sonum H2O Evolution II User manual

H2O
Evolution II
Microphone Preamplier
API 500 compliant
User Manual
Release 2.1 January 2014

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
2
©
Introduction and main features Page 2
Rack Mounting the Preamp Page 3
Manufacturers rack Page 4
Front View Page 5
Controls Page 6, 7
Front and rear connectors Page 8
Technicalspecications Page9,10
TakingcareofyourPreamplier Page10
Warranty Page11,12
RecallSheet Page13
Certications Page14
ConnectionOutlines Page15,16
OurTechnology Pages17,18
Copyright Page19
INDEX
Sonum © H2O Evolution II is the result of our strong desire to be the rst Italian company on the market
to ever create a discreet-component Class A Preamplier/DI featuring state-of-the- art technology,
unprecedented input level gain (+69db), ultra-low noise and maximum transparency. In other words,
an incredible Line Mic, Hi-z preamplier of superb quality. We wanted the H2O Evolution iI to have
a wonderful design as well. Every single component was conceived, designed and manufactured
exclusively for Sonum© following our constant search for personality.
Our mission is creating new professional products featuring quality, state-of the-art technology and a
great design.
So why the name Sonum © ?
This word comes from the Latin “Sonus, Soni” and it exactly means sound! No other words could
better merge the Italian origins of our products and their unbelievable sound quality. This word can
also be translated with the following terms: canto, verse, accent, tone, character, sonority, musicality.
H2O too is not just a randomly chosen name. It perfectly reects the qualities of its clean, transparent,
uid and strong sound. All features that water has!
The state-of-the-art technology used to build this preamp (trasformer-less solid state PS,
with discreet Class A components for instance) makes the H2O Evolution II the perfect
professional solution whenever ultra-low noise, incredible gain, sound transparency as well
as an unprecedented transient processing speed are required.
These outstanding features are a must when it comes to faithfully recording classic and
acoustic guitars, voices, strings, brass sections and pianos.
Sonum © H2O Evolution II is perfect for every single instrument.
INTRODUCTION
MAIN FEATURES

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
3
RACK MOUNTING
1) Removetheprotectivepackaging
2) Removetheanti-electrostaticpackaging
3) Makesuretherackisturnedoffandphysicallyunpluggedfromthemeans.
4) Useastarscrewdrivertoremovethetwoblockingscrewsofftheslotyouaregoingtoinsert
thepreampin(seeredcirclesonpic1*)
5) Touchtherackmetalchassistodischargeanyelectrostatic chargesthatmaydamagethe
preamp.
6) Gentlyinsertthepreampintothechosenslot,makingsurethebottomconnectorperfectlyts
intotheracksocket(markedbyayellowrectangleonpic1)
7) Fixthepreampusingthescrewsyouremovedatstep4.Donotapplytoomuchforceduring
thisoperation.
8) Properlyconnecttheaudioinputandoutputoftheslot.Reconnectyouraudiocablesincase
youhaveremovedthem.
9) Plugtherackbackintothemeans.
10) Setthepreampvolumeto0byturningtheknoballthewaytotheright.
11) Turnontherack.Youarereadytogo!
*Pleasenote:
We used an API-500 B6 Lunchbox (main picture below) as an example for describing the
mountingprocedure.However,accordingtoAPIʼs“VPRAlliance”standardizationprogram
guidelines.
Foto 1

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©
MANUFACTURERS RACK
Atthedateofreleaseofthismanualthefollowingproductsarealsocompatiblewiththe500series:
A-DESIGN ® •500HR-2slotpowered1Urack** http://www.adesignsaudio.com
API
® •500-6B-6slotlunchbox http://www.apiaudio.com
•500VPR-10slot3Urack
ATLASPROAUDIO®•REVOLVER-2slotdesktop http://www.atlasproaudio.com
BAE® •DLB-2slotdesktop http://www.brentaverill.com
•6Modulerack-6slot3Urack
•11modulerack-11slot3Urack
•6ModuleLunchbox-6slotLunchbox
CHAMELEONLABS®•CPS-501-1slotpowered1/2rack http://www.chameleonlabs.com
EMPIRICALLABS® •EL-500-2slotpowered1Urack http://www.empiricallabs.com
PURPLEAUDIO® •SweetTenRack-10slot3Urack http://www.purpleaudio.com
RADIAL® •TheCube-3slotdesktop** http://www.radialeng.com
•Powerstriprack-3slot1Urack**
•Workhorse-8slot3Urackwith8x2summing
•WR-8Workhorse-8slot-3Urack
SMPROAUDIO® •JUICERACK-1slot1/2rack http://www.smproaudio.com
•JUICERACK-3slot1Urack
•JUICERACK-8slot3Urack
•JUICEBLOCK-3slotdesktop
TONELUX® •V4ROADSTER-4slotdesktop http://www.tonelux.com
TUBE-TECH
® • RM2 - 2 slot desktop http://www.tube-tech.com
• RM8 - 8 slot - 3U rack
Note** Max one piece of H2O Evolution II, the power supply is too low.

