miniDSP Flex User Manual
2-in 4-out high-definition audio processor with optional dirac live room correction technology
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Summary of Contents for miniDSP Flex
- Page 1 Preliminary miniDSP Flex OUT HIGH DEFINITION AUDIO PROCESSOR ® R WITH OPTIONAL IRAC ORRECTION ECHNOLOGY User Manual miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice...
- Page 2 Preliminary Revision history Revision Description Date Preliminary for public acccess 2 December 2021 miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice...
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ...........................6 Product Overview ............................9 Dirac Live upgrade ........................... 10 Typical applications ..........................10 Software installation ..........................12 Download the miniDSP software ......................12 Windows ..............................13 2.2.1 Possible Windows installation issues ....................13 2.2.2 Install the miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin ....................13 2.2.3... - Page 4 Preliminary The miniDSP-2x4-HD and DDRC-24 Plugins ..................... 29 Plugin window ............................29 Connecting to the processor ........................30 Key features ............................. 31 6.3.1 Master control ..........................31 6.3.2 Configuration/preset selection......................32 6.3.3 Inputs ............................... 32 6.3.4 Input selection ..........................32 6.3.5...
- Page 5 9.1.2 Flex – single-ended analog I/O ......................67 9.1.3 Flex/Balanced – balanced analog I/O ....................67 9.1.4 Flex/Digital – analog input, digital output ..................68 Plugin and DSP upgrade .......................... 69 Firmware upgrade ........................... 70 9.3.1 Windows ............................70 9.3.2 macOS / OS X ...........................
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Page 6: Important Information
• One free USB 2.0 port • Internet connection System Requirements – with Dirac Live upgrade To configure the miniDSP Flex audio processor with Dirac Live upgrade, you will require a Windows PC or Apple Mac computer with the following minimum specification: Windows •... - Page 7 Doing so will help ensure that the software is correctly configured. Finally, note that the miniDSP audio processor is a very flexible device, and many of the questions we receive at the tech support department are already answered in this user manual and in the online application notes the miniDSP.com website.
- Page 8 Preliminary CE Mark Statement The miniDSP Flex has passed the test performed according to European Standard EN 55022 Class B. A note on this manual This User Manual is designed for reading in both print and on the computer. If printing the manual, please print double-sided.
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Page 9: Product Overview
Dirac Live has proven very popular with our customers purchasing dedicated Dirac Live-capable devices. The miniDSP Flex can be purchased together with an optional Dirac Live upgrade, or can easily be upgraded later. Despite its size, this pint-sized powerhouse packs in a lot of features, so please read the details in this manual (and the accompanying Dirac Live manual if applicable) carefully. -
Page 10: Dirac Live Upgrade
Note that each miniDSP Flex requires its own Dirac Live license. It is not possible to transfer licenses between units, to use a standalone Dirac Live license purchased from Dirac Research with the Flex, or transfer a Dirac Live license from a different miniDSP product over to a Flex. - Page 11 Preliminary Figure 2 illustrates a similar use of the Flex as a digital preamp, but the output channels have instead been configured to act as crossover for a pair of active 2-way speakers. Amplification can be via a multichannel power amplifier as shown, or a pair of stereo amplifiers.
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Page 12: Software Installation
Flex. It is also used to activate the optional Dirac live upgrade. There are separate versions for Windows and Mac. If you have purchased the optional Dirac Live upgrade, you will need to activate it on your Flex as described in Section 7, Dirac Live. -
Page 13: Windows
We recommend accepting the default installation location. Once driver installation completes, click Finish. Note: the first time you run the miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin and the Dirac Live application, you may see a Windows Firewall warning such as the one below. Ensure that “Private networks...” is checked and “Public networks...” is not checked. -
Page 14: Mac
We recommend that you accept the default installation settings. To run the plugin, locate it in the Applications -> miniDSP folder and double-click on it. To make it easier to run in future, right-click on its dock icon and select Options -> Keep in Dock. -
Page 15: Hardware Overview
1 is the left channel and output 2 is the right channel. See Section 6.4 for a variety of other connections. See Specifications for maximum output voltages. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 16: Flex/Balanced
Typically, output 1 is the left channel and 2 is the right channel. See Section 6.4 for a variety of other connections. See Specifications for maximum output voltages. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 17: Flex/Digital
The digital sample rate is 96 kHz if using the 2x4HD plugin (without Dirac Live) and 48 kHz if using the DDRC-24 plugin (with Dirac Live). miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 18: Front Panel
To unmute, repeat this procedure. • To put the miniDSP Flex into standby, press and hold the encoder knob. When the display changes to show “Standby?,” release the knob. To take it out of standby, press the encoder knob. -
Page 19: Playing Audio
4.1 D IGITAL SOURCES All versions of the miniDSP Flex have SPDIF (on RCA/coax) and TOSLINK optical digital inputs. To play from either of these sources, use the front panel knob or remote control to select SPDIF or TOSLINK. 4.2 A NALOG SOURCE The miniDSP Flex has at most one stereo analog input. -
Page 20: Bluetooth
HD is designed to deliver high definition (HD) audio over Bluetooth, to help you get the very most from your music. Pairing your mobile device with the miniDSP Flex is essentially the same as pairing it with other Bluetooth audio devices such as headphones or your car. - Page 21 If your device supports LDAC, enable it by using the gear icon: When Bluetooth audio is selected as the source, the usual front panel display will display the source (lower right corner) as one of: BT(C) The Flex is paired over Bluetooth. BT(NC) No Bluetooth device is paired. BT(P) The Flex is in pairing mode.
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Page 22: Usb Audio
4.4 USB A UDIO The miniDSP Flex accepts stereo PCM audio at sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz over USB. The same USB connector is used for streaming USB audio, configuration and Dirac Live calibration. - Page 23 They may also control sample rate automatically. The miniDSP Flex sends its four output channels to the computer over USB. Click on the Input button in Audio MIDI Setup to see them. These can be used to monitor or record the output channels of the processor.
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Page 24: Windows
Default audio device To set the miniDSP Flex as the default audio output device, open the Windows Control Panel and navigate to the Audio Devices section. On the Playback tab, select the device named “miniDSP 2x4n” and click on the “Set Default”... - Page 25 Preliminary The miniDSP Flex sends its four output channels to the computer over USB. These can be used to monitor or record the output channels: 4.4.2.2 ASIO If your audio application supports ASIO® audio drivers, we recommend selecting the miniDSP ASIO Driver in its settings.
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Page 26: Remote Control
The miniDSP Flex has several options for remote control of key runtime functions. 5.1 U SING THE MINI REMOTE The standard miniDSP infrared remote control provided with the Flex controls all key runtime functions. Standby Put the Flex into standby and take it out again. Mute Mute and unmute audio output. -
Page 27: Learning Third-Party Remote Codes
5.2 L EARNING THIRD PARTY REMOTE CODES While each miniDSP Flex is supplied with a basic miniDSP remote, it can also “learn” the control codes of a third- party remote if it supports one of the following remote control codes: •... -
Page 28: Android/Ios Control App
(iPhone/iPad). For more information, see this application note: • Using Android / IoS app to control your miniDSP If you’re keen to just get started, here are the direct links to the app: • Android version on Google Play store •... -
Page 29: The Minidsp-2X4-Hd And Ddrc-24 Plugins
• The miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin is used if the Flex is in standard mode – that is, without Dirac Live. • The DDRC-24 plugin is used when the Flex is in Dirac Live mode. The Flex will need to be activated with Dirac Live to be able to use this plugin. -
Page 30: Connecting To The Processor
ONNECTING TO THE PROCESSOR Connect the miniDSP Flex to a USB 2.0 port on your computer. In the plugin, click on the Connect button: If successful, the button changes to a green check mark. While the plugin is connected, any changes made in the plugin are immediately transferred to the processor and will be heard in the audio signal. -
Page 31: Key Features
The Master Volume display shows the current volume setting. The master volume can be set by clicking here and typing a new value: The IP Address and Auto fields are for networked control of the plugin using the miniDSP WI-DG Wifi/Ethernet to USB bridge. -
Page 32: Configuration/Preset Selection
Preliminary 6.3.2 Configuration/preset selection The data that controls the back-end audio processing of the miniDSP Flex is called a configuration. This includes crossovers, parametric EQ and routing. It does not include master volume or mute status. Four configurations are stored onboard as presets. The currently selected configuration preset is indicated by a... -
Page 33: Routing Matrix
A comprehensive set of signal processing functions is accessed with the buttons PEQ (parametric EQ), Xover (crossover), Comp (compressor/limiter) and FIR (FIR filter). The FIR filter blocks are not present in the DDRC-24 plugin. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 34: Plugin Configuration Guide
(high pass and low pass), parametric EQ, FIR filtering, and individual gain and delay adjustments. The combination of the routing matrix and the crossover blocks on the output channels is what gives the Flex the ability to be used in many different types of speaker configurations. The following pages describe the basics of configuring for subwoofer integration, active speakers, and multisub control. -
Page 35: Signal Flow - Ddrc-24 Plugin
If Dirac Live is activated, you will use the DDRC-24 plugin instead. Figure 5 shows a simplified view of the signal flow through the Flex when using this plugin. As can be seen by comparing with Figure 4, the routing matrix and the output channel processing –... -
Page 36: Stereo Playback
6.4.3 Stereo playback By default, the miniDSP Flex is set up in a simple 2-in, 2-out configuration. This illustrates the connections: While the default configuration is ready to go for this application, for the purposes of learning how the plugin works we suggest making the following changes in the plugin. -
Page 37: Subwoofer Integration (2.1 System)
We recommend that you do acoustic measurements to check and fine-tune your subwoofer crossover settings, as described in this application note on our website: • Subwoofer Integration with the miniDSP SHD and REW miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 38: Dual Subwoofers
Tuning multiple subwoofers with miniDSP • Dual-sub integration with miniDSP and MultiSub Optimizer The first application note is focussed on home theater, but the techniques can be applied to a stereo system with dual subwoofers. The second application note is more advanced and uses a program called Multi-sub Optimizer to generate optimizations for the two subwoofers. -
Page 39: Stereo Supporting Woofers
Set a low pass crossover filter on channels 3 and 4 (“Left W” and “Right W”). For example: On the Routing tab, set the matrix like this: miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 40: Two-Way Active Speaker
Preliminary 6.4.7 Two-way active speaker The miniDSP Flex can implement a two-way active speaker. This diagram illustrates a typical set of connections: On the Outputs tab, rename the output channels to “Left W”, “Right W”, “Left Tw”, and “Right Tw”. -
Page 41: Subwoofer Control / Multisub
(Normally, upstream equipment like the A/V receiver or processor implements lowpass crossover filters as part of its bass management processing. In some cases, such as when using a Flex to add multisub capability to a stereo system, you may need to enable lowpass filters in the Xover blocks.) On the Inputs &... -
Page 42: Dirac Live
Preliminary IRAC The miniDSP Flex can be upgraded with Dirac Live® at the time of purchase, or at any later time by purchasing the upgrade from our webshop: • https://www.minidsp.com/products/dirac-series/2x4hd-to-ddrc-24 7.1 H IRAC IVE WORKS Dirac Live replaces the input channel parametric EQ. It uses mixed-phase filtering technology to improve the imaging of your stereo, minimize the effects of room modes and resonances, and improve dynamics and clarity. -
Page 43: Software Installation For Dirac Live
CTIVATING IRAC If you purchase the Dirac Live upgrade from our webshop after your initial order of the Flex, you will need to manually activate it using the steps below. If you added Dirac Live to your order when you originally purchased the Flex, Dirac Live is already activated on your Flex, and you do not need to do anything in this section. - Page 44 (Hong Kong) working hours with an activation key file (.txt file). (Please note that this is not an automated process.) This file contains a key text string consisting of 128 pairs of letters separated by spaces (total 256 letters).
- Page 45 Preliminary Quit the miniDSP 2x4-HD plugin. 10. Start the DDRC-24 plugin and click on the Connect button. You will then see this connection dialog box: 11. Click on “Restore ALL to Default.” The Connect button will change to a green check mark: miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com...
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Page 46: Switching Between Minidsp-2X4-Hd And Ddrc-24
DDRC-24 WITCHING BETWEEN MINI Once you have activated Dirac Live, you can switch between the miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin and the DDRC-24 plugin at any time. To do so, however, you must follow the procedure below. All your configuration settings will be lost when you switch. Make sure that you have saved your configurations to a file before switching. -
Page 47: Dirac Live Calibration
Preliminary 7.5 D IRAC ALIBRATION Dirac Live calibration with the miniDSP Flex is described in the separate miniDSP Dirac Live User Manual, downloaded from website. Be sure to start the Dirac Live application from within the DDRC-24 plugin using the Start Dirac Live Software button. -
Page 48: Plugin Reference
51. Mute Press this button to mute that input channel. The button color and label changes to show that the channel is muted. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 49: Dirac Live Version Only
Adjust the gain with the slider, or by typing in the value directly, then click close: miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 50: Output Tab
Current Gain text box. The maximum gain setting is 12 dB, and the minimum gain setting is – 72 dB. (0 dB, the default, is unity gain or no change in level.) miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com... -
Page 51: Parametric Eq
To link a channel, select the other channel from the drop-down menu at the top left of the PEQ screen, and click the Link checkbox. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com... - Page 52 “BYPASSED” (see screenshot below). Note that this button only enables and bypasses a single filter; all other filters must be bypassed or enabled individually. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice...
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Page 53: Crossover
The current channel is displayed in orange, with the others displayed in grey. Hovering the mouse over the curve brings up an overlay showing the frequency and the attenuation at that frequency. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... - Page 54 To link a channel, select the other channel from the drop-down menu at the top left of the Xover screen, and click the Link checkbox. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com...
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Page 55: Compressor
The optimum settings may need to be tuned by ear. For more information, see the Wikipedia article Dynamic range compression. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 56: Fir (Minidsp-2X4-Hd Plugin Only)
Preliminary 8.3.7 FIR (miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin only) Each output channel has an FIR filter bank with a variable number of taps. Click on the FIR button to open the FIR filter settings window: FIR filtering is a powerful feature that allows very complex filters to be constructed (with the aid of suitable design software). -
Page 57: Custom Biquad Programming
In advanced mode, the biquad coefficients can be pasted directly into the user interface. These coefficients must be calculated using a design program – see Biquad design software below for suggestions. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... - Page 58 Room EQ Wizard (REW) or by other design programs. The design program must be set for a 96 kHz sample rate for the miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin and 48 kHz for the DDRC-24 plugin. The number of filters is limited to a maximum of ten.
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Page 59: Biquad Design Software
It includes the ability to automatically generate a bank of parametric EQ biquads based on a measurement. These coefficients can be saved to a file from REW and loaded directly into a PEQ bank in a miniDSP plugin. Room EQ Wizard can be downloaded here: •... -
Page 60: Fir Filtering And Design (Standard Version Only)
FILTERING AND DESIGN STANDARD VERSION ONLY FIR filtering is a powerful and advanced feature of the miniDSP Flex. It allows construction of complex arbitrary equalization and crossover filters with independent control of amplitude and phase. The parameters of each FIR... -
Page 61: Fir Filtering Overview
IIR filter requires only a fairly small of values to be specified. These numbers are conventionally referred to as "taps." The miniDSP Flex can compute a total of 4096 taps. These taps can be distributed as you wish across the four output channels, with the limitation that each output channel must have 6 or more taps and can have no more than 2048 taps. -
Page 62: Loading Filter Coefficients
Bypass button is turned off. If you clear the filter taps, make sure that you also bypass the filter, otherwise there will be no audio through that channel. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 63: Working With Configurations
(as long as the Synchronize Config button is selected). The configuration contained in the miniDSP hardware unit cannot be uploaded back to the computer. Therefore, you must save your configuration to a file if you wish to recover from any changes you make while in offline mode. -
Page 64: Saving And Loading Configurations
Otherwise, the reset will take place in the user interface only, and the new configuration data will be downloaded to the processor next time it is synchronized. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 65: Keyboard Shortcuts
• PEQ filter frequency, gain, and Q Space The Space bar toggles buttons that have two states, such as Bypass, Invert, and Mute, if they have the focus. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice... -
Page 66: Additional Information
XMOS asynchronous USB audio, 44.1 to 192 kHz, USB Audio Class 2 compliant. output ASIO driver for Windows, driverless for Mac OS X. - Input (computer to miniDSP Flex): two channels selected from plugin or by IR remote - Output (miniDSP Flex to computer): four channels (processed output channels) Digital audio inputs TOSLINK optical and Coax SPDIF. -
Page 67: Flex - Single-Ended Analog I/O
Preliminary 9.1.2 Flex – single-ended analog I/O Input impedance 100 kΩ Output impedance 200 Ω Maximum levels 2.0 V RMS input, 2.0 V RMS output Frequency response 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +/- 0.1 dB SNR (Digital to Analog) 120 dB(A) THD+N (Digital to Analog) –110 dB (0.0003%) +/- 3 dB... -
Page 68: Flex/Digital - Analog Input, Digital Output
Preliminary 9.1.4 Flex/Digital – analog input, digital output Output sample rate 96 kHz if using the miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin 48 kHz if using the DDRC-24 plugin Input impedance 100 kΩ Maximum levels 2.0 V RMS input Frequency response 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +/- 0.01 dB... -
Page 69: Plugin And Dsp Upgrade
To upgrade, log into the miniDSP website and drop down the menu at the top right. Click on User Downloads. Click on the miniDSP Flex heading. First check the written instructions on the download webpage and note if there is more to do than just upgrade the plugin –... -
Page 70: Firmware Upgrade
9.3 F IRMWARE UPGRADE miniDSP may occasionally provide an upgrade to the MCU firmware of the miniDSP Flex to enable new features. To upgrade the MCU firmware, first download the latest version of the miniDSP Flex software package from the User Downloads section of the miniDSP website, then extract it on your computer (on Windows, right-click and select “Extract All...”;... - Page 71 You will get a progress bar as upgrade proceeds: Once the firmware upgrade completes, you will see a message that the upgrade completed successfully: Click on Exit. That’s it! You’re done. You can now use your miniDSP Flex with the new functionality. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com...
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Page 72: Macos / Os X
Preliminary 9.3.2 macOS / OS X Connect the miniDSP Flex to your computer via USB (if not already connected) and power it on. Navigate to the XMOS_Firmware/Firmware_Upgrade_Tools/Mac folder of the software download. Double-click on the DFU Utility.app program to run it: miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com... - Page 73 You will get a progress bar as the upgrade proceeds: Once the firmware upgrade completes, you will see a message that the upgrade completed successfully: Click on Exit. That’s it! You’re done. You can now use your miniDSP Flex with the new functionality. miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com...
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Page 74: Trouble-Shooting
ROUBLE SHOOTING 9.4.1 Audio issues – standard version If you get no sound while playing music, start the miniDSP-2x4-HD plugin. Then work through the following steps. If there is no signal on the input meters Check which input source you have selected. -
Page 75: Audio Issues - Dirac Live Version
-10 dB to guarantee that there is no distortion with a full- scale input signal. This issue typically occurs when volume control is being done downstream of the miniDSP Flex. If so, set the miniDSP Flex master volume at -10 dB, and then use the downstream equipment to control volume. -
Page 76: Solving Connectivity Issues - Dirac Live Version
The Dirac Live application use network ports 11113, 11115, 11117, 5000, and 8080. The last two in particular are needed for the bridging app to communicate between Dirac Live and the miniDSP processor. If the miniDSP processor is not detected: 1. -
Page 77: Obtaining Support
Preliminary 9.5 O BTAINING SUPPORT 1. Check the forums on miniDSP.com to see if this issue has already been raised and a solution provided. 2. Contact miniDSP via the support portal at support.minidsp.com with: a. The product information obtained from the plugin’s About button and (if used) the Dirac Live application.
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