User Manual

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ATTACK DECAY

Tape Reverse Simulator

The original Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay is a hard-to-find gem among

legendary guitar pedals. Originally called a Tape Reverse Simulator, it is known for

producing volume and reverse swells, backward tape sounds, artificially short

staccato notes and bowed instrument effects.

The new Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay reinterprets the vintage unit by keeping

the basic functionality but adding more modern features such as Poly mode and

presets. It can produce a single volume envelope like the original, or with Poly

engaged, put each note you play through separate volume envelopes. The built-

in Harmonix fuzz is now a fully controllable distortion with gain, tone and volume

controls. The effects loop allows the musician or sound designer to place the

volume envelope onto whatever signal is present at the Return jack. An

Expression/CV/Clock input and three user presets give the user total control over

their Attack Decay.

WARNING: Your Attack Decay comes equipped with an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI

power supply. The Attack Decay requires 140mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug.

Use of the wrong adapter or a plug with the wrong polarity may damage your Attack

Decay and void the warranty. Do not exceed 10.5VDC on the power plug. Power supplies

rated for less than 140mA will cause the Attack Decay to act unreliably.

- FEATURES -

 Volume envelope swells and quick stabs with adjustable Attack and Decay

times: 4ms to 8s.

 Mono mode: a single volume envelope for the full signal present at the INPUT

or RETURN jacks, the envelope resets when you pluck a new note.

 Poly mode: gives each note you play its own envelope, as seen on the EHX

HOG2.

 Built-in, fully adjustable, Harmonix fuzz enhances the volume envelope effect

and produces bowed instrument sounds.

 Built-in effects loop allows for your own pedals to be inserted before the

volume envelopes.

 Expression pedal or CV control over every knob on the Attack Decay.

 Continuous Envelopes turns Attack Decay into a retriggable Tremolo.

 Save and recall up to three presets.

 High quality analog buffered bypass.

 Comes supplied with EHX 96DC-200 power supply.

Summary of content (24 pages)

