Manual

18 PRO X User Manual
Chapter 2: PRO Series
LiveAudioSystems
This chapter gives an overview of the PRO X Live Audio System .
Introducing The PRO X
With their exemplary audio performance and road-proven rugged and reliable
construction, the MIDAS PRO Series has become the gold standard in concert
touring and installed live sound. Employing technologies developed from the
class-leading and visionary agship MIDAS XL8 console, and oering the same
outstanding sample-synchronised and phase-coherent audio performance,
interpolated control functions and intuitive navigation, the PRO3, PRO6 and
PRO9 Live Audio Systems have become the industry’s go-to choice for live sound
reinforcement consoles.
Now the PRO Series family moves up a gear with the PRO X Live
AudioSystem and the industry-changing NEUTRON Audio System Engine.
Featuring168simultaneous input channels and 99 time-aligned and phase-
coherent buses with no trade-os in channel or bus counts.True and consistent
96 kHz sampling frequency and 40 bit oating point processing provide
exemplary quality audio processing, and the oversampled and interpolated
digital signal processing algorithms, combined with the fully interpolated and
touch sensitive user controls, result in the smooth continuous response and
immediacy of working on an analogue console. Parameter adjustment becomes
fast and easy, the continuous phase shift of a swept frequency control is heard
without the quantisation eects of the discrete steps found in other digital
consoles.
The PRO X features the rugged and road-proven KLARK TEKNIK HyperMAC and
SuperMAC (AES50-compliant) networking technologies with their ultra-low and
deterministic latencies and robust error correction.
Its powerful audio networking oers up to 288 inputs and 294 outputs
at the 96kHz sample frequency. For enhanced reliability, both the PRO
X LiveAudioSystem and the NEUTRON Audio System Engine feature a
HyperMACrouter with 192 bidirectional channels over dual-redundant copper
oroptical bre snakeconnections.
The PRO X Live Audio System features dual 15” full colour daylight-viewable
TFTdisplays for use in all environments, both inside and outdoors.
The 10 VCA (variable control association) and eight POPulation groups, combined
with the advanced navigation oered by the output-centric centre section,
allows the simultaneous display of 24 mono or stereo mix buses.
All of this provides an unparalleled mix experience.
Overview
A PRO X Live Audio System is a very powerful and exible audio processing
system that provides a complete solution for any audio mixing and signal
distribution application in a live sound environment. Common features of the
PRO X Live Audio System include:
• Dual ‘daylight visible’ screens with three-way KVM switch.
• XL8-style ‘fast zones’.
• XL8-style dual operator ‘channel strips’.
• Up to 10 VCAs.
• Up to eight POPulation groups.
• Congurable ‘area B’.
• Surround panning, including 5.1, quad and left-centre-right-surround(LCRS).
• Dual redundant Linux control computers.
• Three AES50 ports on the rear of control centre for I/O expansion.
• Eight AES50 ports for stage end of snake for I/O expansion (up to 18 ports
with Neutron NB card).
• Up to 24 congurable inputs and 24 congurable outputs on control centre
(depending on type of I/O cards tted).
• N+1 redundant, hot-swappable triple power supplies.
• 10-year factory warranty.
Despite its compact size, the PRO X Live Audio System oers a highchannel count
and exemplary audio performance. The PRO X can have up to 144simultaneous
input processing channels, along with 24 auxiliary returns and up to 96 discrete
mixes (72 auxes, 24 matrices and three masters) inmonitor mode, thus giving
a total of 99 buses (including the six solos); allof which have EQ and a choice of
dynamics options. In addition, the PRO X Live Audio System has a maximum of 24
internal efx/processing slots, PEQs (four-band on inputs and six-band on outputs),
eight standard (up to36maximum) 31-band GEQs, eightcongurable stereo
eects
1
, 5.1 surround panning and comprehensive, easy-to-use routing. PRO X
automation provides up to 1,000 scenes with snapshot save/recall capability and
global edit, andshowlearchiving.
The PRO X Control Centre forms the core of each PRO X Live Audio System.
Operation of the control surface is intuitive, unique and easy. Its layout is
based on familiar analogue lines to retain that ‘analogue’ feel. To manage the
numerous channels, the control centre utilises VCA/POP groups and colours, and
additionally there are various navigational controls that aid quick channel/bus
access and selection. A daylight-viewable GUI at the top of the control surface
assists operation and provides extra functionality.
In a standard PRO X Live Audio System, digital system processing (DSP) andsystem
I/O are provided by 19" rack units. Each system has an Audio System Engine (7U),
which is the digital system processing (DSP) engine. The PRO X Control Centre
and rack units are interconnected by a networked data system, which carries
both proprietary control data and open architecture AES50 digital audio, and uses
readily available standard cabling and connectors. ThePROX uses a proven stable
Linux operating system. All of the control centre’s internal and network routing
(“patching”) is managed via the graphical user interface(GUI).
You can assign up to 36 1/3 octave KT DN370 graphic EQs, which can be controlled
via an optional KT DN9331 Rapide. There are ve types of compression on the
inputs and four on the outputs.
The PRO X have easy-to-use routing/patching, redundant power supplies and
a modular FPGA processing engine with n+1 redundant module. The audio
transport system is international AES50 standard. Componenthardware
connections support redundant cables for copper with the option of bre-optic.
The control centre has dual redundant Linux master controllers (MCs), either of
which can run the entire system on their own, andthey are switchable without
loss of audio.
The PRO X Live Audio System is tolerant of many types of hardware or software
failure. To achieve this the system employs dual redundancy, wherea key
component has an identical redundant spare that is ready to take over should it
fail. Other failure scenarios are managed by the N+1 principle, whereredundant
components form an acceptable fraction of the system.
1 Each can be configured to generate four additional GEQs, making a total of 36 available on the
control centre (plus one stereo effect).