Primary Controls
1 - TIME - Delay Time / Tape Speed
2 - FDBK - Feedback (echo sustain)
3 - HPF - High Pass Filter, 24dB/Octave Vintage OTA Four Pole
4 - LPF - Low Pass Filter, 24dB/Octave Vintage OTA Four Pole
5 - RES - Resonance of Low Pass Filter
6 - TAPE IN - Amount of input signal sent to tape
7 - MOD - Time Modulation amount
8 - MOD SPD - Time Modulation Speed, sine wave 0.1Hz to 100Hz
9 - DRY OUT - Output level of dry sounds, from input stage
10 - TAPE OUT - Output level of all tape sounds
11 - OUT DRV - Output Drive, applied to tape and dry
12 - ANMLY - Amount of Anomoly pulse sent to motor Time/Speed
CV Inputs
13 - TIME - Delay Time / Tape Speed +5/-5 with attenuation
14 - FDBK - Feedback +5/-5 with attenuation
15 - HPF - High Pass Filter +5/-5 with attenuation
16 - LPF - Low Pass Filter +5/-5 with attenuation
17 - MTR - Presence of 5V kills motor, release of 5V permits motor
18 - REC - +5 Trig to toggle enable or disable record/echo
19 - TP OUT - Output Level of all Tape Sounds
20 - RES - Resonance of Low Pass Filter +5/-5
Interface & Metering
TS or TRS Input, with selectable level standard - IN - 48
+4dBu, -10dBv, or Guitar Hi-Z - 4,10,G - 49
Peak LED indicates overload of Input staging - IN LED - 50
TRS Jack Insert, selectable level standard. - INSERT - 51
Modular, -10dBv, or Guitar HI-Z. Applies to both send/return - M,10,G - 52
Peak LED indicates overload of Insert staging - INSERT LED - 53
TS or TRS Output, with selectable level standard - OUT - 54
+4dBu, -10dBv, or Guitar Hi-Z - 4,10,G - 55
Standard Modular Input / Level - M IN - 56
+5V signal engages unit bypass - BYPASS /BN GND - 57
Standard Modular Output / Level - M OUT - 58
Polarity of the Anomoly function - ANMLY - 59
Illuminates as each Anomoly occurs - ANMLY LED - 60
Select tape type I (Normal), II (Chrome), or IV (Metal) - TYPE - 61
Represents all tape audio, regardless of Tape Output level - VU - 62
+5 Trig enters tap tempo as if foot switch - CYC TAP - 63
Rear Panel
Toggle switch for power - POWER ON/OFF - 71
Dedicated variable soft start for each power rail +12/-12/+5 - SOFT START - 72
DC Connector, 5.5mm 2.1mm - DC JACK - 73
Positions, Sets, and Cycle
21 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - Places unit in position selected
22 - ( WHITE SET FADERS ) - Positions 2-8, settings for White parameter
23 - ( GRAY SET FADERS ) - Positions 2-8, settings for Gray parameter
24 - ( BLACK SET FADERS) - Positions 2-8, settings for Black parameter
25 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 LED's - Indicates the current position
26 - TM, RS, MS : ON - White faders parameter selection, ON to activate
27 - DRIFT - Slew for White faders, from 0 to 14 seconds
28 - ( WHITE SET JACK ) - Complete CV signal created by White set +5/-5
29 - FB, MA, LP : ON - Gray faders parameter selection, ON to activate
30 - DRIFT - Slew for Gray faders, from 0 to 14 seconds
31 - ( GRAY SET JACK ) - Complete CV signal created by Gray set +5/-5
32 - TP, DR, HP : ON - Black faders parameter selection, ON to activate
33 - DRIFT - Slew for Black faders, from 0 to 14 seconds
34 - ( BLACK SET JACK ) - Complete CV signal created by Black set +5/-5
35 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - Limit the total positions cycled
36 - CYC & LED- Run the cycle, rotating through positions
37 - STEP (knob) - Rate of Cycle when running
38 - STEP (jack) - +5 Trig advances unit to to next position
PCB Header CV Trigger Inputs for Positions 1-8
(Header) - +5 Trig places unit a position - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - 74
PCB Header CV Control Inputs
Output level of dry sounds, from input stage +5/-5 - DRY OUT - 75
Output drive, applied to tape and dry +5/-5 - OUT DRV - 76
Amount of input signal sent to tape +5/-5 - TAPE IN - 77
Time Modulation amount +5/-5 - MOD - 78
Time Modulation speed +5/-5 - MOD SPD - 79
Amount of anomoly pulse sent to motor Time/Speed +5/-5 - ANMLY - 80
Additional motor kill trigger - MTR - 81
+5 Trig to toggle enable or disable loop / erase - LOOP / ERASE - 82
Tape Transport
39 - STOP - Press once to stop tape motion, press again to eject
40 - REC/ECHO - Toggle press to enable or disable record/echo
41 - REC LED - Illuminated when record/echo is enabled
42 - PLAY - Press to engage tape motion
43 - RW - Rewind
44 - FF - Fast Forward
45 - LOOP - Toggle press to enable or disable erase head
