Owners Manual
6
Operating the MPA-201
IMPORTANT NOTE: WhenyouplugacablethefrontpanelINST/
LINE the MIC input is switched off, so unplug the cable when you go
back to using mic inputs.
Connecting the MPA-201 to Your DAW or Mixer
NextconnecttheCHANNEL1andCHANNEL2MICOUTPUTSto
your audio interface or mixer inputs. e MPA-201 outputs a line level,
balancedsignalsoyoucanuseastandardXLRtoXLRcableorXLR
to¼-inchTRS(TipRingSleeve)jack(oftenincorrectlyreferredtoas
stereo) cable to connect to your mixer or audio interface’s line level
inputs.YoucansendanunbalancedsignalusinganXLRto¼-inchTR
jack (often incorrectly referred to as mono), but we recommend using
a balanced connection whenever possible. is can help keep the signal
cleanerandquieterbytakingadvantageoftheCMR(CommonMode
Rejection)providedbythebalancedsignaltoreduceinducedhumfrom
other gear.
Using the GAIN and OUTPUT Controls to Set a Good Signal Level
Now that you have made your connections you can begin to get your
micorinstrument“gainstaged”togetthebestresults.eMPA-201’s
GAIN control provides up to 70dB of gain, making it compatible with
many sources. In order to help you set a good input level using the
GAIN control the MPA-201 has two meters to display the level of your
source. e PEAK meter has very fast ballistics so it is used to monitor
the leading edge or transients of the signal, while the VU meter works
to show the average level of the signal. If you are recording to a digital
format you want to take caution to insure that the PEAK meter never
hitsthered+18dBLED,sincethisisnormallywheredigitalclipping
occurs.CheckthattheMETERswitchisuptomonitortheINPUT
level.TurntheGAINcontrolknobupuntilyoureadabout0ontheVU
meter.Next,presstheMETERswitchdowntoselecttheOUTanduse
theOUTPUTlevelcontroltosendtoyourmixerorDAW.Besureto
check your mixer’s input level Peak meter or the graphical input fader
on DAW and set a hot level without clipping. Again, if you are recording
to a digital format you want to take caution to insure that the PEAK
meterneverhitsthered+18dBLED.