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INTRODUCTION
THEALESISMICROSERIES
The EssentialSignal Processing/MusicProductionSystem

MIcRoVERS9I,mlcno LIMITER9MIcRoGATEPMIcRoEQ.
M I C R OE N H A N C E R P a nMIC O R OC U E AM P. Toger herr hey
represent the culmination of yearsof researchby Alesisto refine
t h e m o s t m u s ica lfu n cti o n so f th e si x most essentialm usic
production toolsinto a powerful,integrated system.Eachunit is
containedin a compact,cost-effective, interlocking
one-thirdrack
spacepackage- designedfor maximumefficiency with minimum
hassle.
Withthe MicroSeriesin yourstudio,recordqualitysoundscan
nowbe achieved. And,of course,all six unitsare full stereo(with
the exceptionof MICROEQ), full bandwidth,and designedfor
fast,trouble-free operation.
Belowyou'llfind a brief descriptionof each unit,followedby
setuphintsand application ideasto helpyou get the mostfrom
yourgear...so youcangetthe mostfromyourmusic.

MICROVERBll has revolutionized the recordingindustryby

pro v i d i n gt h e si n g l e mo st i mp o rta n aspect
t of music - the
controlled c r e a ti o no f a mb i e n ceU. ti l i z ing16 bit linearPCM
processing, MICROVERB ll places awesomepowerin the hands
o f a n y e n g i n e e r,fro m 4 tra ck b e d ro omstudiohobbyiststo
seasonedprofessionals workingin worldclassrecording facilities.

T h e M I C R OL I M I T E R ,a s o f t - k n e ep, r o g r a m - d e p e n d e n t
compressor/limiter, addspunchto vocalsand instruments, greatly
improvesthe signalto noiseratioof tape recordedtracks,and
smoothsout fluctuating dynamics.Attacktime and compression
ratio adjust automatically so you won't waste valuabletime
searching for the mostmusically correctsettings.

The MICROGATE is a combinationnoisegate/specialeffects

processorthat is usefulfor eliminatingincessantbackground
noisebetweenmusicalpassages,for creatingspecialeffectslike
gatedreverb,and for tightening
up loosetimingin rhythmtracks.
INTRODUCTION cont'd
(especiallykick drumsand bass guitars).The delay and rate
controlsallow you to set the lengthof time that the gate stays
openandthe slopeof the gateas it beginsto close.

The MIGROEO is a 3 bandparametric equalizercompletewith

s w i t c h a b l eb a n d w i d t hc o n t r o l s .P e r f e c t l ys u i t e d f o r t h e
requirements of stageand studio,the MICROEQ can be used
w it h a n y e l e c t r i cin stru me not r mi cro p honer equir ingtonal
alteration.

The MICROENHANCERcan be thoughtof as an automatic

equalizer,used duringtrackingand mixdownwhen you need to
add brillianceto instrumentsand to restorepresenceand clarity
lost in the recordingprocess.And the MICROENHANCERdoes
this withoutaddingdistortion, a problemfound in othersignal
enhancers.

The MICROCUE AMP is a two channelheadphoneamplifier

that allowsyou to expandyour headphonemonitoringsystem.lt
alsofeaturesa secondinputwhichcan be usedwith a guitaror
keyboardfor privatepracticing.And you can even chain MICRO
CUE AMPS togetherto give you all the additionalheadphone
outputsthatyou needfor biggersessions.

Nexttime you listento a greatrecording,you will very likelybe

hearingthe Alesis MICROSERIESin use.Certainlyyou should
be usingall six MICROSERIESproductsin your studioand in
yournextliveperformance. Thismanualwillshowyou how.
ACKNOWLEDGETAENTS
FORlr,ilCROEA p.37-/o
Reproducedwhhpermissionol the publisher,HowardW. Samsand Co. Modern
RecordingTechnioues
by RobertE. Runsteincopyright1974.

Reprintedwithpemissionfromthe NovemberDecember issueof Recording

Engineer/Pmducer.
@yright 1972, IntertecPublishingCorporalion,
Ovedand
Park,Kansas.
TABLEOF CONTENTS
 INSTALLATION
Beforeunpackingyour new Alesis MlcRo sERlEs unit,take a
momentto look throughthis instructionmanual.we've made it
brief and informativeand it will answerany questionsthat you
mighthave.some helpfulsetupthoughtsare inctudedalongwith
someapplication hintsfor eachunit.
EachMlcRo sERlEs unit is designedand engineered to give
you the highestlevel of professionalperformanceand quatity.
we've madeeach unit musicaland easy to use so that you can
get the most fromyour musicwiththe leastamountof effort.

lnstruments,Microphones
The Alesis MlcRo SERIEShas highimpedance inputsthatare
ideallysuitedfor use eitherwith instrumentpickupsor line level
signals.Althoughmicrophones can be connected direcilyintoany
of the MICROSERIESunits,it is recommended that they be
connectedto a mixingconsolefirst and then connectedto the
MfCROSERIESas describedin Figures2 or 3 for quietest
operation.
Of the MICROSERIESunits that are stereo,such as the
MICROVERBll, MICROLIMITER,MTCROGATE,and MTCRO
ENHANCER, eitherleftor rightinputsmaybe used,butsignalwill
only appearon the same side output(example:left input-left
output)sincebothlettand rightchannelsare totallyisolated.See
tigure 1
F I G U R E1 - M O N O M I C R O S E R I E S C O N N E C T I O NT O
INSTRUMENT OR MICROPHONE
TOAMPLIFIER
OR MIXINGCONSOLE

INSTRUMENTOR

LEFTOUTPUT
INSTALLATION cont'd
This is NOTtrue of the MICROVERBll, however'lf the left input
onlyof the MICROVERB ll is used,the inputsignalwillappearas
mono (presentin bothchannels) at the dry sideof the mixcontrol'

MixingConsotes
All of the MICROSERIESunits can handlemono or stereo
sends at all systemlevels.The input circuitryof the MICRO
SERIEScan easilyhandle+4dBvlevels(+20dBvpeaks),while
havingenoughinputor outputgainto interface withthe extremely
low signallevelsof budget recording systems.
The MICROSERIESunits may be connectedto the mixing
consolein severalways.
In the caseof the MICROENHANCERor MICROVERB ll, the
unit can be used to effectseveralinstrumentsat once by using
the auxiliarysend and returncontrolsof the console.Simply
connectan aux sendof the mixingconsoleto eitherof the inputs
of the MICROENHANCERor MICROVERB ll (or 2 aux sends
co nnect e dt o b o t h th e l e ft a n d ri g h t i n p uts of the M ICRO
ENHANCERor MICROVERBll for stereooperation)and then
connectthe outputof the MlcRo ENHANCER or MICROVERB ll
back to eitherthe aux returnsor inputchannels.Remember, in
this situation,the mix controlshouldalwaysbe set fully to the
right(clockwise) for maximumeffect.Seefigure 2

FIGURE2. STEREOCONNECTIONTO MIXING

CONSOLEVIA AUX SENDS

AUXSEND2 LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT

rry1622m

M I C R OS E R I E S
INSTALLATION contd
The recommended methodof interfacing for the MIGRO
LlMlrER,MlcRo EQ,or MlcRo GATEis to connectthe unit
directlyto the insertsendandreceivepatchpointsof thechannel
that is to be effected.This methodwill work for the MlcRo
ENHANCER andMICROVERB ll as well,but keepin mindthat
onlyoneinstrument (in monoor stereo)at a timewillbe effected.
Seetigure 3
FIGURE3. STEREOCONNECTIONTO MIXING
CONSOLEVIA CHANNELINSERTPATCHPOINTS
as 1622u

INSERTSEND INSERTRETURN

LEFTOUTPUT

ln the caseof the MICROVERBll, however,dedicatingseparate

units to individualvoices or instrumentsallowsyou to exercise
greatercontrolover the ambienceof each sound.An "overall"
reverbcan then be usedto tie all of the soundstogetherintothe
samespacefor uniformity. See figwe 4
INSTALLATION cont'd
Anotherway to interfaceMICROSERIESunitsto a mixeror
recordingconsolewould be in-lineacrossthe outputof your
mixingconsole. See figure 4 This would be the case if you
neededto effectthe entire mix and would be an especially
appropriateuse for the MICROENHANCER,MICROLIMITER,
and in somecases,the MICROVERB ll.

FIGURE4 - STEREOCONNECTION
TO THE MICROSERTES
USINGTHE MAINOUTPUTS

a'*.'1622re
MAINOUTLEFT

MICRO
SERIES

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

The MICROSERIESunits(withthe exceptionof MTCROEe)

are especiallydesignedfor stereoprogrammaterialas all of the
unitsare trulystereowithcommonparameter controlsto prevent
"centershifting",which means
that the balancebrieflyleans
towardsone side due to short term peakson one side of the
stereoprogram.

The MICROEQ canalsobe connected thisway but 2 unitsmust

be used since it is a mono unit. MIGROCUE AMP(s)can be
connectedin this manneras well to expandyour headphone
monitori
ng capabilities.
6
INSTALLATION cont'd
Mounting
All of the unitsin the Alesis MICROSERIESare rack-mountable
in the Micro Rack Adapter, where any three unitsfit perfectly.
Assemblyis quick and simplewith a singlescrewsecuringeach
devicein place.The uniquedesignof the MICROSERIEScase
allowsthe devicesto lock togetherto form a solid rack package,
or to standaloneas singleunits.

Power
The MIGROSERIESis poweredby a remotesupplyproviding9
volts AC througha 3.5mm plug. This externalpowersupply
approachkeepsstray magneticfieldsfrom interferingwith low
levelsignals,allowseasy conversionto alternatepowersources
(220V),and furtherreducesthe unit'sphysicalsize and valuable
panel space.Althoughmany MICROSERIESdevicescould be
poweredby a singlesupply,this is not advisable
as groundloops
couldpossiblyoccurbetweenunits,leadingto excessivehumand
noisein the system,
MICROVERBYI
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Description
MICROVERBll is a revolutionin the developmentof digital
reverbin that it representsa phenomenalprice/performance ratio
while reducingthe physicalsize from large,bulky hardwareto
what yo u c a n n o w h o l d i n th e p a l m o f y our hand.The 16
programsin MICROVERB ll are the resultof yearsof exhaustive
researchby Alesisinto the phenomenon of soundas it occurs
naturallyin space.Fromsmall,intimateroom settingsto large
unobstructed spacesto usefulgatedreverbeffects,MICROVERB
ll offersa powerful levelof sonicflexibility that will expandand
polishthe soundof any recording.
Utilizing the AlesisR.l.S.C.(ReducedInstruction Set Computer)
a r c h i t e c t u r et,h e M I C R O V E R Bl l p r o v i d e sclean,quiet,
professional digitalreverberation with the cost and simplicityof
springunits.The entiredigitalprocessingsystemis containedon
a singlechip,developedby the AlesisResearchDepartment
s p e c i f i c a l l yf o r t h e M l c R o v E R B l l . U s i n g h i g h s p e e d
c omp l e m e n t a r y-me ta l -o xi d e -se mi conductor ( CMOS)silicon
processing, the MICROVERBll chip replacesseveralcircuit
cardsof components whileconsumingvery littlepower.
The reverbprogramswere developedon our interactiveroom
simulationand development system.Philosophically, the objective
of reverberationis to enhancea dramaticperformance,adding
MICROVERBYI contd
space,power,and depth.Naturalspacestend to sound more
pleasingthan the simulatedreverbtypes such as springsand
plates,andfor thisreason,we useroomterminologyin desiribing
our programs.The programscover a wide rangeof sizes and
qualities,and includesuch unnaturalconcepti as gated and
reversetypes.

Controls
The Input controlsets the levelof signalthat is appliedto the
MlcRovERB ll and shouldbe set so the overload Indicator
readsin the redonlyon occasionaltransients.

The Mix controldetermines the amountof wet signal(reverb)or

dqysignalsentto the output. lf the Mix controlis set all the way
to the right,thenonlyreverbwillbe heard.lf the Mix controlis set
all the way to the left,then only dry (uneffected)signatwill be
heard.The 12 o'clockpositionwill resultin a 50/50mixtureof dry
to reverbedsignal.

The Output controlsets the output level of both channelsof

MICROVERB ll. Thisshouldbe set so thatthe unitbeingfed by
MICROVERB ll is notoverloaded.

The Program Select selectsone of MICROVERBll's 16 reverb

programs.
ntCnOYERBllPrograms
SIALLI AMBIENCE TEDIUU3 MEDIUMROOM LANGE1 LOWDIFFUSION
VOCAIROOM
SXALL2 AMBIENCE TEDIUT' MEDIUMPLATEiSTRONG LARGE2MEDIUM/LARGE ROOM
STALL3 SMALLROOM IMMEDIATE
ATTACK LARGE3 LARGEROOM
SIALT' SMAII PI ATF TEDIUT5 MEDIUM/LARGEROOM LANGE4ENDLESSSPACE
ED|UT T SMALL/MEOIUM ROOM T€OIUX 6 MEDIUMPLATE/SOFTER GATE.I POWERGATE
TEDIUT2 SMALL/MEOIUM ROOM DELAYEDATTACK GAT€2 BRIGHTGATE

The OverloadIndicator is actuallya 3 coloredLED that shows

severalinputconditions.When the indicatorglowsamber,the
inputsignalto the MICROVERB ll is too low and the lnput level
shouldbe increased.Whenthe indicatorglowsgreen,the signal
presentlybeingfed to the MICROVERBll is a usablelevel.
When the indicatorglows red, the MICROVERBll is being
MICROVERBYI contd
overloadedand the Input controlshouldbe decreased.

The Bypass Jack, locatedon the rear panel, bypassesthe

reverbsignaland allowsonly the dry signalat the outputs. Any
S PS T ty p e f o o t s wi tch(su ch a s th e re ve r bfootswitchthat
sometimes comeswithamplifiers) willworkfor thisfunction.

Operation
MICROVERB ll is easyto usein almostanyapplication.Simply
do thefollowing:
1. Applya signalto eitherthe leftinputjackfor mono(usedwith
a singleinstrument), or bothleftand rightjacksfor stereo.
2. Increasethe Input controluntilthe ReCLED brieflylights
"green"
on occasionalprogrampeaks.The LED should remain
most of the time. This indicatesthat there is sufficientlevelto
maintaina goodsignalto noiseratio.
3. Increasethe Output controluntilthere is sufficientoutput
level.
4. Adjustthe Mix controluntilthe desiredratioof dry to wet
s i g n a l i s a c h i e v e d . R E M E M B E R :l n c a s e s w e r e t h e
MTCROVERBlt is used with the aux sends of a recording
console,the Mix controlshouldremainallthe way to the right (ail
wet signal).
5. Selectyourprogramof choice.

A s a g o o d r u l e o f th u mbfo r se l e cti n gp rogr ams,r hythm ic

instruments suchas drumsand instruments withostinato(quickly
repeating)type patternsusuallywork bestwith smallerprograms.
Long melodiclines and pads generallysound betterwith larger
rooms.Remember,however,that thisis only a startingpoint. Use
your ears and selecttheprogramthatsoundsbest to you!

Howto use MICROVERB ll in your studio

The 16 programsin MICROVERBll offer a wide rangeof
ambientspaces.lts compact,atfordableformatmeansthat even
the smallest4 trackstudiocan own morethan one MIGROVERB
ll. One of the greatestdifferencesbetweenhomerecordingsand
10
 MICROVERBYI contd
top flightrecordproductions is in the qualityand numberof high
performancereverb processors.Simply stated,the big studios
havea lot of digitalreverbsand the smallerstudiosusuallydon't.
MICROVERB ll changesail that.

Theillustration showsa typicalreverbassignment for a no hotdsbarredrecordpro-

duction.whilethissetupmaynotrepresent thecapabilities of yourownrecording
efforts,it doesillustratewhymodernrecordings soundsospaciouianddramatic.Th6
16bitprocessor in MlcRor/ERBII allorvsyoutocreatethissenseof spacewithcrystal-
lineclarityandgreatresolution.
Theseprogramswerechosenfor the purposeof creatinga 'soundstage'for the
musical performance. Thereisa welldefinedsenseof threedimensional spacethatis
occupiedbyeachinstrument: leftto rightandfrontto back.Theblocksintheillustration
indicatethe physicalplacementof eachinstrument, and the spreadingof the sound
dueto the psychoacoustic imagingcharacteristics of eachprogram.Noticethatthe
smallprogramshavemoreof a centeredspatialimagewhilethelargeprogramsare
wider,moreopenandspacious.
Recornmended progralrsare listedby numbernelitto each instrument. Thesepro-
gramsuggestions arebasedoncurrentpopularusesof digitalrwerb,butuseyor imagF
ption_q1dpleaseexperiment. Musicalstyle,personaltasteandcreativityare1rcurguid-e-
lines.Thismix usesI MlcRovERBII programssimultaneously. Theattoroaoifityot
MICROVERB Ileasilybringsatleasta portion ofthismixwithin thereachofa//studios.
Themixcontrolsettingsapplyto eitherthemixcontrolon MICRoVERB II lor stand
aloneoperation, or thesettingscan applyto thesendsand receivesof a mixingcon-
sole.IMPoRTANT! whenusedwiththesendsandreceives of a mixingconsolethbmix
controlon MIORoVERB II shouldalwaysbe setfullyclockwise, andthereturnson the
consolepannedhardleftandrightforthefullstereoeffect.
UIXCONTROL
PROGRAT %Dty %h
SNAREDRUM
. GATEIoT2
LEAOVOCAL . . . . . . . . M E D I U M 4 O R L A R G E6 10
BACKGROUNDVOCAIS
..... .. MEDIUMs
LEAD INSTRUMENTS (guitiar,sax, svnth, etc.) LARGE1
RHYTHMGUfTARANDKEYBOARDS... .. SMALLlor2 so-o 50-100
HORNSECTION...,, .ARGE2 40-50
STRINGS LARGE 1 50-10()
PERCUSSIONANDCYMBALS. .. LARGEl OR
MEDIUM
2

BASSGUITAR... SMALL2
H1H4T............. S M A L Lo Tr 2

11
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MICROVERBYI cont,d
STACKINGMICROVERBils
lf 16 programsaren'tenough,try stacking2 MrcRovERB ils
togetherfor a nearlyendlessnumberof revbrbpossibilities.
Try
startingwitha small Roomfeedingintoa Mediumor LargeRoom,
then let yourimagination
runwild.See ligure 5
FIGURE5. STACKINGMICRoVERBIIs

TO CONSOLE
ORAMPLIFIER
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rcrr oureur |
I RIGHTOUTPUT
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FROM MIXER OR
INSTRUMENT

13
MICROLIMITER'

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Description
T h e Al e s i s M I CR OL IMIT E Ri s a tru e ster eoin/ster eoout
compressor/limiter whichis usedfor automaticgain riding,peak
limiting,and specialeffectson bothliveand recordedinstruments
andvocals.
A compressor/limiter, whichcan be thoughtof as an automatic
fader,veryquicklyreducesgainand attenuates the signalonceit
exceedsa predetermined level.The numberof dB increaseof the
inputsignalneededto causea 1 dB increasein the outputsignal
of the compressor/limiter is calledthe compression rafio.Thus,for
a ratioof 4 to 1, an 8 dB increaseof inputproducesa 2 dB
increasein output.
The MICROLIMITERcan be thoughtof as a compressor when
the greenLEDs are lit becauseof the low compression ratio(2:1
to 8:1).A compressor is usuallyusedto even out the volume
fluctuations of an instrument or vocaland sometimes for special
effects(SeeApplications).
A compression ratioof 10:1or abovechangesthe compressor
intoa limiter.A limiteris usedto preventshorttermpeaks(which
add littleinformation to the programmaterial)from overloading
amplifiersor tapes. lt also can be used for certaintypesof
specialeffects(See Applications). Once the yellowLEDs are
fired,the unitbecomesa truelimiterwiththefourthLEDindicating
14
MICRO LIMITER@contd
a compression ratioof about16:1.sincewe at Alesisfeelthatthe
MICRO LIMITERis more easily and quicktyset up by just
listening,we have eliminatedthesedesignations from the front
panelof the unit.
The MICROLIMITERemploysthe "soft-knee"approach,which
meansthat there is alwayssome compressionappliedto all
signals,regardlessof level,but the compressionratiois very low
for low level signalsand automaticallyincreasesas the signal
fevelincreases.See figure 6
FIGURE6

5
F
l
o
I N P U TL E V E L

The MICROLIMITERalso employsprogramdependentattack

timewhichallowsthe unitto be moremusicalsoundingthanother
compr e s s o r / l i m iteorsn th e ma rke t.B e causeof the unique
charact e r i s t i cosf i ts d e te cti o nci rcu i try which
, have been
especiallytailoredfor use with a rhythmsection,the unit can be
thoughtof as a "powerbox",addingpunchto bass and drums
with very few of the undesirable side effectsnormallyassociated
withcompressor/limiters.
Unlikemany other compressor/limiters on the marketwhich
requireextensivetechnicalknowledgefor operation,the MICRO
LIMITERwas designedspecifically withthe musicianin mindso it
is bothquickand easyto use and requireslittletrainingto achieve
the desiredresults.

Controls
The input controlsets not only the level enteringthe MICRO
LllllTER, but alsodeterminesthe the amountof limitingwhichwill
be applied.Therefore,the more inputto the unit, the higherthe
15
MICRO LIMITER@cont'd
compressionratio. This ratio is indicatedby the input LED'sin
withthe graphon the frontof the unit.
conjunction

The releasetime controldetermineshow quicklythe limiter

recoversfrom a signalappliedto the input. Farthestto the left is
the fastestreleasetimewhilefull to the rightis the slowest.

The output controlis providedfor matchinglevelsso that no

signallevelis lostdue to the effectsof limiting.

An in/out switchallowsyou to bypassthe MIGROLIMITERfor

comparisonpurposes,if necessary.

Operation
Althoughspecificoperationof the MICROLIMITERwill vary per
instrumentor effect desired,basic operationof the MICRO
LIMITERis the same. First,applya signalto the unit'srightor left
inputjack (or bothjacksfor stereo),takingcare to use the same
sidefor the output. Depressthe in/out switchto the "in" position.

To determinethe rightamountof limiting,it is bestto lookat the

meterson your consoleor tape machineand listento the results.
This is coveredmore in the next section(see application). Be
awarethat too much limitingwill causethe programmaterialto
seemdullandlifeless.

Next,adjustthe releasetime by startingwith the controlfull to

the left (counterclockwise).
This is the mostcriticaladjustmentso
it must be made carefullyfor best results.As a generalrule,
signalsthat are percussiveor have a high treblecontent(like
drums)shouldhave a shorterreleasetime, or the controlset
more to the left. Programthat containsa lot of low frequencies
(likebass)shouldhavea longerreleasetime,or the controlset
moreto the right.

Careshouldbe takenwhenthe releasecontrolis set too far to

the left (releasetime too short) as this setting may result in a
MICRO LIMITER@contd
slightamountof harmonicdistortion.Also,a phenomenacalled
"pumping"or "breathing"
mightoccur.This meansthat if a rapid
successionof peakswerefed intothe limiter(a staccatoguitaror
synthpart,for instance),the limiterwouldrespondto eachpeakof
the signal,causinga rapidrisein background noiseas the gainis
increasedafter each peak. Both of these conditionsare a by-
productof the limitingprocessand can occurwith any limiter.
However,theseconditionsmay neveroccurduringyour particular
use as they are dependent on the typeof instrument fed intothe
MICROLIMITER,and the styleof musicplayed,as well as the
settingof the release control.Simply turn the release control a
bit to the right and either the slight distortionor "pumping"and
"breathing"willgo away!

lf the releasecontrolis set too far to the right(releasetime too

long),the programmay sounddull and lifelessas a resultof
squasheddynamics. Whenin doubtas to how to setthe release
control, it'sbetter to keep it on a shortersetting(towardsthe left)
since fhe MICROLIMITERis most forgivingin operationat this
point and you will mostlikelyget the desiredresults.

Finally,set the output controlby switchingthe in/out controlin,

then out, and adjustthe output controluntilthe levelis the same
regardlessof the positionof the switch.

Application
The MICROLIMITERcan be made to performseveraldifferent
functions,
depending
uponcontrolsettings.
Theseare:

1. Even out the volume differencesbetweenregisterson

instruments. An exampleof this wouldbe that some bass guitar
stringsare louderthanotherson someinstruments. The useof a
MICROLIMITERproducesa smootherbassline by matchingthe
volumesof the differentnotes.

2 . M i n i m i z et h e c h a n g e si n v o l u m ew h e n a v o c a l i s to r
instrumentalist momentarily changeshis distancefromthe mike.
17
MICRO LIMITER@cont'd
3. Allow an instrumentto be recordedhotteronto tape by
preventingtransients(highlevelpeaks)frompinningthe meter.
"sit" better in the mix by
4. Make a vocal or instrument
decreasingthe signalpeaks and increasingthe lower volume
parts.This actuallyenablesthe signalto be made significantly
louderin the mix whileincreasingthe overallsignallevelmeter
onlyslightly

5. lncreasethe "punch"of certaininstruments

suchas bassor
drums,by allowingthe peak portionof the signalthroughwhile
limitingthe rest.

suchas electricguitar
6. lncreasethe sustainof an instrument
by compressingits dynamicrange.

by controlling
7. Stopdistortiondue to temporaryoverloading
transients.

In the examplesbelow,we can bypassthe normaltechnical

explanationsby simply watchingthe meters and listening. This
will get you the best resultsfrom your MICROLIMITERwith the
leastamountof hassle.

MICROLIMITERfor addingpunchto an instrument

Adjustthe input controluntil the instrument(or instruments)
beginsto brightenon the attackportionof the signal. This should
be at aboutthe first red LED. Be carefulnot to limitthe signaltoo
much as it will start to becomevery dull and lifeless. Also, be
carefulas to the settingof the Releasecontrol(Remember:more
bass = longersetting).The MICROLIMITER,unlikeany other
limiteron the market,is optimizedfor rhythmsectionwork (bass
and drums) allowingyou to add the maximumpunch while
keepingundesirable sideeffectsto a minimum.See figure 7

18
MICRO LIMITER@cont,d
FIGURE7
F R O MI N S T R U M E NOTR M I X I N GC O N S O L E T O A M P L I F I EO
RR M I X I N GC O N S O L E
L E F TI N P U T t

MICROLIMITERfor addingsustainfor electricguitar

Adjustthe Input controluntil the instrument',snaps"on the
attackportionof the signal.Now increasethe Releasecontrol
untilthedesiredamountof sustainis achieved(thismaybe all the
way to the right). Seefigure I
FIGURE8
GUITAR T OA M P L I F I E O
R R M I X I N GC O N S O L E
LEFrf'rpur ]

An unfortunate by-productof the increasedreleasetime is that

the noiselevelwillgraduallysurgeto a highlevelwhenno signal
is present. This may be overcomeby insertinga MICROGATE
afterthe MfCROLIMITERto eliminatethe noise.Seetigure g

19
MICRO LIMITER@cont'd
FIGURE9
GUITAR

LEFTINPUT

LEFTOUTPUT

TOAMPLIFIEROR MIXINGCONSOLE

Anotherpossibleby-productof increasedreleasetime is thatthe

input s i g n a l m a y b e co med u l l d u e to fa ct that the MICRO
LIMITERcontinuesto hold on to a note while the next one is
pla y e d ,w h i c h p r e ve n tstra n si e n tsfro m makingit thr ough.
However,with the additionof a MICROENHANCERafteryour
MICROLIMITERand MICROGATEyou have the perfectsetup
for long,sustainingguitar!*e figure 10

20
MICRO LIMITER@cont,d
FIGURE1O
GUITAR
LEFTINPUT

TOAMPLIFIEROR MIXINGCONSOLE

MICROLIMITERfor controlling level of an instrument or

vocal
Withthe in/out switchin the "out"position,watchthe VU or level
meter,and/orlistento the differencesin volumebetweennotes.
The VU or levelmeterwill show a largeamountof movement.
NowswitchIrllCROLIMITERintothe circuitand beginto increase
the Input controluntilthe notesallsound relativelythe same,and
the levelmeteris reactingless wildly to the signal.The meter
shouldbe movingsomewhat, sinceif it staysin one positionthen
it wouldbe an indicationthat the signalis becomingoverlimited
21
MICRO LIMITER@cont'd
andwilllackdynamics.

Now adjustthe Releaseand Output controlsas in the section

markedoperation.Seetigure 11

As a guide,onlythe firstthreeor four LEDs shouldbe lit during

thisapplication.
F I G U R E1 1
MICROPHONE
INSTRUMENT. OR MIXINGCONSOLE TOAMP OR MIXINGCONSOLE

,-*r*- 1 LEFTOUTPUT

Whenset up in this manner,the MICROLIMITERwill act as a

veryeffectivepeaklimiter.This meansthat the MICROLIMITER
c a n b e u s e d t o sto p a n y d i sto rti o nfro m occur r ingin any
subsequenteffectsstages(any devicepluggedin after it) due to
overload.The MIGROLIMITERperformswell in this application
becauseof its "softknee"signaldetectioncharacteristics, which
meansthat the higherthe signalpeakis, the morelimitingthere
willbe.

22
MICROGATE'

FRONT

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BACK

Description
The Alesis MICROGATE is a true stereoin/stereoout noise
gate.As the namesuggests,a noisegate is sort of an electronic
fence gate. When there is enoughpressureon the gate (the
signalis loudenough),the gatewillopento letthe signalthrough.
You can controlhow much level it will take to open the gate (or
how muchpressure),how longthe gate will stay open,and how
fast it will close.Becauseof this amountof control,the MICRO
GATEcan be set to eliminate any noises,clicks,or buzzeswhich
mightbe a componentof the signalby closingthe gate (turning
off) eitherwhen a signalis not present,or whenthe signaldrops
belowa presetthreshold(or pressure).The MICROGATEwill not
actuallyeliminateall noisethat is a component of the signal,just
the noisethat existswhenthe signalis not present.This is true of
anygatingdevice.
It can alsobe usedfor a varietyof specialetfectssuchas gating
the reverbon a snaredrumto achievethe popular80'sstyledrum
sound effect,or tighteningup the sound of a live drum kit by
suppressing leakagebetweendrummics.

