Alesis PROLINEARDSP User Manual
Reference Manual
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Table Of Contents
Welcome!......................................................................................................3
About the ProLinear DSP.................................................4
DSP Control................................................................................................4
PC Integration.............................................................................................4
Key features of the ProLinear DSP......................................................... 4
How to Use This Manual ................................................... 5
Chapter 1: Getting Started............................................................ 7
A Tour of the Rear Panel .......................................................................... 7
Connecting the ProLinear DSP.......................................8
Connecting ProLinear DSP speakers.......................................................8
Connecting the ProLinear DSP to a PC .................................................9
Installing the software ...................................................... 9
Installation procedure ................................................................................10
Chapter 2: Operations.................................................................... 13
The Front Panel..........................................................................................13
Operational Overview .......................................................14
Description of Modes................................................................................ 15
Program Mode ............................................................................................15
Channel Mode.............................................................................................17
Edit Mode....................................................................................................18
Save Mode....................................................................................................20
Input Level Mode ....................................................................................... 21
Chapter 3: Using the Software ..................................................... 23
Overview......................................................................................................23
Navigating the Software.............................................................................24
The Program Edit window ...............................................25
Editing the Program Curve ....................................................................... 26
Saving Equalizer Settings........................................................................... 28
Loading Equalizer Settings........................................................................28
Equalizer Workspaces ................................................................................29
Working with Channels.....................................................30
Selecting a Channel..................................................................................... 30
Channel Settings .........................................................................................30
Global Controls ..........................................................................................31
Program Names/Notes .......................................................31
Changing Settings .......................................................................................32
Chapter 4: Frequently Asked Questions.................................... 35
Basic FAQs ..................................................................................................35
Voicing and EQ FAQs...............................................................................37
Chapter 5: Specifications .............................................................. 39
Inputs............................................................................................................39
Output .......................................................................................................... 39
Power Requirements................................................................................... 39
Environmental Requirements...................................................................39
Cabling Requirements ................................................................................ 39
1
Table Of Contents
Mechanical ................................................................................................... 39
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting.......................................................... 41
Appendix ........................................................................................... 43
Preset and User Programs ......................................................................... 43
Index................................................................................................. 45
Alesis Contact Information....................................................................... 48
2
F
s
r
P
a
h
/
s
Introduction
Welcome!
Thank you for making the Alesis ProLinear DSP a part of
your studio. Since 1984, we've been designing and building
creative tools for the audio community. We believe in our
products, because we've heard the results that creative
people like you have achieved with them. One of Alesis'
goals is to make high-quality studio equipment available to
everyone, and this Reference Manual is an important part of
that. After all, there's no point in making equipment with all
kinds of capabilities if no one explains how to use them.
So, we try to write our manuals as carefully as we build our
products.
The goal of this manual is to get you the information you
need as quickly as possible, with a minimum of hassle. We
hope we've achieved that. If not, please drop us an email
and give us your suggestions on how we could improve
future editions of this manual.
We hope your investment will bring you many years of
creative enjoyment and help you achieve your goals.
Sincerely,
The people of Alesis
or more effective
ervice and product
update notices, please
egister your
roLinear DSP online
t:
ttp://www.alesis.com
upport/warranty.htm
3
Introduction
About the ProLinear DSP
The ProLinear DSP is a powered two-way speaker that offers
the following features:
• Increased bass frequency range with more accurate
DSP Control
The ProLinear DSP’s Integrated DSP Module controls the
equalization and output level of the speaker. There are two
ways to access this control: through the front panel buttons
and LCD, or from your PC via the supplied software and the
serial port on the rear panel of the speaker.
PC Integration
Through a standard 9-pin PC serial port on the back of the
ProLinear DSP, you can connect your speaker to your
Windows-based personal computer. Your PC and the Alesis
ProLinear DSP software provide you unparalleled flexibility in
creating, saving, and managing specific equalization programs
and configurations, which you may then recall without ever
having to touch the speaker.
