Setting Up A Standard Pa-System - Dynacord Power Mixer PowerMate 1600 Owner's Manual

SETTING UP A STANDARD PA-SYSTEM

Cabling
The mains supply cord comes with the PowerMate. The quality of all other cables lies in your responsibility. Carefully
chosen high quality cables are the best precaution to prevent later problems during live operation. The following
wiring alternatives are recommended to provide trouble free operation of your system.
Speaker Cables
From our experience as a manufacturer of loudspeaker systems we know that flexible cables with a rubber jacket
and a diameter of 2.5mm 2 per conductor, used in combination with SPEAKON plugs and sockets, are the best
choice to guarantee the optimal connection of loudspeaker systems. Connect the SPEAKON plugs according to
the corresponding diagram on the PowerMate's rear panel. We recommend using 4-wire cables where also the
pins 2+ and 2- are connected through. This provides the possibility to use these cables in an active 2-way system
configuration, as well. DYNACORD's accessory assortment comprises different speaker cables with SPEAKON
connectors and all other cables, plugs, and sockets, available at your local professional audio dealer.
LF-Cables – Balanced or Unbalanced?
For LF-cabling – all the low current wiring – your best choice are balanced cables (2 signal conductors + ground
shielding) with XLR-type connectors or stereo phone plugs. The cables should be step-on proof, shielded, and never
longer than really needed. Too many too long cables mostly lead to confusion and generate unnecessary problems.
Of course, connecting unbalanced cables with monaural phone plugs to the PowerMate's in- and outputs is also
possible and in most cases no interference will occur because of its superb grounding managing system. Generally
spoken, if you have the choice, a balanced LF-cable is always the better solution. Today's modern audio equipment
– like amplifiers, equalizers, FX units, mixing consoles, and even some keyboards – offers balanced in- and outputs.
In a balanced signal path the cable screen provides gapless connection of all metal parts, offering efficient shielding
against the induction of external noise. The balanced cabling in conjunction with the common-mode rejection of the
PowerMate's input stage effectively eliminates even existing artifacts of interference. All inputs of the PowerMate
provide balanced audio connections and high common-mode rejection. The mixing stage outputs – AUX, MAIN,
EQ, etc. – are laid out in GND-SENSING technology – a special pin assignment of the output jacks, offering all
advantages of the balanced signal transmission, but lets you also connect monaural phone plugs without a problem.
Nevertheless – as mentioned above – when longer cables are involved, using stereo phone plugs and balanced
cables are the better alternative. The diagrams below show the pin assignments of plugs and cables that are used
with the PowerMate.
MIC INPUT
All phone jack
in/outputs of the
PowerMate
Channel Insert
Main Insert
All phone jack
in/outputs of the
PowerMate
Channel Insert
Main Insert
50
balanced connec-
tion of microphones
unbalanced
external equipment
with XLR-type in/
output jacks
balanced
Direct OUT via
INSERT, uninterrupted
signal path
unbalanced
external equipment
with phone jack
in/output jacks
balanced
Y-type cable for the
connection of ex-
ternal FX units and
signal processors
with phone jacks