rz| 8S MICROVERB Instruction ManualINTRODUCTION: Before unpacking your new Digital Reverb. take a mement to look through this instruc- tion manual. We've made it brief and informative. Some helpful setup thoughts are included along with some application hints, The MICROVERB represents a clear breakthrough in signal processing technology, Utilizing the Alesis RISC. (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture, the MICROVERB provides clean, quiet, protessional digital reverberation with the cost and simplicity of spring units. The entire digital processing system is contained ona single chip, developed by Alesis Research Department, specifically for the MICROVERB. Using high speed complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) silicon proc- essing, the MICROVERB chip replaces several circuit cards of components. while consuming very litile power. The reverb programs were developed on our interactive room simulation and devel- opment system. Philosophically, the objective ofreverberation isto enhancea dramatic performance, adding space, power, depth. Natural spaces tend to sound more pleas- ing than the simulated reverb types such as springs and plates, and for this reason, we use room terminology in describing our programs. The programs cover a wide range of sizes and qualities, anc include such unnatural concepts as gated and reverse types. INSTALLATION: Guitars, Keyboards: The MICROVERB has high impedance inputs ideally suited for use with instrument pickups. Further, if the left input only is used, the input signal will appear as mono (prosontin beth channels} al the dry side of the mix control, Adjust the input evel ‘orthe level indicator flashing to red on accasional transients, A green condition of the indica- tor shows that the signal is sufficient for good signal to noise ratios. Mixing Consoles: TheMICROVERB handles mono or stereo sends at all system levels. The input circuitry ofthe MICROVERB can easily handle +4 levels {+20 dB peaks). while having enough input gain to interface with the extremely low signal levels of budget recording systems. As with instruments, if the left input alone is used with a mono source, it will appear in both channels of the dry output, leaving the reverb output in full stereo. In professional applications, it is suggested that the output control be set at maximum, where the MICROVERB will best drive maximum levels at low impedances. When using with the sends and receives of a console, the mix contral should be set to full reverb. Mounting: The MICROVERB as a part of the Alesis Micro Seties, is mountable in the Micro-Rack Adapter where three such devices fit perfectly. Assembly is quick and simple. a single screw secures each device in place. The unique designofthe Micro Series case allows the devices to lock together to form a solid rack package, or to stand alone as singte units. Power: The MICROVERB is powered by a remote supply providing 9 volts AC through a 3.5mm plug. This power supply approach keeps stray magnetic fields from interfering with low level signals, allows easy Conversion to altemate power sources (220V), and further reduces he unit's physicatsize and valuable panel space. Although many Micro Series devices could be powered by a single supply, this is not advisable, as ground foops would be setup between units, leading toexcessive hum and noise in thesystem.PROGRAMS: The programs available in the MICROVERB were selected to offer a complete range of contemporary reverb types, spanning the entire range of music production. Divided inte large, small and special elfect types. the programs are all very different and specific, but likewise very useful for certain specific music types. (Generalizations about applications, wilh specific examples. can be found in the section on applications.) Small Programs: Small reverberant spaces have shorter decay times and are characterized by their smooth, exponential decay. An impulse begins decaying immediately, withaut exces- sive initial sqund. Plates and chambers have this basic quality. Especially suitable for General purpose percussion, the small programs add little character to the original pro- Gram material, but obviously donot convey a fecling of open spaciousness. At longer decay times, the small programs may scem restrictive and tonal forsuch smooth mate- rial as instruments and vocals. The programs are organized in order of incieasing decay time from 1 to 6. Large Programs: Large reverberant spaces return initial echoes for a pericd of time from the onset of an impulse. where the period is a function of the room size. This initial period is uneven before the smooth exponential cecay begins. The large programs of he MICROVERB are similar to halls. Such a reverb sound has more characler than the more bland small room sound and lends a beautiful, open spaciousness to vocals and instruments The large programs are notintended to be perfectly smooth, and should be used with caution on percussive maternal. For lage percussion sounds, the gated programs should be tried. The laige programs are organized by size and decay tme numbered from 1 to 7 Gated and Reverse: The reverse program ig offered as a special eHect where drums, instruments, and even vocals canbe usable program material, given appropriate mixing lovels. For afull back ward effect, the dry signal snoutd be eliminated completely from the mix. Gate 1 and Gate 2 differ in the duration of the sound and the rate of decay of the tailot thegated sound. Especially popular with snare drums, the effectcan be varied consid- erably with the mix control FCC NOTICE: This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturers instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. Il has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules. which are designed to provide rea- sonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is NO guarantee thal interference wil not occur in a particular instaiation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be deter- mined by turing the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of ihe following measures: —Reorient the receiving antenna. —Relocate the product with respect to the receiver Move the product away from the receiver —Plug the product into a different outlet so that product and receiver are on different branch circuits.ii necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radia/television technician for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful: "How to identify and Resolve Radio-TV interference Problems. This booklet is available from the: U.S. Government Printing Office Washington. D.C. 20402 (Stock Number 004-000-00345-4) SPECIFICATIONS: FREQUENCY RESPONSE .......