Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User manual

AERO.mobile
Mobile Audio/Loudness Manager
User Guide

AERO.mobile
Mobile Audio/Loudness Manager
User Guide
Release Date: November, 2010
Software Version: 0.1.13 and later
Linear Acoustic Inc.
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Web: www.LinearAcoustic.com

Warranty Information
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES: Products manufactured by Linear Acoustic Inc. are
warranted against defects in material and workmanship
purchase of date the from warranty
5-year Alliance Telos standard the under
.THERE ARE NO OTHER IMPLIED OR EXPRESS
WARRANTIES AND NO WAR- RANTY FOR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
During the warranty period Linear Acoustic Inc. will repair, or at our discretion replace, components
which prove to be defective, provided the unit is returned, shipped pre-paid to us directly with a return
authorization (RA) number clearly marked on the packaging. Please note, this RA number must be
present or package will be refused and returned to sender.
All requests for repairs MUST include the unit serial number to ensure quick and accurate service.
DEFECTS CAUSED BY UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS, MISUSE OR ACCI-
DENTS, UNAUTHORIZED CUSTOMER REPAIRS, OR ANY FURTHER DAMAGE
CAUSED BY INADEQUATE PACKAGING FOR SERVICE RETURN ARE NOT COV-
ERED BY THIS WARRANTY.
PLEASE SAVE THE SHIPPING CARTON AND ALL PACKING MATERIALS. FAILURE
TO RETURN UNIT IN ORIGINAL SHIPPING CARTON AND PACKING MATERIALS
WILL RESULT IN A CHARGE FOR NEW SHIPPING MATERIALS.
LIMITATION OF PERIOD OF ACTION ON CONTRACT: No action, regardless of form,
arising out of the transactions under this agreement may be brought by buyer, its successors, agents
and/or assigns, more than three years from date of purchase.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: It is understood and agreed that Linear Acoustic’s liability whether
in contract, in tort, under any warranty, in negligence or otherwise shall not exceed the cost of repair
or replacement of the defective components and under no circumstances shall Linear Acoustic be liable
for incidental, special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, or loss of use, revenue or profit even
if Linear Acoustic or its agents have been advised, orally or in writing, of the possibility of such damages.
This product contains Audyne dynamic range processing and is manufactured under license.
This product may optionally contain Dolby Pulse (HE AAC) encoding and is manufactured under
license from Dolby Laboratories, Inc. The encoder contains confidential unpublished works and is
protected by US and foreign patents and is copyright 2007 Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
LinearAcousticandthe“LA”symbol,AERO.mobile,Mobilizer, AERO.air, LQ-1000, and AEROMAX
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Linear Acoustic Inc., all other trademarks remain the property
of their respective owners.

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide
v
Table of Contents
List of Figures ..........................................................................................................................................vii
Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................................................5
1.1 Principles of Operation..........................................................................................5
1.2 Location of AERO.mobile....................................................................................6
1.3 Reference Levels .....................................................................................................8
1.4 Reset and Upgrades................................................................................................8
1.5 Warranty and Feedback .........................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Connections and Quick Setup.......................................................................9
2.1 Unpacking and Inspection ....................................................................................9
2.2 Installation ...............................................................................................................9
2.3 Rear Panel ..............................................................................................................10
2.3.1 Connection Ports .................................................................................10
2.4 Quick Setup Notes ...............................................................................................11
Chapter 3: Applications................................................................................................................17
3.1 Mobile DTV Only Application ..........................................................................17
3.2 Standard plus Mobile Application......................................................................18
Chapter 4: Detailed Operation.................................................................................................21
4.1 Main Menu (Signal Status Meters) .....................................................................21
4.2 Statistics Menu ......................................................................................................23
4.3 Setup Menu............................................................................................................23
4.4 I/O Menu ..............................................................................................................23
4.4.1 Master Bypass .......................................................................................23
4.4.2 GPI Control (Flashing “g”) ................................................................24
4.4.3 GPI Function (GPI 1-4) .....................................................................24
4.4.4 GPI Preset (GPI 1-4)...........................................................................24
4.4.5 Downmix Setup:...................................................................................24

