5/26
User’s Guide
6200 Digital
Voice Processor
To download the latest version of 6200 Designer, a Windows GUI
application interface for the 6200, go to: www.airtoolsaudio.com
The dominant remote powering system in use today is the phantom power system, which is compatible with both condenser and
non-condenser microphones (dynamics, ribbons, etc.). If your microphone’s specifications sheet claims that it requires phantom
power, the 6200 can power it. The technical requirements for operation and/or compatibility are:
1. The microphone must have a balanced, low-impedance output.
2. The balanced output must be floating with respect to ground. If there is a center tap, it must not be grounded.
In a nutshell, here are the do’s and don’ts of phantom powering:
DO: Verify that your microphone can be phantom powered (if it is a condenser mic).
Ensure that your microphone’s output is low impedance, balanced and floating. This is especially important for ribbon
mics.
Turn the phantom power off when connecting vintage ribbon microphones.
Mute your monitor speakers or headphones when turning the phantom power on or off. If you don’t, there will be a loud,
nasty pop.
Mute your monitor speakers or headphones whenever you plug in or unplug a phantom powered microphone. If you
don’t, there will be a loud, nasty pop.
DON’T: Plug in an A-B powered microphone without a suitable adapter.
Worry about your dynamic or ribbon microphones, as long as they are wired so that the output is balanced and floating.
Enable phantom power when connecting line-level sources, especially those that are transformerless.
Use the microphone input with unbalanced sources. Use a direct box to feed an unbalanced source into the microphone
input.
Worry about your tube condenser mics. They are compatible (although they cannot be phantom powered).
ENABLING PHANTOM POWER: If you have determined that the microphone connected to ANALOG IN - CHAN 1 requires
phantom power, you now need to enable it for that input:
1. Press the HOME button to ensure that we are starting from the top.
2. Press the NEXT button once.
3. Turn the ADJUST knob clockwise until the display reads “Section to Edit, - Setup Menu -”.
4. Press the NEXT button once.
5. Turn the ADJUST knob clockwise until the display reads “- Setup Menu -, -- Channel 1 Input --”.
6. Press the NEXT button three times and the display should read “Channel 1 Phantom, Disabled”.
7. Turn the ADJUST knob clockwise until the display reads “Channel 1 Phantom, Enabled.”
8. Press the HOME button when finished.
9. Repeat for Channel 2 if necessary.
MIC PREAMP GAIN: Coarse preamp gain for each channel is set in each channel’s setup menu. Fine gain is set within each
channel’s program menu. Separating the gain settings like this allows for coarse gain (2 x line level settings and 2 x mic level
settings) to be set as a global parameter corresponding to the physical device(s) connected to the 6200’s input(s). The coarse
gain setting is not stored in the preset programs. The fine gain setting is associated with its individual channel and is stored in
the preset programs. This allows one to set up the fine gains which match specific users.
The 6200 offers 91.5 dB of overall gain (60 dB coarse gain plus 31.5 dB fine gain). Any mic output level is easy to accommodate
with the 6200, regardless if it is the -60 dBV to -80 dBV levels common with ribbon mics or the near line level (-10 dBV to +4
dBu) often delivered by transformerless condenser mics. Input signals as high as +24 dBu can by handled by the 6200.
Both source level and preamp gain are directly related to the noise floor, as well as to headroom at the output. The key to using
the 6200 at its optimum performance level is to:
1. Use the maximum allowable source level.
2. Use only as much gain as necessary.
The combination of the highest possible input levels with the lowest possible gain always results in minimum noise and
maximum headroom. Remember, the best operating position for a gain control is the minimum gain that delivers the required
output level.
Basic Setup... continued
To Next Page
Loading...