Cadac CDC seven Hardware User Manual

CDC seven

Digital Mixing Console

User Manual

Hardware

Cadac Holdings Ltd.
One New Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 5DX
United Kingdom

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Email:
General information: [e-mail]
Service enquiries: [e-mail]

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

3

Important Safety Information

CAUTION: These servicing instructions are for use by qualied personnel
only. To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not perform any servicing
other than that contained in the User Manual unless you are qualied to do
so. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel.

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water. Do not expose this apparatus to dripping

or splashing and ensure that no objects lled with liquids, such as vases, are

placed on this apparatus.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any of the ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves,

or other apparatus that produce heat.

9. Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer.

10. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing is required when
the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as the power-supply cord or
plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus,
the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally,

or has been dropped.

11. To completely disconnect mains power from this apparatus, the power supply

cord must be unplugged.

For US and CANADA only:

Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug. A grounding-type
plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third

prong is provided for your safety. When the provided plug does not t into your
outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

The lightning ash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle is

intended to alert the user to the presence of an uninsulated “dangerous voltage”

within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufcient magnitude to constitute a

risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in
the literature accompanying the appliance.

4

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

General Precautions

• Do not place heavy objects on the control surface, expose it to sharp objects
or handle the console in any way that may cause damage, e.g., rough

handling and/or excessive vibration.

• Do not subject the equipment to dirt, dust, heat or vibration during operation
or storage. Never expose the console to rain or moisture in any form. Should

the console become wet, turn it off and disconnect it from the mains without
further delay. The console should be given sufcient time to dry out before

recommencing operation.

• When cleaning the console, never use chemicals, abrasive substances or
solvents.

• The console control panel should be cleaned using a soft brush and a dry

lint-free cloth. For persistent marks, use a soft cloth and isopropyl alcohol.

Switches and potentiometers do NOT require cleaning or lubrication.

• Keep these instructions for future reference. Follow all warnings in this
manual and those printed on the console.

• The console must be connected following the guidance in this manual. Never

connect power amplier outputs directly to the console. Connectors and

plugs must never be used for any other purpose than that for which they are
intended.

• The console mains input must always be connected to correctly rated mains

power as referred to in this manual. The mains input must, at all times, be

connected to the local mains power supply using the supplied power cord.

In cases where the supplied plug does not t, a qualied electrician must be

consulted.

• The power cord must be routed in such a way that the risks of accidentally

stepping on it, stretching it or it being pinched are minimized.

• WARNING ! THIS EQUIPMENT MUST BE EARTHED !

• Ventilation slots must never be covered or obstructed in any way, otherwise

airow required for safe operation may be restricted. Where the console is to
be operated in its ight-case, then this must be located in such a way that it

allows for proper ventilation.

• Refer servicing to qualied technical personnel only.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

5

Conformities

Declaration of Conformity

The Directives covered by this declaration: 2004/108/EC

The Products Covered by this Declaration: CDC seven audio mixing consoles

The Basis on which Conformity is being Declared: The products identied above

comply with the requirements of the above EU Directive(s) by meeting the
following standards:

BS EN 55103-1:2009 Product family standard for: audio, video, audio-

visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use.
Part 1 – Emission.

BS EN 55103-2:2009 Product family standard for: audio, video, audio-

visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use.
Part 2 – Immunity.

BS EN 61000-3 -2:2008 Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Part 3.
Limits. Section 2. Limits for harmonic current emissions (equipment input

current ≤16 A per phase).

BS EN 61000-3 -3:2006 + A2:2009 Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

Part 3. Limits. Section 3. Limitation of voltage uctuations and icker in low
voltage supply systems for equipment with rated current ≤16 A.

BS EN 60065:2002 + A1:2006 Audio, Video and similar electronic apparatus.

Safety requirements.

BS EN 61000-4-2:2009 Electrostatic discharge immunity test.

BS EN 61000-4-6:2009 Immunity to conducted disturbances.

BS EN 61000-4-11:2004 Immunity to voltage dips, short interruptions and

voltage variations.

Attention!

The attention of the specier, purchaser, installer, or user is drawn to

special measures and limitations to use which must be observed when
these products are taken into service to maintain compliance with the
above directives. Details of these special measures and limitations to use

are available on request, and are also contained in this User Manual.

6

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Contents

Important Safety Information 3

General Precautions 4

Conformities 5

Declaration of Conformity 5

Introduction 8

Overview 9

Shipping details 9

System capability 12

Data protocol: MegaCOMMS 13

CDC seven – Main Features 14

Hardware components 15

Control surface 15

Top view 15

Rear view 22

Channel Section 22

Master Section 24

Power supplies 25

Front panel 25

Remote Stageboxes 26

Connecting the hardware 28

Power supplies – control surface 28

Power supplies – remote stageboxes 28

Data communications: MegaCOMMS 28

Word Clock In 30

Word Clock Out 30

Remote stagebox – audio connections 30

Connector details 31

Surface and Local I/O – audio connections 32

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

7

Principles of Operation 34

Switching the CDC seven on 34

Switching the CDC seven off 34

Main screens – touch operation 35

Layers and metering 35

Using the encoders 38

Channel blocks 39

Control Screen menus 40

System functions 41

Waves SoundGrid® interface 41

USB ports 41

Ethernet Ports 41

Video ports (HDMI) 41

GPIO ports 42

MIDI I/O 42

Lamp 43

Updating system software 43

System expansion 43

Adding a second Stagebox 43

Adding Redundant Power Supplies 43

Appendix 44

Technical Specications 44

Dimensions and weights 45

CDC seven control surface 46

Connecting the CDC seven to unbalanced sources and destinations 47

8

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing this Cadac CDC seven digital audio mixing console.

From its founding in 1968, Cadac’s products have become the benchmark for

sound reinforcement consoles. The CDC seven is one of Cadac’s range of live
performance digital production consoles and uses the same innovative user
interface developed for the acclaimed CDC six console. It makes most of the

features of our world-famous, large-scale theatre and touring analogue desks
available in a compact, xed-architecture, fully-digital system, using a “high-

agility” user interface based a on wide-format touch screen. Professional sound

engineers used to working on either traditional analogue consoles, or other digital
consoles will nd the transition to the CDC seven’s operational system quick and
easy. However, the attention to detail, high quality audio circuitry and reliability

on which the reputation of the Cadac brand is built remains at the core of the
CDC seven’s design philosophy.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

9

Overview

The CDC seven system comprises three physical components: control surface,
control surface power supply, and remote MegaCOMMS I/O device(s). The control

surface provides further (local) analogue and digital inputs and outputs; back-up
(redundant) power supplies for the control surface and/or remote stagebox(es)
are available as a standard option.

Shipping details

As well as the control surface and remote I/O device(s) specied at the time of
ordering, the CDC seven is shipped with the following additional items:

• One or two* PSUs for the control surface

• One or two* powerCON TRUE 1 cables

• One or two* PSU-to-control surface cables

• Dust cover for control surface

• Gooseneck console lamp

• User manual – hardware

* A second (redundant) PSU may be ordered if required.

Control Surface:

The control surface is divided in four operational areas:

• two Channel Sections, each based around a 23.5”, 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels)
touchscreen display with two sets of rotary encoders mounted below and to
the right of the screen;

• the Master Section, to the right of the Channel Section, with the CDC seven’s

6.5” Control screen, fast access keypad, automation and other ancillary

controls;

• the Channel Fader Bay, below the Channel Section, with 16 touch-

sensitive,100 mm motorised faders, OLED channel displays, stereo LED

bargraph meters and other controls;

• the Master Fader Bay, below the Master Section, with four motorised faders,
OLED displays and a set of user-assignable keys.

All connections to the surface (apart from headphones and three USB ports) are

on the rear panel of the control surface: these include PSU inputs, MegaCOMMS
ports (see following page), local analogue and digital audio I/O, network ports,
further USB ports, etc.

10

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

11

Remote MegaCOMMS I/O Devices:

Various versions of remote MegaCOMMS I/O devices are available:

• CDC MC Router – up to 3,072 channels of MegaCOMMS routing, including
gain compensation

• CDC MC MADI – 64 bidirectional channels of MADI I/O, including SRC

• CDC MC Dante – 64 bidirectional channels of Dante I/O, including SRC

• CDC MC AES3 – 18 x AES3 inputs, 18 x AES3 outputs (36 bidirectional
audio channels)

• CDC MC Optical – up to 512 audio channels via optical bre; 2 km drive
capability

• CDC I/O 6448 – 64 mic/line inputs and 48 balanced line outputs

• CDC I/O 3216 – 32 mic/line inputs and 16 balanced line outputs

CDC MC Router

CDC MC MADI

CDC MC DANTE

CDC MC AES

CDC MC Optical

CDC I/O 3216

CDC I/O 6448

Either one or two MegaCOMMS remote I/O devices can be connected directly to
the console: more may be connected by using the CDC MC Router.

12

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

In addition to the I/O provided by the CDC MegaCOMMS remote I/O devices, the
control surface is provided with eight analogue mic/line inputs, eight analogue
line outputs (all balanced), four balanced AES/EBU inputs and four balanced
AES/EBU outputs. The routing of this local I/O may be congured via the CDC

seven’s software.

DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED IN ENGLAND

12

RESET

NETWORK

USB

VIDEO

PSU 2 PSU 1

Assembled in China

GPIO OUT

GPIO IN

LAMP

IN IN IN IN

1 234

OUTOUT OUTOUT

AES

WORDCLOCK

IN

MIDI

IN

THRUOUT

STATUS STATUS STATUS STATUS STATUS STATUS STATUS STATUS

OUT

WORDCLOCK

IN IN

BAOUTOUT

MegaCOMMS

TX

TX

RX

RX

48V 48V 48V 48V 48V 48V 48V 48V

12345678

OUTPUTS

INPUTS

MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE

Local I/O

System capability

The control surface contains all the system DSP, and apart from the local
analogue I/O, all audio signal paths and processing are in the digital domain. The
stageboxes contain Cadac’s high quality analogue microphone preampliers with
their gain and other parameters being remotely controlled, together with 96 kHz,

24-bit A-to-D and D-to-A conversion.

The CDC seven employs the now-familiar concept of “layering” to reduce the

size of the control surface, with 32 motorised faders able to control a maximum
console conguration of 96 input channels mixing into 48 assignable mix busses,
plus left, centre and right master busses, and two monitor busses for PFL and

AFL. The touchscreen-based control screens have been designed to present

as familiar a layout as possible to operators, using virtual control panels with
large, colour-coded buttons and displays. The rotary encoders at the edges of the
screen are used to make all parameter adjustments (levels, EQ parameters etc.)

An important feature of the CDC seven is that there is very little distinction
between input channels and output channels in terms of features and facilities.

The 48 mix busses are freely assignable as groups, auxiliary sends, matrix sends

or FX sends: all of these have fundamentally the same facilities as the input

channels, and are displayed and controlled in the same way.

The CDC seven control surface includes a Waves® SoundGrid® interface. Three
ports of the interface’s integral Ethernet hub are available on the rear panel;

any of these may be used to connect the CDC seven to a computer, allowing

multitrack recording and playback. The mixer may also be connected to a Waves

MultiGrid server running Waves plug-in signal processing, with the control panels
for the plug-ins presented on the CDC seven’s main screens. Alternatively, one
or two HDMI-capable external screens may be tted to the surface using the rear
VESA mounts, to display the Waves functionality independently.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

13

Data protocol: MegaCOMMS

Communication between the remote MegaCOMMS I/O devices and the control
surface is via a proprietary Cadac high speed protocol called MegaCOMMS,
using high-speed 75 ohm coaxial cable terminated in BNC connectors.

Two interconnection paths are provided, A and B, each of which requires a

transmit and receive cable. The maximum capacity of each path is 128 audio
channels in each direction.

The maximum recommended cable run between any two system components

(i.e., surface to I/O device, or between I/O devices) is 150 m (492 ft).

14

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

CDC seven – Main Features

• Up to 96 simultaneous channels in the mix

• 48 mix busses, freely assignable as groups, aux sends or matrix sends, plus
LCR main busses

• Busses may also be allocated as sends to internal FX processors with
matching stereo returns

• Up to 192 simultaneous inputs and up to 192 simultaneous outputs

• 8 local analogue and 4 local AES3 inputs

• 8 local analogue and 4 local AES3 outputs

• Waves interface card providing 64ch. multitrack recording, or for connection
to a Waves MultiGrid server to access the full range of Waves plug-in
processing

• Unrestricted allocation of physical I/O to input channels and group/aux/matrix
outputs

• 16 VCA groups

• Eight user assignable buttons, with OLED displays (e.g., Mute group masters)

• Input channels may be linked or paired for stereo operation

• 100 mm motorised faders with OLED displays of current assignments

• All output types – groups, auxes or matrixes - may be mono or linked for
stereo operation

• Channel sends to outputs may be pre-EQ, pre-fade or post-fade (switchable
pre or post VCA)

• Default display of all primary channel parameters

• Two physical inputs per input channel

• 4-band fully-parametric EQ on all inputs and outputs

• Classic Cadac analogue EQ emulation

• Variable-frequency hi and lo-pass lters on all inputs and outputs

• 1/3-octave graphic equaliser available on all outputs

• Compressor/limiter with sidechain lter, plus gate on all input channels

• Compressor/limiter with sidechain lter on all outputs

• Adjustable delay on all inputs and outputs

• 16 stereo FX processors – each may be inserted or congured as send-
return loops

• Each FX processor provides reverb, delay and modulation, in any series/
parallel combination

• Switchable inserts on all channels

• Switchable LR and LCR panning

• Channel copy and swap functions

• Full Monitor, PFL and Talkback facilities

• 2 x 23.5” 16:9 touchscreen displays

• Scene automation with fast keypad access

• 96 kHz, 24-bit Delta-Sigma A/D and D/A converters

• Low-noise, wide dynamic-range analogue mic pre-amps with remote gain
control

• All channel functions immediately accessible by single touch

• Stereo bargraph meters, integrated in fader bays

• 9 control surface layers - 4 inputs, 3 outputs, VCAs, GEQ

• Gooseneck console lamp

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

15

Hardware components

Control surface

Top view

Channel Section and Channel Fader Bay:

FADER FOLLOW

OUTPUTS

INPUT LAYERS

OUTPUT LAYERS

CAD

B

EF

BUS ABUS B

BUS CVCA

GEQ

FAD.
FOL.

GEQ

FOL.

NPUT L

YERS

OUTPUT

L

A

YERS

C

US ABUS B

US

C

VC

A

7

1

2

2

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

1515 16

1. Main Screen – a 23.5”, 16:9 high-denition touchscreen. The default

display shows a block of 16 consecutively numbered channels; alternative
sets of channels may be displayed by using the LAYER [12] buttons

or by “swiping” the screen horizontally. Touching any area in a channel

strip opens a virtual panel with controls for parameter adjustment and
enhanced displays. Switch functions are actioned by touching the virtual

“button”, rotary controls are mapped to the encoders adjacent to the

screen.

16

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

2. Rotary encoders – 28 encoders are provided, 12 on the right-hand side of

the screen and 16 along the bottom (referred throughout this manual as

“right” and “lower” respectively). By default, the lower set are the channel
coarse mic gain controls, but may be changed to be channel pan controls

by the SWAP button [6].The right set is inactive until an on-screen panel is
opened; the function of each active encoder is then clearly indicated. The
function of the lower set may also change when certain channel panels

are opened. This is part of the functionality of the audio channel paths,

and is explained in greater detail in the CDC seven Software Manual.

3. SEL buttons – each displayed channel has a SEL button; these are used

in conjunction with the Copy [5] and Swap [6] buttons.

4. ISO - used in conjunction with the SEL buttons [3] when placing one or

more sections of a channel strip into RECALL SAFE mode.

5. Copy button – used in conjunction with the SEL buttons [3] when copying

channel settings from one channel to another.

6. Swap button – by default, the input blocks of the channel strips are

displayed at the bottom of the virtual channel strip and the pan blocks at
the top. The lower encoders are per-channel coase input gain controls

by default, but pressing Swap exchanges the on-screen positions of the
the input gain blocks and pan blocks, and reassigns the lower encoders

as the channel pan controls.

7. Faders – 16 touch-sensitive, 100 mm motorised faders; as with the SEL

and ON buttons, the channel the fader controls will be that displayed

directly above it on-screen, and will thus be affected by the currently

selected layer and any screen swiping or scrolling actions. As the

channels displayed on-screen are changed, the faders reposition to

follow the new channel set.

8. ON buttons – each fader has an ON button; when the button is unlit, the

channel currently displayed on-screen above it is muted. All channels
default to OFF on power-up. The ON button allows both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’
muting.

‘Soft’ mute – a short press mutes the channel’s output electronically
at the fader; any pre-fade sends in use will remain active. The ON
button is not illuminated.

‘Hard’ mute – a long press activates mute relays in the stagebox
for all physical outputs being fed by the channel. The ON button

ashes red in this state.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

17

9. SOLO buttons – perform either a PFL (pre-fade listen), AFL (after-fade

listen) or SIP (solo-in-place) function, depending on settings made through

the Solo Control page on the Control screen. The default modes for input

channels are: mono channels are PFL, stereo channels are AFL; output
channels are AFL only. AFL is post the channel panpot (if in circuit), so
correctly reects the stereo imaging of the channel being solo’d; if the
panpot is not in circuit, AFL is mono. SIP mode is also available, selected
from the Solo Control page. As well as the master modes, the CDC seven

also features ‘momentary’ and ‘latching’ solo operation:

‘Momentary’ solo – press and hold the SOLO button; solo is active
while the button is pressed and cancels when the button is released.

‘Latching’ solo – a short press on a SOLO button activates solo
mode and the button may be released. Press again to cancel.

‘Block latching’ – press and hold one SOLO button and press
another SOLO button while still pressing the rst. This will solo the
block of channels between the two buttons. Note that this mode is
not available if “Auto Cancel” is selected on the Solo Control page.

In use, the SOLO button illuminates in a colour that is mode-dependent.
See the Software Manual for more details of the Solo system.

10. Metering – a 20-segment LED dual bargraph meter is tted adjacent to

each of the 16 faders in the fader bay. The meters are single when the

selected channel (input or output) is mono, and dual if stereo. The lowest
segment acts as a ‘signal present’ LED, and illuminates at -70 dBFS.
The LEDs are colour coded: the signal present segment is green, the
ve highest segments are red, with the top one corresponding to 0 dBFS.

The remaining segments are yellow. A Meter Options page on the

Control screen allows the user to select various meter source options,
including xed metering of selected layers or “follow” modes, switchable

pre or post-fader. Full details are provided in the Software Manual. There
is additionally an green OPEN LED at the bottom of the meter which
illuminates as soon as the fader is moved from its “closed” position.

11. OLED alphanumeric displays – one per fader. These display the name of

the channel (input or output); this will either be the user-assigned name,
or if the channel has not been renamed, the default name – e.g., Ch. 23.
They are also colour-coded, to match the channel type – stereo or mono,
output buss assignment, etc. The colours are consistent with the usage

elsewhere in the software.

12. INPUT LAYERS and OUTPUT LAYERS buttons – a set of ten buttons

controlling which channels are displayed on-screen. The faders, OLED

displays and the ON, SOLO and SEL buttons below always follow the
on-screen channel strips above. The VCA button displays the VCA

assignment page, and the faders become VCA masters.

13. GEQ button – press this when an output bus is selected (with the SEL

button illuminated) to allow the CDC seven’s graphic equaliser function
for that bus. A 32-band graphic equaliser may be inserted in any or all

output channels, in addition to the channel’s standard parametric EQ.
When GEQ is in use, the OLEDs [11] display the centre frequencies of

each band.

18

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

14. Fad. Fol. button – when active, the Fader Follow Outputs function allows

the operator to use the faders to control the bus send levels from the
currently selected input channel. An input channel layer must be selected
for Fader Follow Outputs to be available. The left-most channel in the

visible set, and busses 1 to 16 (Output Layer A) will be selected by

default: the SEL buttons select other channels, and the Output Layer
buttons select higher-numbered busses for control. While Fader Follow

Outputs is active, the screen display and rotary encoders continue to be

active for input channels.

15. Headphones – two ¼” stereo jacks are tted under the front armrest;

these carry the console’s Phones output. Each output has a volume
control.

16. USB ports – two type ‘A’ USB sockets are tted under the armrest for

rmware upgrades, exporting/importing Projects/Shows or plugging in a
keyboard. Many screen displays feature a “virtual” QWERTY keyboard,
but a hardware keyboard may be plugged in here and used, if preferred.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

19

Master Section and Master Fader Bay:

5

10 10 10

10 10 10 10

20 20 20 20

30 30 30

5555

40 40 40
50 50 50

60 60 60

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

OPEN OPEN OPEN

USER ASSIGN

1

3

5

7

2

4

6

8

Phones Monitor LR WedgeLCR

Mute Group 1

Mute Group 3

Mute Group 5

Mute Group 7

Mute Group 2

Mute Group 4

Mute Group 6

Mute Group 8

STORE

UPDATE

PREV NEXT

BACK

CUE

MUTE

ALL

MUTE

TALKBACK

ENABLE

SOLO CLR

Phones Monitor

LR

W

edg

e

3

5

7

2

4

6

8

u

t

e

Group

1

u

t

e G

roup

3

u

t

e G

roup

5

u

t

e G

roup

7

u

t

e G

roup

2

u

t

e G

roup

4

u

t

e G

roup

6

u

t

e G

roup

8

30

30

404045050

60

60

OPENOPEN OPEN

1

2

3

4

10

11

12 13 14

15

5 6

7

8

9

16

17

19

22

20

23

24

21

18

20

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

1. PWR button – this is a multi-function “soft” button for starting and closing

down the console surface. See page 34 for more details.

2. Power rail indicators – six EXT PSU LEDs conrm the status of the

incoming DC supplies from the external PSU’s six further INT PSU LEDs

conrm the status of each internally-derived supply rail.

3. TALKBACK ENABLE – press to activate the console comms system.

The CDC seven has a very exible talkback system, which is congured

through setup options on the Control Screen. Any of the local (rear panel)
I/O may be assigned as a Talkback output or a Return Talkback input.

4. Control Screen – a 6.5” LCD touchscreen. By default the screen shows

the Cue List, but it can also display the console conguration options,
Show le management and provides access to numerous other user

features.

5. MUTE ALL – pressing this button will apply a ‘hard’ mute to all physical

outputs from the console. The button is not illuminated during the console’s

normal operation, and ashes red when active. Note that MUTE ALL is
automatically active when the surface powers up, and must be released

by pressing the button.

6. USB port – a type ‘A’ USB socket; this has the same functionality as the

two ports below the armrest; see [16] at page 18.

7. MENU button – when navigating the system menus, use this button to

return the Control Screen display to the home page. The MENU button is
disabled when the Cue List is in use.

8. BACK button – used in the menu system; navigates back one “level”.

Illuminates red when available.

9. CUE LIST button – pressing this displays the currently loaded Cue List

on the Control Screen.

10. Cue list controls – the ve buttons STORE, PREV, NEXT, and SCROLL

∧/∨ are used in Cue List operations.

11. Numeric keypad – allows direct navigation to any cue in the Cue List.

12. UPDATE – updates the currently-selected Cue (in the Cue List).

13. MUTE – opens the channel assignment displays for the CDC seven’s

Mute Groups in the Main Screen. This is a toggle function, and a second

press reverts to the previously display.

