X-Amp manual - Radial Engineering
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1. In 2004 Radial introduced the Radial X Amp which is an active device that allows a pre recorded balanced signal to drive two guitar type amplifiers at the same time References 1 Doug Mitchell Associate Professor MTSU Department of Recording Industry http www mtsu edu dsmitche 2 Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery Recording Project Design and Consulting Box 90412 Nashville TN 37209 3 Roger Nichols Mastering 11461 SW 93 St Miami FL 33176 http www rogernichols com Radial Engineering 14 XeAMP User Guide RADIAL ENGINEERING 3 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY RADIAL ENGINEERING a division of J P Cabletek Electron ics Ltd Radial warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship to the original owner and will remedy any such defects free of charge accord ing to the terms of this warranty Radial will repair or replace at its option any defective component s of this product excluding batteries finish and wear and tear on components under normal use for a period of three 3 years from the original date of pur chase In the event that a particular product is no longer available Radial reserves the right to replace the product with a similar product of equal or greater value To make a request or claim under this limited warranty the product must be returned prepaid in the original shipping container or equivalent to Radial or to an authorized Ra dial repair center and you must assume the risk of l2. Les Paul as the first to employ the concepts of re amplifying sound in the 1950s as there was no other way to double tracks or create echo effects In the 1960s Phil Spector s work with the Beatles and his famous wall of sound employed re amping techniques In the 1970s Roger Nichols built his own Reamper Roger used it on all of the Steely Dan records virtually burning out tubes in effort to get the right sound Only today with the proliferation of affordable high quality multi track recording has the demand for high quality recording tools allowed manufacturers to develop devices such the X amp into commercially viable products To use the X Amp one would generally record a dry guitar or bass track using a direct box such as the Radial JDI Radial J48 or Radial JDV and then play the pre recorded track back through the X Amp which in turn would then be connected to a guitar amplifier The advantages of recording a track this way are many During session work once the original track has been recorded the engineer and producer can try different amplifiers and sounds without tiring out the player with relentless repetition For the player engineer the track can be recorded then the player can then sit in the control room and listen to a variety of guitar effects or amplifiers before committing a final sound to the track Since guitar amps and recording devices work at different signal levels they are not directly compa
3. The recording of the clean guitar tone will contain all the sustain and inflections of the original performance When Re amping the clean guitar track will drive the guitar amp in the same way as when the player was standing next to it Re amping recreates the same complex tones between guitar amp and loudspeaker as when it was recorded This will allow you to replay the performance back through various amplifiers and effects devices to create alternative resonance peaks and harmonics It is also important to note that you will generally want to record the wet track effects pedals and amplifier at the same time with a traditional microphone set up This way you can mix the original track with re amplified tracks to create new textures Radial Engineering 7 X AMP User Guide GRadial Step 2 Driving the signal back to the X Amp Using a standard balanced XLR cable you should be able to drive the X Amp from your recording console 300 feet away without any appreciable noise This is the advantage of balanced lines Make sure you use good quality cable throughout the chain NOTICE Before connecting the X Amp to your guitar amplifier make sure that your guitar amp is equipped with a proper 3 prong AC connector This important safety ground will ensure safe performance of your amplifier and the X Amp and reduce opportunity for electrical shock For safety only use equipment that has passed electrical safety tests such as
