This "quickstart" guide for the RADAR V audio recorder will flatten the learning curve and serve as essential reference for all users. This guide is not designed as a replacement for the official manuals (available from the manufacturer, iZ Technology).

Note that this refers to the 2007 iZ RADAR V Nyquist with system 3.42. Older models in the RADAR family (RADAR I, II, 24 and the Otari version) are slightly different than Silent Way's RADAR V units, but most of this will still apply.

24 track RADAR system connections (larger view)

The Session Controller cable is long and sheathed in black plastic. One end has a single connector with 37 pins; the other end has two connectors, a 9-pin and a round connector. Connect the big 37 pin connector to the "from RADAR" jack on the back of the Session Controller. At the other end, connect the 9-pin connector to RADAR's blue "Session Controller |0|0|" jack, located next to the USB ports (not the same-shaped jack labelled "mouse"). Connect the round connector to the "Remote Power" jack, located directly above that (see photo for help).

Connect the monitor cable to the monitor, and to RADAR's 15-pin "CRT" jack, located next to the Ethernet. (Any standard SVGA monitor capable of 800x600 or 1024x768 resolution will work, including LCDs and CRTs.)

Check that the white SCSI terminator is already plugged in (green light will light on power-up).

If this is a 48-track system (see picture to the right or this larger view), connect the 9-pin RADAR Link cable from the "R Link Out" jack (located next to the analog i/o) on the first RADAR to the "R Link In" jack on the second RADAR. Connect the second monitor to the second RADAR. If needed, plug the KC-24 keyboard into a USB jack on the second RADAR (The Session Controller controls both RADARLinked RADARs, but the KC-24 is occasionaly useful).

48 track RADAR system connections (larger view)

Insert your hard drive in an open drive bay on the front of RADAR. Lock it in by turning the key(s) to be horizontal. (vertical key = unmounted, horizontal = mounted. When powered up, the drive bay shows the ID or "u" = unlocked.)

Connect audio i/o cables to the DB25 jacks. (If you're using all 6 analog I/O, the DB25 connectors are very close together, so position the RADAR to allow for easy access.)

Connect AC power cables for RADAR and monitor.

Powering Up

Power on the monitor and the RADAR! The big logo on the front will light, and the green LED on the back white terminator will light up. It will take a minute or so for RADAR to load.

Upon powering up, the drives will mount (if the key is locked). If you need to manully mount/unmount drives, use menu item "DISK MENU-->MOUNT / UNMOUNT". Make sure to unmount drives before unlocking the key. (vertical key = unmounted, horizontal = mounted. "u" = unlocked.)

RADAR might display this message during startup: "Record Recovery Enabled!". Hit enter to continue startup. Record Recovery should only be enabled as an added safeguard during live recordings (it causes issues if left on for mixdown or backup). Enable/disable this at "MAIN MENU-->PREFERENCES MENU-->RECORD PREFS-->RECORD RECOVERY".

Menu Navigation

Most functions have a dedicated button on the session controller. Take a minute to familarize yourself with these. For other functions, you'll use the menus. To navigate menus, the two most important buttons are "Menu/Prev" (this is first used to enter the main menu, after that it is used to bring you back a level) and "Enter" (which selects the current menu item).

Once you have reached the desired menu item, use the up-and-down arrows to scroll through items within a menu, and "enter" to select it. Shortcut: while navigating menus, each press of a particular letter on the qwerty keyboard will jump directly to menu items which start with that letter (ie. if you are at the Main menu, pressing "s" will take you directly to "SYSTEM MENU", then "SYNC MENU", then "SHUTDOWN RADAR", skipping over the other menu items.)

Recording a RADAR Project

When a drive mounts, the last project used on that drive will load. If you need to load a project, press the "GOTO PROJECT" button.

If this is a 48-track system, sync the two RADARs by pressing the "RLink" button on the Session Controller. The master RADAR will show "M" and the slave machine will show that it is slave ID 1. The two monitors must show the same project number. To get to menu functions on the slave RADAR press "RLINK SOLO" or the letter "S".

Arm the tracks with the numbered track arm keys (1-48).

Check which drive it's recording to. At the bottom of the screen, the "Mode" item ends in ":0" or ":1", indicating the drive ID #. For example, "Mode = Single 96k:0".

Check "Rec Time" for the remaining record time on this drive in minutes. Note that this adjusts as you arm/disarm tracks.

Hold down "Rec" and press "Play" to start recording!

Extra Tips

To name tracks, press "NAME TRACKS" on the session controller, or go to PROJ MENU / NAME TRACK. Don't worry, it's OK to name or rename tracks during or after recording, unlike other DAWs.

If you press the SAFE button while RADAR is recording, all other buttons except STOP and PLAY are disabled. Press it again to re-enable all buttons.

To reset peak and clip indicators on the meters, press shift-cancel. (In older software versions, this only works for the first RADAR when there are more than one.)

RADAR can automatically switch to internal sync and continue recording after losing an external sync source. To activate this feature, go to the LOST SYNC IN REC option in the SYNC MENU, and select CONTINUE.

If you EVER see the startup message "UNSAVED DATA RECOVER IGNORE", stop immediately and read the manual! ("RADAR_3.40_Manual.pdf", page 152 of the pdf, p. 144 of the printed manual). Select "RECOVER", save to the archive drive ("D") and do not record on that drive again.

Coming soon, more details on:

• The session controller (for now, see izcorp.com)