Allen&Heath Xone DX User Manual

USER GUIDE
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 1
Publication AP7820
Limited One Year Warranty
This product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for period of one year from the date of purchase by the original owner.
Conditions Of Warranty
The equipment has been installed and operated in accordance with the instructions in this User Guide.
The equipment has not been subject to misuse either intended or accidental, neglect, or alteration other than as described in the User Guide or Service Manual, or approved by ALLEN & HEATH.
Any necessary adjustment, alteration or repair has been carried out by ALLEN & HEATH or its authorised agent.
This warranty does not cover fader wear and tear.
The defective unit is to be returned carriage prepaid to ALLEN & HEATH or its authorised agent with proof of purchase.
Units returned should be packed to avoid transit damage.
In certain territories the terms may vary. Check with your ALLEN & HEATH agent for any additional warranty which may apply.
This product complies with the European Electro magnetic Compatibility directives 89/336/EEC & 92/31/EEC and the European Low Voltage Directives 73/23/EEC & 93/68/EEC.
This product has been tested to EN55103 Parts 1 & 2 1996 for use in Environments E1, E2, E3, and E4 to demonstrate compliance with the protection requirements in the European EMC directive 89/336/EEC. During some tests the specified performance figures of the product were affected. This is considered permissible and the product has been passed as acceptable for its intended use. Allen & Heath has a strict policy of ensuring all products are tested to the latest safety and EMC standards. Customers requiring more information about EMC and safety issues can contact Allen & Heath.
XONE:DX User Guide AP7820 Issue 2
Copyright © 2010 Allen & Heath Limited. All rights reserved
Allen & Heath Limited
Kernick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9LU, UK
http://www.allen-heath.com http://www.xone.co.uk
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 2
CONTENTS
Warranty .............................................. 2
Packed Items ........................................ 4
Power Supply ....................................... 5
System Requirements ........................ 6
Software Installation Mac .................. 7
Software Installation PC .................... 9
Panel Drawings .................................... 11
Rear Connectors ................................ 12
Front Panel Connectors .................... 15
Mixer Section ....................................... 16
Master Section .................................... 18
Library Navigation .............................. 19
Transport Controls ............................ 21
Hotcue Points ...................................... 23
Looping ................................................. 24
Beatgrid / Sync / Autotempo ........... 26
Advanced Play Features ..................... 30
Effect Units ........................................... 31
Effect Types ........................................... 33
Direct Input .......................................... 35
Software Overview ............................ 36
Main Screen Overview ...................... 44
Importing Music .................................. 46
Preparing Files ..................................... 47
Organising Your Library ..................... 48
History .................................................. 51
Recording and Auxiliary Inputs ........ 53
Additional Setup .................................. 54
Whitelabel Audio Files ....................... 59
Troubleshooting and Support .......... 60
Corrupt Files ....................................... 61
MIDI Control Values-Mixer / FX ..... 62
MIDI Control Values-Virtual Decks 63
MIDI Return Values ............................ 64
Block Diagram ..................................... 65
Specifications ....................................... 66
Registering Your XONE:DX ............. 67
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX
PACKED ITEMS
Check that you have received the following:
Safety Sheet Important ! Read this sheet
before starting. Retain for future reference.
Xone:DX Professional DJ Controller. Check that the rear panel optical out blank plug is fitted.
Type A-B USB Lead
To connect the Xone:DX to your computer.
Power Supply
Fit the correct mains adap­tor for your region.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 4
POWER SUPPLY
The Xone:DX contains its own Universal Voltage Input Power Supply unit with inter­changeable heads for territory specific mains electricity outlets.
The power supply comes with a pin protector that needs to be removed before the de­sired head can be fitted.
To remove the pin protector, pull down on the release mechanism and pull the protector out from the bottom.
To attach the required head, locate at the top first and then push down to locate and lock in the release mechanism.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 5
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLEASE NOTE: These are the minimum requirements to run ITCH with the Allen & Heath Xone:DX.
