Omnia Audio ToolVox Operating Manual

Version 1.1

1 February, 2001

USERS MANUAL

Customer Service

We support you...

By phone/fax in the USA.

Customer service is available from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM USA Eastern Time, Monday through Friday at +1 (216) 241-7225. Fax: +1 (216) 241-4103.

By phone/Fax in Europe.

Service is available from Cutting Edge Europe in Germany at +49 81 61 42 467.

Fax: +49 81 61 42 402.

By E-Mail.

The address is: support@nogrunge.com.

Via World Wide Web.

The Cutting Edge Web site has a variety of information which may be useful for product selection. The URL is: http://www.nogrunge.com.

Feedback

We welcome feedback on any aspect of the ToolVox many good ideas from users have made their way into software revisions or new products. Please contact us with your comments.

™

or this manual. In the past,

Cutting Edge

2101 Superior Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44114

USA

+1 (216) 241-3343

Fax: +1 (216) 241-4103

Updates

™

The operation of the ToolVox

is determined almost by software. A continuous program of improvement is underway. Contact us to determine if a newer release is available.

Trademarks

Cutting Edge, the Cutting Edge logo, Omnia and ToolVox are trademarks of TLS Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders.

CUSTOMER SERVICE I

Copyright © 1994-99 by TLS Corporation. Published by Cutting Edge, who reserves the right to make improvements or changes in the products described in this manual, which may affect the product specifications, or to revise the manual without notice. All rights reserved.

Notice

All versions, claims of compatibility, trademarks, etc. of hardware and software products not made by Cutting Edge mentioned in this manual or accompanying material are informational only. Cutting Edge makes no endorsement of any particular product for any purpose, nor claims any responsibility for operation or accuracy.

Warranty

This product is covered by a one year limited warranty, the full text of which is included in the Appendix of this manual.

Service

You must contact Cutting Edge before returning any equipment for factory service. Cutting Edge will issue a Return Authorization number which must be written on the exterior of your shipping container. Please do not return cables or accessories unless specifically requested by Cutting Edge technical support. Be sure to adequately insure your shipment for its replacement value. Packages without proper authorization may be refused. USA customers: please contact Cutting Edge technical support at +1 (216) 241-3343. All other customers should contact their local dealer to make arrangements for service.

CUSTOMER SERVICE II

Notices and Cautions

Notices and CautionsNotices and Cautions

CAUTION:

THE INSTALLATION AND SERVICING INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL ARE FOR USE BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY. TO AVOID ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT PERFORM ANY SERVICING OTHER THAN THAT CONTAINED IN THE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO DO SO. REFER ALL SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

WARNING:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT SHOWER WITH THE UNIT.

THIS SYMBOL, WHEREVER IT APPEARS, ALERTS YOU TO THE PRESENCE OF UNINSULATED, DANGEROUS VOLTAGE INSIDE THE CLOSURE - VOLTAGE WHICH MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO CONSTITUTE A RISK OF SHOCK.

THIS SYMBOL, WHEREVER IT APPEARS, ALERTS YOU TO IMPORTANT OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS.

THIS SYMBOL REFERS TO A HOT TIP. HOT TIPS ARE USEFUL BITS OF INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TOOLVOX.

CUSTOMER SERVICE III

TO PREVENT RISKS OF

ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DISCONNECT POWER

CORD BEFORE SERVICING

USA CLASS A COMPUTING DEVICE INFORMATION TO USER. WARNING:

If it is not installed and used as directed by this manual, it may cause interference to radio communication. This equipment complies with the limits for a Class A computing device, as specified by FCC Rules, Part 15, Subpart J, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when this type of equipment is operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference. If it does, the user will be required to eliminate the interference at the

user’s expense. other devices are connected to this device without the use of shielded interconnect cables. FCC rules require the use of only shielded cables.

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy.

NOTE:

Objectionable interference to TV or radio reception can occur if

CANADA WARNING: “

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.” “Le present appareil numerique n’emet pas de bruits radioelectriques depassant les limites applicables aux appareils numeriques (de les Class A) prescrites dans le Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des Communications du Canada.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE IV

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION – WHAT IS THE TOOLVOX?...................................................1

2 INSTALLATION......................................................................................................3

3 QUICK SETUP GUIDE ...........................................................................................5

3.1 Powering Up...................................................................................................................................................... 5

3.2 Attaching Audio Cables .................................................................................................................................. 5

3.3 A Quick Look at the Front Panel................................................................................................................... 5

