Symetrix 528E User Manual

Voice processor

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528E Voice Processor

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Page 1 528E Voice Processor...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
All rights re served. Symetrix Part Number 53528-0F00 The information in this guide is subject to change without notice. Symetrix, Inc. shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein; nor is it liable for incidental or con se quen tial damages resulting from the furnish- ing, per for mance, or use of this material.
Page 3: Chapter 1 Introduction
It is everything you would have at your disposal in a world-class mixing console. The 528E accepts both mic and line inputs. Of course, while we use the term “Voice Processor” for the 528E, it is perfectly at home with any signal, vocal or not.
Page 4: Chapter 2 Operator Safety Summary
528E. weather, improper or un known AC mains voltage, Caution Identiﬁ...
Page 5: Chapter 3 Fast Setup
Chapter 3 Fast Setup Follow these instructions to get your 528E up-and-running as quickly as possible. The intent of this section is fast setup. If you need something clar i ﬁ ed, then you’ll ﬁ nd the answer elsewhere in this manual.
Page 6 Rear Panel Setting Output Connect to input of The 528E’s controls and switches are now set ac cord ing console, tape recorder, to the preceding section. All con nec tions listed in etc. Section 6.1 are now made. The 528E should now pass...
Page 7 Output Settings For many applications, setting the output G control at 0 dB (12:00 o’clock) works ﬁ ne. If you are adding a bunch of EQ (which tends to cause an overall level increase), then you may need to decrease the G setting.
Page 8: Chapter 4 Front Panel Overview
Front Panel Overview Chapter 4 Mic Preamp Selects between the Mic input (switch in) and Switch Line input (switch out). PHANTOM -15 dB P Inserts 15 dB pad for strong mic signals. Switch Sets the gain of the mic preamp for best com pro - mise between signal-to-noise ratio and head room.
Page 9 Switch Hard-wire bypasses the entire equalizer. Output Section Sets the overall gain of the 528E’s output over a ±15 dB range. Note: the actual ad just ment point is in the expander/ com pres sor's VCA, which is pre-EQ. Inserts speech waveform asym me try OICE correction into the signal path.
Page 10: Chapter 5 Rear Panel Overview
(see preceding paragraph). TRS phone jack (wired for un bal anced operation). This is the input to the output UTPUT stage and in ter rupts the signal coming from the remainder of the 528E. TAGE NPUT QUALIZER TRS phone jack (wired unbalanced).
Page 11 TRS phone jack (wired un bal anced). This is the output of the Mic/Line preamp. REAMP TAGE This jack does not interrupt the signal flow to the 528E’s De-Esser. UTPUT XLR Connector. 10-kilohm balanced bridging line input intended for signals NPUT ranging from -10 dBu to +4 dBu.
Page 12: Chapter 6 Voice Processing Tutorial
This chapter of the manual contains a tutorial on the basics of dynamic range pro cess ing and equalization: the two key ingredients in the 528E. The tutorial information is intended to provide a background for the information found in the remainder of this manual.
Page 13 In the case of the 528E, noise is referred to the input, and stated as equivalent input noise (EIN). The noise spec i ﬁ ca tion is given this way because the gain of the 528E’s input stage is variable, so the actual signal-to-noise performance of the unit becomes a function of how much gain is used in the preamp.
Page 14 How Expanders Increase Usable Dynamic Range The lower limit restriction of a system is the noise ﬂ oor, which is usually well below the 528E’s lowest expander threshold (-50 dBu). It’s important to keep in mind that while the signal levels may change greatly, the noise usually doesn’t change very much.
Page 15 The sidechain is a patch point in the control circuit of a dynamic range processor, which provides access to the part of the circuitry that tells the VCA what to do. The 528E’s sidechain routes through a rear panel TRS jack that allows the control signal to be processed outside the unit (see Figure 7-6 for speciﬁ...
Page 16 The parametric EQ in the 528E provides both creative and corrective frequency shaping - it can be used to create a more pleasing sound, and to correct frequency response problems. The equalizer has a symmetrical ±15 dB boost/cut response.
