User Guide

Contents
Introduction. 2 Basic Principles of PA Mixing. 3 Getting Started. 6 Connections and Connectors. 6 Fau lt Find ing Gu id e. 9 Getting to know your console. 10 Facilities. 10 Inpu t Channel. 10 Stereo Sections. 15 Grou p Sections. 17 Master Section. 18 Using your SPIRIT LIVE 4 Console. 20 Initial Set Up. 20 Applications. 22 Pu blic Ad d ress. 22 Record ing. 24 Care of your mixer. 25 Glossary. 25 Selectable Options. 27 Specifications. 29 Front Panel Layout. fold out rear cover Block D iagram. inside rear cover

Pa g e 1

INTRODUCTION
Congratu lations on you r p u rchase of a SPIRIT LIVE 4 m ixer. Ow ning a Sou nd craft console brings you the exp ertise and su p p ort of one of the ind u strys lead ing m anu factu rers and the resu lts of over 20 years exp erience su p p orting som e of the biggest nam es in the bu siness. Designed by engineers w ho u nd erstand the ind ivid u al need s of m u sicians, SPIRIT LIVE 4 has been bu ilt to the highest stand ard s u sing qu ality Jap anese com p onents and em p loying au tom ated assem bly techniqu es beyond the reach of m ost m anu factu rers of com p act m ixers. A ru gged steel chassis is com bined w ith m ou ld ed sid e trim s to give p rotection and d istinctive ap p earance. Cu stom m ou ld ed controls, d esigned for the best feel and visu al clarity com p lem ent the styling, resu lting in a tru ly p rofessional p rod u ct w hich is id eal for both tou ring and fixed PA installations. SPIRIT LIVE 4 is available in 12, 16, 24 and 32 channel fram e sizes, and the 12 and 16 channel sizes m ay be extend ed by ad d ing an 8 channel Exp and er. The Exp and er can be attached qu ickly and secu rely to the console, requ iring only a screw d river to com p lete the installation. SPIRIT LIVE 4 incorp orates circu it technology id entical to that u sed on som e of the m ost sop histicated Sou nd craft consoles. The inp u t channels are able to accep t a w id e range of Microp hone and Line level signals from sep arate inp u t sockets. Every channel featu res w id e range gain control and Line inp u t p ad , 3-band Equ alisation w ith sw ep t Mid and LF range, p lu s a H i-Pass Filter, 5 Au xiliary Send s, PFL(Pre Fad e Listen), Peak LED, Panning to a Stereo Bu s and rou ting in p airs to fou r Ou tp u t Grou p s. Each channel has a sep arate Direct Ou tp u t and is controlled by a high-qu ality long throw fad er. All fram e sizes are p rovid ed as stand ard w ith d ed icated stereo inp u ts, arranged in p airs. One p air is inclu d ed on the 12 channel fram e and tw o p airs on all other fram e sizes. Each stereo inp u t inclu d es a 2-band EQ and a single au xiliary send control w ith sw itching w hich allow s p refad e or p ostfad e sou rcing w ith access to three of the five Au xiliary bu sses. The stereo channel signal m ay be rou ted to either the Mix ou tp u t or to Grou p s 1 & 2 (u p p er) or Grou p s 3 & 4 (low er).

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The fou r Ou tp u t Grou p s p rovid e su bm ixing to the Mix L/ R ou tp u ts or m ay feed external equ ip m ent d irectly. Each incorp orates stereo p anning and PFL m onitoring or bargrap h m etering and inclu d es an external Retu rn inp u t for effects or su bm ixing from external sou rces. The Master section p rovid es m aster level control for the Left, Right, Mono and Au xiliary Send bu sses, w ith sep arate AFL m onitoring on each Au xiliary Send and the Mono ou tp u t. The Mix L/ R and Grou p ou tp u ts all have insert p oints for the connection of external signal p rocessing. Com p rehensive Talkback facilities are p rovid ed , w hich allow an external talkback m icrop hone to be rou ted to Mix L/ R, Grou p s and Au xes 1 & 2 as requ ired. Six 12-segm ent, 3-colou r p eak read ing LED bargrap h m eters p rovid e clear d isp lay of Mix L/ R, Grou p and PFL signals. Pressing any PFL or AFL sw itch p u ts the selected signal onto both sid es of the head p hones ou tp u t, and the right bargrap h m eter. SPIRIT Live 4 is d esigned to be as u ser-friend ly as p ossible, bu t a few m inu tes sp ent read ing throu gh this m anu al w ill help you becom e fam iliar w ith the p rod u ct aw ay from the p ressu re of a live session, and allow you to gain fu ll benefit from the su p erb p erform ance offered by you r new m ixer. Above all, rem em ber that you r SPIRIT m ixer is d esigned to extend you r creativity. The m ore you exp lore the controls and the effect they have on the sou nd ou tp u t, the m ore you w ill ap p reciate how you can influ ence and enhance the final sou nd.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PA MIXING
There w as a tim e w hen the P.A. system and the op erator existed only to increase the overall volu m e of the p erform ers, so that they cou ld be heard in a large room or above high am bient noise levels. This ju st isnt tru e any m ore. The sou nd system and the sou nd engineer have becom e an integral p art of the p erform ance, and the artists are heavily d ep end ent on the op erators skill and the qu ality of the equ ip m ent. The follow ing introd u ction to the basics of m ixing are inclu d ed for the benefit of those u sers w ho m ay not have any significant fam iliarity w ith sou nd equ ip m ent, and w ho are baffled by the end less jargon u sed by engineers and artists alike. Pa g e 3

