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ISA 430 MKII User Guide

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1. Theshold Threshold determines the level at which compression begins with a range of 28dB to 12dB The lower the threshold the more the signal is compressed Setting a higher threshold allows quieter passages in music or speech to remain unaffected only passages that exceed the threshold will be compressed OUT 12 Threshold Range 24 Attack Attack determines how quickly compression is applied once the level of the source signal has risen above the threshold When turned anticlockwise the response is very fast which tends to make the compressor react to the peak levels of the signal This is sometimes desirable but can cause unwanted pumping of steadier low level components of the signal by short transients A slower attack will cause the compressor to ignore short transients and respond more to the average loudness of the signal however this may seem to increase relative volume of the transients Before Attack During Compression Compression During Release After Compression Compression Release Release determines how quickly compression is removed once the level of the source signal has fallen below the threshold When in the anticlockwise position the compression releases very quickly which may be appropriate on rapidly varying signals to avoid compressing the beats that follow but can result in excessive distortion on more sustained material Clockwise rotation increases the
2. 13 Digital Output Front Panel Controls sessecesseceeseceeseeeseeees 14 ADC Configurati0Ns uu insisi Mic Pre amp Input Impedance Applications Specifications Accuracy Copyright Warranty Reset Sheet Focusrite Distributors Please read all of these instructions and save them for future reference Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the unit e Do not obstruct air vents in the rear panel Do not insert objects through any apertures Do not use a damaged or frayed power cord e Unplug the unit before cleaning Clean with a damp cloth only Do not spill liquid on the unit e Unplug the unit and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions if the power cord or plug is damaged if liquid has entered the unit if the unit has been dropped or the case damaged if the unit does not operate normally or exhibits a distinct change in performance Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions e Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarised or grounding type plug A polarised plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wider blade or the third prong are provided for your safety When the plug provided does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet WARNING THIS UNIT MUST BE EARTHED BY THE POWER C
3. Impedance Setting Quick Guide High mic pre amp impedance settings e Will generate more overall level e Will tend to make low and mid frequency response of the microphone flatter Will improve high frequency microphone response of the Low pre amp impedance settings e Will reduce the microphone output level e Will tend to emphasise the low and mid frequency presence peaks and resonant points of the microphone Applications Super clean recording This example shows the shortest possible lowest distortion analogue signal path from mic to tape It bypasses all EQ and dynamics functions e lt NY Li d m T ot p C LAGA XA Se naa Record channel This example shows the ISA 430 MKII being used for mic or guitar recording The insert points may be used to add external processing in line if required INST HI Z INPUT INSERT 2 ADDITIONAL PROCESSSING INSERT 1 ADDITIONAL PROCESSSING MIC INPUT NG gt Focusrite 17 Stereo ADC The optional ADC card is a stereo device that can convert two tracks simultaneously Routing to the ADC card can be done from the main internal signal fed by the mic line and inst inputs External signals can also be routed directly from the ADC Inputs 84 2 on the rear panel via the soft limiter The digital meters automatically switch to monitor an ADC input when either one is selected N B Input of the ADC routes into the ISA 430 MKII at
4. Insert Return Connector XLR Signal Balanced Operating Level 4dBu Maximum I P Level 26dBu This input has two modes of operation INSERT IN the connector is the return or input to the signal path that is post the phase switch circuit EQ SPLIT the connector is the input into the EQ section of the module Insert 2 Send Connector XLR Signal Balanced Operating Level 4dBu Maximum O P Level 26dBu This output has two modes of operation INSERT 2 IN the connector is an output from the point in the signal path determined by the Post Dyn Dynamics Pre EQ and Post Sum buttons DYN SPLIT the connector is the output of the dynamics section of the module Insert 2 Return ii Connector XLR Signal Balanced Operating Level 4dBu Maximum I P Level 26dBu This input has two modes of operation INSERT IN the connector is the return or input to the signal path determined by Post Dyn and the Dynamics Pre EQ and Post Sum buttons DYN SPLIT the connector is the input into the dynamics section of the module Main Output ve Connector XLR Signal Balanced e Operating Level 4dBu e Maximum OVP Level 26dBu Dynamic Link e Connector TRS Jack e Signal Tip Compressor Ring Gate e Links two ISA 430 MKII units to allow control of the dynamics section of both units from one unit giving accurate stereo dynamics control Gate Key I P Comp Key I P Connector TRS Stereo Jack e Signal Bal
5. RETURN 8888 8 95899 MIXER NI 818181813 818131813 JANIE INSERT 3 3 8 3 3 8 8 8818 CH1 SEND 8 5 8 8 3 8 8 8 5 5 RETURN MIXER INSERT CH2 SEND DYNAMICS EQ M post mic UY ic OUTPUT INPUT DIGITAL OUT t _ Focusrite m ADC INPUT 182 ANALOGUE SOURCE Using Ext Sum to record a single source with two mics This example shows an analogue output from Focusrite s ISA 428 mic pre amp routed into the EXT SUM Input on the ISA 430 MKII The EXT SUM switch is on and the signals levels are being balanced using the Ext Level control The Dynamics switch has been pressed to select Post Sum This shows how to record a single source such as a snare drum with two microphones summing the signals together and then processing with the dynamics section SOUND SOURCE O00 MIC INPUT gt Focusrite EXT SUM INPUT 20 FAQs I Are the EQ and Dynamics the original Focusrite designs Yes the mic pre amp hi and lo pass filters EQ compressor and expander gate are all based on those used in the original Focusrite console However the circuitry has been expanded to incorporate new features the ISA 110 EQ having additional frequency options for its shelving and the compressor now including opto circuitry and extra routing and controls Plus the mic pre amp has a variable impedance and new
6. The impedance of a ribbon microphone is worthy of special mention as this type of microphone is affected enormously by pre amp impedance The ribbon impedance within this type of microphone is incredibly low around 0 2Q and requires an output transformer to convert the extremely low voltage it can generate into a signal capable of being amplified by a pre amp The ribbon microphone output transformer requires a ratio of around 1 30 primary secondary to increase the ribbon voltage to a useful level and this transformer ratio also has the effect of increasing the output impedance of the mic to around 2000 at I kHz This transformer impedance however is very dependent upon frequency it can almost double at some frequencies known as the resonance point and tends to roll off to very small values at low and high frequencies Therefore as with the dynamic and condenser microphones the mic pre amp input impedance has a massive effect on the signal levels and frequency response of the ribbon microphone output transformer and thus the sound quality of the microphone It is recommended that a mic pre amp connected to ribbon microphone should have an input impedance of at least 5 times the nominal microphone impedance For a ribbon microphone impedance of 300 to 1200 the ISA 430 MKII s input impedance of 6000 Low will work well and for 1200 to 2000 ribbon microphones the input impedance setting of 4kQ ISA 110 is recommended
7. 44 1kHz 48kHz 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz and 192kHz Bit Depth Select Pressing this switch allows the user to select between 24 20 and 16 bit depths Ext Sync Pressing Ext Sync allows the ISA 430 MKII to be slaved to an external word clock source Selecting 256X allows the ISA 430 MKII to be slaved to an external clock running at 256 times faster than the sample frequency and enables connection to systems such as the Digidesign Superclock or other 256 slave clock devices Lock LED When lit LOCK indicates that the unit is synchronised to an external clock source ADC Configurations Analogue recording with digital conversion INSERT 2 INSERT EXT p MAIN ANALOGUE 1 SUM OUTPUT OIP e 1 EQ DYNAMICS OUTPUT SOFT ADC DIGITAL LIMITER METERS O P DYNPREEQSWAP DYN POST SUM SWAP INPUT 2 POST gt MIC ANALOGUE OUTPUT O P In this example both ADC and ADC 2 switches are unlit and Soft Limiter is switched in Analogue recording and stand alone stereo ADC conversion INSERT 2 INSERT 1 MAIN ANALOGUE OUTPUT Gie DYNAMICS DYN PRE EQ SWAP DYN POST SUM SWAP POST gt MIC ANALOGUE OUTPUT O P 1 SOFT ADC DIGITAL LIMITER OIP 2 In this example both ADC and ADC 2 switches are lit and Soft Limiter is switched in Mic Pre amp Input Impedance A major element of the sound of a mic
