Sigma Mixer KS 342 User Manual

KS-342

4-channel mixer

Operating manual

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KS-342

Introduction

Thank you for the purchase of the Kamesan KS-342 4-channel

portable mixer. This mixer is designed to provide you with the

most ﬂexible and powerful features available in a small, easily

portable package.

Key points include:

A wide range of input options, including +48V phantom

powering

Switchable support for MS operation

AES/EBU digital output, together with a wide range of

balanced and unbalanced analog outputs with compression

Flexible monitoring

Further expansion possible through the Kamesan range of

modular audio components

Notes and warnings

The KS-6001 may be used with a dry-cell battery pack or with a

NiCd NP-1 pack or with an external power source, as described

elsewhere in this manual. If the unit is used under different con-

ditions, there is a risk of ﬁre, damage to the unit, or personal

injury.

Note the following with regard to external power supplies:

Make sure the polarity of the external powering device is

correct.

Make sure it is properly connected to the KS-342. Damage

to units may result if connectors are not properly ﬁtted and

the power is turned on.

Also, follow the common-sense precautions below:

Do not allow liquids to come into contact with the unit

or be spilled inside. Should this occur, ﬁre, damage or

malfunction may result.

Make sure that no metal objects or easily inﬂammable

substances inadvertently get inside the unit through holes

or slots. Should this occur, ﬁre, the unit may become

damaged or start to behave erratically.

Do not attempt to disassemble the unit as damage or

malfunction may result.

KS-342

Notes on the Operating Environment

Avoid using this unit in places with high heat or high humid-

ity as damage or malfunction may result. When using in an

exceptionally cold environment, battery service life may be

shortened, and there may be a drop in performance. If at all

possible, use this unit in the temperature range as indicated in

the speciﬁcations.

When connecting this unit to external devices, be sure to read

all related operation manuals and connect the devices correctly

to each other. If there are mistakes in the connections, it is

possible that either the KS-342 or the other unit(s) will be dam-

aged.

In the event that smoke or odors come from the unit, turn off

the power and remove all batteries and external power supply

sources at once. Contact your dealer or service representative.

In the event of damage or injury caused by accidents, improper

operation or functioning, the proper course of action shall be

determined according to our service regulations. Please note

that we cannot be responsible in any way for any loss of pre-re-

corded material.

KS-342

Contents

Introduction ............................................................3

Notes and warnings....................................................... 3

Notes on the Operating Environment.............................. 4

Connection of Microphones............................................ 5

About the manual ......................................................... 6

Batteries and power ................................................6

Accessories, etc. .......................................................... 7

About the case ............................................................. 7

Features and panel items ........................................9

Left side (viewed from front).......................................... 9

Right side (viewed from front)........................................ 10

Front panel................................................................... 12

MS operation...........................................................15

AES/EBU output ......................................................15

Expansion ...............................................................16

Attaching and detaching units........................................ 16

Speciﬁcations .........................................................17

Audio speciﬁcations ...................................................... 17

Other parameters.......................................................... 18

Audio performance........................................................ 18

Power and general speciﬁcations.................................... 19

Block diagram .........................................................20

About Kamesan.......................................................22

Connection of Microphones

WARNING

Connection of microphone cables and microphones: to prevent

hazard or damage, ensure that only microphone cables and

microphones designed to the IEC 268-15A standard are

connected.

Connexions des microphones et de leurs câbles: pour éviter

tout endommagement, s’assurer de brancher uniquement des

microphones et des câbles de microphones conçus selon la

norme IEC 268-15A.

When using microphones, make sure that the phantom power

is set appropriately for the microphones. Use of +48 V phantom

power with microphones not designed for this may result in

damage to the microphones, and to the Kamesan KS-342.

In the event of encountering problems with the Kamesan KS-

342, you should contact your local after-sales representative.

KS-342

Before operating the Kamesan KS-342, you should be aware of

the following points:

All XLR-3 connectors (male and female) are wired with the fol-

lowing pinouts: 1=ground, 2=hot, 3=cold.

The AC adaptor jack is a tip-negative connection. DO NOT at-

tempt to make any connection to this jack except using AC

adaptors authorized by Kamesan.

Always remove any dead batteries immediately from the

Kamesan KS-342, and remove any batteries from the unit if it

will not be used for some time. Corroded and leaking batteries

can cause severe damage to the unit.

About the manual

Keep this manual in a convenient location for handy reference.

