Behringer Europower PMH660M User manual

Version 1.4 August 2006
Users Manual
EUROPOWER
PMH660M/PMH880S

2
EUROPOWER PMH660M/PMH880S
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside
the enclosurevoltage that may be sufficient to
constitute a risk of shock.
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to
important operating and maintenance instructions
in the accompanying literature. Please read the
manual.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove
the top cover (or the rear section). No user
serviceable parts inside refer servicing to qualified
personnel.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not
expose this appliance to rain and moisture. The
apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or
splashing and no objects filled with liquids, such
as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.
DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Read these instructi ns.
2) Keep these instructi ns.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) F ll w all instructi ns.
5) D n t use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean nly with dry cl th.
7) D n t bl ck any ventilati n penings. Install in
acc rdance with the manufacturers instructi ns.
8) D n t install near any heat s urces such as radiat rs,
heat registers, st ves, r ther apparatus (including
amplifiers) that pr duce heat.
9) D n t defeat the safety purp se f the p larized r
gr unding-type plug. A p larized plug has tw blades
with ne wider than the ther. A gr unding type plug
has tw blades and a third gr unding pr ng. The wide
blade r the third pr ng are pr vided f r y ur safety. If
the pr vided plug d es n t fit int y ur utlet, c nsult
an electrician f r replacement f the bs lete utlet.
10) Pr tect the p wer c rd fr m being walked n r
pinched particularly at plugs, c nvenience receptacles,
and the p int where they exit fr m the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/access ries specified by the
manufacturer.
12) Use nly with the cart, stand, trip d, bracket, r table
specified by the manufacturer, r s ld with the
apparatus. When a cart is used, use cauti n when m ving
the cart/apparatus c mbinati n t av id injury fr m
tip- ver.
13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning st rms r
when unused f r l ng peri ds f time.
14) Refer all servicing t qualified service pers nnel.
Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as p wer supply c rd r plug
is damaged, liquid has been spilled r bjects have fallen
int the apparatus, the apparatus has been exp sed t
rain r m isture, d es n t perate n rmally, r has been
dr pped.
15) CAUTION - These service instructi ns are f r use by
qualified service pers nnel nly. T reduce the risk f
electric sh ck d n t perf rm any servicing ther than
that c ntained in the perati n instructi ns unless y u
are qualified t d s .

3
EUROPOWER PMH660M/PMH880S
CAUTION!
+We w uld like t p int ut that high v lume levels
may damage y ur hearing and/ r y ur headph nes.
Please turn the MAIN MASTER and MONITOR MASTER
c ntr ls fully c unter-cl ckwise bef re switching
n the device. Always make sure that the
appr priate v lume is set.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 4
1.1 Before you get started ................................................... 4
1.1.1 Shipment ............................................................... 4
1.1.2 Initial operation ...................................................... 4
1.1.3 Warranty .............................................................. 4
1.2 The manual ..................................................................... 4
2. CONTROL ELEMENTS ............................................... 4
2.1 Mono and stereo channels ............................................ 4
2.1.1 Input section ......................................................... 5
2.2 Effects section ............................................................... 5
2.3 Main and monitor section ................................................ 5
2.3.1 Connectors ........................................................... 6
2.4 Rear panel ...................................................................... 6
3. DIGITAL EFFECTS PROCESSOR ................................ 7
4. INSTALLATION ........................................................... 8
4.1 Mains connection ........................................................... 8
4.2 Audio connections ......................................................... 8
4.3 Loudspeaker connection ................................................ 9
5. WIRING EXAMPLES ................................................. 10
6. SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................... 12
7. WARRANTY .............................................................. 13
FOREWORD
Dear Customer,
Welcome to the team of
BEHRINGER users and
thank you very much
for expressing your
confidence in us by
purchasing this power
mixer.
Writing this foreword for
you gives me great
pleasure, because it
represents the culmination
of many months of hard
work delivered by our
engineering team to
achieve a very ambitious
goal: to present you two
outstanding power mixers
that give you maximum
flexibility and perfor-
mance with a unique sound character and broad range of striking
functions.
The task of designing our PMH series of power mixers certainly
meant a great deal of responsibility which we assumed by
focusing on you, the discerning user and musician. Meeting your
expectations also meant a lot of work and night shifts. But it was
fun, too. Developing a product usually brings a lot of people
together, and what a great feeling it is when all who participated
in such a project can be proud of what theyve achieved.
It is our philosophy to share our enjoyment with you, because
you are the most important member of the BEHRINGER team.
With your highly competent suggestions for new products youve
made a significant contribution to shaping our company and making
it successful. In return, we guarantee you uncompromising quality
as well as excellent technical and audio properties at an extremely
reasonable price. All of this will enable you to give free rein to
your creativity without being hampered by budget constraints.
We are often asked how we manage to produce such high-
quality devices at such unbelievably low prices. The answer is
quite simple: its you, our customers! Many satisfied customers
mean large sales volumes enabling us to get better purchasing
terms for components, etc. Isnt it only fair to pass this benefit on
to you? Because we know that your success is our success too!
I would like to thank all of you who have made the Project PMH
possible. You have all made your own personal contributions,
from the developers to the many other employees at this company,
and to you, the BEHRINGER user.
My friends, its been worth the effort!
Thank you very much,
Uli Behringer

