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The Audio Toolbox

1. M 12 XERand 1 40 Combo Left Input is iu op eue eet ett ie e Re MESA e cC 13 Land D 4 Combo Right Input e on Rue e utto EU SER eva Rete Ie Mo pa cU 13 ROA phono plue TER T 13 AER P UNO E A 13 1 4 Balanced audiooutputgQck ion ouverte Ue OM VIE 13 RCA phono plug OUMU E 13 1 4 Stereo Headphone Output Jack Built in Speaker oseere 13 MIDE Inputs and Out puis M 13 POWER STANDARD AUDIO TOOLBOX 14 Power gt 14 POWERS WUCH a e iier iier E REESE REEL E Fe REFS EREREFE REF EFERESE RUFI REFERENCE REPE RARERE Fe REFUS ERER ERE REFEREFERESE REPE REYE REESE EE SUE 14 STANDARD BATTERY HOLDER EE 14 Rechargeable Battery eben le sie berto eens 14 14 POWER RACK MOUNT AUDIO TOOLBOX etie ie tee EEES 15 AC Power Input mtd 15 Changing the AC Voltage sesta Aa E E E atu 15 AC Power Switch Rear panel utat eter afit te ipee ete eese oett tha 15 DC Powerswiteh Front panel 16 POWER AUDIO TOOLBOX PLUS
2. ER VUE NUT TREES NTA ERANT EX GAS ERA 32 Description 32 How to use the Signal Generator treten 32 Balanced output and level readings 33 irse 33 How to use the Impedance Melek steane enoe ea an a 34 LEVEL V FREQUENCY M 34 Description sd fee E aee aue dte in 34 How to use the Level Frequency Meter esset 34 How to use the VU PPM 35 SIGNAL NOISE C UEEE S 35 LIESCH ON Se ees 35 H OWLO US 35 SWEEPS idet iba abd 37 How to use the Sine Wave 37 How to use the Amplitude 38 How to use the Impedance 39 TULA NOL AL A ettet RI REESE 39 Realtime ANIL CV ACOs oer ER 40 How to use the Sweep Cal function esses eerte eerte treni tree tree tne 40 DISTORTION METER
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5. Notes Generator Level Use this field to control the output level of the generator Generator On Off You can turn on the generator with this field Input Level Meter Turn on the signal generator and adjust the level for a mid range This function is especially useful for testing speaker distortion which typically runs in the 1 5 range Check all of your drivers looking for differences between left and right drivers If one driver is much higher it is probably defective damaged or perhaps may fail soon TEST FUNCTIONS 42 System Tools This section has functions that are useful during system setup and room evaluation Rapid STI Theory Rapid Speech Transmission Index RASTI is one of several speech intelligibility methods RASTI calculates an index value 0 00 to 1 00 with 1 00 being perfect intelligibility by evaluating the loss of modulation known as the Modulation Transfer Function MTF of special waveforms The RASTI waveforms are a subset of the Speech Transmission Index STI waveforms which are based on octave band limited pink noise covering 7 octave bands from 125Hz to 8kHz each modulated 10096 in amplitude loudness by sine waves in 14 different frequencies ranging from 0 63Hz to 12 5Hz for a total of 98 waveforms STI is calculated by measuring the amount of modulation that is lost MTF in each of the 98 waveforms and converting to an apparent signal to noise ratio in dB limiting these to
6. IH GERE RD GRGURHRGI GERI RETRO Ea A 4l DOSCHDUOIN s e ECIAM NOU UA Dx IM LUN RO Acc cu voc eise 41 How to use the Distortion Meter sse teet tete trene tree tr ete tn etre treni treni nennen 41 EE 41 SYSTEM U 42 hedge M H 42 PRU Ped testae E diede 42 DDOSCVIDULON OE TEETH RC cm HT 42 How to use the Rapid STI function sese etre 43 MAT CONS C M 44 102 a AAAA eme eeemete t pendium 44 ID MEE EH Hr DH 44 d pre ed piri bean ipae 44 Speech Intelligibility Results 45 INOISE CRITERTA ATRR OH GEHE EDI bn adr edo IR uH e Hai 46 TheOL yet II UU LS 46 To use the Noise Criteria NC function sse tertie tete tr eene 46 To use the Speech Interference Level SIL function eese 46 VRAT 47 How to use the Speaker Polarity function 47 How to use the Microphone Polarity function esee 48 How to use the Equipment Polarity function 48 TIME CODE 49 JTIESCHIPU ON E
7. field and exit the function The table is now stored in memory TEST FUNCTIONS 41 Distortion Meter r FREQUENCY INPUT INPUT LEVEL METER Dizzrzad Meter Frequencd 1 Under r 4 THD N 10 l Output vail REP on _ t GENERATOR GENERATOR LEVEL ON OFF Description The distortion meter uses notch filters to compare the level of the incoming signal with its harmonics and noise THD N This function generates a sine wave at either 63 125 250 500 1000 or 2000Hz and sums the energy in the harmonics and residual noise to compute the THD N The range is 0 02 to 50 For most accurate results the input signal level must be constrained within a range so we include a bar graph level meter Either the line input or microphone input may be selected Note that as long as the correct frequency is chosen the signal may come from an external sine oscillator if desired The display shows the value numerically and also has a bar graph using a log scale from 100 to 0 0196 THD How to use the Distortion Meter Connect the Toolbox output to the input of the device to be measured Or use an external sine wave signal source at the correct frequency gt Input Select MicL low level MicH high level or one of the line inputs Ext ExtL or ExtH Frequency Select the desired test frequency VV V ON reading on the level meter gt Read the distortion in
8. 55 How to use the Cable Tester essere 55 How to use the Continuity Testers 55 POWERADE S TS 56 JDeSCEIDUOTL secet rares bad 56 How to use the Phantom Power TeStei ccccccccccccccsscsccssessccsssssccessssesessssecessssecesssesesssecessssecesssecessssecessssecesssseeess 56 How to use the Battery Tester esset eterne etre tetre treni tree 56 COMPUTER INTERFACE eR URS TEE eR UIS Ue dE 56 JOOSCHIDUON estet IAM 56 PA OW S ree cie otto m P 57 SETUPA CALIBRATION RETRATOS 58 cete cedo ccs creme T LETT UIDI DUPLI RUM E IIT LU EAT 58 How to save user defaults nenne teens EEEE eene 58 tete 59 How to use the calibration functions esses teeth 59 General Setup cx ee oi E aE SAC au ee Se SSO RES SoA TIONG SoS FAERIT ERIT 59 Audio Toolbox Calibration Procedure s sa t te EE E eee eee 60 ER 61 UB e ge T ET 61 PC MAC COMPUTER INTERLFAQC E eerte rte erneuern o
9. Calibrate the Frequency Counter Using the same hookup as above now set the signal generator to a frequency as close to 30 000Hz as possible 20 000Hz will work with slightly less accuracy Now adjust the CAL field to match the frequency being generated and click the SET field Note that you can change the value in the field to change numbers faster or slower Calibrate the Battery Voltage Temporarily power the Toolbox from a regulated DC power supply set to 7 00 to 7 50V and connect a DVM across the inputs Select the Battery Voltage calibration function and set the CAL field to match the voltage being output Now click the SET field Calibrate the Phantom Power Voltage Connect a DC power supply set to 45 0 to 48 0 V to the XLR OUTPUT connector on the Toolbox The negative lead is connected to UTILITIES 61 Pin 1 and the positive to both pins 2 and 3 Set the CAL data field to match the voltage being supplied and click the SET data field Calibrate the SPL Meter Connect an SPL calibrator to the Toolbox microphone or if none is available use a high quality SPL meter and the pink noise output from the Toolbox Either way generate a known SPL field as near to 94dBA SPL as possible Set the SPL LOW CAL field to match the SPL sound field level being generated and click the SET data field Do the same for the SPL HIGH CAL data field These steps will calibrate a Toolbox but note that the factory constants will not be
10. RII RIBUS 65 Level Freguenty MCL ET re RTT sO OT E 65 Signal tosNoise traer 66 DWEODS ccce EET EDEN ERE RIT ERE DERIT LTR SE Us 66 TUustortion Meter oie 66 SYSTEM teri e E A GG ETUR EE UTER 66 TL IE ee oa ct Seca TERRE ERIPUIT es IEEE REMIT IM 66 VAL CONS oto tat EET Mu M 66 Sample SCODG ses ote 66 Time Code To0ls 66 UTIEEEY Oy e tei eed le 66 Monitor AID tiae intitle cae ate eti ien SER ut e e e Cus es Soa 66 iicet eden rettet ete eret ete erede eet et ee ete ee ere ertet tects 66 Power 66 WARRANTY AND SUPPORT POLICTES u ccsscsssssssssccssssscsssscscsscsssccsessscsssccsecsssssscssessssssscssesssessssssesesesonees 67 14 DAY TRA VR 67 SOFTWARE UPGRADE POLICY ceo t rte ete ree eene ek phones e Re OE E e tr ne ERECEK REE CERE 67 7 Operating Instructions Standard Audio Toolbox Connectors and Controls The Audio Toolbox measures 5 1 2 x 9 1 2 x 2 3 4 14cm x 24cm x 6cm It weighs 2 Lb 1kg MICROPHONE LEFT XLR amp 1 4 BAL INPUT CABLE TESTER IN
11. A PPM Peak Program Meter indicator is shown as a single bar that bounces above the main bar The PPM meter uses the same reference level as the VU meter The absolute maximum peak level is shown on the bottom of the screen and can be reset by clicking the Max field Signal Noise Ratio Description This function compares the noise floor of a device to the full scale signal and computes the signal to noise ratio This is a stereo function and can run simultaneous two NOISE SIGNAL FINE COARSE MODE LEVEL OR FREQUENCY aft Right channel analysis a D C83 Fii n CD LEFT x 122 AdE 519nal 62 05 ai Sur RESULT x 95 95 88 36 S N 33 305 How to use gt Connect any Toolbox audio output to the input s of the device to be measured gt Connect the device output s to the Toolbox input s balanced or unbalanced TEST FUNCTIONS 36 Make sure the Signal Noise sub menu is Signal The signal generator is turned on in this mode and you can adjust the frequency and level of the output Now adjust the generator output and or the device input level to obtain a full scale signal on the device under test This is the reference level that the noise floor will be compared to Now switch the Signal Noise sub menu to Noise The signal generator is turned off and the Toolbox switches the input to the most sensitive range ExtL The noise floor of the device
12. Battery Life Backlight On 1 3 hours Backlight Off 3 0 hours Charge Time Toolbox Off 3 0 hours or battery removed Toolbox On 7 0 hours Power Rack Mount Audio Toolbox AC Power Input The power inlet is on the rear panel It accepts a standard IEC 3 pin AC power cord The power inlet also houses the fuses and allows you to set the power to the 120VAC range or the 240VAC range The voltage setting is visible through the small window in the fuse holder To prevent damage select the correct power range before plugging in the Audio Toolbox Changing the AC Voltage The current voltage setting is visible through the small window in the fuse holder To change voltage settings follow these steps Remove the AC power cord from the unit gt Using a small flat bladed screwdriver inserted under the right edge of the power inlet pry open the fuse access door Remove the fuser holder The fuse may drop out as you are doing this Rotate the fuse holder 180 degrees Press fuser holder back into power inlet This may require some force Close the fuse holder access door completely Again this may require a good push to seat properly VV ON ON AC Power Switch Rear panel The power inlet on the rear panel has a power switch This shuts off all of the AC to the Toolbox If you are powering down the unit for an extended period of time you can turn this switch off to reduce the power consumption to 0 Normally you can le
13. VALUE CALIBRATION VALUE SET CALIBRATION SET GENERATOR _ GENERATOR CALIBRATION ON OFF How to use the calibration functions Instructions are given here for the SPL Calibration Other calibration functions work in a similar manner Select the desired calibration function In this case SPL Calib was selected gt Connect the Toolbox microphone and apply a standard SPL calibrator gt Calibration Selector Choose the input to calibrate There are four microphone calibration items that can be set MicL MicH ExtL and ExtH Depending which of the four items that you select you will use either the right or left values on the screen gt Calibration Value Set the Cal field to the calibration value For example if you are calibrating the input to a known 3 0dBU signal set the Cal field to 3 0dBU The value being currently being read will be shown on the In line The difference between the In line and the Cal line shows the current calibration error for that function Measured Value The value being measured by the Toolbox is shown in this field If it matches the Calibration Value exactly no calibration needs to be done gt Set Calibration Move the focus to the Set field for the item that you are calibrating and dick the encoder to calibrate The Measured Value field value should now match the Calibration value field When you click on the lt to return to the menus the new calibration constants ar
14. graph It also allows you to run the RTA in difference mode The Overlay field defaults to no overlay as indicated by the character a straight line You can select A or C to overlay ANSI A or C weighting to the graph This means that a flat input will show up like the A or C curve with the lows and highs attenuated accordingly This can be useful in community noise studies to determine what frequency bands may be exceeding a standard referenced to A or C weighting You can also select X to overly the motion picture X curve on the displayed graph You can also operate the FFT in difference mode This allows you to see how current conditions differ from a stored memory To use difference mode you must first either recall or save a memory This memory must match the type displayed full mode or low mode Then change the overlay field to M for memory and the display will switch to difference mode The center of the screen will be set to OdB with 17 5 or 8 75 dB depending on the range selected top left corner of FFT graph To exit difference mode change the M in the overlay field to a Memories The FFT Analyzer results can be stored in any of 40 non volatile memories To access the memories click on the Mem field You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored memory As soon as a memory is restored the analyzer screen i
15. 15dB and averaging and normalizing these values RASTI simplifies the above method by selecting only 9 waveforms total using the 500Hz and 2kHz octave bands Although some equipment in use today uses a transmitter which puts out a composite waveform of all 9 modulation waveforms and a separate receiver which analyzes the composite waveform The Audio Toolbox analyzes the results of a standard RASTI test signal which is supplied on a CD If you do not have this CD contact TerraSonde to obtain a copy By using a separate test signal on a CD the test signal can be routed to a system that has a number of speakers such as an emergency evacuation system and the Toolbox can be carried around to measure each speaker individually Description MAXIMUM WAYEFORMS In operation gt an amplifier co and speaker ph are setup at the speaker position and the Audio Toolbox M VALUES microphone is setup at the listener position The on z7 AVERAGE RASTI test Ae M VALUE waveform is 4 played from a CD or other source and Generator the test is Output Level unused a a dc c pa pa p LO LDO LO LO DL L begun on the Toolbox SYSTEM TOOLS 43 After 10 seconds of analysis the results are shown on the screen and the RASTI value is read directly See the table below the ALCONS function description for a summary of the results of these tests How to use the Rapid STI functio
