Schertler ARTHUR PRIME User manual

M A N U A L
W W W . S C H E R T L E R . C O M
ARTHUR
PRIME SERIES - ANALOG DESKTOP MIXER
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ARTHUR PRIMEMIXERS
I’m delighted that you have purchased a SCHERTLER® ARTHUR PRIME mi er. It is our pleasure to welcome
you to a growing family of musicians and technicians, including many of the world’s leading soloists and
sound engineers, who have chosen to work with SCHERTLER® products.
The ARTHUR mi er series has involved years of careful research and development. Our PRIME mi ers
incorporate some of the best features from the agship ARTHUR Format 48 console, presented in three high-
quality, compact, analog desktop models that are perfect for musicians on the move, or for smaller spaces.
A choice of input channels gives you all the benets of ARTHUR mi er technology in a format that suits your
particular performing or recording needs.
Achieving the best possible sound quality is essential and we are proud of ARTHUR PRIME’s advanced
electronic design which features a complete absence of Negative Feedback from input to output. Circuits
are built using single, discrete Class-A electronic components and pure high-voltage DC amps (with no
capacitors in the signal path), offering 30 dB headroom and low noise, as well as unparalleled stability,
warmth and transparency.
We very much hope that you will enjoy working with your ARTHUR PRIME mi er.
Stephan Schertler
President, electronic designer
and the SCHERTLER Team

INTRODUCTION
3
The PRIME mi er series is based on the same technology used in SCHERTLER’s ARTHUR Format 48 mi er,
guaranteeing best possible sound quality. The same high-quality preamps are found on the input channels,
the same hi-voltage (48 V) power supply offers superior headroom, and the same No Negative Feedback
(NNFB) structure gives a fast response and natural attack. Inputs and outputs contain all the essential
elements you would e pect from a professional mi er. Compact dimensions make PRIME mi ers very easy
to transport and quick to set up.
PRIME 5 is the smallest member of the family. The 5-channel audio mi er is ideal for applications that only
require a few inputs: for e ample, a vocal/guitar recording, a performance involving an instrument or
vocals and keyboard, or a conference setting with two or three microphones and stereo playback.
PRIME 9 has the same overall design as its smaller sibling, but its e tra inputs offer more e ibility. The 9-
channel audio mi er is ideal for small instrumental/vocal groups, small-scale theatrical performances, or
events such as conferences and e hibitions where more microphones or sound sources may sometimes be
required.
PRIME 13 is the largest member of the family. The 13-channel audio mi er is an ideal solution for smaller
theaters and performance venues, houses of worship, rehearsal rooms or recording/project studios where
e cellent sound quality is required, but space is more limited. A practical number of inputs will neatly
accommodate a range of performers, without leaving wasted channels and unused au sends.
To make the most of your ARTHUR PRIME and to ensure trouble-free operation, please read this
man al caref lly before sing the mixer for the rst time. We also advise keeping the manual
for future reference.
Prime 5 Prime 9 Prime 13
MIC INPUT CHANNELS: each with balanced XLR microphone
input and unbalanced YELLOW line/instrument input.
Features: GAIN, INSERT, INSERT/DIRECT OUT, 48 V and 10 V
supply, 3-band EQ, PAN, MUTE, 2 post-/prefade AUX SENDS
(for managing effects or controlling a stage monitor), channel
fader and VU meter.
3 5 7
LINE CHANNELS: with balanced inputs (PAN controls enable
channel input conguration as either stereo or 2 mono). Features:
GAIN, 2 post-/prefade AUX SENDS per input, MUTE(s) and
channel fader(s).
1 2 3
MASTER SECTION: with L/R faders and VU meters, 2 main XLR
and 2 AUX OUTS, stereo DIGITAL REVERB with independent
controls for volume and decay, HEADPHONE section with volume
control.
1 1 1

ARTHUR PRIMEMIXERS
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INFORMATION
SAFETY FIRST!
Safety is of major importance when operating any electrical equipment, so
please note the following:
On a product, a lightning ash within a triangle indicates the presence of
uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product enclosure. This may be of
sufcient magnitude to cause risk of electric shock.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
This information applies to all models and power supplies of the ARTHUR series:
Before connecting your mi er to the mains, make sure that the mains voltage does not e ceed the voltage
specied on the mi er/power supply.
Do not use your mi er if its power supply, cable or plug are not in perfect condition. Replace these as
necessary, using the e act models/types specied. If any  ed cables need replacing, this should be done
by a suitably qualied professional.
Your mi er should only be connected to a mains socket with a ground protection system.
When setting up or installing your mi er, make sure that the mains socket and the power supply’s mains
cable and plug are easily accessible.
Do not, under any circumstances, defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A
polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a
third grounding prong. The wide blade and third prong are provided for your safety. If the supplied plug
does not t your mains socket, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete socket.
Do not e pose your mi er to rain or any other water (even in small amounts). Do not use the mi er near
water.
Avoid spilling drinks or any other liquids on the mi er.
Do not operate your mi er in e cessively humid conditions. Avoid e cessive heat from sunshine, re or
similar. If your mi er is being used in a dusty environment, make sure it is adequately protected.
Avoid installing your mi er near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other heat-
producing apparatus (including ampliers).
Do not put any sources of open ame (e.g. candles or pyrotechnics) on or near your mi er.
Do not cover your mi er during use, or obstruct the ventilation ow in any way.
Unplug your mi er during lightning storms, or if it is not going to be used for a while. (Remove the plug from
the mains socket to completely disconnect the mi er.)
Your mi er does not contain any “user serviceable” parts. Servicing and/or repairs should only be carried
out by qualied personnel. See MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR (below).

