Symetrix 533E Service Manual
533E
Graphic Equalizer
Users Guide
533E
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Operator Safety Summary 2
Chapter 3 Fast Set-Up 3
Chapter 4 Front Panel Controls 4
Chapter 5 Rear Panel Connections 7
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting 8
Chapter 7 Specifications 9
Chapter 8 Warranty and Service 10
Appendix A Flow Chart 12
Appendix B Input/Output Connections 13
Appendix C Declaration of Conformity 14
Rev A.02, 21 July 1997
Symetrix part number 53533E0A02
Subject to change at our whim and fancy without notice.
©1997, Symetrix, Inc. All right reserved.
Symetrix is a registered trademark of Symetrix, Inc.
Mention of third-party products is for informational
purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor
a recommendation. Symetrix assumes no responsibility
with regard to the performance or use of these products.
Under copyright laws, no part of this manual may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photcopying,
scanning, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from
Symetrix, Inc.
533E
i
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA
6408 216th St. SW
Tel (425) 778-7728
Fax (425) 778-7727
Email symetrix@symetrixaudio.com
Website www.symetrixaudio.com
IntroductionChapter 1
Thank you for choosing a Symetrix Graphic
Equalizer. We think you will be glad that you
made this choice because, out of the sea of
graphic eqs that you might have purchased, the
533E is one of the only affordable equalizers
that offer truly professional performance.
How did we do this? First, because our design
team believes that no one should have to settle
for good enough, they threw out the conven-
tional design ideas and started from scratch.
The result: a highly advanced filter topology
that delivers extremely low distortion and
noise, even at very high signal levels.
Second, our state-of-the-art facility gives us
the ability to build quickly, consistently, and in
high volume, allowing us to keep our prices
low. In addition, the 533E makes extensive use
of surface-mount components. This allows us
to cram more circuitry onto a smaller circuit
board, further reducing costs.
In fact, the 533E is a purists dream - audio-
phile sound quality, uncluttered control
surface, and rugged reliability in one package.
They offer thirty-one filter bands per channel
on ISO 1/3rd octave centers. Through the use
of a global range switch, each band delivers
either 6dB or 12dB of cut or boost. The
grounded center detent position on each band
serves as an on/off switch that completely
removes that band from the audio signal path.
In addition, they sport 12dB per octave High
Cut and Low Cut filters. Each has a sweepable
cutoff frequency and a control range that
extends well into the sub/ultrasonic.
Of course, the controls and features are
secondary to the all important question: How
does it sound? Consider the following facts.
Our proprietary filter technology delivers the
lowest noise floor of any graphic equalizer in
the world, ultra-accurate summing, and
minimal ringing and phase shift. The total
harmonic distortion is less than 0.002%.
Translation: the 533E is clean, clear, and
musical-sounding.
To ensure the highest level of year-after-year
performance, we build the 533E to touring
standards. Double sided, glass epoxy circuit
boards, metal shaft, plastic film slide potenti-
ometers, gold-plated XLR connectors, and a
heavy duty all-steel chassis deliver rugged
reliability. You dont have to treat these with
kid gloves.
The details are worth noting, too. High-contrast
front panel graphics make your control settings
easy to read even in a darkened concert hall.
Servo-balanced outputs remove all DC offset
from the 533Es output. This eliminates the
need for DC blocking capacitors in the signal
path while improving noise, distortion, and
low-frequency performance. Of course, the
533E incorporates a high-current, internal
power supply with an IEC-type detachable
power cord. No wall warts here!
We recommend that you read this manual
cover-to-cover. Youll find the answers to most
of your questions inside. However, if you are
in a hurry, go directly to the Fast First-Time
Setup section. It will get you started quickly.
Should you have any comments or questions,
please do not hesitate to contact us at the
numbers/addresses below. Your calls are
always welcome.
