edark Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Hi all, This is quite a complicated one to explain, so I hope I make some kinda sense to someone out there :( Here goes...I have a cloud 46/50 (integrated four zone mixer amplifier) with the added 100v module. Basically what I'm trying to achieve is to 'tap' into the four zones with an line input. If you are familiar with the cloud 46/50, you may know how/where I can tap into the PCB before each zone reaches the amp. There is a connection on the PCB for an optional Bose EQ module (the connection also doubles as a jumper to select 'not installed'). Is there a way of 'mixing' in a line level here?!? :( Or...Is there a way of adding a normal line level signal into an existing 100v line without another 100v amp? I'm sure your wondering why. well basically I have an automated voice system which I want to tie into the paging system and be able to do automated announcements over the 100v line to any of the four zones. I don't want to go thru the inputs on the mixer/amp as I need them for music sources such as cd player and tuner, and also I want to be able to be playing a music source while doing the automated announcement. Any help would be greatly appreciated! cheersEd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robloxley Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 A small & cheap mixer (e.g. one of the little Behringers) sounds like it would solve your problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edark Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 I have thought about that as an option. Thing is, I have a pc with 4 channel sound card, I want to use that to send audio to the four different 100v zones but without using up the audio inputs on the mixer/amp.Cant see how a small mixer will be able to do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I have thought about that as an option. Thing is, I have a pc with 4 channel sound card, I want to use that to send audio to the four different 100v zones but without using up the audio inputs on the mixer/amp.Cant see how a small mixer will be able to do that?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>If the mixer has 4 aux sends or 4 group outputs then you would be able to route the inputs thru to the outputs plus adding the voice system to whichever output you require.David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Would it not be possible to feed your line input into an input on the pc soundcard and route it to all four outputs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edark Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 Thing is, the way the amp/mixer works is you have several line inputs which you can assign to any of the four zones each with a volume control. I want to be able to send a specific automated announcement to a specific zone, regardless of which line input is selected for that zone. Therefore, I want to find away of adding in my voice announcement after the the input selection and before the amplification for each zone. Maybe I'm trying to achieve the unachievable. But I dont like to beaten by technology! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumphouse Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Thing is, the way the amp/mixer works is you have several line inputs which you can assign to any of the four zones each with a volume control. I want to be able to send a specific automated announcement to a specific zone, regardless of which line input is selected for that zone. Therefore, I want to find away of adding in my voice announcement after the the input selection and before the amplification for each zone. Maybe I'm trying to achieve the unachievable. But I dont like to beaten by technology!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> It looks like the best way to achieve what you want is to use the mic 1 input on the Cloud, as this is exactly what it is designed for. You can use the zone access contacts on the back panel to assign that mic signal to any or all zones for the duration of the announcement (assuming you have some form of contacts available from your automated messaging system to drive them). If you are already using both mic inputs (you don't mention this specifically) then you are going to be a bit stuck, but the 46/50 is designed to do exactly what you describe by this method. If your voice system output is at line level then just pad it down to mic level and away you go. Hope this helps, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edark Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 It looks like the best way to achieve what you want is to use the mic 1 input on the Cloud<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think your right, using mic 1 input and the contacts is the only way. problem is, I am already using mic 1 as the paging mic. It should be able to work together, but strange things may happen is someone is doing a manual announcement and the automated one does one at the same time. For example, if the stage manager where to do a backstage call (zone 4), and at the same time the automated system to do a FOH (zone 1) announcement, both zones contacts would become active and the announcements would go to both zones (zone 1 & 4). On the paging mic, there is the 'Busy' facility, so that if another mic is in use, the 'talk' button will not operate. So, I presume that it 'monitors' the condition of the relays. So in theory, when the automated system is doing its thing, the 'busy' light will be on on the paging mics and they wont let u use them. It will only a problem when its the other way round. Any idea, how I could get around that?! :wacko: It would have to be some kind of relay connected to the paging mics, that shut off the automated relays when the paging mic was in use! I think?! <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumphouse Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Any idea, how I could get around that?! :wacko: It would have to be some kind of relay connected to the paging mics, that shut off the automated relays when the paging mic was in use! I think?! <_<<{POST_SNAPBACK}> You would have to do some kind of relay inhibitor for the automated system (unless this has a busy detection facility on it). You couldn't have both trying to announce at once as you say, as you would get both announcements in both zones - very confusing! You could do it by feeding the automated system contacts via a 4 pole relay (normally closed), and open this relay when the busy signal goes high. This method will require the mic signals to be mixed at input 1, and I would recommend a little stick-on mixer or something to do this, rather than just twisting the wires together as this could cause problems. Have you considered looking into your automated system to see if you could interface the paging mic into that, and then feed just the one output from there (complete with contacts) into the Cloud? Alternatively, if you are using the cloud paging mic, you could look to get another one of these and interface your automated system through that to emulate the button contacts and mic signal (a bit of internal tinkering/modifications would be required - invalid warranty etc etc). This would use the in-built busy detection to act as an inhibitor either way round. None of these are particularly simple solutions - what you really need is a 4-zone paging amp with at least 2 zoned mic inputs with a priority system, which the Cloud doesn't have other than via multiple paging microphones. Good luck! Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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