Allen & Heath PA20 manual

USER GUIDE Publication AP5195 PA Series Unpowered Version[...]

2 PA User Guide This product complies with the European Electromagne tic Compatibility directives 89/336/EEC & 92/31 /EEC and the European Low Voltage Directives 73/23/EEC & 93/68/EEC. This product has been tested to EN55103 Parts 1 & 2 1996 for use in Environments E1, E2, E3 , and E4 to demonstra te compliance with the protection requi[...]

PA User Guide 3 Important Safety Instructions – Read First Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instru ctions for future referenc e. Heed all warnings printed here and on the console. Follow the operating instructions printed in this User Guide. Do not open: There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer any service work to com[...]

4 PA User Guide Introduction Welcome to the Allen & Heath PA Series professional audio mixing syst em. This user guide describes the functions of the unpowered models and also prov ides tips and reference information to help you get the best from your system. For information on the powered PA-CP models with built-in amplifiers refer to user gui[...]

PA User Guide 5 Contents  Information Phantom powe r ................................................ 13 Balanced and unbalanced connections ....... .. 13 The mic preamp ............................................... 14 The HPF (hig h pass filter) ................................ 14 The mono chann el equaliser ........................... 15 Pre[...]

6 PA User Guide Overview PA Series consoles provide the tools you need to run a sm all PA syste m in an easy ‘walk up and go’ format. You simply plug in your microphone and line sources and connect to your amplifiers or powered speakers. All the control and proce ssing you need is built into the console . This guide describes the ‘unpowered?[...]

PA User Guide 7 The Range Accessories Rack Ears A pair of metal ears to replace the trims and fix the console into a 19” rack or custom furniture. PA EQ Visualiser Runs on a PC to display how the parametric outpu t EQ affects the frequency response AL4061 Lamp Plug-in XLR gooseneck lamp to illuminate the co ntrol surface All Models Balanced XLR A[...]

8 PA User Guide EFFECTS parametric o utput equ ali ser +15 -15 -15 +15 -15 +1 5 = PK ! PK ! PK ! PAN PAN O O = +6 LR O O +6 = PAN O O L R L AUX FB2 O O FB2 AUX O O +6 +6 O O +6 O O O O +6 +6 AUX FB2 O O +6 O O O O O O FB1 60Hz 250Hz 60Hz 250Hz FB1 -15 +15 -15 +15 -15 +15 FB1 -15 +15 60Hz 250Hz -15 -15 PK ! PK ! +6 R L +6 O O = R = O O R L +6 PK ! +[...]

PA User Guide 9 CAUTION 100 - 240 V AC ~ 47- 63 Hz ATTENTION: REMPL ACER LE FUSIBLE A VEC UN DES MEMES CARACTERISTIQU ES. CAUTION: FOR C ONTINUED PROTECTION AGA INST RISK OF FIRE 100-240V T1A L ENGINEERED IN ENGLAND BY ALLEN & HEATH Ltd. SERIAL NUMBER ON/OFF I 0 75W MAX FUSE REPLACE FUSE WITH SA ME TYPE AND RATING. DO NOT OPEN THIS APPARATUS MU[...]

10 PA User Guide Installing the Console The PA Series is portable and designed for stand alone operation. The smaller PA12 mod el can al so be 19” rack mounted by replacin g the trims with the rack ears provided. Either way, ensure adequate ventilation around the unit and heed all warnings regarding mains power safety and earthing. 1 Carry Ha ndl[...]

PA User Guide 11 Mains Power and Earthing Connecting Mains Po wer Read the SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS printed at the front of this user guide and on the rear panel. The power suppl y is a high performance switc hed mode type with universal mains input to accept voltages from 100 to 240 V.AC. Check that the correct mains lead with moulded plug has been sup[...]

12 PA User Guide Cable and Conne ctor Information You are likely to encounter the following audio connector types: The XLR connector is 3 wire balanced. This has 3 co nnector pins: Pin 1 = ground (screen), Pin 2 = signal hot (+), Pin 3 = signal cold (- ). The jack sockets are the 3 pole TRS type. These are wired to work with either the balanced TR [...]

