Fishman DUWNJ1-A, DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I User Manual
OWNER’S MANUAL
DUAL
PARAMETRIC
D.I.
2-BAND EQ / PREAMP / DIRECT BOX
DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I.
Thank you for your purchase of a Fishman Product. Please read these instructions carefully. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact our PRODUCT INFOR-
MATION LINE at 978-988-9665.
The Fishman Dual Parametric D.I. is essentially three devices in one. It is a high-quality
electrically balanced D.I. for use on stage. It is a high input impedance instrument preamp
that can be used with piezo input signals as well as other types of input signals such as
microphones and magnetic pickups. And it is a two-band parametric equalizer in a compact enclosure that is both portable and durable.
It may seem questionable that a 9-volt battery-powered device can provide these capabilities. However, the performance of the Dual Parametric D.I. rivals that of more expensive
studio-grade equipment thanks to Fishman’s exclusive 9-volt doubling technology.This
provides the unit with headroom, low distortion, wide bandwidth and high signal-to-noise
ratio equalling professional high-end requirements.
CONTENTS
3) What is a Parametric Equalizer?
5) Operating Instructions
15) Applications
19) Combination EQ using both bands
23) Specifications
Please fill in the following information for future reference:
Model Name: Model Number:
Serial Number: Dealer's Name:
Dealer's Address: Date of Purchase:
PACKING INFORMATION
After you unpack your Fishman Dual Parametric D.I., check it for any damage. We tested
and inspected the unit before we packed and shipped it, but in the unlikely event that
something was damaged before it reached you, contact your dealer to remedy the situation. Do not use it if it appears damaged.
Save the original packing materials and the box that your Dual Parametric D.I. came in.
Should you ever need to ship it, the box will protect it.
NOTE: There are no user-serviceable par ts inside. Always refer servicing to qualified personnel.
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EQ / PREAMP / DIRECT BOX
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An equalizer is a filter, or tone control, designed to shape soundeither to remove or de-emphasize unwanted frequencies, or to boost
specific frequencies. The most common equalizer (EQ) in everyday
use is a tone control on a radio or TV, which selectively removes
high-frequency content. Bass and treble controls on stereo gear
adjust specific bands of frequencies. Guitar amps commonly have
bass, treble, and midrange controls, usually capable of boosting or
cutting the frequencies in preset bands. More complex is the graphic
equalizer, which may have 3, 5, 7, or even as many as 31 bands,
each representing a frequency center and offering boost and cut at
each of those centers, as this diagram shows.
It's not unusual for a graphic
equalizer's bands to actually
overlap.This makes them
somewhat imprecise for certain applications where precision equalization (such as
feedback control) is desired.
What tone controls and graphic equalizers have in common is that they affect frequencies that are preselected by the manufacturer. In addition, the bandwidth-or spectrum-of frequencies affected by each control is preset. For example, a graphic equalizer may have a band that says 110 Hz (Hz is short for Hertz,
or cycles per second). That is its center frequency, and the slide control indeed boosts or cuts sound at
that frequency. However, it may boost and cut, to varying degrees, frequencies above and below that
center frequency. Therefore, when you adjust the 110 Hz slider, you may also be boosting and cutting
frequencies in a range from, say 80 Hz up to 140 Hz. The center frequency will be boosted or cut by the
greatest amount, and frequencies farther from the center will be affected to lesser degrees, depending
on the design and number of bands in an equalizer.
Another important aspect of graphic equalizers is that as a band is boosted or cut, its bandwidth often
changes-usually, the larger the boost or cut, the greater the bandwidth.
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DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I.
Parametric equalizers are designed to provide you with far greater
control than graphic equalizers or other tone controls (that's why
they're included in professional recording consoles). First, a band of
parametric EQ consists of three controls, instead of a simple cut or
boost/cut knob or slider. There is, of course, a boost/cut knob, joined
by an octave bandwidth knob and a center frequency knob (the
Fishman Dual Parametric D.I. has a switch that works in conjunction
with the frequency knob to select the center frequency). Here are the
parameters you can control with a parametric equalizer such as the
Fishman Dual Parametric D.I. :
This affords you a fantastic range of control. You can independently
set the bandwidth, boost or cut, and center frequency:
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EQ / PREAMP / DIRECT BOX
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HOOKING UP YOUR FISHMAN DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I.
POWER
The Dual Parametric D.I. is powered at all times when using an AC adapter. Always be sure to use only
the Fishman 910-R or Roland PSA Series AC adapters.
BATTERY OPERATION
The 1/4” Input jack is also the power switch for the Dual Parametric D.I.when using a 9 volt battery and
a mono instrument cable.
To use battery power, install a 9 volt alkaline battery in the compartment located in the bottom of the
unit. Follow the diagram in the battery compartment to make sure the “+” and “-” are aligned properly.
NOTE: Never plug a speaker output from an amplifier into the Dual Parametric D.I.'s Input! The high level
will damage the Dual Parametric D.I.'s circuitry and may also result in damage to the amplifier.
1. Using a high-quality shielded cable, plug your sound source (instrument, preamp, etc.) directly into
the mixer, amp, or other piece of gear you would normally use, and set your levels for minimum distortion and best signal-to-noise ratio (where the desirable sound is loud and any residual hiss is at a
very low level).
2. Set the controls on the Dual Parametric D.I. as follows: Band One and Band Two Out/In switches to
their "OUT" setting, Band One and Band Two boost/cut knobs to their 0dB setting, and the Volume
control in the middle of the face panel to its 3 o'clock (0dB) setting.
3. Turn off your mixer or amp and your sound source. Disconnect the cord between your sound source
(instrument, preamp, etc.) and the other piece of gear that you previously linked.
4. Plug the sound source into the Dual Parametric D.I.'s 1/4" Input.
5. Plug a cord into the Dual Parametric D.I.'s Output (either a cord with an XLR connector or a 1/4" plug
will do-follow the needs of your mixer or other gear).
6. Turn all of your gear on, and set the sound source's and mixer's levels as before.
7. Adjust the Volume knob on the Dual Parametric D.I.so that the level matches the level you set before
you inserted the Dual Parametric D.I. in the chain.
8. Now you may adjust the D.I. controls on the Dual Parametric D.I.
CAUTION: Proceed slowly at first, since the Dual Parametric D.I. can provide up to 15dB of gain at
selected frequencies. If the input signal is "hot" to begin with, increasing the gain to high levels may
overload equipment such as mixers and amplifiers.
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DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I.
TOP PANEL
The front panel is divided into three sections: Band One, Band Two, and the input stage controls and
indicator. Band One and Band Two operate identically, and the input section sets the level and phase of
the incoming signal.
1) Volume Control
2) Out/In Switch
3) Boost/Cut Control
4) Octave Selector
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5) Frequency Range Selector
6) Frequency Control
7) Clip/Lo Batt LED
8) Phase Switch
EQ / PREAMP / DIRECT BOX
VOLUME
The Volume knob sets the level of the incoming signal. When an instrument is plugged into the Fishman
Dual Parametric D.I., its signal may be too weak or too overpowering. If the signal is too weak, it needs
boosting to overcome any noise inherent in downline equipment. If a signal is too "hot," the result is clipping, a type of distortion that-as its name implies-results from the tops of the waveforms being cut off
because the circuitry can't accommodate such high levels.
Turning the Volume knob clockwise increases the gain, while turning it counterclockwise
reduces it. When the Volume knob is at its 3 o'clock position, it is at its 0dB, or unitygain, position, meaning that it is neither adding nor subtracting level.
Setting an appropriate volume level is easy. Make sure that your instrument is providing
its best signal. If a pickup passes through a preamp with a level or gain control, set its
control close to 0dB, or perhaps a little higher. Electric guitars and electric basses are
often operated with their volume wide open, so that's a good setting to use. For electronic keyboards or
other gear, a little experimenting is in order.
SET YOUR LEVELS:
1. Set the Dual Parametric D.I.'s volume to its 3 o'clock position.
2. Adjust the output from your instr ument to a normal level (check its manual if you're not sure of a prop-
er level).
3. Play as hard or as loud as you normally would, tur ning the Dual Parametric D.I.'s Volume control clockwise until the Clip/Lo Batt LED glows.
4. Continue playing hard, and reduce the Dual Parametric D.I.'s Volume until the Clip/Lo Batt LED only
glows momentarily when you play your absolute hardest. (If you hear distortion, turn the Volume control counterclockwise until it disappears; check that the input level control on the equipment receiving
the Dual Parametric D.I.'s output isn't set too high, as well.)
CLIP / LO BATT LED
This dual-purpose LED tells you when the signal you plug into the Dual Parametric D.I. is too "hot," and
when the battery in the Dual Parametric D.I. is getting low. If an incoming signal has too high of a level
and the Dual Parametric D.I.'s Volume control is set too high, then the Clip/Lo Batt LED will glow, indicating that the signal is so strong that it is distorting. This tells you to (1) lower the output level from the
equipment sending its signal to the Dual Parametric D.I. and (2) turn the Volume control on the Dual
Parametric D.I. counterclockwise to reduce the gain.
The low-battery indicator function operates like this: When a battery's voltage drops below 7 volts, then
the LED turns on. This typically means that the Dual Parametric D.I. will operate normally for at least an
hour before the battery is drained. It's a good idea to change the battery when the LED glows-no point in
waiting until it goes completely drained.
NOTE: If you are using an AC adapter, the Clip/Lo Batt LED only functions as a clipping indicator.
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DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I.
PHASE
When a signal is out of phase with another signal, it can cause cancellation, which (as its name implies)
results in something missing. The opposite is true when two signals are in phase; the combined signals
can be solid or absolutely overpowering, depending on the sounds and how "in phase" they are. Using
the phase relationship between two sounds can be a powerful tool for fighting feedback or making
multiple sound sources (such as a pickup and a built-in microphone) sound better together.
The Phase switch can accomplish a couple of different things. If you are using an acoustic instrument
such as a guitar equipped with only one pickup or internal microphone, it inverts the signal's phase,
which can be a remedy for feedback in some cases. If your instrument has a built-in mic as well as a
pickup, one of the signals may be out of phase with the other, creating a nasal sound or other symptoms
of signal cancellation. Employing the Phase switch when treating one of the signals with the Dual
Parametric D.I. before mixing it with the other signal at a mixer can provide a stronger signal, often with
better tone.
Regardless of what type of signal you are sending through the Dual Parametric D.I., try the Phase switch
in both of its positions, to be sure the best sound is being produced.
BAND ONE
Band One and Band Two are identically configured. Therefore, all
information pertaining to the controls and functions of Band One
are also applicable to Band Two.
OUT / IN SWITCH
This switch allows you to activate or bypass Band One's
parametric equalizer. Because both Bands are outfitted with an
Out/In switch, you may set up two separate equalization schemes
with the Dual Parametric D.I., and select either, both, or neither.
The switch is also helpful when you want to compare the effect of
the D.I. against the straight (bypassed) sound.
When the Band One and Band Two Out/In switches are both in the
OUT position, then both EQ sections are bypassed. Note, though,
that the Volume control is still active, and the signal is still
buffered-that is, its impedance is isolated from that of anything
connected to the Dual Parametric D.I.'s output. This "doublebypassed" mode, therefore, makes the Dual Parametric D.I. an
impedance-buffered direct box, perfect for studio recording and
interfacing instruments with P.A. mixers, even when you don't need
to alter their tone.
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