Alesis DEQ830 manual

Ref er ence Manual[...]

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Table Of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................. 3 W elcome! ...................................................................................................... 3 DEQ830 Key Fe atures .................................................................... 4 How to Use Th is Manual .................[...]

Table Of Contents 2 Basic operation: Edit mode........................................................... 34 Basic operation: Store mode......................................................... 41 Basic operation: S ave Curve mode ............................................. 41 Basic operation: Retr ieve Curve mode ................................[...]

Introduction W elcome! Thank you for purchasing the Alesis DEQ830. It is a versatile product, and whether it be comes a part of your studio or finds its place in your liv e setup, w e know it will ser ve y o u well. Since 1984, we’v e been designing and building creative tools for the audio community . W e believ e in our products , because we&ap[...]

Introduction DEQ830 Key F eatures 1. Offers the be st of digital technol og y and analog-styl e control: a graphic display with instant ed iting of any band or combination of bands, plus the ability to store prog rams 2. 100 user-definable programs, each of which holds 8 channels of EQ settings 3. 100 user-definable cur ves , each of which holds 30[...]

Introduction How to Use This Manual This manual is divided into the following sections describing the various functions of and app lications for the DEQ830. While it's a go od idea to read through the entire m anual once carefully , tho se having general knowledge about au dio equipme nt should use the table of contents to look up speci fic fu[...]

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Important Safety Instructions Important Safety Instructions (English) Saf ety symbols used in this product This symbo l alerts the user th at there are impor tant operating and maintenance i n structions in the literature accompanying this un it. This symbol war ns the user of uninsulated voltage within the unit that can cause dang erous electric s[...]

Important Safety Instructions 12. Use on ly with a cart, stan d, brack et, o r table designed for use with professional audi o or music equipment. In any installation, make sure that injur y or damage will not result from cables pulling on the app aratus and its mounting . If a cart is us ed, use caution when moving the car t/apparatus combination [...]

Important Safety Instructions Instructions de Sécurité Importantes (French) S ymboles utilisés dans ce pr oduit Ce symbole alèr te l’utilisateur qu’il existe des instr uctions de fonctionneme nt et de maintenance dans la documentati on jointe avec ce produit. Ce symbole avertit l’utilisat eur de la présence d’une tension non isolée à[...]

Important Safety Instructions 12. N’utilisez qu’avec un stand, ou table conçus pour l’utilisation d’audio professionne l ou instruments de musiqu e. Dans tou te installation, veillez de ne rien endommager à cause de câbles qui tirent sur de s appareils et leur support. 13. Débran chez l’appareil lors d’un orage ou lorsqu’il n’es[...]

Important Safety Instructions Lesen Sie bitte die folgende Sicherheitshinweise (German) Sicher heit S ymbole verw endet in diesem Pr odukt Dieses Symbol alar mier t den Benutzer, daß es wic h tige Funktioniere n und W artung Anweisungen in der Lite ratur gibt, die diese Maßeinheit begleitet. Dieses Symbol w ar nt den Benutzer der nicht isol ier t[...]

Important Safety Instructions 12. V erwende n Sie aussc hließlic h W agen, Ständer, oder Ti sche , die speziell f ür professionell e Au dio- und Musikinstrumente geeignet sind. Achten Sie immer darauf, daß die jeweiligen Geräte sicher installiert sind, um Schäden und V erletzungen zu vermeiden . W enn Sie einen R o llwagen benutzen, achten Si[...]

Important Safety Instructions CE Declaration of Conformity See our W eb site at: http://www .alesis .com FCC Compliance Statement This device complies with P ar t 15 of the FCC r ules . Op eration is subject to the f o llo wing tw o conditions: (1) This device may not cause har mful interferen ce and (2) this device must accept an y interference re[...]

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1 Quick Start Guide If you can’t wait t o get star ted… The Alesis DEQ830 is a unique pr oduct, but its basic hookup and operation are similar to othe r equalizers in most respects . If you're experienced with signal processo rs , this chapter is a “sho rthand” guide for those who want to star t using the DEQ830 right away . If you ha [...]