3.4 The Headphone Output .................................................................................................................................. 6

3.5 Installing the Remote Application Software ................................................................................................ 6

3.6 Connecting Your Computer to the ToolVox................................................................................................ 7

3.7 Creating a Connection to the ToolVox.......................................................................................................... 8

3.7.1 Serial connection ....................................................................................................................................... 9

3.7.2 Network connection .................................................................................................................................. 9

3.8 Adjusting the Audio Levels........................................................................................................................... 11

3.9 Let’s Begin Processing Some Audio ............................................................................................................ 11

3.10 Time to Become a Pro with ToolVox........................................................................................................... 12

4 THE FRONT PANEL ............................................................................................13

4.1 The LCD Screen and Edit Knob.................................................................................................................. 13

4.2 The Network LED.......................................................................................................................................... 14

4.3 The Phantom LED......................................................................................................................................... 14

4.4 LED Level Meter and Input / Output LEDs.............................................................................................. 14

4.5 Noise Gate LED.............................................................................................................................................. 14

4.6 De-esser LED .................................................................................................................................................. 15

4.7 Processing LED Bar graph........................................................................................................................... 15

4.8 Headphone Output and Control.................................................................................................................. 15

4.9 Setup Menu ..................................................................................................................................................... 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS V

5 THE REMOTE APPLICATION.............................................................................19

5.1 The File Menu................................................................................................................................................. 19

5.1.1 Open Preset.............................................................................................................................................. 19

5.1.2 Save Preset............................................................................................................................................... 20

5.1.3 Save Preset As ......................................................................................................................................... 20

5.1.4 Print Preset............................................................................................................................................... 20

5.1.5 Exit ........................................................................................................................................................... 20

5.2 The Options Menu ......................................................................................................................................... 21

5.2.1 Connect .................................................................................................................................................... 21

5.2.2 Disconnect................................................................................................................................................ 21

5.2.3 Edit Connection....................................................................................................................................... 22

5.2.4 Command Line........................................................................................................................................ 23

5.2.5 Preferences............................................................................................................................................... 24

5.3 The System Menu........................................................................................................................................... 25

5.3.1 Expert Edit Mode .................................................................................................................................... 25

5.3.2 Save System and I/O ............................................................................................................................... 25

5.3.3 I/O Configuration ....................................................................................................................................26

5.4 The Preset Menu ............................................................................................................................................ 28

5.4.1 Select........................................................................................................................................................ 28

5.4.2 Save Preset............................................................................................................................................... 28

5.4.3 Save Preset As ......................................................................................................................................... 29

5.5 The Help Menu............................................................................................................................................... 29

5.5.1 About........................................................................................................................................................ 29

5.5.2 Version…................................................................................................................................................. 29

5.6 The Processing Diagram ............................................................................................................................... 29

5.7 The Metering Screen ..................................................................................................................................... 30

5.7.1 Input Level............................................................................................................................................... 30

5.7.2 Output Level............................................................................................................................................ 30

5.7.3 AGC ......................................................................................................................................................... 31

5.7.4 Expander .................................................................................................................................................. 31

5.7.5 Compressor.............................................................................................................................................. 31

5.7.6 De-Esser................................................................................................................................................... 31

5.8 Advanced network parameters.................................................................................................................... 32

5.9 Security ............................................................................................................................................................ 33

6 THE AUDIO PROCESSING CHAIN IN DETAIL .................................................35

6.1 A Look at Audio Levels in the ToolVox...................................................................................................... 35

6.2 The Analog Limiter and Analog Level Control......................................................................................... 36

6.3 The Highpass Filter........................................................................................................................................ 38

6.4 The Phase Rotator.......................................................................................................................................... 38

TABLE OF CONTENTS VI

6.5 The Automatic Gain Control........................................................................................................................ 41

6.5.1 Manual or Automatic .............................................................................................................................. 41

6.5.2 Reference .................................................................................................................................................41

6.5.3 Attack and Release .................................................................................................................................. 42

6.5.4 The Freeze Gate....................................................................................................................................... 43

6.6 The Three Equalizers .................................................................................................................................... 44

6.6.1 Frequency................................................................................................................................................. 44

6.6.2 Gain.......................................................................................................................................................... 44

6.6.3 Q Factor ................................................................................................................................................... 45

6.6.4 Highpass................................................................................................................................................... 46

6.6.5 Lowpass ................................................................................................................................................... 47

6.6.6 Bandpass .................................................................................................................................................. 48

6.6.7 High Shelving.......................................................................................................................................... 49

