Reveal Active

Nearfield Monitors

User Manual

CONTENTS

1.0 2.0

2.1 2.2 2.3

INTRODUCTION THE BASICS

Unpacking and visual checks Preliminary recommendation Connecting your speakers

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6

PLACEMENT OF THE SPEAKERS
Orientation Positioning Console Reflections Speaker Mounting Bass Ports Equalization

4.0 5.0 6.0

6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4
PERFORMANCE DATA TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SERVICING
Cabinet finish Driver removal Crossover List of spare parts

7.0 8.0

WARRANTY Declaration of Conformity

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Youre thinking, Come on, a users manual for speakers? Thats like a users manual for a toothbrush. You know you should hook them up in phase and then you listen to them. How much more do you need to know? We know these speakers are headed for the professional or semiprofessional studio market, so we know we dont need to tell you about putting your potted plants on top of the speakers, or to avoid putting the right one on the bookshelf, and the left one on the floor behind the sofa. We know you are serious listeners or you wouldnt have bought Tannoy monitors. We decided that someone needed to produce this type of manual, and because were actually interested in monitoring, not just speaker sales, we figured it would have to be us. This users manual will tell you how to get the absolute best performance out of your new monitors.

2.0 THE BASICS

The Reveal Active is the latest active playback monitor from Tannoy, a company with unrivalled experience in studio monitoring. It has an extremely detailed, dynamic sound with a wide, flat frequency response all of which are essential for monitoring with reliable accuracy. The 25mm (1) soft dome HF unit is seamlessly matched to a 165mm (6.5) long throw bass unit. The drive units are mounted on a massive 40mm thick baffle, curved to minimise diffraction and creating the loudspeakers distinctive styling. Both drive units are magnetically shielded to allow the system to be used close to video monitors. Dont put potted plants on top of your speakers, or solder your signal leads out of phase. Now that weve got that out of the way, lets talk about some of the technical things to keep in mind. 2.1 Unpacking and visual checks To remove the speakers from the carton without damage open the end flaps fully and bend them right back (remember they are packed in pairs). Turn the package upside-down on the floor and lift the carton vertically up to leave the speakers resting on their packing tray. Nothing on or in your speakers should rattle about. Inspect each speaker for signs of transit damage. In the unlikely event of this having occurred inform the carrier and the supplier. Keep all the packaging if damage has occurred, as this will show evidence of excessive handling forces. It is also a good idea to keep the carton if possible for future transportation. 2.2 Preliminary recommendation Initially we would like to give a word of warning on high sound levels, which these speakers are capable of generating over sustained periods of time. Levels over 95 dB for 8 hours per day can eventually cause permanent hearing loss. Because Tannoy monitors have very low levels of time, amplitude and frequency distortion it is not always obvious that the sound level is high while working with them. For continuous exposure we recommend the occasional use of a sound level meter capable of integrating the sound level over a period of exposure according to noise control standards. This should be used just to check that noise levels are always within safety limits.
2.3 Connecting your speakers The compact, integrated design of a self powered unit like the Reveal Active makes it particularly easy to install. Having chosen an appropriate location for your monitors and arranged them accordingly, connect the power cord to the mains socket (location 2) and turn the power on (mains switch, location 1). The blue LED on the front panel should now be illuminated. Before connecting the source to the monitor, it is advisable to ensure that there is no signal present (by setting the output faders) so that the signal is not likely to overload the system. Connect the audio signal source (console output) to the input connector (combined XLR/jack socket) at the back of the monitor (location 3). As indicated on the silk screen printing, the input connector is wired to the balanced input as indicated below :

