User manual LIAM
Contents
1. Important Safety Information Inside Keep this manual in a safe place for future reference LIAM USER MANUAL written by Helmut Butz All rights reserved pre AUDIOLABS Read keep and follow all instructions Heed all warnings Electric shock To avoid death or serious injury Never open the unit it works with high operating voltages and contains no user serviceable parts Coming in contact with these voltages can be lethal Never operate the unit without proper earth connection Improper earth connection can cause lethal voltage on units surface For your Safety it is extremely important that the 3 wire power cord is correctly connected to a grounding type 3 pin power outlet If in doubt contact an electrician to check power outlet for proper grounding Never use a damaged power cord Replace it immediately Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched Refer to qualified personnel for service or repair Electric shock To avoid death or serious injury Touching electric conductive liquids or objects that have been fallen or spilled into the unit can cause an electric shock Never touch such liquids or objects Disconnect mains plug and refer to qualified personnel for service or repair to avoid serious injury High loudness levels To avoid death or serious injury Depending on the kind of signal chain and monitoring speaker system its settings and environment the unit can create ha2. Song Notes TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Preamp e Frequency response 0 5 dB e Equivalent Input Noise EIN Rs 200 0 Gain 80 dB 22 Hz 22 kHz unweighted e THD N depends on TUBE GAIN from e Input max level and impedance e Output max level and impedance Equalizer e Frequency response 0 5 dB e Noise 22 Hz 22 kHz unweighted e Dynamic range e THD N e Input max level and impedance e Output max level and impedance e Filter gain 15 dB each Filter O 0 4 6 each Lo frequency band 12 Hz 1540 Hz Hi frequency band Tube type 12AU7 ECC82 Size and weight e Width 483 mm x Height 88 mm x Depth 318 mm e Net 8 kg Mains e 115 230V 50 60 Hz 50 W e Fuse 5x 20mm 0 5AT 230V TAT 115V 10 Hz 30 kHz 128 dBu 0 03 to heavy distortion MIC 24 dBu 2 kQ Instr 10 dBu 2 MQ 24 dBu 120 Q 10 Hz 35 kHz 90 dBu max 120 dB 0 02 24 dBu 20kQ 30 dBu 100 Q 470 Hz 26 kHz
3. The all in all max gain of LIAM of more than 80 dB makes it usable for low level dynamic ribbon microphones Preamp signal is present at the Pre Out jack and is lead to the input of the dynamic filters Insert not active The two dynamic filters are a loan from our LISA Mastering EO and are adapted frequency wise for use with LIAM They are arranged in the same parallel circuit as in LISA mixing filtered and unfiltered dry signal This allows very subtle as well as very extreme results At the input of the EQ section the signal is split then lead through the filters and finally mixed with the unprocessed signal in phase boost or out of phase cut Additionally the unprocessed signal can be lowered down to zero continuously which is useful if you want to hear the filters in solo as an assistant for adjusting or for a more filter accentuated sound The two overlapping fully parametric shelv peak filters with active feedback together cover the whole audio band They both are equipped with a dynamic stage that works ina compressing or expanding style These special dynamic stages are integrated directly into the active feedback filter circuit and therefore do not compare to usual dynamic EQs More of that in the chapter Functions FUNCTIONS Preamp P48 BRIGHT HiZ IN HIZ GAIN MIC GAIN TUBE GAIN PRE OUT LO CUT AIR MIC HIZ 20 0B INSERT LED VU METER turns on 48 Vc phantom
4. comes with a limited warranty covering defects in materials or craftsmanship or malfunction The limited warranty is valid for two 2 years from the date of purchase The warranty only covers the original purchaser and is non transferable Additionally it does not cover defects or loss caused by e normal wear and tear abuse misuse failure to follow the instructions and warnings in the owner s manual e repairs or modifications performed by unauthorized personnel e unauthorized modifications performed without written permission from TOMO Audiolabs or improper assembly and maintenance e power surge damage or damage from either too high or low a voltage entering the unit We advise you to check if this type of damage is covered by the insurance of your local