Key features of the ProLinear DSP
response
• Increased Sound Pressure Level (SPL) capacity
• Lower distortion
• Smoother frequency response
• Single Speaker Configuration – there’s no difference
between left and right cabinets, so place them in
either location
• Bi-amplified near-field reference monitor providing
approximately 120 watts
• Integrated DSP Module with 24 bit processing for
precise driver crossover and smooth response
• 4-Band Parametric EQ with shelving and high pass
filtering options
• Ability to control individual speakers or groups of
speakers via the 9-pin RS-232 port
• Input level potentiometer with 1/4" TRS/XLR
combination connector that supports levels from +4
dBu to –10dBv
• Internal universal 110v/220v power supply
• 8 preset programs
• 8 user-definable programs
4
Introduction
H
D
How to Use This Manual
This manual is divided into the following sections describing
the various functions and applications for the ProLinear DSP.
While it's a good idea to read through the entire manual once
carefully, those having general knowledge about studio
equipment should use the Table of Contents or the Index to
look up specific functions.
Chapter 1: Getting Started. Whether you are an experienced
studio technician or a practicing musician, these simple
diagrams and explanations can help you quickly get your
ProLinear DSP connected to a line level output source (e.g.,
mixer) and/or your PC.
Chapter 2: Operations gives you detailed instructions for
operating the ProLinear DSP from the front panel.
Chapter 3: Using the Software provides a detailed, step-by-step
how-to for operating the ProLinear DSP through the included
PC software (note: this can only be accomplished if the
speaker is attached to a Windows-based computer through the
9-pin serial port).
Chapter 4: Frequently Asked Questions covers many of the
important and practical questions about how to set up and use
the speakers.
Chapter 5: Specifications lists important technical features and
environmental requirements of the ProLinear DSP.
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting gives you some of the more common
problems and solutions.
The Appendix contains descriptions of the EQ curves used in
the Preset and User Programs.
At the end of the manual we have included an Index, which
will help you locate specific information.
elpful tips and advice are
highlighted in a shaded box
like this.
When something important
appears in the manual, an
exclamation mark (like the
one shown at left) will appear
with some explanatory text.
This symbol indicates that
this information is vital when
operating the ProLinear
SP.
5
Introduction
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6
A
p
p
1
Getting Started
A Tour of the Rear Panel
Input Level
XLR/TRS
udio Input
Serial Input
(from other
speaker or
computer)
T he rear panel of the ProLinear DSP contains the following:
Serial Output
(to another
speaker)
IEC Power
Connector
• Input Level control—to adjust the strength of the signal coming
into the speaker. This allows all types of audio sources to be
used, from stand-alone CD players to professional mixers.
• Power switch—turns the ProLinear DSP off or on
• Female XLR and 1/4" TRS balanced combination
input connector
• Two Data Link 9-pin RS-232 serial ports:
o One female “in” port for connecting to a
PC or another speaker
o One male “out” port for connecting two
or more ProLinear DSP speakers
• IEC power connector to provide power from a
100-230v, 50-60 Hz A/C power source
Power Switch
When the speaker is
owered on, there is a delay
of about 4 seconds before
the speaker begins operating
while the unit performs its
initialization and self-test
rocedures.
7
1
M
Getting Started
Connecting the ProLinear DSP
The ProLinear DSP has two primary back-panel connector
types:
• A combination XLR and 1/4" TRS balanced input
for connection to a mixer or any other line-level
output source
• Two 9-pin RS-232 jacks, one female and the other
male, for connection to a PC and/or another
speaker.
PC
Serial Port
ProLinear DSP
Line
Input
IN OUT
ProLinear DSP Connection Example
Audio connections
Connect each speaker to the appropriate output jack on a
mixer or any other line-level output source. If your mixer
supports the 5.1 Surround format, you will connect five
ProLinear DSP speakers—one speaker for each channel,
connected from the appropriate “out” on your line-level
output source to the line input on each speaker.
Connecting ProLinear DSP speakers
You may connect up to sixteen ProLinear DSP speakers
by the RS-232 inputs and outputs. Simply attach a 9-pin
RS-232 male/female cable from the Data Link “out”
port on one speaker to the Data Link “in” port on the
other. Linking speakers in this way allows for increased
control and flexibility, as you can set up matching curves
very quickly.
MIXER, ETC.
