User Manual
Contents
1. 241 OPERATORS MANUAL 11 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Measurements taken at 4dBu operating level where applicable INPUT IMPEDANCE 20KQ MAXIMUM INPUT LEVEL 20dBu OUTPUT IMPEDANCE 50 Q bal 100 Q unbal MAXIMUM OUTPUT LEVEL 20dBu BANDWIDTH lt 10Hz to 22KHz 1dB NOISE AT UNITY GAIN with Expander Off Wideband 22Hz 22KHz CCIR ARM Q Pk CCIR AV 90dB 95dB 95dB 97dB 84dB RMS 88dB 93dB 93dB 95dB 82dB DISTORTION 100Hz 10KHz Unity Gain 4dBu input lt 0 03 lt 0 02 lt 0 03 14aBu input 1048 Gain Red POWER REQUIREMENTS 115Volt or 230Volt at 50 60Hz 9 Watts FUSE RATING 32mA for 230Volt 63mA for 115Volt CONFORMING TO IEC 127 2 FUSE TYPE 20mm x 5mm Class 3 Slo Blo 250Volt working CASE SIZE 482mm w x 44mm h x 200mm d WEIGHT incl packaging 3 2 Kgs DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL 12 BLOCK DIAGRAM Adds MOda A wy 1 orany SSvdA8 lt At lt NI lt 39 3 138 8 o1ny lt ALLY ma ae Mois Asya y 3134 NoTLONGga lt asyay lt ALLY 9 V IAIA a9y1S em von lt lt A 218 AILIN 73431 1 35 3 34 8 oiny y ALLY _ 33 n isya 1405 V 83134 EEA NOILONG3a KAK asyn H2. simply a matter of adjusting the Threshold control until the desired amount of gain reduction occurs This is judged partly by ear and partly by observing the gain reduction meter In general a maximum gain reduction of between 8dB and 12dB will be adequate If more gain reduction appears necessary consider applying a conservative degree of compression during recording and then further compression while mixing Compressing during a mix does increase the subjective level of tape and other background noises during pauses and quiet passages but unless the noise contamination is serious the expander section will be able to attenuate it to a very high degree without compromising the wanted signal At this point the Auto control may be switched off if it is desired to set the attack and release times manually The longer the attack time the longer the compressor takes to respond to increases in signal level and a slow attack time is often used to accentuate the beginning of percussive or plucked sounds such as drums basses and guitars A fast attack time will bring the input signal under control very quickly The release time should be set short enough so that the system gain has returned to normal before the next peak occurs and in general it should be set as short as possible before audible gain pumping occurs Compressors are often accused of dulling the sound being processed and a little explanation is needed to understand exactly why that
3. 20dB When the expander starts to operate the red status LED will come on Note because the expansion ratio varies with signal level it is possible to arrive at a situation where the red expansion LED may be illuminated when little or no perceived gain reduction is taking place This means that the expansion Threshold may need to be set a little higher than it would with a conventional expander and final setting is best done by ear The adaptive expansion system used in the DL241 means however that setting up is not over critical and the gating action is far more progressive Either a fast or slow release time may be selected depending on the material being processed Fast release is achieved with the switch out and Slow release with the switch depressed Percussive material with little or no reverb is generally treated using the fast release setting whereas material with slow decays or a significant amount of added reverberation will usually respond better to the longer release setting 6 DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL GAIN REDUCTION OUTPUT LEVEL 30 20 15 10 5 4 2 148 20 15 10 5 0 55 10 15 ATTACK RELEASE COMPRESSOR Threshold Determines the input level above which gain reduction will be applied and may be set in the range 40 to 20dB Soft knee compression takes place for signals exceeding the threshold level by up to 10dB above which level conventional ratio compression is applied Ratio Sets th
4. A away olya 6 aoHsa aHL aiy9 ax3 lt sand Nivo L V 8 8 ENSEN lt VOA lt lt inne BN 32 8 8 ey 21 lt _ lt lt NI lt SSVdA8 T IHNNVHO L
