Nagra ARES-P II User Manual

WARNING:

The ARES

-

P/RCX220/ARES

-

P II has a built

-

in charger (charge

Hydride cells can be

NAGRA ARES

-

P II

Version: August 18 2004

MANUAL

current = 100 mA, ARES-P II = 300mA). NiCd or Ni-Metal-

WHEN USING THE EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY, CHECK THAT THE

CHARGER SWITCH INSIDE THE BATTERY COMPARTIMENT IS “OFF”

BEFORE INSTALLING DRY CELLS.

PN 2019 602 150

used.

1DELIVERED WITH:....................................................................................... 4

1.1 ARES-P II. ............................................................................................. 4

1.2 DELIVERED WITH ARES-P. .................................................................. 4

1.3 DELIVERED WITH RCX220. .................................................................. 4

2 INSTALLING THE BATTERIES. .................................................................... 4

3 INSTALLING THE FLASHCARD. .................................................................. 4

4 POWER ON, POWER OFF. .......................................................................... 4

5 CONTRAST. ................................................................................................ 4

6 BUTTONS. .................................................................................................. 5

7 ARES-P, RCX220, ARES-P II DIFFERENCES. .............................................. 5

8 FIRST TIME SWITCH ON............................................................................. 5

9 MAIN DISPLAY DESCRIPTION. ................................................................... 6

Status of the ARES-P ................................................................................... 6

10 RECORD (2, 2bis), REWIND (3), STOP (4), PLAY (5), FORWARD (6) KEYS 7

10.1 RECORD KEY (2, 2bis)........................................................................ 7

10.2 REWIND KEY (3) AND FORWARD KEY (6) .......................................... 7

10.3 STOP KEY (4) ...................................................................................... 8

10.4 PLAY KEY (5) ...................................................................................... 8

11 LEVEL ADJUSTMENT................................................................................ 8

11.1 OUTPUT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT........................................................... 8

11.2 INPUT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT............................................................... 8

11.3 THRESHOLD ADJUSTMENT............................................................... 9

12 CENTER & ARROW KEYS ........................................................................10

13 LED MODULOMETER...............................................................................10

14 MAIN MENU. ............................................................................................10

14.1 DIRECTORY MENU. ...........................................................................10

14.1.1 HORIZONTAL SCROLLING. .........................................................12

14.1.2 VERTICAL SCROLLING. ..............................................................12

14.1.3 QUIT DIRECTORY. ......................................................................13

14.1.4 TITLING, ARES-P & RCX220 MODE ONLY. ..................................13

14.1.5 ERASIN G TAKE(S), ARES-P & RCX220 ONLY..............................13

14.1.6 DELETE, ARES-P II ONLY............................................................14

14.1.7 DELETE TO END, ARES-P II ONLY. .............................................14

14.1.8 RENUMBER, ARES-P II ONLY......................................................14

14.1.9 RENUMBER ALL, ARES-P II ONLY...............................................14

14.2 LOUDSPEAKER, ARES-P II ONLY. .....................................................14

14.3 TOOLS. ..............................................................................................14

14.3.1 DATE AND TIME. .........................................................................14

14.3.2 CARD FORMATTING....................................................................15

14.3.3 FORMAT REPAIRING...................................................................15

14.3.4 PROGRAM SELECT. ....................................................................15

14.3.5 CONTRAST..................................................................................15

14.3.6 VERSION. ....................................................................................16

14.4 TEMPLATES FOR ARES-P II. .............................................................16

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 2

CONTENTS Page

14.5 SETTINGS MENU. ..............................................................................17

14.5.1 INPUT FILTER..............................................................................17

14.5.2 ALC. .............................................................................................17

14.5.3 ALC THRESHOLD. .......................................................................17

14.5.4 ALC REACTION SPEED. ..............................................................18

14.5.5 BEEP...........................................................................................18

14.5.6 COMPRESSION FOR ARES-P/RCX220. .......................................18

14.5.7 FILE FORMAT FOR ARES-P II. .....................................................18

14.5.8 BACKLIGHT. ................................................................................18

14.5.9 OUTPUT MODE. ..........................................................................19

14.5.10 OUTPUT LEVEL. ........................................................................19

14.5.11 SIDE RECORD KEY, ARES-P/RCX220........................................19

14.5.12 SIDE RECORD KEY, ARES-P II MARKERS.................................19

14.6 AUTO RECORD, ARES-P II ONLY.......................................................19

14.7 MIKE ..................................................................................................20

14.7.1 48V PHANTOM MIKE POWER. .....................................................20

14.7.2 MIKE TYPE FOR ARES-P II ONLY. ...............................................20

15 LOCKING THE SETTINGS. .......................................................................21

16 LOCKING THE KEYPAD, ARES-P II ONLY. ...............................................21

17 AUTO POWER OFF..................................................................................21

18 MESSAGES..............................................................................................21

18.1 IN NFS MODE (NAGRA FILE SYSTEM USED BY ARES-P & RCX220..21

18.2 IN FAT MODE.....................................................................................22

19 SOFTWARE UPDATE ...............................................................................22

20 MENU TREE ARES -P & RCX220...............................................................23

21 MENU TREE ARES -P II ............................................................................25

22 ARES-P & RCX220 SOFTWARE & INSTALLATION ....................................29

22.1 ARES-P SOFTWARE ..........................................................................29

22.2 RCX220 SOFTWARE ..........................................................................29

23 ARES-P II ON PC OR MAC (FAT 16 MODE) ..............................................30

24 INPUT CONNECTOR, DIN 12 PIN.............................................................31

25 LINE OUTPUT CONNECTOR, LEMO 2 PIN...............................................31

26 FLASH CARDS COMPATIBILITY, LINEAR AND STRATA. ..........................32

27 FLASH CARDS COMPATIBILITY, ATA AND COMPACT ATA. ....................33

28 SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................................................35

29 SAFETY/COMPLIANCE ............................................................................36

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 3

1DELIVERED WITH:

1.1 ARES-P II.

5 dry cells “AA”, 1 DIN connector 12 pin, 1 USB cable, 1 CDR with Ares Import, Digigram Import
software and manuals.

1.2 DELIVERED WITH ARES-P.

5 dry cells “AA”, 1 DIN connector 12 pin, 1 carrying strap, 1 CDR with Ares Import, Digigram Import
software and manuals.

1.3 DELIVERED WITH RCX220.

5 dry cells “AA”, 1 DIN connector 12 pin, 1 carrying strap, 1 USB cable, 1 CDR with Ares Import,
Digigram Import software and manuals.

2 INSTALLING THE BATTERIES.

To open the ma chine, push the button on the right side. Inside the battery compartiment, push down
the black button and remove the inner cover.
Install the 5 “AA” cells observing the polarity and replace the inner cover.

Important note:

When using the external
power supply, check
that the switch inside
the battery
compartiment is set to
“OFF” before installing
dry cells.

In the OFF position, the charger circuitry is not activated and if an external power supply is connected,
the machine will run from external supply and not from the batteries.

When an external power supply is connected to the A res-P II, the green led turns on. During charge,
the yellow led turns on. The Ares -P II charges with approx. 300 mA. Charging stops automatically
(yellow led turns off). If the yellow led never turns off, it means that one ore more cells are defective. If
the charger switch is turned on and no batteries are installed while the machine receives external
power, the yellow led starts blinking fast.

Batt. Type Capacity Charging time Record mode Manufactory

NimH 1300 mAh 05h30 06h00 GP
NimH 2300 mAh 10h00 11h30 Sanyo

Dry cells x 11h10 Panasonic, Alkaline

3 INSTALLING THE FLASHCARD.

Open the machine by pressing the button on the side. Insert the flashcard push it fully home (eject
button fully out). The software version, for Ares-P or RCX220, 1.20 and higher allows using linear flash
cards, ATA cards and compact flash cards. Compact flash cards must be installed using an adapter.

