OWNERS MANUAL - D&R Broadcast Mixing Consoles
Contents
1. CRM SOURCE 8 TRACK Sagem MANA INSERT ENGINS BUSS TS MANS tONEARFELOMONITORS WST aL This switch returns the outputs of the 8 i ni i ni 5 track machine to the Control Room X i ZTRACK STRACK CENTER UR SRD omm Omm om Monitors 7 AFL SIP 9 to to to is iste m iene ine et ie INTER Ti CRM FORMAT CRM LEVEL CRM MUTE When no switches are active you will aut LEFT LEFT 2 CENTER RIGHT 2 RIGHT have the 7 1 format F F F LJ LJ 5 1 This format switch let s you assign the CRM inner left and right signals Left2 Right2 to the Left Right speakers Note on CRM only LCRS This format switch for the CRM only assigns the inner left and right signals L2 R2 to the left right CRM outputs The stereo Surround signals are summed to mono and the SubWoofer outputs is assigned to the center STEREO This switch sums the inner left right L2 R2 the SubWoofer the Surround and the Center signals all to the left right outputs of the CRM MONO When both the LCRS and the Stereo switches are activated the CRM format will convert all signals into a mono signal on the control room monitors only CRM INSERT 1 This switch inserts a connected processor in all of the 8 CRM outputs When a decoder is inserted this switch converts the encoded stereo signal into a full Pro Logic or circle Sound surround signal monitored over your four five eight CRM monitors When this switch is in its On position a normal or encoded st2. 22 0 23 0 24 0 25 0 26 0 Filmstyle mixing signal flow Filmstyle mixing without Matrix Filmstyle mixing setup Filmstyle mixing with Matrix Conformity statement according to ISO IEC Nr 22 and EN 45014 Product safety Octagon page number 6 Dear Octagon owner The Octagon was created using the latest in computer aided design and assembling technology and incorporates the most advanced circuit components available which results in the Octagon being another D amp R product unsurpassed in the electronics industry In D amp R s quest to raise the standard Octagon is designed and manufactured to the highest degree We are confident that the Octagon will play the central roll in producing state of the art recordings for many years and wish you much success We value your suggestions and would appreciate you taking the time to complete and return the questionnaire included at the front of this manual once you become familiar with your Octagon We listen and learn from your comments and you can be assured that our research and development department will take your comments very serious With kind regards Duco de Rijk President D amp R Electronica Weesp b v D R RAISING THE d STANDARD Octagon page number 7 Octagon Recording Console The D amp R Octagon is a 48 buss dual path in line format recording and film style mixing console designed to take the central role in a film sound recording facility Wi
3. 1 K AK 5 4 5 The HMF High Mid Freq section has level and frequency controls with variable frequency ranges from 600 Hz to 15 000 Hz and has a maximum boost or cut of 16 dB The bandwidth has a Q factor ranging from 0 5 up to 1 5 The LMF Low Mid Freq section has level and frequency controls with variable ranges from 40 Hz to 1000 Hz and has a max boost or cut of 16 dB The bandwidth has a Q factor ranging from 0 5 up to 1 5 The LF low frequency section is a variable frequency shelving type sweep able from 10 Hz to 500 Hz with a maximum boost or cut of 16 dB The shelving curve can be switched into a Bell curve All level controls are center detented making neutral positions easy to establish All frequency ranges have been carefully selected following extensive examination of all types of music and noise Test comparisons of other equalizers helped the D amp R design team to create an equalizer that sounds very musical but at the same time raising the standard in specs and sound quality Noise and distortion are kept to an absolute minimum An equalizer in out switch with LED indicator is fitted to allow easy comparisons 3 22 HIGH LOWPASS FILTER The Octagon has in its lower signal path a high and low pass filter with a roll off of 12dB per octave The high pass filter has a range of 20 to 500 Hz and the Low pass filter ranges from 4kHz up to 20kHz An on off switch is provided for comparison of treated and u
4. Octagon has a wide range of possibilities concerning its monitoring We shall describe any of the two rows of switches individually located in the upper right corner of the CRM section MASTER OUTPUT SURROUND to MONO This switch lets you convert the main stereo surround output into a mono output signal on both surround outputs Note This is not the CRM but the main surround outputs that are mono summed MASTER OUTPUT INSERT This switch globally switches all 8 balanced main inserts on and off from a connected processor MASTER OUTPUT ENCODER INSERT This switch lets you switch an eventually connected Encoder on and off in the main 8 buss outputs 8 TRACK to ROUTING BUSS 1 8 The 8 track returns normally fed to the CRM but with this switch you can assign the 8 track to group busses 1 8 instantly Octagon page number 14 METER to MASTER Normally the 8 output meters will follow all sources selected to the CRM When activated the 8 output meters will read the main outputs directly In the up position all eight meters read the monitor CRM outputs prior to the Encoder insert when the Meters to main is depressed all the meters will always follow the main outputs without being interrupted by the solo system the 2 Tracks and decoder active switches When the Main encoder insert switch is depressed the meters will read the encoded signal SOLO TO NEAR FIELD MONITOR a SOLO TRIM MAIN L2 R2 MAIN MAIN 8TRto METER SOLO 2T
5. a section MUTE SURROUND SOLO i JOYSTICKS O MAIN O O Buss O STEREO LORS O 51 SDDS RIGHT Vv 9 MONG SETUP Octagon page number 19 MUTE E i SOLO SURROUND RIGHT 9 9 MONO SETUP 2 19 COMMUNICATIONS The communications section has three listen switches and three talk back switches The talk back switches are only active when depressed while the Communication switches are latching and at the same time activate the Talk back switch making communication very easy either way The macro switches will be discussed later they are intended for fast access to often used functions and setups This is also the case for the SOLO 1 to 3 presets The Solo reset cancels all active soloed modules The red light switch activates a relay built inside the Octagon to felicitate external red light eack Ld on OCTAGON COMMUNICATIONS STEN2 LISTEN3 M 1 MACROZ MACRO3 Ho ED a SOLO1 SOLOZ SOLOS Hoo SOLO PRESETS STUDO1 STUDIO2 ROUTING SQLO RESET E u DM REDLIGHT signaling 2 20 CONTROL MONITOR MATRIX The control room monitor matrix is a built in remote unit to control an optional Stems unit for extending the amount of inputs when needed A suggested grouping of Dialogue Music Effects and Ambiance eases recognition of the Stems that you are working with A Mute Solo Direct and Playback switches are contr
