BeatleFred
Member
The MB-20 manual has the diagram and the instructions showing how the connections are made between the meter bridge, mixer and the recorder, it wont be in the
2A or the A-3440 manual. If you get a bunch of rca-rca cables and just follow the diagram, its straightforward.
Just curious, is your 2A/MB-20 within the wood-style side panels which allow the meters to tilt upward? The other option is with a bracket instead that attaches between them.
Either way, the MB-20 is easy on the eyes, compared to some later models like the M-106 that only have two meters and lay flat down and you have to prop something underneath it to tilt it upward for better viewing. Even compared to a more advanced mixer like the M-30, the 2A has an upward slope to it for better ergonomics, whereas the M-30 does not have any tilt so that the controls and meters are at the same level (if you look and compare, you will see what I mean).
One thing to keep in mind, due to its age, the four meters on the MB-20 might need calibration so that they all read the same level, such as when being given a test tone signal. The service manual for the MB-20 would explain how to calibrate. If the MB-20 you have is already mounted within the side panels, it would need to be removed to do a calibration, so probably easier to do that before proceeding to hook up all the cables to it.
Are you planning to record your own music after you have it set up? One thing I suggest that I have found helpful when first starting out is to simply dub some music from cd's, presuming you have a collection of music cd's, onto the A-3440, to practice getting a feel for how to adjust the controls and route signals thru the 2A/MB-20 onto the A-3440. The cd already is the finished music, so you can just focus on getting familiarized with how the equipment operates, before you then start setting up mics and whatnot to figure out how to record your own music, but proceed whichever way suits you best.
If you do record music from cd's after the hookup, the thing to note is, there are only two line inputs on 5 & 6 on the 2A mixer to connect the cd player to, but that is all you need. The other line in's on 1-4 on the 2A are already in use from the hookup cables needed to connect the 2A, MB-20 and the recorder to each other.
2A or the A-3440 manual. If you get a bunch of rca-rca cables and just follow the diagram, its straightforward.
Just curious, is your 2A/MB-20 within the wood-style side panels which allow the meters to tilt upward? The other option is with a bracket instead that attaches between them.
Either way, the MB-20 is easy on the eyes, compared to some later models like the M-106 that only have two meters and lay flat down and you have to prop something underneath it to tilt it upward for better viewing. Even compared to a more advanced mixer like the M-30, the 2A has an upward slope to it for better ergonomics, whereas the M-30 does not have any tilt so that the controls and meters are at the same level (if you look and compare, you will see what I mean).
One thing to keep in mind, due to its age, the four meters on the MB-20 might need calibration so that they all read the same level, such as when being given a test tone signal. The service manual for the MB-20 would explain how to calibrate. If the MB-20 you have is already mounted within the side panels, it would need to be removed to do a calibration, so probably easier to do that before proceeding to hook up all the cables to it.
Are you planning to record your own music after you have it set up? One thing I suggest that I have found helpful when first starting out is to simply dub some music from cd's, presuming you have a collection of music cd's, onto the A-3440, to practice getting a feel for how to adjust the controls and route signals thru the 2A/MB-20 onto the A-3440. The cd already is the finished music, so you can just focus on getting familiarized with how the equipment operates, before you then start setting up mics and whatnot to figure out how to record your own music, but proceed whichever way suits you best.
If you do record music from cd's after the hookup, the thing to note is, there are only two line inputs on 5 & 6 on the 2A mixer to connect the cd player to, but that is all you need. The other line in's on 1-4 on the 2A are already in use from the hookup cables needed to connect the 2A, MB-20 and the recorder to each other.
