Soundcraft BB100 TECHNICAL MANUAL

BB100

Broadcast Mixer

TECHNICAL MANUAL

A Harman International Company

Serial No:

IMPORTANT

For convenience, write your serial number in the box above and keep this manual in a safe place. The number can be found on the rear of the product.

This number MUST be quoted in all communications in order to obtain technical support and spare parts from either the factory or your dealer.

Technical Manual

Parts of the design of this product may be protected by worldwide patents. Soundcraft is a trading division of Harman International Industries Ltd.

Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor. Soundcraft shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from the use of information or any error contained in this manual or through any mis-operation or fault in hardware or software contained in the product.

No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose whatsoever without the express written permission ofSoundcraft.

It is recommended that all maintenance and service on the product should be carried out by Soundcraft or it's authorised agents. Soundcraft cannot accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage caused by service, maintenance or repair by unauthorised personnel.

Part No. ZMA0006-02

Harman International IndustriesLimited

Part No: ZMA0006-02

Cranborne House Cranborne Road Potters Bar

Amek, a division of

Harman International Industries Ltd

Hertfordshire

Langley House, Third Avenue

EN6 3JN

Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1FG

United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 161 868 2400 Fax: +44 (0) 161 873 8010

Tel +44 (0)1707 665000

E-mail: amek@amek.com

Fax +44 (0)1707 660742

Web: http://www.amek.com

http://www.soundcraft.com

1-2 Introduction © Soundcraft

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Installation

3 Power Supplies & Cabling

4 Connectors

5 Modules

6 System Architecture

7 Maintenance

8 Specification

9 Schematics

1-4 Introduction © Soundcraft

1-6 Introduction © Soundcraft

Precautions and Safety Instructions

Caution

For your own safety and to avoid invalidation of warranty, all text marked with these Warning Symbols should be read carefully!

Please keep this information!

Important information. Read this before proceeding.

Hazard or unsafe practice which can result in severe personal injury or death.

Cautionary Advice

Important

Please read this manual carefully before connecting the power supplies to the mains for the first time!

Obey all safety instructions in this manual where marked with any of the above symbols. Read and understand these instructions before operating the product, doing any troubleshooting, testing, adjustments or repairs. Failure to comply with the safety instructions may result in personal injury.

Warning

To avoid the risk of fire, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. Unplug this apparatus during storms or when unused for long periods of time.

Caution

The apparatus will operate as a free standing unit without requiring any special cooling arrangement but should not be allowed to be accidentally or deliberately covered in any way. Do not obstruct the ventilation slots in the upper and lower surfaces.

Note de Précaution et Sécurité

Précaution

Pour votre sécurité et afin de ne pas interrompre la garantie il est important de lire attentivement les paragraphes marqués d'un symbole!

Conserver ce document!

Importante information. Priere de lire avant utilisation.

Hazadeuse ou dangereuse manipulations peuvent provoquées de graves blessures ou même la mort.

Note de précaution.

Importante

Ce manuel est à lire attentivement avant de brancher cet appareil pour la première fois!

Suivre les instructions de sécurité. Lire et comprendre ces intructions avant l'utilisation de l'appareil ou avant dépannage, essai, ajustement ou réparation. Ne pas se conformer aux instructions de sécurité peut provoquer de graves blessures.

Avertissement

Afin d'éviter un risque de feu, ne pas exposer l'appareil à la pluie ou à l'humidité. Débranchez l'appareil en cas d'orage éléctrique ou si l'appareil n'est pas utilisé pendant une longue periode.

Précaution

Cet appareil fonctionnera de lui-même sans supplément de ventilation mais ne doit en aucun cas être recouvert, afin ne pas bloquer les fentes de ventilation inférieures et supérieures.

1-8 Introduction © Soundcraft

Warranty

1. Soundcraft is a trading division of Harman International Industries Ltd. End User means the person who first puts the equipment into regular

operation. Dealer means the person other than Soundcraft (if any) from whom the End User purchased the equipment, provided such a person is authorised for this purpose by Soundcraft or it’s accredited Distributor. Equipment means the equipment supplied with this manual.