6. connectors and chassis ground Below the master back panel are also the three Listen input XLR s to be connected to microphones positioned anywhere in the building A detailed connection diagram will be shown in the installation section of the manual Octagon page number 23 DUAL PATH MONO MODULE DESCRIPTION The Octagon in output module differs from all other modules because it can be controlled from a Control Module All switch functions that need to be addressed immediately are available in every module All switch function that are set once or twice during a session are accessible via the control module The SELECT switch in every in output module connects its functions of that module to the control module At the same time the LED s in the control module indicates its present status and active switches In every module there are also LED s that indicate which function is active so at a glance you can see if a specific function is activated Pressing the SELECT switch further shows in the Control Module which specific function has been activated 3 0 DUAL PATH MONO MODULE Octagon s Dual Path mono input module is a basic input output design whereby all signal flow takes place from the microphone to the multitrack Each dual path mono module is shipped with PowerVCA Automation and a 37 segment LED bar graph meter The mic line inputs are in the UPPER section of the module while the TAPE machine outputs are in the LOWER s
7. for stereo assignments All routing assignments are displayed at the left side of the module alongside the pan pot showing instantly the present routing situation Assignment of routing formats and individual panning assignments are made in the Control Module which will be described later when we explain how to deal with the Control Module in day to day practice 3 5 INSERT Below the pan pot the insert knob switches connected signal processors in the signal path 3 6 Dynamics A local LED indicates that this part of the module is assigned to the optional Dynamics package controlled in the master section Comparisons between treated and untreated signal is done in the master with the Dynamics ON OFF switch When the green DYN LED is on an optional compressor limiter gate or other effects signal processors will be inserted into the signal path Octagon page number 26 mue ODR INPUT _ SRND TAPE _ Jsw PAN GROUP L2 R2 MAIN L JRTNG juoy1 Jove R INSERT DYN O off o Faro 5 E PFL UI PEAK O SAFE SOLO 9 FDR CAL O Mimi INPUT TAPE O 3 7 PHASE The PHASE switch below the INSERT switch is used to reverse the phase of any mic or line input A successful method of checking for out of phase signals is to press the mono switch on the master section and listen closely to the lower If an unexpected sound is heard or if something appears to be m
8. in the Safe mode activated by the Safe switch 3 31 SOLO SYSTEM LOWER PATH The Octagons solo system is very comprehensive Various modes are possible PFL pre fade listen AFL after fade listen and SIP Solo In Place Master status switching located in the master section selects the PFL or AFL mode for the entire console except for the Aux master solo s and the Solo In Place mode Solo In Place is a destructive solo system muting all other channels except those that are in the Safe mode activated by the Safe switch Activating the PFL switch will send the prefader signal of the Upper section to the CRM speakers In the AFL mode non destructive the post upper pan pot signal is heard and all other modules are not muted within the stereo lower buss 3 32 GROUP CONTROL DISPLAY LOWER PATH Fader Solo Mute and Auto mation functions can be grouped in control groups up to a maximum of 8 The display shows to which control group a specific module is assigned How to do this will be explained in the How to part of the manual Octagon page number 32 OL rx it LCR SRND sw E S 012 PAN srono MAIN C O L JRTNG yoy1 _ jsoy2 R INSERT _ O DYN 2 lt s M o 10 Auro GROUP CNTRL o PEAK O SAFE O kd READY 3 33 READY SWITCH If wired to a tape machine that specific channel of the tape machine can be put in Ready mode locally in th
9. indicator Lower path SOLO System Lower path Group control display Lower path Ready switch Select Lower path MUTE Lower path Fader Upper amp Lower path Inputs Outputs In Output Module summary The Dual Stereo return module 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 4 10 4 11 4 12 4 13 4 14 4 15 4 16 4 17 4 18 4 19 Input section Equalizer section AUX send section Stereo A B Status Section Using the Control Module Equalizer section Balance control Stereo B Status Section Using the Control Module Auto PFL Solo SEL Mute Fader Upper Routing Status Section Meter read Lower path LCR control Remote Stereo A B status section using the Control Module Octagon page number 3 5 0 6 0 6 1 7 0 8 0 Octagon s Control Module 5 1 Group Busses 5 2 Input Selection 5 3 AUX section 5 4 Pan pot assignment 5 5 Fader Calibration Upper path 5 6 SAFE SIP Upper Lower path 5 7 Group Setup Upper and Lower section 5 8 LCR Lower path 5 9 ST SRND Stereo Surround Lower path 5 10 Meter reads 5 11 Module Select section 5 12 Encoder 5 13 Copy 5 14 Menu 5 15 Show 5 16 Macro 5 17 Escape 5 18 Paste 5 19 All 5 20 Undo 5 21 Clear 5 22 Enter 5 23 Solo 5 24 Mute 5 25 Auto 5 26 Set Up 5 27 Group Fader 5 28 Macro switches MONITOR MATRIX MODULE Patch bay description 6 2 Patch bay points Instructions for operation 7 1 The Tracking session 7 2 The Playbac
10. maximum of 8 dual path stereo return modules 16 stereo returns and patch bay Octagon page number 9 Frame 84 The frame 84 will fit 84 dual path mono a maximum of 4 control modules 8 dual path stereo modules and a master section and patch bay ft 446 CM 175 6 gt AAAA UVTI Frame 84 standard configuration From left to right 24 dual path mono modules control module 24 dual path mono input modules control module master section 24 dual path mono modules control module 8 dual stereo return modules 16 stereo returns and patch bay Note Octagon s patch bay can be ordered at either end of the frame Delivery contents In this shipment of your Octagon you will find the following parts please check and contact the factory immediately when something is missing 1 Your configuration of the Octagon 2 Power supplies 2 3 4x analog 1 2x motor and 1 2x Logic power supplies depending on the size of your console 3 Manual with software 4 Cables Serial cable and 4 mains cables 5 Powerfade software 6 PC display card Oc
