AudioControl Maestro M8 User Experience Manual Download Page 1

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AudioControl

Making Good Sound Great

®®

22410 70th Avenue West • Seattle, WA 98043 USA

Phone 425-775-8461 • Fax 425-778-3166

www.audiocontrol.com

s y s t e m

Home Theater

™

aestro

M8™

Home Theater Preamplifier

Surround Sound Processor

User Experience Manual

Summary of Contents for Maestro M8

Page 1: ...t 22410 70th Avenue West Seattle WA 98043 USA Phone 425 775 8461 Fax 425 778 3166 www audiocontrol com s y s t e m Home Theater 2014 All Rights Reserved Maestro M8 Home Theater Preamplifier Surround Sound Processor User Experience Manual ...

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Page 3: ...8043 USA Phone 425 775 8461 Fax 425 778 3166 www audiocontrol com 2014 All Rights Reserved s y s t e m Home Theater AudioControl Making Good Sound Great Maestro M8 Home Theater Preamplifier Surround Sound Processor User Experience Manual ...

Page 4: ...4 Maestro M8 This page was intentionally left blank Please enjoy it ...

Page 5: ...d Placement 18 Power Wiring 19 Audio Connections 19 Video Connections 20 Navigating The Set Up Menus Initial Display Configurations 23 Input Configuration 24 General Setup 27 Auto Setup 29 Speaker Types 30 Speaker Distance 31 Speaker Levels 31 Video Inputs 31 Video Outputs 32 Surround Modes 33 Zone Settings 34 Network 35 Playing Audio Files Via Network Audio USB Sources 36 Automation Integration 3...

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Page 7: ...ibility which all contribute to a truly awesome home theater experience AudioControl s passion for high quality meticulous attention to detail and professional sound heritage shows itself in the dozens of awards we have won for our designs products and service This manual is designed to help you get the most from your Maestro M8 home theater processor Even though you re dying to plug it in and sta...

Page 8: ...te will still be passed through the scaler for upconversion and output via HDMI Please keep in mind that when the Maestro M8 is in Video Bypass mode on screen volume overlays audio mode changes base treble adjustments etc will not be displayed Pressing Menu however will engage the video scaler and yield a menu screen to your display so that you can make adjustments if necessary HDMI Inputs and Out...

Page 9: ...com us en consumer technology hometheater dolby volume html Multiple Surround Sound Formats The Maestro M8 supports the latest surround codecs of Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master along with traditional formats of Dolby Digital 5 0 and DTS High Resolution A powerful 32 bit DSP processor enables the Maestro M8 to decode all current discrete surround digital formats avail able for 5 1 6 1 and 7 1 In a...

Page 10: ...fo www audiocontrol com Award Winning Quality The Maestro M8 like all AudioControl Perfection Theater components is backed with a comprehensive five year parts and labor warranty This comes from a company that has been designing and manufacturing perfor mance audio components in the USA since 1977 We Want to Hear From You Before you get too entrenched in the features of your Maestro M8 we encourag...

Page 11: ... When using two channel analog inputs this button defeats all digital signal pro cessing and directs the two channel analog input from the selected source to the front outputs Use this button when you want to do some serious quality two channel listening DISPLAY This cool blue display allows you to see the basic functions of your Maestro M8 It is important that you have an external display device ...

Page 12: ...al source units these connections as assignable via the internal menus Rear Panel Features Guided Tour of the Maestro M8 z ANALOG AUDIO INPUTS Connect the appropriate analog two channel stereo outputs and inputs from your source units here ANTENNA CONNECTIONS These inputs should be connected to the AM and FM antennas that are supplied with your Maestro M8 For op timum reception you may want to con...

Page 13: ... on the cable that may prevent your connectors from making a complete connection COMPOSITE AND COMPONENT INPUTS These are for the video inputs and outputs from your source units If you are planning on using the second zone video outputs you should ALWAYS connect a Composite video input from each source HEADPHONE CONNECTOR This jack ac cepts an 1 8 input for using headphones with imped ance ratings...