23
MICRO GATEtcont'd
Controls
The Thresholdcontrolsetsthe pointat whichthe MICROGATE
will open(letthe signalthrough).Turningthis controlclockwise(to
the right)lowersthe thresholdpoint,makingthe gate easierto
trigger.

The Rate controldetermineshow fast the MICROGATE will

close,with the fastestpositionbeing all the way to the right
(clockwise).
Thiscan alsobe thoughtof as a releasetimecontrol.

A Delay controlallowsthe user to determinehow long the

MICROGATEwill wait beforeclosingaftera signalhas dropped
belowthe threshold.

A series of coloredLEDs are also includedto indicatethe

current status of the MICRO GATE. A red "Close" LED
indicatesthat the gate is closedand no signalis beingallowed
through. A green "Open" LEDindicates the the gateis open,
havingrisen above the thresholdpoint,and signal is flowing
freely throughthe unit.The yellow"Delay"LEDindicates thatthe
signal has dropped below thresholdand the MICROGATEis
waiting for a period of time (determined by the delaycontrol)
beforeclosing.
An ExternalTriggerinputcan alsobe foundon the rearpanel.
This inputis sometimescalleda "key"input.The functionof the
ExternalTrigger input is to allowthe MICROGATEto open by
beingtriggeredfroma sourceotherthanthe one pluggedintothe
inputs.An exampleof this is whenan instrument track(suchas a
keyboard),whichhas beenplayedwith impreciserhythm,can be
tightenedup and the track savedby triggering(or "keying")from
anotherinstrument whichwas playedwith moreprecisetime. ln
this case,the outputof the snaredrumtrackis pluggedintothe
Trigger Input of the MICROGATEwhichthen has the keyboard
track pluggedinto its normalinputs.Everytime the snare drum
hits, the gate will open allowingthe sound of the keyboard
throughin perfectsync. The lengthof time that the keyboard
stayson will be determinedby adjustingboththe Rateand Delay
24
MICRO GATEtcont'd
controfs. Seefigure 12

FIGURE12
KEYBOARD
TRACK SNARETRACK

I rnrooe
nrxeur

An In/Out switchis providedto bypassthe MICROGATE if

purposes.
desired,or for comparison

Operation
After connectingyour MICROGATE (referto the sectionon
installation),
makesure that the unit is readyfor operationby
makingsurethatthe in/outswitchis depressed.Thisis important
sincethe status LED'swill flash even if the gate functionis
bypassed.

Whileapplyinga signalto the MICROGATE,turnthe Threshold

controlslowlyto the rightuntilthe green"Open"LEDflashes.Now
slowlyturn the Rate controlto the rightuntilthe gate turnsoff at
the exactmomentthatthe signalstops.Thisadjustment is critical
sincethe signalwillsound"chopped" if settoo far to the right,and
not enoughnoisewill be eliminated if set too far to the left. As a
final step,turn the Delaycontrolslowlyto the right(startingfrom
full counterclockwise)untilthe smoothesttransitionfrom opento
closedgateis achieved.

As a generalrule,percussive typesof instruments (likedrums)

will requireshorterrates,while sustainingtypes of instruments
(likeguitarsor pianos)will requirelongerrates.The Delaycontrol
is most usefulfor thesesustainingtypes of programsas it will
25
MICRO GATE@"ont'a
"chopped"
allowyou to maintainthe signallengthwithoutthe
effectwhilekeepingthe noisefloorto an absoluteminimum'
"chatter", whichmeansthat
Be carefulalsothatthe gatedoesn't
the gate is beingtriggeredby spurious noise, clicks,and pops
causedby the Threshold beingset just a bit too low.A cure for
this is to connecta MICROLIMITERbeforethe gate in orderto
set the signalto a strong,constantlevel.This is especially true
whengatingdrums,whenleakagefromotherdrums (tomspicked
up by the kickdrummic,for instance) willoftencausethe gateto
openprematurely.

Application
The MICROGATEis usefulin manyeverydayrecordingand
performing Beloware just a few of the mostcommon
situations.
waysto putthisdeviceto use.

Pleaserememberthat the controlsettingswill vary depending

uponthe actualequipment used,the styleof musicbeingplayed,
The settingsare
playingstyleof the musician.
and the particular
nominallycorrecthowever,and shouldserve as a reasonably
goodstartingpoint.

MICROGATE with individualinstrumentsor microphones

The MICROGATEcan be usedas a noisesuppressor (or "noise
gate")with eitherguitars,basses,keyboards,or microphones
whenrecording the MIGRO
or playinglive.Whenset up correctly,
GATEwill turn off at the end of each signalenvelopethereby
keepingannoyinghumsandbuzzesout of thesystem.

Plugthe guitar,keyboard, or otherinstrumentdirectlyintoeither

the left or rightinputof the MICRO GATE. Now plug the same
sideoutput(if you usedthe rightinputthen you must usethe right
output)directlyintoeithera mixingconsoleor amplifier.
Proceedas in the abovesection(Operation), takingcare to set

26
MICRO GATE@,onra
the Ratecontrolto wherethe signalof the instrument or
is not"clipped"
microphone whenthegatecloses.Seetigurel3

FIGURE13
FROMINSTRUMENT
ORMICROPHONE TOAMPLIFIER
OR MIXINGCONSOLE

LEFTINPUT LEFTOUTPUT

MICROGATEwith a mixing console

The MICROGATE can also be used to eliminatenoiseand
buzzes,and generally"tighten-up"recordedtracks by being
pluggedintothe insertsendand returnsof the inputchannelsof a
I
mixingconsole.Se tigure 14
lf the mixingconsoledoes not have insertjacks,or if the insert
FIGURE14
ats16122n

INSERT
SENO INSERT
RETURN

LEFTINPUT LEFTOUTPUT

27
MICRO GATE'cont'd
jacks are dedicatedto anothereffect,it is possibleto plug the
MICROGATE in betweenthe outputsof the tape machineand
the tape inputsof the console.See figure 15 Operationis the
sameas the aboveexample.

FIGURE15
FROMTAPEDECK
TOTAPEINPUTSOF MIXINGCONSOLE

LEFTINPUI R I G H TI N P U T LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

MICROGATEas a variable decay for MICROVERBll or other

reverbs
The useof a MICROGATEin conjunction with a MICROVERBll
or any otherreverbwithfixeddecaycharacteristics will openup a
wholenewrealmof flexibility.See ltgure 16
F I G U R E1 6
-
MIXINGCONSOLE
FROM

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT

IIOROTHER
MICROVERB
REVERB

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT LEFTOUTPUT

MICRO GATE*contd
To varythe reverbdecaytime,turn the Thresholdcontrolto the
rightuntilthe green"Open"LED is lit, then slowlyturn the rate
controlclockwiseuntilthe desireddecaytime is achieved.The
"correct"reverbtime is
usuallydeterminedby the tempoof the
music,and how busythe arrangement is. For example,if many
instrumentsuse the same reverb or the parts containfast
passageswith lots of 16th notes,the mix will usuallysound
muddyand confusedif the reverbtime is too long.ln this case,
just turn the Rate controla bit more to the right to shortenthe
decaytime,whichwill leavethe senseof spaciousness while
lessening the muddiness.
The correctlengthwouldbe whenthe
reverbof eachsuccessive notediesjust as the nextnotesounds.
It's also possibleto createyour own specialeffectgateddrum
sounds,as heardon mostcontemporary records.First,selecta
largeroomtype program(or any mediumor largeprogramthat
soundsgoodto you) on the digitalreverb. The bestprogramsfor
this effecthavethe smoothestdecaytails(thegatewill "chatter',if
the tail isn'tsmooth).Nowturnthe RatecontrolJar to the rightso
thatthe gateclosesabruptly,makingsurethatthe reverblengthis
FROMMIXINGCONSOLE
L E F TI N P U TT I R I G H TI N P U T
FIGURE17

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT
LEFTINPUT RIGHT
INPUT

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT TO MIXINGCONSOLE

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

MICRO GATE'cont'd
notso longas to spilloverontothe nextdrumbeat.Varythe delay
controlfor a smootherreleaseif necessary.For an even more
strikingeffect,inserta MICROLIMITERbetweenthe reverband
the MICROGATE. Seefigure 17
The limitershouldbe set for maximum"punch"settingswith a
highdegreeof limiting(at leastthe firstred LEDshouldlight).Set
the releasetime startingat about halfway.The objecthere is to
set the releasetime (ratecontrol)as long as necessaryto keep
the reverb"tail"smooth.
MICROGATEusingthe triggerfunctionfor gatedreverb
Anotherway to achievea gatedinstrument sound(likea snare
drum)witha minimumof gatechatteris to feedthetriggerinputof
the gate with the dry signalof the instrument whilegatingthe
reverbin the abovefashion.Thisassuresthe ultimatein chatter-
free operationas the rate is now controlled by the envelopeof
the instrumentitself. Seefigure 18

FIGURE18 FROMAUXSENDSOF CONSOLE

LEFTINPUT R I G H TI N P U T

LEFTOUTPUT R I G H TO U T P U T

TOMIXINGCONSOLE

LEFTINPUT R I G H TI N P U T LEFTOUTPUT R I G H TO U T P U T

INPUT
TRIGGER

DBYSIGNALFROMINSTRUMENT
(EXAMPLE:
SNAREDRUM)

30
MICRO GATEtcontd
MICROGATEusing the trigger function for specialeffects
Althoughthe MICROGATEtriggerfunctionis usuallyusedfor
syncingetfectsbetweentwo instrumentssee figure 19, it can
a ls o b e u s e d f o r se ve ra l i n te re sti n gspecial effects and
enhancements.

The mostcommonof theseis thetuningandfatteningof a drum

(a kickdrum,for instance)
by addinga lowoscillatortoneof about
60hz(i.e.froma synthesizer)to the drumwhichis thensyncedby
the MICROGATE. A signalfrom the drum is then appliedto
the Trigger inputcausingthe gate to openwhenthedrumhits.
The outputof the MICROGATEshouldthenbe mixedback into
the drum soundat the mixingconsole.By tuningthe oscillator
between40 and 80 Hz, you will be ableto add botha fullness
to thedrumas wellas tunethe drumto a specificpitch.

F I G UR E1 9
TOMIXINGCONSOLE

OSCILLATOR
OR SYNTHESIZER DRUMTRACK

L E F TI N P U T LEFTOUTPUT TRIGGER
INPUT

A variationto the abovewould be to injectwhite noisefrom a

synthesizerinsteadof an oscillatortone. This would add more
snapor "snares"to a snaredrum.*e figure 19

31
MICRO EQ

FRONT

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BACK

Description
The Alesis MICROEQ is a mono 3 band semi-parametric
equalizerwith sweepablefrequenciesand switchablebandwidth
controls.
Equalization, or EQ, is the abilityto controlthe harmonic
bala n c e ,o r t i m bre ,o f a n i n stru me n t,and can be used to
compen$atefor frequencydeficienciesin either microphonesor
soundequipment. Therearethreedifferent typesof equalizers, all
of whichyouare probably familiarwith.
The mostcommontypeof equalizeris the Shelvingtype.This is
the simplebass and/ortreblecontrolnormallyfoundon stereo
systems,guitaramplifiers,etc. The term shelvingrefersto the
amplitude plateau,or shelf,beginning at the turnoverpoint(s)(100
Hz and 10kHzin the diagram)and extending to the high(or low)
end limitof the equalizer. The frequencies below(or above)the
turnoverpointof the shelfare also atfected,but less and lessso
the furtherawayfromtheturnoverpoint.

Turnover
Frequencles
MICRO EQ cont'd
The secondtype of equalizeris the GraphicEqualizerwhich
mostpeoplehaveseenon soundsystems,somehomestereos,
and manyguitartype amplifiers. This devicegets its namefrom
the fact that the controlsettingsactuallyform a graph of the
frequencyspectrum.Whileshelvingequalizers work on broad
sectionsof the frequencybandwidth,a graphic equalizeris
slight l ym o r es o p h i sti ca teth
d a n th e S h e l vingequalizeras it
dividesthe frequencyspectruminto sectionscalledbands.See
figure 20
FIGURE20
Bands

The rangeof frequenciesboostedor cut in eachbandis referred

to as the bandwidth.This bandwidthis normallymeasuredin
musicaloctaves,so on a simplegraphicequalizer containing
only
5 bands,each band would have a 2 octavebandwidth,and a
moresophisticated graphicequalizerwith31 bandswouldhavea
1/3octavebandwidth.
Generallyspeaking,a 1l3rdoctaveequalizeris normallyused
for room tuningand feedbackcontrolwhile a 1 or 2 octave
equalizeris usedfor normaltonalshaping.See figure 21

33
MICRO EQ cont'd
FIGURE21

2 Octave 1 Octave 1/3 Octave

By far the mostversatileequalizeris the parametrictypesuchas

the MlcRo EQ. Whilethe graphicEQ alwayshas a bandwidth
that is fixed,the parametricallowsfor the bandwidthto be varied.
This meansthat far fewerequalizersectionsare requiredfor
eithertonalshapingor feedbacksuppression sincethe offending
frequencies can be dialedin precisely.Althoughmanyparametric
equalizershave a continuously variablebandwidth,it has been
foundthat a switchablebandwidthfromwideto narrowis not only
sutficient but far easierand fasterto use.Hence,the MICROEQ
is designedwith a bandwidthcontrolswitchablelrom 2 octave
(wide)to llzoctave (narrow),and thus is referredto as semi'
parametric. Seeligure 22
FIGURE22

2 Octave 1/2Octave

34
MICRO EQ cont'd
Controls
Mid Freq Level

Frgq Select
Input Level

Freq Width

Low Freq Width High Freq Width

The lnput controlsets the levelof signalthat is appliedto the

MICROEQ. Sinceaddinglarge amountsof equalization can
sometimeslead to overloadof the units connectedafter the
MICROEQ, the Input controlwill serveto maintaina distortion
freesignalby controlling
the overallinputlevel.

An In/Out switchallowsthe user to bypassthe MICROEe for

comparisonpurposes.

The Lo Freq Select (the outer ring of the dual concentricknob)

alfowsyouto selectanyfrequencybetweenZ0 Hz and 1kHz.

The Lo Freq Level (the inner ring of the dual concentricknob)

allowsyou to eitherboostor attenuateany frequencyselectedby
the Lo Freq Selectknobup to a maximumof +15d8.

The Lo Freq Width controlsthe bandwidthcurve to selectthe

one best suitedfor your application.With the switchin the "out"
MICRO EQ cont'd
position,the bandwidthis 2 octavewhile with the switchin the
depressed position, is ll2octave.
the bandwidth

The Mid Freq Select (the outerring of the dual concentricknob)

allowsyou to selectanyfrequencybetween250 Hz and 6kHz.

knob)
The Mid Freq Level (the innerringof the dual concentric
allowsyou any
to eitherboostor attenuate frequency by
selected
the Mid FreqSelectknobup to a maximumof +15d8.

to the Lo Freq Width

The Mid Freq Width operatesidentically
switch.

The Hi Freq Select (the outerring of the dual concentricknob)

allowsyouto selectanyfrequency between1.5kand20kHz.

The Hi Freq Level (the innerring of the dual concentricknob)

allowsyou to eitherboostor attenuateany frequencyselectedby
the Hi FreqSelectknobup to a maximumof t15dB.

The Hi Freq Width operatesidenticallyto the Lo Freq Width

switch.

The Clip LED lightswhenthe MICROEQ is beingfed too hot a

signal,andthereforeoverloaded.Whenthisoccurs,turndownthe
Inputcontroluntilthe Clip LEDno longerfires.

Operation
The bestwayto useyourMICROEQ is as follows:
1. Start by turningthe Level controlof the desiredfrequency
band(low,mid,or high)tomaximum.
2. Sweepthe frequencies with the FrequencySelect knob until
you find the frequencythat you wish to cut. (lf the Clip LED
shouldlight,turndownthe Inputcontrol).
3. Now,backoff the Levelcontroluntilthenewamplituderesults
in a pleasingsound.
MICRO EQ cont'd
4. Depressthe Width switch(lo, mid,or high)to see if the result
is moresatisfying
in the l12octave(in)positionor2 octave(out).

lf youshouldfindthatyou are addinglargeamountsof Ee in all

3 bands,thenthe overalleffectis the sameas simplyraisingthe
volumelevel. In thiscase,do thefollowing:

1. Startby turningthe Levelcontrolof thedesiredfrequency

band(lo,mid,or high)tomaximum.
2. Sweepthe frequencies withthe FrequencySelectknobuntil
you find the frequencythat you wish to cut. (lf the Clip LED
shouldlight,turndownthe lnput control)
3. Now,backoff the Level controluntilyou are cuttingthe level
insteadof boosting.
4. Depressthe Widthswitch(lo,mid,or high)to see if the result
is moresatisfyingin the 1/2octave(in)positionor 2 octave(out).

As with any signalprocessor,the MICROEe shouldbe used

with discretionsince too much EQ, indiscriminately used, can
makethe soundworseinsteadof better.Althoughit is a wonderful
deviceand will helpyoursounda lot,rememberthat a littlegoes
a longway.
Belowis a chartthatwill helpyouzeroin on the keyfrequencies
of somepopularinstruments.

Remember:The chart seruesonly as a startingpoint. Ultimately,

you must useyour earsas a guide.

Bass Guitar Attack or pluck is increasedat

700 or 1kHz, bottom added
at 60 or 80 Hz, string noise
at 2.5kHz
BassDrum Slapat 2.5kHz,bottomat 60 or
80 Hz,air at 10kHz
37
MICRO EQ cont'ct
Snare Fatnessat240Hz,crispnessat
1 to 2.5kHz,bottomat 60 or
80 Hz
Hi hat and CymbalsS h i m m e r a t 7 . 5 t o 1 0 k H z ,
clang or gong sound at
about 200 Hz
Toms A tta ck a t S kHz, fullness at
24OHz
Floor toms Attack at SkHz,fullness at 80
or 12OHz
ElectricGuitar Body at 24OHz, clarity at
2.SkHz
AcousticGuitar B o d y a t 240H2, clarity at
2.SkHz, b o ttom at 80 or
120H2
Piano Bass at 80 or 12OHz,presence
at 2.5 to SkHz,air at 10kHz,
honky-tonk sound at 2.5kHz
as bandwidth is narrowed,
resonanceat 40 to 60hz
Horns F u fl n e ss a t 120 or 240 Hz,
shrill at 7.5 or SkHz
Voice Fuflnessat 12OHz,boominess
at 200 to 24OHz, presence at
SkHz,sibilanceat 7.5kHz,air
at12 to 15kHz
Harmonica Fat at 24OHz

38
MICRO EQ cont'd
Conga Resonantring at 200 to 240lHz,
presenceand slap at 5kHz

In summary,the frequencyspectrumcan be dividedup into six

importantsections.The followingis de Gar Kulka'sdescription
re p rin t e df r o m h i s a rti cl ei n R e co rd i n gEngineer /pr oducer
Magazine:

1 . T h e v e r y l ow b a ss b e tw e e n 1 6 and 60 Hz which
encompassessoundswhich are often felt more than
h e a r d , s u c h a s t h u n d e r i n t h e d i s t a n c e .T h e s e
frequenciesgivethe musica senseof powereven if they
occur infrequently. Too much emphasison this range
makesthe musicsoundmuddy.

2. T h e b a s s be tw e e n 6 0 a n d 2 S O Hz contains the
fundamentalnotes of the rhythmsection,so Eeing this
rangecan changethe musicalbalance,makingit fat or
thin.Too much boost in this rangecan make the music
soundboomy.

3. The midrangebetween250 and 2000 Hz containsthe low-

order harmonicsof most musicalinstrumentsand can
introducea telephone-like
qualityto musicif boostedtoo
much. Boostingthe 500 to 1000 Hz octave makesthe
instrumentssoundhorn-like,whileboostingthe 1 to 2kHz
octave makes them sound tinny. Excessoutput in this
rangecan causelisteningfatigue.

4. The uppermidrangebetween2 and 4kHz can mask the

i m p o r t a n tsp e e ch re co g n i ti o nso unds if boosted,
introducinga lispingqualityinto a voice and making
soundsformedwith the lips such as "m", "b", and "v"

39
MICRO EQ ant'd
indistinguishable T .o o m u c h b o o s t i n t h i s r a n g e ,
especiallyat 3kHz, can also cause listeningfatigue.
Dippingthe 3kHzrangeon instrumental backgrounds and
slightlypeaking3kHz on vocalscan make the vocals
audiblewithouthavingto decreasethe instrumental level
in mixeswherethevoicewouldotherwise seemburied.

5 . The presencerangebetween4 and 6kHzis responsible for

the clarityand definitionof voices and instruments.
Boostingthis rangecan makethe musicseem closerto
the listener.Adding6dB of boost at SkHzmakesa mix
soundas if the overalllevelhas been increasedby 3 db.
As a result of this effect, many recordcompaniesand
masteringengineersmakea practice of addinga few db
of boost at SkHzto make their productsound louder.
Reducingthe SkHzcontentof a mix makesthe sound
moredistantandtransparent.

6 . The 6 to 16kHzrangecontrolsthe brillianceand clarityot

sounds.Too muchemphasisin this range,however,can
producesibilanceon vocals.

Application
Sincethe MICROEQ can be usedwith any electricinstrument
or microphonerequiringtonal alteration,here are some generic
s u g g e s t i o n as s to se tu p .S i n ce e a ch i nstr umentwill sound
differentdue to the uniqueness of the instrumentitself,the typeof
musicbeingplayed,the arrangement, and the touchof the player,
you must use your ears (and the abovechart)to ultimatelyfind
the correctsettings.

MICROEQ with Rockmanru

The Rockmanruhas becomea stapleof homerecordingstudios
thanksto its ease of use and great sounds.When connected
directlyinto a console,however,the soundof the Rockmanru
doesdifferfromwhatyou normallyhearin the headphonesdue to
40
MICRO EQ cont'd
the t on a l c o l o r a t i o nth a t th e su p p l i e dh e adphones pr ovide.
Therefore, ScholzR&Dsuggestthat you makethe followingEQ
adjustments whengoingdirect.
+3 to +6 at 4kHz
+3 to +6 at 500H2
-4 to -6 at 200H2
The MICROEQ providesthe perfectaccompaniment for the
RockmanrM, restoring the losttonalqualities thatyou are usedto.
Use2 MICRO EQb tor stereo.

FIGURE23 - MICRO EO WITH ROCKMANTM

FROMGUITAR

ROCKMANTM

AtEts.s +-lsnrsda |lrolu

lyHl}GllDriaFRa O

'@;*@rffiH@'hl5
MICROEQ Gonnectedto a RecordingConsole
Generally speaking,it is bestto usethe insertjacksof a console
when you want to use the MlcRo Ee on an instrument. This
allowsfor the individual controlof the signalof just one vocalor
instrument withoutusingan aux send,whichcan be betterused
f o r s e n d i n gs i g n a lt o e i t h e ra M r c R o v E R B l l o r M l c R o
ENHANCER.
41
MICRO EQ cont'd
FIGURE24 - MICROEO CONNECTED
TO RECORDING
CONSOLE

SEND
INSERT
--l
I
atersl622 m N T

RETURN
INSERT

MICROEQ With ReverbsSuch As MIGROVERB ll

bright.
Manytimesa reverbsoundis requiredthat is artificially
The MICROEQ can easilyprovideany coloration that mightbe
your
requiredto enhance mix. as
Connect follows:
FIGURE25 . MICRO EQ WITH REVERB
FROMMIXEROR INSTRUMENT

rrh4rrEDeol?

Es |IACqOEA rao-t-.w,rue ll,oou. @

o '@;=-@='W-,@ T-l

---lf-
ourl low

TOCONSOLEOR
AMPLIFIER

42
MICRO EQ contd

MICROEQ In-LineWith Other Effects

To restorea loss of high end, whichis sometimesa by-product
of effectspedals,the MlcRo Ee should be connectedfirst in
series beforeany other etfects.This will ensurethat only the
instrumentsignalis EQedand not any noisefromthe pedals.
The exceptionto this is when both a MlcRo LlMlrER and a
MlcRo EQ are used at the same time. In this case, the limiter
shouldbe firstin linein orderto keepthe signalconstantto all the
etfects.

FIGURE26
A. MICROEO USEDWITHEFFECTSPEDALS
TOAMPLIFIER

-l^
FROMINSTRUMENT

EFFECT EFFECTS
PEDAL PEDAL

B. MICROEQANDMICROLIMITER
USEDWTH EFFECTSPEDALS

t N FROMINSTRUMENT

TO
AMPLIFIER

EFFECTS
PEDAL PEDAL
MICROENHANCER'

FRONT

R IiFI't L

a)
r(r ' ' v ( ) ( ) { t { l
ryrc
\-/ \__/ \_-/ \_-/
^LSS|S aarooaD.rtu El=!c3 rcEIS@CffiEW
- EFSSmTTOUEO
LoSANGELES,cA. iloeuu se $rcEffiI

BACK

Description
The Alesis MICROENHANCERis a stereoin/stereoout device
that adds high frequencyinformation(high end) to program
materialin a differentway thana normalhighfrequencyequalizer.
Unlikemost other equalizers,which boost noise as well as the
signal,the MlcRo ENHANCERonly booststreble information
when it alreadyexists in the programmaterial,thus addingthe
hig h e n d s p a r k l ew i th o u tb o o sti n gn o i se.Also, the MICRO
ENHANCERdiffersfrom, and is superiorto, other types of
psychoacoustic enhancers on the marketsince others use a
distortionprocesswhichis ultimatelyobjectionable.
The MIGROENHANGER can be thoughtof as a dynamicsemi-
parametricequalizer,in a boost only mode, as it is capableof
performingmanyof the functionsof a parametric.By varyingthe
balancebetweenthe Threshold,Mix, and Bandwidthcontrols,a
wide varietyof trebleboostetfectsmay be achieved,all without
the additionof any noisenormallyassociatedwith equalizers,or
distortionelementsnormallyassociatedwith psychoacoustic
enhancers.

Controls
The Threshold control,in conjunctionwith the multicolored
44
MICRO ENHANCER@,O't,A
LEDs, determinesthe slope,or the way the MICROENHANCER
willworkon highand midfrequencies.

The Mix controldetermines howmuchhighfrequency

information
is addedto the signalgoingthroughthe unit.

The Bandwidthcontroldetermines howmuchtrebleor mid-range

is added to the signal. With the Bandwidth control
counterclockwise (all the way to the left),only the very high
frequenciesare added; with the Bandwidthcontrolat maximum
(all the way to the right)upperand lower midrangefrequencies
are addedas well.

A n I n / O u t s w i t c h a l l o w st h e u s e r t o b y p a s st h e M I C R O
ENHANCER for comparison purposes, if so desired.

Operation
Afterconnectingyour MICROENHANCER(referto the section
on installation),beginby turningthe Thresholdcontrolto the right
(clockwise) untilthe red LED lights.Make sure that the In/Out
switchhas beenpressedto the "in" positionor the LEDs will not
fire. This unit'sLEDs are not your typicalinputlevelindicators,
but indicatethe slope,or the way the MICROENHANCERwill
workon highand midfrequencies. Thismeansthatthe soundwill
differif the thresholdis set so that the first greenLED is lit from
the soundwhenthe red LEDis lit.Thisis dueto thefactthatmore
highfrequencyenergyis triggeredas more LEDs are triggered
(theslopeis altered). Seetigure 27N278
FIGURE27A FIGURE278
BANDWIDTHControlFullLeft BANDWIDTH
ControlFullRioht

I
)uJ
I
tr
uJ E
FREQUENCY

45
MICRO ENHANCER@"o,t'a
Now beginto turn the Mix controlto the right (clockwise)until
the desiredamountof highfrequencyboostis achieved.Youcan
thinkof the Mix controlas an amountcontrol,as this is the one
that will add the amountof high frequencyboostdesiredto the
signal(orsignals)thatyousendto the MICROENHANCER .

Now turn the Bandwidthcontroluntilthe desiredbalanceof

highsand midrangeis achieved. Startwiththiscontrolall the way
to the right(clockwise)or at full bandwidth,and adjustit untilthe
instrumentor microphonereachesthe point of greatestclarity.
Be careful to avoid adding excessive midrange which will make
an instrumentOR vocal sound harsh.See the next sectionfor
morespecificapplications.

In orderto comparethe enhancedsoundto the originalsound,

depressthe ln/Out button.

You shouldexperimentwith differentsettingsof the Threshold

controland LED indicatorsas the soundwill vary dramatically
betweenvarioussettingsof the Threshold,Mix, and Bandwidth
controls.Also,don'tbe afraidto drivethe unit hardso as to keep
the red LED on all the time as this is whenthe MICRO
ENHANCER at its maximum.
is operating

Application
The MICROENHANCERis an extremelyversatiledeviceand
may be used in a varietyof applications.Duringrecordingor
playinglive,theMICROENHANCER canbe usedas the ultimate,
and quietest trebleboosteron guitars,keyboards,and vocaland
instrumentmics.
Here are just a few possibilities and helpfulhints. Please
rememberthat the controlsettings vary dependinguponthe
will
actualequipmentused,the styleof musicbeingplayed,and the
particularplayingstyleof the musician.The settingsare nominally
'correcthowever,and shouldserveas a reasonablygood starting
point.
MICRO ENHANCER@cont'd
MICROENHANCER
on Guitar
FIGURE28
FROMINSTRUMENT
ORMIXING
CONSOLE TOAMPLIFIEFOR MIXER

MICROENHANCER
on ElectricBass
FIGURE29
FROMII.ISTRUMENT
OR MIXINGCONSOLE TOAMPLIFIEBOR MIXER

MICROENHANCER
on AcousticPiano
FIGURE30
FROMMIXINGCONSOLE TO MIXER

MICROENHANCER
on Vocals
FIGURE31
FROMMICROPHONE
OR MIXER TOAMPLIFIEROR MIXER

47
MICRO ENHANCER',onra
MICROENHANCER on Guitarthrougha RockmanrM
The MICROENHANCER restoresthe highendthatis lostwhen
plu g g i n gt h e R o c kma n rM
d i re ctl yi n to a n am plifieror mixing
console.Thisis becausethereis a certainamountof trebleboost
providedby the headphones suppliedwiththe RockmanrM that is
missingwhenthe headphones are not used.Now you can hear
yourguitar/RockmanrM in all its glorywiththe helpof the MICRO
ENHANCER.See figure 32

FIGURE 32
oRMrxER
ToAMPLTFTER
L E F TI N P U TI I R I G H TI N P U T LEFTOUTPUT
I I RIGHTOUTPUT

MICROENHANCER during mixdown

The MICROENHANCER can be usedto add highend sparkle
and presencewhen mixing.This is particularly usefulin home
recordingformatswherelimitedbandwidthand distortionin the
recording processrobsimportanthighfrequencyinformation that
givespresence, andpunchto homerecording
crispness, efforts.
Connectthe leftand rightoutputsof the mixingconsoledirectly
to the inputsof the MICROENHANCER, thenplugthe outputsof
the MICROENHANCERdirectlyinto the mixdowntape deck.
*e figure 33

FIGURE33

48
MICRO CUE AMP

FRONT

o,eooooo.
o\lss:91?9l{loN
LVO AI\UELE>,
R INPUT1 L

UA
STEREOUNEOUT F I}IPUT2 L

1Qr eq15
MADE IN U S A
*#*13'.8vl3'^f'.'""63f,H36"'
S E A V C TO I F S O \ T I .

