Eventide H7600 Operating Manual

H7600

Operating Manual

Harmonizer is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc. for its audio special effects devices incorporating pitch shift.

H7600 and UltraShifter are trademarks of Eventide Inc.

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The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Table of Contents

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL – READ THIS FIRST ......................................................................................................................................3

OVERVIEW AND QUICKSTART_____________________________________________________________________ 4

THE BIG PICTURE ................................................................................................................................................................................................4

KNOBS, KEYS, AND JACKS ................................................................................................................................................................................5

The Front Panel 5 The Back Panel 7

GETTING AROUND AND ALTERING PARAMETERS .......................................................................................................................................10

Adjusting the Brightness and Contrast of the Display 10

The “Areas” of the H7600 10

UNDERSTANDING THE DISPLAY AND SOFT KEYS ....................................................................................................................................12

Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB 14

Ganged Parameters 14 Entering or Changing Text 15

QUICKSTART OR “NEARLY INSTANT GRATIFICATION”..............................................................................................................................16

Hooking Up 16 Setting Input Levels 18 Effecting Things 19

“Panic” Muting 19 Loading Programs 19 Parameters 21 “Tweaking” and Saving “Tweaks” 23 Using User Groups to Organize Useful Programs 24 Wrap Up 25

OPERATION _____________________________________________________________________________________ 26

Mounting and Handling 26 Memory Cards 26

Controlling Levels 28

The Level Meters 28 Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Inputs 29 Wet/Dry Ratios and Output Levels For the H7600’s Processor 30 Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Outputs 30

DIGITAL SETUP ..................................................................................................................................................................................................31

Digital Setup Overview 31 S/P DIF & AES/EBU 31 Sampling Rates 32

The System Sampling Rate – a digital audio primer 32 Using the Internal Clock 33 Selecting The Internal Clock’s Rate 33 The Status Of The Digital I/Os When Using The Internal Clock 34 Understanding The “System Sampling Rate And External Sync Indicator” When Using The Internal Clock 34 Using an External Clock 35 Selecting the External Clock 35 The Status Of The Digital I/Os When Using The External Clock 36 Understanding The “System Sampling Rate And External Sync Indicator” When Using The External Clock 36

Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) 37

BYPASSING AND MUTING .................................................................................................................................................................................37

EXTERNAL CONTROLLERS ...............................................................................................................................................................................38

The H7600 Family Operating Manual - Contents

Setting Up the External Controllers 38

Foot Pedals 1 and 2 38 MIDI Setup 39

External Modulation and Trigger Menu Pages 41

“Manually” Selecting an External Controller For Modulation 42 "Manually" Selecting the External Controller for Triggers 44 External Controller Selection 46 "Automatically" Selecting a MIDI External Controller 46 Scaling the External Controller 47 The Concept Behind "Redirection" - External Assigns 1-8 and Trigs 1 & 2 49 Remote Controlling the Bypass Functions 51

Remote Controlling Parameters 52

Remote Controlling Triggers 52

MIDI Groups 53

Configuring the MIDI Group 54

PROGRAM LOAD, SAVE, DELETE, ETC. ..........................................................................................................................................................55

Categorizing Programs 55 Searching for and Loading Programs 58 Loading Programs 60 Loading a Program Remotely 60 Loading A Program Via A MIDI Program Change Message 60 Triggering the Next or Previous Program To Load 62 Saving a Program 63 Copying Programs 63 The "Size" of a Program and Its Ramifications for Storage 63 Updating a Program 63 Renaming a Program 64 Deleting a Program 64

PARAMETERS.......................................................................................................................................................................................................65

System Tempo 65 System Timer 66 Taps 67 Textblocks 67 Graphics and Curves 67

Storing and Loading Setups 68 Miscellaneous Setup Options 69

APPENDIX A -UTILITIES__________________________________________________________________________ 70

TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING DATA..........................................................................................................................................................70

Setting Up the Serial Port 70 Dumping Data and Receiving Data Dumps 71 Controlling One H7600 from Another H7600 72 Sending A Program From One H7600 to Another 72 Sequencing With MIDI 73

CONNECTING USER-SUPPLIED CRYSTALS AND EXTERNAL CLOCKS............................................................................................................74

SERVICE AND START-UP OPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................75

Fixing Internal Memory Problems 75 Fixing Memory Card Problems 76 Changing the Internal Battery 77 Clear Setup 77 Software Version and Accessories 78 Start-Up Options 78

ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS ___________________________________________________________________ 80 WARRANTY INFORMATION ______________________________________________________________________ 82 INDEX___________________________________________________________________________________________ 84

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

 Before powering up the unit, check that the voltage selector on the back panel is set correctly.  Do not remove any covers or panels from the unit when the power is connected.  No operator access to the internals of the unit is permitted - servicing must be performed by qualified

personnel only.

 The unit must not be operated with a damaged or ungrounded power cord.  Suitable ventilation must be provided for the unit at all times. In particular, the rear and side vents must

not be obstructed.

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL – READ THIS FIRST

The first and second chapters of this manual are the most important ones. The first is the Overview and Quickstart chapter. In it you will find essential information regarding the front panel, the back panel, and

the general structure of the H7600. After these preliminaries are out of the way, you’ll start using the H7600 and learning the basic methodologies that you will employ whenever you use the H7600.

The Overview and Quickstart chapter is not meant to be complete. It’s meant to get you up and running fast, circumventing thornier issues in favor of speed. If you would like to know more about a particular topic discussed in this chapter, look to the abundant references contained therein. They’ll point you to “chunkier” discussions in the remainder of the manual.