The Mixer

As one w ou ld exp ect, the m ain p u rp ose of the m ixer is to com bine sou nd s, bu t u nd er p recise and sm ooth control. This is w hy long-throw fad ers are essential on any p rofessional p rod u ct. The fad ers p rovid e you w ith clear and instinctive control of the final sou nd balance and like an artist p laying an instru m ent you shou ld listen to the effect of you r fad er m ovem ents, not look at you r hand s. You r SPIRIT LIVE 4 m ixer accep ts a w id e range of inp u t signals via a m icrop hone inp u t, for very low level signals, or a line inp u t, for higher level signals from , for instance, tap e m achines, effects p rocessors, etc. The m ixer is sp lit into tw o sections. The Inputs receive, m atch and p rocess ind ivid u al sou rce signals, and d istribu te them at p recise m ix levels to either a stereo Mix ou tp u t or to one of the Groups. The Master section allow s overall level control of all ou tp u ts, and p rovid es m onitoring of the au d io signal at m any p oints in the m ixer, either on head p hones or m eters. The Equaliser controls are the m ost flexible and p otentially d estru ctive featu re of the m ixer. They have a sim ilar effect on the frequ ency resp onse of the inp u t channel as the tone controls on a hi-fi system , bu t w ith m u ch greater p recision, and allow p articu lar characteristics of the inp u t signal to be em p hasised or red u ced. It is very im p ortant that you becom e fam iliar w ith the effect each control has on the sou nd and this is best achieved by sp end ing tim e listening to the effect of each control on a w ell-know n track p layed throu gh the m ixer. The Auxiliary Sends p rovid e a w ay of rou ting the inp u t signals to a nu m ber of second ary ou tp u ts, for artists fold back, echo u nits or ad d itional sp eaker ou tp u ts. The Pan control ad ju sts the p osition of the inp u t signal w ithin the stereo m ix, and can be sw ep t from fu ll left, throu gh to fu ll right. This allow s p articu lar artists to retain their correct sp atial p osition w ithin the m ix, and can be valu able for live effects. Pre-Fade-Listen(PFL) allow s you to m onitor the signal at m any p oints in the m ixer. Pressing any PFL sw itch p laces the signal at that p articu lar p oint onto the head p hones and the right m eter, to check the qu ality of the signal or to p in-p oint p roblem s. Using PFL w ill not affect the signals on the ou tp u ts from the d esk.

2. Hot(+ve)

2. Hot(+ve) 3. Cold(-ve) 1. Screen
Link 3 to 1 1. Screen 1. Screen 2. Hot(+ve)

Link 3 to 1

Balanced Input

Unbalanced Input

Unbalanced Output

3 POLE (stereo) JACK

Send Return Screen Tip Ring Sleeve Tip Ring Sleeve Hot(+ve) Cold(-ve) Screen

2 POLE (mono) JACK

Left Signal Right Signal Ground Ground Signal

Insert Points

Line Input Aux Outputs FX Returns Direct Outputs

Headphones

Unbalanced Output (see text)

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Ba la nced a nd Unba la nced
All channel inp u ts are balanced , i.e. there are sep arate +ve(hot) and -ve (cold ) w ires for each signal p lu s a grou nd. The d esign of the d ifferential inp u t am p lifiers is su ch that interference p icked u p on these w ires is cancelled ou t. This is becau se, since both w ires are in close p roxim ity, the same interference w ill be p icked u p on each w ire and balanced inp u t am p lifiers w ill only am p lify the difference betw een +ve(hot) and -ve(cold ). Any signal on both hot and cold (i.e. noise) w ill not be am p lified - this is know n as com m on m od e rejection (CMR). Balanced inp u ts shou ld alw ays have both +ve and -ve connected or if only an u nbalanced sou rce, the -ve p in shorted to grou nd. N ote: m any m od ern au d io/ m u sical instru m ents have electronically balanced ou tp u ts w hich shou ld not be u nbalanced by shorting one w ire to grou nd. Alw ays u se you r inp u ts balanced w here p ossible. The Mix L/ R and Mono ou tp u ts, Grou p and Au xiliary ou tp u ts are ground compensated and p rovid e a very effective w ay of op tim ising noise im m u nity, w ithou t the cost and com p lexity of balanced ou tp u ts. These ou tp u ts em p loy grou nd com p ensation techniqu es to cancel ou t the effects of variation in grou nd p otential betw een the m ixer and other equ ip m ent w hich w ou ld otherw ise show u p as hu m. If the ou tp u t is d riving a d evice or am p lifier that has an u nbalanced inp u t, connect the -ve(cold ) signal to the grou nd at the d estination, not at the ou tp u t of you r SPIRIT LIVE 4 console.

Pola rity

You w ill p robably be fam iliar w ith the concep t of p olarity in electrical signals and this is of p articu lar im p ortance to balanced au d io signals. Ju st as a balanced signal is highly effective at cancelling ou t u nw anted interference, so tw o m icrop hones p icking u p the sam e signal can cancel ou t, or cau se seriou s d egrad ation of the signal if one of the cables has the +ve and -ve w ires reversed. This phase reversal can be a real p roblem w hen m icrop hones are close together and you shou ld therefore take care alw ays to connect p ins correctly w hen w iring au d io cables.

