Specifications

Benefits of a Digital Sound System
The V-Mixing System from RSS has been
designed to improve sound quality,
reduce configuration complexity,
add breakthrough capabilities and
reduce costs - all while making the
job of mixing live sound easier.
A System Concept
The V-Mixing System uses REAC (Roland
Ethernet Audio Communication) to
connect all components with lightweight
and affordable Cat5e Ethernet cables.
The individual components in the
V-Mixing System are some of the best in
the industry on their own but they are
designed to work even better as part of a
system, communicating with each other
via REAC.
This system connection approach brings
superior sound quality, is easy to learn,
easy to use and brings all the powerful
benefits of a digital solution.
Superior Sound Quality
The V-Mixing System delivers superior
sound quality starting right at the source.
The RSS Digital Snake puts pristine Mic/
Line preamps on the stage, close to the
original sound source. Then the true
sound of the source is carried by REAC to
other parts of the V-Mixing System at a
full 24bit digital audio depth.
In a typical analog sound system audio
is sent over cables that are susceptible
to sound quality degradation including
loss of high frequencies. There is also
the possibility of ground loop hums and
other electronic interference that comes
from outside sources such as lighting
systems. The longer the run and the more
connections made, the higher the chance
of sound quality issues.
The digital audio signal sent by REAC
over Cat5e Ethernet cables avoids signal
quality losses, ground hum, or other
interference common on analog snake
connections.
The RSS V-Mixer has a complete set
of built-in effects processors, further
avoiding analog connections to other
outboard devices.
Sometimes sound sources need to be
split and sent to multiple locations
in addition to the Main speakers - to
monitors, to a recording system, to a
broadcast feed or to a webcast. In the
analog world this requires large, bulky
transformer-based splitters that are
expensive. By using a simple Ethernet
switch, REAC delivers the full digital
sound to all splits, including the REAC
Recording System, the RSS Personal
Mixing System or other monitor positions.
The result of all these benefits is a
noticeable improvement in sound quality
over other systems. That superior sound
quality can be heard at any output from
the system: on the main speakers, in
monitors, in recordings or in a broadcast
signal.
Easy to Use, Easy to Learn
Connecting all devices in an integrated
system makes the V-Mixing System
easier to use. Devices are automatically
recognized by the system and the
appropriate menus present themselves.
Dedicated knobs and buttons eliminate
any confusion when having to make quick
adjustments. Full recall makes sound more
consistent from week to week or from one
event to another. Factory libraries make
it easy to set EQ, compressors and other
dynamics for every channel.
A dedicated Help button on the V-Mixer
is ready to give you answers on each part
of the system. No other system brings all
this flexibility and power in an easy to use
manner.
Powerful Digital Benefits
One of the most exciting functions driving
sound operators to step up to digital
mixing is the ability to store and recall
settings. When you rehearse with a band,
simply store the settings from rehearsal
and recall them from digital memory for
the performance.
This valuable recall function is now
common on digital mixers, however, the
V-Mixing System extends digital recall
beyond just the mixer to the entire system
via REAC.
An RSS V-Mixer has an extensive array
of effects processors. Multiple racks
of outboard processing devices are
eliminated because ‒ the mixer has them
built right in. This reduces learning
complexity by putting all effects into
the same user interface as the mixer. It
also puts effects under reliable system-
wide recall as well as providing some
significant cost savings.
The REAC system delivers easy and
affordable multichannel recording ‒
simply connect a Cat5e cable from the
V-Mixer to the gigabit ethernet port on
a PC and capture up to 40 channels of
live audio at any event. Use Cakewalk's
SONAR recording software for full editing,
post-production, publishing and delivery
to DVD, CD or the web.
One CAT5e cable enables transmission of 80
channels (40 in / 40 out). Compare that to a single
analog multi-cable and you can appreciate the
ease of set up. The substantial savings on cable
and conduit costs alone is very attractive.
If you compare the long distance transmission of
signals with REAC versus analog cables, REAC can
transmit much greater quantities of data without a
significant loss of high end frequencies.
Analog multi-cable
■ Comparison of cable cross sections
CAT5e cable
CAT5e cable
(80 channel)
Analog
multi-cable
(32 channel)
Approx 5mm
Approx 20mm
Standard mic cable 100m
Why do you need a digital audio production system?
This handbook is intended to explain why people have turned to digital
audio solutions for live sound and to specifically show the system that
RSS by Roland delivers.
Part1
Roland Etherhet
Audio Communication
REAC transfers 40
Channels of Audio in
each direction at 24-bit
up to 96KHz including
control messages all
over a single Cat5e
Ethernet Cable or
Optical link.
2