JOEMEEK - Studio Manuals
Contents
1. Stereo Compressor User s guide PROBLEMS 1 Got signal going through but no compression In out switch Is there enough volume level going in Is your stereo signal in phase If it s exactly out of phase the compressor will not work 2 It s noisy The compressor itself is extremely quiet but by definition compressors raise the level of quiet passages this also means that if there is noise on the original there will be more noise on the compressed signal It s a compromise 3 It distorts No it doesn t Distortion inside the compressor is virtually impossible however it is possible to drive your insert point too hard Try reducing the input gain control and winding up the compression a bit more 4 can t make the compression gentle enough It takes practice The setting of the Attack control close to fastest is quite critical as is the compression control 5 It won t pump hard enough Again it takes practice getting the gain control in the right range Set the slope on 4 and the attack and release at minimum then don t drive it too hard Work the input gain and the compression controls until its right 6 One side is louder than the other It s most likely that you have a wiring or plug problem If you plug an input or an output with a bad connection on either pin 2 or pin 3 then it will sound OK but be just low in volume unlike other equipment These SC2 2 compressors are carefully checked at the factory and it is v2. JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide JOEMEEK COMPRESSION Stereo Compressor SC2 Dv The classic JOEMEEK stereo compressor The classic JOEMEEK compression sound JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide JOEMEEK SC2 2 4 Stereo Compressor User s guide INSTRUCTION BOOK CONTENTS The JOEMEEK SC2 2 Limiting and compression 3 Controls and explanations Controls 5 Connections 6 Initial operation 7 Operational control explanations 7 Problems 9 The JOEMEEK Photo optical compressor What it does 10 Regulations and safety 11 Tips on use 12 Warranty statement 13 Declaration of conformity 14 Ted Fletcher This instruction book was written by Ted Fletcher the designer of the original JOEMEEK compressor and the whole JOEMEEK range of professional audio equipment Ted worked in the studio with Joe Meek the legendary record producer in the mid 1960s 2 JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide JOEMEEK Photo Optical Stereo Compressor 62 2 The ORIGINAL JOEMEEK stereo compressor that now has additional features Dark normal mode switch Hard wired bypass facility LIMITING AND COMPRESSION Why is the JOEMEEK different to a modern high tech compressor limiter It was designed as a stereo effects compressor rather than a levelling amplifier as the early compressors were called These are the basic definitions A LIMITER is a device which stops the output of a sign
3. STRAL A little light tightening of an orchestral sound will make it more present and warmer sounding and add body to string sounds Usually it s best to leave the dark switch set to normal Experiment widely with the attack control the setting is very dependent on the rhythm and percussiveness of the musical material ON THE MIX Remember that big compressed sounds are a balancing act if any instrument or sound in the mix is suddenly louder than others it will kick down the level of all the rest This is a very useful fact but it tends to promote laziness in engineers With the SC2 2 the sound stays bright and present and it s possible to go much heavier with compression than with any other device that s OK but the initial balance gets more and more critical the heavier the compression gets Experiment with the attack 12 JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide control SMALL GROUP RECORDING Try compressing the backing but leave the bass outside the compression and compress it separately GENERALLY because the compressor is so extremely quiet and free of any nasty distortions its quite OK to use it both on individual tracks and on the mix so tend to use it individually on almost everything just to gain some individual warmth then use it again on sub groups in the mix so it pays to have more than one Thanks for buying the compressor I m now enjoying hearing its characteristic sound on records and produ
4. al path going above a predetermined level A COMPRESSOR is a device which reduces the dynamic range of programme material A perfect compressor is an amplifier where the input output ratio is constant So using a 2 1 compressor increasing the input by 2dB gives a corresponding 1dB increase in the output Early compressors which used variable mu thermionic tubes or photoelectric devices only approximated true compression over a limited range They had a soft threshold where compression started and held to a predictable ratio up to a certain level then they returned to a more linear amplification allowing transients through This is in stark contrast to modern VCA compressor limiters where designers thought it sensible to combine the functions of compressor and limiter and to stonewall any and all signals above a certain level The musical effect is that I know I m over simplifying VCA compressors sound muddy and flat while old compressors sound lively and retain sparkle JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide ITS HORSES FOR COURSES a good VCA compressor limiter will do a good job making medium wave radio sound a bit louder and protecting a radio transmitter from exploding but it is a poor tool for making a voice track stand out The JOEMEEK compressor was designed to use the apparent deficiencies of the older technology providing a powerful artistic tool for the creative engineer Joe Meek used to say If it s
