Menus and Mixer Window Reference

File
Load/Save Configurations... (Cmd/Ctl-L)
Opens the Configuration window allowing you to select a Mixer configuration by choosing it from the dropdown menu. You may also edit and delete configurations, as well as create new configurations for the ECHODamp Mixer window by clicking the appropriate buttons. Note that these saved Mixer configurations can also include the settings for each of the Expander windows and the 2-Channel Ducker window if you first select (or create) their presets in their respective preset windows.

• Select Configuration: Choose a configuration preset for the Mixer from the dropdown menu. The Up/Down arrow keys on the keyboard will move up and down through this list.
• Save: Save altered settings to the current preset (overwrite the original settings). Click the "Enter" button (or press Enter or Return on your keyboard) to save the changes. Click the "Cancel" button (or press Esc on your keyboard) to cancel the overwrite. Note: if you attempt to overwrite the "Default" configuration, you will be prompted to confirm that is your intent.
• Save As: Create a new preset configuration from the current Mixer settings. You must give the configuration a name. Click the "Enter" button (or press Enter or Return on your keyboard) to create the new configuration. Click the "Cancel" button (or press Esc on your keyboard) to cancel the creation of the new configuration.
• Delete: Remove the current preset configuration from the dropdown menu. You will be asked to confirm that you really want to delete the configuration. Note: you cannot delete the "Default" configuration.

Select a Mixer Configuration

Edit and Save the settings for the Current Configuration

Create a New Configuration from the Current Mixer Settings

Setup
ECHODamp User Manual (Cmd/Ctl-U)
Opens the User Manual for ECHODamp in your computer's preferred web browser.

Check for Updates...
Connects to the ECHODamp website allowing you to check for the latest ECHODamp news and updates.

Audio Settings... (Cmd/Ctl-A)
Opens the Audio Settings window to allow the configuration of audio hardware, inputs/outputs, and sample rate.

At the top of the Audio Settings window is a dropdown menu for turning the audio in ECHODamp on and off. Audio may also be turned on and off by clicking the Audio On/Off button in the main Mixer window, or by pressing the Spacebar on your computer keyboard.

Below the Audio On/Off menu are a set of menus that allow you to choose and fine-tune the preferred audio driver for your computer. Only one audio driver can be selected at any given time. ECHODamp saves the settings for each audio driver separately and will recall the last used audio driver when you restart the program. The next four dropdown menus may or may not be active depending on which audio driver you selected in the Driver menu. When the CoreAudio driver, or either the MME or DirectSound drivers on Windows are selected, the dropdown menus allow you to change the audio input source.
Note: these menus will vary depending on the hardware and drivers installed on your computer.

Audio Driver Menu Options
• None: This setting shuts off ECHODamp audio processing.
• CoreAudio: This is the default audio driver for ECHODamp on a Macintosh. It interfaces with the system's built-in CoreAudio system and can be used with the built-in audio of the computer and any audio hardware that supports CoreAudio. You may need to install the CoreAudio driver for your interface before ECHODamp recognizes the device. With the proper CoreAudio software support, you can also work with interfaces that use ASIO.
• MME or DirectSound: (Windows only) On Windows, ECHODamp loads the MME driver by default. If you have correctly installed external hardware that supports DirectSound, it should also appear as an option on the dropdown menu.
• ad_rewire: This driver supports a standard developed by Propellerhead Software that allows sound generating applications (ReWire Devices) to send multiple channels of audio and midi to other applications (ReWire Mixers) that process and output it. Selecting the ad_rewire driver enables ECHODamp to function as a ReWire Device to route audio from ECHODamp into applications that support ReWire.
• ASIO: (Windows only) If you have a third-party audio interface that supports ASIO (a cross-platform audio hardware standard developed by Steinberg), and it is installed correctly, it will be found by the ECHODamp ASIO driver. You may have as many ASIO devices as you wish; they will all be found by the driver and will appear in the Driver dropdown menu in the Audio Settings window preceded by the word ASIO.
• ad_nonreal: This driver allows some audio software to work in non real-time mode. Real-time audio input and output are disabled under this driver, and has no practical application in ECHODamp.

Sampling Rate
• Sets the preferred sampling rate for your interface and ECHODamp. The available options will vary based on the capabilities of your interface.
  
  I/O Vector Size
• Controls the number of samples that are transferred to and from the audio interface at one time. Smaller values tend to reduce the overall latency of ECHODamp and your interface, but will increase the load on your computer's CPU. Some interfaces do not allow you to change the I/O Vector Size, or they may only allow you to do so in the dedicated driver application that came with the interface.

Signal Vector Size
• Controls the number of samples that ECHODamp processes at one time. In general, larger sizes produce better performance. For best results, set a large Signal Vector Size value that divides evenly into the value you set for the I/O Vector Size (ex: I/O Vector Size = 256, Signal Vector Size = 128 or even 256).

Enable/Disable Audio Channels Buttons
• Enable the channels you will use by clicking the appropriate button (when button is illuminated, channel is enabled). Selecting only the channels you will use helps reduce processor load on your computer by eliminating unnecessary audio processing.

Input/Output Map Button
• Opens the Input/Output Map, allowing you to manually select which inlets and outlets on your interface are mapped to the channels in ECHODamp. By default, the first 8 hardware inputs and outputs are routed into and out of ECHODamp.

Calibration Tools... (Cmd/Ctl-T)
Opens the Calibration Tools window allowing you to calibrate audio levels between VTC sites and measure round-trip latency. For more information on using the Calibration Tools, see Calibrating Your Audio and the appropriate section in the Secondary Windows Reference.

Audio Enabled (Spacebar)
Turns audio processing on and off for ECHODamp. A check mark will appear next to this menu item when audio is enabled. You can also turn audio processing on by clicking the AUDIO ON/OFF button in the Mixer window, or by simply pressing the Spacebar on your computer keyboard.

Monitor Controls... (Cmd/Ctl-M)
Opens the Monitor Controls window allowing you to create separate mixes for the Control Room and for an Audience if desired and you have the appropriate hardware configuration. For more information on using the Monitor Controls, see the appropriate section in the Secondary Windows Reference.

Sidechain Pre-Fader
By default, the sidechain signal routed to the 2-Channel Ducker is post-fader, and goes through the channel strip first (including the Downward Expander) before being sent on the sidechain bus. If you wish to have the sidechain audio bypass the channel strip and go directly to the sidechain bus, select this option. A check mark will appear by this item when it is selected indicating that the sidechain audio is pre-fader. Even if you select Pre-Fader, the audio will still pass through the Hi-Pass filter before entering the sidechain bus.

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ECHODamp Mixer
ECHODamp operates primarily from the Mixer view. The program is designed to operate and "feel" much like a typical audio mixer with controls that are familiar and intuitive to anyone with a basic working knowledge of audio mixers.

• Channel Fader: Adjusts the level of a specific channel being sent to its output assignment. Channels 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, & 8 are bused to CODEC OUT while channels 3 & 4 are bused to SPEAKERS. See Audio Interface Connections for details.
  • Click a Fader to set it to the click position.
  • Double-Click (or Opt/Alt-click) a Fader to set it to 0.00 dB (Unity).
  • Command/Control-click a Fader to set it to -inf dB (Off).
  


• Output Fader: Adjusts the level of audio sent to either the codec or to the local loudspeakers.


• LINK Button: When on (button is illuminated), joins the pair of faders on the two channels so that both faders move together while maintaining their relationship.


• MUTE Button: When on (button is illuminated), silences that specific channel.


• SOLO Button: When on (button is illuminated), silences all channels except that specific channel.


• Pan Knob: Adjusts the channel's position in the Left/Right stereo spectrum. Pan in ECHODamp uses an "equal power" algorithm so that the perceived loudness of the sound remains constant during pan adjustments.
  • Double-Click (or Option/Alt-Click) the Pan Knob to set it to the center Pan position (<0>).


• LED Meter with Clip Indicator: A 15-segment peak-reading meter with clip indicator shows the input audio level for that particular channel. The first green LED segment illuminates at -60dBfs, and the meter turns from green to yellow at -12dBfs, yellow to orange at -1dBfs and orange to red at 0dBfs. If the incoming audio level exceeds 0dBfs, the Clip Indicator will light and remain illuminated for 5 seconds following the clip. You can also turn off an illuminated Clip Indicator by clicking it with the mouse.


• SIDECHAIN Button: When on (button is illuminated), sends audio from that specific channel to the Sidechain Input of the 2-Channel Ducker.


• SIDECHAIN DELAY: Sets the amount of delay on the Sidechain bus, and therefore, the amount of time before the 2-Channel Ducker engages. The SIDECHAIN DELAY knob can be set automatically by the Latency Detector in the Calibration Tools window. Clicking and dragging this knob causes it to move by increments of 100ms. Pressing the Shift key while dragging puts the knob into "fine-tuning" mode where it moves by 1ms increments.



• BYPASS Button: When on (button is illuminated), bypasses (disables) the delay function of the Sidechain bus. If audio is being sent on the Sidechain bus, it will still be sent to the Sidechain input of the 2-Channel Ducker, but without any delay.
  
  
• HI PASS Button: Opens the Hi Pass Filter window for that specific channel. Opt/Alt-Clicking the HI PASS button enables and disables the Hi Pass Filter (when the button is illuminated, the Hi Pass Filter is processing audio).


• EXPANDER Button: Opens the Downward Expander window for that specific channel. Opt/Alt-Clicking the EXPANDER button enables and disables the Downward Expander (when the button is illuminated, the Expander is processing audio).


• DUCKER Button: Opens the 2-Channel Ducker window. Opt/Alt-Clicking the DUCKER button enables and disables the 2-Channel Ducker (when the button is illuminated, the Ducker is processing audio).


• AUDIO ON/OFF Button: When on (button is illuminated), enables DSP audio processing in ECHODamp. Note that you can also turn audio on and off by selecting Audio Enabled from the File menu, or by simply pressing the Spacebar on your computer keyboard.


• MIX A/B Buttons: Allows the user to store and recall "Quick-Mix" settings that can be instantly toggled back and forth.
  • Opt/Alt-Click the A or B button (keyboard shortcut: Opt/Alt-Shift-A, Opt/Alt-Shift-B) to store the current Mixer settings to that button (button illuminates yellow indicating it has a stored setting).
  • Click the A or B button (keyboard shortcut: Opt/Alt-A, Opt/Alt-B) to select the stored Mixer settings (button illuminates green indicating it is active).

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Overview, Installation, Setup, and Configuration | Calibrating Your Audio | Using the ECHODamp Software
Menus and Mixer Window Reference | Secondary Windows Reference

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