USER GUIDE ®
USER GUIDE 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 soundcraft@harman.com © Harman International Industries Ltd. 2010 All rights reserved Parts of the design of this product may be protected by worldwide patents. Part No. BD10.531000 Issue 1210 Soundcraft is a trading division of Harman International Industries Ltd.
Contents IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS..............................................................................4 SAFETY SYMBOL GUIDE...................................................................................................6 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................11 THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - MFXi.......................................................................................12 THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - MPMi.....
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.
No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the apparatus. Ventilation should not be impeded by covering the ventilation openings with items such as newspapers, table cloths, curtains etc. THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED. Under no circumstances should the safety earth be disconnected from the mains lead. The mains supply disconnect device is the mains plug. It must remain accessible so as to be readily operable when the apparatus is in use.
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.
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CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES Lisez ces instructions. Conservez ces instructions. Respectez toutes les consignes de sécurité. Suivez toutes les instructions. N’utilisez pas cet appareil près d’une source liquide. Nettoyez l’appareil uniquement avec un tissu sec. N’obstruez pas les ouïes de ventilation. Installez uniquement en suivant les recommandations du fabricant.
ATTENTION : Pour réduire les risques d’incendie ou d’électrocution, n’exposez pas ce produit à la pluie ou à l’humidité. Ce produit ne doit être exposé à aucune source liquide, et aucun contenant rempli de liquide, tel un vase, ne doit être déposé sur celui-ci. Ne placez aucune source à flamme nue, telle une bougie, sur l’appareil. Veillez à ce qu’aucun objet (journal, nappe, rideau, etc.) n’obstrue les ouïes de ventilation. CET APPAREIL DOIT ÊTRE RELIÉ À LA TERRE.
Pour assurer votre sécurité et éviter toute annulation de la garantie, veuillez lire attentivement les paragraphes repérés par ces symboles de sécurité. GUIDE DES SYMBOLES DE SÉCURITÉ Pour assurer votre sécurité et éviter toute annulation de la garantie, veuillez lire attentivement les paragraphes repérés par ces symboles de sécurité.
INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing a Soundcraft MPMi/MFXi mixer. The MPMi and MFXi ranges are our most cost-effective mixing solutions, bringing you all the features and performance that you expect from a Soundcraft product, at an extraordinarily low price. The packaging, in which your console arrived, forms part of the product and must be retained for future use.
THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - MFXi 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 console. This shows the MFXi console.
12 MIX/SUB SWITCH 13 PEAK LED 14 SP LED 15 INPUT CHANNEL FADER 16 MIX OUTPUTS (XLR) & MONO OUT (¼” Jack) 17 SUB-GROUP OUTPUTS (¼” Jack) 18 SUB-GROUP ROUTING 19 MASTER FADERS 20 MAIN METERS this to monitor the post-EQ signal from the channel. When this switch is up, the channel’s post-pan-pot signal is routed to the Mix (left and right) buses. When the switch is depressed, the post-pan-pot signal is routed to the Sub-group (left and right) buses.
THE 60-SECOND GUIDE - MPMi 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 console. .
12 PEAK LED This is used to indicate that the signal is close to distorting (clipping) on a specific channel. 13 SP LED The SP LED glows when a signal is present. The feed point for the LED is post-insert, pre-EQ. 14 INPUT CHANNEL FADER This is used to control the level fed to the Mix Bus and post-fade sends. 15 MIX OUTPUTS (XLR) Connect these to your analogue recording device, or to your amplification & MONO OUT (¼” Jack) system.
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.
A ‘Y’ lead may be required to connect to equipment with separate send and return jacks as shown below: Stereo Inputs STEREO 1/2 These accept 3-pole 6.35mm (1/4”) 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.
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. Just as a balanced signal is highly effective at cancelling out unwanted interference, so two microphones picking up the same signal can cancel out, or cause serious degradation of the signal if one of the cables has the +ve and -ve wires reversed.
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 20/21). • 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.
