User manual PEAVEY CEL-2A

[. . . ] For more information on other great Peavey products, go to your local Peavey dealer or online at www. 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. WARNING: To prevent electrical shock or fire hazard, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture. Before using this appliance, read the operating guide for further warnings. [. . . ] A switch in the jack normally connects the return (ring) to the send (tip) until a plug is inserted. You may need to go back and adjust the threshold after the ratio has been changed since the soft-knee circuitry has more affect at lower ratios, making the transition point less obvious. For typical voice compression, set the Compressor Ratio control to 4:1 (a range of 2:1 to 6:1 is common) and adjust the Compressor Threshold until the desired amount of gain reduction is seen on the meter. This is a personal preference but continuous gain reduction greater than -9 dB (especially with higher ratios) could be excessive and create pumping/breathing artifacts as the signal rises and falls. Adjust the Attack control to low values to suppress leading-edge spikes or to high values to let them through (often used to pass through the click of a drum hit). the Release control is adjusted to smooth the transition as it comes out of compression. A fast attack and a short release time will cause the compressor to track the signal very closely (and keep the dynamic range very limited), but can severely impact the sound. Speak or sing a phrase with heavy sibilance (lots of "Ss") and adjust the Compressor Threshold until 6­9 dB of gain reduction occurs at the peaks. If the ratio is too high or the threshold is too low the compression may be exaggerated, causing the material to drop excessively in volume (duck) during sibilance. When heavy bass or low frequency noise causes the compressor to drop levels unnecessarily, the side-chain Low-cut filter can be used. When activated, the Compressor Threshold should be reset since a large portion of the signal usually contains low frequency components. The bass will have less affect on the compressor and the signal will sound more natural. If the source contains only bass frequencies, this may prevent the compressor from working at all and the bass will pass through unchanged. After all the settings are made, adjust the Gain control for a 0 dBu (or +4 dBu) average on the output meter. Connector XLR Pin 1 = ground Pin 2 = positive phase Pin 3 = negative phase /4" Sleeve = ground Tip = positive phase Ring = negative phase /4" phone tip = input ring = output (see control functions above) 1%, 20 Hz­20 kHz (10 Hz­80 kHz BW) Signal-to-noise: 97 dB (0 dBu reference level) Frequency Response: 20 Hz­64 kHz (+0 dB/-1 dB) Output Impedance: 100 oHms (XLR and 1/4") Meters: Two 12-segment LED arrays, two 10-segment LED arrays, two activity LEDs Dimensions: 19" W x 9. The key to successfully using a compressor is to visualize the signal's envelope and then create a scheme that closely tracks that flow. Thus, a kick drum, with its sharp attack and fast decay, requires a tracing envelope with a quick attack, somewhat heavy clamping, and fast release of the compressed signal. The CEL-2A has enough parameter control to "dial-in" almost any desired configuration. With the unique architecture of the CEL-2A, the gate, compressor and limiter act independently on the signal, then return the processed signal to the output, thereby insuring the shortest, cleanest path. These settings typically work best on individual instruments brought into the CEL-2A and returned through a channel insert. It is worth noting, personal taste is an integral part of any audio endeavor, including compression, so feel free to adjust these settings for preference. Less is more here, with the primary job of the CEL-2A being a non-invasive massaging of the vocalist's dynamic range so it fits within the system and venue capacities. [. . . ] The key is to set the threshold high but hit the signal hard to prevent feedback instead of increasing feedback, as compressors can sometimes do. The expander must be set low, with a threshold of -40 and a ratio of 1:1. The compressor's threshold must be set at 0, with a strong ratio of 5:1 or higher, a quick attack of 25mS and a release of . If the vocalists push harder against the compressor, feedback and frustration can occur, making the bypass switch a handy tool in monitor world. [. . . ]