QRPA Portable PA with Bluetooth

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the QRPABT portable PA unit. Please read this manual prior to use to avoid damage to the item.

This versatile portable PA unit is packed with features in a compact, manageable enclosure and is suitable for a wide array of applications ranging from public address for presentations to outdoor karaoke.

VERSION 1.1

Order ref: QR12PABT (178.847UK)
QR15PABT (178.848UK)

Package Contents

Please check the contents to ensure that the product has been received in good condition.

• QRPABT portable PA unit
• 2 x VHF handheld microphones
• Mains power lead
• IR Remote control for media player
• User manual

If you find any accessory is missing or the product has arrived with any problems, please contact your retailer at once.

This product contains no user-serviceable parts so make no attempt to try to fix or modify this item yourself as this will invalidate the warranty. We recommend you keep the original package and proof of purchase for any possible replacement or returned demand.

Warning

To prevent the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture. To prevent electric shock do not remove the cover. No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.

Safety

Prior to connecting mains, ensure that the supply voltage is correct and the mains lead is in good condition.

Avoid ingress of water or particles into the enclosure.

If the mains or D.C. fuse blows, refer the unit to qualified service personnel

If the VHF microphones are to be unused for a long period of time, remove the batteries and store for later use.

Placement

Keep the unit out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.

Place the unit in an upright position during use and storage.

Keep the unit away from moisture or dusty environments.

Cleaning

Use a soft cloth with a neutral detergent to clean the cabinet, panel and controls.

To avoid damage, do not use solvents to clean this equipment.

Rear Panel Layout

1. USB input 2. Media player controls 3. Echo effect level 4. Wired microphone(s)/guitar volume 5. Treble EQ boost/cut 6. VHF microphone A volume 7. VHF carrier and audio signal indicators 8. Wired microphone input jack 2 9. Wired microphone/guitar input jack 1 10. 3.5mm auxiliary line input 11. Media player LCD display 12. SD/MMC card slot 13. Bass EQ boost/cut 14. Main volume level 15. Talk over control on/off 16. VHF microphones mid contour EQ 17. VHF microphone B volume 18. Mains and battery charge indicators 19. Power on/off button 20. DC power inlet jack (5.5 x 2.1mm) 21. Mix line output 2 x RCA 22. Line input 2 x RCA 23. IEC mains inlet & fuse holder

Connection

Your new QRPA unit may arrive with you with the internal battery charged. Before connecting to the mains, switch the unit on and check the POWER LED. If it is green, there is charge in the battery. If it is red, then you will need to charge the battery before using away from a mains supply (see “Charging the battery” below)

Connect the QRPA unit to the mains using the appropriate mains IEC lead supplied. You may otherwise opt to connect the spring terminals at the rear to an external 12Vdc supply, such as a car battery, or use the internal battery if charged.

Charging the battery

When not in use but connected to the mains, if the POWER switch (19) is in the off position, the internal battery will be re-charged from the mains supply. This can be observed by the CHARGE LED which will light orange when charging. When fully charged, the CHARGE LED will change to green.

Note: it is recommended to store the PA unit at an ambient temperature and not with the battery fully discharged.

Power Up

Turn the VOLUME, ECHO, VHF and MIC VOLUME controls down (anti-clockwise) and turn the POWER switch on (the power LED should light).

BASS and TREBLE controls should remain pointing vertically (12-o-clock position).

Switch the “Talk Over Ctrl” off (i.e. press the button so that it is in the out position)

Your QRPA unit should now be ready to operate.

VHF Wireless Microphones

Insert the supplied AA batteries into the handheld microphones by carefully unscrewing the base of each and connecting the “+” and “-” terminals of the battery to the corresponding clips inside the microphone body, taking care to observe the correct polarity.

Connect each antenna to the connectors at the rear and extend them fully at an angle.

Switch on each wireless mic by turning up its volume control – the RF LEDs should light. If the LED on the transmitter lights dimly, change the battery.

Gradually increase VHF volume controls, testing each mic for output through the speaker.

