AEQ CS 12 Forum Lite Screen User Manual
- June 25, 2024
- AEQ
Table of Contents
AEQ CS 12 Forum Lite Screen
Product Information
Specifications
- Product Name: AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN
- Software Version: 1.66 (May 2024)
- Operating Systems: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11 and iOS 5 or later iPad
- Minimum Hard Disk Space: 15Mb
- Minimum RAM: 2Gb
- Recommended Screen Resolution: 1920x1080p (16:9 aspect ratio)
FAQ
Q: Can AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN be used on older Windows versions?
A: Correct presentation cannot be guaranteed on older Windows versions; it is recommended to use Windows 7 or later.
INSTALLING AND RUNNING THE APPLICATION.
Installation. System requirements
“AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN” application is available in two different versions for the following operating systems:
- Windows.
- iOS.
The Windows version is provided on the auto-run USB key furnished with the console (or by the AEQ dealership network), while the iOS version can be downloaded from http://virtualmixer.aeq.es. Both versions feature a Demo mode: in this mode, the application operates against a dummy console, allowing for the evaluation of the product and user training. In order to work with a real console, activation of its license at hardware level is required by means of “Forum Lite Setup” application (please consult console user’s manual); a temporary license can be activated at software level (see section 4.3.8 of this manual).The “AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN” application has been designed to be used in tactile devices, but it can be used with a mouse as well. The Windows and iOS (for iPad) versions have the same appearance -except for very small particularities- and, of course, they provide the same functionality.
Windows requirements.
“AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN” software for Windows must be installed on a PC running Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 or 11 operating system. The correct presentation can not be guaranteed with older Windows versions. The installation process simply consists on running the provided installer and following the onscreen\ instructions as they come up. A minimum free hard disk space of 15Mb is required, and any processor supported by the above-mentioned operating systems with more than 2Gb RAM is enough for correct performance. Optimal screen resolution is 1920x1080p although the program will adapt to other resolutions. In any case, it is strongly recommended that the monitor aspect ratio is 16:9.
iOS requirements.
“AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN” app for iOS must be installed on an iPad with iOS 5 or later operating system. Correct presentation cannot be guaranteed with older versions. A minimum free storage space for applications of 7Mb is required.
Running the application.
Once the “AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN” application is installed (by default, in C:\Program files\ForumLiteScreen), you can start it up by double-clicking the icon displayed on the desktop
The application will also be accessible from the Start menu.
NOTE: If you want to use the application in a unit with touch screen, in order to make it works properly the parameter “TOUCH=0” must be changed to “TOUCH=1” in the “ForumLiteScreen.ini” file, located in the application folder.
Once the application starts, an access screen as the following one will be displayed:
This screen allows the user to select which device the application will connect to.
In order to be able to connect to the console, the PC must have a compatible IP address within the same network. In most cases, if you can successfully issue a PING command to the frame, the application will be able to connect to it. This screen also shows the application’s version. Once the console is selected in the drop-down menu, just press on the “POWER” button to connect to it.
- In case it’s not found, an error message will be displayed
- In case there’s a connection, but the license of the console is not activated, the following indication will appear:
If the console has been successfully connected, it will be checked then for a proper active license to use “AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN”. This license resides in the console, not in the software, so the same software will work or not depending on the console it’s trying to connect to.
In case there’s a connection and the license is activated, a “Login” screen like this will appear:
If the “Auto Login” option is configured in the devices section (for the selected device), this screen will appear only temporarily, and as soon as all the configuration data is received from the console, it will give pass to next screen. On the other hand, if that option is not activated, the\ user must type in a valid user and password to continue. The “User Name” field must be filled in with the user name defined in the console configuration software. By default, the user is ADMIN. The “Password” field expects a key associated to that user. The password is defined in the console configuration software. By default, the password for user ADMIN is 1234.
The button with the left blue arrow allows you to return to the device selection screen. The user must click on this button to leave the application (Windows version only), or when the device to be controlled needs to be changed (all versions).
Once a correct user and password have been entered, the application’s main idle screen is accessed by clicking on the button on the right. In case user and password are not correct, an error message will appear (“Invalid User Name or Password”) and the application will remain in this screen until the correct ones are entered.
NOTE 1: From that moment on, the application header will show the user who has accessed it.
NOTE 2: In case that a new configuration is sent to the console (by means of “Forum Lite\ Setup” application) or that a configuration memory (or snapshot) is loaded in the console, the connection of “AEQ FORUM LITE SCREEN” application to the console will be automatically reestablished.
