Helix DSP.3 help thread

[jtrosky]

Release Notes have now been updated as well (I must have stumbled on this new version like *right* after it was made available, before they even got to update the release notes):

---

4.60a

* HELIX DSP ULTRA has been implemented

* ACO platform - ACO Update has been improved. In addition it is now possible to save all sound setup files at once into one folder during the update process. This function can also be activated manually by clicking on the gear-wheels in the launcher screen.

* ACO platform - A new signed and certified USB driver has been implemented which is installed during setup process of the DSP PC-Tool. This new driver runs on all Windows version starting from Win 7 (32- & 64-Bit) and offers highest possible compatibility and security

* VCP - A completely new concept called “Virtual Channel Processing” has been implemented in the DSP PC-Tool software.
The new VCP concept extends the DSP by additional “Virtual Channels” which behave similar to the known “Output Channels” and are placed between the inputs and the outputs. These “Virtual Channels” make the system design of highly complex configurations easier than before while also adding a lot of new functions to the system as well. Some of these new functions are “Group EQ, Gain & Time” capabilities, freely routable “DSP sound effects”, a new volume control called “Rear Attenuation” and much more.
Further explanations can be found in the instruction manual of the DSP ULTRA, in the DSP PC-Tool itself and as well on our other information channels.
This new function as well as some more detailed information can be found in the DCM menu. The activation of the function is not reversible for each sound setup and can only be set back to default by performing a soft reset via the “Reset All” function in the software.
This feature is actually only available for the DSP ULTRA and will be implemented in selected upcoming products. Due to its high demand on computing power of the DSP and Co-Processor it will not be possible to add this concept to existing products.

* General - Sound Setup Selection window has been reworked. It fits now to the scalable design of all other windows and behaves more intuitive.

* General - The selected menu section is now highlighted in the main menu

* Main / Outputs - The selection of the EQ filter type has been reworked. The selection is now offered as a drop down menu to get a better overview of the available filter types on each EQ band and allow faster access. In addition it is not necessary any more to toggle through all types. Also the number fields of the different filter types have been improved to accept all filled in number formats and decimal separators

* DCM / PC-Tool configuration - A new function called “EQ Band AutoSort” has been implemented which sorts the EQ bands of each channel by frequency. This is very helpful when a lot of parametric EQs with different center frequencies have been used.

* ISA - the Input Signal Analyzer of all ACO enabled products has been further improved and its configuration has been made easier.

* DSP.3 / PP 86DSP / M 5DSP - some wrong texts and channel references have been corrected (only text changes)

* Keyboard Shortcuts - Due to compatibility the “Link / Unlink all” shortcut has been changed from “.” (dot) to “Shift + .” (Shift + dot) and the “Enable/Disable Link Groups” has been changed from “,” (comma) to “Shift + ,” (Shift + comma).

* A huge number of small improvements to the GUI and the Backend have been implemented

* An ACO firmware update is necessary for this DSP PC-Tool Update and will be started automatically after connecting to the DSP

---

[auditorycanvas]

They weren't supposed to put it up yet, but it's there. I'm on a plane, so I haven't done anything with it to see if it is anything different than I've been using for the past few weeks, they were supposed to make some changes, I can see one has been done, so hopefully others are as well. I almost wish I was home to plug it into my ULTRA and really see if changes are made. The Virtual Channels are only on the DSP ULTRA and V-EIGHT DSP MK2 for now. Others will be added in , but I don't think any will be retroactive.

Doug, I hope this isn't a stupid question, but assuming the rest of the equipment chain has the capability to reproduce/relay it, is there a noticeable difference in SQ between the Ultra and the DPS.3?

[SkizeR]

okay, this is a big change...

[Queef]

* VCP = { new & improved } excellent work !

[Queef]

Doug, I hope this isn't a stupid question, but assuming the rest of the equipment chain has the capability to reproduce/relay it, is there a noticeable difference in SQ between the Ultra and the DPS.3?

Yes Siree ( huge . . . Humongous ... )!

[jtrosky]

okay, this is a big change...

Yeah, that whole VCP thing really adds a whole new level of complexity, that's for sure. At this point, I don't fully understand what the benefits are though, other than the obvious, which is that you have full control over which FX features apply to which channels (instead of it being "hardcoded" to certain channels) - but I have a feeling that is a somewhat "minor" benefit of VCP.

Does anyone else understand the real-world benefits of this VCP functionality?

I was expecting something a lot "simpler" - but I'm sure this new functionality has many "pros" that I'm completely unaware of.

EDIT: Also, I'm curious if anyone else has tried the 4.60a beta version on their DSP.3 yet. I'm actually holding off since there really isn't much of anything beneficial for the DSP.3 (especially since the EQ sort function doesn't really work as expected). I see that it requires a an ACO update and everything.

[jtrosky]

Ok, I have a stupid question regarding loading tunes on the Helix DSP.3. Typically, I'll take measurements in-car, work on the tune with REW in the comfort of my home and then later I'll load it on the DSP and take new measurements - rinse and repeat.

If I load a tune into the Helix DSP.3 from a file, I click the "Load" button in the PC-Tool software and select the file. However, that doesn't "save" it into one of the 10 "slots" on the DSP itself, so I then have to click "Save & Store", which lets me save it to one of the "slots", but then it makes me save the file that I just loaded? The fact that I have to save the tune back to the file that I just loaded it from just seems a little strange. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way to simply save the current tune to a "slot" without also saving it to a file?

The process just seems a little redundant in that I have to save the tune to the file that I just loaded it from. :-)

Not a big deal, just curious if I'm missing something.

Thank you!

[Queef]

jtrosky a 'puter' is neither smart nor dumb or "intuitive" , it is capable of being programmed.
If you tell it what to do it does it . [Programming] ?

Make sense ?

[Babs]

This "EQ Band AutoSort" feature looks interesting.. This might change a bit how I approach driver vs sides vs overall system EQ. Not sure yet how that will look. I've approached it in a few different methods. One being all Parametric using the lower (left side bands) for individual driver EQ, then using bands above that on the right side for grouped driver EQ for things like whole left side or whole right side, etc. Appears that won't be the way to do it with EQ Band Autosort. Something to ponder.

This almost supports or rather promotes simply JUST individual driver EQ, then make it match up and sum together with phase, then if there's a band here that needs a tweak, do that by grouping the two and finding a common band location "somewhere" that's unused between both drivers. Now I'm seeing why John Kiser has been such a proponent for input and output separate EQ's. Typically if summation in crossover regions isn't spot on, there's a phase issue to address with TA as opposed to EQ so really EQ should be the last resort when you begin summing drivers only after verifying time arrival and phase between those drivers. Sorry.. Off on a tangent there. I guess point being, I've found when I do my best to make the drivers match a desired target including crossover slopes throughout the audible region the driver is playing, the less of any other EQ I've needed once I've eliminated phase problems with TA between drivers.

[SkizeR]

Ok, I have a stupid question regarding loading tunes on the Helix DSP.3. Typically, I'll take measurements in-car, work on the tune with REW in the comfort of my home and then later I'll load it on the DSP and take new measurements - rinse and repeat.

If I load a tune into the Helix DSP.3 from a file, I click the "Load" button in the PC-Tool software and select the file. However, that doesn't "save" it into one of the 10 "slots" on the DSP itself, so I then have to click "Save & Store", which lets me save it to one of the "slots", but then it makes me save the file that I just loaded? The fact that I have to save the tune back to the file that I just loaded it from just seems a little strange. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way to simply save the current tune to a "slot" without also saving it to a file?

The process just seems a little redundant in that I have to save the tune to the file that I just loaded it from. :-)

Not a big deal, just curious if I'm missing something.

Thank you!

everything always saves as a file..