527E Manual - Full Compass
Contents
1. 527E Voice Processor User s Guide Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Operator Safety Summary Chapter 3 Fast Setup Chapter 4 Front Panel Overview Chapter 5 Rear Panel Overview Chapter 6 Using the 527E Chapter 7 Applications Chapter 8 Troubleshooting Chapter 9 Specifications Chapter 10 Block Diagram Chapter 11 Warranty amp Service Appendix A Declaration of Conformity Rev A 00 1 September 1999 Symetrix part number 53527 0A00 Subject to change without notice 01999 Symetrix Inc All right reserved Symetrix is a registered trademark of Symetrix Inc Mention of third party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation Symetrix assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products Under copyright laws no part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying scanning recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from Symetrix Inc COO IJ A U N 13 14 16 17 19 O Symetrix 14926 35th Ave West Lynnwood WA 98037 USA Tel 425 787 3222 Fax 425 787 3211 Email symetrix O symetrixaudio com Chapter 1 Introduction The Symetrix 527E traces its heritage back to the Symetrix 528 the first signal processor specifically designed for voice applications Revered as th2. revenue cost of capital claims of customers for service interruptions or failure to supply and costs and expenses incurred in connection with labor overhead transportation installation or removal of products or substitute facilities or supply houses If you have determined that your 527E requires repair services and you live outside of the United States please contact your local Symetrix dealer or distributor for instructions on how to obtain service If you reside 1n the U S then proceed as follows At the Symetrix factory Symetrix will perform in warranty or out of warranty service on any product 1t has manufactured for a period of five years from date of manufacture Before sending anything to Symetrix contact our Customer Service Department for a return authorization RA number The telephone number is 425 787 3222 Monday through Friday 8AM 800 hours though 4 30 PM 1630 hours Pacific Time In warranty Repairs To get your 527E repaired under the terms of the warranty L Call us for an RA number 2 Pack the unit in its original packaging materials 3 Include your name address daytime telephone number and a brief statement of the problem 4 Write the RA number on the outside of the box gt Ship the unit to Symetrix freight prepaid We do not accept freight collect shipments Just do these five things and repairs made in warranty will cost you only one way freight charges We ll prepay the return
3. connector or a Euroblock connector Balanced line level output Connections are XLR Euroblock Pin 1 th Ground Pin 2 High Pin3 Low To feed an unbalanced load connect the Ground shield side to Pim 1 ground only and the Hot center conductor side to Pin 2 Mic OUTPUT XLR connector Balanced mic level output Connections are Pin 1 ground Pin 2 high and Pin 3 low Mute Control Mure CONTROL Euroblock terminal connector Unbalanced muting port for cough switch control A simple contact closure between the and ground terminals of the MUTE connector will silence the output Any SPST switch or relay contact will work If you would like to use the mute feature as a push to talk function use a normally closed relay or switch contact When the switch 1s pushed or the relay is energized the contacts will open and un mute the audio signal The open circuit voltage at the terminal is about 15 volts DC limited by a 20 000 Ohm resistor Take care not to apply any foreign voltage potential to these terminals Inputs LINE INPUT XLR connector or Euroblock connector 10 kilohm balanced bridging line input intended for signals ranging from 10 dBu to 4 dBu Connections are Pin 1 ground Pin 2 high and Pin 3 low For unbalanced connection to the LINE INPUT we recommend connecting the input cable shield to both Pins 1 and 3 and the center cable conductor to Pin 2 Mic INPUT XLR connector Balanc
4. cord receptacle or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted Terms Several notational conventions are used in this manual Some paragraphs may use Note Caution or Warning as a heading Certain typefaces and capitalization are used to identify certain words These are Note Identifies information that needs extra emphasis A Note generally supplies extra information to help you to better use the 527E Identifies information that if not heeded may cause damage to the 527E or other equipment in your system Identifies information that if ignored may be hazardous to your health or that of others Controls switches or other markings on the 527E s chassis Strong emphasis Caution Warning CAPITALS Boldface Important Safety Instructions Please read and keep these instructions Heed and follow all warnings and instructions Install in accordance with the manufacturer s instruc tions Power Source This product is intended to operate from a power source that does not apply more than 120V rms between the power supply conductors or between either power supply conductor and ground A protective ground 2 Chapter 2 connection by way of the grounding conductor in the power cord is essential for safe operation Grounding The chassis of this product is grounded through the grounding conductor of the power cord To avoid electric shock plug the power cord into a properly wired receptacle be
5. octaves Q 4 8 to 0 27 Cut Boost Sets the degree of boost or cut 15 dB Parametric EQ Mid FREQUENCY Varies the center frequency of the mid frequency eq from 160 Hz to 6300 Hz BANDWIDTH Varies the bandwidth of the mid frequency eq from 0 3 to 4 octaves Q 4 8 to 0 27 CuT BoosT Sets the degree of boost or cut 15 dB Parametric EG High FREOUENCY Varies the center freguency of the egualizer from 680 Hz to 22 kHz BANDWIDTH Varies the bandwidth of the high frequency equalizer from 0 3 to 4 octaves Q 4 8 to 0 27 Cut Boost Sets the degree of boost or cut 15 dB Power LED Indicates the presence of AC power Chapter 5 Rear Panel Overview A 527 E PROCESSOR OUTPUTS LINE a V 9 v ds EN OY acieu O Symetrix Les MAXIMUM MANUFACTURED BY SYMETRIX INC LYNNWOOD WA USA A THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NO USER SEVICEABLE PARTS E MIC LINE MUTE CONTROL INPUTS 1548 m ON M 00B M OFF IC PAD PHANTOM MIC M h NC LINE LINE ABRIQU AUX E U PAR SYMETRIX INC LYNNWOOD WASHINGTON REFEREZ TOUTE REPARATION A UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE SERIAL NUMBER Please send us the completed warranty card AC Power Input IEC power connector Connect only to appropriate AC power source Refer to rear panel marking for correct AC source voltage Outputs LINE OUTPUT XLR
