TC Electronic M3000 Studio Reverb Processor
No longer available at zZounds
zZounds Gear Experts Say...
A TEC Award winner! Smooth tail. Pitch-accurate.
Overview
VSS3 is taking a quantum leap in reverb technology and setting the new industry standard. The M3000 is the best sounding, most versatile, and easiest to use professional reverb today and well into the future. Combining ultimate control of directivity in the early reflections with a transparent and harmonically magnificent tail, the art of reverberation is brought to a new and higher level.
The M3000 enables you to add the softest and cleanest ambience you have never heard to your work of art. Furthermore the processor boasts a wide range of tools and presets to give you the exact vintage or post production reverb you are looking for. Every operation is performed with ease with the Award winning TC Electronic intuitive user-interface.
A Quantum Leap in Reverb Technology
VSS3 Virtual Space Simulator
VSS3 technology is built on totally new, ground-up principles, but it is also adjusted and fine-tuned for optimal audio smoothness and clarity to the last details. On top of that a substantial amount of time and effort has been put into fine-tuning and reprogramming those "last digits" on the algorithms so that the sonic result is convincing compared to the real thing, even when the "real thing" is a super-natural sonic environment or a vintage sound.
VSS3 the Reverb of the Future
Since the mid 80's a lot of efforts in the high-end effects companies have gone into reverb technology. However, these technologies have all built on variations of the same theme, and thus created only… read more marginal improvements.
Some of the main complaints about existing reverbs is that they have unrealistic imaging, sound too metallic, and have a tendency to impose unwanted modulation on the signal. With VSS3 these drawbacks all belong to the past.
Features
Ultimate realism: Combining a perfectly smooth tail with detailed early reflections, VSS3 is the ultimate Reverb technology in search for sonic realism.
Accurate early reflections: By employing a large number of directional taps — between 40 and 100 — VSS3 is capable of simulating the sonics of actual rooms with an unprecedented precision.
Smooth tail: VSS3 gives you the highest degree of smoothness and clarity to the reverb tail.
Pitch-accurate: The gentle signal processing of VSS3 keeps the signal in 100% correct pitch, even when engaging extensive effects processing.
Modulation free: VSS3 is the first Reverb technology that has the ability to keep the signal 100% free of sound deteriorating modulation, yet still provides modulation as an option.
The Power Behind VSS3
The key point in the high quality Reverb of the future is the huge number of small details demanding a vast number of calculations per second. In the M3000 the TC Electronic proprietary DARC chip technology has entered into a synergistic interaction with an extremely powerful Motorola 80 Mips DSP chip which has boosted the processing powers to the needed level. Furthermore the M3000 is a Dual Engine true stereo processor featuring 24 bit resolution A/D + D/A converters.
In combination with VSS3 algorithms it makes up a Reverb tool that is simply unbeatable — now and well into the future.
The Creative Tool
The M3000 comes loaded with 600 high-grade factory presets, which cover most any application imaginable. The M3000 also boasts a wide range of parameters for editing VSS3 and VSS3 Gate Reverb algorithms.
Main Parameters
Ý Decay time
Ý Early Reflections Level
Ý Reverb Tail Level
Ý Wet/Dry Mix
Ý Output Level
Ý Tail Delay
Ý Pre Delay
Early Reflections
Ý Type
Ý Size
Ý Left/Right Balance
Ý Spectral Balance
Ý Low Cut Filter
Reverb
Ý Type
Ý Diffuse
Ý Left/Right Balance
Ý Hi Cut
Ý Hi Soften
Ý Hi Decay
Ý Hi Xover
Ý Mid Decay
Ý Mid Xover
Ý Low-Mid Decay
Ý Low Xover
Ý Low Decay
Ý Low Damp Frequency
Ý Low Damp
Reverb Modulation
Ý Type
Ý Rate
Ý Width
Space Modulation
Ý Type
Ý Rate
Ý Width
Ý Depth
Additional VSS3 Gate Parameters
Ý Threshold
Ý Attack
Ý Hold
Ý Release
Ý Retrig
Ý Gate Decay
Ý Max Attenuation
Ý Gate Type
Recall
The Recall page is the "homepage" of the M3000 giving you access to a total of 300 factory presets in Single or Combined Engine mode. The presets are located by turning the Adjust Dial and engaged by hitting OK.
Wizard
The Wizard function is a fast and intuitive way to get the sound needed for your work. Simply select the Application, Source, and Size you are looking for and the M3000 suggests a number of presets matching your request.
Edit
With the Edit function you get the option of editing presets and change any parameter to create the exact ambience or effect you want. VSS3 and VSS3 Gate reverbs can be edited in either Easy Mode or Expert Mode. In Easy Mode the Hi Color and Lo Color tools lets you edit the complex spectral balance of the reverb in a second. In Expert mode you have access to a wide number of well-arranged parameters.
Store
After editing one of the 300 factory presets your result can easily be stored as a personal custom preset. The M3000 holds up to 300 user-defined presets: 250 in Single mode and 50 in Combined Engine mode. On an optional PCMCIA card additional 300 user presets can be stored.
Being about the same size as a credit card, it is easily fitted into a pocket, allowing you to take your creative work with you and putting it to work on other M3000 processors.
Input and Output
The M3000 offers a wide number of I/Os — analog as well as digital. Regardless of input the M3000 feeds signal to all the outputs simultaneously allowing you to tap the signal for different applications at the same time. The digital outputs feature 8-22 bit dither.
Routing
The powerful Dual Engine structure of the M3000 allows any combination of full-blown algorithms to be run on each engine simultaneously. You can chose from 6 different routing setups including Serial, Parallel, and Dual Input.
Tap Tempo
The Tap Tempo function is ideal for matching the Delay Time to the actual rhythm of a tune. Simply hit the Tap Key to the rhythm and the M3000 will come up with a delay time matching the beat. The Tap tempo function can also set the parameter for Reverb Decay, Chorus Speed, Flanger Speed, Phaser Speed, or Tremolo Speed.
Dynamic Morphing
When activated, Dynamic Morphing will morph from the presets on one engine to the preset on the other. Simply select 2 presets, the morphing Threshold level and the transition Speed and check out the result. Dynamic Morphing is a fantastic tool with for example a vocal track that rises in level and intensity. E.g. choose a discrete Room ambience for the verse and big bright Hall for the chorus. The effect is amazing and it runs automatically.
More Algorithms
Apart from the new VSS3 and VSS3 Gate Reverb algorithms, you can chose between C.O.R.E. Reverb, REV-3 Reverb, Delay, Pitch, EQ, Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo, Phaser, Expander/Gate, Compressor, and De -Esser. All in the well known TC Electronic sound quality. read less
The M3000 enables you to add the softest and cleanest ambience you have never heard to your work of art. Furthermore the processor boasts a wide range of tools and presets to give you the exact vintage or post production reverb you are looking for. Every operation is performed with ease with the Award winning TC Electronic intuitive user-interface.
A Quantum Leap in Reverb Technology
VSS3 Virtual Space Simulator
VSS3 technology is built on totally new, ground-up principles, but it is also adjusted and fine-tuned for optimal audio smoothness and clarity to the last details. On top of that a substantial amount of time and effort has been put into fine-tuning and reprogramming those "last digits" on the algorithms so that the sonic result is convincing compared to the real thing, even when the "real thing" is a super-natural sonic environment or a vintage sound.
VSS3 the Reverb of the Future
Since the mid 80's a lot of efforts in the high-end effects companies have gone into reverb technology. However, these technologies have all built on variations of the same theme, and thus created only… read more marginal improvements.
Some of the main complaints about existing reverbs is that they have unrealistic imaging, sound too metallic, and have a tendency to impose unwanted modulation on the signal. With VSS3 these drawbacks all belong to the past.
