Rane ME 60 User manual

Manual-1
OPERATORS MANUAL ME 60
microGRAPHIC EQUALIZER
ME 60 CONNECTION
When first connecting the ME 60 to other components, leave
the POWER switch off until the very last. is gives you a chance
to make mistakes and correct them without damaging your
fragile speakers, ears and nerves.
INPUTS
All three Inputs are wired in parallel and are actively bal-
anced, except the unbalanced RCA phono. Each works equally
well. Choose strictly from a required hardware point-of-view,
there will be no performance trade-offs. e wiring convention
adheres to American, British and International standards of pin
2 or tip being hot, pin 3 or ring being return, and pin 1 or sleeve
being shield. It is not necessary to short any inputs to ground—it
doesn’t hurt, it’s just not necessary. Use pin 1, or the shell, for
shield ground. Unbalanced operation involves using only pin 2
or tip as signal, and pin 1 or sleeve as shield and ground.
OUTPUTS
e Outputs mimic the Inputs. Balanced output requires
using pin 2 or tip, and pin 3 or ring for the signal. It does not
require pin 1 or shield. e signal exists differentially between
the two balanced leads; ground is not involved. For hum-free
systems ground is used only for shielding.
EXPANDING
Expanding and/or daisychaining the Inputs and Outputs
normally uses the ¼" jacks. ree parallel Input connectors
allows driving a second signal processor or amplifier without
special cabling.
SIGNAL LEVELS
Signal levels from -10 dBV to +4 dBu are considered normal
and within range (at least 20 dB of headroom exists above these
levels). Do not directly connect microphones into the ME 60.
ese require a separate mic preamp.
QUICK START
Okay, know-it-all. So you don’t need to read the manual. Well do your mother a favor and just read this section and you don’t
have to read anything else. Ever.
Hook-up is intuitive. Just follow the silkscreened instructions on the rear of the unit. All three Inputs are wired in parallel (they
do not sum); and all three Outputs are wired in parallel. Use any one Input and any or all Outputs. Polarity convention is per IEC/
ANSI/AES standards of pin 2 positive, pin 3 negative and pin 1 shield. e ME 60 does not invert the signal.
Set the LOW and HIGH CUT FILTER controls as necessary to restrict bandwidth. Full frequency response results from posi-
tioning them all the way to the bottom.
Anyone familiar with other graphic equalizers finds the ME 60 just as familiar. Setting curves is as easy as it is on all Rane graph-
ics thanks to our innovative constant-Q circuitry. If you feel you want more information on setting up your curves, please see the
back page.
ere, now was that so bad?
WEAR PARTS is product contains no wear parts.
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MICROGRAPHIC
EQUALIZER
ME 60
BYPASS
LEVEL OL
BYPASS
LEVEL OL
2
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HIGHLOW
HIGHLOW
CUT FILTERS
CUT FILTERS
40031.525 40 6350 10080 160125 250200 315 12.5k1k630500 800 1.6k1.25k 2k 3.15k2.5k 5k4k 8k6.3k 10k 20k16k
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POWER

Manual-2
FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTION
 POWER switch & indicator glows yellow any time this switch is closed and power has, in fact, actually flowed into the ME 60.
 Filter level controls set the individual levels for each of the constant-Q filters. eir range is ±12 dB, and the grounded center-de-
tent design ensures individual filters are off and bypassed when positioned to their centers.
 Channel LOW and HIGH CUT FILTER controls. LOW CUT sets the corner frequency (-3 dB point) for the low cut filter
(high pass), adjustable from 10 Hz to 250 Hz. HIGH CUT sets the corner frequency (-3 dB point) for the high cut filter (low
pass), adjustable from 3 kHz to 40 kHz.
 Channels 1 and 2 LEVEL controls set the overall desired gain through the unit. e range is from Off to +8 dB for balanced
use, or from Off to +2 dB with unbalanced inputs. Unity gain is at approximately “6” (balanced) or “7” (unbalanced). Using
the highest setting (without lighting the Overload (OL) indicator) yields the best signal-to-noise performance. e OL indicator
monitors all critical points for excessive signal levels. It lights whenever these levels exceed 3 dB below clipping. Occasional flicker-
ing is normal; however, if it glows steadily, reduce the signal coming from the source, or turn down the LEVEL control.