6. threshold controls tells the 527E how and when to adjust the gain Pages and announcements can be made much tighter with compression but in high sound level situations feedback problems may make even gentle low ratio compression impossible The 527E s interactive processor performs exceedingly well in this situation because the expander decreases gain to compensate for the gain increase that results from compression Careful adjustment of the expander threshold control will prevent feedback in the absence of signal even with substantial compression Note that in most cases the expander threshold must be set lower than the compressor threshold Chapter 8 Troubleshooting Chart SYMPTOM No output Hum or buzz in output Distortion Noise hiss No LED displays No nothing Troubleshooting PROBABLE CAUSE Check cables and connections Are inputs driven by outputs and outputs driving inputs Verify cables source and load by patching input and output connections together at the unit Check for AC power presence Power LED on Check output by plugging headphones into output connector use an adapter Are the LED displays operating Did you use the correct output mic or line level Is the Mix CONTROL set correctly Check input and output connector wiring Ground loop Check related system equipment grounding Are all system components on the same AC ground Check input signal Is it too hot or is it
7. to use the Mute Control mute control please refer to Chapter 6 Refining Your Settings Temporarily put the Exp Comp and EQ sections into bypass mode set the Mic Gain control so that the Output LED display indicates a signal level Line Input between 10 and O VU The Cuir LED should almost never illuminate Connect line level source here Connect microphone here Mic Input Use the downward expander to reduce background noise and or mouth noises Set the THRESHOLD control to allow low level speech sounds to pass Mic Pad while still blocking unwanted sounds which are at a lower level than the lowest level speech audio Phantom Depress if mic requires Power phantom powering Use the threshold control to vary the amount of gain reduction as indicated on the compressor s gain reduction display Generally 3 to 6 dB is sufficient unless you are using a low compression ratio below 2 1 or you want a special effect Pick a ratio suited to the task at hand low ratios and low thresholds for unobtrusive level control medium ratios for overall level control and consistency high ratios gt 8 1 for limiting or in your face sorts of sounds The frequency settings given will work well with male voices For women the low EQ range shifts up to 200 or 300Hz the mid EQ range shifts up to 3 5 kHz If you are using a microphone that exhibits proximity effect when you close talk it then you ll probably need to reduce c
8. 0 FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH CUT BOOST o dB BYPASS H2 oct dB 160 15 0 EXPANDER THRESHOLD HRESHOLD RATIO F xa y GR 25 SR 10 2 18K 03 vis Os AA dy sa Che 22 1 50 Sees ee day vor hey Os gt Os es a expicomp gt 5K wax gt a oS A 8 15 Go BP 9 012 0 20 1 1 6 260 3K 65K 16 500 3 4 15 15 EG FILTERS 0 RI MID EQ GAIN B G OQ 527E asi ty Que ur VOICE O PROCESSOR O07 Symetrix 0 20 15 15 3 POWER J Input MICGAIN Sets the gain of the mic preamp for best compromise between signal to noise ratio and headroom Mix Selects between the Mic input and Line input or allows a mix of both inputs CLrLED Monitors mic inputs for clipping Illuminates 3 dB below the actual clip point MUTELED Lights when the output of the 527E has been muted by a remote switch connected to the 527E s rear panel MUTE CONTROL Euroblock connector Downward Expander Compressor EXPANDER THRESHOLD Sets the threshold level for the downward expander Signals below this threshold are downward expanded reduced in level COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD Sets the threshold level for the compressor Signals above this threshold cause gain reduction in the compressor COMPRESSOR RATIO Sets the compression ratio of the compressor This determines the amount by which above threshold signals will be compressed DOWNWARD Indicates the amount of downward expander activity gain reductio
9. UM MANUFACTURED BY SYMETRIX INC LYNNWOOD WA USA SEER C THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NO USER SEVICEABLE PARTS FABRIQU AUX E U PAR SYMETRIX INC LYNNWOOD WASHINGTON LINE MIC R F REZ TOUTE R PARATION UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE Rear panel Operator Safety Summary Equipment Markings CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN TO REDUCE THE RISR OF FIRE OR WARNING ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE AVIS NE PAS OUVRIR SEE OWNERS MANUAL VOIR CAHIER D INSTRUCTIONS No user serviceable parts inside Refer servicing to qualified service personnel Il ne se trouve a l interieur aucune piece pourvant entre repar e l usager S adresser a un reparateur comp tent The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the product i e this manual Caution To prevent electric shock do not use the polarized plug supplied with the unit with any extension
