Award-Winning Midas Microphone Preamplifier

The Midas microphone preamplifier is considered by leading live sound and recording engineers to be the very essence of the famous Midas sound. More than 40 years of design experience paired with the finest choice of premium-grade components lead to the acclaimed warmth and depth – bringing out subtle ambience, maintaining spatial positioning and more effectively capturing a precise sound image. The acclaimed sound of the award-winning Midas microphone preamplifier has inspired generations of live sound engineers to their best work, creating sonic panoramas that have captivated audiences worldwide.

Since pristine sound always begins with the microphone preamplifier, the first point where the signal enters the console, DL251 features the latest generation of Midas microphone preamplifiers, which faithfully reproduce every sonic detail so no part of a performance will ever be missed. Transparent and pristine sound, low noise and high common-mode rejection are all hallmarks of this classic design.

Over the years many mix engineers have found this robust and overload-tolerant design takes on a whole new dimension of sound when driven hard, the crystal-clear audiophile reproduction giving way to just the right combination of harmonics, a warm and organic sound heard by millions of concert goers and recorded for posterity on countless live albums over the years.

Digital Audio Networking

SuperMAC (AES50-Compliant) digital audio networking technology from Klark Teknik simultaneously provides high channel counts, ultra low and deterministic latencies, sample-synchronous and phase-aligned networked clock distribution, error detection and correction, network redundancy, and ease of deployment and use – to meet the demanding requirements of live concert touring.

DL251 is compatible with all Midas digital consoles and audio system engines, as well as with any other AES50-equipped devices.

High Output Drive Line Outputs With Mute

DL251 features 16 active servo-balanced low impedance line level outputs with high output current capability for driving long cable runs.

A recessed ‘Mute All Outputs’ switch on the rear panel allows quiet and safe re-patching of cables, even during a show.

96 kHz Or 48 kHz Operation

DL251 supports multiple sample rates for the AES50 connections – 96 kHz for use with Midas Pro Series, and 48 kHz for use with Midas M32 Series.

Remote Console Or Front Panel Control

All configuration settings for DL251 can be set either remotely from the mixing console, or directly via the intuitive and easy to understand front panel. DL251 features front panel switches for all configuration options with LED status indicators, which provide highly visible feedback of operational status over wide viewing angles and distances.

Clear indication is provided of power supply output rail condition, AES50 and Ethernet network connection status and activity, choice of internal or external clock synchronisation, unit identification and communication mode setting.

Built For The Road

Featuring a rugged steel 5U rackmount enclosure, the DL251 is designed for the rigours of live concert touring. Premium Neutrik connectors are used to ensure reliable audio and network connections, night after night.

Dual Redundant Universal Switch-Mode Power Supplies

DL251 features dual-redundant power supplies, which are auto-voltage sensing for use on a worldwide basis and provide seamless switchover in the unlikely event of a loss of one power supply.

DL251 Architecture and Engineering Specifications

The interface unit shall be designed for digital audio mixing applications and be optimised for use in live performance. It shall feature 48 integrated microphone preamplifier inputs with 2.5 dB analogue gain steps and 16 servo-balanced electronic outputs on industry-standard XLR connectors and shall be capable of operating at 48 kHz and 96 kHz sampling rates.

The interface unit shall include a recessed switch on the rear panel to mute all outputs.

The interface unit shall support a 100 Megabit Ethernet frame-based digital audio network that shall offer N+1 cable redundancy and be compliant with the Audio Engineering Society AES50-2011 standard. Three digital audio network ports and one Ethernet control port shall be provided. An industry-standard MIDI Interface (In, Out, Thru) shall also be provided.

The interface unit shall provide both front panel and remote network configuration of operational settings and provide LED status of power supply output rail condition, digital audio and control network connection status and activity, clock synchronisation source, unit identification and communication mode setting.

The interface unit shall include two auto-ranging universal switch-mode power supplies with dual redundancy for use on a worldwide basis.

The interface unit shall be housed in a standard 5U 19″ rackmount chassis, and shall be 483 mm wide x 414 mm deep x 221 mm high (19.0″ x 16.3″ x 8.7″), with nominal weight 10 kg (22.1 lbs). The interface unit shall be installed in a rack frame or road case capable of safely supporting its weight. Input, output, and power connections shall be made at the rear panel of the interface unit. Installers shall allow adequate space at the rear for connection and disconnection of input, output, and power connections. The power requirements shall be 100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz.

Features

• 48 award-winning Midas microphone preamplifiers with switchable +48 V phantom power
• 16 actively balanced low impedance line level outputs
• Selectable 96 kHz or 48 kHz sample rate operation
• Remote operation up to 100 m via CAT5/5e cable
• All settings programmable from front panel controls or console
• PSU status indicator LEDs and configuration switches on front panel
• 3 AES50 network ports for redundant connections
• MIDI In, Out and Thru connectors
• Features Neutrik etherCON* AES50 network ports
• Rugged 5U rackmount chassis for durability in portable applications
• Dual redundant auto-ranging universal switch-mode power supplies