web site. Many other software applications now require the .

Net framework to
IRIS-Net Project Generator User Guide run so it is quite possible that it will already be installed on your computer. If
you prefer to do this manually install the .Net framework 2.0 from the Microsoft
Introduction web site at;

IRIS-Net is a very powerful software platform for designing, controlling and monitoring http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856EACB-
audio systems using Electro-Voice and Dynacord amplifiers and digital signal processing 4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en
devices. However many projects, particularly for concert sound applications, have the before you begin installation of the Project Generator software.
same basic configuration requirements. Essentially a bunch amplifiers will require
suitable loudspeaker presets to be loaded and some basic user interface control surfaces 3. The recommended operating system is WindowsTM XP SP2 or greater. The
will be necessary for an operator to take control of the complete system. IRIS-Net Project Generator will function on Windows VistaTM
provides a vast array of very flexible tools giving the designer complete freedom to
configure their audio system to their exact requirements, but this level of flexibility also 4. IRIS-Net and the Project Generator are not MacTM compatible – sorry!
takes some time to design in when building a new project.
5. A minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768 is recommended. A higher
resolution or widescreen display will allow you so see more information at a
The IRIS-Net Project Generator is a tool which can be used to configure many of the glance without scrolling but this is by no means essential. It is recommended
basic requirements of even the most complex audio systems within just a few minutes, that ‘Small Fonts’ is selected in display properties for your screen.
rather than some two or three hours to complete the same task manually.
6. Apart from this all the usual stuff applies, you’ll need a keyboard and mouse and
In this release all current Electro-Voice and Dynacord remote controlled amplifiers are if you want to connect to the amplifiers check the IRIS-Net help file for the
supported along with the complete range of curent speaker settings libraries. Take a few minimum requirements here.
minutes now to get accustomed with the Project Generator and potentially save hours of
work on your next IRIS-Net remote amps projects.
Installing the software
Run ‘setup.exe’ and follow the onscreen instructions. The Project Generator will be
Currently the ElectroVoice N8000 and Dynacord P64 are not supported in the Project
installed and should launch automatically. A shortcut will be added to the IRIS-Net
Generator but we are always looking for ways to make our software easier to use so these
application folder in the Start menu.
devices may well be added in a future release!
Removing the software
Software Installation To remove the Project Generator software.
1. Click on ‘Start’ then ‘Control Panel’ and when the control panel dialog displays
select the ‘Add or Remove Programs’ option.
Installation is quick and simple but does require just a few basic requirements to get
2. A list of programs installed on the PC will be shown.
started.
3. Scroll down the list to find the ‘IRIS-Net Project Generator’.
4. Click on ‘IRIS-Net Project Generator’ then click on the ‘Change/Remove’
1. IRIS-Net must be installed on the PC you are going to install the Project
button that will appear.
Generator on. The latest version can be downloaded for free at
5. The IRIS-Net Project Generator application will be removed from the PC but
http://irisnet.electrovoice.com/
any projects created with it will not be removed automatically. These can be
2. The Project Generator requires the Microsoft .Net 2.0 framework to be installed deleted manually if required.
on the PC. The installer will check for this automatically and provided you have
an Internet connection will download the correct version from the Microsoft

1
 selected they appear with a dark background and any changes made to their
The User Interface settings will be applied to all of the selected amplifiers simultaneously. See the
quick start guide on page 11 for the various selection methods available.
The Main Window
The Project Generator should launch once installation is complete. A shortcut
should also have been added to the Start menu under ‘Start / All Programs /
IRIS-Net’ to rerun the application at any time.
These devices are now selected and
can be edited using the property bar.
When the Project Generator is launched the screen will look something like this
although different screen resolutions might mean less detail is displayed, in
which case scroll bars will be shown on the screen right and bottom if necessary.

Toolbars and Menu’s

Devices selected for editing

The Menu Bar

Property Bar Main workspace window

The menu bar is the ‘classic’ way to select commands and actions when using Windows.
Most applications, including the Project Generator, offer several ways to access the same
commands. The menu bar is just one way but as many of the options such as opening and
saving files are all structured in a familiar location and format the menu bar is still useful
The Project Generator main screen in helping you to find frequently used commands easily.

