Input Sources

Revision as of 01:45, 23 December 2009 by Malcolm.chambers (talk | contribs) (Neat version of old page, slightly altered)

Input Sources

Signals will, or are likely to, come in to the unit from the following sources:

This page needs a lot of alterations and corrections to update.--Malcolm.chambers 01:45, 23 December 2009 (UTC)

Source Stereo? Balenced? Level Adjustable?
Vidserv Yes No -10dBV Yes
Analogue Tuner Yes No 1V No
Digital Tuner Yes No 1V or -10dBV No or Yes
Sound Desk Yes Yes +4dBu No*
No No ? No

By adjustable Rihard meant whether there is a control that can be used to vary the signal level. The sound desk is not adjustable because the meters on the output show a fixed reading for a given signal level, and we always mix to the same point on the meters. It doesn't actually matter because the sound desk will be the reference level to align all the other sources to anyway.

Processing

These are the connections to other pieces of equipment hidden behind the breakout box, which are used to control and process the audio. Mux connections

Practically the whole point of this box being here.

Net Mux inputs are balenced, on 25pin D connectors and do not have individual level controls

Net Mux outputs are balenced assuming the inputs are, buffered (to give two outputs) and have "Master" level control potentiometers.

Question: Do unused inputs get shorted to ground? Answer Richard thought not; otherwise vidserv loopthrough wouldn't work, but he was not sure. We'd have to check this.

Compressor Connections

We currently use one channel of a dual channel compressor to compress everything. Logically using one channel to compress 'stream' and the other to compress 'net' makes sense, since they would potentially have different sources in the future.

Compressor inputs can be balenced or unbalenced, the outputs are balenced and will drive unbalenced, and the whole device can be switched between -10dBV and +4dBu levels (affects inputs and outputs). There is also an output level control on the front panel.

Outputs Loop-through outputs

These are outputs that are used to feed the incomming signals unaltered on to other equipment:

Signal Destination Stereo? Balenced? Adjustable?
Vidserv Sound Desk Yes Yes Yes
Analogue Tuner Sound Desk No Yes Yes
Digital Tuner Sound Desk No Yes Yes
Spare / OB Sound Desk No Yes Yes
Sound Desk Control Room Amp Yes No No

Outputs are marked as Balenced if they are capable of accepting balenced signals (they obviously can take unbalenced as well), and Adjustable if they have a trim control to compensate for the level of the input signal. Tuners are shown as Mono because they are only on the sound desk as a conveience, and have historically been mono.

Main Outputs

These carry the output signals from the Mux, and are controlled by the mux settings

Signal Destination Stereo? Balenced? Adjustable?
Net Sound Network No Yes Yes
Net Sound Local TVs No No Yes
Net Sound Control Room Amp Yes No No
Net Sound Campus Stream No No No
Net Sound Net audio VU No No Yes
Stream Sound Stream No No No
Stream Sound Control Room Amp Yes No No
Stream Sound Stream audio VU No No Yes

Outputs marked Stereo are not truly stereo, but have stereo inputs so both channels need to be driven, preferably without special splitter cables. Campus Stream and Stream Sound to Control Room Amp are included for future flexibility, and the two VU outputs are so we can put VU bargraphs alongside the monitors on the rack. They are classed as "adjustable" because they don't need their own level control pots on the breakout, we can fit trimmers on the VU meters to set up the 0dB level to match our desired ouput level to network.