ORAM T Series User manual

T Series
OWNER’S MANUAL

T Series Recording Console
Operator's Manual
Manual copy by Rob Dewar.
Manual Contents Copyright 2007 Rob Dewar and Oram Prefessional, Old Forge
Barn, Hook Green, Meopham, Kent, England.
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Table of Contents
Section Page
1) General Advisory 5
2) Introduction 6
3) Design Insights 6
4) Channel and Master Section Overview 7
5) The Channel Connections 9
6) The Channel Input Controls 10
7) The Auxiliary Sends 12
8) The Tape Monitor Return 14
9) The Classic EQ 16
10) The Channel Fader, Pan And Buss Assignments 18
11) The Master Section 20
12) The Master Section Connectors 20
13) The Track Buss Connectors 21
14) The Stereo Returns Connectors 22
15) The AUX Send Master Connectors 22
16) The Track Buss Insert Connectors 23
17) The Main L/R Buss and Insert Connectors 24
18) The Control Room Monitor Connectors 25
19) The Talk Back and Phones Connectors 25
20) The Master Section Features 26
21) The VU Meters 26
22) The Track Buss Masters 27
23) The AUX Send Masters 29
24) The Stereo Master Faders 30
25) The Stereo Returns Masters 31
26) The Control Room/Monitor Masters 32
27) The Solo/Phones Level Masters 33
28) The Talk Back Master Controls 34
29) The T Series Meterbridge 35
30) Setting Up The Basic Connections/QUICK START GUIDE 37
31) Connect The Power 37
32) Connect Your Recorder's Inputs 38
33) Connect Your Monitor Returns 38
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34) Connect Your Control Room Monitors 39
35) Power Up 39
36) Connect Your Sources 39
37) Set Your Input Levels 40
38) Arm Your Recorder 41
39) Route Your Input Channel and Set Your Recording Levels 42
40) Setup Your Monitor Buss 43
41) Create Your Monitor Mix 44
42) Record A Take 44
43) Headphone Monitoring For Performers 44
44) Recording An Overdub 46
45) Setting Up To Mix Down Your Tracks 47
46) Inserted Processing 47
47) Using AUX Sends For Effects 48
48) Using The Stereo Returns and Line Inputs For Returns 49
49) Setting Up A Second Stereo Mix Buss 49
50) Troubleshooting Guide 52
51) T Series Technical Specifications 53
52) T Series Signal Flow Diagrams 54
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General Advisory
Here are a few general tips on the care and maintenance of your Oram Professional Audio
product, and safety in its use.
–This product runs on mains voltage, and may have significantly higher levels of voltage
available at certain internal contact points. Contact with these voltages can be LETHAL.
NEVER open the case of your Oram product. Refer all servicing to a qualified
technician.
–Do not expose your Oram product to water, moisture, rain, or significant levels of
humidity. Take care to avoid liquid or food spills onto the unit, and keep away
excessive dust buildup.
–Your Oram product is built for years of demanding commercial service, but
nonetheless, it is made from many delicate components. Take care to avoid jarring or
dropping the unit, or placing it in areas of strong vibration for long periods.
–Do not apply a speaker level signal, amplifier output, or any other high-voltage signal
to ANY connection point on the unit. Doing so will almost certainly damage internal
electronic components, and will almost certainly void your warranty, if you do so.
–The line levels produced by this unit, when applied to a powerful speaker system, can
produce audio levels easily capable of doing permanent damage to your hearing.
Headphone levels, likewise, are potentially high enough to cause hearing damage,
especially with long-term exposure. Always take care of your ears – you only have one
set. Oram recommends careful monitoring at all times, and regular break periods,
during long work sessions, to allow the ears to re-settle themselves. Not only will your
work sound better, for your having less fatigued ears during the process, but the impact
of your listening sessions on your hearing ability will be minimised.