5. DRAWMER DL 241 DUAL AUTO COMPRESSOR OPERATORS MANUAL CONTENTS SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS INTRODUCTION INSTALLATION CONTROL DESCRIPTIONS OPERATION IFA FAULT DEVELOPS CONTACTING DRAWMER TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION BLOCK DIAGRAM page 1 page 2 page 3 page 5 page 8 page 10 page 10 page 11 page 12 COPYRIGHT This manual is copyrighted 1995 by Drawmer Electronics Ltd With all rights reserved Under copyright laws this manual may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Drawmer ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY Drawmer Electronics Ltd warrants the Drawmer DL241 audio processor to conform substantially to the specifications of this manual for a period of one year from the original date of purchase when used in accordance with the specifications detailed in this manual In the case of a valid warranty claim your sole and exclusive remedy and Drawmer s entire liability under any theory of liability will be to at Drawmer s discretion repair or replace the product without charge or if not possible to refund the purchase price to you This warranty is not transferable It applies only to the original purchaser of the product For warranty service please call your local Drawmer dealer Alternatively call Drawmer Electronics Ltd at 44 0 1709 527574 Then ship the defective product with transportation and insurance charges pre paid to Drawmer Electronics Ltd Coleman Street Parkgate Rotherham
6. HERE IF GROUND HUM LOOPS OCCUR dentine I BALANCED INPUT BALANCED OUTPUT LEVEL COLD PHASE OUTPUT COLD PHASE INPUT HOT PHASE QUTPUT HOT PHASE INPUT SCREEN Interference r We ANFAA LOPES bE Ns EdF WHAE itrabi expose To high levels of disturbance such as found close to a TV or radio transmitter we advise that the unit is operated in a balanced configuration The screens of the signal cables should be connected to the chassis connection on the XLR connector as opposed to connecting to pin1 The DL241 conforms to the EMC standards Ground Loops If ground loop problems are encountered never disconnect the mains earth but instead try disconnecting the signal screen on one end of each of the cables connecting the outputs of the DL241 to the patchbay If such measures are necessary balanced operation is recommended 4 DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL POWER CONNECTION The unit will be supplied with a power cable suitable for domestic power outlets in your country For your own safety it is important that you use this cable The unit should always be connected to the mains supply earth using this cable If for some reason the unit is to be used at a mains input operating voltage which is different to that as supplied the following procedure must be carried out see following diagram 1 Disconnect the unit from the mains 2 Using a number 1 size pozidrive screwdriver remove the two
7. PERATORS MANUAL 3 INSTALLATION The DL241 is designed for standard 19 rack mounting and occupies 1U of rack space Avoid mounting the unit directly above power amplifiers or power supplies that radiate significant amounts of heat Fibre or plastic washers may be used to prevent the front panel becoming marked by the mounting bolts AUDIO CONNECTIONS Both the input and output connectors may be used either balanced or unbalanced the wiring convention being for jacks tip hot ring cold and sleeve ground and for XLR connectors pin 2 hot pin 3 cold and pin 1 ground The rear panel push buttons should be out for 4dBu operation or in for 10dBu operation For use with unbalanced systems the unit is directly compatible with mono jacks The mono jack actually shorts the cold terminal to ground For the DL241 units fitted with XLR connectors unbalanced operation is achieved by shorting pin 3 of the XLR ound pin 1 at both input and output CHANNELS OUTPUT INPUT Z Le ZA Paine CHANNEL Ts BALANCED OUTPUT LD al 1 BALANCED INPUT LEVEL DISCONNECT GROUND HERE IF GROUND HUM LOOPS OCCUR COLD PHASE OUTPUT COLD PHASE INPUT HOT PHASE OUTPUT HOT PHASE INPUT SCREEN V SCREEN FOR UNBALANCED OPERATION CONNECT COLD PHASES TO GROUND AT INPUT AND OUTPUT CHANNEL 1 INPUT 3498 DISCONNECT GROUND
8. S62 6EL UK Write the RA number in large letters in a prominent position on the shipping box Enclose your name address telephone number copy of the original sales invoice and a detailed description of the problem Drawmer willnot accept responsibility forloss or damage during transit This warranty is void if the product has been damaged by misuse modification or unauthorised repair THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN EXPRESSED IMPLIED OR STATUTORY DRAWMER MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON INFRINGEMENT PURCHASER S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY UNDER THIS WARRANTY SHALL BE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN EVENT WILL DRAWMER ELECTRONICS LTD BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT INCLUDING LOST PROFITS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW DAMAGE FOR PERSONAL INJURY EVEN IF DRAWMER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES Some states and specific countries do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or limitations on how long an implied warranty may last so the above limitations may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights You may have additional rights that vary from state to state and country to country In t
