Tines & Reeds FERRO User manual

Manual for
CAREFULLY READ THIS MANUAL BEFORE USING THE DEVICE! THE MANUAL IS PART OF THE
DEVICE. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATIONS FOR OPERATION AND USAGE.
• Do never expose the device to rain or humidity. This will cause damage to the device.
• Repairs need to be done by qualified technicians only.
• Do not manipulate any jacks
• Do always shut off the device completely before cleaning. Wait till it is completely dry
before connecting it to the power supply.
This device conforms EMC 89/336/EEC and LV 73/23/EEC !
Assembled in Germany by
Christian Radtke
Bahnhofstr. 41
Werkstatt im Hinterhof
27383 Scheeßel
Tel.: [phone]
Mobil: 0172 5496901
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: https://www.tinesandreeds.com

2
CONCEPT & USAGE
Here it is: The new preamp for your Fender Rhodes Piano.
FERRO
catches the famous suitcase-
sound of the 70s and transforms it into the 21st century. In the wink of an eye you can make
your Rhodes piano a new-inspiring instrument. Unleash the full potential of your vintage key
using
FERRO
.
FERRO
creates the sought-after sound of the Peterson-preamp and gives you even more
features like a 2-band Baxandall equalizer, a variable low pass filter, an optical stereo-tremolo
with switchable waveforms and a powerful headphone amplifier
FERRO
is the perfect solution for bringing your desired Rhodes-sound onto stage without the
use of a guitar amp.
Plug, play, heaven!
FUNCTIONS FRONT
Since
FERRO
was originally made to be installed in a Rhodes-Piano only, most of the features
are accessible on the front.
OUTPUT 1 & 2:
Unbalanced audio outputs at
line-level
.
The unit is made to be connected to line-inputs. Of course you can connect
FERRO
to a guitar
amp as well. But due to the high output level you might run into distortion and into a bad signal
noise ration. Best performance is reached only using as intended.
HP:
Headphone jack. The headphone amp can drive headphones up to 600 Ohm. We recommend
using 100-200 Ohm headphones.
12V:
DC-jack for the power adapter. Polarity: inner plus.
The voltage will be internally filtered to reduce noise and hum.

3
VOLUME:
Control for volume.
FERRO
will be switched on by turning the volume potentiometer.
TREBLE / BASS:
The outer / bigger knob controls the bass frequencies. The inner / smaller knob controls the
high frequencies.
FILTER:
The filter-potentiometer is the most powerful tool of
FERRO
. If you turn it fully clockwise it
doesn’t affect the sound at all. You will get the crystal clear sound from the early 80s. By turning
the knob counter clockwise, the high frequencies will be cut steep. If you set the knob to “
P
”
you will have the setting of the original Peterson preamp from the 70s.
ATTENTION: If you connect your Rhodes through the regular output on the namerail and set
the EQ neutral, the change in sound using the FILTER-knob will be subtle. We suggest using
the RCA-jack (remove the plastic lid, back left).
Try
turning the treble potentiometer fully clockwise and adjust the filter-knob accordingly while
playing in the mid / upper register.
VIBRATO – ON/OFF:
For nostalgic reasons we decided to call it “vibrato” although it’s a tremolo. With this switch you
can engage the vibrato.
NOTE: We have integrated two LEDs. Each LED represents the volume of one channel. If the
vibrato is switched off both channels are running on half volume, so both LEDs light with half
power as well. That means although the vibrato is switched off, the LEDs will still be on. The
LEDs are useful as power indicator since they always shows something when FERRO is
powered on.
VIBRATO – SPEED / DEPTH:
The outer / bigger knob changes the depth of the vibrato. The inner / smaller knob changes
the speed.
VIBRATO – SHAPE:
With this switch you can change the waveform of the vibrato engine.
When set to “
sine
” you will get a wide and atmospheric sound which is especially impressive
on low speeds. Use this waveform to create a pseudo stereo effect as well.
When set to “
square
” you will get the classic Rhodes vibrato sound.

4
VIBRATO – PHASE:
Switch for changing the phase of the vibrato.
IN
means mono, well known from Wurlitzer
Pianos or guitar amps.
OUT
means stereo. This is what you probably expect from a Rhodes
preamp.
FUNCTIONS BACK
INPUT:
That’s the audio input of the preamp. It has an impedance of about 1MOhm. Besides the Rhodes
piano you can of course connect any other instrument as well like a Wurlitzer or a Hohner
Pianet. You may need to adjust the audio levels to not run into distortion.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Input impedance: ca. 1 MOhm
Output impedance: ca. 100 Ohm
Power supply:!External power adapter 12V @ 200mA, 5.5x2.1mm, inner plus
Dimensions: (L x W x D): 240 x 125 x 68 mm
Weight: 900g