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Meridian 861 User Manual

Reference digital surround controller
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861 Reference Digital Surround
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Summary of Contents for Meridian 861

  • Page 1 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller User Guide...

  • Page 2: Important Safety Instructions

    Important safety instructions Preface • Read the instructions. To avoid overheating • Keep these instructions. • Leave at least 10cm around the equipment to ensure • Follow all instructions. sufficient ventilation. • Do not use this apparatus near water. • Clean only with a dry cloth.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Contents Introduction Changing the spaciousness of the sound Changing the LipSync The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller Changing the DSP preset for a source DSP presets and layouts Defining your own presets Specifications DSP presets Using the 861 Reference Digital Surround...
  • Page 4 MHR: this product incorporates copyright protection technology Cambridgeshire covered by certain patent applications and intellectual property PE29 6YE of Meridian Audio Ltd. This technology is provided for the England express purpose of securely containing copyright audio within Tel (01480) 445678 the Meridian System only.

  • Page 5: Introduction

    Introduction Introduction Welcome to the Meridian 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller. This User Guide provides full information about using the surround controller in conjunction with your other equipment, to achieve the superb results you can expect from it.

  • Page 6: The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller

    DSP microprocessors to incorporate Meridian MHR Smartlink and Meridian MMHR obtain DSP in hi-fi products, and the 861 is the result of over intelligent stream content information from the source, a decade of our research and development in this field.

  • Page 7: Room Correction

    Introduction Processing The Meridian 861 routes all signals – if necessary via a 24-bit A/D converter – into the digital domain for processing in the highly developed Meridian DSP cards. The incoming signals are processed using a variety of proprietary algorithms, and up to eight output signals are generated.

  • Page 8: Dsp Presets And Layouts

    Introduction DSP presets and layouts The 861 provides an extensive range of options for Special presets for two-channel decoding and processing analogue and digital signals materials for multichannel reproduction. Direct uses only the left and right speakers; compare Music on CD or radio this with the effect of surround processing using the other modes.
  • Page 9 Introduction Multichannel music recordings The following presets are recommended for music recordings containing more than two channels: Discrete renders the source channels to your speaker layout with the ultimate precision and transparency. Ambisonics is especially designed for multichannel recordings on DVD-Audio discs that use Ambisonic encoding.

  • Page 10: Specifications

    Introduction Specifications Audio in and out • Up to 12 analogue inputs. User-adjustable sensitivity. Re-nameable legends. • Up to 12 digital inputs. Re-nameable legends. 32 to 96kHz sampling, and up to 24-bit precision. • Up to 8 digital outputs. • Up to 8 analogue outputs.

  • Page 11: Using The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller

    Surround Controller Using the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller This chapter provides a summary of the functions of the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller to identify the controls which you use to operate the unit. It also provides step-by-step instructions for operating the digital...

  • Page 12: Front Panel Keys

    DSP processing preset mode signal front panel parameters Display Copy Store Assign Calibrate Configure Reference Digital Surround Controller 861 Source Mute Source Mute Volume Selects the Changes the DSP Mutes or restores down/up Switches to source preset selected for...

  • Page 13: Msr+ Keys

    MSR+ keys Using the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller Indicator Flashes when you send a command. Includes sensor for backlight Menu keys For navigating DVD menus or, Transport keys For controlling a CD player, DVD with the Function key, editing...

  • Page 14: Switching On And Off

    Using the 861 Switching on and off Reference Digital Surround Controller When not playing, the digital surround controller should be left in the standby state. This ensures that the components of the digital surround controller operate at maximum efficiency from the moment you start.

  • Page 15: Selecting A Source

    CD. The display shows the source, DSP preset, and volume setting. For example, if you select the CD source: The display shows: Trifield The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller mutes the sound while you change source.

  • Page 16: Adjusting The Volume

    Using the 861 Adjusting the volume Reference Digital Surround Controller The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller adjusts To restore the sound the volume in precise steps of 1dB, where 9dB is • Press Mute again. equivalent to doubling the loudness. The current volume...

