Furman HR-2 Headphone Remote Station

Furman HR-2 Headphone Remote Stations (sometimes called satellites) are passive devices intended for use with the Furman HA-6A Headphone/Monitor Amplifier, to increase the number of headphone stations beyond the six provided, and/or to locate them more conveniently. With the use of a simple adaptor, HR-2's may also be used successfully with any stereo power amplifier of 50 watts per channel or less to convert them to use as headphone distribution amplifiers. (The Furman SP-20A Half Rack 20 Watt/channel Power Amplifier has the required adaptor built in.) Each HR-2 box can accommodate two sets of headphones, each with its own volume control.

Using the HR-2

In rehearsals, headphones are often used to keep sound levels down to avoid disturbing neaighbors. In the recording studio, headphones are most often used in the overdubbing process, where new musical tracks are recorded in synchronization with previously recorded tracks. The musicians doing the overdub hear the already recorded tracks in their headphones, and play along with them. Because of the presence of open microphones, headphones are much preferred to speakers for cueing overdubs.

In many situations, it may be sufficient to plug all headphones directly into an HA-6A or other headphone amp. However, in a larger studio, or when each musician must have easy access to his or her headphone volume control, it is more practical to use several HR-2 Remote Stations at strategic locations around the room. In this case, the HA-6A (or the stereo power amplifier substituting for it) would most likely be installed in the control room.

The HR-2 Remote Stations connect in "daisy chain" fashion to the SPEAKER B-SATELLITE/REMOTE output on the rear panel of the HA-6A. This output is a male 3-pin XLR connector, so that ordinary microphone cables can be used. The HA-6A connects to the first HR-2 box; another mic cable connects the first HR-2 to the second HR-2; a third mic cable connects the second HR-2 to the third HR-2; and so on. If low impedance headphones are used, up to twelve HR-2's may be chained together. If medium or high impedance headphones are used, 25 or more Remote Stations may be chained.

The HR-2 Remote Stations are compact boxes which easily attach with a thumbscrew to any microphone stand. Each HR-2 has two stereo volume controls and two headphone jacks, to accommodate two listeners. There are also two XLR connectors, one male and one female, for use in daisy-chaining units together. If desired, the clip on an HR-2 box may be hung on a belt if no microphone stand is convenient. Or, the clip itself may be popped off the box for tabletop use.