Sony Electronics Inc

Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation of America

Alan Flum

Michael A Zampini

Donald E Davis

Joseph J Dombrowski, Jr

Fujio Yasuda

John L Lumsden

Theodore B Staros

Norman A Allum

Masahiro Fujita

An electrical connector having a planar gripping member which allows for improved manual gripping of the connector to facilitate easy connection/disconnection of the electrical connector from an interface point.

Electrical connector having an improved grip member

Disclosed is an audio follow video mixer apparatus having a circuit which indicates the position of an adjustable depth of fade control member. When the depth of fade control member is adjusted to a position which does not permit full attenuation of an audio signal according to a FADE control signal, a depth of fade LED indicator is illuminated. According to one embodiment, the LED is driven by a Schmidt inverter directly coupled to the FADE control signal line. According to an alternative embodiment, the depth of fade control member is a dual element fader having a first element in the FADE signal path and a second element biased to drive the depth of fade LED indicator according to the position of the depth of fade control member.

Depth of fade indicating LED

Disclosed is an audio follow video mixer incorporating a manual cross fade learn feature. According to the invention, an operator may set the mixer so that a crossfade operation performed manually is stored in memory. The stored crossfade operation can thereafter be recalled and performed in an AUTO mode and an EDITOR mode. Also disclosed are LED indicators to visually indicate the status of the mixer, including which channel is active.

Manual cross fade learn feature for an audio follow video mixer

Disclosed is an improved XLR connector which automatically terminates at least two of the matable connecting terminals of the XLR connector when the XLR connector is not attached to another XLR connector. The XLR connector includes a spring-biased switching member which opens and closes depending on whether the XLR connector is attached to another XLR connector. According to a first embodiment of the invention, an internal resistor is provided in the XLR connector which has a resistance that matches the impedance of the signal lines coupled to the XLR connector. According to a second embodiment, two additional terminals are provided on the XLR connector which are coupled together through the switching member. Thus, the state of the XLR connector may be detected by detecting the potential difference between the two additional terminals.

Self-terminating XLR connector device

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for configuring an audio follow video mixer used to process audio signals input from several multi-channel devices, such as VTRs. Input modules of the audio follow video mixer include a selection button for choosing the number of a VTR coupled to the mixer module and an LED display for visually indicating the VTR number to a user. The input modules also include buttons for selecting the audio channel of the selected VTR, as well as the preview bus for the selected audio channel.

VTR configuration of a modular audio follow video mixer

A variable gain differential amplifier using a single operational amplifier. A potentiometer is used in the negative feedback loop with one end connected to ground through a resistor which limits the maximum gain. The other end is connected to the output and the wiper is connected through a minimum gain limiting resistor to the inverting terminal. This provides an amplifier with good CMRR, relatively low input impedance, wide gain control and variability with a single operational amplifier.

Variable gain differential amplifier circuit

A audio mixer is disclosed in which selection of audio monitor signals is accomplished by an edit select switch and a plurality of monitor select switches on a monitor select portion of the mixer display. When the edit select switch is enabled, selection of audio monitor source signals is controlled by an editor. When the edit select switch is not enabled, audio monitor signals may be selected by the plurality of monitor select switches. Selection of audio monitor signals is achieved regardless of whether or not the mixer is under general crossfade control by an editor.

Edit select switch for monitor source select

An audio follow video mixer is disclosed which has a display that provides a plurality of monitor indicator LEDs corresponding to a selected audio channel. These LEDs visually indicate which channels are currently being monitored, including playback channels and line out channels. This invention permits an operator to determine which channel is being monitored during a preview operation.

Monitor select indicator for an audio follow video mixer

An audio mixer system using a serial editor interface is disclosed. Use of a microprocessor control circuit is disclosed to control various functions a plurality of multiple channel VTRs under the control of a mixer. Serial control signals are supplied from a video editor to a serial interface which includes a microprocessor. These control signals are decoded, and the appropriate controls of the VTRs are implemented. These controls include crossfading as well as PREVIEW/REVIEW monitoring.

Microprocessor controlled multiple channel VTR configuration of an audio

A dual colored LED indicator is provided for each channel of an audio mixing console to enable an operator to determine the status of at least a first and second device. Preferably, a red indication from the LED indicates a device is active and a green indication from the LED indicates that a device is set to become active or has just become inactive. The invention enables an operator to determine which device is set to next become active in a cross fade operation.

Cross fade indicators

The present invention is directed to an audio mixing console having main and secondary faders to independently adjust the maximum and minimum levels of a FADE OUT or FADE IN signal received from an editor associated with the mixer console.

Fader depth control apparatus

An audio mixer system for use with a parallel editor interface is disclosed. Use of a configuration selector to select a desired configuration of a plurality of multichannel devices is disclosed in order to enable such various configurations and reconfigurations. In one embodiment, the output of the configuration selector is provided to a memory to select prestored commands to be provided to appropriate channels. According to another embodiment, the configuration selection signals are decoded and supplied to multiplexers in combination with editor control signals to enable the editor control signals to be routed to appropriate channels.

VTR configuration decoding scheme for audio mixer parallel editor

A servo distortion trim circuit for a DBX VCA is disclosed. The circuit comprises a feedback to the VCA which includes an inverting integrator. The input to the non-inverting terminal of the integrator is chosen to minimize distortion.

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Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Alan Flum