Summit Audio Model TLA-100A Tube Leveling Amplifier Operating Manual IMPORTANT!: CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE INSTRUCTION MANUAL BEFORE HOOKUP OR OPERATION OF THE TLA-100A WARNING!: HIGH VOLTAGE THIS UNIT CONTAINS NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS. SERVICING SHOULD ONLY BE DONE BY QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL OR FACTORY. DO NOT OPERATE THE TLA-100A WITH THE COVERS REMOVED. Summit Audio, Inc. 1183 Baltic Suite A Gardnerville, NV 89410 Copyright 1992, 2003 Summit Audio, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed in the U.S.A.
Doc.# 1085A01 INTRODUCTION The Summit Audio Tube Leveling Amplifier is a hybrid of technologies. It contains both vacuum tube and solid state components. This combination of old and new technologies produces an incredibly warm and smooth sounding compression device without the inherit disadvantages of the older designs. Input connections are made using three pin XLR connectors.
THE CONTROLS ATTACK SWITCH : A three position switch with fast, medium and slow settings, which controls the time it takes the TLA-100A to respond to the input signal. RELEASE SWITCH: Controls the time it takes the TLA-100A to return to unity again. A three position switch with fast, medium and slow settings. The release time is also effected by the program material. The slower the release time setting, the more the program material determines the release time.
Attack switch changes the time (fast, medium, slow) it takes for the TLA-100A to respond to input signal. Link/In/Bypass switch toggles between bypass (no compression), in (compressing) and link mode for stereo linking with another TLA-100A, TLA-50, or MPC-100A. Release switch adjusts the time (fast, medium, slow) it takes for the TLA-100A to return to unity gain. Gain controls the output level (makeup gain). Gain reduction determines the amount of gain reduction taking place on a signal.
TRACKING, LIVE SOUND, MIXING Plug the TLA-100A into your mixing console’s insert jack or patch bay. The TLA-100A also sounds great if inserted directly in line after the preamplifier. DE-ESSING Plug a TRS insert cable into the side chain jack on the back of the TLA100A. Plug the send (tip) of the insert cable to the input of an EQ, and the return (ring) of the cable to the EQ output. Boost the frequencies on the EQ that you want to compress (de-ess).
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS INPUT: (This TLA-100A is wired as a pin 2 hot device. Units made before March 1st, 2003 come factory wired with pin 3 hot.
OUTPUT : +4dBm corresponds to 0 VU. The output is electronically balance or unbalanced using 990 operational amplifiers. Output impedance is 75 Ω. The recommended output load is 600 Ω or more. Maximum output is +25dBm. INPUT: The input is electronically balanced or unbalanced. Input impedance is 20k Ω. Maximum input level is +26dBm. PANEL SIZE: Standard 19” by 3.5” (two units of rack space). DEPTH BEHIND PANEL:10.5” in addition to users I/O cabling. POWER: 35 watts. 115-230 Volt. 50 or 60 Hz.
OPERATION The first step in the operation of any device using a vacuum tube is to apply power and let the unit fully warm up (15 minutes). After warm up, set the Gain Reduction control to 0 and adjust the Gain control for 0 VU on the meter. Switch the Attack to slow and the Release to fast. Now adjust for the desired amount of Gain Reduction and recheck the output level.
STEREO INTERCONNECT Insertion of a cable, with a ¼” plug on each end, into two TLA-100As will operate them in stereo for mastering tapes and compressing other program material. To operate the TLA-100A in stereo, set the Attack and Release switches the same, and set the Gain Reduction control to the same level on both units. The channel with the strongest peak will override both units.
Allow the TLA-100A to warm up for at least 15 minutes before using it in your processing chain. The tubes and other circuitry need time to reach an electronic equilibrium before they will operate at optimal specifications. For the longest life, it is recommended that you turn off the unit when it is not in use. Please mount the unit in your rack, making sure that there is sufficient ventilation, especially on the right and left side of the chassis.