–Clean your Oram product on the outside with a soft, dry cloth, or a duster. Use only
sparing amounts of mild cleaning aids in spot areas, as necessary, and avoid spraying
or dripping furniture cleaner into the jacks and controls. Do not use alcohol, solvents or
thinners, as these may damage the finish on your unit. Compressed air can be used to
remove debris from tight spots in the control field. Take care when cleaning, not to
force or catch controls, or scratch the surfaces.
–If fader cleaning becomes necessary, a high-quality contact cleaner can be carefully
sprayed into the fader paths. Take care not to use too much. Run the fader up and down
a few times after spraying in the cleaner, and test it. If further service is required, or if
the affected control is not a linear fader, refer servicing to a qualified technician, or
contact your Oram representative for further assistance.
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Oram Audio T Series Operator's Manual
Introduction
Congratulations on your decision to own the Oram Audio T Series recording console. We
would like to thank you for putting your confidence in our audio products. The 8T
represents the best concepts in John Oram's pure analogue audio circuit design, handed
down from a long and prestigious line of world-class recording consoles which, back in
1974, became the cornerstone of one of the world's most sought-after sounds, a sound that
was used to make an incredible number of top hit
recordings, from the Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin and The Who, on down. Your T Series
is no ordinary piece of audio equipment, and, as such, familiarising yourself with its many
features and design enhancements will ensure that you get the most value and longevity
from your investment. Reading this manual in its entirety, while sitting in front of the
console, is the best way to do that.
Design Insights
The T Series is built in the format of what is known as a classic “inline monitoring”
design. This is an extremely efficient and flexible design, used on the highest-end
professional recording consoles for decades. Inline monitoring allows a literal doubling of
the console's functions, by allowing a single channel strip to carry either the mic or line
input's signal through the channel path to the recorder, and then, take the recorder's
returned signal into another discrete input in the same channel for monitoring, so that both
the recording and monitoring functions occur simultaneously, inline, using only the space
of the one channel, and thus greatly increasing the density of the console's routing. This
also means, then, that a 16 channel inline-monitoring console, for example, can operate as a
16 channel tracking console, with full downstream monitoring capabilities, and can also
operate as a 32 channel mixer, during the mixdown phase of the project, all in one small,
but powerful unit. The T Series takes this a step further, by also allowing input mixing
into the main channel path from two signal inputs, effectively tripling the console's
channel count,

in the same compact frame. Combined with Oram's legendary heritage, and the attention
to sonic quality built into every detail throughout, the result is a formidable and
distinguished small-format console, clearly a breed apart from, and above, the crowd, in its
modest price range.
Channel and Master Section Overview
Let's have a look at the individual controls and connections, so you can see the many
control and routing possibilities that are available to you. On the following pages are three
overview diagrams of the T Series console surface, channel strips and Master Section.
Dimensional information is also included, as a quick reference.
On the left-hand side of the console are the channel strips and their connectors, and on the
right-hand side, is the Master Section, and its connector panel.
On the following page, are individual diagrams of a channel strip and the Master Section.
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8
Channel Input Connections
Page 9
Channel Input Controls
Page 10
AUX Send Controls
Page 12
Tape Monitor Return Controls
Page 14
Classic EQ
Page 16
Channel Fader, Pan and Buss
Assignments
Page 18
VU Meters
Page 26
Master Output Connections
Page 20-25
AUX Send Masters
Page 29
Track Buss Masters
Page 27
Stereo Returns Masters
Page 31
Stereo Master Faders
Page 30
Control Room/Monitor Masters
Page 32
Solo/Phones Level Masters
Page 33
Talk Back Master Controls
Page 34

The Channel Connections
Note that the channel INS jacks are “normalled” connections, and inserting a TRS-M plug
into the jack will break the channel's signal path and mute the channel, until the two
“ends” of the chain are both connected together again, through a signal processor, etc.
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The Channel Input Controls
Positioned directly below the various channel connectors, there are two knobs and four
buttons. The knobs are labeled “MIC” and “LINE”, while the buttons are labeled “+48V”,
“UNITY”, “PHASE” and “I/P FLIP”.