PAGE 1
ATTACK DECAY Tape Reverse Simulator The original Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay is a hard-to-find gem among legendary guitar pedals. Originally called a Tape Reverse Simulator, it is known for producing volume and reverse swells, backward tape sounds, artificially short staccato notes and bowed instrument effects. The new Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay reinterprets the vintage unit by keeping the basic functionality but adding more modern features such as Poly mode and presets.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Notes and Specifications 3 Quick Start Guide 3 Controls and LEDs 5 Connections 8 Mono and Poly Modes 9 Expression Pedal Use and Setup 10 Preset Setup and Use 11 Using the Send and Return FX Loop 13 Restoring Factory Settings 14 Secondary Modes and Options 15 Attack Decay Tips & Tricks 20 Secondary Mode Reference Table 22 Warranty Information and Compliance 24 Attack Decay Manual Version 1.
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NOTES AND SPECIFICATIONS        Audio input impedance at INPUT jack: 1M Audio output impedance at OUTPUT jack: 500 Audio output impedance at SEND jack: 500 Audio input impedance of the RETURN jack: 2M Current draw: 140mA Maximum input signal level: +4.0dBu Maximum gain: approximately +13dB QUICK START GUIDE PLUGGING IN THE ATTACK DECAY 1. Connect the supplied EHX9.6DC AC Adapter into the 9V jack at the top of the Attack Decay. Plug the AC Adapter into an AC outlet. 2.
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USING CONTINUOUS ENVELOPES (TREMOLO) 1. Ensure the POLY button is off. 2. Set the ATTACK and DECAY knobs to 9 o’clock. 3. Set SENS to 50% or where you normally like to set it. 4. Press on the BYPASS footswitch and hold it down. 5. Now press on the HARMONIX footswitch and release it. You don’t need to hold HARMONIX. 6. Release BYPASS. 7. Play some notes, you should hear the Attack envelope restart automatically once the Decay envelope finishes its run. 8.
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CONTROLS AND LEDS - CONTROL KNOBS AND BUTTONS - 1. VOL Knob – Sets the master output level of the Attack Decay. 2. BLEND Knob – Normally BLEND is a master wet/dry mix between the dry signal present at the INPUT jack and all of the effects produced by the Attack Decay. The output of BLEND is sent directly to the VOL knob. As BLEND is turned clockwise, the effect volume increases while the dry volume decreases.
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the ATTACK knob to minimum to disable the attack portion of the envelope. The attack time range is 4 ms to 8 seconds in mono mode. 4. DECAY Knob – Sets the staccato or fade-out speed of the volume envelopes. As you turn DECAY clockwise the decay time increases. Turn the DECAY knob to maximum to disable the decay portion of the envelope. The decay time range is 4 ms to 8 seconds in mono mode. 5. POLY Button – Press and release to toggle between mono and poly modes.
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- FOOTSWITCHES AND LEDS - 1. BYPASS Footswitch and Status LED – Press and release the BYPASS footswitch to toggle between effect and buffered bypass. When the Status LED is lit, the Attack Decay effect is engaged. You may also use the BYPASS footswitch to manually trigger volume envelopes when the unit is in Manual Envelope Trigger mode. See page 17 for details. When Return Bypass is enabled, while in Bypass, the RETURN jack is connected to the OUTPUT jack. See page 13 and 16 for details. 2.
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CONNECTIONS INPUT Jack – This 1/4" phone jack is the main audio input on the Attack Decay. Input impedance = 1M. OUTPUT Jack – This 1/4" phone jack is the main audio output of the Attack Decay. The volume envelope, and other effects, emanate from this jack. Output impedance = 500. SEND Jack – This 1/4" phone jack reproduces the input signal and by default, the Harmonix fuzz when enabled. Use this jack as the signal source for the Attack Decay’s external FX loop. Impedance = 500.
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MONO AND POLY MODES The Attack Decay has two main modes of operation: Mono and Poly. When the POLY button is lit, the Attack Decay is in Poly mode. When it is not, the pedal is in Mono Mode. MONO MODE Mono Mode produces a more traditional volume envelope working in the same fashion as the vintage Attack Decay.
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EXPRESSION PEDAL USE AND SETUP The Attack Decay accepts an expression pedal with TRS plug or control voltage (CV) or clock pulse on a TS plug at its EXP phonejack. Please see page 8 for specifications on acceptable expression pedals and voltage ranges for the Attack Decay. The Attack Decay’s expression pedal settings can be modified so that any knob or combination of knobs, in any combination of ranges and directions, is controlled by an expression pedal or CV.  Expression settings are saved with presets.
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PRESET SETUP AND USE The Attack Decay can save and recall three presets. Each preset saves:  All current knob settings  Position of the expression pedal at the time of saving  The state of Harmonix and POLY modes  The current expression sweep setting  Most secondary mode settings including: Mono envelope curves, Continuous Envelope (tremolo) mode, Harmonix Blend, Return Blend, Return bypass, manual BYPASS footswitch triggering, external clock triggering, and internal compressor on/off states.
PAGE 12
SAVING ALTERED PRESETS To save an altered a preset, follow the instructions above for Saving Presets. You may save to the same preset number or a different one. EXPRESSION PEDAL POSITION RECALL If an expression pedal is attached to the Attack Decay at the time you save a preset, the preset saves the position of the expression pedal. When you recall the preset, it also recalls the saved position of the expression pedal—whether an expression pedal is attached or not.
