The Main Fader
The main fader is actually a VCA Fader that uses a THAT VCA of the highest quality to avoid any derogation of the audio performance. Using a VCA as main fader includes the possibility of an automation interface and of vca groups. If you are a very puristic customer, we can install an audio fader, but this makes VCA Groups and the automation interface impossible. The fader is a 100 mm conductive plastic type, brand Penny & Giles or KO-ON. The scale accuracy is better than 1 dB in the range from -30 to + 10 dB. The 0 dB mark is manually calibrated. The Cut Function is combined with the fader. If a channel is cutted, the vca is closed and an additional relay switches the channel off. In addition, the aux send are muted, also if they are in the Pre Fader position.
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The Surround Panoramic Section
The output of the main fader drive the input of the 5.1 panoramic section that offers all fully features surround panning. The LCR Pan control the front and the surround channels in parallel. While the law of the front channels depends on the setting of the DIV (Divergence) pot, the surround channels operate like a normal stereo pan with a center attenuation of 3 dB. If the DIV pot is in the 0 position (all to the left), the LCR Pan crossfades the left channel only (all to the left) to the center channel only (at center position) and on the way to the right to the right channel only. This regulation operates like two normal stereo pan pots, next to each other. (Left to Center and Center to Right. This characteristic is approriate, if the signal is punctual. Setting the Divergence pot to a position different from 0, the attenuation of both the left and right front channels at and around the center position is reduced. If the divergence pot is all to right in its "1" position, there is no attenuation of L and R at the center position anymore. The regualion law looks like this:
All to the right : left only,
Center position: all three frontchannel at the same level of 0 dB
all to the right: right only
The law of the center channel is not affected by the divergence control. Only the L and R front channels are modified. The signal appears to be wider if the setting of the divergence pot is near 1. The Front - Surround pan operates like a normal stereo pan, but it regulates all the three front channels against the 2 surround channels with an attenuation at the center position of 3 dB for every channel. The LFE channel is not affected by any other control. It operates like a simple aux send and adds the input signal of the panoramic section to the LFE buss. It's range is from off to 0 dB (all to the right = 1). The surround Pan feeds the main surround bus via the MIX-OFF switch. If this switch is pressed, the fader output can still feed the channel output, the routing and the sends, but the main mix bus is switched off.
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The Group Routing
The SRC51 console has 16 group busses. Every input module IM5 has a group buss amp installed. The groups are assigned by the wiring of the console frame. Each group can be assigned to any module slot but one group can only be assinged to one channel. The assignment is made be soldered bridges on the frame pcb's and can be changed at any time. With the standard configuration, the first 16 module slots are assigned to the 16 groups. With console frames that do not have at least 16 module slots, not all the 16 groups are available. Independent of the internal use of the group, the output of the buss amo feeds an internal buss system, that assignes the groups to the control room input selector.

The routing section of the channel uses 8 switches and two additional mode switches. The standard configuration is mono. The 8 switches rout the signal to the odd group busses 1, 3, 5 ... to 15, unless the EVEN switch is pressed, that assings the 8 switches to the even numbered groups 2, 4, 6 ... 16. The PAN switch overrides the EVEN switch and inserts the routing pan into the signal chain. In this mode, the 8 switches operate in stereo mode and assign stereo pairs (1-2, 3-4 ... 15-16).

An additional function of the cue send section makes it possible to split the routing into two 8 buss systems. See the cue section for details.

The routing is normally fed from the record send point, that can be the input or the output of the processing section, depending on the state of the REC PRE switch. The POST switch sets the routing post fader and the INP switch, that overrides the POST switch connects the input directly to the input select or the output of the filter section, depending on the setting of a jumper. The FDR switch inserts an additional level control pot, the record fader, that has a range from off to + 6 dB. This fader makes it possible to adjust the record level and set up mixes of several channels as well. In addition, the routing system can be used as a floating, mono or stereo aux send if the routing is not used for recording or audio subgrouping.
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The Solo System
The Solo system is totally separated from the PFL. It is a "Solo in Place" that actually cuts all channels that are not in SAFE or in SOLO mode. SAFE disconnects the particular channel from the solo control bus without setting the console in solo mode. These channels are not muted by another solo and the will not set the console into solo mode if the Solo switch is pressed. A Solo Off function, that is installed in the control room module can disable the entire solo system. Like PFL OFF SOLO off does not reset the Solo System but it allows to toggle between solo mode and normal mode.
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The VCA Grouping
The SRC51 comes with 4 combined VCA and Cut Groups. Every main fader can be assinged to any number of groups by the 4 switches, Group 1 to Group 4. A LED display that the particular channel is assigned to a Group. The VCA groups operate in normal adding mode. If the group fader is in the 0 dB position, the channel fader is unchanged. Any different position of the group fader shifts the channel fader with the dB value of the group fader's setting. If more than one groups are assigned to the same channel, the result for the channel fader is the addition of all the group master setting. 2 group masters at the - 5 dB point result in a level shift of - 10 dB. The Cut of a group master is also added to the assigned channel, independent of the actual local fader and group fader setting. One group cut forces all assigned channel to cut. A VCA group can be used as Cut Group by setting the group fader to the zero dB mark.
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Automation Interface
Although a conventional console automation system is not considered as important by most of the customers nowadays, we have included the a standard adt-audio-CAS interface. This gives the opportunity for you to install an adt-audio CAS computer system or any kind of @Optifile Computer as well, since the interface uses the same control voltage law. Used @Optifile computers are available at a very low price and apart from the bizarre operation and the genuinely antique graphic using a TV as monitor they are reliable systems.
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Sends
Apart from the routing system that can be used for floating sends while mixing, there are 6 fixed sends. The 4 mono aux sends are normally assinged post fader and have single PRE switches. A cut of the main fader and a solo from another channel cuts the aux sends in post and pre mode.

The stereo cue send has different operation modes. It is normally assinged pre fader, pre solo and pre cut. The cue send is the favorite send for the main playback mix, since it is a stereo send and the normal assignment make it independend of the cut, solo and fader states. The POST switch puts the cue send post fader. The REC switch overrides the setting of the post switch and taps the record send as input signal for the cue send. This function makes it possible to use the record signal instead of the monitor signal. The function is important if the console is used for recording with many channels while the cue send is used for the main playback mix, since it is possible to playback the source signal instead of the monitor signal.

If the TO-GR 9-16 switch is not pressed, the cue send drives the cue buss. The TO GR 9-16 function disconnects the Cue send from the cue buss and splits the routing into two 8 buss routings. The busses 1 to 8 remain in the routing system while the group 9 to 16 are assigned to the cue level and pan. This function gives the opportunity for more floating sends while mixing. In addition to the 4 aux sends, the cue send can be assigned to its own bus or 8 busses of the routing system and the routing can be used as a floating send too. Both, the cue and routing can be used either in stereo or dual mono, using the pan for the relation between the two mono busses. This give a total of 8 mono sends or 4 mono plus 2 stereo send, but the effect is much higher since there are 16 busses that can be assigned differently from channel to channel.
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