Aphex Systems 1788a User Manual

R/C

Manual

Companion to the Instruction Manual

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This is a separate remote control manual that was
created to accompany the 1788A Instruction Manual
to deal with remotely controlling the 1788A, use of
the PC and Mac software, and use of the 1788A-R
dedicated hardware remote control unit. Please be
sure to maintain both manuals for reference.

P/N 999-4340 Revision 1 Released 05/12/2005

Manufactured by

Aphex Systems Ltd.

11068 Randall St.

Sun Valley, CA 91352 USA

S Y S T E M S

Copyright 2004 Aphex Systems Ltd. All rights reserved.

Produced by: Donn Werrbach. Creation tool: Adobe InDesign 2.0. Printed by: Stuart F. Cooper Co., Los Angeles.

CONTENTS

1. Overview of R/C (Remote Control) — 3

1.1 R/C INTERFACE CONNECTORS — 3

1.2 R/C INTERFACES — 3

1.3 CONCEPT OF BANKS & CONSTELLATIONS — 4

1.4 HARDWARE R/C — 5

1.5 COMPUTER R/C — 5

1.6 COMBINED R/C — 6

1.7 ABOUT PRESETS — 6

1.8 WRAP-UP — 8

2. Using MIDI — 9

2.1 DIRECT MIDI CONTROL — 9

2.1.1 Determining Channel & Device Numbers — 9

2.1.2 Procedure for Setting The Numbers — 9

2.1.3 1788A’s Direct MIDI SysEx Strings — 9

2.1.4 Understanding Ch, Dev and Net Offsets — 10

2.1.5 Setting Up The Controller — 10

2.1.6 Connections — 11

2.1.7 Controlling Multiple 1788A’s — 11

2.1.8 Broad Commands & Presets — 12

2.1.9 Learning a Preset — 12

2.2 INDIRECT MIDI CONTROL — 13

2.2.1 Hardware Hook-up — 14

2.2.2 Control Assertion — 14

2.2.3 Expanding the SysEx String — 15

2.2.4 1788A-R’s Odd MIDI I.D. — 15

2.2.5 Daisy-Chained 1788A-R’s — 15

2.2.6 Preset Recall Strategy — 15

2.3 MULTIPLE MIDI CONTROLLERS — 16

2.4 CLONING 1788A’s — 16

2.5 REFERENCE DATA — 17

2.5.1 Parametric Codes & Values — 17

2.5.2 Useful Conversion Tables — 18

2.5.3 MIDI Control Examples — 19

3. 1788A-R Hardware R/C Unit (“HRemote”) — 21

3.1 PURPOSE — 21

3.2 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS — 21

3.2.1 Unit Select — 21

3.2.2 Wake-up — 21

3.2.3 Status LED’s — 22

3.2.4 Comm LED’s — 22

3.2.5 Clip/Limit LED’s — 22

3.2.6 Test Tone Buttons — 23

3.2.7 Control/Display Panel — 24

3.2.8 Preset Manager Panel — 24

3.3 SNAPSHOTS & EDITING — 25

3.3.1 Live Snapshots — 25

3.3.2 Editing — 25

3.4 CLONING 1788A-R’s — 26

3.5 POWER UNIT — 27

3.5.1 I/O Located Here — 27

3.5.2 Bank Selector — 27

3.5.3 MIDI Jacks — 27

3.5.4 RJ-45 Ethernet Jack — 28

3.6 INSTALLATION — 28

3.6.1 Interface Cable — 28

3.6.2 Rack Mounting — 28

3.6.3 Desktop Mounting — 28

3.6.4 AC Line Connection & Power — 28

3.7 MORE ABOUT USING THE 1788A-R — 29

3.7.1 Assigning A Bank — 29

3.7.2 Setting Up The MIDI Channel — 29

3.7.3 Initial Sync — 29

3.7.4 Coexisting with a Software R/C — 30

3.8 MULTIPLE SELECT GROUP BEHAVIOR — 30

4. Building a Proper Network — 31

4.1 STANDARD PARTS — 31

4.2 NETWORKING SPEED — 31

4.3 DHCP SERVER — 31

4.4 CAT 5/6 WIRING — 31

4.5 HUBS & SWITCHES — 31

4.6 SHARING EXISTING LANs — 31

4.7 SUITABLE HARDWARE — 32

4.8 TYPICAL NETWORK DIAGRAMS — 32

5. 1788A Software R/C — 34

5.1 COMPUTER PLATFORMS — 34

5.2 LOADING THE SOFTWARE — 34

5.3 STARTING THE SOFTWARE — 34

5.4 PROGRAM NAVIGATION — 36

5.5 WAKING UP THE CONSTELLATION — 36

5.6 INITIAL STATES — 36

5.7 PRESETS — 37

5.7.1 Sessions — 37

5.7.2 Loading and Saving Sessions — 37

5.7.3 Creating/Editing Presets — 38

5.7.4 Blue EDIT Button — 40

5.8 MANIPULATING LOG-ON THUMBSNAILS — 40

5.8.1 What Thumbnails Contain — 40

5.8.2 Thumbnail Actions — 41

5.8.3 Auto-Arrange — 41

5.8.4 Removing Unit Thumbs — 41

5.8.5 Log-On Pages — 42

5.8.6 Log-On Panel Controls — 42

5.9 GROUPING — 42

5.9.1 Group Controls — 43

5.9.2 Group Select Pulldowns — 43

5.9.3 Scope of Groups — 43

5.10 USING TEST TONES — 43

5.10.1 Launching The Tone Flyout — 43

5.10.2 Activating Tones in Groups — 43

5.11 SETTINGS — 44

5.12 TUTORIAL — 44

5.13 SOFTWARE WRAP-UP — 48

Page 2 Page 3

R/C Manual

1. Overview of R/C (Remote Control)

Fig. 1-1

R/C Ports on Back of 1788A

RS232 port is not used
for remote control by

MIDI Interface

1.1 R/C INTERFACE CONNECTORS

Only ONE source of control is accepted. Front panel selection of MIDI or LAN must be
made on each 1788A. The 1788A always wakes up in the last mode used.

1.2 R/C INTERFACES
Control Language: MIDI SysEx

Whether using the 1788A’s Ethernet LAN or MIDI ports, MIDI SysEx (system exclusive)
strings are used for control.

the 1788A. Used for
updating firmware
only.

Ethernet Interface

1. R/C OVERVIEW

Direct MIDI Control

In the most basic scenario, a wide range of MIDI devices can be used to control one or
more 1788A’s directly through the MIDI interface. For example, you could use a lighting or
sound console to control the 1788A’s channel gains and other functions.

Fig. 1-2. Basic Direct MIDI Control Diagram

MIDI Cable

Peavey PC 1600

Yamaha DM2000

One Or More 1788A’s

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

Digidesign ICON

MIDI Controller Examples

Indirect MIDI Control

MIDI controllers can access 1788A’s through the LAN indirectly by interfacing with one or
more 1788A-R’s. A most basic example is illustrated below.

MIDI

Controller

Fig. 1-3. Elementary Indirect MIDI Control

MIDI

DHCP

Router

Ethernet LAN

Many applications call for more sophisticated remote control or control at greater distances
than a MIDI port can handle. The Ethernet port is used to pipe UDP data between 1788A’s
and dedicated hardware and computer-based control surfaces over a Local Area Network
(LAN). Up to 128 1788A’s and 8 R/C units can be accommodated on a single LAN.

Controller(s)

1788A-R

Additional

1788A-R’s

1788A-R

Cat 5/6

1788A

REFER to “Setting Up The LAN” for instructions on proper network hardware
configuration.

Fig. 1-4. Some Of The Possibilities When Using A LAN

MIDI

up to 8

Total

MIDI

DHCP

Router

Switch

Cat 5/6

1788A

1788A

1788A

1788A

1788A

1788A

PC Software R/C
Max Qty. 1
Can Act As DHCP
Server

1.3 CONCEPT OF BANKS & CONSTELLATIONS

When under LAN connected control, 1788A’s are addressed by their NET NUMBER which
is manually assigned through each preamp’s front panel. This NET number identifies it
as an individual unit and as a member of a BANK. Banks are contiguous Net numbers in
groups of 16 according to the following table:

Table 1-1. Bank Definitions

Bank No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Net Nos. 1-16 17-32 33-48 48-64 65-80 81-96 97-112 113-128

Page 4 Page 5

Max 128
1788A’s

R/C Manual

A CONSTELLATION refers to the whole array of preamps attached to the same LAN.
It may comprise only one 1788A or up to 128 of them. Preamps may be assigned NET
numbers placing them in different banks even when any given bank is not filled. For
example, you could have up to 16 preamps all within one bank, or assign them variously
to as many as 8 banks. At the other extreme, you could have 128 preamps that occupy 8
fully filled banks. That’s a damned lot of channels (1024).

