Fostex 3180 User's Manual
Contents
1. IOPRINTED IN JAPAN OCT 1982 8288 15 30 002. guitar solo for example may only require a reverberation effect at the end and so the 3180 may be punched in and out during the appropriate part while passing the dry signal before and after the punch 7 On the Road Your 3180 will be a top road performer as long as you treat it with the same respect and care you would give a 450 microphone Just like the microphone transducer element the spring transducer is maintained in precise mechanical alignment Extreme physical shock should always be avoided NOTE The Fostex optional flight case Model 9040 is recommended when you travel with your 3180 5 APPLICATION NOTES 1 2 3 Commercial Audio the subtle effect Subconsciously everyone is aware of the presence of reverberation and a small amount added to an announcer s voice can have a positive subliminal effect on the listener Speech treated in this manner will likely appear clearer because of the added warmth and fullness plus brief silent gaps between words are occupied by some sound a very helpful aid when you re dealing with a hesitant or unevenly paced reading Broadcasters and audio visual producers have long real ized and appreciated the benefits of the subtle use of reverberation in commercial audio Creative Audio the exaggerated effect As Paul Simon has said One man s ceiling is another man s floor Don t be afraid to turn it up in the spirit of rock and roll enthusiasm E
3. such that priority is given to the front panel jacks which means that signals to the rear panel INPUT jacks will be cut off when any thing is plugged into the front panel INPUT jacks 2 Output Norm These are the normal reverb outputs of the Model 3180 and are wired in parallel with the front panel output jacks 3 Output Stereo Effect These are the additional output jacks to use when the stereo effect is desired Since the Model 3180 has two independent chan nels two independent mono signals may be processed with the stereo effect simultaneously 4 Power Cord 3 INTRODUCTION Why Reverberation Reverberation is an important part of our everyday experience of sound Without the natural ambience caused by multiple reflec tions and gradually decaying sound sources music especially would sound flat empty Figure 1 shows a typical response growth and decay of sound in a room ENERGY DENSITY PLAN View wl TIME ENERGY DENSITY 1B TIME ENERGY DENSITY PLAN VIEW w TIME gt E 8 o 3 3 amp 2 PLAN VIEN m TIME A two dimensional version of the growth and decay cf the soun in a room Here S is the source of sound and O the observation point A The direct sound energy D and the reflected sound energy Ri Rz Ra and Rae from the four walls B The addition of the second reflections Rs Re Ry and Re C A large number of reflections which approxima
4. Model 3180 REVERB UNIT Owners Manual TABLE OF CONTENTS i LOCATION OF CONTROLS Front panel 2 LOCATION OF CONNECTIONS Rear panel oooocommmcm ocm o 3 INTRODUCTION 4 INSTALLATION 5 APPLICATION NOTES 6 BLOCK DIAGRAM 7 SPECIFICATIONS SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WARNING READ BEFORE OPERATING 1 Read instructions aAll the safety and operating instruc tions shoud be read before the appliance is operates 2 Retar Instructions The safety and operating instruc tions shoud be retained for future reference w Heed Warnings All warnings on the appiance ard in the operating instructions should be adhered a 4 Follow Instructions All operating and use instructioss should be followed 5 Water and Moisture The appliance should not e used near waler tor example near amp batrub washbowl kitchen sink laundry tub in a wet basement or near a swimming pool etc 6 Ventilation The appliance should be situated so that its location or posit on does not interfere w th ils proper ven tilation For example the appliance should not be situated ona ned sola rug or similar surtace that may block the ventilation openings ar placed in a but ir installation such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through the ventilatior openings 7 Heat The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators heat
5. See Figure 2 FOSTEX 3180 PATCHBAY a REAR REVERB UNIT Wro MIXER INPUT Fig 2 All inputs and outputs of the 3180 connected to a patchbay In the absence of a patchbay but presuming a mixer you will probably want to connect your mixer s echo send aux send effects send aux out to the 3180 s line in Then connect the 3180 s line out to the mixer s echo return echo receive aux in buss in as shown in Figure 3 FOSTEX 350 ECHO SEND AUX OUT FOSTEX 3180 REVERB UNIT ECHO RCV BUSS IN Fig 3 Typical hook up with a mixer ECHO SEND AUX OUT FOSTEX 3180 p REVERB UNIT TO INPUT CHANNELS Fig 4 Alternate hook up with a mixer As an alternative patch you might want to connect the output of the 3180 to the mixer s input channel s for further signal processing of the reverberated audio and console controlled mixing of the dry to reverb sound as shown in Figure 4 Another variation would be to connect the outputs of a stereo tape recorder directly to the 3180 and mix the final dry to reverb ratio as you make a dub This method is an effective way to enhance old 2 track tapes you may have made before you had a reverberation unit 4 Front Panel Connections The standard phone jacks on the front panel will probably be your typical patch source on the road But they will also be useful in the studio when a sudden inspi