10. already distorted Is the Output display indicating clipping Is the input clipping Check output loading Should be above 600 ohms Are the power amplifiers clipping Is something else clipping Check input signal levels and level control settings The Output display should indicate signal up to but not including the Cuir LED Check gain settings on upstream equipment Is the input signal already noisy The system gain structure should be such that the 527E operates at or near unity Is the 527E set for mic level output driving a line level input with the 527E s gain set fairly high and upstream devices contributing a significant amount of gain Is the unit plugged in and turned on Is the AC outlet OK If you are using a condenser microphone is the phantom power switched on Did you connect to the proper input and output Is everything downstream really live Is the DOWNWARD EXPANDER THRESHOLD set too high N LO O Sym Specifications 527E Specifications Inputs Microphone Input Clip LED Fires at 1 dB below clipping of mic preamp Balanced Transformerless Low Impedance 48V nominal 20 to 60 dB pad out 5 to 45 dB pad in O dBu pad out Microphone Input Type Phantom Power Microphone Preamp Gain Microphone Input Maximum Input Level Equivalent Input Noise EIN 126 dBu 60 dB gain 20 kHz noise bandwidth THD Noise Preamp only 0 02 1 kHz 50 dB gain 10 dBu output Mic
11. assed through an expander operating at a 1 2 ratio the same 2 dB change at the expander s input becomes a 4 dB change at its output However that signal would be 1 dB over maximum causing distortion Linear expanders must be used with care because very few systems have enough headroom to handle the upward dynamic range increase they produce The kind of processor most commonly called an expander is really a downward expander because it only affects signals below threshold This gives the operator control over the expander s activities allowing it to be used to expand the usable dynamic range of the system without running out of headroom The 527E uses a downward expander The lower limit restriction of a system is the noise floor which is usually well below the 527E s lowest expander threshold It s important to keep in mind that while the signal levels may change greatly the noise usually doesn t change very much The action of the expander increases the dynamic range of all signals below threshold This action increases the apparent loudness of signals while decreasing the apparent loudness of the noise For example an expander operating at a ratio of 1 2 will cause an input signal that falls 10 dB below threshold to fall 20 dB at its output The downward action of the expander reduces the noise floor by the same ratio applied to the signal Since the relationship between the signal and the noise stays the same the noise is reduce
12. d 20 dB by the action of expander which is responding to a 10 dB drop in the signal with its 1 2 ratio Think about using the expander when you are faced with a noisy signal not necessarily hiss or when heavily compressing a voice and you want to remove some of the less desirable artifacts false teeth rattling lip smacRing tongue noise etc You can also use the expander to help remove microphone leakage from a signal Start by setting the threshold so that the expander causes gain reduction left LED meter as the signal falls in level Increasing threshold levels less negative numbers cause further reductions in the overall gain as the signal level falls Compression The compressor generally controls peak levels and helps to maintain a high overall average signal level Used in this manner the compressors action is generally inaudible Compressors can also be used creatively to make a source sound louder than 1t really 1s or to create a special effect For most level control applications moderate settings yield the best results We recommend a starting point of Comp THRESHOLD control setting sufficient to cause about 6 to 8 dB of gain reduction on peaks using a Comp RATIO setting of 4 1 For a highly compressed sound you know the used car salesman during the 3AM movie use a 10 1 ratio setting and 10 dB or more of gain reduction Filtering The filter section of the 527E features a low cut filter useful for cleaning up mud
13. diness and eliminating rumble and a high cut filter for removal of objectionable high frequency noises such as sibilance and tape hiss The low cut filter is tunable and reduces frequencies below the user selected cutoff frequency by 12 dB per octave The high cut filter is tunable and reduces frequen cies above the user selected cutoff frequency by 12 dB per octave Equalization The 527E s parametric equalizer has three overlapping bands Each band can operate as a peaking or dipping equalizer The boost and cut range for each band is 15 dB The bandwidth may be varied from 0 3 to 4 octaves wide Since the bands overlap it 1s possible to apply equalization at the same frequency in two places Doing so could conceivably increase the signal level by 30 dB at one frequency You may need to reduce the INPUT or OUTPUT GAIN to avoid distortion Likewise large amounts of boost in any one band may require reducing the setting of the OUTPUT GAIN control to prevent overload Let the Output CLIP LED be your guide A parametric equalizer offers perhaps the greatest flexibility of any type of equalizer however it can be more difficult 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 Bandwidth until you locate the portion of the spectrum that you wish to modify Then refine the setting of the Level control for that band Next refine th
14. e rackmount equivalent of a studio console strip the classic 528E 1s still the most widely used voice processor in the broadcast industry To this benchmark design we added new controls and connections and we refined it according to the needs of installed sound applications The result An ideal product for installations requiring great sounding key microphones When used on announcement mics in stadiums and gymnasiums wireless and lapel mics in church systems and paging mics in acoustically challenging environments the 527E provides voice optimized processing from the company than invented it Simply stated the 527E consists of a high quality microphone preamp coupled to a three band parametric equalizer high and low pass filters and a dynamic range processor The dynamic range processor combines an interactive compressor limiter and a downward expander Typically the downward expander helps reduce background noise as well as the artifacts of close miking The compressor limiter gives you overall control over the dynamic range of the output signal and helps maintain a high overall signal level The filter section of the 527E features tunable low cut and high cut filters These 12 db per octave filters allow the user to remove objectionable low frequency noises such as rumble and muddiness and high frequency noises such as sibilance and air conditioning noise The three band parametric equalizer is a reciprocal curve design Each band is c
