Wheatstone DMX-8, DMX-16 User Manual

Networked AoIP Broadcast Console

Manufactured by Wheatstone Corporation

1

Publication Information

©2017 Wheatstone Corporation
Wheatstone con s ide r s this document a nd its contents to be pr oprietary and confidential. Except for making a reasonable number of copies for your own

internal use, you may not reproduce this publication, or any part thereof, in any form, by any m ethod, for any purpos e , or in any language other than English
without the written consent of Whe a ts tone Corporation. All others uses a r e illeg a l.

This publication is de s igned to assist in the installatio n and use of the pr oduct as it exists on the date of publication of this manual, and m a y not reflect the
product at the cur r ent time or an unkn own time in the future. This publication d oes not in any way wa r r an t d es cription accuracy or guarantee the use for the
product to which it r efers.

Wheatstone reser ves the right, without notice, to ma ke such changes in equipment, des ign, specifications, com ponents, or documentation, as progress may
warrant, improving the perf orm a nce of the product.

Trademarks

Product names and other appropriate trademarks, e.g. WheatNet-IP™, VoxPro®, PR&E® are registered trademarks of Wheatstone Corporation or its
subsidiaries. Microsoft
respective companies.

®

and Windows® are registered tr a d em arks of Microsof t Corporation. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their

Customer Service Contact Information

Wheatstone
600 Industrial Drive
New Bern, NC 28562 USA

For technical support, including on-site service, general product training, repair and parts, contact Wheatston e / PR&E through the webpage:

www.wheatstone.com; through email at [e-mail]; or by phone,+01 252-638-7000.

Manual Revisions

A = Initial release, O c to ber 2017
B = technical corrections, PR&E IP Navigator additions, operational clarifications , October 2017

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS






Publication Information ................................................................... 2

Safety & Hazard/Warning Labels .................................................... 4

1 - Introducing DMX .......................................................................... 5

DMX Overview ............................................................................ 6

Specifications ............................................................................. 7

Warranty Statement .................................................................. 9

FCC Compliance Statement ...................................................... 9



2 – DMX Installation .......................................................................... 10

Locating the DMX Components ............................................... 10

Engine Connections ................................................................... 12

DMX Power Up ............................................................................ 13

Checking Out the DMX Features ............................................... 13

Engine Signal Notes ................................................................... 15

Razor I/O Interface Notes .......................................................... 19



3 – Console Configuration ................................................................ 21

The Surface Setup App .............................................................. 21

The PR&E IP Navigator ............................................................... 30

DMX Configuration Tool ........................................................... 33

Software Updates ...................................................................... 33




4 – DMX Use and Applications ......................................................... 35

5 - Service Information ..................................................................... 45

3

4

1 – INTRODUCING DMX

T

hanks for joining the growing ranks of broadcasters
employing PR&E products, now designed, manufactured,
and supported by the Wheatstone Corporation.

Throughout PR&E’s long history we’ve en dea v or ed to
provide the finest quality products , documentation, and after-sale support.
To obtain maximum be nefit from the DMX c onsole’s capabilities , please
read through this introduction and Chapters 2 and 3 prior to installing the
DMX console. For those in a hurry, a DMX Qu ick Guide ships with the
console. It summarizes the console’s installation and Surface controls.

The DMX console has these main components:

● DMX-8 or DMX-16 Surface – This part is commonly referre d to as

the “console” s ince it sits on the countertop and has all of the board
operator controls. Figure 1-1 shows the DMX-8 Surface. Every Surface
has these features:

● Fader Channels – There are eight fader channels on the DMX-8
and sixteen on the DMX-16. Every fader channel has eight push
buttons with LE D illumination (channel on, channel off, cue on/off,
talkback (TB), and four PGM bus assigns), a color Organic Light
Emitting Diode (OLED) display to show channel status, a 100 mm
fader, and a rotary Channel Encoder to select the channel’s source.
The Channel Encoders also access the advanced channel control
features: audio mode, panning, and EQ & Dynamics settings, any
of which can be locked out for daily operations.

● Monitor Control s – The console supports a Control Room and an
associated Studio with: CR monitor, CR headphone, Cue, and
Studio Monitor level controls ; CR and Studio monitor sou rce
selectors; timer controls; and f our console Event buttons.

● Meter Bridge – There are three stereo LED meters showing PGM
1, PGM 2, and a Switched signal (PGM 3, PGM 4, EXT, and CUE, if
enabled). An On Air “Hot Mic” indic ator and a four digit timer are
also included on the DMX-8 and DMX-16 Surfac es .

● Headphone outpu t – A board operator headphone amp is includ­ed in the Surface with a ¼” TRS jack on the right side of th e
chassis, in-line with the OLED displays.

Figure 1-1 DMX-8 Surface

● DMX-16 Engine – The 1RU DMX Engine (Figure 1-2) has the audio,
logic, and netw ork connections for the DMX console a long with the
DSP, signal mixing, and AoIP (Audio over IP ) interface functions. It has
these main features:

● 5-port Gigabit Ethe r net switch to network the Surface and Engine,

along with three other Ethernet devic es , like a setup PC; audio
playback server; VoxPro PC; Razor I/O Interface; or a main AoIP
gigabit switch to network multiple DMX studios together

● Two low-noise mic prea m ps, with female XLR inputs, each with

switchable phantom power and input gain/trim pot

● Eight stereo/dual mono inputs (four analog and four AES)

● Four stereo bus outputs (analog and AES for each bus)

● Four stereo analog monitor outputs for Control Room, Studio, Cue,

and an operator headphone output f or a n outboard amp

● One 6-port GPIO logic connector

● DC power source for the DMX-8 Surface (the DMX-16 Surface has

its own DC supply)

Figure 1-2 DMX-16 Engine, front panel

5

● Installation Kit – The DMX s hips with a Quick Guide to the Surface

Even though the DMX Engine and Razors are

Wheatstone WheatNet-IP Blades a nd c onsoles.

controls and Engine c onnections and a USB thum b d riv e with PDF
documentation files and the PR&E software application installers for
the DMX software apps. Note that the PR&E IP Navigator
application, so a site license is required to continue using it beyond an
initial evalua tion period.

DMX-8 consoles include a n IEC AC power cord for the Engine and a DC
power cord for the Surface. DMX-16 consoles include an in-line DC
supply for the Surface a nd two IEC AC power cords for the Engine and
in-line supply. All consoles include a s hort CAT5e cable to connect the
Engine to the built-in Ethernet switch.

DMX OVERVIEW

The DMX console is a compact, self-contained, Audio over Internet
Protocol (AoIP) radio broadcast and production cons ole designed for 24 / 7
operation. The console has two main hardware components: a 1RU rack
mount DMX Engine, which has all of the console’s audio and logic
connections plus a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch; and a tabletop board
operator controller, called the Surface (which most users refer to as the
“console”). Both Surface and Engine are fully FCC and CE certified.

The DMX console ships with a default configur a tion so it can be powered
up and used straight out of the box. These default settings are quickly
changed, to configure the console for use in an on-air studio, production
room, newsroom, or other applicati on, using the Windows PC apps that are
included with the console.

Razor I/O Interfaces (1RU, FCC and CE certified) are available to add
audio and logic I/O to any DMX console. Razors use RJ45 connectors for
audio (eight inputs a nd eight outputs). They come in three I/O styles: all
analog I/O (Razor 16A); all AES I/O (Razor 1 6 D); or half analog and
half-AES (Razor 16AD). Each Razor also has a 6-port GPIO logic
connector. Each Razor connects to a port on the Engine’s Gigabit Ethernet
switch using a single CAT5e or CAT6 cable of up to 300 feet (100 meters).

DMX consoles use the WheatNet-IP (WNIP) AoIP networking convention.
This allows multiple DMX consoles to easily be networked together to
share their sources and destinations using the DMX Configuration Tool
automatically assign u nique IP addresses, device ID numbers, and device
names for “pain free” network expansion.

referred to as Blades, they should not be
networked
system. DMX dev ices do not have the Intelligent
Networking capabilities that are built into

with a Wheatstone WheatNet-IP

is a licensed

to

DMX Surface

The Surface’s eight or sixteen audio c ontrol channel strip s are called
Fader Channels (three channels are shown in Figure 1-3). Each fader
channel has a large-knob rotary encoder to allow the boar d operat or to
select the audio source for each fader channel. The channel display,
located just below each channel fader, shows the audio source name
currently “dialed up” on that channel along with other source or channel
status informa tion. When the encoder is rotated, while the channel is off,
the display switches to list alternate sources visible on that channel with
one name highlighted. Pressing once or “clicking” the rotary encoder
“takes” the highlighted source, connecting it to that fader channel.

The fader channel’s
audio can be assigned to
any Program bus using the
four assignment buttons
adjacent to the channel
encoder.

Each fader channel has a
100 mm fader for bus level
control, plus illuminated
Channel Off, Channel On,
Cue, and Talkback (TB)
buttons.

At the right end of the
Surface are two columns of
Monitor Controls . The left
column has th e Control
Room (CR) controls . Three
buttons at the top select
which source (PGM 3, PGM
4, or External) is feeding
the Switched Meter. A
large programmable Soft
button (with no default
settings) is just above six
Control Room monitor
source buttons (PGM 1 –
PGM 4, EXT 1, and EXT 2)
which set the source
feeding the Control Room
monitor and board
operator headphone outputs. A Spilt Cue button sets how cue audio is fed
to the headphones, if so ena bled during console configuration .

The right column has four Event buttons; two large Timer control
buttons; a studio monitor source selec tor (EXT); and a large Talk to Studio
button (TB).

Figure 1-3 Surface Controls

6

The CUE/SOURCE, CR, STUDIO, and HDPN controls are also rotary
encoders used primarily to control the level of the four dedica ted monitor
outputs on the Engine. The two Monitor OLED displays show the current
levels for those four outputs and their status (a red X over a bar graph
icon indicates that output is muted).

The CUE/SOURCE and STUDIO encoders are also used to select and take
“wild sources” for the CR and Studio as w ell as assign a source to the
different EXT, EXT 1, and EXT 2 buttons.

The Surface controls are all on a sin g le field-replaceable Control Panel
that connects to an internal network interface board u s in g one (DMX-8) or
two (DMX-16) plug-in ribbon cables. This allows for rapid field
replacement, with m inimal interruption to operations, in case of spills or
other damage to the Surface controls since the program audio is in th e
Engine rather than the Surface (except for the audio to the side panel
headphone jack).

Meter Bridge

The integrated direct-view Meter Bridge (Figure 1-4) sits above and
behind the control panel. It has three stereo level meters, a Timer, and an
On Air indicator. The left meter displays the Program 1 bus levels. The
middle meter displays the Program 2 bus levels . The right meter is
switchable between showing the other two program buses (PGM 3 or PGM

4) or an External signal (EXT) like an off-air tuner signal. The switched
meter can also be set to auto-switch to show cue levels while cu e is active.

The meters normally show both the average and peak lev els, but
software settin g s allow them to be changed to show only the average level
or only the peak levels.

Figure 1-4 DMX Meter Bridge

The four-digit Timer is controlled manually, using the Monitor section

S/S button (Timer Sta r t/ Stop control), or automatically, when the Auto
Timer button is lit and an au d io s ource, set for Timer R es et (assigned to

specific audio signals in the Surface Setup

app), is turned on.

DMX Engine

All audio and logic connections are made on the rear of the DMX-16
Engine (Figure 1-5). This 1RU device has a 5-port Gigabit switch; two
high-quality low-noise Mic Preamps (with gain control and 48-volt
phantom powering); Signal Processing with EQ and dynamics (applied
on a fader channel basis); eight routable audi o inputs (four analog and
four AES); four Program audio outputs (four analog and four AES

outputting the same set of signals); four de dicated analog outputs (to
feed powered Control Room a nd Studio monitors, powered cu e s pea kers,
and an outboard board operator headphone amp); six GPIO logic
contacts (each independently set to function as a logic input or logic
output) and an Ethernet jack to connect the Engine to the built-in Gigabit
switch.

Figure 1-5 DMX-16 Engine, rear panel

Input and Output Connectors

All audio, logic, and network connections on the Engine, other than the
two mic inputs which have female XLR c onnectors, use RJ45 connectors
and CAT5e or CAT6 wiring. The an a log a nd AES audio wiring c onform to
the StudioHub+ wiring convention (with two balanced analog or one s ter eo
AES signal on each RJ45 connector) using CAT5 cabling. The RJ45 LOGIC
connector, which has six logic contacts a long with +5V and GN D, is wired
per the WheatNet-IP logic con ven tion . Figur e 2-4 ( pa ge 12) has pin out
tables for the RJ45 connectors used for audio and logic.

DMX SPECIFICATIONS

Test Conditions:

 FSD = Full Scale Digital, 0 dB FSD equivalent to +24 dBu analog
 0 dBu corresponds to 0.775 v olts R M S—regardless of the circuit

impedance, as measured using a 600 ohm circuit.

 Noise specs measured using a 22 Hz – 20 kHz bandwidth. A 30k Hz

bandwidth increases the noise measurement by 1.7 dB.

Mic Preamp

Source Impedance: 150 – 600 Ω, balanced
Nominal Input Level: -50 dBu
Input Rang e: -70 to -31 dBu (using trim control to reach nominal level)
Equivale nt Input Noise: -131 dBu

Logic GPIO

Six per RJ45 connector: Connection assignments made using PR&E

Navigator (logic input or output; the type of logic comman d)

Logic Inputs: Current-limited using internal pull-up. Supports +5 to +12

volt logic. For a logic low, input voltage m ust fall below +2.5 volts.

Logic Output: +5 to +24 VDC logic, 50 m A nominal, 100 mA max

7

Analog I/O (Inputs & Outputs: +4 dBu, balanced)

Input Impedance: >10 k Ω, bridging
Optimal Source Impe dance: <1 k Ω
Analog In > Analog Out Frequen cy Response:

+0.0, -0.25 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz @ +4 dBu

Analog In > Analog Out THD & Noise:

<0.0025%, 20 Hz-20 kHz @ + 4 dBu

Nominal / Maximum Input Level: +4 dBu / +24 dBu

(±18 dB of level gain/trim control available in the PR&E IP Navigator

Output Source Impedance: <10 Ω balanced
Output Load Impedance: 600 Ω optimal
Nominal / Maximum Output Level: +4 dBu / +24 dBu

(±18 dB of output leve l gain/trim control in the PR&E IP Navigator)

A > D Conversion: 24-bit resolution
D > A Conve rsion: 24-bit, advanced Delta-Sigma

)

Digital I/O (AES/EBU Inputs & Outputs)

Reference Level: -20 dB FSD (equivalent to analog +4 dBu)
Nominal / Maximum Input or O utput Level: -20 dB FSD / 0 dB FSD
(±18 dB of level gain/tr im c ontrol available in the PR&E IP Navigator)
Digital In > Digital Out Frequency Response:

±0.0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz @ -20 dB FSD

Digital Input > Analog Output THD & Noise:

<0.00017%, 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dB F SD

Signal Format: AES-3, S/PDIF (inputs only)
AES-3 Input Compliance: 24-bit (uses SRC to support incoming sample

rates of 32 – 96 kHz, 16- to 24-bit resolutions)

AES-3 Output Compliance: 24-bit
Output Sample Rate: 44.1 or 48 kHz
Processing Resolution: 24-bit

Surface Dimensions

DMX-08: 4.25" x 17.625" x 17" (H, W, D)
DMX-16: 4.25" x 29.625" x 17" (H, W, D)

DMX-16 Engine Dimensions

A 1RU rack-mounted device:

1.75" x 19.0" x 13.25" (H, W, D)

Razor I/O Interface Dimensions

A 1RU rack-mounted device:

1.75" x 19.0" x 9.25" (H, W, D)

Power Supply

Type: Internal switc hing supply on the Razor and the DMX-16 Engine,

which also powers the DMX-8 control surface; the DMX-16 Surface uses
a separate in-line switching DC power supply

AC input: Detachable IEC cord
AC input: 90-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Output: +16 VDC @ 1 amp (PWR OUT jack on DMX Engine)
Output: +16 VDC @ 2.67 amps (Surface in-line supply)

Power Requirements

DMX-16 Engine: <27 watts at 120 VAC / 60 Hz
DMX-08 Surface: <10 watts at 120 VAC / 60 Hz
DMX-16 Surface: <20 watts at 120 VAC / 60 Hz
Razor: <15 watts at 120 VAC / 60 Hz

Environment

Ambient Temperature: Less than 40°C
Cooling: Convection c ooled, no fans

Wheatstone / PR&E reserve the right to change specifications without
notice or obligat ion.

8

WARRANTY STATEMENT

LIMITED WARRANTY BY WHEATSTONE CORP ORATION

1. All equipment sold and shipped to final destinations within the USA and its possessions

warranted for one (1) full year from the date of purchase against defects in material and workman-

ship. All equipment sold and shipped to final destinations outside the U.S.A. and its possessions

warranted for one (1) full year from the date of purchase against defects in material and workman-

ship.

All repairs to maintain the unit at original specification will be made at no charge to the original

purchaser, except for shipping and insurance costs to be prepaid by the owner to the factory in the

event the unit cannot be serviced by an authorized Wheatstone Corporation dealer.

2. This Warranty is subject to the following restrictions and conditions:
a) The owner must have filled out the enclosed Warranty Card and returned it to Wheatstone

Corporation; or at the time of servicing the owner must provide proof of purchase from an

authorized Wheatstone Corporation distributor or dealer.

b) This Warranty is valid for the original purchaser on the unit. Parts used for replacement

are warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period. Repair or replacement is

in the discretion of Wheatstone Corporation and is the exclusive remedy hereunder.

c) This Warranty DOES NOT apply to damage or defects resulting from abuse, careless use,

misuse, improper installation, electrical spikes or surges, or alteration, repair, or service

of the unit or equipment by anyone other than Wheatstone Corporation or its authorized

dealer.

d) This Warranty is void if the serial number has been removed, altered or defaced.
e) This Warranty DOES NOT cover loss or damage, direct or indirect, arising out of the use

or inability to use this unit or for shipping or transportation to any dealer.

f) Wheatstone Corporation reserves the right to modify or change any unit in whole or in part

at any time prior to return delivery in order to incorporate electronic or mechanical im-

provements deemed appropriate by the Wheatstone Corporation but without incurring

any responsibility for modifications or changes of any unit previously delivered or to sup-

ply any new equipment in accordance with any earlier specifications.

g) THERE ARE NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUD-

ING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR-

POSE. IF FOR ANY REASON ANY IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY CANNOT BE DIS-

CLAIMED, THEY ARE LIMITED TO THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE.

