ALTO Busker Portable PA Speaker User Guide

ALTO Busker Portable PA Speaker

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Busker. At Alto Professional, performance and reliability mean as much to us as they do to you. We design our equipment with only one thing in mind—to make your performance the best it can be.

Note: Before you first use the product, please fully charge the battery. Your unit was purposely shipped with a reduced battery charge to ensure safe transit. Use the included power cable to connect the unit to a power outlet and let it charge for up to 12 hours. This helps ensure the longest life for your battery.

Box Contents

• Busker
• App Download Card
• Power Cable (5 ft. / 150 cm)
• Quickstart Guide
• Safety & Warranty Manual

Support

• For the latest information about this product (system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit altoprofessional.com.
• For additional product support, visit altoprofessional.com/support. 

Rechargeable Batteries

• Here are some other recommendations for getting the longest life from the internal battery.

General Usage

Fully charge the battery before using it. Avoid full discharge of the battery if possible. Li-Ion batteries are maintenance-free, and the battery will last longest when operating between 30 and 80 percent charged  Charge the battery using the included power adapter with the power off in a cool environment indoors. The battery will not charge if its temperature is below 32°F/0°C.
If the product has been used continuously, charging will not begin until the buildup of heat on the battery has cooled down. Charge the battery completely after each use.

Storage

• For best product longevity, do not store at exceedingly hot (greater than 90°F/32°C) or exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
• It is acceptable to leave your sound system plugged in. This will not overcharge the battery.
• If you leave the battery level low and do not charge it for 3 months, it may permanently lose capacity.

Repair

• If the battery fails to charge, check your fuse near the power cable input. If your fuse is intact and it still will not charge, contact Alto Professional at altoprofessional.com.

Disposal

• Bring the unit to a recycling center or dispose of in accordance with local ordinances.

SETUP

Important Safety Precautions

Please note: Alto Professional and inMusic are not responsible for the use of its products or the misuse of this information for any purpose. Alto Professional and inMusic are not responsible for the misuse of its products caused by avoiding compliance with inspection and maintenance procedures. Please also refer to the included safety and warranty manual for more information.

Sound Level

Permanent hearing loss may be caused by exposure to extremely high noise levels. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specified permissible exposures to certain noise levels. According to OSHA, exposure to high sound pressure levels (SPL) in excess of these limits may result in hearing loss. When using equipment capable of
generating high SPL, use hearing protection while such equipment is under operation.

Getting Started

1. Make sure all items listed in the (1.1) Box Contents are included in the box.
2. Read the Safety & Warranty Manual before using the product.
3. Make sure that you have completely charged the battery prior to first use for maximum battery life.
4. Power on Busker.
5. Turn down the Main Volume on Busker.
6. Connect your audio input sources (i.e. microphones, instruments, CD/MP3 Players).
7. Power on audio input sources.
8. Raise the Main Volume to a comfortable level.
9. Raise the individual channel volumes as needed.
10. Return the Main Volume to zero and turn off Busker when you are finished.

Connection Diagram

Items not listed under the (1.1) Box Contents are sold separately.

FEATURES

Rear Panel

• Channel Inputs 1/2 (1/4” [6.35 mm] / XLR)
  Connect audio sources (mic, keyboard, guitar, etc.) after adjusting the MIC/LINE and INST/LINE switches to the appropriate positions.

• Channel Input 3
  Use this channel to pair a Bluetooth device, link two speakers together, or connect an auxiliary device to the 1/8” (3.5 mm) AUX input.

• Phantom Power
  Use this switch to enable +48V phantom power for condenser microphones connected to the CHANNEL 1 input.

• Channel Volume
  Adjust the volume controls for CHANNELS 1–3. The channel volume level will appear on the display when the volume is adjusted. If the SIG/LIMIT LED flashes, reduce the volume.

• FX Select
  Selects the effect that Busker’s internal effects processor (powered by Effects by Alesis) to use on CHANNELS 1 and 2. See (4.3) Operation > Effects for an explanation of the available effects.

• Channel FX Volume
  Adjusts the FX amount sent to CHANNELS 1 and 2.

• Record Out (RCA)
  Connect to an external recording device, mixer, etc.

• Mix Out (XLR)
  Connect to an amplifier system or speakers.
  Note: Both the Record Out and Mix Out will send the combined Channels 1–3 and FX Level mix to connected recording devices and linked speakers. When using these connections to send signal to one or more additional Buskers, please ensure the FX Level on the additional unit(s) is off.