2. If within the period of twelve months from the date of delivery of the Equipment to the End User it shall prove defective by reason only of faulty materials and/or workmanship to such an extent that the effectiveness and/or usability thereof is materially affected, the Equipment or the defective component should be returned to the Dealer or to Soundcraft and subject to the following conditions, the Dealer or Soundcraft will repair or replace the defective components. Any components replaced will become the property of Soundcraft.

3. Any Equipment or component returned will be at the risk of the End User whilst in transit (both to and from the Dealer or Soundcraft) and postage/shipping must be prepaid.

4. This warranty shall only be available if:

a) The Equipment has been properly installed in accordance with instructions

contained in Soundcraft’s manual; and

b) The End User has notified Soundcraft or the Dealer within 14 days of the

defect appearing; and

c) No persons other than the authorised representatives of Soundcraft or the

Dealer have effected any replacement of parts, maintenance adjustments or repairs to the Equipment; and

d) The End User has used the Equipment only for such purposes as Soundcraft

recommends, with only such operating supplies as meet Soundcraft’s specifications and otherwise in all respects in accordance with Soundcraft’s recommendations.

5. Defects arising as a result of the following are not covered by this Warranty:

Faulty or negligent handling, chemical or electro-chemical or electrical influences, accidental damage, Acts of God, neglect, deficiency in electrical power, air-conditioning or humidity control.

6. The benefit of this Warranty may not be assigned by the End User.

7. End Users who are consumers should note their rights under this Warranty are in addition to and do not affect any other rights to which they may be entitled against the seller of the Equipment.

Introduction

BB100 Hardware

The BB100 Series is a range of compact, high quality audio consoles designed for broadcast professionals. Although it has been designed primarily for broadcast use, the BB100 will find numerous applications in other areas where a cost-effective and flexible audio mixer is required that does not compromise build quality or performance in the least.

The console is available in 4 frame sizes and can be supplied as drop through or desktop style chassis. Standard features include conductive plastic faders, 28 segment light meters, Cleanfeeds and Fader Starts. The professional standard interface provides electronically balanced inputs together with Stereo, Auxiliary, Cleanfeed and Group Outputs.

Console Size

BB100 Series – 14 Position Console

BB100 Series – 22 Position Console

BB100 Series – 30 Position Console

BB100 Series – 38 Position Console

Main console features include:

q Mono Input modules

Stereo Input modules

Up to 4 Cleanfeeds with 4 Cleanfeed Outputs

Up to 4 Stereo Group Returns

Up to 8 Audio Groups

8 Auxiliary Sends

Comprehensive Monitoring

Comprehensive Metering

Soft Mutes

1-10 Introduction © Soundcraft

Contents

Installation ...........................2-3

Power Supplies .........................2-3

EMC Precautions ........................2-7

BB100 Chassis Dimensions ...................2-10

2-2 Installation © Soundcraft

Installation

Before disposing of the packaging, check that all expected items are present and correct. Refer to the enclosed packing list!

Power Supplies

Three different types of power supply unit may be used with BB100 consoles. The type supplied depends on the console size and the date it was built. The PSU 300 and the MPS 20 are switch mode supplies whilst the MPS 5 is a linear supply.

Note: - Always use the Power Supply which is supplied with the Console.

Positioning the Power Supply Unit(s)

All the PSU are designed for installation in a 19” rack unit. Adequate ventilation should be provided for the PSU with an unrestricted air flow through the unit. The air intake and the outflow holes must be inspected regularly and cleaned if necessary to maintain good airflow through the unit. This will be particularly important if the unit is used in a dusty environment. The PSU300 draws air through the top of the unit and is expelled through the left and right sides. The MPS 5 draws air through the rear of the unit and is expelled through the front panel. The MPS20 draws air through the rear of the unit and is expelled through the left side.

All power units should be placed close enough to the console to use the standard 8 metre DC power cables. Avoid placing the units close to other sensitive audio equipment to reduce the risk of hum pickup from external stray magnetic fields e.g. mains transformers.

Checking and connecting the power units

BEFORE connecting any power units to the chassis, follow the procedure below:

WARNING: THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED.

Use the terminal provided on the rear of the chassis if necessary and connect it to the technical ground for the installation. DO NOT disconnect the safety earth from the AC mains cords.

