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®
True to the Music™
Reamp Station
DIRECT BOX & STUDIO REAMPER
User Guide
Radial Engineering Ltd.
1165-1845 Kingsway Ave, Port Coquitlam
British Columbia, Canada, V3C 1S9
Tel: 604-942-1001 • www.radialeng.com
Email: info@radialeng.com
www.radialeng.com
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Radial® Reamp Station User Guide
Table of Contents Page
Overview.......................................................................................1
Features ................................................................................... 2-3
Using the Direct Box ................................................................. 4-6
Using the JCR Reamper......................................................... 6-10
Linking multiple Reampers .........................................................10
Rack mounting the Reamp Station ............................................. 11
Specications .............................................................................12
Warranty .......................................................................Back cover
Thank you for purchasing the Radial Reamp Station, a
combination high-performance active direct box and studio
Reamper in one. With the Reamp Station, you can not only
record pristine direct tracks, you can also Reamp them through
your guitar pedals and ampliers to have a powerful effect on
your mixes.
We recommend you take a few minutes to read this short manual
before you begin using the Reamp Station, as it covers the
various features of the device and tips for setup and use. Should
you have any questions about the Reamp Station or any other
Radial devices, please visit our website at www.radialeng.com
for additional resources and frequently asked questions.
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OVERVIEW
Capturing great recordings of your instruments and using those tracks
for later Reamping go hand in hand, and nally there is one professional
studio device that can handle both tasks equally well. The Reamp Station
combines two products that Radial is well-known for: a direct box to feed
guitars, basses, and other instrument signals to a recording interface or
mixer, and a Reamper which allows you to take line-level signals from
pre-recorded tracks and feed them through guitar amps and pedals for
creative experimentation and to improve your mixes. Whether you are
new to the Reamping process or you’ve been doing it for years, the
Reamp Station will help you perform the recording and Reamping steps
with ease while maintaining superior audio integrity throughout the entire
process.
The two circuits within the Reamp Station (the D.I. and the Reamper)
operate independently from one another, so you can use them one at a
time or simultaneously as described later on in this user guide. To simplify
things, we will describe how to use each set of features in the order that
you are likely to encounter them in a typical recording session - starting
with the direct box, and then the Reamper.
Direct Box Features
The Ground Lift is the only shared feature
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between the two circuits
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Reamper Features
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FEATURES - FRONT PANEL
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DIRECT BOX FEATURES
1. INSTRUMENT INPUT: 1/4" unbalanced input is used to connect
your instrument to the Reamp Station.
2. THRU OUT: 1/4" unbalanced output passes your instrument signal
through to a guitar amplier for local monitoring or recording.
3. BUFFER: Activates a signal buffer on the THRU output to avoid
loading down passive pickups when connecting to a guitar amp.
4. PAD: -15dB pad reduces the input sensitivity of the direct box for
connection to high-output instruments like an active bass guitar.
5. 48V INDICATOR: Illuminates when the Reamp Station is receiving
phantom power in order to operate the direct box features. Note
that power is not required for any of the Reamper features.
REAMPER FEATURES
6. MUTE: Cuts signal to the 1/4" AMP OUT connection.
7. FILTER: Three position switch applies a high-cut, low-cut, or at
frequency response to the 1/4" AMP OUT connection to tailor the
Reamped tone as needed.
8. LEVEL: Controls the signal level to the 1/4" AMP OUT connection
for optimal gain-staging through guitar pedals and ampliers.
9. 3.5MM INPUT: Allows mobile devices to connect to the Reamp
Station and feed ampliers and guitar pedals. Automatically sums
left and right channels to mono.
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FEATURES - BACK PANEL
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REAMPER FEATURES
10. LINK IN: 1/4" TRS connector is wired in parallel with the balanced
1/4" REAMP IN, allowing multiple Reamp devices to be daisy-
chained together to feed a single source to multiple ampliers.
11. LINK OUT: 1/4" TRS connector feeds a copy of the balanced audio
source to another Reamp device or an outboard effects processor.
12. REAMP IN: Balanced 1/4" TRS input for connection to the line-level
output of a recording interface or mixer.
13. AMP OUT: 1/4" unbalanced output to feed a Reamped signal to
guitar pedals and ampliers.
14. REAMP IN: Balanced locking XLR input for connection to the linelevel output of a recording interface or mixer.
15. GROUND LIFT: Disconnects the internal ground path at the
Reamp inputs and the Direct output to help eliminate hum and
buzz from ground loops. This feature is shared between the direct
box and the Reamper sides of the device, but it does not require
power to function.
DIRECT BOX FEATURES
16. 180°: Reverses the polarity at the Direct Output to reduce phase
cancellation when the D.I. is combined with a mic’d up amplier.
17. DIRECT OUTPUT: Balanced XLR output for connection to the miclevel input on a recording interface or mixer.
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USING THE DIRECT BOX
The rst step when Reamping in the studio is recording your original
‘clean’ track, which is what the Direct Box (or D.I.) portion of the Reamp
Station is designed to do. A D.I. takes the unbalanced, high-impedance,
instrument-level signal from your instrument, and converts it to a
balanced, low-impedance, microphone-level signal that is optimized for
connection to an audio interface for recording.
Performing musicians take note that the D.I. in the Reamp Station is
equally well suited for use on a live stage: instead of connecting to an
audio interface as described below, the D.I. output would feed the FOH
console or a PA system.
Recording your instrument with the Reamp Station
Connecting to your instrument and amplier
The front panel INST jack allows you to
connect to any instrument you wish to
record, while the THRU output will feed
that same signal to a guitar or bass amp
for local monitoring or for simultaneous
recording with a microphone.
The front panel D.I. features
These connections use standard 1/4" TS instrument cables, and we
recommend that you use short cables (under 15ft) to minimize the
possibility of noise and interference on your audio signal.
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Connecting to an audio interface & powering the DI
The rear panel DIRECT OUT sends
a balanced mic-level signal to your
audio interface for recording. Use an
XLR mic cable to connect this output to
the microphone preamp input on your
interface.
The rear panel D.I. features
You can use cables up to 300ft in length without noticeable interference
or signal degradation, which allows the Reamp Station to be placed right
next to the instrumentalist in the studio, even if that’s in a remote iso
booth.
The Reamp Station uses an active D.I. circuit, which means it needs power
in order to operate. Once you have made the XLR connection on the D.I.,
engage 48V phantom power on that channel of the audio interface - it will
often be labeled as simply ‘48V’. Once the D.I. is receiving power, the front
panel 48V LED will illuminate within seconds and stay lit to provide visual
conrmation that the direct box features are ready for use.
The Buffer and Pad switches
Two front panel switches are provided for the D.I. section. The BUFFER
switch engages a FET-based buffer circuit on the THRU output. This is
benecial for instruments with passive pickups, which are susceptible to
changes in tone when they are ‘loaded down’ through connections to
multiple devices.
Without the buffer, your instrument
will be affected by the total load
impedance presented by both the D.I.
and a connected amplier. When the
buffer is engaged, your instrument only
sees the impedance of the D.I., and
The Buffer and Pad switches
the original tone of your pickups will be
preserved.
Note that if you have an instrument with active pickups, or if you use
buffered guitar pedals anywhere in the signal chain, this switch will likely
have no audible effect. Wait 60 seconds after powering the D.I. with 48V
before activating the BUFFER switch, as it takes a short amount of time
to charge before it is ready for use.
The PAD switch reduces the input sensitivity of the D.I. by 15dB. This
prevents high output instruments such as active basses and keyboards
from overloading the input stage of the D.I. Start with this switch
disengaged, and activate if needed should you hear any unexpected
distortion or clipping.
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The Lift and 180° Switches
The LIFT switch is a shared feature
between the D.I. and the Reamper
portions of the Reamp Station. It helps
to eliminate buzz and hum from ground
loops by disconnecting the audio ground
path between the inputs and the outputs.
The Lift and 180° switches
If you encounter any additional noise after you’ve made your connections
to the Reamp Station, simply engage the LIFT switch to help eliminate
the issue.
The 180° switch reverses the polarity of the signal at the DIRECT OUT.
This is provided to correct for phase cancellation that can occur when
summing together a D.I. and a microphone placed on an amplier. If you
are recording the signal from your amp at the same time as the D.I.,
monitor both signals at once while toggling the 180° switch, then leave it
at the setting that sounds best to your ears.
USING THE JCR REAMPER
The second step in the Reamping process is when the real fun begins.
This is where you feed your recorded tracks back through your guitar
pedals and ampliers and record the results with a microphone. This
allows you to experiment with different effects pedals, ampliers,
microphones and recording techniques, without requiring the guitar
player repeat the performance each time.
In this step the JCR Reamper side of the Reamp Station is employed,
which gets its name from the fact that it uses the original Reamp circuit
designed by recording industry legend John Cuniberti. This circuit works
by converting the balanced, low-impedance, line-level signal from your
audio interface into an unbalanced, high-impedance, instrument-level
signal that will give you the best results through your pedals and amps.
Unlike the D.I. portion of the Reamp Station, the Reamper section is
completely passive, meaning it doesn’t require any power to operate. As
soon as you’ve made your connections it will be ready for use.
The JCR Reamper features on the Reamp Station
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Connecting to your audio interface
The rear panel provides two options for connecting a balanced, line-level
output from your audio interface to the Reamper section: both are labeled
REAMP IN. You can use either the XLR or the 1/4" TRS input and get
the exact same results, as both of these connector types are provided in
order to make it easy to connect any audio interface to the Reamp Station
without the need for adaptor cables.
The rear panel Reamp features
As described in the D.I. section of this manual, the LIFT switch can
help eliminate buzz and hum from ground loops. If you encounter any
additional noise after you’ve made your connections to the Reamp
Station, simply engage this switch to help eliminate the issue.
Reamping through pedals and an amp with the Reamp Station
Connecting to your pedals and amplier
The AMP OUT jack provides an instrument-level, high-impedance,
unbalanced signal that is optimized for connection to guitar pedals and
ampliers. Use a standard 1/4" TS instrument cable to connect this output
to your pedalboard or feed your amplier directly.
The nal step after you’ve made your connections is to place a microphone
on the amplier and connect it to the mic input on your audio interface so
you can record the results.
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The Level control and gain-staging
The LEVEL control on the front panel sets the amount of attenuation
applied to the signal before it feeds the AMP OUT for Reamping.
This is useful because the line-level outputs on
your audio interface are generally capable of
producing higher signal levels than a pedal or
amplier is designed to accept. The LEVEL control
allows you to reduce the output of the Reamp
The Level control
Station to prevent clipping or distorting the input
of your amplier.
The Reamp Station itself is capable of handling very hot input levels,
so for best results you will want to provide as much output level as
you can from your audio interface. Start by turning up the fader on the
track you are using in your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) until you
have a healthy signal level just shy of clipping, then check any software
associated with your interface itself to see if you have additional output
level controls available.
Before you play any audio through the Reamper, start with the LEVEL
control turned all the way down. Then begin playback from your DAW and
slowly turn up this control until you’ve reached the desired output from
your amplier. Don’t be afraid to turn the LEVEL control all the way up
to the maximum setting if necessary: doing so will not increase the noise
oor of the Reamper.
The Mute and Filter switches
Two front panel switches are provided
to augment the output from the
Reamper: A push button MUTE switch
and a three-position FILTER selector
switch.
The Mute and Filter switches
The MUTE switch cuts all signal to the AMP OUT jack, and it ensures that
no signal will be played through your amplier when you are adjusting the
placement of a microphone (and have your ears mere inches from the
speaker cabinet).
This switch also provides a handy way to listen for ground loop noise that
can be eliminated with the LIFT switch, or for checking how much self-
noise your amplier is producing when it isn’t receiving any input signal.
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HIGH-PASS FILTER
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The Mute and Filter switches (continued)
The FILTER is a three-position toggle switch that gently rolls off the high
or low frequencies at the AMP OUT, and it can also be bypassed for
a completely at frequency response. The upper setting on this switch
activates a low-pass lter that reduces the high frequency content of the
signal, which can be useful if you nd that your amplier sounds overly
bright, or if you need to help a bass guitar track sit better in the mix.
The middle setting on this switch activates a high-pass lter which
reduces the low frequencies of your Reamped signal. This can help clean
up the sound of a muddy guitar track with excess low end resonance,
and it can also be effective when used with heavily distorted tones. The
bottom setting on this switch bypasses the FILTER altogether for a at
frequency response through the Reamper.
+5
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HIGH-PASS FILTER
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The frequency response of the high-pass and low-pass lters
The 3.5mm input
The 3.5mm INPUT allows you to easily connect a mobile playback device
like a smartphone or a tablet to the Reamp Station. This makes it easy
to audition new ideas on the y, or even take the output of your favorite
music making app and feed it through your amp for to create a unique
effect.
Use a 3.5mm TRS cable to connect to
this input: the Reamp Station will accept
both the left and right outputs from your
playback device and automatically sum
them to a mono signal.
Note that the output from a mobile device will likely be somewhat lower
The 3.5mm Input
than the line-level outputs of an audio interface, so you may need to
adjust the LEVEL control and the gain on your amp to compensate.
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The 3.5mm input (continued)
The 3.5mm input is on the front panel of the Reamp Station so you
can connect quickly when inspiration strikes, instead of having to dig
around behind your equipment rack should you have the Reamp Station
rackmounted. However, keep in mind that you should only send signal to
one of the Reamper inputs at any given time.
Reamping using a mobile device as the sound source
Linking multiple Reampers
The LINK IN and LINK OUT connections on the Reamp Station allow
you to hook up multiple Reampers using a single output from your audio
interface.