1 Quick Start Guide Step 2: Try some equalization Play some signal int o the unit While lear ning the unit, you should play a CD or a multitrac k source into the e qualizer . Choose a song or m usical passage with a fairly consistent level, so you can take y our time experimen ting with the different features. 1. Put the mixer’ s main faders all [...]

Quick Start Guide 1 Step 4: Save an EQ Curve In addition to being able to sa ve entire programs , you can also sav e the settings for an individual EQ cu r v e. Here’ s how to do this: 1. Select the cur ve you wish to sav e by pressing that channel’ s [CHANNEL SELECT] button. 2. Press the [SA VE CUR VE] button to enter Sav e Cur ve mode . 3. Us[...]

1 Quick Start Guide 18 DEQ830 Diagram[...]

2 Connections Unpacking and Inspection Y our DEQ830 was pack ed carefully at the factor y . The shipping carton was designed to protect the unit during transit. Please keep this car ton in the highly unlikely event that you need to return the DEQ830 for ser vicing . The shipping carton should contain the fol lowing items: • DEQ830 with the same s[...]

2 Connections AC P ower Hookup The DEQ830 has what’ s known as a “switching power supply .” This means it will detect any stan dard line voltage from 90 to 230 volts , 50-60 Hz, and adapt itself to that. All you need is the proper A C cable fo r the countr y in which you find yourself . Just plug the "female" end of the power cable [...]

Connections 2 Connecting Inputs and Outputs Connecting t o the Channel or Main Inser ts of a mixing console Unbalanced I/O When connecting audio cables and/or turning power on and off, please make sure that your amplifiers are turned down or off to prevent damage to your speakers. Most mixing consoles ha ve insert jac ks near the main outputs and f[...]

2 Connections Mono connections Mono connections This example shows how to connect the DEQ830 to one mono source . Y ou can use this me thod to connect eight mono sources to the DEQ830. Y ou w ould need eight inser t cables to make all of these connection s . This example shows how to connect the DEQ830 to one mono source . Y ou can use this me thod[...]

Connections 2 Connecting t o the inser ts on an instr ument amplifier Unbalanced I/O The insert sends on a guitar or bass amp are usually l abeled “effects send and re turn” or “inser t send and return. ” T his allows your i nstr ument to be boosted to l ine lev el before the signal i s sent to the equalizer, processed, and returned to th e[...]

2 Connections Analog Signal In, Digital Signal Out Analog Signal In, Digital Signal Out In this configuration, the DEQ830 can be used to “translate” an analog signal to the digital dom ain. A likely scenario would be using the DEQ830 as an analog-to-digital co nv er ter between your submix outputs and an Ale sis AD A T . In addition to acting a[...]

Connections 2 About Audio Cables The conn ections between the DEQ830 and your studio are your music’ s lifeline, so use only high quality cables. These should b e low-capacitance shielded cables with a stran ded (not solid) inter nal conductor and a low-resistance sh ield. Although quality cables cost more, they do mak e a difference. Route cable[...]

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3 Basics of Equalization This section will describ e how equalization w o rks and explain the functions of the DEQ830’ s controls . What is equalization? An equalizer boosts or cuts a frequency range. The DEQ830 is a graphic equalizer , which means it has many fix ed freque ncy bands that can be cut or boosted. The term “g raphic” is appropri[...]

3 Basics of Equalization Description of the Front P anel This section will give you an ov er view of the front pa nel’ s features . Not all features are labeled, so you may w ant to refer to the diagram o f the DEQ830 on page 18 as you read this section. Band Select There are 31 buttons side -by-side on the left half of the DEQ830’ s front pane[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 the original signal so you can decide if you like the edit you made . Press the button again to get out of Bypass mode and hear the effect. Bypass All (ALL) This button is lo cated just abov e the [B YP ASS] button. It will tog gle the Bypass status of all eight channels at once . The first press of the [ALL] button will ca[...]

