Montarbo XD69 & AD69 Stereo Mixer Instruction Manual

❗ IMPORTANT! Safety Instructions

WARNING!

In order to protect your own and others' safety and to avoid invalidation of the warranty of this product, please read this section carefully before operating this product.

This product has been designed and manufactured for being operated as a mixing console/powered mixing console in the applications typical of a sound reinforcement system or of a sound recording system. Operation for purposes and in applications other than these has not been covered by the manufacturer in the design of the product, and is therefore to be undertaken at end user's and/or installer's sole risk and responsibility.

To avoid the risk of fire and/or electrical shock:

• Never expose this product to rain or moisture, never use it in proximity of water or on a wet surface. Never let any liquid, as well as any object, enter the product. In case, immediately disconnect it from the mains supply and refer to servicing before operating it again.
• Before connecting this product to the mains supply, always make sure that the voltage on the mains outlet corresponds to that stated on the product.
• This product must be connected only to a grounded mains outlet (complying to the safety regulations in force) via the supplied power cable. In case the power cable needs to be substituted, use exclusively a cable of the same type and characteristics.
• Never place any object on the power cable. Never lay the power cable on a walkway where one could trip over it. Never press or pinch it.
• During operation do not cover the mixer and do not keep it in containers which may prevent correct air circulation. Never obstruct the air intake openings (AD69).
• In case the external fuses need replacement, substitute it only with one of the same type and rating, as stated on the product.
• Always make sure the On/Off switch is in its 'Off' position before doing any operation on the connections.
• Before attempting to move the product after it has been installed, remove all the connections.
• To disconnect the power cable from the mains supply never pull the cable directly instead, hold the body of the plug firmly and pull it gently from the mains supply outlet.

CAUTION!

These products do not contain user serviceable parts. To prevent fire and/or electrical shock, never remove their covers. Maintenance and servicing must be carried out by the official Montarbo Distributor in your State or by qualified personnel specifically authorized by the distributor.

• Before placing the product on a surface of any kind, always make sure that its shape and load rating will safely match the product's size and weight.
• To avoid shocks always reserve a protected area with no access to unqualified personnel as installation site of the product. In case the product is used near children and animals closest supervision is necessary.
• This product in combination with headphones or speakers can generate very high acoustic pressures which are dangerous for the hearing system. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high or uncomfortable volume level. Never expose children to high sound sources.

Controls and Connections

Mono Input Channel

• 1 GAIN: Adjusts the gain (sensitivity) of the line and mic inputs, allowing connections of signal sources with a wide range of signal level. Set to maximize signal-to-noise ratio without activating the peak indicator (CL).
• 2 H.F / M.F / L.F: 3-band Equalizer. Controls high (15kHz), mid (600Hz), and low (50Hz) frequencies with up to 15dB boost/cut. Clockwise increases, counter-clockwise decreases. Center position is flat.
• 3 AUX: Auxiliary send volume (post EQ, pre fader). Regulates the channel's signal level to the auxiliary output.
• 4 E1: Effect send 1 volume (post-fader, post EQ). Adjusts the quantity of channel signal sent to the internal effect E1. Turn fully anticlockwise to disable.
• 5 E2: Effect send 2 volume (post-fader, post EQ). Adjusts the quantity of channel signal sent to internal effect E2 and/or external effect connected to EFF 2 SEND. Turn fully anticlockwise to disable.
• 6 PAN: Panorama control. Positions the channel's signal within the stereo image by adjusting its level to the left or right master outputs.
• 7 ON: Channel's main on/off switch. Activates/deactivates the channel's signal to master outputs, AUX, and E1/E2 sends. Recommended to switch off unused channels to reduce noise.
• 8 VOLUME: Channel fader.
• 9 CL: Peak LED indicator. Lights when signal level approaches clipping. Monitors signal after the input amplifier and equalizer. If continuously lit, reduce GAIN or EQ boost.
• 10 PHANTOM 48V DC: Pushbutton to enable/disable 48V phantom power for condenser microphones on channels 4, 5, 6. Press before powering on or with channel volumes down.