15. e setting of the Bandwidth control You may have to go back and forth between Level and Bandwidth to find the magic setting Toggling the EQ Bypass switch between in and out can help too As arule it is much easier to hear changes in amplitude level than it is to hear bandwidth changes It is also easier to hear the abundance of something rather than the absence of the same thing Even if you intend to apply cut negative level to a particular frequency it is still easier to find that frequency by boosting first tuning second and resetting the boost cut last according to taste or need Finally you may find that more natural sounds result vvhen you use vvider band vvidths for boosting narrovver bandvvidths for cutting Regardless there are no hard and fast rules and in the end whatever works for you 1s best It s generally easier to apply boost to a sound for shaping and that s how many engineers start Many times however you may want to experiment with removing an offending sound as opposed to drowning it out with something else In a complex mix this may work better because it may require less overall EQ to remove the offending sound the end result will sound more natural Phantom Power In a nutshell here are the do s and don ts of phantom powering DO Verify that your microphone can be phantom powered if it is a condenser mic Ensure that your microphone s output is low impedance balanced and floating Th
16. ed input suitable for low impedance microphones 48V phantom powering available Connections are Pin 1 ground Pin 2 high and Pin 3 low We do not recommend feeding the Mic INPUT from an unbalanced source Mic PAD Pushbutton switch inserts a 15dB pad for strong mic signals PHANTOM Power Pushbutton switch enabling phantom power on Mic INPUT Using the 527E Chapter 6 Follovving are some tips and techniques for using the 527E You should consider any settings given as starting points for developing your own settings Metering The 527E has several LED bargraphs that serve as gain reduction and output meters The gain reduction meters indicate the change from unity gain for their respective function and the LEDs read and move from top to bottom When operating as a level meter the LEDs read and move from bottom to top Each meter has its own scale markings as shown on the front panel Gain Setting There are two places to adjust the gain of the 527E at the mic input before any processing and at the output First the mic input gains You make best use of the 527E s signal to noise ratio by ensuring that your mic level input signals are adjusted to fit within the headroom of the mic preamp Doing so ensures optimum dynamic range through the mic preamp and succeeding processors With the Expander Compressor Filter and EQ sections temporarily set to Bypass and the OUTPUT GAIN control set to O dB 12 00 o clock
17. filter with a user adjustable cutoff frequency range 3 kHz to 65 kHz and a 12 dB Oct low cut filter with a cutoff frequency range from 6 Hz to 260 Hz There shall be a three band parametric equalizer Each band shall have 15 dB maximum boost cut and continuously variable bandwidth 3 octaves to 4 octaves The equalizer bands shall have substantially overlapping frequency ranges with a combined range of 16 Hz to 22 kHz There shall be a front panel bypass switch The voice processor shall be equipped with the following LED displays A four segment LED display that monitors the overall output level a four segment LED display that monitors the compressor limiter and a four segment LED display that monitors the downward expander All displays shall be independent There shall also be a single LED clip indicator to indicate clipping within the mic preamplifiers The microphone input shall be an active balanced bridging design terminated with 3 pin XLR female connector AES IEC standard wiring The microphone preamp shall be capable of an equivalent input noise specification of at least 126 dBu 60 dB gain 20 kHz noise bandwidth The line input shall be a balanced transformerless design using a 3 pin XLR female connector AES IEC standard wiring and a Euroblock terminal connector All input circuitry shall incorporate RFI filters of the LC or RC low pass type The line output shall be an active balanced design terminated with a 3 pin XLR ma
18. fore making any connections to the product A protective ground connection by way of the grounding conductor in the power cord is essential for safe operation Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding plug The grounding plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The third prong is provided for your safety When the provided plug does not fit your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet Danger from Loss of Ground Ifthe protective ground connection is lost all accessible conduc tive parts including knobs and controls that may appear to be insulated can render an electric shock Proper Power Cord Use only the power cord and connector specified for the product and your operating locale Use only a cord that is in good condition Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus Operating Location Donot operate this equip ment under any of the following conditions explosive atmospheres in wet locations in inclement weather improper or unknown AC mains voltage or if improperly fused Do not install near any heat source such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time Stay Out of the Box To avoid personal injury or worse do not remove the p
