12 EMX5016CF Owner’s Manual
Mixer Basics
Making the Most of Your Mixer

An Introduction

A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

A Plethora of Connectors—What Goes Where?

Questions you’re likely to encounter when setting up a system for the first time might include “Why all these
different types of connectors on the back of my mixer?” and “What’s the difference?”.
Let’s start by taking a look at the most common connector types.
The Venerable RCA Pin Jack
This is the “consumer connector,” and the one that has been most
commonly used on home audio gear for many years. Also known as
“phono” jacks (short for “phonogram”), but the term isn’t used much
these days—besides, it’s too easily confusable with “phone” jacks,
below. RCA pin jacks are always unbalanced, and generally carry a line-
level signal at –10 dB, nominal. You’re most likely to use this type of
connector when connecting a CD player or other home audio type
source to your mixer, or when connecting the output of your mixer to a
cassette recorder or similar gear.
The Versatile Phone Jack
The name “phone jack” arose simply because this configuration was first
used in telephone switchboards. Phone jacks can be tricky because you
can’t always tell what type of signal they’re designed to handle just by
looking at them. It could be unbalanced mono, unbalanced stereo,
balanced mono, or an insert patch point. The connector’s label will
usually tell you what type of signal it handles, as will the owner’s manual
(you do keep your manuals in a safe place, don’t you?). A phone jack
that is set up to handle balanced signals is also often referred to as a
“TRS” phone jack. “TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, which describes
the configuration of the phone plug used.
The Sturdy XLR
This type of connector is generally referred to as “XLR-type,” and almost
always carries a balanced signal. If the corresponding circuitry is
designed properly, however, XLR-type connectors will also handle
unbalanced signals with no problem. Microphone cables usually have
this type of connector, as do the inputs and outputs of most professional
audio gear.
You’ve got yourself a mixer and now you’re ready to use it.
Just plug everything in, twiddle the controls, and away you go … right?
Well, if you’ve done this before you won’t have any problems, but if this is the first time
you’ve ever used a mixer you might want to read through this little tutorial and pick up a
few basics that will help you get better performance and make better mixes.
Stereo/TRS phone plug
Mono phone plug
Sleeve
Ring
Tip
Male
Female