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Grace Design m102

1. 60Hz VW max GRACE DESIGN BOULDER CO USA Em LINE INPUT Balanced line inputs XLR wired pin 2 positive pin 3 negative and pin 1 ground TRS wired tip positive ring negative and sleeve ground LINE OUT Balanced line outputs XLR wired pin 2 positive pin 3 negative and pin 1 ground TRS wired tip positive ring negative and sleeve ground STEREO LINK SIDECHAIN This 1 4 input accepts either the connection from another m102 for linking compressor controls for stereo use or an external side chain signal source to control the compressor for ducking or de essing applications In sidechain mode the connection is unbalanced with only the tip connected so simply use an unbalanced 1 4 connector Link mode requires a TRS 1 4 inch cable prong AC power cable is included with the m102 For safety the power supply cord must be connected to a grounded outlet The Disconnect Device for the m102 is the Mains plug or the Appliance Coupler on the power supply cord The Disconnect Device must remain accessible and operable f POWER SUPPLY A universal input AC supply provides mains power to the m102 A standard three Installing and Connecting UNPACKING Your m102 box includes the m102 an AC power cable this owner s manual a warranty card a set of 4 adhesive rubber feet and a 10 32 x 3 8 machine screw If any of these items are missing let your dealer or us know and we will expedite the missing item to you We strongly encou
2. This knob sets how quickly or slowly the compressor circuit attenuates the incoming signal 4 RELEASE seconds This knob sets how quickly or slowly the compressor circuit releases its attenuation of the incoming signal 5 RATIO The ratio control determines the input output ratio for signals above the threshold level Higher ratios result in more aggressive gain reduction while lower ratios will result in more gentle gain reduction 10 SIDECHAIN LINK NORMAL This switch is to activate either a linking of two m102 s for use in stereo compression scenarios or b to activate external side chain control of the compressor for ducking de essing etc or c for normal compressor operation OUTPUT The output control provides 20dB of variable level control at the output of the m102 from 10dB to 10dB This control is useful for small level adjustments during tracking or for compression gain makeup POWER OUT IN SWITCH This 3 position switch activates the power supply circuitry and engages the compressor circuitry PEAK INDICATOR The LED peak indicator which monitors the signal at the output of the compressor illuminates green at 10dBu and red at 20dBu 6dB before clipping GR METER This 10 segment meter displays the amount of gain reduction being applied to a signal in the compression circuit Rearpanel Connections Aq STEREO LINK Y OUTPUT J Om SIDECHAIN INPUT oe JD CES RoHS COMPLIANT 100 240V 50
3. bombproof reliability at a reasonable price We sincerely hope our products help you achieve a new level of excellence in your work The Grace Design Team Contents N Important Safety Information 3 Safety Marking Symbols 3 Features 4 Front Panel Controls Features 4 Rearpanel Connections 5 Installing and Connecting 6 Operation 6 Technical Specifications 10 Warranty Information 11 Manual Revisions 12 d Important Safety Information GENERAL Indoor use only Ordinary Protection This equipment should not be exposed to dripping or splashing Avoid placing objects filled with liquids such as vases or glasses on this equipment Class Equipment grounded type Electrical rating 100 240V 50 60Hz 14W Mains supply voltage fluctuations are not to exceed 10 of the nominal supply voltage Pollution Degree 2 Installation Overvoltage Category II for transient overvoltages Maximum Relative Humidity lt 80 Operation temperature range 10 C to 40 C Storage and transportation temperature range 40 C to 70 C Maximum altitude 3000m 9843 ft Equipment suitable for continuous operation Weight 1 1kg 2 4 Ibs Safety Marking Symbols CAUTION READ ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS This symbol located on the equipment and in this manual refers to important instructions Read this manual thoroughly before operating this equipment WARNING ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD This symbol located on the equipment a
4. displaying how the compressor is working If all the lights are on you are probably SQUASHING IT If only the first three are lighting up you are applying gentle compression The meter is a good place to start in getting the proper setting but it doesn t necessarily mean that it sounds right As always let your ears be your guide SETTING THE OUTPUT CONTROL The OUTPUT control provides 20dB of variable level control at the output of the m102 After setting your desired input and threshold levels you can set the over all output of the m102 with this control Use the OUTPUT to properly match to the input of your converter interface or whatever is next in your signal path Also your signal level may have been be reduced by heavy compression settings so the OUTPUT control can also be used to provide makeup gain PEAK LED The PEAK LED is used to monitor any peaks within the m102 It turns green at 15dBu and red at 20dBu The m102 s internal headroom is 26dBu so occasional red is fine just a warning that you are 6dB away from clipping If the light is mostly red then you are probably clipping the unit all your gear downstream 10 Technical Specifications GAIN RANGE Input Trim 10 10dB Output Trim 10 10dB Compression Threshold Range 15 15 dBu Attack Range 3 200 ms Release Range 0 03 3s Ratio Range 1 1 12 1 Gain Reduction 0 20dB THD N
