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Using the HF CurveShaper™ EQ

The RPQ2 features a unique CurveShaper™ circuit that enables you to 
add a little extra “presence” or “air” to compensate for high-frequency 
losses that are inherent to most ribbon microphones, the result of 
distant mic placement, or to restore presence in a “dry” acoustical 
environment. 

The circuit functions similarly to a conventional parametric shelving 
boost but with a significant difference: the slope and bandwidth varies 
as both the Curve Frequency and Curve Gain controls are adjusted. 

From a technical standpoint, it is evident the EQ shape of the 
CurveShaper™ is a bell. At its lowest setting, the peak frequency of the 
CurveShaper™ is 30k while at its highest setting, the peak frequency is 
120k. In many instances, a bell with a peak at 120k is not very practical 
since it is above the human frequency threshold of hearing. But the 
CurveShaper™ has a very wide bandwidth that allows the left side of the 
bell to essentially act as a high-frequency shelf. 

The Curve Frequency knob, at its lowest setting, will yield a gentler 
slope and wider bandwidth. As the frequency is raised, the slope 
becomes steeper while the bandwidth narrows.

To activate the CurveShaper™ EQ section, depress the High Frequency 
switch (ref. #3). Start by adjusting the continuously variable Curve 
Frequency control (ref. #4). The frequency markings on the Curve 
Frequency dial indicate the +3dB break-frequency when the Curve 
Gain is at max. Select the desired frequency with the Curve Frequency 
knob, and then dial-in the amount of boost you desire with the Curve 
Gain control (ref. #2). The two controls are interactive. Use your ears to 
determine what frequency and gain setting sounds best.

In Line Input Mode, the CurveShaper™ becomes a versatile EQ to add 
presence or air to any line level signal on a mix or even in mastering.

Be careful when you add Curve Gain because this also affects the 
overall gain structure of the preamp and could introduce overload 
distortion. After you make this adjustment, you may need to reduce the 
Output Level control (ref. #5) to compensate for the CurveShaper’s™ 
signal boost

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Содержание RPQ2

Страница 1: ...ribbonmics preamps since 1964 www ribbonmics com tel 1 626 798 9128 made in california OWNER S MANUAL aearpq2 2 CHANNEL FULL RACK PREAMP WITH EQ DI Revision 1 September 2016 ...

Страница 2: ...ce the sound of your ribbons with the right preamp The RPQ2 is the perfect companion for any and all ribbons condensers and moving coil microphones whenever a true and pristine signal path is desired Your RPQ2 is 100 handcrafted in Pasadena CA AEA is a family owned company with a small crew of skilled technicians most of them being musicians themselves Proudly independent we still manufacture all ...

Страница 3: ... CONNECTIONS 8 Input Connections 8 Microphone Input Mode 8 Line Input Mode 9 Direct Input Mode 9 Output Connections 10 Input Impedance 10 SETTING THE GAIN 12 Microphone Input Mode 12 Line and Direct Input Mode 13 THE EQ SYSTEM 13 Using the LF Filter 13 Using the HF CurveShaper EQ 15 SPECIFICATIONS 18 WARRANTY 20 SUPPORT 20 ...

Страница 4: ... particularly useful for bypassing the preamp section when you want to use the unit in Line Input mode for post EQ processing Engineers have discovered that the RPQ2 also complements their moving coil and condenser microphones Like our Big Ribbons we designed the RPQ2 to have a natural and musical tonality GENERAL GUIDELINES To maintain the best performance from your new AEA RPQ2 preamp take note ...

Страница 5: ...4 preamp output 3 Phantom Power P48 switch OUT is off IN applies full spec P48 phantom power to the input The red LED below the switch will indicate when P48 phantom power is engaged 4 Polarity Invert switch OUT is normal IN is inverted 5 Output Level control This continuously variable control provides up to 19dB additional output gain following the optional CurveShaper EQ circuitry 0dB marker on ...

Страница 6: ...dB to maximum approx 20dB the slope of the Curve Shaper EQ varies as Curve Frequency and Curve Gain settings interact 11 Audio Signal Level indicators The green LED snaps on at 20 dBu to indicate the presence of sig nal the yellow LED snaps on at 0 dBu the red LED snaps on at 24 dBu to warn of approaching signal overload 12 Hi Z Direct Input switch OUT is bypass IN engages signal to pass through H...

