Studio Technologies 210 2012 - Manual (Page 15)

Model 210 User Guide Issue 5, September 2012
Studio Technologies, Inc. Page 15
Microphone Preamplifier Gain
Switches SW1-1 through SW1-5 are used
to select the gain of the microphone pre-
amplifier. The choices are 20, 30, 40, 50,
60 dB; 0 dB (no gain) is also available.
Only one switch should be enabled at a
time. There’s no problem changing the
gain setting while the unit is operating.
Audio clicks or pops might occur during
gain transitions, but this shouldn’t be a
major issue as long as associated monitor
loudspeakers are temporarily attenuated
or muted.
Selecting the correct amount of gain for
an application might take a little experimen-
tation. The goal is to bring the mic’s signal
up to line level, nominally –2 dBu for the
Model 210’s main output. Operating at this
signal level will help to ensure the delivery
of “clean” audio to the connected device.
It’s also acceptable to connect a live-level
audio source to the microphone input. In
this case selecting 0 dB (no gain) would
be appropriate.
The output of the Model 210’s microphone
preamplifier is used by the main output
and, by way of the compressor circuit, the
talkback outputs. So creating a nice “hot”
signal will help maintain audio quality, spe-
cifically a high signal-to-noise ratio, when
driving the often-lengthy cable runs.
Unfortunately, there’s no “perfect” gain
setting that this guide can recommend.
The two issues that impact the setting are
output sensitivity of the connected micro-
phone and the acoustical output level of
the microphone’s user. With some headset
microphones, such as the Sennheiser HMD
26, selecting an initial setting of 40 dB is
appropriate. Users who speak loudly might
need to have the gain reduced to 30 dB.
Quiet users might need 50 dB of gain.
Figure 4. Microphone preamplifier gain switch
settings
Figure 3. Bottom view of Model 210 showing
configuration switches and compressor active
LED