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4.8SP Manual

1. Inputs 20 Mute 10 0 10 Clip dBu or VU Outputs 20 Mute 10 O Limit Threshold Clip dBu or VU AC Requirements Universal Power Supply 100 240VAC 50 60Hz 20W max Environmental 40 F 120 F 4 C 49 C Non condensing Weight LL 9 Lbs Dimensions 0 00005 19 0 Lx 1 75 Hx 8 5 D 48 3 cm x 8 9 cm x 21 6 cm 9 ASHLY AUDIO INC Limited Warranty USA ONLY Other countries please contact your respective distributor or dealer For units purchased in the USA warranty service for this unit shall be provided by ASHLY AUDIO INC in accordance with the following warranty statement ASHLY AUDIO INC warrants to the owner of this product that it will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of FIVE years from the original date of purchase ASHLY AUDIO INC will without charge repair or replace at its discretion any defective product or component parts upon prepaid delivery of the product to the ASHLY AUDIO INC factory service department accompanied with a proof of original date of purchase in the form of a valid sales receipt This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state EXCLUSIONS This warranty does not apply in the event of misuse neglect or as a result of unauthorized alterations or repairs made to the product This warranty is void if the serial number is al
2. 20dBu Output Gain Range 40dB to 12dB EQ EQ Filter Types 1st or 2nd Order High or Low Shelf Parametric Shelving Filter Boost Cut Range 15dB Shelving Filter Frequency Range Low Shelf 19 7Hz to 2kHz High Shelf 3 8kHz to 21 9kHz Parametric Filter Boost Cut Range 15dB 30dB Parametric Filter Frequency Range 19 7Hz to 21 9kHz 1 24 Octave Steps Parametric Filter Bandwidth Four Octaves to 1 64 Octave Input and Output Delay 0 682 milliseconds Crossover HPF and LPF Frequency Range 19 7Hz to 21 9kHz Off Available Filter Types 12dB Oct Butterworth 12dB Oct Bessel 12dB Oct Linkwitz Riley 18dB Oct Bessel 18dB Oct Linkwitz Riley 24dB Oct Butterworth 24dB Oct Bessel 24dB Oct Linkwitz Riley 48dB Oct Butterworth 48dB Oct Bessel 48dB Oct Linkwitz Riley 14 A ASHLY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors Limiter Threshold Range 20dBu to 20 dBu Ratio Range 0 1 2 1 to INF 1 Attack Time Range 0 5ms to 50ms Release Time Range 10ms to 1 Second Frequency Response 20Hz to 20KHz 0 25dB THD gici lt 0 01 1KHz 20dBu Dynamic Range gt 110dB 20Hz 20KHz unweighted Audio Sampling Rate 48KHz Propagation Delay 1 46mS Signal LEDs Clip
3. ccc ccc n eee cena 9 WARRANTY INFORMATION 0 0 0c eee eee 10 BLOCK DIAGRAM 2 A ASHLY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors Protea 4 8SP O ST a 248i 4 by B System Processor en rea OTRO B OOO O as SOS S255 t 0 MO i eo om 2 4 897 oi 4 x 2 way Grossov r a C xover CI Mie COMICI vece 0 E asia Oim Cua O ee eea O EN TS Inputs TS Outputs L On Wwe IC OC 0000 OOOO IC ym CY NO I QOD CJC 2 YV IQ Protea 3 6SP Q Ss i 24 Bit 3 by System Processor Can C Recai oo n 8 8 8 O AABHLY 999 o Preset 01 ae 989 n 0 E 93 rot O O a E elay py oa 0 3 68 alo aoc See yay ieee yer CXover C Mute FR a mn fen a vee E pa elet ume ua Opa fami O 5 Tac FA Outputs Cari OO 0006000 E GI PID Ed qe B c 2 3 Made inUSA Dataport AE rana o The lightning flash with arrowhead sym bol within an equilateral triangle is in tended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS IN SIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PER SONNEL TO R
4. O O O o O O O 0 O O A ASHILY O O O O Protea O O mas O O AISR o SS ar ea O com A B c D USB Input Select There are four XLR audio inputs on the 4 8SP three on the 3 6SP and each input is processed independently and may be routed to one or several outputs Select an input to edit its Gain EQ and Delay settings or to mute it Signal routing occurs in the output section 4 4 Output Select There are eight outputs on O O O Oe 0000 the 4 8SP six on the 3 6SP andeach 9 O O O O in O O O O output can obtain its source from any Da ar input or combination of inputs Se O 0 0 0 Y O 0 0 6 lect an output channel to edit its Mute Source Gain Polarity EQ Delay CJC JOC JC JUC JC EE Bu oi 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Crossover or Limiter functions Output Select 4 5 LED Indicators Each input and output has a five segment LED array for audio level display ranging from 20 through clipping The 20 LED is two color also serving as the Mute indicator by turning red The meter scale is factory set so that 0 on the meter is OdBu 0 775Vrms however it can be easily changed to VU scale 0 4dBu or 1 228Vrms within the Util menu 4 ASHLY 5 Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors 4 6 Audio Functions 4 6a Gain Input and Output Gain are separately adjustable from 40dB to 12dB in 0 1dB increments The output gain menu also
