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MIXER
®
SAMSON
MPL 1204
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Introduction 3 MPL 1204 Features 3 Guided Tour 5 Overview 5 Channels 6 Main Section 8 Rear Panel 11 Connecting The MPL 1204 - General Suggestions 13 Setting Up and Using the MPL 1204 15 Setting the Correct Gain Structure 16 Grounding Techniques 18 Busing, Submixing, and Channel Muting 19 Using Pan 20 Using Equalization 21 Using Aux Sends and Returns 22 Using Inserts 23 PFL/AFL Soloing 24 Applications Notes 25 Using The MPL 1204 As A Recording Mixer 25 Using The MPL 1204 As A M
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Introduction / MPL 1204 Features Congratulations on purchasing the Samson MPL 1204 four-bus microphone/line mixer! The MPL 1204 is optimized for use in both live performance and recording applications, and it can be used wherever there are a number of microphone or line-level sources that need to mixed down to two or four outputs. Although the MPL 1204 is designed for easy operation, we suggest you first take some time to go through these pages so you can fully understand how we’ve implemented
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MPL 1204 Features • Electronically balanced XLR Main stereo outputs as well as an independent electronically balanced stereo Control Room output (with dedicated level control) for connection to a power amplifier and studio monitors. • A phantom power switch enables you to use the MPL 1204 with high-quality condenser microphones. When turned on, 48 volts of phantom power is provided to the mic connectors of all twelve input channels. • Two auxiliary sends and two stereo auxiliary returns (which
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C C C C C C C C C C C C I I I I I I I I I I I I M M M M M M M M M M M M Guided Tour - Overview The following illustration shows an overview of the front panel of the MPL 1204: AUX RETURNS CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 CH 4 CH 5 CH 6 CH 7 CH 8 CH 9 CH 10 CH 11 CH 12 STEREO TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 TRIM +4 SAMSON 0 MPL 1204 MIC MIXER +10 ∞ +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -30 +24 +4-50 -3
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C I M Guided Tour - Channels 1: Trim (black) - This knob determines the input level of the connected signal. Continuously adjustable from +4 dB to -50 dB (for mic inputs) or +24 to -30 dB (for line CH 1 inputs), the input signal is boosted when the trim is turned clockwise and attenuated when +4 TRIM turned counterclockwise. For information on how to properly set this for each channel, see the section on page 14 entitled “Setting The Correct Gain Structure.” 1 -30 +24 +4-50 2: Equalizer (vio
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Guided Tour - Channels 7: Level (white) - This knob (purposely made a little bigger than the others so you can find it easily in low-light situations) controls the volume of the channel input. In practice, you will use the Level controls to continuously adjust the loudnesses of the various signals being blended together by the MPL 1204. The “0” (2 o’clock) position of the knob indicates unity gain (no level attenuation or boost). Moving the knob counterclockwise from the “0” position (towards
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Guided Tour - Main Section AUX RETURNS STEREO SAMSON 0 MPL 1204 MIC MIXER +10 ∞ AUX RET.1/2 -20 -15 -9 -6 -3 0+2+4 +6 +8 MUTE 3/4 LEFT 6 RIGHT -20 -15 -9 -6 -3 0+2+4 +6 +8 1 7 PHANTOM PFL AFL POWER L R BALANCE SOLO PHANTOM METER TAPE 8 PFL 1-2 2 11/12 0 3-4 AFL 9 +10 ∞ AUX RET.3/4 10 MUTE 3/4 +10 +10 ∞ ∞ MAIN LEVEL CONTROL ROOM 11 3 L R L R R L BALANCE 12 +10 +10 dB dB 13 14 0 0 0 4 +10 ∞ ∞ ∞ 5 PHONES BUS 1 BUS 2 BUS 3 BUS 4 15 1: Auxiliary Return Level (orange) - These knobs determin
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Guided Tour - Main Section 3: Stereo Auxiliary Return Balance (brown) - These knobs determine the relative levels of the left and right input signals connected to the MPL 1204’s two stereo Auxiliary returns. When the knob is placed at its center (detented) position, both left and right input signals for that Aux return are at equal strength. When moved left of center, the left input signal remains at the same strength but the right input signal is attenuated; when the knob is moved right of ce
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Guided Tour - Main Section certain that one or more connected mics require 48 volts phantom power, leave this switch off (its out position). 10: Meter switch - When out, the ten-segment MPL 1204 meter (see #6 on the previous page) shows the continuous output level of Bus 1-2; when pressed in, the meter shows the continuous output level of Bus 3-4. 11: Tape switch - Press this in to route signal connected to the rear panel RCA jack tape inputs to channels 11 and 12 (the left side is routed to cha
