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Sound Devices 552 Field Mixer

1. When time Code Mode is set to something other than off and valid time code is present at the RTN B TAS connector time code values and frame rates are written to the file at the moment the recording begins This allows the Sound Mixer to sync the audio recorded by the 552 with the master source Incoming Time Code signals must be running prior to pressing record to ensure proper frame rate and time stamps Time Code stamping is only performed at the moment record is pressed If the time code source is not running at the moment record is pressed the 552 stamps the file according to the station ary time code that it is receiving When Time Code is enabled RTN B monitoring and functionality only apply to the 3 5 mm RTN B jack When Time Code Mode is set to something other than off the TC In LED will illuminate solid blue if valid time code is present at the RTN B TA3 input connector A flashing blue TC In LED indicates that Time Code mode is set to something other than off but there is not valid time code present at the RTN B TA3 connector Time Code to Track The linear time code signal connected to the RTN B TA3 input connector is recorded when either the Replace Left or Replace Right options are selected in the Time Code Setup Menu The linear time code signal overrides the selected side of the AES A Source sent to the Recorder Replace Left Replace Right Replace Left Auto Record and Replace Right Auto Record modes are only available
2. Press the Headphone Controller to select a Function 4 Move among the available record options SVEN announces each setting as you step through the avail able options 5 Select the option best suited for the application Press the Headphone Controller to select an option and exit Setup Menu Function Navigate to the Setup Menu Function Sample Rate 18 LED on the Left Meter 6 7 Press the Headphone Controller to enter the Setup Menu Function 8 Selecta sampling rate best suited for the particular application 9 Press the Headphone Controller to save the option and exit the Sample Rate Function 10 Exit the Setup Menu Press any key other than the Headphone Controller to exit the Setup Menu P v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Press and hold the Battery Check button to have SVEN announce the remaining card space available in headphones SVEN automatically announces the remaining time when 15 10 5 and 2 minutes are remaining on the SD card File Format WAV Broadcast WAV The 552 records two channel polyphonic AES 31 Broadcast Wave formatted audio files These files place additional information in the file header called the Broadcast Audio Extension data chunk and in the iXML chunk Audio editing software that does not recognize this additional information will ignore it and read the file as
3. gt gt gt Push right to load the next file Push left to Rewind during playback Push right to Fast Forward during playback I Press in to Pause Stop I Push down to playback the last recorded file or loaded file 22 Making Changes in the Setup Menu The 552 has many features that are accessed through its Setup Menu For details on entering and controlling the Setup Menu see Accessing the Setup Menu section in the 552 User Guide 23 Power Down the Mixer Slide the power switch to the center position to power down All settings are saved to EEPROM and will be saved and recalled upon next power on whether or not the unit is powered or has batteries SOUND DEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Front Panel Descriptions All 552 settings are accessed and controlled from the Front Panel This allows the unit to be placed in a production bag while having complete control of the unit 12 16 CUN ad agunt f NY p a FO Input Fader Primary control for adjusting the level of an input during operation Ranges from Off to 15 dB Nominal setting is in the middle 0 dB Gain Trim Coarse input gain control Sets the initial input sensitivity level so that the Input Fader can be used for fine gain adjustments Range is from 22 dB to 72 dB See Input Setup and Control High Pass Filter Control Adjusts corner 3 dB fre
4. limiters LIM When linked the limiters will apply the same gain reduction equally to both the Left and Right outputs The LINK position is recommended when recording stereo program so that level changes are identical for both channels The LIM position is recommended when using the 552 Out puts as two separate buses Digital Audio Recorder The 552 incorporates a high quality two track digital audio recorder The 552 records uncompressed polyphonic Broadcast Wave WAV file extension or compressed MP3 MP3 file extension files to a removable SD SDHC card not included The audio source assigned to AES A is the source of the recorded audio The AES A source is selectable in the Setup Menu See Digital Outputs for step by step AES A source routing instructions Recording settings such as file format bit depth and sampling rate are set in the Setup Menu All record functions are controlled using the Recorder Controller From the factory the recorder is set to record 24 Bit WAV files at 48 kHz sampling rate To make changes to the recording settings follow the steps below 1 Enter the Setup Menu Press and hold the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller 2 Navigate to the Setup Menu Function Record Mode 20 LED on the Left Meter Turn the Headphone Controller to step through the Setup Menu Functions SVEN announces each Function as you step through the menu 3 Enter the Setup Menu Function Record Mode 20
5. 16 3 13 5 12 5 14 V Li ion rechargeables Experimentation is recommended to determine battery life for each individual setup and applica tion Power Consumption The 552 varies in the amount of current it draws Several features of the 552 directly affect current draw in different ways The following list highlights the larger current drawing functions Microphone powering the main source of extra 552 current draw See Phantom Power 48 V Phantom can draw copious amounts of current out of the batteries depending on what model microphone is used Two phantom powered microphones draw twice as much current as one Microphones vary widely in their current draw depending on type and phantom voltage applied Integrated Audio Recorder the recorder whether in record or playback increases power consump tion Turn Record Mode off in the Setup Menu when not in use to extend battery run times Digital Outputs disable digital outputs in the Setup Menu when they are not needed since they draw additional current Output drive level higher output drive levels into multiple low impedance inputs increases power consumption Headphone output circuit high headphone output levels increase current draw LED Brightness decrease LED brightness to extend battery runtime Slate Mic Tone Oscillator A single two position switch controls both the slate microphone and the tone oscillator 0 MIC CQ TONE Sla
6. 20 dBu 7 8 Vrms 10 XLR 10 pin Hirose 6 dBu 1 5 V rms Mic XLR 10 pin Hirose TA3 Balanced and Direct Outs 20 dBu 0 078 Vrms Tape Outs 3 5 mm and TA3 type 6 dBu 1 5 Vrms Mono Mic Out 6 dBu 1 5 Vrms Output Limiters Affects the outputs of the mixer Threshold selectable from 4 dBu to 20 dBu 1 dB steps 20 1 limiting ratio 1 mS attack time 500 mS release time Maximum Gain Typical Trim Fader Master Phones RTN A RTN B fully up MIC Level Input LINE Level Input RTN A B Master Outs XLR 10 pin TA3 LINE 93 dB 53 dB Master Outs XLR 10 pin TA3 10 79 dB 39 dB Master Outs XLR 10 pin TA3 MIC 53 dB 13 dB Direct Outs Post Fade TA3 LINE 87 dB 47 dB Direct Outs Post Fader TA3 10 73 dB 33 dB Direct Outs Post Fader TA3 MIC 47 dB 7 dB Direct Outs Pre Fader TA3 LINE 72 dB 32 dB Direct Outs Pre Fader TA3 10 58 dB 18 dB Direct Outs Pre Fader TA3 MIC 32 dB 8 dB Tape Out TA3 and 3 5 mm 79 dB 39 dB 6 dB Mono Mic Out 3 5 mm 53 dB 13dB 20dB Headphones 1 4 and 3 5 mm 107 dB 67 dB 34 dB Digital Outputs Recorder AES3 Output Transformer balanced AES Out A B on XLR and 10 pin Hirose connectors 110 ohm 2 V p p AES and S PDIF compatible with RCA adaptor Sampling Frequency 44 1 48 88 2 96 kHz AID 24 bit 96 kHz maximum sampling rate 46 v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject
7. 70000 NS 0 KES 0 eaat dioa h gt 1 Hold the Input s PFL 2 Press the Battery Check Button SOUNDS DEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Stereo Linking The Stereo Link feature allows two pairs of 552 inputs to be linked as stereo pairs These are inputs 1 2 and inputs 3 4 In the Setup Menu inputs can either be linked as either a Stereo Pair or an MS Stereo Pair Input Linking is indicated by the odd channel s 1 and 3 LINK LED When an input pair is linked as an MS pair both the Link and MS LEDs will be lit Stereo Pair Linking LINE PH MS LINK 1 2 When Stereo Linking input channels 1 and 2 and or channels 3 and 4 act as a single stereo pair con trolled by the odd channel s Fader The odd channel s Pan control acts as the balance control between left and right The even channel s Fader and Pan controls are not active when inputs are linked The Trim control and High Pass Filters continue to act independently of each other When linked the channel s Input Limiters are also linked When inputs are linked as a stereo pair the odd input s Link LED is illuminated MS Pair Linking LINE PH MS LINK 1 2 When Linking inputs as an MS pair channels 1 and 2 and or channels 3 and 4 are linked as an MS pair The odd input 1 and 3 is the Mid signal and the even input 2 and 4 is the Side signal The odd channel s Pan Control functions as a left right balance control for the matrixed MS s
8. Devices by CamRade Wave Agent Beta Sound Devices Wave Agent file librarian for Mac OS and Windows oW computers Wave Agent provides a comprehensive and indispens able range of tools for preparing audio files for problem free passage through complex production workflows For more details and down load visit www waveagent com XL 1B 12 inch TA3F to TA3F cable connects the 552 Direct or TA3 Master outputs to TA3 inputs of receiving devices such as the Sound Devices 788T s analog inputs 5 8 XL 1B is also used for 552 unbalaced stereo Tape Out and RTN B Input XL 2 25 inch TA3F to XLR M cable used to connect 552 Direct or TA3 Mas ter Outputs to third party devices with XLR F inputs package of two XL 2F 25 inch XLR F to TA3F cable used to connect mixers and other devices with XLR M outputs to the 552 TA3 RTN B Input package of two XL 4 Bag of four 4 TA3 F type connectors XL 10 Hirose 10 pin to two XLR balanced L R and 3 5 mm plug 552 Stereo Return A breakout cable 24 inch includes in line 20 foot extension cable 442 and 552 specific XL H Bare Hirose 4 pin locking DC connector HR10 7P 4P XL NPH NP type battery cup with 24 inch cable terminated in Hirose 4 pin j locking DC connector HR10 7P 4P at equipment end XL TA25 TABF to 3 5 mm TRS 12 inch used to connect 552 TA5M Link I O to the MixPre or 442 Tape Out Mix Out 3 5 mm jack for mixer linking XL TA35 TA5F to TA3F 12 inch used to
9. The LED meter display indicates headphone monitor activity yn To navigate among files for playback press the rewind and fast forward keys while playback is stopped To navigate among daily folders press and hold the Battery Check button and press Rewind or Fast Forward to go to the previous or next day s folder respectively As a file or folder is loaded a short beep is sent to the headphone monitor followed by the file number or day of the folder EJ v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information To playback a file push the Record Controller down toward the Play position To pause playback press the Record Controller To Stop playback press the Record Controller twice To Rewind or Fast Forward through a file press and hold the Record Controller to the left or right respectively while the file is playing back By default playback audio is only sent to the headphone monitor To send the playback audio to the Left and Right Outputs press and hold Battery Check then press Play After the file is stopped the outputs will return to normal program Metering The 552 features two large 21 segment LED output meters The meters uses energy efficient GaN LEDs which can be clearly seen in full sunlight The 552 output meters are unaffected by shock tem perature or humidity extremes The microcontroller based meters provid
10. Wr BT renee ol Beers OOOO DA a ASES 000 2800000000000000 A S ab di S S vus D 2 Slide the RTN A B switch Powering The 552 is powered by either internal batteries or external DC sources The power switch selects the power source either internal or external There is a large enough power reserve to switch back and forth from one source to the other without interrupting mixer operation The 552 is a power efficient device and can run from four AA alkaline batteries for approximately eight hours without phantom As additional load is placed on the mixer battery runtime is re duced See Power Consumption for details MEE INT EXT Internal Battery Powering Internal batteries can be used as either a primary power source or as a back up in the event that external power is removed or depleted The 552 uses four AA sized LR6 batteries of various types Lithium primary cells Alkaline and NiMH rechargeable AA battery types are all popular battery chemistries The 552 achieves the longest battery runtime with Lithium and NiMH batteries There are similar sized 3 V Lithium cells on the market which are not compatible with 552 If the internal batteries drop to extremely low voltage levels while recording the recorder will au tomatically close the file that it is recording to prevent it from being lost The recorder is locked out until the power source is switched to external or
11. about the digital audio recorder and time and date information SVEN is sent only to the head phone outputs If Talk Back Mode is selected SVEN only appears on the 1 4 headphone output See Talk Back for details The 3 5 mm headphone output does not receive SVEN announcements when Talk Back Mode is active SOUNDS DEVICES D 552 User Guide and Technical Information The following information is reported by the SVEN Function Description Card Space Available Press and hold the Battery Check button to announce the remaining card space available SVEN automatically announces remaining record time at 15 10 5 and 2 minutes remaining Time and Date Continue to hold the Battery Check button after Card Space Available announcement to hear the current time and date Time Date Set Hold Input 5 s PFL then press the Battery Check button and the Headphone Controller to enter Time Date Set The unit of time and each value is announced when turning Headphone Controller Setup Menu Navigation While in the Setup Menu the current Function or Option is announced with each turn of the Headphone Controller Playback Navigation Announces the file number of the selected file If navigating through folders SVEN announces the selected daily folder Media Busy Indication Media Busy is announced if the SD card is not available to respond to a command Full SD Card Full SD Card is announced when there is no space r