4 POWER ON, POWER OFF.

Press the “POWER ON” button (1) for 1 second and the machine switches on. To switch “OFF” the
machine push the same button again for 1 second.

Attention: the machine cannot be switched OFF during RECORD.

5 CONTRAST.

If the display contrast is not set properly at power on, switch off the machine, keep the “RIGHT” arrow
key (12) pressed while turning on the machine. This brings the machine directly to the contrast menu.
Adjust step-by-step with the “UP” (9) or “DOWN ” (11) arrow keys to increase or decrease accordingly.
Once the correct contrast is found, press the “CENTER” key (13) to store the new setting in the
machine. Press the “LEFT” arrow key (10) to quit the menus. The factory setting has the value “32”.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 4

6 BUTTONS.

1 Power ON / OFF
2 + 2 bis Record, Marker key
3 Rew ind, skip backwards key
4 Stop key
5 Play key
6 Forward, skip forwards key
7 Reduce input sensitivity or playback level key
8 Increase input sensitivity or playback level key
9 Up arrow key or increase output level key
10 Left arrow key
11 Down arrow key or reduce output level key
12 Right arrow key
13 Other menu or execute key

7 ARES-P, RCX220, ARES -P II DIFFERENCES.

ARES- P: Has no USB connector. The card is formatted “Linear File” non-compatible directly with
Windows except if the Ares Import software is used. The recorded fi les can be G.722 or MPEG 1 layer
II. Maximum bitrate is 192kb/s 48kHz stereo (96kb/s per channel).

RCX220: Is equipped with an USB 1.1 connector. Windows recognizes the machine as an external
sound card. Import of files over USB can only be made via RcxLoad (Digigram software). The card is
formatted “Linear File” non-compatible directly with Windows except if the Ares Import software is
used. The recorded files can be G.722 or MPEG 1 layer II. Maximum bitrate is 192kb/s 48kHz stereo
(96kb/s per channel).

ARES- P II: Is equipped with a USB 1.1 connector. In the ARES-P II mode only, the machine is
recognized as an external removable hard drive. It also has a built-in speaker, Phantom power and
accepts compact micro-drives up to 2 GB.

Without any software options installed, the card is formatted “FAT 16” and is directly compatible with
Windows or Mac O/S. The recorded files are Broadcast Wave Format (xxx.wav). Only PCM can be
recorded (not compressed).

If equipped with the software option I, the machine emulates also an ARES-P. In the ARES -P II mode,
compressed MPEG files can be recorded. In the ARES- P II mode, the maximum bit rate becomes
384kb/s 48kHz stereo.
Only ATA or Compact flash cards can be used in the ARES-P II mode.

If equipped with software option I & II, the machine also emulates an RCX220. This means that in the
RCX220 mode, via USB, Windows recognizes the machine as an external soundcard and in the
ARES- P II mode as an external removable hard drive.

Important note: When making linear recordings (WAV) the range of media that can be used is

restricted. The card must be capable of writing data at high speed. A stereo recording at 48kHz
requires a data rate of 2 x 16 bits x 48000 sampling frequency divide by 8 bits per Byte gives a data
rate of 192 kBytes per second.

8 FIRST TIME SWITCH ON.

This is only important in the case of an ARES- P II. Once the batteries have been installed, the
machine will switch on in the ARES-P II mode (FAT 16). The display will show a picture of a cylinder
with the word “FAT” for several seconds.

To change the mode to ARES-P or RCX220 (if minimum the soft 1 package is included) jump to
page 15 Paragraph 14.3.4 PROGRAM SELECT before continuing.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 5

9 MAIN DISPLAY DESCRIPTION.

Stop or play position

Remaining time on the card

Attention: At power on, the display below is shown, but without the level bargraph indicator on the
right-hand side. This bargraph appears when the “+” or “-” button (8 or 7) is pressed. It disappears
after a few seconds to improve the clarity of the display.

Input level indication for
Left and Right channel

Status of the ARES-P
STOP, PLAY, REC, FWD, RWD

Take number and position
in minutes and seconds

Status of the flashcard

Battery status

Total number of recorded takes

1
2

-21 -9 0 +9

12 TAKES R: 8:08
LOW BATTERY

Headroom indicator

007 0:00

Messages

IN

- 20DB

Input level

Level adjustment

Level setting

on the flashcard

in minutes and seconds

Status of the ARES-P

“STOP” ARES- P is in STAND BY mode
“RECORD” ARES- P is in RECORD mode
“PLAY” ARES- P is in PLAY mode
“SEARCH FORWARD” ARES- P is playing fast forwards
“SEARCH BACKWARD” ARES- P is playing fast backwards

Take number and position in minutes and seconds

This is the physical playback position. The example shows that playback will start at the beginning of
take 7 (0 minutes, 0 seconds).

Stop or play position on the flashcard

The marker shows the exact playback position, take 7 at 0 minutes, 0 seconds.

Status of the flashcard

The full length of the bargraph corresponds to the total memory of the inserted flashcard. The black
area shows how much memory was already used for recording. The clear area shows the remaining
memory.

Total number of recorded takes

This area shows the total number of takes already recorded on the flashcard.

Remaining time on the card in minutes and seconds

This indicates how much recording time is left on the card. In this example, it shows 8 minutes, 8
seconds. If the bit-rate is changed, it will automatically be updated. Example 8:08 if 128kb/s was set, it
will become 16:16 if the bit-rate was changed to 64kb/s.

Input level indication for Left and Right channel

In the stereo mode, bargraph 1 corresponds to the left channel and 2 to the right c hannel. In mono
mode, both bargraphs indicate the input level. From 0db, the bargraph shows the headroom up to
+9dB. +9dB corresponds to “FF” for the AD converter.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 6

Messages

This is the area for messages, such as “LOW BATTERY”, CARD FULL, NO CARD, etc.
A beep in the headphones corresponds to an arrival of a message on the display.

Battery status

When the battery icon shows full, it indicates the batteries are fully charged. Full corresponds to a
voltage measurement of 6.28V or higher. Each step corresponds to 0.256V. When the voltage drops
below 5V, a warning beep is heard in the headphones and the message “ LOW BATTERY” appears in
the display. When the voltage drops below 4.5V the machine automatically switches off. Fully charged
Ni Metal Hydride batteries of 1300 mAh capacity will power the recorder for approximately 3 hours and
15 minutes.

Level Adjustment

This bargraph only appears on the screen during the adjustment of the input sensitivity, the output
level or the ALC threshold adjustment. If no adjustment is made it will disappear after a few seconds.
Simultaneously, the level setting in dB’s as well as the kind of adjustment “IN”, “OUT” or “THR” will
appear on the display.

10 RECORD (2, 2bis), REWIND (3), STOP (4), PLAY (5), FORWARD (6) KEYS

10.1 RECORD KEY (2, 2bis)
For ARES-P or RCX220 mode.

A valid formatted card must be fitted and the machine switched ON. To start recording, the “RECORD ”
key (2) or (2bis) can be pressed, even if the machine was in “PLAY” mode or is in one of the sub-
menus. The “RECORD ” keys will not work if the machine is deleting a take or formatting the card.
If during record the “RECORD” key is pressed again, a new take is automatically created. This
function is used for “MARKING” the audio during record.

For ARES-P II mode.

In addition to the above mentioned functions, the same button can be used for adding markers during
record or playback, inside a single file. This depends on the settings made in the “SIDE KEY” sub
menu.

During record, the front LED as well as the red LED on the keyboard turn ON.
During record, the “POWER” key is disabled.

10.2 REWIND KEY (3) AND FORWARD KEY (6)

These keys have two functions called “SKIP” backwards or forwards and “REWIND ” or “FORWARD”.
SKIP.

For ARES-P or RCX220 mode.