PAGE 13
USING THE SEND AND RETURN FX LOOP The SEND and RETURN effects loop jacks allow for inserting other sounds between the signal at the INPUT jack and the input into the volume envelopes. In Mono mode, this means your dry instrument signal can be used by the Attack Decay to detect plucks but the volume envelopes act on the signal at the RETURN jack instead of the INPUT jack’s dry signal. In POLY mode, pluck detects are always generated by the actual signal going into the volume envelopes.
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Return Bypass is active, while in Bypass, the Harmonix effect is not output on the SEND jack even if Harmonix is active. 3. If you want to use the Attack Decay solely as a distortion effect, you can use the SEND jack as the main output jack. The HARMONIX footswitch will turn the distortion on and off. The H. VOL knob will act as a master volume control. In this setup, the VOL, SENS, ATTACK, and DECAY knobs have no function. 4.
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SECONDARY MODES AND OPTIONS The Attack Decay features a number of secondary modes and options to customize the pedal for your specific use. See page 22 for a table listing the secondary modes and the button presses needed to change them. CONTINUOUS ENVELOPES (RETRIGGERED TREMOLO) Normally when a volume envelope is triggered, it runs through the Attack envelope then the Decay envelope and then waits for the next trigger event at which point it starts the Attack envelope over from its beginning.
PAGE 16
3. While the BYPASS footswitch is held, press and release the PRESET 2 button. After releasing this button, release the BYPASS footswitch. 4. The PRESET 2 and Status LEDs will blink at different rates indicating that you are in Harmonix Blend mode. 5. Turn the BLEND knob to adjust the fuzz/dry mix. 6. You may create an expression setting where the expression pedal sweeps Harmonix Blend among other parameters at this point. 7.
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MANUAL ENVELOPE TRIGGERING WITH THE BYPASS FSW In normal operation, the Attack Decay triggers a new envelope with every detected pluck at the INPUT jack. As an alternative, new envelopes can instead be triggered manually by pressing and releasing the BYPASS footswitch. To activate this mode: 1. Press and hold the POLY button. 2. While the POLY button is held, press and release the BYPASS footswitch. After releasing the footswitch, release the POLY button. 3.
PAGE 18
ENABLING/DISABLING THE INTERNAL COMPRESSOR The original Attack Decay has a compressor hardwired to the input signal. The compressor helps bring up the volume on sustained notes so that the Attack and Decay envelopes have more signal to work with as the envelopes run. This version of the Attack Decay has an emulation of that compressor situated after the pluck detect but before the Harmonix fuzz.
PAGE 19
ADJUSTING ENVELOPE CURVES – MONO MODE ONLY! The Attack Decay provides a choice of three different envelope curves for the Mono mode volume envelopes. These curve choices do not apply to POLY mode. The Attack (fade-in) and Decay (fade-out) curves can be chosen independently. The available curves are: linear, parabolic and s-curve: To change the Attack envelope curve: 1. Press and hold the POLY and PRESET 2 buttons. 2. While holding both POLY and PRESET 2, press and release PRESET 1.
PAGE 20
5. Press and release the PRESET button corresponding to the envelope curve you want for Decay. The pressed PRESET button will blink rapidly to indicate that the envelope curve has been selected. When saving presets, each preset saves its own envelope shapes for the Attack and Decay portions of the envelope. ATTACK DECAY TIPS & TRICKS In the Beginning or Near It  We recommend you place the Attack Decay near the beginning of your pedal chain for the automatic pluck detect to work correctly.
PAGE 21
Poly Mode Playing  Poly mode excels when doing just Attack or just Decay but it also makes unique sounds when both knobs are in play.  The Poly mode envelope times on the Attack and Decay knobs do not match the knob positions found in mono mode.  If using the FX loop, the entire Poly mode algorithm will be located after the RETURN jack.  Continuous Envelope mode is a unique effect in Poly mode. It sounds like cascading filters rather than tremolo.
PAGE 22
SECONDARY OPERATIONS REFERENCE TABLE Attack Decay Secondary Mode 1st Button(s) Hold/ 2nd Button Press Custom Expression Setting BYPASS FSW/ PRESET 1 Saving Presets (can also be used to save altered presets) PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Recalling Presets PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Unloading Presets PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Altering Presets -- Reloading Presets PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Footswitch Preset Control HARMONIX FSW Continuous Envelopes (Tremolo) BYPASS FSW/ HARMONIX FSW Envelope Curves – Attack POLY + PRESET 2/ PRE
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SECONDARY OPERATIONS REFERENCE – CONT. Visual Feedback PRESET 1 & Status LED Slow blink. Blink speed increases as you cycle through expression setting PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Blink rapidly then blinking stops. PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Lit solid. PRESET 1, 2, or 3 LED unlit PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Currently selected preset blinks. PRESET 1, 2, or 3 Lit solid.
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WARRANTY INFORMATION Please register online at http://www.ehx.com/product-registration or complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase. Electro-Harmonix will repair or replace, at its discretion, a product that fails to operate due to defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase. This applies only to original purchasers who have bought their product from an authorized Electro-Harmonix retailer.