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Cantar-X User Manual v2.26 (r13) 2009 April 27
p.16
p.16
TEST 1,
PREAMPS
Audio inputs
Analog inputs:
mic1
(XLR3)
mic2
(XLR3)
mic3-mic4
(XLR5)
mic5
(XLR3),
line1-line2
(XLR5)
line3-line4
(XLR5);
AES inputs:
digi1–digi8
(Tascam SubD25, p.57).
Microphone preamps
Cantar's mic-preamps offer such a wide dynamic range in
one single stroke that they don't need any pre-conditioners
or trims. Whenever you adjust a fader, all inputs for that type
(line/mic) are displayed (in dBFS) on the rectangular screen.
Phantom power
Press [
shift
] [
so-fil-tom
] (2) to toggle that mic's phantom
power 'ON/OFF'. The default setting for Phantom 48V
is 'ON' for all mics. When connecting a dynamic micro-
phone, turn 'OFF' the phantom power; the mic-preamp gain
will be boosted by 12dBu. When the phantom power is
disabled, the triangle below the mic number disappears
from the right circular screen.
Limiters
Press [
lim-inv
] (1) for one second to toggle the limiter
'ON/OFF' (to protect the limiters from mistaken fingers, a
one second pressure must be
applied). While the limiter
is turned 'ON', a triangle is
displayed below the mic num-
ber on the left circular screen.
If the signal level reaches
the limiter zone (-8dBFS), the
triangle will start blinking. In 24-bit recording mode, it is
common practice to adjust the input gain so that a 'normal'
signal does not go over the -20dBFS level. Limiter activated,
the 32dBu head-room above the -8dBFS kick-in point gives
24dBu above the 'no-limiter' full scale. The operator can count
on a 44dBu reserve over the normal -20dBFS level. If the
signal does reach the -1dBFS level, a '
clip
' icon appears at
the end of the modulometer scale and a beep can be sent
to the headphones (TECHSET.08 'Clip Detect'). To maintain
equilibrium between linked channels, the same limiter com-
mand is applied to ganged preamps.
Inversion
Press [
shift
] [
lim-inv
] (1) to invert the phase of a mic signal;
a triangle appears below the concerned mic number on the
middle circular screen.
High-pass filters and line attenuators
Click the [
so-fil-tom
] button (2) of a mic to open the filter
selection screen, another click on any [
so-fil-tom
] button
closes it. In between these two clicks you can [jog] through
the filter selection screen... quite useful when working over
the shoulder with a boom in the other hand. Continuously
leaving the finger on the [
so-fil-tom
] button simulates both
clicks: when you remove it, the filter screen closes itself.
Three high-pass filter banks are successively displayed in the
rectangular screen, they offer the same corner frequencies/
attenuation slopes (from 60Hz/-6dB to 180Hz/-12dB and
LFA).
Mic Level bank:
'Mic Level - Linear' is the default setting
on all mic inputs.
High Level
bank:
an 8dBu firmware translation of the gain
command puts the fader knobs in the same angular position
as when a standard sensitivity mic is used.
Line Level bank:
a 24dBu physical attenuator converts the
mic inputs to line inputs (available on SL1 preamplifier, i.e
all Cantars from #268).
Differential delays
Cantar-X2
Delays inherent to sound propagation (3 ms/m) or induced
by signal processing (up to 3.8 ms in a digital wireless kit)
can induce 'phasing' interference between mics placed
at different distances (or time) from a sound source. In
some instances it is advisable that all other audio inputs
contributing to the onboard mixdown wait in a buffer for
the 'late-sound' arrival. In TEST, press [shift] [silver] to open
LVL&DELAY, [jog] from 03 'mic1 delay' to 11 'line4'; press
[ok] on the one to set, [jog] from
0.0 to 85.0 ms delay in 0.1 ms
increments i.e 5 audio samples
(1 ms increments by [shift] [jog]).
Fine tune the delay by listening to the tracks in 'double-solo'
(see
Soloing tracks
, p.22). An ear protecting mute is applied
during delay modifications.
2
3
1
LVL&DELAY 03
mic1 delay
78.8ms
