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Dugan Model E-2 User Guide

12

Gain Limiting

Gain Limiting reduces master gain as new mics enter the system, thus avoiding feed-
back and noise. This is commonly called NOM (Number of Open Mics) gain adjust-
ment. Unlike NOM functions on other systems, Dugan Gain Limiting doesn’t just
count how many mics are on. It sums the gains of all active channels (including par-
tially attenuated channels), compares them to a gain threshold, and reduces the gain
appropriately.

Conventional automatic mixing implementations always assume an NOM of 1.

Figure 1-3 

NOM and gain reduction: NOM =1 (left); NOM = 4 (right)

The Dugan’s unique implementation allows you to set the number of mics at full
gain before gain limiting occurs.

For example, if there is enough gain before feedback to tolerate four open mics, the
gain limit can be set to 4. Gain reduction begins when the fifth mic turns on.

Gain
Reduction
(dB)

8

6

4

2

0

Number of Open Mikes

(NOM)

4

2

0

6

8

10

Gain

Reduction

(dB)

8

6

4

2

0

Number of Open Mikes

(NOM)

4

2

0

Summary of Contents for E-2

Page 1: ...Dan Dugan Sound Design Model E 2 Automatic Mixing Controller User Guide Release Date August 2013 Version 1 0 Author Rob Wenig ...

Page 2: ...A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet 11 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs conve nience rece...

Page 3: ...documentation or other than in accordance with industry standards Defects caused by unauthorized modifications misuse negligence act of God or accident are not covered by this warranty Software is provided as a convenience but due to the wide variety of computer systems cannot be guaranteed to work This Limited Warranty is exclusive and no other warranty is expressed or implied Dan Dugan Sound Des...

Page 4: ......

Page 5: ...3 Sixteen channel 13 Chapter 2 Quickstart 15 Chapter 3 Installation and Configuration 17 Rack Mounting 17 Power Supply 18 System Reset 18 Rear Panel I O Connections 19 Analog 20 Digital 21 Music System Threshold Inputs 21 Linking 22 Patching the Model E 2 as an Insert to your Console 22 Unprocessed Outputs 22 Mix Matrix Outputs 23 Connecting the Model CP 2 Control Panel 23 Connecting to a Computer...

Page 6: ... Panel Software 35 The Top Pane 37 Adding Units Manually 37 Selecting Units to Display 38 Setting Controls 38 Naming Units and Channels 39 Channel Pane 39 Level Indicator 40 Bypass 40 Channel Modes 41 Preset 42 Channel Groups 42 Override 43 Meters 43 Weight Controls 44 Master Pane 46 Selecting the Number of Channels 47 Reset 48 Meters 48 System 48 Mix Bus Matrix 49 Group Master Controls 50 ...

Page 7: ...em and Gain Limiting 51 Dugan Music System 51 Gain Limiting 54 Chapter 6 Updates 57 Appendix A Power up Commands 59 System Reset 59 Network Reset 59 DHCP On 59 Number of Channels Mode 60 Appendix B Connector Pinouts 61 Appendix C Specifications 65 ...

Page 8: ...Dugan Model E 2 User Guide 8 ...

Page 9: ...onference reinforcement video trucks Houses of worship TV news and sports panels reality and game shows Wireless mics for theater Boardrooms and civic meeting rooms Teleconferencing and distance learning The Model E 2 dramatically improves live mixing with multiple mics by eliminating late upcuts reducing PA feedback and studio noise reducing comb filtering from adjacent mics The Model E 2 can be ...

Page 10: ...ins that sum to equal one mic at full gain The result sounds like passing one mic around among the speakers When several people talk at once the gain is shared Figure 1 1 Four snapshots of a three mic system Figure 1 1 shows the Speech System in action with a three mic system The first frame shows no one speaking the sound levels at all mics are low The system fades all channels to medium gains th...

Page 11: ...he Music System can also be used to duck an audience mix when the people on stage talk attenuating the sound of the PA in the room Use an aux send of the stage vocal mix to supply the threshold signal instead of a mic The following example Figure 1 2 shows how the Music System works with three background vocalists Frame 1 shows no one singing The system keeps all channels at a low gain Frame 2 sho...

