PULSEEIGHT ProAmp8 User manual

1
INSTALLATION GUIDE
P8-PROAMP8
ProAmp8
V 1.0

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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please read instructions before attempting to install or operate this equipment.
Please keep the following in mind as you unpack and install this equipment:
• Always follow basic safety precautions to reduce the risk of re, electrical shock and injury.
• To prevent re or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain, moisture or install this product near water.
• Never spill liquid of any kind on or into this product.
• Where possible, install the ProAmp towards the top of the rack to aid in heat dissapation.
• Use only the supplied IEC cable.
• Never push an object of any kind into this product through any openings or empty slots in the unit, as you
may damage parts inside the unit.
• Do not allow anything to rest on the power cabling or allow any weight to be placed upon it.
• To protect the unit from overheating, do not block any vents or openings in the unit housing that provide
ventilation and allow for sucient space for air to circulate around the unit.

CONTENTS
Safety Precautions P2
Product Description P3
Key Features & In the Box P3
Specications P4
Conguration Mode Specications P5
Front Panel P6
Rear Panel P7
Conguration Modes P8
Power Modes P9
Setup Guide P10
ProAmp Control & WebUI P15
Wiring Diagram - neo:8a, ProAudio & ProAmp P21
Wiring Diagram - neo:X & ProAmp P22
Remote Montoring Portal P23
Warranty Information P25
Pulse-Eight Limited reserves the Right To change products information and specication without notice.
The Products and its specications discussed herein are for reference purposes only. All information
discusses herein is provided on an “AS IS” basis, without warranties of any kind. This document and
all its information discussed herein remain the sole and exclusive property of Pulse-Eight Limited. No
license of any patent, copyright, mask work, trademark or any intellectual property right is granted by
one party to the other party under this document, by implication, estoppel or otherwise. Pulse-Eight
products are not intended in life-support critical care, medical safety equipment, or similar applications
where product failure could result in loss of life or personal or physical harm, or any military or deference
application, or any government procurement to which special terms or provisions may apply. All brand
names and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.

3
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Pulse-Eight’s ProAmp8 is a powerful and versatile 8-Zone Power Amplier that delivers excellent
audio performance with robust and reliable Class D amplication in a compact form factor. The
ProAmp8 is the all-in-one ideal solution for both surround sound and distributed audio systems.
The ProAmp8 oers a wide range of feature sets such as: full audio DSP and EQ settings; Multi-
Zone Mode; and, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Mode. This level of versatility allows for a 5.1
“home theater” alongside a multi-room whole-house distributed audio system all in one box.
The amplier is the perfect partner to Pulse-Eight’s ProAudio DSP pre-amp range and latest neo
matrices.
KEY FEATURES:
• 8-Zone Power Amplier, driven by ICEpower modules, delivering up to 100 watts of
high-quality sound per channel.
• 8 Stereo (L/R) analog inputs and 1 digital (coax/optical) input with Dolby support.
• Bridgeable outputs zones to create exible power congurations.
• Full Dolby Zone DSP and Equalizer (EQ) control.
• Fault detection and system reset protects the amplier and connected speakers
from damage.
• Low-energy consumption when the amplier is in standby and not in use.
• “Automatic sensing” and 12V Trigger options for ecient energy saving with a fast wake-up.
• Includes user-friendly WebUI control access.
• Easy integration with third-party control systems.
IN THE BOX:
• 1x ProAmp8, 8-Zone Power Amplier
• 1x IEC Power Cable (Region Specic)
• 8x Phoenix Speaker Connectors
• 1x Micro-Phoenix RS232 Connector
• 1x Rack Mounting Kit
• 1x Quick Setup Guide

