Carver C 1 Owners Manual

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CARVER

MODEL C-I

SONIC HOLOGRAPHY PREMPLIFIER (MNER'S MANUAL

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NOTICE

IT IS O.K. T0 BEGIN USING YOUR NEW C-l WITHOUT FIRST READING THIS OWNER'S
MANUAL. YOU CANNOT HURT IT, AND IT CANNOT HURT YOU. If you have previous
experience with stereo components, you probably can complete the input/output
connections and make normal use of the basic preamplifier functions without
special instructions.

HOWEVER, IT IS NO: POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE SONIC HOLOGRAM GENERATOR WORK
PROPERLY WITHOUT READING THIS MANUAL. Because of the special nature of Sonic
Holography, a period of fine-tuning of your stereo system will almost certainly
be necessary before its full benefit can be obtained, and this Manual provides
essential guidance in that process. For speedy reference, all of the information
on Sonic Holography has been consolidated in one section on the Manual.

This Manual.was prepared with unusual thoroughness and care, and we
recommend that you read it in its entirety at your earliest convenience. You
will find that even some of the "conventional" parts of the C-l are in fact
not conventional at all.

We also recommend that you record the following information here, for
possible future reference. You should also save your purchase invoice, in
case service is required.

C-l Serial No.:
Purchase Date:
Store Name and Address:

Please take a minute to fill out and mail the Carver Warranty Registration
card.

WARNINGS

To prevent a fire or shock hazard, do not expose this unit to moisture
or rain. If it accidentally becomes wet, disconnect its AC power cord until
the unit is thoroughly dry, inside and out.

Before connecting or disconnecting cables, unplug the C-l's AC power
cord or switch off the power to each component in the stereo system -- especially
the power amplifier. If the power amplifier lacks an on-off switch, unplug
its own power cord.

Do not remove the top or bottom cover of the C-l. There are no user-
serviceable parts inside. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel;
unauthorized servicing may void the warranty.

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PREAMPLIFIER / CONTROL FUNCTIONS

The C-l is a preamplifier control center. Familiarity with its preamplifier
functions should be gained before proceeding to a setup of the Sonic Hologram.
To expedite this process, we have outlined this section to provide the owner
with quick information on all preamplifier functions, followed up with more
detailed descriptions of specific controls and uses.

Front - Panel Controls:
PONER - Switches on C-l and Switched AC Outlets.
VOLUME - Adjusts listening level at Main Output.
BALANCE - Adjusts relative levels of stereo channels.
SELECTOR - Selects Phono, Tuner, or Auxiliary inputs.
STEREO/MONO - Parallels (L+R) two channels when engaged.
SPEAKERS OFF - Mutes Main Outputs when depressed.
L BASS
L TREBLE - Tone contour controls.
R BASS
R TREBLE
TONE/PUSH 0N - Engages tone contour controls.
40 Hz/LOUDNESS - Bass turnover, increases effect and range of Bass controls
when engaged.
8K Hz/ZK Hz - Treble turnover, increases effect and range of Treble controls
when engaged.
EXTERNAL PROCESSOR - Switches an outboard signal processor or equalizer into
circuit when engaged (See Rear Panel Connections).
DUB 2 l - Allows tape copying from Tape 2 to Tape 1 when engaged.
DUB l 2 - Allows tape copying from Tape 1 to Tape 2 when engaged.
TAPE 2 MONITOR - Allows playback or record-monitoring of a tape deck connected
to the Tape 2 inputs and outputs.

TAPE 1 MONITOR - Allows playback or record-monitoring of a tape deck connected
to the Tape 1 inputs and outputs.

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Speaker alignment can easily be established with the aid of a steel tape
measure or a spare length of speaker wire. Fasten one end of the tape measure
to the center of your chair, or have a helper hold it firmly in place (either
at the center of the seat or the center of the chair's back). Mark it where
it touches the center-of either speakers front panel. If not, you have two
options; either move one of the speakers slightly forward or back until both
are equally distant from your chair (easy to do if they are freestanding in the
room, not as practical if they are shelf-mounted against a wall), or move your
chair laterally toward the more distant speaker to compensate for the difference
in distance. The required lateral shift will be larger than the difference in
distance -- typically two or three times larger. So if your right speaker is
three inches farther from your chair than your left speaker is, move the chair
at least six inches to the right and then repeat the tape - measure test, until
you have the distances to both speakers equal.

If you have an odd-shaped speaker and you are not sure what point to measure
to, measure to the midrange drive.

MAKING HOLOGRAPHY WORK: THE CONTROLS

All of the work in Sonic Holography is in the initial set-up -- controlling
early reflections and matching the speaker-to-listener distances. The routine
operating controls are extremely simple.

SONIC HOLOGRAM

This pushbutton switches the entire holographic imaging circuit into the~
signal path (button IN) or bypass it completely (button OUT).

HOLOGRAPHIC INJECTION RATIO

This pushbutton switch can be set at either THEORETICAL (button IN) or NORMAL
(button OUT), and you should feel free to try either setting with various recordings
to see which gives better results. THEORETICAL gives a slightly more pronounced
holographic effect, with maximum enhanced depth and breadth in the image, and it
tends to work best with recordings made using modern multiple-microphone mix down
techniques. But you may find that a piano recorded with multiple microphones (to
elicit stereo" from the piano) may seem located in two places in space. So with
these, the normal setting works best. Orchestral recordings made with just two
or three microphones in a concert hall will also most often work best in the
normal position.

SEPARATION/BLEND

This switch will slightly reduce the L-R stereo separation in the signal which
the Hologram Generator treats with inverted, delayed crossfeed. It may be depressed
to help compensate for recordings of a single solo instrument which may sound like
two separate instruments, or for early-stereo recordings in which left-only and right-
only signals may not image realistically. The separation function is distinct from
Injection Ratio, in that it affects the stereo content of the signal, while Injection
Ratio alters the crossfeed levels in the Hologram Generator.

Pushing Separation/Blend will also produce a smoother "holographic" effect for
most headphone listening. Although the problems which the Hologram corrects for do
not occur with headphones, feel free to experiment with the effect - the C-l Headphone
jack will receive a hologram signal when the Sonic Hologram is engaged.