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
5
VolumeKnob
12LedVuMeter
OL(OverLoad)and
M(Memory)
PhantomPowerLED
Phasebutton
PhantomPowerbutton
Padbutton
Input selector
LineandHi-zcomboinput
(Jack/Trs+XLR)
Rackblockingscrews
Rackblockingscrews
PREAMPLIFIER FRONT VIEW
©

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©
1)
VOLUME
Volumecanbecontrolledasfollows:
2)
VU-METER
Sonum©H2OEvolutionIIfeaturesthestandardprofessional+4dBuVu-Meterwitharangeof-20
dB/+3dBwithaoverloadLEDforpreampsaturation.WeincludedaM(memory)LEDfortemporary
saturationvaluememory(approx.6seconds).
Coloredeiled:
range-20dB/0dB: GreenLed
range+1dB/+3dB:OrangeLed
OverLoad: RedLed
Memory: WhiteLed
3)
PHANTOM POWER
The“+48V”buttonswitchenablesthephantompowersupplyforthemicinputonthebackoftherack.
Thetensionof48Visreachedprogressivelyinthetime.(2secondones)
Phantom Power is generated in the rack itself so its quality is strictly dependent on the quality of the
rackmodelyouareusing.Anywayweincludeddecouplingandalterinthepreampsoastoprovide
theH2OEvolutionIIwiththebestpowerintermsofquality.
PREAMPLIFIER CONTROLS
0 100
0 100
ROTATION VOLUME MINIMUM
clockwise decrease
ROTATION VOLUME MAXIMUM
anti-
clockwise increase
LEDCOLOR FUNCTION VU-METER
White OverLoadMemory
Red OverLoad
Orange Range+1dB/+3dB
Green Range-20dB/0dB
STATE BUTTON PHANTOM
OFF Deactivated
ON Activated
M
OL
+ 3
+ 2
+ 1
0
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
-1 0
-2 0

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
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STATE BUTTON PHASE
OFF Normal
ON Invert
4)
LED PHANTOM POWER
Whentheblueled(4)lightsupitmeansthatphantompowerisbeingsuppliedtothemicconnector
correctly.
5)
PHASE
Inverts the signal phase
6)
PAD
Reducesthegainby17db
Beingacompletelyactivegainreduction,itdoesnotintroducepassivepower.Thereforeitdoesnot
affecttheinputimpedence,thenalqualityofthesound,orthesignal/noiseratio.Theonlyonething
itdoesismodifyingthegainrange.
7)
INPUT SELECTOR
Forniscetreopzioni:
Givesyouthreedifferentoptions:
Mic: Enablesthemicinputonthebackoftherack.Itacceptsbalancedinputsignals
upto+22dBuandfeatures2150Ohmimpedence.
HI-z: Enables the front jack combo connector. It accepts unbalanced signals up to
+11dBuandfeatures1.000.000Ohmimpedence
Line:EnablesthefrontXLRcomboconnector.Itacceptsbalancedsignalsupto+27dBu
andfeatures11000Ohmimpedence.
ALLINPUTSAREPROTECTEDAGAINSTOVERVOLTAGE
8)
COMBO
CONNECTOR
AcceptsTRSandXLR.IfenabledyouhaveaccesstoallthefeaturesofaDIbox
PREAMPLIFIER CONTROLS
STATE BUTTON PAD
OFF 0dB
ON -17dB

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
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©
FRONT AND BACK CONNECTORS
TheLine/Hi-zinputisonthefrontofyourH2OEvolutionII.TheNeutrik®comboconnector(seepic.
1)equallyacceptsXLRMale,JackMaleMono,JackMaleStereo(TRS)connectiontypes.
Micinputsandoutputsareusuallyonthebackoftherackinwhichthepreampisinserted.
Theconnectiontypesdependonthemodeloftherackyouareusing.Below(pic.2)youcanseea
API®500-B6Lunchbox
Pic 1
Pic 2

