Rane DC225 User's Manual
Contents
1. While sending a signal to the DC 22S adjust the output level of the previous device so the 4 dBu LED lights occasion ally but the OL LED does not light If you are driving the 4 WEAR PARTS This product contains no wear parts INPUTS with a balanced signal tip ring sleeve set the Input Gain switch to 4 dBu a When driving this input with an unbalanced signal tip sleeve set this switch to 10 dBv out Regardless of the type of Input you might need to set this switch so the INPUT LEVEL LEDs light correctly Now increase the COMPRESSOR RATIO to something useful like 2 1 with the control set at 2 the Ratio is 2 1 at 5 it is 5 1 Adjust the COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD to the point you want the Compressor to kick in The GAIN REDUCTION meter reads the amount of signal compression If you want the quiet parts to be even quieter increase the GATE THRESHOLD so only higher levels make it through the Gate Both Gates and Compressors will activate by the source material applied to either channel if the LINK switch is on This is the preferred setting for stereo program material The chan nel 1 controls set both channels to the same adjustments as the channel 2 controls go dormant and the LEDs extinguish If the LINK switch is off then both channels are independently controllable Manual 1 Front Panel Description INPUT LEVEL indicators With signal applied the 4 dBu LED may light occasionally If the OL overload LED fla2. OLD controls and see some GAIN REDUCTION meter action You should begin to hear the difference Leave these controls at whatever level is appropriate for your application For the most precise settings see the section on the next page Manual 5 PAMER PROTECTION FINE TUNING 1 Determine the drivers maximum continuous average power rating in watts W specified by the manufacturer 2 Determine the driver impedance z in ohms specified by the manufacturer w Using the data in steps 1 and 2 above calculate the maximum signal level in dBu that the driver can handle Max dBu 20 log V w z 775 A Determine the gain of the amplifier in dB if the amplifier has a level control you may wish to measure the gain If i e you put 1V in how many volts come out Then convert to dB 20 log gain Subtract the gain of the amplifier in dB from the answer in step 3 to obtain the correct COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD WN WAN Set the RATIO to 10 1 NOTES Any change in amplifier sensitivity setting will effect the power limit to the driver If the DC 22S is placed just before the amplifier no other system levels will effect the power limit setting EXAMPLE 1 Driver power rating w 100 watts 2 Driver impedance z 4 ohms 3 20 log V w 2 775 28 2 dBu 4 Amplifier gain is 30 dB 1V in equals 31 6 V out 5 Set the COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD control to 28 2 dBu 30 dB 1 8 dBu 6 Set the RATIO con
3. RANE OPERATORS MANUAL DC 22S STEREO COMPRESSOR C INPUT GATE COMPRESSOR OUTPUT INPUT GATE COMPRESSOR OUTPUT O 3 3 1 P ate AA E eke aoe a9tata 6 woe pc 22s RANE A KOR S 9 o LINK KON A si TOR a rite OP O iS Oaa wig Dig N is 45 o Cy pang pee THRESHOLD 7 RAO REDUCTION BYPASS LEVEL EA Baa oo ie THRESHOLD 7 RATIO REDUCTION BYPASS LEVEL POWER O QUICK START Shredded this document makes excellent packing material In its present form it makes interesting and useful reading If you run out of patience quickly at least read this part to make sure you don t exterminate everything within a two mile radius by doing something wrong First be sure the POWER switch is off Attach one or two channels of Inputs and Outputs to the respective connectors on the rear This device uses low impedance balanced line drivers Do not connect the XLR or output pins to ground as this may cause the power supply to shut down For unbalanced use leave the unused output pin or unterminated OK now you can power up your sound system volumes down amp turned on ast With the GATE THRESHOLD turned all the way down to 80 dBu COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD turned all the way up to 20 dBu COMPRESSOR RATIO turned all the way down to 1 and the OUTPUT LEVEL control in the center at 0 dB you have an expensive patch cord