• Main Volume
  Adjusts the overall speaker output level. If the SIG/LIMIT LED flashes, reduce the volume.
  Speaker Use
  Select the DSP setting to adjust the sound based on the speaker’s placement. Select VIA APP to use the ALTO Pro App to create a custom EQ. See the section (4.5) Operation > Speaker Use Controls for more details.

• Pair
  Press and hold for 3 seconds to connect to a Bluetooth device. See the section (4.1) Operation > Pairing a Bluetooth® Device for more details.

• Link
  Press and hold for 3 seconds to Stereo-Link™ two speakers together. See the section (4.2) Operation > Stereo-Link™: Connecting Two Speakers for more details.

• Battery Level/Charging Indicator
  Displays the battery level or charging progress.

• Standard/Eco Battery Switch
  When running on battery power, select ECO for longer battery life with lower speaker output wattage. Select STANDARD for higher speaker output wattage but less battery time.

• USB-A Port
  Connect a smartphone, tablet, etc. here to charge it. USB charging only functions when the unit’s power is turned on.
  Note: To charge smartphones and tablets faster, put the device’s screen to sleep.

• Power
  Connect the included power cable here to power the unit and charge the internal battery.
  Note: The speaker will go into ERP energy saving mode when running on battery power after 30 minutes of no signal or panel interaction. This mode is cancelled when a signal is detected or with panel interaction.

• Power Switch
  Use this switch to power the speaker on or off. Return the Main Volume encoder to “zero” before powering off the speaker.

OPERATION

Pairing a Bluetooth® Device

Note: Press and hold the Bluetooth Pair button and the Link button for 3 seconds to disable/enable voice prompts.

1. Turn on your Bluetooth device.
2. Turn on Busker using the power switch.
3. Press and hold the Pair button for 3 seconds, then release it. The Pair LED will blink and a pairing tone will sound to show it is in pairing mode.
4. Navigate to your Bluetooth device’s setup screen, find Alto Busker, and connect. The Pair LED will light up solid and a confirmation tone will sound when paired. Note: If your device requires a passcode or PIN, enter 0000.
5. Start playback from your Bluetooth device.

To disconnect a connected Bluetooth device and connect to another Bluetooth device, press and hold the Pair button for 10 seconds to break the connection, and then repeat Step 3.

Note: If you experience trouble connecting or playing music, update your device’s OS.

Note: Busker will automatically reconnect to the last paired device on power up if the device is in range and Bluetooth is active on the device.

Stereo-Link™: Connecting Two Speakers

1. Power on both Busker speakers by using the power switches.
2. Follow the steps in the section (4.1) Operation > Pairing a Bluetooth® Device.
3. Press and hold the Link button for 3 seconds on primary (Left) speaker, then release it. Then press the Link button for 3 seconds on the secondary (Right) speaker, and release it. Both Link LEDs will blink, and a linking tone will sound while each speaker searches for the other.
4. hen the speakers are successfully linked, each speaker will produce a confirmation tone and the Link LEDs on both units will be lit solid.
   Note: The default linking process enables stereo playback by providing half of the stereo audio signal to each speaker.

To erase Stereo-Link™ settings on both units, press and hold the Link button on the primary (Left) speaker for 10 seconds. A confirmation tone will sound to indicate that link settings have been erased.

Note: Two previously linked Busker speakers will automatically reconnect when they are powered on and within range until you manually disconnect from the speakers or through the ALTO Pro App.

Effects

To hear the effects on a channel: Select an effect using the FX Select knob. Use the Channel 1 or 2 FX Volume knobs to adjust the amount of the effect sent to the channel. Below is a list of the effects to choose from.

Reverb Effects

• HALL 1: A large, bright concert hall reverberation effect suitable for vocals and instruments.
• HALL 2: A large, warm concert hall reverberation effect suitable for drums, piano and other instruments.
• ROOM 1: A medium-sized, moderately bright reflective room reverberation effect suitable for vocals, lead guitars and other instruments.
• ROOM 2: A small, very reflective bright room reverberation effect suitable for drums and percussion as well as electric guitars and other instruments.
• ROOM 3: A large, warm room reverberation effect suitable for acoustic instruments.
• PLATE 1: A lush, smooth vocal plate reverb with a long decay time and warm tonality.
• PLATE 2: An emulation of vintage plate reverb with bright, slightly tinny tonality and a medium-length decay.
• PLATE 3: A short, bright plate reverb effective for creating subtle spaces.

