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Theta Digital Generation VIII Series 3 Owner's Manual

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THETA DIGITAL
G e n e r a t i o n V I I I S e r i e s 3
Owner's Manual
V 2.00
D i g i t a l D o n e R i g h t
™

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Summary of Contents for Theta Digital Generation VIII Series 3

  • Page 1 THETA DIGITAL G e n e r a t i o n V I I I S e r i e s 3 Owner’s Manual V 2.00 D i g i t a l D o n e R i g h t...

  • Page 2: Warning

    © 2003-2011 Theta Digital. All rights reserved. This manual is also available for download as a PDF file at Theta Digital’s website: http://www.thetadigital.com No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or...
  • Page 3 The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of significant magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
  • Page 4 Generation VIII Identification Record This information is for your records and for future identification of the Generation VIII. Please take a moment to fill out all pertinent data now, and as upgrades and/or options are installed. Whenever upgrades, inquiries, service, repair and/or changes are requested, the serial number will be required. SERIAL NUMBER DATE PURCHASED DEALER’S NAME...

  • Page 5: Safety Precautions

    SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Please carefully read each item of the operating instructions and safety precautions before using this product. Use extra care to follow the warnings written on the product itself and/or in the operating instructions. Keep the operating instructions and safety precautions for future reference. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE COVER PANELS.

  • Page 6: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents PREFACE ................................ii WARNING..............................iii Generation VIII Identification Record ......................iv SAFETY PRECAUTIONS..........................v List of Figures..............................vii List of Tables..............................vii INTRODUCTION ..............................1 Getting to know your Generation VIII......................1 IMPORTANT NOTICE ............................2 Reference Manual Conventions........................2 Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations......................3 Generation VIII Block Diagram ........................4 Front Panel Layout............................5 Rear Panel Layout ............................6...
  • Page 7 List of Figures Figure 1 - Generation VIII Block Diagram ......................4 Figure 2 - Front Panel Layout..........................5 Figure 3 - Rear Panel Layout ..........................6 Figure 4 - Setup Menu Pages..........................7 Figure 5 - Remote Control ..........................8 Figure 6 - Front Panel Display of the INPUT SELECT page................10 Figure 7 - Front Panel Display of the INPUT SELECT page when Fixed Volume Controls are installed..10 Figure 8 - Front Panel Display of the Jack Map and Input Name SETUP menu ..........11 Figure 9 - Front Panel Display of the Input Clocking SETUP menu..............12...

  • Page 8: Introduction

    INTRODUCTION Welcome to a new world of possibilities. Generation VIII is by far the most advanced digital to analog converter available today. It offers the advantages of Theta’s legendary mastery in digital signal processing and sound quality unapproachable by any other equipment. Getting to know your Generation VIII Despite the Generation VIII’s great technical sophistication, we believe in making it as easy as possible for you to use.

  • Page 9: Important Notice

    IMPORTANT NOTICE Due to the computer-based circuitry used in Theta products, it is imperative that the Generation VIII be connected to a ground via its three wire AC power cord. It is important that the AC power outlet which the Generation VIII is plugged into, is actually grounded. Failure to do so will severely compromise the performance, reliability and safety of use of the Generation VIII.

  • Page 10: Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations

    Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations TERM DEFINITION AES/EBU (Audio Engineering Society) / (European A three wire balanced digital audio standard. This interface uses a 3-pin Broadcasters Union) XLR type connector and allows for data communication between digital audio equipment. Analog-to-Digital Converter A device that converts analog signals into a digital format.

  • Page 11: Generation Viii Block Diagram

    Generation VIII Block Diagram Figure 1 - Generation VIII Block Diagram...

  • Page 12: Front Panel Layout

    Front Panel Layout Figure 2 - Front Panel Layout Remote IR receiver. STANDBY button/LED. After the rear panel MAIN POWER switch is turned on, press the front panel STANDBY button to exit the standby mode. The Generation VIII will quickly initialize. The VFD will default to the last selected INPUT. Pressing STANDBY again will place the Generation VIII into standby mode and the LED in the front panel STANDBY button will light.

  • Page 13: Rear Panel Layout

    Rear Panel Layout Figure 3 - Rear Panel Layout Right Balanced Output. Right Single-Ended Output (RCA). Right Analog Input (RCA) Right Balanced Analog Input. Left Balanced Output. Left Single-Ended Output (RCA). Left Analog Input (RCA) Left Balanced Analog Input. AC Power input connector: 3 wire, IEC 320 standard with an EMI filter. 10.

