Lynx hilo User Manual Download

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Mastering Analog to Digital / Digital to Analog Converter

User Manual

Including March 2015 Version 7

Firmware and Feature Update

Lynx Studio Technology, Inc.

www.lynxstudio.com

[email protected]

Updated: November 20, 2015

Summary of Contents for hilo

Page 1: ... Analog to Digital Digital to Analog Converter User Manual Including March 2015 Version 7 Firmware and Feature Update Lynx Studio Technology Inc www lynxstudio com support lynxstudio com Updated November 20 2015 ...

Page 2: ...__________________________ Dealer Telephone _____________________________________________________ Hilo Serial Number _____________________________________________________ LSlot Serial Number _____________________________________________________ Lynx Hilo User Manual Copyright 2015 Lynx Studio Technology Inc ...

Page 3: ...10 3 1 On Power Up 10 3 1 1 Headphone and Monitor Out Volume Control 10 3 2 Changing the Meter Page 11 3 2 1 Choosing the Meter Source 12 3 3 Getting to the Menu Pages 13 3 3 1 Menu Screen conventions 13 3 4 Home Menu 14 3 4 1 Sample Rate 14 3 4 2 Sync Source 14 3 4 3 SynchroLock 15 3 4 4 Optical Out Mode 15 3 4 5 Line In Trim 16 3 4 6 Line Out Trim 16 3 4 7 Digital In Source 16 3 4 8 Output Mix R...

Page 4: ... Questions 47 6 Support 49 6 1 Lynx Website Support Resources 49 6 2 Telephone Support 49 6 3 Registering your Hilo 49 6 4 Return Policy 49 7 Appendices 50 7 1 Methods of Connection 50 7 1 1 USB 2 0 50 7 1 2 Thunderbolt 50 7 1 3 ProTools Digilink 50 7 1 4 Standalone 50 7 2 Battery Information 50 7 3 Setting Trim Pots 51 7 4 XLR Connector Wiring and Adapters 51 7 4 1 Balanced Connections 51 7 4 2 U...

Page 5: ...audio converters Never before has establishing parameters and routing channels been so quick and intuitive in a high end converter Not only are clear and accurate meters provided but the user can select from several meter styles The Hilo display and features can be updated via simple computer firmware update tools easily accessible from the Lynx website Hilo s feature set and display options will ...

Page 6: ...switched between 2 channel SPDIF operation and 8 channel ADAT Lightpipe operation When ADAT is selected each input and output port supports up to eight channels at sample rates of 44 1 kHz and 48 kHz four channels at sample rates of 88 2 kHz and 96 kHz or two channels at sample rates of 176 4 kHz and 192 kHz 1 6 2 Computer requirements Hilo is configured to operate with Mac or PC computer systems ...

Page 7: ...connection Text in quotation marks indicates a parameter selection value or menu option i e EXT Phrases such as Start Programs Lynx Studio Technology use the greater than symbol to indicate multiple menu options or mouse selections within a software control context 1 8 Registration Lynx is committed to providing you with the best service possible To help us serve you better please be sure to regis...

Page 8: ...the power button is On Next press the front panel standby switch and verify that Hilo powers up If it does not verify that the selected AC power source is operational If it is and the unit still will not power up please contact Lynx technical support If Hilo DOES power up move on to Set up 2 2 Set up Hilo was designed to be adaptable to a variety of operational environments on a desktop for Audiop...

Page 9: ...etermine if your cables are wired correctly for use with Hilo For unbalanced cables 4 5 meters 15 feet is the maximum recommended length r MONITOR OUT Use standard cables TRS if balanced standard TS if unbalanced Cable Concerns For unbalanced cables 4 5 meters 15 feet is the maximum recommended length t AES IN OUT Use AES XLR cables 110 Ω Insure that the connected device supports AES3 or AES EBU C...

Page 10: ...ed in the subsequent installation steps are available on our website at http www lynxstudio com Support Downloads If a previous driver version is present it will automatically be removed as part of the driver installation process Note No driver installation is required for OS X or iOS only for Windows 2 5 1 Driver Installation for Windows XP Vista or Windows 7 8 10 1 Power on Hilo with the USB cab...

Page 11: ...de Sequoia Audition etc These applications may also support MME or DirectSound but when the option exists we recommend using ASIO for the best performance 2 5 2 1 WDM Multimedia Applications Hilo can be used as a playback device for most popular multimedia home theater and consumer audio applications Some such applications allow selection of specific playback devices In these cases one or two Hilo...

