MIDIDSP C-DSP 8X12 User Manual
miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice 1
C-DSP 8X12
8-IN 12-OUT ADVANCED IN-CAR AUDIO PROCESSOR
User Manual
miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice 2
Revision history
Revision
Description
Date
V0.1
Preliminary version
15 February 2017
V0.2
Corrected specifications
16 February 2017
V0.3
REW at 192 kHz info
20 February 2017
V0.4
Revised preliminary based on 1.0 plugin
14 May 2107
V1.0
First release version for 1.0 plugin
22 May 2017
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CONTENTS
Important Information ...............................................................................................................................................5
System Requirements .............................................................................................................................................5
Disclaimer/Warning ................................................................................................................................................5
Warranty Terms ......................................................................................................................................................6
FCC Class B Statement ............................................................................................................................................6
CE Mark Statement .................................................................................................................................................6
A note on this manual ............................................................................................................................................6
1 Product Overview ................................................................................................................................................7
1.1 Typical usage ..............................................................................................................................................7
1.2 The miniDSP concept ..................................................................................................................................8
1.3 Plugin feature summary .............................................................................................................................8
2 The miniDSP workflow .........................................................................................................................................9
3 Software installation ......................................................................................................................................... 11
3.1 Windows .................................................................................................................................................. 11
3.2 Mac .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
4 Hardware connectivity ...................................................................................................................................... 13
4.1 Analog inputs ........................................................................................................................................... 13
4.1.1 Low-level inputs ............................................................................................................................... 13
4.1.2 High-level inputs .............................................................................................................................. 14
4.2 Digital input ............................................................................................................................................. 15
4.3 Analog outputs ........................................................................................................................................ 15
4.4 DC power ................................................................................................................................................. 16
4.4.1 Powered on power (position 1) ....................................................................................................... 16
4.4.2 Remote trigger (position 2) ............................................................................................................. 16
4.5 Wired remote .......................................................................................................................................... 17
4.6 USB .......................................................................................................................................................... 17
5 Configuring the processor ................................................................................................................................. 18
5.1 Synchronizing with the processor ........................................................................................................... 18
5.2 Master mute ............................................................................................................................................ 19
5.3 Subwoofer and Master volume ............................................................................................................... 20
5.3.1 To select the channels controlled in Subwoofer Volume mode ..................................................... 20
5.3.2 To change the volume control mode .............................................................................................. 20
5.4 Inputs tab ................................................................................................................................................. 21
5.4.1 Digital input selection ...................................................................................................................... 21
5.4.2 Input channel strips ......................................................................................................................... 22
5.5 Routing tab .............................................................................................................................................. 23
5.5.1 Mixing channels ............................................................................................................................... 23
5.5.2 Routing to multiple outputs ............................................................................................................ 24
5.5.3 Cross-point gain and inversion ........................................................................................................ 25
5.6 Output tabs .............................................................................................................................................. 26
5.6.1 Channel strip layout ......................................................................................................................... 27
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5.6.2 Channel label ................................................................................................................................... 27
5.6.3 Level meter and gain control ........................................................................................................... 27
5.6.4 Parametric EQ .................................................................................................................................. 28
5.6.5 Crossover ......................................................................................................................................... 30
5.6.6 Compressor ...................................................................................................................................... 32
5.6.7 Time delay ....................................................................................................................................... 33
5.6.8 Invert and mute ............................................................................................................................... 33
5.7 Custom biquad programming .................................................................................................................. 34
5.7.1 What’s a “biquad? ........................................................................................................................... 34
5.7.2 Using custom biquad programming ................................................................................................ 34
5.7.3 Biquad design software ................................................................................................................... 36
5.8 Working with configurations ................................................................................................................... 37
5.8.1 Online and offline mode .................................................................................................................. 37
5.8.2 Selecting a configuration ................................................................................................................. 37
5.8.3 Saving and loading configurations ................................................................................................... 38
5.8.4 Loading configurations from microSD card ..................................................................................... 38
5.8.5 Restoring to defaults ....................................................................................................................... 39
5.9 Keyboard shortcuts ................................................................................................................................. 39
5.10 Remote trigger timing ............................................................................................................................. 40
6 Using the C-DSP 8x12 ........................................................................................................................................ 41
6.1 Status indicators ...................................................................................................................................... 41
6.2 Controls ................................................................................................................................................... 41
6.3 Infrared remote control........................................................................................................................... 42
7 Additional information ...................................................................................................................................... 43
7.1 Specifications ........................................................................................................................................... 43
7.2 Input sensitivity setting ........................................................................................................................... 44
7.3 Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................................... 45
7.4 Obtaining support .................................................................................................................................... 46
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read the following information before use. In case of any questions, please contact miniDSP via the
support portal at minidsp.desk.com.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
To configure the miniDSP audio processor, you will require a Windows PC or Apple Mac OS X computer with the
following minimum specification:
Windows
• PC with 1GHz or higher processor clock speed. Intel® Pentium®/Celeron® family, or AMD K6®/AMD
Athlon®/AMD Duron® family, or compatible processor recommended.
• 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher
• Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
• USB 2.0 port
• Microsoft• ® Windows® Vista® SP1/ XP pro SP2/Win7/Win8.1/Win10
• Microsoft• ® .NET framework v3.5 or later
• Adobe AIR environment (latest version)
• Adobe Flash player (latest version)
Mac OS X
• Intel-based Mac with 1 GHz or higher processor clock speed
• 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher
• Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
• USB 2.0 port
• Mac OS X 10.8 or higher
• Adobe AIR environment (latest version)
• Adobe Flash player (latest version)
DISCLAIMER/WARNING
miniDSP cannot be held responsible for any damage that may result from the improper use of this product or
incorrect configuration of its settings. As with any other product, we recommend that you carefully read this
manual and other technical notes to ensure that you fully understand how to operate this product. The miniDSP
audio processor is a powerful tool, and misuse or misconfiguration, such as incorrectly set gains or excessive
boost, can produce signals that may damage your audio system.
As a general guideline, you should perform the initial configuration of the miniDSP audio processor before
enabling audio through any connected output device or amplification. Doing so will help ensure that the
software is correctly configured.
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Finally, note that the miniDSP audio processor is a very flexible device, and many of the questions we receive at
the tech support department are already answered in this user manual and in the online application notes on
the miniDSP.com website. So please take the time to carefully read this user manual and the online technical
support. Thanks for your understanding!
WARRANTY TERMS
miniDSP Ltd warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one
year from the invoice date. Our warranty does not cover failure of the product due to incorrect connection or
installation, improper or undocumented use, unauthorized servicing, modification or alteration of the unit in any
way, or any usage outside of that recommended in this manual. If in doubt, contact miniDSP prior to use.
FCC CLASS B STATEMENT
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Warning: 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. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause 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 to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate 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.
Notice: Shielded interface cable must be used in order to comply with emission limits.
Notice: Changes or modification not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
CE MARK STATEMENT
The C-DSP 8x12 has passed the test performed according to European Standard EN 55022 Class B.
A NOTE ON THIS MANUAL
This User Manual is designed for reading in both print and on the computer. If printing the manual, please print
double-sided. The embedded page size is 8 ½” x 11”. Printing on A4 paper will result in a slightly reduced size.
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1 PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Thank you for choosing the miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 advanced in-car audio processor. The C-DSP 8x12 features an
onboard isolated power supply, stereo digital inputs (x2), 6 analog inputs, 12 analog outputs, and miniDSP’s
powerful but easy-to-use audio processing:
• Butterworth and Linkwitz-Riley crossovers up to 48 dB/octave
• Ten bands of parametric EQ (peaking/high shelf/low shelf/all pass) on every input and output channel
• Advanced biquad programming for an unlimited range of filters and crossover types
• An advanced matrix mixer for routing and mixing of any input to any output, with individual gain control and
inversion at every mixing cross-point
• Compression, time delay and level adjustment on every output channel
Four complete processing configurations are stored on-board and can be selected from the wired remote or by
infrared remote control.
1.1 TYPICAL USAGE
The C-DSP 8x12 typically connects to a head unit with up to six output channels and directly drives power
amplifiers for multiple loudspeakers or drivers.
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1.2 THE MINIDSP CONCEPT
The miniDSP concept is “one hardware unit + one software plugin = audio processing solution.” This concept
leverages the inherent flexibility of DSP (digital signal processing) to deliver a range of flexible but cost-effective
solutions.
Hardware unit
In this case, the hardware unit is the miniDSP C-DSP 8x12.
Software plugin
The software plugin is installed on your PC or Mac, and determines the processing that the DSP will
perform. It provides a friendly user interface, and downloads instructions into the miniDSP hardware
unit that tell it how to process the audio signal. Currently, the C-DSP 8x12 supports a single plugin (see
below).
