Plug the Peavey 10 Compact Mixer into a power source. Plug the female end of the power cord into the back of the mixer and the male end into a power conditioner or wall plug. Turn the unit on with the switch located next to the wall plug. Look to the left and just above the main volume faders to make sure the power LED is lit up.
Plug the instruments or microphones into each channel. Use one input per channel. The balanced inputs are perfectly suited for microphone cables and you can use the unbalanced inputs for direct outs on bass amps, guitar amps or direct from the instruments. Plug them in so that you are aware of what is plugged into each channel, drums first, followed by bass guitar, then guitars and finally vocals or keyboards.
Set the gain levels of each channel to create a good mix for use for recording or a live show or rehearsal. Set the gain first -- the knob at the top of each channel -- so that the softest of passages can still be heard, but the loudest do not distort. Use the gain knob in conjunction with each individual volume slider to set the volume for the channel.
Set the equalization for each channel. Each channel on the PV 10 has a three-band EQ that can help you adjust the highs, mids and lows of each individual channel. Refrain from using too much bass as bass frequencies use lots of power. Keep the tones even overall and try to EQ at the source rather than at the mixer if possible.
Add effects to the channels that need them. The PV 10 Compact Mixer has an effects unit built in that includes reverb, delay and vocal enhancement. Set the "EFX" knob on each channel that will use the effect that you have chosen. Set it high for effects saturation or low for just a hint of the effect. Turn the knob to "0" on all the channels that will not need effects of any kind.
Set the main volume sliders. The main volume is the amount of sound that is sent to the main outputs of the mixer. Try to set these sliders to about "0" and adjust the gain and volume of each channel accordingly. This is the amount of sound that will be sent to the recording device or PA system for the audience to hear at a concert or show.