ProLinear DSP
Line
Input
IN OUT
ProLinear DSP
Line
Input
IN OUT
The serial ports of the
speakers may be connected
in any order.
The speakers must be on the
same Channel to allow them
to be controlled as a group.
See the section “Channel
ode” on page 17 for more
information about changing
speaker channels.
8
Getting Started
Connecting the ProLinear DSP to a PC
Attach the male end of a standard 9-pin, PC serial cable to the
Data Link “in” port on the back of the ProLinear DSP. Attach
the other end to one of the serial ports on your computer.
In order for the ProLinear DSP to communicate properly with
your PC, the software on the included CD-ROM must be
installed and then the set to the proper communication
channel. Instructions on installing the software begin in the
next section. Also, you may want to refer to the section
“Changing the COM Port Number” on page 33.
Installing the software
The ProLinear DSP software is a standard Windows-based
application that works with Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and
XP. A CD is included that will install the software onto your
computer. Chapter 3 explains how to use the software.
System Requirements
In order to run the software, your PC will need to meet the
following minimum requirements:
• 7MB of hard disk space
• 32MB of RAM
• 1 Com Port for serial interface
• Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP
PC
Serial Port
ProLinear DSP
Line
Input
IN OUT
ProLinear DSP
IN OUT
Serial Port Connection Diagram
Line
Input
ProLinear DSP
Line
Input
IN OUT
1
9
1
Getting Started
Installation procedure
• Insert the included CD-ROM. It should start itself,
but it’s possible you may have to double-click on
the setup.exe filename located on the CD-ROM.
This will bring up the ProLinear DSP Install
Wizard.
Click the Next button to continue. This will bring
•
up the License Agreement window. Read the
license agreement and click Yes to accept the
terms.
10
Getting Started
• After the licensing agreement, you need to enter
the user information. It is possible to specify
whether the software may be used by anyone who
uses the computer, or just you.
• When finished, click the Next button to continue.
• The next step in the installation process is to select a
location for installation. Although the software suggests a
default location, you can specify another location by
clicking the Browse button. Once you are satisfied with
the location, click the Next button to continue. This will
bring up the Select a Program Folder window.
1
11
1
Getting Started
• The Select Program Folder window provides you the
option of specifying the Program Group in which the Alesis
ProLinear DSP icons will be available. Again, the software
suggests an appropriate group. If you wish to use an existing
group, simply browse the list and select it with your mouse.
Otherwise, type in a new Program Group name. Once you
are satisfied, click the Next button to continue.
• After specifying the Program Group, the software will install
application files into the appropriate folders on your hard
drive. The Progress bar will indicate what has been
accomplished and what remains to be installed.
• Finally, upon completion, the Installation Wizard displays
the InstallShield Wizard Complete window. This window
informs you if everything has gone well with installation. If
so, click the Finish button to exit the Wizard.
12
2 Operations
The Front Panel
The ProLinear DSP front panel contains a Liquid Crystal Display
(LCD) and six buttons that serve different functions within each
mode of operation.
LCD
The ProLinear DSP Front Panel
The display shows different combinations of text and
numbers depending on the parameter being edited. The
information displayed includes:
• the Program number and Bank (User or Preset) of
the current EQ curve
• the boost/cut amount for the selected EQ band
(Gain), and
• the Channel to which the ProLinear DSP is
Accompanying each value will be its unit of measurement,
when applicable (Hz, kHz, or dB).
When the LCD flashes…
Occasionally the LCD backlight will flash. This happens to alert you
to one of two conditions:
The buttons access and modify speaker parameters and functions.
We will detail their operation within each Mode as it is discussed.
assigned.
• An edit affected another speaker on the same Channel.
When two or more ProLinear DSP speakers are set to the
same Channel, an edit performed on the first speaker will
“propagate” to all the speakers that follow. When this
happens, the backlights on the “slave” speaker LCDs will
flash.
•
The signal is clipping. If the Input Level control is set too
high, the incoming signal can cause the speaker amplifier
to clip. In this case, the LCD backlight will flash red.
Program/Value Up
FREQ
kHz
BAND
Program/Value Down
Volume/Parameter Up
Page
Save/Band
Volume/Parameter Down
13
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