JBL Synthesis SDP-1 User manual

SYNTHESIS
OWNERS
MANUAL-
— SDP

TABLE
OF
CONTENTS.
SECTION PAGE
7.0 BASIC OPERATIONS
1.1 Powering Up 4 =
1.2 Basic Remote Control Operations = 4-5
1.3 The Various Cinema and Music Modes 6-7
1.4 Turning the System Off 8
2.0 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
3.0 SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE
3.1 General Service Policy 10
3.2 Audio and Video Service 10
JBL Synthesis System
Owner's Manual
©1994 Harman Consumer Group
JBL and Synthesis are registered trademarks of JBL lncorporaied.
All Rights Reserved
Manual Designed by Harman Consumer Group,
Marketing Services ¢ Woodbury
JBL Consumer Products, tne.
80 Crossways Park West, Woodbury, NY 11797
[phone]
8500 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91329
HA Harman international Company

CONGRATULATIONS. Your Synthesis Home Media System is a
wonderful investment in a lifetime of quality-home entertainment.
Only JBL can provide a system of this caliber. Since the “JAZZ
SINGER ” brought sound to films in 1929, the letters J-B-L have
~ been intimately linked to the production.of the world’s finest films.
Our 50 year devotion to the art of sound reproduction has made JBL
an integral part of the musical experience.
Now your Synthesis Home Media System has placed the best seat in
the house, in your home. We invite you to sit back, and enjoy the
perfection of this state-of-the-art sight and sound system.
System Installed for:
. (Owner)
At
(Adaress)
On:
(Date)
Installed By:
(installer)
From:
(Dealership)
For Service , Call:
= (Dealers Phone Number)
For
JBL
Customer
Support
and
Satisfaction,
Call:
|
|
JBL
Synthesis
Service
Manager
|
1-(800)
645-7484,
extension
233
On
Long
Island
call
(516)
496-3400,
extension
233

1.0
BASIC
OPERATIONS
1.7 Powering Up
The system can easily and quickly be turned on using
the Remote Controller, pictured on this page. Simply
push the button marked ON/OFF and the Surround
Processor, Amplifiers, Equalizers, Crossovers, and
‘Speakers will all automatically power up, in sequence.
Alternatively, the front pane! ON/OFF button on the
surround processor may be used. If you have difficulty,
make sure the Master Power switch on the rear of the
processor is On.
Next, turn on the Source Devices you want to use —
VCR, Laser Disc player, CD, Television/Video, Audio
Cassette Player.
You can turn these on in any order.
1.2 Basic Remote Control
Operations
Your JBL Synthesis Remote Controller unit handles
virtually all of the functions of the system. Basic
Operations include Selecting Source Devices, and
Adjusting the Master Volume, Muting the System, and
Adjusting the Audio Balance.
1.21 Selecting Source Devices
Examine the lower half of the Remote Controller and
locate the four buttons with INPUT labeled below them.
Your Installer, with your consultation, has determined
the sources available for use in your system, and has
assigned them to individual buttons. He or she will tell
you what the button assignments are.
To select a source device, simply press the
corresponding button. The surround processor will
engage that source.
1.2.2 Adjusting the Master Volume
The Master Volume buttons on the right hand side of the
Remote Controller are used to adjust the Output Levels
of the system. Press the & button to make things
Louder, and the W button to make things Softer. These
buttons do not adjust the input Levels of the Source
Devices. Infact, we recommend that you do net do so.
They have been set and calibrated to mesh flawlessly
with the system, and adjusting them directly can fhrow
the system out of balance.
4
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BASIC
OPERATO
NOTE: (f, over time, you notice that one Source Device
consistently sounds too loud or too soft, call your
Certified Dealer. He or she will adjust the levels and reset
the new levels as your “Reference Levels” to which you
can return if the system's sound goes awry.
1.2.3 Muting the System
There may be situations where you quickly want to cut
all of the audio output, for example, when you are
answering the phone or having a conversation. fo do so,
press the button labeled MAIN MUTE, located near the
bottom right hand corner of the Remote Controller. All of
the audio output will cut out immediately while keeping
the system on. On the front panel of the surround
processor, both MAIN and EFX MUTE lights will be
turned on, and the front pane! display will read
“SYSTEM MUTED". Pressing the MAIN MUTE button
~ once again will re-enable the audio to come out ofthe
Speakers. :
in generating the various surround modes, the SDP-1
adds additional synthesized audio information to the
incoming signal. To mute these signals only, press EFX
MUTE, located next to MAIN MUTE. Pressing this
button will light up the EFX MUTE light on the front
panel and the display will read “EFFECTS MUTED".
Pressing this button again will restore the processor to
its previous mode of operation. This is the simplest
way to play “normal” two channel stereo.
1.2.4 Adjusting the Audio Balance
Use the balance controls to adjust for out of the ordinary
listener position. To adjust the audio balance of the
system, locate the four buttons in the middie of the
remote controller labeled BALANCE. Pressing the &
key will increase the levels of the front channels relative
fo the rear, and pressing the W key will increase the
_.fevels of the rear channels relative to the front. Pressing .
the & button will increase the left channel sounds
relative to the right, and pressing the © button wilf
increase the right channel sounds relative to the left
5