Mono Input Connections:

• 11 MIC: Balanced XLR microphone input.
• 12 LINE / INSERT: Unbalanced jack line input for instruments and high-level sources. Also functions as an insert socket. Do not connect instruments to MIC inputs (distortion) or microphones to LINE inputs (low level/quality).

Stereo Input Channel

• 13 GAIN: Same as mono channel.
• 14 H.F / M.F / L.F: Same as mono channel.
• 15 AUX: Same as mono channel.
• 16 E1: Same as mono channel.
• 17 E2: Same as mono channel.
• 18 BAL: Stereo balance. Adjusts the relative level of the stereo signal to the left/right master outputs. Acts as PAN if used in mono.
• 19 ON: Channel's main on/off switch. Same as mono channel.
• 20 VOLUME: Channel fader.
• 21 CL: Same as mono channel.

Stereo Input Connections:

• 22 MIC: Balanced mono XLR input for mic-level signals.
• 23 L/R: Unbalanced jack line inputs for stereo instruments. Use 'L/mono' for mono connections.

Dual Stereo Multieffects DSP

Features two 56-bit DSPs with 24-bit Delta-Sigma conversion, offering 160 high-quality programs each.

• 24 DISPLAY: Two-line LCD showing program numbers and names for E1 and E2.
• 25 E1/E2 BUTTON: Selects which effect group (E1 or E2) to operate on.
• 26 PROGRAMS KNOB: Selects one of the 160 programs for each effect.
• 27 LOAD BUTTON: Loads and activates the selected program. A '►' symbol indicates the program is loaded and active; '=' indicates it is not yet loaded.
• 28 INPUT LEVEL: 5-segment LED indicator for effect send signal level. Green LEDs indicate good levels; red LEDs indicate overload and require reducing effect send volumes (E1/E2) on channels.
• 29 TONE control: Adjusts high frequencies. Clockwise decreases, counter-clockwise increases. Flat at center.
• 30 AUX: Auxiliary send. Adjusts the stereo effect level to the Aux (monitor) output.
• 31 BAL: Balance. Adjusts the stereo effect signal level to the L and R master outputs.
• 32 ON: Effect on/off button with red LED indicator.
• 33 VOLUME: Effect fader.

DSP Connections:

• 34 E1/E2 FT/SW: Jack sockets for footswitches to remotely enable/disable built-in effects (when 'ON' buttons are pushed).

External Effects Sends and Returns

• 35 EXT EFF 2 SEND: Level control for the external effect send. Mixes signals from E2 sends and sets the level for the EFF 2 SEND jack output.
• 36 EXT EFF 2 RETN: Level control for the external effect return. Sets the signal level of the external effect return.
• 37 EXT EFF 2 TO AUX: Sets the level of the external effect to be sent to the AUX output (monitor).
• 38 EXT EFF 2 BAL: Stereo balance of the external effect. Adjusts the stereo signal level of the effect in the L and R master outputs.

External Effects Connections:

• 39 EFF 2 SEND: Jack output for external effect send.
• 40 EFF 2 RETN L/R: 2 jack inputs for external effect return. Can also be used as 2 extra line inputs. Connect EFF 2 SEND output to external effect input. Connect external effect L/R outputs to EFF 2 RETN L/R inputs. For mono effects, use 'L/mono' socket.

Use E2 controls on each channel to send signal to external effects. Use EXT EFF 2 SEND (35) to control the overall send level. Use EXT EFF 2 RTN, TO AUX, and BAL (36, 37, 38) to adjust the return level and routing.

The AUX OUT can be used as an effect send if not used for monitors.

Master Section

• 41 L/R MASTER: Volume faders for the left and right master outputs.
• 42 LEFT/RIGHT LEVEL: Two 12-segment LED arrays showing L and R output levels.
• 43 Stereo Graphic EQUALIZER: 6-band stereo graphic equalizer.
• 44 PROCESSOR: Activates an internal processor for a 'full-bodied' sound, especially at low listening levels. Affects XLR outputs on XD69 and power amplifier outputs on AD69.
• 45 CTRL ROOM: Level control for the control room stereo output.
• 46 AUX MASTER: Volume control for the auxiliary (monitor) output. Mixes individual channel AUX sends.
• 47 TAPE IN VOL: Volume control for the Tape In input.
• 48 PHONES VOL: Volume control for the stereo headphones output.
• 49 POWER: Mains power switch.

