Lexicon Lexicon Studio User Guide

1 2 T S y s t e m U s e r G u i d e

Unpacking and Inspection

After unpacking the12T system modules, save all packing materials in case you ever need to ship the units. Thoroughly inspect the modules and
packing materials for signs of damage. Report any damage to the carrier at once; report equipment malfunction to your dealer.

Notice

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designated to provide reasonable protection
against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment OFF and ON, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient the receiving antenna
Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver
Move the computer away from the receiver
Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and receiver are on different branch circuits.

If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. The user may find the
following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful:

"How to identify and Resolve Radio/TV Interference Problems."

This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.
Le présent appareil numérique n'émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la class A

prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des Communications du Canada.

This triangle, which appears on
your component, alerts you to
the presence of uninsulated,
dangerous voltage inside the
enclosure... voltage that may be
sufficient to constitute a risk of
shock.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCKRISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPENDO NOT OPEN

This triangle, which appears on
your component, alerts you to
important operating and main­tenance instructions in this ac­companying literature.

Copyright 1998, Lexicon Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Lexicon Part #070-12131

Lexicon Inc.
3 Oak Park
Bedford MA 01730-1441
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.lexicon.com

Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 T S y s t e m U s e r G u i d e

Table of Contents

1 Getting Started

Introduction .......................................................... 1

System Requirements .......................................... 1

Versions of Windows .....................................2

High Performance Systems ........................... 2

SCSI vs. IDE .................................................. 3

2 Installation

Precautions ..........................................................5

Hardware Installation ........................................... 6

Setup .............................................................6

Mount the PC-90 Card

onto the Core-32 Card .............................6

Attach the PCI Extender ................................5

Install the Core-32/PC-90 Assemby ..............7

Connect the LDI-12T Interface

to Audio Sources...................................... 9

Software Installation ........................................... 10

Install Supported Third Party

Audio Software....................................... 10

Install the ASIO Lexicon Studio Driver

for Windows 95 ......................................10

Install the PC-90 Software for Windows 95 .10

System Connections ..........................................11

Front Panel Connections ............................. 11

Rear Panel Connections .............................. 12

Typical Configurations ................................. 12

3 Core-32 Basics

Signal Routing.................................................... 15

Core-32 Control Panel ....................................... 16

Ctrl I/O ......................................................... 17

Reverb ............................................................... 19

Punch Record .................................................... 22

Configuring the Punch Feature.................... 22

The Mix Level control................................... 23

Timecode and Synchronization .......................... 24

Setting Up Cubase to Sync to Timecode..... 25

Setting the Audio Sync Clock Reference..... 25

Sample Rates .............................................. 26

Word Clock .................................................. 26

Word Clock Sources .................................... 27

Recording .................................................... 27

4 Using the PC-90

Basic Operation.................................................. 29

The Interface................................................ 29

Inserting a Plug-In........................................30

Routing an Audio Channel through

the PC-90............................................... 30

Selecting PC-90 and Making Settings ......... 31

Naming Effects ............................................ 33

Saving Effects.............................................. 33

Loading Effects ............................................ 34

Editing Effects.............................................. 34

Beyond the Basics ............................................. 35

Routing a Plug-In ......................................... 35

Automating the PC-90 ................................. 39

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5 Reference

PC-90 Algorithms ............................................... 41

Ambience..................................................... 41

Chamber ...................................................... 42

Concert Hall ................................................. 43

Inverse ......................................................... 43

Room ........................................................... 44

The Parameters ................................................. 45

Chorus ......................................................... 45

Crossover .................................................... 45

Decay...........................................................45

Decay Lvl ..................................................... 45

Definition...................................................... 45

Diffusion....................................................... 46

Duration ....................................................... 46

