USER GUIDE ®
Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210
User Guide Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210 1
IMPORTANT Please read this manual carefully before using your mixer for the first time. This equipment complies with the EMC directive 2004/108/EC and LVD 2006/95/EC This product is approved to safety standards: EFX Models IEC 60065: 2001 + AMD1:2005 EN60065: 2002 + AMD1:2006+A11:2008 UL6500 7th Edition: 2003 CAN/CSA-E60065-03 and EMC standards: EN55103-1: 1996 (E2) EN55103-2: 1996 (E2) soundcraft.marketing@harman.com EPM Models For further details contact Harman International Industries Ltd.
Contents SAFETY SYMBOL GUIDE...................................................................................................4 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.............................................................................5 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................7 OVERVIEW.................................................................................................8 THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - EFX....................................
For your own safety and to avoid invalidation of the warranty please read this section carefully. SAFETY SYMBOL GUIDE For your own safety and to avoid invalidation of the warranty all text marked with these symbols should be read carefully. WARNINGS The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, is intended to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Read these instructions. Keep these instructions. Heed all warnings. Follow all instructions. Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with a dry cloth. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. Do not defeat the safety purpose of a polarised or grounding type plug.
Note: It is recommended that all maintenance and service on the product should be carried out by Soundcraft or its authorised agents. Soundcraft cannot accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage caused by service, maintenance or repair by unauthorised personnel. WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. Do not expose the apparatus to dripping or splashing and do not place objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus.
INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing a Soundcraft EFX/EPM mixer. The EFX/EPM range is a most cost-effective mixing solution, bringing you all the features and performance that you expect from a Soundcraft product, at an extraordinarily low price. The packaging, in which your mixer arrived, forms part of the product and must be retained for future use.
OVERVIEW To get you working as fast as possible, this manual begins with a 60-second guide. Here you can find quick information on any feature of the EFX console. BANK A KARAOKE THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - EFX 1 MIC INPUT (XLR) 2 LINE INPUT (¼” Jack) 3 INSERT POINT (¼” Jack) 4 GAIN CONTROL 5 EQ STAGE 6 AUX 1 SEND 7 FX SEND 8 PAN CONTROL 9 MUTE SWITCH 10 PFL 8 Connect Microphones here. If you are using a condenser mic, ensure phantom power is supplied by pressing the switch at the top of the master section.
PEAK LED This is used to indicate that the signal is close to distorting (clipping) on a specific channel. 12 INPUT CHANNEL FADER This is used to control the level fed to the Mix Bus and post-fade sends. 13 MIX OUTPUTS (XLR) & Connect these to your analogue recording device, or to your amplification MONO OUT (¼” Jack) system. 14 MIX INSERTS (¼” Jack) This is a pre-fade break in the signal path which can be used to feed a dynamics or mastering device.
THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - EPM 1 MIC INPUT (XLR) 2 LINE INPUT (¼” Jack) 3 INSERT POINT (¼” Jack) 4 GAIN CONTROL 5 EQ STAGE 6 AUX 1/2 SENDS 7 PAN CONTROL 8 MUTE SWITCH 9 PFL 10 Connect Microphones here. If you are using a condenser mic, ensure phantom power is supplied by pressing the switch at the top of the master section. WARNING: Do Not apply Phantom Power before connecting a microphone. Connect Line level sources here, e.g. Synth, Drum Machine, DI etc. Connect Signal processors here, e.g.
10 PEAK LED This is used to indicate that the signal is close to distorting (clipping) on a specific channel. 11 INPUT CHANNEL FADER This is used to control the level fed to the Mix Bus and post-fade sends. 12 MIX OUTPUTS (XLR) & Connect these to your analogue recording device, or to your amplification MONO OUT (¼” Jack) system. 13 MIX INSERTS (¼” Jack) This is a pre-fade break in the signal path which can be used to feed a dynamics or mastering device.
WIRING UP Mic Input The MIC input accepts XLR-type connectors and is designed to suit a wide range of BALANCED or UNBALANCED low-level signals, whether from delicate vocals requiring the best low-noise performance, or drum kits needing maximum headroom. Professional dynamic, condenser or ribbon mics are best because these will be LOW IMPEDANCE.
