18

CH 19

Analog IN 19

CH 20

Analog IN 20

FX1 RET

Internal FX – Reverb 1

FX2 RET

Internal FX – Reverb 2

FX3 RET

Internal FX – Delay 1

FX4 RET

Internal FX – Modulation

MIX OUT 01

MIX BUS 01

MIX OUT 02

MIX BUS 02

MIX OUT 03

MIX BUS 03

MIX OUT 04

MIX BUS 04

MIX OUT 05

MIX BUS 05

MIX OUT 06

MIX BUS 06

MIX OUT 07

MIX BUS 07

MIX OUT 08

MIX BUS 08

MIX OUT 09

MAIN OUT L PFL

MIX OUT 10

MAIN OUT R PFL

AES OUT L

MAIN OUT L PFL

AES OUT R

MAIN OUT R PFL

PHONES L

MAIN OUT L PFL

PHONES R

MAIN OUT R PFL

Based on available sources, M 20 digital mixers provide 2 groups of STREAM OUT routing:

ROUTUNG PRESETS

M 20 digital mixer provides 100 I/O Routing Presets used to store and recall all your routing

configurations, as for example virtual sound check of your live session. Holding DEFAULT button, M 20 will load the default routing values for each channel:

Default INPUTS routing Default OUTPUTS routing Default DIRECT PATCH routing

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Default REC OUTS routing Default STREAM OUTPUTS routing

TRACK 01

DIRECT PATCH 01

TRACK 02

DIRECT PATCH 02

TRACK 03

DIRECT PATCH 03

TRACK 04

DIRECT PATCH 04

TRACK 05

DIRECT PATCH 05

TRACK 06

DIRECT PATCH 06

TRACK 07

DIRECT PATCH 07

TRACK 08

DIRECT PATCH 08

TRACK 09

DIRECT PATCH 09

TRACK 10

DIRECT PATCH 10

TRACK 11

DIRECT PATCH 11

TRACK 12

DIRECT PATCH 12

TRACK 13

DIRECT PATCH 13

TRACK 14

DIRECT PATCH 14

TRACK 15

DIRECT PATCH 15

TRACK 16

DIRECT PATCH 16

TRACK 17

DIRECT PATCH 17

TRACK 18

DIRECT PATCH 18

TRACK 19/Stereo L

MAIN OUT L PFL

TRACK 20/Stereo R

MAIN OUT R PFL

CH 01

DIRECT PATCH 01

CH 02

DIRECT PATCH 02

CH 03

DIRECT PATCH 03

CH 04

DIRECT PATCH 04

CH 05

DIRECT PATCH 05

CH 06

DIRECT PATCH 06

CH 07

DIRECT PATCH 07

CH 08

DIRECT PATCH 08

CH 09

DIRECT PATCH 09

CH 10

DIRECT PATCH 10

CH 11

DIRECT PATCH 11

CH 12

DIRECT PATCH 12

CH 13

DIRECT PATCH 13

CH 14

DIRECT PATCH 14

CH 15

DIRECT PATCH 15

CH 16

DIRECT PATCH 16

CH 17

Analog IN 17

CH 18

Analog IN 18

CH 19

Analog IN 19

CH 20

Analog IN 20

CH 21

FX SEND 01

CH 22

FX SEND 02

CH 23

FX SEND 03

CH 24

FX SEND 04

Encoder Assignment

DCA and Mute Groups can be assign to Custom Faders and to User keys. Furthermore, you can directly control mute activation and fader levels through the dedicated page SYSTEM > MUTE AND DCA GROUPS > MUTE/DCA CTRL.

MUTE AND DCA GROUPS

M 20 digital mixers provide four DCA Groups and four MUTE Groups fully independent and configurable. It’s possible map each input channel, each Mix Out channel and each FX return channel to one of four DCA Groups and to one of four MUTE Groups. The DCA Group is a combination of level and relative mute; the MUTE Group is a dedicated mute control. In this way you can create your customized groups of channels to be controlled with a single strip (level + mute) and with a single mute button. To guarantee a fully flexibility, DCA and Mute configurations are completely independent for each channel.

