OceanAudio 500 EQ2 Handbook

ABOUT THE DESIGNER:

Ocean Audio products are designed by the distinguished pro-audio designer, Malcolm Toft.

Malcolm joined Trident Studios in 1968 as it’s first recording engineer. At that time
it was the only studio in europe to have 8 track recording facilities. It soon gained a
worldwide reputation for the quality of it’s equipment and engineers.

Malcolm worked with Tony Visconti on three Tyrannosaurus Rex albums (the band later
became T-Rex). He also engineered David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ album and James
Taylor’s first album. He was also a mixing engineer on the Beatles biggest selling single
‘Hey Jude’ which was recorded at Trident.

In 1971 Malcolm became manager of the studios and was tasked with finding a new
24 track console for the studios. It soon became apparent to him that they could not get
a console to the specifications and facilities that they required from any of the
manufacturers around at that time. So Malcolm convinced the studio owners that they
could build their own console. Consequently, In conjunction with the studio’s maintenance
engineer Barry Porter, he designed the Trident A Range console as it became known.

This led to the birth of Trident Audio Developments which Malcolm ran until 1988 when
he sold it to a public company. In 1992 he was asked to design a replacement for the
Trident Series 80 console which the new owners were no longer manufacturing. This
Malcolm did and he started a new company Malcolm Toft Associates Ltd (MTA).
Clients for MTA consoles include Radiohead and The Liverpool Institute of performing
arts.

Latterly he has designed the highly successful Toft ATB console range for PMI Audio.

He was made a visiting professor at Leeds College of Music in 2008

PRODUCT REGISTRATION

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Input Impedance: >20Kohms balanced.

Output Impedance: < 150 ohms balanced.

Maximum output: > +26dbm.

Distortion: < .05% at +20dbm 1kHz.

Frequency response: ± 1db 20Hz to 20kHz.

Noise: > -75dbm eq in, 20Hz to 20kHz

Power requirements: ± 16V D.C. 30mA approx.

Ocean Audio products are warranted for two years after first purchase against faulty
manufacture or component failure. This warranty does not apply to excessive use of
mechanical components such as potentiometers and switches.

The decision to replace potentiometers and switches shall therefore be at the discretion
of Ocean Audio or its representatives.

DATE PURCHASED:_____________ SERIAL No:_____________

PURCHASED FROM:_______________________________________

CUSTOMER NAME:________________________________________

ADDRESS:_______________________________________________

TOWN:____________________ ZIP (POST CODE):____________

COUNTRY:_________________ E-MAIL:_____________________

Product registration does not affect your statutory rights.

Please return to:
Ocean Audio, The Music Mill, Bradley Lane, Newton Abbot, Devon, England TQ12 1LZ

Or fill in on line at: www.oceanaudio.co.uk

500 SERIES EQ2

OWNERS HANDBOOK

HIGH MID BOOST/CUT
± 16db

LOW MID BOOST/CUT
± 16db

FUNCTIONS AND CONTROLS

PEAK INDICATOR
(THRESHOLD +15dbm)

ILLUMINATED
BYPASS SWITCH

LOW MID FREQUENCY
SWEEP 100Hz-1.5kHZ

HIGH MID FREQUENCY
SWEEP 1kHz-15kHZ

20Hz 50Hz 100Hz 200Hz 500Hz 1kHz 2kHz 5kHz 10kHz 20kHz

0db

+5

+10

+15

+20

-5

-10

-15

-20

TYPICAL EQUALISER CURVES

OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION

Note:
This product is only designed to operate in a 500 Series Rack that
is designed specifically for modules of that format. Do not attempt
to use it in any other equipment not designed for that format.

Insert the module into the appropriate slot of any 500 Series Rack.

The equaliser is designed as a ‘unity gain’ device. This means that there
will be no signal gain or loss when the unit is inserted into the signal path.

Make sure that all boost/cut controls (red) are in their midway position.This
will be denoted by a click stop in the mid position. Make sure also that all
frequency sweep controls (blue) are in their minimum (anti-clockwise) positions.

Depress the ‘EQ IN’ pushbutton. The ‘EQ IN’ button. will illuminate to show that
the equaliser is now in circuit. There should be no change in the sound or level
when this button is depressed. It should be noted that a feature of the design
is that when the equaliser is out of circuit (’EQ IN’ button undepressed), all
of the equaliser circuitry is switched out of the signal path. In this mode,
the balanced input amplifier is connected to the balanced output amplifier only.
This ensures that the signal remains as transparent as possible if the equaliser
is not in the signal path.

Select a frequency you wish to control in any or all of the four sections of the
equaliser and turn the boost/cut control clockwise or anti-clockwise depending
on whether you wish to amplify or attenuate the chosen frequency(ies).

The H.F. And L.F sections have a ‘shelving’ characteristic. The high frequency
will add ‘air’ to the treble range whilst the low frequency will add warmth to the
bass range. The two mid sections have a ‘peaking’ (bell shape) which makes it
possible to tune in precisely around the lower and upper mid ranges.. Please
refer to the ‘TYPICAL EQUALISER CURVES’ graph for a graphic representation
of the equaliser shapes.

If the amount of boost you are applying approaches +15db which might be
enough to overload equipment that the equaliser is connected to, the red
‘PEAK’ indicator will illuminate while peaks of around +15 continue.

If this happens, Either decrease the amount of boost you are using or attenuate
the input of the device you are connected to.

We reserve the right to change product specifications, features or design
in our constant quest for improvement.

LOW

HIGH

MID

LOW

MID

HIGH

HIGH FREQUENCY
SHELVING.
BOOST/CUT ± 16db

LOW FREQUENCY
SHELVING.
BOOST/CUT ± 16db