WHEATSTONE COPORATION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ELECTRICAL DAMAGE, LOSS

OF USE, INCONVENIENCE, DAMAGE TO OTHER PROPERTY, OR ANY OTHER INCI-

DENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT, AND WHETHER ARIS-

ING IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE. NO REPRESENTATIVES, DEALERS, OR

WHEATSTONE PERSONNEL ARE AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY WARRANTIES, REPRE-

SENTATIONS, OR GUARANTIESS OTHER THAN THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN.

9

2 – DMX INSTALLATION

E

ach DMX Surface is 17” (43.2 cm) deep and 4 1/4" (11 cm)
tall. The DMX-8 Surface is 17 5/8" (45 cm) wide. The DMX­16 Surface is 29 5/8” (75.3 cm) wide.

The DMX-16 Engine (1RU) mounts within the studio
cabinetry below the Surface location. Install a 1RU blank panel, or mount
the Engine at the top of the rack, to ensure adequate ventila tion. All DMX
components are convection cooled so the DMX can be placed in air studios,
production rooms, newsrooms, voice tracking studios, or talk studios.

When locating the Surface and Engine, avoid close proximity to any
device which generates an electromagnetic field , such as large power
transformers, motors, and audio power am ps using switc hing supplies.

LOCATING THE DMX COMPONENTS

The DMX Surface (see Figure 2-1) is designed to set on the studio
furniture countertop with its palm rest setback six to twelve inches from
the edge of the countertop. This space can be used to set a keyboard and
mouse, copy, log sheets, etc.

The DMX Engine is rack mounted in a 19” rack below the countertop. It’s
typically located near the top of a rack close to the DMX Surface. There are
no controls on the front panel, but there are four status LEDs on the f r ont
to indicate Engine status. The Engine’s rear panel must be accessible since
it is where the audio, logic, and network connections for the DMX console
are made.

A 16-foot DC cable (included) connects the DMX-8 Surface to the DMX
Engine. The DMX-16 Surface has an in-line DC supply with captive DC
cable and an IEC AC cord so an AC outlet m ust be located below the
countertop to allow the six-foot DC cable to plug into the Surface and the
six-foot AC cord to plug in to an AC outlet.

Note: The DMX-16 DC supply can power a DMX-8 Surface if it must
be located over 15 feet from where the DMX Engine is mounted.

Each size of Surface requires a straight-thru category cable (customer-
supplied CAT5e or CAT6 ) to connect the Surface to a port (Port 1
recommended) on the DMX Engine’s rear panel Ethernet switch .

The DMX Surface is typically just set onto the countertop since its weight
(16 lbs for DMX-8, 26 lbs for DMX-16) and four large rubber feet should
hold it in place. However, if the Surface needs to be fastened to the
countertop for security reasons , a step-by-step procedure is listed later in
this Chapter.

Figure 2-1 DMX-8 Surface, Countertop Positioning

For the cleanest in s tallation, we r ec ommend drilling a cable access hole
(one to two inch in diameter) through the countertop below the Surface’s
position. Only the customer-supplied CAT5e/6 cable and the DC power
cable and connector pass through th is hole , so hole size is not critical (it
could be sized to match an available hole grommet or it c ould be left raw
since it will be cover ed by the Surface).

1. Carefully position the Surface on the c ountertop so that the palm
rest is parallel to the countertop edge and is s etbac k the desired
amount (typically, between six and twelve inches).

2. Use a pencil to mark the countertop a t the center of the front edge
of the palm rest (for the DMX-8, this is the center line between
fader channels 5 and 6, as shown in Figure 2-1).

3. Move the Surface out of the way and mark a point 13” behind the
palm rest mark, perpendicular to the countertop e dge. This marks
where the one to two inch cable access hole will be drilled.

4. Drill the cable access hole through th e countertop.

10

Surface Placement & Cable Connections

Before setting the Surfac e back into position, remove the upper rear
cosmetic cover by first removing three black #1 Phillips screws. The top of
the cover fits into a slot in the Meter Bridge top cover, so it may have to
be pulled down slightly to remove it from the slot. When removed, the
network interface board, with the DC power jack and RJ45 Ethernet jack,
shown in Figure 2-2, is revealed.

Figure 2-2 Surface rear view (upper rear cover removed)

Route the DC and CAT5e cables up through the countertop hole and
through the two lower chassis access holes (Fig 2-2). Plug and latch the
CAT5e cable into the RJ45 Ethernet connector. Plug the DC cable into the
DC power jack, tightening its housing onto the threaded jack. Reattach
the upper rear cover then set the Surface into position on the countertop.

On a DMX-8 Surface, route both the DC and CAT5e cables to the back of
the Engine (connections are shown in Figure 2-3). Plug the CAT5e cable
into Port 1 on the built-in ETHERNET switch. On a DMX-8 Surface plug
the DC cable into the PWR OUT jack, tightening its housing onto the
threaded jack.

On a DMX-16 Surface, route the CAT5e cable to the Engine and plug it
into Port 1 on the ETHERNET switch. Plug the in-line DC power supply’s
IEC AC cord into an AC outlet strip fastened below the c ountertop.

Fastening the Surface to the Countertop

If the Surface must be fastened to the countertop f or security reasons,
the two front feet from the chassis must be removed. The Surface’s
control panel (identified in Figure 2-1) must also be removed. Two long #6
screws with oversize washers and lock washers are required. The screw
length must extend through the countertop, from below, and through the
two front feet with j ust enough thread lef t to fasten into the chassis. These
two screws must not extend over ¼” through the chassis when tight, to
avoid contacting th e c ontrol panel circu it board or ribbon cable.

The cable access hole must already have been drilled (per the steps on
page 10) and the two Surface cables must have been run through the hole
and plugged into the Surface, bef ore fastening the Surface to the
countertop. The Surface must be unpowered during this procedure.

1. Unscrew the two front feet . Retain the two #6 s c r e ws, lock
washers, and flat washers for possible future reuse.

2. Remove all of the hex head screw s , using a 1/16” hex driver, from
around the contr ol p a nel. Lift up and unplug the ribbon cables (one
cable on the DMX-8, two cables on the DMX-16). Se t the control
panel aside.

3. Set the Surface into pos ition and mark the countertop throu g h the
two feet mounting holes using a pencil, the 1/16” hex driver, or a
thin center punch.

4. Move the Surface aside and drill two 3/16” holes completely
through the cou ntertop.

5. This step requires two people. One person inserts and holds the
two long #6 screws (with lock washers and oversize washers)
through the cou ntertop from below (with the appropriate
screwdriver for the two screws).

A second person sets the two feet onto the screws then aligns the
Surface over the two scr ews , holding it in position while the two
long #6 screws are tightened. Make sure the Surface is set parallel
to the countertop edge bef ore tightening the two screws. Make
sure the two rubber feet are not overly compressed and that the
ends of the two screws do not protrude over ¼” through the
chassis.

6. Set the back edge of the control panel onto the Surface chassis
and plug in the ribbon cable(s). Set the control panel back down
onto the chassis and reinstall the hex-head screws.

Figure 2-3 Engine, Rear Panel Partial View,

Ethernet and DC Power Connections

11

ENGINE CONNECTIONS

To facilitate wiring the DMX Engine, Wheatstone recommends using a
wire list, listing a ll connections to and from peripheral devices. Identify
and create labels for each end of each audio, logic, and network cable. List
these connection s in a master facility wiring logbook to ease in stallation,
future system wiring and equipment changes, and system troubleshooting.

Audio cabling to and from the DMX Engine should always be run with the
maximum practic a l d is tance from all AC mains wiring. The Surface’s power
cable only carries DC voltage, so audio wiring can r un parallel to or even
be tie wrapped to this cable withou t pr obl em .

All line level analog audio, AES, and logic signals connect to the Engine
using RJ45 connectors. Pin out signal list, and the sta ndard wire colors
used for the analog and digital audio connectors and the LIO logic
connector are shown in Figure 2-4.

Figure 2-4 Audio & Logic RJ45 Pin Outs & Signals

For most applications, either shielded tw isted pair (STP) or unshielded
twisted pair (UTP) wiring can be used interchangeably. When crimping
your own CAT5/5e/6 cables, UTP has an advantage because it’s a lot
easier to crimp than STP wiring.

To simplify console wir ing, RJ45 Audio Connector Adapters can adapt
CAT5 cables to the XLR, TRS, or other type connectors used on the
peripheral devices. StudioHub has a wide variety of adapters (most of
which are carried by Wheatstone and PR&E distributors). For more
information visit the StudioHub adapter web page:

http://www.studiohub.com/adapterdonglessplitterscouplers.php

When RJ45 adapters are used, generic pre-made straight-thru CAT5
cables, with RJ45 connec tor s on each end, can be used to quickly connect
the Engine with peripheral audio devices.

When wiring directly from an RJ45 connector on the Engine or Razor to
individual XLR , TRS, or other type audio connectors, single-pair UTP
(DataMax 5100 or similar) is perfect for AES and mono ana log
connections. Dual-pair UTP (DataMax 5200 or similar) is good for stereo
connections using a single connector (like a D-Sub). When wiring to a

stereo device with two connectors, two single-pair UTP wires should be
connected to a common RJ45 to cleanly connec t the two XLR or TRS
connectors—as opposed to breaking out two wire pairs from a CAT5 cable
to reach the two connectors.

The exception to the practice of using UTP cable is for the microphone
cables which terminate in to the female XLR connectors on the Engine.
Room monitor outputs going to self-powered monito r s pea kers may also
need to use a shielded cable term inated at the monitor speaker end only.

Note: The StudioHub+ wiring convention specifies pin 4 as DC
Ground to support P O E (Power over Ethernet). The Engine and
Razor RJ45 connectors do not tie pin 4
ground since this product does not s upport POE. Thus a ground
connection can only be made at the m onitor speaker end. If the
monitor speaker has an unbalanced input using a TS or RCA
connector, an audio balun transformer (balanced in: unbalanced
out) or a signal matchbox must be used.

All DMX analog inputs and outputs are intended t o connect to balanced

+4 dBu signals. Connect only the plus (+) and minus (-) signals from the

peripherals to to the + and - terminals on the RJ 45 plugs.

Unbalanced devices can directly connect to a DMX analog input by

connecting the low (-) signal wire s (the ORG and/or GRN wire) to GND at
the unbalanced device. Connect the hot wire (the unbalanced + signal) to
the WHT/ORG and/or WHT/GRN wires (terminals 1 and 3). Since the
unbalanced device will have a very low leve l, as compared to a balanced
signal, use the PR&E IP Navigator
gain. Every DMX input has up to +18 dB of gain available.

When a DMX analog output needs to connect to an unbalanced device,
a matchbox or an audio balun transformer (balanced in: unbalanced out)
must be used. You can , alte r nately, connect the + wires (the WHT/ORG
and/or WHT/GRN wires on terminals 1 and 3) to the unbalanced device
directly, but th e ground wire from the unbalan c ed device must be broken
out of the wiring and connected to the Engine or Razor chas s is to connect
to ground. One wa y to do this would be to connect a small spade lug and
ground wire to the Phillips screw for a MIC XLR connector.

Note: On an output, do not ground the two low (-) signals (the
ORG and GRN wires on terminals 2 and 6) at the unbalanced
device in an attempt t o connect an un balanced device directly to

an Engine or Razor output. This can lead to com p onent failure
since this shorts an active op amp output to ground.

Device Sources tab to adjust the input

(the blue CAT5 wire) to

Ethernet Connections

Ethernet AoIP network wiring a lso uses RJ45 conn e c tors, but because
the network is running at 1000Base-T (1 Gigabit), CAT6 (or CAT5e)
cabling should always be used for the most reliable results. The DMX
Engine, like the Surface, must also connect to the 5-port Ethernet s witch.

12

Use a short CAT5e/6 patch cable to go from the Engine’s single Ethernet
jack to Port 5 on the Ethernet switc h (shown in Figure 2-3 on page 11).

Ports 2, 3, and 4, on the five-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, are available
to connect to the “setup PC” with the PR&E applications installe d on it. This
PC will not need to remain connected during normal use unless the PR&E
IP Navigator is used to control signal connections. Alternately, when a
VoxPro PC will be networked with th e DMX, the PR&E apps can be installed
on that PC. The remaining ports can be used to network a WNIP­compatible media server, a Razor I/O Interface, or connect the DMX to a
dedicated AoIP Ethernet switch when multiple DMX consoles and Razor I/O
Interfaces will be networked together.

DMX POWER UP

The DMX Engine and Surface, and the Razor I/O Interface, do not have
power switches since they are designed for continuous 24 / 7 operation.
When their AC mains cable is plugged into a 90 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
isolated groun d circuit, each device will automatically boot up, which takes
about 90 seconds to complete.

The DMX-8 Surface is normally connected to the Engine’s PWR OUT jack
so it powers up with the Engine. The DMX-16 Surface, or a DMX-8 Surface
that’s using the DMX-16 Surface supply, requires that its in-line su pply
also be plugged into a 90 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz isolated gr ound circuit.

When a Surface is powered up without its Engine, or if the Engine and
Surface aren’t communicating via Ethernet, the three stereo meter bridge
displays’ peak LEDs scan up the meters, visually indicating the Surface is
not communicating with its Engine. When the Surface and Engine connect
the meter LEDs stop scanning.

When power is applied to the Engine, the green On LED, next to the
Ethernet switch, lights up. This is followed by the green LEDs blinking on
the active Ethernet switch ports. Note that the Surface only blinks one LED
on its Ethernet Port jack since it communicates at 100Base-T. The Ports
the Engine and Razor plug into will have both green LEDs blinking since
they communicate at 1000Base-T (1 Gigabit or 1 Gb). A setup PC will also
only light one LED if its NIC does not suppor t 1 Gb speeds.

The front panel LINK LED lights up solid when the Engine’s Ethernet
jack is connected to Port 5 of the ETHERNET switch. On a stand-alone
DMX, the other tw o front panel green LEDs: ROUTE MSTR (Route Master)
and CLOCK MSTR (Clock Master) also light up solid after about 90 seconds,
indicating the Engine is ready for use.

When a new DMX is networked with other DMX consoles and Raz or I/O
Interfaces, the new DMX En gin e m a y not be designated as a master, thus
the ROUTE MSTR and/or CLOCK MSTR LEDs may be off. This simply
indicates that ther e’s another dev ic e networked with th e D MX which is the
system’s Route Master and/or Clock Master.

Figure 2-5 Engine Front Panel Status LEDs

If the red ERROR LED lights it indicates an er r or condition has occurred
in the Engine. To reset this error the Engine should be power cycled or
rebooted using PR&E IP Navigator. To power cycle it, unplug the AC cord
from the Engine, wait a few seconds, then plug the AC cord back in.

If the red error LED lights up again, this could indicate a fault in the
Engine which requires service. Contacting Wheatstone technical support
would be thus calle d for. See Chapter 5 (page 43) for information on
obtaining service and support for your DMX console.

CHECKING OUT THE DMX FEATURES

With the DMX Engine and Surface both plugged into the built-in Ethernet
switch on the Engine, and powered up, on a stand-alone DMX you will
have three green LEDs on the Engine’s front panel, as shown in Figure 2-5.
The Surface should appear as shown in Figure 1-1 on page 5, but without
any meter displays since there’s no audio connected to the console yet!

On channel fader 1, rotate the encoder. That channel’s normal display
changes to show a list of source names with one name highlighted (Figure
2-6). The device that has the highlighted source, like Blade01 shown in
Figure 2-6, which is the default name for the DMX Engine, appears above
the white line for reference.

Figure 2-6 Selecting a Channel Source

Rotating the encoder clockwise moves the highlighting down the
alphanumeric list of names, while r otating the encoder counter-clockwise
(CCW) moves the highlighting up through the names. The names wrap
around to present a continuous list. The NoSource name, which appears at
the top of the list, is a good way to identify when the list wraps around.

Every physical input on the DMX Engine has a signal name of up to eight
characters. The default names all start with BL, for Blade, followed by that
Blade’s ID number (1 is the default ID number for the DMX Engine). The
default names end with a signal number, like S02, to identify the
connection.

13

All inputs are set as stereo, except for Analog Input 1, which is set as
dual mono with the default names of BL01MI C1 and BL01MIC2. The other
three Analog inputs have the default names of: BL001S02, BL001S03, and
BL001S04 while the four AES inputs’ default names are BL001S05 thru
BL001S08. These match the connector numbers on the Engine.

Analog input 1 is design ed to connect to MICS OUT so the two mic
preamps can be used without having to change that input’s configuration
from stereo to dual mono. If the built-in m ic pr ea m ps are not used, Analog
Input 1 can be set as a stereo input using the PR&E IP Navigator

After the Engine’s input signal names, the other source s ignals within
the DMX are listed: the Program buses, bus-minus signals, and vario us
other internal sources. Many, if not most, of these signals are typically not
set as “visible” on fader channel selectors. On a new console all signals are
set as visible to ease installing and checking out the DMX . Setting signal
visibility is covered in Chapter 3 (Page 21).

For right now, rotate the en c od er until BL001S02 is high lig hted (as
shown in Figure 2-6, on page 13). Press once on the channel encoder to
select that signal. This is calle d “clicking” the encoder–just like clicking a
PC mouse button. The click connects the highlighted signal to the fader
channel, so now BL001S02 should be shown, in green, in the middle of the
channel display, as shown in Figure 2-7.

The space above the white lin e is used to show CUE, when active, EQ,
when Equalization is active, or DYN, when Dynamics is active on that
channel. Below the name, in orange, is the channel’s Mode set ting. The
default setting for every cha nnel is STEREO.

.

Figure 2-7 Channel Display with the Source “Analog 2 In”

To either side of the Mode name are icons to indicate source status. To
the right side you can see a faint lock icon which indicates the channel’s
LIO status (logic c ontrol status) when turned on. To the left side, if the
channel source is identified as microphone, there is a mic icon, which may
also turn red when the channel is on.

Advanced Channel Features

Every channel has three advanced channel features which are accessed
by “double-clicking” the channel encoder. “Double-click” the channel 1
encoder (tap it twice quickly ) and MODE appears above the white line.
Rotating the encoder, while M O D E is shown in the display, steps through
the four audio modes (Right, Left, Mono, and Stereo). Make sure STEREO
is shown then double-click the encoder again.

Now PAN is shown above the white line. Rotating the encoder now pans
or balances the signal to the left or right of center. Readjust the encoder
until CENTER is shown then double-click the encoder again.

This time all eight channel displays on a DMX-8, or the right-most eight
channels on the DMX-16, switch to show the EQ & Dynamics controls.
Each channel on the console can have its own EQ & Dynamics settings
applied to it. The Chapter 4 section: EQ & Dynamics covers how to use
these controls. For now, double-click the cha nnel encoder again to return
to the normal channel source name disp la y.

Note: When Mode, Pan, or EQ & Dynamics are active, if no
encoder has been touched for twenty seconds, the channel
displays revert back to their normal channel source name display.
When this occurs, the current mode, pan, and EQ & Dynamics

settings are auto-saved.

Verify that Channel 1 is still set for Stereo mode, Center panning, and
that all EQ & Dynamics selections are set Out, which is the defau lt s e tting.

Note: The Mode, Pan, and EQ & Dynamics controls should be
selectively disabled, prior to releasing the console for daily use,
using the Surface Setup app, which is covered in Chapter 3.

Connect an Audio Signal to the DMX

As a first test, connect a stereo analog audio signal (like a +4 dBu test
tone or a CD player) to the ANALOG 2 IN connector, using wiring that
follows the RJ45 wiring pin out shown on page 12. This connection is signal
BL001S02, which should be the Channel 1 source.

Assign channel 1 to PGM 1, PGM 2, PGM 3, and PGM 4 (light up all
four assignment buttons). Set the channel fader to the u nity gain mark
(align the middle line on the fader knob with th e two arrows that indic ate
the -12 dB setting, which is unity gain through the console).

Turn Channel 1 on by pressing and releasing the On button, directly
below the channel display. This button turns red when pressed, indicating
the audio source is now being applied to the selected Program buses.

If the input is a +4 dBu test tone, then all of the green meter segments
will light, along with the first y ellow segment, which indicates -20 db FS
(dB FS = deciBels below Full Scale). This is equivalent to 0 VU on an
analog VU meter. The Program 1 and Program 2 meters should show
this level. The Switched meter will also show this level when the PGM 3
or PGM 4 button is lit.

If desired, you can connect a test set to the four analog outpu ts to
confirm that eac h is putting out +4 dB u. Likewise, connect a digital test
set to the four AES outputs to confirm they ar e putting out -20 dbFS.

To check the four monitor outputs use a powered mo nitor amp to
connect to the CR, STU, CUE, and HDPN (headphone) outputs. You could

14

alternately make up an RJ45-to-TRS jack adapter cable to plug in
headphones to temporarily check the audio by connecting the two – signal
wires to the TRS gr ound terminal). Since this connection gr ounds the two
– (minus) signals on the balanced outputs it should not be left connected
for an extended period.

Plug the test cable into the CR output. In the left column of the Monitor
section, select PGM 1 as the source for the Control. Rotate the CR
encoder to adjust the level of the CR output. The four blue/yellow bar
graphs in the two monitor displays show the relative lev els of the Cue,
CR, STU, and HDPN outputs (Figure 2-8).

Figure 2-8 Monitor Displays Show the Monitor Output Levels

Move the test output to the HDPN connector. Its output level is
adjusted by the HDPN encoder in the right column of the monitor
section. Its level is shown in the righ t d is p la y just above the encoder. This
control also contr ols the output of the Surface headphone jack.

Move the test output to the STU output. A source must be assigned to
the Studio since NoSource will be shown in the right display. Press/ hold
the EXT button, just above the STUDIO encoder, until it begins to blink
and a list of source names appear in the right-hand display. Rotate the
Studio encoder to highlight DMX PGM1 then click the Studio encode r.
Press and release the EXT button (it lights up) to select PGM 1, which is
then shown in the right displa y. Adjust the STUDIO encoder to adjust the
STU output as required.

Move the test output c able to the CUE output. Press the Cue button on
channel 1 so that it lights (CUE is shown in the c hannel display). Adjust
the CUE encoder. Note that even though this is a two channel output, the
cue bus is a mono signal.

The proceeding should give you a basic understanding of DMX console
operations. If you hav e a list of audio devices and which inputs they’ll
connect to then you can now name the input signals and configure the
console for your application, s ince it’s a lot easier for board operators to
use the console when the source names are: HOST MIC, CD 1, VOXPRO,
PLAY 1, PLAY 2, etc., rather than BL001S04, BL001S08, and so on.
Chapter 3 covers h ow to do this using th e PR&E applications th a t are
included on the USB flash drive th a t s hipped with the DMX console.

The rest of this chapter covers additional details about the Engine and
Razor audio and logic connections.

ENGINE SIGNAL NOTES

This section covers the DMX Engine connections and how the PR&E apps

are used to configure those s ignals or connection s.

Mic Preamps - The two female XLR c onnectors allow on e or two
dynamic or condenser mics to plug directly into th e Engine. Two low noise
preamps boost the microphones up to line level. Each preamp has its own
input trim contro l a nd a 48-volt phantom p ower on/off switch. Set the
phantom switch to on to power condenser mics. A yellow LED ligh ts to
show phantom power is active. For dyna m ic mics, like the RE-27, set the
phantom power sw itch to off.

The MICS OUT RJ45 connector carries both m ic preamp outputs: Mic
Preamp 1 is the “left channel” and Mic Preamp 2 is the “right ch an nel.”

To use the built-in mic preamps, connect a short straight-thru CAT5
cable from MICS OUT to the ANALOG IN 1 input. This particular
connection is prec onfigured for tw o mono signals, rather than a stereo
signal as all other Engine and Raz or inputs are set by default. If you aren’t
planning on using the built-in mic preamps this input can be connected to
two external mic proc e s sors. If no mics are used the two mono A nalog In
1 signals can be set as a stereo input using the PR&E IP Navigator

The two mic inputs have the default names of : BL01M IC1 and
BL01MIC2. These two default signal names can be renamed to MIC 1 and
MIC 2 or HOST MIC and GUEST—any name of up to eight characters can
be used. This is done using the PR&E IP N av ig a tor
tab, as shown in Figure 2-9. To access this view, click on the Blade name
in the System Dock then select the Sources tab. Click on the default name
and click Edit… to open an edit window or just double-click on the name
and type in a new name.

app’s device Sources

Figure 2-9 Renaming Signals in PR&E IP Navigator

Logic - The Engine and Razor I/O Interfaces ea ch have one RJ45 LOGIC
connector to conn ect hard-wired logic to eternal devices like warning light
interfaces and remote start commands. Each LOGIC connector has six

.

15

logic connection s ( on terminals 2 – 7) plus ground on terminal 1 and +5
volts on terminal 8.

Each logic conn ection is individually c onfigured, again using PR&E IP
Navigator, to set its logic function. Each connection can be set as eithe r a
logic output, like O n Tally, Room Mute, Start Pulse, etc. , or as a logic input
like, Channel On, Channel Off, Cue, etc.

There are also 128 Soft LIO (SLIO) logic signals on each Engine and
Razor to allow WNIP devices, like m edia s er vers, to control th e c onsole
channels. These connections are also associated with source signals and
configured for either input or output logic using the PR&E IP Navigator

Analog In - All analog inputs are designed for balanced +4 dBu signals
but unbalanced -10 dBv signals can also be connected—without needing a
match box, since each input has input gain/trim/balance settings in PR&E
IP Navigator. Up to 18 dB of ga in or trim c a n be applied to any input.

The analog inputs, labeled a s IN 1-4 on the Engine, have the default
names of BL01MIC1, BL 01M IC2, BL001S02, BL001S03, a nd BL001S04 in
signal lists. In p uts 2 – 4 can also be set as two mono inputs in PR&E IP
Navigator to allow two independe nt mono signals, like a pair of phone
hybrids, to connect to any one input.

Digital In – The fou r digit a l in puts are designed for balanced stereo
AES/EBU signals which, in most cases, can alternately have S/PDIF digital
signals connected to them. These connectors are labeled as DIGITAL IN
5–8 on the Engine. Their default n a m es a r e BL001S05 – BL001S08 in the
signal lists.

There are also gain/trim settings in PR&E IP Navigator to adjust the
input levels as required. Any AES /EBU input can also be split in to two
mono signals, a c om m on occurrence w ith digital phone system s . Digital In
8 can also be used as a Sync input to synchronize the DMX to an external
clock signal.

PGM Outputs – There are four stereo analog outputs which, by default,
output the PGM 1 – P G M 4 bu s es . Any of these outputs can be set to
connect to another source using the PR&E IP Navigator crosspoint map.
Note that these out puts cannot be split f or dual mono operation. Each
output is a balanced +4 dBu signal. These connectors are labeled as PGM
OUT 1-4 on the Engine.

The four digital PGM 1 – PGM 4 outp uts have the same set of signals as
on the analog PGM 1 – PGM 4 outputs. These four outputs can only
connect to balanc ed AES/EBU inputs. Connecting them to unbalanced
S/PDIF inputs will not work.

Monitor Outputs – These four stereo analog outputs are designed to
connect to powere d Cue, CR Monitor, a nd Studio Monitor spea kers, and to
an outboard headphone amp. The four Surface controls (CUE, CR,
STUDIO, and H D PN) control their output levels. CUE connec ts to one or
two powered cue speakers ( the cue bus is mono); CR connects to pow ered

.

Control Room monitor speakers; STU connects to one or two powered
speakers for a talk studio; and HDPN connects to an outboard headphone
amp.

Note: The built-in ¼” headphone jack on the right side of Surface
(in-line with the OLED d is p la ys) is also control led by the HDPN
level.

Any of these four outputs could alternately be assigned to a different
source using PR&E IP Navigator
that are unrelate d to their default signal.

One example: if no Studio is associate d with the console then the STU
output is not needed, thu s that output could be repurposed t o f eed a
recorder by setting the Studio Output to a fixed level (using th e DMX
Surface Setup app) and using the EXT button and STUDIO encoder to
select the source to feed the recorder.

to yield additional analog line lev e l outputs

Callers & Remotes

The DMX console uses the WheatNet-IP bus-minus convention to create
a unique To Network return audio sign al for every active caller or remot e.
Callers and remotes are collectively known as 4-wire or Telco devices.
These type devices have a From Network audio sign al, which is dialed up
and taken on a fader, and a To Ne twork audio signal which goes back to
the caller or remote s o they can hear the board operator or the air signal.

Which bus is used to create the bus-minus signal is set in the VDips
Page Tab in the Surface Setup
caller or remote has a bus-minus / Base Mix assigned (typically PGM 1) to
create the To Network sig nal when that c aller or remote channel is on.

When the caller or remote channel is off, a hidden bus called Off Line
(OL) is used to create the To Network signal by using the PGM 4
assignment buttons, which get repurposed as Off Line assign buttons when
the setup option PGM4 Off Line is enabled (Figure 2-10 on the next page).
If that option is enabled, typically PGM4 Pre Fader and PGM4 Pre On are
also enabled to allow hands-free conversations between the board
operator and a caller or remote.

When a caller or remote is dialed up on a fader channel, the To Network
return audio signal can be automatically connected to the caller or remote
by using the PR&E IP Navigator’s
system monitor fea ture which can be setup to connect nu m e r ous signals
together in respon se to some other acti on, like the phone being taken on a
specific fader channel.

As an example, figure 2-11 on the next page shows two Associated
Connections for the PHONE. When the PHONE is dialed up on fader channel
7 (the Triggered Connectio n), three Associated Connecti ons are then made
to, in this case: connect fader 7’s bus-minus (DMXBM07) to the HYBRID
output; connect the host mic direct out s ignal (DMXBM 01 ) to TREC L; and

app (Figure 2-10 on the next page). Each

Associated Connections feature. It’s a

16

connect the Ph one caller to TREC R. Th ese signals connec t to the TEL REC
signal that conn e c ts to an output going to a VoxPro or other call recorder.

Figure 2-10 Typical Off Line Bus Settings for a Caller

In a typical use, the Host Mic is assigned b y itself to the OL bus, which
means its PGM 4 button is lit. No other ch annels are assigned to PGM
4/OL. The caller channel is off and assigned to CUE. This setting allows for
hands free conversation betw een the caller and the board operator. If
there are additional mics that should be able to talk to the ca lle r ( like a
Host or call screener) then their channels would be assigned to PGM 4 as
well. They would talk to the caller using their mics and hear the caller
through the cue speaker .

When the caller or r emote goes live (their channel is turn ed on), their
bus-minus audio switches from the OL bus to, typic a lly, the PGM 1 bus
(the bus is assigned in the DMX Surface Setup
caller or remote then hears everything going to air—minus their own From
Network voice.

Each caller and remote device’s From Network signal typically connects
to a Razor analog or d igital input with two devices sharing a common
stereo connection set as two mono in p uts. A Razor mono analog or digital
output is then con nected to the To Network input on the caller/remote
device. This outp ut has the bus-minu s signal for the caller/ r emote
connected to it.

app, see Figure 2-10). The

Input Level Adjust

The PR&E IP Navigator has level controls for each source and destination
on the Engine and Razor. Up to 18 dB of gain or 18 dB of trim, fr om unity
gain (0 dB), can be applied in r eal time to the audio sign als. To view and
adjust the level con trols, click on a d evice name in the System dock to
highlight the name, selecting that device. Click the Sources tab to adjust
the input levels (Figure 2-12). Click the Destinations tab to adjust the level
going to any of the eight outputs on the Engine (the four PGM Outputs and
four Monitor outputs) or optional R a zor I/O Interface.

Figure 2-11 Using PR&E IP Navigator’s Associated Connections

Figure 2-12 PR&E IP Navigator’s Level and Balance Controls

The bottom half of the Source and Des tination tabs (Meters:) have
sixteen meter displays f or the eight stereo inputs or eight stereo outp uts.
Below the meters are level (LVL) controls for mono in p uts. On stereo
inputs there is one level and a balance (BAL) control. These controls are
placed prior to the app’s Meter displays so any change you make to the
level is reflected in the meter movements when audio is present on that

17

input or output. S ince the level control affects the audio in real time, use
caution on live consoles when adju sting these levels.

Level can be adjusted in three wa ys:

• Click/drag the level control up (for gain) or down (for trim)

• Click above or below the level control to add or subtract .5 dB f or

each click

• Directly enter th e d esired gain or trim am ount in dB by
highlighting the dB number below the level control and entering a
new number from -18.0 up to 18.0 an d pres s ing Enter.

The meters follow the a dj usted level control. The top of the average bar
graph should be around the -20 mark and the peak LED should be aroun d
the -8 mark to allow for some headroom. On the DMX Surface meters the
average bar should just light up a couple of the yellow LEDs.

One common use for level control is to boos t the gain of the in p ut from
an unbalanced device. Most so-called “Prosumer” devices are unbalanced
even when using ¼” connectors (which are often TS, not TRS), thus their
nominal output lev els are 300 mV vs. the 1.2 V nominal level from a
balanced device. Raising t he gain by up to 18 dB can compensate for th is
level difference without needing to add a balanced level match box.

Monitor Muting & Hot Mic Logic

Although any signal can be set to m ute an output, typically only mics are
set to mute outputs. For Control Room mics you’ll want to mute the CR
and CUE outputs, unless Cue only feeds the studio, in which case the
Studio mics would be set to mute the STU and CUE outputs. These
settings are made using the DMX
partially show n in Figure 2-13.

Enable CR for all microphone inputs in the control room or Studio for all
studio microphones. If a cue spea ker is used, enable Cue (as shown in
Figure 2-13) for the room i t’ s in (Control Room or S tudio). Typically,
Headphone (Hdpn) is nev er mu ted s o it should always be unchecked.

When a mic channel is turned on, the On Air display on the meter
bridge is activated, along with a Mic icon on the c hannel display, by
enabling a Studio Talli e s control. Typica lly, Tally 1 is used for the Control
Room and Tally 2 is used for a Talk Stud io. Tallies 3 and 4 can be used to
light up warnin g lig hts at two other locations, like a Produc e r or call
screener location and a newsroom.

The studio tallies are driven by Studio 1 In-Use up to Studio 4 In-Use
commands in the PR&E IP Navigator
outputs on the Engine or Razor LOGIC connec tor to activate outboard
warning light interfaces ( Hen r y Superelay, Sonifex On-Air lights, M!ka mic
arm lights, etc.) to light up a Hot Studio L ight. To do this, in the PR&E IP

Surface Setup app’s VDips page tab,

. These commands are used to trigger

Navigator app’s System Dock, select the En gine (Blade 001) and view its
Destinations tab (Figure 2-14).

Figure 2-13 VDips Page Tab Settings for a Control Room Mic

Figure 2-14 Assigning Logic Outputs

Click Add… to open an Add Signal window. Since this is a logic only
signal, click the LIO only button then click the LIO Info tab to open the
Logic Assignments window (show n in Figure 2-15 on the next page). Note

18

that the default des tination nam e for the first new logic signa l is BL01D01,
as shown at the bottom of both windows. The LIO Info tab shows any logic
settings already assigned. On a new logic signal no settings are assigned
so click Add to open the Assign LIO window ( F igu r e 2-15). Since we want
output logic, enable the Direction: as Output. Next, select the Function:
from the drop down m e nu items. In this example, select Studio 1 I n-Use
since Studio 1 is usually set as the Control R oom .

Figure 2-15 Assigning LIO Direction & Function

Note that the physical pin number on the LOGIC connector is highlighted
to indicate which pin will have this logic command. Click Apply to assign
the Logic then click Close to close the window.

destination by clicking that cross p oint. A square will s how that’s a logic
only connection . In Figure 2-17, a second LIO destination, named STU
WARN was also assigned. Both destinations conne c t to D MXTaly.

When a CR Mic channel is turned on you’ll now get a contact closure
between pin 2 (CR WARN) and pin 1 ( gr ou nd). Likewise, if you add
another LIO to pin 3 for Studio 2 In-Use, then when a Studio Mic channel
is turned on, you’ll get a contact closure between pin 3 (STU WARN) and
pin 1 (ground).

Figure 2-17 DMXTaly Logic Connected to CR & STU Warning Outputs

RAZOR I/O INTERFACE NOTES

Each Razor has eighteen RJ45 connectors: eight for the audio inputs and
eight for the audio outputs; one for Logic GPIO; and one for Ethernet to
connect the Razor to the DMX Engine Ethernet switch (or to a fac ility AoIP
switch for multi-D MX console installations).

Before clicking Finish to close the Add Destin a tion Signal window, note
the signal name ( for the first logic sign a l you add it will be BL01 D0 1) since
you’ll want to ren a me this signal. In Figure 2-16 the default name
(BL01D01) has been cha nged to CR WARN by dou ble -clicking on the na m e
and typing in the new name, using up to eight characters.

Figure 2-16 Renaming the LIO Signal

Now, switch to show the Crosspoint m ap (click on System then the
Crosspoint tab). Loca te the source: DMXTaly. That signal has the logic

commands coming from the console, so connect it to the new CR WARN

Figure 2-18 Razor 16AD rear panel connections

On a Razor 16A, sixteen RJ45 connectors are used for the analog inputs
and outputs, each carrying one stereo analog sign al. The Razor 16A also
has two built-in mic preamps, like the DMX Engine, so it also has two
female XLR Mic Ins and one Mics Out RJ45 connector, which can be
jumpered to one of th e analog inputs using a short CAT5 patch cord. That
input would then need to be split into two mon o inputs from its default
stereo setting u sing the PR&E IP Navigator

On the Razor 16D, the sixteen RJ45 inputs and outputs each carry one
stereo AES signal, but any input or output c an be split into two mono
signals.