Signal (+) Signal (-) Ground
XLR input pin 2 pin 3 pin 1
Jack input Tip (T) Ring (R) Screen (S)
If the source itself has a balanced output, use shielded twin conductor cable (microphone cable) connecting pin 2/T to pin 2/T, pin 3/R to pin 3/R, and pin 1/S to pin 1/S (using the shield). If the source has an unbalanced output, a single conductor shielded cable can be used, connecting pin 2/T of the input to the hot signal pin of the source, while pin 3/R and pin 1/S should be linked together and connected to the source signal ground.
3.0 PLACEMENT OF THE SPEAKERS
Now heres the truly critical stuff. Speaker placement and the listening environment can completely compromise the performance of any loudspeaker, no matter how much it costs. It is important to understand some limitations of near-field speakers, and the operating environment, in order for you to gain the maximum performance from the pair sitting in front of you. 3.1 Orientation Two-way speakers have a correct orientation for the serious listener. Two way systems use a separate woofer and tweeter mounted in a vertical line on the baffle. There is a fixed vertical distance between the centre of the two devices on the baffle, and there is fixed distance between the apparent acoustic center of each device and the plane of the baffle at the crossover point. By stacking the woofer and tweeter vertically, we minimize the problems caused by these physical offsets. The near-field listening conditions magnify the effects of the driver offsets, so we really need to optimize the speaker orientation. When you are very close to a speaker system, vertical head movements are significant because your movement represents a large change in angle of arc, and therefore the number of degrees above and below the axis (thats the line between the woofer and tweeter). In other words, bob your head up and down a few centimeters within a metre of the cabinet, and your ear moves through a larger angle relative to the speaker axis than it does with the same vertical motion 4 or 5 metres away. Need proof? Put on some music, not loud, and get really close, about 500mm (20) away. Move your head up and down now, and you can actually get the musical image to break into a separate high frequency and low frequency source. This is a wildly exaggerated example of what were talking about. It isnt that bad out here in the normal listening position, but the variations are still there.
All two way component systems have to live with some listening position dependent compromises at the crossover point. The crossover frequency of all of these small systems falls into the center of the midband (2.0kHz to 3.0kHz), where we are most capable of recognising frequency/phase response deviations.

In the diagrams below we have a graphical representation of the speaker systems operating at the crossover point where both high and low frequency drivers produce the same output level. The first one shows a pair of two-way loudspeakers lying on their side. Note that each driver is producing sound, and because there is a physical distance separating them on the baffle, there is also a time difference separating the drivers, and the result is what you see here. Around the crossover point, the speaker will produce numerous lobes, producing changes in midrange sound character as you move across the horizontal listening plane.

HORIZONTAL

Stereo occurs from left to right, so that is the listening plane in which we try to minimise the changes in physical/time offset between the woofers and tweeters. And we have to be honest, its not perfect, the driver offset is still there, but by stacking the woofer and tweeter vertically on the baffle we can give the mix engineer the widest range of movement in the horizontal plane. You can roll your chair across the length of your mixing console and not change the relationship between the woofer and tweeter (just dont bob your head up and down while you do it).

VERTICAL

Another interesting note, the Tannoy true point-source Dual Concentric monitors are free from the physical offsets previously described, which means that the behavior of the Dual Concentric monitors will not change in the horizontal, vertical or any other plane you can pick. The other neat thing about Dual Concentric monitors is that no matter how close you get to them you cant get the image to fragment into separate high and low frequency sources.
Now, if you were to follow the all too common practice of lying your two way monitors on their side to give you better sight lines over your meter bridge, you can see (and hear) what will happen. With the monitor on its side, moving your head horizontally means you are now moving through all those rays, or lobes, where the wavefronts from the woofers and tweeters interfere with each other. The midrange frequency response will be different for each head position. All two way component monitors, no matter who manufactures them, need to be used with the multidriver axis vertical (thats just the way it has to be when youre in the near-field). And if youre wondering how three-way near-fields work with a whole bunch of speakers stuck all over the baffle, well. youll quickly realize why we stopped at two way speaker systems.

3.2 Positioning This is the monitor equivalent of a wheel alignment. Where do you aim the speakers to give you the smoothest and most consistent sound, and how far apart do you place them to give you a good stereo image? The basic rule is to follow the layout of an equilateral triangle. The distance between the two monitors should be roughly the same as the distance between one monitor and your nose in the listening position where you are leaning forward on the console armrest. See the following diagram.
The speaker axis (shown on the diagram) should be aimed at the halfway point between your furthest forward and the furthest back listening positions (as indicated by the two heads on the diagram). This is typically a range of about 24 (600mm). If you can, you should line your ears up with the vertical speaker axis (half way between the woofer and the tweeter). Remember the earlier drawings showing your ears and the speaker, these were to get your normal listening position lined up in the best spot possible. If this would have you resting your chin on the console, you could tilt the monitor back slightly. This keeps your head in the sweet spot whether youre leaning forward adjusting level or EQ, or leaning back and listening to the mix. Dont go crazy trying to get this exact to three decimal places, within a few inches will suffice. Your Tannoy monitors have a wide sweet spot both horizontally and vertically to reduce the variations in sound quality as you move around doing your recording engineer stuff. Turning the monitors in like this has an added benefit of keeping the high frequencies from reflecting off the walls and outboard gear.
3.3 Console Reflections The number one killer of smooth near-field monitor response is the mixing console. Most people park their near-field monitors on top of the meter bridge, which makes the console top the most influential reflecting surface for the sound you hear when youre mixing. How important is that reflection? If it were such a big deal, wouldnt people have done something different by now? Lets face it, this industry is not exactly quick to acknowledge a situation that makes it apparent weve ignored a problem for the ten years or so since near-fields became popular. So you still have reservations as to the significance of this reflection? OK, dig out your pink noise generator, its time for an experiment. Youll need an assistant from the audience for this. Have your assistant hold your monitor up in the air about 600mm (24) from the top of the console while feeding pink noise through it. Make sure youre listening right on the speaker axis (that line between the woofer and tweeter), and have your assistant slowly lower the monitor onto its perch on the meter bridge. Hear that change in midrange character as it gets within the last foot of the console? How different did it sound when it was up in the air. Theres two significant things happening here. The first problem is comb filtering (interference) caused by the reflection from the console top taking a fraction of a second (and a tiny fraction!) longer to get to your ear than the sound directly from the speaker. And you thought you couldnt afford a Flanger for your studio. You may have noticed that in the last foot prior to touchdown on the console the main sonic change was in the midband area. There is a real cruelty associated with laws of physics, the speed of sound in air gives us wavelengths in the midrange area that just seem to coincide with the dimensions of everything we mount speakers on, maximizing the problems created by these reflections. The previous diagrams (horizontal and vertical) that show the interaction between a separate woofer and tweeter also demonstrate the problem generated by the reflection. Substitute the reflection for one of the drivers in the diagram and youve got a pretty good picture of what happens when the original wavefront and the reflected wavefront meet. The big problem with this comb filtering is that you cant fix it with any terrestrial equalizer, once the waves cancel there is nothing left to boost. You may also notice that as you move your head, the filtering changes, so any equalization you attempted to apply for one position would be detrimental to all the other listening positions. We mentioned that there are two things happening here. The second thing is a change in directivity caused by the addition of a boundary (the console top). When you want to shout at someone outdoors you cup your hands around your mouth to increase the directivity of your voice. By placing the monitor on the meter bridge, youve done the equivalent of putting one hand to your mouth. In the lower midrange (200-800Hz), where the wavelength is long enough at 400mm-1400mm(16-55) that you dont get cancellation, you get the wavefronts adding together. This causes an increment in the level over the lower midrange area at the same time that holes appear in the midrange from comb-filtering effects. Now that youve begun to believe it is impossible to use near-fields on a console top, well talk about what you can do to help alleviate these problems. The first thing you need to do is be able to identify the surfaces that are close enough to do serious harm. You can do this at great expense by using a real time analyser, and spend a few months learning to use it, OR, you can grab a length of string, some gaffer tape, and a mic stand, and get set for another experiment. First the theory. For unblemished stereo imaging and frequency response you would want to listen in a completely reflection free environment, like an anechoic chamber, where all you would hear is the image and the direct sound produced by the speakers, no nasty reflections anywhere. For most people this is impractical. Next best thing, if you can establish a listening position free of reflections arriving within 2 milliseconds after the direct sound (thats the time it takes sound to travel about 24 or 600mm or less which represents all frequencies from 500 Hz and up), and minimize reflections arriving within 10 milliseconds of the direct sound, you can maintain a remarkably stable stereo image, and uniform response throughout the mix area. The direct sound is just that, it is the shortest straight-line path that sound can take from the speaker to your ear, no bounces, no reflections. The 2 millisecond reflection window really affects the character of the sound at the mix position, drastically altering the response of the speaker in the critical audio bands of 500Hz and above. The 10 millisecond reflection window does some more subtle things