12. application Press the Headphone Controller to select an option This will exit the Setup Menu Function Exit the Setup Menu Press any key other than the Headphone Controller to exit the Setup Menu When in Talk Back mode the 3 5 mm headphone jack has its own dedicated gain To set levels hold the Slate switch and turn the Headphone Controller In Talk Back mode press and hold the Battery Check button and the Slate switch to use the slate as an all call This temporarily returns the Slate Mic to normal operation That is regular program audio will be muted and the slate mic signal will be sent to all outputs If the slate mic is disabled in the Setup Menu the all call is also disabled The following diagram illustrates a wireless Talk Back setup using a Sound Devices MM 1 BOOM OPERATOR SOUND MIXER IFB IFB WIRELESS WIRELESS RX TX 1 4 inch HP OUT BALANCED MON IN 3 5 mm HP OUT MM 1 552 RINB LINE OUT INPUT 1 WIRELESS WIRELESS TX RX HEADSET MIC WIRELESS WIRELESS RX EJ v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Time of Day Date Clock The 552 has a built in time of day date clock used to stamp recorded files with the time recorded All clock references are in 24 hour format To check the current time press and hold the Battery Check button If an SD card is inserted the Remaini
13. by a single 440 Hz tone sent to headphones When re cording is stopped two 220 Hz tones are sent to the headphones Playback Navigation Tones A single 220 Hz tone followed by an announcement of the time the file was created is sent to the headphones when a file is selected for playback using the Record Controller PFL Channel Solo Monitor PFL PFL pre fade listen allows the user to quickly monitor the selected input s signal pre fader post trim post high pass and post limiter Slide the PFL switch left to activate and again to deactivate For momentary action hold the switch left for one second or longer SOUND DEVICES e 552 User Guide and Technical Information The left meter indicates the signal level of the soloed channel PFL monitoring only affects the head phone monitor it does not affect audio sent to the outputs The selected input s Activity LED flashes yellow when the input s PFL is latched on PFL latching operation only allows for one input to be soloed at a time To PFL multiple inputs use momentary operation RTN A and B c RIN s 0 4COOs 0 The Return monitor switch has two positions A and B When switched to the left or A position RTN A audio is sent to the headphones taking precedence over the Headphone Source selection Similar ly when held to the right or B position RTN B audio is sent to the headphones To latch on the return in the headphone monitor slide the RTN switch towards the desired retu
14. channel 1 post fade The slate mic signal is sent to the right headphone output and is mixed with the program selected in the Talk Back Setup Menu Function Talk Back Option 3 5 mm Headphone Audio Source Off Normal Program Standard headphone program identical to 1 4 inch Slate Only Active Slate Mic signal only sent to the right headphone monitor Slate Left Program 552 Left Program sent to both monitors and active Slate Mic Signal sent to the right headphone monitor Slate Channel 1 Post Fade Channel 1 Post Fader sent to both monitors and active Slate Mic Signal sent to the right headphone monitor SOUND DEVICES E 552 User Guide and Technical Information To setup a communication system follow these steps T 2 3 4 8 Connect the 552 Sound Mixer s headphones to the 1 4 inch headphone jack Connect the Boom Operator s headphones to the 3 5 mm headphone jack Enter the Setup Menu Press and hold the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller Navigate to the Setup Menu Function Talk Back 0 LED on the Left meter Turn the Headphone Con troller to move through Setup Menu Functions SVEN announces each function as you step through the menu Enter the Setup Menu Function Talk Back 0 LED Press the Headphone Controller to enter a function Navigate among the available options SVEN announces each option as you step through the menu Select the option best suited for your particular
15. connect 552 TA5M Link I O to 302 or 442 Tape Out Mix Out TA3M connector for mixer linking XL TA55 TASF to TASF 12 inch used for 552 to 552 mixer linking XL WPH3 AC to DC Power Supply in line 100 240V 50 60 Hz input 12 VDC a3 3 75 A 45 W output Hirose 4 pin DC plug Supplied with 3 pin IEC cord for use in North America and Japan SOUNDSDEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Wave Agent N Wave Agent Beta is a WAV file librarian for Mac OS and Windows computers Designed for Produc tion Sound Mixers and Post Production Editors Wave Agent provides a comprehensive and indis pensable range of tools for preparing audio files for problem free passage through complex produc tion workflows Wave Agent is an essential time saving tool for anyone working in Production Sound It allows for the following Playback of polyphonic and monophonic WAV and Broadcast Wave files from any source Viewing and editing file metadata Changing of sampling rate frame rate and start time code metadata stamps Splitting and combining polyphonic and monophonic files with selectable track assignments Batch editing Generating customized PDF and CSV Sound Reports Large time code display Monitor mixer with faders pans solos mutes and meters Drag and drop operation Comprehensive keyboard shortcuts for accelerated operation Mac OS and Windows compatible Wave Agent is available as a no charge software downl
16. connection use the TA3 Tape Out Mix Out connector The TA3 is wired pin 1 ground pin 2 Left pin 3 Right For details on the 3 5 mm connection see Linking to a MixPre Sound Devices XL TA35 is a 12 inch TA5F to TA3F accessory cable used to link Sound Devices 302 and 442 mixers to the 552 For more details see Accessories To link a Sound Devices 302 or 442 to a 552 1 Connect the Link I O of the 552 to the Tape Out Mix Out of a 302 or 442 using a Sound Devices XL TA35 cable This sends the stereo mix of both mixers directly to the stereo output bus of the 552 TAPE OUT T mix OUT E 442 O 552 TAPE OUT S s MIX OUT 3 5 2 Monitor the stereo sum of all input channels from the 552 ST headphone monitor 3 Adjust the levels on each mixer accordingly Linking to a MixPre The MixPre s Tape Out 3 5 mm TRS is wired Tip Left Ring Right Sleeve ground Sound Devices XL TA25 is a 20 inch TA5F to 3 5 mm TRS accessory cable used to link Sound Devices Mix Pre to the 552 For more details see Accessories To link a Sound Devices MixPre to a 552 1 Connect the Link I O of the 552 to the Tape Out of a MixPre using a Sound Devices XL TA25 This sends the stereo mix of both mixers directly to the stereo output bus of the 552 MixPre 552 2 Monitor the stereo sum of all input channels from the 552 headphone monitor LINK YO 3 Adjust the levels on each mixer accordingly EJ v 1 4 Features and specifications are
17. illuminate yellow when either the Slate Mic or the Tone Oscillator is latched on From the factory the tone oscillator is set to output a 1 KHz sine wave at 0 dBu to the outputs when the outputs are set to Line Level Tone is also sent at the same level to each of the Direct Outputs Tone level and frequency settings are configured in the Setup Menu The 552 headphone outputs are attenuated when tone is activated With Tone activated press the Battery Check button to cycle the left output by 20 dB This is used to verify left and right output signals Turn off the tone oscillator or press the Battery Check button again to stop the output cycling Talk Back Mode Talk Back Mode allows a Sound Mixer to have a private conversation with a Boom Operator using the 552 slate mic When in Talk Back mode the Slate microphone is not routed to the 552 master outputs direct outputs or to the recorder The slate mic is sent only to the right channel of the 1 4 inch and 3 5 mm headphones In Talk Back mode the two 552 headphone outputs contain two different audio sources The 1 4 inch headphone output is used for the Sound Mixer s headphones Audio sent to the 1 4 inch headphones is normal program The 3 5 mm headphone output is used for the Boom Operator s headphones Its audio source is menu selected The audio signals sent to the 3 5 mm headphone output is set in the Setup Menu Source is set as slate only slate left program or slate
18. most audio applications engaging the high pass filter is beneficial because audio information below 100 Hz is rarely used especially for speech reproduction The 552 s high pass filter circuit features an adjustable corner 3 dB frequency over a range from 80 to 240 Hz Below 80 Hz the filter s slope is 12 dB octave At higher corner frequency settings the slope is 6 dB octave See Specifications The purpose for this compound slope is to give additional roll off at the 80 Hz setting to reduce wind noise and low frequency rumble The higher settings can be used to counteract the proximity effect of directional microphones where a more gentle slope is desired When engaged or disengaged the high pass filter gradually fades into the selected state This pre vents sudden obvious pops in the audio The 552 s high pass filter circuit is unique because of its placement before any electronic amplifica tion Most mixer s high pass filter circuits are placed after the microphone preamplifier such that all of the low frequency signals get amplified By virtue of the 552 s circuit cutting the low frequency signals before amplification higher headroom is achieved in the presence of signals with significant low frequency energy B v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information When possible attempt to equalize at the sound source with
19. output of both mixers The Link I O connector is an unbalanced TA5M wired pin 1 HP L pin 2 HP R pin 3 Mix R pin 4 Mix L pin 5 link detection ground SOUNDS DEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information To Link the 552 to another 552 or 664 mixer 1 Connect the Link I O of the 552 to the Link I O of the other 552 or 664 mixer using a TA5F to TA5F cable Sound Devices XL TA55 optional accessory This will send the stereo mix of each mixer directly to the stereo output bus of both mixers 552 G 552 664 g x 5 LINK YO 2 Monitor the stereo sum of all input channels from either mixer headphone monitor 3 Adjust the levels on each mixer accordingly Linking to Other Mixers The Link I O function allows the 552 to be linked to a Sound Devices 302 442 or MixPre mixer for applications requiring higher input channel counts When the 522 is linked with another Sound Devices mixer all input channels will be present on the stereo outputs of the 552 Return audio and PFL only occur on the headphone output of the mixer that it is performed on The 552 Link I O con nector is an unbalanced TA5M wired pin 1 HP L pin 2 HP R pin 3 Mix R pin 4 Mix L pin 5 Link detection ground Linking to a 302 or 442 The Tape Out Mix Out of a 302 is an unbalanced stereo TA3F connector wired pin 1 ground pin 2 Left pin 3 Right The 442 has two Tape Out Mix Out connectors 3 5 mm and TAS For the most secure
20. possible values per sample Sampling Rate The 552 records WAV files at the sampling rates selected below The sampling frequency is set in the Setup Menu e 44 1 kHz e 882 kHz 48 kHz e 96 kHz Sound Devices recommends 48 kHz sampling for all 552 production applications Sampling rate op tions are limited to 48 KHz and under when an MP3 or a Time Code to Track option is selected If the sampling rate is set to a higher rate when an MP3 option or a Time Code to Track option is selected the sampling rate defaults to 48 kHz Sampling Frequency and Audio Bandwidth The sampling frequency is expressed in samples per second hertz and defines the number of times in a second that an analog audio signal is measured Sampling frequency determines the audio band SOUND DEVICES E3 552 User Guide and Technical Information width or frequency response that can be represented by the digital signal To roughly estimate the maximum bandwidth available for recording divide the sampling frequency by two Recording Media The 552 records to a removable Secure Digital High Capacity SD or SDHC media SD cards compat ible with the 552 require FAT32 formatting To format media from the 552 press and hold the follow ing buttons in order e Stop key Battery Check Button Headphone Controller Immediately following the above button sequence SVEN announces Formatting SD Card Press Battery Button if ok press Stop to cancel To proceed
21. powered down and batteries are changed Record Pause When Record Pause is enabled in the Setup Menu the recordings can be stopped then continued without creating a new file Record Pause is useful for reporter interviews or any application that can benefit by stopping and starting recording without generating a new file To use the Record Pause feature 1 Enter the Setup Menu Press and hold the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller 2 Navigate to the Setup Menu Function Record Pause 18 LED on the Left Meter Turn the Headphone Controller to move through Setup Menu Functions SVEN announces each function as you step through the menu 3 Enter the Setup Menu Function Record Pause 18 Press the Headphone Controller to select a function 4 Navigate among the available options SVEN announces each available routing as you step through the available options 5 Select On 24 Press the Headphone Controller to select an option This will exit the selected Setup Menu Function Exit the Setup Menu Press any key other than the Headphone Controller to exit the Setup Menu 6 7 Press the REC key to begin recording 8 Pause the recording at any time by pressing the STOP key once When paused the REC LED flashes red 9 Press the REC key again to continue recording 10 Press the STOP key twice to finalize the recording At this point the file is available for Playback and the next press of the REC key begins
22. subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Accessing the Setup Menu The Setup Menu controls a wide range of 552 settings To enter the Setup Menu press and hold the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller Turn the Headphone Controller to scroll through the menu Press the Headphone Controller to enter Functions and to select options To exit the Setup Menu press any key other than the Headphone Controller The Setup Menu is locked out while record mode is active 1 Press and hold the Battery Check Button BM p 000 F 2 Press in on the Headphone Controller aio AC i R wssr Flashing LEDs indicate the selected Setup Menu Function or option NE 64 20246 8 12 16 2 aet 99000000000006A vus ME indicate Setup af SO q0000000000 000p iy Right Meter LEDs indicates the Turn to navigate through the Setup DEN active option for the select Function Menu functions and options X w Paen 0 Solid LEDs indicate the active Q Setup Menu Function or option Press to enter Setup Menu functions press again to select and option and exit Setup Menu Function User Settings The 552 can save and recall a User Setup File from the SD card or its internal memory User Setup Files contain all settings made in the Setup Menu and all Input Settings including input type phan to