16. C HT octave band or 1 3 octave band filters may be selected The MEMORY time can range from SAVE 1 minute to 24 hours When the function runs it divides the time period into 120 equal divisions At i CURSOR 77 TIME CURSORDB GRAPH the end of each time LEVEL LENGTH AYERAGE PEAK MODE Rus 0 Save Mera 10 00 05 5 61 608 in period the Toolbox TIME computes either the average or peak SPL for that period and draws a bar on the graph This continues until the end time As the function is running the LEQ is computed and displayed After the graph is complete the full LEQ is displayed and stored with the graph Use this function to analyze noise levels over time or to keep track of concert or PA sound levels The graph can then be stored in one of the memories if desired To use the Sound Study Graph Filter Any of 38 filters are available including A B C weighting ANSI octave band filters or ANSI 1 3 octave band filters gt Input Select the input MicL MicH ExtL Ext or ExtH Average Peak Mode Switches between running the test in RMS average mode or in absolute peak mode Auto Memory Save If desired set the number of automatic memory saves This is the number to the left of the word Save ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 31 Graph Length Time This is the field in the lower right corner You can select 1 5 10 or 15 minutes or 1 2 8 or 24 hours Stop Start Click o
17. Combo Left Input This connector is a balanced audio input connector that accepts either an XLR connector or a 1 4 TRS or mono connector Pin 2 is hot on the XLR input This input can be thought of as the main input Functions that only use one input or that specify Ext ExtL or ExtH will use this connector XLR and 1 4 Combo Right Input This connector is a balanced audio input connector that accepts either an XLR connector or a 1 4 TRS or mono connector Pin 2 is hot on the XLR input This is the right channel Ext ExtL or ExtH input RCA phono plug Inputs These connectors are unbalanced stereo inputs They are the unbalanced Ext ExtL or ExtH inputs XLR Audio Output Use this connector when a balanced XLR audio output is needed It is also used for the phantom power test Pin 2 is hot 1 4 Balanced audio output jack This connector is wired in parallel with the XLR output jack above It provides a TRS balanced audio output RCA phono plug output The mono output is also routed to this jack This is one side of the balanced output 1 4 Stereo Headphone Output Jack Built in Speaker This jack is designed for headphone output as well as a stereo line level output if needed It is the only stereo output on the Toolbox The built in speaker is mounted on the output right side of the box It may be turned on in several functions where it is referred to as the Sp Hd output The speaker is also used for the microphone po
18. Select the ending frequency value Running Time Select the sweep time in seconds Curve Type Selects between swept sine and pink noise If pink noise is selected it is swept in 1 3 octave bands On Off Change the OFF field to RUN VV VV v TEST FUNCTIONS 38 How to use the Amplitude Sweep This function measures the frequency response OCTAVE of a device by MODE measuring the average level of each 1 3 or 1 12 octave band in the selected sweep range while GENERATOR MENU END the generator FREQUENCY smoothly sweeps the S 20H 61 9 46 2000 sine wave Note that FRE e 4 b you can set the starting and ending cursor frequency values and LEVEL the sweep time in the Sine Wave Sweep function Generator Menu Click this field to access the generator menu This lets you set the output level of the sweep Connect any of the Toolbox outputs to the input of the device being tested gt Input Select the appropriate input Choose MicL low range microphone input approx 35 to 95dB SPL range MicH high range Mic input approx 70db to 130dB SPL ExtL low range line input approx 95dBu to 30dBu the Ext input normal line input range approx 77dBu to 7dBu or ExtH high line input range approx 40dBu to 40dBu If a line input is selected connect the output of the device being tested to the LEFT input gt Octave Mode Select either the 1 3 octave mode or 1 12 octave mode
19. Set Max and carefully turn up the power amplifier If you are using one of the octave bands you will hear octave band limited pink noise You want the sound as loud as possible without actually damaging your system or overloading the Toolbox The Toolbox will compute and display the available decay range At least 30dB is recommended for an accurate reading Change the mode to Run RT60 The pink noise generator will be cycled on and off as readings are taken Several readings will be averaged and the results will be shown The Decay Time field displays the actual time in milliseconds for the sound field to decay by ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 30 the Decay range amount The 60 time field shows the extrapolated time for the sound to decay in the room were a full 60dB decay range available To stop the analysis change the mode from Run RT60 to Stop A full room analysis would require running this test at all of the octave bands and recording the results When looking at reverb times keep in mind that low frequency energy can vary quite a bit and still be inaudible to the human ear This can cause the results to vary in the lower octaves Sources of low frequency sound include heating and air conditioning systems traffic and even people walking in other parts of the building Sound Study Graph This function graphically displays the SPL level over a period of time It can run in peak or average mode and any of the A B
20. Sweep Signal You can select between a smoothly swept sine wave or a 1 3 octave pink noise on the Sine Wave sub menu Run Off Start the test by changing OFF to RUN Wait for the test to finish The results are displayed graphically If an input overload is detected at any point in the sweep the word OVERLOAD will appear on the display In this case select a higher input range or lower the output of the device being tested If the input level of the entire sweep is too low to obtain meaningful results the words LOW INPUT will appear on the display Choose a more sensitive lower input range or increase the output of the device being tested Cursor Use the cursor to display the exact dB level of any point on the screen You may now select the cursor below the graph and move it to read the exact measurement and frequency for each band displayed See the section below about using the memories a a 1 ale n nu TEST FUNCTIONS 39 Sweep GENERATOR MENU E impedance of Meter Plug a standard male to female XLR cable microphone cable from the Toolbox XLR gt Octave Mode Select either 1 3 or 1 12 octave mode How to use the onm x Impedance OCTAVE The d MODE Impedance Sweep function will ommum B d onu inn ERR plot the 2 FREQUENCY frequency START i You will need FREQUENCY 20 10 3 2000 to make upa b test cable i
21. TerraSonde web site The current Audio Toolbox software is also available for downloading To get your unique unlock code call or email TerraSonde You will need to have your Audio Toolbox serial number and the version of the software that you wish to install and TerraSonde will give you your unlock code If you have not registered your Toolbox you will be required to do so at this time Note that you may be required to provide proof of purchase to obtain a free software upgrade Procedure Go to the TerraSonde web site www terrasonde com go to the Downloads page and follow the instructions there You will have to download the Terrrasonde Upgrader program and the new software upgrade Details The program in the Toolbox that communicates with the PC called the Monitor is stored in protected non volatile memory in the Toolbox Barring physical damage or abuse it cannot be erased This means that even if a faulty program is somehow loaded into the Audio Toolbox the Monitor program will be safe and a new corrected program can still be downloaded to make a functional unit In fact several different programs can be stored on the PC hard disk and loaded in whenever desired It may possible to get completely different programs for the Audio Toolbox for special purposes The unlock code works with a specific Toolbox and upgrade so be sure to keep the unlock code safe TerraSonde can always replace the code if lost COMPUTER
22. altered by these calibrations The only way to change the factory constants which are a backup set of constants that you can always return to is by using a TerraSonde factory calibrator Description Shows the current software revision number serial number tech support phone numbers and the tech support web page address AUDIO TOOLBOX SERIAL NUMBER JUS pu TerraSonde Version 3 12 8 81 02 Lech t UTILITIES 62 PC Mac Computer Interface The Audio Toolbox communicates to a PC or Mac computer by changing the function of the MIDI ports to RS232 serial communication format A special interface cable is supplied with some models This cable adapts the MIDI in and out connectors to a standard RS232 DE 9 connector Instructions for building this cable can be found on the TerraSonde web site www terrasonde com You can transfer Toolbox data memories to a computer for printing upgrade the Toolbox software and display the results of some functions in real time on a computer screen depending on the computer software program Uploading memories to the PC Mac From our web site you can obtain the ATBInterface PC Mac software to extract the data memories from the Toolbox Check the Downloads page for current software availability Real Time Computer Interface TerraLink The TerraLink program has the ability to communicate with a Toolbox in real time This means that for the functions for which this feature is enable
23. desired Ext ExtL or ExtH This field does not affect the microphone gain which is set to MicL range and selected in the field below gt Display Mode Select the display mode The table below lists the input modes and shows the resultant display on the scope screen and the bar graph level meter Input Mode Scope Signal Displayed Bar Graph Level Meter L Left Line Input Left input signal dBu SYSTEM TOOLS gt gt gt 52 R Right Line Input Right input signal dBu L amp R Both inputs overlaid triggered on Sum of left and right signals dBu the left input L R Both inputs summed Sum of left and right signals dBu L R Both inputs difference Left signal minus right signal dBu Mic Toolbox microphone MicL in level dB SPL unweighted Vertical Scale Set the vertical scale as desired in units of Volts division or mVolts division by using the field beneath the left graph axis There are 6 divisions the vertical scale In Mic input mode the vertical scale units are Pa division where 1 Pa 94 dB SPL Horizontal Scale Select the desired horizontal time scale using this field Scope Run Hold Turn the Sample Scope on the incoming signal will be displayed dB Level Meter This meter shows the current input level depending on the mode selected dB Level The numeric value of the input level is shown in this field Notes Compared to any dedicated digital oscillos
24. encoder the backlight is switched on To change the backlight on time go to the Utility Menu Setup amp Calibration function General sub menu You can change this time from 0 to 999 seconds OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 17 Warning Storing a Toolbox with the battery in a state of discharge for long periods of time can shorten the life of the battery or possibly destroy it We recommend that the battery be kept charged at all times The battery cannot be overcharged so it is fine to leave it plugged into the charger when not in use Battery Life Backlight On 1 3 hours Backlight Off 3 0 hours Charge Time Toolbox Off 3 0 hours or battery removed Toolbox On 7 0 hours OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 18 Operating The Audio Toolbox Power on and off amp software upgrade mode The Toolbox can be powered on and off at any time there is no shutdown procedure When you turn on the unit the running man moves across the screen During this time the serial number is visible on the top of the screen Then the main menu appears What is going on here is that while the running man is on the screen the Toolbox is running the monitor program This program only knows how to load the main Toolbox software and how to do software upgrades To enter the software upgrade mode just turn the encoder to the right for serial upgrades or to the left for MIDI upgrades See the web site for full details on
25. is running a little fast or slow and to re sync after free wheeling through a section of drop outs How to use the Time Code Fault detector The Time Code Fault detector will find any frame that is not read as the next expected frame value This will include missing dropped frames or damaged frames The location of the last frame fault is displayed on the bottom of the screen If there are multiple bad frames the count will increment At any time you can clear the count field by clicking on Clear To use this function Connect the time code source to any LEFT Toolbox input connector gt Mode Select the Faults sub menu gt Clear the faults indicator as required Note that often time code starting up or stopping will trigger the fault detector This is normal operation for this function You can clear the faults counter after code starts up to look for later problems How to use the Time Code Frame Rate analyzer This function accurately measures the actual incoming time code frame rate to 0 001 of a frame The time code data stream is not de coded in this function Use the time code reader to see this information gt Mode Select the Frame Rate sub menu gt Connect the time code to any of the LEFT inputs gt Read the frame rate on the screen How to use the Time Code Calculator This function allows you to add or subtract time code values SYSTEM TOOLS 51 gt Mode Select the Calculator sub menu gt Set the
26. reacts and the graph resolution field which is the top dB number on the left graph axis Clicking this alternates between 1 0dB pixel resolution and 0 5dB pixel resolution Now you re an expert Really at this point you know about everything you need to operate the Toolbox You can navigate menus change data values use the cursor and store and recall memories As much as possible all of the Toolbox functions use the same principles of operation so you should be able to apply what you have learned in the other functions also Need to know more Read on there s more OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 12 Inputs and Outputs Overview The Audio Toolbox gets its input from either the supplied Toolbox microphone called Mic or MicL or MicH in the Toolbox or the line input jacks which are called Ext These inputs each have different ranges that may be used as required Some functions auto range and others require that you select an appropriate range Depending on need not all ranges are available in all functions The microphone has two ranges MicL and MicH Microphone Input Minimum Level Maximum Level Range MicL 30 dB SPL 95 dB SPL MicH 65 dB SPL 125 dB SPL The line inputs XLR and 1 4 combo jacks or the RCA jacks feed balanced input amplifiers with the RCA jacks feeding one side of the balancing network The 3 ranges available for these inputs are Line Input Range Minimum Level Maximu
27. recalling a memory you can use the cursor to read out individual data values These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function TEST FUNCTIONS 40 Real time Interface Both the Amplitude and Impedance sweeps can be used with TerraLink to see the results in real time on the screen of a PC or Mac computer See the Real Time interface section at the end of this manual for more information How to use the Sweep Cal function The Toolbox uses a table of stored internal voltages one for each 1 3 octave point to compute accurate impedance values These stored calibration numbers are also used in the Cables Tester to check for cable loss The values are stored in the table when this function is run Since this function appeared first in version 2 30 released July 25 2000 all Toolboxes manufactured before this date will show improved impedance meter and cable tester accuracy if this function is run Once it has been run the table is stored in non volatile memory and does not need to be run again However it does not hurt to re run this function at any time To run the Sweep cal function Connect a high quality short balanced cable from the Toolbox XLR out to the Toolbox Left XLR input gt Disconnect all other audio cables from the Toolbox Click Run to start the function Wait for it to complete You should see a fairly straight line on the graph when the function is done gt Move the
