Reference Manual This page intentionally left blank 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Table Of Contents Introduction ......................................................3 Important Safety Instructions.......................7 Chapter One: Quick Start Guide ...................15 If you can't wait to get started ..................................................................15 Step 1: Hook it up to a mixer ......................................................................15 Step 2: Try some effects ...............................................................................16 Connecting to an Instrument or Microphone..........................................18 Connecting to the Effects Send and Return of a Mixing Console ............................................................................................................18 Connecting to the Channel Inserts of a Mixing Console......................19 Connecting to the Main Inserts of a Mixing Console............................20 Connecting to the Inserts of an Instrument Amplifier .........................20 About Audio Cables ......................................................................................21 Bypass Footswitch..............................................................22 MIDI In and Out..................................................................22 Editing Programs ...............................................................23 Storing Your Edits..............................................................24 Chapter Two: Connections .............................17 Chapter Three: Editing ...................................23 Chapter Four: Description of Programs............................................................25 Reverb Effects 0 - 11...........................................................25 0 HALL...........................................................................................................25 1 VOCAL HALL..........................................................................................26 2 VOCAL PLATE........................................................................................26 3 DRUM ROOM..........................................................................................26 4 SPACE .........................................................................................................26 5 TRASH CAN .............................................................................................27 6 GATED.......................................................................................................27 7 REVERSE ..................................................................................................27 8 DYNAMIC REVERB..............................................................................27 9 FLANGED REVERB............................................................................28 10 PITCHED REVERB.............................................................................28 11 G GARAGE ............................................................................................28 Delay Effects 12 - 18 ...........................................................29 12 DELAY .....................................................................................................29 13 STEREO DELAY ..................................................................................29 14 RUNAWAY ..............................................................................................30 15 LPF DELAY ............................................................................................30 16 HPF DELAY ...........................................................................................30 17 BPF DELAY............................................................................................30 18 PHASOR DELAY..................................................................................31 1 Table Of Contents Pitch Effects 19 - 29 ...........................................................31 19 PHASOR 1...............................................................................................31 20 PHASOR 2...............................................................................................31 21 AUTOPHAZ ...........................................................................................32 22 FLANGER...............................................................................................32 23 INV FLANGER .....................................................................................32 24 DUAL TRANSPOSER..........................................................................32 25 STEREO DETUNE..............................................................................33 26 FREQUENCY SHIFT ..........................................................................33 27 CHORUS..................................................................................................33 28 VIBRATO .................................................................................................33 29 VIBRO-WOBBLE...................................................................................33 Filter Effects 30 - 38 ...........................................................34 30 BAND LIMIT .........................................................................................34 31 LP BP HP...............................................................................................34 32 LFO LP....................................................................................................34 33 AUTOWAH .............................................................................................35 34 FORMANTS ...........................................................................................35 35 SAMPLED BPF......................................................................................35 36 RESONATOR.........................................................................................35 37 VOCO-BEND.........................................................................................36 38 VOCODER..............................................................................................36 Distortion Effects 39 - 43 ...................................................36 39 RECORD NOISE..................................................................................36 40 TAPE SATURATOR.............................................................................36 