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The Audio Toolbox User Manual

1. 33 How to use the Time Code Reader eene nnne nnn rn nnn nnn nanus 33 How to use the Time Code Generator eessii seien sana ahhh aaa a4 Ra RR ARR nna 33 How to use the Time Code Re Generator Jam Sync esee 33 How to use the Time Code Fault detector eesess eese eene nan 34 How to use the Time Code Frame Rate analyzer 42 eee reno rna ona 34 How to use the Time Code Calculator as eieei seien enhn aan h aaa aa ha nna 34 HUM CANCELLATION va vi asics 58321762 iia FERRY E aa CE Y RYE FECE YEAR YER CETERAE CER FER VER AVETE RE EE VETERE YR E 35 BEA 0 2 6 DR 35 How to use Hum Cancellation sees eese enean nnn nnn nnne nhan nana nan 35 UTILITIES scat eae oa eee seek eee esas eee 2 220 20 0 2 30 0 20 0 20 20 0 20 02 0 20 EIE EI GURRIRERNUENE 36 MONITOR AMPLIFIER js xni ro a a noa on e n P KR T ER T CR XR TER KR TB aia 36 Ib evi 36 How to use the Monitor Amplifier J usse oae err here raa rur axo ey ener a pev vo e Vua F ree eva very epa uua 36 How to use the Guitar Headphone Amplifier 4 os eere eese earn annona annona aan 36 POWER TESTS iiir esa deas ra ERR VER EYRRVERR ERN ERRRRRRRATERNERRKERRESRRURRYERRERERERR RRRNVRRE E 36 DOSCIIPUON E va vavhes ve esviia vade vans sang eeuavousvinvevhasvarevia peeve vadssber vans Vien vers 36 How to use the Phantom Power Tester sc
2. The ends of the wires are then fitted with probes alligator dips or other suitable connectors Plug this connector into the 1 4 output jack next to the male XLR output jack gt Connect a standard balanced female XLR to male XLR cable microphone cable between the XLR balanced output on the Toolbox and left Toolbox input This cable should be as short as possible for the most accuracy Select the Impedance sub menu Select the frequency at which to test the impedance Connect the load between the two probes on the adapter cable Readthe impedance in ohms Note that you can also measure impedance from the Sweeps function Also the Sweep Cal function affects the accuracy of the impedance meter V NON Level Frequency Meter Description Two sub menus are available A stereo audio level meter and a DIN standard stereo VU PPM bar graph meter The signal generator may be turned on in any of the level meters To change the settings click on Gen to go to the signal generator screen and make the needed changes How to use the Level Meter Frequency Counter Plug one or two sources into any audio input connectors Note do not plug two sources into the same channel or the results will not be accurate Select the desired display units dBu dBV Vave Vrms or Vp p 24 Allow the Toolbox to auto range or select one of the manual ranges Access the signal generator via the Gen field as needed gt Select a
3. How to use the Time Code Generator This function generates time code in any of 6 standard frame rates 24 25 30 30 drop 29 97 and 29 97 drop Note that the starting value may be saved in the user defaults see the Setup amp Calibration function for more information Select the L Gen sub menu gt You may input Linear Time Code LTC to any of the LEFT audio input connectors gt You may set the generator starting time and frame rate by moving the focus to the generator time fields and changing the values to the desired start times Setthe desired time code output level gt If you wish to generate MIDI Time Code change the MTC off data field to MTC on MIDI Time Code will be generated from the time code generator output To begin generating time code move the focus to the Off data field and change the value to On Atany time you can click on the Copy field to copy the current time code value from the reader left input to the generator The offset between the time code being read and the time code being generated is computed and displayed at the bottom of the screen How to use the Time Code Re Generator Jam Sync This function reads an incoming time code signal and re shapes the signal to create a new clean waveform It will generate good code through drop outs or faulty frames An offset can be added to the incoming signal 34 Select the Regen sub menu You may input Linear Time Code LTC to
4. Plug any Toolbox audio output into an amplifier and speaker Turn the level down at the amplifier Select the MicL MicH or Ext input 19 Select the desired units time in milliseconds or distance in feet or meters Select the graph width If you have selected units of time this will be in milliseconds If you have selected units of distance this is equivalent to the time the sound takes to travel that distance Select the desired weighting A weighting will roll off most of the low frequencies In many cases you will get more reliable results in this mode gt Turn the function on and carefully turn up the power amplifier to obtain the highest possible signal reading without overloading the Toolbox or creating excessive distortion in the speaker Results will be displayed on the screen The display graph the decay of the pulse as measured at the internal microphone If the graph never decays the level may be too quiet for the noise in the room or the graph width may be too small You can stop the display from re drawing when you have a good example graph and use the cursor below the display to move a vertical bar that shows the exact time or equivalent distance of any bar on the screen Thus you can measure any peak directly to compute room reflections or to phase speaker arrays To assist in finding speaker system delay times the time that the first pulse arrives at the microphone is always computed and dis
5. see the Smart Click Track for the internal click Read the offset in milliseconds of the non reference tempos and adjust them to reduce the offset to the minimum possible value VV VV ON Note The tempo read must be regular syncopated patterns are not recognized How to use the Drum Replacer The Drum Replacer is designed for the purpose of replacing a recorded drum with a sample It works by transmitting a MIDI note when the recorded drum beat occurs This MIDI note can be offset by up to 100 ms to adjust the feel of the drum track In addition if the recorded drum can be fed to the Toolbox earlier than it normally occurs such as from the sync head of an analog tape machine you can then add an offset to the MIDI note that is generated and keep increasing the offset until the drum locks in This technique can be used to account for the delay inherent in many samplers due to processing an incoming MIDI note To use this function Select the Drum Replacer sub menu gt Feed the recorded MIDI note to the Audio Toolbox Left input gt Connect either MIDI out port to the sampler s MIDI in port gt Set the desired MIDI channel note value and velocity gt Adjust the offset as required MIDI Helper Description This function allows you to display the MIDI data present on a MIDI cable in several forms to split MIDI events between the two output ports and to test MIDI cables How to use the MIDI
6. Many speaker manufacturers wire their tweeters out of phase on purpose due to the phase shift of the crossover network This is meant to provide smoother phase response at the crossover point 21 How to use the Microphone Polarity function Select Microphone mode Plug the microphone to be tested into a microphone pre amp or recording console High output level dynamic microphones may be plugged directly into the left input Plug the microphone pre amp output or an output from the console into any left audio input on the Toolbox Turn the Polarity function on and adjust the level if needed to obtain a mid scale reading on the level meter Hold the Audio Toolbox internal speaker near the microphone You may need to hold it directly up to the microphone to get a good reading Readthe polarity on the screen How to use the Equipment Polarity function Select Equipment mode Plug any audio output from the Toolbox into the input of the device to be tested Plug the device output into any Toolbox left input Turn the function on and adjust the output level and input gain as needed to obtain a mid scale reading on the level meter gt Read the polarity on the screen Distortion Meter Description The distortion meter uses notch filters to compare the level of the incoming signal with its harmonics and noise THD N This function generates a sine wave at either 63 125 250 500 10
7. Monitor Select the MIDI Monitor sub menu gt Select ALL MIDI channels or only one channel The bar graphs show the MIDI activity by type If no bar is shown there is no MIDI data of that type The bar gets longer as more data is sent The bars are cleared approximately two times per second MIDI Click is shown as blinking boxes if present MIDI Time Code MTC is decoded if present with the hours and minutes on the top line and the seconds and frames on the bottom line Note The MIDI Time Code is updated on the screen only twice per second even if continuous values are coming in 32 How to use the MIDI Text display Select the MIDI Text sub menu Select ALL MIDI channels or only one channel AS MIDI commands come in they are displayed on the screen two per screen New messages overwrite old messages MIDI clock if present is shown as a blinking box for clarity How to use the MIDI Hex display Select the MIDI Hex sub menu Select ALL MIDI channels or only one channel AS MIDI commands come in they are displayed on the screen as raw hexadecimal data New messages overwrite old messages MIDI clock if present is shown as a blinking box for clarity How to use the MIDI Mapper Select the MIDI Mapper sub menu Initially no ports are selected to output MIDI data from the channels gt Change the field to 1 to output MIDI data for that channel to MIDI port 1 only 2 to rout the channel to MIDI
8. an input overload is detected the word Overload appears on the display It automatically clears when the overload condition ceases Note If you connect the output of the Toolbox back to the input and turn on the signal generator make sure that you select the Ext input not ExtL or you will get an overload condition This can look like the pink noise is rolling off as the frequency increases Memories The RTA results can be stored in any of 40 non volatile memories To access the memories click on the Mem field You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored memory As soon as a memory is restored the RTA screen is displayed After recalling a memory you can change the octave band size change the graph dB range and use the cursor to read out individual band data and frequency values Memories stored in Full or Low mode must be retrieved in the same mode These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function Energy Time Graph Description Shows the decay pattern for sound reaching the internal microphone or line input over time after a pulse has been generated and played through a speaker Initial delay time is also shown The graph is calibrated in units of dB SPL vertically and units of time horizontally Optionally the graph can show units of distance on the horizontal axis How to use
9. generate re generate accurately measure the running frame rate of time code or test for time code faults Use the Time Code Calculator to help you compute offsets and to solve other time code problems Note that you can save the generator starting time and frame rate values by using the Save Defaults sub menu on the Setup amp Calibration function How to use the Time Code Reader Select the Read L amp R sub menu Input Linear Time Code LTC to any of the Toolbox audio input connectors gt If you wish to generate MIDI Time Code change the MTC off data field to MTC on MIDI Time Code will be generated from the time code received at the Left channel input The offset between the two time codes being read is computed and displayed at the bottom of the screen If the two incoming time code signals being read are locked at the sub frame 1 80 frame level an asterisk will appear between the L and the R on the screen If this indicator is not present or is flashing sub frame lock is not present or is jittering Note This function decodes the information in the time code stream and does not analyze the actual rate the time code is running If the frame rate is shown as 30 it simply means that there are 30 frames in each time code second and that the code is close enough to the nominal rate to be read Thus 29 97 code will be shown as 30 or 30dr To check that actual running frame rate use the Frame Rate function below
