ADA-8XR Multi-channel A/D D/A Converter
Operation Manual
Page 1: ...ADA 8XR Multi channel A D D A Converter Operation Manual...
Page 2: ...r local Prism Sound distributor as detailed on the website Trademark Acknowledgements Digidesign Pro Tools Pro Tools 24 MIX 888 24 I O Pro Tools HD 192 I O 96 I O SYNC I O and DigiLink are trademarks...
Page 3: ...d If necessary consult your dealer or an experienced radio or TV technician CAUTION Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user s authori...
Page 4: ...4 Menu Panel 22 6 Adjustments and Upgrades 23 6 1 Changing the mains voltage or fuse 23 6 2 Adding I O Modules 24 6 3 Upgrading the firmware 24 7 Technical Background 25 7 1 Synchronization and jitte...
Page 5: ...ation Manual Revision 1 00 Prism Media Products Limited 2001 2004 Page 1 5 7 6 Sample rate conversion and Prism Sound SSRC 34 7 7 References 35 8 Specifications 36 8 1 Physical 36 8 2 Synchronization...
Page 6: ...ture allows special configurations e g 16 channel D A or A D unit Comprehensive store system for fast access factory and user presets Unique Access button layout combines flexibility of menus with spe...
Page 7: ...s D A conversion with a variety of available digital I O options many custom configurations are possible For example the ADA 8XR can be supplied as A D only or D A only at a cost saving or with two A...
Page 8: ...he ADA 8XR should briefly light all LEDs then settle into its default setup with the level screen displayed on the LCD display The unit can thereafter be turned off and on using the Standby key in the...
Page 9: ...he analogue inputs Pressing the SOURCE Access button again moves to the next analogue input related Menu and so on in a cyclic fashion When you have found the Menu you want you should be able to alter...
Page 10: ...row of Channel Select buttons which are used to apply controls to one or more selected channels or to all eight channels using the All button On the right hand side is the Menu Panel which contains t...
Page 11: ...O Slot 1 or AIO1 in the front panel legends and menus Inputs on Analogue Module 1 are referred to as AI1 outputs as AO1 The lower slot is Analogue I O Slot 2 with similar nomenclatures To the right o...
Page 12: ...ails of which are included in the accompanying Firmware Reference and the Configuration Store buttons It is possible to do nearly anything through the menu system but you have to know where to look Th...
Page 13: ...the currently selected Store is displayed on the top line with the Bank Store number shown below The various stores can be previewed by pressing the Store number buttons 1 6 and the Bank can be advanc...
Page 14: ...illumination of an additional LED For example in the case of an unconnected external reference sync local sync will be automatically substituted and this state will be shown by the Local LED being lit...
Page 15: ...les through the menus specific to that box For details of these functions see the Firmware Reference Note that the menus reached by pressing the Access buttons can also be reached but not so quickly o...
Page 16: ...om the Prism Sound MR X format which is a word mapping scheme whereby for example a multi channel digital recorder can be used to record longer wordlengths and or higher sample rates than its native f...
Page 17: ...ve Auto Dither Defeat is an algorithm which prevents unnecessary or undesirable dithering or noise shaping being applied to the channels of a digital to digital Path This happens in one of two situati...
Page 18: ...ample Rate box The Sync Source Sample Rate box indicates the synchronization state of the Path Its Access button attracts the attention of the Menu panel immediately to the small group of menus that c...
Page 19: ...l use it to sync the Path BUT THE PATH WILL STILL RUN AT 48kHz or more precisely at 480 441 times the reference rate In this case the Ext LED would not be lit If it is desired that the Path s sample r...
Page 20: ...or Path 2 Path 1 is usually the A D Path and Path 2 the D A Path in most standard A D D A configurations but this is flexible The Pre Post button moves the metering position before or after the signal...
Page 21: ...ndicate the muted state The Invert button phase inverts BOTH of the Monitor s output channels when the orange LED is lit The Mono button causes the two Monitor channels to be mixed together at both ou...
Page 22: ...t menu which was accessed in the associated group so repeated access to a common menu becomes a one button operation The Configuration Stores buttons provide access to a store system of 24 stores arra...
Page 23: ...ver up the voltage selector fuse holder cover by inserting a small flat bladed screwdriver into the slot as shown Remove the red plastic holder If replacing the fuse use a 2AT 20mmx5mm type and having...
Page 24: ...Output Module to AIO2 Where both general purpose and Workstation Digital I O Modules are fitted the Workstation Module is fitted to DIO1 and the general purpose I O Module to DIO2 It is not strictly...
Page 25: ...rnal clocks since they must be slaved to a central master reference or in the case of D A converters to their incoming data The externally clocked design challenge is by necessity a trade off since th...
Page 26: ...e lab at loud high frequencies and the way that sampling jitter produces quiet aharmonic components perhaps only subliminally perceptible which marr our impression of the ambience which creates a soun...
Page 27: ...temporal distortion i e discrete pre and post echo effects There is speculation as to why and how these might be noticeable but experiments carried out with no compromise filter designs at traditional...
Page 28: ...his situation it is not sufficient just to discard low order bits this causes truncation distortion characterised by aharmonic frequency components and unnatural harsh decays Instead it is preferable...
Page 29: ...ngth and the ADA 8XR The ADA 8XR provides a comprehensive choice of processes to optimally generate a reduced output wordlength from an analogue or digital source It also includes encoding processes w...
Page 30: ...shifted towards the higher frequencies However this is not really a meaningful test since the sensitivity of the ear at different frequencies is very dependent on level and the design of the more ext...
Page 31: ...ntal to subsequent signal processing The problem in maintaining wordlength in the earlier parts of the production chain has often been the lack of availability of long wordlength recorders or transmis...
Page 32: ...or Input Modules 7 4 2 Using Prism Sound MR X with the ADA 8XR MR X encoding is selected within the Dither Encode box of the Mimic Panel as described in section 5 1 4 MR X encoding is indicated by the...
Page 33: ...means that precise data cannot be reconstituted under all circumstances DRE works by ensuring that precise data IS reconstituted for small and moderate signal levels up to about 20dB below peak and th...
Page 34: ...f the recording medium is limited and perhaps levels are not easily controlled such as when recording a live performance onto DAT In these situations the Prism Sound Overkiller acts in a uniquely prog...
Page 35: ...erter design from Audio in Digital Times AES Conference New York 1989 J Vanderkooy S P Lipshitz Digital Dither Signal Processing with Resolution Far Below the Least Significant Bit from Audio in Digit...
Page 36: ...x Analogue I O Module Slots 2 x Digital I O Module Slots 1 x Utility Module Monitor outputs ref sync I O and RS232 485 MIDI comms 8 2 Synchronization Independent multi stage auto ranging PLL sync cir...
Page 37: ...vity ranges max 4 7Vp p Digital output AES3 id S P DIF jumper selectable on Utility Module see volume 3 24 bits channel status as defined by firmware revision see volume 2 8 4 Meters Eight channel bar...
Page 38: ...d transmitted or processed in an over sampled noise shaped one bit format Interface Jitter Jitter on a digital audio interface This might not be problematic until it is sufficiently bad to cause data...
Page 39: ...s in the A and B channels respectively Thus the interface can carry only one audio channel This technique is also being applied to other interface formats including MADI and ADAT where half the normal...
Page 40: ...I O Modules adding and removing 24 Invert button 21 Jitter 25 Mains inlet 11 23 Menu Panel 10 12 22 Menu system 22 Menus 12 Meter Panel 10 12 20 Mimic Panel 10 12 15 Modularity 7 Monitor 13 21 Monitor...
