Thank you for choosing the Yamaha RM602 Recording Mixer. The RM602 is a
compact 6-in/2-out mixing console offering top-quality sound and a comprehensive
range of control features. The RM602 has been specifically designed to provide op
timum performance in a small sound recording system. To, take full advantage of
the outstanding performance and flexibility provided by this mixer, we urge you
to read this operation manual thoroughly.
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Explanation of Graphical Symbols
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT REMOVE
COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
CAUTION (PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UL STANDARD 1270)
1. Read Instructions —All the safety and operating instructions should
be read before the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions —The safety and operating instructions should
be retained for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings—All warnings on the appliance and in the operating
instructions should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions —All operating and use instructions should be
followed.
Water and Moisture —The appliance should not be used near water
—for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry
tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, etc.
6. Carts and Stands—The appliance should be used only with a cart
or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer.
7. Wall or Ceiling Mounting—The appliance should be mounted to
a wall or ceilling only as recommended by the manufacturer.
8. Ventilation—The appliance should be situated so that its location
or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For
example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa,
rug, or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings; or,
placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that
may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.
9. Heat—The appliance should be situated away from heat sources
such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.
The lightning flash with arrowhead
symbol, within an equilateral triangle,
Is Intended to alert you to the presence
of uninsulated "dangerous voltage"
within the product's enclosure that
may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric shock to
persons.
The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert
you to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accom
panying the appliance.
10. Power Sources —The appliance should be connected to a power
supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or
as marked on the appliance.
11. Power-Cord Protection —Power-supply cords should be routed so
that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items
placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords
at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the appliance.
12. Cleaning—The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended
by the manufacturer.
13. Nonuse Periods—The power cord of the appliance should be
unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period
of time.
14. Object and Liquid Entry —Care should be taken so that objects
do not fall into and liquids are 'not spilled into the inside of the
appliance.
15. Damage Requiring Service —The appliance should be serviced by
qualified service personnel when:
A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the
appliance; or
C. The appliance has been exposed to rain; or
D. The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits
a marked change in performance; or
E. The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.
16.
Servicing—The user should not attempt to service the appliance
beyond that described in the operating instructions. All other
servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.
THE CONTROLS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
INPUT SECTION
1. INPUT SELECTOR
This four-position input selector sets the input sensitivity
of the six channel inputs to -50, -35 or -20 dB. Note
also that the fourth position on channels 1 —4 is labelled
"TAPE", while the same position on channels 5 and 6
are labelled "PHONO L" and "PHONO R". When the
TAPE position on inputs 1—4 is selected, the corre
sponding TAPE IN input (see rear panel) is selected as
input rather than the channel INPUT. When the PHONO
position on inputs 5 and/or 6 is selected, the correspon
Be sure to turn down all faders when making input/
output connections.
Do not expose the RM602 to direct sunlight or other
sources of heat such as radiators, etc.
Irreparable damage may result from opening the
RM602 cabinet or attempting to alter the internal
circuitry.
ding phono input channel (PHONO L or PHONO R) is
selected.
The -50/-35/-20 dB sensitivity positions on the input
selector allow you to match the input sensitivity of each
input channel to match the source —e.g. microphone,
electronic music instruments or line level sources. This
allows you to use just about any source on any input
channel without overloading the mixer's electronics. Most
microphones —especially dynamic types —will work best
with the -50 dB input setting. Some high-output con
denser and electret mics may require the -35 dB setting.
PRECAUTIONS
Avoid dropping your RM602 or subjecting it to any
type of shock, as impaired performance may result.
Do not attempt to clean the RM602 with benzine or
other solvents, as these may cause discoloration or
deformation of the cabinet. Clean the unit with a soft,
dry cloth.
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The -35 dB setting is most ideal for direct input from
electric guitars and basses. The -20 dB setting is the
"line level" setting, accepting output from most line-level
sources: some synthesizers and electronic keyboards, and
most standard audio sources (tape players, etc.).
The TAPE position on the first four input channels lets
you switch from the INPUT sources to the outputs from
a 4-channel multitrack recorder without having to repatch
cables. This is particularly handy when you want to
remix the recorded material on 4-track tape down to
standard stereo format.
