SubZero SZ-ZA120 120W 100V Line Mixer Amplifier User Manual

: June 5, 2024
: SUBZERO

SUBZERO AMPLIFIER SERIES
SZ-ZA120/ZA240
USER MANUAL

WARNING!
Do not open the cover. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel. Do not place the product in a location near a heat source such as a radiator, or in an area subject to direct sunlight, excessive dust, mechanical vibration, or shock. The product must not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the product No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the product Allow adequate air circulation and avoid obstructing vents (if present) to prevent internal heat build-up. The ventilation must not be impeded by covering the appliance with items such as newspapers, tablecloths, curtains, etc.

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the SubZero ZA120 / ZA240 Amplifier.
To ensure you get the most from your new product, please read this manual carefully.

FEATURES – ZA120

100V and COM outputs for powering ceiling/wall speakers.
Single speaker output suitable for 8ohm speakers.
Two balanced XLR inputs.
Two jack/line inputs.
Two stereo RCA outputs.
Built-In media player with Bluetooth connectivity plus USB and SD card ports.

FEATURES – ZA240

Four zoned 100V and COM outputs for powering up to four speaker zones.
Single speaker output suitable for 8ohm speakers.
Two balanced XLR inputs.
Two jack/line inputs.
Two stereo RCA inputs.
Built-In media player with Bluetooth connectivity plus USB and SD card ports.

BOX CONTENTS

SubZero ZA120 / ZA240
UK Power Cable
EU Power Cable
User Manual

OVERVIEW

FRONT PANEL

MEDIA PLAYER
Media Player with USB/SD/Bluetooth (see Media Player section below).
MIC 1
Increases or decreases the volume of MIC 1 input.
MIC 2
Increases or decreases the volume of MIC 2 input.
MIC/LINE 1
Increases or decreases the volume of MIC/LINE 1 inputs.
MIC/LINE 2
Increases or decreases the volume of MIC/LINE 2 inputs.
LINE 3
Increases or decreases the volume of LINE 3 input.
LINE 4/ USB
Increases or decreases the volume of LINE 4/USB input.
BASS EQ CONTROL
Increases or decreases the amount of the low/bass frequencies by 10dB.
TREBLE EQ CONTROL
Increases or decreases the amount of the high/treble frequencies by 10dB.
MASTER VOLUME CONTROL
Increases or decreases the master output volume.
OUTPUT LEVEL METER
Visual display of the output volume.
POWER ON/OFF SWITCH
Turns the amplifier on or off.
SPEAKER ZONE SELECTOR BUTTONS (SZ-ZA240 Only)
Select which zones are active. Pressed in = On, pressed out = Off.
REAR PANEL
IEC MAINS INLET & FUSE HOLDER
Connect the supplied power cable here.
DC24V POWER TERMINALS
Connect a DC24V power supply here (such as a battery).
COM SPEAKER TERMINAL
Connection for COM line to speakers (see Connection & Set-Up guide below).
8Ω SPEAKER TERMINAL
Connection for 8ohm line to speakers (see Connection & Set-Up guide below).
4 ZONE 100V SPEAKER TERMINALS (ZA240 ONLY)
Connection for 100V line to speakers into zones 1 to 4 (see Connection & Set Up guide below).
LINE OUT CONNECTORS (RCA PHONO)
Output connection for linking to further amplifiers (simulates master output).
LINE 4 INPUT (RCA PHONO)
Input for line devices (i.e. CD Players).
LINE 3 INPUT (RCA PHONO)
Input for line devices (i.e. CD Players).
MIC/LINE 2 INPUT (6.3MM TS JACK)
Input for line devices (i.e. CD Players) or dynamic microphones.
MIC/LINE 1 INPUT (6.3MM TS JACK)
Input for line devices (i.e. CD Players) or dynamic microphones.
DIP SWITCHES
(See DIP Switches section below).
MIC 2 INPUT (BALANCED XLR)
Input for dynamic or condenser microphones (to provide +24v phantom power to the condenser, see DIP Switches section below).
MIC 1 INPUT (BALANCED XLR)
Input for dynamic or condenser microphone (to provide +48v phantom power to the condenser, see DIP Switches section below).
24V MUTE CONTACTS
Connection for emergency mute function.

MEDIA PLAYER

A. MEDIA PLAYER DISPLAY
B. SD CARD SLOT
C. MODE SELECTING -USB/BLUETOOTH/SD
D. PLAY / PAUSE BUTTON
E. FOLDER BUTTON
F. REPEAT MODE SETTING
G. PREVIOUS TRACK OR HOLD FOR VOLUME DECREASE
H. NEXT TRACK OR HOLD FOR VOLUME INCREASE
I. USB INPUT
J. REMOTE CONTROL ACCEPTOR

BLUETOOTH

To connect a Bluetooth-enabled device to the ZA series amplifiers, please follow the below steps (ensure that the amplifier is powered on and within range):

Open the Bluetooth settings on the Bluetooth-enabled device.
Scan for Bluetooth devices and search for ‘SubZero’ in the devices list.
Select ‘SubZero’. The Bluetooth-enabled device should confirm that it is now connected.
Play audio from the Bluetooth-enabled device, ensuring that the volume is turned up.
Turn up the CH7/8 / MP3 volume control on the built-in mixer, ensuring the CH7/8 / MP3 button is pressed.