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Guided Tour - Rear Panel 7 9 4 MPL 1204 12 CHANNEL MIC MIXER SAMSON TRS STEREO INPUT POWER 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 TIP = LEFT 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 RING = RIGHT SLEEVE = COM ON TRS BALANCED 12 11 10 9 876 543 2 1 MICROPHONE INPUTS BALANCED +4dBu TO -50dBu 1 TIP = HI OFF RING = LO AUX RETURNS SLEEVE = COM STEREO INPUTS LINE INPUTS BALANCED +24dBu TO -30dBu UNBALANCED 10KΩ +4dBu TAPE IN 5 TRS INSERT 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 3/4 1/2 UNBALANCED UNBALANCED 10KΩ -10dBu TIP
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Guided Tour - Rear Panel 7: Aux Returns (1/2, 3/4) - These unbalanced 1/4" TRS inputs allow you to route signal from external devices such as effects processors to either of the two stereo Aux Returns. These jacks accept 1/4" TRS plugs, with the tip carrying the left signal and the ring carrying the right signal (sleeve is common ground). See the “Using Aux Sends and Returns” section on page 20 in this manual for more information. 8: Aux Sends (1, 2) - These unbalanced 1/4" outputs allow you
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Connecting The MPL 1204 - General Suggestions The actual connections you’ll make to and from the MPL 1204 will vary according to the environment you use it in and the particular equipment you have. In the “MPL 1204 Applications” sections at the rear of this manual, you’ll find some suggested setups. Here are a few basic rules concerning MPL 1204 connections that will apply in most situations: • In general, it’s best to make all connections with the MPL 1204 and any connected power amplifiers t
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Connecting The MPL 1204 - General Suggestions • NEVER connect a microphone and line level input to the same channel simultaneously—use one or the other. You can have some channels connected to microphones and others to line level signals (for example, you might want to plug mics into channels 1 - 4 and line level signals into the remaining channels)—just don’t have both kinds of inputs connected to the same channel. • There are two “hidden” (or at least not so obvious) stereo inputs to the MP
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SERVO - 240 SERVO - 240 Setting Up and Using The MPL 1204 Setting up your MPL 1204 is a simple procedure which takes only a few minutes: RIGHT LEFT 2 1 2 1 1. Remove all packing materials (save them in case of need for future service) 3 3 and decide where the unit is to be physically placed—it can be mounted in any standard 19" rack, requiring four rack spaces, or used on a tabletop. MAIN BALANCED <75Ω +4dBu 2. Before even plugging the unit into an AC socket, begin by connecting the MPL 1204 M
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Setting the Correct Gain Structure You’re now ready to establish the correct gain structure—the key to getting the best performance from the MPL 1204, or from any mixer, for that matter. This is a simple procedure that ensures optimum input and output levels so that no unnecessary noise (caused by too low a signal) or overload distortion (caused by too high a signal) is created. Here’s a step-by-step description of how to do so: a. With all connections made (as described above) but with the p
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Setting the Correct Gain Structure h. Once you’ve set the optimum level in step (g) above, continue playing the instrument and slowly raise the level of your power amplifier until you reach the desired listening level. Repeat step (g) above for each instrument connected to the MPL 1204 channel line inputs. i. The procedure for setting optimum microphone levels is virtually identical; sing or speak into each mic at the level you expect to use in performance while slowly raising the Level contro
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Grounding Techniques Hum and buzz are the biggest enemies you face when interconnecting a large number of different pieces of equipment to a central audio mixer. This is because each piece of equipment may operate at a marginally different voltage (this difference is called potential) and, when two devices at slightly different potential are physically connected with audio cabling, the end result can be nasty, extraneous noise (mind you, connecting two devices at very different potential can re
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Busing, Submixing and Channel Muting As we’ve seen, the MPL 1204 uses a system of four buses—pathways through which signal can be routed. The four MPL 1204 bus faders control the overall level of the signal being output through the four buses. When the “L/R” switches above each bus fader are pressed in, the signal from that bus is also routed to the Main and Control Room outputs. In this case, buses 1 and 3 are automatically routed to the left side of the Main and Control Room outputs and +10
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Using Pan The final Main output of the MPL 1204 is stereo—that is, there are two discrete Main output jacks (and two discrete Control Room output jacks), labeled “left” and “right,” which will normally be routed to two discrete speakers.* Because of this, you will usually be working with a stereo field that ranges from hard left to L R hard right. The MPL 1204 provides twelve monophonic input channels, each PAN with its own dedicated Pan control. The Pan circuitry in the MPL 1204 always keep