PA User Guide 13 The MONO Channel MIC INPUT XLR input for connecting microphone level signals in the range -63 to +5dBu. These are balanced and wired pin 2 hot. Use low impedance microphones (less than 600 ohms) and professional gr ade mic cables (2 core with shield) for best performance. You can also use these inputs with DI boxes and other l ow l[...]

14 PA User Guide GAIN Adjusts the sensitivity of the channel preamp to match the connected source to the 0dBu operating level of the console. The control has a very wide range matching mic levels from a low -63dBu (0.5mV ) to a high +5dBu (1.5V), and line levels from -25dBu (45 mV) to +10dBu (2.5V).  The mic preamp is probably the most important[...]

PA User Guide 15 EQUALISER The channel equaliser allows independent adjustment of four frequency band s. This lets you accuratel y pinpoint the frequencies you want to adjust to deal with problems such as feedback or instrument resonance, or to creatively tailor the sound. HF The high frequency band has a shelving response that cuts or boosts the h[...]

16 PA User Guide AUX SENDS T h e PA Series has four auxiliary sends. These provide independent mixes from the channels. They have many applications, the most common being foldback monitor and effects sends. They can also be used for additional special f eeds such as recording or clean feed. FB1 P r e - f a d e a u x s e n d f e e d ing the FB1 fold[...]

PA User Guide 17 PAN Adjusts the stereo position of the channel s i g n a l i n t h e m a i n L R m i x . A t t h e c e n t r e p o s i t i o n equal signal is sent to the L and R outputs. F ully anticlockwise all the signal routes to L and none to R, and fully clockwise the reverse is true. The control has a 3dB attenuation at its centre position.[...]

18 PA User Guide The STEREO Channel Dual Stereo Inputs Each stereo channel has tw o independent stereo inputs, ST1(3) and ST2(4). Fo r convenience, one uses RCA phono connectors, the other uses TRS jacks. The two inputs mix together to feed th e channel strip, or ST1(3) can be routed direct to the LR mix instead, leaving ST2(4) to feed the channel.[...]

PA User Guide 19 EQUALISER The stereo equaliser allows independen t adjustment of the low an d high frequency bands. HF The high frequency band has a shelving response that cuts or boosts the higher (treble) frequencies by up to 15dB. It has most effec t from 12kHz and higher. LF The low frequency band has a shelving response that cuts o r b o o s [...]

20 PA User Guide The EFFECTS Channel Overview T h e PA Series features a built-in digital stereo effects unit. Effects such as arti ficial reverberatio n, delay, echo and chorus can be selected from the 16 presets. You can independently control how much e ffect is added to each signal in the mix using the channel FX s e nds. The overall level of th[...]

PA User Guide 21 EXT FX INPUT T R S j a c k i n p u t s f o r c o n n e c t i n g t h e l i n e level stereo output from an ex ternal effects processor. The inputs are unbalanced but can al so accept balanced sources without modification . The ring connection groun ds the –ve (cold) signal to unbalance a connected balanced source. GAIN Adjusts th[...]

22 PA User Guide The 16 Presets The effects prese ts have been configured to provide a variety of instantly accessible effects types suitable for live sound mixi ng. Listen to each preset so that you become familiar with how they sound. You may soon identify a few favourites. Power Up Memory The effects processor remembers the last preset selected [...]

PA User Guide 23 PRESET TYPES The following table lists the 16 effects available and their typical applicat i on. Try these with different instruments and sounds to create new and interesting effects. HALL1 A bright hall reverb for drums, guita rs and vo cals. HALL2 A warm hall reverb f or acoustic guitars, pianos an d vocals. ROOM1 Hardwood studio[...]

24 PA User Guide The MASTER SECTION Controls Master Control For ac curate control, the main house and two foldback mixes are controlled using full length faders and include mute and headphone monitoring functions. Thes e faders act as volume controls for the mix. FB1, FB2, LR FADERS 100mm smooth travel faders adjust the overall level of the mixes. [...]

PA User Guide 25 MONO OUT LEVEL This is the mast er control for the console mono output. The LR mix is summed after the LR faders to produce the mono signal. Use the control to adjust the balance between the LR and MONO feeds. Once set, use the LR fader as the house volume cont rol affecting the LR and MONO outputs. The control ranges from fully of[...]