For best performance and for use in professional situations we recommend you buy a higher spec com­puter.
The minimum system requirements are:
WINDOWS
32-bit
• Windows 7 / Vista: Intel* processor, 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo; 2GB RAM
• Windows XP: Intel* processor, 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo; 1GB RAM
64-bit
• Windows Vista: Intel* processor, 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo; 4GB RAM
• Windows 7: Intel* processor, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo; 4GB RAM
• 1024 x 768 screen resolution
• Available USB2.0 Port
• Available hard disk space for music
MACINTOSH
Mac OS X 10.6
• 32-bit: Intel processor, 1.8GHz Core Duo; 1GB RAM
64-bit: Intel processor, 2.4GHz Core Duo; 4GB RAM
Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.4.11
• Intel processor, 1.8GHz Core Duo; 1GB RAM
• 1024 x 768 screen resolution
• Available USB2.0 Port
• Available hard disk space for music
PLEASE NOTE: The above is the minimum requirement to run ITCH. For best performance and for use in professional situations we recommend you buy a higher spec computer.
If you are looking at buying a computer with an AMD Turion or Athlon processor please visit:
http://serato.com/faq/#4781
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 6
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION - MAC
Free updates to the ITCH software are available from http://www.serato.com/itch. We suggest you check the website for the latest version before installing.
To begin installation:
Either Insert the Serato ITCH install CD into your computers CD drive and browse to it using ‘Finder’.
Or Browse using ‘Finder’ to the location where the ITCH download installer was saved, double click the ITCH .dmg file to mount the image on your system, and browse to that volume.
• Then:
Double click the file called ITCH installer.mpkg.
1. The following screen will appear. Click ‘Continue’.
2. Accept the License Agreement and then click
‘Continue’.
3. Choose the hard disk you want to install to and click ‘Continue’.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 7
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION - MAC
4. Confirm the install location and click ‘Install’.
5. ITCH will now be installed.
6. A confirmation screen will appear when the install is
complete.
STARTING THE SOFTWARE
The ITCH software is installed in your applications folder.
To start ITCH, double click the ITCH icon in your applications folder. When the software launches ITCH will automatically detect the Allen & Heath XONE:DX if connected.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 8
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION - PC
Free updates to the ITCH software are available from http://www.serato.com/itch. We suggest you check the website for the latest version before installing.
The installer should start automatically, if not:
Either Insert the Serato ITCH install CD into your computer’s CD drive and browse to it using Windows Ex­plorer.
Or  Browse using Windows Explorer to the location where the ITCH download installer was saved, un­pack the ITCH .zip file and browse to the extracted contents.
Then:
1. The following screen will appear. Click ‘Continue’.
2. Accept the License Agreement and then click
‘Continue’.
3. Choose the location you want to install to and click ‘Continue’.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 9
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION - PC
4. ‘Complete’ will perform a standard installation. Click
‘Next’ to continue.
5. Confirm the installation options and click ‘Install’.
6. ITCH will now be installed.
7. A confirmation screen will appear when installation is
complete.
STARTING THE SOFTWARE The ITCH software is installed in the following location:
WINDOWS XP: Start > All Programs > Serato > ITCH WINDOWS VISTA: Windows Menu > All Programs > Serato > ITCH
To start ITCH, browse your START menu and click the ITCH icon. When the software launches ITCH will automatically detect the Allen & Heath XONE:DX if connected.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 10
PANEL DRAWINGS
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 11
REAR CONNECTORS
1 2 4 5 3
BALANCED MIX OUTPUT
1
Phase inverted balanced Mix (Soundcard Output 1-2) outputs on XLR-3 sockets. For unbalanced operation use Pin 2 and Ground—DO NOT SHORT PIN 3 TO GROUND.
UNBALANCED MIX OUTPUT
2
Mix (Soundcard Output 1-2) output on RCA Phono sockets.
