TM215b Manual
Contents
1. depending on the density of the program High den sity program increases the release time the more the more the pot is placed to the right With low density signals the release time remains the static release time Gain Reduction Display The gain reduction display is a LED chain with 5 LEDs and a range from 1 to 10 dB Bypass The LIM switch inserts the module into the signal path If LIM is not pressed the mo dule is bypassed by relays hard bypass Bypass Options With the factory standard setting the LIM switch bypasses the entire module The al ternate setting by jumpers bypasses only the limiter but leaves the gain control in the signal path Changing is possible at any time Tell us the serial number of your module and we come back with details on changing the setting Base Settings Quick Ref Start by setting the threshold to get a gain reduction of 3 dB This value is possible with almost all kind of mixes without negative side effects Please note that the limiter is optimized for the inaudible regulation of short peaks You have found the best possi ble threshold setting when the limiter is NOT working PERMANTLY In this case it just fades down peaks if there are any If the threshold is too low the limiter works perma nently and acts as a compressor Short release and attack time setting that are crucial for the proper operation of the limiter do not work with a compressor like setting You will get bad side effects even w2. short peak To catch such peaks the attack time should be as short as even possi ble However with short attack times the attack distortion problem appears With short attack times and low frequencies the control signal for the regulator follows the mo mentary value of the wave form of the audio signal As soon as the momentary value exceeds threshold regulation starts right away With the TM215b the delay between crossing threshold and regulation is less than 8 us The regulation disrupts the wave form by putting a hard edge into the signal which will result in additional harmonics This effect takes place only for the half wave that triggers regulation If a short dis tortion that might appear as some kind of click noise or scratching is audible depends on the frequency the spectrum and the gain reduction Most critical are low frequen cy signals with a low portion of harmonics Attack distortion is a physical problem that depends on the combination of attack time and signal structure and not on a particu lar principle of regulation components and the like With an attack time of approx 1 ms these effects disappear however with such a long attack time short peaks will pass thru the limiter without causing bc le ToolMod Pro Audio Module System i aa e l a adt audio wey TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter i The LF Attack circuit in the TM215b is not a universal remedy but helps to achieve bet ter results lower audibi
3. that the release period fade up time after the re gulation from the gain reduction caused by a peak to O dB gain is longer than the re lease time of the human ear The human ear recovers after approx 300 ms meaning during the first 0 3 sec after a loud noise you cannot hear any changes This is a little different from person to person however it is always in this range The release set ting refers to the fade up after a gain reduction of 10 dB Setting the release pot to 0 3 sec might be too long in most of the cases Since the value refers to 10 dB gain chan ge and the limiter will work with about 3 dB gain reduction the actual release time is approx 100 ms unless the gain reduction is higher than 3 dB Due to the second phy 4 ToolMod Pro Audio Module System lia 2 o adt audio ae TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter cabana catia Aerie VERNIER 3 ATTACK 15 SS a sical problem with limiting that is discussed below the LONGEST PUMP FREE RELEASE TIME is the best possible setting gt Start with a release time of about 1 5 sec and go down until the pumping disappears The second issue is the physical effect of low frequency distortion with short release time settings Since the control voltage that causes the regulation has to be a dc vol tage that is actually the rectified audio signal there are always some remains of the ac audio signal ripple on the dc control voltage Since the main part of the filtering
4. 300 Q for Pmax 22 dBu 6 nF 2 KQ 20 kHz THD 1 30 dBu 15 nF 2 KQ 20 kHz THD 1 26 dBu 20 nF 2 KQ 20 kHz THD 1 22 dBu CMRR IEC 40 dB 40 Hz 15 kHz Load Capacity IA IA IA IV IV IV internally calibrated O dB 0 3 dB without Regulation Gain 0 dB Gain Control Range 10 dB the Gain Pot determines the output level post limiter 3 dB limits lt 10 Hz bis gt 150 kHz without Regulation Power Bandwidth for Headroom 30 dBu from 10 Hz to 50 kHz Linearity lt 0 2 dB without Regulation between 20 Hz and 50 kHz 20 Hz 20 kHz lt 6 10 without Regulation lt 28 dBu 20 Hz 20 kHz lt 0 1 maximum THD 30 dBu lt 1 without Regulation THD under regulation is determined by the frequency and by the attack and release time settings and the actual gain reduction 70 dB 40 Hz 15 kHz lt 91 dBu without regulation 0 dB Gain RMS 22Hz 22kHz Ref 0O dBu 775 mV lt 95 dBA without regelation 0 dB Gain AVG DIN A Filter Ref O dBA 775 mV 1 kHz gt 121 dB without regulation 0 dB Gain 8 T P A e e 7 oolMod ro Audio Module System adt audio TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter i related to RMS value 22Hz 22kHz gt 125 dB without regulation 0 dB Gain related to dBA value Control Voltage Rejection gt 70 dB Threshold Range 20 dB to 10 dB reference 6 dBu 1 55 V 4 dBV O dB position internally cali
5. ToolMod Pro Audio Module System User Manual TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter TOOLMOD The TM215b is a very fast stereo peak limit er that can be used to limit the input level of a d converters Special Ye eT additional features ma ies ke the inaudible regu ee _ lation of short signal ra l5 Ts ja j j peaks possible e e ae aan T Horizontal and vertical A S W versions are available re A mo Goya Both versions are elec trically identical Only the orientation of the lettering and the knobs are different The TM215b can be in stalled in any ToolMod frame Content Principle of Operation 2 Control Elements 2 Basic Setup Quick Ref 3 Connectors 7 technical Specifications 8 Hint We assume that you are familiar with the basic princip les of pro audio devices Therefore the explanations in this manual are limited to the special features and functions of the particular module General informati on on many pro audio topics can be found on our web site http www adt audio com This manual is a supplement to the ToolMod User Manual that contains extensive information and safety instructions on the ToolMod Pro audio Module System by adt audio If you don t have the ToolMod User Manual ask for a copy by email or fax or download a PDF version from one of our websites It is imperative that you take account of the hints and safety instruction in the ToolMod User Manual th
6. at are not repeated in this supplement for a particular module 7 analoge digitale Tonstudiotechnik Karl Juengling adt audio Inh Dipl Ing Gerd Juengling e K 4 6 Scholtwiese Gladbeck 45966 NRW e Germany Phone 0049 2043 51061 Fax 0049 2043 56844 Email info adt audio com Web www adt audio com www adt audio de ToolMod Pro Audio Module System i adt audio O D TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter F7 7s Princle of Operation Very fast feed forward controlled fully parametric VCA limiter with calibrated stereo tracking and special additional features The stereo mastering peak limiter TM215b is used to limit signal peaks fast and inaudibly The physical limitation of a brick wall li miter can be partially compensated by the special LF Attack and Dynamic Release cir cuits Using program dependent adjustments higher gain reduction can be achieved with less negative side effects 42 VERNIER 3 ATTACK 15 a Control Elements THR Threshold Coarse Adjustment The THR pot is used for the coarse adjustment of the limiter threshold in the range from 10 dB to 20 dB The calibrated O dB position refers to an absolute level of 6 dBu 4 dBV VERNIER Threshold Fine Adjustment The vernier pot is used to fine trim the limiter threshold The pot has a calibrated cen ter click The range is 2 dB GAIN controls the Output Level The gain po
7. brated Vernier Threshold fine control 2 dB range center click Limit Ratio lt 0 5 dB 10 dB Gain Reduction Static Attack frequency independent Regulation of the Attack Time Range 20 usec to 7 ms 10 dB LF Attack Attack Charasteric Modification in the LF Range adjustable from Off to approx 120 Hz Response Time with Static Attack 20 usec and LF Attack OFF 8 usec between the time the momentary value of an input signal in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz reaches the threshold to the time the gain reduction reaches 6 dB Static Release Program independent Release Time Adjustment Range 50 ms to 3 s for 10 dB Gain Change Dynamic Release Longtime Integration with 0 1 sec Attack and adjustable Release Time Increases the static release time depending on the density of the signal and the position of the dynamic release pot Display Gain reduction display with 5 LED s Range from 1 dB to 10 dB Bypass Hardbypass by Relay The maximum current consumption is the current consumption under real world operating con ditions i e outputs loaded with gt 5 kQ at standard a d or d a converter levels of 18 dBu If the outputs are loaded with the minium load resistor of 1200 Q and the output level is 30 dBu the current consumption increases by 30 mA per output The standard current consumption should be used to calculated the necessary capacity of the power supply unit i las pe 7 ToolMod Pro Audio Module System adt a
8. ce the longer release time is only present for the time of the higher density the high low frequency levels it is automatically reduced after the high density si gnal This is not a perfect remedy for all lf distortion problems but it helps 5 ToolMod Pro Audio Module System i ce adt audio S C TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter F7 7s 3 ATTACK 15 k gt Set the dynamic release to the highest value that causes no pumping Like the static release the dynamic release increases the release time in this case depending on the density of the signal that may cause pumping Usually you can reduce the sta tic release time when you use dynamic release Try both until you get the best possi ble compromise for the lf distortion without pumping In rare cases it might be necessary to reduce the gain reduction which will reduce both problems even if the reduction is only 0 5 dB Please note The more you open the dynamic release pot the longer is the release time of the long time integration circuitry that measures the density and the longer it takes before a chan ged setting is in effect Wait a couple of seconds before you judge a new setting Attack Time The Attack setting determines how fast the limiter reacts when the level exceeds threshold In opposite to an analog tape recorder that causes no audible distortion with short peaks a d converters are extremely sensitive to overloads even from a ve ry
9. ed Products bearing this symbol must not be thrown away with normal household waste At the end of the product s life Ke take it to a collection point designated for recycling of electrical and elec tronical devices Find out more about return and collection points through guess your local authorities The European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equip 77577 ment WEEE Directive was implemented to dramatically reduce the amount of waste going to landfills thereby reducing the environmental impact on the planet and on human health Please act responsibly by recycling used products If this pro duct is still useable consider giving it away or selling it WEEE Registration DE 59049716 analoge digitale Tonstudiotechnik Karl Juengling Inh Dipl Ing Gerd Juengling e K 4 6 Scholtwiese D45966 Gladbeck 45966 e NRW e Germany Phone 0049 2043 51061 Fax 0049 2043 56844 Email info adt audio com Web www adt audio com www adt audio de
10. ion in 1U high Frames This example assumes that a TM215b is installed in the 2nd module compartment If other compartments are used the correspondent connectors of the particular com partment are used instead Left input XLR IN2a Left output XLR OUT2a Right input TRS IN2b Right output TRS OUT2b The vertical version in a 2U high or 4U high frame uses identical E allocations of the connectors however the oriented is rotated adt audio ToolMod Pro Audio Module System f TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter By Ws Technical Specifications Format Versions Power supply Inputs Outputs Gain Frequency Response Phase Response THD Crosstalk unweighted Noise weighted Noise Dynamic Range ToolMod Module Size 2U TM215b h horizontal Faceplate TM215b v vertical Faceplate Tool Series Standard Supply Voltages 25 V and 48 V Phantom power not used in this module Current Consumption 140 mA balanced grounded electronically balanced Stereo nominal Level 6 dBu Gain maximum Level 30 dBu Gain Input Impedance 20 Hz 20 kHz gt 10 kQ nominal Source Impedance lt 50 Q CMRR 15 kHz gt 65 dB typical 75 dB 1 kHz gt 80 dB 40 Hz gt 90 dB balanced grounded electronically balanced Stereo nominal Level 6 dBu maximum Level 30 dBu Source Impedance 20 Hz 20 kHz lt 50 Q Load Resistance 1200 Q for Pmax 30 dBu 600 for Pmax 27 5 dBu
11. ith low gain reductions If you want to use the limiter as an aggressive compressor you need to set the attack time to at least 2 ms Howe ver this is too long to catch peaks before an a d converter is overloaded 3 ToolMod Pro Audio Module System TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter F7 7s adt audio 1 2 VERNIER l9 2 a 3 ATTACK 15 f _ 6 RELEASE 3 SS dae Base Settings Threshold start with 3 dB reduction and check if the limiter works permanently If this is the case and the gain reduction display shows at least 1 dB all the time incre ase the threshold level in small steps until you see that the display still shows peaks but the signal is not permanently under regulation LF Attack OFF Static Attack 0 7 ms Static Release 0 3 sec Dynamics Release OFF Gain adjust the output gain according to the O dBFs level of the a d converter to 1dBFS Adjustment Process We recommend that follow this procedure until you are familiar with the different set tings and have found your own way Release Time After adjusting threshold and output gain as described above base settings start with static release time The setting of the static release time is very important since two of the issues that physically limit the maximum gain reduction are directly affected by the release time If the release time is too long you will hear the limiter pbump up after a peak The reason for the audible pumping is
12. lity of attack distortion and or higher gain reduction The cir cuit smoothes the hard edge in a frequency range that depends on the setting of the pot when the limiter kicks in Only the low frequency range is affected mid and high frequencies pass thru the circuit unchanged gt Set Static Attack to the LONGEST attack time that is possible to catch all peaks of the entire mix Statistically upper mid and high frequency levels are lower than low to mid frequencies With most mixes you will not need the extremely fast settings that are necessary and of advantage if there are very short peaks in the upper mid and high frequency range gt If you get attack distortion with this static attack setting open the LF ATTACK pot and find the best setting to reduce the attack distortion Since the LF attack circuit alters the waveform all to the right is not necessarily the best setting Always check the entire range of the pot for the best setting The LF Attack pot causes a shift of the threshold that is internally compensated to less than 0 5 dB After you have found the best setting check the output level and read just with the gain pot if necessary Connectors The TM215b is a 2U ToolMod module that uses one module compartment in a 1U 2U or 4U ToolMod frame Input and output of the left stereo channel use the xlr connec tors of the module compartment The TRS connectors INb and OUTD are used for the right stereo channel Connector Posit
13. t controls the output level with a range of 10 dB The O dB at the center click is internally calibrated The gain setting does not alter the setting of the limiter itself With the standard factory setting the gain pot is switched together with the by pass Alternate setting is possible please read Bypass Options on the next page AT TACK Two attack pots determine the attack characteristic of the limiter 2 ToolMod Pro Audio Module System i aa fo l Sa adt audio TM215b Stereo Mastering Peak Limiter ST STATIC AT TACK frequency independent attack time control Static attack controls the attack time independent of the frequency in the range from 20 us to 7 ms per 10 dB LF AT TACK low frequency attack setting This pot modifies the attack behavior in the bass range for better handling of possible low frequency attack distortion with fast attack time settings It is disabled in the OFF position all to the left The pot determines the frequency of the smoothing all to the right is NOT necessarily the best setting to improve the performance Just check the entire range of the pot to find the best setting More on LF Attack on the next page RELEASE The Release Pots determine the recovery behavior of the limiter STATIC RELEASE Program independent Release Time Setting The static release time range is 50 ms to 3 sec per 10 dB DYNAMIC RELEASE Program dependent Release Time Setting This pot increases the release time
14. takes place in the attack release circuitry the ripple depends on the settings of at tack and release where the release time setting is a lot more important than the at tack time setting In addition low frequency signals cause more ripple than mid and high frequency signals The ripple of a low frequency audio signal causes an additional regulation that modulates the audio signal Since the waveform of the ripple is peak rectifier circuits assumed a saw tooth with twice the audio frequency the regulation from the ripple causes distortion of the audio signal Unfortunately there is no safe range between audible pumping and the occurrence of LF distortion it simply depends on the gain reduction The higher the gain reduction is the worst it is to find a decent compromise Let s sum this up If the release time is too long you get audible pumping if it is too short you get low frequency distortion gt Set the release time to the longest value without pumping and check for low frequency distortion If you get low frequency distortion set the Dynamic Release to a value that reduces the distortion Dynamic release increases the static release time depending on the den sity of the signal High level bass signals increase the density while short peaks in the high and mid range don t change the density With dynamics release you get a longer release time with low frequency signals while the release time remains low with short peaks Sin
15. udio Postface and Disclaimer This manual contains general information on the adt audio module system Tool Mod By no means does this information represent guaranteed particular characteristics or results of use The information in this manual has been carefully compiled and veri fied Due to our policy of continuous product improvement we reserve the right to make product changes without prior notice All specifications are subject to change without notice Copyright This manual is copyright protected Do not copy distribute or translate into other languages without permission in writing from adt audio Karl Juengling All rights re served Trade Marks adt audio and ToolMod are registered trademarks of analoge digitale Tonstudiotech nik Karl Juengling All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners CE Declaration of Conformity Manufacturer Fa Karl Juengling Type of Equipment Audio Signal Processor Product ToolMod Pro Audio Module System consisting of Modules Mounting Frames Power Supply Units and Accessories Compliance Engineer Gerd Juengling Test Basis EN50081 1 1992 EN50082 1 1992 EN61000 3 3 1995 EN60065 1993 Class1 EN61000 3 2 2000 EN60065 2002 EN55013 2001 EN55020 2002 73 23 EWG 93 68 EWG We hereby declare that the construction of the ToolMod system complies with the stan dards and regulations listed above Environmental Protection 2 This product can be recycl
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