4. UL CSA or equivalent safety standards as approved in your country Start by ensuring all amp and mixer levels are turned down Connect the recorder output or the mixer output to the XLR input on the X Amp Connect the X Amp power supply The Power LED on the front control panel should illuminate Play the track and turn up the recorders mixers output until the Clip light on the X Amp blinks occasionaly with peaks in the recording Now turn the output back so the clip light does not blink at all Next connect the 14 Direct Out 1 connector to your amplifier in much the same way as you would connect your guitar This is a direct coupled output and provides a safety ground path for the X Amp Start by listening to your amp by turning the volume up slowly using a clean setting This way you can hear if there is any ground hum If you encounter hum try depressing the X Amps ground lift switch For more details on grounding issues and possible solutions see the section on grounding further in this manual GUITAR MICROPHONE X RECORDER AMP 1 MICROPHONE TRACK 2 RADIAL X Amp GUITAR AMP 2 Example using two guitar amps recorded to separate tracks RECORDER TRACK 1 RECORDER Radial Engineering 8 X AMP User Guide GRadial Step 3 Adjusting the level The X Amp is equipped with a level control to ensure the signal coming from the dry track of the mixing console matches the level from your guitar Because guitar am
5. a lot of amps The speakers would get tired or the tubes would melt or something during a night of guitar overdubs We would go through one amp to make sure we got the sound we wanted and then when the right guitar and settings were locked in we recorded the direct signal and let the amp rest After the part was completed we ran the signal back through the guitar amp and it only had to last long enough to print the results to tape still have the box around here somewhere Interesting enough in 1980 Jensen Transformers introduced the JT DBE transformer and in the application note there is a complete paragraph discussing the use of this transformer to convert low impedance balanced lines to guitar levels This same application is mentioned in the Radial JDI direct box owner s manual and referred to as using the JDI backwards Radial Engineering 13 Xe AMP User Guide GRadial In the 1980 s Whirlwind also produced a device that could accommodate low to hi conversion using a transformer In 1994 Reamp commercialized the process by producing a box that incorporated a transformer and a volume control This allowed the user to adjust the volume at the amplifier instead of at the mix position In 1996 the 1st generation Radial JDI was introduced The first generation Radial JD7 Injector was released in 2001 with a balanced output and input to allow re amping and subsequent re distribution of signals to many amplifiers
6. used backwards as a re amping device Yes this is true The Radial JDI when driven backwards will also reverse the impedance from low Z to hi Z and allow a padded down line level to drive the amp at a 10k ohm level The difference however is akin to comparing a passive direct box to an active direct box or like comparing a dynamic mic to a condenser Active boxes tend to have more reach or better high frequency transfer of upper harmonic detail Radial Engineering X AMP User Guide 10 Radial Can I drive effect pedals with the X Amp Absolutely The X Amp is perfect for this type of thing Connect the same way as with an amplifier as described in the manual Have fun and experiment Will my guitar effects sound the same if I bring them back into the mixer without going through my guitar amplifier No Guitar effect pedals are designed to go through the limited bandwidth of a guitar amplifier where the highs are naturally rolled off by the absence of a tweeter Going direct may sound fun but be aware that you may encounter noise that may have to be rolled off Block Diagram and Specifications NDUT ale Input impedance Output impedance Output no t Output no 2 Output level Power requirement Size 3 5 wide 2 high 5 5 deep Weight Warranty Radial Engineering 1 Xe AMP User Guide GRadial THE HISTORY OF RE AMPING We recently looked into the history of re amping and were amaz
7. 1 Record a dry track As most re amping is performed with an electric guitar we have chosen to discuss the process using this as an example The same process applies with voice keyboard violin and any other instrument Start by recording a dry track using a high quality direct box DI such as the Radial JDI Radial J48 or Radial JDV Keep in mind that cheap DI boxes sound less realistic have limited dynamic range and tend to have less warmth When re amplifying a track it is important that the source track be as clean and natural sounding as possible The JDV is particularly adept as it features Drag Control an impedance correction circuit that achieves the most realistic tone RECODER TRACK 1 The usual connection when recording for re amping would be to connect the guitar to the DI box and have the thru connection go to your effects pedals and guitar amplifier The DI s balanced output would be connected to the mixer and recording device By recording this way you will be able to listen to your guitar amplifier sound while recording a clean signal The clean guitar track will retain all of the inflections and sustaining effects that you would normally hear and feel when you perform Note that when playing with a loud heavily distorted sound the guitar interacts with the amplifier The amplifiers sonic vibrations excites the guitar strings and can produce constant sustain and harmonic complexities
