User Guide English Manual Version 1.0
Table of Contents (Tap a section below to jump to it.) Introduction... 3 Support... 3 Important... 3 Bluetooth Pairing... 5 Using Live Drive... 7 Getting Started... 7 Home Page... 9 Global Setup Page... 12 DSP Page... 14 EQ Page... 18 Advanced Page... 20 Setup Page... 22 Troubleshooting... 25 Trademarks and Licenses... 27 2
Introduction Support For the latest information about this product (system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit: altoprofessional.com/livedrive For support, visit: altoprofessional.com/support Important Throughout this guide, ios device refers to a compatible Apple ipad, ipad mini, iphone, or ipod touch using the latest ios. The images in this guide are of the Live Drive app for ipad. The app for ipad mini, iphone, or ipod touch may appear slightly differently due to the screen size, but all the elements described here will still be on their respective pages. The number of Black Series units you can connect to your ios device via Bluetooth is determined by your ios device (hardware) and the ios version (software). For information about your specific ios device, please visit altoprofessional.com/livedrive. 3
Updating the firmware: If there is new firmware available for any connected Black Series loudspeakers or subwoofers, Live Drive will notify you when you first open the app. Tap the Update Firmware button(s) to update that loudspeaker's or subwoofer's firmware. During the process, we recommend not closing the app and keeping your ios device within 20 feet (five meters) of the loudspeakers or subwoofers. 4
Bluetooth Pairing About Range: Black Series loudspeakers and subwoofers use an advanced, extended-range Bluetooth antenna design, allowing for longer ranges than traditional Bluetooth devices. The typical range is approximately 100 feet (30 meters) with a clear line of sight. However, the range may vary depending on your source device and the environment. To maximize the range: Set your ios device on a flat surface and make sure there are no obstacles between the loudspeaker or subwoofer and your device (e.g., walls, furniture, etc.). Turn off your ios device s Wi-Fi. Turn off any unneeded 2.4 GHz devices in the nearby vicinity (e.g., other Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, Wi-Fi access points, microwave ovens, etc.). Try using a different ios device. Bluetooth signal strength varies between different devices. To pair your loudspeakers or subwoofers to your ios device: 1. With the loudspeakers and/or subwoofers powered on, press and release their Pairing Buttons. Their Pairing LEDs will flash. 2. In your ios device s Settings page, enable Bluetooth. 5
3. In your ios device's list of nearby Bluetooth devices, select one Black Series device to connect to it, and wait until it is fully connected before selecting the next one (if you are connecting multiple loudspeakers and/or subwoofers). When that device is paired successfully, the Pairing LED will light continuously. (This process may take up to 30 seconds.) 4. Repeat Step 3 for any additional Black Series loudspeakers or subwoofers. Note: The number of Black Series units you can connect to your ios device via Bluetooth is determined by your ios device (hardware) and the ios version (software). For information about your specific ios device, please visit: altoprofessional.com/livedrive. If you power-cycle a Black Series loudspeaker or subwoofer, it will still "remember" the ios device and reconnect automatically. If you power-cycle your ios device, you must go to its Bluetooth settings page and select the Black Series device to reestablish the connection. To erase all previous pairing and linking settings from your Black Series loudspeaker or subwoofer, press and hold its Pairing Button for 10 seconds. The LED will also flash to confirm the pairing records are erased. 6
Using Live Drive Getting Started Before using Live Drive, make sure you have done the following: properly set up your Black Series loudspeakers and/or subwoofers and powered them on. updated to the latest ios version on your ios device. downloaded the latest version of the Live Drive app from the App Store. connected your Black Series loudspeakers and/or subwoofers to your ios device via Bluetooth. After that, open the Live Drive app (or, when prompted to launch the Live Drive app, select Allow). Live Drive has six main pages (two global pages plus four subpages per connected Black Series loudspeaker or subwoofer), which are described in following sections. 7
Tap the page name to jump to that section of this user guide. Home Page: This is where you control the volume levels. Tap the icon of a loudspeaker or subwoofer to access its four subpages (described below), or tap the gear icon in the upper right to access the Global Setup Page (also described below). Global Setup Page: This page contains setup-related features affecting all connected Black Series loudspeakers and/or subwoofers. DSP Page: This page lets you select the DSP setting for a loudspeaker or subwoofer. EQ Page: This page lets you set a custom EQ curve for a loudspeaker or subwoofer. Advanced Page: This page contains more advanced features (time delay, custom high-pass filter, and polarity). Setup Page: This page contains setup-related features (password protection, noise testing, and restoring defaults). 8
Home Page Tap and drag a fader to adjust its level. You will see the signal output level in the LED meter. 9
Tap the chain-link icon to "link" the levels of all connected loudspeakers and subwoofers together. Their faders will "snap" to match the level of the lowest one. You can then tap and drag one fader to adjust both/all of them simultaneously. Important: Enabling this link feature resets all loudspeakers' and subwoofers' DSP Modes (on the DSP Page) to Flat and resets all Low, Mid, and High faders (on the EQ Page) to 0 db. Any further adjustments to those settings for a loudspeaker will be made for all other connected Black Series loudspeakers. The same goes for subwoofers. If your connected Black Series loudspeakers or subwoofers are in different mute states (e.g., two are muted while one is not), enabling the link feature will not affect this. However, if all of them are already in the same mute state, or if you mute or unmute all of them, then their Mute buttons will be linked until you disable the link feature. This link feature will not affect anything on the Advanced Page or any polarity or password settings. The Peak indicator will light up when the signal output level reaches its maximum playback level. If this indicator is lit continuously and if the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's output sounds 10
distorted, (A) reduce the fader's level in the app, (B) reduce the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's volume control setting (on its rear panel), or (C) reduce the output level from your mixer. The Fault indicator will light up when the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's amplifier has stopped working. If this happens, power-cycle the loudspeaker or subwoofer (power it off then on again), and ensure its AC line voltage is within the range of 90 264 VAC. If this indicator still lights up, please contact Alto Professional support at altoprofessional.com/support. Tap a Mute button to mute or unmute the loudspeaker or subwoofer. Tap the icon of a loudspeaker or subwoofer to access its four subpages: DSP, EQ, Advanced, or Setup. Tap the gear icon to access the Global Setup Page (described in the next section). 11
Global Setup Page Tap a Locate button to play a brief tone from that loudspeaker or subwoofer. This is useful if you need to determine which loudspeaker or subwoofer is which in your setup. Tap and drag the Volume of Locate Signal fader to adjust its level. 12
Tap and drag the symbol next to a loudspeaker or subwoofer to reorder it, which affects its placement on the Home Page. Tap the Enable button to set a password to "lock out" other ios devices from controlling the loudspeakers and subwoofers. If you need to use another ios device to control them, you will need to enter the password on that ios device. Tap the Hardware Password Enable button again to disable it, or tap the Change Password button to set a new password. Note: Your ios device will remember the passwords of all previously connected loudspeakers or subwoofers. If you reconnect Live Drive to a loudspeaker or subwoofer whose password you have already entered, you will not need to re-enter the password. Tap the i in the lower-right corner of the screen to open your ios device's web browser where you can view the Live Drive app user guide. (Your ios device must be able to access the Internet to do this.) 13
DSP Page This page lets you select the DSP setting you want to use on that particular loudspeaker or subwoofer. The available settings differ between loudspeakers and subwoofers. You can use either this page or the hardware DSP button on the rear panel of the loudspeaker or subwoofer to select the setting (unless the Lock Back Panel button is on). 14
Tap the button next to your desired setting: Flat (loudspeakers only): There will be no change to the audio. Contour (loudspeakers only): Boosted bass and treble with a gradual cut of mid-range frequencies. This may be a useful setting for program material with less-than-desirable bass and highfrequency levels. 80Hz HP (loudspeakers only): Applies a high-pass filter. This is useful when using a Black Series loudspeaker as a crossover with a subwoofer that does not have a high-pass output. This setting is also useful for cutting all bass frequencies (e.g., for applications with speech only, or when used as a delay or fill loudspeaker where the extra bass frequencies are not needed). Ext LF (loudspeakers only): Extends the low-frequency response of the loudspeaker, providing increased output of bass frequencies. 15
80 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 140 Hz (subwoofers only): Adjusts the lowpass crossover setting. For most applications, we recommend using the 80 Hz or 100 Hz setting. Use the 120 Hz or 140 Hz settings to increase mid-bass impact. Custom: Applies your custom DSP mode, set in Live Drive's EQ Page. Polarity (subwoofers only): Toggles the polarity of the subwoofer's acoustic output. In some cases, reversing the polarity can help reduce any interference in the frequency overlap between a subwoofer and loudspeaker. This can also be a useful feature when time-aligning multiple loudspeakers and/or subwoofers. When the button is off, the subwoofer is set to its default positive polarity (the recommended setting). Important: When using multiple Black Series subwoofers, make sure they are set to the same polarity to avoid cancellation of the bass frequencies. 16
Loop Through Crossover Bypass (subwoofers only): Toggles between Standard and Bypass Modes. When the button is off, the subwoofer is in Standard Mode (the default) where the XLR outputs' signal is high-pass-filtered to be sent to a full-range loudspeaker. When the button illuminates green, the subwoofer is in Bypass Mode where the XLR outputs' signal will be unfiltered and full-range (the XLR outputs effectively function as loop-through connectors in this case). Tap the Lock Back Panel button to disable the hardware DSP button on the rear panel of the loudspeaker or subwoofer. When locked, only the app will control this setting. Tap the button again to unlock it and re-enable the rear panel DSP button. 17
EQ Page This page lets you set your own EQ curve, which will be applied when the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's DSP is set to Custom. Tap and drag the Low, Mid, or High fader to adjust the level of the bass, mid-range, or treble frequencies, respectively. The curve on the grid will adjust accordingly. Double-tap a fader to reset it to 0 db. The Peak indicator will light up when the signal output level reaches its maximum playback level. If this indicator is lit continuously and if the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's output sounds distorted, (A) reduce the fader's level in the app, (B) reduce the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's volume control setting (on its rear panel), or (C) reduce the output level from your mixer. 18