5. gt 3 LS LE Dp fc 5 MIO Optical Compressor info gracedesign com www gracedesign com Owner s Manual RevA 2434 30th Street Boulder CO 80301 USA all contents Grace Design LunatecLLC tel 303 443 7454 fax 303 444 4634 SRACE 098765432 IGR stca o 50 7 I E 5 S 3 200 6 threshold 2 attack release I0 OUTPUT Welcome and thanks for purchasing the Grace Design m102 optical compressor We build all of our products to be completely reliable and easy to use so you can concentrate on making great recordings not struggling with complicated equipment or difficult product manuals While you will find the m102 is completely straightforward to use we do ask that you spend a little time reading this manual to help avoid any common user difficulties In the event that you do encounter any technical difficulties with this or any of our products feel free to call us at 303 443 7454 Our office hours are 9 00 to 5 00 Monday through Friday MST or you may e mail any technical questions to info gracedesign com Also please check out our web site for complete product information owner s manuals and technical documents Grace Design has been building audiophile quality products for the recording industry for over 18 years The technology in the m102 is the result of extensive listening field testing and careful refinement Your m102 represents a combination of absolutely pristine audio performance robust mechanical construction and
6. level at which the compressor begins to attenuate the incoming signal This control can also be loosely thought of as compression amount as a high threshold setting counterclockwise will result in only the dynamically highest passages of signal to be attenuated while everything below that threshold is unaffected by the circuit Conversely a lower threshold means more of the signal at the input of the circuit will be attenuated resulting in more compression Begin with the knob fully counterclockwise and the compressor switched ON then slowly begin turning clockwise until you begin to compress the signal You will hear the signal compress and you will begin to see the GR meter light up The lower the threshold setting the more the incoming signal will be attenuated and the more lights will light up on the GR meter SETTING THE ATTACK RATE The rate at which you want the compressor to start the attenuation of the signal attack phase depends on the character or envelope of the signal entering the compressor If the signal has sharp or fast attack percussive sounds snare drum that you wish to attenuate select a fast attack rate to sense the initial impulse of the signal and attenuate it in time If you want the compressor to react slower and not attenuate the initial impulse of the signal select a longer attack time Using a slower attack time may be more appropriate with signals with a slower more gradual envelope strings woodwinds
7. 1kHz 22Hz 22kHz BW OdB Gain 10dBu out lt 0 002 INTERMODULATION DISTORTION OdB Gain 20dBu out SMPTE DIN 4 1 7kHz 50Hz lt 0 007 OUTPUT NOISE 22Hz 22kHz BW 0dB Gain lt 84dB CMRR 0GB Gain 3 5Vcm 100Hz gt 75dB 1kHz gt 75dB 10kHz gt 75dB FREQUENCY RESPONSE OGB Gain 3dB 0 016Hz 150kHz IMPEDANCE Line In 24kO Main Out balanced 3500 Main Out unbalanced 1500 Link In side chain mode 100kO LEVEL METERS Output Peak Indicator Green 15dBu Red 20dBu Gain Reduction Meter 0 10dB Gain Reduction MAXIMUM OUTPUT LEVEL 100k Ohm load 0 1 THD 26dBu WEIGHT and DIMENSIONS 2 4 Ibs H1 7 x W8 5 x D9 0 1 1 kg H4 3cm x W21 6cm x D22 8cm POWER CONSUMPTION 100 240VAC 5 Watts Max Warranty Information 1 Grace Design warrants all of our products to be free of defective parts and workmanship for a period of five years This warranty period begins at the original date of purchase and is transferable to any person who may sub sequently purchase the product during this time This warranty excludes the following conditions normal wear and tear misuse customer negligence ac cidental damage unauthorized repair or modification cosmetic damage and damage incurred during ship ment During the time of this warranty Grace Design will repair or replace at its option any defective parts or re pair defective workmanship without charge provided the c
