HELIX DSP Mini MK2 Digital High Res 6 Channel Signal Processor Owner's Manual
Digital High-Res 6-channel signal processor with 96 kHz / 24 Bit signal path
Congratulations!
Dear Customer,
Congratulations on your purchase of this innovative and high-quality HELIX product.
Thanks to more than 30 years of experience in research and development of audio products the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 sets new standards in the range of digital signal processors.
We wish you many hours of enjoyment with your new HELIX DSP MINI MK2.
Yours,
AUDIOTEC FISCHER
General instructions
General installation instructions for HELIX components
To prevent damage to the unit and possible injury, read this manual carefully and follow all installation instructions. This product has been checked for proper function prior to shipping and is guaranteed against manufacturing defects.
Before starting your installation, disconnect the battery’s negative terminal to prevent damage to the unit, fire and / or risk of injury. For a proper performance and to ensure full warranty coverage, we strongly recommend to get this product installed by an authorized HELIX dealer.
Install your HELIX DSP MINI MK2 in a dry location with sufficient air circulation for proper cooling of the equipment. The signal processor should be secured to a solid mounting surface using proper mounting hardware. Before mounting, carefully examine the
area around and behind the proposed installation location to insure that there are no electrical cables or components, hydraulic brake lines or any part of the fuel tank located behind the mounting surface. Failure to do so may result in unpredictable damage to these components and possible costly repairs to the vehicle.
General instruction for connecting the HELIX DSP MINI signal processor
The HELIX DSP MINI signal processor may only be installed in vehicles which have a 12 Volts negative terminal connected to the chassis ground. Any other system could cause damage to the signal processor and the electrical system of the vehicle.
The positive cable from the battery for the entire sound system should be provided with a main fuse at a distance of max. 30 cm from the battery. The value of the fuse is calculated from the maximum total current draw of the car audio system.
Use only the provided connectors for connection of the HELIX DSP MINI. The use of other connectors or cables can result in damage of the signal processor, the head unit / radio or the connected amplifiers / loudspeakers!
Prior to installation, plan the wire routing to avoid any possible damage to the wire harness. All cabling should be protected against possible crushing or pinching hazards. Also avoid routing cables close to potential noise sources such as electric motors, high power accessories and other vehicle harnesses.
Connectors and control units
Line Input
- RCA inputs for connecting pre-amplifier signals.
- Highlevel Input
Highlevel speaker inputs for connecting a factory radio or an aftermarket radio without lowlevel line outputs. - Optical Input
Optical input for digital stereo signals (SPDIF format). - Auto Remote
This switch allows to activate / deactivate the automatic turn-on feature of the signal processor. - Power Input
Connector for the DC power supply with an additional remote in- and output. The remote output has to be used to switch on external amplifiers.
Ground lift switch
Can be used to define the connection between the power ground and signal ground of the inputs and outputs. - Control pushbutton
Use this button to either switch between the setups or initiate a reset of the device. - Status LED
This LED indicates the operating mode of the DSP and of its memory - USB input
Connects the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 to your PC. - SCP (Smart Control Port)
Multifunction interface for e.g. an optional remote control or other HELIX accessory. - Line Output
Line outputs for connecting amplifiers. Make sure that the remote output is used to turn on these devices.
Initial start-up and functions
- Line Input
4-channel lowlevel line input to connect signal sources such as head units / radios. Input sensitivity is factory-set to 4 Volts. It is possible to vary the sensitivity between 2 and 4 Volts using the DSP PC-Tool software (DCM menu → Signal management). Further information about adjusting the input sensitivity can be found on page 20 point 4. - Highlevel Input
4-channel highlevel loudspeaker input to connect the signal processor directly to loudspeaker outputs of OEM / aftermarket radios or OEM amplifiers that do not have any pre-amplifier outputs. Input sensitivity is factory-set to 11 Volts. It is possible to vary the sensitivity between 5 and 11 Volts using the DSP PC-Tool software (DCM menu → Signal management). Further information about adjusting the input sensitivity can be found on page 20 point 4.
Attention: Solely use the pluggable screw-terminal for the highlevel connector which is included in delivery!
Important: It is strictly forbidden to use the Highlevel and lowlevel Line Input of an individual channel at the same time as this may cause severe damage to the lowlevel line outputs of your car radio.
Nevertheless it is possible to use the Highlevel Input of one channel and the lowlevel Line Input of another channel simultaneously. - Optical Input
Optical input in SPDIF format for connecting signal sources with a digital audio output. The sampling rate of this input must be between 12 and 96 kHz. The input signal is automatically adapted to the internal sample rate. In order to control the volume of this input, we recommend to use an optional remote control or the WIFI CONTROL.
Note: This signal processor can only handle stereo input signals and no MP3- or Dolby-coded digital audio stream!
Note: In standard configuration the manual activation via an optional remote control is configured. - Auto Remote
The DSP MINI MK2 will be turned on automatically if the Highlevel Input is used or if a signal is applied to the remote input (Remote in) terminal.
The Auto Remote switch allows to activate / deactivate the automatic turn-on feature of the highlevel inputs. The feature should be deactivated (Auto Remote = Off) if there are e.g. disturbing noises while switching on / off the signal processor.
Note: The automatic turn-on feature of the highlevel inputs is activated by default (Auto Remote = On).
Note: If the automatic turn-on function is deactivated it is mandatory to use the remote input to power up the signal processor! The highlevel signal will be ignored in this case. - Power Input
This input is used for connecting the signal processor to the power supply of the vehicle and for remote in / out. If the highlevel loudspeaker inputs are used the remote input can be left unconnected. The remote output is used for turning on / off amplifiers that are connected to the Line Outputs of the HELIX DSP MINI MK2. Connect this remote output to the remote inputs of your amplifier/s. This is essential to avoid any interfering signals.
The remote output is activated automatically as soon as the booting process of the DSP is completed. Additionally this output will be turned off during the “Power Save Mode” or a software update process.
Attention: Solely use the pluggable screw-terminal which is included in delivery to connect the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 to the power supply!
Important: Never use a different signal than the remote output of the DSP to activate connected amplifiers! - Ground lift switch
The signal ground of the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 is galvanically decoupled from the power ground. In many cars this setup is the best way to avoid alternator noise. Nevertheless, there are use cases where it will be necessary to directly connect input and output ground or to tie both grounds together via a resistor. Therefore the Ground lift switch has three positions:
– center position: input and output ground separated.
– left position: input and output ground tied together.
– right position: input and output ground connected via 200 Ohms resistor. - Control pushbutton
The DSP MINI MK2 provides 10 internal memory locations for sound setups. The Control pushbutton allows the user to switch between two memory positions. These can be defined in the DSP PC-Tool.
1. Setup switch: Press Control pushbutton for 1 second. The memory locations one and two are defined by default. Switching is indicated by a single red flash of the Status LED. Alternatively, the optional URC.3 remote control can be used for switching. To switch between all internal memory locations, optional accessories like the DIRECTOR display remote control, CONDUCTOR or WIFI CONTROL are required.
2. Device reset: Press pushbutton for five seconds. This completely erases the internal memory and is indicated by a continuous red glowing and constant green flashing of the Status LED.
Attention: After erasing the setups from memory the DSP MINI MK2 will not reproduce any audio output until the device is updated via the DSP PC-Tool software. - Status LED
The Status LED indicates the operating mode of the signal processor and of its memory.
Green: DSP is ready for operation.
Orange: Power Save Mode is active.
Red: Protection Mode is active. This may have different root causes. The DSP MINI MK2 is equipped with protection circuits against over- and under voltage as well as overheating. Please check for connecting failures such as short-circuits or other wrong connections.
If the DSP is overheated the internal temperature protection switches off the remote and signal output until it reaches a safe temperature level again.
Red / green slow flashing: No operating software installed. Connect the signal processor to the DSP PC-Tool software and confirm the automatic update of the operating system. You will find the latest version of the DSP PC-Tool software at
www.audiotec-fischer.com.
Red / green fast flashing: The currently selected sound setup memory is empty. A new setup has to be loaded via the DSP PC-Tool software or switch to a memory position with existing sound setup. - USB input
Connect your personal computer to the DSP MINI MK2 using the provided USB cable. The required PC software to configure this signal processor can be downloaded from the Audiotec Fischer website www.audiotec-fischer.com.