Grounding a nd Shielding For op tim u m p erform ance it is vital that all signals are referenced to a solid , noise-free earthing p oint and that all signal cables have their screens connected to grou nd. To avoid earth loop s, u se balanced connections w here p ossible and ensu re that all cable screens and other signal earths are connected to grou nd only at their sou rce and not at both end s.

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+ Source Device

UNBALANCED

+ Ground loop through screen and chassis Mixer

BALANCED INPUT

+ Mixer

Source Device

If the u se of u nbalanced connections is u navoid able, you can m im im ise noise by follow ing these w iring gu id elines: On IN PUTS, u nbalance at the sou rce and u se a tw in, screened cable as thou gh it w ere balanced. (see below ) On OUTPUTS, connect the signal to the +ve ou tpu t pin, and the grou nd of the ou tpu t d evice to -ve. If a tw in screened cable is u sed , connect the screen only at the m ixer end. (see below )

+ INPUT

OUTPUT

Output Device

Avoid ru nning au d io cables or p lacing au d io equ ip m ent, close to thyristor d im m er u nits or p ow er cables. N oise im m u nity is im p roved significantly by the u se of low impedance sou rces, su ch as good qu ality p rofessional m icrop hones or the ou tp u ts from m ost m od ern au d io equ ip m ent. Avoid cheap er high im p ed ance m icrop hones, w hich m ay su ffer from interference over long cable ru ns, even w ith w ell-m ad e cables. Pa g e 8

Fa ult Finding Guide

Repairing a sou nd m ixing console requ ires sp ecialist skills, bu t basic Fault Finding is w ithin the scop e of any u ser if a few basic ru les are follow ed. Get to know the Block Diagram of you r console (see insid e rear cover) Get to know w hat each com ponent in the system is su pposed to d o. Learn w here to look for com m on trou ble spots.
The Block D iagram (see insid e rear cover) is a rep resentative sketch of all the com p onents of the console, show ing how they connect together and how the signal flow s throu gh the system. Once you have becom e fam iliar w ith the variou s com p onent blocks you w ill find the Block Diagram qu ite easy to follow and you w ill have gained a valu able u nd erstand ing of the internal stru ctu re of the console. Each Component has a sp ecific fu nction and only by getting to know w hat each p art is su p p osed to d o w ill you be able to tell if there is a genu ine fau lt! Many fau lts are the resu lt of incorrect connection or control settings w hich m ay have been overlooked. Basic Troubleshooting is a p rocess of ap p lying logical thou ght to the signal p ath throu gh the console and tracking d ow n the p roblem by elim ination. Sw ap inpu t connections to check that the sou rce is really present. Check both Mic and Line inpu ts. Elim inate sections of the channel by u sing the insert point to re-rou te the signal to other inpu ts that are know n to be w orking. Rou te channels to d ifferent ou tpu ts or to au xiliary send s to id entify problem s on the Master section. Com pare a su spect channel w ith an ad jacent channel w hich has been set u p id entically. Use PFL and AFL to m onitor the signal in each section.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CONSOLE
Refer to the fold -ou t front p anel d iagram w hich show s the control fu nctions on the SPIRIT LIVE 4. Each facility is d escribed below , and is id entified by the reference nu m ber.

FACILITIES

INPUT CHANNEL
1. M IC RO PHO NE INPUT The Microp hone inp u t is via a stand ard fem ale XLR-3 connector and is available w hen the LIN E -20dB sw itch is released. It is d esigned to accep t a w id e range of balanced or u nbalanced low im p ed ance inp u t signals. +48V Phantom Pow er is available on each inp u t m icrop hone socket. This is sw itched on globally from the p ow er su p p ly in the case of the 12, 16 and 24 channel d esks, or from a rocker sw itch ad jacent to the d.c. p ow er connector at the top right of the 32 channel d esk. Shou ld you w ish to configu re inp u ts w ithou t +48V p ow er, see Selectable Op tions on Page 27 for d etails of this m od ification. Transform er-cou p led d ynam ic m icrop hones m ay be u sed w ithou t cau sing d am age, even w hen the +48V p ow er is connected , bu t care m u st be taken w hen u sing u nbalanced sou rces, becau se of the voltage p resent on p ins 2 and 3 of the XLR connector. Microp hone inp u t level is set by the GAIN control(6). N OTE: Phantom p ow ered m ics shou ld not be p lu gged in w ith the +48V sw itched on. Also you shou ld be aw are that som e m icrop hones d raw an u nu su ally large cu rrent w hich m ay overload the p ow er su p p ly, resu lting in d istortion. Consu lt you r m icrop hone su p p lier for gu id ance if necessary. 2. DIREC T O UTPUT A grou nd com p ensated D IRECT ou tp u t is p rovid ed , fed from the ou tp u t of the fad er bu ffer, w hich is therefore u naffected by the p osition of the ROUTIN G sw itches or PAN control. This p rovid es an id eal sou rce for external p rocessing u nits, the ou tp u t of w hich m ay be brou ght back to the console throu gh the STEREO sections or grou p RETURN S, or to d irectly send to the tracks of a tap e m achine for m u ltitrack record ing. This p rovid es as m any Tap e Send s as there are m ixer channels, w ithou t u sing the grou p or m ix ou tp u ts. Pa g e 10
3. LINE INPUT The LIN E Inp u t is a 3-p ole 14"A gau ge jack socket, to accep t balanced or u nbalanced line level sou rces w hen the LIN E sw itch(5) is p ressed. Unlike the low im p ed ance Microp hone inp u t, this stage p resents a high im p ed ance(>10k) to the inp u t signal, enabling m any typ es of instru m ents to be p lu gged straight in w ithou t D.I. boxes or external p ream p lifiers. Line inp u ts w ill be fou nd u sefu l as extra Effects Retu rns, w here ad d itional p ost-effect equ alisation is requ ired. 4. INSERT The IN SERT is a break p oint in the inp u t channel signal p ath. It allow s the signal to be taken ou t of the m ixer, throu gh an external p iece of equ ip m ent and then back into the m ixer to continu e throu gh to the final ou tp u t. The Insert is a 3-p ole 14" A gau ge Jack Socket, w hich is norm ally by-p assed. When a jack p lu g is inserted , the signal p ath is broken at a p oint ju st after the H i-Pass Filter, bu t before the EQ section. The signal from the channel appears on the TIP of the plug and is returned on the RIN G. The insert p oint allow s lim iters, com p ressors and other signal p rocessing u nits to be ad d ed as requ ired to p articu lar inp u t channels and becau se it is located PRE EQ, noise generated by the external equ ip m ent m ay be red u ced by a sm all am ou nt of H.F. cu t in the Equ aliser. 5. LINE SELEC T The LIN E sw itch selects Line inp u t w hen p ressed , and Microp hone inp u t w hen released. When Line is selected the Gain range is red u ced by 20d B (see 6 below ). 6. G AIN C O NTRO L When the Microp hone inp u t is selected this control acts as a SEN SITIVITY control covering a 50d B range. Channel signal level increases as the control is tu rned clockw ise. When the Line inp u t is selected it serves as a GAIN control, w ith the scaling red u ced by -20d B from the p rinted scale. A nom inal 0d B inp u t signal w ill p ass throu gh at u nity gain, w ith the knob set at the 20d B p osition. Som e au d io equ ip m ent, p articu larly that intend ed for d om estic u se, op erates at a nom inal -10d BV level and an increased Gain setting w ill be requ ired.

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7. HI- PASS FILTER Pressing this sw itch inserts a 12d B p er octave 100H z H i-Pass Filter in the signal p ath, im m ed iately after the inp u t am p lifier. This is p articu larly u sefu l on live vocals, and its u se is strongly recom m end ed , even on m ale vocals. It can also be u sed for filtering ou t low frequ ency hu m.
Frequency Response Curves of the Hi-Pa ss Filter

HI-Pass Filter

4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 -1.0 -2.0 -3.0 -4.0 20

100 1k 10k 20k

Frequency/Hz
EQ UALISER The Equ aliser(EQ) com p rises three sections. The u p p er control p rovid es H.F.(treble) boost and cu t of +/ -15d B. The low er tw o p airs of knobs are arranged as a cu t/ boost control (low er knob) of +/ - 15d B, and a SWEEP(frequ ency) control w hich d eterm ines at w hich frequ ency the boost/ cu t action w ill be centered. The LF sections are essentially Sw ep t Low Frequ ency controls, covering a range from 40 to 400H z and p rovid ing m u ch greater flexibility than a conventional LF(bass) control. The MID section, w ith a frequ ency range from 250H z to 8kH z is p articu larly versatile for vocals, enabling p articu lar characteristics of the singer to be lifted or su p p ressed very p recisely.
Frequency Response Curves of the Equa liser

LF Section

20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 -5.0 -10.0 -15.0 -20.100 1k 10k 20k

Pa g e 12

MID Section

HF Section

AUXILIARY SENDS These controls rou te the inp u t channel signal to any one or m ore Au xiliary bu sses. These are sep arate from the m ain ou tp u ts and can therefore p rovid e ad d itional ou tp u ts for fold back, echo u nits or extra lou d sp eaker fills. AUX 1 & 2 are d erived before the channel fad er(PRE FADE), and are therefore u naffected by the fad er p osition. This m akes them p articu larly su itable for fold back or m onitor feed s, w hich need to be controlled sep arately from the m ain P.A. m ix. AUX 3, 4 and 5 are d erived after the channel fad er(POST FADE), and therefore follow any changes in fad er level. They are norm ally u sed to d rive effects p rocessing u nits w hich are fed back into the m ixer and w hich m u st fad e ou t w ith the inp u t channel. AUX 2 m ay be altered internally to be POST FADE. Refer to the Selectable Op tions section (Page 28) for a d escrip tion of this m od ification. All of the Au x Send s are m u ted w hen the ON sw itch(12) is released.