Make sure the AC operating voltage settings are correct for the local

mains supply.

(Refer to the power supply section of this manual if necessary).

Use the moulded IEC power cords provided with the console or by the

distributor.

Connect all power units to the local mains supply. DO NOT connect

the DC cables to the chassis at this point.

Switch each unit ON in turn and check that all the power rail LEDs on

the front panels illuminate properly. STOP IMMEDIATELY if any LEDs fail, TURN OFF the power unit and refer to the power supply section of this manual. DO NOT attempt to use this power unit until the fault has been rectified.

q If ALL power unit LEDs illuminate correctly, TURN OFF all power units

and connect the DC cables between the power units and the chassis.

q TURN ON all power units again and check that the power supply

LEDs illuminate properly and that the VU lamps are ON. STOP IMMEDIATELY if any LEDs or lamps fail, TURN OFF the power units and rectify the fault before proceeding further.

If all above steps are healthy the console can be safely powered up.

WARNING: Always switch off the Power Supply Unit OFF before connecting or disconnecting the Console. NEVER remove modules while the PSU is ON

Avoid using the console close to magnetic fields such as video monitors and power supply units as this will cause degradation of the audio performance of the console.

Mounting

Diagrams showing sizes of the consoles are shown at the end of this Chapter.

The design of the BB100 console is based on long established audio principles but uses the latest technology to produce its outstanding performance. Only when the console is carefully installed in accordance with our recommendations, will you obtain the best results. EMC precautions are described at the end of this chapter.

2-4 Installation © Soundcraft

Earthing

The most reliable earthing system is to have only one point to which all equipment is earthed. It is essential for safety that all mains powered equipment in the system has a mains (safety) earth connected. This is especially important on computers with an internal power supply. Connecting a non earthed computer to the console can cause serious damage.

Clean Earth

The console has an external M4 stud, for a clean or ‘technical’ earth to be connected. This stud is located on the rear panel of the console. The incoming technical earth should be connected to this star point; the incoming cable should be terminated in an M4 eyelet. In the best installations, a clean earth is provided from a specially constructed earth rod system. Use of the console’s earth terminal is preferred whenever possible, but if there is no clean technical earth, an adequate earth can sometimes be provided by the console’s power supplies. These have a limited earth via a resistor/capacitor network. The lack of a clean earth is especially likely to cause noise problems.

Earth loops

Earth loops occur whenever a piece of equipment has two connections to earth. This can happen if there is an earth through the mains lead and a second one through a cable screen to another piece of earthed equipment. This may cause hum and other problems. Always avoid earth loops in the system wiring.

If you have earth loops in your installation, they must never be ‘solved’ by removing safety earth connections.

Microphone Cables

All microphone and line level connections in the control room and studio should be wired using a high quality twin screened cable. The screens of the cables should be connected to one ground only. With microphone inputs this is not difficult as microphones do not normally have any ground connection other than the one through the cable. It is therefore correct and essential that the microphone cables have the screen connected at both ends.

Wiring Conventions

Soundcraft uses the standard XLR wiring convention on all consoles. Not all equipment uses this convention so check your wiring to prevent any phase reversals. See Table below for wiring convention.

Pins

Pin 2 HIGH (HOT) +

Pin 3 LOW (COLD) -

Pin 1 SCREEN (GROUND)

Pins ¼ Inch Jack Plug

Tip HIGH (HOT) +

Ring LOW (COLD) -

Screen SCREEN (GROUND)

Signal Levels

The BB100 has been designed to operate with a wide range of studio equipment. All input and output levels are therefore suitable to match +4dBu systems and the meters are calibrated to read “0” for output levels of +4dBu. The meter trim controls can allow the meters to be adjusted to read “0” for output levels of +6dBu.

Refer to Chapter 8 (Specifications) for details of input / output levels.

Module Removal

Never remove or insert modules or any system parts when the power are switched ON.

Maintenance

All maintenance and repair work should be carried out by a qualified and trained technician. Failure to do so may invalidate the product warranty. Refer to the warranty information in Section 1 of this manual.

