8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

1/10

w0 0..(1) ::J0 3 0 : : : (f)C) ::J(1) 0 ......L!)- IDo(1) 0 ~L!)~~ ......A'" (f)mw - Ccow~ 0-wcC : E l l . .- . . . . .-g gc . n w> -o e o : : : 2 : c o(1) -'0 L!)U~ LlJ I ' - - -I'--IDI- ( " 1 " ) ( . )C') ::J NCe o c o- . . . . .. . . . .C 0 : : : ~-. . . . . . . . Wc.. ---I 0(1) E:H

V I J \ I GG:6 'tOtS u: ppurt aG

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

2/10

Joemeek is manufactured andmarketed under the direction of:

PMI AUDIO GROUPUSA: 23775 Madison StreetTorrance, California 90505toll free: 877-563-6335fax: 310-373-4714

email: info@joemeek.comUK: P.O. Box 358

Torquay, Devon TQ2 5XStel: +44 (0) 1803215111

email: eusales@joemeek.com

Written byAllan Bradford, MScJoemeek isa registe red t rademark of PMI Aud io Group.

2004 PMI Audio Group. All r ights reserved.

Contents

twinQ Controls at a Glance .4Overview 6Preamplifier 6Insert Point. 7Compressor 8Meequalizer 10Output Stage 10Using the twinQ 12Getting Connected 12Using the Preamp 12Using the Compressor 13Using the Meequalizer 13Using the Output Stage 13Troubleshooting 14Technical Specification 15

(E

JOEM EEK reborn - the Legend g row sThe Next Generat ion of Joemeek studio processors represents a quantumleap in the history of the Joemeek legend. Long regarded for its "Big Sound",the original Joemeek gear was both revered and reviled for its somewhat"quirky" nature. Now we have taken the best of what made the Joemeekproducts sound great , refined it, distilled it, added to it and repackaged it.Properly and robustly engineered for predictable, control lable performance,the new range retains the famous Joemeek sound, with its wide, f lat f requencyresponse extending from subsonic to ultrasonic. It also uses genuinely lownoise circuitry, with lots of headroom (immunity to overload). Accurate cali-brat ion and meter ing, together wi th c lear panel label ling, give you completeconfidence in what's going on. While some equipment pays lip-service toquality and "professional rules" but fails to deliver, the Next Generation ofJoemeek products are founded on good sol id electronic and audio engineering,and withstand direct comparison with the very best names in mixers andoutboard gear.The Joemeek range provides everything you need to get your performanceonto tape/disc.

The Next Generation of Joemeek has been completely re-engineered byrenowned audio e lectronics consul tant Allan Bradford. With h is backgroundin physics and 30 years experience with the design of instruments, mixers,processors and amplifiers, Allan's unique range of expertise ensures thatJoemeek remains at the forefront of music technology.

mailto:info@joemeek.commailto:eusales@joemeek.commailto:eusales@joemeek.commailto:info@joemeek.com

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

3/10

48V PHANTOM POWER switch - feeds 48V power to the microphone XLRconnector. Most condenser microphones require phantom power to operate.IRON switch - selects transformer coupling of the Mic (XLR) input.The LED l ights when active.PAD switch - selects 20dB attenuation of the Mic (XLR) input.The LED l ights when active.LINE switch - selects the Line and INSTRument (1/4" jack) inputs insteadof the Mic (XLR) input . The LED lights when active.I2 J switch - reverses the phase of all inputs.INSTRument input - high impedance input. Plugging in here overridesanything plugged into the Line input.PREAMP GAIN - sets the amount of audio amplif ication. Too little gain andthe sound wil l be too quiet; too much and the signal could become distorted.PEAK lED - lights 6dB below clipping.

HPF - "high-pass filter" - Mainly for use with microphones, this helpsremove stage rumble, handl ing noise and "pops". The LED lights when active.COMPRESS - sets the level of signal (or "Threshold") above which thesignal starts to be compressed.SLOPE - sets the compression rat io applied to s ignals above threshold.ATTACK - sets how quickly the compressor responds to peaks abovethreshold.RELEASE - sets the time taken for the signal to return to its normal sizeafter compression. In general, the longer the time, the less obvious thecompression.MAKE UP GAIN - restores the level of the signal after compression.COMP switch - turns the compressor on. The LED lights when active.IF - controls the volume of Low Frequencies or "Bass" in the audiospectrum. 15dB of boost or cut is avai lable at the selected frequency.

IF FREQ - sets the frequency at which the LF control operates,anywhere from 40Hz to 650Hz.MID - controls the middle frequencies in the audio spectrum.15dB of boost or cut is ava ilab le at the selected frequency.MID FREQ - sets the f requency at which the MID control operates,anywhere from 300Hz to 5kHz.HF - controls the volume of the High Frequencies or "Treble" in the audiospectrum. 15dB of boost or cut isava ilab le at the selected frequency.