8. are designed to have such low output impedances because the following advantages apply e They are less susceptible to noise pickup e They can drive long cables without high frequency roll off due to cable capacitance The side effect of having such low output impedance is that the mic pre amp input impedance has a major effect on the output level of the microphone Low pre amp impedance loads down the microphone output voltage and emphasises any frequency related variation in microphone output impedance Matching the mic pre amp resistance to the microphone output impedance e g making a pre amp input impedance 2000 to match a 2000 microphone still reduces the microphone output and signal to noise ratio by 6dB which is undesirable To minimise microphone loading and to maximise signal to noise ratio pre amps have traditionally been designed to have an input impedance about ten times greater than the average microphone around 1 2kQ to 2kQ The original ISA 110 pre amp design followed this convention and has an input impedance of 1 4kQ at I kHz Input impedance settings greater than 2kQ tend to make the frequency related variations of microphone output less significant than at low impedance settings Therefore high input impedance settings yield a microphone performance that is more flat in the low and mid frequency areas and boosted in the high frequency area when compared to low impedance settings Ribbon microphones
9. level dependent as follows Signal level Input to output level reduction ratio 6dBfs to 4dBfs 1 5 1 4dBfs to OdBfs 2 1 OdBfs to 6dBfs Infinite Gate e Threshold Range 40dB to 10dB e Gate Range 0 to 80dB e Attack switched fast or slow e Release 100mS to 5S e Hold 20mS to 4S e Expander Ratio 0 to 5 1 De Esser e Threshold Range 22dBu e Frequency Range 2k2Hz to 9k2Hz e Ratio at Centre e Frequency 2 1 Weight e 7kg unpacked Dimensions e 484 x 250 x 88mm 2U rackmount Accuracy Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and content of this manual Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd makes no representations or warranties regarding the contents Copyright Copyright 2003 Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd All rights reserved No part of this manual may be reproduced photocopied stored on a retrieval system transmitted or passed to a third party by any means or in any form without the express prior consent of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd Warranty All Focusrite products are covered by a warranty against manufacturing defects in material or craftsmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase Focusrite in the UK or its authorised distributor worldwide will do its best to ensure that any fault is remedied as quickly as possible This warranty is in addition to your statutory rights This warranty does not cover any of the following
10. on the meter This monitor point is also post the output level control When ADC Input is selected the meter is fed from ADC Input The input meter monitoring point is post the phase switch When ADC Input 2 is selected the meter is fed from the ADC Input 2 Input Stage Three input options are provided to give compatibility with mic line or instrument sources An immediately post input stage balanced output POST MIC OUTPUT is provided on the rear panel giving an ultra short signal path to allow for the cleanest possible recordings N B The POST MIC OUTPUT can be used in conjunction with the main output allowing the user to record a dry signal for archive safety purposes at the same time as recording the processed output Select Pressing Select steps through each of the three inputs as indicated by the corresponding LEDs When the Mic LED is lit the mic input is active etc Only one of the Mic Line or Instrument inputs can be used Mic Input Gain With the mic input selected the user has access to the full gain range in 10dB steps from OdB to 60dB yellow legend The gain range is split between two gain modes depending upon the status of the 30 60 switch Mode Mic Gain Range 0 30 With the 30 60 switch off the rotary gain knob operates over a gain range of 0dB to 30dB the level of gain chosen being indicated on the front panel by the outer arc of yellow numbers around the gain knob Mode 2 Mic
11. pre amp is related to the interaction between the specific microphone being used and the type of mic pre amp interface technology to which it is connected The main area in which this interaction has an effect is the level and frequency response of the microphone as follows e Level Professional microphones tend to have low output impedances so more level can be achieved by selecting the higher impedance positions of the ISA 430 MKII mic pre amp e Frequency response Microphones with defined presence peaks and tailored frequency responses can be further enhanced by choosing lower impedance settings Choosing higher input impedance values will tend to emphasise the high frequency response of the microphone connected allowing improved ambient information and high end clarity even from average performance microphones Various microphone ISA 430 MKII pre amp impedance combinations can be tried to achieve the desired amount of colouration for the instrument or voice being recorded To understand how to use the impedance selection creatively it may be useful to read the following section on how the microphone output impedance and the mic pre amp input impedance interact Switchable Impedance In Depth Explanation Dynamic moving coil and condenser mics Almost all professional dynamic and condenser microphones are designed to have a relatively low nominal output impedance of between 1500 and 3000 when measured at IkHz Microphones
12. release time giving a smoother effect but which at the same time may result in transients causing audible pumping Original Signal Compression Threshold Ng NG NAA a ec UA UHH an PAN NGALAN VeVi Ne IG WOU AI AGERE Ali Adi GAAN Vi Wa a We IJUMA Vee MAI kili Na Woop et NG Y y AN IA NEA Fast Rel asuRo See Overall Level Louder gt Compressed This Portion Compressed Over Compressed lt gt Overall Level Quieter Auto Release Press the Auto Release switch to set the release rate to auto substituting an adaptive attack release circuit which varies the release rate to suit the dynamics of the signal This enables the use of fast attack times without any pumping type artefacts especially effective on complex programme material The release rate is probably the most important variable when recording rock pop music since it directly affects loudness Loudness is increased by the maintenance of high mean levels compression increases the proportion of high level signal content and as the diagram shows the faster the unit releases the more low level signal is brought to a higher level Therefore the faster the release rate the higher the perceived loudness of the recording Ext Key Pressing Ext Key switches control of the compressor to an external signal fed into the rear panel COMP KEY INPUT jack socket Note that the key input is not output from the unit it is th
13. remove excessive sibilance from a vocal performance where ess sounds are over emphasised De Ess In Press in to activate the De Esser Threshold Threshold determines how much de essing is being applied to the selected frequency The lower the threshold control anticlockwise the more de essing is applied Freq This control selects the frequency to be removed between 2k2Hz and 9k2Hz De Ess Listen Press to allow monitoring of only those signals which will trigger activation of the de esser rather than hearing the overall effect in a complex full bandwidth signal The Listen LED below the main VU meter illuminates to show that Listen mode is active Note that the VU meter automatically displays the de ess listen level when the Listen switch is pressed in see Metering section page 3 Active LED The Active LED illuminates when the de esser is active at the chosen frequency and shines more brightly with increasing level reduction Setting up the De Esser Press De Ess Listen with Threshold at maximum and slowly reduce until the selected frequency begins to trigger the de esser Vary the frequency control to find the exact area of the signal which you wish to remove Once located switch off De Ess Listen and adjust Threshold for the amount of reduction required No further adjustment of Freq should be required as the hot spot will have been precisely found using De Ess Listen Ext Sum Press t
14. the same point as the main audio output Input 2 of the ADC routes to the same point as the post mic output Requires optional ISA 430 MKII digital output board DAW DIGITAL IN DIGITAL OUT ADC INPUT 1 amp 2 ANALOGUE SOURCE Split digital record mode This example shows an analogue input connected to Insert Return l and then routed via the EQ modules to Insert Send which then feeds ADC Input A second analogue input is connected to Insert Return 2 and then routed via the dynamics module to Insert Send 2 which then feeds the ADC Input 2 This allows two separate sources to be processed and recorded via the digital output Requires optional ISA 430 MKII digital output board ANALOGUE INPUTS DAW DIGITAL IN EQ SPLIT m Ass A pei pa ma ma Ci C Romie ADC INPUTS 1 amp 2 Split mixdown mode This example shows how to use the ISA 430 MKII in split mode as a mixdown tool The unit has been switched to both EQ Split AND Dyn Split and connected to two channel inserts of a mixing console One is used to EQ the other as a dynamics processor The stereo mix is then converted using the ISA 430 MKII s ADC and soft limiter for high quality digital mastering The ISA 430 MKII is simultaneously allowing EQ processing channel and dynamics processing channel 2 of audio from the console AND allowing independent ADC digital conversion of the final stereo mix fed from the master L R cons