8. ERadial engineering Radial Engineering 1638 Kebet Way Port Coquitlam BC V3C 5W9 tel 604 942 1001 fax 604 942 1010 email info radialeng com Radial Engineering is a division of CeTEC JP CableTek Electronics Ltd GRadial Table of Contents Page Caution statement please read before using 2 Introduction What is the X Amp 3 Input panolara pnn a D Output panel we 6 Using ste Xamas ea eeaeee ar A ENAS 7 Grounding OPONSE 10 PA QS einnar aaae CE a EEEE ESA 10 Specification S ennan Ea Et 11 History Of RE aMpinG essersi 12 WALTAINY A E back cover Welcome The Radial X amp is an active re amplifying device that has been developed with one goal in mind To explore new musical sounds and spur on the creative process Like all Radial products this creative tool is made using the very finest components and care to ensure the very highest quality sound possible And like any tool the best way to get the most out of it is by understanding the functions the intent behind the design and of course some of the safety features and instructions that have been provided To this end we recommend reading this manual before operating your X Amp We are confident you will find the Radial X amp to be fun to use musical and that it will open new doors to creativity Should you have any questions regarding its functions or wish to explore new areas that are not covered in this manual
9. aker Depressing this ground switch will connect the ground from the X Amp chassis to the output B ground Although rarely used this could be advantageous in situations where the amp that is connected to output B does not have a proper 3 prong AC connector or has a different ground potential FAQs Can I hurt my amplifier if the X Amp is set too loud No The X Amp has been designed to work within the normal operating ranges of guitar amplifiers and effect pedals Is there a difference between the direct and isolated outputs Out 1 direct and Out 2 isolated have been designed to sound as close to the same as technically possible The only difference being that Out 2 employs a custom made isolation transformer to reduce hum and ground loop buzz Always connect Out 1 first to ensure proper grounding Why do you have to use Out 1 when using the X Amp Out 1 is the primary ground path for the X Amp and needs to be connected to a properly grounded amplifier so that the chassis can work as a screen against RF and other magnetically induced noise hazards Keep in mind that the X Amp employs a floating ground plane and needs to be grounded at either the input or the output What should I do if I hear 60 cycle hum in my system Try depressing the ground lift switch at the XLR input side This will disconnect the ground from the mixer and leave you with a direct coupled ground at the primary guitar amplifier I heard that the Radial JDI can be
10. d leaving the X Amp on will not harm the unit 7 Output level control The output LEVEL control sets the level going from the two 1 4 output connectors to the guitar amplifiers This recessed potentiometer is adjusted using a guitar pick or flat head screwdriver 8 Input overload LED indicator To ensure the signal from the mixer or recorder does not overload the X Amp a clip indicator is positioned on the front panel for clear viewing If this LED illuminates turn down the mixer 9 Out 1 Direct output to guitar amp 1 This is a transformerless direct coupled output and is used to connect to the primary guitar amplifier and provides the primary ground path for the X Amp This output is always used and should be connected to a properly grounded amplifier 10 180 polarity reverse The polarity reverse works with the transformer coupled output B This flips the polarity of the output to allow two amplifiers to work in phase 11 Out 2 Transformer isolated output to guitar amp 2 This transformer isolated output allows one to use two amps without introducing noise caused by ground loops 12 Alternate output ground disconnect on side This ground switch is factory set in a LIFTED position and works with Out 2 Connecting a ground at this output is only used when the amplifier on Out 2 is not properly grounded with a 3 prong AC cord Radial Engineering 6 X AMP User Guide GRadial USING THE X AMP Step
