Soundcraft SPIRIT POWERSTATION USER GUIDE

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User Guide

Contents

Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Basic Principles of PA Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Audio Connections and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Fault Finding Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Getting to know your console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Input Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Stereo Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Master Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Lexicon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Grahic Equaliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Power Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Patchbay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using your

Initial Set Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Care of your mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Front Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Console . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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Safety Precautions

For your own safety and to avoid invalidation of the
warranty please read this section caref ully

The wires in the mains l ead are coloured in accordance with
the following code:

• Green and yellow:Earth

• Blue:Neutral

• Brown: Live

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead may not
correspond with the coloured markings identifying the
terminals in your plug, proc ee d as foll ows :

• 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 conected to the

terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter L or
coloured Red.

Ensure that these colour codings are foll owed carefully in the
event of the plug being changed.

Ensure correct mains voltage is set an d correct fuse is
fitted before connecting mains supply. Do not change
mains settings while the mains supp ly is connected.
The replacement mains power fu se must be the correct
value, as indicated on the unit.

Do not obstruct air vents. Clean air filter at the front of
the unit regularly.

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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of a
mixer. Owning a
support of one of the industry’s leading manufacturers and
the results of over 21 yea rs experi ence supporting some of the
biggest names in the business.

Designed by engine ers who understand the individual nee ds
of engineers and musicians,
built to the highest standards using quality Japanese and
Swiss components and employing automated assembly
techniques beyond the reach of most manufacturers of
compact mixers.

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system, combining a high quality Mixer, Effects Controller,
Graphic Equaliser and Power Amplifier in a single unit.

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that used on some of the most sophisticated Soundcraft
consoles. The mono input channels are able to accept a wide
range of Microphone and Line level signals from separate
input sockets. Every mono channel features wide range gain
control, 3-band Equalisation with swept Mid section, plus a
Hi-Pass Filter, 2 Auxiliary Sends, one of which may be
switched to a dedicated FX bus to feed the built-in Lexicon
Effects Controller, PFL(Pre Fade Listen) and panning to a
Stereo Bus. Each channel has a pre-EQ, pre-fade insert point
and is controlled by a high-quality li ne ar fa der.

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incorporates circuit technology identical to

console brings you the expertise and

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is the basis of a complete sound

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has been

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inputs. Each stereo input includes a 3-band fixed frequency
EQ and similar facilities to the mono in put.

The Master section provides master faders for the Left and
Right outputs, plus a fade r controlling the mix to the Lexicon
Digital Effects Processor, the output of which feeds back into
the main mix. Master level controls are provided for the
Auxiliary Sends and Stereo and 2-Track Returns, and
headphone liste ning and LED bargraph mete ring is included
to monitor the main mix or PFL signal. A Mono output is
provided which sums the post-fade Left & Right signals to
mono.

is provided as standard with a pair of stereo

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A built-in 7-band Graphic Equaliser offers precise correction
of the output signal i f required, and is normall y patched into
the input to the integral power amplifier.

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possible, but a few minutes spent reading through this
manual will help you bec ome familiar with the product away
from the pressure of a l ive session, and allow you to gain full
benefit from the superb performance offered by your new
mixer.

Above all, remember that your
extend your creativity. The more you explore the controls
and the effect they have on the sound output, the more you
will appreciate how you can influence and enhance the final
sound.

is designed to be as user-friendly as

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mixer is designed to

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PA MIXING

There was a time when the P.A. system and the operator
existed only to in crease the overall volume of the performers,
so that they could be heard in a large room or above high
ambient noise levels. This just isn’t true any more. The sound
system and the sound engi neer have become an integral par t
of the performance, and th e artists are heavily dependent on
the operator’s skill and the qual ity of the equip ment.

The following introduction to the basics of mixing are
included for the benefit of those users who may not have any
significant familiarity with sound equipment, and who are
baffled by the endless jargon used by engineers and artists
alike.

System Overview As one would expect, the main purpose of the mixer is to

combine sounds, but under precise an d smooth control. This
is why linear faders are essen tial on any professional product.
The faders provide you with clear and instinctive control of
the final sound balance and like an artist playing an
instrument you should listen to the effect of your fader
movements, not look at your hands.

Your
input signals via a microphone input, for very low level
signals, or a line input, for higher level signals from, for
instance, tape machines, keyboards, etc.

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mixer accepts a wi de range of

The

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sound system, and splits into five sections. The Inputs
receive, match and process individual source signals, and
distribute them at precise mix levels to a stereo Mix output.
The Master section allows overall level control of the outputs,
and provides monitori ng of the a udio sign al at man y poi nts in
the mixer, either on headphones or meters. The Graphic
Equaliser provi des a means of correcting the output signal to
suit different room acoustics, a nd the Lexicon Digital Effects

Processor offers a wide range of treatme nts to the sound. The
Power Amplifie r receives the output from the other se ctions

and drives the loudspeaker system. A brief overview of the
facilities is given below:

The Auxiliary Sends provide a way of routing the input
signals to a choice of secondary outputs, for artists foldback,
echo units or additional speaker outputs. The Aux 2 control
also provides access to a dedicated fee d to the Lexicon Digital
Effects Processor.

