Operating Manual
Contents
1. MAKING YOUR WORLD SOUND BETTER EXCITER AURAL EXCITER amp OPTICAL BIG BOTTOM E a BIG BOTTOM CHANNEL 1 e IN E EON 6 i EXCITER 8g AURAL EXCITER OPTICAL BIG BOTTOM We norro AURAL cr BOTT en AURAL CHANNEL 3 23 un Sen ms 2 99 9995 99999 p 66 LEGENDARY PROFESSIONAL AUDIO ENHANCEMENT OWNER S MANUAL a DWV ENTERTAINMENT company Exciter Safety Declarations TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE SHOCK HAZARD REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY DO NOT OPEN ATTENTION AFIN DEVITER DES CHOCS ELECTRIQUES N ENLEVEZ PAS LE COUVERCLE IL N Y A AUCUNE AVIS RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE PIECES D ENTRETIEN A L INTERIEUR REFEREZ LES NE PAS OUVIR REPARACIONES A UNE PERSONNE QUALIFEE CAUTION For continued protection against risk of fire replace only with the same type and rating of fuse ATTENTION pour une protection continue contre les risques d incendie ne remplacer qu avec la m me valeur et m me type de fusible WARNING This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursu ant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable p2. The following example is a hook up that has become very popular particularly among manufacturers of lower to mid priced consoles The cable required for this hook up is a special Insert Cable of the TRS type USING A CONSOLE WITH A SINGLE TRS INSERT JACK 0000 0000 Input 0000 MB Insert 0000 Jacks o ooo END Exciter oco MEM 0000 0000 Ch1 Output ooo MEN Console 0000 Insert Cables are more than ordinary Y cables The single TRS side can accept a signal coming from two direc tions when placed in a specially designed Insert jack on a console The Y section is hooked up into the Exciter through the respective input and output jacks See the detailed drawing of an Insert Cable on the next page Page 14 Owner s Manual Operation amp Applications WIRING A TRS INSERT CABLE Tip r5 Tip Sleeve Send Ground Sleeve v 2 o k gt 6 n Sleeve Tip LLI T Ring Ring Note Some manufacturers reverse the Tip and Sleeve connections where the Tip is Return and the Sleeve is Send This would mean that IN becomes OUT and OUT becomes IN when referring to the previous drawing Be sure to check the owner s manual of your console 5 3 EFFECTS LOOP PATCHES As we stated early on the Exciter was primarily designed as an in line device However if you choose to
3. Make sure the Process Switch is IN 2 Put the Aural Exciter Mix control on maximum fully clockwise to make it easy to hear the effect as it changes 3 Vary the Tune control and listen for the frequency range that s being enhanced The Tune control can be used to enhance a particular instrument so it stands out in the mix 4 Go between MIN and MAX Harmonics and listen for the change in harmonics being added to the original audio signal 5 After your experimental tour set the Mix control to taste Keep in mind that a little Aural Exciter goes a long way When the Aural Exciter is used on individual tracks it s best not to reprocess exactly the same range frequencies with the Frequency control during the final mix If you already processed individual tracks with a Exciter try starting the final mix with the Frequency control turned fully clockwise which is approximately 6kHz Page 16 Owner s Manual Operation amp Applications 5 5 OPTIMIZING BIG BOTTOM EFFECTS There are two independent channels each containing one Big Bottom circuit Each channel may be use on com pletely different signals Two identical sets of controls are provided The Drive control needs to be set at a point where the processor receives the optimum level required for Big Bottom to work effectively The Amount control adjusts the amount of Big Bottom enhancement being added to the unmodified signal The Frequency control sets the frequency below which the b
4. No Connect BALANCED Cables Stereo Plug Stereo Plug Hh Optional Ground Lift Sending End Only Female XLR Stereo Plug e Female XLR Male XLR Female XLR Male XLR No Connect Hum Kill Option 1 1 2 1 172 30 6 Connect Hum Kill Option Page 11 Exciter 4 0 Controls Indicators 4 1 FRONT PANEL VIEW 4 2 BIG BOTTOM FREQUENCY CONTROL FREQ This control lets you optimize the bass enhancement frequency band The Exciter s controls have typical range settings printed on the front panel Where this is set depends upon your sound system and the type of music being played Typically 12 00 is a universal position However you may want to experiment with other settings The range is from 50Hz to 200Hz At center you are tuned to about 80Hz 4 3 BIG BOTTOM DRIVE CONTROL amp INDICATOR This control allows you to adjust the input signal to optimum levels required for Big Bottom to work effectively To find the optimum level turn the control clockwise until the green LED at the right ofthe Drive control pulses on the bass peaks Longer and brighter pulsation means a longer bass sustain is being created You will find a range of settings that yields very musical and powerful bass Please note there are valid reasons for why the green LED may not pulse by the time this control reaches 2 o clock The Exciter s Operating Leve
