ATC Active 20, Passive 20 User Manual

Active 20

Passive 20

User Manual: Active 20

Passive 20

MULTICHANNEL

ACOUSTICENGINEERS

®

Active/Passive 20

1. Read instructions – all the safety and operating instructions should be read

before the appliance is operated.

2. Retain these instructions – the safety and operating instructions should be

retained for future reference.

3. Heed warnings – all warnings on the appliance and in the operating

instructions should be adhered to.

4. Follow instructions – all operating and other instructions should be

followed.

5. Water and moisture – the appliance should not be used near water, for

example near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet

basement or near a swimming pool etc..

6. Ventilation – the appliance should be situated so that its location or

position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the

appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug or similar surface that

may block the ventilation openings. Similarly, the appliance should not be

built into an installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet, that may impede

the flow of air through the ventilation openings.

7. Heat – the appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as

radiators, stoves or other appliances that produce heat.

8. Power sources – the appliance should be connected to a power supply only

of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the

appliance.

9. Power cord protection – power supply cords should be routed so that they

are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against

them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience

receptacles and the point where they exit the appliance.

10. Cleaning – the appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the

manufacturer.

11. Unattended periods – the power cord of the appliance should be

unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time.

12. Object and liquid entry – care should be taken so that objects and liquids

do not fall into the appliance.

13. Damage requiring service – the appliance should be serviced by qualified

service personnel when:

i. the power supply cord or the plug has been damaged

ii. objects have fallen or liquid has been spilled into the appliance

iii. the appliance has been exposed to rain or other serious liquid exposure

iv. the appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked

change in performance

v. the appliance has been dropped or the cabinet damaged

14. Servicing – the user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond

those measures described in the operating instructions.All other servicing

should be referred to qualified service personnel.

15. Grounding or polarisation – precautions should be taken so that grounding

or polarisation means for the appliance are not defeated.

1

Safety Warnings

Welcome. In selecting ATC you have chosen an

example of the finest audio engineering

available. ATC was founded on a principle of

engineering excellence, and that principle still

defines our products today. Given the right

opportunities, ATC products will deliver

exceptional audio performance, but the

opportunities will only arise from careful and

thoughtful installation and use. Please read the

following manual fully. It will help you

understand the product and to realise its full

potential. We are happy to answer questions

and offer advice on any issues that arise

through installation or use of ATC products.

Contact details can be found at the back of this

manual.

Active/Passive 20

ATC was founded in London in 1974 by Australian emigre Bill Woodman, who still

heads the company today. An enthusiastic pianist and engineer he was naturally

drawn to loudspeaker design and after a period working at Goodmans,where many

of the names that went on to found British loudspeaker companies began their

careers, he struck out on his own.The premise on which ATC began is a simple one,

and one that in many respects is still true today: hi-fi loudspeakers tend to be

detailed and accurate but of limited dynamic range, while professional monitor

speakers tend to express the opposite character. ATC products were designed from

the outset to offer the best of both. It’s an easy concept to describe, but surprisingly

difficult to engineer.

The difficulty inherent in designing such loudspeakers is one of scale. Hi-fi levels of

accuracy and detail call for lightweight moving parts and delicate engineering.

Professional monitor levels of performance however demand far more robust

components engineered to survive the rigours of high level use for extended

periods.The only way to combine the two is through precision engineering of a class

and scale more often associated with aerospace or motorsport. But the results are

worth the effort and the cost. ATC loudspeakers, with their unique in-house

designed drivers, combine the best of hi-fi and professional to devastating effect.

ATC has become synonymous with active systems. Choosing to offer active

loudspeakers (where the passive crossover network is replaced by active filters and

multiple power amplifiers) is simply a result of the uncompromising attitude to

loudspeaker design.While passive systems still have their place,and ATC engineering

skills can still bring remarkable results from them,“active” is a fundamentally better

solution to the problems posed by accurate, high level music reproduction.The ATC

instinct is always for the better solution. Not cheaper, not quicker, but better.

It was the development of active loudspeakers that first brought ATC into

electronics design and engineering. Active speakers demand multiple power

amplifiers so ATC from the mid 1980s became not just a loudspeaker manufacturing

company but an electronics manufacturer too.The further step from electronics for

active speakers to a range of stand-alone amplifier products was natural and now

means that ATC engineering is available from the recording desk or CD player

output to the ears.

From modest beginnings ATC has grown to become one of the very few

manufacturers successful across both domestic and professional audio. By selecting

ATC you join a group of music lovers, professional audio engineers, studios and

musicians across the World that understand and value the engineering that goes into

an ATC product - and the sound that comes out.

Introduction

2

Contents

Page 2 Introduction

Page 3 Active 20

Section 1 Monitor Placement
Section 2 Connection
Section 3 Signal Cable Options

Page 4 Section 4 Operation

Section 5 Listening
Section 6 Care and Maintenance
Section 7 Warranty and Contact

Page 5 Specifications

Page 6 Passive 20

Section 1 Monitor Placement
Section 2 Amplification
Section 3 Connection

Page 7 Section 4 Listening

Section 5 Care and Maintenance
Section 6 Warranty and Contact

Page 8 Specifications