Linear Acoustic UPMAX ISC User manual

UPMAX ISC Immersive Soundfield
Controller
Linear Acoustic UPMAX ISC Immersive Soundfield Controller
Trusted Linear Acoustic upmixing for the immersive audio capabilities of Next Generation Audio systems.
Linear Acoustic UPMAX ISC
UPMAX ISC builds upon the proven and long-running lineup of Linear Acoustic upmixers, employs our
latest algorithm, and adds support for the immersive audio requirements of Next Generation Audio.
UPMAX ISC is designed for live events and broadcasts and can be inserted on a mix bus or placed at the
output of the mixing console in the OB truck at the venue for upmixing music, effects, and legacy content not
natively presented in an immersive format.
It is equally at home in the airchain at the Network Operations Center (NOC) to ensure all programming –
including commercials and interstitial content – is delivered to the viewer as a consistent immersive
experience.
Features include:
Upmixing from 2-, 3-, 5.1-, and 7.1-channel audio to immersive formats including 5.1.4 and 7.1.4
Upmixing to legacy formats including 5.1- and 7.1-channel audio
Automatic pass-through of native immersive content
Standard I/O includes 3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI, AES-3, and AES67 to support SMPTE ST 2110-30 and -31
workflows. Quad-Link SDI I/O for 4K video workflows or MADI I/O are available as mutually exclusive
options.
Additional features include dual internal redundant auto-ranging power supplies, dual 1000BaseT Ethernet
connections (one each for control and AES67), and a web-based user interface for setup, configuration,
routing, control, and metering.
UPMAX ISC Quick Start Guide

Linear Acoustic UPMAX ISC Immersive Soundfield Controller
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Linear Acoustic® UPMAX® ISC Immersive Soundfield Controller.
UPMAX ISC builds upon the proven and long-running lineup of Linear Acoustic upmixers, employs our
latest algorithm, and adds support for the immersive audio requirements of Next Generation Audio.
UPMAX ISC is designed for live events and broadcasts and can be inserted on a mix bus or placed at the
output of the mixing console in the OB truck at the venue for upmixing music, effects, and legacy content not
natively presented in an immersive format. It is equally at home in the airchain at the Broadcast Operations
Center (BOC) to ensure all programming – including commercials and interstitial content – is delivered to
the viewer as a consistent immersive experience.
Features include:
Upmixing from 2-, 3-, 5.1-, and 7.1-channel audio to immersive formats including 5.1.4 and 7.1.2
Upmixing to legacy formats including 5.1- and 7.1-channel audio
Automatic pass-through of native immersive content
3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI, AES-3, and AES67 I/O to support SMPTE ST 2110-30 workflows (Quad-Link SDI
I/O for 4K video workflows or MADI I/O are available as mutually exclusive options)
Dual internal redundant auto-ranging power supplies
Dual 1000BaseT Ethernet connections and web-based GUI
Hardware
UPMAX ISC Front Panel

Figure 1 - Front panel
The front panel of the UPMAX ISC includes the following:
Reset button for restarting the unit from the front panel (1A)
Four status LEDs indicating the status of each power supply (1B, 1C), the overall status of the unit
(1D), and sync for the reference clock (1E)
A color LCD display to show status and basic configuration parameters (1F)
A five-button navigation cluster with Left, Right, Up, and Down arrows plus a green “OK” button (1G)
A USB port used for software updates (1H)
The front panel is used for the initial setup and configuration including setting the IP address of the Control
Ethernet port. Additional configuration is accomplished via the remote user interface
UPMAX ISC Rear Panel
Figure 2 - Rear panel
The rear panel includes the following connections:
Two RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet connections, one for network remote control (2A) and one for AES67 I/O
(2B)
Two independent 3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs (2C) on female BNC connectors
Quad-Link SDI or MADI I/O (2D) - optional
Five AES-3 I/O connections (2E) on female BNC connectors
Parallel GPI/O control port (female DB-15) for five inputs and five outputs (2F)
Two IEC power inlets for the redundant internal universal auto-ranging power supplies (2G)
Note: Although the hardware is present for two independent SDI I/O paths, only the first SDI I/O is
active at this time. The second path will be enabled in a future firmware update.
Installation and Initial Setup