6kHz switch - sets the frequency at which the HF control operates,in for 6kHz, out for 12KHz. The LED lights when in.EQ switch - turns the equalizer on. The LED lights when active.OUTPUT GAIN - the volume contro l or "Fader" for the output of the twinQ.

PEAK FSD lED - lights 6dB below clipping. "FSD" means "Full ScaleDigital" and this LED also warns you if the Digital Interface is about to beoverloaded.METER - analogue movement shows output signal level (VU), preampsignal level or the amount of gain reduction (GR) in dB, depending on thesett ings of the Meter switches. The momentary "PRE" switch overridesboth "VU" and "GR" metering.COMP LINK - for stereo work, Channel 1's "Compress", "Attack" and"Release" control both channels ( the corresponding Channel 2 controlsare redundant). This avoids stereo image shifts. All other cont rols stilloperate independently on both channels and must be set the same forcorrect stereo balance.'EXT ClK' lED - illuminates when the twinQ's digital output issuccessfully locked to an externa l word clock.+4dBu/-10dBv swi tch - se lects the operat ing level of the 1/4" jack output,either to the professional +4dBu level, or to the -1OdBv semi-pro level.

A I i , w l l AP.oQUoDEGWXElE~mUUE

'MhdWE NS UR E M AI NS VO LT AG EA ND FU SE R AT N > S

A RE C OR RE CT B EF OR E C ON NE CT N G M AI NS P OW ERT H S A PP AR AT US M US T B E E A RT HE D 8 YT HE P OW ER C OR D

NO U SER SER VI CE AB LE P AR TSR EFER SER VI C NG TO Q UA L FED P ER SO NN EL

4Ilk.Ix2 +4dBu"

,------CHANNEL2 --------, ,------CHANNEL 1-------, OUTPUT_)

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

4/10

The Joemeek twinO is like having two channels of a professional recordingstudio in one box. It takes microphones or instruments, amplifies them,compresses and equalizes them ready to be recorded. Simple to use yetextremely powerful, the twinO will bring out the best in any microphone orinstrument and give the gloss of a professional stud io product ion to a ll yourperformances. As wel l as recording it wi ll also be found useful for live work.Think of the twinQ as four separate items of equipment: The Preamplifier The Joemeek Optical Compressor The Meequalizer The Fader

PreampLifie rThis is the all-important front end to the twinO. Its job is to accept anytype of microphone, inst rument or other source of audio signal, and makeit loud enough. Microphones often need rather a lot of amplification, whileguitars, keyboards and CD players need less. Mics need to be connectedto low impedance inputs, whi le instruments prefer h igh impedance inputs.To ensure correct impedance matching, the inputs are split into an XLRconnector for Mics, and 1/4" jack "Line" and "INSTRument" connectors foreverything else. A switch on the front panel decides which input connector isactive, the XLR or the 1/4" jacks. The LED next to the switch lights to showthat the Line inputs (jacks) are selected. In other words:Switch out (LED of f) = "Mic"Switch in (LED on) = "Line" or "Instr'

The main control, labelled "Input Gain", covers a range of amplificationfrom 10dB to 60dB. In many other preamps the action of the Gain controlis rather uneven, with the 40dB to 60dB range being crammed into the last1/6th of a turn. All Joemeek preamps use a specially designed control thatensures smooth operat ion over the whole range of rotat ion. The (9) symbolnext to the 25dB mark, means unity gain, or OdB, for a signal in the Lineinput. Hence for Line inputs the range of gain adjustment either side of thismark, is +35dB, -15dB.The PEAK LED lights 6dB below clipping, so occasional brief flashes areOK but if it's on all the time you need to back the Input Gain off!HPF means "high-pass filter". Mainly for use with microphones, this helpsremove stage rumble, handl ing noise and "pops". The LED lights when active.TECHNICAL STUFFVery low noise - does it matter? Yes and no, it all depends what you aredoing - what real ly matters is "signal- to-noise rat io" . All electron ics producea certa in amount of background noise - i t's in the nature of things. Providingthere is only a relatively small amount of noise, the signal will cover it up, or"mask" it . So providing the signal is much bigger than the noise, you won'tbe aware of the noise. In other words the "signal-to-noise ratio" needs to bea big number, ideally such as 80dB or 90dB.So how do you achieve that in practice? The trick is to keep the microphoneas close to the sound source as possible without overloading it, so as to getas much signal out of it as possible. Then you set the Gain control to giveonly as much gain as is needed to get a decent level into the recorder.Of course when there is no signal going on, you may hear the backgroundnoise of the electronics. In that case, given the amount of gain in a typicalstudio monitor ing system, this no ise "floor" should ideally be in the region ofo8()dB, or lower, ' 0 order foe It oot to be noticed.

