miniDSP NANOAVR HD User manual

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Home Theater Series
NANOAVR HD
NANOAVR HDA
HIGH-RESOLUTION HDMI AUDIO PROCESSOR
User Manual

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Revision history
Revision
Description
Date
1.0
Initial version
26 Jan 2014
1.1
Corrected package contents and time delay; links
to app notes
11 Feb 2014
1.2
Additional items added to Troubleshooting
12 Mar 2014
1.3
Ethernet connectivity.
30 June 2014
1.4
Bass management information added, support
portal link added.
28 Jul 2014
1.5
Update for Home Theater series
28 August 2014
1.6
Added nanoAVR HDA, HDMI channel mode,
smartphone app
17 March 2015
1.7
Updated firmware upgrade procedure, iOS app
20 May 2015

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CONTENTS
Important Information....................................................................................................................................5
System Requirements..................................................................................................................................5
Disclaimer/Warning ....................................................................................................................................6
Warranty Terms..........................................................................................................................................6
FCC Class B Statement.................................................................................................................................6
CE Mark Statement.....................................................................................................................................7
What's included..........................................................................................................................................7
A Note on this Manual.................................................................................................................................7
1 Product Overview.....................................................................................................................................9
1.1 Typical usage –nanoAVR HD ............................................................................................................9
1.2 Typical usage –nanoAVR HDA ........................................................................................................10
2 Installation and setup .............................................................................................................................11
2.1 Hardware connectivity...................................................................................................................11
2.1.1 HDMI input and output...........................................................................................................11
2.1.2 Analog outputs (nanoAVR HDA only) .......................................................................................12
2.1.3 DC Power...............................................................................................................................13
2.1.4 USB........................................................................................................................................13
2.1.5 Ethernet.................................................................................................................................14
2.2 Software installation......................................................................................................................15
2.2.1 Windows................................................................................................................................15
2.2.2 Mac OS X................................................................................................................................16
3 Configuring the nanoAVR........................................................................................................................17
3.1 Connecting to the nanoAVR............................................................................................................18
3.1.1 USB........................................................................................................................................18
3.1.2 Ethernet.................................................................................................................................18
3.1.3 Options..................................................................................................................................18
3.2 Global settings...............................................................................................................................19
3.3 Configure signal routing .................................................................................................................20
3.4 Output channel setup ....................................................................................................................21
3.4.1 Channel label .........................................................................................................................21
3.4.2 Gain control and level monitoring............................................................................................21
3.4.3 Parametric EQ ........................................................................................................................22
3.4.4 Crossover settings ..................................................................................................................24
3.4.5 Compressor............................................................................................................................26
3.4.6 Time delay .............................................................................................................................26
3.4.7 Invert and mute......................................................................................................................27
3.5 Bass management..........................................................................................................................27
3.6 Channel mode ...............................................................................................................................29
3.7 Working with configurations...........................................................................................................30
3.7.1 Selecting a configuration.........................................................................................................30
3.7.2 Saving and loading configurations............................................................................................31

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3.7.3 Restoring to defaults...............................................................................................................32
3.8 Keyboard Shortcuts........................................................................................................................32
4 Using the nanoAVR.................................................................................................................................33
4.1 Status indicators............................................................................................................................33
4.2 Front panel controls.......................................................................................................................33
4.3 Infrared remote control .................................................................................................................34
4.4 Smartphone control app ................................................................................................................35
5 Acoustic measurement ...........................................................................................................................36
5.1 What is acoustic measurement? .....................................................................................................36
5.2 Performing acoustic measurements................................................................................................37
5.3 Adjusting equalizer settings............................................................................................................38
5.3.1 Manual method......................................................................................................................38
5.3.2 Automated method ................................................................................................................39
6 Additional information............................................................................................................................40
6.1 Specifications ................................................................................................................................40
6.2 Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................................41
6.3 MCU Firmware upgrade .................................................................................................................43
6.4 Obtaining Support..........................................................................................................................45

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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 minidsp.desk.com.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
To configure the nanoAVR, you will require a Windows PC or Apple Mac OS X computer with the following
minimum specification:
Windows
PC with 1GHz or higher processor clock speed. Intel® Pentium®/Celeron® family, or AMD K6®/AMD
Athlon®/AMD Duron® family, or compatible processor recommended.
512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher
Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
Microsoft• ® Windows® Vista® SP1/ XP pro SP2/Win7/Win8.1
Microsoft• ® .NET framework v3.5 or later
Adobe AIR environment (latest version)
Adobe Flash player (latest version)
Mac OS X
Intel-based Mac with 1 GHz or higher processor clock speed
512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher
Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
Adobe AIR environment (latest version)
Adobe Flash player (latest version)
Both Platforms
For USB connectivity:
USB 2.0 port
For Ethernet connectivity via LAN:
Ethernet router with spare 100 Mbps port
For direct (ZeroConf) Ethernet connectivity:
Ethernet port on computer with 100 Mbps capability. (Apple Macs: a Thunderbolt port with a Thunderbolt to
Ethernet adapter.)

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DISCLAIMER/WARNING
miniDSP cannot be held responsibleforany damage that may result from the improper use of this product or
incorrect configuration of its settings. As with any otherproduct, we recommend that you carefully read this
manual and other technical notes to ensure that you fully understand how to operate this product. The
nanoAVR is a powerful tool, and misuse or misconfiguration, such as incorrectly set gains or excessiveboost, can
produce signals that may damage your audio system.
As a general guideline, you should perform the initial configuration of your nanoAVR before enabling audio
through any connected output device or amplification. Doing so will help ensurethat the software is correctly
configured.
Finally, note that the nanoAVR is a very flexible device, and many of the questions we receiveat 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 usermanual 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 aperiod of one
year from the invoice date. Our warranty does not cover failure of the product due to incorrect connection or
installation, improperorundocumented 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 BSTATEMENT
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 interferencethat 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.

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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 nanoAVR HD/HDA has passed the test performed according to European Standard EN 55022 Class B.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Your nanoAVR package contains:
One nanoAVR HD or nanoAVR HDA HDMI audio processor
Universal 5 VDC power supply with interchangeable power pins
One USB cable for computer connectivity
One Ethernet cable
One HDMI cable
Printed Quick-start Guide
ANOTE ON THIS MANUAL
This User Manual is designed forreading 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, which willmake navigation much easier:
In Adobe Reader on Windows, click on the “bookmarks” icon at the left. The table of contents will appear on
the left and can be unfolded at each level by clicking on the “+” icons.
In Preview on the Mac, click on the View menu and select Table of Contents. The table of contents will
appearon the left and can be unfolded at each level by clicking on the triangle icons.

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1PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The nanoAVR HD and nanoAVR HDA HDMI audio processors provide a comprehensive and sophisticated set of
digital audio processing functions for eight channels of high-resolution (24-bit, 96 kHz) HDMI audio. The
functions include bass management, parametricequalization, level adjustment, mixing and routing, and time
delay. All internalprocessing takes place at 96 kHz, with sample rates up to 192 kHz accepted overHDMI.
Two HDMI inputs are provided and can be switched from the front panel or by an infrared remote (not
included). The accepted audio format is multichannel linear PCM(LPCM). Video from the selected HDMI input is
switched directly to the output, with no video processing applied to the signal.
A user-friendly computer-based interface is used to configure the audio processing parameters of the nanoAVR
in real time. Up to four complete configuration presets can be stored. Once configuration is complete, the
computeris no longer needed and the presets can be recalled from the front panel , by an infrared remote, or
with a smartphone app.
1.1 TYPICAL USAGE –NANOAVR HD
In its most typical application, the nanoAVR HD connects between an HDMI source such as a Blu-ray player and
an A/V receiver, providing an unmatched level of audio tuning flexibility for home theater applications. The
second HDMI input allows connection of a second device such as a media streamer or computer/HTPC.
The HDMI output is connected to an A/V receiver, which in turn drives the display (TV, monitor, or projector),
powers a suite of loudspeakers and provides output to a subwoofer.

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1.2 TYPICAL USAGE –NANOAVR HDA
The nanoAVR HDA negates the need foran A/V receiver to decode the audio component of the HDMI stream.
For example, the analog outputs of the nanoAVR HDA can be connected directly to a multichannelpower
amplifier and a powered subwoofer, as illustrated in the diagram below. In this case, volume control is done
digitally in the nanoAVR HDA itself, using a remote control or the miniDSP smartphone app.
The analog outputs of the nanoAVRHDA can also be connected to multichannel analog inputs of an A/V
receiver, A/V preamp, or any other component with multichannel analog inputs.

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2INSTALLATION AND SETUP
2.1 HARDWARE CONNECTIVITY
All connections to the nanoAVR are made on the rear panel.
2.1.1 HDMI input and output
Two HDMI connections are available for input, and one for output. The input connectors can be connected to
any HDMI source such as a Blu-ray or DVD player. Other sources may include media streaming devices, gaming
consoles, and computers with an HDMI port†.
The HDMI output will need to be connected to an HDMI input on an A/V receiver (AVR) or A/V processor (AVP).
In the case of the nanoAVR HDA, the HDMI output can be connected directly to the display device (TV, monitor,
or projector).
Ensure that your HDMI sources are set to produce linear PCM(also referred to as PCM, L-PCM, or LPCM)
on their HDMI outputs. The nanoAVR does not decode compressed formats such as Dolby and DTS.
Some HDMI devices such as TVs only support basic HDMI Audio (up to 48 kHz), and will not respond to
audio from the nanoAVR. Use an A/V receiveror preamp with 96 kHz support to decode HDMI audio.
†Apple Macs with a Thunderbolt port can be connected to the nanoAVR with the use of a Thunderbolt to HDMI
adapter cable.

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2.1.2 Analog outputs (nanoAVR HDA only)
The analog outputs of the nanoAVR HDA can be connected directly to power amplification and a powered
subwoofer. They can also be connected to any otherequipment with multichannel analog inputs such as an A/V
receiver, multichannel preamp, or mixing desk.
Note that HDMI audio and the analog outputs are simultaneously active.
Always be sure to turn off all equipment before connecting or disconnecting audio signal cables.

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2.1.3 DC Power
The supplied 5 VDC power supply includes a set of interchangeable power pins. Fit the co rrect pins for your
country. Connect the DC plug to the 5 VDC powersocket.
HDMI units communicate with a set of “hand-shaking” signals in order to establish the capabilities
of each device. It is recommended that forat least the first time the system is powered up with the
nanoAVR connected, equipment is powered on in this order: TV, AVR, nanoAVR, source/player.
2.1.4 USB
To configure the nanoAVR via USB, connect the USB port of the nanoAVR to a USB 2.0 port on yourcomputer
using the supplied cable.

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2.1.5 Ethernet
To configure and control the nanoAVR over Ethernet, connect an Ethernet cable from the nanoAVR’s Ethernet
port to a free port on your Ethernet routeror switch. The diagram below illustrates a typical case where the
Ethernet routeralso acts as a wireless base station, and is in turn connected to an ADSL/cable modem. It is also
common for the ADSL/cable modem, Ethernet router, and wireless base station to be combined into asingle
unit.
In the setup illustrated, the nanoAVR is connected via an Ethernet cable to the Ethernet router, while the
computeris connected to the LAN over Wi-Fi. The network must be capable of DHCP so that the nanoAVR will
be given an IP (network) address.
If a local area network is not available, or the network does not support DHCP, it is still possible to communicate
with the nanoAVR over Ethernet by connecting the two devices directly with an Ethernet cable. In this case,
auto-IP (link-local) addresses will be assigned. For this to work correctly, your PC must be set to allow automatic
IP addresses (that is, it must not be set to a static IP address).

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2.2 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Subsequent to your purchase of the nanoAVR, the software will be available from the User Downloads section of
the miniDSP website. This link is visible when you have logged into the site with the account you created when
purchasing.
Navigate to the nanoAVR section of User Downloads, then to nanoAVRHD/HDA downloads. Download the zip
file under the heading nanoAVRHD/HDA plug-in. Double-click on it to unzip it. Then follow the installation
procedure below according to your computer type.
2.2.1 Windows
Prior to installing the miniDSP software, download and installthe following programs. You will need to accept
the license agreements in order to successfully complete the installation.
Microsoft .NET framework (version 3.5or later)
Latest version of Adobe Flash
Latest version of Adobe Air
If you haven’t updated these recently, you should download and install the latest versions prior to running the
miniDSP install program.
To install the miniDSP software, open the Windows folderof the download and double-click on the
nanoAVR_BM.exe program. We recommend accepting the default installation settings. Once installation is
complete, the nanoAVR user interface will automatically start. Since the nanoAVR checks for a network
connection when starting up, a warning such as the following may appear. In this case, click on Allow access.

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2.2.2 Mac OS X
On versions of OS X from 10.7 (Lion) and later, you will need to inform the GateKeeperprogram that it is OK to
install and run this software. Go to System Preferences, then click on Security & Privacy and select the General
tab:
1. Click on the padlock icon in the lower left corner and enter your password, in order that you can make
changes to the settings.
2. Under the text “Allow Applications downloaded from:”, click on “Anywhere.”
Then, download and install the following programs. You will need to accept the license agreements in order to
successfully complete the installation:
Latest version of Adobe Flash
Latest version of Adobe Air
If you haven’t updated these recently, you should download and install the latest versions prior to runnin g the
miniDSP install program.
To install the miniDSP software, open the Mac folder of the download, and double-click on the
nanoAVR_BM.dmg file to open it in a new window. Then double-click on the installer program, Install
nanoAVR_BM.app. Once installation is complete,the nanoAVR plugin user interface will automatically start.

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3CONFIGURING THE NANOAVR
The nanoAVR is configured with the nanoAVR_BM plugin / user interface program. Once the nanoAVR is fully
configured, the user interfaceis no longer required, as source and preset selection can be done with the front
panel or a remote control –see Using the nanoAVR below. If desired, however, the userinterface can remain
connected during use for real-time (“live”) control of all settings in the nanoAVR.
This screenshot shows the nanoAVR_BM plugin with the key areas highlighted:
Note: during initial configuration of the nanoAVR, it is recommended that the connected HDMI output
device be muted.

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3.1 CONNECTING TO THE NANOAVR
Communication with the nanoAVR can take place either overUSBor Ethernet.
3.1.1 USB
Ensure that the computer is connected to the nanoAVR by a USB 2.0 port (see Hardware connectivityabove).
Then click on the Connect button:
3.1.2 Ethernet
Connect the nanoAVR to your local area network by plugging in the Ethernet cable. The following dialog will
appear:
Click on Connect to proceed.
3.1.3 Options
The first time you connect, or if you have made any changes to any data in the userinterface, the following
dialog box will appear. It is recommended that the first time you connect, use Restore Config to ensure a known
starting state. Thereafter, use Synchronize Config.

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The options are:
Synchronize Config
Download the currently selected configuration into the corresponding configuration preset of
the nanoAVR. Afterdownloading the configuration data, the user interface remains connected
to the nanoAVR and any changes to processing parameters will be downloaded immediately in
real time to the nanoAVR. That is, the nanoAVR is now “live.”
Synchronize and Upgrade
This is similar to Synchronize Config, but also upgrades the internal data of the nanoAVR. This
option may appear when connecting to the nanoAVR after an update to the plugin.
Restore Config
Restore the data in the currently selected configuration to the factory defaults. When usingthis
option, the HDMI output device should be muted until you have set the configuration to a
working state.
Help This option brings up a help screen explaining the options.
Cancel This option cancels the attempt to connect to the nanoAVR. The userinterface willremain
disconnected.
3.2 GLOBAL SETTINGS
The nanoAVR has four configuration presets stored in memory. The pre sets can be selected from the plugin,
from the front panel, or via remote. For more information on using configurations, see Working with
configurations below.
By default, configuration 1is selected:
A drop-down menu allows either HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 to be selected as the input source:
The Mute button disables all audio output:
The Channel Mode selector controls how the nanoAVR outputs audio over HDMI. See Channel mode below.

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3.3 CONFIGURE SIGNAL ROUTING
Click on Routing in the Selection tabs. The input channels are labeled along the left, and the output channels
along the top.
(The LFE Mgt row is the output from the LFE Mgt screen. Forinformation, seeBass Management below.)
Each cross-point represents a switch that can eitherbe turned off, or turned on with a gain setting. By default,
each input channel is switched to the corresponding output channel with 0dB gain (i.e. no change in level), as
shown in the above screenshot.
Any number of input channels can be mixed to each output channel. At each cross-point, the gain of the signal
being mixed can be adjusted to a value between -72and +12 dB. To adjust the gain, right-click on the cross-point
and a gain control will appear. Adjust the gain with the slider, orby typing in the value directly. This screenshot
shows the gain control, with two input channels mixed to one output channel, each at -6 dB:
Note: To rename an input channel, click on its label and type in a new name (maximum of eight characters).