Sonance BBE User Manual

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Sonance Smart Amplifier Technology® BBE® Sound Enhancement Module. This module can be used in any Sonamp® equipped with our Smart Amplifier Technology (SAT).

BBE is a sound enhancement process used by hundreds of professional musicians and in recording studios and concert sound systems worldwide. Primarily developed to compensate for the bass-through-treble timing errors that limit loudspeaker clarity and focus, the BBE process improves presence and detail of speakers, especially at lower listening volumes. This makes it particularly effective at improving the sound quality of distributed audio systems playing background music. BBE restores clarity and definition (or focus) to spoken voices, making paging systems easier to understand without having to run them at high volumes. The BBE process is so effective that it can even compensate for inferior sound from poor quality source material or compressed sources like MP3, etc.

For more information on the BBE process, go to www.bbesound.com.

INSTALLING THE BBE SAT MODULE IN AN AMPLIFIER

(See illustrations below)

Sonamps with Smart Amplifier Technology feature a rear-panel module bay. Replace the amplifier’s existing SAT module with the BBE SAT module.

IMPORTANT: Before installing the SAT module, make sure the amplifier’s power switch is OFF and its power cord is disconnected.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

SMART AMPLIFIER TECHNOLOGY

BBE®SOUND ENHANCEMENT MODULE

1&7

2&6

Replacing the SAT Module

TOWARDS

RIBBON

CONNECTOR

TOWARDS

INPUT/OUTPUT

CONNECTORS

Bypassing the Hi-Pass Filters on the BBE SAT Module

1. Remove and save the two screws holding the current SAT module in place.

2. Gently pull the existing SAT module out of the SAT module bay.

3. Flip the tabs on the ends of the ribbon connector socket outwards to release it and disconnect the cable. (Note the alignment of the connector.)

4. Select the desired position of the high-pass filter jumpers on the BBE SAT module.

Note: These jumpers are set at the factory in the high-pass filter

position. Sonance

highly recommends

that these jumpers remain in

the

position if the amplifier will be used in a system that includes

in-wall volume controls for the speakers.

If you wish to bypass the high-

pass filter, set the jumpers to the OFF position:

4a. The jumper pins are located in the shaded area of the illustration below.

4b. As shown in the illustration, remove the shorting sleeves from their

factory-set (ON) position on the jumper pins and replace them in the OFF positions. Make sure you insert the shorting sleeves all the way onto the jumper pins.

5. Re-connect the ribbon cable to the ribbon cable connector on the BBE SAT module so that it clicks into place. Make sure the connector is aligned properly.

6. Slide the BBE SAT module into the SAT module bay.

7. Replace the two mounting screws.

HI-PASS FILTER ON

(FACTORY DEFAULT)

HI-PASS FILTER OFF

Jumper

Sleeve

Jumper

Sleeve

CONTROLS AND INDICATORS

(see illustration to the right)

1. Status LEDs: Illuminate to show if the BBE process is ON, and how

much processing (+6dB or +9dB) is being applied.

2. BBE ON/OFF switch: In the OFF

EXT. position, BBE processing is

bypassed; in the ON position BBE processing is applied.

• When this switch is in the OFF

EXT

. position BBE processing can be

automatically activated when an external control voltage is applied to the BBE ON/OFF EXT. CTRL. connector.

3. BBE ON/OFF EXT. CTRL. connector: When a control voltage appears at this

connection and the BBE ON/OFF switch is in the OFF

EXT. position,

BBE processing is automatically activated.

• The connection accepts AC or DC control voltages between 5V and 24V.

4. BOOST LEVEL +6dB EXT./+9dB switch: Sets the amount of BBE processing

being applied to either +6dB or +9dB.

• When this switch is in the +6dB

EXT. position the amount of BBE processing being applied can be automatically changed to +9dB when an external control

voltage is applied to the BOOST LEVEL EXT. CTRL. connector.

5. BOOST LEVEL EXT. CTRL. connector: When a control voltage appears at this connection,and the BOOST LEVEL switch is in the +6dB

EXT. position,the amount

of BBE processing being applied is automatically changed to +9dB.

• The connection accepts AC or DC control voltages between 5V and 24V.

CONNECTIONS

(see illustrations on page 3)

Systems With No External Control Capability

1. Connect the BBE module’s Input jacks to the stereo line-level source.

• If you’re operating the Sonamp in the bridged mode, use the R input only.

2. Connect the Sonamp’s speaker outputs to the speakers.

3. If you wish to feed the source’s signal to additional amplifiers, connect them to the BBE module’s Output jacks.

Note: The signal sent through the module’s Output jacks is

not

BBE processed.

Systems With External Control Capability

The BBE sound enhancement process can be activated and the amount of BBE processing changed by an external control voltage. This allows an audio system with two different sources to employ BBE processing for only one source, or to employ different amounts of BBE processing for the different sources.

The example on page 3 shows a system with two sources: a CD player playing uncompressed audio that doesn’t require BBE processing, and an iPod® playing compressed audio files that could benefit from BBE enhancement. Both sources are connected to a Sonance AL1 Line-Level Switcher that automatically switches to the iPod connections whenever it senses an audio signal from the iPod. Whenever AL1 selects the iPod input it also sends a +12V control voltage to the BBE module’s BBE ON/OFF EXT. CTRL. connector, which activates the BBE processing.

When the AL1 no longer detects an audio signal from the iPod it automatically switches to the CD player input and removes the +12V control voltage. When the control voltage is removed the BBE module switches the BBE processing off.

The BBE module has a second control voltage input (the BOOST LEVEL EXT. CTRL. connector) that operates in the same way, but changes the amount of BBE processing from +6dB to +9dB. This connector can be employed when different amounts of BBE processing are desired for two different sources.

Note: The BBE module’s

External Control

inputs can also be triggered by voltage from a Crestron or similar control system.

1. Connect the BBE module’s Input jacks to the AL1 switcher’s Outputs.

• If you’re operating the Sonamp in the bridged mode, use the R input only.

2. Connect the outputs of the two sources to the AL1’s A and B inputs.

• Connect the source that you want BBE processed to the B inputs.

3. Connect the AL1’s Control Output to the BBE module’s BBE ON/OFF EXT. CTRL. input.

• Make sure that the module’s BBE ON/OFF switch is in the OFF

EXT. position.

4. Connect the Sonamp’s speaker outputs to the speakers.

5. If you wish to feed the AL1’s signal to additional amplifiers, connect them to the BBE module’s Output jacks. (The signal through the jacks is not BBE processed).

• If the additional amplifiers are equipped with BBE module, run parallel control voltage connections to the other BBE modules.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

SMART AMPLIFIER TECHNOLOGY

BBE®SOUND ENHANCEMENT MODULE

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