Файл: Eventide_H8000FW_UM.pdf

The I/O Identifier

While each DSP has eight inputs and eight outputs, it’s not necessarily the case that every program will utilize all eight inputs or all eight outputs of the DSP it’s running on. Every program is unique and uses only the number of inputs and outputs that are necessary for its function. For instance, a program that synthesized sound would not need any inputs!

A program that modulated one stereo signal with another would need four inputs (two for the carrier and two for the modulator) but only two outputs (for the result of the modulation). Again, the function of a program determines how many inputs and outputs are utilized on the DSP running the program.

Notice that to the right of every program name in the PROGRAM area is a two-digit number (press the PROGRAM key to get there). This two-digit number is known as the "I/O

Identifier." In the case of the program "BasicRoom" shown to the right, the two digit number is "24." In the case of the program "Compressor_8" shown to the right, the two-digit number is "88." The first digit indicates how many inputs are utilized, and the second digit indicates how many outputs are utilized. If the "I/O Identifier" for a program were "13," DSP input 1 would be used while inputs 2 through 8 were dead, and DSP outputs 1, 2, and 3 would be used while outputs 4 through 8 were dead. A program will utilize the same number of inputs and outputs regardless of whether it is loaded on DSP A or DSP B.

A small number of programs have no I/O identifier. See .

If the I/O Identifier is not visible on page 69 for more information.

34

Those DSP inputs or outputs that are not used by the program are "dead" - no signals are passed by them. Knowing which inputs and outputs a program uses can affect which routing configuration you choose to use. You probably wouldn’t want to place a program that only utilized two inputs after a program that utilized four outputs because two of those outputs would be connected to "dead" inputs.

the signals at the two outputs connected to "dead" inputs would be "lost.") diagram above.

It’s important for you to think about which inputs and which outputs from DSP A and DSP B are "dead" in the context of the routing configuration you’ve chosen. Nevertheless, things usually work out more easily than this brief warning might cause you to believe!

For more information on this topic, including examples, see Programs’ Effect on Routing Decisions on page

69.

35

Setting Input Levels

As we’re sure you know, getting a high, but not distorted, signal at every point in a signal path is essential. The Level Meters help us to achieve this goal. In the LEVELS area go to the meter

menu page to reach this screen. Adjust Source (with the KNOB or the INC/DEC keys) to inputs. The eight Level Meters now reflect input levels of the signals defined on the inputs menu pages in the SETUP area.

In this cursory introduction, we only fiddle with the levels at the inputs but, rest assured, you can change levels almost anywhere in the

signal path.

See:

Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Inputs on page 73.

Input Levels, Wet/Dry Ratios, and Output Levels for Each DSP on page 75.

Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Outputs on page 76.

Of course, it’s always best to optimize levels at their source (leaving the H8000FW’s boost/cut at 0dB). But if you can’t, then go to the inputs menu page in the LEVELS area. If you’re using the analog inputs, press it twice so that only the analog input levels are shown. Here you can boost/cut the analog inputs by +30dB/-90dB before they are digitally converted - setting the gain before the converters gives the best characteristics.

(H8000 menu page shown, H8000FW has adjustments for all four analog inputs.)

You can cut the analog inputs after digital conversion and the digital inputs by 0db/-100dB on the first inputs page

different depending on your routing configuration and will definitely

look different if you have an H8000FW). Assuming you set the Source of the Level Meters to inputs on the meter menu page in the LEVELS area, the meters reflect the input levels after the boost/cut is applied. You want the loudest portions of the signal to approach, but not reach, the red "clip" LED at the top of the Level Meters. If you do clip a signal, you won’t hurt the H8000FW, but you may hurt your chances for career advancement - a clipped signal typically sounds nasty.

For more information on setting input levels see Controlling the Level of the Analog and Digital Inputs on page 73.

36

EFFECTING THINGS

"The effect on your affect of the H8000FW’s effects will positively affect your popularity." -Anonymous

"Panic" Muting

In a moment you’ll be loading and playing with programs, but before you do let it be said that the H8000FW can produce LOUD sounds with very little warning in some of the programs in

some situations. It would be nice to have a "panic" key to press in such a situation. Let’s arrange things so that pressing the BYPASS key mutes all of the H8000FW’s outputs. Go to the bypass menu in the LEVELS area (you may have to press the LEVELS key a few times to see it). Change the value of the system parameter to mute as shown above (with the KNOB or the INC/DEC keys). Now, press the BYPASS key. The A and B LEDs begin to blink - you’ve muted the H8000FW. To un-mute, press the BYPASS key again.

For more information see Bypassing and Muting on page 90.

Loading Programs

Assuming you’ve loaded an appropriate routing configuration, the H8000FW should be ready to process! All that remains is to load a monolithic program or to load a program into each DSP.

To load a program, enter the PROGRAM area. The two "normal" menu pages you immediately find here, list and Criteria, work together to give you access to the H8000FW’s hundreds of programs in a way that suits your needs. In this section, we’ll only focus on two parameters on the Criteria menu page, Sort By and Search By. Of the two, Search By is the most important parameter to understand.

The remaining parameters are discussed in Loading Programs on page 37.

You will see that each program has a threeor four-digit number and a name. The program number has two parts - the last two digits are a number between 0 and 99, the remaining digits

are the bank number. The bank is a loose grouping of related programs, whose name appears briefly at the top right of the screen when a program is selected by moving onto it. The screen on the right shows that the selected program is part of a bank of "Distortion Tools."

37

Let’s go through an example. Say you want to use a delay-based program. First, go to the Criteria menu page in the PROGRAM area and set Search By to Effect and Sort By to Number.

Then, go to the list menu page. The < - - and - - > SOFT KEYS search through programs as defined by Search By on the Criteria menu page. Since we opted to Search By Effects, the < - - and - - > SOFT KEYS search through all of the available programs to find those that contain certain types of Effects:

You’ll know which set of effects is currently displayed by the information provided in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. In this example, the set contains 35 programs that use

Dynamics (compressors, gates, etc.). Notice that all of the programs shown have a "Y" icon to the right of their name, indicating that they perform dynamics processing, among other things.

Press the < - - or - - > SOFT KEYS until you see the set of programs that contain delays. Notice that all of the programs shown have a "D" icon to the right of their name, indicating

that they perform delay processing, among other things.

Now, you can use the left and right CURSOR keys (not the SOFT KEYS we’ve been discussing!) to jump through the programs by "century." Pressing the right CURSOR key from the screen

above jumps from program numbers that start with 2xx to programs that start with 3xx, as shown here! Pressing it again would jump to

programs with numbers 4xx. You will recall that the first one or two digits form the bank number, so using these keys will jump from bank to bank.

38