Alesis QuadraVerb 2 User manual

ttuTRoDUcTtotrf:
Before
unpacking
your
newDigitalReverb,
takeamoment
tolook
throughthisinstruc-
tion
manual.
We'vemade
it
briefandinformative.
Somehelpful
setupthoughts
are
included
alongwith
some
applicationhints.
The
MICROVERBo
II represents
a clear
breakthroughin
signal
processing
tech-
nology.
Utilizing
theAlesisR.l.S.C.
(Reduced
Instruction
Set
Computer)architecture,
theMICROVERB
II provicies
clean,
quiet,professional
digitalreverberation
with
the
cost
andsimplicity
ofspringunits.The
entiredigital
processing
system
is
contained
on
a
single
chip,developed
byAlesis
ResearchDepartment,
specificallyfor
the
MICROVERB
II.
Usinghigh
speedcomplementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS)
silicon
processing,
theMICROVERB
II chipreplaces
severalcircuit
cardsof
components,
while
consumingverylittle
power.
Thereverb
programs
were
developed
onour
interactiverogm
simulation
anddevel-
opment
system.Philosophically,
theobjective
of reverberationistoenhancea dramatic
performance,
adding
space,
power,
depth.Naturalspacestend
tosoundmore
pleas-
ing
than
thesimulatedreverb
types
suchasspringsand
plates,
and
forthisreason,
we
useroom
terminology
in
describingour
programs.
The
programs
coverawiderangeof
sizesand
qualities,
andinclude
suchunnaturalconcepts
as
gated
and
reverse
types.
,wSTA[|'LATtONt
Guitars,Keyboards:
The
MICROVERB
II has
high
impedance
inputsideally
suited
for
usewithinstrument
pickups.
Further,
iftheleftinput
onlyisused,theinput
signal
will
appearasmono
(present
in
both
channels)atthedry
sideofthe
mixcontrol.Adjusttheinputlevelforthe
level
indicatorflashing
to red onoccasionaltransients.A green
conditionofthe
indi-
catorshows
thatthe
signal
is
sufficientfor
good
signaltonoiseratios.
MixingGonsoles:
TheMICROVERB
II handlesmono
orstereosendsatallsystemlevels.Theinput
circuitry
oftheMICROVERB
IIcaneasilyhandle
+4 levels
(+20dBpeaks),
while
having
enoughinput
gain
tointerface withtheextremelylow
signal
levels
ofbudget
recording
systems.Aswithinstruments,if
the
leftinput
aloneisusedwith
amono
source,it
willappearin
bothchannels
ofthedryoutput,
leaving
thereverboutputinfull
stereo.
In
professional
applications,
itis
suggestedthatthe
outputcontrolbeset
atmaximum,
where
theMICROVERBII will
bestdrivemaximumlevels
atlow
impedances.
When
usingwith
thesendsandreceives
ofa console,themix
control
should
besettofullreverb.
llounting:
TheMICROVERB
II asa part
oftheAlesisMicroSeries,ismountable
intheMicro-
RackAdapter,
where
three
suchdevicesfit
perfectly.
Assembly
is
quick
andsimple,
a
single
screwsecures
each
device
in
place.
Theunique
design
of
theMicro
Series
case
allowsthe
devices
tolocktogether
toform
asolid
rack
package,
or
tostandalone
as
singleunits.
Powen
TheMICROVERB
II ispcnrvered
by a remote
supply
providing
9 voltsACthrough
a 3.5
mm
plug.
This
power
supplyapproachkeeps
stray
magnetic
fieldsfrominterfering
with
low
level
signals,
allows
easyconversion
toalternate
power
sources
(220V),
andfurther
reduces
theunit's
physical
sizeandvaluable
panel
space.Although
many
Micro
series
devices
couldbepowered
bya single
supply,this
isnotadvisable,
asground
loops
would
besetupbetween
units,
leading
toexcessive hum
andnoise
inthe
system.

APPL'CAT'OIYS..
MICROVERB
IIisarevolution
ln
thedevelopment
of
digital
reverbinthat
it
representsa
phenomenalprice/performance
ratio,while
reducing
the
physical
size
from
large,
bulky
hardwaretowhat
you
can
nowhold
in
the
palm
of
your
hand.The
16
programs
in
MICROVERBII arethedistillationof
years
ofexhaustive
researchby
Alesis
intothe
phe-
nomenon
of
soundasitoccurs
naturally
in
space.
