Anthem D2/D2v/AVM50/AVM50v/ARC1 tweaking guide - Page 1322

Interesting... Bryston is claiming their current pre/pro is 4K compatible since it is an AUDIO ONLY product. The video portion is supposedly irrelevant and passed through like a basic HDMI switch.

I don't think they have actually tested it yet, but if it fails that would imply that all the basic HDMI switches on the market will also fail.

could they be speaking of the SP2, not the SP3 with that claim?
Edited by Kimeran - 1/10/13 at 12:11pm

Question about subwoofer post ARC in Music mode.

Greetings all,

I have a silly question about the best practice of switching the crossover of my sub post ARC. Right now, when I'm in pure stereo mode, I have my speakers run full-range (they go down to 23hz) and I have no sub engaged. My MOVIE and MUSIC configurations have completely different settings.

If, however, I want to have the sub turned on for some reason when playing stereo channel content is the best practice to do that via the GUI setup menu in the anthem or do it on the PC via the ARC software and then re-upload? There are some times where I'm playing stereo/2-channel content that isn't purely music and I don't want to engage movie mode. I simply want my sub to kick in at around 30hz.

From what I recall, the ARC software isn't the crossover frequency (and I can never remember what it is).

Thanks for best practice advice.

Theo

Yes but isn't that rather like taking a mono audio release and pushing it through all the speakers and calling it 7.1?

Both are rather pointless and ultimately quite unsatisfying.....

HDMI Audio is not a separate signal. It is embedded in the "blanking intervals" of HDMI video. So there is ALWAYS a video signal if you have HDMI audio (even if just a still frame of black), and any HDMI audio processor has to process the HDMI video input enough to extract the audio portion from the video. In addition, most devices are not simple mechanical switches for HDMI. They rebuffer and regenerate the signal for output -- which is why you can start over again on cable length restrictions for example.

Now, I've not looked into it, but it is possible the current generation of HDMI input and output chips do all that's needed to extract the audio and "pass through" the HDMI input to the output. Whether there are additional board design issues to support 4K pass through bandwidth I also don't know.
--Bob

If you are using Analog input for your stereo music you can do it by building your Music configuration with the Sub included and switching the Setup > Source Setup definition between ANALOG-DIRECT (no ARC and thus no Crossover) and ANALOG-DSP (ARC and thus Crossover enabled).

You can also build your Music configuration with a very low Cutoff/Crossover value in ARC's Targets for LF/RF. So for example if you set them to a 30Hz Cutoff/Crossover then the sub would start kicking in at that point but it wouldn't be fully carrying the load until below 20Hz.

The Room Correction parameters that ARC Uploads are calculated assuming the Cutoff/Crossover values are still the same as when ARC did the calculation. So if you are going to use ARC for a Source (Room EQ = ON and also ANALOG-DSP if an Analog audio input Source), then you should NOT futz with the Crossover values ARC has Uploaded into the Setup menu.

Keep in mind that the Crossover is implemented over about an octave (factor of 2 in frequency). So if your LF/RF speakers are *REALLY* good down to 23Hz -- at Volume -- pretty unusual unless you have powered woofers in them -- then the Rule of Thumb for the Crossover would be to set it no lower than 46Hz. That allows an additional octave below that of continued good output from LF/RF as the Sub is starting to receive steered bass down there.
--Bob

I have powered woofers in my mains and I still cross them at 60hz. Just because a speaker can dip into the 20's doesn't mean you shouldn't cross them over. Just about any subwoofer is going to be more capable in the 60 - 20 range. The trick is getting your subwoofer properly dialed in with your mains. And as Bob says the crossover isn't a brick wall you still get signal to the mains below the crossover point.

Hello:

Haven't been to the forum in some time (life's events, work, and some hardships have intervened) but was hoping to get some help.

I'm still running a D2 (1st iteration) and have encountered a problem that has me left wondering where to start.

For no clear reason, when I use my system (for instance playing a BluRay Disc) the video is fine, but I can only hear a part of the audio track (mostly background sounds/music and effects) while the main audio tracks (people speaking etc) is either muted or only faintly heard. I haven't changed any settings (that I'm aware of!) and this occurs with not only the BluRay HDMI feed, but similarly with other HDMI inputs (cable, DVD).

Any ideas whats going on? Any advice?

Thanks for any wisdom you can send my way.

Sounds like you have lost your Center channel -- which is where the dialog usually resides.

Use the internal test tones (Setup > Level Calibration) to insure the cabling, power-amp channel, and speaker are actually functioning.

If not, one place to look is if you have a Trigger wire taking the Center channel amp out of stand-by. It may have come loose. While you are at it, check the normal wiring for the Center channel path from the D2 to the power-amp and from the power amp to the speaker.

It is conceivable, but not likely, that you have a firmware or hardware problem in the D2, but check the basics first.

As always with cases of odd speaker volume another good step is to make sure you haven't accidentally set a "temporary" speaker volume trim with the buttons on the remote.

