Page 2 Important Notice The material in this document is copyright to AKAI professional M.I. Corp., and may not be quoted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the company. LIMITED SOFTWARE WARRANTY POLICY All the software provided with, or purchased especially for, AKAI professional products has been tested for functionality.
Page 3 9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
Page 4 AC outlet sockets, it should be changed to an AC mains lead, complete with moulded plug, to the appropriate type. If this is not possible, the plug should be cut off and a correct one fitted to suit the AC outlet. This should be fused at 5 Amps.
Page 5 27-En VENTILATION Do not prevent the unit’s ventilation, especially by placing the unit on soft carpet, in a narrow space, or by placing objects on the unit’s chassis—top, side, or rear panels. Always keep the unit’s chassis at least 10 centimeters from any other objects.
Page 6: Table Of Contents
GETTING AROUND THE DPS24 ............. 8 ILLUMINATED KEYS................8 INPUTS ..................... 9 RECORD/EDIT SELECT KEYS ............. 10 L/R AND GROUP ASSIGN KEYS ............11 SUB-GROUPING CHANNELS TO THE L/R MIX ..........Q-STRIP FUNCTION KEYS/CHANNEL ENCODERS ......13 CHANNEL ENCODERS .................13 FADER FLIP ........................
Page 7 ERASE ..................... 58 INSERT .................... 59 PASTE ....................60 MOVE ....................61 WAV/AIFF IMPORT ................63 IMPORTING MULTIPLE WAV FILES TO MULTIPLE TRACKS ... 68 WAV/AIFF FILES EXPORT .............. 71 DSP MODE ..................TIMESTRETCH ................77 PITCH SHIFT ................... 79 BPM ....................
Page 8 ABOUT THE AUTOMATION ............115 RECORD SAFE ................117 TRIM FADERS ................118 CLEAR AUTOMATION ..............120 AUTOMATED SCENE AND SNAPSHOT RECALL ....... 121 USING AUTOMATED SCENE/SNAPSHOT RECALL ........ NOTES REGARDING AUTOMATED SCENE RECALL ......AUTOMATION EVENT EDITOR ............ 125 EDITING EVENTS ....................
Page 9 Table of Contents ADDING EFFECTS TO A CONTROL ROOM MONITOR MIX ..151 ADDING EFFECTS TO A FOLDBACK MIX ........151 PROJECT MODE ................LOADING PROJECTS ..............152 CREATING NEW PROJECTS ............152 RECORD / PLAYBACK FROM EXTERNAL SCSI DISK DRIVES .... 154 NOTES ABOUT USING EXTERNAL DRIVES FOR RECORD/PLAYBACK ...
Page 10 INTEGRATING ADAT™MACHINES..........24-TRACK TRANSFER - ADAT TO DPS24 ........205 24-TRACK TRANSFERS - DPS24 TO ADAT ........ 205 OTHER APPLICATIONS FOR THE ADAT EXPANSION OPTION ....205 ADAT AND DIGITAL CLOCK ............206 SURROUND MIXING ................. “SURROUND MIXING” TABLE OF CONTENTS ......208 INTRODUCTION ................
Page 11 APPENDIX ..................MIDI Implementation Chart ............225 Block Diagrams ................226 Insatllation of Options - To service Technicians ......230 OS Upgrade via USB (PC only) ............. 231 OS Upgrade via CD (PC only) ............232 ASCII Keyboard commands ............233 ADAT™...
Page 12 Table of Contents User Guide...
Page 13: Introduction
(x2 channels at 88.2 and 96kHz) • 24 x balanced analogue inputs (12 x 2 banks) reduces the need for re-patching. • Balanced send/return analog inserts on Inputs 1-4 can also be used as preamp bypass inputs. • 100mm long throw touch sensitive, motorized faders.
Page 14: Dps24 Structure
The mixer's 8 GROUP outputs are connected to the inputs of the MTR (multi-track recorder) and inputs are routed to tracks on the MTR via these. The outputs of the MTR are fed back into the mixer where the tracks can be mixed, EQ'd, etc.. Microphones are connected to bal- anced mic inputs on the mixer and line sources are patched to the line inputs.
Page 15 If you are familiar with this setup, then you already understand most of the DPS24 as this is pretty much what the DPS24 offers! However, instead of separate analog units, all the above is done digitally within the DPS24 so that you enjoy the benefits of superior sound quality, automated mixing, non-destructive editing and much more besides in one convenient unit.
Page 16: Rear Panel
These are: 1. INPUTS - BANK A Across the top of the rear panel are the two banks of analog inputs. The top row (Bank A) are balanced inputs on XLR/TRS jack combos. These can accommodate XLR connectors or TRS (tip, return, send - stereo) 1/4"...
Page 17 REAR PANEL ever, it is possible to patch other audio sources to appear at these outputs if you wish. 9. WORDCLOCK I/O When wordclock is selected as the sync source, this BNC is set to receive wordclock. At all other times, this BNC is set to generate wordclock.
Page 18 REAR PANEL 19. AUX IN This is a balanced stereo input that can be used for a variety of purposes. It can be used to bring in an external sub-mixer (for example, to expand the number of input channels for sound modules, samplers, drum machines, etc., that may be being sequenced during...
Page 19: Front Panel
An electric guitar (or bass guitar) may be DI'd into this high impedance input. Note that when a jack is plugged into this input, it uses Input Channel 12, and Inputs 12A and 12B on the rear panel are overridden and cannot be used.
Page 20: Top Panel
DPS24's control surface is designed in such a way that for every day use, it should not be necessary to access obscure, LCD-driven menus - with its 'knobby' front panel, operation is designed to be as 'hands-on' and 'traditional' as possible.
Page 21: Inputs
INPUTS INPUTS Across the top of the panel are controls associated with the twelve analog input preamps. The functions are: 48V ON/OFF Switches on 48 volt phantom power to Inputs A 1-4 allowing these chan- nels to be used with condenser mics.
Page 22: Record/Edit Select Keys
17-24). So, for example, to route Input 5 to Track 3, you would assign it to GROUP 3/4. To route, say, Tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4 to, say, Tracks 13 and 14 for a stereo bounce-down, you would assign them all to GROUP 5/6.
Page 23: L/R And Group Assign Keys
When done, press the GROUP key again to return to normal mode. The GROUP key will stop flashing. NOTE 1: If a channel SELECT key is not lit nor flashing, it means that the channel in question cannot be routed to that bus. This applies to GROUP, AUX and MIDI mixer channels.
Page 24: Sub-Grouping Channels To The L/R Mix
This is consistent with assigning other channels to groups. NOTE: Channels which are routed to a sub-group need to be taken out of the stereo L/R bus to avoid them appearing twice. - once through the direct connection of the channel to the stereo L/R bus and secondly through its connection to the stereo L/R bus via the subgroup.
Page 25: Q-Strip Function Keys/Channel Encoders
CHANNEL) with a 'collar' of LEDs around each of them that serve a variety of purposes. When the Q-CHANNEL key is off, they operate as the Q-STRIP. On power up, their default function is to act as PAN controls with one pan control for each of the channels of the current Fader Bank.
Page 26: Fader Flip
Aux sends using the motorized faders. This is useful when you require very abrupt changes to FX/Aux sends... to allow for precision when setting the FX/Aux send levels, the encoders need a few turns to cover the entire range. The faders, on the other hand, can cover the entire range in one swift movement.
Page 27: Q-Channel Select/Q-Channel Encoders
In the centre of the panel is the Q-CHANNEL key: One of the most useful features of the DPS24 is that the row of encoders directly above the faders can be switched to become a complete channel's worth of parameters allowing you to have 'hands-on' control of panning, EQ and FX/Aux sends.
Page 28 The labelling underneath the keys denotes their function when in Q-CHANNEL 'mode' and you have 'hands-on' control to bypass the EQ and to switch FX/AUX 1-4 as pre- or post-fade. Of course, for the Q-CHANNEL 'mode' to be applicable, you must select a channel for edit- ing (i.e.
Page 29: Q-Strip/Q-Channel Encoders
When used as a pan pot, the LEDs around the encoders illuminate as follows: When the encoder is set to MID, the red LED at the bottom illuminates as well. This is to assist with viewing the encoder(s) at an angle where the top middle LED may not be visible.
Page 30: Faders/Fader Banks
Channels may be muted using the green ON key above the fader. When the channel is ON, the key illuminates; when it is OFF (muted), the key is not lit. By pressing SHIFT+ON, the channel can be solo'd.
Page 31 By default, these are configured to send MIDI Volume (CC#7) on Controller #1 and MIDI Pan (CC#10) on Contr oller #2. There are 4 fixed Fader Banks and 5 assignable User Banks arranged as follows : INP 1-12 These channels control Inputs1-12.
Page 32: Master Section
The illuminated SELECT key allows you to select the master channel for editing. The illuminated STUDIO > CR key allows you to route the mix created on AUX 3 and 4 as the STUDIO cue mix to the monitor output feeding the control room's monitoring system. In this way, it is possible for the control room engineer to set the mix up very conveniently on the control room's speakers.
Page 33: Monitor Section
