Studio Technologies 205 Users Manual
Model 205 Announcer’s Console
User Guide
Issue 2, October 2018
This User Guide is applicable for serial numbers
M205-00151 and later with application firmware 1.2 and later
Copyright © 2018 by Studio Technologies, Inc., all rights reserved
www.studio-tech.com
50641-1018, Issue 2
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ANNOUNCER’S CONSOLE
MODEL 205
Table of Contents
Revision History ........................................................... 4
Introduction ................................................................... 5
Getting Started ............................................................. 10
Operation ...................................................................... 19
Technical Notes ............................................................ 24
Specifications ............................................................... 28
Appendix A: Model 205 Block Diagram ........................ 29
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Revision History
Issue 2, October 2018:
• Documents addition of the Push to Mute/Tap to Latch main button operating mode.
Issue 1, April 2018:
• Initial release.
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Introduction
The Model 205 Announcer’s Console
offers a unique combination of analog and
digital audio resources for use in broadcast
sports, eSports, live event, entertainment,
and streaming broadcast applications.
The unit is housed in a compact, rugged
steel enclosure that’s intended for tabletop use. Calling the Model 205 “cute” or
“cool” would be accurate; its nicely proportioned but diminutive size makes it ideal
for use in space-constrained locations.
The Model 205 supports Dante® audioover-Ethernet digital media technology
with AES67 compatibility for integration
into contemporary applications. The unit is
extremely simple to deploy, is “pro” quality
throughout, and provides an intuitive user
experience. The Model 205’s audio quality
is excellent, with low distortion, low noise,
and ample headroom. Careful circuit
design and rugged components ensure
long, reliable operation.
of many applications. STcontroller, com
patible with version 7 and later of the
Windows® operating system, is a fast and
simple means of confirming and revising
the unit’s operating parameters.
-
Applications
The Model 205 on its own can provide an
“all-Dante” solution for one on-air talent
location. A wide range of applications can
be supported, including sports and entertainment TV and radio events, streaming
broadcasts, corporate and government AV
installations, and post-production facilities.
The unit’s small size makes it ideal for livesports applications, such as basketball,
where physical space for personnel is very
limited. Four Dante receiver (audio input)
channels supply the user with their talent
cue (IFB) signals. Should the cue signal
The Model 205 integrates directly into both
Dante audio-over-Ethernet and standard
analog audio environments. With just a
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection, a
microphone, and a pair of headphones or
an earpiece, a complete broadcast on-air
position can be created. And by using the
Model 205’s microphone output a direct
connection to an analog microphone-level
input on an associated camera, remote I/O
interface, or audio console can be supported. Two remote control inputs allow external switches or contact closures to activate
the main and/or talkback button functions.
Model 205 operating features are configured using the STcontroller personal
computer software application. An extensive set of parameters allows the unit’s
functions to be tailored to meet the needs
Figure 1. Model 205 Announcer’s Console front
and rear views
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be “mix-minus” an integrated sidetone
function can provide the user with a microphone confidence signal. Three Dante
audio output channels, one designated as
main and two as talkback, are routed via
an associated local-area network (LAN) to
inputs on Dante-compatible devices. Three
pushbutton switches, main and two talkback, provide the user with direct control
over audio routing. The audio switching
is performed in the digital domain and is
virtually “click-free.”
By providing the main audio signal in two
forms, Dante digital audio and analog
microphone level, the Model 205 makes
integration into a wide range of on-air environments easy to accomplish. And with
the two talkback audio channels available
as Dante output channels, routing to inputs
on a variety of devices, such as matrix
intercom systems, audio consoles, and
monitor loudspeaker systems, is simple
and flexible.
Some applications may benefit from not
utilizing the Model 205’s Dante main output channel. This typically won’t be an issue of inadequate audio quality but rather
a need to match work-flow requirements.
For example, for lip-sync or transmission
purposes it may be optimal to have the
on-air audio transported as an embedded
signal along with the associated camera
video. Alternately, all on-air audio sources
may need to connect to inputs on an audio
console or console-related I/O unit. Supporting these scenarios is not a problem
as the Model 205 supplies a microphone
output connection that’s specifically intended for this purpose. Simply connect the
unit’s microphone output connection to the
desired analog input, such as the mic/line
input on an ENG-style camera—that’s it!
The circuitry associated with the Model
205’s analog microphone output is very
simple, essentially a passive path that
routes a signal connected to the microphone input connector directly to the
microphone output connector. A solid-state
circuit, in series with the mic in-to-mic out
path, allows muting of the signal on the
microphone output connector whenever
the Dante main output channel is muted.