  • Page 17: Changing The Dsp Preset

    When you choose a source, a DSP preset is selected depending on the incoming content type. The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller For example, if you have selected the CD source and mutes the sound while you change DSP preset, to are playing a conventional CD, the Trifield DSP preset avoid clicks in the speakers.

  • Page 18: Changing The Display

    Using the 861 Changing the display Reference Digital Surround Controller The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller displays To change the displayed information information about the current settings on the 20- character front-panel display. In addition, it can display • Press Display (remote or under the front panel).

  • Page 19: Customising The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller

    Digital Surround Controller In addition to being able to change the source, volume, and DSP preset, the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller provides a sophisticated range of more advanced adjustments for each DSP preset, to allow you to tailor the sound.

  • Page 20: Locking And Unlocking The Menus

    Customising the 861 Locking and unlocking the menus Reference Digital Surround Controller To simplify the normal operation of the digital surround controller, and to protect the settings from accidental changes, you can lock the menus so that the DSP parameters cannot be accessed.

  • Page 21: Changing The Dsp Parameters

    Changing the DSP parameters Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller Each DSP preset provides a series of parameters that You can save the changes you have made to one or you can vary to customise the behaviour of the preset more DSP parameters in place of the original DSP to your specific requirements.
  • Page 22 Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller To change a DSP parameter • Make sure the menus are unlocked; see To unlock the menus , page 16. • Press > or < (remote or under the front panel) until the display shows the name of the parameter you want to change.

  • Page 23: Changing Treble, Bass, Or Phase

    Changing treble, bass, or phase Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller The digital surround controller provides sophisticated To change the bass treble and bass controls, to allow you to adjust • Press < or > until the display shows the current the broad balance of the system to correct for the bass setting.

  • Page 24: Changing The Listening Position

    • Press < or > until the display shows the current axis two speakers. The 861 Reference Digital Surround setting. Controller provides a more sophisticated adjustment which corresponds to moving the listening position to...

  • Page 25: Changing The Integration Of The Centre

    Changing the integration of the centre Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller If you have a centre loudspeaker you can adjust its You can change the depth between -2.5ms, which relative loudness, to provide the best integration of the corresponds to moving the centre speaker 0.75m...

  • Page 26: Changing The Spaciousness Of The Sound

    Customising the 861 Changing the spaciousness of the sound Reference Digital Surround Controller You can adjust the spaciousness of the sound by altering the delay on the rear and side channels. Note: These adjustments are not available for the Direct, Stereo, or Mono presets.

  • Page 27: Changing The Lipsync

    Changing the LipSync Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller To adjust the LipSync The LipSync parameter is a feature originated by Meridian that allows you to adjust the delay between the sound and the video image by up to 50ms, or up to 85ms if Meridian Room Correction is not being used.

  • Page 28: Changing The Dsp Preset For A Source

    Customising the 861 Changing the DSP preset for a source Reference Digital Surround Controller Each source has an appropriate DSP preset associated with it for each music format. For example, for a standard stereo (PCM) signal the CD source uses Trifield and the TV source uses TV Logic.

  • Page 29: Defining Your Own Presets

    Defining your own presets Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller allows • A flashing cursor shows the letter you are editing: you to modify any of the built-in presets, and save them for future use.
  • Page 30 Customising the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller...

  • Page 31: Dsp Presets

    DSP presets This chapter gives technical information about each of the DSP presets built in to the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller, including information about which preset you should select for different types of material. It also gives details of the special DSP parameters available for...

