Alesis MICROVERB 4 manual

A L ES I S MicroVerb 4 Reference M a nu a l[...]

MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 1 Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Alesis MicroVerb 4 Multieffects Processor. To take full advantage of the MicroVerb 4’s functions, and to enjoy long and trouble-free use, please read this user’s manual carefully. How To Use This Manual This manual is divided into the following sections describing the vari[...]

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Contents MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 3 C ONTENTS Your First Session with the MicroVerb 4 ................................ ........................... 7 Unpacking and Inspection ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 7 Basic Connections ................................ ...............[...]

Contents 4 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Pitch Shifter Effects ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 27 Stereo Pitch Shifter ................................ ................................ ................................ . . 27 Stereo Pitch Detuner .......................[...]

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Your First Session with the MicroVerb 4 – Chapter 1 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 7 C HAPTER 1 Y OUR F IRST S ESSION WITH THE M ICRO V ERB 4 Unpacking and Inspection Your MicroVerb 4 was packed carefully at the factory, and the shipping carton was designed to protect the unit during shipping. Please retain this container in the highly unlikely eve[...]

Chapter 1 – Your First Session with the MicroVerb 4 8 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual ¿ Before turning on the MicroVerb 4’s power, check the following items: • Have all connections been made correctly? • Are the volume controls of the amplifier or mixer turned down? ¡ Plug in the power adapter and insert the Power jack into the [POWER] input[...]

Your First Session with the MicroVerb 4 – Chapter 1 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 9 The display will dim slightly when it is not displaying the current Program. When the Store button is pressed, the Display will flash the destination Program number. ± STORE Button. When the [STORE] button is pressed, the LED Display will flash the number of the P[...]

Chapter 1 – Your First Session with the MicroVerb 4 10 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Auditioning Internal Programs The MicroVerb 4 comes with 100 Programs in a Preset bank, plus another 100 Programs in the User bank. These Programs represent the wide range of applications for which the MicroVerb 4 is suited. The difference between Preset and User [...]

Your First Session with the MicroVerb 4 – Chapter 1 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 11 Storing Edited Programs Once you are satisfied with the changes you have made to an edited Program, or are creating a new Program from scratch, you will need to store your edited Program back into memory. The MicroVerb 4 will temporarily store the currently select[...]

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Connections – Chapter 2 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 13 C HAPTER 2 C ONNECTIONS AC Power Hookup The MicroVerb 4 comes with a power adapter suitable for the voltage of the country it is shipped to (either 110 or 220V, 50 or 60 Hz). With the MicroVerb 4 off, plug the small end of the power adapter cord into MicroVerb 4’s [POWER] socket and the ma[...]

Chapter 2 – Connections 14 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual • Although Alesis does not endorse any specific product, chemicals such as Tweek and Cramolin, when applied to electrical connectors, are claimed to improve the electrical contact between connectors. Typical Applications The analog audio inputs and outputs are typically used in one of thre[...]

Connections – Chapter 2 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 15 • Mono. Connect a mono cord to the [LEFT] INPUT o f the MicroVerb 4 from a mono source, and another mono cord from the [LEFT] output of the MicroVerb 4 to an amplification system or mixer input. MIX INPUT OUTPUT DUAL CHANNEL PARRELL PROCESSOR 00-99 PRESET 100-199 USER CLIP -6dB -12dB -32dB[...]

Chapter 2 – Connections 16 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Interfacing to a Mixing Console The MicroVerb 4 handles mono or stereo sends at all system levels. The input circuitry of the MicroVerb 4 can easily handle +4 dBu levels (+20 dBu peaks), while having enough input and output gain to interface with the low -10 dBV signal levels of budget recor[...]

Connections – Chapter 2 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 17 Mono In - Stereo Out. If you only want to feed the MicroVerb 4 a mono input, but wish to connect both of its outputs back to the mixer, you will need three 1/4" audio cables. Connect a mono cord from an effect send to the [LEFT] input of the MicroVerb 4, another mono cord from the [LEFT[...]

Chapter 2 – Connections 18 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual By using individual channel inserts, you can dedicate the MicroVerb 4 to a specific channel (or pair of channels) on the mixer. The Insert connections on the back of the mixer provide a way of “inserting” external processing equipment into the signal path. The insert occurs after the inp[...]

Connections – Chapter 2 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 19 inputs. This is done by using two 1/4" mono cables to connect the Left and Right Main Outputs of the mixing console to the [LEFT/MONO] and [RIGHT] inputs of the MicroVerb 4. The [LEFT] and [RIGHT] outputs of the MicroVerb 4 are then connected to a stereo amplifier, or two input channels[...]

Chapter 2 – Connections 20 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Avoiding Ground Loops In today’s studio, where it seems every piece of equipment has complex routing and computer logic, there are many opportunities for ground loop problems to occur. These show up as hums, buzzes or sometimes radio reception and can occur if a piece of equipment “sees?[...]

Connections – Chapter 2 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 21 MIDI MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is an internationally-accepted protocol that allows musical-related data to be conveyed from one device to another. The MIDI connections on the MicroVerb 4 provide four different functions: • To recall Programs using MIDI program change mess[...]

Chapter 2 – Connections 22 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual assembly with a stereo cord already attached. The pedals are often packaged with digital pianos. You should not use the dual footswitch from a guitar amplifier, as these are typically latching type footswitches. You can tell a latching footswitch from an unlatched type when it takes two pres[...]

Overview of Effects – Chapter 3 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 23 C HAPTER 3 O VERVIEW OF E FFECTS Reverb Effects Reverb is made up of a large number of distinct echoes, called reflections. In a natural acoustic space, each reflection’s amplitude and brightness decays over time. This decaying action is influenced by the room size, the location of[...]