11. of any mic or line input A successful method of checking for out of phase signals is to press the mono switch on the master section and listen closely to the lower If an unexpected sound is heard or if something appears to be missing from the lower frequency range press the phase switch on the upper suspected to be in error If the sound improves then that channel was out of phase with the others 3 27 AUTO LOWER PATH The AUTO switch determines the automation mode of the automated fader Either off no LED s on Read R Write W or Update Trim both Read and Write LED s on Note These functions are only active when PowerVCA is loaded and active on your PC Octagon page number 31 OL d ZI o Or LCR SRND sw E S 012 PAN srono MAIN C O L JRTNG govt _ jsoy2 R INSERT E Q DYN _ Q 9 10 e i Auro o PEAK SAFE O kd 3 28 PFL LOWER PATH The PFL switch has an adjacent LED as an indicator that it is activated This PFL switch is completely independent from the automated SOLO system However when a Solo switch is active and PFL is activated the Solo switch will be inactive 3 29 PEAK LOWER PATH The PEAK led indicates any overload in the module 4 dB prior to clipping Measured is at pre EQ Post Insert and Post VCA positions 3 30 SAFE INDICATOR LOWER PATH SIP Solo In Place is a destructive solo system muting all other channels except those that are
12. 25 pole sub D male connectors Listed below are all inputs and outputs for the master modules The master back panel houses the connectors for interfacing with external equipment Octagon page number 22 There are 5 rows of connectors The first row houses Phones output which is powered by the nearfield outputs The balanced near field XLR outputs for easy interfacing with personal monitors The 8 buss CRM LS1 and CRM LS2 outputs for both control room monitor systems The connector for external connection of meters The second row houses The mono surround trimpot The Pre Encoder out connector and the to Encoder connector The CRM 1 and 2 insert send and returns The third row houses Midi in thru out connectors SMPTE in and outputs RS422 connector to interface with the automation computer Red light jack Communication interface connector for machine control Keyboard connector to be connected to the PC and the pointing device trackball touch pad connector to interface with the mouse output on the external PC The fourth row houses Spare connector for custom options Remote in and remote out connectors The remote in let s you externally control the CRM mute the Listen1 2 3 functions and the red light indicator The remote out sends control voltages of afore mentioned functions Monitor connector coming from the internal TFT display The fifth row houses The power supply
13. C O L JRTNG s JJoyY1 _ jsoy2 R INSERT E Q DYN 2 Qe Auro GROUP CNTRL o PEAK O SAFE O kd READY
14. Octagonman lwp OCTAGON OWNERS MANUAL Octagon page number 1 Octagon Manual version 1 1 Introduction and Product Overview 1 0 The Chassis system description 1 1 Octagon chassis 2 0 Master section description 2 1 Oscillator Talk back section 2 2 Talk back section 2 3 Listen section 2 4 Studio 1 2 sections 2 5 2 Tracks 2 6 Solo section 2 7 Control Room Monitor section 2 8 Near fields 2 9 Dim 2 10 CRM switches 2 11 CRM mutes 2 12 CRM preset 2 13 CRM Dim mutes 2 14 Main fader 2 15 Main LCD screen 2 16 Dynamics section 2 17 Console Recall Reset 2 18 Joysticks 2 19 Communications 2 20 Control Monitor Matrix 2 21 Track ball 2 22 AUX Master section 2 23 Metering 2 24 Master Inputs Outputs 3 0 Dual Path mono module 3 1 Upper section 3 2 Equalizer section Upper path 3 3 Aux 1 16 section 3 4 Pan pot 3 5 Insert 3 6 Dynamics 3 7 PHASE 3 8 AUTO 3 9 PFL 3 10 PEAK 3 11 Solo System 3 12 Fader Calibration 3 13 Group Control Display Octagon page number 2 4 0 3 14 3 15 3 16 3 17 3 18 3 19 3 20 3 21 3 22 3 23 3 24 3 25 3 26 3 27 3 28 3 29 3 30 3 31 3 32 3 33 3 34 3 35 3 36 3 37 3 38 Select Mute Fader Meter Read Upper Routing Status section Lower path AUX sends Lower path Equalizer section Lower path High Low pass Filter LCRS Pan pot Insert Lower path Dynamics Lower path PHASE Reverse Lower path AUTO Lower path PFL Lower path PEAK Lower path Safe
15. RACK CRM NEARFLDNEARFLD Normally the solo system is c toL R INSERT ENCINS BUSS1 8 MAIN toNEARFIELD MONITORS toLS1 toLS2 sine io e main monier RE DE IDE E DE T system but activating this A MAN ZIRACK STRACK CENTER UR SRND CRM CRM CRM switch let s you listen to soloed mvs E WORM WORM OUR MONO MONO INST INS CI Crez mun aug he near Neia li i i i i a monitors The main monitors INTER o will not be interrupted then CRM LEVEL CRM MUTE NEARFIELD LEFT 2 CENTER RIGHT 2 RIGHT EUN TRACK TO NEAR A F LJ F F F mono i o All two tracks normally heard though the main monitors can be switched to the near fields if required CRM TO NEAR FIELD This is the regular near field monitor switch if it is necessary to comparatively listening to material on the near fields NEAR FIELD TO LSI This switch assigns the near field signal to the Loudspeaker 1 outputs it alternates between LS1 and 2 NEAR FIELD TO LS2 This switch assigns the near field signal to the Loudspeaker 2 outputs Second row of CRM switches CRM SOURCE MASTER Normally the CRM loudspeakers follow all sources selected to them such as Solo and 2 Tracks When this switch is activated the CRM will listen to the main outputs only Octagon page number 15 CRM SOURCE 2 TRACK When this switch is activated the 2 Tracks will be heard via the CRM loudspeakers Note a selection of one or more of the 2 Tracks need to be made first
16. al is heard and all other modules are not muted within the stereo mix buss Octagon page number 27 mue ODR INPUT _ SRND TAPE _ Jsw PAN GROUP L2 R2 MAIN RTNG Joy Jove R INSERT DYN O off o Faro 5 H PFL PEAK O SAFE SOLO 9 FDR CAL O Mimi INPUT TAPE O 3 12 FADER CALIBRATION When this LED is on the upper motorfader is fixed positioned at unity gain This is very convenient when the upper section is used as a fixed STEM return which is normal practice for film style re mixes 3 13 GROUP CONTROL DISPLAY Fader Solo Mute and Auto mation functions can be grouped in control groups up to a maximum of 8 The display shows to which control group a specific module is assigned How to do this will be explained in the How to part of the manual 3 14 SELECT The Select switch is used for many purposes but one of them is to assign the module to the Control Module to be programmed as desired At the same time all LED s in the control module show the actual status of that assigned input module Changes are instantly without having to go to extra store switches and the like 3 15 MUTE The MUTE system is a special soft muting circuit click free and associated with the automation circuitry 3 16 FADER The 100 mm linear motor fader controls the internal VCA Today s VCA s have very low distortion and very impressive specs when th
17. al output level for corresponding VU meter readings With more and more digital equipment being used for laying down tracks the actual level is of primary importance to know to avoid digital overloads But for engineers that are used to the standard way of reading peaklevels a 6dB jumper is located on every meter that easily converts the meter to the classic way of observing peak levels Octagon page number 21 After all alignment procedures have been performed playing program material will show a difference in reading on the VU meters compared to the peak reading led bars in the channels 2 24 MASTER INPUTS OUTPUTS p NEARF LS 1 p NEARF LS 2 RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT a a A PHONES CRM1 CRM2 METERS EXTERN 9 DIC PIC E 9 CRMINSERT1 pm CRMINSERT 2 T ENCODER SEND RETURN SEND RETURN 9 GEER e o EEE e e GERD e e 9 MB IN THRU QUT RED LIGHT COMM INTERFACE es 9 gt 9 PEC e 9 COLOUR COLOUR SPARE 1 MONITOR A MONITOR B SPARE 2 SPARE 3 SPARE 4 9 e REE e e O e e e e 9 AUDIO AUDIO POWER 1 POWER 2 LOGIC CHASSIS POWER GROUND c D 5 MADE IN HOLLAND LISTEN 1 LISTEN 2 LISTEN 3 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 Q amor Q Octagon interfaces easily with external equipment such as two track master machines signal processors headphone amps and power amps Interfacing is possible using the connectors on the master back panels and through
18. cks switch By having all the source switches in their up position no signal is fed to the Studio systems Aux 1 2 and Aux 3 4 can be mixed from the input modules and fed to the Studio 1 2 or both outputs With the 2 Tracks switch in the down position a selection can be made from any or all two track source switches in the 2 Tracks section If you would like to build up a mix from one of the Aux pairs press Aux 1 2 and or Aux 3 4 switches Studio 1 2 or both can be used for stereo headphone feeds or studio playback speakers 2 5 2 TRACKS Octagons 2 Track section allows you to select any or all 8 stereo 2 Track inputs at the same time A neat feature is that it is also possible to feed the 2 Tracks either from the main Left Right busses or from any other 2 Track input for copying purposes This selection is made with the 2 TRACKS INPUT FROM switch located below the 2 Tracks switches in the 2 Tracks section An eight track return switch is located in the CRM section This is also the case with the general 2 Track source switching Just above the CRM level pot you find three switches labeled MAIN to CRM 2 TRACK to CRM and 8 TRACK to CRM These are the main selection sources for the CRM input These switches have to be activated first before any of the selected 2 Track sources will be heard The 2 Tracks can also be assigned to the near fields if desired Its the seventh switch in the upper row of switches located in the CRM sec
19. e Octagon s module without having to reach for the tape machine s remote control It is done by way of midi control messgaes and programmed in the Octagon s master section 3 34 SELECT LOWER PATH The Select switch assigns the module to the Control Module to be programmed as desired At the same time all LED s in the control module show the actual status of that assigned input module Changes are instantly without having to go to extra save switches and the like 3 35 MUTE LOWER PATH The MUTE system is a special soft muting circuit click free and associated with the automation circuitry 3 36 FADER The 100 mm linear motorfader controls the internal VCA Today s VCA s have very low distortion and very impressive specs when the VCA is in circuit noise is kept to an absolute minimum and the ultra low distortion is of the second even harmonic type responsible for a natural sound 3 37 UPPER amp LOWER PATH INPUTS OUTPUTS All mic inputs are interfaced via female XLR 3 pin connectors located on the module back panels All other module inputs and outputs are located in the patch bay and accessible via 25 pin sub D connectors on the back of the patch bay 3 38 IN OUTPUT MODULE SUMMARY This description concludes the Octagon s mono input module Specific how to use the module will be described later in the How to part of the manual Octagon page number 33 OL Qc rx it LCR SRND om Q QH DAN srono MAIN
20. e VCA is in circuit noise is kept to an absolute minimum and the ultra low distortion is of the second even harmonic type responsible for a natural sound 3 17 METER READ The module s Peak VU led bar graph meter can be assigned to read the input signal Mic Line the Tape input signal or the Group output signal of the module Selection is made in the Control Module It is also possible to switch the ballistics of the meter between VU and Peak Octagon page number 28 mue ODR INPUT _ SRND TAPE _ Jsw PAN GROUP L2 R2 MAIN RTNG Joy JJoY2 R INSERT DYN O off o Faro 5 E PFL UI PEAK O SAFE SOLO 9 FDR CAL O Mimi INPUT TAPE O 3 18 UPPER ROUTING STATUS SECTION There are 10 LED s positioned left of the upper pan pot that indicate the basic routing of the upper section Every module shows locally that an assignment has been made yes or no by way of an indicator LED To know where the assignment has been made to the SELECT switch has to be activated The Control Module shows in the routing section which buss is assigned to let you know what is routed The upper status green LED s section shows the Left Center Right assignments The yellow LED is on when the surround busses are assigned The red LED is on when the Sub Woofer is assigned The next red LED indicates that the Left 2 and Right 2 output busses have been assigned The yell
21. e control and part of the Power VCA automation system PRE POST switching for Aux 1 to 12 is done per pair in the control module A LED on every module helps you to remind you of the setting programmed locally Aux 1 2 can be assigned to the routing as well AUX 9 10 and AUX 11 12 are per pair assignable to the Aux busses 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 All these settings are displayed in real time in every module when a selection is made in the Control Module Octagon page number 25 LJ RTNG 93 4 T AUX PRE UP 1 2 es a PRE UP 3 4 ma SND PRE UP as e Onr Va Omn NG The Auxes 1 2 can be assigned to the 48 busses through the digital routing system The green status LED indicates when AUX 1 2 is assigned to one or more of the routing busses Note When Aux 1 2 are assigned to the routing busses it is not possible to use the busses for anything else Routing AUX 1 2 to the Multitrack Busses Step 1 Press SELECT on the module you would like to route auxes from Step 2 Press the gray RTNG switch in the AUX section labeled RTNG Step 3 Press the Buss switch or switches you would prefer to buss to Step 4 From Octagon s patch bay patch the group outputs of your choice to one of your signal processing equipment s inputs 3 4 PAN POT Octagon s pan pot is built to achieve minimum cross talk between two selected busses A center detent with 3 dB attenuation is standard
22. ection The following sections explain the many functions and features of each section of the dual path input module 3 1 UPPER SECTION Input selection of sources is done in the Control Module and can be sourced from the MIC LINE input the Tape Playback input or the Group Dir output The input section controls all incoming signals from microphone line and multitrack outputs A 48V phantom power switch for condenser microphones or direct boxes can be silently switched in or out of the circuit The Line switch converts the Upper input from a balanced mic input into a balanced line input Octagon has separate electronics for each input The top knob of the dual concentric GAIN control adjusts the mic line levels in the UPPER path and the bottom control adjusts the tape input of the LOWER path When the GAIN control is accurately set it is possible to achieve the very best signal to noise ratio and maximum headroom Octagon was designed to achieve Octagon page number 24 3 2 EQUALIZER SECTION UPPER PATH This four band parametric equalizer is unique in its design There are four bands the high and low bands have sweep able frequency and shelving characteristics type with a boost or cut of 16 dB The two mid bands each are sweep able frequency peak dip type with a boost or cut of 16 dB and bandwidth control which ranges from a maximum Q of 3 down to 0 5 The HF high frequency section is a variable frequency sh
23. eduction of the optional virtual dynamics assigned to a signal path How the dynamics work will be discussed later in a specific dynamics section 2 17 CONSOLE RECALL RESET The Octagon has the ability to store all potentiometer positions and most of all the switch settings except for the Oscillator Talk back and all functions positioned in the same module in the master section These functions are not necessary to be recalled in normal activities DYNAMICS ON OFF ENTER ESC OconT i OBcKL Octagon page number 18 2 18 JOYSTICKS Both joysticks are fitted with a large LED matrix to easily visualize the movements of the audio controlled by joystick movements The SETUP switch in the Joystick area determines the mixing format divergence and assignment to the 48 track buses or 8 main output buses The following basic formats can be programmed via the Setup switch Stereo LCRS 5 1 SDDS In all formats individual combinations of outputs can be programmed such as STEREO L R L2 R2 SI Sr off LCRS L C R S L C R L R L R S C S off 5 1 L C R S Sr L C R L R L R SI Sr C SI Sr L C R S L R S C S off SDDS L L2 C R2 R SI Sr Assignment LED s placed around the LED matrix indicate which outputs have been activated All the usual solo mute and automa tion switches are of course avail able when using the joysticks A detailed explanation will be given in the manuals How to
24. elving type sweep able from 4 000 Hz to 20 000 Hz with a max boost or cut of 16 dB The HMF High Mid Freq section has level and frequency controls with variable frequency ranges from 600 Hz to 15 000 Hz and has a maximum boost or cut of 16 dB The bandwidth has a Q factor ranging from 0 5 up to 1 5 The LMF Low Mid Freq section has level and frequency controls with variable ranges from 40 Hz to 1000 Hz and has a max boost or cut of 16 dB The bandwidth has a Q factor ranging from 0 5 up to 1 5 The LF low frequency section is a variable frequency shelving type sweep able from 10 Hz to 500 Hz with a maximum boost or cut of 16 dB The shelving curve can be switched into a Bell curve All level controls are center detented making neutral positions easy to establish All frequency ranges have been carefully selected following extensive examination of all types of music and noise Test comparisons of other equalizers helped the D amp R design team create an equalizer that sounds very musical but at the same time raising the standard in specs and sound quality Noise and distortion are kept to an absolute minimum An equalizer on off switch is fitted to allow easy comparisons 3 3 AUX 1 16 SECTION All Aux sends can be sourced from either the upper signal path or the lower signal path A LED on every module helps you to remind you of the setting programmed locally All Aux pairs have MUTE switches that are under softwar
25. ereo signal will be heard If the encoder is active of course When no Decoding device is connected to the Octagon there will be no signal when the DECODER ACTIVE switch is on The Sub Woofer output will not give a signal when the Decoder Active or 2 Track switches are depressed Octagon page number 16 CRM INSERT 2 This switch inserts an eventually connected processor in all of the 8 CRM outputs The second insert can be used to insert an academic filter CRM TO LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM 1 The Octagon has two complete sets of connectors to feed independent 8 way f sororem MANIARA MAN AW GTR MEIER SOLO 2 TRACK cH NEARELDNEARELD monitoring systems toL R INSERT ENCINS BUSS 1 3 to NEARFIELD MONITORS to LS1 toLS2 The CRM can be assigned to either one Bn E Oa 5 ni i MAIN 2 TRADK TRADE CENTER UR of these systems Both the switches will ause Bo DE teUR MON e AD ie tols alternate between the two settings If mouenr E gt bbb bE E desired software can be changed on 5 Em customer demand to be different from the default software piete Cai LEFT2 CENTER ail 0 iiig CRM LEVEL CRM MUTE o 10 mono gt 2 11 CRM MUTES PRESET DM MUTE There is a total mute positioned below the CRM level which completely mutes all outgoing monitoring signals and there are individual mutes muting user selected outputs only These individual selected mute settings are kept in memory when the total mute of the CRM is