  • Page 32: Dsp Presets For Two-Channel Material

    DSP Presets DSP presets for two-channel material The digital surround controller provides several signal stereo, which converts the differences between the processing options for two-channel material. The Music microphone signals into amplitude differences in the DSP presets are designed for use with music from speaker signals.
  • Page 33 DSP Presets Ambisonic surround sound is quite unlike conventional Ambisonics and Super DSP preset stereo. A special microphone can be used to capture parameters the sound of the original performance in all three dimensions, allowing a recording to be made in a Parameter Options What it changes...
  • Page 34 DSP Presets PLIIx Music PLIIx Movie and PLIIx THX The PLIIx Music preset is designed to use the Pro PLIIx Movie and PLIIx THX use the Dolby Pro Logic Logic IIx DSP processing mode to decode music IIx DSP processing mode, and are the recommended sources.
  • Page 35 DSP Presets PLIIx Movie and PLIIx THX DSP preset If Party? is set to No, the combined or selected signal is played only through the centre speaker, or the left parameters and right speakers if there is no centre, to centrally localise high-frequency hiss and clicks.

  • Page 36: Dsp Presets For Multichannel Material

    Discrete and Cinema DSP preset encoded data streams (such as Dolby Digital) or as parameters discrete channels from a DVD player. If you are using Meridian SmartLink then all formats will reach the 861 Parameter Options What it changes as discrete channels. With suitable loudspeakers the 2+2+2* Off, 5.1,...
  • Page 37 DSP Presets Cinema is recommended for movie soundtracks that are not Dolby Surround EX encoded, and THX Music is As with the PLIIx THX DSP preset, THX re-equalises recommended for listening to multichannel music. the signals to suit domestic listening conditions, and applies frequency-response correction and decorrelation PLIIx Mov6, THX Surround EX, PLIIx to the surround channels to make the surround sound...
  • Page 38 DSP Presets Using dynamic range control Dialogue Normalisation display If the input format is Dolby Digital, the 5.1 Movie DSP Dolby Digital audio streams include Dialogue presets provide an additional Compress parameter Normalisation and Mix levels, to specify the to allow you to take advantage of the dynamic range recommended listening level of the soundtrack.

  • Page 39: Installing The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller

    Installing the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller This chapter explains how to install the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller. It describes what you should find when you unpack the product, and how you should connect it to the other equipment in the system.

  • Page 40: Unpacking

    The following diagram gives details of the back panel • MSR+ remote control with batteries, manual, and connections on a standard 861. Note that your unit spare key caps. may include optional cards to provide additional inputs •...
  • Page 41 Installing the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller Standard and optional cards The following diagram shows the cards supplied as standard to the 861, and the optional cards (shown in brackets): (OA18) (OA18) IA04 (IA04) OE14 + IE44 (ID26) (ID40) CO00 (OA08) (OA08) Analogue inputs –...
  • Page 42 O1 and O2 The optical output of a source RS232 A computer, for configuring the such as a satellite receiver or 861, or a serial control system. computer. TRIGGER 1, 2, and 3 Equipment that can be The SpeakerLink output of...

  • Page 43: Applications

    Analogue source ANALOGUE ANALOGUE IN Phono leads You can connect up to 12 analogue sources to the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller. • Connect the analogue source to one of the analogue input sockets of the digital surround controller, using...
  • Page 44 The 861 provides an MMHR multichannel input which • Connect together the COMMS sockets using a can be used with the HD621 HDMI Audio Processor. Comms lead. • Connect the MMHR output from the HD612 to the MMHR input on the 861, using an MMHR lead.
  • Page 45 A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 analogue inputs on the digital surround controller (or the corresponding B1- B6 inputs), using six phono leads. • Optionally connect a digital output from the source to a digital input on the 861, using a digital phono lead.
  • Page 46 Meridian SpeakerLink lead. for more details. • Connect the appropriate SpeakerLink outputs on Alternatively you can use standard CAT5 network the 861 to one of each of the remaining pairs of cables instead of SpeakerLink leads. speakers, using a Meridian SpeakerLink lead.
  • Page 47 (typically the front left cables instead of SpeakerLink leads. speaker), using a Meridian SpeakerLink lead. • Connect the appropriate SpeakerLink outputs on the 861 to each of the remaining speakers, using a Meridian SpeakerLink lead.
  • Page 48 Connect one of the DIN COMMS sockets on the back If this fails: panel of the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller to one of the COMMS sockets on another G Series, Restore the default operation by selecting one of the 500 Series, or 800 Series unit, using the Comms leads standard types;...