10. in and out ports or a serial port on the PC or a serial port on the Mac USB is not supported directly a USB to serial adapter is required a 2 MIDI cables or a special Toolbox serial adapter cable contact TerraSonde or check our web site for details a The Audio Toolbox Upgrader software a PC or Mac program a The new Audio Toolbox software to be downloaded into the Toolbox a Aunique software unlock code The Upgrader software is available as a free download from the Terrasonde web site The current Audio Toolbox software is also available for downloading To get your unique unlock code call or email TerraSonde You will need to have your Audio Toolbox serial number and the version of the software that you wish to install and TerraSonde will give you your unlock code If you have not registered your Toolbox you will be required to do so at this time Note that you may be required to provide proof of purchase to obtain a free software upgrade Procedure Go to the TerraSonde web site www terrasonde com then go to the Downloads page and follow the instructions there You will have to download the TerraSonde Upgrader program and the software for the upgrade Details The program in the Toolbox that communicates with the PC called the Monitor is stored in protected non volatile memory in the Toolbox Barring physical damage or abuse it cannot be erased This means that even if a faulty program is somehow loaded into
11. the Audio Toolbox the Monitor program will be safe and a new corrected program can still be downloaded to make a functional unit In fact several different programs can be stored on the PC hard disk and loaded in whenever desired It may possible to get completely different programs for the Audio Toolbox for special purposes The unlock code works with a specific Toolbox and upgrade so be sure to keep the unlock code safe TerraSonde can always replace the code if lost Uploading memories to the PC Mac From our web site you can obtain PC Mac software to extract the data memories from the Toolbox Check the Downloads page for current software availability ANSI Filter Response This chart shows the response curves for the ANSI A B and C weighting filters Note that the A weighting curve actually continues down below the graph To some people the A curve represents a typical speech frequency distribution while the C curve represents a typical music frequency distribution PERE EEE LEE NE HH TT ERE TERE Im m d LIN EHEN Specifications TerraSonde reserves the right to change specifications Electrical Specifications Input Impedances XLR and _ balanced inputs 40k ohms RCA unbalanced 20k ohms Output Impedances XLR and _ balanced outputs 300 ohms RCA unbalanced 150 ohms Polarities Pin 2 is hot positive polarity on all XLR connectors The connectors all have the tip hot Power AC power a
12. this manual or any of the support software programs without the written consent of TerraSonde except in the normal use of the product or to make a backup copy This exception does not allow a copy to be made for others Copying under the law includes translating into another language or format c Copyright 1998 2000 All Rights Reserved TerraSonde 2440 30 Street Boulder CO 80301 USA 303 545 5848 FAX 303 545 6066 www terrasonde com All rights reserved Printed in USA Revised February 03 General Notice some of the product names used herein have been used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies The Audio Toolbox is a trademark of TerraSonde Table of Contents OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 4 3 3 2 55086555080208020 0202020400220502 20252656265605 sese Ecce so 7 STANDARD AUDIO TOOLBOX CONNECTORS AND CONTROLS cceeeeeeennenn meer 7 ueque P n 8 Out or the box USING De RIA rriren ES eH e A TTE TNA 8 li duca o38 Bp V pcs M 11 aum 11 ALR and 1 4 Combo Left Inp l sese yer E FERE Y AER EXER FEE ERR EET nee 11 XLR and 1 4 Combo Right IDpul si sarda Fa eFancs Eu ad cu kia da aa 11 RGA Dhono plug TIES x i gue pod e RO ROG EO OR RH EQ ER a c C ARA ERE aKa 12 AER Audio OULDUE e caasa d viec an o GORGE C ESRB DE ED DEB E ka 12 1 4 Balanced audio output JHCKsii ie eees evk sve tes prev eorr
13. to save user defaults The user default values include all of the sub menus last accessed the last waveform type frequency and level values stored in the signal generator the time code generator values time and frame rate last used tuner reference frequency tempo last used RTA graph settings sample scope settings and various level settings and input selections in many of the functions There is only one set of user settings and each time you re store the values all stored settings are updated To store a set of user defaults Gotothe Setup amp Calibration functions on the Utilities menu gt If it is not already showing change the sub menu until you reach Save Defaults Move the cursor to the Save field and click Click on the field to exit the function All settings are now stored and will be recalled whenever the Toolbox is turned on How to use the calibration functions General instructions are provided as each calibration function operates similarly Select the desired calibration function Connectthe calibration signal or test equipment to the Audio Toolbox Setthe Cal field to the calibration value For example if you are calibrating the input to a known 3 0dBU signal set the Cal field to 3 0dBU The value being currently being read will be shown on the In line The difference between the In line and the Cal line shows the current calibration error for that function gt M
14. under battery power for the same reason How to use Hum Cancellation Connect the output of the source containing the hum to any of the Audio Toolbox left audio inputs Connect any of the Audio Toolbox audio outputs to the console or other line input If used with a mixing console the Audio Toolbox could be patched into the insert points of the channel Adjust the offending device s output to desired level With the hum audible but the instrument not playing push and turn the Sample data field to store a sample of the hum gt Move the focus to the Off data field and change this value to On Move the focus to the Offset data field and change the offset to minimize the hum This is usually only a few clicks in either direction You are now ready to play the instrument with the hum removed The hum cancellation is optimized for the output level of the device when the sample is taken If you need to adjust the output level of the device emitting the hum just re sample the hum and re adjust the offset This section contains the descriptions for the Utility functions Monitor Amplifier Description Use the Monitor Amplifier to trace signals or to listen to the output of a tape machine or CD player Also in Guitar mode you can use the Toolbox as a guitar headphone practice amp How to use the Monitor Amplifier Select Line or Mic input gt If Line input is selected select mono if you wish to route the
15. use 0 dB as shown on the tape machine meters even if the tape machine is adjusted to record a hot 0 like 9 for example If the device has output metering adjust the levels for 0 dB on the meter If the device has no level meters then adjust the Toolbox output to 4dBu for balanced equipment and 10dBV for unbalanced equipment To measure the S N ratio for a recording device that may not have a direct output like an ordinary cassette deck just record the OdB signal and play back in the Signal sub menu and then switch to the Noise sub menu and play back some tape that has been recorded with no input signal present The Audio Toolbox has three sweep functions Amplitude Sweep frequency response Impedance Sweep and a general purpose programmable Sine Wave Sweep Also this function has a calibration routine Sweep Cal that calibrates the internal voltage readings which are used by the Impedance Meter and the Cable Tester The Amplitude and Sine Wave Sweep functions vary the frequency once per millisecond which results in a sonically smooth sweep The Impedance Sweep and Sweep Cal functions vary the frequency in 1 3 or 1 12 octave steps This results in more accurate impedance measurements since the sweep cal function records the internal voltages in 1 3 octave steps In either case the frequency changes in integer Hz values only The Amplitude Sweep function can operate in 1 3 or 1 12 octave mode In either mode the generator f
16. 00 2000 or 4000Hz and sums the energy in the harmonics and residual noise to compute the THD N The range is 0 02 to 50 For most accurate results the input signal level must be constrained within a range so we include a bar graph level meter Either the line input or internal microphone input may be selected Note that as long as the correct frequency is chosen the signal may come from an external sine oscillator if desired The display shows the value numerically and also has a bar graph using a log scale from 100 to 0 01 THD How to use the Distortion Meter gt Connect the Toolbox output to the input of the device to be measured Or use an external sine wave signal source at the correct frequency gt Select MicL low level MicH high level or one of the line inputs Ext ExtL or ExtH gt Select the desired test frequency gt Turn on the signal generator and adjust the level for a mid range reading on the level meter gt Read the distortion in Notes This function is especially useful for testing speaker distortion which typically runs in the 1 5 range Check all of your drivers looking for differences between left and right drivers If one driver is much higher it is probably defective damaged or perhaps may fail soon Test Functions This section describes the Test Functions on the Audio Toolbox All functions that display level data allow you to select the display units as dBu equivalent volt
17. Connect the Toolbox to the PC Mac using the TerraSonde Computer interface cable This will connect the computer s serial port to the MIDI In and Out ports on the Toolbox Start the PC Mac program and follow its instructions The Toolbox will dump memory data to the host computer as requested Seethe PC Mac Computer Interface section on page 41 for more details Setup amp Calibration Description Every Audio Toolbox is fully calibrated before it leaves the factory All calibration constants are stored in non volatile memory The calibration functions on the Setup menu of the Audio Toolbox may be used to check or re calibrate any feature of the Toolbox at any time The accuracy of your results will be limited by the accuracy of your equipment and methods so use the best equipment available and follow these instructions closely The operation of the Audio Toolbox depends on the calibration If you feel that your Toolbox needs to be re calibrated but are not comfortable with doing this procedure yourself TerraSonde will re calibrate your Audio Toolbox to factory standards at any time for no charge Check with TerraSonde or your local distributor for details In addition to the calibration functions you may also store a set of user default values See the description of this feature below Like the other calibration values 38 these settings are stored in non volatile memory and are retrieved whenever the Toolbox is turned on How
18. ERJS 1xxdxoes cu cea caca du cu OE dE dE usus ux Uso su sd ERE NE xEc n ERE EE RE E HE ME E HEADS 30 TUNER E o A ora Ea Sene bra e eese e eaa o tea o ney Ava ei Pu erp Fosrvaesa do a ee peur oe 30 DESCHPUON MERDA 30 e roS MEL E 30 TEMPO COMPUTER i ia ie snaar asar AREA ADETE NETANE EA DA AESARXEERRDARMPERATE GR RRSAA 30 Ip agissent E 30 How to use the Smart Click Track over ax inrer IRR PARERE ER XE ER YER ERRARE MR 30 How to use the Leadin Laggin 2i sees eei rie erae ona iran iran raa aaa aa ya Rau AYER ERR RE ARRA NER REA 31 How to use he Drum Replacer aaa woe i cia oa OC GE ea ant D RD E LE TREE 31 MIDI HELPER erecto or cet n tcc nce o LOEO EC KR Y C C a 31 B 4 0 0 s Pn 31 HOW to use the MIDI MOFIOF ccscsstusevecets ies vceruses worie sis nlares irisi Ey ey EY vy RE VEU EE EXE EY ME EX EEYR 31 How to use the MIDI Text display isaieca o exi arr i a P OX ERA E EXER AK EE EE MER EIER 32 How to use the MIDI Hex display 4 rere eire raa iran tran rra rana rana nana aa ra arua raa argon 32 How to use the MIDI MODO u rtedeie tese Teri eor Fera Corr eri eco fens febre feto due Poe du d ud rid D d 32 How to use the MIDI Cable Tester nennen nnn nnn nnn nnn nna nna nan 32 MIDI TRANSMIT cxtics iors cina E ER Cn EX REC EE x C LECCE C EK EOD KE CR REDDE E ER CR EX RC 32 DOSCIPUON Ee T 32 HOW ACER 32 TIME CODE dq 33 DOSCIPUOR MEE G