Modulation Effects

• CHORUS: A complex, 6-voice chorus ensemble effect with short delays often referred to as a “Chorus / Doubler”. Discrete stereo signal path. Slow and watery.
• FLANGE: Classic stereo flange: a slow, slightly metallic sweep with a discrete stereo signal path.
• ROTARY: Fast rotary speaker simulator creates the classic, lush Doppler effect of an organ’s spinning horn. Effective on guitars, vocals, keyboards and other instruments.

Delay Effects

• DELAY 1: A simple slap-back echo with no feedback particularly effective on vocals and rhythm guitars.
• DELAY 2: Medium-length poly-rhythmic delay with crossover feedback. 3 to 4 ratio between L and R delay times (291 to 388ms) for 3/4 vs. 4/4 feel. Useful for solo instruments where a long, trailing echo effect is desired.

Multi Effects

• CHORUS/ROOM 1: Room reverb into a slow flanging modulation creates a spacey effect.
• CHORUS/ROOM 2: Fast modulation provides a dramatic chorus effect in a small room for a very lush chorus + reverb sound with a discrete stereo signal path.

BYPASS : Bypasses the effects processor – no effects will be heard.

Using the Aux Input

• Connect your smartphone, MP3 player, or similar device to the Aux Input. Adjust the output volume on your source device and then adjust the overall volume using the Channel 3 Volume Control on Busker.

Speaker Use Controls

Press the Speaker Use button to cycle through the different presets listed below. This will adjust the DSP to the desired setting.

• With Sub: The speaker is positioned upright or horizontal on the ground (or other flat surface) facing the audience.
• Pole: The speaker is elevated on a speaker stand around ear level facing the audience.
• Monitor: The speaker is positioned horizontal on the ground facing the performer.
• Via App: This is the custom EQ setting selected from the ALTO Pro App. The default setting is flat.

Press and hold the Speaker Use button for 3 seconds to activate Volume Display Mode. Volume levels for each channel will be seen from the Speaker Use LED indicators. A channel’s SIG/LIMIT LED will flash to show the active channel. When the LED is lit red, it represents the channel volume. When the LED is lit green, it represents the FX level. The volume will also be displayed when a channel’s volume knob is adjusted. The Volume Display Mode will automatically exit after 20 seconds of no use. Alternatively, press and hold the Speaker Use button for 3 seconds to exit.

App Control

IMPORTANT : To ensure the best possible experience with the app, use the most current Android OS or iOS on your device.

Follow these steps to download the free app on your device:

1. Open the Apple App Store or Google Play on your device. Then, search for the ALTO Pro App.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the app. Once downloaded, the ALTO Pro App will appear on your device’s home screen.
3. Connect your device to Busker via Bluetooth. See the (4.1) Pairing a Bluetooth® Device to learn how to do this.
4. Open the ALTO Pro App. If prompted, allow the app to access your device’s Bluetooth and Location Services.
5. Follow directions in the app to connect Busker and begin using the app.
6. Select the Busker icon to go to the next screen, where you can use the app to control various functions of the speaker such as:
   • Volume: Adjust the speaker’s overall volume.
   • EQ: Adjust the speaker’s overall equalization.
   • Channel 1, 2, & 3 Volume: Adjust the incoming volume for the 1/4″ (6.35 mm), XLR, Bluetooth, and Aux sources.
   • Channel 1, 2, & 3 EQ: Adjust the low, mid, and high EQ for each channel.
   • Channel 1 & 2 FX Volume: Adjust the FX amount sent to CHANNELS 1 and 2.
   • Speaker Placement: Cycle through the different DSP presets.
   • TWS Link: Select this to Stereo-Link™ two speakers.
     Note: You will also need to connect your second Busker unit to the ALTO Pro App via the steps provided above to Stereo-Link™ both speakers.

Factory Reset

The speaker volume, EQ, and Speaker Use settings can be reset to factory “out of the box” defaults as seen below.

1.  Press and hold the Speaker Use button for 10 seconds. All 4 LEDs will flash on/off 4 times to indicate reset.
2.  Once the LEDs start to flash, release the Speaker Use button.
   • Speaker Use will be set to Monitor mode.
   • Speaker Use User mode will be reset to Flat.
   • All source volumes will be set to 60%.
   • All source EQs will be set to Flat.
   • The Main EQ will be set to Flat.
   • The Alesis FX on Channels 1 & 2 will be reset to 0%.
   • The Main Volume will be set to 60%.
   • Adjust the Acoustic Optimization settings based on the Venue and Event for preset volume level, EQ setting, light mode, and effect setting.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If the unit is not charging: Make sure the power cable is properly connected to the power input and the power outlet. If the sound is distorted: Try lowering the volume control of your sound source, musical instrument, or microphone. Also, try to reduce the overall volume of Busker using the Main Volume knob. I hear a hum when cables are connected:

• Disconnect cables from the input jacks to see if it’s a faulty cable.
• Use balanced cabling connections whenever possible.
• Make sure the signal cables are not placed near power cables.
• Connect all audio equipment power cables to outlets which share a common ground.