4. TIO setting An ordinary preamp set for unity gain or a straight wire has a ratio of 1 1 that is the output level tracks the input level perfectly A 2 dB change at the input produces a 2 dB change at the output For a 10 1 Ratio a 10 dB blast at the input would rise only 1 dB at the output heavy compression Kinder gentler ratios are in the 2 1 to 3 1 range Limiting with no increase in signal above the Threshold occurs at 9 1 Figure 3 illustrates various Ratios AUDIO PRECISION AMPL dBr vs AMPL dBu 09 AUG 101 14 45 47 o fo fo ca ACUCO o k 3 oO a o 40 20 10 INPUT dBu Figure 3 Threshold at 40 dBu Ratios of 1 1 1 2 1 1 5 1 etc Vertical axis output level horizontal axis input level 60 50 LIMITING A limiter is a special form of compressor set up especially to reduce peaks for overload protection In other words it s a com pressor with a maximum ratio A compressor is used to change the dynamics for purposes of aesthetics intelligibility record ing or broadcast limitations Once the threshold of a limiter is reached no more signal increase is allowed The DC 22S acts as a limiter when set at a very high ratio of 10 1 LINKING IN STEREO When using the DC 22S as a true stereo processor with left signal in Channel 1 and right signal in Channel 2 it is recom mended to turn the LINK switch on to prevent large balance and image shifts Whi
5. anced piece of equipment equalizer or amplifier must be used at the receiving end of this long line For unbalanced systems use the 4 inputs on the DC 22S and use the balanced XLR outputs to run the long distance See the RaneNote Sound System Interconnection included with this manual for proper cable wiring SOUND SYSTEM WITH COMPRESSION Let s run a stereo system with compression See the wiring dia gram on page Manual 3 Patch the DC 22S Compressor Inputs from the program source or mixer outputs and send the DC 22S Outputs to the system equalizer if you have one and then on to the crossover inputs if you have one Set the equalizer and crossover Inputs to unity gain Set the LINK switch to ON and adjust the CHAN NEL 1 COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD and RATIO controls to keep the entire system dynamic range under control Locating the compressor before the equalizer results in correct spectral balance during compression DRIVER PROTECTION To individually limit Low and High drivers in a biamped system connect the Crossover Low Output into one DC 22S Input and the High Output into the other DC 22S Input The DC 22S Outputs go right to the respective low and high frequency power amplifier inputs For a stereo configuration use two DC 22S Stereo Compressors Be sure the LINK switch is OFF Set the RATIO controls to 10 1 Assuming your input signal has peaks in excess of 20 dBu you should be able to rotate the COMPRESSOR THRESH
6. connecting any cable over 10 feet 3 meters in length Consult the Sound System Interconnection RaneNote provided with this manual INPUTS 1 and 2 Gain Trim Switch In its 4 dBu position the Input gain of the respective channel is unity In the 10 dBV posi tion the input gain is increased by 12 dB although mathematically suspicious it really is 12 dB not 14 dB to compensate for certain recording devices This switch must be in the 4 dBu position for front panel calibration accuracy OUTPUTS 1 and 2 are delivered by the balanced XLR or the unbalanced 14 TS jacks Using both types of Outputs are permissible to drive two devices such as an amplifier and a recorder This device uses low impedance balanced line drivers Do not connect the XLR or output pins to ground as this may cause the power supply to shut down For unbalanced use leave the unused output pin or unterminated RIGHT SPEAKER STEREO AMP HIGH Cimma anane 1 LEFT SPEAKER DC 22S STEREO COMPRESSOR MONO SUBWOOFER TTM 56S MIXER MONO OR BRIDGED AMP MONO SUB System wiring example for a DJ system Manual 3 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS A PRIMER Let s start with what a compressor actually does No matter how you cut it this is an automatic volume control It is a hand o