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UTILITIES

PHONES

Configure the routing settings touching in the ROUTING area and adjust the DELAY value using Encoder 4

AES OUT

Configure the routing settings touching in the ROUTING area and adjust the output LEVEL value using Encoder 2

CALIBRATE FADER button performs 5 points fader calibration through the following operations:

 Move all faders to +10 dB  Move all faders to 0 dB  Move all faders to -10 dB  Move all faders to -30 dB  Move all faders to -inf dB

For each step, check the position of all faders and adjust them manually in the event of misalignment

Using Encoder 2 to adjust the LCD Brightness

Using Encoder 4 to adjust the Brightness of all LEDs

Default values of the Custom Faders are:

 Custom Fader 1: DCA Group 01  Custom Fader 2: DCA Group 02  Custom Fader 3: DCA Group 03  Custom Fader 4: DCA Group 04  Custom Fader 5: FX SEND 01  Custom Fader 6: FX SEND 02

Several utility tools are provided in order to meet every sound engineer’s needs.

AUDIO OUTPUTS

In the AUDIO OUTPUTS page it’s possible to adjust the AES OUT and PHONES parameters.

SURFACE UTILITIES

CUSTOM FADERS

On M 20X digital mixers are available six custom faders fully configurable.

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Each custom fader can be configured to control one of these faders:

 IN [01: 20]  MAIN OUT L, MAIN OUT R  MIX OUT [01:10]  FX RTN [01:04]  FX SEND [01: 04]  DCA GROUP [01: 04]

 Press CANCEL to return to CUSTOM

FADER page.

Choose your option directly scrolling on the screen or using the Encoder 3 (LIST SEL), then press OK to confirm.

Select the outputs where automatically route CH16 when talkback is activated.

Adjust the global level of talkback using Encoder 3

CONFIG MIXER

TALKBACK

M 20 digital mixers periodically (every 5 seconds) save the current configuration of the machine. It’s possible program the start-up mode of the mixer to recall last configuration or to load the default values of console’s parameters.

Holding FACTORY RESET button, the console will be resetted to factory state. WARNING: all saved SHOWS and PRESETS will be erased and all configuration parameters and processing parameters will be reset to default values.

Analog Channel 16 can be configured as Talkback source. Through the SYSTEM > TALKBACK page it’s possible setup

the talkback options.

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USB & SD CARD FORMAT

FAT32 is the supported file system for M 20 digital mixers.

Pressing FORMAT button, your device will be format to FAT32

M 20 digital mixers support SDHC and SDXC.

Select one or more Outputs where you want to route the internal signal.

Press ON button to enable or disable the internal generator.

Choose the signal type using Encoder 1:

 Sine  Pink Noise

Adjust the signal level using Encoder 2 and, for sinusoidal generator only, set the frequency using Encoder 3

M 20 digital mixers provide internal tools to format both USB key drive and SD Card in order to make them compatible with the system, ready to be used for multitrack and stereo playback and record.

SIGNAL GENERATOR

An internal signal generator is available on M 20 series consoles.

CHANNEL UTILITIES

Channels Utilities summarize some Channel parameters into individual pages divided by category.

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PHANTOM page allows to view and set +48V power on each MIC input channel.

LINK page allows to view and set stereo link on every couple of input and output channel.

SENDS PRE/POST page allows you to set the Pre/Post values of all input channels Sends on each MIX and FX bus with a single button.

SENDS ON/OFF page allows you to set the On/Off values of all input channel Sends on each MIX and FX bus with a single button.

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INFO

Through the INFO page it’s possible to check the information about your machine such as the current Firmware Versions.

USB STORAGE

Data transfers are allowed using an external USB drive. It’s possible to import and export USB packages for each categories of internal user memories:

 Show  Input Gate User Presets  Input Dynamics User Presets  Input PEQ User Presets  Input Channel User Presets  Output GEQ User Presets  Output Dynamics User Presets  Output PEQ User Presets  Output Channel User Presets  IO Routing Presets

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IMPORT

Select the category of memories that you want to import and then press NEXT STEP

In this window are shown the previously exported packages available on the plugged USB drive.

Select the package to import and the press NEXT STEP

Preview of the items inside the selected package

Select range of memories touching first and last item of your set of memories directly on the screen.

IMPORT ITEMS window shows the number of selected items.

The selected number of Import Items will be copied to the internal memory starting from the selected target place. WARNING: The previous internal items following the starting point will be overwritten.

Press EXCECUTE button to import.

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EXPORT

Select the category of memories that you want to export and then press NEXT STEP

Select range of memories touching first and last item of your range of memories directly on the screen.

SELECTED ITEMS window shows the number of selected items.

Then press NEXT STEP

In this window are shown the existing packages on your USB drive.

Enter a valid name of your new package and then press EXECUTE to export. The default name of Package is NewShowPack.

Export your saved shows and presets to a USB drive.

