BLACK LION AUDIO Bluey FET Limiting Amplifier Owner’s Manual

: June 9, 2024
: BLACK LION AUDIO

Table of Contents

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
INTERNATIONAL
LIMITED 3 YEAR WARRANTY
QUICK START GUIDE
SPECIFICATIONS
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

BLACK LION AUDIO Bluey FET Limiting Amplifier Owner’s Manual

Notice
This manual provides general information, preparation for use, installation and operating instructions for the Black Lion Audio Bluey

The information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice. Black Lion Audio makes no warranties of any kind with regard to this manual, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Black Lion Audio shall not be liable for errors contained herein or direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

©2021 Black Lion Audio. The Black Lion Audio ‘Lion Face’ logo, BLA, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Black Lion Audio. This manual and any associated intellectual property are subject to copyright protection. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form without explicit written consent from Black Lion Audio.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Read these instructions.
Keep these instructions
Heed all warnings.
Follow all instructions.
Do not use this apparatus near water.
Clean only with dry cloth.
Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus that produce heat.
Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or third prong is provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus. If the power cord becomes frayed, stop using immediately.
Use only attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer
Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled orobjects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no object filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.
Note that this apparatus is not completely disconnected from the AC mains service when the power switch is in the OFF position.
The mains plug or power inlet on the product is used as the disconnect device, so the disconnected device shall remain readily operable when reconnected.
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this apparatus.

IMPORTANT !
Be sure to use a three prong AC cable that properly fits the power source. Please use the correct fuse designated on the rear panel before plugging in the power cord. Improper selection can result in damage to the unit that will not be covered under the warranty

CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION!
AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIC)! NE PAS OUVRIR. DO NOT EXPOSE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO AUTHORIZED PERSONEL.

The lightning flash with an arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
Symbol

The Black Lion Audio Bluey complies with all applicable / RoHS/ WEEE European Union directives.

Do not attempt to service this unit yourself, as it will void your warranty. Please check your unit carefully upon receipt and return to place of purchase immediately if there are any problems with the product. After that, the standard Black Lion Audio 3 YEAR warranty will apply to defects in materials and workmanship.

INTERNATIONAL

For service or warranty assistance, please contact the Black Lion Audio distributor in your country through the dealer from whom you purchased this product.

LIMITED 3 YEAR WARRANTY

Black Lion Audio’s Bluey is warranted by Black Lion Audio to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of THREE (3) YEARS to the original purchaser. In the event of such defects, the product will be repaired without charge or, at our option, replaced with a new one if delivered to Black Lion Audio prepaid, together with a copy of the sales slip or other proof of purchase date. The warranty excludes problems due to normal wear, abuse, shipping damage or failure to use the product in accordance with the specifications.

All parts and labor are covered under this Limited Warranty. However, if it is determined by Black Lion Audio that the device was damaged or made defective through abuse, we reserve the right to charge the customer for the cost of the repair.

Black Lion Audio shall not be liable for damages based upon inconvenience, loss of use of the product, loss of time, interrupted operation or commercial loss or any other damages, whether incidental, consequential or otherwise. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights, which will vary from state to state.

This warranty is not transferable.

QUICK START GUIDE

Mute your studio monitors. Using balanced XLR cables , connect your Bluey to your mixing bus or patch bay. If you are using two Blueys in parallel (or stereo), connect the two units using an RCA cable. Set all controls to full counter-clockwise position, and all pushbuttons deselected or in the off position. Set the COMP ON button to the off position, bypassing the unit, and apply power.

Unmute the monitors, and verify that signal is passing to and from the unit. Set the INPUT, OUTPUT, ATTACK and RELEASE controls to about 12 o’clock, set COMP MIX to full clockwise, select RATIO 4, and press the ON pushbutton. Increase the INPUT until the meter is deflecting a few dB. Again, verify signal is passing through the unit. Done!

A note on the Attack control:

The Attack control on the Bluey works a little differently than you may have encountered on other ‘76-style compressors. Turning the Attack knob to the left (counter-clockwise) will yield faster attack times; slower times result when turning to the right (clockwise). We’ve found this control scheme to be more intuitive; akin to a volume knob decreasing level to the left and increasing to the right.

Attack: Continuously variable 20uS to 800uS
Release: Continuously variable 1200mS to 50mS

Product Overawe

Power Button : This turns the unit on and off.
Input : Sets the threshold and controls the level at which the compressor starts compressing
Output : Applies makeup gain to compressed signal to compensate for signal lost during compression
Attack: Controls the amount of time it takes for the unit to react to an incoming signal
Release : Controls the speed at which the compressor releases the compressed signal
Comp Mix : Allows the user to blend the dry uncompressed signal with the wet compressed signal to allow more natural sounding compression
Ratio: Controls the amount of compression applied (Yes, it does allbuttons-in mode)
Meter Mode : Selector switches GR meters the amount of gain reduction applied (+4 meters output level at 0 with +4dB output; +8 meters output level at 0 with +8dB output)
Power IEC Input : Power input jack
Voltage Selector : Set to correct voltage in country used in
XLR Output : Balanced line-level output
RCA Stereo Link: Use standard 2-conductor RCA cable for stereo linking
XLR Input : Balanced line-level input.