To reset ALL the temporary settings at once, go into Setup and:

1) Save User Settings
2) Reload Factory Defaults -- if you lose video, continue via the Front Panel display
3) Reload Saved User Settings

Since the temporary settings are not saved, this resets them.
--Bob

Bob, thanks and perfect. That response jarred my memory about handing things in ARC as opposed to doing it via the GUI.

There's nothing like my Revel Ultima2 Salons running full range. It's something absolutely stunning to behold.

However, if I'm watching something in 2-channel and it's a stereo source, I want to have the sub enabled to hit some of the presence in the 20s and lower--and I still want ARC enabled to handle the bass correction. 99.98% of my music is all digital, so I'm using the 50v DAC so I'm rarely ever running analog directly into the 50v.

Thanks guys, that was very helpful.

Theo

I have a HP dv7 6c20us laptop with windows7. Whenever I try to use ARCt the software tells me that it failed to initalize wave capture audio device.. When I check the device it states that it is working properly. What could be the cause?

It might be silly to ask but,
Have you turned OFF all and any antivirus or firewall software, including any Microsoft supplied software before trying to install the ARC software ?
Also unplug any USB devices connected to that laptop
Remove ARC from the programs already installed and re-install
Edited by thestewman - 1/11/13 at 10:55am

There is a tutorial which tells you how to do it.I had a similar problem and Bob told me how to.Emai Anthem support and they should send you the guide.

You would think so but the answer is a definate NO! I was listening to a movie director (James Cameron) where he said he was very impressed with the 2D -> 3D conversions he had seen and wondered if its really necessary to work with the bulky, expensive and finicky 3D movie cameras. Somehow, they have managed to extract credible 3D information from 2D sources, the mechanics of which i'm not yet familiar with.

If the upgrade board is fully HDMI 1.4 compliant, as it seems to be to pass through 3D video sources, then it also has te ability to support 4K video as that is also part of the HDMI 1.4 spec: http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/4K.aspx. They may have not been able to test it for lack of credible 4K sources or test equipment, but it is part of the 1.4 spec.

 

I also heard that the current BD disk is the last physical disk Hollywood will support. That future content distributions 4K and above will be via downloads as they've been doing for cinema's for quite some time now. No longer are standard movie reels physically distributed to movie houses. They have media servers that download the movie at hand in the theater which distributes it to the various theater rooms for playback at precisely the right time.

 

TV commercials are distributed in the same manner as well. They are produced and uploaded to the major TV networks who then distribute it electronically to their various markets nationwide. No more video cassettes of any type used in the distribution process. Ever wondered how political compaigns can turn around a new commercial and target it for specific markets around the state or country within a few hours? Physical tapes used? Nope!

Edited by dmusoke - 1/11/13 at 11:55am

It's not while trying to install, I'm trying to measure. I have no problem connecting to the D2, it just won't initialize the microphone.

Check
After you run setup you should have the two files in the Program Files/Anthem/Anthem Room Correction folder
The numbers on the .cal and .file should be your unit serial number and the microphone serial number.

Otherwise it usually is a USB device problem in recording devices

Yes thats what I am talking about.It is not the software as such.It has to do with Win 7.

The ARC application uses a Windows sound capture software element to access the mic. This is installed as part of a default Windows 7 install, but if you did a Custom install you might have excluded the Media portions of Windows. If that's what's going on, you can tell Windows to add that Media stuff back in to your existing Windows 7 install.

Another possibility is that you mistakenly ran the ARC application as downloaded -- i.e., without Installing it first. You need to install the ARC application (with the Setup.exe installer program that's part of what you get), and then run the installed version.

A third possibility, if your ARC install CD is quite old, is that you have a version of ARC prior to when it was made Windows 7 compatible. The fix for that is to download the ARC V3.0.2 install kit from the Anthem web site. Unzip that and you will have a folder. Dive into that folder and find the Setup.exe program (the installer). Don't run that yet.

Now insert your original ARC install CD. If the installer on the CD starts up automatically just Quit out of it. Dive into the CD and find the Setup.exe program on it. In that same place will be two files with names made up of numbers (your Anthem processor's serial number and your ARC mic's serial number). These are your ARC license and individual ARC mic calibration data file. Copy those two files from the CD to the same place as the Setup.exe installer in the downloaded version. You can now eject the CD, you are done with it.

Then run the Setup.exe program in the downloaded version. It will install ARC V3.0.2 and copy the two files where they need to go as well. You will end up with an ARC shortcut on your desktop which you can use to run the installed version of ARC.

As always with Windows, it is a good idea to reboot Windows after installing or uninstalling something before you do anything else. And before doing a re-install, it would probably be a good idea to go to Control Panel > Add Remove Programs and uninstall the old, non-working copy of the ARC application (then reboot).