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MIDI SETTINGS

Fader CH01

Fader CH09

Fader CH17

Fader MAIN LR

Fader MIX4 OUT

Fader CH02

Fader CH10

Fader CH18

Fader FX1 SEND

Fader MIX5 OUT

Fader CH03

Fader CH11

Fader CH19

Fader FX2 SEND

Fader MIX6 OUT

Fader CH04

Fader CH12

Fader CH20

Fader FX3 SEND

Fader MIX7 OUT

Fader CH05

Fader CH13

Fader FX1 RTN

Fader FX4 SEND

Fader MIX8 OUT

Fader CH06

Fader CH14

Fader FX2 RTN

Fader MIX1 OUT

Fader MIX9 OUT

Fader CH07

Fader CH15

Fader FX3 RTN

Fader MIX1 OUT

Fader MIX10 OUT

Fader CH08

Fader CH16

Fader FX4 RTN

Fader MIX1 OUT

CUSTOM FADER 1

CUSTOM FADER 2

CUSTOM FADER 3

CUSTOM FADER 4

CUSTOM FADER 5

CUSTOM FADER 6

01:100

SHOW [01: 100] Recall

Mute CH01

Mute CH09

Mute CH17

Mute MAIN LR

Mute MIX4 OUT

Mute CH02

Mute CH10

Mute CH18

Mute FX1 SEND

Mute MIX5 OUT

Mute CH03

Mute CH11

Mute CH19

Mute FX2 SEND

Mute MIX6 OUT

Mute CH04

Mute CH12

Mute CH20

Mute FX3 SEND

Mute MIX7 OUT

Mute CH05

Mute CH13

Mute FX1 RTN

Mute FX4 SEND

Mute MIX8 OUT

Mute CH06

Mute CH14

Mute FX2 RTN

Mute MIX1 OUT

Mute MIX9 OUT

Mute CH07

Mute CH15

Mute FX3 RTN

Mute MIX1 OUT

Mute MIX10 OUT

Mute CH08

Mute CH16

Mute FX4 RTN

Mute MIX1 OUT

Mute Custom FADER1

Mute Custom FADER2

CUE CH04

CUE CH12

CUE CH20

CUE FX3 SEND

Mute Custom FADER3

CUE CH05

CUE CH13

CUE FX1 RTN

CUE FX4 SEND

Mute Custom FADER4

CUE CH06

CUE CH14

CUE FX2 RTN

CUE MIX1 OUT

Mute Custom FADER5

CUE CH07

CUE CH15

CUE FX3 RTN

CUE MIX2 OUT

Mute Custom FADER6

CUE CH08

CUE CH16

CUE FX4 RTN

CUE MIX3 OUT

CUE CH01

CUE CH09

CUE CH17

CUE MAIN LR

CUE MIX4 OUT

CUE CH02

CUE CH10

CUE CH18

CUE FX1 SEND

CUE MIX5 OUT

CUE CH03

CUE CH11

CUE CH19

CUE FX2 SEND

CUE MIX6 OUT

MIDI MAPPING

Control Change

Plug an external MIDI CONTROLLER to expand your surface control of M 20 digital consoles.

Through MIDI SETTING page it’s possible

to ENABLE the internal MIDI and to select the working MIDI Channel in the range [01:16]

Program Change

Note ON

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CUE MIX7 OUT

SEL CH05

SEL CH13

105

SEL FX1 RTN

113

SEL FX4 SEND

CUE MIX8 OUT

SEL CH06

SEL CH14

106

SEL FX2 RTN

114

SEL MIX1 OUT

CUE MIX9 OUT

SEL CH07

SEL CH15

107

SEL FX3 RTN

115

SEL MIX2 OUT

CUE MIX10 OUT

SEL CH08

100

SEL CH16

108

SEL FX4 RTN

116

SEL MIX3 OUT

SEL CH01

SEL CH09

101

SEL CH17

109

SEL MAIN LR

117

SEL MIX4 OUT

SEL CH02

SEL CH10

102

SEL CH18

110

SEL FX1 SEND

118

SEL MIX5 OUT

SEL CH03

SEL CH11

103

SEL CH19

111

SEL FX2 SEND

119

SEL MIX6 OUT

SEL CH04

SEL CH12

104

SEL CH20

122

SEL FX3 SEND

120

SEL MIX7 OUT

121

SEL MIX8 OUT

122

SEL MIX9 OUT

123

SEL MIX10 OUT

124

Player Prev

125

Player Next

126

Player Play

127

Recorder Stop

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6. VIEW BUTTONS

M 20 digital mixers has two VIEW buttons, characterized by a rhomboid shape, that provide a very useful summary pages to know the current status of the machine and to quick access to main settings.

