ICBM Integrated Controlled Bass Manager Owner's Manual Owner's Manual Warnings Please Read First CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the cover (or back). No user serviceable parts inside. Refer to qualified personnel. WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture. The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electrical shock to persons. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE Before connecting a new component such as the ICBM to your audio or home theater system it is always good practice to make certain that all components are turned off, and preferably unplugged from their AC power source. Many modern electronics products feature automatic turn-on circuits that may be activated during an installation, causing the potential for damage to electronic components and/or speakers. Such damage is not covered by product warranties and Outlaw Audio specifically disclaims responsibility for any such damage. Outlaw Model ICBM-1 Limited Warranty This warranty protects the owner of the Outlaw ICBM-1 (the PRODUCT) for five (5) years from the date of purchase. This warranty covers all defects in material and workmanship with the following specific exceptions. These are: · Damage caused by improper installation or adjustment · Damage caused by accident, unreasonable use or neglect · Damage from failure to follow instructions contained in this Owner's Manual · Damage from the performance of repairs by someone not authorized by Outlaw Audio · Any unit on which the serial number has been effaced, modified, or removed · Damage occurring during shipment · Units which have been altered or modified in design, appearance or construction This warranty covers only the actual defects within the PRODUCT itself. IT DOES NOT cover costs of installation in (or removal from) a fixed installation, or normal setup, claims based on any misrepresentation by the seller, or performance variations resulting from installation related circumstances such as signal quality, AC power or incompatibilities with speakers and/or other system components. During the warranty period, Outlaw Audio will, at its option, either repair the defect, or replace the defective product, or the defective parts, or components thereof at no charge to the owner for parts and labor covered by this warranty. If necessary repairs are not covered by this warranty, or if a unit is examined which is not in need of repair, you will be charged for the repairs and/or the examination. If non-warranted repairs are needed, we will notify you of the estimated cost and ask for your authorization to perform said repairs. You must pay shipping charges incurred in getting your product to the factory. We will pay the return shipping charges if the repairs are covered by the warranty. Please save the original shipping cartons as the unit MUST be returned in the original carton and packing. (Replacement cartons are available at a modest charge.) If your product needs service, please notify us at: Outlaw Audio Sales (866) OUTLAWS Service (866) OUTLAWA You will need to present the original bill of sale to establish the date of purchase. In the event that the proof of purchase cannot be established with the original receipt, the warranty period shall be determined by the earliest date of manufacture shown on the unit, provided that the serial number label has not been altered in any manner, or by our records relating that serial number. In the event that you wish to return your Outlaw ICBM-1 back to us, for any reason, please call to arrange for a Return Authorization Number. This will insure that your problem is discussed with a service technician who will determine if there is a quick solution to your problem. Outlaw Audio shall not be liable for, in any way responsible for, any incidental or consequential damages of any kind. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and/or do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, therefore, the limitations and exclusions stated herein may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights; and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES GIVEN BY OUTLAW AUDIO WHICH EXTEND BEYOND THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN HEREIN. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR PURPOSE SOLD, MERCHANTIABILITY, DESCRIPTION, QUALITY OR ANY OTHER MATTERS ARE TO THE TERMS OF THE EXPRESSED LIMITED WARRANTY STATED HEREIN. Products are sold on the basis of specifications applicable at the time of sales. Outlaw Audio shall have no obligation to modify products once they have been sold. This warranty is applicable only in the United States. For applicability in other countries, please call Outlaw Audio. 2 Outlaw Audio Owner's Manual Setup Guide Outlaw Audio Integrated Controlled Bass Manager ICBM Thank you for buying an Outlaw Audio Integrated Controlled Bass Manager. The ICBM provides the most flexible bass management capability available, while providing a high-quality signal path that preserves the fidelity of the original audio signal. It's the perfect match for: s s s s DVD-Audio or SACD players that do not have internal bass management capability Preamp/processors with limited bass management that does not properly match your speakers Two-channel stereo systems that do not have a dedicated subwoofer output 5.1-channel mixing studios that use ­10 dB V unbalanced feeds to the monitors Setup Guide Getting the best performance out of the ICBM requires an understanding of the concepts behind bass management. For those who are not familiar with the intricacies of bass management and crossovers, there's a comprehensive tutorial later in this manual. However, we suspect that you are anxious to get your system hooked up. Depending on the equipment in your system, follow one of the following three set up configurations: s s s Using the ICBM with a DVD-Audio or Multi-channel SACD Player: Page 3 Using the ICBM between a multi-channel processor or receiver and an amplifier: Page 5 Using the ICBM in a stereo system with a subwoofer: Page 9 Due to issues relating to copy protection systems, virtually every high resolution, multi-channel optical playback device on the market uses a built-in decoder that delivers the output of the DVD-Audio or SACD disc as separate analog outputs. In virtually all cases, these are full range signals, but most DVD-A and SACD players provide little or no control for bass management. At the same time, since the analog "6 Channel Direct" inputs on most processors and receivers are "straight through" audio paths, they, too, lack any bass management. This presents a problem for systems using satellite/subwoofer style speaker systems, as the lack of bass management and redirection on both the source device and the control unit means that full range signals will be passed on to bandwidth-limited speakers unable to handle the full spectrum outputs. Even where there is bass management in the analog path, it is typically limited, and unable to accommodate the wide range of crossover points required by different speakers. The ICBM was specifically designed to solve the problem caused by this lack of internal bass management, and is tailor made for this application. Using the ICBM with a DVD-Audio or Multi-channel SACD Player For this installation, you will need 12 audio interconnect cables to connect the ICBM into your system. We recommend that Outlaw Audio PDA cables be used, but any high quality, shielded cables will do. It is always a good idea to keep cable runs as short as possible to minimize the potential for inducing noise Integrated Controlled Bass Manager 3 Owner's Manual Setup Guide Figure 1 Using the ICBM with a DVD-Audio or multi-channel SACD player Outlaw ICBM OUTLAW AUDIO CORPORATION DURHAM, N.H.-USA AC 15V SUB/LFE OUTPUT MODE LOWPASS R MONO SPECIAL STEREO NORMAL LFE IN CENTER SURR. (SR6) IN OUT RIGHT SURR. OUT IN LEFT SURR. OUT IN CENTER OUT IN RIGHT OUT IN L/R LEFT RECOMBINE OUT IN ON OFF L DVD-A or SACD Player STEREO OUT L R A/V Processor or Receiver DIGITAL OUT LEFT RIGHT 6 CHANNEL OUT CENTER LEFT SURR RIGHT SURR LFE LEFT RIGHT 6 CHANNEL IN CENTER LEFT SURR RIGHT SURR LFE and RFI/EMI. Always keep audio interconnects separate from AC power cords, as well as from RF, video and data cables, if possible. Step 1 Step 2 Turn off and unplug all system components. Look at your player's rear panel. You will see a set of six RCA output jacks grouped together. Many DVD-Audio players also offer an extra set of left/right stereo outputs, which are grouped separately from the six RCA output jacks. Don't use these! They contain a downmixed stereo signal that you don't want in this instance. If you can't find six RCAs grouped together on the back, you probably have a conventional DVDVideo player or a stereo-only SACD player. In the former case, the ICBM should be connected between your pre/pro or receiver and your amplifiers, as explained later in this manual. In the latter, skip forward to the section that shows how to connect the ICBM into a stereo system. Step 3 Connect your player to the ICBM. Connect cables from the six RCA jacks on your player to the corresponding inputs on the ICBM­ left to left, right surround to right surround, and so on. Note that the LFE output on your player may also be labeled "SUB" or "Subwoofer". Connect that output to the LFE input on the ICBM. Step 4 Now locate the six-channel direct (sometimes labeled 5.1-channel direct) input on your processor or receiver. This input will also have six RCA jacks grouped together, similar to your player. If your processor or receiver doesn't have this kind of input, you won't be able to hear DVD-Audio or multi-channel 4 Outlaw Audio Owner's Manual Setup Guide SACD, but you may be able to use the ICBM between your processor or receiver and your amplifiers, as explained in the next section. Step 5 Connect the ICBM to your processor or receiver. Connect the ICBM's outputs to the corresponding inputs on the processor or receiver again making careful to connect right to right, left to left, and so on. If there are any settings for bass management on the player or in the analog "direct" channels of your processor or receiver, set them to "LARGE" or "OFF" so that a full range signal is passed through to the ICBM . However, do not make any adjustments to the bass management or "speaker configuration" settings in the processor or receiver that work with the conventional digital or two-channel analog inputs. You can leave these set as they were--they will not affect the six-channel input that the ICBM is connected to. Make sure you're using your subwoofer's "bypass" input or control setting if it has one. If it doesn't, use the highest crossover frequency setting your sub provides. Step 6 Plug in the ICBM's AC adapter. Connect the small plug at the end of the cord from the ICBM's external transformer/power supply into the matching jack on the ICBM's rear panel. Plug the transformer/power supply into an AC power source. (Due to the low current draw of the ICBM you may safely connect it to the rear panel outlets on a processor or receiver so that it turns on automatically with your system. Step 7 Step 8 Reconnect your system components to their AC power sources. Check your connections. Turn your system components on. To make certain that all connections have been made to the proper channels, activate the processor or receiver's speaker balancing "test tone." As the tone circulates among the speakers, check the front panel readout or on-screen display to verify that the sound comes from the channel shown in the indicators. If the sound is comes from the wrong channel at any time, turn off all equipment and re-check the connections between the ICBM and your processor or receiver to make certain that the channels are properly matched. Once all channel connections have been verified your ICBM is properly connected and ready for operation. Turn to page 13 to learn how to operate the ICBM's controls. Using the ICBM between a multi-channel processor or receiver and an amplifier Depending on your system, for this installation you will need between 12 and 16 audio interconnect cables to connect the ICBM into your system. For 7.1 channel systems, you will also need 2 sets of "Y" adapters. As always, it is a good idea to keep cable runs as short as possible to minimize the potential for inducing noise and RFI/EMI. Always keep audio interconnects separate from A ...