Primare SP33 User manual













Trigger outputs Balanced analogue outputsBalanced analogue inputs

Digital inputs Power

On/off

IR input

HDMI

outputs

Unbalanced

analogue inputs

Unbalanced

analogue outputs

HDMI inputs

Digital outputs

Balanced

digital input



Welcome to the Primare SP33! Your SP33 is an advanced surround sound processor

with the latest sound and video processing, making it the ultimate choice for home

theatre.







This page shows how to connect your SP33 to other equipment in your system.



Connect the power connector on the back

panel to your power outlet using the mains cable

supplied with the SP33.

If this cable is not suitable for your power outlets

contact your supplier for an alternative cable.

WARNING: Always disconnect the

SP33 from the mains power before

connecting or disconnecting any

cables, including the HDMI cables.



The SP33 provides eight discrete analog audio

outputs for connecting to the power ampliﬁers

and loudspeakers in the surround system. Each

output is provided in both an unbalanced and a

balanced version.



The SP33 provides a total of ten analog inputs

and seven digital inputs. Because the SP33 is

conﬁgurable, you have total ﬂexibility about which

input you use for each of your sources. In addition,

you can optionally use four pairs of analog inputs

for a single, multi-channel source, such as SACD.

The SP33 is supplied with a suggested set of

sources already set up, and you may choose to

leave the inputs assigned in this way. However, if

you prefer, you can re-assign the inputs to sources

in any way you prefer.

Digital inputs

The SP33 provides a total of seven digital inputs:

one AES/EBU digital input, three SPDIF digital

inputs, and three optical TOSlink digital inputs.

Analog inputs

The SP33 provides eight line-level stereo RCA

inputs and two XLR inputs for connection to a

source providing balanced outputs.



The SP33 provides a choice of ﬁve HDMI inputs

and two HDMI outputs.

You can adjust the settings for each output for

optimum performance with the display device,

for example a TV and a projector.The on-screen

display is provided on both outputs.

Connecting to a television or monitor

Connect the appropriate output to your television

or display.

If your television includes an HDMI tuner output

you can use the SP33 to perform switching

between the television tuner and your other

video sources such as DVD or Blu-Ray. In this

case connect the television tuner output to the

HDMI input corresponding to your TV source. If

your television does not provide a tuner output

you will need to switch the television between its

internal tuner and the external video input.



An additional audio output is provided to feed a

second zone, such as a second room system.



The SP33 Multi-Channel Processor allows you to

make a recording of a digital source to the two

digital record outputs, or of an analog source to

the analog record output.

The SP33 provides two digital record outputs,

SPDIF and optical TOSlink, and one analog RCA

record output.





The IR input allows you to connect an external

infra-red eye, for operation of the SP33 if the

front panel is inaccessible.

The RS232 input allows an authorized dealer to

connect the SP33 to a computer, for service and

future upgrades, or to controller systems. For

more information and details of control codes

contact Primare or see the Primare Audio Web

site at www.primare.net.

The Trigger outputs allow the SP33 to control

external equipment, such as power ampliﬁers, or a

projector screen.







Your SP33 is supplied with the following

components:

•Mains cable.

•C24 remote control.

•Two button cells for the remote control.

If any of these items are missing please contact

your supplier.We recommend you retain the

packaging in case you need to transport the unit

at a later date.



Connect the HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 output from

your SP33 to your television or display HDMI

input.

For more information see

Video connections

page 3.





The SP33 can drive up to seven full-frequency

channels and one subwoofer. If your surround

system does not include a full set of speakers,

the SP32 will distribute the signals from these

channels to the other channels as appropriate in

your system.

•Connect the front, centre, surround, and

surround back outputs to the corresponding

inputs on the ampliﬁers.

•If your system includes a subwoofer, connect

the sub main output to the audio input of the

subwoofer.



The SP33 is supplied with seven standard sources

already conﬁgured; see

Selecting a source

, page 5.

Alternatively you can conﬁgure up to 15 sources

to use the particular combination of analogue,

digital, and video input you prefer; for more

information see

Input setting

, page 8.



•Connect the SP33 to a wall socket, using the

supplied mains cable.

•Switch on the SP33, using the switch next to

the power connector on the back panel.

•Press the Obutton to switch on the SP33.

The button indicators will light up, showing the

function of the two controls and four buttons on

the front panel.