The PHONO L and PHONO R positions on the channel
5 and 6 selectors direct the output from the RM602's
built-in phono equalizer amplifier (see rear panel) to
channels 5 and 6, subject to all the controls available
on those channels.
2. HIGH AND LOW EQ
The HIGH EQ and LOW EQ controls provide some tonal
control over the sound of each input channel. The HIGH
control provides plus or minus 15 dB of boost or cut in
the frequency range above 10 kHz ("shelving" EQ), while
the LOW control permits boosting or cutting frequencies
below 100 Hz by the same amount.
HIGH EQ is valuable for emphasising the high frequen
cies of certain instruments—cymbals, for example —and
for reducing hiss and noise on channels in which the
source has no essential frequencies in the range above
10 kHz.
LOW EQ can be boosted to make a bass sound bassier,
or cut to minimize rumble or microphone proximity
effects.
The signal sent to the effects buss is "post EQ/fader",
meaning that it is taken from a point after the equalizer
and channel fader circuitry.
4. MONITOR PAN CONTROL
One of the more attractive features of the RM602 is
its independent stereo monitor buss which makes it
possible to monitor a completely indepedent stereo mix
of the input channel or tape signals. The monitor PAN
control determines the placement of that channel's sig
nal in the stereo monitor sound field. Turning the pan
control fully to the left sends the signal only to the left
monitor buss—meaning that you hear the signal ony
from the left monitor speaker. Conversely, turning the
control all the way to the right sends the signal to the
right monitor buss only. Pan control positions in be
tween extreme left and right send a corresponding
amount of the signal to both busses, causing the
signal to appear in the corresponding position in the
stereo sound field.
MONITOR POST/TAPE SELECTOR
(CHANNELS 1-4)
MONITOR POST/STEREO L OR STEREO R
SELECTOR (CHANNELS 5 & 6)
On channels 1 through 4 this selector determines
whether the channel input source (POST) or the cor
responding tape input signal is sent to the monitor buss.
On channels 5 and 6 the choice is between the channel
input source or the left (CH 5) or right (CH 6) stereo
mixing buss signals. The fact that the channel signal
position is marked "POST" indicates that the channel
signal is derived from a point after the equalization and
fader stages.
3. EFFECTS SEND LEVEL
This control determines the amount of that channel's
signal which is sent to the internal effects mixing buss.
This effects buss feeds the rear-panel EFFECTS SEND
jack—via the master effects send level control (see
MASTER SECTION)—which normally feeds an external
echo or reverberation device. Having independent effects
send controls on each input channel means that the
amount of effect applied to the signal from each,
channel can be set independently.
6. MONITOR LEVEL
This control determines the amount of that channel's
signal (or the selected tape or stereo buss signal) which
is fed to the stereo monitor mixing buss via the monitor
PAN control discussed above. Independent monitor level
controls on each channels permit a monitor mix to be
set up independently from the input channel faders.
7. PAN
This control has the same effect as the monitor PAN
control, discussed above, except that the channel signal
is panned across the main program buss which feeds
the mixer's main stereo outputs.
Panning is one of the mor^ "conventional" functions
that a stereo mixer performs, permitting acoustic place
ment of each instrument or group of instruments at any
desired location in the stereo sound field. I.e., the sound
of a particular instrument can appear to come from the
left speaker, right speaker, or anywhere in between. This
positioning of the signal from each input channel is per
formed using "pan pots". The position of the pan pots
relates directly to the acoustic position of the respective
channel's signal; pan pot fully clockwise means that the
sound comes from the right channel speaker, fully coun
terclockwise means that the sound comes from the left
channel speaker, and at intermediate pan pot settings
the sound appears to be located at the appropriate point
between the left and right speakers.
The pan pots can also be used to create the effect of
"floating" an instrument from one side of the stereo
sound stage to the other.
Generally, you'll use the pan pots to create the desired
acoustic image.
8. INPUT FADER
The input faders are what provide the actual "mixing"
function in a mixer. They permit individual adjustment of
the levels of the six input sources so you can achieve
just the right overall balance between instruments,
vocals, or whatever you are mixing.
These are the controls that you'll be using the most, and
how they are used can make the difference between
excellent and mediocre sound. Maximum signal-to-noise
ratio and minumum distortion, and therefore the best
sound, is generally obtained with fader settings between
about 1/3 and 3/4 of the fader scale. Fader settings that
are too high or too low should be avoided by increasing
or decreasing the level of the source whenever possible.
