Black Series User Manual
Contents
1. The operation of this connector changes if you have a Black Time Machine Clock generator module installed With a Time Machine module installed the BNC is an output and can be used to send the Word Clock signal from the Time Machine module out to additional digital devices such as recorders Without a Time Machine module the BNC acts as an input making Word Clock from an external master clock available to all ADCs or other digital modules in the rack This terminates the Word Clock signal to ensure that clock pulses don t bounce around on the cable That would be bad Use this if and only if the Black Series is at the end of a daisy chain of Word Clocked devices DO NOT use if you re using a Black Series Time Machine module Pretty self explanatory If not then the operation of the compressor ratio control could be lost on you This should come pre configured for your local mains voltage but be sure that it is correct before using the unit If you re travelling with your BB4 be sure to check the mains voltage where you are too IEC Socket with integrated fuse holder Be sure to select the right fuse for your local mains voltage Use 20mm T type slow blow fuses IA for 230V and 2A for II5V audient The Black series Pre is the perfect front end for any application a delicate balance of classic character with the flexibility of modern circuit design and renowned Audient clarity l Applies 48V Phantom Power to the attac2. User Manual audent Version 1 4 Contents Safety MICE IA LIOU cciassassiscsasenvvisesssscexiscnacasursucssseceninssasaceriuenceysvatussatuecessanussaurisanesessess 3 Installing ModulesS oseossssssscsssssessssssscsssososesssosesssosesssssosssssoscssessesssssssssscosessessssssoe 4 had E a E A AAT 5 BRIO Power Supply Unit eessessecssessessesscossossosscoscossossessossesssoseossesseosesssessessssssssso 6 DRIO Back N asrsncecsanacncrressnesdncvosaavcucaeeinansandebisnedectreienssinierivasaverseessecuanscssyveteneoreiass 8 Fe o AAE ENIE OOE EE OEA OIEA 10 FF i oie g raion evenevunaeesieasranaevaenesinaeesinssrasacevens lt inneciiossraiasevessctnnscesesvesnsussseooaascasesviassesssoeasess I2 BOD POORA E NOOO ONION IEI OROEN IONAN EN ION IOO OIO ORT OI AIEE TA 14 COPIE Er EEIN EAEE EENE EAEE AAEE EANNAN NANE ENEN l6 ADE rres S S T S E 18 TIME MACHINE soccsecncoeseavicesnncensnauasinvevereceacaxnscitonvncetsicsssnedunranceesuorrsuesbawsanecudausvers 20 WY ANE E A LOONIE I OAIE IP OEI TOO PEE AI 21 WARNING THIS EQUIPMENT MUST BE EARTHED DO NOT EXPOSE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE This unit is connected via its power cord to the mains safety earth NEVER OPERATE THE UNIT WITH THIS EARTH CONNECTION REMOVED DO NOT remove the covers Refer servicing to qualified personnel only Your Black Series System is set to operate at either 15 or 230 Volts as indicated on the rear panel Ensure that your Black Series System is corre
3. 6 DIGITAL OUTPUTS OPTICAL AES EBU The ADC module provides ultra high quality stereo analogue to digital conversion Outputs are on AES EBU and both optical and co axial SPDIF Sample rates from 44 1 to 192kHz are available on all outputs Word Clock may be generated by the ADC internally or received via the rack s Clock connector Word Clock can also be received inside the rack from a Black Series Time Machine module 2 segment LED meter measuring the analogue input level relative to OdBFS where OdBFS 8dBu Internal jumpers are available to optionally set the OdBFS level to 20 22 24 dBu OdBFS FS stands for Full Scale is the maximum level that can be represented by the digital signal Input levels in excess of this will be clipped severely and ostensibly sound pretty rough The OVER indicator will illuminate at IdBFS Unlike with analogue equipment this light should be avoided at all costs Pressing the Sample Rate selector cycles through each of the available internal sample rates before looking to an external Word Clock source For each of the internal sample rates a yellow LED will indicate the selected rate When the external Word Clock input is selected the LOCK light will flash until the signal is locked at which point it will glow steadily SPDIF over lightpipe SPDIF over good old copper coaxial cable Duplicates the AES EBU socket on the rear of the rack but is not electrically isolat
4. arts To receive service under this warranty it is necessary to return the unit to an Audient authorised service centre or to the factory with a dated receipt as proof of purchase After repair the unit will be returned to you free of charge This warranty does not cover damage resulting from accident or misuse The warranty is void unless repairs are carried out by an authorised service centre The warranty is void if the unit has been modified other than at the manufacturers instruction The warranty does not cover components which have a limited life and which are expected to be periodically replaced for optimal performance We do not warrant that the unit shall operate in any way other than as described in this manual
