Crane Song HEDD QUANTUM Operator's Manual

Quantum

HARMONICALLY ENHANCED DIGITAL DEVICE

Quantum Clocking

DAC, ADC

OPERATOR'S MANUAL

Version 1.0

LTD.

2117 East 5th Street

Superior, WI 54880 USA

tel: [phone]

www.cranesong.com

©2018 Crane Song,LTD. Subject to change without notice. Printed in the U.S.A.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read these instructions

2. Keep these instructions

3. Heed all warnings

4. Follow all instructions

5. Do not use this apparatus near water

6. Clean only with a dry cloth

7. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that
produce heat

9. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched,
particularly at plugs and the point where they exit from the
apparatus

10. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer

11. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused
for long periods of time

12. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is
required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such
as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or
objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped

13. CAUTION: To disconnect the unit completely from the MAINS,
unplug the unit. Turning the power switch off does not disconnect
the unit from the MAINS.

INTRODUCTION

First of all, thank you for purchasing HEDD Quantum. This updated version of
HEDD will open up a whole new world of definition and clarity in your workflow.

HEDD, acronym for Harmonically Enhanced Digital Device, has been
engineered to provide musically pleasing sound with the capability of
generating tube/analog sounds within the digital domain.

The HEDD QUANTUM has a new clocking crystal. It’s Crane Song’s 5th
generation design, like the ones used in Avocet IIA and Solaris and has less
then 1pS jitter. This results in extremely accurate imaging, a very open 3d
sound and detailed transient response.

Jitter is one of those “black art”, hard to explain phenomena. The artefacts
caused by jitter are blurred, harsh and unfocussed sound. It also results in a
loss of image stability, depth and space.
Jitter, basically a time deviation in the clock timing, is caused by many factors.
The main culprit being the frequency of the clock varying during the conversion
process.

The newly developed crystal clock within the HEDD QUANTUM has reduced this
jitter to the ,currently, lowest possible value, resulting in a well defined low end
and clear top end. This will allow you to judge your work more accurately and
will provide you with a much stabler image making panning, EQing a lot faster
and truer.

It can take a little time to get to grips with these subtle but extremely
important issues. It’ll take a bit of ear training. To get you started, head on
over to the Cranesong Jitter Page. http://www.cranesong.com/jitter_1.html

In addition to the new AD, DA, Clocking, I/O (Toslink Optical has been added)
and extra WC outputs, HEDD QUANTUM still comes equipped with the same
great DSP emulation of Triode, Pentode tubes and Tape emulation from the
original model.
The operational modes now allow the DAC and the ADC to be used
simultaneously and at different sample rates. When set to the DIGI setting,

the unit will run Digital in from one of three sources and output on all three
digital outputs and the analog output at the same time.
In the ANA mode the input is analog and it outputs on all three digital outputs
as well as the analog output.

The A/D, D/A and ASRC (Asynchronous Sample Rate Convertor) chips are
high-end AKM 32-bit components, coupled with proprietary analog filtering and
clocking.

Coupled with ultra low jitter, HEDD QUANTUM gives any user who works
digitally the ability to sound more analog.

The HEDD QUANTUM controls allow the user to select input source, sample
rate and continuously variable tape, triode and pentode sounds. The HEDD can
operate as an effects device or as separate A/D and D/A convertor with the
harmonic generation process applied to either convertor respectively.

The signal processor performs 24 Bit Processing on digital or analog
sources.
HEDD Quantum has transformerless balanced analog inputs and outputs,
transformer isolated digital inputs and outputs and uses separate power
transformers and supplies for the analog and digital sections.

The HEDD QUANTUM output now has a higher maximum output level +24.5
dBu whereas the original HEDD 192 was around +18.5 dBu.

The max input range is adjustable from +16 dBu to +26 dBu for digital zero

The unit is 1U rack space tall and operates from 110V, 115V, 230V or 240V
mains.

The HEDD QUANTUM operates at sample rates from 44.1K to 192K

BOOT UP AND SAMPLE RATE

METER

PEAK HOLD - OVER

RESET

SAMPLE RATE

SELECT

Here are a few items to be aware of when you boot up the HEDD QUANTUM.

The WC LED will flash 14 times during boot up and
at the end of the 14 times there may be some random lights on the meter for
around a second.

When selecting WC input, the WC LED will light at random.
Once it stays on, HEDD QUANTUM is locked to the incoming clock source.

Be aware that there is an additional 4 second delay when booting with WC
selected.

The internal clock of HEDD Quantum has the lowest jitter of all pro audio
products the we know of. For best sonic and low jitter results use HEDD
QUANTUM as the master clock in your set up.

A warm up period of 1/2 hour to 45 minutes will give best results.

FRONT PANEL LAYOUT

BACK PANEL LAYOUT

ANALOG INPUT ANALOG OUTPUT

TOSLINK INPUT
SPDIF INPUT
AES INPUT

WC INPUT

ANALOG GAIN TRIMS

TOSLINK OUTPUT

SPDIF OUTPUT

AES OUTPUT

WC OUTPUTS

THE CONTROLS

Let’s have a closer look at what the front panel controls have to offer.

POWER SWITCH

A straight forward ON/OFF switch to turn the unit on or off.
Power is indicated by the classic Crane Song green pilot light.

INPUT SWITCH

The input switch selects between the OPTICAL, AES and S/PDIF inputs

OVER RESET BUTTON

Clears the overload LED. It also clears the peak memory value.

BYPASS SWITCH

This switch enables or disables the DSP process. There is a small time lag
when the process is turned on and off to reduce the possibility of clicks in the
audio.

SAMPLE RATE SWITCH

The clock rate can be set from 44.1KHz to 192KHz or to accept an external WC
reference. When a valid word clock is applied and WC is selected the red light
next to the switch will light to indicate lock. If lock is lost, HEDD Quantum will
default to 44.1kHz and the light will be off. Whenever the sample rate is
changed, the convertor is re-calibrated. This will keep the convertor working as
accurately as possible.

TRIODE

The triode function creates a triode tube like harmonic structure. The process
contains strong, but not strictly, even order harmonics. This affects the bottom
end of your signal by fattening it up and it should be noted that even order
harmonics are difficult to hear. The harmonic structure changes with signal
level and the amount of process being applied, just like it does in a tube in the
analog world. In the previous generation HEDD-192 his control made a low
level zipper noise when it was engaged. In the new HEDD QUANTUM, this is no
longer the case.

PENTODE

The pentode function creates mostly third harmonic information but contains
some higher order odd harmonics depending on the signal level and the
amount of processing. It is very much like driving a pentode into overload. The
pentode process makes things sound brighter and brings out detail. You can
also hear this as a compression effect. The pentode process affects the triode
processing stage as both processes are in series.

TAPE

The tape function emulates magnetic recording tape. Tape distortions consist of
odd harmonics, starting with the third and fifth. As you increase the level on
the tape process the harmonic content increases and higher odd harmonics are
added. A tape recorder also contains record and reproduce equalizers that
modify the harmonic content. The result is a sound that fattens up the bottom
and midrange of a recording. As you increase the process there can be loss of
higher content with respect to low frequencies if driven far enough. The high
frequencies start compressing sooner then the low frequencies. This is a result
of the compression function and eq curves in the process. The compression
also squashes peaks and results in a higher average level. The tape process
sits in series after the triode and pentode processes and thus modifies them
both.

PROCESS SWITCH

The process switch selects whether the signal processor is attached to the D/A
convertor, A/D convertor, is configured for Digital in - Digital out, or Analog in ­Analog out. An analog generated dither source is available to the A/D convertor
and to the Digital in - Digital out modes. The dither is enabled by selecting the
process in the 16 or 20 bit groupings.

THE PROCESS

HEDD QUANTUM generates harmonically related information. The processing
was developed by studiously analysing the harmonic distortion and
characteristics found in classic and revered audio equipment and a lot of
listening!

The harmonic process runs 24-bit internally. The digital inputs and outputs are
also 24-bit, i.e. feed 24-bit digital in and get 24-bit digital out. Feeding 16-bit
audio into the HEDD will result in a 24-bit data stream because of its internal
24-bit calculations. This extra resolution is harmonically related information.

We recommend that, if you are recording to 16-bit, you monitor the process
from the 16-bit output of your system to get optimum results by adjusting the
HEDD’s processing and dithering.

By using the process you will affect your average signal level if you turn the
process up far enough. When adding harmonic content, the audio is going to
get louder. The HEDD process reduces the peaks in your signal while at the
same time increasing the low level harmonic content.

This means that the HEDD process will not cause any overs. In fact, what it will
do, is reduce the level of existing overs. Just think of it as a tube or tape doing
soft clipping, i.e. “squashing” the peaks and causing analog compression.

HOW MUCH PROCESS TO USE

There are no hard and fast rules, you need to use your ears. If it sounds good,
it is good.

To get you started, we’ve provided some general guidelines. Making your
recorded material sound “good” is what it’s all about. The process is level and
program dependent. Settings that will work best for one source may not work
at all for another source. As a general purpose setting jump off point, try
running the process knobs at 3.5 to 6. This should be safe. When you run into
the 5 and up range it is easy to go too far but, don’t forget, it could be a cool
thing.

The HEDD QUANTUM processing can be extremely subtle or very drastic. It
depends on how you use it.

Getting to grips with the diversity of the processes will take a little ear training.
When you’re tweaking the signal being processed by the HEDD, don’t forget to
switch the DSP in and out regularly to give you an indication of where you
started out from.

The human ear loves a little harmonic generation so you’ll quickly find that
turning the HEDD DSP off results in an apparent loss of life/excitement in the
musical source material.

Even small amounts of DSP, e.g 1 Triode, 2.5 Pentode and 2 Tape, can make
quite a big difference. You may not notice this turning up the pots, but by
putting the unit in bypass and then switching the processing back in, it will
become very apparent.

The amount of process can result in subtle changes or drastic changes
depending on what the program is like and how much process is being added.
It will be easier to hear in material that is more open as opposed to material
that is very dense. The amount of low frequency information will also affect
how we hear the process.

DITHERING

The dither process in HEDD QUANTUM is proprietary to Crane Song. It is an
analog generated source that has been filtered to a spectrum where the ear is
least sensitive. We believe that this process sounds better than other systems
and is less likely to cause noise problems as compared to other dither sources.
The dither is added to the audio source as apposed to a digital process. This is
in our opinion the best way to dither an A/D convertor: Dithering happens in
the conversion.

It is also possible to add this dither to an existing audio source. Dither can be
added by running digital in, digital out and selecting the part of the Process
switch that is labeled 16-bit or 20-bit depending on what you want to dither
down to. To disable the dither just run the unit in 24-bit mode.

EXTERNAL WC SYNC

The external WC connections are for A/D convertor synchronization with
external devices. Word Clock does not affect the digital inputs since the digital
inputs provide their own clock information. The input WC connection is used to
synchronize the A/D convertor to an external source. The six new WC output
connections allow HEDD Quantum to be used as a master clock at the same
time that the AD and DA are being used and are set at the rate of the A/D
convertor whether internal or external clock is selected and can be used as a
sync source. Use HEDD Quantum as the master clock when ever possible.

When HEDD recognizes and locks to an external WC and WC is selected on the
front panel the LED by the sample rate switch lights up to indicate lock. If
there is no lock HEDD defaults to a 44.1 KHz sample rate.

METER

The metering on HEDD QUANTUM is very accurate and is calculated by the
DSP, following the HEDD process. The peak hold can be set to run in one of
two different modes. You can choose for it to be a 2 second hold after which
the peak indicator will drop back to a lower level. In the second mode the peak
value is held until the OVER RESET button is pressed.

The latter mode is good for those of us that may have to leave the room and
want to know what the maximum value was during the transfer. There is an
internal jumper that can be changed to select either options. The default mode is
memory/infinity hold. The jumper to change this is inside the unit, and is labeled
PK HOLD. If you want to change this, disconnect the power before removing the
top cover.

OVERS

The Over LEDs light on detecting a digital overload. This is generated by the
DSP. The Over indicator will respond from the analog input when the process is
selected as analog or A/D. The Over indicator will respond to the digital source
when the process is selected as digital or D/A. Cranesong defines a digital over
as a single sample overload.

APPLICATIONS

HEDD QUANTUM can be used for many different tasks. It can be operated in
the following modes:

• full analog in / analog out

• full digital in / digital out

• A/D and D/A convertors with the signal processor operation attached to
either convertor.

It can be across the stereo bus of a console feeding a digital device or have an
analog output.
It can be used as the A/D convertor and D/A convertor in the studio. You can
even use it to convert to analog for processing and then back to digital. HEDD
QUANTUM is also useful for tracking and mixing. It will allow you to do
amazing things to individual tracks. HEDD QUANTUM also holds a high position
in the mastering world as a convertor or as a digital in / digital out processor.
This unit opens up a new world of signal processing.

PROCESS BLOCK DIAGRAMS

DIGITAL INPUT

SELECT

ANALOG
INPUT

DIGITAL INPUT
SELECT

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

IN - OUT

DSP

DITHER SOURCE

PROCESS SELECT - ROUTING

AND DSP

DSP

PROCESS OR ROUTING SWITCH

ANALOG

OUTPUT

DIGITAL
OUTPUTS

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

Both the ADC and the DAC can be used simultaneously. They do not
require to be at the same sample rate

PROCESS SWITCH SET ANA

ACTIVE

ANALOG
INPUT

A/D

DSP

OUTPUTS

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL
ANALOG

PROCESS SWITCH SET DIGI

DIGITAL INPUT
SELECT

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

DSP

D/A

ACTIVE
OUTPUTS

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL
ANALOG

D/A

ANALOG
INPUT

PROCESS SWITCH SET AD

ANALOG INPUT PATH

A/D

DSP

ACTIVE
OUTPUTS

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

SELECT ONE
DIGITAL INPUT

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

DIGITAL INPUT PATH

D/A

ACTIVE
OUTPUTS

ANALOG

ANALOG
INPUT

PROCESS SWITCH SET DA

ANALOG INPUT PATH

A/D

ACTIVE
OUTPUTS

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

SELECT ONE
DIGITAL INPUT

AES
SPDIF
OPTICAL

DIGITAL INPUT PATH

DSP

D/A

ACTIVE
OUTPUTS

ANALOG

ANALOG INPUT ANALOG OUTPUT

ANALOG GAIN TRIMS

TOSLINK OUTPUT

SPDIF OUTPUT

AES OUTPUT

TOSLINK INPUT
SPDIF INPUT
AES INPUT

WC INPUT

WC OUTPUTS

QUANTUM DAC JITTER MEASUREMENT

The jitter value in this measurement from 1Hz to 100KHz is 0.54pS typical

measured with a Symmetricom 3120A using a Stanford Research Systems

Without info on the measurement bandwidth and test instrument used, the measurement is

Test Software does not make a distinction between random and deterministic jitter.

AES-12id-2006 (r2011) excludes modulation components below 10 Hz in it’s jitter definition.

Jitter requirements depends on the curcuits being used and the desired results.

Rubidium Frequency Standard, PRS10

impossible to know about

44 femto Seconds

Jitter measured from 10Hz to 20KHz is 0.044pS or 44 fS typical

measured with a Symmetricom 3120A using a Stanford Research Systems

Rubidium Frequency Standard, PRS10

without info on the measurement bandwidth and test instrument used, the measurement is

impossible to know about

Test Software does not make a distinction between random and deterministic jitter.

AES-12id-2006 (r2011) excludes modulation components below 10 Hz in it’s jitter definition.

Jitter requirements depends on the curcuits being used and the desired results.

SPECIFICATIONS

Analog Output: Transformerless balanced floating stereo output on XLR-m
connectors. The default calibration is +20 dBu = Digital zero. Gain adjust trims
are on the back panel. The maximun analog output is +24.5 dBu

Analog Input: Transformerless balanced floating stereo output on XLR-m
connectors. The default calibration is +20 dBu = Digital zero. Gain adjust trims
are on the back panel. The analog input range for 0 dbfs is adjustable form +16
to +26 dBu

Word Clock Input: BNC connector takes a TTL level signal at the sample rate to
sync the A\D to the external sample rate. HEDD will sync from 20 kHz to 192K
kHz. The input impedance is 75 ohms.

Word Clock Outputs: these BNC connectors are a TTL level square wave that
can be used to provide sync to other equipment. The WC outputs will be at the
selected sample rate or the rate of the WC input.

Internal Sample Rate: 44.1kHz to 192kHz determined by front panel switch.

S/PDIF Input: Unbalanced digital input 75 ohms RCA connector

S/PDIF Output: Unbalanced digital output 75 ohms RCA connector

AES Input: Balanced digital input 110 ohms XLR connector

AES Output: Balanced digital output 110 ohms XLR connector

Optical In / Out: this is the toslink format.

Power: 25 watts at 115 or 230 volts, 50 or 60 Hz.

Fuse size is MDL .3A for 115 volts; MDL .25A for 230 volts

Pilot Lamp: #7335 lamp

Shipping Weight: 15lbs (6.7kg)

Depth Behind Panel: 10 inches (25.4cm) plus user input/output connectors

REGISTRATION FORM

Please fill out this form and return. It will be used for
sending updates and pertinent information as it
becomes available.

Thank you.

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