1.4 HARDWARE R/C

Aphex manufactures a dedicated companion controller unit, the 1788A-R. Each 1788A-R
can control a bank of up to sixteen 1788A’s (equalling 128 microphone channels). Each
1788A-R has MIDI In and Through ports that can be used to extend remote control to
MIDI control devices which will be directed through the 1788A-R to the targeted 1788A’s.
Communications between 1788A-R’s and 1788A’s is exclusively by LAN.

1. R/C OVERVIEW

Fig. 1-5. 1788A-R Dedicated Control Surface

NOTE: One 1788A-R can control one of eight assignable banks. Up to eight 1788A­R’s can be used to control up to eight banks of 1788A’s.

Direct selection of any 1788A within a bank gives rapid access to all functions through a
control surface that exactly matches the front panel of a 1788A including Group Select
and Test Tones. The 1788A-R also supports Preset Store and Preset Recall within its bank.
Remote control action as well as preset change propagation is fast and reliable.

1.5 COMPUTER R/C

Software developed especially for the 1788A is available for both PC and Mac platforms.
Using a friendly GUI (Graphic User Interface) the software program makes monitoring,
controlling and automating multiple 1788A’s easier in many ways. It is certainly more
economical than using multiple 1788A-R’s for large installations.

Fig. 1-6. Example of a Software Control Panel

Preset Management

Software-managed presets are more extensive than using hardware controllers. Individual
channel labels, group labels, and preset naming of up to 128 characters each in file save
mode and 16 characters each in hardware save mode is supported. Preset Recall and Preset
Store is easier to accomplish. Both “save to hardware” and “save to file” are supported.

NOTE: MIDI control is NOT accepted by the PC Software controller, even if the computer
is outfitted with MIDI ports. When a LAN is used, MIDI controllers can gain access to a
bank of 1788A’s only through a 1788A-R unit’s MIDI port.

Wide System View

Enormous numbers of preamps can be displayed in thumbnail form and quickly switched
to the main control area. Thumbnails indicate channel signal levels and flash to indicate if
a channel is clipping to readily alert the operator of problem spots needing attention.

Massive Grouping & Control

Channel grouping of controls can be done across the constellation of 1788A’s, not
just within a single 1788A as with the hardware R/C. Four constellation groups are
supported. This means you can assign any channel of any 1788A preamp to any one of
the four groups. When any channel’s control is changed, all others in that group change
accordingly. If gain is changed, there are two user options: Proportional or Absolute.
If Proportional is selected, grouped gains move proportionally. If Absolute is selected, all
gains snap to the same gain as the channel that was adjusted.

1.6 COMBINED R/C

With minimal restraints, the hardware (1788A-R) and computer based remote control can
co-exist on the same LAN. Any given control source takes priority at the instant it issues a
command. All others that are online will update their references as necessary to reflect the
change. Contention for control is taken care of by the proprietary UDP communications
system. Jam-ups and lost control are prevented even while multiple controllers are busy
making changes. There is no hierarchy of procedure. All controllers are peers.

1.7 ABOUT PRESETS

One of the most useful features available through R/C is the ability to save, edit and recall
up to 60 presets.

Because of the flexibility built into the 1788A and its remote controllers, a distributed
approach was used for storing preset data in hardware.

60 bank-wide presets can be memorized in each 1788A-R. Each of the 60 presets contains
enough data to define the entire state of the each of the 16 positions in the bank. The
preset memory also stores the preset’s given label, the preamp’s given label, and all given
channel labels, (up to 16 characters long each) all of which must be defined through the
PC remote software.

Each 1788A contains its own memory dedicated to storing the current machine state. The
last preset propagated is stored in the 1788A’s memory enabling it to wake up in its prior
state should the preamp become powered down.

NOTE: 1788A-R hardware remote cannot create or display a preset label (only a
number), preamp label, or channel labels.

Page 6 Page 7

R/C Manual

Management Extents

Storing and recalling presets can be done only by remote control. Recalling presets can be
done by indirect MIDI as well as by the 1788A-R and the PC software R/C. The extent of
preset management depends on the form of R/C according to the table below.

Table 1-2. Preset Management Extents

Capture Constellation No No Yes

Capture Block No Yes No

Recall Constellation No No Yes

Recall Block Yes Yes No

Preset Labeling N/A No* Yes

* Presets are stored by name but displayed by number only (1-60).

Constellation and Bank Capture/Recall

Since one 1788A-R controller can address only one bank, it can only capture the state of
its own bank. This is typically no limitation since it is rare to see more than 16 1788A’s
(which can fit in one bank) in a whole system. That’s 128 mic channels which covers all
but the most elaborate sound installations. One 1788A-R will provide total preset/recall
capability for a one-bank constellation of up to 128 mic channels.

1. R/C OVERVIEW

MIDI 1788A-R Software R/C

NOTE: Sometimes, for operational convenience, a smaller number of preamps are
assigned by NET numbers to two or more unfilled banks. Therefore, more than one
1788A-R will be installed and assigned to the multiple banks. Banks do not have to be

filled to create a viable constellation.

Hardware Recall

An operator could manually use controls on each 1788A-R to individually recall numbered
presets one by one. When only one 1788A-R is in control of the whole constellation, this
is a simple operation. However, it may be less convenient if more than one 1788A-R is in
use, requiring the operator to manually recall from each R/C unit.

Hardware Capture plus MIDI Recall

In a show control scenario, a MIDI controller can be used to recall presets that are to be
enacted regularly. In that case, it would be connected to the 1788A-R MIDI ports and be
programmed to send a sequence of Preset commands to tell each 1788A-R in turn to
recall a specified preset number. An existing mixing or lighting console or small stand­alone MIDI controller unit can suit the purpose of automating recalls.

Software Presets

The software R/C running on a PC or Mac integrates all the bank functions universally and
can not only capture a whole constellation snapshot, but also command a constellation
preset change with mouse-click ease. Project management is provided with a file system
for saving and recalling constellation presets, assigning preamp unit and channel labels,
preset labels, and other essential information.

The software remote can handle communications with all 1788A’s in the constellation
directly. Even when one or more 1788A-R’s are detected, the software directly transmits
control to all 1788A’s. It also communicates with all 1788A-R’s to keep them synchronized.
This harmony improves remote control reliability and the speed of propagating a preset
change or saving a project to hardware (the 1788A-R’s 60 bin snapshot memory).

1.8 WRAP-UP

R/C of a single 1788A or a large constellation can be as simple or as sophisticated as you
may want. Great flexibility is given in the extent and division of R/C positions. Preamps and
R/C positions can be physically spaced over an Ethernet LAN. PC or Mac software giving
total constellation access and control can be placed at one R/C position. Hardware-based
dedicated controllers have bank controlling ability but not necessarily constellation access.
Up to eight hardware controllers can coexist with one software controller. Up to 60 presets
are hardware and software supported. Bank data for up to 60 presets is stored in the
1788A-R’s for maximum flexibility. File storage of constellation snapshots is supported by
software. Software projects can created and file-saved containing an entire database of
all defined groups, preamp labels, preset labels, and channel labels to the depth of all 60
potential preset definitions. Aphex makes you happy.

Page 8 Page 9

R/C Manual

Ch_01

dn_03

nn_03

Device

Net

2. Using MIDI

2.1 DIRECT MIDI CONTROL

MIDI control can be piped directly to a 1788A’s MIDI Input port from any suitable
controller. Suitable controllers are devices such as mixing or lighting consoles or stand­alone MIDI controllers that have programmable physical controls such as pushbuttons and
sliders which can send SysEx strings to a MIDI port.

2. USING MIDI

Fig. 2-1. Direct MIDI Control Hook-up

Next

MIDI Out

MIDI Controller

1788A 1788A

2.1.1 Determining Channel & Device Numbers
Channel & Device

You will need to establish channel and device numbers on your 1788A’s. The objective
is to choose channel and device numbers that are not used by any other MIDI devices
connected to the controller’s MIDI output port. If your 1788A constellation is the only
thing on the controller’s output port, then you can take channel 1 for all 1788A’s and give
them each a unique device number. The device numbers don’t need to be sequential or
contiguous, but they need to be unique. You will need to know these numbers in order to
identify which preamp you want to access when programming the MIDI controller later
on, so write down this information when you set up your 1788A’s.

2.1.2 Procedure for Setting The Numbers

1. Place the 1788A in Local control.

2. Press Mode to select MIDI.

3. Press Set I.D. to select Ch. (Channel)

4. Press Adjust/Store. It will light up.

5. Set the displayed number using the Adjust dial.

6. Press Set I.D. to select Dev. (Device)

7. Repeat step 5.

8. Press the Adjust/Store button again. It will store
the new numbers and the button light will go off.

In

Thru In Thru

Fig. 2-2. 1788A Control Panel

(Irrelevant with
direct MIDI Control)

NOTE: With direct MIDI control there will be no LAN connection. Therefore the NET
number is irrelevant and can be set to anything.

Refer to section 4.2 of the 1788A Instruction Manual for more information about
setting the Channel, Device, and Net numbers if you are experiencing difficulty.

2.1.3 1788A’s Direct MIDI SysEx Strings

Direct MIDI SysEx strings are exactly the same as the parametric strings used for indirect
MIDI control (described later). When filling in the three bytes in the grayed area, refer to
reference data at the end of this chapter. See figure 2-3.

F0 00 00 38 xx xx xx xx xx F7

SysEx Start

MIDI Channel

MIDI Device

Command

Mic Channel

Va

lue

SysEx End

(00h to 0Fh)

Offset by -1 from 1788A

Channel #

(00h to 0Fh)

Offset by -1 from 1788A

Device #.

(00h to 0Fh)

Offset by -1 from 1788A

Net #

See Table

Mic Channel (01-08)

See Table

Aphex MIDI I.D.

xx

Net Number

Fig. 2-3. 11-Byte Direct MIDI SysEx String

2.1.4 Understanding Ch, Dev and Net Offsets

Please observe two important facts about MIDI Channel, Device, and Net Numbers.

1. All three are displayed in decimal form on the 1788A and 1788A-R front panels. Ch and
Dev go from 01 to 16 and Net goes from 001 to 128. You will need to convert decimal to
hexadecimal for use in SysEx strings. A handy conversion table is located in this chapter’s
reference data.

2. Channel, Device, and Net numbers in the SysEx strings must be programmed with an
offset of -1 from the numbers that are indicated on the 1788A’s front panel readout. For

example, if the 1788A is set to Ch 01, Dev 02, and Net 003, the SysEx code would look like
00 01 02, not 01 02 03. This may be confusing at first, but you will find it quickly becomes
easy to deal with.

2.1.5 Setting Up The Controller

The method of programming a MIDI control varies from product to product. To successfully
interface a MIDI control surface to 1788A’s, you will need to learn the control surface.
Once you have determined the way to program your controller, you can begin applying
SysEx strings to the controls. We will next illustrate this process by using a general purpose
MIDI controller, the Peavey PC 1600x. You can apply what you learn to any other MIDI
controller with appropriate variations.

Here’s how we’re going to set it up. The MIDI controller will be set up to control the
Input Gains of all eight channels of a 1788A. The pushbuttons under each fader will be
programmed to activate/deactivate the Mutes of each channel.

Fig. 2-4. Example of MIDI R/C Unit

Page 10 Page 11

R/C Manual

NOTE: We will refer to the Reference Data at the end of this chapter for command

codes used by the 1788A.

When programming each control, use the following setup:

1. Single-byte transmit

2. Faders: string; Buttons: string toggle

3. Fader Limits: 26 to 65

4. Faders: use “pr” in the value byte. This is the PC1600’s code for grabbing the fader’s
value.

5. For this demonstration, we’re using command code 00 for Input Gain and 07 for Mute.
We’re declaring the 1788A is set for Channel 1, Device 1, Net 1.

Now program in the following strings:

2. USING MIDI

Table 2-1. MIDI Strings for Demonstration

Fader 1 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 01 pr F7
Fader 2 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 02 pr F7
Fader 3 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 03 pr F7
Fader 4 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 04 pr F7
Fader 5 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 05 pr F7
Fader 6 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 06 pr F7
Fader 7 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 07 pr F7
Fader 8 string F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 08 pr F7

Button 1 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 01 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 01 00 F7

Button 2 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 02 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 02 00 F7

Button 3 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 03 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 03 00 F7

Button 4 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 04 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 04 00 F7

Button 5 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 05 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 05 00 F7

Button 6 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 06 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 06 00 F7

Button 7 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 07 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 07 00 F7

Button 8 string 1 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 08 01 F7

string 2 F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 08 00 F7

2.1.6 Connections

Connect a professional MIDI cable from the PC 1600x’s MIDI OUT jack to the 1788A’s MIDI
IN jack.

2.1.7 Controlling Multiple 1788A’s

Additional units can be stacked by connecting the MIDI THRU to the next MIDI IN, and so­on. If the added 1788A’s are kept on the same MIDI channel, they must be given different
MIDI device numbers.

The next step would be to program the additional controls on the MIDI controller with
SysEx strings associated with the additional MIDI device numbers. For example, if one

additional 1788A is used, the second set of eight faders and buttons of the PC1600 could

F0 00 00 38 xx xx xx xx xx

F7

SysEx Start

MIDI Channel

MIDI DevicexxNet Number

Command

Mic Channel

Value

xx xx xx

Command

Mic Channel

Value

xx xx xx

Command

Mic Channel

Value

SysEx End

Put Up To 64 3-byte Commands Here

Aphex MIDI I.D.

be coded exactly like the previous tables, except with the channel and/or device number
changed to match the second 1788A. Remember, in this case, NET number is just a
placeholder and can be anything.

2.1.8 Broad Commands & Presets

It is possible to send many commands within a single SysEx string. This is more efficient than
sending many 11-byte SysEx strings in sequence. By looking at the SysEx string illustration
of figure 2-3, you’ll notice a grayed out area comprising the command, mic channel and
value bytes. By simply repeating these three bytes containing additional commands, mic
channels and values, you can cause the same 1788A to update every function in all mic
channels or any combination. This could be considered a preset “done the hard way”.

Limitation:

You can also use this way to send a single fader or button to multiple mic channels of
the same 1788A. The only limitation is that you can have only one MIDI channel and one
device number per SysEx string. Therefore, this technique can create a preset or broad
command for a single 1788A but not multiple 1788A’s.

Fig. 2-4. Broadening the Command String

NOTE: To effect a massive update of multiple 1788A’s, you’ll need to create a SysEx
string for each unit. They can be concatenated (spliced together end-to-end) to make
one very long string or sent separately.

2.1.9 Learning a Preset

Many MIDI controllers have a Learn mode. This can help you speed up the process of
writing a long SysEx string to use as a preset. 1788A’s have a secondary function that
will send a SysEx dump to the MIDI Out port in the form of a properly formatted string.
Simply place your MIDI controller in Learn Mode, and while it is waiting for a signal, press
both Tone buttons and the Channel 5 button, then release. A SysEx packet containing
every parametric value in the 1788A will be sent. No labels or other superfluous data will
be included. This SysEx string will be learned as the output string for the chosen MIDI
controller’s pushbutton.

You will have to edit the SysEx string to put in the 1788A’s correct MIDI channel and
device bytes, since the numbers that were learned would have been the I.D. of the MIDI
controller itself. Once this is done, you can rapidly return the 1788A to these parameters
just by pushing the MIDI controller button. To implement multiple 1788A’s, you will need
to learn the string from each 1788A into a separate MIDI controller button. To recall a
preset across several 1788A’s, you would press several buttons.

Page 12 Page 13

R/C Manual

MIDI Out

DHCP
Router

Bank 1 B

ank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4

Bank 5 B

ank 6 Bank 7 Bank 8

Switch Switch Switch Switch

Switch Switch Switch Switch

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

2.2 INDIRECT MIDI CONTROL

If you want to employ a MIDI form of control when the 1788A’s are connected to R/C
units by LAN, direct connection to the 1788A’s MIDI ports cannot be used. This is because
only one R/C medium can be accepted by the 1788A at a time: LAN or MIDI. When LAN
is selected, the 1788A’s MIDI port is disabled. However, we built MIDI capability into the
1788A-R hardware R/C unit to cover this situation.