Other platforms
miniDSP makes many other boxed and kit hardware units with analog, stereo digital, and multichannel
digital (HDMI) connections. Some units feature inbuilt Class D amplification. See the full range of
miniDSP products.
1.3 PLUGIN FEATURE SUMMARY
The table below summarizes the key features of the C-DSP 8x12 plugin:
C-DSP 8x12 plugin
Number of digital input channels*
2
Number of analog input channels
6
Number of analog output channels
12
Digital input sample rate
44.1 to 192 kHz
Internal sample rate
192 kHz
PEQ bands per input channel
10
PEQ bands per output channel
10
Crossover order
6 to 48 dB/octave
Compressor on each output channel
Yes
Maximum per-channel time delay
25 ms
(*) Two selectable stereo digital inputs, 1 x RCA and 1 x TOSLINK.
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2 THE MINIDSP WORKFLOW
We strongly recommend taking a methodical approach to your new miniDSP audio processor. Remember that
the audio processor is a powerful tool, and incorrect settings can potentially cause damage to your system.
Please follow the steps below carefully.
1. Download and install the plugin
Download and install your plugin, as described in Software installation starting on page 9.
2. Synchronize and reset
Don’t connect any audio hardware to the processor yet. Connect the processor to the computer via
USB and apply power (see DC power on page 16). Start the plugin and click on the Connect button
near the top right. When the synchronization dialog comes up, click the Restore Config button.
3. Upgrade the DSP program
Drop down the Restore menu and select Upgrade DSP program. This ensures that the DSP processor in
the C-DSP 8x12 is running the latest software that matches your installed plugin.
4. Familiarize yourself with the plugin
At this point, the plugin is online – that is, any changes made in the computer user interface will be
immediately downloaded to the C-DSP. Familiarize yourself with the user interface presented by the
plugin. Click on and explore each of the tabs (Inputs, Routing, and Outputs). Feel free to experiment.
After you are done exploring, drop down the Restore menu and select the Factory Default option. This
will reset all processing parameters back to the defaults.
5. Perform initial configuration
Use the plugin to set up an initial audio processing configuration as intended for your application. (See
Section 5 for details.) Typical things that can be done at this point are to:
• Set the labels of input and output channels
• Mute unused input and output channels
• Set routing, crossover frequencies and slopes
• Set up any essential equalization
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6. Save your configuration
Save your initial configuration to a file. A configuration is the set of all audio processing parameters.
For more information on configurations, see Working with configurations starting on page 37.
7. Make audio connections
Remove power from the processor.
Now connect the miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 into your system. See Hardware connectivity starting on page 13
for details. Ensure that all power is turned off when making audio connections.
8. Go online
Apply power to the processor. (Leave other equipment turned off at this stage.) Connect the USB cable
to your computer, click on the Connect button, and select the Synchronize Config option. If all goes
well, you are now in online mode – any changes that you make in the plugin user interface will be
immediately sent to the processor.
Before proceeding, click on each Configuration preset button (Config 1, 2, etc.) to ensure that all
presets have been synchronized.
9. Initial audio check
1. Power on your connected equipment, first on the input side (e.g. head unit), then on the output
side (e.g. power amps).
2. Turn the volume on your C-DSP 8x12 down low (view the Master Volume display in the plugin
while turning the knob on the wired remote counter-clockwise) and start playing music or a pink
noise test signal.
3. Gradually increase the volume until you hear audio quietly coming from the speakers.
4. Verify that the plugin is performing the intended function. (For example, for a two-way crossover,
confirm that the tweeter plays high frequencies and the woofer plays low frequencies.)
10. Fine-tune your configuration
With your initial setup running, you can now proceed to fine-tune and optimize your system. You will
need to perform acoustic measurements and use the configuration screens to adjust processing
parameters.
Save your configuration on a regular basis while working on fine-tuning it. Configurations can be saved
to different files to archive different versions and to enable auditioning of alternative configurations.
Regular saving will also help ensure that you do not lose your work if you inadvertently reset the
processor to default settings.
11. Continue to operate offline
With the processor configured, you can continue to operate in offline mode—that is, without the
computer connected. To do so, quit the plugin or disconnect the USB cable. The processor will
continue to operate without the computer.
Note: you can still change settings in the plugin user interface while in offline mode – these will be
synchronized back to the processor next time you connect and select the Synchronize Config option.
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3 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
If you purchased your product directly from miniDSP, your software will be available from the User Downloads
section of the miniDSP website when your order ships.
If you purchased your product from a miniDSP dealer, you will receive a coupon together with the product.
Redeem this coupon and select the Plugin Group “CDSP 8x12” at the link below:
• https://www.minidsp.com/support/redeem-coupon
To access the download, you will need to be logged into the miniDSP.com website with the account you created
when purchasing. The User Downloads link is visible from the dropdown menu at the top right of the website
page:
Navigate to the C-DSP plug-ins section and download the zip file under the heading C-DSP 8x12 plugin. Unzip
the downloaded file: on Windows, right-click and select “Extract All...”; on Mac, double-click.
3.1 WINDOWS
The miniDSP software requires that other frameworks are installed for it to work. For Windows 7 and later,
these packages should be installed automatically by the miniDSP installer.
For Windows XP and Vista, please download and install the following frameworks before attempting to install
any miniDSP software:
• Microsoft .NET framework (version 3.5 or later)
• Latest version of Adobe Air
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package: for x86 (32-bit operating system) or x64 (64-bit operating
system)
To install the plugin:
1. Navigate to the Windows folder of the software download.
2. Double-click on the C-DSP-8x12.exe installer program to run it. We recommend that you accept the default
installation settings.
3. The plugin will start automatically if you accepted the default installation settings. To make it quicker to run
in future, right-click on its icon in the taskbar and select “Pin to taskbar.”
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Note 1: The Adobe Air framework may need to connect to the Internet the first time you run the plugin.
Note 2: The first time you run the plugin, you may see a warning from Windows Firewall asking whether the
software should be allowed network access. If you do, ensure that “Private networks...” is checked and “Public
networks...” is not checked. Then click on “Allow access.”
3.2 MAC
To install the plugin:
1. Navigate to the Mac folder of the software download.
2. The installer program is named C-DSP-8x12.pkg. To run it, double-click on it, or right-click and open as
described below. We recommend that you accept the default installation settings.
3. To run the plugin, locate C-DSP-8x12.app in the Applications -> miniDSP folder and double-click on it. To
make it easier to run in future, right-click on its dock icon and select Options -> Keep in Dock.
Note 1: If double-clicking on an installer brings up a message that the installer cannot run, use this alternate
method (note that the name of the plugin will be C-DSP-8x12.pkg, not MiniDSP_Plugin.pkg as shown in the
screenshots):
1. Right-click on the installer (or click while holding the Control key).
2. On the menu that pops up, move the mouse over the “Open With” item and then click on “Installer
(default).”
3. The following window will appear. Click on “Open.”
Note 2: The Adobe Air framework may need to connect to the Internet the first time you run the plugin.
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Figure 1. Single-ended RCA connection
Figure 2. Connecting a balanced source to the C-DSP 8x12.
4 HARDWARE CONNECTIVITY
Connections to the C-DSP 8x12 are made on the front and rear panels.
4.1 ANALOG INPUTS
4.1.1 Low-level inputs
Low-level analog connections are made directly to the RCA jacks on the front panel. Be sure to take careful note
of the channel numbering shown in this diagram and on the front panel. These inputs accept a maximum input
voltage of either 2 or 4 VRMS, depending on the input sensitivity switch setting (see page 44).
Note that these are fully differential inputs. A regular RCA-RCA cable be used to connect from equipment with
single-ended outputs, as shown in Figure 1.
If connecting to equipment with balanced output, connect the negative or “cold” leg to the RCA shield and the
positive or “hot” leg to the RCA tip, as shown in Figure 2.
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4.1.2 High-level inputs
High-level (speaker-level) connections can be made by connecting bare wire ends to the push-in terminal block.
Remove the terminal block, and connect individual positive and negative wires to each screw terminal. After all
connections are secure, firmly re-insert the terminal block.
The high-level inputs have an input impedance of 68 Ω and are designed for connection to power amplifier
outputs. The inputs are fully differential, therefore:
• Amplifiers with bridged outputs can be used.
• Do not connect the “–” outputs together. This can potentially damage amplifiers.
The maximum (differential) input voltage is either 8 or 12 V RMS, depending on the input sensitivity switch
setting (see page 44). The 8 V RMS setting corresponds to a maximum amplifier power of 16 Watts into 4 ohms.
The 12 V RMS setting corresponds to a maximum amplifier power of 36 Watts into 4 ohms.
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