MCF M 18 User Manual

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M 18 Digital Mixer - User's Manual

Date:

10 mag 2016

Rev.:

1.1.020

p/n:

10399006 rev. C

This manual also applies to firmware 182 and app ver. 1.0.2, with side notes to highlight the differences and/or limitations.

RCF spa

This document refers to:

M 18 Digital Mixer User's Manual

Firmware version 203

iOS MixRemote app version 1.1.0 (build 105)

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Summary of Contents for MCF M 18

Page 1 M 18 Digital Mixer - User’s Manual Date: 10 mag 2016 This document refers to: Rev.: 1.1.020 Firmware version 203 p/n: 10399006 rev. C iOS MixRemote app version 1.1.0 (build 105) This manual also applies to firmware 182 and app ver. 1.0.2, with side notes to highlight the differences and/or limitations.
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Overview ..............................6 Internal Reverb ............................8 MultiFX ..............................9 Master Processor ............................10 VALVE WARMER ..........................10 XCITER ..............................10 MAXIMIZER ............................10 Storing and recalling parameters ......................11 MixRemote iOS app ............................13 FADERS > INPUTS view ..........................14 RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 3 Restoring the unit with firmware ver. 182 ....................42 Restoring the unit with firmware ver. 203 ....................43 M 18 Usage..............................43 Secrets of mixing on a digital console ......................44 Sound Shaping with M 18 ........................45 DRUMS ...............................46 BASS ..............................48 KEYBOARDS............................48 ELECTRIC GUITARS ..........................49 ACOUSTIC GUITARS ..........................49...
Page 4: The M Series Digital Mixers By Rcf
Therefore, you can leave home several items, such as the multicore snake, external effects that would normally connect to the mixer, guitar and/or bass amplifiers, external file player, and yet obtain a high- quality and professional result. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 5 This document is available to help you in exploring the various features of the M 18 Digital Mixer, and is arranged in different sections: M 18 Features An overview of the most interesting features of the M 18 Digital Mixer is presented, focusing on the unique aspects of the unit.
Page 6: M 18 Features
M 18 features Overview The M 18 Digital Mixer is a feature-packed unit that includes several of the useful blocks required to arrange a good- sounding live act. Signal processing capabilities of the M 18 Digital Mixer In addition to the usual essential processing blocks that are present in every mixer (equalizers, compressors), several...
Page 7 PHONES output (and optionally to a pair of AUX outputs; see routing options) A complete overview of the M 18 internal features is shown here below: The internal Access Point is a dual-band, dual-antenna MIMO WiFi interface; one of the two antennas is external, while the other is located on the top right side (when facing at the RCF logo).
Page 8: Internal Reverb
A full set of carefully crafted presets are available, grouped into categories as indicated by their prefix: [MIS] Miscellaneous, general-purpose [VOX] Voice-oriented [ACO] Acoustic RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 9: Multifx
It is thus possible to create a wide variety of sonic results without additional equipment. In the M 18 Digital Mixers the internal effects are combined into a total of 4 multi-effects, which are inserted into 4 input channels. The insertion point is before the EQ section, as follows:...
Page 10: Master Processor
(it’s an attenuator knob, so rotate it full clockwise for NO attenuation) The Maximizer can be also used “to compact” the overall mix sound, so in this case you can use it boosting and attenuating at the same time. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 11: Storing And Recalling Parameters
(both send levels and effect types). When using the M 18 as a submixer, you can also save input channels levels by enabling the Mix Bus option during Save;...
Page 12 FX parameters MFX4 is a daisy-chain of 5 individual effects MOD parameters MFX4 (DLY, FX, MOD, OD, AMP with assignable OD parameters order); it affects input channel 10 AMP parameters FX order RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 13: Mixremote Ios App
Offline (M08): this feature is intended for the M08 model, is currently disabled and reserved for future upgrades OffLine (M18): you can browse all features of the app without the need to connect to a physical M 18 unit Connect: the mixer connects to your control device in few seconds, provided that you have selected the proper mixer WiFi Access Point On the bottom row, you can modify the IP address of the target mixer;...
Page 14: Faders > Inputs View
RCF logo (3), which is lit (in brilliant white) when your controller is connected to the M 18 Digital Mixer. A small indicator just below the logo signals lights up to indicate that the M 18 Digital Mixer is busy and the app is waiting for a response.
Page 15: Input Channels: Preamplifier, Dynamics, Multifx
