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O O w w n n e e r r ´ ´ s s
M M a a n n u u a a l l
SOUND PERFORMANCE LABORATORY
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SOUND PERFORMANCE LABORATORY EQ MAGIX Owner´s Manual by Hermann Gier Manual version 2.1/94 The information in this document has been carefully checked and is assumed to be correct. However Sound Performance Laboratory (SPL electronics GmbH) reserves the right to modify the product described in this manual at any time. This document is the property of SPL electronics GmbH and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner, in part or full without the authorization of SPL electronics GmbH. Construc
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Foreword 4 Contents Introduction 4 The concept of sound processing in the EQ MAGIX 7 Installation 9 Inputs & outputs 9 Power supply 10 Rear panel 11 Connection examples 11 Control elements Input Mic /Line 12 Line -30dB 12 Peak 13 Phase reverse 13 48V phantom power supply 13 Insert 14 Parametric Active 15 Frequency 15 Boost/Cut (+/-) 16 Bandwidth Q 17 Q Fine 17 Notch 17 Deleting an interference frequeny 19 Introduction into the Vitalizer 20 The control elements of the Vitalizer Active 22 +10dB 22
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Dear customer, Foreword Thank you for the confidence you have shown towards SPL electronics GmbH by purchasing the SPL EQ MAGIX. The EQ MAGIX is a first-rate Equalizer with exemplary specifications, excellent workmanship and unri- valled sound quality. Please study this owner´s manual carefully so that you can make the most of the wide range of possible applications offered by the EQ MAGIX and to ensure ease of operation. We have tried to write this manual in such a way that it is easy to under-
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equalizer of the EQ MAGIX is based on SVF design (state-variable-filter) and provides a operation frequency range between 14 Hz and 58 kHz. The integrated VITALIZER was developed by SPL and has achieved a significant degree of popularity over the years. The filter concept works on the basis of psychoacoustic sound principles and is therefore ideal to achieve creative sound effects. The combination of a flexible parametric EQ and VITALIZER means that the EQ MAGIX is not only predestined to proces
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® ® 4. VITALIZER : The VITALIZER is an equalizer concept which makes use of scientific psychoacoustic technology to process audio signals. The unique combination of dynamic equalizers, amplitude-controlled phase correction and harmonic filtering in the VITALIZER opens up a whole new listening dimension by adapting the sound pattern to the non-linearities of the ® ® T Th he e V VI IT TA AL LI IZ ZE ER R human ear. The VITALIZER is thus the creative element amongst the EQ iin n t th he e E EQ Q
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The EQ MAGIX features a PARAMETRIC constant-Q equaliser combined The concept of with the VITALIZER equaliser system. This combination of filters is based on the assumption that after succes- sound processing sful microphoning, you only have one problem zone, if at all, that needs to be equalized. The VITALIZER provides all the necessary circuitry for creative in the EQ MAGIX sound post-processing. The EQ MAGIX provides a total of five processing ranges: the PARAME- TRIC section provides an extre
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The VITALIZER is the creative sound The VITALIZER is the creative sound component in the EQ MAGIX. It works component in the EQ MAGIX. »intelligently«, provided the appropriate parameters are preselected. This means that it does not just raise or lower a certain frequency range but analyses the signal and reacts to it, influencing the frequency and phase response in a sophisticated fashion. Independently of the potentiometer settings on the front panel, the The internal signal processing of VITA
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The housing of the EQ MAGIX has the standard 19" EIA format and Installation occupies 1 height unit (1 U = 44 mm) in your rack. When installing the unit in a 19" rack, the rear side of the unit needs some support, especially in a Touring Case. The EQ MAGIX should not be installed near units which produce strong magnetic fields or extreme heat. Do not install the EQ MAGIX directly above or below power amplifiers or digital processors. If possible, the EQ MAGIX should be placed in an »analog rack«
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Special attention has been paid to the power supply of the EQ MAGIX. Power supply The power pack is the heart of any unit, and the more accurately it works, the more this improves results. The power supply is installed around a toroidal-core transformer which A stable and well-filtered toro- does not cause any electronic humming or mechanical sounds as a result of idal-core power supply provides its minimum leakage field. The primary voltage can be switched between the basis for good sound proce