to the speakers response, because the ear/brain reads reflections arriving within 10 milliseconds of the direct sound as being part of the speakers response, these reflections can pull the stereo image around in different directions at different frequencies. Enough theory, now to the lab. Heres where we have fun with science. Take the microphone stand and place it at the mix position. Attach one end of the string to the top of the mic stand, and stretch the string out to the front of one of the monitors. This is the direct sound path from the speaker to your mix position. To locate all the surfaces that will contribute reflections within that magic 2 millisecond window, add 600mm(24) to the string you have stretched out. Take a small piece of gaffer tape and attach the string to the baffle (NOT the drivers!). Now, every surface you can touch with any part of that string can contribute a reflection to your mix position.

The STRING analyser

This same concern about reflecting surfaces applies to all nearby widgets such as computer monitors, outboard gear, coffee cups, rolls of tape, the producers wooden leg and all the other usual paraphernalia found in a studio environment. Cleaning up this short sound path between the speaker and your listening position is like using a cotton bud on your ear. You can repeat the process with an extra 3000mm (10 feet) of string to see which surfaces will influence the timbre and imaging of your mix. This exercise is not just about finding places to stick fuzzy or foamy absorbers to, the last thing you want to do is make your room completely dead. What this process will show you is which surfaces you should try to angle to redirect reflections away from your mix position. If there are surfaces that you cannot move or shift, you can apply a small amount of absorbent material to specific surfaces, rather than covering the entire room in absorbers. You may want to consider a speaker placement other than the console meter bridge, perhaps on an elevated mounting arm attached to the wall, or on a mid-field monitor stand, just behind the console. These positions can help clean up that 2-millisecond window. Keep your ears open for other problem reflections, like between the sloped connector panel on the back of the console and the baffle of the speaker, which will find its way back to the mix position a bit too late to be useful. The string trick works just fine for locating these reflecting surfaces. Its important that you listen to the effect of speaker placement on the sound character of your speakers, and understand what those changes are going to do to your mix. To make the point heres are some more things to consider: -

3.4 Speaker Mounting Youve probably got your monitors delicately balanced on your console meter bridge, or sitting on a counter top beside your hard disc editor. Find some music with some real solid low end that you know well. Try listening to this music with the speaker sitting directly on the mounting surface and then with it sitting on a thin piece of rubber pad. Hear a difference? Which one sounds more like the recording should? Does one get tubby, or muddy? Depending on the type of mounting surface, you may find it beneficial to use a thin layer of flexible material (i.e. Bluetack) beneath the enclosure. This not only absorbs some vibration, but will help prevent the monitor from vibrating off of its mounting surface. 3.5 Bass Ports The Reveal Active monitors bass port is located on the back panel. You should keep the back panels at least 150mm (6) away from the nearest wall surface to avoid an overblown bass sound. If you cannot avoid being close to the wall or if youre using a separate subwoofer, you may want to consider plugging the port tubes on your near-fields with a closed cell foam-rubber plug, friction fit for a full seal. Because the ports arent needed if the monitor speakers are being used with a high pass filter, you wont be losing any bass performance and you can improve the mid-bass response by plugging the ports. 3.6 Equalization Our feeling is that you shouldnt equalize monitors at all; variations in the monitor response should be fixed through placement (after all, thats what this manuals about). But we realize that equalization is sometimes a necessary evil. If you have a choice of equalizers for monitor applications, less is more. The fewer the number of filters, the better the equalizer will sound. A stereo five band parametric is better than a stereo 15 band that is better than a stereo 1/3 octave. You may not realise that in all but one or two brands of 1/3-octave equalizers, all 30 filters are in series. There is a minimum transit time through each filter of some 25 microseconds, plus just a bit of decay time for each filter. Even with the equalizer set flat, it does not behave like a straight piece of wire in the time domain. If you dont need to equalize your monitors, then dont hook an equalizer up to them at all. An important thing to keep in mind if you are equalizing these compact monitors is that they are not intended to substitute for really large loudspeaker systems you might use for tracking synth lines, or drum samples. Dont try to equalize them to sound the same as the 15 monitors you were listening to in the in the music store. The equalization of your near-fields should be undertaken with great subtlety. With only the best intentions of correcting some of the placement related characteristics weve talked about here, a subtle bit of reduction in the mid bass where the console or table top will give you a rise, perhaps a bit of tailoring to taste here or there. As a general rule for this application, you should never need more than 6dB of control range, and you should never see two adjacent filters with more than 6dB of difference between them. Over equalization can reduce system headroom, and introduce phase distortion resulting in greater problems than cures.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DATA