4
EUROPOWER PMH660M/PMH880S
1. INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! With the PMH660M/PMH880S you have
acquired a state-of-the-art power mixer that sets new standards.
Right from the very start it has been our goal to design a
revolutionary unit that can be used for a wide variety of
applications. And indeed, this overwhelming power mixer gives
you plenty of functionality and a broad range of connection and
expansion options.
Your power mixer features our revolutionary C laudi
amplifier technology that reduces weight and size of your device
and provides extreme high output power.
Further advantages are the integrated V ice Canceller that
removes vocal tracks from a playback, the FBQ function for
feedback detection and the Speaker Processing function for
adjusting the frequency response of any loudspeakerand
everything with 24-bit/46 kHz resolution.
The mixing consoles of the PMH series feature a state of the
art, integrated switch-mode power supply (SMPS). One of the
great advantages is that (compared to conventional circuits) a
switch-mode power supply adapts to mains voltages between
100 and 240 volts automatically. Furthermore, due to its much
greater efficiency, it consumes much less energy than a
conventional power supply unit.
BEHRINGER is a company with its roots in professional
recording studio technology. For many years we have been
successful in developing products for studio and live use. These
include microphones and 19" units of all types (compressors,
enhancers, noise gates, tube processors, headphone amplifiers,
digital effects, DI boxes, etc.), monitor and P.A. speakers as well
as professional live and recording mixers. Our entire technical
know-how has gone into your PMH power mixer.
1.1 Before you get started
1.1.1 Sh pment
Your PMH was carefully packed at the factory and the
packaging is designed to protect the unit from rough handling.
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 d NOT return it t
BEHRINGER, but n tify y ur dealer and the shipping
c mpany immediately. Otherwise, claims f r
damage r replacement may n t be granted.
+We rec mmend that y u use a flight case, s as t
give y ur p wer mixer ptimum pr tecti n during
use r transp rt.
+Always use the riginal packing cart n t prevent
damage during st rage r transp rt.
+Make sure that children cann t play unsupervised
with the device r its packaging.
+Please ensure pr per disp sal f all packing
materials.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1.2 In t al operat on
Be sure that there is enough air space around the unit for
cooling and, to avoid overheating, please do not place the
EUROPOWER near radiators, etc.
+Bl wn fuses must be replaced by fuses f the same
type and rating! Please refer t the
SPECIFICATIONS f r details.
The mains connection is made using the enclosed power cord
and a standard IEC receptacle. It meets all of the international
safety certification requirements.
+Please make sure that all units have pr per gr und
c nnecti n. F r y ur wn safety, never rem ve r
disable the gr und c nduct r fr m the unit r n
the AC p wer c rd.
1.1.3 Onl ne reg strat on
Please, do remember to register your new BEHRINGER
equipment right after your purchase by visiting
www.behringer.com 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!
1.2 The manual
This manual is designed to give you both an overview of all
control elements and to provide detail about how to use them. To
provide you with a clear structure, we have grouped the control
elements according to their function. They can easily be found
on the enclosed numbered illustrations. If you need more detailed
information on specific topics, please visit our web site
www.behringer.com. The product-related information pages and
the ULTRANET-based glossary explain the relevant audio
engineering terminology in full detail.

