17
PR&E MIX ENGINE SIGNAL NOTES
This section covers the PR&E Mix Engine connections and which PR&E
app is used to configure that signal or connection. Figure 2-8, on page 16,
shows the RJ45 jacks on the back of the Mix Engine for reference.
Mic Preamps – There are two microphone preamps in the Mix Engine
with female XLR jacks. One or two, dynamic or condenser, mics can be
plugged into the low noise preamps in order to boost the mics up to line
level. Since any EMX fader channel can have EQ and Dynamics Processing
applied to it and, since mics are typically on their own dedicated channels,
the use of an external mic processor may not be required with the EMX. If
additional mic preamps are needed, each Razor 16A I/O Interface has
two mic preamps and each M4IP-USB Blade has four SQ mic preamps
and Vorsis signal processing.
Each Mix Engine preamp has an input trim control and a 48-volt
phantom power switch. Set the phantom switch on to power condenser
mics. A yellow LED lights to show phantom power is active. For dynamic
mics, like an RE-27, set the phantom power switch to off (LED off).
The trim level, if it needs adjustment, is made after the console is wired
up since it requires the mic to be assigned to a fader channel so its level
can be seen on the meters and it can be listened to. Typically, the trim
level is adjusted with the channel fader set to unity gain. With the talent
speaking at their normal “radio voice level” adjust the trim pot so the top
of their average bar graph signal is around -20 dB FSD and their peaks are
around -8 dB dBFS on the Program meters. If you want to add EQ and
Dynamics Processing, do that after the mic preamp gain trim is properly
adjusted.
MICS OUT – This jack has the line level outputs from both mic preamps:
Mic Preamp 1 is “left” and Mic Preamp 2 is “right.” Connect a short
straight-thru CAT5 cable from MICS OUT to ANALOG IN 1 since it’s been
preset for two mono mic signals rather than for a stereo signal as are all
other Mix Engine inputs.
LOGIC - The Mix Engine and Razor I/O Interfaces each have one RJ45
Logic jack for connecting logic to non-IP external devices like a Henry
warning light interface or a CD player. Each Logic jack has six LIO logic
ports (pins 2–7) plus ground (pin 1) and +5 volts (pin 8). Each logic port
is independently assigned, using PR&E Navigator, to set it as either a logic
output (e.g., On Tally, Studio In Use tally, Start Pulse, etc.) or as a logic
input (e.g., Channel On, Channel Off, Cue, etc.).
Each Blade (PR&E Mix Engine, Razor, and M4IP-USB) also has 128 Soft
LIO (SLIO) logic signals that can be used with WNIP-compatible devices,
like talent stations and media servers, for bi-directional command and
control of the EMX console over Ethernet. SLIO signals are also assigned
using PR&E Navigator as either an input or an output. See page 41 for
details on assigning both LIO and SLIO logic.
ANALOG IN - All analog inputs are designed for ba4 dBu signals,
but unbalanced -10 dBv signals can also be connected—without needing a
match box, since each input has input gain/trim/balance settings in PR&E
Navigator. Up to 18 dB of gain or trim can be applied to any input.
Inputs are labeled as ANALOG IN 1-4 on the Mix Engine. They are
assigned the default names: BL01MIC1 (input 1 left), BL01MIC2 (input 1
right), BL001S02 (input 2), BL001S03 (input 3), and BL001S04 (input 4)
in the EMX signal lists. Inputs 2, 3, and 4 can also be separated into two
mono inputs using PR&E Navigator to allow two independent mono signals,
like a pair of phone hybrids, to connect to one RJ45 jack.
DIGITAL IN – The four digital inputs are designed for stereo differential
AES/EBU (AES3) signals which, in most cases, can alternately have an
unbalanced S/PDIF digital signal connected. These jacks are labeled as
DIGITAL IN 5–8 on the Mix Engine. Their default names are BL001S05 –
BL001S08 in the signal lists. There are also gain/trim settings in PR&E
Navigator to adjust their input levels, as required. Any AES/EBU input can
also be split into two mono signals, a common occurrence with digital
phone systems.
Note: Digital In 8 can also be used as a Sync Reference input to
synchronize the EMX to an external sample clock signal.
PGM OUTPUTS – There are eight PGM Outputs: four stereo balanced
analog outputs and four AES/EBU outputs which, by default, are connected
to the PGM 1 – PGM 4 buses. But these outputs can be connected to
different sources using the PR&E Navigator System > Crosspoint tab to
first unlock the output and then connect a different source. These outputs
cannot be split for dual mono out operation and the same signal is applied
to both the analog and AES/EBU outputs. If you do change the source
connected to one of the PGM outputs, uncheck the EMX Surface Setup
option Use Default Signal Mapping (page 23) since that option will restore
the four PGM buses to all four outputs if the console is power cycled.
Note: The four AES/EBU outputs can only connect to balanced
AES/EBU inputs. Connecting them to unbalanced S/PDIF inputs will
not work. A signal translator is required.
MONITOR OUTPUTS – The default sources for these four stereo analog
outputs (as set by the Use Default Signal Mapping setting) are the Cue
bus, the level-controlled CR monitor and Studio monitor buses, and the
operator headphone output. Normally the four Surface controls (CUE
encoder, CR fader, STUDIO encoder, and HDPN fader) control the monitor
output levels, but when an alternate source is connected, using the PR&E
Navigator Crosspoint tab, the Surface control will no longer affect the
output when its source has been changed.
The CR OUT is normally connected to powered Control Room monitor
speakers and thus is not changed to an alternate new source. Since the
Summary of Contents for EMX
Page 4: ...4 ...
