The box STAGE 250 User manual

Owner’s Manual
TRANSPORTABLE PA
WITH BUILT-IN MIXER AND 24 BIT EFFECTS
STAGE 250

2
Important Safety Instructions
For your own safety you must read this section in full rst!
Intended use
This device is intended exclusively for the transmission of audio signals according to this manual and the
specications given here. By using it in any other way you face the risk of electric shock. No warranty
claims will be granted for damage resulting from improper use!
Risk of electrical shock!
Connect the device only to a properly wired and earthed electrical wall socket providing one of the•
mains voltages listed in the chapter “Technical specications” of this manual. Pay attention to the
correct setting of the mains voltage switch.
NEVER operate the device if the power plug or power the cord is damaged.•
NEVER submerse the device in water. Liquid getting into the box will risk a short circuit and will be •
hazardous.
NEVER expose the device to direct precipitation or moisture and never use it in a damp or wet •
environment. This device was developed for indoor use only. Do not use it outdoors.
Do not subject the device to high temperatures, direct sunlight, severe vibrations, shocks or tremors, •
or excessive dust.
Ensure that the power cord does not become wet during operation.•
You must NEVER open the housing of the device or try to repair it. There are no user serviceable •
parts inside. Warranty will become void if you open the housing and you face the risk of electric
shock.
Do not place objects containing uids, e.g. ower vases or beer bottles, on or near the device.•
Notice regarding power disconnection:•
To switch the device off and to disconnect it from the power source the power plug must be removed
from the power socket. For this reason the device should be placed in a position where a constant
unobstructed access to the power socket is assured, thus in an emergency situation you are able to
immediately pull out the power plug. To eliminate the risk of re you must completely disconnect the
power plug from the power socket after the device has been used.
Always grasp the power cord by the plug. Do not pull on the cord itself and never touch the power •
cord with wet hands as this could result in a short circuit or an electrical shock. Do not place the
device, other speaker cabinets or anything else on the power cord and make sure that it does not
become clamped. Place the power cord in a position where it can not be trod on. A damaged power
cord can cause a re or an electrical shock. Check the power cord from time to time. Should it become
damaged contact our customer service centre to have it replaced.
 Riskofre!
NEVER leave the device unattended while it is switched on.•
Do not place any open sources of re, like candles, on the device.•
Never operate the device in the vicinity of heat sources such as cookers, heating elements, lighting •
equipment, smoke machines, or other heat producing installations.
When a thunderstorm with the risk of lightening threatens please disconnect the device from the mains •
power.
Risk of personal injury!
Keep the power cord and device away from children. Children frequently underestimate the dangers of •
electrical equipment.
Ensure a safe location for the device• .
Do not operate the device if it has sustained a fall or is damaged. Arrange for the device to be checked •
and/or repaired by qualied technicians.
Important!• Keep sufcient distance from the speaker box when operated with high volume
level. Listening to music with high sound pressure level may cause permanent damage to your
hearing!

3
Cleaning and Maintenance
Disconnect the unit from the mains before any cleaning. Clean the surface of the housing with a damp •
cloth. Never use cleaning agents that contain petrol, solvents, or any aggressive substance. They
could damage the housing’s surface.
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the THE BOX Stage 250, a 2-way vented powered speaker system. This
unique system was designed to be an all-in one portable solution with built-in 160 Watts amplier, 4
channels mixer with 3-band EQ and 24-bit DSP effects. The THE BOX Stage 250 combines practicality
with top design concepts achieved over many years of manufacturing quality products.
Please read this manual carefully so you can take advantages of all the features of the Stage 250. Thank
you again for making the right choice in purchasing the THE BOX Stage 250.
Features
Portable plywood painted cabinet with wheelX
1 12“ woofer and 1 1“ throat compression driverX
4 channels mixer with a total of 4 inputs, Balanced XLR & TRS inputsX
7-band graphic EQX
Ultra low noise discrete MIC preamps with +15V phantom powerX
3-band EQ on all input channelsX
Independent level controls on each channelX
High headroom for excellent dynamic rangeX
On-stage monitor mixX
DSP/FX send for built-in or external effectsX
Tape In/OutX
24-bit DSP effects with 100 presetsX
Mini plug input for portable players with level controlX
Useful Data
Please write your serial number here for future reference.:
Serial Number:
Data of Purchase:
Purchased at:

