Thermionic Culture THE ROOSTER 2 2 Channel mic, pre amp with eq - Manual (Page 10)

©Thermionic Culture Ltd., May 2014 9
3 Operational hints and tips
To use The Rooster 2 as a clean, high quality, valve mic
amp. Set the ‘O/P Level’ control to '8', the ‘Attitude’ switch to
‘1’ and the 'Mode' to 'Triode', then use the ‘I/P Level’ control
to obtain the desired amount of gain. If more gain is required
simply increase the ‘Attitude’ switch and/or output level until
the gain is satisfactory.
The ‘LPF’ filter becomes especially useful when heavily
distorting DI inputs, like bass instruments for example. As
the distortion becomes extreme the high frequency content
can start to sound more ‘clipped’ and stands out from the
actual sound of the instrument. Using the ‘LPF’ filter will
tame the problem frequencies and result in a smoother more
musical sounding distortion, allowing the user to push The
Rooster 2 into even more distortion if desired.
The Rooster 2 can act as a subtle enhancer on mixdown.
For example, a vocal sound can be given more life and cut
through a mix better if a little overdrive is added plus some
additional mid range or top EQ. Try the ‘Attitude’ switch at ‘4’
and add a little mid lift at 4k, the ‘Pentode’ setting will make
the vocal slightly more aggressive if required.
Drum microphones can benefit greatly from being recorded
through The Rooster 2. A mic that is placed to capture the
sound of the whole kit with a little room sound included
would be ideal. The ‘Attitude’ can be increased to give a
similar effect to compression. The ‘Bass Lift’ can also be
used to give a very large bottom end to the drums. The
‘Triode’ and ‘Pentode’ settings will govern how smooth or
harsh the user wants the overall effect to be.
The bass lift and bass cut can be used together to shape the
sound. Try heavy bass lift and bass cut at '4' or '5'.