28. room noise can cause a bad score or a very loud test signal can mask room noise Set the talker test signal level at expected speech or system signal levels If these cases are avoided the results can correlate well with STI SYSTEM TOOLS 44 9oALCONS Theory Percent Apparent Loss of Consonants ALCONS is a speech intelligibility measure that is intended to mimic the loss of consonants of speech which has been shown to be related to loss of intelligibility of speech It is based on RT60 distance and volume measurements Two different formulae used depend on whether or not the distance from speaker to listener is greater than or less than the critical distance which is defined as Dc 0 2 SQRT V T Less than the critical distance this formula is used ALcons 200 D 2 T 2 V a Beyond the critical distance this formula is used ALcons 9 Where T RT60 time in seconds V Volume of the room in cubic meters D Speaker to Listener distance a a correction constant typically 1 5 Description In operation an amplifier and speaker are setup at the speaker position and the Audio Toolbox microphone is setup at the listener position The RT60 is measured in a speech octave band and the ALCONS is computed CTE vn BAND MicL ft BB 2 W Min 5558 8696 Ranat d ROOM IDlenath B h sht x 10 width DIMENSION 5 Se ak r 4 0 Int rval _ prrisica
29. software upgrades The monitor program is stored in protected memory and cannot be erased or altered even by a failed or interrupted program update If for some reason your Toolbox ever freezes at the hyper jumping screen a software update should fix it Contact TerraSonde tech support if you need more information about this feature Encoder All user input to the Audio Toolbox is done by using the large knob on the front of the unit This knob turns and may also be pressed clicked Focus The Audio Toolbox uses the concept of focus on the screen To select or change any item whether a menu selection or data entry field it must first be selected by moving the focus to that field The focus is moved by turning the encoder knob You can tell where the focus is by the location of the highlighted white text on dark background block of text Once the focus is moved to the field that you wish to modify or select pushing the encoder knob in will select the item if it is a menu choice or change the value of the field Fields that have only a few values like on and off or an input selection can be changed just by clicking the encoder knob To increase and decrease values you can turn it right or left while holding the encoder knob in The knob is designed to make it easy to hold it down and spin it All data fields cursors and fields with many choices use cursor lock To change the data in one of these fields such as the Signa
30. the right of the Test Running field Test Controller Click the Test Stopped field to change it to Test Running to start the test UTILITIES 56 Touch the two test probes together A momentary beep should be heard and a line should appear on the screen if continuity is present Each time the test probes are connected together a short beep will be heard Description These functions B Phantom Power analyze phantom PIN 2 power and VOL TAGE Pin 2043 Pin 3C display the Audio ZXT oh Ww Toolbox internal ms VOY PIN 3 battery voltage 3B 4U 38 4 VOLTAGE and remaining battery life Use XLR output How to use the Phantom Power Tester gt Select Phantom mode Connect a microphone cable to the XLR output connector The phantom power voltage for each pin is shown on the screen Note There is approx one volt of DC offset on this connector at all time Do not connect this to a microphone preamp or other device that cannot tolerate this voltage Also just after a phantom power test there will be up to 48VDC on this connector stored in the internal coupling capacitors Be careful when you plug the Toolbox outputs into a device just after doing a phantom power test How to use the Battery Tester Select Battery mode Select the battery chemistry either alkaline lithium or NiMH when using the respective AA cells or lead acid when using the TerraSonde rechargeable lead acid battery accessor
31. to read out the exact dB level and frequency of any bar on the screen gt On Off To freeze the display turn the RTA off gt Mem Save the screen to a memory or recall a stored RTA memory gt If an input overload is detected the word Overload appears on the display It automatically clears when the overload condition ceases Overlay curves and Difference mode The overlay field allows you to select one of several curves to apply to or overlay onto your graph It also allows you to run the RTA in difference mode The Overlay field defaults to no overlay as indicated by the character a straight line You can select A or C to overlay ANSI A or C weighting to the graph This means that a flat input will show up like the A or C curve with the lows and highs attenuated accordingly This can be useful in community noise studies to determine what frequency bands may be exceeding a standard referenced to A or C weighting You can also select X to overly the motion picture X curve on the displayed graph You can also operate the RTA in difference mode This allows you to see how current conditions differ from a stored memory To use difference mode you must first either recall or save a memory This memory must match the type displayed full mode or low mode Then change the overlay field to M for memory and the display will switch to difference mode The center of the screen will be set to OdB with 17 5 or 8 75
32. under test is now measured and the S N ratio is computed and displayed Sometimes it may be difficult to know what to use as the correct full scale level for a device If the device is an analog tape recorder you should use 0 dB as shown on the tape machine meters even if the tape machine is adjusted to record a hot 0 like 9 for example If the device has output metering adjust the levels for 0 dB on the meter If the device has no level meters then adjust the Toolbox output to 4dBu for balanced equipment and 10dBV for unbalanced equipment To measure the S N ratio for a recording device that may not have a direct output like an ordinary cassette deck just record the OdB signal and play back in the Signal sub menu and then switch to the Noise sub menu and play back some tape that has been recorded with no input signal present Note It is possible to get digital feedback when the output of the Toolbox is connected to a device with gain such as a microphone preamplifier If this occurs just unplug the input to the device under test when you are in Noise mode TEST FUNCTIONS 37 The Audio Toolbox has three sweep functions Amplitude Sweep frequency response Impedance Sweep and a general purpose programmable Sine Wave Sweep Also this function has a calibration routine Sweep Cal that calibrates the internal voltage readings which are used by the Impedance Meter and the Cable Tester The Amplitud
33. with doing this procedure yourself TerraSonde will re calibrate your Audio Toolbox to factory standards at any time for no charge Check with TerraSonde or your local distributor for details In addition to the calibration functions you may also store a set of user default values See the description of this feature below Like the other calibration values these settings are stored in non volatile memory and are retrieved whenever the Toolbox is turned on How to save user defaults The user default values include all of the sub menus last accessed the last waveform type frequency and level values stored in the signal generator the time code generator values time and frame rate last used tuner reference frequency tempo last used RTA graph settings sample scope settings and various level settings and input selections in many of the functions There is only one set of user settings and each time you re store the values all stored settings are updated To store a set of user defaults Gotothe Setup amp Calibration functions on the Utilities menu gt If it is not already showing change the sub menu until you reach Save Defaults gt Move the cursor to the Save field and click Click on the field to exit the function All settings are now stored and will be recalled whenever the Toolbox is turned on UTILITIES 59 SPL Calibration CALIBRATION SELECTOR MEASURED VALUE MEASURED
34. you can see on your computer screen the results of the function as they are occurring The functions currently enabled for real time display are the RTA Full and Low modes the FFT Full and Low modes the Energy Time Graph and the amplitude and impedance sweeps functions TerraLink runs on both Windows and Mac computers and communicates using a standard RS 232 serial port TerraLink also allows plotting memories directly and printing See the TerraSonde web site for more information on TerraLink Upgrading the Audio Toolbox Overview acer The Audio Toolbox be field upgraded new Serial software using the MIDI ports the Toolbox MM T We GOTT rtl When connected to a serial port the MIDI ports IPE 20172 are reconfigured internally for serial communications Minimum requirements for upgrading a Toolbox are a APCrunning Windows 95 or Windows 98 or a Mac running system 8 6 or later Serial download mode MIDI in and out ports or a serial port on the PC or a serial port on the Mac USB is not supported directly 2MIDI cables or a special Toolbox serial adapter cable contact TerraSonde or check our web site for details COMPUTER INTERFACE 63 The Audio Toolbox Upgrader software PC or Mac program The new Audio Toolbox software to be downloaded into the Toolbox a Aunique software unlock code The Upgrader software is available as a free download from the
35. INTERFACE 64 ANSI Filter Response This chart shows the response curves for the ANSI A B and C weighting filters Note that the A weighting curve actually continues down below the graph To some people the A curve represents a typical speech frequency distribution while the C curve represents a typical music frequency distribution NE EEE FILTER RESPONSE 65 Specifications TerraSonde reserves the right to change specifications without notice Electrical Specifications Input Impedances XLR and 1 4 balanced inputs 40k ohms RCA unbalanced 20k ohms Output Impedances XLR and 1 4 balanced outputs 300 ohms RCA unbalanced 150 ohms Polarities Pin 2 is hot positive polarity on all XLR connectors The 1 4 connectors all have the tip hot Power AC power adapter output 6v 9vDC 400 Batteries 6 AA cells provide 5 8hours of service depending on usage Acoustic Analysis Sound Pressure Level Meter ANSI S1 11 1986 ASA 65 1986 0 3 dB steady state resolution to 0 1 dB 35 130 dBA RMS detection with ANSI type 1 weighting networks and decay peak hold time constants ANSI S1 43 1997 Leq ANSI S1 25 Noise Dosimeter Class 2 Real Time Analyzer 1 5dB overall ANSI Class 1 octave and 1 3 octave band filters ISO frequency centers FFT Analyzer 1 5 dB with Toolbox Mic Frequency discrimination to 1 Reverb Decay Time 2 of full signal 10
36. ISE A TE 49 How tose the Time Code Reader o E e eee E eere ERE edere ve eet ee Do eene tea 49 Howto use the T une Code Gener lor 49 How to use the Time Code Re Generator Jam 50 How to use the Time Code Fault detector esee eene 50 How to use the Time Code Frame Rate analyzer esee terere nete tete trennen 50 How to use the Time Code Calculator see 50 SAMPLES COPE reete ERE a ETHER Re RENE SITES 51 JOOSCHIDUON SEE totem teste tutte r ORT IM 51 51 IN OLS ate 52 UTILITIES ssencsccsascscencssccssasvcccvenscensnscscencasssdsncvossencsccsvecevencossessncvosneassoncdecsvesceceseencvesssenssvssuevevescesessencvoseseasvossuevsvencasess 53 MONITOR AMPEIPIER cececeheeet reete eet rrt EE Peek eeu Ee et FE rk Pere V Trete FE aeu EXER ETE FCR e eX EE Tee eV EDO S 53 DescripilQm D 53 How to use the Monitor Amplifier etel 53 CABLE TESTER amp CONTINUITY EF ESTER itte rere rentre eii rer mr rere vea eu a ee eee ua aee va eh ete a 55
37. RIGHT XLR amp 1 4 BAL RCA INPUTS 42 STEREO UNBALANCED gt XLR OUTPUT BAL MONO CABLE TESTER PHANTOM TEST 1 1 4 OUTPUT Susam RCA OurPuT UNBALANCED MONO I9 SED 29 MN lt US 1 4 STEREO 32 OHM MIN POWER INPUT POWER SWITCH AC AND BATTERY NOTE ALSO USED FOR SERIAL I O WITH ADAPTER CABLE ENCODER KNOB OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Rack Mount Audio Toolbox Connections and Controls The Rack mount Audio Toolbox is a standard 2u rack chassis 3 5 9cm tall and weighs 6 Ibs 2 7kg RCA INPUTS STEREO PARTIAL VIEW OF FRONT PANEL UNBALANCED LEFT XLR amp DC POWER SWITCH 1 4 BAL MICROPHONE INPUT CONNECTOR CABLE TESTER IN RIGHT XLR amp NoTE AC POWER SWITCH f MaTN tour 1 4 BAL INPUT IS ON REAR PANEL FOR USE WITH TERRASONDE SUPPLIED MICROPHONE ONLY Audio Toolbox TerraSonde 1101 e HEADPHONES 1 4 srEREO 32 XLR OUTPUT LCD DISPLAY BAL MONO CONTRAST MIDI INPUT OUTPUTS CABLE TESTER NOTE ALSO USED FOR SERIAL PHANTOM TEST RCA OUTPUT UNBALANCED MONO i I O WITH ADAPTER CABLE ENCODER OFF PAGE 1 4 OUTPUT BAL Mono CABLE TESTER OUT OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Audio Toolbox Plus Connectors and Controls The Audio Toolbox Plus is 12 w x 6 h x 2 d 30cm h x 15cm w x 5cm h and weighs 4 Ibs 1 8kg with the inter
38. The Audio Toolbox Contractor s Firmware User Manual Version 3 30 TerraSonde 303 545 5848 2434 30 Street fax 303 545 6066 Boulder CO 80301 USA sales amp support 888 433 2821 TerraSonde the makers of the Audio Toolbox www terrasonde com TerraSonde reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other information contained in this publication without prior notice and the reader should in all cases consult TerraSonde to determine whether any such changes have been made This manual may not be reproduced and is intended for the exclusive use of TerraSonde users The terms and conditions governing the sale and use of the Audio Toolbox consist solely of those set forth in the written contracts between TerraSonde and its customers No statement contained in this publication including statements regarding capacity suitability for use or performance of products shall be considered a warranty by TerraSonde for any purpose or give rise to any liability of TerraSonde In no event will TerraSonde be liable for any incidental indirect special or consequential damages including lost profits arising out of or relating to this publication or the information contained in it even TerraSonde has been advised knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages The Audio Toolbox described in this document is copyrighted and is confidential information and a proprietary product of TerraSonde The copyright laws pro
39. This is the R CURSOR same cable Nap used with the Impedance function on the Signal Generator To make this cable connect two test probes or clips to the Tip and Ring of a 1 4 stereo plug The ground is left open Plug the impedance tester cable into the 1 4 output jack on the Toolbox output jack to the Toolbox Left combo input jack Use a short cable if possible Generator Although you can jump to the generator screen with this field the generator level is set to a fixed output level approximately 6dBu to optimize the impedance measurement gt Run Off Start the test by changing OFF to RUN Cursor After the sweep completes the graph is drawn You may now select the cursor and move it to read the exact measurement and frequency for each band displayed gt Ohms Range Use this field to change the maximum impedance displayed on the graph Note that this function uses the results of the Sweep Cal function to obtain accurate readings See the description below for more information Also see the section below on using the memories Memories The results of both the Amplitude and Impedance sweeps can be stored in any of the 40 non volatile memories To access the memories click on the Mem field You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored memory When a memory is restored the sweep screen is displayed After