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SPECIFICATIONS
GENERAL
Dimensions (HxWxD) 8.9 x 43 x 30mm (2U)
Audio Inputs - 16x Analog Inputs (8x Stereo L/R Channels)
- 1x Digital S/PDIF (Coax/Optical) with Dolby 5.1 Support
Audio Outputs 8x Stereo Phoenix Connectors (congurable)
Active Subwoofer 1x Line-Level Active Output (RCA Style)
12V Trigger 1x 3.5mm (Input)
Control TCP/IP (RJ45) or RS232 (Phoenix Connector)
POWER MODES
Power Modes per Zone Always On / Standby / 12V Trigger /
Auto-Sense (Stereo multi-zone mode only)
Trigger Voltage +4.5V to +12V
Trigger Wake-Up Time (from Standby) < 1 second
Audio-sense Wake-Up Time (from
Standby)
< 1 second
RATED OUTPUT WATTAGE
Rated Power @4Ω load 100 watts per channel @1% THD+N
80 watts per channel @0.1% THD+N
Rated Power @8Ω load 50 watts per channel @1% THD+N
Rated Bridged Power @8Ω load 200 watts @1% THD+N
160 watts @0.1% THD+N
AUDIO
Frequency Response 10Hz-20kHz +/- 0.4dB (4Ω, 8Ω, Unloaded, Power=1W)
THD+N 0.003% (4Ω Unbridged, f=100Hz, Power=1W)
Sensitivity 0.4Vrms to 2.1Vrms
Analog input impedance 10KΩ
THERMALS
Operating Temperature 0°C ~ 45°C (32°F ~ 113°F)
Storage -20°C ~ 70°C (-4°F ~ 158°F)
Thermal Dissipation 2x 60mm Axial Fans
MISCELLANEOUS
AC Mains 100 - 240VAC, 50 - 60 Hz,
- 300W Nominal consumption
- 400W Max consumption (all outputs fully driven)
Fuse Rating 3.15A 250V 5mm x 20mm SLOWBLOW

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CONFIGURATION MODES SPECIFICATIONS
Conguration Modes Stereo Multi-zone Mode:
• 8 Stereo Zones
Dolby Multi-channel Mode:
• 1 Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio (6-channel)
• Up to 5 Stereo Zones
STEREO ZONE DETAILS
Inputs (per zone) 2x Analog Inputs – RCA style
Volume (per zone) Range: 0 – 100. Adjustable (Full Range: -99.5dB to +24dB)
Mute (per zone) On / O
DOLBY AUDIO DETAILS
Inputs 1x S/PDIF (Coax and Optical) with Dolby Digital 5.1
Outputs Left, Right, Center, Rear-Left, Rear-Right, Subwoofer
Additional Dolby Output (Optional) Subwoofer in bridge-tied load (BTL) mode
Line level Output Line level subwoofer. (Always On in Dolby Mode)
Volume Range: 0 – 100. Adjustable (Full Range: -99.5dB to +24dB)
Mute On / O
Bass & Treble +/- 12dB
EQ Settings (per zone) +/- 12dB. Bands: 100Hz, 330Hz, 1kHz, 3.3kHz, 10kHz
Delay Settings (per zone) 0-50ms
Stereo Channel Up-mix Auto up-mixing of stereo digital audio into all speakers
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby, Dolby
Audio and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

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AZone Status LEDs (1-8) Indicate the state of operation for each of the output zones.
- OFF: Zone is disabled/turned O.
- GREEN: Zone is working and healthy (no audio clipping).
- YELLOW: Zone is working but audio is close to clipping.
- RED: Zone audio is clipping.
- FLASHING RED: Zone over heating
BSystem Health LED Indicates whether Unit is turned ON (green), or whether there is an
issue present (amber).
CNetwork LED Indicates the ProAmp8 is connected to the internet through its network link
(green).
DCloud LED Indicates the ProAmp8 is able to connect to Pulse-Eight’s Remote Monitoring
Portal (green).
A B C D
FRONT PANEL

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EPower Connector IEC Power connector with OFF/ON switch. Use supplied power cord to
connect the power (100 - 240VAC, 50 - 60 Hz).
FTCP/IP Control Port Required for connection to WebUI, Third Party Control and Remote
Monitoring Portal.
GDolby Audio Input Optical and Coax inputs supporting multi-channel digital
audio, including Dolby Digital 5.1. The digital inputs support standard S/PDIF protocol
(IEC 60958 type II).
HAnalog Stereo Inputs Analog ports for stereo L/R line in. RCA style connectors.
IRS232 Control Port Micro phoenix connector can be utilized for API control using ASCII
commands (UART)
J12V Trigger Input Connects to a trigger output of audio matrix or another 12V trigger
device. Each of the amplier’s zones can be set to automatically power o/on according to the
12V trigger input.
KActive Subwoofer Output Line-level subwoofer active output. RCA style connector.
LSpeaker Zone Outputs Phoenix connectors for speaker wiring connections for each zone.
H LF I J KE G
BACK PANEL