BOOTH OUTPUT
3
Booth (Soundcard Output 3-4) output on RCA Phono sockets.
AUX OUTPUT
4
Auxiliary (Soundcard Output 5-6) output on RCA Phono sockets.
6 7
CUE BUS OUTPUT
5
Cue Bus (Soundcard Output 7-8) output on RCA Phono sockets.
DIRECT INPUT SOCKET
6
3.5mm stereo jack socket for Direct Input (see Page 34).
CHASSIS EARTH TERMINAL
7
A screw terminal is provided for connecting the earth straps from turntables. This connection earths the metal parts of the turntable to reduce hum, buzz or similar audible noise getting into the system.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 12
REAR CONNECTORS
8 9 10
DECK 4 INPUT SELECT SWITCH
8
Switch to select Deck 4 input between LINE and MIC.
DECK 4 INPUT
9
RCA Phono sockets for external connection to Deck 4 (Soundcard Input 7-8).
10
11
DECK 3 INPUT SELECT SWITCH
Switch to select Deck 3 input between PHONO and LINE.
DECK 3 INPUT
RCA Phono sockets for external connection to Deck 3 (Soundcard Input 5-6).
11 12 13 14 15
12
13
14
15
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 13
DECK 2 INPUT SELECT SWITCH
Switch to select Deck 2 input between PHONO and LINE.
DECK 2 INPUT
RCA Phono sockets for external connection to Deck 2 (Soundcard Input 3-4).
DECK 1 INPUT
RCA Phono sockets for external connection to Deck 1 (Soundcard Input 1-2).
DC INPUT SOCKET
Connect the supplied external power supply to this socket.
REAR CONNECTORS
16 17 18 19
16
17
18
SPDIF DIGITAL INPUT AND OUTPUTS SPDIF is a popular digital audio interfacing standard for connecting two channel (stereo) audio
using a single COAX (RCA phono socket) or OPTICAL (TOSLINK socket) cable.
For reliable connection use a 75 ohm COAX cable intended for this function. Avoid the use of cheap audio cables. Use purpose made optical fibre cables for connection using the Toslink port. Make sure the blanking plug provided is fitted to any unused Toslink sockets.
The SPDIF input and outputs are available only when your computer is connected via the USB port. The computer provides the clocks needed for the soundcard to function.
Sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96kHz are supported.
MIDI IN / OUT
Connect to either a MIDI interface or directly to MIDI compatible equipment using a standard 5 pin DIN (MIDI) lead. The MIDI output socket data duplicates what is sent via the USB connection to the PC.
Incoming MIDI is merged with the Xone:DX MIDI and transported, via USB, to the PC
or Mac. Incoming MIDI data can also be used to remotely control the status of the LEDs on the surface.
USB CONNECTOR
USB (Universal Serial Bus) V2.0 is an external peripheral interface standard for data transmission. The Xone:DX USB works at 480Mbps and provides up to 20 uncompressed audio channels.
The USB connection is used to send/receive audio and MIDI data between the Xone:DX and the connected computer. Use a standard USB type A to B lead to connect to your computer. This is supplied with the Xone:DX.
19
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 14
CABLE RETAINING CLIP
Cable retaining clip for USB and Power Supply cables.
FRONT PANEL CONNECTORS
1 2 4 3
HEADPHONES OUTPUTS
1
Stereo 1/4” TRS jack and 3.5mm mini-jack. Plug in good quality stereo headphones intended for DJ monitoring. Use closed-ear headphones that provide maximum acoustic isolation when cueing your sources. We recommend that you use high quality headphones rated between 30 to 100 ohms impedance. 8 ohm headphones are not recommended.
MIC EQ CONTROLS
2
The MIC equaliser provides a tool to adjust the tonal quality of the sound to correct source problems such as microphone response, proximity effect, noise and feedback, to help the voice cut through the mix, or to adjust the overall ‘feel’. Start with the EQ controls set to their mid (flat) position, then adjust to achieve the desired sound.