23. the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller 2 Navigate to the Setup Menu Function Digital Output 12 LED on the Left Meter Turn the Headphone Controller to move through Setup Menu Functions SVEN announces each function as you step through the menu 3 Enter the Setup Menu Function Digital Output 12 Press the Headphone Controller to select a func tion 4 Navigate among the available options SVEN announces each setting as you step through the menu 5 Select the best option for your particular setup Press the Headphone Controller to select an option This will exit the select Setup Menu Function 6 Exitthe Setup Menu Press any key other than the Headphone Controller to exit the Setup Menu 7 Set the selected output s Output Level Switch to Line Limiters LINK LIM OFF When the 552 Limiters are engaged it is nearly impossible to clip overload the 552 mixer Activate the 552 limiters by setting the front panel LIM switch to either LINK or ON This enables both the input and output limiters and determines the behavior of the output limiter Sound Devices recom mends that the limiters be active at all times Limiters are present on both mic and line level inputs The Input Limiters act solely as safety limiters In normal operation with a properly set gain structure the threshold of the Input Limiter will not be reached In the event of extremely high input si
24. to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information AID Dynamic Range 103 dB A weighted bandwidth typical Media Type Secure Digital High Capacity SDHC Secure Digital SD FAT32 formatted will format media on board File Type WAV 2 Track Polyphonic 16 bit 24 bit MP3 2 Track Polyphonic 64 kb s 128 kb s 192 kb s 320 kb s fixed file name using date time as file name daily folders Sampling Clock Accuracy 0 5ppm Time Code Reads external time code received and stamps BEXT iXML header for WAV stamps ID3 tag for MP3 Frame rates auto sense 23 976 24 25 29 97DF 29 97ND 30DF 30ND 30 Input 20k input impedance 0 3 V 3 0 V p p 17 dBu 3 dBu Power External Power Supply Isolated floating DC input jack 10 18 V Locking 4 pin Hirose connector pin 4 pin 1 Mates with gold Hirose HR10A 7P 4P DigiKeytt HR110 ND or silver Hirose HR10 7P 4P DigiKeyst HR100 ND locking connector Internal Power Supply Environmental Operation and Storage System Metering 4 8 V range internal batteries Accepts 4 AA sized LR6 batteries of various types including Alkaline Lithium primary and NiMH rechargeable There are similar sized 3 V Lithium cells that are not compatible Operating 20 C to 60 C 0 to 90 relative humidity non condensing Storage 40 C to 85 C Dual 21 segment sunlight viewable selectable Pe
25. with the formatting process press the Battery Check Button To cancel press the Stop key If neither button is pressed in five seconds formatting is canceled When formatting SVEN announces Formatting please wait and the REC LED illuminates a constant yellow Wait until SVEN announces Formatting complete and the LED turns off before performing any other action Multi Media Cards MMC and Secure Digital eXtreme Capacity SD XC cards are not supported and are not recognized by the 552 After recording the SD SDHC card can be mounted to Mac or Windows based computers using a SD Card Reader The card will appear as a mass storage device and its contents can be copied to another storage device The SD slot is located on the 552 s Rear Panel It is protected by a rubber cover Gently pry the pro tective rubber cover from left to right to expose the SD Slot Insert the SD card into the slot The card should glide smoothly into the slot DO NOT USE EXCESSIVE FORCE Push the card so that it seats securely in the slot To remove push the card in to eject it then pull it out of the slot Press and hold the Battery Check button to hear remaining card space available on the inserted SD card SVEN automatically announces the remaining time when 15 10 5 and 2 minutes are remain ing on the SD card El v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Te
26. 552 like all Sound Devices professional audio products is designed to withstand the physical and environmental extremes inherent to field production Its compact construction strikes the perfect balance between performance accessible controls and durability Copyright Notice and Release All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the expressed written permission of SOUND DEVICES LLC SOUND DEVICES is not responsible for any use of this information SOUND DEVICES LLC shall not be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for damages losses costs or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of accident misuse or abuse of this product or unauthorized modifications repairs or alterations to this product or failure to strictly comply with SOUND DEVICES LLC s operating and installation instructions Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners The sound waves logo is a registered trademark of Sound Devices LLC E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Informati
27. D Media SOUNDS DEVICES a3 552 User Guide and Technical Information Function Key Sequence Action Save User PEL Hold PFL 2 and press the Stop button Setup to Inter Saves User Settings to the internal memory of the 552 nal Memory Load User Setup PFL N Hold PFL 2 and press the Headphone Controller from Internal O Recalls User Settings from the internal memory of the 552 Memory a N7 Load Factory PFL LA Hold PFL 4 and press the Headphone Controller and the Battery Check button Settings HO Restores all Setup Menu parameters to Factory Default Connector Pin Assignments Connector Pin Assignments Notes XLR F 1 ground 3 3k ohm input impedance Mic and Line level Transform Analog Inputs 1 5 2 signal er Balanced For unbalanced pin 1 and pin 3 tied together 3 signal ground pin 2 positive TA3M f 1 ground Active balanced output level is selectable in Setup Menu Direct Outputs 1 4 NP 2 signal as Line 10 or Mic level For unbalanced pin 1 ground 3 signal pin 2 positive pin 3 float no connect Mates with Switchcraft TASF type connector 3 5 mm tip signal L and R Mates with 3 5 mm TS jack Designed to interconnect Mono Mic Output sleeve signal ground Wireless IFB Transmitters and Transcription Recorders signal is unbalanced 3 5 mm tip signal L Mates with 3 5 mm TRS jack Signal is unbalanced Tape Output ring signal R sl
28. IEC61000 4 5 2001 Surge 1 kV differential mode line to line 2 kV common mode line to ground EN61000 4 6 2001 IEC61000 4 6 2001 Conducted RF immunity 3 V 80 1 kHz amplitude modulation IEC61000 4 11 2001 Voltage dips and short interruptions at test voltage level 0 V unominal 70 V unominal 9 25 period Tested by L S Compliance Inc Cedarburg Wisconsin September 6 2009 M AA Matthew Anderson Director of Engineering Sound Devices LLC SOUND DEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Warranty and Technical Support Warranty amp Service Sound Devices LLC warrants the 552 Production Field Mixer against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE 1 year from date of original retail purchase This is a non transferable warranty that extends only to the original purchaser Sound Devices LLC will repair or replace the product at its discretion at no charge Warranty claims due to severe service conditions will be addressed on an individual basis THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE SOUND DEVICES LLC DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICU LAR PURPOSE SOUND DEVICES LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY OR UNDER ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY Because some jurisdictions do not permit the exclusion or lim
29. NA puts are analog Each output is configured in the Setup Menu to output an AES digital signal See AES Digital Outputs for details The Hirose 10 Pin connector contains balanced analog Left and Right outputs The output level is selectable between Mic 10 and Line levels using the level switches located directly below the con SOUNDS DEVICES 0m 552 User Guide and Technical Information nector The Hirose 10 Pin also includes an unbalanced stereo return RTN A input for headphone monitoring The Sound Devices XL 10 Breakout Cable is an available accessory that provides easy access to the balanced outputs and stereo RTN A connection of the 10 pin Hirose connector See RTN and Connector Pin Assignments for details about the Hirose Multi Pin connector Direct Outputs Each input channel has its own balanced TA3 Direct Output connection These outputs are used to send the isolated channel s audio to another destination The Direct Output signal is menu selectable as either pre or post fader When activated the Slate Microphone and Tone Oscillator signals are also sent to the Direct Outputs The nominal output level is selectable in the Setup Menu as Mic 10 or Line level See Setup Menu Tape Outputs o0 TAPE TAPEOUT OUT Tape Outputs are typically used to interface with consumer devices such as MiniDisc and compact transcription recorders The 552 includes two unbalanced tape level outputs a TA3 connecto
30. S Hold the Battery Check button and push the Recorder Controller to the Rewind Navigation Q peu and Fast Forward positions 5 Loads the previous or next daily folder respectively for playback Playback to REO Hold the Battery Check button and push the Recorder Controller to the Play Outputs a p position E Sends Playback program to the Left and Right Outputs Mic Line t y MeCO Hold PFL and slide the Slate Mic Tone Switch to the Slate position LINE d Toggles between Mic and Line level for the select input Phantom Power Pr Hold PFL and slide the Slate Mic Tone Switch to the Tone position CQ mme Toggles phantom power on and off for the select input Polarity Reverse P Hold PFL Channels 2 and 4 only and press the Battery Check button Channel 2 and 4 Reverses the polarity of channel 2 and 4 Input Mute N Press and hold the headphone controller then press the PFL HO E Y T Toggles input muting for the select Input RTN Level BINA Slide the RTN Switch to the RTN A or RTN B position and turn the Headphone A B 04 Controller Os NOE Adjusts the RTN level RTN Split Ear Press and hold the Headphone Controller then Slide the RTN Switch to the RTN Monitoring _ A or RTN B position C RIN When RTN A is selected a summed RTN A signal is sent to the left headphone eS ACODB output and the Right Master Output is sent to the right headphone output When RTN B is selected a summed RTN B signal is sent t
31. SDEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Welcome Thank you for purchasing the 552 Mixer It is the next evolutionary step in professional portable audio mixers With a core design based on the legendary 442 it contains countless improvements and added flexibility Developed with insight from the industry s top audio engineers the 552 Field Mixer encompasses the audio performance feature set and mechanical construction demanded by those who rely on audio gear for their livelihood The 552 contains five high performance microphone preamplifiers multiple outputs including AES outputs comprehensive monitoring and a high quality built in audio recorder Its input and output flexibility including pre or post fade direct outputs on each channel make the 552 at home in small run and gun applications as well as large multiple input productions The 552 incorporates a complete feature set into a compact functional design 552 features are ac cessible from the three main surfaces The Setup Menu can be accessed at anytime to make changes to various parameters The highly efficient circuitry allows the mixer to be powered by either four internal AA batteries or external 10 18 VDC With a two track recorder on board sound mixers can rest assured that audio is being recorded lo cally The 552 records polyphonic Broadcast Wave or MP3 files to removable Secure Digital SD or Secure Digital High Capacity SDHC cards The
32. SOUND DEVICES Five Channel Portable Production Mixer with Integrated Recorder User Guide and Technical Information firmware rev 1 4 Sound Devices LLC E7556 State Rd 23 33 Reedsburg WI USA 1 608 524 0625 fax 1 608 524 0655 Toll Free 800 505 0625 www sounddevices com 5 support sounddevices com 552 User Guide and Technical Information Table of Contents Quick Start Guide c cece eee 3 Front Panel Descriptions 8 Rear Panel Descriptions 11 Left Panel Connectors and Controls 11 Right Panel Connectors and Controls 12 Top and Bottom Panels 13 Voice Prompt er nee 13 Input Setup and Control 14 Mic Line Selection Phantom Power Gain Trim and Fader Relationship Input Trim Input Fader High Pass Filter Pan Control Input Polarity Stereo Linking Stereo Pair Linking MS Pair Linking Input Muting Output Setup and Control 19 Master Gain Control Master Outputs XLR TA3 Hirose 10 Pin Direct Outputs Tape Outputs Mono Mic Output AES Digital Outputs Liiniters eere rhet RR ERR wwe eee 21 LIM and LINK Digital Audio Recorder 22 File Format WAV Broadcast WAV MP3 Bit Depth Bit Depth and Dynamic Range Sampling Rate Sampling Frequency and Audio Bandwidth Recording Media Folder Structure File Naming Automatic File Splitting Recorder Controller REC LED Record Mode Record Paus
33. Tone position Phantom power voltage can be set to 12 or 48 V 48 V is Factory Default Phantom voltage is set in the Setup Menu The phantom power voltage is applied across all inputs with the PH LED illuminated MS LED Inputs 1 2 and 3 4 can be linked as an MS pair When a pair is linked the MS and LINK LED illuminate blue Stereo linking configurations are selected in the Setup Menu See Stereo Linking B v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 10 11 12 552 User Guide and Technical Information Link LED Illuminates blue when Inputs are linked as a stereo pair Stereo linking configura tions are selected in the Setup Menu See Stereo Linking Input Pan Controls the Left Right balance of the input signal to the outputs Input Polarity Inputs 2 and 4 only Illuminates blue when the Input s polar ity is reversed To toggle the state of the input polarity hold the selected input s PFL then press the Battery Check button Zoom LED Illuminates blue when the Output Meter is in Zoom Mode Zoom Mode allows the user to view higher resolution in the 0 to 20 dBu range on the Output Meter To toggle Zoom on and off press in on the Headphone Controller The Zoom Function is defeated in the Setup Menu Function Meter Ballistics See Metering 13 Time Code LED Time Code is selected from the Setup Menu When on th
34. Transformer balanced analog micro phone or line level inputs 1 5 on XLR connectors Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold For unbalanced inputs tie pin 1 and pin 3 together ground pin 2 positive Make cer tain phantom power is off when using unbalanced inputs See Input Setup and Control SOUND DEVICES 2 Analog Direct Outputs Balanced direct outputs on TA3 con nectors Slate Mic and Tone signals appear at the direct outputs Direct output signal is pre or post fader and level is selected in the Setup Menu be tween Line 10 and Mic levels Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold float pin 3 to unbalance 552 User Guide and Technical Information Right Panel Connectors and Controls AES 4 MENU ars 8 of NC D N Ve GY BAAR ALY FL GP Il N Y AO Mono Mic Out Unbalanced mono mic level output on 3 5 mm female connector designed to connect to wireless IFB transmitters or transcription recorders Tip Hot Sleeve Ground Tape Out Unbalanced stereo output on 3 5 mm female connector Sleeve Ground Tip Left Ring Right RTN B In Unbalanced stereo 3 5 mm female con nector for Return B audio input Sleeve Ground Tip Left Ring Right See RTN B and RTN Loopback Mode 10 Pin Output Level Switch Selects the Hirose 10 Pin Output level between Line 10 or Mic le