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide
vi
4.4.6 Clock Source (Output Reference)......................................................25
4.4.7 Input Sources (Channels 1-8).............................................................25
4.4.8 SDI Embed ...........................................................................................25
4.4.9 SDI Out Destination (Channels 1-16) ..............................................25
4.4.10 Metadata Setup .....................................................................................25
4.4.11 Ch 7/8 Out Src.....................................................................................26
4.4.12 ALT Mode.............................................................................................27
4.4.13 Downmix Ch Mode .............................................................................27
4.5 SDI Status Menu...................................................................................................27
Chapter 5: Presets and Processing .....................................................................................31
5.1 Description of Factory Presets & Adjustments...............................................31
5.1.1 Processing Structure.............................................................................32
5.1.2 Adjusting Processing............................................................................33
5.1.3 Linear Acoustic Mobilizer Settings....................................................39
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting.......................................................................................................41
6.1 Problems and Possible Causes............................................................................41
6.1.1 Unit won’t power on............................................................................41
6.1.2 The Ref LED is red .............................................................................41
6.1.3 Output Audio Clicks and Pops ..........................................................42
6.1.4 Received Audio Has Dropouts ..........................................................42
6.1.5 Audio Pumps and Breathes ................................................................42
6.1.6 Problems with EAS decoding ............................................................42
Chapter 7: Specifications............................................................................................................43

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide
vii
List of Figures
1-1 Basic Audio Block Diagram ...............................................................................................................6
1-2 Installation of AERO.mobile for Mobile DTV programming .....................................................7
1-3 Installation of AERO.mobile and AERO.air for main DTV programming. .............................7
2-1 Rear Panel ...........................................................................................................................................10
2-2 MB Type set to Downmix (no Mobilizer) .....................................................................................13
2-3 MB Type set to MB1 (one Mobilizer engine) ................................................................................14
2-4 MB Type set to MB1&MB2 (Stereo) ..............................................................................................15
3-1 AERO.mobile general application ..................................................................................................18
3-2 AERO.mobile for mobile DTV and AERO.air for standard DTV. .........................................19
4-1 Main Audio I/O Meters ...................................................................................................................21
4-2 Audio signal presence and upmix indication .................................................................................22
4-3 AGC Gain Reduction metering .......................................................................................................22
4-4 GPI Status Screen ..............................................................................................................................22
4-5 Metadata Status Screen .....................................................................................................................22
4-6 SDI Status Screens .............................................................................................................................27
5-1 General signal flow of the AERO.mobile processing core .........................................................32
5-2 Adjust Processing Menus .................................................................................................................33
5-3 AERO.mobile factory presets ..........................................................................................................38

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide
viii

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide
5
Chapter 1: Introduction
The Linear Acoustic AERO.mobileTM is a compact audio pre-processing system for use in
mobile and hand-help broadcast applications. Much more than just a typical processor, the
AERO.mobile brings new psychoacoustic techniques that protect and project audio qual-
ity through even the smallest portable and hand held devices.
AERO.mobile has the following features:
• Dual processing for two separate program channels
• Linear Acoustic MobilizerTM technology transforms normal station audio into mobile-
ready audio with increased consistency and dialogue intelligibility.
• AEROMAX® 2-channel loudness and DRC engines
• Integrated LtRt or LoRo90 stereo downmixer allowing any type of stereo or surround
audio to be applied
• HD/SD-SDI I/O standard with relay bypass for fail-safe operation
• Optional Dual redundant power supplies
• Optional dual stereo Dolby Pulse (HE AAC) encoder
1.1 Principles of Operation
The AERO.mobile is built on the foundation of the AERO.one and provides the same in-
tegrating long-term loudness controller, multiband short-term loudness controllers, LtRt
or LoRo downmix, metadata input for channel and processing control, plus GPI control
of switching functions. However, new Mobilizer technology has been added to provide a
psychoacoustic boost to specific audio characteristics critical for intelligibility under ad-
verse listening conditions such as small speakers and/or noisy environments.
Specific processing presets and adjustments are discussed in Chapter 5.
Figure 1-1 shows the internal audio path of the AERO.mobile. It should be noted that this
diagram is a general representation of signal flow and shows the optional Dolby Pulse (HE
AAC) encoder. Please consult the appropriate section of this manual for specific function-
ality.

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Introduction
6
Figure 1-1 Basic Audio Block Diagram
1.2 Location of AERO.mobile
Mobile DTV operates slightly differently than standard DTV. It uses different video and
audio coding, but it also connects to the multiplexer via an IP connection over Ethernet.
Theoretically, this means that Mobile DTV encoding can be located just about anywhere,
but likely will be at the station for connection to baseband audio and video sources. Since
AERO.mobile accepts baseband audio and outputs a signal for encoding, a good installa-
tion point would be very close to the Mobile DTV encoder as shown below in Figure 1-2.
AERO.mobile Block Diagram
Metadata Input
LtRt/
LoRo
Downmix
AEROMAX
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#2)
AEROMAX
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#1)
GPI In
(ALT Off/On)
ALT
HD/SD-SDI
Demux
SDI In
(HD/SD)
SRC
SRC
SRC
SRC
HD-SDI
Mux
SDI Out
(HD/SD)
Mobilizer #2
(No Downmix)
Mobilizer #1
“MB” “Presets” “Downmix”“Clk Srce”
Copy
(AES 7/8)
Main
(AES 1/2)
Copy
(AES 3/4)
Alt/Dwnmx
(AES 5/6)
M/S Dwnmx
Mono/St
Main
Downmix/
Dual MB
MB2
M/S
ALT
Mono/St
Alt/DM
1/2
(Lf/Rf)
3/4
(C/LFE)
5/6
(LsRs/MB2)
7/8
(ALT)
Rx
Rx
Rx
Rx
48k
Int.
“AES/SDI”
Relay
Bypass
AES 1/2
AES 3/4
AES 5/6
AES 7/8
AES Ref
Loop
MD
VANC/485
Bypass
Bypass

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Introduction
7
Figure 1-2 Installation of AERO.mobile for Mobile DTV programming
If the station already has a Linear Acoustic AERO.air or AERO.mobile as shown below
in Figure 1-3, it can be installed near this unit.
Figure 1-3 Installation of AERO.mobile for Mobile DTV and AERO.air for main DTV programming.
Existing Services
Encoding, Multiplexing and Modulation
Mobile Program(s)
(SDI)
ATSC DTV (A/53):
ATSC Mobile DTV (A/153):
AERO.mobile
Main Program(s)
(SDI or AES)
Encoding, Multiplexing and Modulation
Mobile Program(s)
(SDI)
ATSC DTV (A/53):
ATSC Mobile DTV (A/153):
AERO.mobile
AERO.air

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Introduction
8
1.3 Reference Levels
The AERO.mobile is designed to support a standard reference level of -20dBFS. Other
levels can be supported as the slow-moving Input AGC will easily compensate for any level
differences.
Please see Chapter 4 for detailed information.
1.4 Reset and Upgrades
Hard reset of the unit can be accomplished by simultaneously and briefly pressing the Left,
Up, and Right buttons. This will cause a quick audio disruption while the bypass relays en-
gage, and another when the unit is finished re-booting.
Upgrades are accomplished via an Ethernet connection and a software upgrade package
supplied by the factory.
WARNING: Do not connect any devices to the USB connector without specific in-
structions from the factory!
1.5 Warranty and Feedback
Please take a moment to fill out the postage-paid warranty card included with the unit and
drop it in the mail. This will enable us to contact you if there are any software or documen-
tation issues. Also, we are very interested in your feedback. This unit was designed based
on input gathered from many broadcast engineers and it will evolve further thanks to on-
going suggestions and comments from users. We look forward to hearing from you.

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide
9
Chapter 2: Connections and Quick Setup
This chapter covers all required connections for the AERO.mobile.
2.1 Unpacking and Inspection
Before unpacking the unit, inspect the outer carton for shipping damage. If the carton
shows damage, inspect the unit in those areas. Please save the carefully designed shipping
carton and packing materials. In the unlikely event that the unit needs to be returned to the
factory, alternate cartons or packing materials may not be adequate and can cause damage
not covered by warranty.
The following essential items are provided with the unit:
• Bag containing:
• Quick-start sheet to get you up and running
• IEC power cord(s) (style matches country of order);
• this manual, and a handy black pen.
• Warranty information: Please fill out and return the warranty card to Linear Acoustic
to ensure your software and documentation are kept up to date.
2.2 Installation
AERO.mobile installation requires:
• One standard rack space unit with ADEQUATE VENTILATION (the unit relies on
convection cooling from side-panel vents);
• standard 75-Ohm BNC cables for digital signal connections;
To connect to digital equipment with 110-Ohm XLR connectors, use impedance-
matching transformers (available from Canare, Neutrik and other manufacturers).
• Proper reference. The unit can be synchronized to AES Input 1, AES Input 4, SDI, or
Internal 48kHz. All inputs have SRCs but a master reference is required. Proper refer-
ence signal selection and application is imperative for an artifact-free installation.
Clicks or pops can usually be traced back to improper reference configuration.