4
The operating elements
MONO INPUT Channels q
CH1 through CH4, come with balanced MIC IN and LINE IN
connectors. Use the XLR (MIC IN) socket to connect a low
impedance microphone or other low level signal. The XLR inputs
feature +15V phantom power allowing you to connect condenser
microphones.
Use the 1/4” TRS (LINE IN) jack to connect either a microphone or
a line level instrument such as synthesizers, drum machines, effect
processors or any other line level signal.
Note: You shall never connect an unbalanced microphone to a
XLR socket if you do not want to damage both the microphone and
unit.
+15V PHANTOM POWER Switch w
This switch will apply +15 Volt phantom power only to the 4 XLR
input sockets. When these XLR sockets are connected with
devices that do not require phantom power, please make sure
the phantom power is turned off, otherwise, this may damage the
connected device and/or the Stage 250.
Channel LEVEL Control e
This control is used to adjust the overall volume level of the
respective channel. The adjustable range goes from -∞ to +10 dB.
DSP/FX AUX1 POST Control r
This control is congured as a POST-FADER, so the audio signal
will be affected by the channel level control. Via the FX SEND jack,
the AUX1 signal can be sent to an external effect device.
EQUALIZER
The BOX Stage 250 features a 3-band equalizer which allows you
to adjust the high, mid and low frequencies separately on each
mono channel.
HIGH t
This is the treble control. You can use it to get rid of high frequency
noises or to boost the sound of cymbals or the high harmonics of
the human voice. The gain range goes from -15 dB to +15 dB with
a centre frequency of 12 kHz.
MID y
This is the mid range control. It can affect most fundamental
frequencies of all musical instruments and human voice. An
attentive use of this control will give you a very wide panorama of
sound effects. The gain range goes from -12 dB to +12dB with a
centre frequency of 2.5 kHz.
LOW u
This is the bass control. It is used to boost male voice or kick-drum and bass guitar. Your system will
sound much bigger than what it is. The gain range goes from -15dB to +15dB and the centre frequency
is 80Hz.

5
PEAK/SIGNAL LED i
This LED will illuminate green when a signal is present at the LINE/MIC
input. When the signal nears clipping, the LED will illuminate red.
LEVEL Control o
This control is used to adjust the level of TAPE IN and 3.5 Ø jack signal
simultaneously. The adjustable range goes from -∞ to +10 dB.
3.5 Jack a
This insert can be used to connect with a computer, MP3, MP4 or CD
players.
TAPE IN s
The THE BOX Stage 250 features dual RCA jacks (left and right).
If you wish to listen to your monitor from a tape recorder, DAT or
cassette, please use these tape input jacks.
TAPE OUT d
Via these jacks, you can route the main out signal into a tape recorder
or DAT for recording.
MONITOR Control f
This control is used to adjust the level of the monitor output.
LAMP Switch g
By pressing this key, you can turn the lamp on/off.
12V LAMP h
A BNC-type lamp socket is provided for use with a gooseneck lamp.
GRAPHIC EQ j
Your THE BOX Stage 250 is equipped with a graphic EQ, which
provides 7-band fader controls. Via these faders, you can boost or
attenuate the selected frequency by 15 dB at a preset bandwidth.
When all faders are at the centre position, the output of the equalizer is
at the at response. They are used to modify the frequency “contour”
of a sound. The EQ function will be activated automatically as soon as
you operate your THE BOX Stage 250.

6
LEVEL CONTROL (In Graphic EQ Section) k
This control is used to adjust the overall volume of the main mix output. The adjustable range goes from
-∞ to +10 dB.
OUTPUT LEVEL LED l
The 4-segment LED meter is used to indicate the output level.
OPERATING LED 1(
This LED lights up when the unit is powered on.
MAIN OUT Jack 2)
This jack is used to output the main mix signal to an external unit.
MONITOR OUT Jack 2!
This jack is used to connect the input signal of an external monitor amplier or active monitor speaker.
COMP./LIM. Switch 2@
Set the COMP./LIM. switch to “ON” position in order to prevent your signal from exceeding a level
threshold that would cause distortion.
FOOTSWITCH 2#
You can connect an external footswitch to turn the onboard effect module on/off, via the 1/4” phone
jack.
FX SEND Jack 2$
This jack is used to sent out the signal from AUX bus.
FX RETURN Jack 2%
This jack is used to return the sound of an external effect unit to the main mix. You can also use it as an
extra auxiliary input.

7
DSP Section with 24-Bit Digital Effects
Your THE BOX Stage 250 features a special 100-preset digital effect, for further details please refer to
the following content.
DISPLAY 2^
Displays the selected preset.
PROGRAM (PUSH) 2&
Adjust this knob to select the right effect you wish to perform. There are total 100 options for you: Vocal,
Echo, Plate and versatile two-effect combination. When you are satised with the chosen preset, please
push this knob to activate this preset.
DSP MUTE Button 2*
This button is used to activate/deactivate the effect facility. Sometimes, you can also use the
FOOTSWITCH jack for convenient operation.
CLIP/MUTE LED 2(
This LED lights up when the input signal is too strong. In case of the digital effect module being muted,
this LED also lights up.
AUX/DFX RET Control 3)
This control is used to adjust the volume of FX RETURN and MAIN OUTPUT effect.