3 Basics of Equalization 30 Progr am If you want to cance l any action in prog ress and return to Program mode, just press the [PROGRAM] button. V alue Encoder (V ALUE) On far right side y ou’ll find a knob marked [V ALUE] , which is used to edit the g ain amount of the frequency you have selected with the [BAND SELECT] buttons . (It is also poss[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Description of the Basic Modes Progr am mode When this manual refers to Program mode, w e mean the very top level of functionality of the DEQ830. In prog ram mode, turnin g the [V ALUE] encoder will let you select between the 100 user- definable pre set programs in the unit. A program consists of more than just EQ setti ngs[...]

3 Basics of Equalization Curve 00 is a “ f la t ” curve. We recommend that you leave Curve 00’s gain settings at 0 so that you may use it as a “clean slate” for building new curves from the ground up. w orks well for male v ocals. Sa y you hav e two or thre e channel s of male vocals feeding into the DEQ 830. T o EQ these, just retriev e [...]

Basics of Equalization 3 33 Link mode In this mode, you can link mu ltiple channels so that their EQ settings are locked together . T o expe riment with this , first select a channel wi th recognizable se ttings . Next, press and hold down the [LINK] button. Y ou c an then selec t channel s to link to the original c hannel by pressing their [CHANNE[...]

3 Basics of Equalization Basic operation: Program mode Program mode is where to be if you w ant to call up another program, or if you ju st want to kno w the number of the prog ram you are using . The DEQ830 h as 100 prog rams in all. Prog rams 00- 24 contain fac tory presets that you can use as starting points for your own programs. Y ou can ov er[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Band Solo The DEQ830 has a ha ndy feature called Band Solo that allows you to “isolate” a give n frequency while you are editing . T his can help you dete r mine exac tly whic h band you nee d to highlight or de- emphasize. It’ s simple to do: 1. Select a band b y pressing and holding its [BAND SELECT] button. 2. Pres[...]

3 Basics of Equalization LED Gain Change + 12 dB 11.5 – 12.0 dB + 10 dB 9.5 – 11 dB + 8 dB 7.5 – 9.0 dB + 6 dB 5.5 – 7.0 dB + 4 dB 3.5 – 5.0 dB + 2 dB 0.5 – 3.0 dB 0 dB 0 dB - 2 dB 0.5 – 3.0 dB - 4 dB 3.5 – 5.0 dB - 6 dB 5.5 – 7.0 dB - 8 dB 7.5 – 9.0 dB - 10 dB 9.5 – 11 dB - 12 dB 11.5 – 12.0 dB 36[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Multiple Band Edit Selecting an Edit Group Pressing a [BAND SELECT] button puts the DEQ830 into Edit mode. And until y ou tur n the [V ALUE] encoder to boost or cut the gain, you can k eep pressing [BAND SELECT] buttons until you hav e several of them selected simultaneously . T his is called selecting an E dit Group. An E [...]

3 Basics of Equalization (see fig . 1 on pag e 38). But it won't stop at 12; it will keep racing upward until it reaches 24. This is because that’ s how far the band that was set to -12 dB had to trav el un til it hit the “ceiling, ” or + 12 dB (see fig . 2). But what about the band that was set to 0 dB originally ...was it boosted to +2[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 One important note, though: Proportional Gain Memory is only temporary . If you run one or more bands “past” the +/-12 dB limit and then you exit Edit mode for any reason (suc h as to store the prog ram), the gain value of those bands will be remembered as +/-12 dB (whichev er was the value that w as last reached for th[...]