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CONFIGURATION MODES
STEREO MULTIZONE MODE
In this conguration, the Analog Stereo Inputs are mapped one-to-one with the Speaker Zone
Outputs. There will be 8-zone stereo inputs routed to 8-zone stereo outputs.
During installation, a range of congurations can be set, including the min/max volume range and
enabling a bridge-mode output per zone.
The Dolby Audio Input Port is disabled and not used in this mode.
DOLBY MULTICHANNEL MODE
In this mode, the Dolby Digital Port input will be active and capable of accepting Dolby Digital 5.1
which will be mapped to 6-surround sound output channels.
Note: In Dolby Multi-channel mode, stereo multi-zone inputs 1, 2 and 3 are disabled.
The Speaker Outputs zones are assigned according to the two sub-modes of operation in Dolby Multi-
channel Mode:
Dolby 3-zone (and 5 stereo zones):
- Zone 1: Front Right (FR) and Front Left (FL) channels
- Zone 2: Rear Right (RR) and Rear Left (RL) channels
- Zone 3: Center (assigned to Left output) and Passive Subwoofer (assigned to Right).
- Zone 4-8: Mapped one-to-one to Analog Stereo Inputs 4-8.
Dolby 4-zone (and 4 stereo zones):
- Zone 1: Front Right (FR) and Front Left (FL) channels
- Zone 2: Rear Right (RR) and Rear Left (RL) channels
- Zone 3: Center (assigned to Left output)
- Zone 4: Bridged Subwoofer
- Zone 5-8: Mapped one-to-one to Analog Stereo Inputs 5-8.
Dolby 4-zone setting is only required for Dolby Multi-channel Mode setups requiring a bridged output
for passive subwoofer. However, this requires an extra speaker zone output (zone 4) from the amplier.
The Active Subwoofer Output is always enabled in any of the Dolby Multi-channel Mode settings.
Enabling Stereo PCM Upmix will ensure that any 2-channel audio input on the Dolby Input will
automatically be converted to 5.1 channel so that there is an audio output on all home-theatre
surround sound outputs.

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POWER MODES
The ProAmp8 can manually congure each of its output zones to be turned on/o individually. Also,
it is possible to set an automatic power-saving operation for each zone output, either to Auto-sense
mode or 12V trigger mode.
AUTOSENSE MODE
The ProAmp8 will detect when there is no audio signal (below an assignable dB threshold) on its
analog input within a time period, and it will automatically turn OFF the corresponding Speaker Zone.
Both the input threshold and time period can be congured within the WebUI.
Auto-sense currently is not supported on the Dolby Digital Input.
12V TRIGGER MODE
Each of the assigned Speaker Zone Outputs will only turn ON when a 12V signal is present on the 12V
Trigger Input jack.
Note: 12V Trigger is only connected via a 3.5mm termination.
Both Auto-sense and 12V Trigger Mode have an incredibly fast wake-up time from standby (under 1
second) for the audio zone to turn on; ideal for time-critical applications.

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SETUP GUIDE
INSTALLING THE 8ZONE POWER AMPLIFIER IN A RACK
1. Attach the rack ears to the front sides of the amplier using the provided screws.
2. Install into rack and connect cabling according to mode of operation – as described below.
WARNING: To prevent damage, it is important to ensure adequate ventilation space on the sides
of the amplier, especially on the ventilation openings on the side of the product enclosure.
3. For Stereo Multi-zone Mode setup, go to step 4.
For Home-Theater Multi-channel Mode setup, go to step 9.
CONNECTING THE PROAMP8 ANALOG AUDIO INPUTS
4. Connect audio cables to the Analog Stereo Inputs (1-8) RCA inputs. See diagram.
Note: In Stereo Multi-Zone Mode, the ProAmp8 Amplier accepts stereo line-level audio
connections to all its 8-zone analog audio inputs jacks (Analog Stereo Inputs). Each zone input will
pass amplied audio to the respective Speaker Zone Outputs.
CONNECTING THE PROAMP8 OUTPUTS TO SPEAKERS
5. Remove the speaker connectors.
Note: The ProAmp8 can power eight stereo zones of audio and has phoenix-style terminal blocks
for speaker connections.
6. For non-bridged outputs: Connect speakers to the speaker connector and insert into the ProAmp8
respective Speaker Zone Outputs. See diagram

11
7. For bridged outputs: Connect speakers to the speaker connector and insert into the ProAmp8’s
corresponding Speaker Zone Outputs that will be set in bridge mode. See diagram.
Note: When the ProAmp8 is set to bridged mode, the output will be mono, taken from the right
channel only, allowing twice the power (200W @8Ω load) to be delivered to loudspeakers.
8. Go to Connecting to Network. See Step 16
CONNECTING DOLBY INPUTS
9. Connect the digital cable (either coaxial or optical) to the Dolby Audio input. See diagram.
Note: In Home-Theater Multi-Channel Mode, the ProAmp8 Amplier accepts a S/PDIF signal
(including Dolby Digital) and maps it to 3 or 4 zone outputs on the amplier, depending on Dolby
zone setting - see section Conguration Modes in this manual for more information.
10. Connect the audio cables to the Analog Stereo Inputs (4-8) RCA inputs.
Note: Each analog stereo input will pass amplied audio to the respective Speaker Zone Outputs.

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CONNECTING THE PROAMP8 OUTPUTS TO SPEAKERS
11. Remove the speaker connectors.
Note: The ProAmp8 can power a 5.1 Home Theatre system and simultaneously power another four
or ve stereo zones of audio. It has phoenix-style terminal blocks for the speaker connections.
12. For non-bridged outputs: Connect Home Theatre zone speakers and other stereo zones’ speakers
to the speaker connector and insert into the ProAmp8 corresponding Speaker Zone Outputs.
13. For bridged outputs: Connect the speakers to the speaker connector and insert into the ProAmp8
respective Speaker Zone Outputs in bridge mode. In Home Theatre Multi-channel Mode, the
bridging outputs can only be applied for stereo zone outputs (4-8).
Note: When the ProAmp8 is set to bridged mode, the output will be mono, taken from the right
channel only, allowing twice the power (200W @8Ω load) to be delivered to loudspeakers.
14. The subwoofer can be connected either by the active output (Active Subwoofer Output) or
passive output, assigned to Zone 3 (Right) or Zone (Bridge) in Dolby 3-zone or 4-zone mode,
respectively.
15. Go to Connecting to Network. See Step 16

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CONNECTING TO NETWORK
16. Connect a standard Ethernet cable (Category 5e/6/7) from the ProAmp8 to your router or
network switch. Crossover cables are not supported.
Note: Network connection is required for supporting full control/remote monitoring features of
the product.
TURNING ON THE PROAMP8
17. Insert the supplied power cord to IEC input and plug into the AC mains.
18. Turn ON the power switch.
19. As it powers ON,the front panel LEDs (System Health, Network,Cloud) will illuminate momentarily
before it begins its initialization sequence.
Note: The initialization process takes between 20 seconds and up to 2 minutes. However, it is
possible that a rmware update may be available the rst time the unit is powered ON - in this
instance the ProAmp8 may take longer to initialize. If both the System Health and Network LEDs
ash (orange/green) quickly together then a rmware update is being applied. Please wait and
do not disconnect the power until this update has completed.
20. Once initialization has been completed, the System Health, Network and Cloud LEDs should all
appear ON (green).

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CONNECTING TO ADMINISTRATIVE WEB INTERFACE
21. Using a computer connected to same router/network, access and login to the ProAmp Web
interface with administrative rights. For more information see the ProAmp Controls section on
P15 of this manual.
22. In the Dolby Audio tab of the WebUI, ensure that the Dolby Mode setting is set accordingly:
a. For Stereo Multi-zone Mode only, set to O.
b. For Home-Theater Multi-channel Mode only, set to On (3 zones) or On (4 zones).
Note: Dolby 4-zone setting should only be enabled when requiring a bridged output for passive
subwoofer.
23. In Home Theater Multi-channel Mode only, it is usually recommended to enable the PCM Upmix
setting on the Dolby Audio tab.
24. In Conguration tab, it is possible to rename each input/output and adjust volume settings by
clicking on the icon and changing accordingly, then press ‘Save Changes’.
Note: To set a bridged output on an output zone, enable the Bridged setting.
25. Log Out of ProAmp Web interface with administrative rights.

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PROAMP CONTROLS
The ProAmp8 is one of the easiest and most exible ampliers on the market to control and congure.
Available through the TCP/IP port and/or the RS-232 port, the amplier oers multiple control
mechanisms:
• ProAmp WebUI
• 3rd Party Control Systems
• API Commands
PROAMP WEBUI
The ProAmp8 web interface can be accessed by visiting www.gotomymatrix.com into any web
browser, on any device, and it will automatically locate the amplier on your local network. The
ProAmp web interface can be accessed from a mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop PC. It is designed to
work on all popular web browsers.
The end-user controls in the Web User Interface (WebUI), as shown below, is a touch-screen friendly
interface.
The end-user can control the volume, including Full
Mute, for any of the zones.
Many of the setup functions are not visible to the
end-user during normal operation. To access these
advanced options during installation, click on the
 Cloud Connection tab on the left hand nav, then
click on the ‘[Admin]’ link at the foot of the page. The
default password is ‘admin’. This password can be
changed if required.
With administrative rights, it is possible congure the ProAmp8 settings by navigating through each
of the multiple tabs, as seen on the left side of the WebUI admin page.

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CONFIGURATION
The rst step to congure your ProAmp for multi-zone applications.
• Rename input
• Rename output
• Set min/max volume range - min/max dB
• Set Bridge Mode – O (stereo), On (Mono)
• Select power mode settings – O, On, 12V Trigger, Auto-sense.
Note: For auto-sense audio input dB level and time period can be congured.

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DOLBY AUDIO
Set Dolby multi-channel mode, PCM Upmix setting, digital min/max volume range, equalizer (EQ)
levels settings, etc.
• Dolby Mode:
• O (Stereo Multi-zone Mode)
• On 3-zone (Dolby Multi-channel Mode)
• On 4-zone (Dolby Multi-channel Mode with bridged subwoofer)
• PCM Upmix – O/On
• Volume Range - min/max dB. Global setting
• Bass
• Treble
• Volume
The Front Speakers, Rear Speakers,Center and Subwoofer can also be individually set for the following:
• 5-band DSP (digital signal processor) lter at 100Hz, 330Hz, 1KHz, 3.3KHz and 10KHz
• Delay – up to 50 ms
• Volume Levels (left and right)

18
SYSTEM HEALTH
Visual summary of the amplier’s hardware health status and where there are any potential issues–
e.g. hardware checks, PSU, interface status, network connectivity present and temperature sensors.
CLOUD CONNECTION
Register the ProAmp to your installer account by entering your ID and check cloud connection status.

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NETWORK SETTINGS
Once the ProAmp8 is fully congured, this tab allows the IP to be modied and switch to a static IP.
FRONT PANEL
Lighting settings for the front panel - Status LEDs On/O toggle switch.
Note: Setting to O will ensure that all front-panel status LEDs (Zone Status, System Health,
Network, Cloud) are turned o. These will remain o during normal operation, except when there is
a warning or issue present when LED(s) will appear amber/red.

20
HARDWARE DETAILS
Summary of product manufacturing information and ability to Reboot System.
Note: Reboot/Initialization will take between 30 seconds and up to 2 minutes
CONTROL DRIVERS
We supply drivers for most common control systems including Control 4, Elan, RTI and more - with
other platforms soon to be added. These can be accessed via our Monitoring Portal. Please visit
http://monitoring.pulse-eight.com
API COMMANDS
The ProAmp8 can be controlled through TCP/IP and/or Bi-directional RS-232. The TCP/IP and
RS-232 share a simple ASCII protocol making it incredibly easy writing new drivers.
For the latest documentation, including latest driver downloads and API Guide, please visit Remote
Monitoring Portal at http://monitoring.pulse-eight.com
More information regarding the Remote Monitoring Portal can be found on P23 of this manual.