Before using the SP33 you need to conﬁgure it to

specify the combination of speakers you have in

your surround system. For more information see

SPEAKER SETTING

, page 10.

You then need to set up the speaker levels and

speaker distances, to ensure that the sound image

is correctly focused at the listening position. For

more information see

LEVEL ADJUST

, page 10,

and

SPEAKER DIST

, page 11.



•Use the SELECTOR control on the front

panel or the Aand Vbuttons on the remote

control to select the source.

•Use the VOLUME control on the front panel

or the VOL +and VOL –buttons on the

remote control to increase or decrease the

volume.

For more information about playing sources see

Selecting a source

, page 5.



Set up your SP33 in seven simple steps:







This page explains how to operate your SP33, using the functions available from the

front panel or C24 remote control.





Almost all the functions of the SP33 Multi-

Channel Processor can be accessed using the two

front panel controls and four push buttons, and

information about its operation is displayed on the

front panel display:

Selector

Selects an input, or operates the on-screen menus

Menu @

Selects the on-screen menus.

Select R

Selects the current menu option.

Level _

Selects which setting you change with the

VOLUME control.

Mute/Standby O

Press brieﬂy to mute the sound.

Hold down to switch the SP33 to standby.

Volume

Adjusts the volume.



The front panel display shows:

•The processing mode; eg STEREO, or NO

LOCK if there is no signal on a digital input.

•The current source; eg DVD

•The volume; eg 41 or MUTE.

To blank the front panel display

•Press the DIM button on the remote control.

The normal display will reappear while you adjust

any settings.

Press the DIM button again to restore the display.





To switch on

•Use the switch on the back panel.

During normal operation you can leave the SP33

switched on and in standby.

To switch to standby

•Hold down the Obutton on the front panel

or remote control.

To switch on from standby

•Press the Obutton on the front panel or

remote control.



The SP33 allows you to deﬁne up to 15 sources.

Each source can use one of the seven digital

and ten analog inputs, and any source can

be combined with one of the HDMI inputs.

Alternatively, a multi-channel source, called

EXT 7.1, can be deﬁned using analog inputs 5 to 8.

When the SP33 is ﬁrst supplied the seven

standard sources shown in the table below are

already set up for you.

You can simply disable any of these sources that

you do not need; see

Input setting

, page 8.You

can also change any source to use different inputs,

or conﬁgure your own sources with any name

you choose and using any particular inputs as

appropriate for the source.

To select a source

•Turn the SELECTOR control on the front

panel until the name of the source is shown

on the front panel display.

•Alternatively, press the Aor Vbuttons on the

remote control to step between sources.



The SP33 allows you to vary the volume from 0

(silence) to 99 (maximum volume).

To change the volume

•Rotate the VOLUME control on the front

panel, or press the VOL +or VOL –buttons

on the remote control.

The current volume setting is shown on the front

panel display.

Input Source Audio Video 2CH mode Description

1 Blu-ray HDMI 1 HDMI 1 Stereo Blu-Ray disc player

2 DVB HDMI 2 HDMI 2 Stereo Digital satellite receiver

3 Games HDMI 3 HDMI 3 Stereo Game console

4 Server HDMI 4 HDMI 4 Stereo Streaming server

5 DVB-T HDMI 5 HDMI 5 Stereo Digital television receiver

6 CD Analog 1 None Bypass CD player

7 SACD Ext 7.1 None Stereo SACD player







•Press the Obutton on the front panel or the

MUTE button on the remote control.

To restore the sound to its original volume

•Press the Oor MUTE button again.

The sound is also restored to its original volume if

you increase the volume.





You can independently change the balance, center

level, surround level, surround back level, and

subwoofer level to alter the balance of sound in

your surround system.

Changing the balance alters the level of both

the left and right main loudspeakers to shift

the position of the stereo image, keeping the

overall level of the sound the same.The other

adjustments change the level of the corresponding

speaker(s) without affecting the remaining

speakers in the surround system.

To change a level

•Press the _button on the front panel, or

the BAL/ST button on the remote control,

until the display shows the level you want to

change.