5. copper wire from chassis to chassis The grounding lug is provided for just such an occasion Equipment in rack shelves can have their chas sis grounded to the metal rack frame and the frame itself can act as a brute force ground Page 10 Owner s Manual Installation amp Interfacing 3 8 WIRING DIAGRAMS Throughout this manual we use TS and TRS as abbreviations Here is a complete definition TS refers to the Tip Sleeve or mono 2 conductor type and TRS refers to Tip Ring Sleeve or stereo 3 conductor type 1 4 phone connectors This applies to jacks female connectors and plugs male connectors Note Use only conventional 1 4 phone plugs with the Exciter Professional patch bay cords using brass PJ055 telephone type plugs are designed to a different standard and will not make full contact with the Exciter phone jacks The following illustrations are examples of some the cables you may need to hook up your equipment Most of these configurations are using professionally manufactured cables but you may wish to make your own In case of hum buzz or noise troubles check your cables against these diagrams for correctness You may benefit from isolating the shield wire at the receiving end never the sending end if you experience hum using balanced cables UNBALANCED Cables Mono Plug Mono Plug MENR ale 0 7 9 gt 2 9 3 Female XLR Mono Plug Mono Plug Mono Plug
6. the sound system and the microphones have a limited dynamic range and frequency response Big Bottom will help tighten and increase bass Aural Exciter helps overdubbed vocals become more intelligible and clearer in the mix The Exciter can give Karaoke performers that big recording studio sound that audiences want to hear The two channels in most Karaoke and consumer grade equipment are marked left L and right R rather than one 1 and two 2 Regardless of these markings the Exciter can be used as a stereo component Just make sure to match the settings of the controls on each channel for best results You can replace outboard EQ s in home stereo systems with the Exciter Big Bottom increases the punch of the bass and the Aural Exciter pops vocals guitars and keyboards out front in the mix 5 12 TAPE DUPLICATING Tape copies actually sound better and brighter than the original if they are first processed by the Aural Exciter Moreover there is no generation loss Chances of tape saturation are minimized as there is little high end boost which is common in other enhancers The Exciter may be used to pre process recording to anticipate the audio degradation in the medium or during subsequent reproduction Much of the detail added by the Exciter s Aural Exciter will survive filtering and distor tion ofthe reproduction equipment and provide a better quality audio playback Bit rate reduced data compressed digital au
7. 8 4 oun gt 423I2X3 peany XIN 4oyesauay 42414 soiuouueH dug RE Sul 1 juaisuJ ajqeuny SUL ZN Wed Ix U23IMS 01 d WIX sanding annoy sindu annoy WVYOVIC 40018 G3ldl IdWIS Exciter 3 0 Installation Interfacing 3 1 INSTALLATION The Exciter occupies a single rack space 45mm or 1 3 4 inches of a standard equipment rack When rack mounting use appropriate cushioned rack screws Never restrict air flow through the device s vents When install ing the units into a rack distribute the units evenly Otherwise hazardous conditions may be created by an uneven weight distribution Connect the unit only to a properly rated supply circuit Reliable earthing grounding of rack mounted equipment should be maintained Try not to position the Exciter directly above devices that generate excessive heat such as power amplifiers unless adequately ventilated or near equipment with heavy transformer hum fields 3 2 REAR PANEL VIEW APHEX 3 3 AC LINE CONNECTOR Use only a power cord that carries approvals for use in your location The Exciter s internal power supply is designed to operate on nominal power sources from 100 to 240 volts a c at 50 60Hz without requiring the user to change any settings In the event of failure do not attempt to change the internal fuse because it will never blow unle
8. G BOTTOM EXPERIMENTING 1 Make sure the Process Switch is IN 2 Set the Tune and Mix controls to 12 00 3 Vary the Drive control and listen to how the bass can be made to hang over or sustain longer Start by adjusting the Drive control until the green LED just flashes on bass peaks then advance the Drive incrementally 4 Vary the Mix control and listen for how subtle or dramatic you can make the effect The Aural Exciter is especially useful in creating the perception of high frequencies and greater dynamics with pre processing bringing more presence and clarity to the final product The Exciter should be hooked up between a compressor like the Aphex 208 Easyrider Automatic Compressor and any equalization Use the Aural Exciter in place of equalization whenever possible as shown below Page 17 Exciter Operation amp Applications 5 7 LIVE CONCERTS amp SOUND REINFORCEMENT The Aural Exciter adds intelligibility without increasing levels even with speaker systems that have reduced band width It does this through higher harmonics generation which improves vocal articulation through a sound system Audio that is processed by the Aural Exciter will more easily penetrate noisy and reverberant environments by adding brightness and clarity through the addition of harmonics rather than increasing gain of frequency funda mentals which may lead to feedback Any voice or instrument individually processed with the Aural Exciter c
