® Owner’s Reference Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Instructions for use GCP Stereo Preamplifier Document 15-043-11-1 4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301 PH: 720.406.8946 service@psaudio.com www.psaudio.com ©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.
® Introduction Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Important Safety Instructions Read these instructions Heed all warnings Follow all instructions WARNING. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. Clean only with a dry cloth. Do not place flammable material on top of or beneath the component. All PS Audio components require adequate ventilation at all times during operation. Rack mounting is acceptable where appropriate.
® Table Of Contents Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Introduction IV Getting Started 1 Quick Start Guide 2-3 Setup Instructions 4-6 Operation 7-8 Questions and Answers 9 - 10 Troubleshooting 11 - 13 Specifications 14 Warranty 15 - 16 Service 17 - 18 4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301 PH: 720.406.8946 service@psaudio.com www.psaudio.com ©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.
® Introduction Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Thank you Thank you for your purchase of the GCC series Control Amplifier. This document covers the three stereo Control Amplifier models, GCC-100, GCC-250, GCC-500. Control Amplifiers are actually Variable Gain Power Amplifiers™ with multiple inputs.
® Getting Started Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Location Once your new GCC Series Control Amplifier is unpacked, you’ll need to find a convenient place to set it. Placing the Control Amp nearest to your source equipment is probably the best idea since you will want to have as short an interconnect between the source and the Control Amplifier as you can. There are several ways to mount the GCC Series Control Amplifier: on a rack shelf or on a shelf near your sources.
® Quick Start Guide Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Once you have decided on the location and chosen the appropriate power cables, you are ready to install the GCC Control Amplifier. Power down first We recommend that you power the entire system down before installing the GCC Control Amplifier. Insert the GCC Control Amplifier into the system.
® Quick Start Guide Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Bi-amping If you wish to use a second power amplifier to bi-amp, you can use the GCC as either the top end amplifier or the bottom end amplifier for the bass. If you have a GCC-100 we would recommend this be used on the top end (tweeter) of the bi-amp speaker. Use the largest amplifier for the bass frequencies. Connect the second amplifier to the Aux Out RCA connectors on the rear of the GCC Series Power Amplifier.
® Setup instructions Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Front panel setup menu The Gain Cell Control Amplifier Setup menu allows you to adjust the following controls: • Input Name • Input Gain • Home Theater Bypass Input The setup menu allows you to view the following information: • Software Version How to enter into the setup menu To enter the setup menu, turn the GCC off from the front panel power button.
® Setup instructions Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier At any time, you may press the Power button to exit to Setup Menu. Input naming Input Name Editing: This mode allows you to edit the name of the Input on the Display. Name the inputs whatever you want The character with an underscore is the character that you are currently editing. To edit the Input Name, you will use the following controls: Mute Button – This button allows you to move to the next character.
® Setup instructions Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Sound Processor or Receiver would be plugged into this input. To edit the Home Theater Bypass Input, you will use the following controls: Volume Control Knob – Turn the volume control knob to edit the theater bypass input. Turn the knob until it reaches the desired Input. You may also turn the knob all the way down to turn this feature off.
® Operating Guide Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Operating the GCC Control Amplifier is a fairly straightforward procedure. From the front panel there are five controls: • • • • • Volume control Volume control Mute control Up selector Down selector Power button The volume control is a rotary knob that the user can turn up and down to control the gain of the Gain Cell and the loudness of the amplifier.
® Operating Guide Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier not remove power from the GCC Control Amplifier. Rather, it places the amplifier in the standby mode. This is the recommended procedure. HT Bypass Pressing the HT button will switch to the designated Home Theater Bypass input. The designated input can be specified in the setup mode. By default it is not pre-assigned to any of the inputs, and pressing the HT button does not activate any function.
® Questions And Answers Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Should the unit be on all the time? The GCC Control Amplifier is best left powered on at all times. The current draw is negligible and keeping it powered on will make sure the internal AC capacitors stay working properly. Are there any internal fuses? There are no user replaceable internal fuses inside the GCC Control Amplifier. There is an internal fuse that should only be replaced by an authorized service center if needed.
® Questions And Answers Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier higher wattage model should be considered. What voltages can the amp run on? The GCC Control Amplifier is specific to your country’s voltage. Do not use the GCC Control Amplifier on a voltage higher than it is rated for. For instance, do not take a 120 volt rated GCC Control Amplifier and attempt to use it in a 230 volt country. Failure to observe this cautionary note will void your warranty and may damage the amplifier.
® Troubleshooting Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier No sound comes out of the amp If no sound comes out of the GCC Control Amplifier there are several areas to check: Check the input It is obviously important that the GCC Control Amplifier receive a high level signal from the source (CD, DVD, tuner, etc.) or whatever you are feeding it. One way to determine if this is the case, would be to first go to your loudspeaker. Place your ear very near the tweeter and listen for a very slight hiss.
® Troubleshooting Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier If you have hum or buzz If you experience a hum through the speakers this can be caused by several things. The first is the source. If there is an excessive amount of buzz or noise from the loudspeaker, it may be caused by a ground loop, a light dimmer in the home, poor AC power, or any number of causes.
® Troubleshooting Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Problems with subwoofers If you have a problem connecting a subwoofer, please refer to the quick start guide in the front of this manual. We do not recommend connecting the high level inputs of a self powered subwoofer to the outputs of the GCC Series Power Amplifier for some subwoofers. For many subwoofers it will be fine.
® Specifications Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Configuration Dual Mono Class of Operation D Single-ended Inputs RCA - 5 pair Balanced Inputs XLR - 1 pair Input Device Type PS Audio Gain Cell Input Impedance 47.5 kohms Input Sensitivity 8.
® Warranty Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier TERMS AND CONDITIONS PS Audio warrants the product designated herein to be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship, subject to the following conditions, for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase by the original purchaser or date of shipment to the authorized PS Audio dealer, whichever comes first.
® Warranty Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier This warranty is invalid if the factory applied serial number has been altered or removed from the Product. This warranty is invalid if proof of manufacture by PS Audio International cannot be determined to the satisfaction of the company either by verification of a valid serial number and or a valid receipt that includes the serial number from an authorized PS Audio dealer, distributor or agent.
® Service Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier If you require service in North America In the unlikely event there is a problem with your PS Audio component, please contact your dealer, distributor, or the PS Audio corporate research center to discuss the problem before you return the component to our California manufacturing facilities for repair.
® Service Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier 1. Obtain a Return Authorization Number (R/A number) and shipping address from your dealer or distributor’s Service Department. 2. Insure and accept all liability for loss or damage to the product during shipment to the dealer or distributor’s Service Department and ensure all freight (shipping) charges are prepaid.
® Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Notes 4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301 PH: 720.406.8946 service@psaudio.com www.psaudio.com ©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.
® Owner’s Reference GCP Stereo Preamplifier Your PS Audio product serial number is: Your serial number Please fill in the original purchaser’s name, address and information. Your purchase information Please fill in the dealer or distributor’s information from where you originally purchased the unit. Your dealer or distributor’s information Date of purchase 4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301 PH: 720.406.8946 service@psaudio.com www.psaudio.com ©2004 PS Audio International Inc.