35. a standard WAV file Values recorded in the BEXT and iXML are time code stamp See Time Code track names time code frame rate take number time code user bits file name original date and time machine serial number bit depth software version sampling rate MP3 MPEG 1 Layer III is a lossy compression algorithm often used for music and transcription recording purposes The 552 records two channel MP3 audio files with the following data rates e 64 kb s e 192 kb s e 128 kb s e 320 kb s Bit Depth When recording WAV files the 552 records either 16 or 24 bit files 24 bit recording provides greater dynamic range and addition headroom for signal peaks Sound Devices recommends 24 bit record ing for all critical production Bit Depth and Dynamic Range Bit depth defines the digital word length used to represent a given sample Bit depth correlates to the maximum dynamic range that is represented by the digital signal Larger bit depths accom modate more dynamic range A quick estimate of the maximum dynamic range capable of being represented by a given word length is dynamic range no of bits x 6 dB Bit depth is an exponen tial measure exponent of 2 so as bit depth increases the amount of data it represents increases exponentially The majority of field recording is done with 16 bit audio therefore each sample is represented by a digital word of 2 16 65 536 possible values 24 bit audio has a word length of 2 24 16 7 million
36. actual Line Output Clipping Level 1 THD Maximum Output Level Affects the output of the mic preamps only Trim stage 18 dBu threshold 20 1 limiting ratio 1 mS attack time 500 mS release time XLR Line Transformer balanced for use with 2600 ohm inputs XLR 10 Transformer balanced for use with 2 10k ohm inputs XLR Mic Transformer balanced for use with 2600 ohm inputs 10 pin Hirose Line Transformer balanced for use with 2600 ohm inputs 10 pin Hirose 10 Transformer balanced for use with 210k ohm inputs 10 pin Hirose Mic Transformer balanced for use with 2600 ohm inputs TAS Active Balanced Mic Line pin 2 and 3 driven for use with 23k ohm inputs TAS Active Balanced Direct Outs Mic Line pin 2 and 3 driven for use with 23k ohm inputs Tape Outs 3 5 mm and TA3 type Unbalanced stereo for use with 26k ohm inputs Mono Mic Out Unbalanced mono for use with 2600 ohm inputs Headphones 3 5 mm and 1 4 Unbalanced stereo for use with 8 2k ohm headphones XLR 85 ohms at Line setting 3 2k ohms at 10 setting 150 ohms at Mic setting 10 pin Hirose 85 ohms at Line setting 3 2k ohms at 10 setting 150 ohms at Mic setting TA3 Balanced Outs 1k ohms at Mic and Line settings TAS Direct Outs 1k ohms at Mic and Line settings Tape Outs 3 5 mm and TA3 type 1 8k ohms Mono Mic Out 150 ohms Headphones 3 5 mm and 1 4 50 ohms 20 dBu minimum with 10k load Line XLR 10 pin Hirose TA3 Balanced and Direct Outs
37. ak VU Peak VU or Peak Peak Hold ballistics Dimensions and Weight Size 53 mm x 279 mm x 168 mm H x W x D 2 x 11 x 6 6 Weight unpackaged 2 0 kg 4 Ibs 6 oz without AA batteries SOUND DEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Block Diagram Inputs and Outputs HIROSEL MONO MIC OUT HIROSER XLR R AESA TAPE OUT Headphone R Headphone L TO MONITOR SECTION DIRECT OUT PRE POST PRE POST PHANTOM z O FE z Ed i a MIC LINE 12 48 V Global for All Channels INPUT 1 MIC LINE INPUT 2 as v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Block Diagram Monitoring 8 L LAdLNO 3NOHdQV3H w b LNAdLNO 3NOHdQV3H aql A Wad 3NOHdQV3H HOLIMS O S dd NOILOdT13S AYVLOY O t Tdd O Tdd O c ldd O l Tdd ne am 1NOS HO i LNO vr HO LINO HO Ino c H LINO HO O C c c O NIVO JNOHdQV3H MH 1 YILIN H3 L3IA J1990L N LH Sul ww g g O vwo E g Nb edA Wev L 3SOMIH Y Y NLY V O WO H4 NIVO HJOHO9H V NL al 3SOMIH M 0 v NLY Md 1d SOUNDSDEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Block Diagram AES qavo sas as 30H09 30029 AWIL s NOILOAS YOLINOW oi il v a NOILO3S YOLINOW o1 4 Y 3SOMIH lt ONOW 1H918 1331 3QV4 3Hd S LN
38. and Technical Information 2 Press the Battery Check Button To cancel press the Stop key If neither button is pressed in five seconds the load settings function is canceled If loading user settings wait until SVEN announces Load com plete before performing any other action Factory Default Settings To restore Factory Default Settings hold Input 4 s PFL then press the Headphone Controller and the Battery Check button SVEN announces Load Factory Defaults Press Battery Button if ok press Stop to cancel To proceed with loading factory defaults press the Battery Check Button To cancel press the Stop key If neither button is pressed in five seconds the load settings function is canceled If loading factory defaults wait until SVEN announces Load success before performing any other action Loading Factory Settings reverts all input settings to factory default All inputs will return to Line level with no phantom power and normal polarity Setup Menu Chart The chart below shows the Setup Menu number Function name a description of the control options available within that menu and the factory default setting Factory Default settings are always the first LED position on the right meter 30 LED LED Function Description Options Factor Defaul 30 Output Limiter Sets the output limiter threshold in dBu 4 to 20 dBu in 1 dB increments at Line Level 20 Threshold output 24 Balan
39. and Time Code Monitor Selection Switch Selects program sent to the headphone monitor ST stereo program M mono summed mix of Left and Right program L mono mix of Left program R mono mix of Right program MS ST decoded MS Stereo REC Source program routed to the recorder AES A See Headphones Headphone Peak LED Illuminates red when the headphone monitor is approaching clip levels Headphone Controller Controls headphone gain Secondary functions include Setup Menu control Zoom Mode LED Brightness adjust ment and Return levels control LE v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Rear Panel Descriptions con Jy C 030305 S B S gt Ihi N HA 2 Zz J ct o E 1 SD Slot 1 Factory Programming Port Protective rubber cover for SD Secure Digital memory card slot Insert the SD SDHC card into the slot until it sits securely in the slot The card should glide smoothly into the slot To remove the card push to eject MMC and SDXC cards are not supported Left Panel Connectors and Controls Mini USB port used for initial factory programming This connection has no user function 1 Analog Inputs Channels 1 5
40. ars on the right Left Program Right Program Channel 1 Pre Fade Left Program Channel 1 Channel 2 Pre Fade Ch 1 Pre Fade Left Right Program Channel 1 Channel 2 Post Fade AES A Only Channel 3 Channel 4 Pre Fade e Ch 5 Pre Fade Left Right Program Channel 3 Channel 4 Post Fade AES B Only Channel 5 Pre Fade Left Program EJ v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information To route the desired program to AES A follow the steps below 1 Enter the Setup Menu Press and hold the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller 2 Navigate to the Setup Menu Function AES A Source 10 LED on the Left Meter Turn the Headphone Controller to move through Setup Menu Functions SVEN announces each function as you step through the menu 3 Enter the Setup Menu Function AES A Source 10 Press the Headphone Controller to select a function 4 Navigate among the available routing options SVEN announces each available routing as you step through the available options 5 Select the routing Press the Headphone Controller to select an option This will exit the selected Setup Menu Function 6 Exitthe Setup Menu Press any key other than the Headphone Controller to exit the Setup Menu To switch the XLR or 10 pin Outputs from analog to digital follow the steps below 1 Enter the Setup Menu Press and hold
41. at the Line Level outputs Peak Peak Hold Peak reading ballistics correspond to actual signal peaks but the peak value is held in the meters for two seconds Peak Hold indicators are useful for metering in applications when an overload condi tion is unacceptable Peak VU The 552 can simultaneously display VU and Peak level information In this mode the perceived loud ness VU is displayed on a bar graph and the Peak signal on a dot above the VU With this combi SOUND DEVICES EJ 552 User Guide and Technical Information nation the user gets the best of both VU and Peak metering by seeing the loudness of the signal while observing peaks at the same time Peak Hold VU This is the default meter ballistics setting it is a combination of Peak VU and Peak Hold The meter simultaneously displays the Peak and VU information while holding peak values for two seconds Meter Reference Level By default a displayed value of 0 on the peak or VU meter will correspond to 0 dBu signal at the main outputs of the mixer In environments where the standard reference level is something other than 0 dBu the Meter Reference Level can be adjusted so that a displayed value of 0 dBu peak or VU on the 552 meters will correspond to a higher level on the outputs of the 552 The Meter Refer ence Level can be adjusted in the setup menu See the Setup Menu Zoom Metering Zoom Mode allows the user to quickly display the output levels in 1
42. ced TA3 Outputs Selects the nominal output level of the ac Line 30 Line d tive balanced TA3 Left and Right Outputs 10 24 i e Mic 22 22 Direct Outputs Selects program and nominal output level Line Level Pre Fade 30 Line Pre for the TA3 Direct Outputs e Line Level Post Fade 24 Fade e 10 Pre Fade 22 e 10 Post Fade 20 e Mic Level Pre Fade 18 e Mic Level Post Fade 16 20 Record Mode Enables disables the Integrated Digital e 24 Bit WAV 30 24 Bit WAV Audio Recorder Selection determines the e 16 Bit WAV 24 file format and the bit depth or data rate 64k MP3 22 of files to be recorded Sampling rate is 128k MP3 20 limited to 48 kHz and under when setto e 192k MP3 18 MP3 Sampling rate is forced to change if e 320k MP3 16 set to higher sampling rates when select e Off 14 ing MP3 18 Record Pause Allows a recording to be stopped then Off 30 Off continued without creating a new take or On 24 file Record Pause is ignored when the Time Code function is set to a Stamp File option 16 Sample Rate Sets the sampling rate for recordings and 48 kHz 30 48 kHz digital outputs Sampling rate is limited 44 1 kHz 24 to 48 kHz and under when set to record 88 2 kHz 22 mp3 files e 96 kHz 20 40 v 1 4 Featu
43. chnical Information Folder Structure The 552 automatically generates a new Daily Folder when a recording is started These folders are named according to the current date derived from the 552 s Time and Date Clock A daily folder generated on October 15 2009 would be named 09Y10M15 Sound files recorded by the 552 are al ways recorded to its own day s daily folder ERN The SOUNDDEV folder is automatically generated by the 552 552 sp The SDINFO TXT file is used for 552 internal house keeping purposes only C accom Acn eer The SDMIX SUP file is created when User Settings are saved The User SEMINE GR pu LE Settings can be recalled See User and Factory Settings for details Daily Folders are generated when a recording is started They contain CJ 09Y10M15 4 e e AOFI aiid d all files recorded on a given day 09Y10M15 002 i ier Sound files recorded by the 552 These can be either WAV or MP3 files File Naming Audio files recorded by the 552 are named according to the current date and a three digit file take number The file number increments with each new recording For Example the first file re corded on October 15 2009 will be named 09Y10M15 001 WAV the next file recorded is named 09Y10M15 002 WAV and so on 0 9Y10M1 5 0 0 1 WAV date file number extension The file number is reset to 001 when a new daily folder is generated 552 generated files are placed in a daily folder at the root of the ins
44. dB increments from 0 dBu to 20 dBu Each LED represents a 1 dB change While in Zoom Metering mode the etched 30 LED is re assigned to 0 dBu the etched 24 is actually 1 dBu and so on Press the Headphone Controller to enter and exit Zoom Metering Mode The blue Zoom LED indicates that the meter is in Zoom Meter ing Mode Zoom Metering Mode can be disabled in the Setup Menu Function Metering Ballistics to prevent accidental activation 9 1112 1314 15 16 7 80564202458 EE S1 e 20 em RT DITE E Y qo00000 08099 EC ZOOM Zoom Mode Resolution Normal Resolution etching Input PANER LED Each channel has its own Input Activity LED located just above the Input Fader The LED illumi nate in various colors and intensities to represent the signal level appearing at its respective input Green pre fade signal activity yellow pre and post fader limiter activity red pre and post fader signal overload peaking Reduce the trim level control if the LEDs continuously illuminate yellow or red The Input Activity LED will flash yellow when the Input PFL is latched on and illumi nate solid red when the input is muted Headphone Peak LED Like the Channel Peak LEDs the headphone circuit also has a peak overload indicator This LED is useful because headphones can often overload before overloading the 552 s stereo output bus Moni toring without a visual indication of headphone clipping can mislead the sound mixer into t
45. dNI 4 4 431 3aV4 38d LfdNI 4 4 431 3Q0V4 3Md LNdNI 4 3Q0V4 1SOd v SLNdNI MM aY Yd v E SLMdNI i O O O 0000 0 4 3QV43 1SOd Z L S1fdNI 4 3 0V4 3Md Z L SLANI lt 4 LH 1331 4 ONON 1H9IY 1437 3QY4 3 Hd LNdNI 4 11 3dYd 3Hd LAAdNI 4 41 3QV4 3Hd S LNANI 4 30V4 1SOd v SLNdNI 4 3 0V4 3Md f SLNANI 1 3SOMIH 4 3QV4 1SOd Z L SLNdNI O O O OQ QO 0 0 4 30V43 3Md Z L SLANI lt LH 1331 V SAV v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation Accessories 552 User Guide and Technical Information Several high value accessories are available for the 552 including production cases cables and power accessories For a full list of Sound Devices products and accessories visit our web site www sounddevices com products Optional 552 Related Accessories CS 5 Production case with high quality strap for use with the 552 with integrated accessory compartment and NP type battery compartment Built for Sound Devices by CamRade CS W Removable accessory case for the CS 5 Production Case Designed to hold wireless transmitters and receivers Built for Sound