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
9
Model H2O Evolution II
Vu-Meter
• Vu-Meter 12led
operatinglevel+4dBu
LedoftemporarymemoryofOverLoad(6second)
Phantom Power
• PhantomPower RackSuppliedPhantomPower+48V
Circuit
• Circuit ClassAdiscreetcomponentcircuitarchitecture
(OriginalProject).
Compatibility
• API500Series API500Compliant
Absorption
• Powersupply +16VDC@100mA(NoLoad)
-16VDC@60mA(NoLoad)
Connectors
• FrontPanel Balanced/UnbalancedLineinputXLR/F,
UnbalancedHi-zTRS/F
• RearPanelIn/Out Comb15PositionscardedgestandardEDAC
156X.156-306-015-520-102
InputLevel
• MaxMicInputLvl +22dBu
• MaxLibeInputLvl +27dBu
• MaxHi’zInputLvl +11dBu
OutputLevel
• MaxOutputLvl +28dBu
InputGain
• MaxMicInputgain +69dB
• MaxLineInputgain +47dB
• MaxHi-zInputgain +49dB
Pad
• ActivePad -17dB
Beingacompletelyactivegainreduction,itdoesnotintroducepassivepower.Thereforeit
doesnotaffecttheinputimpedence,thenalqualityofthesound,orthesignal/noiseratio.
Theonlyonethingitdoesismodifyingthegainrange.
Input impedence
• Micinputimpedencedifferential 2.150Ohm
• Lineinputimpedencedifferential 11.000Ohm
• InputHi-zimpedence 1.000.000Ohm
(newshieldingofincreasedisolation)
Output impedence
• Outputimpedence 10Ohm
SPECIFICATIONS

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©
SPECIFICATIONS
FRONT PANEL CLEANNESS
Delicatelycleanthefrontpanelusingamicro-berdampclothandglassdetergent.Donotuseabrasive
detergentsforthispurpose.Donotspraytheproductsdirectlyonthepreampbutalwaysuseacloth.
Donotusepaperorothermaterialsthatmayleaveresidues.Youcouldriskpluggingupthemicro-
holesoftheVU-Meter.Incasethishappensdonotusepinsorneedlestocleanthemuporyouwill
irreparablydamagethem.Useonlylow-pressuredehumidiedcompressedair.
BACK CONNECTOR CLEANNESS
Normally,youdonʼtneedtocleanthebackconnectorforitisgoldplatedandguaranteesthebest
qualityoveralongperiodoftime.
So perform this operation only when the connector is really dirt or if it has oxidized. In order to
properlycleanityoumustremovethepreampfromtherackrst.(seepage3)
GentlypulltheH2OEvolutionIIoutitsslotanduseisopropylalcoholonly.Makesureyoudonot
touchtheconnectorandthecontactswithyourbarengertips.Letdryandre-mountthepreampinto
therack.
SHIELDING CLEANNESS
There is no need to do this. Should you go through this anyway, use isopropyl alcohol.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR PREAMPLIFIER
Cover
• Stainlesssteel5/10mm ProtectionfromElectromagneticInterferences(EMI),
fromRadiofrequency(RFI)andelectrostaticcharges
(ESD).Itisolatesthecircuitsfromtheaccidental
damages.
Weight 0,420Kg
Measures LxHxD138x38x175mmVu-Meter

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• Sonum©H2OEvolutionIIproductwarrantyisregulatedbytheItalianlawinforceandthelegalrights
it gives you may vary from country to country, state to state and province to province, according to the
localjurisdiction.Totalwarrantyperiodis12monthsfromtheoriginaldateofpurchase.Thiswarranty
covers the H2O Evolution II against factory and workmanship defects, present since the date of
purchaseandtheymustbenotiedtoSonum©assoonaspossible
• This warranty DOESNOTcoverdamagecaused by:improper installation, wrong use of the unit,
badmaintenanceaswellascarelessconservation,repairsperformedbyunauthorizedpersonnel,
transportation,corrosionandwhenevertheserialnumberislost,removed,changedorunreadable.
The present warranty does not cover factory defects occurred after the warranty expiration date
andifthesedefectswhereabsentatthemomenttheunitwaspurchasedordeliveredtothenal
user. Inadditiontowhatlistedabove,Sonum©cannotbeheldresponsibleforanydamage
causedbyincidentsandnaturalcalamitiessuchassnow,rain,thunderandsimilar.Periodiccheck-
ups and functional controls are not covered unless necessary when a component needs complete
restoring and reconditioning within the warranty period. Damage due to overvoltage, caused by
otherelectronic devicesormanualalteration of the product are notcovered.Wecan notbeheld
responsibleforanyunnotiedchangesinemployedmaterialsordesignmodicationsdifferentfrom
whatspeciedinads,catalogsorontheinternet.Ultimately,thiswarrantydoesnotcoverexcessive
repairandtechnicalassistancecosts.
• Wheneverthelistedconditionsarerespected,Sonum©willrepairtheproductfreeofchargeand
willsenditfreightprepaidbacktotheretailseller.Allproductscoveredbyourwarrantymustbesent
toSonum©freightprepaidandinclusiveofallscaldocumentation.Incasetheproductissentto
us after the warranty has expired the buyer will bear all costs (administration, shipping, technical
assistance). Please always contact us via email prior to sending the unit so we can evaluate all
possiblecostsinadvance.
WARRANTY