9. and its internal packing materials are designed to protect the unit from most rough handling than can occur during transport and handling However you should thoroughly inspect the carton and its contents for signs of physical damage before attempting to use this device It is your responsibility to immediately report any damage to your dealer or the freight company so that a damage claim can be appropriately filed Shipping claims are always the responsibility of the consignee that s you We also encourage you to save all of the original packing materials in the event that this unit should ever have to be returned to the dealer or factory for repair 1 2 SIMPLE SETUP To get started fast follow the wiring diagram for an in line application shown below If you need to run the Exciter with an insert patch instead refer to section 5 for more information Finally refer to the control settings below to get your Exciter sounding great Don t neglect to later run through this manual however as there is a wealth of useful information here for you TYPICAL CONNECTIONS FOR USING THE AURAL EXCITER AND OPTICAL BIG BOTTOM IN AN IN LINE CONFIGURATION ch gt Aural Exciter 1 i Source and Destination Device Optical Device Line Level Big Bottom Line Level Ch2 Ch2 Page 5 Exciter Quick Start 1 3 SUGGESTED CONTROL SETTINGS You are encouraged to experiment with the range of settings printed on the face
10. ass enhancement effects are generated Next to the Drive control is a green LED indicator When the Operating Level 4 10 switch on the rear panel is set correctly and the program material has enough content to drive the Big Bottom circuit this LED should illu minate on bass peaks 5 6 RECORDING TRACKING AND MIXING The Aural Exciter restores presence and clarity improving transient response of individual tracks or whole mixes Increased harmonic detail enables specific instruments to stand out in the mix offering a more live or spacious sound Imaging is improved with an open airy quality Any instrument such as a guitar processed through the Aural Exciter circuit will have greater penetration crisp ness and clarity Specific instruments pop out in the mix giving the instrument its own sonic identity without rais ing the volume of the instrument in the mix Using Big Bottom on bass instruments tightens the sound allowing individual notes to be more articulated and recognizable Big Bottom provides more feeling resembling a live sound In the recording studio post production suite or similar environment post processing of previously recorded sound tracks can restore lost vibrancy and realism even to the extent of saving dialog or sound effects which were thought to be unusable Instruments and vocals can be made to stand out in the mix without substantially increas ing the mix levels or using equalization BI
11. d exclusions may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from State to State 6 2 SERVICE INFORMATION If it becomes necessary to return this unit for repair you must first contact Aphex for a Return Authorization RMA number which will need to be included with your shipment for proper identification If available repack this unit in its original carton and packing material Otherwise pack the equipment in a strong carton containing at least 2 inches of padding on all sides Be sure the unit cannot shift around inside the carton Include a letter explaining the symptoms and or defect s Be sure to reference the RMA number in your letter and mark the RMA number on the outside of the carton If you believe the problem should be covered under the terms of the warranty you must also include proof of purchase Insure your shipment and send it to Aphex 11068 Randall Street Sun Valley CA 91352 PH 818 767 2929 FAX 818 767 2641 Page 22 Exciter 7 0 Specifications OPERATING LEVEL 4dBu 10dBV Switch Setting INPUT Connector Type Balanced Unbalanced Nominal Level Maximum Level CMRR XLR 3F and TRS 1 4 phone jacks Transformerless active balanced 40 20 4dBu 27dBu gt 40dB Same Same 40 20 10dBV 7 12 5dBV 14 8dBu gt 40dB OUTPUT Connector Type Balanced Unbalanced Nom
12. dified or removed c Damage or deterioration 1 Resulting from installation and or removal of the unit 2 Resulting from accident misuse abuse neglect unauthorized product modification or failure to follow instructions contained in the User s Manual 3 Resulting from repair or attempted repair by anyone not authorized by Aphex Systems 4 Occurring from shipping claims must be presented to shipper HO IS PROTECTED is warranty will be enforceable by the original purchaser and by any subsequent owner s during the warranty riod so long as a copy of the original Bill of Sale is submitted whenever warranty service is required HAT WE WILL PAY FOR We will pay for all labor and material expenses for covered items We will pay return shipping charges if the repairs are covered by the warranty LIMITATION OF WARRANTY No warranty is made either expressed or implied as to the merchantability and fitness for any particular purpose Any and all warranties are limited to the duration of the warranty stated above EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES Aphex Systems liability for any defective unit is limited to the repair or replacement of said unit at our option and shall not include damages of any other kind whether incidental consequential or otherwise Some States do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and or do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitations an