19. K now get some really cool pattern on the screen whistle scream and move the highlight to the On field and click to turn the RTA off The display will freeze So move the highlight to the word Mem and click You jump straight into the Memory Control screen This feature is available from all of the functions that draw graphs Move the highlight to the memory number field and use your data field skills to change that number to 9 Or whatever The word to the right of the number indicates what is currently stored in that memory number which may very well be nothing unused Release the click lock and move to the Store field and click Your graph is now saved forever well almost in the non volatile memory chip inside the Toolbox By the way these memories can be transferred into a PC or Mac but that s a different story Now click Recall and you will jump back to the RTA with the memory recalled on the graph An extra field That s almost it for the RTA We ve covered all of the fields except the input selector it says MicL most likely the graph resolution selector and the extra field This is the field on the bottom of the screen in the center So move the highlight to that field You can click to activate cursor lock and then turn the knob to select between a display of the unweighted SPL A weighted SPL C weighted SPL or Max Hz This last one just shows the frequency value Hz for the band that is currently the loudest
20. R EA EEEAX TATEA ATE RE AXE LER LERRA ERR EDENES 20 DOSCHPUON p M 20 4 How to use the Speaker Polarity function sivescestivercestrressensseessersversseceverteurtovessversversent 20 How to use the Microphone Polarity function eese eene nnn nnn 21 How to use the Equipment Polarity function eese eene nnn nnn nnn 21 DISTORTION METER s si e ee ek dete orae Roe a Ud LO Fe Ee e ed x Er e Pea DL etd e e vh deca 21 Ip ressort 21 How to use the Distortion Mele s os er pede d Eae OK DR EC p E ORO E DK 21 NOES creer eise loe a e a Aa aaae EN E a toes 21 TEST FUNCTIONS xaxa uR EE ERENEMERERERERRN EV EEREENEERV RV RVRVEREMEMVE EVER RR KR Rr 22 SIGNAL GENERATOR 5 566 atc tonic onn efc on e x n ne ROM CY X v e X Ere i ai 22 DOSCIPUON er 22 How to use the Signal Generealor ossi ee oe ale ee a e ean GO OH LE KE ROC 22 Balanced output and level readings 11 eo eee eiie eee ran aaa ranura 23 OUI DUE level Targus rotes Pond evi deo ete lepores Dite ded tient des ebest des teens Dur a uod 23 How to use the Impedance Mele oio saxa ei Er o FRE FA KR RRR ER RR RRAERARERRNE UR Fx EYRERI AR KR 23 LEVEL FREQUENCY METER steres cansu ex etia reete 1k Fendi e tau D te Ree E Eee pe de LO FE Le Fe La Fo 23 DOSCIPUON EE ET 23 How to use the Level Meter Frequency Counter eessesssesee eese nnn nnns 23 How to u
21. SPL LOW CAL field to match the SPL sound field level being generated and click the SET data field Do the same for the SPL HIGH CAL data field These steps will calibrate a Toolbox but note that the factory constants will not be altered by these calibrations The only way to change the factory constants which 40 are a backup set of constants that you can always return to is by using a TerraSonde factory calibrator Ping For those times when there is nothing left to fix keep your mind occupied with a remake of a classic arcade game Operation Just change Stop to Start and your off and running Move the paddle up and down by turning the encoder Hit the ball before it hits the wall But watch out the ball speeds up every time you hit it Keep track of your high score if you need to exit the game before it is over just hold the encoder down and turn until the lt is selected and release the encoder You will return to the menus Description Shows the installed software version number tech support phone numbers and tech support web page addresses PC Mac Computer Interface Upgrading the Audio Toolbox Overview The Audio Toolbox may be field upgraded to new software using the MIDI ports on the Toolbox When connected to a serial port the MIDI ports are reconfigured internally for serial communications Minimum requirements for upgrading a Toolbox are a APCrunning Windows 95 or Windows 98 or a Mac a MIDI
22. The Audio Toolbox User Manual Version 3 05a V TerraSonde 303 545 5848 Aa 2434 Street fax 303 545 6066 Boulder CO 80301 USA sales amp support 888 433 2821 TerraSonde the makers of the Audio Toolbox www terrasonde com TerraSonde reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other information contained in this publication without prior notice and the reader should in all cases consult TerraSonde to determine whether any such changes have been made This manual may not be reproduced and is intended for the exclusive use of TerraSonde users The terms and conditions governing the sale and use of the Audio Toolbox consist solely of those set forth in the written contracts between TerraSonde and its customers No statement contained in this publication including statements regarding capacity suitability for use or performance of products shall be considered a warranty by TerraSonde for any purpose or give rise to any liability of TerraSonde In no event will TerraSonde be liable for any incidental indirect special or consequential damages including lost profits arising out of or relating to this publication or the information contained in it even if TerraSonde has been advised knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages The Audio Toolbox described in this document is copyrighted and is confidential information and a proprietary product of TerraSonde The copyright laws prohibit the copying of
23. Toolbox under load the output drops to around 8 Volts Thus the maximum input voltage is not exceeded You can check the remaining battery life by going to the Utility Menu function Power Make sure you select Alkaline as the battery type 13 Rechargeable Battery Pack An optional Rechargeable battery pack is available for the standard Audio Toolbox It contains a sealed lead acid SLA battery and a charger mounted in a plastic case that clips to the back of the Toolbox It connects to the Toolbox via a short lead with a power plug attached For charging and running the Toolbox on AC power plug the AC power module into the battery pack Charging Anytime that the AC power module is plugged into the battery module the battery will be charging You cannot overcharge the battery In fact we recommend leaving the AC power module plugged into the battery module whenever possible When the battery is mounted in the Toolbox and the Toolbox is turned on it will charge very slowly since most of the power from the AC power module is being used to run the Toolbox You can charge the battery either in the Toolbox or when it is removed If you have a spare battery module you can leave it plugged into the AC power module while you operate the Toolbox on the other battery Auto switch The battery module uses a latching relay to switch over from AC to battery power and to prevent the SLA battery from being completely discharged which can da
24. Track provides you with a very accurate click track electronic metronome that uses drum samples You can set the tempo in 2 10 of a beat per minute BPM increments select a time signature and assign one of 5 stored samples to each 1 8 note in the measure To use the Smart Click Track Select the Smart Click track sub menu Connect any Toolbox output to an amplifier Select a time signature Set the beats per minute Set the samples The large bars indicate quarter notes and the smaller bars indicate eight notes Move the cursor beneath the bar that you want to assign a sample to and push and click to select between five available samples K kick drum S snare drum H hi hat C clave T tom or leave it blank for none You can build up any pattern that you like gt If the small speaker headphone output is desired turn on the Sp Hd output and adjust the gain 31 gt Turn the output on and adjust the gain How to use the Leadin Laggin You can use the Leadin Laggin to compare 2 or 3 tempos to see which is ahead or behind or to check the calibration of your drum machine or sequencer It can also be used as a simple click track To use Select the Leadin Laggin sub menu Plug the external tempo source s into the right or left audio inputs Select the reference source left right or the internally generated click If desired set the internal click tempo level and turn it on Select a sample
25. Use this for feedback control to identify the offending frequency to find the loudest frequency in a room analysis using pink noise or to test how accurately you can whistle 1000Hz This field follows the band mode that is currently in effect so to get the most resolution switch to 1 3 octave mode And to wrap up The input field can be changed to use the low more sensitive microphone range or the hi range Or you can pick one of 3 line input ranges Then there is the field just to the left of the on off field this one controls how quickly the RTA reacts and the graph resolution field which is 10 the top dB number on the left graph axis Clicking this alternates between 1 0dB pixel resolution and 0 5dB pixel resolution Now you re an expert Really at this point you know about everything you need to operate the Toolbox You can navigate menus change data values use the cursor and store and recall memories As much as possible all of the Toolbox functions use the same principles of operation so you should be able to apply what you have learned in the other functions also Need to know more Read on there s more 11 Inputs and Outputs Overview The Audio Toolbox gets its input from either the internal microphone called Mic in the Toolbox or the line input jacks which are called Ext These inputs each have different ranges that may be used as required Some functions auto range and others require that you se
26. age level to dBm referenced to a 600mw power level dBV where OdBV is referenced to 0 0 Volts RMS Volts average Volts RMS or Volts Peak to Peak Several other functions use the features of the signal generator In many cases such as the Sample Scope you can use the Gen field to jump directly to the signal generator then you can set up the generator and then just click the lt field to return to the function Signal Generator Description A general purpose full featured crystal controlled signal generator that creates test tones and standard noise waveforms There is also an impedance meter sub function Note that you can store your own default values for waveform type frequency and level by using the Save Defaults function in the Setup amp Calibration function How to use the Signal Generator Plug any Toolbox audio output into the desired destination Select the desired mode sine wave square wave white noise pink noise impedance or polarity The polarity waveform looks like a square wave on top positive and a sine wave on the bottom negative portion of the test signal This waveform may be used for phase signal tracing with the Sample Scope function gt Turn the generator on gt For sine or square wave select the desired frequency Octave mode jumps between ISO octave band center frequencies 1 3 Oct mode steps between ISO third octave center band frequencies and fine mode provides for mor
27. any of the LEFT audio input connectors You may set an offset to be added to the incoming time code by moving the focus to the offset time fields and changing the values to the desired offset times Setthe desired time code output level To begin re generating time code move the focus to the Off data field and change the value to On This copies the value in the Left reader to the generator and begins re generating time code The time code that is output will have the offset added to it before it is sent out To re generate the incoming time code with no offset leave all of the offsets fields blank The Regen function locks the internal time code generator to the incoming time code stream It will slew speed up or slow down the time code being output by up to 1 to accommodate time code that is running a little fast or slow and to re sync after free wheeling through a section of drop outs How to use the Time Code Fault detector The Time Code Fault detector will find any frame that is not read as the next expected frame value This will include missing dropped frames or damaged frames The location of the last frame fault is displayed on the bottom of the screen If there are multiple bad frames the count will increment At any time you can clear the count field by clicking on Clear To use this function gt Connect the time code source to any LEFT Toolbox input connector Select the Faults sub menu Clea
