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DynacorD PM 502
All-purpose tool
DATA
PRICE 999 €
INPUTS mono: 5 x mic/line
(XLR/jack); stereo:
3 x line (jack, 2 x jacks, 1
x via USB)
AUX SENDS 1 x FX
(intern), 1 x Aux
TONE CONTROLS 3-bandEQ per channel; 7-bandEQ for Master A, B and
Aux send (Master A with
faders, all 3 accessible
from the display menu)
EFFECTS 32 presets,
delay for Master B
OUTPUTS 2 x 450 W RMS
(4 ohms)
DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT
39,5 x 24 x 31 cm, 4,9 kg
INFO www.dynacord.de
70
In the PM 502, Dynacord has launched a compact powered mixer that
has striking visual appeal. No less worthy of attention is its extensive feature set, with a wealth of functions that we’ve put under the microscope
for you in this month’s practical test.
W
hen one hears the term ‘powered mixer’,
one thinks automatically of Dynacord, successive generations of the Straubing-based
manufacturer’s celebrated PowerMate having
shaped the image of the breed. At the Prolight &
Sound 2014, Dynacord introduced the PM 502 powered mixer. Its switchable 100-volt output and
other special functions would seem to indicate that
the device was designed primarily for fixed installation. But the PM 502 has far more to offer besides—including features from which musicians who
play live could also benefit, as this test makes clear.
Layout
The package once open, you have in the Dynacord
PM 502 a small, compact table-top device in your
hands. The front panel, which is made from highgloss black aluminium that has a glassy look, accommodates the control elements and is tilted back-
wards 15 degrees. Projecting further to the rear than
the top, the base of the device ensures stability and
also houses the amplifier section.
The control panel of the powered mixer is classically structured: in ascending order from left to
right you have channel strips 1 to 8, whilst the
right-hand third of the panel accommodates the
master and effects sections featuring a display, a
7-band graphic equalizer, a headphone socket and
a USB port. The rear panel houses the connections
through which the PM 502 communicates with the
outside world. The switch for the phantom power (+
48 volts) is also located on the rear panel—not always the ideal choice. To keep the electronics cool,
there is an integrated fan that expels air through
two lateral grilles.
Equipment
The mixer section boasts five mic/line input
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The connection panel at the back of the Dynacord PM 502 is clearly laid out.
channels (1-5) and three stereo input channels
(6-8). All the input channel strips offer a threeband equalizer, effect and aux send controls, a
peak LED and a rotary control for the channel
volume. Whilst each of the five mono channels
is equipped with a rotary gain control, a gain
switch that allows you to choose between two
sensitivity levels is preferred for the three stereo
channels. The default setting, “Lo”, is intended
for sources with high signal levels such as keyboards and CD players. “Hi“ is for instruments
with low signal levels such as electric guitars
and basses.
The Master section contains the Master A
and B and Aux Send controls each of which is
accompanied by a LED level indicator. With
these outputs up to three sound reinforcement
zones can be controlled independently, as the
Aux output can be used as a monitor send or to
provide coverage to an additional hall or ancillary room. For Master B, the further option exists
of introducing an output delay. This can be
used to add the equivalent to up to 50 metres’
propagation delay (i.e. 150 ms).
Application example: The hall requiring
sound reinforcement is so deep that an additional loudspeaker is required to help out at the
back of the room. The stage loudspeaker is
therefore connected to the Master A channel
and the loudspeaker in the rear to Master B.
From the Master Routing menu, you select
Master Channel B and set the output delay to
the distance between the two speakers. The
length of the delay can be expressed in milliseconds (ms), metres (m) or feet. Now the loudspeaker in the rear of the hall (the one connected to Master B) does not receive the signal
until the instant the sound from the speaker at
the front (connected to Master A) reaches it.
Propagation delay is a useful tool not only in
fixed installations but also for mobile applications, such as the provision of sound reinforcement to marquees. Advantage: a better sonic
image.
To the left of the Aux control is the level controller for the headphone output. The USB port
beneath the Master B knob makes it possible to
play back MP3 or WAV files from a USB stick or
USB hard disk. In the display, the “Audio Player” menu allows you to control the playback
functions as well as displaying the title and
playing duration. Channel 8 (Stereo 3) is res-
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ponsible for the integration of the USB interface into the music mix.
An important element of the master section
is the graphic equalizer with its seven sliders
(one for each band). This influences directly the
Master A output. Further 7-band equalizers can
be accessed via the display menu. These are
available for the other master output and the
aux send.
The control centre of the PM502 is the blueilluminated liquid crystal display and the rotary
encoder (single knob operation) that is used to
operate the menu. The power mixer is driven by
a Class-D power amplifier rated at 2 x 450
watts RMS into 4 ohms. The protective circuitry
guards against short circuits, HF, DC, a no-load
condition, back-EMF interference and overheating as well as offering a peak limiter and a cutoff function in the event of insufficient impedance.
