Tape Inputs; Direct Outputs - Alesis Studio 32 Reference Manual

Hooking It Up
1/4" plug, balanced line sources may also be connected here using a "stereo" TRS
plug as shown above. Line inputs may also be used for connecting additional effects
returns, where additional post-effect equalization is required.
Do not connect a line input and a microphone to the same channel.

Tape Inputs

The TAPE IN jacks area 1/4" balanced TRS connectors which will accept either
balanced or unbalanced inputs. Usually, you'll connect the outputs of your
multitrack tape machine here. There is no TRIM control for the tape input; it is
designed to work with +4 dBu (balanced high level) or -10 dBV (unbalanced
medium level) line signals.
Depending on the position of the source switches of a channel, you can hear the tape
input in the main channel, the monitor, or both at once.
Tip: If you don't have a 16-track studio, you may use extra TAPE IN jacks to connect
to the outputs of any line-level unit such as synthesizers or effects devices.

Direct Outputs

The DIRECT OUT jack on each channel is a balanced 1/4" connector which provides
a direct output of the post-fader channel signal. It is set for a unity-gain output, so
it can drive either +4 dBu or -10 dBV devices depending on the setting of the TRIM
control and the fader. If you want to record a single source to a track of tape, connect
this to the inputs of your multitrack tape recorder, or for any other application
where you need a direct output. (The other option is to connect the Group Out jacks
to the recorder, as explained on page 31.)
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Studio 32 Reference Manual