5. ally all controls are interrelated The optimum position for the compression control is usually around 7 or 8 ATTACK sets the time that the compressor takes to act At minimum fastest it s possible to make it overshoot on some percussive programme material This means that the compression electronics are driven hard before the gain has been controlled by the light cells The cells catch up and overcompress momentarily giving a tiny dip immediately following the start of the note This is best demonstrated by using a drum track and setting the slope to 5 and attack and release to fastest Used sparingly this can contribute to musical drive Slower attacks and releases are used where the compression needs to be less obvious RELEASE sets the time during which the path gain returns to normal after compression Generally the longer the time the less obvious is the compression DARK SWITCH The original SC2 JOEMEEK compressor had a unique sound This gave a stereo mix an excitment and urgency that had not been heard since the late 1950 s and early 60 s One of the reasons for this sound was an unusual time curve when the compression was being released very obvious on cymbal crashes This unique sound has been recreated in the SC2 2 and it can be heard by pressing the DARK switch This switched was named by a famous American record producer who first described this JOEMEEK effect as a dark sound JOEMEEK SC2 2v4
6. ctions from all over the world Ted Fletcher WARRANTY In the unlikely case of a breakdown please return the unit in its original packing through the supplier The unit will be attended to immediately and returned to your supplier If any breakdown occurs excluding physical mistreatment within 12 months of purchase no charge will be made 13 JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide LOOK OUT FOR OTHER GREAT JOEMEEK PRODUCTS THE JOEMEEK Jm47 Meekrophone True condenser 1 gold diaphragm microphone with a transformer coupling for supreme sound Supplied with pictured shockmount case and 5m cable Classic EQ from Trident MTA the A Range Raw inductive EQ from the 1960 s An amazing sound JOEMEEK VC1Q Studio Channel Professional current mode mic amp compressor and enhancer de esser EQ complete channel optional digital output Manufactured by FLETCHER Electroacoustics Ltd St Mary s Barton Road Torquay Devon TQ1 4DP ENGLAND Tel 44 0 1803 321921 Fax 44 0 1803 321922 e mail sales joemeek net DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY This analogue audio processing equipment conforms to the standards and requirements of the European Economic Community The EC Harmonised standards that have been applied are a Electrical equipment safety Regulations 1994 S 1 1994 3260 b Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 89 336 EEC incorporating S I 1992 2372 If it sounds right it is ri
7. ght z Joe Meek 1964 14
8. h changes the mode of the meter In COMP mode the needle sits at 0 and indicates approximate amount of compression by moving downwards IN VU mode the meter shows audio level before the output gain control COMPRESSION is the drive control to the optical system It sets the point at which the compression starts it specifies where the knee is although with a photo optical compressor the knee is not well defined as the compression ratio varies with audio level The effect of this control is a threshold control that increases the overall compression effect IN OUT switch literally switches the whole compressor in and out of circuit When the switch is out and the red LED is alight the audio signal goes directly from the input connectors to the output connectors There is no electronics in the way and therefore the input and output gain controls will 5 JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide be bypassed When the switch is in the input audio signal goes via the compression circuitry and is converted to sum and difference mode This ensures that the centre image stays perfectly in the centre even under heavy compression The sum and difference coded signal is compressed and then converted back into left right format The hard wired by pass switch allows instant comparison between the original uncompressed signal and the compressed processed signal ATTACK sets the time for the compression to act Whe
9. h the compression distortion provided by the valve tape machines he had the result was voice and music sounds that were unique and sold records by the million had to make some significant improvements in the way the early compressors worked to make the JOEMEEK acceptable to today s engineers but now that they are in general use in top studios all over the world the consensus is that the sound is right and really does recreate the warmth and power of the old equipment without the side effects There are probably hundreds of types of compressor limiters on sale in the world all struggling for a place in the market with extra knobs and facilities and all missing the fundamental point that a compressor is there to produce a psychoacoustic effect of power and dynamics not to perform any protective function electronically it s a creative tool The JOEMEEK recreates the dynamics of the old analogue tape and compressor combination The photo electric effect make precisely the right sound and because the attack release and compression curve shapes are so complex and interrelated it is not possible to create a software algorithm for it So there will never be an accurate JOEMEEK plug in The dark switch setting 10 JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide makes it even more unlikely The classic way is to use a U47 or similar large diaphragm capacitor microphone like the JOEMEEK JM47 which in itself distorts the s
