Aphex 230 Instruction Manual

230

MASTER voice cHANNEL

Optimized processing for human voice over any medium.

COMPL E T E VOI C E PROC E S SI N G SYST E M

Fe aturi n g Aphe x Exclu s i ve Pr o c essin g Tec hnolog y

• Low Noise RPATM Tube Mic Preamplifier

• EasyriderTM Compressor

• Split Band De-Esser

• Logic Assisted GateTM Noise Gate

• Big Bottom® Bass Enhancer

• Fu l l Parametric Equalizer Band

• Aural Exciter® Intelligibility Enhancer

• SPRTM Phase Rotator

• High Resolution 24/96 A/D Converter

• +4 Balanced and -10 Unbalanced Outputs

THE SOLUTION DELIVERY SERIES

S Y S T E M S

Solution Delivery Series

Master voice channel

Instruction Manual

230

P/N 999-4200

Revision 1

Released 05/30/2004

Manufactured by

Aphex Systems Ltd.

11068 Randall St.

Sun Valley, CA 91352

USA

S Y S T E M S

Copyright 2004 Aphex Systems Ltd. All rights reserved.

Produced by: Donn Werrbach. Creation tool: Adobe InDesign 2.0. Printed by: Stuart F. Cooper Co., Los Angeles.

230

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Aphex Customer,

Congratulations on your purchase of the Model 230 Master Voice Channel.

Discriminating people have successfully and happily used a combination of Aphex microphone preamplifiers and processing for years even
though it required using different boxes and additional interconnections. The Model 230 combines the proprietary circuits and features that
made those individual products so effective and great sounding along with powerful new proprietary circuits. All these circuits make the
Model 230 the best sounding and most flexible, yet easy to use, voice processor on the market. On air or in the production room voices will
be more intelligible, have greater presence and fullness, and have more consistent levels- all while retaining their unique characteristics.

As with all our products, we are extremely proud of the ingenuity of design and the manufacturing quality of the Model 230. We love to
hear from you, our customers, about your experiences with any of our products. Our customer support is unmatched in the industry, so
please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Marvin Caesar

instruction Manual

Safety Declarations

CAUTION: For protection against electric shock, do not remove the cover. No user serviceable parts inside.

WARNING: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to

Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the operating guide, may cause interference to radio communica­tions. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in which case the user will be required
to correct the interference at his own expense.

The user is cautioned that changes and modifications made to the equipment without approval of the manufacturer could
void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

It is suggested that the user use only shielded and grounded cables to ensure compliance with FCC Rules.

Copyright 2004 by Aphex Systems, LTD. All rights reserved. All Aphex products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Aphex Sys-

tems, LTD. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

|

Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230Page 2

master voice channel

230

Table of Contents

1.0 CONTROLS & INDICATORS PLUS QUICK SETUP........................................................................

2.0 “MASTER VOICE CHANNEL”- WHAT?

3.0 INSTALLATION AND INTERFACING

3.1 Installation ..........................................................................................................................

3.2 Rear Panel View ..................................................................................................................

3.3 AC Line Connection ............................................................................................................

3.4 Mic Input Connections .........................................................................................................

3.5 Insert Jacks...........................................................................................................................

3.6 Output Connections.............................................................................................................

3.7 Digital Audio Outputs .........................................................................................................

3.8 Word Clock .........................................................................................................................

3.8.1 INT/EXT...............................................................................................................

3.8.2 WC IN................................................................................................................

3.8.3 WC OUT.............................................................................................................

3.8.4 Local Clock Mastering.........................................................................................

3.9 Power Supply........................................................................................................................

4.0 USING THE 230

4.1 Using the Mic Input..............................................................................................................

4.2 Using Phantom Power...........................................................................................................

4.3 Using the Polarity Switch..... ................................................................................................

4.4 Using the Pad.......................................................................................................................

4.5 Using the Low Cut................................................................................................................

4.6 Reserved ..............................................................................................................................

4.7 Using the Phase Rotator........................................................................................................

4.8 Using the Compressor...........................................................................................................

