iCON VCAST Control Station for Live Streaming User Manual

: June 8, 2024
: Icon

Table of Contents

VCAST Control Station for Live Streaming
Important Safety Instructions
Overview
Introduction
Registration
Features
Top Panel Layout
Gerenal settings
Import Audio Files
Setup the iMap
Firmware upgrade
Hardware Connections (with PC/Mac only)
Specifications
Services
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

VCast Control Station for Live Streaming VCAST Control Station for Live Streaming
User Manual

VCAST Control Station for Live Streaming

CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)
NO USER-SERVIDEABLE PARTS INSIDE
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle„is intended foaled the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure, that may be of sufficient magnitude to electric shock to persons.
Exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (serviving) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Important Safety Instructions

Read this manual thoroughly before using this unit.
Keep this manual for future reference.
Take notice of and comply with all warnings included in the user’s manual or indicated on the appliance.
Follow all instructions included in this manual.
Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. Avoid having water or other liquids spilled on this unit.
When cleaning the cabinet or other parts of this appliance, use only a dry or slightly damp soft cloth.
Do not block any ventilation openings or interfere with the proper ventilation of this unit. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not use or store near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other heat- producing appliances.
Do not interfere with the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. These are designated for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or otherwise damaged by items placed on or against them. Particular attention should be given to the plugs, receptacles, and the point where the cord exits the appliance.
To avoid the risk of electrical shock, do not touch any exposed wiring while the unit is in operation.
Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
Unplug this unit and all connected electrical equipment during lightning storms or when left unused a long period of time.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the appliance has been damaged in any way or fails to operate normally.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture

Overview

The live streaming revolution has been growing in popularity and scope for a number of years, with live streaming apps taking it to a new level, providing platforms for debate, sharing information, talent and fun in a global arena with potential audiences of thousands!
Live broadcasters love being ‘in the moment’, equipped with the right sounds, the right effects and the right functionality, whether they are interacting with their audience or family and friends.
Broadcasters look for the very best available quality, resources and value for money to enable the very best quality productions.
Please step forward, the Icon Pro Audio VCast! The VCast is a powerful control station for live streaming , utilising a myriad of sounds, functions and effects to enable the highest quality broadcasts featuring not only reverb and delay, but EQ and vocal tuning. With exemplary architecture and build quality, the Icon Pro Audio VCast will provide years of outstanding service.
Let’s begin the journey…

Introduction

Firstly, congratulations on your purchase of the ICON Pro Audio VCast Control Station for Live Streaming! In these pages, you’ll find a detailed description of the features of the VCast Control Station for Live Streaming, as well as a guided tour through its front and rear panels, step-by-step instructions for their setup and useand a full list of specifications. As you read through the manual, you will spot orange boxes – these denote actions for you to complete which will help you get underway.
As with most electronic devices, we strongly recommend you retain the original packaging. In the unlikely event that the product is returned for servicing, the riginal packaging (or reasonable equivalent) is required. With proper care and adequate air circulation, your VCast Control Station will operate flawlessly for many years to come.
We trust that this product will provide years of excellent service and in the unlikely event that your product does not perform to the highest standard, every effort will be made to address the issue.

What’s in the package?

VCast Control Station for Live Streaming x1
USB cable (Type C) x1
2.4GHz USB dongle for wireless transmitting

Registration

First Things First – Let’s Get You Registered!
Please register the product on our website at the link below; http://iconproaudio.com/registration

Please follow the step-by-step procedures.
Input the device’s serial number and your personal information as per the instructions.
By registering your product online, you are entitled to service and aftersales support at our HelpCenter, which you can access by visiting our website at www.iconproaudio.com.
All the registered products in your account will be listed on your personal product page where you can find up to date information for your device, such as firmware/driver upgrades, software bundles and user manual downloads.

Features

Extremely compact, durable and versatile design
Superior build quality and robust metal casing with Kensington lock port
1 touch-sensitive motorized fader with 10-bit resolution
12 LED channel level metering
Backlit LCD to display channel name, control values, etc.
8 x dual-function encoder knobs for controlling different plug-in parameters with page “Up” and “Down” buttons
Individual control knobs for controlling “Reverb” & “Delay”
16 individually illuminated trigger buttons for importing user samples/jingles
12 different presets for different applications with individually illuminated trigger buttons
Individually illuminated function buttons including “Voice-Over”, “BGM (Background Music) key”, “Vocal Tune semi-tone”, “BGM (Background Music) On/Off”, “Mute” and “Master”
6 illuminated transport buttons including Play, Stop, Rec, Rewind, Fast Forward and Loop
Control knob is equipped for switching different media player
5 illuminated transport buttons including Play/Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward, Previous & Next song (Media Player control)
USB 2.0 high-speed connectivity
Firmware upgrade available via USB connection and iMap™ software
2.4 GHz wireless connectivity with rechargeable battery
2.4GHz USB dongle wireless unit included
User A & User B 1/4 inch inputs for connecting footswitch pedals
Platform D3 LCD display connector available (Optional)
Class-compliant with Windows 10, Windows 8 (32-bit & 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit & 64-bit)

Top Panel Layout

LCD backlit display
The backlit LCD display shows the parameter values as you adjust them and also provides feedback about channel selection, operating modes, and more.
Preset/Mode or Master fader
The touch sensitive motorized fader can be used to adjust the parameters of different channels, the “Preset/Mode” parameters, (relative to the “Preset/Mode” button selected) and adjust output volume. Additionally, when the “Master” button is activated, the fader will control the master channel.
The touch sensitivity of the high quality fader allows the user to override automation, the second the fader is touched. Furthermore, because it is motorized, it will automatically move to reflect the current level of the selected “Preset/Mode” in Bitwig 16Track . Any parameter adjustments made with the fader will be displayed immediately on the LCD display.
8xDual function encoders
The dual function encoder knob acts as a push-button and a rotary control. These are used to control the selected plug-in parameters.
Page Up & Down buttons
Press these buttons to scroll across different parameter pages of the selected plugin.
Sample / Jingles buttons
There are 16 preloaded sample/jingle buttons. You may overwrite these samples by importing your own preferred audio files in Bitwig 16 Track software. Please refer to “How to import audio file for samples/jingles” in P14.
Factory preloaded samples included:LOL| a Laugh Out Loud effect sample
---|---
Shocking| a shocking sound effect sample
Fun| a crowd laughing effect sample
Innocent| a innocent sound effect sample
Helpness| a helpness sound effect sample
OMG| a Oh My God sample
Curosity| a curosity sound effect sample
What| a What sample
Birdy| a bird fly over sound effect sample
Sword fencing| a sword fencing sample
Beat Up| a beat up sound effect sample
Slap| a face slapping sample
Laugh| a group laughing effect sample
Hello| a Hello sound sample
Air Horn| a series of air horn sound sample
Horrify| a horrify sound effect sample
Preset/Mode buttons
There are 12 different “Preset/Mode” buttons for different applications. Each “Preset/Mode” setting is configured with different plug-in effects/parameters, ideal for each particular application. Activating each “Preset/Mode” button will select its track, then adjust the “Preset/Mode” volume by sliding the fader and mute it by pressing the “Mute” button. Additionally, adjust different effects such as ‘reverb’ and ‘delay’ etc. by rotating their corresponding knobs. 12 Presets/Modes

Chat| for chatting when live streaming
Radio| a radio sound effect emulation when live streaming
Gaming| the monitor channel is muted while live streaming
Concert| effects are configured for professional singers when live streaming
Karaoke| effects are configured for karaoke when live streaming
Hip-hop| effects have been configured for the hip-hop song genre
Hi-Tone (Reverb)| configured for singers with a higher tone
Low-Tone (Reverb)| configured for singers with a lower tone
Hi-Tone (Vocal Tune)| configured for singers who perform with a high tone
Low-Tone (Vocal Tune)| configured for singers who perform with a low tone
Vocal Tune| configured with vocal tuning
Pitch Shift| configured with pitch shifting effects
BGM [background music] Key control button & knob
Activate the “BGM Key” button and adjust the control knob [11] to adjust the key of the BGM.
Vocal Tune Semi-Tone button & Knob
Activate the “Vocal Tune Semi-Tone” button and adjust the control knob [11] to select the semi-tone of the vocal tuning function.
Reverb adjust knob
Rotate the knob to adjust the reverberation parameters. Its value will be displayed on the LCD in blue digits.
Delay adjust knob
Rotate the knob to adjust the delay parameters. Its value will be displayed on the LCD in purple digits.
Media Player switching knob
Press this knob once to enter into the “Media Player”select mode. Then rotate this knob again to switch to a different media player. Press the knob to confirm the selected media player.
Media Player Transport buttons
These 5-function buttons control the selected media player.
Voice-Over function button
Press this button for the voice-over function. The BGM will lower in volume when the mic signal has detected activation.
BGM [background music]control button
Activate this button to select the BGM track. Adjust the BGM volume by sliding the fader, mute it by pressing the “Mute” button or adjust different effects such as reverb or delay etc. by rotating the associated rotary knobs.
Mute button
Press to mute the selected Preset/Mode or track.
Master button
Press to activate the “Master” output channel. You may then adjust its output volume by sliding the fader or muting the output by activating the “Mute” button.
Transport control section
It is possible to record your session and play it afterwards. The following control buttons are used for this purpose;PLAY button| Activate the play function of Bitwig 16Track
---|---
STOP button| Activate the stop function of Bitwig 16Track
REC button| Activate the record function of Bitwig 16Track.
REWIND button| Activate the rewind function of Bitwig 16Track
FAST FORWARD button| Activate the fast forward function of Bitwig 16Track.
LOOP button| Activate the loop function of Bitwig 16Track

Gerenal settings

Select different language Media Player
Press and hold the fifth encoder (counting from the left) while power on the device to enter into the “Media Player” language selection mode. Press Page Up or Down to select the preferred language media player and it will automtaically confrim the seleced languafe after few seconds.
Fader speed adjustment
Press and hold the first encoder (counting from the left) while power on the device to enter into the “Fader speed adjustment” mode. Rotate the 8th ecoder to adjust the speed – Clockwise for faster speed and anticlockwise for slower speed. Press the encoder to confirm the setting.
Fader sensitivity adjustment
Press and hold the second encoder (counting from the left) while power on the device to enter into the “Fader sensitivity adjustment” mode. Rotate the 8th ecoder to adjust the sensitivity – Clockwise for less sensitive (higher value on teh display) and anticlockwise for more sensitive (lower value on teh display). Press the encoder to confirm the setting.

Tip: In order to adjust the appropriate sensitivie for your fader. Keep touching the fader cap while you adjusting the sensitivity with the 8th encoder described above until the blue LED (the LED that above the level metering LED) just stays lit without flashing and goes off as soon as your finger leave the fader cap.

Rear Panel Layout

USB Type-C port
Functions as a MIDI port to your computer and compatible software. Also provides power to your VCast.
User A / User B ¼ inch inputs
These ¼ inch inputs are enabled for connection to foot pedals to activate selected functions in Bitwig 16Track. To set their parameters, please select USER A and USER B parameters in Mackie control mode.
Platform D3 LCD module connector
Connect your optional Platform D3 LCD module to this connector with the cable provided

Import Audio Files

How to import an audio file to use as a sample/jingle into Bitwig 16Track

Prepare your audio file in a compatible format such as WAV, MP3 etc.
Select the “Sample” track with your mouse on Bitwig 16Track, a set of 16-drum pads will appear on bottom.
Drag and drop your previously prepared audio file into each pad.

Getting Started
Connect Your VCast Controller

Connect the VCast to your Mac/PC via the USB port.
Choose a USB port on your Mac/PC and insert the wide (flat) end of the USB cable. Connect the other end of the cable to the VCast. Your Mac/PC will automatically “detect” the new hardware and notify you that it is ready to use.
Setup your at Bitwig 16Track
Activate the ICON VCast controller in Bitwig 16Track as the images below demonstrate.

Setup the iMap

Now, it’s time to set up the iMap in your OS!

For Mac OS X see below (Page 16-18)
For Windows, see overleaf (Page 19-20)

Installing iMap Software for Mac OS
Please follow the step-by-step procedures below to launch your iMap software in Mac OS.

Download the iMap software (Mac OS) in your user portal (by registering your VCast online, you will find all sorts of useful information and utilities such as the iMap software in your user portal)
Then unzip the “VCast_iMapMac Setup.Zip” file to get the installation package
Double click the installation package “VCast iMap.pkg“, then install iMap according to the prompts
Keep clicking “Continue”
The last installation step requires you to enter your system account and password
After the installation is completed, you will see “The installation was successful.”as shown
Now you can doubleclick “VCast iMap” on your desktop for firmware upgrading

Installing iMap Software for Windows
Please follow the step-by-step procedures below to install your iMap software.

Turn on your PC
Download the iMap software (Win) in your user portal (by registering your VCast online, you will find all sorts of useful information and utilities such as the iMap software in your user portal).
The Setup Wizard will appear.
When the Setup Wizard appears, please click “Next”.
Choose Install Location
Choose your preferred install location for the iMap or use the default location and click “Next”.
Select shortcut (start folder)
Select the start menu folder in which you would like to create the iMap shortcut. Then click “Next”.
Create a shortcut (desktop)
Please uncheck the box if you do not want to place a shortcut icon on your desktop for the iMap; otherwise click “Next”.
iMap initiates installation
The iMap installation will now begin. Please wait for it to finish. Please click “Finish”.
Installation finished
Click “Finish” to complete the iMap software installation.

Firmware upgrade

Important:
Connect directly to the computer (no USB hubs please!)
Do not touch the device while updating
Ensure excellent internet and power connections
Ensure the firmware update completes – don’t interrupt it!
Time to upgrade the firmware!
Remember to slowly and carefully work through the steps!
Step1: Connect the VCast using a USB connection. Press the “MIDI Device” button at the top to select your connected VCast as the “MIDI In and Out” device in the pull-down menu.

Note: If the name “ VCast” does not appear on the pull- down menu, select “USB Audio” as the MIDI In and Out device.
Step 2: Click the “Erase” button.

Step 3: Press the “Activate” button and select VCast as the “MIDI In and Out” device on the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Click “Select Version” to browse the new firmware file.

Step 5: Click the “Upgrade” button to upload the firmware.

Warning: The firmware upload process MUST be completed and not interrupted during the file upload, otherwise the firmware may not be rewritten again.

Hardware Connections (with PC/Mac only)

Specifications

Connector: To computer	USB cable (Type C)
Power supply:	5V DC
Current consumption:	0. 9A or less
Weight:	1.0562kg (2. 3lb)
Dimensions:	244(L) x 196(W) x 38(H)mm

8”(L) x 6.4”(W) x1.2”(H)

Services

If your VCast needs servicing, follow these instructions.
Check our online Help Center at http://support.iconproaudio.com/hc/en-us, for information, knowledge, and downloads such as:

FAQ
Download
Learn More
Forum

Very often you will find solutions on these pages. If you don’t find a solution, create a support ticket at our online Help Center at the link below, and our technical support team will assist you as soon as we can.
Navigate to http://support.iconproaudio.com/hc/en-us and then sign in to submit a ticket.
As soon as you have submitted an inquiry ticket, our support team will assist you to resolve the problem with your ICON ProAudio device as soon as possible.
To send defective products for service:

Ensure the problem is not related to operation error or external system devices.
Keep this owner’s manual. We don’t need it to repair the unit.
Pack the unit in its original packaging including end card and box. This is very important. If you have lost the packaging, please make sure you have packed the unit properly. ICON is not responsible for any damage that occurs due to non-factory packing.
Ship to the ICON tech support center or the local return authorization. See our service centers and distributor service points at the link below:
If you are located in US
Send the product to:
North America
Mixware, LLC – U.S. Distributor
11070 Fleetwood Street – Unit F.
Sun Valley, CA 91352; USA
Tel.: (818) 578 4030
Contact: www.mixware.net/help
If you are located in Europe
Send the product to:
Sound Service
GmbHEuropean
HeadquarterMoriz-Seeler-Straße
3D-12489 Berlin
Telephone: +49 (0)30 707 130-0
Fax: +49 (0)30 707 130-189
E-Mail: info@sound-service.eu
If you are located in Hong Kong
Send the product to:
ASIA OFFICE:
Unit F, 15/F., Fu Cheung Centre,
No. 5-7 Wong Chuk Yueng
Street, Fotan,
Sha Tin, N.T., Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2398 2286
Fax: (852) 2789 3947
E-mail: info.asia@icon-global.com
For additional update information please visit our website at: www.iconproaudio.com