Phone 425 778 7728
Fax 425 778 7727
Email symetrix@symetrixaudio.com
E
533
GRAPHIC
EQUALIZER
+12
CH1 LEVEL
CH1 CUT FILTERS
LOW CUT
INPUT
U
CLIP
22 50
10dB
8
0dB
-20dB
CLIP
10dB
0dB
-20dB
POWER
∞
CH2 LEVEL
INPUT
∞
+15
U
+15
2606
CH2 CUT FILTERS
LOW CUT
22 50
8
6 260
+6
HIGH CUT
CH1
18K
MODE
0
42K
5K
115
±12dB
BYPASS
65K3K
±6dB
-12
-6
20 25 31.5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250
+12
+6
HIGH CUT
18K
CH2
MODE
0
5K
42K
115
±12dB
BYPASS
3K 65K
±6dB
-12
-6
50
50
250160 20010063 80 1254025 31.520
25020016010063 80 1254025 31.520
8K5K 6.3K3.15K2K 2.5K 4K1.25K800 1K630500400315 1.6K
8K1.25K315 400 500 630 800 1K 3.15K1.6K 2.5K2K 4K 6.3K5K 20K12.5K10K 16K
20K16K10K 12.5K
+12
+6
0
-12
-6
+12
+6
0
-12
-6
20K16K10K 12.5K8K5K 6.3K3.15K2K 2.5K 4K1.25K800 1K630500400315 1.6K
533E
1
Operator Safety Summary Chapter 2
N
.
The information in this summary is intended
for persons who operate the equipment as well
as repair personnel. Specific warnings and
cautions are found throughout this manual
wherever they may apply; they do not appear
in this summary.
The notational conventions used in this manual
and on the equipment itself are described in the
following paragraphs.
Equipment Markings
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR
WARNING:
SEE OWNERS MANUAL. VOIR CAHIER D’INSTRUCTIONS.
o user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel
Il ne se trouve a l’interieur aucune piece pourvant entre reparée l’usager.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol
within an equilateral triangle is intended to
alert the user of the presence of uninsulated
"dangerous voltage" within the product's
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user of the
presence of important operating and mainte-
nance (servicing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the product (i.e. this manual).
Caution To prevent electric shock, do not
ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
AVIS:
NE PAS OUVRIR
S’adresser a un reparateur compétent.
use the polarized plug supplied
with the unit with any extension
cord, receptacle, or other outlet
unless the blades can be fully
inserted.
Caution Identifies information that, if not
heeded, may cause damage to the
Symetrix product or other equip
ment in your system.
Warning Identifies information that, if
ignored, may be hazardous to
your health or that of others.
CAPITALS Controls, switches or other
markings on the product's
chassis.
Boldface Strong emphasis.
Power source - This product is intended to
operate from a power source that does not
apply more than 255Vrms between the power
supply conductors or between either power
supply conductor and ground. A protective
ground connection, by way of the grounding
conductor in the power cord, is essential for
safe operation.
Danger from loss of ground - If the pro-
tective ground connection is lost, all accessible
conductive parts, including knobs and controls
that may appear to be insulated, can render an
electric shock.
Proper power cord - Use only the power cord
specified for the product. Use only a power
cord that is in good condition.
Operating location - Do not operate this
equipment under any of the following condi-
tions: explosive atmospheres, in wet locations,
in inclement weather, improper or unknown
AC mains voltage, or if improperly fused.
Stay out of the box - To avoid personal injury
or injury to others, do not remove the product
covers or panels. Do not operate the product
without the covers and panels properly
installed.
Terms
Several notational conventions are used in this
manual. Some paragraphs may use Note,
Caution, or Warning as a heading or certain
typefaces and capitalization are used to
identify certain words. These are:
Note Identifies information that needs
extra emphasis. A Note generally
supplies extra information to help
533E
2
you to better use the product.
Chapter 3
This section is for those of you who are in too much of a hurry to read the rest of the manual. It provides
just enough information to get the Graphic Equalizer hooked up and working in your sound system.
