Samson PL2404 - Manual

6 Guided Tour - Main Section 1: Auxiliary Return Level (orange) - These knobs determine the input level of signal arriving via the PL 2404’s four stereo Auxiliary returns. The “0” (2 o’clock)position of each knob indicates unity gain (no level attenuation or boost). Movingeach knob counterclockwise ...

7 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 sothat program material is usually at or around 0 VU, with occasional but notsteady excursions to the red “+...

Guided Tour - Rear Panel 1: Power on-off switch - As you may have guessed, this is what you use to turn the PL 2404 on and off. To avoid potential damage to your speakers, turn the PL 2404 on before you turn on any connected power amps—and turn it off after the power amps are turned off. 2. Fuse - C...

10 Connecting The PL 2404 - General Suggestions The actual connections you’ll make to and from the PL 2404 will vary accordingto 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 somesuggested setups. He...

12 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 anystandard 19" rack, requiring four rack spaces, or used on a ...

13 You’re now ready to establish the correct gain structure—the key to getting thebest performance from the PL 2404, or from any mixer, for that matter. This is asimple procedure that ensures optimum input and output levels so that nounnecessary noise (caused by too low a signal) or overload distort...

15 Grounding Techniques Hum and buzz are the biggest enemies you face when interconnecting a largenumber of different pieces of equipment to a central audio mixer. This isbecause each piece of equipment may operate at a marginally different voltage(this difference is called potential ) and, when two...

17 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 overalllevel of the signal being output through the four buses. When the “L/R” switchesabove each bus fader are pressed...

Using the Balance Control The final Main output of the PL 2404 is stereo—that is, there are two discreteMain output jacks (and two discrete Control Room output jacks), labeled “left”and “right,” which will normally be routed to two discrete speakers.* Because ofthis, you will usually be working with...

19 Using Equalization One of the most exciting aspects of using a mixer such as the PL 2404 is theability to shape a sound, using a process called equalization . But there are few areas of sound engineering more misunderstood than equalization, and, just asgood EQ can really help a sound, bad EQ can...

20 Using Aux Sends and Returns The PL 2404’s four Auxiliary sends allow you to combine the signal from multiplechannels and send the resulting mix to external devices such as effects proces-sors. When an Aux send knob is at its 2 o’clock “0” position, the signal is routedwith unity gain (that is, no...

21 Using Channel Inser ts In addition to using Auxiliary sends and returns to access outboard devices, thePL 2404 also provides channel inserts for the first four input channels. These should be used when you want to affect just one input signal, as opposed tosignal from several inputs—most often, t...

23 Applications Here are four suggested applications for the PL 2404; bear in mind that your particular circumstance may dictatechanges in these suggested signal connections and routings. Application 1 - Using The PL 2404 As A Recording Mixer The PL 2404 is optimized for use as a recording mixer wit...

24 Application 2 - Using The PL 2404 As A Main Live Mixer Here, the PL 2404’s Main output is connected to the input of a power amplifier, and, from there, to PA speakers.Microphones are connected to channels 1 and 3, while line level signals are connected to other channel inputs (stereosignals are r...

25 Application 3 - Using The PL 2404 As A Keyboard Submixer Here, various keyboards and MIDI tone generators are connected to the channel line inputs of the PL 2404, with stereosignals routed to “matched” consecutive odd- and even-numbered inputs. Signal processors are connected to Aux sendsand retu...

Applications Application 4 - Linking The PL 2404 With Other Mixers The provision of four rear-panel Bus Inserts makes it easy to link multiple PL 2404s or to link the PL 2404 with othermixers, without the need to use up channel line inputs. As shown in this illustration, simply connect the main outp...

27 Appendix A: Block Diagram ALL MIC LEVEL INPUTS > 1.5K OHMS XLR BALANCED 3-H 1 , 2-L 0 , 1-Com LINE BALANCED OdB LINE BALANCED 0dB MIC 1, 3 HA CH1-3 (0DD) CH 1, 3 CH 2, 4 CH2-4 (EVEN) CH5-23 (0DD) CH5-24 (EVEN) CH INSERT 0dB 1. TRS BALANCED : Tip-H1, Ring-Lo, Sleeve-Com 2. XLR BALANCED : 3-H1, ...

28 Specifications 1. Frequency Response (unity gain, line input 0 dB) Mic in to Main out 20 Hz to 30 kHz ± 1 dB Line in to Main out 15 Hz to 70 kHz ± 3 dB Aux return to Main out 15 Hz to 70 kHz ± 3 dB Mic in to Control Room out 20 Hz to 30 kHz ± 1 dB Line in to Control Room out 15 Hz to 70 kHz ± 3 d...