The first knob, labeled “MIC”, is the microphone input gain control. The knob offers a
range of +10 dB to +60 dB of gain to the microphone preamp, allowing even the lowest-
output mics to come through quietly, with plenty of signal, and with a dynamic range not
delivered by most console mic pres. In fact, the pres on the T Series console are the same
basic design as those used on Oram's high-end rackmount and channel strip units,
making them an uncommonly high-quality circuit, in the world of recording consoles.
The second knob, labeled “LINE”, controls the gain of the LINE input, in a range from -15
dB/+15 dB, with a centre detent at unity gain, or “0 dB”. This allows the engineer to trim
the levels of strong or weak line signals, to balance them at the channel inputs.
The top, red button, labeled “+48V”, switches the phantom power on or off for that
channel. Depress this switch to power most condenser mics, and some tube mics, if they
don't have their own power supplies, and are specifically intended for use with +48V
phantom power. Take care to switch off the phantom power, if you are connecting an inline
power supply, a dynamic mic, or, particularly, a ribbon mic to the input, as unneeded
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phantom power can adversely affect sonic performance, or, in some cases, can permanently
damage the delicate inner workings of the mic or power supply connected. Check the
owner's manual for your mic or hardware, or contact its manufacturer, or their
representative, if you are unsure about its power handling capabilities or requirements.
When in doubt, leave the channel's +48V phantom power off.
The second, white button, labeled “UNITY”, disengages the setting of the MIC level knob,
and switches the MIC input's gain level to 0 dB, or true unity gain, allowing the connection
of up to a + 22 dBU line level signal, from the same types of sources as you would normally
use the LINE TRS-F connection for, directly to the MIC XLR-F input, without fear of
overload, clipping or component damage. Note that this switch is not a pad, but a gain
control switch for the mic preamp, and, as such, it does not colour the input signal, when
engaged.
The third button down, also white, is labeled “PHASE”, and swaps the “hot” and “cold”
aspects of the input signal, effectively inverting, or reversing, the relative phase of the
signal in that channel. This switch is useful for “lining up” a second, reverse-facing mic on
the bottom of a snare drum with the top mic, for example, or for helping to fix up a
problematic stereo mic pair. It is also useful as a feedback reduction technique, in live
sound reinforcement applications, and for setting up an M-S stereo mic pair decoding
circuit, among other uses.
The fourth, red button, labeled “I/P FLIP”, swaps the routing of the TAPE and LINE
inputs, so that the TAPE input now feeds the EQ and main fader, while the LINE signal is
sent to the Monitor Level control. This is most useful during a mixdown, where the
preferred tools for handling the multichannel audio returns, usually connected to the
TAPE inputs, are the channel EQs and 100mm faders, which are otherwise not normally a
part of the TAPE signal path. A green LED next to the I/P FLIP switch illuminates to
indicate the “flipped” state of the channel.
It should be noted that the MIC and LINE inputs are not exclusive in their routing to the
channel path, meaning that both inputs can be connected to, and mixed into the main
channel path simultaneously (along with the TAPE input still feeding the Monitor buss,
too). Their relative levels can then be balanced with the LINE gain control, and/or the MIC
gain control. The same applies, if the I/P FLIP switch is depressed, except that the MIC and
TAPE inputs will now share the main channel path, with the LINE input feeding the
Monitor buss. Obviously, both main channel path inputs will share any applied EQ or
inserted processes, and a mix of both inputs will be present at the fader,
direct output, and the channel's AUX sends, or anywhere else that the channel signal is
routed to. Nonetheless, when the channel count gets really high in a mixdown, this feature
can be a lifesaver, since, all told, it triples the console's channel count, if taken to the limit,
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giving you a MIC and a LINE input to each channel, plus one TAPE/Monitor return, all at
once. With the UNITY switches depressed on each channel, the MIC inputs all become line
inputs..... now, that's three line level inputs to every channel strip, all patchable to the main
L/R buss, all at once. Pretty cool...... Remember that doubling the signal fed into the circuit
path will also add about 6 dB to the channel's level, so take care to avoid clipping. There's
a limit to even a Oram circuit's incredible dynamic range.
