LA Audio DLX200 User manual

User Manual

2
Contents.
3 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION.
4 THANK YOU.
5 SAFETY INFORMATION.
6 FRONT PANEL.
7 REAR PANEL.
8 OPERATION.
10 DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING.
11 DSP CONTROLS
15 UTILITIES
16 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION.
17 QUICK REFERENCE.
19 WARRANTY.

3
Copyright Information.
© LA AUDIO, 2005. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
LA Audio makes no warranty of any kind with respect to the material in this document and shall not
be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages related to the use
of the material.
No part of this document may be reproduced without the prior written consent of LA Audio.

4
Thank You.
By buying this DLX200 series processor, you have joined the ranks of the thousands of professional
engineers, installers and musicians who choose LA Audio. We hope your DLX200 series processor
brings you many years of enjoyable DSP system management.
This manual should get you up to speed with the DLX200's capabilities, controls and specifications.
It also details safety precautions that must be taken for the safe use of this equipment. Please take
the time to read this information carefully and store this manual for future reference.

5
Safety Information.
!THIS EQUIPMENT MUST BE EARTHED.
DO NOT EXPOSE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
WARNING
Please read carefully and keep the following instructions and safety information. Heed all warnings
and follow all instructions.
• Do not remove covers. There are no user serviceable parts inside, please refer servicing to
qualified service personnel.
• This equipment must be earthed.
• Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
• Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
• Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as the power
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into he apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
This product complies with both the EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) and the Low Voltage Directive
(73/23/EEC) as issued by the Commission of the European Community.
Compliance with these directives imply conformity with the following European standards:
• EN60065 Product safety
• EN55103-1 Electromagnetic Interference (Emission)
• EN55103-2 Electromagnetic Susceptibility (Immunity)
This product is intended for operation in the E2 (commercial & light industrial) and E3 (urban
outdoors) Electromagnetic Environments.

6
Front Panel.
DLX 260
A
U D I O
F1 F2 F3F1
MUTE MUTE MUTE MUTE MU TE MUTE
LIMIT LIMIT LIMIT LIMIT LIMIT LIMIT
-6dB -6dB -6dB -6dB -6dB -6dB
F3F2
INPUTS OUTPUTS
PK
+4dB
SIG
A B
< < CHANNELSTORE
< <
PARAMETERRECALL
LA Audio DLX260
1 !Mono
Input
Meters
Store
Button
Channel
Select Buttons
LCD
Screen
Parameter
Encoders
Output Limit
Indicators
Recall Button Parameter
Select Buttons
Output Mute
Buttons
INPUT SIGNAL INDICATORS
A pair of 8-segment LED bargraph meters indicate input level for each channel. These read peak
level from signal present at –40dBu to clip warning at +19dBu. When the clip warning light first
illuminates, there is an additional 1dB of headroom available as a safeguard.
STORE AND RECALL
These controls provide access to the unit’s 45 presets. To see them in action, go to page 10.
CHANNEL SELECT BUTTONS
The currently selected channel is displayed on the top left hand corner of the LCD. Pressing the
channel buttons scrolls through the available input and output channels and finally through the utility
functions. If the current preset is stereo linked, the screen will show the channel pairing whose
parameters will both be edited.
EDIT SELECT BUTTONS
The currently selected edit page is displayed on the bottom left corner of the LCD. Pressing the
edit select buttons moves through the available parameters for the currently selected channel.
TEXT DISPLAY
The main display shows preset, channel, parameter and status information. In most screens the
currently selected channel is displayed on the upper line and the edit parameter on the lower line.
PARAMETER KNOBS
These velocity sensitive encoders are associated with the current on-screen parameters. For
example, the value shown on the screen above the letter F1 is controlled by knob F1.
OUTPUT LEVEL INDICATORS
Two LEDs are provided for each output channel. These show the signal level relative to the limiter
threshold. The green LED will light when the signal is 6dB below the threshold and the red ‘limit’

7
LED will light when the limiter threshold is reached.
MUTES
Each output has a mute button and associated status LED.
Note that the mute buttons do not function when the Secure mode is activated. See below for
details of Secure mode.

8
Rear Panel.
Power
Inlet
BVNet
Card Slot
Audio
Inputs
Secure
Button
Comms
Port
Audio
Outputs
POWER INLET
The LA Audio DLX200 series unit should be connected to a suitable mains electricity supply using
the cable supplied. The processor has a switch mode power supply that is capable of operating with
a nominal mains voltage of 85V to 240V, 50/60Hz without re-configuration.
BVNET CARD SLOT
To allow for future developments. See www.laaudio.com for all news and product information.
AUDIO INPUT CONNECTORS
All audio connections are fully balanced and wired pin-1 ground, pin-2 hot & pin-3 cold. The two
inputs have pin-1 connected directly to the chassis and feed the signal processing chains. If an
unbalanced source is used, a connection should be made between the pin-3 ‘cold’ signal and the
ground connection of the unbalanced source.
AUDIO OUTPUT CONNECTORS
The processed outputs are impedance balanced, and wired pin-1 ground, pin-2 hot and pin-3 cold.
An unbalanced input may be driven by connecting pin-3 ‘cold’ signal to the ground connection of
the unbalanced destination input. Note that output pin-1’s are ground lifted at audio frequencies
but connected to ground at RF for good EMC performance. The intention being that the amplifiers
being driven by the processor should be responsible for the grounding of their input cable shields.
SECURE BUTTON
A momentary button is recessed into the rear panel, between the output XLRs and RS232 port.
When activated, this will disable all the front panel controls so they cannot affect the signal path,
making the unit secure against tampering. When in secure mode, the indicators still operate
normally. Note that the communications port is still active in secure mode.
COMMUNICATIONS PORT
Allows PC control using PodWare. For more information, see your PodWare user guide, or go to
www.laaudio.com.

9
Operation.
The unit will power up as soon as power is applied to the IEC inlet as there is no power switch.
During the start up process the firmware application model number and version numbers are
displayed and the outputs are muted until the unit has completed its internal checks – this should
take around 5-10 seconds. Once the start-up routines are complete, the processor will restore the
settings as they were, previous to the unit being powered down and gradually ramp up the audio
signal to its correct level.
NAVIGATION
Pressing the channel select buttons will scroll through the channels, then through utilities and back
to the default screen. The currently selected channel is shown in the top left hand corner of the
display. When operating in stereo mode (more on this shortly) the channel selection will reflect this
by showing the names of both paired channels.
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
< < CHANNEL
< <
PARAMETER
Out 1 Freq Width Gain
EQ1 100Hz 1.4Q 0.0dB
Pressing the edit navigation buttons gives access to the various pages of parameters available for
each channel. The currently selected page is shown in the bottom left hand corner of the display.
The screen shows up to three parameters for a given part of the processing functions on a given
channel.
The edit buttons allow you to scroll in either direction through the different processing pages for a
given Channel. When you go past the last page, you will be returned to the default page.
If you’re scrolling through channels and notice that the edit page has changed, fear not: this is
probably because the selected channel doesn’t have the selected edit parameters. For example,
inputs do not have a low-pass filter.
PRESETS
Your DLX200 processor has 45 presets, each of which capture a complete snapshot of the unit’s
settings. Aside from the unit’s two ‘Base Presets’, described below, you are free to store settings
wherever you wish. To save confusion over which preset does what, your DLX200 also allows you
to name your presets with text labels. Just how sensible they are is entirely up to you.

10
BASE PRESETS
The unit has two ‘Base Presets’, mono and stereo. These are empty templates from which you can
quickly configure your own settings. They are stored in locations 1 and 2 respectively. Although
the base presets are locked and cannot be overwritten, you can edit a base preset to your heart’s
content and then store your new settings into any unlocked location (i.e. not 1 or 2).
Details of the base presets and a space for noting your own preset details can be found in Appendix
A.
PRESET STORE
To store the current settings, press [Store]; the button label will illuminate and the store page will
appear. Use parameter knob F1 to select a storage location. Once you’ve chosen a location, the
other two knobs to enter your own preset name – F2 selects characters while F3 moves along the
screen. Pressing the Store Button again completes the process and stores the Preset. Pressing any
other button will cancel the operation.
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Preset Name
Store 32 My System
F2 F3F1
STORE STORE
Select store
location. Name preset.
If you see ‘LOCKED PRESET’, this means that you’re trying to store your settings in location 1 or 2.
This is where the base presets are stored, so go find somewhere else to put your settings!
PRESET RECALL
To select an existing preset, press the Recall Button, the button label will illuminate and the recall
page will appear. Turn parameter knob F1 until the required preset number is shown on the display.
Base Presets are indicated by a box symbol appearing after the preset number. Press the Recall
Button again to activate the Preset. You will be asked to confirm one more time and if you’re really,
really sure, press recall again. As with storing, pressing any other button cancels the operation.

11
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Preset Name
Recall 32 My System
F1
STORESTORESTORE
Select preset
to recall.
Really, really
sure?
Sure?
Recalling a preset will clear the currently loaded settings. To keep these, or save changes to an
existing preset, first store them, as described above, before attempting to recall another preset.
Inappropriate crossover settings for a given system can cause expensive, sometimes irreparable
damage to attached devices such as amplifiers and loudspeakers. Be certain before recalling a preset
that any attached devices are muted and that you check settings before passing audio.

12
Digital Signal Processing.
INPUT DSP BLOCK DIAGRAM
Input
PK
+4dB
SIG
A B
METERS
Gain
Delay HPF High Shelf
Low Shelf 6 x Parametric EQ
Input
PK
+4dB
SIG
A B
METERS
Gain
Delay HPF High Shelf
Low Shelf 6 x Parametric EQ
Sum (-6dB) Routing
OUTPUT DSP BLOCK DIAGRAM
Gain
Delay HPF LPF High Shelf
Low Shelf 6 x Parametric EQ
Routing Limiter
MUTE
Meters
LIMIT
-6dB
STEREO / MONO FORMATS
Formats affect the way the above DSP modules are controlled. In Mono format, all outputs have
unique parameter settings and flexible routing.
Stereo format pairs the inputs and outputs for stereo operation, the parameters of each member
of the pair being identical. The routing of inputs to outputs is fixed. This format is intended for
symmetrical stereo operation, eliminating the need to make identical parameter adjustments for
each channel. The channel pairing is differs for four and six output units:
Left Input A Output 1 Output 2
Right Input B Output 3 Output 4
Left Input A Output 1 Output 2 Output 3
Right Input B Output 4 Output 5 Output 6

13
DSP Controls
This section describes each of the DSP modules and its controls. As you can see from the diagram
above, some modules are common to both inputs and outputs, while some are specific to one
or the other. Consequently, this section describes all DSP functions, with notes where they are
channel-specific.
GAIN
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out1 Gain
0.0dB
F1
• F1: Gain, adjustable in 0.2dB steps from –80 dB to +20dB
DELAY
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out1 Delay
1.50ms
F1
• F1: Delay, adjustable in variable steps from 0 to 400ms

14
HIGH AND LOW PASS FILTERS (LPF ON OUTPUT ONLY)
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out 1 Freq Shape
LPF 100Hz LR24
F1 F2
• F1: Frequency, <<out, 10.0Hz to 25.6kHz, out>>
• F2: Filter shape/slope.
The bottom left hand corner of the display will indicate whether the filter is high or low pass. As you
can see from the diagram above, input channels have one high pass filter while outputs have one
high and one low pass. Filter shape and slope is selectable from Butterworth, Bessel, Linkwitz-Riley
and Hardman. Filter slopes of up to 8th order or 48dB / octave are provided, although not all filter
types are available in all slopes.
The Hardman type filter is particularly interesting. Rather than following a linear slope, Hardman
filters become progressively steeper, allowing you to create more precise crossovers with less
overlap. Because of their nonlinear shape, dB/octave measurements are not truly representative of
Hardman filters’ responses; they are always described by their order rather than their slope.

15
EQ
HIGH AND LOW SHELVING FILTERS
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out 1 Freq Slope Gain
EQ>- 100Hz 12dB 0.0dB
F2 F3
F1
• F1: Frequency, 10.0Hz to 25.6kHz in variable steps
• F2: Slope, 6 to 12dB / octave in 1dB steps
• F3: Gain, +/-15dB in 0.2dB steps
The frequency shown is the ‘turnover’ point, where the filter deviates by 3dB.
PARAMETRIC EQ
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out 1 Freq Width Gain
EQ1 100Hz 1.4Q 0.0dB
F2 F3
F1
• F1: Centre Frequency, 10.0Hz to 25.6kHz in variable steps
• F2: Width, display selectable for either Q or bandwidth (BW). See utilities below to change view
options. BW adjustable from 0.05 to 5 octaves in variable steps Q adjustable from 14.2 to 0.2 in
variable steps.
• F3: Gain, +/-15dB in 0.2dB steps.

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IMPORTING PARAMETRIC EQ SETTINGS
Care should be taken when importing the EQ settings from other speaker management units as
the results may not be quite what you expect. This is because the 3 parameters of Frequency,
Boost/Cut and Q (or Octave Bandwidth) do not give a complete definition of the actual filter shape.
Although Frequency and Boost/Cut are absolute values, Q (or Octave Bandwidth) is generally only
correct at one Boost/Cut setting. This is usually at or near maximum boost or cut. At all lower
settings, the actual Q will be lower, i.e. the Octave Bandwidth will be wider. The variation in actual
Q can be between almost nothing in a “Constant Q” design to considerable in a “Proportional Q”
design.
An additional source of error can result from confusion between Q and Octave Bandwidth. At least
one other manufacturer calculates Octave Bandwidth by simply assuming that it is the reciprocal
(1⁄x) of Q. This would indicate that a Q of 1 would be an Octave Bandwidth of 1. In fact, a Q of 1 is
really an Octave Bandwidth of 1.39! A clearer indication of the scale of the error is apparent with
a Q of 4.5, which is actually one third of an octave. The reciprocal of 4.5 would imply that it is only
one fifth of an octave.
A simple “rule of thumb” to convert Octave Bandwidth to Q is to divide the Square Root of 2
(!1.414) by the Octave Bandwidth. Alternatively, to convert Q to Octave Bandwidth, divide the
square root of 2 by Q. Although this is not 100% accurate, it will return an error of less than +/-2%
between Q values of 1 and 10.

17
LIMITERS (OUTPUTS ONLY)
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out1 Thresh
LIM 4.0dB
F1
• F1: Threshold, -40dBu to 20dBu in 0.2dB steps
A high performance, low distortion limiter is provided on each output. Threshold is user adjustable;
all other parameters are carefully calculated dependant on configuration to provide clean and
effective control of signal dynamics. The front panel limit indicators show when the threshold is
reached. For system protection this module cannot be bypassed, but setting the threshold to its
maximum level will cause limiting only when it is absolutely necessary.
ROUTING (OUTPUTS ONLY)
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Out1 Source
Inp A
F1
• F1: Output source, selectable; Input A, Input B or Sum A+B
In mono mode, this selects the source for a given output. In stereo mode, routing is preset to the
format shown above on page 12.

18
Utilities
UTILITY FUNCTIONS
Two utility pages are provided to adjust infrequently used settings. These can be found by pressing
the channel buttons until you pass the last output or before input 1.
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Util Screen ParaEQ
1.. 100% BW=Q
F1 F2
Utility page 1 sets system-wide display parameters. Screen contrast allows you to adjust the display
for different viewing angles. Parametric EQ bandwidths can be set to display in as ‘Q’ values, or in
octaves.
DLX 260
F1 F3F2
Util Mode
..2 Mono
F1
Utility page 2 sets the current format to mono or stereo.
Care should be taken when swapping between mono and stereo mode as the parameter set for
the left-hand channels will be copied to, and overwrite the right-hand settings. This is not reversible
and could be a real pain if you’ve just spent ages setting up the right side of your system! For more
information on formats, see page 12.

19
Technical Specification.
GENERAL
Inputs 2
Input Impedance >10k"Electronically balanced
Maximum Input Level +20dBu
Outputs 4 [DLX240], 6 [DLX260]
Output Impedance <100"Ground Balanced
Maximum Output Level +20dBu into 600"load.
Sample Rate 96kHz
Bit Depth 24bit
Frequency Response 10Hz to 40kHz ±3dB (Filters disabled)
(20Hz to 20kHz) ±0.5dB (Filters enabled)
THD <0.01% (+10dBu, 20Hz to 20kHz, 30kHz
bandwidth)
Dynamic Range >112dB (A-weighted, 22kHz bandwidth)
>109dB (Unwighted, 22kHz bandwidth)
Serial Comms Data 38.4kbaud, format 8 data, 1 stop no parity
PROCESSING
Gain -80 to +20dB and Mute, 0.2dB steps.
Output Channel Source Input A, Input B and SUM
HP Filter Frequency Off, 10Hz to 25.4 kHz, 1/36 octave steps.
LP Filter Frequency 10Hz to 25.4kHz and off, 1/36 octave steps
LP/HP Filter Types 12, 18 & 24 dB/oct Bessel and Butterworth
12, 24 & 48 dB/oct Linkwitz Riley
4th or 8th order Hardman
Delay Input 400ms, Output 80ms
Limiter High Performance Limiter, adjustible threshold
in 0.2dB steps, automatic time constants.
EQ Frequency 10Hz to 25kHz, 1/36 octave steps
EQ Gain -15 to +15, 0.2dB steps
EQ Width 0.1 to 5.0 octaves bandwidth, 1/36 octave steps
CONNECTORS

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Audio Inputs 3 pin Female XLR
Audio Outputs 3 pin Male XLR
Serial Comms 9 pin D type
Network Comms Neutrik EtherCon
Mains 3 pin IEC
Mains Power Universal switch-mode PSU, 85 to 250V AC,
50-60 Hz
Power Consumption <25W
Dimensions 44H, 482W, 254D mm
Weight 2.7kg Net