44/50 4 Zone Integrated
Mixer Amplifier
Installation & Operation Manual
Cloud Electronics Limited
140 Staniforth Road, Sheffield, S9 3HF England
Tel + 44 (0) 114 244 7051
Fax + 44 (0) 114 242 5462
E-mail
Web site ht tp://www.cloud.co.uk
info@cloud.co.uk
44/50: Installation and Operation Manual 1
44/50 Integrated Four Zone Mixer Amplifier
Installation and Operation manual
Contents
Section Page
2 General description............................................................................ 2
3 Schematic diagram............................................................................ 2
4 Installation ......................................................................................... 3
5 Music inputs....................................................................................... 3
6 Sensitivity & gain control.................................................................... 3
7 Music control – local or remote.......................................................... 3
8 Music equalisation............................................................................. 3
9 Line 4 priority..................................................................................... 4
10 Microphone inputs ............................................................................. 4
11 Paging microphone............................................................................ 4
12 Connecting Multiple CPM-4s to the 44/50..........................................4
13 Microphone gain control..................................................................... 5
14 Microphone equalisation.................................................................... 5
15 High pass filter................................................................................... 6
16 Microphone level controls.................................................................. 6
1 Safety notes....................................................................................... 2
17 Microphone priority ............................................................................ 6
18 Auxiliary outputs ................................................................................ 6
19 Output details..................................................................................... 6
20 100V or 70V line operation................................................................. 6
21 Remote music mute – fire alarm interface.......................................... 7
22 Fitting and configuring the REM-4 remote control module.................. 7
23 Special notes regarding the use of the REM-4................................... 7
24 Music signal processing PCB............................................................. 8
25 Installing RSL-1 or RL-1 remote controls........................................... 8
26 Controlling two or more zones with one RL-1..................................... 8
27 Controlling two or more zones with one RSL-1.................................. 9
28 Front panel music level control defeat................................................ 9
29 Controlling the music functions using external DC control................ 10
30 EMC considerations......................................................................... 10
31 Technical specifications................................................................... 11
32 General specifications...................................................................... 11
2 44/50: Installation and Operation Manual
1 Safety Notes
The Cloud 44/50 contains several PCB mounted jumpers which can be set to pr ovide the
desired configuration for a specific application; these adjustments should be performed by
a technically qualified person who fully understands the hazards associated with mains
operated equipment. Do not rem ove the t op panel unless you are qualified to do so.
Remove the power cable from the unit befor e r emoving the top panel and do not make
any adjustments with the unit switched on.
The Cloud 44/50 is supplied with a power cable fitted with a moulded plug; if the plug is
cut off the lead for any reason, remember that the discar ded plug is a potential hazard
and should be disposed of in a responsible manner.
2 General
The Cloud 44/50 is a versatile, multi-source four zone mono mixer with four 50 watt
power amplifiers. The unit has applications where two microphone and four line level
music signals are required to feed four separate areas in any combination. O ptional
accessories extend the flexibility of the unit: A dedicated four zone paging mic with preannouncement chime is available, a plug-in remote cont r ol PCB provides remote control
of music level and source and for line distribut ion system s, a four channel 100V/70V line
transformer module is also available.
The front panel controls are r educed to a minimum to reduce confusion; if preferred, the
unit can be positioned in a protected area with just the rem ot e m usic level and source
controls positioned in the most appropriate location. All pre-set controls are either on the
rear panel or protected by covers.
A remote music mute facilit y is provided which may be used to satisfy the req uir ements of
the Local Fire Officer.
3 Schematic Diagram
44/50: Installation and Operation Manual 3
4 Installation
The Cloud 44/50 is suitable for mount ing in a standard 19" equipment rack and occupies
two units of rack space. Suf ficient ventilation should be provided particularly where it is
required to deliver a high output power for long periods of time; t he unit draws cool air
through the front panel and exhausts through the rear panel. The 44/ 50 is 300m m deep
but a depth of 375mm should be allowed to clear connectors.