Stereo Inputs STEREO 1/2 and Stereo These accept 3-pole ‘A’ gauge jacks, or 2-pole mono jacks which will automatically ground the ‘cold’ input. Use these inputs for sources such as keyboards, drum machines, synths, tape machines or as returns from processing units.
Headphones The PHONES output is a 3-pole ‘A’ gauge jack, wired as a stereo output as shown, ideally for headphones of 150Ω or greater. 8Ω headphones are not recommended. Polarity (Phase) You will probably be familiar with the concept of polarity in electrical signals and this is of particular importance to balanced audio signals.
PROBLEM SOLVING Basic problem solving is within the scope of any user if a few basic rules are followed. • Get to know the Block Diagram of your console (see page 16/17). • Get to know what all controls and/or connections in the system are supposed to do. • Learn where to look for common trouble spots. The Block Diagram is a representative sketch of all the components of the console, showing how they connect together and how the signal flows through the system.
BLOCK DIAGRAM - Soundcraft EFX 16 Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210
BLOCK DIAGRAM - Soundcraft EPM Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210 17
MONO INPUT CHANNEL - EFX shown 1 Mic Input The MIC input accepts XLR-type connectors and is designed to suit a wide range of BALANCED or UNBALANCED signals. Professional dynamic, condenser or ribbon mics are best because these will be LOW IMPEDANCE. You can use low-cost HIGH IMPEDANCE mics, but the level of background noise will be higher. If you turn the PHANTOM POWER on (top right-hand side of the mixer) the socket provides a suitable powering voltage for professional condenser mics.
Note that some sound equipment, particularly that intended for domestic use, operates at a lower level (-10dBV) than professional equipment and will therefore need a higher gain setting to give the same output level. See “Initial Setup” on page 31 to learn how to set GAIN correctly.
7 Aux 2 Send (EPM only) This is used to set up a separate mix for FOLDBACK or recording, and the combination of each Aux Send is mixed to the Aux 2 Output. For recording it is useful for the signal to fade up and down with the fader (this is called POST-FADE), but for Foldback or Monitor feeds it is important for the send to be independent of the fader (this is called PRE-FADE). AUX 2 SEND is globally switchable between pre and post-fade (see master section on page 24/25).
STEREO INPUT CHANNELS (EFX shown) 1 INPUTS STEREO 1/2 These inputs accept 3-pole ‘A’ gauge (TRS) jacks. Use these inputs for sources such as keyboards, drum machines, synths, tape machines or processing units. The inputs are BALANCED for low noise and top quality from professional equipment, but you can use UNBALANCED sources by wiring up the jacks as shown in the “Wiring it Up” section earlier in this manual, although you should then keep cable lengths as short as possible.
5 AUX 2 SEND (EPM only) This is used to set up a separate mix for FOLDBACK or recording, and the combination of each Aux Send is mixed to the Aux 2 Output. For recording it is useful for the signal to fade up and down with the fader (this is called POST-FADE), but for Foldback or Monitor feeds it is important for the send to be independent of the fader (this is called PRE-FADE). AUX 2 SEND is globally switchable between pre and post-fade (see master section on page 24/25).
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MASTER SECTION (EFX) 1 PHANTOM POWER Many professional condenser mics need PHANTOM POWER, which is a method of sending a powering voltage down the same wires as the mic signal. Press the switch to enable the +48V power to all of the MIC inputs. The adjacent LED illuminates when the power is active. WARNING: TAKE CARE when using unbalanced mics which may be damaged by the phantom power voltage.
6 RECORD OUTPUTS These two RCA outputs carry a copy of the MIX L and MIX R signals. They allow the use of a recording device, e.g. DAT player, Minidisc recorder etc. 7 2 TRACK IN These two RCA phono sockets are unbalanced Left and Right line-level inputs, used for connecting a playback device. 8 2 TRACK TO MIX Press this switch to route the 2 Track in signals, connected to the Left and Right RCA sockets 7, to the MIX .
