ROCKVILLE RockMix 4 4-Channel Recording Mixer with USB Interface Owner’s Manual

: June 6, 2024
: RockVille

ROCKVILLE RockMix 4 4-Channel Recording Mixer with USB Interface

ROCKVILLE RockMix 4 4-Channel Recording Mixer with USB
Interface

Includes

Mixer
Micro USB Power adapter
USB interface
User manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference. Heed all warnings printed here and on the equipment. Follow the operating instructions printed in this owner’s manual.

Do not open: There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer any service work to qualified technical personnel only.
Power sources: Only connect the unit to mains power of the type described in this user guide or marked on the rear panel. The power source must provide a good ground connection.
Power cord: Use the power cord with sealed mains plug appropriate for your local main supply as provided with the equipment. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult your service agent. Route the power cord so that it is not likely to be walked on, stretched, or pinched by items placed on or against it.
Grounding: Do not defeat the grounding and polarization means of the power cord plug. Do not remove or tamper with the ground connection on the power cord.
Moisture: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture or use in damp or wet conditions. Do not place containers of liquid on it as they may spill into any openings.
Heat: Do not locate the unit in a place close to excessive heat or direct sunlight, as this could be a fire hazard. Locate the unit away from any equipment that produces heat such as power supplies, power amplifiers, and heaters.
Environment: Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat, and vibration when operating and storing. Avoid tobacco ash, drink spillage, and smoke especially that associated with smoke machines.
Handling: Protect the controls from damage during transit. Use adequate padding if you need to ship the unit. To avoid injury to yourself or damage to the equipment, take care when lifting, moving, or carrying the unit.
Servicing: Switch off the equipment and unplug the power cord immediately if it is exposed to moisture or spilled liquid, the power cord or plug becomes damaged during a lightning storm, or if smoke odor or noise is noted. Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation: Install the unit in accordance with the instruction, printed in the user guide.

Functions

Type B USB port: When connected to a computer, the computer supplies power to the mixer and audio data can be sent between the mixer and the computer.
5V DC in jack: Connect to an external power source using the included power adapter.
CH2 input (preferred for line-level devices): This XLR/¼” combo input accepts XLR-type connectors for mies and ¼” for line-level devices.
CH1 input (preferred for mies): This XLR/¼” combo input accepts XLR-type connectors for mies and ¼” for line-level devices.
+48 Phantom and LED indicator (CH1 only): Press this button to activate phantom power when using a condenser microphone. The LED indicator will light when phantom power is on.
PAD: Press this button to attenuate the sound input to the unit. If you hear distortion or the CLIP LED lights frequently, even if the CHANNEL 1 GAIN control is turned fully to the left, use the PAD function.
Instrument/ HI-Z: Press this button when an electric guitar or an electric bass with passive audio pickup has been connected to the¼” jack.
PAD: Press this button to attenuate the sound input to the unit. If you hear distortion or the CLIP LED lights frequently, even if the CHANNEL 2 GAIN control is turned fully to the left, use the PAD function.
Channel 1/ Channel 2:
- a. Gain control: adjusts the input gain
- High tone control: 12KHz ±15dB
  Low tone control: 80Hz ±15d8
- Pan control
- Peak LED: indicates when clipping is occurring
- Level control: adjusts the output volume
Computer: used to set the level of the USB input on the back of the unit
Main Mix: used to set the level of the stereo output signal of the MAIN MIX¼” outputs and the mix to USB
Phones Monitor control: adjusts the volume of the 3.5mm headphone MONITOR jacks and¼” PHONES jack
Channel 3 – 4 Level: adjusts the output volume for CHANNELS 3 and 4
Monitor Mute button: When this button is pressed, the audio input from the MAIN MIX, HEADSET, and PHONES output jacks from CHANNELS 1 and 2 is muted.
Record Source selector 2: Dry CH1 – 2: Sends the audio after GAIN knob (dry signal) and EQ adjustments from CHANNELS 1 and 2 directly to the computer. The audio that is sent is affected by LEVEL and PAN knob adjustments. The audio that is routed to CHANNELS 1 and 2 can be recorded separately with a DAW.
Input Mix: The audio input into the mixer, mixed in stereo, is sent to the computer. The audio input from the computer is not sent back to the computer.
Loopback: The audio input is routed to the mixer and the audio played on the computer is mixed in stereo and then sent to the computer. This setting is used primarily for web casting.
Left/Right Clip LEDs: indicate when the stereo output signal is clipping. The LED will go from green (normal signal) to bright green to orange and, finally, to red (severely clipped signal).
AUX/MP3 Input: This is a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack. You can connect a smartphone, MP3 player, or other device and use applications to trigger sound effects or background music. Use the controls on the connected device to adjust volume.
Power switch and Power ON LED indicator: Use the slider to turn on the unit. The LED indicator will be green when the unit is powered on.
Monitor 3.5mm output: Connect headphones with a 3.5mm plug to monitor the sum signal. Please note, if headphones are connected to this output, the sound output from the 1/.i’ PHONES output jack is cut off.
Mic to Ch1: allows you to connect a dynamic mic with a 3.5mm plug and routes the signal to CH1. It will take priority over mies connected to the CH1 combo jack.
Gain Low/Hi: Determines the basic gain level for CHANNELS 3 and 4. Turn this switch on if you hear distortion. Please note, turn the CH3 – 4 level knob to MINIMUM before toggling the GAIN switch on and off; otherwise, you may hear noise.
Stereo output: Used to connect an amplifier, another mixer, or a recorder. The signal output from this jack is not affected by the TO PC slide switch or the MAIN MIX knob.
Phones output: this¼~ jack is used to connect stereo headphones (minimum impedance 80) to monitor the sum signal. Please note, if headphones are connected to the 3.5mm MONITOR output jack, the sound output from the PHONES output jack is cut off.
Main Mix Outputs: These ¼” jacks are used to send the main mix signal to an amplifier or speakers.
CH3 – CH4: these balanced ¼” input jacks allow for the connection of an audio source with line signal level; when connecting a mono source, use the left jack only.