Description
T h e Al e s i s M I GR OC U E A MP i s a h eadphoneamplifier
equippedwith 2 separateheadphonechannelsand designedto
accept up to 2 stereo low level signalsand boost them to a
comfortable listeninglevel.These2 separatestereoinputsare
c omp l e t ew i t h t h ei r o w n l e ve l co n tro l so n each headphone
channeland give you the abilityto mix 2 sourcestogetherfor a
widerangeof applications.
The MIGROCUE AMP also allowsthe userto chainmultiple
unitstogetherto expandthe headphonemonitoringcapabilities of
any recordingsetup.

Gontrols
The Input 1 controldeterminesthe amountof amplification that
the signalappliedto the input 1 jack on the back panelwill
receive.The left-handInput 1 controldeterminesthe levelfor the
Out t headphonejack.The right-handInput 1 controldetermines
the levelforthe Out 2 headphonejack.

The Input 2 controldeterminesthe amountof amplificationthat

the signal appliedto the input 2 jack on the back panel will
49
MICRO CUE AMP cont'd
receive.The left-handInput 2 controldeterminesthe levelfor the
Out t headphone jack.
The right-handtnput 2 controldetermines the levelfor the Out 2
headphone jack.

The MICROCUE AMP features2 separateheadphone output

jacks,eachwith independent levelcontroloverinputs1 and2.
Out 1 is a stereoheadphone outputwiththe volumecontrolledby
the leftInput 1 andInput2 controls.
Out 2 is a stereoheadphoneoutputwiththe volumecontrolledby
the rightInput 1 andInput2 controls.

thatthe unitis on.

ThegreenLEDindicates

The Input 1 Jacks on the backpanelare a stereoiackwhichcan

beusedfor connection to the stereoauxiliarysendsof a mixing
console,or used as an inputfor an instrument suchas guitaror
keyboardfor privatepracticing.

The lnput 2 Jackson the backpanelare a stereojackwhichcan

be used for connectionto the stereoauxiliarysendsof a mixing
console,or usedas an inputfor an instrument suchas guitaror
k e y b o a r df o r p r i va tep ra cti ci n gT. h e In put 2 Jack is also
paralleled withthe StereoLine Out Jack for chainingadditional
MICROCUEAMPStogether.

Stereo Line Out is usedfor chainingadditionalMICROCUE

AMP unitstogether. Only the signalappliedto Input2 is
availableat the StereoLine Out.

Operation
Afterconnecting yourMICROCUEAMP (referto the sectionon
simplyinsertyour headphones
installation), into eitherOut 1 or
Out 2 on the front panel,and turn the Input 1 and/orInput 2
controluntilthe desiredheadphone volume is reached. MICRO
CUEAMPwilladequately driveanyset of headphones, eitherlow
(8 ohms)or high(600ohms)impedance.
50
MICRO CUE AMP contd
Please Note: lf you are connecting just one source to your
MrcnO CUE AMP, make sure that the unused input control is
turnedcounterclockwise(to the left, or off). This wiil preventany
unwanted,stray noisesfrombeingheard.

Application
The Alesis MICROCUEAMP is a convenient and inexpensive
time saver,suitablefor numerousapplications.
This litilebox will
come in handywhereveran extraset of headphonesis need,so
don'tlimityourselfonlyto theseexamples.

MICROCUEAMP Used For Additional HeadphoneOutputs

T h e M I C R O C U E A MP i s p e rfe ctfo r adding additional
headphoneoutputsto a system.Beloware severalmethodsto
accomplishthis. Femember:The MICROCUE AMp hasstereo
input jacks. Therefore, sends I and 2 or main outs must
terminatein a stereoplug.
FIGURE34 - MICROCUEAMP/CONSOLE INTERFACE
A. USINGTHEAUXSENDS

AUXSEND1
TO OTHERMICRO
CUEAMPS

o F*O

I
v neaopHoues
B. USINGTHE MAIN OUTPUTS
MAINOUTLEFT

STEREOLINEOUT

g,@@g
HEADPHONES

51
MICRO CUE AMP cont'd
GhainingMICROCUEAMPSTogether
SeveralMICROCUEAMPSmay be connectedtogetherin order
to add an unlimitednumberof headphoneoutputsto a system.
Remember: The Stereo Line Out jack is paralleled with lnput
2, so lnput 2 must always be used as the main input when
being used in this application.

FIGURE35. CHAININGMICROCUE AMPS

-t
FROMMIXINGCONSOLE
/
-7-t
'
STEREOLINEOUT
/ \
\
TOOTHER
M|CRO
cUEAMPS
\ . l t-----.---.-----
INPUT2 I|NPUT2
.48 lrccxD G aE

@@9.@e9"
I ,roor*o*r, HEADPHONES

MI CR O C U E AMP U se d F o r Qu i e t P r acticing W ith An

Instrument
MICROCUE AMP makesthe perfectprivaterehearsalmonitor
system.Simplyconnectas shownon the next page,turn up the
volume,andgo for it!

52
MICRO CUE AMP cont'd
FIGURE36. MICROCUEAMPWITHELECTRIC
INSTRUMENTS
FROMTAPEDECK,
DRUMMACHINE,
FROMGUITAROR ETC.
KEYBOARD

rNPUr
1 INPUT2
I
At.Cs.s lu!c'?fD M, AE
t@@.: -ffiffii oq -p-p- ourz

HEADPHONES

MI CR OC U E AM P U se d F o r S ta n d -A l oneDr um Machine
Programming
Manytimesin the middleof a hot session,newdrummachine
partsare required. lnsteadof usingup valuablestudiotimefor
programming, the MICROCUEAMP can be pressedintoservice
for a privateprogramming sessionwhileyour expensivestudio
timeis betterusedon otherrecording.

FIGURE37

,a'.gs |!c!r! dE AE
ALESIS
HR-16/HR.168 '@@.9,
-v:w -A^A- \ / / a

OUT 2
MICRO CUE AMP cont'd
M I C R O C U E A M P U s e d F o r S t a n d - A l o n eS y n t h e s i z e r
Programming
As in the aboveexample,the MICROCUE AMP is the perfect
companion devicefor synthesizer programming situations.Add a
M I C R O V E R Bl l a n d y o u h a v e a s t u d i oq u a l i t ym o n i t o r i n g
environment to makeyourprogramming a snap.

FIGURE39. MICROCUEAMPFORKEYBOARD
PROGRAMMING
FROM
KEYBOARD
I
lnr
At.Ets FllrCHDArcltaDEgt on*-. --..

",@.@-@%o)ru
/ \ / \ / \ . 6 _ r l

ot@
HEADPHONES

54
SYSTEMSET-UPS
FIGURE40 - GUITAROR KEYBOARDS.A
(MICROLIMITER to MICROGATEto MICROENHANCER)
GUITAR

55
SYSTEMSET.UPS
FIGURE41 . GUITAROR KEYBOARDS -B
(MICROLIMITER to MICROEQto MICROGATE)

GUITAR

56
SYSTEMSET-UPS
FIGURE42. GUITARORKEYBOARDS.C
(MlcRoLIM|TER
to MTCRO
EQro MTCRO
GATEto MtcRo
ENHANCER)

LEFTINPUT

LEFTOTJTPUT
TO AMPLIFIEROR MIXINGCOT,ISOLE

57
SYSTEMSET-UPS
FIGURE43 . GUITAROR KEYBOARDS.D
( M I C R O L I M I T E Rt o M I C R O E Q t o M I C R O G A T E
MICROVERB llto MICROENHANCER)

-t
GUTTAR

LEFTNPUT

f ' ) ' - f ' ) -f' ) !l

o .\__/ ,---@
\/
INPIT
\J ,tVa ^*,
AELEISE OU|PUI

r-errotnrur
I
I rrurur
Mts -J.15.1tu8 A=,oi
F!E|C3ID ClAr Frc

'@;*-@='ffinW;'
Lerrorrnn
I
I urrrurur
o o o
a :\g_,y4_.y4
R€;l-CaA:A '
. MN
-
usr aos
l\v

!,,,o'

lerrourrur
I LEFTNPUT
I
o

urrourrur
IT LEFTI.IPUT

58
SYSTEMSET.UPS
FIGURE44. GUITAROR KEYBOARDS. E
( M I C R O L I M I T E Rt o M T C R OE Q t o M T C R OG A T E t o
MICROVERB ll to MICROENHANCER to MTCRO CUEAMp)
GUTlrAR
-1
' LEFT INRJT

oooooo

I |€Frcurpur
[*r*

LEFrqnpur
J
I LEFTNRJT

I LEFrourpur
I r-errrrunrr
E:{}!G4o€tll.aFB oooo

r-erra,rrnrr
I
I r.lRJTl [,"r-r r*rntopE oEcKoRcor{solE

59
SYSTEMSET-UPS
FIGURE45 - with RockmanrM- A
(MICROLIMITER to MICROGATEto MICROENHANCER)

ROCKMAN

RIGHTINPUT

,'t€s's I;GBO !.s!!EP g@..@@@@@O

f1 ,r,our
INPUTIEIEL

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT INPUT
RIGHT
A€S'=;ICFOG4trE

o
'- z6,_zA,_-A,_;
;, ',i"t
@ O O

.W---W--NZ- v,*ou,
LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT INPUT
RIGHT
,aLEsrs;;eFO EfllaffG=P
@@@o
LFITEL

o V,r,ou,
@

OUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT OR MIXINGCONSOLE

TOAMPLIFIER

60
SYSTEMSET-UPS
FIGURE46 - with Rockmanru- B
(MICROLIMITER to MTCRO
Ee to MTCRO
GATEto MTCRO
ENHANCER)

a :&xf. n.
h d t . - " '