8
Rear panel
POWER ON/OFF Switch 3(
This switch is used to turn the unit on/off.
AC INPUT 3#
Standard IEC receptacle, connect your THE BOX Stage 250 to the main
electrical outlet with the supplied power cord.
VOLTAGE SELECTOR 3$
There are two kinds of voltages for your operation from this switch, you
can select the voltage at 115V or 230V.
DC POWER Switch 3%
Connect the AC supply and turn the DC power switch on, then the battery
can be charged.
BATTERY 3^
These LEDs are used to indicate the power of the battery.
EXT. DC 12V 3&
When the AC and battery are out of power, you can use the EXT. DC 12V
socket, to supply the unit.
POWER AMP Switch 3*
Press this switch to activate or deactivate the external speaker box.
The external speaker feature is available in mains supply operation only.
CLIP LED 4)
When the output signal distortion exceeds 0.5%, then the red LED (Clip)
indicator will blink. It will warn you that the levels of the input signal are too
high and may cause distortion. Please attenuate the level of the input signal.
SPEAKON Connector 4!
This connector is used to connect with the passive speakers. It is congured with a speakon connector.
You can determine the signal that is output to this jack.
NOTE: In order to avoid damaging your built-in amplier, please pay attention to the impedance of
speaker. Lower load impedances than 4Ω are not permitted.

9
Battery
When turning on the AC and DC simultaneously, the
AC supply is prior to the DC; when AC supply fails, the
unit will do a running change to battery supply and,
thus turns into UPS function.
Follow the procedure to replace the battery:
1. Risk of electronic shock! You MUST switch off the
AC/DC supply before replacing the battery.
2. Unscrew these four screws on the front panel and
put them aside.
3. Take out the rechargeable battery from the box.
4. Press the terminal of the battery cable and pull out
the wiring of the battery.
5. Disassemble the package of the newly purchased
battery, and insert the red/black cable into the
connector (Do not invert the red/black cable).
6. After replacing the battery, and assembling the wire,
input it into the box, then tight the screws on the
rear panel.
7. Before using the new rechargeable battery, we
suggest to charge the battery rst.
Frequency response diagram

10
Connection diagram

11
MATCHING WITH PASSIVE SPEAKER & SUBWOOFER
In this example, it connects a sub-woofer, and the woofer of this two full-range act like midwoofer. This is
very popular combination especially in small size clubs when there’s no need for two sub-woofers.

12
Set-up
Ok, you have reached this point and you are now in the position to successfully operate your THE BOX
Stage 250. However, we advise you to read carefully the following section, to be the real master of your
unit. Not paying enough attention to the input signal level, to the routing of the signal and the assignment
of the signal will result in unwanted distortion, a corrupted signal or no sound at all. So you should follow
this procedure for every single channel.
Turn down all input and output controls.•
Connect phantom powered microphones before switching on the +15V phantom power switch.•
Set the output level of your THE BOX Stage 250 at no more than 75%.•
Now, set the MONITOR level at no more than 50%. In this way you will be able to hear later what you •
are doing by connecting a pair of powered monitor speakers.
Set the EQ controls to middle position.•
Now repeat the same sequence for all input channels. The main LED meter could move • up into the
red section. In this case you can adjust the overall output level through the OUTPUT LEVEL control.
Audio Connection
The THE BOX Stage 250 is presented with balanced XLR sockets & 1/4” TRS jacks and unbalanced
RCA connectors, and it can be interfaced in several ways to support a variety of applications without
any signal loss. The unit can be used on a single instrument by connecting to a mixing console’s main
inserts, or a power amplier.
Wiring Configuration
Either the 1/4” TRS phone jack or the XLR connector can be wired in balanced and unbalanced modes,
which will be determined by the actual application status, please wire your system as the following wiring
examples:

13
In line Connection
For these applications, the THE BOX Stage 250 provides 1/4” TRS connectors, XLR connectors and
RCA connectors to interface with most professional audio devices easily. Follow the conguration
examples below for your particular connection.
In line Connection
If you are connecting to a mixing console’s main insert, you may have single TRS jacks for Send &
Return. In this case, use an insert “Y” cable that’s congured like the example below.

14
Preset list

15
Block diagram

16
Technical specifications
As we continuously strive to improve our products, all specications and appearance are subject to
change without prior notice.

17
Disposal
Do not dispose of the device at the end of his operating life in your normal domestic waste.
This device is subject to the European Guidelines 2002/96/EC.
Have the product disposed of by a professional disposal company of by your communal disposal•
facility.
Observe the currently applicable regulations. In case of doubt contact your disposal facility.•
Dispose of packaging materials in an environmentally responsible manner.•

18

19

© 2010
Musikhaus Thomann
Treppendorf 30 • 96138 Burgebrach • Germany
www.thomann.de