Page 12: ...pares them to a gain threshold and reduces the gain appropriately Conventional automatic mixing implementations always assume an NOM of 1 Figure 1 3 NOM and gain reduction NOM 1 left NOM 4 right The Dugan s unique implementation allows you to set the number of mics at full gain before gain limiting occurs For example if there is enough gain before feedback to tolerate four open mics the gain limit...

Page 13: ...sts the master gain to prevent feedback or ambient noise build up Dugan Gain Limiting should be used with the Dugan Music System to reduce feedback and noise It can perform the same functions when mics are switched on and off manually Linking creates one large automatic mixing system with multiple Dugan units An internal mix bus matrix routes processed or unprocessed inputs to four mix bus outputs...

Page 14: ...Dugan Model E 2 User Guide 14 ...

Page 15: ...ault settings and clears label text We recommend executing a System Reset before starting a new installation This is just like zeroing a console before a show 3 Set the NORM SLAVE switch on the rear panel to NORM up for unlinked operation The Model E 2 can be interfaced using balanced analog or digital optical connec tors 4 Analog Move the ANA DIGI switch on the rear panel to the ANA up position T...

Page 16: ...gain ahead of the Model E 2 to maintain the green LED at all times NOTE When the green level light extinguishes the channel is in a downward expansion mode to avoid feedback This condition should be avoided because the smooth ambience that characterizes Dugan automatic mic mixing is lost Figure 2 3 During ambience with 4 mics auto mix gain displays should hover around 6 dB 7 Adjust your console s ...

Page 17: ...fer slightly from the current design but the joining plates are the same All E Series Dugans can be mounted side by side using the appropriate rack ear for each unit To mount one unit Attach one long and one short rack ear then mount in the rack To mount two units side by side 1 For the left unit remove the four screws from the right side of the top and bottom lids 2 Attach the top and bottom join...

Page 18: ...ss button and power up the unit Keep holding the by pass button down for about three seconds until the unit finishes booting This System Reset command restores all parameters to factory default settings and clears label text This is just like zeroing a console before a show We recommend ex ecuting a System Reset before starting a new installation The Model E 2 can execute four other power up comma...

Page 19: ...connect with XLR connectors use readily available adapter squids Although the Model E 2 uses these connectors for analog I O they are wired according to the TASCAM digital standard AUD IN AUD OUT These ADAT connectors carry eight audio I O channels LINK IN LINK OUT These ADAT connectors carry proprietary linking data They can also be re assigned as eight additional audio channels CP 2 CONTROL PANE...

Page 20: ...n profes sional 4 and consumer 10 audio line levels 8 Ch Eight automix channels on the AUDIO I O 1 4 and AUDIO I O 5 8 DB25 connectors Three Music System threshold inputs on the AUDIO I O 9 12 channels 9 11 Channel 12 is an auxiliary input sent to the mix bus matrix Four mix bus outputs on AUDIO I O 9 12 channels 9 12 Linking available on LINK IN LINK OUT Unprocessed outputs are available on AUD O...

Page 21: ...utputs available on AUDIO I O 9 12 channels 9 12 Unprocessed outputs are available on AUDIO I O 1 4 and AUDIO I O 5 8 16 Ch Channels 1 8 on AUD IN AUD OUT Channels 9 16 on LINK IN LINK OUT Dugan Music System input splits mix bus outputs and linking not supported Music System Threshold Inputs A Music System threshold signal can be provided as a reference for each group When the levels of channels i...

Page 22: ... rear panel to SLAVE down 3 Use ADAT Toslink cables to link units in a ring network see above Note that all LINK IN and OUT connectors are used to create the ring Figure 3 3 Linking Dugan units Patching the Model E 2 as an Insert to your Console The best place to insert the Dugan Speech System channels is post EQ post fader pre compressor Dugan Music System channels is post EQ pre fader pre compre...

