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1.3 Before you get started

1.3.1 Shipment

Your mixing console was carefully packed in the factory to guarantee safe transport. Nevertheless, we recommend that you carefully examine the packaging and its contents for any signs of physical damage, which may have occurred during transit.

◊If the unit is damaged, please do NOT return it to us, but notify your dealer and the shipping company immediately, otherwise claims for damage or replacement may not be granted.

1.3.2 Initial operation

Be sure that there is enough space around the unit for cooling purposes and to avoid over-heating please do not place your mixing console on high-temperature devices such as radiators or power amps. The console is connected to the mains via the supplied cable. The console meets the required safety standards. Blown fuses must only be replaced by fuses of the same type and rating.

◊Please note that all units must be properly grounded. For your own safety, you should never remove any ground connectors from electrical devices or power cables, or render them inoperative­.

◊Please ensure that only qualified people install and operate the mixing console. During installation and operation, the user must have sufficient electrical contact to earth, otherwise electrostatic discharges might affect the operation of the unit.

1.3.3 Online registration

Please do remember to register your new BEHRINGER equipment right after your purchase by visiting www.behringer.com (alternatively www.behringer.de) and kindly read the terms and conditions of our warranty carefully.

Should your BEHRINGER product malfunction, our goal is to have it repaired as quickly as possible. To arrange for warranty service, please contact the retailer from whom the equipment was purchased. Should your BEHRINGER dealer not be located in your vicinity, you may directly contact one of our subsidiaries. Corresponding contact information is included in the original equipment packaging (Global Contact Information/European Contact Information). Should your country not be listed, please contact the distributor nearest you. A list of distributors can be found in the support area of our website (www.behringer.com).

Registering your purchase and equipment with us helps us process your repair claims quicker and more efficiently.

Thank you for your cooperation!

XENYX 1204/1204FX User Manual

2.Control Elements and Connectors

This chapter describes the various control elements of your mixing console. All controls, switches and connectors will be discussed in detail.

2.1 Mono channels

2.1.1 Microphone and line inputs

Fig. 2.1: Connectors and controls of mic/line inputs

MIC

Each mono input channel offers a balanced microphone input via the XLR connector and also features switchable +48 V phantom power supply for condenser microphones. The XENYX preamps provide undistorted and noise-free gain as is typically known only from costly outboard preamps.

◊Please mute your playback system before you activate the phantom power supply to prevent switch-on thumps being directed to your loudspeakers­. Please also note the instructions in chapter 2.4.2“Voltage supply, phantom power and fuse”.

LINE IN

Each mono input also features a balanced line input on a ¼" connector. Unbalanced devices (mono jacks) can also be connected to these inputs.

◊Please remember that you can only use either the microphone or the line input of a channel at any one time. You can never use both simultaneously!

LOW CUT

The mono channels of the mixing consoles have a high-slope LOW CUT filter for eliminating unwanted, low-frequency signal components (75 Hz, 18 dB/octave).

GAIN

Use the GAIN control to adjust the input gain. This control should always be turned fully counterclockwise whenever you connect or disconnect a signal source to one of

the inputs.

XENYX 1204/1204FX User Manual

2.1.2 Equalizer

All mono input channels include a 3-band equalizer. All bands provide boost or cut of up to 15 dB. In the central position, the equalizer is inactive.

The circuitry of the British EQs is based on the technology used in the best-known top-of-the-line consoles and providing a warm sound without any unwanted side effects. The result are extremely musical equalizers which, unlike simple equalizers, cause no side effects such as phase shifting or bandwidth limitation, even with extreme gain settings of ±15 dB.

Fig. 2.2: The equalizer of the input channels

The upper (HI) and the lower band (LO) are shelving filters that increase or decrease all frequencies above or below their cut-off frequency. The cut-off frequencies of the upper and lower band are 12 kHz and 80 Hz respectively. The mid band is configured as a peak filter with a center frequency of 2.5 kHz.

2.1.3 Aux sends

Fig. 2.3: The AUX SEND controls in the channel strips

Aux sends take signals via a control from one or more channels and sum these signals to a so-called bus. This bus signal is sent to an aux send connector and then routed, for example, to an active monitor speaker or an external effects device. The return from an external effect can then be brought back into the console via the aux return connectors.

For situations which require effects processing, the aux sends are usually switched post-fader so that the effects volume in a channel corresponds to the position of the channel fader. If this were not the case, the effects signal of the channel would remain audible even when the fader is turned to zero. When setting up a monitor mix, the aux sends are generally switched to pre-fader; i.e. they operate independently of the position of the channel fader.

Both aux sends are mono, are sourced after the equalizer and offer up to +15 dB gain.

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◊If you press the MUTE/ALT 3-4 switch, aux send 1 is muted, provided that it is switched post-fader. However, this does not affect the aux send 2 of the 1204FX.

AUX 1 (MON)

In the 1204FX, aux send 1 can be switched pre-fader and is thus particularly suitable for setting up monitor mixes. In the 1204, the first aux send is labeled MON and is permanently switched pre-fader.

PRE
When the PRE switch is pressed, aux send 1 is sourced pre-fader.
AUX 2 (FX)

The aux send labeled FX is for sending to effects devices and is thus set up to be post-fader.

In the 1204FX, the FX send is routed directly to the built-in effects processor.

◊If you wish to use the internal effects processor, the STEREO AUX RETURN 2 connectors should not be in use.

◊1204FX: you can also connect an external effects processor to aux send 2, however the internal effects module will be muted.

2.1.4 Routing switch, solo and channel fader

Fig. 2.4: Panorama and routing controls

PAN

The PAN control determines the position of the channel signal within the stereo image. This control features a constant-power characteristic, which means the signal is always maintained at a constant level, irrespective of position in the stereo panorama.

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