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16. 20dB when mic or line inputs are selected The level of gain chosen is indicated on the front panel by the inner arc of white numbers around the gain knob The additional 20dB of gain that can be applied to the Mic or Line signal is very useful for two reasons When high gain is required The trim used in conjunction with the Mic gain of 60dB will give a total of up to 80dB of pre amp gain making it very useful for getting good digital recording levels from very low output devices such as dynamic and ribbon microphones Gain adjustment during recording When small amounts of gain adjustment are needed to correct for performance level variations during recording use the trim knob rather than the stepped Mic Line gain knob as switching the 104B gain steps will be much too intrusive It is therefore good practice to apply some Trim gain before using the 10dB stepped gain knob to find the optimum recording level so that the Trim control can be used to gently add or take away gain later if so required 48V Pressing the 48V switch provides 48V phantom power suitable for condenser microphones to the rear panel XLR microphone connector This switch does not affect the other inputs If you are unsure whether your microphone requires phantom power refer to its handbook as it is possible to damage some microphones most notably ribbon microphones by providing phantom power Phase Pressing Phase inverts the phase of the selected inpu
17. ES inputs can only receive speeds up to 192kHz by using both digital channels of a single AES connection known as 2 wire Therefore one AES channel can send only a single channel of digital data This switch makes the ISA 430 MKII useable with both old and new equipment Word Clock In and Out The internal ADC can be synchronised to an external word clock By pressing the front panel Ext Sync switch the ISA 430 MKII can be switched to lock to either standard external word clock or 256X external word clock Either type of external word clock should be connected to the ISA 430 MKII ADC card at the WORD CLOCK IN BNC connector The WORD CLOCK OUT BNC connector either regenerates the external word clock connected at the word clock input connector if locked to an external clock source or transmits the internal sample frequency of the ADC card if the ISA 430 MKII is acting as word clock master Where the ISA 430 MKII is being used as a slave device within a larger digital system the WORD CLOCK OUT BNC connector can be used to pass on the external word clock signal to the next device When the unit is not slaved to another device and is in internal clock mode the word clock output connector outputs the sample frequency selected on the ISA 430 MKII front panel Digital Output Front Panel Controls ck Bit Depth select 24 E Select Clock Select Pressing this switch allows the user to select between sample frequencies of
18. EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 SUN SEND RETURN SEND RETURN ANALOGUE DYNAMICS OIP LIMITER OUTPUT LEVEL ADC METERS b Dynamics Pre EQ Pressing Dynamics once reverses the position of the EQ and dynamics sections placing dynamics first and EQ afterwards The Pre EQ LED illuminates to provide visual confirmation of the dynamics pre EQ position MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 SUM INST SEND RETURN SEND RETURN ANALOGUE DYNAMICS Ok LIMITER OUTEUT LEVEL ADC METERS c Dynamics Post Sum Pressing Dynamics a second time places the dynamics section after the Ext Sum Ext Level and Output faders but before the limiter The Post Sum LED illuminates to provide visual confirmation of the dynamics POST SUM position This allows the external signal which has been summed to the main input signal to be processed through the dynamics section of the ISA 430 MKII Pressing Dynamics a third time returns the dynamics section to its default position post EQ pre Sum where both the Pre EQ and Post Sum LEDs are unlit 4 4 Y Y MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 SUM INST SEND RETURN SEND RETURN ANALOGUE OUTPUT ADC METERS O P LEVEL DYNAMICS LIMITER Insert 2 Activated by the Insert 2 In switch The insert 2 send and return are both balanced XLRs and can be placed in four different positions in the signal path dependant upon the
19. Gain Range 30 60 With the 30 60 switch on illuminated the rotary gain knob operates over a gain range of 30dB to 60dB the level of gain chosen being indicated on the front panel by the outer arc of yellow numbers around the gain knob An additional 20dB of gain can be applied to the signal after the Mic Line gain knob using the Trim knob See Trim control text below for full explanation Line Input Gain With the line input selected the user has access to gain settings ranging from 20dB to 10dB indicated on the front panel by the arc of white numbers around the gain knob The 30 60 switch is inactive when the line input is selected as the gain range for Line level inputs is restricted to 20dB to 10dB in 10dB steps An additional 20dB of gain can be applied to the signal after the Mic line gain knob using the Trim knob See Trim control text below for full explanation Instrument Input Gain With the instrument input selected gain is applied to the input signal by using the Trim control only which allows 10dB to 40dB of gain range The level of gain chosen is indicated on the front panel by the outer arc of yellow numbers around the gain knob This input is suitable for high impedance sources such as guitar or bass pickups which may be connected directly without the need for an external DI box or vintage synthesizers with high impedance outputs Trim The Trim control provides additional variable gain of 0dB to
20. Introduction Thank you for purchasing the ISA 430 MKII brought to you by the Focusrite team lan Trevor Peter Martin Tom Mick A C Phil Chris G Micky Pauline Melissa Chris W Rob J Snr Simon J Vernon Giles Rob J Jnr Mick G Tim Dave Paul and Simon The chaps at Focusrite are a jolly hard working bunch and take a great deal of pride in designing building and delivering products which are considered to be the best audio units around we hope your new Focusrite unit lives up to that reputation and that you enjoy many years of productive recording If you would like to tell us about your recording experiences please email us at sales focusrite com Jea Tito Uy NE Ton Mek 8 amp ya R Bo HY Gil Vo SE Mick Tig Pee Ei Go The Focusrite Team Contents Important Safety Instructions INNO UU 23ANG aan aa l Contents ira a a e E Ta l Important Safety Instructions Power Connections ccccccccsssssscsssssscsesssscsessssesesscscsessssessssseeseeees Rear Panel Connections esssecsssecssseceseesesececsecscseessseensseeneeeeees 2 ISA 430 MKII Front Panel Controls 0 esesesecsssseessseeeseeeeseeees 3 Metering IA e AAA AI Ha 3 IPU awa 4 EQ Module ma ANA AAA KAA 5 Com Wa 6 AN 8 DGZESSEM AA AA KAA ANA KIA AKAA WA WANA WAA YA MINI YA WE AUA 9 AT 9 Inserts and Routing Matrix scessccsececsscessecsseesseesseeesseeees 10 Soft MMIC se Ia 13 Optional Analogue to Digital Converter ADC
21. KII have the same kind of spectacular bandwidth that has given the Red range its reputation for open ended sound Yes The bandwidth of the ISA 430 MKII is 10Hz to 200kHz 13 Can I use all the different sections of the ISA 430 MKII at once Yes If you want to use the mic pre hi and lo pass filters parametric and shelving EQ compressor expander gate de esser limiter and digital output all at the same time as one huge super channel you can You can also take any section out of the signal path independently with a single button push Or you could use the ISA 430 MKII in split mode 14 What is split mode Split mode allows the ISA 430 MKII to act as separate processors at the same time handling totally separate audio signals So one channel of audio can be routed through the EQ sections with a second discrete audio channel being routed through the dynamics sections Furthermore if the mic pre amp is also being utilised to output direct to a recording format as well as the ADC dealing with 2 further signals the unit is acting as four separate processors at once 15 Can dynamics Yes the hi and lo pass filters the low mid and hi mid parametric EQ and the hi and lo shelving EQ can all be routed independently to the sidechain of the compressor or to the sidechain of the gate This means that you can control the action of the compressor the gate from any individual section of EQ frequency s
22. NPUT after this signal has been routed through the processing modules DYNAMIC LINK You can connect two ISA 430 MKII units using a standard TRS 1 4 jack to jack lead between the DYNAMIC LINK sockets to allow both the compressor and gate sections to behave as stereo pairs of processors When connected in this way the compressors and gates behave as single stereo devices Both units respond to the higher of the two input signal path levels The EQ channels can be matched visually or aurally to be used as a stereo pair if required Hence to drive the compressors and gates as stereo pairs set the threshold pot of one of the compressors and one of the ISA 430 MKII Front Panel Controls gates to maximum fully clockwise The second unit will then act as master allowing one set of parameter changes to affect both compressors or gates identically NB The de essers are not linked Retrofitting the Optional A D Card The optional A D card can be retrofitted to a standard ISA 430 MKII at any time Full fitting instructions for this option are included with the Card etl YE NO ISA430 MK Il Ca a aa S S JE co ek JE ne DINI SOM GO 00000008 Power Applies power to the unit Turn on the ISA 430 MKII before powering up devices to which the outputs are connected Inst Input Unbalanced instrument sources may either be connected via the rear panel INST HI Z INPUT or via this dupli
23. ORD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE MAINS EARTH BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE MAINS LEAD This unit is capable of operating over a range of mains voltages as marked on the rear panel Ensure correct mains voltage setting and correct fuse before connecting mains supply Do not change mains voltage settings while mains supply is connected To avoid the risk of fire replace the mains fuse only with the correct value fuse as marked on the rear panel The internal power supply unit contains no user serviceable parts Refer all servicing to a qualified service engineer through the appropriate Focusrite dealer Power Connections There is an IEC mains lead supplied with the unit which should have the correct moulded plug for your country The wiring colour code used is For units shipped to the USA Canada Taiwan and Japan Live Black Neutral White Earth Green For units shipped to any other country Live Brown Neutral Blue Earth Green and Yellow Rear Panel Connections Optional A D Card shown fitted Focusrite XLR Audio Inputs and Outputs All 3 pin XLR audio connectors main and post mic outputs mic line amp ADC inputs insert sends amp returns are wired as follows Pin Screen chassis Pin2 Audio 0 Pin 3 Audio 180 INST HI Z INPUT 1 4 jack wired as follows Tip Audio 0 Sleeve Screen chassis KEY INPUTS 1 4 jack wired as follows Tip Audio 0 Ring Audio 180 Sleeve
24. Screen chassis DYNAMIC LINK 1 4 jack wired as follows Tip Compressor sidechain link Ring Gate sidechain link Sleeve Screen chassis MIC LINE INST INPUT Any one of these inputs may be used as the main input to the ISA 430 MKII s main input Signals routed to these inputs are referred to as the Internal or Int signal path INSERT RETURN I This is used as the insert input point or as the input to the EQ modules in EQ Split mode see EQ Split diagram on page 10 INSERT SEND I This is used as the insert output point or as the analogue output from the EQ module in EQ Split mode see EQ Split diagram on page 10 INSERT RETURN 2 This is used as the insert 2 input point or as the input to the dynamics modules in Dyn Split mode see Dynamics Split diagram on page 10 INSERT SEND 2 This is used as the insert 2 output point or as the analogue output from the dynamics module in Dyn Split mode see Dynamics Split diagram on page 10 POST MIC OUTPUT This is used as an output from the point immediately after the Phase section i e before EQ and dynamics modules allowing direct recording of mic line or instrument inputs It provides a direct to tape ultra short signal path output Taking a signal from the POST MIC OUTPUT does NOT interrupt a signal routed from the mic pre to the EQ dynamics etc so a direct feed to tape can be achieved whilst simult
25. a secondary problem occurring at a separate frequency Blend and Mix Press the Blend switch to activate the blend circuit and make the Mix control active The Mix control allows the user to mix a blend of uncompressed signal and compressed signal from totally uncompressed to fully compressed Equal amounts of compressed and uncompressed signal are present when the mix control is set to its mid point N B When attempting to use the compressor blend and the gate simultaneously the gate will be less effective This is because the original input signal and the processed gated signal are being blended so the more input signal there is the less audible the effect of the gate will be Gate Gate In Press Gate In to switch the gate into the signal path Expand Pressing Expand causes the gate to function as an expander which has a similar effect to gating but instead of cutting off any signal below the threshold it proportionately decreases it see diagram below This may give a more natural sound when recording non percussive sources Pressing Expand a second time causes the switch to revert to being unlit and causes the section to act as a gate once more The adjacent LED meter indicates in dB the amount of gain reduction applied by the expander gate and provides additional visual indication of the effect of the Range control see below S 10 Threshold AP 40 ieee e as Gateb Expander gt Ga
26. able options XLR for AES and RCA phono for SPDIF these are not included with the A D converter options Focusrite cables may be purchased from your local dealer If you experience difficulty in obtaining these cables contact your local distributor as listed in the back of this manual AES SPDIF Connector Configuration The 9 pin D type connector labeled AES SPDIF can be configured either as an AES or SPDIF dedicated output using the AES SPDIF switch next to it When operating the connector in AES mode an AES cable is required When operating in SPDIF mode the SPDIF RCA cable should be used which automatically sets the output stream to consumer mode The Wire 2 Wire switch selects wire or 2 wire mode for the AES output as follows AES XLR BREAKOUT CABLE 1 WIRE MODE BLACK CH 1 2 p RED CH 1 2 9 WAY D TYPE YELLOW CH 1 2 BLUE CH 1 2 BiB AES XLR BREAKOUT CABLE 2 WIRE MODE BLACK CH1 o po N 9 WAY D TYPE YELLOW CH1 BLUE CH2 BELL I Wire mode Selected with the switch in the out position The AES connector transmits two channels of AES data simultaneously for all sample frequencies from 44 1 to 192kHz over a single wire 2 Wire mode Selected with the switch in the in position The AES connector transmits one channel of AES data only per cable for all sample frequencies from 96kHz to 192kHz The reason for the two modes is that older equipment with 96kHz and 192kHz A
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28. anced e Operating Level 4dBu e Maximum P Level 26dBu e Drive the sidechains of the gate and compressor respectively N B Comp Key I P is not available in Vintage mode ABG Input 1 Ext Sum Input Connector XLR Signal Balanced e Operating Level 4dBu e Maximum I P Level 22dBu 0dBFs in ADC input mode 26dBu in Ext Sum input mode ADC Input 2 e Connector XLR e Signal Balanced e Maximum I P Level 22dBu 0dBFs Ee Shelving Gain range 18dB e LF 20Hz 56Hz 160Hz 460Hz e LF Hi Range in 33Hz 95Hz 270Hz 655Hz e HF Ik5Hz 3k3Hz 6k8Hz 15kHz e HF Hi Range in 2k2Hz 4k7Hz 10k 18k EQ Parametric e Gain range 18dB e Variable Q e LMF 40 400Hz e LMF x3 in 120 1200Hz e HMF 600 6kHz e HMF x3 in 1k8 18kHz EM Filters 3 Order 18dB Octave e LPF 400Hz 22kHz e HPF 20Hz Ik6Hz Compressor Class A VCA mode e Threshold Range 28dB to 12dB e Ratio 1 5 1 to 10 1 ev Slope Soft knee e Attack 100 S to 100mS e Release 100mS to 7S variable or auto program dependent 25 Compressor Vintage Opto mode e Threshold Range 28dB to 12dB e Ratio 1 5 1 to 5 1 in Comp mode 5 1 to 20 1 in Lim mode e Slope Soft knee in Comp mode Hard knee in Lim mode e Attack Fixed e Release Fixed Limiter e Threshold 6dBfs 1 6dBu e Attack time instant e Release time instant e Noise 95dBu measured with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Limiter ratio is
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30. aneously allowing processing of the same source ADC INPUT ADC Input is used to route an external signal directly to the optional A D card via the limiter When selected using the ADC Input button on the front panel ADC Input replaces the internal processed signal being fed to the left side of the A D card i e whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input no longer routes to the ADC For further detail see ADC Input amp 2 on page 13 It also allows a signal to be summed with the processed signal from the unit by pressing the Ext Sum switch and using the Ext Level controls This signal can be routed to the A D card and main output See ADC Input amp 2 on page 13 ADC INPUT 2 ADC Input 2 is also used to route an external signal directly to the optional A D card via the limiter When selected using the ADC Input 2 button on the front panel ADC Input 2 replaces the internal unprocessed signal being fed to the right side of the A D card i e whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input This still allows the processed signal i e whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input to route to the left side of the A D card Hence there are four possible setups for the ADC amp 2 input switches See ADC Input amp 2 on page 13 MAIN OUTPUT This output is used as the main analogue internal signal output and is fed by whatever is connected to the MIC INPUT LINE INPUT or INST I
31. cated front panel jack If both are connected the front connection overrides the rear connection No DI box is required Metering Focusrite Producer P Meter Source The VU meter can display input level Insert return level Insert 2 return level compressor gain reduction or sidechain Listen level Press the Meter Source button to step through Input Insert Rtn 1 Insert Rtn 2 and Comp sources as indicated by the corresponding LEDs The sidechain Listen level will automatically be displayed on the VU meter when the Listen switches are pressed in the compresser gate or de esser sections The Listen LED will also light when any of these switches are selected Meter OVU Calibration The metering calibration for the input level and insert return levels can be shown over two different ranges e OVU corresponds to 4dBu e OVU corresponds to 18dBu Either can be selected via the Meter OVU Calibration button For the compressor the meter indicates the amount of gain reduction applied from OVU no compression to 20VU corresponding to 20dB of gain reduction NB The effect upon Listen of calibration is similar to that on input and insert returns However as the signal being monitored by the listen circuit is a sidechain source the meter acts more as a visual indication of the attack and decay of a signal rather than true level Listen LED This illuminates when Listen is selected on the compressor expande
32. cts by gradually increasing the ratio of the limiter as the signal exceeds the threshold The threshold is set at 6dBFS 16dBu Signal levels between 6dBFS and 4dBFS have a ratio of 1 5 applied to them signal levels between 4dBFS and OdBFS have a ratio of 2 1 applied to them and signal levels between OdBFS and 6dBFS have a ratio of infinite applied to them The attack and release times for the limiter are instantaneous This means that the audio is clamped down so that the signal can never go above the maximum level that the ADC can accurately convert 0dBFS Consequently it is impossible to overload the connected optional ADC card when the soft limiter is active Optional Analogue to Digital Converter ADC The ISA 430 MKII can be used as a high quality two channel ADC to convert analogue signals to the digital domain by adding the optional ISA 430 MKII digital output board The two external ADC inputs and the main channel inputs can all be fed to the ADC via the soft limiter ensuring super clean protected high quality digital conversion Alternatively two ISA 430 MKII units with a single A D option can be used to create a stereo tracking mixdown to digital system see Stereo ISA 430 MKII Units on page 20 Digital formats available on the ADC are AES SPDIF optical and coaxial RCA phono and ADAT optical format The ADAT outputs can also operate in high speed SMUX mode for 96kHz tran
33. d not looking at the speed information being calculated by the USD It would be running at precisely 44 1 or 48k with a very high stability however the analogue deck would be wowing and fluttering all over the show Therefore by providing a Superclock input you can use the USD to clock the ISA module and therefore lock the ISA up to anything you are locking Pro Tools up to Also any TDM Pro Tools equipped with a USD can be switched into varispeed mode Using Pro Tools Session Setup window a slider allows the overall speed of Pro Tools to be moved up or down This is achieved by telling the USD to adjust its internal clock and therefore its Superclock output This varied Superclock output then feeds any Digi interface as above So if a customer wants to use an ISA 430 MKII but at the same time varispeed Pro Tools they need a Superclock input 24 Is there an optional digital input card No because all the processing in the ISA 430 MKII is entirely analogue so even if there was a digital input the digital signal would have to be immediately passed through a D A converter to allow processing 25 Does the card include dithering Yes the wordlength of a 24 bit input can truncated down to 20 or 6 bits and then dithered prior to digital output 26 Why are the Int A D and Ext A D inputs fed to the digital output card via the limiter The input to the A D converter must not exceed OdBfs in order to prevent digital cl
34. e Carriage to and from the dealer or factory for inspection or repair labour charge if repaired other than by the distributor in the country of purchase or Focusrite in the UK Consequential loss or damage direct or indirect of any kind however caused Any damage or faults caused by abuse negligence improper operation storage or maintenance If a product is faulty please first contact your dealer in the country of purchase alternatively contact the factory If the product is to be shipped back please ensure that it is packed correctly preferably in the original packing materials We will do our best to remedy the fault as quickly as possible 26 Reset Sheet IAW OEPVSI H wamod sandu Say w we La pol ole a sg pjoysaay aseojay PICH pioysos L Buey AA pjoysaay ae pin oo o asua r m mywn yos auks apo sung sa asog toi mg dl ukqazog si UH ap ow we 96 maps b7 mopg won BI AA ee ruka 4 ipdag Ng pop vass puedg uw j Tusu Yy asy ONG 7 C f aa oun na F p VA e Pes a ueg wa ot oro Zoe _ N Ad 5 oro upang oam u 07 a ec MA aii aw opoe OF OS apunos EN dwey a quy Yo apny C ost J 1 ay ar ngpgta gt anduj napre INANI ASNI was uopwaje5 nA ouaa peg 4eonpoug 3JLISNI0 27 Focusrite Distributors Australia Electric F
35. e original input that is compressed and output but the compression is applied as if the key input signal were being compressed N B Ext Key is not available in Vintage mode Example one of the problems in compressing a mixed programme is that gain reduction tends to be controlled by one dominant instrument or sound For more natural compression you need to attenuate the sound of the dominant instrument but this is probably not acceptable since it would affect the mix Using the key input allows a second feed of the input signal to be routed through an equaliser to attenuate the dominant instrument That signal is then fed into the key input Now you can use the attenuated key input to control the compression of the original signal The original signal is compressed as if the dominant instrument had been attenuated This technique can be very useful when compressing bass heavy dance music By attenuating the bass in the key input signal the bass in the original retains more of its dynamics Another application of this technique is to create a second de esser When de essing sibilant frequencies need to be heavily compressed To achieve this accentuate the sibilants in the key input signal by adding gain to the sibilant frequencies This will cause those frequencies to be heavily compressed in the original signal The ISA 430 MKII s dedicated de esser can take care of primary de essing duties whilst key input compression deals with
36. ed Arab Emirates NMK Electronics Ent Phone 971 4626683 Fax 971 626682 Email nmk emirates net ae United Kingdom amp Ireland Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd Phone 44 0 1494 462246 Fax 44 0 1494 459920 Email sales focusrite com USA Digidesign Phone 1 630 731 6300 1 866 FOCUSRITE Fax 1 650 731 6399 Email prodinfo digidesign com Dino Virella digidesign com Venezuela Avcom C A Phone 58 212 237 7762 Fax 58 212 237 8275 Email jmendez avcom com ve Vietnam Vistar Phone 84 4 824 3058 Fax 84 4 825 0099 Email hanoimusic netnam org vn Other territories not listed Please contact Focusrite United Kingdom
37. elective compression Also you have a listen button in the compressor gate and de esser sections which allows you to monitor whatever is feeding the sidechain of each section so that you can easily hear and tune the frequency you want to trigger each dynamics processor There s even a separate listen LED by the main meter to warn you that you are listening to something other than the main output like a PFL warning light on a mixing console The VU meter can also be selected to view the sidechain for additional control route any EQ sections to the 16 Can use the ISA 430 MKII as a 24 bit 192kHz stereo A D converter Yes the external input plus the line input bypass on or the ADC inputs can be used as a stereo feed to the optional A D converter They also pass through the soft limiter before reaching the A D preventing digital clipping 17 What if want to use the mic pre amp in isolation There s a Post Mic Pre output which allows you to take signal out of the ISA 430 MKII from a point immediately after the mic pre Using the ISA 430 MKII in this way provides a very short signal path to tape for ultra clean recordings Also connecting the Post Mic Pre output does not interrupt the signal flow from mic pre to EQ dynamics etc so a direct feed to tape can be achieved whilst simultaneously allowing processing of the same source signal 18 The Air switch sounds great but what s actually happeni
38. h I High 0 more selective Flat Response Param EQ In Press in to switch the parametric EQ into the signal path This selection is cancelled if Gate or Comp is pressed x3 The Sweep controls have two ranges the higher being selected when the x3 switch is pressed x3 frequencies are shown in yellow on the panel Comp When the Comp switch is pressed the parametric EQ is inserted into the compressor sidechain allowing frequency selective frequency conscious compression This selection is cancelled if Param EQ In or Gate is pressed Gate When the Gate switch is pressed the parametric EQ is inserted into the gate sidechain for e g accurate drum gating This selection is cancelled if Param EQ In or Comp is pressed Shelving EQ High and low frequency shelving sections are available each with continuously variable boost cut with center detent and a four position rotary switch for selection of roll off frequency In addition the Hi Range switch allows for two ranges of roll off frequency per band resulting in eight frequency selections in total _ 18 Flatresponse below selected frequency pan Low Shelf Flat attenuation 18 18 Flat above selected frequency gan High Shelf Flat f OdB attenuation 18 Shelving EQ In Press in to switch the shelving EQ into the signal path This selection is cancelled if Gate or Comp is pressed Hi Range The frequency controls have t
39. ide 8dB octave roll off and since the filter frequencies overlap they may be configured as a very tight bandpass filter for creative compression and gating use when you wish to select a specific instrument or narrow frequency band from a complex signal then feed to the sidechain of the compressor or gate High Pass Low Pass 0dB gt 184B gt f Low Pass Filter Sets a roll off frequency from 400Hz to 22kHz High Pass Filter Sets a roll off frequency from 20Hz to k6Hz Comp When the Comp switch is pressed both Hi and Lo pass filters are inserted in the compressor sidechain to enable frequency selective aka frequency conscious compression This selection is cancelled if Filter In or Gate is pressed Gate When the Gate switch is pressed both filters are inserted in the gate sidechain to enable accurate drum gating This selection is cancelled if Filter In or Comp is pressed Parametric EQ Two separate bands of parametric EQ hi mid and low mid are provided each with continuously variable boost cut with centre detent sweep control with two ranges and fully variable Q The first band covers the range 40Hz to 400Hz 120Hz to Ik2Hz when x3 is pressed and the second band covers 600Hz to 6kHz Ik8Hz to 18kHz when x3 is pressed YA Gain aa se Na 600 6k 18K o po a LOW MID IN 120 2 N Pa 40 400 1K2 oH H 40 gt 18K Centre f Frequency gt 0 she Low Q wider bandwit