3 Basics of Equalization Likewise , if the lowest gain setting of any band in this same Edit Group is -4 dB , then the largest number you will see in the Relati ve Gain display go ing all the way up is 16 (see fig . 5). Likewise , if the lowest gain setting of any band in this same Edit Group is -4 dB , then the largest number you will see in the R[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Basic operation: Store mode Once you hav e created a pro gram you would like to sav e, press the [STORE] button to enter Store mode. This will cause the Numerical LED Display to blink with the number of the cur rent program. Tu r n i n g t h e [V ALUE] encoder allo ws you to choose a program number between 00-99 as the dest[...]

3 Basics of Equalization Copying settings betw een channels Y ou can use the Link function while editing to help set up identical cur ves on multiple channels . But at some po int the cur ves may need to div erge slightly (or significan tly). Rather than unlinking the channels and starting all o ve r again, you can use the Cur ve Bank to “bounce?[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Re member that a non-primar y channel is “mirroring” the settings of the primar y channe l. When you perform an edit on a non- primary channel, you aren ’ t actua lly editing that channel; you are actually changing the primary ch anne, and the audio for all link ed channels will be affected by the edit. But whatev er [...]

3 Basics of Equalization Metering modes Metering modes H eld peaks may be reset at any time by pressing the [ RTA] button and holding it f or about a second. The DEQ830 allows you to choose ho w the Band Gain LEDs will respond in RT A mode. This is done in Utility mode, where you can use the [V ALUE] en coder to select between the four different se[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Basic operation: Utility mode To return to Program mode f rom Utility mode, press the [ PROGRAM ] button. This is where you will find some of the features that g overn the way the DEQ830 operates in the other modes . They are what you w ould call “global” settings, in that their statu s is not stored with a prog ram. No[...]

3 Basics of Equalization When a hot line level signal comes in, the DEQ830 has plenty of headroom to deal with it. But i f you perfor m some radical equaliz ation on this signal, it i s possible that the combi nation of the incoming hot signal pl us the equalization y ou have done may put the signal “o ve r the top” and within clipping range . [...]

Basics of Equalization 3 47 There are pros and cons to both wa ys of w o rking . So , experiment with this feature and see which way w orks b est for you. T o enable or disable the Release Edit Group feature from this Utility mode page, just turn the [V ALUE] encoder. Edit Time Out (On/Off) The Edit Time Out func tion ser ves as an “auto-exit” [...]

3 Basics of Equalization 48 command is initiated (Button 11), the sys-ex data will b e sent in either case. Inter nal Clock Sample Rate Select (44.1/48) The DEQ830 automatically sens es an incoming digital signal through its AD AT Optical input an d sla ves its internal clock to that, whether the rate is 44.1k or 48k. But if you need the DEQ830 to [...]

Basics of Equalization 3 This pro cess is not affected by the setting of the MIDI Out/Th r u Select function. When you instruct th e unit to T ransmit, the s ys-ex data will be sent whether the MIDI jack is set to Out or Thr u. Receiving System Exclusive bulk dumps The DEQ830 is always ready to receiv e a new bank o f prog rams and cur ves into its[...]

3 Basics of Equalization The "Hidden" Modes There are a couple of sub-lev els of operation that can be accessed by pressing di fferent buttons . W e covere d a number of modes on the preceding pag es; here are two more “hidden” modes: Demonstr ation mode Sometimes it’ s fun to hav e a lot of little li ghts flashing from the stage or[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Equalization Artifacts When you appl y a lot of EQ (6dB or more), y ou may hear some consequences on the output. Here are a few common s ide effects to applying a lot of equalizati on and some wa ys to avoid the m. The potential for artifacts is highly dependent on the audio source material. A D EQ830 curve that works well [...]

3 Basics of Equalization Constant Q vs. V ariable Q What mak es the DEQ830 unique? Early gr aphic equalizers relied solely on a for m of equalization known as “V ariable Q . ” The DEQ830, on th e other hand, is what is known as a “Constant Q” eq ualizer . T his method of equalization is a relatively recent dev elopmen t in the histor y of s[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 Va r i a b l e Q In the next illustration, the wider and mo re gradual cur ve represents a lower gain setting fo r a V ariable Q equalizer . T he nar rower and more steep cur ve represents a high er gain setting at the same frequency: The previous illustration has been exag gerated somewhat to make the point, but y ou can s[...]