USB/SD PLAYER

When a USB memory stick is inserted into the USB port (I) or SD card into the SD slot (B), the USB or SD symbol will show on the display and any compressed audio files will start to play automatically.
Turn up the USB/LINE4 volume control on the amplifier to the required level.
Pressing the REPEAT button will step through the repeat modes – ONE: repeat current track, RAND: random, ALL: repeat all.
Pressing the Previous Track button skips backward through tracks on the memory device. Press and hold this button to decrease the playback volume.
Pressing the Next Track button briefly steps forwards through tracks on the memory device.
Press and hold this button to increase the playback volume.
Pressing the Play/Pause button will Pause the current track. Pressing it again will resume playback.

REMOTE CONTROL FOR MEDIA PLAYER

PLAY/PAUSE
Starts or stops the current track being played via the digital media player (i.e. USB, SD, or Bluetooth).
CHANNEL DECREASE
No function.
CHANNEL INCREASE
No function.
EQ SETTING
Controls the tone level of the digital media player.
TRACK0-99
Select a certain track number by pressing either one, or a combination, of numbers between 0 and 99.
VOLUME INCREASE
Increases the master output volume of the digital media player.
VOLUME DECREASE
Decreases the master output volume of the digital media player.
SKIP TRACK FORWARDS
Selects the next track.
SKIP TRACK BACKWARDS
Selects the previous track.
RANDOM TRACK
Activates the random track setting, whereby the digital media will play tracks in random order from the selected device. To deactivate the setting, press the button again.
REPEAT TRACK
Activates the repeat track setting. Pressing the button once will cause repetition of the current track. Pressing the button twice will cause repetition of all tracks on the selected media device, in order. Pressing the button a third time will deactivate the setting.
MODE
Selects the preferred media device. Pressing the button will cycle between the USB, SD, and Bluetooth device inputs, starting from the currently selected device.

CONNECTION & SETUP

Always ensure the device is powered off and the volume controls are turned down before inserting or removing cables.
Connect the rear IEC inlet to the mains using the supplied power cable. Ensure that the voltage is correct as indicated on the voltage selector and that the main outlet is switched on. Alternatively, the amplifier can be powered by a 24V battery, such as a lorry or boat battery, by connecting the “+” and “-” of the battery to the 24Vdc INPUT on the rear panel. Please ensure that DC cables can handle the required current (10A minimum is recommended)
The ZA series amplifiers have 6 input channels. MIC 1 and MIC 2 inputs are dedicated microphone channels. Connect the main announcement microphones to this channel using a balanced XLR cable. Connect microphones or line-level devices to the MIC/LINE 1 and MIC/LINE 2 inputs using 6.3mm (1/4”) jack cables. Please ensure the correct sensitivity is selected for the type of input device you are connecting (see the DIP Switch section on page 13). Connect any other line-level devices to the LINE 3 and LINE 4 inputs using RCA Phono cables.
NOTE: The ZA series amplifiers have a mono output, and therefore stereo signals will be summed together.
Further mixer amplifiers or slave amplifiers can be connected from the rear LINE OUT sockets, using an RCA Phono cable. This output carries the full mix of all channels as produced through the speakers.

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

The ZA series amplifiers can be used either as 100V line amplifiers or standard low impedance power amplifiers. Please note these 2 configurations cannot be used together.

100V LINE SYSTEMS

For 100V line systems, connect the amplifier to the first speaker in the system using a double-insulated speaker wire which has an adequate current rating to handle the total output of the amplifier.
Connect the “100V” output terminal to the positive (+) connection of the speaker and the “COM” output to the negative (-) connection of the speaker. Connect further speakers in parallel to the first speaker with all positive terminals connected and all negative terminals connected as shown above.
A 100V line speaker system can comprise multiple speakers connected in parallel. The number of speakers you are able to connect to a single amplifier is dependent on the amplifier’s power rating. For most purposes, it is advised to connect as many speakers as needed with a combined wattage of no more than 90% of the amplifier’s output power rating.
NOTE:
– For the ZA240 the total output power is split across the 4 zones, depending on how many speakers are connected to each zone. It is not possible to achieve 240W of total power output for each zone individually.

SPEAKER ZONES (ZA240 ONLY)

The ZA240 has 4 separate terminals for 100V speakers. The speakers connected to the terminals labeled ZONE 1/ ZONE 2 / ZONE 3 / ZONE 4 (+) and COM (-) are controlled by the 4 corresponding zone switches on the front panel (e.g. a speaker connected to ZONE 1 and COM will only work if Zone 1 is selected on the front panel).
The ALL switch enables all zones simultaneously.