Any labels on the unit mentioned in the manual are shown this

typeface: OUTPUT.

Sometimes you will see a note—important information which

you should note.

NOTE

Failure to read and observe notes and warnings may result in

personal injury and/or possible damage to the unit.

Batteries and power

The Kamesan KS-342 can use any standard type of battery:

manganese, alkaline, nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydride cells ﬁt-

ted in a BP-3/8 battery holder (supplied with the KS-342) or a

special NP-1 NiCd battery pack.

Eight type 3 (AA) size batteries are required.

In normal use and temperature conditions, a set of alkaline bat-

teries provides about six hours of operation. See the speciﬁca-

tions at the end of this manual for more detailed information.

In addition, the Kamesan KS-342 can accept power from a

suitable power adaptor connected to the DC power input. This

power should be between 10V and 15V DC, with a maximum

current of 500mA. The connector is tip negative.

KS-342

NOTE

If the unit is not to be used for an extended period of time,

remove the batteries from the unit. Do not leave dead batteries

in the unit.

The batteries are contained in a standard battery holder, which

slides out for easy replacement. Additional battery holders can

be purchased and “pre-loaded” with spare batteries for easy

and speedy replacement.

Accessories, etc.

The Kamesan KS-342 is supplied with everything you need to

start work.

However, you can purchase the following, in order to increase

the capabilities and the functionality of the unit:

Power adaptors: you can use the Kamesan PS-M12 mini power

supply.

Spare battery holders, allowing you to slip in a new power

source at a moment’s notice. Use the BP-3/8 battery holder for

dry cell batteries, and the BH-1 for the NiCd NP-1 battery.

To expand the capabilities of the unit further, it is possible to ﬁt

a KS-6001 4-channel sub-mixer, and/or a KS-6002 4-channel

EQ/compressor unit, both of which integrate neatly into the KS-

342 system without the use of cables.

Consult your Kamesan supplier for details.

About the case

The Kamesan KS-342 case is designed to hold and protect the

unit against any wear and tear under the standard conditions

of use for which the mixer is designed. In addition, the mixer

itself has been designed to be rugged and to stand up to the

demands that will be made of it in its expected life.

Even so, you should not drop the mixer, or subject it to violent

shocks or vibration. Always keep the mixer in its case to avoid

any possible damage.

You can loosen the straps on the case in order to expand the

case size and allow the side strap holders on the mixer to be

freed from the retaining panels in the case.

If you remove the mixer from the case, and then replace it, al-

ways make sure the case clips (four in all) ﬁt over the lip at the

top of the mixer front panel.

KS-342

The touch fasteners at either side may be used to tidy cables, as

well as to restrain the mixer in its case.

You can use the pocket in the case to store spare batteries,

adaptors, etc.

You can secure the top ﬂap using the touch fastener when it is

folded back to allow operation of the front panel. In addition, it

can form a convenient rain hood, allowing easy access to the

front panel controls while protecting them from the elements.

Also note that if the KS-6001 sub-mixer or the KS-6002 EQ/

compressor is ﬁtted, cushioning material is supplied, allowing

the extra units to ﬁt snugly, and minimizing any possible dam-

age caused by shock or vibration.

KS-342

Features and panel items

For the most part, the explanations given for the individual

parts of the KS-342 will allow you to operate the mixer effec-

tively. You should therefore read this part of the manual care-

fully in order to understand the many features and operations

possible with the unit.

Left side (viewed from front)

This section is chieﬂy the inputs to the mixer:

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INPUTS 1 through 4 Connect the microphones or line level

sources to these XLR jacks.

INPUTS 1+2 This XLR-5 jack is used to connect a stereo mi-

crophone to the 1 and 2 inputs. The wiring is: 1= ground, 2=L

+, 3=L –, 4=R +, 5=R –.

Battery locking lever Pull down to release the battery pack

Coaxial power supply Connect a suitable power supply (tip

negative, between 10V and 15V, approximately 0.5A).

DC 12V OUT This connector is used to supply external power

to other equipment.

AUX IN This connector is used to connect an auxiliary input,

such as a camera’s audio signal, etc.

Aux level control and routing switch The level control is

used to set the level of the input aux signal when it is routed to

the output busses.

KS-342

The routing switch sends the aux signal to the L and R main out-

put busses (AUX MIX) or to the monitor bus only (AUX MONI) or

completely off (center position).