Page 17 recorded and reproduced levels shows requirements for tre men dous boosts, on the order of 10 to 30 dB. Aside from the subjective effects of this range, the ability to control unwanted sounds in this range is equally important to subdue stage rumble and outside trafﬁ c noise (especially im por tant where there are subways beneath buildings!).
Page 18 Mic Gain control or by lowering the level of the line input. On the other hand, if the levels within the 528E are too low to start with, using the equalizer for boost may increase noise to unacceptable levels.
Page 19 Tuning the EQ/Notch Filter To “tune” the equalizer, use full boost. For both boost and cut, the 528E’s parametric equalizer is intended to be put to work on speciﬁ c frequencies. To ﬁ nd a particular frequency “by ear” (the method used by everyone who doesn’t have a real-time analyzer), turn the cut/boost control all the...
Page 20 Range Description (women) Range Description (men) 100-250 Hz Fullness 75-200 Hz “Balls”, rumble, heaviness 250-400 Hz Bassiness, bigness 200-300 Hz Bassiness, bigness 400-600 Hz Warmth 400-600 Hz Chesty 600-1 kHz Volume 600-1 kHz Volume 2 kHz-4 kHz Clarity 2 kHz-4 kHz Clarity 3 kHz - 5 kHz Nasal, yell, presence...
Page 21 15804.40 14080.00 12544.00 11175.20 10548.00 9393.20 8372.00 7902.20 7040.00 6272.00 5587.60 5274.00 4698.60 4186.00 3951.10 3520.00 3136.00 2793.80 2637.00 2349.30 2093.00 1975.50 1760.00 1568.00 1396.90 1318.50 1174.70 1046.50 987.77 880.00 783.99 698.46 659.26 587.33 523.25 493.88 440.00 392.00 349.43 329.63 293.66 261.63 246.94...
Page 22: Chapter 7 Using The 528E
The interstage patch points are half-normalled. The send jack does not break the signal ﬂ ow. The output level of the 528E can be set to either line level or mic level. The switch for this function is internal to the unit. Refer to Appendix A.
Page 23 Figure 7-1. 528E Block Diagram...
Page 24 Stand-alone Operation A vast majority of users use the 528E as a stand-alone device. Here the 528E replaces their usual microphone preamp and either feeds their tape machine or workstation directly, in essence be- com ing a one-input, one-output console.
Page 25 528E into a console or system having only microphone level inputs. How- ever workable, the ultimate per for mance of the 528E will be limited by the per for mance of your system’s existing microphone preamps. If you can ﬁ nd a way to bypass the existing microphone preamps in your system, do so.
Page 26 Changing the Sequence of Processing You may wish to change the sequence of processing within the 528E to allow the signal processors to work on the input signal in a particular way (your way). A good example of this is the com- pres sor: should the equalizer precede or follow the compressor.
Page 27 GAIN SETTING There are two places to adjust the gain of the 528E: at the mic input, before any processing, and at the output. An understanding of this topic is essential to getting the most from your 528E. A more basic discussion can be found under the heading, “Gain Setting,”...
Page 28 A parametric equalizer offers perhaps the greatest ﬂ exibility of any type of equalizer, however it can be more difﬁ cult to arrive at a setting than with other equalizers. A good strategy for setting any equalizer is to set the level control for maximum boost, then vary the Frequency and Band width until you locate the portion of the spectrum that you wish to modify.
Page 29 The sidechain is a patch point in the control circuit of a dynamic range processor, which provides access to the part of the circuitry that tells the VCA what to do. The 528E’s sidechain routes through a rear panel TRS jack that allows the control signal to be processed outside the unit (see Figure 7-6 for speciﬁ...
Page 30: Chapter 8 Applications
Careful adjustment of the two threshold controls allows the opera- tor to put the 528E to work on any portion of the dynamic range. The expand threshold control gov- erns the 528E’s activity in the lower part of the dynamic range, while the comp thresh old governs activity in the upper part of the range.
Page 31 (see Chapter 6 for additional information and Chapter 7 for hookup details). To make the 528E’s compressor/limiter more sensitive to high frequencies, boost the high fre- quen cies on the equalizer. This increases the sensitivity of the compressor’s control circuits to those...
Page 32 528E’s output. The only requirement is that the effects device have a mix control to set the direct/effects signal mix. If you need a hookup diagram, you’ll ﬁ nd one in Figure 7-4.
Page 33 Adding Dynamics, or “Punch” By setting the expand threshold above the level of the program material, the 528E can be made to behave like a linear expander (see Chapter 6). With this technique, the 528E can simultaneously create a more dynamic feel, add compression, and reduce noise. Use this kind of processing for special effects, and to increase the dynamic feel of percussive instruments like electric bass, snare drum, rhythm guitar, etc.
Page 34: Chapter 9 Technical Tutorial
Technical Tutorial Chapter 9 This section discusses a multitude of things, all related to getting signals in and out of the 528E. Matching Levels vs Matching Impedances In any audio equipment application, the question of “matching” inevitably comes up. Without dig- ging a hole any deeper than absolutely necessary, we offer the following discussion to (hope ful ly) clarify your understanding of the subject.
Page 35 Signal Levels The 528E is designed around studio/pro fes sion al line levels: +4 dBu or 1.23 volts. The unit is quiet enough to operate at lower signal levels such as those found in semi-pro or musical-instrument (MI) equipment (-10 dBu or 300 millivolts).
Page 36 3 left open. In an emergency (the show must go on), you can ground pin 3, but if you have the choice...leave it open. If you must ground pin 3, it must be grounded at the 528E, rather than at the other end of the cable.
Page 37 TO BA LA NC ED IN FRO M BA LA NC ED O UT M A LE XLR FEM A LE XLR PIN 1 = G RO UND PIN 1 = G RO UND PIN 2 = HIG H PIN 2 = HIG H PIN 3 = LO W PIN 3 = LO W TO UNBA LA NC ED IN FRO M...
Page 38: Chapter 10 Troubleshooting
Check output loading. Should be above 600 ohms? Are the power ampliﬁ ers clipping? Is something else clipping? Is the 528E set for mic-level output, driving a line-level input, with the 528E’s gain set fairly high and upstream devices contributing a sig niﬁ cant amount of gain? Noise (hiss) Check input signal levels and level control settings.
Page 39: Chapter 11 Speciﬁ Cations
Chapter 11 Speciﬁ cations 528E Speciﬁ cations Inputs Overall Performance Data Controls and Switches Mic Gain, Phantom Power, Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+0, -0.5 dB), EQ cut Mic/Line compressor out, downward Mic and Line Input Connectors XLR-female (2)
Page 40 The voice processor shall be capable of operating by means of its own built-in power supply con- nected to 117V AC nominal (105 to 130V), 50/60 Hz or 230V AC nominal (207 to 253V ), 50 Hz. The unit shall be a Symetrix Incorporated model 528E Voice Processor.
Page 41: Chapter 12 Warranty & Service
Product or any part thereof which gives product with reconditioned components/parts. Prod- rise to the claim. In no event will Symetrix be liable ucts once repaired under warranty will be shipped to for any incidental or con se quen tial damages includ-...
Page 42 Where to Get Service We do not accept freight collect ship ments. If outside of the USA Symetrix, Inc. If you have determined that your 528E re- 14926 35th Ave West quires repair services and you live outside of Lynnwood, WA 98037...
Page 43: Appendix A Disassembly Instructions
Changing the XLR Output to Microphone-Level The 528E ships from Symetrix with the XLR output conﬁ gured for a line level output. If you must have a microphone level output, the following steps lead you through the process of switching the XLR line level output to microphone level (or back to line level).
Page 44: Appendix B Declaration Of Conformity
The authorized representative located within the European Community is: World Marketing Associates P.O. Box 100 St. Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6YU, U.K. Date of issue: March 15, 1999 Place of issue: Lynnwood, Washington, USA Authorized sig na ture: Dane Butcher, President, Symetrix Incorporated.
Page 46 Symetrix, Inc. 14926 35th Ave. West Lynnwood, WA, 98037-2303 Tel: (425) 787-3222 Fax: (425) 787-3211 Web site: www.symetrixaudio.com Email: symetrix@symetrixaudio.com...

Symetrix 528E User Manual

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