Digital Cinema Monitor & Crossover System USER MANUAL DCM-1 DCM-2 DCM-3 DCM Series TD-000106-00 Rev.B *TD-000106-00* 1 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS & EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS 1- Read these instructions. 2- Keep these instructions. 3- Heed all warnings. 4- Follow all instructions. 5- Do not use this apparatus near water. 6- Clean only with a dry cloth. 7- Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with QSC Audio Product's instructions. 8- Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. 9- Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one blade wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong is provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit your outlet, consult an electrician for the replacement of the obsolete outlet. 10- Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit the apparatus. 11- Only use attachments/accessories from QSC Audio Products, Inc. 12- Use only with carts, stands, tripods, brackets, interconnecting cables, or software specified by QSC Audio Products. When moving or transporting using a cart, use caution to avoid injury from tip-over. 13- Unplug the apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. 14- Refer all servicing to qualified personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped. 15- When installing equipment into a rack, distribute the units evenly. Otherwise, hazardous conditions may be created by an uneven weight distribution. 16- Connect the unit only to a properly rated supply circuit. 17- Reliable earthing (grounding) of rack-mounted equipment should be maintained. 18- Maximum operating ambient temperature is 50°C. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol 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 electric shock to humans. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in this manual. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the cover. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel. WARNING: To prevent fire or electric shock, do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) INFORMATION NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a commercial installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his or her own expense. © Copyright 2002, QSC Audio Products, Inc. QSC® is a registered trademark of QSC Audio Products, Inc. "QSC" and the QSC logo are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 2 CONTENTS Introduction........................................................4 System Requirements......................................................5 Unpacking......................................................................5 System Concepts................................................................6 Illustrations................................................................8 Hardware Description..............................................................11 Software Description.....................................................18 Installation............................................................19 Troubleshooting.............................................................29 Specifications.............................................................32 Warranty Information..........................................................34 The DCM hardware unit and DCM Manager software are the property of QSC Audio Inc. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of QSC Audio. The software described here is furnished under a licensing agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the licensing agreement. DCM Manager is a trademark of QSC Audio Products, Inc; Windows and Windows 98, NT, XP and 2000 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; IBM is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation; Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Copyright 2002 QSC Audio Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. QSC Audio Products, Inc., Technical Document Number TD-000106-00. 3 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Thank you and congratulations on your purchase of the QSC DCM Digital Cinema Monitor. This product represents the state-of-the-art for cinema-based signal processing and monitoring functions in a single, integrated system. Designed to compliment QSC's DCA (Digital Cinema Amplifier) Series amplifier products, the DCM optimizes loudspeaker performance while facilitating easy cinema sound system wiring and configuration. To get the most from your investment, we encourage you to review this manual carefully. The QSC DCM provides a wealth of signal processing functions with the ability to copy and transfer settings--resulting in fast system setup time in multiplex theaters where multiple rooms share similar characteristics. Providing both monitor and crossover functions in a single unit, the DCM is capable of simple crossover adjustments via a personal computer (PC). These modifications can be password protected for tamper-proof system control. Fast Setup with Easy Wiring Your DCM takes advantage of the unique DataPort found on DCA Series amplifiers and thus greatly simplifies system wiring--reducing installation and labor costs in the process. A single VGA-style cable per amplifier contains two input signals, two return signals, power on/standby control, and two channels of load monitoring. The included menu-driven, PC configuration software further enhances the DCM setup. This software includes a database that lists the default parameters for popular cinema loudspeaker models. Commonly used configurations can be saved to disk, facilitating the easy transfer of settings to other DCMs. Advanced Monitoring Control In addition to the monitoring of your amplifier's audio I/O, your DCM includes QSC's exclusive "Load Fault" detection feature. The DCM monitors for possible speaker system or wiring faults and notifies you via LED Load Fault indicators. 