Page 14: ...ant note the app is designed for the iPad only HTR 1 Remote Control The AudioControl HTR 1 Home Theater Remote is an eight device universal IR remote controller with back lit buttons You can set up the remote for full control of your AudioControl receiver plus various AV sources and displays via the extensive library of device codes found on our web site The HTR 1 is also a learning remote which m...

Page 15: ...f the remote has slipped into the cushions of your couch and a button is pushed in for more than 30 seconds the remote will stop sending IR information to conserve the battery It will resume normal operation after the button has been released General Functions The Device or Source keys allow you to switch between your various inputs on the Maestro M8 After pressing the device key the remote actual...

Page 16: ...emporarily adjust the trim level of the speakers in your particular configuration These temporary adjustments are independent of the speaker levels set in the Speaker Level Menu settings Being a temporary adjustment when putting the Maestro M8 to standby these trim adjustments are not retained How ever if you switch away from the input these adjustments are retained ID Button Description 8 FAV Rew...

Page 17: ...work control 25 USB Select USB input source and changes remote to USB control 26 BD Select BluRay input and changes remote to BluRay DVD control 27 AV Select the AV Input and changes remote to AV control 28 VCR Select VCR input and changes remote to VCR control 29 GAME Select Game input 30 STB Select STB Set Top Box cable box usually as input and change remote to STB control 31 SAT Select Satellit...

Page 18: ...ging Side Surround Speakers The surround speakers provide the reverberant or ambient sound effects in a multi channel theater audio system These speakers should be placed on the sidewalls approximately 36 above the seated ear height of the lis teners If you are using surround speakers which have a dipole sound pat tern they should be mounted in line with the main seating position If the surrounds ...

Page 19: ... of water when working with electricity Power Wiring Like many of today s intelligent home electronics the Maestro M8 should be plugged into an unswitched AC outlet so that it always has power This allows the RS 232 and remote control features to work even when the Maestro M8 is in standby We always recommend the use ofa high quality surge protection device to keep all of your electronics safe fro...

Page 20: ...ndwidth for the system when transporting high bandwidth content such as 1080p or 4k video Video con nections should always be made with cables specifically designed for video Don t be tempted to grab some extra audio RCA cables lying around Without the proper 75 ohm cabling your picture quality will suffer from smear ghosting or noise It is always a good idea to make certain that the video and aud...

Page 21: ...puts to allow for maximum control flexibility with standard IR remote controls This allows you to place the infrared receiver where it can see the signal from the remote control when the equipment may be hidden The IR connec tions are designed for modulated signals and wired for stereo or mono 3 5mm jacks with Tip being the modulated signal and Sleeve being ground Zone 1 IR This is ideal for when ...

Page 22: ...ro M8 Setup Menus This section of the manual discusses how to navigate the set up menus of your Maestro M8 home theater processor As you have probably deter mined by now if you have the read the rest of this manual the Maestro M8 is an incredibly flexible and sophisticated processor that you can literally personalize for use with your performance theater system While the set up menus incorporate a...

Page 23: ...rly utilize the 1080p 24 format you will want to make sure that the source device i e Blu ray player and the display device i e projector or TV are both capable of supporting this format In the Video Output section of the Setup menus set the Output Resolution of your Maestro M8 to 1080p not Pre ferred and make sure that the Frame Rate is set to follow input Failure to do any of the above could res...

Page 24: ...when using this input Very useful when you have a source unit that has reduced frequency response due to the format i e older VCR s ROOM EQ The Auto Speaker Set Up in the Maestro M8 utilizes a special algorithm that calculates many of the major frequency resonance s that occur due to room acoustics and speaker locations and creates specific equalization filters to offset this This menu allows you ...

Page 25: ...c lIix Movie mode decoding when a Dolby Digital EX bit stream is detected Manual If a Dolby Digital Ex bit stream is detected the Maestro M8 will treat it as a normal Dolby Digital signal The EX or Pro Log ic lIix decode modes may be implemented by pressing the MODE button STEREO MODE If you are using an external subwoofer and are listen ing to stereo two channel sources either digital or analog y...

Page 26: ...lly detect the the original source type and properly sets the different modes when set to Auto Setting this option to Off will stop the video processsor from automatically configuring according to the source type EDGE ENHANCEMENT This video feature sharpens the picture MPEG N R This video feature removes MPEG artifacts in overly com pressed digital video signals NOISE REDUCTION This video feature ...

Page 27: ...t The audio and video inputs on the Maestro M8 generally follow the source selected This setting allows you to temporarily override and change the video settings so you can utilize a different video source Setting resets itself when source is change Audio Compression Compressing the dynamic band width of the audio can be a good thing especially for those late night action movie festivals Compressi...

Page 28: ...o Digital converter Settings options are 44 1 48 96 kHz Default is 96 kHz Maximum Volume Limits the highest volume that the Maestro M8 will play This is useful if you have speakers or amplifiers with limited power handling abilities Max On Volume This is the highest volume that the Maestro M8 will play when it is first switched on This prevents the Maestro M8 from being turned on at shock volume l...

Page 29: ...re is no substitution for proper acoustical treatments speaker placement and theater calibration the Auto Setup Mode is useful for maximizing the acoustical performance of many theaters Microphone Positioning The calibration microphone that comes with Maestro M8 is designed to be placed in the center of your theater in the main listening position prefer ably at the same height as your head Connect...

Page 30: ...in Crossover Frequency Based on the speaker measurements your Maestro M8 processes it will recommend a crossover frequency between your sub woofers and your main speakers Speaker Types This series of menus allows you to select the types of speakers that you will be connecting to your Maestro M8 Please note that if you set all speak ers to small then you must indicate in the menus below that a subw...

Page 31: ...Maestro M8 or use auto setup Speaker Levels It is critical to properly match the levels from each speaker to achieve a correct sound stage The realism is totally lost if the footprints of a person walking across the screen change in volume as they move from left to cen ter to right We strongly recommend using a test analyzer such as our Iasys HT for this calibration The levels are nearly impossibl...

Page 32: ... an composite video display with your Zone 2 configuration you have the option of select ing whether your Zone 2 receieves general setting information vol ume source selection etc via that display The options are On and Off HDMI Output Selects the output resolution for HDMI Outputs with the options being a list of the available display devices or Pre ferred In the Preferred mode this output matche...

Page 33: ...it is recom mended that you use Dolby Pro Logic II Dolby Pro Logic IIx Advanced Dolby decoding process that pro duces five channels of output when using two channel stereo mate rial This format offers three different modes Movie Music and Game which provide various enhancements depending upon the source materials DTS Neo 6 This DTS based format outputs six channels of audio when using two channel ...

Page 34: ...ns being Standby or On Zone 2 Volume Displays current volume level in Zone 2 Zone 2 Maximum Volume Selects the maximum volume setting for Zone 2 Zone 2 Fixed Volume Allows the Zone 2 volume to be fixed at the current volume level Zone 2 Max On Volume Selects the maximum volume level for Zone 2 when the Maestro M8 is powered on or comes out of stand by mode Zone 2 Format This settings is for the co...

Page 35: ...for assign ing an IP address IP Address When not using DHCP use this setting to assign a unique IP address to your Maestro M8 Subnet Mask When not using DHCP use this setting to assign the subnet mask to your Maestro M8 Gateway When not using DHCP use this setting to enter the IP ad dress of the router connected to your Maestro M8 Primary DNS When not using DHCP use this setting to enter the Prima...

Page 36: ...fferently here are some basic commands to follow 1 With the Maestro M8 in Standby make all of the Ethernet network and or USB connections and then take the unit out of Standby 2 Using the front panel source selection controls select Network Audio NET as a source A Home Page page will appear on your display device and show all available storage devices 3 Navigate through these using the arrow keys ...

Page 37: ...ations You will want to go to www audiocontrolradio com to set up this service for use in your system Review the Network set up menu of your Maestro M8 and locate the unique MAC Media Access Controller address of your unit as it will be required to setup up your service Once activated you can visit various sta tions and podcasts and then set up groups of favorite stations These will show up as fav...