Operation

Prior to connection/disconnection and prior to powering on, the output controls Phones Monitor and Main Mix should be turned all the way down.
Connect microphones and line-level devices to the balanced CH1 and CH2 XLR/¼” combo input jacks.

Connect microphones to the balanced XLR jacks. When using a condenser microphone, connect it to CH1. Be sure to activate the 48V phantom power feature by pressing the +48V PHANTOM button. Please ensure that the LED indicator above the button is on. Do not connect or disconnect a microphone while phantom power is engaged; it may damage the microphone. To prevent switching noise, only activate or deactivate the phantom power when the mixer is switched off or the output controls are set to 0.
Connect mono sources with a line-level signal to the unbalanced ¼” jacks. When connecting musical instruments of high impedance, such as an electric guitar or electric bass, use the CH2 1/4″ jack. Be sure to activate the Instrument/HI-Z function by pressing the INST-HI-Z button.

Stereo sources with line-level output can be connected to the CH3 – CH4 left and right ¼” jacks. These jacks are balanced; however, it is also possible to connect units with unbalanced output via two-pole plugs. For connecting a mono unit, use the left (L) jack only. The mono signal will then be internally sent to the left channel and the right channel.
Connect stereo headphones with an impedance >8 ohms to either the¼” PHONES jack or the 3.5mm MONITOR jack.

Computer Operation

When operating the mixer with a computer, either use the audio software supplied with the operating system or an audio software installed additionally. Various programs for audio reproduction/recording are available on the internet free of charge.

Start the computer. Connect the RockMix 4’s USB port to the computer’s USB port using the included cable.
Switch on the mixer. The power LED indicator will light up green.
The computer should recognize the USB interface of the mixer as an external device for audio input and audio output, depending on the operating system. The required drivers (standard operating system drivers) should be available on the computer.
Note: If the required drivers are not available on the computer, install them via the original CD of the operating system or download them online. Restart the computer after installation, if necessary.
Open the reproduction/recording program and change the required settings for audio reproduction via the mixer or audio recording from the mixer (check the user manual of your program for information on how to change the audio settings). If it is not possible to record or reproduce any sound, be sure to activate the USB interface for audio input or audio output in the system settings of the computer.
Hint: If the mixer is connected to a computer and to any units grounded via their mains cables (e.g., amplifier), there may be a hum noise due to ground loops. To eliminate this noise, connect the mixer to the corresponding unit via a ground isolator.

Power Supply Operation

PLEASE NOTE: Use a USB power source with an output of 5V/500mA.

Connect the mixer to the power source via the supplied micro USB cable.
Power on the mixer. The power indicator LED should be green.

General Settings

Set the Gain, EQ, and Pan controls to the mid position. Turn all level controls to MIN.
To adjust a mono channel to an optimum level, feed an audio signal to the channel and turn up its control LEVEL to the mid position. Adjust the control GAIN of the channel. Then adjust the sound with the EQ controls: HIGH for the high frequencies, LOW for the low bass frequencies. As the sound adjustments affect the channel level, readjust the gain adjustment if necessary. Now turn the control LEVEL back to the MIN position and make the same adjustments for the second mono channel.
To adjust a stereo channel, turn the LEVEL controls of the remaining channels to the MIN position and turn up the control LEVEL of the stereo channel so that the sound can be adjusted in an optimum way.
Use the Pan control to send the signal to either the left or right stereo buses. The middle position sends the left and right signal equally. You can pan fully hard left or right or you can have it blend by moving the knob position slightly left or right. Adjust the sound with the High and Low tone controls.
Use the MAIN MIX control to adjust the overall volume. However, if the output level of the mixer is too high for the connected output device, adjust the signal accordingly.
Adjust the headphone volume with the PHONES MONITOR level control.

