Rane FPM 44 Operating And Service Manual

driven. If an unbalanced characteris-

tic is what you desire, use the “+”

terminal and one of the grounds for

return. Do not short the “–” terminal

to ground.

FLEX BUS IN. The 7-pin DIN

bus connectors are used primarily

with other Flex modules. These are

not MIDI connectors. Use only the

supplied DIN cable. If for some reason there is not a cable in

the FPM 44 box, please contact Rane for a replacement. If

you are in a bind, a 5-pin DIN may be used instead of a 7-pin.

The two outside pins (6 & 7) are spares on the FPM 44 and

have been included for possible future compatibility reasons.

All pins should be wired straight through, i.e., 1 to 1, 2 to 2,

etc. This Input is to be used when combining the FPM 44 with

the bus outputs of other modules such as another FPM 44, an

FMI 14, etc. Bringing in bus signals allows the FPM 44’s mix

to add to the bus and be routed on to the next unit, and so on.

FLEX BUS OUT. Cable precautions covered in the

preceding paragraph apply to the outputs as well. The FLEX

BUS OUT of the FPM 44 may be connected to other Flex

mixer modules to complete a system. The receiving device

may be any Flex module with a FLEX BUS IN. See the Flex

Users Guide for additional details.

OPERATING / SERVICE MANUAL

QUICK START

This section provides for those with limited reading patience, and/or a high level of technical

expertise. It familiarizes you enough with the FPM 44 to allow operation without wading through

the rest of the text. You owe it to yourself to read at least this section to ensure reasonable

operation of the unit.

Begin with the INPUTS. They are to be connected to the terminal strips on the rear. Follow

the indications screened adjacent to the connectors. Balanced sources connect to the respective

“+” and “–” INPUTS. Connect all incoming shields to the nearest GND terminal. Unbalanced

inputs connect between the “+” terminal and GND.

Connect the AUX A/B OUTPUTS as required to the piece of equipment to be driven. Use the

unbalanced “+” outputs and the nearest GND terminal. Set the internal Pre/Post Aux Assign

switches as necessary (shipped “PRE”). The A and B MASTER OUTPUTS may drive balanced

or unbalanced sources. Unbalanced output uses only the “+” and GND terminals.

Connect the Flex bus cables to the appropriate source for the FLEX BUS IN and the next unit

for FLEX BUS OUT.

Set the GAIN switches on the front of the module so the desired level is obtainable from your

sources without illuminating the red OL (overload) LEDs on the channels. Set the A and B

LEVEL controls on each input for the desired level. The single AUX SEND level control routes

signal from each input channel to both AUX A and B OUTPUTS equally.

The MASTER A/B output level controls affect only the signal level at the direct outputs of

the unit. They have no affect on the main output added to the FLEX BUS OUT.

NEVER CONNECT ANYTHING EXCEPT AN APPROVED RANE POWER SUPPLY

TO THE RED THING THAT LOOKS LIKE A TELEPHONE JACK ON THE REAR OF

THE UNIT. This is an AC input and requires special attention if you do not have an operational

power supply exactly like the one that was originally packed with your unit. See the full explana-

tion of the power supply requirements elsewhere in this manual.

SYSTEM CONNECTION

When connecting the FPM 44 to other components in your

system for the first time, leave the power supply for last. This

gives you a chance to make mistakes and correct them

without damage to your fragile speakers, ears and nerves.

INPUTS. The four channel inputs on the FPM 44 are

balanced. They may also be used in an unbalanced configura-

tion. It is a good idea to use crimp-on spade connectors on the

ends of the cables connected to the Ins and Outs of the mixer.

Using stripped or tinned wire makes an unreliable union. Use

only shielded cable for inputs and outputs. This wire should

always be two-conductor plus shield, even for unbalanced

operation. Balanced inputs should be connected to both the

“+” and “–” for signal hot and return. The shield should be

tied to the nearest ground terminal on the strip. A neutral “pin

1” ground is not necessary. For unbalanced use, connect the

hot side of the input cable to “+” and signal return and shield

to a ground terminal. It is never necessary on any Rane Flex

module to ground the “–” Input in the unbalanced mode. It

won’t, however, hurt anything if you do. If the input is

coming from another piece of equipment in the signal path,

connect the shield only at the receiving end to help prevent

ground induced hum. If a microphone is being connected to

the unit, the shield may be connected to the case of the mic as

well as to the ground terminal on the unit.

OUTPUTS. The FPM 44’s MASTER A and B OUTPUTS

are balanced. Connect a shielded cable to the device(s) being

FPM 44

 PROGRAM MIXER