Contents CONTENTS THANKS INTRODUCTION INSTALLATION STARTING THE SOFTWARE CONNECTING UNITS TO THE COMPUTER Using Midi... Using RS232... Using RS485... 2 4 4 5 7 8 8 8 8 TYPICAL INTERFACE SET-UPS RS232 Connection (Single Unit) RS232 Connection (Multiple Units) RS485 Connection Midi Connection 9 9 9 10 10 SETTING UP COMMUNICATIONS AND GOING ON-LINE BREAKDOWN OF THE MAIN SCREEN. MENU BAR AND TOOL BAR SUMMARY GUIDES SYSTEM BAR AND SYSTEM TOOLBAR FUNCTION MODES ­ EXPERT/NORMAL/BASIC... MODIFIYING THE USER VIEWS CHANGING THE SIZE OF THE EDIT WINDOWS ANALOGUE METERING MODE MODIFYING THE UNIT'S CONFIGURATION Configuring the Computer and Software Going `On-line' 11 13 14 15 16 19 20 21 22 11 12 WHAT IS DYNAMIC EQ? HOW DO THE DYNAMIC EQ CONTROLS INTERACT? INDICATION OF CLIPPING THE INPUT TO A MODULE EDITING PARAMETERS ON THE DYNAMIC EQ WINDOW NOISE GATE KNOW-HOW Attack and Release Times. Setting the Range Correctly. Using the Hold Time. What does the edit window show? What does the bouncing ball show? What is the Difference Between Ganging and Linking? Choosing the Configuration Input/Output Gains Main Delay Parametric Filters, High and Low Pass Filters. Harmonics Generator and ADT/Aux Delay Controls. 30 34 23 25 26 27 27 29 40 41 42 42 44 44 34 39 HOW DO THE NOISE GATE CONTROLS INTERACT? SIDECHAIN EQUALISATION ­ HOW AND WHEN TO USE IT When would Sidechain EQ be useful? De-essing and de-popping. Maximising loudness without dulling the mix. Suppressing feedback without adding notch filters. Picking out instruments for gating. How would sidechain EQ normally be implemented? What does the edit window show? What does the bouncing ball show? 46 48 46 47 LOOK AHEAD DELAY ­ PRE-EMPTIVE ACTION COMPRESSION ­ WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT CAN DO What does a Compressor do? Why are Compressors necessary? How does a Compressor work? What makes the XTA Compressor different? 52 55 55 55 56 57 48 48 48 49 50 51 Page 2 SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 EDITING & INTERACTION OF THE COMPRESSOR PARAMETERS Make-up Gain. Setting the Attack and Release times. The Compressor `Knee' Control. 58 58 60 60 THE EXPANDER MODULE ­ THE COMPLIMENTARY PROCESS What does an Expander do? Why are Expanders necessary? How does a Expander work? What is the difference between an Expander and a Noise Gate? Setting the Attack and Release times. Main Limiting Methods. 62 62 62 63 65 EDITING & INTERACTION OF THE EXPANDER PARAMETERS LIMITERS ­ USE (AND ABUSE) 66 66 67 67 69 70 71 70 EDITING THE LIMITER MEMORY HANDLING AND FEATURES INDEX Accessing Memories SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Page 3 Thanks Thank you for choosing the XTA for Windows TM software. Please spend a little time reading this manual, so that you obtain the best possible performance from your purchase. All XTA products are carefully designed and engineered for cutting-edge performance and world-class reliability. If you would like further information about this or any other XTA product, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Introduction This manual covers the installation and use of XTA's proprietary software package for the DP324 processor, or SiDD. This software is a remote control application running under Microsoft Windows TM , and is currently compatible with DP324's only. The software is designed to allow all these products to be connected to a computer through a variety of interfaces (RS232/485 or Midi) and will permit full remote control of up to 32 devices. Please note that SiDD processors may co-exist on the same network as other XTA products, such as the DP224/6 Loudspeaker Management Systems, or DP200 Digital Equaliser/Processors. Our other PC control package, Audiocore, may be used to control these devices. The only caveat is that the total number of devices connected must not exceed 32. Audiocore will ignore connected SiDDs, and vice versa. For the latest information about XTA's software and product range, visit the website at www.xta.co.uk. Page 4 SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Installation Please note that this software will not run under WindowsTM 3.1 or 3.11. It is designed for WindowsTM 95/98/NT4. Follow these steps to install your copy of for Windows TM . Insert the disk supplied into floppy disk drive A on your computer. It is recommended that you close all other applications before attempting to install this software. This is true during all software installation, and is not peculiar to this package. Click on the `Start' button on the toolbar, and select `Run' with another click.. Type `a:\setup' in the text box as shown, and then click `OK'. After a couple of seconds the installation will begin. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen. SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Page 5 Alternatively, open the control panel by clicking on the `Start' button, selecting `Settings' and then `Control panel'. From this window, select the `Add/Remove Programs' icon, and double click on it, opening the window shown below. Click on the button marked `Install...' which will start the software installation wizard. Follow the instructions to install the software. Page 6 SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Starting the Software The installation procedure will have created an entry in the `Programs' list off the `Start' menu. This will be called `AudioCore'. Clicking on this followed by the `SiDD PC' that appears will start the software. Each time the software starts no attempt will be made to connect to the unit(s). This should be initiated by the user. Connecting units to the computer is covered in the next section. It's worth noting, at this point, the major difference between this software package and the majority of remote control applications available in the professional sound market. The SiDD processor and software were developed concurrently and designed to offer a complete solution to equalisation and dynamics control. To this end, neither the software, nor the unit(s) assumes responsibility as a master when the two are working together. This means that any changes via the PC will immediately update the relevant unit, and any changes to the unit via the front panel will be immediately reflected on the PC. Changes made to a unit when the software is `Off-line' or the PC is not connected will be automatically uploaded when the computer is next connected. In this way, the computer and units always remain synchronised, and there is no possibility of settings stored in one overwriting settings in the other. SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Page 7 Connecting Units to the Computer Three types of remote interface may be used to connect units to the computer. These are outlined below. Using Midi... To output Midi information from the computer, it must be fitted with suitable Midi device and driver software appropriate to that device. A Midiman `Portman PC/P' can be used to convert the parallel port to a Midi port, if there are not enough spare Com (serial) ports available, or if the computer is a laptop. If this device is used, be sure to select the driver with the `w/LEDs' extension in the `Setup' menu, and ensure that the `Enable Device' box is checked. If the Midi device is internal, such as a Soundblaster sound card, an adapter cable is required to `break-out' the Midi connections from the 25-way D-connector on the card. Note that the maximum recommended cable run for Midi is 15 metres. Using RS232... RS232 uses a serial port connection from the computer (normally a 9-pin Dconnector for Com1 ports) and allows remote control of one unit directly. In the case of the DP226, additional units may be cascaded from the RS485 connectors on the rear of the first unit. This may be a pair of XLR connectors, or RJ45 (telephone jack) connectors. Typical set-ups are included in the section following this. Using RS485... To output RS485 from a computer requires either a converter to connect to the serial (RS232) port, available from XTA, or a plug in card along the same lines as a Midi or Sound-card. The main advantage that RS485 has over RS232 is that the RS485 system is a `multi-drop' system as opposed to a `point-to-point' system, so if one unit fails, all other units will continue to operate as no unit is dependant on the one electrically previous to it in the remote control chain for the relay of data. Additionally, the electrical specification of RS485 permits cable rums of up to 1km before any regeneration is required. The basic specification of RS232 only caters for cable runs up to 25m. Page 8 SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Typical Interface Set-ups RS232 Connection (Single Unit) A typical interface set-up might involve running an RS232 link from laptop or a desktop computer to one SIDD set up as a master unit. The diagram below shows this method of connection, the required menu options are also given. Note that the RS232 cable must be a 1-1 connection type, NOT a null modem cable (which has connections crossed internally). RS232 Connection (Multiple Units) If control over multiple units is required, typically the slaves will be set up to run from the RS485 ports on the master DP324. Note the incremental `Remote ID Num' option in the unit's menu options. SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Page 9 RS485 Connection To use RS485 communication directly from a computer, a master DP324 must be configured to receive RS485. You must have a suitable RS485 port on your computer, or a converter connected to the serial port in use. This configuration is shown below, along with the required menu options. Midi Connection To use MIDI communications, the DP324 must be configured to receive as a master via its MIDI port. You must have a MIDI card or interface connected to your computer. The setup is shown below. Note that two-way communication is NOT possible via the MIDI interface ­ only download to the unit is possible, and no settings are returned to the connected computer. Page 10 SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Setting Up Communications and Going On-line Configuring the Computer and Software After starting the software, choose Remote RS232/RS485 as appropriate from the menu bar. A window will appear containing the configuration settings required for the interface. In the case of RS232, this is as shown here, with selectable options for the `Com' (serial) port to use, the speed of this port and options for improving the robustness of the interface, if the port supports them. `Use Acknowledge Cmd' ensures that every message sent from the software reaches its destination correctly, but at the expense of operational speed. It is recommended to enable this option when long cable runs are used in noisy environments. `Hardware Flow Control' uses additional physical lines to control the traffic on the port, and is only available with the RS232 interface. If the cable being used to connect the units to the computer does not physically have these additional lines connected, do not enable this option as communications will not work correctly. Choose the RS485 selection if you plan to connect to the first unit via it's RS485 XLR socket. The window is virtually the same as that shown above, but without the ability to select `Hardware Flow Control' or `Radio Modem'. Important note about interaction between SiDD and other connected units. Remember that SiDD's and other XTA units can co-exist on the same network, so long as the total number of units connected does not exceed 32. Although Audiocore will ignore any connected SiDDs, they must be set to ID numbers not in use by any other unit. If they share an ID number with another unit, niether unit will apppear on the network in either Audiocore or SiDD's software. SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Page 11 Going `On-line' If the remote interfaces have been configured correctly at both the units(s) end and the computer/software end, it will now be possible to go `on-line'. This is achieved simply by pressing the On/Off line button on the tool bar. The network will be scanned for any connected units ­ this is accompanied by a message window as below. The ID number will increment from 1 to 32, and the entire scanning process typically takes about 4 seconds with a baud rate of 38400 bits/S and only one unit connected. The selected communications speed will obviously affect this time - set to 2400 baud, this period is extended to typically 16 seconds. As units are located, the `Found' figure will increment. Immediately following the scan, all the units will be interrogated for their settings, and the data collected. This is accompanied by the message... Once this process is completed (again the slower the baud rate, the longer this will take), all the units found will be listed, channel by channel in the unit selection window. This is shown overleaf. Page 12 SiDD PC Software Version 2.00 Breakdown of the Main Screen. Starting at the top there is the menu bar, and the tool bar. The tool bar consists of... Open file: Open a different file of pre ...