Fig 1. On axis anechoic frequency response
5.0 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
System Frequency response (1) Maximum SPL (2) Distortion Electronic section Input Sensitivity Crossover frequency Amplifier output power Output noise Power supply 32 k balanced on combined XLR/jack 0.775 Vrms (0 dBu) 3000 Hz LF 50 W rms (4 ) HF 50 W rms (4 ) - 80 dBV Fixed mains voltage IEC inlet with detachable power cord Power consumption 10 to 160 VA 62 Hz - 20 kHz 114 dB < 0.8%
Cabinet Drive unit Low frequency design Cabinet construction Cabinet finish Cabinet dimensions Cabinet weight Shipping dimensions Shipping weight
Tannoy shielded 6.5 bass driver Tannoy shielded 1 soft dome tweeter Optimised bass-reflex loaded, in 12 litres 40 mm MDF front baffle, 16 mm high density particle board. Azure blue satin finish front Grey suedette vinyl sides and back (HxWxD) 340 mm x 210 mm x 260 mm 8.5 kg (HxWxD) 440 mm x 620 mm x 290 mm 18.5 kg
NOTES : (1) +/- 3 dB , measured at 1m in an anechoic chamber. (2) Peak SPL at mix position for 1 pair driven
Tannoy operates a policy of continuous research and development. The introduction of new materials or manufacturing methods will always equal or exceed the published specifications which Tannoy reserve the right to alter without prior notice. Please verify the latest specifications when dealing with critical applications.

6.0 SERVICING

6.1 Cabinet finish To remove marks and scuffs use a soft brush. If necessary, a little warm water and detergent can be used but under no circumstances use a solvent or abrasive cleaner.
6.2 Driver removal Lay the cabinet on its back. Remove the six hexagonal screws and set aside. Ease the driver from the front of the cabinet taking care not to mark the front surface. Remove the driver, note the polarity of the internal connections and disconnect the internal wiring. Take care not to damage the moving parts of the LF driver. To refit the driver, connect the cables from the crossover to the LF terminals. Fit the driver into the mounting hole, making sure that the internal connecting cables are not trapped or able to touch the LF cone. Fasten the screws finger tight and then progressively tighten them down with the appropriate Allen key. Repeat the same procedure for the HF driver. 6.3 Amplifier A fuse is located just under the mains input (location 2 fig 1). Replacement is simple and a spare fuse is provided inside the fuse housing itself. Always use the correctly rated fuse, as indicated on the silk screen-printing. Only qualified and authorised personnel should undertake any other servicing regarding the amplifier section. In case of any malfunction of the unit, the first thing to check should be the input connection, more especially if the source has unbalanced outputs (see Connecting your speakers section) as improper connection can result in significant level reduction and affect the response.

6.4 List of spare parts.

PART NUMBER 7300 0683
DESCRIPTION Cabinet assembly Driver kit - Type 1690 High Frequency Unit Type 1205 Amplifier- complete unit 100v 120v Amplifier- complete unit 220v 240v

7.0 WARRANTY

No maintenance of the Reveal Active Monitor is necessary. All components are guaranteed for a period of one year from the date of manufacture, subject to the absence of, or evidence of, misuse, overload or accidental damage. For further information please contact your dealer or the distributor in your country. If you cannot locate your distributor please contact : Customer Services Tannoy Ltd Coatbridge, Strathclyde ML5 4TF Telephone (UK) +420199 (International) Fax (UK) +428230 (International) Internet: http://www.tannoy.com DO NOT SHIP ANY PRODUCT TO TANNOY WITHOUT PREVIOUS AUTHORISATION. This warranty in no way affects your statutory rights.
Declaration of Conformity
The following apparatus is/are manufactured in the United Kingdom by Tannoy Ltd of Rosehall Industrial estate, Coatbridge, Scotland, ML5 4TF and conform(s) to the protection requirements of the European Electromagnetic Compatibility Standards and Directives relevant to Domestic Electrical Equipment. The apparatus is designed and constructed such that electromagnetic disturbances generated do not exceed levels allowing radio and telecommunications equipment and other apparatus to operate as intended, and, the apparatus has an adequate level of intrinsic immunity to electromagnetic disturbance to enable operation as specified and intended. The apparatus complies with the Principal Elements of the Safety Objectives of the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.
Details of the Apparatus:
Tannoy Active Monitor Loudspeaker Model Number: Reveal Active EMCRevact
EN 50081-1 Emission EN 50082-1 Immunity EN 60065:1994
Associated Technical File: Applicable Standards:

Signed:

Position:
Technical Manager Tannoy Professional 1st December 1998

Date: For Tannoy Ltd

Tannoy Loudspeakers are manufactured in Great Britain by :
Tannoy Limited, Coatbridge, ML5 4TF. SCOTLAND Telephone: +44 (0)Fax: +44 (0)1236 428230
Internet:http://www.tannoy.com
Tannoy North America Inc. 335 Gage Avenue, Suite 1, Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA, N2M 5E1 Telephone: (519) Fax: (519) Tannoy Nederland BV, Anthonetta Kuijlstraat 19, 3066 GS, Rotterdam THE NETHERLANDS Telephone: (010) 2860554 Fax: (010) 2860431

GH 1 Dec 1998

REVEAL SUB 10

REVEAL

The distinctive front panel of the Tannoy Reveal is not just for show; the curved baffle has been precisely designed to reduce diffraction and at 40mm thick is massive enough to provide the most rigid mounting platform for the drive units. A 25mm soft dome tweeter is matched with a 165mm longthrow bass unit by a low-loss crossover. Both drivers are magnetically shielded, allowing operation close to video monitors. The sound quality of the Reveal is relied upon daily by many thousands of engineers worldwide, and it is now firmly established as an industry standard for cost-effective nearfield monitoring.

REVEAL SYSTEMS

Manufacturers dont set industry standards; engineers and studios do by choosing the product they use. Over the last few years the Reveal has become firmly established as a standard for nearfield monitoring with recording, mixing, editing and broadcast engineers and studios worldwide. The Reveal range is designed to maintain that standard and provide Reveal solutions for a wider range of monitoring applications. Active versions provide optimised one-box solutions. Active sub-bass units extend the low frequency range and performance and increase power in stereo set-ups. Higher power versions provide greater SPL for dance music monitoring. Centre channels and subs provide a variety of solutions for surround monitoring. Because weve added to the standard, and not changed it, existing Reveal monitoring systems can be upgraded simply providing the solution you need, now or in the future.
If you need additional bass extension and overall level, whilst maintaining the quality of Reveal stereo monitoring, the Reveal Sub 10 provides the solution. The Reveal Sub 10 is active using 75W RMS to drive a 250mm (10} long throw bass unit covering frequencies down to 31Hz (-3dB) and has a fixed crossover at 80Hz with line level outputs to the left and right monitors. The Reveal Sub 10 can also be used for the LFE (low frequency effects) channel in smaller 5.1 surround systems and includes an all-pass switch so that an external 5.1 processor can set LFE channel frequencies.

SUB 15 5.1

REVEAL ACTIVE
An active version of the Reveal is a natural progression. Two 50W amplifiers and an electronic crossover directly coupled to the drive units provide ideal driving of the Reveal and we were careful to avoid major changes to the critical balance and sound of the passive version. This allows you to move recorded material between rooms and locations using passive and active Reveals - and rely equally on both. Passive and active systems can also be used together if you are moving up from stereo to surround monitoring for example using a Reveal Active for the centre channel with your existing passive Reveals for left, right and rear.
The Sub 15 5.1 provides a complete solution for Reveal 5.1 surround monitoring. It contains 6 channels of amplification and user-switching of filtering on every channel to allow the internal crossovers to be used, or for frequencies to be determined by an external processor. For sub frequencies a 100W RMS amplifier drives the 380mm (15) bass unit. A 100W RMS amplifier is also built-in for the centre channel, and 4 x 70W amplifiers for left, right and rear channels.