6. d cheap sounding reverberation units Your Fostex Model 3180 is a shining example of how modern technology has achieved a remarkably natural reverb sound at a remarkably reasonable price It was clear that springs were perfectly capable of generating a natural reverberant characteristic or quality ft was also known that the size mass and material of the springs were determining factors in the quality of the sound 4 INSTALLATION 1 Placement Be sure that your 3180 is positioned away from other trans ducers especially loudspeakers This is a mechanically sensitive device which is susceptible to transmission of loud sounds in the immediate acoustic environment NOTE The 3180 has magnets inside so avoid putting tapes especially on top of the unit 2 Power It is advisable to turn the power switch on in advance of using the unit and to avoid contact with the chassis while in use Sudden power surges and accidental bumps will be audible as un wanted pings and boings NOTE Long cable runs more than ten or twelve feet are notoriously susceptible to interference and are therefore not recommended 3 Hook up As a general rule for a fixed application like mixdown if you connect the rear panel jacks to a patchbay like the Fostex Model 3010 you ll have the most flexible access to the unit Then you can use jumper cables like assign switches and be able to patch and re patch the 3180 wherever you want it in the signal path
7. ng n structions All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel WARNING To avoid possible electric shock hazard do not expose this appilance to rain or molsture There are no user serviceable parts inside Refer servicing to qualified service personnel FRONT PANEL REAR PANEL 1 LOCATION OF CONTROLS Front panel 1 Input Jacks Each channel is accessible from either front panel standard phone jacks or rear panel standard pin jacks When both are con nected signal from the front panel input has priority the rear panel input then has a no signal status 2 Input Level Control When this control is open full CW position the minimum level required to drive the unit adequately is 30dBV 30 mv Normal operation requires a nominal adjustment to match the input signal level to that required by the drive circuit of the spring unit 104BV is considered normal line level 3 Overload Indicator This LED ignites at limiter threshold indicating an overload signal status just prior to the drive circuit As a limiter is provided program material with relatively few fast transients will be processed accurately even though the LED occasionally blinks With predominant fast transient program material however the input level should be adjusted if the LED blinks frequently 4 Output Dry g Controls the output level of the unprocessed signals 5 Output Reverb Controls the output level
8. of the processed signals As the 3180 features a stereo effect return a single shaft two ganged pot is used for the output control The signals at the output jacks will be a mix of dry to reverb as determined by the settings of these controls NOTE For those occasions when you want to control the dry to reverb mix at the console simply turn the Dry Output control fully CCW 6 Input Mix On Off Off will be your normal position for processing stereo signals On will be the position to select when you want to mix two input channels or split one input to two channels 7 Reverb Remote On Off Jack This jack accepts the Fostex Model 8030 remote foot pedal control or equivalent When in use this optional accessory allows you to turn the reverberation processing on and off as the dry signal is either allowed to pass PA or not allowed mixdown See Application Notes page 9 8 Output Jacks Each channel is accessible from either front panel standard phone jacks or rear panel standard pin jacks wired in parallel NOTE When the output level controls are at maximum there is a 1 V output present at these jacks 9 Power Switch When depressed an LED 10 will ignite to indicate power on 10 Power Indicating LED 2 LOCATION OF CONNECTIONS Rear panel 1 INPUT FOLDBACK The INPUT jack and the FOLDBACK jack are wired in parallel Wiring between the front panel phone type INPUT Jacks and these jacks on the rear panel are
9. ration hits and you want to connect a synthesizer for example quickly and without disturb ing your normal hook up Since the front panel jacks are wired in parallel and have priority over the rear panel it is extremely easy to make such a connection 5 Stereo Effect Because of the unique drive circuit in the 3180 you can achieve a sterea effect from a mono signal and open a new acoustic dimension right before your very ears See Figure 5 for connection FOSTEX 350 ECHO SEND MONO FOSTEX 3180 e e REVERB UNIT TO INPUT CHANNELS TWO Fig 5 Typical hook up of 3180 for stereo effect For example a lead vocal ordinarily occupies one track on the multitrack master and is mixed to center position during the mix down Usual procedure would be to pan the reverberated return either left or right of conter for an effect of added depth The 3180 however can process a single channel into two output signals with a random phase correlation for a superior stereo effect Using the same example the dry lead vocal would appear in the center position but the reverberated stereo return could be panned across the entire stereo panorama left to right for a much more realis tic presentation To our knowledge this is the first time such an effect has been available in a low cost unit 6 Remote Foot Pedal This optional accessory is useful for both on stage as well as in studio situations A live
10. registers stoves or other appliances including amplifiers that produce heat 8 Power Sources The appliance should ne connected to a power supply only of Ine type described in the operati g instructions or as marked on the appliance 9 Power Cord Protection Power supoly coros should De outed so that they are no likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them payng particular attention to cords at olugs convenience recep tacles and the point where they exit from the appliance a Ig we eov FR WN Cleaning The appliance should be cleared only as recommended py the manufacturer Nonuse Periods The power cord cf tne apoliance should be unplugged frorr the outle when left unused fer a long perioc of time Object and Liquid Entry Care should be taken so that objects do not lail and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure trrough openings 3 Damage Requiring Service The appliance shoulc be serviced by qualified service personnel when A the power supply cord or the plug has been damaged or B Objects have allen or iquid has been spilled into tne appliance or o The appliance has been exoosed to rain or o The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibils a marked change in per ormance ar m The applance as been dropped or Ine eric osure damagec Servicing The user should not attempt to service the app ance beyond tha described in the operati
11. sa 4 es REVERS REMOTE 9 p EE ll se severe ime foen E E T se aue Forcea m semen our CHANNEL 2 MOTE OME OF TWO CHANNELS SiON 7 SPECIFICATIONS Input Input Impedance Input Level Output Normal Normal Stereo Output Load Impedance Output level Maximum output level Reverberation decay time Pre Delay Time Frequency range Dry Reverb T H D Dry Signal to Noise Ratio Dry Reverb Power Requirements Dimensions Weight Optional accessories Unbal phone jack Front panel Unbal RCA phono jack Rear panel 50 Kohms Minimum 30dB 30mV Maximum 30dB 30V Unbal phone jack Front panel Unbal RCA Phono jack Rear panel Unbal RCA Phono jack Rear panel 5 Kohms or higher OdB 1V adjustable 174B 7V 3 sec ref to 1 KHz 24 msec 20 Hz 20 KHz 200 Hz 7 KHz Less than 0 02 80dB unwt d 82dB wtd 589B unwt d 60dB wtd 120V AC 60 Hz 9W U S A Canadian models 220V AC 50 Hz 9W European models 240V AC 50 Hz 9W UK Australian models 100 120 220 240V AC 50 60 Hz 9W General export models 17 W x 3 1 2 H x 8 1 4 D 430 W x 88 H x 210 D mm Net 8 1 4 lbs 3 7 Kg Shipping 9 lbs 4 1 Kg Model 9903 Rack mount adaptor Model 8050 Foot switch Specifications subject to change without notice FOStex FOSTEX CORPORATION 512 Miyazawa cho Akishima Tokyo Japan FOSTEX CORPORATION OF AMERICA 15431 Blackburn Ave Norwalk CA 90650 U S A
12. te steady state conditions D The decay of sound energy after the source has stopped Source Journal of the Audio Enginecring Society Vol 6 No 1 Used with permission Fig 1l Since all reverberation devices are designed to simulate the natural characteristics of rooms it would seem logical to design a room specifically for reverberation purposes Chambers as they are called are still very much in use today But they are enormously impractical for most people because of custom construction non parallel surfaces and special materials lead or concrete for true isolation The need for artificial reverberation devices grew dramatically with the advent of multitrack recording techniques Close micing techniques highly absorbent rooms even isolation booths were all developed to help the engineer isolate individual instruments on separate tracks during the recording process Each track would be as tight and sonically pure as possible in order to have almost limitless flexibility during the mixdown process where the final version is rendered The enhancement of reverberation added selectively track by track gave the engineer more control over the overall mix And by varying the reverb effect dynamically a sound could be made to move closer or further away as well as left and right across the stereo panorama Today of course there are many elaborate and expensive reverberation devices There are also a few simple an
13. xperiment by all means You run very little risk of damaging anything other than your ego And you may well find a grain of truth in the cynical re statement of a famous maxim Nothing succeeds like excess Subjective Value Judgments No matter how classically pure your tastes and inclina tions it s a relatively easy matter to listen through 10 music with a lot of compression limiting and filtering FM radio is a prime example But an overdose of reverb where everything begins to sound mushy and muddy is awfully difficult for most people to tolerate Of course the very point in question here is that terms such as overdose mushy and muddy are ali subject to personal evaluation Reverberation units like speakers and microphones are ultimately a matter of personal opinion Naturally we have a rather high regard of your personal opinion because you purchased a 3180 which in our opinion represents the best value for a product of its kind on the market today We thank you for that purchase and we wish you much success in all your recording endeavors In the course of your experimentation if you should find a particularly satisfying reverb effect from the 3180 please send us the details and we ll be happy to pass the information along to other discerning customers who like you had the good sense and personal taste to buy a Fostex 3180 6 BLOCK DIAGRAM CHANNEL pe
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