The Auxiliary Sends
Just below the Channel Input Controls on the channel strip, are the auxiliary sends,
labeled “AUXS”. There are three knobs, providing shared control over a total of eight
individual auxiliary outputs, and which allow a total of three of the AUX sends to be used
simultaneously, or up to five sends, if using the Monitor section to feed AUX 7&8, as will
be described later.
The top knob of the three, labeled “LEVEL”, is used to control level to either AUX 1 or
AUX 3. The knob's function is determined by the position of the white button to its right,
labeled “AUX 1/AUX 3”. Leaving this button up sends signal from the main channel path
to AUX 1, while depressing it routes the signal to AUX 3. Sends 1 and 3 are not
simultaneously accessible from the same channel. The levels to AUX 1 and 3 are not
controlled independently of each other, and are both under the control of the top LEVEL
knob.
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The second knob in the group, also labeled “LEVEL”, is used to control level to either AUX
2 or AUX 4. The knob's function is determined by the position of the white button to its
right, labeled “AUX 2/AUX 4”. Leaving this button up sends signal from the main channel
path to AUX 2, while depressing it routes the signal to AUX 4. Sends 2 and 4 are not
simultaneously accessible from the same channel. The levels to AUX 2 and 4 are not
controlled independently of each other, and are both under the control of the second
LEVEL knob.
The third knob in the column, again labeled “LEVEL”, is used to control level to either
AUX 5, AUX 6, AUX 7 or AUX 8. The knob's function is determined by the combined
positions of the two white buttons to its right, labeled “5-6/7-8” and “ODD/EVEN”.
Leaving the 5-6/7-8 button up sends signal from the main channel path to AUX 5 or AUX 6,
while depressing it routes the signal to AUX 7 or AUX 8, the final choice of which now
depends on the position of the ODD/EVEN button, which further refines the AUX routing
selection to either of the odd numbered sends (5 or 7), or the even numbered ones (6 or 8).
Only one of any of these four sends is accessible from the same channel at any one time.
The levels of AUX 5 through AUX 8 are not controlled independently of each other, and are
all under the control of the third LEVEL knob.
A switch labeled “PRE/POST” is located at the bottom of the control group, close to the
LEVEL knob for AUX 5-8. This switch selects either pre-fader or post-fader operation for
the AUX send routed from this LEVEL knob, as determined by the position of its routing
switches (see above). Pre-fader operation allows the send level to be set, and remain
unaffected by changes to the channel's fader position, while post-fader operation links the
send's level to the channel fader's level, also.
It is also possible to route the Tape Monitor Return, described in the next section, to the
AUX 7-8 outputs, and pan the signal across the stereo AUX buss pair. Read the following
section on the Tape Monitor Return, to learn more about this feature.
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The Tape Monitor Return
The section located immediately below the AUX section, is the Tape Monitor Return.
The 8T's Monitor section is normally used to control and mix the signal connected to the
TAPE input jack at the top of the channel, though depressing the red I/P FLIP button in the
Channel Input Control section will switch the inputs, and route the LINE input jack's
signal here instead. The TAPE or LINE signal routed to the Monitor section can be handled
in several ways. First, it may be routed from the channel to the Monitor master level
control, and through that, to the control room monitors. Secondly, it can be mixed directly
into the main L/R buss, as a part of the stereo program, effectively increasing the channel
compliment in a mixdown. Third, the signal may be routed to the AUX 7/8
outputs, to be used for a stereo monitoring or headphone send, or, the AUX 7/8 output pair
may also be used as a discrete, secondary stereo mix buss, to allow a fader-independent
mix of the inputs to be sent out, for a broadcast or live recording application, for example.
The following paragraphs explain how these routings are accomplished.
