Audiocontrol 960961 User Manual

TM

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

16 Channel
Power Amplifier
Speaker Optimizer

Professional Installer’s
Consciousness Guide

For Those Who Consider Perfection Possible

22410 70th Avenue West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA
425-775-8461 • Fax [phone]
www .audiocontrol.com

©2004. All rights reserved.

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Important Information

Dealer Name _______________________________________

Date Installed _______________________________________

Serial Number ______________________________________

Ethernet MAC Address _______________________________

IP Address Dynamic / Static __________________________

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CONTENTS

The ArchitectTM Product Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Experienced Installer’s Quick Hook-Up Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A Guided Tour Of The Architect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Hooking Up Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Installation: The Long Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Remote Power Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Audio Hook-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Speaker Hook-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Equalizing the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Equalization Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

A Short Introduction To Equalizers And Acoustics . . . . . . . . . 16

Audio Analysis Using Pink Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

What’s Inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Truth About Bass and

The Programmable Frequency Match Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Patented Intelligent Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Lightdrive Protection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Using the Ethernet Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

A Brazen Plug For Other AudioControl Products . . . . . . . . . . 25

Appendices

Appendix A

Bridging The Architect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Appendix B

Using the Ethernet-Based Automation Systems . . . . . . . 26

The Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Service Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

The Architect Model 960, Model 961

®

Congratulations!

Y ou are now installing a component which can dramatically
improve the performance of any distributed audio system, espe­cially those utilizing in-wall speakers. The Architect™ 900 Series
is an American-designed and built, “set and forget” component
which will provide a lifetime of trouble-free service for your multi­room audio system.

The Architect™ 900 Series is made by the only electronics
company in the world that specializes in amplifiers, equalizers,
signal processors and audio analyzers. And the company whose
professional sound division designed and sells the most popular
one-third octave real time analyzer in the world, the SA-3050.
AudioControl’s passion for high quality, meticulous attention to
detail and pro sound heritage shows itself in the dozens of awards
we have won for our designs, products and service. Now, as when
we began, our greatest satisfaction is our reputation for sonic
excellence and reliability among people just like you throughout
the world.

Product Highlights

This manual is designed to help you get everything you can
out of your new amplifier. So, even though you’re dying to see it
in action, please take a few minutes to slog through our not-so­weighty prose and learn how to get the most from The Architect
power amplifier. Anything as capable as this amp deserves all the
explanation it can get.

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

1

Product Highlights

Cool Running - Distributed audio systems can place terrific de-

mands on a home’s AC power. Sometimes just a little brownout can
cause an amplifier to pull enough current to blow the house circuit
breaker. Even when they’re running properly, most amplifiers put out
enough heat to make any air conditioning system sweat. AudioControl
takes care of these problems with our patented (US Patent #5,708,577)
power supply regulation and Class-H amplifier design. Both of these
features combine to create one of the most reliable and efficient audio
amplifiers available. Higher efficiency means a cooler running amplifier .
The advanced power supply regulation also minimizes circuit breaker­popping in-rush currents.

Built For The Long Haul – The Architect™ 900 Series has been

designed with durability in mind. The Lightdrive protection circuitry
defends The Architect™ and your speakers against clipping, distortion,
damage, and even teenage parties. Even if the party lasts all weekend.
Each channel pair is independently protected so a problem in one
channel will not affect the rest of the system.

Specially-Designed Equalization Controls – (Model 960 and

Model 961) The Architect™ 900 Series is intended to provide a dra­matic sound improvement for “small” speakers, such as those with 6­inch and 8-inch woofers. The Architect’s 75Hz, 250Hz, 700Hz, 2500Hz
and 12KHz band centers were chosen to optimize in-wall and 2-way
bookshelf speakers at critical frequencies where adjustment is most
advantageous. The bandwidths (or ‘Q’ as our engineering types call it)
have also been optimized for the difficulties that in-wall speakers
present. This allows The Architect™ 900 Series to improve the sound
of these smaller speakers better than any other equalizer.

PFM Subsonic Filter – The Architect’s Programmable Frequency

Match (PFM) circuitry is a bass-blocking 40 Hz filter which protects
small speakers and improves their overall sound. It gives small woofers
only those frequencies they can use by “chopping off” bass below 40Hz.
The woofer is protected and can do a better job of reproducing mid­bass and higher frequencies.

Ethernet Network Compatible – ( Model 961) The power of the

Internet is built into the Architect. This internal web server provides
remote service diagnostic capabilities and enables the system integrator
to control this amplifier via Ethernet.

Made in the Northwest Rainforest – The Architect™ 900 Series

began its existence at our factory in Mountlake T errace, Washington, a
few miles north of Seattle. Here, we also build precision test instru­ments, equalizers, analyzers and a totally awesome line of car stereo
components. AudioControl started in 1977 and has won so many audio
industry awards for design and engineering excellence that our reception
room wall is starting to sag. But enough about us, let’s start getting the
most from the audio system!