FADER BANK may be selected and so the solo'd channel may not be visible (for example, Input 5 may be solo'd but the current FADER BANK might be, say, Tracks 1-12). As a result, it may not be clear that a channel is solo'd.
Page 34 This switches the monitor output to mono. Switching to mono does not affect the STEREO L/R outputs, only the monitor outputs (MAIN and NEARFIELD). Thus it is possible to check a mix in mono on the control room speakers without affecting the STEREO L/R mix to the master recorder.
Page 35: Lcd 'Pod
Below the screen are six 'soft' keys, F1-F6, the functions of which change according to the screen being displayed. To the left of the function keys is a simple talkback mic. Its level can be regulated using the TB LEVEL pot directly below it.
Page 36: Lcd Layout
Double width equivalents also exist: PROJECT INFO BAR In all pages, at the top of the screen, the project drive and the currently active project are shown along with the currently selected mix scene and the amount of free mono recording time on disk.
Page 37: Save Indicator
SAVE INDICATOR Whenever something is changed in a project, it is autosaved. When this happens, a small "warning" icon appears in the FREE box at the top right of the display: IMPORTANT NOTE: When this icon appears, it is essential that you do not switch the DPS24 off.
Page 38: Project Overview
NOW Time line during playback. The IN-OUT region is displayed inverted. On top of the Project OverView, a System Info bar is displayed in the middle of the screen This provides a reminder of the current Sample Rate, Bit Depth and Frame Rate settings.
Page 39: Q-Link Controls
For instance in the SETUP pages: * scroll through lists / data entry In particular, Q5 and Q6 knobs are often used for scrolling/data entry in as many pages as possible. In general, if Q5/Q6 are not used for page specific Q-Controls, Q5 moves left-right and Q6 moves up-down, unless one direction is meaningless, in which case the Q-Link knob for that direction becomes data increment/decrement.
Page 40: Moving Around The Lcd
An example of this would be the FX pages: Here, you simply select the FX channel and the FX type with the cursor keys and set the parameters directly with the Q-LINK controls. Most of the DPS24's pages are like this and have no parameters to set via tedious cursor movement.
Page 41 Q6 to set values. An example of this would be the PATCH pages: However, there are not that many pages like this and also, these are the kind of pages which, once set, do not require constant usage after that. For the most part, parameters are set using dedicated controls in the form of either the Q-LINK controls, the Q-STRIP/CHANNEL en- coders of dedicated control surface switches.
Page 42: Naming
You can use Q3 (or the numeric keypad) to enter numbers 0-9 You can use Q4 to enter the following special characters ! # $ % & ' ( ) + , - ; = @ [ ] You can use Q6 or the cursor keys to move the cursor left/right...
Page 43: Prompts
PROMPTS PROMPTS The DPS24 uses prompts to guide you through certain function of the user interface. For example: The DPS24 also uses progress displays for functions that take time. For example: User Guide...
Page 44: Main Control Section
If Time Sync is set to MTC Slave or SMPTE Slave, the DPS24 will not play and/or record unless it is receiving external timecode. If Time Sync is set to MTC Master or MIDI Clock Out, sync will not be sent to the MIDI output unless the EXT SYNC key is enabled.
Page 45 If the "UNDO Confirm" parameter in SETUP / PREFERENCES is ON, a temporary confirmation pop-up message will be displayed. If there is nothing to undo / redo, a prompt will inform you as such. PRE-ROLL The PRE-ROLL key allows you to add an offset to locate points and CYCLE loops.
Page 46 NOTE: Cancel and Execute are also shown on the LCD in such circumstances. The dedicated keys are provided for convenience when using functions such as scene and/or autolocate recall, etc., where it may not be convenient to reach up to the LCD..
Page 47: Mix Scene Keys
The following table shows what is and isn't stored in Mix Scene: Also saved in a Mix Scene are Global FX/AUX Setup and FX selection and settings for all 4 Effects. Scenes are recalled using the SCENE RECALL key and are stored, not surprisingly, using the SCENE STORE key.
Page 48: Storing A Mix Scene
You should use the CURSOR keys to move up or down the list of available mix scenes to select an 'unused' mix scene if you want to store a new scene. If you press the flashing ENTER key or STORE [F6], the scene will be stored..
Page 49: Recalling A Mix Scene
As well as the numeric keypad, you can use the CURSOR UP/DOWN keys to move through the list and you can press the ENTER key or F6 - RECALL - to recall the selected scene. The prompt will close when the scene is recalled.
Page 50 MIX SCENE KEYS Pressing F3 or F4: RESET MIXER resets the mixer to its default configuration. The default mixer settings applied when RESET MIXER is used are as follows: • Faders / Mute: - INPUTS: 0dB, CH ON - TRACKS:...
Page 51: Initial Scene
Someway through the project, however, you adjust one channel's EQ. When you press PLAY, that channel's EQ will be reset to the settings stored in Scene 00. Another example is that you set a pair of channels to be linked as a stereo pair at some point and set each channel's pan position to hard left and right respectively - when you press PLAY, if that link and the pan positions have not been saved into Scene 00, they will be reset.
Page 52: Transport Keys
FAST FORWARD Fast forwards the project at x10 normal play speed. Pressing REWIND or FAST FORWARD when a project is playing will rewind or fast forward it at x5 speed with 'tape chatter' as on an ana- logue reel-to-reel. This can be changed in SETUP / PREFERENCES by setting the "Shuttle X5 mode"...
Page 53: Edit Play Keys
NOTE2: When using the edit play keys while AUTO is enabled, the 'rehearse' auto-monitoring does not apply. This way, it is possible to playback the last recording using the IN>OUT key, without disabling the AUTO mode. User Guide...
Page 54: Autolocator
Pressing this key allows you to locate to one of 100 (00-99) previously stored locate memory points, to the IN/OUT points, to the Project START / END, to the PREVIOUS / NEXT cue, return to zero, or roll-back by the pre-roll time.
Page 55: Using The Autolocator
UP/DOWN keys or the Q6 knob to scroll and select a locate memory number to store. The NOW time is captured at the time when you press F6, STORE or the ENTER key. By default, the stored locate point is named "Memory nn", however, you may also name the locate point before storing it by pressing F3/F4, NAME &...
Page 56 Pressing GOTO & CONTINUE [F2/F3], playback will continue with the previous transport state. So, for example, if you are in play at 5x speed, after locating with GOTO & CONTINUE, the DPS24 will start playing again at 5x speed after locating to the specified point.
Page 57: Quick Locate Keys
'real' locator memories. Operation should be transparent. However..By pressing GOTO or MEMORY, you can use Q5 to select which group of 10 locate memories will be used for the QUICK LOCATE memories. These can subsequently be used as 'quick locates'.
Page 58: Locate To Time
MIX SCENE KEYS LOCATE TO TIME You can also locate to a specific timecode position by pressing SHIFT+GOTO. This will pop up a prompt where you can enter the timecode value using the numeric keypad: If DISPLAY SELECT is set to BARS/BEATS/CLOCKS instead of Time Code, you can enter the locate time in Bars and Beats.
Page 59: Jog/Shuttle Wheel
You can immediatly audition the IN/OUT region by using the IN>OUT/LOOP special play key. NOTE: Although it is possible to place the OUT time before the IN time, if you attempt any kind of audio edit or offline DSP process, you will be prompted that it is an invalid edit region. In other words, when using the IN and OUT keys for editing, the IN time must always be before the OUT time.
Page 60: Powering Up The Dps24
Followed shortly afterwards by this screen: Once the disk scan has completed, you should see the icons for the installed drive(s) appear at the bottom of the screen. Typically, these will be the Internal HD and maybe a CD drive (if the option is installed).
Page 61: Dps24 Modes
(optional) CD-R. One powerful aspect of the DPS24's operation is that you do not have to stop playback (or whatever else you may be doing) to access the different modes or other functions on the unit.
Page 62 Followed shortly afterwards by this screen: Once the disk scan has completed, you should see the icons for the installed drive(s) appear at the bottom of the screen. Typically, these will be the Internal HD and maybe a CD drive (if the option is installed).
Page 63 (optional) CD-R. One powerful aspect of the DPS24's operation is that you do not have to stop playback (or whatever else you may be doing) to access the different modes or other functions on the unit.
Page 64: Main Screen
When a project is loaded, pressing the MAIN SCREEN key will show this screen: You can see an overview of the project plus level metering of inputs, the eight groups, the FX and AUX sends, FX returns and disk tracks. You may zoom in/out on the Track overview horizontally by pressing SHIFT+ CURSOR </>...
Page 65: Grid
This expanded view also allows you to see autolocate points shown as white triangles across the bottom of the display and the track numbers on the left side of the GRID. Track names can be shown in the GRID view. However, if you don't want them shown, they can be optionally switched on or off in the SETUP /PREFS / MORE page.
Page 66: Edit Mode
7 and 12). It also allows you to edit one track but view another. For example, you may be editing Track 3 but need to use track 14 as a reference - select Track 3 for edit and use SHIFT+EDIT TRACK 3 and 14 to view the two tracks on the LCD.
Page 67 You can also use SHIFT+CURSOR UP/DOWN to increase (or decrease) vertical (i.e. ampli- tude) resolution for the selected track(s). When editing, you can use the JOG wheel to fine tune your edit - jog to the point in the waveform display and press IN (or OUT) to re-define the edit region.
Page 68 Using SHIFT+CURSOR LEFT/RIGHT, you may zoom in/out on the waveform horizontally: At any resolution, you can use the numerical keypad's +/- keys or the Q5 knob, to nudge the NOW time forwards or backwards by one pixel increments to fine tune your edit points.
Page 69 RECORD/EDIT SELECT keys). The CLEAR (F3) and ALL (F4) buttons give you a quick way of deselecting or selecting all tracks for edit. F6 (or the ENTER key) performs the selected edit function and returns to the main EDIT screen.
Page 70: Editing And Automation
The editing functions on the DPS24 include a Q-LINK control that allows you to decide whether automation data will be affected by the edit or not. This parameter exists on all the audio edit func- tions allowing you to decide how the automation will be affected when editing.
Page 71: Copy
Select the track(s) you want to edit, mark your edit region and press COPY. Now load the project you want to place the edit in, select the destination tracks and locate to the position you want the edit to be placed and use the PASTE or INSERT function (explained later) to place the region in that project.
Page 72: Cut
EDIT MODE Pressing CUT[F2] displays this screen: Pressing CUT [F6] or the ENTER key will remove the selected IN/OUT region to the clip- board and close the gap, shifting all subsequent audio backwards. ERASE Pressing ERASE[F3] displays this screen: Pressing ERASE [F6] or the ENTER key will remove the selected IN/OUT region to the clipboard but subsequent audio will not slip in time.
Page 73: Insert
You can specify the number of times the inserted cue will repeat when inserted using Q5, No. of Inserts. This will insert in the cue n times (up to 99) with each one appended to the end of the previous one.
Page 74: Paste
PASTE Pressing PASTE[F5] displays this screen: When pressing PASTE [F6] or the ENTER key, the contents of the clipboard is pasted in at the NOW time. Please note, however, that the pasted audio will overwrite anything that exists after the NOW time. If you make a mistake, you should use UNDO.
Page 75: Move
MOVE MOVE Pressing MOVE[F6] displays this screen: Here, you can slip/move the selected edit region to the NOW time referenced either to its IN point or OUT point. > NOW [F6] moves the IN/OUT region to start at the NOW time.
Page 76 NOTE 1: Any subsequent cues within the region on that track are moved such that they stay in the same place with respect to the first cue. This means you can edit or drop-in over a cue and then move the whole lot back to the *cue's* original position whilst keeping the edits intact.
Page 77: Wav/Aiff Import
The IMPORT function is available in the EDIT mode in the PASTE and INSERT pages: The Source on Q2 allows you to select the source of the PASTE / INSERT. By default, this is set to CLIPBOARD and the paste / insert will be as normal from the DPS24's internal clipboard.
Page 78 The types of drives available are: IDE#0 : Internal HD IDE#1 : Internal CD (or Internal HD if using a removable hard drive in place of the CD-R) SCSI#0-6 : External HD or External CD, (with the IB-24SCSI option board installed)
Page 79 You will see the contents of the selected folder. In the example shown above, you can see the .wav files listed. You can move the cursor up and down through the list to see the various files. When the cursor is placed over a compatible audio file, the file information is displayed at the bottom of the screen: Number of Channels, Sample Rate, Bit Depth, Length and Timestamp.
Page 80 Using the RECORD/EDIT SELECT keys, select the tracks to import the audio file to, so that the number to selected tracks is at least equal to the number of Channels in the audio file. If there are more tracks selected than the number of Channels, the file will be imported to the lowest track numbers.
Page 81 So, for example, if a 48kHz WAV is imported into a 44.1kHz project, the imported file will be re-sampled down to 44.1kHz. If you try to import a file that is at a different sample rate than the current project, you are prompted the following message and you can respond accordingly:...
Page 82: Importing Multiple Wav Files To Multiple Tracks
Press BROWSE and navigate the disk to find the files you want to import: To import multiple files, select them using the CURSOR keys and use the SELECT key to 'mark' them: User Guide...
Page 83 IMPROTING MULTIPLE WAV FILES TO MULTIPLE TRACKS Now, as you select each file, you will see an indication of the tracks that each file will end up on shown to the right of the filename: In the above example (which shows a typical application for multiple file insertion - import- ing projects made on other systems), the track are shown in descending order and so it would make sense to put the various files on the same tracks as the DPS24.
Page 84 IMPORT NAMES as well. Whatever you choose, to import the files, press OK. You will see a progress display as the files are imported and at the end of the process, you will see a confirmation dialogue - press OK [F6].
Page 85: Wav/Aiff Files Export
The DPS24 also allows you to export audio recordings to an IDE or SCSI CD-R (ISO 9660) or hard disk (FAT32/16), or to a computer via USB. You can export up to 24 tracks in one pass. The export function is available as part of the COPY function in the EDIT pages.
Page 86 When START<>END or START<>OUT is selected, each exported file will start only where the actual audio begins, with the start position of the audio in the project stored as a sample accurate timestamp attached to the WAV file (Broadcast WAV).
Page 87 WAV/AIFF EXPORT If the selected drive is a hard drive (Internal, External or Remote HD), you will see this screen: If the selected drive is a CD-R/RW drive, you will see this slightly different screen : The main export features are identical but CD and HD drives have some specific functions.
Page 88 'L', if present, from the end of the Channel Name). For auto-named MULTI-CHANNEL exports, the resultant filename is simply the Project name. Examples: 1. Named export 'Test Export' of tracks 1, 2, 3, 7, 11 (with tracks 1 + 2 paired): MONO STEREO Test Export 01.wav Test Export 01.wav...
Page 89 CD-RW media. If the selected drive is a CD drive, you can also see the type and status of the Disc at the top right of the screen. The various types are: No Disc, Audio CD, Data CD, ISO9660 CD and the various states are (Blank), (Open) or (Closed).
Page 90: Dsp Mode
As you can see, the screen layout is virtually identical to the main real-time EDIT screen. Operation is also the same..Jog over the point where you want the off-line edit to start and mark an IN point as appropri- ate. Do the same to mark the OUT point.
Page 91: Timestretch
Pressing STRETCH [F1] displays this screen: Using Q2, you can select the timestretch preset. All the stretch-related DSP pro- cesses have a series of presets optimised for certain types of material. These are: SPEECH 1 This works well on female speech.
Page 92 B or C variations which make a more detailed analysis of the original material (but take slightly longer to process).
Page 93: Pitch Shift
DSP MODE The process can be aborted at any time by pressing F1. This will leave the original untouched. NOTE: This progress display is shown for all the off-line editing processes. PITCH SHIFT Allows you to change the pitch of the selected edit region without changing its length.
Page 94: Bpm
To match tempi, you need to know the tempo of the original audio. This is entered in the SOURCE TEMPO field. You then need to set the tempo you want the edit region to play at in the NEW TEMPO field.
Page 95: Reverse
Another application of the Varispeed feature is known as 'Rendering' (also known as 'Consolidate Audio'). By setting the Amount to 100%, the speed and pitch of the selected au- dio region will remain unchanged, but if the region is composed of sev- eral smaller cues (as a result of editing or multiple recording punches), this processs will create one continuous audio file instead.
Page 96: Normalise
NOTE: When processsing multiple tracks simultaneously, Normalising always normalises according to the loudest section of audio on any of the selected tracks, so if tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are normalised and there is a loud section on track 4, tracks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 will be normalised according to this audio level.
Page 97 The main application of the Resample feature is to convert the sample rate of a region that is being pasted into a Project set at a different sample rate than the Project it was copied from.
Page 98: Mixer Mode
MIXER MODE Pressing the MIXER key shows this screen: As in the MAIN screen, the top half of the MIXER screen shows the meters for the 12 inputs, 8 groups, 8 FX/AUX sends, 4 stereo FX returns and 24 disk tracks.
Page 99 MIXER MODE Channel ON (Mute): For this parameter, a clear circle indicates that the Channel is ON, while a black circle indi- cates that the Channel is OFF (muted). FX/AUX Send: User Guide...
Page 100: Mixview
Pressing INPUTS/FX/GROUP (F3/4) shows this screen: Here, you can see the same for the Inputs, FX/AUX send master levels, FX return and the 8 x Group sends. The master fader or L/R meters are not shown as these are always visible on the front panel.
Page 101: Channel
The main EQ Channel page looks like this: The main EQ Channel page is designed so that you can use the Q-Channel encoders to set the main parameters (pan, EQ, sends, etc.) and the Q-Link controls to set the others.
Page 102 You can also set values using the DATA ENTRY Q-Link control on Q6. In the EQ Channel page, the Q-LINK parameters on the right of the page are as follows: If the selected channel is an Input channel, Q1 selects the input source.
Page 103 NOTE: Some parameters do not have totally variable ranges. The EQ frequencies, for example, are actually a list of values - should you type in a certain value, the closest value will be chosen. The blocks of parameters in the main section of the EQ Channel window are as follows: NAME Shows the name of the channel.
Page 104 NOTE: By default, the FX/AUX sends for the FX return channels are switched off. This helps conserve mixer processing. However, you may switch these on if you need to send effects to other effects channels. User Guide...
Page 105 Takes you to the EQ Library page. (see below) Pressing UTILS [F2] takes you to the Mix Channel Utilities page: NAME Pops up a prompt where you can name the selected channel in the usualway. COPY Allows you to copy the settings of one channel to another.
Page 106: Channel Dynamics Processor
The graph represents input signal level to the dynamics processing on the X axis vs output level from the dynamics processing on the Y axis. The linear scale of both axes is from -120dB to 0dB relative to digital full scale. Meters along the X and Y axes show the actual input and output signal levels from the channel's dynamics processing unit, on the same scale as the graph's axes.
Page 107 Allows a certain proportion of the signal to always pass through. Nor- mally, this will be set low so that no signal passes through but setting a slightly higher range can be useful if the gating effect is too abrupt.
Page 108: Eq / Compressor / Gate Preset Libraries
The LIBRARY [F6] key on the channel page will take you to the preset library for the param- eters you're viewing, so pressing the LIBRARY key on the EQ page will take you to the EQ preset library.
Page 109 Pressing the LIBRARY button while looking at the Noise Gate parameters will take you to the Noise Gate preset library: NOTE: If the Compressor parameters are on the screen, the LIBRARY button on F6 will access the Compressor preset library. Similarly for the EQ library - on the main mixer channel page, pressing LIBRARY will take you to the EQ library page.
Page 110 MIXER MODE Press the STORE button to store the current noise gate settings as a new User preset. You will see this screen: Give the preset a name (the name must be unique to the Noise Gate preset library) and press OK - the preset is stored for future use: NOTE: This will only store the Noise Gate settings _ Compressor presets are stored in a separate library.
Page 111: Eq And Dynamics Snapshots
MIX SCENE STORE button to display this page. Select the snapshot ID you would like to store to with the cursor keys (or use Q6 to scroll up and down the list if you prefer) and press STORE (F6) or ENTER.
Page 112 Now select the snapshot you just stored. Press RECALL (F6) or ENTER to recall the snapshot. NOTE: You don't have to have the channel page on the screen to store and recall Dynamics and EQ snapshots _ it just makes explaining it easier, but the snapshots will always be stored from and re- called to the selected mixer channel (Q-Channel) regardless of the page displayed on-screen.
Page 113 Conversely, storing snapshots into the global preset libraries can be achieved by recalling the snapshot onto a mixer channel then storing the recalled settings as a preset. However, bear in mind that the Dynamics snapshot stores both Compressor and Noise Gate settings, but the Compressor and Noise Gate preset libraries are separate.
Page 114: Stereo Channels
NOTE: When two channels are linked as stereo and one channel's parameters are different to the other, one channel will adopt the settings of the other. This is achieved according to the order in which you press the channel SELECT keys. For example, if you press the even numbered channel first and then the odd numbered channel, the even numbered channel's settings will be copied to the odd num- bered channel and the even numbered channel's automation data will be used.
Page 115: Solo Setup
SOLO SETUP SOLO SETUP Back in the main MIXER mode page, pressing SOLO.SET [F3] takes you to the SOLO SETUP screen where you can set how the SOLO keys will function for the Monitor outputs. The different SOLO modes are selected using F3 - F6.: Pre Fade Listen - monitors the signal before the fader and ON switch.
Page 116 ... without effects. With DSIP, it is possible to isolate the FX return channels so that when you solo the guitar, the FX returns won't be muted and you will hear all the treatments applied to that channel. Note that because all other channels are muted, you won't hear the effects that may be applied to other channels...
Page 117 SOLO SETUP You can isolate the channels that you don't want to be solo'd when SOLO is pressed using the ISOLATE key on F2. Pressing this will show this screen: Pressing MORE on F2 will show this screen: Those channels that are 'ticked' will not be muted when another channel is solo'd.
Page 118: Using Solo
SHIFT+CHANNEL ON - this will solo the newly selected channel in isolation and override previous SOLO selections. NOTE: In the case where you have multiple channels solo'd, a quick way to clear them all is to press SHIFT+CHANNEL ON followed by CHANNEL ON again on the same channel. All solo'd channels will be cancelled.
Page 119: Fx/Aux Setup
FX/Aux 2 now sets the send's stereo pan position. NOTE: There is not much point in setting these sends to stereo when using the internal effects as all the internal effects have a mono input. However, you could use a stereo send and use the pan control (FX/Aux 2) to 'morph' between the two channels.
Page 120: Talkback To Studio Out
• 2 x independent mono foldback sends each with a separate mix on each send. • 1 x stereo foldback mix with control of level and pan for each channel allowing you to set a stereo mix in the STUDIO outputs. This is the most common setting for this application.
Page 121: Patch Mode
DPS24. The first page you see is the CHANNEL SOURCES: SOURCE The INPUT CHANNEL SOURCES fields at the top of the screen allow you to select the input source for each of the 12 input channels. The choices are:...
Page 122 Not only would this provide very clean, unprocessed recording direct to disk but would also free up the 12 input mix channels for other audio sources such as ADAT (the digital individual outputs of an S5/6000 for example).
Page 123: Outputs
STEREO OUTPUTS ASSIGN allows you set which of the above audio sources will appear at the STEREO outputs (the default, of course, is ST L and ST R - stereo bus left and right). AUX OUTPUT ASSIGN allows you to set which of the above audio sources is sent to the four aux send outputs (the default is AUX 1-4).
Page 124: Groups
NOTE: Although it is perfectly feasible to route channels to groups in this page, you may find it easier to use the front panel keys - i.e. press the appropriate GROUP ASSIGN key and then press the channels you want to assign to that group).
Page 125 All channels (inputs, disk tracks, FX return and group outputs) can be assigned to the L/R bus. The options here are simple - off (- - - -) or L/R. As with the group assignments, you may find it easier to route channels to the L/R bus using the control surfaces dedicated keys.
Page 126: Patch Presets
PATCH PRESETS [F5/6] provide access to patch presets and pressing it shows this pop-up: Using the cursor keys or Q6, you can move up and down the list of available presets and, using the SELECT key [F6], totally re configure the DPS24's internal patching. In this way, you can have presets suitable for track laying and overdubbing, presets for mix down and so on.
Page 127: Automation
Only FX/AUX send control movements will be recorded. NOTE: Even though this parameter is labelled 'FX/AUX SEND, in the case where one or other (or both) of the FX/AUX sends are configured as 'stereo' sends, the 'pan' movement of FX/AUX2 and FX/AUX4 is recorded in the automation.
Page 128 FADER MOTORS Allows you to switch the fader motors on or off. Typically, you might switch the motors off once you have recorded your automation data. The automation will playback but you won't have the distraction of the faders moving up and down.
Page 129: About The Automation
PLAY on the main transport section of the DPS24. Nothing will be recorded until you move a fader or, if they are enabled, a pan control or FX/Aux send. If you are happy with the result, rewind and continue recording fader and control movements for other channels in the same way.
Page 130 The level will stay constant after the drop-out point until a fader movement is detected at which point it will jump abruptly to the new value. A way around this is to enable RETURN. Setting a longer value in the RETURN field will result in the following: With judicious setting of the RETURN TIME parameter, the value will 'return' gently to the original level resulting in a smoother transition.
Page 131: Record Safe
DATA +/- keys to switch protection on (+) or off (-). When a channel is protected, it is 'checked' ( When a channel is 'safe', any control movement or switch action is ignored when automation is being recorded.
Page 132: Trim Faders
For example, you may have recorded a perfect set of fader movements only to find the whole thing needs to be 3dB higher. Rather than re-record the whole thing again, you can use TRIM to add 3dB to that channel.
Page 133 The IN<>OUT Trim Region setting is also useful to offset the level of a track bewteen specific times. For instance, if you want to boost on a single snare hit on a drum track, set the IN and OUT points around the snare hit, go to the TRIM FADER mode, adjust the fader for the drum track, say by 3dB, set Trim Region to IN<>OUT and press TRIM [F6].
Page 134: Clear Automation
Select the tracks using the EDIT SELECT keys. Alternatively, press ALL [F4] to select all disk tracks, or select ALL in the Channels [Q5] field to select all channels (i.e. all inputs, all tracks, FX returns, etc.). Pressing F5/6 will clear the automation on the selected channels.
Page 135: Automated Scene And Snapshot Recall
That is, at the point you press EXECUTE/RECALL, it may take a second or so before the new mix settings take effect. In other words, try to insert a scene recall a little in advance of where you actually want it to occur.
Page 136: Using Automated Scene/Snapshot Recall
For example, you want to mute channels 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 at a particular point in the mix. As mentioned, you can record these mutes separately in several automation passes but this takes time and, more importantly, it might be difficult to synchronise those mutes.
Page 137: Notes Regarding Automated Scene Recall
NOTES REGARDING AUTOMATED SCENE RECALL • Because scene recalls take a certain time to be effective, be sure to insert a scene recall a fraction in advance of where you want it to occur. Ideally, scene recalls should be inserted during a moment of silence on the channel(s) selected to be affected.
Page 138 , you will have to make your own choices as to how to proceed.
Page 139: Automation Event Editor
NOTE: In the case of stereo paired channels, the event editor will only show the channel on/off status in the odd numbered channel. For example, if Tracks 11 and 12 are stereo paired and a channel on/off operayion is performed, the event(s) will only show when TRACK II is selected - the event(s) will not be shown in TRACK 12.
Page 140: Editing Events
To move an event, press MOVE EVENT [F3/F4]. You will see this prompt: You can either type in a new value or you can move the cursor to the appropriate digit and 'nudge' the value using the DATA ENTRY +/- keys.
Page 141: Effects Mode
A graphic depiction of the selected channel's effect is shown and the effect's parameters are available down the right side of the panel for editing. Channels are selected using the CURSOR UP/DOWN keys: The effect assigned to the selected channel is shown in the EFFECTS list and its parameters User Guide...
Page 142 EFFECTS MODE are available for immediate editing. To select effect types, move the cursor to the EFFECT list using the CURSOR > key: The cursor moves to the right hand column where you can select effects. To select a different effect, use CURSOR UP/DOWN. The new effect is not active until RECALL [F3] is pressed.
Page 143: Editing Effects
NOTE: If you edit an effects preset but then go on to select another preset, if you re-select the effects preset you edited, its original values will be recalled, NOT your edited values. If, when editing an effect, you feel that it is worth keeping, you should save it to the FX LIBRARY (see next section).
Page 144: Effects Library
In this way, effects are easily found and selected by category rather than scroll- ing through a long list of different types of effects. To select an actual effect within a given category, you should press the CURSOR > key to move to the EFFECT list:...
Page 145: Fx Library Factory Presets
NOTE: It is not possible to delete, rename and/or copy effects categories. Neither is it possible to delete or rename Preset effects types. Pressing EXIT [F1] will return you to the main FX page. The effect assigned in the FX LI- BRARY page will be shown on the selected channel.
Page 146: Fx Parameters
FX PARAMETERS FX Parameters This section describes all types and parameters of the effects included in the DPS24's internal effects. The FX page shows a graphic representation of the currently selected effect, and the parameters for that effect can be edited using the Q-Link knobs Q1-Q6.
Page 147 REVERB>BIG HALL This stereo reverb effect simulates reverberations in a big hall. REVERB>NON-LINEAR This special stereo reverb effect (gated reverb) stops reverberation at a specified time. For this reverb, the Time parameter is replaced by: • Hold (0 - 127) Adjusts the time (duration) until reverberation is stopped.
Page 148 This stereo reverb effect simulates reverberations in a hall with expressive character. REVERB>STD ROOM This stereo reverb effect simulates reverberations in a room with standard character. REVERB>VOCAL PLATE This stereo reverb effect simulates reverberations of a plate suitable for vocal sound. DELAY The basic parameters for Delay effects are: • Delay (1ms - 1500ms) Adjusts the Delay time.
Page 149: Delay
Sets a frequency at which the higher range of the feed- back sound (Right channel) is cut. XOVER DELAY This is a variation of the STEREO DELAY. The feedback from the L/R channels is input to the opposite channels. • LDelay (1ms - 1500ms) Adjusts the Delay time of the Left channel.
Page 150 FX PARAMETERS TAPE ECHO This delay effect simulates a three-head tape echo machine. You can set three delay times individually. This effect has mono-in and mono-out; however, you can adjust the pan setting of the effect sound. • Head 1 (1ms - 1500ms) Adjusts the Delay time of Head 1.
Page 151: Combined
This effect consists of a chorus effect and a delay effect connected in series. FLANGE > DELAY This monaural effect consists of a flanger effect and a delay effect connected in series. PHASER / DELAY This monaural effect consists of a phaser effect and a delay effect connected in series.
Page 152: Chorus
You can adjust the pan setting of the effect sound with the additional Pan parameter: • Pan (-60 - +60) STEREO CHORUS This is a stereo chorus effect (mono-in, stereo out). You can adjust the width and spread of the stereo image with the additional Width parameter: • Width (0% - 100%) XOVER CHORUS This is a variation of the STEREO CHORUS.
Page 153: Flanger
• FB Inv (ON/OFF) MONO FLANGER This is a typical flanger effect with mono-in and mono-out. You can adjust the pan setting of the effect sound with the additional Pan parameter: • Pan (-60 - +60) STEREO FLANGER This is a stereo flanger effect (mono in - stereo out).
Page 154: Phaser
(0% - 100%) Adjusts the feedback amount MONO PHASER This is a typical phaser effect with mono-in and mono-out. You can adjust the pan setting of the effect sound with the additional Pan parameter: • Pan (-60 - +60) STEREO PHASER This is a stereo phaser effect (mono in - stereo out).
Page 155: Rotary Speaker / Pan
Use the Accel parameter to adjust the time (du- ration) taken for switching between two speeds. AUTO PAN This auto pan effect automatically rotates the stereo image of the sound between left and right. (0.1Hz - 10.0Hz) Adjusts the speed of panning. • Rate • Mode Pan: A common auto pan.
Page 156: Pitch Shift / Wah
FX PARAMETERS PITCH SHIFT This effect has a pitch shift with a range of +/_ one octave, and can be set for the left channel and the right channel independently. • L Semi (-12.00 - +12.00) Semitone adjustment of pitch shift for the L channel •...
Page 157 • Output (-24dB - +24dB) Offsets the ouput level of the EQ'ed sound ENHANCER Enhancer This monaural effect gives frame to the sound by adding new overtones. Adjusts the gain of the signal input to the harmonics generator • Drive (0dB - 30dB) •...
Page 158 Link parameter : If you select the COMPRESSOR/LIMITER effect for both FX1 and FX2 (or FX3 and FX4) and set the Link parameter for the FX1 (or FX3) to ON, the FX2 (or FX4) parameters will use the FX1 (or FX3) parameter settings.