The ﬁrst step allows you to change the balance of

the main speakers:

0.0dB L=R 0.0dB

Subsequent steps allow you to change the levels

of the surround speakers:

CENTER 0.0dB

SUBWOOFER 0.0dB

SURROUND 0.0dB

SURR BACK 0.0dB

•Use the VOLUME control on the front

panel, or the Aand Vbuttons on the remote

control, to adjust the value.

Each setting can be changed from -10.0dB to

+10.0dB.

After a short delay the display will revert to the

normal display.





You can change the AV Delay (lipsync) from the

front panel to compensate for processing delay in

some video displays. Choose the setting that gives

correct lipsync.

To change the lipsync

•Press the _button on the front panel, or

the ST/BAL button on the remote control,

until the display shows the current AV Delay:

AV DELAY 0ms

•Use the VOLUME control on the front

panel, or the Aand Vbuttons on the remote

control, to adjust the value.

The AV Delay can be changed from 0ms to

140ms. After a short delay the display will revert

to the normal display.





The surround mode determines how the sound

is divided between the loudspeakers in your

surround system. Each source is associated with

a default surround mode, which will be used

when you select that source, but you can choose

a different surround mode for the source if you

prefer.

For example, the standard surround mode for

the DVB source is PLIIX Movie, since most TV

broadcasts are Pro Logic encoded, but if you

are watching a music concert you may prefer to

choose the Stereo or Bypass surround modes, as

these give a more natural sound when listening

to music.

To change the surround mode

•Press the AUDIO button on the remote

control to display the current surround mode.

•Press again to step between the available

surround modes.

The options available depend on the source you

are listening to.

Lossless sources

Blu-ray players provide three lossless audio

formats: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio,

and Linear Pulse-Code Modulation (LPCM).These

formats will all convey eight discrete channels (7.1)

of lossless audio that exactly duplicate the original

studio masters:

Format Variants

Dolby Dolby Prologic IIx

Dolby Digital EX, Plus,TrueHD

DTS DTS-ES, DTS-NEO:6, DTS 96/24,

DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD

High Resolution Audio

PCM 2ch-PCM, Multi-PCM, LPCM

Multi-channel sources

For Dolby Digital or DTS sources only the

following option is available:

Option Description

AUTO Automatically detects an

incoming digital signal and

locks onto it.

The SP33 automatically detects a Dolby Digital or

DTS input and displays Dolby Digital on the front

panel display.

If the Dolby Digital input only contains two

channels, or it is a PCM signal, the default surround

mode speciﬁed in the INPUT SETTINGS menu

is also displayed. For more information see

Input

setting

, page 8.

Two-channel sources

If you are listening to a conventional two-channel

analog or digital source, such as a CD, the

following options are available:

Option Description

BYPASS

(analog sources

only)

The inputs are fed directly to

the output, with no decoding

for the most faithful possible

reproduction of stereo or

multi-channel sources.

STEREO Conventional stereo, using

just the main left and right

loudspeakers.

PLIIX Dolby’s updated Pro Logic

decoder provides 7.1 channel

surround sound from any two

channel source, with stereo

surround back channels and

full frequency range.

PLIIX CINEMA A variant of PLIIX optimised

for movie soundtracks.

PLIIX MUSIC A variant of PLIIX optimised

for music sources.

PARTY The same signal to the front

left and right, surround left

and right, and surround back

left and right loudspeakers, if

connected and enabled.

DTS NEO:6

CINEMA

Provides up to 6.1 channel

surround sound from

conventional stereo sources..

DTS NEO:6

MUSIC

A version of DTS Neo:6 ideal

for stereo music sources.





Switch on/off

Move right on settings menu

Select next input, increase level,

or move up on settings menu

Select previous input, reduce level,

or move down on settings menu

Control the CD player

Change the balance or levels

Blank or restore the front-panel display

Press briefly to

mute the sound

Edit item on settings menu

Move left on settings menu

Select SP33 mode

Decrease the volume

Increase the volume

Display the settings menus

Display or change the surround mode

Select an input

Press +10 first to select an input > 9





Before using the remote control you need to insert

the two button cells supplied with the C24.

•Open the cover on the back of the remote

control by pressing the tab gently:

•Insert the two batteries, positive side uppermost:

CR2025

LITHIUM BATTERY

CR2025

LITHIUM BATTERY

•Replace the cover and push until it clips into place.

Note: Replace only with 3V button cells

type CR2025 or equivalent.

When disposing of old batteries please be considerate

to the environment.