46. default See Setup Menu Phantom power can be activated individually for each input To enable or disable phantom pow er press and hold the respective input s PFL switch then momentarily slide the Slate Mic Tone switch to the Tone position The respective input s PH LED illuminates when phantom is enabled 1 Hold the Input s PFL 2 Slide the SLATE MIC TONE switch right Phantom power is only applied to inputs set for Mic level at factory default Phantom Power can be applied to inputs set to Line and Mic Level in the Setup Menu This is useful when using micro phones in high SPL environments Make certain to disable phantom power with Line level output devices that are susceptible to damage from DC The 552 can provide up to 10 mA to each input at 48 V sufficient for the most power hungry con denser microphones Many phantom powered microphones do not require 48 V and can be properly powered with 12 V When acceptable use 12 V phantom to extend the 552 s battery life If Phantom Power is not required for instance with dynamic microphones it is best practice to dis able it Phantom power can capacitively couple noise into the mic inputs with poor mic cables When SOUND DEVICES 0m 552 User Guide and Technical Information disabled no voltage is applied to the microphone input Do not apply power to ribbon microphones improperly wired cables can permanently damage the mic
47. e AES Digit Outputs Battery Compartment Holds four AA batteries required for internal powering Accepts Lithium Alkaline and NiMH rechargeable cells DC Input Accepts DC voltages from 10 18 V for mixer powering Pin 1 Negative pin 4 Positive Ext DC is complete ly isolated floating from the rest of the circuitry E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Top and Bottom Panels o K P O M W SN 1 Top and Bottom Panels 2 Product Badge Made of molded carbon fiber this highly The product badge on the bottom panel specialized composite has nearly identi can be covered with a customized iden cal strength to weight properties as tity tag The label place holder on the die cast magnesium Additionally the bottom panel conforms to the 4 x 1 33 material also has the natural RF shield Avery label 5162 standard Third party ing abilities similar to aluminum software for Avery label 5162 templates are available online Voice Prompt The 552 features a Synthetic Voice for Enhanced Navigation or SVEN SVEN provides spoken word information in headphones when Setup Menu features are adjusted SVEN is designed to simplify control and provide important information to the user Additionally SVEN provides status informa tion
48. e Time Code Time Code to Track External Time Code Auto Record Playback Metering wi cei ce tee ee eee oe mnn 29 Meter Ballistics VU Peak Peak Peak Hold Peak VU Peak Hold VU Meter Reference Level Zoom Metering Input Activity LED Headphone Peak LED Headphone Monitoring 31 Headphone Gain Headphone Source Selection Headphone Tones Record Start and Stop Tones Playback Navigation Tones PFL Channel Solo Monitor RTN A and B Split Ear Return Monitoring PoWelingi crece eR Ere UP a 33 Internal Battery Powering External Powering Voltage Metering Power Consumption Slate Mic Tone Oscillator 34 Slate Microphone Tone Oscillator Talk Back Mode sseeese 35 Time of Day Date Clock 37 Mixer Linking mnt 37 Linking 552 Mixers Linking to Other Mixers Linking to a 302 or 442 Linking to a MixPre Accessing the Setup Menu 39 User Settings Factory Default Settings Setup Menu Chart Lsuusse 40 Front Panel Button Shortcuts 42 Connector Pin Assignments 44 Specifications 0ce cece eee 45 Block Diagram Inputs and Outputs 48 Block Diagram Monitoring 49 Block Diagram AES se 50 Accessories 2 ec cece eee eee eens 51 Wave Agent esc c init vac oneiowawie mae 52 CE Declaration of Conformity 53 Warranty and Technical Support 54 SOUND
49. e LED flashes blue when Time Code is active but not being received The LED Illuminates solid blue when the unit is receiving valid time code Time Code is connected to the RTN B TA3 connector and is stamped to files generated by the 552 s recorder See Time Code 14 AES Out LED Illuminates blue when one or more of the AES outputs is active See Digital Outputs 15 Output Meter Multi segment LED output meter Scale is normally 30 dBu to 20 dBu In Zoom Mode scale changes from 0 dBu to 20 dBu To engage Zoom mode press in on the Headphone Controller See Metering SOUNDSDEVICES 16 17 18 19 20 21 a Recorder Controller Controls the Integrated Digital Re corder Record Mode is enabled in the Setup Menu When enabled push up to Record press in to Pause Stop push down to Play push left to Rewind push right to Fast Forward See Digital Audio Recorder Record LED Indicates the status of the recording me dia The LED is off when the recorder is in standby mode Flashes yellow when no SD card is inserted Illuminates solid red while recording flashes red when record is pending Illuminates solid green while in playback mode Flashes green while playback is paused Illumi nates solid yellow when media is busy The LED is off when recorder is off Slate Tone LED Illuminates yellow when either the slate mic or tone is latched on Slate Mic Tone Switch S
50. e pin 3 to pin 1 of the XLR connector There is no change in gain between unbalanced and balanced connections into the 552 Mic Line Selection LINE PH MS LINK 1 2 Two input modes are available Mic and Line When Line is selected the LINE LED is illuminated Taking into account all gain stages the 552 has 93 dB of available gain from Mic input to Line output When inputs are set to the LINE position the input sensitivity is reduced by 40 dB The selected channel is set to receive a line level input when the Line LED adjacent to the input s PFL is illuminated To toggle between Mic Line levels hold the respective input s PFL and then slide the Slate Mic Line switch to the Slate position Le v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information 1 Hold the Input s PFL 2 Slide the SLATE MIC TONE switch left Phantom Power LINE PH MS LINK 1 2 Phantom powering is a fixed DC voltage of either 12 or 48 Volts This voltage is resistively applied to pin 2 and pin 3 of an input s XLR connector relative to pin 1 In this configuration there is no volt age difference between signal pins 2 and pin 3 The phantom voltage is selectable between 12 and 48 Volts in the Setup Menu The selected voltage level applies to all inputs with phantom power enabled Phantom power voltage is 48V at factory
51. eeve signal ground XLR M 1 ground Transformer balanced Output Level is selectable using Master Outputs 2 signal switch between Mic 10 dB or Line level For unbalanced AES A B Outputs 3 signal pin 1 and pin 3 tied together ground pin 2 positive Balanced AES3 Out A B on XLR connectors 110 ohm 2 V p p AES3 and S PDIF compatible with RCA adaptor 3 5 mm tip signal L Mates with 3 5 mm TRS jack Signal is unbalanced RTN B ring signal R sleeve signal ground 10 Pin Hirose F L output Mates with Hirose RM15TPD 10P 71 connector Master Output RTN A gt L output Outputs are Transformer Balanced output level is select Input 3 R output able using switch between Line 10 or Mic level For 4 R output unbalanced connections XLR connectors should be wired 5 R 4 return A pin 1 and pin 3 tied together ground pin 2 positive 6 n c Balanced AES3 Out A B on 10 Pin connector 110 ohm 2 7 a return A V p p AES3 and S PDIF compatible with RCA adaptor 8 n c 9 ground 10 ground TA3M 3 1 ground Unbalanced stereo input Used for either Return B audio RTN B Input or TC Input C left signal input or time code input for the recorder When time code 3 right signal is enabled use RTN B 3 5 mm for RTN B audio input For TC 1 and 3 ground Mates with Switchcraft TASF type connector pin 2 hot TA3M fF 1 ground Active balanced output level is selectable in S
52. emaining on the SD card and a record com mand has been given Record Mode Off Record Mode Off is announced if the recorder receives a command and the recorder is disabled in the Setup Menu Next File Press the Recorder Controller in stand by mode to announce the file number of the next take to be recorded Input Setup and Control The 552 s inputs consist of five full featured preamplifiers Each input has a wide gain range to ac commodate nearly all signal types of microphone and line The 552 easily accepts signals from low sensitivity ribbon and dynamic microphones medium level wireless and condenser mic outputs and hot line level signals The XLR inputs of the 552 are transformer balanced The isolation characteristics of transformers are superior to other balancing techniques and are ideal for the hostile and uncontrolled environments of field production Transformers provide galvanic isolation from the driving source meaning there is no direct electrical connection Signals are transformed magnetically The input transformers in the 552 use premium magnetic core material to achieve high signal handling capability especially at low frequencies while keeping distortion to a minimum Because of their inherently high common mode impedance transformers are unrivaled by any other type of input for common mode noise rejection The inputs of the 552 can be used as balanced or unbalanced To unbalance ti
53. ence Action Setup Menu Press and hold the Battery Check button then press the Headphone Controller Enters the Setup Menu Card Space Press and hold the Battery Check button Available Announces the remaining card space available if inserted Continue to hold the but Time and Date ton to hear the current Time and Date Time Date Set Hold PFL 5 press Battery Check button and press the Headphone Controller Enters Time Date Set menu de n H 2 Nu LED Brightness Hold the Battery Check button and turn the Headphone Controller Adjusts the brightness level of all front panel LEDs O a s an v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Function Key Sequence Action Meter Zoom A Press the Headphone Controller HO Toggles Meter Zoom on and off When on the resolution of the Output Meter is h increased and ranges from 0 to 20 dB 3 5 mm HP Gain ERN Slide the Slate Mic Tone Switch Slate position and turn the Headphone Control Talk Back Mode ucc oC ler Only NAM Adjusts the 3 5 mm headphone level in Talk Back mode All Call Talk Press and hold the Battery Check button and slide the Slate Mic Tone Switch to Back Mode micCC the Tone position Only Temporarily returns the Slate Mic to normal operation when in Talk Back mode Playback Folder e
54. er gain is on a pop up knob so it can be set and hidden from the main surface It is best practice to hide the Master Gain Control so that inadvertent adjustments are avoided Master Outputs The master outputs consist of three sets of connectors XLR TA3 and Hirose 10 pin The XLR and 10 pin outputs are transformer balanced each driven from their own transformer windings for excel lent isolation Each output can be independently set to Line 4 dBu nominal 10 or Mic level 40 dB of attenuation versus Line The master outputs are capable of driving long cable runs XLR P VON Big C AV Y SHIT N The XLR outputs are generally used as analog outputs but can be selected for AES3 At Factory Default the XLR Outputs are analog Each XLR connector is configured in the Setup Menu to output an AES3 digital signal See AES Digital Outputs for details When set as analog the XLR labeled L will output the Left program XLR labled R will output the Right program Each output can be set to output at Line 10 or Mic levels using the adjacent level switches TA3 QQ The TA3 master outputs located above the XLR Master Outputs are an additional set of master outputs These outputs are active balanced and can be used as either balanced or unbalanced The output level is set between Line 10 and Mic levels from the Setup Menu At Factory default the output level of the TA3 Master Outputs is Line Level Hirose 10 Pin RI
55. erted SD SDHC card While in stand by mode press in on the Recorder Controller to hear the next file number to be recorded The Take Counter file number can be reset to 001 at anytime To reset the Take Counter hold PFL 5 then press the Stop and Battery Check buttons If the Take Counter is reset in the middle of the day and there are still files residing in the daily folder it is possible to get duplicate file names The 552 automatically detects if the folder has a file of the same name and will add an A after the take num ber 09Y10M15 001A WAV to prevent accidental overwriting of the original file Automatic File Splitting While it is possible to have thousands of files on the 552 SD card the largest any single file may be is 2 GB The 552 automatically splits an audio file before the 2 GB size is reached and begins writing to a new file When joined in an editing program these files are sample continuous with no samples lost SOUND DEVICES E 552 User Guide and Technical Information Recorder Controller BENI 2 The 5 position Recorder Controller is used to perform all recording and playback functions Function Direction Action Record T Push the Recorder Controller Up REG In Standby begins recording a file If recording begins recording a new file gt Record Pause REC Press the Recorder Controller Stop Action is dependent on Record Pause setting When Rec
56. es a selection of ballistics and lighting intensities 4202 4 init 0000008 152 p 05000 090 xx SOR 0000000000895 p ZOOM Meter Ballistics The output meters are capable of displaying various combinations of peak and VU ballistics VU Peak Peak and Peak Hold a composite of VU and Peak and a composite of Peak Hold and VU Meter ballistics are set in the Setup Menu See the Setup Menu VU VU volume units meter ballistics correspond closely to how the human ear perceives loudness This provides a good visual indication of how loud a signal will be In VU mode the attack and decay of the meter signal is 300 mS VU meters provide great visual indications of how loud a signal will be However VU meters provide poor information of actual signal peaks In VU mode the front panel meter labeling is in volume units VU meters are always referenced to an actual signal level in dBu the 552 VU meter is referenced with 0 VU corresponding to 0 dBu at the Line Level outputs Peak Peak reading ballistics PPM correspond to actual signal peaks but don t necessarily correspond to perceived signal loudness Peak meters have an instantaneous attack and a slow decay to allow the user to visually monitor peak activity Peak metering is useful when interconnecting to audio inputs on digital equipment In the digital realm signal overload can cause immediate distortion The peak meter s front panel markings are calibrated in peak dBu level
57. etup Menu L and R Outputs CJ 2 signal as Line 10 or Mic level For unbalanced pin 1 ground 3 signal pin 2 positive pin 3 float no connect Mates with Switchcraft TASF type connector TA3M N 1 ground Unbalanced stereo output Mates with Switchcraft TA3F Tape Output WC 2 Left Signal type connector 3 Right Signal aa v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Connector Pin Assignments Notes 5 Pin CS 1 HPL Used to link the 552 to Sound Devices 302 442 552 or Mixer Link I O 2 HPR MixPre Field Mixers Mates with Sound Devices XL TA25 NE 3 Mix R XL 35 and XL TA55 optional accessory cables See Ac 4 MixL cessories for details 5 Link detection Ground 3 5 mm tip signal L Mates with 3 5 mm TRS jack Headphone ring signal R sleeve signal ground 1 4 inch Female tip signal L Mates with 1 4 inch TRS jack Headphone ring signal R sleeve signal ground Hirose 4 pin 1 ground 10 18 Volt DC input Mates with Sound Devices XL NPH DC Input 2 not connected and XL WPH3 powering accessories See Accessories for 3 not connected details 4 DC Specifications Analog Inputs Frequency Response 10 Hz to 50 kHz 0 5 dB THD Noise 0 09 max 50 Hz 20 kHz 18 dBu at line out fader fully up Equivalent Input Noise 126 dBu 128 dBV max
