UNiKA MX-880 Distribution Amplifier Instruction Manual

: June 5, 2024
: UNiKA

Table of Contents

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
INTRODUCTION
FEATURES
FRONT PANEL
OPERATION
APPLICATION SAMPLES
SPECIFICATION
References
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MX-880 Distribution Amplifier
**Instruction Manual

**

This booklet contains important information concerning the proper and safe operation of your new product.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

CAUTION
THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DOES NOT OPEN
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not remove the cover (or back). No user-serviceable parts inside; refer servicing to qualified personnel.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside the enclosure – voltage that may be sufficient to constitute a risk of shock.
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions in the accompanying literature. Read the manual.

DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
All the safety and operation instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.
Retain Instructions: The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. Heed Warnings: All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to. Follow instructions: All operation and user instructions should be followed.
Water and Moisture: The appliance should not be used near water (e.g. near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool etc.).
Ventilation: The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa rug, or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings, or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.
Heat: The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Power Source: The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.
Grounding or Polarization: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance are not defeated.
Power-Cord Protection: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the appliance.
Cleaning: The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer.
Non-use Periods: The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time.
Object and Liquid Entry: Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.
Damage Requiring Service: The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:

The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or
Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or
The appliance has been exposed to rain; or
The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or
The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.

Servicing: The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond what is described in the Operating Instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

INTRODUCTION

The MX-880 of UNiKA line mixer/distribution amplifier allows to connect 6 channels of XLR and 2 channels of 1/4” TRS inputs and mixed down into L/R stereo outputs; and vice versa, as a distribution amplifier, it passes the distribution of mono and stereo balanced audio signals to multiple destinations has many applications including multi-zone sound reinforcement installations, live sports events coverage, broadcast studios, video suites, duplication or indeed anywhere high-quality audio has to be distributed to a number of locations down long cable runs.

FEATURES

Configurable 8 channels line input/stereo output mixer or stereo input / 8 channel outputs distribution amplifier
Main stereo L/R inputs & outputs with level controls and XLR connectors.
XLR connectors on inputs & outputs CH1 to CH4; stereo Main input and Main output.
1/4” TRS connectors on inputs & outputs CH5 & CH6.
Main link switch on mixer’s main stereo output channel.
Splitter/mixer switch on each channel from CH.1 to 6
LED level metering on each channel
44mm(high) x 482mm(wide) x 171mm(deep)
2.3kg

FRONT PANEL

The MX-880 has six identical channels, each one is equipped with 2 rotary controls, 1 button and 8 LED indicators, also the same on the main control section (in/out), please see details as below:

POWER: Press this button to turn the MX-880 on and off.
MAIN INPUT LEVEL: The main input level control sets the main input gain, before the signal reaches the input bus. In SPLIT mode, the MAIN INPUT LEVEL control determines the common output level for all mono outputs.
INPUT LEVEL: From this 4-digit input level meter is allowed to know the input level of the main input within a range from -24dB to +6dB.
MAIN LINK: While press this main link switch you can route the MAIN INPUT signal to the MAIN OUTPUT. This way it is possible to route a maximum of 8 input channels to the main mix.
MAIN OUTPUT LEVEL: The main output level control adjusts the output level applied to the main outputs. The levels present at the 6 mono outputs are not affected. Summing the signal levels of several mono channels can overload the main output stage. The MAIN OUTPUT LEVEL control is therefore used to adjust the overall output level.
OUTPUT LEVEL: From this 4-digit output level meter is allowed to know the output level of the main input within a range from -24dB to +6dB.
SPLIT/MIX: This switch sets the respective channel to SPLITTER or MIXER mode.
LEVEL: The level control determines the signal level of the individual channels. In SPLIT mode, the LEVEL control sets the output level of the mono channels. In MIX mode,it controls the amount of the mono channel’s input signal feeding into the main output section; at the same time, the level of the mono channel can be determined, the maximum gain is +15dB which allows for mode converting.
INPUT/OUTPUT LEVEL: In SPLIT mode, this 8-digit output level meter is allowed to know the output level of each channel within a range from -24dB to +18dB; In MIX mode, it shows the input level of each channel within the same range.
BALANCE/PAN: This control sets the balance between the left and right main signals. In SPLIT mode, the main input signal is routed to the mono output, with the balance control determining the balance between the left and right main signal portions. In MIX mode, the mono inputs are mixed and routed via the level control to the main outputs, with the PAN controls determining the allocation of the mono inputs to the left and right main outputs.
REAR PANEL
MONO OUTPUTS (CH5 & CH6): These are the mono outputs, accept balanced 1/4” TRS connectors.
MONO INPUTS (CH5 & CH6): These are the mono inputs, that accept balanced 1/4” TRS connectors.
MONO OUTPUTS (CH1~CH4): These are the mono outputs, that accept balanced XLR connectors.
MONO INPUTS (CH1~CH4): These are the mono inputs, that accept balanced XLR connectors.
MAIN OUTPUTS: These are the main outputs, accept balanced XLR connectors. They may be fed either by the left and right main inputs or by any of the six mono inputs (or a combination of both).
MAIN INPUTS: These are the main inputs, and accept balanced XLR connectors. They may be fed the mono outputs of all channels which are operated in SPLIT mode.
AC INLET: The voltage requirement accepts 110~240V, 60~80Hz, Please make sure that your local voltage matches this range as indicated on the rear panel.