Tap the EQ Bypass button to allow the signal to ignore the EQ curve. Tap it again to re-enable it. Tap the 80Hz HP button to apply an 80 Hz high-pass filter to the signal (in addition to the EQ curve). This is useful when using a Black Series loudspeaker as a crossover with a subwoofer that does not have a high-pass output. This setting is also useful for cutting all bass frequencies (e.g., for in speech-only applications, or when used as a delay or fill loudspeaker where the extra bass frequencies are not needed). 19
Advanced Page Tap the Delay Enable button to apply a time delay to the loudspeaker or subwoofer. Tap the ft (feet) or m (meters) field to select the distance, and the ms (milliseconds) field will show the amount of delay. Alternatively, you can tap the ms field and select the exact value. Tap the High Pass Filter Enable button to modify the loudspeaker's high-pass filter from the factory default setting. Tap the High pass freq. field to set the frequency. This is useful when using a Black Series loudspeaker as a crossover with a subwoofer that does not have a high-pass output. This setting is also useful for cutting all bass frequencies (e.g., for in 20
speech-only applications, or when used as a delay or fill loudspeaker where the extra bass frequencies are not needed). Tap the Low Pass Filter Enable button to modify the subwoofer's low-pass filter from the factory default setting. Tap the Low pass freq. field to set the frequency. For most applications, we recommend entering a value in the range of 80 100 Hz. To increase mid-bass impact, enter a value in the range of 120 140 Hz. Tap the Polarity button to toggle the polarity of the loudspeaker's acoustic output. In some cases, reversing the polarity can help reduce any interference in the frequency overlap between a subwoofer and loudspeaker. This can also be a useful feature when time-aligning multiple loudspeakers and/or subwoofers. When the button is off, the loudspeaker is set to its default positive polarity (the recommended setting). 21
Setup Page Tap the white field under the model, serial number, and firmware version to enter a custom name for the loudspeaker or subwoofer. The name you enter will appear on the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's icon on the Home page. 22
Tap the Hardware Password Enable button to set a password to "lock out" other ios devices from controlling that loudspeaker or subwoofer. If you need to use another ios device to control it, you will need to enter the password on that ios device. (Your ios device will remember the passwords of all previously connected loudspeakers or subwoofers. When reconnecting Live Drive to a loudspeaker or subwoofer whose password you have already entered, you will not need to re-enter the password.) Tap the Hardware Password Enable button again to disable it, or tap the Change Password button to set a new password. Tap the Internal Noise Test Enable button to select a sound to send repeatedly to the loudspeaker or subwoofer for testing. Tap Sine Wave or Pink Noise to send the corresponding sound, and tap and drag the fader to adjust the sound level. Note: Sine Wave will generate a swept sine wave from 20 Hz to 20 khz. This test is useful for ensuring the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's transducers and amplifier are operating correctly. Note: To play the internal noise test sound, the loudspeaker or subwoofer must be unmuted. 23
Tap the Restore button to return all Live Drive app settings to their defaults. 24
Troubleshooting A loudspeaker or subwoofer does not appear in the list of available Bluetooth devices on my ios device. Make sure the unit is powered on and within range (100 feet, or 30 meters, with a clear line of sight). Also, make sure you have pressed its Pairing Button on the rear panel. If you are still unable to pair to the loudspeaker or subwoofer, bring it as close as possible to your ios device. Live Drive was connected to a loudspeaker or subwoofer but suddenly dropped the connection. Make sure the unit is powered on and within range (100 feet, or 30 meters, with a clear line of sight). If your ios device does not reconnect automatically, (1) power-cycle the loudspeaker or subwoofer (power it off then on again) and (2) in your ios device, enter Settings, select Bluetooth, and then select Connect next to the loudspeaker or subwoofer. 25
On the Home Page, one or more of the loudspeakers or subwoofers is grayed out. Make sure the unit is powered on and within range (100 feet, or 30 meters, with a clear line of sight). If that does not reestablish the connection, press your ios device's Home button to minimize the Live Drive app, and then reopen it. If that does not reestablish the connection, double-press your ios device's Home button, completely close/exit the Live Drive app, and reopen it. If that does not reestablish the connection, power-cycle your ios device (power it off and power it on again) and reopen the Live Drive app. The Fault indicator is lit on one of the connected loudspeakers or subwoofers. Power-cycle the loudspeaker or subwoofer (power it off then on again), and ensure its AC line voltage is within the range of 90 264 VAC. If this indicator still lights up, please contact Alto Professional's technical support team at altoprofessional.com/support and report this. (This likely means the loudspeaker's or subwoofer's amplifier has stopped working and needs to be serviced.) 26
Trademarks and Licenses Alto Professional is a trademark of inmusic Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, Mac, and OS X are trademarks or service marks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. IOS is a registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by inmusic is under license. All other product or company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. altoprofessional.com 27