Both Mic and Line inputs are electronically balanced. Note: although theLine input is not normally used for microphones, it can also be sui tab lefor some high output unbalanced microphones, such as batterypowered Electret types.The Mic input (XLR) is balanced and wired as follows:Pin 2: + (hot)Pin 3: - (cold)Pin 1: groundThe Line input (jack) is balanced and wired as follows:Tip : + (hot)Ring: - (cold)Sleeve: groundThe front panel Instrument input (jack) is balanced and wired as fol lows:Tip : + (hot)Sleeve: ground (NB: use a mono jack plug).Note that if something is plugged into the Instrument input, anythingplugged into the rear panel Line input will be cut of f.PHANTOM POWERMost high-quality studio mics are "Phantom powered", which is tosay they have electronics inside them, which get their power from thepreamp. Most mics require a supply of 48 Volts, so Phantom Power isoften labelled "48V". The "48V" switch turns this power on or off anda red LED lights when active. When switching the Phantom Poweron, quite a loud thump may be produced, so it is a good idea to turndown the Output Gain (or to momentarily select the Line input), whenpressing the switch. When using dynamic or ribbon mics, do not turnPhantom Power on. It probably won't do any harm but it certainly won'tdo any good, so leave it off! Consult the microphone handbook if youare unsure what kind of mic you have.

The twinO microphone preamplifier uses state-of-the-art electronics andhas an equivalent input noise of around -128dBu (with 1500hm inputload) . Despi te al l the hyperbolae and obfuscat ion, the theoret ica l bestpossib le per formance for s il icon-based electronics is about -132dBu.So the preamplifier design used in the twinO and all other NextGenJoemeek products approaches this l imit. To improve significantly on thiswould requi re highly special ised electron ics and probably a vat of l iquidNi trogen to cool it !The maximum gain available from the preamp is 60dB, in which casethe noise f loor will be -68dBu. This is actually quite noisy - if you recordthat noise onto a digital recorder and play it back you can definitelyhear it. In practice of course, you do not record and play back "silence"and the rest of the mix will probably be more than 70dB louder thanthis noise and will mask it completely. Even so it is generally a goodidea not to use gains greater than 40dB or 50dB and indeed, it shouldrarely be necessary to do so.

This is s imply an unbalanced "Send and Return" jack on the rear panel .It allows you to patch any other pieces of equipment into the signalpath, such as an effects processor or noise gate. To use it you will needa "Y" lead wired as fol lows:Tip: sendRing: returnSleeve: groundWhen no jack is inser ted, the socket is internal ly l inked, or "normalled",so that the signal f lows uninterrupted. Note that the Inser t Point is afterthe Preamp but before the Compressor and EO.

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

5/10

The hardest device to understand, yet one of the most useful, thePhotoOptical Compressor is what gives Joemeek products their uniquecharacter. Its job is to make quiet sounds louder and loud sounds quieter,or in other words to reduce the dynamic range of the programme material.It's a bit like manually riding the volume control, except the compressordoes it automatical ly , responding far quicker and more accurately than youever could by hand. The compressor is applied in several ways:1. Make Sounds Stand OutBecause compressors make loud sounds quieter , you can boost the volumeof the quiet bits without the loud bits getting even louder. That means youcan raise the average level of an instrument or vocal in the mix, which hasthe effect of lifting it and bringing it forwards. This can actually improvevocals for example, bringing them out in front of a mix, making them sounddenser, more even, and more conf ident!2. Crank Up The VolumeRaising the average volume of whole mixes means they can be heard innoisy environments, such as vehic les and factor ies. Boost ing the averagelevel is what makes radio stations sound LOUD and the same technique isused on TV commercials too, which is why they always seem annoyinglylouder than the movie you were trying to watch!3. ProtectionFast response t imes are generally used to control brief transients. In otherwords if an occasional peak sticks its head above a maximum permittedlevel , the compressor c lobbers it ; this is known as limi ting and a compressordesigned solely for this purpose is known as a Limiter . Limi ters are pr imari lyused to protect recorders and monitor systems f rom overload, radio trans-mit ters from overmodulat ion, etc. The Joemeek compressor is not pr imari lyintended for this purpose as the Attack is not really fast enough to satisfy

