With Central Station, you can easily switch between three sets of stereo, analog input sources. Two stereo S/PDIF digital sources connect via one coax and one Toslink optical port. You can audition these sources with up to three pairs of speakers, with individual trim pots for each speaker—recessed to avoid accidents.
You also get a pair of line-level main outputs, a pair of line-level cue outputs, and two screaming-loud headphone amplifiers with individual level controls. And because Central Station is a 1U rack-mount device, with only one multi-conductor cable running to the remote control on your desktop, all of the cabling is in the back of your rack, where it belongs.
Three sets of stereo analog inputs enable the Central Station to accept a wide variety of sources. If your mixer and DVD player have analog outputs, connect them here—and still have a pair of analog inputs available.
Two input pairs are ¼” TRS balanced; the Aux inputs are unbalanced RCA jacks. The TRS inputs are passive but the Aux inputs provide preamp gain and have independent level control. (Note, however, that the Aux inputs do not have an RIAA phono preamp, as found on the PreSonus Monitor Station.)
Central Station’s ability to convert and manage digital signals, including simultaneously available coax and Toslink optical S/PDIF I/O, sets it apart; you’d have to pay several times as much to get comparable features elsewhere.
The digital inputs provide up to 24-bit, 192 kHz digital-to-analog conversion, and the converters deliver more than 115 dB of dynamic range. So you can connect the output from your digital mixer (StudioLive 24.4.2 and 16.4.2 mixers include S/PDIF output for this purpose), DVD player, audio interface, or other digital device directly to your monitoring system. The Central Station will automatically detect and lock to the sampling rate of the source device.
The Central Station’s output configuration is every bit as flexible and versatile as its inputs. With three sets of balanced outputs, you can, for example, connect two sets of studio monitors with very different tonal characteristics and still have an output available to feed a subwoofer. If you have a large room, you might want two sets of near-field monitors and a pair of mid-fields.
Each of the three sets of balance monitor outputs has a passive trim pot for adjusting levels without coloring the sound. These outputs are passive; the only outputs with gain are the headphone amps.
You get two stereo headphone outputs with level controls, and not only do they have gain, they have a lot of it: the headphone amplifiers deliver 150mW/channel into a 60O load.
If you need to use more than two sets of “cans,” no worries: Central Station’s line-level cue outputs are perfect for feeding a headphone-distribution system such as the PreSonus HP60 or HP4.
High-End Audio Quality
The pros know that for critical listening, a monitor-control system must be as sonically transparent as possible. That’s why we gave the Central Station an audiophile-quality, passive signal path, with no op-amps or ICs, and equipped the S/PDIF inputs with high-definition, 24-bit, 192 kHz D/A converters.
The Meters
Being from southeast Louisiana, we’re big fans of The Meters (Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter, Jr., and Joseph Modeliste). Being audio professionals, we’re into extremely accurate metering.
To enable you to watch your input levels, the Central Station sports dual 30-segment, tri-colored, fast-acting, peak-hold LED meters, which can display dBu and dBfs. A handy Clear switch lets you clear the peak-hold.
Unlike The Meters, these meters are anything but funky!
A Complete Tool Set
Because Central Station PLUS is a professional tool, we’ve included all of the key features you’ll need to manage monitors in a commercial or project studio. Speak to the musicians over the headphone and cue buses using the onboard talkback microphone or connect a dynamic mic to the XLR talkback input.
The cue signal is automatically dimmed when you use the talkback mic, and a jack admits a footswitch for hands-free talkback operation. A Mono switch sums the stereo source so you can check for phase problems, and a Dim switch lets you reduce the speaker output by 16 dB.
Of course, you can mute the speakers as well.
Finally, with the included CSR-1, you can remote-control the Central Station’s main volume, input select, output select, talkback, mute, dim, and mono functions.
The Professional’s Choice
With pristine audio quality; the ability to switch between multiple analog and digital sources and three sets of speakers; fast, accurate metering; and all of the extras that make your studio work easier and more efficient, it’s obvious why the Central Station PLUS is the professional engineer’s choice for monitor control.
Specifications
Audio Inputs |
| | TRS 1 & 2 |
| | | Type | ¼" TRS Passive-Balanced |
| | | Input Impedance | 2-5 kO (Speaker load and Trim level dependent) |
| | | S/N Ratio | > 140 dB |
| | | THD+N | < 0.0005% (1 kHz @ 0 dBu) |
| | | Frequency Response | > 1 MHz |
| | AUX |
| | | Type | RCA Active-Unbalanced |
| | | Input Impedance | 8 kO |
| | | S/N Ratio | > 115 dB (1 kHz @ 0 dBu, Unity gain) |
| | | THD+N | < 0.002% (1 kHz @ 0 dBu, Unity gain) |
| | | Frequency Response | 10 Hz-50 kHz, -0.5 dB |
| | | Gain Range | -90 dB to +20 dB |
| | S/PDIF |
| | | Types | RCA 75O coax and Toslink optical |
| | | Dynamic Range | 117 dB |
| | | THD+N | 0.0025% (1 kHz @ -1 dBfs) |
| | | Maximum output | +18 dBu (Active-Balanced) |
| | | Sample Rates | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz |
Note: All Input specifications (except Input Impedance) measured at Speaker A output, Trim and Main Level set to maximum. |
Audio Outputs |
| | Speakers |
| | | Type | ¼" TRS Passive-Balanced |
| | | Type-Mono Activated | ¼" TRS Active-Impedance Balanced |
| | | Trim Range | -90 dB to 0 dB |
| | | Main Level Range | -90 dB to 0 dB |
| | | Dim Attenuation | -30 dB |
| | Main |
| | | Type | ¼" TRS Active-Balanced |
| | | Output Impedance | 51O |
| | | THD+N | < 0.0025% |
| | | Frequency Response | 10 Hz-50 kHz, -0.5dB |
| | Cue |
| | | Type | ¼" TRS Active-Impedance Balanced |
| | | Output Impedance | 51O |
| | | THD+N | Less than 0.003% (1 kHz @ 0 dBu) |
| | | Frequency Response | 10 Hz-50 kHz, -0.5 dB |
| | | Gain Range | -90 dB to 0 dB |
| | | Dim Attenuation | -30 dB (Talkback activated) |
| | Headphones |
| | | Type | ¼" TRS Active Stereo |
| | | Maximum Output | 150 mW/channel @ 60O load |
| | | THD+N | 0.015% (150 mW/channel @ 60O load) |
| | | Frequency Response | 10 Hz-50 kHz, +1 dB |
Talkback |
| | Dynamic Microphone Input |
| | | Type | XLR Female Balanced |
| | | Input Impedance | 2400O |
| | Internal Microphone |
| | | Type | Electret Condenser |
| | | Sensitivity | -42 dB |
| | Mic Preamp |
| | | Gain Range | 15-55 dB |
Input Meters |
| | | Type | Dual 30 segment LED w/ Peak Hold |
| | | Range | -48 dB to +18 dB (-66 dBfs to 0 dBfs) |
| | | Accuracy | > 0.25 dB |
| | | Frequency Range | 10 Hz-22 kHz |
| | | Calibrate Range | ±18 dB |
Power Supply |
| | | Type | External A.C. Transformer/Internal Linear |
| | | Power Consumption | 40 VA |
Physical |
| | Main Chassis |
| | | Package Type | 1U steel chassis |
| | | Dimensions | 19 (W) x 1.75 (H) x 6.25 (D) inches |
| | | Weight | 5.0 lbs |
| | External Power Supply (factory configured) |
| | | Package Type | Molded Plastic |
| | | Dimensions | 2.5 (W) X 2.3 (H) X 4.0 (D) inches |
| | | Weight | 2.5 lbs |
CSR-1 Control Station Remote |
| | | Dimensions | 0.38 (W) x 5.75 (H) x 2.38 (D) inches |
| | | Weight | 1.25 lbs. |
| | | Cable | 12-foot DE15M to DE15M (male-male) |