Take care not to incur “feedback” (howling or screeching sound through the speaker) by keeping the microphone a sensible distance from the speaker and pointing away from the speaker so that it doesn’t “hear” the speaker output.

Turning the ECHO control clockwise introduces a pre-set echo function for singing and special effects. BASS and TREBLE can be cut by turning anti-clockwise or boosted by turning clockwise.

In addition, the wireless microphones have a CONTOUR control, which adjusts the mid tone character of both microphones. This can vary how prominent they are in the mix.

When not in use, switch the VHF wireless microphones off.

External Inputs

In addition to the unit’s own VHF microphones, 6.3mm jack inputs are provided to connect external wired (or additional wireless) microphones, which are both governed by the MIC VOLUME control.

Mic 1 input jack can also accept a guitar input instead of a microphone if required.

The music level can be automatically muted when speaking into a microphone by pressing in the “Talk Over Ctrl” button. Any audio from the internal media player will be reduced in volume when a sound is detected from the microphones and return to normal volume when there is no sound from the microphones, allowing announcements to override playback.

Internal media player

At the top of the rear panel is the media player section, which can provide playback of recorded material internally or from external sources. Controls for this are shown below.

Select player mode between USB, SD, FM tuner or Bluetooth

For mp3 media, select between USB or SD/MMC memory device

Previous track / FM station

Next track / FM station

Repeat mode: single track or all tracks

Mute media player output

Play/Pause (scan in FM tuner mode)

By default, the media player starts up in “AUX” mode, which accepts a line input via the RCA line input sockets (24) or 3.5mm jack input (11). Output level for the media player is governed by the main VOLUME control (15) or muted by pressing the MUTE button.

Adjacent to the RCA line input is a twin RCA line output carrying the overall main mix for connection onto further recording or PA equipment.

FM Tuner

Press the MODE button until the media player is in “FM tuner” mode. The display will show the radio frequency that the media player is tuned to.

To tune the FM radio to available stations in the reception area, press and hold the PLAY/PAUSE button for 3 seconds and the media player will scan all available stations and store them as numbered presets. These can then be selected using the PREVIOUS and NEXT buttons.

USB/SD player

Insert a USB memory stick or an SD/MMC card with mp3 or wma media stored on it into the USB port or SD card slot and the media player can enter another mode. Pressing the MODE button will now toggle between AUX, FM tuner and USB/SD playback.

Files on the USB or SD device must be mp3 or wma format for the media player to read them.

PLAY/PAUSE, PREVIOUS and NEXT buttons control playback and track navigation.

If both USB and SD/MMC media are connected, the USB/SD button will toggle between these.

Pressing the REPEAT button will toggle between 2 repeat play modes.

“RPT ONE” repeats the current track and “RPT ALL” repeats all tracks in the current folder.

Bluetooth wireless pairing connection

To connect a smart phone or tablet to the media player for wireless playback, select the Bluetooth mode on the media player, enable Bluetooth wireless pairing on the sending device and scan for available devices. The Bluetooth ID for the media player is “PA SYSTEM”.

Select to pair the device and connect with the media player. Playback of tracks on the sending device should be heard through the speaker. PLAY/PAUSE, PREVIOUS and NEXT buttons will also send control signals back to the sending device for track control and navigation.

Bluetooth connection has a range of 5-8m. When the sending device is out of range, the connection will be lost and will need to be connected again once back within range.

Remote Control

In addition to the panel controls, an infra-red remote control is provided for the USB/SD player which adds some further functions to allow greater control over the media player.

To operate, remove the clear plastic tab from the remote to activate the battery.

Point the remote control towards the media player display to operate.

Many of the remote-control functions mirror the buttons beneath the media player display.

BAND and AMS (4, 6) functions have no special function and only display track information.

The remote control has additional buttons to increase or decrease volume (5, 13) Individual track select is available by pressing the TRK button (7), then keying in a track number (8) followed by ENTER (15)

Turn down all volume controls on the QRPA unit before powering down to avoid loud noises.

Troubleshooting