Most electronic keyboards and electric guitars have an
output level control, and microphone output level can be
adjusted by changing the distance of the microphone
from the sound source.
MASTER SECTION
9. TAPE OUT SWITCHES
Rather than always having input channels 1 through 4
feed the corresponding TAPE OUT jacks, these switches
make it possible to send the left stereo buss signal to
either the TAPE OUT 1 or 3 jacks, and the right stereo
buss signal to either the TAPE OUT 2 or 4 jacks. This
makes it possible to reconfigure the system to mix the
input channels down to stereo on the recorder con
nected to the TAPE OUT jacks.
STEREO L Signal-
CH1 Signal-«“^
L»irÉ~li-»3
R»2l ED lR>-4
STEREO R Signal-
STEREO L Signal-
CHI Signal———
CH2 Signal'
CH4 Signal'
STEREO R Signal'
TAPE OUT LINE IN
-_@L_
10. EFFECTS RETURN
The output from the effects device you use (normally
echo or reverberation, fed by the EFFECTS SEND jack)
is returned to the EFFECTS RETURN jack and fed to
the stereo mixing buss via the EFFECTS RETURN con
trol. In other words, this control determines how much
of the externally processed signal is mixed back into the
main stereo program.
11. AUX IN
The RM602 has a pair of AUX IN terminals that make it
possible to mix an extra stereo signal in with the sources
present at the six input channels. The AUX IN control
adjusts the level of the AUX IN signal in relation to the
rest of the program. What you connect to the AUX IN
terminals depends entirely on your specific application,
but here are just a few examples:
1. You could connect the outputs from a stereo cassette
deck to the AUX IN terminals and play back a tape
of your favorite band. Then you can mix in your own
instrument and play along —a great way to practice.
2. With the same setup as in number 1, above, the
cassette tape can be supplying background music
while you mix in a narration and/or sound effects
for your audio/visual show and record the mixed
program on a second tape recorder.
3. Another possible use for this feature is as extra inputs
if the six main input channels are all in use. An elec
tronic keyboard or other line-level source could be
connected to the AUX IN terminals with a phone-to-
RCA pin plug adaptor and mixed in with the, rest of
the program using the AUX control. Of course you
don't get any tone control or panning capability, but
if you need the extra inputs, they're available.
12. EFFECTS SEND MASTER LEVEL
This controls sets the overall level of the effects mix—
set up by the EFFECTS control on each input channel —
fed to the EFFECTS SEND jack. Normally, this control .
will be set to provide the optimum input level for the
effects device you are using. .
13. MONITOR MASTER LEVEL
This control determines the overall level of the monitor
mix —set up by the MONITOR level and PAN controls
on each input channel—fed to the stereo MONITOR
OUT jacks and the PHONES jack. Use the master
MONITOR control to set a comfortable headphone
listening level.
14. MASTER RADERS
These controls independently set the overall output level
from the left and right stereo busses. These signals ap
pear at the STEREO L OUT and STEREO R OUT jacks.
15. STEREO PEAK LEVEL METER
In the input fader section we discussed the importance
of proper fader setting in order to achieve the best pos
sible sound quality. The RM602's LED peak meters are
a tremendous aid in setting optimum fader levels.
Two meters are provided - one each for the left and
right stereo output channels. Each meter consists of 13
LED segments that light in sequence to show the peak
signal level for the respective channel. Meter display
range is from -20 dB to -t-8 dB. Levels below 0 dB
are displayed in green, 0, -t-1 and -1-3 dB levels are
displayed in orange, while -t-5 and -1-8 dB levels are
displayed in red. Watching the meters you can easily see
when signal levels are high enough to present a danger
of overload distortion — signals that light the red LEDs
are likely to cause distortion. On the other hand, if the
meters almost never reach the 0 dB level, then the over
all program level is too low. Once the optimum program
level has been set, peaks in the program will cause the
orange LEDs to flicker occasionally, and most of the
green LEDs will stay lit most of the time. This applies
mainly to the average music program. Some types of
program will have a completely different effect on the
meters, requiring appropriate level adjustment. In general,
though, it is a good idea to avoid a lot of peaks in the
red region. Also remember that when only one instru
ment is playing the level might look quite low on the
meters, but when instruments connected to all six
inputs start to play their individual levels can add up
to overload distortion. So check the meters when the
entire program is playing.