10. irtually impossible for there to be an electronic gain error JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide THE JOEMEEK PHOTO OPTICAL COMPRESSOR WHAT IT DOES Anyone who has tried to record a human voice in the simplest possible way has found that the dynamics of real world speech and music are impossible to handle with a linear recorder Even if the signals do not overload the final result is a recording that seems to be thin quiet and too wide in dynamic range Early analogue tape recorders had a built in answer to the problem Slightly overloading the record channel produced predominantly 2nd order harmonic distortion and some volume compression This made recordings sound warm and reduced the problems of dynamics Unfortunately modern recording mediums don t react that way they produce an accurate reflection of the input with all its built in problems Most thinking engineers know of these problems and correct with the use of equalisers to change the psychoacoustic distance from the microphone limiters to reduce dynamic range at the louder end and enhancers to sparkle it up And then find that it is extremely difficult and time consuming to get a warm and cosy sound Joe Meek in common with all engineers experimented with the limited facilities of the time 1960 1965 and came up with a way of enhancing the tape bend effect with compression The compressor he used was primitive in the extreme but coupled wit
11. ll good outboard equipment JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide INITIAL OPERATION Connect inputs and outputs and plug in mains cable When the unit is powered the meter needle will be at 0 if the meter switch has been left in the compress mode otherwise it will rest at the minimum position if there is no input program material Either the red or the blue in out status indicator will be on The red indicates by pass where the compression circuit is switched out and the audio signals are directly connected from the input connectors to the output connectors Compression is active when the blue light is on Set the controls as follows SLOPE to number 3 IN OUT SWITCH to IN blue light ATTACK to fast full anti clockwise RELEASE to medium halfway OUTPUT GAIN CONTROL set to the zero mark Feed some programme material into the unit and set the STEREO INPUT GAIN control to about number 5 this will correspond to about 10dB gain Set the output to match the equipment being driven professional studio equipment is normally 4 or OdB less expensive equipment is often 10dB Switch the meter to compression turn up the COMPRESSION control slowly and if there is sufficient audio signal the meter will start to indicate compression by the needle moving downwards The compressor should now be working and your ears can take over OPERATIONAL CONTROL EXPLANATIONS There are two main gain controls on the compre
12. n set to fast the attack time is slightly less than 1 millisecond At slow the attack time is increased to about 15 milliseconds RELEASE is one of the most important and noticeable controls of the compressor At minimum fast the release time is less than 200 milliseconds the range of the control is about 5 seconds Fast releases make the compression effect more noticeable and more urgent sounding This control reacts differently depending on the status of the dark switch In normal mode the compression release is smooth and linear in dark mode the release starts gently but releases quickly as the gain approaches normal this gives an even more urgent type of sound and often adds an apparent depth to the sound OUTPUT GAIN controls the gain of the final output driver amplifiers Normal position is marked as 0 The control can be used to set the optimum volume level for driving any other equipment The output level range is high maximum output can be as high as 26dB but the gain circuit is designed so that when the gain is turned down the residual noise drops with the signal making an extremely quiet system CONNECTIONS Inputs and outputs are balanced line level but can be operated unbalanced without loss of quality If using unbalanced circuits it is essential to ground the unused audio connection ie pin 3 on the XLRs The XLR Inputs are high impedance and outputs are low impedance as is normal for a