FADER SELECT VIEW

FADER SELECT VIEW provide the main information for each channel of the four fader banks: assigned name, routing source, fader level, mute value, phantom and stereo pair link. Each channel tab allows you to jump to the related processing page in order to minimize the number of operations.

USER KEYS VIEW

USER KEYS VIEW provide a summary page of USER KEYS configurations. Each of the 8 User Key tabs, when pressed, applies the programmed function. In the SETUP page specific functions can be assigned to each User Key. For details about User Keys functions, please refer to Chapter 5, SYSTEM > USER KEYS

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7. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

INPUTS

MIC preamps CH 1-8

XLR input connectors

Gain range = 60 dB

Input impedance = 3.3 kΩ

Maximum input level = +18dBu

MIC/LINE preamps CH 9-16

COMBO input connectors

Gain range = 60 dB

Input impedance (XLR/TRS) = 3.3 kΩ / 12.8 kΩ

Maximum input level (XLR/TRS) = +18dBu / 29dBu

Balanced Line inputs CH 17-18

2 channels 1/4” TRS jack

Input impedance = 18 kΩ

Maximum input level = +18 dBu

Unbalanced inputs CH 19-20

Stereo 3.5mm mini jack

Input impedance = 15 kΩ

Maximum input level = +18 dBu

OUTPUTS

MAIN LR

Balanced XLR

Output impedance = 50 Ω

Maximum output level = +24 dBu

MIIX 1-8

Balanced XLR

Output impedance = 150 Ω

Maximum output level = +24 dBu

OUT 9-10, routable

2 channels 1/4” TRS jack

Output impedance = 150 Ω

Maximum output level = +24 dBu

Digital output, routable

AES3 (XLR)

DSP ENGINE

Processing

32-bit floating-point, 48 kHz Sample Rate

Internal Mixing Matrix

28 x 16

INPUT PROCESSING

CH 1-16

Hi-Pass filter

Delay (up to 100 ms)

Gate

4-band Parametric EQ

Compressor / De-Esser

CH 17-20

Hi-Pass filter

Delay (up to 100 ms)

Gate

4-band Parametric EQ

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OUTPUT PROCESSING

MIX 1-8 (option to link in stereo pairs)

8-band Parametric EQ

Compressor/Limiter

Delay (up to 250 ms)

MAIN LR output (with Stereo/Mono switch)

30-band Graphic EQ

8-band Parametric EQ

Compressor/Limiter

Delay (up to 250 ms)

PAFL

Real-Time Analyzer

Delay (up to 250 ms)

INTERNAL FX (4x Z-CORE FX Engine)

FX1 bus

Stereo Reverb (Hall, Plate, Room, Ambience)

FX2 bus

Stereo Reverb (Hall, Plate, Room, Ambience)

FX3 bus

Stereo Delay (Stereo, Modern, Vintage, Dual, ER)

FX4 bus

Stereo Delay / Modulation (Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo)

ON-BOARD MULTITRACK

SD Card Play/Rec

Recording: 20 channel WAV, 48kHz 24-bit, patchable

Playback: 20 channel WAV, 48kHz 24-bit, patchable

USB Audio Interface

Upstream: 24 channel WAV, 48kHz 24-bit, patchable

Downstream: 24 channel WAV, 48kHz 24-bit, patchable

USB DRIVE PLAY/REC

2-channel Play/Rec Recording: WAV 48kHz, 24-bit

Playback: WAV (16/24-bit), MP3, AIFF; allowed sample rates from 44.1 to 96 kHz

CONTROL INTERFACES

LAN 1000-BaseTX for remote control

Dual 1000-BaseTX for Dante audio streaming (M 20XD / M 20RD)

USB host 2 ports

MIDI interface, WiFi dongle (must be enabled), USB mass storage

POWER

Input Voltage Range

100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz

Power Requirements

70 W (M 20X/M 20XD) / 70 W (M 20R/M 20RD)

PHYSICAL

Ambient Operating Temperature

35°C

Weight

7.9 kg (M 20X / M 20XD) / 5.9 kg (M 20R / M 20RD)

Dimensions [D x L x H]

428 x 388 x 131 mm (M 20X / M 20XD) / 285 x 440 x 132.5 mm (M 20R / M 20RD)

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8. BLOCK DIAGRAM

RCF M 20X User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual