USER`S MANUAL - Locomotive Audio
Contents
1. 5 20dB Switch When in the up position a resistive pad is switched in between the xIr input and the input audio transformer This setting does not affect a DI source The pad sets a 15000 load impedance for the mic to work into The output impedance of the pad is 1500 and should be used in conjunction with the 18000 setting for a flat frequency response 6 Polarity Switch Also placed before the input transformer this switch controls the polarity of the microphone signal and will not affect a DI source 7 Impedance Switch This switch allows the user to select between a 5000 and 18000 transformer load impedance on the microphone Typically users will choose a transformer load impedance that is around 10x the out put impedance of their microphone for best frequency response There are no rules so please experiment with the tonal changes associated with this switch This setting does not affect a DI source 8 Low Cut Switch If switched to the up position a 100Hz low frequency roll off filter is placed on the signal for either the xIr mic input or DI Use this control to filter our low frequency rumble or to combat proximity effect from a microphone 9 Mic DI Switch Allows for selection of either the xlr mic input on the back of the unit or the DI jack on the front of the unit 10 DI The Direct Input jack is useful when connecting high impedance instuments such as guitars and bass This 1 4 instrument jack loads the source2. Level knob for a fully driven saturated tube amp sound Clean and natural to overdriven and fuzzy warm your choice Along with its classic tube gain stages the 286A has been given the modern front panel features that allow for flexible interfacing with today s studio equipment 286A SETTINGS At first glance there are many features on the Model 286A which may be confusing but in reality the initial setup couldn t be easier GAIN amp LEVEL SETTINGS The 286A is a very lively preamplifier with a great deal of gain A good place to start when looking for a clean sound is with the GAIN positioned at a low setting and the LEVEL positioned at a high setting If too much distortion is experienced at these settings it is likely that the source is too hot Drums for instance may benefit from switching the 20dB pad to the up position Rotating the gain knob to a higher level will allow more signal to pass from the first tube gt EF86 to the second tube 12AY7 This action will o create more color and a general thickening to the final sound Of course play with these settings to achieve the effect you want There is no right way Be creative 0 IMPEDANCE SETTINGS It was our goal to design a versatile preamplifier for many different sound sources The impedance control allows the user flexibility in the microphone they choose and in crafting the sound they want As a standard microphones favor an input impedance 1
3. USER S MANUAL MODEL 286A DUAL CHANNEL TUBE MIC PREAMP amp DI HANDMADE IN ST LOUIS MO USA INTRODUCTION Thank you for your purchase of the Locomotive Audio Model 286A This hand built vacuum tube dual mic preamp and Dl is a product of so much time research and development Inspired by many beautiful pieces of equipment from the 50s and 60s we were able to design a flexible circuit with high quality components and modern features for today s engineers With proper treatment our products will be able to give you many years of reliable service so you can focus on being creative and making the best recordings possible We thank you for your support of Locomotive Audio BOX CONTENTS Your Locomotive Audio product should have been shipped with the following contents 1 286A unit 1 User s Manual 1 IEC Power Cord CONTACT INFORMATION LOCOMOTIVE AUDIO LLC PO BOX 21751 St Louis MO 63109 support locomotiveaudio com 314 282 0133 CE woHs DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY MANUFACTURED BY ADDRESS Locomotive Audio LLC PO Box 21 51 PRODUCT Saint Louis Missouri 63109 286A Dual Channel Tube Mic Preamp DI Year of Affixing CE marking 2014 CONFORMITY Low Voltage Directive 2006 95 EC EN 60065 2002 A1 2006 A11 2008 A2 2010 A12 2011 EMC DIRECTIVE 2004 108 EC EN 55103 1 2009 EN 55103 2 2009 Ple TAN Eric Strouth President Locomotive Audio LLC November 1 2014 LEGAL NOTIC
4. also experiment with with other brands of New Old Stock tubes to acheive your sounds There are no rules with brands or age of tubes But be sure to use only EF86s or EF806s and 12AY7 tubes in the appro priate tube sockets This will prevent any issue with the performance of the 286A and damage to the unit VU METER CALIBRATION The VU meters in our units have been pre calibrated When needle is de flected to OdB on the VU meter a signal voltage of 4dBu will be present on the output of the unit Turning the small calibration screw on the rear of the VU meter will allow a qualified technician to adjust display levels WARRANTY Each Locomotive Audio unit will be given a 60 day warranty from date of purchase covering parts and labor excluding tubes purchased with unit A 2year warranty from date of purchase will be offered to original owners who register their product within the first 30 days of ownership Warranty is void if the product serial number has been removed or if the product has been damaged due to misuse accident unauthorized modi fication or repair Locomotive Audio LLC reserves the right to determine when a problem or issue is eligible for warranty Warranty is non transfer able and applies only to the original purchaser In no event will Locomotive Audio LLC be liable for any incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the product including lost profits damage to property and to the extent perm
5. tube socket Also be sure to mount your unit in a stable secure rack to reduce the risk of movement and damage The unit is grounded through the IEC power cord supplied in the box Always use a properly grounded outlet and never use a ground lift plug adapter for a non grounded outlet Do not use unit near any liquid or excessive moisture If liquid were to enter the unit unplug EIC power cord from wall and wait at least 5 minutes before attempting to touch or clean the unit The user should not attempt to service this product beyond changing tubes The 286A has a hinged front panel that allows for easy access of internal parts if is sues were to arise Only a trained technician should make modifications or adjust ments as the voltages within the chassis are very dangerous LINE VOLTAGE amp FUSE The unit is powered by 115v or 230v AC sources The AC Voltage Slide Switch page 8 is preset by Locomotive Audio before leaving production Before using the 286A for the first time please make sure the AC Voltage Slide Switch on the back of the unit page 8 is in the correct position for your mains voltage If oper ated set to the incorrect voltage harm to the unit may result With unit turned off use a flat head screwdriver to change the voltage selection if necessary All Locomotive Audio products contain a fuse in the IEC power entry module for protection of both YOU and the unit In order to check or replace the fuse a small flat head scr
6. 0x that of their own output impedance Therefore a common modern microphone with an output impedance of 150 2000 will be properly loaded with the preamp set to 18000 This will give the best overall frequency response for the microphone Some low output low impedance microphones will be better off with the 5000 setting By all means experiment with these controls for the color sound you are looking for LEVEL LOW CUT 20dB Oo Go FLAT OFF 20 G o a O S GAIN POWER ON 48 CH2 OFF OFF O REVERSE g POLARITY 5000 a N Oo 18000 CH1 CH2 VU SELECT FRONT PANEL The front panel of the 286A features two identical sets of channel controls 1 Power Switch Switches unit on Illumination of the power lamp and VU meter will result O 2 48 Switch Supplies 48 volt phantom power to the xlr input of channel Use only with condenser microphones that require phantom power Some microphones can be damaged if exposed to 48 volt phantom power so it is a good idea to switch phantom power off after each session 3 Gain This controls the amount of signal that passes from the first gain stage EFS06 Tube to the second gain stage 12AY7 1 4 Level This controls the amount of signal that passes from the second gain stage 12AY 7 1 to the final gain stage 12AY 7 2 and through the output transformer followed by the next device in your signal chain
7. ES 2015 Locomotive Audio LLC Manual Revision 286A 3 All information provided in this manual is thought to be accurate and free of errors at the time of printing Locomotive Audio LLC shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in this manual All information in this document is protected by copyright No part of this manual may be reproduced without the permission of Locomotive Audio LLC Locomotive Audio LLC reserves the right to make changes or improvements to this product at any time INSTALLATION Vacuum tube equipment can get very hot so thought and care should be taken in how it is installed The 286A will fit in a 19 equipment rack taking 2 units of Space 2U The chassis for the 286A has vents punched out of the top and sides for heat to escape It is good practice to leave 1U of space above the unit for bet ter ventilation The Locomotive 286A has its tubes and transformers installed on the outside of the unit Route audio and power cords in a direction where they would be least likely to touch these components WARNINGS amp SAFETY Before powering up your new Locomotive Audio unit for the first time please understand the dangers of vacuum tube electrical equipment The high voltages within the chassis and around the tubes can SERIOUSLY INJURY OR KILL YOU Before plugging your unit into the wall please make sure all tubes are properly seated in their sockets The base of the tube should be flush with the
