Calrec OMEGA User manual

calrec.com
OMEGa InstallatIOn Manual
Digital Broadcast Production Console
Putting Sound in the Picture

No part of this manual may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
and scanning, for any purpose, without the prior
written consent of Calrec Audio Ltd.
Whilst the Company ensures that all details in this
document are correct at the time of publication,
we reserve the right to alter specifications and
equipment without notice. Any changes we make
will be reflected in subsequent issues of this
document. The latest version will be available upon
request. This publication
is for International usage.
Calrec Audio Ltd reserve the right to change
specifications without notice. E & O.E.
Calrec Audio Ltd
Nutclough Mill
Hebden Bridge
West Yorkshire
England UK
HX7 8EZ
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
Email [e-mail]
calrec.com
The established policy of Calrec Audio Ltd. is
to seek improvements to the design, specifications
and manufacture of all products. It is not always
possible to provide notice outside the company of
the alterations that take place continually.
Despite considerable effort to produce up to
date information, no literature published by
the company nor any other material that may be
provided should be regarded as an infallible guide
to the specifications available nor does it constitute
an offer for sale of any particular product.
Omega is a trademark of Calrec Audio Ltd. All
other trade marks acknowledged.
© 2007 Calrec Audio Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

OMEGa
COntEnts
Important Information 4
Health and Safety 5
Technical Support 6
ROHS Legislation 7
Overview 9
System Overview 10
System Overview 1
1
Environmental Considerations 12
Input/Output Port Labelling 13
System Specification 14
Frame Options and Dimensions 15
24 Fader Frame Typical Layout 16
32 Fader Frame Typical Layout 17
48 Fader Frame Typical Layout 18
Console Dimensions 19
End Elevation 19
Equipment Installation Information 21
Rack Specifications 22
Processing Rack 23
Bulk Power Supply and Distribution Unit 24
Multi-Rail Power Supply Unit 25
PC Information 26
File Backup 27
GPIO Connections 28
GPIO Connections 29
Talkback Microphone & Headphone
Signal Format and Connections 30
Serial Interface 32
Dolby DP570 & DP564 setup (for Calrec
remote interface) 33
MADI 34
Hydra Audio Networking 35
Technology 36
Hardware 37
Hydra I/O Rack 38
Network Redundancy 39
Small Format I/O Units 40
Small Format I/O Units 41
Audio Input and Output Interfaces 43
AES Input and Output Connections 44
Analogue Input and Output Connections 45
BNC and XLR Interface Connector Panels 46
EDAC Interface Connector Panels 47
AES Inputs - BNC Interface 48
AES Inputs - XLR Interface 49
AES Inputs - EDAC Interface 50
AES Outputs - BNC Interface 51
AES Outputs - XLR Interface 52
AES Outputs - EDAC Interface 53
Analogue Mic/Line Inputs - Style 1 54
Analogue Mic/Line Inputs - Style 2 55
Analogue Line Outputs - Style 1 56
Analogue Line Outputs - Style 2 57
Specification for SCSI Style Cabling 58
Category 5e and Category 6 Cables 59
Input and Output Labelling Sheets 61
AES Inputs 62
AES Outputs 64
Mic/Line Inputs 66
Line Outputs 68
Notes 70

4 OMEGa with Bluefin
After Sales Modifications
Modifications to this equipment by any
party other than Calrec Audio Limited
may invalidate EMC and safety features
designed into this equipment. Calrec Audio
Limited can not be liable for any legal
proceedings or problems that may arise
relating to such modifications.
If in doubt, please contact Calrec Audio
Limited for guidance prior to commencing
any such work.
IMpOrtant InfOrMatIOn
ESD (Static) Handling
Procedures
In its completed form, this equipment has
been designed to have a high level of
immunity to static discharges. However,
when handling individual boards and
modules, many highly static sensitive
parts are exposed. In order to protect
these devices from damage and to protect
your warranty, please observe static
handling procedures, for example, use an
appropriately grounded anti-static wrist
band. Calrec will supply an electrostatic
cord and wrist strap with all of it’s digital
products.
All modules and cards should be returned
to Calrec Audio Limited in anti-static
wrapping.
Calrec Audio Limited can supply these
items upon request, should you require
assistance.
This applies particularly to digital products
due to the types of devices and very
small geometries used in their fabrication,
analogue parts can however still be
affected.

CalrEC Putting Sound in the Picture 5
Please observe the following:
This equipment must be EARTHED
Only suitably trained personnel should
service this equipment
Please read and take note of all
warning and informative labels
Before starting any servicing
operation, equipment must be isolated
from the AC supply (mains)
Fuses should only be replaced with
ones of the same type and rating as
that indicated
Operate only in a clean, dry and
pollutant-free environment
Do not operate in an explosive
atmosphere
Do not allow any liquid or solid objects
to enter the equipment. Should this
accidentally occur then immediately
switch off the unit and contact your
service agent
Do not allow ventilation slots to be
blocked
Do not leave the equipment powered
up with the dust cover fitted
The rack mounting parts of this
equipment must be fitted into an
enclosure which complies with local
regulations
Cleaning
For cleaning the front panels of the
equipment we recommend anti-static
screen cleaner sprayed onto a soft cloth to
dampen it only.
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HEaltH and safEty
Explanation of Warning
Symbols
The triangular warning symbols below
contain a black symbol on a yellow
background, surrounded by a black border.
The lightning flash with arrow head
symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence
of dangerous voltages and energy levels
within the product’s enclosure that may be
of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk
of electric shock or injury.
The exclamation mark within an equilateral
triangle is intended to prompt the
user to refer to important operating or
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
documentation supplied with the product.
Power Supply Blanking Plates
(ZN4849-3 and ZN6020)
If you are in receipt of a ZN4849-3 or
ZN6020 power supply unit please do
not remove the blanking plates which are
fitted to the unused output connectors.
The maximum potential between the
terminals exceeds 60 volts, the blanking
plates are fitted to avoid the risk of electric
shock.

6 OMEGa with Bluefin
tECHnICal suppOrt
Should you require any technical
assistance with your Calrec prod-
uct then please contact your local
distributor, if outside the U.K. and
Ireland. For a list of Worldwide
distributors please see the Calrec
Web site at www.calrec.com or
contact Calrec UK.
For technical assistance within the
UK and Ireland, please contact the
Customer Support Team at :-
Customer Support
Calrec Audio Ltd
Nutclough Mill
Hebden Bridge
HX7 8EZ
England
UK
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: s[email protected]
Website:www.calrec.com
We can deal with all technical after
sales issues, such as :-
Arrange repairs
Supply of replacement or loan
units while repairs are being
carried out
Service / commissioning site visits
Operational training courses
Maintenance training courses
Supply of replacement
components
Supply of documentation
Technical advice by telephone
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Customer Support Hours
Factory based customer support
engineers can be contacted by telephone
during normal office hours (Monday
- Friday 8:30a.m - 5:00p.m). Outside
these hours, a message can be left on
the answering machine, all messages are
dealt with promptly on the next working
day. Alternatively a message can be sent
to them by email.
Product Warranty
A full list of our conditions & warranties
relating to Goods & Services is contained
in the Company’s standard Terms and
Conditions. A copy of this is available on
request.
Repairs
If you need to return goods to Calrec,
for whatever reason, please contact the
Company beforehand in order that you
can receive advice on the best method
of returning the goods, and that a repair
order reference number can be issued.
Standard of Service
Ensuring high standards is a priority, if you
have any comments on the level of service,
product quality or documentation offered
to you by Calrec, then the Customer
Support team would be pleased to receive
your comments through any of the normal
contact numbers, email or on the User
registration form located at the end of
this manual. If you have any other issues
regarding your Calrec purchase, then
please contact us and we will do our best
to help. Calrec welcomes all Customer
feedback.
Operator and Installation Manual PDFs
This manual and the Omega operator
manual can be found in pdf format on your
console’s CD Handbook.
You can also access this manual on your
console’s PC from the start menu, under
the Calrec Omega group.

CalrEC Putting Sound in the Picture 7
In order to comply with European RoHS
(Reduction of Hazardous Substances)
legislation, from the second week in April
2006 the vast majority of Calrec PCB and
cable assemblies will have been produced
with lead-free (tin/copper/silver) solder
instead of tin/lead solder.
This means that for a period of time
after April 2006 delivered consoles will
contain a mixture of assemblies produced
with different types of solder. This is
unavoidable due to the fact that circuit
boards are built in batches and allocated
to consoles on a ‘first in, first out’ basis
(hence the need to change the process
well in advance of the legislation coming
into force).
In the unlikely event of a user having
to carry out any re-soldering on such
assemblies, it is imperative that the correct
type of solder is used; not doing so is likely
to have an adverse effect on the long-term
reliability of the product.
rOHs lEGIslatIOn
Circuit boards assembled with lead-free
solder can be identified (in accordance
with IPC/JEDEC standards) by a small oval
sticker placed on the top-side of the circuit
board near the PCB reference number
(8xx-xxx).
The same sticker is used on the
connectors of soldered cable assemblies.
The absence of a sticker indicates that tin/
lead solder has been used. If in doubt,
please check with a Calrec customer
support engineer before carrying out
any form of re-soldering.

8 OMEGa with Bluefin

OvErvIEw
calrec.com Putting Sound in the Picture
OMEGa

10 OMEGa with Bluefin
Available in three frame sizes - 24
fader, 32 fader and 48 fader.
160 equivalent channels (up to 48
stereo plus 64 mono channels). Up
to 24 5.1 surround channels can be
configured from the available stereo
and mono resource.
Table-top or floor stand mounting.
Console operates independently of
PC, and PC failure has no effect on
audio or control.
Independent DSP operation ensures
audio continuity even during PC or
control reset.
Console and racks boot from power
on in less than 20 seconds.
Full control system reset in less than
15 seconds.
Last settings fully restored on power-
up or reset.
Automatic change over to hot spares
for PSU’s, control cards and DSP
cards.
Hot plugging of every card and
module.
Hot plugged cards initialise upon
insertion.
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systEM OvErvIEw
INPUT MATRIX
A CHANNELS
B CHANNELS
UP TO 48 STEREO
& 64 MONO CHANNELS.
MONITORING
2 MAIN
OUTPUTS
STEREO
OR 5.1
AUX
OUTPUTS
20 MONO
OR
10 STEREO
48
TRACK
OUTPUTS
OUTPUT MATRIX
AES
OUTPUTS
ANALOGUE
LINE
OUTPUTS
1
2
MADI
OUTPUTS
3067-7-1A4
Simple System
Diagram
Omega
17/01/07
C Western
Title:
Project:
Issue date:
Drawn:
Calrec Audio Ltd
Nutclough Mill
Hebden Bridge
West Yorkshire
HX7 8EZ
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.calrec.com
[e-mail]
© Calrec Audio Ltd
All Rights Reserved
UP TO 24 5.1 SURROUND
CHANNELS CONFIGURABLE
FROM STEREO AND MONO
RESOURCES.
HYDRA
OUTPUTS
PLEASE NOTE THAT
HYDRA INPUTS CANNOT
BE PATCHED TO HYDRA
OUTPUTS
MIC/LINE
INPUTS
AES
INPUTS
MADI
INPUTS
HYDRA
INPUTS
GROUPS
8 MONO,
STEREO OR 5.1
SURROUND

CalrEC Putting Sound in the Picture 11
systEM OvErvIEw
PROCESSING
RACK
PC
GPIO
(in the console)
HYDRA GIGABIT
INTERFACE
HYDRA I/O UNIT
MADI INTERFACE Interfaces up to 128 mono inputs and 128 mono
outputs. Each unit requires a wide area bulk card
in the Processing Rack.
Interfaces up to 128 mono inputs and 128
mono outputs. Each unit requires a wide area
bulk card in the Processing Rack.
**Wide Area Bulk Cards
are used to expand the I/O
of the system via a wide
area interface such as
MADI, or Hydra - Calrec’s
sophisticated audio
networking system.
The system can have up to
3 Wide Area Interfaces.
Up to 4 AES cards, each providing 32 stereo inputs and 32 stereo outputs.
Up to 3 Mic/Line input cards, each providing 16 stereo inputs.
AES card slots can be occupied by Wide Area Bulk (WAB) cards **.
Hydra I/O units can interface up to 96 inputs
and 96 outputs, analogue or digital. These
units can be local or remotely located.
WAB WAB
3067-8-3A4
System Diagram Showing
Card Configuration
Options
Omega with Bluefin
16/04/07
J Cunningham
Title:
Project:
Issue date:
Drawn:
Calrec Audio Ltd
Nutclough Mill
Hebden Bridge
West Yorkshire
HX7 8EZ
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.calrec.com
[e-mail]
© Calrec Audio Ltd
All Rights Reserved
Up to 3 Line output cards, each providing 16 stereo outputs.
2 DSP cards (1 plus 1 hot spare)

12 OMEGa with Bluefin
Temperature Range
Operating: 0°C to +30°C (32°F to +86°F)
in the immediate environment.
Non-operating: -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to
+140°F).
Relative humidity
Operating: 25% to 80% non condensing.
Non-operating: 0% to 90% non
condensing.
Altitude
Operating: Up to 2,000 metres (6562
feet). (This is the limit to which the safety
tests are valid).
Non-operating: Up to 15,000 metres
(49213 feet).
Earthing
The control surface and processing rack
are provided with chassis earth studs.
These must be connected to a common
earth buss before any AC power is applied
to the system. The system power supplies
and PC are earthed via their AC power
inlets.
AC (Mains) Power
All power supplies are rack-mounting and
are seperate from the units they power,
except for the PC which has a built-in
power supply.
AC (Mains) Power inlets are IEC type.
Each PSU in the Bulk PSU racks has one
inlet, each Multi-Rail power supply unit has
one inlet, the PC has one inlet, each mains
powered MADI unit (if purchased) has one
inlet, and there is one inlet on the rear of
the control surface, for any AC powered
equipment which needs to be housed
within it.
EnvIrOnMEntal COnsIdEratIOns
The whole system must be powered
from the same phase of the AC power
supply. All modules, cards and cables are
designed to permit hot plugging.
Touch Screen
If the console is installed into an outside
broadcast vehicle, it is important that the
touch screen monitor is secured using
suitable fixings during transit to prevent
movement, and possible damage. Calrec
Audio Ltd is not liable for any damages to
the touch screen, the touch screen arm,
the console or any other items caused by
movement or damage of the monitor and /
or monitor arm.
TFT Screens
The TFT meter screens that are fitted
in our consoles are industrial units. The
display manufacturer states that screen
brightness may reduce to 50% of the
initial value after the unit has been running
at maximum brightness for 50,000 hrs.
Our maximum brightness is intentionally
reduced so that the useful life of the
backlights should be in excess of 100,000
hrs.
We do not believe that there are any burn-
in or image-persistence issues with this
type of TFT display.
The TFT screens should be cleaned with
a micro-fibre cloth, dampened only with
clean water. Do not use any corrosive
chemicals, solvents or window cleaning
solutions.
The TFT screens have no user-serviceable
parts. Should you encounter a problem
with any of your screens, please contact
Calrec.

CalrEC Putting Sound in the Picture 13
The system allows the user to pre-de-
fine labels for all the I/O. Please use
the labelling sheets provided at the
end of this manual.
The rules imposed on labelling are:
The I/O must be labelled in pairs.
The label must be no more than six
characters.
No two inputs can have the same
label, but an input can have the same
label as an output.
I/O is labelled in pairs to make it easier to
use with any type of signal; mono, stereo
or surround.
In addition to this, Digital I/O is wired in
pairs and it makes sense to deal with all
the I/O in the same way.
The input port label is used as the default
name for the channel input and will be
shown on the display above the fader.
The system automatically adds a left
(L) and right (R) suffix to the label to
distinguish the two halves of the pair, or an
L R suffix when the pair is used together.
The pairs can be used either for two
mono signals, a stereo signal, or parts of a
surround signal.
One exception to these rules is
allowed:
When I/O is dedicated to mono signals
only, (e.g phone lines, mono reverbs, mono
distribution feeds) it can be marked as
being mono in which case the two halves
of the pair have separate labels and the L &
R suffixes are not applied.
Note that I/O marked in this way
cannot be connected in pairs to
stereo paths from the control
surface.
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Input/Output pOrt labEllInG
A stereo channel input can only be
connected to the L - R of a pair of ports,
or to one mono port in which case the
mono signal will be fed to both L & R of
the channel.
A stereo channel direct output can only be
connected to the L - R of a pair of ports.
A mono channel input or direct output can
be connected to any of: The L or R of a
pair of ports, or any mono port.
Mono ports should therefore be
considered as unusual. If there is
any doubt as to the use of ports,
they should be treated as a pair.
Suitable Labels
Generally, I/O ports should be labelled
with the name which appears at the other
end of the cable, which is connected to the
port.
Ideally, the port will be connected directly
to a device (Mic splitter box, Video Tape
Recorder, Echo unit, Transmission Control
Suite, etc).
Alternatively, some I/O may be wired to a
patch. This will be done, for example, to
allow for hired devices to be connected
and may also be done to aid maintenance
and operator familiarity with analogue
consoles.
When planning the use and labelling of
I/O, you should also bear in mind that the
console includes an internal electronic
input patch and output patch. These allow
ports to be used for different purposes
on different shows and also, the patch
connections are stored with the snap-shot
memories.
Lists
In addition to labelling, each port can
be allocated to one of a number of lists
using the Options - Port Lists screens.
This allows I/O which is wired for similar
purposes to be grouped together for
selection.
Each list will have been given a six
character “list label” and the lists can
be sorted into the required order on the
Options-Port Lists screens. The lists will
appear in the same order on the I/O port
selection controls on the control surface. It
is possible to determine which lists appear
for selection on the control surface. This
reduces the number of times the pot
needs to be pushed, to go through all the
available lists.

systEM spECIfICatIOn
Analogue input for 0dBFS can be pre-set
globally to +28, +24, +22, +20, +18 or
+15 dBu
Pre-fader headroom on analogue inputs is
adjustable globally from +24 to +36dB in
2dB steps
*This is the limit to which
the safety tests are valid
DIGITAL INPUTS
Word Length 24-Bit
Formats Supported AES/EBU (AES3)
Also suitable for use with SPDIF (IEC958 Type 2) signals
Interface 110 Ohm transformer balanced, 5V Pk-Pk
75 Ohm unbalanced (BNC), 1V Pk-Pk
Sample Rate Conversion 24-Bit switchable on all digital inputs
SRC THD+N -117dB @ 1kHz, 0.00014%
DIGITAL OUTPUTS
Word Length 24-Bit
Formats Supported AES/EBU (AES3)
Interface Transformer balanced 4V Pk-Pk (nominal) into 110 Ohm load
Unbalanced 1V Pk-Pk (nominal) into 75 Ohm load (BNC)
ANALOGUE INPUTS
Analogue - Digital Conversion 24-Bit
Input Balance/CMR Electronically Balanced - Better than -70dB (Typically -80dB)
Input Impedance >1k Ohms for Mic gains (1K2 Nominal)
10k Ohms for Line gains
Sensitivity +18 / -78dB
Equivalent Input Noise -125dB (150 Ohm source, 22Hz-22kHz bandwidth)
Distortion -1dBFS @ 1kHz - Better than 0.003%
-20dBFS @ 1kHz - Better than 0.004%
-60dBFS @ 1kHz - Better than 0.3%
Frequency Response 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 0.25dB
Crosstalk 20Hz to 20kHz >-86dB
Delay 0.3ms
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS
Digital - Analogue Conversion 24-Bit
Output Balance Electronically Balanced, 20Hz to 20kHz, Better than -45dB, typically -55dB
Output Impedance <40 Ohms
Distortion -1dBFS @ 1kHz - Better than 0.003%
-20dBFS @ 1kHz - Better than 0.006%
-60dBFS @ 1kHz - Better than 0.5%
Frequency Response 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 0.25dB
Crosstalk 20Hz to 20kHz >-90dB
Delay 0.22ms
PERFORMANCE
Digital to Digital (AES/EBU)
Distortion
-1dBFS, 20Hz to 10kHz - Better than 0.002%
Digital to Digital (with SRC)
Distortion
-1dBFS, 20Hz to 10kHz - Better than 0.002%
Frequency Response
(Analogue Input to Output)
20Hz to 20kHz +/- 0.5dB
SYNCHRONISATION
48kHz synchronisation from NTSC/PAL Video
Internal Crystal Reference
TTL Wordclock
AES/EBU Digital Input
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Operating Non-Operating
Temperature Range 0°C to +30°C (32°F to +86°F) -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to +140°F)
Relative Humidity 25% to 80% Non-condensing 0% to 90% Non-condensing
Maximum Altitude 2,000 Metres (6500ft)* 15,000 Metres (49,000ft)
Analogue output for 0dBFS Matches input
setting into >1kOhms (+24dBu max into
600 Ohms)
The system can be pre-set with up to
five external sync sources, plus internal,
such that if the 1st source fails, it will
automatically switch to the 2nd, and so on.
14 OMEGa Digital Broadcast Production Console

calrec.com Putting Sound in the Picture
OMEGa
fraME OptIOns and dIMEnsIOns

16 OMEGa with Bluefin
The smallest frame houses up to 24
faders, which allows up to 48 “Channel
Faders” within a frame only 784mm (30.9
inches) wide. Due to it’s compact size,
the colour touch screen, keyboard and
trackerball need to be housed separately.
24 fadEr fraME typICal layOut

CalrEC Putting Sound in the Picture 17
The medium sized frame houses up to 40 faders, which allows up to 80 “Channel Faders” within a frame only 1290mm (50.8 inches) wide.
32 fadEr fraME typICal layOut

18 OMEGa with Bluefin
The largest frame houses up to 48 faders (the maximum number possible), which allows up to 96 “Channel Faders” within a frame only 1796mm (70.7 inches) wide.
48 fadEr fraME typICal layOut

CalrEC Putting Sound in the Picture 19
COnsOlE dIMEnsIOns
End ElEvatIOn
The end prole is the same for all three frame sizes. An optional oor stand is available.
Frame Size Length Depth Front Elevation
inches mm inches mm inches mm
24 Fader Frame 30.9 784 33.3 845 15.5 393
32 Fader Frame 50.8 1290 33.3 845 15.5 393
48 Fader Frame 70.7 1796 33.3 845 15.5 393

20 OMEGa with Bluefin