STA-82 44-Watt AM/FM Stereo Receiver with Quatravox (310-2056) Operation Faxback Doc. # 33311 OPERATING THE STA-82 SPEAKERS/HEADPHONES Select any speaker or combination of speakers with the SPEAKERS switch. In the "A" position, the receiver's power goes to the main/front speakers only and in the "B" position to the remote/rear speakers only. "A"+"B" puts the same stereo signal through both sets of speakers. In QUATRAVOX, a 4-channel synthesizer turns the "A" and "B" speakers into the front and rear channels of a simulated quadraphonic program. The PHONES jack permits headphone listening with any or all of the speakers. For private listening, turn the SPEAKERS switch to OFF. POWER Press POWER button in to turn the receiver on. Press a second time to turn the receiver off. VOLUME Adjust the Left and Right VOLUME controls for a comfortable listening level. If you are slightly off-center from the two speakers, you may need to "balance" the system. To do this, adjust the VOLUME controls separately until the sound of a mono source seems to come from a point midway between the two speakers. (See MONO below.) SELECTOR Choose the input you want by turning the SELECTOR switch. AUX - Adjust VOLUME, BASS and TREBLE for best sound. PHONO - Put on a record and adjust the front-panel controls for best sound. FM - Use the Tuning knob to select a station. Tune for the highest reading of the TUNING meter or use Auto-Magic (see below). If the station is broadcasting stereo, the dial pointer will turn red. Adjust the front-panel controls for best sound. If the signal is noisy, try either or both of these solutions: 1. Press the HI-FIL button. (This will filter out some treble, but the signal will still be stereo.) 2. Press the MONO button. (This will leave the fidelity unimpaired, but the signal will no longer be stereo.) FM MUTING - Use as FM (above) but a special circuit eliminates interstation hiss. When listening to weak stations, it may be necessary to set the SELECTOR to FM. AM - Use the Tuning knob to select a station. Tune for the highest reading of the TUNING meter. Adjust the front-panel controls for best sound. NOTE: If the TAPE MONitor button is pressed in, the SELECTOR switch will have no effect on the sound. TAPE MONitor Press the TAPE MONitor button in to play tapes or (with a three-head deck) to listen to tapes immediately after they have been recorded. IF NO TAPE IS BEING PLAYED, PRESSING THIS BUTTON WILL SILENCE THE RECEIVER. BASS Turn the BASS control toward MAX to boost the low frequencies or toward MIN to de-emphasize them. In the center position, the control has no effect on the sound. TREBLE Turn the TREBLE control toward MAX to boost high frequencies or toward MIN to de-emphasize them. In the center position, the control has no effect on the sound. MONO Press the MONO button to defeat normal stereo operation. The result is a composite signal (left + right). When you listen to weak FM stereo stations, pressing the MONO button will reduce the hiss, but the signal will no longer be stereo. HI-FILter Press the HI-FIL button to filter out hiss and scratches. For normal operation, leave the filter out. LOUDNESS Press the LOUDNESS button to remove the loudness compensation. In the normal (out) position, the bass and treble are boosted to compensate for the ear's reduced sensitivity to extreme frequencies at low volumes. Radio Shack's exclusive Perfect Loudness adds just the right amount of compensation at every listening level. AUTO-MAGIC Tuning with Auto-Magic Turn the SELECTOR to FM or FM MUTING and set the AUTO-M button in normal (out) position. The AUTO-MAGIC beacon on the dial will light to show that this automatic fine-tuning system is functioning. When you touch the Tuning knob with your hand, you'll notice that the TUNING meter changes from green to white. Special, advanced circuitry automatically senses your touch and releases the station you were listening to so you can tune another one easily. Just turn the Tuning knob until you hear the station you want - there's no need to fine-tune. When you release the knob, the TUNING meter will turn green again as Auto-Magic fine-tunes the station with electronic precision and locks it in for drift-free listening. Tuning Manually If you are trying to listen to a weak station located between two very strong stations, it may be necessary to tune manually. Press the AUTO-M button in and adjust Tuning until you find the station you want. Now fine-tune for the highest reading of the TUNING meter. HINTS FOR BETTER SOUND QUATRAVOX One of the STA-82's outstanding features is its built-in Quatravox circuitry. Quatravox synthesizes 4-channel sound from almost any stereo source - discs, tapes and FM broadcasts take on a rich, new, spacious sound like you've only heard at live performances. And it's not a trick - Quatravox actually recovers the important ambient (reflected) sound hidden in ordinary stereo playback. When this reflected sound is channeled through the rear speakers, it helps recreate the acoustics of the studio or concert hall where the recording was made. That makes your system sound more realistic - and after all, that's what hi-fi is all about. NOTE: Quatravox will reveal astounding 4-channel effects in some programs and very little in others. It all depends on the recording techniques used and the acoustics of the studio or concert hall. POSITIONING YOUR SPEAKERS Where you put your speakers is a highly personal matter, depending largerly on the arrangement of your listening room and the way you listen to music. Where you put your speakers does make a difference in how your system will sound, so before settling on a final arrangement, try several alternatives. Bass response is highly dependent on speaker location. For maximum bass, place the speakers in the corners of your room. Putting the speakers directly on the floor will make the bass even stronger. If the bass sounds boomy and exaggerated, move the speakers away from the corner slightly, pull them out from the wall a little or raise them 6 to 18 inches off the floor. Stereo Stereo speakers should be 6 to 8 feet apart. Putting them too close together reduces the stereo effect, while placing them too far apart reduces bass response and creates a "hole in the middle." Also, most speakers have a tweeter dispersion angle of about 60 degrees. Ideally your listening position should be in the overlap, so you may want to angle the speakers toward you for better sound. Quatravox The theoretically ideal position is having one speaker in each corner of the room. Since this arrangement is frequently impractical, you may want to modify it. Figure "B" (on Faxback Doc. # 33323, Fig. "A"), shows a common living room arrangement. The listener faces the two front speakers while the rear speakers face each other. Figures "C" and "D" (on Faxback Doc. # 33323, Fig. "A"), produce a different type of sensation. Instead of being surrounded by sound, the two rear speakers create a sense of depth - as if you were sitting in the audience at a live performance. Depending on the size of your room and the efficiency of the rear speakers, you may want them to face you or to face each other. There are almost an infinite number of satisfying Quatravox arrangements, so if one of these doesn't suit your needs, invent your own. (SP/EB 5/22/96)