Viewing a thread - Optima Electronics Manual (2024)

Klaus Zimmermann

Posted 2002-04-13 12:50 PM (#222922) Subject: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
April 2002
Posts: 6

Location: Co. Wexford - Ireland

Hi all. After a 6 year break from playing guitar I decided to treat myself to a nice Instrument and purchased an Ovation Adamas 1597 SMT.
The guitar sounds and plays beautifully, but unfortunatly I did not get a manual for the Optima Electronics.
Does any of you know where I could download the manual?
Any help would be appreciated.
BTW, very nice page & BB, keep up the good work. Paul Templeman

Posted 2002-04-13 1:03 PM (#222923 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland

Hey Klauss, I'll scan mine & email it to you.

Paul

luthier444

Posted 2002-04-13 1:07 PM (#222924 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 255

Hello

Until you find a manual here are a few tips.

1 Tuner shuts off by itself
2 In order to get XLR jack to work you need a dummy 1/4 inch jack and plug that in to . That turns the power on to the XLR. Find an old chord and cut the end off. Or call the Ovation Service dept. and order a special XLR cable that has a nub on it .
3 The notch fiter is to cut out feedback. Turn on the notch start all the way to the left and turn it until the feedback goes away. My favorite feature.
The Optima does work with Phantom power I am certain.
4 To program Optima you can turn on the tuner, tune one string to anything you want then press the tuner on buttom before it goes off and then you can tune the other strings relative to the first string. So if tune your first string flat. Press the tuner a second time and then it will tune the rest of the strings flat..

Hope this helps

Paul Templeman

Posted 2002-04-13 1:12 PM (#222925 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland

You only need a a dummy jack (Ovation call it an activation plug) if you are going from the XLR output to a jack input. If you go XLR to XLR and your mixer can provide pantom power you don't need the dummy.

The tuner requires a battery regardless of phantom power, but does not need a jack plugged in for it to operate.

Paul

[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ]

Klaus Zimmermann

Posted 2002-04-13 1:51 PM (#222926 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
April 2002
Posts: 6

Location: Co. Wexford - Ireland

Wow, I did not expect a reply so soon, you guys are great.
Thanks for the kind offer to e-mail me the scanned manual, much appreciated.
I only bought my Adamas 3 days ago & my head is still spinning from the awesome acoustic sound.
My first acoustic guitar (1979) was also an Ovation (Electric Legend), but I have played Takamine & Martin since.
My original idea was to get another Martin, but after playing the Adamas in my local music shop I was totally hooked :)
Again, thanks for the prompt replies musicamex

Posted 2002-04-13 3:12 PM (#222927 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873

Location: puerto vallarta, mexico

i am just beginning to understand the electronics offered by ovation over the years thanks to this board. until my 12 string arrives in a few more days none of my guitars have had anything but rotary knobs. a built in tuner sounds very valuable, and anything that would help with feedback could really help too. i asked in another topic if anybody would care to put ovations electronics in cronological order and list the basic features, advantages and disadvantages. this info would be invaluable to a perspective buyer, new or used.

i got no response to this topic. luthier 444, would you care to take a crack at it? i'll light a candle at our lady of perpetual sustain for you if you do.

off to the saturday afternoon gig at anna banana's. great view of the sailboats at anchor and the local catch coming in.

[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: musicamex ]

alpep

Posted 2002-04-13 4:05 PM (#222928 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581

Location: NJ

make the feedback go away?????????... I have spent most of my life trying to make it happen .... Beal

Posted 2002-04-13 5:21 PM (#222929 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127

Location: 6 String Ranch

Dummy jacks, activation plugs, nub on it,
To XLR or not XLR, Does your momma know ya'll are talkin like that?
I'm with Russ, let's go to Anna Bannana's...... Gary(Uk)

Posted 2002-04-13 7:27 PM (#222930 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126

Location: UK

Err dont want to sound like a dummy, but my Mill came with no manual either!
Whats the XLR? i noticed a socket like a mic plug next to the 1/4 plug socket, what does that do?
I understand the gain,notch and eq, but this is my 1st acoustic with more than just a pickup. musicamex

Posted 2002-04-13 7:50 PM (#222931 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873

Location: puerto vallarta, mexico

back fron anna b's. fun spot since we all know each other. the tourist are thinning out.

yeah what is an XLR? the last one i was around left me with a limp. harley sportster XLR. guitars are definatly safer.

Beal

Posted 2002-04-13 8:20 PM (#222932 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127

Location: 6 String Ranch

Isn't it stuff that you develope film in??? Paul Templeman

Posted 2002-04-14 3:58 AM (#222933 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland

The XLR provides a mic level (as opposed to line level) balanced output, which when sent to a mic level XLR input on a mixer can phantom-power the pre-amp. The balanced line means that when using long cable runs (such as a multicore) the line will not pick up interference (RF etc) plus you do not require a direct box. There is little point in using the XLR output if you send it to an unbalanced jack input.