13. dio tracks sound flat and lifeless in comparison to the original The Exciter will bring these tracks back to life without unmasking the compression artifacts USING A Exciter WITH SEPARATE PREAMP AND AMPLIFIER Chi d Ch Preamp Amp Ch gt Ch2 USING A Exciter STEREO RECEIVER Tape Monitor Play Stereo Tuner Amplifier SP Tape Out Record Page 20 Owner s Manual Operation amp Applications RELATING THE FREQUENCY RANGES OF THE BIG BOTTOM AND AURAL EXCITER TO THE FUNDAMENTALS AND HARMONICS OF SOUND 5dB TLL IL np a zs 1 P NEN STATIN Aine ame PO 20Hz Imam E 20kHz WITH 32 PIPE CYMBALS P PICCOLO m FLUTE OBOE E 1 CLARINET EI SAXOPHONE 4 1 SAXOPHONE 1 1 TRUMPET T FLUGELHORN um EUPHONIUM _ moot 1 FRENCH HORN HORN 1 Audible Harmonics E SOPRANO VOICE ALTO VOICE TENOR VOICE BARITONE VOICE 55 I 1o 11 11 Page 21 Exciter 6 0 Warranty amp Service 6 1 Limited Warranty PERIOD One year from date of purchase SCOPE All defects in workmanship and materials The following are not covered a Voltage conversions b Units on which the serial number has been defaced mo
14. ds to be determined by experiment Page 7 Exciter 2 0 Introduction 2 1 THE AURAL EXCITER AND BIG BOTTOM TECHNOLOGIES EXPLAINED The AURAL EXCITER is an audio processor that recreates and restores missing harmonics Harmonics are musi cally and dynamically related to the original sound revealing the fine differences between voices and various instru ments Reproduced sound is audibly different than the original live sound because of the loss in harmonic detail often sounding dull and lifeless The Aural Exciter adds harmonics restoring natural brightness clarity and pres ence effectively improving detail and intelligibility Using the Aural Exciter on specific instruments or in the final mix brings life back to the recording The original Aural Exciter patent disclosed a method for generating sonic harmonics which was amplitude depen dent In nature generally speaking the higher the amplitude the higher the amount of harmonics However there are instances where there are high level sinusoidal waveforms most of which should not have harmonics added and other instances where there are waveforms which have low level transients which could be enhanced by addi tional harmonics Our latest patent the Transient Discriminate Harmonics Generator can recognize transients transient discriminate over a wide dynamic range and generate harmonics on them The result is a more predict able and natural sounding enhancement over a wide
15. e Aural Exciter and Big Bottom Technologies Explained 2 2 Simplified Block Diagram 3 0 INSTALLATION AND INTERFACING 3 1 Installation 3 2 Rear Panel View 3 3 AC Line Connector 3 4 Input Connectors 3 5 Output Connections 3 6 Operating Level Selector Switch 3 7 Grounding Lug 3 8 Wiring Diagrams 4 0 CONTROLS AND INDICATORS 4 1 Front Panel View 4 2 Big Bottom Frequency Control 4 3 Big Bottom Drive Control amp Indicator 4 4 Big Bottom Amount Control 4 5 Aural Exciter Frequency Control 4 6 Aural Exciter Harmonics Control 4 7 Aural Exciter Amount Control 4 8 Process On Off Buttons 5 0 OPERATION AND APPLICATIONS 5 1 In Line Patches 5 2 Console Insert Patches 5 3 Effects Loop Patches 5 4 Optimizing Aural Exciter Effects 5 5 Optimizing Big Bottom Effects 5 6 Recording Tracking and Mixing 5 7 Live Concerts and Sound Reinforcement 5 8 Stage Monitors 5 9 Guitar Bass and Keyboard Rigs 5 10 Nightclubs and Discos 5 11 Karaoke and Stereo Systems 5 12 Tape Duplicating 5 12 Frequency Chart 6 0 WARRANTY AND SERVICE 6 1 Limited Warranty 6 2 Service Information 7 0 SPECIFICATIONS Page 4 7 0 Specifications n 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 15 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 22 22 23 Owner s Manual 1 0 Quick Start 1 1 UNPACKING AND INSPECTING Your Aphex product was carefully inspected and packaged at the factory prior to shipment The carton
16. es being enhanced by the Aural Exciter The range of the corner 2 lt frequency is 600Hz fully counter clockwise and 5kHz fully clockwise The 12 o clock setting is approximately 3kHz As the tune control is adjusted clockwise less and less mid frequency E enhancement will take place EREO 378 Refer to the Tune Control With Frequency Markings in section 5 4 4 6 AURAL EXCITER HARMONICS CONTROL This control adjusts the amount of harmonics being generated by the exciter It controls the texture and detail of the effect The MIN position is generally considered NORMAL and is useful for voices and total mixes The MAX position is most useful on specific tracks especially percussive instruments horns guitars and digital instruments HARMONICS 4 7 AURAL EXCITER AMOUNT CONTROL This control varies the amount of enhancement mixed back into the original signal from the sidechain Maximum effect is achieved when the control is set fully clockwise 4 8 PROCESS ON OFF BUTTONS These lighted Process On Off buttons allow you to turn the enhancement for each channel on and off individually The IN position turns all processing on and sends Aural Exciter and Big Bottom PROCESS enhancement to the outputs The buttons glow green when processing is on They are dark when processing is off When processing is off only the unmodi 2 fied signal passes through to the outputs Switching the button back and forth
17. han the limiting factor of feedback will allow The Aural Exciter will give you a perceived increase in volume without putting your system into feedback Put an Aural Exciter in line when the system is stable yet close to the point of feedback The Aural Exciter may be the most viable option under these conditions There are two types of monitor systems in use The simplest and least expensive method is a foldback monitor system Only one console is used for mixing both the front of house P A and the stage monitors To use a Exciter in a foldback monitor system patch directly into the Exciter from the line level monitor output on the console The Exciter should always come before equalization and then on to the amplifier and speakers The other method is known as on stage monitor mixing In this scenario a separate mixing console is placed on stage to mix the stage monitors This is prevalent in larger more sophisticated performance settings where there is typically many monitor mixes Since we are dealing with a separate console in most cases you ll have a choice of using a buss insert or patching in line 5 9 GUITAR BASS amp KEYBOARD RIGS The sampling rates of digital devices such as synthesizers drum machines samplers etc limit the instruments bandwidth and resolution They have no high end beyond a fixed point and can sound lifeless Use of the Aural Exciter dramatically improves their overall sound by creating additional overtone
18. in line audio path Most mixing consoles offer Master Bus Inserts for processing 5 8 STAGE MONITORS Stage monitors are a necessity for performers but can be a source of problems for the sound engineer For instance in rock concert settings the existing high levels on stage are fighting the effectiveness of the stage monitors The most common example is when the lead singer yells at you to give him more level in his monitors because he can t hear himself over the wall of guitar amplifiers The volume that is required from the stage monitors is high enough that you re usually on the edge of feedback Optional b System To Electronic Crossover Compressor Amplifiers and Speakers 0000 9000 0000 0000 9000 0000 9000 0000 0000 0000 9000 0000 Page 18 Owner s Manual Operation amp Applications Another situation is acoustic music performances such as folk or bluegrass In this instance there is no problem with a high stage level However you have instruments that by nature have a low acoustical output that require high amounts of gain to reproduce them through PA and stage monitor systems In this situation you re typically on the edge of feedback especially as the number of mics increase In both of these examples your are trying to get more gain out of the stage monitors t
19. inal Level Maximum Level XLR 3M and TRS 1 4 phone jack Active Balanced may be used unbalanced 112Q 560 4dBu 27dBu Unloaded 25dBu into 6000 Same Same Same Same 10dBV 7 8dBu 12 5dBV 14 8dBu AUDIO Frequency Response Dynamic Range Hum and Noise Crosstalk THD IMD OTHER SPECIFICATIONS 0 5dB 10Hz 38KHz 120dB 93dBu unweighted 22Hz 22KHz 10Hz 22kHz 79dB 10Hz 22kHz max output 0003 10Hz 22kHz 0 max output 0007 Same Same Same Same Same Same Power requirements Unit is electrically supplied through an agency approved IEC type datachable primary power cord Power Consumption maximum 12 watts Dimensions 19 W x 1 75 H x 8 25 overall depth 482 6mm W x 445mm H x 209 6mm overall depth depth behind front panel 7 5 190 5mm Net Weight Rack mounted 6lbs 2 73kg Shipping Weight 9lbs 4 1kg Page 23 Exciter Patent Notice This product is protected under one or more of the following Aphex patents 4 578 648 4 633 501 4 843 626 4 939 471 5 115 471 5 155 769 5 334 947 5 359 665 5 422 602 5 424 488 5 450 034 5 463 695 5 483 600 5 485 077 5 612 612 5 737 432 5 848 167 5 896 458 5 898 395 5 930 374 Page 24
