Architect tm Model 1600 SE Model 1601 SE 16 Channel High Current Power Amplifier Speaker Optimizer Professional Installer’s Consciousness Guide For Those Who Consider Perfection Possible® 22410 70th Avenue West Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA 425-775-8461 • Fax 425-778-3166 www.audiocontrol.com ©2007. All rights reserved.
Important Information Dealer Name_________________________________________ Date Installed________________________________________ Serial Number________________________________________ Ethernet MAC Address________________________________ IP Address Dynamic / Static____________________________ ®
CONTENTS The Architecttm Product Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Experienced Installer’s Quick Hook-Up Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A Guided Tour Of The Architect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hooking Up Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Installation: The Long Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Architect Model 1600 SE, Model 1601 SE ®
Product Highlights Congratulations! You are now installing a component which can dramatically improve the performance of any distributed audio system, especially those utilizing in-wall speakers. The Architect™ Model 1600 SE Series is an American-designed and built, “set and forget” component which will provide a lifetime of trouble-free service for your multi-room audio system.
Product Highlights Cool Running - Distributed audio systems can place terrific demands on a home’s AC power. Sometimes just a little brownout can cause an amplifier to pull enough current to blow the house circuit breaker. Even when they’re running properly, most amplifiers put out enough heat to make any air conditioning system sweat. AudioControl takes care of these problems with our patented (US Patent #5,708,577) power supply regulation and Class-H amplifier design.
Quick Hook-Up Guide Experienced Installer’s Quick Hook-Up Guide What follows are “Express” hook-up diagrams for professionals and experienced audio buffs. The PFM bass-blocking filter comes factory set to 40Hz. Don’t be afraid of leaving this filter turned on. We have found over the years that a system actually sounds louder and has more bass when the subsonic filter is used in the system.
A Guided Tour Of The Architect™ Model 1600 SE Series Model 1601 SE Ê Ì Í Ë Front Panel Ê Ë Stereo Speaker Equalization Controls - This array of knobs provide up to 12dB boost or cut at 75Hz, 250Hz, 700Hz, 2500Hz and 12KHz.
A Guided Tour Of The Architect™ Model 1600 SE Series Ê Ë Í Ì Î Ï Ð Ñ Rear Panel Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ethernet LAN Connection (Model 1601 SE) – This enables control of the Architect via a standard 10BaseT computer network. The internal web server of the Architect also allows the technician to remotely monitor the status of the amplifier. Bypass Switch (Model 1601 SE) – For diagnostics only. This button disables all the Ethernet control functions and forces all channels on.
A Guided Tour Of The Architect™ Model 1600 SE Series Ò Ó 12 11 13 Ò PFM Highpass Filter – This bass blocking filter sets the low frequency cut-off point of the Architect. The PFM filter is 18dB per octave and the frequency is fixed at 40Hz. When this button is Out (defeated) the channel passes full range to the zone. Ó Bus Select Switches – These two buttons next 14 to each zones local input jacks selects the input source for that amplifier zone.
Hooking Up Your System Hooking Up Your System What you’ll need: 1. The Architect™ Model 1600 SE Series Amplifier. 2. RCA audio hook-up cables. 3. Small blade screwdriver for terminal blocks 4. (Optional) A balanced line driver (of course we recommend the AudioControl BLD-10 and BLR-10) if you are going to mount the Architect more than 20 feet from the preamp. 5. Enough speaker wire to reach all of your speakers. 6. Multi-zone audio controller, receiver, or preamplifier. 7.
Installation: The Long Version Installation: The Long Version What follows is a step-by-step guide to integrating the Architect into your multi-zone system. If it seems overly detailed, please forgive us. We would rather tell you too much than too little. First, check your new Architect for any shipping damage. We pack ‘em pretty securely, but it’s a vicious world out there and anything can happen between us building them here in Mountlake Terrace, Washington and your installation.
Power Under normal operating conditions, the Architect Model 1600 SE Series can draw up to 1600 watts of AC power. Don’t plug it into a switched outlet on your system unless you are certain that it can handle the power rating. Also, please don’t cut off the ground pin on the power connector. It is an important safety feature. If you need to plug it into a two prong outlet, use a ground adapter (and connect the ground on it). If you have a ground noise problem, try the ground lift switch on the rear panel.
Installation: The Long Version AUDIO HOOK-UP If you’re an installation veteran, this may seem repetitive, but some things can never be repeated too many times. 1) Turn off ALL components before making any connections. 2) When making connections, designate RED RCA plugs as RIGHT and WHITE, BLACK, or GREY plugs as LEFT. In fact, this is a good idea for ALL signal connections made in your audio system. The key is consistency. Stick with the same color-coding and you’ll reduce possible problems.
Whole House System with Tuner Only Background Music Installation: The Long Version Architect ™ Model 1600 SE Model 1601 SE Installer’s Guide 11
Installation: The Long Version Using the 12V trigger for local source selection ® 12
Installation: The Long Version Speaker Hook-up The same rule applies to the speaker wires as the RCA connections. Establish a standard connection color code and stick with it. One conductor of the speaker wire is normally marked by a different color (silver versus copper) or there is a ribbing on one side. Typically this marked conductor is used for the positive (+) speaker leads. Of course the really good wire has Positive and Negative printed right onto the wire jacket.
Equalizing the System Equalizing the System Before proceeding on to setting up the Speaker Optimization controls on the Architect, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have everything connected and working properly. 1. Double-check all connections. Make certain that all of the audio and speaker connections are firmly seated and tightened down.
Equalization Controls Equalization Controls Here is a brief introduction to each of the Speaker Optimization control frequencies and what their affect on your music is. 75 Hz – Bass. This is at the bottom end of the frequencies which typical in-wall and small bookshelf speakers can achieve. Even though the Architect’s PFM filter cuts frequencies under 40 Hz, boosting this band more than 6 dB can cause distortion. Adjust this band with care.