Page 159: Dynamics
DYNAMICS EXPANDER GATE This monaural effect limits signals at a certain level (threshold) or lower and expands the dynamic range, providing an effect opposite to the compressor effect. • Link (ON/OFF) Links FX1 and FX2 (or FX 3 and FX4). See previous page.
Page 160 PITCH CORRECTOR Pitch Corrector This monaural effect corrects the pitch of monophonic input signals in real-time. This is useful when you wish to correct the pitch of the vocal track. • Ratio (0% - 100%) Adjusts the amount of correction to the pitch •...
Page 161: Pitch Corrector
The ScaleBits parameter is a numeric value calculated using a binary representation of the notes, where C is 1, C# is 2, D is 4, D# is 8, E is 16, F is 32, F# is 64, G is 128, G# is 256, A is 512, A# is 1024 and B is 2048.
Page 162: Fx Snapshots
FX CHANNEL 2: Select the snapshot ID you want to use with the cursor (you can use Q6 to scroll), and press the STORE (F6) button or ENTER to capture the settings on FX channel 2.
Page 163 NOTES REGARDING FX SNAPSHOTS NOTE 1: You don't have to launch the snapshot store and recall pages from the FX page to store and recall FX settings. Once in the Store or Recall page you can always set SNAPSHOT mode using the SCENE/SNAPSHOT button (F2) and set the Snapshot Type to the desired FX channel using the Q5 knob.
Page 164: Effects Send/Return Levels
For example, to record a pad sound coming in on Input Channel 4 with stereo chorus and reverb to Track 7/8..1. Use FX1 and FX2 Sends to send a proportion of Input 4 to FX1 and 2 set up as chorus and reverb respectively. Route Input 4 to Group 7/8 2.
Page 165: Adding Effects To A Control Room Monitor Mix
2. Monitor the vocal line via Disk Channel 4. 3. Add a hint of reverb to Disk Channel 4. Route that reverb's FX RETURN to the L/R bus..The vocal will be recorded 'dry' but the vocal reverb will be heard on the control room moni- tors and headphone output.
Page 166: Project Mode
PROJECT MODE Pressing PROJECT shows this screen: Here, you can see a list of projects which may be loaded into the DPS24. The list also shows the date it was created. Depending on the setting of the Project Info parameter in the SETUP / PREFERENCES, the sample rate and bit-depth of each project might also be shown.
Page 167 PROJECT MODE If you are working in a studio where the same basic mixer / patch setup remains constant between projects (for example, you have a sampler connected to inputs 1 / 2 in stereo, a drum machine to inputs 3-6 as individual mono channels, a sound module / synth to inputs 7 / 8 in stereo, whatever) and this setup is re-used between projects, you will probably want to use the currently loaded project's settings.
Page 168: Record / Playback From External Scsi Disk Drives
You can also select a USB HOST drive to be the source drive for the PROJECT TOOLS, but it is not possible to record/playback from a HOST drive. Therefore, both the LOAD and NEW functions are not operational when a HOST drive is selected.
Page 169: Notes About Using External Drives For Record/Playback
Use WAV export/import or project copy to transfer audio from one drive to another. • Ordinarily with SCSI, there is a limit of 6 metres TOTAL cable length but if your drive is an LVD type, this can be extended. Please consult your drive's technical documentation for more details.
Page 170: Managing Projects
(or press NO [F5] or the CANCEL keyto abort). NOTE: It is not possible to rename nor delete de current active Project. If you attempt to do so, you will receive a "Cannot rename current project" or "Cannot delete current project" message.
Page 171: Disk Copy
As you select (and de-select) Projects, the Total copy size and number of files to be copied display fields are automatically updated. Now move the cursor across to the right hand column on the screen and select the drive you wish to copy the projects to.
Page 172: Project Copy Via Usb
With akSysServer running on a computer connected to the DPS24 via the USB port, you will also be able to select HOST 0, 1, 2, etc.. as the "To Disk" destination for the COPY PROJECT function. To copy projects back from the HOST to the DPS24, select the HOST drive as the source drive using SELECT DRIVE in the main PROJECT page.
Page 173: Backing Up From External Hard Drives
If you have not written data to discs at all or, with a CD-RW, have only done so a few times, you should ideally perform the test write process. However, the selection is optional.
Page 174: Restoring Projects
RESTORING PROJECTS Pressing RESTORE [F4] shows this screen: This page allows you to restore a backup from a CDR drive onto a Hard Disk Drive. If you have connected external drives to the optional SCSI interface, you can select the source CDR drive (Internal or External) in the CDR Drive list on the left and the destination HD Drive in the HD Drive list on the right, using the cursors.
Page 175: Virtual Tracks
For example, you could record a guitar overdub on Track 4 but you think you might be able to better. But, rather than just record over the original, you could swap Track 4 out with an empty virtual track and record onto that...
Page 176: Utils
Or you could lay down a synth bass line and think it might be better done with a different sound. Neither of these scenarios are a problem... simply use the V.Track function to try out different ideas on the same track(s).
Page 177: Using The Virtual Tracks
OK..we'll imagine you've just recorded an electric guitar solo onto Track 6. It's good but you think you might be able to do better. You don't want to record over it - you just want to have another go at it in case you can do a better job. In the V-TRACKS page, place the cursor on Physical Track 6: Press N.TAKE [F4].
Page 178 'physical' track if you want (although if it takes that many attempts to get a recording right, you should really consider doing something else ;-) Having got the basics out of the way, let's now have a look at those functions on F1 and F2. User Guide...
Page 179: Options
V.Track swapping functions. So, for example, if Tracks Channels 7 and 8 were linked as a stereo pair, and V.Track 25 is assigned to Physical Track 7, V.Track 26 will automatically be assigned to Physical Track 8.
Page 180: Setup Mode
44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz and 96kHz NOTE: The mix processing, track count and FX are reduced by half when using the high sample rates (88.2kHz or 96kHz). When a project is loaded and already contains audio, should you attempt to change the sample...
Page 181: Digital Sync
NOTE: If the selected digital sync source is not available, you will receive a prompt informing you. Also, to prevent unwanted noise, all audio is automatically muted and the top of the LCD will show: Certain operations will also be unavailable to you on the DPS24.
Page 182: Bit Depth
For example, imagine you record to timecode that is running 1% slow - the DPS24 will record 1% slow and will playback in sync to that external, off-speed timecode. However, if you subsequently play that recording back to perfect timecode, it will play back 1% faster.
Page 183: Mmc Setup
This page allows separate MMC device IDs to be assigned for MMC transmit and MMC Receive. Pressing MMC shows this page: SEND ID sets the MMC ID for transmission - this should match the ID of the machine you want to control. ID 127 is "Broadcast" to all connected MMC machines.
Page 184: Tempo Maps
The Song Start time is always shown as SMPTE/EBU at the machine's currently selected T/C RATE. To set the Song Start time, locate to the start of the song and carefully jog over it until you have the exact start point. Now press RESET START [F2/3].
Page 185 TEMPO MAPS You will see that there is a tempo and time signature entry at the start of the song. These determine the map's starting tempo and cannot be deleted. You may edit them, however, to something more suitable simply by moving to the VALUE field and entering the tempo and time signature.
Page 186: Preferences
PREFERENCES Back in the main SETUP page, pressing PREFS [F3] takes you to this page: The options are: Sets the 'pre-roll' time for the PLAY TO key. The PLAY TO range is 0-99 seconds. PLAY TO PLAY FROM Sets the 'post-roll' time for the PLAY FROM key. The PLAY FROM range is 0-99 seconds.
Page 187: 24-Track Record
PEAK HOLD TIME Sets the Peak Hold Timefor the meters (both for the LCD and akSys): The range is OFF - 1 SEC - 2 SECS - 5 SECS - 10 SECS - 20 SECS - INFINITE. When INFINITE is selected, the peak hold indicator stays on permanently.
Page 188: Waveform Generation
DPS24's editing functions and it is possible to zoom out much further when Wave File Gen is enabled: If you try to zoom out on a track before the waveforms are calculated, you will get the fol- lowing message in place of the waveform:...
Page 189: Track Names In Grid
A similar message will be displayed if you start ak.Sys with waveform generation switched off. Because some disk space is used, you can reserve a portion of the disk so that after a certain percentage, the generation of waveforms will be inhibited and the remaining space used exclusively for audio recording and projects.
Page 190: Shuttle X5 Mode
