Aviom A360 User Manual

A360DESIGNGUIDE

Aviom’s new A360 Personal Mixer brings a number of major advances in personal mixing for performing and recording musicians. For more than a decade, Aviom has set the standard for personal mixing, delivering a unique combination of truly useful features and ease of use for both the technical and non-technical musician. The A360 raises the bar for features while maintaining the intuitive ease of use Aviom is known for, giving musicians unprecedented control and clarity in their monitor mixes.

This design reference provides guidance on designing Aviom personal mixing systems with the new A360.

Please contact Aviom Customer Service

at +1 610-738-9005 extension 2 for

help with your speciﬁ c needs.

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Aviom, A-Net , the A-Net ic on, Pro16, Pro16e, Pro 64, Virtu al Data Cab les, m-con trol, and Al lFrame are t rademar ks of Aviom, Inc . All other tr ademark s are the pr opert y of their r espect ive owners . ©2013 Aviom, Inc. All r ights re serve d. Informat ion subjec t to change w ithout not ice. rev. 1.0 030413

BUILDINGASYSTEM

The A360 is backwards-compatible with legacy Pro16 gear such as the AN-16/i, A-16D Pro, and A-16II, and it may be integrated into existing Aviom Personal Mixing Systems. This section details the similarities and diﬀ erences with legacy hardware and systems and shows how to set up A360 Personal Mixers in a variety of systems.

A360 Product Overview

The A360 Personal Mixer utilizes a 36-channel mix engine to give performers more control over their monitor mix, without introducing unwarranted complexity. The 36-channel mix engine supports 16 mono or stereo standard

mix channels, a mono or stereo Dual Proﬁ le Channel™, and mono or stereo One-Touch Ambience™. Optimized for in-ear monitors and headphones (but fully compatible with wedge monitors), the A360 adds enhanced

One-Touch Ambience

Standard mix channels (each button can host a

mono or stereo signal)

Dual Pro le Channel (additional mix channel or channel mirror)

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A-16D

channel-level and master controls to help users improve the naturalness, ﬁ delity, and consis- tency of their monitor mix.

Technology Overview

The A360 is a Pro16® Series device, and it is fully compatible with legacy Pro16 Series hardware. However, to provide the ﬂ exibility of addi- tional mix channels, the A360 uses an expanded version of the Pro16 A-Net Pro16e™.

The Pro16e packet supports up to 64 channels (48kHz, 24 bits). Maximum Cat-5e cable length

packet, called

Like standard Pro16 A-Net, Pro16e is a point-to-point digital audio protocol; it is not a full network like

Pro64

A-Net.

for Pro16e is 400 feet (100 feet less than standard Pro16).

All devices capable of generating or utilizing a Pro16e data stream are labeled with the Pro16e logo. All standard Pro16 devices are capable of receiving and retransmitting a Pro16e packet (but can utilize only the ﬁ rst 16 channels). For example, a standard A-16D Pro is used in an A360 personal mixing system and can supply power and Pro16e audio data to the A360 Personal Mixers.

A360 Mode Selection

In order to streamline integration of A360s into existing Aviom personal mixing systems and to provide ﬂ exibility in how systems utilize input hardware, the A360 supports two modes of operation, selected with a rear-panel slide switch.

A-16D

In systems with 16 or fewer channels, A360s can be connected to existing hardware in the same manner as A-16IIs are connected. A360s and A-16IIs can be used together seamlessly.

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AN-16/i

v.2

A-16

PRO16 MODE

In systems with 16 or fewer channels, the A360 will typically be set to mode, channels are laid out on the A360 as on the A-16II, with stereo channels using two adjacent buttons rather than being placed under a single button. The Dual Proﬁ le Channel on the A360 may be used to mirror any channel or channel pair. Ambience must use the onboard microphone. All mixing functions, including full stereo pan-spread control for stereo pairs, are available in Pro16 mode.

For systems utilizing Pro16 mode on the A360, system design and setup are the same as for systems with A-16II and A-16R Personal Mixers, and all three models of mixers may be used in any combination.

PRO16e MODES

For systems with more than 16 channels, the mode switch should be set either to to

CUSTOM. In these switch positions, the A360

will be looking for a Pro16e packet and will place stereo channels under a single button.

DEFAULT mode, channels from the network

are assigned to A360 buttons according to the default rules (see “Pro16e Channel Routing” below for detailed information). Only the onboard microphone may be used for ambience. The Dual Proﬁ le Channel may mirror one of the standard mix channels but may not be used as a 17th mix channel.

PRO16 mode. In this

DEFAULT or

AN ADDITIONAL NOTE

Pro16e input modules generate Pro16e packets regardless of the channel count of the system. Thus it is possible to have a Pro16e system with 16 or fewer channels (one AN-16/i v.2 Input Module as the front end).

