R-57 dual VCA/preamp user`s manual
Contents
1. IMETASONIX R 57 dual VCA preamp user s manual Copyright 2014 Metasonix All rights reserved Please read all of this before using it RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference HEED WARNINGS All warnings on the R 57 and in the operating instructions should be adhered to FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS All operating instructions should be followed WATER AND MOISTURE The R 57 should not be used near water e g near a bathtub washbowl kitchen sink laundry tub in a wet basement near a swimming pool etc Care should be taken so that liquids are not spilled onto or near the enclosure VENTILATION AND COOLING The R 57 normally operates warm to the touch It MUST be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with convective cooling The R 57 MUST NOT be used on a bed sofa rug or similar surface which may prevent proper cooling It is NOT a toy If the R 57 is mounted in a synthesizer rack or other built in installation space must be left around it to allow convection cooling HEAT The R 57 MUST be situated away from heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other devices including power amps that produce heat POWER SOURCE The R 57 should be connected to a power supply ONLY of the type described in the operating manual or as marked on the R 57 WARNING Each R 57 requires 12v at 300 mA and 12v at 300 mA with a brief transient consumption of 850 mA2. at first power on The cabinet power supply must be able to deliver this current WARNING The tubes get hot in normal operation and should not be touched after 10 minutes with power applied CLEANING The R 57 should only be cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with water Unplug the power supply before attempting to clean NON USE PERIODS The R 57 should be shut off when left unused for a long period of time MECHANICAL unlike all other synthesizer modules on the market the R 57 has its reverb spring tank mounted directly on the front panel The tank is fragile and must be treated with extra care especially if the user decides to remove the protective cover and modify or scrape on the springs DAMAGE OR TUBE REPLACEMENT REQUIRING SERVICE The R 57 should be serviced by qualified service personnel when The power supply has been damaged The R 57 has been dropped physically damaged or subjected to force Liquid has been spilled onto the R 57 or it has been exposed to rain The R 57 does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance SERVICING The user should not attempt to service the R 57 All servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel METASONIX LIMITED WARRANTY and standard legal disclaimer Thank you for purchasing this Metasonix product The following terms and conditions apply 1 Warranty period is for ONE YEAR from date of purchase with proof of purchase submitted Wa
3. note IMPORTANT To save yourself unnecessary cost and inconvenience please check carefully that you have fully read and followed the instructions in this instruction manual This warranty is in lieu of all other expressed warranties obligations or liabilities ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FORA PARTICULAR PURPOSE SHALL BE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THIS WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTY Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitations may not apply to you INNO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF THIS OR ANY OTHER WARRANTY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WHATSOEVER Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of special incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state METASONIX shall not be held liable for any incidental consequential or direct damages or expenses associated with the use or misuse of its products The audio output of this product is capable of damaging some types of solid state audio equipment such use is entirely at the risk of the user METASONIX does not guarantee that any of its products are designed for any particular use or purpose The entire risk of suitability and
4. performance of this product lies with the user Products manufactured and or sold by METASONIX are not authorized for use as critical components in devices used in life support and other systems whose failure or performance could result in compromised safety or danger to life or property NOTE All sales are FINAL especially custom designs Only a Metasonix authorized dealer is permitted to return products to Metasonix for a refund or exchange What it does The R 57 is a dual high gain amplifier made with triode pentodes It is arranged so the screen grids of the pentodes can be effected with a control voltage allowing each channel to be used as a conventional VCA or as a voltage variable distortion device Additionally channel 2 has an INVERT switch for its CV input causing its gain to vary inversely from normal By wiring the same signal to both inputs and the same CV to both CV inputs the R 57 can then be used as a voltage controlled stereo panner Plus each channel has enough gain to allow its use as a preamp with up to 50 dB of gain available Audio and CV inputs have 100k ohm impedance The audio output is able to drive a 600 ohm load The CV inputs may be anywhere in the 15v to 15v range the effective range is 2v to 15v variable by setting the CV TRIM control USAGE The audio input has a considerable range of control with Input Level so the R 57 can be fed with a low line level audio signal as low as a micr