Chapter 3 – Overview of Effects 24 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual some of these effects can sound similar to one another depending on the parameter settings, each is achieved differently and can be quite dramatic under the right circumstances. Pitch effects are achieved by splitting the signal into at least two parts, effecting the pitch of one of [...]

Overview of Effects – Chapter 3 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 25 This is a less processor intensive version of the Stereo Chorus, used in Multi Effect configurations. The effect of Chorusing is achieved by splitting and slightly delaying one part of the signal, then varying the time delay with an LFO. The delayed signal is then mixed back with the[...]

Chapter 3 – Overview of Effects 26 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Rate (Edit A) The Rate control sets the speed of the Chorus or Flanging sweep. When the Edit A knob is turned, the LCD display will show the edited sweep frequency in Hertz. Depth (Edit B) The Depth control sets the intensity of the Chorus or Flanger sweep. The LCD display will show [...]

Overview of Effects – Chapter 3 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 27 tap will be heard. At a setting of 10%, only a little signal will be fed back through the delay, so the signal will repeat back a few times before fading into silence. At a Feedback setting of 100%, the signal will continue repeating for a few minutes before decaying into silence. Se[...]

Chapter 3 – Overview of Effects 28 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual effect will ramp rather than change abruptly, just as a true Lezlie speaker system would do. Multi Effects Parameters: Decay (Edit A) The Decay parameter controls the length of the Reverb. When adjusted, the LCD display will show the decay time in Seconds and Milliseconds. Rate/Time [...]

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Description of Controls – Chapter 4 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 31 C HAPTER 4 D ESCRIPTION OF C ONTROLS Front Panel Input Level The Input Level controls the level of the signal being fed into the MicroVerb 4. The MicroVerb 4 can operate with signal levels anywhere from +4dBv Pro Audio gear to guitar level signals. To set the input level, watch t[...]

Chapter 4 – Description of Controls 32 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual which was last selected. (Note: When the MicroVerb 4’s power is disconnected, any edits to the currently selected Program will be lost.) The MicroVerb 4’s display is used to indicate the following: ¿ Program Number . MicroVerb 4 Programs are numbered from 00 to 199. Programs[...]

Description of Controls – Chapter 4 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 33 Edit A/ Edit B Knobs The Edit A and Edit B knobs are used to adjust aspects of the currently selected Program. For example, on a Concert Hall program, the Edit A knob adjusts Reverb Decay Time and the Edit B knob adjusts Reverb Input Hi Cut. When the Edit A or Edit B knobs are ad[...]

Chapter 4 – Description of Controls 34 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Rear Panel Power This is a plug for connecting the Alesis Model P3 +9VAC power supply (supplied). The power supply is then connected to an AC outlet delivering a nominal 120VAC. The correct power supply must be used AT ALL TIMES. Any other power supply might create a fire risk an[...]

Description of Controls – Chapter 4 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 35 These are 1/4" phone jacks which connect to sources such as the effects sends of mixing consoles. They may be used with nominal input levels from -10dBV (guitar level) to +4dBu. For mono applications, use the [LEFT/MONO] input. The [LEFT/MONO] input jack is normalled to the [...]

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Advanced Applications – Chapter 5 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 37 C HAPTER 5 MIDI A PPLICATIONS MIDI Functions The MicroVerb 4 provides many MIDI functions, including being able to respond to program changes, sending and receiving Program information via SysEx (System Exclusive) dumps, and realtime control over effect parameters via MIDI controll[...]

Chapter 5 – Advanced Applications 38 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual MicroVerb 4: ¿ Connect the MicroVerb 4’s [MIDI OUT] to the receiving device’s MIDI IN. ¡ Press and hold [BANK/MIDI] and press the [STORE] button. The display will read Snd as the User Programs are sent. ¬ When you send a Sysex dump back to the MicroVerb 4, it will automatica[...]

Troubleshooting – Chapter 6 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 39 C HAPTER 6 T ROUBLESHOOTING Troubleshooting Index If you are experience problems while operating the MicroVerb 4, please use the following table to locate possible causes and solutions before contacting Alesis customer service for assistance. Symptom Cause Solution The display does not l[...]

Chapter 6 – Troubleshooting 40 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual Disconnect the AC cord, then use a damp cloth to clean the MicroVerb 4’s metal and plastic surfaces. For heavy dirt, use a non-abrasive household cleaner such as Formula 409 or Fantastik. DO NOT SPRAY THE CLEANER DIRECTLY ONTO THE FRONT OF THE UNIT AS IT MAY DESTROY THE LUBRICANTS USED[...]

MIDI Implementation Chart MidiVerb 4 Reference Manual 41 MIDI I MPLEMENTATION C HART Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks Basic Channel Default Changed X * * * * * * * * 1 — 16 Mode Default Messages Altered X X * * * * * * * * Mode 3 X Note Number True Voice X * * * * * * * * X X Velocity Note On Note Off X X X X After Touch Key’s Ch’s X X[...]

Specifications 42 MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual S PECIFICATIONS Electrical Frequency Response: ± 1dB from 20Hz to 20 kHz Dynamic Range: >90dB "A" wtg., 20 Hz-22kHz Distortion: <0.009% @ 1kHz, nominal level (-12 dBfs) <0.005% @ peak level Crosstalk: <90dB below full scale Input Number of Channels: 2 Format: 1/4" unbalanced[...]

Specifications MicroVerb 4 Reference Manual 43 Factory Preset Programs (ROM): 1 0 0 Internal processing resolution: 24 bit accumulator Delay memory: 1270 milliseconds Reverb effects: Concert Hall, Real Room, Ambience, Plate Reverb, Nonlinear Delay effects: Mono Delay, Stereo Delay, Ping Pong Delay, Multi Tap Delay Pitch effects: Stereo Chorus, Quad[...]