19. hich prove defective in material or workmanship within one 1 year from date of purchase provided that the Buyer gives Symetrix prompt notice of any defect or failure and satisfactory proof thereof Products may be returned by Buyer only after a Return Authorization number RA has been obtained from Symetrix Buyer will prepay all freight charges to return the product to the Symetrix factory Symetrix reserves the right to inspect any products which may be the subject of any warranty claim before repair or replacement is carried out Symetrix may at its option require proof of the original date of purchase dated copy of original retail dealer s invoice Final determination of warranty coverage lies solely with Symetrix Products repaired under warranty will be returned freight prepaid by Symetrix via United Parcel Service surface to any location within the Continental United States At Buyer s request the shipment may be returned via airfreight at Buyer s expense Outside the Continental United States products will be returned freight collect The foregoing warranties are in lieu of all other warranties whether oral written express implied or statutory Symetrix Inc expressly disclaims any IMPLIED warranties including fitness for a particular purpose or merchantability Symetrix s warranty obligation and buyer s remedies hereunder are SOLELY and exclusively as stated herein This Symetrix product is designed and manufactured fo
20. is is especially important for ribbon mics Turn the phantom power off when connecting vintage ribbon microphones Mute your monitor speakers or headphones when turning the phantom power on or off If you don t there will be a loud nasty pop Mute your monitor speakers or headphones whenever you plug in or unplug a phantom powered microphone If you don t there will be a loud nasty pop DON T Plug in an A B powered microphone without a suitable adapter Worry about your dynamic or ribbon microphones as long as they are wired so that the output is balanced and floating Use the microphone input for line level sources especially those that are transformerless Use the microphone input with unbalanced sources Use a direct box to convert the unbalanced source to balanced Then connect the balanced direct box output to the 527E s microphone input Worry about your tube condenser mics They are compatible although they cannot be phantom powered Mute Control A contact closure between the positive and ground terminals of the 527E s rear panel MUTE CONTROL will mute the output by at least 60dB Any SPST switch or relay contact will work Note Do not apply any external power source to the mute connector Do not use the ground terminal for any purpose other than mute switching The open circuit voltage at the positive terminal is 5 V DC limited by approximately 20k Ohms Chapter 7 Applications The 527E Voice Pr
21. just the same frequency and bandwidth controls until it again subsides B If its a new frequency repeat Step 2 using another of the EQ sections 5 Increase gain again to find the third most prominent feedback frequency Repeat Step 2 using yet another of the EQ sections 6 Reduce system gain to normal operating levels The high cut and low cut filters may also be used to eliminate feedback that falls within their ranges However using the filters in this manner may result in a larger amount of the frequency spectrum being removed than 1f you used the parametric EQ depending on the setting of the parametric EQ s bandwidth controls High Level Paging and Public Address Systems Dynamic Processing Public address and sound reinforcement situations that require compression limiting are often plagued by feedback problems Usually the make up gain used with compression causes an overall increase in level which in turn can cause feedback in the absence of signal when the compressor releases and brings the gain back up to normal The 527E s interactive dynamics processor allows the use of large amounts of comp limiting without serious side effects When compression 1s applied to normal signal levels the compres sor returns to unity gain when the signal goes away This action increases overall system gain The 527E s expander on the other hand decreases gain whenever signals fall below threshold Careful setting of the two
22. l of the maximum level As the name implies limiting sets the upper limit but is not intended for general purpose overall gain control For limiting set the ratio at 10 1 with the comp threshold control set to provide no more than 3dB to 6dB attenuation Bear in mind that limiting is an extreme dynamic control action intended to prevent overload farther down the line Limiting may be more pleasing to the ear than clipping distortion but it doesn t generally sound good enough to be used for more than 6dB attenuation Increasing Gain Before Feedback To optimize a PA system s response for minimum feedback tune out the feedback using the parametric equalizer To find and eliminate resonances that can become feedback problems turn the system on with the microphone s and speaker s in place as they will normally be used then follow the sequence below Gain before feedback should increase about 6dB perhaps as much as 15dB with this technique Note the settings of each of the compressor controls 2 Temporarily set the compressor ratio to 10 1 Increase system gain very carefully until a feedback frequency becomes slightly audible 3 With the bandwidth set at about 3 octave and the cut boost control set for about 15dB tune the frequency control of one section until the feedback is no longer audible 4 Increase system gain until feedback becomes slightly audible again A If its the same frequency that was heard first read
