Shure BLX Series, BLX2-H8E, BLX2-K3E, BLX288E/B58 K3E Manual

Quick Start Guide

1. 1. Connect receiver to power source.
      
   2. Connect receiver to mixer or amplifier. Hold power button to turn on.
      
      
2. Press group button on receiver to perform a group scan.
   
3. 1. Install batteries and turn on transmitter.
      
      
   2. On the transmitter, set the group and channel to match the receiver. The audio LED on the receiver should illuminate.
      

If setting up additional systems, leave the first transmitter and receiver on. For each additional receiver, manually set the group to match the first receiver.
Note: The receiver will automatically perform a channel scan to find an available frequency after the group has been selected. Set the transmitter frequency to match the receiver.

4. If sound is too faint or distorted, adjust the gain accordingly.
   

Features

Front Panel

1. audio LED
   Indicates strength of incoming audio signal: green for normal and red for overload.
2. ready LED
   Green light indicates system is ready for use and receiving transmitter signal.
3. LED Display
   Displays group and channel setting.
4. group and channel Buttons
   Scan: Push and release group button to scan for an open group and channel.
   Manual: Push and hold group button to select a group. Push channel button to select a channel in the current group.
5. power Button
   Push and hold to turn power on or off.

Back Panel

1. DC Power Jack
2. Adapter Cord Tie-Off
3. XLR microphone output jack (MIC out)
4. 6.35 mm (1/4") instrument level output jack (instrument out)

BLX1

1. LED Indicator
   Displays power and battery status (see Transmitter LED Indicators).
2. power Switch
   Toggles power on or off.
3. 4-Pin Microphone Input Jack (TA4 connector)
4. Antenna
5. group Button
   Changes group setting.
6. LED Display
   Displays group and channel setting.
7. channel Button
   Changes channel setting.
8. Battery Compartment
9. Audio Gain Adjustment
   Rotate to increase or decrease transmitter gain.

BLX2

1. LED Indicator
   Displays power and battery status (see Transmitter LED Indicators).
2. power Button
   Push to turn power on or off.
3. group Button
   Changes group setting.
4. channel Button
   Changes channel and gain setting.
5. LED Display
   Displays group and channel setting.
6. Identification Cap
7. Battery Compartment

Transmitter LED Indicators

LED Indicator	Status
Green	Ready
Rapidly Flashing Red	Controls locked
Solid Red	Battery power low (less than 1 hour remaining*)
Flashing Red and shuts off	Batteries dead (change batteries to power on transmitter)

*For alkaline batteries only. For rechargeable batteries, solid red means the batteries are dead.

Single System Set Up

Before you begin, turn off all transmitters and turn on any equipment (other microphones or personal monitoring systems) that could cause interference during the performance.

1. Press and release the group button on the receiver.
   The receiver scans for the clearest group and channel.
   Note: If you want to stop the scan, push the group button again.
   
2. Turn on transmitter and change the group and channel to match the receiver (See Setting Transmitter Group and Channel).
   Once the system is set up, perform an audio check and adjust the gain if necessary.

Setting Transmitter Group and Channel

Transmitter group and channel must be manually set to match the receiver.

Group (letter)

1. Press and release the group button on the transmitter to activate the display. Press the group button again and the display flashes.
2. While the display is flashing, press the group button again to advance to the desired group setting.

Channel (number)
If channel needs to be changed, follow the same procedure using the channel button instead of the group button.

Note:

• When the group and channel correctly match the receiver, the ready LED on receiver illuminates.
• After manual setup, the transmitter alternately displays the group and channel setting for about two seconds.

Multiple System Setup

Up to 12 systems can operate simultaneously (band and RF environment dependent).

Set up each system one-at-a-time. Once a receiver and transmitter are tuned to the same group and channel, leave the transmitter powered on. Otherwise, scans from the other receivers will not detect that channel as occupied. For the BLX88, be sure to setup both transmitters before progressing to the next receiver.

Turn on any other equipment that could cause interference during the performance so it will be detected during the group and channel scans in the following steps.
Before you begin system set up, turn all receivers ON and all transmitters OFF.

For the first receiver:

1. Perform a group scan.
   This finds the group with the most clear channels.
   Note: For the BLX88, the group scan sets up both receivers at the same time.
2. Turn on the first transmitter and change the group and channel to match receiver.
3. Leave the transmitter on and continue with the additional systems.

Note: If the selected group does not contain enough open channels, manually select group "d" when setting up larger systems.

For each additional receiver:

1. Use manual setup to change the receiver to match the group setting of the first receiver. Recall that each time the group setting is changed, a channel scan is automatically done.
2. Turn on the transmitter and change the group and channel to match the receiver.
3. Leave the transmitter on and continue to the next system.
4. Once all receivers are set up, perform an audio check on all microphones.

