Radial Engineering SixPack User's Guide

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Workhorse

™

SixPack

500 Series Rack

True to the Music

™

Radial Engineering Ltd.
1588 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam
British Columbia, Canada, V3C 5M5

tel: [phone] • fax: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

www.radialeng.com

User Guide

®

True to the Music

www.radialeng.com

IMPORTANT SAFETY & USER NOTICE

! !

Radial 500 series power racks are specically designed for use by
qualied professional audio engineers. The open frame design is not
intended for use by consumers or those unfamiliar with this format.
Even though the current and voltage levels are relatively low, we
recommend that all slots be lled with a module or covers be placed
over unlled slots. This will help protect you from electrical shock.

These power racks are designed to be used with 500 series modules
manufactured by Radial or others that follow the 500 series format.
Even though there is no formalized standard, Radial has endeavored
to take every step possible to ensure cross-brand compatibility. To this
end, Radial has produced a free PDF download called the Workhorse
Open Source Document (Whos.Doc) that outlines the mechanical
and electrical requirements for module designs. Manufacturers are
invited to consult this document in order to assist in assuring cross­platform compatibility with both current and older 500 series formats.
Users should also consult this document and ensure the module
being used follows the prescribed pin-out conguration.

The user should ensure that the module current requirements do
not exceed the available current provided by the power rack. It is
also important that when securing the module to the frame that the
retainer screws not be over tightened or cross threaded. This will
prevent damaging the treads and ensure a longer rack life.

Finally, hot swapping or exchanging modules when power is on
can shorten the life of the card-edge connector. Although Radial
has incorporated extra safety measures, hot swapping is not
recommended. Damage caused by hot swapping is not covered
under the Radial Limited Warranty. The user is responsible for any
damage to the racks or modules arising out of hot swapping and the
user shall save Radial Engineering Ltd. harmless should any damage
occur. Please consult the Radial Limited Warranty for further details.

FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY

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Radial Workhorse SixPack

500 Series Power Rack

Table of Contents Page

Feature set overview ....................................................................................................1

Introduction and basic functions ...................................................................................3

Feed and Link Functions ..............................................................................................4

D-sub and Omniport .....................................................................................................5

Power supply capacity ..................................................................................................6

Sliding modules in and out ...........................................................................................7

Signal ow and levels ..................................................................................................8

Basic XLR, TRS and D-sub connections ......................................................................9

Setting up a channel strip .............................................................................................10

Using the front inputs....................................................................................................11

D-sub channels 7 and 8................................................................................................11

Specications ...............................................................................................................12

Radial Limited Warranty ................................................................................Back Cover

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Radial Workhorse SixPack, an innovative
six slot power rack designed for the 500 series modular format. This guide describes how to
install modules safely and maximize the use of the SixPack features. We recommend that
you sit back, have a coffee and take a few minutes to read it to familiarize yourself with the
many innovative features that are built in.

To make this guide as easy to understand as possible, we have divided it into several sections.
It begins with an overview, then descriptions of each function, ending with some real world
applications. Should you nd yourself asking a question that is not addressed, we invite you
to view the SixPack FAQ page on our web site. This is where we post the latest hints and of
course questions from users. If you still do not nd what you are looking for, feel free to send an
email to [e-mail] and we will do our best to answer your question in short order.

FEATURE SET

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True to the Music

2 3 6

1. REMOVABLE HANDLE: Can be
mounted on the top or side. Makes
transporting the SixPack around the
studio more convenient.

2. 6 SLOT RACK: Compatible with Radial
and all other 500 series modules.

3. SOLID STEEL: ‘Road ready’ 14-gauge
steel construction for durability and
improved shielding against stray
magnectic elds.

4. DOUBLE-SIDED PCB: Military grade
circuit board with through-hole parts
soldered on both sides for durability. Full
ground plane to reduce noise.

5. SAFETY CIRCUITS: Protects the
SixPack and adjacent slots from shorts
if a faulty module is inserted.

6. POWER LED’s: Indicators provide
visual status for +/-16 volt rail voltage
and 48 volt phantom power.

7. XLR INPUTS 7 & 8: Convenient front
panel XLR inputs let you connect mics
and audio processors to modules 1 and
4 or route to channels 7 and 8 on the
D-sub output.

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8. 1600 MILLIAMP SUPPLY: Provides
265mA of average current per slot,
plenty to be shared between modules.
Perfect for high current tube devices!

9. GROUND LUG: Chassis grounding lug
for studios with sophisticated grounding
schemes.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

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SixPack™ Power Rack

True to the Music

CARD-SLOTS INPUTS & OUTPUTS

10. XLR INPUT/OUTPUT: XLR connectors are
durable glass-lled nylon and bolted to the
14-gauge steel panel for durability. Large
channel ID numbers on each slot make
patching quick & easy.

11. TRS INPUT/OUTPUT: Balanced ¼” TRS
jacks are wired in parallel with XLRs and
used to cross-patch modules.

12. D-SUB INPUT/OUTPUT: Eight channel
interface connects the module inputs and
outputs to your workstation. Uses industry
standard DB-25 pin-out for balanced audio.

13. OMNIPORT: ¼” TRS changes function
depending on the module installed, as
determined by the manufacturer.

14. LINK: Combines stereo-ready modules
together by sliding the LINK switch into the
up position.

15. FEED: Sends the output from one module to
the input of the next, eliminating the need for
patch cables.

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CHANNELS 7 & 8 FEATURE SET

16. FRONT XLR ASSIGN - 1/7 AND 4/8: Routes
the front panel XLR inputs to the D-sub
output or to card-slots 1 and 4.

17. MALE/FEMALE SWITCH (M/F): Routes the
front panel XLR inputs to either the male
XLR outputs or the D-sub output channels 7
and 8.

18. FEMALE XLR JACKS 7 & 8: Connects to
D-sub channels 7 and 8 at the DB25 output.
Used to send signal to a workstation via the
D-sub interface.

19. MALE XLR JACKS 7 & 8: The front panel
inputs for channels 7 and 8 can be routed
to these XLR outputs to conveniently patch
equipment from the rear panel.

20. TRS OUTPUTS 7 & 8: Balanced ¼” TRS
jacks are wired to the D-sub input channels
7 and 8. Used to receive signals originating
from your audio workstation.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

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SixPack™ Power Rack