On the Razor 16AD, shown in Figure 2-18, the first four RJ45 jacks (IN
1 – 4) have stereo analog inputs. The remaining four IN RJ45 jacks (IN 5 –

8) have four stereo AES inputs. The first four RJ45 OUT jacks have the

19

.

analog outputs (OUT 1 – 4) while the last four RJ45 jacks (OUT 5 – 8)
have the stereo AES signals.

Note: Each Razor has eight paired incoming and e ight paired
outgoing audio str ea ms over its Ether net AoIP connection. When a
Razor output is split into two mono outputs, each mono signal will
consume one of the eight paired incoming audio streams. This
means that if one splits four ster eo outputs into eight mono
outputs, and all of those mono outputs are active, the remaining
four stereo outputs cannot be used simultaneously because all
eight incoming audio streams are being consumed by the eight
mono signals.

Analog I/O - All RJ45 analog inputs are designed f or ba la nced +4 dBu
signals but unbalanced -10 dBv signals can also be connected to an
input—without needing a match b ox, since each input has input gain/trim /
balance settings in PR&E IP Navigator
applied to any input.

On a Razor 16AD, the analog inputs are labeled as ANALOG IN 1 - 4
and the outputs are ANALOG OUT 1 – 4. Any input or output can be
changed from ste r eo to d ual mono in the PR&E IP Nav ig a tor to allow two
independent mono signals, like a pair of phone hybrids, to c onnect to any
one input or output ( with the output limitations outlined in the Note on
page 19).

Digital I/O – The digital inputs are designed for stereo AES/EBU signals
which, in most cases, can alternately have S/PDIF digital signals connected
directly as well. There are also gain/ tr im settings in PR&E IP Navigator to
adjust the input levels as requ ired.

On a Razor 16AD, the digital inputs are labeled as DIGITAL IN 5 - 8
and the outputs are DIGITAL OUT 5 – 8. Any input or output can be
changed from stereo to du al mono in PR&E IP Navigator
independent mono signals, like a pair of signals from a VX phone system,
to connect to any one input or output (with the limitations ou tlined in the
Note on page 19).

Logic - The RJ45 LOGIC connector is used to connect hard-wired logic
to external devices like warning light interfaces and tallies. Each LOGIC
connector has s ix logic connections on terminals 2 – 7 plus a ground
connection on term inal 1 and +5 volts on terminal 8. Eac h logic connection
is individually configured, using PR&E IP Navigator
input or output an d to assign its logic fu nction. Any connection ca n be set
for a logic output, like a Tally, Room Mute, S tart Pulse, etc., or a s a logic
input, like Channel On, Channel Off, Cue, etc.

Front Panel Controls - The Razor has a front panel display (Figure 2-

19) which displays its system name, IP address, and the ver s ion of code
running on that Razor. There are two additional screens which show the
signal Input levels and signal Ou tput levels on that Razor’s input and
output jacks. Rotate the encoder to step through the different screens.

. Up to 18 dB of gain or trim can be

to allow two

, to set it as a logic

Figure 2-19 Razor front panel OLED and Encoder

20

3 – CONSOLE CONFIGURATION

T

he DMX console’s factory-default configuration settings
allow it to be powered u p a nd used straight out of the box.
To setup the console f or your specific app lic ation the default

configuration s ettings need to be edited using the software
apps included on a USB flash drive that shipped with the console. The apps
can also be downloa de d from the softwa re tab on the “PR&E D MX d igita l
console” page on the Whea tstone web site (www.wheatstone.com).

The apps are installed on a setup PC running Windows 10, 8, 7, or even
XP sp3. To communicate with the Engine and Surface, the setup PC must
use a fixed IP address in the 192.168.87.0 subnet. Even though the
DMX could be changed to use another Class C subnet, for most users
leaving the DMX on the default 192. 168.87.0 subnet, sin ce it’s an isolated
network anyway, is recommended.

We suggest that the setup PC use the IP address of 192.168.87.11,
with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. This sets it on the same subnet as
the DMX Engine (IP address = 192.168.87.101 & name = Blade01) and
the Surface (IP address = 192.168.87.201 & name = Surf01).

The PR&E apps are installed b y double-clicking th eir installer icon and
accepting the defa ult installation settings. Once installed, connect the
setup PC to Port 2, 3, or 4 on the Engine’s Ethernet switch (see Figure 2­3, page 11).

Figure 3-1 DMX Surface Setup, Default View

DMX SURFACE SETUP APP

To open the DMX Surface Setup app, which is the main app
used to configure the DMX console, double-click its desktop
icon, shown at right. The app opens showing the Device
Properties tab (Figure 3-1). C lick on the Locator tab to view it
(Figure 3-2). The Locator lists every DMX device that’s
connected to the Engine’s Ethernet switch. For a new DMX console, only
two devices will be sh own: the Engine and the Surface. In Figure 3-2, an
optional Razor 16AD I/O Interface (Mini001) is connected along with the
Engine (Blade001) and the Surface (Surf001).

If no devices are shown, confirm the setup PC, Engine, and Su r face are
all plugged into the Engine ’ s Ethernet switch. Make sure the setup PC’s
NIC is using the recommended s ettings listed above. If the NIC is not
setup correctly , close the DMX Surface Setup
Network Control P a nel to correct the settings before res ta r ting the DMX
Surface Setup app.

app then use the setup PC’s

Figure 3-2 DMX Surface Setup, Locator Tab View

21

Also, verify that the correct IP address is shown above the Select NIC…
button. If the a pp is using the wrong NIC, click Select NIC… to open the
Network Setup window. Cl ick Set Nic… to view the NICs on the setup PC.
Select the correc t NIC then click Okay twice to close the window. If the
NIC is changed you must close an d reopen the Surface Setup

To refresh the Loc ator’s list of devic es , click Refresh. This clears the list
and re-queries the network to dis play the detected devices.

Clicking on a device row in the Locator pane will show the details f or that
device in the Set Selected Device Properties pane, just below the Locator.
This is where the default settings for each device could be manually
edited, by advanced user s, who wish to use a different subnet and assign
their own IP addres ses for networking multiple DMX consoles together.

Note: If multiple DMX consoles will be networked together, use the
DMX Configuration Tool
here. The Tool will automatically edit the IP addr es s , device name,
Blade ID, default signal n ames , and other parameters for each new
DMX console to ensure no system conflicts occur when networking
a new device. See page 32 for information on us ing the DMX
Configuration Tool.

rather than manually editing the entries

app.

Click the Device Pr operties tab to view that tab. Note this tab has six
page tabs (Engine, Talent Access, VDips, Monitor Config, Buttons, and
Visibilities) along the left side of the tab (shown in Figure 3-1 on page 21).
These are used to view and edit different console parameters to configure
the DMX console signals and other global settings. Click on each page tab
to see what each has to offer then reselect the Engine page tab.

Each page tab is separated into sections listing similar par a meters. In
the Mix Engine Blade’s Info section (Figure 3-3) click the Picker icon (small
rectangular icon) to open the Blade Picker which lists the detected WNIP
Blade devices. Double-click the Blade01 row to select it. T he Blade ID and
IP address are transferred to the two entry boxes.

Figure 3-3 Selecting the DMX Engine in the Surface Setup App

Selecting the Engine

Up to this point, DMX Surface Setup is simply showing a list of the
devices it’s detected on the network. To configure the DMX console its
Engine must be selected. To do that, click the menu item: WheatNet-IP
System and select System Scan.

This opens the System Scan window. The Host
Blade IP Address entry box shows the IP address of a
Blade that was detected, which, on a new DMX
console, will be 192.168.87.101. Click Start Scan. The
app now queries that Blade (the general networking
identity of a DMX Engine) showing various messages in
the window while it does this. When Finish appears,
click it.

A “save system info?” dialog pops up. Click Yes to
save the system information. A Save File dialog box
opens on the default save location. Click Save then
Yes to save to save a new sysinfo.wnsi3 data file
so that the next time the Setup app
up showing your system information.

The four System Info tabs, at the right side of the
app window, will n ow be populated with Source and
Destination names (as shown in Figure 3-1 on page

21). There will be no Salvos listed at this point, but
the Blades tab will show the DMX Engine as Blade
ID 1 with the name Blade01.

is used it opens

This action has set the DMX Engine as one device to configure while
using the DMX Surface Setup
Engine, must be selected. Even though you may only have one Surface
now, if multiple studios are networked together there will be multiple
Surfaces available so the Surface you want to configure must be set.

This is done using the Devices pane at the bottom of the DMX Surface
Setup app’s window. When first using the app, this pane will be blank.

Note: If this pane is not shown, select the menu item View then
enable Devices to display the Devices pane as shown at the bottom
of Figure 3-1 on page 21.

app. Now the Surface, connected to that

Figure 3-4 Selecting the DMX Surface in the DMX Setup App

Click the Add button to open the Add Device dialog box. Click Locate… to
open the Locate dialog box. If Surf01 is not liste d, click Rescan. Once
Surf01 is shown, click on its na me to highlight it then click OK. The new
DMX Surface name (Surf01) and its IP address (192.168.87.201) are
then entered into the Add Device dia log box (and the Device Type is set

22

automatically to DMX). Click OK to transfer the settings to the View
Devices pane.

To connect to that particular Surface, click its row to highlight it then
click the small square next to Remove (“X” the box). This instructs the
setup PC to contac t that Surface. When Surf 01 Connected appears in the
lower right corner the setup PC is communicating with that Surface.

The setup PC is now successfully communica ting with both the Engine
and Surface, so now let’s cover how to use the DMX Surface Setup
configure the console for your spec ific application.

Note: Some settings, like editing signal names a nd format, and
assigning logic, ar e done using the PR&E IP Navigator
covered followin g this section on the DMX Surface Setup

app to

app, which is

app.

Page Tabs

Each page tab on the Device Properties tab is divided into several
sections to group similar configuration sett ings together. When changes
are made on a page tab they do not take e ffect until the Device Proper ties
Apply button, nea r the lower left corner of the tab, is clicked to transmit
the changes to the Surface or Engine.

When a different page tab is selected after making a change, but Apply
was not clicked, a pop-up warning box (Figure 3-5) appears asking
whether you want to apply the changes you made on the previous page
tab. Click Yes to apply the changes or No to ignore applying the ch a nges.

The changes are maintained on the previous page tab and will be
transmitted to the S urface or Engine the next time Apply is clicked.

Figure 3-5 Apply Changes Warning Pop-Up

Do not show this wa r ning again during this session. is checked by
default. If you wa nt to keep seeing that w arning, uncheck the option.

Engine Page Tab

The Engine page tab has eight sections: Mix Engine Blade’s In fo (which
you’ve already set), Display Brightness, Meters, Time Display Format,
Machine Logic, Source Select, Input / Output, and OnA ir Tallies. The
settings in thes e sections affect th e overall operation of the Surface or
Engine.

Display Brightness

These three parameters control the channel and monitor displays’

brightness.

The Normal Level setting sets the brightness for regular usage, with 16
being maximum brightness and 1 being virtually off (not a very useful
setting unless you don’t like seeing channel and monitor displays!).

Because OLED displays can burn-in when displaying the same graphic
over a long period of time, and will also gradually dim over time, we do
not recommend setting a new console at a Normal Level of 16. The default
level is 10, but you’ll want to use the lowe s t s e tting which s till a llows for
an easy-to-read display. In pr od r ooms with very low lighting this might
mean a setting of 6 matches the ambient light in th e s tudio.

To see the new setting in the OLED displays, click Apply to transmit the
updated setting to the Surface.

The AutoDim Level setting is used with the AutoDim Timeou t entry. This
setting dims the OLED displays to the AutoDim Level once the timeout
period is reached. Settin g th e AutoDim lev el to 1 almost completely turns
off the displays. The default entry is 4 for this setting.

The AutoDim Timeout entry sets how many minutes pass before the
OLED displays switch from the Normal Level to the AutoDim Level. The
default setting is 10 minutes, which means that after no Surface control
has been touched f or two minutes, the OLED displays dim down to the
AutoDim Level. As soon as any control is subsequently touched, the level
immediately returns to the Normal Level. Setting the timeout to 0 defeats
dimming and the Normal Level setting is used all of the tim e.

Meters

When Switched Meter Auto Cue is enabled (the box is “Xed”) the cue bus
level is shown in the switched meter while cue is active, overriding the
source selected by the Meter bu tton s. No X in the box means cue does not
affect the switched meter.

The Mode: setting is comm on to all three meters. Peak and Average is
the default setting, but the meters can alternately be set to show Average
Only or Peak only for special ap plic ations.

The Average level is shown using a bar graph display while the Peak
level is shown us ing one LED per channe l, to indicate the highest
instantaneous audio levels, which are typically 6 – 10 dB above the top of
the average level bar graph. Note that the Peak decay time is fixed.

Time Display Format

The right-hand monitor display shows the time-of-day in standard USA
12 hour format (AM/PM) or in military/Europea n format (24 hours).

23

The clock time is set using the PR&E
IP Navigator (System > Info tab > Set
Date and Time section). The date and
time can be set manually (click Manual)
by entering the date and time manually
or by clicking Using this PC’s time to set
the date (which is shown in the left
monitor display) and the time. Click NTP
to select using an NTP time server to synch r onize the time (the PC running
PR&E IP Navigator
get the correct tim e ) .

must be connected to the internet to use this option to

Talent Access Page Tab

This page tab has three sections: Events; Bus Assignments; and Channel

Features to set board operator access to these Surface controls.

During console configuration thes e a r e typically all left enabled, so it is
important to selec tively disable ac c e s s prior to releasing the console for
daily operations, especially when it comes to the Even t buttons (Save
Events is typica lly disabled after the Events are assig ned during
configuration) and the EQ & Dynamics controls in Channel Features since,
in the wrong han ds , this could result in one or m or e channels sudde nly
having very “strange sounding” audio!

Note: The clock time must be reset each time the DMX is power
cycled. The date is always shown as Month day year.

Machine Logic

This sets whether there is a logic output (whether a tally or a start/stop

pulse) when a remote channel on/channel off command is received.

The No LIO with RMT entry is normally unchecked which means tally or
remote start/stop commands are sent out. When checked there are no
tally or remote start/stop commands sent when a channel is remotely
turned on or off.

Source Select

The default selection is Source Names. When the encoders are used to
select a new source, all visible source names are listed alphanumerically
with the host Blade name shown in the display for each source.

When Location Names is selected, rotating the channel encoder first
shows a list of Blade names. Clicking a Blade name then shows all of the
visible sources from that Blade. To view signals on another Blade, click
<< locations to step ba c k to the Blade list so another device can be
selected.

Needless to say most users leave Source Names selected.

Input / Output

Use Default Signal Mapping should be enabled to automatically connect
and lock the console’s internal signals. If this is disabled (unchecked), the
monitor outputs and other normal sign a l connections may not be
automatically c onnected when th e c onsole is powered up, which could lead
to unexpected Surface or Engine operation.

OnAir Tallies

The four on-air tallies (1 – 4) are typically all en a bled (checked) even
though only 1 and 2 are typically used to prov ide hot mic warnin g tallies
for the Control Room and Studio. Disabling (unchecking) these tallies will
mean no tallies can be assigned either on the console or using an LIO.

Events

These two settings control access to the very powerful Event buttons in
the monitor section of the Surface. The four Event buttons are used to
save, for later recall, entire c onsole setups. Each Event saves the current
monitor settings and the current channel sources, channel button settings,
and channel feature settings to allow your four most-commonly-used
board setups to be rec alled at the touch of an Event button.

For example: Event 1 could be set to reca ll the setup for a morning
show using multiple mics and a remote traffic service; Event 2 could
setup the console for a single board operator; Event 3 cou ld s etu p the
console for voice tra cking in the air studio; and Event 4 could setup the
Surface for over night or unattended operat ion .

When Allow Save Events is enabled (checked) anyone can create and
save new Events, overwriting any previously saved Event. When disabled
(unchecked) the Event Save function is not active. This selection is
typically disabled once the four Events are setup and saved by
engineering during c onsole configur a tion.

When Allow Take Events is enabled (checked) the board operator can
take Events. When disabled (unchecked) the four Event buttons have no
function. If Allow Take Events is unchecked then Allow Save Events should
also be unchecked. Th is selection is typically left enabled.

Bus Assignments

These four selections set whether the board operator can change the
PGM assignment bu t ton settings across the console. For most
applications a ll four buttons are enabled (checked), allowing the board
operator to change any assignment button setting as required.

Any disabled (unchecked) PGM assignment button means the PGM
button settings on the console cannot be changed by the board operator.
This might be done for consoles that serve dual-purposes, like
simultaneous on-air and voice-tracking. The PGM buttons would be pre­assigned for the correct opera tional mode then disabled so th e boar d
operators can’t change the PGM bus assignments.

24

Channel Features

If the DMX Surface Setup app is installed on a PC in the air

sounding “very strange” or even becoming severely distorted.

Each fader channel includes controls to change the audio mode,
panning, and the EQ & Dynamics controls which will affect the sound on
that channel. This section sets whether these controls are accessible by
the board operators.

Allow Mode, when enabled, allows a fader channel’s audio mode to be
changed from Ster e o ( the default setting ) to L eft only, Right only, or Mono
sum. When unchecked, this feature is locked out from board operator use.

Allow Panning, when enabled, allows left-right panning control of the
audio signal on th at fader channel. When unchecked, this feature is locked
out from board operator use.

Allow EQ & Dynamics, when enabled, allows the four-band parametric
equalization, the high and low pass filters and shelving, and the audio
dynamics (compression and expansion) to be adjusted and set for any
channel. This is an advanced feature that should only be accessed by
engineering while configu ring the console. Once set, Allow EQ & Dynamics
should be disabled to prevent board opera tor s from accessin g this
powerful feature.

More details on us ing these Channel Features are presented in Chapter 4
(on page 39).

studio, assign a user password (File > Set Password) to prevent
program access, if only to keep Allow EQ & Dynamics from being
enabled (assuming it’s been disabled by engineering before
releasing the console for daily usage). In the wrong hands,
changing the EQ & Dynamics settings could result in a channel

the Default row, at the top of the Signals list, and then enabling the
desired “Default” selecti ons. Figure 3-6 shows PFL/Cue Dropout, PGM4 Pre
Fader, PGM4 Pre On, and PGM4 Off Line enabled. Each new signa l added
to the Signals list will have these settin g s automatically a ssigned.

Signals List

Sources must be manually a dded, one at a time, to the Signals list to
populate it as shown in Figure 3-6, which shows the active in put signals
from an Engine a nd an optional Razor.

VDips Page Tab

Console controls a nd logic features are assigned to audio sources on this
page tab. All of the active Engine and Razor input signals are typically
added to the Signals list (Figure 3-6). Clicking on a row highlights that
signal and the current settings are shown in the seven assignment sections
on the right half of the page tab.

These settings can then be edited as required. To see/hear the effect of
the new selections, click Apply to transmit the updated settings to the
Surface.

Default Settings

Before adding any signa ls to the Signals List, read through the
descriptions of the assignment selec tions over the next couple pages. You
may find selection s which should be ap plied to most sour c es. These
common selections can be en a bled on all newly added sources by clicking

Figure 3-6 VDips Page Tab Sections

To add a new signal, click Add… to open the Add Signa l pop-up selector
(Figure 3-7on the next page). Click th e Picker button (
Source Picker. Double-click a signal row to select that source (which also
closes the Source Picker). Click OK to add that source to the Signals list.

Repeat this process (click Add…, click the Picker button, double-click on
another source r ow, click OK) for each source you will configure.
Fortunately, this repetit iv e pr oces s only needs to be done once.

If any Default sele c tions were set, th os e a r e a utomatically set on each
newly added signa l. Each newly added sig nal is also automatically selected
(highlighted) so additional con figuration settings c a n be edited as required.
To see the effect th is has on the source channel’s functions, c lic k Apply to
send the updated settings to the S urface and Engine.

25

) to open the

Figure 3-7 Adding a Source to the Signals List

Note: Clicking Apply immediately updates all source s ett ings —even
for sources on channels that are currently turned on, so use caution
when making changes to a console that’s already on-air.

Options

These nine settings can be independently enable d ( “Xed”) or disabled

(no X) for each source in order to control the listed channel fun ction.
PFL/Cue Dropout – This controls what happens when the source’s channel

is turned on. When enabled, c ue (alternately called PFL or Pr e-Fader
Listen) is automatically turned off, if active, when the channel is turn ed
on.

When disabled and cue is active, cue remains active when the source’s
channel is turn ed on. This control is typic ally disabled if Fader Cue is
enabled.

Timer Reset – When enabled, a T imer R es et c omm a nd is sent to the timer
each time that source’s channel is turned on. If disabled no timer reset is
sent to the timer.

Note: For the Timer Reset function to actually reset the timer , the
Timer Auto button must be lit on the Surface. When the Timer
Auto button is unlit, the timer reset command, even th ou gh it is

enabled, will not rea c h the timer.

Machine Start Pulsed – Sets th e type of logic comman d sent to the
source’s remote l og ic . When enabled a Start Pulse is output. When
disabled a sustained logic closure (tally) occurs for as long as the source
channel is on.

EFS (Electronic Fader Start) – Controls whether moving the source’s
channel fader affects channel on and off. When enabled, moving the fader
to full off turns the channel off. Moving the fader away from full off turns
the channel on. When disabled fader movement does not affect channel

on/off status. This command is typically assigned the same for all sources,
although some users like to enable this feature on microphones.

Fader Cue – This setting is simila r to EFS in that fader mov em e nt affects
the channel status. When enabled, moving the fader to full of f turns cue
on and moving th e fader away from fu ll off turns cue off. This action
emulates a feature found on analog consoles that used rotary channel
volume controls to put the channel into cue when th e pot wa s full off.

When disabled, fader movement has no effect on cue—unless EFS and
PFL/Cue Dropout are both enabled, in which c ase cue is turned off when
the fader is moved from full off.

Remote Ready – When disabled (the standard setting) the off button lights
up when the channel is off. When enabled, the off button lighting is
controlled by the s ource’s Ready command logic. The ready logic
command is assigned to the source using the PR&E IP Navigator

PGM 4 vs. Off Line Bus Controls

PGM 4 differs from PGM 1 – PGM 3 in that sources can be set to feed
PGM 4 pre-on switch and/or pre-fader by enabling the PGM4 Pre On and
PGM4 Pre Fader selections, and not enabling the PGM4 Off Line selection.

When PGM4 Off Line is enabled, the PGM 4 assignment buttons also set
which sources feed the hidden Off Line (OL) bus, which is used with callers
and remotes to create the bus-minus signal sent back to the caller or
remote while their channel is off. This allows for hands-free conversations
when the caller or remote is not on-air. When the caller or remote channel
is turned on, pu tting them on-air, their bus-minus return signal
automatically switches to use the bus assigned in the Bus-Minus / Base
Mix section, which is typically PG M 1.

Since there are no OL buttons on the console, sources are assigned to
the OL bus using the PGM 4 buttons. Thus, when PGM4 Off Line is
enabled—on any signal, the PGM 4 buttons become OL assignment
buttons. When PGM4 Off Line is disabled for all sources, then the PGM 4
buttons assign the channel sources to the PGM 4 bus like normal, and the
OL bus is not used. In this condition, the bus-minus signa l going back to
the callers and remotes is always the bus assigned in the Bus-minus /
Base Mix section.

Note: The PGM4 Pre Fader and PGM4 Pre On settings affect both
PGM 4 and the OL audio. This means the PGM 4 output, which is
still active even if PGM4 Off Line is enabled, could have some
sources active a ll of the time (if PGM4 Pre On is enabled) and those
could be at a fixed level ( if PGM4 Pre Fader is enabled), which could
lead to unexpected operation. Thus, we recommend not using the
PGM 4 output as the PGM 4 output when OL is used (e.g., the PGM4
Off Line option is enabled for any source). A different source could
be connected to it.

.

26

PGM4 Pre Fader –When enabled the source feeds the OL or PGM 4 bus
without fader lev el control (e.g., the same level as the cue bus). When
disabled, the channel fader controls the level going to the OL and PGM 4
buses.

PGM4 Pre On – When enabled the source always feeds the OL and PGM 4
buses unless PGM 4 Pre Fader is disabled, in which case the fader still
controls the level. When disabled, the source only feeds the OL and PGM 4
bus when the channel is turned on. Typically this settin g is enabled for all
sources so that no channels have to be on in order to feed the OL bus.

PGM4 Off Line – This setting affects what the PGM 4 assignment button
does. When enabled on any source, the PGM 4 buttons assign any source
to the OL bus; when disabled on all sourc es, the PGM 4 buttons assign any
source to the PGM 4 bus and the OL bus is not active.

Studio Mutes

Any source can be set to mute one or more dedicated outputs when
their channel is turned on. Typically, only microphon e inputs are set to
mute outputs.

For mics located in the Con tr ol Room, both the CR and Cue outputs are
typically enabled ( muted). For mics located in a Studio, typically only the

Studio output is ena bled (muted), unless cue is fed to the studio, then
Studio and Cue would be enabled.

Usually the HDP N output is never enabled. Figure 3-8 shows the typical
settings for a CR mic and a Studio mic.

Studio Tallies

Each microphone is typica lly set to trigger a tally output (1 – 4) by
enabling a Studio Tally. Tally 1 is typically associa ted with the Control
Room and Tally 2 is typically associated with a studio. Tallies 3 and 4 can
be used to indicate m ic r ophones not located in the CR or Studio ( like a
Producer position or a newsroom) are turned on so that they trigger the
two Surface dis pla ys related to micro phones: a red OnAir indicator in the
Meter Bridge lights up when a mic channel is on; and a mic icon is added
to the channel display (left of the Mode name) which turns red when the
channel is on. If no Studio Tally is assigned, the mic s ta tus indicators are
not shown.

Bus-Minus / Direc t Out

The DMX includes an internal mono sign al associated with each fader
channel as indicated by the 1 – 8 (for a DMX-8 Surface) or 1 – 16 (for a
DMX-16 Surface) check boxes. These signals are assigned the default
names of DMXBM01 – DMXBM16, since most often these signals a r e used
to create a Bus-Minus audio signal for a caller or remote . These mono
signals can alternately be used to create a Direct Out signal for any source
to feed an outboard FX unit, air skimmer, or a system monitor.

The settings in this section set which type of signal gets generated when
that source is assigned to a channel. When no boxes are enabled (no X in
any entry box) a bus-minus signal is created on any channel that source is
taken on. When on e or m ore boxes a r e enabled, and that source is taken
on one of the enabled ch an nels, a Direct Out s ignal for that channel is
created.

Note: The Direct Out audio is affected by the settings in the Direct
Out Pre Fader and Direct Out Pre On sections.

For Telco devices (phone hybrids, ISDN, codecs, two-ways, etc.) no
channel boxes should be enabled, s o that a bus-minus signal is
automatically c r e a ted when the Telco devic e is dialed up on an y fader. This
means an IFB (Interruptible Fold Back) a udio signal is created that can be
sent back to the Telco device so they can h ea r th e boa r d opera tor or hear
the program audio. This also means that any fader channel can have a
codec or a phone hybrid on it, each with a unique IFB signal.

Bus Minus / Base M ix

This setting is only used when no channels are enabled in the Bus-Minus
/ Direct Out section, which means that a bus-minus signal will be created
for the source. Th is selection sets which bus: PGM 1, PGM 2, PGM 3, PGM
4/OL is used to create the bus-minus IFB that is sent back to the caller or
remote while their channel is on (the PGM4/OL bus is normally fed to the
caller or remote when their channel is off). The normal sele c tion is PGM 1.

Figure 3-8 CR & Studio Mic Settings

27

Note: If PGM4 Off Line is not enabled for any source, the Bus-
Minus / Base Mix is always returned to the caller or remote. The TB
button would then be used to talk to the caller or remote.

Direct Out Pre Fader

When enabled for the same channel numbers as set in the Bus-Minus /
Direct Out section, the Direct Out audio is sent at a fixed level (sa me level
as the cue bus). When unchecked the level feeding the Direct Out is
controlled by the chann el fader .

Direct Out Pre On

When enabled for the same cha nnel numbers as set in the Bus-Minus /
Direct Out section, the direct out audio is not affected by the channel
on/off status. The audio is always feeding the Direct Out unless Direct Out
Pre Fader is also unchecked, then the channel fader affects the level going
to the Direct Out. When unchecked the Direct Out audio follows the
channel on/off status.

Monitor Config Page Tab

This page tab has settings which affect the C ontrol Room, Studio, and
board operator headphone outputs.

Control Room - These options affect the Contr ol Room monitor output.
Cue Defeat - When enabled cue does not affect the CR monitor output.

When disabled (unchec ked), cue is switched into the C R monitor output
muting the CR monitor source. Th e nor m al setting is Cue Defeat enabled.

Lock Level - When enabled, and the Apply button is clicked, the current
level setting of the CR en coder is fixed at that output level and the Surface
CR encoder no longer controls the CR output level.

Headphone - These options affect the headphone output.
Cue Defeat - When enabled cue does not feed the board operator

headphones. When disable d ( unchecked) cue feeds the board operator
headphones in stereo, when the Split Cue b utton in the monitor section on
the Surface is unlit, or in split mode (cue in one ear and PGM monitor in
the other ear), when the Split Cue button is lit.

Lock Level - When enabled, and the Apply button is click ed , the current
level setting of the HDPN encoder is fixed at that output level and the
Surface HDPN encoder no longer controls the HDPN output level. This
setting would be used if the headph one output feeds an external
headphone amp with a cabinet-mounted level control near the external
headphone jack.

Studio -

Cue Defeat - When en a ble d cue is not fed to the STU monitor output.
When disabled (uncheck ed), cue also feeds the S TU monitor output,
switching off the monitor audio wh ile c ue is active.

These options affect the Studio monitor output.

Lock Level - When enabled, and the Apply button is click ed , the current
level setting of the Studio encoder is f ixed for the STU output and the
Surface Studio encoder no longer controls the level. T his setting is used
when there is a stu d io level control in the s tudio.

Buttons Page Tab

The DMX has one programmable button, labeled SOFT on the Surface and
Spare01 in Navigator, which can be used as an indicator-only; as a

sustained toggle switch to trigger logic; or a s a momentary sw itc h and
indicator. The logic settings u sed to control the button and LED are Switch
1 and Switch LED 1. Here are what the various function settings are used
for:

• None - Default setting. Button and LED have no assigned
functions.

• Tally – Sets up the button LED to be used as an indicator, without
any switch functionality. A logic input, assigned to the f unction
Switch LED 1, is used to trigger the LED illumination. This setting
could be used for a hot line r ing indicator or as a n indicator that a
studio doorbell is being pres s ed.

• Toggle - Sets up the button to function like a mechanical toggle
switch (using Switch 1 output logic function setting) with sustained
logic. The Sur face automatically controls the button LED to indicate
whether the output logic is toggled on (lit) or toggled off (unlit).

• Momentary/Surface LED - Sets the button to function as a
momentary logic closure via a logic output with the Switch 1 logic
function. The Surface controls the button LED to simply indicate
the button is being pressed.

• Momentary/LIO LED – Sets the button to trigger a logic output
and to have the LED be controlled by a logic input. A typical use
for this setting is to use the SOFT button a s a pr ofanity delay
Dump button.

Visibilities Page Tab

Each source selector on the DMX has a visibilities list to set which
source names are displayed when selecting a new source. Figure 3-9, on
page 29, shows the Visibilities page tab se ttings for Channel 1, typically
used for the board operator or host mic.

In the example, Mic 1 (Analog 1 In, left channel) and Allow No Source
are the only sources enabled (checked). This means that when the channel
1 encoder is rotated, only NoSource and Mic 1 appear in the list. Taking

28

NoSource silences the channel. If Allow No Source is unchecked then that
name doesn’t appea r in the list of altern ate sources.

The default Visib ility setting for a ll s ele c tors is to display all sources. This
is desirable for installing the c onsole since it allows a ny source to be
“dialed up” anywhere. But, for daily operation of the con s ole , it’s essential
that the list of visible sources be nar r owed, especially to pr event a PGM
bus from being taken on a channel, and then assigned to the same PGM
bus. This can cause “digital f eedba c k” when the fader is potted up wh ic h
will overload the bus and cause it to mute.

Setting the Visibility

On fader channels with a dedicat ed s ou r c e, like the Host mic or ph one
channel, only one source is typically s e t a s visible: the sou r c e ded ic ated to
that fader channel along with NoSource.

On media server playback ch a nn els , there is often a B Serve or backup
server, so typica lly both the main a nd B Serves are visible on the media
server channels. On fader channels with a “regular source,” which might
only be used period ic ally, like a CD pla yer, Instant Replay , or a traffic
service, assigning a handful of alternate sources to be visible adds
flexibility to th ose fader channels.

There are typically at least a couple faders (typically the ones nearest
the monitor section ) that have every source, which conc eivably would go
live to air, or need to be recorded, set a s visible so they can be taken on
those fader channels. Of course, this would exclude signals like the
internal PGM buses, the bus-minus signals, logic signals, off-air tuners,
and any processed pre-delay monitor signals .

Telco Device Visibilities

In previous PR&E consoles, Telco devices could only be included, or
made visible, on the six fader channels set as “Telco channels” in order to
get a mix-minus signal to return to that Telco device.

On the DMX, every fader channel has its own bus-minus signal to create
the mix-minus return signal to each Telco device. Thus, there are no
channel restrictions for Telco devices. They can be made visibl e on any
fader channel. The bus-minus signal for each channel can automatically be
connected to the Telco device (the To Network signal) when that device is
dialed up on a specific channel by setting up an Associated Connection, a
feature set in the PR&E IP Navigator
Associated Connections with Telco devices .

. See page 17 for an overview of using

Source Selector List

Click to highlight a channel or one of the three mon itor selectors
(External, Control Room, or Studio) in the Channel: pane to see the
settings for tha t source selector in the Visibility pane. The Visibility pane
title also updates with the selected channel or monitor selec tor name.

When first opened, all devic es a r e sh own collapsed (Figure 3-10 on pa ge

30) with boxes indicating whether any sources are selected on that device.
An empty box means no signals are selected; a filled box indicates at least
one signal is selected; and a checked box indicates that all signals are
selected (which is the default setting on a new console).

Clicking on a right-facing arrow expands the device (the arrow then
points down). Sub-categories (Blade, User, Surface, etc.) are expanded in
like manner until you reach the sou rce names (as shown in Figure 3-9).

Figure 3-9 Visibilities Page Tab Settings

The sub-categories and devices can be selectively c ollapsed by clicking
their down-facing arrows, which then point right agai n.

29

The current view is maintained when selecting a different channel or
monitor selector —until the app is closed. R eopening the app will again
show all devices as collapsed.

Figure 3-10 Visibilities Controls

Visibility Pane

Figure 3-9 (page 29) shows the signals for a DMX Engine (Blade001), its
hosted Surface, and a Razor I/O Interface (Mini001). The Surface, a sub­category below th e Mix Engine Blade, lists the program a nd other internal
buses in the console. These signals are normally all unselected on the
channel selectors. Most are set as visible on the monitor selectors.

When a device is fully expanded, indiv idual signals have their own
checkbox. When checked that signal is visible. When unchecked that signal
does not appear on that selector. A quic k method to selectively check and
uncheck signals is to click and highlight a source name then use the PC
keyboard’s Up/Down arrow keys to step through the source nam e s. Tap
the space bar to select or deselect the highlighted s ource name.

The Allow No Source selection for each channel selector is checked by
default. This allows NoSource to be taken to silence a channel. It also
serves as a handy signal list divider so you can tell when y ou’ve wrapped
around the source list and are back at the top of the list again. Unchecking
Allow No Source means NoSource does not appea r in the source list f or
that selector. This is typically done on the three monitor selectors.

The Channel: names have a right-click menu to allow the visibility
assignments from one selector to be copied an d pa s ted to other selec tor s.
After setting a se lector’s visibil ity list, right-click on its highlighted selector
name and select Copy. Right-click on another selector then select Paste to
update that selec tor ’ s settings to match the copied selector ’s settings.

Note: Use caution when using the right-click menu since
accidentally selecting Paste All updates every selector with the
copied visibility list.

Once the signal visibility is set, whether for one channel or for all
channels, click Apply to transmit the changes to the Surface. The source
selectors will immediately update to use the new visibility lists.

PR&E IP NAVIGATOR APP

The PR&E IP Navigator is used to initially configure the DMX Engine and
Razor input and output signals. This can be done without having a license
to use the application since there is a tr ia l pe riod in which the app can be
used unlicensed. To continue using PR&E IP Navigator
be purchased from Wheatstone.

PR&E IP Navigator is most often used to connect source s to d es tinations
using a Crosspoint grid, by setting up Salvos, and by assigning Associated
Connections. Here a r e other main uses:

• View and update the operating system on DMX Engines and Razors

• Manually configure system devices when the DMX Configuration

Tool

is not used to automatically do tha t

• Assign an Engine as the system master and/or clock master for a
multiple consol e network

• Set system-wide configuration settings (like s etting the system
sample rate and the date/t ime for the Surface monitor d is plays)

• Rename input and output signals

• Set the mode for signals between stereo and dual mono

• Assign the 6 hard and 128 soft LIO (Logic In or Out) available on

each device

• Connect signals using an XY Crosspoint grid

• Create Salvos or Macros for connecting multiple signals

simultaneously

• Set Associated Connections for setting audio and logic connections
based on system activity

To start PR&E IP Navigator double-click its desktop icon or,
from the Start M enu, select All Programs > Whea ts tone PR&E
> PR&E IP Navigator.

The app opens showing the System Crosspoint Grid (Figure
3-11 on page 31). A Login popup also appears. When first
using the app, just click OK to close the popup since no passw or d is set by
default. We recommend setting a password, especially if PR&E IP
Navigator is run on a studio PC since improper use of the app could cause
unexpected audio connection changes and other un desired DMX operation.

Crosspoint Grid

The System Crosspoint Grid is shown when the app starts. Selecting
other devices or clickin g other tabs will show different screens. To reopen

, a site license must

30

Figure 3-11 PR&E IP Navigator Controls Overview

an active crosspoint remov es the connection, silenc ing the destination in
the case of an aud io c onnection or turning off the logic in c ase of a logic
crosspoint.

Sources conn ec te d to a fader channel that is on will have a red line
across the grid indicating t hey are locked from change sin c e th ey are
actively being used. This is the same case for default connections lik e the
PGM buses and monitors connected to their physical output connectors.

Note: Any locked signal can be unlocked by r igh t -clicking on the
destination name and selec tin g Unlock Signal from t he context
menu.

Monitoring Signals

Right-clicking on an active crosspoint connection, on a source name, or
on a destination name brings up a context menu. Select Monitor…, Monitor
Source…, or Monitor Destination… and a pop-up Monitor window (Figure 3-

12) opens showing the Source levels and , if that signal is connected to a
Destination, th e D es tination levels. A drop down list allows you to choose
which PC audio destination to use to lis ten to the signal (ty p ic ally the
setup PC’s built-in speakers). Click the Listen to Source… button to listen
to the audio and us e the Volume control to a dj ust the listening level.

the Crosspoint Grid, click the Sys tem icon in the System Dock then click
the Crosspoint tab. A separate Crosspoint Grid float ing window can also be
opened by clicking th e X Point window selector.

The Crosspoint grid shows the sources and destinations, and who’s
connected on an X-Y grid. Sources are on the horizontal axis while
destinations are on the vertical axis. The signal name colors c or r e s pond to
the device colors in the System Dock (which can be changed as des ir ed
using the Blade preferen c es s ec tion of the System Preferences tab).

Connected audio s ignals are shown by r ound colored dots. Th e dot colors
indicate signal levels (purple = no or low signal, green = normal level
signal, red = high level signal). A sin gle dot indicates a mono connection.
Two dots at a 45° angle indicate a stereo source connected to a stereo
destination. I f there are two dots stacked vertically the source is mono but
the destination is s te r eo. A square ind ic ates a logic-only crosspoint. A
destination with a horizontal red line indicates a locked de s tination.

Connecting Signals

To connect a sou r c e to a destination, click once on its crosspoint in the
grid. An icon is a dde d to the crosspoint to indicate it is a c tive. Clicking on

Figure 3-12 Signal Monitor Pop-Up Window

Naming Signal Inputs and Outputs

Every signal has a default name which can be edited using the Sources
and Destinations tabs for each device. Normally, internal signal names for
the PGM buses and bus-m inus signals are not edite d. In addition to editing
signal names, any source can also have an Alias name associated with it.
This is most often used with mics where the source name might be just
MIC 1, MIC 2, and so on, but multiple Aliases can be created so that the
“Talent’s name” appears on the channel display inste a d of MIC 1, MIC 2,
and so on.

31

To create an Alias first click on the device with the source (like Blade01)
then on the Sources tab. Click on the signal n ame you want to create an
Alias for, like B L0 1MIC1 shown in Figure 3-13. Click the Add Alias… button
to open up an Add Alias window then type in the “Talent” name in the
Name: entry box. Click Finish to close the Add Alias window. A new source
name now appears in the source list.

Once you complete editing th e s ource names (and destination names if
you want), in or der for the new names to app ea r in the DMX Surface
Setup app you have to do another System Scan, a s shown on page 22.
This updates the Surface Setu p a pp to in c orporate the changes th a t w er e
just made in the PR&E IP Navigator
the new Alias names.

Even though the Alias is associated with a source, the Alias is treate d a s
a completely new signal by the Surface Setup
the Alias signals and assign the same VDIP settings to them as assigned to
their original source (settings like CR and Cue mute and a studio tally), as
shown on page 27.

, updating the signal n a m es a nd adding

app, thus you’ ll have to add

any Salvos you c r e a te (select the Salvo in the drop down list then click
Rename) so you can remember what each one was created t o do. Even
though you can use a name with an almost unlimited number of
characters, only about 25 characters are shown in the Salvo drop down
list, which sh ould be more than enough for descriptive names like: Fri.
Remote Dance Show; Super Bowl Pre-G a m e; or W eekend Garden Show.

Figure 3-13 Editing Signal Names

Salvos

When you click System in the System Dock then click the Salvos/Macros
tab, you get a tab that looks lik e the Crosspoint grid. The difference is that
this grid is not “live.” In the Salvo grid (Figure 3-14) you are connecting
the signals needed to set up for a future show or event. The connections
are saved as a Salvo, which means that all of the connections get taken at
once when the Sa lvo is later “fired.”

Any number of audio and logic crosspoint connections can be set and
saved to dozens of Salvos. Each Salvo begins life as a number (Salvo 1,
Salvo 2, and so on) which doesn’t mean much so you’ll want to rename

Figure 3-14 Salvo Edit Screen

Click New to create a new Salvo with the name Salvo X (empty) , with X
being the next av a ila b le Salvo number. Any existing conn ections from the
previous Salvo are removed for a clean slate. As soon as you make a
connection “(empty)” is removed from the name indicating that Salvo is in
use. There is no S a ve Salvo button since the active Salvo is constantly
being updated.

When you select another Salvo from the drop down list, its connections
are shown in the Salvo Edit Screen in read-only mode. To make further
changes, click the Editable button to allow c onnections to be added or
removed.

To take the Salvo sele c t it from the drop down list then click Fire. The
crosspoints assigned in the Salvo are all immediately connected except for
locked destinations (e.g., channels that are on), their connections are not
made.

32

DMX CONFIGURATION TOOL

The DMX Configuration Tool is used to uniquely configure a new DMX
Engine and Surface, or a new Razor I/O Interface, so it can be networked
with existing DM X devices by automatically editing the default identify
settings of the new device (its I P address, device ID, device na me, and
signal names) by associating it with either a specific studio or room, in the
case of a new console, or with a specific host dev ice, in the case of a
Razor. It can also be used to reset any device back to factory defaults.

If your new DMX console will always be used stand-alone—never
networked with other DMX c onsoles, then you can leave the DMX set to its
default settings and not have to even open up this app. However, if you
might network your DMX console with other DMX consoles in the future,
then we recommend using this app to change the default settings on your
console to assign it a unique IP address, device number, and name. That
way, when another new DMX is network e d there will be no device conflicts.

Click the desktop icon or start the app from the Start Menu
(All Programs > Wheatstone PR&E > DMX Configuration
Tool).

The app only has one screen which is divided into two
sections: Orphans and Groups. When a new device is
connected to the network it shows up in the Orphans section
of the screen listing its c urrent IP address and type of device. In Figure 3­15 a Razor 16AD is shown connected to the network but not yet
configured.

If the new device does not show up, c lick the Restart button to rescan

the network for non-configured devices. I f no devices appear click the

Settings… butt on to open the Settings window, then click the Network
Interface tab and select the NIC that’s connec te d to the DMX system.

An Orphan device can be click-dra g ged into an existing studio, in the
case of adding a Razor, or to a New Group, in the case of a new DMX
Engine and Surface.

Any existing device can also be click-dragged to the recycle icon at the
bottom of the window to return that d evice to its factory def a ult settings.
This might be done when an Engine and Surface or a Razor are being
repurposed for a new studio.

SOFTWARE UPDATES

Wheatstone/PR&E may per iodically issue software revisions for the DMX
Surface, DMX Engine, and Razor I/O Interfaces. The DMX Surface code
version is viewed and updated using the DMX Surface Setup app’s
Hardware menu (Figure 3-16). The Engine and Razor code is updated
using PR&E IP Navigator’s

Surface Code Update

To see the current version of code running on the Surface: in the
Surface Setup app, select the Hardware menu item > Version…. A pop up
window lists infor mation about the current code that’s running the DMX
Surface, including the version number.

The Surface code is downloaded to the setup PC as part of the DMX
Surface Setup app. But updated versions of the code may also be available
to be downloaded se p a r ately. Click Hardware > Update… to open the
folder holding the code downloaded with th e Surface Setup
code was downloaded separately , then navigate to th a t folder. The code
file will be named: PRE_DMX_ surface_ X_X_X.rbn with the Xs being the
new code Version number.

Version Manager tab (Figure 3-17, page 34).

app. If the

Figure 3-15 DMX Configuration Tool

Figure 3-16 DMX Surface Code Version and Update options

33

Click Open to upload the new code to the Surface. This a ction can be
done while the console is actively being used since the code is only loaded
into the Surface memory. A popup message advises that the Surface must
be rebooted to use the new code.

The DMX continues to pass audio as the Surface is rebooted but, of
course, no Surface controls will be available during the 45 seconds or so it
takes the Surface to complete rebooting an d be r ea dy for use again.

Note: The PGM buses and monitor outputs may momentarily duck
or change levels as the Surface regains control after reb ooting.

Engine & Razor Code Update

The DMX Engine and Razor code is downloaded as part of the PR&E IP
Navigator app download. But u pda ted v er s ion s of the operating system
code for these devices may a lso be a vailable to be downloaded separa tely
from the Navigator app.

Figure 3-17 DMX Engine and Razor Code Version and Update options

The code version running on eac h device can be viewed, and the code
can be updated, using the Version Manager tab in PR&E IP Navigator
(Figure 3-17). The Software Version column lists the c ode bu ild currently
running on each Blade (the DMX Engine and eac h R azor I/O Interface).
Blades can be individually updated or all of them can be updated
simultaneously.

Click the Update... button to open up a file search window which opens
on the folder that PR&E IP Navigator
when. If the code file was downloaded separately, then the code file may
be in a “Downloads” folder so use th e file search window to locate the new
code file. The code is in a compressed file using the name:
dmx_update_ X_X_XX.tgz, with the X_X_XX being the code version
number.

After the code is uploaded to the Blade(s), each B lade must be rebooted
to actually run the updated code. As th e updated code is subsequently run
there will be momentar y muting or audio changes on the program bus es
and monitor outputs so, if possible, the code update process should be
done off-air.

saves the code d ownloaded with it

34

4 – DMX USE AND APPLICATIONS

T

Figure 4-1 Channel Controls

his chapter presents details on using the DMX console, in

both general terms and for s pec i fic applications. H ow to use

the console’s advanced features and the optional Razor I/O

Interface are also covered.

DAILY USE OF THE DMX CONSOLE

DMX operation is identical between using a DMX-08 Surface and a DMX­16 Surface—other than the number of fader channels available. Two
channel faders are shown in Figure 4-1 with an overview of the fader
controls and channel displays for an on-air channel versus a channel in the
midst of selecting a new source.

Channel Encoders

Each fader channel normally has a source assigned to it. The source
name is shown in green in the middle of the channel display. If a source
has not been set f or the channel then NoSource is shown in the display.

Most faders have alternate sources that can be “dialed up and tak en”
which were assigned during console configuration using the Visibilities tab
in the DMX Surface Setup app. Alternate source names are listed in
alphanumeric order, by device, as the channel encoder (the large knob at
the top of each fader channel) is rotated.

To “dial up” and take a new source the channel must be off. If the
channel encoder is rotated while the channel is on, a FADER ON message
appears in the displa y. With the ch annel off, rotate the ch a nn el encoder.
The channel display switches to show three sou rce names with the
currently selecte d source shown highlighted in the middle (shown in the
right-hand channel in Figure 4-1). Turning the con tr ol Clockwise (CW)
moves down through the list of names. Turning it c ounter-clockwise (CCW)
moves up through the list of names. The list wraps around for a
continuous list display.

To select a new source, highlight its name then press once or “click” the
encoder knob. The new source name then appears in green in the middle
of the display, as shown in the left-hand channel in Figure 4-1. Note that
some channel functions can change when a new source is selected since
many channel settings are associated with the a udio source not the
channel (like whether the monitors m ute when the channel is turned on).

On channels with dedicated sources
(like the board operator mic, phone,
or media server playback channels)
there may only be one or two sources
shown when the encoder is rotated.
On channels with sources that are
only used periodic ally (like a CD
player or an auxiliary stud io input)
there may be a dozen or more
alternate sources available, even
though one source may be “dialed
up” on the channel most of the time.
Typically, the last couple faders,
nearest the Monitor controls, include
every system source—“just in case.”

Bus Assign Buttons

Each fader channel can be assigned
to any combination of the program
buses using the PGM 1, PGM 2, PGM
3, and PGM 4 buttons. A lit button
indicates that channel is assigned to
that bus. An unlit button indicates the
channel is not ass ig ned to that bus.

PGM 1 – PGM 3 operate the same:
all three buses are fed post-fader and
post-Channel On switch. In other
words, to hear the channel’s audio on
these program buses the channel
must first be assigned to that b us
(PGM 1, PGM 2, and/or PGM 3
buttons lit); the channel must be
turned on; and the fader must be
“potted up” with th e fader knob
typically set near the unity gain
marks.

PGM 4 differs from the other PGM
buses because, in th e DMX Surface
Setup app, any source can be set to
feed the PGM 4 bus pre-fader, which
means the fader does not affect the
source’s level and/or to fe ed the bus
pre-Channel On switch. These settings are typically only used when there
are callers (phone hybrids) and/or remotes (ISDN, codecs, etc.) connected
to the console. Then the PGM 4 bus ass ig nment buttons are u s ed to
control which channels feed the Off Line or OL bus which is used to go to
the caller or remote while th eir channel is off . Using the special features of

35

the PGM 4/OL bus is covered in more detail in the next section
(Caller/Remote Operation). If no callers or remotes are connected to the
console, then the PGM 4 bus typically func tions the same as the other
three PGM buses: channels f eed it post-fader and post-Channel On switch.

For most applicat ions, PGM 1 is used for the on-air signal or, for a
production or news room, the main record bus. Thus, all channels assigned
to PGM 1, turned on, and potted up will feed air (or the recorder). In on­air studios PGM 2 is often used to create a n etwork or an internet str eam
feed that requires alternate program elements from what’s going out over
the air.

The PGM 2 and PGM 3 buses could also be used to simultaneously feed
selected channels to recorders, whether to time-shift-record programming
or to do voice-tracking while the console simultaneously feeds completely
different sourc e m a te r ial to air.

In a production room PGM 1 is typically connected to the main
production recorder running Audition or other on-screen editor. If the
console is in a new sroom or a talk studio, the PGM 1 output could be
included as a source on a fader channel on the air console to allow th e
host to mix the talk studio mics, or the news announcer to go live from the
newsroom while controlling th eir own mix of NewsBoss playback actualities
and other sounders along with their mic audio.

Caller/Remote Operation

When phone callers and live remotes are used with the DMX, th e PGM 4
buttons are used as Off Line bus (OL bus) assignment buttons. The OL bus
creates a special “return signal” for the caller or remote, w hile the caller or
remote fader channel is tur ned off to allow hands-free conversations
between the board operator and the caller or remote.

Typically, the c aller or remote channel is assigned to cue so the board
operator can hear them. The board operator’s mic channel is assigned to
PGM 4 (e.g., assigned to the OL bus). Typically no other channel is
assigned to PGM 4 so that the caller or remote hears just the board op
mic. If there is a host or pr od ucer, their mic ma y also be assigned to PGM

4 so the caller or remo te can hear them as well.

If the caller or remote is to go live to air, then when their channel is
turned on, the return audio automatically switches from the OL bus to the
PGM 1 bus so they hea r everything (minus their own audio) that’s going to
air so they can inter a c t with guests in the studio or other show elements.

When the caller or remote channel is again turned off, their return audio
switches back to the OL bus so the board operator can give cues for a liv e
remote, or get contact inform ation or say goodbye to a caller.

The return signal going back to the caller or remote is often calle d a n
IFB (Interruptible Fold Back) signal because while the caller or remote
listens to the fold ba c k audio (typically the OL bus when their channel is

off and PGM 1 when it is on), the board operator can inter r upt that return
signal at any time by pressing the TB (Talkback) button in order to give
them cues.

Note that the TB button has no function ( e ven though it does light w hile
pressed) on channels with sources like a CD player since the r eturn signal,
which is automatic a lly generated by th e console, is not going anywhere.

If there is a lot of nois e in the control room (like during a morning zoo
format) “hand’s free” call answering, where the board operator or Host mic
channel is assigned to the OL bus, may not work—or you may n ot want a
caller to hear ev er ything that’s goin g on in the studio! In this case, the TB
button on the caller channel can be u s ed to s e lec tively talk to the c aller.

Note: Turning up the cue speaker too loud during a hands-free call
can allow the caller’ s voice to be picked up by th e host mic, which
can cause feedback.

If no channels are assigned to OL (no PGM 4 buttons are lit) then the
caller does not hear the control room unless the board operator presses
and holds the caller channel’s TB (Talkback) button. Although this setup
defeats hands-free operation, it ensures control room c onversations are
not heard by the caller.

Note there are two console setup assignments which affect how a
channel’s audio is fed to the OL bus: whether its fed Pre Fader and/or Pre
On switch. Since there is no indication of how these are assigned on the
Surface, although they are typically set the same for a ll sources using the
OL bus, engineering will need to let board operators know how the PGM 4
or OL bus is being fed since these settings affect both PGM 4 and Off Line
operation.

When the PGM 4/OL bus is mainly used for callers, then the Host Mic and
possibly a produc e r m ic are set to feed the OL bus pre-fader and pre-On
switch for ease of use. Note that if both PGM4 Pre On and PGM4 Pre Fader
are set, any channel source assigned to the PGM 4/OL bus is heard by the
caller or remote—even when that channel is turned off and the fader is
“potted down.” If PGM4 Pre Fader is not assigned, the channel faders have
to be “potted up” for the ca ller or remote to hear channels assigned to the
Off Line bus. If PGM4 Pre On is not selected then the channel must also be
on before the OL bus will get audio.