REVEAL X

Reveal X has two main applications: Firstly as a dedicated centre channel monitor in a Reveal 5.1 surround system. Its low profile is necessary for many installations but it is critical to maintain the same quality when panning across left, centre and right. The Reveal X therefore uses the same drive units as Reveal to ensure consistency of sound quality, whilst doubling up on the mid-bass unit gives it greater power handling, ideal for the extra level the centre channel often needs to achieve. Secondly the Reveal X is ideally suited to re-mix monitoring for DJs. Stereo re-mix monitoring requires the same standard of accuracy as any other music recording, and many DJs use Reveals for this reason. Now you can have the same quality with the Reveal X and benefit from increased sound pressure levels, which really convey the emotion of dance music.

Reveal systems a natural progression

Stereo monitoring

Reveal and Reveal Active provide the basic building blocks for a monitoring system. Indeed a pair of either will be all that is needed for many applications. If, however, you need to extend the low frequency that youre monitoring, the addition of the Reveal Sub 10 (one for mono sub and two for stereo sub) will give you a system capable of significantly lower frequencies (31Hz @ -3dB). Also, because the main monitors are now only handling frequencies above 80Hz a substantial gain in overall sound level is achievable. For higher levels than Reveal and Reveal Active, as may be desirable for DJ re-mixing, the twin mid/bass units in the Reveal X are capable of producing much higher levels. Again, adding two Reveal Sub 10s (we would recommend the use of two in higher power systems) would give you a system capable of monitoring to 31Hz at very high sound pressure levels.
SPECIFICATIONS LOUDSPEAKER Frequency response (1) Recommended amplifier power Power handling Nominal Impedance Sensitivity (3) Distortion Crossover frequency CABINET Drive units Low frequency design Cabinet construction

MONITORING SYSTEMS

65Hz - 20kHz 30 to 100 W rms into 8 Average (2): 50 W rms Programme: 100 W rms dB SPL / 2.83V @ 1 m < 0.8% 3kHz Tannoy shielded 165mm (6.5") bass driver Tannoy shielded 25mm (1") soft dome tweeter Optimised bass-reflex load, in 12 litres 40mm MDF front baffle 16 mm high density particle board. Red satin finish front Grey suedette vinyl sides and back 340mm x 210mm x 260mm (13.4" x 8.3" x 10.25") 7kg. (15.4 lbs) 65Hz - 20kHz 60 to 150 W rms into 8 Average (2): 50 W rms Programme: 150 W rms dB SPL / 2.83V @ 1 m < 0.8% 2.7kHz 2 x Tannoy shielded 165mm (6.5") bass driver Tannoy shielded 25mm (1") soft dome tweeter Optimised bass-reflex load, in 19 litres 40mm MDF front baffle 16 mm high density particle board. Internal steel plate for magnetic shielding Red satin finish front Grey suedette vinyl sides and back 210mm x 528mm x 260mm (8.3" x 20.8" x 10.25") 13.3kg. (29.3 lbs)
Finish Dimensions (HxWxD) Weight

SPECIFICATIONS

REVEAL ACTIVE 62 Hz 20 kHz 114 dB < 0.8% 32 k balanced on combined XLR/jack 0.775V RMS (0 dBu) 3kHz LF channel (4 load): 50 W rms HF channel (4 load): 50 W rms
SPECIFICATIONS Power rating Frequency response (low pass on) (all pass on) Input level Input connectors Output connectors

REVEAL SUB 10 75W RMS

REVEAL SUB 15 100W RMS (Sub & Centre) 70W RMS (Front & Rear)