16 FX BUS OUTPUT (EFX only) (Aux 2 on EPM) This impedance-balanced output carries the signal from the FX bus. It could be used as a second Aux Output if desired, if the FX Processor is not needed at the time. The FX sends on the inputs channels to the FX bus are always post-fade. 17 FOOTSWITCH (EFX only) Footswitch Input (see diagram on page 20) - Using a single-pole, momentary footswitch inserted into the FOOTSWITCH input the effects processor can be muted/un-muted.
Lexicon® FX PROCESSOR OVERVIEW (EFX only) The effects within the console have been designed with both live sound reinforcement and home recording in mind. Featuring the deep, rich reverb algorithms that Lexicon® are renowned for the effects processor offers increased versatility and high quality effects, all instantly accessible via the extremely intuitive front panel controls.
FX PROCESSOR CONTROLS (EFX only) 1. Tempo Button - Tapping this button twice sets the Delay Time of the selected program. The LED flashes to indicate current tempo. Can be tapped in time with music source to synchronise the delay. 2. Store Button - Stores program modifications to one of the program locations. Press and hold for three seconds will store the preset in the current location.
REVERBS Reverberation (or “reverb” for short) is the complex effect created by the way we perceive sound in an enclosed space. When sound waves encounter an object or boundary, they don’t just stop. Some of the sound is absorbed by the object, but most of the sound is reflected or is diffused. In an enclosed space, reverb is dependent on many features of that space, including the size, shape and the type of materials that line the walls.
Reverse Reverb Reverse reverb works in the opposite fashion from normal reverb. Whereas a normal reverb has the loudest series of reflections heard first that then become quieter over time, the Reverse reverb has the softest reflections (essentially the tail of the reverb) heard first, and then grows louder over time until they abruptly cut off. Ambience Reverb Ambience is used to simulate the effect of a small or medium sized room without noticeable decay. It is often used for voice, guitar or percussion.
Diffusion Controls the initial echo density. High settings of Diffusion result in high initial echo density, and low settings cause low initial density. In a real-world situation, irregular walls cause high diffusion, while large flat walls cause low diffusion. For drums and percussion, try using higher Diffusion settings. Shape This control helps give a sense of both room shape and room size. Low values for Shape keep the majority of sound energy in the early part of the reverb tail.
DELAY CONTROLS Time Range Controls the length of the delay relative to Tap Tempo. At the 12 o’clock position, delay repeats are synchronous with the Tempo light (represented by a Quarter Note); lower values create faster repeats, higher values increase the time between repeats. Range 0-72. See The Effects Data Chart for exact note values. Feedback Controls the number of delay repeats by feeding the delay output signal back into the delay input.
Knob 1: Speed Controls the modulation rate of the Chorus effect. Lower settings are subtle, while higher values are much more pronounced. Knob 2: Depth Controls the amount of pitch shifting for each voice. Lower settings provide subtle thickening and warmth to a track, while higher settings give a more pronounced, multi-voice effect. Knob 3: Voices Controls the number of additional Chorus voices. Up to 8 voices can be added, continuously variable in 100 individual steps.
FACTORY RESET Use this function if you want to erase all program data and restore the effects processor to its factory state. To perform a Factory Reset press and hold the STORE button while powering up the console. Once the effects processor has initialized (after three seconds), then release the STORE button and the effects processor will be restored to its factory state.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 No SPRING STUDIO DELAY DIGITAL DELAY TAPE DELAY PONG DELAY MOD DELAY REVERSE DELAY CHORUS FLANGER PHASER TREMELO/PAN VIBRATO REV/DEL SHORT REV/DEL LONG PHASE DELAY ROTARY DELAY SMALL HALL LARGE HALL VOCAL HALL DRUM HALL SMALL PLATE LARGE PLATE VOCAL PLATE DRUM PLATE ROOM STUDIO CHAMBER AMBIENCE ARENA GATED REVERSE KARAOKE NAME PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY P
USING YOUR EFX OR EPM CONSOLE The final output from your sound system can only ever be as good as the weakest link in the chain, and especially important is the quality of the source signal because this is the starting point of the chain. Just as you need to become familiar with the control functions of your mixer, so you must recognise the importance of correct choice of inputs, microphone placement and input channel settings.
