L-Acoustics LA8 User Manual
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L-Acoustics LA8 User Manual

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LA8
AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER
user manual
VERSION 9.0
w w w . l - a c o u s t i c s . c o m

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Summary of Contents for L-Acoustics LA8

  • Page 1 AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 w w w . l - a c o u s t i c s . c o m...

  • Page 2: Safety Instructions

    The circuit breaker current rating depends on the mains voltage rating as follows: 16 A for 230 V or 30 A for 120 V (LA8 or LA8US), 15 A for 200 V or 30 A for 100 V (LA8JP). 12. Grounding To plug the controller to mains only use an outlet fitted with a pin tied to ground.
  • Page 3 Do not attempt to service this product as removing covers may expose to dangerous voltage or other hazards. The use of unauthorized replacement parts may result in injury and/or damage through fire, electric shock, or other electricity-related hazards. All service and repair work must be carried out by an L-ACOUSTICS ® authorized dealer.
  • Page 4 AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 SYMBOLS INDICATED ON THE PRODUCT The product is potentially life threatening if open. Never attempt to remove the back cover. The lightning flashes symbols next to the SpeakON ® CA-COM ® connectors indicate that the product can generate high output voltages that are potentially life threatening.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    LA8 amplified controller. This document contains essential information on using the product properly. Carefully read this document in order to become familiar with the product. As part of a continuous evolution of techniques and standards, L-ACOUSTICS ® reserves the right to change the specifications of its products and the content of its document without prior notice.
  • Page 6 AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 4.3.7 Example of heat calculation ......................... 16 Audio and network cabling ............................17 4.4.1 Connection panels ............................17 4.4.2 Analog audio cabling ........................... 17 4.4.3 AES/EBU digital audio cabling ........................18 4.4.4 Loudspeaker cabling ........................... 20 4.4.5 L-NET cabling ............................

  • Page 7: Presentation

     The LA8 delivers up to 4 x 1800 watt into 4 or 2.7 ohm.  An AES/EBU input card is integrated to the LA8 for digital audio implementation. This feature is available as an option on the LA4. ...

  • Page 8: System Components

    Amplified controller with DSP, preset library and networking capabilities LA-RAK Touring rack containing three LA8, for power, audio and network distribution. Loudspeaker enclosures and cables Refer to the user manuals of the loudspeaker systems for detailed instructions about the enclosures and their connection to the LA amplified controllers.

  • Page 9: La8 Amplified Controller

    3 LA8 AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER Main features 3.1.1 Front and rear panels Figure 2: LA8 front and rear panels 1. LED meters: 7. input selection/menu keys CLIP level 8. output selection keys audio level (-25, -10, -5 dB) SIGNAL presence 9. analog audio IN/LINK connectors (XLR) LOAD presence 10.

  • Page 10: Simplified Block Diagram

    Simplified block diagram The core of the LA8 is a DSP engine driving four channels of amplification from two inputs. The LA8 also features a flash memory for preset storage and management, high performance A/D-D/A converters for audio signals, an auto- sensing SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply), a front panel user interface, and a Fast Ethernet device for network remote control.

  • Page 11: Aes/Ebu Digital Input

    The AES/EBU input port is ESD protected and equipped with one XLR3 female connector (transformer balanced). It allows the LA8 to receive two digital audio channels coming from a digital mixing desk or a digital audio network bridge compliant with the AES/EBU (AES3) or coaxial S/PDIF (IEC 60958 Type II) digital audio standards.

  • Page 12: Dsp Architecture

     With a complete factory preset library and the possibility of creating additional user presets, the flash memory offers a quick access to all the usual L-ACOUSTICS ® speaker system configurations (refer to the LA-PRESET GUIDE).

  • Page 13: Amplifier Section And Power Supply

    The design of complex systems is made possible by the integration of the L-NET Ethernet-based network. Thanks to its high speed data transfer protocol of 100 Mbit/sec, up to 253 units (LA4 and LA8) can be controlled and monitored in real-time from LA NETWORK MANAGER software.

  • Page 14: Installation

    Mounting The LA8 is two rack units high (2U) and can be mounted in an EIA-standard 19’’ rack (see Figure 5). The four points on the front panel are for rack mounting. Use four screws and washers to mount the controller to the rack front rails.

  • Page 15: Cooling

    4.3.1 AC mains specifications Only connect the LA8 (CE type) or LA8US (US type) to an AC power outlet rated 230 V, 16 A, 50 - 60 Hz or 120 V, 30 A, 50-60 Hz. Only connect the LA8JP (Japan type) to an AC power outlet rated 100 V, 30 A, 50 - 60 Hz or 200 V, 15 A, 50-60 Hz.

  • Page 16: Electrical Generator

    Then apply the following formula: I x U / (cos  x range). For instance, for LA8 in Europe, I = 16 A and U = 230 V. With a typical generator, cos  = 0.8 and range = 70 %.

  • Page 17: Audio And Network Cabling

    Analog audio cabling The analog XLR connectors on the LA8 are wired according to IEC 268: pin 1= shield, pin 2= + signal, pin 3= - signal. Two 3-point female XLR input connectors (IN A and IN B) are provided for the LA8 to receive two analog signals.

  • Page 18: Aes/Ebu Digital Audio Cabling

    4.4.3 AES/EBU digital audio cabling Both AES/EBU XLR connectors on the LA8 are transformer balanced and wired according to IEC 268. The 3-point female XLR input connector (IN) is provided for the amplifier to receive one AES/EBU (AES3) or coaxial S/PDIF (IEC 60958 Type II) signal.
  • Page 19 Figure 10: Daisy-chaining digital audio Figure 11: Digital input panel wiring LA8_UM_EN_9.0 w w w . l - a c o u s t i c s . c o m...

  • Page 20: Loudspeaker Cabling

    All other L-ACOUSTICS ® PA-COM ® cables can be used. Refer to the LA8 PACOM CABLES technical bulletin for more details. Loudspeaker system connection Before connecting a loudspeaker system refer to the applicable user manuals for further instructions. Two 4-point SpeakON ®...

  • Page 21: L-Net Cabling

    The LA8 can be remote controlled over an Ethernet network (called L-NET) using LA NETWORK MANAGER software (refer to the LA NETWORK MANAGER video tutorial). To connect the LA8 to L-NET use the Ethernet RJ45 connectors on the LA8 rear panel (see Figure 7).

  • Page 22: Operation

    Figure 13: Start-up sequence  Press the power switch down to power the LA8 off (see Figure 14).The LA8 goes through a shutdown sequence coming with Waiting SMPS displayed on the LCD screen and the four LOAD LED lit until complete shutdown.

  • Page 23: Display

    Display 5.2.1 Main screen Once the start-up sequence has fully cycled (refer to section 5.1), the LCD displays the main screen: Figure 15: Main screen 1. Preset memory number (1 to 255) Memory space containing the current preset The preset can be a user preset or come from an on-board preset library (refer to section 5.3.3). 2.

  • Page 24: Led Meters

    5.2.3 L-NET LED The L-NET LED is lit in green (see Figure 17) when the LA8 is part of a network of controllers and driven by LA NETWORK MANAGER software (refer to the LA NETWORK MANAGER video tutorial). Front panel commands The front panel commands remain accessible if the L-NET LED is lit.

  • Page 25: User Interface

    User interface 5.3.1 Quick access The LA8 offers quick access functions for control (front panel locking, mute, and gain), identification and monitoring (display of input level, input selection, input mode, and group information). Lock/Unlock control  To lock the front panel (even the mute function) and prevent unintentional operation press and hold the IN A and IN B keys simultaneously until Display Locked is displayed on the LCD screen.
  • Page 26 AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 Additional information about gain control Quick access gain control is only available from the main screen. Gain values can be set at 0.1 dB resolution ( simply turn the encoder wheel) or 1 dB resolution ( simultaneously press and turn the encoder wheel).
  • Page 27 Input level, input selection, input mode and group information  Press and hold the ESC or OK key from the main screen. The LED meter and the top line of the LCD screen display information about input channels IN A and IN B, respectively from left to right, see Figure 22.

  • Page 28: Main Menu

    AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 5.3.2 Main menu The main menu gives access to the pages described in the following table. Please refer to the appropriate sections for detailed instructions. LA NETWORK MANAGER software All parameters in each amplified controller can also be set from LA NETWORK MANAGER software (refer to the LA NETWORK MANAGER video tutorial).

  • Page 29: Access Rights, Pin Code

    5.3.3 Access rights, PIN code The functionalities indicated in the following table can be locked or protected by a 4-digit PIN code defined from LA NETWORK MANAGER (refer to the LA NETWORK MANAGER video tutorial): Table 5: Functionalities locked or protected by PIN code Functionality Locked / PIN code protected Quick access to gains on keys OUT1 to OUT4...

  • Page 30: Load Pst

    Contents LOAD PST USER 1 – 10 (read and write) User presets stored by the user (refer to section 5.5). Factory preset library created by L-ACOUSTICS ® LOAD PST FACTORY 11 – 199 (read only) automatically installed during firmware update (refer to the LA NETWORK MANAGER video tutorial).

  • Page 31: Store Preset

    STORE PRESET The current preset and the possible setting modifications can be stored to a user memory (1-10). Modifications flag The modifications of the preset parameters are indicated by a star sign (on the top right corner of the LCD screen) until the preset has been stored to a user memory or set to its initial settings.

  • Page 32: Delete Preset

    AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 DELETE PRESET A user preset contained in a user memory (1-10) can be deleted following these steps (see Figure 28):  From the main menu select DELETE PRESET. If the controller displays NO PRESETS AVAILABLE! it means that all user memories are empty. Press the ESC key to abort.
  • Page 33 If necessary all preset parameters (including the preset name) can be reset to default values following these steps (see Figure 30): Turn the encoder wheel to select RESET PRESET.   Press the OK key or the encoder wheel two times (or ESC to abort). Figure 30: Setting the preset parameters Value ranges Gain values are adjustable between -60 dB and +15 dB.