4.9 Using the Logic Assisted Gate...............................................................................................

4.10 Using the De-esser..............................................................................................................

4.11 Using the Equalizer Block....................................................................................................

4.11.1 Big Bottom........................................................................................................

4.11.2 Parametric Equalizer..........................................................................................

4.11.3 Aural Exciter.....................................................................................................

4.12 Using the Level Control......................................................................................................

4.13 Clip Light...........................................................................................................................

4.14 Digital Outputs..................................................................................................................

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6

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8
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9

9
9

10
10
11

11
11
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12
12
12
13

13

13
13

13
13

13

13

5.0 WARRANTY AND SERVICE

5.1 Limited Warranty ................................................................................................................

5.2 Service Information .............................................................................................................

6.0 SPECIFICATIONS

6.1 General Specifications .........................................................................................................

6.2 Architectural Specifications .................................................................................................

7.0 APPENDICES

Appendix A - Balanced and Unbalanced Lines and Operating Levels ...........................................

Appendix B - Dealing With Ground and Hum ............................................................................

Appendix C - Proper Wiring Techniques ......................................................................................

Appendix D - Standard Cable Wiring .........................................................................................

Appendix E - Back to BASS-ics.....................................................................................................

Appendix G - Helpful Wiring Table... .........................................................................................

Appendix G - Aural Exciter and Big Bottom Technologies Explained.............................................

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Page 3Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230

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instruction Manual

1.0 Controls and Indicators with Quick Setup

POWER INDICATION

The Aphex logo above the power switch glows yellow during the
tube preamp’s warmup time and green when the unit is ready.

LOW NOISE MIC PRE

The 230 works with all professional microphones. The clean and
stable 48V phantom supply is suitable for even the most expen­sive microphones. The 12dB/octave low cut filter starts at 70Hz
to effectively reduce wind blast without diminishing voice body.
Included is a selectable phase rotator following the principles of
the Spectral Phase Refractor (SPR) circuit used in our Type III Aural
Exciter and Model 661 Expressor. This helps to make spiky voices
more symmetrical while also adding clarity and body.

COMPRESSOR

The 230 includes a special version of Aphex’s patented Easyrider™
Compressor which has proven to be outstanding for voice work.
It is very simple to use with only two controls: Gain/Drive and
Release. To get deeper compression, turn up more Gain. To
manage the density and loudness, work with Release. Faster is
louder and denser. Slower is more natural and open.

LOGIC ASSISTED GATE™

Another Aphex patent, this noise gate is the most stable gate on
the market. It never hesitates or chatters. Once triggered, even
by a microscopic transient, it progresses fully through the attack,
hold, and release sequence. The attenuation depth and gating
threshold are user adjustable to allow for varying requirements.
The attack, hold, and release timing are internally set to function
optimally on voice waveforms.

DE-ESSER

This de-esser is unlike any other. It is more effective and flattering to
voice. Using a split-band technique with Linkwitz-Riley crossovers,
the voice remains bright and sharp, never losing presence while
de-essing. The de-ess threshold control lets you chose the essing
level that you want. Because of sophisticated technology, sibilance
is trapped for all voices. No frequency tuning is necessary.

EQUALIZATION BLOCK

Other voice processors give you several bands of parametric eq
that you must fuss with to find a suitable setting, usually not really
flattering to voice. Instead, the Model 320 gives you the popular
Aphex Big Bottom and Aural Exciter that are proven to not only
flatter voices but increase power, punch and intelligibility. As a real
plus, they are also very easy to adjust. A fully parametric equalizer
band is also provided to handle those annoying frequency anoma­lies that some voices can contain, or for special effects.

REAR INSERT JACK

Allows you to insert any kind of line level audio equipment into
the signal path between the 230’s dynamics processing and the
equalizer section. The operating level at this jack is in the vicinity of
0dBu. You should set up your inserted outboard gear accordingly.

METER

Either peak output level (relevant to both analog and digital head­room at 0dB = max before clip) or the compressor’s gain reduction
will be shown according to the position of the Meter switch. The
bar graph will move upwards indicating level, and downwards
indicating gain reduction.

