Eventide Atlas Series Recorders User Manual, Version 1.8 VR778 141078 Manual 180

User Manual: VR778

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ATLAS Series Audio Logging and Archiving System
Models VR778, VR725, and VR615

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

© 2004 - 2008 Eventide, Inc. All rights reserved.
Every effort has been made to make this guide as complete and accurate as possible, but we
DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The
information provided is on an “as-is” basis and is subject to change without notice or obligation.
Eventide Inc. has neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to loss or
damages arising from the information contained in this guide.
Warning: This computer program and its documentation are protected by copyright law and
international treaties. Any unauthorized copying or distribution of this program, its documentation,
or any portion thereof may result in severe civil and criminal penalties.
The software installed in accordance with this documentation is copyrighted and licensed by
Eventide Inc. under separate license agreement. The software may only be used pursuant to the
terms and conditions of such license agreement. Any other use may be a violation of law.
Caution: To reduce the risk of fire, use only 26 AWG or larger telecommunication line cord.
Trademarks
Eventide is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All terms known to be trademarks
are appropriately capitalized. If we missed yours, please let us know.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 12
Welcome....................................................................................................................................12
About this Manual ...................................................................................................................... 13

RECORDER SETUP & OPERATION....................................................................... 14
Unpacking the Recorder ..........................................................................................................14
General Specifications .............................................................................................................15
VR615 and VR778 ....................................................................................................................... 15
Front Panel Details – VR615 and VR778................................................................................... 16
Rear Panel Details ...................................................................................................................... 19
VR725 & Blank Panel Units ......................................................................................................... 20
Front Panel Details – VR725 with Touch screen...................................................................... 22
Rear Panel Details ...................................................................................................................... 24
Bench Test ..................................................................................................................................25
Installation..................................................................................................................................27
General ........................................................................................................................................ 27
Operating Limits.......................................................................................................................... 27
Location Considerations ........................................................................................................... 28
Mounting Options....................................................................................................................... 29
Other Considerations ................................................................................................................. 30
Connecting AC Power and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) ....................................... 30
Before You Connect Audio Signals to the Recorder... ......................................................... 32
Connecting Telephone, Radio, and Other Analog Audio Signals to the Recorder........ 32

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The Optional Quick Install Kit .................................................................................................... 33
Connecting Digital Telephone Lines ....................................................................................... 35
Connecting to an Ethernet Network....................................................................................... 35
Connecting a Keyboard ........................................................................................................... 35
Connecting Headphones ......................................................................................................... 36
Connecting Line-Level Equipment .......................................................................................... 36
Connecting a Label Printer....................................................................................................... 36
Overview of the Front Panel User Interface.............................................................................36
Setup Screen ............................................................................................................................... 37
INFO Screen................................................................................................................................. 38
RECALL Screen ............................................................................................................................ 40
Playing Audio Records............................................................................................................... 40
Using Filters ................................................................................................................................... 41
Displaying Columns .................................................................................................................... 47
Creating Playlists from the RECALL Screen ............................................................................. 48

RECORDER SETUP & ADMINISTRATION ............................................................. 52
Organization ..............................................................................................................................53
Contents .....................................................................................................................................53

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO .......................................................................................... 55
Setup: System Info/Configuration Info .................................................................................... 55
Setup: System Info: RAID Status ................................................................................................ 58
Setup: System Info: Serial Number ........................................................................................... 60
Setup: System Info: License Key ............................................................................................... 61
Setup: System Info: Add On License Key ................................................................................ 62
Setup: System Info: View alarm log ......................................................................................... 63
Setup: System Info: Enable/Disable Verbose Logging ......................................................... 63

SETUP: ARCHIVE................................................................................................. 65
Setup: Archive : Archiving type................................................................................................ 65
Setup: Archive: Archive protection period ............................................................................ 66
Setup: Archive: Auto-eject........................................................................................................ 67
Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Setup: Archive: Enable/disable Label printing ...................................................................... 67
Setup: Archive: Resume archiving on startup........................................................................ 68
Setup: Archive: Set current archive time ................................................................................ 68
Setup: Archive: Archive failsafe server.................................................................................... 70
Setup: Archive: Enable/disable archive failsafe ................................................................... 71
Setup:Archive:Archive failsafe behavior ................................................................................ 71

SETUP: NETWORK ARCHIVE ............................................................................... 72
Setup:Network Archive:Enable/Disable Network Archive ................................................... 72
Setup:Network Archive:Hostname........................................................................................... 73
Setup:Network Archive:Share Name ...................................................................................... 73
Setup:Network Archive:Workgroup ......................................................................................... 74
Setup:Network Archive:Username........................................................................................... 75
Setup:Network Archive:Password ............................................................................................ 75
Setup:Network Archive:Set Current Network Archive Time ................................................. 76

SETUP: RECORDING ........................................................................................... 77
Setup: Recording: Board configuration .................................................................................. 78
The Board Configuration Screen ..............................................................................................78
Choosing an Encoding Algorithm............................................................................................ 80
Setup:Recording:Channel Configuration............................................................................... 81
The Channel Configuration Screen ......................................................................................... 81
Steps for Setting Levels, Thresholds, and Hold Times ............................................................. 89
Setup: Recording: Delete calls after N days .......................................................................... 90
Setup: Recording: Max # of calls in DB ................................................................................... 91
Setup: Recording: Audio segment length.............................................................................. 92

SETUP: SECURITY ................................................................................................ 93
Setup:Security:Logins Required ................................................................................................ 93
Setup: Security: Auto-logout timeout ...................................................................................... 94
Setup: Security: User administration......................................................................................... 95
About Security Groups............................................................................................................... 95
Managing Users .......................................................................................................................... 96

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: EMAIL...................................................................................................... 99
Setup:Email:Enable/Disable Emails........................................................................................ 100
Setup:Email:SMTP Server .......................................................................................................... 100
Setup:Email:SMTP Port .............................................................................................................. 101
Setup:Email:Local Hostname.................................................................................................. 101
Setup:Email:SMTP Username................................................................................................... 102
Setup:Email:SMTP Password .................................................................................................... 102
Setup:Email:SMTP From Address............................................................................................. 103
Setup:Email:SMTP Reply-To Address....................................................................................... 103
Setup:Email:SMTP Errors-To Address ....................................................................................... 104
Setup:Email:Force TLS Encryption........................................................................................... 104
Setup:Email:Send test email.................................................................................................... 105

SETUP: NETWORK SETTINGS ............................................................................. 106
Setup:Network Settings:Enable/Disable DHCP .................................................................... 107
Setup:Network Settings:IP Address, Gateway, Net mask, Network.................................. 108
Setup:Network Settings:DNS Servers ...................................................................................... 109
Setup:Network Settings:Broadcast ........................................................................................ 109

SETUP: CLOCK.................................................................................................. 110
Setup:Clock:Date/Time ........................................................................................................... 111
Setup:Clock:Time zone ............................................................................................................ 111
Setup:Clock:NTP Server............................................................................................................ 112
Setup: Clock:I RIG-B settings ................................................................................................... 113
IRIG-B........................................................................................................................................... 113
Setup: Clock: RS232 Time settings .......................................................................................... 114
Time Code Synchronization Over RS-232 .............................................................................. 114
Setup RS-232 Time Settings ...................................................................................................... 115
Setup:Clock:Time sync status.................................................................................................. 116

SETUP:UTILITIES ................................................................................................. 117
Setup:Utilities:Write logs to removable media ..................................................................... 117
Setup:Utilities:Write configuration to archive ....................................................................... 118
Setup:Utilities:Read configuration from archive .................................................................. 120

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Setup:Utilities:Archive restore.................................................................................................. 121
Setup:Utilities:Archive restore: Period Transfer...................................................................... 122
Setup:Utilities:Write metadata to archive............................................................................. 123
Setup:Utilities:Read metadata from archive........................................................................ 124
Touch screen calibration (coarse and fine)......................................................................... 125

SETUP: SYSTEM SHUTDOWN ............................................................................. 126
Controlled Shutdown ............................................................................................................... 126
Forced Shutdown ..................................................................................................................... 127
Recorder Operation ................................................................................................................128
Starting and Shutting Down .................................................................................................... 128
Recording .................................................................................................................................. 129
General ...................................................................................................................................... 129
RAID ............................................................................................................................................ 129
Searching, Sorting, and Playing Calls.................................................................................... 130
General ...................................................................................................................................... 130
Considerations .......................................................................................................................... 130
Viewing Calls ............................................................................................................................. 130
Filtering and Searching ............................................................................................................ 131
Columns ..................................................................................................................................... 133
Playing Back Calls..................................................................................................................... 134
Looping ...................................................................................................................................... 134
Archiving .................................................................................................................................... 135
General ...................................................................................................................................... 135
Media Selection ........................................................................................................................ 137
Sequential and Parallel Modes .............................................................................................. 138
DVD-RAM Drive Operation...................................................................................................... 139
Selecting and Deselecting an Archive Drive ....................................................................... 141
Opening/Closing the DVD-RAM Drive................................................................................... 141
Formatting Archive Media ...................................................................................................... 141
Start Archiving ........................................................................................................................... 142
Stop Archiving ........................................................................................................................... 142
Resume Archiving ..................................................................................................................... 142
Viewing Media Info .................................................................................................................. 143

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Printing a Label.......................................................................................................................... 143
Selecting The Archive Period .................................................................................................. 144
Browse Archive Media ............................................................................................................. 145
Archive Protection.................................................................................................................... 145
Auto-Eject .................................................................................................................................. 146
Resuming Archiving on Start-Up ............................................................................................. 146
Setting Current Archive Time .................................................................................................. 146
Designating and Activating an Archive Failsafe Server ..................................................... 148
Writing Call “Metadata” to an archive................................................................................. 148
Live Monitoring.......................................................................................................................... 150

THE ATLAS ADMINISTRATIVE CLIENT ............................................................... 151
What is remote client software? ............................................................................................ 151
Do you need to install the client software at all?................................................................ 151
The Recorder Configuration Program ................................................................................... 152
Differences between the Client functions and Front Panel SETUP ................................... 152
Installation................................................................................................................................153
Starting the Client ..................................................................................................................... 155
Server Login ............................................................................................................................... 156
Server settings............................................................................................................................ 157
Miscellaneous..........................................................................................................................159
Call Suppression ......................................................................................................................161
User Accounts..........................................................................................................................163
Boards and Channels..............................................................................................................166
Channels.................................................................................................................................... 166
Boards......................................................................................................................................... 167
Analog Telephony Board Configuration............................................................................... 167
M-Audio HiFi Audio Recording Board Configuration .......................................................... 170
AI Logix NGX Configuration .................................................................................................... 171
AI Logix E1/T1 Configuration ................................................................................................... 173
VoIP Gateway Configuration ................................................................................................. 174

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Channel Groups ......................................................................................................................175
Channel Names........................................................................................................................ 175
Logs and Alerts ........................................................................................................................176
Alerts ........................................................................................................................................... 176
Alerts History............................................................................................................................... 177
Statistics...................................................................................................................................... 177
Email Server ............................................................................................................................... 180
Configuration Files...................................................................................................................181
Custom Fields...........................................................................................................................184
Adding, Modifying, and Deleting Fields................................................................................ 184
Scheduled Recording .............................................................................................................187
Adding, Modifying, and Deleting Files .................................................................................. 187
Scheduled Recording Parameters ........................................................................................ 189
Archiving: Archive Drives .......................................................................................................192
Centralized Archiving (CA) Configuration ............................................................................194
Configuring Additional NET Drives .........................................................................................196
Centralized Archive Failsafe Configuration ..........................................................................196
Archiving a Channel Group ...................................................................................................197
Period Archiving With Recorder Configuration.....................................................................197
Call Source Tracking (CST) .....................................................................................................197
Workstation Setup....................................................................................................................198
Creating A New Workstation .................................................................................................. 199
Editing An Existing Workstation ............................................................................................... 201
Deleting An Existing Workstation ............................................................................................ 202
Final Workstation Configuration (Metadata Tagging) ....................................................... 202
Client Activity...........................................................................................................................204

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Administration Client Menu Options......................................................................................205
File Menu.................................................................................................................................... 205
View Menu................................................................................................................................. 206
Help Menu ................................................................................................................................. 206

APPENDIX 1 ..................................................................................................... 207
Server Software Installation and Upgrade.............................................................................207
Why Re-installation May be Necessary ................................................................................. 207
Why Upgrades May be Necessary or Desirable .................................................................. 207
The Software Upgrade/Installation Process.......................................................................... 208
Some Details, Especially About Installation .......................................................................... 208
Restoring Archives when Installing New Software ............................................................... 209
Potential Problems .................................................................................................................... 210

APPENDIX 2 ..................................................................................................... 211
PBX and Digital Telephony Hardware Information ...............................................................211

APPENDIX 3 ..................................................................................................... 213
Connection Information for the HiFi Recording Board .........................................................213

APPENDIX 4 ..................................................................................................... 215
Optional General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) Boards .....................................................215
National Instruments PCI-6503 Board (24-Channel)............................................................ 215
National Instruments PCI-6527 Board (48-Channel)............................................................ 216

APPENDIX 5 ..................................................................................................... 219
NIST Time Servers .....................................................................................................................219

APPENDIX 6 ..................................................................................................... 221
Eventide VR778 or VR725 with DDS-4 Tape Drives ................................................................221

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Overview .................................................................................................................................... 221
Loading a Tape and Preparing for Archiving ...................................................................... 221
Ejecting a Tape ......................................................................................................................... 221
Playing Calls from a Tape........................................................................................................ 222

APPENDIX 7 ..................................................................................................... 225
Eventide Tape Archive Transfer Utility (Tatu) .........................................................................225

APPENDIX 8 ..................................................................................................... 227
The Channel Wiring for Eventide Analog Telephony Boards ...............................................227

APPENDIX 9 ..................................................................................................... 229
Alert Configuration ..................................................................................................................229

APPENDIX 10 ................................................................................................... 243
Eventide Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Implementation ..........................................243
What is VoIP?............................................................................................................................. 243
The Advantages VoIP Provides .............................................................................................. 243
Technical Considerations........................................................................................................ 244
Prerequisites for VoIP Installation ............................................................................................ 246
Network Requirements ............................................................................................................ 246
Gateway Configuration .......................................................................................................... 250
Archiving .................................................................................................................................... 253
VoIP Software Upgrade........................................................................................................... 253

LIMITED WARRANTY......................................................................................... 256
Index ........................................................................................................................................260

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

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1
Welcome
Welcome and congratulations on your purchase of an ATLAS™ recorder! The
ATLAS™ (Advanced Technology Logging and Archiving System) series of recorders
is the latest offering from Eventide, the company that invented digital recorders in
1989.
This system manual will help you maximize the use of your purchase. It includes:
•

A quick-start bench test, for those who want to quickly familiarize
themselves with some basic operations;

Guidance on installing your recorder;

Descriptions of all of the controls and menu items on the front panel user
interface;

Step-by-step instructions on how to set up and operate your recorder.

Eventide is committed to your satisfaction. If, after using this manual, you still
have questions about the operation of your recorder, contact Technical Support at
support@eventide.com or call (201) 641-1200.
The Eventide web site has additional information that may be helpful. Go to
http://www.eventide.com.
One last thing: to help us reach you with information on updates and upcoming
new features, please send us your warranty card. We do not provide your
information to marketers or any other outside organizations.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

ABOUT THIS MANUAL
This manual applies to software release 1.8 for the VR615, VR725, and VR778
recorders, as well as for the Recorder Configuration utility.
To identify the recorder software release number, do the following while the
recorder is running:
•

Scroll to “Configuration Info” and select it.

Check the “Release” item. That is the software version.

To identify the Recorder Configuration utility version number, select Help > About
from within the utility.
This manual contains the following information:
Chapter 1, “Introduction”: Provides an introduction to the Atlas recorder and
describes this manual.
Chapter 2, “Recorder Setup and Operation”: Provides information on the
following:
•

Performing a Bench Test

Adjusting Settings

Operating using only the front panel, or with an attached mouse and
monitor

Chapter 3, “Recorder Setup and Administration: Provides information on using
the Setup menu and on administrative tasks.
Chapter 4, “The Atlas Administrative Client”: Provides information about
client software used for recorder administration, and detailed instructions on
using the Recorder Configuration utility.
Appendices: Provide information on types of available input interface boards with
which your recorder may be equipped.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

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2
Unpacking the Recorder
CAUTION! Use care and assistance when lifting and handling the recorder. The VR615 weighs about 30
pounds (14 kg) and the VR725 about 50 pounds (23 kg). The VR778 can weigh as much as 95 pounds
(43 kg)!

Check the box for damage. A crushed box, holes, or water damage, for example,
could indicate that the recorder has been damaged. Open the box and inspect the
recorder and associated accessories. If the equipment appears damaged contact
Eventide right away and save the damaged box and packaging!
Check that the unit is delivered with the expected configuration and accessories.
The packing slip states the contents. In addition, the box will include:
•

A configuration sheet indicating installed audio input boards and other
I/O boards;

A warranty registration card;

One archive medium per archive drive;

One power line cord per power supply;

Two server software disks, one labeled "install" and one labeled "update";
and

This system manual.

Two keys (We strongly recommend that you keep one of the keys as a
spare and put it in a safe place.)