The Monitor section contains two knobs. The top knob, labeled “PAN”, controls the
left/right balance of the stereo output buss pair assigned from the Monitor section on that
channel (the Monitor buss itself, or AUX 7/8). The second knob, labeled “MON/AUX 7&8”
controls the level of the TAPE monitor return for that channel, into the Monitor buss, or
AUX 7/8, as selected (see below).
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The default mode of operation for the Monitor section sends the Monitor return signal into
the Monitor buss. Alternatively, the signal can be routed to the AUX 7/8 outputs. This
routing assignment is determined by the position of the white button labeled “MON/AUX
7&8”. Depressing this switch sends the Monitor signal to the AUX 7/8 output pair, while
leaving it up sends the signal into the Monitor buss.
There are two other white buttons in the Monitor section, labeled “AUX 5-8 TO MON”,
and “FADER FLIP”. The AUX 5-8 TO MON button switches the feed for AUX 5-8,
normally taken from the main channel, to take it from the Monitor section signal path,
allowing further submixing of the various channel's Monitor sections, for effects
processing, etc.
The FADER FLIP button swaps the MON/AUX 7&8 level knob with the main 100mm
channel fader, allowing the engineer to mix the TAPE return signals with the linear faders,
instead of the rotary potentiometers.
Note that this is not the same function as I/P FLIP, which actually re-routes the TAPE and
LINE input jacks, and by default, switches faders, only as a result of switching the actual
audio paths used for each input, whereas FADER FLIP leaves the channel routing intact,
but swaps the rotary monitor and linear channel faders to each other's duties, only.
Depressing both of these switches on the same channel at once, leaves the faders in their
default functions, but places the TAPE signal into the main channel path, effectively
putting the EQ into the TAPE signal path. By creatively combining the two functions of
FADER FLIP and I/P FLIP, some useful refinements to the console's function, or a
channel's signal flow, can be easily achieved, to fit most any application.
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The Classic EQ
Below the Monitor section, is the channel EQ, used to modify the audio spectrum, or tone,
of the channel signal. The EQ is designed after one of the most respected and musically-
flattering equalisers ever built by John Oram. This design incorporates five separate
filters, which are implemented as a low frequency shelving filter, a high frequency
shelving filter, and two sweepable midrange peaking filters, plus a low-frequency rolloff
filter. Their functions and operation are described below.
The EQ's controls are arranged in a logical cluster, from the highest frequencies, to the
lowest, moving down the strip. Starting at the top, the first control is a white button
labeled “8K/12K”. This button controls the turnover point for the high shelving filter, the
effect of which is controlled by the knob just below and to the right of this button, labeled
“HI SHELF”. The default turnover point for the HI SHELF filter is set at 8 kHz, but
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depressing the switch raises the turnover point for the filter to 12 kHz. The HI SHELF
knob then boosts or cuts the frequencies at and above the selected turnover point, by an
amount based on the knob's position. The knob has a detent at the “0” position (12:00), and
a range of +/- 15 dB of gain. The HI SHELF filter has no effect on the signal, with the
LEVEL knob at the “0” position.
Below the HI SHELF control, there is an offset pair of knobs, labeled “HI MID”, on the
left, and “LEVEL” on the right. The two knobs work together, with the HI MID control
selecting the centre frequency of the audio band to be filtered, across a range from 1 kHz to
15 kHz, while the LEVEL control determines the amount of effect the filter has on the
signal. The LEVEL knob has a detent at the “0” position (12:00), and a range of +/- 15 dB of
gain. The HI MID filter has no effect on the signal, with the LEVEL knob at the “0”
position.
Below the HI MID control, there is another offset pair of knobs, labeled “LO MID”, on the
left, and “LEVEL” on the right. The two knobs work together, with the LO MID control
selecting the centre frequency of the audio band to be filtered, across a range from 100 Hz
to 1.5 kHz, while the LEVEL control determines the amount of effect the filter has on the
signal. The LEVEL knob has a detent at the “0” position (12:00), and a range of +/- 15 dB of
gain. The LO MID filter has no effect on the signal, with the LEVEL knob at the “0”
position.