  • Page 34: Clear Grp Params

    Therefore, when getting a controller for a standalone application that has been previously used within a network, L-ACOUSTICS ® recommends using the CLEAR GRP PARAM function to clear all group parameters as they cannot be seen and accessed via the front panel user interface.

  • Page 35: Input Settings

    INPUT SETTINGS 5.9.1 INPUT MODE This function allows selecting the physical input connector according to the audio source feeding the amplified controller:  An analog audio source connects to the IN A and/or IN B inputs of the ANALOG panel (see Figure 7). In this case activate the analog inputs selecting the ANALOG input mode.
  • Page 36 AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 Sound cut can be avoided using the FALLBACK MODE on the AES/EBU IN input and a backup audio source connected to the ANALOG inputs (refer to section 0). In case of UNLOCK status the ANALOG input will automatically be selected, leading to one of the screens of Figure 34.

  • Page 37: Fallback Mode

    5.9.2 FALLBACK MODE An automatic fallback option can be enabled or disabled. When enabled, and when the AES/EBU input mode is selected, the amplified controller will automatically switch from digital to analog input in case of digital signal failure (no clock, loss of lock, CRC error, bipolar encoding error, data slip).

  • Page 38: Aes/Ebu Gain

    AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 5.9.3 AES/EBU GAIN The AES/EBU input ports include a gain module, common to all ports, which can be set from -12 dB to +12 dB by 0.1 dB steps. It must be used when the fallback mode is enabled, a digital audio source is connected to AES/EBU input and an analog audio source is connected to the ANALOG inputs.

  • Page 39: Monitoring & Info

    For example, Figure 38 shows LA8 firmware version 2.1.3.3. Network Always ensure that all LA8 amplified controllers used in a given network run the same firmware version. LA8_UM_EN_9.0 w w w . l - a c o u s t i c s . c o m...

  • Page 40: Preset Library

    AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 5.10.4 PRESET LIBRARY This page displays the version of the preset library in use in the controller. For example, Figure 38 shows preset library version 4.2. PRESET LIBRARY description Refer to the PRESET GUIDE for full description of the factory presets. 5.10.5 MAC ADDRESS This page displays the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the amplified controller.

  • Page 41: Network Address

    5.11.1 NETWORK ADDRESS Remote control of amplified controllers requires setting up a private local area Ethernet network to interconnect up to 253 units with a single control computer (and possible additional devices such as Ethernet switches). It is called L-NET and uses a proprietary communication protocol based on TCP/IPv4 called L-COM. The IP addresses on the units are class C addresses and must be set manually.

  • Page 42: Screen Contrast

    AMPLIFIED CONTROLLER user manual VERSION 9.0 5.11.3 SCREEN CONTRAST To set the LCD screen contrast follow these steps:  From the main menu select OPTIONS and press the OK key or the encoder wheel (or ESC to abort).  Turn the encoder wheel to select SCREEN CONTRAST. ...

  • Page 43: Appendix A: Protection Systems

    The LA8 amplified controller uses an auto-sensing SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) compatible with mains input nominal voltages of 120 / 230 V ±10 % (LA8, LA8US) or 100/200 V ±10 % (LA8JP). The mains voltage is continuously monitored for under and over-voltage as well as for failure in alternating cycles.
  • Page 44 For safety reasons all other channels are also disabled. ® The controller must be sent to an L-ACOUSTICS representative for maintenance. Speakers The L-DRIVE transducer protection system provides a dual analysis of both signal intensity and voltage in real time and RMS.

  • Page 45: Appendix B: Approvals

    Additional approvals The LA8 amplified controller holds the following certificates: CCC and cTUVus LA8_UM_EN_9.0 w w w . l - a c o u s t i c s . c o m...

  • Page 46: Appendix C: Specifications

    Current values given for a mains rated at 230 V. Multiply by 2 for 120 V, 1.15 for 200 V and 2.3 for 100 V. If the voltage outsides a plus or minus 10 % range the maximum power is no longer guaranteed. LA8 & LA8US 120/230 V AC (±10 %), 50-60 Hz...
  • Page 47 ANALOG INPUT Input 2 Neutrik ® female XLR3, IEC 268, ESD protected Connectors ® Link 2 Neutrik male XLR3, IEC 268, ESD protected Input 22 kΩ (balanced) impedance Max input level 22 dBu (balanced, THD 1 %) Latency 3.9 ms Digital two cascaded 24 bit A/D converters (130 dB dynamic range) conversion...
  • Page 48 Document reference: LA8_UM_EN_9.0 Distribution date: October 28, 2014 © 2014 L-ACOUSTICS ® . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written consent of the publisher.

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