This page explains how to use the C24 remote control to

operate the SP33, and how to fit the batteries into the remote

control.







This page explains how to use the SP33 menus to configure the operation of your

SP33.



The SETUP MENU gives access to a series of

menus which allow you to customize different

aspects of the operation of the SP33.

To display the SETUP MENU

•Press @on the front panel or SETUP on the

remote control.

To display a menu

•Use the SELECTOR control on the front

panel or the Aor Vbuttons on the remote

control to highlight the menu on the SETUP

MENU that you want to display.

•Press Ron the front panel, or SELECT or

>on the remote control, to select it.

To change a setting

•Use the SELECTOR on the front panel or

the Aor Vbuttons on the remote control to

highlight the setting you want to change.

•Press Ron the front panel, or SELECT or

>on the remote control, to display a list of

the alternative values for the setting.

•Use the SELECTOR control on the front

panel the Aor Vbuttons on the remote

control to step between the alternative values.

•Press Ron the front panel, or SELECT on

the remote control, to select the highlighted

setting.

Alternatively, press @on the front panel, or

RETURN or <on the remote control, to return

to the menu without changing the setting.

To edit an input alias

•Press SELECT to edit the name of the

source.

•Use <or >to select a character.

•Use Aor Vto edit it.

•Finally press Ron the front panel or

SELECT on the remote control to finish.

To exit from the current menu

•Press @on the front panel or RETURN on

the remote control.

Exiting from the SETUP MENU returns to

normal operation of the SP33.



The INPUT SETTING menu allows you to

conﬁgure any of the 15 inputs.

•Use the INPUT option to select the input

you want to edit.

The menu then shows the current settings for that

input and allows you to edit them.

Option Description

STATUS ENABLED or DISABLED to

specify whether the source can be

selected from the front panel or

remote control.

ALIAS See

To edit an input alias

on this

page.

AUDIO The audio input used for the

source: NONE, ANALOG 1 to

10, EXT 7.1, DIGITAL 1 to 7,

or HDMI 1 to 5.

TRIGGER 1-3 Can be set to ON or OFF, to

set the corresponding trigger, or

--- to take the value from the

CONTROL menu.; see

Trigger

settings

, page 11.

VIDEO The video input used for the

source: NONE or HDMI 1 to 5.

HDMI VIDEO

OUT

The video output used for the

source: OUT 1 or OUT 2.

HDMI AUDIO Set to TV to pass the HDMI

audio to the TV, or SP33 to get

the SP33 to process the audio.

VOLUME

OFFSET

Press <or >to vary the

sensitivity of the source between

-12.0dB to +12.0dB in 0.5dB steps.





Option Description

AV DELAY Can be adjusted between 0ms

and 140ms to compensate for

processing delay in some displays.

AUTO

LIPSYNC

Allows you to turn off the default

audio delay on the HDMI inputs,

which is added to compensate for

the video processing time.This is

useful in dual-HDMI configurations.

2CH MODE The default surround mode for

two-channel sources: BYPASS,

STEREO, PLIIX MOVIE, PLIIX

MUSIC, NEO6 CINEMA,

NEO6 MUSIC, or PARTY.



The VIDEO ADJUST menu allows you to

specify advanced video input settings:

•Use the INPUT option to select the input

you want to edit.

The menu then shows the current settings for that

input and allows you to edit them.

Option Description

ALIAS See

To edit an input alias

the previous page.

ASPECT RATIO Set to 16:9 or 4:3 to specify

the display aspect ratio.

DEINTERLACING Specifies how a 480i, 576i, or

1080i source is deinterlaced.

FILM is for 24p film,

VIDEO is for 50Hz or

60Hz video, and AUTO

selects the correct option

based on the input signal..

PrEP Select AUTO to select

Progressive ReProcessing to

clean up poor source video

processing, or DISABLE to

disable it.

Option Description

1:1 FRAME RATE Set to ON to set the output

frame rate to the input

frame rate, which may cause

stuttering, or OFF for a

fixed output frame rate.

UNDERSCAN Set to 0 to 20 to shrink

the picture to adjust for an

overscanned source..

BRIGHTNESS,

CONTRAST,

COLOR

SATURATION,

HUE (TINT)

Set to 100 to -100, default

0. Allow you to adjust the

color characteristics of the

image.