PLAY or STOP is pressed. To use the x5 shuttle (with audio), you have to press and hold both the PLAY key and either the REW or FF key, and then release the REW or FF key at the appropriate moment... the DPS24 will revert to playing back at normal speed.
Page 191: Audio Setup
The MPLP (Multi-Purpose LightPipe - the optical connectors) can be switched between SPDIF (Stereo) or ADAT (8-Channel). When MPLP is set to ADAT, the optical I/O connectors are both used for 8- channel ADAT signals (ADAT 1..8), while the RCA SPDIF I/O connectors are used for Stereo SPDIF signals (DIGI IN L/R and stereo DIGITAL OUTPUT).
Page 192: Clock Setup
(or buy) a balanced jacl/XLR > phono cable or better, an adapter. NOTE: It should be noted that the stereo SPDIF input of the DPS24 includes a real-time Sample Rate converter. It is therefore not required to lock the digital clocks of the DPS24 and of the Stereo Digital source.
Page 193: User Bank
The PREV [F3] and NEXT [F4] keys in this page allow you to select which user bank you want to edit. The User Bank you are working on is shown in the title of the right hand column (in the example above, Extra User Bank 3's assignments are shown).
Page 194: Os Update
AUX SEND 1-4 (*) FX RETURN 1-4 AUX INPUT L/R (*) MIDI CONTROLLER 1-16 (*) Pan, EQ and effects sends are not available on these channel assignments The default assignments for the main USER BANK are: FX SEND 1 FX SEND 2...
Page 195 However, you also have the option to update your DPS24 OS from any connected drive - any valid drives will show up in the Upgrade Device [Q2] field (including SCSI and HOST drives). You have the option to browse the contents of the selected drive to select the OS you want to upgrade to.
Page 196: Disk
DISK Pressing DISK will show something like this screen: Here, you can see the list of drives connected to the DPS24, either internal IDE drives or external SCSI drives. When the DPS24 is connected to a computer via USB and either akSys TrackView V1.21 or akSysServer are running, all the valid folder paths are shown in the DPS24 as additional HOST drives.
Page 197: Cleanup Disk
Pressing this will cause a pop-up to be issued confirming you want to proceed - assuming you do, you will see a progress display at the end of which, a prompt will tell you how many pieces of unused audio were deleted. If no items were deleted, you will be informed.
Page 198: Disk Format
QUICK FORMAT [F4/5] also formats the disk but because it does not do the lengthy surface test, it is relatively fast. It should only be done if the drive is known to be error free otherwise the DPS24 might try to use bad blocks on the disk.
Page 199: Audio Recovery
(or create a new one), you could not use UNDO to get the cue you deleted back and the audio it referred to would exist on disk but 'orphaned' from its pointers. This is a highly unusual scenario and unlikely to happen under normal circumstances.
Page 200 You can see that the filenames are - shall we say - somewhat obscure! However, you should be able to decide which files you want / need to recover from the date / time shown to the right of the display.
Page 201: Performing An Audio Recovery
We are going to assume the following scenario..You have just recorded a guitar part on Track 6 of the project NEW SONG 3 but you don't think it's very good so you delete it. You want to listen to a guitar part you recorded in another project for a guideline or for some inspiration or whatever so you load that project.
Page 202: Cd-Recorder
The SETUP key's SHIFT function is CD-R and shows you this screen: This page provides access to all the functions related to Audio CD creation. The large window on the left shows general information. None of the parameters are editable but are: CD DRIVE...
Page 203 Pressing this key puts up an "ARE YOU SURE?" prompt. NOTE: It is not possible write to CDR a project with a sample rate other than 44.1kHz. Therefore, if the current project is at a different sample rate, F5/F6 keys are replaced by "CONVERT TO 44.1kHz". This process is described on the following pages.
Page 204: Downsampling Projects For Cd Mastering
44.1kHz and/or which contain recordings made at bit-depths other than 16-bit to CD. You can create mixdowns in your chosen sample rates and bit-depths to use as stereo masters. However, in order to produce a master audio CD, you will need to run these mixes through the conversion process.
Page 205: How To Prepare Material For Disk-At-Once
You could just make your CD from this. However, you will probably want to put track mark- ers on your CD. This is done using the autolocator. At the start of each track, mark an autolocate point and give each locator memory names such as shown below: Those locate points that are prefixed with # will r egister as track marker points on the CD.
Page 206 CD-RECORDER Even if your CD is made up of one long piece of music, you can place track markers at points throughout the piece. For example, if you have done a remake of the 25 minute opus 'Supper's Ready' by Genesis, each 'section' can have track markers. Alternatively..
Page 207: Mixing Down
After recording, in the PROJECT mode, you will see your new mixed project listed in amongst the rest. Select and load that project. What you will see is a 24-track project that uses just tracks 1 and 2 which contain your stereo mixdown (left channel on track 1; right channel on track 2). To record this to CD-R, in the CD-R page described on the previous pages, you should select TRACK1 for the LEFT TRACK and TRACK 2 for RIGHT TRACK.
Page 208: Multi-Band Compressor/Expander
NOTE: One frequency cannot be set higher or lower than the adjacent band. For example if the MF XOVER is set to 800Hz as shown above, LF cannot be set higher than that and you will be able to set 50Hz, 80Hz, 125Hz, 200Hz, 320Hz, 500Hz for the LF.
Page 209 MULTI-BAND COMPRESSOR / EXPANDER Pressing the COMP button on F2 will show this screen: Each band (LF, LM, HM, HF) is selected using Q1. As you select each band, it is highlighted in the window to the left: In this way, it is clear to see which band of the compressor you are editing.
Page 210 - as you can see, its dynamic range is now much more even. However, because the loud signal is now reduced in level quite dramatically, the overall signal level can be pushed up (shown with the otted line).
Page 211 OUTPUT Makes up for any gain reduction that may occur in the process. Other controls that affect the MBCX 'globally' are found in the left hand window and are accessed using the CURSOR < / > keys. These are: DELAY This parameter allows the MBCX to 'predict' the signal that is coming (in other words, the effect is delayed).
Page 212: Loading/Saving Mbcx Presets
CD-R, MIXDOWN and switch MBCX off using F2/3. • When the MBCX is enabled, it is inserted into the L/R mix bus. It can be inserted pre-fade or post-fade. When using the MBCX as a 'compander' to regulate overall dynamics, it is best to insert it pre-fade.
Page 213: Mastering On The Dps24
Press FX - the MBCX parameters will be displayed and you can adjust these as the track is playing. Once you are happy with the settings of the MBCX and the sound of your mix, go to the CD-R page again and press RECORD ENABLE.
Page 214 IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SCENE 00 AND THE MBCX When you first load your stereo mix project, it is likely that it will have the internal effects selected in Scene 00. Even though you may enable the MBCX as described in Step #3 on the previous page, when you commence playback, it may switch over to the internal effects (because this is what is stored in Scene 00).
Page 215: Cd Player
NOTE: It is not possible to play the CD through the DPS24's monitoring system. You can listen to it on the CD-RW's headphone socket (if the model installed has one, of course) but, ideally, to hear the CD you have created, you should take it to a compatible CD player.
Page 216: Ext Sync Key
While the DPS24 is waiting for external time code, the LED of the PLAY key flashes. In addition, the type of Time Sync source is displayed to the right of the Project info bar in the MAIN SCREEN when the EXT SYNC key is enabled: Also, the EXT SYNC key enables the MMC MASTER/SLAVE operation set in the SETUP / MMC page.
Page 217: Setting Ext Sync Offsets
The first digit is highlighted and you should enter a value from the numeric keypad as ap- propriate. To set the 'sign' (i.e. + or - ), move the cursor to the sign and press '+' or '-' on the numeric keypad as appropriate. Once an offset has been entered, press ENTER orSET [F6].
Page 218 DPS24 and your ADAT machine(s). Also, if you need to get any of the ADAT sources to an analogue machine, don't forget that they can be assigned to the various analogue outputs on the DPS24 (the AUX OUTPUTs, for example).
Page 219: 24-Track Transfer - Adat To Dps24
NOTE: When 24 TK RECORD is enabled, tracks 21-24 cannot be used for playback. After perform- ing a 24-track recording to the DPS24, you should switch 24 TK RECORD off in order to play the 24 tracks you have just transferred.
Page 220: Adat And Digital Clock
