Antelope Zen Tour User manual

Owner’s Manual
Portable Thunderbolt™/ USB Audio Interface
www.AntelopeAudio.com

3
Contents
1. Safety Notes 5
2. Introduction 6
3. Features 7
4. Installation Guide 8
5. Activation Guide 9
6. Front Panel Explained 10
7. Rear Panel Explained 11
8. Touchscreen Explained 12
9. Software Control Panel 17
10. In the Box 24
11. Troubleshooting 24
12. Technical Specifications 26
13. Antelope Audio Support Resources 28

5
1. Safety Notes
• To reduce the risk of electrical shocks, fire, and related hazards:
• Do not remove screws, cover, or cabinet. There are no user serviceable parts inside.
Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
• Do not expose this device to rain, moisture or spillover of liquid of any kind.
• Should any form of liquid or a foreign object enter the device, do not use it. Unplug
it from the power source. Do not operate the device again until the foreign object is
removed or the liquid has completely dried and its residues fully cleaned up. If in doubt,
please consult the manufacturer.
• Do not handle the power cables with wet hands!
• Avoid placing things on the cabinet or using the device in a narrow and poorly ventilated
place which could affect its operation or the operation of other closely located
components.
• If anything goes wrong unplug the power. Do not attempt to repair the device yourself.
Consult authorized service personnel or your dealer instead.
• Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, stoves, or other apparatus
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.
• Do not use harsh chemicals to clean your unit. Clean only with specialized cleaners for
electronics equipment.
• Connect all your devices before powering your unit.
• DC power supply cable should be routed so that it is not likely to be walked on or
squeezed by items placed upon or against it.
• To completely turn off the device, unplug the power cable first from the outlet and then
from the rear panel of the unit.
• The device is designed to operate in a temperate environment, with a correct Operating
Temperature of 0-50° C, 32-122° F.
• During Firmware updates all peripherals must be turned off or disconnected from the
unit. Only a direct USB / Thunderbolt™ connection to your computer and the power
supply should remain active. Ensure you have a stable Internet connection and the USB
/ Thunderbolt™ cable you are using is maximum 3 meters long.

6
2. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Zen Tour from Antelope Audio.
Producing your own music has become the contemporary equivalent of writing poetry.
Current technologies have made sound recording as easy as grabbing a pen and pouring
your feelings on paper. However, unlike the solitude writing requires, music creation is
usually a shared experience. A simple two or four-channel audio interface is no longer
enough. A cool, creative jam with friends will require at least eight channels, packed in a
portable interface that could easily fit in a backpack.
With Zen Tour we are pushing the envelope once again. Antelope is offering not just a
portable Thunderbolt™ & USB audio interface, but a pro piece, easily covering the needs of
a small band. Zen Tour comes with 4 switchable Mic/Line inputs and 4 more Hi-Z/Line ins.
Two reamp outs and a Talkback button on the front panel put it in the spotlight of portable
tabletop interfaces.
Zen Tour borrows the powerful Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) from Antelope Audio’s
top-selling pro studio devices. This game-changing technology provides the interface with
massive parallel processing capabilities and the lowest latency levels on the market. In Zen
Tour portability meets studio power like in no other device. No longer will portable interface
stand for a starting point for your career, Antelope turned Zen Tour in a powerful tool for
growing huge in the crazy music business!
The custom FPGA is a rock-solid platform for creating multiple, zero latency mixes and
applying an exciting stack of effects. Forget about buying expensive plug-ins – Zen Tour
offers something better. Get creative with Antelope’s brand new hardware-based guitar amp
& cab simulations, recreations of legendary studio gear, the extremely versatile AuraVerb
reverb and our own EQ and compressor. The FPGA effects offer unbeatable authenticity and
audio realism, comparable only to the sound and behavior of legendary hardware gear.
Zen Tour control is now literally at your fingertips via the intuitive touchscreen. The OS X
and Windows compatible software control panel follows Antelope’s innovative concept for
networking. You can now manage all Zen Tour features from multiple computers in the same
network. Did we mention iOS and Android mobile apps will allow you to access all Zen Tour
features from your smartphone or tablet?
While other portable interfaces have to choose between giving you a decent amount of I/O
channels or high-end DSP effects Zen Tour is better at both! With the 4 switchable Mic/Line
and 4 Hi-Z/Line ins now come 8 analog outs, digital I/O on ADAT & S/PDIF, two independent
headphone amps and two separate pairs of monitor outs. The FPGA powered Thunderbolt™
and custom USB make the device lightning fast and compatible with any DAW on the
market.
Enjoy working with the new Zen Tour!
All the best,
The Antelope Team

7
3. Features
• 1x Custom USB 2.0 Type-B Connector
• 1x Thunderbolt™ Gen1
• 4x Mic / Line In on TRS / XLR combo
• 4x Hi-Z / Line In on TRS
• 8x Line Out on DB25 (8 channels)
• 2x ReAmp Outs on TRS
• 2x HP Outs on TRS
• 2x Monitor Line Out on 1/4 TRS stereo jacks (L/R CHs) for pair of stereo monitors
• 1x S/PDIF I/O on 2x RCA
• 2x ADAT I/O on Fiber optic
• 1x TALKBACK Mic
• 1x 3.5” high resolution TFT display (262 000 colors) with capacitive touchscreen
panel

8
4. Installation Guide
Connect the DC power source on the rear panel.
Windows:
1. Connect the USB cable to the USB port on your computer.
2. Download the Zen Tour launcher from www.antelopeaudio.com/products/zen-tour/.
3. Start the application, the launcher will automatically download
the Software Control Panel.
4. Open your Control Panel by double clicking and follow the device activation procedure.
5. Connect your inputs and outputs of choice to Zen Tour.
6. Open your preferred DAW and ensure the device is selected as an input and output.
Note Make sure your Zen Tour has the most recent firmware installed. Check this by
selecting the Options panel and clicking on the Firmware Update button.
Mac OS:
1. Connect the Thunderbolt™ (TB) or the USB cable to the TB or USB port on your
computer.
2. Download the Zen Tour launcher from www.antelopeaudio.com/products/zen-tour/.
3. Start the application, the launcher will automatically download the Software Control
Panel.
4. Open your Control Panel by double clicking and follow the device activation procedure.
5. Connect your inputs and outputs of choice to Zen Tour.
6. Open your preferred DAW and ensure the device is selected as an input and output.
Note Make sure your Zen Tour has the most recent firmware installed. Check this by
selecting the Options panel and clicking on the Firmware Update button.
See picture:

9
5. Activation Guide
It is essential to activate Zen Tour before using it. Once the DC power source is plugged and
the device is connected to your computer via USB or Thunderbolt™ follow the steps below:
1. Navigate to www.antelopeaudio.com/products/zen-tour/.
2. Download the Zen Tour Launcher.
3. Start the application (If you are on a PC install the launcher). The launcher will
automatically download the Software Control Panel.
4. You will be greeted by an Activation Screen. If you already have an Antelope Audio
account click on “Use existing Antelope ID”. Enter your information and click Continue.
If you don’t have an Antelope Audio account please enter a user ID, e-mail and
password, then click Done.
Check your email for the activation link mail and click on it. If the email does not appear
in your Inbox, please check your Spam folder.
5. Go back to the launcher and enter the required information. Click Done.
6. You’re good to go!

10
6
5
4 9 8
7
1
3
2
10
6. Front Panel Explained
1. 4 Line / Instruments (Hi-Z) Inputs
Inputs suitable for connecting instruments such as bass or guitar to Zen Tour.
2. 2 Headphone Outputs
Two independently assignable headphone outputs, selectable and controllable via the
main volume control knob. Which headphone output is currently controlled will be
indicated on the touchscreen display.
3. 2 Reamp Outputs
These outputs are direct outputs that should be used with guitar amplifiers for
re-amping.
4. High resolution “capacitive touch”TFT display
Multi function touchscreen that displays various information and control options.
5. Gain Button
Press to adjust the volume level of Zen Tour using the Rotary Control Knob.
6. Headhone Select
Press to switch between the two headphone outputs and adjust their volume levels.
7. Antelope Function Button
Accesses various menus in combination with other buttons.
8. Talkback Button
Press the talkback button to activate the talkback microphone. This can be distributed
to the selected headphones and/or monitors using the software control panel or the
touchscreen.
9. Rotary Cotrol Knob
Big knob for monitor outs, line outs or HP volume control. By pressing it you can Mute
the selected output.
10. ADAT Inputs and Outputs
2 Inputs & 2 Outputs (up to 8 channels per line).