POWER INDICATOR

Logo glows yellow during power
on warmup. Preamp output is held
muted. Turns green after warmup
interval. Preamp becomes operational.

POWER
SWITCH

Turns power
on and off.

GAIN/DRIVE

Adjusts
preamp gain
and drive into
the compres­sor.

48V

When pressed,
turns on the
microphone phan­tom 48V power

Lo Cut

Switches on
the 70Hz Low
Cut filter.

Invert
Polarity

When
pressed,
inverts the
relative polar­ity (phase)
of the mic
input.

CLIP/MUTE

Flashes yellow when the
preamp is muted by the
cough switch. Flashes red
indicating clipping.

Phase Rota­tor

Enables the
Spectral
Phase
Refractor
to improve
speech sym­metry.

PAD

When pressed,
turns on the 20dB
input pad.

Compressor

Turns on the
Easyrider
compressor
circuit.

Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230Page 4

Meter

Indicates
peak output
level or gain
reduction of
the compres­sor.

GATE THRESHOLD

When the sound is higher than this
level, the gate opens up instantly. No
“chattering” thanks to the patented
Logic Assisted Gate.

RELEASE

Controls the
density of
compres­sion. Slow
for natural
leveling and
fast for more
loudness.

GATING

Shows when
the gate
is closed
or closing.
When the
light is off,
the gate is
fully open.

master voice channel

230

OUTPUT CONTROL

Once all processing and equal­ization is set where you want it,
the output level may need to be
adjusted. Do not let the peak
level frequently exceed -6dBFS.
This will make sure the digital
output carries well through sub­sequent mixing and processing.
When using the analog output,
adjust the level to produce the
desired average output level
(0VU) as seen on the outboard
equipment’s meters.

DIGITAL AUDIO

The 230 supplies industry standard stereo
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and TOSLINK digital audio
outputs. The single mic channel appears
on both stereo channels as a mono signal.
Sample rate and word clock options are all
available at the rear panel. There is no “lock”
indicator per-se, but word clock lock is indi­cated by the presence of digital audio at the
output. “No output means no lock.”

Rear Panel Analog Connections

BALANCED

MIC INPUT

Works with all standard
microphones, phantom
powered or passive.
Phantom power acti­vated from front panel.

TRS

Line Level
Processor,

i.e.,

Compressor, EQ

Rear Panel Digital Connections

AES/EBU
OUTPUT

Digital 110
Ohm cables
only. (Do not
use regular
audio cables.)

S/PDIF &
OPTICAL
OUTPUTS

All outputs are
active at the
same time.

+4dBu

Balanced

Output

SAMPLE RATE SWITCHES

Rate Base Mult

44.1 44.1 X1

88.2 44.1 X2
48 48 X1
96 48 X2

Quick Setup

-10dBV

Unbalanced

Output

WORD CLOCK

Jack Functions & Signals

Mode

IN Signal

INT

NONE

EXT

EXT CLK IN

COUGH SWITCH

Allows you to
silently mute the
output on the
fly using a hand­held, desktop, or
floor switch.

OUT Signal

INT CLK OUT
PASS THRU FROM IN

DEPTH

Lets you set how much attenuation the
gate will deliver. Use the lowest attenu­ation that’s needed to reduce room
wetness, breath, or background noise.
Usually 6 to 15dB is sufficient.

DE-ESSING

Shows when
the the de­esser is work­ing. When
the light is
on, sibilance
is being
controlled.

DE-ESS
THRESHOLD

Lets you set
the level
where you
want your
esses to level
off.

BIG-BOTTOM
TUNE

Adjusts the
frequency
below which
enhancement
takes place.
Helps mainly
male voices.

PARAMETRIC EQ

Works like a standard parametric band
with tune, Q, and boost/cut controls.

BIG-BOTTOM
MIX

Adjusts the
strength
(boost) of the
Big Bottom
effect.