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OPERATIONAL SAFETY
During installation or live performances, make sure that your mi er’s power supply cable cannot be walked
on, tripped over or “pinched” – particularly at sockets, around waste bins etc. Also make sure that the power
supply cable is not “stressed” at its point of connection to the mi er.
To avoid interference, do not install your mi er near power transformers, TV sets, RF transmitters, electric
motors, or any other sources of electrical energy.
To avoid potential accidents, only use attachments, accessories and other equipment such as carts, stands,
tripods, brackets or cases that are specied or recommended by the manufacturer, or sold with your mi er.
Loud volume levels can cause irreparable damage to hearing, so avoid the following while using your mi er:
- acoustic feedback (never point microphones directly at a loudspeaker)
- high levels of distortion
- impulse noises (loud “pops”) that can occur when a device is switched on/off, connected to or
disconnected from a system.
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
Your mi er can be carefully cleaned, as necessary, using a dry cloth. No water must be used.
When cleaning, do not use any solvents (such as acetone or alcohol). These could damage the mi er’s nish
and its labeling.
Visually check your mi er on a regular basis for any signs of wear and tear or damage, but do not attempt
any kind of servicing or repair.
If your mi er malfunctions, or has been damaged, e.g. if the power supply/cable or plug is damaged, liquid
has been spilled or objects have fallen inside, the mi er has been e posed to rain or moisture, does not
operate normally, or has been dropped, please call your nearest SCHERTLER technical assistance center.
(For more information, contact us at the address on the last page of this manual.)

ARTHUR PRIMEMIXERS
POWER SUPPLIES
The ARTHUR PRIME mi er receives its electrical energy through an e ternal power supply. Although you
may be happy with the power supply provided with your mi er, here is a general overview of the different
power supplies that are available:
ART48-PS12: Compact switching power supply provided with the mi er
ART48-PS36: Optional 3.6 A high-end linear power supply
ART48-PSPRO: Optional 10 A high-end linear power supply (this can power up to 3 ARTHUR PRIME mi ers
together)
Linear power supplies better suit the noise level needed in professional environments such as recording
studios, and offer an even wider dynamic range than the switching power supply.
GROUND LOOP
In most cases (whether in live situations or in a recording studio) it is usual to consider the mi ing console
as the central ground point in the entire audio system. This consideration is important in order to avoid
ground loops between the various pieces of audio equipment.

7
STARTING THE MIXER
Plug the power supply’s connection cable into the ARTHUR PRIME’s DC IN connector (see page 10). ARTHUR
has no on/off switch: when your mi er is not in use, its power supply should be disconnected.
Note: The linear power supplies can be switched on or off using the on/off switch on the power supply itself.
Before switching on the mi er, make sure that the master faders are down. This will avoid power-on “pops”
from any loudspeakers that may have been left on by accident. In any case, a mi er should always be
turned on before any of the subsequent devices in the audio chain.
IMPORTANT: Once the mi er is powered up, the audio electronics’ DC regulators need about two minutes
to balance all the DC levels in the circuitry. You can start using the mi er after just 10 seconds, but the slightly
unbalanced DC levels will reduce the dynamic and you might hear a “click” noise when pressing some of
the buttons, or a slight “crackle” when operating the rotary controls! These effects will disappear after the
two minutes.
At all times, and partic larly before important recordings, the mixer sho ld be
warmed p and r n for abo t half an ho r before any serio s work begins.