Apart from the familiar positions for menu options and icons along the top area Keyboard shortcuts are provided for the most frequently used commands too, this is often
of the screen there are two key work areas within the Project Generator. The main quicker than opening the menu and selecting the command from a list.
workspace shows a list of amplifiers currently added to the project while the
property bar allows you to change the settings of one or more amplifiers currently The Project Generator also makes extensive use of toolbar icons and right mouse click
selected in the main workspace window. The next screenshot shows an example ‘pop-up’ menu’s as these provide the most direct way to access the main commands
project with a large number of amplifiers. When one or more amplifiers are when building a project. All these options will be discussed in the following section ...

2
File Menu
5 Save As: Displays a standard windows dialog which allows you to enter a
name for the project and select a folder where it will be saved.
Displays commands for opening and saving projects.
Keyboard Shortcut: ALT+F Print: Currently not implemented.

Print Preview: Currently not implemented.

1
6 Recently Used List: Lists the most recently opened projects for quick
2 access. Clicking on a project file will open it in the project generator. The
number of projects displayed in the list can be changed using the
3
Tools\Options menu item.
4
7 Exit: Closes the Project Generator application. If a project is already open and
5 contains unsaved data you will be prompted to save this project before
continuing.

6 Edit Menu
7
Displays commands for the clipboard and device selection.
Keyboard Shortcut: ALT+E

1 New: Creates a new blank project. If another project is already open and
contains unsaved data you will be prompted to save this project before
continuing. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+N 1
2
2 Open: Displays a standard windows dialog which allows you to open an
existing project. If another project is already open and contains unsaved data 3
you will be prompted to save this project before continuing. Keyboard 4
shortcut: Ctrl+O
5
3 Merge Project: Displays a standard windows dialog which allows you to 6
open an existing project. The project will be merged into the current project
configuration. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+M 7
8
4 Save: Saves the current project using its current name. If the project has not
been saved before (“Untitled”), the Save As dialog automatically appears.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+S

3
1 Undo: Undoes the most recent change(s) to the project. Selecting this action Configuration Menu
multiple times will continue to undo recent changes in the reverse order to
which they were created. Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Z
Displays commands for building an IRIS-Net project.
Redo: Will reverse the action of the last undo step. Keyboard Shortcut: Keyboard Shortcut: ALT+C
2
Ctrl+Y

3 Cut: Deletes the selected device(s) and places a copy on the Windows
1
Clipboard. Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+X
2
4 Copy: Copies the selected device(s) to the Windows Clipboard. Keyboard 3
Shortcut: Ctrl+C
4
5 Paste: Inserts device(s) previously placed on the Windows Clipboard into the 5
project. If a device is currently selected in the main workspace window the
device(s) on the Clipboard will be inserted before the first selected device. If 6
no devices are currently selected in the main workspace the device(s) on the
Clipboard will be inserted at the end of the device list in the workspace. 7
Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+V 8

Tip: All device data is placed on the clipboard with the exception of the
device address. Within IRIS-Net each device must have a unique address
therefore the address must be set manually after using the Paste action. 1 Add Amplifiers... Opens a dialog box to add amplifiers to the project. When
using this action amplifiers are always inserted at the end of the device list in
6 Select All: Selects all devices in the main workspace window. Keyboard the main worksheet window. Keyboard Shortcut: INS (Insert key)
Shortcut: Ctrl+A
2 Insert Amplifiers... Opens a dialog box to insert amplifiers in to the project.
7 Invert Selection: Reverses the current selection of devices in the main This action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main
workspace window. For example if several devices are currently selected, worksheet window. Amplifiers are then added before the first selected device.
using this action will deselect these devices and select the devices that are
currently not selected. 3 Duplicate Amplifiers: Duplicates the currently selected device(s). This
action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main worksheet
8 Clear Selection: Unselects all currently selected devices. window. Amplifiers are then inserted immediately after the selected device(s).

4 Delete Amplifiers: Will delete all devices currently selected in the main
worksheet window. This action is only available when a device(s) is selected.
A confirmation dialog is displayed enabling you to confirm the action before
the devices are deleted. Keyboard Shortcut: DEL (Delete key)

4
 5 Resequence Addresses: This action will renumber the addresses of all the The Options Dialog
devices in the current project starting at address #1 for the first device. A quick
way to readdress all the devices after pasting from the clipboard.

6 Create System Block Group... Displays a dialog to create a new system

block which will include the device(s) currently selected in the main
worksheet window. This action is only available when a device(s) is selected
1
in the main worksheet window and is further explained in the quick start guide.