Features
Ultimate realism: Combining a perfectly smooth tail with detailed early reflections, VSS3 is the ultimate Reverb technology in search for sonic realism.
Accurate early reflections: By employing a large number of directional taps — between 40 and 100 — VSS3 is capable of simulating the sonics of actual rooms with an unprecedented precision.
Smooth tail: VSS3 gives you the highest degree of smoothness and clarity to the reverb tail.
Pitch-accurate: The gentle signal processing of VSS3 keeps the signal in 100% correct pitch, even when engaging extensive effects processing.
Modulation free: VSS3 is the first Reverb technology that has the ability to keep the signal 100% free of sound deteriorating modulation, yet still provides modulation as an option.
The Power Behind VSS3
The key point in the high quality Reverb of the future is the huge number of small details demanding a vast number of calculations per second. In the M3000 the TC Electronic proprietary DARC chip technology has entered into a synergistic interaction with an extremely powerful Motorola 80 Mips DSP chip which has boosted the processing powers to the needed level. Furthermore the M3000 is a Dual Engine true stereo processor featuring 24 bit resolution A/D + D/A converters.
In combination with VSS3 algorithms it makes up a Reverb tool that is simply unbeatable — now and well into the future.
The Creative Tool
The M3000 comes loaded with 600 high-grade factory presets, which cover most any application imaginable. The M3000 also boasts a wide range of parameters for editing VSS3 and VSS3 Gate Reverb algorithms.
Main Parameters
Ý Decay time
Ý Early Reflections Level
Ý Reverb Tail Level
Ý Wet/Dry Mix
Ý Output Level
Ý Tail Delay
Ý Pre Delay
Early Reflections
Ý Type
Ý Size
Ý Left/Right Balance
Ý Spectral Balance
Ý Low Cut Filter
Reverb
Ý Type
Ý Diffuse
Ý Left/Right Balance
Ý Hi Cut
Ý Hi Soften
Ý Hi Decay
Ý Hi Xover
Ý Mid Decay
Ý Mid Xover
Ý Low-Mid Decay
Ý Low Xover
Ý Low Decay
Ý Low Damp Frequency
Ý Low Damp
Reverb Modulation
Ý Type
Ý Rate
Ý Width
Space Modulation
Ý Type
Ý Rate
Ý Width
Ý Depth
Additional VSS3 Gate Parameters
Ý Threshold
Ý Attack
Ý Hold
Ý Release
Ý Retrig
Ý Gate Decay
Ý Max Attenuation
Ý Gate Type
Recall
The Recall page is the "homepage" of the M3000 giving you access to a total of 300 factory presets in Single or Combined Engine mode. The presets are located by turning the Adjust Dial and engaged by hitting OK.
Wizard
The Wizard function is a fast and intuitive way to get the sound needed for your work. Simply select the Application, Source, and Size you are looking for and the M3000 suggests a number of presets matching your request.
Edit
With the Edit function you get the option of editing presets and change any parameter to create the exact ambience or effect you want. VSS3 and VSS3 Gate reverbs can be edited in either Easy Mode or Expert Mode. In Easy Mode the Hi Color and Lo Color tools lets you edit the complex spectral balance of the reverb in a second. In Expert mode you have access to a wide number of well-arranged parameters.
Store
After editing one of the 300 factory presets your result can easily be stored as a personal custom preset. The M3000 holds up to 300 user-defined presets: 250 in Single mode and 50 in Combined Engine mode. On an optional PCMCIA card additional 300 user presets can be stored.
Being about the same size as a credit card, it is easily fitted into a pocket, allowing you to take your creative work with you and putting it to work on other M3000 processors.
Input and Output
The M3000 offers a wide number of I/Os — analog as well as digital. Regardless of input the M3000 feeds signal to all the outputs simultaneously allowing you to tap the signal for different applications at the same time. The digital outputs feature 8-22 bit dither.
