Sound Devices 970 User manual

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970

Rack Mount Production Audio Recorder

User Guide and Technical Information

Firmware rev. 2.00

E7556 State Rd. 23 and 33, Reedsburg, WI, USA +1 (608) 524-0625 • Toll-Free: (800) 505-0625 • fax: +1 (608) 524-0655

www.sounddevices.com

support@sounddevices.com

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Manual Conventions .............................1

Panel Descriptions 2

Front Panel ......................................2

Rear Panel

......................................3

PIX-CADDY 2 and PIX-CADDY CF (Optional)

Menu and Navigation 6

Main View ......................................6

LCD ............................................7

Menu ..........................................7

File List .........................................8

Audio Inputs 11

Analog Inputs ..................................11

Digital Inputs ...................................11

Choosing Audio Sources .........................13

Input Gain Control ..............................13

Input Delay Control .............................14

..........5

Audio Outputs 15

Analog Audio Outputs ...........................15

Digital Audio Outputs

...........................15

Headphone Output

.............................15

Ethernet 16

Recording 17

File Splitting ....................................17

False Take ......................................17

Track Arming ..................................17

File Format (Polyphonic or Monophonic) ...........18

Sample Rate ....................................18

Bit Depth ......................................19

Pre-Roll ........................................19

Playback 20

Cue Markers ....................................20

Playback Mode

.................................21

Play List

........................................21

Synchronization and Timecode 23

Sync Reference .................................23

Timecode Reader

...............................24

Internal Ambient® Lockit: Timecode Generator Timecode Modes

................................24

.....24

Table of Contents

Powering 26

PowerSafe .....................................26

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Network Grouping 27

Group Auto-Conﬁguration .......................27

Grouped Transport ..............................27

External Control 29

RS422 .........................................29

Web Interface - PIXNET ..........................29

Triggering Recording from External Timecode .......35

Storage and File Management 37

Storage ........................................37 File Management ...............................38

Metadata 41

Setup Management and Firmware Upgrades 44

Saving and Loading Setup Files ....................44

Table of Contents

Custom Default Settings and Setup Menu Option Visibil-

ity ............................................44

Grouped Settings ...............................28

GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output) .............35

USB Keyboard ..................................36

Factory Restore .................................46

Firmware Upgrades .............................46

Setup Menu Options 47

File Storage ....................................47

Audio .........................................48

Timecode/Sync ..................................49

Remote Control .................................50

Network .......................................50

System ........................................51

Quick Setup ....................................52

Button Shortcuts 53

Connector Pin Assignments 54

Speciﬁcations 57

Audio Recording ................................57

Analog Audio ..................................57

Digital Audio ...................................57

File Storage ....................................57

Timecode and Sync ..............................58

Control ........................................58

Keyboard ......................................58

Power .........................................58

Physical ........................................58

Declaration of Conformity 59

Software License 60

Warranty and Technical Support 61

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the expressed written permission of SOUND DEVICES, LLC. SOUND DEVICES is not responsible for any use of this information.

Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh, OSX, and ProRes are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. DNxHD is a registered trademark of Avid, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

970, and the sound waves logo are registered trademarks of Sound Devices, LLC.

Limitation of Liability

LIMITATION ON SOUND DEVICES’ LIABILITY. SOUND DEVICES, LLC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO THE PURCHASER OF THIS PRODUCT OR THIRD PARTIES FOR DAMAGES, LOSSES, COSTS, OR EXPENSES INCURRED BY PURCHASER OR THIRD PARTIES AS A RESULT OF: ACCIDENT, MISUSE, OR ABUSE OF THIS PRODUCT OR UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS, REPAIRS, OR ALTERATIONS TO THIS PRODUCT, OR FAILURE TO STRICTLY COMPLY WITH SOUND DEVICES, LLC’S OPERATING AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SOUND DEVICES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY TO THE END USER OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR COSTS, EXPENSES, DIRECT DAMAGES, INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, PUNITIVE DAMAGES, SPECIAL DAMAGES, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PRODUCTS, THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OR THE PARTIES’ RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM OR RELATED TO THE DELETION OR OTHER LOSS OF AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDINGS OR DATA, REDUCED OR DIMINISHED AUDIO OR VIDEO QUALITY OR OTHER SIMILAR AUDIO OR VIDEO DEFECTS ARISING FROM, RELATED TO OR OTHERewindISE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE PRODUCTS OR THE END USER’S USE OR OPERATION THEREOF, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE CLAIMED UNDER CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY. “CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES” FOR WHICH SOUND DEVICES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE SHALL INCLUDE, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST PROFITS, PENALTIES, DELAY DAMAGES, LIQUIDATED DAMAGES AND OTHER DAMAGES AND LIABILITIES WHICH END USER SHALL BE OBLIGATED TO PAY OR WHICH END USER OR ANY OTHER PARTY MAY INCUR RELATED TO OR ARISING OUT OF ITS CONTRACTS WITH ITS CUSTOMERS OR OTHER THIRD PARTIES. NOTWITHSTANDING AND WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL SOUND DEVICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF AMOUNTS PAID BY THE END USER FOR THE PRODUCTS AS TO WHICH ANY LIABILITY HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO EXIST. SOUND DEVICES AND END USER EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT THE PRICE FOR THE PRODUCTS WAS DETERMINED IN CONSIDERATION OF THE LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND DAMAGES SET FORTH HEREIN AND SUCH LIMITATION HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY BARGAINED FOR AND CONSTITUTES AN AGREED ALLOCATION OF RISK WHICH SHALL SURVIVE THE DETERMINATION OF ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION THAT ANY REMEDY HEREIN FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

Table of Contents

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Introduction

The Sound Devices 970 is rack-mountable, 64 track audio recorder. The 970 records up to 64 channels of monophonic or polyphonic, 24-bit WAV ﬁles from any of its 144 audio inputs. Connections include 64 channels of Ethernet-based Dante, 64 channels of optical and coaxial MADI, eight channels of line-level analog, and eight channels of AES digital. Any input can be assigned to any track. The recorder also supports 32-track recording at 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz.

Files are recorded simultaneously on (up to) 4 separate storage devices via two front panel PIXCADDY slots and two rear panel eSATAp connections. The PIX-CADDY slots can accept PIX-CADDY 2 (For 2.5” SSD’s or spinning hard drives) or PIX-CADDY CF (For CompactFlash media) devices. This redundancy in local, removable storage devices, coupled with standard, Ethernet-based ﬁle transfer features further reduces steps in the production workﬂow. Gigabit Ethernet network ports enable remote access to recorded ﬁles and the ability to transfer them quickly into a post-production environment.

Full-featured precision timecode and sync reference I/O using Ambient Lockit core technology is provided to allow tight synchronization with external equipment in complex multi-machine conﬁgurations. The 970 supports various external control options: RS422, GPIO, Timecode triggering, and an embedded web server for network-based remote control. Network Grouping functionality enables linked recording and playback of multiple 970 units connected to a standard Ethernet network.

This User Guide details installation and operation of the 970 and corresponds to 970 ﬁrmware version 2.00. User Guide revisions are released at the same time as ﬁrmware updates and available online:

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/970/downloads/

Manual Conventions

Several formatting features have been included to make navigating the guide easier.

• Physical buttons on the 970 are represented with capitalized titles (Record button, MENU But-

ton, etc). All physical button names are detailed in the Panel Descriptions section.

• Button combinations are represented with the plus (+) symbol. For example: “Press LCD Button + AUDIO Button” means to ﬁrst hold down the LCD Button, then press the AUDIO Button, and ﬁnally release both buttons.

• Setup Menu items are indicated with this text: [Menu Category - Parameter], where the menu category is one of the items in the list displayed when the MENU Button is pushed, and the parameter is an item in the list displayed when that category is selected (by pushing in on the Control Knob).

• Blue italicized text references sections of the user guide containing contextually relevant information. When viewing this document on a computer, this text can be clicked to jump to the named section.

Introduction

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Panel Descriptions

Front Panel

1 2 3 54 6 7 8 9

Panel Descriptions

1) Control Knob

The Control Knob can be both turned and pressed. Use the Control Knob to navigate between menu settings and to select menu items. Pressing during playback or stop will toggle to Shuttle mode. Turning while playback is paused will jog forward or backward by single frames.

2) AUDIO Button

When pressed from the Main View, toggles expanded meters. (From the Main View: Select audio input sources, Arm/ disarm tracks, Set audio input gain and delay,View audio input levels, and Edit audio track names.) When pressed from any other view, displays the Main View.

3) LCD Button

When pressed from the Main View, switches between banks of audio tracks. When pressed from any other view, displays the Main View. Hold for 2 seconds to toggle LCD on/off.

101214 13 1115

5) LCD Display

5-inch display; 800x480 resolution.

6) FILES Button

Displays the File List View. Press FILES + Fast Forward (>>) during record or playback to add a Cue Marker. Press FILES + Rewind (<<) to delete a Cue Marker.

7) MENU Button

Displays the Setup Menu.

8) Play button

Plays the most recently recorded ﬁle when pressed. In the File List View, plays the selected ﬁle from the File List. Pauses during playback.

9) Stop Button

Stops recording or playback. When Stopped, hold the Stop Button to display the next ﬁlename.

4) Handle

This handle is designed to provide a gripping point for tilting down the LCD.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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10) Fast Forward button

When Stopped, press to cue up the next ﬁle for Playback. During Playback or Pause, press once to jump to the next Cue Marker or next ﬁle, press and hold to increase playback speed. Continue to hold for faster speeds.

11) Record Button

Begins recording. Optional: Splits the recording and begins writing a new ﬁle when pressed while recording ([System - Rec button File Split])

12) Rewind Button

When Stopped, press to cue up the previous ﬁle for Playback. During Playback and Pause, press once to jump to the previous Cue Marker or beginning of the ﬁle, press and hold to reverse playback speed. Continue to hold for faster reverse speeds.

Rear Panel

13) Headphone Volume Knob

Adjusts the overall volume of the headphones. NOTE: the headphone output is capable of ear-damaging levels. Take care when adjusting among signal sources.

14) Headphone Output 1/4”

TRS stereo headphone connector. Can drive headphones from 8 to 100 ohms to very high headphone levels.

15) USB Keyboard Input

USB A female connector to connect a USB keyboard. Keyboards can be used to navigate, control, and enter metadata into the

970. Keyboards with integrated USB hubs are not compatible.

1) Secondary DC Power Input (XLR 4-pin)

Accepts 10–27 volts DC. XLR 4-pin connector is wired pin-1 ground, pin-4 positive (+).

2) Primary DC Power Input (XLR 4-pin)

Accepts 10–27 volts DC. XLR 4-pin connector is wired pin-1 ground, pin-4 positive (+).

3 654

7 8 9

141516 1213

3) MADI I/O (SC Optical)

Panel Descriptions

Input (top) accepts MADI (AES10) digital audio. Output (bottom) provides MADI (AES10) digital audio. 64 channels. MADI connections use multimode ﬁber and networks.

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Panel Descriptions

4) MADI I/O (BNC)

Input (top) accepts MADI (AES10) digital audio. Output (bottom) provides MADI (AES10) digital audio. 64 channels.

5) Timecode I/O (BNC)

Input (top) accepts SMPTE timecode. Output (top) provides SMPTE timecode.

6) SYNC I/O (BNC)

Wordclock input (top) and output (bottom).

7) AES3 I/O (DB-25)

8 channels of AES digital audio input and 8 channels of AES digital output. (See

“Connector Pin Assignments”, page 54)

8) Analog Audio Output (DB-25)

8 channels of balanced, line-level analog audio output. (See “Connector Pin Assign-

ments”, page 54)

9) Analog Audio Input (DB-25)

8 channels of balanced, line-level analog audio input. (See “Connector Pin Assign-

ments”, page 54)

10) Analog Audio Input (XLR)

2 channels of balanced, line-level analog audio inputs.

11) Analog Audio Output (XLR)

2 channels of balanced, line-level analog audio outputs.

12) Ethernet (RJ-45)

Attaches to 1G or 100M Ethernet networks. Provides Dante connectivity (See

“Dante Audio Inputs”, page 12), Network

Grouping (See “Network Grouping”, page

27), web access for remote control (See “Web Interface - PIXNET”, page 29), and

network ﬁle service. (See “Storage and File

Management”, page 37)

13) RS-422 Control (DB-9)

Connects to RS-422 Controllers for external control of the 970. (See “RS422”, page

29)

14) External Drive Connections (eSATAp)

Connector for approved external drives. Sound Devices maintains a list of tested and approved media. Visit www.soundde-

vices.com/approved for an up-to-date list of

tested and approved drives.

15) GPIO Remote (Phoenix 10-pin)

Logic contact points for remote control. (See “GPIO (General Purpose Input / Out-

put)”, page 35)

16) USB Connection

Factory use only.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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PIX-CADDY 2 and PIX-CADDY CF (Optional)

The PIX-CADDY 2 is an accessory to connect approved 2.5” drives to the front-panel drive bays. The PIX-CADDY CF is an accessory to connect approved CompactFlash cards to the front-panel drive bays (Supports poly WAV File Format only). When removed from a 970, the PIX-CADDY 2 operates as a high-speed drive interface to Mac OS and Windows computers via the onboard FireWire800, USB 3.0, or the optional PIX-DOCK Thunderbolt interface.

For reliable operation, it is imperative that the 2.5” drive be ﬁrmly screwed to the PIX-CADDY 2 with the supplied screws.

PIX-CADDY CF PIX-CADDY 2

1) FireWire 800

FireWire 800 or 400 (backward compatible). Requires a powered FireWire 800 or 400 port.

2) eSATAp

High-speed data transfer over 5V eSATAp. Requires a 5V powered eSATAp port.

3) USB 3.0

High-speed data transfer over USB 3.0 (backward compatible with USB 2.0).

4) 2.5” Drive Slot

Connector for approved 2.5-inch SATA II and SATA III drives. Sound Devices maintains a list of tested and approved SSD or hard drives. Visit www.sounddevices.com/

approved for an up-to-date list of tested

and approved drives.