20. independent mono processing channels Let s assign Effects or AUX Send 1 to the Aural Exciter on channel one and Effects or AUX Send 2 to the Big Bottom on channel two Now turn the Aural Exciter MIX control all the way up completely clockwise and turn the Big Bottom Mix all the way off fully counter clockwise on channel of the Exciter To set channel 2 up for Big Bottom processing turn the Big Bottom Mix control all the way up fully clockwise and the Aural Exciter MIX all the way off counter clockwise on channel two 6 9 99 OOC0 0 00 999 iN 7 7 N A CH1 MAX MIN MIN A OUT CH2 CH2 IN OUT IN l AUX1 AUXI AUX2 AUX2 Send Return Send Return Y Y OOOOsmsnn OOOO msnm OOOOsmnnn OOOOsnmnnun OOOO suma OOOO 0000 m 0000 0000 0000 5 4 OPTIMIZING AURAL EXCITER EFFECTS There are two independent channels each containing one Aural Exciter circuit Each channel may be used on completely different signals The front panel provides two identical sets of controls for two separate channels The Tune control adjusts the corner frequency of the high pass filter and the Mix control varies the amount of Aural Exciter enhancement that is mixed with the unmodified signal Experiment with the Aural Exciter controls to hear how each one enhances the original audio signal 1
21. ircuit will have greater crispness and clarity allowing them to pop out in the mix with its own sonic identity Big Bottom inexpensively increases the bass capacity of any sound system It is as though you ve added subwoofers to the system If you already have subwoofers you ll think the number of subs in the system was increased 9000 0000 9000 0000 0000 0000 9000 0000 9000 9000 0000 9000 DAT or Other Recorder Optional Compressor Equalizers are commonly used for tone control elimination of feedback and compensation for both system and room deficiencies In some cases the Aural Exciter can replace certain functions of outboard equalizers because of the uniqueness of the Aural Exciter process The Exciter can be placed before or after the equalizer in the audio chain depending on how you want to use the Exciter in conjunction with equalization For room equalization we recommend placing the Exciter before the equalizer as shown in the illustration below For recording and other applications we recommend equalizing first followed by the Aural Exciter If you use a compressor for smoothing out dynamics it should go into the audio chain before the Exciter If you are using a limiter for system protection it should be the last thing in the audio chain before amplification Note The previous illustration depicts an
22. l switch may be set to 4dBu though you have a 10dBV input signal On the other hand if the green LED is pulsing strongly at settings as low as 9 or 10 o clock you probably have the Operating Level switched to 10dBV though you have a 4dBu input signal This can cause overload distortion Additionally the LED may not pulse when the incoming audio has low program levels 4 4 BIG BOTTOM AMOUNT CONTROL E AMOUNT This control adjusts the amount of Big Bottom enhancement being added to the original signal The lower the setting the subtler the effect until there is no effect at all The higher the setting the more dramatic the effect One of the benefits of the Big Bottom is that it can increase the bass power without greatly increasing the peak output level That means that loudspeakers and amplifiers will not be overdriven even though the bass has been extended and increased in power Extreme settings of the Big Bottom Mix control however will increase the peak output level significantly so we recommend staying within some reasonable limits Generally the best results are found between the 9 and 2 o clock settings Try working the Big Bass Tune Drive and Mix controls when maximizing the bass enhancement Page 12 Owner s Manual Controls Indicators 4 5 AURAL EXCITER FREQUENCY CONTROL The Aural Exciter Frequency control adjusts the corner frequency of the high pass filter thus gt setting the range of frequenci
23. ocus more on the lower bass sounds Page 6 Owner s Manual Quick Start In Line Hookup to Rear Panel From Outputs of Other Line Level Devices to Exciter s Inputs Use balanced or unbalanced cables as needed Consult section 7 for wiring options Select the correct OPERATING LEVEL to match your interconnecting equipment Both the outputs and inputs are switched simulta neously From Exciter S Outputs to Inputs of Line Level Devices f LJ BIG BOTTOM CHANNEL 2 w 5o oo 2 FREQ mz 9 AURAL EXCITER CHANNEL 2 f E PROCESS ON OFF 1 AURAL EXCITER AMOUNT CONTROL Adjusts the amount of Aural Excitement being added into the original sound The higher the setting the more dramatic the effect Use just the amount needed to feel the effect Excess Mix can be sound harsh AURAL EXCITER FREQUENCY CONTROL Adjusts the frequency range of the effect Tune lower for more mid pickup and presence Tune higher for an airier sound AURAL EXCITER HARMONICS CONTROL PROCESS eee Sets the relative richness of harmonics created Turns Aural Exciter and Big Bottom off and on 8 by the Aural Exciter Use more for instrument simultaneously Button glows green when on Each ch itched ind Jend tracks and less for voice tracks What s best for ach channel is switched independently P y mixes nee