Compression RatioWhat?? OK, it's simpler than it sounds. If the input gets 1OdB louder but theoutput only increases by 5dB then the compression ratio is "2 to 1". If theinput goes up 10dB but the output only goes up 1dB, then the compressionrat io is "10 to 1". In a theoret ically ideal compressor, this ratio is the samefor any size of signal above the threshold but for that to be true, the gaincell and its control circuitry must be perfectly linear over a very wide range.In practice only compressors based on VCAs and digi ta l potent iometers arelikely to behave in this way.Some compressors have a control to set the ratio anywhere between 1:1(ie: no compression), and 20:1 (which would be regarded as a "brick walllimiter"). In the twinO the "Slope" or "Compression Rat io" is variable from1:1 (ie: no compression) to 10:1 . Slopes around 3:1 are gentle for vocalswhile higher slopes are hard for drums and guitars. However that's not allthere is to it.Variable RatioIn the Joemeek optical compressor the compression 'threshold' is not clearlydef ined and the compression ratio varies with the amount of compressionapplied. Suppose the 'Slope' control is set to 5: 1. For signals only justexceeding threshold, the rat io is lit tle more than 1 :1. As the compressor isdriven harder, the ratio rises to 5:1, at least up to a point. It is a feature ofthe Joemeek compressor that the compression rat io actual ly reduces againduring large transients and, adjusted correctly, this helps to retain bright-ness that is of ten lost with other types of compressor. This is why vintagecompressors often sound more l ively than their modern counterparts.Controls'COMPRESS' sets the level of signal (the "Threshold") above which thesignal star ts to be compressed. Turn ing the COMPRESS control clockwiselowers the compression threshold , and drives the compressor harder .'SLOPE' sets the average compression ratio applied to signals abovethreshold. Lower settings (anti-clockwise) have less effect. Turning thecontrol c lockwise increases the rat io and makes the effects of compression

radio station requirements, although it is general ly good enough to protectrecorders and monitors, where the effect of t ransients is less critical.Normally you should not hear a limiter operating but if it is driven hardconstantly , i t can render a mix somewhat f la t and li feless.4. AccommodationThe dynamic range of the human ear is phenomenal, extending fromthe threshold of hearing (eg: a pin dropping onto soft carpet) to thresholdof pain (eg: standing next to a jet aircraft) - some 120dBA in all. Bycontrast, viny l, cassette tape and radio broadcasts al l have a dynamicrange of about half that. Since the advent of the CD, the dynamic rangeof the medium is far less of an issue and compressors are used moreto g ive a certa in " feel " to a production. AM and FM radio however, is st il lvery much compressed to f it its restr icted dynamic range.5. ModificationA compressor can change the dynamics, or "envelope" of the track andi t is here that the Joemeek Compressor excels!Types of CompressorMost compressors work in essentially the same way: a volume-controllingelement or "gain cell" is inserted into the audio signal path. The levelof the signal at any given moment is measured and that information isused to control the gain cell. So if the signal gets bigger, the volume isturned down. Various types of gain cell in common use include FETs,valves (tubes), light-dependent-resistors (photoelectric), digital potenti-ometers and voltage-control led-amplifiers, better known as VCAs.The twinO Compressor is a unique recreation of the sort of photo-electric compressor used by record producer Joe Meek in the 1960's.Using modern components for consistency and reliability, it none-theless reproduces faithfully the same punchy sound that was socharacteristic of the pop records of that time.

more dramatic. At maximum (10:1) the Joemeek compressor effec-tively becomes a limiter.'ATTACK' sets how quickly the compressor reacts to peaks abovethreshold. Turn this contro l ant ic lockwise for a quick response. Slower(clockwise) allows the fast leading edge of percussive sounds to passuncompressed for a moment, before the compressor reacts to controlthe gain. This example of "changing the envelope" of a sound exag-gerates the percussive nature of drums and other instruments. Settingsaround mid-posit ion are used where the compression needs to be lessobvious. Vocals for example, require Attack t imes around 10msec fornatural sounding results. Faster attack times (anti-clockwise) inconjunction with large amounts of compression, result in extreme"pumping" effects.'RELEASE' sets how long the compressor goes on squashing thesound for, once the signal has dropped below threshold. If it stoppedinstant ly there would be very not iceable modulation or "pumping" of thesound. So we may want it to stop compressing less abruptly and that iswhat the Release control is for. Genera lly, the longer the Release t ime,the less obvious is the compression. Of course some "pumping" mightactually be desirable as a special effect and that is another way inwhich the envelope of a sound can be modified. The twinO Release isvariable from 100mS up to 3 seconds giving a wide variety of effects.How the compressor behaves actually changes with programmecontent and volume. So experiment with the controls with differentkinds of material to discover the range and depth of effects that canbe achieved. The 'COMP' in/out switch allows comparison betweencompressed and uncompressed sound (blue LED l ights when act ive) .Remember that the 'MAKE UP GAIN' is there to restore the level of thesignal a fter compression. Correctly adjusted, there wil l be no changein volume as the Comp in/out switch is operated.The Compressor is after the Preamplifier and the Insert Point, andbefore the Meequalizer.

