User manual ART ART

[. . . ] ART TCS Twin Compressor System IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION ­ READ FIRST This symbol, whenever it appears, alerts you to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside the enclosure-voltage that may be sufficient to constitute a risk of shock. This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions in the accompanying literature. Read manual. Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference. Power sources: Connect the unit to mains power only of the type described in this user guide or marked on the rear panel. Power cord: Use the power cord with sealed mains plug appropriate for your local main supply as provided with the equipment. [. . . ] As the NR Thresh is increased, the noise reduction will become more sensitive to the signals. The Shelf control tunes the Noise Reduction detection circuitry such that it is less sensitive to certain frequencies. When fully counterclockwise the noise reduction is most sensitive to lower frequencies, and when fully clockwise the noise reduction is most sensitive to higher frequencies. -7- ART TCS Twin Compressor System 5Bypass, Tube, Det. Loop Switches ­ These 3 switches control the channel settings. When depressed, the BYPASS switch completely bypasses the compressor controls, including output level (It should be noted that this is an active bypass, so if the unit is unpowered no signal shall pass through). The TUBE switch places a 12AX7 tube in the signal path adding tube warmth and gain. The DETECTOR LOOP switch selects the rear inserts for the detection path. 6V3 Compression Selector ­This selects the V3 setting for the given channel. 7LED Meter and Source Selection ­ This LED METER bar graph shows either the input or the output average level (with a peak hold). 8Output Level ­ These knobs function as either dual output level controls or stereo output and pan controls. While in this mode the LEFT CHANNEL CONTROLS act as the global controls for the unit with the exception of the detector loop controls. Gain Reduction Meters ­ These VU meters show how much gain reduction is taking place. When set at 0 there is no compression, and as compression increases, the VU meters move "down" displaying the gain reduction in dB. -8- ART TCS Twin Compressor System REAR CONNECTIONS 1Rear Input Jacks ­ The TCS features both ¼ inch and XLR connectors on the back as inputs wired in parallel. The rear inputs of Channel 1 are disconnected whenever the front panel ¼" jack is used. This allows you to keep the rear inputs connected in a rack installation and override Channel 1 when you plug into the front panel ¼" jack. 2Rear Output Jacks - The TCS features both ¼ inch and XLR connectors on the back as outputs wired in parallel. 3¼" Detector Loop Inputs (Rear) ­ The TCS features 2 detector loop inputs on the rear that accept line level signals. These are useful for ducking and voice over applications (the voice signal coming in must be line level, TS jack for override, TRS jack for loop insertion) -9- ART TCS Twin Compressor System OPERATION Compression Basics ­ Compression is an effective way to gently control the dynamics of a signal. The threshold sets the average signal level, above which the TCS acts on. From there the ratio control sets how aggressively the compressor holds signals above the threshold to the operating level. Typically a good starting ratio of 2:1 is suggested for vocal settings, 4:1 for instruments, and :1 for limiting or sustain. Settings with extremely high ratios are called limiters because they limit the signal to the operating level. When in "linked" mode, simply use the left channel controls to set your attack, release, threshold, ratio, noise reduction, V3 settings, and the right channel will have the same exact settings. [. . . ] Otherwise plug your guitar into the instrument input on Channel 1 of the TCS, and increase the instrument level until you're working with a decent signal level. Adjust the ratio to about 4:1 and increase the threshold to a comfortable level. Using high amounts of compression clamps down on the incoming note, but if you hold the note for a long time, instead of gradually decaying, the note will get a bit louder. Setting up the TCS as an instrument limiter Some instruments, particularly slap bass, can damage speakers or overload a mixer if recorded directly. [. . . ]