Echo Delays.................................................46

Echo Feedback............................................ 46

Effects Mix ................................................... 46

HF Rolloff..................................................... 46

Infinite .......................................................... 47

Input Lvl ....................................................... 47

Link .............................................................. 47

Mid RT and Bass Mult ................................. 47

Pre Delay ..................................................... 47

Range and Rate...........................................47

Reverb Level................................................ 48

Reflect Delays.............................................. 48

Reflect Levels .............................................. 48

Shape, Spread............................................. 48

Size.............................................................. 48

Slope............................................................49

Spin..............................................................49

Treble Dcy ................................................... 49

Preset Descriptions ............................................ 50

Notes on Preset Design............................... 50

Appendix A

Third Party Support ............................................A1

Steinberg Cubase VST ................................ A1

Appendix B

Troubleshooting .................................................B1

Installation Troubleshooting.........................B1

PC Troubleshooting .....................................B2

Optimizing Windows 95 for

Audio Applications..................................B4

Common Problems and Solutions ...............B7

Poor System Performance...........................B8

Pops and Clicks ...........................................B8

Appendix C

Specifications .................................................... C1

ii

Lexicon Inc.
3 Oak Park
Bedford MA 01730-1441
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.lexicon.com

Lexicon Part # 070-12131

Introduction

Getting StartedLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

1

Getting Started

Thank you for your purchase of a Lexicon Studio system. Lexicon Studio provides a line of
professional hardware components for computers that provides uncompromised audio quality and
extensive processing capability. This family of products is designed to allow you to tailor your working
environment to your needs. Lexicon Studio provides I/O options, DSP, signal routing, and synchro­nization for industry leading software.

Although written to accommodate both novice and expert users, this manual assumes some
familiarity with the software application you have selected to interface with Lexicon Studio. If you have
questions concerning the use of your software application, refer to the manufacturer’s user manual
before using your Lexicon Studio system.

A “Read Me” file containing late-breaking information is provided on diskette with your Lexicon Studio
system, along with On-Line documentation for the PC-90.

System Requirements

The following system is recommended as the minimum for working with Lexicon Studio and Steinberg
Cubase Audio VST:

• 166 MHz Pentium Processor or compatible equivalent (Please visit our Web site for the latest
information on compatibility.)

• 64 MB of RAM

• Audio-capable disk drive

• Microsoft Windows — 95™ or later

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Getting Started

Lexicon

Versions of Windows

Lexicon Studio requires Windows 95 A or B. Studio is not compatible with Windows 95 V0. To
determine the version of Windows you are running, follow these steps:

1. In the Control Panel, double-click System.

2. Click the General tab.

3. Locate the version number under the System heading, then refer to the following table:

Version Version of Windows

4.00.950 Windows 95 V. 0

4.00.950A Windows 95 plus the Service Pack 1 Update, or OEM Service Release 1.

4.00.950B OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2)

4.00.950C OEM Service Release 2.5 (OSR2.5)

4.10.1650 Beta 3 Current Beta version of Windows 98

As of the release of this manual, Windows 98 was not released. Lexicon has, however, tested with
this version of Windows, and plans to support it on release. Upgrade to Windows 95 A, B or C, as
necessary.

High Performance Systems

Popular software packages like Cubase VST, Logic Audio and Digital Performer all show perfor­mance improvements with high CPU speeds and additional RAM. A high performance system
benefits from the following:

• Fast CPU — Intel is the best PC choice. CPUs from other manufacturers often don’t perform as
well at the same rated clock speeds and may have variant implementations of important sections
like the FPU (Floating Point Unit).

• A system “boot” drive and a separate drive for audio

• A reliable video card with current drivers. Some cards offer acceleration done in such a way as
to “hog” the PCI bus and create data logjams. A computer offering AGP (Advanced Graphic Port)
capability for the graphics card is preferable as it gets the video off of the PCI bus.

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Getting StartedLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

SCSI Vs. IDE

Both SCSI and IDE offer distinct advantages:

Benefits Liabilities

SCSI fast bus performance, Use of a PCI card to

removable media interface to the computer
lots of choices of high increases bus traffic
performance drives

IDE: drives approach SCSI the IDE bus is slower

performance, inexpensive, (in most cases this is NOT
using the IDE bus the limiting factor)
decreases activity on the fewer model choices,
SCSI bus no removable media

A system that uses SCSI (PCI) for audio I/O transfers, and IDE for data transfers to and from the hard
drive, and the AGP port for graphics traffic wins the performance test. Adding a SCSI card and
removable media to transport jobs (copying them to and from the internal IDE drive) wins on
performance with the currently available technology. Stay tuned on our WEB site for the latest
recommendations as technology changes.

