Aphex Exciter - Manual (Page 12)

Page 12
Exciter
4.0 Controls & Indicators
4.1 FRONT PANEL VIEW
4.2 BIG BOTTOM FREQUENCY CONTROL
This control lets you optimize the bass enhancement frequency band. The Exciter’s controls
have typical range settings printed on the front panel. Where this is set depends upon your
sound system and the type of music being played. Typically, 12:00 is a universal position.
However, you may want to experiment with other settings. The range is from 50Hz to 200Hz.
At center, you are tuned to about 80Hz.
4.3 BIG BOTTOM DRIVE CONTROL & INDICATOR
This control allows you to adjust the input signal to optimum levels required for Big Bottom
to work effectively. To find the optimum level, turn the control clockwise until the green LED
at the right of the Drive control pulses on the bass peaks. Longer and brighter pulsation means
a longer bass sustain is being created. You will find a range of settings that yields very musical
and powerful bass.
Please note there are valid reasons for why the green LED may not pulse by the time this control
reaches 2 o’clock. The Exciter’s Operating Level switch may be set to +4dBu though you have
a -10dBV input signal. On the other hand, if the green LED is pulsing strongly at settings as
low as 9 or 10 o’clock, you probably have the Operating Level switched to -10dBV though you have a +4dBu input
signal. This can cause overload distortion.
Additionally, the LED may not pulse when the incoming audio has low program levels.
4.4 BIG BOTTOM AMOUNT CONTROL
This control adjusts the amount of Big Bottom enhancement being added to the original
signal. The lower the setting, the subtler the effect until there is no effect at all. The higher the
setting, the more dramatic the effect.
One of the benefits of the Big Bottom is that it can increase the bass power without greatly
increasing the peak output level. That means that loudspeakers and amplifiers will not be
overdriven even though the bass has been extended and increased in power. Extreme settings
of the Big Bottom Mix control, however, will increase the peak output level significantly, so we
recommend staying within some reasonable limits.
Generally, the best results are found between the 9 and 2 o’clock settings. Try working the Big Bass Tune, Drive,
and Mix controls when maximizing the bass enhancement.