7 Create Group... Displays a dialog to create a new system group which will 2
include the device(s) currently selected in the main worksheet window. This
action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main worksheet 3
window and is further explained in the quick start guide.
4
8 Generate Project... Displays a standard Windows dialog which allows you
to enter a name for the IRIS-Net application file and select a folder where it
will be saved. The project generator will then convert all the applied device
settings into an IRIS-Net application file and build the default control panels. 5
When the build is complete a dialog will be displayed asked if you want to 6
open the project in IRIS-Net. Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+G
7
Tip: Only one instance of IRIS-Net can be open at any one time. If you wish
to open the built project directly from the Project Generator please ensure
8
IRIS-Net is not currently running.
9
10
Tools Menu
Displays commands for application settings. The application Options dialog
Keyboard Shortcut: ALT+T

1 Project generator template folder location: Specifies the default path

1 where template files will be saved. To change the location either enter it
directly into the text box or click on the ‘Browse’ button to display the
standard Windows dialog ‘Browse for Folder’. The folder can then be selected
from a list.
1 Options... Displays a dialog box to set the default application settings and
file paths. 2 IRIS-Net program folder location: Specifies the location of your IRIS-Net
application. If you have several versions of IRIS-Net it is acceptable to change
to the root folder of the version you wish to use here. To change the location

5
 either enter it directly into the text box or click on the ‘Browse’ button to 7 Baud Rate: This drop down box sets the default baud rate setting for the PC
display the standard Windows dialog ‘Browse for Folder’. The folder can then interface. It can be changed at any time in the ‘Amplifiers’ tab of the property
be selected from a list. bar.

3 IRIS-Net projects folder location: Specifies the default path where 8 Number of Undo/Redo steps: Sets the number of Undo/Redo steps
generated IRIS-Net project files will be saved. To change the location either available. Enter a number between 1 and 100.
enter it directly into the text box or click on the ‘Browse’ button to display the
standard Windows dialog ‘Browse for Folder’. The folder can then be selected 9 Recently used file list entries: Sets the number of recently used files to
from a list. display in the File menu enabling quick one-click access. Enter a number
between 0 and 10. Entering 0 will disable the list and no files will be displayed.
4 IRIS-Net speaker settings folder location: Specifies the default path
where speaker settings files can be found. If you have several versions of 10 Remember my project ‘Build Options’ between sessions: When the
IRIS-Net it is acceptable to change to the ‘Speaker Settings’ folder of the check box is ticked any changes made in the Build Options tab of the property
version you wish to use here. To change the location either enter it directly bar will be retained when the application is closed down. If the check box is
into the text box or click on the ‘Browse’ button to display the standard not ticked the build option settings will be reset to their defaults each time the
Windows dialog ‘Browse for Folder’. The folder can then be selected from a application is launched.
list.

Tip: When you click on the browse button

the the standard Windows ‘Browse for Help Menu
Folders’ dialog will be displayed. When
browsing for ‘Project generator template Displays commands to get help using the application.
folders’ and ‘IRIS-Net project folders’ the Keyboard Shortcut: ALT+H
button ‘Make New Folder’ will also be
displayed in the bottom left corner of the
dialog. Click this button if you want to
create a new sub-folder at the current
selection.

1
5 Amplifier Type: This drop down box sets the default amplifier type when
amps are added or inserted into a project. Change this to the amp type you use
most often. Contents: Not currently implemented.

6 Interface: This drop down box sets the default PC interface type when you Index: Not currently implemented.
create a new project. It can be changed at any time in the ‘Amplifiers’ tab of
the property bar. Search: Not currently implemented.

1 About... Displays a dialog box showing version and copyright information.

6
Toolbar Icons Configuration Toolbar Icons
The toolbar icons provide convenient one click access to many of the most frequently
used commands. The listing below gives a brief description of each icon, for a more
detailed explanation refer to the menu item equivalent above and the quick start guide.
Add Amplifiers: Adds new devices to the end of the project.
Standard Toolbar Icons Insert Amplifiers: Inserts devices before the current selection.

Duplicate Amplifiers: Duplicates the currently selected device(s) and

inserts them immediately after the current selection.

New: Creates a new blank project. Delete Amplifiers: Deletes the currently selected device(s).

Open: Opens an existing project. Resequence Addresses: Resets all amplifier addresses from 1.

Save: Saves the current project. Select All: Selects all devices in the project

Print: Not currently implemented. Invert Selection: Inverts the current device selection.

Cut: Deletes the selected device(s) and copies it to the Windows Clipboard. Clear Selection: Unselects any selected devices.

Copy: Copies the selected device(s) to the Windows Clipboard. Create System Block Group: Creates a new System Block Group from the
selected device(s).
Paste: Inserts the contents of the Clipboard into the project.
Create Group: Creates a new Group from the selected device(s).
Undo: Undoes the last action(s).
Delete Group: Deletes the selected System Block or Group.
Redo: Redoes the last action(s).
Rename Group: Renames the selected System Block or Group.
About: Displays a dialog showing version and copyright information.
Add Selected Devices to Group: Adds selected device(s) to an existing
System Block or Group (see quick start guide for more details).

Remove Selected Devices from Group: Removes the selected device(s)

from a System Block or Group (see quick start guide for more details).

Generate Project: Generates the IRIS-Net application file.

7
Context Menu’s 3 Paste: Inserts device(s) previously placed on the Windows Clipboard into the
project. If a device is currently selected in the main workspace window the
device(s) on the Clipboard will be inserted before the first selected device. If
Many of the most frequently used commands are available as pop-up context menu’s. no devices are currently selected in the main workspace the device(s) on the
Right click in the main workspace window or in the list area of the ‘Groups’ tab on the Clipboard will be inserted at the end of the device list in the workspace.
property bar to display these menu’s.
Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+V

Main Workspace Context Menu 4 Select All: Selects all devices in the main workspace window. Keyboard
Shortcut: Ctrl+A
Displayed when you right click in the main workspace window. 5 Invert Selection: Reverses the current selection of devices in the main
workspace window. For example if several devices are currently selected
using this action will deselect these devices and select the devices that are
1 currently not selected.
2
6 Clear Selection: Unselects all currently selected devices.
3
7 Add Amplifiers... Opens a dialog box to add amplifiers to the project. When
4 using this action amplifiers are always inserted at the end of the device list in
5 the main worksheet window. Keyboard Shortcut: INS (Insert key)
6
8 Insert Amplifiers... Opens a dialog box to insert amplifiers in to the project.
7 This action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main
worksheet window. Amplifiers are then added before the first selected device.
8
9 9 Duplicate Amplifiers: Duplicates the currently selected device(s). This
action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main worksheet
10 window. Amplifiers are then inserted immediately after the selected device(s).
11
Delete Amplifiers: Will delete all devices currently selected in the main
12 worksheet window. This action is only available when a device(s) is selected
10 in the main worksheet window. A confirmation dialog is displayed enabling
13 you to confirm the action before the devices are deleted. Keyboard
14 Shortcut: DEL (Delete key)

11 Resequence Addresses: This action will renumber the addresses of all the
1 Cut: Deletes the selected device(s) and places a copy on the Windows devices in the current project starting at address #1 for the first device. A quick
Clipboard. Shortcut key: Ctrl+X way to readdress all the devices after pasting from the clipboard.
2 Copy: Copies the selected device(s) to the Windows Clipboard. Shortcut key: 12 Create System Block Group... Displays a dialog to create a new System
Ctrl+C Block which will include all devices currently selected in the main worksheet

8
 window. This action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main 1 Create System Block Group... Displays a dialog to create a new system
worksheet window and is further explained in the quick start guide. block which will include all devices currently selected in the main worksheet
window. This action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main
13 Create Group... Displays a dialog to create a new system group which will worksheet window and is further explained in the quick start guide.
include all devices currently selected in the main worksheet window. This
action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main worksheet 2 Create Group... Displays a dialog to create a new system group which will
window and is further explained in the quick start guide. include all devices currently selected in the main worksheet window. This
action is only available when a device(s) is selected in the main worksheet
13 Generate Project... Displays a standard Windows dialog which allows window and is further explained in the quick start guide.
you to enter a name for the IRIS-Net application file and select a folder where
it will be saved. The project generator will then convert all the applied device 3 Rename Group: Renames the selected System Block or Group in the
settings into an IRIS-Net application file and build the default control panels. ‘Groups’ tab of the property bar.
When the build is complete a dialog will be displayed asked if you want to
open the project in IRIS-Net. Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+G 4 Delete Group: Deletes the selected System Block or Group.

Tip: Only one instance of IRIS-Net can be open at any one time. If you wish 5 Add Selected Devices to Group: Adds selected device(s) to an existing
to open the built project directly from the Project Generator please ensure System Block or Group (see quick start guide for more details).
IRIS-Net is not currently running.
6 Remove Selected Devices from Group: Removes the selected device(s)
from a System Block or Group (see quick start guide for more details).

Groups Tab Context Menu 7 Toggle Selected ChA. Outputs: When a Group is selected in the property
bar, devices that make up that group can then also be selected in the property
Displayed when you right click in the list box of the Groups tab in the property bar. bar. Right clicking on one of the selected devices will display the context
menu with Toggle Selected menu items enabled. Clicking either option will
toggle the status of the appropriate checkboxes.
1 8 Toggle Selected ChB. Outputs: See above.
2
3
4

5
6

7
8

9
The Property Bar 8 Interface: The drop down box sets the PC interface used for the project.

9 Baud Rate: The drop down box sets the interface baud rate used for the
The property bar is the main area for assigning values and other configuration options to project.
the devices in the main workspace window. Many of the settings are greyed out and
unavailable unless one or more devices have been selected first.

The Amplifiers Tab The Spk Settings Tab

1 Amplifier Addr: Allows you to set the 1 Use speaker settings for output
amplifier address manually. This text names: If the checkbox is checked
box can only be edited when a amplifier channel output names are set
1 maximum of one amplifier is selected. 1 using the name of the speaker settings
2 2 used.
2 Type: The drop down box allows you
3
to change the amplifier type of the 2 Assign to ChA.: If the checkbox is
selected device(s). 3
checked the speaker settings will be
4
applied to Channel A of the selected
3 Name: Sets the amplifier name of the device(s).
selected device(s)
Assign to ChB.: If the checkbox is
5 4 Channel Input Names: Sets the checked the speaker settings will be
channel names for the selected applied to Channel B of the selected
device(s). device(s).

5 Input Routing: Sets the input routing Toggle: Inverts the checkbox status of
for each channel of the selected both ‘Assign to ChA.’ and ‘Assign to
6 device(s). ChB.’ checkboxes.

6 Channel Output Names: Sets the 3 Speaker Settings List: The treeview
output names for the selected device(s). list allows selection of the speaker
Channel names take the name of any settings library file which will be
speaker settings used by default. applied to the selected device(s). To
7 expand or contract a folder click on the
7 Presets: If the check boxes are small ‘+’ or ‘-’ symbol to the left of the
checked the speaker settings will be folder name.
loaded into the amplifier preset
memories when the project is built.

8 Preset Title: Sets a default name for

the configuration.
9

10
The Groups Tab The Build Options Tab
1 System Blocks: Displays a list of
3 4 System Block Groups added to the
project. Clicking on a System Block 1 Include Groups: If checked Groups
name will display the devices will be built into the generated project.
1 assigned in the device number
1 2 Include System Blocks: If checked
column - see (3).
2 System Blocks will be built into the
2 generated project.
Groups: Displays a list of Groups 3
2 added to the project. Clicking on a
Group name will display the devices 3 Include Control Layers: If checked
assigned in the device number the Controls Layer and checked
column. controls will be built into the project.
3

Device Number Column: Displays 4 Include Supervision Layer: If

4 checked the Supervision Layer will be
a list of the devices currently assigned
to the selected System Block or built into the project. The radio buttons
Group. select between a basic or more detailed
supervision control panel.
4 Channel Assignment Columns: Displays which amplifier channels are 5
assigned to the selected System Block or Group. If the checkbox is checked 5 Start IRIS-Net in full screen
the channel is assigned to the Group. 6 mode: If checked the IRIS-Net will
open the project in full screen mode
hiding the menu bars and object list. It
will still display the icon bar to enable
going online & offline with the
amplifiers. If the ‘Enable Mouse
Pointer’ box is not checked the mouse
pointer will not be displayed in IRIS-
Net. This mode is only useful if a touch
panel is being used.

6 Target screen resolution: This drop down selection box allows the project
generator to optimise the generated project layout to fit various standard
screen sizes such as ‘1024 x 768’. This can be useful if the project will be used
on a PC with a different screen resolution.
Selecting the option ‘Use current display settings’ will use the display size of
the current PC.

Tip: This option does not change the screen resolution settings of the PC.

