Rane MPE 14 Operating And Service Manual
OPERATING / SERVICE MANUAL
MPE 14
MIDI PROGRAMMABLE EQUALIZER
QUICK START
Everyone knows reading the owner’s manual is an absolute last-resort act of desperation to be avoided at all costs. For
those too eager and/or too lazy to wade through pages of technical verbiage, we offer this admirably concise Quick Start
section to get you up and running in next-to-no-time.
Upon initial power-up, you should see the words, “Rane MPE 14...rX.X” (the current revision level) scroll by in
the SYSTEM display window. Then the SYSTEM display indicates the last memory location used before the power was
turned off, and the green MEMORY indicator lights. The MPE 14 is now ready to use.
(The MPE 14 has two levels of security lockout. If you think your unit may be in either of these lockout modes, please
consult the enclosed MPE Users Guide for further instructions.)
Two terms need to be learned early on. The first is Stored Memory. Stored Memory is any of the 128 locations provided
for curves. The second is Working Memory. Working Memory is a scratch-pad location used for changing curves before
you put them into Stored Memory. Working Memory is also what you hear.
The first few Stored Memory locations (up to 32 maximum) were preset at the factory. A table of these is in the MPE
Users GuideAppendix. In the beginning these give you instant curves for experimenting. If you want a different curve,
press the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll, or directly enter a Stored Memory number via buttons 0 through 9 (observe the red
SYSTEM display). Please note that all Stored Memory numbers must be at least two digits; e.g., Stored Memory number4
is entered as 04, etc. For direct access to Stored Memory locations above 99, push the 100 button, then the next two digits.
For example, to recall Stored Memory125, press 100, 2 and 5, and you will have arrived! Once the last digit is entered,
the Stored Memory is instantly called up (what you see is what you hear).
Changing the overall level or equalizer curve requires the use of the EQ Edit mode. Push the EQ button (repeated
operation cycles between Ch. 1, Ch. 2, both, and neither) to select the Channel(s) you wish to modify. Now press LEVEL
or the frequency button desired (the yellow LED lights). Next scroll the UP/DOWN buttons until the desired level shows
on the green EQUALIZER display. When finished editing, push the STORE button once, enter a new Stored Memory
number if needed, then push STORE again to place the new curve into the Stored Memory shown on the red SYSTEM
display. Presto facto, it’s Miller time. See the enclosed MPE Users Guide for further details.
The MPE 14 presets can be recalled either by front panel or externally through MIDI. If you have a PC with a MIDI
interface, Rane can supply you with a DOS graphic editor program just for asking (no charge). Third party Editor/Librar-
ians include the Galaxy Universal Librarian from Opcode Systems, or Unisyn and X-oR from Mark of the Unicorn. If you
would like to change presets with external switches, check out the Rane RPS 4 Remote Program Selector.
CAUTION: NEVER CONNECT ANYTHING EXCEPT RANE MODELS RS 1, RAP 10 OR FRS 8 AC POWER SUP-
PLIES TO THE RED THING THAT LOOKS LIKE A TELEPHONE JACK ON THE REAR OF THE MPE 28. This is a low-
voltage AC power input and requires some special attention if you use anything except an approved Rane power supply.
SYSTEM CONNECTION
When connecting the MPE 14 to other components in
your system for the first time, leave the power supply for last.
This will give you a chance to make mistakes and correct
them before any damage is done to your fragile speakers,
ears, headphones, et al.
INPUT. Inputs on the MPE 14 is balanced/unbalanced.
This means that standard ¼" connectors on the ends of any
good quality cable will work well between your signal
sources, signal processing and amplification. If balanced ¼"
inputs are your choice, use Tip-Ring-Sleeve connectors; wire
the tip as hot (+), the ring as return (–), and the sleeve as
signal ground. The MPE 14 also gives you the opportunity to
use 3-pin (XLR) input connectors. Balanced operation
through these Inputs require pin 2 be used as hot (+), pin 3 as
return (–), and pin 1 as signal ground. Unbalanced sources
require that pin 1 be connected to pin 3 on the Input connec-
tors only. Therefore, pin 2 is hot, pins 1 and 3 are signal
ground.
OUTPUT. The MPE 14 offers a similar choice of Output
connector and the wiring is the same as far as polarity of pins
is concerned. When hooking up unbalanced Outputs using the
3-pin, disregard the italics in the preceding paragraph. DO
NOT connect pin 3 to pin 1. Leave it open, please. Thank you.
You should be aware, also, that just because we indicate
that a sleeve on a ¼" or pin one on a 3-pin is used for ground-
ing, it is not always wise to use it. Rane Note 110 (included
with your unit) goes into the reasons and logic behind all of
this madness. Please have a look at it to try to attain the best
performance possible from your MPE 14.