• Listen carefully for the characteristic sound of “feedback”. If you cannot achieve satisfactory input level setting without feedback, check microphone and speaker placement and repeat the exercise. If feedback persists, it may be necessary to use a Graphic Equaliser to reduce the system response at particular resonant frequencies. Note: The initial settings should only be regarded as a starting point for your mix.
APPLICATIONS APPLICATION 1 - LIVE SOUND REINFORCEMENT APPLICATION 2 - MULTISPEAKER APPLICATIONS This configuration demonstrates how multiple speaker configurations can be driven by the EFX and EPM mixers.
APPLICATION 3 - PLACES OF WORSHIP (using EFX) This configuration uses the FX OUT BUS (or Aux 2 on EPM) output to drive an induction loop for the hearing impaired (it is assumed that the FX processor isn’t being used in this configuration). Aux 1 output is used to generate foldback monitoring for the speaker/singer. The main outputs are used to drive the main speaker system. The record and playback connections are used to pass audio to and from a DAT machine or Cassette Recorder.
APPLICATION 4 - RECORDING The insert points on channels 1-8 may be used to feed a multitrack recorder as shown (link the send and return signals). The Mix outputs are used for a preliminary stereo mix on a DAT recorder.
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GLOSSARY Auxiliary send An output from the console comprising a mix of signals from channels derived independently of the main stereo mix. Balance The relative levels of the left and right channels of a stereo signal. Balanced A method of audio connection which ‘balances’ the wanted signal between two wires, these wires also have a screen which carries no signal. Any interference is picked up equally by the two wires, which results in cancellation of the unwanted signal.
Peaking The point at which a signal rises to its maximum instantaneous level, before falling back down again. It can also describe an equaliser response curve affecting only a band of frequencies, (like on a graphic equaliser), “peaking” at the centre of that band. Peak LED A visual indication of the signal peaking just before the onset of clipping, which will distort the signal.
TYPICAL CONNECTING LEADS 44 Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210
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MARK-UP SHEETS - EFX 46 You may freely copy these pages, and use them to record the settings used for particular applications/gigs.
16 KARAOKE Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210 47
MARK-UP SHEETS - EPM 48 Soundcraft EFX/EPM User Guide Issue 1210
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FITTING OPTIONAL RACKMOUNT EARS The part numbers for the kits are: RW5744 RACK MOUNTING KIT - EPM6 RW5745 RACK MOUNTING KIT - EFX8/EPM8 RW5746 RACK MOUNTING KIT- EFX12/EPM12 (included with consoles for models shipped 2010 onwards) Note: a rack extender is included in the EFX8/EPM8 rack mounting kit to make the console fit into a 19” frame, see the fitting instructions below.
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EPM/EFX TYPICAL SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Response Mic / Line Input to any Output ...............................................................+/-1.5dB, 20Hz – 20kHz T.H.D. Mic Sensitivity -30dBu, +14dBu @ Mix output ....................................................< 0.02% @ 1kHz Noise Mic Input E.I.N. (maximum gain) ..........................……….........................-127dBu (150Ω source) Aux, Mix and Masters (@ 0dB, faders down)..........................................................
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WARRANTY 1 Soundcraft is a trading division of Harman International Industries Ltd . End User means the person who first puts the equipment into regular operation. Dealer means the person other than Soundcraft (if any) from whom the End User purchased the Equipment, provided such a person is authorised for this purpose by Soundcraft or its accredited Distributor. Equipment means the equipment supplied with this manual.
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® SOUNDCRAFT SOUNDCRAFT USA A Division of Harman International Industries Ltd 8500 Balboa Boulevard Cranborne House, Cranborne Road, Northridge Potters Bar, Herts, EN6 3JN, UK CA 91329 USA Tel +44 (0) 1707 665000 Tel: +1-818-920-3212 Fax: +44 (0) 1707 660742 Fax: +1-818-920-3208 Email: soundcraft@harman.com Toll Free: 888-251-8352 Email: soundcraft-usa@harman.com www.soundcraft.