5. ctly rated for the country of operation CHECK that the fuse fitted is of the correct type for the local mains voltage ALWAYS replace fuse with the correct type For 230 Volts use T1 6A slowblow type For 115 Volts use T3 15A slow blow type DO NOT expose the unit to rain or moisture If any part of your Black Series System should become so exposed REMOVE the mains power immediately ALWAYS site your Black Series System away from sources of heat including direct sunlight and ensure adequate ventilation around the unit This product complies with both the EMC Directive 89 33 6 EEC and the Low Voltage Directive 73 23 EEC as issued by the Commission of the European Community Compliance with these directives imply conformity with the following European standards e EN60065 Product safety e EN55103 1 Electromagnetic Interference Emission e EN55103 2 Electromagnetic Susceptibility Immunity Oo DO NOT OPEN THE COVERS REMOVE OR INSTALL MODULES UNLESS THE RACK UNIT IS COMPLETELY ISOLATED FROM THE MAINS SUPPLY EMPTY SLOTS MUST BE COVERED WITH BLANK PANELS WHEN THE RACK IS POWERED The rear side of each Black Series module has a DIN41612 connector allowing it to access power and audio connections from the Rack Follow this procedure to install a new module Isolate the rack unit from the mains by detaching the power cable Remove the desired blanking panel from the rack front Take the module to be inserted trying to minimise c
6. ed from it audient The Time Machine module performs master clock duties for O O your entire studio supporting sample rates of 44 IkHz 48kHz 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz and 192kHz The Word Clock signal is distributed through the Black Rack and rear panel clock connector via a dedicated bus designed specifically for this purpose This button toggles through the available sample rates The se lected sample rate is indicated via a yellow LED O oa To allow the Time Machine to output to the rear BNC connector this must be set to internal This will synchronise all ADC mod E E ules in the Black Series rack and any devices slaved to the rear panel clock connector When set to external the rear panel clock connector becomes an input allowing any Black ADC modules in the rack to sync to an external master clock Used to transmit Word Clock signals over an AES EBU connection where a BNC connection is not available No audio is transmitted just the Word Clock signal aD DISCLAIMER TIME TRAVEL FUNCTIONS IN PUBLIC BETA Your Black Series System has been manufactured to a high standard using quality components If correctly installed and operated the unit should give years of problem free operation However in the event of a defect in material or workmanship causing failure of the unit within year of the date of original purchase we will agree to repair or at our discretion replace any defective item without charge for labour or p
7. est at 0 and swing to the left as gain is reduced COMP has a fixed threshold of around 20Bu the amount of compression is controlled by the balance of input attenuation and output gain i e more input attenuation higher effective threshold Controls input attenuation from 30 to OdB In tandem with the output gain control this has the effect of a threshold control Controls output gain from O to 30dB Allows you to adjust for the gain reducing effects of compression Selects whether the meter indicates gain reduction or output level With the switch out the meter indicates gain reduction with the switch depressed it shows output level Switches the sidechain signal between the input source and the external sidechain source connected to the A connector on the rear panel This allows you to change what the compressor is listening to and consequently how it responds Sets the time for which an input signal must be above the threshold level before reducing gain Fast attack times will help to control transient peaks while slower times will tend to sound smoother with less tendency to pump One of the special colouring effects of the Black Series Overcomp applies an additional preset compressor to the signal before the main compressor This is a pretty extreme effect perhaps not the first choice for gentle acoustic vocals but just the ticket for electric guitars and drums More subtle compression can be achieved by reduc