11
11
12
14
17
15
1613
7. Rear Panel Explained
11. 4 Mic Preamp / Line Inputs
4 Class-A mic preamps with phantom power over the Combo Inputs on the rear panel
of Zen Tour.
12. Monitor Outputs
Assignable balanced stereo output (left channel at the top and right channel below).
Only one active at a time.
13. S/PDIF Input and Output
75 ΩS/PDIF inputs and outputs for use with compatible equipment.
14. Line Output D-SUB 25
D-SUB 25 connector with 8 outs (following TASCAM standard).
15. USB 2.0 Type-B Connector
Custom USB interface for Zen Tour control via Antelope Audio Software Control Panel.
16. Thunderbolt™Port
Enables you to connect your Zen Tour to a Thunderbolt™ port on a Mac computer using
a Thunderbolt™ cable (not included).
17. DC Power Connector
For use with Antelope’s DC power supply only!

12
7.Touchscreen Explained
Zen Tour features a touchscreen on its front panel. From it you can access all functions of the
device.
The touchscreen features the following options:
MENU
Here you can adjust different Zen Tour parameters:
Brightness
Adjusts the touchscreen brightness.
Comm Interface
Selects which is the current type of connection between the computer and Zen Tour, USB or
Thunderbolt™.
Screen Saver Style andTime
Changes the amount of time it will take for the screen saver to appear as well as the type of
the screen saver for the touchscreen.
SR Conversion
Enables and disables the Sample Rate Converter for the S/PDIF Inputs.
Presets Saving
Enables you to save the current settings on a preset.
Factory Reset
Resets the device to the factory settings, note that all settings and saved presets will be
lost.
Lock
Indicates whether Zen Tour is locked to an incoming signal or not.

13
Power
Powers off the device.
When in standby mode the Zen Tour touchscreen will be switched off. Tap it to see the
power icon then tap it again to switch the device on.
ACTIVATE
This screen indicates you have to activate your device.
MAIN DISPLAY
Tap here to get the listed meter sources and scroll by pressing and dragging to find the
source you need displayed.

14
MON
Enter the Monitor menu to adjust the Monitor volume level from the main Volume Knob.
Tap speaker icon to mute (or press the Zen Tour knob).
LINE
Enter the Line Out menu to adjust the output volume level.
Tap speaker icon to mute (or press the Zen Tour knob).
HEADPHONES
Cycle through the two Headphone outputs and set their volume levels.
Tap speaker icon to mute (or press the Zen Tour knob).

15
SAMPLE RATE
Here you select the Sample Rate for Zen Tour. Tap the SR button to see the available
Sample Rates. The current one will be displayed on the top of the touchscreen.
TALKBACK
Press and hold the Talkback button on the Zen Tour Front Panel to adjust Talkback volume
level and select / mute Talkback on Headphone Outs 1 & 2 and on Monitors.
GAIN
Tap here to select the input mode or press the Gain button on the Zen Tour Front Panel to
adjust the gain levels of the inputs and cycle through the different modes (Line/Mic/Hi-Z).

16
METERS
Select a signal type to be displayed in Meters mode.
Presets 1–5
The Global Presets save all device settings to one of the five available Preset slots.
By pressing buttons P1 to P5 you switch between all customizable presets.

