Line Conditioners And Protectors; About Audio Cables - Alesis ADAT-XT20 Reference Manual

Chapter 1: Setting Up
L
INE
A
BOUT
The connections between the XT20 and your studio are your music's lifeline, so
use only high quality cables. These should be low-capacitance shielded cables
with a stranded (not solid) internal conductor and a low-resistance shield.
Although quality cables cost more, they do make a difference. Route cables to
the XT20 correctly by observing the following precautions:
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such as transformers, monitors, computers, etc.
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may not cause immediate damage, but it can compress the insulation between
the center conductor and shield (degrading performance) or reduce the cable's
reliability.
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firmly grasping the body of the plug and pulling directly outward.
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as Tweek and Cramolin, when applied to electrical connectors, are claimed to
improve the electrical contact between connectors.
10
C
ONDITIONERS AND
Although the XT20 is designed to tolerate typical voltage variations,
in today's world the voltage coming from the AC line may contain
spikes or transients that can possibly stress your gear and, over time,
cause a failure. There are three main ways to protect against this,
listed in ascending order of cost and complexity:
• Line spike/surge protectors. Relatively inexpensive, these are
designed to protect against strong surges and spikes, acting somewhat
like fuses in that they need to be replaced if they've been hit by an
extremely strong spike.
• Line filters. These generally combine spike/surge protection
with filters that remove some line noise (dimmer hash, transients from
other appliances, etc.).
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This is the most
sophisticated option. A UPS provides power even if the AC power line
fails completely. Intended for computer applications, a UPS allows you
to complete an orderly shutdown of a computer system in the event of a
power outage, and the isolation it provides from the power line
minimizes all forms of interference—spikes, noise, etc.
A C
UDIO ABLES
Do not bundle audio cables with AC power cords.
Avoid running audio cables near sources of electromagnetic interference
Do not place cables where they can be stepped on. Stepping on a cable
Avoid twisting the cable or having it make sharp, right angle turns.
Never unplug a cable by pulling on the wire itself. Always unplug by
Although Alesis does not endorse any specific product, chemicals such
P
ROTECTORS
ADAT XT20 Reference Manual