1.3 The Various Cinema and
Music Modes
Your Synthesis SDP-1 Surround Processor is a highly
_ advanced unit that has the ability to electronically
recreate various listening environments, such as
nightclubs, jazz clubs, concert halls, and stadiums.
Furthermore, it can take information from monaural
sources and create a synthesized stereo sound that will
definitely enhance your listening experience. Finally, it
has a Home THX mode, which when used in conjunction
with Surround Sound encoded software, will provide
you with the same experience that the movie director felt
when mixing the soundtrack in the dubbing studio.
The SDP-1 has 45 different operating modes to choose
from. Based on our experience with different listening
environments and various soundtracks, we have
selected five standard modes that we think are best
suited towards reproducing the widest variety of
software. They have been carefully chosen to give you
an awesome sensory experience, and are directly
accessible from the Remote Controller.
Feel free to play with the five modes using various -
pieces of software. If you would like to try the other
modes available, your JBL Certified installer can
demonstrate them te you and can reprogram your
Remote Controller with your favorites.
¢ Rock/Pop
The Rock Mode allows you to have the best of all
possible worlds, with enhanced localization of sounds
on the front channels, plus a high degree of ambience as
well. This mode does an excellent job af putting vocals
in the center, and the effects to the left or right, where
they should be. The ambience effects that are added will
“surround” you and make you feel like you are in the
middle of the performance. This mode works well with
Rock, Popular, and most electronic and New Age
recordings as well. Experiment with this mode on non-
surround encoded films or television shows, you might
like what you hear.
To engage this mode, simply press the ROGK/POP
bution.
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BASIC
OPERA
© JaZZ
The operative word here is “live”, as the Jazz mode
makes most music sources sound engagingly present.
This mode gives the best re-creation of the original —
recording venue, but covers a somewhat limited seating
area, such as in a jazz club or bar. Select this mode for.
the intimate listening of any type of music.
To engage this mode, simply press the JAZZ button.
¢ Classical
The Classical mode brings you the experience of being in
some of the world’s greatest concert halls, with your seat
in the third row. This mode has been designed for works
on a broader acoustic canvas, like orchestral and operatic
works, and covers a very large listening area.
To engage this mode, simply press the CLASSICAL
button.
Television
The Television mode provides surround effects for
television viewing of monaural, Stereo, and stereo
- synthesized programs. Use this mode to make your TV
viewing experience ‘multi-dimensional” and spacious.
To engage this mode, simply press the TELEVISION
button.
¢ Movies
The Movies or Home THX Cinema mode has been
designed to work with any surround sound encoded
movie, music, or television program. This mode
incorporates the cinema Dolby Surround technology
and provides a performance virtually identical toa THX
or Dolby theatre experience. In this mode, when using
Dotby Surround encoded software, you will experience
exactly what the director heard during the mixing of the
soundtrack, 7 ° =
To engage this mode, simply press the MOVIES button.
7

Oeste td Pte in A
1.4 Turning the System Off
There is no preferred order of components when turning
the system off. However, there is one caution you should
follow;
NOTE: Do not turn the system off while any Source
Device is running and producing sound. Always make
sure all Source Devices are in “Idle” before pressing the
main ON/OFF button.
Failure to do this can produce a noticeable “pop”, and
can, over time, damage your components. if you need to
turn off the sound to the system suddenly, for example,
fo take a phone call or to reply to someone, press the
MAIN MUTE button.
Notes
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20
FRONT PANEL FAO
CONTROLS —
All the necessary functions needed to operate the SDP-1
Surround Processor are located on the Remote
Controller. if necessary, most of these functions can be
accessed on the front panel of the unit as well.
MODE
These buttons are used to step through the surround
modes that have been programmed into the unit.
Press & to move up through the mode list,
and press W to move down. In the normal or default
mode, the five modes available will be ROCK/POP. JAZZ,
CLASSICAL, TELEVISION, and MOVIES. For your
particular system, your JBL Certified Installer may
substitute different surround modes and will show you +
how to access them. ;
BANK
The SDP-1 incorporates three memory banks of 15
modes each, labeled “PRESET,” “USER BANK A” and
“USER BANK B” that are capable of storing up to 45
different surround modes for you fo access. In the
normal or default mode, five that we consider to be
most useful for audio presentation have been pre- —
programmed into the unit. When used in the default
mode, the BANK button is inoperative. For customized
installations, your JBL Certified Installer may program
various modes into these three memory banks. Use of
the BANK button in these installations will allow you fo
select the memory bank that you desire.
The balance of these buttons perform the identical —
. .
function
as
the
remote,
so
please
refer
to
the
Remote
& | Controfler instructions for their functionality.

30
SERVICE
Once
the
system
is
in
place,
it
should
need
little
or
no
attention.
The
components
are
of
the
highest
quality,
and
are
built
to
withstand
the
rigors
of
professional
use.
This
Section
outlines
service
policies
and
warranties.
3.1
General
Service
Policy
The
JBL
Synthesis
System
is
backed
by
our
exclusive
“48—hour
(no-down-time)
Service
Policy”.
*
Any
time
within
a
component's
warranty
period
that
you
report
trouble
to
your
certified
JBL
Synthesis
Dealer,
he
will
determine
the
nature
of
the
problem
and
contact
JBL
within
24
hours.
ifa
damaged
component
is
within
the
first
30
days
of
its
warranty
period
JBL
will
send
your
JBL
Synthesis
Dealer
a
replacement
unit,
to
be
installed
in
your
system,
within
the
specified
24
hour
period,
after
JBL
has
been
contacted.
:
ff
more
than
30
days
of
your
component's
warranty
period
has
lapsed,
and
the
damaged
component
is
still
covered
under
warranty,
JBL
wil!
provide
your
JBL
Synthesis
Dealer
with
a
/oaner
unit
within
the
same
24
hour
period
to
be
installed
in
your
system,
and
your
unit
will
be
sent
to
JBL
for
repair.
This
policy
applies
to
systems
purchased
in
the
USA
only.
Outside
the
USA
please
contact
the
local
distributor
for
warranty
service.
*Weekends
and
holidays
are
excluded
from
this
policy.
10
SERVI
ya
3.2 Audio Service
« Electrical components
All
Electronic
components
are
fully
warranted
for
two
years,
including
parts
and
labor.
Any
problems
occurring
within
the
two
year
warranty
period
will
be
covered
by
the JBL
Synthesis
exclusive
“48-hour
no-
down-time”
Service
Policy.
¢ Loudspeakers
All
Loudspeakers
are
fully
warranted
for
five
years,
including
parts
and
labor.
Any
problems
occurring
within
the
five
year
warranty
period
will
be
covered
by
the
JBL
Synthesis
exclusive
“48-hour
no-down-time’
Service
Policy.
7
The
vast
majority
of
service
calls
for
Audio
will
simply
require
resetting
the
system.
Call
your
certified
JBL
Synthesis
Dealer.
.
An
Installer
will
make
an
appointment
to
reset
the
system.
On
arrival,
he
or
she
will
refer
fo
the
Templates
in
the
last
section
of
your
Manual,
and
will
reset
any
components
which
require
it
Calf
your
certified
JBL
Synthesis
Dealer
for
a
.
replacement
unit,
or
to
initiate
the
use
of
a
loaner.
If
for
any
reason
you
are
dissatistied
or
need
adaitiona
assistance,
call:
JBL
Synthesis
Client
Service
Manager
(800)
645-7484,
extension
233
On
Long
Island
call
|
(516)
496-3400,
extension
233