DETAIL/EDGE

ENHANCEMENT,

Set to 100 to -100, default

0. Allow you to accurately

adjust the sharpness of the

picture..

MOSQUITO NR Set to DISABLE, ON-

LOW, or ON-HIGH to

reduce the compression

artifacts in digitally

compressed signals, like cable,

satellite and internet-based

video.



The AUDIO SETTINGS menu allows you to

specify options affecting all audio outputs:

Option Description

LATE NIGHT Set to ON to apply dynamic

range compression to the audio,

to reduce loud transients for late

night listening.

DOUBLE BASS Set to ON to copy the bass

from speakers specified as

LARGE and send this to the

subwoofer.

LFE LEVEL Can be adjusted between 0.0dB

and -10.0dB to reduce the LFE

level.

VOLUME

DEFAULT

Determines the default volume

(0 to 99) when the SP33 is

turned on from standby.



 



The VIDEO OUTPUT menu allows you to

customise the HDMI output settings.

For each output you can set:

Option Description

RESOLUTION Set to PASS-THRU, AUTO,

480p/576p, 720p, 1080i,

1080p, or 1080p24.

COLOR SPACE Set to AUTO, RGB for a

Red, Green, Blue color space

standard using 8 bits per

primary color, YCbCr 422 for

10-bit component, or YCbCr

444 for 8-bit component.

COLORIMETRY Determines how RGB is

converted to YCbCr: AUTO,

ITU.601 for Standard

Definition video formats, or

ITU.709 for High Definition

video formats.

OUTPUT VID

LEVEL

Set to VIDEO for levels

suitable for a TV, or PC for

levels suitable for a computer

display.

You can also set the following settings that apply

to both outputs:

Option Description

DEFAULT FRAME

RATE

Set to 50p (PAL) or 60p

(NTSC) to specify the native

system of your display.

TESTPATTERN Displays one of a set of

alternative test patterns for

aligning projection displays.



The SPEAKER SETTING menu allows you to

set up the speakers:

Option Description

MODE See below.

FRONT L+R Select SMALL or LARGE

to specify whether the front

speakers can handle bass.

CENTER Select NONE, SMALL, or

LARGE to specify whether

there is a center speaker in the

system, and whether it is small

or large.

SURROUND Select NONE, SMALL, or

LARGE to specify information

about the surround speakers.

SURR BACK Select NONE, 1/SMALL,

1/LARGE, 2/SMALL, or 2/

LARGE to specify the number

and size of the surround back

speakers.

SUBWOOFER Select OFF or ON to specify

whether the layout should

include a subwoofer.

LR+LFE XOVER

CENTER XOVER

SURR XOVER

Allows you to define the

crossover frequency (40Hz to

200Hz or DEFAULT) used for

the LFE, CENTER, and SURR

speakers.

•Set MODE to GENERAL, and then set

the other parameters as appropriate for the

speakers in your system.

You can then deﬁne DOLBY D, DTS, and

OTHER modes, which can be used to add an

offset to the GENERAL settings for Dolby

Digital, DTS, and 2-channel sources respectively.

Other manuals for SP33

Table of contents

Other Primare Recording Equipment manuals

Primare

Primare SP32 User manual

Popular Recording Equipment manuals by other brands

KV2 Audio

KV2 Audio 500 Series user guide

Robotics Technologies

Robotics Technologies microBus-Cam II installation manual

Seca

Seca 460 quick start guide

Cognex

Cognex MVS-8000 Series Hardware manual

Mect

Mect MPNC006 Series user manual

Bad Caf

Bad Caf THE LEASH operating manual

Strymon

Strymon NIGHTSKY user manual

Mitsubishi Electric

Mitsubishi Electric 16CH DIGITAL RECORDER DX-TL5000U user manual

Tews Technologies

Tews Technologies TPMC465 user manual

Honeywell

Honeywell Excel 50 user guide

SeaLevel

SeaLevel COMM+8.LPCI user manual

Arturia

Arturia AUDIOFUSE STUDIO user manual

Rukra

Rukra RK-1240 quick start guide

Samson

Samson SCOM owner's manual

Dynacord

Dynacord DPS260 owner's manual

Nice

Nice Core user manual

Pyle Pro

Pyle Pro PSS8 manual

RF-System

RF-System TinyGate Assembly and user's manual