XL8 Control Centre Quick Reference Guide

Transcription

1 Midas, Klark Teknik Building, Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster. Worcestershire. DY 7HJ. England. Tel: Fax: Website: - DOC04-XL8 Issue C - February 2007 Telex Communications (UK) Limited In line with the company s policy of continual improvement, specifications and function may be subject to change without notice. This was correct at the time of writing. E&OE.

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3 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE AND OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON THIS APPARATUS OR EQUIVALENT. AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR 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 persons. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.. 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 of the ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer 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 wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet. 0. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus.. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer. 2. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. 3. 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. 4. Use the mains plug to disconnect the apparatus from the mains. 5. DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO DRIPPING OR SPLASHING AND ENSURE THAT NO OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, ARE PLACED ON THE EQUIPMENT 6. THE MAINS PLUG OF THE POWER SUPPLY CORD SHALL REMAIN READILY OPERABLE

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5 Telex Communications (UK) Limited, Klark Teknik Building, Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster. Worcs. DY 7HJ. England. Tel: Fax: EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY We, Telex Communications (UK) Limited of Klark Teknik Building, Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY 7HJ, declare that a sample of the following product: Product Type Number Product Description Nominal Voltage(s) Current Freq. 5V AC 230V AC to which this declaration refers, is in conformity with the following directives and/or standards: 2A 6A 50/60Hz Directive(s) 89/336/EEC Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive amended by 92/3/EEC & 93/68/EEC 73/23/EEC, Low Voltage Directive, amended by 93/68/EEC Generic Standard Using EN5503 Limits and Methods Class B Conducted Emissions PAVI Class B Radiated Emissions PAVI Fast Transient Bursts at 2kV Static Discharge at 4kV Electrical Stress Test Electrical Safety Test Standard(s) EN5008/ EN5503 EN5503 EN EN EN60204 EN th Edition Signed:... Date: 5th February 2007 Name: Simon Harrison Authority: Research and Development Director, Telex Communications (UK) Limited Attention! Where applicable, the attention of the specifier, purchaser, installer or user is drawn to special limitations of use which must be observed when these products are taken into service to maintain compliance with the above directives. Details of these special measures and limitations to use are available on request and are available in product manuals. Company registration No A subsidiary of Telex Communications Inc.

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7 End-User License Agreement for Midas and Klark Teknik Software IMPORTANT - Please read this document carefully before using this Midas or Klark Teknik product. This is an agreement governing your use of software or other machine instructions already installed on the Midas or Klark Teknik product, as well as other software that we provide for installation on the product. The Midas or Klark Teknik product will not operate in accordance with its documentation without this software. THIS AGREEMENT ("AGREEMENT" OR "LICENSE") STATES THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS UPON WHICH TELEX COMMUNICATIONS, INC. ("COMPANY") OFFERS TO LICENSE THE INSTALLED FIRMWARE, SOFTWARE, AND/OR PROGRAM ("the SOFTWARE") WITH THE MIDAS OR KLARK TEKNIK CONSOLE OR SIGNAL PROCESSING PRODUCT ("PRODUCT") IN WHICH IT WAS INSTALLED BY, OR PROVIDED FOR BY, THE COMPANY. YOU ARE AGREEING TO BECOME BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE, DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT. PROMPTLY RETURN THE PRODUCT TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU OBTAINED IT FOR A FULL REFUND. You agree to notify any persons who you permit to operate this Product of the terms of this License, and to expressly obligate them in writing to comply with these terms. The installed software as supplied by the Company is licensed, not sold, to you for use only under the terms of this License, and the Company reserves all rights not expressly granted to you. You own the Product on or in which the Software has been installed by the Company, but the Company retains ownership of all copies of the Software itself, including those stored on or in the Product.. License: This limited License allows you, and other persons you permit to operate the Product, to use the Software only on the single Product unit in which it was installed. 2. Restrictions: (a) The Software and the accompanying written materials are copyrighted, and contain trade secrets and other proprietary matter, including confidential information relating to the specifications and performance characteristics of Company's products. The Software is protected by state trade secret laws as well as U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws and treaties. All rights to copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets in the Software or any modifications to it are owned by Company. Unauthorized copying of the Software or any portion thereof, or copying of the written materials, is prohibited. (b) You may not create, market, distribute, or transfer copies of the Software to others or electronically transfer or duplicate the Software, or rent, lease, or loan the Software, except in conjunction with the sale, transfer, loan, rent, or lease of the Product on which it is installed, and subject at all times to this License. YOU MAY NOT REVERSE ENGINEER, DECOMPILE, DISASSEMBLE, MODIFY, ADAPT, PORT, OR TRANSLATE THE SOFTWARE OR CREATE DERIVATIVE WORKS BASED ON THE SOFTWARE OR ANY ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS. (c) In the event you violate any term of this Agreement, all licenses granted herein automatically terminate and you must stop using the Software and destroy any copies of the Software or remove them from the Product. 3. Limited Warranty: Subject to your installation of any Software updates issued by the Company as described herein, the Company warrants that the Software shall cause the Product to operate in compliance with the Product's material specifications and documentation for a period of 90 days from your purchase of the Product. The Company does not warrant that the operation of the Software will meet your requirements or operate free from error. The Company DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. You understand that the Company may update or revise the Software and in so doing incurs no obligation to furnish such updates to you. However, the Company may in its discretion make updates available from time to time upon such terms and conditions as it shall determine. It is a condition of any warranty granted pertaining to either the Software or the Product, that you install any such Software updates, as may be issued from time to time by the Company for the Product or the Software, in accordance with Company's instructions. You may view current Software updates at and

8 4. Limited Liability: THE LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THIS LICENSE AND/OR BASED UPON THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE LICENSE FEE FOR THE SOFTWARE OR THE COST OF THE PRODUCT. IN NO EVENT SHALL TELEX BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, LOST OPPORTUNITY OR PROFITS, COST OF COVER, OR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU ADVISE COMPANY OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT AND YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE PRODUCT AND SOFTWARE REFLECTS THIS ALLOCATION OF RISK. 5. Other Third-Party Computer Programs: As referred to herein, the term "Software" refers only to proprietary Midas or Klark Teknik Software, developed by Company, that has been provided to you for installation on, or already installed in, your Midas or Klark Teknik Product. In addition to this Software, you may have also been provided, at no additional charge, a version of the widely-available Linux software, which is a modular operating system made up of hundreds of individual software components, each of which were written and copyrighted individually by various parties (collectively, the "Linux Programs"). Each component has its own applicable end user license agreement. Many of the Linux Programs are licensed pursuant to a Linux End User License Agreement ("Linux EULA") that permits you to copy, modify, and redistribute the Software. However, you must review the on-line documentation that shares a directory or otherwise accompanies each of the Linux Programs included in this Product, for the applicable Linux EULA. Nothing in this license agreement limits your rights under, or grants you rights that supersede, the terms of any applicable Linux EULA. If you wish to receive a computer-readable copy of the source code for the Linux programs that have been provided with your Midas or Klark Teknik product, send a check or money order (no cash accepted), your address, and $0.00 to cover the cost of optical media, postage and handling, to: Telex Communications, Inc. ATTN: Linux Programs CD for Midas /Klark Teknik 2000 Portland Ave South Burnsville, Minnesota In your request, indicate your Product's name and model number, serial number, and version/release information. This offer made pursuant to the Linux EULA may expire according to the terms of the Linux EULA, in which case your check will be returned to you or destroyed at our option. Please note that the Linux distribution that may be available to you under this offer consists of the Linux kernel only and does not contain any application software not covered by the Linux EULA. Other updated Linux distributions containing application software are widely available from a variety of Internet sources, and are often available at minimal or no cost. 6. Termination: This License will terminate immediately if you violate any of the License terms. Upon termination you must discontinue use of the Software, and either destroy, erase, or return to Company all copies of the Software in your possession, custody or control, including those in or on the Product. 7. General: This License constitutes the entire agreement between you and Company with respect to this Software and supersedes any other communication (including advertising). If any provision of this License is held unenforceable, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible so as to give effect the intent of this License, and the remainder of this License shall continue in full force and effect. This License shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, and the federal laws of the United States, without reference to conflict of laws principles. You agree that the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is inapplicable to both this License and to the sale of the Product.

9 vii Safety Precautions Before installing, setting up or operating this equipment please ensure that you have read and fully understand all of this section and the IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS at the front of this guide. This equipment is supplied by a mains voltage that can cause electric shock injury! The following special limitations must be observed in order to maintain safety and electromagnetic compatibility performance. Safety warnings This equipment is fitted with two PowerCon mains power sockets. For safety reasons the earth leads must not be disconnected. Signal 0V is connected internally to the chassis. To completely disconnect this equipment from the AC mains, while observing full safety precautions (see Power on page viii), switch off the five bay isolator switches (rear of control centre) one at a time and then switch off the mains at the two mains outlets that the PowerCon mains leads are connected to. It is now safe to isolate the control centre by unplugging the two PowerCon mains leads from rear of control centre. Do not expose this equipment to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects filled with liquids, such as drinks glasses or cans, are placed on the equipment. To prevent shock or fire hazard, do not expose the equipment to rain or moisture. To avoid electrical shock do not remove covers. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only. The power supplies - even the DC ones - have a high current! General precautions The following information gives basic safety precautions that should be observed to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury: Only properly trained service personnel familiar with this guide and with the generally applicable safety regulations should service the equipment. Safety instructions detailed in the guide should be understood and properly implemented. In the event of ground loop problems, disconnect the signal screen at one end of the connecting cables. Note that this can only be done when the equipment is used within a balanced system. Never operate damaged equipment and never operate equipment with damaged cables. Any part that is damaged should be properly repaired or replaced. This must be done by a fully trained and authorised service engineer. Observe all warnings, cautions etc. on any part of the equipment. Do not remove, hide or deface any warnings or cautions.

10 viii Safety Precautions Power THE XL8 SYSTEM COMPONENTS SHOULD NEVER BE OPERATED WITH THE MAINS EARTH DISCONNECTED! Please note that the system power supplies contain LETHAL VOLTAGES greatly in excess of the mains voltage and that its rails can produce extremely large currents that could burn out equipment and wiring if shorted. All testing and servicing must ONLY be carried out by approved service engineers. This apparatus should only be operated with the power supply connected to ground via the ground in the mains connector. The internal power supplies are of the switch mode type that automatically sense the incoming mains voltage and will work where the nominal voltage is in the range 00VAC to 240VAC. Two PowerCon mains inlets are provided on the rear panel. The correct leads for connection in the area to which the unit was shipped are supplied with the unit. The equipment should only be plugged into the mains outlets using the supplied leads. We strongly recommend that, for safety and to optimise the life and performance of the equipment, the mains cable plugs are removed from the power outlets when the equipment is not to be used for extended periods of time or during electrical storms. When removing the equipment s electric plugs from the outlets, always hold the plug itself and not the cable. Pulling out the plug by the cable can damage it. Never insert or remove an electric plug with wet hands. Do not insert or remove a PowerCon connector into/from the rear of control centre with mains power and any of the mains bay switches on. You must make sure all mains bay switches are off and mains is switched off at the power outlet(s) first. When switching the five bay mains on/off switches on or off please make sure it is done one at a time. It is important that you don t switch on or off two or more simultaneously. Before switching the XL8 on or off, please make sure that all monitor loudspeaker power amplifiers are turned off or muted. Handling the equipment Completely isolate the equipment electrically and disconnect all cables from the equipment before moving it. When lifting or moving the equipment, always take its size and weight into consideration. If necessary, use suitable lifting equipment or transporting gear, or sufficient additional personnel. Do not insert your fingers or hand in any gaps or openings on the equipment, for example, vents. Avoid inserting or dropping foreign objects, such as paper, plastic, metal etc., into any gaps or openings on the equipment, for example, vents. If this happens, immediately disconnect the equipment from the AC mains; see Safety warnings on page vii. Then have the equipment inspected by the manufacturer's qualified service personnel. Do not press or rub on the sensitive surface of the GUI screens. If the glass of the GUI screen is broken, liquid crystals shouldn t leak through the break due to the surface tension of the thin layer and the type of construction of the LCD panel. However, in the unlikely event that you do make contact with this substance, please wash it out with soap.

11 Safety Precautions ix Installation Before installing the equipment: Make sure the equipment is correctly connected to the protective earth conductor of the mains voltage supply of the system installation through the mains leads. Power to the equipment must be via a fused spur. Power plugs must be inserted in socket outlets provided with protective earth contacts. The electrical supply at the socket outlets must provide appropriate over-current protection. Both the mains supply and the quality of earthing must be adequate for the equipment. Before connecting up the equipment, check that the mains power supply voltage rating corresponds with the local mains power supply. The rating of the mains power supply voltage is printed on the equipment. Location Ideally a cool area is preferred, away from power distribution equipment or other potential sources of interference. Do not install the equipment in places of poor ventilation. Do not install this equipment in a location subjected to excessive heat, dust or mechanical vibration. Allow for adequate ventilation around the equipment, making sure that its fans and vents are not obstructed. To prevent excessive heating of the equipment, avoid mounting it directly above power amplifiers or other devices that radiate significant amounts of heat such as, radiators and heaters. Keep the equipment out of direct sunlight. Do not place the equipment in an unstable condition where it might accidentally fall over. Make sure that the mains voltage and fuse rating information of the equipment will be visible after installation. Audio connections To ensure the correct and reliable operation of your, only high quality balanced, screened, twisted pair audio cable should be used. XLR connector shells should be of metal construction so that they provide a screen when connected to the console and, where appropriate, they should have Pin connected to the cable screen.

12 x Safety Precautions Radio frequency interference Class B device This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 5 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential 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. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help. Electric fields Caution: In accordance with Part 5 of the FCC Rules & Regulations, changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. Should this product be used in an electromagnetic field that is amplitude modulated by an audio frequency signal (20Hz to 20kHz), the signal to noise ratio may be degraded. Degradation of up to 60dB at a frequency corresponding to the modulation signal may be experienced under extreme conditions (3V/m, 90% modulation). Operation To avoid electrical shock, never operate the equipment with the covers removed. Safety equipment Never remove, for example, covers, housings or any other safety guards. Do not operate the equipment or any of its parts if safety guards are ineffective or their effectiveness has been reduced. Optional equipment Unless advised otherwise, optional equipment must only be installed by service personnel and in accordance with the appropriate assembly and usage regulations. Special accessories To comply with part 5 of the FCC Rules, any special accessories (that is, items that cannot be readily obtained from multiple retail outlets) supplied with this equipment must be used with this equipment; do not use any alternatives as they may not fulfil the RF requirement.

13 xi Contents Chapter Introduction About this guide XL8 Live Performance System overview Control centre Bays Control surface layout GUI Input bay GUI display Mix bay GUI display Output bay GUI display Pull-out keyboard Front and rear connections Chapter 2 Connections, Setting Up And Powering Up Description of the XL8 connections Front and rear connector panels Connecting up the XL Cable type and function Manual set-up of unit IDs Powering the XL8 system To power up the XL8 system To power down the XL8 system Switching the on/off To switch on the To switch off the Booting up Chapter 3 Getting Started Control surface layout Saving your work Saving a show versus storing a scene Working with the controls To adjust a GUI control knob via glide pad/trackball Navigating the inputs How input channels are displayed on the GUI To select a bank of input channels To select an input channel by typing in its number Setting a mic amplifier s input gain To set stage box gain/console gain Setting the high and low pass filters To set both high and low pass filters in Input equalisation (E zone) To EQ the input signal

14 xii Contents Input dynamics processing (D zone) To set up a compressor/limiter To set up a gate VCA/POP groups To assign input channels to a VCA/POP group To set up the name and colour of a VCA/POP group To recall a VCA/POP input group Navigating the outputs To select the output screen To select a bank of auxes or returns to the mix bay To select an output channel Setting up a mix To set up an aux mix To program a mix preset Setting up the effects rack To add an effect Routing an aux to an effect or output To route an aux Simple routing to master stereo outputs Scenes (automation) To create a new show To save a show To load a show To store a scene To recall a scene Naming inputs and outputs To change the name and colour of an input To change the name and colour of an output Areas A and B (split surface/dual operation) Saving your show files to USB memory stick To save a show file to a USB memory stick Troubleshooting To check active master controller via the GUI

15 Chapter : Introduction The is a user-friendly, state-of-the-art, high performance digital console that forms an integral part of the XL8 Live Performance System, which has been specifically designed for live use. The comprises a combined control surface and graphical user interface (GUI) that provide an array of easy-to-use controls for precise manipulation of audio. The control surface has been designed to emulate the fast access of an analogue control surface by presenting things in a familiar, consistent and logical way so that experienced analogue engineers can migrate easily to the new digital surface. This is enhanced by visual representations on the GUI at the top of control surface, which also provides extra functionality. Control surface GUI screens Bay GUI screen Control surface Fader tray Side view Front view About this guide This quick reference guide shows you how to connect up an XL8 Live Performance System, switch on the and then quickly familiarises you with its basic operation in order to produce some audio. For full details on connecting and setting up, operation, servicing etc., please refer to the Operator Manual, part number DOC02-XL8, which is available at

16 2 Chapter : Introduction XL8 Live Performance System overview The XL8 Live Performance System is a very powerful and flexible audio processing system that provides a complete solution for any audio mixing and signal distribution application in a sound environment. The forms the core of the XL8 Live Performance System, which also includes a number of 9 rack modules that are interconnected by a networked data system. The network carries both proprietary control data and open architecture AES50 digital audio, and uses readily available standard cabling and connectors. Along with the, there are four mic splitters, five I/O units, 0 DSP units, two routers and a Klark Teknik DN933 RAPIDE that, between them, form the standard XL8 Live Performance System configuration. The XL8 Live Performance System is tolerant of any single failure of hardware or software. To achieve this the system employs dual redundancy, where a key component has a identical redundant spare that is ready to take over should it fail. Other failure scenarios are managed by the N+ principle, where redundant components form an acceptable fraction of the system, for example, one of the DSP units in the rack is a redundant spare. Control centre The is built on a robust Midas steel frame chassis similar to those used for established Midas analogue products. The frame houses five bays, each of which is a discrete hardware module that can operate independently of its neighbour. Collectively, the bays provide the primary mixing needs of the engineer. Each bay has its own power supply, control surface modules, control surface processors, GUI processor and GUI screen. The control surface and GUI processors for each bay are separately connected to the network on duplicated Ethernet links. Also housed within each bay are dual redundant master control processors and dual redundant high-speed network routers (eight AES50 connections each). The control surface of the is populated with instantly recognisable controls that are logically distributed in major sections, so that all the controls you need to access most of the time are always on the control surface, while the remainder are only one action away. All I/O meters are permanently on display, both on the control surface and the GUI (if configured), to give instant monitoring feedback. The layout also allows two operators to work on the simultaneously. The principle of operation is based on the concept of colours and groups rather than layering or paging, which is the case with most digital consoles on the market today. With so many channels available it is far easier to remember them by their group colour and name rather than by their channel number. Multiple hardware faults are tolerated by the without loss of audio control due to the dual redundancy and N+ methods incorporated in the system. This is further helped by the modular nature of the bays and GUI independence. So if a whole bay fails, others can take over or be used instead, and any of the GUI screens can be used to operate the whole, even if none of the control surface hardware is working.

17 Bays 3 Bays The XL8 control centre has five bays, of which there are three types: Input Bays (3-off): Provide fast access to large numbers of faders and important input signal processing controls. The bays are numbered, 2 and 3, in order from left to right. Mix Bay: Gives fast access to large numbers of creative mix faders. Output Bay: Gives access to the matrix/master output mixes and monitor faders, the automation central control and large quantities of complex signal processing systems. Each bay has a GUI screen at the top and a control surface below, which is subdivided into a control area (shallow rake) and a flat (horizontal) area at the bottom that contains faders, navigation zones, automation etc. Bays Input Input 2 Mix Output Input 3 GUI screens Control area (shallow rake) 2 3 Fader tray (flat) Input bay Mix bay Output bay Figure : Bays

18 4 Chapter : Introduction Control surface layout The diagram below shows the main control surface areas of the five bays. Input Input 2 Mix Output Input 3 A B A B D E G A B F H C C C A - input fast zone: contains operator s must have now controls in eight input fast strips. B - input channel strip: provides a more comprehensive control by allowing detailed adjustments to a single channel s audio parameters; contains D-zone (dynamic parameters) and E-zone (EQ parameters). C - input navigation zone: for input GUI navigation via glide pad, and input channel selection using an array of keys. D - mix fast zone: auxiliary (aux) mix masters in eight dual-channel mix fast strips. E - output channel strip: provides a more comprehensive control by allowing detailed adjustments to a single channel s audio parameters. F - VCA and POP groups: VCA and POP group select buttons and VCA faders. G - output fast zone: output (matrix) mix masters in eight dual-channel output fast strips, and also stereo (left and right) and mono masters. H - monitors: A and B signal path monitoring, communications and mute groups. I - I-zone: operator-assignable effects controls. J - automation: scene store/recall and system edit. K - primary navigation zone: for mix bay and output bay GUI screen navigation via trackballs, and screen access panel for quick access to certain GUI screen menu options. J K I

19 GUI 5 GUI The has a graphical user interface (GUI) that provides a backdrop to the control surface. The GUI comprises five screens that have been manufactured to a high specification to give good definition in areas of strong light. This allows their displays to be clearly visible in sunlight, which makes the XL8 ideal for outdoor performances. The GUI screen displays are designed to pictorially represent the layout of the control surface, making them easy to follow and quickly understood. Not only do they reflect what is happening on the control surface, but they also provide extra functionality via a main GUI menu. Input bay Input bay 2 Mix bay Output bay Input bay 3 Each type of bay has its own specific GUI display and, generally, each GUI screen will follow its bay navigation. However, the GUI screens are independent of their home bay and can all perform the same tasks. This means that they can access any display in the system at any time, even if this temporarily detaches it from its default task. So, you can use any GUI screen to access the GUI menu (click on home at the top left-hand corner). This menu provides access to all the screens that you will require to set up, configure, manage and operate the entire, all from a single drop-down list of easy to follow options. The following subsections show the standard bay screen displays. Input bay GUI display Shows input fast zone containing a bank of eight input channels, plus input channel strip on the right. Mix bay GUI display Option of two displays: default dashboard screen (immediate right) showing all meters, or output channel screen (far right) with 6 mix fast strips (masters have only three). Both displays have an output channel strip on the right.

20 6 Chapter : Introduction Output bay GUI display Default display is the effects screen (immediate right), but can be changed to any of a variety of screens commonly required, such as input channels, groups, automation (far right), monitors etc. Pull-out keyboard A QWERTY keyboard is situated underneath the output bay. It is fitted on a tray that runs on sliders, which allow it to be pulled out for use and slid back out of the way when not required. It is used mainly for inputting text on the output bay GUI screen, such as during configuration or when using automation. Front view of XL8 Pull-out keyboard Front and rear connections Connector panels on the front and rear of the provide XL8 Live Performance System interconnections that allow connection of peripheral devices, such as keyboards, monitors, portable PCs, USB memory keys etc.

21 7 Chapter 2: Connections, Setting Up And Powering Up Description of the XL8 connections Front and rear connector panels The XL8 has connector panels on the front and rear that house numerous types of connector, which cater for the connection of mains power leads, 9 rack units, USB memory keys, keyboards, headphones, talk mics, communications, external monitors (input and output), KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switches, intercoms, AES3 synchronisation, word clocks (75R) and monitors. The rear panel also houses the mains power inlet and five mains on/off switches, one for each bay. Mains power is supplied to the via two PowerCon sockets. Rear connectors Rear Front Control centre - side view Front connectors Figure 2: Front and rear connectors on

22 8 Chapter 2: Connections, Setting Up And Powering Up Connecting up the XL8 This diagram shows the network interconnections for a typical FOH XL8 system. FOH - rear Note: All connections are dual redundant, so the system can operate quite normally using either the X or Y cables Stage rack A C Stage rack 2 2 C C C C A X D Y D 2 2 B C C C C C

23 Connecting up the XL8 9 Note: For connections specific to the 9 rack units, please refer to their respective operator manuals B FOH rack B 2 2 B 3 3 Key Control centre AES50 audio X connectors to FOH rack I/O unit AES50 audio X connectors Control centre AES50 audio Y connectors to FOH rack I/O unit AES50 audio Y connectors Control centre snake/optical X and Y connectors to appropriate X or Y router s snake/optical connector A Stage rack 3 Control centre snake/cat6e X and Y connectors to appropriate X or Y router s snake/cat6e connector X router s AES50 audio - bank connectors to AES50 audio X connector on DSP units Y router s AES50 audio - bank connectors to AES50 audio Y connector on DSP units X router s Ethernet control connectors to Ethernet control X connectors on DSP units 3 3 Y router s Ethernet control connectors to Ethernet control Y connectors on DSP units A Y router s AES50 audio - bank 0 connectors to AES50 audio - A Y connector on mic splitters and AES50 audio Y connector on I/O boxes X router s AES50 audio - bank 0 connectors to AES50 audio - A X connector on mic splitters and AES50 audio X connector on I/O boxes Link DSP backbone (cables linking connectors - and 6-6 are non-standard lengths) 4 4 A Mic splitter C DSP unit B B I/O box Main cable D Router (X and Y) Duplicate cable 6 6 Note: A description of cable type and function can be found in Cable type and function on page 0.

24 0 Chapter 2: Connections, Setting Up And Powering Up Cable type and function Table below shows the type, terminations and function of the XL8 system s interconnecting cables. Please read the table in conjunction with the network interconnections diagram on page 8. Table : System interconnecting cables - type and function Key Socket and Connector Cable Type Socket and Connector Description RJ45 XLR Control centre Cat5 RJ45 XLR I/O unit AES50 audio, X - X. Carries a bi-directional combination of 24 channels of 96KHz audio plus 5Mbs of control data. RJ45 XLR Control centre Cat5 RJ45 XLR I/O unit AES50 audio, Y - Y. Carries a bi-directional combination of 24 channels of 96KHz audio plus 5Mbs of control data. Neutrik Opticon Control centre Optical Neutrik Opticon Router Optical snake. Carries a bi-directional combination of 92 channels of 96KHz audio plus 200Mbs of control data. RJ45 XLR Control centre Cat6e RJ45 XLR Router Cat6 snake. Carries a bi-directional combination of 92 channels of 96KHz audio plus 200Mbs of control data. RJ45 XLR Router Cat5 RJ45 XLR DSP AES50 audio - bank - X. Carries a bi-directional combination of 24 channels of 96KHz audio plus 5Mbs of control data. RJ45 XLR Router Cat5 RJ45 XLR DSP AES50 audio - bank - Y. Carries a bi-directional combination of 24 channels of 96KHz audio plus 5Mbs of control data. RJ45 XLR Cat5 RJ45 XLR Ethernet control - X. Carries standard 00bs Fast Ethernet data. Router DSP RJ45 XLR Cat5 RJ45 XLR Ethernet control - Y. Carries standard 00bs Fast Ethernet data. Router DSP RJ45 XLR Router Cat5 RJ45 XLR Mic splitter AES50 audio - bank 0 - Y. Carries a bi-directional combination of 24 channels of 96KHz audio plus 5Mbs of control data. RJ45 XLR Router Cat5 RJ45 XLR Mic splitter AES50 audio - bank 0 - X. Carries a bi-directional combination of 24 channels of 96KHz audio plus 5Mbs of control data. 3M cable link 0 - link. Carries a proprietary data format for connecting the DSP units together to form the DSP loop. 50-way connector DSP 50-way connector DSP

25 Manual set-up of unit IDs Manual set-up of unit IDs After connecting up your XL8 network system, you may need to set up the ID of each mic splitter, I/O box and DSP unit connected in the XL8 system (although they are normally factory configured). This is because units of the same type must all have their own unique ID numbers. There is no need to switch on the control centre, as the procedure can be carried out offline. The following example shows you how to set up an I/O unit. This procedure is basically the same for each type of unit, although there may be variations in their set up menus. Please refer to the unit s operator manual for more details. Rear of I/O box 2 x2 seconds x4 This number will flash to indicate that this option is not currently selected. 7 Switch on the I/O unit by pressing the mains on/off switch on the rear panel. 2 After unit has powered up and the I/O s control panel shows the default display, press the MENU button and hold down for approximately two seconds to access menu mode. 3 Press the down arrow button to select the Set ID option (option 2). 4 Press SELECT to activate the Set ID option; the unit will show the currently selected ID number (line 2). 5 Use the up and down buttons to select the required ID of your unit. For example, for an ID of 5, press the down button 4 times. 6 When you have reached the required ID number, press SELECT to store the ID. The display will run through a store ID sequence by displaying Trying ID followed by Saving new ID, before taking you back to the Set ID display. The ID number will have ceased to flash and will remain constantly on to show that it is now currently selected. 7 Press MENU to exit.

26 2 Chapter 2: Connections, Setting Up And Powering Up Powering the XL8 system The following details the recommended power up and power down procedures for the XL8 system. To power up the XL8 system Important Note: DO NOT switch on the speaker sub-system until after the start-up of the XL8 system has been completed. After all XL8 system interconnections have been made, start up the XL8 system: Make sure that all of the XL8 system equipment is switched off, that is, the XL8 Control Centre, speaker sub-system, DL43 mic splitters, DL45 modular I/O units, DL46 routers and DL47 DSP units. 2 Switch on the ; see To switch on the on page 3. 3 On the, move all of the monitor and master channel faders to the minimum position and mute all of the master channels. The master channels can be found in the mix and output fast zones; see Control surface layout on page 4. 4 Switch on the DL43 mic splitters. 5 Switch on the DL45 modular I/O units. 6 Switch on the DL47 DSP units. 7 Switch on the DL46 routers. 8 After the alert indicators (top centre of each GUI screen on the XL8 Control Centre) turn green, switch on the speaker sub-system. 9 Switch on the audio source and start playing the audio. 0 On the, check that the audio inputs are routed to the master channels. Then unmute the master channels and gradually increase their faders while listening to the sound levels from the speakers. If there are no sounds at all from the speakers when the faders are at maximum, move the faders to below the 0dB level and check if the audio is muted somewhere along the input paths and also check that the individual speakers are switched on. If there is still no sound from the speakers, contact Midas Technical Support; see the front of this guide. To power down the XL8 system Important Note: BEFORE switching off any of the XL8 system components, make sure to mute the audio from the speakers and switch off the speaker sub-system. Mute the audio from the speakers and switch off the speaker sub-system. 2 Switch off the DL43 mic splitters. 3 Switch off the DL45 modular I/O units. 4 Switch off the DL47 DSP units. 5 Switch off the DL46 routers. 6 Switch off the ; see To switch off the on page 4.

