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U S E R ’ S G U I D E
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Pro Audio Lab
Pr Pr Precision A ecision A ecision Audio Analy udio Analy udio Analysis and Sound sis and Sound sis and Sound
Gener Genera ation Labor tion Labora at tor ory y
Plug-in for Mackie Digital Mixers
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Read This First: Mackie Designs Plug-in Software License Please read this license carefully before using the accompanying Software. By downloading and using the Software, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of this license. Software as used herein means all computer code (both source and object) including, but not limited to, all interfaces, navigational devices, search engines, databases, menus, menu structures or arrangements, drivers, development tools, icons, operational instruction
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8. Disclaimer of Warranty on Software. You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the Software is at your sole risk. The Software and related documentation are provided “AS IS” and without warranty of any kind. MACKIE DESIGNS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. MACKIE DESIGNS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOU
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Iconography This icon identifi es a description of how to perform an action with the mouse. This icon will lead you to some further explanations of features and practical tips. This icon marks information that is very important, so please make sure you have a read. This icon does not appear in this guide. Note: Any future revisions of this guide will be available for viewing and downloading from: www.mackie.com “Mackie” and the “Running Man” fi gure are trademarks or registered trademarks o
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Contents Mackie Designs Plug-in Software License --------------------- 2 Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------6 About Acuma Labs ----------------------------------------------------------6 About the D8B UFX Card---------------------------------------------------6 About Pro Audio Lab -------------------------------------------------------7 Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------7 Obtaining the Plug-In -------------------------
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Introduction Thank you for purchasing Acuma Labs’ Pro Audio Lab. This is a precision audio analysis tool and sound generation software plug-in for the Mackie D8B digital mix- er. It offers a broad cross section of sophisticated meters, noise generation devices, and highly accurate instrument tuning references. Pro Audio Lab presents fi nely calibrated stereo and mono level metering that simultaneously displays Clip, Peak Level, RMS, VU, Loudness Peak and VU, Sum and Difference VU, Correlati
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About Pro Audio Lab Status Screen Levels Screen (fr (fr (from the Analysis om the Analysis om the Analysis dr drop-down menu) op-down menu) Oscillator Screen (fr (fr (from the G om the G om the Gener ener enera a ator tor tor dr drop-down menu) op-down menu) Main Screen (with Levels and Oscillator open) The main screen is an overview of the primary analysis meters and tone generation graphs. Each “top level” meter can be selected and enlarged using your mouse to “zoom in” for an easy-t
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Unlock Procedure 1. Locate your D8B’s Electronic Serial Number (ESN). This is displayed at the bottom of the Licensing window, which is accessed from the Setup screen. The 12-digit ESN is made from numbers 0–9 and letters A–F. It is unique to the D8B processor, and is not the same as the serial number on the rear of the control surface or CPU chassis. D8B SETUP screen’s LICENSING window LICENSING AUTHORIZE D8B Electronic Serial Num ber (ESN) An Unlocked Plug-in 2. You will also need your
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Using Pro Audio Lab The Status Screen Min/Close Factory/User Presets Input Select Enable Mem A/B Write Menu Analysis Generation Factory/User Presets Toggle the up/down arrows to select Factory Presets, or create your own and save them to User Presets. Input Select Select stereo inputs from any of the DB8’s pre, post, or auxiliary channels. Enable This switches Pro Audio Lab from the inactive state to active. Minimize/Close Button These buttons minimize Pro Audio Lab to a simplifi ed version
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The Analysis Screens The Levels, Spectrum Analysis, and Phase Analysis options are selected from the Analysis drop-down menu found in the Status Screen. Only one option can be open at a time. The Levels menu is further expandable by clicking on any of the level meters. See Page 9 Analysis See Page 11 Each Meter is expandable b expandable b expandable by y y clicking clicking See Page 16 See Page 18 User’s Guide
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The Levels Screen Peak RMS VU Sum/Diff Loudness Balance Correlation Loudness The Levels Screen Select the Levels Screen from the Analysis drop-down menu. This shows an overview grouping of the primary meters of the Analysis section. Each meter can be isolated and expanded for a detailed view of the selected audio measurement, by selecting a meter and double-clicking on the display. The expanded meters can be minimized by clicking again. The individual meters are explained in more detail belo
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RMS Level RMS (expanded view) Root Mean Square (RMS) is an audio measurement that correlates signal energy with a reference signal. Neither a peak, nor an average, RMS is derived by squaring all the instantaneous voltages from a waveform, averaging the squared value, and then taking the square root of that value. Thus, RMS is a mathematical measure- ment devised to characterize the level of a given signal. RMS Level is a measurement that is very helpful in describing the energy of a waveform
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VU Meter (Volume Unit Meter) VU Meters (expanded view) Probably the fi rst audio measurement that many of us learned is the familiar VU meter that we equate with distortion overload. The VU Meter is actually defi ned by a specifi c set of attributes and response characteristics known as ballistics, which estimate the loudness of a signal based on the ear’s ability to compress intensity differences and downplay transient peaks. The VU meter represents a commonly ac- cepted compromise of what
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Note: When using this application on the left and right masters, remember to turn off the enable button in the Pro Audio Lab GUI to disable the Tone Generation, as you simply need to see the meters. The Loudness Meter displays both a VU and a Peak Level meter on the same graph. There is no absolute measurement for how the ear hears frequency response and consequently hearing can vary greatly from one person to another. Generally, hearing is much better in the high-midrange and less sensitiv
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Correlation/Loudness Balance Correlation (expanded view) Correlation This clear and easy-to-read display is designed to help you understand the complex phase relationship between two signals, and shows how the signals relate to each other. The correlation meter measures the similarities between two signals by dis- playing a range value of –1 (two signals are 180°out of phase) or +1 (indicating that the signals are perfectly in phase). 0 means that the two signals are not correlated. For mos
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Spectrum Analyzer Range Right Stereo Left Mono Freeze Peak Reference Precision Spectrum Analyzer Screen Select the Spectrum Analyzer from the Analysis drop-down menu. The graphical rep- resentation indicates the level of an audio signal at various frequencies. The analyzer performs a Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT) on the input audio to convert it to fre- quency information. This is put into individual bands and displayed as a bar graph. A spectrum analyzer designed to indicate the level of audio
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Precision This offers precision viewing ranges from 1 octave to 1/6 octave with additional views in between. Click on the Precision window to open a drop-down menu to choose from 1 octave, 2/3 octave, 1/2 octave and 1/6 octave views. The maximum resolution is 1/6 octave for the mono display, and 1/3 octave for stereo. Imperfections in the audio signal caused by audio feedback, room equalization prob- lems, errant fi lter settings, and many other signal problems can be identifi ed more readil
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Phase Analyzer Loudness Difference Balance Phase Meter Phase Scope Sum Correlation Phase Analyzer Screen (Out of Phase example) Phase Analyzer Screen (In Phase example) Select the Phase Analyzer from the Analyzer drop-down menu of the Status Screen. Phase Meter The Phase Meter displays an X/Y plot of a set of raw Left and Right audio samples. This results in a ‘swarm of bees’ type of display that is useful in visually determin- ing the correlation and left/right power balance, referred to gene
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The Generation Screens Tone Generator options are selected from the Generation drop-down menu found in the Status Screen. This is where you will fi nd a wide variety of oscillators and tuners to suit any task. Only one option can be open at a time. See Page 9 Generation See Page 20 See Page 21 See Page 22 See Page 23 See Page 24 See Page 25 See Page 26 User’s Guide
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Noise Generator Burst/Pause Total Time White Repetitions Pink Start Level Ratio The Noise Generator This noise generator produces white and pink noise, and has independent burst/ pause ratio, total time, and repetitions. White and pink noise are random signals that include all of the audio frequencies. The noise simulates the random thermal motion of electrons. When either white or pink noise is amplifi ed, we perceive the sound as hiss. White noise has a fl at linear frequency response, whi
