ATI DM500 User Manual

ATI Audio Inc. ■ Tel: [phone] ■ Fax: [phone] ■ [e-mail] ■ www.

audio.com

© Copyright 2011, ATI Audio Inc.

DM500

DIGITAL AUDIO MONITOR

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

ATI Audio Inc. ■ Tel: [phone] ■ Fax: [phone] ■ [e-mail] ■ www.

audio.com

DESCRIPTION

The DM500 is a portable, battery powered instrument that monitors AES/EBU, IEC958 and S/PDIF
formatted digital audio lines and displays any digital errors. It includes a 24 bit, 27 to 96kHz D-to-A
converter feeding a high quality stereo headphone amplifier for audible monitoring and quality
assessment. The DM500 also includes a balanced 600 ohm stereo line level output to drive external
power amplifiers, console inputs, etc.

The DM500 allows you to meter digital headroom (displayed as dB down from 0dBFS) to warn of
possible overdrive at the signal source. The balanced audio line output is also metered with a
conventional reference level of +4dBm at 0dB on its meter scale. The DM500 can be used at the
end of a digital audio line with internal line termination switched in, or can be inserted in a digital
audio path with no appreciable loading of the signal (termination OFF). Input and loop-thru
connectors are provided for balanced XLR, RCA S/PDIF and BNC.

The DM500 comes complete with a weather protected padded carry case with shoulder strap and 9
volt battery power pack (batteries not included). Other mounting configurations are available, as
listed below. The basic NanoAmp™ internal chassis can be used freestanding, desk mounted or
rack mounted with other NanoAmps up to three across in one RU of rack space.

PERFORMANCE

The DM500 provides dynamic range in excess of 90dB (IEC-A weighted) and THD below .01 %
measured at the analog line outputs for all but the lowest sampling rate of 32kHz. All measurements
are noise limited at -90dB (20Hz to 20kHz bandwidth). Response is ±0.25dB, 20 to 20kHz, at all
but the lowest sampling rate.

INPUTS

The DM500 accepts AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital audio signals from either an XLR female 110­ohm line or a BNC or RCA 75 ohm line as selected by the front panel INPUT switch. Inputs from

0.10 to 10Vp-p are properly detected. The selected digital input is transformer isolated, floating and
DC blocked to eliminate ground loop hum and jitter. All inputs are properly terminated for
minimum signal reflection when the rear panel INPUT termination switch is activated.

The XLR female digital input loops through to an XLR male output connector. BNC and RCA
inputs also simultaneously loop through to the BNC and RCA outputs. Opening the rear panel
termination switch allows the DM500 to bridge, or loop through, digital lines without loading. The
last device should always terminate the line.