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11

11. Connecting headphones

Any stereo headphones with an

impedance of 32 to 2,000 Ohms can
be connected to the headphone out-
put of the VMS 5 U. Headphones with
a miniature plug can be used with a
commonly available adapter.

The headphone output is used for

monitoring; a switch <9> selects either
the unaltered "PREAMP" signals (e.g.
for A/B, X/Y or ORTF-style recording)
or the "MATRIX" outputs (left and right
signals derived from an M/S recording
setup).

Please note:

When turning phan-

tom power on or off, or when setting
the input selector switch, please turn
the headphone volume control to its
minimum setting.

In the interest of hearing conserva-

tion, do not monitor at high sound
levels. Prolonged listening through
headphones at high levels can damage
your hearing more severely than listen-
ing at what may seem like the equiva-
lent level on loudspeakers.

12. M/S recording / WIDTH

M/S is used primarily when recording

sound for film or television, but is also
useful for music recording. Its advan-
tage is that the stereo image can be
adjusted after the recording has been
made, in post-production.

The principle of M/S: As with other

stereo recording techniques (A/B, X/Y,
ORTF, "Blumlein" etc.) two micro-
phones are used, of which one (the
"side" or "S" channel) must have a
figure-8 directional pattern; the other
microphone (the "mid" or "M" chan-
nel) may have any desired pattern. The
two microphones are placed one
directly above the other, but while the
M-channel microphone is aimed at the
sound source, the S-channel micro-
phone is aimed 90º to the left (see
illustration, top of page 12). Thus the
two microphones do not directly pick
up the left and right channel playback
signals; instead, these signals are
derived by means of a sum-and-differ-
ence matrix circuit such as the one in
the VMS 5 U. The left channel play-
back signal is formed by adding M+S,
while the right channel playback signal
is formed by subtracting M-S. This
works because the two lobes of a fig-
ure-8 microphone’s pattern are in
opposite polarity to one another.

The result is as if two "virtual micro-

phones" had been aimed symmetrical-
ly with respect to the main axis of the
actual M-channel microphone. The
directional pattern of these "virtual
microphones" depends on the actual
pattern of the M-channel microphone
as well as on the setting of the "WIDTH"
control <6>, which determines the rel-
ative gain applied to the M and S sig-
nals fed into the matrix.

The "WIDTH" control sets the width

of the stereophonic image. The useful

Summary of Contents for VMS 5 U

Page 1: ...VMS 5 U User s Manual Microphone preamplifier with phantom powering M S matrix and headphone output with special input for Schoeps active Y cable...

Page 2: ...ts 18 Input for external power supply 19 Input selector switch The connectors and labels on the rear of the VMS 5 U are upside down with respect to the front of the unit This simplifies its use since...

Page 3: ...3 15 16 19 17 18 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 2 3 6 7 4 5...

Page 4: ...tweight robust all metal housing 1 Inserting batteries The VMS 5 U operates from six AA LR 6 cells included Primary cells preferably alkaline can be used or rechargeables such as NiCd or NiMH To inser...

Page 5: ...echarge ables should all be of the same type and capacity as one another all batter ies should be changed and or charged together as a set This is to avoid the risk of one or more cells those of lower...

Page 6: ...neath the limit of proper functioning This avoids overly deep discharge of the batteries which could otherwise lead to chemical leakage or in the case of rechargeable batteries life shortening damage...

Page 7: ...ble batteries Note the polarity of the DC power connector the positive pole of the power supply must be connected to the center contact of the external powering socket 18 on page 3 The unit will not b...

Page 8: ...your headphones temporarily 8 Connecting 48 Volt phantom pow ered studio condenser microphones For the highest quality lowest noise recordings use condenser microphones with a sensitivity of at least...

Page 9: ...ed only when needed since it has a distinctly audible effect position Now you can turn the unit on For ordinary stereo recordings not M S the cable marked in red should carry the right channel signal...

Page 10: ...ible rejection of hum and radio frequency interference Not all recorders offer balanced inputs but with short cables less than a few meters this is generally not so critical If you need to connect the...

Page 11: ...cording techniques A B X Y ORTF Blumlein etc two micro phones are used of which one the side or S channel must have a figure 8 directional pattern the other microphone the mid or M chan nel may have a...

Page 12: ...ll become narrower Any sound sources located beyond that angle near the edges will be picked up out of phase and will seem to jump over to the channel opposite from where they were in reality The opti...

Page 13: ...eard in a steadily decreasing degree in the left channel output signal But if that sound source crosses past the null in the polar diagram of the left channel virtual microphone see above its presence...

Page 14: ...1 M MK4 CCM 4 Effect of the WIDTH control on the recording angle for various types of M channel microphones Effect of the WIDTH control on the gain applied to M and S signals S M M M S S 0 1 2 3 4 5 6...

Page 15: ...find an optimal setting for the stereo image width as it would be reproduced through loudspeakers In addition to experimenting with various width settings it can some times be very useful to equalize...

Page 16: ...alanced trans formerless and are switchable between the amplified microphone signals and the decoded M S stereo signals Output impedance 100 Ohm Maximum output level for 0 5 THD 18 dBV 8 Vrms Recommen...

Page 17: ...ll blow See page 7 Coaxial socket 5 5 2 1 mm diameter Reverse polarity will not damage the unit though it will not operate If external powering is present any internal bat teries are automatically dis...

Page 18: ...18 16 Block diagram...

Page 19: ...19 Frequency response curves above without low cut filter below with low cut filter...

Page 20: ...0 C to 50 C The headphone volume levels which can be achieved with this unit can with prolonged use cause lasting damage to one s hearing Please monitor only at the minimum necessary levels Cables Use...

Page 21: ...to misuse e g incorrect operation mechanical damage abuse or acts of God This guarantee is nullified in the event of tampering by unauthorized persons or agencies To secure your rights under this guar...

Page 22: ...22...

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Page 24: ...24 Subject to change without notice 010102...

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