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FMR A.R.C.

Dynamic FX Pedal

Product Code 61759

Retail Price
$359.00
Sale Price!
$319.99
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Manufacturer
FMR

Although named for its ability to enhance the sound of many different instruments—it improves your instrument’s Articulation, Resonance and Clarity (A.R.C.)—the FMR Audio A.R.C. has a unique combination of features that you will find equally useful in the studio or on the stage. Specifically, the
FMR Audio A.R.C. provides:

1. A boost function that buffers and amplifies instrument signals to a higher level.
2. A compressor that enhances your instrument’s tone and dynamics.
3. A direct box to interface your instrument to live or recording studio
equipment.
4. A studio effect that may be used to process audio tracks from your favorite DAW or recorder.


It does all this with a minimum set of controls and a look that entices you to plug it in and turn the knobs!



MPN arc00126 4 4

Item Number
arc00126

  • 4-in-1 Useful Effects — The A.R.C. provides a really nice sounding, high impedance (1MOhm...to avoid tone suckage) BOOST pedal followed by a special, tone-extracting and tone-enhancing COMPRESSOR. Pro-level power
    permits both the A.R.C.’s usage as a DIRECT BOX for impedance-matching and driving lines to recording/live mixing boards. The pro-level power also
    allows the pedal to be used as wide dynamic range STUDIO EFFECT.
  • Subtle & Sweet Compression — For many players, pedal-based compressors are too over-the-top because they exhibit a suck-and-swell type compression. This works well for some special effects, but discourages one of the major uses of compressors/dynamic processors: to help balance the
    tone, presence and performance of an instrument particularly when it must compete or blend with other sounds. The A.R.C. works well with electrified acoustic instruments in a live setting—where the subtleties of the
    instruments tend to get lost—by allowing the player to electronically balance articulation, resonance and clarity of the instrument. If you love the sound of your instrument in an intimate, solo setting then you’ll appreciate how the
    A.R.C. helps you achieve that experience in live and studio performance settings!
  • Fidelity — Although the A.R.C. is an effect, the audio electronics are designed so that the output signal, statically measured, very closely resembles the input signal—paraphrased definition of fidelity. Each A.R.C. is hand-trimmed for minimum distortion, typically to less than 0.005% Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise (THD+N).
  • Dynamic Range — The A.R.C. 114dB dynamic range exceeds the dynamic range of many recording studio devices, let alone the smaller dynamic ranges of the myriad stompbox effects. The additional dynamic range of the A.R.C. means more of your instrument can be heard with less noise and
    clipping.
  • Studio Effect Power — Many guitar effects operate with a limited dynamic range determined by the use of a plain 9V power supply. Such a low voltage limits the technological choices for the analog electronics, forcing reliance on
    noisy and distorted out-of-date devices. The A.R.C. uses the incoming 9V to create a 30V internal supply! This permits the use of state-of-the-art devices to achieve low-noise, wide dynamic range performance.
  • Many Power Supply Choices — We specify the A.R.C. to work with the industry-standard BOSS PS-120 type power supply. This center-negative, 2.1mm barrel connector, DC power supply is used by many effect pedals and is quite easily found on-line or in local guitar shops. The A.R.C.,
    however, goes one better: the A.R.C. will run from voltages ranging from 9 to 12V, either AC or DC and from any polarity!
  • All Analog Signal Path — From the input to output connectors, your instrument’s sound is not converted to digital and back to analog. It comes into the A.R.C. as analog and stays analog all the way to its output jack! The
    result is a richer, higher-fidelity effect. The A.R.C.’s main signal path is all analog and is only assisted by digital/software processes in the power supply and sidechain circuits.
  • Hard-wired Bypass with a Twist — Many effects pedal users insist that their pedals have a hard-wired bypass (i.e., “true bypass”). The A.R.C. provides this as well, with a twist: in the rare case of a pedal or power
    supply malfunction, the A.R.C. will default to a BYPASS condition no matter what the position of the bypass switch! The idea is to keep things rockin'— even under the rare case of a failure.
  • Daisy-chained Power Jacks — To help keep things neat, there are two power jacks on the A.R.C. that allow power fed into the A.R.C. and then out of the A.R.C. into another effect.
  • Minimum Controls, Maximum Effect — There are only three controls on the A.R.C.: preamp gain (GAIN), amplifier output level (AMP) and the drive control (DRIVE). Yet, by using combinations of the GAIN and the DRIVE controls, you can achieve many unique tones. The AMP control, a output attenuator, is intended to help reduce the differences in the processed levels and the unprocessed levels.
  • Cool Blue Effect LED — This blindingly-blue light, displays the amount of processing being done to the audio. The brighter the glow, the more processing. But, does it really matter? It just looks sooooo cool...
  • Perdy Knobs — We designed the knobs to be locally built here in central Texas. They’re custom-designed. They’re custom-built. They're solid anodized aluminum and will last a couple of lifetimes.
  • THAT2181 VCAs — These are the same VCAs used in scores of professional audio compressors, gates and other dynamic processors. We can use these without compromise, in part, because of the higher-than-normal power supply rails.
  • Steel Cabinet — There’s a lot of really good effects pedals out there that are housed in the “standard” Hammond Manufacturing cast aluminum enclosure (hammondmfg.com). We considered that type of cabinet as well, but decided that the A.R.C. was a little too different to package it the same
    ol’ way. Instead, we designed a custom, two-piece cold-rolled-steel enclosure with a sloping front and room for the instrumentalist with prehensile feet. It’s electroplated and covered in a hard polyurethane-based
    paint to last a good long time.
  • Made in Austin, Texas U.S.A. — We want you to know that we do our own manufacturing here in beautiful Austin, Texas ‘cause: (a) We live here. We’re control freaks. We need things done to standards that are very specific and loftier than most. Manufacturing products here helps us to control important costs and reduce waste. All this helps ensure that your A.R.C. will retain its value and continue working for many years to come, (b) Austin’s resources and culture—from a very lively music scene to lots of high-tech companies/ products—help inspire and maintain our commitment to music and technology, and, (c) In order to help others, here and abroad, we believe we’ve got to be vital and capable ourselves. Our first choice is to employ as many U.S.-based resources as possible in the design, manufacture and distribution of our products.

    • Download the PDF manual for A.R.C.

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