5.1 surround monitoring

Left, centre right channels: Across left, centre, right it is essential to use monitors that a have a very consistent tonal balance and frequency response in an ideal world they should be identical monitors and amplifiers, so the first choice would be 3 x Reveal or 3 x Reveal Active. There may be other considerations, such as being cost-effective with amplifier channels, so the Reveal Active has been designed with exactly the same tonal balance as the Reveal. Therefore, when using Reveal for left and right with Reveal Active for centre the only difference is the amplification. There may also be practical problems with the centre channel monitor being vertical (portrait) and so our horizontal (landscape) centre monitor maintains a consistency with the left and right by using exactly the same drive units. In this case Reveal left and right and Reveal X centre is the best possible combination. Rear channels: Because todays multi-channel mixes are full bandwidth on rear channels, it is important to monitor to the same standard on rear as on left, centre and right channels. For this reason we strongly recommend the rear channels are the same as the left and right monitors. In this case Reveal or Reveal Active for rear channels are the best choice for any of the L,C,R set-ups listed above. Low frequency effects (LFE) channel: For LFE there are two options. In smaller systems, where maximum sound levels are a lesser issue, the Reveal Sub 10
Frequency response (1) Maximum SPL (4) Distortion ELECTRONIC SYSTEM Input Sensitivity Crossover frequency Amplifier output power Output noise (HF channel, 20Hz - 20 kHz unweighted) User controls and indicators Power Supply
-80 dBV Power ON/OFF switch, Power ON LED Fixed mains voltage IEC inlet with detachable power cord Power consumption 10 to 160 VA Tannoy shielded 6.5 bass driver Tannoy shielded 1 soft dome tweeter Optimised bass-reflex loaded, in 12 litres 40mm MDF front baffle, 16 mm high density particle board. Azure blue satin front Grey suedette vinyl sides and back 340 mm x 210 mm x 260 mm (30.4 x 8.3 x 10.2) 8.5 kg (18.73 lbs)

High pass output

Additional features
Cabinet Drive unit Low frequency design Cabinet construction
is an ideal choice. Being active it can be used with any combination of passive or active Reveals used for L,C,R,Rear. An important feature is the all-pass switch that bypasses the internal crossover and allows all frequency control of each channel to be set by your external 5.1 processor. The second option is the Sub 15 5.1, which has been designed specifically for surround monitoring. Providing all of the amplification channels needed you simply add 5 x Reveal or 4 x Reveal and 1 x Reveal X for the centre channel. The result is a very cost effective system capable of outstanding performance.

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Mains voltage Mains fuse Driver type Enclosure type Enclosure volume Dimensions (HxWxD) Weight
3dB, measured at 1m in an anechoic chamber
Long term power handling capacity as defined in EIA standard RS426A Average over specified bandwidth for half-space environment Peak SPL at mix position for 1 pair driven
-6db @ 25Hz-120Hz -6db @ 25Hz-500Hz Variable input gain control on each channel XLR balanced, stereo Sub/Centre/FL/FR?RL/RR XLR balanced XLR balanced, stereo Binding post connectors FL/FR/Centre/RR/RL Fixed @ 80Hz, 2nd. order, Centre/FL/FR/RR/RR stereo On fixed @ 65Hz, 2nd order Off All pass (20Hz20kHz) Phase invert switch on sub channel (0o & 180o) Auto mute, after approx 20 Level control for each 5.1 minutes, in absence of input channel (6dB) signal Auto Power On Threshold 5mV @ 50Hz Thermal & over current protection Provision of spikes for floor coupling Power LED 100-120V, 200-240V nominal 230V nominal (220-240V) (selectable), 50-60Hz 50-60Hz T2A (125V), T1A (250V) T1.25A (250V) 250mm long throw bass unit 380mm long throw bass unit Closed box Twin ducted port 27 litres 95 litres 300 x 300 x 410mm 475 x 520 x 505mm (11.8" x 11.8" x 16.14") (18.7" x 20.5" x 19.9") 13kg (28.66 lbs) 34kg (74.95 lbs)
-3db @ 31Hz-80Hz -3db @ 31Hz-500Hz Variable input gain control

Nearfield monitoring in:

Tannoy Ltd., Professional Division, Coatbridge, ML5 4TF, Scotland Tel: +44 (0)Fax: +44(0)e-mail: prosales@tannoy.com Website: www.tannoy.com Tannoy/TGI North America Inc, Suite 1. 335 Gage Avenue, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, N2M 5E1 Tel: (519) Fax: (519) e-mail: inquiries@tgina.com Website: www.tannoy.com Tannoy Nederland b.v., Anthonetta Kuijlstraat 19, 3066 GS Rotterdam Tel: (010) Fax: (010) e-mail: info@tannoy.nl Website: www.tannoy.nl
A member of the TGI plc Group of Companies

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