Below the LO MID control, there are two white buttons, and one knob. The top button,
labeled “50 Hz”, is a 50 Hz low frequency rolloff filter. Depressing this button patches a
fixed 50 Hz rolloff filter at 12 dB/octave into the signal path, useful for removing unwanted
low-end rumble, or mic plosives, among other things.
The bottom white button is labeled “60/120”. This button controls the turnover point for
the low shelving filter, the effect of which is controlled by the knob to the right of this
button, labeled “LO SHELF”. The default turnover point for the LO SHELF is set at 60 Hz,
but depressing the switch raises the turnover point for the filter to 120 Hz. The LO SHELF
knob then boosts or cuts the frequencies at and below the selected turnover point, based
on the knob's position. The knob has a detent at the “0” position (12:00), and a range of +/-
15 dB of gain. The LO SHELF filter has no effect on the signal, with the LEVEL knob at the
“0” position.
A red button at the bottom of the section, labeled “EQ IN”, engages or bypasses the entire
EQ circuit for the channel. Depressing the button places the equaliser in the signal path. A
green LED illuminates to show that the EQ is patched into the audio circuit. With the EQ
IN switch left up, the EQ is bypassed, and the parameter control settings have no effect on
the audio signal.
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The Channel Fader, Pan and Buss Assignments
At the bottom of the channel, there is the main 100mm linear channel level fader, and near
this fader, there are several switches and indicators, the functions of which are described
here.
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The channel fader is used to control the level of the main channel's signal, with respect to
its relative output power, for feeding the tracking busses, the L/R main buss, and the
Direct Output, as well as any post-fader AUX sends. A fader setting of “0” implies a
neutral effect on the line level standard, with a range from – infinity (silence) to + 5 dB of
gain available.
For the sake of a logical description of the rest of this section's features and functions, with
regards to signal flow, we will start with the Buss Assignment switches.
Looking to the right of the fader, there are seven buttons in a column, the bottom five of
which are the Buss Assignment switches (four white, one red). Each button is labeled with
one pair of output busses, i.e., “1-2”, “3-4”, “5-6”, “7-8”, and “L-R”. Depressing one or more
of these buttons assigns (routes) the main channel signal to the selected buss pair/s, under
the control of both the main fader level, and the “PAN” knob, located at the top of the
control group. The PAN knob controls the balance of the main fader's signal, between
either leg of any buss pair/s the channel is assigned to. This assignment is laid out by a
universally-recognized standard of buss selection, by which the left side is also known as the
“odd” side, and the right side is known as the “even” side. For example, turning the PAN
knob fully to the left side, will route the channel's signal into odd-numbered busses 1, 3, 5,
7, or the Left main, depending on the assignment switch/es depressed. Turning the PAN
knob fully to the right side, will route the channel's signal into even-numbered busses 2, 4,
6, 8, or the Right main. Setting a PAN position somewhere between the left and right
extremes, will provide a balanced “mix” between the odd and even sides of each pair
selected, with a centred position (at the detent) giving an equal balance between the two.
Above the Buss Assignment switches, there are two indicator LEDs, and two buttons,
whose functions are as follows:
The top, red LED is labeled “PK”, standing for PEAK, and illuminates as the channel
approaches an overload condition. The LED lights at +12 dB, some 16 dB before actual
clipping from loss of headroom occurs. This point has been set, to allow headroom for
potential EQ boosts affecting the channel's level.
The second, green LED is labeled “SIG”, standing for SIGNAL, and illuminates when a
signal is present at the channel inputs, at a level of roughly -60 dB.
The white “MUTE” button, located below the indicator LEDs, is used to silence the
channel's output. Depressing the MUTE button shuts off the channel's signal flow to all
output busses, the Direct Output, and the SOLO buss, but it does not cut the signal to any
pre-fader AUX sends that may be in use.
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