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Getting Started

Lexicon

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4

Depending on your computer, installation of your Lexicon Studio system should take about 20
minutes. Please read through the entire procedure before performing the installation.

Precautions

• Turn off and unplug your computer.

• Use the anti-static wrist strap provided with your system and make sure that you are grounded

• Put the anti-static bags containing your cards near your computer to avoid walking around with

• Before handling any Lexicon Studio cards, discharge any personal static electricity that may be

• Handle the cards only by their edges, as you would a CD. Avoid touching the pins on the bottom

• Save the anti-static bags containing your Core-32 System card and PC-90 module. These

InstallationLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

2

Installation

during the entire installation process to prevent static charges that can damage components.

a card after it is removed from its bag (and generating static electricity).

on your clothes or body by touching a grounded metal surface, such as the power supply case
inside your computer.

edge of the cards.

prevent static electricity from damaging sensitive electronic components on the cards. Whenever
cards are removed from your computer, they should be stored in these bags.

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Installation

Hardware Installation

Setup

1. Put on the anti-static wrist strap.

2. Place the foam from your Lexicon Studio package on top of a work surface next to your computer.
(Any flat piece of static-safe foam with similar dimensions to the Core-32 card can be used).

3. Make sure that you computer is properly shut down and unplugged.

4. Remove the computer top cover and PCI slot cover(s) for the slots you’ve chosen for your Lexicon
Studio cards. If you do not know how to open your computer, consult your computer owner’s
manual.

5. Touch the computer power supply case to discharge any personal static electricity.

6. Remove the Core-32 from its anti-static bag, holding the card only by its edges. Be careful to avoid
touching the pins on the bottom edge of the card. Place the Core-32 bag on top of the foam and
place the card on the foam with the white PC-90 connector facing up as shown below.

Mount the PC-90 card onto the Core-32 card

The PC-90 module can only be mounted onto a Lexicon Studio Core-32 system card. Attempting to
attach your PC-90 to any other type of PCI card may damage your PC-90 module.

Lexicon

1. Touch the computer power supply case to discharge any personal static.

2. Remove the PC-90 module from its anti-static bag, holding the card only by its edges. Place the
bag on your work surface next to your computer and place the PC-90 on it with its white connector
facing up.

3. Pick up the PC-90 card and orient it so that the connector side faces away from the palm of your
hand.

4. Pick up the Core-32 card in your other hand. Orient the cards with their connector sides facing
each other and align the connectors at the top of each card. Firmly press the cards together until
they connect fully. The holes on the edges of the Core-32 card should be aligned with the
standoffs on the PC-90 card.

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InstallationLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

5. Once the cards are mated, place the assembly, with the Core-32 card on top, onto the Core-32
anti-static bag. Use the four screws provided to attach the PC-90 to the Core-32 card. Do not
overtighten the screws as you may damage the PC board.

Attach the PCI Extender

The extender provides support for cards installed horizontally and prevents boards from touching
each other and shorting. To attach the extender:

1. Holding the Core-32 assembly by its edges, align the holes of the board and the extender.

2. Insert two screws (provided) from the back of the Core-32 card as shown. Do not overtighten the
screws, as you may damage the PC board.

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Installation

Lexicon

Install the Core-32/PC-90 assembly

The Core-32 System card must be installed in a full-size PCI slot which is a bus master. Refer to your
computer owner’s manual to determine which slots are available as bus masters. (On some older
motherboards, the PCI slot next to the ISA bus connector [the PCI/ISA shared slot] is not a PCI bus
master slot.)

1. Touch the computer power supply case to discharge personal static.

2. Pick up the Core-32/PC-90 assembly by the top of the metal bracket and the top of the other end
of the card.

3. Align the card assembly over the slot you’ve chosen and insert it.

4. Place one hand along the top edge of the card and push down firmly until the card is fully seated
in the slot. Do not use excessive force.

5. Once the card is fully seated, attach the Core-32 bracket to the computer chassis with the screws
provided with your computer. If you are standing the computer up, check to see that boards are
not bending and shorting against each other.

6. Replace the cover on the computer. Do not operate the system without the cover.

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InstallationLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

Connect the LDI-12T Interface to Audio Sources

Cables/Connections

1. Use only the proprietary Lexicon cable (provided) to connect the Core-32 card to the LDI-12T
Interface.

2. With both the computer and the LDI-12T powered down, attach the cable between the lower
connector on the back of the Core-32 card and the Computer port on the LDI-12T rear panel.

3. Connect the 9V connector to the AC Power port on the rear panel of the LDI-12T, and plug the
other end into a wall socket.

The LDI-12T supports various formats of analog and digital I/O. Make certain your cables are the
correct types prior to connection. (Analog XLR connectors are +4dBu balanced (Pin 2 hot) , analog
RCA connectors are –10dBV unbalanced). To select a source for input or output within the application
software, refer to the documentation provided with your particular software package

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Installation

Software Installation

Install Supported Third Party Audio Software

Lexicon Studio requires compatible front-end software (such as Cubase Audio VST) to operate.
Please refer to your particular software installation guide for assistance. As Lexicon Studio installs
software within directories of your front-end software, you should install your audio software first and
verify that it launches properly before installing Lexicon Studio (even though it will not be audio­capable until installation of the Lexicon Studio system).

Install the ASIO Lexicon Studio Driver for Windows 95

1. With the Core-32 assembly installed, power up your computer and your LDI-12T interface. Once
your computer is fully booted, Windows 95 will identify a new PCI multimedia device (In the event
of booting problems, refer to the troubleshooting section of this manual).

2. Insert Disk 1: Lexicon Studio Drivers. Windows 95 will search the floppy drive for the .inf file. Once
this is found, click Finish.

3. Restart your computer.

In future versions of the Lexicon Studio drivers, the Installer will remove any prior versions of this
software found in your system and place all components as required. Following is a list of files installed
and their locations:

Lexicon

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File Location

asiolex.dll C:\LxStudio
Core32.dll C:\LxStudio
Coredsp.pci C:\LxStudio
Corefpga.bin C:\LxStudio
Corev40.bin C:\LxStudio
Diagv40.bin C:\LxStudio
lxstudio.inf Installs as LexiconStudio.inf within

C:\Windows\Inf\Other
Core32.vxd C:\Windows\System
lexmtc.drv C:\Windows\System

Install the PC-90 Software for Windows 95

1. Insert Disk 2: PC-90 Software Disk

2. Open the disk and double-click on Setup.exe to launch the Installer.

3. Make certain that the Installer is directed toward the desired plug-in folders (example:
c:\..\Cubase Audio VST\vstplugins)

4. Click Next to install PC-90 software

5. Click Finish to complete the PC-90 software installation.

6. Restart your computer

Installing the PC-90 software will file it within the registry. To remove or update this software, remove
the PC-90 install by using the Add/Remove Programs control panel, highlighting PC-90 Install, and
selecting Remove. This control panel is located at Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add/Remove
Programs.

System Connections

The Lexicon Studio 12T system has the following signal connections.

Front Panel Connections

InstallationLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

LDI-12T

POWER

PUSH

PUSH

TIME

CODE

INPUT

S/PDIF

In

Out

ANALOG OUT RL ANALOG IN RL

L

R

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

• Two (2) analog +4dBu balanced XLR inputs (The stereo input is switchable between the +4dBu
output and the –10dBV input pair.)

• Two (2) analog -10 unbalanced RCA inputs

• Two (2) analog +4dBu balanced XLR outputs (pin 2 hot)

• One (1) S/PDIF pair RCA (coaxial) digital input/output

• One (1) balanced XLR Time Code input

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Installation

Lexicon

Rear Panel Connections

SYNC IN SYNC OUT

ADAT or S/PDIFADAT

AUDIO

OutIn

COMPUTER

WORD CLOCK IN

RS-422

POWER

Two (2) optical TOSLINK™ connectors for input/output connection to 8-channel ADAT-compatible

format OR 2-channel Optical S/PDIF format

Two (2) ADAT sync D9 connectors
One (1) Word Clock input BNC connector (75 ohm termination)
One (1) Serial D9 connector
One (1) Power connection
One (1) Multi-pin computer connector
NOTE: The BNC Word Clock Input has a 75 ohm termination. Therefore, if you are distributing Word

Clock to a chain of devices, the LDI-12T must be last in the chain.

Typical Configurations

Following are some typical LDI-12T configurations. These are provided as a starting point, and to
familiarize you with the possibilities your system provides. Once your system is physically configured,
signal routing is controlled by the Lexicon Studio Driver and the routing provided by your host
application program (Cubase VST, for example). Use of the Lexicon Studio Driver and examples of
typical host application routing is covered in the next section,

Signal Routing

.

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InstallationLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

The configuration shown below has the analog outputs connected to speakers for monitoring, S/PDIF
to a DAT for mixing, and ADAT connections for multi-channel recording. The XLR analog inputs could
be from a mixer or microphone/instrument pre-amp, or the RCA inputs could be used for low-level
devices such as a CD player or cassette deck.

S/PDIF In

DAT Recorder

LDI-12T Rear

SYNC IN SYNC OUT

ADAT TOSLINK Out

ADAT or S/PDIFADAT

AUDIO

OutIn

POWER

LDI-12T

CD Player

S/PDIF ANALOG OUT R

PUSH

PUSH

TIME

In

CODE

INPUT

Out

–10dBV Inputs

L ANALOG IN RL

LDI-12T Front

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

L

R

ADAT

Mixer

+4dBu Inputs

S/PDIF connections can be made to any digital device such as the send/returns of a digital signal
processor.

LDI-12T Front

POWER

LDI-12T

S/PDIF ANALOG OUT R

PUSH

PUSH

TIME

In

CODE

INPUT

Out

S/PDIF Digital I/O Connection

L ANALOG IN RL

L

R

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

Effects Processor

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Installation

Lexicon

Optical S/PDIF connections are provided as an alternative to the normal 8-channel ADAT format.

LDI-12T Rear

SYNC IN SYNC OUT

ADAT or S/PDIFADAT

AUDIO

OutIn

S/PDIF Optical I/O Connection

COMPUTER

WORD CLOCK IN

RS-422

POWER

DAT Player

The LDI-12T can accept different input and output formats as shown below. This configuration can
be used for format conversion from optical S/PDIF to coaxial (RCA) S/PDIF and to provide flexible
routing.

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CD Player

SYNC IN SYNC OUT

LDI-12T Rear

LDI-12T

LDI-12T Front

S/PDIF Optical In

ADAT or S/PDIFADAT

AUDIO

OutIn

POWER

PUSH

PUSH

TIME

CODE

INPUT

DAT Player

S/PDIF

In

Out

S/PDIF Coaxial Out

Signal Routing

Using Cubase VST as an example of a host application, the following things determine signal routing.

1. LDI-12T connections.

2. Configuration of the Core-32 Control Panel.

3. Inputs and outputs selected and enabled in Cubase Audio VST.
Typically, all connections will appear directly in the application as available inputs and outputs along

with the Core-32 Control Panel routing for the PC-90 and Punch Record. Details on these are covered
in the following section.

Core-32 BasicsLexicon Studio 12T System User Guide

3

Core-32 Basics

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Core-32 Basics

Core-32 Control Panel

Several features of your Lexicon Studio System are set up for the specific program you are using in
the Core-32 Control Panel. To access the Control Panel, pull down the Audio Menu, select System
and click on the ASIO Control Panel button.

Lexicon

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The method of selecting Tabs for different pages, will be familiar to users of Windows and other
Microsoft products. The selections are: Ctrl I/O, Reverb, Punch and Timecode