If you give Anthem tech support a call, they can walk you through figuring out what's up. It's not complicated, but it goes easier if you have someone on the phone with you.
--Bob

Here's the Anthem document (PDF file) on how to verify your Windows 7 setup is configured properly to use the ARC mic. Primarily this deals with cases where some OTHER mic or audio hardware stuff is getting in the way.

Win 7 ARC Setup.pdf 486k .pdf file

--Bob

NOTHING is that simple when it comes to HDMI. There are many optional elements to the HDMI spec. For example there are plenty of HDMI V1.4 devices that don't handle 4K. Just because the chip might be able to do it, doesn't mean the device does.
--Bob

Since you are using an original D2, I think the odds are excellent that the ARC application on your original ARC install CD is simply not new enough to be Windows 7 compatible.

See my notes in the prior post for how to install ARC V3.0.2 downloaded from the Anthem site:

http://anthemav.com/download/anthem-statement/processor/d2v/download-support/software

(That link points to the D2v software download page, but the ARC kit is identical for all the ARC-capable processors.)

I would recommend you go into Control Panel and Uninstall the non-working version of ARC first (then reboot).
--Bob

Hey everyone - it's been a looong time. I have a couple of questions regarding setting up a pc with my avm 50. A little background first.
My system consists of the following pieces (pertinent to the issue at hand).
Avm 50 (original, not v) hooked to a Sony sxrd rear projection television via an hdmi cable. I bought a new desktop and moved the old one down to the media room. I had to install a video card due to the mobo only having VGA out. The new graphics card (evga GeForce 210 with 1 gig of ram). The computer is set to the tvs native resolution 1920x1080p 60hz. Now the problem

When I have the prepro turned on and to the correct input (hdmi 2) and then turn the computer on, everything seems to work fine. Once I change inputs, the. Go back to the comp input, I get the blue screen-no input. I then have to restart the computer in order to get the computer back up again. Any ideas as to what to change or how to make this work?
Thanks in advance!
Mike

A number of folks have had issues with computer graphics cards going through a variety of different formats (e.g., output resolutions) before setting on the one you are actually expecting to get -- and thus getting the HDMI handshake bollixed up.

A typical workaround has been to put a gizmo like the Geffen HDMI Detective in the path from the computer to the Anthem. The Geffen can be used to capture the allowed HDMI input choices from the Anthem and present those to the computer no matter what gyrations the computer goes through -- and without the Anthem seeing the sausage being made. The Geffen also presents an unchanging face to the computer so the computer doesn't know the Anthem has been switched to a different input.

I've not actually tried this myself, but that's the most common way people here report dealing with such problems. It may also be possible to configure the graphics card in your PC to be restricted to a specific output format so it does not have such problems.

In addition, and AS ALWAYS when HDMI problems are happening, you should consider upgrading your HDMI cables. Since you are using 1080p they should be "high speed" cables. Use 6 foot cables rather than shorter cables.
--Bob

Visited the Anthem/Paradigm suites today at CES. Unfortunately, no one from tech support was there, but Keith was very helpful even though he wasn't sure why the clipping meter is showing up in the Analog-DIR mode in the trim level setup menu. He gave me the name of an engineer at Anthem to talk to, so I'll be reaching out to him next week.

On a side note, no plans currently for a 4K upgrade to the AVM 50v or D2v... likely will be a new processor release when/if they embrace that capability. The 30th Anniversary speaker line is something special though! Studio V5 cabinets, Studio drive motors (magnets and voice coils), but Signature cones and diaphrams... including the Sig v3 Beryllium tweeter! New crossovers as well. They currently have two models... one based on the Studio 100 and one on the Studio 20, retailing at $6k and $1.5k per pair, respectively.

Thanks Bob - you are the best.

Test tone indeed demonstrated that center was out.

PITA to identify source of issue, but finally found that an external NHT crossover my AV installer insisted I have appeared to be dead, and once bypassed, all was good again.

Have a Happy New Year.

I gotta ask why is there an external crossover on the center channel? Is it an electronic crossover like the NHT X1 or X2? Do the mains (L & R) also have an external crossover? It almost sounds like he was trying to do bass management or something. You may want to run ARC again now that the crossover is out of the loop.

Agreed. An external crossover on a Center speaker is unusual. A Crossover should be diverting some of the audio to some other speaker, so what else was connected to that besides Center?

Or is it that he wanted to bypass the internal Crossover inside the Center speaker, and thus fed output from the external Crossover to two separate sets of input jacks (bass and treble) on the single Center?

In any event, with the external Crossover out of the picture, it probably would be wise to schedule some time to do a new ARC Measurement pass so ARC can hear what your Center speaker is now producing for output. The changes are not likely to be huge (no change in the room response of course), so there's no rush to do this, but it still should be done at some point.
--Bob

Hi

Just wondering if a new win 8 arc 3.1 software beta is out there that fixes the low volume issue with arc software and windows 8.

Regards

^ No word here. Not even that there is a confirmed problem.
--Bob