  • Page 14: Menu Maps

    Menu Maps Setup Menu Pages Within the Setup feature, following are all possible Setup menu pages: ** Not accessible when fixed volume option is installed. Figure 4 - Setup Menu Pages...

  • Page 15: Remote Control

    Remote Control 1. Standby button. After the rear panel MAIN POWER switch is turned on, press the front panel STANDBY button to exit the standby mode. The Gen VIII will quickly initialize. The VFD will default to the last selected INPUT. Pressing STANDBY again will place the Generation VIII into standby mode and the LED in the front panel STANDBY button will light.

  • Page 16: Introduction To The User Interface

    Introduction to the User interface The menu system within the Generation VIII is no deeper than 2 layers. When the SETUP button is pressed the first setup page is shown. There is a “>” symbol above the # 5 button at all times when in Setup. This indicates that there is another page of setup parameters.

  • Page 17: Operations

    OPERATIONS This section describes the functionality of each button on the Generation VIII’s front panel. Input Select Buttons When the Generation VIII is first powered up via the MAIN POWER switch on the back panel, it will check all installed software and hardware, momentarily display the unit serial number, and then revert to the standby mode. The STANDBY LED will be lit.

  • Page 18: Setup

    SETUP This function provides access to a series of submenus that will allow the configuration of the Generation VIII. In this section, each feature of the SETUP menu is discussed in detail along with a diagram of each VFD display. Pressing the SETUP button once changes the front panel display to the first page of the SETUP menu, shown in Figure 8.

  • Page 19: Clocking

    Clocking A re-clocking circuit typically converts poor quality jitter-ridden signals into high-quality transformer-isolated ones. The Generation VIII uses this standard design to re-clock. The Generation VIII also has an advanced proprietary synthesized anti-jitter circuit known as “Jitter Jail”. Either clocking type can be selected by the user, via button # Figure 9 - Front Panel Display of the Input Clocking SETUP menu In this menu the user can first select the INPUT to which the clocking type is applied (button # 1), then select the choice of clocking.

  • Page 20: Burn In

    In order to match the levels of signals on different INPUTS of the Generation VIII, there is a menu whereby the user can offset the level of a given INPUT, from that of the Master Volume. This applies only when Unity Gain is set to OFF.

  • Page 21: Rs232

    The REMOTE POWER jack on the rear panel can be either an input, to allow another device to take the Generation VIII out of standby, or an output, which will allow the Generation VIII to take another device out of standby.

  • Page 22: Ir Source

    The RS232 protocol is can be found in Appendix E of this manual. IR Source The Generation VIII can be set to respond to either the hand held remote or the rear panel IR Remote jack. It can also be set to respond to nothing. To edit this IR response parameter, press SETUP and the button # 5, five times.

  • Page 23: Screensaver

    Note: This menu is not available if the Fixed Volume Control option is installed. Screensaver The Generation VIII’s VFD display will automatically dim to ¼ brightness in X minutes after the last button press. X is equal to the value set in the Screensaver menu, which is shown in Figure 17. Figure 17 - Front Panel Display of the SETUP page 8 –...

  • Page 24: Serial Number/Software Versions

    Serial Number/Software Versions The serial number and the software versions of the Generation VIII can be read by pressing SETUP once and then button # 5 nine times (Seven if the Fixed Volume option is installed). This menu is shown in Figure 19. Figure 19 - Front Panel Display of the Info menu Above button # 1 is the serial number, above button # 3 is the Operating System version number and above button # 4 is the DSP software version number.

  • Page 25: Appendixes

    APPENDIXES...

  • Page 26: Appendix A Troubleshooting Guide

    Appendix A Troubleshooting Guide If the Generation VIII should function abnormally, please review the items in the following checklist. Please be sure to thoroughly check all other connected components such as speakers, amplifiers, input devices (CD/LD transport, VCR, TV, etc.) as well as cables. Symptom Possible Cause(s) Remedy...

  • Page 27: Appendix B Wiring Diagrams

    Appendix B Wiring Diagrams This section provides a sample illustration of various input and output wiring schemes. Before making any connections, please turn off ALL devices. Unplug those that do not have a main power switch. To avoid audible distortion and/or overall signal degradation, do not use standard audio cables for digital audio or video signals.