9. and right signal dynamics varied from each other by any significant degree 8 DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL OPERATION The unit should be connected in line with the signal to be processed via suitable insert points Ensure that the insert send and return level on your console matches the operating level set up using the rear panel push buttons on the DL241 If not select the appropriate operating level on the DL241 For single channel use each channel may be considered as being completely independent and set up accordingly For use with stereo signals such as complete mixes or submixes the unit should be switched to Stereo Link mode and all setting up done using the left hand channel controls Setting up is simpler if the Expander is initially turned off and the Peak Limiter threshold set to maximum This allows the Compressor Limiter to be set up in isolation The ratio setting depends on how firmly the signal dynamics need controlling as a rule higher ratios provide a higher degree of control but also tend to be more audible in operation when high levels of gain reduction are required The integral soft knee feature of the DL241 renders these effects far less pronounced but this factor should still be taken into consideration when setting up In general a higher compression ratio may be used than on a conventional compressor without compromising the sound quality If the Attack and Release controls are switched to Auto setting up is now
10. ans of identifying them from noise On a vocal track for example this can lead to the starts or endings of words being accidentally removed especially if the singer has a wide dynamic range The DL241 uses an entirely new Programme Adaptive expander circuit which varies its ratio depending on the dynamics of the signal being processed Because the onset of expansion is progressive those low level signals most at risk will be treated to a lower ratio of expansion while the residual noise during pauses will be subjected to a higher expansion ratio and will in consequence be attenuated more The outcome is an expander that requires less stringent setting up and is more tolerant of wanted sounds that are only slightly above the residual noise floor A further feature of the DL241 is a peak limiter which allows the user to set an absolute output signal level that will not be exceeded If the peak limiter threshold is exceeded for more than a few milliseconds additional gain reduction will be applied to reduce the overall signal level to within accepted limits without distortion Once the peak has passed the system gain will return to normal over the period of about one second This facility is extremely valuable both in live sound applications for driver protection and in digital recording where an absolute maximum recording level exists Furthermore when overdriven it can be used creatively to produce deliberate level pumping effects 241 O
11. anty service please call Drawmer Electronics Ltd Or their nearest authorised service facility giving full details of the difficulty On receipt of this information service or shipping instructions will be forwarded to you No equipment should be returned under the warranty without prior consent from Drawmer or their authorised representative For service claims under the warranty agreement a service Returns Authorisation RA number will be given Write this RA number in large letters in a prominent position on the shipping box Enclose your name address telephone number copy of the original sales invoice and a detailed description of the problem Authorised returns should be prepaid and must be insured All Drawmer products are packaged in specially designed containers for protection If the unit is to be returned the original container must be used If this container is not available then the equipment should be packaged in substantial shock proof material capable of withstanding the handling for the transit CONTACTING DRAWMER Drawmer Electronics Ltd will be pleased to answer all application questions to enhance your usage of this equipment Please address correspondence to Drawmer Technical Help line Coleman St Parkgate Rotherham S62 6EL UK or E mail us on tech drawmer com Drawmer dealers Authorised service departments and other contact information can be obtained from our web pages on http www drawmer com
