ART TCS User Manual
ART TCS Twin Compressor System
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION – READ FIRST
This symbol, whenever it appears, This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts
alerts you to the presence of uninsulated you to important operating and maintenance
dangerous voltage inside the enclosure-voltage instructions in the accompanying literature.
that may be sufficient to constitute a risk of shock. Read manual.
Read instructions:
Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference. Heed all warnings printed here and on the equipment.
Follow the operating instructions printed in this user guide.
Do not open:
There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer any service work to qualified technical personnel only.
Power sources:
Connect the unit to mains power only of the type described in this user guide or marked on the rear panel. The power
source must provide a good ground connection.
Power cord:
Use the power cord with sealed mains plug appropriate for your local main supply as provided with the equipment. If the
provided plug does not fit into you outlet consult your service agent. Route the power cord so that it is not likely to be
walked on, stretched or pinched by items placed upon or against.
Grounding:
Do not defeat the grounding and polarization means of the power cord plug. Do not remove or tamper with the ground
connection on the power cord.
Ventilation:
Do not obstruct the ventilation slots or position the unit where the air required for ventilation is impeded. If the unit is to be
operated in a rack, case or other furniture ensure that it is constructed to allow adequate ventilation.
Moisture:
To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock do not expose the unit to rain, moisture or use in damp or wet conditions. Do
not place container of liquid on it, which may spill into any openings.
Heat:
Do not locate the unit in a place close to excessive heat or direct sunlight, as this could be a fire hazard. Locate the unit
away from any equipment, which produces heat such as: power supplies, power amplifiers and heaters.
Environment:
Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat, and vibration when operating and storing. Avoid tobacco ash, drink spillage and
smoke, especially that associated with smoke machines.
Handling:
To prevent damage to the controls and cosmetics avoid rough handling and excessive vibration. Protect the controls form
damage during transit. Use adequate padding if you need to ship the unit. To avoid injury to yourself or damage to the
equipment take care when lifting, moving or carrying the unit.
Servicing:
Switch off the equipment and unplug the power cord immediately if it is exposed to moisture, spilled liquid, objects fallen
into opening, the power cord or plug becomes damaged during a lightening storm or if smoke odor or noise is noted.
Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation:
Install the unit in accordance with the instruction printed in the user guide.
2
ART TCS Twin Compressor System
The ART TCS
Twin Compressor System
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................... 4
TCS Features ......................................................................................... 5
Installation ............................................................................................. 6
AC Power Hookup ............................................................................... 6
Analog Audio Connections .................................................................. 6
Safety Precautions .............................................................................. 6
Controls and Indicators ......................................................................... 7
Rear Connections .................................................................................. 9
Operation ............................................................................................. 10
Compression Basics .......................................................................... 10
Expansion Basics .............................................................................. 10
Opto Basics ....................................................................................... 10
VCA Basics ....................................................................................... 10
Understanding V3 .............................................................................. 11
V3 Quick Reference Chart ................................................................ 13
Common Applications ........................................................................ 14
Additional Applications ...................................................................... 16
Warranty Information .......................................................................... 18
Service .................................................................................................. 19
TCS Specifications ........................................................................... 20
Contact Information ............................................................................. 21
3
ART TCS Twin Compressor System
INTRODUCTION
Thank you and congratulations on your purchase of an ART TCS (Twin
Compressor System). You now own a unique compression system with
features unlike any other. Offering a superb level of sound quality, the TCS’
dual compression topology allows you to quickly and easily choose from a
multitude of compression settings tailored to your needs.
With the ART TCS you now have one of the most versatile compression
systems on the market. With both VCA and Optical compression
underneath the hood of this compressor, and ART’s V3 presets you can
easily tune in the compression you need fast. We’ve carefully chosen 16
presets that cover all of your compression needs. The right setting is just a
knob twist away. Need more control? Each setting also allows for tweaking
to get it just right.
Compression metering has never been easier than with the TCS. The two
VU meters clearly display the gain reduction for each channel, making it
visually simple to figure out just how much you’re compressing the signal.
The ultra-precise LED meters show the average level with a peak hold
function to monitor your signal. The TCS is excellent for digital recording
since you can see exactly how loud your signal is to avoid digital clipping.
The TCS includes detector loop inserts so you can change the character of
the detection path with an inserted EQ, or insert over the detection path with
a different signal to duck or create a talk-over effect.
- -
4
TCS FEATURES
ART TCS Twin Compressor System
Optical Compression
VCA Compression
4 Compression Modes /16 Different V3 settings
Controls Per Channel
Attack and Release Transient Controls
Ratio Control
Threshold Control
Noise Reduction (Expander/Gate) with Threshold Control,
Noise Reduction Tuning Control and Activity light.
Bypass Control
Tube Insertion
Detector Loop
V3 settings
Front Mounted Instrument Input and Level control on Channel 1
Switchable Dual Output Controls or Stereo Level + Pan Control
Stereo Linking capabilities
Twin VU compression meters
LED Input / Output level metering with Peak Hold
12AX7 Tube Dual Pentode, hand selected.
¼ Inch and Balanced XLR I/O
Torodial Power Transformer for lower noise.
- -
5
ART TCS Twin Compressor System
INSTALLATION
The TCS may be used in a wide variety of applications and environments.
In a rack-mountable, all-steel enclosure, the unit is designed for continuous
professional use. Mounting location is not critical. However, for greater
reliability we recommend that you not place the units on top of power amps
or other sources of heat. The tube circuitry needs about a minute to “warm
up” from a cold power up.
AC Power Hookup
The TCS has an internal power supply designed to operate at 115 VAC @
50 to 60 Hz. Units manufactured for use outside the United States of
America have been modified to comply with the required electrical
specifications.
Analog Audio Connections
Audio connections to and from the TCS are balanced XLR (Pin 2 = Hot (+),
Pin 3 = Cold (-), Pin 1 = Ground), balanced ¼” (Tip = Hot (+), Ring = Cold (), Sleeve = Ground) and unbalanced ¼” (Tip = Hot (+), Sleeve = Ground).
Safety Precautions
WARNING: To avoid the risk of shock or fire, do not expose this unit to
moisture. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel. Do not remove the metal
cover; there are no user-serviceable parts inside.
- -
6
ART TCS Twin Compressor System
CONTROLS & INDICATORS
1Power – Switches the unit’s power on and off.
2Instrument Input and Level – The front ¼” jack is intended for
instrument level signals and the level control applies from 0 to 30db of
gain to the signal.
When using the front instrument jack, the rear inputs on Channel 1 are
disconnected.
3Compression Controls (Attack, Release, Threshold, Ratio) –
These four controls control the amount of compression and its’
transient settings. These are continuously active throughout all V3
settings (V3 optimizes ranges for selected application).
4Noise Reduction Controls (NR Thresh, Shelf, NR Active LED) –
These two controls set the noise reduction characteristics. They are
continuously active throughout all V3 settings. Users can look at the
LED to determine if the current NR is an expander or a gate by viewing
it’s dimming characteristics. When the LED simply turns on and off the
NR is a gate, when it slowly fades in and out it is an expander.
As the NR Thresh is increased, the noise reduction will become more
sensitive to the signals. Thus, more of the signal will be affected by the
NR.
The Shelf control tunes the Noise Reduction detection circuitry such
that it is less sensitive to certain frequencies. When fully counterclockwise the noise reduction is most sensitive to lower frequencies,
and when fully clockwise the noise reduction is most sensitive to higher
frequencies.
- 7 -
Loading...