Right side (viewed from front)

This section is chieﬂy the outputs from the mixer:

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MAIN outputs L and R Balanced XLR-3 connectors providing

the main analog output signals from the KS-342. They can also

be used to provide the outputs from input channels 1 and 2, for

example when these are used in MS mode.

MAIN level controls Use these rotary controls to adjust the

level of the signals sent from the main outputs.

MAIN compressor controls The main output busses can

be compressed using the onboard compressor (this applies

to all outputs fed by the output busses. The triggering of

the compressor can be done by either the L or the R bus, or

ST LINK setting, in which either bus can be above the trigger

level, or L•R in which both busses must be above the trigger

level (the off position is represented by the • symbol). The

trigger level itself can be set to +3 dB (3), +6 dB (6), +9 dB (9)

or +12 dB (12).

SUB output This XLR-5 connector provides the main output

busses as balanced sub outputs (or this connector can also be

KS-342

used as direct outputs from channels 3 and 4). The wiring is:

1=ground, 2=L+, 3 = L–, 4=R+, 5=R–. There is a choice of output

levels: –20dB or –60dB, selectable by the switch immediately

below this connector.

ST OUT This unbalanced 3.5mm stereo jack output provides

another stereo output for feeding unbalanced inputs (on a

camera, for example). The level is –60dB.

SOURCE SELECT switch This allows the choice of whether

the MAIN and SUB connectors above output the mixed left and

right output busses (MIX), or whether they output the individual

channels in pairs (DIRECT OUT).

AES/EBU The KS-342 is capable of outputting the stereo output

in AES/EBU format. The sampling frequency is selectable with

the rotary switch beside the XLR-3 outputs at either 44.1K,

48K or 96K (all Hz). The • position represents the off position

(no digital signal is output).

NOTE

When this digital output is enabled, it uses battery power. If you

are not using it, make sure that the switch is in the off position,

to extend the life of the batteries.

DC IN Use this to connect a DC power supply, providing between

+10V and +15V at no more than 600mA. Wire the connector as

marked on the panel.

KS-342

Front panel

The front panel is where you will make the majority of the set-

tings while you are using the KS-342.

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Channel routing switch (x 4) Each channel has a switch that

allows the channel’s output to be routed to either the left (L),

right (R) or both (C) output busses.

In addition, channels 1 and 2 have another setting: MS, which

allows these channels to be operated in MS mode (with a

stereo microphone, for example). Both the 1 and 2 channels

must be set to MS, and various other features of the mixer also

change. These are detailed in the section later referring to the

MS mode.

LCF/PFL switch (x 4) Use this control to sweep the low-cut ﬁl-

ter frequency (–12dB/octave) between 20Hz and 200Hz.

Though there is no way to turn this ﬁlter off, in practice, setting

the cutoff frequency to 20Hz has the same effect as turning it

off, as most microphone systems are not sensitive to sounds in

that frequency range.

Press this control (it is non-latching) to perform a pre-fade lis-

ten (PFL) on the channel (the level is shown on the right meter).

More than one of these PFL controls can be pressed at the same

KS-342

time, but in this case, the level and right VU meter indication

will be lower than the actual values.

Channel faders The nominal position is at about the 2 o’clock

position, when the fader is pointing to the channel number.

NOTE

In MS mode, faders 1 and 2 have a slightly different meaning, as

explained in the appropriate section.

Slate microphone This built-in microphone allows the opera-

tor to make comments, or clapperboard, etc. signals to be add-

ed to the main mix.

Input selector (x 4) Use this to select between the following:

P48 Condenser microphones requiring +48V phantom power-

ing

Dy-M Dynamic microphones

LINE Line-level sources

A-B - A-B type microphones

NOTE

Ensure that only microphones corresponding to the selection

are connected to the appropriate inputs, otherwise damage may

occur to the KS-6001 and to the microphones.

Input trim control (x 4) Used to adjust the level of the signal

fed to each channel. The amount of trim depends on the input

setting: the blue ﬁgures indicate line-level settings, and the

white ﬁgures indicate microphone levels.

Fader link (FD LINK) switch (x 2) When these switches are

on (pushed to the right position), the even-numbered faders

control the levels of the two linked channels (not in MS mode).

Battery check button When the unit is turned on, pressing

this momentary non-latching button allows you to check the

battery health using the left meter. The further the meter is de-

ﬂected, the more life there is in the batteries.

Meter light/Oscillator switch This switch serves two func-

tions. In its up position, the meters are illuminated.

