Procyon - no Lights with AS CD

**Elvish** · 02-10-2009, 12:42 PM

I've had my Procyon for about 18 months. As a dealer, I admit that I don't use it much. However, when I use AVS, I tend to bounce back and forth between the Procyon and the Sirius units.

Recently, I noticed that playing an AS CD ("Tibetan Highlands" - my fav.) works just fine with the Sirius, but the light frames don't produce any lights when I use the CD (on the "AS" mode) with the Procyon. I can get a quick flash of lights from the light frames as I toggle through the modes - the flash happens between the "dAS" and the "AS" modes. Sound is fine, but NO LIGHTS!

Doesn't matter if I crank up the light intensity, or not. I've had it maxed and nothing changes.

What's up?

--- Patrick Beart, aka "Elvish"

**CraigT** · 02-10-2009, 01:28 PM

Hi Patrick,

How convenient, Tibetan Highlands just arrived today and is playing in the background as I type , so I'll check it out with my Procyon tonight and report back (no convenient way to hook up to my work computer).

Have you toggled between the AS analog and digital modes (assuming you've updated to the latest OS)? The digital mode requires a much higher audio level. Both need the volume turned pretty well up on the computer or CD player.

I assume you're also remembering that the volume control ceases to be the volume control and becomes light threshold when using AS - you'll need both knobs turned full for a start.

Cheers,
Craig

P.S Have run Tibetan Highlands on a laptop with Procyon AS - no problem. It likes everything turned up pretty much full, and is much brighter in the AnL mode than in the dlg mode.

**Elvish** · 02-10-2009, 08:09 PM

RE:
>Have you toggled between the AS analog and digital modes (assuming you've updated to the latest OS)? The digital mode requires a much higher audio level. Both need the volume turned pretty well up on the computer or CD player.<
>

Yes, That's how I know that there is a "flash" between the "dAS" and "AS" modes. I get the flash (from the light frames) as I toggle between modes.

Honestly, I don't know what the current OS is on the Procyon. I've not changed it since I received it from MindPlace.

I'm using a Bose portable CD player, not my computer for the audio input from the ("Tibetan Highlands") CD. The Bose player is one of the few that has a disable button for the "anti-skip" feature, and doesn't interfere with the Audio-Strobe encoding. The CD player controls the volume, not the AVS unit. (BTW, I'm using Bose "QuietComfort 2" Headphones with this setup, also.)

*At your suggestion, I cranked the volume up (on the CD player) to level 17 (FYI, level 31 is MAX volume on this portable CD player!!), and the lights on the light frames DID COME ON! However, any volume setting BELOW level 17, is where the lights go OUT. This is in regular "AS" mode, NOT "dAS" mode! There's no way to lower the volume from that point, whatsoever.

As I said, this exact hardware setup works very well with the Sirius unit. However, I can't take advantage of the Procyon's extended RGB color spectrum, if I use the Sirius unit, due to the 256 color limit of that device. So, using the Procyon, I have to use cheaper "over-the-ear" headphones, or be somewhat BLASTED with the sound level in order to use the Procyon instead of the Sirius.

>I assume you're also remembering that the volume control ceases to be the volume control and becomes light threshold when using AS - you'll need both knobs turned full for a start.<

I've tried moving both the light intensity wheel and the volume wheel to get the lights (on the light frame) to work at a lower volume. No luck.

--- Patrick (aka "Elvish")

**CraigT** · 02-10-2009, 09:39 PM

Okay, if you've had the Procyon for 18 months and haven't updated the OS, then you probably only have digital AS, which takes a lot more volume.

You can tell which OS you have by watching the display on turn-on.

Go to http://mindplacesupport.com/Procyon.htm and download the V2.2.05 editor and OS. Install per the instructions.

Details of the update are here http://www.mindplacesupport.com/foru...read.php?t=544

I'm assuming you have a Revision 2 machine from here on.

Connect your Procyon via USB to the computer.

Once the editor is installed, launch it and go straight to 'serial communications' and select and open port.

Go to 'Utilities' and select 'Update Procyon OS'. You'll be looking for a file called PROCYON_2145.PR2. Open it and the Procyon will change to dL1 and the decimals will flash. When they stop flashing you've got a new Procyon.

The most significant change is the the AS mode now has two submodes, Anl and Dlg. Once in AS mode, pressing the UpDn button will toggle between Anl and Dlg. Anl mode will be much more sensitive and you should have no further problems.

There's a couple more tweaks we can do if necessary, but try that for a start.

Cheers,
Craig

**Elvish** · 02-11-2009, 06:36 PM

Thanks for the info ...

When I turn on my Procyon, I get "on", "05", "17.4" and "SES", in that order.

Don't know how I can "only have digital AS", when the modes toggle through "PC", "dL1", "dL2", "dAS", and then "AS". This leads me to believe that I already HAVE "AS", and not just "digital AS". This is confusing!

Also, I use an older Apple Powerbook, so doing the download and install as you suggest will be kludgy, at best. MS XP "Home" OS, through Virtual PC emulation, then USB to Procyon serial port. ... Ugh! It's going to be glacially SLOW!!

I wish that the OS version was clearer than it appears to be, upon the unit start up. Not helpful, in my opinion.

I'll follow up with your instructions, as best I can. I'm grateful for the "hand-holding".

--- Patrick (aka "Elvish")

**CraigT** · 02-11-2009, 07:07 PM

I understand how the various modes can be confusing.

dAS is specifically for Synchromuse - it's nothing to do with Audiostrobe.

AS is for Audiostrobe. When the Procyon was first released it interpreted AS signals a certain way, now referred to as digital AS, where the lights were either on or off. An upgrade about 9 months ago added an additional AS mode, analog, which gives varying brightness.

You have OS 1.74. I'm not overly familiar with the 1.xx series, as I have only worked with Rev 2 consoles, however I believe you will end up with Rev 1.76 when you download the editor, etc. and update the OS. Afterwards you will have the two modes under AS. The analog and digital mode are selected by pressing the UpDn button while you are in AS mode - you'll see the display alternate between dlg and anl, and you'll find the analog mode much more sensitive.

Cheers,
Craig

**lavenham** · 02-20-2009, 12:34 AM

I have the same problem - just the music comes through on my Procyon. No lights etc. Just purchased and have Rev 2 software (latest). Tried on dAS, and AS (and all other settings) lights full up, volume full up on Procyon and on CD player.

Anyone got any more ideas please?