Page 12: ... most audio applications or from Start All Programs Lynx Studio Technology Hilo USB Control Panel There are three tabs in the Hilo Control Panel The STATUS page simply reveals the USB Audio Device Lynx Hilo in this case and the current Sample Rate The sample rate cannot be changed here it is information display only In the BUFFER SETTINGS page the USB Streaming and ASIO buffer parameters control t...

Page 13: ...or use Please note that Hilo does require OS X version 10 6 4 or above 2 5 1 1 OSX Audio Applications Hilo can be used as a playback device for most popular multimedia home theater and pro audio applications Some such applications allow selection of specific playback devices In these cases a Lynx Hilo output device can be selected from the appropriate device selection menu In cases where the playb...

Page 14: ... different user interfaces for different types of users So the Hilo user interface in five years may be radically different than today s Hilo In short it will evolve You can help us with this As you have ideas suggestions complaints comments send them to hilo lynxstudio com This email will go to the engineering marketing and support staff who built this interface Hilo was designed for ease of use ...

Page 15: ...ls particularly when using Hilo s ADAT I O In 16 channel mode the highest supported sample rate is 96 kHz 8 channel and 16 channel mode can be toggled from the Tools menu USB 8 Channel Mode Hilo Default For use with USB at sample rates up to 192 kHz and for DSD playback USB 16 Channel Mode For 16 USB input and output channels at sample rates up to 96 kHz Ideal for using the ADAT optical I O on Hil...

Page 16: ...ction A Pop up will appear with two sets of input sources on the left and six sets of output sources on the right Tap on the input or output source you need The meter will reset and the Pop up will close The Monitor Source Selection button now shows your new selection The Pop up will remain on the screen until you either make a selection or tap outside of the menu in order to close it 3 2 1 2 For ...

Page 17: ... on the right select menu pages each with up to 8 functions These five buttons when pressed bring up the following pages Meters Immediately changes the screen to the last selected meter set Display Allows settings that customize the information and format of the LCD Screen Information Displays useful status about Hilo and its operation Tools Scene routing memory and other well tools Home Basic set...

Page 18: ...Word Clock there would appear the sample rate that the clock source is generating When the LT USB is NOT connected to the computer the Sync Source may be changed to one of the following four choices Internal Clock driven by the Hilo s crystal oscillator Word Clock Clock derived from the WORD CLOCK input Wordclock 2 and Wordclock 4 These are currently not implemented in the Hilo firmware Digital Cl...

Page 19: ...ording of audio is discouraged Playback is acceptable but it should be noted that there will be an audible glitch the moment that full lock is achieved Working will occur every time a new Sync Source or Sample Rate is selected unless SynchroLock has been disabled or the Sync Source is set to Internal Range This indicates that the selected external clock signal is operating outside of SynchroLock s...

Page 20: ...dix 5 2 for more information 3 4 6 Line Out Trim Line Out Trim can be set to any of eight preset trim settings the same as for Line In This works exactly the same as the Line In Trim Push the button and make your selection Note Each Line In and Line Out Trim can be adjusted 0 5 dB of the established trim settings using the trim pots that are located on the bottom of the circuit board See Section 7...

Page 21: ...rnal 32 x 32 channel mixer This is where you get to use it First a few conventions RED buttons mean that the associated signal source or output is OFF or MUTED GREEN buttons mean ON or UNMUTED A WHITE LINE around a button means this is the channel is in focus and can be acted upon by the faders or ON OFF switch below the fader As you can see the page is divided into input sources on the left and o...

Page 22: ...y The summed signal is automatically attenuated by 6dB in order to reduce the possibility of digital clipping The chosen option is shown on the button at the bottom of the Input meters any time that input channel is selected Each input channel can be controlled and assigned independently for each output For example you can have Line In Summed sent to the Monitor Output while having Line In Stereo ...

Page 23: ...r audio to every output on Hilo This is very useful for initial set up whether you are listening to the headphone out a digital out monitor outs whatever you will get audio when you choose 1 2 as the play device When Hilo is in 8 channel LT USB Mode USB channels 1 8 are visible and available When the 16 channel USB Mode is engaged all 16 USB input and output channels are visible and available If a...

Page 24: ...DAT channels can be independent from the other Hilo outputs When the 16 channel USB Mode is engaged all 16 USB input and output channels are visible and available The Hilo Headphone Jack also has jack sense and can appear dynamically When headphones are connected to the front panel Phones jack then Phones is selectable as an Output choice If headphones are NOT connected to the Phones jack then the...

