Prism Sound Atlas User manual

Atlas
Operation Manual
by Ian Dennis
This manual is also available as 'on-line help' from the Atlas
Control Panel app. You can access the on-line help from the
'Help' button in the top right-hand corner of the app.

Table of Contents
Part 1 General information 2
Part 2 Introduction to Atlas 6
................................................................................................................................. 61 Features
................................................................................................................................. 72System requirements
................................................................................................................................. 73About this manual
Part 3 Quick start guides 10
................................................................................................................................. 101Quick start for Mac
................................................................................................................................. 102Quick start for Windows
Part 4 Installation procedures 12
................................................................................................................................. 121Mac installation
................................................................................................................................. 142Windows installation
................................................................................................................................. 193Operating multiple units
................................................................................................................................. 194Software and firmware updates
Part 5 Atlas hardware 22
................................................................................................................................. 221 Signal path architecture
....................................................................................................................................................... 22Analogue inputs
................................................................................................................................................ 23Overkiller
................................................................................................................................................ 23High-pass filter
................................................................................................................................................ 23MS matrix
....................................................................................................................................................... 23Digital inputs
................................................................................................................................................ 24Sample-rate converter
................................................................................................................................................ 24DI synchronization
....................................................................................................................................................... 24Analogue outputs
....................................................................................................................................................... 25Digital outputs
................................................................................................................................................ 25Sample-rate converter
................................................................................................................................................ 26Word-length
................................................................................................................................................ 26DO synchronization
....................................................................................................................................................... 26Output mixers and routing matrix
....................................................................................................................................................... 27Assignable level control
....................................................................................................................................................... 27Headphone outputs
....................................................................................................................................................... 27Metering system
....................................................................................................................................................... 28MDIO expansion slot
................................................................................................................................. 292 Synchronization
................................................................................................................................. 303Front panel
................................................................................................................................. 314 Rear panel
....................................................................................................................................................... 32Fuses and ratings
................................................................................................................................. 325Stand-alone operation
................................................................................................................................. 336Rack mounting
Part 6 Atlas software 36

................................................................................................................................. 361Atlas Control Panel app
....................................................................................................................................................... 37Unit settings
....................................................................................................................................................... 39Inputs tab
....................................................................................................................................................... 40Outputs tab
....................................................................................................................................................... 41Mixer tabs
................................................................................................................................. 412Atlas drivers
Part 7 Technical topics 44
................................................................................................................................. 441Stability and latency
................................................................................................................................. 452Clocking and jitter
................................................................................................................................. 473Dither and noise-shaping
................................................................................................................................. 504Analogue interconnections
................................................................................................................................. 525Digital interconnections
Part 8 Specifications 56
Index 62

General information
Part 1

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Operation Manual
© 2014 Prism Media Products Ltd
Revision 1.00Prism Sound Atlas
1General information
Manual revision history
Rev
Date
Author
Notes
1.00
6th January 2014
I.G.Dennis
Product Launch
Support contacts
Prism Media Products Limited
Prism Media Products Inc
The Old School
21 Pine Street
Stretham
Rockaway
Cambridge CB6 3LD
NJ 07866
UK
USA
Telephone: [phone]
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.prismsound.com
Or contact your local Prism Sound distributor as detailed on the website.
WARNING!
TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

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Statements of conformity
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
against interference in a residential area. This device generates and uses radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause interference to radio or
TV reception. If this unit does cause interference to radio or TV reception, please try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
a) Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
b) Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiving antenna.
c) Plug the equipment into an outlet on a different circuit from the receiver.
d) If necessary, consult your dealer or an experienced radio or TV technician.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by the manufacturer
could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.
THIS DIGITAL APPARATUS MEETS ALL CLASS B LIMITS FOR RADIO NOISE EMISSIONS AS
LAID DOWN IN THE RADIO INTERFERENCE REGULATIONS OF THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT
OF COMMUNICATIONS.
CET APPAREIL NUMÉRIQUE RESPECTE TOUTES LES EXIGIENCES APPLICABLES AUX
APPAREILS NUMÉRIQUES DE CLASSE B SUR LE BROUILLAGE RADIOELECTRIQUE EDICTE
PAR LE MINISTERE DES COMMUNICATIONS DU CANADA.
Prism Media Products Ltd hereby declares that this equipment conforms to the following standards:
EN55103-1, environment category E4
EN55103-2, environment category E4
NOTE: The use of this equipment with non-shielded interface cabling is not recommended by the
manufacturer and may result in non-compliance with one or more of the above directives. All coaxial
connections should be made using a properly screened 75R cable with the screen connected to the
outer of the connector at both ends. All analogue XLR and jack connections should use screened
cable with the screen connected to pin 1 of the XLR connector, or the jack outer, at both ends.
Trademarks
SNS, Super Noise Shaping, Overkiller and CleverClox are trademarks of Prism Media Products Ltd.
Windows, XP and Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Mac, OS X, and Macbook are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc.
All trademarks acknowledged.
© 2014 Prism Media Products Ltd. All rights reserved.
This manual may not be reproduced in whole or part, in any medium, without the written permission of
Prism Media Products Limited.
In accordance with our policy of continual development, features and specifications are subject to
change without notice.

Introduction to Atlas
Part 2

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© 2014 Prism Media Products Ltd
Revision 1.00Prism Sound Atlas
2Introduction to Atlas
Atlas is a USB multi-channel audio interface for Windows PC and Mac. As well as eight analogue line
inputs and outputs, Atlas provides eight high-quality microphone preamplifiers and a MIDI interface as
well as a host of advanced synchronization and monitoring facilities.
Atlas is intended to provide 'studio in a box' functionality for the digital audio workstation (DAW) user.
That's not so unusual - there are many other interfaces on the market which provide similar
functionality. However, Atlas is unique among them in providing Prism Sound's unique pedigree of
conversion, analogue, clocking and signal processing to the DAW user in an integrated package, with
the plug-and-play convenience of an ordinary USB sound card.
For a more detailed summary of Atlas's features, continue to the Features section.
For directions for getting started quickly, see the Quick start guides.
For detailed hardware and software installation procedures, see the Installation procedures.
For full details of the hardware controls and connections, as well as a block diagram, look at the
Hardware section.
To learn about the control software, see the Atlas Control Panel section.
2.1 Features
Atlas provides eight line input channels and eight line output channels, which can be operated in
balanced or unbalanced mode, and each of which can be used with professional ('+4dBu') or
consumer ('-10dBV') signal levels. All eight input channels have selectable microphone preamplifiers,
and two of these also have high-impedance, unbalanced instrument input jacks. 24-bit conversion is
used throughout, and sample rates up to 192kHz are supported.
Stereo digital I/O is provided in both S/PDIF and optical (TOSLINK) formats. The S/PDIF input can
also accept professional AES3 signals, and the S/PDIF output can be switched to AES3 mode if
required. The optical connectors can alternatively carry eight channels of ADAT I/O at 44.1k or 48kHz
sample rates, or four channels at 88.2kHz or 96kHz. A high-quality sample-rate converter can be
assigned to the S/PDIF input or output if required.
Atlas has a dedicated stereo analogue headphone output, with two stereo headphone jacks, each
with its own level control. MIDI input and output are also provided.
Atlas incorporates the new Prism Sound MDIO (multi-channel digital IO) expansion slot, which allows
additional and future host interface formats to be accommodated.
Under Windows, Atlas can be accessed by any software applications with WDM (Windows) or ASIO
capability. Under Apple OS X, Atlas appears as a Core Audio device.
To deal with low-latency requirements in live sound and over-dubbing, Atlas has its own fully-featured

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mixer for each output channel pair (including digital, ADAT and headphones). When selected, each
mixer allows a low-latency mix of any input channels (as well as the output's associated workstation
feeds) to be sent to the required outputs. Additionally, each output can be switched to follow the
output of any other output's mixer.
A front-panel volume control can be assigned to any desired analogue or digital outputs, primarily for
use as a stereo or surround monitoring control.
Atlas's sample rate (44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz or 192kHz) can be sourced from its
high-stability internal clock, or locked to the stereo digital or ADAT inputs or the BNC Wordclock input.
Clock output is via the S/PDIF output and the BNC Wordclock output (which can also be set to
Baseclock or Superclock modes).
2.2 System requirements
Atlas will work with any modern host PC or Mac with a suitable operating system and USB 2.0 or 3.0
port. Macs must be Intel platform and must be running OS X 10.5 Leopard or later; PCs must be
running Windows Vista, 7, 8 or later (32-bit or 64-bit).
This is not to say that the computing power of the host is unimportant, but it is more a requirement of
the audio applications than of Atlas. If you need to record or playback large numbers of channels,
perhaps at high sample rates or with a lot of processing or plug-ins, you will need a host computer
with a fast processor and bus, plenty of RAM, and probably a fast hard disk too. On the other hand,
playback of moderate channel counts at lower sample rates can be accomplished with even a modest
computer.
A good way to gauge this is to be guided by the system requirements of the audio software which you
are intending to use. For more information about this, see the Stability and latency section.
2.3 About this manual
The Atlas Operation Manual is provided in two different formats: as a conventional manual in pdf
format, and also as HTML-based 'on-line help' which can be viewed on your computer. The on-line
help version can be launched directly from the Atlas Control Panel app by clicking the help [?] button
in the upper right-hand corner of the panel.
The on-line version of the manual is displayed with a navigation panel to the left of the topic pages.
Links within each topic page can be clicked to navigate to pages of interest. The heading bar of each
topic page contains buttons for navigating to the previous or next topics, and for moving back to the
start of the current chapter. Alternatively, the navigation area on the left contains a "Contents" section
which shows a hierarchical map of the entire document from which desired pages can be selected
directly. The navigation area can also be used to select topics using a full keyword index, or by
searching the document for a particular word or phrase. The selection mode is switched using the
controls at the top of the navigation area.
The pdf version can be viewed and printed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be
downloaded free at www.adobe.com.
Updates of both the on-line and pdf forms of the manual are available from the Prism Sound website
at www.prismsound.com.

Quick start guides
Part 3

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© 2014 Prism Media Products Ltd
Revision 1.00Prism Sound Atlas
3Quick start guides
This section contains brief instructions to get up and running quickly. If you need more detailed
instructions, see the Installation procedures section.
3.1 Quick start for Mac
The Atlas software can be installed on Macs with Intel processors. You need a spare USB 2.0 or
USB 3.0 port. You must have OS X 10.5 Leopard, or later.
·Connect your Atlas to the mains supply and to a USB port on your Mac with the cables provided.
·Insert the installation disc into a DVD-ROM drive on your Mac, or else locate the folder containing
the downloaded package.
·Double-click on the "Atlas control app" package.
·Follow the on-screen instructions.
When software installation is complete, the Atlas device's ports should be visible in Audio/MIDI Setup
as Core Audio ports.
3.2 Quick start for Windows
To install the Atlas software, your PC must be running Windows Vista, 7, 8 (32-bit or 64-bit), or later.
You need a spare USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port.
·Connect your Atlas to the mains supply and to a USB port on your PC with the cables provided.
·Insert the installation disc into a DVD-ROM drive on your PC, or else locate the folder containing
the downloaded installation files.
·If the PC is set to 'Autoplay', installation will begin automatically, otherwise double-click on the
"setup.exe" icon in the root folder of the disc.
·Follow the on-screen instructions.
When software installation is complete, the Atlas device's ports should be visible to Windows as
WDM audio devices, and to any suitable applications as ASIO audio ports.

Installation procedures
Part 4

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© 2014 Prism Media Products Ltd
Revision 1.00Prism Sound Atlas
4Installation procedures
This section contains detailed installation instructions for your Atlas. If you are keen to get going
quickly, you could use the Quick start guides section.
4.1 Mac installation
The Atlas Control Panel app can be installed on Macs with Intel processors. You need a spare USB
2.0 or USB 3.0 port. You must have OS X 10.5 Leopard, or later. No driver is required, since OS X
can interface to Atlas directly.
The full installation procedure is as follows:
·Connect your Atlas to the mains supply and to a USB port on your Mac with the cables provided.
·Insert the installation disc into a DVD-ROM drive on your Mac, or else locate the folder containing
the downloaded package.
·Double-click on the "Prism Sound USB Audio control app" package.
·A dialogue box will guide you through the installation process; click 'Continue':

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·A copy of the EULA will appear, which you should read:
·Agree to the EULA by clicking 'Continue'.
·Having selected an install destination if required, click 'Install' to perform the installation:
·You may need to enter an administrator's name and password.

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·The installation process will then complete:
·When software installation is complete, close the dialogue box.
The Atlas device's ports should now be visible in Audio/MIDI Setup as Core Audio ports.
·Remember to register your Atlas at http://www.prismsound.com/register.
4.2 Windows installation
The following procedure installs the Atlas ASIO and WDM audio drivers, and the Atlas Control Panel
app, on your Windows PC. You must have Windows Vista or later (either 32-bit or 64-bit), and a
spare USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port.
·Connect your Atlas to the mains supply and to a USB port on your PC with the cables provided.
·Insert the installation disc into a DVD-ROM drive on your PC, or else locate the folder containing
the downloaded installation files.
·If the PC is set to 'Autoplay' , installation will begin automatically, otherwise double-click on the
"setup.exe" icon in the root folder of the disc.