APAD User Guide V1.0

Transcription

1 APAD User Guide V1.0 This Guide refers to APAD software V1.0+ Before starting please check for details of the latest APAD software and documentation.

2 1. IMPORTANT - Read before starting 1.1 4REA4 System operating firmware The function of 4REA4 is determined by the operating software that runs it. Software is updated regularly as new features are added and improvements made. Before attempting to use the APAD App, visit Support Downloads section to download the latest available version of 4REA4 firmware and Controller software. 4REA4 Firmware is updated using the 4REA4 Controller application. System View Select 4REA4 Update NOTE: Once the 4REA4 is updated and restarted, all connected peripheral devices (A-Control and I/O boxes) will automatically be updated as required. The procedure is as follows: 1. Connect your controller computer with an ethernet cable to one of the 4REA4 network ports (front or rear or via an ethernet switch) Ensure that your controller computer has a compatible IP address to connect to the 4REA4 The default 4REA4 IP Address is with Subnet Mask and Gateway Your controller computer could, for example, be set to with Subnet Mask Install and run the 4REA4 Controller software To Install - Extract the content of the downloaded ZIP file to a folder on your Controller computer Close any existing instances of 4REA4 Controller Software Run the 4REA4 Controller Installer application and follow the on-screen instructions 3. When the Controller application is installed and running, click on the System button in the top left bar and you should see the view in the picture above. 4. Your 4REA4 unit should appear in the Connect To box on the left of the screen click this entry. Details of current and available firmware will be displayed along with a button to start the update. 5. Click the update button, follow any on-screen instructions and wait for the process to complete. The 4REA4 will automatically restart during the upgrade procedure. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 2 V1.0

3 1.2 Software licence agreement By using 4REA4 you agree to be bound by the terms of the relevant End User Licence Agreement (EULA), a copy of which can be found at You agree to be bound by the terms of the EULA by installing, copying, or using the software. 1.3 Further information Please refer to the DiGiCo website for further information, knowledgebase and technical support. For more information on 4REA4 hardware, system setup and connections please refer to the Getting Started Guides available for download at Contents 1. IMPORTANT - Read before starting REA4 System operating firmware Software licence agreement Further information Contents Operation Overview Connecting the APAD Operating the APAD Mixing The different screen views Troubleshooting REA4 APAD User Guide Copyright 2018 DiGiCo (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. DiGiCo (UK) Ltd, Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Surrey, KT9 2QL, UK 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 3 V1.0

4 2. Operation 2.1 Overview 4REA4 APAD is a user tool providing wireless mobile control for the DiGiCo 4REA4 digital mixing system. It gives you the freedom to walk the room or stage and control the sound right where it is needed. NOTE: APAD requires ios V9.0+ and the ipad Air 2 and ipad Pro models are recommended 4REA4 APAD and the 4REA4 Controller application can work together to provide simultaneous control of independent functions, for example one user using the Controller to mix in one Area, and another using the ipad to mix in another. Several ipads can be connected, each providing independent control. 4REA4 APAD is intended for working with the live mix and channel processing. Things you can control: - Fader levels, mutes, pan - Aux and FX sends - Matrix sends - CG masters - Preamp Gain, Pad and 48V - Trim and Polarity - HPF, Gate, EQ, GEQ, Comp/Ducker, Delays - Channel names - Solo select - Full signal metering - 4 Custom Area strips for personalised channel layout 4REA4 APAD is not intended for system setup or memory access. The following functions are not available on the ipad: - FX parameter control - Input source, insert and output patchbay - Aux source routing options - Preset, Snapshot and Session store and recall - Snapshot Scopes & Safes edit - Signal Generator - Talkback - System configuration, options and preferences - User Profile management and permissions 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 4 V1.0

5 2.2 Connecting the APAD 4REA4 Requirements An DiGiCo 4REA4 system running V1.0 or higher version firmware, with a suitable wireless router or access point connected to one of its Network ports. The 4REA4 system firmware and APAD version number do not need to be identical, for example APAD V1.01 would run with 4REA4 V1.0. Refer to the DiGiCo website for more information and to download the latest system firmware. Security - The user connects to the 4REA4 by selecting one of the available 4REA4 User Profiles which appear in the Connection screen. If none are set at the 4REA4 then only 'Admin' will appear. The APAD will follow the User Permissions configured in the 4REA4 for each User Profile. You can apply passwords to these profiles if you wish to protect 4REA4 APAD from unauthorised login. ipad Requirements 4REA4 APAD supports ipads running ios 9 or higher. 4REA4 APAD handles a large amount of processing and metering data. For best performance shut down other applications running in the background. Choosing a wireless router 4REA4 APAD is a professional mixing tool that justifies network equipment of suitably high performance, quality and reliability. For best performance we recommend you choose a dual band wireless router with auto channel selection. Use the more recent 5GHz band in places where there is intense WiFi activity or interference in the more crowded 2.4GHz band. Setting up the wireless router To set up the wireless router you will need to connect it to a PC using a wired LAN connection to access its setup menus. Follow the instructions provided by the wireless router manufacturer. Wireless router IP address - This must be compatible with the 4REA4 system: - 4REA4 default static IP address = Default Subnet Mask = To work with 4REA4 you must give your wireless router a unique but compatible IP address, for example: - Router IP address = Subnet Mask = DHCP settings - Make sure the router is set for DHCP so that it automatically allocates a compatible IP address to your ipad. To avoid conflict with 4REA4 we recommend you set an address allocation range of to 200. Wireless security -To prevent other people accessing your Wi-Fi we recommend you enable WPA/WPA2 encryption during router setup. A wireless key (password) will need to be set up. Make a note of this as it will be needed later. MAC address filtering is another method that can be used for security. A note should also be made of the SSID. This is the name broadcast by the wireless router to help identify it in the network list you will see in the ipad Settings Wi-Fi page. If you wish to, you can change the SSID to help you identify it alongside other wireless networks in the area. After setup, the wireless router can be connected to one of the Network sockets on the 4REA4 front or rear panels or to a suitable network switch using a CAT5 cable. Position your wireless router within the specified range and in line of sight of the ipad where possible. It can help to place it high up to avoid obstacles such as people and equipment. Avoid locating it behind pillars or walls, near metal beams or on top of loudspeakers. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 5 V1.0

6 Connecting to the wireless router Make sure the ipad Wi-Fi is turned ON in its Settings screen. Choose your wireless router from those shown in the Network list. Enter the password to connect to the router. If Wi-Fi connection is lost during operation, an on screen indicator will alert you. If Wi-Fi connection is reestablished within 60 seconds you will be automatically reconnected to the 4REA4 system. If you are disconnected for longer than 60 seconds you will be required to manually reconnect to the 4REA4 system from the app. 2.3 Operating the APAD Starting and shutting down the app Start the 4REA4 APAD application. You should see your 4REA4 system listed in the scroll wheel. Scroll to highlight it and touch Connect. Select Device Choose a User and touch Login. Enter a password if one is set. Wait a few seconds for APAD to connect. If you have problems connecting refer to Troubleshooting later in this guide. Select User To disconnect from the 4REA4 touch the Logout button in the top left corner of the screen. To shut down the app first return to the ipad Home screen, then double tap the Home key to view open applications. Swipe the 4REA4 APAD app up or down to shut down. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 6 V1.0

7 2.4 Mixing The screen has two panels top and bottom, each with tabs to select different strip or processing views. The top toolbar has buttons to select Processing, Bussing or Setup screen mode, and a status display on the right showing the currently selected channels for Processing (Sel) and Bussing (Mix). 1 Typically, the Area that the ipad is assigned to will have been determined by the User Login used and the Area selection buttons in the lower right column will reflect the assigned Area. Note that a user will normally have access to only one Area at a time. To select Channel Processing - Single tap a channel strip. The strip will be outlined in yellow and the top toolbar SEL box displays the type and name of the selected channel. 2 Select the different processing views with the buttons in the upper right column To select a Mix - Double tap a channel strip. A blue MIX icon appears next to the fader Swipe your finger left/right to scroll through the channels. Tap the moving strip to stop the scrolling. 4 The top toolbar MIX box displays the type and name of the selected mix. To adjust faders Touch anywhere in the fader area and drag up/down to adjust the level. Touch and move your finger left or right away from the fader to increase resolution. To adjust parameters - Touch and drag left/right to change the values. Touch and move your finger away from the control to increase the resolution. 5 When a MIX is selected, the ON/OFF button in the channel strip is used to assign a channel to that mix and the channel fader determines the level going to that MIX. For example, in the picture above, the Selected Mix is Area Out 1 and Input Channel 1 s ON/OFF button is ON to indicate that Channel 1 is assigned to the Area 1 buss. Input Channel 2 s ON/OFF button is, however, OFF to indicate that Channel 2 is NOT assigned to the Area 1 buss. See the table below for details of possible signal paths. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 7 V1.0

8 Channel Type Can be sent to. Can receive from. Input Group/Aux/FX/Area Out N/A Group Aux/FX/Area Out/Matrix Input/FX Return Aux Matrix Input/FX Return/Group FX N/A Input/FX Return/Group Area Out Matrix Input/FX Return/Group Matrix N/A Group/Aux/Area Out FX Return Group/Aux/Area Out N/A 2.5 The different screen views There are 3 Screen views - Processing, Bussing and Setup. Select a view from the buttons in the top toolbar. Setup View Use this mode for setting your 4REA4 APAD channel layout. Strips Create your own strip layouts with up to 96 channels in each of the 4 Areas. Using the Administrator Login, all of the existing 4REA4 channels will be available for assignment, irrespective of their Area assignment in the 4REA4 Controller application. It is the Administrator s choice as to which channels are displayed to the user. This could be anything from a single channel to a selection of many different channels. The User s Login permissions will dictate which of the 4 Area buttons in the lower right column are available to the user, typically only one of these buttons will be active for control in a single Area. Select the type of channel you want to assign from the top panel. Tap on a channel to automatically add it to the end of the strip or hold your finger on the channel and drag and drop where desired into the strip below to add them. Drag them up out of the strip to remove them. Swipe left or right to scroll through the strips without reordering them. NOTE: The channels assigned to the ipad by the Administrator are stored locally on that particular ipad and can only be changed by a user with Administrator privileges. The Setup button will not be available to somebody with a standard User Login (non-administrator) SOLO Select the SOLO bus that the APAD app controls. For example, 4REA4 APAD can control SOLO 1 while the 4REA4 Controller software controls SOLO 2. This gives independent SOLO systems to the two operators. You can patch the SOLO output from the 4REA4 I/O Screen. SOLO output is NOT available on the ipad headphone output. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 8 V1.0

9 Processing View Use this to access channel processing Input Setup, Filter, Gate, EQ, GEQ, Compressor or Delay. NOTE FOR ADMINISTRATORS: It is advisable to not allow standard users permission to adjust Delays on the APAD because the interface allows free access to all 4REA4 channel delays rather than only the channels that are assigned to a particular APAD. The channel strips are shown in the bottom panel, the selected channel processing in the top panel. Use the In button to switch processing in or out. EQ Touch and drag the EQ band dots to shape the EQ. Move up/down to adjust Gain, sideways to adjust Frequency, and pinch horizontally, diagonally or vertically either side of the dot to adjust Width. Buttons are available to switch the EQ in/out and to Reset the EQ. GEQ 28 sliders display the GEQ settings. Touch a slider and move your finger to adjust its setting. Touch and move your finger left or right away from the slider to increase the resolution. A curve above the sliders displays the overall effect on frequency response. Buttons are available to switch the EQ in/out or to flatten the EQ To access the mix sends, touch the Bussing mode button in the top toolbar. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 9 V1.0

10 Bussing View Use this to access the Mix sends and assignments. Both upper and lower strips show all channels that have been assigned to the APAD in the same order. The two strips can however be scrolled independently. The Area is selectable using the Area buttons on the right but for a standard user this will typically be limited to one Area. It is advisable to display all required Input Channels at the start of the strip and all Busses/Mix Channels at the end of the strip. In this way the upper strip, can be scrolled to view the Busses/Mix Channels while the lower strip can display the Input channels or vice versa. Double tap the channel or mix master to select its Mix view. The MIX status box in the top toolbar displays which mix is currently selected. The send strips change colour to follow that of the selected mix master. Channel ON/OFF buttons display the current assignment to the selected Mix Buss. For Aux Mixes, the channel fader and mute control the Aux send level to that Aux Buss and the Aux ON/OFF for that Aux Buss on that channel For Group and Area Out Mixes, the channel fader and mute control the channel fader and mute. NOTE FOR ADMINISTRATORS: It is advisable to not allow standard users permission to change Control Group (CG) membership on the APAD because the interface allows free selection of all 4REA4 channels rather than only the channels that are assigned to a particular APAD. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 10 V1.0

11 2.6 Troubleshooting Q: 4REA4 APAD fails to see and connect to the 4REA4 system? A: Go to the Settings screen and check that Wi-Fi is turned On and the ipad is connected to the correct wireless network. Check the ipad signal icon for good signal strength before starting 4REA4 APAD. Check that the wireless router has been given an address compatible with 4REA4 and correctly set up. Q: There is good signal strength indicated but 4REA4 APAD fails to connect? A: There may be interference affecting the active wireless channel, for example other wifi networks, cordless telephones, or other digital equipment. Remove the interference or try changing the wireless channel or band: Reboot the router to find a free channel (if auto channel is set) Access the router setup to change its channel (if manually set) Change to the other Wi-Fi band connect to 2.4GHz or 5GHz Q: 4REA4 APAD fails to connect or runs very slowly? A: To ensure best performance and prevent 4REA4 APAD from slowing down the rest of the system, a wireless router with good specification should be used. Low cost or older routers may not have the processing power to handle the data. A few things to try: Check you are using a suitable wireless router Check that security is enabled on the router Check that the ipad is within operating range of the router Position the router high and in line of sight of the ipad Move the ipad away from the router if it is very close Turn Bluetooth off in ipad Settings Q: 4REA4 APAD is connected but it is not possible to change MIX or adjust certain parameters A: The 4REA4 APAD follows User Permissions. Check the User Permissions associated with you User Profile via the 4REA4 Controller application. Q: 4REA4 APAD shuts down or an 'Out of memory' warning appears? A: 4REA4 APAD uses a lot of memory to work with the amount of control and metering data within 4REA4. Memory may be in use with other applications currently running in the background. Shut down applications you are not using. To do this return to the ipad Home screen, then double tap the Home key to view all open applications, swipe apps up or down to shut them down. 4REA4 A-Pad User Guide 11 V1.0