8. he presence control boosts across a broad band and cuts only a very narrow band This reflects your natural response to EQ and allows you to make corrective changes without altering the essence of the signal This variable frequency control allows you to pinpoint frequencies from 25Hz to 2kHz 5dB of low mid loveliness When this button is pushed in boost and cut both act over the same bandwidth Out the presence control boosts across a broad band and cuts only a very narrow band This reflects your natural response to EQ and allows you to make corrective changes without altering the essence of the signal Allows you to A B the signal and hear how much better the EQ has made it This doesn t affect tilt though A great way to alter the tonal balance of a signal quickly and intuitively In its centre position nothing happens boo Switched to the either side two broad shelving filters are applied tilting the spectrum towards the top or bottom end To the left gets you more bottom and less top and vice versa to the right Tilt pivots around IkHz with 2dB at the extremes The Black COMP is a flexible classic sounding compressor capable of everything from gentle dynamic control to full on thumping gain reduction We can t wait to hear what you do with it Displays output level or gain reduction as determined by the METER switch below When displaying output level OVU 4dBu For gain reduction the meter will r
9. hed microphone Reverses the polarity of the input signal Handy for bottom snare mics or for correcting some dodgy wiring Switched gain control ranging from 10 to 60dB in constant 10dB steps This control affects the microphone or the DI input Au whichever is active INST DI PRE 2 segment LED meter measuring the analogue output level relative to OdBFS where OdBFS 18dBu This matches the Black ADC unit OdBFS FS stands for Full Scale is the maximum level that can be represented by the digital signal The OVER indicator will illuminate at IdBFS Note that this does not indicate the analogue clip point which is 3 4dB higher Selects the line input Switched gain control ranging from 10 to 15dB in constant 5dB steps This control affects the line input or the DI input whichever is active Continuous fine adjustment of input gain from 0 to l0dB This control acts in addition to the Mic or Line Gain whichever is selected A 2dB Octave filter variable from 30 to 225Hz Great for eliminating microphone stand rumble air conditioning noise or thundering bass from the room next door Switches the filter in and out of circuit allowing you to hear its impact Telling you that this adds another solid state triode gain stage configured to enhance low order harmonics really doesn t convey how cool it is And saying that it sounds like an egg screaming won t help much either So press the button and find out fo
10. ing the input level and compensating with a higher output level Experiment Sets the time for which the signal must drop below the threshold before the compressor relaxes The best thing to do with this control as with almost any other is just trust your ears This little button allows you to get the best of both average and peak detection circuits The average circuit gently massages the signal with compression while the peak circuit catches wayward peaks without going crazy on louder passages This does wonders to stereo mixes but we re sure you ll think of plenty of other uses for it The ratio at which the input signal s volume can increase above the threshold 2 1 is a very subtle ratio while 8 1 will keep a tight hold on levels The general rule of thumb is the higher the ratio the less of the time you ll want to be compressing so keep an eye on the G R meter and trust your ears Switches the compressor in and out of circuit allowing you to hear how much better a signal is with the COMP in Connects the COMP to other COMP units in the rack for stereo or multi channel use For example to pair two compressors in stereo just set the controls identically and press the link button This can be used to link any and all compressors in the rack they don t even have to be next to each other so long as they are in positions to 8 Positions 9 and 10 have their own independent link bus audient L R LOVER
11. le to all ADCs or other digital modules in the rack This terminates the Word Clock signal to ensure that clock pulses don t bounce around on the cable That would be bad Use this if and only if the Black Series Rack is at the end of a daisy chain of Word Clocked devices DO NOT use if you re using a Black Series Time Machine module This is the input from the PSU No it won t work if you attach a power amplifier to it ONLY attach the power cable of an Audient Black Series PSU to this connector This handy D Sub gives you access to the B inputs of modules l 8 so you can cable it up nicely This 25 pin female connector follows Tascam DA88 analogue standard wiring Another handy D Sub this time to connect to the C outputs of modules 8 Great for hooking up to a recorder This 25 pin female connector follows Tascam DA88 analogue standard wiring The BB4 unit can house up to 4 Black Series modules It has a rear connector panel with inputs and outputs for each module The unit also facilitates the distribution of Word Clock between modules and the linking of compressors for stereo operation Let s face it the less cables we have to deal with the better ALWAYS REPLACE FUSE o 230v T1 0A 115V T2 0A Ti ELECTA REE AC 50 60Hz 75 WATTS SERIAL NUMBER Each bay has two inputs A amp B and one output C associated with it The diagram at the bottom of the unit illustrates how these relate to each type of Black Series module