When using the ADAT digital I/Os, it is critical to make sure that the digital clocks of the DPS24 and of the other ADAT units are locked, but it is also important to be careful not to create clock feedback loops. Incorrect clock setups will result in digital glitches or digital noise.
Page 221: Surround Mixing
SURROUND MIXING U R R O U N D I X I N G User Guide...
Page 222 SURROUND MIXING INTRODUCTION ....................209 CREATING A SURROUND PROJECT ............. DIFFERENCES AND LIMITATIONS IN SURROUND MODE ......GROUPS ....................PATCH ....................RECORD ................... SOLO ....................MBCX ....................METERING ..................METRONOME ..................AUX INPUT ..................MIXING IN SURROUND ................Surround Bus Routing ................
Page 223: Introduction
The new Surround Mixing mode is an additional mode, on top of the existing features. In Stereo Mixing mode, all existing features are unchanged , and operation is the same as V1.60. NOTE: It is essential that you back up all files and data before installing any new version of DPS24 operating system .
Page 224: Creating A Surround Project
Any new project that you create with this version will be a Stereo Project by default. In order to mix your project in surround, you will need to convert it to a surround project. This operation is performed in the new MIXER MODE page.
Page 225 You will be asked to enter a new name for the surround project. The default name for the new project is the current project name with the suffix “SM” (as long as there’s space for the suffix), but you can name it whatever you want.
Page 226 Before the new project is created you will be given the opportunity to choose whether you would like to copy the mixer settings from the current project or reset the mixer to the factory defaults. NOTE: Copying the mixer settings from the current project will carry over all mixer control posi- tions, automation and scenes from the current project.
Page 227 NOTE: The mixer mode information is only shown in the PROJECT page if the Show Project Info prefer- ence is enabled. If you don’t see this information on the screen, go to the SETUP page and enable it. Once you have created a surround project the DPS24 will switch to Surround mode in the selected format whenever you load that project.
Page 228: Differences And Limitations In Surround Mode
GROUPS Perhaps the first thing you will notice is that there are no GROUP channels. The space left by the group meters in the MIXER and MAIN pages has been used to display surround output meters. Also, there are no group controls in the MIXER pages:...
Page 229: Patch
Because of the absence of GROUP channels these are unavailable as patch sources or destinations. If a patch configuration is loaded (as part of a project or as a preset) in which GROUP channels are used as disk record sources or patched to physical outputs the GROUP source will be replaced with silence.
Page 230: Record
MAIN.BUS key. RECORD The main purpose of the surround feature is for mixing, and it is intended to be used after track laying is complete. As such, recording functionality is limited in surround mode.
Page 231: Solo
DIFFERENCES AND LIMITATIONS IN SURROUND MODE SOLO Solo functionality is fixed to Destructive Solo In Place (mute all channels not in SOLO) when in surround mode. AFL, SIP and PFL solo modes are not supported. MBCX MBCX facilities are unavailable for surround mixdown.
Page 232: Metering
In surround modes the metronome is not routed directly to the monitor outputs when turned on. To hear the metronome you need to select it as the source for an input channel and route that channel to the surround bus.
Page 233: Mixing In Surround
MIXING IN SURROUND Surround Bus Routing Routing of channels to the surround bus is done in exactly the same way as routing to the main L/R bus in stereo mode. The L/R ASSIGN key allows routing channels to the Main Surround Bus.
Page 234: Surround Mixdown
SURROUND MIXING This is also true for the LFE bus: in normal Surround mode (i.e. not Downmix), it is routed only to the LFE output (with or without Filter, depending on the LFE Filter setting: ON = with filter, OFF or FORCE OFF = without filter), and in Downmix modes, it is routed to the Front L/R monitor outputs (with or without Filter, depending on the LFE Filter setting: ON or OFF = with filter, FORCE OFF = without filter).
Page 235 With Divergence set to 0% the pan law is three-way. With FB Pan set to +100 (front), if the LR Pan control is central the channel audio will be fed exclusively to the center speaker. As the LR pan is moved to the left the level will decrease in the center speaker and increase in the front left speaker.
Page 236: Pan-Fader Flip
Aux-Fader flip feature. This feature is toggled on and off by pressing the Q-Strip FunctionPAN key while PAN is the selected QStrip function. The PAN key will flash when Pan-Fader flip is active.
Page 237: Fx Return Channels
MIXING IN SURROUND FX Return Channels FX/Aux return channels have an extra control which allows you to choose how you would like the FX return signal to be routed to the surround bus. The Surround Route [Q6] control has four states:...
Page 238: Surround Mixing Index
SURROUND MIXING Surround Mixing Index 2-Track Automation 222 Aux Input CONVERT TO 5.1SURROUND Divergence Downmix Fader Flip Fold-down Front-Back FX Return Groups Left-Right LFE Filter MBCX Metering Metronome Mixdown MIXER MODE 212, 213 Mixview MODE.SET Monitoring PAN 220 Pan Mode...
Page 239: Appendix
Velocity Note On Note Off After Touch Channel Pitch Bend Control Change Program Setting Range Change OFF, 1 ~ 16, OM ************** System Exclusive MTC, MMC System Common : Song Position : Song Select : Tune (*1) System Real Time...
Page 240: Block Diagrams
SEND 2 SPDIF IN SEND 3 AUX IN SEND 4 2-TRACK IN ADAT 1-8 BALANCE FADER GRP 1/2 GRP 3/4 GRP 5/6 GRP 7/8 SOLO FX RETURNS FADER AUX IN The default channel sources are shown in bold text. User Guide...
Page 241 SEND 3 ADC 1-12 SEND 4 ADAT 1-8 SPDIF IN INV ATT FADER AUX IN GRP 1/2 2-TRACK IN GRP 3/4 FX 1-4 STEREO L/R BUS GRP 5/6 METRONOME GRP 7/8 SOLO RECORD SOURCES RECORD SOURCES GROUPS SOLO GROUP MASTER MASTER...
Page 242 APPENDIX Aux Send 1 Aux Send 2 AUX bus Aux Send 3 Aux Send 4 TB Switch Studio L Studio R Talkback 2 Track input MAIN L MAIN R MONITOR MONO LEVEL NEAR L SOLO bus NEAR R 2 TRACK...
Page 243: Insatllation Of Options - To Service Technicians
Installation of Options - To Services Technicians User Guide...
Page 244 1. Remove the screws for the cover of expansion slot and remove the cover. Save the screws. 2. Slide the Option Board in along the guide groove and press it firmly to ensure secure connection. 3. Tighten the screws back that have been removed in the previous step.
Page 245: Os Upgrade Via Usb (Pc Only)
5) On the DPS24, press the SETUP key, and then F6 for OS. In the O/S Upgrade page, use Q2 to select Upgrade from: USB port and press F5 or F6 (UPGRADE). Read the warning message and press F6 (YES) if you are ready.
Page 246 -> This will open the DOS prompt window 7) Open the "Akai DPS24" folder (created in step 2). In the "Akai DPS24" folder, click on the "usbrom" file and drag it into the DOS window. Click on the DOS prompt window and enter a Space.
Page 247: Ascii Keyboard Commands
• Press IN, OUT or RTZ to Goto In/Out points or Zero • Hold AUTO PLAY and press IN, OUT or RTZ to Goto In/Out points or Zero and Play • Press IN>OUT to Play from In to Out points •...
Page 248: Specifications
Operating Temperature 10 - 35° C Operating Humidity 10% - 60% (without condensation) Dimensions (mm) 726 (W) x 190 (H) x 579 (D) max. (with LCD tilted down) Weight 19.5kg Display 320 x 240 dots STN graphic LCD with back light Sampling Rate 96kHz, 48kHz, 44.1kHz, 32kHz...
Page 249 Stereo Out +4dBu (+22dBu balanced max., 20k ohms load) Main (monitor) +4dBu (+22dBu balanced max., 20k ohms load) Nearfield (monitor) +4dBu (+22dBu balanced max., 20k ohms load) Studio Out +4dBu (+22dBu balanced max., 20k ohms load) Direct Out +4dBu (+22dBu balanced max., 20k ohms load) AUX Sends 1 - 4 +4dBu (+22dBu balanced max., 20k ohms load)
Page 250: Index
GOTO 42, 45 24-Track Record 179 DIGITAL SYNC 167 GRID 51 DISK 182 Ground terminal 6 DISK RECORD GROUP ASSIGN 110 Group Assignment 11 Abort Record 40 DISK RECORD SOURCES 108 ADAT I/O 4 DISK TOOLS 183 ADAT OUTPUT ASSIGN 109...
Page 251 MONITOR LEVEL 21 STRETCH 77 Monitoring 21 Structure 2 Q-Channel 13, 15 MONO 22 Studio > CR key 20 Q-Link 23 MOVE 61 STUDIO OUT 106, 151 Q-Strip / Q-Channel Encoders 17 Multi Purpose Light Pipe 4 Studio Outputs 5...
Page 252 Printed in China...

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Dps24_mkii

Akai DPS 24 Reference Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction

Dps24 Structure

Rear Panel

Front Panel

Top Panel

Powering up the Dps24

Dps24 Modes

Main Screen

Grid

Edit Mode

Dsp Mode

Mixer Mode

Patch Mode

Automation

Effects Mode

Project Mode

Virtual Tracks

Setup Mode

CD-Recorder

Ext Sync Key

Integrating Adat™Machines

Surround Mixing

208 Surround Mixing

Introduction

Creating a Surround Project

Differences and Limitations in Surround Mode

Mixing in Surround

Appendix

Specifications

Index

Quick Links

Chapters

Related Manuals for Akai DPS 24

Summary of Contents for Akai DPS 24