5) Activity LED

Illuminates when recording, playing, reading, or writing to the media. Do not remove the caddy while the Activity LED is illuminated. LED does not illuminate

when connected to a computer’s eSATA port.

6) Release Latches

Secures the PIX-CADDY to the recorder. Press both latches to remove the caddy assembly.

7) Screw Holes

For reliable operation, it is imperative that the 2.5” drive be ﬁrmly screwed to the PIX-CADDY 2 with the supplied screws.

8) CF Slot

Connector for approved CompactFlash media. Sound Devices maintains a list of tested and approved CF cards. Visit www.

sounddevices.com/approved for an up-to-

date list of tested and approved drives.

Panel Descriptions

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Menu and Navigation

Main View

The Main View displays all audio input levels and provides conﬁguration of Track Arming, Track Naming, Input Source selection, Input Gain, and Input Delay. The Main View by default displays 16 tracks at a time. This can be changed to 8, 16, or 32 track displays in [Audio - Audio Screen Meters]. Press the LCD Button to quickly switch between banks of meters (8, 16, or 32 depending on the value of [Audio - Audio Screen Meters]). Press F10 on the attached USB keyboard to toggle through audio track count displays.

Text ﬁelds in the Main View will change color to indicate transport status (White = Stopped, Red = Record, Green = Play/Pause, Blue = Rew/Fast Forward/Shuttle).

Menu & Navigation

Headphone Source

Track Arm Status

Track Name

Input Meter

Drive Statuses

Timecode Value

Input View

Sample Rate

Timecode Frame Rate

Transport StatusAbsolute Time

Take Name

When viewing the Main View, press the AUDIO Button to display the Input View. This view shortens the audio input meters and displays Input Source, Input Gain, and Input Delay information for each audio track. These input settings are adjusted from the Input View.

Adjusting Audio Input and Track Parameters

All parameters for individual audio tracks and inputs are made from the Main View or the Input View. To make adjustments in these views:

1. Rotate the Control Knob to move the blue highlighter to the desired track.

2. Press the Control Knob to focus the highlighter on parameters for the track. The highlighter

will become orange.

3. Rotate the Control Knob to move the orange highlighter to the desired parameter.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

4. Press the Control Knob to edit the highlighted parameter. The highlighter will become blue.

5. Rotate the Control Knob to adjust the value. (Track Name will present an on-screen key-

board. Use this or the aached USB keyboard to edit the Track Name, then select OK.)

6. Press the Control Knob to set the value. The highligher will become blue and once again

highlight the entire track.

LCD

From the Main View, press the LCD Button to quickly switch between banks of meters (8, 16, or 32 depending on the value of [Audio - Audio Screen Meters]). When the Main View is not displayed, press the LCD Button to return to the Main View. Press and hold the LCD Buon for two seconds to

turn o the LCD; press again to turn on.

Press LCD Button + Control Knob to display the LCD Control Panel. The LCD Control Panel provides adjustments to the LCD backlight and button backlight. The parameter with the orange slider bar is the selected parameter. To toggle through the parameters press the Control Knob. To adjust the setting, turn the Control Knob. Press LCD again to exit the LCD Control Panel.

Press the MENU Button (keyboard: F1) to enter the Setup Menu. Most settings of the 970 are accessed and changed from the Setup Menu. Navigate between menu items by turning the Control Knob. Select menu items by pressing the Control Knob. When in a menu, press the MENU Button to go back to the previous screen.

Menu & Navigation

The Setup Menu is not accessible when in Record or Playback. If the Setup Menu is open when record or playback is engaged, the Setup Menu will close and return to the Main View.

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File List

Press the FILES button (keyboard: F2) to display a list of all of the recorded takes (File List). Takes are arranged chronologically and grouped by Reel. Turn the Control Knob to highlight an item. Press the PLAY Button to start playback of the highlighted take. Press the Control Knob to perform functions based on which item is highlighted:

Menu & Navigation

7 8 9

1) Next Take

Information for the next take.

2) Current Take

Information for the current take. Text is red while recording and white when stopped.

3) Mono Take (Expanded)

Mono WAV ﬁle takes are collapsed by default, so that each take is represented by a single item in the File List followed by the number of tracks in brackets. Press Control Knob to expand the take and show individual track ﬁles. Press and hold Control Knob to access File Details for the entire take. Scroll to individual track ﬁles and press Play to play the individual track. Editing File Details on an individual track will still affect all track ﬁles in the take.

4) Mono Take (Collapsed)

5) Reel Group

A group of clips organized by reel name. Takes below are part of the indicated reel. Number in brackets indicates number of clips in the reel. Press Control Knob to expand or collapse list of takes in this reels.

6) Poly Take

Represents a single poly take. Press Control Knob to view Take Details Screen.

7) Name

The name or number of the take, ﬁle, or reel. Number in brackets indicates amount of tracks in the mono take or amount of takes in the reel.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

8) Date and Time

Date and time the take or reel was created.

The selected drive is displayed on the top of the screen. To view the contents of other drives, scroll to the top of the list. A box appears with a list of all available drives. Select the desired drive and press the Control Knob.

9) Size

Total size of the take, ﬁle, or reel.

While in the File List, press the FILES Button to collapse all Reel folders and mono takes to ease ﬁle navigation.

It is recommended that ﬁles in the same Play List or reel be of the same sample rate.

Take Details Screen

From the File List, highlight a ﬁle and press the Control Knob to view the Take Details Screen. To view Multi-ﬁle Take details, highlight the menu item with ﬁle extension then press and hold the Control Knob. File Details include:

• Start TC: Start Timecode value

• Duration: Duration of the recording in

minutes and seconds.

• Created: Time and date the ﬁle was cre-

ated.

• File Format: Poly or Mono Broadcast

WAV File

• Audio Fmt: Sample rate, Bit depth, and

Track count.

• Timecode fps: TFrame rate value of

stamped timecode.

• User bits: Userbit value.

• Media: The drive and reel folder where

the ﬁle is stored.

• File Size: The size of the ﬁle on the drive.

Menu & Navigation

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File functions are also available in the Take Details Screen:

Menu & Navigation

• Delete: Deletes the take or le (Conrmation dialog). (See “Deleting a File”, page 39)

• Notes, Scene, Take, Track Names, and Circled: Edit iXML / bEXT metadata of audio takes. (See

“Metadata”, page 41)

• Add to Play List: Adds the take to the Play List. (See “Play List”, page 21)

• Remove from Play List: Removes the take from the Play List. (See “Play List”, page 21)

• Empty Play List: Empties the entire Play List. (See “Play List”, page 21)

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Audio Inputs

The 970 can record up to 64 tracks from a variety of input sources:

Input Type Count Connector(s) Gain Details

Analog 8

AES Digital 8 1-8: DB-25 (CH 1-8 AES IN/OUT)

Dante 64 1-64: Ethernet

MADI 64

1-8: DB-25 (CH 1-8 LINE IN)

1-2: XLR (LINE IN 1/2)

1-64: Optical SC (MADI IN)

1-64: BNC (MADI IN)

Off, -25 to 20 dB

Off, -25 to 50 dB

Off, -25 to 20 dB

Off, -25 to 50 dB

Analog Inputs

The 970 has eight, high-performance, line-level analog audio inputs.

XLR (1-2)

Balanced, Line-level. Channels 1-2 on DB-25 connector are summed with respective XLR connectors.

See Dante Audio Inputs for full details

See MADI Audio Inputs for full details

The XLR balanced inputs accept line-level signals. These inputs are shared with Channels 1 and 2 of DB-25 Analog Audio Input connector. Channels 1 and 2 of this connector are summed with channels 1 and 2 of the DB-25 connector, respectively.

DB-25 (1-8)

Eight analog, line-level inputs are provided on the DB-25 Analog Audio Input connector. This connector is wired in the Tascam fashion (See “Connector Pin Assignments”, page 54). Channels 1 and 2 of this connector are summed with channels 1 and 2 XLR Analog Audio Inputs, respectively.

Digital Inputs

The 970 accepts digital audio from AES3, MADI, and Dante sources. The sample rate is determined by the [Audio - Sample Rate] when [Timecode/Sync - Sync Ref] is set to Internal. Otherwise, the sample rate is determined by the selected synchronization reference. All digital inputs are sample rate converted. This helps ensure synchronization of digital audio from multiple sources.

AES3

AES3 Inputs 1 to 8 are derived from the AES3 DB-25 connector on the rear panel. This connector also carries 8 channels of AES3 Output (See “Connector Pin Assignments”, page 54). AES3 Input signal with sampling rates from 32 kHz up to 192 kHz and bit depths up to 24-bits is accepted.

MADI (AES10)

MADI Inputs 1 to 64 are derived from the MADI Input BNC connector and the MADI Input SC (optical) connector on the rear panel. Which connector is used is conﬁgured with Setup Menu option [Audio - MADI Input]. When this option is set to Auto-Detect, signal for each channel will be derived from whichever MADI Input connector has signal. If signal is present on the same channel in both MADI Input connectors, the signal from the SC (optical) connector will be used.

Inputs & Outputs

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Dante Audio Inputs

Dante delivers an easy-to-setup, self-conﬁguring, plug-and-play digital audio network that uses standard Internet Protocols over 100Mb and/or Gigabit Ethernet. Dante reliably distributes multichannel digital audio with sub-millisecond latency and sample-accurate record and playback synchronization over CAT 5 cabling. Up to 64 Dante audio channels can be selected in any combination from any Dante audio device on the same Dante network. Should they be necessary, sample rate converters are automatically activated for all Dante audio inputs.

An input Source can be set to an available Dante channel from the 970 or from the Dante Controller application (Available from Audinate’s website: http://www.audinate.com/) running on a computer at- tached to the network. (See “Choosing Audio Sources”, page 13).

To route Dante channels with the Dante Controller application:

1. Open the Dante Controller application.

2. Select the Routing tab. This table displays Dante devices with available outputs (“Dante Transmiers”) horizontally, and Dante devices with available inputs (“Dante Receivers”) vertically. 970 units will be represented by their 970 names per Setup Menu option

[Network - This 970’s Name].

3. Click the plus symbol (+) where the column of the desired Dante transmiing device intersects with the row of the 970 you wish to set input sources on. This expands the table to

Inputs & Outputs

display a matrix of the transmiing device’s outputs to the 970’s inputs.

4. Click the slots in the matrix where you wish to route or un-route audio channels. A green

circle with a check mark will appear in slots that are routed.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Dante Redundancy

When [Network - Dante Redundancy Mode] is set to On, the 970’s Primary and Secondary Ethernet ports both transmit Dante Audio data over separate networks. This provides a fail safe of the Dante system if one of the networks should fail.

In Dante Redundancy Mode, two separate networks must be run and they CANNOT be connected to one another. Connect any computer running Dante Controller to the 970’s PRI Ethernet network.

See http://www.audinate.com/ for further information on the Dante protocol.

Choosing Audio Sources

Audio Input Source is selected in the Input View in the Source column. To conﬁgure an input source:

1. Press the AUDIO Buon to access the Main View. If the Source column is not visible, press the AUDIO Buon again to reveal it (Input View).

2. Rotate the Control Knob to select the desired track.

3. Press the Control Knob to focus the highlighter on the selected track’s parameters. The high-

lighter will become orange and focus on a single column in the track.

4. Rotate the Control Knob to highlight the Source column.

5. Press the Control Knob to open the Audio Source options window. Select the general type of input to be used from O, Line In, AES In, MADI In, or Dante and press the Control Knob

again to open up all options for that input type.

6. Press the Control Knob to make a selection and exit the Audio Input Source options window.

Dante sources must be connected in order to select them as audio input sources.

For quick general audio source conﬁgurations use [Audio - Audio Input Quick Setup]. (See “Setup

Menu Options”, page 47)

Input Gain Control

Audio Input Gain is set in the Audio Setup Screen in the Gain column. To adjust the gain of an audio track:

1. Press the AUDIO Buon to access the Main View. If the Gain column is not visible, press the AUDIO Buon again to reveal it (Input View).

2. Rotate the Control Knob to select the desired track.

3. Press the Control Knob to focus the highlighter on the selected track’s parameters. The high-

lighter will become orange and focus on a single column in the track.

Inputs & Outputs

4. Rotate the Control Knob to highlight the Gain column.

5. Press the Control Knob to edit the gain value. Turn the Control Knob to adjust the gain in 1 dB increments. Gain is adjusted in real time. The available gain range depends on the audio

input source. (See “Audio Inputs”, page 11)

6. Once the desired gain value is set, press the Control Knob to exit the gain window.

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The gain value of each analog input channel is common. Adjusting the input gain of a track with an analog input source will adjust the gain of all inputs that have that analog channel assigned as the input source.

Input Gain can be linked in [Audio - Input Gain Linking]. When linked, adjust any channel’s gain value to adjust the gain of all channels. Gain offsets from channel to channel are maintained. If this is not desired, unlink the gain and set all gain values to the same value, then re-link input gain.

Input Delay Control

Audio Input Delay is set in the Audio Setup Screen in the Delay column. Delay is adjustable from 0 to 400 mS. To adjust the delay of an audio track:

1. Press the AUDIO Buon to access the Main View. If the Delay column is not visible, press the AUDIO Buon again to reveal it (Input View).

2. Rotate the Control Knob to select the desired track.

3. Press the Control Knob to focus the highlighter on the selected track’s parameters. The high-

lighter will become orange and focus on a single column in the track.

4. Rotate the Control Knob to highlight the Delay column.

Inputs & Outputs

Input Delay can be linked with Setup Menu option [Audio - Input Delay Linking]. When linked, adjust any channel’s delay value to adjust the delay of all channels. Delay offsets from channel to channel are maintained. If this is not desired, unlink the delay and set all delay values to the same value, then re-link input delay.

5. Press the Control Knob to edit the delay value. Turn the Control Knob to adjust the delay in 1 mS increments.

6. Once the desired delay value is set, press the Control Knob to exit the delay window.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Audio Outputs

The 970 features a total of 82 unique output channels. Any of the internal 64 tracks can be routed to each of the 8 analog outputs, 8 AES3 outputs, and 64 MADI outputs. Internal tracks 1 through 64 are permanently routed to Dante outputs 1 through 64 respectively.