5 Music Inputs
The 44/50 operates in mono but is f it t ed with four stereo line inputs, which are internally
mixed to form a mono signal. T he line input s are suitable for most music sources such as
compact disc players, tape players and receivers etc. All the inputs are unbalanced and
use RCA type phono sockets. The input impedance is 47kΩ.
6 Sensitivity & Gain Control
All four line inputs have a pre-set gain control on the rear panel adjacent to the respect ive
input sockets. The input sensitivity can be varied from -12dBu (195mV) to +8dBu (2.0V).
The pre-set gain controls should be set so that all the input signals operate at the same
level within the 44/50 and the music level controls have an optimum range of cont rol.
7 Music Control - Local or Remote
The music source and music level control functions can be operat ed from the front panel,
or remotely when the optional REM-4 plug-in four channel rem ote control module is fitted
and wired to a maximum of four RSL-1 contr ol plates. This plate can be positioned up to
100 metres from the 44/ 50 and 2- cor e cable with overall screen should be used. Selfadhesive labels are provided to identify the signal source on both the 44/ 50 front panel
and the RSL-1. The front panel m ounted music level controls can be defeated if r equired,
please refer to section 27 f or full details. If preferred, the music source can be controlled
from the 44/50 f r ont panel with the music level only controlled remotely using the RL-1
remote level control. See section 21 for REM-4 f it t ing instructions and section 24 for
remote level plate installation requirements.
8 Music Equalisation
Separate treble and bass controls are provided for m usic signals only on each of the four
zones. This arrangement allows the installer to optimise the response of the music
signals on a zone by zone basis where different acoustic properties require optimal
equalisation adjustment. T he equalisation controls are concealed behind the removable
control panel secured to the front panel. Using the supplied Allen key, remove the f our
Allen cap screws which retain the control panel; the HF and LF equalisation controls ar e
clearly marked and located below the music controls fo r t he r e levant zone. A flat
frequency response can be achieved by positioning the slot on the contr o l shaft in the
horizontal plane. The music treble control (HF) has a r ange of ±10dB at 10kHz and the
music bass control operates with a range of ±10dB at 50Hz.
4 44/50: Installation and Operation Manual
9 Line 4 Priority
The Cloud 44/50 has a facility to allow fully automat ic pr ior it y to a JukeBox or Spot
Announce Player on Zone 1 only. A priority switch (concealed behind the removable plate
on the front panel) is provided to select t his facility. When the line 4 priority is in
operation, Zone 1 will operate normally until a signal is detected on line 4 upon which the
selected signal (usually background music) will mute, allowing the signal on line 4 to
operate with priority. Once the signal on Line 4 ceases, the select ed m usic signal will
smoothly restore to its former level; the time taken f or t his restoration can be set at 3, 6 or
12 seconds by fitting the appropriate jumper (J5) on the upper printed circuit boar d. The
factory default restor ation time is 3 seconds. (See PCB layout on page 7)
10 Microphone Inputs
Two microphone inputs are provided and the microphone amplifier is an elect ronically
balanced, transformer- less desig n configured for opt im um low noise performance.
The input impedance is greater t han 2kΩ and is suitable for micr ophones in the 200Ω to
600Ω range. Inputs are via gold plat ed 3 pin XLR type connectors with latch and these
are positioned on the rear panel. For balanced microphones, connect the cable screen to
pin 1, the in-phase signal (+Ve) to pin 2 and t he r everse phase signal (-Ve) to pin 3.
For unbalanced microphones, connect a wire link from pin 1 ( ground) to pin 3 inside the
XLR cable mounted plug; use pin 1 as ground ( cable scr een) and pin 2 as hot.
11 Paging Microphone
The Cloud CPM-4 four zone paging microphone is available as an optional accessory f or
the Cloud 44/50; the unit features zone selection switches which allow paging to all four
zones in any combination and in addition, a ‘call all’ button is provided for convenient
announcements to all zones.
The paging microphone is supplied with:
• 2 cable glands to accept 2-6mm cable
• 2 cable glands to accept 4-8mm cable
•
2 grommets
•
A 9-core/female sub D-type cable assembly that should be fitted to the 44/50
motherboard.