Installation
UPMAX ISC is a 1RU product intended to be permanently installed in a standard 19½” equipment rack and
secured with four standard rack screws. UPMAX ISC is fan cooled with air intakes and exhausts located on
the side of the unit just behind the front panel, but whenever possible, it is recommended to leave 1RU of
empty space above and below the unit.
Power
Plug the supplied IEC power cords into the UPMAX ISC and connect each to different mains power sources.
Remember that while redundant supplies do protect against the unit losing power in the event of a PSU
failure, the loss of mains supply voltage is a bigger concern. Accordingly, each supply should be fed from a
different circuit equipped with adequate surge protection and fitted with an uninterruptable power supply
(UPS).
Boot Up and Splash Screen
The unit will power up as soon as the power cords are connected, and using the Reset button (1A) is not
required on initial startup. The front panel of the unit will remain dark during most of the boot process but the
Status LED (1D) will light. Once the boot process is complete, the Home Screen will appear and the Status
LED will turn green.
Figure 3 - Front panel home screen
Setting IP Addresses
UPMAX ISC ships with DHCP enabled and will automatically retrieve an IP address when connected to a
network with a DHCP server.
Important! The Control and AES67 Ethernet connections both require 1000BASE-T (Gigabit)
switch ports in order to work properly.

If both the Control and AES67 ports will be used, they must be in different subnets. In-band control
is available using the AES67 port.
If only one port will be used, set the unused port to “Static IP” with an IP Address of 0.0.0.0, a
Subnet Mask of 0.0.0.1, and a Gateway of 0.0.0.0.
To set a fixed IP address for the Control port:
Press the Right button once to show the Information screen and once more to navigate to the IP
Configuration (Control) screen
Press the Down button to highlight “Edit”
Press the OK button to highlight “Use DHCP”
Press the Right button to highlight “Yes”
Press the Up/Down buttons to select “No”
Press the Left button to highlight “DHCP” again
Press the Down button to highlight “Address”
Press the Right button to move to the first digit of the IP address
Use the Up/Down buttons to change the value
Use the Right/Left buttons to select another digit to edit
When finished editing the Address field, press the Right/Left buttons to highlight “Address” again
Press the Down button to navigate to the “Netmask” field, following the instructions above for entering
the value
When finished editing the Netmask field, press the Right/Left buttons to highlight “Netmask” again
Press the Down button to navigate to the “Gateway” field, following the instructions above for entering
the value
When finished editing the Gateway field, press the Right/Left buttons to highlight “Gateway” again
Press the Down button to highlight “Update”
Verify the information has been entered correctly and press the OK button to save the new values
If you notice incorrect information and need to start over, use the Right button to highlight “Cancel” followed
by the OK button

Figure 4- System information screen
Figure 5 - IP configuration (Control) screen
If you are using AES67 I/O, pressing the Right button from the IP Configuration (Control) screen will bring
you to the IP Configuration (AES67) screen. The steps for configuring this port are identical to those above
for the Control port.
Connecting Inputs and Outputs
The UPMAX ISC offers 3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs, Quad-Link SDI or MADI I/O (optional and
mutually exclusive), five AES-3 inputs and outputs on female BNC connectors, plus AES67 I/O via the
AES67 Ethernet port. Connect the physical inputs and outputs as appropriate for your installation.
Connecting to the Web-Based User Interface
No special client software is required to remotely connect to the UPMAX ISC, and the HTML-5-based GUI is
device, operating system, and browser agnostic. We recommend Google Chrome or Apple Safari. The
computer or tablet should be on the same network and subnet as the UPMAX ISC.
Once both UPMAX ISC and your computer are connected to your network, enter the IP address of the
UPMAX ISC in the URL field of your browser. Once connected, the Home screen will appear.

Figure 6 - Home screen
Clicking on the UPMAX ISC logo (6A) will always bring you back to the Home screen. To log in to the unit,
enter the default password of 1234 into the Password field (6B) then click the Log In button (6C). The
ability to change the password will be included in an upcoming software update.
UPMAX ISC User Manual V1.0.54
Applicable to V1.04.54 and earlier software versions.
Front and Rear Panel Overview
A brief overview of the front and rear panel controls and connections.
UPMAX ISC Front Panel

Figure 2-1 - UPMAX ISC front panel
UPMAX ISC front panel features include:
Reset button for restarting the unit from the front panel (2-1A)
Four status LEDs indicating the status of each power supply (2-1B, 2-1C) the overall status of the
unit (2-1D), and sync for the reference clock (2-1E).
A color LCD display to show status and basic configuration parameters (2-1F)
A five-button navigation cluster with Left, Right, Up, and Down arrows plus a green “OK” button (2-1G)
A USB port used for software updates (2-1H)
Basic configuration and status monitoring can be performed using the front panel controls as outlined in the
section. Connecting to UPMAX ISC via the
web-based user interface -covered in the section - provides easier navigation and full
control of the unit.
Installation and Initial Setup Using the Front Panel Interface
Remote User Interface
UPMAX ISC Rear Panel
Figure 2-2 - UPMAX ISC rear panel
The rear panel of the UPMAX ISC contains the following connections:
Two RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet connections, one for network remote control (2-2A) and one for AES67
I/O (2-2B)
Two independent 3Gb/s HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs (2-2C) on female BNC connectors
Quad-Link SDI or MADI I/O (2-2D) - optional
Five AES-3 I/O connections (2-2E) on female BNC connectors
Parallel GPI/O control port (female DB-15) for five inputs and five outputs (2-2F)
Two IEC power inlets for the redundant internal universal auto-ranging power supplies (2-2G)

SDI I/O
Two sets of 3Gb/S HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs are included. At this time however, only the connectors
closest to the RJ-45 Ethernet connectors are active. The second SDI connection will be enabled in an
upcoming firmware update.
AES-3 I/O
The top row of AES-3 connectors are inputs. The outputs comprise the bottom row. Connectors are arranged
as follows:
1/2 = Left/Right (L/R)
3/4 = Center/LFE (C/LFE)
5/6 = Left Surround/Right Surround (Ls/Rs)
7/8 = Left Front Height/Right Front Height (Tfl/Tfr)
9/10 = Left Rear Height/Right Rear Height (Tbl/Tbr)
GPI/O
The active state for GPI is Low and is internally pulled up through a 10K ohm resistor. The active state for
GPO is Low and is current-limited through a 33-ohm resistor.
The pinout for the DB-15 sub connector is as follows:
Pin Number Function Comment
1 +5v
2 GPI In 1 Active Low
3 GPI In 2 Active Low
4 GPI In 3 Active Low
5 GPI In 4 Active Low
6 GPI In 5 Active Low
7 GND
8 GND
9 +5v
10 GPO Out 1 Active Low
11 GPO Out 2 Active Low
12 GPO Out 3 Active Low
13 GPO Out 4 Active Low

14 GPO Out 5 Active Low
15 Status OK Active High
Installation and Initial Setup Using the Front Panel Interface
Installing UPMAX ISC and using the front panel controls for basic setup and configuration.
Physical Installation
The UPMAX ISC is a 1RU product intended to be permanently installed in a standard 19½” equipment rack
and secured with four standard rack screws.
UPMAX ISC is fan cooled with air intakes and exhausts located on the side of the unit just behind the front
panel, but whenever possible it is recommended to leave 1RU of empty space above and below the unit.
IMPORTANT: Please see the section of for important electrical
safety information.
"User Warnings and Cautions"
Power
The UPMAX ISC has two internal auto-ranging redundant power supplies protected by type T1AL25V fuses.
Remember that while redundant supplies do protect against the unit losing power in the event of a PSU
failure, the loss of mains supply voltage is a bigger concern. Accordingly, each supply should be fed from a
different circuit equipped with adequate surge protection and fitted with an uninterruptable power supply
(UPS). Providing the receptacles to which the supplied power cords are connected are grounded, the power
connection serves as a ground. Additionally, the rear panel earthing terminal should be connected to a
proper ground system with 20 – 14 AWG (0.5 – 1.5mm) wire.
Front Panel Buttons
As mentioned briefly in the section, the front panel of UPMAX ISC includes
a five-button navigation cluster with Left, Right, Up, and Down arrow buttons plus a green “OK” button in the
center.
Front and Rear Panel Overview
The arrow buttons are used for navigating through the menus, and the “OK” button acts as an “Enter” or
“Select” key.

The Home Screen
The IP address of the network Control port (used to connect to the remote user interface) is shown in the
lower left corner. If a network connection is detected, the IP address will be yellow. If there is no network
connection, the IP address will be red.
The primary reference clock source and status is shown in the lower right corner. Green indicates an active
solid reference. Red indicates an inactive or missing reference.
Home screen
The Information Screen
Pressing the Right button navigates to the Information screen.
The name of this particular UPMAX ISC and its location are displayed at the top of the screen. These values
can be customized using the remote interface as detailed in the "Upmixing" section.
The unit’s unique serial number is shown next, followed by the current firmware version, the IP address of
the Control port (the port used to connect to the remote interface), the IP address of the AES67 port (the port
used to carry AES67 AoIP), and the current active clock reference.

Information screen
IP Configuration Screen
Another press of the Right button brings you to the IP Configuration screen for the Control port.
IMPORTANT: The Control and AES67 Ethernet connections both require 1000BASE-T (Gigabit)
switch ports in order to work properly.
If both the Control and AES67 ports will be used, they must be in different subnets. In-band control
is available using the AES67 port.
If only one port will be used, set the unused port to “Static IP” with an IP Address of 0.0.0.0, a
Subnet Mask of 0.0.0.1, and a Gateway of 0.0.0.0.
By default, the UPMAX ISC will automatically obtain an IP address from a DHCP server which will suffice to
provide initial remote access to the unit for configuration purposes. A fixed IP address will be preferred in
most cases and can be set as follows:
Press the OK button to highlight “Edit”
Press OK again to highlight “Use DHCP”
Press the Right button to highlight “Yes”
Press the Up/Down button to “No"
Press the Left button to highlight the “Static IP Address” fields
Press the Down button to highlight “Address”
Press the Right button to move to the first digit of the IP address
Use the Up/Down buttons to change the selection
Press the Right/Left buttons to select another digit to edit
When finished editing the address field, press the Right or Left button to return to “Address”
Press the Down button to navigate to the Netmask and Gateway fields
Repeat the above steps to edit the Netmask and Gateway fields; note that the gateway may be set to
000.000.000.000 if no gateway is required
After the gateway is set, press the Left button to highlight “Gateway”
Press the Down button to highlight “Update”

Press OK to save the new IP information
If you suddenly notice you’ve entered some incorrect information and need to bail out and start over, use
the Right/Left buttons to highlight “Cancel” followed by “OK”
Pressing the Right button from the IP Configuration (Control) screen will bring you to the IP Configuration
(AES67) screen. The steps for configuring this port are identical to those above for the Control port.
Finally, pressing the Right/Left buttons will eventually return you to the Home Screen.
IP configuration screen
Locate Mode
When you enable the “Locate Mode” from the remote user interface, the unit’s front panel display will
repeatedly change color until Locate Mode has been cleared by pressing any key on the front panel or by
clicking again on the “Locate Mode” button on the remote user interface. Enabling Locate Mode affects only
the unit’s display and has no effect on the audio.
Special Function Key Presses
Performing a full Factory Reset and engaging the Hardware Relay Bypass are possible from the front panel
by pushing and holding a particular combination of buttons.
Factory Reset
To reset the unit to its factory defaults, simultaneously press and hold the Left, Up, and Right buttons for ten
seconds until a red countdown timer appears in the bottom left corner of the display.