Page 25: ...bility that clipping has occurred For the outputs the Over indicator is an accurate reflection of an actual overload condition and the attenuation should be performed on the input sources or digital outputs themselves when this occurs The overload indicators will clear after 3 seconds when the overload condition stops Before we explore how to route sources we need to take a look at the Single Tap ...

Page 26: ...ite box around it that is feeding the active output It is not altering the input level itself Hilo does not do this for sonic reasons merely the amount of that input signal streaming to the output This fader has a range of 95 to 12 over unity The associated meter displays the input signal strength so there will be no decrease in meter activity as the input source is attenuated The output fader adj...

Page 27: ...s listening to the MONITOR OUTPUTS feeding speakers in the control room The performer is listening to headphones plugged into Hilo s PHONES jack Let s start by setting levels for the recording engineer Start by selecting Line Out as the active Output We already have signal from USB Play 1 2 carrying the streams from the computer Now let s add Line In as a source so there is the new keyboard parts ...

Page 28: ...utput by 10dB Now the performer and engineer each have their own monitor mix Now we re ready to record keeping in mind that the signals from the Line In will appear in the DAW software as USB Record 1 2 As you can see using variations on the sequence described above that one can easily integrate outboard processors and other sound sources into a recording session and maintain complete control over...

Page 29: ...scenes can be saved The new QWERTY keyboard screen will come up and you can name the scene using up to 13 characters Input the Scene name using your fingers or some pointed non abrasive pointer such as pencil eraser pen end or even a chop stick To clear the entire name tap the Clear button To backspace and clear one letter at a time tap the Back button Tapping the Cap button will capitalize the le...

Page 30: ...oard SRC processor can support conversion ratios up to 16 1 with 144 dB dynamic range and 140dB THD N The SRC will convert signals on the active Digital Input up or down to the current Sample Rate When the Sample Rate Converter button is tapped SRC can be switched on or off and information about the current sample rate digital in rate and the ratio of conversion will be displayed if applicable Not...

Page 31: ...on 5 This allows Hilo to play DSD audio files received via USB AES 3 or S PDIF Hilo supports the recently adopted DoP V1 1 standard which is a method for transferring DSD audio over PCM frames Playback of DSD using this method is provided by a growing number of software vendors including Channel D and Audirvana for Macintosh and JRiver Media Player for Windows Using the DSD application of your cho...

Page 32: ...o Hilo Using the menu button on the Output side here selected as Line Out choose the output to which you want to send the test tone Use the On Off button to engage disengage the test tone The initial level is set at 40 dBu The fader and front panel rotary control allow you to adjust the level in 0 5 dB increments Multiple outputs can receive the test tone simultaneously Inputs Meters are shown to ...

Page 33: ...ppearing in the Power indicator with the measured voltage displayed below the Battery indicator Please note when powering from DC power the back panel power switch will turn of the AC power to the Hilo however the Hilo will remain in the ON state as long as there is sufficient power provided on the DC power input 3 6 2 Digital In Channel Status This section displays status information pertaining t...

Page 34: ...s section provides control of status bits embedded in the AES EBU stream for each digital output For more information about the use of these bits refer to the AES 3 specification available from the Audio Engineering Society web site at http www aes org For each of the three possible Digital Outputs AES SPDIF Coax SPDIF Opt you can select one or more Validity This checkbox controls the state of the...

Page 35: ...reen faders or Rotary control You can now Adjust Hilo s brightness intensity in a range of 5 to 100 in 1 increments ideal for adapting to a variety of ambient light conditions Enable and adjust the new Screen Dim function Auto Dim can be activated between 15 seconds to 5 minutes or set to Never The Dim Intensity determines the brightness level when Dim is active It can be set for as low as 0 scree...

Page 36: ... active USB connection to the computer If there is not an active USB connection to the computer then these settings can be changed by pressing the appropriate button 3 7 4 Analog VU Reference You can calibrate the Analog meters to set the 0 VU level Using the fader on screen or the Rotary Knob the 0 VU mark on the meters can be calibrated between 3dBFS and 24dBFS 3 7 5 Calibrate Touchscreen The LC...

Page 37: ...lo menus and parameters will now be in the language of your choice Please note that the onscreen keyboard from writing Scene Names will still be in English Also restoring defaults and updating the firmware will restore the unit to English and the language of choice will need to be re selected 3 7 8 Standard Menu Some Hilo users prefer a simpler interface with only the essential controls being avai...