5. and 2dB for 24dB oct Bessel filters One of the outputs must be inverted when using either 12dB oct or 18dB oct Bessel crossover filters or else the combined response will have a large notch Linkwitz Riley The 12 dB oct 24dB oct and 48dB oct Linkwitz Riley filters individually are always 6dB at the displayed crossover frequency however the 18dB oct Linkwitz filters individually are always 3dB at the displayed crossover frequency The reason for this is that Linkwitz Riley filters are defined in terms of performance criterion on the summing of two adjacent crossover HPF and LPF filters rather than defined in terms of the pole zero characteristics of individual filters The 18dB oct Linkwitz Riley individually are 18dB oct Butterworth filters in that they have Butterworth pole zero characteristics and also satisfy the criterion for Linkwitz Riley filters When a Linkwitz Riley HPF and LPF of the same displayed crossover frequency are summed the combined response is always flat With 12dB oct Linkwitz Riley crossover filters one of the outputs must be inverted or else the combined response will have a large notch at the crossover frequency 4 6e Limit A full function compressor Limiter LCD Display limiter is included on each output channel A limiter is commonly used Limiter Threshold Channel 1 8 LIMITER 1 OdBu 20 to 20 Limiter INF 1 A05ms R100ms Release Ratio Time ms to prevent transient audio signal spikes from damaging loud
6. Driver Alignment at the cluster front at different times creating e E f lt gt Example 12 Inches undesirable wave interaction and frequency cancellation The solution again is to slightly delay the signal to the drivers closest to the cluster front Using the location of the driver Secondary Sucker diaphragm farthest back as a reference point 200 ft from Main Stage measure the distance to other drivers in the clus ter and set the output delay for each accord ingly with the driver diaphragm closest to the front getting the longest delay and the driver at the very back getting no output delay Note Although delay in the SP is adjusted only by time the corresponding distance in both feet lt gt Example 8 Inches and meters is always shown as well A gt High No Delay gt gt Midrange Delay 12 Inches 0 9mS Low Delay 8 Inches 0 6mS Same sound arrives at two different times Fix by delaying secondary speakers 177mS 4 6d Crossover Xover Crossover LCD Display Crossover functions are avail o LPF able only on the output channels Channel 1 6 CROSSOVER 1 HPF elect Every channel s crossover consists of 19 7Hz 24dB Lnkwtz a high pass filter HPF and a low pass Frequency Response filter LPF along with the frequen cies and filter types used Each output s crossover section is essentially a bandpass filter making it necess
7. provides for selection of input source s for a given output channel as well as polarity of the outgoing signal Any in put or combination of inputs can be routed to any or all outputs Keep in mind that two signals which share sig Input Gain Channel A D Output Gain Channel 1 8 Input Gain LCD Display Output Gain LCD Display GAIN 1 0 0dB Source A Pol Normal nificant content such as a stereo source will be up to 6dB louder when combined 4 6b EQ The Protea SP EQ section of fers full parametric EQ as well as Ist and 2nd order shelving filters on in puts and outputs Each input channel has six selectable EQ filters while each output channel has four select able EQ filters In all cases each filter is selectable between parametric PEQ 1st order Low Shelf LS1 2nd order Low Shelf LS2 1st order High Shelf HS1 and 2nd order High Shelf HS2 Shelving EQ filters 1st or der filters use a gentle 6dB per octave slope while 2nd order filters use a 12dB per octave slope for more a pronounced boost or cut All shelving filters have a boost cut range of 15dB Low shelving filters have a frequency range from 19 7Hz through 2kHz and the high shelving filters range from 3 886kHz through 21 9kHz Shelving filters are most useful as broad tone controls to boost or cut the high end or low end of an audio signal s frequency content Because they affect a wider spec trum of audio they are not as suitabl
8. tetano tendanstetazolaza finti te eee ee Limiter Threshold LED Output Clip Indicator Input Clip Indicator Input Channels A D Output Channels 1 8 x Output Xover Input Input Input Input sus ae A D 3 1248 BWorth Mute Delay Gain EQ A 1248 Bessel 0 682ms 40 to 12dB 6 Bands of E 12 dB Linkwitz arametric 18dB Bessel Ist Order LS 18dB Bworth 2nd Order LS 1st Order HS Any or Input 2nd Order HS Combination 48dB Linkwitz Block Diagram A ASHLY ASHLY AUDIO INC 847 Holt Road Webster NY 14580 9103 Phone 585 872 0010 Fax 585 872 0739 Toll Free 800 828 6308 www ashly com Copyright 2011 by Ashly Audio Corporation All rights reserved worldwide Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP R2 0111 Printed in USA
9. 4 ASHLY Protea NENNENENETEEIIERILITIIII Digital Audio Products 4 8SP 3 6SP 24 Bit System Processor Operating Manual ASHLY AUDIO INC 847 Holt Road Webster NY 14580 9103 Phone 585 872 0010 Toll Free 800 828 6308 Fax 585 872 0739 www ashly com Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors Table Of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 0 cc eee nes 1 1 Audio Features o 1 2 User Interface oi bathe a eb een eae be Shee de Eee ea ed cae 2 UNPACKING 2oc0cadue oracion keku nr 3 AC POWER REQUIREMENTS eee 4 FRONT PANEL CONTROL FEATURES 4 1 Function Keys and Data Wheel blica A 2 Presets grossi ra zaga torsolo hays 4 3 put Select tropea rena ES sde ds A ranieri io gas 4 5 LED diego oss de ls cognate ene eee eens eile ti rana Ann A Od Crossover ai ia deals Be 46e Limit dd dd da 4 7 Other Functions rers a a a eer eat 4 Ta Recall sicari RA a ine 4 Dave siii i a pani i i i e iia 4 Te COPY 2 pi pala AAA A AAA AO IMUE ce AA Ae a eed 4 Te WES aeea A i Reb a BB ee OA ee oe 4 71 Factory Reset 3a rara 5 INTERCONNECT FEATURES 0005 5 1 Audio Connections 0 ee ee cee cee eee e eee eenees 5 2 USB Connection a ESENE ERRE S REESI SES ARSS 5 3 RS 232 Data Connection i 6 PROTEA NE SOFTWARE 0 cee eee eens 7 TROUBLESHOOTING 0 0 eee eee enna 8 SPECIFICATIONS 00
10. Co lines of text on the LCD display corre spond to a dedicated function key so that various tasks on both lines may be selected using their respective keys The selected task is highlighted by a flashing underscore beneath the word or number and the parameter is then adjusted up or down with the data wheel The Esc key will exit any activity and return to the top level showing the preset number and name 4 2 Presets The 4 8SP and 3 6SP are organized into 30 programmable presets each completely defining the configuration of all inputs and outputs along with their respective audio components There are ten repeating preset configurations pre loaded into the unit which are simply starting points for common applications and all can be modified renamed and saved to suit the end user Please Note In addition to the 30 preset numbers a constantly refreshed Working Preset is used to take a snapshot of all current settings should the unit be turned off before changes can be saved When the unit is first powered up the last working preset is loaded displaying the number and name last used before the unit was turned off Any modifications made to that preset before saving it will remain in the working preset until either the modified preset is saved or a fresh preset is recalled When modifications to an existing preset are made without saving the display adds the text modified after the preset number 4 3 Input Select O O O cir O
11. EDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPIIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE REPLACE ONLY WITH SAME TYPE FUSE REFER REPLACEMENT TO QUALI FIED SERVICE PERSONNEL WARNING The exclamation point within an eqilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and main tenance instructions in the literature ac companying the device THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED 4 ASHLY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors 1 INTRODUCTION Thank you for your purchase of this Ashly Protea 4 8SP or 3 6SP Digital Crossover System Processor The Protea series builds on the tradition of quality and value which has earned Ashly its place as a market leader in crossovers equalization and signal processing The 4 8SP has four inputs and eight outputs while the 3 6SP has three inputs and six outputs The front panel interface allows quick access to all control parameters by offering dedicated function buttons eliminating the need for hidden sub menus For even faster set ups and stronger visualization of Input Output routing EQ and Filter curves a USB port is provided for use with Windows Protea NE Software Full control by third party controllers is also available via RS 232 1 1 AUDIO FEATURES The Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP utilize state of the art DSP technologies beginning with 24 bit 48kHz delta sigma A D converters with 128x oversamp
12. TEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors while a very long attack time can miss some of the initial transient Similarly a very short release time can make the audio sound uneven while a very long release time can create pumping or breathing characteristics depending on the kind of signal Experiment to find the best solution for a given application 4 7 Other Functions The Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP have a full complement of non audio functions within a single keystroke to navigate around the product quickly Recall Save Copy Mute and a Utilities menu complete the user friendly interface Protea products are known for 4 7a Recall There are 30 stored presets which can be recalled on the SP processor Note A preset recall will overwrite the working settings so make sure the current configuration is saved before continuing or it will be lost Remember an unsaved working preset shows modified on the preset name screen Press Esc to see the preset name screen The unit always loads the working preset on power up so as to preserve any changes should the power be inadvertently turned off prior to saving Ashly has included ten preset templates as starting points for common 4 8SP or 3 6SP configurations and these preset templates repeat as they scroll through the 30 presets To recall a new preset press the recall button once select the desired preset number and press recall again At this point the LCD display prompts the user to mute th
13. The Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP utilities include a security section for password protected lockout a dBu VU meter preference select and a device name display 1 Off none allows full access to all controls 2 Preset Lock allows full access while disabling the save function 3 Parameter Lock allows the user to recall different presets but allows no changes other than mute 4 Full Lockout allows absolutely no local changes but allows viewing of current settings To access the security menu first press the Util button then select the Security display line on the LCD Use the data wheel to select from the four security levels If the unit is brand new and has never had a security code or has had a factory reset a four digit code must first be entered before changing security status Use the output select buttons 1 8 recommended or the data wheel 0 9 to enter a new code then press Enter on the LCD The LCD then prompts the user to either change the code to a new four digit number or change the Security status to one of the other three options The only way to fully remove a security code once it has been entered is with a factory reset This is done by turning the power on while pressing Esc and Recall together returning all settings including user defined presets to their original factory settings Note In the event the four digit security code is forgotten turn the unit on while pressing both the Esc and Util buttons dBu V
14. U Meter Select The input and output meter scale is factory set so that a green LED flashing at 0 indicates a signal level of 0dBu or 0 775Vrms To change this to a VU scale where OVU 4dBu 1 228Vrms select the lt Ref gt option in the Util menu to VU Note Protea NE software for the 4 8SP and 3 6SP can only display LED meters in dBu Device Name The device name is assigned from within Protea NE software and is displayed in the LCD window 4 7f Factory Reset To clear all preset names reset all controls to their original factory settings and delete the password from memory Factory Reset may be performed by simultaneously pressing and holding Esc and Recall while switching power on Caution doing this will erase all user defined presets 4 ASHLY 11 Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors 5 INTERCONNECT FEATURES 5 1 Audio Connections All Protea audio connections use three pin XLR jacks with pin 2 pin 3 and pin 1 G Inputs and outputs are electronically precision balanced If an unbalanced signal is fed to an input the signal should be on the connection pin 2 and pin 3 must be tied to ground or significant signal loss will result In other words never float pin 2 or pin 3 Itis strongly recommended that balanced signals be used whenever possible A Note About Input Signal Levels There are no analog gain trim adjustments on the Protea SP unit therefore all the processing includin
15. Util menu or software No sound Check to see if the input or output is muted Is the input or output Gain turned down Check the selected audio source s for each output making sure there is signal applied to the designated input s If the crossover is used make sure the high pass filter HPF is set to a lower frequency than the low pass filter LPF Clip light stays on Is the input signal level too high Check to see that the nominal input level is 0dBu allowing 20dB of input headroom Are input or output gain settings too high Check to see if an EQ filter has too much boost Distorted sound but no Clip LED Check individual EQ filters to see if there is excessive boost Muffled sound If expecting full range audio on an output make sure the crossover settings are not inadvertently set so as to limit the pass band Excessive Noise An input signal level or an input gain setting that is too low could require the loss to be made up for at the output gain stage producing more noise than a properly set up gain structure Do not use the DSP processor section for dramatic increases in level but rather optimize the signal source for a nominal 0dBu output Forgot the password See section 4 7e 8 SPECIFICATIONS A secc r negi rodri kai eea Active Balanced 18KQ Max Input Level 20dBu Input Gain Range 40dB to 12dB Output i iii Active Balanced 1129 Max Output Level
16. ace panel individual presets can be saved to the processor by using lt Preset Options Save Preset To Protea gt or saved to a PC using lt Preset Options Save To Disk gt Preset files for Ashly SP products use the extension pne In addition to the face panel preset recall button a preset can be recalled in software from either a computer or from the processor s internal memory Caution A new preset may have dramatically different settings capable of damaging sound system components so be careful not to recall the wrong preset while the system is on The Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP are similar to the older Ashly Protea 4 24C and 3 24CL models respectively An existing preset file from the older pcc format can be loaded onto the new SP unit using lt Preset Options Load 4 24C Preset From Disk gt Security The 4 8SP and 3 6SP processors have front panel security options within the utilities menu Additionally Protea NE software offers independent management of the front panel security as well as software security The password will be the same in software as it is on the physical unit 4 ASHLY 13 Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors 7 TROUBLESHOOTING 7 1 Audio Troubleshooting Tips No power Is the detachable AC cord fully plugged in Is the rear panel power switch on Controls don t work check the Security Level If set to Full Lockout then Protea unit is view only Change security settings in
17. ary for the user to map out ahead of time which outputs will be used for the various frequency bands and set the overlapping filter frequencies and types accordingly Note The HPF determines the lower frequency limit of the signal while the LPF determines the upper frequency limit The frequency range for the high pass filter HPF is from 19 7Hz to 21 9kHz with an option to turn the filter off at the low end of the frequency selection The low pass filter LPF offers the same frequency range with the off option at the high end of the frequency selection There are 11 types of filters available in the crossover section each suited to a specific preference or purpose The slope of each filter type is defined by the first characters in the filter type 12dB 18dB 24dB or 48dB per octave The steeper the slope the more abruptly the edges of the pass band will drop off There is no best filter slope for every application so experiment to see which one sounds most pleasing in a specific system Ashly factory default presets use all 24dB octave Linkwitz Riley filters in the crossover section but of course they can be changed to suit the applica tion In addition to the frequency and slope crossover filters can be selected as having Butterworth Bessel or Linkwitz Riley response These refer to the shape of a filter s slope at the cut off frequency affecting the way two adjacent pass bands interact at the crossover point 24db octave Linkw
18. back frequen cies add or remove a characteristic hot spot from microphones or clean up room resonance situations It is well worth the time getting set 10dB proficient with parametric EQ filters as they Pid lt lt offer the best solution to many EQ problems 7 BETIE 20dB ar jm Protea SP parametric filters have a x 7 boost cut range of 15dB to 30dB There is 108 z 3 more cut than boost because one of the more xi z common uses for parametric filters is to dra 2048 matically cut or notch out very narrow fre Sx qe quencies low bandwidth in order to elimi 0 mers Y Ad nate system feedback problems sona 20058 ee oo 4 8SP and 3 6SP Parametric Filters Every instance of a parametric EQ fil ter has a center frequency selected The factory default is 1kHz but each filter s center frequency is adjustable from 19 7Hz to 21 9kHz in 1 24 octave steps Carefully sweeping a narrow bandwidth filter through a problem feedback area with just a slight boost is a quick way to find the exact frequency causing trouble Once the offensive frequency has been found cut the filters level and then the bandwidth is adjusted as narrow as possible while still eliminating the feedback problem Bandwidth is adjustable from about 1 64 octave to four octaves and the lower the bandwidth
19. d Individual products can be dragged onto the project canvas to simulate physical rack installation groups but editing each product can be done from either the product list or the image on the canvas The NE software project canvas The project canvas is used to visually represent and control a fixed physical sound system installation and can display any of the Ashly processors amplifiers and remotes used in that system The user can also place an assortment of isolated control objects such as level faders single LEDs meter bars etc and map them to specific product functions within that project Once a control object is placed right click on it to bring up its properties Additionally lines rectangles text and even image files can be added to create a custom virtual control screen along with the Ashly products and individual control objects To see all available canvas tools right click anywhere over open canvas Checking lt Design Mode gt allows placed objects to be moved around while unchecking lt Design Mode gt locks objects in place Meters Inputs and outputs each have real time virtual meter displays shown in dBu only Output compressor limiters have meter displays shown in dB Presets Options The 4 8SP or 3 6SP will store up to 30 total presets A preset file takes a snapshot of all current settings and stores complete control data for all channels and all audio functions In addition to pressing the Save button on the f
20. e for feed back control as parametric filters Parametric EQ PEQ uses peak fil ters with the ability to control boost or cut frequency center and bandwidth Think of Ch A D EQ Ch 1 8 EQ EQ Level 20dB 10dB 0dB 10dB 20dB 30dB EQ LCD Display Low Shelf 6 Input Fitra 4 Outpt Fltrs Filtr 1 PEQ 1000Hz 1 000 PEQ LS HS Frequency n 1st Order Filter 2nd Order Filter High Shelf Parametric Low Shelf 1st Low Shelf 2nd High Shelf 16t High Shelf 2nd Parametric Bandwidth Signal Source A B C D Output Polarity 20Hz 200Hz 4 8SP and 3 6SP Shelving Filters 2KHz 20KHz one band of parametric EQ as a single graphic equalizer fader except that the frequency is variable not fixed and that the bandwidth or how wide the filter affects the frequency spectrum at the center frequency is completely variable The smaller the bandwidth the less the audio signal on either side of the frequency center is boost or cut whereas a larger wider bandwidth produces an audible change to the overall tone of a signal Parametric filters are best used to hunt A ASHLY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors Narrow Low Bandwidth nn Wide High Bandwidth down and eliminate problem feed
21. e outputs or not and selecting Yes or No will load the new preset and mute all outputs if so desired A new preset may have dramatically different settings capable of damaging sound system components so be careful not to recall the wrong preset while the system is on To be safe always select Yes to mute all outputs 4 7b Save Once the unit has been adjusted to suit the application the changes can be permanently saved to memory To save a new configuration or save changes to an existing preset template begin the process by pressing the Save button once The LCD display prompts for the new or same preset number and after selecting the desired number press Save again At this point the name of the preset can be changed by selecting any one of the 20 text characters and scrolling through the list of 89 available ASCII characters for each Pressing the Save button again permanently stores the working preset to the new preset location Note performing a Factory Reset will erase all user presets and replace them with the ten original Ashly preset templates User defined presets can be stored off line as files using Protea NE Software 4 7c Copy The Copy function is used to quickly transfer all settings from a currently selected input or output to another input or output channel An example of how this might be used is with stage monitors Suppose there are eight monitor mixes on stage and they all use the same type of floor wedge The first m
22. g gain is done in the digital domain As a consequence of this design philosophy it is important to feed the Protea processor with the proper nominal signal level to achieve good signal to noise performance as well as headroom before clipping This unit is designed to clip at signal levels above 20dBu 7 75Vrms which places the noise floor lower than 90dBu The optimum input signal level which should be fed into the Protea processor is OdBu 775Vrms This input level will allow 20dB of headroom while giving a nominal signal that is gt 90dB above the noise floor 5 2 USB Connection There are two USB ports on the SP unit one on the front and one on the back panel They both serve the same function but a front panel USB connection will always override the back panel USB port if both are being used simultaneously A six foot USB A to USB B cable is provided with every Protea SP unit to connect to a computer running Ashly Protea NE software USB 5 3 RS 232 Data Connections 66006 0000 Several third party controllers use RS 232 for control of other devices which may include the RS 232 Protea SP processors For detailed information regarding the implementation of RS 232 control contact Dataport the Ashly service department Note Protea NE software will not work with a 4 8SP or 3 6SP processor using RS 232 The computer connection must use a USB port 6 PROTEA NE SOFTWARE Loading the software Ashly Protea NE software is included on a CD
