Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay Manual

Tape reverse simulator

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The original Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay is a hard-to-find gem among

legendary guitar pedals. Originally called a Tape Reverse Simulator, it is known for

producing volume and reverse swells, backward tape sounds, artificially short

staccato notes and bowed instrument effects.

The new Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay reinterprets the vintage unit by keeping

the basic functionality but adding more modern features such as Poly mode and

presets. It can produce a single volume envelope like the original, or with Poly

engaged, put each note you play through separate volume envelopes. The built-

in Harmonix fuzz is now a fully controllable distortion with gain, tone and volume

controls. The effects loop allows the musician or sound designer to place the

volume envelope onto whatever signal is present at the Return jack. An

Expression/CV/Clock input and three user presets give the user total control over

their Attack Decay.

WARNING: Your Attack Decay comes equipped with an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI

power supply. The Attack Decay requires 140mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug.

Use of the wrong adapter or a plug with the wrong polarity may damage your Attack

Decay and void the warranty. Do not exceed 10.5VDC on the power plug. Power supplies

rated for less than 140mA will cause the Attack Decay to act unreliably.



Volume envelope swells and quick stabs with adjustable Attack and Decay

times: 4ms to 8s.



Mono mode: a single volume envelope for the full signal present at the INPUT

or RETURN jacks, the envelope resets when you pluck a new note.



Poly mode: gives each note you play its own envelope, as seen on the EHX

HOG2.



Built-in, fully adjustable, Harmonix fuzz enhances the volume envelope effect

and produces bowed instrument sounds.



Built-in effects loop allows for your own pedals to be inserted before the

volume envelopes.



Expression pedal or CV control over every knob on the Attack Decay.



Continuous Envelopes turns Attack Decay into a retriggable Tremolo.



Save and recall up to three presets.



High quality analog buffered bypass.



Comes supplied with EHX 96DC-200 power supply.

