OceanAudio The Ark 500 Series Owner's Manual - Features
Ark 500 range - Owner’s Manual - Revision 2.2 - page 4
Features
The Ark is designed to be as flexible as possible. While it can be used as a traditional analogue console (just insert
a Mic Pre and an EQ per channel), we would like to encourage you to explore all possibilities and use this console
to really suit your workflow.
The Ark has been designed to fully support the 500 series module system.
- The Ark 504 provides slots and power for up to 16 of these modules.
- The Ark 516 provides slots and power for up to 40 of these modules.
- The Ark 508 expander adds another 16 slots.
- The Ark 516 expander adds another 32 slots.
Each input of each console accommodates two 500 series modules physically placed above them.
The sub-master section of the Ark 504 and 516 provides for up to eight 500 series Modules.
The Ark provides all the infrastructure needed to make an extremely versatile recording console using any
combination of 500 series mic pre-amplifiers, equalisers, compressors, effects, etc. available from a long list of
manufacturers. This means that the console can in fact inherit the particular sound of any third party 500 series
module you want to use.
The Ark consoles and expanders can be combined in any way you want.
Two expanders (either 508 or 516) can be connected to each of the 504 and 516 master consoles.
This gives you a huge number of 500 series slots and possibilities.
Ark 504
Ark 516
Ark 508 Ex
Ark 516 Ex
Slots for 500 Series modules
Combined with Ark 504
Combined with Ark 516
Combined with Ark 508 Ex
Combined with Ark 516 Ex
Combined with two Ark 508 Ex
Combined with one Ark 508 Ex and one Ark 516 Ex
Combined with two Ark 516 Ex
16
40
16
32
-
-
32
48
-
-
56
72
32
56
-
-
48
72
-
-
48
72
-
-
64
88
-
-
80
104
-
-
The easiest way to implement use of 500 series modules in the Ark signal chain is to insert mic pre-amplifiers into
the top row of slots and connect the outputs of these to the ‘Channel External Inputs’.
500 series equalisers can be inserted into the lower row of slots and the inputs and outputs to these could be made
via the ‘Channel Insert Sends and Returns’. This will turn the Ark in a traditional analogue console.
Alternatively, and by using a patch bay, any chain of 500 series modules can be used on any of the inputs, outputs
or inserts of the Ark. This gives you complete flexibility to create the sound you’re after.
The console electronics have deliberately been designed to be as transparent and with as much headroom as
possible. The Ark can be used without the addition of any 500 series modules as a stand alone line level console.
In a multi-track studio environment the console will perform both tracking and remix functions equally well. All
inputs and outputs are electronically balanced and ground sensing outputs are used to make sure that interfacing
to external equipment is never compromised.