User Manual DSPECIALISTS Digitale Audio- und Messsysteme GmbH Helmholtzstr. 2-9 L D-10587 Berlin http://www.dspecialists.
User Manual AUBION X.8 Table of contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Scope of delivery 2 3 System requirements 2 4 Installation and quickstart 2 5 Hardware 3 6 Configuring the X.8 5 6.1 Entering settings in the X.8 GUI 5 6.1.1 Device list 6 6.1.2 Connecting to an X.8 6 6.1.3 Line-Out settings 7 6.1.4 Mic/Line-In switchover 8 6.1.5 Mic settings 8 6.1.6 In 7/8 settings 9 6.1.7 Line-In settings 9 6.1.8 S/PDIF settings 10 6.1.9 Selecting the monitoring channel 10 6.1.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2 Connections 19 9.2.1 Power supply 19 9.2.2 Network interfaces 20 9.2.3 Line-Outs 21 9.2.4 Mic-/Line-In 1 to 4 22 9.2.5 Line-In 1 to 8 24 9.2.6 S/PDIF input and output 25 9.2.7 Headphone socket 26 9.3 ASIO and X.8 channel assignment 26 9.4 Connection logic and status change 27 9.5 Configurations in X.8 GUI vs. X.8 device 27 9.6 Block diagram of X.
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User Manual AUBION X.8 1 Introduction Thank-you for choosing an AUBION X.8! The X.8 is a professional multi-channel audio AD/DA converter with integrated microphone amplifiers and real-time transport for eight Mic/Line/SPDIF input ports and four Line/SPDIF output ports via a conventional Ethernet network (100 Mbit/s or 1 Gbit/s) from and to your PC. In combination with measuring software tools from AFMG (e.g. EASERA, SysTune) the X.8 is a measurement device for high-precision acoustic measurements.
User Manual AUBION X.8 2 Scope of delivery Your AUBION X.8 package includes the following components: · AUBION X.8 device · Mains adapter (power supply) · X.8 driver CD 3 System requirements Minimum hardware requirements: · 1.
User Manual AUBION X.8 5 Hardware Front panel of the X.8: · Setting and display of the input and output gains, the phantom power supply and the signal level. · Port for stereo monitoring headphones; electrically asymmetric Rear side of the X.8: · · Ethernet ports 1+2: a 10/100/1000BaseT each on two RJ45 sockets; o The two network ports can be seen as connections of a 2-port Ethernet switch; this means, for example, that the X.8 can be connected between PC and network.
User Manual AUBION X.8 · · · Output channels 1/2: o 2 line outputs to 2 TRS jack plugs o Reference level for digital full scale level (0 dBFSpeak): +3 dBu, +6 dBu, +12 dBu and +21 dBu can be adjusted in the X.8 GUI o The gain regulator (0..-100 dB) can be controlled on the front panel of the X.8 or in the GUI Sampling rates and synchronization: o Synchronization either on internal master (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz can be set in the X.8 GUI) or on the S/PDIF-IN master clock1.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6 Configuring the X.8 An X.8 can be extensively configured on the device's front panel or on your PC. While the X.8 GUI shows you all setting options and status displays, gain settings can be done on the front panel and some of the operating states are displayed there. Gain changes can be made at the same time on the front operating panel of the X.8 and in the X.8 GUI. The gain settings are displayed simultaneously on both.
User Manual AUBION X.8 If the X.8 GUI is closed by clicking the [X] button in the corner of the window, the software does not terminate, but is only minimized in the Windows system tray. Clicking the X.8 Systray symbol with the left-hand mouse button opens the software again. With the righthand mouse button, click Exit or File / Exit in the menu in the main window to terminate the application. 6.1.1 Device list After the X.8 GUI has started, the control software lists all X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 remains loaded. This also works if the X.8 is separated from the network temporarily. As soon as it is once again connected with the network, the X.8 service automatically reconnects to the last connected X.8. This also works, however, when your PC is rebooted, as the X.8 service notes which X.8 in the network it was connected to before the X.8 was disconnected. The X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 The red LED lamp informs you about the mute status. The full scale level set in each case is therefore reached when the associated attenuation fader is at 0 dB and a full scale sine signal is emitted via ASIO. 6.1.4 Mic/Line-In switchover On the first four audio input channels, you can choose whether they should be supplied by the respective XLR connection as a Mic signal or by the integrated TRS connection or the D-SUB25 socket as a Line signal.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.1.6 In 7/8 settings The input channels 7-8 can be supplied either by the corresponding two Line-In connections (D-SUB25 sockets) or by the S/PDIF-In connection. You can select this in the X.8 GUI using the changeover switch above the Line-In 7-8 fader. If you have selected the SPDIF-in 7/8 there, the two faders for setting the input amplifications of Line-In 7-8 are faded out and the input channels 7-8 are supplied by the S/PDIFIn connection. 6.1.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.1.8 S/PDIF settings For the S/PDIF-In, you can only select the source for the two input channels 7-8 with the changeover switch: S/PDIF-In 7-8 or Line-In 7-8 (see section 6.1.6). Otherwise, both the two S/PDIF input channels as well as the two S/PDIF output channels (Out 3-4) are input/output at an unchanged level and are each available as ASIO channels on your PC. When you set the synchronization master source Master (see section 6.1.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.1.10 Setting the audio cycle and the synchronization source The X.8 hardware is equipped with two basic masters to set the sampling rate. In the X.8 GUI menu File, in the Device Settings option on the Device tab page, you can choose between the sampling rates 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz. Once you have made your selection, this activates a switchover in the X.8 which is always saved there. From the point of view of the ASIO driver on your PC, the audio cycle of the X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.1.12 Manually updating the X.8 software The X.8 firmware can be updated by the X.8 GUI when required. To do so, select the menu option File/Install Firmware... An update dialog appears that first of all displays the device name, the device IP address and the installed firmware version. An X.8 update file has the file extension “*.ax8”.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.1.14 Advanced settings A dialog for advanced settings for the X.8 can be found in the File/Device Settings... menu item below the Connection tab. When you see the green button labeled Stable Audio Connection, the data connection is working free of errors. If the message Audio Drop-Outs Detected appears in red, please increase the I/O Buffer until the connection is stable. There are other events in the network connection that can lead to errors in the data transport.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.1.15 Device information The status of a connected X.8 can be found along the bottom of your screen in the X.8 GUI. The following text is generally shown there: Connected to: AubionX8_00-00-3b IP: 10.0.10.201 Version: v2-r553-r876 Sample Rate: 48000 Hz The information displayed comprises the following: · AubionX8_00-00-3b : unique identification of the X.8 · 10.0.10.201: automatically allocated IP address of the X.8 · v2: hardware version of the X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.2 Settings on the X.8 While the X.8 GUI allows complete access to the X.8 configuration, some of these settings can also be carried out on the front operating panel of the X.8 device in standalone operation even without the X.8 GUI: · Configuration of the input and output amplifications · Unmute/Mute for the Line-Out channels The front panel also provides the following: · ON/OFF switch disconnects the X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 6.2.2 Level displays The level of the analog input and output channel is displayed in the upper row of lamps (SIG) on the front operating panel of the X.8. In addition, there is one lamp per channel, each of which can display three statuses: 1. SIG-LED off: signal level £ -50 dBFSrms 2. SIG-LED green: -50 dBFSrms < signal level < -3 dBFSrms 3.
User Manual AUBION X.8 7 General ASIO operation Section 9.3 shows the allocation of the ASIO playback and record channels to the physical X.8 connections. The X.8 ASIO driver is multiclient. This means that several ASIO-capable audio applications can process audio data from the X.8 at the same time. No further settings are necessary for this feature. However, the following points are important: · You must make sure that all applications are set to the same sampling rate.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9 Technical reference 9.1 Technical data Dynamic range AD: 110 dB RMS unweighted THD+N AD: < 0.001% Crosstalk attenuation AD: > 110 dB Dynamic range DA: 110 dB RMS unweighted THD+N DA: < 0.001% Cross-talk attenuation DA: > 110 dB Input level Line @ 0 dBFSpeak (Clip) +21 dBu, +12 dBu, +6 dBu, +3 dBu (i.e. 4 steps) Input level Mic @ 0dBFSpeak (Clip) +9 dBu, -1 dBu, -2 dBu...-56 dBu (i.e.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2 Connections 9.2.1 Power supply The AUBION X.8 is supplied with 24 V direct current.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2.2 Network interfaces The two network interfaces (RJ45) of the AUBION X.8 behave like a triple-speed Ethernet layer-2 switch. This means it can be connected directly to a PC or be cabled via the local network infrastructure (switched network). Technical data of Ethernet interfaces Specification Two independent Auto-Crossover Gigabit Ethernet transceivers fully compliant with the applicable sections of IEEE802.3 and IEEE802.3ab.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2.3 Line-Outs The two Line-Out connections are designed as 6.3 mm jacks (¼“ TRS jack sockets). Technical data of Line-Out sockets Specification Two independent symmetrically balanced line level outputs; DC-coupled. Max. level (0 dBFSpeak) +21 dBu, +12 dBu, +6 dBu, +3 dBu dependent on analog gain (i.e. full-scale level, refer to section 6.1.3) Frequency response @fs = 48 kHz: 20 Hz...20 kHz (<0.1 dB) THD+N < 0.001% @21 dBu over full bandwidth (<0.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2.4 Mic-/Line-In 1 to 4 The four combined Mic/Line inputs are designed as XLR-Combo (XLR + TRS) jacks. In addition, Line-In 1 to 4 can also be connected to the D-SUB25 socket (see section 9.2.5). Technical data of Mic-In of XLR-Combos Specification Four balanced microphone inputs at XLR-socket contacts; AC-coupled. Max. level (0 dBFSpeak) +9 dBu, -1 dBu, -2 dBu...-56 dBu dependent on mic-in gain (refer to section 6.1.5). Frequency response @fs = 48 kHz: 20 Hz...20 kHz (<0.
User Manual AUBION X.8 Technical data of TRS Line-In of XLR-Combos Specification Four balanced line inputs at TRS-socket contacts; AC-coupled. Max. Level (0 dBFSpeak) +21 dBu, +12 dBu, +6 dBu, +3 dBu dependent on Line-In gain (refer to section 6.1.7). Frequency Response @fs = 48 kHz: 20 Hz...20 kHz (<0.2 dB) THD+N (full bandwidth) < 0.003% @21 dBu < 0.001% @12 dBu and 6 dBu < 0.002% @3 dBu Input Impedance Dependent on Max. Level (or gain resp.): 1.9 kOhm @21 dBu, 2.5 kOhm @12 dBu, 5.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2.5 Line-In 1 to 8 All eight Line-Inputs are available on the D-SUB25 socket on the rear of the device. LineIn 1 to 4 can also be connected to the Mic-/Line-Ins 1 to 4 (see section 9.2.4). Technical data of Line-In of 25-contact D-type connector Specification Eight balanced line inputs at D-type-socket contacts; AC-coupled. Max. Level (0 dBFSpeak) +21 dBu, +12 dBu, +6 dBu, +3 dBu dependent on Line-In gain (refer to section 6.1.7). Frequency Response @fs = 48 kHz: 20 Hz...
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2.6 S/PDIF input and output The connections for the S/PDIF input and the output are designed as cinch (RCA) sockets on the rear of the device. Technical data of S/PDIF In and Out RCA sockets Specification One S/PDIF input RCA socket. One S/PIDF output RCA socket. Standards conformance AES3, S/PDIF, IEC 60958, EIAJ CP-1201 Electrical interface 75 Ohm, unbalanced, AC transformer coupled Input sample rates 28 kHz...200 kHz @ Aubion clock master (i.e.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.2.7 Headphone socket The headphone socket is located on the front panel and is designed as a 6.3 mm jack (¼“ TRS jack socket). Technical data of Headphone Socket Specification One stereo unbalanced headphone output; DC-coupled. Frequency response @fs = 48 kHz: 20...20 kHz (<0.1 dB) THD+N < 0.001% @21 dBu over full bandwidth Output Impedance 20 Ohm Mates with ¼“ TRS jacks Tip: Left Ring: Right Sleeve: Shield / GND GND Left Left Right Right 9.3 ASIO and X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.4 Connection logic and status change The following overview shows all status changes in the connection logic of the X.8. 9.5 Configurations in X.8 GUI vs. X.8 device The following table compares possibilities of configuration in the X.8 GUI and at the device: X.8 GUI X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 9.6 Block diagram of X.
User Manual AUBION X.8 10 Contact / Imprint DSPECIALISTS Gesellschaft für Audio- und Messsysteme GmbH Berlin, Germany Email: info@dspecialists.de Website: http://www.dspecialists.de AFMG Technologies GmbH Berlin, Germany Email: info@afmg.eu Website: http://www.afmg.eu Notice All rights reserved. It is prohibited to copy this document in parts or as a whole. Technical data and equipment may be subject to change without prior notice.