MIC INPUT
3
Balanced XLR. Plug in a DJ, guest or announcement microphone here. Use a good quality low impedance dynamic mic such as those specifically designed for vocals. Do not use high impedance or unbalanced microphones, or condenser types which require phantom power. Use the best professional grade balanced cables and connectors you can afford, as these are typically subject to intense use and abuse in the club environment.
MIC LEVEL CONTROL
4
Adjusts the input sensitivity of the Mic channel to match the connected source to the console’s 0dB operating level.
When the Mic channel is not in use, always turn the level control fully anti-clockwise to prevent unwanted noise from this sensitive input entering the main Mix.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 15
MIXER SECTION
The Xone:DX mixer section allows control of all four deck channels simultaneously, regardless of which deck layer is chosen. THRU mode may also be selected on each channel, allowing the playback of exter­nal audio sources such as turntables or CD players.
FX1 AND FX2 ASSIGN
The Xone:DX features two effects processors FX1 and FX2. When the FX1 or FX2 but­ tons are pressed, the channel’s audio will be routed to the designated effects processor. The FX buttons are post fader, hence any adjustment made to the trim, EQ or fader con­ trols will affect the audio being sent to the effects processor.
Selecting both FX1 and FX2 on a single channel will route the output from FX1 into the input of FX2, chaining the effects processors together. If both FX1 and FX2 are selected for a single channel, any other channels with FX1 selected will automatically be routed into FX2. The FX2 light will flash to indicate this forced chaining of the effects processors. To disengage the effects chaining, press all of the non-flashing FX2 lights below the selected FX1 lights.
ADJUSTING GAIN / LEVEL
The LEVEL knob at the top of the channel strip allows you to boost or cut the volume of
the track before you control it with the up fader for mixing. It is best to have the level of the track adjusted so that in the loudest part of the song the 0dB blue light on the chan- nel meter is lighting up but is not permanently lit. Setting the LEVEL so all tracks are
metering in this manner makes it easy to balance the mix between them with the EQ and faders. Pressing CUE on a channel will display the tracks volume on the master channel meters. TIP: Using this technique will allow you to bring any of the channel faders fully up, making it impossible to push an individual channel too loud in relation to the other channels.
If you adjust the gain level too high, the limiter in ITCH will activate to attempt to prevent the audio clip­ping or distorting. When activated, the limiter light will appear at the top of the ITCH screen to alert you to decrease the gain level.
EQUALISING
EQ is used to boost and cut specific frequencies. The Xone:DX features 3-band EQ with low, mid and high frequency controls. The knobs go from full cut (or kill) when turned all the way left, unity when facing straight up, and +6 dB of boost when turned all the way to the right.
EQ is used to balance the sound of tracks that have been mastered differently, to make a track sound “right” on your particular system, or for creative mixing techniques. With EQ, less is usually better - when boosting do so sparingly. Cutting frequencies is also usually better than boosting them. For example if you have a track with too much mid range, rather than boosting bass and treble to compensate it is better to cut back the mid range. Every speaker system and room has a different frequency response so you will need to adjust your EQ to suit.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 16
MIXER SECTION
CHANNEL METERS
The level of the audio through the channel is displayed on the channel meter. The
meters are configured as Post EQ and Pre Fade. It is best to set the channel level so that it peaks at +6 maximum, as this will provide some headroom for EQ adjustment before the audio lights the PK! LED and distorts.
CROSSFADE / CROSSFADE ASSIGN
Each of the Xone:DX’s four channels can be assigned to either side of the crossfader, or
disabled altogether if needed. Set the XFADE toggle switch to the left to assign the
channel to the X (left side), or to the right to assign the channel to the Y (right side) of the crossfader. To disengage the channel from the crossfader, set the toggle switch to its centre position.
HEADPHONE / CUE
When CUE is pressed on a track, the audio is sent into the headphones so that you can
cue the track without it appearing in the main mix. The headphone LEVEL knob controls
The headphone volume.