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2

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide



Front Panel

Model, 960, Model 961

 

 Stereo Speaker Equalization controls - This

array of knobs provide up to 12dB boost or cut
at 75Hz, 250Hz, 700Hz, 2500Hz and 12KHz.
After initial adjustment the only time you would
change the control settings are 1) if you connect
different speakers into the system, 2) if (assum­ing the speakers aren’t built-in) you move them
significantly, such as from a bookshelf to floor
stands, or 3) if your room acoustics change
through addition or rearrangement of furniture,
wall or floor coverings, large hairy dogs, etc.

 Channel Status LED’s - These dual-color

LED’s serve two purposes. First they illuminate
Blue when the corresponding channel is active.
The second function of the status LED is to
turn Red if something has caused that zone to
go into protection.

 Protection LED - This LED also has two

faces. In normal operation it glows Blue when
the remote power trigger is active and the
Architect is in stand-by . If the Protection LED
turns Red, then one of the internal protection
circuits have come into use. All the protection
circuits automatically reset themselves when the
problem causing the fault has been fixed.

 Power LED - Nothing too tricky here...when

you have the Master Power switch on the back
panel turned on and the Architect is plugged
into an active AC outlet, this little Blue light
will shine forth.

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4

A Guided Tour Of

The Architecttm 900 Series

more rear panel features on the next page

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

)

5

 PFM Highpass Filter – This bass blocking filter

sets the low frequency cut-off point of the Archi­tect. The PFM filter is 18dB per octave and the
frequency is fixed at 40Hz. When this button is
Out (defeated) the channel passes full range to the
zone.

 Bus Select Switches – These two buttons next to

each zones local input jacks selects the input
source for that amplifier zone. If both buttons are
Out, the zone receives signal from the Local Input.
If the T op #1 Bus button is pressed, the zone
source is Bus Input #1. When Both Bus #1 and
Bus #2 buttons are depressed, the zone source is
Input Bus #2. Whenever a Bus Input is selected,
the zone input can be remotely triggered to the
local input using the 12 volt Local Trigger input
(see #6 on previous page).

Local Inputs - These unbalanced RCA inputs
connect to your preamplifier’s outputs. Any
standard line level audio signal can be connected to
these inputs.

AC Power Fuses - The Architect is designed with
several layers of protection circuitry . These main
AC power fuses are here just in case something
really awful goes wrong. There are no internal
fuses in this amp.

Power Cord The Architect™ draws a maximum
of 1600 watts at full power. Make certain that it is
plugged directly into the wall outlet or a power
strip with sufficient power rating. Since the Archi­tect has remote power switching, you should plug
the unit into an AC outlet that is always active.

Master Power Switch - This switch shuts off the
main AC power. Normally the only time you need to
turn the master power switch off is if the system is
going to be shut down for an extended period of time.

Remote Power Control - This three pin connector
allows you to remotely turn on the Architect. You
can either use a contact closure between the Trigger
In and the +12V output or an external 12 volt trigger
between the Control In and Ground terminals. The
+12 volt output is not designed to power other pieces
of equipment.

Ground Lift Switch – This switch selects the level
of isolation between the audio signal ground and
your AC earth ground. In normal operation this
switch should be in the Ground position, but if you
run into trouble with an AC ground hum, try the
other two settings for the best operation. For your
safety , the chassis is always connected to the earth
ground regardless of the switch setting.

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6

Hooking Up Your System

What you’ll need:

1. The Architect™ 900 Series Amplifier.

2. RCA audio hook-up cables.

3. Small blade screwdriver for terminal blocks

4. (Optional) A balanced line driver (of course we recom­mend the AudioControl BLD-10 and BLR-10) if you are
going to mount the Architect more than 20 feet from the
preamp.

5. Enough speaker wire to reach all of your speakers.

6. Multi-zone audio controller, receiver , or preamplifier .

7. Although you can set the speaker optimization controls
by ear, a real-time audio analyzer such as the
AudioControl Industrial SA-3052 is very helpful.

Hooking Up Your

System

8. An RJ-45 10BaseT Ethernet connection cable.
(Optional - Architect Model 961)

BLR-10 and BLD-10 Balanced Audio Drivers send audio over CAT-5.
Extends high quality audio up to 1000’.

SA-3052

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

7

Installation:
The Long Version

Installation: The Long Version

What follows is a step-by-step guide to integrating the Archi­tect into your multi-zone system. If it seems overly detailed, please
forgive us. We would rather tell you too much than too little.

First, check your new Architect for any shipping damage. W e
pack ‘em pretty securely, but it’s a vicious world out there and
anything can happen between us building them here in Mountlake
T errace, W ashington and your installation.

PAPERWORK

Yes, filling out the warranty registration card is about as
exciting as cleaning out your sock drawer, but we’d definitely like
the card back after you’ve hooked up the Architect and played
with it a while. W e DO read each and every incoming card and
react to your suggestions. That’s how great products like this are
created.

Next, record the serial number on the sales receipt and make
certain the home owner puts it away in a safe place. Stashing the
receipt away is very important in the unlikely event that your
Architect ever needs servicing, or…well things do happen…you
need to prove to an insurance adjuster that something as great as
the Architect was installed in the system.

PLACEMENT

The Architect 900 Series is a very efficient amplifier , but it
does need some breathing room to operate properly. Make certain
that the air vents on the rear and sides of the Architect are not
blocked and have at least ½” of air space. Also make certain that
heat sensitive components such as CD or T ape players are not
directly on top of the Architect. Just as a reminder, you should
avoid putting any leaky pipes above the audio equipment stack.

A benefit of having remote power control on the Architect is
that you can install it in another area of the house (such as a
basement or utility room) away from the main component stack.
Make certain that you use a good quality audio line driver to
extend the RCA cables if you choose this type of installation.

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8

POWER

Under normal operating conditions, the Architect 900 Series
can draw up to 1600 watts of AC power. Don’t plug it into a
switched outlet on your system unless you are certain that it can
handle the power rating. Also, please don’t cut off the ground pin
on the power connector. It is an important safety feature. If you
need to plug it into a two prong outlet, use a ground adapter (and
connect the ground on it). If you have a ground noise problem, try
the ground lift switch on the rear panel.

REMOTE POWER CONTROL

The Architect has several means of power control:

Installation:

The Long Version

Warning - Always

connect the safety

earth ground. If
you have an AC hum problem, use
the ground lift switch

1) Main AC Power switch- This is the master control and

must be turned ON for the Architect to function. When the main
power switch is on, the blue Power LED on the front panel lights
up. Normally the only time that you would need to turn the AC
power switch off is when the system is going to be unused for an
extended period.

2) Remote 12 volt Power T rigger - This removable 3-pin

remote connector on the rear panel allows simple interfacing with
external control systems. It accepts either a contact closure or
external +12 volts DC. (see diagram) The two-color Protection
LED on the front panel illuminates Blue to show that the remote
power control is active.

3) Ethernet Control - If you have the Architect Model 961

with the Ethernet control port you have remote control over the
amplifiers power from almost anywhere in the world via the
Internet. This is also very useful on a more local sense for inte­grating the amplifier with a home automation system via Ethernet.

4) Signal Sensing - Another level of amplifier control is the

Signal-Sense circuitry . This provides individual channel muting
control. When active, it senses that an audio signal is present on
the RCA inputs then enables the power and unmutes that zone.
The zone status LEDs on the front panel light up Blue when a
signal is present.

Installation Hint: If your

installation doesn’t require

this remote power turn-on, you

must put a short piece
of wire between the
+12 V output and
the Trigger In
pins.

Note: Do not use the 12 volt
power trigger if you are using the
ethernet control. The power turn
on is controlled by the ethernet

In some installations it may be desirable to defeat the signal­sense control and leave all zones active regardless of the audio
input. T o defeat the signal-sense, press in the Signal-Sense Defeat
button on the rear panel

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

9

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ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

®

SPEAKER HOOK-UP

The same rule applies to the speaker wires as the RCA con­nections. Establish a standard connection color code and stick
with it. One conductor of the speaker wire is normally marked by
a different color (silver versus copper) or there is a ribbing on one
side. T ypically this marked conductor is used for the positive (+)
speaker leads. Of course the really good wire has Positive and
Negative printed right onto the wire jacket.

Your choice of speaker wire gauge and the length of the runs
also affects the speaker impedance load presented to the amplifi­ers. As you can see in this table, even fairly short speaker runs can
have significant resistance if you use a smaller wire gauge. This
can be a benefit if you are paralleling lots of speakers. The wire
itself acts as an impedance limiter, since the amplifier cannot see a
speaker load lower than the resistance of the wire. The downside
of this resistance in the wire is that you waste some part of the
total power available to the speakers.

See the appendix for information about bridging the Architect
into mono operation.

Congratulations! You’re done with the audio hook up. Now
for the details of operation…

Installation:

The Long Version

Speaker connection wiring

Speaker Wire Resistance W ire Gauge versus Run Length

25’ 50’ 100’ 250’ 500’
24 GA 1.3 Ω 2.6 Ω 5.1 Ω 12.8 Ω 25.7 Ω
22 GA 0.8 Ω 1.6 Ω 3.24 Ω 8.1 Ω 16.0 Ω
20 GA 0.5 Ω 1.0 Ω 2.0 Ω 5.0 Ω 10.1 Ω
18 GA 0.3 Ω 0.6 Ω 1.28 Ω 3.2 Ω 6.4 Ω
16 GA 0.2 Ω .4 Ω 0.8 Ω 2.0 Ω 4.0 Ω
14 GA 0.1 Ω .25 Ω 0.5 Ω 1.26 Ω 2.5 Ω
12 GA 0.08 Ω .16 Ω 0.32 Ω 0.8 Ω 1.6 Ω

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

13

Equalizing the System

Note: For the absolutely

best results, The speaker

optimizer controls on the
Architecttm Model 960/961 should be
adjusted with a real time analyzer
such as the AudioControl Industrial
SA-3052.

Equalizing the System

Before proceeding on to setting up the Speaker Optimization
controls on the Architect, it’s a good idea to make sure that you
have everything connected and working properly .

1. Double-check all connections. Make certain that all of the

audio and speaker connections are firmly seated and tightened
down.

2. Turn on your audio system. The Power LED on the Architect

should be Blue, the Protection LED should be Blue (after a few
seconds of Red on startup) and (unless you have defeated the
Signal-Sense) the Channel Status LEDs should be off.

3. Start one of the audio sources playing and send that signal to

the Architect (how you do this depends on your particular
multi-room system). The zone status LED should illuminate
Blue within one second after the music begins.

4. Check each speaker output zone to ensure that each one plays

properly.

SA-3052

5. With all the speaker loads turned on, turn up the volume and

make certain that the channel status LEDs on the Architect stay
Blue. If they slowly toggle between Blue and Red, then there is
either a short in the speaker wiring, or the combined speaker
load is too low.

Congratulations! You’re ready to go on to setting the Speaker
Optimization controls.

The following are examples of typical settings of the
Architect™ 900 Series Speaker Optimizer controls. Natu­rally , the results of adjustments will vary depending on the
individual acoustic environment, the type of speakers, and
the personal preferences of the listener. These recommen­dations are not concrete, they are simply good starting
points.

14

Example Settings

®

Equalization Controls

Here is a brief introduction to each of the Speaker Optimiza-

tion control frequencies and what their affect on your music is.

75 Hz – Bass. This is at the bottom end of the frequencies

which typical in-wall and small bookshelf speakers can achieve.
Even though the Architect’s PFM filter cuts frequencies under 40
Hz, boosting this band more than 6 dB can cause distortion.
Adjust this band with care. A mild boost will enhance bass instru­ments such as bass guitar, kick drum, floor toms, timpani and
double bass violas.

250 Hz and 700 Hz — High and low midrange. These con-

trols directly affect the sound of instruments and vocals. These
bands also determine the speaker’s presence (whether the music
sounds far away or close in). Small speakers often produce too
much midrange, so these controls are candidates for being turned
down slightly during your initial experimentation. Definitely
consider reducing 700 Hz if you are only using your extension
speakers for background music.

Equalization Controls

2500 Hz — Treble. Female vocals and the “edge” of instru-

ments such as guitars, snare drums, saxes, violins, etc. are found in
this range. If accentuated too much (by boosting this control)
sounds in the 2500 Hz range can seem harsh and fatiguing to the
ear due to excessive output by the speaker or because of live,
reflective room acoustics.

12 KHz — High treble. The fine detail, texture and sheen of

music is found here. The breathiness of vocals, the sheen of
cymbals, the high overtones of piano and strings. Actually , there’ s
audible music information up to 20,000 Hz on some CD’s and
most adult’ s hearing is still pretty good at 15,000 Hz. But we’ve
chosen 12,000 Hz because it provides more useful control to
compensate for room acoustics and common small-speaker defi­ciencies.

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

15

Introduction To
Equalizers And
Acoustics

Room interaction

A Short Introduction To Equalizers And Acoustics

Magazine reviewers and audio system owners spend much
time critically appraising speakers and other stereo components.
Unfortunately , a phenomenon that has a very lar ge effect upon
sound is not easily judged or changed. That effect is the ACOUS­TICS of the environment in which you are listening.

Room acoustics is a complicated subject about which entire
textbooks have been written. We simply want you to be aware of a
few basics that have a direct effect on real time audio analysis.

As you probably learned in
junior high school, sound
travels in waves. In a stereo
system, these waves are cre­ated by the speakers. Like
waves in a pond created by a
splash, sound waves emanate
from the transducers (speak­ers) and spread out into the
room. If your room were
infinitely big, that’s all there
would be to it. But just as
waves in a pond reach the bank
and reflect back, sound waves
bounce off walls, ceilings, and
floors, reflecting, reinforcing
and canceling each other as

shown in the figure above. Since sound is energy , the way it
reflects depends upon the angle of the surface, the type of material
and the frequency of the sound wave. Because your listening
position is likely to be towards the back of the Free Field waves
shown in the diagram, you also get part of the reflected Reverber­ant Field as well.

16

Now we add the next set of complications: Different frequen­cies of sound have different wave lengths (a function of frequency
and the speed of sound). Each frequency’s wavelength contributes
differently to the Free and Reverberant Fields because they are
different sizes. For example, a 32 Hz bass note has a wavelength
of 35 FEET, while a 16,000 Hz note has a wavelength just under a
tenth of an inch. Tiny treble waves can be caught and neutralized
by draperies, carpeting, upholstered furniture and gangs of indo­lent Persian cats…while gigantic bass waves simply slosh back and
forth in the room.

®

Another set of variables is the shape and volume of your listening
room. Large rooms require more bass energy to excite waves within
them. Small rooms need less energy , but reflect it dif ferently . And then
there’ s the fact that most rooms don’t have four walls anymore, but
open into dining rooms, lofts, cathedral ceilings, etc. All of this means
that predicting sound interaction patterns is very difficult due to the
irregularities of the room shape.

As you can see, room acoustics is an important but complicated
subject To learn more about room acoustics, get a copy of
AudioControl’s Technical Paper 107, “Small Room Acoustics De-
Mythologized”. You can download this paper from
www .audiocontrol.com or if you’re still into the printed page, call us
and we’ll mail you a copy . The overall point that we’re trying to make is
that the various rooms in your home function as gigantic mechanical
equalizers, boosting or cutting certain frequencies depending on size,
shape, volume, acoustic treatment and the position of the speakers.

Audio Analysis Using Pink Noise

It may take several series of adjustments since there is some interac­tion between each control. W e have included some sample settings here
and general descriptions of each control’s function further on page 15
or here.

Audio Analysis

Using Pink Noise

After initial adjustment the only time you would change the control
settings are 1) if you connect different speakers into the system, 2) if
(assuming the speakers aren’t built-in) you move them significantly ,
such as from a bookshelf to floor stands, or 3) if your room
acoustics change through rearrangement of furniture, wall or
floor coverings, large hairy dogs, etc.

Example Settings

ARCHITECT

™

Model 960
Model 961

Installer’s Guide

17

What’s Inside

PFM filter frequency response

THE TRUTH ABOUT BASS AND
THE PROGRAMMABLE FREQUENCY MATCH FILTER

Now that digital audio is the favorite musical source, there’s
more low bass running around in a typical system. Low bass
injects large amounts of power into ANY kind of speaker — up to
60% of your amplifier’s output is being used to reproduce fre­quencies under 100Hz. That can really tax an audio system. The
second problem is that bass produces heat in the speaker. If more
heat is built-up than the speaker can dissipate, the voice coil can
literally go into meltdown (or worse).

In addition, ultra-low bass and small speakers don’t always get
along, ESPECIALLY when you DO have ample power. The low
bass music content can cause over-excursion: The speaker cone
attempts to travel farther than its physical limits, potentially
causing damage (in some cases you can actually hear a clacking
sound!). Even before destruction sets in, there are other problems
with feeding super-low bass to small speakers. Most bookshelf
and in-wall loudspeakers are 2-way systems. That means that the
woofer also handles a large part of the critical midrange area.
When the woofer is bashing around trying to reproduce unrealisti­cally low bass, its ability to produce midrange is compromised due
to intermodulation distortion. So not only don’t you get low bass,
you get lousy vocal and instrumental reproduction.

Class H Amplifier

Typical Amplifier

Pragmatically , it boils down to this: If you want ultra-low,
foundation-shaking bass from an in-wall speaker, you should add a
separate subwoofer. A more economic approach is to equalize the
speaker for maximum low bass output WITHIN IT’S PRACTI­CAL RANGE and eliminate lower frequencies which either can’t
be reproduced or which incite excessive cone travel. While it may
seem surprising, actually cutting off some of the lowest bass, will
make the bass sound cleaner, punchier and even louder.

INTELLIGENT POWER SUPPLY

T ypical amplifiers simply waste their excess headroom power
as heat. This prematurely wears the electronic components and
will substantially increase the ventilation requirements of a typical
home audio equipment stack. Our Class H design monitors the
audio power requirements and continuously adjusts the Architect
for the optimum headroom. The result is much cooler operation
and less power draw from the AC wall outlet.

18

A common problem with amplifiers is their In-Rush current.
That is the extra power that the amplifier draws from the AC wall
outlet when you turn on the amplifier. A single 15 amp household
circuit may be fine for running a couple Brand X amplifiers under
normal operation, but when they are first turned on, the combined
in-rush current draw is usually enough to pop the house circuit
breaker. This is a major problem in areas where there are frequent
brown-outs or power fluctuations. Our patented (U.S. Patent
#5,708,577) power supply design smoothly ramps up the Archi­tect from a cold start. This keeps the in-rush current under control
and means you don’t have to over rate the AC feed just to keep
breakers from blowing during a brownout.

LIGHTDRIVE PROTECTION SYSTEM

This amplifier is not only smart enough to protect itself, the
Architect 900 series amplifiers also protects the speakers. When
the volume is turned up too high and an amplifier is pushed into
clipping; the resulting distortion will probably damage the tweet­ers in your speakers. AudioControl’s exclusive LightDrive protec­tion system eliminates the possibility of signal clipping in the
Architect, even under the most demanding of conditions.

What is clipping? That’s where the speaker output of an
amplifier tries to exceed the available voltage of the amplifier’s
power supply . When that occurs, the amplifier can no longer
properly create the audio signal waveform and the audio output
becomes sharply squared off. This abrupt cutoff creates ultrason­ics and high frequency distortion that is too much for a poor little
speaker like a tweeter to handle. LightDrive solves this problem
by continuously monitoring the output of the amplifier channels. If
a channel begins to get near the limit of the power supply , it
immediately begins compressing the audio to reduce the volume
level. This happens so quickly that you’ll never even hear the
LightDrive system kick in…although your speaker will breathe a
sigh of relief because it did.

19

®

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

Using the Ethernet Port

Dynamic versus Static IP Address – This is pretty basic; a

Dynamic IP address changes every time you log onto the network,
a Static IP address always stays the same. A good example of a
dynamic IP address is your dial-up Internet access. Your computer
gets a different IP address assigned to it every time you dial up. A
network installation using Dynamic IP address requires a dedi­cated device known as a DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol)
server to assign the IP addresses from a pool of available ad­dresses as each network device logs on. For an automation system
we really recommend using a Static IP address setup. This makes
it simple to always know what address to find a particular device,
such as the Model 961 amplifier .

22

®

Troubleshooting the Architect

Almost all problems can be eliminated by re-checking the
wiring and settings of the Architect amplifier . If a problem cannot
be solved using the guide below , please call the AudioControl
factory for further assistance.

1. No Sound:

a. Verify the Power LED is Blue.
b. V erify Protection LED is Blue.
c. V erify Channel Status LED is Blue.
d. V erify Source unit is operating.

Troubleshooting

e. Check the Speaker Connector plug on the rear panel
f. Check the AC Power Fuse on the rear panel.

2. Protection LED is Blue, but none of the Channel

2. Status LEDs are on:

a. Defeat the Signal-Sense circuit using switch on the

rear panel. All of the Channel Status LEDs should

turn on. If they do not, call the AudioControl factory.
b. V erify Source unit is operating.
c. Adjust the preamp volume higher.
d. Adjust the Input Sensitivity control clockwise.

3. Channel Status LED is Red:

a. Check speaker leads for short. Swap speaker connec-

tors on rear to see if the problem moves with the

wires.
b. If the Architect is excessively hot (you cannot hold

your hand on the top), turn down the volume and

allow it to cool off. The Status LED should turn back

to Blue after a short while. Verify that the ventila-

tion holes on the rear and sides have not become

blocked.

Install Tip - There are no

internal fuses in the 900

Series amplifiers.
All protection
circuits are self­resetting.

FUSE

c. The speaker impedance may be too low.

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Model 961

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Installer’s Guide

23

Troubleshooting

4. Protection LED is Red:

a. Check main AC fuses - if one blows, the protection

activates

b. Something rather serious has happened inside the

Architect. Call the AudioControl factory .

5. Speaker Buzzing or Cracking at high volume:

a. Reduce the equalizer boost at 75Hz.
b. Try enabling the PFM filter .

6. There is no audio input signal, but the Channel Status

6. LED is still Blue:

a. Check the Signal-Sense defeat switch on the rear

panel. If it is pressed in, the Channel Status LEDs
will stay on as long as the Remote Power Control is
enabled.

b. The Channel Status LEDs stays on for 30-60 seconds

(depending on music volume) after the audio signal
has stopped to prevent prematurely turning off during
quiet passages or disk changes.

24

®

A Brazen Plug For
Other AudioControl Products

AudioControl started out making graphic equalizers in 1977.
Our heritage and design experience grew from a background in
professional audio, so we were never quite satisfied with what was
available for the consumer audio market. Since that time, we have
continued to expand our product offerings to become a key part of
great home audio systems. We supply the audio components that
can make a more substantial improvement in the sound of your
system than almost any other addition or upgrade. More bass,
better sound, less harshness and the ability to hear music the way
you want it.

W e make our equalizers easy to use by incorporating features
such as pairing channel controls together . We help you make the
system sound as good as possible with high quality subsonic filters
and, in selected models, built-in test analyzers that let you make
accurate adjustments to instantly compensate for main system
speaker and room deficiencies. In fact, AudioControl was the
world’ s first manufacturer of a SEVEN CHANNEL equalizer for
home theater surround sound use.

Brazen Plug

BLR-10 and BLD-10 Balanced Audio
Drivers. Sends over CAT-5 extends high
quality audio up to 1000’.

AudioControl also provides a full compliment of components
for your home theater needs. The Maestro 7.1 is a THX Ultra 2
certified home theater surround processor with exceptional audio
and video performance. The Diva 24 bit digital room correction
system provides 8 channels of acoustical control to get the most
out of your home theater. The Pantages and Avalon power ampli­fiers round out this theater system. Their audiophile sound quality ,
cool running Class-H design and exclusive LightDrive protection
systems say these amplifiers mean serious business. T ogether the

AudioControl home
theater system provides
ultimate performance for
your ultimate home
theater.

Okay , enough com-

mercials.

Once again, we thank
you for choosing
AudioControl compo­nents in your system and
hope you enjoy a lifetime
of performance and
reliability .

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

™

Installer’s Guide

25

Appendices

Caution - Do not use a

speaker rated at less

than 8 ohms when

bridging. In a
bridged system, each channel of the
bridged pair “sees” one half of the
speaker load. This means that a
bridged amp driving an 8 ohm
speaker is actually operating into a
4 ohm load.

Appendix A
BRIDGING THE ARCHITECT

To increase the output power of the Architect, you can join
(bridge) two channels of the Architect into a single channel of 230
watts. Accomplishing this is a simple matter. Just press the Mono
button to send the same audio signal to both channels of the zone
and then connect the speaker terminals as shown in the diagram
below.

Appendix B
USING WITH ETHERNET-BASED AUTOMATION
SYSTEMS

The Ethernet LAN connection on the Model 961 enables
remote control of the amplifiers power and channel muting. While
the internal web server of the Model 961 provides an HTML web
page based interface, this is not the best means of controlling the
unit from another computer system. The Architect Model 961
provides a Telnet TCP/IP protocol for system programmers. The
Telnet protocol uses simple ASCII text commands to control and
monitor the Architect Model 961 amplifier.

Bridged connection speaker hookup

To log into the Architect Model 961 via Telnet, you need a
T elnet client program in your system. The factory default static IP
address of the Model 961 is 192.168.0.1 and telnet is active on
port 23. The default user login ID and password are:

User ID: architect (note: all lower case)

Password: 900

An example of a typical telnet login session is:

/Telnet> login

/Telnet> UserID?: architect

/Telnet> Password?: 900

/Telnet> User authenticated!

/Telnet>

The serial ASCII control protocol over telnet allows simple
integration with other automation computer systems. The basic
command format is:

command<cr>

Where command is the ASCII text string of the command and
<cr> is an ASCII carriage return (0C hex) character as a com­mand delimiter. These commands are case sensitive and have a
500mS timeout if no valid command or delimiter is sent.

26

®

The commands are broken into two groups: Controls and

Inquiries. The Controls issue instructions to the Model 961 for

power control and channel muting; the Inquires return the status
of amplifier channels, AC line voltage, the amplifier temperature,
and the failure data log.

Appendix

Control Commands

P0 (zero not ‘O’)

Main Power On
P1 Main Power Off
M1 Mute channel 1-2
M2 Mute channel 3-4
M3 Mute channel 5-6
M4 Mute channel 7-8
M5 Mute channel 9-10
M6 Mute channel 11-12
M7 Mute channel 13-14
M8 Mute channel 15-16
MA Mute all channels
U1 Unmute channel 1-2
U2 Unmute channel 3-4
U3 Unmute channel 5-6
U4 Unmute channel 7-8

Inquiry Commands

M? Binary string showing

all zones mute
status

0 = Mute
1 = Active (unmuted)
(i.e. ‘00100000’ –
zone 3 is unmuted)

S? Protection status

(zone 1-8 and
Amp)

T? Temperature

(zone 1-8)

P? Main power status –

0=off, 1=on

V? AC Line voltage –

Decimal numeric
value

L? Protection data log

(comma delimited

text, 10 lines)
U5 Unmute channel 9-10
U6 Unmute channel 11-12
U7 Unmute channel 13-14
U8 Unmute channel 15-16
UA Unmute all channels

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

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Installer’s Guide

27

Warranty

This is the only warranty given
by AudioControl. This warranty
gives you specific legal rights, and
you may also have rights that
vary from state to state. Promises
of how well The Architect will
work are not implied by this
warranty . Other than what we’ve
said we’ll do in this warranty , we
have no obligation, express or
implied. W e make no warranty of
merchantability or fitness for any
particular purpose. Also neither
we nor anyone else who has been
involved in the development or
manufacture of the unit will have
any liability of any incidental,
consequential, special or punitive
damages, including but not limited
to any lost profits or damage to
other parts of your system by
hooking up to the unit (whether
the claim is one for breach of
warranty , negligence of other tort,
or any other kind of claim). Some
states do not allow limitations of
consequential damages.

Failure to send in a properly
completed warranty card negates
any service claims.

The warranty included with the
unit shall supersede this plain-text
version if there is any inconsis­tency between the two.

The Warranty

People are scared of warranties. Lots of fine print. Months of
waiting around. Well, fear no more. This warranty is designed to
make you rave about AudioControl. It’s a warranty that looks out
for you and your client, plus helps you resist the temptation to
have your friend, who’ s “good with electronics”, try to repair your
AudioControl product. So go ahead, read this warranty, then send
in the warranty card and comments.

“Conditional” doesn’t mean anything ominous. The Federal
Trade Commission tells all manufacturers to use the term to
indicate that certain conditions have to be met before they’ll honor
the warranty . If you meet all of these conditions, we will warrant
all materials and workmanship on The Architect for five (5) years
from the date you bought it, and we will fix or replace it, at our
option, during that time.

Here are the conditional conditions:

1. Y ou have to fill out the warranty card and send it to us within 15

days after installing the The Architect.

2. Y ou must keep your sales receipt for proof of purchase showing

when and from whom the unit was purchased. W e’re not the only
ones who require this, so it’s a good habit to get into with any
major purchase.

3. The Architect must have originally been purchased from an

authorized AudioControl dealer. You do not have to be the
original owner, but you do need a copy of the original sales slip.

4. Y ou cannot let anybody who isn’t: (A) the AudioControl factory;

or (B) somebody authorized in writing by AudioControl to service
the The Architect. If anyone other than (A), or (B) messes with
The Architect, that voids your warranty .

5. The warranty is also void if the serial number is altered or re-

moved, or if The Architect has been used improperly . Now that
sounds like a big loophole, but here is all we mean by it:

Unwarranted abuse is: (A) physical damage (don’t use The
Architecttm to level your projection TV); (B) improper connec­tions (120 volts into the RCA jacks can fry the poor thing); (C)
sadistic things. This is the best product we know how to build,
but if you strap it to the front bumper of your Range Rover,
something might break.

Assuming you conform to 1 through 5, and it really isn’t all
that hard to do, we get the option of fixing your old unit or replac­ing it with a new one.

Legalese Section

28

®

What to do if you need service

First, contact AudioControl, either by e-mail, phone or F AX.
W e’ll verify if there is anything wrong that you can fix yourself, or
that it needs to be sent back to our factory for repair. Please
include the following items with the returning unit:

1) A copy of your proof of purchase (that sales receipt we’ve

been harping about). No originals please. W e cannot guarantee
returning them to you.

2) A brief explanation of the trouble you are having with The

Architect

3) A return street address. (No PO Boxes, please)

4) A daytime phone number in case our technican has a question

about the problem you are having.

You’re responsible for the freight charges to us, but we’ll pay
the return freight back as long as the unit is under warranty . We
match whatever shipping method you use to send it to us, so if
you return the unit overnight freight, we send it back overnight.
W e recommend United Parcel Service (UPS) for most shipments.

.

(You’d be surprised how many people forget this.)

tm

What to do if you need

service

Repair service is available at:

®

Attn: Service Department
22410 70th Avenue West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA
Phone [phone] • FAX [phone]

ARCHITECT

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Model 961

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Installer’s Guide

29

®

900 Series Specifications

Amplifier Power Rating (all channels driven) . . . . . 60 Watts @ 8 ohms

Bridged Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Watts @ 8 ohms

Minimum Speaker Load . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 ohms (2 ohms limited zones)

Damping Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greater than 200

Total Harmonic Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.05% (Full Power, 20-20k)

Input Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Variable 0-1 Vrms

Input Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 kilohms

Crosstalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greater than 80dB @ 1kHz

Equalizer Center Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . 75, 250, 700, 2.5k, 12KHz

PFM Highpass Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Hz (switchable)

Remote Power Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . +12 VDC or Dry Contact Closure

AC Power Consumption . . . . . . . . 1600 Watts (all channels full power)

Specifications

AC Main Fuse Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 x 6 amp Slo-Blo

AC Main Operational Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 volts - 130 volts

Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 pounds (22 kg)

Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17” W x 16” D x 7” H

Rack Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19” Brackets (4U high)

Network Connection (Model 961) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10BaseT Ethernet

Network Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TCP/IP

Communication Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HTTP or Telnet

IP Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selectable Static or Dynamic via DHCP

Default Static IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192.168.0.1

US Patent Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,708,577

© AudioControl 2004, All Rights Reserved.

This manual was written, designed, printed, folded and stuffed into the box in
the U.S.A. Probably on a really soggy day considering where we live.

ARCHITECT

Model 960
Model 961

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Installer’s Guide

31

For Those Who Consider Perfection Possible

22410 70th Avenue West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA
425-775-8461 • Fax [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]

®

®

Visit us on the web at www.audiocontrol.com

P/N 913 080 0