Radial Engineering J33 User's Guide

www.radialeng.com

J33

Phono Preamp DI

User Guide

Radial Engineering

1638 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam BC V3C 5W9 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

email: [e-mail]

Radial Engineering is a division of C•TEC (JP CableTek Electronics Ltd.)

True to the Music

Radial J33 Phono Preamp DI
Users Guide
Table of Contents	Page
Introduction......................................................................	2
Feature Set......................................................................	2
Input Panel ......................................................................	4
Output Panel ...................................................................	5
Making Connections........................................................	6
FAQ .................................................................................	8
Specifications ..................................................................	9
Warranty....................................................................	Back Cover

Congratulations on your purchase of the Radial J33 combination turntable preamp and direct box. This handy device has been developed to interface a conventional turntable with magnetic cartridge to both professional balanced audio systems and consumer unbalanced hi-fi systems.

As with all Radial products, every attempt has been made to make the J33 ‘plug & play’ easy-to-use. However, please read this manual thoroughly to ensure the best possible results.

Should you have any questions on your new J33, please consult the Radial website FAQ section as this is where we publish answers from users after a product has been released. If you do not find the answer you are looking for on-line, please feel free to send us an email at [e-mail] and we will do our very best to get back to you promptly.

Now dust off that old Perry Como Christmas record, pour yourself some eggnog and enjoy!

www.radialeng.com

Radial is a division of JP Cabletek Electronics Ltd.

Specifications and appearance subject to change without notice.

Radial J33 manual V1.1 - 05/20/05 - Part #: R870-1090-00

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True to the Music

INTRODUCTION

Since the advent of the compact disc, the use of long-playing records has become so sparse that it has become difficult to find a hi-fi receiver that is equipped with a phono input. With literally millions of albums floating around the world, a need has emerged to capture these recordings and transfer them to today’s digital formats.

The Radial J33 provides a solution with a simple device that is ‘plug & play’ easy-to-use and built to Radial’s professional standards for sound quality and durability. Equipped with an RIAA preamp and choice of -10dB consumer line-level and pro 600Ω mic-level outputs, the J33 is right at home in the studio, on the stage and in the DJ booth.

For the enterprising studio, this opens the door to a new business opportunity: a phono to CD transfer service that offers families a way to enjoy their favorite LP’s in their cars and on their new surround sound systems. The Radial J33 also boasts other advantages: for the broadcast station and museum, old record collections can now be easily archived by transferring phono recordings to digital media. With the plethora of digital ‘noise-eliminating’ software, less than ideal recordings can now be updated to approach today’s signal-to-noise expectations.

For the recording studio, the emergence of ‘scratching’ in hiphop, rap and pop music opens the door to better recordings and more creativity by allowing a turntable to connect through highend processing, opening up opportunities for re-recording and greater artistic freedom.

FEATURE SET

The Radial J33 is a combination RIAA phono preamp and active

DI that allows you to connect a conventional turntable with magnetic cartridge to a recording system, hi-fi or PA system.

The J33 features a pair of stereo inputs for the turntable. A ground lug is provided to properly ground the turntable to avoid system noise. This signal then feeds the preamp that boosts the phono signal while introducing the RIAA equalization curve.

Next to the turntable inputs are a series of unbalanced -10dB consumer line-level outputs. These include a stereo set of RCA connectors that can connect to the auxiliary or CD inputs on a typical hi-fi receiver; a 1/8” (3.5mm) stereo mini-jack that can connect to an MP3 player or computer sound card and a ¼” TRS connector that can be split using an insert cable to a pair of 1/4" line inputs on a PA or DJ mixer.

The J33 is also equipped with a low-frequency rumble filter. This gently rolls off the bass to reduce the low frequency rumble and resonant feedback that can occur when spinning records in high volume environments such as on stage or in nightclubs.

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True to the Music

To connect to professional balanced systems, the Radial J33 is equipped with a pair of male XLR connectors. The active balanced drivers convert the signal to a low impedance (600Ω), microphone level, stereo signal. The J33’s balanced XLR outputs can drive turntable signals well over 100 meters (328 feet) without appreciable loss or noise. This makes the J33 ideal for driving turntable signals through a snake system on stage and through the patchbays and complex wiring systems that abound in the professional studio.

The Radial J33 may be powered with 48V phantom or with the included 15VDC power supply. The J33 will automatically select the power source and the two LED on the front panel will illuminate, indicating power is present.

iRIAA PREAMP

An RIAA phono preamp is a device that boosts the signal from a turntable and applies a pre-defined equalization curve. The RIAA equalization curve is applied as pre-em- phasis EQ during the cutting of the metal master, and as a de-emphasis EQ on playback. In other words, a record is cut with the low frequencies reduced and the high frequencies boosted (pre-emphasis), and on playback the opposite occurs (de-emphasis). The RIAA preamp in the J33 provides this required de-emphasis EQ.

The result is a flat frequency response, but with noise such as hiss and clicks arising from the surface of the record itself reduced (or “attenuated”). The RIAAequalization curve has operated as a global industry standard for the recording and playback of vinyl records since 1954.

This is the RIAA EQ curve that the J33 applies to the turntable signal. The exact opposite curve was encoded into the signal when the vinyl LP was pressed.

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