The latest version of iCore is now on-line with lots of tweaks and performance enhancements to make it quicker and easier to use.
Let’s start with the essential and inevitable bug fixes:
Firstly the off-line editing and then send settings bug has been fixed. Now, any off-line editing you do will be correctly applied to connected unit when you go back on-line. Remember how powerful this feature is, especially when configuring a system which includes DSP (be that 4 Series or DC/Ti1048s). You can commission the system at home and then connect to the devices on site, and download all the settings, including memories, preset scheduling (1048s only) and current system settings in a single dump, AND have a copy of this as an iCore .icd file as backup.
Secondly, if you have ever copied and pasted presets from a DP448 to a Ti or DC1048, with output level trim enabled in the preset, you may have discovered that the trim range was incorrect – the trim of output levels should be restricted to6dB around the preset value, but this range was being pasted in at 12dB around the preset value. Remember that if the gain trim is enabled when a preset is designed, this 6dB window is not adjustable (so you can’t select a 3dB window for example) .
So that’s the fixes done – now on to the nice stuff – the additions:
Reset to default option for 4 Series and Ti/DC1048 devices:
You can now right click on a device in the device view and choose to “Reset to defaults”. This works with all 4 Series, and Ti and DC1048s. A word of warning – use with caution! Whilst this only affects the current settings (so this deosn’t delete preset/memories or anything else), it does open all crossover filters and flatten all EQ, setting gains to 0dB and on 1048s routes all inputs to all outputs (so each mix of the matrix is set to 0dB too). On 4 Series, all outputs are routed to input A only. Mutes are enabled on ins and outs to try and stop you making any expensive mistakes!
Move to zone option for easier large system management:
A right click on any device allows you to move it to another zone (assuming you have defined multiple zones). In a system with more than about 30 devices, the list of units can scroll off the end of the screen, and when there are zones included in this, it can become quite difficult to drag and drop units into the correct zones.
Skip button when scanning system added:
Pretty self explanatory (with the explanatory comment!). If you are using only Ti amps and network components, you can now skip the DSP ID searches (the ones where you specify the ID number via the individual units’ front panels) and jump straight to the fixed ID search (that uses the serial number chips built into every amp/breakout box).
Status display on bottom toolbar:
In combination with the addition of the zone collapse/expand arrows, there is new status bar notification of any problems with the system, such as a device going offline or an amplifier reaching a temperature threshold. Remember, if you want a device to stay as part of your system, but don’t want the warnings about it, you can right click on it in the device view and set it to be ignored.
Zone collapse/expand controls now also warning triangles:
This is pretty self explanatory – any device in a zone that requires attention will change its status indicator from green to yellow or red and the zone’s arrow will start to flash – the status bar notification will also change to blue and describe the problem as explained in the previous section.
Other improvements…
There are a variety of other little tweaks here and there, such as a bigger and clearer System Mute button (remember that enabling System Mute on a DC1048 or Ti1048 won’t show up on the front as there are no mute buttons or indicators, so if there’s no signal through them, perform a System Mute/Unmute operation!).
The zone collapse and expand animations have been sped up to help performance on older machines, and the comms system has been overhauled to reduce traffic in large systems – all devices only receive a “heartbeat” unless they are “in focus” now so large systems can be monitored at a faster rate.
One final thing – the integrated firmware updater for Ti amplifiers and breakout boxes has been replaced by a firmware checking tool in Tools > Show Device Firmware Status. Firmware updates will now be handled by the standard xta flashloader program and bundled in the zip file along with the firmware files, available on the website.
So what are you waiting for? Download the new version here!