6.6.8 Low Shelving........................................................................................................................................... 50

6.6.9 Peak.......................................................................................................................................................... 51

6.7 The Compressor ............................................................................................................................................. 52

6.7.1 Threshold .................................................................................................................................................52

6.7.2 Attack ....................................................................................................................................................... 52

6.7.3 Release ..................................................................................................................................................... 53

6.7.4 Ratio ......................................................................................................................................................... 53

6.7.5 Boost ........................................................................................................................................................53

6.8 The Expander .................................................................................................................................................55

6.8.1 Threshold .................................................................................................................................................55

6.8.2 Attack ....................................................................................................................................................... 55

6.8.3 Release ..................................................................................................................................................... 55

6.8.4 Ratio ......................................................................................................................................................... 55

6.9 The De-Esser................................................................................................................................................... 56

6.9.1 Threshold .................................................................................................................................................57

6.9.2 Max Reduction ........................................................................................................................................ 57

6.10 TrueVerb

6.11 Output Stage ................................................................................................................................................... 65

6.11.1 Panorama .................................................................................................................................................65

6.11.2 Gain Control ............................................................................................................................................ 65

by Waves..................................................................................................................................... 58

7 SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................67

8 WARRANTY AND APPLICATION CAUTION ....................................................69

9 APPENDICES.......................................................................................................69

TABLE OF CONTENTS VII

TABLE OF CONTENTS VIII

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

1 Introduction – What is the ToolVox?

The Omnia ToolVox is a high-performance, all-digital voice processor designed to work in concert with on-air broadcast or webcast processing to deliver a smooth yet powerful voice presence. It integrates everything needed for voice into a single system—including state-of-the art DSP reverb. The algorithms used in ToolVox were born out of the extensive dynamics control developed for the Omnia broadcast processor. ToolVox fully exploits the power of DSP to perform frequency domain analysis while implementing the latest discoveries in speech psychoacoustics. An example is its de-esser, which uses an advanced FFT method to predict and reduce the sibilant energy that often causes excessive clipping in on-air processors. The result is a voice sound that’s smooth, never grating and always powerful.

ToolVox includes:

• A studio reference-grade mic preamp with up to 70 dB of programmable gain and built-in phantom power;

• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters for maximum digital fidelity;

• Slow gain-riding AGC with smart-freeze gate, compressor and noise gate sections, designed with ratios and time-constants that work in concert with those found in onair and webcast processors;

• A phase rotator for reducing the amount of asymmetry in voice,

• Fully adjustable HP, LP and shelving filters plus parametric EQ; and

• TrueVerb, a powerful psychoacoustic room simulation program from Waves

Each ToolVox can store 100 presets that can be easily edited, moved or deleted as

required by the system administrator using the included Windows

Remote Control

application.

Presets can be manually selected from the front panel in a jock-friendly fashion: Rotate a knob until the desired preset name is displayed, then press a button to load the preset. Presets can also be remotely and automatically selected since ToolVox is a network-ready processor. To prevent unauthorized tampering, ToolVox includes built-in security features.

ToolVox includes both processed stereo analog and AES/EBU digital outputs as well as an unprocessed output specifically designed for feeding telephone hybrids. An AES/EBU Sync Input is included for those facilities using a master sample or house clock.

A front panel volume control and stereo headphone jack are included for convenient monitoring of the mic processing.

To help you get started, several factory presets are provided in each ToolVox–from these starting points, we’re certain you’ll want to make your own.

Omnia, the promise of digital. . . delivered.

CHAPTER 1 1

INTRODUCTION

2 Installation

Analog Limiter Setting (Internal Switch)

Before rack mounting your ToolVox, determine if there is a need to defeat the builtin analog limiter that protects the A/D converter against short transient signal peaks. We recommend that the limiter be left in the signal path. If your application requires that the limiter be taken out of the signal path, you must take off the top cover on the unit and set switch SW2 to position C2.

Rack Mounting

The Omnia ToolVox requires 1RU (1.75" (44.45 mm)) of rack space. If possible, try to leave one empty space above the ToolVox to provide extra ventilation. If rack space is available, add another empty space below the ToolVox.

ToolVox is normally placed in the studio or on-air control room where it can be accessed by board-operators or on-air talent to select presets as required. There is no danger of accidental preset “corruption,” since all preset programming is performed through software running on a computer. The only controls on the unit are for selecting and loading processing presets.

