AD-2 FAQ, Tips and Techniques

AD-2 FAQ (click on the '+' to expand the answer)
	+	What do the flashing !!! Characters mean in the display?
Answer These indicate a warning condition and further explanation can be seen by pressing [>]. A common display is Warnings: [Lvl] *Bad External DI. This means that a Digital Input (DI) signal is expected but not present or is incorrect.. In the default state of the AD-2, if an external Wordclock is not connected, this warning is shown accompanied by a solid ON "Local" LED and a flashing "WCK" LED. If this display appears at other times, use the [>] key to investigate. (ID = 0008)
	+	Can I assign the Aux output to one of the XLR connectors?
Answer Yes, but take care not to confuse the functions of XLR 1 & 2 if you assign them separately with Main and Aux generating different audio formats. (ID = 0009)
	+	How can I enable headroom setting by the stores?
Answer The AD-2 allows you to set the input level at which digital full-scale (0dBFS) is reached using the 0dBFS: setting in the A-D Mode Setup sub-menu. The headroom limit can be considered as being the same as the maximum input level. Clipping will occur cleanly at this point. Then use the [down] key to get to the Preferences Menu. Press [Enter]. Press [down] repeatedly until Load A-D Gains:N is displayed. Then use the [>] key to change the setting to Yes and finally Press [Enter]. Once you have done this, any future store save and load operations will respectively set and restore the store's maximum input level (line-up) setting. USE THIS WITH GREAT CARE! (ID = 0010)
	+	Can I drive 2 wire and 1-wire 96kHz at the same time?
Answer Yes. You could use any of the A-D Factory Presets 1, 2 or 4 as a base or you could start with the Set-up Wizard and set 96k 1-wire 24-bit output. Then, you must modify the resulting setup to obtain the formats you need. Starting from A-D Factory Preset 2; Factory Preset Store 2 places the Main Output on the XLR and BNC connectors in 1-wire (2x speed) AES-3id format. XLR1 & 2 can then be configured as 2-wire, leaving 1-wire (i.e. 2x speed AES3) 96k on the BNC outputs. First ensure that Factory Preset Store 2 is loaded. Press <A-D Modes>, then <Factory Presets>, then <2>. You should see A-D:96k,24b 1XLR. Press [Enter] to load the store. Then, use the [down] key to select the Dig O/P Assign menu; press [Enter] and then press [down] until the XLR2 O/P:Main display is obtained. Use [<] to select Split96 and then press [Enter]. Check that the yellow "Link" LED is now on adjacent to the XLR1 & 2 LEDs in the "Output Assignment" box. Now, the XLRs are driving 2-wire and the BNCs are driving 1-wire, 2x speed AES3. (ID = 0011)
	+	How do I do sample-rate conversion?
Answer A common requirement is down-conversion from a high sample-rate to a low rate such as 44.1kHz for CD release. To do this, press <D-D Modes>, <Factory Presets> and then <1> for 1-wire or <2> for 2-wire and then [Enter] to load the store. See section 2.4 for details of Factory Preset stores D-D 1 and 2. To change the output sample rate from the preset 44.1kHz, press [down] until Main O/P Setup is displayed, then [Enter]. Use the [<] and [>] keys to select the desired output sample-rate and then press [Enter] to confirm the selection. (ID = 0012)
	+	Can the AD-2 convert up to 96kHz from 44.1kHz?
Answer Yes. Use D-D Factory Preset Store 1 as a base. (Store 2 will be less useful as it specifies 2-wire input and this would need to be changed.) Press <D-D Modes>, <Factory Presets> and then <1>. Press [Enter] to load the store. Now change the output sample rate from the preset 44.1kHz to 96 or 88.2kHz. Press [down] until Main O/P Setup is displayed, then [Enter]. Use the [<] and [>] keys to select the desired high sampling rate, followed by [Enter] to confirm the selection. The AD-2 is now ready to up-convert using AES3 input on input XLR1 and generating 1-wire (2x speed) output on XLR1 and XLR2. (ID = 0013)
	+	How do I change the synchronization to AES3?
Answer This can be set starting from any of the A-D mode Factory Presets by using the Menu controls. Start using the [down] control to locate the D-D Mode Setup sub-menu. Press [Enter] and then use the [<] and [>] keys to select XLR1 or XLR2. Confirm the selection with [Enter]. The AD-2 can accept sync at a frequency which differs from its outputs. For more information about the highly flexible synchronization modes of the AD-2, see section 5 of the user manual for more information. The manual can be downloaded from the downloads page. (ID = 0014)
	+	What is DRE?
Answer Dynamic Range Enhancement (DRE) is a process designed for increasing the dynamic range of 16-bit recording channels, such as DAT, CD-R, or 1630+U-matic, when further post-processing is required. It requires an encode process on recording and a decode process on playback. It is suitable for applications where 20-bit dynamic performance is desired of the recorder but only a 16-bit recorder is available, and where the requirement for a decode process is not a problem. The AD-2 Dual-rate A/D converter can encode DRE signals from analogue or digital sources, and can also decode them (in digital to digital mode) to transfer the high resolution signal, encoded on a 16-bit tape, onto a 20 bit digital audio workstation. (The Prism Sound Dream DA-2 can be used to provide analogue monitoring of the encoded signal.) (ID = 0015)
	+	What is the menu structure of my AD-2?
Answer Please see this technical tip. (ID = 0016)
	+	What are the factory analogue preset store settings?
Answer Please see this technical tip. (ID = 0017)
	+	What are the factory digital preset store settings?
Answer Please see this technical tip. (ID = 0018)

My problem is not listed here - what should I try next?

You can do one or more of the following:

Download the AD-2 manual for full product details.

Contact your local distributor for help.

Contact tech.support@prismsound.com for specific problems not found above.