Page 23: ...rmation on using mix buses see Mix Bus Matrix on page 49 Connecting the Model CP 2 Control Panel The Dugan Model CP 2 Control Panel hardware can be connected to the four pin mini XLR connector When a CP 2 is connected the channel weight and master NOM gain limit music system threshold and automix depth values can be set only on the CP 2 and are read only on the Dugan Control Panels for Java and iP...

Page 24: ...use the rear panel Ethernet jack An older PC may require a crossover cable Use a straight Ethernet cable to connect to a network We strongly recommend that Windows users turn the Windows firewall off The Windows Firewall blocks port 9776 used by the Dugan software to communicate If you must leave the Windows firewall on either open this port or use the workaround described in Connecting when Windo...

Page 25: ...eed to Manually Add Unit below If the list pane displays Dugan units continue 3 Click on the first unit in the list so it is highlighted The Network Parameters section displays information about that unit If Unit Reachable is YES you are ready to use the Dugan Control Panel with that unit If you have additional Dugan units to connect select the next unit in the list and repeat this step If you are...

Page 26: ...ES this unit is ready to use with the Dugan Control Panel If you have additional Dugan units to connect select the next unit in the list and repeat Step 3 If you are finished with installation proceed to Chapter 4 Dugan Control Panel If Unit Reachable is NO proceed to the next step 12 De select the Use DHCP parameter 13 Copy This Computer s IP Address to the IP Address field and increase the value...

Page 27: ...rol Panel vxxx jar file However if for any reason you do not have that file or an Internet connection you can run the Dugan Control Panel from a copy stored in the unit It is not currently possible to run the internally stored Dugan Control Panel from an iPad To run the internally stored Dugan Control Panel 1 Launch your browser 2 Enter the IP Address of the unit If you do not know the IP Address ...

Page 28: ...it a minute and if the list pane is blank click Refresh List If the list pane remains blank skip back to Manually Add Unit above If the list pane displays Dugan units continue 3 Click on the first unit in the list so it is highlighted The Network Parameters section displays information about that unit 4 If Use DHCP is selected de select it 5 Enter the desired IP address into the IP Address field 6...

Page 29: ...h is used by the Dugan soft ware If you must leave the Windows Firewall on you can operate the Dugan Control Panel in a browser window Enter the Model E 2 s IP address directly in the browser s address field The browser uses the Dugan Control Panel that is stored in the Model E 2 s hardware not the version that you may have downloaded to your computer ...

Page 30: ...Dugan Model E 2 User Guide 30 ...

Page 31: ...s Figure 4 1 Channel controls 3 Using a normal speaking voice adjust the console input trim controls to the highest possible gain without clipping The input gain to the Model E 2 should be high enough keep the level LED lit green during silences If the input trim controls do not provide enough level set the 4 10 switch to the 10 position If the preamp gain controls are set too low the inputs drop ...

Page 32: ... down all of the console s input trim controls the same amount and raise the console master to compensate This procedure maintains the ambient noise balance required for optimal auto matic mixing A better method uses the weight controls provided by the Model CP 2 or Dugan Control Panels for Java or iPad See Chapter 5 Dugan Control Panel Software Figure 4 3 During ambience with 4 mics auto mix gain...

Page 33: ... levels while people are talking and mute a mic by pressing the Dugan s mute mode button Enable the mic when needed by de activating the mute button Muting mics does not alter the overall ambient sound mix the Speech System com pensates by slightly raising the ambient gains of the other mics to compensate for the gain subtracted by muting a mic Note that this behavior is during ambience without in...

Page 34: ...g to a mic before the insert point you can mute on the Dugan If signal through the Dugan is required to pre listen to a mic pull the fader down and put the channel in bypass mode When your mic check is done switch the channel back to auto mode and raise the fader so the Dugan can cue in the mic ...

Page 35: ...and the unit continues to function on its own The Dugan Control Panel provides additional controls and features not available from the hardware front panel Channel weight control Channel man mode to bypass automixing with a soft switch Eight twelve and sixteen channel I O modes Dugan Music System and Gain Limiting Groups a b and c Unit and channel naming Preset function to recall favorite settings...

