Arrakis Systems H Series User manual

H Series Controller Manual
H Series Controller
Technical Manual
September 8th, 2023
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 1

H Series Controller Manual
Table of Contents
H Series Controller Software...................................................................................................................................4
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................4
Support................................................................................................................................................................5
PC Requirements.................................................................................................................................................5
Setup....................................................................................................................................................................5
Main Screen.............................................................................................................................................................6
Meters..................................................................................................................................................................7
Up Down Timer................................................................................................................................................8
External Hardware Setup Screen.............................................................................................................................9
Soft Key..............................................................................................................................................................9
KMTronic Relay 2 & 8.....................................................................................................................................10
Broadcast Tools GPI 16 ....................................................................................................................................10
User Preset Setup Screen.......................................................................................................................................11
Creating & Editing User Presets.......................................................................................................................11
Assigning Soft Keys..........................................................................................................................................12
Setup Screen...........................................................................................................................................................14
Output Labels....................................................................................................................................................14
EAS Channel.....................................................................................................................................................15
Up Down Timer.................................................................................................................................................15
Channel Labels..................................................................................................................................................16
Fader Color Select.............................................................................................................................................16
Microphone Channels.......................................................................................................................................16
Meter Display Settings......................................................................................................................................17
Button Delay ....................................................................................................................................................17
User Preset Delay .............................................................................................................................................17
Auto-Restart after loss of power ......................................................................................................................17
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 2

H Series Controller Manual
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 3

H Series Controller Manual
H Series Controller Software
Introduction
The H Series Consoles can be controlled using the H Series Controller software. ne major benefit of the H Series
Controller is that it enables you to remotely control your H Series Analog console from anywhere in the world. To achieve
this, you will need:
•A Windows PC running the H Series Controller connected to your H Series Console via a USB cable.
•An internet connection to the PC running the H Series Controller.
•Third-party remote access software that allows you to connect remotely to the H Series Controller PC.
The H Series Controller combines the versatility of software with the reliability and user-friendliness of analog technology.
Its features include:
•Channel on/off control.
•Audio input channel monitoring.
•User presets for swift and simple channel activation/deactivation.
•Auto-startup in the event of a power loss.
•Robust logic control capabilities.
•And much more.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 4

H Series Controller Manual
Support
The H Series Controller is free software that comes with the H Series Console. This software offers email support
exclusively, available from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm MST, excluding holidays. You can expect responses within 1
business day. To contact our email support team, please use the following address:
[email protected]
PC Requirements
A) Windows 10 Pro or newer
B) 8GB of RAM or more.
C) CPU with a benchmark of 6,000 or greater. A great site that gives accurate CPU benchmarks can be found at this link
here: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
D) SSD - A solid state drive is not required, but highly recommended. This allows quicker restart times, and better
performance.
E) For better reliability, it is best to dedicate this PC to running the Controller software, and to not install other
unnecessary programs. Contact our support team if you would like to schedule a PC Configuration for a minimal cost.
Setup
STEP 1 – Download the software. You can download the H Series Controller software from the console support page on our
website.
STEP 2 – Double-click the installation file and follow the setup instructions.
STEP 3 – Connect the H Series Console to your Windows PC using a USB cable.
STEP 4 – Power up the H Series Console and launch the H Series Controller software.
STEP 5 – During startup, the H Series Controller will search for the serial port of the H Series Console. If successful, it will
automatically establish a connection, and you're ready to proceed. If it fails, the External Hardware Screen will appear with
an error message.
IF C NNECTI N FAILS – In case the H Series Controller fails to connect to the H Series Console, please follow these
steps:
•Ensure that the Console is powered on and connected via USB to the computer running the H Series Controller.
•Try restarting both the console and the computer running the software.
•If the issue persists, click the Manually Find External Hardware button on the External Hardware Screen.
•Consider installing the Controller software on another Windows PC and attempt to establish a connection from
there.
•If none of the above solutions work, capture a screenshot of the External Hardware Setup Screen that appears
during startup and send it to our support team for further assistance.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page