11. ed at the response we received by asking around These are brief historical accounts and letters we received Many thanks to Frank Wells at Pro Sound News and Mitch Galagher at EQ magazine for helping us track down these folks When we asked recording historian Doug Mitchell 1 Associate Professor at Middle Tennessee State University the question Who invented re amping Doug gave us this reply The process of re amping has actually been utilized since the very first days of recording in a variety of methods However the actual process utilized may not have been referred to as re amping until perhaps the late 1960s or 1970s From the early possibilities of recording sound various composers and experimenters utilized what might be termed re amping to take advantage of the recording process and to expand upon its possibilities In 1913 Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo proposed something he termed the Art of Noises Recordings of any sound anything was legitimate were made on Berliner discs and played back via noise machines in live scenarios and recollected on master disc cutters This concept was furthered by Pierre Schaeffer and his Musique Concrete electronic music concept in the 1930s and 1940s Schaeffer would utilize sounds such as trains in highly manipulated processes to compose new music ideas These processes often involved the replaying and acoustic re recording of material in a manipulated fash
12. ft switches to allow optimal ground conditions in complex environments And like all Radial products the X Amp is built to handle abuse with 14 gauge welded steel inner frame baked enamel finish and our innovative bookend design that creates a protective zone around the switches potentiometer and connectors A full bottom no slip isolation pad provides shock mounting mechanical and electrical isolation and stays put The X Amp will not slide around or fall during a performance RADIAL X AMP LAYOUT The difference between a good product and a great product can often come down to sound quality and ease of use As the X amp has been primarily designed to work in conjunction with guitar amplifiers you will notice that the XLR input and the DC supply connectors are on the rear and out of the way while the input connectors are on the front This allows one to place the X amp on a guitar amplifier and have immediate access to the 14 output connectors without having to reach behind This also provides clear viewing of the clip LED indicator and the output level control Radial Engineering 4 X eAMP User Guide Radial INPUT PANEL FEATURE SET GROUND INPUT SIDE p urt 1 Balanced line level input connector The input to the Radial X Amp is a balanced 600 ohm line level This is typically driven from the line level output from a recording device or from a console The XLR female connector is wired with Pin 2 ho
13. ion Other experimenters in this area included Karlheinze Stockhausen and Edgard Varese With the possibilities presented by magnetic recording the process of what might be termed re amping was utilized in other pop music areas Perhaps the first person to take advantage of the process was Les Paul His recordings with Mary Ford often utilized multiple harmonies all performed by Mary Initially these harmonies were performed with the re amping process Later Les convinced Ampex to make the first 8 track recorder so that he might utilize track comping to perform a similar function Les is also credited with the utilization of the re amping process for the creation of reverberant soundfields by placing a loudspeaker at one end of a long tunnel area under his home and a microphone at the other end Reverberation time could be altered with the placement of the microphone with respect to the loudspeaker playing back previously recorded material Wall of sound pioneer Phil Spector is perhaps the most widely accredited for the use of the reamping process and because of his association with the Beatles is potentially regarded today as the developer of the process However Phil was Radial Engineering 12 X AMP User Guide GRadial actually refining a process which had been utilized for decades and exploring its possibility for use in rock music The process of re amping is often used in film sound design as well In order for so
14. oss or damage A copy of the original invoice showing date of purchase and the dealer name must accompany any re quest for work to be performed under this limited warranty This limited warranty shall not apply if the product has been damaged due to abuse misuse misapplication acci dent or as a result of service or modification by any other than an authorized Radial repair center THERE ARE NO EXPRESSED WARRANTIES OTHER THAN THOSE ON THE FACE HEREOF AND DESCRIBED ABOVE NO WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED IN CLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRAN TIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICU LAR PURPOSE SHALL EXTEND BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE WARRANTY PERIOD DESCRIBED ABOVE OF THREE YEARS RADIAL SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LI ABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUEN TIAL DAMAGES OF LOSS ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE OR PROVINCE TO PROVINCE Radial 1638 Kebet Way Port Coquitlam BC V3C 5W9 tel 604 942 1001 fax 604 942 1010 email info radialeng com Radial X Amp manual V1 0 Part R800 9646 00
