TC Electronic M350 User Manual

M350

DUAL ENGINE PROCESSOR

UUSSEERR’’SS MMAANNUUAALL

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1 Read these instructions.
2 Keep these instructions.
3 Heed all warnings.
4 Follow all instructions.
5 Do not use this apparatus near water.
6 Clean only with dry cloth.
7 Do not block any ventilation openings. Install

in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.

8 Do not install near any heat sources such

as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce
heat.

9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the

polarized or grounding-type plug. A
polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. A grounding type plug
has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided
for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit
into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10 Protect the power cord from being walked

on or pinched particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the apparatus.

11 Only use attachments/accessories specified

by the manufacturer.

12 Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,

bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the

apparatus. When a cart is used, use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus
combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms

or when unused for long periods of time.

14 Refer all servicing to qualified service

personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is
damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped.

• This equipment should be installed near the
socket outlet and disconnection of the device

should be easily accessible.

• Do not install in a confined space.

• Do not open the unit – risk of electric shock
inside.

Caution:

You are cautioned that any change or
modifications not expressly approved in this
manual could void your authority to operate this
equipment.

Service

• There are no user-serviceable parts inside.

• All service must be performed by qualified
personnel.

Warning!

• Do not expose this equipment to dripping and
ensure that no objects filled with liquids, such
as vases, are placed on the equipment.

• This apparatus must be earthed.

• Use a three wire grounding type line cord
like the one supplied with the product.

• Be advised that different operating voltages
require the use of different types of line
cord and attachment plugs.

• Check the voltage in your area and use the
correct type. See table below:

Voltage Line plug according to standard

110-125V UL817 and CSA C22.2 no 42.

220-230V CEE 7 page VII, SR section

107-2-D1/IEC 83 page C4.

240V BS 1363 of 1984.

Specification for 13A fused
plugs and switched and
unswitched socket outlets.

The lightning flash with an arrowhead
symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to 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 to the presence of important

operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the
product.

a

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Certificate of Conformity

TC Electronic A/S, Sindalsvej 34, 8240
Risskov, Denmark, hereby declares on own
responsibility that following products:

M350 – Dual Engine Processor

- that is covered by this certificate and
marked with CE-label conforms with
following standards:

EN 60065 Safety requirements for mains
(IEC 60065) operated electronic and

related apparatus for household
and similar general use

EN 55103-1 Product family standard for

audio, video, audio-visual and
entertainment lighting control
apparatus for professional
use. Part 1: Emission.

EN 55103-2 Product family standard for

audio, video, audio-visual and
entertainment lighting control
apparatus for professional
use. Part 2: Immunity.

With reference to regulations in following
directives:
73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC

Issued in Risskov, April 2006

Mads Peter Lübeck

Chief Executive Officer

EMC / EMI

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.
These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful
interference in residential installations. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a
circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/TV technician for help.

For the customers in Canada:

This Class B digital apparatus complies with
Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

b

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Front Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Rear Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Signal Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Typical M350 Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

BASIC OPERATION

How to Operate the M350

Input/Output Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

The Delay/Effects Engine . . . . . . . . . .18

The Reverb Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

The Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Miscellaneous

Factory Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

MIDI channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Sysex ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

M350 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Routings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

EFFECTS

Delay-effects

Dynamic Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Studio Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Triplets Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Soft Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

PingPong Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

SlapBack Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

De-Esser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Chorus/Flanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Phaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Tremolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Reverbs

Reverb types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

TC Electronic, Sindalsvej 34, DK-8240 Risskov – [e-mail] Rev 1.1 – SW – V 1.00English Version

Prod. No: E60505812

APPENDIX

MIDI Implementation Chart . . . . . . . .30

MIDI Continuous Controllers . . . . . . .31

Reset Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

MIDI Bulk Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . .32

QUICK START – IF YOU JUST CAN’T WAIT

If you just can’t wait to hear the great
effects waiting for you in your new M350
Dual Effects processor, follow the few steps
in this quick setup guide:

• Unpack the M350 and check for possible

damages that could have been caused by
transport.

• Read the safety instructions.

• Take a few minutes to register online via:

www.tcelectronic.com or send in the
registration card. Customers registered
online will be notified directly via E-Mail
about new tips & tricks and manual updates.

Consider the M350 as two effects processors in
one box. We call these two processors
“engines”. The Delay/Effects engine creates
one of the following effects: Delay, Chorus,
Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, De-Ess or
Compression. The Reverb engine creates
Reverb.
These two Engines can be used separately or in
conjunction.

Connections & Routing:

The M350 has two routing options that require
two different ways of connecting.
The Routing mode is set on the M350 rear
panel and should correspond to your current
setup.

Serial Routing (switch in OUT

position)

– utilizing both effect Engines in serial.

Dual Input mode (switch in IN

position)

– ideal if you need to send signals from two
different aux sends on your mixer and return on
a stereo aux or two other channels.

For detailed explanations on Routings and
connections please read page 23.

• When all audio connections are made,
connect power.

• Set the M350 to Preset Off mode using the
PRESET ON/OFF key:

The M350 is in Preset Off mode when the
display reads as illustrated above.

• Set all controls in 12 o’clock position to
hear factory settings.

(For Dual Input mode set MIX to 100%.)

• Select an effect from the Delay/Effects
section.

• Select a reverb type from the Reverb section.

• Start playing music through the M350.

• Adjust input level to a level just below the
point where the two INPUT PPMs turn red.

• Set the desired mix between the dry and wet
signal of the entire M350 using the MIX
control.

• Set the desired balance between the
Delay/Effects engine and the Reverb engine
using the EFFECT BALANCE knob.

• Now tweak the controls for the two sections
until you have the intended effects.

• (When using the Dual Input mode always set
MIX to 100%)

For any questions left unanswered by this
manual feel free to visit our online support
center; TC Support Interactive, which can be
accessed via: www.tcelectronic.com

Latest manual revision can always be
downloaded from www.tcelectronic.com

4

5

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on the purchase of your M350 Dual Effects Processor from TC Electronic

M350 is an extremely user-friendly dual engine rack processor which is equally suited for live and
studio applications. It combines 15 quality reverbs with 15 multi-purpose effects including Delay,
Modulation, De-Ess and compression. M350 features a front panel user interface, which is
optimized for easy and speedy operation in a live performance situation. High density 24 bit
processing and AD/DA conversion deliver the full transparency of TC reverbs and effects.
M350 comes with an easy-to-read preset display, and provides MIDI in/out, MIDI clock tempo sync,
pedal control of tap tempo, and global bypass. It provides 5 direct access parameters for quick and
easy handling of parameter changes. The adaptive built-in power supply secures seamless
operation at any main voltage with no need for clumsy wall-warts.

Comp
Hard Comp
De-Esser
Smooth – Chorus
Lush – Chorus
Instrument Flanger
Tremolo
Vintage Phaser
Smooth Phaser
Slapback – Delay
PingPong – Delay
Soft – Delay
Triplets – Delay
Studio Delay
Dynamic Delay

TC Classic Hall
Cathedral
Vocal – Reverb
Live – Vocal
Hall – Acoustic
Drum – Ambience
Drum Room
Ambience
Living Room
Nearfield
Damped Room
Silver Plate
Gold Plate
Spring Vintage
Live Stage

6

FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW

INPUT knob

Adjusts the input level.

1/L and 2/R LEDS

3 color LEDs indicating input
level on left and right inputs.
Green: -40dB
Yellow: -6dB
Red: -1dB

MIX knob

Adjusts the mix between the
wet and the dry signal. 100%
“wet” is achieved at fully
clockwise position.

EFFECTS BALANCE knob

Adjusts the balance between
the Effects engine and the
Reverb engine. Maximum
effect from both engines is
achieved at 12 o’clock
position.

DIGI IN button and LED

LED Of

f
Digital input is set to off. The
M350 processes only the
signal present on the analog
inputs.

LED Green
The M350 is locked correctly
to the digital input signal.

LED Flashing
Digital in is selected but no
digital signal is received, or the
signal is corrupt. The M350
automatically returns to
internal clock and analog
operation.

BYPASS knob and LED

The bypass function varies
depending on the selected
routing (set on the rear panel):

Dual Input routing mode:
Bypass operates as “mute”.

Serial routing mode:
Bypass routes the input signal
to output.

MULTI-EFFECT selector

Selects between the 15 effects
& Off in the Delay/Effects
engine.

DELAY/TIMING knob
DE& TAP key

Tap the global tempo using the
TAP key by tapping quarter
notes. Now use the timing
knob to multiply the tapped
tempo.
The range varies from 0.5 to 2.

Example:

• Tap quarter notes at tempo
120 BPM. This equals 500
milliseconds.

• The range of the TIMING
knob is 0.5 to 2 giving you a
delay time varying from:
250ms to 1000ms.
Note that the Slapback
delay type has a shorter
range as the Slapback delay
type by nature is a short
delay.

DELAY/TIMING knob as
AMOUNT/DRIVE control

For the Compressor and De­Ess algorithms (marked with
an “*”) this knob has different
functions:

De-Ess

: Amount

Compressor : Drive

FEEDBACK/DEPTH knob

Controls the Feedback or
Depth parameter depending of
the selected effect.

