Q:
Can the J+4 drive a power amp from a CD player or I-Pod?
A: yes. The J+4's -10dB input and +15dB output capacity
will provide plenty of signal to drive a power amplifier.
.
Q: Can I use a guitar with the J+4 to drive a power
amp?
A: No. The output level from a guitar would be too low to
drive an amp directly. You would have to increase the level
of the guitar using a preamp first.
Q: Can I use a hi-Z mic with the J+4 to drive a
power amp?
A: No. The output level from a microphone would be too low
to drive an . You would have to increase the level of the
mic using a preamp first.
Q: How long of an XLR cable can I connect to the
Radial J+4 to drive a distant amplifier?
A: The normal maximum we recommend is 100 meters (300 feet).
You can extend this but will likely begin to hear noise
creep into the system and a loss of high frequency response.
Q: Can I use the J+4 to reduce the level from a
-10dB line level device to feed a mic input?
A: Yes, this will work but you are not really gaining anything
as you will not be using the buffering amp inside the J+4.
There may be other more suitable devices such as using a
passive stereo DI like the ProAV2 which could do this at
a lower price.
Q: Can I use the J+4 as a line isolator to eliminate
noise?
A: Yes. The transformers inside the J+4 will help eliminate
hum * buzz caused by ground loops and will provide plenty
of headroom for +10dB line isolation. if you intend to isolate
high level devices like a concert mixing console, the Radial
TwinIso may be a better choice as it can handle
in excess of 25dB.
Q: Can I connect a device
to the RCA inputs and then use the 1/4" inputs as outputs
to feed a second device like a thru-put?
A: This could work but you could encounter noise as there
is no way to isolate the two devices. Best solution here
would be to test in advance as the equipment being connected
will dictate how well this would work.
Q: Can I connect an I-pod
or computer to the Radial J+4 to drive a PA system?
A: Yes. By running the I-pod directly into the balanced
+4dB line level of a mixer, you will likely encounter less
noise. This will be particularly noticeable when connecting
a power supply to the source such as a computer. These are
often a major source of system noise. The isolation transformers
and buffering amplifier combine to eliminate stray AC and
DC currents from running around the audio system.
Q: Can I use the radial
J+4 backwards like a passive DI box??
A: No. The buffering circuit inside the J+4 will block audio
from coming into the unit via the XLR output connectors.
Q: Can I use 48V phantom
power to supply the needed voltage to the Radial J+4?
A: No. The J+4 is designed to deliver a proper line level
output. To do this, it requires 15 volts with 400 milliamps
of current. Phantom power only generates 5 milliamps of
current which would not be sufficient to run the J+4.
Q: Will 48V Phantom power
harm the Radial J+4?
A: No. The J+4 is equipped with blocking capacitors to prevent
DC from harming the circuitry.
Q: Can I use a battery to
supply the needed voltage to the Radial J+4??
A: No. The J+4 is designed to deliver a proper line level
signal output. To do this, it requires 15 volts with 400
milliamps of current. This type of power draw would run
a battery dead in minutes.
Q: Can I connect a keyboard
or digital piano to the J+4 to drive a power amp?
A: Yes. The line level output from a self-powered keyboard
is usually plenty to drive the input stage of the Radial
J+4.
Q: Can I use the Radial
J+4 to drive an extra set of studio monitors?
A: Sure! So long as you use a -10dB line level signal from
your mixer or sound card, you should have plenty of gain
to drive your system.
Q: Can the Radial J+4 drive
headphones?
A: No, not unless they are powered. You really need a headphone
amplifier for this task.
Q: Why did Radial use a
'wall wart' to power the J+4?
A: No one likes wall warts, but the only way to supply a
product to global customers while keeping pricing down is
to use external power supplies. This allows Radial to conform
to all of the various international power safety regulations
so that Radial products can be used safely around the world.
Add to that another advantage—wall warts take the
power transformer out of the box, eliminating 60Hz hum.
Q: Can I use the Radial
J+4 as a preamp for recording?
A: Absolutely. The Radial +J+4 is in fact a line level preamp
and it is extremely quiet. This makes it ideal for running
devices such as keyboards into balanced line level systems.
Q: What do I do if I hear
distortion?
A: Check first to make sure you are not overloading the
line level input device with the Radial J+4. If this is
not 'in the red', then turn the input source device down
and increase the output level from the Radial J+4 to provide
gain make-up.
Q: Can I run a turntable
into the Radial J+4?
A: A turntable first needs an RIAA preamp before you can
increase the level. The Radial
J33 would likely be a better choice for this
application.
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