Cloud USA MA40 40W Mini Amplifier for Audio and AV Installations

The Cloud MA40 is a mono amplifier for use in AV systems and installations with an audio component. At 8.7 x 1.6 x 5.7″, it is compact enough to fit into a wall or ceiling mount, or to be placed conveniently next to projectors, displays, and loudspeakers. As such, it is suitable for gallery/museum exhibitions and tour-guide systems. It can also work with digital signage systems, providing a vast improvement over the audio typically found in such devices. The amplifier handles 40W into a 4-Ohm load, though it can also operate with 12 to 24 VDC power supplies, making the MA40 suitable for installations where an AC mains power supply isn’t on hand—places such as trams, river-boats, and buses.

The amplifier itself can mix a balanced microphone input with two unbalanced stereo connections, summing the stereo inputs to mono internally and outputting them via the music channel, leaving the microphone channel for the balanced mic input. A music mute input is also provided, which can be hooked into an emergency system and permits compliance with local Fire Authority regulations; when the music mute is instantiated, the microphone input remains active, and a front panel MUTE LED illuminates. The inputs and outputs provided are all plug-in screw terminal connections, and can be controlled via separately-available remotes.

Rear-panel DIP switches allow you to set various priorities, such as Line 1 over Line 2, or Mic over Line. Configured in this way, you can connect message stores, or cause the music channel to automatically attenuate whenever microphone signal is present; this comes in handy for announcements. For microphones requiring 12V phantom power, an internal jumper is available.

On the front panel, you’ll note controls for Mic, Line 1, and Line 2 levels, as well as low-frequency and high-frequency controls for the music channel to better accommodate the acoustics of your given space. On the rear of the unit, you’ll see that the line inputs have a preset control for gain, while the mic input sports preset gain, low-frequency, and high-frequency EQ controls. An energy efficient amplifier, the MA40 features a user-selectable power-down function which automatically puts the unit into a low-current standby mode when it ceases to receive signal after a predetermined amount of time.