28. by changing the Gain field on the Sp Hd line Power Tests Description These functions analyze phantom power and display the Audio Toolbox internal battery voltage and remaining battery life How to use the Phantom Power Tester Select Phantom mode 37 Connect a microphone cable to the XLR output connector The phantom power voltage for each pin is shown on the screen Note There is approx one volt of DC offset on this connector at all time Do not connect this to a microphone preamp or other device that cannot tolerate this voltage Also just after a phantom power test there will be up to 48VDC on this connector stored in the internal coupling capacitors Be careful when you plug the Toolbox outputs into a device just after doing a phantom power test How to use the Battery Tester Select Battery mode Select the battery chemistry alkaline lithium or NiMH when using the respective AA cells or select lead acid when using the TerraSonde rechargeable lead acid battery accessory The actual battery voltage and estimated remaining life is shown on the screen Note When operating on AC power such as the AC adapter or the Rack Mount running on AC power this field will show the voltage level of the power supply Transmit Data Description This function enables the PC Mac serial link for transferring data memories and printing screens How to use Select the function gt
29. ccccsceucesseccececeusesseccecuressesseceeteusessesseeaunenses 36 How to use the Battery TOSter sccccccssccccsssnssccecnsenscccuenseceeensasseceaenseseeeuaasaseaessasnaneaas 37 TRANSMIT DATAS cerei tree rea eT save ka TE EA FE FE VO va sarees FERA FER FEAT ERE Vea T EVER FRAU Fe AYER de 37 Ib regioiciej T 37 HOW tO USE 11 deer un ee due kn ER EA P ERE ERE ER ERR FERESERN PERS PRCERE MESTRE ERES ERUSREY PETERE CERE ARPRER OE 37 SETUP amp CALIBRATION csceeceeceececceceeseeceeeueusseseeseeauseesauseeseseuseussuseeseseesersanseseuseusensensesass 37 Ig redivsle c 37 How to save user defaults cc cscecceccecceteusesseccuceuresnesseccureusesseceeceutessessecuateusessessecenenses 38 How to use the calibration functions esee ener nnne 38 General SOLU caer dini OG CO A KU OUO RESO ORG GERD DAR ELE EAR UC RYE 38 Audio Toolbox Calibration Procedure eese eene nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nna nun 39 GAMES 15525 ora EY KASSE E VER NEN EVER E A A ERA MESEMESR EERERTRYENFEETENTS 40 Ixus ET 40 0s 5 111907 T E 40 ABOUT 2 sivexet eee eire vk Eo Fr ERE ERERER Fa FA CUT ER ER EE RR a ERR ER ER CREER ER XN ER UE CER ER ER ER EA UE UE ER ER ER Fa FEE ER Kw ERE TA 40 IB tasso WEN 40 PC MAC COMPUTER INTERFACE n nnunuananunuauuuauunuuuuuu sua u uana ua ua uan 41 UPGRADING THE AUDIO TOOLBOX scs
30. corresponds to the output of the Toolbox and the name on the right corresponds to the input connector Move the focus to the Test Stopped field Push and turn the encoder to change the field to Test Running gt Turn the speaker tone on or off as desired by clicking the on field to the right of the Test Running field First a digital wiring test is done The results are shown graphically on the screen Next an analog audio test is performed running 1kHz and then 20kHz through the cable The drop in transmission levels are shown for each frequency relative to the values stored in the Sweep Cal tables see the Sweeps menu for more information A good cable will have values of 0 0dB for both frequencies How to use the Continuity Tester Make a Continuity test cable adapter This is just two 1 4 plugs with only the tip connected in each The other end of each of the wires may terminate in a test probe alligator clip or other suitable connector Select the Continuity test mode gt Turn the speaker tone on or off as desired by clicking the on field to the right of the Test Running field Click the Test Stopped field to change it to Test Running to start the test 29 Touch the two test probes together A momentary beep should be heard and a line should appear on the screen if continuity is present Each time the test probes are connected together a short beep will be heard Session Helpers This sectio
31. dapter output 6v 9vDC 400ma Batteries 6 AA cells provide 5 8hours of service depending on usage Acoustic Analysis Sound Pressure Level Meter 0 3 dB steady state resolution to 0 1 dB 35 130 dBA with internal mic 25 135dbA with reference mic RMS detection with ANSI type 1 weighting networks and decay peak hold time constants Real Time Analyzer 1 5 dB with internal mic 5dB with reference mic Frequency discrimination to 1 Reverb Decay Time 2 of full signal 10ms resolution RT60 time is extrapolated from available room dynamic range Energy Time Graph one graph pixel Polarity 0 to 500 feet speaker to Audio Toolbox Shows polarity of closest driver s mid frequency wavefront Test Functions Signal Generator Distortion 0 196 sine wave output 20 20kHz level 35dBu to 17dBu Impedance meter range 1 ohm to 8000 ohms 2 or 0 20hms 1 ohm to 50 ohms 50Hz 12 5kHz Overall 10 Level Frequency Meter 0 5dB 20 20Khz 40dbu to 85dbu 1Hz freq counter Signal to Noise Ratio gt 85dB range checking 80dBu minimum level Sweeps Frequency Response Sweep 0 5dB or pixel of graph 20Hz to 20Khz Impedance Sweep Same specs as Impedance Meter 20Hz to 20kHz sweep 1 3 and 1 12 octave band modes Signal Generator Sweep Same specs as signal generator 20Hz to 20kHz sweep bandwidth 10 to 99 seconds duration 44 Sample Scope Runs at full sample rate 48kHz
32. e exact adjustment Note that square waves are limited to a maximum frequency of 1600Hz since the digital generator cannot create a good square wave above that frequency Setthe output level Coarse mode changes level by approx 1 5dB fine mode changes about 0 05dB Note that there are two ways that the level is shown First a bar meter shows the setting of the coarse level The second tick mark from the right is approximately OdBU In the sine and square waves a small marker appears beneath the coarse line This is the fine setting As you move the level up and down the fine setting changes until you reach either end of the scale Then the Toolbox automatically switches into coarse mode until you change the direction of the level change when it switches back into fine mode This setting is shown whether the output is on or off so that you have a way to see the approximate output level with the generator still turned off Also the actual level measured at the Toolbox output is shown numerically on the screen gt If desired lock the generator output Locking the output will cause the generator to attempt to hold the exact output level setting as measured on the output connector even if the load on the generator changes or if you change the output frequency which otherwise can slightly change the output level 23 You may select the display units Other Audio Toolbox functions incorporate the signal generator as required N
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34. ed to as the Sp Hd output The speaker is also used for the microphone polarity test and as an audible indicator in the cable tester Built in Microphone The built in microphone is mounted in the front of the unit and is used for the acoustical analysis functions The cylindrical shape is designed to accept a standard 1 2 nominal Sound Pressure Level calibrator such as the B amp K 4231 MIDI Inputs and Outputs There is one MIDI input and two independent MIDI outputs The MIDI reader normally sends the input signal to both outputs Some MIDI functions route the incoming MIDI messages to one output or the other The MIDI Input and Outputs are also used with an adapter cable for serial computer communications Power Standard Audio Toolbox Power Input Jack The Audio Toolbox takes 6 8vDC unregulated at a minimum of 500ma It also may be run on 6 AA cells for portable usage The input connector is a 2 1mm coaxial power connector positive on the center pin Power Switch The power switch is mounted towards the front of the Toolbox and will turn the Toolbox on or off whether powered by batteries or the AC adapter Battery Holder The external battery holder plugs into the power input jack and is attached with 2 thumbscrews You can order extra battery holders from TerraSonde to always have a fresh charge ready The battery holder takes 6 AA batteries These batteries actually create a 9 Volt source but when plugged into the
35. el set above A PPM Peak Program Meter indicator is shown as a single bar that bounces above the main bar The PPM meter uses the same reference level as the VU meter The absolute maximum peak level is shown on the bottom of the screen and can be reset by clicking the Max field Signal Noise Ratio Description This function compares the noise floor of a device to the full scale signal and computes the signal to noise ratio This is a stereo function and can run simultaneous two channel analysis How to use Connect any Toolbox audio output to the input s of the device to be measured Connect the device output s to the Toolbox input s balanced or unbalanced Make sure the Signal Noise sub menu is Signal The signal generator is turned on in this mode and you can adjust the frequency and level of the output Now adjust the generator output and or the device input level to obtain a full scale signal on the device under test This is the reference level that the noise floor will be compared to Now switch the Signal Noise sub menu to Noise The signal generator is turned off and the Toolbox switches the input to the most sensitive range 25 ExtL The noise floor of the device under test is now measured and the S N ratio is computed and displayed Sometimes it may be difficult to know what to use as the correct full scale level for a device If the device is an analog tape recorder you should
36. emory As soon as a memory is restored the sweep screen is displayed After recalling a memory you can use the cursor to read out individual data values These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function How to use the Sweep Cal function The Toolbox uses a table of stored internal voltages one for each 1 3 octave point to compute accurate impedance values and also in the Cables Tester to check for cable loss The values are stored in the table when this function is run Since this function appeared first in version 2 30 released July 25 2000 all Toolboxes manufactured before this date will show improved impedance meter and cable tester accuracy if this function is run Once it has been run the table is stored in non volatile memory and does not need to be run again However it does not hurt to re run this function at any time To run the Sweep cal function Connect a high quality short cable from the Toolbox XLR out to the Toolbox Left XLR input gt Disconnect all other audio cables from the Toolbox Click Run to start the function Wait for it to complete You should see a fairly straitght line on the graph when the function is done gt Move to the field and exit the function The table is now stored in memory Sample Scope Description Oscilloscope like function that runs at the maximum system sample rate 48 kHz and shows the incoming signal on a graph Useful for iden
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38. field to the approximate distance from the speaker to the Toolbox You may select units of feet or meters 20 Set the interval time Int This is the time between pulses You can set this between 2 and 4 seconds Select 2 seconds for relatively dead rooms or 4 seconds for more live rooms In Set Min mode allow the Toolbox to read the average background noise level in the room Change the mode to Set Max and carefully turn up the power amplifier The Toolbox will generate wide band pink noise You want the sound as loud as possible without actually damaging your system or overloading the Toolbox The Toolbox will compute and display the available decay range At least 30dB is recommended for an accurate reading You can also use the output level control on the Toolbox screen to control the level of the sound in the room Change the mode to Run RT60 The pink noise generator will be cycled on and off as readings are taken Several readings will be averaged and the results will be shown The Decay Time field displays the actual time in milliseconds for the sound field to decay by the Decay range amount The RT60 time field shows the extrapolated time for the sound to decay in the room were a full 60dB decay range available To stop the analysis change the mode from Run RT60 to Stop Polarity Tester Description This function is used to determine the absolute polarity of speakers microphones and audio equip
