AudioControl Richter Scale III Owner's Enjoyment Manual
Series Three
Owners Enjoyment Manual
tm
for those who consider perfection possible
tm
®
TM
Owner’s Enjoyment Manual
®
Dealer ____________________________________
Date Purchased ______________________________
Serial Number ______________________________
Owner’s Enjoyment Manual
TM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Making Everything Equal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Speaker placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Acoustic environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Equalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Analyzing your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Appendices
A. Why Equalize? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
B. Room Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
C. Building Crossover Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
D. Bridging your Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
What To Do If You Need Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Congratulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
A Guided Tour Of The Richter Scale
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installation
Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connection tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Getting It All Hooked Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Basic Hookup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Surround Separates System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
A/V Receiver System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Electronic Crossover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Owner’s Enjoyment Manual
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Owner’s Enjoyment Manual
TM
Congratulations
Your new equalizer is made by the only consumer electronics company in the world that specializes in equalizers,
signal processors and audio analyzers. AudioControl’s
passion for high quality, meticulous attention to detail and
professional sound heritage shows itself in the dozens of
awards we have won for our designs, products and service.
This manual is designed to help you get the most from your
new component. So, even though you’re dying to try it out,
please take a few minutes to glance over this rhetoric and learn
about the Richter Scale/crossover. Anything that has this
many functions deserves all the explanation it can get.
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Features
Lab-Grade Audio Analyzer
Knowing where your frequency response problems exist is
half the battle of setting up a good sounding system. The
warble-tone signal generator and precision relative sound
level meter built into the Richter Scale provide an impartial
judge of the peaks, dips and speaker/room interactions. The
measurement microphone included with the Richter Scale is
lab grade and flat within 1 dB. The warble-tone generator
and sound level meter combine to create a very powerful
audio analysis tool.
Sharp Subsonic Filter for Speaker Protection
Now for a moment of realism...In spite of the great claims
made in the sales literature, a subwoofer can only play so low.
Trying to force a sub to run lower than is realistic will result
in wasted amplifier power, overheated speakers, distortion,
and worst of all, possible speaker failure. An 18dB per octave,
Tchebychev alignment highpass filter provides accurate lowfrequency bass protection for your speakers without cutting
into audible bass performance. You will have more clear,
tight bass than you thought possible from your stereo
system.
Audiophile-Quality Electronic Crossover
What good is it having a subwoofer to rattle the room if
you have a second-rate crossover driving it? Subwoofer
manufacturers are very good at designing speakers, but most
of them are fish out of water when it comes to creating an
electronic crossover. The Richter Scale Series Three includes
one of the best crossover topologies available: 24dB/octave,
Linkwitz-Riley alignment. The sharp roll-off of this design
makes certain the subwoofer only creates the low bass
frequencies for which it was intended. AudioControl makes
this crossover even more useful by providing plug-in programming modules to set the crossover frequency. This
allows precision matching of the crossover and your
subwoofer. The result is solid bass you have to feel to believe.
Precision Bass Equalizer
Problems in the bass frequencies will have an affect
through the entire audio system. Excessive energy caused by
standing waves will mask fine details in the high end. The six
bands on the Richter Scale control this critical bass region of
22.5 Hz to 125 Hz in one-half octave steps. The controls are
stereo ganged to ensure consistent adjustment of the left and
right channels for more solid bass performance.
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Rumble Reduction Filter
An exclusive AudioControl feature; the Rumble Reduction
filter cuts turntable rumble, reduces acoustic feedback. It
even reduces the thump that occurs if you lower the cartridge too quickly onto a record.
Award-Winning Quality
The Richter Scale Series Three was designed and built in
the USA by AudioControl - An award winning manufacturer
of highest-quality audio components since 1977. These
products are backed up by a comprehensive FIVE year
warranty.
THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION OF ALL:
Fill out the warranty card and mail it to us. Also, record the
serial number and put your sales receipt in a safe place. This
is very important in the unlikely event that your new unit
gets a sudden virus, or for proof of ownership if somebody
takes a liking to your theater system in the middle of the
night. Insurance companies have no sense of imagination
when it comes to things like the Richter Scale ever being in
your system.
This concludes the nagging section of this manual.
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Front panel highlights
tone generator provides a precise reference to measure your
room against.
3. Analyze Switch - When pressed in, this button
activates the warble tone generator and switches the Main
Receiver / Preamp inputs over to the internal warble tone
source.
1. Relative SPL Meter - A precision sound level meter
to use along with the warble test tone to accurately measure
your speaker and room acoustics. The meter is damped in
order to average out variations in the warble tone and
decrease extraneous transient sounds during testing.
2. Warble Tone Generator - The other half of the
audio analysis system built into the Richter Scale. This test
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4. Equalizer Switch - This allows simple before and
after comparisons of the system equalization. When pressed
in, this button activates the half-octave equalizer circuitry.
5. One-half Octave Bass Equalizer - This six band
bass equalizer gives you incredible control over the critical
low frequency region of your room and speakers. The sliders
are stereo-ganged so you can accurately adjust both channels
at the same time.
6. Subsonic (Highpass) Filter Switch - Press this
button to get rid of power robbing, distortion inducing
infrasonics. This sharp 18dB per octave filter cuts off bass
frequencies below 18Hz to protect your system against these
audio demons. The Richter Scale utilizes a sophisticated, 3pole Tchebychev alignment design does away with subsonic
interference without any audible side effects. Almost every
stereo will benefit from this filter, so don’t be afraid to leave
it on.
7. Rumble Reduction Filter Switch - This button is
dedicated to the good old days of analog vinyl sound and the
turntable. One press and say “good-bye” to turntable rumble
and acoustic feedback. It even reduces the thump you hear if
you lower the cartridge too quickly onto a record.
8. External Processor Loop Switch - Since the
equalizer section of the Richter Scale is usually connected
into the tape monitor loop of your preamp, we thought it
was only fair to give you one back. This button works the
same as the tape monitor on your receiver and switches the
Richter Scale input between the Main Input and the External
Processor Input.
9. Crossover Low Output Mute Switch - A quick
way to shut off your subwoofer and remind you why you
have one in the first place. This button mutes the low pass
output of the electronic crossover built into the Richter
Scale.
10. Crossover Low Output Level Adjustment -
A variable gain control to match the subwoofer volume to
the main speakers. This control is recessed because it should
only need to be set when the system is initially analyzed and
set up.
11. Power switch - Need we say more???
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Rear panel highlights
first publicized by Siegfried Linkwitz and Russell Riley, two
Hewlett-Packard engineers, in a 1976 Journal of the Audio
Engineering Society article. This crossover alignment offers
flat amplitude response with a steep roll-off rate and zero
phase difference (lobing error). The result is a clearer, more
accurate sound system.
4. Bridging Adapter Outputs - Bridging is a simple
means of getting more amplifier power for your subwoofer. It
combines the two channels of a stereo amplifier into a single
1. Power Cord - Plug this into the switched outlet of
your receiver or preamp.
2. Unswitched Convenience Outlet - What??? You’ve
run out of places to plug in your turntable or CD player. We
try to make things convenient. This outlet provides a simple
place to plug in your low power accessories and source units.
3. Independent Electronic Crossover - The ultraaccurate 24db per octave Linkwitz-Riley crossover is generally regarded as the best crossover design available. It was
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