Changing settings on the Sound Devices 302 mixer

[John Whiteway]

Hello,

Elsewhere I posted a question about changing the SD 302's out-put from line to mic. (On some occasions I'll have to use a mic attached to the camera along with a boom mic running through the 302. Since the canon XH-A1 XLRs are both set at either mic or line, in this instance I'll have to set them at mic.) Changing settings on the 302 is proving a challenge.

I was, thanks to advice I received through this forum, able to find out how to change the mixer's output to -40dB. (Hold the PK/VU button down while turning on the mixer's power. Observe the left channel -30 light blinking. Use the brightness button to bring the left light down to -16 from 0, then click it once more which makes it jump back to -10 and the -30 light on the right channel meter come on. Now it's set for -40dB.)

The problem has come since. According to instructions, after making a setting one is to rapidly hit the PK/VU button several times till the meters begin to do their "dance". This is supposed to save the new setting. My problem is that that doesn't happen. The lights have frozen at the -40dB settings (left-30 flashing, left-10 on, right-30 on). When I rapidly hit the PK/VU button all that happens is that the light on the "left channel" meter moves up or down the scale from the -10 position. I can turn the mixer off and open the Set Up again but when I do I'm back where I started with the lights in this same configuration.

This is driving me nuts. Can anyone help?

Thanks.

p.s. When the mixer arrived the other day it was not in default mode so I was able to open up the Set Up and it worked. I was able to put the left meter light on 12 and the right on -24 then rapidly hit the PK/VU button. The meter did its "dance" and I was back into default line-out.

John

[Steve House]

Maybe you're hitting it TOO rapidly but not enough times <grin>. The PK/VU button selects the setup option you're adjusting, the meter brightness and battery check buttons act a "-" and "+" buttons to adjust the selected option. Entering setup mode starts with the first option in the list and the meter button steps it along until you get to the end of the list, whereupon it exits setup. As you press it, the lighting pattern shanges to show the currently selected option and its present value. So once you've set the level option where you want it, just press the PK/VU button repeatedly and scroll up through the other options until you get to the end of the list, the meter does its dance, and the mixer exits from setup mode. You don't need to press it with any urgency - it's not the speed that counts but the number of presses. As I count it, you'll need to press the PK/VU button 18 times after setting the output level and each press will advance the left channel LED that's flashing one step to the right.

When you're setting levels, the left -30 LED will flash and the left -10, right -30 LEDs will be lit solid for your -40dB output level. The first press of the button should cause the left -26 LED to flash, turn off the left -10 LED, and light the right +20 LED if the limiter is set to the default +20 level.