WARNING: Listening to music at high volume for extended periods of time is not recommended as it may damage your hearing. Over time, your ears will adapt to the volume level, so that a volume level that may not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing.

Features

Assignable USB record source
Switchable +48V phantom power on channel 1 for use with condenser microphones
Channel 1 and channel 2: XLR and ¼” TRS combo input jacks
Channel 2: mic/instrument level switchable, allowing you to connect a mic, instrument, or any other audio device
Stereo channels 3 and 4 have ¼” inputs (balanced or unbalanced)
CH3 & CH4 with GAIN switch and LEVEL control
Independent level controls for main and headphone/monitor outputs
Integrated plug-and-play USB audio interface for MAC & PC
Operates on USB BUS power or 5V DC external power supply (included)
3.5mm aux input jack for sound effects or background music
Low power consumption means you can power the mixer from the USB of your laptop or by plugging it into an outlet or through a standard 5V powerbank
Super mini 4-channel mixing console designed for home studio recordings or live broadcast streaming
(2) headphone outputs (¼” and 3.5mm)
¼” TRS stereo output
¼” stereo monitor output
Additional 3.5mm mic input to connect an additional microphone to channel 1 (takes priority over CH1 combo jack mic input)
Channels 1 and 2 each have a 2-band EQ, Pan control, and gain control
TO PC slide switch allows you to select which channels get sent to your computer (DRY CH1-2/ INPUT MIX/ LOOPBACK)
Clip LED indicators
Monitor mute button
Monitor/headphone level control knob
Main mix level control knob
No external drivers are needed for MAC or PC

Specifications

Input Connections: XLR & ¼” Balanced Combo-jack (CH1 & CH2), ¼” Left/Right TRS Balanced jacks (CH3 & CH4), 3.5mm TRS Aux/MP3, 3.5mm headset Mic jack
Output Connections: ¼” TRS Balanced Main Mix outputs, ¼” TRS Stereo output & Monitor outputs, 3.5mm Headset output
CH1 XLR: 1.5mV/2.2k ohm
CH2 XLR: 2.5mV/2.2k ohm
CH1 Jack: 10mV/12k ohm (line)
CH2 Jack: 15mV/240k ohm
CH3/4: 550mV/22K ohm
AUXIN: 280mV/10K ohm
Signal to Noise Ratio: >90dB Typical (Ref 0dBu)
Maximum Input Level: +8dBu (Mic), +16dBu (¼” Input)
Maximum Output Level: +15dBu Main Mix Outputs
Maximum Gain: >55dB (Mic), >37dB (Instrument), 5dB (CH3 & CH4)
USB Computer Interface
USB Class Compliant plug-and-play MAC/PC Interface
Output Level: main mix out- max.6.5V, stereo out- 1.0V, phone/monitor out- max. 6.5V
Frequency Range: 10Hz – 33kHz, ±3dB
THO: ::; 0.05%
Low Range: ±15dB/80Hz
High Range: ±15dB/12kHz
Headphone Impedance: ;,:8 ohm
Phantom Power: +48V
Power Supply: USB 5V 500mA via USB BUS or 5V DC @ 500mA via micro USB power adapter
Operating System: Windows 2000/XP/7/Vista or higher; MAC OS 9.1/ OS X or higher
Item Size: 190 x 130 x 47mm / 7.48″ x 5.11″ x 1.85″
Item Weight: 716g/1.58Ibs

Troubleshooting

NO POWER

If using your computer’s USB port for power, make sure the USB cable is properly plugged in.
If using the power adapter, make sure the micro USB cable is properly connected to the unit and to the wall socket.
Make sure the unit is powered on.

NO SOUND

Make sure the USB cable is properly plugged into the unit as well as the computer’s USB port.
Make sure that all input cables (XLR, ¼H, and 3.5mm) are properly connected.
Check the input GAINS, LEVELS, and MAIN MIX volume to make sure they are properly set.

NO SOUND – HEADPHONES

Be sure your headphones are properly plugged in.
Check that the PHONE MONITOR control, CH1, CH2, and CH3- CH4 level controls, COMPUTER level control, and the MAIN MIX volume control are all properly set.

MICROPHONE DOES NOT WORK

Be sure your microphone is properly plugged into the correct port and that you are using the appropriate cable type.
Make sure the CH1/CH2 GAIN and LEVEL controls are properly set.

LINE INPUT DISTORTION

Turn down the input GAIN and LEVEL controls.
Toggle the CH1 PAD button, CH2 PAD button, or the CH3 and 4 GAIN button.
Check your EQ settings.

NOISE/HUM

Make sure you are using good quality audio cables. We recommend Rockville Pro Audio cables.
Check the condition of your audio cables.
Keep cables away from other AC power cables as well as AC transformers.
Ensure that the unit is not too close to amplifiers, lighting power supplies, or ballasts.
Use a ground isolator.