Introduction To Equalizers And Acoustics A Short Introduction To Equalizers And Acoustics Magazine reviewers and audio system owners spend much time critically appraising speakers and other stereo components. Unfortunately, a phenomenon that has a very large effect upon sound is not easily judged or changed. That effect is the ACOUSTICS of the environment in which you are listening. Room acoustics is a complicated subject about which entire textbooks have been written.
Another set of variables is the shape and volume of your listening room. Large rooms require more bass energy to excite waves within them. Small rooms need less energy, but reflect it differently. And then there’s the fact that most rooms don’t have four walls anymore, but open into dining rooms, lofts, cathedral ceilings, etc. All of this means that predicting sound interaction patterns is very difficult due to the irregularities of the room shape.
What’s Inside The Truth About Bass And The Programmable Frequency Match Filter Now that digital audio is the favorite musical source, there’s more low bass running around in a typical system. Low bass injects large amounts of power into ANY kind of speaker — up to 60% of your amplifier’s output is being used to reproduce frequencies under 100Hz. That can really tax an audio system. The second problem is that bass produces heat in the speaker.
A common problem with amplifiers is their In-Rush current. That is the extra power that the amplifier draws from the AC wall outlet when you turn on the amplifier. A single 15 amp household circuit may be fine for running a couple Brand X amplifiers under normal operation, but when they are first turned on, the combined in-rush current draw is usually enough to pop the house circuit breaker. This is a major problem in areas where there are frequent brown-outs or power fluctuations. Our patented (U.S.
Using the Ethernet Port Using the Ethernet Port (Model 1601 SE only) To further enhance the flexibility of the Architect amplifier, the Model 1601 SE adds a built-in web server. The server connects to the outside world using a 10BaseT Ethernet LAN port and the TCP/IP network protocol. This network connection serves two purposes: With it’s built-in web server, you can access the Architect with any standard web browser to check on the amplifiers status and do some simple controls.
Using the Ethernet Port From this page you have control to turn the Architect on, off and to mute or unmute each zone. Note: The changes are sent to the Architect when you click the Update button. Go ahead, give it a try: Turn on the amplifier and mute a channel or two. Now click the Update button and watch the front panel of the amplifier change. This screen is useful for general system diagnostics when you want to check out the amplifier operation.
Using the Ethernet Port The Configuration page - Scroll to the bottom of the Main User page and click the Configure button. This screen is where you get to setup some options for the network operation. Dynamic versus Static IP Address – This is pretty basic; a Dynamic IP address changes every time you log onto the network, a Static IP address always stays the same. A good example of a dynamic IP address is your dial-up Internet access.
Troubleshooting Troubleshooting the Architect Almost all problems can be eliminated by re-checking the wiring and settings of the Architect amplifier. If a problem cannot be solved using the guide below, please call the AudioControl factory for further assistance. 1. No Sound: a. Verify the Power LED is Blue. b. Verify Protection LED is Blue. c. Verify Channel Status LED is Blue. d. Verify Source unit is operating. e. Check the Speaker Connector plug on the rear panel f.
Troubleshooting 4. Protection LED is Red: a. Check main AC fuses - if one blows, the protection activates b. Something rather serious has happened inside the Architect. Call the AudioControl factory. 5. Speaker Buzzing or Cracking at high volume: a. Reduce the equalizer boost at 75Hz. b. Try enabling the PFM filter. 6. There is no audio input signal, but the Channel Status 6. LED is still Blue: a. Check the Signal-Sense defeat switch on the rear panel.
Brazen Plug A Brazen Plug For Other AudioControl Products AudioControl started out making graphic equalizers in 1977. Our heritage and design experience grew from a background in professional audio, so we were never quite satisfied with what was available for the consumer audio market. Since that time, we have continued to expand our product offerings to become a key part of great home audio systems.
Appendices Appendix A Bridging The Architect Caution - Do not use a speaker rated at less than 8 ohms when bridging. In a bridged system, each channel of the bridged pair “sees” one half of the speaker load. This means that a bridged amp driving an 8 ohm speaker is actually operating into a 4 ohm load. To increase the output power of the Architect, you can join (bridge) two channels of the Architect into a single channel of 300 watts. Accomplishing this is a simple matter.
Appendix The commands are broken into two groups: Controls and Inquiries. The Controls issue instructions to the Model 1601 SE for power control and channel muting; the Inquires return the status of amplifier channels, AC line voltage, the amplifier temperature, and the failure data log.
Warranty The Warranty People are scared of warranties. Lots of fine print. Months of waiting around. Well, fear no more. This warranty is designed to make you rave about AudioControl. It’s a warranty that looks out for you and your client, plus helps you resist the temptation to have your friend, who’s “good with electronics”, try to repair your AudioControl product. So go ahead, read this warranty, then send in the warranty card and comments. “Conditional” doesn’t mean anything ominous.
What to do if you need service What to do if you need service First, contact AudioControl, either by e-mail, phone or FAX. We’ll verify if there is anything wrong that you can fix yourself, or that it needs to be sent back to our factory for repair. Please include the following items with the returning unit: 1) A copy of your proof of purchase (that sales receipt we’ve been harping about). No originals please. We cannot guarantee returning them to you.
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Specifications 1600 SE Series Specifications High Current Amplifier Amplifier Power Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Watts @ 8 ohms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Watts @ 4 ohms Bridged Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 Watts @ 8 ohms Minimum Speaker Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ohms (2 ohms limited zones) Damping Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For Those Who Consider Perfection Possible® ® 22410 70th Avenue West Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA 425-775-8461 • Fax 425-778-3166 Visit us on the web at www.audiocontrol.
