DigiDesign VENUE Profile Manual

VENUE Profile™ Guide

and VENUE D-Show® Software Version 2.8.1

Digidesign

2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard

Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA

Technical Support (USA)

Visit the Digidesign Online Support Center at

www.digidesign.com/support

Product Information

For company and product information,

visit us on the web at www.digidesign.com

Guide Part Number: 9322-61364-00 REV A

Legal Notices

This guide is copyrighted ©2009 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign.

003, 003 Rack, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, AudioSuite, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Unity MediaNetwork, Avid Xpress, AVoption, AVoption|V10, Beat Detective, Bruno, C|24, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control, D-Fi, D-fx, D-Show, DAE, Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, DigiBase, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive, DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, DV Toolkit, EditPack, Eleven, Impact, Interplay, M-Audio, MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox, MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, OMF, OMF Interchange, PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Reel Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RM1, RM2, RTAS, Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike, Structure, SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Space, Velvet, X-Form, and Xpand! are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

Guide Part Number: 9322-61364-00 REV A 04/09

Comments or suggestions regarding our documentation? email: techpubs@digidesign.com

Communications & Safety Regulation Information

Compliance Statement

The model VENUE Profile complies with the following standards regulating interference and EMC:

• FCC Part 15 Class B

• EN55103-1 E3

• EN55103-2 E3

• AS/NZS 3548 Class B

• CISPR 22 Class B

Radio and Television Interference

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We, Digidesign, 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard

Daly City, CA 94014-3886, USA

650-731-6300

declare under our sole responsibility that the product

VENUE Profile

complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Communication Statement

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by Digidesign, could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Canadian Compliance Statement:

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada

Australian Compliance

CE Compliance Statement:

Digidesign is authorized to apply the CE (Conformité Europénne) mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.

Input Rating

I/P: 100-120V~/220-240V~, 50/60 Hz, 200W

Safety Statement

This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and Canadian safety certification in accordance with the specifications of UL Standards: UL60065 7th /IEC 60065 7th and Canadian CAN/CSA C22.2 60065:03. Digidesign Inc., has been authorized to apply the appropriate UL & CUL mark on its compliant equipment.

Warning

Important Safety Instructions

1) Read these instructions.

2) Keep these instructions.

3) Heed all warnings.

4) Follow all instructions.

5) Do not use this equipment near water.

6) Clean only with dry cloth.

7) Do not block any 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 equipment (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10) Protect power cords from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the equipment.

11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

12) Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/equipment combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13) Unplug this equipment during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

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

15) The equipment shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids (such as vases) shall be placed on the equipment.

Warning! To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture.

16) The equipment should be connected to a properly-grounded (earthed) receptacle.

17) The main power switch is located on the back panel. It should remain accessible after installation.

18) The mains plug is used as the disconnecting device and shall remain readily operable.

19) The equipment shall be used at a maximum ambient temperature of 40° C.

20) CAUTION! Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type.

Contents

Part I Overview and Installation

Chapter 1. Introduction to VENUE Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

VENUE Profile Systems and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

System Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

VENUE Profile Expansion Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Operational Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Connection Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

About www.digidesign.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 2. Configuring and Connecting Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Unpacking and Assembling VENUE Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Assembling the Video Monitor Mount and Trackball Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Connections for VENUE Mix Rack Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Connections for VENUE Profile Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Profile Console Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Powering Up the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Powering Down the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Setting the System Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Enabling a Second Stage Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Digital Inputs and Sample Rate Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Part II System Description

Chapter 3. VENUE Profile Control Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

VENUE Profile Top Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Input Channels and Faders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Assignable Channel Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Output Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Master and Global Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Chapter 4. Basic Commands and Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Control Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Config Mode and Show Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

System Lock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Global Modifier Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Software Screen Pages and Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Contents v

Chapter 5. Navigating and Selecting Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Banking Input Channels and FX Returns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Banking the Output Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Selecting and Targeting Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Targeting Plug-In Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Screen Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Screen Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Input Channel Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Chapter 6. Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Other Options and Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Part III Signal Routing

Chapter 7. Inputs and Input Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Configuring Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Assigning Input Sources to Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Routing Input Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Using Built-In Dynamics and EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Using Inserts on Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Adjusting Input Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Using Input Direct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Chapter 8. Outputs and Output Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Configuring Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Assigning Busses to Hardware Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Routing Group Outputs to the Mains Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Using Inserts on Output Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Adjusting Output Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Adjusting Main Bus Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Direct Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Matrix Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Personal Q Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Assigning and Using VCAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Chapter 9. Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Configuring Group Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Routing Inputs to Group Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Routing Group Outputs to the Main Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Managing Group Bus Assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Group Bus Signal Flow Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Adjusting Group Bus Output Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Simple and Expert Operational Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

VENUE Profile Guidevi

Chapter 10. Aux Sends and Variable Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Configuring Aux and Variable Group Busses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Routing Inputs to Aux Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Routing Aux Busses to Outputs and Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Adjusting Aux Send Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Managing Aux Bus Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter 11. Matrix and Personal Q Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Matrix Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Personal Q Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Configuring Matrix and PQ Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Adjusting Matrix and PQ Mixer Input Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Adjusting Matrix and PQ Mixer Output Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Snapshot Data and Parameters for Matrix Mixers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Working with a PQ Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Chapter 12. Patchbay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Accessing the Patchbay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Overview of the Patchbay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Navigating the Patchbay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Assigning Channels in the Patchbay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Warning when Stealing Inputs or Outputs in the Patchbay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

VENUE System Information Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Patch List Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Chapter 13. Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Channel Meters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