Master Section Connections:

• 50 XD69 LEFT/RIGHT OUTPUTS: L/R master outputs (XLR) for connecting power amplifiers or active speaker enclosures. Each output can drive up to 10 parallel connected active speakers or power amps. L/R insert sockets can be used as normal jack outputs for XD69 if XLRs are disconnected.
• 51 AD69 L/R SPEAKER OUTPUTS: Internal power amplifier outputs. Minimum load impedance is 4Ω. Connect one or two 8Ω speakers per output. Features speaker protection, electronic protections, delayed power-up, auto-troubleshooting, and forced cooling.
• 52 L/R INSERT: Stereo jack sockets (post-master faders) for connecting external auxiliary equipment (equalizers, limiters, etc.) to master outputs. On XD69, can also be used as normal jack outputs. On AD69, can be used as preamp-outputs for powered speakers or external amps. Plugging mono jacks into stereo insert sockets excludes power outputs.
• 53 L/R CTRL ROOM OUT: Control Room outputs duplicate master signals for nearfield monitors or a secondary PA. Level controlled independently by the CTRL ROOM control. Each output can drive up to 10 active speakers or power amps.
• 54 AUX OUT: Auxiliary (monitor) output. Can drive up to 10 parallel powered monitors. Can also be used as an external effect send.
• 55 L/R TAPE IN/OUT: PIN (RCA) sockets for connecting a stereo tape recorder. Connect TAPE OUT to recorder inputs and TAPE IN to recorder outputs. Keep TAPE IN VOL low if TAPE IN is unused.
• 56 PHONES OUT: Stereo headphone output.
• 57 IEC Power Supply Socket: Mains fuse included.
• 58 Auxiliary GROUND Socket: Supplementary ground connection.

Stereo Graphic Equalizer

The graphic equalizer helps to correct acoustic environments, reduce feedback, and achieve a more natural sound. Use it to compensate for room acoustics and speaker placement after setting channel tone controls.

• Avoid extreme slider positions (all up or all down) to prevent increased noise and reduced dynamics.
• Carefully position speakers and microphones to minimize feedback before using the equalizer.
• Adjust channel tone controls first for desired timbre, then use the graphic equalizer for environmental compensation.

Graphic equalizer frequency response curves shown for L and R channels.

Dual Stereo Multieffects DSP

Features two 56-bit DSPs with 24-bit Delta-Sigma conversion, offering 160 high-quality programs each.

• 24 DISPLAY: Two-line LCD showing program numbers and names for E1 and E2.
• 25 E1/E2 BUTTON: Selects which effect group (E1 or E2) to operate on.
• 26 PROGRAMS KNOB: Selects one of the 160 programs for each effect.
• 27 LOAD BUTTON: Loads and activates the selected program. A '►' symbol indicates the program is loaded and active; '=' indicates it is not yet loaded.
• 28 INPUT LEVEL: 5-segment LED indicator for effect send signal level. Green LEDs indicate good levels; red LEDs indicate overload and require reducing effect send volumes (E1/E2) on channels.
• 29 TONE control: Adjusts high frequencies. Clockwise decreases, counter-clockwise increases. Flat at center.
• 30 AUX: Auxiliary send. Adjusts the stereo effect level to the Aux (monitor) output.
• 31 BAL: Balance. Adjusts the stereo effect signal level to the L and R master outputs.
• 32 ON: Effect on/off button with red LED indicator.
• 33 VOLUME: Effect fader.

DSP Connections:

• 34 E1/E2 FT/SW: Jack sockets for footswitches to remotely enable/disable built-in effects (when 'ON' buttons are pushed).

