Aviom A-16 Personal Monitor Mixing System
Navigating the System
This section explains the basic layout of your new Aviom products. The diagrams on the previous pages can be used as a quick visual guide to the location of the basic components of the Personal Monitor Mixing System.
The A-16T Transmitter
Front Panel
The front panel of the A-16T contains the Channel information, Link switches, Signal
Present LEDs, Clip LEDs, Power indicator, Input Level switches, and the A-Net output connector.
Channel LEDs
The numbered Channels on the A-16T front panel correspond to the sixteen inputs on the rear section of the A-16T. They are grouped together in pairs — Channels 1 and 2,
Channels 3 and 4, etc. Each Channel contains two LEDs, one showing that there is an audio signal present, and another used to indicate that the input to a channel is causing audio clipping. Signal and Clip LEDs appear directly beneath the Channel numbers.
The lower LED, marked Signal, will light as long as an audio signal of at least -40dB is present on the channel. It provides an easy way to confirm that audio is indeed passing into—and being processed by—the A-16T.
The upper LED is marked Clip. It will light if a signal reaches a point that is within
3 dB of full scale (0dB). In general, you want to operate the system so that the Clip
LED lights only occasionally. If the LED is on constantly, you should either lower the volume of the source audio coming into the A-16T or try different Input Level settings.
Input Levels
The A-16 Personal Monitor Mixing System has been designed to accept a wide range of professional and semi-professional audio levels. There are four Input Level gain
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Aviom A-16 Personal Monitor Mixing System
14 settings available. Changes to the input level on the A-16T front panel affect a pair of channels at a time.
The four levels are +22dB, +4dB, 0dB, and -10dB. To select the proper Input Level setting, choose the Input Level position that most closely matches the output of your audio gear. Here are some examples to be used as a guide:
• Use the +22dB setting for the hottest signals such as those coming from professional broadcast equipment, tape decks, and some digital audio workstations (DAWs).
• The +4dB setting is the best choice for most professional audio gear such as mixing boards, microphone preamps, effects processors, etc.
• Try the 0dB setting for musical instruments such as keyboards and drum machines.
• The -10dB setting is appropriate for consumer audio devices such as CD players and MP3 players. Also, semi-pro audio gear should use the -10dB setting. (In many cases those devices use RCA jacks for audio input and output.)
Check the specifications of your audio gear if you are unsure about its output level.
Although you won’t harm the A-16T or your audio devices by using an incorrect level setting, you do want to avoid distorting the audio that passes through the A-16 system and eventually on to your monitors.
In general, you need to check the A-16T front panel Signal and Clip LEDs when initially setting up your audio system and choosing level settings. If your -10dB device outputs a hot level, it may be necessary to adjust the Input Level switch to avoid clipping. In this example, moving the switch to the 0dB setting should provide a strong signal without distortion.
The Link Switch
The A-16T Transmitter provides an easy solution for stereo input sources such as keyboards, mixer sub-groups, drum machines, CD players, effects device outputs, etc.
The Link switch is used to turn a pair of adjacent channels into a stereo channel that can be controlled as a single source on the Personal Mixers.
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Aviom A-16 Personal Monitor Mixing System
There are eight Link switches on the front panel of the A-16T. They can be used in any combination, as your needs require. The Link switch is located between two channels—one odd and one even. Links always affect adjacent channels (for example, channels 1 and 2, channels 13 and 14, etc.).
The default setting, with the Link switch to the left, allows independent control of each input channel from the A-16 Personal Mixers. To link channels together as a stereo input, move the Link switch to the right. (Moving the switch to the Link position causes all Personal Mixers connected to the system to instantly update their channel status.)
Some things to keep in mind about linked channels:
• Linking channels affects all A-16 Personal Mixers connected to the system.
• Any combination of stereo and mono channels can be used.
• If you want to control two input channels as a stereo source, they must be connected to an odd and even pair of channels, as indicated by the graphics on the A-16T front panel.
• Changes to the Link status can be made on the fly, with audio running through the system.
• All A-16 Personal Mixers will instantly update their channel status if the
Link switch position is changed for any channel pair.
• The Link status is not saved when you create a Preset.
• Changing the channel link status will affect Groups you have created in some cases.
Power and A-Net
The right side of the A-16T Transmitter also contains the Power LED. This indicator shows that power is connected to the unit. It does not indicate, however, that a valid
A-Net signal is being generated.
The A-Net output jack is used to connect the A-16T to the first A-Net compatible device in your monitor system. Use any standard Category 5 cable to make the connections. Remember that the maximum cable length is 500 feet (150 meters).
When a proper A-Net connection between the A-16T Transmitter and a Personal Mixer exists, the A-Net Active LED on the Personal Mixer will light.
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Aviom A-16 Personal Monitor Mixing System
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The A-16T Rear Panel
On the rear of the A-16T Transmitter you will find the power connector, the sixteen audio inputs, and the sixteen Thru jacks.
Signal routing into and out of the A-16T Transmitter has been designed to be extremely flexible, allowing the A-16T to integrate into virtually any audio environment.
Power Connector
Your A-16T Transmitter comes with a switching-type power supply. This type of power supply can be used with a wide range of AC wall current outputs, meaning that you do not need to replace the power supply if the unit will be used in different countries throughout the world where current voltages are different. (You may, however, need plug adapters to allow the power supply to be connected to wall outlets internationally since many countries use different physical plug layouts for their power systems.)
Channel Input Jacks
The rear panel of the A-16T Transmitter contains sixteen Input jacks (labelled In).
These jacks can accept balanced or unbalanced signals on 1⁄4-inch plugs.
Balanced signals (sometimes referred to as TRS, for Tip, Ring, and Sleeve) are found on many professional audio devices. The 1⁄4-inch connector used for balanced audio wiring has three conductors: the tip, the ring, and the sleeve. It is the same connector found on most stereo headphones, for example. The balanced wiring system is ideal for keeping noise out of the audio signal from sources such as radio interference (sometimes called “RF”).
Unbalanced audio signals are found on many keyboards, effects processors, etc. Only two connectors are used, the tip and the sleeve. A standard musical instrument or guitar cord uses this configuration, for example.
Channel Thru Jacks
The Thru jacks on the A-16T provide the user with an exact copy of the signal plugged into the In jack just below it. This can be used as a way to insert the A-16T Transmitter into a signal chain without giving up audio patching flexibility.
The Thru jacks have other uses as well. While a direct output from a mixing board is the most straightforward way to connect audio from your mixer to the A-16T, some
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