Source Audio Atlas Compressor SA252 User Manual
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Source Audio Atlas Compressor SA252 User Manual

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Atlas Compressor User Guide

Welcome

Thank you for purchasing the Source Audio Atlas! The Atlas is an all-in-one compressor pedal that
aims to be the ultimate destination for guitar or bass compression and a dive into the deep history of
compressor units. On the surface, the Atlas serves up six unique compressor circuits spanning from
classic stompbox compressors to expensive studio rack gear to ultra-modern and flexible dual-band
compressors.
Connect via USB to the Neuro Mobile App and Neuro Desktop Editors to transform the Atlas into a
DAW compression module with real time gain reduction readout displays and enough controls—such
as Threshold, Attack, Release, Makeup Gain, Ratio, Soft Knee Width, Clean Blend, and a Side Chain
Low-Pass and High-Pass Filters to fine-tune the Atlas Compressor to your exact specifications.
Parameter range controls allow you to set a custom range for each control knob so your tones will
always be in the useable range.
The Atlas Compressor is our love letter to compression and was a collaborative effort between our
trusted engineering duo of Jesse Remignanti (hardware) & Bob Chidlaw (DSP) and Christopher Venter
of SHOE Pedals, who has previously contributed on the ZIO and True Spring pedals. Plug in an Atlas
and experience the final word in audio compression.
—The Source Audio Team
SA252
Atlas Compressor User Guide
1

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Summary of Contents for Source Audio Atlas Compressor SA252

  • Page 1: Welcome

    Atlas Compressor User Guide Welcome Thank you for purchasing the Source Audio Atlas! The Atlas is an all-in-one compressor pedal that aims to be the ultimate destination for guitar or bass compression and a dive into the deep history of compressor units.

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Contents Welcome ..............................1 Contents ..............................2 Feature Overview ............................ 3 Connecting the Pedal ..........................4 Controls ..............................8 ALT Controls ............................10 Atlas Factory Presets ..........................11 Stereo Operation & Signal Routing ....................... 12 Preset Storage and Recall ........................13 External Control Options ........................

  • Page 3: Feature Overview

    MIDI Capable: Connect the Atlas to the Source Audio Neuro Hub or a USB-MIDI Host and access up to 128 presets with MIDI Program Change (PC) messages. Control many of the pedal’s parameters with MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) messages.

  • Page 4: Connecting The Pedal

    9V on the back panel. The Atlas needs at least 160mA of current to operate as intended. Warning: Using a non-Source Audio supply, especially an unregulated supply, could damage the unit. A power supply with insufficient current levels may also cause noise or other unpredictable behavior.
  • Page 5 Input Side Connections INPUT 1 1 is the primary input for guitar, bass, or other instruments. It can also accept line-level inputs NPUT and will work in your amp’s effect loop. Connect it to your instrument or other audio source using a mono (TS) 1/4”...
  • Page 6 The ring contact on O 2 acts as a data UTPUT connection for the Neuro App, passing data from the Atlas to the next Source Audio effect in your signal chain. You can daisy-chain the Neuro App data regardless of whether O 2 is UTPUT configured to output audio or not.
  • Page 7 CONTROL INPUT The 3.5 mm CONTROL INPUT port connects to external control devices such as the Source Audio Tap Tempo Switch, Source Audio Dual Expression Pedal, and the Neuro Hub. For more information, refer...

  • Page 8: Controls

    Controls Footswitch Click the footswitch to engage or bypass the pedal. Press + hold the footswitch down while the pedal is bypassed to bank to Red LED (ALT) Mode for more presets. Control Input / ALT Button This small button located at the top of the pedal is used to enable or disable external control. It also is used to control the ALT parameters on the surface of the pedal.
  • Page 9 Turn counterclockwise for a lower ratio and more subtle compression BLEND Knob Adjusts the wet/dry mix of compression. Unlike MIX controls on other Source Audio pedals, the BLEND control blends in clean signal as the knob is turned up. Therefore, 100% wet (compressed) signal is at full counterclockwise on the BLEND knob, and 100% dry is at full clockwise on the knob.

  • Page 10: Alt Controls

    ALT Controls Pressing and holding the ALT button while rotating the control knobs will adjust their ALT parameter instead of their normal parameter. Below are a list of ALT parameters and how they correspond to the normal controls. Makeup Gain (ALT THRESHOLD) Adjusts the makeup gain within the compression signal.

  • Page 11: Atlas Factory Presets

    Atlas Factory Presets The Atlas comes equipped with six hand-tuned presets found on the three toggle switch and three ALT + toggle switch positions. Each preset has already been optimized for sound and feel out of the box without needing to connect the Atlas to the app or editors. Below is a description of each factory preset.

  • Page 12: Stereo Operation & Signal Routing

    Stereo Operation & Signal Routing The Atlas is flexible for many different use cases due to its stereo INPUT and OUTPUT jacks. By default, the Atlas auto-detects the cables connected to INPUTS and OUTPUTS 1 & 2 and engages the appropriate Routing Mode.

  • Page 13: Preset Storage And Recall

    Stereo In, Stereo Out This mode should be your default selection for Stereo In, Stereo Out applications. Stereo In, Stereo Out allows you to continue your stereo chain of effects. When Ch. 1 and Ch. 2 are linked, the output will be the same for both channels.

  • Page 14: External Control Options

    Recalling Presets The first six User Presets are accessible via the onboard hardware or with an external footswitch in the following ways: 1. Move the toggle switch to left, center, or right to access presets #1-3. 2. Press the ALT button while moving the toggle switch to access presets #4-6, or press + hold the footswitch when the pedal is OFF for 5 seconds to access the Red LED (presets #4-6).