39. field until Save Defaults appears and click Save in the middle of the screen Your settings will be stored in non volatile memory and will be restored each time you re power the Toolbox 16 The stored settings include all the sub menu selections Signal Generator values time code generator and frame rate values RTA graph settings and more See the section in the manual on Setup amp Calibration for more information Monitoring the input signal In most functions anytime that the signal generator is turned off the input signal is routed directly to the Toolbox output This allows you to monitor the input signal In the SPL meter when the generator is off the microphone signal is routed to the output Acoustic Analysis Functions This section discusses the Acoustical Analysis functions of the Audio Toolbox These functions all use the internal microphone but can operate with an external microphone The external mic must be powered by an external mic preamp and some amount of gain may be required Sound Level Meter Description Measures the loudness of the ambient sound level in units of standard SPL dB This is a true RMS measurement using ANSI Type 1 standard display time averages and ANSI Type 1 standard A B and C weighting networks How to use Select one of the two available ANSI standard averaging modes Slow 1000ms exponential decay time averaged SPL Fast 125ms exponential decay time averaged SPL
40. gt Select one of four filtering modes A B or C weighted or flat un weighted gt The maximum displayed SPL reading is always held in its own field Reset the Max SPL level value as required gt Select the Internal or an External microphone External microphones must be calibrated see the instructions below gt If the signal generator output is desired use the On Off and attenuation fields on the second line of the screen and the Gen field to jump to the signal generator All generator output waveforms are available including Siine wave square wave white and pink noise including band limited pink noise When the signal generator is turned off the microphone signal is present at the output Real Time Analyzer RTA Theory ANSI Class 1 octave band or 1 3 octave band filters are applied to the incoming signal and the results are shown on a graph Description Analyzes the audio received at the microphone or left line input by dividing the audio spectrum into octaves or 1 3 octaves and displaying a bar graph that shows the dB levels of each band of sound The averaging speed is adjustable and the display can show a 35 or 17dB window There are two modes Full which is a 20 20kHz analysis and Low which covers the low part of the frequency spectrum from 10Hz to 332Hz How to use gt Select Full or Low frequency mode gt Select octave or 1 3 octave band filters as shown by 1 or 3 Select the ave
41. ield indicates whether or not the Toolbox has been through the factory calibration process If a unit needs to be re factory calibrated this field may be set to No Note that the factory calibration process requires a special Terrasonde calibration fixture Contact TerraSonde technical support before changing this field Restore Factory Calibration Every unit is fully tested and calibrated at the factory when it is produced The calibration constants are stored in non volatile memory A second copy of the constants is also stored so that if the first set has been altered for example by a bad re calibration procedure you can always restore the original factory calibration To do this set the Restore Cal data field on the General Setup menu to Yes and exit the menu The original factory calibration will be restored Audio Toolbox Calibration Procedure Follow these steps to fully calibrate the Audio Toolbox Calibrate the output Connect an output meter to either balanced output Make sure the meter is wired to read a balanced signal Now go to the Output Calibration function on the Setup menu Adjust the output level by using the coarse and fine adjust to read a value such as 0 00dBu on the external meter the value shown on the Toolbox may not match this number Then Adjust the CAL data field to match the meter reading and click SET Now both data fields should match Calibrate the inputs Connect a signal generator to the inputs Yo
42. ing For example from the Sample Scope function you can click on Gen and jump to the signal generator screen and set up a 1000Hz square wave signal Then click the and you will return to the Sample Scope screen From here you can turn on the signal generator and use the square wave Memories On functions that have access to the data memories the graphing functions a Mem field will be available When you click this field you will jump directly to the Memory Control screen Here you can save your screen image to a memory or a recall a memory When you recall a memory or just exit the screen you will return to the function from which the Memory Control screen was called For example from the Sweep Amplitude function you can run a sweep click on Mem to jump to the Memory Control screen store the sweep into a memory and recall another sweep amplitude memory You will jump back to the Sweep Amplitude function and the stored graph will be displayed You can also delete memories from the Memory screen You can choose delete a single memory or all memories in the Toolbox Some functions such as the Sound Study Graph can automatically store memories These functions will only store into erased memory positions Saving favorite user settings The Audio Toolbox has the ability to store a set of favorite values Just set up the Toolbox the way you like it and go to the Setup amp Calibration function Then click on the sub menu
43. ldS eise ava nar Ya Rh eR ER RETREAT OX EAM FERHA CER E RV ME 15 Saving favorite user settings e ruis oie idera purger ker Fan RE ERR R RFRE RATE AREE FRA EERR EVE EFE Ra FERE 15 Monitoring the input SIONAL xxx ako o ooa code adc e E nct ORO E RT EE 16 ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS FUNCTIONS ac acutukuuuuu au cuSuAu Suena n ese asas EA ana naa cx 17 SOUND EVEL METER 3x aa a EXER SERIE PEERRKAREKEREEAREER BERE KAXRRREEENEERITARAPRLMPES AREA MAREA ELEME 17 B Xol 5 0 0 e OCTETS 17 HOW O USC wetisccriersisepecdiveiseatsedtscatavicacessvetssatsvarsvataceusva verssstasensvadieecarslisscieaisvinavess 17 REAL TIME ANALYZER R TA ince cure oneri oe ch vane teure Su ce aa On ER YU ss due du eme e Ew On uc Ue de Cra 17 TREV si hetasss eoitedordrs ebien du debsirety datvustedelenedy d c bd e Dr a n ii ia 17 DOSCHPUOR MEME aia ANANE EAEE EENEN REAA EENAA AENA 17 HoW to Use MET 17 1110010 l SPEE A T E TA A EA 18 ENERGY TIME GRAPH ss vasa wins vata EXER ERRARE EX URN aa E AEAEE EEEE ER Vg 18 B rosis so visa sisca sacar 18 HOW ANI 18 hinge S 19 REVERB DECAY TIME TR TOU casio pee eee Fe e dyes Yes aee Ye Ewa Peru eater EXE Ye ades ee 19 Ib reis dej M M 19 HOWTO USE 1 ec ot Tos exortu curse ra RE ter cv sdiestsusetecasieducss cus FE FERE ER ERE PEOR eR ERE ERE TER test 19 POLARITY VESTER 2 3 oda dX a d EAE ELE E
44. lect an appropriate range Depending on need not all ranges are available in all functions The internal microphone has two ranges MicL and MicH Microphone Input Minimum Level Maximum Level Range MicL 30 dB SPL 95 dB SPL MicH 65 dB SPL 130 dB SPL The line inputs XLR and _ combo jacks or the RCA jacks feed balanced input amplifiers with the RCA jacks feeding one side of the balancing network The 3 ranges available for these inputs are Line Input Range Minimum Level Maximum Level ExtL 95dBu 35dBu Ext 75dBu 7dBu ExtH 40dBu 40dBu You may use either the XLR and 1 4 combo input jacks or the RCA input jacks depending on the type of cable you are working with Functions that use only one input like the cable tester always use the left XLR combo or RCA jack For output you may use either the XLR 1 4 TRS or RCA jack All carry the same signal Any of them may be used for the cable test The phantom power test uses the XLR output connector The output range of the Toolbox is 78dBu to 17dBu The 1 4 stereo headphone jack will power 32 ohm or greater headphones or may be used as a stereo line output from the Toolbox If nothing is plugged into the headphone jack and the audio output is turned on it is routed to the internal speaker In functions that allow using the headphone speaker output you can turn this output on and off and set its level indepe
45. left input to both output channels The microphone input appears in mono at the output gt If Line input is selected plug the audio input source into any of the audio input connectors Select the desired line input gain range OdB 40dB amplifier or 40dB pad Be careful when selecting the 40dB gain amp this is often enough gain to drive the output or headphones to full level Select the desired input and output gain settings for proper level and to avoid distortion gt If desired turn on the headphone speaker output How to use the Guitar Headphone Amplifier This function lets you listen to a guitar in headphones complete with effects You can also plug a source CD player drum machine console output etc in and have music to play along with Note that the main Toolbox output is disabled in this mode because the output of this function requires both channels for stereo Plug an electric guitar into the left 1 4 Toolbox input gt Optionally plug a sound source into the right Toolbox input Plug headphones into the Toolbox 1 4 headphone output You can also use this output as a line out if required Change the sub menu to Guitar Turn on the headphones by setting the Sp Hd field to On Adjust the levels of the left input guitar and the right input music if used fro maximum signal without clipping or distortion Adjust the effects as desired Adjust the headphone level as desired
46. mage it The switch over happens automatically as the AC power module is plugged into the battery module In some cases it is possible to latch the relay into a state where the battery even though charged will not operate the Toolbox These conditions include plugging the AC power module into the battery module with no or very low AC power present and extreme physical shock To correct this condition just remove the AC power module plug from the battery module make sure the AC module is getting good power and plug it back into the battery module Battery Life amp Charging Times The display backlight consumes a good deal of power and shortens the battery life There is an option in the Toolbox setup that controls how long the backlight stays on under battery power it is always on under AC power Every time you move or dick the encoder the backlight is switched on To change the backlight on time go to the Utility Menu Setup amp Calibration function General sub menu You can change this time from 0 to 999 seconds Battery Life Backlight On 1 3 hours Backlight Off 3 0 hours Charge Time Toolbox Off 3 0 hours or battery removed Toolbox On 7 0 hours Calibration function General sub menu You can change this time from 0 to 999 seconds Battery Life Backlight On 1 3 hours Backlight Off 3 0 hours 14 Charge Time Toolbox Off 3 0 hours or battery removed T
47. manship under the normal use and service for which they were designed for a period of one 1 year after date of shipment Manufacturer s obligation under this warranty being limited at its option however to the replacement or repair of a part or parts determined by it to be defective All necessary packing and transportation costs for return of the goods to be paid by sender The Products must be returned in appropriate packaging comparable to that used in the original package by Manufacturer All replacement or required goods will be returned to sender by like means at Manufacturer s expense Manufacturer shall under no circumstances be liable for any special indirect or 47 consequential damages owing to failure of the Products MANUFACTURER MAKES NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS OR MERCHANTABILITY AND NO OTHER WARRANTY ORAL OR WRITTEN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH HEREIN A About 40 B Battery AA holder 12 rechargeable 13 testing voltage 37 C Cable Tester amp Continuity Tester 28 Calibration battery voltage test 39 frequency counter 39 functions 38 input 39 output 39 phantom power 39 procedure 39 restoring factory calibration 39 SPL 39 support policy 46 Click Track 30 Continuity Tester 28 D Distortion Meter 21 E Energy Time Graph 18 G Generator GEN jump field 15 Guitar Headphone Amplifier function 36 tuner 30 H Hum Cancellation 35 I Impedance adapte
