LEVEL 8 Owner's Manual v 2.21 CE ©2003 ARX®
LEVEL 8 Owner's Manual v 2.1 CE ©2003 ARX®
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Introduction
Thank you for choosing this ARX LEVEL 8 Audio Balancer and Level Optimizer. We
hope you enjoy using it as much as we enjoyed creating it. As with all ARX equip-
ment, it has undergone extensive factory calibration and ‘burn in’ before shipping. To
ensure continued trouble free use, please familiarise yourself with the contents of this
manual before using the LEVEL 8.
About the LEVEL 8
Applications
• Studio, Live and Broadcast
• Sound Reinforcement
• AV Systems/CD/Audio-for-Video
• Anywhere unbalanced signals need converting to professional balanced signals
The primary benefits of running balanced low impedance signals are (a) low noise, and
(b) the ability to run a signal down long lengths of cable, e.g. multicore snakes from
one end of an auditorium to the other, without picking up noise along the way.
Any induced noise is dumped to ground via the cable shielding and also cancelled out
in the summing circuit of the balanced input receiving the signal.
Setting Up
Like so many of our best ideas, setting up your LEVEL 8 is simplicity itself.
Firstly connect the unit to AC power.
Please Note:
This is a dual voltage unit. It is essential that you check that the voltage on the
fuseholder cover below the AC connector on the rear of the chassis is set correctly
before connecting it to AC power. See Page 2 for more details on this.
Your high impedance unbalanced signal plugs into the input jack connectors of, say,
Channel 1, and the balanced output appears at the corresponding XLR output connec-
tor next to it. Continue on for all 8 channels if required.
That’s all there is to it. From the LEVEL 8 the balanced signals can be run to the next
item in the signal chain. Since each channel of the LEVEL 8 is independent of the
others, 8 different sources or up to 4 separate stereo pairs can be balanced in this
way.
The Gain Mode switch on the rear panel gives you the choice of unity gain through the
LEVEL 8, using it as a balancer only, or as a level optimizer as well, bringing the -10 dB
levels up to +4 dB (14dB overall gain).
LEDs on the front panel indicate which mode has been selected. One of these will
always be illuminated if the unit is connected to AC mains power
Innovation
Silently interfacing -10dB unbalanced consumer electronics with +4 dB Balanced
professional equipment has always been a problem. Hum and noise generated by a
mismatch at this point will be amplified throughout the studio, broadcast or live sound
system.
But luckily it’s a problem of the past, now that ARX has introduced the LEVEL 8, an 8
channel audio balancer and level optimizer specifically designed to handle this critical
task.
ARX’s proprietary balancing circuits take the -10 dB levels from CD players, cassette
and tape players, DAT recorders, digital 8 track recorders, and effortlessly transform
them into the balanced signals that all professional audio systems require.
Inputs are unbalanced jack connectors, and outputs are industry standard balanced 3
pin XLR type.
A Gain Mode switch on the rear panel lets you select unity gain through the LEVEL 8,
using it as a balancer only, or as a level optimizer as well, bringing the -10 dB levels up
to +4 dB (14dB overall gain). LEDs on the front panel indicate which mode has been
selected.
Housed in a rugged all steel chassis with extruded aluminium front panel, the ARX
LEVEL 8 is the ideal professional engineer’s tool for the critical task of impedance and
level converting.