If there is too much bass: Try adjusting the tone or EQ control on your sound source to lower the bass level. This will allow you to play the music louder before clipping (distortion) occurs.
If there is a high-pitched whistling noise when using microphones: This is probably feedback. Point the microphone away from the speaker.
If you can’t hear the microphone over the music volume: Turn down the music volume from your source.
If you can’t hear your instrument: Check that the INST/LINE switch is set to INST.
If you can’t play music from a flash drive: The USB port is only for charging USB devices.

If you cannot connect your audio device to Busker via Bluetooth

• Have your audio device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) and Busker as close together as possible while trying to connect. Make sure both the audio device and Busker are unobstructed by walls, furniture, etc.
• Press and hold the Pair button to reset the Bluetooth connection on Busker, disconnect Busker from any other audio device, and restart the search process.
• If this does not work right away, power off Busker and then power it back on.
• Reset the Bluetooth connection on your audio device by turning Bluetooth off and back on. You can find this under the Bluetooth menu in the Settings for your phone or other audio device.
• If this does not work, and you have connected to Busker before, find Busker in the list of available or previously connected devices in your audio device’s Bluetooth menu, tap the “gear” or “i” icon located next to it and then select Unpair or Forget. Turn Busker off and back on and try pairing again once it reappears in your available devices list.
• Note: If Busker has been paired to another audio device recently that is still within range, you may need to repeat this process with that audio device to fully disconnect.

If you are having issues connecting two speakers using Stereo-Link™:

• Press and hold the Link button on the primary (Left) speaker for 10 seconds to reset the Stereo-Link™ settings on both units. A confirmation tone will sound to indicate that link settings have been erased.
• Press and hold the Pair button to reset the Bluetooth connection on Busker, disconnect Busker from any other audio device, and restart the search process.
• If this does not work right away, power off Busker and then power it back on.

APPENDIX

Technical Specifications

Output Power| Eco Mode: 50 W (peak)

Standard Mode: 200 W (peak)

---|---
Drivers| Low-Frequency: 6.5” (165.1 mm) woofer

High-Frequency: 1.0” (25.4 mm) tweeter

Max SPL| 106 dB
Frequency Response| 60 Hz – 20 kHz
Connectors| (2) Combo XLR-1/4” (6.35 mm) Inputs

(1) 1/8” (3.5 mm) AUX Input

(1) USB Charging Port

(1) XLR Line Out

(1) RCA Line Out

Charge Port| 5V, 2.1 A
Speaker Pole Cup Size| 35 mm
Bluetooth Specifications| Profile: A2DP, AVRCP
| Version: 5.0
| Frequency: 2402 – 2480 MHz
| Maximum Transmission Power: 10 dBm
| Protocol: BLE
| Codec: SBC
| Range: 100 ft. (30.5 m)
Battery| Type: 6.6 Ah, 12 V, Lithium Ion

Life: Eco Mode : up to 24 hours; Standard Mode : up to 20 hours Charging Time: 12 hours

Power| Connection: IEC
| Voltage: 100–240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 120 W; 220–240 VAC, 50/60
| Hz; 120 W
| Fuse: 100–120 V, T1.6AL AC250 V; 220–240 V, T0.8AL AC250 V
Dimensions

(height x width x depth)

| 11.8” x 8.6” x 10.0”

299 x 219 x 254 mm

Weight| 11.9 lbs.

5.4 kg

• Specifications are subject to change without notice.
• Bluetooth and wireless reception and range are affected by walls, obstructions, and movement.
• For optimal performance, place the product in the center of the room so it is unobstructed by walls, furniture, etc. Battery life may vary based on temperature, age, and volume usage of product.

Trademarks & Licenses

• Alto Professional is a trademark of inMusic Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
• The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Alto Professional is under license.
• Alesis is a trademark of inMusic Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
• All other product names, company names, trademarks, or trade names are those of their respective owners.

altoprofessional.com/support.

References

• Alto Professional - World-class loudspeakers, mixers, and live performance gear
• Support : Alto Professional
• Alto Professional - World-class loudspeakers, mixers, and live performance gear
• Support : Alto Professional

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