miniDSP HARMONY DSP 8X12 User manual

miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice 1
HARMONY DSP 8X12
8-IN 12-OUT ADVANCED IN-CAR AUDIO PROCESSOR
AND POWER AMPLIFIER
WITH DIRAC LIVE®ACOUSTIC CORRECTION
User Manual

miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice 2
Revision history
Revision
Description
Date
0.1
First draft
10 November 2020
1.0
First public version
30 November 2020
1.1
Minor updates and corrections
16 December 2020
SUPPORTED OS
The above are the only versions of the Windows and Mac operating systems supported by
Dirac Live. Other versions will probably not work.
Note: Use of Dirac Live with macOS Mojave and Catalina requires some manual
workarounds, which are documented in this manual.

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CONTENTS
Important Information........................................................................................................................................ 5
1Product Overview......................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1 Typical usage........................................................................................................................................ 7
1.2 Dirac Live.............................................................................................................................................. 9
2Software Installation .................................................................................................................................. 10
2.1 Windows 10 ....................................................................................................................................... 10
2.1.1 Download and install the DiracLive application ........................................................................... 10
2.1.2 Download the miniDSP software................................................................................................. 10
2.1.3 Install the miniDSP software ....................................................................................................... 11
2.2 macOS 10.14 Mojave and 10.15 Catalina............................................................................................ 12
2.2.1 Download and install the DiracLive application ........................................................................... 12
2.2.2 Download the miniDSP software................................................................................................. 12
2.2.3 Install the miniDSP software ....................................................................................................... 13
3Hardware Connectivity............................................................................................................................... 14
3.1 Mounting ........................................................................................................................................... 14
3.2 USB .................................................................................................................................................... 14
3.3 TOSLINK Digital Audio......................................................................................................................... 14
3.4 A2B .................................................................................................................................................... 14
3.5 Remote Control.................................................................................................................................. 14
3.6 Power Supply and Remote Trigger...................................................................................................... 15
3.7 Analog outputs................................................................................................................................... 15
4Plugin Overview.......................................................................................................................................... 16
4.1 User interface..................................................................................................................................... 16
4.2 Synchronizing with the processor ....................................................................................................... 17
4.3 Global controls................................................................................................................................... 18
4.3.1 Start Dirac Live Software............................................................................................................. 18
4.3.2 Configuration/preset selection ................................................................................................... 18
4.3.3 Tab selection .............................................................................................................................. 18
4.3.4 Master mute............................................................................................................................... 18
4.3.5 IP Address and Auto.................................................................................................................... 18
4.3.6 Subwoofer and Master volume................................................................................................... 19
4.3.7 Dirac Live on/off ......................................................................................................................... 19
4.4 Signal flow.......................................................................................................................................... 20
4.5 Inputs & Bass Mgt tab ........................................................................................................................ 21
4.6 Routing tab......................................................................................................................................... 22
4.7 Dirac Live tab...................................................................................................................................... 23
4.8 Mixer tab............................................................................................................................................ 24
4.9 Output tabs........................................................................................................................................ 25
4.10 Output mode selection....................................................................................................................... 26

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5Dirac Live Calibration.................................................................................................................................. 27
6Remote Control .......................................................................................................................................... 28
6.1 Status indicators................................................................................................................................. 28
6.2 Operation of the OLED wired remote ................................................................................................. 28
6.3 Channel selection for subwoofer volume control................................................................................ 29
6.4 Using the miniDSP remote.................................................................................................................. 30
6.5 Learning third-party remote codes ..................................................................................................... 31
7Plugin Reference......................................................................................................................................... 32
7.1 Output channel processing................................................................................................................. 32
7.1.1 Channel label.............................................................................................................................. 32
7.1.2 Level meter and gain control ...................................................................................................... 32
7.1.3 Parametric EQ (PEQ)................................................................................................................... 33
7.1.4 Crossover (Xover) ....................................................................................................................... 35
7.1.5 Time delay.................................................................................................................................. 37
7.1.6 Invert and mute.......................................................................................................................... 37
7.2 Custom biquad programming ............................................................................................................. 38
7.2.1 What’s a “biquad? ...................................................................................................................... 38
7.2.2 Using custom biquad programming ............................................................................................ 38
7.2.3 Biquad design software............................................................................................................... 40
7.3 Working with configurations .............................................................................................................. 41
7.3.1 Online and offline mode ............................................................................................................. 41
7.3.2 Selecting a configuration ............................................................................................................ 41
7.3.3 Saving and loading configurations............................................................................................... 42
7.3.4 Restoring to defaults................................................................................................................... 43
7.4 Keyboard shortcuts ............................................................................................................................ 43
8Additional Information............................................................................................................................... 44
8.1 Specifications ..................................................................................................................................... 44
8.1.1 General specifications................................................................................................................. 44
8.1.2 Analog output specifications, BTL and PBTL modes..................................................................... 45
8.1.3 Analog output specifications, Line Out mode .............................................................................. 45
8.2 MCU firmware upgrade...................................................................................................................... 46
8.2.1 Windows .................................................................................................................................... 46
8.2.2 macOS ........................................................................................................................................ 48
8.3 OLED remote firmware upgrade......................................................................................................... 50
8.4 Troubleshooting................................................................................................................................. 51
8.5 Obtaining support .............................................................................................................................. 52

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read the following information before use. In case of any questions, please contact miniDSP via the
support portal at support.minidsp.com.
System Requirements
To configure the miniDSP audio processor, you will require a Windows PC or Apple macOS computer with the
following minimum specification:
Windows
•Microsoft• ® Windows® 10, latest version with all updates
•Intel Pentium III or later, AMD Athlon XP or later
•2 Gigabytes (GB) of RAM or higher
•Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
•Two free USB 2.0 ports
macOS
•macOS 10.14 Mojave or 10.15 Catalina, latest version with all updates
•Intel-based Mac with 1 GHz or higher processor clock speed
•2 Gigabytes (GB) of RAM or higher
•Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
•Two free USB 2.0 ports
Disclaimer/Warning
miniDSP cannot be held responsible for any damage that may result from the improper use of this product or
incorrect configuration of its settings. As with any other product, we recommend that you carefully read this
manual and other technical notes to ensure that you fully understand how to operate this product. The miniDSP
audio processor is a powerful tool, and misuse or misconfiguration, such as incorrectly set gains or excessive
boost, can produce signals that may damage your audio system.
As a general guideline, you should perform the initial configuration of the miniDSP audio processor before
enabling audio through any connected output device or amplification. Doing so will help ensure that the
software is correctly configured.
Finally, note that the miniDSP audio processor is a very flexible device, and many of the questions we receive at
the tech support department are already answered in this user manual and in the online application notes on
the miniDSP.com website. So please take the time to carefully read this user manual and the online technical
support. Thanks for your understanding!
Warranty Terms
miniDSP Ltd warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one
year from the invoice date. Our warranty does not cover failure of the product due to incorrect connection or

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installation, improper or undocumented use, unauthorized servicing, modification or alteration of the unit in any
way, or any usage outside of that recommended in this manual. If in doubt, contact miniDSP prior to use.
FCC Class B Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference.
•This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Warning: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Notice: Shielded interface cable must be used in order to comply with emission limits.
Notice: Changes or modification not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
CE Mark Statement
The Harmony DSP 8x12 has passed the test performed according to European Standard EN 55022 Class B.
A note on this manual
This User Manual is designed for reading in
both print and on the computer. If printing
the manual, please print double-sided. The
embedded page size is 8 ½” x 11”. Printing on
A4 paper will result in a slightly reduced size.
For reading on the computer, we have
included hyperlinked cross-references
throughout the manual. In addition, a table
of contents is embedded in the PDF file. Use
the View menu (Preview on Mac) or the
bookmarks sidebar (Adobe reader on Mac
and Windows) to view this table of contents.

miniDSP Ltd, Hong Kong / www.minidsp.com / Features and specifications subject to change without prior notice 7
1PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Thank you for choosing the miniDSP Harmony DSP 8x12 advanced in-car audio processor and power amplifier.
The Harmony DSP 8x12 features stereo optical and 6-channel USB digital inputs, 12 speaker- or line-level analog
outputs, a full eight channels of Dirac Live room correction and miniDSP’s powerful audio processing on each
output channel.
By use of the onboard matrix mixers, the Harmony DSP 8x12 is adaptable to many configurations, ranging from a
simple stereo correction and EQ system, through to integration of one or more subwoofers, through to a
complete active multichannel surround system. Low-noise digital-input line/power drivers ensure pristine audio
quality in any vehicle environment.
Four complete processing configurations are stored on-board and can be selected from the OLED wired remote
or by infrared remote control.
1.1 TYPICAL USAGE
Figure 1 illustrates a straightforward installation, with two or four channels supplied by the source device and
four speakers being driven by a power amplifier. The included miniDSP UMIK-1 is used to perform Dirac Live
calibration.
Figure 1. Basic system setup with four-channel acoustic correction

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The Harmony DSP 8x12 also supports more advanced configurations. With 12 powered output channels,
implementing an in-vehicle active speaker system has never been easier, and the Dirac Live correction ensures
optimum response all around. Some features include:
•Comprehensive bass management function to synthesize the subwoofer feed from speaker channels.
•Up to 8 channels of Dirac Live correction with flexible assignment to output channels.
•Rear channel synthesis for stereo sources.
•Multiple onboard configurations for different situations (with/without passengers, competition etc.).
Figure 2 illustrates a more complex installation that uses more of the features of the Harmony DSP 8x12.
Figure 2. Advanced system configuration with subwoofer(s) and active speakers

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1.2 DIRAC LIVE
The Harmony DSP 8x12 executes Dirac Live® digital room correction, from Dirac Research. This mixed-phase
filtering technology will minimize the effects of cabin modes and resonances, adjust frequency response to
optimum, and improve imaging, dynamics and clarity.
To accomplish its remarkable improvement in listening quality, the DiracLive application steps you through the
procedure for taking measurements around your listening area. Dirac Live® employs a sophisticated analysis
algorithm to make the optimal correction across the whole listening area, not just at a single point. The user has
full control over the target response. Measurements are taken with a calibrated acoustic measurement
microphone, the miniDSP UMIK-1.
In addition to correcting frequency response, Dirac Live® corrects the system’s impulse response, which reflects
how the system responds to a sharp transient such as a drumbeat. Reflections, diffraction, resonances,
misaligned drivers, and so on, all combine to smear out the transient. Correcting the impulse response makes
the speaker behave much more like an ideal speaker.
Dirac Live calibration is described in the separate miniDSP Dirac Live User Manual.

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2SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
The Harmony DSP 8x12 is configured with software running on a PC or Mac. There are two sets of software to
download and install, from live.dirac.com and from miniDSP.com.
2.1 WINDOWS 10
This section describes software download and installation for Windows 10.
The software described in this section runs on the latest version of Windows 10 only. Other versions
of Windows are not supported by the current version of Dirac Live.
2.1.1 Download and install the DiracLive application
Download the DiracLive application for Windows 10 from https://live.dirac.com/download/.
Double-click on the downloaded installer to run it. It will have a name like diraclive-v3.0.13-setup.exe.exe. Be
sure to accept the default installation settings. Do not run the application yet.
2.1.2 Download the miniDSP software
If you purchased your processor directly from miniDSP, your software will be available from the User Downloads
section of the miniDSP website when your order ships. To access the download, you will need to be logged into
the website with the account you created when purchasing.
If you purchased your processor from a miniDSP dealer, you will receive a coupon together with the product.
Redeem this coupon at the link below:
•https://www.minidsp.com/support/redeem-coupon
The User Downloads link is visible from the dropdown menu at the top right of the website:
Navigate to the C-DSP plugins section and download the zip file under the heading C-DSP 8x12DL Dirac 3.0.
(Note: the C-DSP 8x12 DL plugin works with both the Harmony DSP 8x12 and the C-DSP 8x12 DL processors.)
After downloading, unzip the file (right-click and select “Extract All...”). The unzipped download has a name like
C_DSP_8x12_DL_v1_11_mbfw_v2_11_oledfw_v2_3. (The version numbers embedded in the folder name may
be different.)