User's Manual VXP MICROPHONE SMART PRE-AMPLIFIER COMPRESSOR DE­ESSER EXPANDER SEMI­PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER USER'S MANUAL Version 1.0 © 1999, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Incorporated. All rights reserved. WARRANTY PreSonus Limited Warranty PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc. warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of original retail purchase. This warranty is enforceable only by the original retail purchaser. To be protected by this warranty, the purchaser must complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 14 days of purchase. During the warranty period PreSonus shall, at its sole and absolute option, either repair or replace, free of charge, any product that proves to be defective on inspection by PreSonus or its authorized service representative. To obtain warranty service, the purchaser must first call or write PreSonus at the address and telephone number printed below to obtain a Return Authorization Number and instructions of where to return the unit for service. All inquiries must be accompanied by a description of the problem. All authorized returns must be sent to the PreSonus repair facility postage prepaid, insured and properly packaged. PreSonus reserves the right to update any unit returned for repair. PreSonus reserves the right to change or improve the design of the product at any time without prior notice. This warranty does not cover claims for damage due to abuse, neglect, alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel, and is limited to failures arising during normal use that are due to defects in material or workmanship in the product. Any implied warranties, including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are limited in duration to the length of this limited warranty. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitation may not apply to you. In no event will PreSonus be liable for incidental, consequential or other damages resulting from the breach of any express or implied warranty, including, among other things, damage to property, damage based on inconvenience or on loss of use of the product, and, to the extent permitted by law, damages for personal injury. Some states do not allow the exclusion of limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which vary form state to state. This warranty only applies to products sold and used in the United States of America. For warranty information in all other countries please refer to your local distributor. PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. 7257 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (225) 216-7887 (800) 750-0323 www.presonus.com © 1999, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Overview 4 5 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Features 2 Controls & Connections 10 14 15 16 17 17 19 20 20 2.1 Front Panel Basic Layout 2.2 Mic Preamp Section 2.3 Smart Compressor 2.4 Expander 2.5 De ­ Esser 2.6 Equalizer 2.7 Master Section 2.8 Back Panel Wire Diagrams 2.9 Power Supply 3 Operation 22 22 22 22 22 3.1 Dynamic Microphones 3.2 Phantom Powered Microphones 3.3 Insertion Points 3.4 Using Return as Line-In 3.5 96k/24-Bit Digital Output Card 4 Technical 24 4.1 Specifications 3 1 OVERVIEW 1.1 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the PreSonus VXP Voice Processor with Microphone Preamplifier ­ De-Esser ­ Expander ­ 4 Band SemiParametric Equalizer. The VXP by PreSonus is the only voice processor on the market that features a transformer coupled, Class A Mic Pre, Preset Compressor, De-esser, Expander, 4 band semi-parametric EQ, Peak Limiter and an optional 96k/24 Bit digital output card. PreSonus Audio Electronics has designed the VXP utilizing high-grade components to insure optimum performance for an infinite period of time. We believe the VXP to be an exceptional sounding unit and an exceptional value. We encourage you to contact us at 1-800-750-0323 with any questions or comments you may have regarding your PreSonus equipment. We value your suggestions, highly. PreSonus Audio Electronics is committed to constant product improvement. We believe the best way to achieve our goal of constant product improvement is by listening to the real Experts on our gear, our valued customers. We appreciate the support you have shown us through the purchase of this product. Please pay close attention to how you connect your VXP to your system. Improper grounding is the most common cause of noise problems found in studio or "live" sound environments. We would like to suggest that you use this manual to familiarize yourself with the features, applications and correct connection procedure for your VXP before trying to hook it up to your system. Thank you, once again, for buying our product and may we wish you Good Luck and enjoy your VXP! 4 OVERVIEW 1.2 FEATURES The following information is a summary of your VXP's features: v Microphone Pre-Amplifier. Your VXP contains a Class A discrete input buffer followed by a dual servo gain stage. This arrangement results in ultra low noise and wide gain control allowing the VXP user to boost desirable signal without increasing unwanted background noise (NO capacitors!). Ø 48 Volt Phantom Power. The VXP has 48V Phantom power available. This assures optimum performance of your condenser microphones that require Phantom power and that the power supplied will be free of noise or distortion. Ø Pad. A 20dB pad is available for reducing the in-coming signal level. This pad provides a more manageable signal from high output devices giving greater control over the in-coming signal and a much reduced chance of over-driving the input and avoiding distortion. Ø +24dBu Headroom. The VXP mic-pre has +24 dBu of headroom. This feature gives you a very wide dynamic range and excellent transient response characteristics. 