8. SETTING THE RELEASE RATE The rate at which you want the circuit to release its attenuation of the signal release phase is set with the release control This is the functional opposite of the attack control If the signal has a shorter decay it may be best to set a shorter release time A helpful approach to setting the attack and release time may be to consider the basic pulse of the signal you re compressing To avoid the typical artifact known as pumping where you can clearly hear the compressor working it is important to set the attack and release times to match the signal to where they are moving naturally with the dynamic fluctuations of the signal SETTING THE RATIO The compressor s ratio control is used to set input output ratio of signals above the threshold For instance a setting of 3 1 means that if the incoming signal is 3dB over the threshold level that signal will leave the compressor around 1dB over the threshold level The highest setting of this control is 12 1 meaning that signals far over the threshold setting are reduced by a much higher ratio more compression So lower ratio settings mean lighter compression amounts We recommend starting with lower ratios and working upward as necessary SIDECHAIN CONTROL Normally the compressor s sidechain circuit uses the internal audio signal to trigger its response But in sidechain mode the sidechain circuit uses an external signal input from the SIDECHAIN LINK IN ja
9. ck on the rearpanel to determine how the compressor responds Examples of using an external sidechain signal include ducking and de essing Ducking is an effect used to automatically reduce the level of one signal when another signal is present Think of a DJ s microphone automatically reducing the level of the music when they are speaking It involves routing a separate signal from a microphone or any other source into the sidechain input of the m102 This signal is what the compressor reacts to and thereby would typically reduce or duck the level of the main signal in the m102 You would use the compressor controls to determine the amount rate and duration that incoming signal ducks the main signal De essing is used to decrease excessive sibilant s or sh sounds in a voice This is accomplished by inserting a copy of the signal into the sidechain input which has been equalized by an external equalizer to emphasize the frequency where the sibilance lies usually 6 9k This inserted signal makes the compressor react to and thereby reduce only the places in the signal where troublesome sibilance lies There are many other functional and creative ways to use sidechain input more than can be illustrated here Again the more you know the more powerful it can be LINK CONTROL This feature is used to link two m102 compressors together for stereo bus compression To use this feature simply run a standard 1 4 TRS cable between tw
10. f the above may not apply to a particular customer 11 Manual Revisions Lee Page Change Date Initials fafa iniatrelease SCS BOBO E
11. nd in this manual indicates the potential for electrical shock hazard SERVICE INFORMATION The Grace Design m102 contains no user serviceable components Contact Grace Design for repair and upgrade information In the event that your Grace Design m102 needs to be returned to the factory please contact us for a return authorization number Features e Elegantly simple purist feedback design optical compressor for signal leveling with a minimum of sonic artifacts Subtle dynamic control to heavy compression the sonic character of the source remains intact e Comprehensive control set includes input level threshold attack release ratio and makeup gain e Bright easy to read 10 segment LED gain reduction meters Bi color output peak LED lights green with signal present and red 6dB before clipping e Dual balanced inputs and outputs on XLR and 1 4 TRS e Bombproof laser etched black anodized frontpanel e Built in universal power supply e Five year transferable warranty on parts and labor e Madeinthe USA Front Panel Controls Features CRACE EEEE EE EE Te MIOr gt a 7 sidechain 150 amp 15 15 200 Pria threshold attack release ite 10 O OUTPUT 1 INPUT This knob adjust the input level of the m102 from 10 to 10dB 2 THRESHOLD This knob sets the minimum level at which the compressor circuit is activated with a range of 15dB to 15dB 3 ATTACK milliseconds
12. o m102 s rear panel link sidechain jacks Both units sidechain link switches must set to link In this mode the sidechain signals of both units are summed together into one With two units linked one is the master and the other the slave with the master s controls setting the compression threshold attach and release of both units The slaved unit s threshold control must be set to the highest full counterclockwise position NOTE The RATIO controls are not summed and must be set the same on both units Due to the slight unavoidable variances in the opto coupling devices completely summing the sidechain signals may result in a subtle shift in the stereo field one direction or the other So the RATIO controls remain independent to allow you to make final subtle corrections to the centering of the stereo image by ear GR METER This meter shows the amount of gain reduction being applied by the compressor The LED s illuminate right to left with one LED representing 1dB of gain reduction and ten LED s representing 10dB s of gain reduction or more Selecting a lower threshold setting will activate the compressor with relatively lower signal levels and will be reflected on the GR meter as more gain reduction Selecting a faster ATTACK time will show on the meter as the LED s turning on faster selecting a slower RELEASE will show on the GR meter as the LED s staying lit longer There is no correct setting for this meter it is simply
