SPL Kultube, 2049 User manual

Manual

Model 2049

Stereo Compressor

2

Kultube (Model 2049)

Manual

Version 1.2 – 11/2008

R & D: Ruben Tilgner

The information in this document has been carefully verified and is assumed
to be correct. However Sound Performance Lab (SPL) reserves the right to
modify the product described in this manual at any time. Changes without
notice. This document is the property of SPL and may not be copied or repro­duced in any manner, in part or full without the authorization of SPL.

Limitations of Liability:

In no event will SPL be liable for any damages, including loss of data, lost
profits, cost of cover or other special, incidental, consequential or indirect
damages arising from the use of the unit, however caused and on any theory
of liability. This limitation will apply even if SPL or an authorized dealer has
been advised of the possibility of such damage.

CE Declaration of Conformity

Manufacturer: SPL electronics GmbH
Type of Equipment: Audio Signal Processor
Product: Kultube, Model 2049
Compliance Engineer: Wolfgang Neumann
Test Basis: EN50081-1:1992, EN50082-1:1992, EN60065:1993, EN61000-3­3:1995, EN60065:2002, EN55013:2001, EN55020:2002, EN61000-3-2:2000,
73/23 EWG; 93/68 EWG.

We herewith declare, that the construction of the Kultube, Model 2049, is in
compliance with the standards and regulations mentioned above.

Notes on environmental protection

At the end of its operating life, this product must not be disposed of
with regular household waste but must be returned to a collection
point for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. The
“wheelie bin“ symbol on the product, user‘s manual and packaging
indicates that. The materials can be re-used in accordance with
their markings. Through re-use, recycling of raw materials, or other forms of
recycling of old products, you are making an important contribution to the
protection of our environment. Your local administrative office can advise you
of the responsible waste disposal point.

WEEE Registration: 973 349 88

Sound Performance Lab

SPL electronics GmbH
P.O. Box 12 27
D- 41 368 Niederkruechten, Germany
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]
www.soundperformancelab.com

© 2008 SPL electronics GmbH. All rights reserved.

3

Important Security Information ................................................................. 4

Installation, Power Supply ........................................................................ 6

Introduction .............................................................................................. 7

Connections

Rear Panel/Wiring ..................................................................................... 8

General Advices, Sockets & Switches ........................................................ 9

Control Elements

Red. /VU, Digital Input, Softknee, De Comp. ............................................. 11

PTC-Attack, PTC-Release, Key On, Key Listen, Slave, Active ....................... 12

Threshold, Ratio, Release, Make Up Gain .................................................. 13

Tube Harmonics ......................................................................................... 14

Operation – Understanding and enjoying the Kultube

The Threshold Control ............................................................................... 14

The Ratio Control ....................................................................................... 15

The Attack Control ..................................................................................... 16

Progressive Time Control – Attack ............................................................. 17

The Release Control ................................................................................... 18

Progressive Time Control – Release ........................................................... 19

Content

Applications – Using and enjoying the Kultube

Summed Signal Processing ....................................................................... 21

Single Track & Subgroup Processing .......................................................... 21

Side-chain ................................................................................................. 22

Multi Channel and 5.1 Surround Processing ............................................... 23

Specifications ............................................................................................ 24

Guarantee ................................................................................................. 24

4

Important Security Information

Please note and retain this manual. Carefully read and follow all of the safety

and operating instructions before you use the machine.

Be doubly careful to follow all warnings and special safety instructions

noted in this manual and on the unit.

Connections: Only use the connections as described. Other connections can

lead to health risks and equipment damage.

Water And Humidity: Do NOT use this machine anywhere near water (for

example near a wash basin or bath, in a damp cellar, near swimming pools,
or the like). In such cases there is an extremely high risk of fatal electrical
shocks!

Insertion Of Foreign Objects Or Fluids: NEVER allow a foreign object through

any of the machine‘s chassis openings. You can easily come into contact with
dangerous voltage or cause a damaging short circuit. NEVER allow any fluids
to be spilled or sprayed on the machine. Such actions can lead to dangerous
electrical shocks or fire!

Opening the Machine: Do NOT open the machine housing, as there is great

risk you will damage the machine, or – even after being disconnected – you
may receive a dangerous electrical shock!

Electrical Power: Run this machine ONLY from sources which can provide

proper power at the prescribed rating. When in doubt about a source, contact
your dealer or a professional electrician. To be sure you have isolated the
machine, do so by disconnecting the power cord from your wall connection.
Be sure that the power cord plug is always accessible. When not using the
machine for a longer period, make sure to unplug it from your wall power
socket.

Power Cord Protection: Make sure that your power cord is arranged to avoid

being stepped on or any kind of crimping and damage related to such event.
Do not allow any equipment or furniture to crimp this power cord.

Power Connection Overloads: Avoid any kind of overload in connections to

wall sockets, extension or splitter power cords. Always keep manufacturer
warnings and instructions in mind. Overloads create fire hazards and risk of
dangerous shocks!

Lightning: Before thunderstorms or other severe weather, disconnect the

machine from wall power (but to avoid life threatening lightning strikes, not
during a storm). Similarly, before any severe weather, disconnect ALL the
power connections of other machines and antenna and phone/network cables
which may be interconnected so that no lightning damage or overload results
from such secondary connections.

5

Important Security Information

Air Circulation: Chassis openings offer ventilation and serve to protect the

machine from overheating. NEVER cover or otherwise close off these open­ings. NEVER place the machine on a soft surface (carpet, sofa, etc.). Make
sure to provide for a mounting space of 4-5 cm/2 inches when mounting the
machine in racks or cabinets.

Controls And Switches: Operate the controls and switches only as

described in the manual. Incorrect adjustments outside safe para­meters can lead to damage and unnecessary repair costs. Never use the
switches or level controls to effect excessive or extreme changes.