----.- eee 20KHZ (DRY), 10KHZ (REVERB) = 2B, + 1KHZ DYNAMIC RANGE 2... --.ee seer ? 90 dB DISTORTION 1% (TYPICAL) SIGNAL LEVELS INPUT 10 TO +20dBV PEAK OUTPUT. +8. dBV PEAK (REVERB) OUTPUT. 1 20 dBV PEAK (ORY) INPUT IMPEDANCE cases 7 MEG OHM EACH CHANNEL 500K OHM. MONO INPUT CONVERSION SCHEME 3 ¥ 16 BIT LINEAR PCM PROCESSING MEMORY rat 32 KILOBYTES: PROCESSOR SPEED .........+5++ 5 Q MILLION OPER./SEC. FORMAT sxe sccccseeormennuinnanniur . INPUT: MATRIXED STEREO QUTPUT. FULL IMAGED STEREO DEFEAT dined dats EXTERNAL. SPST SWITCH (NOT SUPPLIED) LEVEL INDICATION oo... cc cse eee eeee ces ORANGE: POWER INDICATION GREEN: SIGNAL PRESENT RED: OVERLOAD: CONTROLS: INPUT GAIN MIX RATIO. QUTPUT LEVEL PROGRAM PROGRAMS ....00---- secre 6 CONNECTIONS ......... ae a STEREO INPUTS; 4" PHONE STEREO OUTPUTS: 4" PHONE DEFEAT: 4" PHONE POWER: 3.5mm PHONE POWER: 9V AG 5 VOLT-AMPERES LIMITED WARRANTY: ALESIS warrants inis pioductto be free of defects in material and workmansh.punder vormai use for 2 period of 90 days. Ihe term of this warranty begins on the dale of sale to the purchaser Un ts returned for warranty repair to ALESIS or an authorized ALESIS warranty repair station wii be roparred or replaced at manufacturer's option. free at charge. This warranty is vod if factory deter- minos defect to be the result of abuso, naglect. alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized per- sonnel. ALESIS assumes no responsitilily for loss or camage. direct or consequential. that may result from this product tailiig 10 perform at any time. All units retumed to ALESIS or an authorized ALESIS repair tacility must be prepaid. insured, ard properly packaged. ALESIS reserves the right to update any unit retumed for repair ALESIS reserves the right to change or improve design at any time without prior notice.APPLICATIONS: MICROVERB is a revolution in the development of digital reverb in that it represents a phenomenal price/performance ratio, while reducing the physical sizefromlarge, bulky hardware to what you can now hold in the palm of your hand. The 16 programs in MICROVERB are the distillation of years of exhaustive research by Alesis into the phe- romenon of sound as it occurs naturally in space. From small, intimate roam settings to. large unobstructed spaces, to useful gated and reverse reverb effects, MICROVERB offers a powerful level of sonic flexibitity that will expand and polish the sound of any recording. Moreover, its rugged portability, simplicity and convenient input characteris- tics make it the logical choice torrecreating studio quality sound in live performance. How to use Microverb in your studio The 16 programs in MICROVERB offer a wide range of ambient spaces. Its compact, affordable format means that even the smallest 4 track studio can own more than one MICROVERB. One of the greatest differences between home recordings anc top flight record productions is in the quality and number of high performance reverb processors. Simply stated, the big studios have alot of digital reverbs and smaller stu- dios usually don't. MICROVERB changes all that. The illustration shows a typical reverb assignment for a no holds barred record pro- duction. While this setup may not represent the capabilities of your own recording efforts, it does illustrate way modern recordings sound so spacious and dramatic. The 16 bit processor in MICROVERB allows you tocreate this sense of space with crystalline clarity and great resolution These programs were chosen for the purpose cf creating a ‘sound stage’ for the musical performance. There is a well defined sense of three dimensional space thatis occupied by each instrument: left to right and front to back. The blocks in the illustration indicate the physical placement of each instrument, and the spreading of the sound due to the psychoacoustic imaging characteristics of each program. Notice that the small programs have more of a centered spatial image while the large programs are wider, more open and spacious. Recommended programs are listed by number next to each instrument These pro- gram suggestions are based on current popular uses of digital reverb, but use your imagination and please experiment. Musical style, personal taste and creativity are your guidelines. This mix uses 9 MICROVERB programs simultaneously. The affordability of MICROVERE easily brings at least a portion of this mix withinthe reach of alf studios. The mix control settings apply to either the mix control on MICROVERB for stand alone operation, or the settings can apply to the sends and receives of amixing console. IMPORTANT! When used with the sends and receives of a mixing console the mix con- trolon MICROVERB should always beset fully clockwise, and the returns onthe console panned herd left and right for the full stereo effect. MIX CONTROL PROGRAM % Dry % Wet SNARE ORUM . GATE 1 or 2 50 50 LEAD VOCAL . SMALL 4 60 40 BACKGROUND VOCALS . SMALLS 50 50. LEAD INSTRUMENTS (gular, sax, synth, etc) SMALL 50. 50. RHYTHM GUITAR AND KEYBOARDS SMALL 1or2 50-0 50-100 HORN SECTION... LARGE 2or5 60-50 40-50 STRINGS... LARGE 6 50-0 50-100 PERCUSSION AND CYMBALS... LARGE5 €0-70 40-30 OR SMALL 5 WE ccm LARGEST 50 50. KICK DRUM LARGE 1 90 10 BASS GUITAR _. SMALL 1 90 10 HI HAT . SMALL 1 or 2 80. 20BACK STRINGS STRINGS LEAD VOCAL EGS pai HIHAT Celene KEYSOARDS Ded ene) Lie Sty — SS —_,” LEFT FRONT RIGHT Relative depth of the Soundstage (a function of wet/dry mix ratio and depth of reverb program). ‘The width of each block represents the left to right stereo imaging. The front to back dimension of each block represants the relative sense of depth created by each MICROVERB program. The height of each block roughly indicates the frequency response of each instrument group. The shading idark, medium and light) indicates each instrument’ front to back placement in the mix, wrich Is dependent on the ‘wet/dry rafio of the mix control or reverb ratums.