Neumann Solution D Set

At first glance, the Neumann D-01 appears similar to analog microphones. However, immediately following the capsule is an A/D converter developed by Neumann, which is especially optimized for the signal conditions of the microphone capsule. The signal generated by the capsule is immediately converted into a digital signal, resulting in an internal 28-bit signal with a dynamic range of more than 130 dB (A-weighted, including the microphone capsule).

By means of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), the digital signal is then processed further in the microphone itself. This means that parameters such as the polar pattern, pre-attenuation, low-cut filter, gain and various switching functions can be set digitally and controlled remotely. External components such as analog preamplifiers and A/D converters are thus no longer required.

For identification purposes, the microphone transmits information such as the name of the manufacturer, the model, the serial number and the software version to the receiver.

The microphone is equipped with a 3-pin XLR connector. A bi-directional signal conforming to the AES 42-2001 standard is transmitted, which contains the balanced digital microphone output signal, the phantom power supply and a remote control data stream. This data stream also includes a signal for synchronizing the microphone with a master clock.

DMI-2 Digital Microphone Interface
Equipment that supports the new AES 42-2001 standard can process the output signal of the Solution-D microphone directly. Otherwise, the Neumann DMI-2 Digital Microphone Interface must be used. This is a separate, two-channel device which converts the AES 42-2001 data format of the microphone into an AES/EBU signal.

The DMI-2 is operated by means of the Neumann Remote Control Software, which runs on a desktop or laptop computer. The computer and the DMI-2 are connected via a USB port and an interface converter (USB to RS 485). If a large number of microphones is used, several DMI-2s can be cascaded, and each interface can be addressed individually.

In addition to a word clock input and output, the DMI-2 also has an internal master word clock generator. If no master word clock signal (e.g. from a mixing console) exists at the input, the DMI-2 internal master is automatically used to synchronize the two microphone channels and is connected to the word clock output. External commands such as red light for “On Air” can be controlled via a 9-pin user port.

RCS Remote Control Software
The digital microphone is controlled via the Remote Control Software, a component of the Solution-D system, which runs as an independent program on desktop and laptop computers.

All important parameters are displayed on the screen and can be changed at any time. During production, the sound engineer has complete control over the status and parameters of all the microphones and can change settings quickly and conveniently if necessary.

The parameters displayed include the polar pattern, pre-attenuation, low-cut filter, gain, various microphone status indicators, command indicators, and mute and phase reverse functions. It is also possible to monitor signal levels on the screen.

Information transmitted by the microphone, such as the name of the manufacturer, the model and the serial number, is displayed and serves to identify the microphone. In addition, it is possible to input additional information, such as the name of the sound source. The parameters for the complete microphone setup can of course be stored and retrieved as desired.