Radial Engineering Firefly Manual de usuario

TruetotheMusic

www.radialeng.com

TruetotheMusic

User Guide

Firefly

Tube Direct Box

www.radialeng.com

Radial Engineering Ltd.

1588 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam

British Columbia, Canada, V3C 5M5

tel: 604-942-1001 • fax: 604-942-1010

email: [email protected]

™

Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic ®

Radial Engineering Ltd.

Radial Fireﬂy

Tube Direct Box

™

Table of Contents Page

Feature set ...................................................................................................................1

Overview.......................................................................................................................3

Making connections......................................................................................................4

Setting Up the Fireﬂy for Various Instruments..............................................................8

Setting the output controls............................................................................................9

Remote switching and mute with JR•2.........................................................................10

Rackmounting kit..........................................................................................................11

Speciﬁcations ...............................................................................................................11

Block diagram...............................................................................................................12

Radial Limited Warranty................................................................................Back Cover

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Radial Fireﬂy! You are now the proud

owner of what is arguably the most exacting direct box ever made. The Fireﬂy combines state

of the art electronics with a tube drive and transformer coupled output to produce a clean

warm tone. And hidden inside are a ton of very cool features designed to enable the Fireﬂy

to be used in all types of applications for all types of instruments.

Although you will ﬁnd the Fireﬂy to be super easy to use, we recommend you to take a few

minutes to read the manual to ensure you understand the various features and get the most

out of this amazing device. If after reading the manual you need further clariﬁcation, please

visitthe Fireﬂy FAQpageon the Radialweb site.Thisis where wepost questions andanswers

from users along with the latest updates. Then, if you still do not ﬁnd what you are looking

for, we invite you to send an email to [email protected] and we will do our very best to get

back to you promptly.

Now get ready to plug into one of the most enjoyable pieces of audio equipment ever!

Radial Engineering Ltd. Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic

FRONT PANEL FEATURE SET

1 2 43 65

1. TRIM-A & B: Input level controls used to match the gain between the two instruments.

2. SELECT: Selects the active input for fast instrument changes. The illuminated LED

indicates the active input.

3. MUTE LED: Indicates when the mute function is active. Remote controlled via the

optional JR•2 footswitch.

4. DRAG: Used to retain the natural feel of the instrument by adjusting the load for

passive pickups.

5. LOW CUT: Variable high-pass ﬁlter rolls off low frequency resonance that can cause

feedback or muddy up the sound.

6. LEVEL: Level control for the balanced XLR output. Variable from mic to line-level.

7. PROTECTIVE FRONT LIP: The enclosure design create a protected zone around the

switches and knobs to prevent damage.

8. POWER: Locking 5-pin XLR power supply connection. The external supply helps

reduce noise and delivers +/-16 volts (1600mA) that is internally stepped up to 48V for

the tube.

9. OUTPUT: Balanced XLR output connects to the PAor recording system. Transformer

isolated to eliminate hum & buzz caused by ground loops.

Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic ®

Radial Engineering Ltd.

REAR PANEL FEATURE SET

10. 180º POLARITY: Inverts the signal polarity by ﬂipping pins-2 and pin-3 on the XLR

output. Used to reduce resonant peaks that cause feedback.

11. GROUND LIFT: Disconnects pin-1 at the XLR out. Helps reduce noise caused by

ground loops.

12. AUX PRE/POST: Changes the signal path of the ¼” AUX OUT. When set to the

inward position (pre) the AUX OUT provides a direct clean buffered feed from your

instruments. When set to the outward position the AUX OUT is like the main XLR

output, post tube stage, ﬁlter section and insert loop.

13. TUNER OUT: Always-on, high-Z output used to connect an electronic tuner.

14. REMOTE: Used to connect the optional JR2 remote footswitch. When connected, this

lets you select the active input channel or mute the Fireﬂy for tuning.

15. AUX OUT: High-Z thru-put for stage amp. Conﬁgurable ‘pre or post’ tube and insert.

16. INSERT: Buffered effects loop uses standard ¼” TRS send & receive cable to interface

guitar pedals and studio rack effects.

17. INPUTS A & B: High-Z inputs lets you switch between two instruments for quick on-

stage changes. The input level is set using the TRIM-A & B controls.

18. AUX THRU (side panel):Recessed switch engages transformer

isolation for ¼” AUX OUT to eliminate hum and buzz caused by

ground loops.

11 12 13 14 15 1716 18

98 10

Radial Engineering Ltd. Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic

OVERVIEW

The Fireﬂy is a direct box. What this means from a ‘technical’ standpoint is that the Fireﬂy is

designed to deliver the sound of the instrument to the recording system or PA without intro-

ducing artefact. But the sheer fact that the Fireﬂy employs a tube as part of the circuit means

that the tube will add warmth and natural even order harmonics to the signal. Technically,

DI boxes like the Radial JDV™ are much more accurate while the Fireﬂy is designed to add

character. That being said, the Fireﬂy remains a direct box and therefore, it must perform the

task... and do it well.

The primary task of a direct box is to convert the unbalanced high impedance signal from

an instrument to a balanced low impedance signal suitable for a PA system or for recording.

The output from a direct box is usually equivalent to a mic level signal. This enables the DI to

‘comfortably live’along side microphones, using the same mic splitters, mixing console inputs

and microphone preamps. Standardizing the signal makes it easy to switch around cables

on hectic stages when trouble shooting. And although the Fireﬂy is able to produce a much

hotter output than a typical DI box, turning down the master volume is all that is required to

match things up.

Several extra features have been added to the Fireﬂy to increase functionality on stage and

better adapt to the various instruments that may be connected. For instance; two inputs make

it easy to swap instruments. Drag Control lets you adjust the load on the pickup for optimum

signal transfer. The 4 meg-ohm input impedance lets you properly load piezo pickups so that

they sound right. You can also add options such as a remote control for input switching and

quiet tuning on stage. And of course you can rack mount the Fireﬂy in a single space using

the optional 19” rack adaptors.

TYPICAL SETUP

Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic ®

Radial Engineering Ltd.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Before making connections, always ensure all levels are turned down or equipment is turned

off. This will help you avoid turn-on transients that could harm more sensitive components

such as tweeters from being damaged.

Connect the power supply to the Fireﬂy. This mid-cable supply is equipped with a 4-pin XLR

connector at one end and a universal IEC connector at the other end. The power supply will

acceptinputvoltagesfrom100Vto240VthusenablingtheFireﬂytobeusedincountriesaround

the world. It comes with the appropriate power cable to comply with local electrical systems.

Start by setting theTRIMA& B controls and the LOW-CUT ﬁlter fully counter-clockwise to the

7 o’clock position (minimum setting). Set the DRAG control about halfway to the 12 o’clock

position and ensure the ON button is set to the inward position. Set the master LEVELcontrol

to the 2 o’clock position.

MIN MAX MIN MAX

TRIM-A TRIM-B

MIN MAX

LOW CUT

DRAG

MIN MAX

LEVEL

Cable connections are made at the rear panel. Connect the instrument to INPUT-A using a

standard ¼” guitar cable. Connect the XLR output to your mixing desk or preamp using a

standard XLR cable. Make sure the three rear panel recessed switches are in the outward

position by checking with a tweaker or small screwdriver.

Test at low volume

You are now set to start testing audio.Always test at a low volume ﬁrst before turning up. This

willhelpyouavoid loud transients fromdamagingmoresensitive components.Turnupthegain

onyourmixing desk or preamptoa low level.Setthe input SELECTbutton to input-A.TheLED

will illuminate to show you which input is active. Slowly increase the input TRIM-A until you

reach a comfortable listening volume. If you like, plug in your second instrument and adjust

the TRIM-B to match. Simply depress theAB selector switch to toggle between instruments.

Radial Engineering Ltd. Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic

Connect an ampliﬁer

You can now connect to your stage ampliﬁer if you are using one.Astan-

dard¼” guitar cableconnects from theAUX OUTto the inputof your amp.

This output may be transformer isolated by depressing the side-mounted

recessed switch. This helps prevent ground loops that can cause hum

and buzz in your system. Using the isolated setting is recommended

when connecting to guitar or bass ampliﬁers and effects pedals. Taking the transformer out

of the circuit will deliver a slightly different sound. Try toggling the switch in and out to see

how it works with your setup.

Pre/post aux switch setting

The bufferedAUX OUT output can be toggled between

PRE or POST settings by depressing the set & forget

recessed AUX OUT PRE/POST switch on the rear panel.

When set to PRE (inward position) the instrument signal is

sent directly to the stage amp before it is processed by the

tube, effect loop and low cut ﬁlter.

AUX OUT

¼” OUTPUT

(PRE)

CLASS-A

BUFFER

DRAG

CONTROL

INPUTS

& DRAG

CONTROL

Simpliﬁed Block Diagram of PRE signal path

However, when set to POST (outward position) the AUX OUT output is identical to the main

XLR output. Most musicians will likely opt for the POST setting to send the tube processed

soundto their amp in orderto gain theadded warmth of the tube.Simply leave the PRE/POST

switch in the outward position if this is your preference.