The Pan control adjusts the position of the input signal within
the stereo mix, and can be swep t from full left, through to full
right. This allows particular artists to retain their correct
spatial position within the mix, and can be valuable for live
effects.

forms the heart of a complete

Pre-Fade-Listen(PFL) allows you to monitor the signal at
many points in the mixer. Pressing any PFL switch pla ces the
signal at that particular point onto the headphones and the
meters (if PFL is selected a s the Monitor Source), to check the
quality of the signal or to pin-poi nt problems. Using PFL will
not affect the signals on the outpu ts from the de sk.

Each input channel a nd the main L/R outputs have an Insert
‘A’ gauge jack socket, which is a break point in the signal
path. It allows the signal to be taken out of the mixer, through
an external piece of equipment and then back into the mixe r
directly after its original exit point. The Insert point is
normally bypassed by the ‘A’ gauge jack soc ket contacts, and
is only brought into operation when a plug is inserted.
Typical uses would include Effects Processors, Limiters,
additional Equalisers or Delay units.

The terms PRE and POST are often used in the context of
Inserts, Equali sers and Au xiliary Sends, a nd describe whe ther
that facility is placed before (Pre) or after (Post) another
particular section. This is explained further in the detailed
description of facilities.

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A mixer is often judge d, amongs t other fa ctors, b y the am ount
of Headroom available. This is a measure of the reserve
available to cope with sudden peaks in the input signal,
without distortion caused by Clipping, when the signal
becomes so high that it would exceed the power supply rail
voltages and is as a result limited. This commonly occurs
where gain settings are incorrectly set or where sources are
improperly matched to th e mixer input. If the source signal is
too high, clipping and distortion results. If the signal is too
low it becomes masked by the background noise which is
present to some degree in all mixers. The diagram below
illustrates this point.

Clipped

Signal

Noise

If the signal level is too high, clipping distortion
may occur.

Signal

If the signal level is too low it may be masked
by the noise.

Noise

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GETTING STARTED

Audio Connections
and Connectors

2. Hot(+ve)

3. Cold(-ve)

Balanced

Input

1. Screen

Although this may seem a simple subject, faulty connectors
and cabling are the source of most sound system problems.
Correctly-made cables of the proper type, with the right
connectors for the job will ensure peak performance from
your system with minimum noise pick-up. The following
section will help you to connect

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correctly.
Three different types of audi o connectors a re used. 3-pi n XLR

and 1⁄4" three pole (‘A’ gauge) jacks are used in several
configurations as shown in the diagra ms below.

2. Hot(+ve)
Link 3

to 1

Unbalanced

1. Screen

Input

Link 3

to 1

1. Screen

2. Hot(+ve)

Unbalanced

Output

Send

Return

Screen

Tip

Ring

Insert Points

3 POLE (stereo) JACK

Tip

Ring

Sleeve

Sleeve

Line, Graphic, Power Amp Inputs

Main, Mono, Graphic, Aux Outputs

Stereo Inputs

In addition, RCA phono connectors are used for the Record
outputs and 2 Track Returns.

Hot(+ve)
Cold(-ve)
Screen

2 POLE (mono) JACK

Left Signal
Right Signal
Ground

Headphones Unbalanced Input

(Ring will be

grounded by console)

Signal

Ground

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Balanced and Unbalanced All channel inputs are balanced, i.e. there are separate

+ve(hot) and -ve (cold) wires for each signal plus a ground.
The design of the differential input amplifiers is such that
interference picke d up on these wire s is cancelled out. This is
because, since both wires are in close proximity, the same
interference will be picked up on each wire and balanced
input amplifiers will only amplify the difference between
+ve(hot) and -ve(cold). Any si gnal on both hot and cold (i.e.
noise) will not be amplified - this is known as common mode
rejection (CMR). Balanced inputs should always have both
+ve and -ve connected or if only an unbalanced source, the

-ve pin shorted to ground.
Note: many modern audio/musical instruments have

electronically balanced outputs which should not be
unbalanced by shorting one wire to groun d. Always use your
inputs balanced where possible to minimise noise.