4 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS and UNPACKING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS DCM Manager software is designed to control one DCM hardware unit at a time. To use this software with the DCM hardware unit, you must have the following: 1- Digital Cinema Monitor unit 2- DCM Manager software installation CD 3- IBM-compatible PC with a 200 MHz Pentium processor (or better) Windows 98, NT, XP, or 2000 Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 (or later) Minimum 16MB of RAM Minimum 10MB of available hard disk storage space CDROM drive Display resolution of 800X600, 16 colors minimum RS-232 serial port (COM port, 9-pin) A standard DB9 RS-232 cable (male to female) To complete your Cinema System, you will also need a cinema processor, QSC Audio's DCA amplifiers, speakers, and necessary cables. UNPACKING The DCM is highly durable and carefully packaged. We recommend you inspect the unit carefully after removing it from the packaging, as occasionally there may be damage due to some unfortunate incident during shipment. Report any damage to the shipping carrier. We recommend saving the carton and packing material in case the unit must be shipped back to your dealer, distributor, or service center. Also note: some freight companies consider damage claims without the original packing materials invalid. The QSC shipping box should contain: 1- the DCM unit 2- this owner's manual 3- four adhesive feet (for non-rack mounting installation) 4- AC power cord, IEC-type, 18 AWG, 6 feet long, 120V 5- warranty card 6- QSC store catalog 7- QSC accessories sheet 8- DCM Manager Application Disk 5 SYSTEM CONCEPTS SYSTEM CONCEPTS System Design Features The DCM series Digital Cinema Monitor has many unique features which combine to make this the most cost effective and versatile systems solution in the industry. Installer Features: ·Provides Monitor and Crossover functions in one box. ·Minimizes the amount of cabling required. Only 1 cable per two-channel amplifier! ·Minimizes setup time, particularly in megaplexs with similar rooms. ·Provides speaker setting database for most common theater speaker brands and models. ·Indicates if something is wrong with the sound system and provides diagnostic feedback. ·Emergency bypass allows center channel sound to pass through even if there is a major problem. ·Allow easy routing and crossover adjustments. ·Protects system adjustments from tampering. ·Sound quality is state-of-the-art (high dynamic range). Projectionist Features: ·Easy to verify all of the audio in the theater is okay. ·Automatic monitoring will light an LED if there is trouble with a speaker output. ·A backup system (emergency bypass) can be easily activated. 1. QSC Amplifier DataPorts: The DataPort connectors reduce the complexity of wiring between the DCM and the amplifiers. The DataPort connections replace amplifier audio input cables and amplifier output monitor connections. Another unique feature of the QSC Cinema System is the ability to automatically analyze voltage and current on the amplifier's output terminals to determine shorts or opens in the speaker cables or drivers. Each two-channel amplifier is connected using one DataPort cable. We recommend you use QSC DataPort cables, but normal computer VGA cables will work providing that all pins are terminated. QSC's Technical Services Group can supply DataPort cables with high quality shielded audio wires within the cable for maximum interference protection on long runs or for electrically-noisy environments. 2. Programmable processing and crossover settings: DCM processing is adjusted using the DCM Manager software and the RS232 connection. Configuration files can be saved and used for other DCMs. For example, if a megaplex theater has several rooms with similar size and equipment, a technician can adjust one DCM unit for best results, and then download all of these settings to other DCM units. The functions that can be controlled remotely are: crossover settings for screen channel outputs, mutes, multiple equalizer settings per channel, delay times, output volume levels, monitor mix balance adjustments, and more. 6 SYSTEM CONCEPTS 3. DSP processing: Digital filtering of audio signals is known to have several advantages over analog solutions. DSP (digital signal processor) IC chips allow extremely accurate and reliable control of frequency and time adjustments (boost, cut, cutoff frequency, delay time), and stability (immunity from temperature variations). The audio path of the DCM uses conversion circuitry (changing the signal from analog to digital and back again) which is designed to minimize all background noise and react to the dynamic range of any film track. 4. Speaker Database (pre-programmed settings): QSC has worked with the leading suppliers of theater speakers to obtain the optimum settings for most common theater speaker models. This database is easily loaded into the DCM hardware unit and the DCM Manager software offers features to organize, store, and edit these settings. This feature guarantees that your installation starts with technically optimized settings before you begin adjusting for room characteristics. 5. Fault Analysis: Each amplifier output channel is compared to the corresponding input signal providing complete signal path confirmation. For example, if there is signal at the DCM input but there is no signal at the corresponding amplifier output, then the fault indicator will light. Additionally, if an amplifier output is shorted or open, the fault indicator will light. Pressing the Diagnostics button will indicate which channel has this fault condition. Detailed fault information can ...