3 Basics of Equalization Multi-band application and r esults So far we ha ve only deal t with cutting or boosting singl e frequency bands . T he diffe rences betw een the Constant Q and V ariable Q methods become more “g raphic, ” if you will, when adjacent frequency bands are involved. In this example, three adjacent bands are used. T hey have[...]

Basics of Equalization 3 T o further illustrate the differences, here is a pair of examples in which three adjacent bands have settings of + 3 dB , -3 dB , and + 3 dB , respectiv ely: Remember that at low er g ain settings, there is an even wider Q for a giv en frequen cy band on a V ariab le Q equalizer . T he center frequency band needs to be edi[...]

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4 Applications This section is designed to get you started with the DEQ830 by giving some sample se ttings . T hes e are merely sugg ested settings; experiment and fi nd your o wn once you begin to hear what the DEQ830 does to your sound. In a wa y , it’ s absurd to sug ges t EQ settings without knowing what the source sou nds like . EQ is a tool[...]

4 Applications Eliminating Feedbac k During a live perform ance, y ou may experience feedback if a microphone is pl aced too close to a monitor . Howev er, thi s feedbac k often occurs at one fre quency before it happens at others . Y ou can "ring out" the m onitor b y using EQ to cut the frequency that’ s feeding back. The following is[...]

Applications 4 Comb filter ing Y ou'll u nderstand how this ef fect process got its name once y ou see the way it looks when recreated on the DEQ830. This on e works especially w ell with two channels that car ry the left and right signals from a stereo audio source: N ote: depending on the incoming audio, it may be necessary to reduce the gai[...]

4 Applications 60[...]

5 Troubleshooting Line Conditioners and Protectors Although the DEQ830 is designed to tolerate typ ical v o ltage variations , in today’ s world the v o ltage coming from th e A C line may contain spikes or transien ts . Th ese can cause audible noises, and they can stress your gear and, over time, possibly cause a failure. There are tw o main wa[...]

5 Troubleshooting 62 T r oubleshooting Index Sympt oms Cause Solution No audio at outputs . No input audio . T est with a k nown good input. Bad cables . R ep lace the cables . Destination is turned down. Chec k the connection s and the level of the mixer or amp to which the DEQ830 is connected. W eak output signal. Input level w eak. Increase leve[...]

Troubleshooting 5 63 Ref er All Servicing to Alesis W e believ e that the DEQ830 is one of the best signal processors that can be made using c urrent technology , and should pro vide years of trouble-free use. How ever , should problems occur , DO NOT attempt to ser vice the unit yo urself unless you have training and experience . Ser vice on this [...]

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Specifications Rear P anel I/O (switchable) Analog: A ll measurements done over a 22 Hz - 22 kHz range with 1 kHz sine wave at -1dBFS input. Impedances are measured at 1 kHz. Input Connectors: 8 balanced 1/4 ” TRS jacks Output Connectors: 8 balanced 1/4 ” TRS jack s Digital: Input Connector: 1 AD AT Optical Output Connector: 1 AD AT Optica l Sw[...]

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Warranty / Contact Alesis Limit ed W ar ranty ALESIS CORPORATION ("ALESIS") w ar rants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship fo r a period of one (1) year for par ts and for a period of one (1) year for labor from the date of or iginal retail purchase. This war ranty is enforceable only by the original retail purc[...]

Warranty/Contact 68 Alesis Contact Infor mation Alesis Distributi on, LLC Los Angeles , CA USA E-mail: support@alesis .com W ebsite: http://www .alesis . com Alesis DEQ830 Reference Man ual Re vision A by Randy Lee , Tai ho Y amada and Edwin E rdmann Re vision B by Bret Victor Copyright 2003, Alesis Distribution, LLC. All rights reser ved Reproduc [...]