Studio Technologies 5204 - Manual (Page 4)

Issue 1, August 2014 Model 5204 User Guide
Page 4 Studio Technologies, Inc.
Model 5204
Dual Line Input to Dante Interface
Applications
The Model 5204 is perfect for use in conjunc-
tion with a variety of fixed and portable audio
equipment that offer analog output signals.
An obvious application is with legacy equip-
ment that only offers analog outputs. A few
simple connections are all that’s required to
covert those signals into the world of Audio-
over-Ethernet. When deploying, maintaining,
or modifying Dante networks the unit can
be a useful test tool, offering a simple, high-
quality means of creating a 2-channel signal
source. For permanent applications there’s
no reason why a Model 5204 can’t reside
within an equipment rack or be mounted,
using optional brackets, underneath a table
or on-air studio set. In a conference room
setting the unit can be permanently connect-
ed to a PoE-enabled Ethernet port, ready to
accept a signal source from various user-
provided devices.
Line Input A
Using a 3-conductor (“stereo”) 3.5 mm jack,
it’s a simple matter to connect unbalanced
sources to the Model 5204’s line input A.
These signals would typically be provided
by personal computers, smartphones, or
personal audio devices which have average
(nominal) levels in the range of –20 to –10
dBu. One rotary control is used to adjust
the input level, making it a simple task to
optimize the conversion of the input analog
audio source to the Dante output. The level
knob is a push-in/push-out type which helps
prevent inadvertent adjustment.
Line Input B
The Model 5204’s line input B is designed for
use with professional line-level analog audio
signals. The 2-channel input is electronically
balanced, capacitor-coupled, and uses two
standard 3-pin female XLR connectors. A
single rotary level control allows the input
sensitivity of both channels to be adjusted.
Using the push-in/push-out knob it’s a
simple matter to adjust the input circuitry
to match average (nominal) signal levels
which would typically be in the range of
0 to +4 dBu. And with a maximum input
level of +24 dBu there will always be
sufficient headroom for “pro” audio perfor-
mance. Protection components in the input
circuitry help ensure reliability in tough field
applications.
Summing (Mixing) of the Input
Signals
The two channels associated with line input
A and the two channels associated with line
input B are mixed (summed), sent to ana-
log-to-digital conversion circuitry, and then
transmitted over the Dante network. The
two signals associated with the channel 1
(or “left”) inputs are combined and sent out
Dante channel 1. The two signals associat-
ed with the channel 2 (or “right”) inputs are
combined and sent out Dante channel 2.
(There is no provision for creating a monau-
ral signal which is typically not an issue as
other connected Dante-enabled equipment
can usually perform such tasks.)
Metering
Two 7-step LED meters provide a real-time
level indication of the two audio output
channels. Scaled in dBFS (decibels refer-
enced to full scale digital) the meters offer
a direct view of the signal levels as they
are transported in the digital domain via
Dante. Optimal audio performance requires
transporting signals at their proper levels
— without an accurate indication this can
be difficult to achieve.