 Channel BYPASS switches activates the “hard-wire” bypass function. When engaged (red BYPASS LED on), all three pins of
the input connectors directly connect to the same pins on the output connectors (hard-wired). Engaging this switch converts the
ME 60 into a relatively expensive patch cord, but one with pretty lights.
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MICROGRAPHIC
EQUALIZER
ME 60
BYPASS
LEVEL OL
BYPASS
LEVEL OL
2
1
HIGHLOW
HIGHLOW
CUT FILTERS
CUT FILTERS
40031.525 40 6350 10080 160125 250200 315 12.5k1k630500 800 1.6k1.25k 2k 3.15k2.5k 5k4k 8k6.3k 10k 20k16k
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POWER
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Manual-3
REAR PANEL DESCRIPTION
 ¼" INPUT connector. is ¼" tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) connector parallels the XLR connector described below. Tip is positive,
ring is negative and sleeve is shield. Tip-sleeve (TS) cables will often work if the cables are short (under 10 feet [3 meters]). See the
Sound System Interconnection RaneNote included with this manual for correct wiring.
 XLR INPUT connector. Pin 2 is positive, pin 3 is negative and pin 1 is shield. For unbalanced operation, use pin 2 as hot and
pin 1 as return. It is not necessary to connect pin 3.
 RCA Phono INPUT connector provides for convenient hook-up to unbalanced products (but not directly to phono’s).
 ¼" OUTPUT connector. is ¼" TRS connector parallels the XLR connector described below. As before, tip is hot, ring is cold
and sleeve is shield.
 XLR OUTPUT connector. Pin 2 is positive, pin 3 is negative and pin 1 is shield.
 RCA Phono OUTPUT connector provides convenient hook-up to unbalanced products.
IMPORTANT NOTE
CHASSIS GROUNDING
If after hooking up your system it exhibits excessive hum or buzzing, there is an incompatibility in the grounding configuration
between units somewhere. Your mission, should you accept it, is to discover how your particular system wants to be grounded. Here
are some things to try:
1. Try combinations of lifting grounds on units that are supplied with ground lift switches or links.
2. If your equipment is in a rack, verify that all chassis are tied to a good earth ground, either through the line cord grounding pin or
the rack screws to another grounded chassis.
3. Units with outboard power supplies do NOT ground the chassis through their line cords. Make sure these units are grounded
either to another chassis which is earth grounded, or directly to the grounding screw on an AC outlet cover by means of a wire
connected to a screw on the chassis with a star washer to guarantee proper contact.
4. See the Sound System Interconnection RaneNote included with this manual.
OUTPUT
INPUT
OUTPUTOUTPUT
INPUTINPUT
OUTPUT INPUT
ACN 001 345 482
MADE IN U.S.A.
RANE CORP.
ME 60
CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2
12 WATTS
50/60 Hz
120 V
WIRING
TIP / PIN 2 = POSITIVE
RING / PIN 3 = NEGATIVE
SLEEVE = SIGNAL GROUND
PIN 1 = CHASSIS GROUND
WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO
NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
AVIS
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE — NE PAS OUVRIR
FOR CONTINUED
GROUNDING PROTECTION
DO NOT REMOVE SCREW
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Manual-4
©Rane Corporation 10802 47th Ave. W., Mukilteo WA 98275-5098 TEL [phone] FAX [phone] WEB www.rane.com
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Insuring the proper level of gain though the ME 60 is just
as important as adjusting the equalizer bands. Improper gain
distribution is a common cause of loss of system headroom and
less than optimum noise performance.
e OverLoad LED informs of an imminent or passed
overload to the equalizer. Occasional blinking of the OL with
program source material is fine, indicating optimized signal to
noise performance of the ME 60. Run the ME 60 with an input
signal that is as hot as possible without the OL lighting more
than occasionally.
e BYPASS switch allows comparison of equalized versus
un-equalized signal. It is also useful in adjusting the level of the
ME 60 for unity gain or best signal-to-noise performance. e
gain of the ME 60 is optimized and at unity when there is no
sound level difference between the bypassed and the active posi-
tions.
e overall gain range of the LEVEL control for the ME
60 is off to +2 dB for unbalanced operation, or off to +8 dB for
balanced operation. e level difference between the equalizer in
Bypass or active can be significant. Adjust the LEVEL control so
the signal level is the same between the bypassed and active posi-
tions of the BYPASS switch.