48. ment Note Since The Audio Toolbox uses XLR pin 2 hot if your system is wired pin 3 hot you will likely get incorrect results A simple way around this is to use an unbalanced output either the RCA output or the 1 4 output with an unbalanced 1 4 plug How to use the Speaker Polarity function Select the Speaker sub menu Plug any Toolbox audio output into an amplifier and speaker Turn the level down at the amplifier Make sure that only one speaker is playing or that the Audio Toolbox is at least 1 foot or 0 5 meters closer to one speaker than the other Make sure that there is a direct audio path from the speaker driver to the internal microphone Carefully turn up the amplifier level until the level meter shows a mid scale reading If required change the Input gain field or adjust the system volume level to get a mid scale reading If the level is too high select MicH Observe the and confidence meters to see that the Toolbox is getting good information from the speaker Only one bar should be tall If both bars are tall then there may be excessive background noise in the room Observe the display for either a plus sign positive polarity or a minus sign negative polarity To check the polarity of individual drivers in a speaker cabinet turn the level down or select low input gain and put the Toolbox microphone right up to each individual speaker element Note
49. n has functions that are useful during recording sessions Tuner Description The guitar tuner may be used to tune a bass or normal six string guitar Several open tunings may be selected The guitar may have a capo installed and the entire scale may be de tuned up or down to tune to out of tune instruments In addition to tuning information the tuner displays information regarding the harmonic content of the note being played Five small bar graphs are displayed representing the fundamental first second third and fourth harmonics As frequencies corresponding to these bar graphs are detected the bar grows longer This is useful in two ways First they are a type of signal strength meter showing how reliable the tuning data is currently Second if you detect that the string is in tune at one harmonic but not at another it may mean that the strings are old and stretched and should be replaced How to use Select the instrument mode Guitar Bass Cello Viola or Violin If a guitar or bass is selected choose the tuning scale If tuning a guitar select Open or Capo Select A 2440 or skew the tuning as desired Select the internal microphone input or LEFT line input Play the guitar and tune it VV VV ON ON Tempo Computer Description The Tempo Computer consists of three sub functions the Smart Click Track the Leadin Laggin tempo analyzer and the Drum Replacer How to use the Smart Click Track The Smart Click
50. ndently from the main mono audio output XLR and 1 4 Combo Left Input This connector is a balanced audio input connector that accepts either an XLR connector or a 1 4 TRS or mono connector Pin 2 is hot on the XLR input This input can be thought of as the main input Functions that only use one input or that specify Ext ExtL or ExtH will use this connector XLR and 1 4 Combo Right Input This connector is a balanced audio input connector that accepts either an XLR connector or a 1 4 TRS or mono connector Pin 2 is hot on the XLR input This is the right channel Ext ExtL or ExtH input 12 RCA phono plug Inputs These connectors are unbalanced stereo inputs They are the unbalanced Ext ExtL or ExtH inputs XLR Audio Output Use this connector when a balanced XLR audio output is needed It is also used for the phantom power test Pin 2 is hot 1 4 Balanced audio output jack This connector is wired in parallel with the XLR output jack above It provides a TRS balanced audio output RCA phono plug output The mono output is also routed to this jack This is one side of the balanced output 1 4 Stereo Headphone Output Jack Built in Speaker This jack is designed for headphone output as well as a stereo line level output if needed It is the only stereo output on the Toolbox The built in speaker is mounted on the output right side of the box It may be turned on in several functions where it is referr
51. olbox measures 5 1 2 x 9 1 2 x 2 1 2 14cm x 24cm x 6cm It weighs 2 Lb 1kg MICROPHONE LEFT XLR amp 1 4 BAL eMe Lr Y c t E ges e Fs Ls Je T X er o wA EN d J sre Ej INPUT 136 3 e Soe ey au t T A E ee 4 3 3 s Ai MUTO EIL NS eek CABLE TESTER IN CE aya oe 5 Lio XN dica MIO GUITAR IN XLR OUTPUT sat EE X MY CABLE TESTER OUT RIGHT XLR amp fj 1 4 BAL NI g PHANTOM TEST h _ OUTPUT BAL M V E RCA INPUTS e STEREO UNBALANCED oe g POWER INPUT f RCA OUTPUT UNBALANCED MONO 1 4 STEREO 32 OHM MIN 1 j MIDI OUTPUT z Mee rs MIDI OUTPUT OWER SWITCH E l F pae NOTE ALSO USED Fi SERIAL I O WITH AD CABLE ENCODER KNOB No time for manuals Read this to jump start your Toolbox In the process you will learn the basics of Toolbox operation and become a better person Out of the box Using the RTA Let s start with a new Audio Toolbox still in the box You can be up and running the RTA in 5 minutes Here s how Unpackit Open the box remove the power and battery modules and lift the cardboard holder out Don t rip the plastic it just unfolds You can save the packing material and re use it if you ever need to gt Turn it on Plug the AC adapter in the wall and plug the other end into the Toolbox Flip the power switch on and watch the running man move across the screen By the way if you ever want to upgrade the sof
52. one pixel of display 20 22kHz Distortion Meter 0 02 minimum reading accurate to 5 Session Helpers Guitar Tuner 2 cents Tempo Computer All functions 0 2 BPM Time to 1ms MIDI Functions One input two outputs standard 5 pin DIN MIDI sockets Time Code Computer 1 frame all functions Supports 24 fps film 25 fps EBU 30 fps SMPTE and 30 fps drop SMPTE drop 29 97 read as 30 Sub frame lock indicator 1 sub frame Frame per second reader 001 fps Hum Cancellation 45 dB reduction in line frequency related hum components Utility Monitor Amp Up to 40dB of gain Minimum load impedance 32 ohms Cable Tester Tests XLR _ balanced and single ended all XLR to _ combinations RCA cables also tested Power Tests Phantom checker shows voltage 0 2V on and XLR pins Battery tester accurate to 02VDC Warranty and Support Policies This section contains the complete TerraSonde Audio Toolbox warranty customer support and return policies 14 Day Trial You may return the Audio Toolbox to the place of purchase and receive a full refund within 14 days of purchase The returned unit must be in as new condition and must include all original packaging and accessories If the unit is not in as new condition you will be referred to TerraSonde the manufacturer to resolve the problem TerraSonde backs up this promise so please contact us if any problem occurs Note Non
53. oolbox On 7 0 hours Operating The Audio Toolbox Power on and off amp software upgrade mode The Toolbox can be powered on and off at any time there is no shutdown procedure You will notice when you turn on the unit that the running man moves across the screen while a countdown appears on the bottom of the screen During this time the serial number is visible on the top of the screen Then you may briefly notice the words hyper jumping and then the main menu appears What is going on here is that while the running man is on the screen the Toolbox is running the monitor program This program only knows how to load the main Toolbox software and how to do software upgrades To enter the software upgrade mode just turn the encoder to the right for serial upgrades or to the left for MIDI upgrades See the web site for full details on software upgrades The monitor program is stored in protected memory and cannot be erased or altered even by a failed or interrupted program update If for some reason your Toolbox ever freezes at the hyper jumping screen a software update should fix it Contact TerraSonde tech support if you need more information about this feature Encoder All user input to the Audio Toolbox is done by using the large knob on the front of the unit This knob turns and may also be pressed clicked Focus The Audio Toolbox uses the concept of focus on the screen To select or change any item whe
54. oon Anyway change this field just by clicking the knob and you will see the width of the bars change You are changing from octave band to 1 3 octave band analysis Try the cursor Wonder what all those bars mean Each one represents the SPL level of a range of frequencies To see the exact level and frequency band turn the knob until the dark block is in the lower right corner Now click and the block changes to an underline You have just activated cursor lock for the Cursor OK the terms are confusing But turn the knob back and forth anyway and you will see a line move back and forth on the screen This is the graph cursor Now notice that the little numbers above the thick line are changing too They show you the frequency band the cursor is hovering over and the level in dB SPL of that band Neat Now click the knob to release the cursor lock and Turn on the generator Turn the knob until you get to the field just next to the word Gen Click to change it to on Now if you plug the Toolbox output any output except the headphone out into an amplifier and a speaker you will hear a waterfall Actually pink noise Here s an exception everywhere else in the Toolbox like the Sound Level Meter Scope whatever the word Gen is actually a field that you can click to jump directly into the Signal Generator function to make adjustments The RTA only has pink noise available so it won t do this little trick Save a memory O
55. ote that the RTA has only wide band pink noise available due to memory constraints Balanced output and level readings Note You may choose to display the output as it appears on the balanced connectors XLR and 1 4 or the unbalanced RCA connector which will normally be 6dB lower The reading displayed for the XLR and 1 4 connectors will still be accurate even if you unbalance the output by plugging in a 1 4 unbalanced plug for example but the reading for the RCA connector will NOT be accurate if the signal has been unbalanced in this manner The displayed level resolution changes with output level In the range of 9 95 to 9 95 the output level is shown in steps of 0 05dB Outside of this range the step size is 0 1dB Output level range The sine wave output range of The Audio Toolbox is from approx 60dBu to 14dBu These levels may be selected by adjusting the levels in coarse mode However you can expand this range somewhat by first going to the maximum or minimum level in coarse mode and then switching to fine mode and adjusting the level further By doing this you can obtain output levels from 78dBu to 17dBu The maximum white noise level is 9dBu and the maximum pink noise level is OdBu How to use the Impedance Meter Make a special adapter cable This is a 1 4 stereo plug with only the tip and ring brought out on a wire Make sure that the ground connector sleeve is not connected floating
56. ove the focus to the Set field for the channel that you are calibrating and click the encoder to calibrate The In field value should now match the Cal field When you click on the lt to return to the menus the new calibration constants are stored in non volatile memory General Setup This menu has data fields for some miscellaneous values that are stored in the Toolbox Each is described below Since you can alter the contents of the calibration values stored in the Toolbox be careful with these data fields If you are unsure of what to do contact TerraSonde technical support before altering these DC Backlight On This field controls how many seconds the display backlight stays on after moving or dicking the encoder knob under battery power Enter any number of seconds from 0 to 999 Keeping the backlight off conserves battery power The backlight stays on under AC power Burn in This field indicates whether or not the Toolbox has been through the burn in process When an Audio Toolbox is first powered up in manufacture it enters a burn in and self calibrate state Several constants are stored at this time The unit may be forced through the burn in process again by setting the burn in data field on the General Setup menu to No exiting the menu and powering the unit off and back 39 on The burn in procedure takes one hour to complete Note that this may affect the main calibration Factory Calibration This f
