Front Panel Controls - VAC Renaissance Operation & Maintenance Information

Please note that although your VAC System has been run for 48 hours at the factory, it will
continue to "break in" for a few hundred hours. Also be aware that many components
display the need for a new break in period after being transported in unheated cargo
aircraft.

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS

Although most of the front panel controls (Volume, Power, Mute) are self explanatory, VAC
has outfitted this unit with several advanced features which bear further description:
Phono Section: When fitted, input "L6" is connected to a discrete, pure tube phono
preamplifier, providing 40 dB of gain, suitable for use with MM (moving magnet) and many
high-output MC (moving coil) cartridges. An MC step up interface can be switched in,
making the Renaissance Preamplifier suitable for most low output cartridges.
Monitor/Cinema: In the "Source" position, input selection is determined by the Source
Selector Switch. In the "Tape" position, the Source Selector is overridden, and the Tape
inputs are activated.
The "Cinema" position provides access to one of the Renaissance Preamplifier's most
unusual feature. When set in the "Source" position, input choice is governed by the Input
Selector switch. Rotating the control clockwise to the "Cinema" position bypasses all
preamplifier controls (including volume) and passes the output from your surround sound
processor (i.e., the front left- and right-channel outputs of a multichannel processor) directly
to your power amplifier. In this case, the users' analog stereo sources would be connected,
as usual, to the line, phono and tape inputs. A/V inputs (DVD, Laserdisc, DSS, etc.) would
be connected to the home theater processor, and the processor's main outputs would be
connected to the pair of rear panel RCA jacks labeled "Home Theater Direct". When the
control is set to the "Cinema" position, the Renaissance functions as a pass-through ONLY,
and is controlled by the external processor, preamplifier, or other component connected
to the "Home Theater Direct" inputs.
Mute: This knob is spring loaded; moving the control clockwise will toggle between the
"Mute" and "Operate" condition. When muted, the VAC logo will be red; when un-muted,
it will be blue. On occasion the preamplifier may seem not to have responded to a turn of
the "Mute" knob; this is due to "contact bounce" in the switch. Simply turn the knob again
until the desired condition is attained.