27 Switching the on/off 3 Switching the on/off To switch on the Caution! Before switching on, check that all monitor loudspeaker power amplifiers are turned off or muted. After connecting up the audio cables, carry out the following: Mains outlet Mains plug PowerCon connector 2 PowerCon socket x2 Rear of WARNING! DO NOT INSERT OR REMOVE A POWERCON CONNECTOR INTO/FROM REAR OF CONTROL CENTRE WITH MAINS POWER AND ANY OF THE MAINS BAY SWITCHES ON. YOU MUST MAKE SURE ALL MAINS BAY SWITCHES ARE OFF AND MAINS IS SWITCHED OFF AT THE POWER OUTLET(S) FIRST. 3 x5 4 Plug the two control centre s mains PowerCon cables into the mains power outlets. 2 Insert the two mains PowerCon connectors into the PowerCon sockets on rear of control centre, observing the WARNING above. Then lock each one by twisting PowerCon connector about 90 (/4 turn) clockwise; you should hear a click to indicate that it has locked in place. Check that both PowerCon connectors are securely fitted. 3 On the control centre s rear connector panel, switch on all five bay mains on/off switches, one after the other. It is important that you don t switch on two or more switches simultaneously. 4 Control centre will boot up (see Booting up on page 4); the GUI will display the default screens and all the controls will be set to default. You are now ready to start using the XL8 control centre.

28 4 Chapter 2: Connections, Setting Up And Powering Up To switch off the To switch off the control centre, make sure you have saved any scenes or settings you require and switch off the five bay mains on/off switches on the rear of the control centre, one at a time. Booting up The has two boot up modes, cold and hot. Cold boot occurs with a brand new system that has never before operated as a system. Cold boot determines the system configuration and sets up all the IP addresses and unit names. Hot boot is the normal mode of operation (even if the XL8 has just been loaded from a truck and is physically cold!). Hot boot uses the configuration and names stored in the system flash memory. A complete hot boot takes up to 30 seconds. Should the configuration not match the previously stored settings the user is asked what action the XL8 should take.

29 5 Chapter 3: Getting Started This section is intended as a quick guide to familiarise you with the controls of the XL8 Control Centre and to show you how to carry out basic operations to enable you to get some audio out of it. Please don t forget that, although this system is a complex, high-tech piece of equipment, it is very easy to use. Control surface layout During show time the screen functions that require fast access are controlled by control knobs (rotary encoders), pushbutton switches, faders etc. More complex functions that do not require this fast access are controlled by glide pad/trackball and navigation keys. An integral keyboard pulls out from underneath the output bay to enable setting up, configuration etc., on the output bay GUI screen. An external keyboard can be used on any of the other bays, as each bay has a dedicated keyboard socket on the front of the control centre. The choice of controls provided by each bay type are prioritised by access time importance. A fast zone area gives instant access to specific functions across the bay. A channel strip to the right of the input and mix bays gives greater control of the selected fast strip. Similarly, GUI screen displays are split into corresponding areas - a fast zone on the left-hand side and a channel strip on the right - to make them easier to follow. Typically, the XL8 fast zone areas contain signal processing and routing levels for input bays, but only routing level control on the mix and output bay channel panels. GUI screen navigation tools (keys, glide pad, trackball etc.) are used to manipulate the signal processing required for these paths. This distances these functions from the mixing surface, thus allowing the operator to concentrate more on creative mixing. On analogue systems this is the equivalent of the external processing racks. The exception to this on the XL8 being the graphic EQ for monitor mixing, where fast access is once again required; this is provided by the Klark Teknik HELIX RAPIDE DN933 Graphic Controller. Saving your work We recommend that you save your work while carrying out the following procedures. Not only is this good practise during normal XL8 operation, but in this instance it may save you from losing some set-ups that could prove useful later on. To do this, create a new show now, as detailed in To create a new show on page 36, and then continue reading through the remainder of this section, following the instructions carefully. Save your work at convenient points; see To store a scene on page 38 and To save a show on page 37. Saving a show versus storing a scene Storing a scene saves the current scene settings to the show file, which is also done automatically every five seconds. The latest show file is stored in the XL8 s memory. Although this memory is recalled on XL8 power up, in extreme circumstances, such as a system failure, this may be lost. However, by saving a show you are copying it onto the XL8 s solid-state disk, which provides you with a permanent copy. We therefore recommend that you save your work regularly.

30 6 Chapter 3: Getting Started Working with the controls The control surface is populated with many familiar analogue-type controls. However, the GUI-related ones, such as the glide pads and trackballs, may be new to you. To adjust a GUI control knob via glide pad/trackball Adjustments of controls, such as a control knob or fader, on a GUI screen are done via the glide pads/trackballs in the input and primary navigation zones, respectively. Each glide pad will only operate the GUI screen within its bay, whereas the left-hand trackball in the output bay operates the mix bay GUI screen and the right-hand one operates the output bay GUI screen. Operation of both glide pad and trackball is basically the same as using a mouse on a PC, as illustrated in the following example. Control knob on the GUI screen rotates smoothly relative to the adjustment Glide pad Trackball 2 2,3,3 Move your finger on glide pad or trackball to move the GUI screen cursor until it is positioned over the control knob you wish to adjust. 2 Using your other hand, press and hold down the select button (left-hand button) to select the control knob under the cursor; cursor on GUI screen disappears to show that control knob is selected. 3 Adjust the control knob by moving your finger again on the glide pad/trackball, while still holding down the select button. 4 Release select button when you have achieved the required value. Note: On the glide pad, you can also select by quickly double-tapping on the pad itself instead of using the select button, which may be more convenient as you only need to use one finger to complete the task.

31 Navigating the inputs 7 Navigating the inputs The has moved away from the traditional digital methods of layering and paging, which are used to manipulate the channels too numerous to all fit on the GUI simultaneously. Instead, it utilises operator-configurable grouping and colour coding, see VCA/POP groups on page 25. How input channels are displayed on the GUI Each standard input GUI screen usually displays a bank of eight consecutively numbered input channels (unless a group is selected to the control surface). There are a total of 2 banks that, between them, encompass the 96 inputs available. Input channels are displayed across the GUI in ascending order from left to right, irrespective of bay position. To help you understand the operating principles of the XL8 it may be best to visualise the control surface as if it were an analogue one, that is, in two dimensions with all 96 input channels laid out side by side. In this case all input channels are visible all of the time and would look something like the one in Figure 3 (a massive beast!). Banks of channels Theoretical analogue equivalent of the XL8 Figure 3: Theoretical analogue equivalent of the However, in reality the has only five GUI screens and, in the standard configuration, only three of these GUI screens are allocated to the input channels; the other two are used for the mix and output bay displays. There are two main methods for selecting an input channel to a bay s control surface, scrolling and by typing in its number, which are detailed in the following sections.

32 8 Chapter 3: Getting Started To select a bank of input channels To select a bank of input channels to an input bay (input bay 2 in example below), press the scroll by 8 left and right buttons in the input select panel (located in the input bay s input navigation zone). The buttons select the bank that they are pointing to, as illustrated below. The LEDs in the input select panel represent the 2 banks of eight input channels (96 inputs in total) and show which bank is currently selected to its input bay. Illuminated LED shows which bank is currently selected to its input bay Input bay Display changes to bank Bank 4-48 is displayed on input bay 2 s GUI screen Display changes to bank 49-56

33 Navigating the inputs 9 To select an input channel by typing in its number To select any input channel to an input bay, type in its channel number using the keys in the input select panel in the input bay s input navigation zone. The LED representing the bank containing the currently selected input channel will illuminate. The diagram below shows the result of the action on the input bay GUI screens, where the other two input bay GUI screens change their display accordingly so that the banks still run consecutively. The three input bay GUI screens can each have an input channel selected at the same time. Input bay Illuminated LED shows which bank of eight channels is currently selected to its bay s control surface 2 3 This shows the new bank, containing the channel just selected (that is, 5), selected to input bay 2 (see GUI screen above) This shows the bank containing channels selected to input bay 2 (default configuration) 2 Type the required channel number, for example, 5. 2 Press ENTER. Illuminated LED bank indicator will change position accordingly.

34 20 Chapter 3: Getting Started Setting a mic amplifier s input gain The has two input gains per channel, one is the remote gain for the DL43 mic box (stage box gain) and the other is the digital trim (console gain). All of the input gain sections (control surface and input GUI screen) are interchangeable so that you can swap control from stage box gain to console gain, and vice versa. This is useful if you want to change the gain of more than one channel in a bank. By pressing the gain swap button, you can select the type of gain you want to the input fast strips and adjust them there via their gain control knobs. To set stage box gain/console gain Common gain control knob on input GUI screen 4 Stage box input gain Console input gain 5 2,4 Select stage box-type input gain control to the input fast strips by pressing gain swap. 2 Adjust the gain trim control knob (in 2.5dB steps from -2.5dB to +45dB) to required level to suit Midas pre-amp characteristic. A suitable level could be one that only just illuminates the yellow LEDs. 3 Drive the mic amps for that Midas colouration ; feel free to overdrive if you want. 4 After you have achieved the required gain state, swap back to the console gain display by pressing gain swap again. 5 Adjust console digital trim (gives ±20dB continuous trim) for preferred gain structure. Please note that the control knob in the input channel strip (as indicated) always controls the alternative swap to the ones in the input fast strips. 6 Set analogue remotes for initial set-up, then adjust digital trim for showtime.

35 Setting the high and low pass filters 2 Setting the high and low pass filters Select high and low pass filters. Each can be on or off and, when on, each has two settings. These filters can also be set via the GUI. To set both high and low pass filters in Selects required channel and selects high and low pass filters section to GUI channel strip Graph shows the filter effects To aid filter set-up, the control surface settings for the high and low pass filters are replicated on the GUI, which can also be used to set up the filters using the associated glide pad In the gain trim section of the required input channel, select the high and low pass filter section by pressing the quick access button. 2 Press high pass filter button to enable high pass filter. 3 Press SLOPE to enable slope of 24dB (SLOPE button illuminates). Leaving the SLOPE button in the fully out position (SLOPE button extinguished) gives a slope of 2dB. 4 Adjust high pass filter control knob to required value in the range 0Hz to 400Hz. 5 Press low pass filter button to enable low pass filter. 6 Press SLOPE to enable slope of 2dB (SLOPE button illuminates). Leaving SLOPE button in the fully out position (SLOPE button extinguished) gives a slope of 6dB. 7 Adjust low pass filter control knob to required value in the range 2kHz to 40kHz. Important: Stage box hi pass: The remote stage box contains a 2dB/Oct 30Hz filter. It is recommended that this is used at all times for optimum A/D performance. However, it may be bypassed if extremely low frequency performance is required, for example, when testing the system.

36 22 Chapter 3: Getting Started Input equalisation (E zone) Use EQ to equalise the input signal via the treble, hi-mid, lo-mid and bass filters, which are situated in the input channel strip s E zone. Treble and bass each have a parametric filter option and three specific shelving modes. Feedback for EQ is via GUI screen only. To EQ the input signal Input fast strip 2 E zone Graph shows the EQ effects bright 3a 4 2a classic 3b soft 3c 2b 4a deep classic warm 4b In the required input fast strip, press EQ to switch on EQ. 2 Select the required filter, that is, treble, hi-mid, lo-mid (as in this example) or bass, by pressing its quick access button on the input fast strip or by using the bass and treble up and down buttons on the E-zone. 3 Apply EQ by adjusting the freq, width and gain control knobs in the E-zone, as required. 4 Audition the different filters, including the minimum harmonic disruption types by scrolling through them, using the SHAPE button (or by pressing MODE on the GUI channel strip). These filters are only available for treble (bright, classic and soft) and bass (deep, classic and warm). Note: Bright and Deep use psychoacoustic phenomena to generate steep slopes that sound natural. These filters are called minimum harmonic disruption filters.

37 Input dynamics processing (D zone) 23 Input dynamics processing (D zone) This section deals with assigning compressor and gate dynamics processors using the controls in the input channel strip s D zone. To set up a compressor/limiter Use the D-zone s controls to apply compression. There are four compressors available, corrective, adaptive, creative and vintage, with each having the option of hard knee, medium knee and soft knee. Input fast strip 2 D zone 5 3b Corrective 3a 3c Adaptive 3d 4 3e Creative Vintage Hard Medium Soft In the required input fast strip, press ON in the comp section to switch the compressor on. 2 Press the quick access button in the comp section to select the compressor section. 3 Apply processing by using the controls in D-zone, for example, adjust the attack and release. You could set up a limiter by using a high threshold and a steep ratio (greater than 5:). 4 Audition different algorithms (hard knee, medium knee and soft knee) using the KNEE button. 5 Try different compressor types (corrective, adaptive, creative and vintage) using the MODE button.

38 24 Chapter 3: Getting Started To set up a gate Use the D-zone controls to apply gating. Input fast strip 2 D-zone 3b Graph shows the gating effects 3a 3c 3e 3d In the required input fast strip, press ON to switch the gate on. 2 Press the quick access button in the gate section to select the gate section. 3 Apply processing by using the controls in D-zone, such as, attack, release, threshold, ratio/range and hold.

39 VCA/POP groups 25 VCA/POP groups VCA/POP groups allow simultaneous control over a number of channels. They also save you having to remember channel numbers when you wish to select a particular channel to a bay. VCA/POP group recall is via an array of group select buttons on the mix bay. Channel group associations are chosen by you and, in addition, you can configure the colour and legend of the LCD group select button to be instantly recognisable. A VCA group can contain input and output channels, while POP groups can only have inputs assigned to them. Only input channels are recalled to the surface; any outputs recalled leave the output bay unchanged. To assign input channels to a VCA/POP group In the example below, two input channels (already named Bass and Lead ) are selected to the VCA group select button named Guitar. The following method is also adopted for selecting channels to a POP group. VCA group select button On the mix bay, press and hold down the VCA group select button that you wish to assign the input channels to. The inputs will jump to program mode. 2 While still holding down the VCA group select button, press the LCD select buttons of the input channels you wish to assign to the new VCA group. Scroll to new bank, if required. 3 Release the VCA group select button. The VCA group now contains the input channel members you have just selected. To recall the VCA group, see To recall a VCA/POP input group on page 27. Input channel select buttons 2b 2a

40 26 Chapter 3: Getting Started To set up the name and colour of a VCA/POP group You can change the default name of a VCA/POP group and configure the backlight colour of its group select button to suit your own preference. This is done via the GUI and also using the keyboard under the output bay. POP groups are configured here; the method is identical to that used for configuring the VCA groups 2a 2b This button takes you to the VCA Groups screen, where you can also assign input/output group members 4 3a 5a 5b 3c Slider 3b Click on home (top left-hand corner of screen) to obtain the GUI menu. 2 Select Population Groups and then Group Sheet from the menu options; this will take you to the Groups Sheet screen. 3 Choose a pre-configured name from the drop-down list by: a) Clicking on the pencil icon. b) Dragging the slider to scroll the list up and down to view all of the names. c) Clicking on the name of your choice, for example, Ride. 4 Alternatively, you can type in a new name for your VCA group. Do this by clicking in its name field - a white flashing cursor will appear at the end of the current name - and typing in its new name via the keyboard (maximum six characters). The keyboard pulls out from underneath the output bay. 5 Assign a backlight colour to the VCA group select button and background of name field on GUI by: a) Clicking on the palette icon. b) Clicking on your chosen colour to select it, for example, blue.

41 VCA/POP groups 27 To recall a VCA/POP input group To recall a VCA/POP input group and select its members to the control surface, simply press its group select button. These buttons can be colour coded and display group name (if configured). When a VCA/POP input group select button is pressed the group members are unfolded to the three input bays. They are displayed left to right across the control surface in ascending order. The first bay populated is input bay 2 and, when this is full, input bays and then 3 are filled. Population starts at the right-hand side of bays and 2 and at the left-hand side of bay 3. If a group has more members than visible channels, these can be selected to the control surface by scrolling using the left and right scroll by 8 buttons shown below. To deselect the VCA/POP group, press its group select button again; settings revert to those when the group select button was last pressed. Recalling another VCA/POP group deselects the one currently selected. Use the left and right scroll by 8 buttons to select hidden group members to the control surface If any of these LEDs flash, it means there are current VCA/POP group members within the respective bank(s) that are not selected to the control surface.

42 28 Chapter 3: Getting Started Navigating the outputs Outputs are manipulated on the GUIs in a slightly different manner to the input channels. The different types of output channel are accommodated on the mix bay GUI in banks of eight dual-channels, except in the case of the master outputs, which have only three channels (two stereos and a mono). To select the output screen To swap from the dashboard screen to the output screen, and vice versa, click on the screen swap button. The swap button is situated at the top of the screen, adjacent to the GUI channel strip. To select a bank of auxes or returns to the mix bay To select a bank of returns or auxes to the mix bay control surface, press RET or AUX as required. Pressing a bank select button selects that bank to the control surface. This is confirmed by its associated LED in the detail active section being illuminated.

43 Navigating the outputs 29 To select an output channel There are a number of ways to select an output channel, for example, you can: a) Press the channel select button in the appropriate fast strip. Where the channel select button controls two channels, the initial press selects the fast strip s left channel (shown at top of button) and a second press selects the right channel (bottom of button). Pressing a channel select button in another fast strip changes selection to the left channel in that strip and deselect the current one. b) Scroll by one output channel at a time. You can scroll across all of the banks of output channels, which have the following type order: returns; auxes; masters (stereo left and right, and mono); and matrixes. c) Press the appropriate select quick access button (left or right) within the appropriate fast strip, which also selects that channel section to the mix bay GUI detail area. With two channels per fast strip, the left-hand button selects the lower numbered (odd) channel and the right-hand button selects the higher numbered (even) channel. a) Second First press selects aux press selects aux 2 2 b) Scrolls Scrolls left by one channel right by one channel Only one of these LEDs will be highlighted to show which bank is currently selected to the control surface c)

44 30 Chapter 3: Getting Started Setting up a mix XL8 has 32 configurable mix buses, each of which can be aux mixes, subgroups and mix minus. The aux mixes can also be set up as stereo pairs or mono. 6 matrix outputs can also be accessed directly from input channels via level controls, which gives the XL8 the ability to provide 48 discrete mixes, plus left, right and mono. To keep the control surface manageable, access to these mixes is confined to two rows of control knobs across the input fast zone, which can be scrolled up and down on a virtual surface. Identification and access of mixes is again by colour coding. Any pair of 48 mix buses can be locked onto the control surface of the input bays on an individual channel-bychannel basis. So that the two most crucial auxes for each channel (most pertinent effects auxes, main artistes foldback, etc.) can be available at all times. To set up an aux mix 2 3b 3a 3c Select an aux to the mix bay; see To select an output channel on page Select the bus mode section by pressing the quick access button adjacent to the direct input section of the output channel strip. 3 The illuminated mix LED on the mix bay GUI screen (default) indicates that mono mix is selected, which will be used throughout this example. (You can scroll through the mix options by pressing MODE. group is fader only with no pre-fader and mix minus allows mute only with all buses being initially muted. Stereo mix mode - with mix selected and stereo LINK button on - is only accessed from the odd numbered output channel of the linked pair; top control knob becomes pan adjust and the bottom one adjusts level.) 4 On an input bay, select the required input channel by pressing its channel select button. 5 Select the mixes section of the input fast strip to the GUI s channel strip by pressing the (store) quick access button. (The (store) button has another function when it is used for setting up bus presets, see To program a mix preset on page 32.) 6 Use the PRE button to select pre- or post-fader. PRE button status is via GUI only and is shown in two ways (see following page): as a ramp or bar in the fast strip, or by the PRE button in the channel strip (mix section) being illuminated or extinguished. 7 Press ON to route the aux mix from input to aux output. 8 Adjust signal level using level control knob; you can also use the fader.

45 Setting up a mix 3 Illuminated aux numbers indicate that this is the selected pair Ramp shows that this signal is post-fader Bar shows that this signal is pre-fader Level indicators are bright on selected channel but dimmed on inactive/muted channels This transition point, where solid colours change to translucent, indicates 0dB across the eight auxes Aux mix Matrix mix

46 32 Chapter 3: Getting Started To program a mix preset Programming mix presets is a cumulative process, that is, you can continually add mixes to the store without affecting the ones already there. Once a mix preset is programmed, it will be displayed whenever the preset button in the mix select section of the input channel strip is pressed. 7 c a b In an input bay s channel strip, select the mix you require (that is, aux or matrix) to the mixes section of the input fast strips. Do this by using any combination of the AUX, MTX, scroll by 8 and scroll pair buttons. 2 Press and hold down the set upper button in the mix preset section. This allows you to select all of the odd numbered mixes (top number) shown in the mixes section of the input fast strips. 3 While holding down the set upper button, press (store) at every input channel you wish to select to the preset. 4 While still holding down the set upper button, repeat steps and 3 for all other odd numbered mixes you with to select to the preset. 5 Release set upper button. Presets are stored. 6 Repeat steps to 5, inclusive, to add all even numbered mixes, but press set lower instead of set upper. 7 When you release the set lower button, the even numbered mixes are added to the odd numbered ones already in the preset store. All programmed presets will be selected to the input channels. To deselect them from the input channels, press one of the AUX or MTX buttons, for example, the -8 AUX button; this action does not affect the stored presets. 8 Press preset to view programmed presets.

47 Setting up the effects rack 33 Setting up the effects rack To add an effect Effect currently selected to this section 3 2a 2b At the mix bay GUI, click on home to obtain the menu options. 2 Click on Rack Units and then Effects in the GUI menu to select the effects screen. 3 Choose the location of your new effect from one of the 6 effects sections, then click within that section. 4 Click on the Change Device Type button. 5 In Select Device Type window, click on one of the available device types, for example, Phaser. (The effects in the list may be slightly different on your display, as devices may have been added or existing ones replaced.) 6 Click OK. 7 Edit new device as necessary, that is, adjust control knobs, make virtual connections (patch); you can even change the device name by clicking in the name field and typing the new name via the output bay keyboard. 8 Click OK to exit. You can exit without saving your changes by clicking on X at top right-hand corner of device window.

48 34 Chapter 3: Getting Started Routing an aux to an effect or output To route an aux 2 3 Select an aux to the mix bay; see To select an output channel on page Select the bus mode section by pressing the quick access button adjacent to the direct input section of the output channel strip. 3 Click on the down arrow to the right of the aux output source field (adjacent to XLR socket) to obtain a drop-down list containing output source names. 4 Click on the name of the output source you require, for example, the effect you have just set up in Setting up the effects rack on page 33.

49 Simple routing to master stereo outputs 35 Simple routing to master stereo outputs To obtain audio, simply press the ST (stereo) button of an input fast strip in an input fast zone or in the output channel strip. Then, while making sure nothing is muted and master faders are up, you will have audio.

50 36 Chapter 3: Getting Started Scenes (automation) You can create new shows, load existing ones and manage scenes within a show. This is done via the output bay GUI screen using the automation option. The save function allows you to regularly save the current show settings to prevent them from being lost. To create a new show 2a 2b 3 Press the automation/filing button in the output bay s primary navigation zone to obtain the automation screen on the output bay GUI screen. (Pressing this button again accesses the Files screen.) 2 Alternatively, you can use the output bay GUI screen by clicking on home and then Automation. (This can be done at any of the GUI screens.) 3 Click on NEW. 4 In the small window that has just appeared, click in name field underneath the Enter new show name: prompt and type in the name of your new show via the keyboard. The keyboard slides out from under the output bay; to access it, just pull it towards you. 5 Click OK; control surface settings revert to default. You can now create and manage the scenes for your new show. Don t forget to save at regular intervals.

51 Scenes (automation) 37 To save a show The XL8 will indicate to you when there are show settings to be saved. It does this by changing the background colour of the SAVE button to red, as shown below. To save, simply click on the SAVE button. We recommend you save your show settings regularly. Background of SAVE button reverts to its normal dark grey colour to indicate show settings are up-to-date To load a show Click on LOAD. 2 In the Load File window that has just appeared, select the show you require and click on it. 3 Making sure the show file name you have just chosen now appears in the Load this file... name field, click OK to load the show file.

52 38 Chapter 3: Getting Started To store a scene Scenes can be managed using a combination of the automation section (output bay) on the control surface and GUI screen, or via GUI screen only. The buttons in the automation section illuminate to show that they are active. 2b 2a Click STORE. 2 In the new Store window, use the output bay s trackball to place GUI screen s cursor over the name field. Press the trackball s select button to enter the name field. Type in new scene name via the keyboard. 3 Below new scene name, select one of the following options by clicking on it (emboldened options are enabled, while greyed out ones are disabled): Insert before scene Store to empty scene Store to next scene Overwrite scene 4 You can use the keyboard to type in any useful scene information in the Scene Notes window, if you wish. 5 Click OK to save the scene.

53 Scenes (automation) 39 To recall a scene To recall a scene, use the last, now or next buttons, as required. The three highlighted scenes are identified by their colour, where current scene is yellow, last scene is red and next scene is green; these correspond to the colours of the three recall buttons. Last, now and next scenes are identified by their highlight colour, which also matches their respective recall button Eye icon expands/collapses empty scenes and point scenes The jogwheel provides fast scene navigation. By rotating it you can quickly scroll through the scenes one at a time, in either direction; you can even go to the empty scenes towards the end of the cue list. When you reach the end of the cue list, it just wraps around to the beginning so you can continue from the start again.

54 40 Chapter 3: Getting Started Naming inputs and outputs For ease of identification, the name and background colour of the inputs and outputs can be changed to suit user preferences. This is done via the sheet screens, which are accessible via the GUI menu after clicking home and then selecting either Input Channels or Mix & Outputs. The procedure is similar to that used for VCA/POP configuration. To change the name and colour of an input 2a 2b This button takes you to the input channels screen; see page 9 for an example From here, set up the mic input name and colour; see To set up the name and colour of a VCA/POP group on page 26. To change the name and colour of an output 2a 2b From here, set up the output name and colour; see To set up the name and colour of a VCA/POP group on page 26. This button takes you to the output channels screen; see page 28 for an example

55 Areas A and B (split surface/dual operation) 4 Areas A and B (split surface/dual operation) In their default state, the input bays respond in a global manner to selections made on any of their respective control surfaces, that is, they react as if they are ganged together. In this case they are all designated as area A. However, the three input bays can be split into two areas, A and B, both of which operate independently of each other. The main reasons for doing this are for dual (two-man) operation or if a single operator requires area B as a place to store important channels, just as a channel 25 would be used on an analogue console. Groups can be pre-selected to populate area A or B and a single group of inputs can have members in both areas of the control surface. An operator can then recall them to their own area to work on. When operating area B, please remember to select the B option where appropriate, particularly in the monitor section. Also note that solo B (also for talkback) is totally independent of area B, which is used for navigation only. For area B operation, choose the input bay that you wish to allocate as area B and press its area B button (this is to the left of the input select panel, towards the bottom right of the bay). Areas A and B can now be used independently of each other. A typical configuration for area A and B operation is shown below, although any input bay can be used as area B. Area A Area B 2 3

56 42 Chapter 3: Getting Started Saving your show files to USB memory stick After you are satisfied that your show file is how you want it, we recommend that you save it to a removable storage device, that is, a USB memory stick. This provides a valuable back up should the one stored in the XL8 be lost, for example, due to inadvertent deletion or in the highly unlikely event of system failure. To save a show file to a USB memory stick 2a 2b 3 4 Check which is the active USB key socket (its active LED flashes) and insert the USB memory stick into this socket. In this example, USB key is active. 2 Click on home and then Files in the GUI menu to select the Files screen. You may see an Analysing... message in the Removable Storage panel, which means that the Midas folder on the USB memory stick is being read. 3 When message has cleared, click on your show file (in Control Surface panel) to select it, which will now be highlighted. 4 Click EXPORT. 5 A window with the message Are You Sure you Want To Export? will appear; click OK to export the file. (Clicking CANCEL cancels this operation.) 6 When your show file appears in the Removable Storage panel it has been copied to the USB memory stick. Remove the USB memory stick

57 Troubleshooting 43 Troubleshooting If you have followed all of the instructions for obtaining audio, but are not hearing anything through the speakers, there are a number of quick checks you can go through to make sure you haven t missed out anything or that nothing is amiss. The following provides a quick checklist: Make sure the appropriate ST buttons in the channel fast strips are on. Make sure the appropriate ST buttons in the source a/b panels (monitors section of the output bay) are on. Make sure nothing is muted. Make sure no faders are set to minimum. Check that the VCA/group master faders are at unity gain. Use solo at selected points in the signal path to try and pinpoint where the signal is being lost. Check for correct signal routing by making sure channel sources/destinations are correctly assigned. To make provision for the highly unlikely event that the active master controller (MC) develops a malfunction, we recommend that you copy the show file to both MCs before the performance. This will enable you to carry on with the show using the same show file after carrying out an MC swap. To do this, copy the show file to a USB memory stick (see Saving your show files to USB memory stick on page 42), switch active MC (reset the MCs) and copy the show file to the other MC, which is now the active one. To swap the MCs, check via the GUI which MC is currently active (see To check active master controller via the GUI on page 43) and press the appropriate MC reset switch to shut down this MC. Then press the reset switch of the other MC to activate it; the alert buttons at the top of the GUI screens will change to green when the XL8 is ready for operation again. The MC and 2 switches, mc - and mc - 2, respectively, are contained in a bank of four (shown right) on the control surface, just to the right of the I zone. (The other two switches are the router reset switches, which should not be operated; a router swap is performed via the GUI.) To check active master controller via the GUI This is done by noting which of the two MCs is shown as green on the Diagnostics screen on the GUI; the redundant one is red. In the following example, MC is active. 2. The current method of resetting the master controllers involves the use of the reset buttons on the control surface. In future XL8 versions this procedure will be under software control and will be carried out via the GUI s Diagnostics screen.

58 44 Chapter 3: Getting Started

59 Thank you for reading through this Quick Reference Guide. We hope you found it useful. Please feel free to send us your comments. More detailed information on the XL8 can be found in the Operator Manual, part number DOC02-XL8. This is available for download from our website. Our contact details and webite address can be found at the front of this guide.

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