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

Rear Panel Connections & Controls

Power

The unit’s internal switching power supply can operate on 50 or 60 Hz power mains supplying from 90 to 260 VAC. Plug the IEC power cord into the AC power entry module on the rear of the unit. Turn on the power switch, also on the power entry module.

DIP Switch (between MIC IN and HYBRID OUT)

The four position DIP switch is used to set installation parameters. At this time, switches 1,2 and 3 are reserved for future options and are not used. Switch 4, when set UP, turns on phantom power to the MIC IN connector. Circuitry in the ToolVox actually confirms that 48 Volts is present before turning on the front panel “Phantom” status LED.

RS232

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INSTALLATION

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

A 9-pin serial port connection for a local PC running the ToolVox Remote application.

10Base-T

Ethernet network connector for connecting the ToolVox to a facility LAN. A single computer, running the ToolVox applications, can control multiple ToolVox units once each has been assigned a unique network address (TCP/IP). The Green LED adjacent to the connector confirms a valid Ethernet connection, and the yellow LED will flash during periods of network activity.

MIC IN (female XLR-type connector)

Any balanced dynamic or condenser microphone can be connected. If +48 Volt phantom power is required, set DIP switch #4 (next to the MIC IN connector) to its UP position. A front panel LED lights to indicate phantom power is switched on. If a dynamic microphone is used set DIP switch #4 DOWN to turn off phantom power. Level control is set using the ToolVox remote control application.

HYBRID OUT (male XLR-type connector)

A balanced +6 dBu mono output of the preamplified mic signal, designed for feeding a telephone hybrid. This signal is extracted after the analog limiter. This analog feed should connect directly to the SEND input of the telephone hybrid. Better hybrid performance can be obtained by using unprocessed audio, so the HYBRID OUTPUT is just a loopback of the analog input to the ToolVox.

ANALOG OUT (male XLR-type connector)

Stereo processed audio connections (LEFT OUT and RIGHT OUT) using standard active balanced 50 Ohm outputs.

Connecting the ToolVox Output to Unbalanced Equipment

We urge you to always use balanced connections between equipment in a studio. Connecting an unbalanced device in a very noisy environment might lead to noisy audio signals. One possible way to improve signal quality in such a situation is to ground one of the signal pins. ToolVox provides internal jumpers that allow pin 3 to be grounded on the analog output connectors. [this should be repeated in the

installation section earlier before the customer puts the unit in the rack].

AES/EBU SYNC (female XLR-type connector)

Only used when a facility requires a house sample clock reference signal to synchronize all digital devices. Connect using 110 ohm digital cable.

AES/EBU OUT (male XLR-type connector)

Stereo digital output of the processed microphone audio. Use 110 ohm digital cable to route the output to a digital console or other AES/EBU-compatible device.

CHAPTER 2 4

INSTALLATION

3 Quick Setup Guide

3.1 Powering Up

As described in the previous section, apply AC via the IEC style connector on the back of the unit. The power switch is located just above the power connector.

3.2 Attaching Audio Cables

The microphone should be connected to the Mic In female XLR connector. This should be a balanced connection to reduce the effect of common-mode noise induced in long cables. Adjust Dip-Switch 4 to the UP position when +48V Phantom Power is required for your microphone.

For analog output, attach a female XLR cable to the Analog Out connector. The analog output of the ToolVox is adjustable and has a 50 ohm source impedance. A peak level of +15dBu is available.

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

For digital output, connect a female XLR cable to the AES/EBU OUT connector. The Professional Mode AES/EBU format is used by the ToolVox. The output is transformer isolated with 110 ohm source impedance (standard AES/EBU).

The HYBRID OUTPUT connector is provided for the broadcast facility which wants to feed the output of the ToolVox into a call-in talk show system. This analog feed should connect directly to the SEND input of the telephone hybrid. Better hybrid performance can be obtained by using unprocessed audio, so the HYBRID OUTPUT is just a loopback of the analog input to the ToolVox.

In many all-digital installations, an AES/EBU sync clock is used to synchronize all of the equipment in a facility to a common sample rate. If your facility has such a clock, the AES/EBU SYNC input connector should be used. This is also a standard 110 ohm AES/EBU connector.

3.3 A Quick Look at the Front Panel

CHAPTER 3 5

QUICK SETUP GUIDE

Once your audio connectors have been made, power up the unit and check the front panel indicators. You should see a preset name and number indicated on the front panel LCD. Assuming you have no audio input, the PROCESSING meter should indicate a gain of 0dB, and no level should be present on the LEVEL meter. The INPUT and OUTPUT LEDs indicate the audio source for the LEVEL meter.