Programs and Effects Description

• 00 - 010 STEREO GEN: Adds a short delay to the signal to create a pseudo-stereo effect out of mono sources.
• 011 - 030 HALO: Digital recreation of a vintage Montarbo effect from the sixties.
• 031 - 040 ECHO: Classic multiplex effect. Delay time increases with program number.
• 041 - 050 ECHO + REVERB: Combination of echo and reverb for an impressive effect.
• 051 - 060 VOICE REVERB: Reverbs tailored to enhance vocals.
• 061 - 070 PERCUSSION REVERB: Ambience effects for acoustic and electronic percussions.
• 071 - 080 HALO + REVERB: Blended halo and reverb effects.
• 081 - 089 PING PONG: Auto-panned delay, routing samples alternately to left and right master.
• 090 BOUNCE: Repeats start widely spaced and become closer.
• 091 - 100 EARLY REFLECTIONS: Generates the initial part of reverb without the decay tail, creating a thicker, more aggressive sound. Useful for vocals, percussion, or horn solos.
• 101 - 110 STEREO FLANGER: Intense chorus with two crossing voices and feedback, creating a flanging sound.
• 111 - 120 STEREO CHORUS: Produces a warm, rich sound with three voices (left, right, center) for an ensemble effect. Ideal for vocals and guitar accompaniment.
• 121 - 130 DETUNE: Slightly alters tuning to simulate a 'doubling' effect with increased alterations.
• 131 - 136 DUAL PITCH: Two-voice harmonizer that transposes input signal pitch in real-time, with automatic chorus accompaniment.
• 137 - 140 SINGLE PITCH: One-voice harmonizer that transposes input signal pitch in real-time.
• 141 - 150 PITCH CHANGE + REVERB: Combines pitch change and reverb for warmer, thicker vocals. Adds a plate reverb.
• 151 - 160 REVERSE REVERB: Classic 80s effect producing a reversed reverb that builds up from low level. Often used with percussion.

Technical Specifications

Block Diagrams

The block diagrams illustrate the internal signal flow for the XD69 and AD69 mixers.

XD69 Block Diagram

The XD69 block diagram shows the signal path starting from the input channels (Mono and Stereo), passing through EQ, PAN, GAIN, and effect sends (E1, E2, AUX, EXT. EFF 2 SEND). These signals are summed and routed through master volume, control room, and headphone outputs. The stereo graphic equalizer and the dual DSP effects processor are integrated into the signal path. The output section includes L/R Master Outputs, L/R Insert Outputs, Control Room Outputs, Aux Output, Phones Output, and Tape In/Out. The power supply and fuse are also indicated.

AD69 Block Diagram

The AD69 block diagram is similar to the XD69 but includes integrated MOSFET power amplifiers for the L and R outputs. The signal flow from the mixer section is routed through these power amplifiers before reaching the L/R Speaker Outputs. The diagram also shows the processor enable function and the cooling fan.

Connection Examples

These diagrams illustrate typical connection setups for the mixers.

FIG. 1 A: XD69 L-R MASTER OUTPUTS

Connects the mixer's L and R outputs to the inputs of active speaker enclosures using heavy gauge shielded cables.

Rear panel of the XD69 mixer (POWER, FUSE, RIGHT OUTPUTS, LEFT) connected to ACTIVE SPEAKER ENCLOSURES.

XLR sockets: L/R OUTPUTS (unbalanced) use heavy gauge shielded cables.

FIG. 1 B: AD69 L-R POWERED OUTPUTS

Connects passive speaker enclosures to the L/R powered outputs. Each output can drive one or two 8 Ohm speakers.

Outputs of the internal power amplifiers connect to inputs of passive enclosures.

Rear panel of the AD69 powered mixer (SPEAKER OUTPUTS RIGHT/LEFT, POWER, FUSE, MIN LOAD) connected to PASSIVE SPEAKER ENCLOSURES (8 Ω).

JACK sockets: L/R POWER OUTPUTS (unbalanced) use heavy gauge unshilded cables.

XLR sockets: L/R POWER OUTPUTS (unbalanced) use heavy gauge unshielded cables.

FIG. 2 A: XD69 - AD69 L-R INSERT SOCKETS

Connects external auxiliary equipment (e.g., equalizers, limiters, audio processors) to the master outputs. These are stereo jack sockets.

Diagram shows EXTERNAL EFFECTS (EFF 2 - RETN, EFF 2 - SEND, AUX OUT), CTRL ROOM, E2 - FT/SW, E1 - FT/SW, PROCESSOR, and INSERT sockets.

In the AD69 powered mixer, the 'tip' corresponds to the preamplifier output and the 'ring' to the internal power amplifier input.

FIG. 2 B: AD69 L-R INSERT SOCKETS

Connects active speakers or external power amplifiers for use as line outputs of the mixer, without excluding the power outputs.

Illustrates a modified stereo jack plug (ring short-circuited with tip) connecting to the L/R INSERT SOCKETS OF THE MIXER, leading to INPUTS OF ACTIVE SPEAKERS OR OF EXTERNAL POWER AMPLIFIER.

FIG. 3: XD69 - AD69 L-R CONTROL ROOM OUTPUTS

Connects active speaker enclosures to the control room outputs. Up to 10 units can be connected in parallel per output.

Control room L output connects to input of an active speaker enclosure; control room R output connects to input of an active speaker enclosure.

Diagram shows connection from mixer's CTRL ROOM outputs to ACTIVE SPEAKER ENCLOSURES.

FIG. 4: XD69 - AD69 AUX OUTPUT

Connects active stage monitors to the AUX output.

Diagram shows connection from mixer's AUX OUT to ACTIVE STAGE MONITORS.

FIG. 5: XD69 - AD69 SEND / RETURN SOCKETS

Connects external effects units.

External effect L/R outputs connect to stereo effect return. Mixer effect send output connects to external effect input (or mixer aux output connects to external effect input).

Diagram shows connections between EXTERNAL EFFECT unit and mixer's L/R OUTPUTS/INPUTS, including EFF 2 SEND/RETURN and AUX OUT.

FIG. 6: XD69 - AD69 IN / OUT TAPE SOCKETS

Connects a stereo tape recorder.

Tape recorder L/R outputs connect to mixer L/R tape inputs. Tape recorder L/R inputs connect to mixer L/R tape outputs.

Diagram shows connection between STEREO TAPE RECORDER and mixer's TAPE IN/OUT sockets.

XD69 CONNECTION EXAMPLE (a)

Illustrates a typical setup for the XD69 mixer with active speaker enclosures, active stage monitor, external stereo effects processor, stereo headphones, and stereo tape recorder. It highlights that each output (L-R-Aux) can drive up to 10 parallel connected power amplifiers or powered enclosures.

XD69 CONNECTION EXAMPLE (b)

Shows a setup for the XD69 mixer including active speaker enclosures, an active stereo subwoofer, external stereo effects processor, stereo headphones, and stereo tape recorder.

AD69 CONNECTION EXAMPLE (a)

Demonstrates a typical setup for the AD69 powered mixer with passive speaker enclosures, active stage monitor, external stereo effects processor, stereo headphones, and stereo tape recorder. It notes that each amplifier output can drive one or two 8Ω passive speakers, and the Aux (monitor) output can drive up to 10 active stage monitors.

AD69 CONNECTION EXAMPLE (b)

Illustrates a setup for the AD69 powered mixer with passive speaker enclosures, an active stereo subwoofer, external stereo effects processor, stereo headphones, and stereo tape recorder.

Legal Information

The information contained in this manual has been carefully drawn up and checked. However, no responsibility will be assumed for any inexactitude. This manual cannot cover all possible contingencies that may arise during installation and use of the product. For further information, please contact Montarbo or your local distributor.

Elettronica Montarbo srl cannot be held responsible for damages which may be caused to people and things when using this product.

Elettronica Montarbo srl
via G. di Vittorio 13
40057 Cadriano di Granarolo
Bologna, Italy
Tel. +39.051.7664 37
Fax. +39.051.7652 26
E-mail: mail@montarbo.com
Internet: www.montarbo.com

Specifications and features are subject to change without prior notice.