Laney Black Country Customs THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE User manual

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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................3
THREE INTO ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 4
ANALOGUE TAPE ERA ............................................................................................................................ 4
DIGITAL ERA ............................................................................................................................................. 4
DYNAMIC DELAY ERA............................................................................................................................. 4
COMBINED POWER ................................................................................................................................ 4
FEATURES ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
WHATS IN THE BOX ..................................................................................................................................... 5
PEDAL OVERVIEW .........................................................................................................................6
CONTROLS .................................................................................................................................................... 6
CONNECTIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 8
GETTING STARTED........................................................................................................................9
HOW TO CONNECT TO THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE ............................................................................... 9
IN FRONT OF THE GUITAR AMP............................................................................................................ 9
IN THE FX LOOP....................................................................................................................................... 9
DIRECT.....................................................................................................................................................10
USING KEYBOARDS...............................................................................................................................10
STEREO CONNECTIONS ......................................................................................................................10
WHATS ON THE SCREEN?.........................................................................................................................12
PRESET & LIVE MODE.................................................................................................................................13
PRESET MODE........................................................................................................................................13
LIVE MODE..............................................................................................................................................13
SCROLLING THROUGH PRESETS ............................................................................................. 14
RECALLING A PRESET ................................................................................................................................14
EDITING A PRESET......................................................................................................................................14
QUICK EDITING......................................................................................................................................14
DEEP EDITING ........................................................................................................................................15
STORING A PRESET ....................................................................................................................................15
COPYING A PRESET ...................................................................................................................................15
CHANGING A PRESET NAME....................................................................................................................15
ROUTING 101.............................................................................................................................. 16
ROUTING......................................................................................................................................................16
STEREO....................................................................................................................................................16
XFB...........................................................................................................................................................16
PING PONG ............................................................................................................................................16
MONO .....................................................................................................................................................17
WET/DRY.................................................................................................................................................17
MENUS ......................................................................................................................................... 18
NAVIGATION OF THE MENUS ..................................................................................................................18
EXPRESS YOURSELF................................................................................................................... 19
CONNECTING THE EXPRESSION PEDAL...........................................................................................19
EXPRESSION PEDAL MENU..................................................................................................................19
CALIBRATION.........................................................................................................................................19
EXPRESSION MODES ............................................................................................................................20
INVERT.....................................................................................................................................................20
THE EDIT MENU .......................................................................................................................... 21
MODE...........................................................................................................................................................21
TIME..............................................................................................................................................................21
ANALOGUE ............................................................................................................................................21
DIGITAL ...................................................................................................................................................21

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DYNAMIC................................................................................................................................................22
MODE SPECIFIC SETTINGS .......................................................................................................................22
TAPE.........................................................................................................................................................22
MULTIHEAD ............................................................................................................................................22
DYNAMICS..............................................................................................................................................22
MIX................................................................................................................................................................23
REPEATS.......................................................................................................................................................23
COLOUR.......................................................................................................................................................23
TONE ............................................................................................................................................................23
ROUTING......................................................................................................................................................23
MODULATION.............................................................................................................................................24
COMPRESSOR.............................................................................................................................................24
SETTINGS MENU......................................................................................................................... 25
GLOBAL........................................................................................................................................................25
DISPLAY........................................................................................................................................................25
EXPRESSION PEDAL...................................................................................................................................25
TAP TEMPO..................................................................................................................................................26
VERSION.......................................................................................................................................................26
RESET SETTINGS.........................................................................................................................................26
MIDI .............................................................................................................................................. 27
MIDI CONNECTIONS .................................................................................................................................27
MIDI MENU ..................................................................................................................................................27
PROGRAM CHANGES ................................................................................................................................28
CONTROLLING PARAMETERS ..................................................................................................................28
MIDI CC CHARTS ........................................................................................................................................28
PRESET SELECT AND OTHERS.............................................................................................................28
SURFACE CONTROLS ...........................................................................................................................28
ANALOGUE CONTROLS.......................................................................................................................29
Table for HEAD enable CC 49..............................................................................................................29
TAPE SETTINGS......................................................................................................................................29
DIGITAL AND DYNAMIC TIME CONTROL..........................................................................................29
MULTIHEAD ............................................................................................................................................29
DYNAMICS CONTROL ..........................................................................................................................30
ROUTING.................................................................................................................................................30
MODULATION........................................................................................................................................30
COMPRESSOR........................................................................................................................................30
MSB & LSB PARAMETERS ..........................................................................................................................31
USB TO MIDI ADAPTOR............................................................................................................. 32
DOWNLOADING NEW PRESETS .............................................................................................. 32
UPDATING YOUR FIRMWARE................................................................................................... 32
SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 33
SAFETY AND WARNINGS.......................................................................................................... 34

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INTRODUCTION
THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE is the ultimate in delay pedals. Handcrafted in the UK, by
Laney’s own Black Country Customs team, deep in the depths of the Black Country.
The Pedal combines 3 distinctly different, superbly crafted eras of delay into a compact
box. Careful consideration has been taken to ensure the highest sonic quality that
would rival any top end studio gear.
The BCC-TDE is ideal for instruments and line level equipment, making it at home in
any set up, whether on a pedal board, in a rack, or in the studio.

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THREE INTO ONE
Three eras of delay built in to one powerful machine. The Difference Engine emulates three classic
eras of delay. Each preset is built from one of these eras.
ANALOGUE TAPE ERA
Modelled around classic vintage tape echo units, such as the RE501 space
echo, featuring all the warmth and analogue nuances of tape.
•Warm sounding analogue tone.
•Delay times up to 1250ms.
•Straight delay from a single tape head.
•Or select multiple tape heads –for that classic overlaid delay effect.
•Add tape artifacts with WOW & FLUTTER controls.
DIGITAL ERA
The digital era –based on the crisp sounding digital delays of the 80’s, such
as the KORG SDD3000 –with the modern benefits such as Tap Tempo,
Freeze and BPM display.
•Up to 2500ms of crystal clean delay.
•Multi Tap delay enables complex delay patterns.
•Ability to freeze repeats using the freeze function.
•Advanced routing options for stereo, wet/dry and mono options.
•Modulation on repeats to add colour.
DYNAMIC DELAY ERA
And thirdly the Dynamic Digital era –based on the huge sounding pumping
delays of the 80s and 90s.
•Up to 2500ms of delay time
•Settable boost and ducking ratio to dial in the severity of compression.
•0.1ms to 120ms attack times gives subtle to extreme ducking.
•15ms to 6secs of release time.
•Threshold control allows fine control of ducking with dynamic inputs.
COMBINED POWER
•Combine features from each era to create unique delays