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
10
2.3 Rear Panel
The rear panel of the AERO.mobile contains its electrical I/O.
2.3.1 Connection Ports
All of the connections for AERO.mobile are on the rear panel and are described in detail
below. See Chapter 5: Specifications for specific pinouts.
Figure 2-1 Rear Panel
•Metadata I/O: RS-485 connection accepts the metadata output of any Dolby equip-
ment (DP572, DP570, etc...) or any Dolby-compatible metadata source. Not required
for mobile DTV applications.
•SDI Input/SDI Output: Main I/O for de-embedding and re-embedding any of the
16 available channels in an applied HD or SD-SDI signal. VANC metadata extraction
per SMPTE 2020 methods A and B is also supported.
•GPI/O: Connect dry contact closures here to control upmixing and EAS on/off.
Note that GPI functions require held closures for the duration of the desired function.
Status of upmixing will be reflected on the corresponding GPO pin.
•ETHERNET: Used for firmware upgrades.
NOTE: Appropriate reference must be selected for proper operation.
•PSU: Dual power supply IEC inputs, 100-264 VAC, 50/60Hz. Note that these power
supplies run in parallel and while only one is required for proper operation, both
should be connected to separate power feeds for redundancy. A UPS is not required
but clean reliable AC power is.
•Main Audio Input: Connect the 48kHz PCM signals to these inputs. The input chan-
nels are arranged as follows:
• 1/2 = Left front/Right front downmixer input
• 3/4 = Center/LFE downmixer input

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
11
• 5/6 = Left surround/Right surround downmixer input (OR input to MB2
when MB Type = MB1&MB2 Stereo)
• 7/8 = ALT input
NOTE: MB Type = MB1&MB2 Stereo, the downmixer is bypassed and Channel
1/2 is the input for Mobilizer 1, Channel 5/6 is the input for Mobilizer 2,
and 7/8 remains the ALT input.
•Bypass/Encoder Inputs: OPTION - Bypass input for Dolby Digital (AC-3) encod-
er. Accepts output of external encoder for fail-safe operation.
NOTE: Appropriate reference should be applied and selected for proper operation.
•Main Audio Outputs: Main 48kHz processed digital audio outputs:
• 1/2 = Main LoRo or LtRt output
• 3/4 = utility duplicate of 1/2
• 5/6 = Secondary CC2 program or downmixed main program output
• 7/8 = utility duplicate of 5/6.
2.4 Quick Setup Notes
The Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile is configured at the factory and is ready to go on the
air after making the proper input and output connections and determining if upmixing is
desired. By default, the unit is set to accept 5.1 channel input and downmix it, apply a single
Mobilizer (MB) engine, and have a second ALT input available for use.
• Apply audio to Main Input 1/2 or 1-6 if a 5.1 channel source is present
• Set Clock Reference = AES 1
• The front panel Reference indicator should be green.
• The main menu will default to showing input and output meters, and there should be
activity on the first two meters.
• Processed audio will be available on the main outputs 1/2 with a duplicate on 3/4.
• If audio has been applied to 7/8 and the Ch 7/8 Output Source menu is set to ALT,

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
12
it will be processed and output from 7/8 with a duplicate on 5/6.
• When MB Type = None or MB1 (single MB engine) and the Ch 7/8 Output Source
menu is set to Downmix, then the main program on 1/2 and 53/4 will also be output
from 5/6 and 7/8.
• When MB Type = MB1&MB2 Stereo, the second MB engine gets its input from 5/6
and outputs to 5/6 with a duplicate on 7/8.
Flexibility sometimes comes at the price of complexity, so please refer to Chapter 4 and
the Block Diagram for more information. We know this can get confusing, so call us if you
get stuck, we will be happy to step you through it.
The best way to learn the processor is to explore the different settings with audio applied
and monitored. There are several factory presets to support many different tastes. Some
presets may not sound much different at first, but will perform very differently depending
on program content. Modern broadcast television offers the ability to process less, and
even the heaviest presets in the AERO.one are moderate by comparison to what might be
found in traditional analog television audio processors.
NOTE: For best audio quality, the AERO.one should be the only processor in line
with station audio. Please make sure to remove any legacy processing that
might have been installed for analog operation as it will impair the perfor-
mance capabilities of the AERO.one. We suggest checking drawings and
physical installations to make sure that this old gear is removed.