40. ipping The limiter therefore comes after the A D converter inputs so that the user is protected from digital clipping 27 Can I lock straight to Pro Tools from the digital output of the ISA 430 MKII Yes the digital output board is designed so that it can synchronise to external word clock signals or to Digidesign s Superclock 28 Why is the 24 bit important An A D converter works by sampling the audio waveform at regular points in time and then quantising those values into a binary number which relates to the number of bits specified The quantised signal must then be passed through a D A converter before it becomes audible In simple terms the D A essentially joins the dots plotted by the A D converter when the signal was first converted to digital The number of dots to join combined with how little those dots have been moved determines how accurate the final signal will be compared to the original 192kHz specification The greater the sample rate and bit rate the more accurate the whole digital process is So 24 bit 192 kHz performance will ensure more accurate digital transfer of your audio 23 information compared to the old 16 bit 44 kHz standards You can still use these standards for compatibility reasons if you need to as the ISA 430 MKII also allows 16 bit 44 kHz operation 29 Can I retrofit a digital board to an analogue ISA 430 MKII at a later date Yes you can do it yourself it can easil
41. lative to max headroom 28dBu 119dB Signal to noise ratio relative to OdBfs 22dBu 113dB THD at unity gain OdB 002 measured with 4dBu input signal and with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Frequency Response at unity gain 0dB 0 25dB down at 20Hz and 3dB down at 140kHz Instrument input Connector Mono Jack Signal Unbalanced Gain range 0dB to 40dB continuously variable Input Impedance gt IMO Noise at minimum gain OdB 90dBu measured with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Noise at maximum gain 40dB 78dBu measured with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter THD at minimum gain 0dB 006 measured with 0dBu input signal and with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Frequency Response at I0dB gain 26Hz and 0dB at 32kHz 0 2dB down at 24 Frequency Response at 40dB gain 3dB down at 26Hz and 3dB down at 32kHz Post Mic output Connector XLR Signal Balanced Operating Level 4dBu Maximum O P Level 26dBu Signal is routed directly from the pre amp after the gain stage trim and phase reverse circuits of the input section and can be fed from the mic line or instrument inputs Insert Send Connector XLR Signal Balanced Operating Level 4dBu Maximum O P Level 26dBu This output has two modes of operation INSERT IN the connector is an output from the point in the signal path that is post the phase switch circuit EQ SPLIT the connector is the output of the EQ section of the module
42. le with movable routing facilities Lastly the MKII s ADC inputs are both XLR and the line input is now routed through the input transformer as with the ISA 220 and 428 Specifications Mic input Connector XLR Signal Balanced Transformer Operating Level 4dBu Gain Range 0 to 60dB in 10dB steps Input Impedance variable as follows Impedance setting Equivalent input impedance I Khz Low 6000 ISA 110 14000 Med Medium 24000 High 68000 e EIN equivalent input noise 128dB measured at Lin 60dB of gain with 1500 terminating impedance and 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Noise at main output with gain at unity OdB 97dBu measured with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Signal to noise ratio relative to max headroom 28dBu 125dB Signal to noise ratio relative to OdBfs 22dBu 119dB THD at medium gain 30dB 0 001 measured with a IKHz 20dBu input signal and with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Frequency response at minimum gain OdB 0 25dB down at 20Hz and 3dB down at 20kHz Frequency response at maximum gain 60dB 2 5dB down at 20Hz and 3dB down 20kHz CMRR at full gain 60dB 80dB e input Connector XLR Signal Balanced Operating Level 4dBu Gain range 20dB to 10dB in 10dB steps Input Impedance 10kQ from TOHz to 200kHz Noise at main output with gain at unity OdB 9 I dBu measured with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter Signal to noise ratio re
43. namics processing WVhen EQ Split is selected the Insert switch if lit wll go out This is because Insert is now being used as the input and output to the EQ section and so is no longer available for use as a traditional insert Using Insert to split EQ Y 4 INSERT INSERT 1 SEND 1 RETURN DYNAMICS Activated by the Dyn Split switch This allows the INSERT SEND 2 and INSERT RETURN 2 connections to act as independent inputs and outputs to the dynamics section only thus giving a separate line level dynamics unit When Dyn Split is selected the Insert 2 and Post Dyn switches if lit will go out This is because Insert 2 is now being used as the input and output to the dynamics section and so is no longer available for use as a traditional insert Using Insert 2 to split dynamics INSERT 4 MIC LINE INST 2 RETURN INSERT INSERT 1 1 SEND RETURN DYNAMICS ANALOGUE LIMITER OUTPUT ADC METERS Dynamics position switch EE Allows the dynamics section to be placed in three different positions in the processing chain Normally the dynamics section is the second processing section in the signal path after the EQ section When activated the new position of the dynamics section is indicated by the LEDs below the Dynamics switch Pr L Post Sum a Dynamics Post EQ Default MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT
44. ng to my signal This feature increases the impedance effect of the transformer on high frequencies adding further air to its sonic quality It does this by including an inductor circuit into the secondary of the transformer giving the pre amp an input impedance that varies with the frequency having a smaller voltage drop at the top end So additional clarity is introduced by the interaction between the mic and pre amp alone without EQ 19 What if experience problems with the gate chattering The ISA 430 MKII is equipped to deal with this simply pressing the Hyst button which introduces hysteresis 22 solves the problem Gates sometimes chatter when the source audio is just above or just below the threshold level as the gate is constantly trying to open close open close etc Hysteresis reduces the dB level at which the gate closes from e g 55dB to 65dB Thus even if a signal is modulating whilst fading out the gate is prevented from chattering Since hysteresis is non destructive in terms of having no other effect on audio the Hyst button should be left on most of the time when using the gate 20 The limiter is described as soft limiting What does that mean Derived from the groundbreaking soft limiter featured in the ISA 428 Pre Pack the opto circuit has different ratios as it approaches peak full scale level OdBFS whereby the ratio becomes infinity This creates a softer limi
45. nput cuts whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input and feeds the left side of the A D converter in its place Whatever is connected to ADC input 2 cuts the unprocessed signal fed from the mic line or instrument input and feeds the right side of the A D converter in its place See ADC Configurations diagrams on page 15 24 bit 96kHz ADAT optical lightpipe interface operation The card provides digital outputs for both ISA 430 MKII ADC input channels which operate over the sample frequency ranges 44 1 48 88 2 and 96kHz and can be dithered to 16 20 or 24 bit depths depending upon the destination The card features an ADAT type lightpipe output and SPDIF Toslink output connectors ADAT lightpipe cables are available from your local dealer or in the UK from Studiospares tel 44 0 20 7482 1692 stock number 585 510 24 bit 192kHz AES SPDIF operation The card also provides AES and SPDIF format outputs via a 9 pin D type connector on the rear panel The full range of sample rates up to 192kHZz and bit depths are available To access the digital signals from the 9 pin D type output connector the A D card must be purchased with either an AES or SPDIF D type conversion cable as follows AES cable 9 pin D type to 4 male XLR SPDIF cable 9 pin D type to 4 male RCA phono SPDIF BREAKOUT CABLE AES BREAKOUT CABLE Note cables need to be purchased separately Since there are two different c
46. o route a sum of both the internal signal and external line input signal from the EXT SUM INPUT to the Main Output External signals could be a double track an extra mic from a second ISA 430 MKII or live reverb Ext Level This control adjusts the gain of the external line input which may be summed into the Main Output see above Output Adjusts the Main Output level between 60dB and 6dB Inserts and Routing Matrix Mute Press to mute the output of both the Main Output and Post Mic Output N B Analogue sends and digital outputs are not muted Bypass All EQ and dynamics processing modules can be globally switched out using the Bypass switch for quick A B comparison of processed unprocessed signals The ISA 430 MKII has two insert points and a very comprehensive set of routing options Insert Activated by the Insert In switch The insert send and return are both balanced XLRs and are situated post the Phase switch Insert Send and Return always remain pre any of the processing sections EQ dynamics etc Using Insert as traditional insert 4 MIC LINE INST INSERT INSERT 1 1 SEND RETURN DYNAMICS Dynamics Split EQ Split Activated by the EQ Split switch This allows the INSERT SEND and INSERT RETURN connections to act as inputs and outputs to the EQ section only thus giving a separate line level EQ unit which acts independently from the dy