You can adjust the balance of the mix in the headphones between what is playing and what is cueing by pressing SHIFT and turning the SCROLL knob. Turn the dial to the left to adjust the balance towards the MASTER output or to the right to adjust the balance towards the CUE signal.
You can split the headphone output by selecting SPLIT CUE. This will send the CUE signal to one head­phone speaker and the MASTER output to the other.
THRU (SHIFT MODE)
Holding SHIFT and CUE will set the selected channel to THRU mode, allowing you to playback external audio sources through the software.
NOTE: These signals will be routed through software – the lower the buffer setting in your ITCH setup screen the lower the latency will be.
CHANNEL FADER
The Channel Fader adjusts the level of the channel audio in the mix outputs.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 17
MASTER SECTION
CHANNEL METERS
The Channel Meters display the level of the Main Mix Bus. The meter display is sourced pre Master level and so does not represent the signal level on the outputs. During normal operation the meters display the level of the left and right channel of the program material.
In SPLIT CUE mode, the left meter displays the level of the CUE signal and the right meter displays the level of the program signal.
MASTER / BOOTH LEVEL CONTROLS
MASTER - the Master control adjusts the Master output level of the Xone:DX. The Master output is provided by balanced XLR connectors and unbalanced Phono/RCA connectors.
BOOTH - the Booth control adjusts the Booth output level of the Xone:DX. This allows for adjustment of the DJ booth monitor speaker without altering the Master output level.
LIBRARY NAVIGATION
See Page 19.
HEADPHONE MONITORING
PHONES LEVEL CONTROL - adjusts the level of the signal sent to the head phones. The headphones can be connected to the Xone:DX via 1/4 inch and 3.5mm Jack sockets.
SPLIT CUE - The Split Cue button sets the monitoring system to Split Cue mode, illuminating the corresponding LED.
!
Warning ! To avoid damage to your hearing do not operate the headphones or sound system at excessively high volume. Continued exposure to high volume sound can cause frequency selective or wide range hearing loss.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 18
LIBRARY NAVIGATION
The library contains all the music that you have added to ITCH. By using ‘Browse’ and ‘Search’ you can easily narrow down your selection to find the track you want.
TIP: You can change the size of your library text by using the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + and Ctrl -.
HARDWARE NAVIGATION CONTROLS
AREA - Pressing the AREA button will toggle between ‘Files’, ‘Crates’ and ‘Browse’ panels within ITCH.
SORT COLUMN - Pressing AREA and SHIFT will toggle between the first four columns in your Library to sort.
Use the (BACK) button to move the cursor between adjacent columns in the browser view or to move through any ‘Browse’ field available.
SCROLL - The SCROLL knob controls cursor movement in ITCH allowing you to navigate up and down through the library.
FWD - Use the FWD button to move the cursor between adjacent columns in the browser view, or to move through any ‘Browse’ field available.
PREP - Pressing SHIFT and FWD will add the song selected in your library to the prepare panel.
Use the (FWD) button to move the cursor between adjacent columns in the browser view or to move through any browse field available.
VIEW - Pressing VIEW will swap between library view and full virtual deck and waveform view.
MOUSE AND KEYBOARD
As well as using the Xone:DX control surface you can also use the cursor keys and mouse to navigate the library. The cursor keys work as UP, DOWN, FWD and BACK.
SEARCHING
ITCH includes a search function to help you find tracks quickly and easily. Just enter text into the search box and ITCH will automatically find as you type.
TIP: Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + F to jump to the search box. This keyboard shortcut will also take you out of any crate or playlist that you might be in and into your main library, so you can find any track in your collection. If you then click on a crate or playlist, the search query will be cleared. To select which fields the search function will look through, click on the left hand side of the search box. The drop down menu shows which fields are currently being used. Press ESC or the X button on the right of the search box to clear the search.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 19
LIBRARY NAVIGATION
BROWSING
Press the VIEW button to open the ‘Browse’ panel. Use the SCROLL KNOB to navigate the ‘Browse’ panel. The ‘Browse’ panel will open above the main file library. The filters are ‘genre’, ‘BPM’, ‘artist’, and ‘album’.