Page 36: ... Internet connection you can use the version of the Dugan Control Panel stored inside the unit s firmware See Using the Internally Stored Dugan Control Panel on page 25 The Dugan Control Panel has three panes The controls displayed in these panes de pend on which Dugan device is selected in the Top Pane Top Pane icons for all connected Dugan units Channel Pane man auto mute preset override group w...

Page 37: ...address touch and hold the unit s name Adding Units Manually To add a unit manually with a known IP address click the sign at the right of the Top Pane and enter the IP address in the dialog that appears To add a unit manually without a known IP address 1 Power down the Model E 2 2 Hold down Channel 1 s mute button and power up the unit This sets a default IP address 192 168 1 xx xx last two digit...

Page 38: ...pens with Auto Detect Disabled in the Top Pane 4 Click on the red sign and enter the IP address of the first unit you want to add 5 Repeat step 4 until your units all appear in the Top Pane Manually added units must also be removed manually To remove manually added units from the Top Pane shift click on the sign A dialog appears to confirm that they have been removed To restore automatic detection...

Page 39: ...the name 4 To name a channel select the yellow text and type a name 5 Press the Enter key on the keyboard to set the name Channel naming is cleared by pressing reset see page 48 Channel Pane The Channel Pane contains the controls and indicators for each channel Channels are always in one of three modes man auto or mute The active channel mode illu minates All transitions are made with a smooth rap...

Page 40: ...ypass When bypass is active the signal passes through without A D and D A conversion or automixing A bypassed channel appears inactive with all lights extinguished Figure 5 4 bypass button lit Man and bypass modes are similar bypass makes an instantaneous transition which can cause an audible click It is a hardware bypass and therefore has no signal latency man performs a quick fade without sonic ...

Page 41: ...ode Like radio buttons you can only choose one mode at a time Figure 5 5 Channel modes Man In man mode there is no automixing and the signal passes through at unity gain Even though man and bypass modes perform similar functions we recommend using man during live mixing to prevent clicks Auto This is the normal Dugan automixing mode Mute The channel is muted when mute is active ...

Page 42: ...n Channel Groups Each channel can be assigned to one group a b or c Each group functions as a sep arate independent automatic mixer that can span multiple linked Dugans Channels assigned to groups need not be contiguous Applications where groups are helpful include Separate Rooms Assign the mics in each room to different groups so they func tion as separate automatic mixers Stereo Panning Assign t...

Page 43: ...the Master section OVERRIDE button puts channels with their override buttons lit into man mode All other channels are muted Press the OVERRIDE button again to restore normal automixing operation Meters The meters have three display modes Table 5 1 Meter modes The default meter display is auto mix gain This is the most useful choice during normal operation the input and output meters are only used ...

Page 44: ...icators when no one is talking If a console preamp trimmer is turned down that channel s weight control can be turned up to re balance the automixing and vice versa To adjust the weight setting click and drag the weight slider or enter a number in the numeric field Ctrl click the weight slider to reset it to 0 Touch and hold the weight slider to reset its value to 0 It is important to understand t...

Page 45: ...ns Lowering the weight control for one channel decreases the auto mix gain display during ambience for that channel and increases it slightly for the others makes it more difficult for that channel s talker to be heard over the others For optimal performance balance the weight controls so the channel gains display ap proximately equally when no one is talking If there is ongoing noise near one mic...

Page 46: ...round 9 dB for eight mics 6 dB for four mics Master Pane The content of the Master Pane changes to reflect the Dugan device selected In the figure below the selected device is a Model E 2 The following version numbers are displayed below the Dugan logo the selected unit s firmware the currently running Control Panel CP J software This section documents the Master Pane s controls and indicators ...

Page 47: ... settings The Master controls located on the far right include ch reset meters system mix bus OVERRIDE PRESET and MUTE A set of OVERRIDE PRESET and MUTE buttons appears for each active group Each control is discussed below Selecting the Number of Channels The state of the rear panel ANA DIGI switch determines the number of possible chan nels Press the ch button to toggle between the two available ...