15. plifiers do not have input level meters start by taking note of your amplifier settings by plugging your guitar directly into your amp Using your ears is the best way to set the level and tone Now connect the X Amp to your amp and adjust the level so that it matches the previous guitar to amp level If the level is too hot from your mixer the clip LED indicator will light up Turn down the level from your mixer At this point you have recorded a dry guitar track on track 1 and most likely saved the performance wet guitar amp track on a separate track You would now PLAY the dry track into the X Amp which would then drive one or two guitar amps These would be mic d and then recorded on new tracks The real magic begins when you start combining these tracks and adding effects You are now set to go Have fun Experiment Using the X Amp with keyboards As described above keyboards may also enjoy the benefits of the X Amp by following the same procedures There s no better way to turn a solo synthesizer track into a barn burner than to pass it through a distorted tube guitar amplifier or tube distortion pedal Players like the legendary Jan Hammer used this trick to create those amazing guitar solo sounds This is also a great way to get more growl from those clean B3 sounds Half the magic of a traditional Hammond comes from the tube amp and Leslie being pushed to the limits This is why Keith Emerson also u
16. rs into the amplifiers first and then into the X AMP This is especially important when using old amplifiers that do not have 3 prong plugs as the possibility exists to touch the chassis ground with the connector plug tip when the plug is inserted into the jack Cautions for amplifiers with ungrounded 2 prong A C cords Before connecting any input to an ungrounded amplifier power the amp up and listen to the residual hum If the amp has a two position ground polarity reverse switch set the switch in the position that produces the least residual hum from the speakers If there is no polarity switch reverse the A C plug at the outlet to find the least residual hum To ensure an ungrounded amplifier does not present a shock hazard Test for voltage potential by connecting a voltmeter between the amplifier chassis and the X AMP chassis If voltage is present reverse the amplifiers A C supply polarity and test again Note that due to this potential problem damage to the X AMP or other connected equipment caused by improper A C polarity is not covered under warranty Radial Engineering 2 X eAMP User Guide GRadial INTRODUCTION Designed as a creative tool the Radial X Amp is an active re amplifying device that allows prerecorded instrument tracks to be sent through guitar amplifiers and effect devices Although the Radial X amp is new the process of re amping tracks has been around for years Historians credit jazz guitar great
17. sed distorted guitar amps to record and perform Try mixing sounds between clean and distorted ones and have fun Using the X Amp with voice Often times voices can be too clean and lack that seasoned rough edge By driving a voice track through the X Amp into a distortion pedal like the Radial Tonebone Classic or through an overdriven amplifier one can introduce some great effects Double the clean track with distorted track and then mix them to suit A subtle extra edge is often all that is needed to warm up a stale track Using the X Amp with guitar effect pedals You can also use the X Amp with guitar effect pedals This is accomplished either by driving the pedal through a guitar amplifier or by sending the output of the effect pedal to a direct box like the Radial JDI and then to the mixer We recommend the JDI for this application as the isolation transformer in the JDI will help eliminate noise Radial Engineering X AMP User Guide GRadial GROUNDING OPTIONS The radial X Amp is equipped with two ground disconnect switches One is located at the XLR input that lifts pin 1 to allow the X Amp to derive its ground from the Direct Out 1 connector It is important to note that this connection is the primary ground and should be connected at all times A second ground connection is provided for Isolated Out 2 and is set in a lifted as a factory default This switch is located on the side panel and accessed with a twe
18. t following the AES standard 2 Ground lift for pin 1 at XLR A ground lift switch disconnects the pin 1 ground at the XLR side input Depressing this switch assumes you will be providing a ground path via the OUT 1 to your amplifier Lifting the ground often helps reduce hum or buzz in the sound system caused by so called ground loops 3 15V DC power supply connection The 15VDC supply is connected here for powering up the X Amp There is no power switch and keeping the X Amp on will not harm the unit In fact we recommend allowing the X Amp to warm up for about 20 minutes before use so that the internal circuit can reach a stable working temperature 4 Full bottom no slip pad This provides mechanical isolation to reduce slipping and electrical isolation from amplifier frames and handles 5 Bookend design 14 gauge steel outer shell creates protected zone around connectors and switches Internal welded beam construction for maximum durability Finished in tough baked enamel The military grade double sided PC board provides maximum durability and added resistance against cold solder joints Radial Engineering 5 X AMP User Guide Radial OUTPUT PANEL FEATURE SET LEVEL DIRECT ISOLATED AF u aly OUT 1 POLARITY QUT 2 180 eS P PN NA i A 000 0 0 0 6 Power on LED indicator The power on LED will immediately illuminate when the 15VDC supply is connected There is no power switch on the X Amp an