14. SOLO CLEAR – used to clear SOLO selections from multiple channels

15. USER ASSIGN 1 to 8 – these multi-function buttons are by default

the masters for the CDC seven’s Mute Groups. Other functions are:

global delay for the effects section, fast access to FX, VCA and Waves
Soundgrid® windows, talkback functions and User layers. The current
functions are displayed in the adjacent OLED displays, and are set up in

User Options section of the Control Screen.

16. LCR master fader – a 100 mm fader controlling the main stereo or LCR

output. This is a VCA master fader controlling all three master output

channels; the levels of the individual L, C and R legs may be controlled

by the MixLeft, MixCentre and MixRight faders of the master channels
which are accessed by swiping the display to below Output Channel 1 or
above Input Channel 64. This fader is not motorised.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

21

17. Monitor faders – three 100 mm (non-motorised) faders controlling: i) the

headphones output, ii) left and right stereo monitor outputs, iii) the mono

wedge feed. These outputs are available on the rear panel of the control
surface.

NOTE: The functions of the four faders [16] and [17] are reassignable in software;
the descriptions above are of the default assignments.

18. Metering – a 20-segment LED dual bargraph meter is tted adjacent

to each of the four faders in the fader bay. These have the same
characteristics as the meters in the Channel section.

19. OLED displays – these indicate the functions currently assigned to the

four master faders – by default, these will be Phones, Monitor LR,
Wedge and LCR.

20. LCR ON button – when this button is unlit, the main LCR output is muted.

21. LCR SEL button – pressing this button changes the Main Screen (and the

faders, SEL and ON buttons below the Main Screen) to Busses A Layer,
but with the three channels of the master output (L, R and C) at the left,
and Busses 1 to 13 to their right. This allows gain trim, EQ, dynamics

and other functions to be applied to the individual channels of the master

output, as well as providing access to the master faders.

22. Monitor outputs ON buttons – master ON buttons for each of the monitor

outputs.

23. Monitor outputs SEL buttons – these become functional if the monitor

faders are reassigned for other uses.

24. SOLO buttons – perform an AFL (after-fade listen) function. SIP mode

is also available, selected from the Solo Control page. As well as the
master modes, the CDC seven also features ‘momentary’ and ‘latching’

solo operation as per the input channels.

22

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Rear view

Channel Section (LH only):

1

596

7

2

12

4

3 10

14

11

8

13

1. PSU 1 and PSU 2 – two 12-pin Jaeger connectors for primary (PSU 1)

and backup (PSU 2) power supplies.

2. AES IN 1 to 4 - four XLR sockets providing eight AES3 format digital

inputs to the mixer. The inputs are tted with Sample Rate Converters
(SRCs), and will accept sample rates between 44.1 and 192 kHz. The
mixer’s internal clock frequency is 96 kHz.

3. AES OUT 1 to 4 - four male XLR connectors providing eight AES3 format

digital outputs from the mixer. The default sample rate for the outputs

is 48 kHz; this can be changed in the AES3 Conguration page on the

Control Screen.

4. STATUS – eight RGB (multi-colour) LEDs which illuminate green to

conrm the presence of a valid AES3 input signal in the case of the
inputs, and other colours to indicate the selected sample rate in the case

of the outputs.

5. USB – 2 x type ‘A’ USB 2.0 ports.

6. VIDEO – HDMI connector for external display of the CDC seven’s various

screens; this port is not currently implemented.

7. NETWORK 1 and 2 – two standard RJ45 Ethernet ports for the connection

of peripheral Ethernet accessories.

8. LAMP – XLR socket for a 12 V DC gooseneck console light.

9. GPIO IN and GPIO OUT – two 25-way D-sub female connectors; IN has

eight opto-isolated inputs and OUT carries eight sets of isolated relay
contacts (both N/O and N/C available).

10. MIDI IN, OUT and THRU – the CDC seven can receive commands from

external MIDI devices to trigger Cues, for example. The console can also

send MIDI data on a per-Cue basis to external MIDI-controlled devices
for purposes such as triggering a sound effect or changing a program
setting on an effects device.

11. WORDCLOCK IN – a TTL level (0 to +5 V) clock signal applied here can

be selected to synchronise the AES outputs.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

23

12. Waves SoundGrid® interface – three RJ45 network connectors carrying

64 bidirectional channels of audio. The interface allows multitrack

recording on an external computer, or may be connected to a Waves

MultiGrid server for FX processing by the full range of Waves plug-ins.
Control for the external processing is available on the main screen. The
RESET button resets the Waves interface.

13. Fan – for internal cooling; do not block. The fan speed is controlled

automatically and will vary according to the internal ambient temperature.

14. VESA mount – an industry-standard VESA monitor mount is enables an

additional display to be tted using the appropriate hardware (see [6]).

Note that there is a second identical VESA mount to the rear of the RH
channel section.

24

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Master Section:

12

3

4

6

5

1. Cadac MegaCOMMS data – 4 x BNC connectors carrying all audio and

control data between the control surface and the stage rack(s). See
“Connecting the hardware” on page 28 for full details.

2. WORD CLOCK OUT – a 96 kHz clock signal is always available at this

connector, at TTL level (0 to +5 V).

3. INPUTS 1 to 8 – eight balanced “local” analogue audio inputs to the CDC

seven, on XLR sockets. These may be the sources for any input channel

in the same way as the remote stagebox inputs They may be used for

connection of FOH sound sources, FX processing, talkback mic, etc.

Characteristics are identical to the inputs on the stageboxes.

4. 48V – eight red LEDs; illuminate when 48 V phantom power is enabled at

the associated input connector.

5. OUTPUTS 1 to 8 – eight balanced “local” analogue audio outputs from the

CDC seven, on XLR male connectors. Any output channel may be routed
to these, to enable the connection of FX processors, recorders, etc. The

talkback/comms output from the CDC seven may also be available here;

this is congured in software via the Control Screen. Characteristics are

identical to the outputs on the stageboxes.

6. MUTE - each analogue output connector has an adjacent red LED. This

illuminates when the physical output is ‘hard’ muted by the internal relay,
either during power-up, when the MUTE ALL button is pressed, or if a

‘hard’ mute is applied to an output from a channel ON button. See [8]
at “ON buttons” on page 16 and [5] at “MUTE ALL” on page 20 for
more details.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

25

Power supplies

The CDC PSU 4800 is a 2U unit supplying all DC voltages required by the control
surface via a single multiway cable terminating in a 12-pin Jaeger connector.

There are three DC power rails: +17 V, -17 V and +12.5 V.

1

34

2

5

6

7

Front panel

1. POWER – the on/off switch is the mains disconnect device for the console.

2. Mains fuses – one each in the line and neutral of the AC input. See table

below for ratings.

3. DC output LEDs – one red LED for each DC output.

4. Air intakes – do not obstruct.

Rear panel

5. MAINS INPUT - Neutrik powerCON TRUE1 male connector for AC mains.

Max rating 16 A. A female powerCON connector is also provided; this is
paralleled to the input connector. It may be used to link AC mains to a
second PSU or other equipment. Total AC current consumption when
linking units in this way must not exceed the input connector’s current
rating of 16 A.

6. POWER OUTPUT – locking 12-pin Jaeger connector. Connect to the

control surface with the cable supplied.

7. Air exhaust vents – do not obstruct.

The PSU is of the “Universal” type, and will operate on all mains voltages from 90
to 250 V, 50/60 Hz. The PSU is rated at 1200 W AC.

Fuse data

Rating Type

230 V 3.15 A 20 mm T3.15AL 250V

115 V 6.3 A 20 mm T6AL 250V

26

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Remote Stageboxes

CDC I/O 6448 – front panel

1

2

3

4

5

6

1. Analogue Inputs 1 to 64 – 64 x 3-pin female XLR connectors. See

“Remote stagebox – audio connections” on “Remote stagebox – audio
connections” on page 30 for connector details.

2. SIG – a green LED which illuminates when the input signal level exceeds

-70 dBFS.

3. OL – a red LED which illuminates when the input signal level exceeds

-3 dBFS.

The operation of the SIG and OL LEDs is independent of the assigned channel’s
input gain setting.

The SIG and OL LEDs ash alternately when an input assignment is made to
the connector on the Input Assign panel (see Software Manual); this is to aid on-

stage input identication while connecting up the console.

4. 48V – an orange LED, illuminates when phantom power is available at

the connector.

5. Analogue Outputs 1 to 48 - 48 x 3-pin male XLR connectors. See “Remote

stagebox – audio connections” on page 30 for connector details.

6. MUTE – each analogue output connector has an adjacent red LED. This

illuminates when the physical output is ‘hard’ muted by the internal relay,
either during power-up, when the MUTE ALL button is pressed, or if a

‘hard’ mute is applied to an output from a channel ON button. See [8]
at “ON buttons” on page 16 and [5] at “MUTE ALL” on page 20 for
more details.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

27

CDC I/O 6448 – rear panel

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

-
+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

CDC I/O 6448

MAINS INPUT

240V

~ 50/60 Hz

AC ONLY 100

-

REPLACE ONLY WITH SPECIFIED

TYPE AND RATED FUSE

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK
UNPLUG UNIT FROM AC MAINS SUPPLY
BEFORE REMOVING PANEL

DO NOT OBSTRUCT AIR VENTS

AUX PWR

CONNECT ONLY TO PSU
SUPPLIED AND SPECIFIED
BY CADAC.
REFER TO MANUAL FOR DETAILS.

0

9

8

2

1

FUSE: T3.15AL 250V

110W

~

1

AUX PWR

Port BT

x

P

ort B

Rx

Port

A

Tx

P

ort

A

Rx

Port APort

B

TxRx

R

x Tx

B

OOT

S

WITCH

9

8

V
V

48V

V

FPGA

stat0

FPGA

stat1

PIC stat

0

Spare

2

33

4

11

12

10 5

6

9

1. MAINS INPUT – IEC receptacle with an integral fuse and rocker switch.

2. AUX POWER – 12-pin connector for external backup CDC PSU 4800.

3. Cadac MegaCOMMS data – 4 x BNC connectors carrying all audio

and control data between the control surface (or MC Router) and the
stagebox. See “Connecting the hardware” on page 28 for full details.

4. Port status LEDs – one yellow and three green LEDs per port. In normal

operation one or more green LEDs per port should be illuminated; the

number will vary, and depends on the bandwidth in use. The yellow LED
ashes when no MegaCOMMS signal is present at the port. Unconnected

ports will have no indication on the corresponding LED bank.

5. Power rail status LEDs – four green LEDs, one per internal voltage rail

(18V, -18V, +48V, +12V). All must be lit for correct operation.

6. FPGAstat0 – red LED; used in factory testing only, should be unlit in

normal operation.

7. FPGAstat1 – red LED, illuminates to indicate loss of lock to the incoming

MegaCOMMS signal. Should be unlit in normal operation.

8. PICstat0 – red LED, ashes during power-on and rmware updates only.

If on otherwise, a boot failure is indicated.

9. Spare – red LED; not currently implemented

10. USB – type ‘A’ USB 2.0 port, used for rmware updates. NOTE: this port

is ONLY intended for the connection of memory sticks. Do not connect
any other type of USB device to this port.

11. BOOT SWITCH – for factory use only. Do not press.

12. Hex switch – set according to how the stagebox is being connected:

• Set to ‘1’ when connecting the stagebox to a CDC MC Router.

• Set to ‘2’ when connecting the stagebox to a CDC seven surface,
and it is to be used as RACK 1.

• Set to ‘3’ when connecting the stagebox to a CDC seven surface,
and it is to be used as RACK 2.

All other hex switch positions are unused.

28

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Connecting the hardware

Power supplies – control surface

The external CDC PSU 4800 power supply (or supplies) for the control surface
should be connected using the supplied cable(s). Two 12-pin Jaeger connectors

are tted to the rear of the surface master section. If only one PSU is being used,

either connector may be used.

Power supplies – remote stageboxes

Each remote stagebox has an internal power supply. Connect the rack to AC

mains via the supplied IEC cable. The internal power supply is a ‘Universal’ type,
and will operate on any AC mains voltage between 100 and 240 V, 50/60 Hz.

The CDC I/O 6448 rack may have a second (redundant) power supply
(CDC PSU 4800); this is connected to the dedicated AUX POWER connector on
the rear panel. Note that there is no provision for a redundant power supply on
the CDC I/O 3216 remote stagebox.

Data communications: MegaCOMMS

Cadac’s proprietary MegaCOMMS hi-speed data protocol is used to interconnect
the CDC seven’s control surface and stage rack(s). The control surface and
each stagebox each have four BNC sockets to provide the main system data
interconnection, labelled TX A, RX A, TX B and RX B.

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

­+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

USB

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

REPLACE ONLY WITH SPECIFIED

TYPE AND RATED FUSE

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK
UNPLUG UNIT FROM AC MAINS SUPPLY
BEFORE REMOVING PANEL

AUX PWR

C
S
B
R

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Designed and Engineered in En

CDC I/O 6448

CDC I/O 3216CDC seven

The two paths A and B carry identical and synchronous data, and can be used
in various ways, depending whether system redundancy is required. Providing
a redundant path gives greater system robustness, as the CDC seven will

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

29

automatically switch its comms to Path B if communication is lost on Path A, such

as might occur if a cable is damaged. Note that the CDC seven system is fully
functional in all respects if only one Tx/Rx Path is connected.

The control surface and stage rack(s) should be interconnected using one of the

congurations shown below, depending whether there are one or two stageboxes
in the system, and whether redundancy is deemed necessary.

TX A

RX A

TX B

RX B

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

­+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

USB

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

AUX PWR

C
S
B
R

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

CDC I/O 6448

CDC seven

One Stage Rack

Redundant System

TX A

RX A

TX B

RX B

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

­+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

USB

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

AUX PWR

C
S
B
R

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

­+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

USB

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

AUX PWR

C
S
B
R

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

CDC I/O 6448

CDC I/O 6448

CDC seven

Two Stage Racks

Redundant System

TX A

RX A

TX B

RX B

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

­+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

USB

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

AUX PWR

C
S
B
R

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

BOOT

SWITCH

Port APort B

Tx Rx

Rx Tx

+

­+
+

18V

FPGA stat0

18V

FPGA stat1

48V

PIC stat0

12V

Spare

USB

Port A Tx Port B Tx

Port A Rx Port B Rx

AUX PWR

C
S
B
R

0

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

CDC I/O 6448

CDC I/O 6448

CDC seven

Two Stage Racks

No Redundancy

30

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Only RG6 video cable suitable for 3G HD-SDI (High Denition Serial Digital

Interface) should be used for the Cadac MegaCOMMS connections. The cables

should be terminated in BNC connectors of the appropriate type, and no cable

run should exceed 150 m (surface-to-stagebox or stagebox-to-stagebox). An
example of a suitable cable is Kramer bulk Type BC-1X.

Word Clock In

The CDC seven caters for digital audio I/O in the form of eight AES3 inputs and

eight AES3 outputs, accessible on the rear of the control surface. The AES3

outputs have Sample Rate converters (SRCs) and can operate at any frequency
required by applying an external clock source to the WORD CLOCK IN connector.
The external clock must be selected on the AES3 Conguration Page on the
Control Screen (see Software Manual).

Word Clock Out

The CDC seven’s internal wordclock is xed at 96 kHz, and a clock signal is

always available at the rear of the console at the WORD CLOCK OUT connector.

Remote stagebox – audio connections

The stageboxes provide the (non-local) audio inputs and outputs for the system,
and are intended to be located remotely from the control surface, typically stage-

side. Audio equipment to be used at the FOH position can be connected to the

control surface’s Local I/O (when tted) on the rear panel.

The CDC I/O 6448 stagebox has a total of 64 inputs and 48 outputs, while the CDC

I/O 3216 stagebox has 32 inputs and 16 outputs. The CDC seven can support
one or two stageboxes of any type via direct connection; in these circumstances
the maximum remote I/O connectivity the system can provide is 128 inputs and

96 outputs, using two CDC I/O 6448 stageboxes. These totals are increased

further by the local I/O in the control surface (see “Surface and Local I/O – audio
connections” on page 32).

It should be noted that higher I/O counts are possible by using more than two
stageboxes; this can be achieved with a Cadac CDC MC Router.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

31

Note that the number of any connector on a stagebox is unrelated to its function.
Any input (or output) connector can be assigned in software to a system input (or

output) of any type – channel input, aux send, channel insert, matrix output, etc.

– anywhere in the console’s architecture. It should also be noted that the overall
I/O physical connectivity provided by the system is unrelated to the CDC seven’s
maximum processing capacity of 96 simultaneous input channels mixing onto
48 assignable output busses. Some additional connectors will be required in all

installations for channel or bus insert sends and returns, and for ‘B’ inputs to input

channels. See the Software Manual for more information.

Default routings

By default, Input A of Input Channels 1 to 32 (3216 I/O rack) or 1 to 64 (6448 I/O

rack) are assigned to Rack 1 Inputs 1 to 32 or 1 to 64 respectively, in numerical
order. Similarly Outputs 1 to 13 (3216 I/O rack) or 1 to 45 (6448 I/O rack) are
assigned to Rack 1 Outputs 1 to 13 or 1 to 40. The LCR Master channel outputs

are assigned to the three highest-numbered output connectors: 46, 47 & 48 in the
case of the 6448 I/O Rack, or 14, 15 & 16 on a 3216 I/O Rack.

Any of the above default routings may be modied at will using the on-screen

Input and Output Assign functions.

Connector details

Analogue inputs – 3-pin female XLR connectors. The inputs are electronically

balanced, and are suitable for connection of either microphones or line level
sources. Input impedance is 1.2 kohms in Mic Mode, or 10 kohms in Line
Mode, Mic or Line mode being selected from the assigned channel’s Input Gain

panel. The maximum input level is +40 dBu (with pad enabled). When an input

connector is assigned as the input of a channel in Mic mode, 48 V phantom power
is available, also switched from the channel’s Input Gain panel. The connector

should be wired as follows:

Pin Connection

1 Screen

2 Signal ‘hot’ (phase)

3 Signal ‘cold’ (antiphase)

Analogue outputs – 3-pin male XLR connectors. The outputs are electronically
balanced with an source impedance of 50 ohms. The maximum output level
is + 21 dBu. The connector should be wired as follows:

Pin Connection

1 Screen

2 Signal ‘hot’ (phase)

3 Signal ‘cold’ (antiphase)

32

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Surface and Local I/O – audio connections

Analogue inputs – the connector and characteristics of the local analogue inputs
are identical to those on the remote stageboxes:

Pin Connection

1 Screen

2 Signal ‘hot’ (phase)

3 Signal ‘cold’ (antiphase)

Analogue outputs – the connector and characteristics of the local analogue
outputs are identical to those on the remote stageboxes:

Pin Connection

1 Screen

2 Signal ‘hot’ (phase)

3 Signal ‘cold’ (antiphase)

AES3 digital inputs – four AES3 digital audio inputs are available at the rear of
the control surface on 3-pin XLR female connectors. The AES3 format carries

two independent audio channels. In accordance with the AES3 spec, the inputs
are balanced, with a characteristic impedance of 110 ohms. Connections to these
inputs should always be made using cable specically designed for digital audio.

The digital inputs are equipped with Sample Rate Converters (SRCs), and can
accept sample rates between 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz.

Connector pinout is the same as XLRs for analogue audio:

Pin Connection

1 Screen

2 Chs A & B ‘hot’ (phase)

3 Chs A & B ‘cold’ (antiphase)

AES3 digital outputs – four AES3 digital audio outputs are available at the rear

of the control surface on 3-pin XLR male connectors. The outputs are balanced,

with a characteristic impedance of 110 ohms. Connections to these outputs

should always be made using cable specically designed for digital audio.

The digital outputs are equipped with Sample Rate Converters (SRCs), which

may synchronised to other digital audio equipment using the WORD CLOCK IN
connector.

Connector pinout is the same as XLRs for analogue audio:

Pin Connection

1 Screen

2 Chs A & B ‘hot’ (phase)

3 Chs A & B ‘cold’ (antiphase)

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

33

Other control surface audio I/O

Headphones – the stereo monitor signal is also available on two ¼” (6.35 mm)

3-pole (TRS) jack sockets, for the connection of a pair of headphones. The
sockets are under the front armrest, and each has its own volume control. The

sockets are wired as follows:

Pin Connection

Tip Left monitor output

Ring Right monitor output

Sleeve Screen (common)

Waves SoundGrid® interface – The CDC seven is tted with a Waves

SoundGrid® interface card. Access to this is via three RJ45 connectors on the

rear panel. These may used for multitrack recording on an external computer, or

connected to a Waves SoundGrid® server (available from Cadac as an option).
See the SoundGrid User Manual for more details.

34

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Principles of Operation

Switching the CDC seven on

The PWR button ([1] at page 20) is a “soft” button for starting and powering­down the surface. When the surface is not operative but connected to its PSU

4800 power supply (supplies) with the PSU(s) powered on, the button illuminates
red. A short press initiates the console boot sequence, the internal computer runs

standard BIOS and diagnostics routines and power is applied to the internal audio
DSP section. The PWR button then illuminates green. At the end of the power-on

sequence, a dialogue box appears on the Main Screen as shown below:

Touching YES in answer to the question will reload the snapshot saved during the
last power-down and reinstate the console to the last-known settings. Touching

CANCEL will result in the console operating in its ‘default’ state, without a scene
loaded – i.e., no channel names, routing or processing will be active.

A ‘long’ press on the CUE LIST button at any point after initial boot-up will
re-invoke the power-on snapshot window: this is useful if the CANCEL button has
been pressed inadvertently.

For safety reasons, the CDC seven boots up with the MUTE ALL function active:
all console outputs from both the stagebox(es) and the local analogue I/O are
‘hard’-muted. Press the MUTE ALL button ([5] at “Master Section and Master
Fader Bay:” on page 19) to cancel this mode and activate the outputs.

Switching the CDC seven off

To shut the surface down, ‘short-press’ the PWR button again, and a dialogue

box will be displayed asking if the console should be powered down (Shut

Down), or restarted (Restart) while continuing to process audio. Selecting Shut
Down initiates a power-down sequence, ensuring that the computer is shut

down correctly. When the surface shuts down, a snapshot is taken of the current

console status: this includes all input and output channel settings.

Alternatively, the surface can be powered down via the Control Screen using the

Shutdown button in the Settings menu, which opens the same dialogue box.

The internal computer may be ‘forced’ to reboot by pressing the PWR button for
approx. 1 – 3 secs. This function may be useful in the unlikely event of a major
computer crash; audio continues during the reboot.

If the PWR button is held pressed for at least 5 secs., a complete shutdown of all
console functions is forced.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

35

Main screens – touch operation

All audio operations on the CDC seven are performed using the two main

touchscreens. Each display shows sixteen consecutive virtual channel strips, and
includes the most important information about the channels’ conguration and

parameters. More detailed information and access to controls for any channel is
obtained by a single touch on the appropriate area of the screen.

This section of the User Manual describes the basic principles of screen
navigation and parameter control in general. Full operational details are available
in the Software Manual.

Layers and metering

The CDC seven uses the now-familiar concept of “layers” to allow a relatively
small number of faders and virtual channel strips to control a much larger
number of audio channels. The CDC seven’s 96 input channels and 51 output

channels (busses, including the LCR masters) are arranged into nine layers of 16

(adjacently-numbered) channels. Each of the two main screens has its own set

of layer buttons, and thus each can display whichever layer is required, allowing
great exibility in operation, particularly in two-engineer situations. The currently

selected layer determines which set of channels is displayed on-screen; the
faders, ON and SEL buttons in the fader section are always related to the virtual
channels immediately above them on the screen:

• Input Layer A: Input channels 1 to 16

• Input Layer B: Input channels 17 to 32

• Input Layer C: Input channels 33 to 48

• Input Layer D: Input channels 49 to 64

• Input Layer E: Input channels 65 to 80

• Input Layer F: Input channels 81 to 96

• Output Layer Busses A: Output channels 1 to 16

• Output Layer Busses B: Output channels 17 to 32

• Output Layer Busses C: Output channels 33 to 48

• Output Layer VCA: VCA group masters 1 to 16

Note that the Input channel layers listed above will be modied when stereo
input channels are in use, as the even-numbered channel of a stereo pair is not

36

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

displayed on-screen. This does not apply to stereo output channels however,

where both left and right “legs” are displayed.

Note also that the layers dened as above do not include the LCR master output

channels. These may be displayed on the main screen either by “swiping” (see
below), or pressing the LCR output’s SEL button (see [21] at “LCR SEL button”
on page 21).

The CDC seven provides two methods of changing layers:

1. Layer buttons – the current layer is selected by the Input Layer and
Output Layer buttons to the right of the fader block ([12] at “INPUT
LAYERS and OUTPUT LAYERS buttons” on page 17):

FADER FOLLOW

OUTPUTS

INPUT LAYERS

OUTPUT LAYERS

C

A

D

B

E F

BUS A BUS B

BUS C VCA

GEQ

FAD.

FOL.

2. Swiping – a “swipe” action horizontally across the screen will shift the
displayed set of channels a number of channels proportional to the

“length” of the swipe. This is a very powerful feature of the CDC seven,

and allows very rapid access to channels not currently displayed.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

37

SWAP SELSEL SELSEL SELSEL SELSEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL COPY ISO

Note that swiping “beyond” Input Channel 96 will display the main mix

busses, followed by the 48 output channels. Similarly, swiping “above”

Output Channel 48 displays the monitor channels. Swiping does not
“loop” below Input Channel 1 or above the monitor channels.

Note that two LAYER buttons will be lit simultaneously (with a change of colour)
if the layer boundary has been moved on-screen by swiping to indicate that
members of two adjacent layers are currently displayed.

Channel meters:

The CDC seven has 16 dual bargraph meters located in the fader bay, one per

fader. The source for each meter will always be the signal in its channel; the

identity of this will be conrmed by the OLED immediately above. If an input layer
is selected, the meters will display input levels; if an output layer is selected, they

will show output levels.

The bargraphs have 20 segments: the lowest segment illuminates green at a

signal level of -70 dBFS and the top segment illuminates red at 0 dBFS, indicating

digital clipping. The four segments below are also coloured red and the remainder
yellow. An additional LED below the meter (OPEN) illuminates green when the
fader is moved from its fully-closed position.

38

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

If the channel is mono, both meters are used and will show the same level. If the
channel (input or output) has been dened as stereo, the two meters will show

the signal level in the left and right legs of the stereo channel.

The default source for the bargraph meters is Post Fader, but this may be changed

to Pre Fader on the Control Screen’s Meter Options page; where alternatives
to Auto mode may also be found. From here, it is possible to select the meter

source to be xed to any of the input or output layers, independent of the layer

selected. See the Software Manual for full details.

In addition to the fader bay meters, each channel strip - input or output - on the
Main Screen includes a small virtual bargraph (again, dual on stereo channels).

The source for these may also be selected as Pre Fader or Post Fader on the

Meter Options page as described above, so the engineer can see both pre-fade

and post-fade signal levels simultaneously. The meters are at the bottom of the

channel strip, immediately above the lower encoders.

Using the encoders

Each main screen has 28 rotary encoders around its perimeter – 16 horizontally

below the screen and 12 vertically to the right of the screen. The encoders have

a push function, which is used in certain console operations.

SWAP SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL COPY ISO

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

39

Channel blocks:

Touching a channel block opens a virtual panel with all controls relevant to the
block.

Mic Pre

EQ section

Dynamics section

Routing

Virtual Bargraph Meter

Pan

Touching in any of the areas shown
above will open the corresponding

virtual panel. The specic channel

functions are described in the
Software Manual.

Panels open on the right-hand edge
of the display so that the functions
in the panel are controlled by the
adjacent right encoder set.

The vertical (right) set of encoders
has no function until a panel is

opened. However, the horizontal

(lower) set of encoders is always

active, and by default, are assigned to

act as the coarse input gain controls
for the currently displayed channel
set. If a digital input is patched to an

input channel, its lower encoder acts
as a gain trim control. By default,

opening an EQ panel will re-assign
them as EQ controls while the panel

is open, but it is possible to move the

EQ panel to the right-hand side of

the screen so that EQ adjustment can be made by the vertical encoder set. By
pressing the Swap button, the lower set of encoders may be reassigned as input

channel pan controls (or matrix output time delays), though in this case, panning

(or delay) has to be enabled for the channel before its lower encoder is active.
Note that opening a dynamics panel will always reassign them as controls for the
channel dynamics section while the panel is open.

Example – Input Gain block:

The various panels are designed so that
each variable parameter is displayed
immediately next to the encoder that
adjusts it. The diagram above shows how

ve of the 12 encoders are assigned to the
ve parameters available for control. All

switch functions are actioned by directly
touching the screen. Any function which is

unavailable for some reason (e.g., an input

needs to be assigned to an input port
before it can be used) is greyed-out. All
panels are closed by the familiar red button
with a white cross.

40

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Further information:

For full details of all other audio operations on the CDC seven console, please

refer to the accopanying Software Manual.

Control Screen menus

During performance, the Control Screen will normally be used to display the Cue
List, which is the default display on power-up. Pressing MENU (see [7] at page

20) will display the Home Page; pressing CUE LIST ([9] at page 20) will
revert the display to the Cue List.

The Control Screen Home Page provides four menus – Projects, Cong,
Settings and User Options. Touching any of the icons at the top of the screen
opens a further menu at the bottom. Press MENU from within any of the menus to
return to the Home Page; the MENU button illuminates green when it is available.
Press the BACK button to go back up the menu “tree” one level only. The BACK
button illuminates red when it is available.

The Projects menu is effectively part of the CDC seven’s automation system: it

enables le creation and management functions, and is used when starting a new

project or loading a previously stored one.

The Cong menu is used to congure the basic architecture of the mixing
console. Four options are provided:

• Channel – selecting this option opens the CHANNEL SETTINGS page

on the Main Screen. This page is used to dene Input Channels as Mono,
Stereo, or Linked, and to name the channels.

• Bus – selecting this option opens the BUS SETTINGS page on the Main

Screen. This page is used to set up the basic bus structure of the console;

busses may be dened as groups, auxiliary sends or matrix sends, as mono
or stereo, and named.

• Solos – this option opens a Control Screen page allowing adjustment and

settings to be made to the console’s Solo system.

• TalkBack – this option opens a Control Screen page allowing adjustment

and settings to be made to the console’s talkback systems.

Full details of all the above screens, and of the Settings and User Options
menus can be found in the CDC seven Software Manual.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

41

System functions

Waves SoundGrid® interface

Waves SoundGrid® is a proprietary high-speed digital audio transport protocol

with a capacity of 64 bidirectional channels. The CDC seven is tted with a
SoundGrid® interface card, accessible on the rear panel via three RJ45 network

connectors. Any one of these may be connected to an external computer (with the
appropriate Waves drivers loaded) to perform multitrack recording and playback.

A range of optional Waves servers is also available which can be used to host the
full range of Waves plug-in signal processing. The control screens for the external
software processors can be accessed via the CDC seven’s Main Screen.

See the Software and SoundGrid Manuals for full details.

USB ports

The CDC seven is equipped with ve Type ‘A’ USB 2.0 ports. These are located
as follows: one socket in the meter bridge of the Master Section, two sockets

under the armrest and two sockets on the rear panel.

The location of the ports is illustrated at page 18 (Item [16]), page 20 (Item
[6]) and page 22 (Item [5]).

The USB ports are intended for the connection of an external memory device

(USB stick or similar), on which Show les can be saved or backed-up, and also

for performing software upgrades. They also allow the connection of a standard

USB QWERTY keyboard for channel name entry, etc., if this is preferred to the

on-screen “virtual” keyboards.

Ethernet Ports

The Channel Section of the CDC seven is equipped with two standard RJ45
Ethernet Ports. They are both standard PC network Gigabit Ethernet port for

connection to a network, for purposes such as updating rmware.

Cat 6 cable suitable for 1000base-T use is recommended for network connetions.

The location of the ports is illustrated at page 22 (Item [7]).

Video ports (HDMI)

This port carries a video signal which may be dened in software; typicaly this will

be the main screen display or the Waves screen display.

Note that the Video Port is not currently implemented.

42

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

GPIO ports

These are two 25-way D-sub female connectors; IN has eight opto-isolated inputs
and OUT carries eight sets of relay contacts. These may be used in conjunction

with the Cue List; external equipment may be triggered on specic Cues, or
Cues may be recalled by external commands. Conguration of these functions is

performed via the Control Screen: see the Software Manual for details.

The GPIO outputs are in the form of eight fully isolated changeover relays.

Common (C), normally open (N/O) and normally closed (N/C) contacts for each

relay are available. The relay contacts are rated at 30 V and 1 A DC.

The GPIO inputs are rated at +/- 25 V maximum; a voltage > 5 V (of the correct
polarity) is required to activate the input.

The pinouts of the two connectors are as follows:

Pin GPIO IN GPIO OUT

1 Input 1 +ve Relay 1 CO

2 Input 1 –ve Relay 1 N/O

3 n/u Relay 2 N/C

4 Input 3 +ve Relay 3 CO

5 Input 3 –ve Relay 3 N/O

6 n/u Relay 4 N/C

7 Input 5 +ve Relay 5 CO

8 Input 5 –ve Relay 5 N/O

9 n/u Relay 6 N/C

10 Input 7 +ve Relay 7 CO

11 Input 7 –ve Relay 7 N/O

12 n/u Relay 8 N/C

13 GND GND

14 n/u Relay 1 N/C

15 Input 2 +ve Relay 2 CO

16 Input 2 –ve Relay 2 N/O

17 n/u Relay 3 N/C

18 Input 4 +ve Relay 4 CO

19 Input 4 –ve Relay 4 N/O

20 n/u Relay 5 N/C

21 Input 6 +ve Relay 6 CO

22 Input 6 –ve Relay 6 N/O

23 n/u Relay 7 N/C

24 Input 8 +ve Relay 8 CO

25 Input 8 –ve Relay 8 N/O

MIDI I/O

Used for sending or receiving MIDI data for control of external hardware, or

for receiving MIDI data from an external source to control various parts of the

control surface, such as scene management. Conguration of these functions is

performed via the Control Screen: see the Software Manual for details.

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

43

Lamp

A 3-pin female XLR connector providing 12 V DC for a gooseneck console light.

Pin Connection

1 0 V

2 +12 V DC

3 0 V

Updating system software

The CDC seven’s operating system undergoes a programme of continuous
development. The console may be updated by loading new versions of software
as they become available. This can be done automatically by connecting the

console to the Internet (via a hard-wired connection as opposed to a wi- link) at
boot-up; if a new software version is available, an alert will be presented on the

main screen.

See the Software Manual for full details.

System expansion

Adding a second Stagebox

This is a simple and transparent procedure. Observe the appropriate MegaCOMMS
network wiring method to be followed – see page 28 for details.

Each stagebox must have a unique address; this is set by the hex switch on the

rear panel. On a second stagebox, this switch should be set to ‘3’. Note that the
rst stagebox’s hex switch should be set to ‘2’.

Adding Redundant Power Supplies

A second surface PSU may be added to provide redundancy. The surface is tted

with two rear panel PSU connectors; the second PSU is simply connected to the
second socket.

A CDC I/O 6448 remote stagebox may also have second PSU added for
redundancy purposes. The stagebox has an internal PSU; a second PSU is
connected to the rear panel multi-way connector. Note that the PSU used in this
case is the same PSU as used to power the control surface.

44

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Appendix

Technical Specications

General Specications CDC seven – channel section

Faders 36 x 100 mm motorised faders (32 x Channel, 4 x

Master)

Meters 2 x 20-segment multi-colour LED bargraph, per fader

OLEDs RGB display (16-bit colour depth), 96 x 96 pixels, per

channel

Screens 2 x 23.5” 16:9 touchscreens (Main);

1 x 6.5” touchscreen (Control)

PSU One or two external 19” 2U rackmount PSUs with full

redundancy

Inputs Up to 192 (inc. Local I/O)

Channels 96 with full DSP processing

Busses 56 mix busses total (inc. LCR and solo); 48 busses

have full DSP processing, freely assignable as groups,

aux sends or matrix sends.

Matrix Any conguration from 1 x 47 to 47 x 1 available, with

full processing

Outputs Up to 192 (inc. Local I/O)

Graphic EQ 32 band +/- 16 dB on all busses

Internal FX Up to 16 stereo FX units

Local I/O 8 x analogue mic/line inputs

8 x analogue line outputs
4 x AES3 inputs (8 chs.)
4 x AES3 outputs (8 chs.)

Comms 2 x Cadac MegaCOMMS

Audio Specications

Sample Rate 96 kHz

Processing Delay <0.4 ms through complete signal chain

Internal Processing DSP: 40-bit oating point

Mixing: 48-bit oating point

ADC/DAC 24 bit

Frequency Response 20 Hz to 44 kHz +0.5/-1.5 dB

THD+N <0.005% @ unity gain, 10 dB input at 1 kHz

Channel Separation >90 dB

Residual Noise
Output

<-90 dBu (20 Hz – 20 kHz)

MIC EIN <-127 dB with 200 ohm source impedance

Maximum Output 21.5 dBu

Maximum Input 21.5 dBu

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

45

Dimensions and weights

System

Component

Description Dimensions

(w x d x h)

Net Weight

(approx.)

CDC seven Control surface 1555.7 x 735.55 x 262.97 mm 60 kg (132 lb)

CDC PSU 4800 External PSU 482.6 x 400.0 x 88.0 mm 10 kg (22.05 lb)

CDC I/O 6448 64/48 remote

stagebox

482.6 x 259.1 x 398.3 mm 13.5 kg (29.76 lb)

CDC I/O 3216 32/16 remote

stagebox

482.6 x 435.9 x 177.8 mm 10.9 kg (24.03 lb)

CDC MC MADI MADI network

bridge

482.6 x 253 x 44.45 mm 4.5 kg (9.92 lb)

CDC MC Dante Dante network

bridge

482.6 x 253 x 44.45 mm 4.5 kg (9.92 lb)

CDC MC AES3 AES3 stagebox 482.6 x 253 x 88.9 mm 5.5 kg (12.13 lb)

CDC MC
Optical

Optical Bridge 482.6 x 253 x 44.45 mm 4.5 kg (9.92 lb)

CDC MC
Router

MegaCOMMS
network router

482.6 x 253 x 88.9 mm 5.5 kg (12.13 lb)

46

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

CDC seven control surface

2

5

9

,

1

2

2

6

9

,

1

7

1510,40

1548,40

4,00

624,80 254,00 624,80

10,05

259,12

4

3

,

5

7

86,95

7

66

,

5

7

6

8

3

,

0

0

4,00

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

47

Connecting the CDC seven to unbalanced sources and
destinations

Although the CDC seven will generally be used exclusively with balanced

(analogue) audio sources and destinations, it may be occasionally be necessary

to connect unbalanced devices. Cadac recommends that the following wiring
protocols are followed:

Unbalanced sources – connect to a balanced input by joining pins 1 and 3 of the

mating XLR connector. The signal ‘hot’ should go to pin 2, and the cable screen

to pins 1 and 3.

Unbalanced destinations – connect signal ‘hot’ to pin 2 and the cable screen to
pin 3. Do not connect pin 1.

48

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven

Revision 1 2017CDC seven

49

50

Revision 1 2017 CDC seven