17
8. Software Control Panel
8.1. Main View and Routing Tab
The universal panel view is constantly located on the upper half of the control panel for quick
access to the most important features.
Main view:
1. Power/Standby button
2. Monitor A/B select button
3. Monitor volume slider
4. Monitor mute
5. Clock Source select
This dropdown menu allows you to select how the Zen Tour is to be clocked.
6. Sample Rate Select
7. Lock light
8. Devices
This dropdown menu allows you to switch between Antelope Audio devices connected
to your computer or on the same network.
9. Settings
10. Info
11. PREAMP / ADAT IN / S/PDIF IN Section
12. Headphone (HP 1) volume slider
13. Headphone (HP 1) ‘Mute’ button
14. Headphone (HP 2) volume slider
15. Headphone (HP 2) ‘Mute’ button
16. Talkback button / indicator light & Talkback volume fader
1 7. Routing Section
18. ‘From’ Section (from Routing tab)
1
11
17
20
18
19
10
12 13 14 15 16
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
21
22
23
24

18
19. ‘To’ Section (from Routing tab)
20. Mixer Section
21. Effects Section
22. Meters Section
23. Presets
24. Undo/Redo Routing; Save/Load (from Routing tab)
25. Hi-Z and Line (Front inputs on TRS) modes selectable via dropdown menu (please
ensure your selection from the dropdown menu matches the type of signal being
inputted)
26. Mic and Line (Rear inputs on TRS / XLR combo) modes selectable via dropdown menu
(please ensure your selection from the dropdown menu matches the type of signal
being inputted)
27. Channel Gain (value adjustable in 1 dB steps), Ctrl+Left-Click (Win) / Cmd+Left-Click
(Mac) mutes the channel
28. 48V Phantom Power Switch (independently assignable)
29. Peak Meter
30. Phase Inverse button
31. Stereo Link
28 293130
25
27
27
26

19
8.2. Mixer Tab
1. Fader (double-click to reset to zero)
2. Fader Level indication
3. Solo
4. Mute
5. Stereo Link
6. Pan (double-click to reset to zero)
7. Send (double-click to reset to zero)
8. Master Mix Fader (double-click to reset to zero)
9. Master Mix Level indication
10. Master Mix Mute
11. Mixer 1–4 Show/Hide
Zen Tour offers four software low latency mixers which provide near zero latency mix and
monitoring that can be distributed to any output from the control panel.
For example, you can drag all of the 24 USB PLAY channels to MIXER 1 channels and then
drag and drop MIX 1 L/R to LINE OUT 1&2 providing a stereo bus mix to LINE OUT channels
1 and 2.
3 54 8 10 9
12 6 11 7

20
The low latency mixers provide all basic functions of a real mixer such as: Solo, Mute, Pan,
Stereo Link, Volume Level fader control and a Master Fader, so you can easily make a stereo
mix plus an Auxiliary send in order to use AuraVerb.
AuraVerb is a powerful and flexible algorithmic reverb effect powered by Zen Tour’s Custom
FPGA-based DSP. It provides near zero-latency effect monitoring without taxing your CPU.
AuraVerb can also be used as a hardware effect from your DAW. That way you can take
advantage of its rich and unique sound while mixing or mastering.
By default the effect is switched off.
Quick Start
AuraVerb appears as a pre-fader send effect on the Zen Tour’s Mixer 1. To send a signal to the
reverb, turn up the send control on a mixer channel and use the reverb output level to adjust
the return to the mixer’s master channel. To hear the reverb, route the mixer output to your
monitors by clicking and dragging MIX 1 [1] [2] to MONITOR [1] [2] on the routing matrix.
Fine tune the reverb mix by balancing between the dry signal on the mixer channel’s fader
and the reverb Output Level knob.
AuraVerb Parameters
• Color
AuraVerb’s Color control allows you to adjust the overall tone of the reverb. On “0” the
space created is darker, like a lushly carpeted area. On “100” the reverb sounds the
brightest, which can add some sizzle to a lead vocal, for example.
• PreDelay
PreDelay is a common function on most reverb effects and allows you to create a bit of
space between the source and the onset of reverb by controlling the amount of delay
time that precedes the initial reverberated sound. This parameter is used to place the
reverberated signal later in time with respect to the unprocessed signal. Natural settings
for this are based on the size of the environment and range from 0 to 32 milliseconds. Fine
adjustment of this parameter with respect to the tempo of the song or dramatic timing of
the piece can help set the feel of the reverb within the mix.