Sound Devices 302 - Manual (Page 15)

302 User Guide and Technical Information
15
Tone Oscillator/Slate Microphone
A single 3-position switch controls the Tone Oscillator and Slate Microphone. The Tone/Slate switch
is located in the upper right corner of the front panel. The switch is protected from inadvertent
engagement by the end panel. When the Tone Oscillator is engaged the inputs are muted.
Tone Oscillator
Tone is used to set gain levels between the 302 and the next device in the signal path. The Tone
Oscillator uses the latch position of the switch. Switch positions can be reassigned in the Setup
Menu.
From the factory, the Tone Oscillator is set to output a 1 kHz tone at 0 dBu to the outputs (when the
outputs are set to Line level). If you are interconnecting primarily with analog video cameras, you
may want to modify to the tone output level to +4 dBu in the Setup Menu. In the Setup Menu, the
Tone frequency and Output level can be adjusted, and tone can be defeated altogether.
When engaged, the 302’s Tone Oscillator attenuates the headphone output by 20 dB to protect the
operator’s ears. This feature can be defeated in the Setup Menu.
Left/Right Verification
Pressing the Battery Check button when the tone oscillator is active sets the left output level to cycle
between 0 and -20 dB. This is helpful to verify proper left and right channel connection. Turning off
the tone oscillator or pressing the Battery Check button again stops the output cycling.
Slate Microphone
The Slate Microphone is used to audibly notate scenes at the mixer location. Its audio performance
is not suitable for critical recording applications; it should only be used for documenting scenes to
tape. At factory default, the slate mic uses the momentary switch position.
In the Setup Menu, a one second 400 Hz tone can be set to precede the Slate Microphone. The Slate
Microphone signal is sent to all outputs. In the Setup Menu, the Slate Microphone can be disabled
altogether to prevent unintentional activation. Additionally, the switch assignments of Slate and
Tone can be reversed for user convenience.