Dspecialists ISOSTEM Expert User manual
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
2 Content
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
Content 3
CONTENT
Content ...................................................................................................... 3
Safety Instructions...................................................................................... 5
Introduction ................................................................................................ 6
Quick Start ................................................................................................. 8
1. Necessary Items....................................................................... 8
2. Software installation ................................................................. 8
3. Cabling & Power On................................................................. 9
4. Software Launch & Connection ................................................ 9
5. Hardware Init & Preset Selection.............................................10
6. Listening..................................................................................11
System Overview ......................................................................................12
DSP Technology .........................................................................12
Audio Processing ........................................................................12
Hardware ..................................................................................................14
Front Panel..................................................................................14
Rear Panel Connectors ...............................................................15
Synchronization...........................................................................16
GUI Software Reference ...........................................................................17
"Hardware" Tab ...........................................................................17
Com ...................................................................................................17
Sync...................................................................................................18
Firmware............................................................................................19
Automation.........................................................................................21
"Admin" Tab ................................................................................24
Read/Write.........................................................................................24
File Backup ........................................................................................26
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
4 Content
Write Protection................................................................................. 26
Factory Reset.................................................................................... 26
"Expert" Tab (Expert hardware version only) .............................. 27
Panoramic Analyzer (PA) .................................................................. 28
Virtual Microphone (VM).................................................................... 31
Multifunctional Area........................................................................... 33
Monitoring and Bypass functions....................................................... 39
Phase, ISO and Master functions ...................................................... 41
ISOSTEM®Live - Integration .................................................................... 42
Scope ......................................................................................... 42
Single Device Audio Routing and Alarm Function....................... 42
Daisy-Chained Audio Routing and System States ...................... 43
Parallel Setup for 24/7-Operation................................................ 45
Preset Recall Synchronization .................................................... 46
Preset Management Synchronization ......................................... 46
Appendix .................................................................................................. 47
Appendix A: Interface Specification ............................................ 47
GPI Port ............................................................................................ 47
Link Port............................................................................................ 48
RS232............................................................................................... 48
Alarm Port ......................................................................................... 49
Word Clock Input............................................................................... 49
AES/EBU Interface............................................................................ 49
Appendix B: Schematic Block Diagram....................................... 50
Appendix C: Factory Presets ...................................................... 52
Appendix D: Panoramic Analyzer Physics .................................. 53
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
Safety Instructions 5
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside the
enclosure – voltage that may be sufficient to constitute
a risk of shock.
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to im-
portant operating and maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Read this manual.
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not remove any
screws of the enclosure. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified personnel only.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this
appliance to rain or moisture.
1. To assure best performance, please read this manual carefully.
2. Connect this appliance to a grounded AC outlet of 90 V to 250 V,
47 Hz to 63 Hz.
3. Keep the power cord in good condition. If the power cord becomes
damaged, discard and replace it. Never isolate the ground of the AC
power cord.
4. The power fuses are located on the rear panel of the appliance and
may be accessed from the outside. In case the fuses have to be ex-
changed only use fuses of the same type as labeled.
5. The power switch of the device is located on the front panel of the
appliance. The ON and OFF states are marked by “1” and “0” re-
spectively.
6. Install this unit in a well ventilated, cool, dry and clean place. Keep it
away from direct sunlight, heat sources, vibration, dust, moisture, or
cold. In a cabinet allow about 2.5 cm of free space all around this
unit for adequate ventilation.
7. The appliance must be adapted slowly to extreme temperature
changes. These extreme changes may cause moisture inside that
can cause failure and/or electrical shock.
8. Prolonged exposure to high volume levels may cause hearing dam-
age and/or loss. The use of hearing protection in high volume situa-
tions is recommended.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
6 Introduction
INTRODUCTION
For many years now, TV technology has been developing at a rapid pace.
Television in HD, 3D and surround is no longer merely a cinema experi-
ence, but can also be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. The ex-
tremely high picture quality has also led to demands for improved sound,
providing the broadcasting corporations with a considerable challenge -
either a great deal of the material only exists in stereo and the original re-
cordings are no longer available or creating a new mix on Surround 5.1
would be very expensive. As the consumer is no longer satisfied with ste-
reo or alternating sound formats, what is now needed is an option for con-
verting the stereo information into a multichannel surround signal in real
time.
ISOSTEM®uses complex algorithms to automatically generate a multi-
channel version out of a stereo source signal - in real time at a very low
latency of 40 ms and with perfect audio quality.