12. e final compression ratio that will be applied once the 10dB soft knee region is exceeded The ratio may be continuously adjusted from 1 2 1 to infinity 1 allowing the possibility of true hard limiting Gain Reduction Meter An eight segment LED bargraph meter continuously monitors the gain reduction applied by the compressor limiter over the range 0 to 30908 Attack Sets the rate at which the compressor will respond to input signals that exceed the threshold level This may be set in the range 0 5mS to 100mS Release Sets the rate at which the system gain returns to normal after the input signal level has fallen below the threshold This may be set in the range 0 05 seconds to 5 seconds Auto When selected Auto disables the Attack and Release controls and continually optimises the attack and release times to suit the dynamics of the material being processed In general this setting will produce the least obtrusive level control on signals with widely varying dynamics or complete mixes Gain The output level may be attenuated or amplified by up to 20dB to compensate forlevelchanges caused by compression and limiting This control comes before the Peak limiter detector and this fact should be taken into account when setting the Peak limiter threshold DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL 7 Output Level Meter Bypass This is an 8 segment LED bargraph level meter that monitors the level of the output signal over the range 20dB
13. he interests of product development Drawmer reserve the right to modify or improve specifications of this product at any time without prior notice H DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL DRAWMER DL241 Dual Auto Compressor G SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS A CAUTION MAINS FUSE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE REPLACE THE MAINS FUSE ONLY WITH THE SAME TYPE WHICH MUST BE ACLASS 3 230 VOLT TIME DELAY TYPE RATED AT 32mA WHERE THE MAINS INPUT VOLTAGE SWITCH IS SET TO 230 VOLTS AC AND 63mA WHERE THE MAINS INPUT VOLTAGE IS 115 VOLTS AC ALL FUSES MUST COMPLY WITH IEC 127 2 THE FUSE BODY SIZE IS 20mm x 5mm CAUTION MAINS CABLE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE OR TAMPER WITH THE SUPPLIED MAINS CABLE CAUTION SERVICING DO NOT PERFORM ANY SERVICING REFER ALL SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL WARNING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE XS CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN 2 DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL INTRODUCTION The DL241 is a dual channel compressor limiter designed to fulfil the needs of professional studio and live sound applications It may be used in balanced or unbalanced systems and each channel is independently switchable between 4dBu and 10dBu operating levels In addition to the compressor limiter each channel also contains an independent expander and peak limiter In order to maximise flexibility while simplifying set up and operation
14. is What happens is that bass sounds which contain most of the energy in a typical piece of music cause the compressor to operate and so any quieter high frequency sounds occurring at the same time as the bass sound will also be turned down in level That is why the cymbals and hi hats in a heavily compressed drum track seem to dip in level whenever a loud bass drum or snare drum beat occurs 241 OPERATORS MANUAL 9 The solution is either to use less compression or increase the attack time to allow the leading edge of the brighter sounds to pass through the compressor before the gain reduction occurs In extreme cases it may be necessary to add a little artificial brightness to the processed sound using equalisation or some form of exciter though the semi soft knee compression system used in DL241 tends to minimise this side effect Atthis point the expander threshold may be set up and you should try both release time settings to see which is least obtrusive in operation For all but sharp percussive sounds the longer setting is likely to give the best results Set the threshold using a piece of program material that contains pauses and adjust the threshold to be as low a dB level as possible while still attenuating the noise during pauses Listen carefully to how the sounds come in after the pauses and how cleanly they fade away again If you can hear the expander changing the sound in an unacceptable way then the threshold is probably se
15. self tapping screws holding the voltage selection switch cover plate on the rear panel 3 Remove the cover plate and slide the switch fully to its opposite end 4 Rotate the cover plate one half turn 180 and refit the two screws 5 Replace with a correctly rated fuse for the selected operation voltage 6 Re connect to mains power source AC POWER ONLY FUSE x lt AUTION BS EN 60127 2 TO REDUCE RISK OF 1991 SHEET III FIRE REPLACE FUSES 20mm x 5mm ONLY WITH SAME C 6 TYPE AS SHOWN 50 60Hz USE TYPE AUTION BS EN 60127 2 TO REDUCE RISK OF 1991 SHEET M FIRE REPLACE FUSES 20mm x 5mm ONLY WITH SAME TYPE AS SHOWN SER 115V T63MA DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL CONTROL DESCRIPTION Both channels of the DL241 are identical and may be used completely independently or linked for stereo operation In the linked mode only the left hand channel controls are functional and serve as master controls though the channel bypass switches remain independent In linked mode the compressor limiters peak limiters and expanders of the two channels track together to avoid the inevitable image shifting that occurs if the two channels of a stereo signal are treated independently EXPANDER Threshold Release 79 SLOW wae 20 dB OFF RELEASE e THRESHOLD This control sets the level below which expansion starts to take place and may be set in the range 70dB to