24. of the unit When testing the effect of Big Bottom turn off the Aural Exciter Mix Likewise turn off the Big Bottom AMOUNT when testing the effect of the Aural Exciter Doing so allows you to isolate each process and more clearly hear the effect Recommended Starting Place When you have adjusted each process to your personal satisfaction Recommended Range turn up both mixes and A B the effected and uneffected signal with the IN OUT buttons 5 ORIVE Indicator Legend 7 ER Ci BIG BOTTOM CHANNEL gt e aa EXCITER ou en EM FREQ HARMONIC BIG BOTTOM DRIVE CONTROL amp INDICATOR BIG BOTTOM AMOUNT CONTROL Turn clockwise until the green LED flashes on bass peaks then fades Adjusts the amount of bass enhancement being added into the out This roughly corresponds to the amount of extra bass sustain original sound The higher the setting the more dramatic the you are creating effect Avoid using any more Mix than necessary or excessive peak levels will arise However the LED may not flash or flash brightly even when you reach the maximum recommended range Some program material will interact with this device in unexpected ways due to frequency and dynamic content as well as varying program levels BIG BOTTOM FREQUENCY CONTROL Sets the bass frequency range of the effect Go clockwise to encompass higher bass frequencies and counterclockwise to f
25. offers a quick A B comparison allowing you to hear the enhancements from the Exciter in your program content Note This is not a hard wired bypass The audio still passes through the input and output stages but enhancement sidechains are turned off Page 13 Exciter 5 0 Operation amp Applications 5 1 IN LINE PATCHES The Exciter has two independent channels Each channel contains one Big Bottom circuit and one Aural Exciter circuit Each channel may be used on completely different input signals When the Exciter is used on a stereo mix match the settings of the controls on each channel The Exciter is typically used as an in line device see illustration below USING A Exciter IN AN IN LINE CONFIGURATION Chi Ch Source Destination Device Device Line Level Line Level 2 gt Ch2 gt 5 2 CONSOLE INSERT PATCHES The Exciter can also be inserted hooked up in line through a mixing console s Input Channel Inserts or Buss Inserts in one of two ways as seen in the following two diagrams One of the two types of hook ups will be speci fied by the console manufacturer USING A CONSOLE S INSERT WITH SEPARATE JACKS 0000 220000 Send m 0000 0000 0000 m umOOO0O0 Return 0000 m umOOOO0 40000 Input Console Ch1 Output
26. r range of inputs The Aural Exciter extends the high frequencies unlike EQ s and other brightness enhancers which only boost the high frequencies and often alter the overall tonal balance The stereo image is enhanced with the Aural Exciter resulting in a greater perceived loudness without an introduction of noise into the audio path It should be pointed out that the Aural Exciter is a single ended process that can be inserted at any point within the audio chain Single ended means that the unit will receive the incoming audio signal process the program material through Aphex s patented Aural Exciter Big Bottom technology then output the effected signal with no further processing required to achieve the desired aural qualities Original Signal Input SIMPLIFIED SIDECHAIN DIAGRAM Output Sidechain Processing As illustrated above the unit splits the input signal into two paths One path goes directly to the output unmodi fied while the other path known as a sidechain goes through the Aural Exciter circuit which is comprised of a tunable high pass filter and a harmonics generator The Aural Exciter circuit applies frequency dependent phase shift and transient discriminate harmonics The output of the Aural Exciter s harmonic circuit is mixed back with the unmodified signal but much lower in level When used at nominal settings the Aural Exciter circuit does not add significant level to the original signal Even tho
27. rotection against harmful inter ference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the operating guide may cause interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interfer ence in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense The user is cautioned that changes and modifications made to the equipment without approval of the manufac turer could void the user s authority to operate this equipment It is suggested that the user use only shielded and grounded cables to ensure compliance with FCC Rules Page 2 Owner s Manual ATTENTION This instruction manual is intended to be a complete reference on the Exciter and we encourage you to read it thoroughly At the very least please look over the Table of Contents to familiarize yourself with the scope of infor mation available to you In order to help you get maximum use and satisfaction from your new Exciter we have tried our best to anticipate most of the questions and problems users are likely to encounter You may find its various sections on wiring and connecting especially helpful Page 3 Exciter Table of Contents 1 0 QUICK START 1 1 Unpacking and Inspecting 1 2 Simple Setup 1 3 Suggested Control Settings 2 0 INTRODUCTION 2 1 Th