IDLE SCREEN
This is the idle screen, where important information for the console user is displayed: the VUmeters, the clock/calendar, the button for access to the “AEQ FORUM LITE VIRTUAL” application (if a valid license is available), the auxiliary screens button and the indicators for “ON AIR” and active telephone lines.
This screen also shows two vumeters groups. The most important ones are displayed at the left and are presented with their maximum resolution. Their names are fixed and correspond to PROGRAM, AUDITION, AUX 1 and AUX 2 signals. The displayed scale changes depending on the activation or not of the “Full Scale” option (see section 4.3.7 of this manual).
The other vumeters group represents the three first multiplex buses and the CUE signal (or the control monitoring bus, when there are no channels sent to CUE). Note that the CUE label is fixed, while the three multiplex bus labels will change depending on the name assigned to each signal in the console configuration software. \The MPX 1 vumeter (used for the telephone hybrid 1) \and the MPX 2 vumeter (used for telephone hybrid 2) are displayed in a special way: in both of them the left bar represents the transmission patch while the rightmost one represents the reception. The rest of vumeters feature the usual L and R channels representation. In case that the signal is mono, both vumeters will have the same value at the same moment
A phase correlation indicator of the CUE signal is shown above this vumeters group:
The top right area displays the surface date and time (not the one corresponding to the device the application is running on, either PC or iPad). In order to adjust the right date and time, the console NTP services will be used (this is set up by the configuration software), by using the synchronization option within the options menu (as explained in chapter 4.3.5 of this manual). Time can also \be manually changed on the surface, as described in its user’s manual.
There are also two more buttons giving access to more functions.
- This button opens the console remote control (“FORUM LITE VIRTUAL”), provided that the console has an active license to be remotely controlled. Otherwise, it will be represented shaded, meaning that it is deactivated, and the remote control won’t be accessible. Remote control is explained later, in chapter 5 of this manual.
- This other button gives access to the console options menu. These options are almost the same as the ones displayed in the main display of the Control and Monitoring module of the physical console, although now they are presented in a much more accessible than from the console itself.
The menu options are explained later,
And last, three status indicators are also presented in this screen. The “ON AIR” indicator informs whether the studio is “on air”,meaning that some microphone is open. Different channels can be associated to this activation by means of the console configuration software, but it usually corresponds to the studio microphones opening. When this occurs, the indicator turns to red indicating that it is active.
The other two messages represent the status of the telephone hybrids TEL 1 and TEL 2. The possible estates are:
- “ON HOOK”: it will appear in black indicating that the telephone hybrid is idling.
- “INCOMING CALL”: it will be displayed in yellow, indicating that there is an incoming call. The appropriate console programmable key needs to be pressed in order to answer this call.
- “WAIT”: it will appear in green, indicating that the call is on hold, what means that it is still not on air (you can send audio to the telephone line, but the audio from the line is not received in the console).
- “ON AIR”: it will be displayed in red, meaning that the signal is already available in the console channel. However, it won’t actually be on air until the channel is activated and the fader is turned up.
CHANNEL PARAMETERS ADJUSTMENT SCREEN
When the “SELECT” button in any of the FORUM LITE configured channels is pressed, the idle screen will give pass to a screen similar to this one (you can deactivate this functionality by changing the parameter “ONLY MAIN=0” to “ONLY MAIN=1” in the “ForumLiteScreen.ini” file, located in the application folder): The most important system vumeters, PROGRAM and AUDITION, are always displayed in the channel’s parameter adjustment screen, at the left. This way, these importat signals are still monitored even when we are displaying the information for a particular channel
Channel name, gain and routing.
All the characteristics of a signal, including its name, are displayed in the top central area. In case that the signal is defined as mono, it will be represented this way:
On the other hand, if the signal is stereo, it will look like this:
Channel processes.
The rest of the screen shows the graphical representations of the processes. This way, the status of all them can be seen at a glance:
Each one of the sections represents one of the processes, and all of them can be edited in a similar way. They have an ON/OFF button (by pressing it the process is\ activated/deactivated; when activated, the button and the process section are highlighted in red) and a graphical representation of the process. The particular configuration of each process can be accessed by clicking on its graphical representation. Once inside that screen, in addition to modifying the process-associated parameters, the ON/OFF \button (at the top left area) allows you to activate/deactivate the process and the button (at the top right area) allows you to return to the previous screen (or simply by clicking on the graphical representation). Changes are applied to the audio in real-time, provided that the process is active. The configuration screen for each process will still display, on the left, the main PROGRAM vumeters to avoid loosing control over this important signal
Compressor / Limiter.
The Compressor / Limiter section has an appearance like this:
By clicking on the graphical representation the configuration screen is accessed:
The following parameters can be modified in this process:
- Threshold.