Page 38: ...arance may change dramatically from firmware updates Additionally the LT USB card installed into Hilo has its own firmware There are also updates for this card available that similarly can improve functionality and expand the feature set Fortunately both can be updated from the same downloadable application for Windows or Mac OS X Here are the steps to insure that your Hilo is up to date and in to...

Page 39: ... up window in your computer Again power cycle Hilo using the front panel standby switch the rear panel power switch wait three seconds then turn the unit back on 10 After programming the computer may need to reload the driver If you are prompted to do so perform an automatic driver installation when prompted Also after programming the settings you had on the unit previously including saved scenes ...

Page 40: ...alled the Hilo Remote can be launched from the Lynx Studio Technology Program group 5 2 Hilo Remote for OS X Hilo Remote for OS X can be downloaded from the Lynx website Support Downloads Hilo When downloading an updated version of Hilo Remote check the posted system requirements before installing the software In some cases a specific version of the Hilo firmware may be necessary for the software ...

Page 41: ...cking Open Scene navigate to the directory where the desired scene file has been saved highlight the file and click Open Please note scenes saved from the Hilo Remote app are independent from the scenes saved on the Hilo touch screen Save Scene This feature provides the ability to save all user selectable parameters Scenes that contain the state of all device settings can be saved to a file on the...

Page 42: ...or display This page reveals meters and faders for all input and output channels as well as controls for Sync Source Trim Levels I O parameters etc Monitor view can be toggled to RTA view RTA view reveals the Hilo 30 band Realtime Analyzer The Monitor and RTA buttons allow the user to toggle between these two views Monitor view will be explored in depth in the section below RTA view presents the u...

Page 43: ...er This section will show the Play Sources signals coming FROM the computer in the top row and Record Sources Signals going TO the computer in the bottom row The settings in this section can be used to route Play streams to any of the Hilo s physical outputs or to assign Record streams to carry signals from any of Hilo s hardware inputs These settings can be used to mirror playback to multiple out...

Page 44: ... green in the Navigation Bar the Play streams from the computer will appear Like with the Play Devices in 8 chanel mode Record Devices 1 8 will appear here and in 16 channel mode Record 1 16 will appear If the Optical Out Mode on the Adapter page is set to ADAT then the ADAT Outputs will appear between the physical outputs and the play streams like this The Monitor Out and Phones channel strips ha...

Page 45: ... to the same position Linked is the default state for pairs of inputs To un link a pair click on the link icon and it will change to a single circle In this state the mute fader and pan controls operate on a single channel independently t Output Button This identifies the Outputs that are applicable to the fader and mute controls and is also used to facilitate routing Hilo Remote uses an Output or...

Page 46: ...Left to correct that The signal level being recorded for LINE IN Left will not change but the level through the outputs as you are monitoring the performance will go down The Fader position is specific to the connection between the input and an output So using the example above if you have attenuated the signal of LINE IN Left through MONITOR OUT but then you select LINE OUT from the Output Sectio...

Page 47: ...R OUT We are sending signal from Play 1 2 existing tracks from a multi track session In addition we are sending signal from the LINE INPUT left channel The Line Inputs were un linked and only the left channel is un muted so signal is passing only from the left channel Note that the pan position for LINE IN left is in the center so the source will be heard equally through both channels of the MONIT...

Page 48: ...ton displays the sample rate that the onboard frequency counter is measuring e SynchroLock This button can turn the SynchroLock clocking system On and Off SynchroLock is Lynx s proprietary technology for attenuating jitter on clock inputs and providing a stable clock for all digital signals passed through the Hilo This button also shows the status of the SynchroLock clocking system Prior to achiev...

Page 49: ...re the Trim levels can be set for the Hilo s Line Inputs and Line Outputs Trims can be set to any of eight preset trim settings and they are the same for the Left and Right channels There are four Pro Level settings 18 dBu 20 dBu 22 dBu and 24 dBu There are four additional levels most often used on Consumer Audio products 0 dBV 2 dBV 4 dBV and 6 dBV Note These are 0dBFS full scale level settings a...

Page 50: ...er version 1 55 or above needs to be installed and functional 2 Target Computer or Tablet 3 Router Wi Fi WLAN The Host computer must be running LynxRedirector and be directly connected to the Hilo either via USB or Thunderbolt Additionally the Host Computer must be connected to your network router either via Ethernet cabling or over Wi Fi direct Ethernet cabling will provide the best performance T...

