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Introduction 1 PL 2404 Features 1 Guided Tour 3 Overview 3 Channels 4 Main Section 6 Rear Panel 8 Connecting The PL 2404 - General Suggestions 10 Setting Up and Using the PL 2404 12 Setting the Correct Gain Structure 13 Grounding Techniques 15 Busing, Submixing, and Channel Muting 17 Using the Balance Control 18 Using Equalization 19 Using Aux Sends and Returns 20 Using Channel Inserts 21 Using PFL/AFL 22 Applications Notes 23 Using The PL 2404 As A Recording Mixer 23 Using Th
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Introduction Congratulations on purchasing the Samson PL 2404 four-bus line mixer! The PL 2404 is optimized for use as a keyboard submixer in both live performance and recording applications, and it can be used wherever there are a number of stereo or mono line-level sources that need to mixed down to two or four outputs. Although the PL 2404 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 a number
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PL 2404 Features • An independent electronically balanced Control Room output (with dedicated level control) for connection to a power amplifier and studio monitors. • Four Bus faders enable easy control of bus output levels. • Input trims for the mic inputs of channels 1 and 3 are continuously adjustable from +4 to -50 dB, making it possible to use the PL 2404 with a wide variety of microphone types. • Four auxiliary sends and four stereo auxiliary returns (which can be routed to any of the fou
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Guided Tour - Overview The following illustration shows an overview of the front panel of the PL 2404: AUX RETURNS CH 1/2 CH 3/4 CH 5/6 CH 7/8 CH 9/10 CH 11/12 CH 13/14 CH 15/16 CH 17/18 CH 19/20 CH 21/22 CH 23/24 SAMSON PL 2404 STEREO MIXER HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 HIGH 0 0 ∞ -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 +10 AUX RET.1 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID 0 MID
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Guided Tour - Channels 1: Equalizer (violet) - These knobs determine the amount of boost or attenuation in each of three frequency areas (up to 15 dB for each area). The mid frequency control (centered CH 1/2 at 1 kHz) utilizes a resonant (“bell”) peaking curve, while the high and low frequency HIGH 0 controls (centered at 10 kHz and 80 Hz, respectively) utilize shelving curves. The EQ setting affects both the odd- and even-numbered channel inputs, although the signals -15 +15 remain separate
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Guided Tour - Channels fully clockwise, only the even-numbered (right) input signal is heard (panned hard right). When only the odd-numbered (left) input is connected, the Balance knob functions as a constant level Pan control, allowing you to continuously place the incoming signal anywhere in the left-right stereo field. For more information, see the “Using the Balance Control” section on page 18 in this manual. 6: Level (white) - This knob (purposely made a little bigger than the others so
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Guided Tour - Main Section AUX RETURNS SAMSON PL 2404 STEREO MIXER 0 ∞ +10 AUX RET.1 -18 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 +3 +6 +9 +12 5 LEFT 1/2 3/4 RIGHT -18 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 +3 +6 +9 +12 0 PFL AFL POWER 6 ∞ +10 8 AUX RET.2 PFL SOLO AFL MAIN 1/2 3/4 1 7 0 0 9 0 10 ∞ +10 ∞ +10 ∞ +10 MAIN LEVEL CONTROL ROOM AUX RET.3 1/2 3/4 R L R L 11 0 +10 +10 dB dB ∞ +10 AUX RET.4 2 0 0 1/2 3/4 0 3 0 +10 ∞ ∞ 4 12 PHONES BUS 1 BUS 2 BUS 3 BUS 4 1: Auxiliary Return Level (orange) - These knobs determine the input level of si
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Guided Tour - Main Section 5: Meter - This ten-segment bar meter shows the continuous output level of the Main left/right output. For optimum signal-to-noise ratio, try to adjust all levels so that program material is usually at or around 0 VU, with occasional but not steady excursions to the red “+” segments. See the “Setting the Correct Gain Structure” section on page 13 in this manual for more information. 6: Meter LEDs - These show the status of various conditions within the PL 2404. Th
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Guided Tour - Rear Panel 4 7 PL 2404 24 CHANNEL PROGRAM STEREO / LINE MIXER SAMSON 0 -10 0 -10 2 1 2 1 TRS TRS TRS INSERT XLR STEREO INPUT BALANCED UNBALANCED BALANCED POWER 3 3 +4 −50 +4 −50 TIP = LEFT TIP = RETURN 3 = LO TIP = HI RING = RIGHT RING = LO RING = SEND 2 = HI SLEEVE = COM SLEEVE = COM 1 = COM SLEEVE = COM ON BUS OUTPUTS MIC 3 MIC 1 UNBALANCED 1 <75Ω +4dBu 8 OFF 2 1 23 21 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 1 LEFT / MONO 9 RIGHT AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR FUSE DO NOT EXPOSE