Fig. 2-5. Indirect MIDI Control Examples

MIDI

Controller

1788A-R

Small System

MIDI Out

MIDI In

DHCP

Router

Cat 5/6

2. USING MIDI

1788A

Larger System

Bank 1 Bank 2

MIDI

Controller

1788A-R

1788A-R

MIDI Out

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

DHCP

Router

Switch

Cat 5/6

Cat 5/6

Maximum System - 1024 Mic Channels!

Switch

2.2.1 Hardware Hook-up

F0 00 00 38 xx 00 xx xx xx F7

SysEx Start

1788A-R MIDI Channel

Placeholder Only

Command

Mic Channel

Va

lue

SysEx End

*See hexadecimal conversion table.

(00 to 0F)*

Offset by -1 from 1788A-R

Channel Number

(00-0F)

Any Number Works.

(00 to 0F)*

Offset by -1 from 1788A

Net Number

See Command Table

Mic Channel (01-08)

See Command Table

Aphex MIDI I.D.

xx

1788A Net Number

Cx xx

Code

Preset Number

Range C0 to CF

(C0 added to 1788A-R Channel Number -1)

Range 01 to 3C.

Hex Value of Preset Number (0-60).

Anything from a single 1788A to a large constellation can be controlled by indirect MIDI
through 1788A-R’s. Figure 2-5 suggests how this is done. The controller’s MIDI OUT is
connected to the first 1788A-R’s MIDI IN. The next 1788A-R’s MIDI IN is connected to the
preceding MIDI THRU, and so on.

2.2.2 Control Assertion

Depending on your needs, there are two control assertions available to MIDI:

1. Parametric control of any mic channel across the constellation.

2. Recall of one of the 60 presets that are stored in the 1788A-R’s memory.

In case 1, you will send one SysEx packet from the MIDI controller. The 1788A-R will then
redirect commands across the LAN according to Net Number within its Bank. Additional
1788A-R’s can be cascaded by using MIDI Thru looping to control more banks. In the
second case, the MIDI Preset Recall commands are shorter, containing only 2 bytes. The
following figure illustrates the composition of the parametric and recall strings.

Fig. 2-6. Two Kinds of Remote Control Assertion

SysEx Parametric
Control String

MIDI Preset

Command

The MIDI Preset Call omits the SysEx beginning and
ending bytes. When a byte starting with “C” is seen by
the 1788A-R, it recognizes the preset command. The MIDI
channel I.D. is inferred from the first byte value Cx where x
is the channel number 0h to Fh (1 to 16).

Page 14 Page 15

R/C Manual

F0 00 00 38 xx xx xx xx xx

F7

SysEx Start

1788A-R MIDI Channel

Placeholder1

xx

1788A NET Number

Command

Mic Channel

Va

lue

xx xx xx

Command

Mic Channel

Va

lue

xx xx xx

Command

Mic Channel

Value

SysEx End

Put Up To 64 3-byte Commands Here

Aphex MIDI I.D.

2.2.3 Expanding the SysEx String

Just like direct MIDI control, you can repeat 3-byte commands within the parametric SysEx
string to send multiple commands to a single 1788A as shown by figure 2-7.

Fig. 2-7. Expanding the SysEx String

NOTE: You cannot expand the 2-byte MIDI Preset string.

2.2.4 1788A-R’s Odd MIDI I.D.

All 1788A-R units are I.D.’d a little differently than normal MIDI devices or the 1788A’s
direct MIDI port. There is no recognition of the MIDI Device byte, although it must be
present as a placeholder in the SysEx string. Any value may be used. The MIDI Channel is
responded to normally.

2. USING MIDI

Refer to Section 3 to learn how to set up the MIDI Channel on the 1788A-R.

2.2.5 Daisy-Chained 1788A-R’s

When you daisy-chain units by using the MIDI THRU ports, every unit will recognize
the SysEx strings addressed to its MIDI channel. Each unit will analyze the NET Number
contained in parametric strings and redirect any commands falling within its own bank,
ignoring all others. If a 2-byte MIDI Preset command is received, the targeted 1788A-R will
propagate its prescribed preset to its own Bank of 1788A’s.

2.2.6 Preset Recall Strategy

Each 1788A-R is given a different MIDI channel number. MIDI controllers can then
command a preset from any one or combination of 1788A-R’s. Combinations can have
different preset numbers assigned to create complex constellation presets. The MIDI
controller will transmit a series of 2-byte MIDI Preset commands, one to address each
1788A-R.

Refer to Section 3 learn about the 1788A-R’s stored presets and how they are

handled.

MODEL 1788A - 8 Channel Mic Pre

Aphex Systems Sun Valley, CA

MIDI

IN OUT

THRU

90-260 V~50/60Hz 60 WATTS

RS-232

LAN

MODEL 1788A - 8 Channel Mic Pre

Aphex Systems Sun Valley, CA

MIDI

IN OUT

THRU

90-260 V~50/60Hz 60 WATTS

RS-232

LAN

2.3 MULTIPLE MIDI CONTROLLERS

It should be normally possible to combine SysEx commands from more than one MIDI
controller. However, the 1788A-R does not have facilities for merging. You’ll probably
need a commercially available MIDI merging box to receive the MIDI Outs from the
multiple controllers and pass them to the 1788A-R(s).

2.4 CLONING 1788A’s

Any 1788A can import the parameters and stored labels from another 1788A by cross­connecting their MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports. This can be the easiest way to replace a
defective unit in a bank (as long as the defective unit is not completely dead, naturally).

Synchronizing Procedure

1. Temporarily cross-connect the MIDI IN and OUT ports as shown in Figure 2-8.

2. Put both units in Local Control.

3. Program both units to the same MIDI Channel and Device numbers.

4. On the unit to be updated (the clone), press both Tone Buttons and the CH 6 Select
button then release. This transmits a dump request to the other unit (original).

The original unit will begin sending it’s parametric and label data to the receiving unit.
The sender will show a series of ten messages in the sender’s display window indicating
the transfer of ten blocks of data. The first eight blocks contains the preamp’s mic channel
labels of 128 characters, the next block contains the sixteen master unit labels of 128
characters each, and the last block contains the complete parametric map.

When the transfer is complete, the clone will update itself to the new parameters and the
panel indicators will align accordingly. The updated unit is now a clone of the original and
will power up with the updated settings.

Figure 2-8. Connecting Two 1788A’s For Cloning

Unit 1

Clone 1

From 2

Unit 2

Clone 2

From 1

Page 16 Page 17

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F0 00 00 38 xx xx xx xx xx

F7

SysEx Start

MIDI Channel

MIDI DevicexxNet Number

Command

Mic Channel

Value

xx xx xx

Command

Mic Channel

Value

xx xx xx

Command

Mic Channel

Value

SysEx End

Put 1 to 64 3-byte Commands Here

Aphex MIDI I.D.

2.5 REFERENCE DATA

2.5.1 Parametric Codes & Values

1788A Parametric MIDI Commands

Command Control Value Range

00h Input Gain 1Ah to 41h (26 to 65)

01h Main Max Out 00h to 1Bh (0 to 27)

02h Aux Max Out 00h to 1Bh (0 to 27)

03h Phantom Power 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

04h Low Cut Filter 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

05h Limiter (MicLim) 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

06h Polarity Reverse 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

07h Mute 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

08h Pad 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

0Ah Test Tone -20dB 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

0Bh Test Tone 0dB 00h = OFF, 01h = ON

17h Test Tone (alternative method) 00h = OFF, 01h = -20dB, 02h = 0dB

20h Request Parameter SysEx Dump 01h (required)

56h Request Extended SysEx Dump 00h (any value placeholder byte)

2. USING MIDI

System Exclusive (SysEx) Parametric Control String

2.5.2 Useful Conversion Tables

General Hexadecimal Conversion Table

Dec Hex Dec Hex Dec Hex Dec Hex

0 00 64 40 128 80 192 C0
1 01 65 41 129 81 193 C1
2 02 66 42 130 82 194 C2
3 03 67 43 131 83 195 C3
4 04 68 44 132 84 196 C4
5 05 69 45 133 85 197 C5
6 06 70 46 134 86 198 C6
7 07 71 47 135 87 199 C7
8 08 72 48 136 88 200 C8

9 09 73 49 137 89 201 C9
10 0A 74 4A 138 8A 202 CA
11 0B 75 4B 139 8B 203 CB
12 0C 76 4C 140 8C 204 CC
13 0D 77 4D 141 8D 205 CD
14 0E 78 4E 142 8E 206 CE
15 0F 79 4F 143 8F 207 CF
16 10 80 50 144 90 208 D0
17 11 81 51 145 91 209 D1
18 12 82 52 146 92 210 D2
19 13 83 53 147 93 211 D3
20 14 84 54 148 94 212 D4
21 15 85 55 149 95 213 D5
22 16 86 56 150 96 214 D6
23 17 87 57 151 97 215 D7
24 18 88 58 152 98 216 D8
25 19 89 59 153 99 217 D9
26 1A 90 5A 154 9A 218 DA
27 1B 91 5B 155 9B 219 DB
28 1C 92 5C 156 9C 220 DC
29 1D 93 5D 157 9D 221 DD
30 1E 94 5E 158 9E 222 DE
31 1F 95 5F 159 9F 223 DF
32 20 96 60 160 A0 224 E0
33 21 97 61 161 A1 225 E1
34 22 98 62 162 A2 226 E2
35 23 99 63 163 A3 227 E3
36 24 100 64 164 A4 228 E4
37 25 101 65 165 A5 229 E5
38 26 102 66 166 A6 230 E6
39 27 103 67 167 A7 231 E7
40 28 104 68 168 A8 232 E8
41 29 105 69 169 A9 233 E9
42 2A 106 6A 170 AA 234 EA
43 2B 107 6B 171 AB 235 EB
44 2C 108 6C 172 AC 236 EC
45 2D 109 6D 173 AD 237 ED
46 2E 110 6E 174 AE 238 EE
47 2F 111 6F 175 AF 239 EF
48 30 112 70 176 B0 240 F0
49 31 113 71 177 B1 241 F1
50 32 114 72 178 B2 242 F2
51 33 115 73 179 B3 243 F3
52 34 116 74 180 B4 244 F4
53 35 117 75 181 B5 245 F5
54 36 118 76 182 B6 246 F6
55 37 119 77 183 B7 247 F7
56 38 120 78 184 B8 248 F8
57 39 121 79 185 B9 249 F9
58 3A 122 7A 186 BA 250 FA
59 3B 123 7B 187 BB 251 FB
60 3C 124 7C 188 BC 252 FC
61 3D 125 7D 189 BD 253 FD
62 3E 126 7E 190 BE 254 FE
63 3F 127 7F 191 BF 255 FF

SysEx Channel & Device Translation Table

1788A

1788A-R

Channel

(or Device)

True

Hex

Value

Hex -1

Used For

Parametric

SysEx

1 01 00 C0

2 02 01 C1

3 03 02 C2

4 04 03 C3

5 05 04 C4

6 06 05 C5

7 07 06 C6

8 08 07 C7

9 09 08 C8

10 0A 09 C9

11 0B 0A CA

12 0C 0B CB

13 0D 0C CC

14 0E 0D CD

15 0F 0E CE

16 10 0F CF

Hex -1 + C0

Used For

Preset

SysEx

Page 18 Page 19

R/C Manual

2.5.3 MIDI Control Examples

Example 1

Direct MIDI. 1788A Ch set to 01, Dev set to 01, Net set to 001.

Set preamp gain to 45dB, mic channel 1

SysEx: F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 01 2D F7

Example 2

Direct MIDI. 1788A Ch set to 02, Dev set to 01, Net set to 001.

Set Limiter ON, mic channel 4

SysEx: F0 00 00 38 01 00 00 05 04 01 F7

Example 3

Direct MIDI. 1788A Ch set to 01, Dev set to 01, Net set to 001.

Set preamp gain to 45dB, mic channels 1 thru 8

SysEx: F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 01 2D 00 02 2D 00 03 2D 00 04 2D 00 05 2D

2. USING MIDI

Example 4

Example 5

Example 6

Example 7

00 06 2D 00 07 2D 00 08 2D F7

Indirect MIDI. 1788A-R Ch set to 02, 1788A Net set to 002.

Set preamp gain to 45dB, mic channel 1

SysEx: F0 00 00 38 01 00 01 00 01 2D F7

Indirect MIDI. 1788A-R Ch set to 02, 1788A Net set to 002.

Set Limiter ON, mic channel 4

SysEx: F0 00 00 38 01 00 01 05 04 01 F7

Indirect MIDI. 1788A-R Ch set to 01, 1788A Net set to 001.

Set preamp gain to 45dB, mic channels 1 thru 8

SysEx: F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 00 01 2D 00 02 2D 00 03 2D 00 04 2D 00 05 2D

00 06 2D 00 07 2D 00 07 2D F7

Preset Recall to one or more 1788A-R’s. All 1788A-R’s Ch set to 1

Recall preset #1 SysEx: CO 01

Recall preset #2 SysEx: CO 02

Example 8

Preset Recall to eight 1788A-R’s. 1788A-R MIDI Channels set 1 to 8

Recall preset #1 SysEx: CO 01 C1 01 C2 01 C3 01 C4 01 C5 01 C6 01 C7 01

Recall preset #2 SysEx: CO 02 C1 02 C2 02 C3 02 C4 02 C5 02 C6 02 C7 02

Example 9

Preset Recall to eight 1788A-R’s. 1788A-R MIDI Channels set 1 to 8 and Banks set 1 to
eight respectively.

This is an example of a complex recall.

Bank 1 preset 1, Bank 2 preset 2, Bank 3 preset 2, Bank 4 preset 4, Bank 5 preset 1, Bank
6 preset 6, Bank 7 preset 42, Bank 8 preset 60

SysEx: CO 01 C1 02 C2 02 C3 04 C4 01 C5 06 C6 2A C7 3C

Example 10

Direct MIDI. 4 1788A’s with MIDI Channels set to 01, Dev set to 01, 02, 03, and 04. Net
set to 001 (this is not important). Looped through MIDI Thru jacks.

Mute all 32 mic channels.

F0 00 00 38 00 00 00 07 01 01 07 02 01 07 03 01 07 04 01 07 05 01 07 06 01 07
07 01 07 08 01 F7 F0 00 00 38 00 01 00 07 01 01 07 02 01 07 03 01 07 04 01 07
05 01 07 06 01 07 07 01 07 08 01 F7 F0 00 00 38 00 02 00 07 01 01 07 02 01 07
03 01 07 04 01 07 05 01 07 06 01 07 07 01 07 08 01 F7 F0 00 00 38 00 03 00 07
01 01 07 02 01 07 03 01 07 04 01 07 05 01 07 06 01 07 07 01 07 08 01 F7

Summary

It’s easier to it see this way:

F0 00 00 38 00 [00] 00 [07 01 01] [07 02 01] [07 03 01] [07 04 01] [07 05 01] [07 06 01] [07 07 01] [07 08 01] F7

F0 00 00 38 00 [01] 00 [07 01 01] [07 02 01] [07 03 01] [07 04 01] [07 05 01] [07 06 01] [07 07 01] [07 08 01] F7

F0 00 00 38 00 [02] 00 [07 01 01] [07 02 01] [07 03 01] [07 04 01] [07 05 01] [07 06 01] [07 07 01] [07 08 01] F7

F0 00 00 38 00 [03] 00 [07 01 01] [07 02 01] [07 03 01] [07 04 01] [07 05 01] [07 06 01] [07 07 01] [07 08 01] F7

Un-Mute all 32 mic channels:

F0 00 00 38 00 [00] 00 [07 01 00] [07 02 00] [07 03 00] [07 04 00] [07 05 00] [07 06 00] [07 07 00] [07 08 00] F7

F0 00 00 38 00 [01] 00 [07 01 00] [07 02 00] [07 03 00] [07 04 00] [07 05 00] [07 06 00] [07 07 00] [07 08 00] F7

F0 00 00 38 00 [02] 00 [07 01 00] [07 02 00] [07 03 00] [07 04 00] [07 05 00] [07 06 00] [07 07 00] [07 08 00] F7

F0 00 00 38 00 [03] 00 [07 01 00] [07 02 00] [07 03 00] [07 04 00] [07 05 00] [07 06 00] [07 07 00] [07 08 00] F7

We hope the information, references and examples in this chapter will make understanding
MIDI control a lot easier for you. A little time spent studying this material may save you
many hours of frustration and grief later on. Contact Aphex tech support should you run
into any problems we haven’t covered here.

Page 20 Page 21

R/C Manual

3. 1788A-R HADRWARE REMOTE

3. 1788A-R Hardware R/C Unit (“HRemote”)

3.1 PURPOSE

Although one or more 1788A’s can be remotely controlled by a software program running
on a computer, there are times when a dedicated hardware remote control is preferred.
We engineered the 1788A-R Remote Controller to be easy to use and dependable enough
for mission-critical applications.

Figure 3-1.

Front Panel View

Key Features

• One 1788A-R controls up to 16 1788A’s (one Network Bank) at a time.

• Up to eight 1788A-R’s can be used to control up to 128 1788A’s in 8 Banks.

• That means up to 1024 mic channels!

• Ethernet networking

• MIDI Interface

• Each 1788A-R is bank assignable (1 to 8)

• Fully replicates 1788A controls and indicators

• Holds and manages up to 60 full Bank snapshots

• All presets recallable by MIDI

• MIDI control redirected by 1788A-R to 1788A’s within the network Bank

• Rack-mounted and desktop configurations

• Super-reliable microcontroller based - no PC

• Can share network with one PC (or Mac) software remote controller

3.2 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS

3.2.1 Unit Select

The row of lighted pushbuttons along the top are used to select any one of the 1788A
preamps that comprise the 16-unit Bank. The selected preamp is applied to the Control/
Display Panel area. The selection numbers, 1 through 16, represent Net number groups
referred to as Banks, as described in Chapter 1 of this manual. If a button is selected that
has no corresponding 1788A present in the Bank, then it will simply not respond.

3.2.2 Wake-up

Pressing this button refreshes network communications to all 1788A’s in the Bank. You
can use this button to re-teach the 1788A-R what now exists on the network within the

present Bank. It may also be necessary to do a wake-up upon any power-up of the 1788A­R.

During wake-up, the Comm indicators will show activity with units that respond to
handshaking. After handshake and during test, Status LED’s will temporarily appear
yellow for all units present and responding. All units that are properly communicating will
develop green Status LED’s. Selections with no corresponding units present will display
blank (dark) Status LED’s.

The wake-up cycle time is about 1 to 8 seconds depending on how many units are on line.
It can be initiated at any time without disrupting the network or causing the preamp units
to malfunction.

3.2.3 Status LED’s

This row of tri-color led’s (red, yellow, green) indicates the status of the R/C link to 1788A’s

Table 3-1. Status LED’s

Color Action

Wake-up Preset Load

Green OK Loaded, OK

Yellow Transacting Mismatch*

Red Unit Found But

Improper Response

Dark No Unit Found No Unit Present

*Explained under 3.2.8

Unit Missing

No Unit Expected

under varying conditions as shown in the following table.

3.2.4 Comm LED’s

These single-color red LED’s show when commands are being sent to each of the sixteen
units. They do not show unit responses.

3.2.5 Clip/Limit LED’s

These single-color red LED’s flash whenever any one or more of the 1788A’s clip or limiter
lights flash. The light is held for a long enough time to hopefully gather the attention of
the operator. The holdover time can be adjusted by a hidden (secondary) function of the
1788A-R.

Changing the Holdover Time

To change the holdover time, press Both
Tone Buttons and the Ch 6 button then

release. This will attach the Adjust dial to
the holdover setup. The preset display
window will now show CLXX, where
XX will be from 01 to 05. These codes
represent various Clip/Limit holdover
options according to the following table.
You can change this number by rotating
the Adjust dial. To escape from this control, press CH 6 again.

Table 3-2. Clip/Limit LED Holdover Codes

Code Function
CL01 Hold 1 Second*
CL02 Hold 2 Seconds*
CL03 Hold 4 Seconds*
CL04 Hold 8 Seconds*
CL05 Hold until cleared by pressing

any Unit Select button.

*If occurs on unselected unit, light holds until selected.

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R/C Manual

Figure 3-2. 1788A-R Front Panel at a Glance

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8

1. Clip/Limit LED’s: Show when any channel of the 1788A
is clipping or limiting. Serves as an alarm when possible gain
correction is needed.

2. Unit Select Buttons: Allow instant selection of one of 16
preamps in the bank for display and control.

3. Status LED’s: Indicate with 3 colors the condition of
communications with 1788A’s.

4. Comm LED’s: Indicate data passing between 1788A-R and
1788A.

3. 1788A-R HADRWARE REMOTE

5. Comm Test: Re-teaches the 1788A-R what 1788A’s in

networked in the present bank. Tests communications.

6. Control/Display Panel: Duplicates a 1788A’s set of channel
controls.

7.Preset Manager Panel: Stores and recalls 60 snapshots of
all preamps present in the bank.

8. Test Tone Panel: Duplicates the same buttons on the selected
1788A. Provides similar primary and secondary functions.

3.2.6 Test Tone Buttons

These buttons serve the same purpose as those on a 1788A. You can put up a -20dB or
0dB tone on any channel of the unit that is selected.

Putting Up a Test Tone

While holding down either the -20dB or 0dB Tone button, press any Channel Select
button. The chosen tone level will be sent from that channel’s audio outputs (analog and
digital). You can’t group-select tones, but you can sequentially press Channel Selects to
run up more channels while holding down the Tone button.

To defeat the tone, press either Tone button again. The tone(s) will instantly (but
clicklessly) revert back to the mic inputs.

Secondary Functions

The Tone buttons also serve to provide secondary (hidden) functions like display brightness
control, display of the firmware version, and Clip/Limit light holdover time. Table 3-3
shows the secondary functions.

Press Function Range

Both Tone Buttons Plus

Ch 4 Clone 1788A-R’s n/a

Ch 5 Set MIDI Channel 1 to 16

Ch 6 Clp/Limit LED Holdover Time 5 Levels (CL01 to CL05)

Ch 7 Display Brightness 5 Levels (d_01 to d_05)

Ch 8 Firmware Version Current Value

Table 3-3. Secondary Functions of Tone Buttons

3.2.7 Control/Display Panel

This area of the 1788A-R’s front panel replicates the 1788A’s local control and display
panel. It gives you the exact look of the selected 1788A’s function status lights and meters.
Metering data streamed back from the selected 1788A is displayed on the bargraphs
approximately in real time. Because of high speed networking, indicator latency is
minimal.

Taking Control

To control a specific mic channel, press its Channel Select button. All functions are now
controllable by the 1788A-R’s panel controls. You can choose Multiple Select and press
any combination of Channel Select buttons to add to or remove from the group. All
grouped channels will now come under influence of the controls.

Refer to the 1788A Instruction manual for more information about group behavior of
the Gain controls.

3.2.8 Preset Manager Panel

The handling of presets has been made very simple and intuitive for the
1788A-R. Basically, you can take a snapshot of the bank of 1788A’s and
store it into a bin. You can lock the bin to protect it from alteration or loss,
and you can edit the bin. Finally, you can recall a preset and “Load” it out
to all 1788A’s in the Bank.

window. To recall the selected preset bin, updating all 1788A’s in the Bank, simply press
the Load button.

Snapshots

Taking a snapshot is our vernacular for capturing a preset. Snapshots are of the whole
Bank as it is defined at that moment. In other words, if only three 1788A’s are placed in
the 1788A-R’s Bank, then only the three preamps will be snapped.

Protection

When you dial up snapshot numbers, the “Protect” LED will tell you if it has been
protected. If so, you cannot erase or overwrite it. You can recall and edit it but it will have
to be saved to an unprotected bin. You can protect and unprotect any snapshot using the
Protect/Unprotect button.

Erasing/Emptying

Snapshot bins do not have to be empty before they can take another snapshot. They
can be overwritten. However, to get rid of junk or obsolete presets, you can erase them
so they will be read as “empty”. This makes for better housekeeping. Any unprotected
snapshot can be emptied by pressing the Erase button once. Empty bins are indicated by
the “Empty” LED.

Loading a Snapshot

This is our vernacular for recalling a preset. Any selected snapshot, whether protected or
not, can be Loaded to the bank of 1788A’s. Simply select the snapshot number in the right
side of the window labeled “Next”, and press the Load button. When the snapshot is

Selection of a storage bin is made by the Select dial. Turning this dial
changes the number seen in the right half of the numeric LED display

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R/C Manual

finished loading, the number will be updated in the left side of the window labeled “Last
Sent”.