20 LINE MIC -15dB +48V HPF ‘PK’ INSERT POINT TIP=SEND RING=RETURN LF MF & HF SWEEP EQ RIGHT RIGHT LEFT/MONO STEREO RETURN ‘SP’ LF HF R L d/c PFL MUTE FADER PRE-FADER SIGNAL PFL 2 TRACK IN LEVEL MF EQ MUTE d/c LEVEL ‘PK’ FADER TO MIX FX AUX2 AUX1 MIX/SUB BALANCE POST-FADER SIGNAL FX AUX2 AUX1 PAN PRE-FADER SIGNAL POST-FADER SIGNAL MIX/SUB PFL / AFL PFL / AFL ENABLE LEFT/MONO GAIN STEREO CHANNEL (STEREO 1 & 2 IDENTICAL) GAIN ‘SP’ MONO CHANNEL (1 - 20 or 1
LINE MIC -15dB +48V HPF ‘PK’ LF MF & HF SWEEP EQ Soundcraft MFXi MPMi User Guide Issue 1210 RIGHT ‘SP’ LF HF R L d/c PFL MUTE FADER PRE-FADER SIGNAL PFL 2 TRACK IN MF EQ MUTE d/c LEVEL ‘PK’ FADER TO MIX AUX 3 AUX2 AUX1 MIX/SUB BALANCE POST-FADER SIGNAL AUX 3 AUX2 AUX1 PAN PRE-FADER SIGNAL POST-FADER SIGNAL MIX/SUB PFL / AFL PFL / AFL ENABLE LEFT/MONO GAIN STEREO CHANNEL (STEREO 1 & 2 IDENTICAL) GAIN INSERT POINT TIP=SEND RING=RETURN ‘SP’ MONO CHANNEL (1 - 2
MONO INPUT CHANNELS (MFXi shown) 1 MIC 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.
1 MIC 1 LINE 2 INSERT 4 GAIN 5 3 3 - 0+ 3 HF 6 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 750 MF 150 6 3 3.5k - 0+ 3 6 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 3 - 0+ 3 LF 6 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 AUX1 7 0 10 AUX2 0 10 FX 8 0 10 0 PAN 9 L 10 R 1 MUTE 12 PFL MIX SUB 15 PK SP 13 10 14 5 0 11 -5 -10 5 Gain This knob sets how much of the source signal is sent to the rest of the mixer. Too high, and the signal will distort as it overloads the channel.
150 6 3 3.5k - 0+ 3 6 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 3 - 0+ 3 LF 6 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 AUX1 7 0 10 8 FX SEND (MFXi only) This control sets the level of the post-fade signal being sent to the FX bus; from there it is routed to the FX processor. The FX Send is fixed post-fader.
STEREO INPUT CHANNELS (MFXi shown) L 1 [MONO] R STEREO 1 GAIN 2 -10 20dB 3 - 0+ 3 HF 6 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 3 - 0+ 3 MF 6 3 6 9 15 3 - 0+ 3 LF 6 9 9 12 12 15 15 AUX1 4 0 10 AUX2 0 10 FX 5 0 10 0 BAL 6 L 9 2 GAIN The GAIN control sets the level of the channel signal. 9 12 12 15 6 7 1 INPUTS STEREO 1/2 These inputs accept 3-pole 6.35mm (1/4”) jacks. Use these inputs for sources such as keyboards, drum machines, synths, tape machines or processing units.
5 FX SEND (MFXi) This control sets the level of the post-fade signal being sent to the FX bus; from there it is routed to the FX processor. The FX Send is always post-fader. 6 BALANCE This control sets the amount of the channel signal feeding the Left and Right MIX buses, allowing you to balance the source in the stereo image. When the control is turned fully right or left you feed only that side of the signal to the mix. Unity gain is provided by the control in the centre-detented position.
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MASTER SECTION (MFXi) L 28 MUTE FX 19 9 L L MONITOR OUT SUB OUT R R 2 48V PHANTOM POWER 20 REC OUT MONO OUT 17 R L MIX-L AUX1 OUT AUX2 OUT FX BUS OUT 3 2TRK IN 24 R 2TRK LEVEL L 18 HEADPHONES [MONO] 27 29 4 MIX-R 0 R 10 5 TO MIX STEREO RETURN 11 TO MNTR 7 LEVEL LEVEL 30 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 AUX1 MST 21 AFL AUX2 MST 22 0 10 AFL 23 POST PRE FX MST 25 0 10 26 AFL MNTR LEVEL MIX / SOLO 16 8 10 0 6 10 12 3 6 16 15 MIX SUB 0 -3 STE MNO -6 -12 -1
MASTER SECTION (MPMi) 18 L 19 2 48V PHANTOM POWER 9 L L MONITOR OUT SUB OUT R R AUX1 OUT AUX2 OUT 20 REC OUT MONO OUT 17 R L MIX-L AUX3 OUT 3 2TRK IN 24 R 2TRK LEVEL 4 MIX-R HEADPHONES 0 10 5 11 TO MIX TO MNTR 7 LEVEL 0 10 10 AUX1 MST 0 10 AFL AUX2 MST 0 21 10 22 AFL 23 POST PRE AUX3 MST 0 10 AFL MNTR LEVEL MIX / SOLO 16 8 10 0 6 16 15 3 MIX SUB 0 -3 STE MNO -6 -12 -16 SUB TO MIX -22 MPM 14 SUB-L Soundcraft MFXi MPMi User Guide Issue 1210 12 6
1 POWER INDICATOR This LED lights to show when power is connected to the console. 2 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.
12 METERS & SOLO LED The three-colour peak reading BARGRAPH METERS normally show the level of the signal(s) selected by the monitor source-select switches, giving you a constant warning of excessive peaks in the signal(s) which might cause overloading. Aim to keep the signal within the amber segments at peak levels for best performance. Similarly, if the output level is too low and hardly registering at all on the meters, the level of background noise may become significant.
23 PRE/POST SWITCH This switch globally selects the AUX 2 feeds on all the input modules to be either pre-fade or post-fade. 24 AUX OUTPUTS 1 & 2 (and 3 on MPMi) These outputs are on 3-pole 6.35mm (1/4”) jacks and are balanced. The following controls are found on the MFXi Console only FX For detailed instructions on using the FX Processor see the section which starts on the next page.
Lexicon® FX PROCESSOR OVERVIEW 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 (MFXi 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 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.
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 NAME SMALL HALL LARGE HALL VOCAL HALL DRUM HALL SMALL PLATE LARGE PLATE VOCAL PLATE DRUM PLATE ROOM STUDIO CHAMBER AMBIENCE ARENA GATED REVERSE KARAOKE 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 ADJUST1 PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PREDELAY PR
MFXi/MPMi TYPICAL SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Response Mic / Line Input to any Output ..........................................+/-1.5dB, 20Hz – 20kHz T.H.D. Mic Sensitivity -30dBu, +14dBu @ Mix output .............................< 0.01% @ 1kHz Noise Mic Input E.I.N. (maximum gain) ............................……..-126.5dBu (150Ω source) Aux, Mix and Masters (@ 0dB, faders down)....................................………< -82dBu Crosstalk (@ 1kHz) Channel Mute.......................................................
USING YOUR MFXi/MPMi 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.
• • Repeat this procedure on other channels as required. As more channels are added to the mix, the meters may move into the red section. Adjust the overall level using the Master Faders if necessary. 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.
44 0+ 3 15 15 0+ 3 L 0 0 L 0 12 5 0 -5 -10 -20 -30 -5 -10 -20 -30 10 10 5 SP SP 0 PK R 10 10 12 0 L 0 0 MIX SUB 0 9 12 9 6 12 -30 -20 -10 -5 0 5 10 SP PK R 10 10 10 15 15 0+ 3 6 3.
0+ 3 15 15 0+ 3 Soundcraft MFXi MPMi User Guide Issue 1210 0 6 15 L 0 12 -20 -30 -20 -30 -5 -5 -10 -5 5 0 5 0 -10 0 10 10 -30 -20 -10 5 10 SP SP SP PK PK MIX SUB R 10 12 0 0 MIX SUB 0 9 12 9 6 12 -30 -20 -10 -5 0 5 10 SP PK R 10 10 10 15 15 0+ 3 6 3.
FITTING OPTIONAL RACK-MOUNT BRACKETS The rack-mount kit is included with the MFXi12/2 and MPMi12/2. For MFXi8/2 the rack-mount bracket kit is part number RW5765. This may also be used on the MFXi 20/2 and MPMi 20/2 for furniture mounting. WARNING: ensure that the mixer is disconnected from the mains supply and all other equipment before fitting the rack-mounting brackets. Undo and remove the screws at A A and remove the side mouldings.
Fitting the Extender Plate (MFXi8 ONLY) The extender plate is fitted to the rackmounting bracket as shown below with M6 screws/cage nuts. 1 Attach captive rack nuts at points A . 2 Attach rack bolts through points 3 The console can now be fitted to a standard 19” rack. Note: the extender can be fitted to the left or right-hand side as required. B and into fitted rack nuts at points A . Tighten securely! m6 rack screw A B extender mixer m6 captive rack nut DIMENSIONS DIMENSION “X” 93.
48 VOCAL MIC Active DI Box GUITAR KEYBOARD MIC INSERT LINE 6 HEADPHONES >= 32 Ohms INSERT LINE 5 MIC INSERT LINE 7 MIC INSERT LINE 8 MIC INS ERT LINE 9 MIC INSERT LINE 10 MIC GRAPHIC EQ INSERT LINE 11 MIC INSERT LINE AMPLIFIER 12 MIC STAGE FOLDBACK [MONO] R [MONO] R S TE REO 1 L L AUX2 OUT SUB R MONITOR OUT R AUX1 OUT L L S TE REO RETU RN R [MONO] L FX BUS OUT MONO OUT MUTE FX L R 2TRK IN L R REC OUT MIX-R MIX-L PHANTOM POWER 48V AMPLIFIER GRAPH
INSTRUMENT AND VOCAL SOURCES Soundcraft MFXi MPMi User Guide Issue 1210 LINE INSERT INSERT MIC LINE 5 6 MIC INSERT LINE 7 MIC GRAPHIC EQ AMPLIFIER FILL INSERT LINE 8 MIC INSERT LINE 9 MIC INS ERT LINE 10 MIC INSERT LINE 11 MIC INSERT LINE 12 GRAPHIC EQ MIC [MONO] R [MONO] R STE RE O 1 L L AUX2 OUT R AUX1 OUT SUB R L MONITOR OUT L AMPLIFIER MONITOR ST ERE O RE TURN R [MONO] L FX BUS OUT MONO OUT MUTE FX L R 2TRK L R REC 48V MIX-R MIX-L PHANTOM POW
50 HEADPHONES >= 32 Ohms INSTRUMENT AND VOCAL SOURCES FOLDBACK LINE INSERT INSERT MIC LINE 5 6 MIC INSERT LINE 7 MIC INSERT LINE 8 INSERT LINE 9 MIC INSERT LINE 10 MIC CD PLAYER MIC GRAPHIC EQ AMPLIFIER INDUCTION LOOP INSERT LINE 11 MIC INSERT LINE 12 MIC [MONO] R [MONO] R S TERE O 1 L L AUX2 OUT R AUX1 OUT SUB MONITOR OUT L R L INDUCTION LOOP AMP S TERE O R ETUR N R [MONO] L FX BUS OUT MONO OUT MUTE FX L R 2TRK IN L R REC OUT 48V MIX-R MIX-L P
Soundcraft MFXi MPMi User Guide Issue 1210 INSTRUMENT AND VOCAL SOURCES CONTROL ROOM STUDIO INSERT INSERT 6 MIC INSERT LINE 7 MIC HEADPHONES >= 150 Ohms LINE MIC LINE 5 INSERT LINE 8 MIC INSERT LINE 9 MIC MULTITRACK TAPE RECORDER INSERT LINE 10 MIC INSERT LINE 11 MIC GRAPHIC EQ AMPLIFIER INS ERT INSERT LINE 12 MIC R R [MONO] R [MONO] R STE REO 1 L L AUX2 OUT SUB AUX1 OUT L L MONITOR OUT ARTIST’S FOLDBACK STE RE O RE TURN R [MONO] L FX BUS OUT MONO OUT MUT
TYPICAL CONNECTING LEADS 52 Soundcraft MFXi MPMi User Guide Issue 1210
‘Y’ Cables (Balanced) Where used … Aux, Mix outputs SLEEVE RING TIP TIP RING SLEEVE Tip Ring Sleeve SLEEVE RING TIP 1 2 3 Tip Ring Sleeve TIP RING SLEEVE Headphone Separator Tip Ring Sleeve Tip Ring Sleeve 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 Note: for every doubling of headphones the load impedance is halved. Do not go below 32 Ohms.
GLOSSARY AFL After-fade listen: a function that allows the operator to monitor the post-fade signal in a channel independently of the main mix. 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.
Pre-fade Rolloff Shelving Solo Spill Transient Unbalanced +48V The point in the signal path before a fader, and therefore unaffected by the fader position. A fall in gain at the extremes of the frequency response. An equaliser response affecting all frequencies above or below the break frequency i.e. a highpass or lowpass derived response. An almost generic term used to describe PFL or AFL functions. Acoustic interference from other sources. A momentary rise in the signal level.
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.