Toa DP-0206 Manual

REPRINTED FROM OCTOBER, 2003 WWW.PROAUDIOREVIEW.COM
Copyright 2003 IMAS Publishing (USA), Inc. Reprinte with permission.
The Industry’s Equipment Authority
BY WAYNE BECKER
TOA has always had a good reputation
for making cost-effective, reliable and
innovative audio products for the
sound contracting market. Their foray
into the digital realm goes back longer than
most us acknowledge, developing some of the
first DS s for contracting and live perfor-
mance. One of the latest is the D -0206, a
two-in by six-out digital signal processor with
an optional upgrade path to 12 channels of I/O
(however the unit I tested did not have the
optional cards installed). Like many of the
DS boxes on the market today, the D -0206
is a software-controlled and configured piece
of hardware using a Windows-based graphic
user interface (GUI), via the DACSys 2000
version 2.0 software, to program and manipu-
late the processing control of parameters.
FEATURES
In addition to accessing and controlling
the unit from a C application, the unit has
sixteen internal memories to store presets
that can be recalled without connecting the
C. A locking scheme protects the unit
against tampering. Up to 30 units can be
daisy-chained and controlled via the RS485
port along with an optional remote control
card that provides external control of mem-
ory recall and output volume and muting.
The unit comes housed in a 2RU rack-
mount-ready enclosure with controls on the
front panel and interface connections in the
rear. The front panel contains input and out-
put level and status LEDs, a memory/unit
ID number display, memory/unit ID number
selector keys, a memory recall key, a master
indicator ID and a power indicator LED.
The security panels, accessed by removing a
hilips-head screw, hides access to the
RS232 connection and the main power fuse,
a reset button and a system lock switch
which disables specific front panel accesses
functions. The rear panel provides connec-
tivity for the power cord, the control and
optional I/O ports, RS485 I/O connections
and the input and output connections; all on
hoenix type connectors.
Up to 30 units can be arranged in a serial
network, providing centralized control of a
large system or multiple rooms with sys-
tems. Addressing of the units is straightfor-
ward and explained in detail in the manual.
The front panel preset display doubles as a
indicator for unit address and status.
Unlike some of the other DS products
on the market today, TOA takes a “fixed”
approach to determining the DS process-
ing you will have available. The fixed pro-
cessors can be bypassed if not required in a
certain stage. I like this, because even
though we like to think we have everything
figured out, it’s always nice to be able to go
back in at moments notice to tweak a certain
part of the system we didn’t think we’d have
to. The processing chain is straightforward;
each input goes through an A/D converter, a
gain stage, a compressor and a 12-band fil-
ter section before it gets to the mixer matrix.
From there the outputs go through a second
12-band filter section, a compressor, a
delay, the D/A converter and then output
attenuators. Each filter can be individually
configured as parametric, high/low pass,
high/low shelving, all-pass, notch or CD
horn EQ.
INUSE
First off, there was no contact informa-
tion in either the hardware or software man-
uals. So make sure your tech has the phone
TOA DP-0206
Digital Processor

number for TOA before they leave the shop
in the event tech support is required. As far
as I’m concerned, any product that ships
today that requires the connection of a C
running a control or programming applica-
tion should have tech support contact infor-
mation readily accessible to the installer.
The manuals do provide very good informa-
tion on the connection of the hardware and
the installation of the software application,
but there were a few hitches in getting the
box to talk to the C, so having this infor-
mation available could save time.
Additionally, the “help” menu only con-
tained information about the software ver-
sion. There is no typical on-line help or
manual. Also, the laptop or computer that
you will use to control and configure the
unit will have to be equipped with a floppy
drive or preloaded at the shop as the appli-
cation software is provided on two 3.5-inch
floppy disks rather than CD-ROM. You can
also download the software from the com-
pany’s web site, www.toaelectronics.com.
The software provided with the unit is the
DACSys 2000 version 1.3 (version 2.0 is
now available) as well as a utility for
uploading the latest firmware revisions.
Loading the software on the computer is
straight-forward, and a simple DB9 serial
cable is required to make the connections
from the computer to the unit. Be sure to use
a quality cable and mind the RS232 protocol
distance rules or communication could be a
problem. After getting the computer and
box to communicate, creating a new config-
uration and entering the main configuration
control screen was very straightforward and
intuitive. Kudos to TOA for providing a full
size screen with different windows that
keeps the current state of each process in
front of you throughout the programming
process. I think this is a significant advan-
tage over selecting tabs or reopening win-
dows to remember what the setting of a par-
ticular process are. The software provides
an autoconnect function which scans the
computers serial ports for units and con-
nects it automatically.
Setting up a new project is as easy as
selecting “New,” naming the project and
selecting the DS input/output preference.
The unit offers configurations of 2 x 6, 2 x
8, 2 x 10 and 4 x 6, 4 x 8 and 6 x 6. After a
few short clicks of selecting and naming the
unit and configuration, you are into the main
screen. To adjust a parameter simply put
your pointer on the box representing the
process, click and all the adjustable parame-
ters are instantly available in the window
just below the configuration window. There,
you simply click on the parameter, adjust
the slider, move the EQ point, etc. There are
helpful and subtle graphic icons that keep
you focused on the changes you are making
during process like turning off channels,
changing volumes to null, etc. It is truly a
point and click scenario. The main screen
has a memory compare function that allows
you to virtually flip between presets and set-
tings for different configurations. So config-
uring a system with multiple boxes (chained
units) is a breeze. Connecting inputs and
outputs is fast and easy. The sound quality
of the unit is good with smooth transitions
between presets.
SUMMARY
The D -0206 is a well-thought-out pro-
cessor with an intuitive user interface and
excellent sound quality. Its setup is relatively
easy and can be controlled via presets or a
computer GUI. Its “nailed up” approach to
processing can be a time saver without sacri-
ficing quality. In installations where you
don’t anticipate the need to design tailored
DS functions but still need the flexibility to
tweak the system with changes, this is a great
box. The fact that you can chain units togeth-
er with centralized control increases the flex-
ibility of this system and its usefulness.
Copyright 2003 IMAS Publishing (USA), Inc. Reprinte with permission. Reprinted from Pro Audio Review
Fast Facts
■Applications:
Sound reinforcement, installation,
multizone distributed sound
systems
■Key Features:
User presets; intuitive GUI
interface; multiple unit operation
■Price:
$3,294; t o channel I/O expander
modules - $514 each
■Contact:
TOA Electronics at 800-733-7088,
.toaelectronics.com.
TOA Electronics, Inc.
601 Gateway Blv ., Suite 300
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Telephone: [phone]
Toll Free: 1-800-733-7088
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.toaelectronics.com
Email: inf[email protected]