Black Lion Audio Auteur mkIII User manual

©2022 Black Lion Audio. The Black Lion
Audio ‘Lion Face’ logo, BLA, are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Black Lion Audio.
This manual and any associated intel-
lectual property are subject to copyright
protection. No part of this document may
be reproduced in any form without explicit
written consent from Black Lion Audio.
Notice
This manual provides general information, preparation for
use, installation and operating instructions for the Black Lion
Audio Auteur mkIII.
The information contained in this manual is subject to
change without notice. Black Lion Audio makes no warran-
ties of any kind with regard to this manual, including, but not
limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and t-
ness for a particular purpose. Black Lion Audio shall not be
liable for errors contained herein or direct, indirect, special,
incidental, or consequential damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Auteur mkIII
2-channel Microphone Preamp
Owner’s Manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat regis-
ters, stoves, or other apparatus that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.
A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or third prong is provided for your safety. If the pro-
vided plug does not t into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particular-
ly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the apparatus. If the power cord becomes frayed, stop using
immediately.
11. Use only attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer
12. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table specied by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid in-
jury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for
long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing is re-
quired when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as
power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or
objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been ex-
posed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been
dropped.
15. This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and
no object lled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the
apparatus.
16. Note that this apparatus is not completely disconnected from the
AC mains service when the power switch is in the OFF position.
17. The mains plug or power inlet on the product is used as the discon-
nect device, so the disconnected device shall remain readily opera-
ble when reconnected.
18. Any changes or modications not expressly approved in this manu-
al could void your authority to operate this apparatus.
IMPORTANT !
Be sure to use a three prong AC cable that properly ts the power
source. Please use the correct fuse designated on the rear panel be-
fore plugging in the power cord. Improper selection can result in dam-
age to the unit that will not be covered under the warranty.
The lightning ash with an arrow-
head symbol within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the
user to the presence of uninsu-
lated “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that may
be of sucient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric shock
to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
The Black Lion Audio Auteur mkIII complies with all applicable /
RoHS/ WEEE European Union directives.
Do not attempt to service this unit yourself, as it will void your warran-
ty. Please check your unit carefully upon receipt and return to place
of purchase immediately if there are any problems with the product.
After that, the standard Black Lion Audio 3 YEAR warranty will apply
to defects in materials and workmanship.
INTERNATIONAL
For service or warranty assistance, please contact the Black Lion Au-
dio distributor in your country through the dealer from whom you pur-
chased this product.
LIMITED 3 YEAR WARRANTY
Black Lion Audio’s Auteur mkIII is warranted by Black Lion Audio to
be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of
THREE (3) YEARS to the original purchaser. In the event of such defects,
the product will be repaired without charge or, at our option, replaced
with a new one if delivered to Black Lion Audio prepaid, together with a
copy of the sales slip or other proof of purchase date. The warranty ex-
cludes problems due to normal wear, abuse, shipping damage or failure
to use the product in accordance with the specications.
All parts and labor are covered under this Limited Warranty. However,
if it is determined by Black Lion Audio that the device was damaged or
made defective through abuse, we reserve the right to charge the cus-
tomer for the cost of the repair.
Black Lion Audio shall not be liable for damages based upon inconve-
nience, loss of use of the product, loss of time, interrupted operation or
commercial loss or any other damages, whether incidental, consequen-
tial or otherwise. This warranty gives you specic legal rights, and you
may have other rights, which will vary from state to state.
This warranty is not transferable.
QUICK START GUIDE RACKEAR INSTALLATION
On your sound system, mute your monitors and then connect your input
source(s) via balanced XLR or TRS cable(s). Microphone level sources
connect to the back panel XLR inputs, while instrument level and line
level sources utilize the front panel TRS inputs. Next, connect your
Auteur mkIII’s output to your patch bay or subsequent signal processor
using the appropriate TRS cable.
Set all controls to full counter-clockwise position, and all pushbuttons
deselected or in the off position. Next apply power. Engage the push-
button options according to the requirements of the input source and
turn gain knobs clockwise until the desired signal amplitude is achieved.
Your Auteur mkIII arrives in its default desktop format. In order to secure
the unit inside a standard 19” rack space, the optional rack ears must be
installed. Please note, once rack ears are installed the unit will be ½ the
width of a standard rack space. A half rack blank panel or another half
rack unit must be installed adjacent to the Auteur mkIII in order to oc-
cupy the entire rack space. To install the rack ears, align the rack ears
screw holes with the screw holes on the side of the Auteur mkIII chassis.
Next use a hex driver to insert and tighten the included screws. Your
Auteur mkIII is now prepped for rack installation. When installing the
Auteur mkIII next to a blank panel or another half rack unit, a connec-
tor plate (sold separately) will need to be placed between the units and
serve as the middle screw anchors.
1. Power: Flip switch up to turn preamp on, ip switch down to turn
preamp off.
2. Gain: Clockwise rotation yields an increase in output signal ampli-
tude, counterclockwise rotation yields a decrease in output signal
amplitude.
3. Line/TRS Engage: Press this button to turn on the TRS input. When
engaged, this input will work at line-level.
4. Hi-Z: When this button is engaged, the TRS input will work at instru-
ment-level, as opposed to line-level.
5. 48V: Engage to turn phantom power on, disengage to turn phantom
power off.
6. 48V Indicator: This LED indicates that 48V of phantom power is
engaged.
7. Phase Inverse (Ø): Engage to adjust input signal polarity by 180°,
disengage to leave input signal polarity unchanged.
8. Pad: Engage to reduce input signal amplitude by 10dBu, disengage
to leave input signal amplitude unchanged.
9. XLR Microphone Input: Balanced mic-level input.
10. TRS OUT: Balanced, line-level TRS output.
11. AC IN: 24VAC input jack (only use a BLA-specied power supply).
12. GND: Internal chassis ground.
Note: Please note the Hi-Z button must be engaged in addition to the
TRS Engage button to properly accommodate Hi-Z sources. For proper
performance, balanced XLR must be used for all inputs and outputs.
SPECIFICATIONS
Preamp Type Solid State
Number of Channels 2
Phantom Power Yes
Pad -10dB
Analog Inputs 2 x XLR
Analog Outputs 2 x 1/4″ TRS
Frequency Response 10Hz-30kHz bandwidth
Rack Spaces Half-rack
Power Source 24V AC, 500mA power supply
Dimensions Width – 180mm (w/o rack ears), 242mm (with
rack ears)
Height – 44mm (1U)
Depth – 150mm
Weight 3.1 lbs.
38 6 638 1
24 57 4 572
11 10 912 910