Other accessories may be included, depending on your order. For example, you
may receive client disks. Sections 2 and 3 provide instructions for the client
software.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

General Specifications

VR615 AND VR778
The Eventide ATLAS™ series of digital recorders is based on very similar server
(recorder) software and identical client (PC user) software. The primary differences
among different units in the product line are physical, e.g., size, power, storage
configuration, etc. The following table highlights the differences among the
products. This is a summary only, and does not replace the individual unit
specifications.
Table 1–Specification Summary for VR615 and VR778

Front Panel GUI

320x240 color TFT LCD display, soft keys, fixed keys, scroll wheel, keypad, volume control,
speaker

Front Panel I/O USB, 1/8" line level output, 1/8" headphone output
Remote

Windows-based remote call browser

Windows-based remote administration client

Operating
System

Call Record
Database

Internal relational database with programmable retention
Compression Rates (kbits/s): 13.3, 16, 32, 64 Mu-law

Frequency Response:

Signal to Noise:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Ethernet 100Mb/Sec

3-1/2" (2 rack units)

7" (4 rack units)

150 watts nominal

Power supplies Single

30 pounds nominal

Analog
channels

Digital
channels

Maximum hard
2 drives, RAID 1
disk capacity

2-6 drives, RAID 1 or RAID 5

Standard
archive drives

2 9.4GB DVD COMBO + 1 CD-RW

1 9.4GB DVD COMBO (DVD-RAM/R)

Standard hard
2 X 120GB
disk storage

Optional
storage

2 X DDS-4, Removable hard drives

FRONT PANEL DETAILS – VR615 AND VR778

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Above are the full front panels for the VR615 and the VR778. The VR778 in its
standard configuration has two DVD Combo drives and a CD-RW drive. The
VR615 has a single DVD Combo drive. Available optional drives include:
•

Iomega REV® drives;

DDS-4 tape drives;

Removable hard drives; and

Solid-state drives for special applications.

The display presents
information on the
operation of the recorder.
The bottom row of keys is
referred to as the "soft
keys" and their function is
defined by the bottom line
of the display, which
changes depending on
context.
The side keys have fixed
functions and are referred
to as mode keys.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The Knob and keypad are
used for data selection and
entry. Frequently an item
is "scrolled to" by turning
the Knob and then
selected by pressing it. The
keypad enters numeric
and other data.
There are three LEDs to the left of each
archive drive.
READY indicates that there is a medium in
the drive
RECORD indicates that the drive is archiving
FAULT indicates that there is a problem with
the drive or medium

The power switch is operated with a key two of which are supplied. Note: You should
avoid using this switch to power down the
unit. Use it to power up only.
The audio section provides a headphone jack
and volume control for it. There is also a
constant level Line Out jack. The USB
connectors are for alphanumeric keyboard
connection or modem connection (used for
remote diagnostics).

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

REAR PANEL DETAILS

Typical VR615 Rear Panel

Shown connected are the AC power and Ethernet port. The connector on the lower right
is for the single 16-channel analog telephony board.

Power Supply 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 f e d c b a
Typical VR778 Rear Panel with Slot Labeling

This VR778 shows connections to the dual-redundant power supplies and the Ethernet
port. The four large connectors in the center are for the four 16-channel telephony
boards in this unit. The small D connector on the second panel from the right is an RS232 connector for the optional label printer. Slots 1 through 8 can contain telephony
boards. Slot 1 holds the lowest-numbered channels.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

VR725 & BLANK PANEL UNITS
These members of the Atlas series use either a touch screen display, which acts
both as a monitor and a mouse, or an external standard computer monitor and
mouse. All operations performed by the front panel controls on the VR615 and
VR778 can be performed by the touch screen. The Atlas blank panel models are
lower-cost alternatives for those who intend almost all operation to be remotely
controlled over the network. Installation can be accomplished with a “borrowed”
monitor, mouse and keyboard

VR778-Blank Panel

Front
Panel
GUI

640 x 480 Touch screen Display or external monitor and standard
computer mouse

Front
Panel
I/O

USB, 1/8" line level output, 1/8" headphone output

Windows-based remote call browser

Windows-based remote administration client

Operating
System

Call
Record
Database

Internal relational database with programmable retention

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Compression Rates (kbits/s):

13.3, 16, 32, 64 Mu-law

Frequency Response:

Signal to Noise:

Ethernet 100Mb/Sec

5-1/4" (3 rack units)

7" (4 rack units)

21" w/o cables, Display protrudes 2”

200 watts nominal

50 pounds nominal

Analog
8-96
channels

Digital
16-96
channels

Maximum
hard disk 4 drives, RAID 5
capacity

2-6 drives, RAID 1 or RAID 5

Standard
archive
2 X 9.4GB DVD COMBO (DVD-RAM/R)
drives

2 X 9.4GB DVD COMBO + 1 CD-RW

Standard
hard disk 2 X 250GB
storage

Optional
storage

2 X DDS-4, Removable hard drives,
3rd DVD

2 X DDS4 (SCSI), 1TB Hot-swap RAID

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

FRONT PANEL DETAILS – VR725 WITH TOUCH SCREEN

The touch screen display is on a locking door that protects the power switch and optional hot-swap
RAID array.

Door open to show RAID hard drives

The VR725 employs a touch screen display for control, instead of dedicated
buttons and keypad. All functions, including SETUP, can be accessed from this
panel. When necessary an alphanumeric keyboard appears on the screen so that
non-numeric data such as channel names can be entered. The RAID disk array
(up to 1 TB of storage) can be accessed and disks can be exchanged while the
recorder is operating by opening the monitor door. Two DVD Multi-drives are
standard for archiving on DVD-RAM.
Audio monitoring/playback is accomplished with an integral amplifier/speaker
unit (bottom right) with headphone jack, line-level output, and volume control.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The touch screen display of the VR725 performs all the functions of the display
AND the keypad / soft keys present on the VR615 and VR778. When necessary, a
vertical scroll bar allows additional channel or data selection, and an
alphanumeric keyboard allows data entry of channel names and other required
SETUP information.

This power button, immediately below the
screen, controls the screen backlight
ONLY. Turning it off does not affect
recorder operation in any way. It can be
used as a “screen saver” if desired.
The door lock (left) can be opened to
access critical recorder controls and the
hot-swap RAID disk array.
The recorder power switch (bottom right)
is behind the locked door, as are the USB
connectors for the optional keyboard. Two
Note: You should avoid using this switch to power down

keys are supplied.

the unit. Use it to power up only.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The audio section provides a ¼”
headphone jack and a constant level Line
Out jack for convenient re-recording. A
volume control (not shown) controls
speaker and headphone volume.

REAR PANEL DETAILS

Typical VR725 Rear Panel

Left to right: Dual Hot-Swap power supplies, connector panel for Ethernet, USB,
Keyboard, Mouse, Label Printer connector (COM1), and splitter cable. To the right of
the upper cable connector is the Time Source input (COM2) and four telephone board
connectors, 1 (left) through 4 (right).