- Ratio.
- Gain.
- Attack Time.
- Release Time.
For more information regarding these parameters, please consult the console user’s manual.
Noise gate.
The Noise gate section has an appearance like this
By clicking on the graphical representation the configuration screen is accessed:
The following parameters can be modified in this process:
- Threshold.
- Hold Time.
- Range.
- Attack Time.
- Release Time.
For more information regarding these parameters, please consult the console user’s manual
Equalizer.
The Equalizer section has an appearance like this:
By clicking on the graphical representation the configuration screen is accessed:
The Equalizer has three bands and the following parameters can be altered for each one of them:
- Frequency.
- Q.
- Gain.
For more information regarding these parameters, please consult the console user’s manual
Low Pass and High Pass Filters.
The Filters sections have an appearance like this:
By clicking on the graphical representation the configuration screen is accessed:
This screen allows the user to enable or disable a low pass filter (LPF) and a high pass filter (HPF) as well as changing their cutoff frequencies. For more information, please consult the console user’s manual.
CONFIGURATION MENU
By clicking on the configuration menu button from the idle screen, the application and console configuration options are accessed.
A screen like this is presented:
The “Back” option (top left) allows you to return to the idle screen.
COMMANDS.
The “Logout” option allows you to return to the “Login” screen. From that screen you can change the user, return to the access screen in order to change the console to be controlled, or simply to exit the application (Windows version only, as in iOS the device has a dedicated physical button to leave any application).
STATUS.
The “Multiplex” option presents the current status of the system multiplex buses. More or fewer signals will be represented depending on the number of console-configured channels and the number of multiplex buses configured by means of the configuration software. When a signal is routed to a multiplex bus, the cross point will appear in red. When the signal is not connected, it will appear in white.
NOTE: For firmware versions 1.73 of CPU and 1.31 of DSP Router or higher, the routing toward
MPX internal summing buses is saved on the console configuration and it will appear in the “Routing Configuration” submenu of “Forum Lite Setup” application when the active configuration is read.
SETUP.
A number of console configuration options are grouped under this section.
Memory.
When clicking on the “Memory” option, a screen like this will appear:
The multiplex option has an appearance like this:
It shows all the system available memories (or snapshots) for the user. They
can also be loaded or stored from this screen (if the user has permission).
The “Load” button allows you to load in the console the configuration
previously stored in the selected memory position. When it’s clicked on, a
dialogue will show up asking for confirmation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For firmware versions 1.73 of CPU and 1.31 of DSP Router or
higher, when a new configuration memory or snapshot is loaded, the audio of
the activated channel or channels (ON AIR) will not be interrupted (and the
associated routing will remain) provided that in the new memory the activated
channel or channels are placed in the same fader positions. The routing toward
MPX internal summing buses of any signal will also remain (whether the signal
is ON AIR or not). The “Save” button allows you to store in the selected
memory position the configuration of the console at that moment. A
confirmation dialogue will also appear, as that action will overwrite that
memory position. It is recommended to create a backup memory and never
overwrite it, in order to always have an emergency configuration available.
Inputs.
By clicking on the “Inputs” option, all the system inputs will be listed. A screen with the following appearance will be displayed:
For each input, virtual module type (for example, digital CA02 or hybrid CA33), virtual slot number (for example, 06), channel number within that virtual slot (for instance, 01), input’s logic name (for example, DIG 1), signal type (for example, DIGITAL) and configuration details (for example, Digital / Stereo) are displayed. When an input is selected, its parameters (gain, phase and balance), the sending mode of the stereo input signal toward the stereo outputs that is routed to (the normal working mode is L-R), and processing status can be checked and adjusted in the lower area of the screen – according to the explanations given in section 3.1 and 3.2.
In order to activate or deactivate a process, just click on the button with each process name. When it is active, the button will appear in yellow, when it is not, it will be displayed in white. Whenever any parameter of a process needs to be changed, click on the round button just at the right of its name to enter the process configuration screen, used as described in paragraphs 3.2.1 to 3.2.4. When the selected input is not assigned to a fader, a list of all the console channels and the associated inputs is also displayed at the right. By selecting one of them and clicking on the “Set Fader” button, the selected input is assigned to that fader. In the case of MIC/LINE type inputs, instead of adjusting the sending mode of the stereo signal, it’s possible to configure the input as microphone or line and, only when configured as microphone, activate/deactivate the Phantom power
Outputs.