You can change the current preset by rotating the large knob to the right of the LED screen. Select a preset by pressing the ENTER button.

3.4 The Headphone Output

A ¼” stereo jack is provided on the front panel for monitoring the ToolVox. The headphone volume is controlled by the knob on the far right of the front panel.

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

listening to the headphone output.

3.5 Installing the Remote Application Software

Included with the ToolVox is a CDROM containing the ToolVox Remote Application and additional information about the ToolVox. All of the features of the ToolVox are accessible through this program, so before operating the processor this application must be installed on a computer.

The Remote Application must be run on a Microsoft Windows compatible PC. Insert the disk in your CDROM drive. Open Windows Explorer. Select the drive letter of your CDROM drive and copy the REMOTE.EXE file from the SOFTWARE subdirectory on the CDROM to your hard drive (a good location would be a c:\ProgramFiles\Cutting Edge\ToolVox directory).

Start with the Headphone volume set to its lowest position before

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QUICK SETUP GUIDE

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

3.6 Connecting Your Computer to the ToolVox

The ToolVox must be connected to your computer by either of 2 methods:

•

Serial connection

Use the serial port on the back of your computer to link to the RS-232 port on the ToolVox. Use the 9-pin serial cable included with the ToolVox, or use your own serial cable. The RS-232 port on the ToolVox is a standard female DB9 connector and can be attached to your computer’s DB9 or DB25 serial port using standard (nonnull modem) cables.

• TCP/IP Network Connection

Use a 10Base-T cable to connect the ToolVox to the local network. Also make sure that the computer on which you will use the Remote Application software is connected to the network.

If you use the serial port, make a note of which COM port to which you have attached the serial cable, so you can configure the Remote Application quickly and correctly.

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QUICK SETUP GUIDE

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

3.7 Creating a Connection to the ToolVox

Now you’re ready to begin experiencing the power of ToolVox. Start the ToolVox Remote Application by either choosing it from the Start Menu – Programs selection tool, or double-clicking the program icon from Explorer. The window below appears:

The first time you use the program, you will see a warning window appearing with the following message: ”No connection database, creating database.” Press OK.

You must create and configure a Connection using the application software. Go to the Options Menu and choose Edit Connection. The dialog box shown below will appear and will allow you to enter the connection parameters.

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QUICK SETUP GUIDE

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

3.7.1 Serial connection

First, give your connection a meaningful name. Then, enter the ToolVox password that gives you the level of control you want. For example, use the password “corli”; this gives the highest level of access to the ToolVox features. A complete list of passwords and access levels is provided in the Remote Application chapter of this manual. Now choose the COM radio button to select the RS-232 type of connection. Select the COM port you used when attaching the serial cable to the unit, and press OK.

3.7.2 Network connection

• Remote Application settings

First, give your connection a meaningful name. Then, enter the ToolVox password that gives you the level of control you want. For example, use the password “corli”; this gives the highest level of access to the ToolVox features. A complete list of passwords and access levels is provided in the Remote Application chapter of this manual. Now choose the TCP/IP radio button to select the Network connection. Enter the IP Address of the ToolVox you want to connect to, on the right of the radio button, and press OK.

CHAPTER 3 9

QUICK SETUP GUIDE

For more details concerning advanced network parameter settings (gateway and subnet mask), see chapter 5.8.

• ToolVox Settings

In order to use the ToolVox through the network, you need to assign it an unique IP Address (To obtain an available address on the network you are connecting the ToolVox to, see your network administrator).

Once you get this address, set up the ToolVox by holding the ENTER button for at least 3 seconds. You will then see the Setup Menu appearing on the LCD screen. Press ENTER again to select the IP Address item. The first number of the IP address will be blinking. Use the large Edit Knob to scroll up (to the right) or down (to the left) through the numbers from 0 to 255. Then, press the ENTER button to confirm and switch to the next number. Repeat this last action for the three other numbers.

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

Once the four numbers building the IP address are set, the ToolVox will automatically reboot. Now, the ToolVox is ready for a network connection.

During the manipulations in the ToolVox Setup Menu, if no parameters are changed in the 20 seconds following the last change, the ToolVox will automatically close the menu and come back to the presets view.

CHAPTER 3 10

QUICK SETUP GUIDE

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

Now that you have created a Connection, you can use it to communicate with the ToolVox. Under the Options menu select Connect and choose any connection from the list box. Press OK or double-click on the name to activate the connection. After a few moments you should see the ToolVox Processing Diagram and the meter information appear on the screen as shown below. If this doesn’t happen you may have chosen the wrong COM port or the wrong IP address in your connection creation. You can use Options – Edit Connection to change the settings of the connections should you need to.