2-6 Installation © Soundcraft

EMC Precautions

Introduction

EMC (electromagnetic Compatibility) is the ability of equipment to function correctly in locations where electromagnetic interference is present. Examples of electromagnetic interference are Radiated Interference e.g. from local broadcast transmitters, mobile phones Conducted interference. This can be introduced into console signal, mains, or dc power cables when they are located close to cables for electrical plant which contain “spikes”

Electrostatic discharge. e.g. the shock you can get when touching a piece of equipment after walking on a nylon carpet. EMC precautions are common-sense measures, which should be carried out, in any quality audio installation. For good EMC performance, the console must be installed in accordance with our recommendations. Giving some thought to EMC at the planning stage can provide protection, which costs very little.. Interference field strength diminishes with distance, so locate audio equipment far from strong emitters such as fixed radio, TV or radio transmitters and industrial equipment such as welders, RF furnaces

Console shipping and storage

During shipping, and if the console is stored before installation, it must be kept dry. Corrosion on metal parts can drastically reduce EMC performance.

EMC Environment

The console is designed to be installed in a “Commercial / Light Industrial” environment.

Mains supplies

The console is designed to be used in an environment, which is protected against mains-borne transients, and no console cabling should be routed in the vicinity of power cables carrying switched high current loads. Supply mains power for the studio equipment from separate phases or better still from different distribution transformers.

RF immunity

When exposed to a field of 3 volts / metre (European Standard), a loss of performance may be noticeable. Typical field strength from mobile phones or nearby communications transmitters is usually substantially less than this level. Field strengths of up to 10 V/m can be encountered within 20m of amateur radio transmitter and performance degradation may be noticeable in these conditions. If the console is to be sited close to strong radio frequency sources, such as a broadcast transmitter, please contact the factory.

Static and furnishings

The degree of inconvenience caused by a ‘click’ is very subjective, in many cases, a single transient can be ignored. If there are any circumstances where this is not acceptable, the first step should be to remove the possibility of static generation by selection of furniture and flooring materials, humidity control and other anti-static procedures. In low humidity climates, extra static precautions may be required.

Do-it-yourself testing

You can do a simple check of the local electromagnetic environment using a radio or television, or, better, an all-wave ham radio or scanner.

Antennas and receivers for wireless microphones

The antenna of the receiver for a wireless microphone is very sensitive to rf. Because the frequency bands allocated to wireless microphones differ greatly among CENELEC countries, it is not possible just to specify very low emission limits over a particular frequency range. Nor is it economic to design equipment to have very low emissions over the whole range required for all CENELEC states (31,6 to 1000 MHz). Care must therefore be taken with the location of the antennas and receivers.

Installation cables - type and location

Soundcraft consoles are designed to have good EMC performance, but a poor installation can easily negate this.

Type of cable

For best EMC performance, audio circuits should all be wired in twisted-pair screened cable. Twisted pair cables should have a tight twist (20 twists per metre or better). The screen of audio cables should have good coverage. We recommend a double lapped screen with lapping in opposing directions. Copper screens are preferred over conducted plastic because they provide effective screening over a wider frequency range. If AC magnetic fields are likely, use star-quad cable, and route them as far as away as possible from the fields to minimise hum pickup.

Location of Cable

Audio cables should be routed in metal ducts where possible. This is especially important in an environment, which contains high RF fields. Pickup of RF fields can be reduced by routing cables so that they “cling to” large ground plane areas such as equipment racks or steel-reinforced concrete floors. Separate trunking should be used for (a) Console signal cables (b) Mains for the console, and (c) Power cables carrying switched high current loads. Don’t use cables longer than necessary. Coiling of excess length is a bad idea.

Connectors - type and termination of cables

Mating connectors should have a metal body and the cable screen should be connected to the connector body.

Termination

When terminating cables, the hot, cold and screen wires must be kept as short as possible inside the connector. ‘Pigtails’ should not be used for the cable screen connection.

High RF fields

Cable screens should normally be terminated at one end only. However, if a high RF field is present in the installation, try connecting the screen at the tied back end via a high quality 0.01uF capacitor. In extreme cases, you may need to parallel several capacitors of different values, this is to compensate for resonance in the capacitor.

