C o n t e n t s 1 . I n t r o d u c t i o n p a g e 3 2 . Installation & Connections p a g e 4 3 . Controls p a g e 7 4 .
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1. Intro d u c t i o n The Chiswick Reach Compressor is a high quality, all valve, hand built studio tool. Developed as the result of over sixty five man years experience working with professional valve rec- ording equipment, we believe you will find it an invaluable tool in your production arsenal.
2. Installation & Connections 2.1 Installation Important! Serious consideration should be paid to the positioning of the compressor. All electronic equipment produces heat, and valve devices produce lots of it! In rack bays it is advisable to site towards the top of the rack frame and ensure that there is adequate air flow round the unit.
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rear view 2.2 Connections All connections to the compressor are on the rear chassis, together with the two fuse holders. Signal connectors are XLR type and are wired to the following convention: • Pin 1 Ground. Pin 2 Hot. Pin 3 Cold. •...
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3 . Controls To understand the function of the controls in this equipment, we will follow the signal path from input to output and examine each control’s effect on the signal as we progress. Bypass: After the signal enters the compressor, the first control in the path is the Bypass switch.
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Provided the mains power is plugged in or a fuse has not blown, of course! (see Maintenance section). Indicator: Located in the Chiswick Reach logo on the front panel - should glow orange! The logo is a stylised map of the very spot on the banks of the river Thames where the compressor was conceived.
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4. Driving the C o m p r e s s o r Depending on the requirement for using compression, circum- stances will dictate the settings. For example in a mastering or copying requirement:- light compression may be required with ‘stereo linking’...
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Light....Input Atten....T o taste Stereo Input Level....To taste Master Threshold....7 Attack.....’Med Fast’ - ‘Fast’ Release....Set to taste i.e. Lively sound set ‘Fast’ - Dense sound set ‘Slow’ Output Atten..As required ~ Match both levels of both channels before switching stereo link in ~ Heavy....
5. Maintenance First, a WARNING! POTENTIALLY LETHAL VOLTAGES ARE PRESENT INSIDE THIS EQUIPMENT! REPAIR WORK SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT ONLY BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. Valve technologies by their very nature use high voltages, the high tension rail in the unit has over 300 volts DC present in use.
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5.2 Meter Alignment Under no circumstances use the meter mechanical adjustments on the meter front to correct readings. The electronically ‘zero biased’ meter settings will require periodic re-adjustment. The metering circuit is necessarily very sensitive, change from the ‘zero’ position is quite normal and is not a cause for concern.
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5.4 Distortion Trim continued… Procedure: Connect generator to input of compressor. Connect Analyzer or distortion meter to output. Ensure the compressor has warmed up for at least five minutes. Set generator for 1 Khz and +4dBm output. Set Threshold to 5. Set Attack to ‘Fast’, Release to ‘Slow’.
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6 . Tr ou ble Sh oot i n g O.K. we know… It’s the last day of the mix sessions……the killer track’s just come together……the compressor’s failed, it’s use is essential and you’re NO technician; ……you hunt the manual out, skimming through, frantic for a clue .…only to find the damn manual is waiting for you ……...
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