23. le connector AES IEC standard wiring and a Euroblock terminal connector The mic output shall terminate with a 3 pin XLR male connector AES IEC standard wiring The voice processor shall be capable of operating by means of its own built in power supply connected to 115V AC nominal 105 to 130V 50 to 60 Hz or 230V AC nominal 207 to 253V 50 to 60 Hz The unit shall be a Symetrix Incorporated model 527E Voice Processor Chapter 10 Block Diagram REMOTE OUTPUT GAIN CONTROL 4 a3 M NC MIC GAIN A 560 MUTE UUU LINE OUTPUT sl O CLIP MUTE EQ s A CIRCUIT FREQUENCY CUT BOOST BYPASS E eu BANDWIDTH Oct aa gt MIC MIC ah My A A O INPUT PREAMP e CUT LOW EQ LINE MEO gt gt FILTER PARAMETRIC FILTER OUTPUT V CIRCUIT CIRCUIT dot LINE AA FREQUENCY CUT BOOST nur 990 BANDWIDTH OUOU A A J gt L I OUTPUT MID EQ LINE PARAMETRIC FILTER INPUT CIRCUIT EXP COMP EXPANDER _ dia THRESHOLD oo GR 4 GR FREQUENCY CUT BOOST ols I COMPRESSOR o 13 BANDWIDTH HI CUT 6 CONTROL THRESHOLD L 3 A A A A 0120 CIRCUITRY RATIO HIGH EG HIGH CUT PARAMETRIC FILTER FILTER CIRCUIT CIRCUIT Chapter 11 Warranty amp Service 527E Limited Warranty Symetrix Inc expressly warrants that the product will be free from defects in material and workman ship for one 1 year Symetrix s obligations under this warranty will be limited to repairing or replacing at Symetrix s option the part or parts of the product w
24. n at EXPANDER any instant in time LED Display COMPRESSOR Indicates the amount of compressor activity gain reduction at any LED Display instant in time Output Section GAIN Sets the overall gain of the 527E s output over a 15 dB range The actual adjustment point is in the expander compressor s VCA which is pre EQ OurPuT LED Indicates the peak output level of the 527E relative to the balanced output O VU Display on the display corresponds to 4dBu at the balanced output For unbalanced applications the actual output level is 6 dB lower than that shown by the display Note The 527E s mic output will have an output level of 36dBu when the display indicates O VU Bypass Exp Comp Defeats the downward expander compressor This is not a hard wire IN Bypass Switch bypass EQ FILTERS Disengages the EQ and Filter section when set to the Bypass Out IN Bypass Switch position This is a hardwire bypass Filters Low CUT HiGH CUT Selects the cutoff frequency of the Low Cur FILTER variable from 6 Hz to 260 Hz This filter will uniformly pass frequencies above the cutoff frequency Selects the cutoff frequency of the HiGH Cur FILTER variable from 3kHz to 65 kHz This filter will uniformly pass frequencies below the cutoff frequency Parametric EQ Low FREQUENCY Varies the center frequency of the low freguency equalizer from 16Hz to 500 Hz BANDWIDTH Varies the bandwidth of the low frequency equalizer from 0 3 to 4
25. ocessor was designed to make the same kind of specialized processing that s applied to voice overs and vocal tracks in recording studios available for use in paging public address and sound reinforcement Typical applications will include a range of installations from stadiums to churches For example use the 527E on stadium announcement mics where extra vocal processing is required to help overcome the inherent acoustic problems that hinder intelligibility in large venues Churches often have key mics needing extra processing such as lapel or wireless mics Adding the 527E to a key mic prior to the automatic mixer in churches yields significant control advantages The following discussions illustrate some of the more useful applications for the 527E As a result of its versatility combinations of the applications described here will normally be used Microphones Compressing Limiting Expanding The 527E s dynamic range processor is used to control both over modulation and noise Noise in this case may be electrically induced hum buzz etc or acoustically transferred paper rattling air conditioning etc since the downward expander attenuates all below threshold signals without regard to origin Careful adjustment of the two threshold controls allows the operator to put the 527E to work on any portion of the dynamic range The expand threshold control governs the 527E s activity in the lower part of the dynamic range while the com
26. onnected in series with the next to ensure that each filter band sums with its neighbors smoothly The 527E accepts both mic and line inputs The microphone input uses a balanced transformerless design It works with any phantom powered condenser microphone or any low impedance micro phone having a balanced floating output The line input also uses a balanced transformerless design and its matched resistors permit the 527E to attain a high wideband CMRR common mode rejection ratio Multistage RFI filters prevent radio frequency interference problems The 527E s output section can drive balanced loads at line or mic levels We recommend that you read this manual from cover to cover Somewhere between the confines of the two covers you should find the answers to most 98 of your questions Should you have any comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact us at the numbers addresses below Your calls are always welcome Phone 425 787 3222 Fax 425 787 3211 Email symetrix symetrixaudio com Website www symetrixaudio com O ofp m e e e Ti E ova cana seus Ci per pego la ongs mega Ci O 527E s k ss I AR 0 2 foa VOICE 2 ex Q PROCESSOR E Jod 666 606 600 8 GG 99998 QQ Front panel INPUTS 527E Processor OUTPUTS MUTE CONTROL RI 7 Q av a NE gt AC NPUT trix h 15 WATTS MAXIM
27. p threshold governs activity in the upper part of the range For smooth overall dynamic range processing that will tend to homogenize the sound and remove only very low level noises use a gentle compression ratio with a relatively high comp threshold and a relatively low expand threshold The soft knee transition characteristic of the interactive processor allows the use of much higher compressor limiter ratios with much lower thresholds The expander s rapid rise below its thresh old combined with the compressor s smooth transition through its threshold makes processing go unnoticed Use this application to tighten up voice signals The expander eliminates noise and adds punch Use the expander to remove background noise whether or not the compressor is being used Be sure the expander threshold is set low enough to allow even the lowest level speech sounds to pass If set correctly the threshold will attenuate whenever a mic 1s not in use eliminating extrane ous pickup of stage sounds and reducing feedback To remove the compressor set the compres sion ratio to 1 essentially out of the circuit Likewise the compressor limiter may be used without the expander to control only the upper end of the dynamic range For general purpose overall gain control use compression Set the ratio between 2 1 and 3 1 with a comp threshold setting that results in 6dB to 10dB attenuation Limiting is used for very definite contro