  • Page 15: Expression Control

    Neuro Hub, it is possible to map up to three parameters to be controlled via expression. Expression Control Use a Source Audio Dual Expression pedal to control up to three different parameters on the Atlas per preset. Parameters include Threshold level, Output Level, Tone, Ratio, Blend, Attack, Release, and many more.

  • Page 16: Neuro Desktop And Mobile Editors

    Neuro Desktop and Mobile Editors Like all pedals in the Source Audio One Series line, the Atlas Compressor features access to more precise editing parameters, preset sharing, and added functionality via the Neuro Desktop Editor and Mobile App. The Neuro Desktop Editor is available as a free download for Mac or Windows on the Editors &...
  • Page 17 • pedal. If an update is available, the software will provide instructions on how to proceed. Hardware Options: The gear icon opens the Hardware Options window. Each Source Audio • pedal has its own set of global hardware settings. The attached pedal will retain all hardware option edits until either the option is changed, or a Factory Reset is performed.
  • Page 18 Calibration dropdown controls): In some cases, it might be necessary to adjust the calibration range of an expression pedal to get the desired pedal response when using expression control either through the Neuro Hub, a direct connection to the Source Audio Dual Expression Pedal, or a 3 -party pedal.
  • Page 19 Configuration: Select how the Atlas’s onboard compressors are configured within the signal path. Choose between the options below. SA252 Atlas Compressor User Guide...
  • Page 20 Band Split Frequency: For dual mode only, this is the point on the frequency spectrum at which the two bands in the Dual Band compressor are split. I/O Routing Option: By default, the Atlas uses an auto-detecting routing system, but you can use this menu to manually put presets into Mono In, Stereo Out or Stereo In, Stereo Out routing.

  • Page 21: Graphic Equalizer Module

    Sidechain LP: Brings in a low-pass filter applied to the compressor’s input. Sidechain HP: Brings in a high-pass filter applied to the compressor’s input. Soft Knee Width: When your signal approaches the point of compression at the threshold, the transition can often sound abrupt. Soft Knee Width adds a smoothness to the knee to ease the transition into compression, with higher values creating an increasingly more subtle feel.

  • Page 22: Knob Assignment Module

    External Control Control up to three parameters with a Source Audio Dual Expression Pedal or Tap Tempo Switch. Use the dropdown menus in the External Control block to select the expression device (Control Source) and controlled parameter (Control Option).
  • Page 23 • Save As Button: After creating a new preset hit the Save As button and you will be prompted to name it and select the preset or Effect Selector position to which it will be saved. • Save Button: If you have made edits to a pre-existing preset, use the Save button to update the preset without changing its name or preset position.

  • Page 24: The Neuro Mobile App - With New Direct Midi-Usb Support

    The Neuro Mobile App — with New Direct MIDI-USB Support Like all Source Audio One Series pedals, the Atlas is fully supported in the Neuro Mobile app. The Neuro Mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices and allows access to all the preset parameters and hardware options described in the Neuro Desktop editor section above.

  • Page 25: Neuro Hub

    One Series families to create a single, stage-ready effects system. It features shared MIDI, passive expression pedal input, Hot Hand connectivity, and USB, and can connect to up to five Source Audio pedals. The Neuro Hub features a powerful scene saving functionality, which allows you to create up to 128 multi-pedal presets known as scenes, each recallable via MIDI program change messages.

  • Page 26: Midi

    Neuro Editors. Note that the MIDI Input Channel is a global setting that is NOT saved per preset. Note that some manufacturers begin counting MIDI channels at zero (from 0 to 15), while the Source Audio Neuro Editors use the convention of counting from 1 to 16. Selecting Presets via Program Change (PC) Messages The 128 user presets on the Atlas can be recalled via program change messages.

  • Page 27: Usb

    • In the top bar menu select Device then Edit Device MIDI Map from the dropdown menu. • The Atlas MIDI Map Editor window will open. Simply scroll to the MIDI CC value you wish to remap and click that CC’s dropdown menu. A list of parameter choices will unfold. •...

  • Page 28: Troubleshooting

    • Output Impedance: 600 Ohm (600 Ω) • 110 dB DNR Audio Path • 24-bit Audio Conversion • 56-bit Digital Data Path • Universal Bypass (relay-based true bypass or analog buffered bypass) Troubleshooting Restore Factory Settings To revert the Atlas to its factory settings, clearing all user data, presets, expression mappings, and changes to the MIDI mapping, use either the Neuro Mobile App or Neuro Desktop Editor and choose the Factory Reset option in the Hardware Options menus.
  • Page 29 The Neuro Desktop Editor is available from Source Audio’s website: http://www.sourceaudio.net/editorsandfirmware.html. While the pedal is connected, select the Arrow Icon located in the Atlas Compressor square in the Connections field.

  • Page 30: Rubber Feet

    Warranty coverage shall be determined by Source Audio in its sole discretion. This is your sole warranty. Source Audio does not authorize any third party, including any dealer or sales representatives, to assume any liability on behalf of Source Audio or to make any warranty on behalf of Source Audio.

  • Page 31: Version History

    Warranty Information Source Audio may, at its option, require proof of the original purchase date in the form of a dated copy of the original authorized dealer’s invoice or sales receipt. Service and repairs of Source Audio products are to be performed only at the Source Audio factory or a Source Audio authorized service center.

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