Jackfield cords

These should be less than 1m long

Connecting unbalanced equipment

Equipment with unbalanced audio ports should be avoided or used with one of the many “unbalanced-to-balanced” interface boxes" available. If it is unavoidable to use unbalanced equipment, it must be wired in twin-screened cable. In this case, unbalanced inputs are worse than unbalanced outputs.

EMC precautions during Maintenance

Mixer panelling

To maintain good immunity to an electrostatic discharge or rf field, metal panels should be kept on the console at all times. All screws should be fitted and should be kept tight.

Service staff should be made aware of this.

Modifications by the console’s owner

Modifications to the console can easily reduce the effectiveness of the console’s EMC.

If any changes are made, the person who made them becomes the “owner” of, and therefore responsible for, the console’s EMC performance.

BB100 Chassis Dimensions

14 Position Frame - 483mm 22 Position Frame - 726mm 30 Position Frame - 969mm 38 Position Frame - 1212mm

6mm

127mm

PUSH

PUSH PUSH PUSH

PUSH

14 Position Frame - 431mm 22 Position Frame - 674mm 30 Position Frame - 917mm 38 Position Frame - 1160mm

594mm

PUSH PUSH PUSH

249mm

536mm

166mm

Contents

Power Supplies & Cabling ...................3-3

Mains Lead Connections.....................3-3

Supply types & Description ...................3-4

Technical Specifications .....................3-7

Connector Pinouts........................3-9

Output Voltage Adjustments - PSU 300 .............3-10

Output Voltage Adjustments - MPS 5 ..............3-11

Output Voltage Adjustments - MPS 20 .............3-12

Power Supplies & Cabling

WARNING:

THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED.

WARNING:

It is important that a console is never left connected to a defective PSU. This may cause serious damage to the console.

WARNING:

The power cord must be disconnected before removing cover plates. The power supply MUST be earthed. Under no circumstances should the mains earth be disconnected from the power supply unit. Lethal voltages are present on the printed circuit boards. Do not operate the unit with the top cover removed.

Mains Lead Connections

FOR UK USER ONLY

All mains leads must have the green/yellow wire connected to mains earth. The cores of the lead are colour coded:

Brown = LIVE

Blue = NEUTRAL

Green / Yellow = EARTH

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows.

The wire which is coloured Green and Yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or by the Earth symbol.

The wire which is coloured Blue must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter N or coloured Black.

The wire which is coloured Brown must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter L or coloured Red.

Never remove any green/yellow earth connections. If you have earth loops in your installation, they must never be ‘solved’ by removing safety earth connections. The IEC connector is supplied, moulded to the mains lead and should not be rewired.

Supply types & Description

Three different types of power supply unit may be used with BB100 consoles. The type supplied depends on the console size and date it was built. The PSU 300 and the MPS 20 are switch mode supplies whilst the MPS 5 is a linear supply.

There are no user serviceable parts in the units. In the event of failure for any reason, the switched mode module should be replaced with a spare and the faulty module returned to Soundcraft for repair or replacement subject to current warranty conditions. All switched mode modules must be fitted by qualified and approved technicians.

Console Size PSUs Supplied

BB100 – 14 Position Console

BB100 – 22 Position Console

BB100 – 30 Position Console

BB100 – 38 Position Console

PSU 300 / MPS 5

MPS 20 (MPS15 - See Separate Manual)

Main Voltage Selection

PSU 300 / MPS 20

The MPS 20 and the PSU 300 are auto-ranging units and do not require any adjustment for the mains input. The supply ranges for the correct operation are 90v – 254v AC @ 47 – 63 Hz.

MPS 5

Do not change the voltage setting without first turning the unit off and removing the mains lead.

The MPS 5 mains input has to be selected for the level of local mains voltage supply. The supply may be preset at the factory for your mains voltage but this must be verified before switching on or serious damage may result. Soundcraft cannot accept responsibility for failures caused by wrongly adjusted power supplies. Voltage selection is achieved by positioning the fuse carrier so that the required voltage appears next to the arrow which is moulded in the connector. In this way the unit is set up for operation at one of the following ranges of mains supply.

Nominal Voltage Operating Voltage Range - MPS 5

(+10/-15%)

Vrms AC Vrms AC

230 196 - 253

115 98 - 126

100 85 - 110

85 73 - 93

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