Simpliﬁed Block Diagram of POST signal path

TUBE

AMPLIFICATION

STAGE

AUX OUT

¼” OUTPUT

(POST)

INSERT

SEND &

RETURN

CLASS-A

BUFFER

HIGH

PASS

FILTER

INPUTS

& DRAG

CONTROL

Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic ®

Radial Engineering Ltd.

Connect an electronic tuner

The Fireﬂy is equipped with an ‘always-on’ TUNER output that is designed to hook up an

electronic tuner to provide constant visual feedback while performing. The TUNER output is

buffered and electronically isolated to prevent noisy digital tuners from bleeding clock noise

into your instrument sound. The TUNER output is tapped before the tube gain stage provid-

ing a clean instrument output that can be used to split the signal to another preamp when a

tuner is not connected.

JR•2 remote footswitch

Forevenmore control overtheFireﬂy,youcan add the optional

JR2 footswitch. This two button footswitch can activate the

MUTE function for silent on-stage tuning via the always-on

TUNER output and toggle between instrument inputs A & B.

For convenience the JR•2 can be connected with either a ¼”

TRS cable or a locking Female XLR ~to~ ¼” TRS cable. Both

connections are offered on the rear panel but only one should

be used at a time.

¼” TRS to TRS XLR to TRS

Radial Engineering Ltd. Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic

Adding effects

As with any preamp or direct box, you can connect effects in line between your instrument

and the Fireﬂy the same way you would when connecting pedals in front of your amp. With

this set up, each instrument can have its own set of effects.

The Fireﬂy is also equipped with a ¼” TRS INSERT jack that enables you to share effects

between both instruments. This rear mounted jack requires a standard studio insert cable

whereby one end is equipped with a ¼” TRS and the other equipped with two ¼” plugs des-

ignated as send and receive. Simply connect the send to the input of the ﬁrst pedal in the

chain and the output to the receive plug. With this setup, when you change instruments the

signal will automatically be routed to the pedals.

Firey™ Tube Direct Box

TruetotheMusic ®

Radial Engineering Ltd.

SETTING UP THE FIREFLY FOR VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS

The Fireﬂy is designed to adapt to just about any instrument whether it employs a magnetic

pickup, piezo or combination with an active buffer.

Magnetic pickups and Drag control

One of the more subtle yet indispensable functions is Drag Control™. Drag is designed to be

used with magnetic pickups such as the ones found on most electric guitars, basses and the

type that can be placed in the sound hole of an

acousticguitar.Magnetic pickups are verysimi-

lar to transformers in that they react differently

depending on the load that is presented. So

when connected to a tube amp, they become

part of the circuit and sound a particular way.

When presented with a high impedance buffer,

the sound changes. Guitarists often complain

that they hate wireless systems or pedals,

preferring true bypass devices. Drag Control

lets you reintroduce the load on the pickup

to replicate the tone and feel as if connected

directly to a tube ampliﬁer.

Start with Drag Control set to the 12 o’clock position. Turning the Drag Control clockwise will

brighten the tone (less Drag) while turning the dial counter-clockwise with darken it (more

Drag). Turn the Drag Control on by pushing in the switch and use a small screwdriver or guitar

pick to adjust. Listen to ﬁnd the tone that best suits your preference. 12 o’clock simulates the

tone of a Stratocaster connected to a Fender Twin.

Active instruments

Foractive instruments such as akeyboard, ac-

tivebassoranactiveacousticguitarwithbuilt-in

preamp, the Drag control will have very little or

no effect as the signal is already buffered. The

advantageto using the Fireﬂyis to warmupthe

tonebypassingthe signal throughthetubeand

audio transformer. This will produce a ‘vintage’

effect that is pleasing to the ear.

Piezo transducers

The Fireﬂy is equipped with a special high

input impedance that is ideally suited for piezo

equipped instruments. Piezos are finicky

devices that tend to squawk or sound peaky

unlesstreatedproperly.WhentheDrag Control

is turned off, (switch in out position), the input

impedancejumpsto4meg-ohms.Thisprovides

the piezo with the right type of impedance to

properly load the pickup and smooth out the

sound.

Magnetic pickup in acoustic guitar sound hole.

Acoustic guitar with active preamp.

Passive piezo transducer on acoustic guitar.

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