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

6/10

The twinO "Meequalizer" is a highly effective, versatile and musicallyrewarding three-band equal izer , or tone control system. Each stage al lowsboost or cut of up to 15dB around the frequency in question. The "EO"switch turns the equalizer on, and the green LED lights when active.The LF band can be tuned or "swept" anywhere between 40Hz and 650Hz.This effectively covers the whole range of low frequencies. It may help tothink of it as l ike a graphic equal izer , only instead of lots of frequency bands,you have just one, but it can be moved to cover any given frequency band.Cutting can be used to reduce unwanted LF noise, such as hum or rumble.Boosting can bring out the warmth and body of bass lines and (especiallyaround 80Hz) k ick drums.The Mid band can be tuned or "swept" anywhere between 300Hz and5kHz. This effectively covers the whole range of mid frequencies. Cuttingthe Mid can reduce sibilance, boominess or other annoying resonances.Boosting can br ing out the body of a vocal, or the harmonics of instruments.Increasing or reducing the "presence" of an instrument or vocal in this way,can appear to move the sound forwards or backwards in a mix.The HF or treble section is centred at either 6 kHz or 12kHz. Boosting the12kHz band gives a sense of "air" or "sparkle" to vocals, instruments andmixes, without boosting harsh upper-mid f requencies. Alternat ively withbass instruments, cutting this band will reduce HF noise such as hiss andcrackle. The 6kHz setting is very effective at controlling sibilance andreducing harshness, or indeed creating it, for example by boosting theharmonics of electric guitars.The Meequalizer is after the Preamplifier, the Insert Point and theCompressor.

plug in a mono jack plug. Either way, this increases the gain of the "+" signalby 6dB, so there is no drop in level compared with balanced gear.All outputs on al l NextGen Joemeek products are properly ba lanced, whichis to say there is a signal on both pins! In this way the maximum possiblecommon-mode rejection of interference, can be achieved at the receiving end.'COMP LINK'This is important when both channels of the twinO are used together forstereo work. When two mono compressors are used for stereo, differingamounts of gain reduction occur in each channel, which causes the stereoimage to wander. The "Comp Link" switch avoids this problem by summingthe compressor control paths and slaving control of Channel 2's gain cellto Channel 1. The "Compress", "Attack" and "Release" on Channel 1 thenoperate both channels and the corresponding Channel 2 controls areredundant. Note however that a ll other contro ls stil l operate independent lyon both channels and must be set the same for correct stereo balance. TheLED lights when active.METERThe analogue meter displays one of three things, depending on the sett ingof the "METER" switches.In VU mode (GR switch out), the Meter shows signal level at the outputs,af ter the Output Gain fader. Note that this is relat ive to the selected operat inglevel of "+4dBu" or "-10dBv". In other words if you have selected "+4dBu"and the meter reads "0", then you have +4dBu coming out of the 1/4" jackoutput socket. I f you have selected "-1OdBv" and the meter reads "0", thenyou have -1OdBv coming out of the output jack.In Gain Reduction mode (GR switch in), the Meter changes to read "O"dB,when no signal is present. Whenever the compressor reduces the gain ofa signal, the meter then moves "backwards" to show the amount of gainreduction tak ing place at any moment. Note that unl ike many other products,

_in the twinO this reading is a true measurement of gain reduction, derivedWy comparing the input and output of the PhotoOptical gain cell.

Technical stuffEach section of the Meequalizer has a peaking or "bell" shapedfrequency response, which will be found to be musically moresatisfying than conventional "shelving" equalizers. The use of bellcurves at LF and HF also avoids boost ing subsonics and ultrasonicswhich can have adverse effects on other studio equipment, such asrecorders, monitor amplifiers and speakers. The "0" value of thepeaking filters is 1.9 (or 1 and 2/3 octaves). Zero phase distortionensures the best possible audio coherence.

OUTPUT GAINThis output volume control provides up to 10dB of gain and alsogoes right down to nothing, so acting as a fader to fade a soundout completely.CONNECTORSTwo outputs are provided, jack and XLR, so you can simultaneouslyfeed (say) a recorder and a monitor amplifier. The switch adjacent tothe 1/4" jack selects the output operating level to either +4dBu (suitsmost professional studio equipment) or -1OdBv (su its semi-pro or hi- fiequipment). The XLR output is always +4dBu. Check with the hand-book for whatever you are feeding, to find out which level is required.The XLR output is balancedand wired as fol lows:Pin 2: + (hot)Pin 3: - (cold)Pin 1: ground

The jack output is balancedand wired as fol lows:Tip : + (hot)Ring: - (cold)Sleeve: ground

Balanced or UnbalancedTo run the XLR output unbalanced, it will be necessary to ground pin3 of the cable connector. To run the 1/4" jack output unbalanced, just

The third mode "PRE" allows the output of the preamp to be metereddi rectly , rather l ike the "PFL" button on a mixing console . This is usefulfor adjusting the gain of the Preamp. The momentary 'PRE' switchoverrides both 'VU' and 'GR' meter ing.