57. ox functions have sub menus but most do The RTA has two sub menus Full which is 20 20k analysis and Low which covers 10Hz to 332Hz Turn the encoder once to the right or several times to the left and you will highlight the sub menu field Click on it and the screen will re draw the function in Low mode Change back to Full for this demo Change a data field We re going to skip ahead a few fields Unless you are in a fairly loud environment the display will be mostly blank So turn the encoder unitl the dark block is in the lower left corner Now click it will change to an underline You have just entered cursor lock for the RTA dB range field While you are in cursor lock when you turn the knob the data value changes Try it Change the value until you get some visible bars on the screen You will probably have to go down in value hint turn the knob counter clockwise Now click again to release the cursor lock Change another one Turn the knob and the highlight will again roam around the screen Stop when you get to the number field just to the right of the sub menu Full It will have a number in it This is the band mode for the RTA Click the knob and this field will change no need for cursor lock here there are only 9 4 choices You will find that data fields and other fields with a lot of values use cursor lock while on off fields and others that have just a few don t use it Tt will all make sense s
58. p The Impedance Sweep function will plot the impedance of a load versus frequency You will need to make up a test cable This is the same cable used with the Impedance Meter function on the Signal Generator To make this cable connect two test probes or clips to the Tip and Ring of a _ stereo plug The ground is left open gt Plug the impedance tester cable into the _ output jack on the Toolbox gt Plug a standard male to female XLR cable microphone cable from the Toolbox XLR output jack to the Toolbox Left combo input jack Use a short cable if possible Select either 1 3 or 1 12 octave mode gt Start the test by changing OFF to RUN gt Wait for the results to be displayed You may now select the cursor below the graph and move it to read the exact measurement and frequency for each band displayed The generator level is set to a fixed output level approximately 6dBu to optimize the impedance measurement Note that this function uses the results of the Sweep Cal function to obtain accurate readings See the description below for more information Also see the section below on using the memories Memories The results of both the Amplitude and Impedance sweeps can be stored in any of the 40 non volatile memories To access the memories click on the Mem field 27 You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored m
59. played on the top right hand part of the screen Memories The Energy Time Graph can be stored in any of 40 non volatile memories To access the memories click on the Mem field You will jump directly to the Memory Control screen where you can save the current display into a memory or recall a previously stored memory As soon as a memory is restored the Energy Time Graph screen is displayed After recalling a memory you can use the cursor to read out individual data values These memories can be transferred to the PC Mac using the Transmit Data function Reverb Decay Time RT60 Description Computes the reverb decay time for a room referenced to the standard RT60 time RT60 is defined as the time that it takes sound to decay by 60dB Ear protection is recommended when using this function The RT60 time may be computed wide band 20 20kHz with one of the A B or C weighting filters in effect Note We recommend that you use one of the weighting filters Otherwise low frequency sound that may not even be audible can raise the noise floor of the room limiting the useful range of the analysis Also often low frequency rumble from traffic HVAC or even people walking in other rooms can cause erratic results How to use Select A B or C weighting or Flat full range for the analysis Plug any Toolbox audio output into an amplifier and speaker Turn the level down at the amplifier Setthe Speaker
60. port 2 only or 12 to route the channel to both MIDI ports gt To change the status of all of the ports at once move the focus to Outputs Otherwise move the focus to the individual channels that you wish to modify AS MIDI commands come in they are routed to the port number specified on the screen MIDI real time messages such as clock start stop and continue are always routed to both ports How to use the MIDI Cable Tester Note This test is run at 2x normal MIDI transmit rate to try to identify problems with marginal cables Select the MIDI Cable Test sub menu Plug the MIDI cable that you wish to test into the MIDI input jack and either MIDI output jack Select the Test Stopped data field Push and turn the encoder to start the test Theresults will be shown on the display MIDI Transmit Description Use the MIDI Transmit functions to output single MIDI commands of an type to help in testing setup and de bugging of MIDI systems How to use Select the type of MIDI command you wish to send out from the sub menu Note On Note Off Controller Program Change Pitch bend Key Pressure Real Time Channel Mode or Machine Control Setthe data for the command as you wish In some cases this means selecting a command sub type Move the focus to the Send data field and push and turn the encoder to send the command out 33 Time Code Description Use the Time Code functions to read
61. put Choose MicL low range microphone input approx 35 to 95dB SPL range MicH high range mic input approx 70db to 130dB SPL ExtL low range line input approx 95dBu to 30dBu the Ext input normal line input range approx 77dBu to 7dBu or ExtH high line input range approx 40dBu to 40dBu If a line input is selected connect the output of the device being tested to the LEFT input Select either the 1 3 octave mode or 1 12 octave mode Start the test by changing OFF to RUN Wait for the test to finish The results are displayed graphically If an input overload is detected at any point in the sweep the word OVERLOAD will appear on the display In this case select a higher input range or lower the output of the device being tested If the input level of the entire sweep is too low to obtain meaningful results the words LOW INPUT will appear on the display Choose a more sensitive lower input range or increase the output of the device being tested You may now select the cursor below the graph and move it to read the exact measurement and frequency for each band displayed The generator output level defaults to the Signal Generator output level If you wish to change the output level click Gen to go to the Signal Generator screen and set the level The new level will be used in the next Frequency Response sweep See the section below on using the memories v VV V ON How to use the Impedance Swee
62. r cable 23 input specification 43 meter 23 meter specifications 43 output specification 43 Sweep function 26 Inputs 1 4 11 range 11 RCA 12 XLR 11 L Level Frequency Meter 23 M Memories ME jump field 15 transmitting to PC or Mac 37 Microphone input range 11 MIDI Helper 31 MIDI Transmit 32 Monitor Amplifier 36 O Outputs 1 4 12 headphone 12 MIDI 12 RCA 12 XLR 12 P PC Mac Computer Interface 41 Polarity Tester 20 Power standard Audio Toolbox 12 Power Tests 36 R Real Time Analyzer RTA 17 Reverb Decay Time RT60 19 S Sample Scope 27 Setup amp Calibration 37 Signal Noise Ratio 24 Signal Generator 22 Software version number 40 49 Sound Level Meter 17 Specifications 43 Sweeps 25 1 Technical Support contacting 2 information 40 Tempo Computer 30 Time Code 33 Transmit Data 37 V VU PPM meters 24 W Warranty 46
63. r the faults indicator as required Note that often time code starting up or stopping will trigger the fault detector This is normal operation for this function You can clear the faults counter after code starts up to look for later problems How to use the Time Code Frame Rate analyzer This function accurately measures the actual incoming time code frame rate to 0 001 of a frame The time code data stream is not de coded in this function Use the time code reader to see this information Select the Frame Rate sub menu Connect the time code to any of the LEFT inputs gt Read the frame rate on the screen How to use the Time Code Calculator This function allows you to add or subtract time code values Select the Calculator sub menu Setthe first time code by moving the focus to the time and frame rate fields and changing the values to the desired times gt Change the operator data field to the desired operation either for addition or for subtraction Setthe second time code by moving the focus to the time fields and changing the values to the desired time gt Move the focus to the field and push and turn the encoder to perform the calculation 35 Hum Cancellation Description The Hum Cancellation function is used to remove hum while recording or performing Note that this function will not work with recorded material since it needs to have the line frequency available to lock to Also it will not work
64. raging mode The numeric value indicates an exponential decay with a time constant equal to the value For example if you choose 3s 3 seconds the screen will decay on a 3 second exponential time constant The longer the time constant the smoother the display 18 Select the appropriate input Choose MicL low range mic input approx 30 to 95dB SPL range MicH high range mic input approx 70db to 130dB SPL ExtL low range line input approx 80dBu to 30dBu Ext normal line input range approx 50dBu to 7dBu or ExtH high line input range approx 10dBu to 40dBu The mic input levels are calibrated with the SPL meter levels gt Turn on the pink noise generator Gen on Clicking on the dB number on the top of the left graph axis changes the graph resolution from 1dB pixel to 0 5dB per pixel Adjust the dB range as needed so that the display fits on the vertical axis by selecting the lower dB value on the vertical axis Select the extra field This is the field in the bottom center of the screen You can choose to see either the full band SPL level dB SPL the A weighted SPL dBA SPL or the C weighted SPL dBC SPL Note that these levels are not as accurate the SPL levels displayed on the SPL meter but are available to show the SPL level in the room gt Use the cursor to read out the exact dB level and frequency of any bar on the screen gt To freeze the display turn the RTA off gt If
65. recoverable charges including shipping charges credit card transaction fees and other such costs are exempt from this policy and will not be refunded Check with your dealer for details Software Upgrade Policy TerraSonde provides 90 day free software upgrade period In some cases you may have to return the unit to the factory for the upgrade In this case you will pay shipping to TerraSonde and we will ship the unit back to you after the upgrade at our expense in the USA International customers must pay shipping both ways This software upgrade policy does not apply to new features added to the system only to improvements and corrections made to your existing software This upgrade policy applies to the basic Audio Toolbox software If major new features or functions are added to the Audio Toolbox they may be available at extra cost from time to time Calibration Policy If at any time you feel that your Audio Toolbox is not correctly calibrated and you do not wish to or are not able to calibrate it yourself you may return the unit to TerraSonde and we will calibrate the unit free of charge back to original factory specifications You must pay shipping charges to TerraSonde and we will ship the unit back at our expense in the USA International customers must pay shipping both ways Warranty TerraSonde Manufacturer warrants the Products so far as the same are of its own manufacture against defects in material and work
66. requency Meter ausu depieep est pcr vtr et edu datu saeva vam UE ei oex v TER innn RE ient r ea 43 SIgBal to NOISE RANG vs wasbiis eudebeeqaA R b Rp X Y qd TERIERA IRTAINTA AARTEITA 43 zc M 43 Sample SCOPEC RM M 44 Distortioh Meter iiie eeu tae x enar ea eeu yx FE e RER AEREE EEREN HRKYEREKERY REF ERE FE CKT 44 SESSION THELPERS a1 set ia roe x T XR ExURQE Ev Ea XE SV ER ERRRENYAEKENENERESKRVEE URNA KE AYER VYERVERE V CY s VUES 44 GUA gU e 44 TempoCOImDUter 3 dva peu annA ERE KASIES aS ENTRE NER ETURR EEEE REI TE ER PELIPE toes 44 MIDI FUNCTIONS vii iius ris cix ve poa tix ERE e PRA ERA REEYERRA ERE YRKTERNNERENFEEEARAREEKEERATE EX ERIRMRA ER EFE ERE 44 Time Code Compute E i ih 44 Hum Cancellati N E 44 nL DAE T A AT 44 MONORA D Garda ub OG EE EEE EEE RR 44 CODIE E E O I E ES 44 P wer TEStS eiie Geo ives die a POPE ANEDE UE PERPE RARE SECES DECAL CUP EFE PIER ESEN CR ERES QE 44 WARRANTY AND SUPPORT POLICIES eere nnne nennen nnn nnn 46 I4 DAY TRIAL A piv Eta ERES REP R ES E VEDI A KEEN TT 46 SOFTWARE UPGRADE POLICY 5 cena x oc E E X a x t 46 CALIBRATION POLICY 1235 soci xoXE panaan NNa VSN NAVA VENAN N NANE IEE T E EPEE VES 46 WARRANTY ssiwxso nox nee ano a a c RE i dae eae 46 Operating Instructions Standard Audio Toolbox Connectors and Controls The Audio To
67. requency sweeps smoothly and the Amplitude Sweep function averages the results over each of the 1 3 or 1 12 octave bands The sweep time and start and stop frequencies for all sweep functions can be set by the programmable Sine Sweep function You can set the starting and ending frequencies to any ISO standard 1 3 octave frequency and the time from 1 to 99 seconds How to use the Sine Wave Sweep The Sine Wave Sweep function provides a general purpose programmable smooth sine wave sweep It can also be used to define the sweep parameters for the other sweep functions You can set the beginning and ending frequency values and the sweep time from 1 to 99 seconds The level is set by clicking the Gen field and jumping to the Signal Generator screen To use the Sine Wave Sweep function Connect any Toolbox output to the device input Select the starting frequency value Select the ending frequency value Select the sweep time in seconds Change the OFF field to RUN How to use the Amplitude Sweep This function measures the frequency response of a device by measuring the average level of each 1 3 or 1 12 octave band in the selected sweep range while VV VV ON 26 the generator smoothly sweeps the sine wave Note that you can set the starting and ending frequency values and the sweep time in the Sine Wave Sweep function Connect any of the Toolbox outputs to the input of the device being tested Select the appropriate in
68. se the VU PPM meters eee nn annua nana 24 SIGNAL Meza ye H 24 DeScCHDLHOS sse us cs en ey eve vex repe c e ee err eee DER ed VEA EE eA VEIT I PEUT ORE eee 24 HOWTO USE es NE CSMEVRMRORVEKS NRIURMAQU NERRVEKHRRCR MER HMRORVREHA RU Ead QC FEE EESSI RC ELEC SEES 24 uy cc PTT 25 How to use the Sine Wave Sweep 1 eere erre orar iran rana nana ru a aaa a aaa ary a rag R aaa naa 25 How to use the Amplitude Sweep 14e eer eire rona iran iran rana nana rur aaa ra naa aranea aaa aaa uas 25 How to use the Impedance SWeep oer eere irren iran inna rapa aaa poa kh aa kr APER ERN E A Ra aa R aaa 26 Iz teo ar T 26 How to use the Sweep Cal Sun CuOn ss siio es varus eter rat eei ru heu vea ey exo deu eg ey rt ea eb uye y vert apr E aus 27 SAMPLE SCORE 4s tawsahusiancsd usin eden pl era va cra kb ead eia dk Gor eia v Yrrka pl erba x Baa ead 27 IB rodsi SP X X P 27 ne Ael P 27 erc 28 CABLE TESTER GC CONTINUITY LESTER cape haee ERE RE vase rd ernie ME SE KRVR NERA DUKE ER ER ga RE S 28 DOSCHPUON itn 28 How to Use the Cable TOSIBI es eeose ee kepoveveuesPavue ee geura epus Peer ee ra Rear Feb F e Ee RE Ee aE PELEA 28 How to use the Continuity Testet iuris rubo o aka XLEEOC EORUEIRER KE EEOCERERO KE KDE PERERE RS ELODUER ER E 28 SESSION HELP
69. sub menu appears there will be several choices listed Each choice represents a different Audio Toolbox function To select one turn the encoder knob to move the focus to that item and push the knob in momentarily The screen for the selected function will appear To exit from a function back to the sub menu move the focus to the symbol and click the encoder knob The sub menu will appear To return to the main menu from any sub menu move the focus to the lt symbol and click the encoder knob The main menu will appear Tips for using The Audio Toolbox Using the Gen and Mem jump fields Some screens have shortcut fields that let you jump directly from your current function into another function perform a task and jump back into the first function without using the menus Currently there are two fields that work this way the Gen field and the Mem field Generator On functions that have a Gen field when you click on it you will jump directly to the Signal Generator screen From there you can adjust the settings of the internal signal generator such as the frequency level or type of signal and then when you exit the signal generator you will jump directly back into the previous function The Signal Generator remembers the field that you modified most recently and that field will be selected the next time that you jump into Generator This makes it easier to run through a set of frequencies for example when doing test
70. t Turn the Sample Scope on the incoming signal will be displayed Notes Compared to any dedicated digital oscilloscope this is a very low resolution display Still there are many times that useful information can be obtained from this function To maximize the display readability the display is only cleared every _ second or so The full vertical scale reflects the scale of the digital 16 bit input stage If you see what looks like clipping on the maximum vertical scale as the signal runs into the top of the display then you are over driving the inputs There is an automatic trigger level that is set to 1 256 of the maximum vertical scale digital counts to lock the display to repeating waveforms In X Y mode accurate phase relationships can be seen up to approx 22kHz Cable Tester amp Continuity Tester Description Use the Cable Tester to verify the wiring and functioning of microphone cables patch cables or guitar cables Both a wiring test and an audio test are performed on the audio cables You can also use the Toolbox as a continuity tester If a cable is good the internal speaker beeps If it is not good the speaker buzzes The speaker may be turned on or off Note that the speaker beep only checks the results of the digital tests How to use the Cable Tester gt Select the cable type from the sub menu Microphone cables are BAL gt BAL while guitar cables are UNBAL gt UNBAL The name on the left of the screen
71. ther a menu selection or data entry field it must first be selected by moving the focus to that field The focus is moved by turning the encoder knob You can tell where the focus is by the location of the highlighted white text on dark background block of text Once the focus is moved to the field that you wish to modify or select pushing the encoder knob in will select the item if it is a menu choice or change the value of the field Fields that have only a few values like on and off or an input selection can be changed just by clicking the encoder knob To increase and decrease values you can turn it right or left while holding the encoder knob in All data fields cursors and fields with many choices use cursor lock To change the data in one of these fields such as the Signal Generator frequency field click the encoder to lock it The highlight will change to an underline and when the encoder knob is turned the field s value will change You do not have to hold down the knob to change the value To move off of the data field click the encoder once again to release the lock Turning the knob will now move the focus from field to field Menus amp Navigation When the Audio Toolbox is turned on the four main menus appear on the screen Turning the encoder knob changes the focus from one menu to the next The menu 15 that is presently highlighted can be entered by pressing the encoder knob momentarily clicking When a
72. tifying repetitive waveforms and obvious clipping distortion and overranges Also useful as a graphical phase meter when used in X Y mode There is also a vertical bar graph that displays the level of the incoming signal in dBu The numeric value appears below the bar How to use gt Connect the signal to any Toolbox audio input s Using the sub menu field select the graph x axis scale in milliseconds or select X Y phase mode Select the input mode The table below lists the input modes and shows the resultant display on the scope screen and the bar graph level meter Input Mode Scope Signal Displayed Bar Graph Level Meter L Left Line Input Left input signal dBu R Right Line Input Right input signal dBu L amp R Both inputs overlayed triggered on Sum of left and right signals dBu the left input L R Both inputs summed Sum of left and right signals dBu L R Both inputs difference Left signal minus right signal dBu Mic Internal microphone MicL in level dB SPL unweighted gt Select the line input gain range desired Ext ExtL or ExtH This field does not affect the microphone gain which is set to MicL range 28 Setthe vertical scale as desired in units of Volts division or mVolts division by using the field beneath the left graph axis There are 6 divisions on the vertical scale In Mic input mode the vertical scale units are Pa division where 1 Pa 94 dB SPL g
73. tware in the Toolbox just spin the encoder while this guy is moving you will enter the Download mode Flip off the power switch to exit this mode Navigate the menus The main menu will now come up It has four choices Acoustic Analysis Test Functions Session Helpers and Utilities Turn the knob and the highlight changes Put the highlight on the Utilities menu and click the knob like you are pushing a button The Utilities Functions menu will appear with a bunch of function choices Turn the knob again you can go either way try it and put the highlight on About Click again You have entered the About function which has tech support info and your software version What it does not have are data fields since it is just an information function The character means go back or exit so click the encoder the highlight will be on the and you will return to the Utilities Function menu Move the highlight to the lt and click again and you re back to the main menu gt Run the RTA Since you re a menu expert now go to Acoustic Analysis and then run the Real Time Analyzer This is a typical Toolbox function and has a lot more fields than the About function had Looking at the top of the screen you will see the letters RTA in a small box This is just the function name Changethe sub menu Just to the right of the name you will see the word Full This is the sub menu field Not all of the Toolb
74. u may use either the balanced or unbalanced inputs Select a mid band frequency for example 1000 Hz Set a level near 0 00dBu Set the CAL data field to the level that you are generating and click the SET data field Do this for both channels Calibrate the Frequency Counter Using the same hookup as above now set the signal generator to a frequency as close to 30 000Hz as possible 20 000Hz will work with slightly less accuracy Now adjust the CAL field to match the frequency being generated and click the SET field Note that you can change the value in the field to change numbers faster or slower Calibrate the Battery Voltage Temporarily power the Toolbox from a regulated DC power supply set to 7 00 to 7 50V and connect a DVM across the inputs Select the Battery Voltage calibration function and set the CAL field to match the voltage being output Now click the SET field Calibrate the Phantom Power Voltage Connect a DC power supply set to 45 0 to 48 0 V to the XLR OUTPUT connector on the Toolbox The negative lead is connected to Pin 1 and the positive to both pins 2 and 3 Set the CAL data field to match the voltage being supplied and click the SET data field Calibrate the SPL Meter Connect an SPL calibrator to the Toolbox microphone mount or if none is available use a high quality SPL meter and the pink noise output from the Toolbox Either way generate a known SPL field as near to 94dBA SPL as possible Set the
75. uto ranging Auto or one of the 3 available input gain ranges manually Read the signal level and frequency The Audio Toolbox reads frequencies from 16Hz to 40kHz Note The frequency counter only works in the upper half of each of the input ranges Therefore you may see the frequency field value stop responding as the level is decreased until the meter auto ranges You can work around this if needed by selecting one of the manual input ranges The level resolution changes with input level In the range of 9 95 to 8 50 the output level is shown in steps of 0 05dB Outside of this range the step size shown is 0 1dB If the meter is in auto range mode as the range changes the display may momentarily say OVER or UNDER as the Toolbox adjusts to the next range Also during an overload condition like when a line level input is first plugged in and the auto range has not yet switched you may hear the signal bleed through the internal speaker This is normal How to use the VU PPM meters gt Select the input range Ext 77dBu to 7dBu or ExtH 45dBu to 40dBu Plug a mono or stereo source into any audio input connectors Note do not plug two sources into the same input channel or results will not be accurate gt Set the OdB reference level This level may be adjusted from 30 to 20dBu The level is shown on the VU meter and to the right of the meter numerically relative to the reference lev

The Audio Toolbox User Manual

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