Page 48: ... pane The Model E 2 allows up to 16 separate systems on a network To separate multiple systems 1 Select the first unit to include in the system by clicking it in the top pane 2 Click the system button and select a unique number for that system 3 Repeat for each unit in that physically linked system making sure to use the same number for each unit in the system 4 Repeat steps 1 3 for each system 5 ...

Page 49: ...sh the default routing by clicking the set to defaults button at top left Scroll horizontally to see all available processed and unprocessed signals A blank cell means no connection A cell with 0 0 means unity gain To assign your own routings enter values 96 to 31 5 dB in the desired mix bus matrix cells A master fader trims the gain of each mix bus output Gain values may also be en tered numerica...

Page 50: ...tivating the Master OVERRIDE button returns the channels to normal operation Select channel s to include in the override group by activating their override button s Remove channel s from the override group by deactivating their override button s Preset Clicking the Master PRESET button sets the channel modes man auto mute to those shown on each channel s preset buttons Use these settings to store ...

Page 51: ...f mic for program and sensing applications Do not place the sensing mic close to an individual voice or instrument Do not point the sensing mic at a pit orchestra Do not put the sensing mic in the back of the house because of the time delay Patch the preamplified sensing mic to input 9 10 or 11 group a b or c on the AUDIO I O 9 12 connector The direct output of a console input strip is typically u...

Page 52: ...s set to 0 dB 4 Activate the music system buttons on the desired channels 5 Start with all channel thresh controls at 0 dB 6 Activate the auto buttons for all channels in use and the mute buttons for unused channels 7 On all channels activate the preset button adjacent to the selected mode This preserves your settings when the unit is powered off and on 8 On the console set a ballpark level using ...

Page 53: ...ow on the right edge of the Master Pane of the Dugan Control Panel to display the Music System controls 2 Reduce the maximum attenuation by setting the auto mix depth field to 10 dB This limits the range of downward expansion and mixes in a steady ambience If you use the Model CP 2 Control Panel the last hold function is available press both the Master OVERRIDE and PRESET buttons at once Their LED...

Page 54: ...ctive Unlike typical NOM functions on other systems Dugan Gain Limiting doesn t just count how many mics are on It sums the instantaneous gains of all the channels with NOM active including partially attenuated channels compares them to the NOM gain limit threshold and reduces the gain appropriately Gain Limiting works inde pendently for each group Conventional automatic mixing implementations alw...

Page 55: ...channels 3 Click the arrow on the right edge of the Master Pane to open the Music System panel 4 Set the NOM gain limit to 1 5 Switch channels 1 and 2 to man mode Note the master gain reduction on the NOM gain limiting display 6 Switch additional channels to man mode to see more attenuation 7 Click and drag in the NOM gain limit field to set it to a higher number than 1 Note the difference in the ...

Page 56: ... avoid feedback when mics are switched to manual OR the Master OVERRIDE button is pressed with multiple mics selected If either case applies 1 Turn on NOM for all channels 2 Set the NOM gain limit field to 1 If channels are set to both Speech and Music Systems you can choose whether they should interact If you do not want the master gain reduction of the Music System mics to affect those in the Sp...

Page 57: ...an com downloads OR http tech groups yahoo com group duganusers files After the download is complete the Internet connection is no longer necessary 2 Unzip the software package It contains the Dugan Control Panel vxxx jar and Dugan Utility yyyym mdd jar The Dugan Utility contains the latest versions of both the firmware and the safety copy of the Dugan Control Panel that loads automatically into t...

Page 58: ...ions DHCP is not compatible with the firmware up date process 7 Click on Send New Params To Unit 8 Click Update Firmware The unit reboots after the update completes 9 Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each unit you wish to update NOTE To force an update when the Update Firmware button is not blue Ctrl click the button NOTE If the firmware update process fails your unit may not pass audio To recover fro...

Page 59: ...tton to set all parameters to factory default set tings and clear label text We recommend executing this command just like zeroing out a console before starting a new installation Network Reset Hold down the channel 1 mute button to set these parameters to their default values xx last two digits of serial number unless 00 then use 100 DHCP On Turning DHCP on requests that the network assign an IP ...