In the down position, the built-in 1kHz line-up oscillator is acti-

vated (together with the meter light). In order to see the output

level using the oscillator:

Make sure that both the OUTPUT level switches are set to

the correct value (usually +4).

KS-342

2. Turn the power on (up), and then turn the oscillator

switch on (down).

3. To monitor both channels together, set the monitoring

selection switch to the L/R setting (for an explanation of

the monitoring switch settings).

4. Adjust the level of the outputs so that the meter reads 0

dB (or the equivalent, depending on the meter.

5. Remember to turn the oscillator off when the adjustment

has been made.

The center position is off.

Master level controls Adjust the output level with these con-

trols. These are recessed to avoid accidental changes to the

output level in normal operation.

Monitor selection, level and headphone jack Select the

signals monitored through the headphones using the monitor

selection control. AUX selects the auxiliary signals, L selects the

left, and R selects the right output bus, L/R is stereo and L+R is a

mono combination of the left and right busses. Note that these

assignments change in MS mode, as explained below.

Use the level control to set the monitoring level as heard through

the headphones, plugged into the standard ꢀ" stereo jack.

Power switch and indicator Turn the unit on by pushing the

switch up. The indicator lights green when the internal batteries

are used, and orange when an external power supply is used.

It ﬂashes when the battery level becomes low. When it ﬂashes,

you should replace the batteries.

COMP indicator Lights when the compressor is in operation,

as switched from the side panel.

NOTE

The compressors use battery power. Turn the compressors off

when you do not need them to extend the life of your batteries.

SLATE button Push to activate the slate function with the in-

ternal microphone.

Meters There are three different types of meter available with

the KS-342. These are factory-ﬁtted and are not user-replace-

able, depending on the model of your KS-342, you may have

one of the following types of meter ﬁtted:

KS-342

VU scale These meters conform to the VU standard, providing

an averaged level reading. 0 VU marks the reference position.

BBC scale Developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation,

this peak meter standard goes from 1 to 7 (each step repre-

sents 4 dB) with a fast rise and slow fall time. The reference

level is “6”.

Nordic scale Another peak meter type, with 0 again being the

reference level, but the readings are from –42 to +12 dBu.

In each case, a peak LED is provided as part of the metering

system, which lights at 6dB below maximum level.

MS operation

MS operation is usually carried out using a specialized micro-

phone designed for this kind of recording.

To use the MS facility with channels 1 and 2, make sure that

both channels 1 and 2 have their output destination selected

as MS.

Note that the dedicated XLR-5 connector can be used with ap-

propriately-wired microphones in this mode. It provides phan-

tom power, etc. in exactly the same way as the XLR-3 connec-

tors, and the line selector switches, etc. should be set appro-

priately.

The AUX inputs cannot be used for cascading in this mode.

The fader for channel 1 becomes the width control for the MS

signal, and the fader for channel 2 is the level control.

The fader gang switch (1-2) obviously cannot gang the faders

in MS mode—instead, it inverts the phase of the signal fed to

channel 2.

When monitoring, the L+R mode takes a new meaning, with the

decoded left and right signals being decoded.

AES/EBU output

The AES/EBU jack provides digital output in AES/EBU format,

at the selectable sampling frequencies of 44.1, 48 or 96 kHz.

The resolution is 20 bits.

KS-342

Expansion

The KS-342 may be used together with the KS-6001 sub mixer,

which provides a further four channels of input feeding the AUX

bus, and/or the KS-6002 compressor/EQ module, which pro-

vides sweepable 2-band EQ and compression facilities for each

channel. The KS-342 can act as the power source for these

units, which integrate neatly with the built-in connector on the

top panel of the unit.

These modular connectors allow you to build up a portable

Kamesan system in a similar way to a child’s building block set,

without the need for other connectors or cables, as all audio

signals and power are carried by these built-in connectors.

There is no need to make any switch assignments on any of

the units—for example, when the KS-6002 is connected, the

compressors and EQ circuits are automatically inserted into

the channels, etc.

You should note that since these expansion units do not have

their own power supplies, there will be an additional drain on

the KS-342 batteries, and the battery life will be shortened.

Attaching and detaching units

When attaching units to the KS-342, you should remove the

rectangular connector cover on the top panel, keeping it and

the screws in a safe place before ﬁtting the other unit, so that

its male connector on the bottom plate mates with the female

connector on the top of the KS 342. The locating pins situated

on the bottom of the other unit should match the locating holes

on the top panel of the KS-342.