DIGITAL INTERFACEThe Joemeek Digital Audio Inter face provides high qual ity digital audiooutputs plus the abilit y to synchronize to an external word clock. Thedigi tal audio outputs are compatib le wi th most digi tal recorders, as wellas Digital Audio Workstations and mixers. S/PDIF format is availablefrom the optical and RCA phono connectors, while the transformercoupled XLR connector provides an AES3 compatible output.The Joemeek Dig ital Inter face has high ly stable onboard master c locksfor low-jitter, hi-fi results. Internal sample rates of 44.1kHz, 48kHz,88.2kHz or 96kHz are selected by means of rear panel switches.44.1 kHz is the standard used for audio CD's, while 48kHz and 96kHzare widely used in recording studios. In general, the h igher the samplerate, the better the audio fidelit y, but the more disk space is requiredfor the recording. For example, recording at 96kHz requires twice asmuch storage as 48kHz. Consult the manual of your recorder or DAWas to what sample rates i t wi ll accommodate.Alternatively the twinO may be set to the frequency of an externalmaster word clock, generated, for example, by the stud io 's recorder orDAW. When connected to the BNC socket provided, a su itable externa lword clock wil l be detected automatical ly and wi ll overr ide the twinO'sinternal word clock. The front panel LED label led 'EXT CLK' il luminateswhen the twinO is successfully locked to an external word clock.To avoid distortion, care should be taken not to overdrive the input tothe Digital Interface. The red LED next to the Output Gain control islabeled "PEAK FSD" which stands for "Full Scale Digi tal ". Occasionalflashes are OK but if it is on all the time, turn something down!

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

7/10

GETTING CONNECTEDThe figure shows the twinO being used instead of a mixing desk in arecording setup:

RECORDER

U sin g th e C om p re ss orStart with the Compressor and Meequalizer off and adjust the input andoutput gain so that the VU Meter reads around OdB. Now switch the meterto read gain reduction using the 'GR' pushbutton.Set 'COMPRESSION' and 'ATTACK' ful ly anti-clockwise, wi th 'SLOPE' and'RELEASE' at mid-position. Press the 'COMP' push-button and turn up the'COMPRESSION' control unt il the compressor GR meter star ts to read 3dBor 5dB on audio peaks. You should now be able to hear the compressorworking as the volume diminishes. Use the 'MAKE UP GAIN' control torestore the signal to its previous (uncompressed) level. Alter the SLOPEand listen to how the severity of the gain reduct ion changes. Try changingthe Attack and l isten for percussive sounds getting louder. Reducing the Attackand Release t imes should emphasise this even more and the compressorshould start to "pump" audibly.The overall result of compression depends on the combined settings of theCompress, Slope, Attack and Release controls. Exper iment wi th d if ferentcombinations to d iscover what best su its the mater ial you wish to compress.Watch the GR meter and don't overdo things - it 's possible to apply 20dB ofgain reduct ion before you real ise it !Use the 'COMP' switch to make comparisons between compressed anduncompressed signals.

U sin g th e M e eq ua Lize rAlways start with the Meequalizer boost/cut controls (LF, MID and HF) setto "0" ( the contro l knobs set ver tical ly , in thei r centre notches). This settingis also known as "f iat".

A microphone is connected to the Mic InputA guitar is connected to the Instrument Input

The insert point is being used to d iver t the preampli fied signal throughan external effects processor

The recorder output is connected to the Line Input for playback.Previously recorded tracks may also be replayed via the Line Input,to permit compression and equalization

POWER SUPPLYConnect the twinO power cord to the AC connector on the rear paneland switch on the mains supply. NB: ensure that the twinO is set to thecorrect mains voltage for your region - either 115V or 230V. Orientatethe fuse holder / mains voltage selector draw so that the required voltageappears at the top. I f in doubt consul t a competent engineer.

Us in g th e P ream pTurn the 'INPUT GAIN' control to minimum and connect the inputsource. I f you are using a condenser microphone, remember to swi tchon the 48V Phantom Power. Set the 'OUTPUT GAIN' to "OdB". Turn upthe ' INPUT GAIN' unt il the microphone sound registers on the VU Meter ,adjusting it so that the meter reads between "0" and "+3" on soundpeaks. When the red LED (labeled "Peak") lights, the twinO is within6dB of clipping. Occasional flashes are OK but if it is on all the time,turn the Input Gain down!Remember you can check the preamp gain at any time by pressing the"Meter Pre" button.

You need to be careful about too much boost or "lift", since boostingtakes the twinO closer to overload. The twinO has generous overloadmargins but when a lot of boost is used, it may be necessary tocompensate by reducing the Output Gain or the Input Gain (the latterwil l affect the Compressor setting though).Keep an eye on the VU Meter when adjusting the EO. When the redLED (labeled "PEAK FSD") lights, the twinO is within 6dB of clipping.Occasional flashes are OK but i f i t is on all the time, turn something down!The way to use the LF FREO and MID FREO controls, is to apply quitea lot of boost, then sweep the frequency until you "tune in" to the soundyou are interested in. Once you find it, adjust the amount of boost or cutto give the desired effect.Experiment with combinations of settings of EO and try to picture howthe audio s ignal is being affected. Use the 'EO' switch to make compar i-sons between EO'd and non-EO'd signals.

Us in g th e O utput Stag eFinal adjustments to the output level can be made with the OUTPUTGain control, again keeping an eye on the VU meter and PEAK FSDLED. Note how this control can also be used to fade out the signalcompletely.

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

8/10

1) No Power (no lights work) Is the power supply plugged in (both ends)? Is the mains power on? Is the mains voltage set correct ly for your region? Has the mains fuse blown?

5) Too litt le or too much compression Turn the 'Input Gain' cont rol up or down respectively, to adjust thesignal level to the compressor

2) The microphone doesn't work Is it connected to the correct (XLR) input on the rear panel? I f it is a condenser microphone, is the phantom power switched on? Is the 'Line' switch out (LED off )? Is the 'Input Gain' control turned up? Is the 'Output Gain' control turned up?

6) The Meequalizer doesn't 't work. Is the 'EO' switch in (LED on)? Is 'Input Gain' control turned up? Is 'Output Gain' control turned up?

3) The line input doesn't work Is the source connected to the correct (jack) input on the back of the unit? Is the 'Line' switch in (LED on)? Is the 'Input Gain' control turned up? Is the 'Output Gain' control turned up?

7) Too much noise Is the 'Input Gain' control too high? Try moving the mic closer to thesource

Is the 'Output Gain' control too high (eg: when lots of compression isbeing used)? Is there too much EO boost? Is the noise already present in the input signal? (Try removing the input)

4) The compressor doesn't work Is the 'Comp' switch in (LED on)? Is the 'Compress ' contro l turned up enough? Is there enough signal, as set by the 'Input Gain' cont rol, to drive thecompressor?

8) Sounds distorted Is the 'Input Gain' control too high? Is the 'Output Gain' control too high? Is there too much EO boost? When using the compressor, is the Release control set too low?

TechnicaL Specification

Input impedances Mic: 1.2kohm; Line: 20kohm EO Boost and Cut +/-15dB (zero phase-shift bell response)Pre-amp overall gain OdB to 60dB LF Frequency 40Hz to 650Hz variableCommon mode rejection 70dB MID Frequency 300Hz to 5kHz variableEquivalent input noise -128.5dBu (unweighted) HF Frequency 6kHz or 12kHz selectableDistortion 0.001% Nominal output levels +4dBu/-10dBv

(below Compressor threshold) Output impedance 750hmFrequency response 15Hz to 70kHz (-3dB)

Output Level switch 12dB attenuationMaximum input before clipping Mic: +21dBu; Line: +45dBu Noise Floor -85dBu (typical, with -40dB mic gain)Headroom before cl ipping +21dBu VU Meter Analogue movementHigh Pass Filter 12dB per octave cut below 80Hz

Power supply 115V / 230V ac mains, 50/60HzCompressor threshold -6dBu to +22dBu (variable) Power consumption 30WCompressor ratio 1:1 to 10: 1 (variable) Mechanical 482W x 88H x 2200 (overall)Compressor attack time 1 msec to 100 msec (adaptive)

Weight 3 kilosCompressor release time 0.1 sec to 3 sec (adaptive)

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

9/10

Notes

J oe m ee k L im ite d W arra nty

THIS PRODUCT IS FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLYPMI Audio Group warrants that all products will be free f rom defects in mate-rial or workmanship:A: For a period of (3) three years from the date of purchase (hereinafter thelabor warranty period), PMI Audio Group will repair or replace this Product ifdetermined to be defect ive. After the expi rat ion of the labor warranty period,the Purchaser must pay labor charges.B: In addit ion, PMI Audio Group will supply, at no charge, replacements fordefective parts for a per iod of ( three years) from the date of purchase. Duringthe labor warranty period, to repair the Product, Purchaser must return thedefective Product, freight prepaid, or deliver it to PMI Audio Group ServiceCenter. The product to be repaired is to be returned in either its original car-ton or a similar package affording an equal degree of protection. PMI AudioGroup will return the repaired Product freight prepaid to the Purchaser. PMIAudio Group is not obligated to provide Purchaser with a substitute unit dur-ing the warranty period or at any time.