28. r use in professional and studio audio systems and is not intended for other usage With respect to products purchased by consum ers for personal family or household use Symetrix expressly disclaims all implied warran ties including but not limited to warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose This limited warranty with all terms conditions and disclaimers set forth herein shall extend to the original purchaser and anyone who purchases the product within the specified warranty period Warranty Registration must be completed and mailed to Symetrix within thirty 30 days of the date of purchase Symetrix does not authorize any third party including any dealer or sales representative to assume any liability or make any additional warranties or representation regarding this product information on behalf of Symetrix This limited warranty gives the buyer certain rights You may have additional rights provided by applicable law Limitation of Liability The total liability of Symetrix on any claim whether in contract tort including negligence or otherwise arising out of connected with or resulting from the manufacture sale delivery resale repair replacement or use of any product will not exceed the price allocable to the product or any part thereof which gives rise to the claim In no event will Symetrix be liable for any incidental or consequential damages including but not limited to damage for loss of
29. roduct covers or panels Do not operate the product without the covers and panels properly installed Only use accessories specified by the manufacturer Clean only with a damp cloth User serviceable parts There are no user serviceable parts inside the 527E In case of failure refer all servicing to the factory Servicing 1s required when the 527E has been damaged in any way such as when a power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped Chapter 3 Fast Setup Fast Setup Follow these instructions to get your 527E up and running as quickly as possible The intent of this section is fast setup If you need something clarified then vou 11 find the answer elsewhere in this manual Connections Connect your input source to the appropriate XLR or Euroblock connector Connect the 527E s output to line level input using the line level XLR or Euroblock output connector If you need to feed a mic level input use the mic level XLR output connector If you are using a condenser microphone refer to Phantom Powering Condenser Microphones in Chapter 6 before depressing the PHANTOM POWER switch Caution Failure to connect the 327E to the proper AC mains voltage may cause fire and or internal damage There are no user serviceable parts inside the chassis Refer all service to qualified se
30. rophone PreampCMRR gt 60 dB 40 dB gain 20 Hz to 20 kHz Line Input Type and Impedance 10k Ohms Transformerless Balanced Bridging Line Input Maximum Input Level 20 dBu Line Input Nominal Input Level 4 dBu Line Input CMRR gt 90 dB 0 dBu 20 Hz to 20 kHz Filters Low Cut Filter Slope Cutoff Frequency Range High Cut Filter Slope Cutoff Frequency Range 12 dB octave 6 Hz to 260 Hz O 3dB 12 dB octave 3 kHz to 65 kHz 3dB Parametric Equalizer Type Three band Parametric Equalizer Frequency Ranges of Bands Low 16 to 500 Hz Mid 160 to 6300 Hz High 680 Hz to 22 kHz 0 3 to 4 octaves measured at maximum boost Peak Dip Bandwidth Maximum Boost Cut 15 dB 14 Chapter 9 Metering Type Multi segment LED bar graph Output Level 20 10 0 Clip 0 VU 4 dBu VU calibrated peak responding 3 6 12 20 dB 3 6 9 12 dB Expander Gain Reduction Compressor Gain Reduction Overall Performance Data Freguency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0 0 5 dB EG out compressor out downward expander out lt 0 08 20 Hz to 20 kHz 4 dBm output 89 dBu all functions enabled 95 dBu with EQ function bypassed THD Noise Noise Floor Dynamic Range Processor Type Interactive Comp Limiter Downward Expander Comp Limiter Ratio 1 1 to 10 1 Downward Expansion Ratio max 1 1 8 Outputs Balanced Transformerless 21 dBu Balanced Fires 3 dB below clipping 200 Ohms Balanced 600 Ohms Balanced or Unbalanced Outpu
31. rvice personnel or to the factory Warning Lethal voltages are present inside the chassis There are no user serviceable parts inside the chassis Refer all service to qualified service personnel or to the factory Connect the AC input to an AC power source of the proper voltage and frequency as marked on the rear of the unit Settings for Initial Setup Set the controls and switches on the front and rear panel as follows Front Panel Front Panel Control Control EQ Low 12 o clock FREQUENCY 160 12 o clock EQ Low MIX 12 o clock BANDWIDTH 1 5 octaves 12 o clock EQ Low CUT BOOST Expander THRESHOLD ER O 12 o clock EQ Mid FREQUENCY Compressor Threshold 10 12 o clock 2 5K 12 o clock EQ Mid BANDWIDTH Compressor RATIO 2 1 12 o clock 1 5 octaves 12 o clock EQ Mid GAIN 0 12 o clock CUT BOOST O 12 o clock BYPASS EQ High EXP COMP FREQUENCY 2 5K 11 o clock BYPASS EQ High EQ FILTERS BANDWIDTH 1 5 octaves 12 o clock LOW CUT 22 10 o clock aaa OST O 12 o clock HIGH CUT 18K 3 o clock The 527E s controls and svvitches are novv set according to the preceding section The 527E Rear Panel Setting should now pass signal The OurPur LEVEL LED display and the PowER LED should be illuminated Depending upon the signal levels the Output compressor s gain reduction display may be illuminated Connect to input of console tape recorder etc If you wish