The connection panel at the rear of the Dynacord PM502 is clearly laid out: the five mic/line
inputs are equipped with combo sockets and
the three stereo inputs with pairs of jack sockets. Stereo 1 and 2 also support the use of
RCA (phono/cinch) connectors. Each of the
Master A and B outputs is available on a pair of
jack sockets in the form of line signals (L/R)
and the line signal of the Aux output is also
supplied by a jack socket. A further jack socket
is available for the connection of a footswitch to
toggle the internal effects unit on and off. A
USB port is provided for the connection of a
computer, in which case the powered mixer
functions as a simple audio interface capable of
routing the master signal to the computer as
well as transmitting and playing back a stereo
signal from the computer. Two Speakon sockets
allow the connection loudspeaker cabinets. The
100-volt Phoenix connectors are for fixed installations in buildings in which it is necessary to
operate with long loudspeaker cables without
significant loss of power.
Effects
An interesting feature of the master section is
the Mic Processing group, which comprises
three push-button switches, each accompanied
by a status LED. The first button activates the
onboard compressor, the parameters of which
are set in the Mic Processing display menu and
influence all five mic/line channels. The second
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Stage test
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Practice
Smart, compact and userfriendly: the PM 502 with
its shiny black aluminium
front panel.
EVALUATION
Dynacord
PM 502
Powermixer
Overall design
Compactness
Sound possibilities
Universally applicable
USB interface
USB player
72
button controls the Talk Over function and activates the integrated ducker: when music is being
played back via one of the stereo channels and a
signal (e.g. the voice of an announcer) is present
on one of the mic/line channels, the level of the
stereo signal is reduced automatically and only
restored to its original level when the mic/line signal is no longer present (i.e. the announcer has
finished speaking). Typical uses for the ducking
function are encountered in dance schools (music
– “one, two, rock turn, three, four...” – music),
aerobics classes, Zumba or other dance/gymnastics events. Showmen, presenters and DJs are also likely to make extensive use of the function.
The “Mic Processing: Talk Over“ menu lets you
adjust the threshold (i.e. the mic/line level at
which the ducker function is triggered), offering
presets for announcers, singers, instructors and
presenters. The third button in the aforementioned group is the Mute button. When this is
pressed all the mic/line input signals are muted.
The mute button has no influence over the three
stereo input channels.
The FX (effects) section offers a wide choice of
stereo effect presets: 32 in all. Each of these presets is selected and can be adjusted via the display. The effects signal can be mixed to each
channel (including the aux buss). The Speaker
Processing menu also allows you to edit the LPN
(low-pass notch) settings. The LPN filter circuit is
designed to correct the frequency and phase responses of the connected loudspeakers. The effect
obtained by the LPN filter is said to be unlike any
that can be achieved using a conventional equalizer or bass booster, as its primary task is to optimize the transient response of the speaker. The
result is a noticeably more powerful and voluminous sound, particularly when small to mediumsized, full-range loudspeakers are used.
For the practical test, the Dynacord PM 502
was connected to a PA comprising one 12.2-inch
top and a 15-inch subwoofer each side. The passive crossover of the subwoofer was used to apportion the frequencies between the subwoofer and
tops. The boxes were linked via Master A to the
Speakon connectors of the powered mixer. The
first aural test obligatorily involves the use of a CD
player, which was connected here to stereo input
channel 1. Various reference CDs were listened to
with a linear setting of the channel and master EQ
at volume levels ranging from quiet to loud. The
results—as you would expect from a Dynacord powered mixer—were excellent. The PM 502 generates oodles of SPL from its integrated Class-D
power amplifier and packs a real punch, but it is
no less convincing at low volume levels, where the
sound was once again superb.
The PM 502 negotiated the microphone test
with equal aplomb: the channel EQ may not be
parametric but very good results can nonetheless
be achieved with the three tone controls and their
fixed frequencies (Hi, Mid, Lo). In the tone controls provided, you have a fine tool that does exactly what is asked of it; in consequence the rest of
the work on the sound is a pure matter of taste.
The effects presets, which you can access via the
display, offer the right effect for many applications and leave nothing to be desired in live performance. The Talk Over (ducker) functions flawlessly and its response characteristic can be individually adjusted. With the keyboard (connected
to stereo channel 2) very good acoustic results
were obtained right away before the channel EQ
had even been touched (i.e. with all the tone controls set to 0). Mixing the sounds using knobs
rather than channel faders may at first be an unfamiliar procedure for some people. Since many
entertainers seldom if ever touch the settings in
the course of a gig, however, they will rapidly get
used to it and are more likely to rejoice at the resulting compactness of the device.
Conclusions
The Dynacord PM 502 is a compact, user-friendly
and versatile powered mixer. Thanks to its wealth of
practical features, such as the ability to provide individually tailored coverage to three different sound
reinforcement zones, integrated delay and 100-volt
technology, it is destined to prove equally successful in fixed installations and for live gigs in small to
medium-sized venues. In clubs as well as (hotel)
bars and multi-function halls, not to mention dance
academies and showrooms, the device can be recommended to a very wide circle of users. The PM
502 packs plenty of power and all you need for a
successful mix.
Joachim Kaltenbacher/us
tw
tastenwelt 5/2014