GETTING STARTED
Here is one method of setting your equalizer that works well.
Begin with the following settings:
1. Engage the BYPASS switch. (switch depressed, BYPASS LED
on.)
2. Put all sliders in their center position (0 dB). e center posi-
tion has a grounded detent.
3. Position the CHANNEL LEVEL controls about “7” for un-
balanced operation and “6” for balanced operation.
4. Set LOW and HIGH CUT filters fully down, corresponding
to 10 Hz and 40 kHz.
5. Apply a signal to the system.
6. Verify the OL LED is not on—occasionally blinking during
extreme peaks indicates an optimal setting. But if it lights up
a lot or lights steadily, lower the output level of the previous
device in the signal chain.
7. Release the BYPASS switch and begin adjusting the equalizer
filters.
8. During filter band adjustments, if the OL LED lights more
than occasionally, turn down the output of the previous de-
vice in the signal chain.
9. Once all filter bands are adjusted to your liking, compare the
signal loudness with the equalizer bypassed and active. Adjust
the LEVEL controls on the ME 60 so there is no difference
between the levels of bypassed versus active.
10. e last step is to reconfirm that the OL LED lights only
when there are large signal spikes in the program material, as
in step 6 above.
For insight into how to use an equalizer, to alleviate acoustic
problems or to adjust the overall tone of the program material,
please read the following two sections.
ACOUSTIC COMPENSATION
A graphic equalizer may be used to correct many acoustic
problems. However, one should fully understand the ramifica-
tions of doing so. Acoustic problems are generally not consistent
across the entire area of sound coverage. is is much more of a
problem when setting up a sound system for large venues. In a
typical large room or hall, there will be areas that have acoustic
reinforcement problems and other areas where certain frequen-
cies are almost entirely canceled out. Try to seek an acoustic
remedy for acoustic problems whenever possible. When this is
not possible or feasible, an equalizer may be used to compensate
for an acoustic problem. But the problem is only improved at
the point where the measurement is taken; other locations in the
room may be adversely affected by the equalizer setting. For this
reason, measure the acoustic response of the system from several
locations and average the equalizer’s setting. Doing this helps
most locations in the venue to have an equal sound quality.
e best way to “see” what the acoustic signature of the room
is doing to sound is to use a real time analyzer or any of the
many computerized measurement systems. Using these devices
to analyze the response of the room and the sound system is the
only accurate means available for setting an equalizer properly.
Tip: Check out the Rane RA 30.
Equalization can be like spice in the hands of a master chef.
A little goes a long way in improving sound quality, too much
and the mix is spoiled. If modest amounts of equalization (6-8
dB) do not solve the problem, it is best remedied by other means.
Avoid adding large amounts of boost below 63 Hz, especially
when using vented bass cabinets. Boosting frequencies below
the vented enclosure’s low frequency cutoff can easily cause over
excursion of the speaker’s cone, causing premature failure. In ad-
dition, boosting low frequencies can make your power amplifier
run hotter, leading to premature amplifier failure.
When equalizer adjustment is completed, compare the un-
equalized sound with the equalized sound by alternately engag-
ing the BYPASS switch. Use familiar source material and walk
around in the sound coverage area to insure that no anomalies
have been introduced into the sound system. If it sounds good,
you’re done.
TONE CONTOURING
If a ME 60 is used for tone contouring by ear, be careful
about adding upper bass (63 Hz to 200 Hz) as this can cause
“muddiness” or loss of clear definition. (Also see the previous
warning about boosting frequencies below 63 Hz.) Middle
frequency problems usually express themselves by vocals having
a nasal quality (too much mid band boost) or vocals not being
easily understandable (usually caused by mid band frequencies
being under represented in the overall sound). High frequency
problems show as “sizzle”— not good, and is sometimes caused
by too much high frequency boosting. is is most obvious
with cymbals and hi-hats. To use the cooking metaphor, high
frequencies should simmer, not sizzle.
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