• A Sub D-type male connector
• 4 M16 Nuts
NOTE: Should you wish to order a CPM-8 for use with the 44/50 then you must also
order a 44/50 paging mic installation kit as it does not come as standard.
A zone can be accessed and reset with its relevant push/on push/off toggle switch. There
is a jumper (J9) inside the CPM-4 that when positioned ON will config ure the CPM-4 to
automatically reset any accessed zone after an announcement has been made. The
factory default f or this jumper is OFF with J9 in the default position each zone must be
reset manually after an announcement.
The CPM-4 can be configured internally to activate a pre- announcement chime if
required. For applications where the speakers are located where the announcer cannot
hear them, a chime sounder internal to t he CPM-4 can be switched on or off as required
to help avoid any announcements being made before the chime has finished.
44/50: Installation and Operation Manual 5
We suggest that the CPM-4 should be wired using 2-core screened cable directly to the
MIC 1 XLR input and 6-core cable with overall screen to the 44/50 paging m icr ophone
connector (as shown below).
As an alternative the CPM-4 can connect to
the MIC 1 input stage via the 9 pin ‘D’
connector, using an 8-core screened cable.
With the m ic signals wired to Pin 5 and 9 see
the right hand diagram.
NOTE: This method is not recommended.
12 Connecting Multiple CPM-4s to the 44/50
When using m or e t han one CPM-4 in a system, only audio and selection logic signals are
connected in parallel. The wiring can be arranged in a wide range of configurations. For
example the microphone cables can all be terminated at the mixer, ‘daisy chained’, or
‘star’ connected to a junction box. Any combination of t hese will work provided that t he
microphone zone access and audio terminals are connected in parallel. The t ot al cable
length in the system should not exceed 100m.
NOTE: The 44/50 can only power one CPM-4 any additional CPM-4 mics will require their
own external power supply (CPM-PSU)
13 Microphone Gain Control
Pre-set gain controls are provided adjacent to the respective XLR input connector. The
gain can be adjusted from 0dB t o 60dB; this wide range of gain allows direct connection
of high output devices such as radio microphones without the need for any additional
attenuation. A high overload marg in is m a int ained at all gain settings.
14 Microphone Equalisation
Two band equalisation is provided for both Mic 1 and Mic 2 and these pre-set controls are
positioned alongside the input connector and gain cont r ol on the rear panel. The
characteristics of the equalisat ion is opt imised for the tonal correction of speech signals
and the treble control (HF) provides ±10dB at 5kHz with the bass control (LF) ±10dB at
100Hz.
6 44/50: Installation and Operation Manual
15 High Pass Filter
Both microphone channels pass through independent 3 pole high pass filters operating at
100Hz that provide effective attenuation of breath blasts and LF handling noises at a rat e
of 18dB/octave. The circuitry providing t his feature is fixed and cannot be defeat ed.
16 Microphone Level Controls
Separate front panel mounted level controls for Mic 1 and Mic 2 are provided for each of
the four zones. The level controls provide the user with a convenient means to operat e
either microphone at a suitable level in any zone; rotating any mic level control to t he fully
anti-clockwise position effect ively turns the microphone off.
The microphone signals are routed direct ly to t he power amplifier stage of the r espect ive
zone and mic signals are totally unaffected by the operation of the music controls. T he
Mic 1 & Mic 2 gain controls on the rear panel should be set at a level where it is not
possible to have excessive gain even when the front panel level controls are fully
clockwise.
For the benefit of t he oper ator, self-adhesive labels are provided to identify the
microphone channels and these can be fixed on the 44/50 front panel in t he space
provided, below and to the right of the power switch.
17 Microphone Priority
Fully automatic, voice operated priority is provided so that when a microphone is used,
the music signals will attenuate by approximately 30dB; after t he announcement, the
music signals will restore smoothly to their former level. This ‘microphone over music’
priority can be defeated by configuring the internal jumper J10 located on the
motherboard. Microphone priority is also provided and this allows announcements on the
Mic 1 channel to have priority over any signal present on the Mic 2 channel, if you wish to
disable this Mic 1 over Mic 2 priority then remove R160 from the 44/50 motherboard.
