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Wheatstone FM-55 Technical Manual

Digital audio processor
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FM - 55
D
a
P
igital
uDio
rocessor
T
echnical
M
anual
600 Industrial Drive, New Bern, North Carolina 28562 (tel 252-638-7000 / fax 252-637-1285 )

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  • Page 1 FM - 55 igital uDio rocessor echnical anual 600 Industrial Drive, New Bern, North Carolina 28562 (tel 252-638-7000 / fax 252-637-1285 )

  • Page 2: Technical Manual

    FM - 55 igital uDio rocessor echnical anual Wheatstone Corporation August 2014...
  • Page 3 ORSIS U lt r a - H i g H r e s o l U t i o n P r o c e s s i n g Wheatstone Digital Augio Processor Technical Manual ©2014 Wheatstone Corporation 600 Industrial Drive...
  • Page 4 This equipment must be installed and wired properly in order to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Caution! Any modifications not expressly approved in writing by Wheatstone could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. FM-55 / Sep 2014...
  • Page 5 In its short history Wheatstone Processing has already invented many new and unique audio processing algorithms – algorithms that push audio processor perfor‑ mance to new and higher levels. Wheatstone was the first to develop an intelligent, “program density aware” AGC (2007 ‑ Sweet Spot Technology, or SST). We were also the first to employ the science of human psychoacoustics in the design of a mul‑...

  • Page 6: Table Of Contents

    Surge Protection .....................1-5 UPS/Power Conditioning ..................1-5 Analog Audio Input Connections ................1-5 Analog Audio Output Connections .................1-6 Digital Audio/baseband192 Connections ..............1-6 Where to Install the FM-55 ..................1-7 Digital STL ......................1-7 Analog Left/Right STL ....................1-8 Composite Analog STL ...................1-8 Analog Phone Lines ....................1-8 Where Should Pre-Emphasis Go? .................1-9...
  • Page 7 Connecting Directly Without a LAN ................3-5 The FM-55 and Internet Security Concerns ...............3-6 About DHCP and the FM-55 ..................3-6 The FM-55 Network Protocols and Ports Used ............3-6 Using the FM-55 GUI ..............3-7 Dynamic Displays Region ...................3-8 Frequency-Domain Graph ..................3-8 Managing the Blue Dots - Tutorial ................3-8...
  • Page 8 Limiters and Clippers Dynamic Displays Menu ..........3-27 Threshold ......................3-28 Attack ......................3-28 Release ......................3-28 Stereo Generator Menu ..................3-29 Mode ........................3-29 Test Oscillator .....................3-29 MPX Output Configuration ..................3-30 Composite Clipper Drive .................3-30 BS412 MPX Power Controller ................3-30 page Contents – 3 FM-55 / Aug 2014...
  • Page 9 Current Preset ......................3-42 Notes on Online and Offline Working ..............3-43 Accessing Menu Options ...................3-44 File Menu Items ......................3-44 Hardware Menu Items ....................3-44 FM-55 Hardware Update ..................3-44 Preset Menu Items ....................3-46 page Contents – 4 FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / July 2015...
  • Page 10 Audio Terms and Wheatstone Processing ..............A-9 Thump/Rumble/Bottom ....................A-9 Punch/Boom/Tubby/Warm ..................A-10 Mud .........................A-10 Honk ........................A-10 Whack ........................A-10 Fuzzy/Tinny ......................A-11 Sibilance .........................A-11 Treble/Bright/Open ....................A-11 Finally ........................A-12 Appendix C WheatNet-IP Configuration ............A-14 Adding FM-55 to The WheatNet-IP System ..............A-14 page Contents – 5 FM-55 / Aug 2014...
  • Page 11 Surge Protection .....................1-5 UPS/Power Conditioning ..................1-5 Analog Audio Input Connections................1-5 Analog Audio Output Connections .................1-6 Digital Audio/baseband192 Connections ...............1-6 Where to Install the FM-55 ..................1-7 Digital STL ......................1-7 Analog Left/Right STL ....................1-8 Composite Analog STL ..................1-8 Analog Phone Lines ....................1-8 Where Should Pre-Emphasis Go? ................1-9...

