Studio Technologies 230 2014 - Manual (Page 13)

Model 230 User Guide Issue 9, November 2014
Studio Technologies, Inc. Page 13
the stereo headphones. This configuration
is very useful, allowing the headset to
work directly “out of the box” with the
Model 230.
If the writer may digress for a moment to
recount a story… an audio dealer once
shared a secret with me concerning
headsets. He loved selling the “lower-end”
(less expensive) models of name-brand
headsets, which he did by the veritable
“boatload.” Why? Because these usually
broke soon after going into service! He
knew that on a regular basis he’d receive
orders for more of them. Had these
users, from the beginning, purchased
only premium-quality headsets, their total
cost of ownership would have been much
less. Enough said…
Headphone Output
The Model 230’s headphone output is
compatible with stereo or mono head-
phones, headsets, or earpieces. Connect-
ing devices with a nominal impedance
of 100 ohms or greater is preferred. This
shouldn’t be an issue as essentially all
contemporary devices already meet this
condition.
Devices are connected to the headphone
output by way of a ¼-inch 3-conductor
phone jack located on the Model 230’s
back panel. As is standard for stereo
headphones, the left channel is connected
to the “tip” lead of the ¼-inch headphone
jack. The right channel is connected to the
“ring” lead of the jack. Common for both
channels is connected to the “sleeve” lead.
Devices with ¼-inch 2-conductor “mono”
plugs can also be used with the Model
230’s headphone output. In this arrange-
ment only the tip lead (left channel) will be
active. The 2-conductor plug will physi-
cally connect (“short”) the ring lead (right
channel) to the sleeve lead (common).
Technically this won’t damage the cir-
cuitry associated with the right-channel
headphone output. (100 ohm protection
resistors are electrically in series with the
headphone output circuits.) However,
energy will be wasted if an audio signal
coming out of the right channel goes into
a “dead” short. There is a simple means
of eliminating this issue; a configuration
setting allows the right channel of the
headphone output to be disabled. Refer
to the Configuration section of this user
guide for details.
Main Output
The main output is intended to be the “on-
air” signal that connects to the input of an
audio console. The output is transformer
balanced with a nominal signal level of
–2 dBu. The actual level will depend on
the gain setting of the microphone pre-
amplifier, sensitivity of the microphone,
and how loudly a user speaks into the
microphone. The transformer used in
the main output is intended for profes-
sional broadcast applications. It has a low
source impedance and can drive lengthy
cable runs with no difficulty. It is capable
of driving 600 ohm loads but performs
best with loads of 2 k ohms or greater.
(This should not prove to be an issue as
virtually all contemporary audio equipment
has a relatively high input impedance.)
As the secondary winding of the output
transformer connects directly to the main
output connector, care should be taken
so that DC voltage is never present on the
interconnecting cable.
The main output is interfaced by means
of a 3-pin male XLR connector located
on the Model 230’s back panel. The inter-
connecting cable’s mating connector
(female) should be wired so that signal