Specifications

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complex dynamic waveforms such as pianos etc. This type of meter will therefore greatly assist
the engineer when it comes to avoiding distortion during recording. However, when used on less
complex waveforms generated by for example, an electric guitar, it is possible to under record the
instrument using a bargraph display as they will sometimes react too much to the peak amplitudes
of the signal and not the average amplitude. They will however, generally result in a better use
of the available dynamic range of the recording medium. An analogue meter such as the conven-
tional V.U. meter also fitted to the Series ATB console, responds mostly to the average level of the
programme, so can therefore be considered more useful when recording instruments such as an
electric guitar. The combination of electronic bargraph and analogue metering therefore provides
the user with the best of both worlds.
A headphone jack with a high quality stereo amplifier is provided so that if the engineer wishes to
monitor the console only on headphones, they can be connected to the jack socket at the top of
the master section. A separate stereo volume control is provided so that the level of the head-
phones can be adjusted independently.
A stereo master level control is also provided so that the volume of the AFL/PFL system can be
adjusted in the control room monitor speakers.
The final facility provided by the master section is the ability to monitor any one of three stereo
playback devices. ‘2TK 1 RET’ and ‘2TK 2 RET’ are conventional analogue connections located on
the rear of the submaster section so that the playback of a stereo device such as a cd player or
output of a computer sound card can be selected to the control room monitor speakers. ‘2TK DIG
RET’ is provided for use when the optional digital I/O card is connected. This routes the converted
analogue output of a digital playback device connected through the I/O card onto the control room
monitor speakers. The bargraph displays will meter the playback level and, when any of the three
buttons are depressed, it is no longer possible to listen to the master stereo output from the con-
sole. This is to make sure that when listening to an important final mix, nothing else will be moni-
tored. The signal will however still appear at the balanced master output jacks at the rear of the
master section and will also be controlled by the stereo master fader.
By selecting the appropriate pushbutton, it is therefore possible to listen to a stereo mix after it
has been recorded, providing an easy A/B comparison method.
Reference to the Master Section signal flow diagram will help to give a better understanding of the
way in which the signal is routed.
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MASTER SECTION
MASTER SECTION General Description
The Master section of the ATB console contains all of the con-
trols that affect the overall functionality of the console.
An accurately matched 100mm stereo fader controls the level of
the master stereo balanced outputs.
A comprehensive talkback system is provided which incorpo-
rates a high quality electret microphone and amplifier with a
continuously variable level control. The signal can be routed to
either the 8 subgroups and master left/right outputs for ‘slate’
announcements (so that the title of a song can be recorded at
the beginning), or to the auxiliary sends so that the engineer can
communicate with the musicians when they are in a separate
room. When the ‘TALK TO GROUPS’ button is used, the monitor
signal is dimmed by 25db to avoid feedback in the control moni-
tor speakers.
Above the talkback section is the master monitor level control for
the control room speakers. This is a very important control as
without this turned up, it will not be possible to hear any signal
on the control room monitor speakers. Coupled with this control
is a ‘MONO’ pushbutton which combines the left/right moni-
tor signals so that it is possible to check mono compatability. It
should be noted that the mono facility is purely a monitor func-
tion and does not affect the main stereo left/right output which
remains as a true stereo image. A very useful further facility in
this section is the provision of an ‘ALT MONITOR’ pushbutton
which routes the monitor signal to a second set of output jacks
on the rear of the master section so that an alternative monitor
system can be set up. This makes it possible to listen to the sig-
nal on (for example), a different set of monitor speakers so that
comparisons can be made.
A pair of very accurate 12 segment bargraph meters indicate the
signal being sent from the master left/right stereo outputs. As an
extremely useful additional feature to these electronic meters, a
pair of conventional moving coil VU meters are provided which
read in parallel with the bargraph meters. This makes it possible
to compare the signal measured on the two different types of
meters. By their nature, bargraph meters such as the ones fit-
ted to to the Series ATB console, respond very quickly to signal
peak and therefore are useful when used on instruments with
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