32. set the Mic GAIN control so that the OutTpuT LEVEL display indicates levels in the 10 to O VU range The CLP LED should never illuminate on signal peaks Remember to restore the settings of the various bypass switches Finally the OUTPUT Gain After adjusting all of the other processors set this control so that the O VU LED on the Output LEVEL meter illuminates The red CLip LED should never illuminate The output Cuir LED also monitors the EQ section If the CLip LED illuminates reduce the OUTPUT GAIN control setting slightly and or reduce the amount of boost that you are applying in the EQ section You may need to increase the gain of some device following the 527E to achieve the same overall level Downward Expander Expander operation is easily misunderstood unless it s remembered that what s being expanded is the dynamics or changes of signals passing through the circuit Expanders come in two very different types linear and downward Linear expanders increase the dynamic range of all signals no matter what their actual level The linear expander simply makes all changes greater by some ratio which is sometimes user adjust able In the real world linear expanders aren t too practical because clipping occurs when signals just below maximum output level are expanded For instance an unprocessed signal 3 dB below clipping that increases 2 dB won t distort because it s still 1 dB below maximum But if that same signal is p
33. surface freight If you choose to send us your product in some sort of flimsy packaging we ll have to charge you for proper shipping materials If you don t have the factory packaging materials then do yourself a favor by using an oversize carton wrap the unit in a plastic bag and surround it with bubble wrap Pack the box full of Styrofoam peanuts Be sure there is enough clearance in the carton to protect the rack ears you wouldn t believe how many units are returned with bent ears We won t return the unit in anything but Symetrix packaging for which we will have to charge you Of course if the problem turns out to be operator inflicted you ll have to pay for both parts and labor In any event if there are charges for the repair costs you will pay for the return freight All charges will be COD unless you have made other arrangements prepaid Visa or Mastercard Out of warranty Repairs If the warranty period has passed you ll be billed for all necessary parts labor packaging materials and freight charges Please remember you must call for an RA number before sending the unit to Symetrix Appendix A Declaration of Conformity Declaration of Conformity We Symetrix Incorporated 14926 35th Ave West Lynnwood Washington USA declare under our sole responsibility that the product 527E Voice Processor to which this declaration relates is in conformity with the following standards EN 60065 Safety requiremen
34. t Section Type Maximum Output Level Output Clip LED Output Source Impedance Minimum Load Impedance Output Gain 15 dB Physical Size hwd 1 72 x 19 x 6 inches 4 37 x 48 26 x 15 24 centimeters Weight 5 1 Ibs 2 3kg net Electrical 115V nominal 105 to 125V AC 50 to 60 Hz 15 watts maximum 230V nominal 205 to 253V AC 50 to 60 Hz 15 watts maximum Power Requirements Note The maximum operating ambient temperature is 25 degrees C Specifications subject to change without notice 527E Architects and Engineers Specifications The voice processor shall be capable of microphone signal preamplification line input buffering downward expansion compression limiting filtering and parametric equalization The unit shall have a low noise low distortion microphone preamplifier with variable gain 20 dB to 60 dB and switchable on off 48V phantom power A 15 dB pad shall be provided to accommo date high output microphone signals A balanced bridging line input suitable for 4 dBu input signals shall also be provided along with a mix control to select either the microphone or line inputs or a combination of both inputs The dynamics processing section shall contain an interactive compressor limiter and downward expander There shall be front panel controls for compression ratio 1 1 to 10 1 compressor threshold 50 dBm to 20 dBm expander threshold 30 dBm to O dBm and a bypass switch There shall be a 12 dB Oct high cut
35. ts for mains operated electronic and related apparatus for household and similar general use EN 55103 1 Electromagnetic compatibility Generic emission standard Part 1 Residential commercial and light industry EN 55103 2 Electromagnetic compatibility Generic immunity standard Part 1 Residential commercial and light industry The technical construction file is maintained at Symetrix Inc 14926 35th Ave West Lynnwood WA 98037 2303 USA The authorized representative located within the European Community 1s World Marketing Associates P O Box 100 St Austell Cornwall PL26 6Y U U K Date of issue July 20 1999 Place of issue Lynnwood Washington USA Authorized signature Dane Butcher President Symetrix Incorporated 19 Symetrix Inc 14926 35th Ave West Lynnwood WA 98037 2303 USA Tel 425 787 3222 Fax 425 787 3211 Website http www symetrixaudio com Email symetrix symetrixaudio com
36. ut the bass low response somewhat 3 6 dB should be fine don t do this if you want a big ballsy sound A bit of mid EQ will help make voices cut and seem loud The high EQ adds brightness and intimacy If you are using a microphone that has minimal proximity effect like the ElectroVoice RE 20 then you ll probably need to increase boost the bass response somewhat 3 to 6 dB should do the job The same mid and high EQ recommendations given previously still apply For many applications setting the output GAIN control at O dB 12 00 o clock works fine If you are adding a bunch of EQ which tends to cause an overall level increase then you may need to decrease the GAIN setting On the other hand if you are using a fair amount of compression you may need to add some gain to compensate for the level lost in compression Pick a setting that gives you enough signal downstream yet still keeps the CLip LED from illuminating The output display is peak responding so you can t quite set levels as if it were a VU meter which responds more slowly The output CLip LED monitors the output stage Large amounts of boost and or high signal levels can cause CLIP indications If this occurs lower the signal level via the GAIN control Chapter 4 Front Panel Overview INPUT y EXPANDER COMPRESSOR OUTPUT BYPASS FILTERS LOW EG A MIC GAIN MIX TI IN LOW CUT Hz HIGH CUT Hz
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