Antex electronic DMX-4 User Manual

DMX-4

USB Mixer

User

Manual

DMX-4 USB Mixer User Manual

Antex Electronics Corporation 19821 Hamilton Avenue Torrance, California 90502 www.antex.com

FCC Compliance Statement for Unit ed St ate s Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. In order to maintain compliance with FCC regulations, shielded cables must be used with this equipment. Operation with non-approve d equip ment or unshielded cables is likely to result in interference to radio and TV reception. Changes or modifications made to this equipment not expressly approved by Antex Electronics could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

• Read Instructions – Read all Safety Instructions before operating equipment.

• Retain Instructions – Save these instructions for future referen ce .

• Heed Warnings – All war nings and these instructions should be adhered to.

• Follow Instructions – All operating and use instructions should be followed.

• Cleaning –Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

• Attachments – Do not use attachments not recommended by the manufacturer as they may cause hazards.

• Water and Moisture – Do not use this product near water – for example near a bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, out in the rain or in a room where moistu re is likely to occur.

• Accessories – Do not place on an unstable surface (cart table or tripod) where tipping is a possibility.

• Ventilation – Install unit in well ven tilate d area where self generated heat may escape. Bookcases or cabinets should have proper venting to allow heat to escape.

• Power outlet – A properly grounded wall outlet must be used. Do not use a plug adapter that bypasses the three-terminal ground plug. Unplug the unit during a lightning storm or when not being used for prolonged periods.

• Cord Protection – Route your power cords and other connecting cables out of traffics way so as not to be walked on or traveled over by carts wheels, or a tripping hazard may occur. Do not place items on top of or against the cord so as to pinch the cord.

• Overloading – Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords, or integral convenience receptacles as this can result in a risk of fire or electrical shock.

• Object and Liquid Entry – Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may short-out parts that could cause a fire. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

• Servicing – Do not attempt to service this product yourself; there are no customer serviceable parts

DMX-4 USB Mixer User Manual

inside. Refer all servicing to qualif ied service personnel.

• A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart combination to overturn.

• Damage Requiring Service – Unplug this product from

the wall outlet and refer servicing to a qualif ied service person under the following conditions:

a. When the power-supply cord or plug is

damaged.

b. If liqu id has been spilled, or objects have fallen

into the product. c. If product has been exposed to rain or water. d. If the product does not operate normally by

following the operating instructions. Adjust only

those controls that are covered by the operating

instruction s as an improper adjustment of other

controls may result in damage and will often

require extensive work by a qualified technician

to restore the product to its normal operation.

• Safety Check – Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in pr oper operating condition.

• Heat – The product shall be situated away from

sources such as radiators, heat resistors, heat registers, stoves, or amplifier that produce heat.

e. If the product has been dropped or damaged in

any way.

f. When the product exhibits a distinct change in

performance – this indicates a need for service.

• Replacement Parts – When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or that have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, shock, or other hazards.

DMX-4 USB Mixer User Manual

General description:

The DMX-4 is a 4 channe l microphone preamplifier with 4 analog to digital converters (A/D). The DMX-4 connects to a PC via a USB 2.0 connection so that audio can be recorded onto the PC’s hard drive. There are 2 configurable monitor outputs, which can be independently set to be a mix of any combination of the 4 input channels. The monitor outputs can be used to connect to a PA system or for video/teleconfe ren cing.

All level adjustments are solid state; there are no mechanical knobs on the unit. Level adjustments are made by moving virtual slider controls in the Antex Mixer Program running on the PC. This allows for settings to be stored and retrieved as a “scene”. Also, if the PC connected to the DMX-4 is connected to a LAN, adjustments can be made from a remote computer somewhere on the LAN.

