CTP Systems DC2012 User manual

DC2012 Commentary Box
Instruction Manual
by CTP Systems
Revised 1.4.2018

Product warranty
This unit is guaranteed for a period of one year from dispatch of the goods. This guarantee is a
return to base warranty. In the unlikely event of a fault the goods should be returned to CTP
Systems in the UK or your local dealer.
This equipment is CE marked and conforms to the following directives:
Low Voltage Directive: EN60065
Emissions: EN55103.1
Immunity: EN55103.2
WEEE
CTP Systems are registered for Business to Business sales of WEEE in the UK. Our registration
number is WEE/DF0509VR. This is why our product has a ridiculous picture of a dustbin on the
back.
RoHS
The product conforms to the RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC for restriction of the use of hazardous
substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
This unit was designed and manufactured in the UK by CTP Systems Limited, Unit 4, Clinton
Business Centre, Lodge Road, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0QF.
ctpsystems.co.uk. Telephone [phone]

Overview
The DC2012 is the next progression from our highly successful DC99-II commentary box.
Designed from the ground up, the unit has a sturdy two piece steel chassis with custom manufactured
protective handles. Facilities have been greatly improved with the highest quality audio a prime
objective.
The DC2012 has a paper white liquid crystal display with six control push buttons to facilitate intuitive
adjustment of the units various settings. It may be easily locked to prevent operator adjustment.
Including three top quality microphone amplifiers with built in limiters, separate line level microphone
outputs with a mixed output facility , four lazy talkback outputs and a total of ten available monitoring
inputs we feel the DC2012 is a very flexible commentary box.
Microphone Amplifiers
The DC2012 includes three digitally controlled microphone amplifiers with magnificently low distortion
and really natural sounding audio amplification. Microphone amplifier gain is adjustable in 1dB steps
from +15dB to +70dB or may be set to +5dB. Each microphone amplifier has an individual XLR
electronically balanced output. Each line level microphone output also has a built in limiter with
adjustable threshold from off to +20dBm. There is also a mixed output available with its own limiter and
selectable comm. A/Comm.B/Guest mix.
The unit has four ‘Lazy’ outputs (re-directed audio) which silently take the commentator microphone off
the air and re-directs the microphone audio to any of the four outputs. These outputs are common to

both commentators with each commentator having four individual buttons. These outputs are
electronically balanced.
Each commentator has a ‘Mic Live’ switch which can be programmed to just illuminate when the mic is
taken off air (by pressing the ‘Lazy talkback’ buttons) or as a momentary ‘Mic cut’ (or cough) switch or
as a Mic cut with toggle on and off. Setting depends on how much you trust your commentators!
48 volt phantom power is available for each microphone amplifier and selection is shown on front panel
red LEDs for each of the three inputs.
Headphone Monitoring
Each commentator has six common audio monitoring inputs with volume controls designated Talkback,
Programme, Aux 1, Aux 2, Aux 3, Aux 4. There is also an additional feed of sidetone (himself) and
another for the other commentator plus the guest microphone. Additionally there are four more
monitoring inputs, available on the multiway input, which may be selected to commentator A or
commentator B replacing the first four inputs enabling the two commentators to work to different
trucks or on different productions.
Every input may be switched via individual user adjustable mini toggle switches to left, right or both ears
of the headphones.
Headphone monitoring may be a 5 pin XLR connection with both microphone and headset connection or
3 pin XLR microphone input with TRS jack stereo headset connection. This jack socket is suitable for use
with both ¼ inch stereo and 316 (PO) jacks. The guest has his own headphone feed with a mix derived
from commentator A’s mix but with his own overall volume control. Individual commentator A feeds
may be switched away from the guest so if just, for example, a programme feed is required for the
guest.
All audio monitoring inputs are transformer isolated as standard and this is normally sufficient to
prevent any ‘Earth loop’ problems. Output transformers are available as an option.
Oh, and the headphone amplifiers go loud, capable of 500mW of audio with low distortion. Please
ensure you have audio level limited head sets if required.
Other Facilities
The rear panel MIL26 connector carries the four separate additional audio inputs or may be configured
to carry four common audio inputs to the two commentators. Two commentator outputs and a lazy
output (or two lazy outputs on 8 pair cable) are also available so, on less complicated productions, it is
possible to connect the DC2012 with just one multicore cable.
The DC2012 has a built in tone generator which can be set to identify any (or all) of the audio outputs.
Perfect for setup and identification of the audio channels with a different tone identification on each

output. Lots of lights flash when it’s on so it’s not easy to forget. Commentator A output breaks once
every three seconds. Commentator B outputs twice, Guest three times and the mixed output is
continuous. Tone frequency may be set at 400Hz, 1kHz or 2kHz to avoid confusion with other tone
sources.
Comms box setup
All user settings on the comms box are controlled by the LCD display and its associated buttons.
Settings may be protected by switching the rear panel toggle switch to ‘lock’. When switched to’ lock’
the display will automatically switch to the top menu allowing only adjustment of the guest volume. All
other controls will be disabled.
Setup
From the ‘switch on’ menu select ‘Setup’
Mic Gains
This allows adjustment of individual microphone amplifier gains from +5dB to +70dB. Press the button
next to the mic amp you wish to adjust. The cursor arrows will move to show your selection. Press the
up/down buttons to adjust to the required gain. Either press the button quickly to adjust in 1dB steps or
hold the button down to adjust at speed. Press ‘back’ to return to the top menu.
Phantom
Each mic amp is shown with phantom on or off. Press the associated button to toggle phantom on that
channel on or off. Front panel LEDs will illuminate to indicate status with phantom on.
Limiters
Each microphone amplifier has its own limiter. To adjust the limit threshold select the required
microphone to adjust, the cursor will move to show the selection. Press up or down to adjust the
threshold to suit. If no limiter is required in circuit then adjust the limiter to it’s maximum threshold
(+24dB).
Mixed O/P
This allows selection of each microphone to the mixed output. It is important that if a mic amp is not in
use that it is deselected from the mixed output as otherwise the inevitable ‘open mic amp’ hiss will be
added to the mix. Also please note that if the guest’s mic is to be added to commentator A and B’s
listens (sidetone) then it must be selected to the mixed output.
Back
This returns to the previous menu.

More
This selects the More menu as below.
More Menu
Tone Gen
This generates tone with interrupt identification on each line at 0dbV.
Idents as follows:
Commentator A : 1 break every 3 seconds
Commentator B : 2 breaks every 3 seconds
Guest : 3 breaks every 3 seconds
Mix: Continuous tone.
When Tone Gen is selected the comms box is effectively disabled apart from tone generation.
To signal this all the lazy keys will flash alternate red and green. Just press ‘Off and back’ to return to
normal operation.
Each output may be selected to tone on or tone off. Frequency may be changed between 1kHz, 2kHz
and 400Hz to enable differentiation from other tone sources.
TB Setup
Gain
Gain may be adjusted up or down on the talkback output circuits. Useful for sports such as snooker
where the commentary may be quiet but a higher level may be useful for the talkback outputs. Gain
range is +-12dB.
Key off colour
The eight lazy keys are normally green for off and red for active. If ‘key off colour’ is set to ‘clear’ then
the buttons will not be illuminated at all when not active. This may be useful if the lazy button lights are
a distraction.
Mic Live keys
The mic live A and mike live B keys may be used as just ‘on air’ indicators, or as momentary or latching
‘cough’ keys where pressing the relevant button will take the commentator off air (muted mic amp).
When selected to off the keys will do nothing apart from indicating off air when a lazy key is pressed.

Momentary will take the commentator off air only while the key is pressed. Latching will switch off air
and remain off air until the key is pressed again.
Comm Inputs
Each commentators audio listen inputs designated Talkback, Prog, Aux1 and Aux2 may be individually
selected to be sourced either from the XLR inputs or the first four of the multiway pairs. This enables
each commentator to hear different talkback etc. and so the commentary box may be effectively used
to work with two different trucks or productions. Select which commentator you wish to set and toggle
the inputs between XLR or Multi.
Guest Listen
The guest headphone output hears the same mix as commentator A. Each of comm A feeds may be
switched on or off to the guest. If for example you just wish the guest to hear just programme and the
commentators then just switch these feeds on and the others to off. The first four feeds come up on the
first menu page. Press more for the second four feeds. Overall level adjustment is available on the main
(top) menu.
More
This selects the next set of menus.
Mix limiter
This is used to set the limiter threshold for the mixed output. This limiter is inserted after the individual
commentator limiters and is available to limit the overall mix. If not required just set the threshold to
+24dB.
S/T Switching
Some commentators prefer to hear their voice at all times, some prefer it to cut when they are off air
and using the lazy talkback. Switch sidetone with lazy (Yes/No).
TX Light Colour
The TX switch lights (Mic Live A and Mic Live B) may be selected to be green when the mic is live and red
when not live OR red when the mic is live and off when not live. Press the TX Light colour button to
toggle between the two selections.
Back
This returns to the previous menu.

Utility D15
Previous to serial number 17000 this connector was left N/C for custom applications. From this serial
number onwards the unit has two GPI relay outputs active when Comm A or Comm B are ‘on air’. This
allows remote control of On Air lights etc. Connections are:
Pins 1 and 9 short when Comm A is On Air. Pins 2 and 10 short when Comm B is On Air.
Contacts rated at 30 volts at 0.5A DC.
Mil 26 connector pinout.
Please note that by popular request these Mil 26 pinouts have been
altered as from DC2012 serial number 9692 to match the DC99-II
Commentary box.
Male connector fitted to rear of comms box.
PIN
H/C/Sc
PAIR
FUNCTION
A
H
1
Comm A out
B
C
T
S
C
H
2
Comm B out
D
C
U
S
E
H
3
Director lazy out
F
C
V
S
G
H
4
Aux 1 lazy out
H
C
W
S
J
H
5
Input talkback
K
C
X
S
L
H
6
Input Prog
M
C
Y
S
N
H
7
Input aux 1
P
C
Z
S
R
H
8
Input Aux 2
S
C
a
S
b
not used
c
not used

Headset
XLR
PIN
1
Headset mic live
2
Headset mic neutral
For unbalanced mic connect mic earth to
3
Headset Earth
Both pins 2 and 3 with earpiece earths
4
Right earpiece live
For balanced headset mic connect screen
5
Left earpiece live
along with both earpiece earths to pin3