ARTHUR PRIMEMIXERS
1. MIC IN: This XLR input can receive balanced signals from -50dBu to -7dBu (a range of 43dB). Intended
as a dedicated microphone input, the wider dynamic range effectively enables any audio signal to be
connected.
2. YELLOW: This instrument input enables direct connection of musical instrument pickups (such as the
SCHERTLER STAT Series) or a passive electronic instrument. The input receives balanced signals from 0 to
+38 dBu.
3. INSERT: This works in a similar way to inserts on other mi ers. However, a related “bypass” button (see
5 below) offers additional possibilities.
4. P48: When activated (red light), this delivers 48 V of phantom power to the microphone. The mic will
usually be a condenser or active ribbon type. A dynamic mic cannot normally “see” phantom power (as the
name suggests), but passive ribbon mics could be permanently damaged by it. Therefore, only use with mics
that require phantom power in order to work. Note: The internal circuitry raises the 48 V slowly, to avoid
“pops” and protect the microphone, so allow around 10 seconds for the mic to be working fully.
5. INSERT/DIRECT OUT: When this button is depressed, the audio signal in the mi er is interrupted and the
INSERT (3) works in the usual way. Connecting a mono jack gives you the simple output line signal on the
“tip”. Connecting a standard stereo jack gives you the (output) signal from the “tip” (send), while the return
signal is connected to the mi er through the “ring” (return) of the jack. If the button is not depressed, the
signal will not be interrupted when a jack is plugged into the INSERT. Here, the insert connection works as
a sleeve out or “dry line out post input amp”. You can connect a mono or stereo jack to the INSERT. The
unbalanced line signal will be transmitted through the “tip” of the jack. Orange light = depressed
(interrupted.) Blue light = not depressed (bypassed).
6. 10V: This delivers the necessary 10 V supply for all SCHERTLER electrostatic pickups (STAT and BASiK
Series). It enables the pickup to be directly connected to the YELLOW instrument input without using its
original preamp. The button can also be used for connecting unbalanced electret microphones to the
instrument input.
7. GAIN: Adjusting the GAIN affects the amplication rate of the input amplier, amplifying a weak signal
to a nominal level of 0 dBV, or attenuating a stronger one so that a nominal signal of 0 dB is always present
at the output of the mic input amp.
Microphone input channels have 3-band EQ
1. 3. 5. 7. 9. 12. 14. 16.
2. 4. 6. 8. 10. 11. 13. 15.

9
8. HI: This lets you tune the high range of the audio spectrum (4.5 kHz upwards) from +/- 15 dB with a
slope of 18 dB / octave. The 3rd order structure “keeps” the circle of inuence within the lter’s audio band
so as not to overlap with the MID lters. This makes adjustment of the higher frequencies more accurate.
9. MID: This acts on frequencies within a wide mid range centered on 700 Hz, with amplication or
attenuation of +/- 12 dB.
10. LOW: This lets you adjust the signal’s low frequencies, amplifying them by +12 dB up to 100 Hz, or
reducing them by -14 dB up to 80 Hz with a slope of 12 dB / octave. The higher order prevents the low
frequencies from overlapping with the MID, making adjustment of the lower frequencies more accurate.
The HI, MID and LOW controls all have a detent at their mid positions. This indicates the lter’s “at”
position.
11. AUX 1: This AUX SEND is postfade (it depends on the fader position) and is used to dene the amount
of signal sent to the internal reverb unit and to the master section’s AUX 1 OUT. This is useful for managing
internal or e ternal effects (see Master Section, 2).
12. AUX 2: This AUX SEND is prefade (it does not depend on the fader position) and sets the amount of
signal sent to the master section’s AUX 2 OUT. This is useful for controlling a stage monitor (see Master
Section, 4).
13. PAN: The PAN pot lets you send the signal to the LEFT or RIGHT MASTER channel. The pot’s
conguration has been designed to guarantee minimum noise and ma imum dynamic in its central position.
14. MUTE: To e clude this channel signal from the L/R MASTER mi without changing the fader position,
simply press the MUTE button.
15. CHANNEL FADER: As on all mi ing consoles, this lets you control the total amount of signal going to
the L/R MASTER.
16. VU LEVEL METER: This lets you “read” the amount of gain set.
Note: Turn up the GAIN control to a point where the orange “normal” section appears fully bright and the
red “peak” occasionally shows. But don’t worry too much about this: the amount of headroom from input
to output means that even strong overloads can be absorbed by the mi er’s electronics without resulting in
distortion.
MIC CHANNELS
9. 12. 14. 16.
8. 10. 11. 13. 15.

ARTHUR PRIMEMIXERS
The “stereo” line channel effectively consists of two independent mono channels, each with their own
controls. It can either be used as a stereo input or as 2 mono inputs.
1. LINE INPUTS: These are two fully balanced inputs with ¼” jack connectors. (“Tip” connects to the hot
signal, “ring” to the cold and “sleeve” to the ground.) Using jack connectors also means that unbalanced
signal sources (such as a keyboard) can be connected.
2. GAIN: Although this input channel is intended to accommodate nominal line level signals, the input amp’s
sensitivity can be adjusted from -17 dBu to +18 dBu using these controls. Left and right input channels can
be separately adjusted. Setting the controls to the “u” icon means that the gain will be set to unity, allowing
the signal to ow without amplication or attenuation. This is particularly useful in a recording situation, for
e ample, where “line level” devices might be connected to the line inputs.
The AUX SENDS are the same as on the microphone input channel
3. AUX 1: Postfade, for controlling the amount of signal sent to the internal reverb and to the master section’s
1. 2. 3. 4.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.