The microphone inputs are professional balanced XL R connectors. The differentia l input impe dance is 2K. Phantom power of +14 volts can be turned on under control of the Antex Mixer Program. Phantom power is connected through a 1K resistor on each line. In “microphone” setting, all 4 inputs have a gain range of +10dB to +85dB. Note that 65dB of gain is done in the analog circuitry, and the additional 20dB is done in the digital domain. As you increase the gain on any input, the level of this audio will get louder in the monitor output and in the recording level. However, once you exceed 65dB, the recording level will continue to increase, but the audio in the monitor output will not increase any further. Input channels 1 and 2 have a

fixed gain of 0dB in “line” setting. Inputs 3 and 4 have an adjustable gain of –8 to +31.5dB in “line” setting. (Although the circuitry is capable of a lower gain setting than –8dB, the setting is limited in the Antex Mixer Program to –8 dB so that it is not possible for the analog circuitry to go into clipping before the A/D.)

The monitor outputs are single ended RCA jacks, capable of a 2VRMS signal (+6dBV). The level adjustment range is from –102dB to +25.5dB. The output has a 560 ohm internal series resistance to protect it from short circuits to ground. The equipment that the monitor output is connected to should have an input impedance of 2K or greater.

The A/D converter sample rate can be set to 8, 11.025, 12, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, or 48KHz. This allows for optimization between file size and audio fidelity. All 4 inputs are digitized separately, and 4 tracks may be recorded to hard disk. The inputs may be mixed in any combination to the 4 record channels using the Antex Mixer Program. On your PC, the 4 record channels are accessed as 2 stereo Wave Devices. Record channel s 1 and 2 are left and right of Wave Device 1, respectively, and record channels 3 and 4 are left and right of Wave Device 2.

Power input to the DMX-4 can be from +5 to +15 VDC. Power consumption is about 5 watts. The unit is supplied with a 9V international wall adapter, but can also be powered by battery packs or from an automobile accessory plug (“cigarette lighter”). The power indicator LED changes gradually from green at 12 volts to red at 5 volts so the user can note a color shift on battery power when the battery gets low.

DMX-4 USB Mixer User Manual

What’s a ”dB” and why should I care?

Throughout this manual, the term “dB” is used. This stands for decibel. You may think, “but I just want to record a legal proceeding. I don’t want to be a recording engineer. Why should I care about this?” Although dB’s may seem complicated mathematically:

dB = 20 x log(signal level/reference signal level) Using dB’s gives you a better feel for how changing the

volume will sound to your ears. For example, if you increa se the out put of your stereo amplifier from 1/10 of a watt to 1 watt, this seems like a small change, only 9/10 of a watt. If you increase the output from 4 watts to 40 watts, this seems like a real big change. However, in both cases you are increasing the output by 10dB, and surprisingly, in both cases it will sound to you like the music only got twice as loud.

Negative dB’s means quieter. –10dB sounds half as loud.

Positive dB’s means louder. +10dB sounds twice as loud.

0dB means no change in the loudness when referring to a slider setting. For VU meters, 0dB is the maximum level. Severe distortion occurs above 0dB.

Installing the Software - XP

• The Antex Mixer Program requires Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. If you do not have this installed on your computer, the InstallShield will stop. To

check first if you have this on your computer already, click the “Start” button on the lower left of your computer screen. Click “Control Panel”, then “Add or Remove Programs”. When the program list is populated, scroll down and see if there is “Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0”. If not, open Internet Explorer and go to :

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.asp x?displaylang=en&FamilyID=0856eacb-43624b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5

(Or, you can go to http://microsoft.com “.NET Framework 2.0” in the Search box.)

Follow the ins tructions to download and install .NET Framework 2.0.

• Go to www.antex.com software drive r for the D MX-4. The installa tion process is fairly straightforward, using the InstallShield.

• Run the “Setup.exe” program.

• The first dialog box will say “Preparing to

Install…”

• On the second dialog box, click “Next”.

and download the latest

and type

DMX-4 USB Mixer User Manual

Enter the User Name and Organization, click “Next”.

Unless you need to change the destination folder, click “Next”.

The next dialog box will say “Ready to Install the Program”. Click “Install”.

After the program has been installed, the dialog box will say “InstallShield Wiz ard Completed”. Click “Finish”.

+ 12 hidden pages

Antex electronic DMX-4 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual