Stewart Audio FLX-E Series Operation Manual
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Stewart Audio FLX-E Series Operation Manual

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1. FLX-E Operation Manual
1 Important safety instructions
1. Please read carefully prior to product installation or operation.
2. Read these instructions.
3. Keep these instructions.
4. Heed all warnings.
5. Follow all instructions.
6. Do not use this apparatus near water.
7. Clean only with dry cloth.
8. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
9. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
10. 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 and/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.
11. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point they exit from the apparatus.
12. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate properly, or has been dropped.
FLX-E Operations Manual Rev F
Table of Contents
(FLX-E-80-4-CV shown)
Page 1
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Summary of Contents for Stewart Audio FLX-E Series

  • Page 1 1. FLX-E Operation Manual (FLX-E-80-4-CV shown) 1 Important safety instructions 1. Please read carefully prior to product installation or operation. 2. Read these instructions. 3. Keep these instructions. 4. Heed all warnings. 5. Follow all instructions. 6. Do not use this apparatus near water. 7.

  • Page 2: Explanation Of Warning Symbols

    3 Warnings 3.1 Explanation of Warning Symbols 3.1.1 Lightning Bolt The lightning bolt within arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electrical shock to person.

  • Page 3: Speaker Damage

    Do not rely solely on the amplifier’s volume control to reduce output power to a level safe for the loudspeakers. Stewart Audio strongly suggests you use the limiter block in the DSP chain to limit power to the loudspeakers.
  • Page 4 4 Table of Contents Important safety instructions ........................1 Warnings ..............................2 Explanation of Warning Symbols ....................2 3.1.1 Lightning Bolt ........................2 3.1.2 Exclamation Point ......................... 2 Warnings ............................2 User Responsibility ........................2 3.3.1 Mains Connection Grounding ....................2 3.3.2 Speaker Output Hazard ......................
  • Page 5 Specifications ............................23 Warranty Information ..........................24 Warranty Summary ........................24 Eligibility Requirements ......................24 Non-warranty Repairs......................... 24 10 Return Procedure ............................. 25 10.1 Shipment Instructions ........................ 25 10.2 Packaging Instructions ........................ 25 11 Appendix A—Maximum Speaker Cable Length Tables ................26 12 Appendix B—FLX-E RS-232 Communications Interface (API) –...

  • Page 6: Unpacking And Visual Inspection

    5.3 Installation and Setup 5.3.1 Rack Mounting The FLX-E Series of amplifiers is designed for rack mounting in a standard 19” rack using the optional rack mount brackets. Both single (part number RMK-HLF-S) and side-by-side (part number RMK-HLF-D) rack mounts kits are available from your Stewart Audio authorized dealer.The constant voltage (“CV” suffix) models use autotransformers to step-up the voltage to 70/100V.

  • Page 7: Cooling And Ventilation

    5.3.2 Cooling and Ventilation All FLX-E amplifiers are convection cooled. Do not block the ventilation holes or slots. Use the following chart to determine cooling requirements for your application. Operating Conditions Power consumption Power Energy dissipated (W) dissipated(BTU/hr) Idle (operational, no input signals) 1/8 rated audio power Power consumption and energy dissipated Ensure that there is sufficient open space around the amplifier to allow for free air flow.

  • Page 8: Operating Voltage

    5.3.3 Operating Voltage FLX-E Series amplifiers use an integral universal power supply that operates on AC mains from 100-240V at 50 or 60 Hz. The power receptacle on the rear panel accepts IEC-60320-C13 power cords. There is no power switch.

  • Page 9: Rear Panel

    6 Rear Panel ⑥ ② ① ③ ⑤ ④ 1. AC line input – Connect the included IEC power cable. 2. Network connector– Connect one end of a Cat5e or Cat 6 cable to primary port, and the other to the 100/1000BaseT switch carrying audio (if a Dante-enabled model) traffic and control traffic.

  • Page 10: Operation

    Stewart Audio recommends limiting the total tapped power to 75% of the rated power for the model used. Also for constant voltage models, make speaker connections between The sum of the tapped wattage for all speakers connected to a single output should not exceed the rated output for the model used.

  • Page 11: Speaker Connections

    6.1.4 IP Control FLX-E Series amplifiers can also be controlled via a TCP/IP connection through the control port of the RJ-45 jack. This jack also serves as the Dante port for Dante-enabled models. Note that these two ports may be on the same network or on different networks/subnets.
  • Page 12 The refresh button causes the application to poll and recreate a list of all FLX-E Series devices on the network. This list includes the IP address of the control port (note that the control port is different from the Dante audio port, and may be either on the Dante audio network, or on a separate network), MAC address, host name (FLX-E), device name, model, firmware version, and operating status of the device.
  • Page 13 7.1.2 System Drop-down Menu There are four options on the System drop-down menu. The Set System Configuration on Selected Device, Load Test on Selected device, Update Firmware on Selected Devices, and Identify Selected Device. 7.1.2.1 Set System Configuration on Selected Device This option allows the user to set the device name, and the overtemp warning and shutdown thresholds.
  • Page 14 The third option allows the user to update device firmware as enhancements and bug fixes are implemented.. The Update Firmware on Selected Devices option sequentially updates all selected devices. To update firmware, first download the new firmware version from the Stewart Audio web site (Stewart Audio FLX-E Firmware Update Site) and save it to a known location on your PC.

  • Page 15: Title Bar

    7.2.1 Title Bar The title bar of the window shows the device model (FLX-E-80-4-LZ Dante), the name given to it in the Set System Configuration drop down on the system status screen, and the IP address including the port number (192.168.100.226:5000).

  • Page 16: Input Configuration

    +6 dB (intended for consumer grade signals), and +20 dB (intended for lower level microphone inputs). Note that this is mathematical gain. There are no preamplifiers in FLX-E Series amplifiers. All processing blocks have 24dB of headroom so selecting a pre-gain higher than 0dB will adjust the upper limit of the first gain block to compensate for this loss of headroom.
  • Page 17 7.2.4.3 Compressor/Limiter Blocks The Compression block allows configuration of the dynamic compressor/limiter. Audio compression is a specialized function used to reduce dynamic range - the span between the softest and loudest sounds. The use of compressors can make recordings or live-sound mixes sound better musically by controlling maximum levels and maintaining higher average loudness.
  • Page 18 (the 360-degree cycle of the lowest fundamental frequency) of the sound's waveform. Stewart Audio strongly recommends enabling the output limiter blocks to prevent damage to the speakers and to avoid overdriving the amplifier. 7.2.4.4 Filter Blocks The Filter block is used to configure the parametric filters available on each channel.
  • Page 19 Center Frequency is the frequency in Hz at which the filter is centered. For a low pass or high pass filter, it is the corner frequency. Gain is the gain or attenuation level of the filter in dB. This is not available on all filter types. Slope is applicable to high/low pass filters and is the rate at which the filter rolls off above or below the cutoff frequency.
  • Page 20 7.2.4.5 Ducker Block The Ducker allows prioritization of one audio channel over other channels. Applications include prioritizing microphone or paging audio over other audio programs. Priority Channel is a dropdown to select the channel which is given priority and which will activate the ducking (attenuation) of other selected channels, when the signal level of the priority channel reaches the set threshold.

  • Page 21: Mixer Block

    priority channels to their previous gain after the priority channel signal has fallen below threshold and the hold time has elapsed. Hold Time is a time property that is adjusted using the green dial of the ducker configuration window, or by entering the time (in seconds) in the textbox.
  • Page 22 Signal Meter displays the current RMS signal level in dBV of the mixed audio output. FLX-E Operations Manual Rev F Page 22 Table of Contents...