Страница 7: ...de connector Bypasses the mic preamp gain stage to accommodate line level signals Depress the Mic Line switch ref 1 to utilize this Line Mode input C Balanced 1 4 Preamp Output Direct output of preamp gain stage before EQ and Output Level control D Balanced Input XLR Mic Input mode connector Male three pin XLR pin 1 is ground pin 2 is high and pin 3 is low ...

Страница 8: ...s recommended that the P48 switch ref 7 is in the OUT position before and while they are connected to prevent possible damage to the microphones The red LED below the phantom power switch lights up when P48 is engaged To prevent damaging the equipment in your system it is a good idea to test your microphone cables regularly to determine whether they have any open shorted reversed or intermittent c...

Страница 9: ...nt of the Output Level control and CurveShaper EQ circuitry To use the inserts with an effect plug a mic into the XLR Input ref D and take the 1 4 balanced Preamp Out ref C into another piece of hardware such as a compressor Connect the output of the compressor and plug it directly into the 1 4 Line In ref B The standard XLR Output ref A is the post EQ output While in Line Mode connecting the Line...

Страница 10: ...ll sources going to the XLR Output If you do not hear output from the XLR and are not using the direct input check if the DI switch is engaged The output of the RPQ2 emulates a transformer coupled output and can be used as either a balanced or unbalanced signal depending on how your cable system is configured When balanced the maximum output level is 28 dBu when unbalanced the maximum level is 22 ...

Страница 11: ...clean and quiet gain with extended bandwidth from below 1 Hz to beyond 200 kHz for dynamic range and transient response that complements all microphones As with any piece of audio equipment setting and maintaining proper signal levels are critical to obtaining optimum performance if the level is too low you sacrifice noise performance if too high you risk overload distortion The AEA RPQ2 provides ...

Страница 12: ...sal so after determining the gain during the sound check it is a good idea to set the Mic Gain control one or two clicks lower for the performance to allow yet a little more margin for headroom Line and Direct Input Mode When using Line or Direct Input mode the Mic Gain control ref 10 is bypassed The Output Level control ref 11 allows you to control the overall level of the Line and DI sources The...

Страница 13: ...g rumble traffic noise P pops and breath noise However a fixed frequency constant slope low cut filter cannot handle all situations effectively The RPQ2 offers a flexible LF filter that can be tailored to satisfy the varying and critical demands of both speech and music Pushing in the LF Filter switch ref 5 inserts a 20dB maximum low cut shelving filter The Low Frequency control ref 6 adjusts the ...

Страница 14: ...tially act as a high frequency shelf The Curve Frequency knob at its lowest setting will yield a gentler slope and wider bandwidth As the frequency is raised the slope becomes steeper while the bandwidth narrows To activate the CurveShaper EQ section depress the High Frequency switch ref 3 Start by adjusting the continuously variable Curve Frequency control ref 4 The frequency markings on the Curv...

Страница 15: ...veShaper HF Response at Half Boost Note When the Curve Gain is fully counter clockwise set in the 0 position no EQ will be introduced into the signal It essentially the same as having the HF In Switch ref 8 disengaged ...

Страница 16: ...16 AEA RPQ2 CurveShaper HF Response at Full Boost ...

Страница 17: ...vides from 13dB to 62dB of gain for the preamplifier circuit as measured between the input and the before the output line driver 3dB break frequency tunable from 22 Hz to 515 Hz maximum reduction 20dB 3dB break frequency tunable from 2 5 kHz to 30 kHz HF gain adjustable from 0dB to 20dB the slope of the HF filter varies interactively and directly with the CurveShaper frequency and gain settings 28...

Страница 18: ...AEA RPQ2 Single Line Diagram One channel 18 ...

Страница 19: ......

Страница 20: ...line at www bit ly aeawarranty SUPPORT If you should encounter any problems with your preamp or if you have questions regarding using the RPQ2 in specific application please contact our customer support team at support ribbonmics com To talk to a live human being call 1 626 798 9128 between 9 00 a m 5 00 p m PT Monday through Friday There are a number or audio and video recordings of various AEA m...

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