Please note: It is not possible to connect any USB storage devices. - SCP (Smart Control Port)
This multi-functional input is designed for HELIX DSP MINI MK2 accessory products like a remote control which allows to adjust several features of the signal processor. Depending on the type of remote control, at first its functionality has to be defined in the “Device Configuration Menu” of the DSP PC-Tool software.
Attention: If the accessory product does not have a NanoFit connector solely use the NanoFit adaptor which is included in delivery for connection.
- Line Output
6-channel pre-amplifier output for connecting power amplifiers. The output voltage is 6 Volts max. Please make sure that you always turn on / off external amplifiers using the remote output of the signal processors Power Input. Never directly control the external amps by a signal from the ignition switch of your car! Additionally this output will be turned off when the “Power Save Mode” of the signal processor is active. The outputs can be assigned to any of the inputs as desired using the DSP PC-Tool software.
Installation
Connection of HELIX DSP MINI MK2 to the head unit / car radio:
Caution: Carrying out the following steps will require special tools and technical knowledge. In order to avoid connection mistakes and / or damage, ask your dealer for assistance if you have any questions and follow all instructions in this manual (see page 16). It is recommended that the device will be installed by an authorized HELIX dealer.
- Connecting the pre-amplifier inputs
Use the correct cable (RCA / cinch cable) to connect these inputs to the pre-amplifier / low level / cinch outputs of your head unit / car radio. Each input can be assigned to any output using the DSP PC-Tool software. The automatic turn-on circuit does not work when using the pre-amplifier inputs. In this case the remote input has to be connected to activate the HELIX DSP MINI MK2.
Important: It is strictly forbidden to use the High level and low level Line Input of an individual channel at the same time as this may
cause severe damage to the low level line outputs of your head unit / car radio. Nevertheless it is possible to use the High level Input of one channel and the low level Line Input of another channel simultaneously. - Connecting the high level speaker inputs
The high level loudspeaker inputs can be connected directly to the loudspeaker outputs of an OEM or aftermarket radio using appropriate cables (loudspeaker cables with 1 mm² / AWG 18 max.).
We recommend the following channel assignment if a common car radio will be connected to the signal processor:
Channel A = Front left
Channel B = Front right
Channel C = Rear left
Channel D = Rear right
Actually it is not mandatory to use all high level speaker inputs. If only two channels will be connected we recommend to use the channels A and B. Make sure that the polarity is correct. If one or more connections have reversed polarity it may affect the performance of the signal processor. If this input is used the remote input does not need to be connected as the signal processor will automatically turn on once a loudspeaker signal is received. - Connecting a digital signal source
If you have a signal source with an optical digital output you can connect it to the signal processor using the appropriate input. In standard configuration the manual activation via an optional remote control is configured. Alternatively you can activate the automatic turn-on feature in the DCM menu of the DSP PC-Tool software. The feature activates the digital input as soon as a digital audio signal is detected. The automatic turn-on circuit does not work when the digital input is used. Therefore it is mandatory to connect the remote input of the Power Input.Important: The signal of a digital audio source normally does not contain any information about the volume level. Keep in mind that
this will lead to full level on the outputs of the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 and your connected amplifiers. This may cause severe damage to your speakers. We strongly recommend to use an optional remote control for adjusting the volume level of the digital signal input!Information: The HELIX DSP MINI MK2 can only handle uncompressed digital stereo signals in PCM format with a sample rate between 12 kHz and 96 kHz and no MP3- or Dolby-coded digital audio stream!
- Adjustment of the input sensitivity
Attention: It is mandatory to properly adapt the input sensitivity of the DSP MINI MK2 to the signal source in order to avoid damage to the signal processor.
The input sensitivity can be optimally adapted to the signal source using the DSP PC-Tool software. Input sensitivity is factory set to 11 Volts for the Highlevel and 4 Volts for the Line Input.
This is definitely the best setting for most applications. Only if the head unit / car radio doesn ́t deliver enough output level, the input sensitivity should be increased.
The setting affects both the lowlevel and the highlevel inputs!
Follow the subsequent steps to perfectly adapt the signal processors input sensitivity to your signal source:
- Don‘t connect any amplifiers to the outputs of the DSP MINI MK2 during this setup.
