QSC Audio CM16a Operation- General Information & Presets, START-UP Behavior and Preset Operating

Section 3: Operation- General Information & Presets

AMPLIFIER SETUP- The amplifiers connected to the CM16a must have their power switches in the “on” position. For initial testing, it is advisable that the amplifiers be set for the lowest useful gain (volume) setting until it is verified that the system is operating as expected. After the system setup has been verified and tested, gain settings may be set as required.

NETWORK- The network should be operable and QSControl software should be installed/running on the system controller computer.

CM16a OPERATION- To turn the CM16a on, press on the upper portion of the power switch. The green colored POWER LED will illuminate when the power switch is in the “on” position. If not, verify that the IEC power cord in properly connected to the unit and to an operating AC source between 100 and 240 volts.

Operation of the CM16a is accomplished with QSControl soft-

ware.

START-UP BEHAVIOR AND PRESET OPERATING

MODES- It is important to understand the start-up behavior outlined below. Some of the terminolgy is specific to QSControl software; refer to the software’s helpfile for detailed informa- tion.

When first taken out the box, the CM16a will power up in

a muted state with all faders at -95.5 dB., polarity set to normal, sensitivity set to 3V, and any amplifiers connected to the CM16a will be in STANDBY mode. This “setup” is the factory setting.

PRESETS- The CM16a has 16 Presets for quickly recalling settings. They are numbered 0 (zero) through 15. These presets are useful for quickly changing from one setup to another without having to change each individual control to a new setting. An example might be in a house of worship where the audio system setup is different for each service. Instead of having to keep a trained system operator on location, another individual with minimal training can be shown how to change to the desired preset for each situation.

The presets are useful tools, but Preset 0 acts differently than the others. Each time the CM16a is powered up, it recalls its settings from Preset 0. The factory Preset 0, discussed above, is a muted state with amps in STANDBY mode. When setting up your own presets, they should be stored in Preset 1 through Preset 15. See next page for notes regarding Preset 14’s use as a “scratchpad”.

The reason for not actively using Preset 0 is as follows:

Let’s say you’re operating your system in Preset 12 and you change the setting of one fader. The new setup is NOT the same as Preset 12, so the CM16a starts a 4 minute timer from the time the control was changed. After the 4 minutes has elapsed with no further control changes, it saves the NEW scene into Preset 0 . Preset 12 is left unchanged. Whatever was in Preset 0 is now gone forever. This insures that the next time the CM16a is powered up, it’s settings are the same as you left them. Remember, the CM16a always powers up in Preset 0. Refer to the software documentation for further

information.

Preset 0 will only be overwritten 4 minutes after the last control change. This includes if the CM16a is placed into one of its BYPASS modes as discussed in the following section. If the CM16a is placed into BYPASS mode and operated for at least 4 minutes without control changes, then the BYPASS mode is saved in Preset 0. The next time the CM16a is powered up, it will start up in Preset 0 (or BYPASS in this case). This could cause dangerously high output levels from the system. Insure amplifier gain controls are reduced to safe levels ANY time BYPASS mode is used.

The CM16a has all outputs momentarily muted at power-up to prevent unexpected audio pops, clicks or thumps. Remember: At power up, the CM16a will always start operating with the settings saved in Preset 0. Once network communication has been established between the host computer and the CM16a, the CM16a may be controlled remotely . In the event that the network communications link is lost while the CM16a is operating, it will continue to operate with its last settings intact.

24