Having both the Dante main output and the
microphone outputs work in tandem can
be a valuable resource, allowing one to
serve as the primary on-air signal source
while the other serves as the backup.
Setup and Operation
Set up, configuration, and operation of
the Model 205 is simple. An etherCON®
RJ45 jack is used to interconnect with a
standard twisted-pair Ethernet port associated with a PoE-enabled network switch.
This connection provides both power and
bidirectional digital audio. A broadcast
headset or handheld (“stick”) microphone
can be directly connected to the unit’s
3-pin XLR mic input connector. The input
is compatible with dynamic or condenser
microphones. The integrated P48 phantom power source provides support for a
wide range of condenser microphones.
A 3-pin XLR microphone output connector provides a “direct mic out” function
for integration with microphone inputs on
related devices. Stereo headphones, the
headphone connections from a stereo or
monaural headset, or even a monaural
earpiece can be connected to the phones
output jack. External switches or contact
closures can be connected to the Model
205’s remote control inputs to allow activation of button functions. The STcontroller
software application is used to configure
the wide range of Model 205 operating
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parameters. This allows the unit’s performance to be optimized to meet the needs
of specific applications.
The user is presented with three pushbutton switches and three push-in/pushout rotary level potentiometers. This
makes it easy to control the status of
the main and talkback outputs as well
as adjusting the signals that are sent to
the headphone channels.
Ethernet Data and PoE
The Model 205 connects to a local area
network (LAN) by way of a standard
100 Mb/s twisted-pair Ethernet interface.
The physical 100BASE-TX interconnection
is made by way of a Neutrik® etherCON
RJ45 connector. While compatible with
standard RJ45 plugs, etherCON allows a
ruggedized and locking interconnection for
harsh or high-reliability environments.
The Model 205’s operating power is provided by way of the Ethernet interface
using the 802.3af Power-over-Ethernet
(PoE) standard. This allows fast and efficient interconnection with the associated
data network. To support PoE power management, the Model 205’s PoE interface
enumerates (reports) to the power sourcing equipment (PSE) that it’s a class 2 (low
power) device. If a PoE-enabled Ethernet
port can’t be provided by the associated
Ethernet switch a low-cost PoE midspan
power injector can be utilized.
Dante Audio-over-Ethernet
Audio data is sent to and received from
the Model 205 using the Dante audio-overEthernet media networking technology. As
a Dante-compliant device, the Model 205’s
three Dante transmitter (audio output)
channels and four Dante receiver (audio
input) channels can be assigned (routed
or “subscribed”) to other devices using the
Dante Controller software application. The
Dante transmitter and receiver channels
are limited to supporting four Dante flows,
two in each direction. The digital audio’s
bit depth is up to 24 with a sampling rate of
44.1 or 48 kHz. Two bi-color LEDs provide
an indication of the Dante connection status. An additional LED displays the status
of the associated Ethernet connection.
The Model 205 is compatible with the
AES67 interoperability standard. In this
mode the three transmitter (output) channels will function in multicast; unicast is not
supported. In addition, the unit is compatible with the Dante Domain Manager™
(DDM) software application.
Audio Quality
The Model 205’s audio performance is
completely “pro.” A low-noise, wide dynamic-range microphone preamplifier and
associated voltage-controlled-amplifier
(VCA) dynamics controller (compressor)
ensures that mic input audio quality is
preserved while minimizing the chance of
signal overload. The output of the microphone preamp and compressor is routed
to an analog-to-digital conversion (ADC)
section that supports sampling rates of
44.1 and 48 kHz with a bit depth of up to
24. The audio signal, now in the digital domain, routes through a 32-bit microprocessor and on to the Dante interface section
where it is packetized and prepared for
transport over Ethernet.
Audio input signals arrive via the four
Dante receiver channels and pass into the
Model 205’s microprocessor. The supported sampling rates are 44.1 and 48 kHz
with a bit depth of up to 24. Channel routing, headphone level control, and sidetone
creation are performed within the digital
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domain. This provides flexibility, allows
precise control, and keeps the three level
potentiometers from having to directly
handle analog audio signals. The audio
channels destined for the phones outputs
are sent to a high-performance digital-toanalog converter and then on to robust
driver circuitry. High signal levels can be
provided to a variety of headsets, headphones, and earpieces.
Configuration Flexibility
The Model 205 can be configured to meet
the needs of specific applications and user
preferences. All configuration choices are
performed using the STcontroller personal
computer software application which is
compatible with version 7 and later of the
Windows operating systems. There are no
mechanical switch settings or button-press
sequences required to configure how the
unit functions. Selectable parameters
include microphone preamplifier gain, P48
phantom power on/off, button operation,
remote control inputs, headphone output
mode, sidetone operation, and overall unit
operation. The gain of the microphone
preamplifier can be selected from among
four choices. This allows the Model 205
to match the output sensitivity of a range
of handheld and headset-associated
microphones. A low-noise source of P48
phantom power can be enabled if required
to support condenser (capacitor) microphones.