To detach a sub-unit from the KS-342, move both locking le-

vers on the top center sides of the KS-342 forwards and lift.

See the documentation supplied with the KS-6001 and KS-

6002 for full details regarding the ﬁtting and the use of these

units.

KS-342

Speciﬁcations

Audio speciﬁcations

Input levels (all

–70 to –30dBs

–20 to +4dBm

3.0kΩ

MIC

continuously variable

and electronically

balanced)

LINE

AUX

MIC

Input impedance

600Ω

LINE

AUX

10kΩ

Headroom

32dB (pre-fader input)

Analog output levels

+4/0/–20/–60dBm switchable

(600Ω load) transformer balanced

XLR-3 type

MAIN

SUB

–20/–60dBm switchable (600Ω

load) electronically balanced XLR-5

type

–60dBs (10kΩ load) 3.5mm

unbalanced stereo jack

UNBAL

0dBs/50Ω (max load 8Ω)

MONI

MAIN

Maximum output levels

+24dBm (600Ω load, +4 selected

@ 12V)

+20dBm (600Ω load, +4 selected

@ 8V)

–+8dBm (600Ω load, –20 selected

@12V)

SUB

–60dBs (10kΩ load) @ 12V

UNBAL

MONI

+6dBs (50Ω load, @ 12V)

Digital output

AES/EBU format, XLR-3 type

connector. FS: 44.1/48/96

(selectable), resolution, 20 bits

KS-342

Other parameters

Microphone power

P-48V (maximum power 10mA)

A-B 12V (maximum power 30mA)

LCF (low-cut ﬁlter)

Oscillator

20Hz — 200Hz, continuously variable, –12dB/

octave

1kHz (±10%)

Compressor

Threshold level

+3/+6/+9/+12dB

2ms (approx)

300ms (approx)

2:1 (approx)

Attack time

Release time

Ratio

Audio performance

Frequency response

30Hz — 40kHz (within 1dB)

MAINOUT&SUBOUT

Noise level

< –54dB (22kHz LPF/RMS)

< –70dB (22kHz LPF/RMS)

MIC (–70)

LINE (+4)

< –65dB (22kHz LPF/RMS)

MONI

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

<0.1% (50Hz — 15kHz

+4dBm)

KS-342

Power and general speciﬁcations

Internal power supply

8 x type 3 (AA) dry-cell batteries,

carried in standard battery holder

1 x NP-1 NiCd battery, carried in

optional battery holder

External power supply

+10V to +15V (maximum

current 0.5A)

Current

Nominal

160mA

Digital output on

Manganese cells

Alkaline cells

NP-1 NiCd

240mA

Battery life (normal

temperature, no

additional modules,

digital output off)

> 4 hours

> 8 hours

> 12 hours

Dimensions (excl.

protrusions)

w x d x h

215 x 170 x 60 (mm)

8.5 x 6.7 x 2.4 (in)

2.4kg (5.3lbs)

Weight (approx)

inc. batteries

excl. batteries

2.0kg (4.4lbs)

KS-342

Block diagram

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KS-342

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KS-342

About Kamesan

Sigma Systems Engineering was started in 1972 to develop and design

professional mixers for studio and remote broadcast applications.

Today, following the “slow and steady” principle of the tortoise, we

have built up our sales and our reputation to the extent that we now

enjoy 95% of the Japanese portable mixer market.

We have concentrated on two or three main areas in our design philos-

ophy: compactness, in an industry which was traditionally dominated

by large, heavy equipment; ease of use, since time is always of the es-

sence in the environments where our products are used; and quality,

to match the needs that today’s broadcasters require.

Our head ofﬁce is in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and as a small company, we

are happy to listen to the ideas for product improvement suggested by

you, the customers and users of our equipment.

Making steady progress (like a tortoise, but maybe a little faster!), we

hope to meet your requirements, now and in the future.

Visit both of our Web sites at http://www.kamesan.co.jp and

http://www.kamesan.info in order to ﬁnd out more about what we’re

doing, and to let us know what you are doing with Kamesan prod-

ucts.

Sigma Systems Engineering Co. Ltd.

3-5-2 Okubo

Shinjuku-ku

Tokyo 169-0072

JAPAN

Tel: +81 3 3204 2611

Fax: +81 3 3204 2250

e-mail: [email protected]

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