Routing
The powerful Dual Engine structure of the M3000 allows any combination of full-blown algorithms to be run on each engine simultaneously. You can chose from 6 different routing setups including Serial, Parallel, and Dual Input.
Tap Tempo
The Tap Tempo function is ideal for matching the Delay Time to the actual rhythm of a tune. Simply hit the Tap Key to the rhythm and the M3000 will come up with a delay time matching the beat. The Tap tempo function can also set the parameter for Reverb Decay, Chorus Speed, Flanger Speed, Phaser Speed, or Tremolo Speed.
Dynamic Morphing
When activated, Dynamic Morphing will morph from the presets on one engine to the preset on the other. Simply select 2 presets, the morphing Threshold level and the transition Speed and check out the result. Dynamic Morphing is a fantastic tool with for example a vocal track that rises in level and intensity. E.g. choose a discrete Room ambience for the verse and big bright Hall for the chorus. The effect is amazing and it runs automatically.
More Algorithms
Apart from the new VSS3 and VSS3 Gate Reverb algorithms, you can chose between C.O.R.E. Reverb, REV-3 Reverb, Delay, Pitch, EQ, Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo, Phaser, Expander/Gate, Compressor, and De -Esser. All in the well known TC Electronic sound quality. read less
Specs
Digital Inputs and Outputs
Connectors: XLR (AES/EBU), RCA Phono (S/PDIF), Optical (Toslink, ADAT)
Formats: AES/EBU (24-bit), S/PDIF (20-bit), EIAJ CP-340, IEC 958, EIAJ Optical (Toslink), ADAT Lite pipe
Output Dither: HPF TPDF dither 8-24 bit
Word Clock Input: RCA Phono, 75 ohm, 0.6 to 10 Vpp
Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz
Processing Delay: 0.2 ms @ 48 kHz
Frequency Response DIO: 20 Hz to 23,9 kHz +0,01/-0,1 dB @ 48 kHz
Analog Inputs
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 20 kohm
Max. Input Level: +22 dBu (balanced)
Min. Input Level (for 0 dBFS): -10 dBu
Sensitivity: @ 12 dB headroom: -22 dBu to +10 dBu
A to D Conversion: 24-bit (1 bit, 128 times oversampling
A to D Delay: 0.8 ms @ 48 kHz
Dynamic Range; >103 dB (Unweighted), >106 dB (A)
THD: -95 dB (0,0018 %) @ 1kHz -6 dBFS (FS @ +16 dBu)
Frequency Response; 10 Hz to 20 kHz: +0/-0.2 dB
Crosstalk: <-80 dB, 10 Hz to 20 kHz typical -100 dB @ 1 kHz
Analog Outputs
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 100 Ohm (active transformer)
Max. Output Level: +22 dBu (balanced)
Full Scale Output Range: -10 dBu to +22 dBu
D to A Conversion: 24-bit (1 bit, 128 times oversampling)
D to A Delay: 0.57 ms @ 48 kHz
Dynamic Range: >100 dB (unweighted), >104 dB(A)
THD: -86 dB (0.005%) @ 1 kHz -6 dBFS (FS @ +16 dBu)
Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 20 kHz: +0/-0.5 dB
Crosstalk: <-60 dB, 10 Hz to 20 kHz typical -90 dB @ 1 kHz
EMC
Complies with: EN 55103-1, EN 55103-2, and Class B limits of FCC rules, part 15 CISPR 22, Class B
Safety
Certified to: IEC 65, EN 60065, UL 1419, and CSA E65
Environment
Operating Temperature: 32Á F to 122Á F (0Á C to 50Á C)
Storage Temperature: -22Á F to 167Á F (-30Á C to 70Á C)
Humidity: Max. 90 % non-condensing
PCMCIA Interface
Connector: PC Card, 68 pin type 1 cards
Standards: PCMCIA 2.0, JEIDA 4.0
Card Format: Supports up to 2 MB SRAM
Control Interface
MIDI: In/Out/Thru: 5-pin DIN
GPI, Pedal: Õ in. phone jack
General
Finish: Anodized aluminum front
Plated and painted steel chassis
LCD: 56 x 128 dot graphic LCD-display
Dimensions: 19 in. x 1.75 in. x 8.2 in. (483 x 44 x 208 mm)
Weight: 5.2 lb. (2.35 kg)
Mains Voltage: 100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (auto-select)
Power Consumption: <20 W
Backup Battery Life: >10 years
Warranty: Parts and Labor: 1 year
Connectors: XLR (AES/EBU), RCA Phono (S/PDIF), Optical (Toslink, ADAT)
Formats: AES/EBU (24-bit), S/PDIF (20-bit), EIAJ CP-340, IEC 958, EIAJ Optical (Toslink), ADAT Lite pipe
Output Dither: HPF TPDF dither 8-24 bit
Word Clock Input: RCA Phono, 75 ohm, 0.6 to 10 Vpp
Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz
Processing Delay: 0.2 ms @ 48 kHz
Frequency Response DIO: 20 Hz to 23,9 kHz +0,01/-0,1 dB @ 48 kHz
Analog Inputs
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 20 kohm
Max. Input Level: +22 dBu (balanced)
Min. Input Level (for 0 dBFS): -10 dBu
Sensitivity: @ 12 dB headroom: -22 dBu to +10 dBu
A to D Conversion: 24-bit (1 bit, 128 times oversampling
A to D Delay: 0.8 ms @ 48 kHz
Dynamic Range; >103 dB (Unweighted), >106 dB (A)
THD: -95 dB (0,0018 %) @ 1kHz -6 dBFS (FS @ +16 dBu)
Frequency Response; 10 Hz to 20 kHz: +0/-0.2 dB
Crosstalk: <-80 dB, 10 Hz to 20 kHz typical -100 dB @ 1 kHz
Analog Outputs
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 100 Ohm (active transformer)
Max. Output Level: +22 dBu (balanced)
Full Scale Output Range: -10 dBu to +22 dBu
D to A Conversion: 24-bit (1 bit, 128 times oversampling)
D to A Delay: 0.57 ms @ 48 kHz
Dynamic Range: >100 dB (unweighted), >104 dB(A)
THD: -86 dB (0.005%) @ 1 kHz -6 dBFS (FS @ +16 dBu)
Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 20 kHz: +0/-0.5 dB
Crosstalk: <-60 dB, 10 Hz to 20 kHz typical -90 dB @ 1 kHz
EMC
Complies with: EN 55103-1, EN 55103-2, and Class B limits of FCC rules, part 15 CISPR 22, Class B
Safety
Certified to: IEC 65, EN 60065, UL 1419, and CSA E65
Environment
Operating Temperature: 32Á F to 122Á F (0Á C to 50Á C)
Storage Temperature: -22Á F to 167Á F (-30Á C to 70Á C)
Humidity: Max. 90 % non-condensing
PCMCIA Interface
Connector: PC Card, 68 pin type 1 cards
Standards: PCMCIA 2.0, JEIDA 4.0
Card Format: Supports up to 2 MB SRAM
Control Interface
MIDI: In/Out/Thru: 5-pin DIN
GPI, Pedal: Õ in. phone jack
General
Finish: Anodized aluminum front
Plated and painted steel chassis
LCD: 56 x 128 dot graphic LCD-display
Dimensions: 19 in. x 1.75 in. x 8.2 in. (483 x 44 x 208 mm)
Weight: 5.2 lb. (2.35 kg)
Mains Voltage: 100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (auto-select)
Power Consumption: <20 W
Backup Battery Life: >10 years
Warranty: Parts and Labor: 1 year
Documents and Manuals
For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Web: https://www.tcelectronic.com/service.html
Web: https://www.tcelectronic.com/service.html
No longer available at zZounds
In most cases, a product is unavailable because it has been discontinued by the manufacturer