  • Page 12: Introduction

    “sought after” sound no matter what the market size. Like other Wheatstone processors, the FM-55 has been carefully designed to not have a fixed sound of its own – the end user can use the FM-55’s vast pallet of tools to create any desired on-air sound.

  • Page 13: Fm-55 Feature Overview

    FM-55. It’s followed by a composite processor which feeds the analog or digital composite outputs simultaneously. The FM-55 can be directly fed to an exciter in a number of ways. AES L/R may be fed to an exciter if an all digital path is to be maintained. Conversely, the FM-55 can also feed an AES composite signal to compatible exciters via Wheatstone’s baseband192...
  • Page 14 FM-55 and devices imm ediately above and/or below it. WARNING! With very few exceptions, the FM-55 chassis DOES NOT need to be opened in the field. Please be advised that the FM-55 contains high voltage power supply circuits operating at voltages well above AC line input.

  • Page 15: Fm-55 Installation Tips

    Use ground conductors with the largest possible surface area and keep ground leads as short as possible. The FM-55’s ground reference is its chassis, which should be connected to the station ground. Such a connection is especially important when the FM-55 is operated in a high RF environment because it helps minimize differential voltages between the processor’s chassis and other pieces...

  • Page 16: Analog Audio Output Connections

    FM-55’s XLR output Pin 1 (ground/shield) also be connected to Pin 3 (“Lo”), noting that this MUST BE DONE at the FM-55’s output connector (see the diagram above).

  • Page 17: Where To Install The Fm-55

    AES digital input can exhibit inferior peak control compared to the exciter’s composite input. When the FM-55 is located at the studio and an STL is being used to send the program material to the transmitter site there are several issues to consider: Digital STL There are two categories of Digital STL’s on the market –...

  • Page 18: Analog Left/Right Stl

    Uncompressed (linear) digital STL’s have only one major installation limitation – placing the FM-55 at the studio end of the STL will preclude the use of the stereo generator and composite clipper. TIP: If using the FM-55 at the studio be certain that any clippers and emphasis in the stereo generator at the transmitter site are properly set up to complement the settings in FM-55.

  • Page 19: Where Should Pre-Emphasis Go

    The FM-55 accepts AC line input voltages between 90 and 260 VAC, 50 or 60Hz. Power consumption is under 100VA. Although aggressive AC input filtering is utilized on the AC power input it is always...

  • Page 20: Rear Panel Connections

    Ethernet (Network) Connection / WheatNet-IP audio connection Mains connection (90-240~VAC / 50-60Hz) Audio Inputs The FM-55 accepts three types of audio input sources: • Balanced analog line level left/right audio; • Digital AES3 compliant left/right audio with sample rates between 32kHz and 96kHz;...

  • Page 21: Analog In

    Pin 1 XLR SH – AES FM / BASEBAND192 OUT SH Pin 2 XLR HI – AES FM / BASEBAND192 OUT HI Pin 3 XLR LO – AES FM / BASEBAND192 OUT LO page 1 – 11 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 22: Tx Out

    An overload protected stereo headphone amplifier drives the front panel ¼" stereo headphone output located on the left side of the FM-55’s front panel. The audio source feeding the headphones may be chosen from the FM output or the analog and digital inputs, even if those inputs have not been selected to feed the audio processing chain.

  • Page 23: Typical Crossover Cable

    White/Orange White/Green TXD - RXD - Orange Green RXD + TXD + White/Green White/Orange RJ-45 RJ-45 Plug Blue Blue Plug White/Blue White/Blue RXD - TXD - Green Orange White/Brown White/Brown Brown Brown page 1 – 13 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 24: General Purpose Interface (Gpio)

    G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N General Purpose Interface (GPIO) The FM-55 is equipped with two General Purpose input (GPI) and output (GPO) ports on the rear RJ-45 connector. The General Purpose connections are optically-isolated from FM-55’s internal circuitry to prevent external ground loops and to prevent dangerous...

  • Page 25: Processing Presets

    GUI’s current preset window. If changes to the preset have been made its name will be displayed in red text instead of green. Once the modi- fied settings have been saved back to the FM-55’s hardware the preset name will again be displayed in green.
  • Page 26 The total number of presets on the FM-55’s hardware cannot exceed eighty (80). The storage space available for presets on the GUI’s host PC (because of a preset’s tiny file size) is virtually unlimited.

  • Page 27: Input/Output Connections Drawing

    PIN 2 - SCA 2 IN SH - SHELL GPI 1 IN – GPI 2 IN + GPI 2 IN – GPI 1 OUT + GPI 1 OUT – GPI 2 OUT + GPI 2 OUT – FM-55 Input/Output Connections page 1 - 17 FM-55 / Aug 2014...
  • Page 28 EQ ..........................2-7 Save .........................2-7 A Note About The Front Panel Sound Adjustments ..........2-7 Output ........................2-8 Network ........................2-9 Changing The Network Settings ................2-9 Leading Zeroes ......................2-9 Default IP Address ....................2-9 Vesions ........................2-9 Access ........................2-10 page 2 – 1 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 29: Meters

    AGC’s five frequency bands. Normal gain reduction values will run somewhere around -6 to -15dB. See the Chapter 3 on the multiband AGC for a deeper explanation of its behavior and tuning. page 2 – 2 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 30: Limiter Meters

    OLED Display On the front panel of the FM-55 is an OLED display that quickly and easily allows you to set up, configure and place the processor on the air with a preset without having to set up the GUI interface.
  • Page 31 • Access – Allows you to set a password to lock out the front panel. The front panel has a screen saver which activates after a few minutes of inactivity on the front panel controls. page 2 – 4 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 32: Headphone

    The first option is input source. To select the input source, highlight “input src” and push the knob in. Turn the knob to select the option you wish to place on air. page 2 – 5 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 33: Input Gain Adjustment

    Because of the advanced algorithms of the FM‑55, the tradeoff between loud and clean is much easier than in older analog designs or even inadequate or primitive digital processor designs page 2 – 6 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 34: Save

    The next empty user preset slot will appear with the option of naming your new preset (the FM-55 has 80 preset slots, the first 20 of which are used for factory presets). You can use the new slot, or turn the knob and select a different empty slot OR overwrite a previously saved user preset (factory presets CANNOT be overwritten).

  • Page 35: Output

    User presets, adjusted and saved with the GUI software, cannot be modified from the front panel. Any preset may be selected, but only genuine Wheatstone factory presets can be modified using the sound controls on the front panel.

  • Page 36: Network

    This version must match the PC GUI version running on your computer for you to be able to properly adjust the FM‑55 from your computer. For more information on checking the PC GUI version, see page 3‑44 of this manual. page 2 – 9 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 37: Access

    If the PC GUI and the version on the hardware are mismatched, you can contact Wheatstone Technical Support at +1-252-638-7000 Monday thru Friday (except major US holidays) from 8:30am to 5:30pm Eastern time. You can also email your FM-55 PC GUI and hardware versions to techsupport@wheatstone.com to obtain a copy of the PC GUI that matches the version running on your hardware.
  • Page 38 Connecting Directly Without a LAN ................3-5 The FM-55 and Internet Security Concerns ...............3-6 About DHCP and the FM-55 ..................3-6 The FM-55 Network Protocols and Ports Used ............3-6 Using the FM-55 GUI ..............3-7 Dynamic Displays Region ...................3-8 Frequency-Domain Graph ..................3-8 Managing the Blue Dots - Tutorial ................3-8...
  • Page 39 Composite Clipper Drive .................3-30 BS412 MPX Power Controller ................3-30 Pilot Injection ....................3-30 Pilot Phase .....................3-30 MPX Output ....................3-31 Multipath Limiter ....................3-31 Using the Multipath Limiter With Stereo Enhancement .........3-32 page 3 – 2 FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / July 2015...
  • Page 40 Current Preset ......................3-42 Notes on Online and Offline Working ..............3-43 Accessing Menu Options ...................3-44 File Menu Items ......................3-44 Hardware Menu Items ....................3-44 FM-55 Hardware Update ..................3-44 Preset Menu Items ....................3-46 page 3 – 3 FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / July 2015...

  • Page 41: Getting Started

    F M - 5 5 G U I FM-55 PC GUI The FM-55 PC Graphical User Interface (or GUI) is an advanced user interface. This GUI is designed to bring out all of the controls available to the user to adjust the sound of the processor to fit the needs of the station and format.

  • Page 42: Connecting With The Gui

    As mentioned previously the FM‑55 has auto‑sensing, Auto‑MDIX Ethernet ports. NOTE: The controlling PC and the FM‑55’s network settings must be configured to place them both on the same subnet! page 3 – 5 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 43: The Fm-55 And Internet Security Concerns

    UDP port is found. Note that FM‑55 requires these ports to be open through any firewalls for successful connectivity. For information on configuring the Network settings on the FM‑55, please see page 2‑9 of this manual. page 3 – 6 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 44: Using The Fm-55 Gui

    The GUI may be positioned on the host computer’s screen by left‑clicking and holding the “Wheatstone” logo and dragging the GUI to the desired position. In normal “Windows” fashion, the GUI may be minimized on the desktop (taken off the screen) and/or closed by way of the familiar controls at the extreme top right.

  • Page 45: Dynamic Displays Region

    Managing the Blue Dots – Tutorial We’ve worked very hard on the design of the Wheatstone graphical user interface to make it intuitive, friendly, and easy to navigate and interpret, in spite of how many controls the user has access to.
  • Page 46 Proportional Drag – Allows the dragging of adjustment dots to create slopes anchored if desired to a single orange set point. Flat Drag – Allows the dragging of dots together in a “flat” orientation. page 3 – 9 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 47: Control Area Region

    A small green indicator at the left end of each button indicates if any signal processing within that block is active. Left‑clicking a button opens the associated control panel to gain access to the controls for that block of signal‑processing page 3 – 10 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 48: Input Menu

    Analog indicator is green if there is a signal present on both left and right channels and it is higher than ‑24dBu. The AES indicator turns green when there is a valid AES signal present at the digital input and it is above ‑42dBFS. page 3 – 11 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 49: Input Failsafe

    +/- 12dB range. Usage of this control should be restricted to short term “band-aid” use only since Left/Right channel balance is best corrected upstream of FM-55 if it is out of balance. Phase Rotator Human voice is usually asymmetrical by nature, which means that it is usually “peakier”...

  • Page 50: Hpf - High Pass Filter

    You will see what can be displayed in the grid as you move through the manual to set up the processor. page 3 – 13 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 51: Equalizer Menu

    2. The second method of adjusting the equalizers is by directly manipulating the actual curves on the graphical screen using the mouse (the Enable checkbox must be checked to turn the EQ on). See the next page for how to manipulate the curves directly. page 3 – 14 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 52: Manipulating Equalization Curves Via Mouse

    “Q,” of the equalizer section. EQ Enable This is the master Equalizer In/Out button. When the Enable box is checked the equalizer section is “IN”. page 3 – 15 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 53: Multiband Leveller Menu

    We believe that the amount of control in our FM‑55 GUI allows the user to virtually set the FM‑55 to whatever sonic texture they can think of, eliminating the need for an outboard processor to emulate the same. page 3 – 16 FM-55 / Aug 2014...
  • Page 54 STL to prevent overshoot. Again, if you feel the need to use a pre‑processor in either of these situations, adjustments to the FM‑55 should be made in concert with the suggestions above. page 3 – 17 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 55: Iagc Controls

    ‑12.0dB to +6.0dB. Gate Delay Delays the gate activation by a user defined amount of time once audio has fallen below the gate threshold. The range is 50‑500ms. page 3 – 18 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 56: Leveller Gate Mode

    “correction” that more processed formats usually prefer. In most programming situations the optimum setting of the coupling controls will likely be somewhere between -1.0dB and -3dB for bands ABOVE the key band and -2.0dB to page 3 – 19 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 57: Multiband Leveller Dynamic Displays Menu

    (in this case, all five bands are at 0dB). If you were, to say, select Comp Atk (compressor attack), you would see the left scale change to show the timing values in milliseconds (ms) of the compressor as shown below. page 3 – 20 FM-55 / Aug 2014...
  • Page 58 Band 5’s gain reduction value is, at the moment, very similar to Band 4. Compare that to the example below where Band3 has more compression than leveler control and Band 4 is deeper into gain reduction than Band 5. page 3 – 21 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 59: Threshold

    Leveller because of its longer attack time. The compressor’s purpose is to handle medium term peaks only, and by doing so it completely frees the AGC from having to worry about controlling them. page 3 – 22 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 60: Compressor Release

    Stereo Enhance The FM‑55 contains a multi‑pronged stereo enhancement technique that has proven to be very effective in the field in other Wheatstone processors. This approach has a side benefit in that it minimizes receivers’ reactions to multipath interference without degrading the audible stereo separation.
  • Page 61 Because high L‑R frequencies aren’t also being enhanced, the susceptibility of receivers to the blending artifacts during multipath is reduced, giving the audience in questionable coverage areas a better listening experience. page 3 – 24 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 62: Mb Limiter Menu

    Drives the level into the five band limiter. It’s important to remember that the FM‑55 needs only a few dB of limit‑ ing to be loud yet amazingly clean! The drive control is +/‑ 12dB with 0dB being default. page 3 – 25 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 63: Limiter Knee

    ‑2dB to 0dB for classical or fine arts/talk programming. Pre-Emphasis Sets the pre‑emphasis curve to match what is required for your region and transmission system. The options are Flat, pre50uS and pre75uS. page 3 – 26 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 64: Fm Diversity Delay

    For instance, when Threshold is being adjusted, the left scale shows the threshold level in dB. If Release is being adjusted, the left scale shows the release times in dB. page 3 – 27 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 65: Threshold

    Faster release times will yield a louder sound while slower times will yield a smoother sound at the expense of some loudness resting value. page 3 – 28 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 66: Stereo Generator Menu

    50Hz to 80kHz at modulation levels from 0 to 100% including a 31.25kHz Bessel Tone useful for modulation monitor calibration checks. The oscillator is on when the Enable checkbox is selected. page 3 – 29 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 67: Mpx Output Configuration

    0 (Off) to 20% of the main composite signal amplitude in 0.1% steps. Pilot Phase Small corrections to the 19kHz stereo pilot phase may be made in 0.5 degree steps up to +/‑22.5 degrees. The ability to vary the stereo pilot phase page 3 – 30 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 68: Mpx Output

    There are eleven operational choices available under the Automatic Multipath Limiter Threshold control settings: 10% to 100% in 5% percent steps, and an Off setting. Off is the setting immediately above the setting for 100%. page 3 – 31 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 69: Using The Multipath Limiter With Stereo Enhancement

    Using the Multipath Limiter With Stereo Enhancement Normally, one would not expect to want to add and, at the same time, want to RESTRICT or REDUCE stereo enhancement. However, the FM-55, like all Wheatstone FM processors, allows you to do just that. So, why would you? Let’s say you want to enhance so you get some consistently wide stereo in the region...

  • Page 70: Predelay

    (bb192). When set to bb192, the digital output XLR jack on the rear of the FM‑55 carries the Wheatstone baseband192 AES over MPX digital composite signal that is compatible with exciters designed to ingest a digital composite signal.

  • Page 71: De-Emphasis

    192kHz. The SCA #1 and SCA #2 gain controls set the SCA injection levels and can be set to OFF, or to levels between -80.0dB and +10.0dB and in 0.05dB steps. page 3 – 34 page 3 – 33a FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / July 2015...

  • Page 72: System Menu

    • Pilot Only • TX 1 & TX 2 Levels Wheatstone recommends that this option remain unchecked unless you have a need to change any of the above settings when a new preset is taken. When this option is NOT selected, the parameters listed above remain static between presets and only the sound adjustments are changed.

  • Page 73: Metering Data Over Tcp/Ip

    When access is restricted, only the System tab will be allowed to be viewed. If you try and access another tab, you will be prompted to input the proper password that covers the functions in that tab. page 3 – 35 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 74: Front Panel

    No Password Required option and then clicking Ok. Note that the hardware may also be unlocked by other, much less convenient means. Please contact the factory for the procedure if it become necessary. page 3 – 36 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 75: Gui Access

    PC, prohibiting access until it has been unlocked with the proper access code. If the access code has been lost or forgotten you need to contact our technical support at (252) 638‑7000 or email us at: techsupport@wheatstone.com. page 3 – 37...

  • Page 76: Side Bar Region

    PC and vice versa. Note that when preset are moved this way, it is copies of presets, not the presets themselves which are moved. The original preset always stays where it was stored last. page 3 – 38 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 77: Locking Presets

    Parameters which are not highlighted have the same values between the two presets. page 3 – 39 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 78: Save

    Factory presets are protected from being inadvertently overwritten. Quick Save (QSave) The FM‑55 has a unique feature to Wheatstone processors that allows instant compari‑ son of work in progress to a known reference, such as another preset, or some midpoint while adjustments are being made.

  • Page 79: Devices

    TRS jack for headphone use. The volume control for the head‑ phone output is located on the lower right side of the GUI. To adjust the headphone volume slide the fader right to increase volume and left to decrease it. page 3 – 41 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 80: Title Bar Region

    F M - 5 5 G U I Title Bar Region Along the top edge of the FM‑55 GUI screen (in line with the Wheatstone FM55 product label to the left, and the Windows About, Minimize, and Exit icons to the right) are indicators and controls for the management of devices and presets.

  • Page 81: Notes On Online And Offline Working

    • Offline – the double‑clicked preset brings that preset onto the main control and display screen for perusa l/editing. Any data entry / control which involves activity within the main graph will still operate upon the preset, but not on the FM‑55’s audio. page 3 – 43 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 82: Accessing Menu Options

    Devices... – Opens the Devices dialog box. Al‑ lows the creation, editing, selection, and deleting of Wheatstone processors connected to your system. On-Line Mode... – Toggles between ONLINE and OFFLINE modes. This is the state the GUI will assume the next time it is started. This state is also remembered when the GUI is closed –...
  • Page 83 The FM‑55 is extremely easy to update when new firmware becomes available from Wheatstone. The update file is a “.RBN” which is packaged with a new GUI. Before performing updates to the FM‑55 make sure an auxiliary processor is available for when FM‑55 needs to be rebooted after the upgrade as there will be approximately...

  • Page 84: Preset Menu Items

    FM‑55. This can be done by removing and restoring power or by sending the reboot command from the GUI. After the FM‑55 reboots the new RBN code will be running on the motherboard. If you have any questions about an update, feel free to contact Wheatstone Technical Support at techsupport@wheatstone.com. Presets Menu Items The Presets menu tree may be accessed by right clicking anywhere on the main FM‑55 Control Panel.
  • Page 85 Audio Terms and Wheatstone Processing ..............A-9 Thump/Rumble/Bottom ...................A-9 Punch/Boom/Tubby/Warm ..................A-10 Mud ........................A-10 Honk ........................A-10 Whack ........................A-10 Fuzzy/Tinny ......................A-11 Sibilance .........................A-11 Treble/Bright/Open ....................A-11 Finally ........................A-12 Appendix C WheatNet-IP Configuration ............A-14 Adding FM-55 to The WheatNet-IP System ..............A-14 page A – 1 FM-55 / Aug 2014...
  • Page 86 A P P E N D I C E S Appendix A Contents General Specifications ..............A-3 page A – 2 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 87: General Specifications

    Input Gain Adjustment Ranges Gain Range +/-12dB Gain Adjustment Resolution.: 0.5dB Gain Calibration: A gain control setting of 0.0 aligns an external 0dBFS signal with the FM-55’s 0dBFS internal reference Input Failsafe Type: Automatic Analog Fail Cause: Audio level below -42dBFS (fixed)