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Guided Tour - Rear Panel 7: Mic inputs (channels 1 and 3) - Use these electronically balanced XLR jacks to connect a microphone to channel 1 and/or channel 3. These are intended to accept signal from low-level, low-impedance mics but can also be used for signal from other sources (such as direct injection boxes) if the channel’s Trim control (see #8 below) is turned down. WARNING: Do not connect a channel’s micro- phone input if you already have something connected to its line input (see #9 b
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Connecting The PL 2404 - General Suggestions The actual connections you’ll make to and from the PL 2404 will vary according to the environment you use it in and the particular equipment you have. In the “PL 2404 Applications” sections at the rear of this manual, you’ll find some suggested setups. Here are a few basic rules concerning PL 2404 connections that will apply in most situations: • In general, it’s best to make all connections with the PL 2404 and any connected power amplifiers turned
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Connecting The PL 2404 - General Suggestions • Matched signals (i.e. the stereo left-right outputs of a keyboard, drum machine, tone generator, effects processor, CD player, or tape recorder), should always be connected to the PL 2404’s paired odd/even channels (i.e. 1L/2R, 3L/4R, etc.). The channel Balance control will allow you to adjust the relative levels of the two inputs, and you can also equalize the stereo signal, with the same EQ settings applied to both inputs. • There are four more “
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SERVO - 240 Setting Up and Using The PL 2404 Setting up your PL 2404 is a simple procedure which takes only a few minutes: 1. Remove all packing materials (save them in case of need for future service) 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. 2. Before even plugging the unit into an AC socket, begin by connecting the PL 2404 Main or Control Room outputs into a power amp and the amp into R
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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 PL 2404, 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 po
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Setting the Correct Gain Structure i. If you have a microphone connected to channel 1 or channel 3, the procedure for setting optimum microphone levels is as follows: sing or speak into the mic at the level you expect to use in performance while slowly raising the Level control for that channel to its 2 o’clock “0” position. Again, slowly raise the power ampli- fier volume until you reach the level you want to hear. Then raise the rear panel Trim control for that channel to a point at which yo
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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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Grounding Techniques If you’re using the PL 2404 in a fixed location such as a recording studio, you may want to invest the time and money into creating a star ground network. This is by far the best technique for avoiding grounding problems. It involves using a formidable ground source such as a cold water pipe or a copper spike driven into the earth. A thick grounding cable is connected to that source and then brought to a central distribution point; from there, individual cables are connec
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Busing, Submixing and Channel Muting As we’ve seen, the PL 2404 uses a system of four buses—pathways through which signal can be routed. The four PL 2404 bus faders control the overall level of the signal being output through the four buses. When the “L/R” switches +10 +10 above each bus fader are pressed in, the signal from that bus is also routed to dB dB the Main and Control Room outputs. In the case, buses 1 and 3 are automatical- ly routed to the left side of the Main and Control Roo
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Using the Balance Control The final Main output of the PL 2404 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 hard right. The PL 2404 provides twenty-four stereo channels, each with two L R inputs—an odd-numbered (left) input and an even-numbered (right) inp
