Six ARX Systems ISO Balancer VC boxes were part of an extensive audiovisual set-up employed by Geneva-based event production company Skynight SA at the recent Montreux Jazz Festival.

Supplied to Skynight by Tonspur AG, Swiss distributor for ARX Systems, the ISO Balancer VCs were used primarily for straightforward volume adjustment. ‘At certain locations around the festival there are TV screens with a live feed from the concert,’ explains Tonspur’s Eddy Broquet. ‘Yvan Barone [Skynight Project Manager for the Montreux Jazz Festival] was looking for something of high quality that was easy to use to adjust the audio volume in these areas. As it may be the waiter of a bar in charge of the volume, he really wanted to avoid putting in a small mixing console. As Skynight already use the ARX USB-DI he asked if ARX had a product that might fit the requirement – and the obvious choice was the ISO Balancer VC.’

Designed for pro interfacing and level setting, the dual-channel ISO Balancer VC converts stereo unbalanced low-impedance audio signals to stereo balanced, low-impedance signals that are suitable for use with professional equipment and long cable runs.

The output from a laptop or other audio source can be controlled externally by the ISO Balancer VC, thereby cutting out the need for a mixer or A/V system controller. This straightforward way to control the volume only is ideal in a corporate A/V or hospitality application, where the skillset of the user may be limited, or in the case of powered loudspeakers with no output level control in a fixed installation. The transformer ground isolation provides low-noise operation and a ground lift switch is also fitted to minimise or remove ground loop hum.

The ISO Balancer VC is a totally passive device with no power requirements, making it a universal problem solver.