The main and talkback pushbutton switches can be individually configured. The
main button can be selected to operate
from among five modes while the talkback buttons can be selected from among
three. These choices allow the Model
205’s operation to be tailored to meet the
specific needs of many applications. As an
example, for on-air sports applications the
main button would typically be configured
to provide a push to mute (cough) function.
The microphone signal on the Dante main
output channel and the microphone output
connector would remain active unless the
talent needs to momentarily disable it. The
talkback buttons would most likely be set
to their push to talk modes as their use
would be intermittent.
The Model 205 provides two remote control inputs. Configuration choices allow
these to be assigned to work in parallel
with the main, talkback 1, or talkback 2
pushbutton switches. In this way activation of a remote control input will emulate
a user pressing its associated pushbutton
switch.
The audio sources and the way in which
they are assigned to the headphone output
channels can be configured from among
five choices. These unique choices allow
almost any required headphone monitoring situation to be implemented. Whether
for use in on-air sports, an awards show
broadcast, or as a production support tool,
the Model 205 should be able to achieve
the desired configuration.
Following the mode number is an abbreviated description of what signal or signals
are assigned to the three potentiometers
(pots) and on to the two headphone output
channels. The potentiometers are labeled
A, B, and C, as can be seen in Figure 1
of this guide. The format would equate to
Mode x – pot A/pot B/pot C where x equals
the mode number.
• Mode 1 – Ch1L/Ch2R/SidetoneLR:
Provided for broadcast applications
where two monaural channels of talent cueing audio (“IFB”) need to be
independently sent to the left and right
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headphone output channels. It would be
common for program audio with director
interrupt to enter the Model 205 by way
of Dante input (receiver) channel 1 and
be sent to the left headphone output.
Program-only audio, entering the unit by
way of Dante input channel 2, would be
sent to the right headphone output. Pots
A and B are used to adjust the level of
those signals. Pot C is used for the sidetone function where microphone audio is
sent to both the left and right channels of
the headphone output.
• Mode 2 – Ch1LCh2R/BalanceLR/
SidetoneLR: Intended for applications
where a stereo signal enters the Model
205 by way of Dante inputs 1 and 2 and
is routed in stereo to the left and right
channels of the headphone output. In
this mode pot A controls the overall level
of this stereo signal and pot B controls
its left/right level balance. Pot C is used
by the sidetone function.
• Mode 3 – Ch1LCh2R/Ch3LCh4R/
SidetoneLR: Allows two stereo signals
to be routed as stereo pairs to the two
headphone output channels. In this
mode pot A adjusts the level of the
stereo pair entering the unit by way of
Dante inputs 1 and 2 while pot B adjusts
the level of the stereo pair entering on
Dante inputs 3 and 4. Pot C is used by
the sidetone function.
• Mode 4 – Ch1L/Ch2R/Ch3LCh4R:
Allows two monaural input signals to
be independently routed to the left and
right headphone output channels. These
audio signals would enter the Model 205
by way of Dante input channels 1 and 2.
Pots A and B are used to control the
levels of the signals as they are sent
to the left and right headphone output
channels. A stereo input signal, entering
the unit by way of Dante inputs 3 and
4, are routed to the left and right headphone outputs. This stereo pair has its
level controlled by pot C.
• Mode 5 – Ch1LR/Ch2LR/Ch3LCh4R:
Allows two monaural input audio channels to be sent to both the left and right
headphone output channels. Dante
inputs 1 and 2 are used to bring these
audio signals into the Model 205. Pots
A and B are used to control the level of
the signals as they are sent to the headphone output channels. Pot C is used to
control the level of a stereo input signal
as it is routed to the left and right channels of the headphone output. This stereo pair enters the unit by way of Dante
inputs 3 and 4.
The integrated sidetone function can be
configured to operate from among four
choices. This allows audio associated with
the microphone input and microphone
preamplifier to be returned to the headphone output. This is important as different
applications may provide a “full mix” or a
“mix-minus” talent cue signal. If a full mix
cue signal is provided then sidetone audio
will not be needed and the function can be
disabled. In the case where a mix-minus
signal is present, providing the user with
sidetone at the appropriate time(s) can
be an important means of confirming the
signal that’s coming from the connected
microphone.
The headphone gain range configuration helps to provide an optimized audio
level to Model 205 users. The appropriate
setting will depend on the specific audio
sources provided to the unit as well as
user preference.
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