Set the INPUT LEVEL control at the unity
gain setting . This is noted as U at the
12:00 position.
Set all the graphic EQ slide potentiom-
eters at 0dB, center detent position.
Set LOW CUT control fully counterclock-
wise and the HIGH CUT control fully
clockwise.
Set the MODE switch to +/-12dB.
Connect equalizer to AC power.
Fast Set-Up
Connect the audio inputs and outputs.
See chapter 5 if you need more informa-
tion.
Let er rip.
Now read the rest of this manual.
533E
3
Front Panel Controls
FRONT PANEL
Chapter 4
LEVEL CUT FILTERS
115
HIGH CUT
18K
5K
3K 65K
MODE
42K
±12dB
BYPASS
±6dB
-6
audio material. This will also increase the
efficiency of the amplifiers - why make them
amplify signals that the speakers cannot
reproduce? It can also clean up an overly
muddy sounding mix or improve speech
intelligibility in announce systems by removing
excessive low-frequency audio material. The
range of this control is 6 Hz to 260 Hz.
High Cut Filter - Diagram 2 shows the range
of the 12dB per octave high-frequency rolloff
filter (3kHz to 65kHz). Use this control to
remove unwanted noise or hiss that is greater
in frequency than the highest frequency content
of the program material you are trying to
reproduce. This is especially pertinent to
speech reinforcement and paging systems.
Mode Switch - This space-saving, three
position toggle switch controls the cut/boost
range of the faders AND functions a BYPASS
when set in the middle position.
If you require very fine cut and boost control
for critical system voicing, put this switch in
the +/-6dB mode. Permanent installations such
as churches or performing arts theaters would
be a good place to use this mode.
The +/-12dB mode is most useful for concert
and club sound applications where quick (and
sometimes extreme) control is desired. This, of
course, will reduce the resolution of the fader,
but the 45mm, mid-throw faders provide more
than adequate resolution for most applications.
In addition, we have adjusted the control taper
so that the majority of the fader throw is
dedicated to the +/- 6dB range, giving you
greater resolution in that crucial area.
INPUT
CLIP
10dB
0dB
-20dB
POWER
Input Level control - Use this control to
adjust the 533Es input sensitivity. The range
is -∞ (infinity) to + 15dB. You can do three
useful things with this knob:
1) Turn the knob down completely to mute
your sound system - this can be very useful
during troubleshooting, or if your console
lacks an output mute switch.
2) Turn it down a little to give yourself enough
headroom to make massive boosts in the EQ
section without clipping.
3) Turn the knob up a little to boost a low-
level input signal - this maximizes your signal
to noise ratio.
Note: This feature, like everything else on
the unit, will be bypassed if the 533E
loses power or gets disconnected
from AC power.
Output Level Meter - The four segment LED
meter is designed to give you a quick, general
idea about the level of the 533Es output. The
bottom LED at -20dBu is a signal present
indicator. The next two LEDs, at 0dBu and
+10dBu show the activity of a signal at
nominal to somewhat hot line levels.
The top LED, labeled CLIP, will light when a
+20 dBu signal is detected at the input buffer
amp or output stage, though the 533E actually
clips at +22dBu. Consider the CLIP LED a
slightly early warning light.
Note: If the INPUT LEVEL control is turned all
the way down and you send a very hot input
signal (greater than +20dBu) into the
equalizers input, the CLIP LED will illuminate
even though there will be no output signal.
This will occur because the input buffer amp,
533E
which is before the INPUT LEVEL control, is one
U
- +15
∞
LOW CUT
22
8
6 260
50
of the points at which the CLIP
LED detects excessive signal
levels.
0
Low Cut Filter - Diagram 1
illustrates the 12dB per octave
low-frequency rolloff filter. This
filter is good for several things. It
protects the low-frequency drivers
-3
in your sound system by removing
potentially damaging subsonic
4
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