Operation Manual

32 Chapter 3: About The Control Centre
PRO Series Live Audio Systems
Owner’s Manual
External interfaces and peripheral devices
Various devices can be used with the PRO Series, such as:
• External USB mouse Instead of using the primary navigation zone to operate
either of the GUI screens, you can use an external USB mouse. This can be plugged
into any of the USB connectors on the PRO Series. The USB mouse behaves in the
same way as any PC mouse. For more information, see “Using an external USB
mouse” on page 244.
• External USB keyboard A USB keyboard can be used to operate either of the GUI
screens. For more information, see “Using an external USB keyboard” on page 244.
• MIDI Standard 5-pin connectors are housed in the rear panel for use as MIDI in,
out and through ports. These are fitted on the I/O units and, therefore, are available
at both the FOH and the stage locations.
• USB Host and slave USB ports are provided on all units and are, therefore,
available at the FOH and stage locations. In addition, the PRO Series provides USB
host ports (left of GUI screens) for keyboard, mouse and removable storage
(memory stick).
• External monitor The control centre has high density D-type connectors on the
rear panel of the PRO Series Control Centre that carry VGA signals for external
monitor connection. For more information, see “Using an external monitor” on
page 245.
• HELIX auto solo Provided by means of the Ethernet connections on the routers.
Solo tracking system (STS) is only available by using a Klark Teknik HELIX RapidE.
The console sends solo messages to the RapidE, which then pages to the console.
• Remote GEQ operation A Klark Teknik HELIX RapidE can be used to remotely
control the GEQs of the PRO Series Control Centre.
• Network inter-operability A port on the router is for general ‘rest of the world’
Ethernet traffic. This port is isolated from the PRO Series Control Centre’s Ethernet
traffic by a routing table gateway mechanism within the router itself.
Mix buses
To help reduce latency the PRO Series has only four time zones for the primary channel
types, with the interconnecting buses being restricted to the intervening time. The time
zones and their channel associations are as follows:
• First time zone Input channels, including aux inputs set to input channel mode.
• Interval between first and second time zones Aux bus.
• Second time zone Aux Channels, including aux inputs that are set to effects
return mode.
• Interval between second and third time zones Master bus.
• Third time zone Master outputs.
• Interval between third and fourth time zones Matrix bus.
• Fourth time zone Matrix outputs.
This differs from traditional analogue consoles, where it is often possible to mix four or
five times through a system, as latency is not an issue. However, this system has the
advantages of being able to route directly from inputs to matrix output — one bus to
another — and offering more flexible bus types (stereo, mono, aux, sub, mix minus
etc.).
In this system, all inputs are automatically time aligned, so there is no comb filtering,
which is often a problem with other digital consoles.