41 FUZZ ........................................................................................................36 42 DECIMATOR.........................................................................................37 43 GRINDER ...............................................................................................37 Miscellaneous Effects 44 - 49............................................37 44 RING MODULATOR..........................................................................37 45 RMS LIMITER .......................................................................................37 46 SUB BASS.................................................................................................38 47 TREMOLO..............................................................................................38 48 AUTOPAN...............................................................................................38 49 VOCAL CANCEL ..................................................................................38 Chapter Five: MIDI ..........................................39 MIDI Program Change ................................................................................39 Setting the MIDI Channel............................................................................39 "Soft" MIDI Thru.........................................................................................39 Using MIDI Continuous Controllers.........................................................40 Chapter Six: Troubleshooting .......................41 Specifications....................................................43 Warranty/Contact Alesis .................................45 Program Chart..................................................47 2 Introduction Welcome! Thank you for making the Alesis AkiraTM a part of your studio. Since 1984, we've been designing and building creative tools for the audio community. We believe in our products, because we've heard the results that creative people like you have achieved with them. One of Alesis' goals is to make high-quality studio equipment available to everyone, and this Reference Manual is an important part of that. After all, there's no point in making equipment with all kinds of capabilities if no one explains how to use them. So, we try to write our manuals as carefully as we build our products. The goal of this manual is to get you the information you need as quickly as possible, with a minimum of hassle. We hope we've achieved that. If not, please drop us an email and give us your suggestions on how we could improve future editions of this manual. We hope your investment will bring you many years of creative enjoyment and help you achieve your goals. Sincerely, The people of Alesis For more effective service and product update notices, please register your Akira online at: http://www.alesis.com/ support/warranty.htm 3 Introduction About the Akira Alesis, the company that created affordable effects processing with the introduction of the MidiVerb, now offers the Akira Effects Processor. Following in the grand tradition of the MidiVerb, MicroVerb and NanoVerb products, the Akira comes complete with 100 studio quality 24-bit digital effects in a compact, industry standard 19" rack mount package. The Akira is suitable for use in everything from guitar rigs to professional recording studios. Akira Key Features o 50 preset studio quality 24-bit effects including: § 12 Reverbs (halls, rooms and non-linear) § 7 Delays (mono, stereo and filtered § 11 Pitch Effects (phasor, flanger, chorus, vibrato and harmonizer) § 9 Filter Effects (including vocoder) § 5 Distortion Effects § 6 Miscellaneous Effects (including a vocal eliminator and limiter) 50 user locations to store your custom edits of the presets. Three parameter knobs (X, Y and Z) for quick editing of each program's most important effect settings. MIDI program select. MIDI parameter control. High-quality 24-bit true stereo signal path. Balanced input and output for optimum noise rejection. Switchable level control from +4dBu to ­ 10dBV for both professional and consumer applications. Easy, consistent operation from the front panel with no paging through windows of parameters on cryptic LCDs. Internal switching power supply for easy worldwide operation. o o o o o o o o o 4 Introduction What You Can Do With Your Akira When you have the Akira properly connected, you can: o o o o add space or "room sound" to dry or sterile sounds using the Halls, Rooms and Reverse reverberators. generate echoes (multiple repeats) with different spectral characteristics to your source with the Delay programs. create lively ensemble effects from a single instrument or static section using the Chorus and Phasor programs. introduce classic warm, metallic sweeping effects that simulate analog tape fluctuation using the Flange programs. reproduce the classic guitar amp Tremolo effect on both instruments and vocals. animate your instruments with an arcane synthesized edge by applying the LFO-driven Filter effects and Ring Modulator. shape the tone of your source material with several static Filters in the spirit of vintage and modern modular synthesizers. move your polite-sounding instruments and vocals into aggressive territory using the palette of Distortion effects. add punch, warmth and character to your tracks with the compressor ­ limiter effects. remove the vocal and other lead instruments from an existing recording with the Vocal Eliminator program. o o o o o o 5 Introduction How to Use This Manual This manual is divided into the following sections describing the various functions and applications for the Akira. While it's a good idea to read through the entire manual once carefully, those having general knowledge about studio equipment should use the table of contents to look up specific functions. Chapter 1: Quick Start. If you're already experienced with recording, this will get you started using the Akira right away. It's a short guide to the essential elements of hooking it up and using it for the first time. A brief tour of the front and back panels is included. Chapter 2: Connection give detailed instructions for connecting the Akira to a variety of typical audio systems. Chapter 3: Editing tells how you can easily edit and store the three most important parameters of each Akira program. Chapter 4: Description of Programs gives you a detailed explanation of each of the Akira ...