5
EUROPOWER PMH660M/PMH880S
2. CONTROL ELEMENT
2. CONTROL ELEMENTS
A detailed description of all functions of your power mixer can
be found in the following chapters. Please also refer to the
enclosed sheet with the numbered illustrations to get an overview
of the control layout.
2.1 Mono and stereo channels
The HI control in the EQ section governs the high-frequency
range of the respective channel.
Use the MID control to boost or cut the mid-range
frequencies.
The LOW control allows you too boost/cut the low-
frequency range.
With the MON control you can adjust the volume of each
channel in the monitor mix.
The FX control determines the signal level sent from each
channel to the built-in effects processor this signal is also
present at the FX OUT jack (see ). The PMH880S has
two FX controls (FX 1 and FX 2), so that you can use two
effects simulteneously. Accordingly, it also provides two
effect Aux paths (see ).
+Please n te that the effects pr cess r signal will
be inaudible when the FX RETURN c ntr l ( ) is
set fully c unter-cl ckwise.
For the mono input channels, the PMH880S has a
PAN(ORAMA) control which determines the position of
the channel signal in the stereo main mix. The PMH660M
has no PAN on the input channels, because it is a dual-
mono power mixer.
The BAL(ANCE) control for the stereo channels of the
PMH880S corresonds to the PAN control for the mono
channels. It determines the relative volume of the left and
right input signals before they are routed to the stereo main
output. The PMH660M has no stereo channels and hence
no BAL control, because it is a dual-mono power mixer.
The LEVEL control adjusts the channel signal level in the
main mix.
2.1.1 Input sect on
The CLIP LED is very useful to control the input gain. It
should never be constantly illuminated (only with signal
peaks).
The PAD switch reduces the input sensitivity of the channel
by approx. 30 dB, to connect for example line-level signals.
The balanced HI-Z input (1/4" TRS) can be used for line-
level signal sources, e.g. keyboards, electric guitars and
basses.
Each channel has a balanced LOW-Z microphone input
with XLR connectors, which also supply the +48 V phantom
power for condenser microphones (see ).
Unbalanced stereo line inputs with 1/4" connectors for
stereo channels 7 to 10 of the PMH880S. They can be
used for connecting keyboards with stereo outputs or
stereo drum machines.
+Please remember t use either the micr ph ne r
the line input f a channel at a time, but never b th
at the same time!
2.2 Effects section
List of all multi-effects presets.
LED level meter of the effects processor. Since the
PMH880S allows you to select two effects simultaneously,
it also has two level meters (DUAL FX). Be sure that the
clip LED illuminates for signal peaks only. If it is illuminated
all the time, it is a sign that the effects processor is
overloading and hence producing unpleasant distortion.
The EFFECT display (PMH880S: two displays) shows the
currently selected preset.
Turn the PROGRAM control (PMH880S: one control each
for FX 1 and FX 2) to select an effects preset (preset
number starts flashing). Push the control briefly to confirm
your selection.
Press the FX IN button (PMH880S: FX 1 IN and FX 2 IN) to
activate the effects processor.
2.3 Main and monitor section
Your power mixer is equipped with two graphic 7-band
equalizers. The upper one processes the
monitor signal, the lower one the main signal.
Use the EQs to adjust the sound to the room
acoustics.
Press the FBQ IN switch to activate the FBQ Feedback
Detection System. The frequencies causing feedback are
shown by the brightly lit fader LEDs. Simply lower the level
of the respective frequency range until feedback
disappears and the LED goes out. Your power mixer offers
this function both for the main and the monitor mix.
Turn the FX RET control to add the effect signal to the main
mix (lower) or monitor mix (upper). The PMH880S allows
you to use two effects at the same time, it also has two FX
controls each for the main and monitor mixes: when the
FX RET 1 and FX RET 2 controls are fully counter-
clockwise, no effect signal is added.
The 2TR IN control adjusts the volume of the
2 Track In signal (see ).
The MONITOR MASTER control adjusts the monitor output
volume.
Use this 5-digit LED meter to control the output level of the
monitor signal. The upper LIM LED illuminates when the
internal amp protection circuit responds to output levels
that are too high.
The MAIN MASTER control is used to adjust the main output
volume.
Use this 5-digit LED meter to control the output level of the
main signal. The PMH880S has two rows of LED meters
(L/R), because the signal is stereo. The upper LIM LED
illuminates when the internal amp protection circuit
responds to output levels that are too high.
+48V phantom power is provided for condenser
microphones. The phantom power supply is activated for
all channels with the PHANTOM switch and the PHANTOM
LED above the switch illuminates.
Use the POWER AMP switch to determine the operating
mode of your power mixer.
The PMH880S has three different operating modes: In MAIN
L/MAIN R mode it functions as a stereo amplifier, i.e. the
left and right main stereo signals are sent to OUTPUT A (L)
and OUTPUT B (R). In MON/MONO mode it functions as a
dual mono amplifier. I. e. OUTPUT A sends the monitor