In “STOP” mode: To jump take-by-take, pressing briefly on the “<<” or “>>” keys will decrement or
increment the take position.
In “PLAY” mode: To jump to other takes on the card, press twice in quick succession the “<<” or “>>”
to decrement or increment the take number.
IMPORTANT: Only takes with the same compression as the current settings of the machine can be
played back using the SKIP buttons. All other takes with a different compression cannot be selected.

For ARES-P II mode.

If the recording contains “markers” then these keys will jump to the next (or previous) marker position.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 7

FORWARD SEARCH & BACKWARD SEARCH.

This function can be executed in “STOP” or “PLAY” mode. Once the “>>” or “<<”key is pressed for
more than 0.5 seconds, the machine starts “FORWARD or BACKW ARDS SEARCH” at 4 times
nominal speed. The longer the button is pressed, the search speed increments up to 128 times
nominal speed. When the button is released, the search stops and it returns to its previous function
(STOP or PLAY).

10.3 STOP KEY (4)

When this key is pressed during record or playback, the machine stops recording or playing and
returns to the “EE ” mode.
The “EE ” mode means that the input signal is fed to the output. This button can also be used as the
“PAUSE ” key during playback.

10.4 PLAY KEY (5)

After a record session pressing the “PLAY” key, immediately plays back the last recorded take. After
power on pressing “PLAY” will resume playback from its last position before power down, as long as
the batteries are installed.

11 LEVEL ADJUSTM ENT

11.1 OUTPUT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT

During the “STOP” or “RECORD” mode, the output level can be adjusted by the “UP ARROW” key (9)
to increase or the “DOWN ARROW” key (11) to decrease. Once one of these keys is pressed, an
additional bargraph on the right side of the display appears, indicating “OUT”, showing the current
position of the adjustment. “0dB” corresponds to maximum output level, “-59dB” corresponds to
minimum output level and “OFF” corresponds to mute of the output signal.
The setting of the output level can also be stored in the machine in such a way that every time the
machine is switched ON, it will take the same “DEFAULT LEVEL” output adjustment (See “SETTINGS
MENU, OUTPUT LEVEL ”). During the “PLAY” mode, the output level can be adjusted either by the
“UP & DOWN ARROW” keys (9 & 11) or the “+” and “-“keys (8 & 7).

11.2 INPUT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT

During “STOP” or “RECORD ”, the input level can be adjusted by pressing the “+” (8) or “-“ (7) keys to
increase or decrease the input sensitivity. Once one of these keys is pressed, an additional bargraph
on the right side of the display appears, indicating “IN”, corresponding to the current setting. “74dB”
corresponds to maximum input gain, “133dB” corresponds to minimum input gain and “OFF”
corresponds to muting of the input signal. If the input sensitivity is adjusted for “74dB ”, it means that if
the input signal at 74dB SPL will be recorded at a 0dB level.

Level Adjustment in the stereo mode (FAT 16 only)

When in the sub menus the “MIKE” is set to “STEREO”, the left and right channel can be adjusted
separately. Holding the left arrow key (10) and adjusting the input sensitivity will only adjust the left
channel. Holding the right arrow key (12) and adjusting the input sensitivity will only adjust the ri ght
channel. When the input sensitivity between the 2 channels is not identical, the display will
automatically show both input sensitivity levels.

1
2

-21 -9 0 +9
007 0:00

12 Takes R: 8:08

In

84 dB/94 dB

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 8

As shown on the picture, the red indications correspond to the left channel, the blue indications
correspond to the right channel. If no left or right arrow is pressed during the input sensitivity
adjustment, both channels will be adjusted simultaneously and keep the same delta until one of the
channels is reaching max. or min. level.

11.3 THRESHOLD ADJUSTMENT

The “THRESHOLD ” adjustment permits selection of the size of the compression zone. It is the lower
limit setting of the zone that will be automatically amplified during a silent period. The “ALC” works in a
range of 42dB (from 74dB to 116dB). If the “THRESHOLD” is set to 104dB, signals of 104dB and
higher (max. 116dB) will be recorded at 0dB level (between –2dB and –6dB for a stable signal). A
signal of 90dB will be recorded at –14dB (104dB – 90dB). If “ALC” (Automatic Level Control) is “ON”
and the “ALC THRESHOLD” is set to “USING +/- KEYS” (see SETTINGS MENU, ALC
THRESHOLD), the threshold during “RECORD ” or “STOP” can be adjusted by pressing the “+” or “-“
keys (8 or 7). Once one of these keys is pressed, an additional bargraph on the right side of the
display, indicating “THR” appears, showing the current position of the adjustment. “74dB”
corresponds to maximum threshold level, “104dB ” corresponds to minimum threshold level.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 9

12 CENTER & ARROW KEYS

1
2

-21 -9 0 +9
007 0:00

12 TAKES R: 8:08

By pushing the “CENTER” key (13), the machine gives access to the “DIRECTORY”, “TOOLS” and
“SETTINGS” sub-menus. Using the “ARROW” keys (9 to 12), you navigate between those sub -menus.
To move back to the initial display, press the “LEFT ARROW” key (10) (except in the “DIRECTORY”
where “CENTER” key (13) needs to be pressed first to return to the sub -menus).

DIRECTORY
TOOLS

DIRECTORY
TOOLS
SETTINGS

13 LED MODULOMETER

The LED modulometer shows the sum of both channels when the machine is set to Stereo operation.
The three leds give a quick visual indication in three colors, green, yellow and red. They light at levels
of – 21, -9 and 0 dB respectively. Normal operation is with the yellow led on and occasionally the red
led peaks.

14 MAIN MENU.

By pressing the “CENTER ” key (13), the main menu appears on the display.

1

2

-21 -9 0 +9
001 0:00

12 TAKES R: 8:08

The “DIRECTORY” gives access to all the information of the recorded files on the flashcard.
If “TOOLS” is selected, other sub menus can be selected: “DATE & TIME”, “CARD FORMATTING”,

“FORMAT REPAIRING”, ”PROGRAM SELECT” and “VERSION ”.
If “SETTINGS” is selec ted, several other sub-menus can be selected such as: “OUTPUT LEVEL ”,

“INPUT FILTER”, “BEEP” and “COMPRESSION ” etc.
Scrolling through the different sub-menus is done by pressing the “DOWN ARROW” (11) or “UP

ARROW” (9) keys.
Escaping from the sub-menu’s is done by pushing the “LEFT” ARROW” key (10).
Entering a sub-menu is done by pushing the “RIGHT ARROW” key (12).
Inside a sub-menu, execute the selected setting by pressing the “CENTER ” key (13).

14.1 DIRECTORY MENU.

1

2

-21 -9 0 +9
001 0:00

12 TAKES R: 8:08

By using the “UP”, “DOWN ”, “LEFT”, “RIGHT ARROW” keys ( 9, 11, 10, 12), once “DIRECTORY” has
been selected, it becomes possible to scroll vertically and horizontaly to view all the recorded files and
their specifications.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 10

DIRECTORY
TOOLS

DIRECTORY
TOOLS

000 0.00
000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00
003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00
END 48.32

If the marker has a “? ” shape, it means that the take compression is the same as the current settings
of the machine.
If the marker has a “>” shape, it means that the take compression is different from the current settings
of the machine.
In the latter case, if the “PLAY” button” (5) is pressed, the corresponding compression will be
automatically loaded in the DSP, and play starts.
If the marker is in front of one of the audio takes, the “PLAY”, “STOP”, “FWD ” and “RWD” function
keys (3,4,5 &6) become active.

If the “RECORD” button (2 or 2bis) is pressed, the display returns to the main screen and the
recording starts.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 11

14.1.1 HORIZONTAL SCROLLING.

Use the ”LEFT” (10) and “RIGHT” (12) “ARROW” keys.