Condit ions1. Not ification of claims: Warranty Service: If Purchaser discovers that theProduct has proven defective in mater ial or workmanship, then wr it ten not icewith an explanation of the claim shall be given promptly by Purchaser to PMIbut al l c la ims for warranty service must be made wi thin the warranty per iod. I fafter investigation PMI determines that the reported problem was not coveredby the warranty, Purchaser shall pay PMI for the cost of investigating theproblem at i ts then prevai ling t ime-and-mater ials rate. No repair or

replacement by Purchaser of any Product or part thereof shall extendthe warranty period as to the entire Product. The specif ic warranty onthe repai red part only shall be in effect for a period of ninety (90) days fol -lowing the repair or replacement of that part or the remaining period ofthe Product warranty, whichever is greater.2 . Exclusive Remedy: Acceptance: Purchaser's exclusive remedy andPMI's sole obligation is to supply (or pay for) all labor necessary torepair any product found to be defective within the warranty periodand to supply, at no extra charge, new or rebuilt replacements fordefective parts . I f repai r or replacement fails to remedy the defect, thenand only in such an event, shall PMI exchange to Purchaser a new orreconditioned unit. Purchaser's failure to make a claim as provided inparagraph 1 above or continued use of the product shall const itute anunqualified acceptance of such Product and a waiver by Purchaser ofall claims thereto.3. Exceptions to Limited warranty: PMI shall have no l iabi li ty or obl igationto Purchaser with respect to any Product subjected to abuse, improperuse, negligence, accident, modification, fai lure of the end-user to fol lowthe operating and maintenance procedures outlined in the users manual,attempted repair by non-qualified personnel, operation of the unitoutside of the published environmental and electrical parameters, orif such products original identification (trademark, serial number) markingshave been defaced, a ltered, or removed. PMI excludes from warrantycoverage, Products so ld AS ISand/or WITH ALL FAULTS and excludesused products which have not been sold by PMI to the Purchaser. PMIa lso excludes from warranty coverage consumables such as fuses andbatteries, tubes, etc.4. Proof of purchase: The dealer's dated bill of sale must be retained asevidence or the date of purchase and to establ ish warranty e ligibil ity

8/4/2019 Twin q Manual

10/10

D iscla im er of W arrantyEXCEPT FOR THE FORGOING WARRANTIES, PMI HEREBY DISCLAIMS ANDEXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR LIMITED, INCLUDING, BUTNOT LIMITED TO ANY/OR ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT ABILITY,FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR ANY WARRANTY WITH REGARDTO ANY CLAIM OF INFRINGEMENT THAT MAY BE PROVED IN SECTION 2-312(3)OF THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE AND/OR IN ANY COMPARABLE STATESTATUE. PMI HEREBY DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTY THATTHE PRODUCT IS COMPATIBLE WITH ANY COMBINATION OF NON-PMI AUDIOPRODUCTS PURCHASER MAY CHOOSE TO CONNECT TO THE PRODUCT.

Name _

Date of Purchase _

Serial Number _

L im itation of LiabilityDealer's Name _

THE LIABILITY OF PMI, IFANY, AND PURCHASER'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDYFOR DAMAGES FOR ANY CLAIM OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, REGARDLESS OFTHE LEGAL THEORY AND WHETHER ARISING IN TORT OR CONTRACT, SHALLNOT BE GREATER THAN THE ACTUAL PURCHASE PRICE OF THE PRODUCTWITH RESPECT TO WHICH SUCH CLAIM IS MADE. IN NO EVENT SHALL PMIBE LIABLE TO PURCHASER FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, ORCONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITEDTO, COMPENSATION, REIMBURSEMENT OR DAMAGES ON ACCOUNT OF THELOSS OF PRESENT OR PROSPECTIVE PROFITS OR ANY OTHER REASONWHATSOEVER.

RETAIN FOR YOUR RECORDSPLEASE DISPATCH AND RETURN

YOUR REGISTRATIONTO JOEMEEK WITHIN 14 DAYS

OF PURCHASE

Specifications and model numbers are subject to change without notice

P ro du ct R eg istr atio n I nfo rm a tio nPLease F ill in the BeLow Sections and R eturn

Name: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Addffiss:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

City: ------------------------------------ Stat""_--------------- Zip Code: ---------

Telephone Number: -------------------------- email Address: --------------------------------

Model Purchased: -------------------------- Date Purchased: ------------------------------

Serial Number: Dealer:

Comments: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What magazines do you read to influence your buying decision: (please check all that apply)oMIX0ElectronicMusician0EO 0SoundonSound0ProAudioReview0Recording0ProSoundNews0AudioMIDI