Page 60: ...Dugan Model E 2 User Guide 60 Number of Channels Mode Hold down the channel 4 bypass button to select 12 analog or 16 ADAT channel mode Hold down the channel 4 mute button to select 8 channel mode ...

Page 61: ...G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H 13 25 14 1 5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8 Analog In Analog Out AUDIO I O 1 4 XLR Squid Labels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H 13 25 14 1 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Analog In Analog Out AUDIO I O 9 12 XLR Squid Labels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H 13 25 14 1 9 10 11 12 9 10 11 12 Analog In Analog O...

Page 62: ...3 Out Lo 4 Ch 2 Out Hi 5 Ch 2 Out Gnd 6 Ch 1 Out Lo 7 Ch 4 In Hi 8 Ch 4 In Gnd 9 Ch 3 In Lo 10 Ch 2 In Hi 11 Ch 2 In Gnd 12 Ch 1 In Lo 13 nc 14 Ch 4 Out Lo 15 Ch 3 Out Hi 16 Ch 3 Out Gnd 17 Ch 2 Out Lo 18 Ch 1 Out Hi 19 Ch 1 Out Gnd 20 Ch 4 In Lo 21 Ch 3 In Hi 22 Ch 3 In Gnd 23 Ch 2 In Lo 24 Ch 1 In Hi 25 Ch 1 In Gnd ...

Page 63: ...7 Out Lo 4 Ch 6 Out Hi 5 Ch 6 Out Gnd 6 Ch 4 Out Lo 7 Ch 8 In Hi 8 Ch 8 In Gnd 9 Ch 7 In Lo 10 Ch 6 In Hi 11 Ch 6 In Gnd 12 Ch 5 In Lo 13 nc 14 Ch 8 Out Lo 15 Ch 7 Out Hi 16 Ch 7 Out Gnd 17 Ch 6 Out Lo 18 Ch 5 Out Hi 19 Ch 5 Out Gnd 20 Ch 8 In Lo 21 Ch 7 In Hi 22 Ch 7 In Gnd 23 Ch 6 In Lo 24 Ch 5 In Hi 25 Ch 5 In Gnd ...

Page 64: ...4 In Hi Ch 12 In Hi 8 Aux 4 In Gnd Ch 12 In Gnd 9 Aux 3 In Lo Ch 11 In Lo 10 Aux 2 In Hi Ch 10 In Hi 11 Aux 2 In Gnd Ch 10 In Gnd 12 Aux 1 In Lo Ch 9 In Lo 13 nc nc 14 Aux 4 Out Lo Ch 12 Out Lo 15 Aux 3 Out Hi Ch 11 Out Hi 16 Aux 3 Out Gnd Ch 11 Out Gnd 17 Aux 2 Out Lo Ch 10 Out Lo 18 Aux 1 Out Hi Ch 9 Out Hi 19 Aux 1 Out Gnd Ch 9 Out Gnd 20 Aux 4 In Lo Ch 12 In Lo 21 Aux 3 In Hi Ch 11 In Hi 22 Au...

Page 65: ...ble B 4 10 100 BASE T Ethernet TCP IP Table B 5 CP 2 Control Panel Table B 6 CP 2 Cable Wiring Pin Signal 1 T2 2 T1 3 R2 4 n c 5 n c 6 R1 7 n c 8 n c Pin Signal 1 Gnd 2 Tx 3 Tx 4 V E 2 end TA4M pins CP 2 end A5F pins 1 1 5 2 2 3 3 4 4 ...

Page 66: ...Dugan Model E 2 User Guide 66 ...

Page 67: ...inked into one system in an optical ring network Connectors Audio Analog DB 25 wired to TASCAM digital audio pinout ADAT Optical Control Control Panel CP 2 Four pin mini XLR female 4 x RJ45 Four port internal switch for network Linking ADAT optical reassigned for audio I O in 16 channel mode Power Connector Coaxial with locking collar 5 5 mm o d 2 mm i d Electrical Nominal 12 VDC 1 5 A maximum acc...

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