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©
white page

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RECALL SHEET
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-
-
-
-
-
PUSH
H
i
-
z
-
L
i
n
e
Hi-z
Line
Mic
EVOLUTION II
H2O
M
0L
3
2
1
0
1
3
5
7
10
20
100
+48
Pad
ø
0
+
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
PUSH
H
i
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z
-
L
i
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e
Hi-z
Line
Mic
EVOLUTION II
H2O
M
0L
3
2
1
0
1
3
5
7
10
20
100
+48
Pad
ø
0
+
+
+
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-
-
-
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H
i
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-
L
i
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e
Hi-z
Line
Mic
EVOLUTION II
H2O
M
0L
3
2
1
0
1
3
5
7
10
20
100
+48
Pad
ø
0
+
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
PUSH
H
i
-
z
-
L
i
n
e
Hi-z
Line
Mic
EVOLUTION II
H2O
M
0L
3
2
1
0
1
3
5
7
10
20
100
+48
Pad
ø
0
+
+
+
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H
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-
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-
L
i
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Hi-z
Line
Mic
EVOLUTION II
H2O
M
0L
3
2
1
0
1
3
5
7
10
20
100
+48
Pad
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0
+
+
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-
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EVOLUTION II
Project Date
Descrption Descrption Descrption Descrption Descrption Descrption
Note Note Note Note Note Note
n. n. n. n. n. n.

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
14
©
DeclarationofConformity
Sonum©declarestheH2OEvolutionIIsinglechannelmicrophonepreampliermoduletobeinmaterial
conformitywiththefollowingECdirectivesandrelatedstandards:
• 2006/95/ECLowVoltageDirective
• 2004/108/ECEMCDirective
Thetechnicaldocumentationisavailableinourcenter.
CerticateofCompliance
Sonum©declarestheH2OEvolutionIIsinglechannelmicrophonepreampliermoduleisRoHScompliant
andmeettherequirementsandspeciedlimitsofrestrictedsubstancesaccording2002/95/ECdirective.
RAEE
Sonum©H2OEvolutionIIismarkedwiththeWEEEsymboltocomplywiththeEuropeanUnion’sWaste
Electrical&ElectronicEquipment(WEEE-EuropeanUnion’sWasteElectrical&ElectronicEquipment)
Directive2002/96/EC.
Thesymbolindicatesthatthisproductshouldnotbetreatedashouseholdwaste.Itmustbedisposedand
recycledseparatelyaselectronicwaste.Pleaseassisttokeepourenvironmentclean
Abovedeclarationsarevoidbymodicationofthedevicewithoutapproval,orunauthorizedservicing.
05/07/2011,Firenze
Sonum©
Marraghini Miriano
CERTIFICATIONS