H Series Controller Manual
Main Screen
PGM (Program Button) – Pressing the Program Button toggles the Program output bus on or off on the H Series
Console. This output plays a mix of all selected input channels.
AUD (Audition Button) – Pressing the Audition Button toggles the Audition output bus on or off on the H Series Console.
This output plays a mix of all selected input channels.
CUE (Cue Button) – Pressing the Cue Button toggles the Cue output bus on or off on the H Series Console. Audio will be
played through the Cue speaker and the Cue output on the H Series Console.
TALK (Talk Button) – Pressing the Talk Button sends audio from the designated Mic input to the external studio.
Pre-Fader (Pre Fader Button) – When pressed, the selected input channel switches from the Fader Level audio to a Pre-
Fader level. This is useful when no one is at the studio, and you need to activate a channel, but the physical fader on the H
Series Console is turned down. Press the Pre-Fader button to switch to the audio levels prior to the Fader.
Channel Label – This is a custom label for each input channel, which can be changed within the Setup Screen.
N / FF ( n & ff Button) – Pressing the n / ff Button toggles the input channel on or off on the H Series Console.
Soft Keys – These are assignable buttons that can either trigger a User Preset or Closure (KMTronic USB device required
for sending closures). User Preset assignments are made in the User Preset Setup screen.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 6

H Series Controller Manual
Meters
The H Series Controller features
meter level displays for each input.
These meters show input levels as
well as the mix of the Program and
Audition busses.
These meters help remote users visualize whether audio is being played on an input source and if audio
is being routed to the Program or Audition output busses.
IMP RTANT N TE - The levels shown in the software are approximate and are not meant for
calibrating audio inputs and outputs on your console. For accurate calibration, it's
recommended to use the physical meters on the H Series Console.
INPUT METERS – Each input displays audio levels. To view the input levels, make sure the channel
n/ ff button is activated, but the Program and Audition busses do not need to be turned on.
These levels are measured post-fader. If the level is too low, and you know there's audio on the input,
you can press the Pre-Fader button to see a pre-fader level. It's essential to calibrate your pre-fader
levels appropriately on the H Series Console for the Pre-Fader button to be effective.
PR GRAM & AUDITI N METERS – These meters show the maximum level from all the active
channels.
Please note that this is not a physical reading of the Program or Audition channel; it's a software-generated
representation to provide a basic idea of the levels playing through the respective output buses.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 7

H Series Controller Manual
Up / Down Timer
The up/down timer allows you to keep track of time, either counting up or down. The default setting is to count up,
indicated by an up arrow.
Toggle count up /
Starts timer count down
UP TIMER
The up timer can be started manually or automatically when a
channel is turned on. You can adjust this setting in the Settings
screen.
Pause Timer Stop Timer
Starts timer Timer settings
D WN TIMER
The down timer will count down from a specific start time. The
default is 20 minutes.
Select the Timer Settings button to change the count down time.
Click Apply to change the time Pause Timer Stop Timer
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 8

H Series Controller Manual
External Hardware Setup Screen
You may connect external hardware to work with the H Series Controller software. These devices are:
-H Series Console (Required)
-KMTronic output relay. 2 output or 8 output.
IMP RTANT N TE: You may only have one KMTronic device connected at a time.
-Broadcast Tools GPI-16 input relay.
Soft Key
These assignments can be triggered by clicking on the soft keys in the H Series Controller software. You have the following
options:
Profile – Choose from 12 different user presets. These presets are created from the User Preset Setup screen.
Closure – Choose this option to send a closure when the Controller soft key is pressed. Choose from:
A) Momentary (M) – For example, Closure 1(M) will do a momentary closure on pin 1 of the relay.
B) Sustained (S) – For example, choosing Closure 2(S) will activate a sustained closure when pressed
for pin 2 on the relay. Pressing the button again will turn Closure 2 off, indicated by a red line at the top of
the soft key when it's active.
IMP RTANT N TE: You can either have a KMTronic 2 or 8 connected via USB, but you cannot have both connected
simultaneously.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 9

