User manual M-AUDIO OCTANE ANNEXE 21

[. . . ] Eight channels of high-quality, low-noise microphone preamps Eight balanced XLR inputs Separate mic level, pad and three segment LED meters on each channel Switchable +48V phantom power Two front-panel unbalanced high impedance instrument inputs with independent level controls Mid-Side matrix encoding on channels 7 and 8 Eight balanced/unbalanced analog preamp outputs on TRS connectors Eight balanced/unbalanced channel A/D line inputs on TRS connectors serve as inserts or standalone A/D converters Phase reverse switch on even-numbered channels, low-cut filter on channel 1 ADAT lightpipe digital output Front panel sample rate/external clock selector Word clock I/O with low jitter Phase Locked Loop Pad ­ Pressing and locking this switch to the IN position inserts a 20dB pad into the signal path. Use the pad when your input level is too hot, as indicated by the Red Clip LED. LED Level Meter ­ Three segment input level meter: Green ­ Indicates input level of -20dB Yellow ­ Indicates input level of -10dB Red ­ Input level of 0dB indicates clipping. A word about metering: Different hardware devices and software applications employ different metering schemes. [. . . ] You may also use the Octane's Preamp Outputs to connect directly to the analog line inputs of a computer sound card (such as the Delta 1010, both by M-Audio). You can connect instrument level sources to channels 1 and 2 Instrument Inputs. NOTE: The Instrument Inputs override those channels' Mic Inputs; inserting a connector in either channel's Inst In will disable that channel's Mic (XLR) Input. Connect your microphones and/or instruments to Octane's inputs with the associated channels set to minimum gain, then raise the gain slowly while feeding it a live signal (by testing the mic or playing the instrument). A good input level will light the channel's ­20dB (Green) LED and ­10dB (Yellow) LEDs. Note that when the Clip (Red) LED lights, it is indicating that the signal is approximately 3dB below clipping. Ideally, the Clip LED should flicker briefly on strong input signal peaks, but not light steadily, as this will lead to an overloaded, distorted signal. Note that Octane's level meters are only an indication of the input level from your audio source (microphone, instrument, etc. It is equally important to check the level at the inputs of your DAW or other digital recording device. A word about metering: Different hardware devices and software applications employ different metering schemes. For example, the ADAT and some DAW programs will show level on their input meters at as low as ­40dB, whereas Octane's meters register at -20dB. It is entirely possible that your DAW or other recording device will display a reading at very low audio levels, even when Octane's meters do not show a level. In digital recording, particularly with 24-bit digital technology, it is important to achieve as hot a signal as possible without exceeding 0dB. The higher an input level you record with, the better the resolution of your digital recording will be. If your channel input signal is too hot, causing the red Clip LED to light steadily, pressing and locking the PAD switch in the IN position will insert a 20dB pad into the signal chain. NOTE: As with most preamplification, it is always advisable to turn down your monitors before turning on any PAD switch. These Instrument Inputs employ separate instrument preamps, providing higher input impedance and far better Signal-to-Noise Ratio than the shared Mic/Instrument preamp combinations available in most preamps. The level for these Instrument Inputs is controlled by that channel's Instrument Level control. Octane's eight Preamp Outputs are direct analog outputs on balanced/unbalanced 1/4" TRS connectors. They can be used to connect directly to an analog input on a computer sound card, mixing console or other analog device. The Preamp Outputs are half-normalled to their associated A/D Line Inputs. Plugging a connector into the A/D Line Input will interrupt the signal from the XLR input, but plugging a connector into the Line Output will not. [. . . ] In the event that M-AUDIO determines that the product requires repair because of user misuse or regular wear, it will assess a fair repair or replacement fee. The customer will have the option to pay this fee and have the unit repaired and returned, or not pay this fee and have the unit returned un-repaired. The remedy for breach of this limited warranty shall not include any other damages. M-AUDIO will not be liable for consequential, special, indirect, or similar damages or claims including loss of profit or any other commercial damage, even if its agents have been advised of the possibility of such damages, and in no event will M-AUDIO's liability for any damages to the purchaser or any other person exceed the price paid for the product, regardless of any form of the claim. [. . . ]