40. ackground noise in the room Result Read the polarity on the screen How to use the Equipment Polarity function Mode Select Equipment mode Plug any audio output from the Toolbox into the input of the device to be tested Generator On Off Plug the device output into any Toolbox left input and turn the generator on Generator Level Adjust the output level and input gain as needed to obtain a mid scale reading on the level meter Confidence Indicators Observe the and confidence meters to see that the Toolbox is getting good information from the speaker Only one bar should be tall If both bars are tall then there may be excessive noise in the system or the levels may not be correct Result Read the polarity on the screen SYSTEM TOOLS 49 Time Code m Description BEL Use the Time Code HE ERATUM Pii to read Ps ON OFF generate re mi generate p accurately measure the running frame B rate of time code TIME CODE or test for time code faults Use the GENERATOR Time Code TIME CODE Calculator to help h you compute OFFSET offsets and to solve GENERATOR other time code LEVEL problems Note that you can save the generator starting time and frame rate values by using the Save Defaults sub menu on the Setup amp Calibration function How to use the Time Code Reader gt Mode Select the Read L amp R sub menu gt Input Linear Time Code LTC to any of the Toolbo
41. ated with the SPL meter levels Generator On Off Turn on the pink noise generator Gen on Overlay Select flat response the A or C weighting curve or the ANSI X curve PH22 202M 1984 used for setting up motion picture theaters Note that these filters actually modify the data on the screen unless flat is selected Resolution Clicking on the dB number on the top of the left graph axis changes the graph resolution from 1dB pixel to 0 5dB per pixel Range Adjust the dB range as needed so that the display fits on the vertical axis by selecting the lower dB value on the vertical axis Extra Field Select the extra field This is the field in the bottom center of the screen You can choose to see either the band that has the highest momentary level Hz max the full band SPL level dB SPL the A weighted SPL dBA SPL or the C weighted SPL dBC SPL Note that these levels are not as accurate the SPL levels displayed on the SPL meter but are available to show the SPL level in the room Cursor Use the cursor to read out the exact dB level and frequency of any bar on the screen On Off To freeze the display turn the analyzer off gt If an input overload is detected the word Overload appears on the display It automatically clears when the overload condition ceases Overlay curves and Difference mode The overlay field allows you to select one of several curves to apply to or overlay onto your
42. ave this switch on and use the DC front panel power switch OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 16 DC Power Switch Front panel The front panel mounted power switch disconnects the internal power supply from the Audio Toolbox circuitry Use this switch in day to day operations as required Power Audio Toolbox Plus Power Input Jack The Audio Toolbox takes 6 8vDC unregulated at a minimum of 700ma The input connector is a 2 1mm coaxial power connector positive on the center pin Power Switch The power switch is mounted on the input panel of the Toolbox and will turn the Toolbox on or off whether powered by the internal battery or the AC adapter Internal Rechargeable Battery System The Audio Toolbox Plus comes with an internal rechargeable sealed lead acid SLA battery system The battery module can be accessed by unscrewing the thumbscrew and opening the battery compartment door on the front of the unit and sliding the battery module out of the Toolbox The battery charger is mounted directly on top of the battery It has two connectors mounted on it one that accepts the AC module power plug and one that mates with the Toolbox internally These connectors are different sizes so that the power plug cannot be plugged into the wrong connector Charging Anytime that the AC power module is plugged into the battery module the battery will be charging You cannot overcharge the battery In fact we recommend leaving the AC power mod
43. ay Cumulative average mode is indicated by AVG peak hold mode by HLD gt Input Select the appropriate input Choose MicL low range Mic input approx 30 to 95gB SPL range MicH high range Mic input approx 70db to 130dB SPL ExtL low range line input approx 80dBu to 30dBu Ext normal line input range approx 50dBu to 7dBu or ExtH high line input range approx 10dBu to 40dBu The Mic input levels are calibrated with the SPL meter levels Generator On Off Turn on the pink noise generator if desired Overlay Select flat response the A or C weighting curve or the ANSI X curve PH22 202M 1984 used for setting up motion picture theaters Note that these filters actually modify the data on the screen unless flat is selected Resolution Clicking on the dB number on the top of the left graph axis changes the graph resolution from 1dB pixel to 0 5dB per pixel Range Adjust the dB range as needed so that the display fits on the vertical axis by selecting the lower dB value on the vertical axis Extra Field Select the extra field This is the field in the bottom center of the screen You can choose to see either the full band SPL level dB SPL the A weighted SPL dBA SPL or the C weighted SPL dBC SPL Note that these levels are not as accurate the SPL levels displayed on the SPL meter but are available to show the SPL level in the room at the time of the RTA analysis Cursor Use the cursor
44. ce 32 ohms Cable Tester Tests XLR 1 4 balanced and single ended all XLR to 1 4 combinations RCA cables also tested Power Tests Phantom checker shows voltage 0 2V on and XLR pins Battery tester accurate to 02VDC SPECIFICATIONS 67 Warranty and Support Policies This section contains the complete TerraSonde Audio Toolbox warranty customer support and return policies 14 Day Trial You may return the Audio Toolbox to the place of purchase and receive a full refund within 14 days of purchase The returned unit must be in as new condition and must include all original packaging and accessories If the unit is not in as new condition you will be referred to TerraSonde the manufacturer to resolve the problem TerraSonde backs up this promise so please contact us if any problem occurs Note Non recoverable charges including shipping charges credit card transaction fees and other such costs are exempt from this policy and will not be refunded Check with your dealer for details Software Upgrade Policy TerraSonde provides a 90 day free software upgrade period In some cases you may have to return the unit to the factory for the upgrade In this case you will pay shipping to TerraSonde and we will ship the unit back to you after the upgrade at our expense in the USA International customers must pay shipping both ways This software upgrade policy does not apply to new features added to the system o
45. cope this is a very low resolution display Still there are many times that useful information can be obtained from this function To maximize the display readability the display is only cleared every 1 2 second or so The full vertical scale reflects the scale of the digital 16 bit input stage If you see what looks like clipping on the maximum vertical scale as the signal runs into the top of the display then you are over driving the inputs There is an automatic trigger level that is set to 1 256 of the maximum vertical scale digital counts to lock the display to repeating waveforms In X Y mode accurate phase relationships can be seen up to approx 22kHz SYSTEM TOOLS 53 This section contains the descriptions for the Utility functions Monitor Amplifier Description Monitor Amplifier to trace signals the output of a tape SP Hd off Gain 15 Ud SPEAKER HEADPHONES machine or OUTPUT GAIN CONTROL CD player Output Main AdE 7 LINE OUTPUT GAIN InPut Line sius Rande Udh L InPut Yain AJEL BdBE How to use the Monitor Amplifier gt Input Select Line or Mic input gt Mono Stereo If Line input is selected select mono if you wish to route the left input to both output channels The microphone input appears in mono at the output gt If Line input is selected plug the audio input source into any of the audio input connectors gt Input Gain Range Se
46. dB depending on the range selected top left corner of RTA graph To exit difference mode change the M in the overlay field to Memories The RTA results can be stored in any of 40 non volatile memories To access the memories dick on the Mem field You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored memory As soon as a memory is restored the RTA screen is displayed ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 24 After recalling a memory you can change the octave band size change the graph dB range and use the cursor to read out individual band data and frequency values Memories stored in Full or Low mode must be retrieved in the same mode These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function Real time Interface This function can be used with TerraLink to see the results in real time on the screen of a PC or Mac computer See the Real Time interface section at the end of this manual for more information FFT Analyzer Theory The incoming signal is run through 3 cascaded FFTs that are designed to resolve frequency to 1 12 octave resolution Compared to the filter based RTA above this function is slower to react but has finer frequency resolution Description Analyzes the audio received at the microphone or left line input by dividing the audio spectrum into octaves 1 3 1 6 or 1 12 octaves and displaying a bar g
47. e and Sine Wave Sweep functions vary the frequency once per millisecond which results in a sonically smooth sweep The Impedance Sweep and Sweep Cal functions vary the frequency in 1 3 or 1 12 octave steps This results in more accurate impedance measurements since the sweep cal function records the internal voltages in 1 3 octave steps In either case the frequency changes in integer Hz values only The Amplitude Sweep function can operate in 1 3 or 1 12 octave mode In either mode the generator frequency sweeps smoothly and the Amplitude Sweep function averages the results over each of the 1 3 or 1 12 octave bands The sweep time and start and stop frequencies for all sweep functions can be set by the programmable Sine Sweep function You can set the starting and ending frequencies to any ISO standard 1 3 octave frequency and the time from 1 to 99 seconds How to use the Sine Wave Sweep The Sine Wave Sweep function provides a general Rs programmable smooth sine wave RUNNING sweep It can also TIME be used to define the sweep parameters for the CURRENT other sweep FREQUENCY functions You can set the beginning and ending frequency values and the sweep time from 1 to 99 seconds The level is set by dicking the Gen field and jumping to the Signal Generator screen To use the Sine Wave Sweep function Connect any Toolbox output to the device input Start Value Select the starting frequency value End Value
48. e stored in non volatile memory General Setup This menu has data fields for some miscellaneous values that are stored in the Toolbox Each is described below Since you can alter the contents of the calibration values stored in the Toolbox be careful with these data fields If you are unsure of what to do contact TerraSonde technical support before altering these UTILITIES 60 DC Backlight On This field controls how many seconds the display backlight stays on after moving or clicking the encoder knob under battery power Enter any number of seconds from 0 to 999 Keeping the backlight off conserves battery power The backlight stays on under AC power Burn in This field indicates whether or not the Toolbox has been through the burn in process When an Audio Toolbox is first powered up in manufacture it enters a burn in and self calibrate state Several constants are stored at this time The unit may be forced through the burn in process again by setting the burn in data field on the General Setup menu to No exiting the menu and powering the unit off and back on The burn in procedure takes one hour to complete Note that this may affect the main calibration Factory Calibration This field indicates whether or not the Toolbox has been through the factory calibration process If a unit needs to be re factory calibrated this field may be set to No Note that the factory calibration process requires a special TerraSonde calibra
49. eep Amplitude function you can run a sweep click on Mem to jump to the Memory Control screen store the sweep into a memory and recall another sweep amplitude memory You will jump back to the Sweep Amplitude function and the stored graph will be displayed You can also delete memories from the Memory screen You can choose to delete a single memory or all memories in the Toolbox Some functions such as the Sound Study Graph can automatically store memories These functions will only store into erased memory positions Saving favorite user settings The Audio Toolbox has the ability to store a set of favorite values Just set up the Toolbox the way you like it and go to the Setup amp Calibration function Then click on the sub menu field until Save Defaults appears and click Save in the middle of the screen Your settings will be stored in non volatile memory and will be restored each time you re power the Toolbox The stored settings include all the sub menu selections Signal Generator values time code generator and frame rate values RTA graph settings and more See the section in the manual on Setup amp Calibration for more information OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Acoustic Analysis Functions This section discusses the Acoustical Analysis functions of the Audio Toolbox These functions all use the Toolbox microphone but can operate with an external microphone The external microphone must be powered by an external
50. eld below the vertical dB axis and move the small inverted T until it is just above the start of the decay slope This cursor will only move up to the normal cursor so you may need to move the other cursor first Next select the normal cursor and move it to the end time of the decay slope The equivalent RT60 time for the decay slope that you have selected will be computed and shown on the screen Memories The Energy Time Graph can be stored in any of 40 non volatile memories To access the memories click on the Mem field You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored memory As soon as a memory is restored the Energy Time Graph screen is displayed After recalling a memory you can use the cursor to read out individual data values These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function Real time Interface This function can be used with TerraLink to see the results in real time on the screen of a PC or Mac computer See the Real Time interface section at the end of this manual for more information ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 29 Reverb Decay Time RT60 Description FC Computes the reverb EVEL decay time for a INPUT room referenced to the standard 60 Set Mi time RT60 is defined Gen fdb Fla as the time that it Max noise level AB takes sound to decay din room l
51. est signal This waveform may be used for phase signal tracing with the Sample Scope function gt Generator On Off Turn the generator on gt Frequency Mode For sine or square wave or pink noise select the desired frequency mode Octave mode jumps between ISO octave band center frequencies 1 3 Oct mode steps between ISO third octave center band frequencies and fine mode provides for more exact adjustment Note that square waves are limited to a maximum frequency of TEST FUNCTIONS 33 1600Hz since the digital generator cannot create a good square wave above that frequency In pink noise the octave or 1 3 octave modes generate octave or 1 3 octave band limited pink noise Frequency Select desired frequency Output Level Mode Coarse mode changes level by approx 1 5dB fine mode changes about 0 05dB Note that there are two ways that the level is shown First a bar meter shows the setting of the coarse level The second tick mark from the right is approximately OdBU In the sine and square waves a small marker appears beneath the coarse line This is the fine setting As you move the level up and down the fine setting changes until you reach either end of the scale Then the Toolbox automatically switches into coarse mode until you change the direction of the level change when it switches back into fine mode This setting is Shown whether the output is on or off so that you have a way to see the approximate
52. eve SUP by 60dB Ear x4 Ar protection is SPEAKER cp kr 4 AN A ANZ recommended when Sd at time Y ai E using this function Decay time ms The RT60 time may RT6H time fii WADE METH band 20 20kHz or in any of nine standard octave bands An octave band is defined as one octave of sound centered around one of the ISO standard octave frequency values such as 1000Hz How to use Input Select the appropriate input either the Toolbox microphone MicL or MicH or one of the external inputs Generator Level Use this field to adjust the generator output level as needed Filter Any of 38 filters are available including A B C weighting ANSI octave band filters or ANSI 1 3 octave band filters A weighting will roll off most of the low frequencies If in doubt about which filter to use you may get more reliable results in this mode Plug any Toolbox audio output into an amplifier and speaker Turn the level down at the amplifier Distance to Speaker Set the Speaker field to the approximate distance from the speaker to the Toolbox You may select units of feet or meters Interval This field controls the timing between cycles and therefore the longest RT60 time that can be measured In small rooms select a shorter time and in larger more reverberant spaces select a longer time interval Mode In Set Min mode allow the Toolbox to read the average background noise level in the room Change the mode to
53. first time code by moving the focus to the time and frame rate fields and changing the values to the desired times Change the operator data field to the desired operation either for addition or for subtraction Setthe second time code by moving the focus to the time fields and changing the values to the desired time Move the focus to the field and push and turn the encoder to perform the calculation Sample Scope Description Oscilloscope like function that runs ww 4 RUN HOLD at the maximum system sample DISPLAY MODE m rate 48 kHz and GENERATOR MENU shows the incoming signal GENERATOR ON OFF DB LEVEL on a graph METER Useful for identifying repetitive waveforms and T g obvious clipping 4 distortion and over ranges Also VERTICAL useful as a SCALE graphical phase HORIZON TAL meter when used SCALE in X Y mode jnal in dBu The numeric value appears below the bar How to use gt Connect the signal to any Toolbox audio input s gt Scope Mode Using the sub menu field select the graph x axis scale in milliseconds or select X Y phase mode Phase mode requires two input signals typically either the left and right inputs from a stereo source to observe program material phase or a signal generator and the output from an analog tape machine to adjust the azimuth of a tape head gt Input Select the line input
54. fitted with probes alligator clips or other suitable connectors Plug this connector into the 1 4 output jack next to the male XLR output jack Connect a standard balanced female XLR to male XLR cable microphone cable between the XLR balanced output on the Toolbox and left Toolbox input This cable should be as short as possible for the most accuracy Select the Impedance sub menu Select the frequency at which to test the impedance Connect the load between the two probes on the adapter cable Read the impedance in ohms Note that you can also measure impedance from the Sweeps function Also the Sweep Cal function affects the accuracy of the impedance meter Level Frequency Meter m LEVEL METER Description MODE Two sub menus T meter with stereo FREQUENCY are available A stereo audio level ji Level Frey frequency n R 19h LEVEL Is a counter and a 8 8 Hz DIN standard K stereo VU PPM lu T 94 Bd Bu bar graph meter EG L Rande The signal ie eda ie turned on in any OF of the level meters To GENERATOR GENERATOR ON OFF change the MENU i settings click on Gen to go to the signal generator screen and make the needed changes How to use the Level Frequency Meter Plug one or two sources into any audio input connectors Note do not plug two source
55. hat the speaker beep only checks the results of the digital tests How to use the Cable Tester Cable Type Select the cable type from the sub menu Microphone cables are BAL gt BAL while guitar cables are UNBAL gt UNBAL The name on the left of the screen corresponds to the output of the Toolbox and the name on the right corresponds to the input connector Test Controller Push and turn the encoder to change the field to Test Running Speaker On Off Turn the speaker tone on or off as desired by clicking the on field to the right of the Test Running field Digital Test Result First a digital wiring test is done The results are shown graphically on the screen Crossed cables shorts or opens are drawn directly Analog Test Result Next an analog audio test is performed running 1kHz and then 20kHz through the cable The drop in transmission levels are shown for each frequency relative to the values stored in the Sweep Cal tables see the Sweeps menu for more information A good cable will have values of 0 0dB for both frequencies How to use the Continuity Tester Make a Continuity test cable adapter This is just two 1 4 plugs with only the tip connected in each The other end of each of the wires may terminate in a test probe alligator clip or other suitable connector Cable Type Select the Continuity test mode from this field Speaker On Off Turn the speaker tone on or off as desired by clicking the on field to
56. hibit the copying of this manual or any of the support software programs without the written consent of TerraSonde except in the normal use of the product or to make a backup copy This exception does not allow a copy to be made for others Copying under the law includes translating into another language or format c Copyright 1998 2003 All Rights Reserved TerraSonde 2440 30 Street Boulder CO 80301 USA 303 545 5848 303 545 6066 www terrasonde com All rights reserved Printed in USA Revised November 03 General Notice some of the product names used herein have been used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies The Audio Toolbox is a trademark of TerraSonde Revised by Sarah Smith Aug 02 Table of Contents OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS eese eeeee esee testate tinens enean stantes tns in ens en estne es enean sensns 7 STANDARD AUDIO TOOLBOX CONNECTORS AND CONTROLS eeeeeeeeeee eee e eene nennen 7 RACK MOUNT AUDIO TOOLBOX CONNECTIONS AND CONTROLS n nnn nennen 8 AUDIO TOOLBOX PLUS CONNECTORS AND CONTROLS eere eene ener 9 QUICK START ns ettet ated 10 Out of the box Using the RIA end ce career i eie ee e REIR 10 INPUTS AND OUTPUTS te ete ta ede dada e ete e ede e e e e e ee e AA 12 OVETV W M M H 12 Microphone uri
57. hose bars mean Each one represents the SPL level of a range of frequencies To see the exact level and frequency band turn the knob until the dark block is in the lower right corner Now click and it changes to an underline You have just activated cursor lock for the cursor OK the terms are confusing But turn the knob back and forth anyway and you will see a line move back and forth on the screen This is the graph cursor Now notice that the little numbers above the thick line are changing too They show you the frequency band the cursor is hovering over and the level in dB SPL of that band Neat Now click the knob to release the cursor lock and Turn on the generator Turn the knob until you get to the field just next to the word Gen Click to change it to on Now if you plug the Toolbox output any output except the headphone out into an amplifier and a speaker you will hear a waterfall Actually pink noise Here s an exception everywhere else in the Toolbox like the Sound Level Meter Scope whatever the word Gen is actually a field that you can click to jump directly into the Signal Generator function to make adjustments The RTA only has pink noise available so it won t do this little trick Save a memory OK now get some really cool pattern on the screen whistle scream and move the highlight to the On field and click to turn the RTA off The display will freeze So move the highlight to the word Mem and clic
58. into an amplifier and speaker Turn the level down at the amplifier Input Select the MicL MicH or any Ext input Units Select the desired units time in milliseconds or distance in feet or meters Time Window If you have selected units of time this will be in milliseconds If you have selected units of distance this is the distance equivalent to the time the sound takes to travel Filter Any of 38 filters are available including A B C weighting ANSI octave band filters or ANSI 1 3 octave band filters A weighting will roll off most of the low frequencies In many cases you will get more reliable results in this mode On Off Turn the function on and carefully turn up the power amplifier if you are using Internal trigger mode to obtain the highest possible signal reading without overloading the Toolbox or creating excessive distortion in the speaker Results will be displayed on the screen RT Time Select the desired RT calculation from RT10 to RT60 RT Cursor Offset This is a dual purpose field When the ETG is running the field just below the left graph axis is an offset You can use this to offset the display to a time greater than Oms to see the details of a reflection for example that is beyond the window time width This shifts the curve such that the window displayed starts a later time than Oms When the ETG is not running clicking this field allows you to move the RT cursor to set the starting point on the ETG cu
59. k You jump straight into the Memory Control screen This feature is available from all of the functions that draw graphs Move the highlight to the memory number field and use your data field skills to change that number to 9 Or whatever The word to the right of the number indicates what is currently stored in that memory number which may very well be nothing unused Release the click lock and move to the Store field and click Your graph is now saved forever well almost in the non volatile memory chip inside the Toolbox By the way these memories can be transferred into a PC or Mac but that s a different story Now click Recall and you will jump back to the RTA with the memory recalled on the graph An extra field That s almost it for the RTA We ve covered all of the fields except the input selector it says MicL most likely the graph resolution selector and the extra field This is the field on the bottom of the screen in the center So move the highlight to that field You can click to activate cursor lock and then turn the knob to select between a display of the unweighted SPL A weighted SPL or C weighted SPL This value is computed and displayed as the RTA runs And to wrap up The input field can be changed to use the low more sensitive microphone range or the hi range Or you can pick one of 3 line input ranges Then there is the field just to the left of the on off field this one controls how quickly the RTA
60. l Generator frequency field click the encoder to lock it The highlight will change to an underline and when the encoder knob is turned the field s value will change You do not have to hold down the knob to change the value To move off of the data field click the encoder once again to release the lock Turning the knob will now move the focus from field to field Menus amp Navigation When the Audio Toolbox is turned on the four main menus appear on the screen Turning the encoder knob changes the focus from one menu to the next The menu that is presently highlighted can be entered by pressing the encoder knob momentarily clicking When a sub menu appears there will be several choices listed Each choice represents a different Audio Toolbox function To select one turn the encoder knob to move the focus to that item and push the knob in momentarily The screen for the selected function will appear To exit from a function back to the sub menu move the focus to the symbol and click the encoder knob The sub menu will appear OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 19 To return to the main menu from any sub menu move the focus to the symbol and click the encoder knob The main menu will appear Tips for using The Audio Toolbox Using the Gen and Mem jump fields Some screens have shortcut fields that let you jump directly from your current function into another function perform a task and jump back into the first functi
61. l distance Distance Gen 19dB RLCONS GENERATOR LEVEL RESULTS Operation Connect an amplified speaker to any Toolbox output Put this at the speaker location gt Setup the Toolbox microphone at the listener position Use a stand if possible gt Select the ALCONS function gt Input Select the input typically MicL SYSTEM TOOLS 45 gt Units Select the units ft or m Octave Band Select the octave band 2kHz is recommended although 500Hz and 1kHz are also available Room Dimensions Enter the room dimensions length x height x width in the units previously selected Speaker Distance Enter the distance between the Toolbox microphone and the speaker gt Time Interval Enter the RT60 pulse time interval This is related to the RT60 time Ensure that the interval time is greater than the expected or measured RT60 time for the room to allow the pink noise pulse to decay as much as possible Mode Now move to the Hld field and change this to Min Allow several seconds for the Toolbox to measure the noise floor in the room in the octave band selected gt Generator Level Click the Min field to Max The generator is now turned on Increase the volume level in the room as much as possible without overloading the amplified speaker The available decay range is computed and displayed Note You must have at least 25dB of range available to compute the RT60 for the room gt Cha
62. larity test and as an audible indicator in the cable tester MIDI Inputs and Outputs There is one MIDI input and two independent MIDI outputs The MIDI reader normally sends the input signal to both outputs Some MIDI functions route the incoming MIDI messages to one output or the other The MIDI Input and Outputs are also used with an adapter cable for serial computer communications Note Contractor s Software has very few applications for MIDI However the connectors are available in case standard Audio Toolbox software is installed in the unit This software package has MIDI test and analysis functions OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 14 Power Standard Audio Toolbox Power Input Jack The Audio Toolbox takes 6 8vDC unregulated at a minimum of 500ma The input connector is a 2 1mm coaxial power connector positive on the center pin Power Switch The power switch is mounted on the input panel of the Toolbox Plus and will turn the Toolbox on or off whether powered by batteries or the AC adapter STANDARD BATTERY HOLDER The external battery holder plugs into the power input jack and is attached with 2 thumbscrews You can order extra battery holders from TerraSonde to always have a fresh charge ready The battery holder takes 6 AA batteries These batteries actually create a 9 Volt source but when plugged into the Toolbox under load the output drops to around 8 Volts Thus the maximum input voltage is not e
63. lect the desired line input gain range OdB 40dB amplifier or 40dB pad Be careful when selecting the 40dB gain amp this is often enough gain to drive the output or headphones to full level Input Gain Boost If more gain is desired on the input use this field to add up to 22dB additional gain Line Output Gain Control Use this field to adjust the gain of the line output Speaker Headphone On Off If desired turn on the headphone speaker output Speaker Headphones Output Gain Control Use this field to adjust the headphone drive level There are several places to adjust the overall system gain in this function In typical line level listening applications you will not need the additional input gain boost or high gain UTILITIES 54 input range These fields may be used to listen to the noise output of a device when troubleshooting UTILITIES 55 Cable Tester amp Continuity Tester Description Use the Cable TEST Tester to verify CON TROLLER y the wiring and functioning of microphone SPEAKER ON OFF cables patch cables or guitar cables Both a I DIGITAL wiring test and Test TEST RESULT an audio test c are performed Analog 8 1dB kHz on the audio Test 1 1 4 28kHz cables You can 7 X also use the o mme RESULT tester If a cable is good the internal speaker beeps If it is not good the speaker buzzes The speaker may be turned on or off Note t
64. m Level ExtL 95dBu 35dBu Ext 75dBu 7dBu ExtH 40dBu 40dBu You may use either the XLR and 1 4 combo input jacks or the RCA input jacks depending on the type of cable you are working with Functions that use only one input like the cable tester always use the left XLR combo or RCA jack For output you may use either the XLR 1 4 TRS or RCA jack All carry the same signal Any of them may be used for the cable test The phantom power test uses the XLR output connector The output range of the Toolbox is 78dBu to 17dBu The 1 4 stereo headphone jack will power 32 ohm or greater headphones or may be used as a stereo line output from the Toolbox If nothing is plugged into the headphone jack and the audio output is turned on it is routed to the internal speaker In functions that allow using the headphone speaker output you can turn this output on and off and set its level independently from the main mono audio output Microphone Input This connector is an unbalanced BNC that carries approx 5v Use this input only with the TerraSonde supplied Toolbox microphone You may either install the microphone directly on the Toolbox or extend it with the supplied 6 2m cable or a TerraSonde 25 7 6m or 100 30m cable The microphone diameter is designed to accept a standard 1 2 nominal Sound Pressure Level calibrator such as the B amp K 4231 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 13 XLR and 1 4
65. microphone preamplifier and some amount of gain may be required Sound Level Meter Description SLM MODE s Lene Measures the loudness of the OETH 5 ambient sound level in units of 1 ues standard SPL dB This is a true 17 oll ads RMS measurement using NT ANSI Type 1 standard display time averages and ANSI Type INPUT 1 standard A B and C weighting networks and ANSI Class 1 octave and 1 3 octave band filters GENERATOR LEVEL How to use the Sound Level Meter SLM Mode Select one of the five available ANSI standard averaging modes Slow 1000ms exponential decay time averaged SPL Fast 125ms exponential decay time averaged SPL Imp Impulse mode 35ms exponential decay time time averaged SPL Peak Shows peak SPL rather than RMS LEQ time average sound level see instructions below Dose Noise Dosimeter see instructions below gt Filter Select one of 38 filtering modes A B or C weighted flat un weighted any of nine ANSI Class 1 octave band filters 31 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 and 8000Hz or any of 25 ANSI Class 1 1 3 octave band filters gt Max The maximum displayed SPL reading is always held in its own field Click the field to reset the Max SPL level value as required gt Input Select Mic to use the Toolbox microphone or Ext to use an External microphone External microphones must be calibrated see the instructions below In
66. microphones and audio equipment MINUS Underin a CONFIDENCE um 24 na INDICATOR CONFIDENCE TT Output 9 rz on 4 INDICATOR JULPUL SAIN i GENERATOR ON OFF LEVEL METER GENERATOR LEVEL Note Since The Audio Toolbox uses XLR pin 2 hot if your system is wired pin 3 hot you will likely get incorrect results A simple way around this is to use an unbalanced output either the RCA output or the 1 4 output with an unbalanced 1 4 plug How to use the Speaker Polarity function gt Mode Select the Speaker sub menu Plug any Toolbox audio output into an amplifier and speaker Turn the level down at the amplifier Generator On Off Turn on the generator to send the polarity signal to the speaker Make sure that only one speaker is playing or that the Audio Toolbox is at least 1 foot 0 5 meters closer to one speaker than the other Make sure that there is a direct audio path from the speaker driver to the Toolbox microphone Generator Level Carefully turn up the amplifier level until the level meter shows a mid scale reading If required change the Input gain field or adjust the system volume level to get a mid scale reading If the level is too high select MicH SYSTEM TOOLS gt gt 48 Confidence Indicators Observe the and confidence meters to see that the Toolbox is getting good information from the speaker Only one bar should be tall If both bars are
67. ms resolution RT60 time is extrapolated from available room dynamic range Energy Time Curve one graph pixel Polarity 0 to 500 feet speaker to Audio Toolbox Shows polarity of closest driver s mid frequency wave front Test Functions Signal Generator Distortion 0 196 sine wave output 20 20kHz level 35dBu to 17dBu Impedance meter range 1 ohm to 8000 ohms 2 or 0 20hms 1 ohm to 50 ohms 50Hz 12 5kHz Overall 10 Level Frequency Meter 0 5dB 20 20Khz 40dbu to 85dbu 1Hz freq counter SPECIFICATIONS Signal to Noise Ratio gt 85dB range checking 80dBu minimum level Sweeps Frequency Response Sweep 0 5dB or pixel of graph 20Hz to 20Khz Impedance Sweep Same specs as Impedance Meter 20Hz to 20kHz sweep 1 3 and 1 12 octave band modes Signal Generator Sweep Same specs as signal generator 20Hz to 20kHz sweep bandwidth 10 to 99 seconds duration Distortion Meter 0 0296 minimum reading accurate to 5 System Tools Rapid STI ANSI type 2 ALCONS 500Hz 1kHz and 2kHz octave band limited pink noise Sample Scope Runs at full sample rate 48kHz one pixel of display 20 22kHz Time Code Tools 1 frame all functions Supports 24 fps film 25 fps EBU 30 fps SMPTE and 30 fps drop SMPTE drop 29 97 read as 30 Sub frame lock indicator 1 sub frame Frame rate reader 001 fps Utility Monitor Amp Up to 40dB of gain Minimum load impedan
68. n gt Test Signal Connect an amplified speaker to a CD player and insert the TerraSonde RASTI test signal CD The location of the speaker is the speaker location Microphone Set up the Toolbox microphone at the listener position Use a stand if possible Level Using the Toolbox SPL meter set the level as received at the Toolbox to the nominal listening level In most cases this will be 75 85dB SPL RASTI Select the RASTI function on the Toolbox Input Select the input typically MicL Begin Test Click on Off changing to Run to begin the test Wait For test to complete Allow at least 12 seconds for the analysis to be completed RASTI Result Read the RASTI value on the bottom of the screen v VV VV ON Caveats RASTI can be used to evaluate intelligibility and is considered superior to some other methods particularly ALCONS However it is possible to get false results To get the best possible results watch out for these problems Out of band noise Since RASTI looks only at the 500Hz and 2000Hz octave bands it will not take into account noise outside of these bands For example imagine a very loud signal at 4kHz This could cause terrible intelligibility yet show a good RASTI score Non linear systems Driving a system into distortion or running the signal through compressors or other non linear systems can cause false readings Bad talker level If the talker level is not within normal limits very low
69. n start The function will now run While running either the peak or average SPL is shown on the second line of the screen As the bars are drawn you can use the cursor to read the exact level and time of each bar LEQ The accumulated LEQ time average SPL is displayed in this field When the graph has completed running the LEQ number shown is for the complete test Cursor The cursor can be used to show the exact dB level at any time point on the graph The vertical scale is calibrated in dB and will change depending on the input source selected Each division equals 10dB If any overloads occur while running a small dot will appear above the dB bar These overload values are stored in memory along with the graph values Automatic Memory Save You can use the automatic memory save feature to store the results of a test to memory at the end of the test To store one test set the Save field to 1 To store a test and automatically run more tests set the Save field to any number between 2 and 40 Then as each test completes its results will be stored in the next available unused memory and a new test will begin Test results will only be stored in unused memory locations You can use the Memory screen to erase memories to make room for up to 40 tests ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS Test Functions CJ This section describes the Test Functions on the Audio Toolbox All functions that display level data allow you
70. nal battery and microphone installed RCA OUTPUT UNBALANCED MONO MICROPHONE XLR OUTPUT CONNECTOR BAL MONO FOR USE WITH TERRASONDE HEADPHONES SUPPLIED MICROPHONE ONLY CABLE TESTER OUT PHANTOM TEST 1 4 STEREO 32 OHM MIN MIDI MIDI INPUT OUTPUTS NOTE ALSO USED FOR SERIAL I O WITH ADAPTER CABLE m 1 4 OUTPUT BAL MONO CABLE TESTER OuT LEFT XLR amp RIGHT XLR amp 1 4 BAL INPUT 1 4 BAL CABLE TESTER BATTERY COMPARTMENT RCA INPUTS TO REMOVE BATTERY UNSCREW FASTENER OPEN STEREO DOOR AND SLIDE OUT BATTERY IF BATTERY STICKS UNBALANCED PULL GENTLY ON CONNECTOR WITH SMALL PLIERS OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 10 No time for manuals Read this to jump start your Toolbox In the process you will learn the basics of Toolbox operation and become a better person Out of the box Using the RTA Let s start with a new Audio Toolbox still in the box You can be up and running the RTA in 5 minutes Here s how Turnit on Plug the AC adapter in the wall and plug the other end into the Toolbox Flip the power switch on and watch the running man move across the screen By the way if you ever want to upgrade the software in the Toolbox just spin the encoder while this guy is moving you will enter the Download mode If you accidentally get into this mode flip off the power switch to exit this mode Navigate the menus The main menu will now come up It has four choices Acou
71. nge the field to Run to begin the test The Critical Distance is computed and the correct ALCONS formula is selected based on whether the microphone is within the Critical Distance The resulting loss of consonants is displayed as a percent Speech Intelligibility Results Table Use this table as a guideline for understanding the results of the RASTI and Alcons tests Rating RASTI 96Alcons Bad 0 20 57 70 Bad 0 25 44 00 Poor 0 30 33 56 Poor 0 35 25 59 Poor 0 40 19 52 Fair 0 45 14 89 Fair 0 50 11 35 Fair 0 60 6 60 Good 0 65 5 04 Good 0 70 3 84 Good 0 75 2 93 Excellent 0 80 2 23 Excellent 0 85 1 70 Excellent 0 90 1 30 Excellent 0 95 0 99 Excellent 1 00 0 76 SYSTEM TOOLS 46 Noise Criteria Theory This function is based on ANSI standard B 12 2 1995 ASA 115 1995 Criteria for Evaluating Room Noise It uses ANSI Class 1 octave band NC Curve 43 NG Curve 40 w filters to divide the Wa 705 t sound spectrum into Limiting band 12992 9 odave bands P 75 measuring the SPL Band 1888Hz 38 4db level of each band Pal Then the results are Octave DB LEVEL FOR aes pom BAND OCTAVE BAND apa the specification The table lists noise criteria numbers by row with each row having values defined for each octave band The NC band is defined as the lowest band n
72. nly to improvements and corrections made to your existing software This upgrade policy applies to the basic Audio Toolbox software If major new features or functions are added to the Audio Toolbox they may be available at extra cost from time to time Warranty TerraSonde Manufacturer warrants the Products so far as the same are of its own manufacture against defects in material and workmanship under the normal use and service for which they were designed for a period of one 1 year after date of shipment Manufacturer s obligation under this warranty being limited at its option however to the replacement or repair of a part or parts determined by it to be defective All necessary packing and transportation costs for return of the goods to be paid by sender The Products must be returned in appropriate packaging comparable to that used in the original package by Manufacturer All replacement or required goods will be returned to sender by like means at Manufacturer s expense Manufacturer shall under no circumstances be liable for any special indirect or consequential damages owing to failure of the Products MANUFACTURER MAKES NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS OR MERCHANTABILITY AND NO OTHER WARRANTY ORAL OR WRITTEN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH HEREIN WARRANTY 68 Dont forget to check www terrasonde com for updates new products and software TerraSonde WARRANTY
73. nu field Click on it and the screen will re draw the function in Low mode Change back to Full for this demo gt Change a data field We re going to skip ahead a few fields Unless you are in a fairly loud environment the display will be mostly blank So turn the encoder until the dark block is in the lower left corner Now click the block will change to an underline You have just entered cursor lock for the RTA dB range field While you are in cursor lock when you turn the knob the data value changes Try it Change the value until you get some visible bars on the screen You will probably have to go down in value hint turn the knob counter clockwise Now click again to release the cursor lock Change another one Turn the knob and the highlight will again roam around the screen Stop when you get to the number field just to the right of the sub menu Full It will have a number in it This is the band mode for the RTA Click the knob and this field will change no need for cursor lock here there are only 2 choices You will find that data fields and other fields with a lot of values use cursor lock while on off fields and OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 11 others that have just a few don t use it Tt will all make sense soon Anyway change this field just by clicking the knob and you will see the width of the bars change You are changing from octave band to 1 3 octave band analysis Try the cursor Wonder what all t
74. of the Dose For example if a 90dB dose for 8 hours equals 10096 with a 5dB exchange rate an 85dB dose for 8 hour would equal 50 dose 95dB for 8 hours would equal a 200 dose This field also displays OHSA DOD US Department of Defense and ISO when the Exchange Rate specified by those agencies is selected Start the test Click on Start to begin the test As the test is running the elapsed time is shown on the screen The fields displayed are SPL Current Sound Pressure Level using weighting and averaging speed selected Leq Equal weighted average SPL from start of test Also referred to as the time average sound pressure level Max Maximum SPL since beginning of test using selected weighting and averaging speed ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 22 Dose Dose accumulated since start of test For example running at the Criterion Level for 1 2 of the Test Length would equal a 5096 dose Pro Projected Dose This is defined as the dose that would be reported at the end of the Criterion Time Length if no more sound above the Threshold was measured The Dosimeter results may be stored in a memory or recalled to examine a previous test The ATB Serial Protocol document available on the TerraSonde web site explains the format of the stored data Real Time Analyzer RTA Theory ANSI Class 1 octave band or 1 3 octave band filters are applied to the incoming signal and the results are shown on a graph The filter ba
75. on without using the menus Currently there are two fields that work this way the Gen field and the Mem field Generator On functions that have a Gen field other than the RTA or FFT when you click on it you will jump directly to the Signal Generator screen From there you can adjust the settings of the internal signal generator such as the frequency level or type of signal and then when you exit the signal generator you will jump directly back into the previous function The Signal Generator remembers the field that you modified most recently and that field will be selected the next time that you jump into Generator This makes it easier to run through a set of frequencies for example when doing testing For example from the Sample Scope function you can click on Gen and jump to the signal generator screen and set up a 1000Hz square wave signal Then click the lt and you will return to the Sample Scope screen From here you can turn on the signal generator and use the square wave Memories On functions that have access to the 40 data memories the graphing functions a Mem field will be available on the screen When you click this field you will jump directly to the Memory Control screen Here you can save the current screen image to a memory or a recall a memory When you recall a memory or just exit the screen you will return to the function from which the Memory Control screen was called For example from the Sw
76. oo oae 62 UPLOADING MEMORIES TO THE tiiti esistere esters OOE 62 REAL TIME COMPUTER INTERFACE 62 UPGRADING THE AUDIO TOOLBOX eee ee pe e e nn t E ee Ege ea eae xe ehe p dee eee 62 QYeEVI W 53 62 etie 63 E doen 63 ANS PEICTERRESPONS E 3 3 eh egere que 64 SPECIFICATIONS C N 65 ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS idee de Eoo de oe epi de ide der debo peie cipe eins 65 VI THPU re MR 65 UIT TIS POM AN COS clea at SOE COT EOE RER an a 65 OLAV CS ee DORSET PAARL PEAR PA Lat OE EE 65 econo tines adr M Md Dak sons aa een du d eel een 65 Sound Pressure Level 65 RealeIme Analyser ia aer ene nieder desired eed 65 RET Analyzer a atate e ren rire ditare 65 Reverb Decay Time ae ERR eere 65 Energy CUVE E TEA EE ETO TBE Te 65 is ats cocto EI 65 TEST PUNGEIONS eit OTRO ROIG GR IRR 65 SUNGI GENEVO 2 tee
77. operate the Toolbox These conditions include plugging the AC power module into the battery module with no or very low AC power present and extreme physical shock To correct this condition just remove the AC power plug from the battery module make sure the AC module is getting good power and plug it back into the battery module The Toolbox checks for AC battery operation each time it returns to a menu If the AC power is plugged in while running any function the Toolbox will continue to operate as if it is on DC power until returning to a menu and then turning or clicking the encoder knob OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 15 Battery Life amp Charging Times The display backlight consumes a good deal of power and shortens the battery life There is an option in the Toolbox setup that controls how long the backlight stays on under battery power it is always on under AC power Every time you move or click the encoder the backlight is switched on To change the backlight on time go to the Utility Menu Setup amp Calibration function General sub menu You can change this time from 0 to 999 seconds Warning Storing a Toolbox with the battery in a state of discharge for long periods of time can shorten the life of the battery or possibly destroy it We recommend that the battery be kept charged at all times The battery cannot be overcharged so it is fine to leave it plugged into the charger when not in use
78. output level with the generator still turned off Second the actual level measured at the Toolbox output is shown numerically on the screen Output Level Click on the word level to adjust the generator output level gt Set Output Level This graph shows the approximate output level that is selected It can be used to set the output level with the generator turned off gt Actual Output Level This field shows the level measured at the output of the Toolbox If the device connected to the output loads down the output level this will be shown on this field gt Output Lock Control desired lock the generator output Locking the output will cause the generator to attempt to hold the exact output level setting as measured on the output connector even if the load on the generator changes or if you change the output frequency which otherwise can slightly change the output level Output Connector Select the XLR 1 4 connector for the level at the balanced connector or RCA for the level at the unbalanced RCA connector Speaker Headphone On Off This field turns the output at the internal speaker or headphone jack on or off Speaker Headphone Level This field controls the level at the internal speaker or headphone jack You may select the display units Other Audio Toolbox functions incorporate the signal generator as required Note that the RTA has only wide band pink noise available due to memory constraint
79. putRange The input range is shown here When the Toolbox microphone is selected as the input this field will change from an L to an H as the SLM auto ranges Generator On Off If the signal generator output is desired use the On Off and attenuation fields on the second line of the screen and the Gen field to jump to the signal generator All generator output waveforms are available including Sine wave square wave white and pink noise including band limited pink noise Generator Level This field allows you to adjust the generator output level ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 21 How to use LEQ mode This function computes the time average sound level Select the input source Mic selects the Toolbox microphone high range Or select one of the line input ranges ExtL Ext or ExtH Select the desired filter Choose from A B or C weighting an octave or one third octave band or flat unweighted Select the time Choose from 10seconds 1 5 10 or 15minutes or 1 8 or 24 hours Or select Manual and start and stop the LEQ test yourself Click Start After a 2 second delay the Toolbox will start averaging the incoming sound It will stop automatically if a time has been selected or if you are in Manual mode will continue to run until you click reset Note To calibrate an external microphone use the Setup amp Calibration function on the Utilities menu go to the SPL Calibration sub menu and select SPL Ext No
80. raph that shows the dB levels of each band of sound The averaging speed is adjustable and the display can show a 35 or 17dB window There are two modes Full which is a 20 20kHz analysis and Low which covers the low part of the frequency spectrum from 10Hz to 332Hz How to use FREQUENCY FILTER Frequency X FILTER A Mode Select AVERAGING jud ed P FIELD NU T Full I2 a il mode MicL Gen o Filter Select uUi pa octave 1 3 1 12 octave bands as shown by 1 moe 3 6 or 12 35 dB SPL 1 Averaging Field Select the j averaging EXTRA FIELD mode You can choose an exponential decay a mode that averages equally over time or peak hold mode The numeric value indicates an exponential decay with a time constant equal to the value For example if you choose 3s 3 seconds the screen will decay on a 3 second exponential time constant The longer the time constant the smoother the display Cumulative average mode is indicated by AVG peak hold mode by HLD ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 25 gt Input Select the appropriate input Choose MicL low range Mic input approx 30 to 95gB SPL range MicH high range Mic input approx 70db to 130dB SPL ExtL low range line input approx 80dBu to 30dBu Ext normal line input range approx 50dBu to 7dBu or ExtH high line input range approx 10dBu to 40dBu The Mic input levels are calibr
81. rve for the RT calculation ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 28 gt Initial Delay To assist in finding speaker system delay times the time at which the first pulse arrives at the microphone is always computed and displayed on the top right hand part of the screen Cursor The cursor may be used to display the exact time and dB level of any point on the screen It is also used to set the end time for the RT calculation The vertical scale is calibrated in dB and will change depending on the input source selected Each division equals 10dB The display graphs the decay of the pulse as measured at the microphone If the graph does not show a decay the signal level may be too quiet compared to the noise in the room or the graph width may be too small You can stop the display from re drawing when you have a good example graph and use the cursor below the display to move a vertical bar that shows the exact time or equivalent distance of any bar on the screen Thus you can measure any peak directly to compute room reflections or to phase speaker arrays RT60 Time RT60 is defined as the time it takes a sound to decay by 60dB It is often used to compare rooms for reverberation decay time The Energy Time Graph can be used to find the RT60 time for a room Follow the directions above to obtain a good decay graph A weighting may be used to look at the RT60 time for the mid band frequencies Now select the RT 0 marker by clicking on the fi
82. s Balanced output and level readings Note You may choose to display the output as it appears on the balanced connectors XLR and 1 4 or the unbalanced RCA connector which will normally be 6dB lower The reading displayed for the XLR and 1 4 connectors will still be accurate even if you unbalance the output by plugging in a 1 4 unbalanced plug for example but the reading for the RCA connector will NOT be accurate if the signal has been unbalanced in this manner The displayed level resolution changes with output level In the range of 9 95 to 9 95 the output level is shown in steps of 0 05dB Outside of this range the step size is 0 1dB Output level range The sine wave output range of The Audio Toolbox is from approx 60dBu to 14dBu These levels may be selected by adjusting the levels in coarse mode However you can expand this range somewhat by first going to the maximum or minimum level in coarse mode and TEST FUNCTIONS 34 then switching to fine mode and adjusting the level further By doing this you obtain output levels from 78dBu to 17dBu The maximum white noise level is 2dBu and the maximum pink noise level is OdBu How to use the Impedance Meter Make a special adapter cable This is a 1 4 stereo plug with only the tip and ring brought out on a wire Make sure that the ground connector sleeve is not connected floating The ends of the wires are then
83. s into the same channel or the results will not be accurate Read the frequency in Hz The Audio Toolbox reads frequencies from 16Hz to 40kHz Select the desired display units dBu dBV Vave Vrms or Vp p TEST FUNCTIONS 35 Allow the Toolbox to auto range or select one of the manual ranges Access the signal generator via the Gen field as needed gt Select auto ranging Auto or one of the 3 available input gain ranges manually The level resolution changes with input level In the range of 9 95 to 8 50 the output level is shown in steps of 0 05dB Outside of this range the step size shown is O 1dB If the meter is in auto range mode as the range changes the display may momentarily say OVER or UNDER as the Toolbox adjusts to the next range Also during an overload condition like when a line level input is first plugged in and the auto range has not yet switched you may hear the signal bleed through the internal speaker This is normal How to use the VU PPM meters gt Select the input range Ext 77dBu to 7dBu or ExtH 45dBu to 40dBu Plug a mono or stereo source into any audio input connectors Note do not plug two sources into the same input channel or results will not be accurate gt Set the OdB reference level This level may be adjusted from 30 to 20dBu The level is shown on the VU meter and to the right of the meter numerically relative to the reference level set above
84. s displayed After recalling a memory you can change the octave band size change the graph dB range and use the cursor to read out individual band data and frequency values Memories stored in Full or Low mode must be retrieved in the same mode ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 26 These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function Real time Interface This function can be used with TerraLink to see the results in real time on the screen of a PC or Mac computer See the Real Time interface section at the end of this manual for more information ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 27 Energy Time Graph ue n Ff iei un y ON O pattern for sound TENE ID ded oU OEMs int 45 microphone or line y H Wtdlem 1 994 initia input over time Iwur a RIGO DELAY after a pulse has i N Iso shown Th OFFSET graph is calibrated been generated 2M and played through i a speaker or detected externally Initial delay time is in units of dB SPL vertically and units of time horizontally Optionally the graph can show units of distance on the horizontal axis How to use Trigger Mode If you are using an amplified speaker connected to the Toolbox select Int for Internal If you wish to trigger the ETG using a external signal such as a handclap or starter pistol select Ext for External When used with the internally generated pulse signal plug any Toolbox audio output
85. sed RTA is much quicker than the FFT Analyzer function and has more dynamic range 80 dB However it can only resolve frequency to 1 3 octave and does not include the 20kHz one third octave band The FFT analyzer can resolve frequency to 1 12 octave FREQUENCY Description t K NN ae received at the nmi Ful FIELD DETAI FL 1 microphone or lcL left line input into octaves or 1 3 octaves and displaying a bar graph that shows the dB levels of each by dividing the audio spectrum GENERATOR ON OFF dB SPL 31591 69 0dE band of sound 1 The averagin speed is i FIELD CURSOR p adjustable and the display can show a 35 or 17dB window There are two modes Full which is a 20 20kHz analysis and Low which covers the low part of the frequency spectrum from 10Hz to 332Hz How to use Frequency Mode Select Full or Low frequency mode Filter Select octave or 1 3 octave band filters as shown by 1 or 3 Averaging Field Select the averaging mode You can choose an exponential decay a mode that averages equally over time or peak hold mode The numeric value indicates an exponential decay with a time constant equal to the value For example if you choose 3s 3 seconds the screen will decay on a 3 second exponential time constant ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS 23 The longer the time constant the smoother the displ
