Rane DA216S, User Manual

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5
Operation
Connections
When connecting the DA216S to other components in your system, leave the power supply for last. This gives
you a chance to make mistakes and correct them without announcing what you did to the whole world and
without damaging “downstream” equipment. Remember this when setting
Input Pad , Input Gain and Phantom
Power switches. These switches should never be changed in a live system. Suddenly changing the gain by 40 dB
can have a profound impact on the ears of the listening audience.
Inputs
The two inputs on the DA216S are balanced. They may also be used in an unbalanced configuration. However, if
using unbalanced,
do not engage phantom power . Use only shielded cable for the inputs. This cable should
always be two conductors plus shield, even for unbalanced operation. If you must use shielded single conductor,
keep the cable as short as possible (under 10 feet [3 meters]) to avoid hum or radio pick up.
When connecting inputs, use all three input terminals. For unbalanced, the “hot” input goes to the “
+ ”, and the
common wire goes to the “ – ” while the shield connects the ground. Since the common wire and shield are to be
tied together at one end in an unbalanced system, this connects the “ – ” input to chassis ground. In a balanced
system (highly preferred), the “ + ” input connects to the “ + ” output of the previous equipment. The “ – ” input then
connects to the “ – ” output and the shield goes to the chassis ground. These input connections may be reversed if
it is necessary to reverse the polarity of the input signal.
Be aware, if a microphone is used which requires phantom power, the shield must be connected to chassis
ground to complete the phantom power circuit.
Remember, a dynamic mic will likely be damaged if used
unbalanced while the phantom power is turned on. At the very least, it will saturate the mic’s output transformer
and spoil the sound quality. With the
Input Pad switched to Line , phantom power is disabled for that input only.
That is, a balanced, phantom powered mic may be used at one input and a line input at the other without
problems.
Important: For more information on grounding and shielding, visit the Rane Sound System Interconnection page
at rane.com/note110.html .
Outputs
The DA216S’s outputs are balanced and quite substantial. They will easily drive long cables and 600
Ω
loads to
full level. The same wiring conventions as the inputs apply. For unbalanced outputs, “hot” goes to the “ + ”, and
the shield connects to chassis ground. When wiring unbalanced outputs, do not tie the unused terminal (normally
“ – ”) to ground—leave it floating.
32 Unbalanced Outputs Tip: The “ – ” output may also be used as an unbalanced line driver, albeit inverted. The
balanced Input terminals of the next stage must be reversed ( + ) for ( – ) to correct for the inversion. This nets a total
of 32 outputs!