61
SYSTEMSET.UPS
FIGURE47 - with RockmanrM- C
(MICROLIMITERto MICROEQto MICROGATEto
MICROENHANCER ll)
to MICROVERB

RIGHTOUIPUT

reHTFPUT

THTOUIPI'T

62
SYSTEM
SET.UPS
FIGURE48. GATEDREVERB
(MICROVERB ll to MICROLIMITERto MTCRO
GATEto MTCRO
ENHANCER)
FROM MIXINGCONSOTE

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHT
INPUT

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHT
INPUT
a'E== ;llGgoclE
o A-.A:i6;"
t=t
;'
o o @
"t*t
o
'n ' ou'
THRES/./oI-D DELAY RAIE

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHT
INPUT
,zx-EsrslleFOEf;|afGEF
@@@@
LANEL

@
V,ntow

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT TO MIXINGCONSOLE

63
SYSTEMSET-UPS
FIGURE49. DURINGRECORDING OR LIVEPERFORMANCE
(MICROLIMITER
to MICROGATEto MICROVERBllto MICRO
ENHANCER)

FROMINSTRUMENT
OR MIXINGCONSOLE

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT
A€s=#eBO lJlllEP 6 @.@
@@@@@

INPUT NELEASE OUTPIIf INPU| LA/EL

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT
A-es|s+lcPoctr, @ o
e-(t-(t-o.;
-\-1"\7'-\-1'
,t9,
f1 ,*,our
cl.osE
/A
v

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHT
INPUT

LEFTOUTPUT RIGHTOUTPUT

LEFTINPUT RIGHTINPUT

RIGHTOUTPUT TOAMPLIFIER
OR MIXINGCONSOLE

For best performancewith the least systemnoise,this is the

recommended order for connectingall of the units of the llicro
Seriestogether.The settingsare up to you.
SPECIFICATIONS
MICROENHANCER
FREOUENCY RESPONS92OHz to 20kHz
DYNAMICRANGE/1OOdB
DISTORTION/<.1% THDat lkHz OdB
SIGNALLEVELS/-10 DBto +4 dB nominal
INPUTIMPEDANCE/IMeg Ohmeachchannel
CONNECTIONS/2x114" phonejackinputs,2x114"
phonejackoutputs,1x1/8"
powerjackinput
POWER/9 voltsA.C.5 VoltAmperesexternallransformer
BANDWIDTH OF ENHANCED SlGNAUminl2kHzto 20kHzmax2kHzto
20kHz

MICROGATE
FREOUENCY RESPONSE/2OHz to 2OKHz
DYNAMICRANGE/1OOdB
ilSTORnONt<.zYoTHDat lkHz OdB
SIGNALLEVELS/-10 DBto +4 dB nominal
INPUTIMPEDANC9IMeg Ohmeachchannel
CONNECflONS/2x114' phonejack inputs,2x1t4-phonejack outputs,1x1/4"
phonejacktrigger,1x1/8"powerjackinput
POWER/9 voltsA.C.5 VoltAmperesexternaltransformer
ATTACKTIM9Ims
OPENING TIME/Sms
DELAYTIME/min<2ms,max1.5sec.
CLOSINGTIME/min<2ms,max2 sec.
RELEASEmin20ms,max2.5 sec.

MICRO LIMITER
FREOUENCY RESPONSS20Hz ro 2okHzr 1 dB
DYNAMICRANGUlnput100d8,outputdependent on Ratio
DfSTORnONk.2Y"THD at lkHz OdB
SIGNALLEVELS/-10d8 to +4 dB nominal
CONNECflONS/2x1|4" phonejack inputs,2xll4 phonejack outputs,1x1/8"
powerjack input
POWER/9 vohsA.C.5 VoltAmperesexternaltranslormer
ATTACKTIME/Programdependent 150msto 0.5ms
RELEASETlMBmin10ms,max500ms
RATIO/I:1to infinity

65
MICRO EQ
FREOUENCY RESPONSE/20H2 to ZokHz
FREOUENCYRANGESTLow Freq -- ZoHzto 1kHz,Mkl Freq- 25OHzto 6kHz'
HighFreq- 1.5kHzto 2OkHz-Allbandst15dB
DfSTORTIONI<.1"/"THD at lkHz OdB
DYNAMICRANGE/1OOdB
CONNECTIONS/Ix1/4' phone iack input, lxll4 phonejack oulput, 'lx'l18
poweriack input
POWER/9 voltsA.C.5 VoltAmperesexternaltransformer
SIGNALLEVELSF10 dB to +4 dB nominal
INPUTIMPEDANCFJI MegOhm

MICROCUE AMP
FREOUENCY RESPONS92OHz to 2okHz
DfSTORTION/<.2Y"THD at lkHz 0dB
SIGNALTO NOISERATIO/1OOdB
CONNECflONS/2x114" phonejack inputs,2x1/4'phoneiackoulputs,1x1l8"
powerjackinpul,2x114' slereooutputs
ring-tip-sleeve
POWER/9 vohsA.C.5 VoltAmperesexlernaltransformer
oUTPUTPOWER/s1omW into600oHMS,260mWinto30 oHMS,95mWinto
sOHMS
INPUTIMPEDANCE/1Meg Ohmeachchannel

MICROVERBII
FREOUENCY RESPONSE/2OkHz (Dry),15kHz(Reverb)
i 2dB
DYNAMICRANGE/9OdB
DlSTORTION t .1% (Typicall
SIGNALLEVELS/lnput: -10to +20dBVPeak,Output:+8.5dBVPeak(Reverb),
Output:+20dBVPeak(Dry)
INPUTIMPEDANC9IMEGOHMeach channel,500kOHM,Monolnput
CONVERSION SCHEMBI6BitLinearPCM
PROCESSING MEMORYR2 Kibbytes
PROCESSOR SPEED/3MillionOper./Sec.
FORMAT/lnput: MatrixedStereo,FulllmagedStereo
DEFEAT/External, SPSTSwitch(notsupplied)
LEVELINUCAnON/Orange: Green:SignalPresent,Red:
Powerindication,
Overload
CONTROLS/lnpul Gain,MixRatio,OulpulLevel,Program
PROGRAMS/16
CONNECnONS/Stereo lnputs:1/4' Phone,StereoOutpuls:1/4' Phone,Defeal:
1/4"Phone,Power:3.5mm Phone
POWEF/9V AC,SVoh-Amperes

66
 ALES'S LIMITEDWARRANTY
ALEsls OORPORATIONCALESIS') wanants this p.oduct to b€ fr€€ ot d€tec'ts in matefiat
and
wofimanship for a period ol 90 days lrom the dats ot original retail purchase. rnis wananty
ii enrorceaure
only by the ofuinal retail purciasor.
. . . Io b€ Protected by th:iswananty, the puichaser must.complete and r€tum the endos€d wananty
card within 14 days of purchase.
Duringths wananty psriod ALESISshall, at its sole and absoluteoption,eithsr repairor replace
. .
free of charge any prcduct that proves to b€ d€tectiv€ on inspection by AIESS or its autrJrizeo
servir:e
representative.
To obtainwananty s€rvice,th€ purchasermust tirst call or write ALESISat the addressand
telephonenumb€rprintedbelowto obtain a ReturnAuthorizationNumberand instructionsconcerning
whero lo retum the unit for service. Atl inqukies must be accompanied by a d€scription ol th6 problem.
All
authorized retums must b€ sent to ALESIS or an authorized ALESIS repair tacility postage prepaid,
insured
and prop€tly packaged. Proof ol purchas€ must be prosented in the form ot a bitt oi sateicancitted
ched< or
som€ olher form of positiveproot that the productis withinthe warrantyperiod.ALESISrasorvesth€ right
lo
update any unit return€d for repair. ALESIS reserves the right to change or improve design ot the prodr,€i
at
any time without prior notice.
. This wananty do€s not cover claims for damage du€ to abuse, n€glecl, alteration or att€mptod
repah by unauthorizedp€rsonn€|,and is limit€dto lailuies arisingduring noimal use that ar€ due
to defects
in materialor workmanshipin ths product.
ANY IMPLIEDWARRANTIES,INCLUDINGIMPLIEDWARRANTIESOF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESSFOR A PARTICULARPURPOSE,ARE LIMITEDIN DURATIONTO THE LENGTHOF THIS
LIMITEDWARRANTY.Som€ statesdo not allow limitationson how long an impliedwarrantylasts,so the
abov€ limitationmay not apply to you.
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INCLUDING,AMONGOTHER THINGS,OAMAGETO PROPERTY,DAMAGEBASEDON
INCONVENIENCEOR ON LOSS OF USE OF THE PRODUCT,AND, TO THE EXTENTPERMITTEDBY
LAW DAMAGESFOR PERSONALINJURY.Some states do not allow the exclusionor timitationof
incidental or cons€quential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
This warrantygives you speciliclegal rights,and you may also nave-otnerrilnis wirich vary from
.
state to stale.
This warranty applies only to products sold and used in th€ United States of America. For wananty
informalion in all other countries please reter to your local distriburor.

ALESIS
3630 Holdreg€Avenu€
Los Angeles,Calitornia90016
(213) &|6-7924

Your warranty wlll be In effect and you

wlll recelve waranty informailon
ONLY !F YOU SEND IN YOUR WARRANTYCARD

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AICAIS COi?OnAnOX. tOS ANGELES:36itr Hot(h€dgsAy..riro, Loc Angd.q CA mrG$l
LONDON:AlesisCorporation,15 Letchworthpoint. Letchworth.HenlordshireSG6 tND
rerq 4022