RCF PRE layout. In the left column the last modified section between PRE/DYN, EQ, MULTI FX (only for channels 05-10) and SEND is lit. The right column, shows the MAIN OUT controls. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 16 Phantom 48V power over the INV switch (phase inversion). The display shows the values of each parameter, including the frequency of the HPF (selectable between 10Hz and 500Hz) which is activated via its ON button. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 17 (7). The larger part of this page shows a rack containing RCF PRE, GATE COMPRESSOR, above latter two there is a box to recall presets. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 18 Please note that in MixRemote ver. 1.0.2, there was no indication of ON/OFF status of individual insert effects; rather the two shown pedals are indicated as a pair of lit buttons. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 19 Order Selector, immediately to the left of the insert sequence indication. If you drag the rightmost part of the list, you can modify the insert position of a specific effect, and the change is effective immediately. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 20 Let’s see an example of the following effects order: DEL, FX, MOD, OD, AMP. The picture above shows the first two effects; then, by tapping on the buttons at the top right (see red box), you obtain different views: RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 21 AMP (see below): RadioElectro 16 (large-diaphragm cardioid dynamic) American 57 (small-diaphragm cardioid dynamic) GermanFet 87 (large-diaphragm cardioid condenser) The choice for microphone position is between: Near, on-axis Near, off-axis Far (1 metre from cabinet) RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 22 (linked) mode. If you have a mono backing track channel, metronome click on the other, then you may work in dual mono mode, which allows independent pan and mixing controls. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 23: Input Channels: Eq Section
-12.00dB to +12.00dB; double clicking on the GAIN resets the value to 0.00dB for each band, while to completely turn off the equalizer, you have a global ON/OFF button right above the display. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 24: Faders > Send View
The central part of this page has 3 faders for FX sends and six faders for AUX send levels. Each of the FX send faders feature a Mute button. To choose the effects of the three sends, please go to the EFFECTS tab. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 25: Effects View
- Decay (time decay) - Spaceness (percentage of spatialization) - Damping (percentage of absorption of the higher frequencies) The Digital Delay can be the chosen among Stereo, Vintage, Modern, Dual and ER. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 26: Effects > Multifx
The order and ON/OFF status of each insert effect is shown. Pressing any of these buttons or the blue button, you access immediately the corresponding channel. For details about MFX options, please see Inputs 05-08 and Inputs 09-10 chapters. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 27: Outputs View
Advanced EQ for that AUX send; the other controls are for level and mute. The “Advanced” equalizer features low (40Hz-400Hz) high (1kHz-16kHz) shelving fully parametric bands (range 100Hz-10kHz for both). RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 28: Phones View
The level is pre-fader. In PFL (pre-fade listen) mode, the signal to the headphones is set by the PFL key of each input, the USB player and FX RET. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 29: Play/Rec View
4 USB flash drives; this is required in case multiple USB flash drives are connected through a USB hub. On the upper bar, on the right side, you can view (3) the file currently selected on the player. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 30: Rec
The minimum value of -18 dB is intended for full use of the mixer, with all inputs being used. The meter (2) below shows the audio level after the Rec Trim regulation, so that you can check if you are too close to clipping. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 31 (Mac / PC) format. Please avoid FAT formatting as we have noticed random problems in playback of audio files. Please notice that the minimum supported size for audio recording is 4 GB (mainly due to variations if formatting results for smaller size devices). RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 32 In case you need to reformat a USB pen for audio recording, please follow these guidelines: Operating System FORMAT settings Windows (any) File System = FAT32, Allocation Unit Size = Default Mac OS X Format = MS DOS (FAT32), Scheme = Master Boot Record RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 33: Meters View
The lower section shows the output levels of the three FX SENDS and the OUTS level of the six AUX sends. This view is very useful to quickly check which signals are actually active, and it is recommended to check this view every time you want to verify the mixer status. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 34: Load/Save View
Load. To save a Show, first select the Show number on the left pane, and the press Save; you have the option to edit the Show name before confirming the Save operation. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 35: Settings View