16. HEADPHONE JACK
This is a convenient feature in that it lets you directly
plug in any standard pair of stereo headphones'for
monitoring without the need for an external amplifier.
17. POWER SWITCH
This is the power switch. When the power is turned
ON, the lowest position on the level meter ("oo") will
light up.
REAR-PANEL CONNECTIONS
REAR PANEL
1. CHANNEL INPUTS
These jacks are the main inputs to the RM602's six input
channels. They accept both line-level and microphone
input depending on the setting of the respective input
selector switch. Standard 1/4" phone jacks insure com
patibility with just about any electronic instrument or
microphone.
2. EFFECTS SEND AND RETURN
The output from the EFFECTS SEND jack is fed to
the input of an external signal processing device such
as delay or reverb (The Yamaha 015СЮ is a superb
digital delay unit, while the R1000 offers high-quality
reverb effects).
The output from the external signal processing device
is then fed back to the EFFECTS RETURN jack from
which it is mixed with the main stereo program via the
EFFECTS RETURN level control. When the EFFECTS
RETURN signal is received in stereo, input to both the
EFFECTS RETURN L and R terminals; when received in
mono, input to the L terminal.
3. PHONE EQ AMP INPUTS AND GND TERMINAL
The RM602 has a built-in phono equalizer amplifier
which makes it possible to directly connect the stereo
outputs from a conventional turntable (record player) to
these inputs, permitting the phono signal to be used
alone or mixed with other inputs. The left and right
phono channels feed input channels 5 and 6 when the
channel 5 and 6 input selectors are set to PHONO L
and PHONO R, respectively.
Be sure to connect the ground wire from the phone
player to the GND terminal. When the turntable is not
connected, insert a short plug into the PHONO terminal.
4. TAPE INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Four inputs and outputs are provided for direct connec
tion to a 4-channel multitrack tape deck —such as the
Yamaha MT44D or MT44. The outputs from the tape
deck connect to the RM602 TAPE IN jacks, and the
tape deck inputs connect to the RM602 TAPE OUT
jacks. The tape inputs are selected for mixdown or
monitoring by setting the appropriate channel input
selectors (channels 1—4) to TAPE. Input channels 1
through 4 feed the respective TAPE OUT jacks.
These specialized inputs and outputs mean that the tape
deck can stay connected all the time —unlike many more
expensive mixers with which you have to keep patching
and repatching cables whenever you need to change
from line to tape input.
5. AUXILIARY INPUTS
Any line-level stereo (or mono if necessary) signal can
be added to the main program by these terminals. This
is a great place to connect the outputs from a stereo
cassette deck, for example.
6. STEREO OUTPUTS
These are the main outputs from the RM602. They
carry the stereo program set up at the input channels
and AUX inputs. Both standard 1/4" phone jack and
RCA pin jack output terminals are provided.
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7. STEREO INSERT
This is a TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) type phone jack, incor
porating both the insert send and receive lines. The
STEREO L and STEREO R INSERT points make it
possible to patch external signal processing equipment
independently into the left an^ right stereo busses,
preceding the master stereo faders. This is an ideal place
for insertion of graphic equalizers, Yamaha GQ1031 for
example, for precise response tailoring of the overall
stereo program. The TRS jacks are wired as shown in
the following diagram.
INPUT GND
8. MONITOR OUTPUTS
These are the line outputs from the stereo monitor buss.
They can be fed to a stereo power amplifier and monitor
speaker system, or directly to a pair of powered monitor
speakers such as the Yamaha MS10.
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APPLICATION EXAMPLES
1. Check out your original arrangements or make topquality demo tapes with an RM602 and a 4-channel
multitrack recorder (and you can play all the instru
ments youselfl).
. The ideal companion 4-track multitrack cassette
recorder for the RM602 is the Yamaha MT44D. Both
the RM602 and MT44D can be conveniently housed
in the RB35B rack, which also features a handly builtin patch bay.
2. The RM602 makes a great on-stage keyboard mixer.
You can control the balance and sound of your
keyboard setup before sending your signal to the
sound reinforcement mixer.