The Mixer and Graphic Equaliser outputs are all impedance
balanced and provide a very e ffective way of opti mising noise
immunity, without the cost and complexity of balanced
outputs (note: This is the method used in most condenser
mics)

Polarity You will probably be fa miliar with the concept of polarity in

electrical signals and this is of particular importance to
balanced audio signals. Just as a balanced signal is highly
effective at cancelling out unwanted interference, so two
microphones picking up the same signal can cancel out, or
cause serious degradation of the signal if one of the cabl es has
the +ve and -ve wires reverse d. This phase reversal can be a
real problem when microphones are close together and you
should therefore take care always to connect pins correctly
when wiring audio cables.

Grounding and Shielding For optimum performance it is vital that all signals are

referenced to a solid, noise-free earthing point and that all
signal cables have their screens connected to ground. You
should be aware that you may introduce ground loops with
screens connected to ground at both ends of a cable, and it
may be necessary to lift the ground at one end to avoid this
problem. Note that mic rophones must always be grounded .
The
grounding point for the system, and an earth stu d is provided
beside the power connector.

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should be used as the

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Normally the use of standard ste reo jack leads will be suitable
for most puposes, but do n ot be af rai d to cli p a groun d wire at
one end of the lead if a ground loop is suspected. Make sure
that the end with the ground removed is marked for future
identification.

Ideally, where a ground wire is removed, a 0.1µF tubular
capacitor should be connected in its place to provide RF
protection.

Avoid running audio cables or p laci ng audi o equ ipme nt, close
to thyristor dimmer units or power cables.

Noise immunity is improved significantly by the use of low
impedance sources, such as good quality professional
microphones or the outputs from most modern audio
equipment. Avoid cheaper high impedance microphones,
which may suffer from interference over long cable runs, even
with well-made cables.

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Fault Finding Guide Repairing a sound mixing console requires specialist skills,

but basic Fault Finding is within the scope of any user if a few
basic rules are followed.

• Get to know the Block Diagram of your console (see inside

rear cover)

• Get to know what each component in the system is

supposed to do.

• Learn where to look for common trouble spots.
The Block Diagram (see i nside rear cover) is a representative

sketch of all the components of the console, showing how they
connect together and how the signal flows through the
system. Once you have become familiar with the various
component blocks you will find the B lock Diagram quite easy
to follow and you will ha ve gained a valuable unde rstanding
of the internal structure of the console .

Each Component has a specific function and only by getting
to know what each part is sup posed to do will you be able to
tell if there is a genuine fault! Many ‘faults’ are the result of
incorrect connection or control settings which may have been
overlooked.

Basic Troubleshooti ng is a proc ess of ap plying logi cal though t
to the signal path through th e console and tracking down the
problem by eliminati on.

• Swap input connections to check that the source is really

present. Check both Mic and Line inputs.

• Eliminate sections of the channel by using the insert point

to re-route the signal to other inputs that are known to be
working.

• Route channels to different outputs or to auxiliary sends to

identify problems on the Master section.

• Compare a suspect channel with an adjacent channel

which has been set up identically. Use PFL to monitor the
signal in each section.

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1

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CONSOLE

2

MONO INPUT CHANNEL

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1 & 2 MICROPHONE/LINE INPUT

The MICROPHONE input (1) is via a standard femal e XLR-3

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5

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connector and shares an input stage wi th the Line input. It is
designed to accept a wide range of balanced or unbalanced
low impedance i nput signals. The LINE (2) input is a 3-pole

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⁄4" ‘A’ gauge jack socket and presents a high impedance

(>10kΩ) to the input signal, enabling many types of
instruments to be plugged straight in without D.I. boxes or
external preamplifiers. Any connection to the Mic input
should be unplugged when th e Line inp ut is in use.

+48V Phantom Power is available on each input microphone
socket. This is switched on globa ll y from the ma ste r se cti on a t
the top right corner of the mixer. All faders should be

DOWN when switching on phantom power.

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2

1

5

4

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NOTE: Phantom powered mics should not be plugged in

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with the +48V switched on. DO NOT use phantom power
with unbalanced mics or damage may result.
Transformer-coupled dynamic microphones may be used
without causing damage, even when the +48V power is
connected.

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9

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Input level is set by the GAIN control (4).

3 INSERT

The INSERT is a b reak poin t in the in put chan nel sign al path.
It allows the signal to be taken out of the mixer, through an
external piece of equipment such as a compressor and then
back into the mixer to continue through to the final mix
output. The Insert is a 3 -pole 1⁄4" ‘A’ gauge Jack Socket, which

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is normally by-passed. When a jack plug is inserted, the
signal path is broken at a point just after the Hi-Pass Filter,
but before the EQ section. The signal from the channel
appears on the TIP of the plu g and is returned on the RING.
The insert point a llows limiters, comp ressors and other signal
processing units to be added as required to particular input
channels and because it is located PRE E Q, noise ge nerated by
the external equip ment may be reduced by a small amount of
H.F. cut in the Equaliser.

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