PERFORMER
Owner/User Manual MTS Performer rev. 01
Quick Start Guide: cont.
OK, we are now up and running with good signals set to give low noise, and safe
headroom. When you are using this device in a networked system, check that
the Dante output is passing signal to the network. To use the Line Level Return
from the Dante ‘network assign/address the Performer as needed. When you
have an audio signal returning from the Network, the “Return Sig Present” LED
will fire. This is useful, since it indicates there are audio signals on the return and
not just a connection.
Di-Box: What does it do?
What is a Di-Box? Firstly D.I. stands for “Direct Injection”. Why? Traditionally all
instruments just did their thing acoustically. The public started demanding big
bigger bands and louder music for the large dance halls of the day, the weakest
‘instrument’ was typically the human voice, so Public Address Systems were
used. P.A.Systems were by definition, for speech only bandwidth and quality, i.e.
not much warmth and low frequency ability. A similar story existed with Jazz
bands. To hear the arch-top Gibson and D’Angelico guitars, in the bigger
venues, someone converted a Zenith radio console and added first a mic’ then
later a pickup to a guitar. Thus the “instrument amp” was invented and magically
the guitar had a chance to keep up with a reed and horn sections. But wait, now
the Double Bass - ‘bull fiddle’ needs help to keep up with the guitar, so bass
guitars and amps were developed. Ever tried carrying a ‘bull-fiddle’ around on a
tour bus, that alone was enough incentive to develop the P-bass or J-bass! Les
Paul’s Les Paul and Leo Fender’s Broadcaster ‘electric’ guitars were solid body
evolutions from the resonant box, feedback prone, acoustic instruments. These
too more and more demanded a specialized guitar amplifier. Moving on a
couple of decades, as the PA, public address systems had become bigger and
more capable, again instruments weren’t loud enough directly off the stage, or
didn’t cover the whole audience. So, sound engineers used microphones to
bring the guitars etc., to the main P.A., system. Which with their significantly
increased low frequency capabilities were being called “Sound Reinforcement”
Systems, after all, we were not really ‘addressing’ the public any more, we were
amplifying – reinforcing everything in the band to fill bigger and bigger
rock-n-roll venues. Next, depending on the microphone, position etc., musicians
often complained that their instruments didn’t sound right or as good through
the PA/SR System. So a bright guy thought! I know, I’ll make a box to plug the
instrument cable into and then connect that directly to the mixer! Which is how
we get the words “Direct Injection”. Ideally a Di-Box will take the signal going
to the amp’ without compromising it’s quality, possibly bring it up to line level
and present the signal for use in the rest of the system. Ground Lifts, isolation
transformers, gain stages, differential balanced outputs, etc. were developed to
keep things as clean and high quality as possible.
Page 4