18 Auxiliary Outputs
Line level auxiliary outputs are provided to satisfy the occasional requirement t o connect
additional power amplifiers to any of the four zones, which may require more than the 50
watts provided. RCA type phono sockets mounted on the rear panel provide an output
level of 0dBu (775mV) which should interface optim ally with most types of power
amplifier. If t h is auxiliary output signal is terminated to a balanced input stag e, please
remember to follow the manuf acturers recommended procedure to unbalance the input
stage. To reduce the risk of creating a ‘gr ound loop’, the additional power amplifier(s)
should be positioned close to the 44/50 and be connected to mains power sockets t hat
are on the same circuit.
19 Output Details
Binding posts for the four speaker outputs are provided on the rear panel t hese can
accommodate flexible leads up to 2.5mm². The output connectors are not compatible with
4mm ‘banana’ plugs. Do not make any connections to t he unit with the power cable
attached and please remember that it is good practice to distance the output wiring from
the input wiring and also use twisted pair cable for the speaker wiring.
20 100V or 70V Line Operation
The CXL-400 four-channel line t ransformer module is available as an accessory to the
44/50. It is rated at 40 watts per channel and opt im ally mat c hes t he Cloud 44/50 power
amplifiers. The module is designed to fit inside the 44/50 chassis and may be conf igured
for 70 or 100V operation by means of wire link s on the PCB. Unless specified otherwise,
44/50: Installation and Operation Manual 7
the module is configured f or 100V output. Screw terminals are provided for the output
connections.
The module can be used at frequencies as low as 40Hz without the risk of saturation.
Operation at high input levels at lower fr equencies may result in the transfor m er
saturating and the amplifiers VI limiter operating.
21 Remote Music Mute - Fire Alarm interface
In certain circumstances, ther e m ay be a Local Author it y or Fir e Ser vice requirement to
mute the music signals via a fire alarm cont r o l panel in an alar m condition. The Cloud
44/50 provides a facility to mute the music sig nals only by connecting t he t wo pole music
mute connector to the contacts of a relay that is controlled by the fire alarm control panel.
The two-wire connection should not be connected to any other circuit or voltage. In most
instances, the fire alarm com pany will provide an auxiliary relay that is normally located
close to the sound equipment rack.
All the microphone facilities operate nor m ally when the music mut e is oper at ing.
22 Fitting and configuring the REM-4 Remote Control Module.
The REM-4 comes with three 35mm M3 hex spacers & four 3-pin screw terminal plugs.
1. Turn the power off and rem ove the m ains cable
2. Remove the top panel
3. Remove the blanking plate fr om the rear panel
4. To the right of the large heat sink (looking at the 44/50 from t he front panel) you will
see three M3 fixing screws each next to a white arrow marked on the PCB, remove
and retain these screws then fix three 35mm hex spacers in their place.
5. Position the 12-way socket of the REM-4 remote control module through the rear of the
chassis and align the PCB over the three mounting pillar s .
6. Secure the REM-4 with three M3 x 6mm (removed earlier)
7. Remove the four jumpers f rom the male header CON7 (see page 7), connect the 20way ribbon cable to it and check that the connector mates with all 20 pins.
8. Mechanical installation of the REM-4 is now complete. Read the information below to
configure the relevant jumpers
All jumpers can be found on the upper front PCB of the 44/50. Jumpers J1-4 are to the
rear of the PCB and J6-9 to the front (see diagram below).
• Jumpers J1-4 are associated with zones 1-4 and allow you to switch music source
operation between either the front panel control (‘FR’ position) or a remote panel
(‘REM’ position)
• Jumpers J6-9 are associated with zones 1-4 and allow you to defeat front panel music
level operation, passing total control t o the remote control module.
ALL UNUSED REMOTE CONNECTORS ON THE 44/50 MUST HAVE PINS 1&2
WIRED TOGETHER
9. Now fit the top panel in place and the installation is complete.
23 Special Notes Regarding the use of the REM4
If the 44/50 is fitted with the optional REM4, the module must be connected to four
remote control plates otherwise the music sig nals will be f ully att enuat ed. If you propose
to use any zone of a 44/50 (when fitted with the REM4) with no remote control, the
respective 3 pole connector should be connected to the REM4 with a shorting link
between pin 1 and pin 2. Please order extra connectors if you intend to oper at e t he unit
in this way.