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
15
CABLE
Most users of the Sonum©H2O Evolution II, have invested much time and money in their selection of
microphonesandpreampliers.Werecommendthatyougivesomeconsiderationtothemicrophone,
instrumentandoutputcablesyouselect,aswell.
Usehigh-quality,lowcapacitancecable.Braidedshieldingand“starquad”typemiccableswillperform
betterinelectricallynoisyenvironments.Manufacturerssuchas“Mogami”,“Canare”,“Belden”,etc.make
highperformancecableofthistype.
Usecableswithhigh-qualityconnectors.Manufacturerssuchas“Neutrik”,“Switchcraft”,etc..makehigh
performancecomponent.
Ourstudiotestinghasshownthatsomeofthemoreesotericguitar/instrument“super-cables”do,indeed,
soundbetter.Manufacturerssuchas“Klotz”,“Elixir”etc..makecableofthistype.
Avoidexcessivecablelengthandereplacedamagedcableandconnectors.
CABLE TYPE
TherearetwostylesofaudiocablesusedforconnectionstotheSonum©H2OEvolutionIIina500seri-
esrack:
• Shielded/single-conductortypeforunbalancedsignals(Instrumentcables)
• Shielded/twisted-pairtypeforbalancedsignals(Microphone/Linelevelcables)
Werecommendthatallinterconnectingcablesarewiredaccordingtothefollowingstandards.Failureto
dothiscanresultinmalfunctionoraudibledistortion.
Instrumentcables(unbalanced)onTSconnectors:(Jackmono6,3mm):
Tip=positive(+)signal
Sleeve = shield
MicrophoneandLinelevelcables(balanced)onXLRorTRS(Jackstereo)connectors:
Pin1=Shield
Pin2=Positive(+)signal
Pin3=Negative(-)signal
Attention:Whenconnectinganbalancedoutputtoasubsequentaudiodevicewithanunbalancedinput,
thenegativesignallead(fromPin3)mustbewiredtoshield(Sleeve)attheTSconnector
CONNECTIONS OUTLINES
Female XLR
(Rear view)
Connector TRS
Connector TS
Male XLR
(Rear view)
1 1
1
1
2 2
2
2
3 3
3

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
16
©
CONNECTIONS OUTLINES
CARD EDGE CONNECTIONS
Ifyouareusingacustomcardrack,oracardracknotmanufacturedbyAPI®,pleaseverifythefollowing
powersupplyterminations:
• 1 CHASSISGROUND
• 2 +OUTPUT
• 3 NC
• 4 -OUTPUT
• 5 AUDIOCOMMON
• 6 NC
• 7 NC
• 8 -INPUT
• 9 NC
• 10 +INPUT
• 11 NC
• 12 +16VDC
• 13 POWERCOMMON
• 14 -16VDC
• 15 +48VDC
Pin1islocatedatthetopofthecardedgeconnector.

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
17
Asoundengineershouldbeamazedwhenlisteningtoit.Atruehighendpreamplier,beingtheveryrst
devicewheresoundowsthroughafterbeingpickedupbythemicrophone,mustrenderitineverysingle
detail.Sonum©H20microphonepreamplierwasbuiltkeepingallofthisinmind.
Theentireproject is based on aninnovativetechnologythatmakesourpreamptotallydifferentfromits
competitors.
WesetanewbarbybringingsomethingnewtotheglobalpanoramaofprofessionalAPI500compliant
microphonepreamps.
Ourstrengthsaretheresultofaninnovativetechnologicalresearch.
• AcustommadefrontpanelwithagreatmodernlookdesignedbySonum©andmanufacturedinItaly;
ergonomicknobs,highqualityvu-meter.
• A4LayerPCBStack-up.ThecircuitwasentirelybuiltinItalyusingthehighesttechnologicalstan-
dardsavailable.Weimplementedacomputer-basedsimulationmethodoptimizingtheplacementof
eachsinglecomponentsoastoeliminatetheriskofunwantedcoupling.
• Foraudiocoupling,onlyMMK5,MetallizedPolyesterFilmCapacitorswereused.Thesecomponents
areabletoprocessthefastesttransientswithoutdistortingorintroducingnoise.
• Ultimateaudioqualityisguaranteedbyselected,discreetCLASSAcomponents.
• Dynamicchangeoftheinputstagearchitectureismadepossiblebyarevolutionarygaincontrolme-
thod.Sonum©H20alwaysworksusingtheentiredynamicrangeoftheinputsignalandmaintainsa
constant,highS/Nratiothroughoutthewholegainrange.
• ThePAD,likethegain,doesnotoperatethetraditionalway.Itisfullyactive,whichmeansitcutsdown
thegainoftheactivecomponentswithoutintroducingpassivepoweroralteringthesoundquality.
• 48VPhantomPowerissuppliedprogressivelyintwosecondswhenadevicethatrequiresitisde-
tected.Thispreventsanyriskofdamage.Whenitisnotneededanymoreittakesanothertwosecon-
dstocompletelyshutdownforthesamereason.
• We were obsessive about choosing the best components: resistant and reliable switches, se-
lectedamongthehigherstandardsofmilitarytechnicalcomponentindustry;longlife,lowESR,
temperature-resistantcapacitors,“matched”transistorsforultimatebalancing,gold-platedcontacts
formaintainingthebestperformances overalongperiodoftimeevenifthepreampneedstobe
frequentlyremovedfromtherack;highquality12-MicroLEDvu-metercompliantwithVPRAlliance
specications;Neutrik®frontconnectorandmuchmore...
SoundengineerswhoalsocollaboratedwithSonum©duringtheplanningstageenvisionedbothaDIand
aLine/Hiinputconnectiononthefrontpaneloftheunit.
Theresultofallthisisatop-endpreampfeaturingincrediblevolumegain;unprecedentedsonicdetail;rich
andtransprentsoundwithnodistortionwhatsoeverevenwhenpushedhard.
OUR TECHNOLOGY