Page 51: ...if there is heavy Wi Fi traffic causing missed packets for Hilo Remote Move closer to your router or reduce the Wi Fi traffic then Hilo Remote will automatically try and re establish the connection Q Can I run more than one copy of Hilo Remote A The Hilo can only communicate with one copy of Hilo Remote at a time If you launch Hilo Remote on the Host Computer it may not be possible to also launch ...

Page 52: ...et Computer Tablet across a wide area network such as behind a router with NAT Network Address Translation you will need to specify the router s IP Address and open port 5645 to forward to your Host Computer Port 5646 is used to communicate between the Host Computer and the Target Computer Tablet so you would need to open port 5646 to forward to the Target Computer Tablet ...

Page 53: ...al administrators Searching previous posts is often an excellent way to uncover valuable information about Hilo operation and troubleshooting See http www lynxstudio com forum Support Documents and User Manuals A library of useful how to documents troubleshooting aids and charts are available for 24 7 assistance User Manuals are also conveniently available online for all Lynx products Facebook Sup...

Page 54: ...d 3 4 Phones Analog 1 2 and 5 6 Digital Out XLR AES Analog 1 2 and 7 8 Digital Out Coax Analog 1 2 and Analog 11 12 Digital Out Optical Analog 1 2 and Analog 9 10 ADAT Out 1 8 Analog 1 2 and Analog 9 16 For operational specifics please refer to the LT HD manual on the lynstudio website Support User Manuals Lynx LT HD 7 1 4 Standalone Hilo can operate with no expansion card installed as a strictly ...

Page 55: ...t trim levels send tones from an external device and measure the results in either software or a scope with digital inputs It is best to avoid analog input routed to analog output paths for this kind of calibration If adjusting Hilo Output Trims send tones from a software source via the USB connection or tones from an external device connected to one of Hilo s digital inputs routed to the Line Out...

Page 56: ...end XLR Pin 2 to signal wire and to the Phono center pin XLR Pin 3 to the other signal wire and to the Phono sleeve 1 2 3 XLR Male or Female 2 Conductor shielded cable RCA Phono Plug Unbalanced 7 4 3 Unbalanced Connections with Single Conductor Cable In some cases it may be necessary to use single conductor cable to adapt to unbalanced devices These cables are considerably more susceptible to inte...

Page 57: ...nected to passive monitors then this setting is likely appropriate If instead one wishes to connect the Monitor Output to some other professional line level device then it may be desirable to set the Monitor Out to its alternate setting which is 24dBu Monitor Output Level Default 10 dBu Monitor Output Level Option 24 dBu This setting is established with jumpers on the Hilo mainboard To access them...

Page 58: ...higher than 0 level and thus can add gain that may distort your output Q I am mixing Inputs to my Monitors or Phones and the Output is distorting I like the mix of the Inputs and I do not want to have to turn down each Input one at a time What can I do A Tap the Analog button at the bottom of the Outputs field to switch it to the Digital Level This is the digital output level before it feeds the a...

Page 59: ... 1dBFS 20kHz filter volume at max Dynamic Range 121 dB A weighted 60dBFS signal method Frequency Response 0 02 dB 20 20kHz Crosstalk 130 dB maximum 1kHz 1dBFS signal Output level at max volume 19dBu phone jack on front panel Digital I O AES EBU Transformer coupled on XLR connectors S PDIF I O coax Transformer coupled on RCA jacks S PDIF I O optical On optical connectors ADAT I O 8 channels at 48 k...

Page 60: ...nd to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communicatio...

Page 61: ...N 61000 4 5 2006 EN 61000 4 6 2007 EN 61000 4 11 2004 YEAR OF MANUFACTURE 2011 I the undersigned hereby declare that the equipment specified above conforms to the above directives and standards Costa Mesa California January 12 2012 Robert J Bauman Compliance Engineer 10 3 CE SAFETY DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY MANUFACTURERS NAME Lynx Studio Technology Inc MANUFACTURER ADDRESS 190 McCormick Avenue Cos...

Page 62: ...able it to operate in any country other than the country for which it was designed manufactured approved and or authorized or repair of products damaged by these modifications Incidental or consequential damages result from the product damage to property damage based on inconvenience or on loss of use of the product and to the extent permitted by law damages for personal injury Some states do not ...

Page 63: ...NOTES ...

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