47. ole outputs Requires optional ISA 430 MKII digital output board INSERT CH 2 RETURN SEND MIXER INSERT RETURN CHI MASTER BUS DIGITAL IN DIGITAL OUT KN 3 LING 2 i map ee 4 ABA SS ee ADC INPUTS 1 amp 2 Stereo ISA 430 MKII units stereo digital conversion This example shows audio being sent from one ISA 430 MKII to an ADC card installed in a second ISA 430 MKII This configuration creates a stereo record channel with only one ADC card required The ADC Input 2 switch has been selected on the uint B s front panel routing the external signal from unit A into the ADC The dynamics sections of the two units have been linked by connecting a cable between the DYNAMIC LINK sockets allowing stereo dynamics processing and dual mono EQ UNIT A NO ADC CARD FITTED gt Focusrite STEREO CONTROL OF DYNAMICS p gt Focusrite ADC INPUT 2 Using the ISA 430 MKII as four discrete units This example shows how to use the ISA 430 MKII as four individual processing units This unit is switched to EQ Split AND Dyn Split and ADC Inputs amp 2 are switched on The unit is simultaneously allowing EQ processing of audio plus separate dynamics processing of audio At the same time it is allowing two channels of A D conversion into a DAW as well as allowing super clean microphone recording Requires optional ISA 430 MKII digital output board
48. or sidechain listen level when a Listen switch is pressed in see Metering section page 3 Vintage The Vintage switch activates the vintage compressor This has two modes Comp and Lim as indicated by the LEDs to the right of the Vintage switch The Vintage switch steps through the different modes of compressor operation In Comp mode the compressor is a vintage opto compressor In Lim mode the compressor acts more like a vintage opto limiter with a harder ratio and knee When neither the Comp or Lim LEDs are illuminated the compressor is in the classic Focusrite discrete Class A VCA mode N B When in Vintage Comp or Lim mode the Attack Release Auto Release and Ext Key controls are inactive Makeup Compression results in an overall reduction in level The Makeup control allows you to restore the compressor s output level back to the original level Ratio The Ratio control determines the rate at which compression is applied to the signal with increasing input and is the ratio of change in input level compared to change in output level The control gives a range of 1 5 to 10 Higher ratio settings will produce more noticeable compression so for the least obtrusive result the ratio should be set at the minimum necessary for the application For example using low threshold and low ratio will produce a less noticeable effect than a high threshold and high ratio even though the total amount of compression may be the same
49. r gate or de esser and indicates that the unit is monitoring the selected sidechain frequencies N B When attempting to listen to the dynamics in Split Dynamics mode pressing the Listen switch will only result in visual monitoring as the dynamics are split from the monitoring path they can be viewed in the meter but not heard Audio O L LED This LED illuminates when the peak signal level reaches or exceeds 20dBu or when the peak signal level reaches 6dB below the clip point The signal is monitored at five points post the input gain Trim post Insert l post the EQ module post Insert 2 and post the Dynamics module since each module could cause clipping if incorrectly set up Occasional short duration peaks which may cause the LED to blink will not normally cause audible distortion but if the LED is lit constantly the level in the appropriate module should be reduced to prevent overloading Digital Output Meters Two LED bargraph meters monitor the level being fed to the output left meter and input right meter of the unit They also display the channels of the optional ADC card when the ADC Input and ADC Input 2 switches are selected The meters provide a wide range from 42dBFS 20dBu to OdBFS 22dBu ISA430 MK Il HALLEI EOE BB nG A a 3 EL The output meter monitoring point is just before the ADC input this means that if the limiter is switched in the action of the limiter can be seen
50. relative positions of the Post Dyn and Dyn Split switches N B It is not possible to have the following combination of switches for Insert 2 Insert 2 In Post Dyn Dynamics Post Sum Dyn Split a Insert 2 In Insert 2 placed post EQ and pre dynamics MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 SUKA INST SEND RETURN SEND RETURN ANALOGUE DYNAMICS OR LIMITER OUTPUT LEVEL ADC METERS b Insert 2 In Post Dyn Insert 2 placed post dynamics and post EQ MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 aint INST SEND RETURN SEND RETURN ANALOGUE DYNAMICS jr LIMITER OUTPUT LEVEL ADC METERS c Insert 2 In Dynamics Post Sum Insert 2 placed post EQ and pre sum pre dynamics dynamics have moved post sum MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 SUM INST SEND RETURN SEND RETURN ANALOGUE OF DYNAMICS LIMITER OUTPUT LEVEL ADC METERS d Insert 2 In Post Dyn Dynamics Pre EQ Insert 2 placed post dynamics and pre EQ MIC INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT EXT LINE 1 1 2 2 SUM INST SEND RETURN SEND RETURN DYNAMICS Examples a d show Insert 2 being used as a traditional insert LIMITER ANALOGUE OUTPUT ADC METERS Soft Limiter ck Bit Depth elect 24 Select Press to activate the soft limiter The soft limiter circuit a
51. selectable air effect 2 Is the ISA 430 MKII a Class A device and why is that important Yes the 430 MKII is a Class A device Why Well Class A is a type of amplifier design in which you have a standing DC current running through your amplifier circuits all the time As the signal comes along you vary what you re taking from that rather than switching between supplying a positive current for one half of the waveform and a negative current for the other half This results in the ability to represent audio in a linear distortion free manner all the way through the circuit Cheaper processors use IC amplifiers which run close to Class B and don t have the same standing DC current which means the transistors inside the chips switching off and on inevitably resulting in less linear performance 3 What does the Vintage compressor button involve In addition to the Class A VCA circuit the vintage optical circuit adds a whole new flavour of compression The vintage circuit operates in two modes as a compressor character or as a limiter The attack and release are fixed when using the opto circuit and the threshold point is raised the knee hardened when compressing with the limiting characteristics selected 4 So the compressor contains both VCAs and optical technology Yes Whilst the expander and gate use solely VCAs and the de esser and limiter are optical 5 Pve heard of the pumping effect that sometimes occ
52. sfer speeds but are muted during 192kHz operation N B If RCA phono SPDIF or XLR AES connections are required the relevant 9 pin D type to RCA phono or XLR breakout cable is required For installation details see separate A D option user guide ADC Input I and 2 With the ADC Input I and 2 switches both unlit whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input feeds the main analogue output and also feeds the left side of the A D converter Both signals are post processing A pre processed signal is fed to the post mic output and this pre processed signal is also fed to the right side of the A D converter With the ADC Input I switch lit and ADC Input 2 switch unlit whatever is connected to ADC input cuts whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input and feeds the left side of the A D converter in its place The pre processed signal is still fed to the post mic output and this is still also fed to the right side of the A D converter With the ADC Input I switch unlit and ADC Input 2 switch lit whatever is connected to the mic line or instrument input feeds the main analogue output and feeds the left side of the A D converter Both signals are post processing Whatever is connected to ADC input 2 cuts the unprocessed signal fed from the mic line or instrument input and feeds the right side of the A D converter in its place With ADC Input I and 2 switches both lit whatever is connected to ADC i
53. single ISA 430 MKII can act only as a mono or split mono unit it s possible to link two MKlls together using the dynamic link socket on the rear panel Using a single stereo TRS jack cable this allows stereo operation of the compressor plus dual mono EQ You can also use a single ISA 430 MKII as a stereo A D converter See question 16 below for a full explanation 9 How do I control which ISA 430 MKII will be the controller and which will be the slave when using two together for stereo compression Whichever ISA 430 MKII is generating the greater control voltage will be the controller So set one of the MKII s compressors to minimum ratio and maximum threshold and the other compressor will then always be the controller with any changes made on the controller knobs affecting both channels in the same way 10 Can I wire the link cable to just link the compressors or gates Yes the compressors are linked from tip to tip and the gates from ring to ring of the TRS jack lead So leaving the sleeves connected and disconnecting either of those lines will enable the other to function as a stereo pair alone whilst the disconnected one will act individually as two separate comps gates on each mono signal Il own an ISA 430 Can I link the dynamics to a MKII for use as a stereo pair Yes simply connect a link cable as described above N B the ISA 430 MKII s compressor must be set to VCA mode 12 Does the ISA 430 M