Use a balanced 1/4" TRS
cable to connect from the
LINK OUT on the rst Reamp
Station to the LINK IN or the
REAMP IN on the second
Reamper.
Repeat this step to link
together additional Reamp
Stations as needed.
Linking multiple Reampers
The LINK OUT carries a copy of the same balanced signal that you
feed to the input of the Reamper, and it won’t be affected by any of the
controls on the Reamp Station. If your audio interface is short on linelevel outputs, you can use this feature to feed a compressor on another
outboard effects processor at the same time that you are Reamping with
the Reamp Station.
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Rack mounting the Reamp Station
Using the optional SA Series Rack Adaptor kit, you can easily mount
the Reamp Station in standard 19" equipment racks for permanent
installation. The SA Series kit allows you to mount either one or two
devices in a single 1RU rackspace. Part no R800 9422 00.
Single unit rackmounting
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Double unit rackmounting
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SPECIFICATIONS*
Direct Box
Audio Circuit Type: ............................................Proprietary Active Circuit
Frequency Response: ......................................5Hz to 20kHz (+/-0.5dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion: .................................0.004% @ 1kHz, 0dBu
THD + Noise: ....................................................0.004% @ 1kHz, 0dBu
Intermodulation Distortion: .................................0.005% @ -10dBV
Signal to Noise Ratio: ........................................94dB
Dynamic Range: ................................................100dB
Input Impedance: ...............................................220k Ω
Output Impedance: ............................................185 Ω
JCR Reamp
Audio Circuit Type: ............................................Passive, transformer based
Frequency Response: ......................................0Hz to 20kHz (+/-0.5dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion: .................................0.002% @ 1kHz, +4dBu
THD + Noise: ....................................................0.005% @ 1kHz, +4dBu
Intermodulation Distortion: .................................0.001% @ 0dBV
Signal to Noise Ratio: ........................................88dB
Dynamic Range: ................................................100dB
Input Impedance: ...............................................1.4k Ω
Output Impedance: ............................................5.1k Ω
Features
Input connections: .............................................1/4", XLR, 3.5mm
LED Indicators: ..................................................48V phantom (Direct box only)
Output Connectors: ...........................................1/4", XLR
Mounting Options: .............................................SA series rack mount kit available
General
Power: ...............................................................48V phantom power (Direct box features only)
Construction: .....................................................14-gauge Steel Chassis & Outer Shell
Finish: ................................................................Durable Powder Coat
* Subject to change without notice.
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THREE YEAR TRANSFERABLE LIMITED WARRANTY
RADIAL ENGINEERING LTD. (“Radial”) warrants this product to be free from defects in
material and workmanship and will remedy any such defects free of charge according
to the terms of this warranty. Radial will repair or replace (at its option) any defective
component(s) of this product (excluding nish and wear and tear on components under
normal use) for a period of three (3) years from the original date of purchase. In the event
that a particular product is no longer available, Radial reserves the right to replace the
product with a similar product of equal or greater value. In the unlikely event that a defect
is uncovered, please call 604-942-1001 or email support@radialeng.com to obtain an
RA number (Return Authorization number) before the 3 year warranty period expires.
The product must be returned prepaid in the original shipping container (or equivalent)
to Radial or to an authorized Radial repair centre and you must assume the risk of loss
or damage. A copy of the original invoice showing date of purchase and the dealer name
must accompany any request for work to be performed under this limited and transferable
warranty. This warranty shall not apply if the product has been damaged due to abuse,
misuse, misapplication, accident or as a result of service or modication by any other than
an authorized Radial repair center.
THERE ARE NO EXPRESSED WARRANTIES OTHER THAN THOSE ON THE FACE
HEREOF AND DESCRIBED ABOVE. NO WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE SHALL EXTEND
BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE WARRANTY PERIOD DESCRIBED ABOVE OF THREE
YEARS. RADIAL SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS ARISING FROM THE USE
OF THIS PRODUCT. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND
YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH MAY VARY DEPENDING ON WHERE
YOU LIVE AND WHERE THE PRODUCT WAS PURCHASED.
To meet the requirements of California Proposition 65, it is our responsibility to inform you of the following:
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please take proper care when handling and consult local government regulations before discarding.
®
www.radialeng.com
Radial Engineering Ltd.
1165-1845 Kingsway Ave, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, V3C 1S9
Tel: 604-942-1001 • www.radialeng.com • info@radialeng.com
Radial® Reamp Station User Guide - Part #: R870 1071 00 / 07-2022
Copyright 2022 Radial Engineering Ltd. All rights reserved.
Specications and appearance subject to change without notice.
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