OCEANS 12 Multifunction Dual Stereo Reverb Congratulations on your purchase of the Oceans 12, our dual stereo reverb tourde-force. Dive into uncharted sonic depths with its myriad features: two simultaneous, independent, stereo reverb engines, series and parallel control for the dual reverbs, 24 presets, external expression and footswitch input, and more.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Notes and Specifications 3 Reverb Types and Descriptions 3 Quick Start Guide 4 Summary Chart 10 Controls and LEDs Dual Reverb Select Button and LEDs Control Knobs Reverb Type Knob, Preset LED, and Mini Knobs Illuminated Buttons Send/Return FX Loop Mode Button and LEDs Footswitches and LEDs 7 7 8 12 13 15 17 18 Connections 20 Reverb Type and Mini Knob Details 22 Dual Reverb 28 External Footswitch Functionality 30 Expression Pedal Use and Setup 31 Tap Tempo on the Oceans
NOTES AND SPECIFICATIONS • • • • • • • Audio input impedance for mono left input: 1M Audio input impedance for stereo left input: 2M Audio input impedance for right input: 2M Audio output impedance for each output: 550 Current draw: 150mA Maximum input signal level: +11 dBu Bypass: high quality analog buffered bypass when TAILS mode is disabled. DSP bypass when TAILS is enabled.
QUICK START GUIDE PLUGGING IN THE OCEANS 12 1. Connect the supplied EHX9.6DC AC Adapter into the 9V jack at the top of the Oceans 12. Plug the AC Adapter into an AC outlet. 2. Connect your guitar or other instrument into the L IN jack using a standard 1/4” instrument cable. Connect the L OUT jack to your amp with another standard 1/4” instrument cable. 3. For stereo operation, connect R OUT to another amp. DIALING IN A STANDARD REVERB EFFECT 1.
USING DUAL REVERB 1. At any given time on the Oceans 12, only one of the reverb engines is selected for editing. The SELECT LED indicates which reverb engine this is. In general, reverb-editing controls affect only the selected reverb engine. 2. The default selected reverb engine should be Reverb A, and accordingly you should see the green LED labeled “A” lit. 3. If Reverb A isn’t already on, turn it on by pressing the left footswitch. Once it’s on, the white LED in the center moon graphic will be lit. 4.
USING AN EXPRESSION PEDAL 1. Connect your expression pedal to the EXP/FSW jack. 2. While the EXP MODE button is off, the expression pedal acts like a volume control for your dry signal before it enters the Oceans 12. 3. While the EXP MODE button is enabled, the expression pedal sweeps all parameters that are assigned to it for the current Reverb Type of the selected dual reverb. 4. You may assign any knobs you like to be swept by the expression pedal.
CONTROLS AND LEDS - DUAL REVERB SELECT BUTTON AND LEDS On the Oceans 12, one of the reverb engines is always currently selected, regardless of whether single or dual reverbs are engaged. All of the LEDs on the Oceans 12 – the Reverb Type LED, the mode button LEDs, the preset LED, the illuminated buttons, and the bypass LED -- always reflect the status of the currently selected reverb engine. The SELECT button allows you to toggle this selection between Reverb A and Reverb B.
- CONTROL KNOBS - The four knobs on the left side of the Oceans 12 control the main parameters of the reverb effects. These knobs have different functions depending on the status of the illuminated FUNCTION button (see the section about Illuminated Buttons on page 13 for details on FUNCTION). The top row of white labels specifies the reverb-specific functions of the knobs, which are active when the FUNCTION button is off.
TONE – In all Reverb Types, TONE controls the tone or EQ of the reverb signal, so it’s omitted from the columns of the Summary Chart on the following page. As this knob is turned clockwise, the sound of the reverb gets brighter. As you turn TONE counter-clockwise, the sound of the reverb gets darker. Alternate FUNCTION parameters INF LVL – Works as an attenuation control for the infinite/sustain reverb sound.
Reverb Type MODE Descriptions ROOM Space type SPRING Algorithm select PLATE Plate type REVERSE Algorithm select MODE Effect 1. Room 2. Hall 1. 6G15 2. Holy Grail 1. Original 2. Dark Plate 1. Swoosh 2. Rev. echo PREDELAY TIME --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Swoosh time Reverse time 1. 1/8 ECHO Echo rhythm 2. 1/4 N/A Reverb blend --- --- --- --- 3. Dotted 1/8 1. Triangle TREM LFO shape 2. Square 3. Sine MOD Modulation type 1. Chorus 2. Flerb 3. Chorus + Flerb 1.
Mini Knob 1 Mini Knob 2 Infinite Sustain? Tap tempo? Predel. feedback Mod. depth Yes No Spring length Preamp drive Predel. feedback Plate size Yes No Predel. feedback Mod.
- REVERB TYPE KNOB, PRESET LED, AND MINI KNOBS - REVERB TYPE Knob This knob is a rotary encoder that selects which of the Oceans 12’s Reverb Types is active. The list ranges from ROOM at the top to RESONANT at the bottom. You can choose which Reverb Type is selected for each reverb engine. One preset can be saved for each Reverb Type using the REVERB TYPE knob. For details on preset operation, see page 36.
- ILLUMINATED BUTTONS - EXP MODE Button – When this button is lit, EXP MODE is enabled. When an external expression pedal or control voltage is connected to the EXP/FSW jack on the rear of the Oceans 12, you can control any combination of knob parameters with your foot. When the EXP MODE button is disabled (button is not lit), the external expression pedal acts as a volume pedal for the dry signal and the signal into the reverb effect.
For the main knobs, the alternate functions are INF LVL, SEND LVL, LOFI, and TIDE, respectively. For the mini parameter knobs, these functions are SRS/PRL and A→B. More details about these alternate knob parameters can be found in the Dual Reverb section on page 28. The FUNCTION button can also toggle signal splitting, where Reverb A is sent to L OUT and Reverb B is sent to R OUT, as illustrated in the diagram below.
- SEND/RETURN FX LOOP The Oceans 12 has the ability to create a special, wet, mono FX LOOP either before or after the reverb block. See the following diagram: The SEND is output through the R/SEND OUT jack. The return is connected to the R/RETURN IN jack. Tip: useful for when you’d like an effect in your chain, for example a fuzz or filter, to affect only the reverb tails, i.e. without affecting your dry signal.
To toggle pre-reverb SEND/RETURN, power-cycle the Oceans 12 while holding down the FUNCTION button. If the SEND/RETURN status was previously post-reverb or OFF, it will now be pre-reverb. Similarly, if the SEND/RETURN status was previously pre-reverb, it will now be turned OFF. To toggle post-reverb SEND/RETURN, power-cycle the Oceans 12 while holding down the TAILS button. If the SEND/RETURN status was previously pre-reverb or OFF, it will now be post-reverb.
- MODE BUTTON AND LEDS - Each Reverb Type on the Oceans 12 has either two or three unique modes of operation. Pressing the MODE button cycles through these available modes. The LED labels 1, 2, or 3 show the current mode. When you switch Reverb Types, the Oceans 12 will recall the last mode you were using in that Reverb Type. Below the three numbered LEDs are two LEDs labeled LF and TIDE. These two LEDs indicate whether LO-FI and/or TIDE, respectively, are currently on.
- FOOTSWITCHES AND LEDS The Oceans 12 has two footswitches which perform the same functions for their respective reverb engines. The left footswitch controls Reverb A, and the right footswitch controls Reverb B. Each footswitch has the functionalities described below. Footswitch Functions BYPASS – The BYPASS functionality of the footswitch works like that of a standard latching footswitch when the MOMENT button is not lit: press and release to toggle between bypass and effect modes.
be applied to the fresh reverb of the second reverb engine, and will be remembered when you switch back to that reverb engine. You may also use an external footswitch to trigger INFINITE sustain. See page 30 for details on external footswitch functionality. You can also disable the local footswitches’ control of TAP and INFINITE functions. (The functions will still be enabled via external footswitch).
CONNECTIONS L INPUT Jack – This ¼” jack is either the mono audio input or the left stereo input to the Oceans 12. In mono, the input impedance is 1M. In stereo, the input impedance is 2M. R INPUT Jack – This is the right input jack in a stereo setup. This input can also be the RETURN signal if using SEND/RETURN mode (see page 15). The input impedance is 2M. L OUT Jack – Use this output for a mono setup. In a stereo setup this is your left output. The output impedance is 550.
FSW - Connect an external momentary footswitch to this ¼” jack. The external footswitch may be either a single footswitch (TS plug), a dual footswitch (TRS plug), or a triple footswitch (TRS plug) such as the EHX Triple Foot Controller. The external footswitches must be momentary and normally open so that when the switch is pressed down a connection is made between the sleeve and either the tip, ring or both. See page 30 for a description of all functions available on the external footswitches.
REVERB TYPE AND MINI KNOB DETAILS Note: for every Reverb Type, the values of the mini knobs are “sticky”: they’re remembered for each mode when switching between them. For example, for the ROOM Reverb Type, you can dial in distinct Predelay Feedback and Mod Depth settings for Mode 1 and Mode 2. ROOM – MODE: Selects between a lively room reverb from the EHX Cathedral (Mode 1) and the beloved hall reverb algorithm from the EHX Holy Grail (Mode 2). P.D.
SPRING – MODE: Selects between our new renowned Fender® 6G15 emulation (Mode 1) and the classic spring reverb algorithm from the Holy Grail (Mode 2). LENGTH: This knob selects spring length. The knob travel is divided into thirds, with each third selecting successively longer springs as the knob is turned clockwise. The middle third is standard length for both the Fender® 6G15 length and the original Holy Grail emulation.
ECHO – MODE: Cycles through the tempo subdivisions of the current echo time: quarter-note (Mode 1), dotted-eighth-note (Mode 2), and eighth-note (Mode 3). FEEDBACK: Controls the number of repeats of the delayed signal. As this knob is turned clockwise, the number of repeats increases. DELAY: Controls the delay time of the echoes. Turn this knob clockwise to increase the delay time. Delay time ranges from 5 milliseconds to 1 second.
- In Mode 3, a ducking algorithm is applied which reduces the volume of the reverb while notes are being played. TIME behaves normally and controls the reverb decay. FX TIME: Sets the main time-based parameter of the effect. - For Swell (Mode 1), this is the swell time. As FX TIME turns clockwise, the length of the swell will increase. - For Noise Gate (Mode 2), this is the release time. As FX TIME turns clockwise, the gate takes a longer time to close, making the transition more smoothly.
POLY – MODE: The mode button cycles through two sets of controls for the mini knobs CTRL 1 and CTRL 2. In mode 1, POLY reverb is in Interval Edit mode. In mode 2, POLY Reverb is in Mix Edit mode. See the mini knob details below for descriptions of their functions. CTRL 1: In Interval Edit mode (Mode 1), this knob controls the semitone shift interval of the first pitch shifter. At noon, there’s no shift. As you turn counter-clockwise, the shift decreases to -1 octave at its minimum.
semitones until reaching G#6 (1661Hz) minor pentatonic at fully clockwise. In Mode 2, this knob selects the center frequency of the resonant filter. As TUNING is turned clockwise, the center frequency gets higher. DUAL REVERB When the illuminated FUNCTION button is blinking, the two mini knobs change their function to provide alternate controls over the dual reverb configuration. See the Dual Reverb section on page 28 for more details.
DUAL REVERB The Oceans 12 is a dual stereo reverb, meaning it offers two, simultaneous, independent stereo reverbs: Reverb A and Reverb B. Engaging both of them unleashes the dual reverb functionality of the Oceans 12. Turning on the dual reverbs is simply a matter of turning on each reverb engine with its respective footswitch. When both are on, both of the SELECT LEDs (pictured below) will be lit, with one of them slowly blinking to indicate which one is currently selected for editing.
In PARALLEL, the two reverb engines individually process your instrument audio, then their outputs are mixed: The factory default configuration is PARALLEL. You can select which configuration is active with the mini knobs after turning on the illuminated FUNCTION button. On the Oceans 12, the teal-highlighted bottom row of the Reverb Type table is labeled DUAL. When the FUNCTION button is lit, the two mini knobs change their function to these teal-highlighted alternate parameters, labeled SRS/PRL and A→B.
EXTERNAL FOOTSWITCH FUNCTIONALITY The Oceans 12 accepts a single momentary footswitch (with TS plug) or a double or triple footswitch (with TRS plug) at its FSW jack. After inserting a footswitch, the Oceans 12 should rapidly blink the A/B SELECT and INF LEDs for one second. If other LEDs are blinking, the Oceans 12 mistakenly thinks an expression pedal is inserted, so re-insert the footswitch until you observe the correct confirmation.
EXPRESSION PEDAL USE AND SETUP The Oceans 12 accepts an expression pedal with TRS plug or control voltage (CV) on a TS plug at its EXP/FSW jack. After inserting an expression pedal, the Oceans 12 should rapidly blink the illuminated EXP MODE button for one second. If other LEDs are rapidly blinking, the Oceans 12 mistakenly thinks a footswitch is inserted, so re-insert the expression pedal until you observe the correct confirmation.
Factory Default Expression Settings (for both Reverb A and B) Reverb Type Room Spring Plate Reverse Echo Trem Mod Dyna Auto-Inf Shimmer Poly Resonant Default Expression Pedal Control (EXP MODE = On) Wet FX Level Reverb time Wet FX level Modulation depth Feedback Rate Wet FX level Wet FX level Reverb time Wet FX level Control 1 Amount CREATING CUSTOM EXPRESSION SETTINGS Your Oceans 12 comes set up from the factory with some useful Expression Settings for each Reverb Type, but you might want to create your
9. Once you have set the knobs for the toe-down position, press and release the EXP MODE button to save the toe settings. 10. The EXP MODE button will light solid and your custom Expression Setting for the currently selected Reverb Type is now saved and ready to use. It will remain saved even after powering down the pedal. 11. Repeat these steps if you want to update the Expression Setting. 12. Press and release the REVERB TYPE knob at any time to cancel out of Expression Setting setup without saving.
TAP TEMPO ON THE OCEANS 12 For ECHO reverb, the Oceans 12’s echo time can be set with tap tempo using either of the built-in footswitches or by using an external momentary switch. With either method, you can achieve three different echo times all in sync with your tap tempo using the MODE button. Pressing MODE while in ECHO reverb cycles through the three subdivision options, each indicated by the numbered LEDs in the MODE section.
12 is mistaking your footswitch for an expression pedal. Re-insert the external footswitch jack until you get the correct LED confirmation. 3. Select ECHO reverb on the desired reverb engine. Tap the corresponding connection (RING for Reverb A, TIP+RING for Reverb B) of the external footswitch at least two times at a steady tempo. The delay time will be set to your tapping speed, divided by the Tap Divide setting selected the MODE button. 4.
PRESET USE AND SETUP The Oceans 12 can save and recall one preset per Reverb Type for both Reverb A and Reverb B. Each preset saves all current knob settings (including all alternate FUNCTION knobs, except DUAL and FX LOOP parameters), the current expression settings, tap tempo if in Echo reverb, the mode button status, and all illuminated button settings (except FUNCTION). SAVING PRESETS TO A REVERB TYPE 1. Use the SELECT button to select the reverb engine for which you’d like to save a preset. 2.
SAVING ALTERED PRESETS If you would like to save an altered preset to the current Reverb Type, press and hold the REVERB TYPE knob for about 2.5 seconds. Release once the PRESET LED stops blinking and is lit solid. Note: altered Expression Settings are automatically saved to presets. See below. UNLOADING PRESETS To unload a preset and return to What You See Is What You Get mode (WYSIWYG): 1. Ensure the PRESET LED is lit solid 2. Press and release the REVERB TYPE knob. 3.
RESTORING FACTORY SETTINGS To restore the Oceans 12 to factory default settings, press and hold the REVERB TYPE knob while plugging power into the Oceans 12. 1. Unplug the power supply from the Oceans 12. 2. Press and hold the REVERB TYPE knob while plugging power back in to the Oceans 12. 3. The PRESET LED will flash 7 times. You can release the REVERB TYPE knob once you see this LED flashing. 4.
COMPLIANCE Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
WARRANTY INFORMATION Please register online at http://www.ehx.com/product-registration or complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase. Electro-Harmonix will repair or replace, at its discretion, a product that fails to operate due to defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase. This applies only to original purchasers who have bought their product from an authorized Electro-Harmonix retailer.