ACS Input and Dynamics Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Metering Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Metering Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Chapter 14. Solo and Monitor Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Solo Bus Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Selecting a Solo Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Solo Operation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Solo Bus Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Solo Safing Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Monitor Bus Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Talkback, 2-Track and Oscillator Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Routing the Oscillator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Chapter 15. Muting and Mute Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Muting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Mute Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Function Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Contents vii

Part IV Processing

Chapter 16. Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Built-In Compressor/Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Built-In Expander/Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Adjusting Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Channel Modes Affecting Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Dynamics Settings and Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Side-Chain Keys and Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Chapter 17. EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Built-In EQ Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Adjusting EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Channel Modes Affecting EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Graphic EQ for Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

EQ Settings and Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Chapter 18. Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Installing and Authorizing Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Managing Plug-Ins on the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Overview of Working with Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Plug-In Racks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Assigning and Routing Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Adjusting Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Plug-In Presets and Snapshots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Plug-In DSP Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Plug-In Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Plug-In Latency and Processing Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Chapter 19. Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Assigning Hardware Inserts to Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Part V Shows

Chapter 20. Shows and File Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Creating Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Loading Shows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Working with Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Transferring Settings, Shows and Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Undoing Changes Using the History Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

VENUE Profile Guideviii

Chapter 21. Snapshots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Snapshots Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Snapshot Controls on the Console. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Snapshots List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Creating Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Recalling Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Recall Safe and Channel Automation Safe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Managing Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Making Changes to Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Preview Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Undoing Snapshot Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Disabling Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Adding MIDI Messages to Snapshots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Adding Tempo Data to Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Adding Plug-In Data to Snapshots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Snapshot Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Snapshot Data Types and Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Chapter 22. Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

The Events Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Creating Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Creating Triggers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Creating Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Testing Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Resetting Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Snapshots and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Default Settings, Templates and Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Tap Tempo for Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Trigger Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Action Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Chapter 23. Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Automating Recall of Snapshots with MIDI Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Remote Control of Snapshot Recall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Triggering of External Devices on Snapshot Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Sending MIDI Messages on Snapshot Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Synchronizing with Word Clock and Digital Audio Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Chapter 24. Using the Standalone Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Installing the Standalone Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Simulating a VENUE Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Transfer and Filing Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Exporting System Information and Patchbay Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Contents ix

Part VI Specifications

Chapter 25. Mechanical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Chapter 26. Audio Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Chapter 27. Signal Flow Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

VENUE Profile Systems: Input Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

VENUE Profile Systems: Output Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Chapter 28. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

In Case of System Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Performing a Soft Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Hardware Monitoring Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Resetting Hardware Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Using the System Restore CD to Update or Restore the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Part VII Reference

Chapter 29. Control Surface Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

VENUE Profile Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

GPI (General Purpose Interface). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

GPI Wiring Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Chapter 30. ECx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

ECx Capabilities and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

ECx Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Installing ECx Host Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Overview of ECx Setup and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Connecting a Computer Directly to VENUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Connecting a Wireless Router or WAP to VENUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Setting VENUE and Client IP Addresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

Establishing a Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Enabling Remote Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

Disconnecting ECx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Changing the Ethernet Control Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

VENUE Profile Guidex

Part I: Overview and Installation

Chapter 1: Introduction to VENUE Profile

Welcome to VENUE™ Profile, part of Digidesign’s modular VENUE live sound environment. VENUE Profile systems offer an intuitive console layout, a flexible I/O scheme, powerful digital processing, and expansion options for integrated Pro Tools recording and artist-controlled monitor mixing.

VENUE Profile Systems and Features

The VENUE Profile console can be used with one Mix Rack, or with FOH Rack and Stage Rack units.

Figure 1. VENUE Profile console

Profile Console Control Features

• 24 bankable input channel strips, each with a touch-sensitive fader, one multi-purpose assignable rotary encoder, solo, mute and select controls

• Built-In High-Pass Filter, Dynamics a n d EQ pro ces sors on each input channel strip

• Level meters on each input channel strip

• Assignable Channel section with dedicated Bus Assign, Aux Send, Direct Output, EQ and Dynamics controls.

• 8 multi-purpose Output faders strips, each with a touch-sensitive fader, one multi-purpose encoder, solo, mute and select controls

•1 Mains fader

• Up to 24 31-band Graphic EQs available for Outputs

• Main Busses configurable as Left–Center–Right or Left–Right+Mono

Console I/O

• Talkback mic input, with gain and phantom power

• Headphone output

• USB inputs for keyboard, mouse/trackball, iLok USB Smart Keys, and USB storage devices

• VGA monitor output for software screen display

• GPI ports (DB-25) providing 8 GPI inputs and 8 GPI outputs

Chapter 1: Introduction to VENUE Profile 3

VENUE Mix Rack System

VENUE Profile System

VENUE Profile Console with Mix Rack

Mix Rack Features

The Mix Rack provides all stage and mix position I/O for VENUE Mix Rack systems.

Stage I/O

• 48 inputs with mic preamps. Each fully recallable input provides phantom power and input gain.

• 16 line level analog outputs (expandable up to 32) to connect to mains and monitors.

FOH I/O

• 8 pairs of analog I/O for hardware inserts, or for input and output of line-level material from the mix position.

• Analog and digital (AES or S/PDIF) 2-Track inputs and outputs.

• Com mic input, with gain control and phantom power.

• Monitor outputs for mix position near field monitors.

Synchronization and Control I/O

• MIDI In and Out ports, providing 16 channels of MIDI input and 16 channels of MIDI output.

• Word clock I/O for digital clock synchronization.

• USB 2.0 ports for USB disks, iLoks, and other USB devices.

• 100 BaseT Ethernet (ECx) port for remote control.