3.8 Adjusting the Audio Levels

To calibrate audio levels, you will need to provide an audio source to the unit: your own voice will do just fine. Go the System menu and select I/O Configuration. In the dialog box, change the Front Panel Level Meter selection to Input. Press OK. Test the microphone input level by speaking in a normal voice and watching the input level meter. If it is not peaking between -10dB and +10dB, you should adjust the analog input level. Click once on the Input box in the Processing block diagram and adjust the Analog Input Level until the audio level peaks in the range cited above when you speak.

If the input is slightly out of range, don’t panic. The powerful AGC functions in the ToolVox will optimize your levels.

Now monitor your output with the headphone jack on the front panel. Adjust the headphone volume to a comfortable level.

3.9 Let’s Begin Processing Some Audio

The heart of the ToolVox is the ability to create custom presets tailored to the individual(s) whose voices need to be processed. The ToolVox can store up to 100

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QUICK SETUP GUIDE

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

presets in the unit’s memory. The factory presets which come with the unit can be replaced with your own at any time. Choose a preset by selecting Preset – Select from the drop down menus. The Remote Application will upload all of the presets from the unit’s memory (this will take a moment). Choose a preset to edit from the list. Don’t worry about overwriting the factory preset now; you won’t be saving this preset unless you absolutely want to.

To edit a preset, use the Processing Diagram in the upper half of the application window. The Processing Diagram is a graphical interface to the ToolVox processing parameters. Select a box in the diagram by clicking on it once. A dialog box will appear and display the parameters associated with that processing function. Try selecting different boxes and become familiar with the parameters and their effects.

Notice that the dialog boxes that appear can be moved around the screen just like any other window. This is useful for viewing several processing parameters at once, as well as keeping the meters in view when you adjust the sound.

Change the LEVEL meters so that they indicate the output level of the ToolVox analog output by selecting System – I/O Configuration from the drop-down menu. Using the Output processing box you can change the output level to match your facility’s optimal audio level. Keep in mind that this will also change the volume in your headphones.

3.10 Time to Become a Pro with ToolVox

Now that you are familiar with the ToolVox editing environment you can completely customize your audio with the advanced features of ToolVox. The rest of this manual covers every aspect of the Remote Application, Processing Parameters. Take the time to read through all of the sections – you will want to know the ToolVox inside and out to get the most out of this revolutionary new product!

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QUICK SETUP GUIDE

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

4 The Front Panel

Because the ToolVox system is designed to work primarily with the Remote Application software, the front panel of the ToolVox is somewhat spare, displaying only the essential information needed to indicate proper operation and to select presets.

4.1 The LCD Screen and Edit Knob

The LCD indicates the currently selected preset. Use the large Edit Knob to scroll through the presets stored in the unit. Press the Enter button to select a new preset.

The LCD screen and Edit Knob also allow access to a SETUP MENU (see chapter

4.9).

The ToolVox remembers the last preset selected. You can “double-click” the Enter button to do an A/B comparison of the current preset and the last preset selected.

CHAPTER 4 13

THE FRONT PANEL

4.2 The Network LED

When the ToolVox is properly connected to a TCP/IP network, this LED will illuminate.

4.3 The Phantom LED

This LED indicates the status of the 48V phantom power on the microphone input. Phantom power is selected using Dip Switch 4 on the back panel of the ToolVox. ToolVox actually monitors the Phantom Power voltage, so this LED will also help you troubleshoot any problems you might have (such as turning Phantom Power on, and not getting any).

TOOLVOX USERS MANUAL

4.4 LED Level Meter and Input / Output LEDs

The LED bar graph on the left side of the front panel can be configured to display one of the following audio levels: input, analog output, or digital output. A range of –15dB to +15dB is indicated on the bar graph, with each LED representing an additional 3dB of level. The range from +3dB to +15dB is indicated by red warning LEDs. 0dB refers to the unit’s analog reference level of –15dBFS.

The Input and Output LEDs indicate which level is displayed. Use the Remote Control application to change the level meter function (under the System – I/O Configuration drop-down menu). The LED meters indicate the RMS average level, as well as the true peak level of the audio.

4.5 Noise Gate LED

This LED follows the operation of the Expander.When the audio level is below the Expander threshold, the Noise Gate LED will illuminate.

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THE FRONT PANEL

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