11
Quick Start Guide - Building a Project Configuring the Amplifiers
1. Open the project generator application or create a new project.
This short example project will show you how to use most of the features of the Project
2. To add amplifiers to the project either select ‘Add Amplifiers...’ from the
Generator. We will create a design and build the IRIS-Net application file for a small
Configuration menu, click on the Add Amplifiers icon or press the Insert Key. The
ElectroVoice XLC line array system.
‘Add Amplifiers’ dialog will be displayed. Change ‘Add how many:’ to 8 - this is the
number of amplifiers that will be added to the project. In this case the ‘Start address’
The system will consist of 8 x TG-7 amplifiers to drive 12 x XLC127+ and 4 x XSub
can be left as 1 but click on the ‘Amplifier type:’ drop down box and select
loudspeakers and 2 x P3000RL amplifiers for 4 x Xi-1152 loudspeakers assigned to front
‘ElectroVoice TG-7’ from the list. When ready click on the ‘OK’ button to add the
fill duties. The amplifier arrangement will be configured as;
amplifiers to the main workspace window.
Address Type Function
1 TG-7 HF components of XLC127+ Left
2 TG-7 MB components of XLC127+ Left
3 TG-7 LF components of XLC127+ Left
4 TG-7 X-Subs Left
5 TG-7 HF components of XLC127+ Right
6 TG-7 MB components of XLC127+ Right
7 TG-7 LF components of XLC127+ Right
8 TG-7 X-Subs Right
9 P3000RL Xi-1152 front fill 1&2 - ChA for LF, ChB for HF
10 P3000RL Xi-1152 front fill 3&4 - ChA for LF, ChB for HF

Adding Amplifiers

3. Repeat step 2 to add 2 more amplifiers, only this time change the amplifier type to
P3000RL. You will notice that the Start address has automatically incremented to 9
so there is no need to change this option.

Tip: When creating real world projects it is most important that the
amplifier types and their addresses match the hardware you are using.
The example configuration

12
4. The main workspace window should now list all 10 amplifiers we have added to the V2.1\XLC127+ HF V21_TourGrade”. Click on this entry to assign the speaker
project. The next step is to configure the amplifier names and assign loudspeaker setting to the selected amplifiers. Note: Entries in the Spk Settings treeview list can
settings. Select amplifiers 1 and 5 in the main workspace. Standard Windows be expanded by clicking on the small ‘+’ symbol to the left of the entry.
selection methods can be used. When the speaker settings have been assigned correctly the speaker setting name will
be displayed for these amplifiers under the columns ‘ChA. Speaker Settings’ and
Tip: If you have made a mistake you can use ‘Undo’ to remove steps in ChB. Speaker Settings’ in the main workspace window.
the reverse order. The number of undo steps can be set in the ‘Options’
dialog from the ‘Tools’ menu. Tip: Depending on the version of IRIS-Net you are using the Speaker
Settings treeview structure might be different to that shown here. This
example uses IRIS-Net version 1.3.
Tip: Holding the ‘Ctrl’ key while you click will allow you to select
multiple devices by clicking on each required line one at a time. In the
same manor clicking on a selected device will unselect it. To select a
consecutive range of devices click on the first device you require, hold 6. Repeat step five but this time select amplifiers 2 and 6 and assign the XLC MB
down the ‘Shift’ key then click on the last device you require. All devices speaker settings to these amplifiers.
between the first and last will now be selected. You can also click and drag 7. Again repeat step five but selecting amplifiers 3 and 7 and assigning the XLC LF
down the list instead of using the ‘Shift’ key. speaker settings.
8. Again repeat step five and select amplifiers 4 and 8. This time navigate to the X-Line
5. To assign the Speaker Settings to the selected amplifiers click on the ‘Spk Settings’ V3.0 speaker settings in the property bar and select the “X-Sub V30 TourGrade”
tab of the property bar and navigate to the required speaker settings file. In this case entry.
our XLC HF settings can be found under “Electro-Voice\TourGrade\XLC
9. Finally to assign the speaker settings to the P3000RL amplifiers driving the Xi-1152
loudspeakers select amplifiers 9 and 10 and navigate to the P3000RL settings for
Xi-1152a94. Click the ‘Assign to
ChB.’ checkbox in the property bar to
deselect it and assign the Xi-1152a94
LF speaker setting to the amplifiers.
Note how only the Channel A of each
amplifier has been assigned. Click the
‘Toggle’ button to reverse the
checkbox selection so now ‘Assign to
ChA.’ is unchecked and ‘Assign to
ChB.’ is checked. Assign the Xi-
1152a94 HF speaker setting. This
time it will only be applied to Channel
B of the amplifiers.

The speaker settings have now been

applied to all the amplifiers in our
project and your screen should look similar to the illustration on the next page. Now
Amplifiers selected ready to edit
we can assign the amplifier names and routing options using the ‘Amplifiers’ tab.

13
Speaker settings have all been applied The completed amplifier configuration

10. To assign names to the amplifiers click on the ‘Amplifiers’ tab of the property bar
and select all the amplifiers in the main workspace window.

