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JBL SP MK II
Surround Processor
User's Manual
Quick-Start
ADVANCED
OPERATIONS
Press AMBIENCE
UP to add more
volume to Ambient
Speakers. Press
AMBIENT DOWN to
have less. Press
REF to return to
pre-set levels
Press SOUND
STAGE to increase
Stereo Separation.
Press DOWN to
Ambience
decrease Separation.
Press CENTER to
return to pre-set
levels
Press DELAY UP to
increase Ambient
Spaciousness.
Press DELAY
DOWN to decrease
Press BYPASS to
turn off Center and
Ambient Speakers
S-VID-1
Cinema Surround
MODES: 70mm,
35mm, THX, Dolby
Press SIBILANCE
if dialogue is too
loud from Ambient
Speakers
+
Master
Ref.
Volume
-
Sound
Stage
Sib
Center
Fil
Center On
Delay
Bypass
Center
Boost
Rock
Pop
Jazz
Hall 1
70 mm
35 mm
THX
Movie
Movie
S-VID-2
VCR
VDP
CD
Aux
S Y N T H E S I S
Press CENTER ON
to turn on Center
Speaker. Press
CENTER BOOST to
increase volume
from Center Speaker
Press MUTE to cut
Mute
off sound
Press HI FREQ EQ
if sound appears
Hi Freq
too bright
EQ
Hall 2
Music Surround
MODES
Mono
Enhance
Power
Press MONO
ENHANCE to add
simulated stereo to
Monaural Sources
JBL Consumer Products,
Incorporated
240 Crossways Park West
Woodbury, NY 11797
8500 Balboa Boulevard
Northridge, CA 91329
800-645-7484
A Harman International Company
Part #: OMSPMKII M8/93
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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for JBL SP MKII
Summary of Contents for JBL SP MKII
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Page 1: Surround Processor
JBL SP MK II Surround Processor User's Manual Quick-Start ADVANCED OPERATIONS Press AMBIENCE UP to add more volume to Ambient Speakers. Press AMBIENT DOWN to have less. Press REF to return to pre-set levels Press SOUND STAGE to increase Stereo Separation. - Page 2 SYNTHESIS SURROUND PROCESSOR Model SP MK II ® Controller— A/V Surround Processor USER'S MANUAL...
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
LUCASFILM HOME THX CINEMA ... 9 PLANNING YOUR HOME SURROUND AUDIO SYSTEM ... 11 ELECTRONICS PLACEMENT & VIDEO REQUIREMENTS ... 12 MAIN SPEAKER PLACEMENT ... 13 SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT ... 14 SURROUND SPEAKER PLACEMENT ... 15 INSTALLING YOUR SP MK II ... 16 SP MK II FRONT PANEL DISPLAY ... - Page 4 IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS FOR AUDIO PRODUCTS PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ALL THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO YOUR EQUIPMENT Read instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. Retain instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. Heed Warnings - All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
- Page 5 EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING AS PER NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE Outdoor Antenna Grounding – If an outside antenna is connected to the receiver, be sure the antenna system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up static charges.
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Page 6: For People Who Don't Read Instruction Manuals
JBL SP MK II A/V SURROUND PROCESSOR ® CONTROLLER FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T READ MANUALS Please read this one. The time you invest will be worth it. If you feel you absolutely do not have time to read it just now, here is a short list of key information you will need in order to get the most from your SP MK II. -
Page 7: A Step By Step "Quick Guide
Adjust the Output Trim Level controls so that the volume is the same from each speaker at the lis- tening location. We recommend the use of a sound pressure level meter, if available, set for “C”... -
Page 8: Motion Picture Sound: A Brief History
your system! MOTION PICTURE SOUND: A BRIEF HISTORY In the early 40’s, the large movie studios owned their own theatres and could enforce quality standards. In those days motion picture theaters provided higher quality sound reproduction than home radios or phonographs. An anti-trust action forced the studios to sell their theatre holdings in the 50’s. -
Page 9: The Goal Of Lucasfilm Home Thx
In 1986 the sales and rental of home video software equalled theatrical ticket sales. George Lucas found himself back where he started—with no control over how his films would actually sound in the home. For that reason, the Lucasfilm Home THX Audio System was designed to accurately bring the theatre experience home. -
Page 10: Planning And Installation Guide
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION GUIDES A CHECKLIST FOR PLANNING AND INSTALLING YOUR HOME THX AUDIO SYSTEM Introduction and Overview The SP MK II is the most advanced surround processor/control center yet produced, incorporating state of the art surround processing circuitry. The SP MK II also features Lucasfilm Home THX Audio processing circuitry which has been specifically designed to provide new levels of enhancement to motion picture soundtracks. -
Page 11: Sp Mk Ii Overview
SP MK II Surround Processor The SP MK II THX controller incorporates a combination of existing technology and new, proprietary and patented Lucasfilm developments. This enables the system to take advantage of existing standards for film sound for maximum compatibility, while also improving home reproduction quality of film soundtracks (which were, after all, recorded for playback in large auditoriums). -
Page 12: Sp Mk Ii Operating Parameters
SP MK II OPERATING PARAMETERS The SP MK II offers a full array of surround parameters which will accommodate all types of music and movies. Conventional motion picture surround processing technol- ogy was never intended for music reproduction, so virtually every other manufacturer of surround processors has chosen to offer digital soundfield processing, or “DSP,”... - Page 13 You may switch on, at your option, the center channel speaker in the ‘Orchestra’ mode. Steering logic is engaged on the front sound stage when the center speaker is switched on. Audio signal delay settings may be extended to 80 ms.
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Page 14: Lucasfilm Home Thx Cinema
DOLBY PRO LOGIC This is the consumer version of the system used in theatres to decode four channels of sound from the film’s soundtrack and provides performance identical to that of theatrical Dolby decoders. A sophisticated microprocessor control system in the SP MK II re-config- ures the steering logic time constants to those of Pro Logic. - Page 15 HOME THX CONTROLLER Input Level & Balance Controls Fortunately, this characteristic can be compensated for by use of very specific and proprietary equalization applied to the surround channels only. Timbre-matching cir- cuitry is included in the SP MK II. BI-AMPLIFICATION: This technique of separately powering the main speakers and subwoofer(s) dramatically reduces distortion while expanding the useful dynamic range of the system.
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Page 16: Planning Your Home Surround Audio System
PLEASE NOTE: The THX specification includes an electronic crossover for the front speaker system. If you are using THX speakers without the SP MK II, or other THX con- troller, some provision must be made for an appropriate crossover between the sub- woofer(s) and the front speakers. -
Page 17: Electronics Placement & Video Requirements
• The screen should be well away from side walls. The front speakers have broad hori- zontal dispersion and it is best to minimize side wall reflections. SPEAKER PLACEMENT The SP MK II may be used with conventional, high quality speaker systems or with Home THX–certified loudspeaker systems. There are some general installation guide- Electronics... -
Page 18: Main Speaker Placement
• Select speakers designed to meet your system requirements. Don’t, for example, flush- mount a book shelf speaker designed for different mounting applications. If the room is quite large, you may require two or more subwoofers to achieve optimum performance. -
Page 19: Subwoofer Placement
• The Center speaker should be directly above or below the screen. When possible, try to keep the center speaker tweeters as close to the level of the tweeters in the L/R speakers (no more than a two foot difference) so that lateral audio pans do not create noticeable changes in vertical localization. -
Page 20: Surround Speaker Placement
Try to place them so the null is aimed towards the seating area. • THX dipolar surround speakers should be placed so the positive polarity side of the speaker faces towards the front of the room. • Conventional surround speakers should be placed behind the listening area and should also be placed mid wall level or higher. -
Page 21: Installing Your Sp Mk Ii
INSTALLING YOUR SP MK II For convenience of operation, we suggest that you run all your main audio and video sources through the SP MK II. Four inputs (including the tape monitor input) accept audio and composite video sources while the remaining two accept audio and S-type (Y/C) video from S-VHS, S-Beta, and some laser video players and satellite receivers. -
Page 22: Sp Mk Ii Front Panel Display
Input Calibrate display to 0 dB. Then, the channel output trim controls on the back of the SP MK II are individually adjusted to achieve proper output levels with sufficient headroom and freedom from amplifier or speaker overload. OUTPUT VOLUME: Volume settings have a range from –85 to +15. These settings do not necessarily relate to dB equivalents. -
Page 23: Setup & Calibration
The best way to ensure proper polarity in any home audio system is to compare each speaker to a single speaker which is used as the reference for the system. We will use the Left front speaker as the reference in our example. Check the wiring color code on both the amplifier and speaker jacks to verify correct polarity. - Page 24 SP MK II to turn off the autobalance circuit. With the Center output on but with the the Center Speaker amplifier turned off, push the left or right channel button to minimize leakage of center channel dialog to left or right speak-...
- Page 25 SP MK II. The goal is to set the volume at the primary listening position to read 75 dB SPL (C-weighted, slow mode) from each speaker in sequence, using the individ- ual output level controls. You should use the meter pointing straight up towards the ceiling.
- Page 26 Pro Logic or Home THX Cinema modes. PREFERRED ACCEPTABLE DISTANCE FROM FRONT SPEAKERS (FEET) USABLE SPEAKER PLACEMENT RANGE WITH XX MS DELAY TIME NOT RECOMMENDED 25 ms 20 ms 15 ms...
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Page 27: Sp Mk Ii User Features
Normally, only a small amount of boost should be used to avoid overloading both the power amplifier and the speaker. Bass EQ is only available on the front subwoofer outputs and the main left and right front channels (when the THX elec- tronic crossover is disengaged). - Page 28 TEST NOISE GENERATOR: The built-in noise generator sequences bandwidth-limited pink noise around the room to each speaker location. The duration of the noise burst is limited to two seconds in the Dolby Pro Logic and Home THX Cinema modes. The dura- tion is extended to approximately four seconds in the other surround modes.
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Page 29: Fine Tuning Your Audio System
REMOTE INFRARED SENSOR JACK: This miniature input jack, located on the rear panel, accepts input from a remote infrared transmitter/sensor or remote key pad. It is provided for custom installation applications. Consult your dealer or JBL for additional application information. - Page 30 lesser systems might never evoke. It can be tempting to try to solve all of these problems with the indiscriminate use of sound-absorbing products, but even this technique has its pitfalls. All of these common acoustical problems will be addressed in this section. Once again, these techniques are not necessary for a successful Home THX Audio System installation.
- Page 31 The simplest test for this is to hold a large sample of the cloth in front of a speaker playing the pink noise found in Chapter 6 of the WOW! laserdisc. If you can move the cloth in front of the speaker without hearing a difference, you are all set.
- Page 32 Listen for ROOM ABSORPTION FOR HOME THEATRE SYSTEMS Surround speaker Reflective "live" zone Screen speaker Absorptive "dead" zone • "Dead" zone absorbs front speaker reflection. • "Live" zone provides surround propagation...
- Page 33 a “flutter echo” of the hand clap (a rapidly-repeating percussive sound, indicative of the sound bouncing between two parallel walls). Again, the best home theatres are fairly “dead” acoustically. This allows the program material and the playback system to create the environment, rather than having the room’s native acoustic signature color everything.
- Page 34 pieces of felt can be affixed to the back of a painting (in the bottom corners) to prevent audible rattles against the wall. Likewise, strips of felt can be wedged into a loose win- dow rattling in its frame. Recessed lighting fixtures can be tightened up. A piece of cloth can be placed under offending knick-knacks.
- Page 35 doors can also make a significant difference in reducing outside noise. Heating and cooling systems are more challenging. Sometimes, the answer may be as simple as using a “whistle-free” diffusion grille rather than one which creates undue noise from turbulence. In cases of new construction, using larger-diameter air ducts for lower air velocity is very beneficial.
- Page 36 STANDING WAVE SOLUTIONS: SPEAKER PLACEMENT Speaker placement also has an effect on standing waves and their audibility. In particu- lar, placement of any speaker (including subwoofers) where two walls and the floor meet will tend to stimulate all of the available standing waves, causing the most irregu- lar response.
- Page 37 STANDING WAVE SOLUTIONS: ROOM EQUALIZATION If a room exhibits severe standing wave problems, the best solution is to know your own limitations: hire a trained acoustician. These professionals have the necessary background to analyze the various room modes and recommend appropriate action. This will sometimes take the form of a custom-designed bass trap, which may be easi- ly constructed.
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Page 38: Suggested Demonstration Titles (Movies And Stereo Recordings)
SUGGESTED DEMONSTRATION TITLES The THX disc, WOW!, features a number of sections with exciting and entertaining demonstrations of the various aspects of motion picture sound tracks including low fre- quency response, dynamics, and surround effects. There are also many other discs which will provide outstanding demonstrations of surround for both music and movies. -
Page 39: Troubleshooting
• Excessively high playback levels • Misadjusted subwoofer level • Severe room modes or bass loss due to room construction • Poor speaker placement, strong reflections •Excessive absorption near surrounds Solution • Check/replace cables or fuses • Verify that the signal source is... -
Page 40: Service And Limited Warranty
(6) damage resulting from the performance of repairs by someone other than an authorized JBL warranty station; (7) any JBL unit on which the serial number has been effaced, modified, or removed; (8) units which have been altered or modified in design, appearance or construction;... -
Page 41: Sp Mk Ii Specifications
Dimensions/Weight: THX is a registered trademark of LucasArts Entertainment Company. Synthesis is a registered trademark of JBL, Incorporated. This product is licensed under one or more of the following US patents: 3,632,886; 3,746,792; 3,959,590; 3,883,832 and the patents issued and pending to Jim Fosgate including 4,932,059. - Page 42 JBL SP SP MK II Surround Processor User's Manual Quick-Start BASIC OPERATIONS Ambience Sound Stage Center Delay Rock Engage one of these for movie listening 70 mm 35 mm Movie Movie S-VID-1 S-VID-2 Engage one to select a source S Y N T H E S I S...