Manually Setting Receiver Group and Channel

The receiver group may need to be changed as part of a multiple system setup.

Group (letter)

1. Hold the group button on the receiver until the display begins to flash.
2. While the display is flashing, press the group button again to advance to the next group.
   Note: Only the group setting will be displayed during the manual setup.
3. Once the desired group is reached, release the group button. The receiver automatically performs a channel scan.

Channel (number)
Always use a channel selected by the channel scan. However, if necessary, the channel can be set manually. Follow the same steps above using the channel button instead of the group button.

Locking and Unlocking Controls

Lock system controls to prevent accidental setting changes or power off.

Transmitter (lock/unlock)
Turn the transmitter on. Hold the group button, then press the channel button for approximately 2 seconds. The LED indicator rapidly flashes red when locked.

Receiver (lock/unlock)
Turn the receiver on. Simultaneously hold the group and channel button. The display flashes rapidly.

• When locked, the display flashes rapidly if any key is pressed.
• The BLX88 locks on both sides when locked from either side.

Tips to Improve Wireless System Performance

If you encounter interference or dropouts, try the following suggestions:

• Choose a different receiver channel
• Reposition the receiver so there is nothing obstructing a line of sight to the transmitter (including the audience)
• Avoid placing transmitter and receiver where metal or other dense materials may be present
• Move the receiver to the top of the equipment rack
• Remove nearby sources of wireless interference, such as cell phones, two-way radios, computers, media players, WiFi devices, and digital signal processors
• Charge or replace the transmitter battery
• Keep transmitters more than two meters (6 feet) apart
• Keep the transmitter and receiver more than 5 meters (16 feet) apart
• During sound check, mark trouble spots and ask presenters or performers to avoid those areas

Getting Good Sound

Correct Microphone Placement

• Hold the microphone within 12 inches from the sound source. For a warmer sound with increased bass presence, move the microphone closer.
• Do not cover grille with hand.

Wearing the Headworn Microphone

• Position the headworn microphone 13 mm (1/2 in.) from the corner of your mouth.
  
• Position lavalier and headworn microphones so that clothing, jewelry, or other items do not bump or rub against the microphone.

Adjusting Gain

Monitor the audio LED indicator on the receiver front panel when setting the transmitter gain.

• Green: normal levels
• Red: excessive sound levels (overload).

The red LED should only illuminate infrequently when you speak loudly or play your instrument loudly.

BLX1
Rotate the audio gain adjustment to increase (+) or decrease (−) the gain until desired level is reached.
For instruments, turn gain to minimum setting. For lavaliers, increase the gain as desired.

BLX2
The BLX2 features two gain level settings, default and attenuated (-10 dB). The default setting is used for most situations. If the receiver audio LED flickers red often, set the microphone to attenuated. Use the channel button to change the gain setting.

1. Hold down the channel button for 5 seconds.
   A dot appears on the lower right-hand corner of the LED display, which indicates −10 dB gain setting has been activated.
   
2. To change the gain back to default, hold the channel button again for 5 seconds, or until the dot disappears.

Batteries

Expected life for AA batteries is up to 14 hours (total battery life varies depending upon battery type and manufacturer).
When the LED indicator turns red, it signifies "low battery" with approximately 60 minutes of remaining battery life.
For alkaline batteries only. For rechargeable batteries, solid red means the batteries are dead.

To remove batteries from the handheld transmitter, push them out through the opening in the microphone battery compartment.

Danger of explosion if battery incorrectly replaced. Operate only with Shure compatible batteries.

Battery packs shall not be exposed to excessive heat such as sunshine, fire, or the like.

Wearing the Bodypack Transmitter

Clip the transmitter to a belt or slide a guitar strap through the transmitter clip as shown.
For best results, the belt should be pressed against the base of the clip.

Power Off

Hold down the power button to power off the BLX2 or BLX4/88. To power off the BLX1, slide the power toggle switch to OFF.

Removing and Installing Identification Caps

The BLX2 is equipped with a black identification cap from the factory (dual vocal systems ship with additional gray cap).

To remove: Remove battery cover. Squeeze sides and pull off cap.
To install: Align the cap and click into place. Replace battery cover.