8 44/50: Installation and Operation Manual
24 Music signal processing PCB
When no remo t e control PCB (REM-4) is fitted, f our circuit jumpers are fit t ed to the
connector CON7; these jumpers must be removed before fitting the REM-4 module.
If you wish to disable the music signals in any of the f our zones, r em ove the r elevant
jumper from the connect or CON7.
25 Installing RSL-1 or RL-1 Remote Controls
The remote control plates, RSL- 1 and RL-1 are compatible with UK domestic electrical
accessories and can be mounted onto a standard British f lush or sur face mounted 25mm
deep back box. Two-core cable with overall screen should be used to connect the remote
controls to the module mounted inside the Cloud 44/50. The circuitry uses the industry
standard ‘Thats 2150A’ VCA chip to provide very low noise and distortion together with up
to 90dB of attenuation.
26 Controlling tw o or more zones with one RL-1
A single RL-1 can be used to control the music level of more than one zone, however, the
extra load can cause the control to operate unevenly throughout it s r ange; this has
proved to be of little consequence operationally.
When the RL-1 is used with the 44/ 50, wire it with single-core screened cable. It is
assumed that the front panel m usic sour ce select control will operate normally and the
jumpers J1, J2, J3 & J4 will be configured for front panel (FR) control. Diagram on
following page.
44/50: Installation and Operation Manual 9
RL-1 Wired to Operate Two Zones
27 Controlling tw o or more zones with one RSL-1
A single RSL-1 can be used to control more than one zone; however, the thr ee r esist ors
fitted to the RSL-1 will have to be replaced with a different value. Where a single RSL-1 is
used to control two zones, the resistors R1, R2 & R3 should be removed and replaced
with three 3k3 types. With one plate controlling three zones, use 2k 2 r esist ors and for all
four zones, use 1k6 resistors. Where a sing le r em ote module is wired to control the level
of multiple zones, the control will be loaded by the additional circuit r y and will operate
unevenly throughout its range; however, this has proved to be of little consequence
operationally. Please order extra VCA 3 pole connectors if you propose t o use this facility.
RSL-1 Wired to Operate Two Zones
28 Front Panel Music Le vel Control Defeat.
When remote music level controls are fitted, t he front panel mounted music level control
will remain operational and under certain circumstances this can cause pr oblem s.
Configuring the link s on j u m per s, J6 for Z1, J7 for Z2, J8 for Z3 and J9 for Z4 can defeat
the relevant front panel mounted level contr ols. The position marked ‘N’ relat es to normal
operation; the position marked ‘DEF’ defeats the control and the audio signal bypasses
the potentiometer. See the diag r am on page 7 for jumpers locat ions.
10 44/50: Installation and Operation Manual
29 Controlling the music functions using exter nal DC control.
When f it ted with the optional REM-4 module, the 44/50 can be used as part of an
automated sound system by controlling the music level and music source by an external
0-10V DC voltage. The 3-pole connector nor m ally used to terminate the RSL-1 control
plate can be used to feed two separate control voltages into the 44/50. Pin 1 is a ground
(0V) termination common to bot h cont r ol voltages; this should be connected to the
technical ground (0V) of t he voltage source. Pin 2 is the control voltage input for the
music level and pin 3 is used to control the music signal source selection.
Level Control
A maximum gain reduction of 60dB can be achieved with a control voltage of +10V; the
rate of attenuation is approximately 165mV per dB. A control voltage of zero realises unity
gain (full volume), however, with no external connection to pin 2, an inte r nal 4k7 resistor
connected to the +15V power will ‘pull up’ the control voltage to provide maximum
attenuation. The output impedance of the control voltage source should be low enough to
overcome the influence of this resistor .
Source Select
Here are details of the source select cont r ol voltages (pin 3) required to switch the four
line input signals:
Off +6.00V
Line 1 +4.00V
Line 2 +3.25V
Line 3 +2.00V
Line 4 0.00V
With no external connect ion to pin 3, an internal 15k resistor connected to the +15V
power will ‘pull up’ the source select control voltage and the ‘off’ position will be selected.
The output impedance of the cont r ol voltage source should be low enough to overcome
the influence of this resistor . If you require, you can permanently set t he music signal to
the Line 1 input by wiring a 20k resistor between pins 1 & 3 on the remote cont r ol
connector.
If the control voltages ar e not isolated, there is a small risk of cr eating a ‘ground loop’ by
linking the 44/50 ground with the g r ound of the equipment providing t he cont r o l voltages;
we suggest that all pieces of equipment be positioned in close proximity to each other.
30 EMC Considerations
The Cloud 44/50 fully conforms t o the relevant electromagnetic compat ibilit y (EMC)
standards and is technically well behaved; you should experience no operational
problems and under normal circumstances, no special pr ecaut ions need to be taken. If
the unit is to be used within close proximity to potential sources of HF dist ur bance such
as high power communications transmitters, r adar stations and the like, it is sugg ested
that the microphone cable screen be connected to the shell of the XLR type connector,
and the line input leads be kept as short as possible.
44/50: Installation and Operation Manual 11
31 Technical Specifications
Line inputs
Frequency Response
Distortion <0.05% 20Hz -20kHz
Sensitivity 195mV (-12dBu) to 2.0V (+8dBu)
Input Gain Control 20dB range
Input Impedance
Headroom >20dB
Noise -90dB A weighted (0dB gain)
Equalisation
20Hz-20kHz ±0.5dB
47kΩ
HF: ±10dB/10kHz LF: ±10dB/50Hz
Microphone Inputs
Frequency Response
Distortion <0.05% 20Hz-20kHz
Gain Range 0dB-60dB
Input Impedance
Common mode rejection >70dB 1kHz
Headroom >20dB
Noise
Equalisation
100Hz / -3dB(filter) 20kHz ±0.5dB
>2kΩ (balanced)
-128dB EIN 22Hz-22kHz (150Ω)
HF: ±10dB/5kHz LF: ±10dB/100Hz
Outputs
Auxiliary Outputs 775mV (0dBu) unbalanced (RCA phono sockets)
Speaker Outputs
100V line output
70V line output
Protection VI Limiting, DC Offset, Thermal & switch-on delay
Cooling Three speed DC fan
50 watts rms/4Ω 35watts rms/8Ω via binding posts
100 volts balanced – 250Ω min load (optional module)
70 volts balanced – 125Ω min load (optional module)
32 General Specifications
Power input
Fuse rating 230V – T3.15A 115V – T6.3A
Fuse type 20mm x 5mm class 3T 250V
Dimensions 482.60mm x 88.00mm(2U) x 300.00mm deep (+ con)
Weight 6.25kg net
230V ±5% (115V ±5% available)
12 44/50: Installation and Operation Manual
This product conforms to the following European Standards
EN 50081-1:1992
EN 50082-1:1992
EN 60065:1994
:
Safety Considerations
THIS UNIT MUST BE EARTHED. ENSURE THAT THE MAINS POWER SUPPLY PROVIDES AN
EFFECTIVE EARTH CONNECTION USING A THREE WIRE TERMINATION.
Caution - Mains Fuse
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE, REPLACE THE MAINS FUSE ONLY WITH THE SAME TYPE AND
RATING, WHICH MUST BE A CLASS 3, 250V TIME DELAY TYPE, RATED AT 3.15A WHERE THE
MAINS INPUT VOLTAGE IS 230V. FOR A MAINS INPUT VOLTAGE OF 115V, THE FUSE SHOULD
BE RATED AT 6.3A.
THE FUSE BODY SIZE IS 20mm x 5mm.
CAUTION - SERVICING
THIS UNIT CONTAINS NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED
SERVICE PERSONNEL. DO NOT PERFORM SERVI CI NG UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO DO
SO.
WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NO T EXPO SE THIS UNIT TO RAIN OR
MOISTURE.
23/08/01
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