In such systems, A360s may be set to either

PRO16 mode or one of the Pro16e modes. Using

one of the Pro16e modes places stereo channels under a single button and allows users to customize their channel layout and use network audio for ambience (in

CUSTOM mode).

Connecting A360s

Regardless of the mode a given A360 is utilizing and regardless of whether the system includes A-16IIs or is comprised entirely of A360s, there are no special considerations in connecting A360s. Because Pro16 devices such as the A-16II can receive a Pro16e packet but will use only the ﬁ rst 16 channels (as if it were a standard Pro16 stream), A360s and A-16IIs can use the same A-Net stream and be fed by the same A-Net Distributors.

Note that the A360 does not have an A-Net Out jack and thus cannot be in the middle of a daisy chain; most systems will utilize an A-16D Pro A-Net Distributor for supplying power and audio to the A360 Personal Mixers.

CUSTOM mode, any network channel(s) can be

In assigned to any mixer button. Ambience may use the onboard mic or audio from the network, and the Dual Proﬁ le Channel may be used to mirror one of the 16 standard mix channels or as a 17th stereo or mono mix channel.

Getting More Than 16 Channels into the System

The new AN-16/i v.2 Input Module is used to expand the Pro16 packet to include more channels; up to four input modules may be used for up to 64 channels in the network stream. Each A360 may select its mix channels from the complete pool of 64 channels in the network.

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NAN

from the console to connect to AN-16/i v.2 Input Modules for additional channels and a Pro16e stream.

Refer to the Appendix for illustrations of a range of digital consoles connected to Aviom personal mixing systems with expanded channel counts.

Daisy-chaining AN-16/i v.2 Input Modules allows more channels to be sent to A360 Personal Mixers.

The A360 must be set to CUSTOM to use nondefault channels.

To expand the Pro16 packet, simply connect the A-Net Out of the ﬁ rst input module to the A-Net In of the second. This daisy chain may be continued for up to four input modules and 64 channels.

The AN-16/i v.2 has a rear-panel switch for assigning the channel range of each device (1-16, 17-32, 33-48, or 49-64). The order in which the input modules are connected is irrelevant.

COMBINING LEGACY INPUT HARDWARE

The FIRST input device in this daisy chain of input devices may be a legacy Pro16 input module (e.g., original AN-16/i or AN-16/i-M) or console card (e.g., Aviom’s Y1 card or a partner card). These channels are assigned to channels 1-16 automatically, and other input modules in the system must be set to 17-32, 33-48, and 49-64.

At this time, there is no ability to connect multiple legacy Pro16 input devices, including console cards, for expanded channel count. Thus, systems with digital consoles may use a single Pro16 A-Net card but must use analog outputs

Pro16e Channel Routing

Because the A-16II and A360 (in Pro16e mode, with a Pro16e front end) map stereo channels to mixer buttons diﬀ erently, more sophisti-

AN-16/i

64-channel Pro16e stream

Up to four AN-16/i v.2 Input Modules can be daisy chained to form a 64-channel Pro16e A-Net stream. A360 Personal Mixers can select their mix channels from this stream. Note that the ﬁ rst device in the chain of input modules may be a legacy Pro16 input module or console card.

v.2

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The AN-16/i v.2 input channels can be thought of in stereo channel pairs. The A360 default routing uses odd numbered input channels for left or mono and even numbered input channels for the right side of a stereo channel.

cated algorithms are required for managing the default routing of Pro16e channels from input modules to personal mixers, particularly to avoid unexpected results when channels are switched from stereo to mono (or vice versa) at an input module.

Because the A360 and the A-16II behave identically in Pro16 systems with 16 or fewer channels, this section applies only to systems utilizing a Pro16e packet.

STEREO INPUT CHANNELS

In Pro16e systems using default channels on A360s, input module channels should generally be viewed as channel pairs, similar to a stereo channel on a console. Thus channel 1 and channel 2 on an input module are the left and right halves of what will become channel 1 on an A360 Personal Mixer. (Channels 3 and 4 map to A360 channel button 2, 5 and 6 to A360 channel button 3, and so on.)

If the channels are stereo linked on the input module, then both channels appear on the A360 as a stereo pair, using one mix channel button.

If the channels are NOT stereo linked, then only the odd input module channel is utilized by the A360, and the even input module channel is ignored (but may be used by A-16IIs in the system or by A360s in Pro16 mode).

Thus for many Pro16e systems, the AN-16/i v.2 is better viewed as an input module with 8 stereo input channels rather than just 16 channels.

This approach ensures predictable results and avoids any unexpected channel reassignment on the Personal Mixer as a result of a stereo link switch being changed on an input module. The table on the following page shows the default channel routing for a Pro16e system.

L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R

Mono Stereo Mono Stereo Mono Stereo Mono Stereo Mono Stereo Mono Stereo Mono Stereo Mono Stereo

2345678

A-Net In

Power

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v.2

AN-16/i v.2 Default A360 Channel

Bank Channel If Stereo If Mono

1 1 (left) 1

2 1 (right)

3 2 (left) 2

4 2 (right)

5 3 (left) 3

6 3 (right)

7 4 (left) 4

8 4 (right)

1-16

9 5 (left) 5

10 5 (right)

11 6 (left) 6

12 6 (right)

13 7 (left) 7

14 7 (right)

15 8 (left) 8

16 8 (right)

1 9 (left) 9

2 9 (right)

3 10 (left) 10

4 10 (right)

5 11 (left) 11

6 11 (right)

7 12 (left) 12

8 12 (right)

17- 32

9 13 (left) 13

10 13 (right)

11 14 (left) 14

12 14 (right)

13 15 (left) 15

14 15 (right)

15 16 (left) 16

16 16 (right)

Ignored

CUSTOM MODE

The A360 also provides the ability to assign channels from the network to any button on each mixer independently. Ultimately, users will have the option to do this from either a computer or from the front panel of the A360. Initially, a computer will be required, utilizing Aviom’s free

A360 CHANNEL MANAGER™ application.

CUSTOM MODE as in DEFAULT MODE, stereo

In channels are placed under a single button on A360s. However, mono channels in even numbered input module channels may be assigned to A360 buttons.

CUSTOM MODE gives designers and users the

most ﬂ exibility, allowing each A360 to have its own selection of channels and its own arrangement of channels. This is particularly useful in larger ensembles where diﬀ erent musicians require control of diﬀ erent channels.

The Pro16e data stream supports up to 64 channels, and system to be assigned a unique set of channels for the 16 mono or stereo standard mix channels, the mono or stereo (which may also be set to mirror one of the standard mix channels), and ambience.

The table on the following page shows a sample patch list for a larger system.

CUSTOM MODE allows each A360 in the

DUAL PROFILE CHANNEL

This table shows the mapping of input module channels to A360 mix channels in Default Mode. Note that even numbered mono input channels are not used in this mode.

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Mixer Channel Singers’ A360s Horns’ A360s Backline A360s

1 Lead Vocal Lead Vocal Lead Vocal

2 Vocal 2 Vocals Mix (stereo) Vocals Mix (stereo)

3 Vocal 3 Horn 1 Gtr 1 (stereo)

4 Vocal 4 Horn 2 Gtr 2 (stereo)

5 Vocal 5 Horn 3 Keys 1 (stereo)

6 Vocal 6 Horn 4 Keys 2 (stereo)

7 Gtr 1 (stereo) Horn 5 Horns Mix (stereo)

8 Gtr 2 (stereo) Gtr 1 (stereo) Kick

9 Keys 1 (stereo) Gtr 2 (stereo) Snare

10 Keys 2 (stereo) Keys 1 (stereo) Hi Hat

11 Horns Mix (stereo) Keys 2 (stereo) Drums OH (stereo)

12 Drums Mix (stereo) Drums Mix (stereo) Bass

13 Bass Bass Tracks/Loops (stereo)

14 Tracks/Loops (stereo) Tracks/Loops (stereo) Click

This table shows a sample channel mapping for a larger ensemble utliizing the A360’s ability to select its mix channels from all of the channels available in the network.

Combining A360s in Systems With A-16IIs and A-16Rs

The A360 was designed to be fully compatible with existing Aviom personal mixing systems, allowing existing users to upgrade some or all of their Aviom Personal Mixers without having to start over with all new gear.

SYSTEMS WITH 16 OR FEWER CHANNELS

In low-channel-count systems, A360s can simply be added to the system or swapped in for an older Aviom Personal Mixer. Simply connect a Cat-5e cable to the existing A-Net Distributor and to the A360. Note that the A360 cannot be in the middle of a daisy chain.

SYSTEMS WITH MORE CHANNELS

In systems with more than 16 channels and both A360 and A-16II or A-16R Personal Mixers, some planning for input patching must be allowed for.

Because the A-16II and A-16R Personal Mixers can use only the ﬁ rst 16 channels in the system, all channels required by these mixers must be connected, in the desired order, to the ﬁ rst input module or console card.

All other channels—those channels added to the monitoring feeds for the beneﬁ t of the A360 users—will be patched to the AN-16/i v.2 Input Modules set to one of the higher channel banks (17-32, 33-48, or 49-64). These channels will be ignored by the A-16IIs and A-16Rs in the system.

In most cases, setting the A360s in these systems to

CUSTOM will help rearrange the chan-

nels in a way that is most useful for A360 users.

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The following diagrams show Pro16e systems connected to a range of digital mixing consoles. The systems shown here support up to 32 channels; most could be expanded further to provide up to 48 or 64 channels to the Aviom Pro16e A-Net system and the A360 Personal Mixers. All of the systems shown here can also have A-16II or A-16R Personal Mixers attached, using the ﬁ rst 16 channels in the Pro16e system.

Avid Venue/Proﬁ le with Stagerack

APPENDIX

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