NEAR XL Amplifier Getting Started Guide

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1.    Use the rear-panel rocker switch to the ON “ | “ position. 
2.    The display window will display the currently selected DSP preset (the default in a new amp).
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3.   ​Push the Encoder push button once, then rotate to select password value = 10 and push the Encoder again. This feature prevents accidental preset changes and tampering. 

4.   The amp is now unlocked and ready to select a DSP preset.
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5.   Use the Encoder to scroll through the DSP preset options.
  • The letter “U” at the beginning of a preset means Unbalanced (RCA) inputs, while “B” indicates Balanced XLR inputs. Use the preset appropriate for the speakers and connector type being used in the system.
  • As new speaker models are introduced, NEAR updates the available presets from time to time. The presets loaded on a given amplifier may be different than those loaded on other amplifiers. If you don't find the desired system preset among those offered in  the amplifier, click here to download the right preset for the speaker system.  See the XL Owner's Manual for instructions for how to upload preset values to the amplifier.
6.  Push the control knob to lock in the selected preset values.
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You’re done! Time to rock out. 

If you feel the need to further tweak the DSP values or want to construct a DSP scheme from scratch, follow the steps below.
 1.   Download the NEAR XL Graphical User Interface app here.
  • NOTE: Windows 10 is illustrated here; other versions of Windows may be slightly different
2.   Find the file in your downloads folder. Double click the file and follow the prompts to load the app to your PC
3.   Connect your PC to the amplifier's Ethernet port with CAT-5 cable
  • Make sure the amplifier is "ON" and not in standby mode
4.   Open Control Center from your Start menu
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5.   Select "Networking and Sharing Center"
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6.   In the dialog box click on "Change Adaptor Settings"
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7.   Double click the active  Ethernet connection
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8.   If your Ethernet port has been previously configured by your network administrator to connect to an office network, click "Details" and copy the network settings to a word processing document so you can reset back to your normal configuration later.  If it has not been configured go right to step 9. 
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9.  Scroll down the list until you see "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)," double click it or select "Properties." 
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10.  Select "Use the following IP address:" and enter these values:
IP address: 192 . 168 . 0 . 5
Subnet mask: 255 . 255 . 255. 0
Default gateway: 192 . 168 . 0 . 1
Click "OK."
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You're done setting a fixed IP address.
  • NOTE: The IP address shown on the amplifier's display is that of the amplifier and you don't need to use it for set up. The steps below show you how to set the IP address of your PC, not the amp. If you have a problem connecting to the XL amp's GUI later, go back to step 10 and replace the last digit in the IP address "5" with another single digit (3, 4, 6 etc.). ​
11.  Open the NEAR GUI app that you previously downloaded and saved. 
​12.  Click "Connect"in the upper left corner of the screen
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13.  In the "Select Port" dialog box select "with several devices" and enter these values:
From: 192 . 168 . 0 . 0
To: 192 . 168 . 0 . 254
Click "OK"
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The GUI will search for and find the amplifier. 
  • If you are prompted by the software to "Use Demo Mode," that means the fixed IP address was not set correctly. Go back to Step 9 and try again with different final digit in the IP Address. . 
14.  Click the amp model number in the IP list to open the GUI control panel. ​

You are now ready to set DSP parameters to your heart's content. 

WARNINGS:
If you have little to no experience using DSP or parametric equalization you probably shouldn't be fooling with this stuff to begin with. Excessive EQ boost and other incorrectly set parameters may damage the speakers and the amplifier. 

Even if you are experienced with DSP and EQ, PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Use a gentle touch with EQ settings. A couple of dB goes a long way.