Select the Inputs Tab. Signal sources (such as microphones) connected to the input channels may vary in level, phase, and phantom power requirements. In particular, the setting for input gain, to match the level of the source, is a critical factor in achieving optimum noise floor and dynamic range performance in the input channel. Clipping indicators are provided to help detect signal overload conditions when adjusting input channel gains.
If connected to a DM84, changes made in this tab take effect immediately. As always, the changes are not permanent unless the DM84 settings are stored to a preset in nonvolatile memory.
Besides the main gain setting stored in the DM84 settings, an independent adjustment of input gain is possible by using the knobs on the front panel. The range of adjustment is variable, with the "12 o'clock" position of the gain knob always being the unity gain (0 dB) setting. The idea is to allow the user to adjust gain as needed "on the fly" without modifying the DM84 stored settings using the control panel program. The total gain on the channel is the sum of the main gain setting and the front panel gain setting. For instance:
The controls and indicators for each input channel are grouped together. Always visible are the:
A few other settings are available by right clicking on a group and choosing them from the popup menu:
Here is a view of the Inputs Tab with the popup menu opened for channel 1:
The input channel gain in dB is displayed here and can be adjusted from -10dB to +60dB. This control sets the analog preamp gain ahead of the input audio analog-to-digital converter, and may be referred to as the main input gain control. There are two ways to change the gain:
This is a checkbox control which indicates if the +15 volt phantom power is enabled (checked) or disabled (unchecked) for an input channel. Simply click on the control to set as desired.
This is a checkbox control which indicates if the audio phase is inverted (checked) or not (unchecked) for an input channel. Simply click on the control to set as desired.
This is a checkbox control which indicates if the input is muted (checked) or not (unchecked) for an input channel. Simply click on the control to set as desired.
This is an "LED" indicator which is lit:
The current Front Panel input channel gain in dB is displayed here. Monitor this to detect any changes made by turning the front panel gain knobs so that the total gain for the channel is known. If the Front Panel Mute feature is enabled on the channel, and the front panel gain knob is in the fully counter-clockwise position, "Off" will be displayed.
This is a true RMS level meter which displays the input audio level in dBu as meaured after application of the main and rear panel input channel gains, but before the signal is processed by the input filters and compressor. The range of the meter is -40dBu to +20dBu.
Input channels may be assigned a custom label to make it easier to understand a setup. For example, labels like Wireless 1 or Chairman might usefully replace the default labels Ch 1, Ch 2, etc. To do this, right click on the channel group desired and choose Input Label... from popup menu. This opens the Edit Label dialog:
Simply type in the new label and press OK.The default step size when using the buttons to run the gain up and down is 1dB. To change this right click on the channel group desired and choose Input gain step size... from the popup menu. This opens the Set Gain Step Size dialog:
Simply select a new step size and press OK.The input channel can be muted/unmuted by right clicking on the channel group desired and choosing Mute Input to toggle the mute state. If the channel is muted, the Mute Input menu item will be checked, otherwise it is unchecked. The mute control will change state to confirm the action.
Copyright © 2006 Lectrosonics, Inc.