- First turn on the signal processor and then start the software. The function can be found in the “Signal Management” tab of the DCM menu under the item “Main Input → Input Gain“.
- Adjust the volume of your radio to approx. 90 % of the max. volume and playback an appropriate test tone, e.g. pink noise (0 dB).
- If the clipping indicator in the DSP PC-Tool already lights up (see picture below), you have to reduce the input sensitivity using the scroll bar until the indicator turns off.
- Increase the input sensitivity until the clipping indicator lights up. Now turn the control back until the indicator turns off again.
5. Connection to power supply
Make sure to disconnect the battery before installing the HELIX DSP MINI MK2!
Solely use the included screw-type terminal to connect the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 to a power supply. Make sure of correct polarity. The ground wire must be connected to the vehicle chassis at a non-insulated point. Inadequate grounding causes audible interference and malfunctions.
The positive wire has to be connected to the battery’s positive post or a power distribution block. Though the current draw of the HELIX
DSP MINI MK2 is rather low (approx. 480 mA) we recommend a minimum wire gauge of 1 mm² / AWG18 for both power supply wires.
6. Connecting the remote input
The remote input of the Power Input has to be connected to the radio remote output if the signal processors lowlevel Line Inputs or the
Optical Input are / is used as signal input/s. We do not recommend controlling the remote input via the ignition switch to avoid pop noise during turn on / off.
If the Highlevel Input is used this input does not need to be connected as long as the car radio has BTL output stages.
7. Configuration of the remote input
The DSP MINI MK2 will be turned on automatically if the Highlevel Input is used or if a signal is applied to the remote input terminal. The Auto Remote switch (page 18, point 4; Auto Remote) allows to deactivate the automatic turn-on feature of the highlevel inputs. The feature should be deactivated (Auto Remote = Off) if there are
e.g. noises while switching on / off the signal processor.
Note: If the automatic turn-on function is deactivated it is mandatory to use the remote input terminal to power up the signal processor! The highlevel signal will be ignored in this case.
Note: The automatic turn-on feature of the highlevel inputs is activated by default.
8. Configuration of the DSP
The general DSP settings should be conducted with the DSP PC-Tool software before using the signal processor for the first time.
Ignoring this advice may result in damaging the connected amplifiers / the loudspeakers. Information about connecting the DSP MINI MK2 to a computer can be found on page 22.
9. Connecting the remote output
This output (Remote out) is used to supply remote signals to the external amplifier/s. Always use this remote output signal to turn on the amplifier/s in order to avoid on / off switching noises.
Connection to a PC
It is possible to freely configure the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 with our DSP PC-Tool software. The user interface is designed for easy handling of all functions and allows an individual adjustment of each of the six DSP channels. Prior to connecting the signal processor to your PC visit our website and download the latest version of the DSP PC-Tool software.
Check from time to time for software updates. You will find the software and a huge knowledge base at
www.audiotec-fischer.com.
We strongly recommend to carefully read the DSP PC-Tool knowledge base before using the software for the first time in order to avoid any complications and failures.
Important: Make sure that the signal processor is not connected to your computer before the software and USB driver are installed!
In the following the most important steps how to connect and the first start-up are described:
- Download the latest version of the DSP PC-Tool software (available on our website www.audiotec-fischer.com) and install it on your computer.
- Connect the signal processor to your computer using the USB cable that is included in delivery. If you have to bridge longer distances
please use an active USB extension cable with integrated repeater or the optionally available WIFI CONTROL interface. - First turn on the signal processor and then start the software. The operating software will be updated automatically to the latest version if it is not up-to-date.
- Now you are able to configure your HELIX DSP MINI MK2 with our intuitive DSP PC-Tool software. Nevertheless, interesting and useful hints can be found in our knowledge base at www.audiotec-fischer.com.
Caution: We highly recommend to set the volume of your car radio to minimum position during first start-up. Additionally no devices should be connected to the signal processor until general settings in the DSP PC-Tool software have been made. Especially if the DSP MINI MK2 will be used in fully active applications, a wrong setup can destroy your speakers right away
Configuration notes for the DSP sound effects
The HELIX DSP MINI MK2 offers unique DSP sound effects like “Augmented Bass Processing”, “StageXpander”, “RealCenter” and many more. In order to enjoy all DSP sound effects, specific settings have to be made in the hardware and software configuration.
Notes for Center Processing with its functions RealCenter and ClarityXpander
If you want to use the Real Center and Clarity Xpander function for a center speaker follow the subsequent steps:
- You need at least one left and one right analog or digital input signal.
- Open the IO menu of the DSP PC-Tool. Route the left and the right analog or digital input signal (no sum signal) to the output channels A and B (see example in the following image). It does not matter, if the output channels are defined as front,
or center channel.
Note: You will achieve the best performance if the input signal is a fullrange signal. - Generate a summation signal from the same two input signals and route this to the output channel E. This channel should be defined as “Center Full”.
- Repeat steps two and three for all routing matrices that are used.
- Now switch to the FX menu and activate the desired sound effect by placing a tick.
Note: The Center Processing affects only the output channel E.Notes for StageXpander and ClarityXpander function
Normally, the settings of the StageXpander and Front ClarityXpander only affect the output channels A and B. If you want to drive a fully active 2-way front system, it is necessary that these sound features affect all four output channels A to D.
Therefore, you have to activate the routing in the FX menu under “Front processing” by activating the “Link to C+D” function.Notes for Augmented Bass Processing with its functions Dynamic Bass Enhancement and SubXpander
- You need at least one left and one right analog or digital input signal.
Note: If you use the analog input then you achieve the best performance if all four input signals are used. - Open the IO menu in the DSP PC-Tool. Generate a summation signal from all left and right analog or digital input signals and route this to output channel F.
- Repeat the routing for all routing matrices used.
- Now switch to the FX menu and activate the desired sound effect by placing a tick.
Note: The Augmented Bass Processing affects only the output channel F.
ACO platform features
Beside the unique DSP sound effects the DSP MINI MK2 provides a bunch of new system and DSP features.
In the DCM menu of the DSP PC-Tool software individual settings can be made for several of these system features.
Turn On & Off Delay
This function allows to determine the delay time with which the DSP is switched on and off. The factory setting is 0.2 seconds. The delay time should only be modified if there are e.g. noises while switching on / off the signal processor.
URC Setup Switch Configuration
The ACO provides ten internal memory locations for sound setups instead of the common two.
By using an optional URC remote control or the Control pushbutton it is possible to toggle between two of the ten memory locations. These two memory locations can be determined in the “URC Setup Switch Configuration”. The memory locations one and two are preassigned by default. To switch between all internal memory locations, the optionally available remote controls DIRECTOR and CONDUCTOR or the HELIX WIFI CONTROL are / is recommended.
Remote Output Configuration
This function controls if the remote output (which switches on and off the connected amplifiers) will be temporarily deactivated during a sound setup switch. This function is activated (ON) by default.
ADEP.3 Configuration
If the DSP.3S is connected to an OEM radio via the highlevel inputs it may happen that the ADEP.3 circuit has to be adapted to the diagnostic mode of the radio if the latter is equipped with a so-called “class SB” output stage”.
The ADEP.3 circuit should be adjusted if there are e.g. distortions in the upper volume range.
The compatibility mode is disabled by default.
HELIX Extension Card slot (HEC slot)
It is possible to extend the functionality of the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 by adding further interfaces like a Bluetooth® Audio Streaming module, a High Resolution Audio USB soundcard etc.
To install a HELIX Extension Card it is necessary to remove the side panel of the DSP MINI MK2 and replace it by the new side panel that comes with the HEC module.
Attention: Install the HEC module only in the designated device and its specific slot. Using the HEC module in other devices or slots can result in damage of the HEC module, the signal processor, the head unit / car radio or other connected devices!
Read in the following the steps how to install a HEC module:
- First disconnect all cables from the device.
- Dismantle the side panel where the USB input is located by removing the four Phillips screws and one Allen screw.
- Pull out the bottom plate sideways.
- Prepare the module for installing it into the device. Any further mounting information will be found in the instruction manual of the respective HEC module.
- Insert the HEC module into the specific slot of the device which is marked in the following picture.
- Make sure that the HEC module is installed properly and all pins are fully inserted into the socket.
- Reinsert the bottom plate and fix the new side panel which is delivered with the HEC module with the four Phillips screws and one Allen screw.
- Bolt the HEC module to the side panel. Precise mounting information will be found in the instruction manual of the respective HEC module.
- Reconnect all cables to the device.
- Turn on the signal processor. The HEC module is automatically detected by the device and the Status LED of the HEC module lights up green.
- Now you are able to configure the HEC module in the DSP PC-Tool software.
Unique Features of the HELIX DSP MINI MK2
96 kHz sampling rate
The HELIX DSP MINI MK2 allows to handle all signals with the doubled sampling rate of 96 kHz. Thus the audio bandwidth is no longer limited to usual values like 22 kHz but allows an extended frequency response to more than 40 kHz. Doubling the sampling rate requires significantly higher DSP power as the number of possible arithmetic operations is halved. Only the implementation of the latest DSP chip generation allows raising the sampling rate to 96 kHz and adding new features at the same time.
ACO – Advanced 32 Bit CoProcessor
The HELIX DSP MINI MK2 incorporates an extraordinary powerful 32 Bit CoProcessor of the latest generation for all monitoring and communication tasks, both internally and externally. In opposite to the 8 Bit predecessor generation this MCU achieves way higher speeds with respect to setup switching and data communication with our DSP PC-Tool software. A further significant advantage is the integrated, native boot loader of the CoProcessor. It allows software upgrades of all components of the DSP in order to adjust the microcontroller-controlled ADEP.3 circuit for example at future modifications / changes in the diagnostic system of factory radios or if the device will be extended with additional interfaces. In addition, thanks to the new flash memory, the ACO offers 10 memory locations for sound setups instead of the common two.
Smart highlevel input ADEP.3
Modern, factory-installed car radios incorporate sophisticated possibilities of diagnosing the connected speakers. In particular the latest generation of car radios are equipped with additional monitoring functions so that failure messages and loss of specific features (e.g. fader function) quite often appear if a signal processor will be hooked up – but not with the DSP MINI MK2. The new ADEP.3 circuit (Advanced Diagnostics Error Protection, 3rd Generation) avoids all these problems without loading the speaker outputs of the OE radio during high volumes unnecessarily
Start-Stop capability
The switched power supply of the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 assures a constant internal supply voltage even if the battery’s voltage drops to 6 Volts during engine crank.
Power Save Mode
The Power Save Mode is incorporated in the basic setup. It allows to significantly reduce the power consumption of the amplifiers that are connected to the HELIX DSP MINI MK2 once there’s no input signal present for more than 60 seconds. Please note that in many up-to-date cars with “CAN” or any other internal bus structures it may happen that the radio remains “invisibly” turned on for up to 45 min. even after locking and leaving the car! Once the “Power Save Mode“ is active the remote output and therefore the connected amplifiers will be turned off. The HELIX DSP MINI MK2 will reactivate the remote output within a second if a music signal is applied. It is possible to either modify the turn-off time of 60 sec. or completely deactivate the “Power Save Mode” via the DSP PC-Tool software.
Automatic Digital Signal Detection
The HELIX DSP MINI MK2 allows signal-controlled switching between the analog inputs and the digital input. As soon as an input signal is detected on the Optical Input, the signal processor automatically switches to this input. This feature can be deactivated in the DSP PC-Tool software. Alternatively you can use an optional remote control for manual switching between analog and digital inputs.
Technical Data
Warranty Disclaimer
The warranty service is based on the statutory regulations. Defects and damage caused by overload or improper handling are excluded from the warranty service. Any return can only take place following prior consultation, in the original packaging together with a detailed description of the error and a valid proof of purchase.
Technical modifications and errors excepted! We accept no liability for damage to the vehicle or device defects caused by the incorrect operation of the device. This product has been issued a CE marking. This means that the device is certified for use in vehicles within the European Union (EU).
Note: “The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Audiotec Fischer GmbH is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.”
Audiotec Fischer GmbH
Hünegräben 26 · 57392 Schmallenberg · Germany
Tel.: +49 2972 9788 0 · Fax: +49 2972 9788 88
E-mail: helix@audiotec-fischer.com · Internet: www.audiotec-fischer.com
