Tapco Blend 16 User Manual

•  XLR microphone input jack 
•  1/4" TRS instrument input jack 
•  1/4" TRS insert jack
•  Variable input gain with Level Set indicator LED 
•  Low Cut switch
•  Phantom power (globally switched to all XLR) 
•  3-band EQ with variable mid frequency
•  Pre-fader aux (monitor) send
•  Post-fader aux (effects) send
•  Pan control
•  Mute
•  Overload LED
•  Assign to subgroup 1-2, 3-4, and main mix bus
•  Solo
•  60 mm level fader control

•  Left and right 1/4" TRS line input jacks 
•  Variable input gain with Level Set indicator LED 
•  3-band EQ
•  Pre-fader aux (monitor) send
•  Post-fader aux (effects) send
•  Pan (balance) control
•  Mute
•  Overload LED
•  Assign to subgroup 1-2, 3-4, and main mix bus
•  Solo
•  60 mm level fader control
•  Ch 13/14 has a switchable internal phono 

preamp for converting phono-level signals from 
turntables into line-level and adding it to the 
main mix.

•  Ch 15/16 can route the USB stereo output from 

your computer’s DAW output to the main mix. 
For example, you can add the audio output 
from Tracktion onto the main mix.

•  1/4" TRS Aux 1/Mon and Aux 2/Effects send 

outputs and controls

•  RCA tape in and tape out
•  Power LED and Phantom power LED indicator
•  BNC Lamp connector
•  1/4" Stereo Headphones jack
•  Stereo Graphic EQ with bypass, assignable to 

main mix or monitors

•  16 Internal effects (each with 16 variations) with 

bypass, bypass LED, input level and overload 
LED

•  USB Output Level control with overload LED, 

and assign from main mix or Subs1-2

•  Control room and Headphones select from: 

main mix, CD/Tape, Sub 1-2, or Sub 3-4

•  FX Return to Aux 1 control (monitor)
•  FX Return to main mix control
•  CD/Tape to main mix control
•  8-segment stereo LED VU metering
•  Solo LED
•  Each subgroup can be assigned to Left and/or 

Right of main mix

•  60 mm fader for each subgroup and main mix

•  AC Power Switch and Phantom Power Switch
•  IEC AC Power Cord Socket
•  Universal power supply accepts AC mains 

voltages from 100 to 240 VAC

•  Balanced 1/4" TRS and XLR stereo main outputs
•  1/4" TRS main inserts
•  1/4" TRS control room outputs
•  Four 1/4" TRS subgroup outputs
•  USB connection
•  Internal antique steam-powered calliope for 

authentic circus/carnival atmosphere

•  OK, we made that last one up

Introduction

Thank you for choosing a TAPCO Blend 16 mixer, with 16 channels of pure goodness. It has even more 

channels than an 8 channel mixer, and not quite as many as most 20 channel mixers.

The TAPCO family of mixers hails back to the days of TAPCO Corporation, Greg Mackie’s first company. 

TAPCO revolutionized the audio industry back in 1969 with the very first 6-channel mixer designed for keyboards 
and rock ‘N’ roll PA. The first TAPCO mixer, although primitive by today’s standards, was truly innovative for its 
time. It had the headroom to handle screaming singers, was priced for the pocketbook of starving psychedelic 
musical neophytes, and durable enough to withstand mammoth levels of wear and tear on the road, and at 
now-legendary concerts. 

This compact mixer is perfect for small to medium-sized live sound reinforcement applications, keyboards 

and synths, video, and project studio applications.

The USB port on the Blend 16 makes it easy to get audio from your mixer to your computer-based DAW. And 

just in case you don’t have the software, we’ve included a CD-ROM with the full version of Tracktion, our easy-
to-use multitrack recording and sequencing software (for the PC or Mac). Refer to the installation instructions on 
the Blend 16 software CD to install Tracktion on your computer.