12. ontact with the circuit board and slot into the bay At the rear of the unit the module s DIN41612 connector should meet with a mating connector on the rack back plane Once aligned these should guide each other to create a snug fit Replace screws Do not force the module Instead take the module out and have a look for the slot you re aiming for If you can it may help to remove the neighbouring blanking panels to get a better view T MODULES ARE SENSITIVE TO STATIC ENSURE YOU ARE IN CONTACT WITH EARTHED METALWORK BEFORE HANDLING MODULES AND DO NOT WALK ACROSS CARPET HOLDING THEM Thank you for buying this Audient product We hope your Black Series System will bring you years of fruitful sound sculpting smoothing designing and destruction Not the most interesting of devices but pretty crucial nonetheless This little buddy sits in your rack dishing out Watts to whatsoever should need them The front panel is pretty straightforward These little lights show you which of the power supply s circuits are functioning In normal operation they will all light up If they re all off you d best check the power switch and the plug fuse Pretty self explanatory If not then the operation of the compressor ratio control could be lost on you Standard IEC socket Nothing new here As you ve probably guessed the fuse goes in here Be sure to select the right fuse for your local mains voltage Use 20mm T type slow blo
13. r yourself 0 means none and 10 means lots but that s it HMX In HMX Out Egg screaming Egg hushed A handy front panel socket for a Theremin Chapman Stick electric spoons or even a guitar Plugging in here overrides the other inputs The DI input s gain can then be controlled by either the mic or line gain controls whichever is selected This lets you choose the gain range and step size that best suits your chosen instrument aiden Q The Black EQ puts the magic back into equalisation An intuitive 4 band EQ plus a smattering of great creative features to let you smooth sculpt design and destroy whatever takes your fancy 15 dB 15 OVERTONE FREQ Selects the turnover frequency of the high shelving filter You can choose between 8kHz and AIR a very high frequency shelf which you d best try for yourself 15dB of gain Adds a nice sprinkle of harmonic enhancement to the LF band A only proportional to the amount of LF cut boost 15dB of gain Boosts then compresses the low frequency side chain enhancing the low end while dynamically controlling the low frequency content Try it for yourself Selects either 1 5 or 3kHz as the centre frequency A great tool for helping a sound cut through the mix or blend subtly into the background This control swings both ways so you can get absence as well as presence I5dB range When this button is pushed in boost and cut both act over the same bandwidth Out t
14. w fuses 6A for 230V and 3 15A for II5V This should come pre configured for your local mains voltage but be sure that it is correct before using the unit If you re travelling with your Black Series Rack be sure to check the mains voltage where you are too 5m cable with a Neutrik PowerCon on the end of it Yes it looks like a loudspeaker plug It s not Trust us And please don t try putting it into a speaker Thanks Now that you re all powered up we can take a look at the business end of the system The rack unit can house up to 10 Black Series modules It has a rear connector panel with inputs and outputs for each module The rack also facilitates the distribution of Word Clock between modules and the linking of compressors for stereo or multi channel operation Let s face it the less cables we have to deal with the better llie ta O Each bay has two inputs A amp B and one output C associated with it The diagram at the bottom of the rack unit illustrates how these relate to each type of Black Series module The operation of this connector changes if you have a Black Time Machine Clock generator module installed With a Time Machine module installed the BNC is an output and can be used to send the Word Clock signal from the Time Machine module out to additional digital devices such as recorders Without a Time Machine module the BNC acts as an input making Word Clock from an external master clock availab
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