13. rage you to save the box supplied with your m102 It is specially designed to properly protect its valuable contents and in the unlikely event that you need to return it for service only these OEM shipping materials will ensure their safe return to our factory Also we ask you to register your unit with us as soon as possible We provide a 5 year warranty on all of our products but if you don t register your system it s hard for us to help you if and when help becomes necessary So please take a few minutes to complete the enclosed warranty registration card and mail it in or simply fill out the warranty registration form on our web site Thank you INSTALLING The m102 can sit on any flat surface or be installed in a standard 19 equipment rack tray The m102 does not run hot and requires no ventilation so it can be installed with equipment directly above and below it If leaving to sit on your desktop or monitor shelf install the 4 rubber feet to the bottom of the chassis to prevent scratching your chassis and surface RACKMOUNTING THE M102 The m102 chassis has a 10 32 threaded insert mounting hole on the bottom towards the back Two m102s can be mounted side by side in a standard 1U rack tray Use the supplied or any 10 32 x 3 8 machine screw Do not use a screw longer than 3 8 CONNECTING The m102 is easy to connect Simply plug a line source into either of the line inputs on the rear TRS or XLR This can be the ou
14. tput of a mic preamp or any other piece of equipment sending signal you wish to compress Then connect either of the outputs of the m102 to your recorder converter insert etc The outputs are parallel and both active so you can send identical signals to two separate pieces of gear downstream The 1 4 sidechain input accepts either the connection from another m102 for linking compressor controls for stereo use or an external side chain signal source to control the compressor for ducking or de essing applications If you are inserting a sidechain signal use an unbalanced 1 4 cable Link mode requires a balanced TRS 1 4 inch cable Operation The compressor circuit is based on an optical attenuator the purest high fidelity gain control mechanism available It provides gentle to fairly heavy compression while remaining neutral and transparent This compressor is not designed for brick wall limiting Similar to an eq dynamic range compression is a subjective tool there is no wrong way to use it However using a compressor in a way that produces the best results can be complicated and the more you know the better it will work If you are unsure about how a compressor works we highly recommend some reading ttp en wikipedia org It will pay greatly to understand the mechanism of dynamic range compression BEFORE you begin to record keeper tracks with the compressor on SETTING THE THRESHOLD The threshold is the
15. ustomer has appropriate proof of purchase and that the product has its original factory serial number Customers within the US are responsible for all inbound freight charges to Grace Design s facility while Grace Design will pay for return freight charges via ground service Customers outside the US must contact their distributor for warranty product return details In order for Grace Design to provide efficient and timely warranty service it is important that you mail the completed warranty registration card enclosed with all of our products within 10 days of the original date of purchase You may also register your product directly with Grace Design by telephone 303 443 7454 Monday Friday 9 00am to 5 00pm MST or you can register your product online at www gracedesign com This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties whether written expressed or implied INCLUDING ANY WAR RANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE In no event will Grace Design be liable for lost profits or any other incidental consequential or Exemplary damages even if Grace Design is aware of the possibility of such damages In no event will Grace Design s liability exceed the purchase price of the product This warranty gives the customer specific legal rights The customer may also have other rights which vary from state to state Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties or consequential damages so some of the limitations o

Grace Design m102

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