Analog Audio Outputs

The eight analog outputs of the 970 are active-balanced, line-level outputs (+18dBu max). Analog Line Output channels 1 and 2 are available on XLR connectors on the rear panel. Analog Line Output channels 1 to 8 are available on a DB25 connector on the rear panel. At factory default, the source of the Analog Line Outputs 1-8 is tracks 1 to 8, respectively. Any of the available 64 Tracks can be sent to the Line Outputs. Line Output routing is set in [Audio - Line Output].

Digital Audio Outputs

AES3

Output channels 1 to 8 . At factory default, the source of the AES Outputs 1-8 is tracks 1 to 8, respectively. Any of the available 64 Tracks can be sent to the AES Outputs. AES Output routing is set in [Audio - AES Output].

Dante Audio Outputs

Tracks 1-64 are permanently routed to Dante Outputs 1-64 respectively. Up to four 970 units can be daisy-chained using their built-in internal Ethernet switches. If using ﬁve or more 970 units, Sound Devices recommends using an external Ethernet Switch in a star conﬁguration.

MADI Audio Output

Both the SC Optical and BNC MADI outputs provide 64 channels of digital audio. At factory default, the source of the MADI Audio Outputs 1-64 is tracks 1 to 64, respectively. Any of the available 64 Tracks can be sent to the MADI Output. MADI Output routing is set in: [Audio - MADI Output].

Headphone Output

The 970 is capable of driving headphones to extremely high sound pressure levels. Hearing experts advise against exposure to high sound pressure levels for extended periods.

The 970’s headphone output is a ﬂexible tool for monitoring audio. The headphone level is adjusted using the Headphone Volume Knob. To quickly select a headphone source, press and hold the AUDIO Button while turning the Control Knob. The Headphone Source can also be selected in the Setup Menu option [Audio - HP Source].

Any input can be soloed in the Main View: Rotate the Control Knob to highlight the input, then press AUDIO + LCD. The input’s signal will be soloed in the headphone monitors and the input that is soloed will be indicated on the top-right of the Main View. Highlight the soloed track, then press AUDIO + LCD again to un-solo the input and return to previous Headphone Source.

Inputs & Outputs

Warning Bells are sent to the headphone monitor to alert the user of various states such as transport changes, selected sync reference absent, and errors such as No Media Connected. The loudness of these warning bells is adjustable from Off, -60 to -12 dBFS in [System - HP Warning Bell Level]. At factory default, the warning bells are set to -40 dBFS.

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Ethernet

The PRI and SEC Ethernet ports on the rear panel of the 970 are used for a variety of functions and features:

• Dante (64-Channel Audio I/O over network) (See “Dante Audio Inputs”, page 12)

• Network Grouping (See “Network Grouping”, page 27)

• File Transfer (Samba) (See “Transferring Files”, page 39)

• Web Browser Control (See “Web Interface - PIXNET”, page 29)

Up to four 970 units can be daisy-chained using their built-in Ethernet switches. If using ﬁve or more 970 units, Sound Devices recommends using an external Ethernet Switch in a star conﬁguration.

The 970 can be allocated an IP address from a DHCP server (recommended) or over Link-local networking. Link-local networking is a protocol which automatically allocates a 169.254.x.x IP address in the absence of any DHCP server. If a DHCP server is available, the 970 will automatically use it if [Network - Auto IP Settings] is set to On.

Alternatively, the IP address can be conﬁgured manually. When Setup Menu option [Network - Atuo IP Settings] is set to Off, Setup Menu options [Network - IP Address], [Network - Subnet Mask], and [Network - Gateway] are enabled. When these settings are improperly set, the 970 may be unreachable in the network or may cause conﬂicts resulting in other devices in the network being unreachable. Consult with an IT technician to determine the appropriate settings

Ethernet

when connecting to a large network.

The 970 uses on-board Auto-MDIX (crossover detection) to allow for direct connection to a computer or to a network.

Dante uses a separate IP Address which is conﬁgured automatically when connected to other Dante devices. This IP Address is displayed when connected to a computer running Dante Controller, a free-of-charge application available from Audinate. See the following link for details about Dante Controller’s capabilities.

http://www.audinate.com/

In Dante Redundancy Mode, two separate IP Addresses are used by Dante. (See “Dante Redundancy”,

page 13)

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Recording

The 970 records industry standard Broadcast WAV Files (BWF) on up to 4 storage devices. Each drive can be conﬁgured independently to be available for recording, available for playback (read-only), shared on the network via Samba, or switched to network sharing after becoming full (Setup Menu option [File Storage - Drive Record/Network Mode]). (See “Storage and File Management”, page 37)

Pressing the Record Button will start recording provided there is at least one audio track armed. Recording will continue until the Stop () button is pressed or until all available drives are full. While recording:

• The Record Buon will illuminate red.

• The Main View text and drives actively recording turn red.

• The Setup Menu is not accessible.

If the 970 is not ready to record when a record command is given, the unit will enter a Record Pending state. In this state the Record Button will ﬂash red, and the system will automatically enter record when it becomes ready. A Record Pending state is usually caused by ﬁle storage mounting or response time or Play/Pause.

Record and Stop can also be triggered by other devices (See “Network Grouping”, page 27), via a web browser (See “Web Interface - PIXNET”, page 29), RS-422 , GPIO, and Timecode. External control of RS-422 , GPIO, and Timecode is conﬁgured in Remote Control. (See “External Control”, page 29)

File Splitting

Recorded ﬁles are split when the ﬁle size of Setup Menu option [File Storage - Wave File Split Every] is reached (2GB or 4GB). A new ﬁle will be created and grouped with the other ﬁles from the clip in the File View (See “Storage and File Management”, page

37). When the Setup Menu option [System - Record Button File Split] is set to On, pushing the

Record Button during recording will begin a new ﬁle.

False Take

To discard the last take and delete the ﬁle (False take), press Stop () button + Rewind (<<) button. A dialog box will appear warning that the last take will be deleted and indicate the ﬁle name. Use the Control Knob to highlight OK and push the Control Knob to conﬁrm.

Track Arming

Up to 64 Tracks of audio can be recorded. Tracks must be armed in the Main View in order for them to be recorded. Armed audio tracks will have a red background in the Arm column. Unarmed audio tracks will have a black background in the Arm column. To arm or disarm Tracks for recording:

1. Press the AUDIO Buon to access the Main View.

2. Rotate the Control Knob to select the desired track.

3. Press the Control Knob to focus the highlighter on the selected track’s parameters. The high-

lighter will become orange and focus on a single column in the track.

Recording

4. Rotate the Control Knob to highlight the Arm column (The Arm column is the left-most column and displays the track number).

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5. Press the Control Knob to access the Arm Menu. Turn the Control Knob to select On, Off, All On, or All Off. (All On and All Off will change the arming status of all tracks, regardless

of which track the Arm Menu is being accessed from).

Changing a track’s Input Source to Off will disarm the track.

When the sampling rate is 88.2kHz or 96kHz, tracks 33 to 64 are disabled. This is achieved by setting the sources for tracks 33 to 64 to Off. While the sample rate is set to 88.2kHz or 96kHz, the source for tracks 33 to 64 cannot be set to anything other than Off.

When [Audio - Sample Rate] is set to a sample rate other than 88.2kHz or 96kHz, the track sources for tracks 33 to 64 will remain Off. They must be manually set to new sources.

File Format (Polyphonic or Monophonic)

Poly (Wave) File Format writes a single ﬁle to each target drive per take. All armed audio tracks are interleaved into a single ﬁle.

Mono (Wave) File Format writes multiple ﬁles to each target drive per take. Each armed audio track will be written its own ﬁle for each take. Mono ﬁles will be named according to [File Storage - File Name Format] with the addition of an underscore (“_”) character followed by

Recording

the track number at the end of the ﬁle.

Mono Wave ﬁles can be written to a maximum of 2 SSD’s. Recording Mono Wave ﬁles to a mechanical (spinning) hard drive is not supported.

Sample Rate

The 970 supports the following sampling rates:

• 44.1 kHz

• 47.952 kHz

• 47.952 kHz “F” (ﬁles stamped 48 kHz)

• 48 kHz

When Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Sync Ref] is set to Internal, the sampling rate is set from Setup Menu option [Audio - Sample Rate]. The current Sample Rate is displayed on the topmiddle Main Screen. All digital input signal is sample rate converted to the 970’s sampling rate.

External Synchronization

When Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Sync Ref] is not set to Internal, the sample rate is derived from an outside source and the setting of [Audio - Sample Rate] is not used and will not affect the operating sample rate of the 970. The options for sync reference sources are the Internal, Wordclock (Sync In), AES 1-2, or MADI. The 970 will only lock to supported sample rates. When an unsupported sample rate is present at the sync reference source, the Main View label will ﬂash and the text will be red to indicate there is no synchronization occurring.

• 48.048 kHz

• 48.048 kHz “F” (ﬁles stamped 48 kHz)

• 88.2 kHz

• 96 kHz

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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F Sampling Rate Modes

48.048k and 48.048kF

The 48.048kF mode (F can stand for “fake”, “faux”, or “Fostex”) is a speciﬁc compatibility mode for use with the Fostex DV40 software (1.74 and previous), Avid, Final Cut Pro, and other post-production environments that do not recognize audio ﬁles written at 48.048 kHz. In this mode WAV ﬁles are recorded at a 48.048 kHz sampling rate but are stamped at 48 kHz. When played, they will play back

0.1% slower than real time.

One use for the 48.048kF mode is to force a 0.1% speed reduction (pull down) of audio to match MOS-telecined ﬁlm (24 fps-to-NTSC) in non-linear edit systems, such as Avid or Final Cut Pro. Since the ﬁle is stamped as a 48 kHz ﬁle, the edit system will play it back at 48 kHz and not at 48.048 kHz. This “audio pull down” will match the transferred picture without the need for an intermediate step through other software to create the pull down.

The timecode frame rate (actual recording rate) is forced to 30 ND in 48.048kF mode. The audio ﬁle, however, is stamped with a 29.97 ND frame rate, along the 48 kHz sampling rate. It will appear as if the ﬁle was originally recorded at a 48 kHz sampling rate at a TC rate of 29.97 ND.

Fostex DV40

When using ﬁles recorded in the 48.048kF mode in with a DV40 with early software, set the DV40 timecode frame rate to 29.97ND. Timecode stamps will properly match the original timecode start times.

47.952k and 47.952kF

Both 47.952 and 47.952kF settings use a record sampling rate of 47.952 kHz, 0.1% lower than 48 kHz. The 47.952kF mode, however, identiﬁes the ﬁle as being recorded at 48 kHz. Additionally there are two frame rate options in 47.952kF mode. The timecode frame rate can be set to 23.97 while the ﬁle is identiﬁed as 24ND or it can be set to 29.97ND while the ﬁle is identiﬁed as 30ND. By default, when

47.952kF mode is selected the frame rate is changed to 29.97ND and identiﬁed as 30ND unless the Frame Rate was already set to 23.97 in which case it will remain at 23.97.

Bit Depth

The 970 records either 16 or 24 bit WAV ﬁles. The bit depth for is set from the Setup Menu option [Audio - Bit Depth].

Bit depth deﬁnes the digital “word length” used to represent a given sample and correlates to the maximum dynamic range that is represented by the digital signal. Larger bit depths accommodate more dynamic range. Sound Devices recommends 24-bit recording for all critical production.

Pre-Roll

To prevent missing record cues or up-cutting takes, the 970 has pre-roll buffering available. When active, pre-roll begins recording at a set number of seconds preceding the record command. The PreRoll time can be adjusted from 0 to 10 seconds the Setup Menu option [Audio - Pre-Roll Time].

Changing the armed status of any track or the value of Setup Menu option [Audio - Sample Rate] will reset the pre-roll buffer.

Recording

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Playback

The current take is indicated on the bottom of the Main View in large text. Press the Play () button to play the current take (This operation will work from the Setup Menu as well). During playback, the Play () button and Main View text are green. Pause playback by pressing the Play () button during playback. The Play button ﬂashes green to indicate playback is paused. Press the Stop () button any time to stop playback. From Stopped Mode in the Main View, press the Fast Forward (>>) Button once to skip to the next ﬁle on the current Playback drive. Press the Rewind (<<) Button once to skip to the previous ﬁle on the current Playback drive.

The current Playback drive is indicated by the green Drive Status Main View ﬁeld. To browse ﬁles on the Playback drive, press the FILES Button. This will display the File List of the current Playback drive. Pressing Play () in the File List will play the currently highlighted ﬁle.

To browse ﬁles on another drive, scroll beyond the top of the File List to access the drive selection list. When a ﬁle is played, the drive it is played from will become the current Playback drive. When a new take is recorded, the lowest numbered drive it is written to will become the current Playback drive.

Playback audio is routed to audio outputs as determined by output routing options in the [Audio] Setup Menu section. (See “Audio Outputs”, page 15)

Playback

Files will always be played back at the sample rate of the 970, whether synced to external sources or to internal sampling rates. The sample rate that the ﬁle was originally recorded at (and that is stamped in the ﬁle’s header) will be ignored by 970 during playback, and the 970 will play the ﬁle at the current sample rate, as determined by Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Sync Ref].

Fast Forward and Rewind

Hold down the Fast Forward (>>) or Rewind (<<) button during playback to scrub forward or backward. As the Fast Forward (>>) or Rewind (<<) button is held down, playback speed in that direction will increase (up to 50x), as indicated in the top-right of the Main View. Release the button to resume playback in real time.

Cue Markers

Cue Markers are deﬁned timing points in a ﬁle that can be used for playback navigation on both the 970 and some 3rd party software applications.

Setting Cue Markers

During Record, Playback, or Pause mode, press FILES Button + Fast Forward (>>) button to set a Cue Marker. To delete a Cue Marker, press FILES Button + Rewind (<<) button. A dialog box appears asking Delete Cue Marker? Cue (number), select OK to delete and Cancel to ignore. Cue Mark- ers added or deleted during record mode are applied to all actively recording drives. Cue Markers added or deleted during playback mode are only applied to the current playback drive.