ATTACK DECAY

Tape Reverse Simulator

- FEATURES -

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Page 1 WARNING: Your Attack Decay comes equipped with an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI power supply. The Attack Decay requires 140mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug. Use of the wrong adapter or a plug with the wrong polarity may damage your Attack Decay and void the warranty.
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Expression Pedal Use and Setup Preset Setup and Use Using the Send and Return FX Loop Restoring Factory Settings Secondary Modes and Options Attack Decay Tips & Tricks Secondary Mode Reference Table Warranty Information and Compliance Attack Decay Manual Version 1.2...
Page 3: Notes And Specifications
1. Ensure none of the PRESET or POLY buttons at the top left of the Attack Decay are lit. If any button is lit, press it once to turn it off. 2. Ensure that H LED, located above the left footswitch, is turned off.
Page 4 10. Try this same procedure with other knobs or multiple knobs at once. SAVING A PRESET 1. Create a setting on the Attack Decay that you really like. 2. Choose one of the preset slots to save the setting. For our purposes let’s choose PRESET 2.
Page 5: Controls And Leds
INPUT jack and all of the effects produced by the Attack Decay. The output of BLEND is sent directly to the VOL knob. As BLEND is turned clockwise, the effect volume increases while the dry volume decreases.
Page 6 When the POLY button is lit, poly mode is engaged. 6. SENS Mini Knob MONO (POLY OFF): While using the Attack Decay with POLY off, the SENS knob sets the threshold at which a new pluck is detected at the INPUT jack thus triggering the start or restart of the volume envelope.
Page 7 1. BYPASS Footswitch and Status LED – Press and release the BYPASS footswitch to toggle between effect and buffered bypass. When the Status LED is lit, the Attack Decay effect is engaged. You may also use the BYPASS footswitch to manually trigger volume envelopes when the unit is in Manual Envelope Trigger mode.
Page 8: Connections
EXP Jack – Connect an expression pedal or control voltage (CV) to allow for external control over every knob on the Attack Decay. See page 10 for a description on how to set up and control the Attack Decay with an external expression pedal.
Page 9: Mono And Poly Modes
ONO AND ODES The Attack Decay has two main modes of operation: Mono and Poly. When the POLY button is lit, the Attack Decay is in Poly mode. When it is not, the pedal is in Mono Mode. MONO MODE Mono Mode produces a more traditional volume envelope working in the same fashion as the vintage Attack Decay.
Page 10: Expression Pedal Use And Setup
When you see them blink, release the footswitch and the button. 3. Set any of the Attack Decay’s eight knobs to the setting you want them to have when the expression pedal is in the heel position.
Page 11: Preset Setup And Use
RESET ETUP AND The Attack Decay can save and recall three presets. Each preset saves:  All current knob settings  Position of the expression pedal at the time of saving  The state of Harmonix and POLY modes  The current expression sweep setting ...
Page 12 Presets. You may save to the same preset number or a different one. EXPRESSION PEDAL POSITION RECALL If an expression pedal is attached to the Attack Decay at the time you save a preset, the preset saves the position of the expression pedal. When you recall the preset, it also recalls the saved position of the expression pedal—whether an expression pedal is attached or not.
Page 13: Using The Send And Return Fx Loop
INPUT jack and the input into the volume envelopes. In Mono mode, this means your dry instrument signal can be used by the Attack Decay to detect plucks but the volume envelopes act on the signal at the RETURN jack instead of the INPUT jack’s dry signal.
Page 14: Restoring Factory Settings
Return Bypass is active, while in Bypass, the Harmonix effect is not output on the SEND jack even if Harmonix is active. 3. If you want to use the Attack Decay solely as a distortion effect, you can use the SEND jack as the main output jack. The HARMONIX footswitch will turn the distortion on and off.
Page 15: Secondary Modes And Options
HARMONIX BLEND MODE By default, the BLEND knob controls master wet/dry mix and its output goes directly to the VOL knob. Optionally the Attack Decay can be put into Harmonix Blend mode where the BLEND knob adjusts fuzz/dry mix immediately after the Harmonix fuzz block. The Harmonix Blend mix is then output to the volume envelopes.
Page 16 3. While the BYPASS footswitch is held, press and release the PRESET 2 button. After releasing this button, release the BYPASS footswitch. 4. The PRESET 2 and Status LEDs will blink at different rates indicating that you are in Harmonix Blend mode. 5.
Page 17 EXTERNAL CLOCK TRIGGERING By default, the EXP jack on the Attack Decay accepts a connection from an expression pedal or CV. The Attack Decay can also be configured to accept an external clock signal as a trigger source.
Page 18 The compressor helps bring up the volume on sustained notes so that the Attack and Decay envelopes have more signal to work with as the envelopes run. This version of the Attack Decay has an emulation of that compressor situated after the pluck detect but before the Harmonix fuzz.
Page 19 ADJUSTING ENVELOPE CURVES – MONO MODE ONLY! The Attack Decay provides a choice of three different envelope curves for the Mono mode volume envelopes. These curve choices do not apply to POLY mode. The Attack (fade-in) and Decay (fade-out) curves can be chosen independently.
Page 20: Attack Decay Tips & Tricks
 Due to the nature of amplitude effects such as those found in the Attack Decay, it is possible to experience a wide range of output volumes as you dial-in sounds and get a feel for the pedal. Some settings will be too quiet and others too loud. The Attack Decay’s output volume control has a good deal of gain on tap to help find the right volume balance between effect and bypass.
Page 21 Poly Mode Playing  Poly mode excels when doing just Attack or just Decay but it also makes unique sounds when both knobs are in play.  The Poly mode envelope times on the Attack and Decay knobs do not match the knob positions found in mono mode. ...
Page 22: Secondary Mode Reference Table
ECONDARY PERATIONS EFERENCE ABLE Attack Decay 1st Button(s) Hold/ Operation Notes Secondary Mode 2nd Button Press Create custom expression BYPASS FSW/ Custom Expression Setting settings where any knob is PRESET 1 swept by expression or CV. Saving Presets (can also be...
Page 23 – C ECONDARY PERATIONS EFERENCE Visual Saves to Presets End Operation Feedback or Global PRESET 1 & Status LED Press PRESET 1 two Slow blink. Blink speed increases as more times after initial Saves to Presets you cycle through expression setting mode entry to exit.
Page 24: Warranty Information And Compliance
NFORMATION Please register online at http://www.ehx.com/product-registration or complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase. Electro-Harmonix will repair or replace, at its discretion, a product that fails to operate due to defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase. This applies only to original purchasers who have bought their product from an authorized Electro-Harmonix retailer.

Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay Manual

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