OPERATION

MAIN Section
Both main inputs interface via the main input level control with the input bus as well as with the main outputs. The main output level control determines the output level of the signals which are summed by the second bus (i.e. the output bus) and are subsequently routed to the main outputs.
SPLIT Mode
In SPLIT mode, the main input signal is sent via the balance control to the output buffer amplifiers of the mono channels, with the level control determining the output level of the respective channel. The maximum gain is +15dB.
MIX Mode
In MIX mode, the input signals of the mono channels are “collected” via the LEVEL and PAN controls and are routed to the output bus. In this mode, the LEVEL control determines the amount of each channel at the output bus, while the PAN control is responsible for the allocation of the input signal to the left and right main outputs.
Additionally, the input signal is routed to the respective mono outputs, i.e. the circuit acts as a matching amplifier. The LEVEL control allows for level compensation of up to +15dB.

APPLICATION SAMPLES

Application as a mixer
When the mono channels are operated in MIX mode, a maximum of 8 (6+2) mono input signals can be summed and routed to the main outputs. In this mode, the individual signal sources are connected to the mono inputs on the MX-880. Each channel has a LEVEL knob to control the amount of its signal relative to others in the main section. Via the corresponding PAN control, each mono input signal can be routed either to the left or right main output, also any intermediate PAN settings can be achieved as well. The MAIN OUTPUT LEVEL control determines the overall level of the main output signal. Since the two main inputs are alternatively routable to the main outputs, two additional input signals can be added using the main inputs. For this, you have to depress the MAIN LINK switch. However, as these inputs do not feature a PAN control, the left main input will always be routed to the left main output; similarly, the right main input can only be sent to the right main output. A total of 8 mono channels can thus be routed to two main outputs.
Application as a splitter
A splitter is a distribution amplifier that allows for splitting a specific input signal into several outputs. This function is of use, e.g. in a large- scale sound reinforcement system where the mixer’s output signal needs to be allocated to several power amplifiers. Another field of application is in tape duplication systems, where one master tape machine is to be interfaced with several tape duplication recorders.
In this mode, the output signal from the mixer is applied to the main inputs of the MX-880. If the SPLIT/MIX switches are set to “SPLIT”, the mono outputs of the respective channels provide either the left or the right main signal. Depending on the setting of the BALANCE control, any balance between the left and the right main signal can be adjusted.
At the same time, the main input signal is also sent to the left or right main output, so that here two additional splitter outputs are available. Please note that these outputs do not feature a balance routing function. The left main input is routed exclusively to the left main output; similarly, the right main input feeds the right main output only.
Application as a 4-channel stereo splitter
For this special application, the splitter function configures the unit as a 4-channel stereo splitter. Here, the stereo signal source is connected to the two main inputs. If all mono channels are operated in SPLIT mode, the BALANCE controls of channels 1, 3, and 5 are set to “LEFT”, and the BALANCE controls of channels 2, 4, and 6 to “RIGHT”; thus, the corresponding stereo output pairs are routed through channels 1+2, 3+4, and 5+6. This kind of application is particularly useful for tape duplication systems.
Application as a matching amplifier
The MX-880 can also be used as multiple matching amplifiers. The task of a matching amplifier is to convert the level of a signal source into another level. For instance, a cassette recorder with a home recording level (-10dBV) can be raised to studio-level (+4dBu). Of course, this process can also be reversed (level attenuation).
In this application, the MX-880 is operated in MIX mode. The output of the signal source is connected to the mono input of the MX-880. The corresponding mono output provides the resulting output signal which can be raised or lower in level. Each of the six mono channels is equipped with a LEVEL control. The control range is from -∞ (full attenuation) to a maximum gain of +15dB.