Samson dB500a manual Optimax Limiter, MIC XLR Input, Line Combo Balanced Input

Operating the dB500a

Controls and Functions - continued

7LOW FILTER

The dB500a also incorporates a Low-cut
FILTER which when engaged will roll off		SAMSON
the low frequency response of the cabinet
beginning at 80Hz. The low cut FILTER is							4	4	4	4
two pole, which means that the low fre-				AMP / CLIP			8	8 8		8
quency roll off will gradually cut more and		0	10		0	10	12	12	12	12
more of the low frequencies (12dB per		MIC LEVEL		PROTECTION	LINE LEVEL			EQUALIZER
							LOW 100Hz		HIGH 10KHz
octave). When you press the FILTER							7		8	9
switch in, the green LED will illuminate
indicating that the Low-cut FILTER is
engaged.		P E A K
8	OUTPUT SWITCH	MIC INPUT		LINE OUTPUT	LINE INPUT
			10	11		12

The Output switch is used to select the signal that is sent to the Line Output. You

can have either a parallel output directly from the Line input, or a mixed signal including the Mic and line inputs plus the EQ and limiter. When the switch is in the up position, the signal on the Line Output is exactly the same as the signal on the Line Input. When the switch is in the down position the Line Output carries the MIX of the Mic and Line Inputs. If the Level con- trols, High and Low Equalizer and Filter are used, they will also effect the signal sent to the Line Output.

9Optimax LIMITER

In order to keep the sound loud and clean, the dB500a incorporates Optimax multi-band Limiting. The Optimax Limiter divides the frequency range into separate parts so they can independently react to the limiting circuit. This ensures that the high energy for the low frequency of a bass drum doesn’t cause the vocals to be over compressed. When you press the LIM- ITER switch in, the red LED will illuminate indicating that the Optimax dynamics processing is engaged.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless you are using an external limiter, it is highly recommended that the LIMITER switch be engaged at all times. This will ensure the cleanest possible output, and will protect your speaker system when it accidentally receives a clipped signal from your mixer.

Input and Output Connectors

10MIC XLR Input

The dB500a’s microphone input accepts a standard low impedance (150-600 Ohms) input and the connection is made via a standard female XLR connector. The microphone input features a high quality, discrete transistor pre-amp providing trans- parency and extended dynamic range. The MIC input can work simultaneously with the LINE input so it is possible to use a microphone while playing alone with a keyboard that is plugged into the dB500a’s LINE input. You can control the micro- phone input by using the MIC LEVEL control as described in the section below.

11LINE OUTPUT

You can run several monitors by using the LINE OUTPUT to daisy-chain one dB500a to another. The LINE OUTPUT is a balanced output that, depending on the position of the OUTPUT switch,will have either a direct parallel output of the LIne input, or the Mix of the Line and Mic input. For more information on the Output switch, see section 8 above. For more infor- mation on cables and wiring, see page 14 of this manual for a detailed wiring diagrams.

12LINE Combo Balanced Input

For added convenience, the dB500a employs a Combo connector that accepts a standard XLR mic cable for balanced line level signals, or a standard 1/4" instrument cable for either balanced (TRS – TIP/RING/SLEEVE) or unbalanced (TS – TIP/SLEEVE) line level signals. The LINE input can work simultaneously with the Mic input so it is possible to use a micro- phone while playing alone with a keyboard that is plugged into the dB500a’s LINE input. You can control the LINE input by using the LINE LEVEL control as described in the previous page. For more information on cable and wiring, see page 14 of this manual for a detailed wiring diagrams

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