ANALOGUE SYSTEMS RS320 User manual

106 A N A LOG U E S Y S T EMS R S-I N T EG R A T O R
R S 320
SP R I N G R EVE RB
INTRODUCTION
Reverberation is a phenomenon quite distinct from echo.
Whereas the latter may involve at most a handful of repeats
per second, a convincing reverb requires thousands per
second. Furthermore, these must not be regularly spaced, or
an unpleasant "ringing" sound will result. This means that
conventional analogue delay lines are quite unsuitable for
creating reverberanteffects. A multi-tapped BBD such as the
RS310 can go some way to overcoming this, but even this is
incapable of creating realistic reverbs because it lacks the
sophisticated filtering and decay characteristics required.
Until the introduction of affordable digital signal processors,
studios used three methods to create reverberation. The first
was to place a speaker and one or more microphones in a
"live" room that possessed pleasing natural reverberation.The
second was to use a reverb "plate", a device that uses
transducers toexcite - and then pickup theresultingvibrations
within - a large, heavy metal plate. The third is a cheaper
version of the plate. It is the "spring" reverb.
Ofthese,theliveroom (ofcourse)producesthe mostauthentic
reverb.A good quality plate is also very pleasing, but this is
due less to the authenticity of the reverb than to the tonal
qualityit imparts.In contrast,the sound generated bya spring
is far from authentic, and it has proved unsuitable for many
natural sounds. Pass vocals, acoustic guitar, or percussion
through a spring reverb, and it simply goes "boinggg".
Nevertheless,spring reverbsare far from useless.Many guitar
amplifiersincorporate them, asdoa handful ofsynthesisers.
The presence ofthese springs allowsyou tocreate sounds that
would be impossible without them, so you should approach the RS320 as another signal "modifier" - a
module that allowsyou to generate newsounds,rather than one thatsimply attemptstoimitate a natural
effect. Furthermore, you can place the reverbwithin the signal chain ofyour synthesiser, thus using itas
part of the signal generation itself.
INSTALLATION
The RS320 comes in twoparts: the front-panel module, and the spring / mounting tray itself. Ifthese are
not pre-mounted in an Integrator case, you will need to install them yourself.
Firstly, you should inspect the plastic tray to ensure that it is completely flat, and that the spring unit
floats freely on its four mounting springs. If everything is in order, you must decide where you wish to
mountthe unitinside your Integrator. Choose a suitable flat surface such asthe inside of an RS15's side
or rear plates, and make sure that you avoid obstructionslike the power supply.
If you inspect the tray closely you will see that it has two small clips - one at either end. These are not
designedfor use with the Integrator, andyou should remove them using a suitable tool such as a pair of
side-cutters. You should now make sure that you can stick the entire length of the tray to the chosen
mounting point, andthatthe transducer assembliesdonot touch any part ofthe Integrator. Remove the

A N A LOG U E S Y S T EMS R S-I N T EG R A T O R 107
protective strip from the sticky pad on the rear of the tray, and attach it to the inside of the Integrator.
Pressthe tray firmly intoplace, but be careful not to apply pressure to the spring assembly itself. Screw
holes are also provided so that users with wooden cases can mount the unit securely.
WARNING: PERFORM THE NEXT STEPS ONLY WITH THE MAINS POWER
REMOVED FROM THE INTEGRATOR. FAILURE TO DO SO RISKS DAMAGE TO
THE SYNTHESISER, AND MAY LEADTO ELECTROCUTION.
Choose a suitable location for the RS320 front panel, and connect the power supply ribbon cable toa free
socketon the psu. Ensure thatthe red stripe on the cable isconnected to the RS320'spower socketwhere
it says "STRIPE", and that you connect it to the Integrator psu on the upper (0V) pins. Failure to do so
may damage both the Integrator and the RS320 when you switch on the mains power.
Note: The geometry of the RS320 is such that the power cable may "feel" natural the other way up. Do not let
this confuse you.
Connect the spring unit'saudiocables tothe pinson the RS320. The green/black twisted pair carriesthe
source signal (itpassesthrough the "IN" clip on the tray)and you mustconnectthis to the "TO" socket on
the RS320board. The red/black twisted pair carriesthe effected signal (it passesthrough the "OUT" clip
on the tray) and you should connect thisto the "FROM" socketon the board.In both cases, the orientation
of the cable colours is marked clearly, and you must ensure that you connect the cables correctly. You
may now screw the RS320 panel into the Integrator, reconnect the mains power, andswitch on.
IN USE
The RS320 is a 160mm (approximately 6") dual-spring reverb unit similar to those found in guitar
amplifiers. It has a maximum reverb time of about 4 seconds.
SIG IN, INPUT LEVEL, OUT, OUTPUT LEVEL
The RS320 has one audio signal input, SIG IN, with an associated INPUT LEVEL control. This accepts
signals in the range ± 10V.
There are a pair of outputs - a 3.5mm mini-jack socketand a 1/4" jack socketfor directconnection to an
external amplifier or mixer. These carry identical signals in the range ± 10V. An OUTPUT LEVEL control
allows you to determine the amplitude ofthe outputsignal.
WET MIX and DRY MIX
These controlsallow you tomixthe wetand dry signalsin the desired proportions. When either control
is in itsfully anticlockwise position, that signal will be fully attenuated.
CV IN VARY
The CV IN inputallows you to modulate the WETMIX by applying a CV in the range ± 10V.
TREBLE
You can modify the tone of the signal by adjusting the TREBLE control. Thisis a mild low-pass filter at
the spring inputthathelps to"darken" the reverb,much asfurnishingsor curtainswould soften natural
reverberation in a room or hall.
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