The ART TPS II Tube Preamp System II Two Channel Voiced Valve Preamplifier with Output Protection Limiting (OPL) USER’S GUIDE
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION – READ FIRST This symbol, whenever it appears, alerts you to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside the enclosure-voltage that may be sufficient to constitute a risk of shock. This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions in the accompanying literature. Read manual. Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference. Heed all warnings printed here and on the equipment.
The ART TPS II Tube Preamp System IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION – READ FIRST ............................................... 2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4 TPS II FEATURES: ................................................................................................... 5 INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................... 6 AC Power Hookup ....
INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing an ART TPS II (Tube Preamp System) - and congratulations: You now own one of the most versatile preamplifiers available. Offering a superb level of sound quality, the TPS II hybrid tube and solid state circuit design, combined with a straightforward user interface, quickly and easily gives you access to all of its features.
TPS II FEATURES: • Dual Analog VU metering • Dual LED input metering • V3 (Variable Valve Voicing) with OPL (switch selectable) • Over 75 dB of gain • Adjustable input impedance • Hand selected 12AX7A dual triode tube • Balanced XLR inputs and outputs • ¼” High impedance Instrument input plus balanced ¼” line level input • Automatic instrument input switching • +48V Phantom Power (switch selectable) • Phase Reverse Switch • Gain (+20dB) Switch • Input Gain Control • Output Level Control • Fully shielded
INSTALLATION The TPS II may be used in a wide variety of applications and environments. In a rack-mountable, all-steel enclosure, the units are designed for continuous professional use. Mounting location is not critical. However, for greater reliability we recommend that you not place the units on top of power amps or other sources of heat. The tube circuitry needs about a minute to “warm up” from a cold power up.
CONTROLS & INDICATORS INPUT CONTROL The Input Control sets the amount of input gain of the TPS II. Turn the control clockwise to increase gain and counterclockwise to decrease gain. You may control two ranges of gain with this control, +20 to +68dB and +0 to +48dB. The maximum mic input signal is +19dBm when the input gain is set to “0”, removing the need for a pad switch. Selection of the gain range is made with the +20dB gain switch.
TPS II™ Front Panel Features PHANTOM POWER +48V SWITCH The TPS II can power any microphone needing +48 volts DC Phantom power. Phantom power is supplied to pins 2 and 3 of the XLR Input jack when this switch is depressed. The TPS II will slowly apply and remove the +48volts, to prevent damage to microphones. Be sure to turn down or mute the output of the TPS II when engaging or disengaging Phantom power. Additionally, when disengaging, allow 30 to 45 seconds for the power to completely discharge.
also reverses the polarity of the ¼” output jack. In the Normal position, the signal is in-phase. In the Reverse (or “in”) position, Pins 2 and 3 are reversed and the signal is changed to 180 degrees out of phase. In multiple microphone applications, mic placement can affect the phase of the signals. If two microphones pick up the same signal from different locations, the result can be a hollow or frequency “shifted” sound.
This means that it is now quicker and easier than ever to make great recordings! Musicians want to play, not spend hours adjusting knobs. No other microphone preamp is as user-friendly as the TPS II. LED INPUT METER The Input Meter displays the level before the tube gain circuit. This peak-weighted meter allows you to get the best performance out of the unit and prevent input clipping. The signal level should average –6 to 0 dB on the meter, occasionally hitting the clip light on the highest peaks.
OUTPUT CONTROL The Output Control sets the output level of the TPS II. When the control is fully counterclockwise, there is no output. Turning the control clockwise increases the level of the output signal. When setting the Output level control, refer to the VU Meter for an accurate level leaving the preamp. When setting the Output level control, refer to the VU Meter for an accurate level leaving the preamp. The marking on the output control determines the meter calibration to output level.
CONNECTIONS It is easy to interface the unit with a wide variety of equipment. The front panel houses 2 dual-purpose ¼” / XLR input jacks, and the rear houses balanced XLR and ¼” inputs as well as balanced XLR and unbalanced ¼” outputs. Standard ¼” and XLR inputs and outputs make patching simple. DUAL PURPOSE INPUT JACKS (FRONT) The front mounted, dual-purpose jacks act as both balanced XLR jacks, and unbalanced ¼” jacks.
REAR INPUT JACKS The rear XLR and ¼” input jacks are directly wired together. The ¼” jack being wired TRS balanced (Tip = HOT, Ring = COLD, Sleeve = GROUND). The rear panel ¼” jack is intended for low level line inputs. The input impedance of these jacks varies with the Input Impedance control from 150 to 3000 Ohms. Use the front panel ¼” input for instruments and unbalanced line level signals. If the front ¼” input is in use, the TPS II will use the instrument input and ignore the rear panel inputs.
If you experience a grounding hum when using both output connectors (one to a console, one to an instrument amp) simultaneously, a ground loop may be the problem. To remedy this problem, disconnect the ground wire (pin 1) from the XLR cable plugged into the preamp’s output. This interrupts the ground path, and therefore breaks the loop. TPS II™ signal Flow Diagram The above diagram outlines the signal flow of the TPS II™.
OPERATION The TPS II is one of the most versatile preamplification systems available. Through use of the V3 technology, numerous instruments can be processed by the TPS II system. Simply mic the instrument (if acoustic), amp, or plug the instrument directly in to take full advantage of V3 technology.
USING V3: The V3 presets have been voiced with the intent of being a starting point for the recording process. The key to good recordings is to consider all the variables you will encounter during the process. For example…which microphone are you using? Are you recording a particularly bright guitar into a very trebly guitar amplifier? Are the strings on your acoustic made of metal or nylon? Is the room live or flat? We mention this because V3 is intended as a reference, not a hardand-fast absolute.
WARRANTY INFORMATION Limited Warranty Applied Research and Technology will provide warranty and service for this unit in accordance with the following warrants: Applied Research and Technology, (A R T) warrants to the original purchaser that this product and the components thereof will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of three years from the date of purchase.
SERVICE The following information is provided in the unlikely event that your unit requires service. Use this procedure to return units in the United States only. For service outside the United States, please contact your authorized A R T distributor. 1) Be sure that the unit is the cause of the problem. Check to make sure the unit has the proper power supplied, all cables are connected correctly, and the cables themselves are in working condition.
TPS II SPECIFICATIONS Dimensions Weight Input Connections Output Connections Input Impedance XLR, ¼” Output Impedance XLR, ¼” Maximum Input Level, XLR Maximum Input Level, ¼” Maximum Output Level, XLR Maximum Output Level, ¼” CMRR Frequency Response Dynamic Range Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) Maximum Gain XLR to XLR ¼” to ¼” XLR to ¼” ¼” to XLR Equivalent Input Noise (EIN) XLR to XLR ¼” to ¼” Tube Type Power Requirements 1.75”H x 19”W x 6.5”D 5.5 lbs.
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