Rotel RC-1580 owner manual Signal Connections, Speakers

	RMB-1512 Twelve Channel Power Amplifier
8

12V Trigger Input 9

An input jack for connecting the wires carrying a +12 volt trigger signal from a Rotel preamp or surround sound processor to turn the amplifiier on and off. To use this feature the adjacent slide switch must be placed to the left position (see previous section).

The TRIGGER INPUT accepts any control signal (AC or DC) ranging from 3 volts to 30 volts. Use a cable with mono 3.5 mm mini-plugs on both ends. The +12V DC signal appears at the “tip” connector.

12V Trigger Output 9

The 12V TRIG jack labeled OUT is used to pass the remote turn-on signal to a second Rotel amplifiier. Any 12V Trigger signal at the INPUT jack will be passed through to the OUT jack.

Protection Indicators 2

A thermal protection circuit protects the amplifiier against potential damage in the event of extreme or faulty operating conditions. Unlike many designs, the RMB-1512’s protection circuit is independent of the audio signal and has no impact on sonic performance. Instead, the protection circuit monitors the temperature of the output devices and shuts down the amplifiier if temperatures exceed safe limits.

In addition, the RMB-1512 includes overcurrent protection which operates only when load impedance drops too low.

Should a faulty condition arise, the amplifiier will stop playing and one or more of the PROTECTION LEDS on the front panel will light. If this happens, turn the amplifiier off, let it cool down for several minutes, and attempt to identify and correct the problem. There are independent PROTECTION LEDS for each pair of channels which may help in troubleshooting the cause of the problem. When you turn the amplifiier back on, the protection circuit will automatically reset and the PROTECTION LEDS should go out.

In most cases, the protection circuitry activates because of a fault condition such as shorted speaker wires, or inadequate ventilation causing an overheating condition. In very rare cases, highly reactive or extremely low impedance speaker loads could cause the protection circuit to engage.

Note: The protection LED also light when the 12V Trigger system is being used and the amplifier is in Standby mode.

Signal Connections

The RMB-1512 provides standard conventional input connections

—unbalanced RCA type connections as found on nearly all audio equipment.

In addition to the six groups of stereo inputs labeled INPUT 1 to INPUT 6, there is a pair of inputs labeled LINK IN. There is also a pair of SIGNAL OUTPUT LINK connections for passing the input signal connected to the LINK IN pair of inputs on to another audio component.

Additionally, the input signal to the LINK IN connectors can be automatically linked to the inputs for any of the channel INPUTS 1-6, so that a separate input signal cable is not required for those channels,

for example in large systems where the RMB-1512 is being used to drive multiple pairs of speakers.

RCA Inputs 4

See figure 2

are two RCA inputs for each of the six pair of amplifiier channels. These RCA inputs accept audio signals from preamplifiiers or surround sound processors. Use high quality audio interconnect cables for best performance.

For each pair of amplifiier channels, connect the left channel output of your preamp to the LEFT INPUT on the RMB-1512. Connect the right channel of your preamp to the RIGHT INPUT. Make sure that the input slide switch to the right of the RCA inputs is in the STEREO position.

Linking the Inputs 4

You can link the inputs for any of the group 1–6 inputs by moving the input slide switch below each pair of RCA inputs to the LINK position. When linked, no input connection is required for that group. The input signal from the LINK IN connections is sent to the linked pair of channels, allowing you to use up to twelve amplifiier channels with the same stereo input signals.

Mono Switch 4

For the groups INPUT 1 and INPUT 2, when the input slide switch is moved to the MONO position, the left and/or right channel input is provided to both speakers as a mono signal.

Input Level Controls 3

Six controls on the front panel, one for each pair of channels, provide input level adjustments. These allow you to adjust the gain of the amplifiier to match other components in the system. The INPUT 1 level control changes the gain of the INPUT 1 channels; the INPUT 2 level control changes the INPUT 2 channels and so on. To adjust these controls, use a small, fllatblade screwdriver. Turn the control clockwise to increase gain. Turn counterclockwise to reduce gain.

Signal Output Link 6

This pair of RCA connections can be used to pass unprocessed input signals to another audio component, for example to “daisy-chain” an additional amplifiier to drive an additional set of speakers. The input signals connected to the LINK IN connectors is available at these LINK OUT outputs. This is typically used when the amplifiier is part of a multi- room system.

Note: The input signals from the LINK IN inputs can also be linked to any of the INPUT 1-6 inputs by moving the INPUT SELECT switch associated with that pair of channels to the LINK position.

Speakers

See Figure 2

The RMB-1512 has six groups of speaker connectors, one for each pair of amplifiier channels. The twelve channels may be used in many different confiigurations. The Hook-up Illustration, Figure 2, shows just one example, with the connections for a typical six-speaker system. Here, the remaining six channels are still available to power up to six further speakers as required, whether these are additions to the main system or independent of it.