Tip: You can select all amplifiers easily by clicking on the icon. Tip: The names used here are just an example to illustrate the principles
involved, you can of course use your own naming convention if this is
more meaningful to you.
Change the text in the ‘Input B Name:’ text box on the property bar to read ‘Not
Used’ and press the Enter key to assign the name to the amplifiers.
Tip: For this example we have assumed the routing on the amplifiers will
11. Select amplifiers 1 to 8 and set the ‘Amplifier Name’ text box to ‘XLC System’.
be from the Channel A input only. The routing for each channel can be
12. Select amplifiers 1 to 4 and set the ‘Input A Name’ text box to ‘Main Left’. assigned using the radio buttons in the ‘Input Routing’ of the property bar.
Simply select the amplifiers you wish to modify and set the routing as
13. Select amplifiers 5 to 8 and set the ‘Input A Name’ text box to ‘Main Right’. necessary for your project.
14. Select amplifiers 9 to 10 and set the ‘Amplifier Name’ to ‘Front Fills’.
15. Select amplifier 9 and set the ‘Input A Name’ to ‘Stage Left’. Tip: The output channel names have been assigned automatically using
the speaker settings names. These can also be changed manually if you
16. Select amplifier 10 and set the ‘Input A Name’ to ‘Stage Right’. prefer to use your own names.
17. The basic configuration is now completed and the project could be built at this point,
however in our example we will now look at how System Blocks and Groups can
be used to give you extra control.

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Using System Block Groups 19. A dialog will be displayed for you to give the System Block a name. Insert ‘ Main
PA’ into the text box and click on OK.
When building larger projects it is quite common to want to have separate control panels
for different parts of the system. For example, you may have main PA hangs either side
of the stage, ground stacked subwoofers which need to be time aligned to the main PA,
side fills for the bleacher seating and delay towers for the people at the back. Each of
these subsystems may well need different EQ settings, overall level control and delay to
time align everything back to the main stage.
System Block Groups allow you to divide your project up into these key parts and the
Project Generator will build separate control panels for each System Block you define
when it configures the application file for IRIS-Net. 20. Repeat steps 18 and 19 but this time select amplifiers 4 and 8. Name the System
Block as “Subwoofers”.
In our example we will create three System Blocks, the first for the XLC127+’s will be
our main PA hangs, the second will be for the ground stacked XSubs and the third will 21. Repeat these steps once more and select amplifiers 9 and 10. Name the System
be for the Xi-1152 stage front fills. Block as “Stage Fill”.
So, to carry on configuring the project; 22. The ‘Groups’ tab should now display the
three System Blocks we have just
18. Click on the ‘Groups’ tab of the property bar, then select amplifiers 1 to 3 and 5 to created. The right hand side of the list
7 (i.e. all the XLC127+ amplifiers). Right click on any of the selected amplifiers to shows the devices that make up the
display the pop-up context menu and select ‘Create System Block Group...’ or, click System Block. If you find you have added
on the ‘Create System Block Group’ icon on the toolbar. a device to a System Block by mistake,
right click on the device number in the
‘Groups’ tab to display the context menu,
then click on ‘Remove Selected Devices
from Group’ - or use the
toolbar icon if you prefer.
You can also add
additional devices to a
System Block by selecting
the devices in the main
workspace window and
right clicking on the
System Block you want to
add them to. From the
context menu select ‘Add
Selected Devices to Group’
- or use the toolbar icon.
Note: If there are no
devices selected in the main workspace, this option will be greyed out and
unavailable on both the context menu and the toolbar icon.
Building the System Blocks

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 connection to either ChA. or ChB. of the device.
Tip: As System Blocks are used to build control panels within IRIS-Net This group will include both channels so simply
each device can only be a member of one System Block. If you try to add leave both checkboxes ticked and click on OK.
a device which is already included in a System Block to a different one a
check is made and a warning message will be displayed. 25. Repeat steps 23 and 24 but this time select
amplifiers 5 to 8 and name the group ‘Main Right’.
Both channels of a device have to be included in a System Block, so
although the ChA. and ChB. check boxes are displayed in the property bar 26. You can add and remove devices from a group in
they are read-only and cannot be changed. exactly the same way as described earlier for
System Blocks.