H Series Controller Manual
KMTronic Relay 2 & 8
Follow steps listed in KMTronic instructions for setup. Connect the Relay via USB, and the H Series Controller software
will auto-recognize the device.
This device is capable of sending closures to do tasks such as:
n-Air Light Tally (sustained) – This will turn an on-air light relay on and off.
This is a sustained closure. High will turn the light on, while Low will turn the
on-air light off. The KMTronic does not have enough power to power an on-air
light.
Phone Hybrid Accept Call (momentary) – This will send a momentary
closure to make a phone hybrid accept a call. It is triggered when the Phone
Channel is turned on.
Phone Hybrid Drop Call (momentary) – This will send a momentary closure
to make a phone hybrid drop a call. It is triggered when the Phone Channel is
turned off.
Channel '#' Tally (sustained) – This will send a sustained closure whenever the particular channel is turned on or off.
IMP RTANT N TE: You cannot have both the KMTronic 2 & KMTronic 8 connected at the same time.
Broadcast Tools GPI 16
Follow steps listed in the GPI 16 instruction manual for setup. Connect the device
via USB, and the DARC Virtual software will auto-recognize the device.
The GPI 16 gives you the ability to receive closures to trigger specific tasks:
EAS n – When this closure is received, it will switch to the designated EAS
channel. Additional info about EAS and setup can be found in the Setup Screen
section of this manual.
EAS ff – When this closure is received, it will turn the EAS channel off and go
back to the previous feed. Additional info about EAS and setup can be found in the
Setup Screen section of this manual.
Channel '#' n / ff – When this closure is received, it will either turn the
channel on, or off, depending on the setting selected.
Profile '#' - When this closure is received, it will switch to the selected profile.
Additional information about profiles, and user presets can be found in this
manual.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 10

H Series Controller Manual
User Preset Setup Screen
These 12 buttons can be assigned to various
functions, such as triggering an external closure,
or switching to a user preset.
Creating & Editing User
Presets
User presets allow you to create a custom setup that will determine whether a channel is off or on, as well as their
Program & Audition status.
To create and adjust a user preset:
STEP 1 – Click on File and select User Preset Setup.
STEP 2 – To change the name of the user preset, select a box under Change name of User Preset. Change the name as
desired, and click on Apply Changes.
STEP 3 – To adjust the settings of the user preset, click on the desired user preset under the Select User Preset to Edit.
Now, turn on or off the desired channels. This includes PGM, AUD and CUE assignments. nce those settings are to your
preference, click on Apply Changes.
When you click on the User Preset buttons, you will have those channels automatically turn on or off.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 11

H Series Controller Manual
Assigning Soft Keys
Each of the 12 soft keys can be assigned various functions, such as user presets, or sending closures. This can be done by:
STEP 1 – Go to File and select External Device Setup.
STEP 2 – n this screen is listed 12 Soft Key settings. From the drop down list, select the desired User Preset, or if you
have a KMTronic USB closure device, you may also choose to send a closure. nce you have changed to the desired
settings, click on Apply Changes at the bottom to save the settings.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 12

H Series Controller Manual
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 13

H Series Controller Manual
Setup Screen
To open the Setup Screen, go to File and select Setup Screen. Enter the password hybrid and click Enter.
utput Labels
You can change the output labels on the main screen. Simply change the label and click on Apply Changes. This will
customize the output labels that are located above their respective meters.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 14

H Series Controller Manual
EAS Channel
This feature is only available if a GPI 16 input relay device is connected. When a relay closure from a EAS device is
received, it will mute the program audio, and switch to this specified channel. This channel will be your Emergency Alert
Audio feed. Choose from channel 01 to channel 16.
To setup EAS:
STEP 1 – Connect the Broadcast Tools GPI 16 via USB to the DARC Virtual PC. Make sure the GPI 16 is being seen by the
DARC Virtual. This can be viewed from the External Device Setup screen.
STEP 2 – Wire the EAS on & off closures to a pin input on the GPI-16 device. Be sure to follow the GPI-16 instructions for
setup.
STEP 3 – Go to File in the Controller software, and select External Device Setup.
STEP 4 – For the relay input that was wired as the EAS n input, select EAS n from the drop down list. Do the same for
the EAS ff relay. Click Apply Changes.
After this has been setup, when the GPI 16 receives a relay on the EAS ' n' channel, it will switch to the specified input
channel that is selected on the Setup Screen. Same with the EAS ff closure. nce received, it will switch off the EAS feed
and go back to the previous programming.
Auto Start – When checked, it will start the up or down timer whenever a channel is turned on. When not checked, it will
only start manually via the Play button on the up/down timer.
Up Down Timer
Enabled – When checked, it will make the up/down timer visible on the screen. When not checked, it will not be visible or
usable.
Auto Start – When checked, it will start the up or down timer whenever a channel is turned on. When not checked, it will
only start manually via the Play button on the up/down timer.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 1

H Series Controller Manual
Channel Labels
Custom labels can be applied to the H Series Controller
channel inputs. To change the labels:
STEP 1 – Enter the Setup Screen.
STEP 2 – Type in the desired label for the desired channel.
Max of 15 characters.
STEP 3 – Click on Apply Changes.
Fader Color Select
You can assign custom colors to each fader channel. This
will change the color of both the Channel Label and the
center bar on the fader knob.
To change the fader color:
STEP 1 – Enter the Setup Screen.
STEP 2 – Select the desired color from the drop down menu
for the fader. Choose Custom to choose from even more colors.
STEP 3 – Click on Apply Changes.
Microphone Channels
Any input may be assigned as a microphone channel. The H-10 has 2 mic channels built-in. You may create 2 additional
mic inputs by connecting the optional ARC-MIC-PRE to channels 3 & 4 of the H-10. The H-15 console has 1-5 mic inputs,
and is assignable on the board.
Assigning a channel as a 'mic' channel in the Controller software will perform specific functions when turned on or off:
n-Air Light n/ ff – Turning on a mic channel can also activate an on-air light. To achieve this, you'll need a KMTronic 2
or 8 relay. Additionally, make sure to configure the External Hardware settings accordingly.
To assign a channel as a microphone:
Check mark any of the inputs for microphone, and it will now operate as a mic channel. Click on the Apply Changes button
to save the settings.
IMP RTANT N TE – Assigning a channel in the Controller software does not mute the monitor speakers; this must be
done physically on the H Series Console. For instance, the H-10 has 2 built-in mic inputs, and both Channels 1 & 2 will
mute the monitor when activated, but other input channels will not mute the monitor speakers.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 16

H Series Controller Manual
Meter Display Settings
Display Audio Levels – Toggles whether audio levels will be displayed for the individual channels and PGM & AUD
meters. The default is Active, changing to Disabled will shut off the levels display.
Minimum Audio Level Sensitivity – This is the minimum audio threshold for displaying levels. Increase the number for a
higher required audio level to display on the input channel. Decrease the number to display lower-level audio on the
meters.
Fader Sample Time (ms) – This is the sample time for averaging the audio levels. 50mS = 20Hz, 100mS = 10Hz.
Minimum Change in Audio – This setting is for the minimum amount of change between levels for a change to be
displayed. Default is 4. Increase this to lower the sensitivity. Lower the number to increase the sensitivity.
Button Delay
This is the maximum speed for pressing a button on the H Series Console. The default setting is 400 milliseconds (ms).
This time of 4/10ths of a second represents the duration required between pressing the same button on and off again on
the H Series Console. Lowering this value may result in the button being overly sensitive, potentially causing it to instantly
toggle on and then off. Conversely, increasing this value will require a longer time gap between pressing the same button
twice.
User Preset Delay
This is the delay time for serial communication between the H Series Controller and the H Series Console, particularly
relevant when User Presets are activated. Lowering this value speeds up user preset button changes but may reduce
reliability. Increasing this number slows down preset changes. It is not recommended to change this setting from the
default value.
Auto-Restart after loss of power
If power is lost at your studio, you may lose power to your H Series Console, H Series Controller PC, or both. The H Series
Controller has the ability to activate channels that were active prior to the power loss. n boot, the H Series Controller will
check for a couple items before it makes changes to the H Series Console.
1. The H Series Controller will look to see if the H Series Console has been on for less than 5 minutes. If so, then it
implies that the H Series Console lost power as well. If not, then it implies that only the PC running the H Series
Controller crashed or lost power, and no channels will be changed.
2. The H Series Controller will look to see if any channels are already active on the H Series Console. If so, then that
implies that the H Series Console never lost power. At which point, no channels will be changed.
If these two conditions are met, then the H Series Controller may activate channels that were active prior to the power
loss.
These settings will change some of the interactions:
Active with PC Power Loss – With this setting, the H Series Controller on boot will look to see if the H Series
Controller software has crashed (lost power). If so, it will then activate channels that were active prior to the PC
crashing. This setting may be limiting in the instance that the H Series Console lost power, but not the PC running
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 17

H Series Controller Manual
the H Series Controller.
Active – With this setting, the H Series Controller on boot will not look to see if the PC has crashed, and will then
activate channels that were active prior to the power loss. This is the recommended setting.
Disabled - If disabled, then the H Series Controller will not activate channels that were active prior to the power
loss / crash.
www.arrakis-systems.com Page 18