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
13
Figure 2-2 MB Type set to Downmix (no Mobilizer)
Downmix (No MB) is essentially a “Mobilizer Bypass” mode useful for checking the ef-
fects of the MB process.
With Mobilizer Type set to MB1 (Fig. 2-3):
• Input 1/2: Left Front/Right Front (LfRf) Input to MB1
• Input 3/4: Center/LFE Input to MB1
• Input 5/6: Left surround/Right surround (LsRs) Input to MB1
• Input 7/8: Alternate Input (EAS)
MD Input
LtRt/
LoRo
Downmix
Aeromax
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#2)
Aeromax
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#1)
GPI In
Alt
HD/SD-SDI
Demux
SDI In
(HD/SD)
48kHz
PLL
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
48k
Int.
HD-SDI
Mux
© 2010 Linear Acoustic Inc.
SDI Out
(HD/SD)
“Presets”
“Downmix”
“Clock Source”
“Input Source” “SDI Out Dest”
Main
(AES 1/2)
Copy
(AES 3/4)
Input 1/2
Input 7/8
Input 3/4
Input 5/6
M/S Dwnmx
Mono/St
Main
Copy
(AES 7/8)
Alt/Dwnmx
(AES 5/6)
ALT
Mono/St
Alt/DM
M/S

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
14
Figure 2-3 MB Type set to MB1 (one Mobilizer engine)
MB1 enables a 5.1 channel program to be input, downmixed, Mobilized then output, while
providing a secondary non-Mobilized path for an alternate program.
With Mobilizer Type set to MB1&MB2 Stereo (no dowmix):
• Input 1/2: Primary MB1 Input
• Input 3/4: Not used
• Input 5/6: Secondary MB2 Input
• Input 7/8: Alternate Input (EAS)
MD Input
LtRt/
LoRo
Downmix
Aeromax
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#2)
Aeromax
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#1)
GPI In
HD/SD-SDI
Demux
SDI In
(HD/SD)
48kHz
PLL
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
48k
Int.
HD-SDI
Mux
© 2010 Linear Acoustic Inc.
SDI Out
(HD/SD)
Mobilizer
#1
“MB” “Presets” “Downmix”
“Clock Source”
“Input Source” “SDI Out Dest”
Main
(AES 1/2)
Copy
(AES 3/4)
Input 1/2
Input 7/8
Input 3/4
Input 5/6
Main
Copy
(AES 7/8)
Alt/Dwnmx
(AES 5/6)
Alt
M/S
ALT
Mono/St
Alt/DM
M/S
Dwnmx
Mono/St

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
15
Figure 2-4 MB Type set to MB1&MB2 (Stereo)
MB1&MB2 mode provides two separate Mobilizer and AEROMAX engines for process-
ing two independent programs.
• Audio outputs will be available as follows:
• AES 1/2 = Primary Program (Engine 1)
• AES 3/4 = Copy of Primary Program (Engine 1)
• AES 5/6 = Secondary Program (Engine 2)
• AES 7/8 = Copy of Secondary Program (Engine 2)
Once the Input and Output settings are correct, the main menu will default to showing
input and output meters, and assuming audio is present in the applied SDI signal, there
should be activity on at least the first two meters.
The best way to learn the processor is to explore the different settings with audio applied
and monitored. There are several factory presets to support many different tastes. Some
presets may not sound much different at first, but will perform very differently depending
on program content. The constraints of mobile listening environments require processing
that is by its very nature different than traditional processing.
Aeromax
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#2)
Aeromax
Loudness/DRC
2.0 (#1)
GPI In
HD/SD-SDI
Demux
SDI In
(HD/SD)
48kHz
PLL
24-bit
SRC
24-bit
SRC
48k
Int.
HD-SDI
Mux
© 2010 Linear Acoustic Inc.
SDI Out
(HD/SD)
Mobilizer
#2
Mobilizer
#1
“MB” “Presets”
“Clock Source”
“Input Source” “SDI Out Dest”
Main
(AES 1/2)
Input 1/2
Input 7/8
Copy
(AES 3/4)
ALT
M/S Dwnmx
Mono/St
Main
M/S
ALT
Mono/St
Copy
(AES 7/8)
Alt/Dwnmx
(AES 5/6)
24-bit
SRC
Input 5/6 MB2
Alt/DM

Linear Acoustic AERO.mobile User Guide Connections and Quick Setup
16
NOTE: For best audio quality, the AERO.mobile should be the only processor in
line with station audio. Please make sure to remove any legacy processing
that might have been installed as it will impair the performance capabilities
of the AERO.mobile. We suggest checking drawings and physical installa-
tions to make sure that this old gear is removed.
It may seem counter intuitive, but overprocessing does not allow more audio to fit in a
smaller space, or be reproduced more clearly from smaller speakers. Traditional heavy pro-
cessing removes critical audio cues that normally enable the human auditory system to ex-
tract important information from background noise. The AERO.mobile and its presets
have been carefully designed to accentuate these cues.