Navigating Cue Markers

During Playback or Pause, press the Fast Forward (>>) Button once to jump to the next Cue Marker. Press the Rewind (<<) Button once to jump to the previous Cue Marker. Immediately press Rewind (<<) again to skip to the previous ﬁle’s last Cue Marker. When skipping between Cue Markers, the beginning and end of a ﬁle are treated as Cue Markers. (However they are not actually Cue Markers in the ﬁle’s metadata.) The previous Cue Marker is displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Main View next to the absolute time and designated with the letter “Q” followed by the cue number (Q3 for example).

If the last ﬁle played was a subling ﬁle from a mono WAV take, skipping will occur between that take’s sibling ﬁles rather than the default behavior of skipping between takes. When the ﬁrst or ﬁnal sibling ﬁle is navigated away from, ﬁle skipping will again occur between takes.

Playback Mode

By default, when a ﬁle is selected for playback, the 970 will play the ﬁle immediately and stop playback when the end of the ﬁle is reached. The Setup Menu options [System - Playback Start mode] and [System - Playback mode] alter this behavior. When [System - Playback Start mode] is set to Pause on First Frame, a ﬁle will begin playback in a paused state. This is useful for “loading” a clip so that playback can be manually triggered without any start up delay.

The Setup Menu option [System - Playback mode] affects how playback will continue after the end of a ﬁle is reached:

Playback mode Behavior

Play Once Playback stops when the end of the file is reached.

Play Once - Pause Playback pauses at the beginning of the file when the end of the file is reached.

Play All Playback continues with the next file in the File List. This process is repeated until all files in

the File List have been played at which point playback stops.

Play All - Pause Playback pauses at the beginning of the next file. This process is repeated until all files in

the File List have been played or Stop is pressed.

Play All - Loop Playback continues with the next file in the File List. This process is repeated until all files

in the File List have been played at which point playback begins at the beginning of the File List.

Play List Playback continues with the next file in the Play List. This process is repeated until all files in

the Play List have been played at which point playback stops.

Play List - Pause Playback pauses at the beginning of the next file in the Play List. This process is repeated

until all files in the Play List have been played or Stopped is pressed.

Play List - Loop Playback continues with the next file in the Play List. This process is repeated until all files

in the Play List have been played at which point playback begins at the beginning of the Play List.

Playback

Play List

Files can be added to a Play List to be played back in a speciﬁc order. Play List functions are accessed from the File Detail view of any ﬁle. To access the File Detail view of a ﬁle:

1. Press the FILES Buon to view the File List.

2. Highlight the desired le, then press the Control Knob to enter the File Details view. (Press and hold the Control Knob if the take is am multi-le, mono take.)

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Add to Play List will add the ﬁle to the end of the Play List. Remove from Play List will remove the ﬁle from the Play List and decrease the position of all ﬁles above in the Play List. Empty Play List will clear the Play List completely (note that this function affects the entire Play List).

Playback

Files in a Play List are indicated with a number in the File List:

By default, the 970 will play ﬁles in the order that they are arranged in the File List. To play back ﬁles in the order of the Play List, [System - Playback Mode] must be set to one of the Play List modes.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Synchronization and Timecode

In a production environment (during recording), offset and drift are both terms to describe a timing problem between the timecode signal from two or more audio or video recorders. In a post-production environment (a non-linear editor application), offset and drift are both terms to describe a timing problem between two or more audio or video ﬁles.

Offset (matching the beginning or “head” of a take) occurs because the beginning of takes are not aligned due to the absence or misuse of timecode. Drift (matching the end or “tail” of a take) occurs because different recorders (audio or camera) run at different rates - the beginning of ﬁles from each may have zero offset, but by the end they drift apart. The 970 was designed with these problems in mind and includes the most comprehensive and powerful synchronization features available in a production recorder. These features can be used to alleviate or eliminate offset and drift problems in both production and post-production. While the 970’s design makes setting the parameters as easy as possible, a good understanding of synchronization is still necessary to properly operate the 970 and ensure a trouble-free workﬂow.

The 970 audio circuitry can be clocked off of incoming signal on either MADI or AES channels 1 and

2. In other words, the 970 references this clock and synchronizes its own clock to it. The 970 writes ﬁles based on this clock as well - each audio sample written out to the ﬁle is synchronized to the incoming signal. This way, the 970 is always completely in sync with the connected source - there can never be any drift between the source and the 970. (See “Sync Reference”, page 23)

Drift problems in a workﬂow can arise when more than one recording device is used on a shoot, as each device is driven off of its own internal master clock. Since internal master clock speed will always vary from device to device (and vary based on temperature and time), each device used will run at a slightly different audio sample rate and timecode rate (and shutter speed in the case of cameras). Particularly problematic are long takes where there may be signiﬁcant drift between the many devices from the beginning to end of the take’s ﬁle. Even if the heads match, the tails of a take may not.

These drift problems can be mitigated during recording by using a Wordclock input on an audio recorder which takes over the recorder’s internal master clock. Wiring several audio recorders’ Wordclock inputs together forces all of the recorders to run at the exact same sample rate with no drift. Wordclock inputs are available on higher-end audio recorders.

Offset problems are easier to overcome than drift problems. By feeding each recording device with the same timecode signal, the ﬁles from different recording devices can all be in sync and there will be no offset in post-production.

The 970 can address the synchronization issues of both offset and drift (heads and tails) via its builtin Ambient® Lockit and Wordclock I/O. The 970’s Ambient® Lockit features an internal clock which has an accuracy of +/-0.2ppm (½ frame per 24 hours). Numerous 970 recorders can be used to maintain extremely tight synchronization.

Sync Reference

The following table lists the available sources for sync reference.

Synchronization & Timecode

Signal Connection Main View

Wordclock SYNC IN

AES channels 1-2 Digital Audio I/O (DB-25)

MADI MADI IN

WCK

AES1-2

MADI

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Signal Connection Main View

Internal None

By default, the currently referenced synchronization source is always displayed on the top-middle of the Main View directly in front of the sample rate. When valid signal is present at the selected source, the Main View label will be displayed in white text. When no valid signal is present at the selected source, the Main View label will ﬂash. Additionally, when a source is selected that has no valid signal, or when the signal at a selected source is lost, a warning dialog will appear on the LCD.

Timecode Reader

The 970 includes a timecode reader which can accept incoming SMPTE linear timecode. The timecode reader is enabled whenever the Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Timecode Mode] is set to any Ext TC mode which indicates that it will read external timecode.

In situations where a consistent offset is observed between 970 ﬁles and other production recordings, the 970 can offset the timecode stamp on each ﬁle. The Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - File Start TC Offset] allows for adjustment of the frame offset from -10 to +10 in

Synchronization & Timecode

increments of 1 frame. This setting does not affect timecode on the 970’s outputs.

For shoots involving more than one camera or another audio recorder, using the 970’s Timecode Generator can be more beneﬁcial than using the Timecode Reader to achieve good heads and tails sync between all recordings.

Int

Internal Ambient® Lockit: Timecode Generator

The 970 includes an internal Ambient® ACL-203 Lockit which can be used as a timecode source for cameras or audio recorders. The Lockit is an ultra-high accuracy sync/timecode generator with < 0.2 ppm (½ frame per 24 hours) accuracy that is suitable as a master clock in all levels of productions. With its internal, rechargeable battery, accurate timecode is maintained for up to 4 hours after the 970 is powered down. After 4 hours, the timecode value is reset. The battery is recharged automatically.

Timecode Modes

Freerun Timecode Mode

Generator mode. Timecode runs continuously. The value can be set by “jamming value” in the Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Jam Received TC] or by manually setting a value from the Setup

Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Set Generator TC].

Freerun Auto Mute

Functions the same as Freerun mode except timecode signal is muted from the timeocde output when the 970 is in stopped mode. This allows rec-run functionality when Rec Run mode is not suitable (e.g. Multi-camera shoots).

Record Run Timecode Mode

Generator mode. The 970 sends running timecode while recording and stationary timecode while not recording. Timecode in this mode defaults to the last stationary value at power-up. When switching to record run from another mode, the internal generator will stop at the last number generated. A user-deﬁned value can be jammed into the internal generator from the Setup Menu option [Timecode/Sync - Set Generator TC].

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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24 Hour Run Timecode Mode

Generator mode. Timecode runs continuously. When this Timecode Mode is selected or when the time/date is altered, the timecode value is jammed to the value of the time-of-day clock. The value can be set by “jamming value” in the Setup Menu options [TIMECODE/SYNC - Jam Received TC] or

[TIMECODE/SYNC - Jam Time Of Day]. The value can also be set manually from Setup Menu option [TIMECODE/SYNC - Set Generator TC].

24h Run Auto Mute

Functions the same as 24h Run mode except timecode signal is muted from the timeocde output when the 970 is in stopped mode. This allows rec-run functionality when Rec Run mode is not suitable (e.g. Multi-camera shoots).

External Timecode Mode

Reader mode. The 970’s internal timecode generator follows an external timecode signal appearing at the BNC Timecode Input. If the external timecode is removed, the internal generator continues to run to preserve continuous timecode.

Synchronization & Timecode

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Powering

The 970 features an advanced powering system with 2 redundant DC Inputs (on rear XLR4M connections) and PowerSafe technology. Two power sources can be attached simultaneously. When multiple power sources are connected, the 970 will use only one source at a time. The order of precedence for power sources is:

1. DC Input 1 (Primary power source)

2. DC Input 2 (Secondary power source)

3. PowerSafe circuitry (Shutdown)

By default, the 970 will operate from the Primary power source. When the Primary power source is removed (or its voltage drops below 9V), the 970 will switch to the Secondary power source without interruption, if available. When operating from the Secondary power source, if the Primary power source voltage rises above 10.5V, the 970 will switch to the Primary power source without interruption.

Synchronization & Timecode

PowerSafe

When power is removed or voltage drops below the threshold and no Secondary power source is available, PowerSafe circuitry will activate. The 970 will display a warning, stop any active recordings, ﬁnish writing ﬁles, and shut the 970 down. The PowerSafe Battery will power the 970 during this time. This feature ensures that ﬁles will be protected even in the event of unexpected power loss.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Network Grouping

When multiple rack-mounted PIX video recorders (PIX 250i, PIX 270i, or PIX 260i) or the 970 Audio Recorder are in use on an Ethernet network, they can be grouped together for transport control and linking of most setup options. Setup Menu option [Network - Network Group] assigns the 970 to one of four available groups.

In this section, the term “unit” refers to PIX 250i, PIX 270i, or PIX 260i Video Recorders, or the 970 Audio Recorder.

There is no “master” / “slave” relationship in Network Groups. All units in a group are “master”. Transport commands and settings changes made on any unit a group will ripple to all other units in the group. If a transport command or settings change has to be made to only one unit in a group, the unit must be temporarily removed from the group before making the change. To quickly toggle between No Group and the current group setting, press MENU Button + Control Knob.

Requirements and considerations when setting up Network Groups:

• The maximum number of units supported in a single group is currently 10. Increasing the amount

of units in a group increases the time of response for grouped transport commands and auto-con-

guration.

• It is recommended that timecode be distributed individually to each unit in a group rather than “daisy-chained” through units in a group.

• Allow all units in a group to auto-congure before proceeding with grouped operations. See the

following section for details. (See “Group Auto-Conguration”, page 27)

• Some seings are not linked even when units are in a group together. (See “Grouped Seings”, page

28)

Group Auto-Conﬁguration

When changes are made to a Network Group, all units in the group must auto-conﬁgure. It is important to allow all units in the group to complete auto-conﬁguration before proceeding with any grouped operations (Transport control, settings changes, etc). While conﬁguring, units will display a dialog message: Configuring Network: Please Wait... Wait 10 seconds after this dialog has cleared before proceeding with grouped operations.

Common tasks that will cause a group to auto-reconﬁgure:

• A unit on the LAN is powered on or o.

• A unit is connected or disconnected from the LAN.

• A unit is added or removed from a group via [Network - Network Group].

Grouped Transport

Transport control (Record, Play, Pause, Stop, Fast Forward, and Rewind) of grouped units is linked. Recording and playback is frame-synchronized among PIX 260i and 970 units in a group. When a ﬁle is selected for playback, all units in the group will play the ﬁle of that same name if it exists. If no ﬁle of that name exists, grouped units will play the most recently played or recorded ﬁle.

Adding and removing cue markers, jumping to cue markers, and looped playback is not supported in grouped units. These features can be effectively used in a grouped unit setup; However, manual

Network Grouping

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

setup on each unit in the group is required. Following are step-by-step instructions to using these features with grouped units. Failure to comply with these recommendations can result in undesired behavior if any one of these features is in use while units are grouped. This could include:

• Out-of-sync playback between grouped units

• Some units in the group dropping out of playback prematurely

• Some units playing back the wrong le

• Sluggish transport control response time

To effectively use Loop Play Mode with grouped units:

1. Press and hold Play until the Main View reads LOOP.

2. Repeat step 1 on all units in the group. Now when a clip is looped, the units will remain in

sync.

To effectively use Cue Markers with grouped units:

1. Playback a le.

2. Find the spot in the le in which a cue marker is to be placed.

3. Pause Playback.

Network Grouping

4. Press FILES + Fast Forward to lay a cue marker.

5. Repeat step 4 for all units in the group. Now when jumping to a cue marker on one unit all

units in the group will also jump to the cue point and remain in sync.

To loop between cue points on grouped units:

1. With Loop Mode on and Cue Markers all set, locate the cue point in which the loop will

begin.

2. Press Play + Fast Forward to change the Loop behavior from Loop Clip to Loop Segment

mode. The Main View will display the loop points (for example Cue 1 - Cue 2).

3. Repeat step 2 on all units in the group. All units in the group will now loop between the

selected cue points and remain in sync.

Grouped Settings

A settings change of any unit in the group will be rippled through to all other units in the group, with some exceptions. The following settings and functions will always apply only to the unit that they are made on, and not ripple through to other units in the group:

• All [Network] options.

• All [Quick Setup] options.

• [File Storage - Erase/Re-format]

• [Timecode/Sync - Timecode Mode]

• [Timecode/Sync - Jam Received TC]

• [Timecode/Sync - Jam Time of Day]

• [Timecode/Sync - Set Generator TC]

• [Timecode/Sync - Set Generator UBits]

• [System - Set Date/Time]

• [System - Update Software]

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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External Control

RS422

The 970 conforms to the Sony P2 (9-pin) machine control standard over RS422. The 970 acts as a slave only, not as a master. To enable RS422 set [Remote Control - RS422] to On. The following table lists all commands supported by the 970 as well as how those commands are supported on three popular RS422 controllers.

Command DNF ST300 JLC-ES450

RECORD

Stop RECORDING

Play

PAUSE

Stop PlayBACK

Fast ForwardWD

Rewind

JOG

SHUTTLE

T-BAR

REC and Play TIMECODE

GOTO (LOCATE to TIMECODE)

VAR

IN ENTRY

OUT ENTRY

IN ENTRY TRIM

OUT ENTRY TRIM

IN ENTRY GOTO

OUT ENTRY GOTO

IN/OUT ENTRY DELETE

IN/OUT ENTRY RECALL

SONY PDW-HR1

(Player Mode)

Ye s Ye s n/a

Ye s Ye s Yes

Ye s No (Pause only) Ye s

Ye s Ye s Yes

Ye s n/a n/a

Ye s Ye s Yes

Ye s Ye s n/a

n/a n/a Ye s

n/a Yes (in Fast ForwardV

mode*)

n/a Yes (in Fast ForwardV

mode*)

n/a Yes Ye s

Ye s Ye s Ye s

Ye s

External Control

* To access Fast ForwardV mode on the ES450, press SHIFT + F.FWD. Then use the F.FWD or RewIND keys for NEXT /PREV ﬁle selection.

Web Interface - PIXNET

When either the primary (PRI) or secondary (SEC) Ethernet ports on the 970 rear panel are connected to an Ethernet network (via switch or router), or direct to a computer (ad-hoc), the 970 can be controlled remotely via PIXNET. PIXNET is a built-in web server with an intuitive GUI and is accessed

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

with an HTTP connection using a web browser. The interface is designed for use with current versions of Chrome and Safari.

PIXNET only supports a single client (browser) connection to a 970 at one time. Accessing PIXNET on a single 970 from multiple clients simultaneously is not supported. Control access to 970 units with Setup Menu option [Network - Authentication].

The 970’s web IP address must be determined before accessing PIXNET:

1. Make sure that the 970 is powered on and connected to a network or directly to a computer

via one of the rear panel Ethernet connectors.

2. The 970 must have a unique name when controlling multiple 970 units via PIXNET. Verify

that the 970 has a unique name in [Network - This 970’s Name].

3. The 970 can automatically nd a unique IP Address when

[Network - Auto IP Settings] is set to On. This is the recommended method for set-

ting up IP connections on the 970. If needed, the IP seings can be manually entered. To manually enter IP seings, set [Network - Auto IP Settings] to Off. Then manually en-

ter [Network - IP Address - Subnet Mask -Gateway] values.

4. PIXNET supports connection to a single client. Control access to the 970 by conguring a user

name and password from Setup Menu option [Network - Authentication].

External Control

5. Open the web browser and enter the IP address displayed on the 970 Main View or listed in

[Network - IP Address] into the web browser’s address bar. Enter the credentials supplied in

step 4 when prompted.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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PIXNET All Units Page

When PIXNET is launched the ﬁrst page displayed is the All Units Page. This is a quick overview of all units connected to the network. Information available is Unit Name, IP Address, File type, Video Input details, Format details (for PIX video recorders), and assigned Group number. From this page, a 970 can be assigned to a particular group (See “Network Grouping”, page 27). Click on the Unit Name to open the Unit Page for that particular unit.

1 2

1) Address Bar

Type in 970 IP Address to connect to PIXNET.

2) Unit Page Tabs

Each Unit Page can be opened in a separate browser tab

3) Unit Name

Lists all units connected to the network. Click on a Name to open the Unit Page for a particular unit.

4) IP Address

Displays the IP Address for all units currently on the network.

5) File

970 or PIX in Audio Mode: Displays WAV Poly or WAV Mono. PIX unit in Video Mode: Displays the resolution and frame rate that the unit is conﬁgured to record.

4 5 6 7 8

6) Input Signal Information

970: This ﬁeld is always blank. PIX unit: Displays the resolution, frame rate, and source (SDI or HDMI) of incoming video signal.

7) Format

970 or PIX unit in Audio Mode: Displays sample rate, bit depth, and armed track count. PIX unit in Video Mode: Displays details of the video codec the unit is set to record.

8) Group

Displays Group settings for all units currently on the network. Group settings can be edited using the drop-down menu for each unit.

External Control

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

PIXNET Unit Page

The Unit page allows for near full remote control of the 970 via the web browser.

62 3 4 5 7 8 9

External Control

1) All Units Page button

Click to return to All Units Page.

2) Previous

Jumps to the beginning of the ﬁle. Also jumps to previous ﬁle.

3) Rewind

Acts as Rewind Button. When selected the clip will reverse at 2x speeds.

4) Play

Functions as Play button.

5) Stop

Functions as Stop Button

6) Unit Name and IP Address

Displays the name and IP Address of the current Unit Page.

7) Fast Forward

Acts as Fast Forward button. When selected the clip advances at 2x speeds

8) Next

Jumps to the next ﬁle.

9) Record

Functions as Record Button.

10) Group

Displays current Group setting, quickly change designated group or remove from group using the drop-down menu.

11) File Format

Displays current ﬁle format (poly or mono WAV ﬁles). Click to change ﬁle format.

12) Drive Status 1-4

Displays the drive status of all drives (D1-D4).

13) Absolute Time

Time elapsed since beginning of current recording or currently playing ﬁle.

14) Timecode

Displays the current timecode value.

15) Frame Rate

Displays the current timecode frame rate.

16) File Name

Displays the current ﬁle name.

17) Menu Tabs

Clicking on each tab will display a different menu.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

18) Armed Channel Count

Displays the current amount of armed audio channels. This is the amount of tracks that will be contained in the next take recorded.

19) Bit Depth

Displays the current audio bit depth.

20) Sample Rate

Displays the current audio sample rate.

21) Headphone Source

Audio source for headphone output.

PIXNET Unit Page Menus

The Unit Page can display many different menus. The menus are accessed by clicking on the tabs of the Unit Page.

Not all 970 menu items or features are available from PIXNET.

Clips Menu

The Clips Menu is the PIXNET version of the 970 File List. From the Clips Menu select a drive. The currently selected drive contents are displayed. Reel, ﬁle name and location, creation date, and ﬁle size are all displayed. Click on a ﬁle name to playback the ﬁle.

File Storage Menu

The File Storage Menu provides quick access via the web browser to the 970 File Storage menu options. Menu settings are displayed and can be edited directly from the web browser. In this menu the Ethernet File Transfer option can be remotely activated. This allows for remote transfer of ﬁles from the 970.

Audio Menu

The Audio Menu provides quick access to the various 970 audio settings and windows. These are separated by views Audio Settings, Tracks, and Output Matrix. When Audio Settings is selected, the 970 Audio menu options are displayed and can be edited directly from the web browser.

External Control

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Audio Tracks

The Audio Tracks screen allows all the same adjustments as the Main View on the 970 itself:

1 2 3 4

External Control

1) Track Name

Click to edit.

2) Track Source

Hover cursor (or touch) to access menu of available audio input sources.

3) Gain Controls

Slider and dropdown menu controls input gain level.

4) Input Delay

Set delay of input signal in milliseconds.

5) Armed Track (On)

Track is armed with an active input source and will be written during recording. Click to unarm.

6) Unarmed Track

Track is not armed. Click to arm.

7) Armed Track (Off)

Track is armed with input source set to Off and will be not be written during recording. Click to unarm.

Audio Output Routing

When the Outputs tab is selected, track-to-output controls appear. From this view route any 970 track to any output.

TC Menu

The TC Menu (timecode) provides quick access via the web browser to the 970 Timecode/Sync menu options. Menu settings are displayed and can be edited directly from the web browser.

Remote Menu

The Remote Menu provides quick access via the web browser to the 970 Remote Control menu options. Menu settings are displayed and can be edited directly from the web browser.

Network Menu

The Network Menu provides quick access via the web browser to the 970 Network menu options. Menu settings are displayed and can be edited directly from the web browser.

System Menu

The System Menu provides quick access via the web browser to the 970 System menu options. Menu settings are displayed and can be edited directly from the web browser.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Triggering Recording from External Timecode

The 970 can be conﬁgured to start recordings when incoming timecode begins rolling and stop when it becomes stationary. This is generally referred to as “Record Run” timecode. The master timecode device should be setup in this manner. To conﬁgure the 970 to follow Record Run commands:

1. Set Setup Menu option [Remote Control - Rec Start/Stop] to Timecode

2. Make sure that the device that is sending timecode is congured to send stationary timecode

while stopped and running timecode while recording.

3. Some cameras do not send the correct timecode in the rst few seconds of a recording, or they send short bursts of timecode causing the 970 to record short unintentional les. The

[Timecode/Sync - Auto Record Hold Off] feature is designed to eliminate these issues. When

a hold o value is applied, the 970 will begin capturing the moment timecode begins rolling but will only go into record if a valid timecode signal is present after the hold o time has

elapsed.

The 970 (and many other Sound Devices products, including the rack-mount PIX video recorders) have Freerun Auto Mute and 24h Run Auto Mute timecode modes. These modes mute timecode output when the unit in stopped mode (i.e. not recording or playing back). This allows the unit to trigger other units with timecode as if they are in a Rec Run timecode mode, while maintaining running timecode value. (See “Timecode Modes”, page 24)

Triggering from external timecode will not cause the 970 to automatically stamp external timecode to recorded ﬁles. The timecode stamped to ﬁles is determined by the setting

[Timecode/Sync - Timecode Mode]

GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output)

The 10-pin Phoenix connector provides six GPIO logic points. These can be used as simple-closure inputs, and to drive LEDs or relays. The following table lists the pin assignments of the GPIO connector.

Pin Function

- (-) Ground. Provides access to ground for triggering logic-low connections.

1 REC Input. Triggers 970 record.

2 Play Input. Triggers 970 play.

3 Stop Input. Triggers 970 stop.

4 (unused)

5 (unused)

6 REC Output. Activates upon 970 record.

7 Play Output. Activates upon 970 play.

8 Stop Output. Activates upon 970 stop.

+5V +5V DC Output. Constant source of +5V for triggering logic high connections.

External Control

GPIO inputs (pins 1, 2, and 3) and GPIO outputs (pins 6, 7, and 8) can be set to “logic high” or “logic low”. Logic high connections will trigger to the presence of +5V (GPIO input) or output +5V when the function is active (GPIO output). Logic low connections will trigger when connected to ground (GPIO input) or become connected to ground when the function is active (GPIO output).

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

To conﬁgure GPIO connections as logic high or logic low, access Setup Menu option [Remote Control - GPIO Inputs] or [Remote Control - GPIO Outputs].

The GPIO Outputs can be used to drive LEDs with a proper series resistor. Resistor values will vary from LED to LED, 470 ohms is a good starting point.

USB Keyboard

The 970 supports standard USB keyboards connected to the USB A connector on the front Panel. The keyboard can be used to navigate menus, enter text, and control 970 Transport functions. The following table shows common functions for an attached keyboard:

Keyboards with integrated USB hubs are not supported.

Key Function

F1 Functions the same as the MENU Button.

F2 Functions the same as the FILES Button.

F3 Functions the same as the AUDIO Button.

F4 Functions the same as the LCD Button.

External Control

Menu Key Functions the same as the MENU button

Ctrl + R Functions the same as the Record Button.

Ctrl + S Functions the same as the Stop Button.

Space Bar Functions the same as the Play button.

Arrow Keys Up/Down function the same as Control Knob turn.

Return/Enter Functions the same as pressing the Control Knob.

Ctrl + Q Delete Cue Marker

Ctrl + Alt + F10 Enters Menu Customization. (In Menu only)

Escape Exits / cancels current dialog.

Page Up Page Down

End Moves the highlight to the end of a list.

Home Moves the highlight to the beginning of a list.

Left/Right function the same as Rewind and Fast Forward keys.

Moves the highlight to the top or bottom of displayed list elements.

F1, F2, F3, and F4 keys can be pushed in combinations to activate button shortcuts, just like their respective buttons on the 970. See Shortcuts

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Storage and File Management

Storage

The 970 records on up to four separate storage devices simultaneously. There are two PIX-CADDY slots on the front panel which are accessed by pulling the LCD Handle forward and tilting the LCD down. Additionally, there are two eSATAp connections on the rear panel. The four drive connections are numbered 1 to 4. Functions on the 970 will refer to the drives using these numbers.

PIX-CADDY / PIX-CADDY CF

Drives 1 and 2 are PIX-CADDY slots behind the LCD on the Front panel.

The PIX-CADDY allows for simple, quick, and solid connection and removal of drives for ﬁle storage and exchange. When connected to a 970, whether powered on or off, the caddy’s USB 3.0, FireWire 800 connections are disabled. When the PIX-CADDY is removed from a 970, it operates as a highspeed data interface for transferring ﬁles from the drive to a computer. Only one data connection can be used at a time. See PIX-CADDY documentation for details on attaching a 2.5” drive to the PIXCADDY.

The PIX-CADDY CF supports CF cards instead of 2.5” drives. It functions the same as the PIX-CADDY except that it does not support the Mono File Format.

See PIX-CADDY and PIX-CADDY CF documentation for full details.

eSATA

Drives 3 and 4 are eSATAp connections on the Rear panel. These connections can be used to power an external drive via 5V eSATAp, or they can be used with powered external enclosures using an eSATA (non-powered) cable. It is important to use an approved drive and external enclosure to ensure proper performance. An up-to-date list of supported storage devices can be found online: http://

www.sounddevices.com/approved

Supported Storage Devices

Sound Devices maintains a list of storage devices that are approved for use with the 970. An up-todate list of supported storage devices can be found online: http://www.sounddevices.com/approved

Mechanical (spinning) hard drives are supported with some limitations. Only poly WAV ﬁles are supported when recording to mechanical drives. The 970 will display a warning when attempting to record mono ﬁles to a spinning drive and recording will not begin.

Approved mechanical drives are recommended for use only in stationary applications. Excessive vibration or motion may cause data corruption when using mechanical drives.

The 970 formats and writes to an exFAT ﬁlesystem. The ExFAT ﬁlesystem is readable and writable by Mac OS X, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. Storage devices to be used with the 970 must be formatted by the 970.

Storage & File Management

Windows XP is not compatible with exFAT volumes by default. The Microsoft update KB955704 (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=19364) will allow Windows XP to read and write to exFAT volumes.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Mac OSX 10.6.4 and below does not support exFAT volumes.

Formatting

To format a drive:

1. Make sure the drive to be formaed is connected to the recorder and note which drive number it is.

2. Open Setup Menu option [File Storage - Erase/Re-format].

3. Choose the Erase/Re-format: Drive Number for the drive to be formaed or

Erase/Re-format: All Drives option.

4. A conrmation dialog will appear: “All data will be erased. Continue?”. Use the Control

Knob to select OK.

5. Use the displayed on-screen keyboard (or an external USB keyboard, if aached) to enter a volume label for the drive, and then use the Control Knob to select OK to initiate the format. When formaing all drives at once, the volume label is applied to all drives but each drive

Storage & File Management

Drive formatting can alternatively be initiated from PIXNET under the File Storage menu.

will be suxed with an dash character and drive number to distinguish between drives.

Drive Modes

Each of the four drive slots can be set to Read Only, Record, Ethernet File Transfer, or Switch to Network upon Full from the Setup Menu option [File Storage - Drive Record/Network Mode].

• Read Only: Drives attached to this drive slot will not be written to during recording. Any com-

patible ﬁles on the drive will still be available for playback and the drive can still be formatted.

• Record: Drives attached to this drive slot will be written to for recording. This is the default

mode.

• Ethernet File Transfer: Drives attached to this slot will be shared to the network as a standard

Samba share (see Ethernet File Transfer) and cannot be recorded to, accessed for playback from the 970, or formatted.

• Switch to Network upon Full: Drives attached to this slot will be in Record mode until they are

ﬁlled. Once ﬁlled, they will automatically switch to Ethernet File Transfer mode.

File Management

The 970 provides several tools for ﬁle management and metadata entry. File management of ﬁles to be recorded is managed in File Storage. File management for ﬁles previously recorded is handled in the File List. See File List and File Details for navigation and basic overview.

File Size Limit

The Broadcast Wave File speciﬁcation calls for a 4GB maximum ﬁle size. The 970 will automatically begin writing a new ﬁle after the ﬁle size limit has been reached. The beginning of this new ﬁle will be seamless to the ending of the previous ﬁle. The default ﬁle size is 4GB. This can be reduced to 2 GB in [File Storage - Wave File Split every].

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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File Naming

Files are named according to the ﬁle name format as set with Setup Menu option [File Storage - File Name Format]. The options for ﬁle name format include various combinations of CamID, Reel, Clip, Scene/Shot, and Take metadata ﬁelds. The ﬁle name format can also be preﬁxed with the Network Name as deﬁned in [Network - This 970's Name]. To preﬁx the ﬁle name with the Network Name, set [File Storage - File Name Prefix] to 970 Name.

Folder Structure

All ﬁles generated by the 970 are placed into a Reel folder. The Reel Folder name/number is deﬁned by the Reel metadata, which is set in [File Storage - Reel].

Deleting a File

Any ﬁle that appears in the File List can be deleted directly from the 970. To delete a ﬁle:

1. Press the FILES Buon to enter the File List.

2. Note the current drive as displayed on the top of the File List. If the le to be deleted resides on this drive, continue to step 3, otherwise scroll to the top of the File List with the Control Knob, then choose the desired drive from the pop up menu.

3. Scroll with the Control Knob to highlight and select the le to be deleted. Once highlighted,

press the Control Knob to enter the File Details view.

4. Highlight and select the Delete option. A dialog will appear to conrm the deletion. Turn the Control Knob to highlight and select “OK”.

Transferring Files

USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt

Files on 970-formatted storage volumes (approved 2.5” drive or external storage device) can be copied to a computer by removing the storage device from the 970 and connecting it to a computer. Storage devices formatted with the 970 recorder use the ExFAT ﬁlesystem. See File Storage

The Firewire 800 and USB 3.0 connectors on the PIX-CADDY are disabled when the PIX-CADDY is attached to the 970. When attaching the PIX-CADDY to a computer, either the Firewire 800 or the USB 3.0 connection must be used; not both.

Sound Devices recommends ﬁrst copying ﬁles from the drive to the computer and then editing the ﬁles. It is not recommended to edit ﬁles directly off of the drive.

Do not copy unsupported ﬁles from a computer (or any other host device) to a drive that is intended to be used by the 970. If this occurs, it is advisable to format the drive with the 970 before making new recordings. See Appendix A for currently supported ﬁles

Ethernet File Transfer (Samba)

Samba is an industry standard networking protocol that enables ﬁles to be transferred between the 970 and any device with access to the network (A computer running Mac OSX, Windows, or Linux for example). Ethernet File Transfer can be initiated remotely via PIXNET (web browser interface). Ethernet supports data rates up to a theoretical maximum of 1Gbps. In reality, data transfer speeds over Ethernet are dependent on network trafﬁc and many other factors. To transfer ﬁles between the 970 and another network device:

Storage & File Management

1. Aach an Ethernet cable from either 970 Ethernet port to a computer or a LAN (Local Area

Network) connection.

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2. Enter Setup Menu [File Storage - Drive Record/Network Mode] to access the Record/Net- work mode menu for all drives.

3. Select the drive to be mounted and set its mode to Ethernet File Transfer. This drive is now aached to the Network and unavailable to the 970 for read or write actions. The Drive Status eld on the Main View will read “Network” in this mode.

4. Now the drive is ready to be accessed via the network. The IP address to use for network access to the 970 is shown on the Main View and in Setup Menu

[Network - IP Address]. The user name and password are congured from Setup Menu op- tion [Network - Authentication].

• Mac OSX: From the Finder, select Go > Connect to Server. Enter the 970 address as “smb://

[IP Address]” then click Connect. Enter the user name and password.

Storage & File Management

• Windows: Click the Start buon (or push the Windows key on the keyboard). In the

search box, enter the 970 address as “\\[IP Address]”. Enter the user name and password.

5. Drives that are in Ethernet File Transfer mode will appear as folders in the mounted vol- ume on the computer. When no drives are Ethernet File Transfer mode, a folder titled “No_ Drives_Aached” will appear instead.

6. Set the drive’s mode to Record to remove it from the network and make it available for recording and playback on the 970. Allow time for the drives to remount before Recording or Playing back les. The Drive Status Main View eld will return to white when the drives are

ready.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Metadata

970 Broadcast Wave Files include iXML (revision 1.5) data and bEXT chunk data. For bEXT and iXML-aware software applications this data is available. For applications that don’t recognize bEXT or iXML, this information is ignored. The following chart details the supported metadata parameters.

• iXML: Metadata stored in the Broadcast Wave iXML chunk

• bEXT: Metadata stored in the Broadcast Wave bEXT chunk

• FMT: Metadata stored in the Broadcast Wave Format chunk

4 = supported

Metadata Type

Reel (Tape)

Scene

Take

Notes

Circle Take

File UID

File Sample Rate

Digitizer Sample Rate

Bit Depth

Channels

Frame Rate

TC Flag (ND or NDF)

Start Timecode

Duration

U-Bits

Timecode Sample Rate

Track Information

Channel Index

Interleave Index

Track Name

Speed Information

Master Speed

Current Speed

Speed Note

Originator Information

Originator

Creation Date

Creation Time

Notes

M = Automatically Entered by the Machine

iXML, bEXT

iXML, bEXT M: Automatic

iXML, bEXT U: via take metadata editing.

iXML U: via take metadata editing.

iXML M: Unique File Identifier

iXML, FMT

iXML U: Actual sample rate of AD converter

iXML, FMT

iXML, FMT U: Total amount of armed tracks when take was recorded.

iXML, bEXT

iXML, bEXT M: Stored as a sample count since midnight

iXML, bEXT

iXML M

iXML M: Track Number

iXML M: Order of armed tracks.

iXML, bEXT U: via Track Names on Audio Setup Screen

iXML M

bEXT M

U: [File Storage - Reel]

U: [File Storage - Scene] or via editing next take metadata.

U: [File Storage - Take] or via editing next take metadata.

U: [Audio - Sample Rate]

U: [Audio - Bit Depth]

U: [Timecode/Sync - Frame Rate]

U: [Timecode/Sync - Set Generator UBits]

U = Entered by User

Read Write

4 4

Storage & File Management

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Storage & File Management

Originator Reference

Software Version

File Set Information

Family UID

Total Files

File Set Index

File History

Original File Name

bEXT M

iXML M: shared by files belonging to the same take

iXML M; number of files representing a take

iXML M

CamID

The CamID ﬁeld consists of a single alpha character. It is intended to indicate which physical camera shot the content for the take.

Reel

The reel can be considered a container for all assets generated during a recording session or day’s work. It is intended to indicate what reel the recording is part of. The 970 will create a folder at the root level for each Reel. Recorded ﬁles are placed inside the current Reel folder.

Clip

The Clip ﬁeld consists of a numeric value between 1 and 999. It is intended to indicate what clip number the recording is. This ﬁeld can be set manually and will increment each time a new ﬁle is

recorded. The Clip number will reset to 1 when the Scene or Reel is changed.

Scene/Shot

The Scene/Shot ﬁeld consists of an alpha-numeric value. Use this ﬁeld to indicate a descriptive name for the current scene or shot.

To quickly increment the Scene/Shot value, press Stop + Fast Forward from the Main View. How the Scene/Shot value increments depends on the current setting of

[File Storage - Scene Increment Mode]:

Numeric: If the current Scene/Shot value does not have a number on the end, the number 1 will be

appended. Otherwise, the last number will be incremented by 1.

Character: If the current Scene/Shot value does not have a alpha character on the end, the letter “A” will be appended. Otherwise, the last letter will be incremented alphabetically. If the ﬁnal character is “Z” it will be changed to “A” and - if an alpha character precedes it - that character preceding will be incremented alphabetically; Otherwise a preceding “A” will be added so that the resulting Scene/ Shot value ends in “AA”.

Off: Scene Increment shortcut will have not effect.

Take

The Take ﬁeld consists of a numeric value between 1 and 999. It is intended to indicate what take number the clip is, relative to the scene. This ﬁeld can be set manually and will increment each time a new ﬁle is recorded. The Take number will reset to 1 when the Scene name is changed.

Editing Metadata

Metadata can be edited from the 970 before, during, or after recording. To edit the Notes, Scene, Take, Track Names, or Circled ﬁeld of any take:

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Page 49

1. Press the FILES Buon to access the File List.

2. Rotate the Control Knob to highlight a recorded take, the currently recording take (indicated with red text), or the next take (always at the top of the list with a date label of “Next Take”):

Next Take

Current (recording)Take

Previous (recorded) Takes

970 User Guide and Technical Information

3. Press the Control Knob to access the Take Details screen.

4. Rotate the Control Knob to select the desired eld for editing.

5. Press the Control Knob and use the on-screen keyboard or aached USB keyboard to enter text.

6. When nished, Select OK on the on-screen keyboard or press Enter on an aached USB key-

board. Changes made to the currently recording take and to previously recorded takes will

be wrien immediately.

The special list item “Next Take”, represents the ﬁle name and metadata for the take that will be written the next time record is engaged. This entry does not represent a ﬁle on the drive. Only the Scene and Take ﬁelds of the next take can be edited. Values entered into Scene and Take ﬁelds of the next take will also be entered into Setup Menu options [File Storage - Scene/Shot] and [File Storage - Take] respectively.

Editing Track Names

Audio Track Names are stored in the metadata of the Broadcast Wave File. Audio Track Names are set in the Main View in the Name column. To edit the name of an audio track:

1. Press the AUDIO buon to access the Main View.

2. Rotate the Control Knob to select the desired track.

3. Press the Control Knob to focus the highlighter on the selected track’s parameters. The high-

lighter will become orange and focus on a single column in the track.

Storage & File Management

4. Rotate the Control Knob to highlight the Track Name column.

5. Press the Control Knob to open the Track Name editor. Use the displayed on-screen key- board (or an external USB keyboard, if aached) to enter a new track name,.

6. Use the Control Knob to select OK (or press Enter on the aached USB keyboard) to save and exit back to the Main View.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Setup Management and Firmware Upgrades

Saving and Loading Setup Files

To save all of the current settings to a setup ﬁle, select the Setup Menu option [Quick Setup - Save Settings to Drive 1]. Use the on-screen keyboard (or attached USB keyboard) to enter a name for the setup ﬁle. This will save all of the current settings to an XML ﬁle at root of Drive 1. To load a previously saved setup ﬁle, select the Setup Menu option [Quick Setup - Load Settings from Drive 1]. The setup XML ﬁle will have to be copied to the root of Drive 1 prior to attempting to load it.

For a complete list of available Setup Menu options, see Setup Menu Options.

Setup Management & Firmware Upgrades

Formatting a storage device will also remove any setup ﬁles that are on the drive. Setup ﬁles can be stored on a computer and copied back to the root of a 970 drive to be loaded on the 970.

Custom Default Settings and Setup Menu Option Visibility

The Setup Menu option [Quick Setup - Load Factory Settings] loads a setup that is saved internally to the 970 when it leaves the factory. It is possible to alter this “factory” setup, so that the Setup Menu option [Quick Setup - Load Factory Settings] will load a custom default.

It is also possible to hide speciﬁc Setup Menu parameters and options. This is useful for Setup Menu options that are not commonly used in a particular workﬂow, or to simplify use when lending the unit to another user.

To customize defaults and Setup Menu option visibility:

1. Aach a USB keyboard to the 970’s USB keyboard port.

2. Press the MENU Buon to enter the Setup Menu.

3. Press Ctrl + Alt + F10 on the keyboard. If this is the rst time this action has been performed since powering the 970 up, a password dialog will appear. Enter the password (the default password is “default”).

4. After the correct password has been entered, the Seings Customization Menu will appear. Select Edit Menu & Default Values.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

5. The Setup Menu will be shown with a colored background. There will be check boxes next to each menu item. Navigate the menu with the Control Knob, as usual.

6. To to change the visibility of an item in the Setup Menu, push the spacebar on the keyboard while the item is highlighted. Checked items will be displayed in the Setup Menu and un-

checked items will not be displayed.

Crossed out items will be hidden

Setup Management & Firmware Upgrades

7. Seings changed at this point will become the default seings.

8. When nished, press Esc or F1 on the keyboard. This will show the Seings Customization Menu again. Select any of the save options.

Keep a record of the password if it is changed. A lost password could result in undesirable limitations.

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

The Settings Customization Menu option Reset to Factory Settings will make all Setup Menu items visible and revert default settings to factory defaults.

Factory Restore

To fully restore the unit to its factory ﬁrmware state, hold the Fast Forward and Stop Buttons while booting the 970 up, until the Main View appears. This will load factory default settings and restore some settings that are normally not affected by performing [Quick Setup - Load Factory Settings], such as restoring the network user name and password to “guest”.

Firmware Upgrades

At times, Sound Devices makes ﬁrmware updates available for 970. These updates are easy to apply:

Setup Management & Firmware Upgrades

1. Download the new .prg le from the Sound Devices website.

2. Copy this le to an approved drive, and connect to the 970.

3. Ensure that the power source for the 970 is reliable. Power loss during a rmware upgrade process can produce unexpected results.

4. From the System menu in the Setup Menu, select Update Software. The 970 will search for the .prg le and give the option to install the rst le that it nds (cancelling this dialog will cause the 970 to search for another .prg on any aached storage devices). When the correct .prg le has been located, highlight the OK buon and press the Control Knob to begin the rmware update.

5. The 970 will verify that the le is not corrupted, then it will update the rmware. When done

the unit will need to be powered down and then back up.

Firmware updates can take several minutes to complete. Never pull power during a ﬁrmware update.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Page 53

970 User Guide and Technical Information

Setup Menu Options

The Setup Menu controls a wide range of parameters for the 970. The parameters are organized into categories, making the Setup Menu easy to navigate. The following tables show the parameter name, a description, options available, and the factory default setting where applicable.

Default settings can be altered. (See “Setup Management and Firmware Upgrades”, page 44)

File Storage

# Parameter Name Description Options

A sub-menu with 4 items representing each drive slot. Options presented here are available for each of the 4 drive slots. Read Only: Drive is not used for record-

Drive Record/Network Mode

Wave File Split Every

File Name Format

File Name Prefix

CamID

Reel

Clip

Scene/Shot

Take

Scene Increment Mode

Erase/Re-format

ing, but is available for playback. Record: Drive will be written to during recording and is unavailable for network file transfer. Ethernet File Transfer: Drive is available for network access via Samba and unavailable for recording and playback. Switch to Network upon Full: Drive is effectively in Record mode until it becomes full, at which point it is effectively in Ethernet File Transfer mode.

Choose the file size limit of .wav files. When the limit is reached, the 970 will create a new .wav file (labeled sequentially with an alpha character) and continue recording.

The format for file names as they are written to the drive.

Text to be placed before all other characters in each file name. 970 Name is set in

[Network - This 970's Name]

An identifying character for a camera

Current Reel number. When the Reel number is altered, the Clip number is reset to 1

Current Clip number. When the Reel or Scene is altered, the Clip number is reset to 1

Current Scene name. When the Scene name is altered, the Take number is reset to 1.

Current take number. When the Scene name is altered, the Take and Clip number is reset to 1.

The method used to increment the Scene/Shot value when Stop+Fast Forward is pressed on the Main View.

Format any or all attached drives. When all is selected, all drives will share the same volume label but each drive name will be suffixed with a unique drive number.

• Read Only

» Record

• Ethernet File Transfer

• Switch to Network upon Full

• 2 GB

» 4 GB

» Drive-Reel-Clip

• Reel-Clip

• CamID-Reel-Clip

• Reel-Scene-Take

• Scene-Take

• Off

» 970 Name

» A

(single alpha to “Z”).

• 1 (multi alphanumeric)

» 1

(numeric)

» “Scene 1”

(multi alphanumeric)

» 1

(numeric)

• Disabled

» Numeric

• Character

• Erase/Re-format: Drive 1

• Erase/Re-format: Drive 2

• Erase/Re-format: Drive 3

• Erase/Re-format: Drive 4

• Erase/Re-format: All drives

Setup Menu Options

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Audio

# Parameter Name Description Options

File Format

Sample Rate

Bit Depth

Pre-Roll Time

Input Gain Linking

Setup Menu Options

Input Delay Linking

MADI Input

HP Source

Line Ouput

AES Output

MADI Output

Signal Generator

Tone Level

Audio Screen Meters

Set recording to be mono or poly WAV files.

The sample rate of recorded .wav files

The bit depth of recorded .wav files

The amount of pre-record buffer. 0-10 seconds in 1 second increments.

When Input Gain is linked, adjusting an Input’s gain adjusts all other Input Gains by the same amount. Any offsets at the time of linking are maintained.

When Input Delay is linked, adjusting an Input’s delay adjusts all other Input delays by the same amount. Any offsets at the time of linking are maintained.

Select MADI input source (optical or BNC). AutoDetect will detect which source is connected and automatically choose that port. When there is signal on both sources, the Optical source is used.

Choose the source for Headphone output and the 2 channel meters on the Main View.

Sub-menu. Choose output source for each line output (1-8)

Sub-menu. Choose output source for AES outputs (1-8)

Sub-menu. Choose output source for MADI output (1-64)

Enable audio test tone to all outputs and meters. Tone is not recorded.

Level of audio test tone (dBFS)

Amount of audio tracks displayed at a time in the Main View. (All 64 tracks are accessible by scrolling)

» Poly

• Mono

• 44.1 kHz

• 47.952k

• 47.952kF

» 48k

• 48.048k

• 48.048kF

• 88.2k

• 96k

• 16-bits

» 24-bits

» 2 secs

(0-10 seconds)

» Off

• On

» Off

• On

» Auto-Detect

• BNC

• Optical

• Odd / Even channel pairs (1,2 to 63,64)

• All tracks summed - mono

» All tracks summed - stereo

• Track 1 - Track 64 (per output)

» Track 1-8 (per output)

• Track 1 - Track 64 (per output)

» Track 1-8 (per output)

• Track 1 - Track 64 (per output)

» Track 1-64 (per output)

» Off

• On

» -20 dBFS

(numeric -40 to 0)

• 8

» 16

• 32

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Page 55

970 User Guide and Technical Information

# Parameter Name Description Options

• 1-8: Off

• 9-16: Off

• 17-24: Off

• 25-32: Off

• 33-40: Off

• 41-48: Off

• 49-56: Off

• 57-64: Off

• 1-32: Off

• 33-64: Off

• 1-64: Off

• 1-8: Line In 1-8

• 9-16: Line In 1-8

• 17-24: LineIn 1-8

• 25-32: Line In 1-8

• 33-40: Line In 1-8

• 41-48: Line In 1-8

• 49-56: Line In 1-8

• 57-64: Line In 1-8

• 1-8: AES In 1-8

• 9-16: AES In 1-8

• 17-24: AES In 1-8

• 25-32: AES In 1-8

• 33-40: AES In 1-8

• 41-48: AES In 1-8

• 49-56: AES In 1-8

• 57-64: AES In 1-8

• 17-32: MADI In 17-32

• 33-48: MADI In 33-48

• 49-64: MADI In 19-64

• 1-32: MADI In 1-32

• 33-64: MADI In 33-64

• 1-64: MADI In 1-64

Audio Input Quick Setup

Choose from presets audio input source schemes. These options are not settings, but actions. When an item is selected, the indicated input sources will be changed.

Timecode/Sync

# Parameter Name Description Options

» Internal

Sync Ref

Timecode Mode

Frame Rate

The reference for synchronization of recording and playback clocks.

Sets the running mode for the internal timecode generator and/or the method which the 970 receives SMPTE timecode.

The frame rate of timecode stamped to .wav files.

• Wordclock

• AES1-2

• MADI

• Off

» Freerun

• Freerun Auto Mute

• Record Run

• 24h Run

• 24h Run Auto Mute

• Ext TC (LTC)

• Ext TC (LTC Halt)

• 23.976

• 24

• 25

» 29.97

• 29.97 DF

• 30

• 30 DF

Setup Menu Options

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

# Parameter Name Description Options

Sets the duration that a valid timecode signal has to

Auto-Record Hold Off

Jam Received TC

Jam time Of Day

Set Generator TC

Set Generator UBits

File Start TC Offset

be recognized by the 970 before generating a new take when using external timecode to trigger recording (When [Remote Control - Rec Start/Stop] is set to Timecode).

Opens a dialog that displays incoming timecode value in realtime (RxTC), incoming userbits (UB), transmitting/internal (Ambient® Lockit) timecode value (GENTC), and transmitting/internal userbits (UB).

Sets the internal timecode clock to the current time of day.

Sets the Ambient® Lockit timecode generator value in HH:MM:SS.Fast Forward format.

Sets userbits of the Ambient® Lockit timecode generator.

Sets the offset of the beginning timecode stamp of recorded files. Useful when there is a constant offset between camera and 970 recorded files. The applied offset does not affect timecode output of the 970.

» 0 sec

(numeric 0-8)

• Push Control Knob to jam internal timecode to incoming (RxTC) timecode.

• Push MENU Button to back out.

» 00:00:00.00

(Timecode value)

» 00 00 00 00

(Hex: 00-Fast Forward for each slot)

» 0

(numeric -10 to +10)

Setup Menu Options

Remote Control

# Parameter Name Description Options

RS422

Rec Start/Stop

GPIO Inputs

GPIO Outputs

Enable or disable RS422 capability

Enable or disable automatic recording with the presence of running timecode at the timecode input.

Set GPIO inputs (pins 1, 2, and 3 on GPIO connector) to active high or active low. Active high: Connecting the pin to +5V will activate the function. Active low: Connecting the pin to ground will activate the function.

Set GPIO outputs (pins 6, 7, and 8 on GPIO connector) to active high or active low. Active high: When the function is true, +5V will appear on the pin. Active low: When the function is true, the pin will be grounded.

• On

» Off

• Timecode

» Active low

• Active high

• Active low

» Active high

Network

# Parameter Name Description Options

This 970’s Name

Network Group

Dante Redundancy Mode

Sets name of 970. This must be unique within a network.

Groups the 970 with PIX 250i, PIX 260i, PIX 270i, and 970 units on the network.

When On the 970’s Primary and Secondary Ethernet ports both transmit Dante Audio over separate networks. This provides a fail safe of the Dante system if

one of the networks should fail. In Dante Redun-

dancy Mode, two separate networks must be run and they CANNOT be connected to one another. Connect any computer running Dante Controller to the 970’s PRI Ethernet network.

» 970

» No Group

• Group 1

• Group 2

• Group 3

• Group 4

» Off

• On

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Page 57

970 User Guide and Technical Information

# Parameter Name Description Options

Auto IP Settings

IP Address

Subnet Mask

Gateway

Authentication

When On, the IP settings will automatically be provided by a DHCP (recommended), or Link-local when no DHCP is present. When Off the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway will have to be entered manually.

Displays IP Address, can be edited when Auto IP Settings is OFF.

Displays Subnet Mask, can be edited when Auto IP Settings is OFF.

Displays Gateway, can be edited when Auto IP Settings is OFF.

Set the user name and password to be used for PIXNET and Samba drive access.

• Off

» On

» guest / guest

System

# Parameter Name Description Options

Determines power on and off method. When set to

Power

HP Warning Bell Level

Time Zone

Daylight Saving

Time Format

Date Format

Set Date/Time

Rec button File Split

Playback Start Mode

Playback Mode

Shortcuts

Version Info

Update Software

Always on, the 970 will turn on and off when external DC is applied. When Use Power Switch is selected the 970 is powered on and off using a key combination of AUDIO Button + Control Knob press.

Adjusts the level of the heaphone warning bell sound

Selects the international time zone

Toggles daylight saving on or off for the time-of-day clock

Selects between 12 or 24 hour format for the time-ofday clock

Selects between MM/DD/YY and DD/MM/YY date format

Set the time and date

Whether or not a new file will be created when the Record Button is pushed during recording.

Choose what to do when file playback is initiated.

Determines Playback Mode.

Displays a dialog that shows all shortcut button combinations. This is not a setting, but a helpful reference.

Displays a dialog indicating firmware version and serial number. This is not a setting, but a helpful reference.

Searches attached drives for a .prg firmware file and begins the firmware update process.

• Always On

» Use Power Switch

» -40dBFS

(Off, -60 to -12dBFS)

» (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US)

(All GMT zones)

» Off

• On

» 12h

• 24h

» MM/DD/YY

• DD/MM/YY

• On

» Off

» Play immediately

• Pause on First Frame

» Play Once

• Play Once - Pause

• Play All

• Play All - Pause

• Play All - Loop

• Play List

• Play List - Pause

• Play List - Loop

Setup Menu Options

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Quick Setup

# Parameter Name Description Options

Load Factory Settings

Load Settings From Drive 1

Save Settings to Drive 1

Setup Menu Options

Loads default setup

Loads selected setup from setup files saved on Drive

Opens dialog to name and save current setup to Drive

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Page 59

970 User Guide and Technical Information

Button Shortcuts

Button Combination Effect

AUDIO + Control Knob rotate Change HP source.

AUDIO + LCD Solo the currently highlighted track in the Main View.

LCD + Control Knob press Adjust LCD and button brightness.

Hold LCD Turns off LCD display.

MENU + FILES Button lock options: Unlock buttons, Lock Non-Transport buttons, or Lock All buttons.

Stop + Rew False take. Deletes last take and decrements Take Number.

Stop + Fast Forward Scene increment. Changes the scene name by increasing it numerically.

FILES + Fast Forward When in Record or Playback, sets a cue marker

FILES + Rewind When in Record or Playback, deletes last cue marker

Hold MENU + Control Knob press Toggles between No Group and current Group setting

Button Shortcuts

Page 60

970 User Guide and Technical Information

Connector Pin Assignments

Connector Pin Assignments Notes

XLR4M (2) (Primary and Secondary DC Input)

XLR-F (2) (Analog Audio inputs)

Connector Pin Assignments

XLR-M (2) (Analog Audio outputs)

TRS (Headphone output)

1–ground 2–float 3–float 4–DC+

1–ground 2–signal (+) 3–signal (-)

Tip–signal L Ring–signal R Sleeve–signal ground

Pins 2 and 3 unused. When using a single power source, use Primary con-

nector (top). (See “Powering”, page

26)

Mates with XLR-Male connector

20k ohm input impedance, line level, active-balanced

Mates with XLR-Female connector

20k ohm input impedance, line level, active-balanced

Mates with TRS jack

SC optical (MADI input & output)

BNC (2) (Timecode input & output)

BNC (2) (Wordclock input & output)

BNC (2) (MADI input and output)

eSATAp Female (2)

USB-A (1) Keyboard Input

Optical (multimode)

Center pin–signal Sleeve–ground

Standard eSATAp Mates with eSATAp male connector

Standard USB-A receptacle

Mates with SC optical plug. For use with multimode optical fiber..

Mates with BNC male connector

Unbalanced, coaxial connection

Mates with BNC male connector

Unbalanced, coaxial connection, 75 ohm connectors recommended

Mates with BNC male connector

Unbalanced, coaxial connection, 75 ohm connectors recommended

For use with USB Keyboards only. Data transfer is not supported

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Page 61

DB-25 (1) (CH 1-8 LINE IN)

DB-25 (1) (CH 1-8 LINE OUT)

970 User Guide and Technical Information

1–Input 8 signal (+) 2–Input 8 Ground 3–Input 7 signal (-) 4–Input 6 signal (+) 5–Input 6 Ground 6–Input 5 signal (-) 7–Input 4 signal (+) 8–Input 4 Ground 9–Input 3 signal (-) 10–Input 2 signal (+) 11–Input 2 Ground 12–Input 1 signal (-) 13–unused 14–Input 8 signal (-) 15–Input 7 signal (+) 16–Input 7 Ground 17–Input 6 signal (-) 18–Input 5 signal (+) 19–Input 5 Ground 20–Input 4 signal (-) 21–Input 3 signal (+) 22–Input 3 Ground 23–Input 2 signal (-) 24–Input 1 signal (+) 25–Input 1 Ground

1–Output 8 signal (+) 2–Output 8 Ground 3–Output 7 signal (-) 4–Output 6 signal (+) 5–Output 6 Ground 6–Output 5 signal (-) 7–Output 4 signal (+) 8–Output 4 Ground 9–Output 3 signal (-) 10–Output 2 signal (+) 11–Output 2 Ground 12–Output 1 signal (-) 13–unused 14–Output 8 signal (-) 15–Output 7 signal (+) 16–Output 7 Ground 17–Output 6 signal (-) 18–Output 5 signal (+) 19–Output 5 Ground 20–Output 4 signal (-) 21–Output 3 signal (+) 22–Output 3 Ground 23–Output 2 signal (-) 24–Output 1 signal (+) 25–Output 1 Ground

Mates with DB-25 Male Connectors wired in Tascam fashion

Connector Pin Assignments

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

DB-25 (1) (CH 1-8 AES IN/OUT)

Connector Pin Assignments

Phoenix 10-pin (1) (GPIO)

DB-9 (1) (RS422)

1–Digital Out 4 signal (+) 2–Digital Out 4 Ground 3–Digital Out 3 signal (-) 4–Digital Out 2 signal (+) 5–Digital Out 2 Ground 6–Digital Out 1 signal (-) 7–Digital In 4 signal (+) 8–Digital In 4 Ground 9–Digital In 3 signal (-) 10–Digital In 2 signal (+) 11–Digital In 2 Ground 12–Digital In 1 signal (-) 13–unused 14–Digital Out 4 signal (-) 15–Digital Out 3 signal (+) 16–Digital Out 3 Ground 17–Digital Out 2 signal (-) 18–Digital Out 1 signal (+) 19–Digital Out 1 Ground 20–Digital In 4 signal (-) 21–Digital In 3 signal (+) 22–Digital In 3 Ground 23–Digital In 2 signal (-) 24–Digital In 1 signal (+) 25–Digital In 1 Ground

1–Ground 2–Record Input 3–Playback Input 4–Stop Input 5–unused 6–unused 7–Record Output 8–Playback Output 9–Stop Output 10–+5V DC Output

1–Ground 2–Transmit A 3–Receive B 4–Receive Common 5–Spare 6–Transmit Common 7–Transmit B 8–Receive A 9–Ground

Mates with DB-25 Male Connectors wired in Tascam fashion

Logic points can be set to high or low.

Sony P2 (9-pin) machine control standard

8P6C-F (2) (Ethernet)

USB-B (1) (Factory)

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Standard 8P8C

Standard USB-B receptacle

For Ethernet Network connection, Ethernet file transfer, Dante, and 970 grouping. Mates with Cat-5

For Factory use only. Mates with USB Standard-B plug.

Page 63

Speciﬁcations

Audio Recording

970 User Guide and Technical Information

Record/Playback

Analog Audio

Inputs

Outputs

Frequency Response

THD + Noise

Input and Output Topology

Line Output Clipping Level

Front Panel Headphone

Line Input Clipping Level

Input Impedance

Digital Audio

Sample Rate / Bit Depth

AES3

Dante

MADI

• 64 channels record/playback (32 Channels at 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates)

• Simultaneous Analog, AES/EBU, Dante, or MADI. Selectable per channel

• 8 Balanced, line-level inputs on DB-25.

• Ch1,2 also on XLR

• 8 Balanced, line-level outputs on DB-25.

• Ch1,2 also on XLR

10Hz-20kHz, +/- 0.5dB re 1kHz

0.004% max (1kHz, 22Hz-22kHz)

Fully electronically balanced, RF, ESD, short, and overload protected; pin-2 hot, pin-3 cold

+18dBu

1/4” with gain control

+26dBu

10k

• 44.1 kHz, 47.0952 kHz, 48 kHz, 48.048 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz

• 24-bit

• 8 channels in and out via DB-25, 110 ohm, 2 V p-p.

• Accepts 32k, 44.1k, 48k, 96k, 192k sample rates with SRC at input.

• 64 channels

• 48kHz input and output

• 64 channels

Speciﬁcations

File Storage

Disk Format

PIX-CADDY 2 / PIX-CADDY CFmounted drives

eSATAp conected drives

See Sound Devices’ website for a list of approved media: www.sounddevices.com/approved

ExFAT

Two, front-mounted Sound Devices approved 2.5-inch drives (PIX-CADDY 2) or CF cards (PIX-CADDY CF)

Two, rear panel eSATAp ports for drives meeting Sound Devices specifications, supplies 5V @ 2A

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Timecode and Sync

Modes Supported

Frame Rates

Accuracy

Timecode Inputs / Outputs

Sync Input / Output

Control

RS422

Ethernet

GPIO

Speciﬁcations

Keyboard

USB Keyboard

Freerun, Frerun Auto Mute, 24 Hour run, 24 Hour run Auto Mute, Record run, External timecode, External timecode Halt

23.976, 24, 25, 29.97DF, 29.97ND, 30DF, 30ND

• +/- 0.2ppm (½ frame per 24hrs) accuracy

• Holds accurate timecode for 4 hours after power is removed

• Timecode Input BNC

• Timecode Output BNC

• Wordclock

• Square wave

• 44.1 kHz, 47.952 kHz, 48 kHz, 48.048 kHz, and 96 kHz sampling rates

• 3.3vp-p

• 75 ohm

Machine Control

Web-based control of settings and transport.

GPIO on 8 pins, Phoenix connector

Front-panel USB host. Keyboards without hubs acceptable.

Power

External

Physical

Size (H x W x D)

Weight

Operating Temperature

• 2 Connections (Primary and Secondary)

• Locking 4-pin XLR connectors (pin-1 = ground, pin-4 = +)

• 10–27V, 60W max

3.3” x 8.6” x 10.3” (8.4 cm x 21.8 cm x 26.2 cm)

6 lbs. 2 oz. (6.0125 lbs.)

-10° C to +40° C

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Declaration of Conformity

According to EN ISO/IEC 17050-1:2004

Manufacturer’s Name:

Manufacturer’s Address:

Declares under sole responsibility that the product as delivered

Product Name:

Model Number:

Product Options:

complies with the essential requirements of the following applicable European Directives, and carries the CE marking accordingly:

EMC Directive (2004/108/EC)

EN 55022:2010

EN 55103-2:2009

First date of CE approval October 25, 2012.

This Declaration of Conformity applies to the above-listed products placed on the EU market after:

Sound Devices, LLC

E7556 State Rd. 23 and 33 Reedsburg, WI 53959 USA

970 Audio Recorder

970

This declaration covers all options of the above products

January 29, 2014

Date Matt Anderson

Director of Engineering

Declaration of Conformity

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970 User Guide and Technical Information

Software License

End-user license agreement for Sound Devices 970 Embedded Software / Firmware

Important Read carefully: This Sound Devices, LLC end-user license agreement (“EULA”) is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and Sound Devices, LLC for the Sound Devices, LLC software product identiﬁed above, which includes computer software, embedded software, and may include associated media, printed materials, and “online” or electronic documentation (“SOFTWARE PRODUCT”). By using, installing, or copying the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, do not use or install the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

Software Product License

The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold.

Grant of license. This EULA grants you the following limited, non-exclusive rights: In consideration of payment of the licensee fee, Sound Devices, LLC, as licensor, grants to you, the licensee, a non-exclusive right to use this copy of a Sound Devices, LLC software program (hereinafter the “SOFTWARE”) on a single product and/or computer. All rights not expressly granted to licensee are reserved to Sound Devices, LLC.

Software ownership. As the licensee, you own the hardware on which the SOFTWARE is recorded or ﬁxed. Sound Devices, LLC shall retain full and complete title to the SOFTWARE and all subsequent copies of the SOFTWARE, regardless of the media or form on or in which the original copies may exist. The license is not a sale of the original SOFTWARE.

Software License

Copyright. All rights, title, and copyrights in and to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT (including, but not limited to, any images, photographs, animations, video, audio, music, text, and “applets” incorporated into the SOFTWARE PRODUCT) and any copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT are owned by Sound Devices, LLC or its suppliers. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international treaty provisions. Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE PRODUCT like any other copyrighted material, except that you may make copies as only provided below. You may not copy the printed materials accompanying the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

Restrictions on use. Licensee may not distribute copies of the SOFTWARE or accompanying materials to others. Licensee may not modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works based on the SOFTWARE or its accompanying printed or written materials.

Transfer restrictions. Licensee shall not assign, rent, lease, sell, sublicense, or otherwise transfer the SOFTWARE to another party without prior written consent of Sound Devices, LLC. Any party authorized by Sound Devices, LLC to receive the SOFTWARE must agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement.

Termination. Without prejudice to any other rights, Sound Devices, LLC may terminate this EULA if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, you must destroy all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and all of its component parts.

Limited Warranty

No warranties. Sound Devices, LLC expressly disclaims any warranty for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT and any related documentation is provided “as is” without warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied, including, without limitation, the implied warranties and conditions of merchantability, ﬁtness for a particular pur pose, or non-infringement. The entire risk arising out of use or performance of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT remains with you.

No liability for damages. In no event shall Sound Devices, LLC or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business proﬁts, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use this Sound Devices, LLC product, even if Sound Devices, LLC has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In any case, Sound Devices, LLC’s entire liability under any provision of this evaluation license shall be limited to the greater of the amount actually paid by you for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or U.S. $5.00. Because some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.

Governing Law

This agreement and limited warranty are governed by the laws of the state of Wisconsin.

v. 2.00 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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Warranty and Technical Support

Warranty & Service

Sound Devices, LLC warrants the 970 Audio Recorder against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of TWO (2) years from date of original retail purchase.

This is a non-transferable warranty that extends only to the original purchaser. Sound Devices, LLC will repair or replace the product at its discretion at no charge. Warranty claims due to severe service conditions will be addressed on an individual basis.

THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE. SOUND DEVICES, LLC DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

SOUND DEVICES, LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY OR UNDER ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY. Because some jurisdictions do not permit the exclusion or limitations set forth above, they may not apply in all cases.

For all service, including warranty repair, please contact Sound Devices for an RMA (return merchandise authorization) before sending your unit in for repair. Product returned without an RMA number may experience delays in repair. When sending a unit for repair, please do not include accessories, including SSD drives, CF cards, batteries, power supplies, carry cases, cables, or adapters unless instructed by Sound Devices.

Sound Devices, LLC Service Repair RMA #XXXXX E7556 State Road 23 and 33 Reedsburg, WI 53959 USA telephone: (608) 524-0625

Technical Support / Bug Reports

For technical support and bug reporting on all Sound Devices products contact:

Sound Devices, LLC E-mail: support@sounddevices.com web: www.sounddevices.com/support/ Telephone: +1 (608) 524-0625 / Toll-Free in the U.S.A.: (800) 505-0625 Fax: +1 (608) 524-0655

Sound Devices hosts a user support forum. The URL is:

http://forum.sounddevices.com

Sound Devices cannot guarantee that a given computer, software, or operating system conﬁguration can be used satisfactorily with the 970 Audio Recorder based exclusively on the fact that it meets our minimum system requirements.

Warranty & Technical Support

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970, v 2.00 - Printed in U.S.A.