Selected file No

Current position
inside the selected file

002 1.30

File No 001, length 1minute 25
seconds, recorded March 12, 2000

000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00

Format file,
created March 12, 2000

003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00

Remaining time on the
card at the selected
compression

End of list

END 48.32

000 0.00
000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00
003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00
END 48.32

002 3.48
000 12 / 03 / 00 10 : 41
001 12 / 03 / 00 10 : 55
002 13 / 03 / 00 11 : 25
003 13 / 03 / 00 14 : 19
END

002 3.48
000 FORMAT CARD
001 MPEG 192 / 48 ST.
002 MPEG 128 / 24 ST.
003 G.722
END

002 3.48
000 < NO TITLE >
001 FOOTBALL GAME IN
002 < NO TITLE >
003 ACCIDENT
END

002 3.48
000 < NO TITLE >
001 GAME IN PARIS
002 < NO TITLE >
003
END

002 3.48
000 < NO TITLE >
001 PARIS
002 < NO TITLE >
003
END

The display shows the length, the date of recording, the time at the
record start, the type of compression and the title of each take. The title
can be maximum 31 characters long and scrolls over the display in 3
stages.

14.1.2 VERTICAL SCROLLING.

000 0.00
000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00
003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00
END 48.32

000 0.00
000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00
003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00
END 48.32

Pushing the “UP” (9) or “DOWN” (11) “ARROW” keys makes the vertical scrolling.
The take number 000 is the format take. It shows the time and date when the card was last formatted.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 12

14.1.3 QUIT DIRECTORY.

000 0.00
000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00
003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00
END 48.32

QUIT DIRECTORY
TAKE ERASURE

1

2

-21 -9 0 +9
002 0:00

3 TAKES R: 48:32

To escape from the “DIRECTORY”, press the “CENTER ” button (13) once followed by the “RIGHT”
arrow key (12). The display returns to “STATUS” display.

14.1.4 TITLING, ARES-P & RCX220 MODE ONLY.

Titles can be added to the format file (000) and each sound file for identification purposes.

In the “DIRECTORY”, select the take for a new title.

Press the “CENTER” key once and the following display appears:

QUIT DIRECTORY
TAKE TITLING

Select “TAKE TITLING”.

TITLE TAKE 036

STOP KEY = ESCAPE
PLAY KEY = DELETE
>> KEY = INSERT
REC. KEY = WRITE IT

Pressing the “STOP” key returns the display to the “DIRECTORY”.
Characters can be selected with the “UP” and “DOWN ” keys. To enter the selected character, press
the “CENTER” key.
To delete a character, highlight the corresponding character with the “LEFT ARROW” or “RIGHT
ARROW” keys and press the “PLAY” key.
To insert a character, highlight the corresponding character for the insertion area and press the “>>”
key. All characters from the highlight position will be shifted one space.
To record the title on the flashcard, press the “RECORD ” key once.

ATTENTION:
Once a title is added to a recording, it cannot be altered in any way on a linear flash card. Titles on
ATA cards can be modified. If during titling, the “RECORD” key is pressed twice, the title will be
recorded and the machine starts a new audio record.
If during “TITLING” the “RECORD” button on the side of the machine is pressed, audio record starts
immediately and the title is not recorded.

14.1.5 ERASING TAKE(S), ARES-P & RCX220 ONLY.

Example: take 2 and higher take numbers

000 0.00
000 0.00 12 / 03 / 00
001 1.25 12 / 03 / 00
002 3.48 13 / 03 / 00
003 4.24 13 / 03 / 00
END 48.32

QUIT DIRECTORY
TAKE ERASURE

QUIT DIRECTORY
TAKE ERASURE

TAKE ERASURE

ERASE TAKE 2
TO END OF CARD ?
PRESS CENTER KEY.

TAKE ERASURE

ERASE TAKE 2
TO END OF CARD ?
ERASING . . .
100%
ERASE COMPLETE

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 13

To delete one or more takes, select in the directory the lowest take number that needs to be deleted,
press the “CENTER” button (13) and select the “TAKE ERASURE” menu. Once the selection
confirmed by pressing the “CENTER ” button (13), the erasing starts.
To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” (10) or “RIGHT” (12) key once.

NOTE: Erasing individual takes in the middle of the “DIRECTORY” is not possible. The erase feature
will always erase from the selected take to the end of the card.

14.1.6 DELETE, ARES-P II ONLY.

Any take from the directory can be deleted without influencing other takes.

14.1.7 DELETE TO END, ARES-P II ONLY.

Erase the selected take and all takes after until the end of the card.

14.1.8 RENUMBER, ARES-P II ONLY.

Permits after deleting file(s) to renumber the files from the selected file until the end of the card.

14.1.9 RENUMBER ALL, ARES-P II ONLY.

Permits after deleting file(s) to renumber all the files from file 1 until the end of the card.

14.2 LOUDSPEAKER, ARES-P II ONLY.

This switches “ON” or “OFF” the internal loudspeaker.
NOTE: The internal loudspeaker can only be used in the playback
mode.

LOUDSPEAKER

OFF
ON

ON

14.3 TOOLS.

TOOLS

DATE & TIME
CARD FORMATTING
FORMAT REPAIRING

TOOLS

FORMAT REPAIRING
PROGRAM SELECT
VERSION

several sub-menus are available.

14.3.1 DATE AND TIME.

DATE & TIME

DATE & TIME

12 : 30 : 00
7 : 05 : 00

HH:MM:SS

H
7 : 05 : 00

Selecting “DATE & TIME” gives access to change the time and date of the real time clock. Once the
“CENTER” button (13) is pressed, the first digit starts blinking. The number can be modified by
pushing the “UP” or “DOWN ” (9 or 11) keys. Pressing the “RIGHT” arrow key (12) jumps to the next
digit. Once the last number is introduced, the clock starts running. (Hours, Hours, Minutes, Minutes,
Seconds, Seconds)
Introducing the date uses the same procedure.
Once the last number is introduced, the date is memorized.
To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” (10) or “RIGHT” (12) key once.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 14

14.3.2 CARD FORMATTING.

CARD FORMATTING

CARD PRESENT.
PRESS CENTER KEY.

CARD FORMATTING

CARD PRESENT.
CARD NOT EMPTY.
RIGHT KEY TO CONFIRM.

CARD FORMATTING

CARD PRESENT.
FORMATTING . . .
100%
FORMAT COMPLETE.
PRESS ANY KEY.

Execute by pressing the “RIGHT” arrow key (12) and the card formatting will begin.
Once the formatting is finished, the display returns to the previous menu.
To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” (10) or “RIGHT” (12) key once.
When the format command is executed, “CARD NOT EMPTY” appears if one or more takes are on
the card (including format take 000).

14.3.3 FORMAT REPAIRING.

If during record, the card was removed (or batteries removed), an
“UNCLOSED FILE” will be left on the card. This utility allows the user to
close this file correctly.

1

2

-21 -9 0 +9
003 0:00

FORMAT CORRUPTED

”FORMAT CORRUPTED” will be shown.

FORMAT REPAIRING

UNCLOSED FILE.
RECOVER ?

PRESS CENTER KEY.

FORMAT REPAIRING

UNCLOSED FILE.
RECOVER ?

RECOVER COMPLETE.

FORMAT REPAIRING

NO FORMAT PROBLEMS.

Follow the instructions on the display to recover the take. The last recorded file will be closed at the
end of the memory of the card. The remaining time becomes 0 min. 0 sec.
To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” (10) or “RIGHT” (12) key once.

14.3.4 PROGRAM SELECT.

PROGRAM SELECT

FAT 16 FILE SYST.
NAGRA FILE SYST.

NAGRA FILE SYST.

The program select permits to swap between the 2 recording modes
“FAT 16” mode (ARES- P II) or “NAGRA” mode (ARES -P or RCX220)
compressed files.

To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” key (10) once.

14.3.5 CONTRAST.

CONTRAST

TEST 34

CURRENT CONTRAST = 36

DEFAULT CONTRAST = 33

This menu permits to adjust the contrast of the display. Pressing the
“UP” (9) or “DOWN ” (11) key changes the current contrast. Pressing the
“CENTER” key (13) stores the contrast settings as a default value at
power on.

To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” key (10) once.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 15

14.3.6 VERSION.

ARES-P II
S/N : 123456789

SOFT (FAT): Vx.xx
AUDIO BOARD: 2
SOFTWARE OPTIONS:
#1 #2

Selecting the “VERSION” sub-menu shows the serial number of the
recorder as well as current version of the software installed. The version
shown in this picture corresponds to the version for the “FAT” mode.
Turning on the machine in the “NFS” mode will show the “NFS” version.

To escape from the sub-menu, press the “LEFT” key (10) once.

14.4 TEMPLATES FOR ARES-P II.

TEMPLATES

RECALL 4
STORE 1
STORE 2

ON

Only the Ares-P II can store and recall 4 different templates.
To have an overview of the different sub-menu settings that can be
stored, refer to the menu tree at the end of this
manual. Only menu settings with a red square

XXX

against it can be stored.

To use a template, setup the machine as required, then go to
“TEMPLATES”, select “STORE 1” and press the execute key (13). The message “DONE ” will appear.
If now any changes were made in the setup, you can go to “RECALL 1” and press the execute key
once again. This returns the machine to the settings stored in template 1.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 16

14.5 SETTINGS MENU.

The settings menu gives access to several sub-menus.

SETTINGS

INPUT FILTER
ALC
ALC THRESHOLD

ON

SETTINGS

ALC
ALC THRESHOLD
ALC SPEED

USING +/- KEYS

SETTINGS

ALC SPEED
BEEP
COMPRESSION

ON

BEEP
COMPRESSION
BACKLIGHT

SETTINGS

COMPRESSION
BACKLIGHT
OUTPUT LEVEL

AUTOMATIC

The current setting of each is always shown at the bottom of the display.

14.5.1 INPUT FILTER.

INPUT FILTER

FLAT
LOW CUT

FLAT

Two possibilities are available: “FLAT” or “LOW CUT”.

14.5.2 ALC.

ALC

ON
OFF

ON

14.5.3 ALC THRESHOLD.

ALC THRESHOLD

-74 DB
USING +/- KEYS

USING +/- KEYS

From this sub-menu, the “ALC” can be switched “ON” or “OFF”.

It is highly recommended to switch on the “LOW CUT” filter if “ ALC” is

turned ON.

The “THRESHOLD ” can be adjusted from –104 dB to –74 dB.

In this case the “+”key (8) and the “-“key (7) are disabled. If “USING +/-

KEYS” is selected, the “+”key (8) and “-“key (7) are enabled during

“STOP” and “RECORD ” mode, which allows the “THRESHOLD” level to

be adjusted without returning in the “SETTINGS” menu.

SETTINGS

MPEG 128/48

SETTINGS

ALC THRESHOLD
ALC SPEED
BEEP

NORMAL

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 17

14.5.4 ALC REACTION SPEED.

ALC SPEED

FAST
NORMAL
SLOW

NORMAL

The “ALC SPEED” can be set to a “FAST”, “NORMAL” or “SLOW”

reaction time.

14.5.5 BEEP.

BEEP

OFF
ON

ON

14.5.6 COMPRESSION FOR ARES-P/RCX220.

COMPRESSION

MPEG 64/16
MPEG 128/48
MPEG 128/24

MPEG 64/48

Example: MPEG 64/48 stands for: MPEG 1Layer II MONO compression at a total bit-rate of 64kb/s

using a sampling frequency of 48kHz.
MPEG 192/48 ST stands for: MPEG 1 Layer II STEREO compression at a total bit-rate of 192kb/s
(96kb/s per channel) using a sample rate of 48kHz.

14.5.7 FILE FORMAT FOR ARES-P II.

FILE FORMAT

PCM 48K
PCM 44K1
PCM 32K

MPEG 256/48 ST.

14.5.8 BACKLIGHT.

The backlight can be set to always “OFF”, always “ON” or “AUTOMATIC”.

BACKLIGHT

OFF
ON
AUTOMATIC

ON

The beep signal is only available at the output and is not recorded. It

can be switched “ON” or “OFF”.

17 different types of compression can be selected.

Use the “UP” (9) or “DOWN” (11) arrow keys to select the type of

compression to be used and press the “CENTER” key (13) to select

one.

The display returns to the previous menu.

The Ares-P II without any soft option can only record in a linear mode

(not compressed). If the soft option I is installed it includes also the

selection of MPEG compression (as for the Ares -P/RCX220) and this

time up to 384kb/s.

In the “AUTOMATIC” mode, the backlight turns on for 15 seconds, each

time a key is pressed.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 18

14.5.9 OUTPUT MODE.

OUTPUT MODE

ALWAYS ON
ONLY IN PLAYBACK

ALWAYS ON

This sub-menu permits to turn on or off the sound to the output

connector in the case that a little speaker is used instead of a

headphone. “ALWAYS” means that the output sound is always present.

“ONLY IN PLAYBACK” means that the output sound is present only

during playback but not present in the record mode or EE mode.

14.5.10 OUTPUT LEVEL.

OUTPUT LEVEL

CURRENT LEVEL = - 6 DB
DEFAULT LEVEL = - 9 DB

14.5.11 SIDE RECORD KEY, ARES -P/RCX220.

SIDE KEY

RECORD/NEW TAKE
RECORD/STOP
START/STOP

RECORD/STOP

This mode is also handy if a microphone with a start/stop button is used. Simultaneously
in this mode, during record, the keyboard record and stop key are disabled.

14.5.12 SIDE RECORD KEY, ARES -P II MARKERS.

SIDE KEY

RECORD/MARK
MARK (REC/PLAY)
START/STOP

MARK (REC/PLAY)

The Ares-P II also has the other possibilities as described in the previous paragraph (14.5.13).

14.6 AUTO RECORD, ARES-P II ONLY.

AUTO RECORD

MODE
TRIGGER LEVEL
TRIGGER DELAY

50 DB SPL

The “AUTO RECORD” menu permits to turn on or off the auto record mode. This mode of recording
permits to start a recording automatically depending on the settings of the different parameters
described below. Once the parameters set, put the machine in the record mode. The recording will
start once the requested level and length of any incoming sound is obtained.

The “CURRENT LEVEL” corresponds to the setting before entering the

sub-menu. To modify this level, press the “UP” or “DOWN ” keys (9 or

11).

The “DEFAULT LEVEL” is the level that has been saved in the memory.

To modify the “DEFAULT LEVEL ” to the value of the “CURRENT

LEVEL”, press the “CENTER” Key (13). The default value will be

remembered even if the unit loses power.

This sub-menu permits to select different modes for the red record side

button. When selecting “RECORD/NEW TAKE”, the action on the side

button stays identical as for the keyboard record key. When selecting

“RECORD/STOP”, every time the red button is pressed once, the Ares-

P/RCX220 toggles between record and stop mode.
If “START/STOP” is selected, the record starts when the red
button is pressed and stops when the button is released.

This sub-menu also has the possibilty to set markers inside a file during

record or playback. If “RECORD/MARK” is selected, the first time the

button is pressed will put the Ares -P II in record. At each successive

press of the button, a marker will be recorded.

If ”MARK (REC/PLAY) ” is selected, markers only can be added during

record or playback. If “UNASSIGNED” is selected, the function is not

used.

AUTO RECORD

TRIGGER LEVEL
TRIGGER DELAY
STOP DELAY

0.0 SEC.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 19

The “TRIGGER LEVEL” sub-menu permits to adjust the level detection to start the recording and can
be set in steps of 10 dB from 50 dB SPL to 120 dB SPL.

The “ TRIGGER DELAY” menu permits to adjust the continuous duration or length of the sound level
before the recording starts. It can be set from 0.0 seconds to 1 second. Example: if you clap your
hands a single time and the start delay is set to 0.1 second, the recording will not start, as the
handclap was shorter than 0.1 seconds.

The “STOP DELAY” permits to adjust the duration of recording once the sound level drops below the
threshold level and can be set from 5 seconds up to 15 minutes or nonstop. Once the delay is passed,
the machine will return to the waiting position ready for the next recording

1

2

-21 -9 0 +9
59 DB

007 0:00

AUTO

12 TAKES R: 8:08

The left picture shows the machine ready
to record automatically. The right picture
shows the machine in the record mode.
The Ares-P II can also be stopped by
pressing the Stop button (4)

1

2

-21 -9 0 +9
59 DB

008 0:06

AUTO

13 TAKES R: 8:02

14.7 MIKE

MIKE

This menu gives access to the selection of the microphone type (Mono
or Stereo) as well as the 48V power supply.

MIKE TYPE
48V, MIKE POWER

14.7.1 48V PHANTOM MIKE POWER.

48V. MIKE POWER

OFF
ON

ON

14.7.2 MIKE TYPE FOR ARES -P II ONLY.

MIKE TYPE

MONO
STEREO

MONO

If “MONO” is selected and a mono microphone is connected and the “FILE FORMAT” is set to a
stereo recording, both channels will have the same signal.

If Phantom microphones are used the 48V must be turned on.

Attention: Before connecting any NAGRA plug-in condenser
microphone to the Ares-P II, verify first that the 48V i s turned off.

If “MONO” is selected and a stereo pair of microphones is connected
and the “FILE FORMAT” is set to a mono recording, both channels will
be mixed and reduced by 3 dB before they are recorded as a mono
channel.
If “STEREO” is selected and a mono microphone is connected and the
“FILE FORMAT” is set to a stereo recording, only the left channel will be
recorded.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 20

15 LOCKING THE SETTINGS.

By pressing a certain combination of keys when turning on the
machine, the settings can then be locked step-by-step. This to prevent,
the user changing the settings inadv ertenly or otherwise. To obtain the
combination code, contact your local NAGRA dealer.

SETTINGS

BEEP
COMPRESSION
BACKLIGHT

MPEG 128/48

Any sub-menu can be locked by pressing the “STOP” button or unlocked by pressing the “PLAY”
button. When the sub-menu has been locked, a closed padlock appears in front of the selected sub­menu. When the sub-menu has been unlocked, the closed padlock dissapears. To remove the
password, switch off and on again the machine.

16 LOCKING THE KEYPAD, ARES-P II ONLY.

During record or playback the keyboard can be locked by pressing the left and right arrow keys (10 &

12) during a few seconds (this until “KEYPAD LOCKED” appears on the screen). To unlock the
keyboard, press the left and right arrow keys (10 & 12) until the message dissappears.

17 AUTO POWER OFF

When the machine is left in the “STOP” mode for 10 minutes, it will automatically switch off. During
the last 14 seconds of that period, the beep sounds every second. When any key is pressed, the
power counter will be reset.

To disable the auto power off, from the power off status , press and hold the center key while

pressing the power key.
In the case that the machine is turned on with the auto power disabled, the message “NO AUTO
POWER OFF” appears during a few seconds.

18 MESSAGES

18.1 IN NFS MODE (NAGRA FILE SYSTEM USED BY ARES -P & RCX220

“LOW BATTERY” The battery voltage has dropped too low

“NO CARD” No card is inserted

“FORMAT CORRUPTED” Occurs if the card was removed during record or power lost

“CARD FULL” No more record memory is available

“INVALID CARD” The card is not recognized by the machine

“UNFORMATTED CARD” The card is recognized but not formatted

“CARD WRITE PROTECTED” Write protection switch on the card is ON

“OPEN WRITE ERROR” Defective card or card error

“WRITE ERROR” Defective card or card error

“CARD NEARLY FULL” 60 seconds recording time left on the card

“ERASE COMPLETED” At the end of erasure of one or several takes

“FORMAT COMPLETED” At the end of a card formatting

“CARD READ ERROR” Impossible to read the directory due to a defective card or

“READ ERROR” Read error during playback

“UNKNOWN FORMAT” The card is recognized but not the type of format

“CARD TOO SLOW” Depending from the selected file format, some cards do not

“BUFFER OVERFLOW” Record buffer is full due to a slow card

“AUTO POWER OFF” The machine will switch of in the next 15 seconds

“NO AUTO POWER OFF” Auto power off has been disabled

abruptly

a read error

accept a high recording bit rate

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 21

18.2 IN FAT MODE

"WRONG USB VERSION" DSP and USB software versions are incompatible

"CARD FULL" No more memory available on the card

"OPEN WRITE ERROR" Defective card or card error

"WRITE ERROR" Defective card or card error

"READ ERROR" Defective card or card error

"CARD TOO SLOW" Depending from the selected file format, some cards do not

"DIRECTORY FULL" 999 takes (files) already recorded

"CARD NEARLY FULL" 60 seconds recording time left on the card

"KEYPAD LOCKED" The full keypad is locked

"AUTO POWER OFF" The machine will switch of in the next 15 seconds

"LOW BATTERY" The battery voltage has dropped too low

"NO AUTO POWER OFF" Auto power off has been disabled

"INVALID CARD" The card is not recognized by the machine

"NO CARD" No card inserted in the slot

"UNKNOWN FORMAT" The card is recognized but not the type of format

"DIR UNUSABLE" The “ARESP” folder cannot be created

"CARD READING..." Appears during the directory reading

"CARD BUSY..." Appears when the card is busy

"USB MODE" The card is accessed via USB

“AUTO REC. LEVEL ERROR” The input gain level is not suitable to the record trigger level

accept a high recording bit rate

Example: an ARESP file name was already present

Example: delete to end or renumbering

19 SOFTWARE UPDATE

When opening the machine, a small black 6 pin connector becomes visible located just under the

flashcard. This connector is a RS232 connector. A special adapter “NP-PCA” is needed to connect the

RS232 from the machine to a PC or laptop.

When new software from NAGRA becomes available, it can be delivered by Email or it can be down-

loaded from the NAGRA web site. Thanks to a software called “PuserLoader” the machine can be

updated with the new software version. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 22

20 MENU TREE ARES -P & RCX220

TREE CONFIGURATION IN THE CASE OF ARES P OR RCX220 (NAGRA FILE SYST.)

DIRECTORY

000 0.00
>000 0.00 10/03/03
001 2.34 12/03/03
END 48.40

LOUDSPEAKER

TOOLS DATE & TIME

OFF

ON

DATE & TIME

CARD FORMATTING

FORMAT REPAIRING

PROGRAM SELECT

CONTRAST

VERSION

SETTINGS

INPUT FILTER

ALC OFF

ALC THRESHOLD 104 DB

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 23

QUIT DIRECTORY

TAKE TITLING

TAKE ERASURE

HH:MM.SS
DD.MM.YY

CARD FORMATTING
CARD PRESENT

PRESS CENTER KEY.

FORMAT REPAIRING
NO FORMAT PROBLEMS.

PROGRAM SELECT

FAT16 FILE SYST.
NAGRA FILE SYST.

NAGRA FILE SYST.

CONTRAST

TEST 34

CURRENT CONTRAST = 36
DEFAULT CONTRAST = 33

ARES-P II
S/N: 123456789
SOFT (NFS): Vx.xx
AUDIO BOARD: 2
SOFTWARE OPTIONS:
#1 #2

FLAT

LOW CUT

ON

98 DB

92 DB

86 DB

80 DB

74 DB

USING +/- KEYS

TITLE TAKE 001
STOP KEY = ESCAPE

PLAY KEY = DELETE

....... .......ETC.

ALC SPEED FAST

NORMAL

SLOW

BEEP OFF

ON

COMPRESSION

BACKLIGHT OFF

OUTPUT MODE ALWAYS ON

OUTPUT LEVEL

G722

MPEG 64/48

MPEG 64/24

MPEG 64/32

MPEG 64/16

MPEG 128/48

MPEG 128/24

MPEG 128/32

MPEG 128/16

MPEG 128/48 ST.

MPEG 128/24 ST.

MPEG 128/32 ST.

MPEG 128/16 ST.

MPEG 192/48

MPEG 192/32

MPEG 192/48 ST.

MPEG 192/32 ST.

ON

AUTOMATIC

ONLY IN PLAYBACK

OUTPUT LEVEL
CURRENT LEVEL = -1 DB
DEFAULT LEVEL = 0 DB

MIKE

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 24

SIDE KEY RECORD/NEW TAKE

RECORD/STOP

START/STOP

48V MIKE POWER OFF

ON

21 MENU TREE ARES -P II

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 25

TREE CONFIGURATION IN THE CASE OF ARES PII (FAT) INCLUDING SOFT OPTION I

DIRECTORY QUIT DIRECTORY

A

000 0.00
>000 0.00 10/03/03
001 2.34 12/03/03
END 48.40

OFFLOUDSPEAKER

ON

DATE & TIMETOOLS

CARD FORMATTING

PROGRAM SELECT

CONTRAST

VERSION

RECALL 1TEMPLATES

RECALL 2

RECALL 3

RECALL 4

STORE 1

STORE 2

STORE 3

STORE 4

DELETE

DELETE TO END

RENUMBER

RENUMBER ALL

DATE & TIME
HH:MM.SS

DD.MM.YY

FORMAT CARD
FORMAT CARD (FAT16)?
PRESS CENTER KEY.

PROGRAM SELECT

FAT16 FILE SYST.
NAGRA FILE SYST.

FAT16 FILE SYST.

CONTRAST

TEST 34
CURRENT CONTRAST = 36
DEFAULT CONTRAST = 33

ARES-P II
S/N: 123456789
SOFT (FAT): Vx.xx
AUDIO BOARD: 2
SOFTWARE OPTIONS:
#1 #2

SETTINGS

A

INPUT FILTER

ALC OFF

ALC THRESHOLD

ALC SPEED FAST

BEEP OFF

FILE FORMAT PCM 48K

A

B

FLAT

LOW CUT

ON

104 DB SPL

98 DB SPL

92 DB SPL

86 DB SPL

80 DB SPL

74 DB SPL

USING +/- KEYS

NORMAL

SLOW

ON

PCM 44K1

PCM 32K

PCM 24K

PCM 16K

PCM 48K ST.

PCM 44K1 ST.

PCM 32K ST.

PCM 24K ST.

PCM 22K05 ST.

PCM 16K ST.

C

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 26

A

SIDE KEY RECORD/NEW TAKE

MODEAUTO RECORD OFF

TRIGGER LEVEL 50DB SPL

TRIGGER DELAY 0.0 SEC.

STOP DELAY 5 SEC.

MIKE

48V MIKE POWER OFF

MIKE TYPE MONO

B

RECORD/STOP

RECORD/MARK

MARK (REC/PLAY)

START/STOP

ON

60DB SPL

70DB SPL

80DB SPL

90DB SPL

100DB SPL

110DB SPL

120DB SPL

0.1 SEC.

0.3 SEC.

1.0 SEC.

15 SEC.

30 SEC.

1 MIN.

2 MIN.

5 MIN.

15 MIN.

NONSTOP

ON

STEREO

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 27

A

BACKLIGHT OFF

OUTPUT MODE ALWAYS ON

OUTPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVEL

B C

MPEG 64/48

MPEG 64/32

MPEG 64/24

MPEG 64/16

MPEG 128/48

MPEG 128/32

MPEG 128/24

MPEG 128/16

MPEG 128/48 ST.

MPEG 128/32 ST.

MPEG 128/24 ST.

MPEG 128/16 ST.

MPEG 192/48

MPEG 192/32

MPEG 192/48 ST.

MPEG 192/32 ST.

MPEG 256/48 ST.

MPEG 256/32 ST.

MPEG 384/48 ST.

MPEG 384/32 ST.

ON

AUTOMATIC

ONLY IN PLAYBACK

CURRENT LEVEL = -1 DB
DEFAULT LEVEL = 0 DB

OPTION I

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 28

22 ARES -P & RCX220 SOFTWARE & INSTALLATION

These programs add several features when the RCX220 is connected to the USB port of a PC or if the
flashcard from the ARES- P is inserted in a PC PCMCIA slot:
Display the directory of the flash card
Playback of the recorded files
Import recorded files into the computer's hard disk
Edit the recorded files.

Insert the CD in your PC or laptop and follow the instructions.

22.1 ARES-P SOFTWARE

Carefully read the text file in the root directory before any installation.
From explorer, double click the NetiaVersion folder followed by the AresImport folder.

Double click “SETUP.EXE” file to start the installation.
If the PCMCIA slot is based on an ISA or PCI bus or buit-in to a laptop, the Elan drivers need also to
be installed. If the PCMCIA slot is connected via SCSI, the Elan drivers may not be installed.

22.2 RCX220 SOFTWARE

Carefully read the text file in the root directory before any installation.
From explorer, double click the DigigramVersion folder followed by setup.exe.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 29

AresImport:

AresImport permits to read the directory from the flash card as well as playback and or import and
conversion.

RCXLoad :

Display the files located on the memory card with their characteristics (date, duration, encoding
format) in an MS explorer fashion.
Playing back a selected file, using RCX220 audio output.
Using Drag and Drop, import one or several files with format conversion to MPEG Layer 2 or PCM
format.

XtrackLE (a Limited Edition of Xtrack):

Uses the physical I/O of the RCX220 as well as any other standard device.
Offers two fully independent mono or stereo tracks where records can be uploaded via RCXload.
Provides you with of a complete se t of tools to cut, copy, paste, trim any portion of a track, as well as
level editing functions such as fade in and fade out.
Once the edit finished, it can be processed into a single sound file (MPEG or PCM) with automatic
sampling frequency and bit rate conversion.

To obtain full multi-track editing capabilities including mp3 export, the full version of Xtrack software
can be purchased from Digigram.

23 ARES -P II ON PC OR MAC (FAT 16 MODE)

Turn on the Ares-P II and connect it via the USB cable to the PC or Mac. After a moment, the new
divice will be detected as an external remouvable hard drive.

IMPORTANT: for Windows 98 SE users; connect the Ares -P II (FAT mode) to the PC. Once
Windows asks for the USB drivers to be installed, specify the way to the CDR
“Win98SeUsbDrivers” folder.

The following pictures are an example on PC were the Ares- P II is recognized as disk (F).

On PC, to remove the Ares-P II from the USB connection, double click first the “Unplug or
Eject Hardware” icon and stop the corresponding drive letter before removing the USB
cable.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 30

24 INPUT CONNECTOR, DIN 12 PIN

A MIKE (R) Hi

M S-REC

TOP VIEW

Inputs:

Pin “A” and “K” corresponds to the right Hi and Lo microphone input.
Pin “F” and “E” corresponds to the left Hi and Lo microphone input.

Sensitivity:

When “H” and “J” are shorted, max. gain is obtained for the right microphone input (0.2mV/hPa).
When “H” and “J” stays open, min. gain is obtained for the right microphone input (4mV/hPa).
Pin “H” and “J” corresponds to the sensitivity inputs for the right microphone.
Pin “C” and “D” corresponds to the sensitivity inputs for the left microphone.

Attention:

If the machine is in the mono mode, only the left input is used, the right input is muted.
The 50V available on the connector is NOT for powering Phantom powered microphones, but to power
electrostatic microphones. The Ares -P II does not provide 50V. But a 48V Phantom supply on the
input connections. This can be switched “ON” and “OFF” within the menu settings of the machine.

S-REC:

When in the 2nd RECORD KEY menu START/STOP is selected. Shorting this pin to ground will put the
machine into the “RECORD” mode. Opening this connection to ground puts the machine to
“STOP”mode. This can be used for a remote RECORD/STOP control.

B GROUND
C MIKE (L) S2
D MIKE (L) S1
E MIKE (L) Lo
F MIKE (L) Hi
G +50V (Ares-P/RCX220), 48V (Ares-P II)
H MIKE (R) S2
J MIKE (R) S1
K MIKE (R) Lo
L +5V

25 LINE OUTPUT CONNECTOR, LEMO 2 PIN

The line output connector (Lemo connector 2 pin) is situated next to the microphone input connector.
The output level for +9dB on the modulometer is 1.55V

Pin 1 LEFT CHANNEL
Pin 2 RIGHT CHANNEL

.

rms

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 31

26 FLASH CARDS COMPATIBILITY, LINEAR AND STRATA.

TYPE

1 20 INTEL Linear IMC020FLSA-15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 20 EDI Linear FLA2800C15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
3 10 INTEL Linear IMC010FLSA-15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
4 20 EDI Linear FLA3200C15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5 20 EDI Linear FLA2400C15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
6 40 EDI Linear FLA3200C15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

CIA 7 64 EDI Strata FLF1200C25 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

8 64 EDI Strata FLF1203C25 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
9 128 EDI Strata FLF1203C25 Yes Yes No No No Yes
10 80 EDI Strata FLF0203C25 Yes Yes No No No Yes
11 192 EDI Strata FLF1203C25 Yes Yes No No No Yes
12 48 EDI Strata FLF0203C25 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
13 64 EDI Strata FLF0203C25 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
14 128 PRETEC ATA AFH128 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
15 64 PRETEC ATA AFH064 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
16 64 SANDISK ATA AB0120JR-USA Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
17 48 SANDISK ATA V0004GW-USA Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
18 64 EDI ATA ATA2500C25 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
19 96 EDI ATA ATA2500C25 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

CAP. MANUF. TEC. IDENTIFICA. ARES-C ARES-P ARES ARES ARES RCX

RCX220 95 NT IMPORT LOAD

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 32

27 FLASH CARDS COMPATIBILITY, ATA AND COMPACT ATA.

All ATA type & compact ATA type cards with this background color are accepted and sold by Nagra
AresImport test was done using an external PCMCIA SCSI adapter on NT-4
All cards went into the record mode for at least 1 minute at 192kb/s 48kHz stereo at ambient temperature
Nagra does not warranty the correct functionality of the machine if other cards than the yellow ATA cards are used

TYPE

PCMCIA 14 128 PRETEC ATA AFH128 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 15 64 PRETEC ATA AFH064 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

PCMCIA 16 64 SANDISK ATA AB0120JR-USA Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 17 48 SANDISK ATA V0004GW-USA Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 18 64 EDI ATA ATA2500C25 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 19 96 EDI ATA ATA2500C25 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 20 128 EDI ATA ATA2500C25 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 21 256 PRETEC ATA AFH256 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 22 128 FEIYA ATA TS128MFLASHB No No No No No No
PCMCIA 23 48 PRETEC ATA AFH048 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 24 96 PRETEC ATA AFH096 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
PCMCIA 25 80 CENTENIAL Strata ES00080 No No No No No No

CAP. MANUF. TEC. IDENTIFICA. ARES-C ARES-P ARES ARES ARES RCX

RCX220 95 NT IMPORT LOAD

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 33

TYPE

C1 64 EMTEC ATA 347629AI No No No No No No
C2 64 RIDATA ATA RITEK 06415006D No Yes No No Yes Yes
C3 128 ACE ATA FFC128 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C4 64 SANDISK ATA AB0105LEI Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C5 128 NAGRA(ACE) ATA FFC128 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C6 64 ACE ATA FFC064 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C7 64 NAGRA(ACE) ATA FFC064 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

C8 48 PRETEC ATA ACT048 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C9 64 PRETEC ATA ACT064 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C10 128 PRETEC ATA ACH128 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C11 32 ACE ATA FFC032 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C12 32 DATAFAB ATA 922022134 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C13 128 MEMORY

C14 48 SANDISK ATA V0006GP-CHINA Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C15 256 PRETEC ATA ACH256 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
C16 96 PRETEC ATA ACH096 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

CAP. MANUF. TEC.. IDENTIFICA. ARES-C ARES-P ARES ARES ARES RCX

CARD

ATA TS128MFLASHCP Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

RCX220 95 NT IMPORT LOAD

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 34

28 SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL

Data Storage medium PCMCIA ATAc ards, Compact flash cards
Recording Method Digital (PCM) or Digital compression
Compression type ISO MPEG Layer II
A/D & D/A conversion 20 Bit Sigma-Delta
Sampling Rate 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 kHz
Bit-Rates 64, 128, 192, 256, 384 kb/s*
Mono/Stereo Switchable and input routing
Recording Capacity 21 minutes on a 256 MB card Stereo 48 kHz,

PCM

Max. RecordingCapacity 132* minutes on a 256 MB card Stereo 48
PCMCIA Slot Single type I & II

Dynamic Range Adjust 40 dB for 0 dB record (manual), 40 dB for 0
Filters “Flat”, “LFA”

File Format Broadcast Wave Format (.wav)

INPUTS

Mic. Inputs 12 pole DIN connector
Microphone Powering 48 V Phantom*
Sensitivity From 2 mV to 10 mV for 0 dB recording
Line Input Symmetrical transformerless
Line Input Sensitivity 0.44 V to 1.4 V for 0 dB recording

OUTPUTS

Headphone Jack 3.5 mm stereo connector
Line Output Lemo connector
THD at 1 kHz 0.1 %
Frequency response 30 Hz – 20 kHz (-3 dB in EE mode)
Total dynamic range 80 dB

POWER SUPPLY

Internal batteries 5 x “AA” cells
Consumption 7.5 V - 180 mA, 6 V – 220 mA during record

PHYSICAL

Dimensions 188 x 80 x 28 mm (7½ x 3¼ x 1 inch)
Weight 450 g, (1 lb)

(* Including the MPEG option)

Note: We have not tested all available cards and adapters on the market . Therefore we
cannot guaranty the perfect operation in our machines. Cards and adapters supplied by
Nagra are guarantied to operate within the machine specifications.

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 35

kHz, 256 kb/s

dB record (ALC)

(no display light)

29 SAFETY/COMPLIANCE

DECLARATION DE CONFORMITE
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

FABRICANT: NAGRAVISION SA, 1033 CHESEAUX SUISSE

MANUFACTURER: NAGRAVISION SA, 1033 CHESEAUX, SWITZERLAND

APPAREIL : ARES-P/RCX220/ARES-P II

MODEL: ARES-P/RCX220/ARES-P II
Par la présente nous déclarons l'équipement conforme à toutes les exigences fixées dans les normes:

We hereby declare that the equipment conforms to the all the requirements outlined by the following
norms:

NORMES GENERIQUES APPLICABLES :

APPLICABLE GENERIC NORMS:
CENELEC EN 61000-3-2

61000-3-3
50081-1
50082-1

Avertissement.
Bien qu’étant conforme aux normes, cet appareil peut, dans des cas exceptionels, provoquer des

interférences. Dans ce cas, il peut être demandé à l’utilisateur de prendre des mesures appropriées.

Warning.
Althought this equipment conforms to the stated norms, under certain exceptional circumstances it

may provoke interference. In this event the user may be asked to take appropriate measures.

Other electrical regulatory certification pending.

Cheseaux 1er trimestre 2003
Cheseaux 1st quarter 2003

Issue: August 18 2004 Page 36

NAGRAVISION SA KUDELSKI GROUP

Route de Genève 22

CH-1033 Cheseaux

Switzerland

Phone [phone]

Fax [phone]

E-mail [e-mail]

All rights reserved-© August 18 2004