7. etween line level devices or in your mixer inserts or loops The DC 22S gives you more control and a less tortured sound and keeps instruments sounding up front In digital recording compress an extremely wide dynamic range into a signal that wont go into digital overload i e severe clipping This is really valuable during a live digital recording when you just don t know how loud it may get and digital distortion can ruin an otherwise good take Set both the COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD and RATIO relatively high just enough to limit the peaks Set the GATE THRESHOLD very low though you might want to raise it just above the noise floor to get rid of tape hiss or processor noise Of special interest are instruments which have large level differences in their tonal ranges String pops on a bass are one example shrill peaks on a flute are yet another The higher tones require more breath and can seem much louder than lower pitches Another good application would be a drum mix or vocal submix LONG DISTANCE LINE DRIVER The DC 22S is excellent as a line level amp for driving long lines from the mixer to the stage for instance With the COM PRESSOR switch in the BYPASS position the INPUT LEVEL control and the output amplifiers remain in the circuit This provides a very low distortion low noise line driver Balanced XLR connections are recommended for the long run from the DC 22S s outputs anything over 10 feet 3 meters A bal
8. le LINKed both Channels attenuate by exactly the same amount when either Compressor works main taining correct stereo imaging Only Channel 1 s controls are active Channel 2 becomes the slave DC 22S APPLICATIONS TWO CHANNEL COMPRESSOR LIMITER In this case the audio path on Channel 1 is completely sepa rate from Channel 2 allowing you to use it as a stereo unit or for doing two completely different processes to two completely different signals For stereo use the front panel LINK switch allows you to link Channels When either Channel s Threshold is reached both channels compress equally preserving the stereo image Channel 1 s Threshold and Ratio settings will affect both Channels GUITAR amp BASS Where does the unit go in the signal chain Well that depends on how you want it to function If it s a comp limiter for the input signal it would go after the guitar if the guitar has a line level output and before the preamp If it s to function as a limiter to protect the speakers in the rig it would go after the preamp and before the power amp Another method is to insert the unit in the effect loop of the preamp This allows the bass signal to be affected by the pre amp first then the comp limiter and then sent to the power amp This can be desirable with tube pre amps RECORDING Use it on bass guitar piano drums or vocals as an effect or to tailor dynamic range for a particular recording medium Patch it b
9. n a knob turning the volume down and turning it up again The hand is really quick and really accurate but it s just turning a volume control When the input signal reaches a level set by the COMPRES SOR THRESHOLD control the compressor begins turning down the signal by an amount determined by the RATIO control The DC 22S like most compressors operates by mak ing the loud signals quieter but does not make the quiet parts louder However by keeping the loud signals under control the entire system may be turned up when necessary to make the quiet parts louder PRE FLIGHT CHECKLIST Before proceeding it s a good idea to turn the control knobs to the following positions 1 GATE THRESHOLD control fully counterclockwise 2 COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD fully clockwise 3 COMPRESSOR RATIO 002 fully counterclockwise 4 BYPASS SWitcheS cccsccssseeee ACTIVE out 5 OUTPUT LEVEL cseeseeeees 0 dB This renders the DC 22S with no compression allowing sig nal through at unity gain No change occurs with the BYPASS switch in or out INPUT LEVEL Before making any Threshold adjustments set the ouput level of the previous device so the 4 dBu LED lights occasionally and the OL LED does not light Be aware that changes to the Input Level will affect the Thresholds GATE THRESHOLD The threshold is the point at which gain adjustment begins When the input signal is below the threshold the DC 22S attenua