26 PA User Guide The AB Output Channels Overview Two output channels labelled A and B are provided. These include 4 band semi- parametric equalisers, TRS jack slave outputs, le vel trimmers and balanc ed XLR main outputs . The source to these channels is selected using recessed assignment switches.  The philosophy The output channels provide a s[...]

PA User Guide 27 SOURCE SELECT Decide how you want to use the output channels. Set th e two switches according to the A and B sources required. The switches are recessed to preven t accidental operation once set. Use a pen or sharp object to change their setti ngs.  Front-of-House refers to th e audien ce listening area. It is commonly called FO[...]

28 PA User Guide The MASTER Connectors TRS Line Outputs ¼ ” j a c k l i n e l e v e l o u t p u t s w h i c h produce 0dBu when the console meters read ‘0’. With a maximum output level of +21dBu there is plenty of headroom available. They are impedance balanced and can be used with balanced or unbal anced equipment.  TRS jack refers to th[...]

PA User Guide 29 LR TRS MAIN OUT Use these line outputs to drive the main house amplifiers if you ar e using the console AB outputs for the foldback monitors. Alte rnatively, use them to fee d booster amplifiers for additional speakers in the system if th e AB outputs are driving the ma in house speaker amplifiers. MONO OUT The main L and R outputs[...]

30 PA User Guide 2TRK INPUT A pair of RCA phono sockets accepts the input from a stereo playback de vices such as a CD, MiniDisc, DAT or tape player. Use it to monitor a ste reo recording in the console headphones, or to route a stereo source to the L R mix for background music. The inpu t is unbalanced and has 0dBu line level sensitivity. 2TRK OUT[...]

PA User Guide 31 Fitting the P A12 Rack Ears A p a i r o f 1 9 ” r a c k e a r s i s p r o v i d e d w i t h t h e PA12 . The ears replace the front and side trims so that the co nsole can be mounted in a ra ck, plinth or case . Note that the PA12 can fit i n t o a s t a n d a r d 1 9 ” r a c k . T h e e a r s c a n f i t i n o n e o f t w o po[...]

32 PA User Guide Specifications Max output level XLR +23dBu into >600ohm load TRS +21dBu into >2k load Nominal o utput level 0dBu (0.775 Volts rm s) Headroom +21dB Freq response +/-1dB 20Hz to 30kHz Distortion < 0.006% T HD+N @1kHz +10dBu Crosstalk <-90dB Channel to channel @1kHz <-95dB Mute shutoff <-95dB Fader shutoff MIC EIN 22[...]

PA User Guide 33 Syste m Block Diagram Connector Types XLR connector : Pin 2 = h ot (+) Pin 3 = cold (-) Pin 1 = GND TRS input and output connectors : Tip = hot (+) Ring = cold ( -) Sleeve = GND RCA phono : Pin = signal Sleeve = GND Input Connections Type Impedance Sensitivit y Mono MIC IN Balanced XLR fe male 2k ohm -63 to +5dBu Mono LINE IN Balan[...]

34 PA User Guide PAN O = +6 R L +6 = PAN OO O PAN O O O O AUX +6 +6 O -15 FB1 O FB2 +15 +6 +6 +6 OO OO AUX O O AUX +15 +6 FB1 -15 OO FB2 FB1 FB2 O 30 63 +15 100H z 7k +15 +15 1k5 1k5 1k5 350Hz -15 -15 +15 -15 +15 250Hz 60Hz -15 250Hz 60Hz 600 350 Hz 3k 7k 600 -15 +15 +15 250 Hz -15 60Hz 3k 7k 600 350Hz 10 -5 -15 +15 -15 12kH z 60Hz 12kH z 60H z -15[...]

PA User Guide 35 CHANNEL CUE SHEET - Copy this sheet and us e it to mark up your control settings. LINE 10 40 25 100Hz 3k 50 LINE -10 MIC 50 10 40 30 25 63 0 10 30 -5 63 12kHz 600 +15 3k 1k5 -15 +15 LINE 0 10 MIC -5 -10 50 30 40 10 100Hz 63 25 12kHz -15 600 +15 1k5 3k 7k +15 350Hz 7k -15 +15 250Hz 60Hz +15 -15 +15 350Hz -15 7k +15 -15 250Hz 60Hz +1[...]

36 PA User Guide Check out our Internet site : http://www.allen-heath.com/[...]