The Lyra console is a fully digital desktop production mixer for such applications as an on-air or production mixer in broadcast radio, as a reporter desk for standalone or networked applications, in small edit suites, or in remote studios where remote control is advantageous. The console is made up of a rack-mounting processing unit, which has an onboard web-server for configuration and remote operation, with separate control surfaces which may be located up to ten metres from the rack unit.
Lyra I/O Rack Unit
This is a 2U high case which contains the pre-amplifiers, analogue to digital conversion, routing, processing and digital to analogue conversion to provide analogue, as well as digital, outputs.
The rear has the majority of the connections, using 9-pin, D-sub connectors unless otherwise stated. Two connectors offer four electronically balanced microphone inputs each with a 6.35mm jack insert socket. Four electronically balanced, analogue, stereo, line inputs have separate connectors to allow pins for the general purpose closing contacts. Two mono inputs are available for connection to telephone hybrids; these have separate connectors since they also have clean-feed outputs and logic connections in and out.
Six digital, AES/EBU (AES3) or S/P-DIF, transformer balanced input/outputs are available on individual connectors each with general purpose closing contacts; they are compatible with sampling rates up to 192kHz.
Three connectors provide GPIO inputs and outputs.They 'can be used for global functionality' such as synchronisation, 'remote function, relay logic etc'.
The analogue programme and sub-mix outputs are electronically balanced and each has two 9-pin D-sub connectors with an output impedance of 50 ohms. The programme connectors offer two sets of mono, right and left, the sub-mix connectors two sets of right and left. The dynamic range of these outputs is 118dB and the frequency range is from 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 0.1dBr when set to a sample rate of 48kHz. The analogue stereo 'Aux' mix output uses a single connector as does the analogue, stereo, control room output, which also has a two GPO signaling outputs.
There are two 15-pin D-sub connectors for connection to Lyra control surfaces. These carry power, data and the headphone feed for the operator headphone socket on the control surface. Two BNC connectors provide word-clock inputs and outputs compatible with 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz (+/- 20ppm) sample rates. A 75 ohm termination switch can be selected if the Lyra is the last unit in the chain. An RJ45 Ethernet socket provides a connection to the network. An IEC power inlet socket, 100-240 volts, 50/60Hz, 1.5A maximum, is positioned below a rocker power switch.
On the front panel there is a stereo 6.35mm jack socket for a second set of headphones, in addition to the operator's headphones on the control surface, with adjustable level control (+6dBu nominal, +26dBu maximum) that offers a maximum output power of 1watt into a 32 ohm load and 80mW into a 600 ohm load. For easy access there are four phono connectors for analogue channel 7. Two are the input connectors and two are output connectors. The input connectors have a rotary control for input gain. Digital channel 7 also has inputs on the front panel - S/PDIF coaxial on an RCA (phono socket), and S/PDIF optical, with the corresponding outputs also. There are four electronically balanced 2k Ohm microphone inputs on 3-pin female XLR connections. All have independently selectable 48v phantom power, and a screw driver terminal per input for the gain control. They are connected in parallel with the microphone inputs on the rear.
Lyra Control Surfaces
There are three control surfaces available in the Lyra range.The channel strips on these three models are identical. Two have a 'master' section, one provides extra channel strips.
At the top of each fader strip is a clear OLED display to show the input source and other settings assigned to that fader. A push button rotary encoder beneath the displays makes selections.
Each input channel has a line-input gain-range that is selectable from -20 to +20dB, with microphone input gain range from 0 to +60dB. There is also a three-band equaliser on each channel with a range of -18dB to +18dB - this range can be changed in the configuration software. A dynamic compressor/limiter can also be set per channel. Each channel can be routed to the programme, sub, aux and cue mixes, as well as the control room monitoring. A large cue switch on each channel routes the input to pre-fade monitoring. This button can also be configured for talkback in the configuration menu. A large 'On' button selects the channel to the programme and sub mixes, or as configured. A number of LEDs on the side of the push buttons indicate the input routing, whether EQ and dynamics are active, whether phantom power is on and what the gain setting is. There is a 100mm lineaar fader at the bottom of each channel strip.
On the right side of the Lyra 1x8 (eight channel strips) and the Lyra 1x4 (four channel strips) there are further indication and control functions. At the top there are two output level meters. There are twelve push-buttons that interact with the encoder on each channel strip for setting functions and six push buttons for selecting the monitoring source from the various mixes or external inputs. A rotary control sets the control room level. A push button can be used for dimming the control room output, and there is a separate push button for talkback.
The Lyra 4 fader extension adds four faders to a system, to create a 'split' console for example, with two panels each with four channel strips.
Optional accessories: The Lyra Spares CS Spares kit for control surface, Lyra Spares R kit for the rackmount I/O interface.