Important! Performing a factory reset will erase all I/O routing as well as any other custom settings
you may have saved. This information cannot be reclaimed once you reset the UPMAX ISC,
even by contacting customer support or expressing genuine remorse for your decision. We
strongly recommend backing up your configuration to a computer before performing a factory reset
to avoid re-setter’s remorse. You have been warned!
Hardware Relay Bypass
UPMAX ISC includes a hard relay bypass that removes all internal circuits and processes from the signal
path and connects each SDI and AES-3 input directly to its corresponding output.
To toggle the relay bypass on and off, simultaneously press and hold the Left, Down, and Right keys for
three seconds until a red countdown timer appears in the bottom left corner of the display. Do not confuse
this sequence with the Factory Reset procedure described above.
Remote User Interface
Connecting to UPMAX ISC using the web-based user interface.
Connecting to UPMAX ISC
As mentioned previously, certain settings and configurations can be accessed and performed using the front
panel buttons and screen but the UPMAX ISC is designed to be connected to a network and operated
through its web-based interface.
IMPORTANT: As explained in detail in the
section, UPMAX ISC must be connected to 1000BASE-T (Gigabit) switch ports, and the
Control and AES67 ports should not be connected to a common network with the same
netmask/subnet.
Installation and Initial Setup Using the Front Panel
Interface
No special client software is required, and the HTML-5-based GUI is device, operating system, and browser
agnostic. We recommend using Google Chrome or Apple Safari. The computer or tablet should be on the
same network and subnet as the UPMAX ISC.
Once the UPMAX ISC and your computer are connected to your network, enter the IP address of the
UPMAX ISC to which you want to connect in the URL field of your browser. Once connected, the Home
Screen will appear. As you navigate through the user interface, clicking on the UPMAX ISC logo (4-1A) in
the top left corner will always return you to this screen.
Multiple users can connect to the same UPMAX ISC hardware simultaneously. Anyone connected to the
unit will be able to see the information on this screen including the unit’s name (4-1B) and physical
location (4-1C).
Additionally, all users can access the Meters screen (4-1D) which shows input and output level meters
along with pertinent information about the input or output bitstream (depending on the workflow selected).

See the section “UPMAX ISC Home Screen When Logged In” below for detailed information.
The Locate Unit feature (4-1E), which causes the front panel display of the unit to flash for easy
identification in a crowded rack, can also be activated without logging in.
Additional information about installed options, clock sync, network status and IP address, power supply
status, software and FPGA versions, and unit uptime are displayed to the right of the screen (4-1F).
Figure 4-1 - Home screen when not logged in
Logging In
Making modifications to the UPMAX ISC’s configuration, signal routing, or transcoding parameters via the
remote user interface requires logging into the unit. At this time, only one level of access with is supported.
Enter the default password (1234) in the password field (4-1G) and click on the Log in button (4-1H). The
password can be changed on the System page.
To remotely power down the unit, click on the Shutdown Unit button (4-1I).
UPMAX ISC Home Screen When Logged In
Additional menus become visible once you are logged in. These include the upmixing controls for the
Program Audio (4-2A), the I/O menus (4-2B) which include clock, GPI/O, and delay controls, detailed
system-wide information and configuration settings (4-2C) which includes the IP configuration menu,
and the Log Out button (4-2D).
NOTE: This section is primarily an overview of the user interface to provide an explanation of the

various menus and screens. It is not intended to provide step-by-step instructions for setting up or
operating the UPMAX ISC. Where applicable, references to specific sections will be made where
you can find more detailed instructions for specific controls.
Figure 4-2 - Home screen when logged in
Program Menu
Clicking on the Program 1 menu (4-3A) brings up the main menu for all signal processing and monitoring
functions related to Program 1. The name of the program can be customized by clicking on the program
text field (4-3B).
Upmixing settings can be saved in a single program preset in the Preset menu (4-3C) for easy recall. Note
that there are no factory presets, and so the menu field will appear blank until a user preset is created and
saved.
Clicking on the Preset management icon (4-3D) reveals a dropdown menu with the following options:
Save: Saves the current Program 1 settings to the selected preset, immediately over-writing the
previous settings associated with the preset; note that if there are no user presets saved, the “Save As”
dialogue box will appear and prompt you to enter the name of the new preset
Save As: Saves the current Program 1 settings to a new preset; a “Save As” dialogue box will appear
and prompt you to enter the name of the new preset
Delete: Permanently deletes the selected preset
Import: Allows you to import a preset that was previously exported and saved to the remote PC; this can
be a handy tool when setting up multiple units that are configured in exactly the same way rather than
setting each control individually

Export: Allows you to export a preset either for safekeeping as a backup should it accidentally get
erased from the unit, or for making it available for uploading to other units requiring the same
configuration using the “Import” feature described above
The Input Format field (4-3E) displays the channel format of the input audio.
Audio levels are displayed on the input meters (4-3F) and output meters (4-3I).
The most commonly used controls for the upmixer are shown in the Basic controls portion of the screen (4-
3G). The Advanced controls menu (4-H) is collapsed by default but can be expanded by clicking on the
down arrow.
Figure 4-3 - Program menu
I/O, Clocking, and Reference
Configuring inputs, outputs, clock reference, delays, sample rate converters, and GPI/O.
Input and Output Routing
Connect your SDI, AES-3, and/or AES67 sources to the rear panel of the UPMAX ISC as required for your
installation.

The UPMAX ISC can access any of the eight audio pairs carried in the incoming HD- or SD-SDI streams
applied to SDI Input 1 Inputs and outputs for five stereo pairs via AES-3 are also provided
Any visible and accessible AES67 networked audio source can be input into UPMAX ISC for processing
then returned to the network via AES67, embedded into the SDI output, and/or sent to the AES-3 output.
UPMAX ISC supports taking an input signal from one source type and sending the resulting audio or
bitstream to another output type.
Initial I/O Setup
Log into the UPMAX ISC and click on the I/O menu (5-1A). Choose between SDI/AES-3/MADI or AES67
inputs and outputs in the Workflow menu (5-1D). Program (processed) routing, Passthrough (unprocessed)
routing, or both can be viewed by toggling the Program/Passthrough switches (5-1E).
Much like the upmixing presets described in the Program menu overview in the
section, I/O presets can also be saved and recalled in the Preset menu (5-1B). Clicking on the I/O Preset
management icon (5-1C) reveals a dropdown menu with the following options:
Remote User Interface
Save: Saves the current I/O settings to the selected preset, immediately over-writing the previous
settings associated with the preset; note that if there are no user presets saved, the “Save As” dialogue
box will appear and prompt you to enter the name of the new preset
Save As: Saves the current I/O settings to a new preset; a “Save As” dialogue box will appear and
prompt you to enter the name of the new preset
Delete: Permanently deletes the selected preset
Import: Allows you to import an I/O preset that was previously exported and saved to the remote PC;
this can be a handy tool when setting up multiple units that are configured in exactly the same way
rather than setting each control individually
Export: Allows you to export an I/O preset either for safekeeping as a backup should it accidentally get
erased from the unit, or for making it available for uploading to other units requiring the same
configuration using the “Import” feature described above

Figure 5-1 - I/O menu
Routing a signal into the UPMAX ISC is a two-step process.
The first step is creating an input group from the available physical hardware inputs (5-2A). The second
step is routing the audio from these inputs into the upmixer input (5-2B).
Routing a signal to the output is a similar two-step process which starts with creating an output group from
the available physical hardware outputs (5-2D) and then routing the audio from upmixer output (5-2C)
to the physical outputs.
The Delete All Groups button (5-2E) provides a quick way to – you guessed it – delete all groups
simultaneously.
Figure 5-2 - Signal routing menu
Creating an Input Group
Click on your first audio input source (5-3A) to highlight it, then right-click and select “Create Input Group.”
You may enter a custom name for this source in the Label field (5-3F) and customize the color (5-3D) of
the graphical routing lines.
Multi-channel groups can be created by holding the “Shift” key while selecting sources (Shift + Click).
Creating groups using non-contiguous channels is accomplished by holding the “Ctl” key while selecting
sources (Ctl + Shift).
NOTE: The channel order must still follow the proper convention to be properly assigned. For
example, L/R, C/LFE, Ls/Rs, Lfh/Rfh, Lrs/Rrs if setting up a 5.1-channel input on SDI 1-6 with
height channels on SDI 13-16.

If the channels in the input group are destined to be upmixed, select “Program” in the View as switch (5-3E).
If the input group is being established only to pair shuffle or to pass through content without upmixing,
choose “Passthrough.”
To quickly route a physical channel pair to the corresponding input to the upmixer – for example, to route
AES 7/8 to input 7/8 of the upmixer – you may click on the Align button (5-3B) in lieu following the steps
below for routing. Clicking the Clear All button (5-3C) acts as an “escape” button in case you need to start
over.
Click the Save button (5-3G) to save the configuration or the Cancel button (5-2H) if you need to start over
without saving your configuration.
Figure 5-3 - Creating an input group
Routing Audio to the Upmixer Input
After creating and saving the input, it is necessary to route the physical audio input pair to the input of the
upmixer. Click on the input audio pair (5-4A), drag the lines to the desired upmixer input pair (5-4B), then
release the left mouse button.