Fromsmall,
intimate
roomsettings
to
large
unobstructed
spaces,touseful
gated
and
reverse
reverb
effects,
MICROVERB
II
offers
apowerful
level
ofsonic
flexibility
thatwillexpand
and
polish
thesound
ofany
recording.Moreover,
its
rugged
portability,
simplicity
and
convenient
input
character-
isticsmakeitthelogical
choice
forrecreating
studio
quality
sound
inlive
performance,
HOW7O USEM'CROVERB'I INYOUN STUD'O
The16
programs
inMICROVERBIIofferawide range
of
ambientspaces.
lts
compact,
affordable
formatmeans
that
even
thesmallest4trackstudiocanown
morethanone
MICROVERBIL Oneofthe
greatest
differencesbetween
homerecordings
andtop
flightrecord
productions
isinthe
quality
andnumberofhigh
performance
reverb
processors.
Simplystated,thebigstudios
have
alot ofdigital
reverbsandsmallerstu-
diosusuallydon't.MICROVERBIIchangesallthat.
The
illustration
shows
atypical
reverb
assignment
foranoholds barred
record
pro-
duction.
Whilethis
setupmaynot
represent
thecapabilitiesofyour
own
recording
efforts,it
does
illustratewhymodernrecordings
soundso
spaciousanddramatic.
The
16bit
processor
inMICROVERBII allows
you
tocreate
thissense
of
spacewithcrystal-
line
clarityand
great
resolution.
These
programs
were
chosen
for
thepurpose ofcreatinga 'sound
stage'
for
the
musical
performance.
Thereisawelldefined
sense
ofthreedimensionalspace
thatis
occupiedby
each
instrument:left
to
right
andfronttoback.
The
blocks
intheillustration
indicatethe
physicalplacement
ofeachinstrument,andthespreadingofthesound
duetothepsychoacoustic imaging
characteristicsofeach
program.
Noticethatthe
small
programs
have
moreofacentered
spatial
image
while
thelarge
programs
are
wider,more
openand
spacious.
Recommended
programs
arelisted by number
next
to eachinstrument.
These
pro-
gram
suggestionsarebasedoncunent
popular
uses
ofdigital
reverb,
butuse
your
imagi-
nationandplease
experiment.Musicalstyle,
personal
tasteandcreativityare
your
guide-
lines.Thismixuses9 MICROVERBII programs
simultaneously.
Theaffordabilityof
MICROVERBIIeasilybringsatleasta
portion
of
thismixwithinthereachofa//studios.
Themix
controlsettings
apply
toeither
the
mix
control
onMICROVERB
II for
stand
aloneoperation,orthesettingscanapplytothe
sends
andreceivesofa mixing con-
sole.IMPORTANT!When
used
with
thesendsand
receives
ofa
mixingconsolethemix
controlonMICROVERBII shouldalwaysbesetfullycloclovise,and thereturnsonthe
console
oanned
hardleft
and
riohtfor
the
full
stereoeffect.
MIXCONTROL
PROGRAM atcDry %Wel
SNAREDRUM
LEADVOCAL MEDIUM4 ORLARGE
1 60
BACKGROUNDVOCALS. IVEDIUMs
LEADINSTRUMENTS
(ouitar.
sax.svnth.etc.) LARGE
150
RHYTHMGUITAR
AND
KEYBOARDS SMALL
Ior2 50-100
HORN
SECTION LARGE
260-50
HIHAT. SMALL 1
or
2
50-100
STRINGS LARGE
1
PERCUSSION
ANDCYMBALS LARGE
1OR 60-70
MEDIUM2
TOMS.. MEDIUM3 50
KICKDRUM SMALL1
BASSGUITAR. SMALL2

does
causeinterference
toradio
ortelevision
reception,
which
can
bedetermined
by
turning
the
equipment
offandon,
theuseris
encouraged
totry
to
correcttheinter-
terence
by
oneormore
ofthefollowing
measures:
- Reorient
thereceiving
antenna.
-Relocate
the
product
withrespect
tothereceiver
-Move
the
product
awayfrom
the
receiver
-Plug theproduct
into
a different
outletsothat
product
andreceiver
areondifferent
branch
circuits.
lfnecessary
the
user
should
consultthe
dealeroran
experiencedradio/television
technician
foradditional
suggestions.The
usermayfind
thefollowing
booklet
prepared
by theFederal
communications
commission
heipful:
"How
totdentity
and Rbsotve
Radio:TV
lnterterence
Problems'.'
This
booklet
is
availablefrom
the:
U.S.
GovernmentPrinting
Office
Washington,
D.C.20402
(Stock
N
umber004-000-00345-4)
sPECrFCATrOtfS:
FREQUENCY
RESPONSE 20KHZ
(DRY),
1sKHZ(REVERB)
:t 2dB
+1Khz
DYNAMIC
RANGE 90dB
prsToRTroN
................................,t%(TyptcAl)
SIGNALLEVELS INPUT:
-10TO
+
20dBVPEAK
OUTPUT:
+85dBVPEAK
(REVERB)
OUTPUT:+20dBVPEAK
(DRY)
INPUTIMPEDANCE
..... 1MEGOHMEACHCHANNEL
5OOKOHM,MONOINPUT
CONVERSION
SCHEME 16
BITLINEARPCM
PROCESSING
MEMORY 32KILOBYTES
PROCESSoR
SPEED.
... 3MILLIoN
oPER.ISEC
FORMAT INPUT:MATRIXED
STEREO
OUTPUT:
FULL
IMAGED
STEREO
DEFEAT EXTEBNAL,SPSTSWITCH
(NOTSUPPLIED)
LEVELINDICATION
.... ORANGE:POWERINDICATION
GREEN:SIGNAL
PRESENT
RED:
OVERLOAD
CONTROLS INPUT
GAIN
I\,4IXRATIO
OUTPUTLEVEL
PROGRAM
PROGBAMS
CONNECTIONS STEREOINPUTS:7q"PHONE
STEREO
OUTPUTS:%"
PHONE
DEFEAT:Y4"PHONE
POWEB:
3.5mm
PHONE
POWER 9V
AC,
5VOLT-AMPERES
U]TIIEDWARRANTY:
ALESIS
warrants
this
product
tobe lree
ofdefectsinmaterial
andworkmanship
unbernormar
usefor
aperiod
of90days.Theterm
ofthiswarranty
beginsonthedate
ofsaletbthe
purchaser.
Unitsreturned
forwarranty
repairtoALESlS
oranauthoiizedALESISwarrantyrepairbtation
will
berepaired
or
replaced
atmanufacturer's
option,freeof
charge.
Thiswarrarity
ii void
iffactory
determines
defectto betheresult
ofabuse,neglect,
alterati-onorattempteilrepair
byunau-
thorized
personnel.
ALESIS
assumes
norespo-sibilityforloss
ordamage,
dirbct
or-conse-
gye_rllql,
that
mayresultfrom
thrs
product
faiiing
to
perform
atanytime.All
units
returned
to
ALESIS
oranauthorized
ALESISrepair
faciliiymust
be
prepaid,
insured,
and
property
packaged.
ALESISreserves
theright
io update
dnyunit
retl.rneid
forrepair.ALESIS'res6rve6
theright
tochange
orimprove design
atanytimewithout
prior
notice.
Warranty
appliesin
U.S.
only.For
warrantyinformalion
in
allother
countries
please
refer
to
Vour
local
distributor.
PRINTED
INR.O.C

PFOGRAIIIS;
The
programs
available
inthe
MICROVERB
II wereselected
tooffer
a
complete
range
ofcontemporary
reverbtypes,
spanning
the
entire
range
of
music
production.
Divided
intolarge,small
andspecial
effecttypes,
the
programs
are
allvery
different
andspe-
cific,
but
likewise
veryuseful
for
certain
specific
music
types.
(Generalizationsabout
applications,
with
specific
examples,
canbe
foundin
thesection
on
applications.)
SmallPrograms:
Small
reverberantspaces
haveshorter
decay
times
andare
characterized
bytheir
smooth,
exponential
decay.
Animpulse
begins
decaying
immediately,
without
exces-
sive
initialsound.
Plates
and
chambers
have
thisbasic
quality.
