AudioControl Epicenter Plus Manual

Bass Restoration Processor

Owner’s Enjoyment Manual

Greetings from the rainforest dwellers of the Pacific Northwest. We would like to congratulate you on your purchase of The Epicenter Plus from AudioControl. As the name suggests this processor is based on AudioControl’s legendary bass restoration circuitry, appropriately named The Epicenter. Whether this is your first AudioControl product, or you are already a firm believer, the bass restoration enhancements of The Epicenter Plus will leave you breathless. Extra octaves of deep, body shivering bass can dramatically increase the enjoyment of your performance autosound system.

The Epicenter Plus is for audio enthusiasts who want to use their factory-installed source units so it is equipped with AudioControl’s high-impedance, speaker-level inputs. Additionally, an auxiliary input allows users of factory-installed radios and portable audio players (like iPods™) to also appreciate the performance of its bass restoration circuitry.

We are sure that by now the thought of adding The Epicenter Plus to your performance autosound system is probably making you salivate. However, we strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to sit back, grab a beverage of your choice and read through this manual. Although many autosound enthusiasts feel reading an “owner’s manual” is only for novices, this particular manual may save you some phone calls during the installation process. It also contains lots of useful facts and information (and besides, we spent a lot of time writing it)!!

Key Features Of The Epicenter Plus

Here are a few key features that you will find in The Epicenter Plus:

•Bass Restoration Circuitry

•Speaker-Level Inputs for Integration with Factory Audio Systems

•Auxiliary Input for iPod’s, MP3 players or Satellite radio tuners

•GTO™ Signal Sensing Inputs for Automatic Turn-on

•Bass Maximization Circuitry

•12 volt trigger output

•Dash mount control

•PFM Subsonic Filter

•Balanced Pre-amp inputs

What all this means is more bass and better bass from your performance audio system. Enjoy the ride…

®

22410 70th Avenue West • Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA Phone [phone] • Fax [phone] • www.audiocontrol.com

Features and Highlights

Bass Restoration Circuitry

The Epicenter Plus contains AudioControl’s bass restoration circuit that recreates and injects low frequency information back into the signal path. What that means in everyday terms is that The Epicenter Plus will give dramatically more bass impact in your music regardless of whether your choice of format is compact discs, MP3, AAC, WAV, AIFF, AU, FKAC, TTA,WMA or good ol’tapes. For more on this unique process, see page 8.

Auxiliary Input

Since many car audio enthusiasts are multi-tasking listeners who want to use secondary sources like iPods, MP3 players, and satellite radios, The Epicenter Plus provides an auxiliary audio input for these devices. If you use this function, you will need to use a source that has its own volume control. The Auxiliary input is easily activated by tapping the dash control knob. You will be happy to know that The Epicenter Plus has a cool blue LED indicator that will light when the Auxiliary input is activated.

Speaker-Level Inputs

If you are like many people who enjoy the look and features of your factoryinstalled source unit but feel your system is lacking in power and bass, we have good news. The Epicenter Plus has high-impedance speaker-level inputs that allow it to accept amplified signals from all known factory-installed systems (even Bose) and output a high-quality pre-amp signal via standard RCA connectors.

This will allow you to add better-quality aftermarket amplifiers, processors and speakers while keeping the convenience features of your factory-installed source unit. Unlike inexpensive speaker-level and line-output converters, The Epicenter Plus offers the highest sound quality and can handle the full signal strength of a 400-watt per channel amplifier.

GTO™ Signal-Sensing Inputs

Most factory-installed source units lack the features that make it easy to upgrade with really good-sounding, performance aftermarket products. One of those key features is a 12-volt trigger that will “turn-on” devices like The Epicenter Plus and your external amplifiers. Therefore, we have equipped the speaker level inputs of The Epicenter Plus with our unique GTO™ (Great Turn On) signal-sensing inputs. Once the GTO inputs of The Epicenter Plus detects a

signal, it powers up. When the signal goes away, The Epicenter Plus will automatically turn off. Optionally, The Epicenter Plus is also equipped with a standard 12-volt trigger (Remote In) that will allow you to turn on The Epicenter Plus in the traditional man-

ner when you are using the pre-amp inputs.

page

12-Volt Output Trigger

Since you will be using an external amplifier(s) and processor in your system, you will need the ability to “trigger” or turn-on these devices (a romantic dinner won’t quite work here). The Epicenter Plus has a high-current 12-volt output (labeled “Remote Out”) that will provide a trigger to these remote devices, when The Epicenter Plus is powered up. Please note that this output is not to be used as the main power for these devices.

Dash Mount Control For Source Selection and Bass Restoration

The Epicenter Plus is designed to be mounted anywhere in the vehicle, with the exception of the radiator or front bumper. It comes with a dash-mountable control that allows you to enjoy the bass-restoration effects of The Epicenter Plus without having to leave the driver’s seat. Additionally, by just tapping the switch, you can select between the main inputs (Pre-amp/speaker level) and the auxiliary input. The LED turns cool blue when the auxiliary input is engaged.

PFM Subsonic Filter

This unique feature is legendary with many AudioControl fanatics for its ability to fine tune the bass response of any system. Why waste power on nasty subsonic information when your Programmable Frequency Match (PFM) filter can help you clean things up?

Bass Maximization Circuitry

The Epicenter Plus circuitry has the ability to produce large amounts of deep, mind shattering bass without damaging your speakers. The Bass Maximization circuit allows The Epicenter Plus to maximize the bass output of any autosound audio system while restraining destructive bursts. If your are a speaker, this is a good thing.

Five Year Warranty

The most important feature of all. Every AudioControl product is selflessly designed and manufactured by the occupants of our rainforest factory. We take every effort to

ensure that you will have many years of enjoy-

ment out of The Epicenter Plus. To further ensure the performance of your new toy, we highly recommend that you allow your authorized Au-

dioControl dealer to perform the installation. Not only do they have

all the right knowledge and tools, but in the unlikely chance The Epicenter Plus should fail, we back it with a limited five year parts and labor warranty. Should you choose to install it yourself, we will still give you a one year parts and labor warranty. To activate your warranty, you need to FILL OUT AND SEND IN YOUR WARRANTY CARD!

We also recommend that you save your invoice or sales slip as proof of installation and ownership. Not only is it necessary for warranty purposes, but should The Epicenter Plus turn up missing some day while you are out watching submarine races, you will find insurance companies very unforgiving.

page

Quick Install Information

Integration With A Factory Installed Audio System

We interrupt your reading of this manual to provide the impatient people with “Quick Install” information and guidelines. No matter how much more of this manual you read, definitely look at the system drawings on page 10. Not only will they help with system design, but if you look at them backwards you may find a hidden message (NOT!).

As you have probably figured out by now, The Epicenter Plus needs to be installed in the signal path between a source and an external amplifier(s). If your factory installed audio system has an amplifier, then use the speaker wires after the factory amplifier to feed a signal into The Epicenter Plus.

The Epicenter Plus also works the best when it receives a full range signal. If you feel your bass response is somewhat lackluster, then the frequency response of the signal you are feeding The Epicenter Plus may be too low. Try finding a full range signal or use an AudioControl LC6i to sum the signals together.

Once this is done, you just need to hook up power, ground, trigger, run the wire to the dash remote and tada!!! Instant bass. If you need to know more, then read on. Heck if you don’t think you need to know more, you should still read on, because you can never know too much.

Figure 1: Basic Installation Of The Epicenter Plus

We now return you to your normal owner’s manual…

page

A GUIDED TOUR OF The Epicenter Plus

The Outside

1.Auxiliary Input: This RCA connection can accept any two-channel audio signal that comes from secondary source devices like an iPod, MP3 player, or Satellite radio. To activate this input, you need to tap the dash control and The Epicenter Plus will switch between the main inputs and this auxiliary input. The LED indicator above the “Aux Input” will identify when this input is being used.

2.Speaker-level Inputs: If you would like to use The Epicenter Plus with a

factory-installed source you will be happy to know that it is equipped with AudioControl’s high impedance speaker-level inputs. These inputs should get their signals from the full-range speaker-level outputs of your factory-installed source unit or amplifier. If your source unit has front, rear, and subwoofer speaker-level outputs, then you may need to use an AudioControl LC6i, LC7 or LC8 to sum these signals together.

3. Audio Pre-Amp Inputs: The pre-amp inputs of The Epicenter Plus use a balanced input circuit to help minimize induced noise. They are also designed to handle very high signal voltages up to 15 volts!! When these inputs are activated, the “Main Inputs” LED will be Red. When using these inputs you will want to provide The Epicenter Plus with a full range signal.

Figure 2: The Epicenter Plus top cover

page