Paul

[ April 14, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ]

Gary(Uk)

Posted 2002-04-14 6:15 AM (#222934 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126

Location: UK

So basically you are saying i could plug my Mill directly into my Tascam 244 using this output?Rather than using an external mic? Paul Templeman

Posted 2002-04-14 8:42 AM (#222935 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland

You could, but you'll get better results with a mike & as far as I recall the Tascam 244 has unbalanced jack inputs. Check the manual, if the inputs are balanced you can make up an XLR to balanced (TRS) jack cable. You'll need to use an activation plug, because the 244 doesn't supply phantom. There's really no advantage in sending a balanced low-Z mic-level signal to an unbalanced Hi-Z line-level input. Line-level inputs are less sensitive than mike inputs, so you'll have to crank the gain, reducing the headroom in the pre. You then run the risk of noise and/or clipping the mixer pre-amp

As for recording direct, IMO there isn't an acoustic pickup in existance that sounds anywhere near as good as a decent microphone. The LR Baggs I-beam is pretty close but unfortunately has a very low feedback threshold. It's worth experimenting with a combination of miked & direct sounds though.

Paul

[ April 14, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ]

Gary(Uk)

Posted 2002-04-14 3:51 PM (#222936 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126

Location: UK

Thanks Paul, im new to 4 tracking, the 244 is just a toy at the moment,it`ll take me a while to get used to it, then ill use it properly ;)
I remember micing up my Fender 12 at a friends studio and it sounded awesome, my Mill is gonna knock spots off that on a mic :D cliff

Posted 2002-04-15 8:26 AM (#222937 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842

Location: NJ

Gary;

If you look on the backside of your Tascam there should be a dedicated "guitar" input (1/4") with it's own little "trim" pot next to it. I believe it's designed to better match the impedance of a guitar rather than a mic. You just have to click the little three position switch to "guitar" on whatever channel you're recording on. This also helps when you're overdubbing guitar tracks - you just stay plugged into that one imput in the back and change the switch settings on the appropriate channel(s).

[ April 15, 2002: Message edited by: cliff d. ]

Paul Templeman

Posted 2002-04-15 9:02 AM (#222938 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland

Cliff, Gary's Tascam 244 was designed in the mid 1980's & lacks many of the features found on current 4-trackers, including a dedicated guitar input. In their day they were relatively expensive machines & were capable of good results if you were careful. Springsteen allegedly recorded his "Nebraska" album using a 244.

Paul

cliff

Posted 2002-04-15 10:32 AM (#222939 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842

Location: NJ

It sounded it!!!

I'm probably opening a whole "can of worms", but I'm a born and bred "Jersey Boy" who CAN'T STAND Springsteen!

Back in '84, a friend of mine and I took the two and a half hour drive to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park to see Al Stewart. We got there early, walking around with our drinks "checking out" the place. The walls were bedecked with a plethora of photos and other "Brucephernalia". I muttered to my friend: "I feel like two Jews in the Vatican".

I gotta go now, there's some people at my door talking about running me out of the state on a rail!

Beal

Posted 2002-04-15 10:59 AM (#222940 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127

Location: 6 String Ranch

Cliff,
Ever heard of a guy Bill Chinnock? I think he was from the same area, great voice. He was married to Dick Curless' daughter and moved to Maine for a while, then Nashville and then ?????
He was sortof like Bruce at the time (early 80's) but had alot more feel in the tunes, 3horns, organ, drums,bass and him on a 56 strat. Real music, not the spoo you hear on car radio's today. Gary(Uk)

Posted 2002-04-15 1:31 PM (#222941 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126

Location: UK

Twilight zone stuff,, i h8 Springsteen, so does everyone i know, so if everyone else across the world h8`s him, WHO THE HELL bought his albums?? musicamex

Posted 2002-04-15 2:47 PM (#222942 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873

Location: puerto vallarta, mexico

good call guys. mr b always has me hitting the scan button too. in fact i seem to drive with my hand balanced on the floor shift and my finger ready for the scan button. a few seconds of some stuff can ruin your day.

paul t---you seem to speak from much more than a casual musical background. i enjoy your posts and learn allot from them. i for one would like to know more about what you do. my wife spent several years in ipswitch (sp?) and she has a couple of aunts in the london area. maybe i could trade you a tequila and mezcal sampler for a single malt education sometime next summer (2003). thanks for the time you spend on your posts.

Paul Templeman

Posted 2002-04-15 5:21 PM (#222943 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland

Hey Russ, that would be great. I'm about 250 miles north of London, give me a shout when you're due over. A pint or two of Timothy Taylor Landlord will make a nice change from Bohemia & Dos Equis. I've been involved in music professionaly for over 20 years, that's included everything from concert promotion, tour management, music venue management, sound engineering, gigging, teaching guitar....sometimes all at the same time. Anything to avoid the 9-5 trip really. I currently teach sound recording & acoustic design at a couple of colleges, run a home studio & gig with a couple of bands. Oh yeah, & collect Ovations.

Paul

alpep

Posted 2002-04-15 6:31 PM (#222944 - in reply to #222922) Subject: Re: Optima Electronics Manual

Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581

Location: NJ

anything pre born to run pure magic I had the pleasure to see the band several times back then post born to run runny carpet staining dog spoo