58. gnal levels such as in high SPL environments an Input Limiter will activate to prevent the input signal from clipping Without Input Limiters high signal conditions can overload a channel and cause distortion The Limiters do not alter signals below the threshold When Inputs are linked as a stereo pair the Input Limiters are also linked and perform the same gain reduction equally across both inputs The Input limiter is active when the respective input s Input Activity LED illuminates yellow If the Activity LED illuminates yellow substantially reduce the amount of gain applied to the channel by turning down the Trim control See Input Activity LED for additional information The Output Limiters prevent the output signal from exceeding the user set limiter threshold In the Setup Menu the Output Limiter Threshold can be set in 1 dB increments from 4 dBu to 20 dBu See SOUNDS DEVICES Ea 552 User Guide and Technical Information Setup Menu At Factory Default the mixer is set to limit the output signal peak levels to 20 dBu This assures that the output of the 552 will not overload inputs that accept full line level signals The orange LIM LEDs located at the end of the meter scale illuminate in various intensities to repre sent output limiting 8 12 46 20 LM 90895 10009 LIM and LINK LINK LIM OFF The Output Limiters can either be linked as a stereo pair LINK or can work as two independent
59. hange Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Voice Prompt The 552 features a Synthetic Voice for Enhanced Navigation or SVEN SVEN provides spoken word feedback when Setup Menu features are adjusted He is designed to simplify control and provide important information to the user Additionally SVEN provides status information about the digital audio recorder and time and date information SVEN is routed only to the headphone outputs 19 Setting the Time and Date Press and hold the Battery Check button for the mixer to announce in headphones the current time and date If the setting spoken back in headphones is incorrect see Time of Day Date Clock section of the 552 User Guide 20 Insert an SD memory card into the back panel SD Slot Remove the protective rubber cover to access the SD memory card slot Insert the SD card into the slot until it sits securely in the slot The card should glide smoothly into the slot Do not use excessive force when inserting the card and make certain that the electrical contacts are facing downwards Push on the card to remove it 21 Controlling the Integrated Digital Recorder The Recorder Controller is used to initiate the Record Stop Playback Rewind Fast Forward functions as well as to navigate through recorded files o m Push up to begin recording X 9 I WE Push left to load the previous file lt
60. hinking that the output or return feeds are distorted EJ v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Headphone Monitoring Headphone Gain O Headphone output level is controlled using the front panel Headphone Controller While turning the Headphone Controller the headphone gain level is temporarily displayed on the Right Output Meter The 552 can drive headphones to dangerously high volumes Turn down the headphone gain before selecting a headphone source to prevent accidental signal extremes Headphone Source Selection MS ST REC Source R L M ST The Headphone Selector sets the audio source sent to headphones The selections available are listed below HP Position Description ST Stereo Left program to left headphone monitor and Right program to right headphone monitor M Mono summed Left and Right program sent to both headphone monitors L Left Left program sent to both headphone monitors R Right Right program sent to both headphone monitors MS ST Mid Side Stereo decoded MS stereo to headphones this is not used if the inputs are already linked as an MS pair REC Source Recorder Source audio program sent to the recorder this is identical to AES A routing Headphone Tones Record Start and Stop Tones The start of a recording is indicated audibly
61. ht to the B position When RIN B Split Ear Monitoring is active the RTN B LED flashes yellow in a two pulse sequence RTN A B split ear monitoring sends the RTN A summed mono signal to the left headphone monitor and the RTN B summed mono signal to the right headphone monitor To activate RTN A B split ear monitoring press and hold the headphone controller then slide the RTN switch left to the A position then right to the B position Both RTN A and RTN B LEDs illuminate solid yellow when RTN A B split ear monitoring is active Return Loopback During typical operation the 552 s Left and Right output buses are sent to both the Tape outputs and the Mono Mic output When set Return Loopback allows Return A or Return B to be directly routed to the Tape and Mono Mic outputs To set Return Loopback Mode press and hold the Battery Check button and slide the RTN A B switch to the Return position The respective return becomes the source for the Tape and Mono Mic outputs To return to typical operation press and hold the Battery Check button and slide the RTN A B switch again The respective RTN LED will flash yellow when Return Loopback is active Return Loopback is useful for sending an IFB wireless feed of the RTN audio to the producer for video playback E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information
62. ide the SLATE MIC TONE switch to the left The input s LINE LED illuminates blue when set to line level and the LED is not illuminated when set to Mic level lt lt Cy ew m Swe ow eA C o O e nC P VES So SS A Je MS AS X ZN O DEAN y P eB B 1 Hold the Input s PFL 2 Slide the SLATE MIC TONE switch left 6 Apply Phantom Power to an input The 552 supplies 48 V to inputs set to receive phantom power PH Phantom pow er can be set to 12 V in the Setup Menu To apply phantom power hold an input s PFL switch then slide the SLATE MIC TONE switch to the right The input s PH LED illuminates blue when phantom power is applied c e LY 4 mln e 1 Hold the Input s PFL 2 Slide the SLATE MIC TONE switch right 7 Select a headphone monitor mode using the Headphone Selector MS ST Stereo MS mid side REC Source Right Program R L Recording Source Left Program Mono summed left and right M Stereo Left and Right Program ST MS Monitor Modes are useful to listen to left right stereo when M and S signals are routed When inputs are linked as an MS pair in the Setup Menu use the ST Stereo program monitor mode this will already contain the decoded MS Stereo signal 8 Set the headphone level Turn the Headphone Controller to se
63. ignal The even channel s Fader and Pan controls are disabled Each channel s Trim control and high pass filter continue to act independently of each other Use channels 1 and 2 s Trim controls to vary the Mid and Side levels respectively When linked the Input Limiters are also linked When inputs are linked as an MS pair the odd input s Link and MS LEDs will illuminate blue Input Muting Any input can be removed from the mix so that its signal is not sent to the master left and right out puts An input that is removed from the mix in this way is still present in the direct output and the isolated input selections for AES A source See AES Digital Outputs fr details 1 Press in on the headphone controller 2 Press the input s PFL E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Output Setup and Control The 552 has stereo output bus that feeds multiple outputs Additionally each 552 input has its own direct output This output flexibility is essential for complex multi camera productions Master Gain Control MASTER 0 The Master Gain Control adjusts the overall output level of the left and right outputs The gain range of the Master Gain Control is from Off to 6 dB of gain For most applications the Master control should be set at the unity gain 0 position The mast
64. im dual Mono Link Stereo applies to all inputs and outputs SOUND DEVICES B 552 User Guide and Technical Information 13 Adjust LED Meter brightness Press and hold the Battery Check button while turning the Headphone Controller 14 Check Internal and External power levels Press the Battery Check EX button to display the internal and external power levels on the Output Meter LEDs The internal AA battery level is displayed on the left meter and external DC voltage level is displayed on the right meter 15 Connect the 552 analog outputs to the next device in the signal chain audio recorder wireless transmitter or camera Output levels are set Line 10 Mic using the respective output s attenuation switch 552 Right Panel 16 Set the next device s input sensitivity to receive the supplied signal 17 Activate the 552 s Tone Generator Slide the SLATE MIC TONE switch to the TONE position Tone latches on if the switch is held for two seconds slide right again to turn off A 1 KHz tone is gener ated and is sent out at 0 dB level and frequency are menu adjustable oO c e LY 4 mln e 078 WER Slide left for Slate Mic 5 INT EXT 1625 Lud F Slide right for Tone 18 Adjust the input gain on the next device accordingly 6 v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to c
65. imum 22 Hz 22 kHz bandwidth flat filter trim control fully up Input Type XLR Mic Transformer balanced for use with lt 600 ohm mics XLR Line Transformer balanced for use with lt 2k ohm outputs RTN A B 3 5 mm TA3 10 pin Unbalanced stereo for use with X2k ohm outputs Link I O Unbalanced stereo for linking to Sound Devices 302 442 552 and MixPre Input Impedance XLR Mic 2k ohms ohms actual XLR Line 16k ohms RTN A B 3 5 mm TA3 Multi pin 20k ohms Link 1 0 4 2k ohms Input Clipping Level 0 dBu minimum trim control fully down Maximum Input Level XLR Mic 0 dBu 0 78 Vrms XLR Line 40 dBu 80 Vrms RTN A B 3 5 mm TA3 Multi pin 24 dBu 12 4 Vrms Link I O 6 dBu 1 5 Vrms Common Mode Rejection Ratio 120 dB minimum at 80 Hz mic input 100 dB minimum at 10 kHz mic input High Pass Filters Sweepable 80 Hz to 240 Hz 12 dB oct at 80 Hz 6 dB octave at 240 Hz Ap 0 1 2 ca 4 5 6 10 20 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 50k 100k Hz Line Style Data Solid High Pass Off Dashes 80 Hz Setting Dots 240 Hz Setting Microphone Powering Dynamic no power applied each analog Input selectable 12 V Phantom through 680 ohm resistors 10 mA per mic available 48 V Phantom through 6 8k resistors 10 mA per mic available SOUND DEVICES 0 552 User Guide and Technical Information Input Limiters Analog Outputs Output Type Output Impedance ohms
66. itations set forth above they may not apply in all cases For all service including warranty repair please contact Sound Devices for an RMA return mer chandise authorization before sending your unit in for repair Product returned without an RMA number may experience delays in repair When sending a unit for repair please do not include accesso ries including SD cards batteries power supplies carry cases cables or adapters unless instructed by Sound Devices Sound Devices LLC Service Repair RMA XXXXX 300 Wengel Drive Reedsburg WI 53959 USA telephone 608 524 0625 Technical Support Bug Reports For technical support and bug reporting on all Sound Devices products contact Sound Devices LLC E mail support sounddevices com web www sounddevices com contact support htm Telephone 1 608 524 0625 Toll Free in the U S A 800 505 0625 Fax 1 608 524 0655 Sound Devices cannot guarantee that a given computer software or operating system configura tion can be used satisfactorily with 552 generated files based exclusively on the fact that it meets our minimum system requirements Please check with your software editing application to make certain that it is compatible with the file type selected EI v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation SOUND DEVICES
67. lide left to activate the Slate Micro phone slide again to deactivate For momentary action hold for one second or longer Slide Slate Mic Tone switch right to activate the Tone Oscillator Tone will latch if held for 2 seconds or longer slide again to deactivate This switch also functions as input type and phan tom power select See Tone Oscillator Slate Mic See also Talk Back for additional features Limiter LED Each Output has its own Limiter LED The LEDs Illuminate yellow when the Output Limiter is active See Output Limiter Power LED When powering with internal AA bat teries the LED illuminates green when the 552 is on turns yellow when low voltage point is reached and flashes red when voltage reaches a critical level and batteries should be changed When powering with external DC the LED illuminates green when the 552 is on flashes red when voltage drops below the set threshold See Powering 552 User Guide and Technical Information Front Panel Descriptions cont 22 23 24 25 26 wa UBL sesta RAW Agoood0009 A Non Qno08 000 A SE ue rv Power Switch Three position slide switch selects be tween internal battery power or external DC sources middle position is Off Battery Check Button Press to display internal and external voltage levels on the Output Meter Secondary fu
68. m power and polarity To save a User Setup 1 Tosaveto internal memory Hold Input 2 s PFL then press the Stop button SVEN announces Save Settings to internal memory Press Battery Button if ok press Stop to cancel To save to SD Card Hold Input 1 s PFL then press the Stop button SVEN announces Save Settings to SD card Press Battery Button if ok press Stop to cancel 2 Press the Battery Check Button To cancel press the Stop key If neither button is pressed in five seconds the save settings function is canceled When saving the REC LED illuminates a constant yellow Wait until SVEN announces Save complete and the LED turns off before performing any other action A User Setup that is saved to the internal memory will remain on the 552 across power cycles Saving a new User Setup to internal memory will replace the previous User Setup in internal memory A User Setup that is saved to the SD card will be saved in the form of a file is named SDMIX552 SUP and is placed in the SOUNDDEV folder on the SD card To load a User Setup 1 Toload from internal memory Hold Input 2 s PFL then press the Headphone Controller SVEN an nounces Load Settings from internal memory Press Battery Button if ok press Stop to cancel To load from SD card Hold Input 1 s PFL then press the Headphone Controller SVEN announces Load Settings from SD card Press Battery Button if ok press Stop to cancel SOUND DEVICES EJ 552 User Guide
69. microphone selection placement windscreens and onboard microphone filtering Many microphones have on board high pass filters Use the high pass filters on the 552 in conjunction with the microphone s filter to increase the filter s slope The filter can be removed from the circuit completely by moving the high pass filter control to the full counter clockwise detented position The high pass filter potentiometer can be adjusted easily and then recessed to hide it from the mixing surface Pan Control The pop up knob control routes inputs to the left and right output buses For most applications a channel will be panned either hard left hard right or center The pan pot has a detent in the center position After setting the pan the pan control can be recessed to hide it from the mixing surface dur ing normal operation Input Polarity LINE PH The polarity sometimes referred to as a phase inversion of inputs 2 and 4 can be reversed Polarity reversal is used to compensate for incorrectly wired balanced cables to prevent signal cancellation when a source is dual miked from opposite directions or to reverse left right with MS microphones To toggle between normal and reverse polarity activate the respective input s PFL then press the Battery Check Button When the front panel Input Polarity LED is lit the polarity is reversed on that channel TE Oy WER aj cmm UT D SM D 19000000000 SO QOO 4
70. nction acts as shift key for various front panel features Press and hold to announce card space available and current time and date Master Output Level Control Controls the overall signal level of the Master Stereo Outputs Adjustable from off to 6 dB See Outputs Limiter Switch Activates both Input and Output Limit ers When LIM is selected the Output Limiters act independently on the Left and Right Outputs When LINK is selected the Output Limiters are linked and limiting is applied evenly across the Stereo Outputs See Limiter RTN A B LED Indicates the activity for each return input The LEDs illuminate in various colors and intensities to indicate the be havior of the return signals Green re turn signal presence Red return signal overload clipping Yellow the monitor return is latched on When time code is active the TA3 input is used exclusively for time code The 3 5 mm jack functions normally See Return 27 RTN A B Switch 28 29 30 Two position momentary switch Slide left for RTN A headphone monitoring slide right for RTN B headphone moni toring Slide again to deactivate For mo mentary action hold for one second or longer While holding the return switch turn the Headphone Controller to adjust RTN A and RTN B levels When time code is active the TA3 input is used ex clusively for time code The 3 5 mm jack functions normally See Return and also RTN Loopback
71. ng Record Time will precede the Time and Date announcement To set the Time and Date Clock follow these steps 1 Enter the Time Date Set Menu by holding Input 5 s PFL switch then press the Battery Check button and the Headphone Controller SVEN announces Time Date Set when in the menu While in the menu at anytime press the Battery Check button to exit the Time Date Set Menu SVEN announces the new time and date information when exiting the Time Date Set Menu 2 The first unit of time to be edited is the hour SVEN announces Hours followed by the currently selected value To change the value turn the Headphone Controller SVEN announces each value as you step through the menu Values are also indicated by the number of LEDs lit The left meter indicates tens and the right meter indicates units For example if it is the 13th hour 1pm the left meter 30 LED 1 LED and right meter 30 to 22 LEDs 3 LEDs total are lit aS BARBARA E 8 12162 ayse 000000000000006 0000000000000 IS Tens Value Units Value 3 Press the Headphone Controller to save the selection and advance to the next unit of time 4 Thenextunit of time to be edited is Minutes SVEN announces Minutes followed by the currently selected value Make appropriate edits using the same method as described in step 2 5 Press the Headphone Controller to save the selection and advance to the next unit of time 6 Thenextunit of time to be edited is Seconds SVEN an
72. nounces Seconds followed by the currently selected value Make appropriate edits using the same method as described in step 2 7 Press the Headphone Controller to save the selection and advance to the next unit of time 8 Thenext unit of time to be edited is Month SVEN announces Month followed by the name of the cur rently selected month Make appropriate edits using the same method as described in step 2 9 Press the Headphone Controller to save the selection and advance to the next unit of time 10 The next unit of time to be edited is Day SVEN announces Day followed by the currently selected value Make appropriate edits using the same method as described in step 2 11 Press the Headphone Controller to save the selection and advance to the next unit of time 12 The next unit of time to be edited is Year SVEN announces Year followed by the currently selected value Make appropriate edits using the same method as described in step 2 183 Press the Headphone Controller to save the selection and exit the Time Date Set Menu SVEN announc es the new time and date information when exiting the Time Date Set Menu Mixer Linking Linking 552 With Another 552 or 664 Mixer The Link I O function allows the 552 to be interconnected with another 552 or 664 mixer for ap plications requiring more inputs When the 552 is linked with a 552 or 664 all inputs appear at both mixer s outputs Return audio and PFL occur on the headphone
73. nt panel zoom function is VU Only 22 disabled This prevents accidental activa Peak plus Peak Hold 20 tion When on press the Headphone e Peak plus VU 18 Controller to enter Zoom Mode Peak Hold plus VU No Zoom 16 e Peak Only No Zoom 14 e VU Only No Zoom 12 e Peak plus Peak Hold No Zoom 10 e Peak plus VU No Zoom 8 6 Return Metering Selects whether or not RTN signal activity On 30 On is displayed on the Output Meter whena Off 24 RTN is active i 8 Tone Frequency Selects the frequency f of the sine wave 1000 Hz 30 1000 Hz i setup tone oscillator 400 Hz 24 100 Hz 22 12 Tone Level Selects the output level of the tone oscil 0 dBu 30 0 dBu lator in dBu Off 24 e 20 dBu 22 e 10 dBu 20 to 8 dBu 20 in 1 dB increments 16 External DC Reference Selects the range for external power volt e 12 Volt Ni Cad 30 12 Volt Ni age measurement Determines external 12 Volt Ni Cad Wide 24 Cad power metering warning level and low e 12 Volt Lead Acid 22 Full range DC Input 20 voltage level 14 Volt Lithium lon 18 Front Panel Button Shortcuts To speed navigation the 552 has numerous navigation shortcuts For combinations press and hold down the first identified key then press the next identified key s Function Key Sequ
74. o the right headphone output and the Left Master Output is sent to the left headphone output RTN A B Split A Press and hold the Headphone Controller slide the RTN Switch to the RTN A Ear Monitoring S RIN 3 then RTN B positions O AOB A summed RTN A signal is sent to the left headphone output and a summed RTN B signal is sent to the right headphone output RTN Loopback c BIN Press and hold the Battery Check button then Slide the RTN Switch to the RTN A A Q B Or RTN B position Sends the select return signal directly to the Tape and Mono Mic outputs Left Output Tone Hold the Slate Mic Tone Switch in the Tone position and press the Battery Check Identification CO roNE e Button Cycles the Left Output Tone Oscillator by 20 dB Next File BEE Press the Recorder Controller a ae a Announces next file number to be recorded b Reset Take PFL Hold PFL 5 press the Stop and Battery Check buttons Counter Resets the take number to 001 SD Card Format Press Stop Headphone Controller and Battery Check buttons Erase L 0 Formats SD media REC LED will flash then illuminate solid yellow wait until light a goes out before performing any other action Save User Setup ia Hold PFL 1 and press the Stop button to SD Card H Saves User Settings to SD Media Load User Setup Pr AN Hold PFL 1 and press the Headphone Controller from SD Card HO Recalls User Settings from S
75. oad for either Mac OS or Windows http www sounddevices com download waveagent html E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information CE Declaration of Conformity According to ISO IEC Guide 22 Sound Devices LLC 300 Wengel Drive Reedsburg WI 53959 USA declares that the product 552 Five Channel Portable Production Mixer with Integrated Recorder is in conformity with and passes EN55103 1 1997 EMC product family standard for audio video audio visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use Part 1 Emissions EN55103 2 1997 EMC product family standard for audio video audio visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use Part 2 Immunity EN55103 1 Phenomena 2 3 1997 EN55103 2 Phenomena 3 1997 Magnetic emissions at 1 meter 50 Hz 50 kHz Magnetic immunity 50 Hz to 10 KHz EN61000 4 2 2001 IEC61000 4 2 2001 EN61000 4 3 2001 IEC1000 4 3 2001 ESD 4 KV contact 8 kV air discharge Radiated RF immunity 10 V m 80 1 KHz amplitude modulation EN61000 4 4 2001 IEC61000 4 4 2001 AC power ports EFT Burst I O lines 0 25 kV to 1 0 kV power line 0 5 kB 1 kV EN61000 4 4 2001 IEC61000 4 4 2001 EFT Burst I O lines 0 25 kV to 1 0 kV power line 0 5 kB 1 kV EN61000 4 5 2001
76. on Quick Start Guide This Quick Start Guide provides a brief overview for first use of the 552 1 Connect power For internal powering from AA batteries unscrew the battery cap counter clock wise insert four AA batteries not included positive side first into the battery tube Thread the battery cap back on clockwise For external powering connect a DC powering source not included to the DC connector on the Right Panel M Oe POUR NU OR Oto zoe SERO DO OQ A w S SOQU 000 1 aO D0000000 cg E NDS ma V DASS 0 Cs 0 7 is External Power Supply not included MASTER 0 L Ww MP Lu MN OB O TO sri Aa V oe G i e 7 EY a 2 6 4 Power On the mixer Slide the power switch to the INT position to power the mixer from AA batteries Slide the power switch to the EXT position to power the mixer from external DC Slide left for Internal AA Battery wO roe POWER y Cue sni TIN POWER A PA NANNE 000000000000000 ON a m e gt 0 rO 0 INT EXT Slide right for External DC Power SOUND DEVICES 5 552 User Guide and Technical Information 5 Set Input Type Mic or Line Level To select an input to Mic or Line level hold an input s PFL switch then sl
77. ord Pause is on ap press once to pause the recording press again to stop When Record Pause is off press once to stop During Playback press once to pause press again to stop Play REC Push the Recorder Controller Down Begins playback of the last take recorded or file currently loaded Playback gt is sent the headphone monitor only Rewind REC Push the Recorder Controller Left Load Previous 4 x While in Stand by push left to load the previous take While in playback Take push and hold left to rewind Fast Forward REC Push the Recorder Controller Right Load Next Take gt While in Stand by push right to load the next take While in playback push and hold right to fast forward gt Load Previous REC Hold the Battery Check button and Push the Recorder Controller Left Daily Folder 4 4x Loads the previous daily folder for playback gt Load Next Daily REC Hold the Battery Check button and Push the Recorder Controller Right e amp p Loads the next daily folder for playback gt Playback Audio to L R Outputs Hold the Battery Check button and Push the Recorder Controller Down Playback audio is sent to the Left and Right Outputs Next File Number REC Press the Recorder Controller While in Stand by SVEN announces the file number of the next file to be recorded REC LED The Record LED indicates the overall media status When no media is present or detected the LED fla
78. quency of high pass filter Full counter clockwise position detented deactivates the High Pass Filter Range is 80 240 Hz 12 dB oct to 6 dB oct See Input Setup and Control PFL Input Solo Switch Pre Fade Listen Sends the input s pre fade signal to headphones for solo monitoring troubleshooting and gain setting Does not affect Master Output signal Slide the switch left to activate and again to deactivate For momen tary action hold the switch left for one second or longer The Input Signal Ac tivity LED flashes yellow when an in put s PFL is latched on The Input PFL Switch is also used to make changes to several input settings See Input Setup and Control 5566000 Input Signal LED Indicates input signal activity LEDs il luminate in various colors and intensi ties to show signal level and activity Green signal presence pre fader yellow limiter activity pre and post fade also flashes when solo is latched on red signal overload clipping pre and post fade also solid when input is muted See Metering Mic Line LED Illuminates blue to indicate an input is set to Line level To toggle between Mic and Line settings hold the input PFL then slide the Slate Mic Tone Switch to the Slate position PH Phantom LED Illuminates blue to indicate an input s phantom power is on To toggle phan tom power on and off hold the selected input s PFL switch then slide the Slate Mic Tone switch to the
79. r and a 3 5 mm jack These two connectors are resistively in parallel and are isolated from the balanced outputs Tape Outputs by default send the Left and Right stereo program Using the RTN Loopback func tion the Tape outputs can be used to send the incoming RTN A or RTN B signals directly to receiving devices See RTN Loopback for more details Mono Mic Output MONO MIC OUT The Mono Mic Output is a summed mix of the left and right output channels The 3 5 mm female connector outputs a mono mic level signal intended for connection with portable transcription recorders and wireless IFB transmitters Using the RTN Loopback function the Mono Mic output can be used to send the incoming RTN A or RTN B signals directly to receiving devices See RTN Loopback for more details AES Digital Outputs Each of the XLR or 10 pin Hirose outputs can be configured in the Setup Menu to output AES3 digital signals The front panel AES Out LED is lit when one or both of the XLR or the 10 Pin outputs are selected as digital outputs The Left XLR or 10 pin output contains the two channel AES A pair the Right XLR or 10 pin output contains the two channel AES B pair The selected output connector s Level Switch should be set to Line when using it as a Digital Output In the Setup Menu the fol lowing routings can be sent to each one of the AES pairs Program before the comma appears on the left side of the AES Output and program after the comma appe
80. rder and the AES A Digital Output Inputs 1 2 Post Fade 22 Left XLR if enabled Inputs 3 4 Pre Fade 20 f Inputs 3 4 Post Fade 18 Input 5 Pre Fade Left Program 16 Input 1 Pre Fade Left Program 14 Input 1 Pre Fade Left Right Mono Program 12 8 AES B Source Selects the source for AES B The Left Right Program 30 L R Output selected source is the program sent to Inputs 1 2 Pre Fade 24 the AES B Digital Output Right XLR if Inputs 1 2 Post Fade 22 enabled Inputs 3 4 Pre Fade 20 Inputs 3 4 Post Fade 18 Input 5 Pre Fade Left Program 16 Input 1 Pre Fade Left Program 14 Input 5 Pre Fade Left Right Mono Program 12 6 Phantom Voltage Sets the phantom power voltage to 48 Volts 30 48 Volts be applied to all inputs When 12 V is 12 Volts 24 selected the overall power consumption 48 Volts Line 22 of the 552 is lowered Line options allow 12 Volts Line 20 phantom to be applied to both Mic and Line Level inputs Using phantom power on microphones at Line Level is useful in high SPL environments Make certain to disable phantom power with Line level output devices susceptible to damage from DC 4 Input Linking Selects input linking for channels 1 2 and Unlinked 30 Unlinked 9 4 Inputs can be linked as stereo or MS Inputs 1 2 Stereo 24 pairs Inp
81. recording the next incremented take Please note that the Record Pause behavior will vary depending on the set Time Code mode When Time Code is set to Stamp File or Stamp File Auto Record the Record Pause feature is ignored This prevents the event of offsets in time code Record Pause is available when Time Code is set to Re place Left and Replace Right This allows linear time code to be recorded to one of the audio tracks When set to Auto Record Replace Left or Auto Record Replace Right the 552 begins recording when the time code signal advances When time code becomes stationary the 552 stops and closes the file If the recording is manually stopped by pressing the stop button the recording is paused If time code is stopped then started again the recording continues recording Press Stop twice at anytime to stop and close the file See Time Code for details Time Code Time Code Mode is set to off at factory default When Time Code Mode is set to off the 552 stamps a start time code value that is derived from the time of day clock to the BEXT chunk of the recorded WAV file and no frame rate information is written When Time Code Mode is off no time code infor mation is written to the iXML chunk of the recorded WAV file MP3 files will have the start time SOUND DEVICES 552 User Guide and Technical Information code value Derived from the time of day clock and a frame rate of 30ND stamped when time code mode is set to off
82. res and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation LED Function 552 User Guide and Technical Information Description Factor Defaul Options 14 Time Code Enables Time Code mode Connect Time Off 30 Off Code to RTN B TA3 connector Time Code Stamp File 24 values are stamped within a recorded _ Replace Left 22 file Time Code is recorded to an audio e Replace Right 20 track when Replace Left or Replace Right Stamp file Auto Record 18 is selected Time Code to Track options Replace Left Auto Record 16 force sampling rate to 48 kHz if set to e Replace Right Auto Record 14 higher sampling rates In Auto Record modes the 552 automatically starts and stops recordings when external time code advances 12 Digital Output Enables digital outputs and routes AES3 All Off 30 All Off pairs to the XLR or 10 Pin outputs AES AES A XLR 24 A uses Left XLR or 10 Pin Connector AES B XLR t 22 AES B uses Right XLR or 10 Pin The Both XLR On 20 connector s Level Switch should be set to AES A 10 Pin 18 Line Level e AES B 10 Pin 16 e Both 10 Pin On 14 10 AES A Source Selects the source for AES A The se e Left Right Program 30 LR Program lected source is the program sent to the Inputs 1 2 Pre Fade 24 Reco
83. rn slide again to turn off For momentary action Hold the RTN switch for one second or longer The RTN A and RTN B LEDs illuminate in various colors and intensities to indicate signal presence green signal activity red RTN clipping The LEDs illuminate solid yellow to indicate the respec tive return is latched on To adjust the gain of a respective RTN hold the RTN switch and turn the headphone controller Return audio can be sent directly to receiving devices using the Tape or Mono Mic outputs See Return Loopback for additional information The RTN B TA3 connector can also be used as a Time Code input RTN B TA3 audio is disabled when time code is enabled See Time Code for additional informa tion Split Ear Return Monitoring Split Ear Return Monitoring allows the user to monitor two sources at the same time RTN A split ear monitoring sends the RTN A summed mono signal to the left headphone monitor and the Right program audio to the right headphone monitor To activate RTN A split ear monitoring press and hold the Headphone Controller then slide the RTN switch left to the A position When RTN A Split Ear Monitoring is active the RTN A LED flashes yellow in a two pulse sequence RIN B split ear monitoring sends the RTN B summed mono signal to the right headphone monitor and the Left program audio to the left headphone monitor To activate RTN B split ear monitoring press and hold the Headphone Controller then slide the RTN switch rig
84. rophone Gain Trim and Fader Relationship The gain of an input is adjusted by two controls Input Trim and Input Fader This two stage archi tecture is identical the to topology of mixing consoles and provides a great deal of flexibility Input Trim is often thought of as a course gain control and the Input Fader as the fine gain control Input Trim 22 72 The 552 s input sensitivity is set with the pop up knob Trim control With the Input Fader set to unity gain 0 dB or 12 o clock make the appropriate adjustments using the Trim control Once the coarse gain is set to the desired level recess the Trim control to hide it from the 552 s mixing surface Trim level is adjustable from 22 to 72 dB of gain The Input Fader is the primary control used during mixing operation Use the Input Fader to make fine gain adjustments during operation The fader can be attenuated from off full counter clockwise position to 15 dB above the set Trim level full clockwise position To optimize gain structure for the best noise performance operate input faders at or near the 0 dB unity gain position High Pass Filter Each input channel has an adjustable high pass filter controlled by the High Pass Filter pop up knob High pass or low cut low roll off filters are useful for removing excess low frequency energy from audio signals Wind noise is a common unwanted low frequency signal that can be reduced with the use of a high pass filter For
85. shes yellow The LED will be off when media is attached and ready When the 552 is actively recording the LED illuminates solid red When recording is paused or in the event that a record command is given and the media is not ready the LED flashes red until the recorder actively starts recording A solid yellow LED indicates the media is busy The LED illuminates solid green while in playback mode and flashes green when playback is paused The LED remains off when the recorder is disabled in the Setup Menu E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Record Mode The REC LED illuminates solid red while recording The start of a recording is indicated audibly in headphones by a single 440 Hz tone When a recording is paused one 220 Hz tone is heard in head phones and the REC LED flashes red See Record Pause for details When recording is stopped two 220 Hz tones are heard in headphones The Setup Menu is locked out while recording The 552 can be set to automatically start and stop recordings according to the incoming time code signal See Time Code for details If the internal batteries drop to extremely low voltage levels while recording the recorder will au tomatically close the file that it is recording to prevent it from being lost The recorder is locked out until the power source is switched to external or the 552 is
86. t headphone levels The currently selected headphone level is briefly indicated on the right output meter when the Head phone level control is turned LB v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information 9 Set Input Faders in use to unity gain O dB or 12 o clock Faders not used should be set to off full counter clockwise position 10 Set Input Trim Levels Push to release the recessed Trim gain Control Turn the Trim Control clockwise to raise the level of the input Once the gain has been set push the Trim Control again to recess the control and remove it from the mixing surface Use the Input Fader to make fine level adjustments SWO A e a Ke 15 Q LE Teno 2 A e 7 Ev ru 5 O 11 Route each input to either Left or Right Outputs using the Input Pan Control Push to release the recessed Pan Control Turn counter clockwise to send the input to the Left Output and turn clockwise to send it to the Right Output Once the pan has been set push the Pan Control again to recess the control and remove it from the mixing surface 12 Set High Pass Filters and Limiters Set the High Pass Filter using the control adjacent to the Trim Control full counter clockwise position is off Activate the Limiters using the switch adjacent to the Master Output Gain Control L
87. te Microphone The built in 552 slate microphone is used to notate scenes from the mixer location Its audio perfor mance is not suitable for critical recording applications it should be used for documenting scenes and for communication purposes only The slate mic uses the left switch position Slide the switch to the left to activate and again to turn off For momentary action hold the switch to the left for 1 second or longer The LED adjacent to the Mic Tone switch will illuminate yellow when either Slate or Tone is latched on E v 1 4 Features and specifications are subject to change Visit www sounddevices com for the latest documentation 552 User Guide and Technical Information Program audio is muted while the slate mic is active The signal is sent to all outputs and the Inte grated Digital Audio Recorder In the Setup Menu a one second 400 Hz tone can be set to precede the slate microphone Additionally the slate mic can be disabled to prevent unintended activation The slate mic is used as a communication system between the Sound Mixer and a Boom Operator when using the Talk Back mode selected in the Setup Menu See Talk Back Mode for more details Tone Oscillator Tone is used to set gain structure between the 552 and the next device in the signal path The tone oscillator uses the right position of the slide switch Slide right to activate hold for two seconds to latch on The LED adjacent to the Mic Tone switch will
88. the 552 is powered down and batteries are changed External Powering The 552 can be powered from any DC voltage from 10 to 18 VDC Pin 4 of the locking Hirose con nector is positive and pin 1 is negative The external DC supply is fully isolated floating from the rest of the mixer for easy and safe interconnection with other external audio gear Voltage Metering Press and release the Battery Check button to display the voltage levels of the internal batteries and external power sources The Left meter shows the internal battery voltage level the right meter shows the external voltage level Because many different power sources can be used for external powering the external DC metering is customizable for different power sources in the Setup Menu SOUND DEVICES ES 552 User Guide and Technical Information Voltage Metering Chart The Power LED lights green for any voltage higher than the Warning Point When the voltage level drops to the Warning Point the power LED illuminates yellow Internal power only When the Low Voltage point is reached the LED flashes red until the power source is exhausted and unable to power the mixer High Warning Low Setting Voltage Point Voltage Powsteurce 1 13 0 11 5 11 0 12 V NiCad NiMH Factory Setting 2 17 0 11 5 11 0 Expanded range of setting 1 3 14 0 11 4 10 0 12 V Lead Acid 4 17 0 11 5 5 0 Full range of DC input w cutoff for 12 V NiCad etc 5
89. uts 1 2 MS 22 Inputs 3 4 Stereo 20 Inputs 3 4 MS 18 Inputs 1 2 Stereo and 3 4 Stereo 16 Input 1 2 MS and 3 4 MS 14 Input 1 2 Stereo and 3 4 MS 12 Input 1 2 MS and 3 4 Stereo 10 2 Slate Mic Enables disables the Slate Mic switch e On 30 On Tone Slate option adds a 400 Hz tone Tone Slate 24 when slate is activated e Off 22 0 Talk Back Allows 3 5 mm headphone jack to be e Off 30 Off used as a communication link Slate ap pears in right ear only and is mixed with select audio Slate is only sent to 1 4 and 8 5 mm headphones SOUNDSDEVICES e Slate Only 24 e Slate plus Left Program 22 Slate plus Input 1 Post Fade 20 552 User Guide and Technical Information LED Function Description Options EDU Defaul 2 Meter Reference Level Selects 0 VU to dBu reference e 0 dBu VU amp Peak 30 0 dBu VU amp e 4 dBu VU 0 dBu Peak 24 Peak 8 dBu VU 0 dBu Peak 22 e 1 dBu VU amp Peak 20 e 42 dBu VU amp Peak 18 e 43 dBu VU amp Peak 16 4 dBu VU amp Peak 14 e 5 dBu VU amp Peak 12 e 46 dBu VU amp Peak 10 e 7 dBu VU amp Peak 8 48 dBu VU amp Peak 6 4 Meter Ballistics Selects the metering ballistics of the e Peak Hold plus VU 30 Peak Hold Output Meter When a No Zoom option is e Peak Only 24 plus VU selected the fro
90. vels 10 Pin Master Outputs and Return A 10 pin connector includes second master output transformer isolated from the XLR outputs and unbalanced stereo Return A Can be set to send out AES digital signals See AES Digit Outputs RTN B TC Input Unbalanced stereo input for Return B audio and Time Code input on TA3 con nector RTN B wiring pin 1 Ground pin 2 Left pin 3 Right Time Code wiring pin 1 and 3 ground pin 2 Hot See Time Code TA3 Master Outputs Line 10 or Mic level selected in the Setup Menu Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold float pin 3 to unbalance 10 Tl 12 13 14 xw Unbalanced tape level stereo output on TA3 connector Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Left pin 3 Right Link I O Used to link additional Sound Devices 552 302 442 or MixPre mixers See Mixer Linking Headphone Outputs 1 4 inch and 3 5 mm stereo connectors drive headphones from 8 2000 ohm impedances 3 5 mm connection can be set in the Setup Menu as an independent boom operator send See Talk Back Mode XLR Output Level Sets the nominal output level for the Left and Right XLR Master Output to Line 10 or Mic levels XLR Master Outputs Transformer balanced analog out puts on standard 3 pin XLR connec tors Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold Unbalance by tieing pin 3 to pin 1 Can be set to send AES3 digital signals in the Setup Menu Se
91. with 44 1 and 48 kHz sampling rates When the sampling rate is set to 88 2 or 96 kHz and one of the Time Code to Track modes is selected the sampling rate is forced to 48 kHz The 552 prevents sending time code signals written to track to the outputs and the headphone monitor The REC SOURCE headphone monitor selection continues to monitor the AES A Source when a Time Code to Track option is selected Time Code recorded to Track is muted while playing back the file from the 552 External Time Code Auto Record The 552 can be set to automatically start and stop recordings according to the incoming time code signal when anyone of the Auto Record modes is selected in the Time Code Setup Menu The 552 enters record as the external time code advances and the recording is stopped when the external code is stationary This is appropriate when dual system sound is used with video cameras set for Rec Run time code The video camera functions as master time code and the 552 recorder transport follows the video camera transport Playback After a file has been recorded the 552 can play back the file The last file recorded is always the file that is immediately available for playback Playback audio is sent to the headphone monitor The Headphone Selector position determines the monitoring behavior ST Left and Right Stereo M Left and Right Mono L Left Mono R Right Mono MS ST Mid Side Stereo Decoded and REC SOURCE Left and Right Stereo

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