16. several newdesign concepts have been incorporated The compressor section combines aspects of both the traditional ratio style compressor and the soft knee approach making it equally adept at creative work and unobtrusive level control The control layout resembles that of a straight ratio style unit but the transition from unity gain to gain reduction at the selected ratio is progressive and occurs over a nominal 10dB input level range Traditionally soft knee compressors have been preferable for unobtrusive level control where the original sound is to be changed as little as possible whereas ratio type compressors are generally considered more successful in creative applications or where large amounts of gain reduction are required By combining these two elements the DL241 is capable of outstanding results in a very wide range of studio and live sound situations One of the perennial problems in using compression is that maximum system gain occurs during extremely quiet passages or during pauses which results in an increase in background noise the degree depending on the amount of compression being used The accepted way of dealing with this problem is to include in the compressor a separate expander section with its own threshold control so that a low level gating action may be applied to keep pauses clean But the problem with simple expanders is that even when properly set up they may unwittingly process low level sounds as they have no me
17. t too high Because the expander is self adapting to the programme dynamics it should be possible to obtain far more satisfactory results than are possible with conventional expanders By the same token do not assume that because the expander threshold LED flickers during a piece of quiet but wanted material that it is having a detrimental effect When it first comes into play the ratio of expansion is very low so trust your ears Finally set the Gain control to give the required output level using the level meter to guide you Avoid running at very high output levels as this reduces the available amount of signal head room and could lead to distortion in extreme cases Once the gain is correct set the Peak Limiter Level control so that the limiter LED only lights briefly on extreme signal peaks Alternatively set the Peak limiter Level to the desired value and then adjust the compressor Gain control to ensure minimum limiter activity If required the expander may be used on its own with the compressor and limiter functions disabled The Peak limiter has no separate on off control but turning the Level control fully clockwise will prevent any unwanted limiter action To effectively bypass the compressor section turn the compressor Threshold up to its maximum of 20dB fully counter clockwise set the Ratio to its lowest setting of 1 2 1 and adjust the Gain to approximately OdB 10 DL241 OPERATORS MANUAL IF AFAULT DEVELOPS For warr
18. to 15dB with reference to the selected 10dBu or 4dBu operating level This switch causes a hard wire bypass function of all signal processing for this channel where the input socket is routed directly to the output socket This feature enables the unit to pass audio even with no power applied to the DL241 Normally the switch is used to compare the raw unprocessed signal verses with any expansion compression and limiting of the audio input PEAK LIMITER Level LINKING Stereo Link Sets an absolute limit to the level that the output signal will not be permitted to exceed This limiter is very fast acting enabling it to control any peaks without audible distortion If the output signal is so high as to cause the limiter to operate for more than 20 15 the system gainis automatically reduced to bring the signal back within range The system gain is then returned to normal over a period of approximately one second The compressor Gain control should be used to ensure that the peak limiter operates only rarely if at all if it is to be used purely for peak protection Alternatively it may be deliberately driven into limiting to produce creative effects Depressing this switch configures the unit in stereo mode where the left hand channel controls act as masters for both audio channels The same degree of gain reduction is applied to both audio channels to prevent image shifting which would otherwise occur whenever the left
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search