5. e difficult to find than 12CT8s Do NOT attempt to substitute other tube types 12CT8s are still quite easy to find and are available from distributors such as Radio Electric Supply vacuumtubes net or Antique Electronic Supply tubesandmore com Note this is an ADVANCED MODIFICATION and is NOT RECOMMENDED for inexperienced personnel The R 57 can be rewired to accept 5AN8 6AN8 or 8489 triode pentodes by cutting the traces going to the heater pins 4 and 5 and wiring those pins to a source of 5v power This source will need to provide about 3 5 amps of cold current and up to 1 2 amps of operating current after warmup This is NOT a trivial modification and the assistance of Metasonix or a technician with experience in working with tube electronics is mandatory If you are confused or have ANY technical questions feel free to contact us Please DO NOT ASSUME and f you are not an experienced technician DO NOT TRY RANDOM TUBES OR MODIFY THE CIRCUIT IN ANY WAY 495 N Main 109 LAKEPORT CA 95453 USA M E j A 5 ON fj 707 263 5343 synth metasonix com www metasonix com
6. h audio inputs using a mult or Y cable Set the INVERT switch to the LEFT and adjust the CV TRIM controls for the desired stereo pan effect MAINTENANCE The R 57 requires a power supply producing 12v DC at 800 850 mA cold and 300 mA after warmup When first powered on the R 57 briefly draws greater current so be aware of this when using a power supply to run it plus other modules You MUST assure the power supply is able to handle the R 57 load plus the load of other modules We do not recommend the use of Tiptop microZeus or Happy Ending power supplies due to their limited peak current capacity The tubes in the R 57 are being run VERY conservatively They should last for tens of thousands of hours of normal use Still the R 57 produces a lot of waste heat so we recommend shutting it off when not in use UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING DO NOT REPLACE OR SUBSTITUTE THE TUBES YOURSELF Please note not all tubes have easily visible heaters They were not designed to offer pretty cosmetics If you can t see a heater glowing DO NOT assume that tube is bad We get many foolish complaints of this type TUBE REPLACEMENT despite their expected long lifetime the tubes might be damaged or develop faulty internal wiring connections requiring replacement This particular R 57 was shipped and wired for two 12CTS8 triode pentodes The R 57 can also accept type 7060 or 7258 tubes without modification types which are much mor
7. ophone or electric guitar output or with the very hot signals produced by most Euro synthesizer modules Because our past users have repeatedly begged for more gain the R 57 has copious gain The user must be aware of the ease of overdriving the R 57 it is intentional and can be controlled with the INPUT LEVEL control If you hear unpleasant clipping sounds and aren t looking for such effect intentionally reduce the input level By overdriving the input tube distortion is added then solid state distortion effects from subtle to extreme The channels have so much gain a hissing or whining noise in the output is possible if the input level isn t hot enough in some circumstances A balancing act may be needed for best results By all means use a power supply that is known to provide clean well filtered DC When using an R 57 channel as a VCA for envelope control of a signal the CV TRIM control must be set so that when the envelope is not triggered there is no output signal and when triggered maximum possible volume is heard INPUT LEVEL may be adjusted to suit the output level needed or overdriven for added tube distortion Set the INVERT switch to the RIGHT when using channel 2 as a VCA When using a channel as a preamp run the low level signal into the input and adjust both INPUT LEVEL and CV TRIM for maximum gain as needed If CV panning is desired connect the suitable CVs to the two CV inputs and the same signal to bot
8. rranty covers electrical failure of vacuum tubes and gas filled tubes except in cases explained in 3 below 2 Operating instructions must be followed This device was intended ONLY for use by AUDIO AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY ORDINARY CONSUMERS Product must not have been damaged as a result of defacement misuse abuse neglect accident destruction or alteration of the serial number improper electrical voltages or currents repair alteration or maintenance by any person or party other than our own service facility or an authorized service center use or installation of non Metasonix replacement parts in the product or the use of this product outside of the U S A or Canada except as a product distributed by an authorized Metasonix dealer or modification of the product in any way or incorporation of the product into any other products or damage to the product caused by accident fire floods lightning or acts of God or any use violative of instructions furnished by Metasonix 3 Obligations of Metasonix shall be limited to repair or replacement with same or similar unit at our option To obtain repairs under this warranty present the product and proof of purchase e g bill or invoice to the authorized Metasonix service center transportation charges prepaid When returning the product for repair please pack it very carefully preferably using the original packaging materials Please also include an explanatory
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