Tip: The Project Generator will support a total of 35 System Blocks. Tip: As the Groups feature does not automatically build control panels it
is allowed for a device to be a member of as many Groups as you want.
Tip: If you use System Blocks for some but not all devices, the Project You can also edit the channel assignments using the ChA. and ChB. check
Generator will automatically group all remaining devices into one Block boxes in the property bar.
and build an ‘Untitled’ control panel in IRIS-Net for these devices.
27. The project is now completed and ready to be built. You can save it as a template if
you wish to create a library of different configurations. It is often much faster to
change a few entries in the Project Generator and rebuild a project than it is to edit
Using Groups the project in IRIS-Net directly. If you wish to save the template select ‘Save As...’
from the ‘File’ menu, or click on the ‘Save’ icon on the toolbar.
The Project Generator automatically creates IRIS-Net Group controls for all the different
amplifier types and speaker settings you add to your project. From this information it will
also build the appropriate control panels in IRIS-Net. Sometimes however, you may want
to add more IRIS-Net Group controls into your project so you can further customise the
project directly within IRIS-Net.
The Groups feature of the Project Generator allows you to create additional Group
controls for your IRIS-Net project. It will build the Group control and assign the device
connections to it ready for you to use in IRIS-Net but please be aware that no control
panels are automatically created using this option. For automatically generated control
panels use ‘System Blocks’ instead.
Groups are created in a very similar way to System Blocks. For our example we will
create two additional groups which will be added to the IRIS-Net file so you can use them
for other things directly within IRIS-Net.
23. Select amplifiers 1 to 4 in the main workspace window and either click on the
‘Create Group’ toolbar icon or right click on any of the selected devices to display
the context menu. Select ‘Create Group...’ from the menu.
24. The ‘Create Group’ dialog will be displayed. Insert ‘Main Left’ into the text box.
Notice, just like when you create Group controls within IRIS-Net you can make the The completed project

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 The standard Windows dialog box will be displayed to save the project. 31. The project generator will create three layers in the IRIS-Net application.
28. To generate the project, either click on the ‘Generate Project’ icon on the toolbar, or Amps & Groups: Displays all the amps, speaker groups and any additional
right click in the main workspace window and select ‘Generate Project...’ from the groups you defined in the Project Generator. Notice also that the speaker settings
context menu (or you could use the Ctrl+G keyboard shortcut if you prefer). you selected have been assigned to the appropriate amplifiers.
29. The standard Windows ‘Save As’ dialog will be displayed. This will save the project
as an IRIS-Net application file so insert ‘XLC_Demo’ in the ‘File name:’ text box Supervision: A general amplifier supervision control is provided for each
and click the ‘Save’ button. amplifier in your project. This layer will give you a quick snapshot of the current
status of all your amps.

Control: A set of trim controls is provided for each frequency band within a
System Block, as well as master EQ, level and delay for the block.

Generating the project

30. A dialog will be displayed asking if you want to open

the project in IRIS-Net. Click on the Yes button to
complete the build and display the project in IRIS-
Net. If you click on No the project will be saved and
can be opened in IRIS-Net manually just like any
other projects you create.

The complete project in IRIS-Net

Tip: Only one instance of IRIS-Net can be open at a time. If you wish to
open the built project directly from the Project Generator make sure 32. For most projects this is probably all you need to start operating your system,
IRIS-Net is not currently running. although you can of course make any additional changes you want to the project
using IRIS-Net in the normal way!

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One Step Further 35. Open the project in IRIS-Net. With just a few seconds work it will completely
reconfigure the project without the Xsubs amplifiers and controls. You can use this
The Project Generator makes it very fast and straightforward to modify your basic design method to really quickly add or remove amplifiers to suit the requirements of each
if, for example, the requirements change slightly from venue to venue. If you save the venue.
Project Generator template as a file you can quickly make those changes while setting up
at the venue, rather than having to spend hours in the office or on the tour bus before hand.
Thanks for working through this short tutorial, the Project Generator has been designed
Tip: Project Generator template files are not the same as the IRIS-Net to help you build IRIS-Net applications in a much faster, smarter way. You may still want
application files it builds when you click on ‘Generate Project’. Make sure to customise your projects using IRIS-Net in the usual way but by starting off with the
you save the template file using ‘File’ menu ‘Save As...’ or clicking on the Project Generator to give you the basics you now have at your disposal a great time
‘Save’ icon on the toolbar if you want to save the template as well. saving tool. What may have taken hours before can now be accomplished in just a few
minutes.
Using our example project, lets say we get to a venue where the requirements have We hope you enjoy using it!
changed ... the system will now only be used for an acoustic set with some speech. The
subs won’t be necessary!
33. If IRIS-Net is still running, close it down and return to the Project Generator. Select
amplifiers 4 and 8 (the XSub amps) and click the ‘Delete Amplifiers’ icon on the
toolbar.
34. Generate the project again and save it as ‘XLC_Demo_NoSubs’.

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