46 - LOOP LED - Illuminated when erase head is disabled
47 - PAUSE - Mechanical pause or un-pause of tape transport
PCB Header Dual Machine Audio Cross Linking
Send input signal to other machine's input, vice versa - INPUT TO INPUT - 83
Send tape repro to other machine's tape input, vice versa - TAPE TO TAPE - 84
Engage switch to combine both Dry signal sources - DRY TO DRY - 85
PCB Header CV Control Cross Linking
( coming soon )
FEATURES
1 - Delay Time / Tape Speed
Adjustment of delay time from nearly 1 second to approximately 50 milliseconds. Delay time is the time it takes for signal recorded to tape at record head location to move physically left to right to make sound at the repro head location.
This same knob is also used to adjust playback speed when playing a pre-recorded tape. Max speed is faster than standard cassette player max speeds, reaching approximately 6.5cm/second instead of 4.76cm/second
( motor control specs pending all final PCB performance approvals )
2 - Feedback Amount
Linear feedback adjustment. This sends an amount of the repro playback signal off of tape back into the input signal into tape to be recorded again. See block diagram for illustrated points within signal path.
Each unit is calibrated. Generally the result is that the 2/3 point is enough to achieve self oscillation at normal working sound levels. More gain is offered to be able to still achieve long lasting source signal echoes when working with small amounts of sound on tape due to heavy filtering via HPF and LPF.
* This parameter has a normalization marker. When getting sounds it is advisable to start with this knob at this base position which effectively is "off" and then slowly introduce the parameter in the direction of the arrow
3 - High Pass Filter
24 db/Oct, OTA based Voltage Controlled 4-pole filter. This is an original high pass filter design. The filter passes signal transparently, having little to no impact on the sound other than its intended effect. The shelving effect itself has the character of 70's 4-pole analog synth filters.
* This parameter has a normalization marker. When getting sounds it is advisable to start with this knob at this base position which effectively is "off" and then slowly introduce the parameter in the direction of the arrow
4 - Low Pass Filter
24 db/Oct, OTA based Voltage Controlled 4-pole filter. The shelving behavior is akin to 70's Roland modular system low pass filters. Extensive R&D and comparative listening tests were conducted with the goal of creating a classic low pass shelf without any unintended degradation of the original sound and with as little noise as possible and using modern components that can be acquired reliably now and in the future. The filter passes signal transparently, having little to no impact on the sound other than its intended effect.
* This parameter has a normalization marker. When getting sounds it is advisable to start with this knob at this base position which effectively is "off" and then slowly introduce the parameter in the direction of the arrow
5 - Resonance
Adjustment of resonance for the low pass filter. Self oscillation occurs at highest setting.
* This parameter has a normalization marker. When getting sounds it is advisable to start with this knob at this base position which effectively is "off" and then slowly introduce the parameter in the direction of the arrow
6, 61 - Tape Input Amount and Tape Type Selection
Input level to be recorded to tape. This stage comes after the input interface and levels selection. Good levels need to be set at the input interface, and then the Tape In adjustment sets your level to tape.
The Type selector is an unmodified application of standard cassette eq types common in all popular machines of the past. Type I is Normal Bias. Type II is Chrome/High Bias. Type IV is Metal.
7 - Modulation Amount
Sine wave modulation of the TIME parameter (1). Turning up modulation introduces a sine wave on the internal TIME signal. The amount of modulation can be anywhere from very mild to a maximum of approximately double/half the tape speed / delay time in both directions.
For instance a 150ms delay time setting of TE-2 echoes could modulate between 75ms and 300ms. And, depending on initial speed, a playback sound at 400Hz could modulate between 200Hz and 800Hz.
* This parameter has a normalization marker. When getting sounds it is advisable to start with this knob at this base position which effectively is "off" and then slowly introduce the parameter in the direction of the arrow
8 - Modulation Speed
Speed setting for MOD AMT parameter (7).
Slowest modulation is 0.025Hz. From the center of pitch at starting point, this is 10 seconds upward to top of sine, 20 seconds downward past the middle and to bottom of sine, 10 seconds back upward to middle. In other words 20 seconds each direction.
Fastest rate is 100Hz. This is 100 full sine rotations per second, and is low audio rate frequency modulation.
9 - Dry Output Level
This sets the output level of the dry signal(s). The dry signal is what sound comes out of the input interfacing, prior to entering the tape path. Please refer to the block diagram for illustration. Typically the "standard" 2 o'clock position will give full nominal level. This is an amplifier (VCA) however, and additional gain is offered to boost quieter input signals to the output of the machine or to drive the output drive harder
10 - Tape Output Level
This sets the output level of the tape signal. The tape signal is what sound comes out of the tape path and filters and is separate from the dry signal. Please refer to the block diagram for illustration. Typically the "standard" 2 o'clock position will give full nominal level. This is an amplifier (VCA) however, and additional gain is offered to boost quieter input signals to the output of the machine or to drive the output drive harder. As opposed to the Dry Level, there is also some variation of results of this Tape Level knob due to the possibilities of volumes that may be active on tape at any time.
11 - Output Drive Amount
Before this stage, both the DRY LVL and TAPE LVL knobs set your total output signal. When the OUT DRV knob is turned fully CCW (off), the total output signal passes 100% clean, with the signal true-bypassing the drive stage unaffected. When the OUT DRV knob gets turned up, you create the drive sound and increase it to taste. The full CW setting of this knob sets up a high level of drive where the signal is heavily distorted and darkened and also is a bit louder than the normal original volume. The drive character is designed around over saturating a basic line level opamp, resembling the blowout sounds of hitting equipment inputs too hard.
* This parameter has a normalization marker. When getting sounds it is advisable to start with this knob at this base position which effectively is "off" and then slowly introduce the parameter in the direction of the arrow
12, 59, 60 - Anomoly Amount, Polarity Selection, and LED Indicator
The Anomaly feature sends a customized brief control signal to the TIME of the TE-2, creating a hiccup in the performance of the motor. It gives you the ability to invent the irregular sound of an old slightly broken tape machine. The Anomaly can be sent in a pattern by way of the Cycle, individually/manually by pressing a button, or by external trigger signals.
The knob sets the amount of Anomaly that occurs. The polarity switch sets the direction of the hiccup. The LED blinks when each Anomaly occurs.
To understand polarity in this context, imagine that the tape is playing and we send in one single Anomaly... If the switch is set to positive, the tape will briefly increase in pitch/speed and drop down after to normal playback. If it is set to negative, the tape will briefly decrease in pitch/speed and rise back up after to normal playback
13 - CV Input to TIME and Amount
Standard bipolar +5/-5 CV input jack for the TIME parameter. AMT knob allows tapering of the input signal from zero to max.
14 - CV Input to FDBK and Amount
Standard bipolar +5/-5 CV input jack for the FDBK parameter. AMT knob allows tapering of the input signal from zero to max.
15 - CV Input to HPF and Amount
Standard bipolar +5/-5 CV input jack for the HPF parameter. AMT knob allows tapering of the input signal from zero to max.
16 - CV Input to LPF and Amount
Standard bipolar +5/-5 CV input jack for the LPF parameter. AMT knob allows tapering of the input signal from zero to max.
17 - CV Input to Motor Kill
Standard +5 Gate input jack to directly disable/enable the motor from functioning. While +5V is present, the motor is killed. While nothing or 0V is present, the motor operates like normal.
The rear panel CV processing section offers the ability to reverse the polarity of a gate signal, thus allowing you to set up the reverse of the above.
By considering these two polarities in your musical setup you may remotely stop and start the machine in many creative ways.
18 - CV Input to Record Toggle
A 5V rising edge/trigger will toggle the record function on or off
19 - CV Input to Tape Output Level
Standard bipolar +5/-5 CV input jack for the TP OUT parameter.
20 - CV Input to Resonance
Standard bipolar +5/-5 CV input jack for the RES parameter
21 - Pushbuttons for Positions 1-8
Each button puts the TE-2 in the respective position, from 1 to 8. This overlaps with all other methods of changing the current position of the machine