54. t This is primarily used to correct phase problems when using multiple microphones on a single source EQ Module Impedance Pressing Impedance steps through each of the four transformer pre amp input impedance values as indicated by their corresponding LEDs By selecting different values for the impedance of the ISA 430 MKII transformer input the performance of both the ISA 430 MKII pre amp and the microphone connected can be tailored to set the desired level and frequency response Mic Air Pressing Mic Air increases the impedance effect of the transformer on high frequencies Transformers impart an effect which is often referred to as air adding a spaciousness to the sound of the mic pre amp Mic Air further emphasises this effect For further deails see FAQ number 18 on page 22 All EQ Pressing All EQ activates all sections of the EQ module including the Hi and Lo Pass Filters placing the whole module in the audio path Toggling All EQ allows an A B comparison of EQ d flat settings without having to switch each section of the EQ individually and without using Bypass which switches both EQ and dynamics modules in or out of the audio path The Comp and Gate switches on individual EQ sections see below operate independently from the All EQ switch Filter In Press Filter In to make the Hi and Lo Pass Filters active in the audio path This selection is cancelled if Comp or Gate is pressed Both filters prov
55. te gt a Expander OUTPUT LEVEL 100 80 60 40 2 0 20 INPUT LEVEL Listen Press to allow audio monitoring of the gate sidechain to enable accurate frequency adjustment during setup The Listen LED below the main VU meter illuminates to show that Listen mode is active Note that the VU meter automatically displays the gate sidechain listen level when a Listen switch is pressed in see Metering section page 3 Range Range determines how much the signal is attenuated when the gate is closed The gate can be set up to cut 80dB attenuation control clockwise or to more gently lessen attenuation min OdB Maximum attenuation may give an unnatural sound so keep Range at a low value unless it is essential to reduce high levels of background noise or unless an obviously gated effect is desired Threshold Threshold determines the level at which the gate opens or at which gain reduction finishes when in Expander mode The higher the threshold the more low level noise is reduced and the more extreme the effect Hold Hold controls the variable delay before the gate release starts This allows the gate to be held open until the signal has decayed sufficiently so that the rapid onset of gain reduction isn t noticeable Alternatively the signal can be deliberately truncated before its natural end to create a special effect Release This control sets the Release time the rate at which the gate attenua
56. ting effect but still ensures that the maximum level isn t exceeded 21 How does the de esser work The de esser uses Focusrite s proprietary phase invert technology Once the user has selected the frequency at which the de ess is to occur the ISA 430 MKII generates a 180 out of phase signal at that frequency which cancels the specific frequency selected at the moment it occurs without having a negative effect on other related frequencies 22 When I travel internationally can I take my ISA 430 MKII with me No problem The power supply is a multi tap design so all you need to do is turn the fuse holder around to change the voltage to match whichever country you are in 23 Why is a Superclock x256 input important If a customer has a Pro Tools TDM system and wants to lock it to an external analogue multi track s he needs a USD Universal Slave Driver Digi s premier sync box This box looks at the speed of incoming timecode and then varies the Superclock frequency up and down to match Therefore because the Superclock is basically 256 times the speed of word clock the playback or record speed of Pro Tools is matched very accurately to the machine s speed and any attached Digi Audio interfaces will also be adjusted If the customer now wants to record off the multitrack into Pro Tools via an ISA box they have a problem if they don t have a Superclock input because the ISA would be running off its own internal crystal an
57. tion increases fading out the signal This release period begins as soon as the signal drops below the threshold On transient signals a fast release will be appropriate control anticlockwise but with other material a slower release control clockwise may give a more natural sound Ideally the release needs to be slightly slower than the natural decay rate of the signal to avoid audibly cutting it short Fast Attack Fast Attack determines how quickly the gate opens once the level of the source signal has risen above the threshold When the switch is pressed the response is fast which may be necessary on some signals to avoid missing an initial transient but which could also introduce an undesirable click on smooth sustained sounds when using a high threshold setting On such signals a slower attack switch released may give a more natural sound Hyst Press to introduce wider hysteresis This increases the level difference between the gate switching on and off which prevents the gate from oscillating chattering with particular combinations of input signal and threshold setting This function is particularly useful when gating a signal with a very long decay time and large amounts of level modulation e g a grand piano Ext Key Pressing Ext Key switches control of the gate to an external signal on the rear panel GATE KEY INPUT jack De Esser The de esser uses an optical design allowing the user to
58. urs when a signal is compressed How can it be avoided If the release time is too short the signal level may pump in other words you can hear the level of the signal going up and down However a release time that is too long will result in the level of quiet sounds following a loud beat to be reduced even further In addition having the threshold set below the level of the kick drum and the release time set relatively long will punch holes in the track as the level drops with each beat If the release time is adjusted to be much faster then an entirely different dynamic sounding mix can be produced As a rule a good starting point for release time lies between 0 2 and 0 6 seconds 6 What can the inserts do Both inserts are split configurable This means that insert can split the EQ from the signal path if the option is 21 selected and insert 2 can split the dynamics Also insert 2 is flexible as to signal positioning and defaults to pre dynamics but can move to post if desired 7 What if want my dynamics processing to occur pre EQ or post sum No problem the dynamics section can be switched so that it precedes the EQ section by a single push of the Pre EQ button on the front panel Pressing the Post Sum button places the dynamics section after the Ext Sum input See Inserts and Routing Matrix on page 10 for more details 8 Is there any way to configure the ISA 430 MKII as a stereo unit Yes although a
59. wo ranges the higher being selected when the Hi Range switch is pressed frequencies shown in yellow on the panel LOW SHELF HIGH SHELF 33 655 2k2 18k K Na K HI RANGE KK 20 460 Ik5 15k gt f HI RANGE Low frequency shelving The frequency range steps are 20Hz 56Hz 160Hz and 460Hz 33Hz 95Hz 270Hz and 655Hz when Hi Range switch is engaged High frequency shelving The frequency range steps are 5kHz 3 3kHz 6 8kHz and I5kHz 2 2kHz 4 7kHz 0kHz and 18khz when Hi Range is engaged Comp When the Comp switch is pressed the shelving EQ is inserted into the compressor sidechain allowing frequency selective frequency conscious compression This selection is cancelled if Shelving EQ In or Gate is pressed Gate When the Gate switch is pressed the shelving EQ is inserted into the gate sidechain for e g accurate drum gating This selection is cancelled if Shelving EQ In or Comp is pressed Compressor Comp In Press Comp In to switch the compressor into the signal path Note that the VU meter can be selected to display the compressor gain reduction see Metering section page 3 Listen Press to allow audio monitoring of the compressor sidechain to assist accurate frequency adjustment when setting up frequency conscious compression The Listen LED below the main VU meter illuminates to show that Listen mode is active Note that the VU meter automatically displays the compress
60. y be retro fitted by the customer without any soldering etc just a few screws to undo and one clip connector to join to the main PCB 30 What are the differences between the ISA 430 MKII and the ISA 430 The MKII has variable mic pre amp impedance as featured on the ISA 428 Pre Pack allowing the performance of the unit and microphone connected to be tailored to a suitable level and response The MKII runs up to 192kHz with I and 2 wire modes selectable at the rear plus SPDIF available on optical cable The MKII has dBFS metering on the right hand side with optional viewing of the ADC inputs as well as a VU meter with selectable calibration and additional sidechain view The compressor on the new model has a variable blend with a dial to adjust the mix and contains VCA and opto circuitry The limiter configurable nature of the opto means there are a total of three types of compressor Also the auto release now has its own dedicated switch and the compressor can be positioned post sum or pre EQ The soft limiting of the MKII can be used on analogue and digital outputs simultaneously The MKII s shelving includes 2 extra frequencies per band 20 and 655Hz for LF and 1 5 and 2 2kHz for HF The mic pre amp transformer features an optional inductor circuit for boosting HF and adding air to the signal and its gain controls are identical to the ISA 428 There are two inserts on the MKII both being split configurab

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