5 OVERVIEW Ø IDSS Control. The VXP offers a very high quality transformer and features an IDSS control (this control adjusts the drain current on the input FET amplifier altering the even harmonic levels of the signal being passed) with an adjustment range of 0% to 100%. The 0% position passes a pure signal. As the control is rotated to the 100% position, the signal's even harmonic series is boosted giving the signal "warmth" very much like a vacuum tube or similar to the sound of analog tape saturation. This remarkable effect gives you the sound of a tube without the headache of uneven performance often encountered with vacuum tube devices ("no tube to pick-up RF or to age and become "microphonic"). Ø LED Meter. LED metering provides an accurate reading of the input level and a fast reference of presence of signal. v Smart Compressor with Pre-Sets. The VXP is equipped with a Smart Compressor with 16 Pre-Sets designed especially for processing voice. Ø 16 Pre-Set Compression Curves. The Compressor section of the VXP has 16 pre-sets with varying degrees of compression ranging from multiple settings graded and labeled "Light", "Medium" and "Heavy". These easy-to-use preset parameters were derived from pro audio engineers with years of recording experience to provide VXP owners with a wide variety of "studio tested and proven" compression settings uniquely suited for virtually any singing style or vocal application. Ø In / Out. The In/Out switch lets you compare the compressed sound quickly to the uncompressed sound. v Expander. The VXP's Expander section utilizes a concentric 6 OVERVIEW control with the outer ring for threshold set and the inner knob for ratio adjustments. This feature gives you the benefit of seamless noise reduction through downward expansion ridding the signal of unwanted background noise. A 4 segment LED meter monitors the degree of expansion. v De - Esser. A variable De-Esser with a range of 800Hz to 8kHz removes unwanted sibilance (hiss or "S" sounds) while allowing the signal to remain completely natural. The Threshold control makes setting the De-Esser extremely precise and finetuning a simple process. Above the controller, a 4 segment LED shows the operation of the De-Esser and how much gain is reduced to eliminate the sibilance. v 4 Band Semi-Parametric Equalizer. Total tonal control is what the Equalizer section provides. Low and High Shelving coupled with Low Mid and High Mid controls with an extremely wide Frequency band and narrow "Q" will let you fine tune the sound to suit your taste with exacting precision. Ø Low Shelving. The Low frequency control is fixed at 100 HZ with plus or minus 12 dB giving ample boost or cut at the frequency. Ø Q Switch. A switchable Q function decreases or increases the width of the frequency control parameters. The frequency width is selectable from .5 or by a factor of 2. Ø Low Mid-Range. The Low Mid-Range control is a concentric control with the outer ring for Level adjustments of plus or minus 12 dB and the center knob for setting the frequency(90Hz to 700Hz) of boost or cut. 7 OVERVIEW Ø 80Hz. An 80Hz filter is provided for eliminating low frequency noise. This lets you greatly reduce background noise such as air conditioners or wind noise with the flick of a switch without effecting the desired frequencies. Ø In /Out Switch. An In /Out switch is provided to audition the signal in an equalized version as compared to a direct unaffected signal. Ø High Mid-Range. High Mid-Range is adjusted by way of a concentric controller with the outer ring for Level changes of up to plus or minus 12 dB and the center knob providing frequency control from 450 Hz(0.45 kHz) up to 5.8 kHz. Ø Q Switch. The High Mid-Range Q allows a widening of the frequency point by a factor of 0.5 to as narrow as 2 for pinpoint adjustment of important mid band frequencies that are the most prevalent frequency in the normal audible range. Ø High Shelving. A rotary control for boosting the high frequencies by as much as 12 dB or cutting them by 12dB is tuned to 12kHz for accurate recreation of the upper end of the signal. The shelving contour accentuates the naturalness of the sound for better adjustment of vocal signals. v Master Section Ø Peak Limit. The Peak Limit control adjusts the threshold point that the output signal is not allowed to cross. This benefits you by preventing overload of downstream devices such as DAT's and Hard Drives where signal overload is completely unacceptable. This is done without "squashing" the signal in an audibly apparent way like some peak limiters are prone to do. 8 OVERVIEW Ø Level. The output of the VXP is adjusted by the Level control and is useful for compensating for gain loss due to compression or to decrease output signal that boosting frequencies with the Equalizer section may have caused. The output is variable from ­70 dB to +10 dB. Power. A BIG RED lighted push-button power switch is located on the front of the VXP for your convenience. 9 2 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS 2.1 FRONT PANEL BASIC LAYOUT Notice that the front panel of the VXP is divided into six sections - section one is the Mic Preamp. The Mic Preamp section contains: · · · · · Gain Control IDSS Control +48 Volt Switch -20db Pad LED Input Meter 10 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS Compressor Section contains: · · · · Pre-Set Selector Level Control Process In/Out Switch Gain Reduction Meter 11 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS Expander Section: · · · Threshold Control (Outer Ring) Ratio Control(Inner Knob) LED Expansion Meter De-Esser Section: · Threshold (Outer Ring) 12 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS · · Frequency (Inner Knob) Gain Reduction Meter 13 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS EQ section: · · · · · · · · · · · 4 Band Semi-Parametric Low Shelving Control Low Mid Q Select Switch Low Mid Level (Outer Ring) Low Mid Frequency Select (Inner Knob) 80 Hz Filter Switch EQ In/Out Switch High Mid-Range Level Control(Outer Ring) High Mid-Range Frequency Control (Inner Knob) High Mid Q Switch High Shelving Control 14 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS Master Section Includes: · · · Peak Limiter Control Level Control Limiter LED Meter 2.2 MIC PREAMP SECTION GAIN: This control provides 60dB of gain. IDSS CONTROL: Selects the amount of increase (0% to 100%) applied to the even harmonic series of the signal being amplified by the VXP. The effect of manipulating the harmonic distortion is of increasing or decreasing the apparent "warmth" of the signal. This feature is derived from manipulating the drain current of the FET input buffer of the Mic Preamp. Experiment with the IDSS control and see what type of sounds you can get from your present microphone selection. +48V: The 48 volts supplied by way of the XLR connector, provides power for condenser mics and any other devices requiring continuous 15 CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS Phantom power through the XLR input. This ...