CPU, DSP, and System Drives

Mix Rack houses the CPU, DSP, hard drive and CD-ROM drive th a t run t he V E NUE D-S h ow soft w are on y our VEN UE s y stem. System software is installed at the factory. The CD-ROM drive lets you update or restore your system software, and install compatible plug-ins from their installer discs. A standard Mix Rack includes two Mix Engine cards providing DSP for plug-ins. You can add one additional Mix Engine card, for a maximum of three.

Redundant Power Supply Units (PSUs)

Each Mix Rack comes with two universal (100V to 240V nominal, 50–60 Hz) PSUs with auto redundant failover and LED status indication.

VENUE Profile Console with FOH Rack and Stage Rack

FOH Rack Features

The FOH Rack is used with one or more Stage Racks, and provides mix position I/O for VENUE Profile systems.

Audio I/O

• 8 pairs of analog I/O for hardware inserts, or for input and output of line-level material from the mix position.

• Analog and digital (AES or S/PDIF) 2-Track inputs and outputs.

• Monitor outputs for mix position near field monitors.

• Intercom mic input

Synchronization and Control I/O

• MIDI In and Out ports, providing 16 channels of MIDI input and 16 channels of MIDI output.

• Word clock I/O for digital clock synchronization.

• USB 2.0 ports for USB disks, iLoks, and other USB devices.

• 100 BaseT Ethernet (ECx) port for Ethernet-based remote control.

• Snake connectors to enable primary and redundant (if applicable) connection to the VENUE Stage Rack.

CPU, DSP, and System Drives

FOH Rack houses the CPU, DSP, hard drive and CD-ROM drive that run the VENUE D-Show software on your VENUE system. System software is installed at the factory. The CD-ROM drive lets you update or restore your system software, and install compatible plug-ins from their installer discs. A standard FOH Rack includes three Mix Engine cards, which provide DSP for plug-ins and mixing. You can add up to two additional Mix Engine cards, up to a maximum of five.

Redundant Power Supply Units (PSUs)

Each FOH Rack comes with two universal (100V to 240V nominal, 50–60 Hz) PSUs with auto redundant failover and LED status indication.

VENUE Profile Guide4

Stage Rack Features

Additional Required Components

Stage Racks are used with an FOH Rack, and provide all stage audio I/O for VENUE Profile systems. Up to two Stage Racks can be used simultaneously, supporting up to 96 total inputs.

Audio I/O

• 48 inputs with remotely controllable mic preamps and individually selectable phantom power.

• 8 analog output channels; expandable up to 48 analog or digital outputs per Stage Rack.

Synchronization and Control I/O

• Snake connectors to enable primary and redundant (if applicable) connection to a VENUE FOH Rack.

System Components

Included Components

All VENUE Profile systems include the following:

• VENUE Profile console

• Two (2) IEC power cables

• Monitor mount for VGA screen (screen not included)

• Trackball mount (trackball not included)

• VENUE Mouse Pad

• VENUE Profile Guide

• Two (2) console lights

•Protective Dust Cover

• Rack(s) (see next)

The following components must be purchased separately:

• Video Display (15-inch or greater flat-panel VGA display recommended; 1024x768 minimum resolution). VGA and DVI supported.

• USB keyboard and trackball/mouse (Windows compatible)

Digital Snake Cable (VENUE Profile Systems Only)

• The connection between FOH Rack and Stage Rack requires a Digital Snake cable. This cable can be purchased directly from Digidesign or assembled by your preferred vendor.

Optional Components

The following components are optional, and must be purchased separately:

• USB flash disk (or other portable USB storage device for transfer of Show data; 512 MB or larger recommended)

• Near-field monitor speakers for mix position monitoring

• Headphones with 1/4-inch jack

• Dynamic or condenser microphone and XLR mic cable (for Talkback)

• Footswitches (up to 2)

• MIDI cables (for connecting external MIDI devices)

• BNC cables (for connecting Word clock between the VENUE system and external digital devices)

• 25-pin D-Sub cables (for connecting to GPI devices)

VENUE Profile Expansion Options

Racks, Software CDs, iLoks, and Cables

Each Mix Rack or FOH Rack includes:

• System Restore CD

• ECx Ethernet Control Software Installer CD

• Standalone Software Installer CD

• iLok USB Smart Key (for storing plug-in authorizations)

• Plug-in installer discs (if any) with pre-authorized iLok

• Two (2) IEC power cables

• One FOH Link cable for connection to a VENUE console

Each Stage Rack includes:

• Two (2) IEC power cables

The following options can be added to VENUE Profile systems. For details on all VENUE systems and options, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

Mix Rack Options

I/O Options

Each Mix Rack supports a maximum of 3 input cards and 2 output cards for a total of up to 48 inputs and up to 32 outputs. Mix Rack I/O options include:

AI16 Analog Mic/Line Input Card that provides 16 analog mic/line level inputs

AO16 Analog Output Card that provides 16 analog line level outputs

XO16 Analog and Digital Output Card that provides 8 analog line level outputs, and 8 AES digital outputs.

AT16 A-Net Output Card that provides 16 channels of A-Net output compatible with Aviom® Personal Mixers and other Pro16™ Series devices.

Chapter 1: Introduction to VENUE Profile 5

DSP Expansion Options

Stage Rack Options

An additional Mix Engine card can be added to the Mix Rack (up to a maximum of three Mix Engine cards) to increase the amount of DSP available for mixing and plug-in processing.

Record and Playback Options

FWx Record/Playback Option This FireWire-based option lets you record or play back up to 18 channels of audio directly from Mix Rack with a Pro Tools LE™ system.

HDx Record/Playback Option This option lets you record or play back up to 64 channels of audio directly from Mix Rack with a Pro Tools|HD® system.

Only a single HDx Card can be installed in a Mix Rack. Only one Record and Playback Option can be installed at any one time (either HDx or FWx).

FOH Rack Options

I/O Options

An FOH Input/Output (IOx) card can be added to the FOH Rack, providing an additional 8 channels of analog I/O and 8 channels of AES/EBU Digital I/O.

I/O Options

Each Stage Rack supports up to 6 input cards and 6 output cards, for a total of up to 48 inputs and up to 48 outputs (analog or digital). Stage Rack I/O options include the following:

SRI Analog Mic/Line Input Card that provides 8 analog mic/line level inputs

SRO Analog Output Card that provides 8 analog line level outputs

DSI Digital Output Card that provides 8 digital outputs (AES or ADAT)

DSO Digital Output Card that provides 8 digital outputs (AES or ADAT)

Personal Q The Personal Q (PQ) monitoring system lets performers adjust their monitor mix being sent from VENUE using a PQ Controller unit. The Stage rack can accommodate one PQ Rack and up to 8 PQ Controllers.

A-Net Output ANO A-Net Output Card that provides 16 channels of A-Net output compatible with Aviom® Pro16™ Series devices for personal monitoring.

DSP Expansion Options

Additional Mix Engine cards can be added to the FOH Rack (up to a maximum of 5 Mix Engine cards) for increased mixing and plug-in processing capacity.

Snake Card Expansion

Adding a second Snake Card to the FOH Rack lets you add a second Stage Rack to your VENUE system, giving you a total of up to 96 channels of Stage I/O.

Record and Playback Options

FWx Record/Playback Option This FireWire-based option lets you record or play back up to 18 channels of audio with a Pro Tools LE™ system.

HDx Record/Playback Option This option lets you record or play back up to 128 channels of audio directly with a Pro Tools|HD® system.

Additional Stage Rack

A second Stage Rack can be added for a total of up to 96 inputs or up to 96 outputs. (A second Stage Rack requires an additional Snake card be installed in the FOH Rack.)

Redundant Digital Snake

An optional redundant Digital Snake cable can be run between the FOH Rack and each Stage Rack. This redundant Snake automatically takes over communication if the primary Snake fails.

VENUE Profile does not support console expansion via D-Show Sidecar units.

VENUE Profile Guide6

Operational Requirements

Connection Requirements

Temperature and Ventilation

VENUE units should be operated away from heat sources and with adequate ventilation.

Hardware monitoring and automatic warnings are provided for temperature, power and other factors. For more information, see “Hardware Monitoring Window” on page 234.

Storage

VENUE Profile should be stored and transported at temperatures not lower than 0 degrees F (–18 degrees C) and not exceeding 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).

Operation

VENUE Profile should be operated at temperatures not lower than 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) and not exceeding 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

During operation, the front and back panels of VENUE Profile should be exposed to ambient air. Do not block the ventilation holes on any VENUE system component.

Do not operate in direct sunlight or at extreme ambient temperatures.

Water and Moisture

Power Connections

Each VENUE component requires its own power connection for primary and redundant power (if applicable).

Make sure your power source is correctly rated for the number of units you are connecting. A surge-protected power source (not included) is highly recommended.

VENUE Profile power supplies are capable of operating at 50 to 60 Hz across a voltage range of 100 to 240 V.

FOH Link Connection

Connection between the VENUE Profile console and the Mix Rack or FOH Rack is made with the provided FOH Link cable. For replacement cables, contact Digidesign Customer Service or your VENUE dealer.

For more information, see the VENUE FOH Rack Guide.

Audio Connections

All VENUE Profile system analog audio inputs and outputs (except Headphones) are balanced XLR or balanced 1/4-inch connections.

All external digital audio inputs and outputs are AES/EBU (XLR), ADAT (Lightpipe) or S/PDIF (RCA) connections.

VENUE units should be operated away from sources of direct moisture and should be kept clear of liquids that might spill into the units. If condensation is present on the unit, leave the unit to dry in ambient air for at least one hour before powering the unit on.

Humidity ranges for storage and operation

Storage humidity range 5% to 95%, non-condensing

Operating humidity range 20% to 80%, non-condensing

Cleaning and Maintenance

Use a dry cloth to clean the VENUE Profile top surface when needed. Do not apply any cleaning solutions, spray cleaners, or abrasives to the surface.

For more information on audio connectors and specifications, see Chapter 26, “Audio Specifications.”

Snake Connections

VENUE Mix Rack Systems

For Mix Rack, an analog multicore snake (not provided) is recommended to bring inputs from stage to the mix position, and return outputs back to the stage for monitor and mains amplification.

VENUE Profile Systems

Connection between the FOH Rack and the Stage Rack is made with the Digital Snake cable (not included). Cables can be purchased directly from Digidesign or assembled by your preferred vendor. For Snake cable specifications and requirements, see the VENUE Stage Rack Guide.

Chapter 1: Introduction to VENUE Profile 7

Registration

About www.digidesign.com

Review the enclosed Digidesign Registration Information Card and follow the instructions on it to quickly register your purchase online. Registering your purchase is the only way you can be eligible to receive complimentary technical support and future upgrade offers. This is one of the most important steps you can take as a new user.

Conventions Used in This Guide

Digidesign guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands:

Convention Action

Options > System Click the Options tab, then click the

Control+N Hold down the Control key and press

Control-click Hold down the Control key and click

Right-click Click with the right mouse button

The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.

The following symbols are used to highlight important information:

User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system.

Important Notices include information that could affect your data or the performance of your system.

System sub-tab

the N key

the mouse button

The Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and features available.

Product Registration Register your purchase online.

Support and Downloads Contact Digidesign Technical Support

or Customer Service; download software updates and the latest online manuals; browse the Compatibility documents for system requirements; search the online Answerbase or join the worldwide VENUE community on the Digidesign User Conference.

Training and Education Study on your own using courses available online or find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at a certified Pro Tools training center.

Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign products; download demo software or learn about our Development Partners and their plug-ins, applications, and hardware.

News and Events Get the latest news from Digidesign or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.

Pro Tools Accelerated Videos Watch the series of free tutorial videos. Accelerated Videos are designed to help you get up and running with Pro Tools and its plug-ins quickly.

Live Sound Webinars Watch free tutorial videos and VENUE-specific webinars to learn from the experts.

To learn more about these and other resources available from Digidesign, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in this guide and other Digidesign guides.

VENUE Profile Guide8

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile

Mounting Arm

T-bolt (2)

Locking Nut (2)

U bracket

(top)

back

front

U bracket

Mounting arm (top)

screws

Mounting plate

screws

Video monitor

U bracket

Video monitor

Mounting arm

back

front

screws

The chapter shows how to connect the components of a VENUE Mix Rack and VENUE Profile system.

Unpacking and Assembling VENUE Profile

 Remove all components from the shipping packaging.

 Place the Profile console on a table or other stable surface

that leaves full access to the front and back panel connectors and mounts.

 Make sure all components are free of any bags, padding or

other materials.

 Keep cables and other included items organized, making

sure to keep them with their associated component after unpacking.

Assembling the Video Monitor Mount and Trackball Mount

Profile includes a Video Monitor Mount for your VGA monitor, and a Trackball mount for your mouse or trackball.

To assemble the Video Monitor Mount:

1 Remove the Video Monitor Mount components from their

packaging.

Components of the Video Monitor Mount

2 Make sure your video monitor is powered off and discon-

nected, and lay it face down on a padded table.

3 Attach your monitor to the Video Monitor Mount by doing

either of the following, as appropriate for your video monitor:

100mm (MIS-D100) Attach the U bracket to the included mounting plate using the provided hardware. To complete the assembly, remove the 4 mounting screws from the back of the video monitor, line up the holes of the mounting plate, and use the screws you removed to secure the plate to the back of your monitor.

Assembling the Video Monitor Mount

The Video Monitor Mount is assembled by attaching a flat panel VGA monitor to the mounting arm. Both 100mm and 75mm VESA (FDMI) video mounting standards are supported.

Assembling the Video Monitor Mount requires the following items:

• A VGA flat panel display with 100mm or 75mm mounting compatibility

• A medium sized Phillips screwdriver

• A table or similar clear, flat area with a towel or other padded surface (big enough to safely lay your video monitor face down)

Attaching a 100mm VGA monitor to the mounting plate, U bracket and mounting arm, viewed from the top edge of the monitor

75mm (MIS-D 75) Use the included U bracket. Remove the appropriate screws from the back of your monitor and use them to secure the U bracket to the back of the monitor.

Attaching a 75 VGA monitor to the U bracket and mounting arm, viewed from the top edge of the monitor

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile 9

4 Hold the mounting arm face down so that the narrow (top)

Video Mount slot

end is against the back of the U bracket. Make sure the arm is facing the correct way, and attach the arm to the U bracket using the four screws provided. Make sure all screws are tightened securely.

Attaching the Video Monitor Mount the First Time

To attach the Video Monitor Mount to the console:

1 From the back of the console, locate the Video Mount slot

below the edge of the outermost back panel extrusion.

2 Take one of the T-bolts included with the Video Mount and

insert it into the wider opening at the far left end of the Video Mount slot. Slide the T-bolt to the right along the slot until it stays in the track.

Location of the Video Mount slot

3 Take the second T-bolt, insert it into the opening at the left

and slide it to be a few inches away from the first T-bolt.

4 Take the two silver lock nuts (thumb nuts) and thread them

loosely onto the T-bolts (do not tighten them).

Using the Assembled Video Monitor Mount

To remove the Video Monitor Mount:

1 Stand at the back of the console.

2 Holding the VGA screen in one hand, loosen the lock nuts

that secure the Video Monitor Mount to the console.

3 Slide the Video Monitor Mount straight back off the T-bolts.

4 Tighten the lock nuts to secure the T-bolts.

To attach the assembled Video Monitor Mount to the console:

1 Loosen the two lock nuts securing the T-bolts in place, along

the extrusion at the back of the console.

2 Position the Video Monitor Mount so that its base slots line

up with the T-bolts, slide the Video Monitor Mount into position, and tighten the lock nuts to secure the mount into place.

Assembling and Attaching the Trackball Mount

The Trackball Mount provides a tray for your trackball or a mouse. It can be placed anywhere along the front of the console, and accommodates left- or right-handed operation. A small hook underneath the Trackball mount lets you hang a pair of headphones.

Assembling the Trackball Mount

5 Pick up the assembled Video Monitor Mount and hold it at

the bottom of the VGA monitor, so you can balance the unit with one hand.

6 Position the base of the video mount under the back panel

extrusion and feed the T-bolts through the two slots on the front edge of the arm assembly. Loosen the lock nuts if necessary.

7 Tighten the lock nuts thumb nuts to secure the Video Mon-

itor Mount in position.

To move the monitor left or right:

 Loosen the thumb nuts slightly and slide the Video Monitor

Mount to the left or right, being carefully not to twist it off either of the T-bolts. (If the mount comes off the T-bolts, simply reattach it and resume). When in the desired position, tighten the lock nuts.

To adjust the height of the monitor:

 Loosen the screws holding the monitor or U bracket to the

mounting arm, and slide it down or up to the desired height. Tighten all screws to secure the monitor in its new position.

To attach the Trackball Mount

1 Unpack the Trackball Mount and components from their

packaging.

2 Make sure to unplug any USB or headphone connections at

the front of the console.

3 From the front of the console, locate the slot for the Track-

ball mount (located below the extrusion).

4 Take one of the T-bolts included with the Trackball Mount

and insert it into the opening at the right end of the Trackball Mount slot. Slide the T-bolt to the left along the slot until it is just to the left of the front panel USB and headphone ports.

5 Take the second T-bolt, insert it into the opening at the right

and slide it into place a few inches away from the first T-bolt.

6 Take the two silver lock nuts (thumb nuts) and thread them

loosely onto the T-bolts (do not tighten them).

7 Place the Trackball Mount in position so that you can feed

the T-bolts through the two slots on the lip of the Mount.

If mounting on the right, be sure to line up the opening in the mount with the front panel USB and Headphone ports so they remain accessible.

VENUE Profile Guide10

8 Tighten the lock nuts to secure the assembled Trackball

Mount to the console.

Using the Trackball Mount

The Trackball Mount can be removed and set up quickly.

Always disconnect USB and headphones from the front panel before removing or attaching the Trackball Mount.

To remove the Trackball Mount:

1 Holding the Trackball Mount in one hand, loosen the lock

nuts that secure it to the front of the console.

2 Drop the Trackball Mount off track to remove the entire as-

sembly from the console.

3 Replace the lock nuts onto the T-bolts and tighten them

down, to secure them in place.

To attach the assembled Trackball Mount to the console:

1 Loosen the two lock nuts securing the T-bolts in place, along

the extrusion at the front of the console.

2 Position the Trackball Mount so that its base slots line up

with the T-bolts, and slide the Trackball Mount into position.

3 Tighten the lock nuts to secure the mount into place.

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile 11

Connections for VENUE Mix Rack Systems

FOH I/O

Stage

Stage Outputs

1–16

17–32

33–48

1–16

to house/ mains, monitors zones

Inputs

analog snake

This section describes system and audio connections for VENUE Mix Rack systems. (For VENUE Profile systems, see “Connections for VENUE Profile Systems” on page 15).

To connect the Profile console to a Mix Rack:

 Connect one end of the FOH Link cable to the FOH Link port on the back panel of the Profile console. Connect the other end

of the FOH Link cable to the FOH Link port on the front panel of the Mix Rack. On each end, be sure to align the notch in the connector housing with the slot in the plug, and to rotate the collar until the connector is fully latched.

Figure 2. FOH Link connection between Profile (left) and Mix Rack (right)

Audio Connections

Mix Rack provides 48 analog mic/line inputs, up to 32 analog line outputs, and a variety of analog and digital audio inputs and outputs. You can use an analog multicore snake cable (not included) to carry multiple stage inputs and outputs to and from the Mix Rack, or you can connect mics, instruments and other sources directly to Mix Rack Stage inputs, and connect Mix Rack Stage outputs directly to the inputs on your house/mains systems, or monitor systems.

Stage I/O

Use the following sections to identify where to connect stage I/O to Mix Rack.

Figure 3. Mix Rack audio connectors and I/O slots (A–E) for stage inputs and outputs

VENUE Profile Guide12

Stage Inputs 1–48

Analog I/O 1–8MIDI I/O

Com Mic

Com Mic Gain

Com Mic Phantom Power

Monitor Outputs

2-Track Analog I/O

2-Track

AES/EBU I/O

2-Track

S/PDIF I/O

2-Track Digital

Format selector

Input

(Analog Mic/Line XLR Inputs)

The Stage Input section provides 48 channels of analog mic/line inputs (XLR), to connect stage input sources. Use a standard analog snake cable to run lines from the stage to the Mix Rack (analog snake cable not included). Then connect the snake to Stage inputs 1–48. (For instructions on applying phantom power and other settings, see the guide that came with your console.)

Stage Outputs 1–16

(Analog Line XLR Outputs)

The Stage Output Section provides up to 32 channels of stage output (XLR), to connect to house/mains, monitors, additional zones, or feeds to other devices.

FOH I/O

The following sections describe the FOH I/O section of Mix Rack, and how to use its connectors and ports for mix position audio.

Figure 4. FOH I/O connectors on Mix Rack

MIDI I/O Ports

The MIDI In and Out Ports provide 16 channels of MIDI input and 16 channels of MIDI output to the system. The MIDI I/O ports are used in sending and receiving Snapshot MIDI messages, and in receiving MIDI Time Code from external devices.

Com Mic, Gain Control, and Phantom Power

The Com Mic connector and controls allow connection of a mic, or a line level source. The Com Mic input is a female XLR/TRS connector that accepts XLR or TRS jacks. The Gain control operates in steps of 3 dB. Phantom power may be applied to the Com mic with the Mic Power switch.

Do not connect an intercom system directly to the Com input, as some intercom systems use a signalling voltage which can damage the FOH IO card.

Monitor Outputs

The Monitor Outputs are used for output to a near-field monitors or a cue mix system (not included). These are 1/4-inch balanced TRS connectors.

2-Track Analog Inputs and Outputs

The 2-Track analog connections are used for input and output of analog audio material. These are balanced 1/4-inch TRS connectors.

2-Track Digital Inputs and Outputs

The 2-Track digital connections are used for input and output of digital audio material. Stereo AES/EBU or S/PDIF I/O connectors are selectable with the AES–SPDIF switch. These connectors support 24-bit, 48 kHz digital signals. Input signals with other sample rates are sample-rate converted to 48 kHz.

Analog I/O (1–8)

The 8 pairs of analog line inputs and outputs are used for hardware inserts, or for input and output of program material from the mix position. These are balanced, 1/4-inch TRS connectors.

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile 13

Other Mix Rack Connections

(AC Power, Synchronization and Optional Connections)

AC Power Connectors

The AC Power connectors accept standard AC power cables, for powering each of the two (redundant) internal Mix Rack power supply units. Mix Rack power supplies are auto-power selecting (100V to 240V, 50–60Hz) and automatically work with a standard modular power cord when connected to an AC receptacle in any country.

ECx Port

The ECx port lets you connect an RJ-45 Ethernet cable for remote control of the system from a laptop or tablet computer.

For more information see Chapter 30, “ECx.”

USB Ports

The USB ports on the front panel of the Mix Rack are USB 2.0 ports, letting you connect iLoks, USB key disks and other USB devices. (An additional, secure USB port is located inside the Mix Rack chassis as well; use this internal port to connect and secure a pre-loaded iLok to always be available to that Mix Rack system.)

FOH Link Connector

The FOH Link port connects the Profile console to the system rack (Mix Rack, or FOH Rack in conjunction with one or more Stage Racks).

Word Clock I/O

The Word Clock In and Word Clock Out ports let you integrate external digital devices with Mix Rack.

VENUE Profile Guide14

Connections for VENUE Profile Systems

VENUE Profile

FOH Rack (Front)

FOH Rack (Back)

Stage Rack (Front)

FOH Link Cable

Digital Snake Cables

Primary Snake

Redundant Snake

This section describes system and audio connections for FOH Rack and Stage Rack systems. (For VENUE Mix Rack systems, see “Connections for VENUE Mix Rack Systems” on page 12).

Figure 5. VENUE Profile system component connections

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile 15

Connecting Profile to the FOH Rack

Connectors with white sleeves

Signal LED

attach to terminals with white labels

Signal LED

Redundant Snake connects here

(Digidesign Digital Snake Cable only)

The Profile console is connected to the FOH Rack with the provided FOH Link cable.

To connect the control surface and the FOH Rack:

 Connect the FOH Link cable to the FOH Link port on the back of the Profile console, and to the FOH Link port on the front

panel of the FOH Rack. On each end, be sure to align the notch in the connector housing with the slot in the plug, and to rotate the collar until the connector is fully latched.

Figure 6. FOH Link connection between Profile (left) and FOH Rack (right)

Connecting the Stage Rack to the FOH Rack

The Stage Rack is connected to the FOH Rack with the Digital Snake cable (purchased separately).

To connect a Stage Rack to the FOH Rack:

1 Connect the send snake to the Stage 1 Out port of the Stage Rack, and to the Stage 1 In port on the FOH Rack.

2 Connect the return snake to the Stage 1 Out port on the FOH Rack, and to the Stage 1 In port on the Stage Rack.

The connectors on Digidesign’s Digital Snake cable are color coded, so that the white cable connects to the white-outlined ports.

When the system is powered up, the primary snake connection is indicated by a solid Active LED. If the Snake Signal LEDs flash, a Snake connection could not be established.

If there are problems with the Snake connection, double check that all the BNC connectors are fully secured.

Figure 7. Detail of Digital Snake cable connection between Stage Rack (left) and FOH Rack (right)

VENUE Profile Guide16

Connecting a Second Stage Rack

Word Clock BNC cable

Stage Rack 1

Stage Rack 2

Snake 2

Snake 1

Snake 2

FOH Rack

Snake Card 1

Snake Card 2

Primary Snake

Redundant Snake

Word Clock BNC cable

If a second Stage Rack is used, an additional Snake Card must be installed in the FOH Rack. See the Snake Card Guide for more information.

To connect a second Stage Rack:

1 Using a BNC cable (included with the additional Snake card), connect the Word Clock Out port on the first Snake card to the

Word Clock In port on the second Snake card.

Word Clock connection between Snake cards

2 Connect the second Stage Rack to the FOH Rack with a Digital Snake cable. See “Connecting the Stage Rack to the FOH Rack”

on page 16.

The primary and redundant snake cables must be the same length.

Figure 8. Digital Snake cable and word clock connections for fully redundant system with 2 Stage Racks

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile 17

Audio Connections

Stage Rack Input Cards

Stage Rack Output Card

Stage Rack

Figure 9. Audio connectors on Stage Rack

Analog Audio Inputs

(Balanced Female XLR Connectors)

 Connect analog mic-level or line-level input sources to any

of the input connectors on any SRI Card.

Analog Audio Outputs

(Balanced Male XLR Connectors)

 Connect analog line-level output destinations (such as

power amplifiers, crossovers, or speakers) to any of the output connectors on any SRO Card.

Digital I/O

If your Stage Rack includes a digital I/O option, see “Digital Inputs and Sample Rate Conversion” on page 22.

VENUE Profile Guide18

FOH Rack

Digital I/O 1–8 Analog I/O 9–16

Analog I/O 1–8MIDI I/O

Com Mic

Com Mic Gain

Com Mic Phantom Power

Monitor Outputs

2-Track Analog I/O

2-Track

AES/EBU I/O

2-Track

S/PDIF I/O

2-Track Digital

Format selector

section

IOx

section

(Optional)

Input

Figure 10. Audio connectors on FOH Rack, showing standard IO connectors (top) and optional IOx connectors (bottom)

Analog Inputs and Outputs

(Balanced 1/4-inch TRS Connectors)

 Connect the analog inputs and outputs of external proces-

sors to any of these 8 analog output and input pairs. (16 inputs and output pairs are available if the IOx option is installed.)

 Connect any analog output destination (such as a recording

device or broadcast feed) to any of the outputs in this section.

 Connect any analog sound sources (such as a CD player) to

any of the inputs in this section.

Digital Inputs and Outputs - IOx Option only

(AES/EBU Connectors)

 Connect the two-channel digital inputs and outputs of ex-

ternal processors to any of the 4 AES/EBU digital output and input connectors in this section.

 These connectors support 24-bit, 48 kHz digital signals. In-

put signals with other sample rates are sample-rate converted to 48 kHz.

2-Track Analog Inputs and Outputs

(Balanced 1/4-inch TRS Connectors)

 Connect a 2-track analog playback source to the 2-Track

analog inputs.

 Connect a 2-track analog recording device to the 2-Track

analog outputs.

2-Track Digital Inputs and Outputs

(AES/EBU and S/PDIF Connectors)

 Switch the 2-Track digital I/O between AES/EBU and S/PDIF

by moving the 2-Track Digital Format selector switch to the corresponding position. Only one of these digital formats may be active at a time.

 Connect a 2-channel digital playback source to the 2-Track

AES/EBU or S/PDIF input.

 Connect a 2-channel digital recording device to the 2-Track

AES/EBU or S/PDIF output.

 These connectors support 24-bit, 48 kHz digital signals. In-

put signals with other sample rates are sample-rate converted to 48 kHz.

Monitor Outputs

(Balanced 1/4-inch TRS Connectors)

 Connect a monitor amplifier or powered monitors to the

Monitor Output connectors.

 The Monitor Outputs and the Headphone Output on the

front of the console are fed by the Solo/Monitor bus

Com Mic Connector

 Plug a dynamic or condenser microphone, or any compati-

ble intercom system microphone into this connector.

Com Mic Gain

 Turn the Com Mic knob to adjust overall Com Mic gain.

MIDI Input and Output

 Connect a compatible MIDI device to the MIDI In and MIDI

Out ports. Snapshots receive and send MIDI commands, and generate and respond to MIDI Time Code.

Word Clock

If you are integrating digital devices with your VENUE system, make the necessary Word clock connections and settings. For details, see “Synchronizing External Digital Source Devices” on page 23.

Chapter 2: Configuring and Connecting Profile 19

Profile Console Connections

FOH Link

VGA

Footswitch

GPIUSB

Console Lights

Power

Console Lights

Talkback Mic

Talkback level

connector

Route to Selected

Talkback Mic

On/Talk switch

2-Track switch

Oscillator switch

Talkback switch

connector

This section describes the ports and connectors on the VENUE Profile console. Most connectors are on the Profile back panel.

VENUE Profile back panel and connectors

VGA Display

 Plug a compatible VGA display into this connector.

USB Keyboard and Trackball

 Plug a compatible USB keyboard and Trackball (or mouse)

into the two available USB connectors on the front the console (just below the faders for inputs 17–24).

Other USB Devices

VENUE Profile provides USB ports on the top panel (near the meters) and on the back panel. Use these ports to connect iLok Smart Keys, USB flash disks or other compatible USB devices.

The Profile console provides USB 1.1 ports. For best performance, use the faster USB 2.0 ports on the Mix Rack or FOH Rack to connect USB flash disks for data transfer.

Talkback

A Talkback input (XLR) is on the top panel.

Talkback Mic Connector

 Plug a dynamic or condenser mic into this connector.

Talkback microphone connector and controls

Talkback Level

 The talkback gain for this connector is fixed at 20 dB.

 Adjust talkback send level by pressing the Talkback switch

in the Talkback/Osc section and turning the level knob.

Talkback Switch

 Activate talkback by pressing the Talkback switch.

CAN Bus

FOH Link

FOH Link connects Profile to the Mix Rack or FOH Rack. One FOH Link cable is included with each Mix Rack and FOH Rack.

Power

Two male, 3-pin IEC power sockets with cable retaining clips are provided, one for each of the internal power supplies. Two standard IEC power cables are provided with each console.

Footswitch 1 and 2

Two female 1/4-inch TS footswitch jacks are provided for switch input. Footswitches can be normally open or normally closed, latching or momentary. Functions are assigned to these jacks on-screen in the Options > Events page.

Console Lights

Two XLR3-F jacks to connect to the included console lights.

This XLR3-M connector is not functional.

GPI Connections

VENUE Profile provides 8 channels of GPI input and output through separate 25-pin D-Sub connectors on the back panel.

For specifications, wiring diagrams and pinouts, see Chapter 29, “Control Surface Reference.”

GPI Applications

GPI inputs are connected to the outputs of a variety of switching devices such as footswitches, momentary or latching push-button switches, or logic outputs of a larger show control system. Example applications of GPI inputs include remote toggling of a console function such as Talkback, muting a channel, or recalling a specific snapshot.

GPI outputs connect to compatible inputs found on a variety of external devices such as LEDs, small relays, power sequencers, and logic inputs on show control systems.

VENUE Profile Guide20

+ 242 hidden pages

DigiDesign VENUE Profile Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual