By Adam Gallant
Radial Engineering SAT-2 & MIX 2:1 Studio Tools
SAT-2 Stereo Audio Attenuator & Monitor Controller
The SAT-2 by Radial Engineering is designed primarily as a studio monitor controller to connect between your audio interface and powered studio speakers ; however , its simple design gives this box a whole host of other , equally useful applications . I ’ ll run down a few features then give examples of how we put it to use in our studio .
Like all of Radial ’ s products , this unit is robust enough for use on the road and built to last a lifetime . The case is built from 14-gauge solid steel with a lip that protects the front panel switches from damage . The finish is a quality glossy black and very clearly labeled . The back panel features both TRS and XLR inputs as well as XLR outputs . The front panel consists of a mono switch , mute switch , volume knob , and a DIM switch with adjustable level control .
When I ’ m mixing , I like to avoid touching the playback volume as much as possible . Having the master volume remain constant by using the DIM switch for checking at low levels has allowed my ears to trust a certain volume threshold , which has been great for bringing in new elements to a working mix . The DIM level control is also recessed to avoid accidental adjustment .
The SAT-2 is completely passive , requiring no power source and offering a transparent sound . As a studio monitor controller , the SAT-2 is zero fuss and much cleaner sounding than the small-format mixer I ’ m used to using . The SAT-2 ’ s volume knob is of high quality and ensures consistent left to right tracking over the entire range of the trim pot . With lower quality trim pots on stereo material , you ’ ll often find a slight pan to one side as you attenuate ; the SAT-2 is void of this issue , offering a consistent stereo image all the way down to zero volume . The mute , mono , and DIM switches are silent as well .
As a simple volume attenuator , the SAT-2 can solve a lot of gain staging challenges . We have a pair of the traditional API 512c preamps at our studio and they are often run at a very safe input level to avoid clipping the input side of our interface ’ s A to D converters .
The SAT-2 can be added to the output of any preamp to attenuate the signal , allowing for colouration of the microphone preamp ’ s input while keeping within safe limits on the interface side . Hearing the APIs driven for the first time was great and I suspect tube preamps would be given an extra level of versatility with the attenuator in the chain .
MIX 2:1 Two-Channel Audio Combiner & Mixer The MIX 2:1 by Radial is a two-channel passive mixer that essentially allows you to take two mono sources and sum them to one mono signal with clarity and detail .
The back panel of the MIX 2:1 houses two TRS inputs , two XLR inputs with independent ground lift , and one mono XLR output . On the front we have on / off switches for each input , trim pots for each input , and a 180-degree polarity switch on input two ( which is great to help identify frequency cancellation issues between inputs ). The front also houses a bypass switch , which sums inputs 1 and 2 equally and prevents unwanted level adjustments via the input trim pots .
With the same build quality as the SAT-2 , the MIX 2:1 is the kind of hardware that will outlive most other tools in your arsenal . A military-spec circuit board and high quality components deliver a
SAT-2
MIX 2:1 transparent sum in a totally passive design . As with the SAT-2 , the bottom of the MIX 2:1 has a thick no-slip pad that provides mechanical isolation and holds the box in place on top of your desk , keyboard , or on the floor ( ready to be accidentally jumped upon without missing a beat ).
As is common in many studios , we tend to use two microphones on a single guitar cab and blend to taste . The MIX 2:1 handles this job nicely with a pair of dynamic microphones . We used a Shure SM57 and Sennheiser MD412 with great results .
The MIX 2:1 is also perfect for use on stage for a keyboard player blending multiple sources or a bass player combining a microphone and DI signal . Quickly fix ground hums with the independent ground lift switches and quickly mute the box to remove patch cables that might otherwise play through loudspeakers .
Summary The SAT-2 and MIX 2:1 are quality tools with very simple designs that make them very useful to have on hand . Completely passive and transparent in sound , these boxes can be trusted to endure many hours of use over many years . Many thanks to the folks at Radial for the specialized designs .
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production , from music composition to location and post audio for television and film . He currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown , PE .
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