  • Page 49: Configuring The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller

    Surround Controller Configuring the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller This chapter explains how to set up the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller for most standard configurations of loudspeakers and sources using just the front-panel controls and MSR+. For complete control over all aspects of the digital surround controller’s...

  • Page 50: Choosing A Standard Setting

    Switch on again to use the standard settings you Selecting a Type will clear any configuration and have selected. calibration changes you have made, or any DSP presets you have defined. It does not reset any Room correction profiles stored to the 861 using the Meridian Configuration program.
  • Page 51 Surround Controller Setting up the digital surround controller with other Meridian equipment If you are using the 861 with other Meridian equipment, such as the 800 Reference DVD/CD Player, you should set up the Comms with the following automatic setup procedure: •...

  • Page 52: Calibrating The System

    To start the calibration procedure best possible sound with any particular combination • Put the digital surround controller into standby by of associated equipment, the 861 Reference Digital pressing Off (front panel or remote). Surround Controller includes a built-in calibration procedure.

  • Page 53: Calibration Tests

    Calibration tests Configuring the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller Levels Before setting up the speaker outputs you need to measure the distance, in feet and inches, to each These tests allow you to adjust the output level to speaker from the listening position: each speaker individually, and it follows the general guidelines from Dolby Laboratories and Lucasfilm Ltd.

  • Page 54: Fine Tuning

    These tests allow you to determine the bass handling capability of large analogue speakers and subwoofers. Once set, the 861 will limit the bass level to protect the speakers from potential damage. In each test the display shows the speaker being tested and the current size value chosen for the speaker.

  • Page 55: Setting Up Sources

    Setting up sources Configuring the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller This section explains how to use Gain/Sub mode to Radio 2.0V In For example: set up the sources connected to the digital surround controller, and configure them to suit your other •...
  • Page 56 Configuring the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller For THX loudspeaker systems you should leave the crossover setting at 80Hz. 80Hz is also the recommended setting for all movie listening. You may prefer, however, to lower the crossover frequency for music if your main speakers...

  • Page 57: Sinewave Sweep Test

    Sinewave sweep test Configuring the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller The 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller includes To change the volume a sinewave signal test, to help you set the subwoofer • Use the volume keys in the usual way.
  • Page 58 Configuring the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller...

  • Page 59: Index

    Index Index Channels (DSP parameter) 29 Distance (calibration test) 49, 50 Cinema (DSP preset) 32 DSP 2 Academy (DSP parameter) 31 clip indicator 51 DSP loudspeakers accessories 36 Comms, connecting 44 connecting via SpeakerLink 42, Ambisonics (DSP preset) 28, 33 communications connections 38 analogue inputs 37 Compress (DSP parameter) 34...
  • Page 60 Index DSP presets (continued) LipSync (DSP parameter) 17, 23 Phase (DSP parameter) 17, 19 Trifield 28 listening position, changing 20 phase, changing 19 two-channel 28 locking the menus 16 PLIIx (DSP preset) 30 user-defining 25 PLIIx Mov6 (DSP preset) 33 dynamic range control 34 PLIIx Movie (DSP preset) 31 PLIIx Mus6 (DSP preset) 33...
  • Page 61 Index S Filter (DSP parameter) 28, 29, 32 Sides (DSP parameter) 17, 20 THX (DSP preset) 32, 33 side speakers THX level 49 changing the relative delay 22 THX Music (DSP preset) 33 changing the relative level 20 THX Surround EX (DSP preset) 33 sinewave sweep test 53 THX Ultra2 Cinema (DSP preset) 33 Sooloos connections 38...
  • Page 62 Index...

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