  • Page 23: Specifications

    8 Specifications Max. Output Power (all channels driven)  FLX-E-80-4-LZ and FLX-E-80-4-LZ-D 80/40W x 4 @ 4/8Ω  FLX-E-80-4-CV and FLX-E-80-4-CV-D x 4 @ 70.7V/100V (selectable)  FLX-E-160-2-LZ and FLX-E-160-2-LZ-D 160W x 2 @ 4/8Ω  FLX-E-160-2-CV and FLX-E-160-2-CV-D 160W x 2 @ 70.7V/100V (selectable) ...

  • Page 24: Warranty Information

    The customer is responsible to approve this estimate within 7 days. If the repairs are not approved within 14 days, Stewart Audio reserves the right to consider the unit scrap and may discard it. Payment for non-warranty repairs must be submitted to Stewart Audio before the product will be returned to the customer.

  • Page 25: Return Procedure

    NOTE: Any defective products received without an RA number will be returned to sender at their expense. If Stewart Audio is unable to contact the sender in 14 days, the merchandise will be considered scrap and may be disposed of.

  • Page 26: Appendix A-Maximum Speaker Cable Length Tables

    11 Appendix A—Maximum Speaker Cable Length Tables Because speaker wires have a finite resistance per unit length, long cables will affect SPL. This is more important for low impedance speakers, since a few tenths of Ohms corresponds to a larger fraction of the speaker impedance, but should still be considered for high impedance systems.
  • Page 27 70.7V Speaker Line (length in feet) Wire 7.5W 100W 125W 250W 400W 500W gauge Load Load Load Load Load Load Load Load Load 20,000 10,000 5,000 2,500 1,500 1,100 12,400 6,200 3,100 1,550 7,600 3,800 1,900 4,800 2,400 1,200 3,000 1,500 1,920 1,200...

  • Page 28: Appendix B-Flx-E Rs-232 Communications Interface (Api) - Rev

    12 Appendix B—FLX-E RS-232 Communications Interface (API) – Rev 2.0 12.1 Command Structure  Each command starts with 0x02. (labeled STX in commands below)  The next byte is a one-byte command code.  The next byte is a one-byte channel number. 0x00 = Master, 0x01 for channel 1, 0x02 for channel 2, etc.
  • Page 29 Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...4 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x02 command code Byte 2 = 0xXX channel number Byte 3 = 0x03 end of message character FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x02...
  • Page 30 Byte 2 = 0xXX channel number Byte 3 = 0x03 end of message character FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x04 command code Byte 2 = 0xXX channel number Byte 3 = 0xXX current attenuation level Byte 4 = 0x03 end of message character 5.
  • Page 31 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x06 command code Byte 2 = 0xXX channel number Byte 3 = 0xXX current mute state (0 = mute off, 1 = mute on) Byte 4 = 0x03 end of message character 7.
  • Page 32 Byte 4 = 0x03 end of message character 9. GET OUTPUT CHANNEL ATTENUATION Command code: 0x09 Description: command used to get the output attenuation for a specified channel Input parameters – Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...4 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character...
  • Page 33 Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x0B command code Byte 2 = 0xXX dummy channel number, value is don’t care Byte 3 = 0x03 end of message character FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x0B command code Byte 2 = 0xXX dummy channel number...
  • Page 34 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x0D command code Byte 2 = 0xXX channel number Byte 3 = 0xXX current attenuation level Byte 4 = 0x03 end of message character 14. INCREASE PREMIX ATTENUATION 3 dB Command code: 0x0E Description: command used to increase system premix attenuation by 3 dB Input parameters –...
  • Page 35 Byte 3 = 0xXX current attenuation level Byte 4 = 0x03 end of message character 16. INCREASE PREMIX ATTENUATION 1 dB Command code: 0x10 Description: command used to increase system premix attenuation by 1 dB Input parameters – Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...8 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character...
  • Page 36 18. TOGGLE PREMIX MUTE Command code: 0x012 Description: command used to toggle the premix mute on specified channel Input parameters – Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...8 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x12 command code...
  • Page 37 Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...8 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x02 start of message character Byte 1 = 0x14 command code Byte 2 = 0xXX channel number Byte 3 = 0x03 end of message character FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x02...

  • Page 38: Appendix C-Flx-E Ethernet Communications Interface (Api) - Rev

    Following the payload length bytes is a one-byte message sequence number. This is an 8-bit number controlled from the host-side application. In the Stewart Audio FLX-E application, this number is incremented on every message, and rolls over to zero, once it hits 255. The same sequence number is returned by the device-side.
  • Page 39 Byte 1 = 0x02 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x02 command code Byte 5 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 4 2.
  • Page 40 Device Model Codes: 0 = INVALID DEVICE TYPE 1 = FLX-E 80 4 LZ, 2 = FLX-E 80 4 CV, 3 = FLX-E 160 2 LZ, 4 = FLX-E 160 2 CV, 5 = FLX-E 320 1 CV, 6 = FLX-E 80 4 LZ Dante, 7 = FLX-E 80 4 CV Dante, 8 = FLX-E 160 2 LZ Dante, 9 = FLX-E 160 2 CV Dante,...
  • Page 41 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x2A command code Byte 5 = 0xXX command response, 0 = error, 1 = success Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 5.
  • Page 42 Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x2F command code Byte 5 = 0xXX channel number Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00...
  • Page 43 Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x31 command code Byte 5 = 0xXX channel number Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5...
  • Page 44 Byte 5 = 0xXX command response, 0 = error, 1 = success Byte 6 = 0x35 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 10. GET OUTPUT CHANNEL ATTENUATION Command code: 0x33 Description: command used to get the output attenuation for a specified channel Input parameters –...
  • Page 45 Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x38 command code Byte 5 = 0xXX low-order 8-bits of current program number Byte 6 = 0xXX high-order 8-bits of current program number Byte 7 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 6 12.
  • Page 46 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x45 command code Byte 5 = 0xXX command response, 0 = error, 1 = success Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 14.
  • Page 47 Byte 19 = 0xXX channel 2 baseline value low-order 8-bits Byte 20 = 0xXX channel 2 baseline value high-order 8-bits Byte 21 = 0xXX channel 2 reference value low-order 8-bits Byte 22 = 0xXX channel 2 reference value high-order 8-bits Byte 23 = 0xXX channel 2 load-test value low-order 8-bits Byte 24 = 0xXX channel 2 load-test value high-order 8-bits Byte 25 = 0xXX channel 3 baseline value low-order 8-bits...
  • Page 48 16. OUTPUT CHANNEL MUTE OFF Command code: 0x51 Description: command used to unmute a specified output channel Input parameters – Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...4 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length...
  • Page 49 Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x52 command code Byte 5 = 0xXX channel number Byte 6 = 0x01 mute state is on Byte 7 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 6 18.
  • Page 50 Byte 5 = 0xXX channel number Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x55...
  • Page 51 Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x57 command code Byte 5 = 0xXX channel number Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x1E...
  • Page 52 23. TOGGLE PREMIX MUTE Command code: 0x59 Description: command used to toggle the premix mute on specified channel Input parameters – Parameter 1 - 8-bit channel number, 0 = all channels, 1...8 is single channel Host sent data Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x03 low byte of payload length...
  • Page 53 Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x5A command code Byte 5 = 0xXX command response, 0 = error, 1 = success Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 25.
  • Page 54 Byte 6 = 0xXX 8-bit sum of bytes 1 through 5 FLX-E Response Byte 0 = 0x1E start of message character Byte 1 = 0x04 low byte of payload length Byte 2 = 0x00 high byte of payload length Byte 3 = 0xXX message sequence number Byte 4 = 0x5C command code Byte 5 = 0xXX channel number Byte 6 = 0x32...

This manual is also suitable for:

Flx-e-80-4-cvFlx-e-80-4-lzFlx-e-80-4-lz-dFlx-e-160-2-lz-dFlx-e-80-4-cv-dFlx-e-160-2-lz ... Show all

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