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E EQ Q M MA AG GI IX X r re ea ar r p pa an ne el l Rear panel electronically balanced mic/line input; pin 2 = hot / pin 3 = cold unbalanced INSERT SEND/RETURN jacks outputs: XLR (balanced, +6dB) and jack (unbalanced, 0dB) mains voltage selector: 220-240V / 50Hz or 100-120V / 60Hz GND LIFT switch and binding post for alternative ground connection mains inlet connector for non-heating appliances with detachable 3-pole mains cable Connection examples Output 3 & 4 Output 1 & 2 Send Return Mic
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Control 6 1 5 elements Input 2 3 4 The INPUT stage of the EQ MAGIX is based on the SSM 2017 semicon- Mic / Line 1 ductor. The strengths of this particular component are its extremely low noise and distortion characteristics. Unlike discretely designed circuits, the SSM 2017 has 64 transistor functions (discretely up to 24), thus achieving a common mode rejection of over 90 dB (measured at INSERT SEND). Preamplification of the input signal is determined by the MIC/LINE control. The control range
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The INPUT section of the EQ MAGIX is equipped with a PEAK LED which Peak 3 lights up approximately 3 dB below the value which would signify poten- tial overdriving of the output (INSERT SEND). The headroom of the INPUT stage is around 26.5 dB. The PEAK LED does not indicate the overdriving limit of the PARAMETRIC stage, as this varies, depending on the values set on the EQ. The PARAMETRIC stage has a lower headroom limit (+22 dB) when the stage is activated and the BOOST/CUT control is on 0dB. I
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All microphones with balanced floating output, i.e. also microphones equipped with tubes can be used when the phantom voltage is switched on. W WA AR RN NI IN NG G: : I It t iis s e es ss se en nt tiia al l t to o s sw wiit tc ch h t th he e p ph ha an nt to om m s su up pp pl ly y o of ff f iif f o ot th he er r t ty yp pe es s o of f m miic cr ro op ph ho on ne es s a ar re e u us se ed d. . A A l liin ne e s siig gn na al l s so ou ur rc ce e o or r a an n u un nb b
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11 10 9 7 Parametric 8 12 The ACTIVE function switches the PARAMETRIC equalizer on or off. If the Active 7 switch has been pressed, the integrated LED indicates that the PARAMETRIC section has been activated. The ACTIVE funciton is a so-called "electronic bypass". Any DC voltages are filtered out via coupling capacitors. To increase the operational safety of the monitor loudspeakers, you should, however, avoid switching the parameters on or off at a loud monitor volume levels. At high amplitudes
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Practical applications bring accurate processing of subwoofer tracks to mind, along with a problem which modern recording procedures (PCM, hard disk, samplers etc.) frequently involve; here, the frequencies recorded are often in the infra-sonic frequency range (digital coding). When they are reproduced (which involves D/A conversion), low-frequency signal portions can cause phase distortions in the audible range, creating secondary effects which cannot be corrected subsequently. The EQ MAGIX can
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When the Q potentiometer is turned to the extreme left, the bandwidth Q 10 around the selected centre frequency is very narrow. This is known as »high Q« with a value of Q3.6. When it is turned to the extreme right, the selected bandwidth is of maximum width, i.e. »low Q«. The value is Q0.6. The bandwidth factor is calculated from the width of the frequency curve on the -3 dB points relative to the 0 dB line. The below diagram shows various Q values at a centre frequency of 1 kHz: The Q-FINE swi
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ristics can be altered from GENTLE to STEEP, (also see point 9: BOOST/CUT , page 16). I Im mp po or rt ta an nt t: : If you switch on the NOTCH mode, the bandwidth control Q must be set at 0.6 (extreme right), so as to ensure a 1:1 level ratio with the original signal. Narrower notches can be obtained if the Q control is turned to the extreme left. However, then the output level is also reduced by around 20dB. Figure 4 shows the curves for the NOTCH with GENTLE and STEEP characte- ristics at Q0.
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Two possibilities are available with the EQ MAGIX to delete a interfe- Deleting an rence frequency: interference 1. The CUT mode with max. attenuation of 15 dB 2. The NOTCH mode with max. attenuation of 30 to 50 dB. frequency In order to localize and delete an interference frequency proceed as follows: 1.a) Activate the PARAMETRIC stage. 1.b) Set the Q control to the smallest bandwidth (extreme left, Q 3.6) 1.c) Set the BOOST/CUT control to max. BOOST (extreme right,+15 dB). This helps to loca
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Introduction into ® the VITALIZER If you are working with a VITALIZER filter network for the very first time, it is advisable to operate the control parameters in a certain order to achieve optimum results as quickly as possible. You should use a mono signal of good quality as a signal source. You can either preamplify it in the INPUT section or feed it directly into the INSERT RETURN, so that the signal goes directly into the PARAMETRIC section. The initial settings on the VITALIZER The pictu