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Bench Test
Before installing the unit, you may want to run a brief bench test, especially if you
are unfamiliar with Eventide ATLAS™ series recorders. The following steps are just
one suggested bench test, which you can modify as you wish. If you change
settings, note the defaults first and set them back to the defaults after you
complete the test.
Plug in the provided line cord(s) to the appropriate line voltage.
Turn and hold the key for 1 second and release it. (VR725: unlock the door and
hold the switch for 1 second.) The boot process will start and diagnostic messages
will scroll by on the front panel screen or monitor.

After several minutes, the screen will show the INFO display, one of three top-level
displays. The others are SETUP and RECALL, accessed by the mode keys.
Place a new archive medium in the archive drive. The associated Drive Status
indicator will change from "No disk" to "Unformatted media."
We do not recommend formatting it for now. Wait until you are actually ready to
start archiving. You will learn more about archiving later in the manual. Eject the
disk by selecting its drive and pressing the Eject soft key.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The Channel Status section tells you which channels the recorder recognizes as
ready for recording. If you ordered a 16-channel unit, whether analog-only,
digital-only, or a combination, you should see 16 green steady indicators.

Likewise for 24 channels, 32 channels, and so on. This is a good time to make
sure you see the expected number of channels.
Press the RECALL button. No calls are listed at this point. When calls are
recorded they will be listed, as seen in the figure to the right, and may be played
back.
•

Select the SETUP mode and scroll through the items. Try these exercises.
If you need a hint, scroll to the item in parenthesis.

Read the default IP address and net mask of the recorder. (IP Address)

Change the IP address. (IP Address)

What time zone is the recorder set to? Change it to your local time zone
(you can change it back later if you want to). (Time Zone)

What is the recorder's
internal date and
time? Change them.
(Date/Time)

Read what types of
boards are installed in
the recorder. (Board
Configuration)

Change the DETECT
setting of Channel 5.
Put it back to the

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

original setting. (Channel Configuration)
•

Toggle AGC for Channel 6. (Channel Configuration)

Read the serial number of the unit from the front panel. (Serial Number)

Shut down the unit as follows: Go to SETUP. Choose the item to perform a
System Shutdown. Answer "yes" to the prompt. After the recorder
completes its controlled shutdown procedures, the unit will shut down.

Caution: Do not force a shutdown by pulling the power plug or using the power switch. A forced
shutdown can result in corrupted files and loss of data.

Installation
Caution: Some ATLAS™ recorder models are heavy! Do not attempt to lift or install these units without
assistance. Do not attempt to rack mount any model without either shelf or rack-slide support. Rack
slides are available as an option from Eventide. Do not support these units using only the mounting ears.

GENERAL
The ATLAS™ series recorders are best perceived as computer equipment. They
have essentially the same requirements, both physical and electrical, as standard
PCs, and similar attention should be paid to their environment to assure long life
and reliable operation. Site preparation, especially for larger installations, may
include providing rack cabinets and concentrating communication wiring – phone
lines, radio, etc. – nearby.

OPERATING LIMITS
The installation should allow the units to operate within their electrical and
physical operational limits.
Parameter

Range or Limits

VR615 - 150W/300W, VR725-200W/400W, VR778 - 200W/600W

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

(typ/max)
Temperature

Operating +5C (41F) to 40C (104F)

10% - 80% relative, non-condensing

-2,000 to +10,000 feet operating, 22,000 feet non-operating. If operated
at high altitudes, take special care that airflow is unrestricted by dust or
obstacles.
These units contain hard drive storage units and mechanical
components that are sensitive to mechanical vibration. They are
intended for operation in fixed locations. Vibration-isolation mountings
are required for use in mobile operation.
Shock

Shock and
Vibration

1G, 11ms half-sine

40G, 11ms half-sine

Vibration Operating

The archive drives are sensitive to orientation. The recorder should not
be mounted more than 15 degrees off the horizontal plane.

LOCATION CONSIDERATIONS
When choosing a location, consider the following:
•

Operating Limits. The location must respect the unit's operating limits,
as listed in the Operating Limits section of this manual.

Convenience. If the unit will be operated from its front panel, then it
should be comfortably accessible to the operator. Service personnel should
have access to the unit.

If the unit is to be installed in a rack, special rack units that provide a
horizontal writing surface are available.

Security. If the unit must be physically secure, then it can be placed in a
locked equipment room with limited access. This will also help ensure data
security.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Consider that a user with access to the unit can remove power, disconnect
the input cables, play back recordings, monitor calls, remove archive
media, and do other things to compromise your data. Logins are no
protection against a determined attacker.

In short, if you are concerned about malicious users making a purposeful
effort to gain unauthorized access to your data, then the only real
protection is to place the unit in a secure location.

Cable lengths. For analog signals, such as POTS lines and radio receiver
outputs, cable lengths are not likely to be an issue. An adequate level can
be obtained thousands of feet from the signal source. The unit has
programmable adjustments for low or high signal levels.

That being said, shorter cable lengths will create less signal attenuation
and noise than longer cable lengths.

For digital inputs, see the Appendices for more information.

Particulates. The archive drives and, to a lesser extent, the fans and hard
drives, can be damaged by smoke and dust. If you find dust build up on
the surfaces or the fans being clogged, consider changing the location.

Power dropouts or surges. The unit should be protected from power
dropouts and surges. The chosen location should have line power available
that is not on the same circuit as equipment that draws a large current on
start-up, such as electric motors or compressors or banks of fluorescent
lights. Line voltage fluctuations, brown-outs, and power outages can result
in loss of data and damage to the unit.

An Uninterruptible Power Supply is required to mitigate these problems.
See the section entitled Connecting AC Power and UPS for a list of
approved UPS units.

Spilled liquids. Liquids spilled on the unit can damage it. The location
should not encourage people to place coffee cups on the unit, for
instance.

Shock. Shocking the unit while the hard drives are operating could
damage the hard drives. The location should not be subject to vibration or
jolting while the unit is operating.