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
18
©
IMPEDENCE-BASEDVOLUME&CONSTANTSIGNAL/NOISERATIO
Thegainpotentiometerisnotusedassignalpartitioner,asusual.
Thepotentiometersonthemarketboostthesignalwhenturnedclockwise.Howeverthedrawbackisthat
theS/Nratioisheavilyalteredlowvolumelevels,letalonewhenthesignalispadded.Thisisduetothe
noise-oorbeingthesameateachregulation.InsidetheSonum©H20thepotentiometeractsbymodifying
thecircuitarchitectureandchangingthegainalone.Thisway,theS/Nratioisnevermodiedandremains
constant.
Theinputimpedancedoesnotchangewiththevolumebeingregulated,asaconsequencethesonicquality
isnotaffectedintheleast.Inordertoachievethisusingnon-custompotentiometers(soastocutthenal
costsbutmaintainingthesametopquality)weusedaninvertedlogarithmicpotentiometer.Thisiswhythe
knobisturnedanti-clockwise.
Hereisanexampleusingsomerealgures:
Noise=1mV
AudioSignal=10V
Traditionalpreamplierwithxedgainandinputsignalpartitioner:
volume10%=S/N=1V/1mV=1000
volume50%=S/N=5V/1mV=5000
volume100%=S/N=10V/1mV=10000
Sonum©H2OEvolutionIIwithvariabilegainandlogarithmicpotentiometer
volume10%=S/N=10V/1mV=10000
volume50%=S/N=10V/1mV=10000
volume100%=S/N=10V/1mV=10000
Asalreadystated,thepadworksthesame.Itfeaturesacompletelyactivegainreductionarchitecturethat
doesnotintroducepassivepoweranddoesnotalterthesoundqualityortheS/Nratio.Only,itmodiesthe
activegainrangeofthepreamp.
OUR TECHNOLOGY

H2O Evolution II - User Manual
19
Manufactured by Sonum©
Viale L. Ariosto 492/F
50019 Sesto Fiorentino
Firenze - Italia
http://www.Sonum.it
email [email protected]
All content, including pictures and photos, is copyright protected. Any full or partial reproduction of this
manual ( analog or digital) is strictly prohibited without Sonum©ʼs written permission.
With the goal of constantly improving our products, we reserve the right to make technical and functional
changes without notice. Sonum © operates in full respect of the law in force.
The information contained in this manual was reviewed and controlled prior to publication. You agree to hold
Sonum © harmless against any loss, liability or damage due to direct or indirect omissions and/or errors.
All trademarks, product names and company names appearing in this manual
(A-DESIGN © , API © , ATLAS PRO AUDIO© , AVID ©, BAE © , BELDEN©, CANARE©, CHAMELEON
LABS © , ELIXIR©, EMPIRICAL LABS© , KLOTZ©, SWITCHCRAFT©, MOGAMI©, NEUTRIK©, PURPLE
AUDIO© , RADIAL©, SMPROAUDIO©, SWITCHCRAFT©, TASCAM©, TONELUX© , TUBE-TECH©) e i
rispettivi modelli (500HR, 500-6B LUNCHBOX, 500VPR, L200PS, REVOLVER, DLB, 6 MODULE RACK,
11 MODULE RACK, 6 MODULE LUNCHBOX, CPS-501, EL-500, SWEET TEN RACK, THE CUBE,
POWERSTRIP, WORKHORSE, WR-8 WORKHORSE, V4 ROADSTER, RM2, RM8, JUICERACK 1,
JUICERACK 3, JUICERACK 8, JUICEBLOCK 3)
are exclusive property of their respective owners and therefore copyright protected.
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