19. tible In essence the X Amp allows these devices to speak to each other The Radial X Amp is an active impedance and level matching device that converts line level signals from a mixing console or tape recorder to guitar level signals to drive one or two guitar amplifiers without introducing ground loops or noise The X Amp can also be used on other instruments Keyboard tracks can be given extra life by warming up their sound by sometimes driving them through distortion pedals or tube guitar amps Vocal tracks can also be twisted into new sounds by introducing these fun effects And this is just the beginning The real advantage of the X Amp is the amazing clarity and natural tone Unlike previous re amping devices the Radial X Amp is active The X amp features our unique Class A circuit the same as used in our highly acclaimed Radial JD7 Injector to ensure every subtlety is transferred to the amplifier without harsh harmonic distortion virtually zero phase distortion and exceptionally low inter modulation distortion Radial Engineering 3 X eAMP User Guide True to the Music Radial To further advantage the user the X Amp features two outputs Output 1 is a direct active output while output 2 is transformer isolated This allows two amps or effect pedals to be used simultaneously without introducing hum or noise caused by so called ground loops To further reduce opportunity for noise the X Amp features two ground li
20. unds recorded in a post production environment to match the scene it is common for them to be re recorded utilizing a reamping procedure In film sound this process is also termed worldizing The first use of the term re amping is vague It may have come into the recordist s vocabulary as early as the late 1960s but am not sure when the term was first utilized We then posed the same question to Bob Ohlsson 2 of Mowtown fame Stevie Wonder Marvin Gaye Kinks Animals Donovan Herman s Hermits and Bob kindly answered began doing it in 1968 shortly after we got the sixteen track machines because for the first time we could separately record direct guitars clavinets and electric pianos had never heard of it being done and am pretty sure was the first to try it at Motown but can t imagine lots of others weren t doing the same thing It seemed like a very obvious thing to do in a world where electric instruments were taken direct primarily to cut down on bleed rather than for tonal quality We then contacted Roger Nichols Steely Dan Crosby Stills and Nash John Denver Roy Orbison Zappa and when posed the question Roger know you have been re amping for a while when did you start using this process That would be 1972 when built the re amper we used on the first and almost every Steely Dan album after that We used it to play direct guitar tracks back through an amp We were going through
21. we invite you to contact us at info radialeng com We love to hear from you cal i With Radial is a division of JP Cabletek Electronics Ltd Specifications and appearence subject to change without notice Radial X Amp manual V1 0 Part R800 9646 00 Radial Engineering 1 X AMP User Guide GRadial gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt CAUTION lt lt lt lt lt lt lt lt Please read before connecting your Radial X Amp Caution must be used when connecting electronic equipment to the X AMP The X AMP bridges all electronic equipment connected to it so faulty wiring or incorrect grounding of any of the equipment may cause a shock hazard to be present and or damage to the X AMP or other connected equipment Because grounding schemes differ between manufacturers it is important to check for correct polarity in particular with older amplifiers using 2 prong ungrounded A C cords If the polarity is reversed on an ungrounded amplifier there may be a potential of 120V present between the amp chassis and ground Radial Engineering takes no responsibility for this or how the X AMP is connected or used It is the user s full responsibility to ensure that proper electrical polarity is maintained on all equipment connected to the X AMP and that proper building electrical codes have been followed wherever the X AMP is being used To reduce opportunity for shock hazard or damage to the X AMP or connected equipment plug the 14 connecto
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