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10. PAN The PAN control d eterm ines the p osition of the signal w ithin the stereo m ix im age or m ay be u sed to rou te the channel signal to p articu lar ou tp u t GROUPS as selected by the ROUTIN G SWITCHES (13). Rotation fu lly anticlockw ise feed s the signal solely to the Left m ix bu ss or Grou p s 1 and 3, w hile rotation clockw ise sw eep s the im age to the right bu ss or Grou p s 2 and 4. 11. PFL/ PEAK LED When the PFL sw itch is p ressed , the Pre-Fad e signal is fed to the head p hones, w here it rep laces the selected sou rce. The PFL/AFL LED on the m aster section illu m inates to w arn that the head p hones and the m eters are now resp ond ing to the PFL/ AFL selection and the PFL LED on the inp u t channel lights to id entify the active channel. This is a u sefu l w ay of listening to any requ ired inp u t signal w ithou t interru p ting the m ain m ix, for m aking ad ju stm ents or tracing p roblem s. When the PFL sw itch is released the LED on the channel serves as a PEAK ind icator, to w arn w hen an excessively high signal level is p resent in the channel. The signal is sam p led at tw o p oints in the channel, im m ed iately after the inp u t am p lifier (PRE H I-PASS FILTER & PRE IN SERT) and POST EQ. The Peak LED w ill illu m inate ap p roxim ately 4d B before clip p ing and therefore give w arning of a p ossible overload even if the p eaks are rem oved by external equ ip m ent p lu gged into the Insert. 12. O N SWITC H The ON sw itch enables all ou tp u ts from the channel w hen p ressed , and the associated LED illu m inates to show that the channel is active. 13. RO UTING SWITC HES The inp u t channel signal m ay be rou ted to the m ain STEREO MIX (L-R) or p airs of GROUP bu sses (1-2, 3-4), by p ressing the resp ective sw itches. These m ay be u sed in conju nction w ith the PAN control (10 above) to rou te the channel signal p rop ortionately to any of the selected bu sses. 13. C HANNEL FADER This long-throw fad er d eterm ines the p rop ortion of the channel in the m ix and p rovid es a clear visu al ind ication of channel level. N orm al op erating p osition is at the 0 m ark, p rovid ing 10d B of gain above that p oint if requ ired. Pa g e 14

STEREO

STEREO SECTIONS
1. STEREO INPUTS Each Stereo Inp u t section com p rises a p air of sim ilar inp u ts. The inp u ts are electronically balanced and sep arate jacks are p rovid ed for the Left and Right sou rce signals. A m ono signal m ay be p lu gged into the u p p er socket only for each p air to be fed equ ally to left and right bu sses. 2. - 10 SWITC H The inp u t jacks are norm ally set to m atch +4d Bu nom inal signal levels. Pressing the -10 sw itch alters the inp u t sensitivity to m atch the -10d BV signals from m ost H i-Fi system s or sem i-p rofessional tap e m achines allow ing the inp u ts to be qu ickly sw itched to m atch, for instance, a cassette p layer for p re-show m u sic. 3. EQ UALISATIO N Each Stereo Inp u t is p rovid ed w ith a 2-band shelving EQ section giving 15d B boost & cu t at fixed frequ encies of 60H z and 12kH z.

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M ASTER
7. G RO UP O UTPUT The Grou p ou tp u ts are d riven by grou nd com p ensated am p lifiers to a stand ard 14" 3 p ole A gau ge jack socket.

MASTER SECTION

8. D.C. PO WER SO C KET The cable from the p ow er su p p ly connects to the console via this 5-p in socket. Ensu re that you alw ays u se the correct p ow er su p p ly for you r console. The 12, 16 and 24 channel fram e sizes requ ire the DCP100 p ow er su p p ly and the 32 channel fram e u ses the CPS150 p ow er su p p ly. 9. M O NO O UTPUT The grou nd com p ensated MON O ou tp u t is a su m of the p ostfad e Mix Left and Right ou tp u ts, p rovid ing a sep arately controlled feed w hich m ay for instance be u sed to d rive a centre lou d sp eaker clu ster via a su itable p ow er am p lifier. 10. M IX L & R O UTPUTS The MIX L & R ou tp u ts are stand ard m ale XLR-3 connectors, d riven by grou nd com p ensated am p lifiers. 11. INSERTS These are sim ilar to the Inp u t Channel Inserts and allow external p rocessing equ ip m ent to be inserted into the ou tp u t signal p ath. The 14" 3 p ole A gau ge jack sockets are by-p assed excep t w hen a p lu g is inserted. 12. BARG RAPH M ETERS Six 12-segm ent, three colou r bargrap h m eters p rovid e visu al m onitoring of the levels of the Mix Left and Right, and Grou p ou tp u ts. All the m eters are p eak read ing. N orm ally the Left and Right m eters show the level of the Mix Left and Right ou tp u ts. If any PFL or AFL sw itch is activated the left m eter is tu rned off and the right m eter d isp lays the level of the selected PFL or AFL signal. The bargrap hs m ay be calibrated by trim m ers accessed via holes in the p anel below each m eter. Ad ju stm ents m ay be m ad e u sing a sm all screw d river, taking care not to d am age the trim m ers. Pa g e 18
13. M O NO The level of the MON O ou tp u t (9) is set by a rotary fad er. The associated AFL sw itch w ith ind icating LED m onitors the final ou tp u t after the fader. 14. AUXILIARY M ASTERS Each of the Au xiliary Send bu sses is p rovid ed w ith a rotary m aster level control and an AFL sw itch w ith ind icating LED w hich m onitors the final ou tp u t after the fader. 15. AUXILIARY O UTPUTS The Au xiliary Send ou tp u ts are d riven by grou nd com p ensated am p lifiers to a stand ard 14" 3 p ole A gau ge jack socket. 16. TALKBAC K A fem ale XLR-3 connector p rovid es the inp u t for a head p hone m ou nted , gooseneck or floating d ynam ic m icrop hone for TALKBACK to selected ou tp u ts. Level is set by the TB control and three sw itches rou te the signal selectively to Mix L-R, Grou p s (GRPS) or AUX 1-2. 17. HEADPHO NE V O LUM E This control sets the level of the PHON ES ou tp u t at the socket below the front arm rest. N orm ally this is fed by the Mix L/ R ou tp u t, u nless an AFL or PFL sw itch is p ressed , in w hich case the Mix signal is rep laced by the AFL/ PFL signal and the AFL/PFL LED lights to show that the AFL/ PFL system is active. N ote that d u e to the w ay that the grou nd com p ensated ou tp u ts op erate, it is p ossible that a hu m m ight be au d ible u nd er AFL listening, w hich is in fact cancelled on the actu al ou tp u t. This w ou ld ind icate that there is a grou nd loop in you r system w hich you m ay w ish to correct. 18. M IX FADERS Master fad ers for Left and Right m ix ou tp u ts. Unity gain is at the top of their travel.

Pa g e 19

USING YOUR SPIRIT LIVE 4 CONSOLE
The final sou nd from you r P.A. system can only ever be as good as the qu ality of the sou rce signal. Ju st as you need to becom e fam iliar w ith the control fu nctions of you r m ixer, so you m u st recognise the im p ortance of correct choice of inp u ts, m icrop hone p lacem ent and inp u t channel settings. H ow ever, no am ou nt of carefu l setting u p can take accou nt of the sp ontaneity and u np red ictability of live p erform ance and the m ixer m u st be set u p to p rovid e sp are control range to com p ensate for changing m icrop hone p osition and the absorp tion effect of a large au d ience (d ifferent acou stic characteristics from sou nd check to show ). The front panel drawing inside the rear cover shows typical initial control positions which may be found a useful guide to setting up the mixer for the first time.

Initia l Set Up

The d iagram on p age 5 d em onstrated how the m atching of inp u t gain to the signal sou rce w as cru cial to avoid d istortion at one extrem e and excessive noise at the other. Set u p ind ivid u al inp u t channel as follow s: Connect the inpu t requ ired (m icrophone, keyboard etc.) N ote: Phantom pow ered m ics shou ld be connected before the +48V is sw itched on. Set Master fad ers at 0, inpu t fad ers at 0, and set pow er am plifier levels to abou t 70%. Provid e a typical perform ance level signal and press the PFL bu tton on the particu lar channel, m onitoring the level on the right-hand m eter. Ad ju st the inpu t gain u ntil the m eter is ju st reaching the am ber section (0d B) at a typ ical m axim u m sou rce level. This allow s su fficient head room to accom m od ate peaks and establishes the m axim u m level for norm al operation (bu t see note below ). Repeat this proced u re on other channels as requ ired. As m ore channels are ad d ed to the m ix, the m eters m ay m ove into the red section. Ad ju st the overall level u sing the Master Fad ers if necessary.

Pa g e 20

If you cannot obtain a satisfactory setting, e.g. the gain control is right at the extrem e low end of the scale on Microphone Inpu t, try u sing the Line Inpu t instead. Listen carefu lly for the characteristic sou nd of feed back. If you cannot achieve satisfactory inpu t level setting w ithou t feed back, check m icrophone and speaker placem ent and repeat the exercise.
You are now read y to start bu ild ing the m ix and this shou ld be d one p rogressively, listening carefu lly for each com p onent in the m ix and w atching the m eters for any hint of overload. If this occu rs, back off the ap p rop riate Channel Fad er slightly u ntil the level is ou t of the red segm ents, or ad ju st the Master Fad er. N ote: The level of any sou rce signal in the final ou tp u t is affected by m any factors, p rincip ally the Gain control, Channel Fad er and Ou tp u t Fad ers. You shou ld try to u se only as m u ch m icrop hone gain as requ ired to achieve a good balance betw een signals, w ith the fad ers set as d escribed above. If the inp u t gain is set too high, the channel fad er w ill need to be p u lled d ow n too far in com p ensation to leave enou gh travel for su ccessfu l m ixing and there is a greater risk of feed back becau se sm all fad er m ovem ents w ill have a very significant effect on ou tp u t level. If the gain is set too low , you w ill not find enou gh gain on the fad ers to bring the signal u p to an ad equ ate level.

Microphone Pla cement Carefu l m icrop hone p lacem ent and the choice of a su itable typ e of m icrop hone for the job is one of the essentials of su ccessfu l sou nd reinforcem ent. The aim shou ld be to p lace the m icrop hone as close as p hysically p ossible to the sou rce, to cu t ou t u nw anted su rrou nd ing sou nd s, allow a low er gain setting on the m ixer and avoid feed back. Also a w ell-chosen and w ell-p laced m icrop hone shou ld not need any ap p reciable equ alisation.

Pa g e 21

APPLICATIONS
SPIRIT LIVE 4 is d esigned p rim arily as a sou nd reinforcem ent m ixer, bu t m ay also be u sed for basic m u ltitrack record ing. The follow ing d iagram s show typ ical configu rations w hich w ill illu strate how the m ixer is connected to other equ ip m ent.
Exa mple 1 - Public In this basic set-u p , an assortm ent of sou rces are connected to Address - Stereo Output the inp u t channels, m icrop hone to m ic. inp u ts, and a keyboard and gu itar to line inp u ts. N ote that som e gu itars w ou ld not p rod u ce su fficient level for a d irect connection, and w ou ld requ ire a D.I. box connected via the m icrop hone inp u t. The m ix L/ R ou tp u ts are connected to the p ow er am p lifier and sp eakers, and a com p ressor/ lim iter is inclu d ed in the

Pa g e 22

ou tp u t signal p ath via the Left and Right insert p oints.
Exa mple 2: Public Address - Stereo + Centre Feed
In this second exam p le the Grou p 1 Ou tp u t is u sed to d rive an ad d itional centre sp eaker, w ith ind ivid u al fad er control. The rou ting on the inp u t channels allow s ind ivid u al selection to
the Centre ou tp u t by rou ting to Grou p 1.
Exa mple 3: Public In this exam p le the console is u sed to feed lou d sp eakers in Address - Mono Output Mono only. The com p ressor rem ains in the Left and Right Inserts for u se on these ou tp u ts if requ ired. A feed from another m ixer is su bm ixed to the d esk on Retu rns 1 & 2. N ote that the Grou p s m ay be u sed for su bgrou p ing channels to the

FROM SUBMIXER

Pa g e 23

final ou tp u t.

Exa mple 4: Stereo Recording
The console m ay also be u sed for 2-Track or basic m u ltitrack record ing live or in the stu d io. The set u p is sim ilar to the p reviou s exam p les bu t w ith the Mix L/ R Ou tp u t feed ing a 2-track Tap e Machine. Au x 1 is u sed to p rovid e artists fold back on head p hones, and Au x 3 and 4 feed a reverb u nit

2 TRACK TAPE MACHINE

REVERB
w hich is retu rned to the console on RET1 and RET2.
Exa mple 5: Multitra ck Recording
In this last exam p le the m ixer is connected to a m u ltitrack tap e m achines, and the m ain ou tp u ts to a 2-track m achine for m ixd ow n. Once again a com p ressor has been inclu d ed in the insert p oints. Feed s to the m u ltitrack are taken from the channel DIRECT ou tp u ts. Ou tp u ts from tap e are fed back to the channel line inp u ts and can be m ixed d ow n to the stereo m ix ou tp u t as requ ired. Au x 3 & 4 feed an effects u nit as in the p reviou s

EFFECTS PROCESSOR

Pa g e 24

CARE OF YOUR MIXER

Genera l Preca utions
Avoid storing or u sing the m ixer in cond itions of excessive heat or cold , or in p ositions w here it is likely to be su bject to vibration, d u st or m oistu re. Keep the m ixer clean u sing a soft d ry bru sh, and an occasional w ip e w ith a d am p cloth or ethyl alcohol. Do not u se any other solvents w hich m ay cau se d am age to p aint or p lastic p arts. Avoid p lacing d rinks or sm oking m aterials on or near the m ixer. Sticky d rinks and cigarette ash are frequ ent cau ses of d am age to fad ers and sw itches. Regu lar care and insp ection w ill be rew ard ed by a long life and m axim u m reliability.

Glossa ry

auxiliary send an ou tp u t from the console com p rising a m ix of signals from channels and grou p s d erived ind ep end ently of the m ain stereo/ grou p m ixes. Typ ically the feed s to the m ix are im p lem ented on rotary level controls. the relative levels of the left and right channels of a stereo signal. the onset of severe d istortion in the signal p ath, u su ally cau sed by the p eak signal voltage being lim ited by the circu its p ow er su p p ly voltage. a ratio of tw o voltages or signal levels, exp ressed by the equ ation d B=20Log 10 (V1/ V2). Ad d ing the su ffix u d enotes the ratio is relative to 0.775V RMS. the p ractice of connecting an electric m u sical instru m ent d irectly to the inp u t of the m ixing console, rather than to an am p lifier and lou d sp eaker w hich is covered by a m icrop hone feed ing the console. a p ost fad e line level ou tp u t from the inp u t channel, byp assing the su m m ing am p lifiers, typ ically for send ing to ind ivid u al tap e tracks d u ring record ing. a d evice that allow s the boosting or cu tting of selected band s of frequ encies in the signal p ath. Pa g e 25

balance clipping

dB (decibel)

D I(direct injection)

direct output

equaliser

feedback foldback
the how ling sou nd cau sed by bringing a m icrop hone too close to a lou d sp eaker d riven from its am p lified signal. a feed sent back to the artistes via lou d sp eakers or head p hones to enable them to m onitor the sou nd s they are p rod u cing. the variation in gain of a d evice w ith frequ ency. an ou tp u t into w hich a grou p of signals can be m ixed. the available signal range above the nom inal level before clip p ing occu rs. a filter that rejects low frequ encies. at a nom inal level of -10 to +6d Bu , u su ally com ing from a low im p ed ance sou rce. a m ono su m of the left/ right m ix ou tp u ts, p rovid ing a sep arately controlled line level feed for ad d itional lou d sp eakers. abbreviation of p anoram a: controls levels sent to left and right ou tp u ts. an equ aliser resp onse cu rve affecting only a band of frequ encies i.e. based on a band p ass resp onse. a fu nction that allow s the op erator to m onitor the p re-fad e signal in a channel ind ep end ently of the m ain m ix. a fall in gain at the extrem es of the frequ ency resp onse. an equ aliser resp onse affecting all frequ encies above or below the break frequ ency i.e. a highp ass or low p ass d erived resp onse. acou stic interference from other sou rces. the op erator sp eaking to the artistes or to tap e via the au xiliary or grou p ou tp u ts. a m om entary rise in the signal level. the p hantom p ow er su p p ly, available at the channel m ic inp u ts, for cond enser m icrop hones and active DI boxes.

frequency response (sub) group headroom highpass filter line level signals mono output
pan (pot) peaking PFL (pre-fade listen) rolloff shelving
spill talkback transient +48V

Pa g e 26

Selecta ble Options Remova l of +48V on Mic Inputs
To d isable the +48V p hantom p ow ering on the m icrop hone inp u ts, rem ove link J3 from Inp u t PCB SC3209. This can be d one w ithou t rem oving the PCB as show n below , by carefu lly cu tting the lead s of the link above the PCB at the p oints m arked. To reinstate the +48V, fit a rep lacem ent link, Part N o. AZ2222, w hich is available from you r d ealer.

INPUT BOARD SC3209

Edge view of PCB

R25 J3

Pa g e 27
Reconfiguring Aux 2 a s a Post Fa de Send
Au x 2 is configu red as a PRE FADE send at the factory, bu t m ay be altered to be POST FADE if requ ired by rep ositioning a link on the Inp u t PCB SC3209 as show n below.

PRE L10 C28 R56 C27

R54 R52 R48
To change AUX 2 to POST FADE, rem ove the PCB from the console and carefu lly u nsold er link J1 u sing the m inim u m of heat to avoid the p ossibility of tracks lifting on the PCB. Rep lace the link in p osition J2. This operation should only be carried out by competent technicians w ho possess the necessary soldering skills.

Pa g e 28

SPECIFICATIONS
Typ ical Figu res for a 16 Channel Console
Measu red RMS, 22H z to 22kH z Band w id th Line inp u ts selected at u nity gain and term inated 150R

MIX NOISE

Inp u t fad ers d ow n, channels rou ted to L-R, Pans central, Masters at m axim u m Mix Left Mix Right -82d Bu -82d Bu

AUX NOISE

Inp u t fad ers d ow n, Au x ou tp u ts at m axim u m , Fou r Stereo sections rou ted to Au x 1 Au x 1 Au x 2 Au x 3 Au x 4 Au x 5 -81d Bu -84.5d Bu -84.5d Bu -84.5d Bu -84.5d Bu

GROUP NOISE

Inp u t fad ers d ow n, channels rou ted to Grou p s, Pans central, Grou p gain at u nity. Grou p Grou p Grou p Grou p -84.5d Bu -84.5d Bu -84.5d Bu -84.5d Bu

E.I.N.

Microp hone Inp u t, Maxim u m Gain, term inated 150R -127.8d Bu

CROSSTALK

Channel ON sw itch Isolation Max. Channel Fad er Attenu ation Rou ting Sw itch Isolation Max. Master Fad er Attenu ation Max. Grou p Fad er Attenu ation Max. Au x Send Attenu ation Max. Stereo Fad er Attenu ation Stereo ON sw itch Isolation Stereo Rou ting Sw itch Isolation > 103d B to Mix L/ R @ 1kH z > 87d B @ 10kH z, > 97d B @ 1kH z > 87d B @ 10kH z, > 105d B @ 1kH z > 100d B w id e band > 90d B @ 10kH z, > 100d B @ 1kH z > 85d B @ 10kH z, > 90d B @ 1kH z > 95d B @ 1kH z > 100d B w id e band > 90d B @ 1kH z

Pa g e 29

DISTORTION
TH D m easu red at +20d Bu Line Inp u t to Mix Ou tp u t < 0.0025% @ 1kH z, < 0.015% @ 10kH z
INPUT & OUTPUT IMPEDANCES
Microp hone Inp u t Line Inp u t Insert Send s Insert Retu rns Ou tp u ts > 2k > 10k 75 10k 75
INPUT & OUTPUT LEVELS
Mic Inp u t Maxim u m Level Line Inp u t Maxim u m Level Mix Ou t Maxim u m Level Mono Ou t Maxim u m Level Au x Ou t Maxim u m Level +10d Bu +30d Bu +21d Bu +21d Bu +21d Bu

METERING

12 Segm ent LED Bargrap h Accu racy Relative to 0d B +/ - 1d B

Pa g e 30

stereo

master

GRP 1 GRP 2 GRP 3 GRP 4

GAIN MIC

STE 2 AUX 1 AUX 2 AUX 3 AUX 4 AUX 5

DC POWER INPUT

DIRECT

RET 1 LINE

INS L MIX
AUX PRE AUX1 AUX3 PST BAL PFL AUX 1

RIGHT PFL

ON AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL

L-R 1-2

TB MIC

RET 1 RET 2 RET 3 RET 4

L-R -10 L-R HF L-R L-R L-R GRPS AUX 1-2

AUX 5 LF

PAN PFL PAN PFL PAN PFL PAN PFL PHONES

AFL PFL

PAN AUX
GRP 1 PRE AUX1 AUX4 PST BAL PFL

ON L-R 3-4

GROUPS & MASTER