Cue

The Cue buttons control wheth e r a channel’s pre-fader and pre-on
switch audio is sent to the cue bus, which is often used to verify the
correct audio is pr e s ent on a satellite feed or a remote, as well as for
hands-free answering of phone calls. When a Cue button is lit, that
channel’s source goes to the cue bus. If it’s not lit then that channel’s
audio source does not feed the c ue bus.

36

The cue bus goes to the Cue monitor output. The level is controlled by
the Cue level contr ol in the Monitor se c tion. Cue may also go to the board
operator headphones when the Surface Setup
unchecked in th e M onitor Config tab. C ue can be fed in stereo (the Split
Cue button is unlit) or in split mode (Split C ue button is lit) with cue in one
ear and the monitor audio in the other e a r.

Cue can be set to automatica lly turn off when th e channel is turned on if
engineering has enabled the PLF/Cue Dropout option. Cue can also
automatically turn on when the fad er is moved to full off if the Fader Cue
option is enabled. Th ese configuration s e ttings are fixed and ca nn ot be
changed by the board oper a tor.

The cue audio may also override th e s elected signal on the Switch ed
meter while active. This is another console setup option .

Cue Defeat option is

TB (Talkback)

Press/hold the T B button to momentarily talk to a caller or remote
regardless of whether it is getting audio from the OL bus ( th e bus returned
to the caller/remote when their channe l is off) or from the base mix bus
(the bus returned to the c a ller/remote when their channel is on).

Note: While TB is pressed, the return base mix audio (whether OL
or a PGM bus) is cut off to the caller or remote.

The console’s talkback destination (DM X TkBk) is typically c onnected to
the board operator’ s m ic input using the PR&E IP Navigator
grid to make the connection.

The TB button is nor m a lly only used with live remotes but it can be used
with callers as w ell e ven though norm ally they get the PGM4/OL bus sent
back to them and the board operator mic is typically assigned to that b us
so they hear th a t mic all of the time.

’s crosspoint

Channel Control

To turn a channel on, press the On Button (Figure 4-1). A red LED lights
the button to show the channel is on. To turn the channel off, press the Off
button (Figure 4-1) . For most chann e l s ources, a yellow LED lig hts up the
Off button to indic ate the channel is off.

Some sources, like media server playback channels, have a logic
command called Ready that allows it to control the Off bu tton’s
illumination to ind ic ate channel status. This function originally was used
with cart decks to s how their status where no Off button light indicated th e
cart was not ready; a solid Off ligh t indicated the cart was cued and ready
to play; and a winking Off button indicated a cart had already played.
Some automation s ystems still use this c onvention for their playback
channel status.

The channel faders can also be set to automatically control the channel
on and off when they are moved (when EFS is enabled). The channel turns

on when the fader is moved up from full off (the ∞ symbol) and turns off

when the fader is moved ba ck to full off.

Note: The channel on and off s witches still func tion normally when
EFS is active.

Channel Display

Every channel has a color display to show the channel status. Its normal
display shows the source connected to that channel in green letters in the
middle of the display (Analog Input 1’s default name is shown in the left
display in Figure 4-2). When no source is connected to the channel,

NoSource is shown in green.

Fader Control

The channel faders control the au dio level going to the PGM 1 – PGM 3
buses (and the PGM4/OL bus when the PGM4 Pre Fader option is not
checked, a console setup assignment). The level range goes from full off
(when the fader is set to the ∞ symbol) to adding up to 12 dB of gain to
the signal when the fader is at the 0 indication (see Figure 4-1, page 33).

The fader knobs, in the ideal w or ld, s hould be positioned so their cen ter
line is aligned with the unity gain marks (the two arr ows next to the fad er
slot). When a channel is assigned to Cue and to PGM 1, and the fader is
set to nominal, then the switched meter (if it’s display in g the cue level,
which is a console c onfiguration set ting) and the PGM 1 meter le vels will
be identical.

Figure 4-2 Channel Displays – Normal (left)

and Selecting a New Source (right)

In the normal displa y, the area above the white line lists whether
channel equalization is being used (EQ), whether Dynamics are in use
(DYN), and whether Cue is active (CUE). When a new source is being
selected, the device name of the highlighted source is shown. In the right
display in Figure 4-2, the source name th a t’s highlighted is on Blade01,
which is the default name for the DMX Engine.

Below the name, in orange, is the channel’s Mode setting. The default
setting for each channel is Stereo (alternate setting s are left, right, or
mono).

37

To either side of the M od e name are icons that indicate channel status.
On the right side is a lock indicator to show the channel source’s LIO state.
The lock icon can appear in three colors: Gray indicates there is no control
by anyone; Blue indicates that channel fader currently has control; and an
opened Red lock icon indicates that sign a l w as already ac tive on another
channel fader (whether on this Su rf a ce or on another Surface) so it has
logic control.

To the left side of the Mode name is a mic icon, when the channel’s
source is set as a Control Room or Studio mic. This icon can be set to turn
red when the channel is on.

Rotating the Channel Encoder, when the channel is off, changes the
display to show a list of alternate source names (Figure 4-2, right display).
The current source is shown highlighted in th e m idd le. Rotating the control
clockwise moves the highlighting up the list and r ota ting it counter­clockwise moves the highlighting down the list.

Source names are typica lly s hown in alphanumeric order by devic e
name, but there is a configuration opt ion that allows source names to be
shown by location instead (Surfa c e Setup a pp Source Name setting). This
alternate setting means that when the encoder is first rotated, a lis t of
networked devices is shown. Selecting a device then lists the source
names on that device in alphanumeric order. Clicking the Channel Encoder
selects the highli g hted name and returns the display to a normal display,
showing the source name in green.

The Meter Bridge

The left and middle level meters display the PGM 1 and PGM 2 bus levels
respectively. The right meter is Switched between displaying PGM 3, PGM
4, and an external input (EXT) using the three Meter buttons. The
Switched meter may also show cue levels when active, if this option was
set during console c onfiguration.

The EXT (External) source is selected by press/hold ing the EXT button
until it starts to blin k (about four seconds). The left-hand monitor display
switches to show a lis t of sources that ca n be assigned to the EXT b utton.
Rotate the Cue/Source encoder to selec t a new external source. When the
desired source name is highlighted in the display, click the Cue/Source
encoder to assign th at source to the EXT button. The EXT button selection
is also saved as part of an Event.

Monitor Controls

The Monitor secti on of the DMX control surface has the source selector
and room monitor con trols for the control room and one stud io.

Event 1 - 4

The four Event buttons are very powerful. They’re used to save, for later
recall, the status of every fader channel and all of the monitor controls.

The ability to save Events is typically locked ou t in
daily console use. Board opera tor s are typically
allowed to Take E vents.

The Event buttons, wh ich engin eer in g s et s up
and saves before releasing the console for daily
use, could be used to accomplish these tasks:

EVENT 1 – Set up the console for a multiple mic
morning show with traffic and weather remotes

EVENT 2 – Set up the console for a live remote
show

EVENT 3 – Set up the console for single mic operation

EVENT 4 – Set up the console for voice tracking while still on-air

Each Event button can save the fader channel settings (the channel
sources; status of the four PGM and cue buttons; and any mode, pan, and
EQ & Dynamics settings) and the monitor settings (the switched meter
source and selected source for the EXT button; the Control Room monitor
selection and the selected sources for the EXT 1 and EXT 2 buttons; and
the source assigned to the Studio EXT b utton and its monitor source).

To save an Event: Press/hold any EVENT button for several seconds. It
will begin to blink. Continue to hold th e Event button for another couple
seconds until the button is lit solid. This indicates the current status of all
Surface controls is now saved as that Event. Note the event number, and
what function it’s used for, then relay that information to the board
operators.

Taking an event is a two-step process:

1. Arm the EVENT button.

2. Take the Event.

To arm an Event, press/hold the EVENT button (for about three seconds)
until the button begins blinking then release the button. The blinking
indicates that Event is now "armed."

To take the Event, press and release the blinking EVENT button. It now
lights solid indicating that E vent is active. All cons ole settings are updated
within a second or two.

Note: Any fader channels that are on when the Event is taken are
not changed by the Event’s settings. They m aintain their previous
settings. To update those faders for the Event, after they are
subsequently turned off, rearm and Take the same Event again
(press/hold the lit E vent button until it blinks, then let go, then
press it again).

38

Control Room

The Control Room section has six source select
buttons (PGM 1, PGM 2, PGM 3, PGM 4, EXT 1,

EXT 2) which set the signal that feeds the control

room monitor speak e r s and the control room
headphone outputs (both the Surface headphone
jack and the Engine HDPN output). The current
source is shown in green in the left monitor
display.

Note: A “wild” or temporary source can be
quickly selected for the CR monitors by
press/holding the Cue/Source encoder

until a list of name s appear in the left
monitor display. Rotate the Cue/Source
encoder to choose a source (highlighted
name). Click the Cue/Source encoder to
select the source. Its name is shown in red
to indicate it’s a w ild source. If PR&E IP
Navigator is used to connect a wild source

to the CR monitor, its name also appears
in red.

The Cue/Source encoder normally controls the
level of the cue speaker, an outboard a mplif ied speaker. The cue output
level is shown in the left monitor display ( Figure 4-3) in the top
blue/yellow bar graph with the C indicator. The cue lev el is indicated by a
yellow bar graph.

Note: The cue speaker is normally set to mute when a control
room mic channel is on.

The Cue/Source encoder is also used to select a source for the EXT, EXT

1, and EXT 2 buttons. To set a source for those three buttons, press/hold

the button for about three sec onds—until it begins to blink and a list of
source names a ppe a r in the left monitor display. Rotate the Cue/Source

encoder to step through the visible sources. When the desired source is

shown highlighted, click the Cue/Source encoder to assign that s ource to
the blinking button . The blinking button then turns off.

Between the Cue/Source encoder and the left display is the Split Cue
button. When lit, and cue is active, cue audio is fed to one ear and the
monitor source au dio is fed to the other ear of the operator headph ones.
When unlit, cue is sent to both ears (stereo cue) cutting off the monitor
source audio—assuming that cue is set to feed the headphones, which is a
setup option.

The CR encoder controls the level of the control room monitor speake rs.
Its level is shown in the lower yellow/blue bar graph with the speaker icon
in the left display. The H DPN encoder controls the volume of the board

operator’s headphones. Its level is shown in the lower yellow/blue bar
graph with the headphone icon in the right monitor display.

Note: The board operator’s headphones plug into a 1/4" TRS jack,
located on the righ t s id e of the Surface, in-line with the monitor
displays. Ther e is also a line level output on the DMX Engin e which
can connect to an outboard headphone a m p a nd jack.

Figure 4-3 Monitor Displays

The Control Room monitor s pea k er s a nd the cue speaker are
automatically m uted (and an on-a ir warning light can be triggered),
whenever a contr ol r oom microphone is turned on and assigned to any
PGM bus. A red X over an icon in the mon itor displays indica tes that
output is being muted.

Studio

The Studio section all ows control of the mon itor
source and speaker levels for a separate talk studio,
news room, produ c e r loc ation, call screener, or
other external locati on (like a performance studio)—
anywhere that a m ic r op hone, when connec ted to the
console, would need monitor s pea k er m uting when
the studio mic is live.

The Studio monitor source is shown in green in
the right monitor display. The EXT button is used to
switch the studio m onitor source when unlit. When
lit it indicates th e external source is g oing to the
studio monitor output. The EXT button is also used
to select a new monitor source. Pr e s s/hold the
button until it begins blinking. Th e right display
switches to show a list of sources. Use the Studio
encoder to select a new source then click the
encoder to assign th e new source to the EXT button.
The button then goes out. To select the new ly
assigned source, click the EXT button again.

The volume of th e studio monitor speakers can be
controlled by the S tudio Encoder, but often a studio­mounted level control is used to do this . If a studio­mounted control is used, the Studio encoder can be
set to be inactive (a console configuration setting) .

39

The Studio monitor speakers are automatically muted (a nd a studio
warning light can be trigger ed) , whenever a studio microphone is turned
on.

The board operator c an talk to the studio u s ing the large TB button
between the Studio encoder and righ t m onitor display.

Timer

The meter bridge timer is c ontrolled using two m onitor
buttons: Auto R es e t and the S/S (Start/Stop) button.

To reset the timer to 00:00 press/hold the S/S button.
To manually start the timer, press and release the S/S
button. To stop the timer, press and releas e the S/S
button.

When Auto Reset is lit, the timer will be reset to 00:00
and start counting up when a fader channel, whose source
is set for Timer Rese t option, is turned on. Which channel
sources have this capability is set by engineering during
console configur ation using the DMX Surface Setup

app.

USING THE CHANNEL FEATURES

Each channel includes Mode, Panning, and EQ & Dynamics controls. Each
control can be separately enabled or disabled usin g the Channel Features
section of the DMX Surface Setup app’s Talent Access page tab (Figure 4-

4). In daily use these c ontrols are typically disabled for air con s oles but
are usually enabled for non-air room con s ole s

When a Channel Feature is active on a channel, and no channel encoder
is touched for about 20 seconds, that channel’s display, or displays when
EQ & Dynamics is active, returns the displays to normal view.

Mode & Panning

When Allow Mode is enabled, double-clicking any channel encoder
(tapping it twice qu ickly) changes that channel’s dis play to show MODE at
the top of the chan nel display. Rotating the encoder now steps through the
four audio Modes: LEFT only, RIGHT only, MONO sum, and STEREO.

Double-clicking the encoder, while Mode is active, switches the display
to show PAN, if Allow Panning is enabled. Rotatin g the encoder now pans
the signal left-center-right. If Allow Mode is disabled, double-clicking on a
channel encoder brings up PAN rather than MODE.

If Allow Panning is disabled a nd Allow EQ & Dynamics is enabled then
double-clicking the e ncoder while MODE is active opens up the EQ &
Dynamics. If neither Allow Mode nor Allow Panning is enabled, double-
clicking on a channel encoder brings up the EQ & Dynamics screens.

EQ & Dynamics

When Allow EQ & Dynamics is enabled, double-clicking the channel
encoder brings up the EQ & Dynamics screens on all eight channel
displays on the DMX-8. On the DMX-16, when EQ & Dynamics is active on
channel 1 to 8, the displays on channels 1 - 8 show the EQ & Dynamics
screens. When active on channel 9 to 16, the EQ & Dynamics screens shift
to the displays on channels 9 - 16.

Figure 4-5 EQ & Dynamics In/Out Select Screens

The EQ & Dynamics screen on the channel 7 or channel 15 display shows
a graphic of how the EQ or Dynamics settings will affect the audio. The
channel 8 or 16 display lists the active channel number at the top. That
channel encoder is then used to select which screens are shown on the
other seven EQ & Dynamics screens. The display on the active channel is
also outlined in w hite. In Figure 4-6, channel 7 is active thus the graphic
display is outline d in white.

Figure 4-4 Talent Access Controls in Surface Setup App

Figure 4-6 Active Channel Indications

40

EQ & Dynamics are assigned on a channel basis and their settings are
remembered in the Surf a ce memory so that if the console is powered
completely down, when it is powered back up the s ettin gs r ema in in place.
When a channel has any type of EQ set In, EQ is shown in the channel
display above the w hite line. When Dynamics (Compression and/or
Expansion) are active, then DYN is shown in the channel display a bov e the
white line.

Even though the EQ & Dynamics settings are made on a channel-basis,
rather than applied to a particular source, because these settings are
saved in the four Events, along with the channel source and other channel
settings, this means that with careful planning you are able to apply EQ &
Dynamics, Mode, and Panning to specific audio sources when using Events.
This means that you could, th e or etically anywa y, assign four different EQ
& Dynamics settings to every fader channel by using Events.

Note: Taking an Event overrides whatever EQ & Dynamics settings
are currently assigned on the channel.

When any of the EQ controls are active, the next to last EQ & Dynamics
channel display (channel 7 or channel 15) has an audio frequency graphic
(Figure 4-7) which shows the current settings for each EQ control. The EQ
graphic shows frequency response logarithmically from 20 Hz (left side) to
20 kHz (right side). The cen ter of the display is roughly 600 Hz. The
middle horizontal line represents 0 dB of gain and each wh ite h o rizontal
line above or below it r ep resents about 5 dB of level.

Figure 4-7 EQ Out, EQ In, and Dynamics Graphic Screens

High Pass & Low Pass Filters

The High Pass Filter (HPF) and Low Pass Filter (LPF) can be used
independently (each can be set In or Out) on any channel to narrow the
audio frequency ran ge of the channel’s audio to less than 20 Hz – 20 kHz.
The frequency pass band is shown graphically as the controls are
adjusted: a red line represen ts the HPF or low frequency cutoff wh ile a
blue line represents the LPF or high frequency cutoff.

Adjusting the channel encoder on the channel with the HPF screen
(Figure 4-8) adjusts the frequency where the lower sounds begin to be
rolled off or attenuated . The control ranges from 16 Hz up to 500 Hz. Any
audio below the selected frequ ency is rolled off at 24 dB per octave. A udio
above the selected freque ncy is not affected. The HPF is commonly u s ed to
remove low frequency rumble and sounds emitted by air cond itioners, AC
line hum, nearby traffic, footsteps, c abinet noises being picked up by the
mic arms, etc.

Figure 4-8 High and Low Pass Filter Screens

The channel encoder for the channel display with the LPF screen adjusts
the frequency where the higher frequency or brighter sou nds are
attenuated. Th e c ontrol ranges from 20 kHz down to 1 kHz. Th is control
can selectively remove high er frequency sounds like hiss from an air
conditioner, chair squeaks, and other high frequency noises without
affecting the voice sound—unless the control is adjusted below about 5
kHz. Audio above the selected frequ ency is rolled off at 24 dB per octave
while audio below that frequency is not affected.

The four sets of parametric EQ controls are color-coded and their filter
settings are shown in the display with red for the HPF and Low EQ
settings; orange f or the Low-Mid EQ; green for the High-Mid EQ, and blue
for the FPL and High EQ settings. When the EQ is Out, only lines are shown
across the display (left screen in Figure 4-7). When the EQ is In, the audio
pass band is represented in gray (middle screen in Figure 4-7).

When the Compress ion or Expansion controls are active the Dynamics
display is shown (right screen in Figure 4-7). It’s a very different type of
display since it graphically shows the ratio between the incoming audio
and the dynamically processed audio. When Dynamics is Out, the response
line is gray. Wh en D ynamics is In, the line is orange. The upper half of the
display reflects the Compres s or ’s settings while the lower half reflects the
Expander’s settings.

The HPF and LPF can also be used together to create the classic phone
filter effect on y our voice. To do this, adjust the HPF to about 3 00 Hz and
the LPF to about 3 kHz. If this setting is saved as an Event the setting can
be recalled at any time.

EQ Lo Shelf & EQ Hi Shelf

These two filters a r e only active when EQ is set In along with either or
both Shelf’s set In. There are two screens for each filter: FREQ and
LEVEL. The channel encoder on the channel with the EQ Shelf Level control
sets the amount of boost (up to +14 d B) or cut (up to -14 dB) that’s
applied. The channel encoder on the channel with the EQ Shelf FREQ
screen sets where that shelf ends or begins. T he Lo Shelf FREQ control
adjusts where the low sh elf ends, from 16.1 Hz up to 198 Hz. The Hi Shelf
FREQ control adjusts where the high shelf starts, which can be from 4 kHz
up to 20.2 kHz.

41

The two Lo Shelf controls are used to boost or cu t the low f requencies

below the selected frequency by the amount set by the level control.

The two Hi Shelf controls a re used to boost or cut the high frequencies

above the selected freque ncy by the amoun t s et b y the level control.

Four-Band Parametric Equalization

The four parametric EQs (EQ Lo, EQ Lo Mid, EQ Hi Mid, and EQ Hi) are
identical in opera tion, with each one having a FREQ (frequency) control to
adjust the center-point of that parametric EQ; a BW (bandw idth) control to
adjust the width of that EQ; and a LEVEL control to set the amou nt of
boost or cut applied to tha t eq ualizer. These controls are active when EQ
is In and the two Shelf EQs are Out. The channel 8 or 16 enc oder is
used to select between showin g the EQ Lo or the EQ Hi controls. The
controls shown when EQ Lo is selected is shown in Figure 4-9.

Figure 4-9 Parametric EQ Lo and Lo Mid Screens

Each parametric EQ’s center frequency is adjustable from 16 Hz up to 20
kHz. The bandwidth that each EQ affects is adjustable from 0.2 octaves
wide up to 3.00 octaves wide. E a c h equalizer can boost or cut the selected
frequency band +14 or -14 dB from nominal.

Typically, the parametric equalization is adjusted prior to adding any
compression or expansion since the EQ settings and compression and
expansion setting s will interact w ith one another’s operation.

Dynamics – Compression and Expansion

When Dynamics is set In, the Compressor and Expander functions are
activated. The Compre s s or has five contr ols, with an orange background,
that affect the overall dynamic range of the audio signal which mainly
affects the loudest audio levels. The six Expander c ontrols, with a teal
background, work at the opposite end, controlling what happens with low
level audio signa ls .

Compressor

The Compressor is used to control the loudness of the audio signal—
whether by adding just a “bit” of volume compression to a mic or a phone
caller to even out the audio, or by applying hard-limiting to the audio
signal to ensure maximu m loudness without overdriven distortion.

The compressor in the DMX is a soft knee compressor which means its
operation is less n oticeable for m os t settings. Of cour s e , if the controls are
set to their extreme settings, to get a “loud and in your face” sound that is
right on the edge of causing audio distortion, then the compression
artifacts can be apparent.

To begin adjusting the Compressor, start with the Compressor RATIO set
to 1.0:1, for no compressi on, and the Compressor MAKEUP level set to 0.0
dB. The Threshold (THRESH) point can be set from -40 dB up to 10 dB.
This is the level w here the compressor beg ins to act upon th e audio. A
good place to start is 0 d B.

Figure 4-10 Compressor Screens

As the audio level goes p ast the Thresh old point you want to selectively
control the ratio of the input audio to output audio as the input continues
to increase in volu m e . This is done by adj usting the RATIO control from

1.0:1 up to 20:1. For light to medium compression set the RATIO in the

2.0:1 to 6.0:1 range. This mea ns that if the inc om ing signal level
increases 10 dB over the thres hold, the compressor output w ill inc r ea s e 5
dB with a 2.0:1 ratio or only 1.7 dB with a 6.0:1 ratio.

Setting the RATIO to a high ratio, like 20:1, sets the compressor to
function as a hard limiter. Typica lly with high RATIO settings you will use
higher THRESH settings since you only want to affect the very hottest
signals.

The ATTACK control sets how fast the compressor reacts (from 0.10 mS
up to 330mS) to the au dio that crosses the THRESH level. The RELEASE
control sets how s lowly the compressor “uncompresses” the audio signal
after the audio goes below th e T HRESH level. It can be set from 50 mS up
to 3.00 seconds.

Expander

The Expander is a n automatic attenu a tor that dims or virtually mutes (as
set by the RATIO and DEPTH settings) the input audio when its level falls
below the threshold level (the THRESH setting). This function can be used
to automatical ly mute inactive mic s or decrease the background noise on
phone callers by ducking or gating the audio below the THRESH
(Threshold) lev el. How fast this ducking/gating occurs and releases, and
thus how noticeable it is, is set by the OP EN (1.00 mS up to 100 mS),
HANG (0.00 mS up to 1.00 S), and CLOSE (50 ms up to 3.00 S) settings.

Figure 4-11 Expander Screens

42

The DEPTH control s ets how much ducking is applied to the aud io ( from

0.0 dB up to 40 dB) when its level pa s ses the threshold point. Using high
settings, like 40 dB, creates a n audio gate which cuts off the audio when
its level goes below the threshold setting.

DMX APPLICATIONS

The DMX console is most often used in an air studio to control the audio
going to a transmitter and/or streaming to the internet. In almost all
cases, the PGM 1 bus is going to the air chain and hence is the air signal.
PGM 2 can simultaneously be used to create a different console mix for a
syndication feed , to feed a recorder or a mic skimmer, or to go to a line
output for tempor ary connecting to connect to a camera.

When the console is used in an air studio, and there is no talk studio
connected to the con s ole, then the Studio controls can be “repurposed” for
other uses. One typical use is to control the monit or s ource feeding the
guest headphones in the control room. The Studio output would go to the
guest Headphone amp. If the hea dphone panels have level controls, the
Studio encoder can be set f or a fixed output level and the Studio encoder
would only be used to s elect a different m onitor source to feed the guest
headphones. This allows the board operator to fr eely switch between
control room monitor sources without affecting the a udio going to the
guest headphones. This also gives th e boa rd operator th e ability to talk
into the guest headphones using the Studio TB (Talkback) button.

The Studio output could alterna tely be used to conn ec t the console to a
newsroom or to a spor ts bullpen that goes live to air if there is no
associated talk studio. The microphones in that room would be se t a s
“studio mics” so they mute the studio m onitor output w hen on. In this
application, the board operator ca n also talk back to the ta lent in the
newsroom or sports s tudio. If stud io m onitor speakers a r e not required,
then the studio outp ut could be used to feed a headphone amp.

Network Origination

Flagship station s for sports teams of te n need to have a sec ond output
from their main a ir s ig nal to function as a reg ional sports networ k feed.
This output is typically identical to their broadcast signal except it does not
have local commercial spots and liners. It may also requ ir e adding special
signal tones or other logic.

Creating this sec ondary network is easily done by usin g PGM 1 as your
main broadcast output and PGM 2 as your network feed. As long as the
media server channels are setup to consolidate local spots and station
liners on particular channels, then those faders ca n be u nassigned from
PGM 2, whereas the national spots playback fader(s) and the game liners
and the play-by-play r em ote inputs would be assig ned to both PGM buses.

Production Usage

In a production studio, PGM 1 is typically the main record sig nal for an
in-room PC runnin g P ro Tools
If the Wheatston e WNIP audio drivers a re installed on that PC, and that PC
is connected to the E ngine’s Ethernet switch, no analog or digital audio
connection is required s ince the audio would conn ec t via E thernet for both
recording and playback.

®

, Audition®, or other digital editing system.

Voice Tracking

Using the DMX to do voice tracking is easily done in a production room
where the mic channel would be as s ign ed to both PGM 1 and PGM 2. No
other inputs on th e console would be assigned to PGM 1, which connects
to the recorder. The channel (or channels) with track playback are
assigned only to PGM 2 . The talent then mon itor s PGM 2 to hear both the
playback track(s) and their mic.

When voice tracking is done on an on-air console, PGM 2 and PGM 3 are
used to accomplish the same functionality as in a Production room since
PGM 1 is feeding air. It’s recomme nded that the tale nt mic be assigned to
a second fader which is only assigned to PGM 2 and PGM 3. No other
channels should be assigned to PGM 2, which is the voice tracking feed to
the recorder. The playback audio channel(s) would be assigned to PGM 3.
The talent would then monitor PGM 3 to hear track playback and their mic.
If they need to go live to air while voice tracking, they would use the
normal mic channel which would remain assigned to the PGM 1 air feed.

Call Recording

The DMX console incorporates Auto Foldback by default when the option
PGM 4 Off Line is enabled in the Surface Setup
the caller or remote c hannel is off, th ey are hearing the Of f Line or OL bus.
When their channel is turned on their bus-minus base mix is typically the
air signal (PGM 1). This is the desired mode of operation for recor ding
interviews, ph one-in requests, and contest winners for later broadcast.

In most applicati ons, the desired au dio going to the call recorder
(regardless of whether it’s a Shortcut
reel deck) has th e talent’s microphon e on one channel an d the caller on
the other channel, allowing them to be individually edited (u nless that
reel-to-reel deck is still used!). The OL bus is designed to do this since it
feeds the DMXTREC bus with the caller on one channel and the talent
(typically the board operator mic) on the other channel.

To record a caller, s e tup the console so th at only the talent’s microphone
channel is assigned to the PGM 4 bus.

®

, VoxPro®, or an old school reel-to-

app. This means that when

43

RAZOR I/O INTERFACE

There are three flavors of Raz ors available to add audio and logic I/O to

a DMX console:

Razor 16A with all analog I/O and two mic preamps
Razor 16D with all AES I/O
Razor 16AD with half analog and half AES I/O

The Razors use the same StudioHub+ RJ45 wiring as the Engine for
audio. Each unit has eight RJ45 inputs and eight RJ45 outputs . Each unit
also includes one six-port Logic GPIO connector which uses the same pin
out as the Engine’s Logic connector. See Figure 2-4, on page 12, for pin
out diagrams for th e a udio and logic connectors.

Each Razor con nects to a port on the Engine’s Gigabit Ethernet switch
using a single straight-thru CAT5e or CAT6 cable of up to 300 feet (100
meters). If more Razors are added than there are Ports available on the
Engine’s built-in Ethernet switch , an external Gigabit switch will have to be
added. One Port on the Engine’s E thernet switch (Port 2, 3, or 4) would
then be connected to the added Gigabit switch along with the add itional
Razors.

One advantage to the Razor I/O Interfaces is that any input or output
can be set to serve as two mono signals so phone hybrids, codecs and
other mono devices can be connected. Each Razor also has an OLED
display on its front panel which shows its technical details (IP address,
etc.) as well as the levels for the Inputs and the Outputs.

44

5 - SERVICE INFORMATION

A

ll DMX consoles are designed to yield many years of

trouble-free 24 / 7 operation, which is why there’s no

power switch on the Surface, Engine, or Razor I/O

Interface. If any DMX system component does require servic e, this section

covers how to obtain service h elp, te c hnical documenta tion, and

replacement parts.

PARTS AND REPAIR SERVICES

There are only a ha ndful of field-replacea ble pa rts on the DMX console,
each of which is listed in this section. Most circuit boards and sub­assemblies are not readily field-serviceable due to the extensive use of
surface-mount componen ts and switching power supplies. It is
recommended that the Engine a nd Razor be returned to Wheatstone for
repair. The Surface does have some field replaceable parts.

DMX technical infor m ation (User Manual, Quick Guide, software revision
information, w ir ing diagrams, app lic ation notes, an d s e r vice bulletins) are
always availa ble for downloading fr om the Wheatstone web site:

www.Wheatstone.com. Technica l d oc umentation is ava ila ble in PDF files

so Acrobat Reader 6.0 or later is required.

Parts Ordering and Repair Services

Replacement parts can be purchased through SCMS Inc (800.438.6040),
the exclusive PR&E distributor in the USA; through a local Wheatstone
distributor in th e r est of the world; or by c alling Wheatstone support at

252.638.7000 (New Bern, NC USA, east coast USA time zone ) or by
sending an email to: [e-mail].

To expedite part ordering, and to ens ure the correct parts are ordered,
use the Wheatstone part number when orderin g. Some parts and
assemblies may have long lead times, so order spares accordingly.

Any component or pa r t returned to Wheatstone for service, exch a nge, or
credit must have an RA (Return Authorization) tracking number issue d
prior to their return. Items received without an RA number written on the

shipping label side of the pac kaging may be delayed or subject to
additional handling fees.

To contact the Wheats tone/PR&E Technical Support department, to
request an RA number or for installation and other technical support for
the DMX console, call 252. 638. 7000 or send an email to:
[e-mail].

DMX Replacement Parts List

Wheatstone # Description or Use

007505 DC Cable (16-foot, for DMX-8 Surface)

041390 DMX-8 Control Panel Subassembly

041391 DMX-16 Control Panel Subassembly

041394 DMX-8 console (both Engine & Surface)

041395 DMX-16 console (both Engine & Surface)

041396 DMX-8 expander (separate 8-channel Surface)

044300 Razor 16A with Analog I/O

044301 Razor 16D with AES I/O

044302 Razor 16AD with half Analog/half AES I/O

044303 DMX-16 Mix Engine

250157 Control Panel Ribbon Cable

260005 TRS Headphone Jack (a soldered part)

520149 Rotary Encoder K nob

520154P Fader Knob

530004 Large White Button Cap (On, Off, Timer, Studio TB)

530378 Small White Button Cap (assignment buttons)

540043 Channel Fader (a soldered part)

560002 Rotary Encoder (a soldered part)

610029 Plug-in OLED Display

980064 In-Line DC Supply (used with the DMX-16 Surface

and the DMX-8 Expander)

DMX CONSOLE SERVICE

The DMX console contains two primary assemblies: the Mix Engine,
which is not field-serviceable; and the Surface, which has one assembly,
the Control Panel, which can be replaced and possibly serviced in the field.

The optional Raz or I/O Interface is, like the Mix Engine, not field­serviceable and should be retur ned to Wheatstone if service is r equired.

The Surface can be powered down without affecting the Mix Engine’s
performance but in most cases this is more trouble than it is worth, so it is
best to bypass the DMX console if th e c ontrol panel must be serviced. The
button settings are maintained if the Surface is powered down a nd the Mix
Engine continues to deliver audio. When the Surface is powered up after a

45

replacement control pa nel is plugged in, all fade r positions will upda te. So,
if the console is active, you must make sure the new control panel faders
are set to similar positions as on th e replaced panel, otherwise there c ou ld
be large changes in volume when the new panel is powered up.

The board operator headphone jack can also be replaced in the field. It
screws into a threaded hole in the lower chassis. The control panel mu st
be removed to access the headphone jack. Use an adjustable wrench to
turn the square plastic jac k housing to loosen it then hand unscrew the
jack. Be sure to use shrink tubing over the solder joints on th e new jack.

The headphone cable plugs into a keyed 3-terminal Phoenix connector
(HDPN) on the network interface board so it could be unplugged in order
to install a new jack onto the cable.

Tools Required

A standard #1 Phillips screwdriver is used to remove and replace the
three screws holding the rear c ov er pa nel on the meter bridge. The hex
head screws, which fasten the control surface, require a 1/16” hex driver.
A very small flat blade screwdriver (like a “Greenie”) is needed to adjust
the mic gain trimpo ts or to flip the phantom p ower switches on the mic
preamps.

If you are making up your own audio cables, an RJ45 crimper is required
(and lots of RJ45 plugs). Having a Category cable checker with remo te test
plug, so that already run cables can be easily checked in situ, is also a
must.

Engine Status lights

If the red ERROR LED lights up on the front of the Mix Engine, it
indicates a fault in the Engine operat ion. Although audio m a y still be
passing through the Engin e a nd there may be no outward sign of trou ble,
the error indicat or is saying otherwis e.

To clear the fau lt, try rebooting the En g ine using PR&E IP Navigator
(right-click on the Engine icon in the System Dock and selec t Reboot
Blade). If the Engine reboots and the Error LED turns off then the issue
was resolved. If the Engine reboots a nd there is no change, then the
Engine will have to be power cycled. T his will cut off all audio th r ough the
device so it will have to be bypas s ed before power cycling the Engin e.
Unplug the AC c or d an d wa it a m inimum of ten secon ds before plugging
the AC cord back in to ensure power is fully removed from all internal
circuits.

The Ethernet connectors for network conn ection have two integral green
LEDs. Both blink to indicate Gigabit oper ation. If only one is blinking then
that connection is working at Megabit speeds. This is OK for the Surface
and for a setup PC which only have monitor audio going over their
Ethernet connections.

Swapping the Control Panel

The Surface control panel ca n be swapped while the console is on-air
since audio flows through the Mix Engine not the Surface. Of course, you
have no control over the audio while the S urface is off line , but it should
take less than five minutes to swap a control pane l.

To swap a DMX Surface control panel:

1. Unplug the DC power to the Sur face. This can be done by unplugging
the DC connector on the network interf a ce board (see Figur e 2 -2 on
page 11) or, on a DMX-8 Surface, by unplugging the DC cable at the
Engine. On a DMX-16 Surface, unplug the AC cord on its power
supply.

2. Use a 1/16” hex driver to remove the hex screws from around the
Control Panel (12 on a DMX-8, 18 on a DMX-16).

3. Lift up the front edge of the control panel to unplug the keyed r ibbon
cable(s) that connect the control panel to the network interface
board. There is one cable on a DM X-8, two cables on a DMX-16.

4. If the control panel is being replaced “hot” make sure the faders on
the replacement con trol panel are set to the same positions as on
the original control panel. This is not important if the c onsole is
taken off-air, the faders can be set to fu ll off.

5. Set the replacement control panel onto the rea r s upport rail and plug
in the keyed ribbon cable (or cables).

6. Set the control panel int o place on the chassis and fasten it to the
chassis using the hex screws removed in step 2.

7. Plug in the DC cable to power up the Surface.

The new control panel will take about a m inute to boot up. The same
audio sources, a ssignment button s ettings, and mon itor se ttings as the
original panel will appear on th e replacement panel. If the faders were set
as on the original pa nel, and the DMX console has continued playing on
air, there will be momentary audio level changes as the new Surface takes
control (especially if EQ or Dynamics are active s ince there will be a couple
seconds where the audio switches to flat then switches back to the EQ and
Dynamics settin gs for any channel th at is live).

46