13. ound with complex high frequency phasing across the diaphragm and some 2nd order distortion from the amplifier tube or FET REGULATIONS AND SAFETY The JOEMEEK SC2 2 Compressor has been designed and built to conform to all known safety requirements in the world Within the European Union the Compressor easily meets the requirements for electrostatic and electromagnetic emissions and conforms to all safety requirements of the European Common Market the CE symbol on the rear of the unit indicates compliance In the United States of America the compressor complies with UL requirements and uses UL approved components in all power supply functions POWER SELECTION JOEMEEK Compressors are fitted with a mains voltage selector for easy change of input voltage The fuse carriage can be pulled out and rotated to select to the local power voltage In the 115 position the unit will operate between 95 and 125V AC In the 230 position the unit will operate between 210 and 240V AC The fuse can remain at 100mA for both ranges POWER EARTH GROUND CONNECTION The centre ground pin of the IEC power connector is connected to the metal chassis of the compressor The Audio ground is also connected to chassis The power system is double insulated throughout so that power ground may be lifted off if required without affecting safety in any way 11 JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide TIPS ON USE Some handy hints from
14. ounds right it is right To a lot of his contemporaries he went way over the top with overloading the record electronics on his Lyrec 2 track recorder and swathing his less than perfect singers in bathroom echo and reverb but his artistic use of non linear compression was masterly JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide CONTROLS amp EXPLANATIONS INPUT GAIN sets the audio gain of the stereo compressor It s calibrated 1 to 11 With the control set at number 5 the gain through the compressor is about OdB no gain With the control at maximum the gain is about 20dB DARK MODE gives the option of using a conventional sounding compression effect or the more dramatic and original JOEMEEK sound The switch changes the characteristic of the release control making the time curve for the release of the compression behave in a much less linear or predictable way when in the special DARK MODE light is lit in this mode Keeping shorter release times will increase the DARK effect SLOPE alters the amount that the optical system affects the audio signal It approximates to a ratio switch in a conventional compressor but don t take this too literally At 1 the compression is light and the maximum possible compression is about 6dB At 5 the compression can be severe The compressor behaves in a similar way to a valve tube limiter The intermediate positions give a range of compression effect COMP VU switc
15. ssor the input gain control and the output gain preset control The input gain control is a simple stereo ganged control that sets the audio gain of the front end amplifier At maximum the gain of the unit is about 20dB So if you set the gain to say 10dB and wind in compression until the output is back at zero you have 10dB true compression The output gain control is to set the output to a comfortable level for the equipment it is feeding into CAUTION The compressor has gain and a high output capability If you hear signs of overloading it s likely that your mixer insert input point is being overdriven it s very unlikely that you are overdriving the compressor Try turning down the output volume JOEMEEK SC2 2v4 Stereo Compressor User s guide SLOPE This control alters the ratio of compression In practice 1 is very gentle compression while 5 can give severe pumping effects find that 2 or 3 is right for voice and for overall effect while the higher numbers are better for instruments COMPRESSION simply adds gain to the compression sidechain In simple terms this changes the threshold of the compression although with this compressor the threshold is not clearly defined the compression starts very gradually and the compression ratio changes with programme content and amplitude For practical purposes winding up the compression control increases the amount of compression In use you will find that music
16. the JOEMEEK studio and from around the world VOICES The compressor adds stability and depth to solo voices it allows you to use less equaliser or enhancer and still retain the original sparkle of a recording made with a fine microphone Over compression with fast attack times on voice will change the apparent tonal quality so listen carefully Opto compression makes lead and background vocals jump out and command attention Try recording first with a little compression then adding more at a different release time on the mix On final mixdown of solo voices it s possible to use quite heavy compression on the voice alone to gain stability Set compression near full the attack to about halfway and the release to 9 O clock this holds the voice forward without the compression being too obvious PIANO Tricky use it very gently unless you want unusual effects PERCUSSION The JOEMEEK sound is supreme on a full drumkit The danger is to use it too much too early save heavy use for the mix If you want heavy compression and for the cymbals to really swish try leaving the kick drum out of the mix that goes through the compressor Limit the kick separately ideally with a Joemeek C2 then mix it back into the final mix The SC2 2 is absolutely ideal for drums the image stability gives the sound a control and perfect rigidity the dark switch adds a subtle depth GUITARS Wind it on The depth and sustain make it a must ORCHE
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search