power company e applied phantom power to the outputs of the unit e damage during transport or involvement in an accident always take out transport insurance We will either repair or replace any LIAM that is defective in materials or workmanship or malfunction at no charge Please contact our return department before returning equipment to TOMO Audiolabs Always use the original packaging for returns Units returned without original packaging will get a new box and it will be charged to the client This is necessary to prevent transport damage and to meet the requirements of transport insurance guidelines It is absolutely necessary to contact TOMO Audiolabs before ret
5. level speaker signals into the audio inputs Do not connect P48 phantom power to the audio outputs Damage or short circuit To avoid death or serious injury e High environment temperatures can cause damages or short circuits To avoid overheating of a rack mounted unit there should be at least 1 2 rack space kept free above and below Do not install unit near heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves etc do not expose unit to direct sunlight Damage or short circuit When moving the unit from cold to warm environment condensation will occur When powered up this can cause damage or short circuit due to leakage current In case of condensation let unit dry completely before power up at least 1hour or more Avoid humidity if possible Service requirements This unit should be repaired or serviced by qualified personnel whenever e Objects have fallen or liquid has spilled into the unit Unit does not function properly or lacks in performance e Unit has been dropped heavily tilt or otherwise abused e Unit has been exposed to moisture or rain The device has been tested in all respects for compliance with the relevant EU directives and is CE certified DEAR VALUED CUSTOMER Thank you for choosing a TOMO Audiolabs product With the Preaamp EQO combination LIAM you have acquired a professional studio device which offers exceptional possibilities at highest quality levels LIAM is exclusively
6. power at microphone input jack Do not switch when monitor system is set on higher levels Phantom power is faded in and out softly however some microphones produce uncontrolled transients Treble boost for HIZ input 6 dB oct shelv 5 kHz a bit like the bright switch on a guitar amp High impedance 2 MQ unbalanced instrument input designed for passive pickups of guitars basses vintage pianos etc Of course you can use active instruments too Try out controls the level of the instrument input amp sets the gain of the microphone input amp Every step of the rotary switch is 2dB controls the headroom saturation of the tube stage controls the output level of the preamp section or rather the input level for the EQsection PRE OUT has no function if EQ is fed via the LINE IN jack See block diagram turns on the high pass filter 6dB oct 80 150 or 250 Hz are selectable turns on a high boost function Approx 4dB oct 14k 10k or 7kHz are selectable selects the corresponding Signal input amp treverses polarity of microphone input attenuates microphone input signal by 20dB cuts the connection between preamp and EO and switches the LINE IN jack on the EO input External devices can be inserted or the EO can be fed directly via LINE IN jack without going through preamp shows the level at PRE OUT About 6dB before clipping the meter turns to red FUNCTIONS Equalizer Both filters are identically ex
7. signal relative to the filter signals Full counterclockwise no dry signal full clockwise 100 dry signal TIPS AND TRICKS To get to know the special features of LIAM we recommend to go on ahead step by step Step 1 Preamp settings PRE OUT control at cw position TUBE GAIN at 9 o clock position OUTPUT GAIN at full ccw position DRY LEVEL at cw position both filters off turn up MIC GAIN or HIZ GAIN according to used source until VU meter shows YELLOW at signal peaks This setting produces a very clean and neutral sound If TUBE GAIN is turned up and as a countermove PRE OUT turned down the sound gets more and more colored and sounds tuby for most guitarists a well known effect At appropriate settings you will even get some heavier distortion This will perhaps not exactly match your vocal tracks but some instruments will surely benefit from it Since the LO CUT filter works at the input of the tube stage you can clear up and slender the low end especially in distortion mode AIR filter works directly in the tube stage so it s the right choice if you want that silvery shine on your highs Step 2 Equalizer settings Quick start for the EO both filters Switches for BOOST CUT v and RATIO are on O is set to 0 4 and ATT REL at FF Filters and dynamics are off GAIN FREQUENCY and THRESHOLD are set at 12 o clock position With this basic setting you initially will hear only the unprocessed dry signal Now
8. you can turn on one of the filters which gives a static boost of about 7dB to the selected frequency By turning on the dynamic function this static boost will be partly eliminated depending on the signals shape The more you turn down the DRY LEVEL the better you can hear the static and dynamic effects of the EO filters For normal use of the EO low DRY LEVEL settings would be probably a bit too extreme But sometimes one needs special methods for special results Also you can use the DRY LEVEL for controlling your filter settings sort of filter solo function Attention If filters run in CUT mode then turning down DRY LEVEL to O will result in total silence This is normal behavior Since the EO uses the in phase and out phase mixing principle there would be no signals to be mixed Note Dynamic functions will be mirrored when filters are switched from BOOST to CUT Example Expander style BOOST mode increases dynamically the boosted frequencies Expander style CUT mode in addition decreases dynamically the signal Step 3 Experiments Based on the quick start settings now it s time to explore the possibilities of LIAM experimentally Get into extended sessions with different kinds of program material Trust your ears The end justifies the means BLOCK DIAGRAM MIC IN MIC AMP ZERO FIELD AMP TUBE AMP HIZ AMP TUBE GAIN PRE OUT PRE OUT DRY LEVEL MIX AMP LINE IN MAIN OUT LO EQ WARRANTY LIAM
9. N Back MIC IN PREOUT LINE IN MAIN OUT LINK High impedance instrument input for E guitar bass acoustic instrument pickups vintage keyboards etc Mono TS phone jack 6 3 mm Microphone input balanced with switchable phantom power XLR female Output of preamp section impedance balanced XLR male Input of the EQ section balanced XLR female When insert switch is not activated then pre out signal is fed directly to the EQ input The activated insert switch allows you to insert external devices between preamp and EO or to feed signal directly to the EQ section without going through the preamp EQO Main Output balanced XLR male 6 dB level loss in case of unbalanced connections Interface for dynamic linking of two units TRS phone jack 6 3mm Use stereo TRS cable Mono TS cables will short circuit sidechain signals of the dynamic section OVERVIEW LIAM is made up as a three stage preamplifier for microphone and instrument signals with two special dynamic filters following First stage of the preamp is selectable to be either a transformer balanced microphone amp or a high impedance unbalanced FET instrument amp Second stage works with a transformer in aso called Zero Field circuit This allows additional gain with very little noise and distortion The amplifying element of the third stage finally is a tube double triode This tube stage is specially arranged for variably generating harmonics
10. built with high quality components Quite many parts have been specially selected for their respective use and accuracy There are premium quality rotary switches and potentiometers as well as special signal relays and in house developed and manufactured signal transformers to provide the best possible audio quality to you LIAM knows how to impress with extraordinary editing capabilities and a particular sound that emphasizes the respective sound sources Also the technical details need not to hide Alike our first LISA now LIAM is not only a professional studio tool It s meant to be personality like LISA to help you realizing your sound ideas and bring emotions to your music For good reason we borrowed some parts from our LISA concept and combined them with an unconventional preamp design LIAM incites your creativity and experimentational adventures in order to expand your possibilities in realizing your ideas This manual is meant for your support for proper operating and experiencing LIAM We wish you good luck much fun and creativity pre AUDIOLABS TABLE OF CONTENTS Important Safety Information 2 4 Welcome 5 Table of contents 6 Installation 7 Overview 8 Functions Preamp 9 Functions Equalizer 10 Tips and Tricks 11 Block Diagram 12 Warranty 13 EC Conformity 14 Recall Sheet 15 Technical Details 16 INSTALLATION LIAM offers following connections Front HiZ I