Repairs: Unplug the machine and immediately contact a qualified techni-

cian when you think repairs are needed – or when moisture or foreign objects
may accidentally have gotten in to the housing, or in cases when the machine
may have fallen and shows any sign of having been damaged. This also
applies to any situation in which the machine has not been subjected to any of
these unusual circumstances but still is not functioning normally or its perfor­mance is substantially altered.
In cases of damage to the power cord or its plug, first consider turning off the
main circuit breaker before unplugging the power cord.

Replacement/Substitute Parts: Be sure that any service technician uses

original replacement parts or those with identical specifications as the origi­nals. Incorrectly substituted parts can lead to fire, electrical shock, or other
dangers, including further equipment damage.

Safety Inspection: Be sure always to ask a service technician to conduct a

thorough safety check and ensure that the state of the repaired machine is in
all respects up to factory standards.

Cleaning: In cleaning, do NOT use any solvents, as these can damage the
chassis finish. Use a clean, dry cloth (if necessary, with an acid-free cleaning
oil). Disconnect the machine from your power source before cleaning.

6

Installation

Power Supply

Be very careful to check that the rear chassis power selection switch is set
to the correct local line voltage position before using the unit (230 V posi­tion: 220-240 V/50 Hz, 115 V position: 110-120 V/60 Hz)!

When in doubt about a source, contact your dealer or a professional electri­cian.

Before connecting any equipment make sure that any machine to be
connected is turned off. Follow all safety instructions from page 5.

Place the unit on a level and stable surface. The unit’s enclosure is EMC-safe
and effectively shielded against HF interference. Nonetheless, you should
carefully consider where you place the unit to avoid electrical disturbances.

The unit should be positioned so that you can easily reach it, but there are
other considerations. Try not to place it near heat sources or in direct sunlight,
and avoid exposure to vibrations, dust, heat, cold or moisture. It should also
be kept away from transformers, motors, power amplifiers and digital proces­sors. Always ensure sufficient air circulation by keeping a distance of 4-5 cm/2
inches to other units and to the sides of the unit.

Built around a toroidal transformer, the power supply has a minimal electro­magnetic field to avoid hum or mechanical noise.

The power supply‘s output side is filtered by an RC circuit again to extract
noise and hum from the supplied electrical power.

6000 μf capacitors smooth out the positive and negative half waves. An
additional power supply filter is placed before the power switch to eliminate
disturbing interferences.

All signal processing components are supplied with two separate current
regulators to exclude influences from the remaining components.

The 220 v current for the tube stage power is smoothed out with 200 μF and
stabilized precisely by current regulators. The anode current is switched on
after warm up. Both measures ensure a remarkable extension of the tube‘s
lifetime.

The unit‘s supply voltage can be set to 230 V/50 Hz or 115 V/60 Hz. Check
your local power requirements for the appropriate setting. An AC power cord
is included to feed the IEC-spec, 3-prong connector. Transformer, AC cord
and IEC-receptacle are VDE, UL and CSA approved. The main fuse is rated at
315 mA for 230 v and 630 mA for 115 v. Chassis ground and AC ground can be
physically disconnected with the “GND Lift” switch on the rear panel to elimi­nate hum.

7

The Kultube user disposes over a unique range of powerful compression
tools ranging from subtle unobtrusive processing to very obvious ‘effect‘
compressions. Used conventionally or as an effect, in professional recording
or mastering applications, the Kultube combines outstanding audio quality
with the acclaimed musicality and user-friendliness that SPL units stand for.

Applications cover those of a classic compressor for vocals and instruments,
in both mono and stereo, through stereo operation for subgroup processing
to stereo mastering and multi-channel/surround projects.

Progressive Time Control

With the unique Progressive Time Control (PTC) option for attack and release,
time constants can be optimized by unique circuitry that reacts both to the
input signal and to the user settings - for example, fast impulses are inter­cepted by an attack time as fast as 20 us. PTC can be seen as an interactively
controllable automation which is not based on fix presets but reacts to the
audio material in a musically useful way.

Discrete Gain Cells

Introduction

SPL has developed discrete, very high performance gain cells that are used
instead of the usual VCAs and the Kultube is the first product to use them.
They ensure the highest level of musicality and clarity in signal processing
and demonstrate significantly improved distortion values over VCAs.

Tube Harmonics

The adjustable tube saturation of the output stages combined with automatic
output level adjustment can produce tube sound effects that range from the
delicate to the raucous whilst a useful de-compressor mode can reanimate
over-compressed material (such as samples).

Master/Slave Mode

In master/slave mode, any number of devices can be controlled from one
master unit.

Features

• Discrete, high performance gain cells instead of industrial VCAs

• Progressive Time Control: interactively controllable automation for Attack
and Release parameters

• Adjustable tube saturation with output level adjustment

• Selectable soft or hard knee characteristics

• Unique de-compression mode

• Large VU meter displays gain reduction or (mono summed) output level

• Side-chain inputs on the front panel

• Slave mode for multi-channel operation

8

Connections

Further Kultubes

as slaves in multi-

channel link mode

2

1

3

Pin wiring XLR Input:

1=GND 2=Hot (+) 3=Cold (-)

1

2

3

Pin wiring XLR Output:

1 = GND 2 = Hot (+) 3 = Cold (-)

Pin wiring Stereo Jack Connector:

Tip = Hot (+) Ring = Cold (-) Sleeve = GND

Connection to console:

Insert Sends > Analog Inputs

Insert Returns > Analog Outputs

The Kultube can optionally be equipped with a 24 bit/96 kHz converter module

Connector for external

processing units (e. g.

Equalizer)

Rear Panel/Wiring