You can narrow down your search by selecting the specific genre, BPM or name of the track you’re look­ing for and ITCH will show the results on the main library window. You can move between the four fil­ters with the (FWD) and (BACK) buttons, the computer keyboard or by clicking with the mouse.
LIBRARY STATUS ICONS
The column at the far left shows the status of each track, examples of these icons are below.
ITCH has detected some corruption in the MP3 file. If possible, re-encode the MP3.*
The track has been imported from the iTunes library.
The track has been imported from iTunes but is corrupt *
The track cannot be found. Most likely the file has been renamed or moved.
ITCH is trying to import a track from the iTunes library, but cannot find the file.
Tracks that are read-only have a locked icon.
* See CORRUPT FILES page 60.
PREPARE
The ‘Prepare Panel’ is an area for holding tracks, much like preparing a set by lifting records partially out of your record bag.
Click the ‘Prepare’ button in ITCH to open the ‘Prepare Panel’. Navigate through your library with the keyboard and use the mouse to drag tracks or crates into the prepare window or onto the prepare tab. These tracks will be removed from the prepare panel once they have been played. All tracks in the pre­pare panel will be discarded when you exit ITCH.
You can also hold down the SHIFT and press the SCROLL knob on the Xone:DX to add the currently selected song to the prepare crate.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 20
TRANSPORT CONTROLS
ASSIGNING A DECK
The Allen and Heath Xone:DX has the ability to control 4 virtual decks, with a layer switchable deck se­lection for the left and right deck controls.
By pressing the LAYER button on deck 1/2 you will switch between controlling either virtual deck 1 or virtual deck 2 inside ITCH with the left hand deck controls. By pressing the LAYER button on deck 3/4 you will switch between either virtual deck 3 or virtual deck 4. When you have selected your deck the platter control section, loop section, cue section will become active for that virtual deck only.
Switching between decks will alter the deck control’s LED colour allowing you to quickly see which deck you have selected and which parameters you are able to adjust for the selected deck.
You can still use all the Xone:DX mixer, effects and library functions in any deck mode.
LOADING A DECK
Once you have located the track you want to play in the library, you can load it using the deck LOAD button.
PLAY / PAUSE
NOTE: When ‘Play from Start’ is selected on the setup screen, the deck will try to skip any silence at
the start of the track, and play from the start of the audio. See page 54.
TEMPORARY CUE
If no temp cue is set, pressing the TEMP CUE button while playback is paused will create one at the current playhead location. Once the temp cue is set, holding the TEMP CUE button whilst paused will play from the temp cue point. Releasing the button will pause playback and return to the temp cue. This is good for stuttering in the start of a track.
If you press the PLAY/PAUSE button whilst you are holding down the TEMP CUE button, playback will continue when you let both buttons go. This allows you to cue a track in from pause mode and then con­tinue playback once you know the mix is right.
The TEMP CUE button can also be pressed whilst the track is playing at any point to return to this point and put the deck in pause. To change the location of the temp cue put the deck in pause with the playhead at a different location and press the TEMP CUE button again.
The temp cue point is also useful to repeatedly start from a preset point in the track. This allows you to easily drop in a few times until you get it right.
To begin playback press the PLAY / PAUSE button for that deck on the Xone:DX.
Playback will start from the beginning of the track. Pressing PLAY / PAUSE during play
back will pause playback at the current position. Pressing it again will resume playback
from that position.
The temp cue function allows you to set a temporary cue point in a track that is not saved into the file. This is useful for finding a point in a track and then being able to easily start again from this point as you get your mix right. While paused you can use the platter to fine tune the playhead placement to ensure your cue point is set exactly on a downbeat.
Allen & Heath User Guide for XONE:DX with Serato ITCH 1.7 21
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