An Identification Cap Kit containing assorted colored caps is available as an optional accessory.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Indicator Status	Solution
No sound or faint sound	Receiver ready LED on	Verify all sound system connections or adjust gain as needed (see Adjusting Gain) Verify that the receiver is connected to mixer/ amplifier
	Receiver ready LED off	Turn on transmitter Make sure the batteries are installed correctly Perform transmitter setup (see Single System Setup) Insert fresh batteries
	Receiver LED screen off	Make sure DC adapter is securely plugged into electrical outlet. Make sure receiver is powered on.
	Transmitter indicator LED flashing red	Replace transmitter batteries (see Changing Batteries).
Audio artifacts or dropouts	Ready LED flickering or off	Change receiver and transmitter to a different group and/or channel. Identify nearby sources of RF interference, and shutdown or remove source. Replace transmitter batteries. Ensure that receiver and transmitter are positioned within system parameters System must be set up within recommended range and receiver kept away from metallic surfaces. Transmitter must be used in line of sight from receiver for optimal sound
Distortion	Audio LED on receiver indicates overload (red)	Reduce transmitter gain (see Adjusting Gain).
Sound level variations when switching to different sources	N/A	Adjust transmitter gain as necessary (see Adjusting Gain).
Receiver/transmitter won't turn off	LED/display flashing rapidly	See Locking and Unlocking Controls.

Technical Data

BLX

Working Range
91 m (300 ft) Line of Sight
Note: Actual range depends on RF signal absorption, reflection and interference.

Audio Frequency Response
50 to 15,000 Hz Note: Dependent on microphone type

Total Harmonic Distortion
Ref. ±33 kHz deviation with 1 kHz tone
0.5%, typical

Dynamic Range
100 dB, A-weighted, typical

Operating Temperature
-18°C (0°F) to 57°C (135°F)
Note: Battery characteristics may limit this range.

Polarity
Positive pressure on microphone diaphragm (or positive voltage applied to tip of WA302 phone plug) produces positive voltage on pin 2 (with respect to pin 3 of low-impedance output) and the tip of the 1/4-inch output.

BLX2

Audio Input Level
gain	max	-16 dBV maximum
	min (0 dB)	+10 dBV maximum

Gain Adjustment Range
26 dB

Input Impedance
1 MΩ

RF Transmitter Output
10 mW, typical
varies by region

Dimensions
110 mm x 64 mm x 21 mm (H x W x D)

Weight
75 g (2.6 oz.), without batteries

Housing
Molded ABS

Power Requirements
2 LR6 AA batteries, 1.5 V, alkaline

Battery Life
up to 14 hours (alkaline)

BLX1

Audio Input Level
gain	max	-16 dBV maximum
	min (0 dB)	+10 dBV maximum

Gain Adjustment Range
26 dB

Input Impedance
1 MΩ

RF Transmitter Output
10 mW, typical
varies by region

Dimensions
110 mm x 64 mm x 21 mm (H x W x D)

Weight
75 g (2.6 oz.), without batteries

Housing
Molded ABS

Power Requirements
2 LR6 AA batteries, 1.5 V, alkaline

Battery Life
up to 14 hours (alkaline)

BLX4 & BLX88

Output Impedance
XLR connector	200 Ω
6.35 mm (1/4") connector	50 Ω
Audio Output Level Ref. ±33 kHz deviation with 1 kHz tone
XLR connector	–27 dBV (into 100 kΩ load)
6.35 mm (1/4") connector	–13 dBV (into 100 kΩ load)
Dimensions
BLX4	40 mm X 188 mm X 103 mm (H x W x D)
BLX88	40 mm X 388 mm X 116 mm (H x W x D)
Weight
BLX4	241 g (8.5 oz.)
BLX88	429 g (15.1 oz.)

RF Sensitivity
-105 dBm for 12 dB SINAD, typical

Image Rejection
>50 dB, typical

Housing
Molded ABS

Power Requirements
12–15 V DC @ 160 mA (BLX88, 320 mA), supplied by external power supply (tip positive)

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. READ these instructions.
2. KEEP these instructions.
3. HEED all warnings.
4. FOLLOW all instructions.
5. DO NOT use this apparatus near water.
6. CLEAN ONLY with dry cloth.
7. DO NOT block any ventilation openings. Allow sufficient distances for adequate ventilation and install in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
8. DO NOT install near any heat sources such as open flames, radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. Do not place any open flame sources on the product.
9. DO NOT 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 wider blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. PROTECT the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11. ONLY USE attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
    
12. USE only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13. UNPLUG this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
14. REFER all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
15. DO NOT expose the apparatus to dripping and splashing. DO NOT put objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus.
16. The MAINS plug or an appliance coupler shall remain readily operable.
17. The airborne noise of the Apparatus does not exceed 70dB (A).
18. Apparatus with CLASS I construction shall be connected to a MAINS socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.
19. 
    To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.
20. Do not attempt to modify this product. Doing so could result in personal injury and/or product failure.
21. Operate this product within its specified operating temperature range.

This symbol indicates that dangerous voltage constituting a risk of electric shock is present within this unit.
This symbol indicates that there are important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying this unit.

This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm

For proper operation, set each transmitter to a different channel on the BLX88 receiver.

Consult your BLX Channel guide to select compatible channel sets.

Documents / Resources

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