11. cept for frequency ranges and shelv modes So following description stands for both BOOST CUT ON GAIN FREQUENCY Fx2 RATIO ON vA DYN ATT REL THRESHOLD OUTPUT GAIN DRY LEVEL Switch is on bright Boost mode Switch is off dark Cut mode turns on the whole filter the rotary switch selects the filter curve Lower values create wide bell curves higher values create narrow ones Fully counterclockwise position works as a LoShelv on the low filter and as a HiShelv on the high filter controls the amount of boost or cut of the filter Range is approx 15 dB Rotary switch selects the center frequency of the filter Low filter range 12 Hz 1540 Hz High filter range 470 Hz 26 kHz Switch is on bright selected frequency is doubled changes ratio of compression expansion style dynamic Switch off dark low ratio switch on bright high ratio turns on the dynamic stage Switch on bright Compression style dynamic Switch off dark Expansion style dynamic this LED shows activities of the dynamic stage Its intensity is an optical indicator for the behavior of the dynamic the rotary switch selects between six different attack release preset combinations First letter stands for attack second for release Fast Medium Slow controls the sensitivity of the dynamic stage this control boosts the level of the output stage up to 12 dB controls the amount of unprocessed dry
12. rmful loudness levels To avoid permanent hearing loss set the volume of your monitoring system carefully Continuous sound pressure levels over 85 dBSPL measured directly at the ear will cause permanent hearing loss Do not exceed this level High temperatures e Continuous operation causes increased surface temperatures of more than 35 C 95 F on the backside of the unit Touching this surface area can be painful Do not touch backside of the unit or install unit in an appropriate rack Heavy weight To avoid death or serious injury e Due to weight and dimensions moving or mounting of the unit may cause injury To avoid injury moving and mounting of the unit must always be handled by two persons Damage Unit will be damaged in case of a fall Prevent falls by placing the unit on an even stable surface or installing it in an appropriate rack e Unit can be damaged when set to the wrong operating voltage Prior to the first Power Up make sure that the operating voltage of the unit is adapted to the mains voltage at the location of use For mains voltages from 110 to 12 OVAC set voltage selector to pos 115 for voltages from 220 to 240 VAC set to pos 230 e Unit can be damaged if fitted with improper fuse Replace only with fuse of same type and rating Fuse type 5x 20mm slow blow 2A 115V 1A 230V e Unit can be damaged by connecting improper signals or DC voltages to in and outputs of unit Do not feed high
13. urning units from outside of Germany TOMO Audiolabs will not under no circumstances pay for customs duty fees and or fees caused by wrong or inaccurate specifications or labeling For technical support please contact TOMO Audiolabs Gebr der Frei GmbH amp Co Elektrotechnik Elektronik Borsigstrafe 15 72461 Albstadt http www tomo audiolabs de Gebr der Frei GmbH amp Co Borsigstrafge 15 72461 Albstadt Tel 49 7432 202 0 Fax 49 7432 202 550 info tomo audiolabs com www tomo audiolabs com EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY The company Gebr Frei GmbH amp Co Borsigstr 15 72461 Albstadt declares in full responsibility that the discribed product LIAM corresponds to the following standards and instructions Low voltage directive according 2006 95 EC Standard for assessing e EN 60065 Electromagnetic compatibility EMC according 2004 108 EC Standards for assessing e EN 55103 1 interference audio device e EN 55103 2 immunity audio device Responsible for the above mentioned manufacturer this Declaration is executed through Albstadt July 11 2013 Tomo Audiolabs Gebr Frei GmbH amp Co Kommanditgesellschaft Sitz Albstadt Registergericht Stuttgart HRA 400484 Pers nlich haftende Gesellschafterin Frei Beteiligungs Gesellschaft mbH Sitz Albstadt Registergericht Stuttgart HRB 400128 Gesch ftsf hrer Thomas Frei USt IdNr DE 144 838 308 LIAM RECALL SHEET LIAM Recall Sheet
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