  • Page 88: Parametric Equalizer

    -20.0dB to -79dBFS, plus OFF iAGC Attack: 2 to 7.0 seconds iAGC Release: 2 to 7.0 seconds RTZ Down: 2 to 7.0 seconds RTZ Up: 2 to 7.0 seconds Options: Bypass iAGC, Leveler or Compressor page A – 4 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 89: Stereo Generator

    3.5V P-P (1V RMS) TX 1 & 2 Maximum Output Level: 8V P-P into 1kohm (+12dBu) 38 kHz Suppression 70dB or better @ 75kHz deviation Pilot Protection: >60dB at 9% injection page A – 5 FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / Mar 2015...
  • Page 90 >50dB (FM) Crosstalk: >50dB, 20Hz – 15kHz * Power Requirements: 100-250 VAC (auto sensing) 50/60Hz, 100 VA Max. * Bypass Preset, unity gains, and 75µS pre and de-emphasis page A – 6 FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / Mar 2015...
  • Page 91 Ethernet Interface The FM‑55 contains an auto‑sensing 100BaseT Ethernet switch with one port a vailable on the outside of the unit for field use. Because the switch is auto‑sensing it is not n ecessary to utilize a crossover cable when connecting a PC directly to the FM‑55. Software Remote Control Supplied Windows® FM‑55 GUI software affords control of all system and processing parameters via a 100BaseT Ethernet interface. page A – 6a page A – 7 FM-55 / Aug 2014 FM-55 / Mar 2015...
  • Page 92 A P P E N D I C E S Appendix B Contents Interpreting Common Audio Processing Terms ......A-8 Background ........................A-8 Audio Terms and Wheatstone Processing ..............A-9 Thump/Rumble/Bottom ...................A-9 Punch/Boom/Tubby/Warm ..................A-10 Mud ........................A-10 Honk ........................A-10 Whack ........................A-10 Fuzzy/Tinny ......................A-11 Sibilance .........................A-11 Treble/Bright/Open ....................A-11...

  • Page 93: Interpreting Common Audio Processing Terms

    “thump” you want will be the “thump” you get and not “tubby.” Please note that some of the controls mentioned on the following pages may not be available on the FM-55. The discussion is generic to a wide variety of Wheatstone pro- cessor models.

  • Page 94: Audio Terms And Wheatstone Processing

    Many times such systems even have their own complex bass enhancement features. The FM-55 is equipped with a very specialized bass clipper system. This system is an intelligent clipper that samples the bass frequency relationship between bands 1 and 2 and is able to make changes to the audio based on user settings in the five band section as well as the five band limiter.

  • Page 95: Punch/Boom/Tubby/Warm

    Leveller or Compressor release times in Band 3. Another trick is to slow down the attack time of the Band 3 leveller which will allow the Band 3 compressor to be more active. This will enhance “whack.” page A – 10 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 96: Fuzzy/Tinny

    “esses.” When excessive sibilance is an issue and there is no microphone processor to control it, lowering the FM-55’s Band 4 to Band 5 crossover setting and/or using a slightly faster attack time on the Band 5 Leveller/Compressor can help.

  • Page 97: Finally

    Fortunately the FM-55 is much more forgiving in this regard and most users have an easier time being loud with the FM-55 while still being quite clean and open. Operating the Leveller...
  • Page 98 A P P E N D I C E S Appendix C Contents WheatNet-IP Configuration ............A-14 Adding FM-55 to The WheatNet-IP System ..............A-14 page A – 13 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

  • Page 99: Wheatnet-Ip Configuration

    WheatNet-IP Configuration Along with Digital AES3 and Analog inputs FM‑55 is also equipped with WheatNet‑IP (WNIP), the Audio Over Internet Protocol (AoIP) used in our Wheatstone BLADE and IP audio network control surface environment. WheatNet‑IP permits FM‑55’s input audio and its output to be carried over the same standard CAT5 Ethernet cable as that used for remotely controlling FM‑55.
  • Page 100 WheatNet‑IP BLADE3 Audio Over IP Network manual. Assistance in configuring FM‑55 for WheatNet‑IP may be obtained by giving us a call at 252‑638‑7000 or by emailing techsupport@wheatstone.com. page A – 16 page A – 15 FM-55 / Aug 2014...

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