86. stic Analysis Test Functions System Tools and Utilities Turn the knob and the highlight moves Put the highlight on the Utilities menu and click the knob like you are pushing a button The Utilities Functions menu will appear with a number of function choices Turn the knob again you can go either way try it and put the highlight on About Click again You have entered the About function which has tech support info and your software version What it does not have are data fields since it is just an information function The character means go back or exit so click the encoder the highlight will be on the and you will return to the Utilities Function menu Move the highlight to the lt and click again and you re back to the main menu gt Run the RTA Since you re a menu expert now go to Acoustic Analysis and then run the Real Time Analyzer This is a typical Toolbox function and has a lot more fields than the About function had Looking at the top of the screen you will see the letters RTA in a small box This is just the function name Changethe sub menu Just to the right of the name you will see the word Full This is the sub menu field Not all of the Toolbox functions have sub menus but most do The RTA has two sub menus Full which is 20 20k analysis and Low which covers 10Hz to 332Hz Turn the encoder once to the right or several times to the left and you will highlight the sub me
87. tall then there may be excessive background noise in the room Result Observe the display for either a plus sign positive polarity or a minus sign negative polarity To check the polarity of individual drivers in a speaker cabinet turn the level down or select low input gain and put the Toolbox microphone right up to each individual speaker element Note Many speaker manufacturers wire their high frequency drivers out of phase on purpose due to the phase shift of the crossover network This is meant to provide smoother phase response at the crossover point How to use the Microphone Polarity function Mode Select Microphone mode Plug the microphone to be tested into a microphone pre amp or recording console High output level dynamic microphones may be plugged directly into the left input Plug the microphone pre amp output or an output from the console into any left audio input on the Toolbox Generator On Off Turn the Polarity function on Generator Level and adjust the level if needed to obtain a mid scale reading on the level meter Hold the Audio Toolbox internal speaker near the microphone You may need to hold it directly up to the microphone to get a good reading Confidence Indicators Observe the and confidence meters to see that the Toolbox is getting good information from the speaker Only one bar should be tall If both bars are tall then there may be excessive b
88. tion fixture Contact TerraSonde technical support before changing this field Restore Factory Calibration Every unit is fully tested and calibrated at the factory when it is produced The calibration constants are stored in non volatile memory A second copy of the constants is also stored so that if the first set has been altered for example by a bad re calibration procedure you can always restore the original factory calibration To do this set the Restore Cal data field on the General Setup menu to Yes and exit the menu The original factory calibration will be restored Audio Toolbox Calibration Procedure Follow these steps to fully calibrate the Audio Toolbox Calibrate the output Connect an output meter to either balanced output Make sure the meter is wired to read a balanced signal Now go to the Output Calibration function on the Setup menu Adjust the output level by using the coarse and fine adjust to read a value such as 0 00dBu on the external meter the value shown on the Toolbox may not match this number Then Adjust the CAL data field to match the meter reading and click SET Now both data fields should match Calibrate the inputs Connect a signal generator to the inputs You may use either the balanced or unbalanced inputs Select a mid band frequency for example 1000 Hz Set a level near 0 00dBu Set the CAL data field to the level that you are generating and dick the SET data field Do this for both channels
89. to select the display units as dBu equivalent voltage level to dam referenced to a 600mw power level dBV where OdBV is referenced to 0 0 Volts RMS Volts average Volts RMS or Volts Peak to Peak Several other functions use the features of the signal generator In many cases such as the Sample Scope you can use the Gen field to jump directly to the signal generator then you can set up the generator and then just click the field to return to the function Signal Generator Description This is a general q purpose full featured crystal controlled signal j generator that creates x j GENERATOR test tones and standard ON OFF noise waveforms There is also an impedance LEVEL MODE VEL MODE FREQUENCY MODE OUTPUT CONNECTOR meter sub function Note that you can store your own default values for waveform type frequency and level by using the Save Defaults function in the Setup amp Calibration function The at B14 bal 20 94 lock output se Hd off Gain 15 BdB OUTPUT LEVEL OUTPUT Lock SPEAKER SPEAKER HEADPHONE CONTROL HEADPHONE LEVEL ON OFF How to use the Signal Generator gt Plug any Toolbox audio output into the desired destination gt Mode Select the desired mode sine wave square wave white noise pink noise impedance or polarity The polarity waveform looks like a square wave on top positive and a sine wave on the bottom negative portion of the t
90. ule plugged into the battery module whenever possible When the battery is mounted in the Toolbox and the Toolbox is turned on it will charge very slowly since most of the power from the AC power module is being used to run the Toolbox You can charge the battery either in the Toolbox or when it is removed If you have a spare battery module you can leave it plugged into the AC power module while you operate the Toolbox on the other battery Auto switch The battery module uses a latching relay to switch over from AC to battery power and to prevent the SLA battery from being completely discharged which can damage it The switch over happens automatically as the AC power module is plugged into the battery module In some cases it is possible to latch the relay into a state where the battery even though charged will not operate the Toolbox These conditions include plugging the AC power module into the battery module with no or very low AC power present and extreme physical shock To correct this condition just remove the AC power module plug from the battery module make sure the AC module is getting good power and plug it back into the battery module Battery Life amp Charging Times The display backlight consumes a good deal of power and shortens the battery life There is an option in the Toolbox setup that controls how long the backlight stays on under battery power it is always on under AC power Every time you move or click the
91. umber which has none of the SPL values for the octave bands in the row exceeded Another part of the spec defines Speech Interference Level which is simply the average of 4 octave bands 500Hz 1000Hz 2000Hz and 4000Hz This is an indication of the level of the noise that will interfere most with speech Clicking the sub menu field allows selecting this mode This results in another method for evaluating room noise other than A weighted or C weighted SPL measurements For example theaters meeting THX specs are required to have an NC number of 30 or lower Numbers are published for other spaces as well To use the Noise Criteria NC function gt Mode Select the NC sub menu gt Input Select Mic in MicL range is used or Ext in Result Read the NC curve The display also shows which octave band is exceeding the lowest table value and therefore limiting the result Octave Band To display the SPL level of any octave band click the displayed frequency field To use the Speech Interference Level SIL function gt Mode Select the SIL sub menu gt Input Select Mic in MicL range is used or Ext in gt Result Read the Speech Interference SI level SYSTEM TOOLS 47 Octave Band To display the SPL level of any of the four Speech Interference octave bands click the displayed frequency field Polarity Tester Description This function is used to determine the absolute CONNECTION Speakers
92. ut level Generator On Off To begin generating time code move the focus to the Off data field and change the value to On Offset The offset between the time code being read and the time code being generated is computed and displayed in this field How to use the Time Code Re Generator Jam Sync This function reads an incoming time code signal and re shapes the signal to create a new clean waveform It will generate good code through drop outs or faulty frames An offset can be added to the incoming signal gt Mode Select the Regen sub menu You may input Linear Time Code LTC to any of the LEFT audio input connectors Offset You may set an offset to be added to the incoming time code by moving the focus to the offset time fields and changing the values to the desired offset times Generator Level Set the desired time code output level Generator On Off To begin re generating time code move the focus to the Off data field and change the value to On This copies the value in the Left reader to the generator and begins re generating time code The time code that is output will have the offset added to it before it is sent out To re generate the incoming time code with no offset leave all of the offsets fields blank The Regen function locks the internal time code generator to the incoming time code stream It will slew speed up or slow down the time code being output by up to 1 to accommodate time code that
93. w attach a standard SPL calibrator to the external microphone set the Cal field if different than 94 dB SPL and click Set This procedure calibrates the microphone for all Acoustic Analysis functions that accept an external microphone Follow this procedure for both ExtL low range and ExtH high range up to 185dB SPL with a 1 8 mv PA microphone How to Use the Noise Dosimeter The Audio Toolbox can be used as a Noise Dosimeter for noise surveys hearing conservation programs community noise studies machinery noise evaluations and occupational noise analysis The Noise Dosimeter meets ANSI 51 25 1991 and ASA 98 1991 specifications To use the Dosimeter Select the Dose sub menu Setthe Threshold Level Normally 80dB any sound below this level will not contribute to the measured dose You can override this setting if desired It may not be higher than the Criterion Level gt Setthe Criterion Level This is the level that will result in a 100 dose reading if maintained for the entire test Normally 90dB may be overridden if desired Setthe Averaging Speed Normally Slow 1 second time constant is used may be changed to Fast if desired Setthe Criterion Time This time is normally set to 8 hours to match the typical work day All Dose calculations are referenced to this time May be set from 0 1 hour to 24 0 hours Setthe Exchange Rate This is defined as the number of dB equaling a doubling or halving
94. x audio input connectors The offset between the two time codes being read is computed and displayed at the bottom of the screen If the two incoming time code signals being read are locked at the sub frame 1 80 frame level an asterisk will appear between the L and the R on the screen If this indicator is not present or is flashing sub frame lock is not present or is jittering Note This function decodes the information in the time code stream and does not analyze the actual rate the time code is running If the frame rate is shown as 30 it simply means that there are 30 frames in each time code second and that the code is close enough to the nominal rate to be read Thus 29 97 code will be shown as 30 or 30dr To check that actual running frame rate use the Frame Rate function below How to use the Time Code Generator This function generates time code in any of 6 standard frame rates 24 25 30 30 drop 29 97 and 29 97 drop Note that the starting value may be saved in the user defaults see the Setup amp Calibration function for more information gt Mode Select the Gen sub menu gt You may input Linear Time Code LTC to any of the LEFT audio input connectors gt Generator Time Code You may set the generator starting time and frame rate by moving the focus to the generator time fields and changing the values to the desired start times SYSTEM TOOLS 50 Generator Level Set the desired time code outp
95. xceeded Rechargeable Battery Pack ATB 1 An optional Rechargeable battery pack is available for the standard Audio Toolbox The battery system contains a sealed lead acid SLA battery and a charger It is mounted in a plastic case that velcros to the back of the Toolbox For charging or running the Toolbox on AC power plug the AC power module into the battery pack and plug the lead from the battery pack into the Toolbox power inlet Charging Anytime that the AC power module is plugged into the battery module the battery will be charging You cannot overcharge the battery In fact we recommend leaving the AC power module plugged into the battery module whenever possible When the battery is mounted in the Toolbox and the Toolbox is turned on it will charge very slowly since most of the power from the AC power module is being used to run the Toolbox You can charge the battery either in the Toolbox or when it is removed If you have a spare battery module you can leave it plugged into the AC power module while you operate the Toolbox on the other battery Auto switch The battery module uses a latching relay to switch over from AC to battery power and to prevent the SLA battery from being completely discharged which can damage it The switchover happens automatically as the AC power module is plugged into the battery module In some cases it is possible to latch the relay into a state where the battery even though charged will not
96. y The actual battery voltage and estimated remaining life is shown on the screen Note When operating on AC power such as the AC adapter or the Rack Mount running on AC power this field will show the voltage level of the power supply Computer Interface Description This function enables the PC Mac serial link for transferring data memories and printing screens UTILITIES 57 How to use Select the function Connect the Toolbox to the PC Mac using the TerraSonde computer interface cable This will connect the computer s serial port to the MIDI In and Out ports on the Toolbox Start the PC Mac program and follow its instructions The Toolbox will dump memory data to the host computer as requested See the PC Mac computer interface section on page 62 for more details UTILITIES 58 Setup amp Calibration Description Every Audio Toolbox is fully calibrated before it leaves the factory calibration constants are stored in non volatile memory The calibration functions on the Setup menu of the Audio Toolbox may be used to check or re calibrate any feature of the Toolbox at any time The accuracy of your results will be limited by the accuracy of your equipment and methods so use the best equipment available and follow these instructions closely The operation of the Audio Toolbox depends on the calibration If you feel that your Toolbox needs to be re calibrated but are not comfortable

The Audio Toolbox

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