LOW IMPEDANCE SPEAKERS

The ZA Series amplifiers also include an output for a single 8ohm speaker. Connect the “8Ω” terminal to the positive (+) speaker connection and the “COM” terminal to the negative (-) speaker connection.
Please ensure that the power of the connected 8ohm speaker is equal to the total output power of the amplifier. For example, for the ZA120, which features 120w of total output power, an 8ohm speaker with an output power rating of 120w is recommended.

NOTE:
– It is important to ensure that the speaker load is no less than 8Ω and that the power handling of the speaker is equal to or greater than the output power of the amplifier.
– DO NOT USE 8Ω and 100V OUTPUTS AT THE SAME TIME.

OPERATION

Once you have completed your connections and settings, please follow the below steps:

Turn all the volume controls down to their lowest setting and turn on the power using the power On/Off switch.
Turn the Master volume to 12 o’clock, play a signal into one of the line inputs, and gradually increase the volume control for the input channel until the signal is heard through the speakers. (Note: If a line input is not available, the built-in media player can be used).
Repeat this process as necessary for any other required inputs.
The output of the amplifier is represented on the VU level meter LEDs. Please take care to ensure the Red ‘0’ LED does not illuminate during use. If the red LED illuminates during use it may be an indication of distortion or clipping of the output signal. If this occurs lower the channel input volume and master volume as necessary.
When powering down the amplifier, ensure the Master volume control is turned all the way down before using the power On/Off switch to turn off the amplifier.

CONNECTING A MICROPHONE USING XLR

Once a microphone has been connected to the MIC 1 or MIC 2 input, make sure it is switched on and if phantom power is required, ensure this feature is enabled on the DIP switch (see DIP Switches section on page 13), then follow the below steps:

Turn the Master volume to 12 o’clock, and gradually increase the MIC 1/MIC 2 input volume whilst speaking into the microphone until the required volume level is heard through the speakers.
NOTE: The microphone should not be able to pick up the sound from the speakers, as this can cause feedback to occur.
Repeat this process for any other required microphone connections.

EQ

Using the Bass and Treble EQ controls you can adjust the tone of the master output.
At the 12 o’clock position, these controls are applying no effect to the signal.
Rotating either the Bass or Treble control clockwise will boost the frequencies, whilst moving it anticlockwise will cut the frequencies.
Adjust these EQ controls to suit the type of audio being played, or to compensate for the acoustics of the room.

DIP SWITCHES

VOX
When speaking into a microphone connected to the MIC1 channel the VOX function will lower the volume of the input channels by -40dB, and return them to normal when speaking has stopped.

PHANTOM
Use this switch to provide +24V phantom power to condenser microphones.

MIC3/LINE1
Use this switch to change the sensitivity of channel MIC3/LINE1 between MIC and LINE levels.

MIC4/LINE2
Use this switch to change the sensitivity of channel MIC4/LINE2 between MIC and LINE levels.

Note: Ensure the amplifier is switched off before making any changes to the DIP switches. Making any changes when the amplifier is switched on may cause loud noises which can damage the speakers

SPECIFICATIONS

SZ-ZA120
Power supply …………. 220-240Vac, 50/60Hz (IEC) or 24Vdc option (screw terminals)
Output power: RMS …….. 120Wrms
Outputs: Speaker ……… 100V/ 8Ω/COM
Output: Line ………….. RCA signal output
Inputs ……………….. 2-Mic XLR, 2 x mic/line jack, 2 x RCA line,24V mute contacts
Volume controls ……….. Mic1, Mic2, mic/line (1+2), line3, line4/(USB), master
Equalizer: Bass / Treble ….. 120Hz ±10dB/10kHz ±10dB
Bluetooth version ………. 4.0
Phantom power ……….. +24V (MIC 1, MIC2 input
THD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <0.5%
Dimensions …………… 488 x 345 x 100mm
Weight ………………. 8.6KG

SZ-ZA240
Power supply …………. 220-240Vac, 50/60Hz (IEC) or 24Vdc option (screw terminals)
Output power: RMS …….. 240Wrms
Outputs: Speaker ……… 4X100V /8Ω / COM
Output: Line ………….. RCA signal output
Inputs ……………….. 2-Mic XLR, 2 x mic/line jack, 2 x RCA line, 24V mute contacts
Volume controls ……….. Mic1, Mic2, mic/line (1+2), line3, line4/(USB), master
Equalizer: Bass/Treble ….. 120Hz ±10dB/10kHz ±10dB
Bluetooth version ………. 4.0
Phantom power ……….. +24V (MIC 1, MIC2 input
THD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <0.5%
Dimensions …………… 488 x 345 x 100mm
Weight ………………. 9.8KG

KETTLESTRING LANE | YORK | YO30 4XF | UNITED KINGDOM
If you have any more questions about this product, please do not hesitate to contact the Gear4music Customer Service Team on: +44 (0) 330 365 4444 or info@gear4music.com