AURAL EXCITER
TUNE

Adjusts frequency
above which
enhancement
takes place.

Why You Shouldn’t Connect a 230’s Output to a Mic Level Input.

The bottom line: you will get an unsatisfactory noise level. The Model 230 is designed to generate a line
level output from a mic level input. It optimizes the signal to noise ratio by giving you a strong signal far

above the preamplifier’s basic self noise level. This strong output signal can be up to 65dB higher than
the mic signal. It is perfect for a standard line input of a mixer or console but will overload a mic input. If
you turn down the 230’s output level enough to stop overloading the mic input of your mixer, then your
mixer’s preamp gain will amplify the natural noise floor far too much, causing a noisy signal.

AURAL EXCITER
MIX

Adjusts the
strength (boost) of
the Aural Exciter
effect.

BB/EQ/AX
ON

Switches the
equalizing
chain in and
out. Provides
full true
bypass of the
circuits.

OUTPUT

Adjusts the
final pro­cessed output
level as seen
on the VU
meter.

Page 5Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230

230

2.0 “Master Voice Channel” - What?

instruction Manual

HAVING AN EDGE

Talented people aren’t totally perfect. Well, of course,
you are, but let’s face it -- who else really is? Some­times it takes an edge for even the best talent to grab
a top position in the industry. Other than having a
well connected agent and a pretty good set of pipes,
the Model 230 might just give you the edge you
need.

GETTING BIG

As you probably already know, getting a really sweet
voice track requires more than the right mic or expert
mic technique. A plain recorded voice can sound very
good alone, but not “have it” when put into the mix.
Voice artists are constantly asked for a more compel­ling, louder track. TV promos, film trailers, even radio
production voices need to be dense, fat, consistent
and loud. The body of the voice needs to be fuller

- somehow bigger than life. If this is your goal, you
need a Model 230.

WORK, DON’T TWEAK

At some point as a professional you want to stop
fooling with the equipment and concentrate on
reading, talking, and expressing. The Model 230 will
help you do that by giving you easy to use voice pro­cessing that works incredibly well without constant
fidgeting.

ARE YOU GEARED OUT TO THE MAX?

For many voicing pros, getting bigger means gather­ing up countless compressors, limiters, equalizers and
other audio tools in a quest for that certain “sound”.
Managing all that gear can be overwhelming. It
seldom gets used to its full potential. That’s why you
need the comprehensive, easy to use Model 230. It
combines a whole array of proven voice processing
effects with a super quality mic preamp in an easy
to use package. It even gives you digital audio that’s
ready for your hard disk or recorder.

but it can give a boost to whatever you’ve already
got.

STAYING IN CONTROL

Radio and TV stations frequently need to better
control live originated voice quality. Making news
anchors, drive-time jocks, spot producers, and every­one else sound more intimate, clear, and regulated is
a big presentation booster.

HANDLING MANY VOICES

When the news team is on the air, or the morning
zoo is hamming it up, all of the voices need to be
balanced and adjusted automatically to make sure
they are heard at a constant level. A Model 230 used
on each microphone will take care of this problem
perfectly. The Logic Assisted Noise Gate will reli­ably attenuate background noises, crosstalk, and
reverberation when multiple mics are open but not
spoken into.

DE-ESSING, DIGITAL, AND ALL THAT STUFF

There are various channel strips and other processors
with mic preamps on the market. Most contain the
same basic array of effects and controls, but are not
easy to operate effectively. The Model 230 is different.
It contains unique and proprietary effects innovated
by Aphex engineering that are specifically excellent
for maximizing voice quality for both air and produc­tion. Plus, it was engineered with intuitive controls
that do not have critical settings. You will find it easy
to understand and use.

Exclusive Aphex Features:

• RPA Tube Preamplifier™

• Easyrider™ Compressor

• Logic Assisted Gate™

• Big Bottom®

• Aural Exciter®

• SPR Spectral Phase Rotator™

BOOST YOUR ELOQUENCE

For live on-air talent, preachers, lecturers, or anyone
speaking into a microphone, the Model 230 can
make voices at all times clear, compelling and able to
be heard over a world of background chatter. It may
not bestow upon you any new talent of eloquence,

Custom Engineered Functions:

• Low Distortion Parametric EQ

• Split Band DE-ESSER

• High Resolution A/D Converter

Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230Page 6

master voice channel

230

3.0 Installation & Interfacing

3.1 INSTALLATION

The Model 230 occupies a single rack space (45mm or 1-3/4 inches) of a standard EIA equipment rack.

When rack mounting, use appropriate cushioned rack screws. Never restrict air flow through the device’s vents.
When installing the units into a rack, distribute the units evenly. Otherwise, hazardous conditions may be cre­ated by an uneven weight distribution. Connect the unit only to a properly rated supply circuit. Reliable earth­ing (grounding) of rack mounted equipment should be maintained. Try not to position the 230 directly above
devices that generate excessive heat such as power amplifiers (unless adequately ventilated) or near equipment
with heavy transformer hum fields.

3.2 REAR PANEL VIEW

3.3 AC LINE CONNECTION

Use only a power cord that carries approvals for use in your location. The 230’s internal power supply is
designed to operate from all nominal power sources from 100 to 240 volts a.c. at 50/60Hz without requiring
the user to change any settings. In case of failure, do not attempt to change the internal fuse because it will
never blow unless the power supply fails catasrophically. The power supply will need to be serviced by a com­petent service technician in such a case.

3.4 MIC INPUT CONNECTION

The microphone input connector is located on the
rear panel. It is the standard XLR-3F type. Use only
properly wired balanced mic cables.

PROPER MICROPHONE CABLE WIRING

AUTIONC

48V

CAUTION: Beware that 48 volt PHANTOM POWER
may be applied to the microphone input, creat­ing a potential shock hazard. Standard practice
dictates shutting off the phantom power before
plugging or unplugging microphones. Wait at
least 10 seconds for the voltage to fall sufficiently.
This is not only for safety, but for protection of
sensitive microphones against power inrush.

Female XLR Male XLR

3.5 INSERT JACKS

The Model 230 allows you to insert additional signal
processing between the 230’s front-end dynamics
processing and the aft-end equalizer block. Both
Send and Return jacks are balanced and run at
approximately 0dBu. This is a perfect place to insert
an external reverb unit or profanity delay. Other than
that, we can think of no external processing that
would be necessary, but you have the option to put
anything there that you wish as long as it returns a
nominal level.

Direct feed-through occurs with the normalling con­tacts of the jacks. If you plug into either the SEND
or RETURN jack, the internal path is interrupted. You
need to be sure you have a viable send-return circuit
externally or there will be no audio output from the

230.

There is no insert bypass switch. Once plugged in, the
insert is always inserted. If you can’t get any output
from the 230, make sure the inserted gear is operat­ing before you assume the 230 is defective.

Page 7Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230

230

Installation & Interfacing

3.6 OUTPUT CONNECTORS

There are two output connectors located on the
rear panel: one 1/4” TRS phone type and one XLR­3M type. They can be used at the same time to feed
separate equipment.

The output level at the XLR is +4dBu impedance
balanced, while the phone jack runs unbalanced at

-10dBV (consumer level).

If you intend to make an unbalanced output from
the XLR jack, simply take “hot” from pin 2 and
use pin 1 for ground. Leave pin 3 unconnected or
grounded. Never ground pin 2.

instruction Manual

verter inputs.

3.8 WORD CLOCK

3.8.1 INT/EXT

Synchronization is selected by the INT/EXT switch
on the back panel. With external clock, the 230 will
sync to frequencies between 32kHz to 96kHz. With
internal clock, you get the four frequency selections
of 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96kHz.

3.8.2 WC IN

This BNC jack is provided to receive your master clock
source. It will accept industry standard Word Clock,
from less than 1 to over 5Vp-p pulse amplitude. It
does not accept AES/EBU or Superclock.

Refer to Appendix C & D for more information on the
proper wiring of balanced and unbalanced lines.

DIGITAL OUTPUT DEFINITIONS

XLR:

AES/EBU 110Ω @ 5Vp-p

RCA:

S/PDIF 75Ω @ 1Vp-p

OPTICAL: Toslink S/PDIF encoded for optical fiber.

3.7 DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUTS

The processed mic signal is converted to digital in
both channels at equal level as a mono signal. There
is no provision to externally drive one of the A/D Con-

Figure 3-1 Daisy Chaining Alternatives for External Master Clock

Universal Technique

230 #1 230 #2 230 #3 230 #4

In Out In Out In Out In

The Model 230 can operate equally well from a
typical “brute force” 5V word clock output or from
a matched impedance master clocking distribution.
Please refer to the appendix for a thorough discus­sion of clock wiring and distribution systems.

When the Model 230 is operating in external clock
mode, the WC IN jack is tied directly to the WC OUT
jack through a metal relay contact. The input imped­ance is high enough to daisy-chain up to four units
by looping straight through. The final daisy-chained

unit should have a 75 ohm BNC terminator plug
inserted in its WC OUT jack to properly terminate the
transmission line. If only one unit is connected, then

simply place the terminator plug on the single unit’s

Out

Terminator

Clock Source

Tee

&

Terminator

Clock Source

230 #1 230 #2 230 #3 230 #4

In

Ok For Closely Co-located 230’s

Out In Out In Out In Out

Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230Page 8

master voice channel

WC OUT jack.

3.8.3 WC OUT

This jack is directly tied to the WC IN jack to facilitate
daisy-chaining multiple units to a master clock source
when the unit is operating in external clock mode.

When the Model 230 is operating in internal clock
mode, the WC OUT jack is disconnected from WC IN
and instead is connected to the unit’s internal clock
source. Thus, any Model 230 operating in internal
clock mode can serve as a master clock source when
required. The internal clock is derived from a low jitter
crystal oscillator and is fully competent as a master
clock.

3.8.4 Local Clock Mastering

In the absence of a suitable external clock source, you
can use one Model 230 as a clock master and slave
everything else to it. For example, to synchronize a
group of Model 230’s, simply set the first unit to
internal clock mode and all the others to external.
Daisy-chain the WC OUT of the first unit through the
WC IN and WC OUT of the remaining units. This way
all digital audio outputs will be locked together to the
first unit’s clock reference. You can also loop the clock
output of the last unit in line to your digital recorder
or workstation, but remember to terminate the last

unit in line.

3.9 POWER SUPPLY

The 230 is internally powered from a standard IEC
power receptacle on the rear panel. Be sure you use a
power cord that is approved for use in your jurisdic­tion.

Figure 3-2 Daisy Chaining the Local Master Clock

230

ACCEPTABLE POWER RANGE

85 to 265V~, 50 to 60Hz

Soft-start, overload foldback limiting, and accros­the-line voltage spike protection is incorporated to
protect the power supply from damage that might
be caused by component failure or power line distur­bances. If the internal fuse blows out, a catastrophic
failure has occurred and simply replacing the fuse will
not fix the problem. Due to the extensive protective
measures used, it is highly unlikely a catastrophic
power supply failure will ever occur. However, if it
does, you should contact the factory or a competent
service technician to affect repairs. There are no user
serviceable parts inside.

3.9 Cough Switch

Voice artists/actors often find it nec­essary to clear the throat, sip a bev­erage, or cough during narration.
To hide the fact, a convenient mute

and unmute is needed. Here it is, the
model 230’s Cough Switch! Any type of switch wired
to a mono phone plug will work. Usually, a desktop
box mounted silent pushbutton is preferred, as it can
be accessed most readily. Aphex does not presently
supply the cough switch itself, but one can be easily
fabricated by the installer.

Internal

Clock

230 #1 230 #2 230 #3 230 #4

In Out In Out In Out In Out

External

Clock

External

Clock

External

Clock

Terminate here or continue
coax cable to digital recorder/
daw using a 75Ω termination.

Page 9Aphex Systems Ltd. Model 230