  • Page 28: Figure 22 - Example Of Connections To/From A Casablanca Ii/Iii Digital Out Card

    Figure 22 - Example of Connections to/from a Casablanca II/III Digital Out Card...

  • Page 29: Appendix C Upgrading/Re-Installing Generation Viii Software

    Theta Digital Downloader (TDD) x.xx, where x.xx is the version number. The latest version of TDD as well as the latest Generation VIII Flash files themselves are available from Theta Digital, through a Theta Digital authorized dealer or on the Theta website (www.thetadigital.com) in the Library/Downloads section.

  • Page 30: Appendix D Remote Extender Jack Technical Description And Protocol

    Appendix D Remote Extender Jack Technical Description and Protocol The remote extender jack on the Generation VIIII rear panel serves as a direct electrical pathway to the input section of the main microcontroller. Using this jack eliminates the need to attach an IR transmitting device to the front panel IR receiver.

  • Page 31: Appendix Ers232 Protocol

    Appendix E RS232 Protocol RS232 Hardware Connections These are the connector drawings only. The RS232 cable must be a regular RS232 or mouse extender cable that are wired pin for pin.
  • Page 32 Generation VIII RS232 Control Details RS232 settings are user definable in the Setup/RS232 menu, to accommodate interfacing with a wide range of control products. Baud rate 9600 Echo status Baud rate: Maximum number of bits per second. The duration of a single bit is equal to 1 / baud rate. Echo status: Specifies whether the STATUS of each parameter shown in the protocol will automatically (On) be echoed back to the controller when there is any change, or whether no status information will be...
  • Page 33 Please note: All values below are in decimal. Command Description Argument 1 Argument 1 Description Argument 2 Argument 2 Desc Argument 3 Arg 3 Desc Variable Change 0-33 Variable number (See list) 0-86 new value See Action List Do Action 5-21 Action number (See list) Get Variable Value...
  • Page 34 Variable List Variable Name Range Range Description Phase - Inp # 2 0="-", 1="+" Phase - Inp # 3 0="-", 1="+" Phase - Inp # 4 0="-", 1="+" Phase - Inp # 5 0="-", 1="+" Burn In 0=Off, 1=On Remote Trigger 0=Out-DC, 1=Out-Pulse, 2=Receive-DC, 3=Receive-Pulse Pulse Duration...
  • Page 35 Abal A Se DVD1 DVD2 Phon Tune Menu List Menu Name Standby Main Setup Inputs Setup Clocking Setup Burn In Setup Trigger Setup RS232 Setup IR Setup Ext Volume Setup Screensaver Setup Initial Volume Setup Version Edit Balance Setup Unity Gain Setup Offset Level Status Returned Byte #...
  • Page 36 … Variable … Variable 60 Simulate Keypress List Value Mute Setup Display Standby Level up Level down 16 Level Left Level Right 20 Phase f 25 Discrete Of Discrete On NOTE: RS-232 Feedback in only available for the Input Selected Command...

  • Page 37: Appendix F Specifications

    Appendix F Specifications Digital Input Section (32KHz, 44.1KHz, 48KHz, 88.2KHz, 96KHz, 176.4KHz, 192KHz): Main digital input board: Inputs: 6: 3 coaxial (2 RCA and 1 BNC), 1 AES/EBU (XLR), 2 optical (1 TosLink, 1 open for optional AT&T). Analog Input Section: Inputs: 1 stereo pair on single-ended RCA jacks, 1 stereo pair on balanced XLR jacks.
  • Page 38 Dimensions: 17 5/8” W x 5” H x 17 ¾” D (448 x 127 x 451 mm) Weight: 29 Lbs (10.8 Kg) Stand alone, 35 Lbs (13.1 Kg) Boxed with accessories Environment: Operating Temperature: 32 to 95 F (0 to 35 C) Storage Temperature: -22 to 167 F (-30 to 75 C) Relative Humidity:...

  • Page 39: Warranty Information

    WARRANTY INFORMATION Theta Digital, henceforth referred to as Theta, warrants the product designated herein to be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship, subject to the conditions set forth herein, for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase by the original purchaser, henceforth referred to as purchaser.

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