Front panel, Quick start – Millennia TD-1 Twin Topology Half Rack Recording Channel User Manual
Page 7
TD-
Twin Direct
1
a discrete-hybrid balanced receiver with +45 dB of gain. Instrument (DI)
input is routed via TT switch to a vacuum tube buffer amplifier or discrete
solid state (FET) buffer amplifier, with triple input impedance selection
switching on both topologies. Any input may be attenuated via a -20 dB
pad switch. The DI input also offers a selectable guitar amplifier Speaker
Soak
tm
input and selectable buffered or unbuffered “direct DI through”
output. All inputs are followed by two bands of NSEQ-2 fully parametric
Eq stages (20 Hz – 25 kHz). Numerous routing, output, and grounding op-
tions round out the world’s most versatile and best sounding “direct box.”
FRONT PANEL
— INPUT SECTION —
INSTRUMENT DI / SPEAKER SOAK
tm
INPUT ¼” Unbal Phone Jack
The heart of TWIN DIRECT. A normalled ¼” mono Phone Jack which
accepts any unbalanced source, such as MIDI instrument (keyboard,
sampler, etc..), electric guitar, electric bass, piezoelectric acoustic guitar
pickup, etc.. This DI (Direct Inject) input will accept virtually any known
DI signal level, from very low output passive sources, to high output (>15
Volts RMS) active sources. This input is also designed to accept direct
feed from a power amplifier, such as a guitar amp (see “Speaker Soak”
switch, below).
Most keyboards and MIDI instruments have electrically buffered outputs
exhibiting very low output impedance, generally under 150 ohms. On the
other hand, passive electric guitar pickups exhibit significantly higher out-
put impedance. To properly “couple” this diversity of instruments in the
most musically pleasing manner, TWIN DIRECT offers three different in-
put impedance settings that will help an artist “fine tune” the musicality of
any instrument, pickup, or program. Each time you try a new instrument
or MIDI device with the TWIN DIRECT, be sure to experiment with differ-
ent topologies and input impedances to find the ideal sonic performance
(see “Twin Topology” and “Impedance Select” below). There is no inher-
ently “right” setting — use your ears and production goals to determine the
best impedance bridge and input topology.
TWIN DIRECT’s dual DI amplifiers offer rich musical variation with
electric instruments — vacuum tube amplifiers are well known to “couple”
electric guitar and bass pickups differently than solid-state amplifiers.
Vacuum tubes offer a unique “sound” that solid-state doesn’t, and visa
versa. Each amplifier topology offers complimentary sonic performance
to the other, and both are widely used in professional recording and
stage work. Taking full advantage of this sonic duality, TWIN DIRECT
TWIN DIRECT has four available audio inputs:
1.) Line Input (XLR, front panel)
2.) HV–3 Mic Preamp Input (XLR, rear panel)
3.) DI Instrument Input (1/4” phone, front panel)
4.) Amplifier / Speaker Soak Input (1/4” phone, front panel)
TWIN DIRECT has nine different rear-panel audio outputs:
1.) REAMP
®
Les Paul
tm
Guitar Simulation Output (1/4” phone)
2.) REAMP
®
Stratocaster
tm
Guitar Simulation Output (1/4” phone)
3.) Balanced Line Level Output (XLR)
4.) Balanced Line Level Output (1/4” phone)
5.) Transformer Balanced Mic Level Output (XLR)
6.) Unbalanced Line Level Output (XLR)
7.) Unbalanced Line Level Output (1/4” phone)
8.) Headphone Output (1/4” phone)
9.) Direct “pass-through” Output (1/4” phone)
QUICK START
OK, let’s get started. Disconnect TWIN DIRECT power for now. Grab a
guitar or bass or some other source with a 1/4” phone jack output. Plug
your source into TWIN DIRECT’s front panel 1/4” jack. Connect any
TWIN DIRECT output to your destination, such as the line input of a mix-
er. With the TT (Twin Topology) switch, select vacuum tube or solid state
input buffer amplifier. Turn gain knob fully CCW. Now connect power to
the unit. Let the unit “warm up” for a few minutes.
Turn the gain knob CW until a normal operating level is reached. If there
is too much level at the lowest gain setting, engage the PAD switch.
Press the TT switch a few times and listen to the sonic differences be-
tween the tube and solid state DI paths. A short auto-mute of the signal
path is normal on certain switch selections, including TT. Next, check all
three input impedance switch positions for the best sounding input load-
ing. If no difference is detected, use the 2M position. Select the Eq bands
and make some normal Eq adjustments to see what effect they have on
your source. You’re rolling!
See the signal flow diagram later in this manual for TWIN DIRECT’s
extensive versatility. Mic input is routed directly to an authentic HV-3
microphone preamplifier with up to 65 dB of gain. Line input is routed to