8. eter switch CH1 Off CH2 e Custom Sifam backlit VU meter e XLR input and output connections e Cinemag input and output transformers e High grade Solen capacitors in signal path e Hand built in USA with classic turret board technique e Heavy 16 gauge steel chassis e 115v 230v AC mains option on rear e Backed by 2 year limited warranty parts and labor 286A SPECIFICATIONS The technical data listed below may change without notice as we are consistently trying to improve our products e Microphone input load impedance 5000 or 18000 e Output impedance lt 6000 e 1 4 DI impedance 169k0 e 66dB of gain e Flat frequency response 20HZ 20kHz e THD N lt 1 e S N ratio gt 70dB e Dimensions 19 w x 3 5 h x 10 d 2u rackspace e Shipping Weight 18 Ibs e Power Consumption 120 240VAC 25 watts ABOUT THE 286A The dual channel 286A offers a huge sonic palette for engineers and producers to explore Its single ended Class A tube signal path is what makes this preamplifier so special Inspired by the great vintage Ampex 601 vacuum tube tape recorder the 286A features four tubes there is one EF86 and one 12AY7 per channel The 286A can play nice by acting clean and natural with gentle even order harmonics for a smooth sweet touch Get more aggressive with the Gain knob and drive the first 12AY7 stage for a warm and colored thickening effect Go all out and slam the final 12AY 7 stage and output transformer through the
9. ewdriver is needed to open the fuse drawer Be sure to unplug the unit before beginning this procedure Always replace the fuse with the same rating and type as specified for your mains voltage on back of the unit If replacement fuses of the correct specifications consistently blow there may be an issue with the unit and qualified service technician should be contacted If within warranty period please contact Locomotive Audio for instructions POWERING UP Once installed in a secure equipment rack and plugged into the AC mains power source the user may then power the unit on by flipping the power switch on the front of the unit to the up position At this point the power lamp will light and the unit will need at least 5 10 minutes for the tubes to warm up for best results POWER LAMP amp VU BULBS The power lamp and backlit VU meter will illuminate after the unit is switched on If either of these do not light the bulb may be burned out or there may be another underlying issue The first step would be to replace the bulb If replacement is necessary use a 14V O8A bayonet style bulb for the power lamp and a 12 6V 3A fuse style bulb for the VU meter MAIN FEATURES e Microphone and high impedance instrument inputs e One EF86 amp one 12AY7 per channel e Polarity reverse switch e 20dB pad switch e 100 Hz low cut filter switch e Microphone load impedance switch e Mic DI selection switch e 48v phantom power switch e 3 position VU m
10. itted by law dam age for personal injury even if Locomotive Audio LLC has been advised of the possibilities of such damages REGISTRATION Email support locomotiveaudio com the following info within 30 days of purchase to receive the full 2 year warranty from date of purchase e Purchaser Name phone number email and mailing address e Legible scan or photograph of the original sales receipt e Serial from stamped metal plate on back of unit SUPPORT amp SERVICE In the unlikely situation that something would go wrong with your unit we would be happy to fix it up for you Please visit our support page to gain further instructions on how to contact us If it is determined your product requires repair we ll let you know where to ship it and we ll also issue a Return Merchandise Authorization number RMA This number must be displayed on the outside of your shipping box Most repairs take approximately 1 week We will match the shipping method you used to get it to us If you shipped it to us UPS ground we will ship it back to you UPS ground if you overnight it to us we will ship it back to you overnight You pay the shipping costs to us we ship it back to you free of charge m LOCOMOTIVE AUDIO 2015 Locomotive Audio LLC
11. with an impedance of 169kQ 11 VU Select Switch The VU meter on the 286A is able to display the output signal level of either channel 1 or channel 2 If set to the center position no metering of either channel will be displayed This is especially useful when slamming the final gain stage and output transformer An analog meter is expensive and can be damaged if not treated properly 12AY7 CH1 EF86 CH1 INPUT TX cH1 MIC i BACK PANEL 1 AC Power Entry Module Accepts standard IEC power cord included for 115v or 230v AC mains supply A fuse is included with each unit for the voltage current expected at the location being shipped to Only use a fuse with the same rating and voltage as marked on back of chassis 2 AC Voltage Slide Switch Each unit is factory set to the voltage ex pected at the location being shipped to If voltage does not match mains voltage at your location switch to reveal the appropriate voltage Do not operate unit set to incorrect voltage Harm to the unit may result 3 Model Serial Tag When registering your product for your 2 year war ranty please use the hand stamped tag to obtain the serial number 4 Transformer Balanced XLR Line Outputs 5 Transformer Balanced XLR Mic Inputs CHANGING TUBES Each Model 286A will leave Locomotive Audio with a new set of tubes that should last for several years We encourage you to utilize these tubes but
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