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SYSTEM EXAMPLES: RECORDING SYSTEM
Performen's monitor
Compressor/limiter
3. The RM602 provides extensive mixing flexibility for
superb sound at band practice or mini-concerts.
4. If you're a "videophile," you need a good'multifunction mixing system for post-production work like
adding background music, narration or sound effects.
The RM602 is ideal.
■ A MULTITRACK RECORDING SYSTEM
WHAT YOU NEED
Basically, all you need for a simple multitrack recording
setup are your instruments, a couple of good mics (if
you're going to be recording voice or acoustic in
struments), a 4-channel multitrack recorder such as the
Yamaha MT44D, an RM602 and a pair of headphones.
With this simple system you can create surprisingly com
plex recordings with your band, or by yourself. And
although the term "4-track recorder" seems to imply
that you can only record 4 individual parts, you can ac
tually record up to ten individual parts using a technique
known as "ping-ponging" (for details on this and many
other recording techniques, refer to the Yamaha Multi
track Guidebook). There's no better way to brush up
your compositions, arrangements and playing technique,
and then show it all off in the form of a high-quality
demo tape. To make a demo tape you'll need a regular
stereo cassette deck to "mix down" to from the original
4-track master tape.
MORE INSTRUMENTS FOR MORE CREATIVE
VERSATILITY
Once you get set up and rolling with your multitrack
system, you'll discover that the more instruments you
have available the better. This allows you to create more
diverse tonal textures and interesting combinations of
sounds (can you imagine 10 tracks of guitar? Interesting
at first but it would soon get pretty tiresome). One in
strument that is not so limited in terms of the sounds it
produces is the synthesizer. With carefully planned syn
thesizer "patches" that produce a diverse, but carefully
matched, range of voices, you could create a complete
composition that would not be in the least bit tiresome.
Yamaha offers an extensive line of synthesizers that are
ideal for the purpose —all the way from the tiny CS01-II
monophonic synthesizer right up to the professibnally
acclaimed DX-series Digital Programmable Algorithm
synthesizers.
Rhythm is another problem that most multitrack record
ists encounter sooner or later. Unless you're a drummer,
it's probably impractical to buy or borrow a complete
set of drums for your "studio." Once again, Yamaha
comes to the rescue with the exciting new RX-series
digital rhythm programmers. These are drum machines
that not only sound like the real thing (the drum sounds
are digitally recorded), but offer extensive programming
versatility as well as MIDI (Music Instrument Digital
Interface) compatibility.
EXTRA MONITORING CAPABILITY
With a little experience your recordings should start to
sound quite professional, and you'll probably find you
need a bit more monitoring versatility than a pair of
headphones provides. At this point you should check
out the Yamaha Producer Series MS10 Monitor Speaker.
This compact speaker features a high-quality built-in 20
watt power amplifier, and has volume, bass and treble
controls on the front panel.
Of course, if you want to go ail the way you can use a
high-quality stereo power amplifier and monitor speakers
— Yamaha offers an outstanding selection.
MORE TO COME
The Yamaha lineup of products specifically designed for
the small recording studio is expanding. More and more
products that will help you make professional-quality
recordings will become available in the near future.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency Response
(@10 k-ohms. Rated Level)
Total Harmonic DistortionLess than 0.05%
(20 Hz ~ 10 kHz, 10 k-ohms, -MO dB)
Noise Level*
(20 Hz ~ 20 kHz, Input Shorted, INPUT SELECT
"-50”)
Equivalent Input Noise
Residual Noise (STEREO OUT EFFECTS SEND)
STEREO OUT- 89 dB
(MASTER Fader: nominal All CH Faders: minimum)
MONITOR OUT- 79 dB
(MONITOR Volume: nominal. All CH MONITOR
Volumes: minimum)
EFFECTS SEND
(EFFECTS SEND Volume: nominal. All CH
EFFECTS Volume: minimum)
Maximum Output Levei
(lOk-ohms, THD 0.2%, 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz)
Maximum Voitage Gain
CH INPUT to STEREO OUT
CH INPUT to MONITOR OUT
CH INPUT to EFFECTS SEND
CH INPUT to TAPE OUT
CH INPUT to ST INSERT OUT
TAPE IN to STEREO OUT
TAPE IN to MONITOR OUT
AUX IN to STEREO OUT
EFFECTS RETURN to STEREO OUT
ST INSERT IN to STEREO OUT