10. nel 1 These are not active if the LINK switch is engaged GATE COMPRESSOR INPUT 3 2 50 710 ae m r03 60 40 20 o 1 7 3 O 6 6 LINK d 70 30 30 10 1 2 1020 12 12 O Qwa sW 4 pas O24 3 6 E dBu dBu GAIN dB LEVEL THRESHOLD 7 THRESHOLD 7 RATIO Manual 2 REDUCTION BYPASS LEVEL INPUT GATE 50 1 60 40 4 70 30 30 ao s 45 ad dau O LEVEL THRESHOLD i COMPRESSOR 3 10 e O 40 20 0 1 7 3 O 30 30 10 1 2 102 O 240 20 40 20 1 co dBu 1 GAIN LD THRESHOLD RATIO REDUCTION BYP OUTPUT 0 e 6 6 12 12 O 15 15 dB z BYPASS LEVEL OUTPUT MASTER CONTROLLER POWER SLAVE gt O DC 22S DYNAMIC Bo When the POWER LED is lit the DC 22S is connected to a 100 240 VAC source and ready to rock Rear Panel Description WIRING OUTPUT _ INPUT 2 3 PIN XLR PIN 2 PIN 3 2 e PIN 1 CHASSIS SHIELD 1 4 PHONE BALANCED e TIP RING e SLEEVE CHASSIS SHIELD 10 dBV LL 4 dBu O 32 1 4 PHONE UNBALANCED amp e SEE THE RANENOTE SOUND SYSTEM INTERCONNECTION BALANCED BAL UNBAL BALANCED BAL UNBAL INPUTS 1 and 2 Choose between the balanced XLR or the balanced unbalanced 14 TRS jacks but only use one Inserting a 4 TS jack will work however we recommend using balanced lines especially when
11. shes turn the output level down on the previous device GATE THRESHOLD control sets the point at which the Input signal level causes the Gate to become active COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD control sets the point at which the Input signal level causes the Compressor to become active See Figure 1 on page Manual 4 COMPRESSOR RATIO control Once the Threshold is exceeded the Ratio of input change to output change is deter mined by this control The compressor has no effect when set at 1 1 But at 10 1 it takes a 10 dB input signal increase above the Threshold to produce a 1 dB increase in Output Gain See Figure 2 on page Manual 4 GAIN REDUCTION LEDs show the amount of average signal reduction in dB This aids in setting the THRESHOLD and RATIO controls by showing how much compression is occur ing BYPASS switch compares the compressed and non compressed signal There is one for each channel The INPUT LEVEL indicators remain active regardless of switch position OUTPUT LEVEL control increases or decreases the output gain of each Channel by 15 dB In the center detent gain will be unity LINK switch activates both Compressors when either channel s signal exceeds the set Threshold preserving stereo imaging Switch this ON when using stereo material The channel 1 controls become the Master when this switch is active render ing the channel 2 controls and indicators dead Channel 2 controls duplicate the controls in chan
12. tes the signal at a 2 1 ratio making the quiet parts twice as quiet When the signal is above the Gate Threshold the Gate is open like a straight wire AUDIO PRECISION amp AMPL dBr vs AMPL dBu 09 AUG 101 14 51 28 o T T 10 20 30 40 50 60 cuwa ACUCO 70 80 i 80 70 60 50 40 20 10 0 INPUT dBu Figure 1 With a fixed Ratio set to 2 1 this graph shows gain reduction below various Gate Thresholds at 20 dBu 30 dBu 40 dBu etc Manual 4 COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD The threshold is the point at which gain adjustment begins When the input signal is below the threshold the Compressor section acts like a straight wire When the signal is loud enough to cross the Compressor Threshold the compressor is active and turns the volume down Various Threshold points are illustrated in Figure 1 How much it gets turned down is determined by the RATIO control Figure 1 shows a Ratio set at 2 1 RATIO AUDIO PRECISION 20 AMPL dBr VS AMPL dBu 09 AUG 101 14 34 57 10 10 20 30 40 cwoaQ AC VACO 50 60 1 1 1 i 0 10 20 60 50 40 20 10 INPUT dBu Figure 2 With the Ratio set to oo the DC 22S acts as a Limiter This graph shows Limiter gain reduction above various Compressor Thresholds at 10 dBu 0 dBu 10 dBu etc Once the Threshold is exceeded the increase in output compared to the input signal increase depends on the RA
13. trol to 10 1 Rane Corporation 10802 47th Ave W Mukilteo WA 98275 5098 TEL 425 355 6000 FAX 425 347 7757 WEB www rane com Manual 6 All features amp specifications subject to change without notice
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