Page 38: ... menu Both methods use the same com mand structure format as defined in the automation documentation found on our website The Maestro M8 command set also takes advantage of the extensive discrete IR command library with the IR simulation command This adds a great deal of flexibility to system design general functionality and personal customization It is possible to use both hand held remotes and c...

Page 39: ...t wire the cable in a null modem arrangement using the appropriate serial cable Command Structure Issuing The RS 232 serial control structure of the Maestro M8 is a string of hexa decimal values with a minimum of six bytes When issuing a command the structure of the string is as follows Start Transmission Zone Number Command Code Data Length Data and End Transmission We will use an abbreviated for...

Page 40: ...and back in the following format ST ZN CC AC DL Data ETR Parameter Command Description Start 0x21 Begins transmission to Maestro M8 Zone Number 0x01 Zone 1 0x02 Zone 2 Command Code See code list The code of the command Answer Code 0x00 No problems status updated 0x82 Incorrect Zone 0x83 Incorrect Command 0x84 Incorrect Parameter 0x85 Invalid Command in current state 0x86 Data length is incorrect D...

Page 41: ...riate format may be needed Changes in state from different inputs While the Maestro M8 is controlled by a serial command its state may be changed by other inputs such as the front panel or through IR Such changes in state will yield a response with an answer code from the Maestro M8 In order to determine the command code you may use the response to get the code for the desired function if you can ...

Page 42: ... the output of the source i e Component Video if the output of the DVD player is Component ü Verify the Video Input assignment configurations Make certain that the correct video input is assigned to the source you are playing ü If at any point you need to reset the video output resolution and frame rate to the default setting push and hold the Select button for 3 seconds ü If you are using a Blu r...

Page 43: ...er is set to Large and it cannot reproduce full range bass you will hear distortion ü If the trouble is only on some channels Verify the audio RCA cables to the power amplifiers are working and seated properly ü If the trouble is in all channels Verify the Input Trim setting in the Advanced Configurations is not set too low Cannot select Dolby Digital or DTS decoding mode ü The Maestro M8 can only...

Page 44: ...ut a ground isolator on that connection No audio on Zone 2 ü Zone 2 and Zone 3 are muted when units is first turned on ü make sure you are using a source with analog outputs No Zone 2 audio when playing a DTS encoded video ü Most DVD players cannot output a stereo analog version of the soundtrack while playing a DTS encoded disk If you want to watch the movie in the second zone select the Dolby Di...

Page 45: ...e Home Theater tab and then go to the warranty registration department and follow the directions 2 You must keep your sales receipt for proof of purchase showing when and from whom the unit was bought We re not the only ones who require this so it s a good habit to get into with any major purchase 3 The Maestro M8 must have originally been purchased from an authorized AudioControl dealer You do no...

Page 46: ...l the Maestro M8 will perform are not implied by this warranty Other than what we have covered in this warranty we have no obligation express or implied Also we will not be obligated for direct or indirect conse quential damage to your system caused by hooking up or operating the AudioControl Maestro M8 Failure to complete the warranty registration process negates any service claims ...

Page 47: ...repair Please include the following items with the returning unit 1 A copy of your proof of purchase that sales receipt we ve been harping about No originals please We cannot guarantee returning them to you 2 A brief explanation of the trouble you are having with the Maestro M8 3 A return street address No P O Boxes please 4 A daytime phone number in case our technician has a question about the pr...

Page 48: ...otal Harmonic Distortion 100dB Frequency Response 20Hz 20kHz Preamp Audio Outputs 7 main channels 1 subwoofer Main Video Outputs Dual 2 HDMI Second Zone Output 1 Composite video Stereo analog audio Control 12 Volt Trigger Outputs 2 1 Main Zone 1 Zone 2 RS 232 Serial control 1 DB 9 IR Receiver Inputs 2 1 Main Zone 1 Zone 2 General Power Consumption Stand By Less than 5 watts Power Consumption typic...

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Page 50: ... For Those Who Consider Perfection Possible 22410 70th Avenue West Seattle WA 98043 USA 425 775 8461 Fax 425 778 3166 www AudioControl com P N 913 123 0 ...

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