MOUNTING OPTIONS
As normally provided, the unit can be mounted on any surface that can bear its
weight and that does not tilt more than 15°. It can be rack mounted if the rack
has a shelf to support it, and the front panel attached to the rack with the screws

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

provided to prevent casual removal. It must not be mounted solely with the
mounting ears and rack screws!
If no rack shelf is available, a rack-slide rail install kit, which includes slide rails,
rear slide supports, brackets, and mounting hardware, can be ordered:
¾

Rack-Slide Rail Kit for the VR778: Eventide Part# 324343

Rack-Slide Rail Kit for the VR725: Eventide Part# 324430

Rack-Slide Rail Kit for the VR615: Eventide Part# 324355

Alternatively, a center rack mounting option is also available for each Atlas
recorder as well:
¾

Center Rack Mount Kit for the VR778: Eventide Part# 108110

Center Rack Mount Kit for the VR725: Eventide Part# 108109

Center Rack Mount Kit for the VR615: Eventide Part# 108108

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
The recorder is shipped with two keys. One key should be kept in a safe place as a
backup spare. You should consider preventing casual access to the other key as
well. The key should not be used to power down the recorder unless necessary. It
should be shut off using the SETUP/Power down option. Otherwise, data
corruption could occur. If it is necessary to use the key to shut down the recorder,
turn the key and hold it for one second and release the key. Do not continue
holding it until the recorder shuts down.

CONNECTING AC POWER AND UPS (UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY)
The recorders use a "universal" power supplies. This means you can plug it into
any line (mains) voltage from 100 volts to 240 volts nominal. However, to prevent
unplanned shutdowns caused by power glitches or interruptions, the recorder
requires a UPS unit that meets certain minimum characteristics:
The UPS must provide power for a long enough period to allow orderly shutdown
of the recorder in case of power failure.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

If your facility has a backup generator, the UPS should provide power long
enough to operate the recorder until the generator becomes operational after a
power failure (typically a minute or less) PLUS a period long enough to allow
orderly shutdown of the recorder in case of generator failure.
The UPS should be an approved model, i.e., one that can communicate its status
to the recorder. This isn't strictly necessary if your facility is manned and
personnel are trained to shut down the recorder using the appropriate procedure
in case of power failure. However, an approved UPS will keep the recorder running
and perform a safe shutdown when its battery power gets low.
Eventide offers commercial-grade, heavy-duty rack-mount UPS units. We have
tested the following units and confirm they work with the recorders.
Manufacturer

Eventide Part #

APC / Tripp-Lite

1500VA, 940W, 120V

APC / Tripp-Lite

1500VA, 940W, 240V

APC / Tripp-Lite

APC / Tripp-Lite

APC / Tripp-Lite

3000VA, 2700W, 120V

APC / Tripp-Lite

3000VA, 2700W, 240V

In addition, consumer-grade UPS units may be available locally and are suitable
for more casual installations. We have tested the following units and confirm they
work with the recorders.
Manufacturer

Recommended for

Back-UPS ES 500

Back-UPS ES 725

VR778, VR725, VR615

To connect your recorder to a UPS, simply plug the UPS into an AC socket, and
plug the recorder into the UPS using the power cord provided. If you use an
approved UPS, also connect the UPS to one of the recorder's USB connectors on
the rear panel using the cable provided with the UPS. This communication link
Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

will perform a safe shutdown when necessary, and also allow the recorder to
notify you (by display and optionally by email) if there is a power problem. Some
recorders are available with dual redundant power supplies. To preserve
redundancy, it is acceptable to use a separate UPS with each line cord.

BEFORE YOU CONNECT AUDIO SIGNALS TO THE RECORDER...
Before you connect the telephone lines, radio outputs, or other signals to be
tapped and recorded, set the recorder's internal clock, date, time zone, and
channel names. If you are installing new software on a currently operating
recorder, disconnect the audio inputs until you have restored the configuration of
the recorder, including channel selection and time zone. The reason for this is
that the recorder will begin recording as soon as it detects an input signal. Calls
with the wrong time, date, and time zone may get recorded and will likely remain
on the recorder for a long time. This might be confusing later when you search,
filter, and archive calls. Refer to the section entitled "Setting the Date, Time, and
Time Zone."

CONNECTING TELEPHONE, RADIO, AND OTHER ANALOG AUDIO SIGNALS TO THE RECORDER
This section applies to units equipped with the Analog Input Board. If you are not
sure if you have this board installed, follow the steps in the section entitled
"Bench Test," specifically step 8e, earlier in this manual. You can also check the
printed back-panel diagram that was packed with your recorder.
The Analog Input Board handles interfacing to analog audio signals. The number
of channels per board will vary depending on which is ordered, with 8, 16, and 24
channels being standard configurations. Each board presents a 25-pair "blue
ribbon" connector at a slot in the rear panel. When viewing the VR615 recorder
from the rear, the Analog Input Board is in the bottom horizontal slot. For the
VR778, the lowest-numbered channel board is in Slot 1, as shown in the figure in
the section entitled "Rear Panel Details." Slot 8 is nearest the power supply. Slot 1
is eight slots over from the power supply. The VR725 telephone boards are
numbered left to right when viewed from the rear.
A mating connector is provided for each board unless a Quick Install kit has been
ordered (next section). The connector has two rows of contacts. One row is
numbered 1 through 25, and the other row is numbered 26 through 50.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Numbering is such that pin 1 is opposite 26, and 25 is opposite 50. Each audio
input requires two wires, in what is known as a "balanced" configuration. There is
no "ground" connection. The channel and connector pin correspondence is
detailed in Appendix 8.
Eventide offers a Quick Install kit that, besides pulling together the parts you will
need for a convenient installation, brings Channel 1 to the white-blue pair. It is
described in the next section.
To connect a telephone line to a given channel, simply connect the two wires to
the two pins for that channel. It is not necessary to check or observe polarity.
To connect an audio source such as the line output or recording output of a radio,
connect the "hot" lead to one pin and the ground or shield lead to the other.
Again, there is no distinction between input pins - either can be connected to the
"hot" lead.
Any audio source may be connected, provided that the audio voltage is nominally
in the .1 - 1 Volt range and remains fairly constant. Differing voltage levels are
compensated for when setting up the card parameters from the recorder front
panel. Not recommended are sources with greatly varying levels, such as
"speaker" outputs. Also unusable are "microphone" signals, whose levels are too
low by far to be usable without preamplification.
Please refer to the Appendices for connection information for the optional “HiFi”
audio board.

THE OPTIONAL QUICK INSTALL KIT
For each telephone recording board in the recorder, you will have received either a
mating blue-ribbon connector or, if ordered as an option, a Quick Install kit. The
connections for the mating blue-ribbon connector are detailed in the appendix,
and the pins are numbered on the connector itself for reference.
The Quick Install kit, Eventide part #109033-003 (3 meter cable) and #109033007 (7 meter cable), include the following components:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Cable
Connects the recorder telephony board to the punch
block. The rear-entry connector (right in photo) goes
to the recorder and is fastened to the telephony board
rear panel with small wire bails on each side. The
end-entry (left in photo) connector goes to the punch
block and is held in place with a Velcro strip.
Note: This cable may have special wiring! Before substituting a
standard 50-pair extender cable for this cable, confirm that the
telephony board(s) in your recorder do not have special
connections. Please refer to the telephony board appendix. If you
need a greater length, you may use an extender cable in series with
the cable provided as part of the kit whether or not it is one with
special wiring.

Punch block
This is a convenient (and standard) appliance used to
connect twisted pair telephone wiring to the recorder.
Using a "punch down tool" (not provided), the
telephone wires are forced into a slit cut in the
contacts in the block, which makes a firm electrical
and physical connection. The blocks are usually
mounted in the orientation shown.
Each block has 50 rows and four columns. The
contacts in each column are paired: Each outside
contact is connected to the one next to it. There is no
contact between the pairs.
By declaring the left side of the punch block (opposite
the connector) as the connection point for the
telephone (or other audio) lines, you have a common
location to connect your physical wiring.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Bridging Clips
The right side (nearest the connector) has each
column connected to an associated connector pin-pair
so that the top row is connected to pin 1, the next row
to pin 26, the third to pin 2, etc. Thus, adjacent
vertical rows form one signal pair.
When you connect the first telephone line, you just
start at the top and connect the wire pair to the first
two rows on the left. The next wire pair would go to
the next two rows down, on the left.
Finally, to connect the telephone line to its associated
recorder input, slip two bridging clips over the two
center contacts in each row.

The purpose of the punch block system is to centralize your connections, as well
as to provide a clean way to isolate the telephone or radio system from the
recorder, should it become necessary. The components can be isolated by
removing clips, rather than removing wires.

CONNECTING DIGITAL TELEPHONE LINES
Refer to the Appendices.

CONNECTING TO AN ETHERNET NETWORK
Connect to an Ethernet network by attaching a network cable between the RJ45
jack on the back of the recorder and your hub or router. The cable should be
CAT5 or equivalent with a male RJ45 plug for the recorder end. Do not use a
crossover cable. On the VR778, use the RJ45 jack on top. See the section entitled
"Network Settings" for information on administering the network settings for the
recorder.

CONNECTING A KEYBOARD
If you are using the remote administration client, Eventide's Recorder Config
product, then a keyboard is not required to operate the recorder. One can be used
Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

to perform system administration tasks from the front panel and for diagnostic
work. Connect a PS2 keyboard to the PS2 connector on the back panel (purple on
the VR615 & VR725). Connect a USB keyboard to any USB connector. No
keyboard is necessary with the touch screen display, but one may be used if
desired. Connecting a USB keyboard to an operating recorder does not require
rebooting the system, but connecting a PS2 keyboard sometimes does.

CONNECTING HEADPHONES
Connect headphones to the 1/8" jack labeled "Headphone" on the front panel.
Suitable headphones are available from Eventide (part# 324200). Most
headphones with an appropriate plug can be used and adjusted to a comfortable
level with the front panel volume control.

CONNECTING LINE-LEVEL EQUIPMENT
A line-level audio output is available at the 1/8" jack labeled "Line Out" on the
front panel, if you wish to connect an external recorder such as a Philips Cassette
recorder to the recorder for excerpting calls to cassette. A high-quality rack-mount
recorder can be obtained from Eventide on special order under part number
324375. In addition, most standard cassette units with record capability can
derive an appropriate signal level from this jack.

CONNECTING A LABEL PRINTER
An optional Label Printer can be connected to the rear COM1 RS-232 connector to
make labels for archive media as they are recorded. (The COM2 connector, if
present, is reserved for an external time source.) The Seiko SLP-100 label printer
can be ordered from Eventide as part number 324254, and a two-roll pack of
labels (Seiko SLP-2RL) as 324171

Overview of the Front Panel User Interface
There are three main screens: SETUP, INFO, and RECALL. Depending on the
recorder model, you select the desired mode with a dedicated button, or with the

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

touch screen or mouse. Depending on how user permissions are set up, you may
not have access to all of these screens.
At the bottom of the display are four soft key labels, whose functions are selected
either by pressing a dedicated button or by the mouse or touch screen. Their
labels and functions will change with context.
The encoder wheel can be turned or pressed. Usually, turning it will let you scroll
through a list of items. Pressing it will let you select an item. On the VR725 and
blank panel models with external monitor, a scrollbar and mouse or touch screen
click perform the same function.
A numeric keypad (hardware or displayed) allows you to enter numbers, IP
addresses, and numeric data.
The volume control adjusts the speaker and headphone volume.

SETUP SCREEN
The SETUP screen allows you to view and set various recorder parameters, such
as IP address, time and date, network parameters, and user accounts.

See Table 3–SETUP Screen for brief description of the settings on this screen.
Note: If you are in the process of setting up a recorder, the very first thing you should do is set the Time
Zone of the recorder, found in the Clock subsection.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

In keeping with the hierarchical menu structure used for Setup and the large
number of functions, we use a heading for each function showing the full
hierarchy, MODE: TOP LEVEL: SUB FUNCTION. E.g., the section describing how
to set the time zone is headed: Setup: Clock: Time Zone

INFO SCREEN
The INFO screen allows you to view and set parameters for your archiving tasks,
check individual channel status, and enable live monitoring.