Mismatch Errors

When you load (recall) a snapshot into the bank of 1788A’s, the 1788A-R will know if the
bank has unit discrepancies and flash a yellow “Mismatch” alarm on any missing 1788A’s
in the bank that were included in the snapshot, or any 1788A’s present that were not
there when the snapshot was taken. If a connected 1788A is extra, outside the scope of
the preset, its Status light will be green blinking to yellow. If any 1788A is missing from
the scope of the snapshot, its Status light will be red or black blinking to yellow. Turning
the Preset Select knob will re-display all mismatches if they have been cleared. Mismatches
indications will be cleared by doing a Wake-up or pressing any Unit Select button.

Edit Mode

The editor is principally used to create hand-made presets with or without any 1788A’s
present. This will be your theoretical preset as you determine you want it. It won’t be a
snapshot of actual working preamps.

NOTE: This also a useful way to examine existing presets without propagating them.

3. 1788A-R HADRWARE REMOTE

3.3 SNAPSHOTS & EDITING

3.3.1 Live Snapshots

At any time, the present state of all the units in the present Bank can be captured into a
preset bin. Presumably, as you perfect your preamp settings scene-by-scene, or show-by­show, you will want to create and update presets to be able to reproduce these settings
on demand. You may also just want to save some simple setups to deal with typical
conditions. For example, you might want to have a preset to mute all mics across the Bank,
and then one to unmute them all. Whatever the case, taking a snapshot is the easiest way
to make presets.

How to Take a Live Snapshot

1. Select a desired preset bin (snapshot number, 1-60) by turning the Select dial. It
will appear in the right-hand window. If it is protected, unprotect it or choose another
number. It does not have to be empty to take a new snapshot. The old data will all be
erased automatically.

2. When you are ready to capture the operating parameters of the present Bank, press
Snapshot. The bin will now be stored.

3. If you are satisfied with the snapshot, you should now Protect it.

3.3.2 Editing

Certain characteristics of the remote controller will change in Edit Mode. First, you will
be able to select all sixteen units using the Unit Select buttons even if none are present.
Second, none of your adjustments will be transmitted out to units. The 1788A-R’s controls
will serve only for programming your preset.

When you enter Edit Mode, the selected preset will be loaded into a workspace memory.
You can adjust all the controls and settings for any selected unit. After you have selected
and adjusted the desired units, pressing Snapshot saves a copy of the workspace

memory into whatever preset bin is showing in the right-hand window as long as it is
not protected. While in Edit Mode you can select other unprotected preset bins before
pressing Snapshot.

Presets created in Edit Mode are in every way equal to live snapshots. When recalled,
they will expect the same Bank configuration as they were created for. They will display
Mismatch errors like any other snapshot.

Editing Tools

Here are some useful editing tools:

1. DELETE UNIT: Pressing Erase in Edit Mode will delete the presently selected unit from
the temporary workspace. Its Unit Select button will go out.

2. COPY & PASTE: Pressing both TONE buttons and then pressing the Unit Select
of any unit will copy its complete table of settings. While still holding down both tone
buttons, pressing any other Unit Select will paste the data into it. You can continue holding
down the tone buttons and pasting the same data into as many other Unit Selects as you
wish. It’s an easy way to clone a preamp setup.

How to Edit

1. Press the Edit button. It will start blinking. The selected preset will be copied into
workspace memory.

2. Unit Select the first preamp number you want to include.

3. Set all mic channel parameters as you want and then Unit Select the next preamp
number you want to include and continue doing the same until you have completed your
theoretical preset for the Bank.

NOTE: You can use the COPY & PASTE tool in Edit Mode. It can save you some time by
initializing your included preamps. You can still re-select your included units and hand
modify them before taking the snapshot.

4. Select an unprotected snapshot bin 1-60 (in the right-side “Next” window). It doesn’t
have to be empty. All existing contents will be deleted and overwritten.

5. Press Snapshot and the preset will be written into your selected bin.

6. Press Edit again to exit the Edit Mode.

Escaping From Edits

If you are in Edit Mode and you have not yet pressed the Snapshot button, your work will
be deleted just by leaving the Edit Mode.

3.4 CLONING 1788A-R’s

There may come a time when you need to copy all the stored presets from one remote
controller to another. We have provided a relatively easy way to do that through use of the
MIDI ports in a manner similar to cloning 1788A’s (see Section 2.4).

Synchronizing Procedure

1. Temporarily cross-connect the MIDI IN and OUT ports as shown in Figure 3-3.

2. Program both units to MIDI Channel 1 (see section 3.7.2).

3. On the original unit, press both Tone Buttons and the CH 4 Select button then

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release. This transmits a dump to the other unit (the clone).

The original unit will begin sending it’s parametric and label data to the receiving unit.
When the transfer is complete, the clone will update itself to the new parameters and the
panel indicators will align accordingly. The updated unit is now a clone of the original
presets. Incidentals like the 1788A-R’s display brightness won’t be transferred.

3.5 POWER UNIT

The 1788A-R is a two-piece assembly with a Control Unit and a Power Unit. The power
unit can be separated by a short distance if the Control Unit is to be desk mounted. When
the 1788A-R is rack mounted, the Power Unit should be bolted directly onto the back of
the Control Unit.

3. 1788A-R HADRWARE REMOTE

Figure 3-3. Connecting Two 1788A-R’s for Cloning

Figure 3-4. 1788A-R Power Unit

2 3 41

5 6 7

3.5.1 I/O Located Here

The Power Unit contains not only the power supply, but also the Ethernet and MIDI
interface connectors and the bank assignment selector.

3.5.2 Bank Selector

Each 1788A-R is assigned to a bank of NET numbers by a switch located on the rear of the
Power Unit. The switch position is indicated by an adjacent LED numeric readout.

Bank No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Net Nos. 1-16 17-32 33-48 48-64 65-80 81-96 97-112 113-128

1. Bank Selector: Assigns the 1788A-R to one of 8 NET
Number Banks.

2. Interconnect: Connects to the 1788A-R Control Unit.
Uses standard straight-thru 25-pin D-Sub printer cable.

3. RS-232 Port: Used only for downloading firmware into
the unit. Not used for remote control.

4. Lan Connector: 10/100 Base-T Ethernet port connects
to LAN.

5. Power Input: 85-265V~/50-60Hz.

6. Power Switch

7. MIDI Interface: Used for indirect MIDI control.

Table 3-4. Bank Definitions

3.5.3 MIDI Jacks

MIDI IN, OUT and THRU are supported.

Refer to Section 2 of this manual for full coverage of applying MIDI control to the
1788A-R.

3.5.4 RJ-45 Ethernet Jack

This is the exclusive portal for piping remote control to 1788A’s. It must be connected to a
proper 10 or 100 Base-T LAN structure that has a DHCP server or router. Details of proper
network construction are covered in Section 4 of this manual.

3.6 INSTALLATION

The Model 1788A-R occupies three rack spaces (135mm or 5-1/4 inches) of a standard
EIA equipment rack.

3.6.1 Interface Cable

The Power Unit and Control Unit are connected together through a standard 25-pin D­Sub straight-through printer cable. The length of this cable should be less than 6.5 feet
(2 meters) to prevent power loss. Use only shielded cables.

3.6.2 Rack Mounting

When rack mounting, use appropriate cushioned rack screws with the supplied rack ear
adapters. Never restrict air flow through the device’s vents. When installing the units into
a rack, distribute the units evenly. Otherwise, hazardous conditions may be created by
an uneven weight distribution. Connect the unit only to a properly rated supply circuit.
Reliable earthing (grounding) of rack mounted equipment should be maintained. Try not
to position the 1788A-R directly above devices that generate excessive heat such as power
amplifiers (unless adequately ventilated).

Figure 3-5. Rack Mounted Configuration

The Power Unit should be bolted directly to the back of the Control Unit using furnished
UNC 6-32 x 1/4 inch screws. Both units’ 25-pin D-Sub connectors should be connected
together using the supplied short-length cable.

3.6.3 Desktop Mounting

The Power Unit may be remotely located to permit the Control Unit to lay flat on a
desktop. For this purpose, a second D-Sub side-facing connector is provided for flat cable
entry. It’s a good idea to place non-slip adhesive rubber feet on the Control Unit’s under­side. The Power unit may be mounted under the desk or on a sidewall. Make sure not to
block the air vents.