By clicking on the “Outputs” option, all the system outputs will be listed. A screen with the following appearance will be displayed
For each output, virtual module type (for example, digital CA02 or hybrid CA33), virtual slot number (for example, 06), channel number within that virtual slot (for instance, 01), output’s logic name (for example, dig 1), signal type (for example, DIGITAL) and signal channels number (for example, STEREO) are displayed. \When an output is selected, the gain can be configured in the bottom area of the screen by means of the “GAIN” fader.
Mixers.
By clicking on the “Mixers” option, all the internal summing buses of the system are listed. This\ screen is merely informative, as no modifications can be performed in it. Together with the bus name, its configuration mode will appear, as well as whether it is mono or \stereo. This screen has the following appearance, depending on the configuration that has been sent from the console configuration software:
Clock.
By clicking on the “Clock” option, the PC (or iPad) and console time and date are displayed
By clicking on the “Set Time” button, console time is synchronized to the device’s time. For Windows version, the leftmost clock will be labeled “PC” while for iOS versions it will say “iPad”.
IP.
By clicking on the “IP” option, the parameters associated to console Ethernet port are shown and can be modified: IP address, subnet Mask and Gateway.
The configured parameters are sent to the console by clicking on the “Set Ip” button. A message indicates that these changes will not be active until you turn off and on the console.
Vumeters.
When clicking on the “Vumeters” option, a screen like this will appear:
The “Full Scale” option allows you to\ activate the VU meters display in dBFs\ (0dBFs = +24dBu).
Trial.
When clicking on the “Trial” option, a screen like this will appear:
This option allows you to activate a temporary license at software level. If you need to activate a permanent license, it should be done at the hardware level, by means of “Forum Lite Setup” application. For more information, please consult section 4.1.1 of the console user’s manual. In the order to activate the temporary license, the padlock icon must be pressed. Then the following fields will appear:
You must “Copy” the “Serial” code by means of the associated button and send it to AEQ in order to generate the associated “Key” and send it back to you (you must “Paste” it by means of the associated button). The “License” button allows you to confirm the key and, when it’s correct, activate the temporary license. The associated window will show then the remaining time until the license turns disabled again.
DATABASE.
By clicking on the “Devices” option, a list of the devices configured to be controlled by this software is presented. The screen will look like this
A new console can be added with the “Add Device” button. The parameters of an existing console can be modified by means of the “Edit Device” button. A console can be deleted from the device list by clicking on the “Del Device” button. The “DEMO” device (that allows you to operate against a dummy console) cannot be edited or deleted. The following screen will appear when adding or editing a console
The parameters to be defined are the following ones:
- “Studio Name”: the name that identifies the console and that will appear in the device drop-down menu of the access screen.
- “IP Address”: the IP address of the console to be controlled.
- “Auto Login”: when this option is enabled, the initial “Login” screen parameters are automatically fulfilled and, if they are correct, after a few moments the application goes directly to idle screen. The next 2 parameters only appear when this option is enabled.
- “User Name”: the used name defined in the console configuration software (by default, the user is ADMIN).
- “Password”: the key associated to that user, also defined in the configuration software (by default, the password for user ADMIN is 1234). If the “Auto Login” option is enabled and you want to work with a different user, after opening the application you should access to configuration menu and use the “Logout” option (in COMMANDS) to return to the “Login” screen and then enter manually the new user and password.
NOTE: The application header shows the user who has accessed it.
REMOTE CONTROL SCREEN: FORUM LITE VIRTUAL.
If the console has active the additional license to be remotely controlled, the following screen will appear when the remote control button of the idle screen is clicked on:
The system can be remotely controlled from this screen. When the console is not located in the same network, the best option is to establish a VPN connection to ease connectivity and guarantee reception of the vumeters. Otherwise their correct reception cannot be guaranteed through a network such as Internet as they are transmitted as UDP traffic. Next, the remote control screen is described. As its format and functions are very similar to those in the physical FORUM LITE control surface, please refer to the corresponding chapters of the console user’s manual for more details about the functions and configuration of the surface.
The screen is divided into 5 sections:
-
Faders block selection. Looks like this when there are more than 8 faders defined in the console configuration:
The selected block is displayed with white background, while the remaining ones appear with black background. When clicking on a block, the channels of that selected block can be displayed and controlled
In order to leave this screen and return to the idle screen, click on this button, located at the right top corner -
Main vumeters. They appear on the top area of the screen.