Delay : Feedback
Phaser : Depth
Tremolo : Depth
Flange : Depth
Chorus : Depth

FEEDBACK/DEPTH knob as
FREQ/RATIO control

For the Compressor and De­Ess algorithms (marked with
an “*”), this knob has different
functions:

De-Ess

: Frequency

Compressor

: Ratio

-3, -6, -12 LEDs

These LEDs indicate the
applied gain-reduction when
Compressor or De-Ess
algorithms are selected.
Notice that the compressor
uses automatic make-up gain
to naturally compensate for the
reduced gain.

FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW

7

REVERB Type selector

Selects between 15 different
reverb types or sets the
Reverb engine to “Off”.

PRE DELAY knob

Controls the relative pre delay
of the selected Reverb.

DECAY knob

Controls the relative decay of
the selected reverb.

COLOR knob

Controls the relative color of
the selected reverb.

LOAD/HOLD TO STORE key

This key has two functions:

• Press once to load the
preset selected via the
CURSOR UP/DOWN keys.

• Press and hold to store the
current preset.

PRESET ON/OFF key

The M350 has two preset
modes:
Preset “Of

f” mode:
The display reads “- -”.
In this mode the M350 will play
effects according to the front
panel controls.
When going from preset “On”
to preset “Off” mode the
effects will always be updated
according to the positions of
the front controls.

Preset “On” mode:
The display reads a specific
preset number.
In this mode you can recall
various user presets by using
the UP/DOWN arrows followed
by LOAD.
(Note that the M350 holds no
stored factory presets apart
from the default settings in the
various effects).

Toggling between the preset
On/ preset Off modes
generates two situations:

From “On” to “Of

f”:
The preset is updated
according to the positions of
the front controls.

From “Of

f” to “On”:
The previously recalled preset
number starts blinking in the
display while the M350 still
processes the signal according
to the front controls. To
actually load the preset, press
LOAD.

Set MIDI channel

Press and hold the PRESET
ON/OFF key approx. 2.5 sec.
Now set the desired MIDI
channel 1 to 16 or “o” for
OMNI (receives on all
channels) or OF for Off, using
the ARROW UP/DOWN keys.
Via this menu a Bulk Dump
can also be performed (see
page 31).
Press PRESET ON/OFF key
once to exit the MIDI channels
set mode.

EDITED KNOBS LEDs

The LEDs are relevant in
Preset “On” mode only. They
indicate when the front
controls do not match the
settings stored in the actually
recalled preset.

ARROW UP/DOWN keys

Scroll between presets when
in preset “On” mode.

8

REAR PANEL

Balanced
Jack
Analog
Inputs

Pedal
Input

MIDI
In/Out

Routing Switch

Balanced
Jack
Analog
Outputs

Digital
S/PDIF
Input/
Output

Power
Input
100 – 240V

ROUTING switch

Switches between Dual Input and Serial routing
modes.

Dual Input mode:
Switch is in, and the green LED on the front
panel is on.

Serial mode:
Switch is out, and the green LED on the front
panel is off.

You can learn much more about these routing
options on page 23. See also the suggested
setups at pages 10-15.

Analog input

Analog input on 1/4 inch connectors.
Use left input for connecting a mono signal.

If you connect a source to the left input
only and use Dual Input mode, the input

signal is fed to both the Delay/Effects
engine and the Reverb engine. This means you
can then use the M350 as two independent
effect units with a common output.

Analog output

Analog output is a stereo output on two 1/4"
jack connectors.

Digital Input/Output

M350 can lock on an incoming 44.1 or 48kHz
digital signal via the S/PDIF digital in
RCA/phono connector.

M350 always sends on digital out.

- in analog mode, the digital output’s clock rate
is 44.1kHz.

- when locked to a 44.1kHz digital input signal,
the digital output’s clock rate is 44.1kHz.

- when locked to a 48kHz digital input signal,
the digital output’s clock rate is 48kHz.

Pedal input

The Pedal input allows you to bypass and “tap”
the global tempo via momentary switches. The
global tempo can be used to set delay time.
The connection is a 1/4" stereo jack with
Bypass on tip and Tap Tempo on ring.

SIGNAL FLOW

9

Jack Cable
Mono to Mono

MIDI Cable

DIN CONNECTOR
5POLE – MALE
180 degrees

DIN CONNECTOR
5POLE – MALE
180 degrees

max. 10m

SHIELDED CABLE (3 or 5 wires + screen)

GND
TIP

TIP
GND

TIP
RING
GND

GND
RING
TIP

Jack Cable
Stereo