Alesis ADAT-XT manual About Audio Cables, Line Conditioners and Protectors

Setting Up: Chapter 1

LINE CONDITIONERS AND PROTECTORS

Although the XT is designed to tolerate typical voltage variations, in today’s world the voltage coming from the AC line may contain spikes or transients that can possibly stress your gear and, over time, cause a failure. There are three main ways to protect against this, listed in ascending order of cost and complexity:

•Line spike/surge protectors. Relatively inexpensive, these are designed to protect against strong surges and spikes, acting somewhat like fuses in that they need to be replaced if they’ve been hit by an extremely strong spike.

•Line filters. These generally combine spike/surge protection with filters that remove some line noise (dimmer hash, transients from other appliances, etc.).

•Uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This is the most sophisticated option. A UPS provides power even if the AC power line fails completely. Intended for computer applications, a UPS allows you to complete an orderly shutdown of a computer system in the event of a power outage, and the isolation it provides from the power line minimizes all forms of interference—spikes, noise, etc.

ABOUT AUDIO CABLES

The connections between the XT and your studio are your music’s lifeline, so use only high quality cables. These should be low-capacitance shielded cables with a stranded (not solid) internal conductor and a low-resistance shield. Although quality cables cost more, they do make a difference. Route cables to the XT correctly by observing the following precautions:

•Do not bundle audio cables with AC power cords.

•Avoid running audio cables near sources of electromagnetic interference such as transformers, monitors, computers, etc.

•Do not place cables where they can be stepped on. Stepping on a cable may not cause immediate damage, but it can compress the insulation between the center conductor and shield (degrading performance) or reduce the cable’s reliability.

•Avoid twisting the cable or having it make sharp, right angle turns.

•Never unplug a cable by pulling on the wire itself. Always unplug by firmly grasping the body of the plug and pulling directly outward.

•Although Alesis does not endorse any specific product, chemicals such as Tweek and Cramolin, when applied to electrical connectors, are claimed to improve the electrical contact between connectors.

ADAT XT Reference Manual 9