ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS TANHX — DYNAMIC SOFT-CLIPPER / SATURATOR

Z V U K O F O R . C O MD E S I G N E D A N D H A N D B U I LT B Y Z V U K O F O R S O U N D L A B S .

ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS TANHX — DYNAMIC SOFT-CLIPPER / SATURATOR

Z V U K O F O R . C O MD E S I G N E D A N D H A N D B U I LT B Y Z V U K O F O R S O U N D L A B S .

Tanhx is a soft-clipper, limiter, saturator, harmonics generator, mojo-box, fattener, nice overdrive, peak tamer, you call it,

Tanhx is a utility tool or a special FX device, it all depends on your goals and on how you will use Tanhx.

Designed as a gracefully overdriving preamp, Tanhx used as a soft-clipper to tame peaky sources, reduce crest-factor and do it all very musically nice. Tanhx not just «cutting» transients, but generating low-order harmonics, so transient becomes a high spectral density cluster, rather than just level peak. Tanhx works more dynamically than just a clipper, having kind of «memory» (hysteresys), while cutting big peaks less, leaving some amount of microdynamics. It sounds much more natural than a clean limiter, or even a basic clipper, especially on individual instruments/tracks.

Tanhx can be driven hard, so it clips signal more and therefore generates more harmonics. It is useful as a fattening/overdrive effect, but being very special it is not sounds harsh at all.

Symmetry and level of clipping changes dynamically a little bit, following incoming signal spectral balance, level and speed of level change — it is very special thing and makes Tanhx sound very organic and alive. For example, it will work more asymmetrically (more even harmonics) when there’s a LF-rich peak in a signal and when signal raises not so fast. So, it works very special on a bass synth, bass drum or bass guitar, definitely.

Tanhx can be used as a saturator to add harmonic fullness to a signal, or as a soft-clipper to raise RMS levels on a way to AD-conversion, or as a tube/tape-style coloring device, as a guitar/bass preamp (replacing a tube one), and so on.

Pad -6dB

ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS TANHX — DYNAMIC SOFT-CLIPPER / SATURATOR

Z V U K O F O R . C O MD E S I G N E D A N D H A N D B U I LT B Y Z V U K O F O R S O U N D L A B S .

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DC-DCconverter 5 to 24V

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6.3 TRSstereooutput

ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS TANHX — DYNAMIC SOFT-CLIPPER / SATURATOR

Z V U K O F O R . C O MD E S I G N E D A N D H A N D B U I LT B Y Z V U K O F O R S O U N D L A B S .

«DRIVE» knob defines saturation/soft-clipping level, the moreyou dial — the more clipped signal will be and more harmonics you’ll get. Just remember, there’s no «clean» mode in Tanhx per se, the knee of soft-clipping is really wide, about 20dB.It is amasing how much peaks you can softly clip until you start to hear any signal degradation, especially on percussive orplucked sounds. Be reasonable. Use your ears and watch RGB led for «hotness».

«SYM» is for «symmetry» — it changes harmonics balance,making Tanhx clipping signal asymmetrically.1 - symmetrical clipping, mainly odd harmonics. Default mode, sounds like tape or tube class AB amp overdriven.2 - asymmetrical clipping, even harmonics prevails. On a bass it sounds like an old Ampeg amp with unset bias, or like an old discrete-based console.3 - someting between 1&2, balanced harmonics content.

«EMP» is emphasis — turns on (pos «B») cutting low-shelf EQ pre clipping stage and symmetrically boosting low-shelf after clipping stage. For a wideband signal emphasis balances clipping levels for LF vs HF, lowering threshold for lows, so it sounds more organic.Use on anything wideband, like drum set, drum machine or mixing buss.

Stereo input is a high impedance (~100 kOhm), unbalanced TRS — anything from synth, guitar, to mic preamps and DA converters works fine here. If using with mono devices — use TS («mono») cable.

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INOUT USB POWER, 0.5A

ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS TANHX — DYNAMIC SOFT-CLIPPER / SATURATOR

Z V U K O F O R . C O MD E S I G N E D A N D H A N D B U I LT B Y Z V U K O F O R S O U N D L A B S .

«OFF» is like that — turns all processing off, it is a cold bypassfor a signal, means output is basically connected to input.

«OUT» knob is an output level of a device.Use «OUT» and «OFF» to balance processed signal level to be the sameas clean level, so you can compare processed to clean by ear, without volume differencies distraction, And then look at PPMs after Tanhx...

Stereo unbalanced output is a low impedance and can drive long cablesor even headphones easily. Be careful — do not overdrive devices that follows Tanhx, being it a mixing console or AD converter.

Tanhx is powered via basic USB-B cable from any charger/laptop/powerbank.The USB port is flush-mounted deep in a body for better protection.If you hear LF «hum» when powered from laptop/PC, press «GND LIFT»button to remove those ground-loop-based noises. Use pen or 3.5mm-jack.

«PAD» turns on 6dB pad before clipping/saturation stage, thus giving more precise control for «DRIVE» knob. At position «A» the pad is off and full signal is driven toa clipping stage.

RGB LED shows an approximate saturation/clipping levels.It goes from cold to hot colors with rising levels, and it is justa remainder that you’re driving Tanhx hard. Please, tune saturation levels by ear, it is most appropriate method.

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INOUT USB POWER, 0.5A

GND LIFT

ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS TANHX — DYNAMIC SOFT-CLIPPER / SATURATOR

Z V U K O F O R . C O MD E S I G N E D A N D H A N D B U I LT B Y Z V U K O F O R S O U N D L A B S . A L L G R A P H S A R E AV E R A G E , J U S T F O R T H E I N F O . U S E Y O U R X Y- S C O P E A N D S P E C T R U M A N A LY Z E R I F Y O U WA N T T O T R Y T O U N D E R S TA N D P R O C E S S I N G .

Symmetric Balanced Asymmetric

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O-6-12-18-24-30-36-42-48-54-60-66-72-78-84-90

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100Frequency, Hz 200 300 400 500 700Harmonics 2 3 4 5 6 7

O-6-12-18-24-30-36-42-48-54-60-66-72-78-84-90

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100Frequency, Hz 200 300 400 500Harmonics 2 3 4 5 6 7

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ZVUKOFOR SOUND LABS

Tanhx won a «Best FX unit» award at Synthposium-5 festival in Moscow in September 2018.

Designed and handbuilt by Zvukofor Sound Labs,Saint-Petersburg.

Due to handbuilt processevery unit has unique imperfectionsin front panel lettering.this is not an eye candy, we’re justusing old mid XX-centurytechnologies as it works good.

Every Tanhx is sounding a littlebit different, and even both channelsin one device works a little bitdifferent too, all because there’sno perfection in a physical world, and it is almost impossible toget 2 transistors with the sameparameters. This is analog.Live with it. Enjoy wide stereo.

All our devices has a full lifetimewarranty. If something is brokenwe’ll fix it. If you broke it — we’llfix it for some cookies.

Feel free to ask questions:info@zvukofor.com