Ideally, we would have you read through the Overview and Quickstart guide with the H7600 in front of you, following the examples. After you finish the Quickstart guide, we’d have you play with the H7600 for awhile. Once the initial “new box euphoria” wore off a bit, we’d have you sit down and read the Operation chapter. A true appreciation and mastery of the H7600 cannot be obtained without reading the manual! We’d have you consult the appendices only when you need specific, technical information. Finally, when you need to find information days, weeks, months, and years down the road, we’d have you use the comprehensive Table of Contents and Index.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

OVERVIEW AND QUICKST ART

THE BIG PICTURE

The Eventide H7600 is a programmable, multipurpose, 24-bit/96kHz digital audio signal processor with UltraShifter™ capability and is the stereo, single-processor companion product to the Eventide’s H8000.

That’s a lot of adjectives! It is the successor to a long, proud line of digital signal processors that stretches back to a time when most audio manufacturers didn’t know digital audio from Morse code.

We’ve loaded the H7600 with features that put it in a class by itself. The variety and depth of its programs are truly amazing, from lush reverbs, to choruses, to flanges, to delays, to pitch shifters, to dynamics, to EQs, to filters, to distortions, to synthesizers, to samplers, to ring modulators, and to everything in-between. The H7600 can do it all. And if that’s not enough, it boasts nearly three minutes of sample time in addition to the 40 seconds of delay time!

And for the user who is interested in making his or her own programs (if the huge number of factory pro- grams aren’t enough!), the H7600 continues the “modular programming paradigm” that made the DSP4000 famous. Programs are composed of individual building blocks, or “modules,” that allow the user to create original programs. Inspiration and creativity are given no bounds. . .

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

KNOBS, KEYS, AND JACKS

If this is your first time learning the H7600, don’t be put off by some of the rather in-depth descriptions that will follow; they exist for your future reference ( now, concentrate on what the various knobs and jacks are called. Their use will be explained progressively throughout the rest of this manual.

The Front Panel

once you understand the H7600 and need a quick bit of information). For

A B

G H

P Q

A) Level Meters These measure the signals at the analog inputs, the digital inputs and the analog out-

puts. The highest LED indicates a clipped signal, and every LED below that falls off at -3dB per decrement, with the exception of the bottom one, which indicates the presence of any signal.

→ See The Level Meters on page 28.

B) System sampling rate and external sync indicator.

The top four LEDs display the system sampling rate of the H7600: 96 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 48 kHz, or 44.1 kHz. When solidly lit, they indicate that the system sampling rate is exact (+/- 0.05%). When blinking, they indicate that the system sampling rate is between one of the fixed rates (the LED corresponding to the nearest sampling rate blinks). The bot- tom LED, EXT, reflects the current external sync status (it blinks if there’s a problem).

→ See Understanding The “System Sampling Rate And External Sync Indicator” When Using The Inter- nal Clock on page → See Understanding The “System Sampling Rate And External Sync Indicator” When Using The Exter- nal Clock on page

34.

36.

C) BYPASS Press this key to bypass or, depending on how you have your H7600 set up, mute

the machine.

→ See Bypassing and Muting on page 37.

D) SOFT KEYS These four keys select the menus or events described on the bottom line of the dis-

play.

→ See Understanding the Display and SOFT KEYS on page 12.

E) The display The display tells you what’s going on. The

top line displays the currently running program and the display area you’re working in. The bottom line is dedicated to the four SOFT KEYS directly below the display. The middle section of the display changes depending on what you’re doing!

→ See Understanding the Display and SOFT KEYS on page 12.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

F) CURSOR keys Press these keys to move the cursor on the display.

→ See Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB on page 14.

G) TAP Tap this key a couple of times to set the System Tempo.

→ See System Tempo on page 65.

H) PROGRAM Press this key briefly to access program functions such as loading, saving, deleting.

→ See Program Load, Save, Delete, Etc. on page 55.

Press and hold this key for one second to access the Setup Storage area where “setup configurations” are loaded and saved.

→

See Storing and Loading Setups on page 68.

J) PARAMETER Press this key briefly to access parameters for the program that is running.

Press and hold this key for one second to access the Patch Editor.

→ See the separate Programmer’s Manual for Patch Editor information.

K) SELECT Press this key briefly to select something highlighted by the cursor.

Press and hold this key for one second to set up a remote control for whatever parameter is highlighted on the display.

→ See Remote Controlling Parameters on page 52. → To change the “one second hold time,” alter the “key hold” parameter on the [misc] menu page in

the SETUP area (you may have to press the SETUP key several times to find it).

L) The KNOB Spin the KNOB to change the value of whatever parameter is highlighted.

→ See Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB on page 14.

M) The NUMERIC KEYPAD

Use the numbers, decimal point, and minus sign to enter numeric values or to enter numeric text in a text field. Use the CXL key to “cancel” the last entered digit (like a

backspace key on a computer

). Use the INC/DEC keys to increment or decrement a parame-

ter’s value. Use the ENT key after you’ve entered a numeric value.

→ See Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB on page 14.

N) BUSY LED If a Memory Card is in place, this LED illuminates when data is being written to the

card. Don’t remove the Memory Card if this LED is lit! If no Memory Card is in place, this illuminates when data is present at the MIDI In port or at the serial port. Use the latter feature to troubleshoot communication problems between the H7600 and the rest of the world.

O) Card slot Insert a Memory Card here to add new programs or to save your own. Press the re-

lease to the right of the slot to remove the card (but not when the busy LED is lit!).

→ See Memory Cards on page 26.

P) LEVELS Pressing this key accesses menus for metering and levels.

→ See Controlling Levels on page 28.

Q) SETUP Pressing this key accesses menus for digital configuration, MIDI configuration, ser-

vice utilities, data dump utilities, and program advance options.

R) POWER Flip this switch to bring the H7600 to life! When the power is off the unit is by-

passed, i.e., each audio input is connected to its corresponding audio output.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

The Back Panel

r q

a) AC Voltage Selector

Line up the dot with the triangle so that your preferred voltage is up. It is absolutely

essential that you select the voltage corresponding to your local AC power!

b) Fuse Holder A 1-Amp Slow Blow fuse. Always replace it with the correct value.

c) AC Port Connect an IEC standard 3-prong AC power cord here. The center post is chassis

ground.

d) Analog Audio Inputs

The H7600’s analog inputs accept either unbalanced 1/4” connectors or balanced XLR connectors. The H7600’s XLR input connectors are female. Pin #1 is ground. Pin #2 is +phase (hot) and Pin #3 is -phase.

To “unbalance” the XLR jack, use both pins #1 ground and use Pin #2 as “hot.”

are unconnected, you will get more noise and hum than signal !

These may be used as both line and guitar inputs, depending on the input level setting.

e) Analog Audio Outputs

The H7600’s XLR analog audio output jacks are male. Pin #1 is ground. Pin #2 is +phase (hot) and Pin #3 is -phase.

To “unbalance” the jack, use pins #1 and use Pin #2 as “hot.”

unconnected, you will get more distortion than signal !

→ See Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Inputs on page

and

#3 as

If either pins #2 or #3

and

#3 as ground

If either pins #2 or #3 are

29.

1/4"

Do not connect these outputs to a phantom powered microphone input –damage may be caused to either the 7000 or to the phantom power supply. The peak output level from the H7600 will probably be too high for a low-level microphone input.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

AES/EBU Digital Audio Input/Output (Professional)

Use these connectors to connect professional digital audio gear to the H7600. These cables are differential with a shielded twisted pair. Eventide recommends the use of purpose-manufactured Digital Audio cables, which have low capacitance and a controlled impedance, for carrying AES signals. Ordinary microphone cables will usually work at 48kHz, but are likely to reduce range and add jitter and possible distortion to the signal. It is unlikely that microphone cable will prove satisfactory for 96kHz operation.

f) AES/EBU input jack

If the parameter DIG IN on the audio menu page in the SETUP area is set to

AES/EBU, then digital inputs are

accepted at this jack.

g) AES/EBU output jack

If the parameter DIG OUT on the audio menu page in the SETUP area is set to

AES/EBU, then both the AES/EBU and

S/P DIF outputs will use the “professional” digital format.

S/P DIF Digital Audio Input/Output (Consumer)

S/P DIF is a consumer digital audio standard, with two audio channels encoded into a single connector. Use these connectors to hook up the H7600 to CD players, DAT recorders, and other audio gear using this format. The connectors are two-conductor RCA jacks. Your plug should have the shield connected to the sleeve with the single shielded conductor connected at the tip.

Eventide recommends the use of professional quality cables made of RG-59/U coaxial cable. Ordinary "hifi" type leads will probably prove inadequate. The use of S/P DIF is not recommended above 48kHz sample rates – at these rates AES/EBU is preferred.

h) S/P DIF input/output jacks

If the parameter

DIG IN on the audio

menu page in the SETUP area is set to S/P

DIF

, then digital inputs are accepted at the

S/P DIF input jack. If the parameter

SETUP area is set to S/P DIF, then both the AES/EBU and S/P DIF outputs will

DIG OUT on the audio menu page in the

use the “consumer” digital format.

→ See S/P DIF & AES/EBU on page 31.

j) WordClock In and Out

Use these jacks to sync the H7600 to wordclock or to output wordclock. → See 1Using

an External Clock on page

35.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

k) Foot Pedal jacks 1 and 2

Stereo 1/4” connectors. The sleeve is ground reference, the ring is +5 volts (source), and the tip is an analog signal from 0 to 5 volts. Connect either foot switches, foot pedals, or control voltage sources to these inputs to modulate parameters or to trigger events (including remote program loads).

→ See Foot Pedals 1 and 2 on page 38.

m) Relay Jack Two relays are connected to this Stereo 1/4" connector. They can be controlled

from suitable programs, allowing the H7600 to drive real-world equipment, and can switch up to 1.0A at 30V dc. Relay #1 is connected between ring and sleeve, while Relay # 2 is connected between ring and tip. All of these connections are electrically isolated from the H7600. See the separate Programming Manual for information on controlling the relays.

MIDI is used for instrument to instrument digital communications. The H7600 sends and receives Eventide system exclusive messages that allow a MIDI sequencer to remote control the H7600, among other things. In addition, the H7600 may respond to standard MIDI messages and may output standard MIDI messages. The H7600 has three MIDI ports:

n) In The H7600 accepts (and processes) MIDI messages received at the MIDI In port.

The connector is “7 pin.” It can also send MIDI messages from this connector to a suitably equipped system. A normal "5 pin" MIDI cable can be used as a standard MIDI input.

o) Out The H7600 sends MIDI messages to other devices via the Out port. MIDI messages are

also sent out the serial port if they are “enabled.”

p) Thru Any MIDI information received at the MIDI In port is echoed directly to the MIDI

Thru port regardless of the H7600’s configuration (as long as the H7600 is powered up).

With the Memory Card removed, the BUSY LED on the front panel illuminates whenever a MIDI message is received at the MIDI In port. Note: If the serial port is “enabled” and MIDI is “enabled,” a command received over either the serial port or the MIDI In port causes the port not receiving the command to be ignored until the command is complete.

→ See MIDI Setup on page 39.

q) Eve/Net Ethernet-like jack for use with Eve/Net remote controllers. See the Eventide Web

Site http://www.eventide.com for more information on Eve/Net. Do not connect

this jack to an Ethernet network or electrical damage may result.

r) Serial Port An IBM PC type RS232 connector that looks like a modem or printer to a connected

computer. Connect a "9 pin" serial cable to this port to transfer information to and from a personal computer (do not use the "null modem" type of cable designed for file transfer between two computers - it will not work). With the Memory Card removed, the

BUSY LED on the front panel illuminates whenever a message is received at the serial port. Note: If the serial port is

“enabled” and MIDI is “enabled,” a command received over either the serial port or the MIDI In port causes the port not receiving the command to be ignored until the command is complete.

→ See Setting Up the Serial Port on page 70.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

GETTING AROUND AND ALTERING PARAMETERS

Adjusting the Brightness and Contrast of the Display

Before we begin to describe the H7600’s interface, we ought to make sure you can see the display! Adjust the contrast of the display by pressing the SETUP key, then the SETUP key again, and then the leftmost SOFT KEY. Turn the KNOB to adjust contrast or press the DOWN CURSOR key and turn the KNOB to adjust brightness.

The “Areas” of the H7600

The H7600’s interface is divided into several functional “areas.” You access each area by pressing its key. You’ll know which area you’re in because the LED next to its key will be illuminated. The areas are:

PROGRAM Press the PROGRAM key to access this area.

Inside you’ll find utilities for sorting programs, loading programs, saving programs, deleting programs, and grouping programs of your choosing into "user groups." Press the PROGRAM key to access additional SOFT KEYS.

→ See Program Load, Save, Delete, Etc. on page 55.

SETUP Storage Press and hold down the PROGRAM key

for one second to access this area. The LED next to the PROGRAM key blinks. Inside you’ll find utilities for loading, saving, or deleting “setups.”

→ See Storing and Loading Setups on page 68. → To change the “hold time," see Miscellaneous Setup Options on page

PARAMETER Press the PARAMETER key to access this

area. Here you’ll find the parameters for the currently loaded programs. Continue pressing the PARAMETER key to access additional SOFT KEYS (if available).

→ See Parameters on page 63.

The PARAMETER key also gives access to the built-in Patch Editor. Press and hold down the PARAMETER key for one second to access this area. The LED next to the PARAMETER key blinks. The Patch Editor allows you to create your own effects from scratch or to customize programs that already exist.

→ See the separate Programmer’s Manual for more information on the Patch Editor. → To change the “hold time," see Miscellaneous Setup Options on page

68.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

LEVELS Press the LEVELS key to access this area.

Inside you’ll find level and Level Meter parameters.

→ See Controlling Levels on page 28.

SETUP Press the SETUP key to access this global,

“catch-all” area. Inside you’ll find digital setup controls, global MIDI setup, global “external” setup, display contrast/brightness, the pedal jacks’ setup, dump data utilities, next/previous program advance, and miscellaneous service utilities. Press the SETUP key more than once to access additional

SOFT KEYS.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

UNDERSTANDING THE DISPLAY AND SOFT KEYS

Every “area” in the H7600 makes use of the display, so understanding the display is critical. A generic screen of the sort typically found in the PARAMETER area is shown below. It exemplifies various aspects of the display that remain constant no matter what area of the H7600 you’re in.

tap tempo

indicator

soft keys

indicator

indicates current Menu Page

The upper left-hand corner of the display always shows the name and number of the program currently running. In the example shown above, we’re running the program “Centering Echoes.” The upper righthand corner of the display always describes the menu page you’re looking at. In the example shown above, we’re looking at the “tone controls” menu page.

Situated along the bottom of the display are the so-called “SOFT KEYS.” The four physical keys located below the display select menu pages or events corresponding to these SOFT KEYS. (They’re called “soft” because their function changes depending on context.) The “More soft keys” indicators are the little arrows next to the SOFT KEYS shown above. They indicate that if you press the “area” key you used to access the current display again, you will access more SOFT KEYS. The arrows are meant to imply that more pages exist in a nether-world beyond the display. . . For example, press the SETUP key to see the “More soft keys” indicators.

Press the

SETUP key again to get more SOFT KEYS.

Press the SETUP key twice more to return to the original set of

SOFT KEYS.

A “Stacked” SOFT KEY (such as pedals in the screen above) indicates that if you repeatedly press the “stacked” SOFT KEY, you will access more menus. The graphic is meant to imply that there are more pages lying “below” the “top” one.

For example, press the SETUP key. Press the stacked SOFT KEY

midi.

Curr ent Program

number name

highlighted soft key

soft

keys

name of Menu Page

Stacked soft key

(more pages

“beneath” this one)

indicator

soft keys

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Press it again to get a second menu page.

Press it again to get a third menu page.

Press it twice more to return to the original menu page.

Pressing a SOFT KEY repeatedly that is not stacked puts the H7600 into “self-destruct” mode. Just kidding. It has no effect.

When you press a SOFT KEY, it becomes highlighted. The middle section of the screen is a menu page corresponding to that highlighted SOFT KEY. Use the cursor keys to “move around” on the menu page. Use the KNOB, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the SELECT key to change and enter values.

→ See Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB on page 14.

Before moving on, we ought to say that not all SOFT KEYS are menu pages. Some SOFT KEYS are “triggers.” A “trigger” is a key that triggers an event, get it? You’ll always know the difference between menu page SOFT KEYS and trigger SOFT KEYS because menu page SOFT KEYS are rectangular, whereas trigger SOFT KEYS are hexagonal. On this screen main and info are menu pages, and

<ring> is a trigger.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB

We use the CURSOR keys, the KNOB, the SELECT key, and the NUMERIC KEYPAD to navigate and manipulate the menu pages found in the PARAMETER, Patch Editor, LEVELS, and SETUP areas. We’ll discuss their use in the

Use of the cursor keys is straightforward. The right, respectively. If you move the cursor “past the edge of the screen," it will “wrap” around to the other side. The UP and DOWN CURSOR keys move the cursor up and down, respectively. Again, the top and bottom “wrap” around.

Use the KNOB, NUMERIC KEYPAD, or the INC/DEC keys to alter the value of a numeric screen to change the value of the NUMERIC KEYPAD (pressing ENT when you’re done).

Use the KNOB or the INC/DEC keys to alter the value of a text parameter. For example, spin the KNOB or press the INC key to change Shape from Sine to Triangle on this screen.

Numeric parameters and text parameters cover 99% of the parameters you’ll see in the H7600, but there are a few more esoteric parameters you’ll encounter. One such oddball is the “trigger” parameter. “Triggers” trigger things to happen. You place the cursor over a trigger parameter, and trigger it by pressing

SELECT. Other oddballs include “Taps” and “Graphics.”

→ See Taps on page 65. → See Graphics and Curves on page 67.

PROGRAM and SETUP Storage areas in a bit.

LEFT and RIGHT CURSOR keys move the cursor left and

parameter. For example, spin the KNOB on this

Mix or enter a new value directly with

To get to a screen like this one, first press the

PROGRAM key. Scroll through the banks (using the LEFT or RIGHT CURSOR keys and the KNOB) to

“PHASERS." Scroll through the programs in that bank to “Stereoizing-Phaser." Load it and press the

PARAMETER key.

Ganged Parameters

In some cases there are multiple, related parameters that are usually adjusted together. To make such “mass adjustments” easy, a feature exists that gangs parameters together. The main menu page in the LEVELS area contains a good example of ganged parameters. The purpose of this menu page is to assign signal levels and wet/dry ratios. Such assignments are typically made in stereo gangs. So, both parameters are initially ganged together. Spin the KNOB and both values change.

Now, let’s say you only want to change

CURSOR

value for

key to “ungang” the pair. Now spin the KNOB; only the

OUT 1 changes.

OUT 1. Press the DOWN

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Pressing the DOWN CURSOR key again allows you to adjust OUT 2, while pressing the UP CURSOR key regangs the parameters. Gangs are much easier to use than to describe, so take a minute and play with the gangs on this menu page. You will find gangs sprinkled liberally throughout the H7600 as their presence facilitates many tasks.

Entering or Changing Text

In some menus, it will be necessary to enter or change text. For example, you will often change text when saving a new program. The method by which this is done is straightforward, albeit a bit tedious. To play along, go to the PROGRAM area and press the

(You may have to press the PROGRAM key a second time to see it.) Move the cursor

KEY.

over the

rename

field and press SELECT.

Here’s how it works:

• The upper-left portion of the display contains the text that’s being changed. Here we’ve entered "I Can

Type Fas..." - we’re not quite done.

• The CURSOR keys take you around the virtual keyboard.

• SELECT enters the currently selected letter (equivalent to actually pressing a key on a real keyboard).

• The Ø key toggles between "insert" and "overwrite" modes. Alternatively, you can place the cursor over

Ovr/Ins and press SELECT.

• The KNOB moves the insert/overwrite point on the top row.

• The × key toggles between capital and lower-case letters and

gives you access to very special characters such as "!", "@", and "&". Alternatively, you can place the cursor over Caps and press SELECT.

• The numeric keypad enters numbers, a decimal point, or a

minus sign.

• CXL will delete the current character.

• When you are finished naming the thing that needed naming, place the cursor over Enter and press

SELECT (or use the ENT key on the keypad). If you change your mind and don’t want to name the

thing that you thought needed naming, place the cursor over

SOFT

Quit and press SELECT.

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

QUICKSTART OR “NEARLY INSTANT GRATIFICATION”

All right, all right! Areas, displays, SOFT KEYS, parameter this, scroll that. . . BUT WHAT CAN IT DO? Let’s cut to the chase and get you up and running! Besides, if you play with the box a good deal before moving on to the finer points of operation, those finer points will stick better to the ol’ gray matter. . .

Here are the steps we will take:

1. First, we’ll connect the H7600 to the rest of your gear.

2. On page 18 we’ll set the input levels so that things don’t distort.

3. On page 19 we’ll learn how to “mute” the H7600 in the event of feedback.

4. On page 21 we’ll run programs and “tweak” their parameters.

5. Finally, on page 23 we’ll learn how to save the programs you’ve “tweaked” for future use.

Hooking Up

The diagram above shows the signal flow through the H7600 and is discussed in detail on page 28. But before we concentrate on what happens inside the H7600, we ought to get it hooked up to the rest of your studio. As was stated in the overview, we have two analog inputs, two analog outputs, two digital inputs, and two digital outputs all at our disposal all the time. The analog and digital inputs are summed before processing, and the output of the processor is always available at both the analog and digital outputs.

→ See The Back Panel on page 7 for information on the jack types and their specifications.

Hook up the analog inputs to suitable output sources, such as an analog mixer’s effect sends or the outputs of a preamplifier. The connections may be made with either balanced XLR connectors or unbalanced 1/4” connectors. You can plug a guitar into the 1/4" jacks, but you will need to turn up the input gain.

→ See Setting Input Levels on page 18.

Hook up the balanced analog outputs to suitable input recipients, such as an analog mixer or an amplifier.

Hook up the digital inputs to suitable output sources, such as a DAW (digital audio workstation) or a keyboard with digital outputs. The source of your digital signal must come from the same device (because a single cable carries two channels) and is taken from either the AES/EBU input jack or the S/P DIF input jack (see below to learn how to switch between the two).

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Hook up the digital outputs to a suitable input recipient, such as a DAW, a sampler, or a DAT machine. While the H7600’s output will be present at both the AES/EBU jack and the S/P DIF jack, the digital format at both will either be “pro” or “consumer” at both jacks (see below to learn how to switch between the two).

Note: You don’t have to hook up all of the inputs and outputs! You can, for instance, feed the H7600 with analog inputs and output digitally, or vice versa.

To make sure we aren’t stopped before we start, go to the audio menu page in the SETUP area (you may have to press the SETUP key a few

times to find it)

parameter to internal and the sample rate parameter to 48

kHz

as shown to the right (using the CURSOR keys and the KNOB).

If you are using the digital inputs, set the Source parameter to

external. The H7600 will derive its sampling rate from the

digital inputs and dstatus will read locked if all is well.

The digital inputs are “taken” from either the AES/EBU input jack or the S/P DIF input jack. Select one or the other with the parameter DIG IN on the left side of the menu page.

Digital outputs are “sent” to both the AES/EBU output jack and the S/P DIF output jack. Select the correct format (either “pro AES/EBU” or “consumer – S/P DIF”) with the parameter

DOUT.

→ To read about the digital setup in more detail, see Digital Setup on page 31.

. If you aren’t using the digital inputs, set the Source

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Setting Input Levels

As we’re sure you know, getting a high, but not distorted, signal at every point in a signal path is essential. The Level Meters help us to achieve this goal. In the LEVELS area go to the meter menu page to reach this screen. Adjust Source (with the KNOB or the INC/DEC keys) to read either analog in or digital in depending on which input levels you would like to view. The Level Meters now reflect either the analog or the digital inputs.

In this cursory introduction, we’ll only fiddle with the levels at the inputs but, rest assured, you can change levels anywhere in the signal path.

→ See:

• Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Inputs on page

• Wet/Dry Ratios and Output Levels on page

• Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Outputs on page

30.

Of course, it’s always best to optimize levels at their source (leaving the H7600’s boost/cut at 0dB). But if you can’t, then go to the inputs menu page in the LEVELS area. There you can boost/cut the analog inputs by +30dB/-90dB before the analog-to- digital converter with the gaintrim parameter.

Use the analog parameter to cut the analog inputs by 0dB/100dB after the analog-to-digital converter.

Use the digital parameter to cut the digital inputs by 0dB/100dB.

Assuming you set the Source of the Level Meters to analog in or digital in on the meter menu page in the LEVELS area, the meters reflect the input levels (after gaintrim is applied, but before analog or digital cuts are made). You want the loudest portions of the signal to approach, but not reach, the red “clip” LED at the top of the Level Meters. If you do clip a signal, you won’t hurt the H7600, but you will hurt your chances for career advancement - a clipped signal typically sounds nasty.

loss” box, it is possible, though very unlikely, to have undistorted signals at both the analog and digital inputs that become distorted when summed. If this is an issue (e.g., with heavily compressed material), set both the

→ For more information on setting input levels see Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Inputs on page 29.

analog

and

29.

30.

digital

parameters to

(Note: because the H7600 is a “0dB insertion

–3dB.

)

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Effecting Things

“The effect on your affect of the H7600’s effects

will affect your popularity positively.”

-Anonymous

“Panic” Muting

In a moment you’ll be loading and playing with programs, but before you do let it be said that the H7600 can produce LOUD sounds with very little warning in some of the programs in some situations. It would be nice to have a “panic” key to press in such

a situation. Let’s arrange things so that pressing the

key mutes all of the H7600’s outputs. Go to the audio menu in the SETUP area. Change the value of the

bypass parameter to mute as shown above. Now press the

light - you’ve muted the H7600. To un-mute, simply press the

→ For more information see Bypassing and Muting on page 37.

Loading Programs

key. The yellow led next to it will

key again.

Assuming you’ve loaded an appropriate routing configuration, the H7600 should be ready to process! All that remains is to load a program. To load a program, enter the PROGRAM area. The two "normal" menu pages you immediately find here, list and

Criteria, work together to give you access to the H7600’s hundreds of programs in a way that suits your

needs. In this section, we’ll only focus on two parameters on the

Criteria menu page, Sort By and Search By. Of the two, Search By is the most important parameter to understand.

→ The remaining parameters are discussed in Loading Programs on page 19.

You will see that each program has a three- or four-digit number and a name. The program number has two parts - the last two digits are a number between 0 and 99, the remaining digits are the bank number. The bank is a loose grouping of related programs, whose name appears briefly at the top right of the screen when a program is selected by moving onto it. The screen on the right shows that the selected program is part of a bank of "Distortion Tools."

Let’s go through an example. Say you want to use a delay-based program. First, go to the

Criteria menu page in the PROGRAM

area and set Search By to Effect and Sort By to Number.

Then, go to the

list menu page. The < - - and - - > SOFT KEYS search through programs as defined by

Search By on the Criteria menu page. Since we opted to Search By Effects, the < - - and - - > SOFT KEYS search through all of the available programs to find those that contain certain types of Effects:

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

• Samplers (S) Pitch shifters (P)

• Reverbs (R) Delays (D)

• Modulations (M) Complex Effects (C)

• Equalizers or Filters (E) dYnamics (Y)

You’ll know which set of effects is currently displayed by the information provided in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. In this example, the set contains 35 programs that use Dynamics (compressors, gates, etc.). Notice that all of the programs shown have a "Y" icon to the right of their name, indicating that they perform dynamics processing, among other things.

Press the programs that contain delays. Notice that all of the programs shown have a "D" icon to the right of their name, indicating that they perform delay processing, among other things.

Now, you can use the left and right CURSOR keys (not the SOFT

KEYS

"century." Pressing the right CURSOR key from the screen above jumps from program numbers that start with 2xx to programs that start with 3xx, as shown here! Pressing it again would jump to programs with numbers 4xx. You will recall that the first one or two digits form the bank number, so using these keys will jump from bank to bank.

Use the KNOB or the up and down CURSOR keys to move the highlighted section of the screen up or down.

Press the do, the H7600 moves you to the PARAMETER area so you can tweak the program. Notice that 8 Diatonicshifts is now the currently loaded program!

Back in the where designed for. The "searchable" sources are:

• Guitar Vocals

• Drums Keyboard

• Special FX Surround

< - - or - - > SOFT KEYS until you see the set of

we’ve been discussing!) to jump through the programs by

SELECT key to load the highlighted program. Once you

PROGRAM area, you can also Search By Source,

Source refers to the type of input the program was

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Press the < - - or - - > SOFT KEYS to flip through programs designed for these different Sources. Here we see 50 programs that were designed for use with Drums. The CURSOR keys and the KNOB behave just as they did when we Searched By

Effect

You can also

In this mode, the < - - SOFT KEY flips through the different sources (here we see programs designed for use with Gtr). The

- - > SOFT KEY flips through the different effect types (here we

see programs that use a Dly algorithm).

If you displayed in numerical order, but rather are displayed in alphabetical order.

See? Alphabetical order! Now, pressing the left or right CURSOR keys jumps through the alphabet. Pressing the right CURSOR key here would cause us to jump to Reverb programs that begin with "C".

The "Speed" indicator (a little be loaded and run for use at 88.2kHz and 96kHz sampling rates. In the screen shown to the right, only Basilica could not be run at higher sampling rates because it does not have the "Speed" indicator.

→ See Sampling Rates on page 32 for more information.

Search By Src+FX.

Sort By Name, as shown here, the programs are no longer

) indicates that this program can

Parameters

Simply loading programs probably won’t prove satisfying for too long; you’ll want to mess with the parameters on the programs you load. This is accomplished in the PARAMETER area. Very little can be said generally about what you’ll find in the

PARAMETER area because every program in the H7600 is a

unique “algorithm.” Each unique algorithm (i.e., program) calls for its own unique parameters.

→ To learn more about the “algorithmic” nature of the H7600’s programs, read the separate Programmer’s Manual.

A huge number of the H7600's LFO's, delay times, reverb decays, etc., are designed to synch to a system tempo defined on the

tempo

menu page in the SETUP area. Say you're working on a song that’s

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

at 130 BPM. Simply set the system tempo to 130 and most of the H7600's LFO's delay times will be appropriate for the song. No more calculators. You can also derive the system tempo from a MIDIclock signal applied to the H7600's MIDI input. Simply set Source to Midiclock. When system tempo is active, the little icon at the top left of the screen will flash at the tempo rate.

Parameters that synch to the system tempo are identified by "t_" such as "t_rate" and "t_fmrate" and are adjusted in musical terms such as "whole note" and "dot 1/8." You will find them in the PARAMETER area of most programs.

→ See System Tempo on page 65 → Some parameters, such as delay loops, use the system timer. They are also denoted by "t_". See System Timer on page 66.

You will usually find an info or about menu page in the

PARAMETER area. In it, you will find general information about

what the program does along with any notes concerning special parameters or “non-obvious things.”

Many, but by no means all, of the programs in the H7600 currently support an "expert mode” feature. The expert mode parameter controlling this feature is found on the misc menu

page in the SETUP area (you may have to press the

a few times to find it). A setting of 0 hides all but the most relevant menu pages in the PARAMETER area. Conversely, a setting of 9 reveals all of the available menu pages in the PARAMETER area. Settings between 0 and 9 reveal an increasing number of menu pages in the PARAMETER area.

Leave expert mode at 9 if you like lots of parameters to tinker with, at 0 if you find lots of parameters annoying, or somewhere in-between if your tastes fall somewhere in-between.

→ See Miscellaneous Setup Options on page 68 for information on the other parameters on this screen.

It should also be mentioned that any parameter on any menu page can be “remote controlled” via MIDI or the rear foot pedal jacks. Telling you how to do this entails discussing voluminous topics such as setting up MIDI globals, setting up foot pedal globals, and navigating a “remote control” menu page. Such a discussion wouldn’t be in keeping with the concept of this Quickstart section.

→ If this really piques your interest, go ahead and read:

• Setting Up the External Controllers on page

• External Modulation and Trigger Menu Pages on page

• Remote Controlling Parameters on page

38.

41.

52.

key

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

“Tweaking” and Saving “Tweaks”

Different sets of parameter values for a single program are said to be different "tweaks" of that program. As you play with the parameters on the preset programs, you are "tweaking" those preset programs. For instance, let’s say you want a program that mimics the frequency response of your neighbor’s television as heard through your wall. You want to "tweak" the parameters of a filter program in order to get the correct frequency response.

First, load the program "Filter_Q."

Do some long calculations involving transmission coefficients and dispersion laws to arrive at the proper filter cutoff frequency and resonance. Enter them. Notice the asterisk "*" that appears after the name. This is to tell you that the program has been changed and that you will lose the changes if you don't do a save.

→ See Saving a Program on page 55.

To avoid going through the entire arduous math the next time you want to mimic the frequency response of your neighbor’s television, you should save your tweaks as a new program. Press the PROGRAM key to enter the program area.

Press the PROGRAM key a second time and then press the Save

SOFT KEY. Check that there is enough Space and then place the

cursor over the rename field and press SELECT.

Use the fancy typewriter to give your tweak an endearing name. Then place the cursor over Enter and press SELECT to return to the Save menu page.

→ To learn how to enter text, see Entering or Changing

Turn the KNOB on the top line to select an unoccupied program slot. Then place the cursor over

After selecting save, you can verify that your program is now listed under the list menu page in the PROGRAM area. Note that there is a U to the left of the I/O Identifiers - this shows that this was saved as a User Program. A C would indicate that the program

was saved on a Memory Card.

Now, you can load your tweak and feel edgy and irritated even when the neighbors are on vacation!

→ To read about using Memory Cards, see Memory Cards on page 26.

Text on page 15.

save and press SELECT!

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Using User Groups to Organize Useful Programs

The H7600 contains an easy to use facility for organizing programs that you find useful. You may want to keep a "collection" of your favorite programs. You may want to keep a "collection" of effects that were used on a particular project. You may want to keep a "collection" of programs for use during a show.

→See Categorized by You (User Groups) on page 57 for more info.

Go to the usergrp menu page in the PROGRAM area. There are twenty groups in which we can collect programs, ten stored internally U and ten on a Memory Card C. Let’s say we want to collect

the currently loaded program, Seethy Two Reverb, in Group3. Simply move the cursor to "Loaded Program" and hit SELECT. This will put the name in the top row (or, you could use the knob or keypad to find it, but this is easier). Then move to the second row and turn the KNOB until Group3 appears and press SELECT! This will change out to in and vice-versa. The Usergroup will be saved automatically every time a change is made.

Now for quick access to your collections, set Search By to User

Grp

on the Criteria menu page in the PROGRAM area.

Go to the list menu page and use the < - - and - - > SOFT KEYS to find Group3. There’s the Seethy Two Reverb!

You can also change the names of the groups to something more useful than "group." Press and hold the PROGRAM key until you see the Routing Storage area. Do it again until you see the Setup Storage area. Do it again! Now you’ll see all the Usergroups!

To rename a group, highlight it with the KNOB. Then tap the

PROGRAM key so you can see the <rename> SOFT KEY. Press

the <rename> key and use the typewriter to enter a better name. When you’re finished, use the name!

→See Entering or Changing

Text on page 15

Enter key to save your chosen

The H7600 Family Operating Manual

Wrap Up

So, there you have it. The procedure we followed in this Quickstart section is more or less the procedure you will follow whenever you use the H7600. First, you’ll get an input level, then you’ll load a program, then you’ll tweak the parameters to “customize” your effect, and then you’ll save your tweak for later use. Doing this much will give you an appreciation of the horsepower under the hood of the H7600. But only doing this much won’t give you an appreciation of the amazing versatility of the H7600:

• In addition to altering levels at the inputs, you can alter and monitor levels at any point in the signal

path.

→ See Controlling Levels on page 28.

• Programs and “setups” can be saved to and loaded from removable Memory Cards, as well as internal

memory.

→ See Memory Cards on page 26.

• In addition to loading programs from the front panel, programs can be loaded remotely via MIDI pro-

gram change messages or external “triggers."

→ See Loading a Program Remotely on page 55.

• The digital inputs and outputs have comprehensive sample rate and sync parameters to complement any

digital installation.

→ See Digital Setup on page 31.

• Any parameter in the H7600 can be “remote controlled” via MIDI or the rear panel foot pedal jacks 1

and 2.

→ See Setting Up the External Controllers on page 38, External Modulation and Trigger Menu Pages on page 41, and Remote Controlling Parameters on page

• Existing programs can be altered or entirely new programs can be created in the Patch Editor.

→ See the separate Programmer’s Manual.

52.

+ 62 hidden pages

Eventide H7600 Operating Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL – READ THIS FIRST

OVERVIEW AND QUICKST ART

THE BIG PICTURE

KNOBS, KEYS, AND JACKS

The Front Panel

The Back Panel

GETTING AROUND AND ALTERING PARAMETERS

Adjusting the Brightness and Contrast of the Display

The “Areas” of the H7600

UNDERSTANDING THE DISPLAY AND SOFT KEYS

Using the Cursor Keys, the SELECT Key, the NUMERIC KEYPAD, and the KNOB

Ganged Parameters

Entering or Changing Text

QUICKSTART OR “NEARLY INSTANT GRATIFICATION”

Hooking Up

Setting Input Levels

Effecting Things

“Panic” Muting

Loading Programs

Parameters

“Tweaking” and Saving “Tweaks”

Using User Groups to Organize Useful Programs

Wrap Up