Void Bias Q5 User Manual - page 18
Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0
Page 18
9 Armonía Pro Audio Suite
Armonía Pro Audio Suite is the default configuring
interface that allows system setting and customization
of the Bias Q5 amplifier platforms.
Armonía can be installed on a PC running
Windows (XP SP3 and higher). Download Armonía
Pro Audio Suite from the Armonía forum:
http://www.voidacoustics.com/void_uploads/Armonia.zip
Bias Q5 amplifier platforms can connect to the PC running
Armonía through a Fast Ethernet connection. In order to
start remote operation, the device must be discovered and
imported into the Armonía Workspace. Click on the Discover
button in the Remote entities windows, or select it from
the Model list and drag it into the Armonía Workspace.
The callback button – located rightmost on the front
panel of the amplifier – allows you to highlight the
presence of the amplifier into the Armonía Workspace.
Once connected to Armonía Pro Audio Suite, a double
click on the amplifier icon in the Workspace will open
the amplifier dashboard. Here it is possible to access
and configure all the features of the Bias Q5 platform.
9.1 Signal routing and DSP architecture
Signal processing on Void Bias Q5 amplifier platforms
accomplishes multiple functions that affect the
audio signal before power amplification. The main
adjustments include gain, polarity, delay, limiting and
signal equalization; some processing are related only to
particular stages, such as limiting and damping control
that are implemented on the output section only, or
input priority assignment available in the input section.
The processing architecture is composed of six sections:
•
Input source selection. The input section allows you
to manage input gain and delay of analog and digital
sources, in order to compensate transmission latency
and levels. Furthermore, the Bias Q5 implements a
backup policy aimed to improve reliability against
signal fault. By assigning a bus priority to the four
different input sources – analog and AES3 – per
channel, the system is able to automatically switch to
a reliable input connection in case of any signal fault.
•
Matrix. The innovative routing engine of Bias Q5
allows any input to be routed to any output. The
Matrix implements a non-Boolean routing architecture
allowing free channel assignment and level adjustment.
•
Advanced processing. This allows you to optimize
levels and shape the sound of the input signals. Gain
and polarity adjustment, asymmetric raised-cosine
full parametric filters, delay and mute are available
on each channel routed to the speaker section.
•
Speaker equalization. Designed to manage the
configuration presets for multi-way systems, it
implements FIR and IIR full parametric filters.
•
Speaker routing. Once properly grouped, the
output channels are presented to the matrix as
speakers – a single row representing a speaker
(actually group of ways) – allowing a high
grade of granularity in signal processing.
•
Output processing. This allows fine-tuning of output
signals, aiming to optimize power delivering and
loudspeaker performance. It provides gain and polarity
adjustment, IIR and FIR full parametric filters, delay, mute,
limiting and damping control on each output channel.
9.2 Purposed workflow
Once the loudspeaker layout has been defined, we suggest
a bottom-up configuration procedure that starts from the
configuration of the transducers layout and raises toward
the input selection and the definition of the backup policy.
Shortly, the main steps to follow are:
1.
Load the loudspeaker presets or manually configure
the loudspeaker layout (grouping output channels,
crossovering, limiting, speaker processing, etc.).
2. Define the routing path and the levels of the signals from
the input channels to the active output channels (matrix).
3. Select the signal source from the input connections
and define the backup policy (input source selection).
Figure 3: Armonía Pro Audio Suite.