23. itz Riley filters produce a flat transition through the crossover region assuming both overlapping filters are set to the same frequency slope and response type 24dB oct Linkwitz Riley filters are the industry standard the easiest to use and the filter type recommended by Ashly Other filter types are available but may require polarity switching or other adjustments for proper results The following paragraphs offer a summary of the three filter types as used in 4 8SP and 3 6SP crossovers 8 A ASHLY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors Butterworth Butterworth filters individually are always 3dB at the displayed crossover frequency and are used because they have a maximally flat passband and sharpest transition to the stopband When a Butterworth HPF and LPF of the same crossover frequency are summed the combined response is always 3dB With 12dB per octave Butterworth crossover filters one of the outputs must be inverted or else the combined response will result in a large notch at the crossover frequency Bessel These filters as implemented on the SP processors are always 3dB at the displayed crossover frequency Bessel filters are used because they have a maximally flat group delay Stated another way Bessel filters have the most linear phase response When a Bessel HPF and LPF of the same crossover frequency are summed the combined response is 3dB for 12dB oct 18dB oct and 48dB oct Bessel filters
24. ling Digital processing includes Gain Parametric EQ Shelving Filters Time Delay Crossover Functions Compression Limiting and Matrix Routing all taking place in twin 120MHz Motorola DSP56362 high performance DSP processors D A conversion uses 24 bit delta sigma converters with 128x oversampling All inputs and outputs are precision balanced and RF protected using XLR connectors 1 2 USER INTERFACE Front Panel Interface A backlit 2 x 20 character LCD displays channel and function settings Dedicated buttons provide access to all audio functions and system tools The display indicates the current preset number then subsequently shows the selected input or output and its active control parameters Five segment LED arrays on each input and output provide audio level information and mute status Protea NE Software The computer interface uses Ashly PROTEA NE SOFTWARE for Windows which allows complete PC control of the unit through a USB jack Protea NE software is supplied with each unit or can be down loaded at no cost from the Ashly web site Advantages of using the software include greater preset capacity and a very intuitive visual representation of the audio routing and control process 2 UNPACKING As a part of our system of quality control every Ashly product is carefully inspected before leaving the factory to ensure flawless appearance After unpacking please inspect for any physical damage Save the shipping carton and all packi
25. ng materials as they were carefully designed to minimize the possibility of transportation damage should the unit again require packing and shipping In the event that damage has occurred immediately notify your dealer so that a written claim to cover the damages can be initiated The right to any claim against a public carrier can be forfeited if the carrier is not notified promptly and if the shipping carton and packing materials are not available for inspection by the carrier Save all packing materials until the claim has been settled 3 AC POWER REQUIREMENTS Note The AC power switch is on the back panel The Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP use a universal input power supply which will accept any line voltage in the range of 100V AC to 240VAC 50 60Hz A standard IEC 320 grounded AC inlet is provided on the rear panel to accept the detachable power cord Never remove the AC earth ground connection to the unit In the event of fuse failure refer the product to a qualified service technician for fuse replace ment replacing only with the same type and rating fuse 4 A ASHLY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors 4 FRONT PANEL CONTROL FEATURES 4 1 Function Keys and Data Wheel To the right of the LCD dis 24 Bit 4 by 8 System Processor play are two unlabeled function keys Es and a rotary data wheel All audio and Preset 01 c system parameters are edited using 4 x 2 wav Crossover these three controls Each of the two y
26. onitor could be set up with Gain EQ and Limiting then those settings could be quickly copied to the remaining seven monitors providing a consistent starting point for each mix To copy first select the input output to copy from then press the Copy button then press the input output to copy to pressing the Copy button a second time to complete the action 4 7d Mute The Protea 4 8SP and 3 6SP allow the user to mute both inputs and or outputs When muted an input or output s red Mute LED is lit When an input or output is selected pressing the Mute button will toggle its mute function To quickly mute all outputs escape out to the top level preset display then press the Mute button pressing it a second time to confirm Additionally when recalling a new preset number to the unit the LCD display prompts the user to mute all outputs as a new preset can introduce dramatic changes to the system configuration 10 42 A SHILY Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors 4 7e Util Off none PresetLock ParamLock UTIL Secur Off none OS LED Meter Ref dBu Device Name Device dBu VU Scale Name Security There are four security modes in the 4 8SP and 3 6SP Off Preset Lock Parameter Lock and Full Lockout When connected to a PC via the USB port security settings made on the SP unit are read and used within the Protea NE software security section sharing the same passcode Utilities LCD Display
27. ously leaving all loudspeakers arrives at a single point in the venue at several different times Needless to say this causes problems and what may be crystal clear sound directly in front of any one loudspeaker can be unintelligible in the farther reaches of the venue with direct line of sound to multiple loudspeak ers The solution is to delay the audio signal to the loudspeakers located beyond the main stage area so that sound comes out of the distant loudspeakers at the exact time that sound from the main stage loudspeakers arrives Within the Protea SP up to 682 milliseconds of time delay are available allowing secondary loudspeaker clusters to be time aligned with the primary speakers up to 771 feet 235m away from the main stage area 4 ASHILY 7 Operating Manual PROTEA 4 8SP and 3 6SP System Processors Input Long Time Delay Output channels have time delay as well Output delay is best used to align discrete drivers within a speaker cabinet or cluster normally quite close together For example a typical three way speaker cluster would have low end midrange and high frequency drivers all located near one another The different drivers for each fre quency band are not necessarily the same physi For Remote Speakers Speaker on Mala Stage cal depth with respect to the front of the loud 7 speaker cluster so there exists the problem of Output Short Time Delay same signals at the crossover points arriving For
28. speakers manage Attack Time ms analog and digital recording levels optimize broadcast levels or thicken the sound of an audio source com pression The adjustable parameters include Limiter In Out Limiter Threshold Ratio Attack Time and Release Time The 4 8SP and 3 6SP limiter threshold range is from 20dBu to 20dBu This setting determines the signal level above which gain reduction begins and is indicated by the yellow LED Lim in the output meter section Increases in audio level above the threshold will be reduced according to the ratio settings The ratio control determines the amount of gain reduction above limiter threshold Ratio ranges from a gentle 1 2 1 to a brick wall INF 1 To illustrate how the ratio control works imagine a commonly used loudspeaker protection ratio of 10 1 which means that for every input signal increase of 10 dB above threshold the output level will only increase by 1dB The higher the ratio the more pronounced the audio effect so use the lowest ratio possible to sufficiently address the problem Attack A__ms and Release R__ms settings adjust the time it takes the limiter to engage and then disengage when the signal increases above threshold and then subsequently falls back below threshold Attack time is adjustable from 0 5ms through 50ms while release time ranges from 10ms through 1s A very fast attack time can sound unnatural 4 ASHILY 9 Operating Manual PRO
29. tered defaced or removed ASHLY AUDIO reserves the right to make changes in design or make additions to or improvements upon this product without any obligation to install the same on products previously manufactured Any implied warranties which may arise under the operation of state law shall be effective only for FIVE years from the original date of purchase of the product ASHLY AUDIO INC shall be obligated to only correct defects in the product itself ASHLY AUDIO INC is not liable for any damage or injury which may result from or be incidental to or a consequence of such defect Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclu