RME OCTAMIC XTC [16/62] Channel menu

User’s Guide OctaMic XTC © RME

8.4 Channel Menu

Mic 1 to 8, Settings, has the following entries:

Pre Amp Gain

Sets the current gain/amplification. Choices are 0 dB, and +10 up to +65 dB in steps of 1 dB.

AutoSet Gain

Automatic overload protection by gain reduction in case of overload. AutoSet tries to keep a

headroom of 6 dB. Levels higher than -6 dBFS will permanently reduce the gain. To check set

the channels to a high gain and apply an input signal. The displayed gain will quickly decrease

to a gain that is appropriate. While AutoSet in the XTC is not exactly the same as in the RME

Micstasy (with extreme overloads distortion will occur for the fraction of a second before the

level is set correctly), it works quite well in real-world applications and will prevent distorted

recordings reliably.

AutoSet can be activated in CHANNEL as well as on the gain pages brought up by the chan-

nel’s SELECT key: a push on encoder 1 and 2 activates AutoSet. The label AS in the display

changes from light gray to black.

With grouped channels the field AutoSet Gain is grayed

out, activating AutoSet is then done in the Groups page.

To avoid shifts in panorama AutoSet should work ganged

with stereo channels, so that gain changes of one channel

are also applied to the other one. This function is part of the

groups and thus available for up to 8 channels

simultaneously. This also means that for using ganged

AutoSet a stereo pair (like Mic1/2) has to be defined and

activated explicit as group.

As soon as AutoSet reduces the gain the label AS, shown in the front display, changes its color

from black to blue.

Gain Group

Assigns channels to one of four groups. Choices are None or 1 to 4.

+48V

Activates phantom power for condenser microphones or special accessories (Alva Test Plug).

Phantom power should only be activated when condenser microphones that require such a

power supply are used, and only in the specific channel. Additionally always make sure the

microphone is plugged in first before the phantom power is switched on. The OctaMic XTC

turns on the phantom power smoothly (soft start). Connecting and disconnecting microphones

while phantom power is active causes a high voltage surge, which can destroy the sensitive

microphone input stage.

Phantom power is only applied to the XLR socket, the inner TRS contacts do not carry any volt-

age.