The “PROGRAM” and “AUDITION” vumeters are always displayed, whereas the rest of them are only shown when no channel is selected by means of the button -
Programmable Keys. The console’s programable keys are displayed, together with their function names:
If labels have been defined for some of these programmable keys from the “Forum Lite\ Setup” application (consult console user’s manual), they will appear reflected in this section. The keys operate in the same way as they do in the surface, except for the “Multiplex”, “A/B Mode” and “To Mixer Bus” type keys, that operate in LATCH mode instead of PTT mode, so the “SELECT” and programmable keys don’t need to be pressed at the same time. The “Orders” type keys also operate in the application in LATCH mode instead of PTT. These 4 types of programmable keys are mutually exclusive: if one of them is activated, it’s not possible to activate another one until the first one is deactvated. -
Control and Studio Monitoring Sections:
The CUE vumeter (or the control monitoring bus vumeter, when there are no channels sent to CUE), together with a button implementing the “CUE RESET” funciton, are displayed in the Control section. This button operates in parallel with the one programmed in the programmable keys section
If a “Split CUE” type programmable key has been defined, when activated, on the channel of the Control speakers and headphones configured in the key (left or right) you will hear the signal present on the CUE bus, while on the other channel (right or left) you will hear the signal selected in the Control Monitoring section. When you deactivate the key, the Control speakers and headphones will return to initial operation. For more information, please consult section 4.3.2.13 of the console user’s manual.
In both Control and Studio sections, when you click with the mouse on any of the faders that allow you to control the level, an indicator of the configured level appears:
In the Studio Monitoring section, also a Talkback section is provided and consists of four buttons and the “LEVEL” control. This section allows for direct conversation with the studio monitors, headphones, telephone hybrid 1 or telephone hybrid 2.
NOTE: There is a type of programmable key (“Remote Production”) that allows you to modify the working mode of these sections (see section 4.3.2.14 of the console user’s manual). -
Channels section. 8 channels of console control surface are presented simultaneously for each block. The channel has a very similar appearance as the surface, so its use should be quite intuitive.
Each channel includes the following controls:
- the routing buttons: “PROGRAM”, “AUDITION”, “AUX 1” and “AUX 2”.
- the “SELECT” button: allows you to access to information regarding channel status and modify some parameters.
- the “CUE” button.
- the channel ON/OFF buttons.
- the graphical fader.
In the “Normal” working mode, the upper “ON” button is associated with ON function and the lower one with OFF function (the operation is exclusive, both buttons can not be turned on simultaneously). When the snapshot loaded in the console has the “ON / OFF Mode” configured as “Orders”, “A/B” or “GPO” from the “Forum Lite Setup” application, the upper button will be associated with ON/OFF function (allows to activate/deactivate the channel) and the lower button will have the function corresponding to the selected mode (see section 4.3.5 of the console user’s manual).
Each channel includes the following indicators:
- display that shows the assignated signal name and status for balance or panorama.
- active channel “ON AIR” indicator.
- LEDs that indicate activation or change of equalizer (“EQ”), balance (“BAL”), dynamics (“DYN”) or gain (“GAIN”).
When the “SELECT” key of a channel is clicked on, the “PROGRAM” and “AUDITION” vumeters are pushed to the right, while “AUX 1”, “AUX 2”, “MPX 1” and “MPX 2” vumeters disappear, opening a windows where the selected channel status is presented. In order to return to the previous situation, just click on the channel “SELECT” button again.
When a channel is selected, a section with the following parameters appears (all of them can be modified except the first one):
- Line name and information.
- Input gain.
- Signal phase.
- Signal balance/panorama.
- Access button to signal processes.
- Button to modify the sending mode of the stereo input signal toward the stereo outputs that is routed to. The options that appear successively when you press the button are: L-L, R-R and R-L. If you press the button once more, it returns to the normal working mode: L-R (the L input channel is sent to the L output channel and the R input channel is sent to the R output channel). This button will appear only for stereo signals.
In the case of MIC/LINE type inputs, instead of adjusting the sending mode of the stereo signal, it’s possible to configure the input as microphone or line and, only when configured as microphone, activate/deactivate the Phantom power.
When the process button is clicked on, the following screen appears
In order to activate/deactivate a process, just click on the button with its name. When the process is active, it will appear with a blue background, otherwise, the button will have a white background. If any of the process parameters need to be changed, just click on the button right by its side. The process configuration screen then appears (see section 3.2 of this manual).
In order to leave the remote control screen (“FORUM LITE VIRTUAL”) and return to the idle screen (“FORUM LITE SCREEN”), just click on this button, located at the right top corner of the window.
When you access to the application with a user with less permissions that ADMIN user, the remote control screen looks different, blurring those controls the user doesn’t have permissions \for. In next example, the user has only permissions to control the routing buttons, the programmable keys, the Control speakers and headphones level (and the associated selection buttons) and the “TALKBACK” section buttons:
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
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