Especially
suitable
for
generat
purpose
percussion,
thesmall
programs
add
littlecharacter
totheoriginal
pro-
gram
material,
butobviously
donotconvey
afeeling
ofopen
spaciousness
Atlonger
decay
times,
thesmall
programs
may
seem
restrictive
and
tonal
forsuch
smooth
mate-
rialai instruments
and
vocals.
The
programs
areorganized
inorder
ofincreasing
decay
timefrom
1to6.
lledium Plograms:
Medium
reverbeiant
spaces
d
iff
er
fromsmal
I
and
largespaces
inthe
waythat
theinitial
attack
anddecay
react,
aswell
asthe
tonaldifferences
between
spaces.
With
medium
spaces,
theattack
generates
amoderate
amount
ofinitialechoes
ascompared
with
largerspaces.
The
decay
islongerthan
that
witha small
roomThese
medium
pro-
grims aresome ofthe
most
sought
after
roomand
plate
spaces
and
willbeusedon
mostofthe
reverbchores
needed
such
asleadand
background
vocals,
guitars,
key-
boards,
horns,etc.
LargePrograms:
Large
reverberant
spaces
return
initial
echoes
foraperiod
of
time
from
theonset
ofan
impirtse,
where
the
period
isafunction
of
the
roomsize.
Thisinitial
periodisuneven
before
the
smooth
exponential
decay
begins.
The
large
programs
of
the
MICROVERB
II are
similar
tohalls.
Suchareverb
sound
has
rnorecharacter
than
the
more
blandSmall
room
sound
and
lendsabeautiful,
openspaciousness
to
vocals
and
instruments,
Thelarge
programs
are
notintended
tobeperfectly
smooth,
and
should
beused
with
cautionon
pe16ussive
material.
For
large
percussion
sounds,
the
gated
programs_should
betried.
ine large
programs
areorganized
bysize
and
decay
time
numbered
from
1to7.
Gated:
Gatel
andGate2differinthedurationofthesoundandtherateof
decayof
thetailof
the
gated
sound.
Especially
popular
withsnare
drums,
theeffect
can
be
varied
consid-
erably
with
the
mix
control.
MiCROVERBltrPtograms
STALLl AMBIENCE
SMALL2 AMBIENCE
SMALL3 SMALI-ROOM
SUALL/I SMALLPLATE
U€DUT'3 MEDIUMROOM
MEDIUM4 MEDIUMPLATE/STRONG
IMIVlEDIATE
ATTACK
TEDIUII5 MEDIUM/LARGE
ROOM
TEDIUT6 MEDIUMPLATE/SOFTER
DELAYEDATTACK
LARGE
I LOW
DIFFUSION
VOCAL
ROOI\,I
LARGE
2 MEDIUM/LARGE
ROOM
LANGE3
LARGEROOM
LARGE4ENDLESSSPACE
IIEDIUT
1 SMALL/MEDIUM
ROOM
T.EDIUM
2 SMALL/MEDIUM
ROOM GATEl POWERGATE
GATE2 BRIGHTGATE
FgcNofrcE,
Thisequipment
generates
anduses
radiofrequency
energy
andifnotinstalled
and
used
properly,l
that
is,
instrict accordance
with
themanufacturer's
instructions,
may
cause
interfeience
toradioandtelevision
reception.
lthasbeen
type
testedand
found
tocomply
withthe
limits
for
aClass
Bcomputing
device
inaccordance
withthespecifi-
cations
inSubpart
Jof
Part15of
FCC
Rules,
whichare
designed
to
provide
reasonable
protection
against
such
interference
ina residential
installation.
Howevef
there
isno
guarantee
that
interference
will
notoccur
in
a particular
installatlon.
lfthisequipment

H16
Relatlved€pthotttre Soundstage
(atuncdonol rYd/dry mlxrafo anddodh of rct€r! program).
-
| | o^^" The
widthofeachblock
representsthelefttorightstereo
imaging.Thefronttoback
ffi ',-,- [$l3Jg3"fi:flSil.ffi
fi1fl:3#,fflg,fli:iffi
,$;ffi
I r"o,n ;ffiff*ff1i:H#SffiffitrHn themix'
whicrtis
dep€ndent
ontho
I
I
;
ru
-FRON
LEFT