Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

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BillyDee203
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by BillyDee203 »

Thanks for the welcome and for the great info posted. I see you were able to get the same alignment procedure I have along with the note from Tom O. Tom's a fellow broadcast engineer upstate from me and I was happy to discover he had experience with the Prisms.

It seems any documentation for the AMC-2 which was part of the Phoenix is quite elusive. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to just try to hand drawn the schematic myself as I haven't found anybody with info on the beast. Sure, these boxes might be old but once I've replaced all the electrolytics and Vactrols and aligned them they provide some very reliable service.

I pulled my Texar binder from the studio and it has the Rev B schematic of the M101 cards, the Rev A schematic of the CX-2 control board, the Rev A version of the DB-2 display board, the Rev A schematic of the MB-2 motherboard (2 pages), Rev A of the PS-1 power supply and Rev A of the FP-1 filter and protection board. I also have a Rev A version of the AMC-1 schematic of the Eagle's AM Modulation Controller. I also have a tab for the PR-1 Phase Rotator which has no documentation or schematics. The Troubleshooting tab of the manual is also empty.

My binder also has the Eagle manual supplement along with 2 brief pages discussing the AMC-2 card, which implies that Prisms with the AMC-2 use the PS-2 power supply due to the extra current demand of the AMC-2.

If any of these document differ than the ones available I'd be happy to scan them to PDF if needed by anyone. I hope that perhaps down the road I might discover the missing documentation for the AMC-2 and PR-1.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by mediatechnology »

Thank you very much for joining us here.

I fell in love with the Texars at AOR KTXQ Q102 in Dallas back in the early 90s.
The Texars and an older Optimod 8100 were in the backup STL path.
They sounded far better than the primary, an Orban 8200.

When my music library at home began to grow around 2000 and I started using Winamp's auto-crossfade, I knew I needed a pair of Texars for home playback.
Now, a decade and a half later, I have a pair.

Any schematic or alignment documentation would be very helpful.
I need to credit the setup procedure to Tom O. and the link where I found it as well as a couple of others I bookmarked.

The AMC-1 schematic is something I've never seen.
I'll compare the rev numbers of the schematics you have to the ones I have. It wouldn't hurt to have as many as possible.
The Gentner M-101 schematic seems more logical.
Glen seems to be a non-linear thinker and the original schematic reflects that.
I've got a couple of resources locally that may have the Phoenix AM-2 schematics.

FWIW I have a couple of the FM phase rotators I removed.
They're a potted cube and can't be traced.
I was thinking about plotting the phase response.
BillyDee203
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Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:08 am

Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by BillyDee203 »

I'd be happy to PDF anything that you think is valuable to those who might need the info. I had played with a pair of FM Prisms before and once refurbed and aligned they sounded pretty good. I've been playing with the AM version for demonstrating these small Part 15 AM transmitters and it's amazing the nice punch they provide.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by mediatechnology »

Thanks Bill.
I also have a Rev A version of the AMC-1 schematic of the Eagle's AM Modulation Controller.
That would make a nice scan.
BillyDee203
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by BillyDee203 »

mediatechnology wrote:Thanks Bill.
I also have a Rev A version of the AMC-1 schematic of the Eagle's AM Modulation Controller.
That would make a nice scan.
Just scanned it and sent it to Wayne via WeTrasfer.

Edit: first try didn't make it to Wayne, trying again
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mediatechnology
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by mediatechnology »

Thanks Bill! Got it.

Texar Eagle AMC-1 Modulation Controller Schematic: https://www.proaudiodesignforum.com/ima ... roller.pdf
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mediatechnology
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by mediatechnology »

alsantana
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by alsantana »

Hi there

I have a Texar Audio Prism with the AMC-2 board installed. My manual lacks the schematic. Could anyone here help me out? 4 tantalum capacitors need replacing on the board.

Thanks.
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mediatechnology
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Glen Clark, Developer of Texar Audio Prism, Dies

Post by mediatechnology »

Glen Clark, Developer of Audio Prism, Dies

Glen Tebendale Clark, who is perhaps best known as the designer of the revolutionary Texar Audio Prism, passed away on April 21, just six weeks after being diagnosed with liver cancer. According to a notice in the Sharon Herald, 67-year-old Clark was in hospice in New Castle PA at the time of his death.

A few years after developing the Audio Prism, in 1988, Clark sold Texar Inc. to Gentner. He then formed a new company, Glen Clark & Associates, and directed his energies to developing computer software to design complex AM directional antenna arrays. One of his first projects enabled CBS Radio to upgrade its AM facilities in Detroit to 50 kW, a feat deemed impossible using traditional design methods. Clark would later describe these arrays as “looking as if towers randomly fell from the sky and landed in the field.”

He eventually returned to audio processing, when he designed “Cobalt Blue,” a replacement for Card 5 in an Orban Optimod 8100. Blue used cutting-edge neural net technology with fuzzy logic to “learn” a station’s musical format, and dynamically adjust the audio processing. https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-bus ... prism-dies
See also: "Processing Vet Trades Audio for Stock" https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gea ... ades-audio
flyboy71
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Re: Texar Audio Prism Schematics and Information

Post by flyboy71 »

Hello all,

New to the forum and recently acquired a pair of Prisms, one a Texar and the other an early Gentner, both of the same design (same revision). I'm unsure if they are in spec anymore and have gone the safe route of replacing electrolytics, which helped slightly, especially with averaging. I noticed the M101 alignment procedure and am wondering if anyone has attempted it per the instructions. I would like to understand what is to be measured and the best method of doing so before attempting it, plus any caveats.

Thanks
Jeff
My projects site: https://ornerscorner.neocities.org/

"Things are more like they are now then they ever were before" - Dwight
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