ISOSTEM®analyses the acoustic energy distribution of a stereo signal and
separates dominant sources from ambient spaces by dynamic filtering (Eu-
ropean patent office reference FR 2908586). These parts are distributed to the
5 channels and create a convincing surround signal. With ISOSTEM®,
broadcasters can produce a continuous surround program - independent of
the source material format.
In addition, ISOSTEM®exclusively offers management of the intermix (the
difference between the downmix of the multichannel signal and the refer-
ence stereo signal) to assure the compatibility of the produced signals.
(European patent office reference EP 2046076).
ISOSTEM®ensures that the EBU R.128 Programme Loudness of the origi-
nal signal remains in the upmix and downmix results accurately.
Two hardware variants of ISOSTEM®are available: ISOSTEM®Expert
contains a full range of functions and setting parameters. Individual setups
can be created using the ISOSTEM®GUI software and saved as presets.
ISOSTEM®Live was created for daily broadcast use where creating indi-
vidual presets is not a relevant option. This version can use the factory pre-
sets as well as any other presets created on an ISOSTEM®Expert unit.
Both hardware variants are delivered with a GUI software that runs on Mi-
crosoft® Windows computers. The software is used for the real time con-
figuration of all parameters, while the 1U hardware unit performs the nec-
essary signal processing.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
Introduction 7
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ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
8 Quick Start
QUICK START
Before going into the system's details, here is what you need to do to carry
out a quick trial:
1. NECESSARY ITEMS
Check that you have the following items available:
·ISOSTEM®hardware unit (Expert or Live version)
·Power cable (supplied)
·USB to RS232 adapter cable (supplied)
·CD-ROM with ISOSTEM®GUI software (supplied)
·Driver CD-ROM for USB-to-RS232 adapter (supplied)
·A computer running Microsoft Windows®2K/XP/Vista/7 (32-/64-bit)
operating system with one free USB port
·Stereo audio source with AES3 digital output (2 channels)
·5.1 surround playback system with 3 digital AES3 audio inputs (six
channels)
·D-Sub 25 breakout cable (Tascam Pinout) to connect the source
and the playback system to the ISOSTEM®hardware
2. SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
·USB to RS232 adapter: Install the appropriate driver of the USB-to-
Serial converter which has been delivered with the unit. You find the
drivers in the USB-to-Serial-Converter subfolder of the ISOSTEM®
CD-ROM provided with the hardware unit.
·ISOSTEM®software: The ISOSTEM®software is provided on the
supplied CD-ROM. Alternatively download the soft-
ware from the website http://www.isostem.de/en.
Start the installation procedure by execution of the
file “setup_XXX.exe”
After a successful installation you find the two GUI
applications “Isostem Expert” and “Isostem Live” in
the start menu of Windows.
Use the expert version of the executable to connect
to the Expert hardware variant and the live version
to connect to the Live variant.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
Quick Start 9
3. CABLING & POWER ON
·Connect a digital stereo audio source to the "AES In 4" connector of
the D-Sub 25 breakout cable.
·Connect 3 digital AES3 inputs (6 channels) of your surround moni-
toring system to the "AES Out 1", "AES Out 2" and "AES Out 3"
connectors of the D-Sub 25 breakout cable. Connect the breakout
cable to the unit's AES/EBU I/O port. Use this channel scheme:
L:AES Out 1 L R: AES Out 1 R
C: AES Out 2 L LFE: AES Out 2 R
LS: AES Out 3 L RS: AES Out 3 R
·The USB-to-RS232 adapter provided should already be connected
to a USB port on your computer (see above chapter). If not, connect
it now. Next, connect the adapter to ISOSTEM®'s RS232 port.
·Use the power cable to connect the ISOSTEM®hardware to a
mains outlet.
·Power on the ISOSTEM®hardware using the mains switch on the
rear side of the unit.
4. SOFTWARE LAUNCH & CONNECTION
From the Windows start menu execute the GUI program “Isostem Expert”
or “Isostem Live” whichever suits your device variant.
In the GUI window, the "Hardware" tab
should be selected. In the "Com" section (top
left), use the "Port Name" option to select the
COM port that your USB to RS232 adapter
emulates. Press the "CONNECT" button. If
the button changes to "CONNECTED", the
communication between the GUI software
and the ISOSTEM®hardware has been es-
tablished successfully and you should see a message like this in the top-
most GUI area:
If no connection has been established, try another COM port ("Port Name"),
be sure you have started the GUI variant which suits your hardware variant
and press the "CONNECT" button once more.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
10 Quick Start
After a successful connection the GUI may detect an older device firmware.