By selecting the appropriate country where you are operating the mixer, you can comply with local radio Country regulations. Please notice that if you leave to the default value NONE, transmitting power is limited and you will not obtain the best performance from the M 18 Digital Mixer, including maximum distance and robustness to interference Band You can select between the usual 2.4 GHz band and the less crowded 5 GHz band, depending on your tablet...
Page 36 The Output Routing section has drop-down menus to choose the source for several physical output: AUX output between its relevant AUX, MAIN or PHONES busses PHONES output between MAIN and PHONES busses MIDI RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 37 Multieffect MFX3 (assigned to input ch 9) patch change (Pgm change messages) MFX3 and individual effect toggle (NOTE on) Multieffect MFX4 (assigned to input ch 10) patch change (Pgm change MFX4 messages) and individual effect toggle (NOTE on) RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 38 SYSTEM This page contains system settings affecting the M 18 Digital Mixer operations. The Snapshot saves switches allow to save also the MFX patch numbers, independently for each MFX. In this way, you can associate saved patches of each MFX to the current Snapshot.
Page 39: Hardware Description
Input 7 & 8 provide Mic input on the XLR connection and Line input on the TRS jack connection. 3. MAIN OUTPUT L&R Connect your active speaker or your amplifier to these +21dBu balanced Output. The green LEDs RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 40 MAIN MIX channels independently for LEFT and RIGHT outputs. 4. External Wi-Fi Antenna connector M 18 includes an internal antenna and provisions for an external antenna. Attach the provided external antenna to this connector for optimal performance of the MixRemote app.
Page 41: Startup Sequence And Recovery From An Error Condition
MixUpdate apps. After a mixer starts in RECOVERY MODE, please check if later firmware updates are available on RCF web site to ensure that you can take advantage of all functionalities. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 42: Restoring The Unit With Firmware Ver. 182
Please notice that the first restart after this recovery operation will take much longer than usual, i.e., about two minutes to complete its reinstall, and therefore the WiFi AP will be visible after a longer time interval. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 43: Restoring The Unit With Firmware Ver. 203
Please notice that the first restart after this recovery operation will take much longer than usual, i.e., about two minutes to complete its reinstall, and therefore the WiFi AP will be visible after a longer time interval. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 44: M 18 Usage
The approach described for Toms above should be reiterated for all instruments. Gain Input Level, HPF and Gain Structure are the most important elements to keep in mind for the usage of a digital console. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 45: Sound Shaping With M 18
[DRM] Drums [KEY] Keyboards [PRC] Percussion [VOX] Voice [BSS] Bass [ORC] Orchestral [EGT] Electric Guitar [MIS] Miscellaneous [AGT] Acoustic Guitar Let’s take a look to some real examples and usage tips. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 46: Drums
Take a listen to the two channels in solo and shift the phase of one (generally the bottom); if you hear the low end increasing, then it would be better to keep the phase inverted, because some phase cancellation is occurring in absence of phase shift. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 47 HPF and adding a bit of compression and reverb. In this way, the Overhead mics are like the “Room Mics” generally used in studio recordings that can give to the overall sound a natural spaciousness that it’s hard to achieve with close mics only. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 48: Bass
Here are some suggested frequency ranges to be considered when approaching keyboard equalization: HPF: OFF > 400Hz Presence: 1KHz>3KHz Body: 100Hz > 200Hz Attack: 2KHz>8KHz Resonance: 180Hz >500Hz Definition: 5KHz>12KHz RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 49: Electric Guitars
The Smooth EQ is also great to increase the body of the sound removing some resonances using only one band! RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 50: Voice
TIP: When mixing, voice intelligibility is the main concern. The mid range is where the voice is mostly located, so be careful to check how other instruments work in that frequency range; usually it is better to cut some instruments that over-eq or increase the voice level. RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 51: A1 - Block Diagram
A1 - Block Diagram INPUT PROCESSING DETAIL RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 52 SOLO PM details OUTPUT SECTION details RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...
Page 53: A2 - Midi Implementation Chart
Note On MOD ON/OFF TOGGLE Note On FX ON/OFF TOGGLE Note On OD ON/OFF TOGGLE Note On AMP ON/OFF TOGGLE Note On PATCH PREV Note On PATCH NEXT PROGRAM CHANGE 1-100 PATCH LOAD RCF spa M 18 Digital Mixer User’s Manual...