26. issing from the lower frequency range press the phase switch on the upper suspected to be in error If the sound improves then that upper was out of phase with the others 3 8 AUTO The AUTO switch determines the automation mode of the automated fader Either off no LED s on Read R Write W or Update Trim both Read and Write LED s on Note These functions are only active when PowerVCA is loaded and active on your PC 3 9 PFL The PFL switch has an adjacent LED as an indicator that it is activated This PFL switch is completely independent from the automated SOLO system but when a solo switch is activated in that channel it will be turned off at the same moment 3 10 PEAK The PEAK led indicates any overload in the module 4 dB prior to clipping from the following points Pre EQ Post Insert Post VCA 3 11 SOLO SYSTEM The Octagons solo system is very comprehensive Various modes are possible PFL pre fade listen AFL after fade listen and SIP Solo In Place Master status switching located in the master section selects the PFL or AFL mode for the entire console except for the Aux master solo s and the Solo In Place mode Solo In Place is a destructive solo system muting all other channels except those that are in the Safe mode activated by the Safe switch Activating the PFL switch will send the pre fader signal of the Upper section to the CRM speakers In the AFL mode non destructive the post modules pan pot sign
27. k session 7 3 The Overdub session 7 4 The Remix session 7 5 The MIDI or Virtual session 7 6 Surround mixing 7 1 Six Upper 5 1 DTS Digital Theater Sound 7 8 SDDS Film style mixing Installation electrical 8 1 Local Electrical Voltage 8 2 Electrical Wiring Octagon page number 4 9 0 10 0 11 0 12 0 13 0 14 0 15 0 16 0 17 0 18 0 19 0 20 0 Installation audio 9 1 Interface with Power Amps 9 2 The Initial Hookup 9 3 Shields amp Grounds of Equipment Troubleshooting and servicing 10 1 Troubleshooting 10 2 Removing a module 10 3 Patch bay servicing How to use the Octagon 11 1 Control Module 11 2 Setting up the Control Module 11 3 How to use the Control module 11 4 Group output switching 11 5 Input selection 11 6 Aux sourcing and assignment 11 7 Output assignment to master busses 11 8 Fader calibration FDR CAL 11 9 Safe 11 10 Lower pan LCR and Stereo surround 11 11 Fader Set 11 12 The Control Module Group master fader section 11 13 CGM solo 11 14 CGM Mute 11 15 CGM Auto 11 16 Meter reads 11 17 Control Module functions 11 18 Machine remote switches 11 20 Master section Connectors 12 1 Master section 12 2 Patch bay connectors Specifications Signal flow master section Signal flow input module Digital signal flow Level diagram Interfacing with DS4E CP65 Interfacing with Dolby SEU4 SDU4 Interfacing with JS 300 Octagon page number 5 21 0
28. l E mail info d r nl Octagon page number 8 Octagon s CHASSIS SYSTEM 1 1 OCTAGON S CHASSIS The Octagon is available in two frame sizes 60 and 84 The basic frame has one blank module located on the extreme left of the frame The two blanks positioned left and right from the master section are part of the master sections electronics and can not be replaced by input modules or other equipment filling these positions The blank on the far left side of the frame cannot be replaced with an input module as they conceal mechanical constructions and internal wiring Included with Octagon s frame are the master section with associated VU or LED peak metering patch bay all internal cable harnessing and rack mount power supplies Frame 60 The frame 60 will fit 60 dual path mono modules a maximum of two control modules and a maximum of 8 dual path stereo modules the master section and patch bay re 327 CM 128 7 Frame 60 standard configuration From left to right 16 dual path mono modules control module 8 dual path mono modules master section 16 dual path mono modules a control module 8 dual path mono modules a blank module and a
29. le The SOLO 1 2 3 presets are s Ejo located in the Communication section of the Octagon movenr JE o tock Bo The SOLO TRIM control has a center detent for nominal level built in to the volume control With the AFL switch in its up position the Upper and Lower solo switches function in the PFL pre fade listen mode A lighting SOLO RESET switch in the communications section indicates that a SOLO switch is depressed anywhere in the console If the AFL switch is depressed any Solo switches function in the non destructive after fade listen mode If the Momentary switch is activated Solo is only active when depressed The Interlocking switch creates canceling of previous selected solo switches when selecting new solo sources SIP is possible with all three interacting modes such as momentary interlocking and adding 2 7 CONTROL ROOM MONITOR SECTION The CRM level controls a total of 8 outgoing levels to the control room monitor power amps This encoder controls all eight tracks with a superb tracking and level repeatability Attenuation of the CRM is always shown in the LCD isplay in all levels of the menu It ranges from 0dB down to 75dB in 0 5dB steps and then it mutes the CRM completely The Octagon has a two by two CRM system intended for alternative stereo near field monitors which are switchable via the bank of switches located sacra PIE RA OAM SEE III ERIE above the CRM level controller a aa Each alternate
30. ned to the routing by way of large push buttons positioned right from the 8 track main fader When Routing is selected the same assignment switches as the for the oscillator can be used to further route the talk back mic signal The momentary TB talk back switch activates the internal electret microphone 2 3 LISTEN SECTION Octagon has the ability to communicate with three independent rooms at the same time or individually Mic inputs are located on the back of the console and are built around the same high quality mic pre amps as the console s inputs The communication buttons are located above the TALK BACK switches in the Communications area When one of the Listen mics is activated the internal Talk back mic will also be activated Octagon page number 11 PINK NOISE 9 JOYSTICK III o EXTERN 9 az 3con7 LISTEN1 LISTEN2 LISTEN3 2 4 STUDIO 1 2 SECTIONS STUDIO 1 and STUDIO 2 sections get their signal from several different places and feed two sets of stereo outputs which are also located in the master section of the patch bay The 2 studio outputs can source the Aux 3 4 and or Aux 1 2 and or Left2 Right2 and or Left Right and or the 2 Tracks The 2 Tracks switch needs a little more explanation With the Octagon you can listen to stereo machines in the studio while listening to the stereo lower outputs in the control room by pressing one of the eight 2 track source switches and the 2 Tra
31. ntreated signal Octagon page number 30 T INPUT LO m GRP 8k HF 20K 1 K AK 5 45 3 23 LCRS PAN POT Octagon s pan pot is built with special circuitry to allow for Left Center Right and Stereo Surround panning The small upper control knob lets you move the input signal from front LCR to rear In the rear position the signal can be panned between the surround left and right monitor according to the format chosen A LCRS switch toggles between a normal pan pot with 3dB center and a true LCRS pan pot allowing for complex positioning of sound NOTE THE LCRS STEREO SWITCH IS CONTROLLED FROM THE CONTROL MODULE IF USED TO THE GROUP BUSSES THE FORMAT SWITCHES LABELED MONO STEREO LCRS S5 1 SDDS HAS TO BE ACTIVATED TO CREATE THE RIGHT PANNING FORMAT PRIOR TO ASSIGNING TO THE BUSSES 3 24 INSERT LOWER PATH Below the pan pot the insert knob switches connected signal processors in the signal path 3 25 Dynamics LOWER PATH A local LED indicates whether this part of the module is assigned to the optional Dynamics package controlled in the master section Comparisons between treated and untreated signal is done in the master with the Dynamics ON OFF switch When the green DYN LED is on an optional compressor limiter gate or other effects signal processors will be inserted into the signal path 3 26 PHASE REVERSE LOWER PATH The PHASE switch below the INSERT switch is used to reverse the phase
32. olling a complete group of signals combined in a STEM premix A master Direct Playback switch controls all Stems in one go 2 21 TOUCH PAD The internal high quality touch pad needs to be connected to the external PC that handles the Powerfade automation 2 22 AUX MASTER SECTION The Aux master section is located at the left side of the master module and houses the 16 Aux masters controlling r CONTROL ROOM MONITOR MATRIX _ DIALOGUE MUSIC TRIM EFFECTS 2 AMBIANCE 2 TRIM O MUTE MUTE DIR DIR PLAYB PLAYB the output level of the Aux sends Each Aux master has its own solo switch All Aux master solo switches are AFL after fade listen switches independent of the selection made in the SOLO control section All mutes are soft mutes and under control of the automation section The Aux master pots are stored in the Recall system of the Octagon The Aux outputs are balanced and normalled in the patch bay to the signal processor inputs Octagon page number 20 2 23 METERING Master metering The Octagon has a total of eight VU meters or peak reading led bar meters above the master section in the meterbridge Analog VU meters will indicate the average level in the signal paths and peak meters can be switched between VU characteristics and peak behavior in the master section A separate Phase meter indicates any phase shif
33. ow LED indicates assignment to the main Left Right busses The last three green LED s show assignment to the routing busses and the Joysticks of the upper modules signal 3 19 LOWER PATH The LOWER section is the second signal path in the Octagon dual path mono module It has a full 4 band eq and can access the 16 aux sends too insertable LCRS pan pot and Mute amp Solo switches In record mode the LOWER section is fed by either the tape return or group output A master DIR TAPE switch a macro switch selects either one of the above 3 20 AUX SENDS LOWER PATH The lower path can use all of the 16 aux busses like the upper path Sourcing is controlled from the Control Module Aux 1 2 amp 3 4 were designed with a level and pan to build up a stereo mix for headphones See for more details the description of the Aux sends for the upper path 3 21 EQUALIZER SECTION LOWER PATH This four band parametric equalizer is unique in its design There are four bands the high and low bands have sweep able frequency and shelving type boost or cut of 16 dB The two mid bands are sweep able frequency peak dip type with a boost or cut of 16 dB and bandwidth control which ranges from a maximum Q of 3 down to 0 5 The HF high frequency section is a variable frequency shelving type sweep able from 4 000 Hz to 20 000 Hz with a max boost or cut of 16 dB Octagon page number 29 INPUT tT LO TAPE O 5 GRP 3K HF 20K
34. speaker system has its own 8 E beT 5 5 i balanced XLR output for easy interchange gt Bo ose of near fields The main eight CRM outputs omenr HE gt are on a 25 pole sub D connector Also ta il fitted on the back of the master section are A Ss ek aa the sub D connectors for the encoding and decoding surround processors 9 LJ LJ LJ LJ LJ Octagon page number 13 2 8 NEAR FIELDS The Octagon can handle two stereo near field systems The two switches on the far right of the CRM switch bank selects near fields to either the LS1 outputs or the LS2 outputs on which near field loudspeakers can be connected The near field outputs have their own level control and a mono switch The mono switch lets you check mono compatability The Mono switch allows the user to check for any out of phase signals or simply monitoring your mix in mono 2 9 DIM The dim switch temporarily SOLO TRIM MAIN L2 R2 MAIN AN 8TRto METER SOLO 2TRACK CRM NEARFLDNEARFLD di O s CRM 3 BUSS1 8 MAN toNEARFIELDMONITORS toLS1 toLS2 1mS ctagon s eve by any ser definable amount eed of attenuation This dimming pise o te shin ot CENTER woo ene RaO GRE SE SR circuitry is also active when vouen the oscillator is turned on INTER LOCK The LC Display shows the amount of dimming when can CRM LEVEL CRM MUTE LEFT LEFT 2 CENTER RIGHT 2 RIGHT activated a F E E F F 2 10 MASTER CRM SWITCHES The
