UAD Powered Plug-Ins Manual v7.1 - Universal Audio

Manual Calibration Procedure
Manual calibration tools are provided so expert users can calibrate the system
to their preferred methods for obtaining desired results. For example,
some technicians may prefer adjustments for lowest distortion at a certain frequency;
setting bias for maximum sensitivity (instead of overbiasing); or other
non-standard techniques.
The calibration procedure described here is the most commonly used technique,
and is the (albeit simplified) method recommended by the Ampex Operation
and Service Manual.
Important: Manual calibration is not required to use UAD Ampex ATR-102.
Following this procedure will result in the same (or nearly the same) values obtained
by simply using the Auto Cal feature.
Tip: When making manual calibration settings, consider disabling Auto Cal
so the manually calibrated values are not accidentally lost if any of the controls
that force automatic calibration (Tape Type, Tape Speed, Emphasis EQ,
and Head Width) are inadvertently modified.
Preparation
• Reduce monitoring system volume to avoid loud sine wave Tones.
• Insert UAD Ampex ATR-102 on the DAW output bus (see note below).
• Set Path Select to Repro mode (Sync mode is not supported for manual cal).
• Set left and right Meter Input/Output switches to the “OUTPUT” position.
• Set left and right Meter Peak/VU switches to the “VU” position.
• Set Tape Speed, Tape Type, Cal Level, and Head Width to desired values.
• If Tape Speed is set to 3.75 IPS, set Cal Level to +3 dB.
• Disable Noise Enable (excessive Hiss may contribute to incorrect results).
• Do not change the above settings throughout the procedure.
• For related information, see the Manual Calibration Notes at the end of this
chapter.
Note: The Manual Calibration Tools are operational only when Path Select
is set to Sync or Repro. Additionally, the tools may not operate in some hosts
unless audio is present on the track containing the plug-in and the transport is
running. Placing the plug-in on an aux, bus, or master output may eliminate
this host limitation.
UAD Powered Plug-Ins Manual - 40 - Chapter 2: Ampex ATR-102