In this case following message comes up:
It advises to update the firmware. Of
course you may reject the update.
The update procedure is explained in the
Firmware section.
5. HARDWARE INIT & PRESET SELECTION
If your ISOSTEM®unit has been used by others before, it might be a good
idea to reset it to factory defaults first.
Please note: Doing so will erase all internal user-specific presets as well
as the unit's startup configuration and overwrite it with the factory defaults.
·In the top left-hand section of the GUI, press the "Admin" tab.
·In the top right-hand GUI section, press the "Init" button below "Fac-
tory Reset". If sure, confirm both confirmation request windows.
Now, your hardware will use the factory default configuration.
Next, load a preset. This is a 2-step process: First, load a preset to the GUI
interface. Then, transmit this preset to the hardware. Here's how:
·If not yet selected, press the "Admin" tab in the top left-hand section
of the GUI.
·The Read/Write area used for
preset management is posi-
tioned directly below the tabs.
For our example, let's select
"Preset 1" behind "from" in the
first line. Press the "READ" button. The preset is loaded to the GUI
now and all parameters are displayed in the Admin window.
·Select "Current" behind "to" in the second line. Press the "WRITE"
button. This transfers the preset settings to the hardware. The trans-
fer is confirmed by a pop-up window. Additionally the front display of
the unit shows the active preset number.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
Quick Start 11
6. LISTENING
·Start your external signal source to play back some stereo audio.
·Switch your surround monitoring system on. Starting with a low vol-
ume setting in order to protect your speakers and your ears, set
your desired playback level.
·You should hear a 5.1 surround signal now that has been generated
by ISOSTEM®using your stereo source.
·Follow the steps above to load preset 3. Compare the results.
Please note: At this point, there is no need to care about the clock syn-
chronization of ISOSTEM®'s AES input. ISOSTEM®uses sampling rate
converters (SRC) in all inputs if necessary to obtain proper sync. However,
your playback system must be synced to one of the ISOSTEM®'s AES out-
puts if it does not use SRCs on its own.
·Switch the GUI to the "Expert" tab ("Expert" model only). In the low-
er middle section of the window, there are Mute and Solo switches
for each loudspeaker channel available. Among others, they can be
useful for listening to discrete channels. In the "Monitor" section be-
low, switching between "Surround" and "Stereo" alternatively lets
you compare the original stereo source and the 5.1 ISOSTEM®out-
put.
Please note: To learn more about the parameters for individual fine tuning
of the upmixing process, please refer to the "Expert" Tab chapter.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
12 System Overview
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
DSP TECHNOLOGY
The signal processing is carried out by an energy saving "Sharc" Analog
Devices DSP. With just 3W power consumption, no ventilation is needed
and the risk of overheating is reduced significantly. The high-performance
system handles 32 bit real-time audio processing while the dynamic filtering
variables are 64 bit. The conversion modules calculation (up and down) is
executed in the frequency domain with phase control.
AUDIO PROCESSING
ISOSTEM®features 4 digital audio inputs in AES3 format (8 channels) as
well as 4 digital audio outputs in AES3 format (8 channels). All AES inputs
are fitted with sample rate converters (SRC) that can simplify system inte-
gration considerably. Flexible input and output matrices enable flexible I/O
routing to and from the internal audio processing modules. This allows for
compatibility with the various surround channel schemes used in environ-
ments such as TV (ITU) or cinema (SMPTE).
The two main audio processing modules "Panoramic Analyzer" (PA) and
"Virtual Microphone" (VM) are both independent upmixing stages using
different approaches with 2 audio inputs and 6 (5) audio outputs. Together
with the "Direct" module, they feed an internal bus that in turn feeds the
"ISO" module. The "Direct" module can be fed by native multichannel
sources to assure their compatibility with the stereo reference signal, or as
part of a setup using several stereo sources.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
System Overview 13
The "ISO" module calculates the difference between an internal stereo
downmix of the upmixed 5.1 surround signals and an external stereo refer-
ence signal. Controlling the signal in the frequency domain, ISO takes care
of the following additional tasks:
·Assures compatibility by injecting the "intermix" signal
(L-R-C-LS-RS)
·Phase correction of the L/R front and rear channels (L-R-LS-RS)
·High-frequency attenuation for the rear channels (LS - RS)
·LFE channel management
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
14 Hardware
HARDWARE
ISOSTEM®is available in two different hardware variants:
ISOSTEM®Expert contains a full range of functions and setting parame-
ters. Individual setups can be created using the ISOSTEM®GUI software
and saved as presets. Up to 6 presets can be stored locally in the hard-
ware's memory, while the GUI also allows for unlimited preset storage on
your computer. In addition, presets can be transferred to any other ISO-
STEM®.
ISOSTEM®Live was created for daily broadcast use where creating indi-
vidual presets is not a relevant option. This version can use the factory pre-
sets as well as any other presets created on an ISOSTEM®Expert unit.
However, its limited GUI functionality does not allow for editing presets at
parameter level. ISOSTEM®Live also features a redundant backup func-
tion: If one of two connected devices fails, the system will switch to the oth-
er device automatically.
FRONT PANEL
The front panels of both ISOSTEM®variants feature the same set of status
LEDs:
·AES: This green LED shows the status of the incoming AES signal
as well as the unit's sync state. Please refer to the Synchronization
chapter for more details about the various sync states.
·ISO: Indicates that the "ISO" function is active (see Phase, ISO and
Master Functions)
·Status: This numerical display shows the number of the currently
active preset.
·Alarm: Shows the current health status of the hardware device.
·Process: Indicates processing or bypass mode.
·Linked: Indicates an active link to a second ISOSTEM®device
·Power: Indicates that the unit is switched on.
·Power Switch: Use this switch to turn the unit on or off.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
Hardware 15
REAR PANEL CONNECTORS
IEC:Mains power 90..250 VAC
RS232 (D-Sub 9): Serial interface port for communication with
ISOSTEM®GUI software
GPI (D-Sub 15): This is a binary control input port used to recall the
six internally stored presets. External switch to
electrical ground initiates preset recall
WC In (BNC): Word clock input
AES/EBU I/O:4x AES3 digital audio inputs (8 channels)
(D-Sub 25) 4x AES3 digital audio outputs (8 channels)
Tascam Pinout
ALARM (Phoenix): Relay output contacts reflecting the unit's alarm state.
Contacts closed: No alarm, device fully functional
(Alarm LED off).
Contacts open: Device failure (Alarm LED on)
or no power supplied
LINK (RJ45): Proprietary port for cross-connecting two ISOSTEM®
LIVE units (backup operation)
For a technical description of the above hardware interfaces (pinouts, etc.),
please refer to Appendix A: Interface Specification.
Please note: For more details about system integration using the GPI,
Alarm and Link ports, please also refer to the Isostem Live - Integration
chapter.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
16 Hardware
SYNCHRONIZATION
The ISOSTEM®hardware always uses a sample rate of 48 kHz. All Sync
parameters are set in the "Sync" section of the "Hardware" tab in the GUI
software (see "Hardware" Tab).
In order to suppress any risk of digital clicks, each AES channel has an
independent transceiver. In addition, all AES inputs are equipped with
sample rate converters (SRC). So, even when syncing to the internal clock,
the unit will accept external asynchronous AES signals. However, in order
to ensure that ISOSTEM®'s audio outputs are in sync with the studio envi-
ronment, it might be advisable in most cases to use external synchroniza-
tion.
The following sync sources are available:
·AES input recovered clock
·External Word Clock
·Internal 48 kHz clock
Please note: If the "AES 1 Input " option was selected as the primary clock
source (see Sync in "Hardware" tab chapter), ISOSTEM®will only look for
sync on its AES 1 input. In order to sync to an external AES signal, always
make sure you use the AES 1 input for this purpose.
The "AES" LED on the front panel will reflect the current sync status in the
following way:
Constant light:ISOSTEM®is in sync with the first clock source se-
lected in the "Master Clock Priority" parameter (see Sync in "Hard-
ware" tab chapter)
Flashing once:ISOSTEM®is in sync with the second clock source
selected in the "Master Clock Priority" parameter (see Sync in
"Hardware" tab chapter)
Flashing twice:ISOSTEM®is synced by its internal clock.
Flashing continuously: No AES signal available at AES Input 1.
Configuration should be checked.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
GUI Software Reference 17
GUI SOFTWARE REFERENCE
Depending on the hardware variant, the ISOSTEM®GUI software
is organized in two or three main windows accessed by tabs in
the top left corner. The "Hardware" tab is used for setting up clock
and synchronization parameters, firmware updates and system automation,
while the "Admin" tab window contains tools for preset management and
factory reset.
The "Expert" tab (only available in the ISOSTEM®Expert hardware ver-
sion) features real-time control of all audio processing parameters.
"HARDWARE" TAB
COM
The Com section is used to establish communication between
the ISOSTEM®hardware unit and the GUI software.
Port Name
Use this option to select your computer's serial COM port for
communication. If using the supplied USB to RS232 adapter, its driver
software has to be installed first (see Software installation in the Quick Start
chapter) and you will have to select the COM port that your adapter emu-
lates.
CONNECT (CONNECTED)
After having selected the COM port, press this button to establish commu-
nication. If the button changes to "CONNECTED", the communication be-
tween the GUI software and the ISOSTEM®hardware has been established
successfully and you should see a message like this in the topmost GUI
area:
If no connection has been established, try another COM port and press the
"CONNECT" button again.
DISCONNECT (DISCONNECTED)
Use this button to disconnect the hardware unit from the GUI software. Af-
ter doing so, a dialog box will provide the option of writing the current con-
figuration into the "Startup" register (The same dialog will pop up when
closing down the GUI software). Doing so ensures that
the system will load this configuration during the next
startup. This also includes the synchronization and au-
tomation settings.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
18 GUI Software Reference
SYNC
Latency Synchronization
The minimum audio processing latency is 40 ms. If working in audio
for video environments, it is recommended that you adjust the laten-
cy according to the video frame rate used.
Device Latency
This display shows the current audio processing latency.
Synchronize to Frame Rate
Check this box to increase latency to a value suitable for the video frame
rate set below. The increased latency will be reflected in the "Device Laten-
cy" display (see above).
Video Frame Rate
This parameter sets the video frame rate that the system latency should be
adapted to.
Options: 24, 25, 29.976, or 30 frames/s.
Clocking Modes
Use this section to set up the primary and secondary sync sources
to be used for system synchronization. For details, please also refer
to Synchronization in the Hardware chapter.
Current Master Clock
This display shows the clock reference currently used by the hard-
ware and its sample rate.
Master Clock Priority
This parameter selects a priority chain of clock sources – i.e. a primary,
secondary and fallback clock source. If the attempt to synchronize to the
primary source is not successful, the unit will try to sync to the secondary
source instead. If this also fails it syncs to the internal clock as a fallback.
Options:
·AES 1 Input (1st), Word Clock (2nd), Intern (fallback)
·Word Clock (1st), AES 1 Input (2nd), Intern (fallback)
·AES 1 Input (1st), Intern (fallback)
·Word Clock (1st), Intern (fallback)
·Intern (fallback)
Please note: In order to sync to an external AES signal, select the appro-
priate clock source and make sure you use the AES 1 input for this pur-
pose.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
GUI Software Reference 19
Input Data Stream
This display shows any valid audio data streams on the four AES
inputs.
FIRMWARE
UPDATE DEVICE
Use this option to update the system firmware. Please follow the steps
described below. After the installation of the GUI the firmware files are
located in the installation folder within the “firmware” subfolder.
After clicking the UPDATE DEVICE button, the
GUI asks if the presets, stored on the device,
should be saved onto disk. It is advisable to
save them because the update overwrites all
presets. After clicking on Yes, the destination
folder can be chosen in a dialog. After that the
"Update Device Software" window will lead
you through the update process consisting of
steps 1 – 3.
Step 1 - "Open a Software File": Click the "OPEN FILE" button to select the
“.iup”1update file stored on your computer. The file path, name and size will
be displayed.
Step 3 - "Load File to Device": Click the
"LOAD" button to start transferring the file from
the GUI software to the hardware. Before
transfer, a dialog box shows some information
about the process details. Click “OK” to start
the transfer. The progression is shown by a
bar.
After the transfer is finished, the firmware update is ready
to be installed to the DSP. The "UPDATE" button is active.
1In the firmware-subfolder the two iup-files „bundled_update.iup“ and „Iso-
stem_Update_vXXXX.iup“ are located. Both store an identical content – therefore it
is irrelevant, which file you select. Both files are linked to the matching iub-firmware
files which suit your device variant.
ISOSTEM USER MANUAL
20 GUI Software Reference
Step 3 - "Update Boot Memory of the Device”: The
boot memory of the device contains the DSP soft-
ware. Click the "UPDATE" button that launches the
installation of the new internal DSP software. An
"Update" dialog box tells you that if you should
need to return to the previous version of the inter-
nal software, the corresponding “.iup” file will be necessary.
After finished, a dialog box signals the successful update
and informs that the new firmware will be active after the
next unit´s power cycle.
Before the GUI automatically disconnects from the device,
you have the possibility to store the current settings to the
start configuration of the unit.
This manual suits for next models
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