3.6.4 AC Line Connection & Power

Use only a power cord that carries approvals for use in your location. The 1788A-R’s

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internal power supply is designed to operate from all nominal power sources from 85
to 265 volts a.c. at 50/60Hz without requiring the user to change any settings. In case
of failure, do not attempt to change the internal fuse because it will never blow unless
the power supply fails catastrophically. The power supply will need to be serviced by a
competent service technician in such a case.

3. 1788A-R HADRWARE REMOTE

Figure 3-6. Desktop Configuration

3.7 MORE ABOUT USING THE 1788A-R

3.7.1 Assigning A Bank

All 1788A-R’s must be assigned to a NET Number bank. This is done by a rotary switch
on the Power Unit (see Fig. 3-5). Banks from 1 to 8 can be selected. Multiple units should
never be assigned the same Bank number.

3.7.2 Setting Up The MIDI Channel

If you intend to use a MIDI controller with 1788A-R’s, then you need to set up their MIDI
Channels. This is done by use of a secondary function of the Tone Buttons.

1. Press both Tone buttons and Channel 5 and release. The Adjust dial will be
transferred to the MIDI channel.

2. Spin the Adjust dial until the desired channel number is seen in the display window.

3. When done, press one of the Tone buttons to escape.

You can check the channel number by the above procedure without turning the Adjust
dial.

NOTE: See Section 2.2.6 relating remote control strategies to the setting of the MIDI
Channel numbers.

3.7.3 Initial Sync

When 1788A’s and 1788A-R’s are powered up while connected to a network, or plugged
into a network when they do not have an IP address yet assigned, they will communicate
with the DHCP Router and receive unique IP addresses automatically. Only when a unit has
a unique IP address can it become active on the network. This will take place quite rapidly.
The 1788A-R will automatically begin receiving meter data from preamplifiers and will
sort out their IP addresses and Net numbers. All units with NET numbers that fall within
the 1788A-R’s Bank are assigned to the Unit Select buttons that coordinate with each Net
number.

Sometimes, depending on when the remote controller and preamplifiers received their IP
addresses, it may be necessary to use the Wake-up function to get the controller attached
to all preamps in its bank and clear all red lights. This is a good practice just to assure full
synchronization of the constellation some time after all units have been powered up.

NOTE: Avoid giving more than one 1788A the same NET number. It will cause network
errors and unpredictable results.

3.7.4 Coexisting with a Software R/C

One PC or Mac computer running Aphex 1788A R/C software can operate in concert with
up to eight 1788A-R’s. Read Section 5 to learn about using the software controller.

3.8 MULTIPLE SELECT GROUP BEHAVIOR

When using Multiple Select to create a group, you will pass certain characteristics to the
controls.

1. All on/off functions will synchronize and follow the control of any individual in the
group. For example, you switch on the PAD of any one channel in the group and all other
PAD’s will also switch on. Any function not deliberately operated will remain in the original
state of member mic channels, however. To make all grouped channels the same, you
need to operate all the on/off controls.

2. Input, Aux, and Main Gain values will remain Relative. Even if you top or bottom
out all the controls, an overscale memory will retain their original relative difference
and when you bring the gains back out of limits, they will regain their relative values. This
is good for maintaining a deliberate mic balance while nudging them all up or down a
certain amount. This characteristic is identical to the Local Control characteristics that are
covered in the 1788A Owner’s Manual.

3. Input, Aux and Main Gain can be group equalized to limits by first Multiple Selecting
a group, running their gains to the upper or lower limit, and turning Multiple Select
button off and on again. Now the overscale memory is erased, and all controls will track
at the same gain as any one of the group that is adjusted.

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Internet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

4. Building a Proper Network

4.1 STANDARD PARTS

Networks used for remotely controlling 1788A’s are built from standard Ethernet
components such as Routers, Hubs and Switches. Standard CAT5/6 Ethernet cabling is
used throughout.

4.2 NETWORKING SPEED

The network can run at 10 Base-T and 100 Base-T speed. We recommend using 100 Base-T
hardware, especially when the number of preamps and controllers exceeds a few units.

4.3 DHCP SERVER

The Aphex 1788A network requires a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Server (DHCP
Server). This is because IP addresses are not hardware assignable to individuals in the
network constellation. Each IP address must be served up dynamically, on demand. This
greatly simplifies the administration and flexibility of the network in certain ways.

The DHCP Server can be a hardware unit or a computer configured to be a DHCP
Server. Hardware DHCP Servers usually take the form of a DSL Internet Router. These are
inexpensive and reliable. You need not have an Internet connection. In fact, we highly
recommend avoiding it. The Internet Port should just be left open.

4. BUILDING A PROPER NETWORK

Important Rules

1. Be sure your DHCP Server has ports 1198 and 1199 available and unlocked.

2. Only one DHCP Server can be allowed to exist on the LAN. If any additional Routers
are attached to the LAN, they must have their DHCP Servers disabled.

4.4 CAT 5/6 WIRING

A 1788A network likes to run clean. No error correction is used, although fault tolerance
is built into the system. Anything less than Cat 5 cable is risking dropped commands.
Standard commercial wire is suitable.

4.5 HUBS & SWITCHES

Unless your system is very small, you will need to gain more Ethernet ports than what
came on your Router. Or, you may need to run one long network line from the Router to a
remote rack of 1788A’s. In that case, we recommend incorporating Switches rather than
Hubs to expand the network. Figure 2-5 shows some examples where Switches are shown
to split out from the Router. Hubs, although cheaper, are not recommended. We have
seen them jam up requiring a complete restart with as few as four 1788A’s.

Fig. 4-1. Typical DSL Router

(Containing DHCP Server)

4.6 SHARING EXISTING LANs

Usually, the Aphex preamps and controllers can share almost any conventional LAN with
certain minimum requirements. First, there must be a DHCP Server on the LAN. Second,

if there are any fixed IP addresses on the LAN, the Router has to be programmed to avoid
issuing them to other clients. In other words, there can be no IP address duplications on
the LAN. The DHCP Server (or Router) must have enough IP numbers available to handle all
DHCP clients on the LAN. There cannot be a firewall splitting up any part of the LAN, but
the whole LAN can be inside a firewall. You need to check with your network administrator
to be sure ports 1198 and 1199 are present are unlocked. If unreliable results are obtained,
then your common network might be overburdened. You should then set up a separate
dedicated network for remote control.

4.7 SUITABLE HARDWARE

Purportedly, all networking products are generic. Any brand Router or Switch should
work equally well. We have had little trouble using various name brand networking
products, but in some cases low priced off-brand boxes were unreliable. For that reason,
we recommend using well known equipment brands only. Other than that, you should be
able to mix and match network equipment for a successful network.

NOTE: Passive Hubs don’t work at all with a 1788A LAN. Be sure to use only active
(self powered) Hubs.

4.8 TYPICAL NETWORK DIAGRAMS
Router as Base

This is preferred because it puts the Router (and more importantly its reset button) more
conveniently near the operating position, just in case it goes out of whack. That’s unlikely,
but it’s an imperfect world we live in. Figure 4-2 shows a typical setup using an Internet
Router to form the basis of a network. It is also possible to run a single Cat 5 line from
the Router to one of the Switches, and then connect the other Switches off that Switch.
It should be obvious that you have many options available depending upon the layout of
your 1788A constellation.

NOTE: You would need no switches at all if your Router has enough ports handle
everything. The main concern would be minimizing the number of Cat 5 runs that
are needed to connect preamps at a remote location. Placing a Switch at the remote

location requires only one Cat 5 run from the Router.

Router As DHCP Server Only

Figure 4-3 shows a network configured whereby the Router plays only a DHCP Server role.
This may sometimes be preferred in order to reduce any latency or slowness due to the
Router’s built-in filtering and firewall features. We have seen no evidence of this being a
problem so far, but as installed systems get quite large, it may become a concern.

NOTE: The Router can be attached to any available port of any Switch in the network.

Summary

Detailed Ethernet theory and practice is far beyond the scope of this chapter, but we have
tried to make it easy for you to understand the basic networking techniques for connecting
a constellation of 1788A’s with their remote controllers. Since all of the preamps, and R/C
units are dynamically identified by the DHCP Server, setting up a working network is very
easy. It’s almost “plug and play”. If you experience problems with networking 1788A’s and
their Remote Controllers, contact Aphex Technical Support for help.

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