28. s literally doubling the band width Any instrument such as a guitar processed through the Aural Exciter circuit gives the instrument its own sonic identity without raising the volume of the instrument in the mix Musicians can include the Exciter into their instru ment rigs and process the sound they want before it reaches the sound mixer 5 10 NIGHTCLUBS AND DISCOS The Exciter is great for smaller sound systems with a limited dynamic range and frequency response You ll be sur prised how much more bottom end you ll have without adding more speakers and amplifiers No matter how good the sound system is adding the Exciter will improve clarity and intelligibility without increasing levels Big Bottom inexpensively increases the bass capacity of any sound system It is as though you ve added subwoofers to the system If you already have subwoofers you ll think the number of subs in the system was increased It s also important to remember that when EQ s are introduced into the playback system they can cause ear fatigue and speaker damage The overuse of EQ in nightclub and disco applications is commonplace Use the Aural Exciter in place of an EQ in these applications and music seems louder and clearer even at low levels saving both your ears and speakers from harm Page 19 Exciter Operation amp Applications 5 11 KARAOKE amp STEREO SYSTEMS The Exciter is a perfect complement to Karaoke systems In a small club situation often
29. ss the power supply fails catasrophically When this occurs the power supply will need to be serviced by a competent service technician 3 4 INPUT CONNECTORS The input connectors are located on the rear panel There are two input connectors per channel one 1 4 TRS phone type and one XLR 3F type All inputs are fully balanced at all operating levels Either of the input jacks can be used unbalanced whenever necessary consult the wiring diagrams next page You can take advantage of the true balanced inputs by using a pseudo balanced wiring scheme from any unbalanced outboard gear NOTE The TRS and XLR input jacks are wired directly together and will severely load each other down if equip ment is plugged into both inputs Use only one or the other 3 5 OUTPUT CONNECTORS The output connectors are located on the rear panel There are two output connectors per channel one 1 4 TRS phone type and one XLR 3M type 3 6 OPERATING LEVEL SWITCH Between the input and output jacks are located the Operating Level switches These switches set the nominal oper ating level for all of the input and output jacks simultaneously to either 10dBV or 4dBu You should select the position that most closely matches your signal level 3 7 GROUNDING LUG Sometimes it just comes down to brute force grounding Providing such heavy low resistance ground current paths that little current is left to flow through your audio grounds You can use 12 gauge
30. ugh the added information is low in level the perception is a dramatic increase in mid and high frequencies The Exciter also incorporates another exclusive Aphex patent Big Bottom providing a stronger more powerful bass increased sustain and density without an increase in the peak output While static bass boost EQ s and subharmonic generators will increase the bass energy level the resultant large boost in peak level often increases overload distortion Big Bottom resembles the Aural Exciter in that a processed signal is mixed back into an unmodified signal to produce an enhanced output signal The sidechain path goes through the Big Bottom cir cuitry comprised of a variable low pass filter and a phase and dynamics processor Big Bottom circuitry dynamically contours the bass response of a complex range of shapes in the 50Hz to 200Hz range Big Bottom increases the perception of low frequencies without significantly increasing the maximum peak output The bass frequency response is dynamically optimized to isolate and enhance the lowest bass frequencies to provide a deeper and more resonant bass Page 8 Owner s Manual Introduction Page 9 pu uoneoyipoul epnarduue pue aseyd siweuAp s1234J3 2 061 2 05 oun XIN Jossa oJg 293114 sonueu Aq ssedwo uieuoepis wonog 9 aseUd jqeun S2IHOUHIE E ZH9 ZH00
31. use it with a post fader aux send keep in mind that the Exciter has two independant processers labeled channel one and chan nel two A cable would be patched from the aux send output to the channel one input and another cable would be patched from the channel one output to a mono effect return or input channel on the mixer Another aux send could be used with channel two of the Exciter the same way Also the signal being returned back into the console is not a 10096 wet effect signal The return is a mix of effects and the original sound Because of this we recommend that you set the mix controls of both the Aural Exciter and the Big Bottom to the maximum setting fully clockwise when using the Exciter in this way Because very little Aural Excitement goes a long way it is possible to get very good results from this type of set up USING A Exciter IN AN EFFECTS LOOP m umOOOO0 220000 Post Fader AUX Send 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 2 00 AUX Return 0000 0000 0000 Console Page 15 Exciter Operation amp Applications 5 3 EFFECTS LOOP PATCHES cont SEPARATING THE AURAL EXCITER amp BIG BOTTOM EFFECTS The following illustrates how you can use a mono Big Bottom and a mono Aural Exciter separately on different effects sends Configuring the Exciter as illustrated provides two
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