35. t between the left and right signals In most cases switching the phase switch on selected input modules can correct the phase shift Mono and Stereo o 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 O 9 9 9 module meters transients in digital LEFT LEFT 2 CENTER RIGHT 2 RIGHT recordings Octagon s Peak meters have an NEAGA SI So eed extended range i Bi ua aes sia d PR o o o OTe 1910 315181618 81619 from 45dB up to a reading of 6dB The bottom LED on all D amp R LED bar graph meters is an indicator that the associated module is on When first powering up always check all ON LED s under each meter If any ON LED is not lite turn off the power supplies and call D amp R for service advice Both mono and stereo input module meters have software switch able peak VU ballistics with 37 segments Octagon s meters can be switched individually to read the UPPER section or LOWER section of each module locally l 99 pop ON 28 Iiki 999 l The channel meters are of a peak or VU reading design and read 0dB when an oscillator sine wave with a 4 dB output level is sent to the meter in VU mode Measuring the 4 dB output level of the upper or master with a AC voltmeter would give a 1 22 AC volt reading When monitoring the oscillator on analog VU meters the VU meters should read 0 when the channel meters are reading OdB We have discontinued the habit of making peak reading meters to read 6 dB down from the actu
36. tagon page number 10 THE MASTER SECTION 2 0 MASTER SECTION DESCRIPTION Octagon s master section is equivalent in width to 14 input modules All CRM outputs are located on the rear of the console below the meter bridge The following paragraphs give a brief description of each section 2 1 OSCILLATOR TALKBACK SECTION The three frequency low distortion oscillator is a phase shift design The frequencies are 10kHz 1kHz and 100Hz each frequency has its own front panel alignment trimmer A master level control is fitted to adjust the output of the oscillator for precise alignment of the console and tape machines The level ranges from 10 dB to 10 dB with a detented mid position of 4 dBu which can be trimmed by the CAL trimmer There is also a pink noise generator built in for checking pan pot movements and joystick routing The oscillator can be assigned to The master output busses the Group busses the Aux Joystick busses as well as the direct output in the patch bay Each of the oscillator assignment switches have a LED indicator The CRM will dim adjustable in the software when the oscillator is active there is no 20dB attenuation when pink noise active It is also possible to cancel the dimming by activating the DIM switch when the oscillator is active 2 2 TALK BACK SECTION A multi way communication system is built into the Octagon The built in talk back mic can feed Studio l output Studio 2 output or can be assig
37. th up to 64 projects storable the wasted time between sessions is a thing of the past An essential part of the Octagon is its ability to record and mix down in various output formats ranging from mono up to full SDDS formats With its digitally controlled software switches you can route any input in the Octagon to a number of places and be able to recall all stored setups by a couple of key strokes This feature alone saves valuable time between sessions A first in mixing console technology is Octagon s surround master section with the ability to mix down a 7 1 surround fully automated Easy monitoring of all surround outputs is standard and automated Joysticks with Virtual Vision makes 360 degrees panning very easy to lay down in the final mix Completely modular Octagon can be configured precisely to suit your particular system requirements An Octagon standard is the internally wired patch bay that interfaces with all external equipment using 25 pin sub D connectors and chassis mount XLR connectors To become completely familiar with your Octagon and gain the maximum benefit from its use we recommend that you read this manual thoroughly It will provide important information about all aspects of the Octagon including installation operation and servicing Head Office Factory D amp R Electronica Weesp B V Rijnkade 15B 1382 GS Weesp The Netherlands Tel 31 294 418 014 Fax 31 294 416 987 Website http www d r n
38. tion All tracks A through H are 4dBu All of the 2 Tracks sources can be summed if necessary When sourcing 2 Track machines all surround CRM monitors will be switched off unless the Decoder Active switch is activated then the 2 Track signal will be decoded into full surround and all monitors except for the Sub bass output will be active again Note The 8 Track source selector as well as the 2 Tracks to CRM will interrupt the CRM signal The 2 Tracks A B C D E F G H switches will not interrupt the CRM monitoring unless the 2 Tracks to CRM is activated Octagon page number 12 2 TRACKS E 9 UR E 9 ware fi gt AUX 1 2 W o AUX 34 fi 3 STUDIO STUDIO S 2tracks i 9 u yo izr fi o AUX 1 2 i o AUX 34 B o MUTE ie 2 TRACKS 2TRA 2TRB fi 2TRC 9 2RD fi 2TRE fa 2TRF fi amc fl aTRH fl 2 TRACK INPUT FROM UR oO 2TR a _ 2 6 SOLO SECTION The Solo section has a SOLO TRIM volume control and an AFL after fade listen SIP Solo In Place switch A switch for momentary action of all the SOLO switches and an Interlock switch for interlocking behavior of all solo switches To easily cancel any activated SOLO switch in the entire console you just SOLOTRIM have to hit the SOLO RESET button and all selected Solo s are canceled It is also possible to create SOLO presets of specific groups of solo switches N o A maximum of three presets is possib
39. used temporarily 2 12 CRM PRESET The CRM preset switch returns the CRM level to a fixed preprogrammed level necessary for reference of Dolby mix downs and adjustments of studio control monitor amps 2 13 CRM DIM MUTES The CRM dim switch let s you dim the CRM output by any software controlled amount This dimming is also automatically activated when the oscillator is switched on When for instance the pink noise generator is used for alignment procedures the DIM switch will not be active of course There is a total mute positioned below the CRM level which completely mutes all outgoing monitoring signals and there are individual mutes muting user selected outputs only These individual selected mute settings are kept in memory when the total mute of the CRM is used temporarily Octagon page number 17 2 14 MAIN FADER Located in the bottom of the master section is one 100mm PowerVCA controlled fader controlling eight precision high end VCA s Its automation switches are located above the main fader 2 15 MAIN LCD SCREEN The main LCD screen displays most of Octagon s automated functions The principal in working with this screen is that all functions and text shown can be altered by the switch positioned below the character shown The Enter and Esc switches speak for themselves A detailed explanation will follow in later sections of this manual 2 16 DYNAMICS SECTION A gain reduction meter displays the gain r
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