the monitor mode
the record select mode
Operational Modes
The majority of time you spend with your Nº380 will be spent in the monitor mode. In this mode, the display indicates the name of the input you have se- lected and the listening volume (in decibels). The output control acts as a vol- ume knob, increasing or decreasing the volume in 0.1 dB increments above 39.0 (with gradually increasing increments below this low level). The input selection buttons select the source to be listened to at any point in time. In short, in the monitor mode, the Nº380 acts precisely as you would expect a preamplifier to act.
There are several refinements which may not be immediately apparent to the ca- sual user, however. When turned quickly by hand, the effect of the output control will accelerate (i.e., yield a greater change per revolution of the knob) so as to reach your preferred volume more quickly. Conversely, when the knob is turned slowly, the volume changes at maximum resolution to facilitate fine adjustments and precise level control (0.1 dB through most of the range).
However, if the volume knob is spun quickly (as though it were a flywheel), the rate of change will decrease again. This design helps avoid accidental bumps of the preamplifier’s Output Level knob sending potentially dangerous signal levels to your loudspeakers.
Lastly, the corresponding buttons on the remote control behave in a similar fash- ion when in the monitor mode. If the volume +/- buttons are held for more than approximately 1.5 seconds, the Nº380 infers that you would like to change volume more quickly and accelerates the volume change.
While in the monitor mode, the input selector buttons choose the source which will be heard over the loudspeakers.
When you wish to send a signal out to be recorded, push the mode button once to enter the record select mode. In this mode, the display indicates “RECD” on the left side and the name of the input currently being supplied to the Record Outputs on the right. An example is given below:
To select a different input for recording, simply press the appropriate Input Selec- tion button while in this mode. Note that the Nº380 will not allow a recording device to serve as its own source while monitoring itself, as this would allow po- tentially dangerous feedback to be reproduced by the loudspeakers. (See “pro- gramming input names” for more details.)
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