The top half shows the current status of your archiving drive or drives. The "Drive
Status" will say either "Sequential mode" or "Parallel mode," depending on how it
was set inside the SETUP screen. Each archive drive will have an individual
status indicator that looks like a wide, horizontal rectangle. To the left of the
rectangle is the type of archive drive (DVD-RAM or DDS-4). To the right of the
rectangle is the number of calls on the disk. Inside the rectangle are status
messages and a progress bar.
Table 2–INFO Screen Messages
DISPLAY
No Disk
Loading
Unloading

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

DESCRIPTION
The drive is empty.
A medium has been loaded and the recorder is scanning it to
learn its status.
A medium is being ejected.

DISPLAY
Idle, Unformatted
Media
Idle, Blank Media
Idle, Used Eventide
Media
Idle, Full Eventide
Media
Eventide
Configuration
Media
Eventide Call Metadata

DESCRIPTION
An unformatted medium is inserted.
A formatted, blank medium is inserted.
A medium with one or more recorded calls is inserted.

A full medium is inserted.

A medium containing recorder configuration information is
inserted.
A medium containing call metadata is inserted.
The medium is preparing for browsing. "Browsing" means the

Preparing for Playback

viewing, searching, and playing back of calls. While
preparing, the recorder is loading the calls from the archive
into an internal database.

The medium is ready for browsing.

remaining capacity of the archive medium.

As each call is archived, the start time and date of the call are
displayed.

The bottom half of the INFO screen displays information about live incoming calls.
Each small block represents a channel. Each channel displays its number and a
color:
•

Green – The channel is ready for recording.

Red – Audio is being recorded.

Blue – Audio is being monitored.

Gray - The channel is not ready for recording. The audio interface board
may be missing or has not been recognized by the recorder.

Yellow – The channel has been disabled by the “Record on Demand”
feature

Lastly, a Monitor soft key brings up a list of channels that can be selected for live
monitoring.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

RECALL SCREEN
The RECALL screen is where you view, search, and play back calls. Calls are
displayed as rows, one row per call. You can specify which columns to display.
The default view is Channel Number, Start Time, and Duration. Searches are
accomplished by applying filters to the main call list. Calls can be filtered on date
and time, channel number, and dialed DTMF digits, among other parameters.

Playing Audio Records
To play back a record,
•

From the main RECALL screen, highlight any record, and press the
recorder control knob. The audio record will play, and a timeline will
display at the top of the screen showing the record’s playback status and
general attributes.

Press Next to play the next audio record, in descending sequence. Press
Previous to play the previous record. Press Pause to pause playback for
the current record.

Press Varispeed to play the selected record at faster or slower playback
speeds. Moving the control clockwise to the left speeds playback for the
record; moving it counterclockwise slows it down.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Using Filters
Pressing the RECALL soft key automatically retrieves all audio records resident on
the recorder (below). Use a combination of all available filters to refine your search
to find exactly the set of records you’re looking for.

Click the Filters soft key on the bottom left of the recorder console; the filters
popup screen now displays:
Note: The recorder screen synchronizes all soft keys with its active function; whichever buttons display
onscreen are the current functions for that soft key.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Descriptions follow for using each type of filter.
Note: Be sure to adjust your column displays to show the criteria by which you’re filtering. See the
Displaying Columns on page 44 to do this.

By Channel
The By Channel filter allows you to select audio records by individual channels.
•

After clicking Filters from the main RECALL screen, highlight By Channel
in the Filters window. Now press the Add/Edit soft key at the bottom left
of the RECALL screen.

The screen refreshes to display new options:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

To select individual channels, highlight the channel and press the Toggle
soft key. (A check mark with display in that channel’s checkbox to its left
to designate that it has been selected.)

To deselect a channel, highlight one that has been selected, and press the
Toggle soft key. The check mark will be subsequently removed from its
checkbox.

To select all channels, press Select All. (When all channels are selected,
this soft key switches to Unselect All.)

When all channels you want to include in the search are selected, press
OK. The search will now be performed and display all records meeting
your channel criteria.

By Call Length
The By Call Length filter allows you to select audio records by their duration.
•

Press the Filters soft key from the RECALL screen’s main display; when
the Filter window displays, highlight By Call Length.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The cursor displays in the top text box. Enter in here the beginning (most
brief) duration period in the time span. Enter all values in seconds.

Next, press the Switch soft key, and the cursor moves to the second text
box. Enter here the maximum length of duration for the time span you’re
defining. (Switch toggles between the entry fields, so use it to return to the
first field to change the beginning value, if need be.)

When finished, press OK to retrieve all records that meet this time frame
criterion. To cancel the action, press Cancel.

By Date/Time Range
The Date/Time Range filter allows you to select audio records by specific time
frame.
•

Press the Filters soft key from the RECALL screen’s main display; when
the Filter window displays, highlight Date/Time Range. The Date/Time
Range window now displays:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The cursor displays initially in the Calls after date range entry field.
Depending on your interface*, use the forward or back soft keys or the up
and down arrow keys to move the date ahead or back.

*Note: The mechanics of the Date/Time Range filter vary depending on your display system. For users of
the VR725, which employs a touch screen and mouse support, the dates and times can be changed by
using the up and down arrow keys next to each field. Move to another entry field by clicking on it or
touching it. For all other Atlas models, soft keys are provided for back and forward navigation, and a
Switch soft key is provided for toggling between entry fields.

Move to the Calls before and enter these date and time parameters. When
finished, click OK, and the search will return all audio records between
the dates and times you selected.

By DTMF Digits
Use the DTMF (Dual Tone Multi Frequency) Digits to filter all calls by this audio
record value.
•

Press the Filters soft key; when the Filter window displays, highlight
DTMF Digits. The DTMF Digits selection window now displays:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Enter a series of DTMF numbers in the entry box provided, using the
keypad (for touch-screen users), a keyboard, or the recorder number keys.
Enter a period (“.”) to select a wildcard search. Use the backspace soft key
to move the cursor to another point in the number sequence.

Press OK, and the search will retrieve all records that match these DTMF
criteria.

By CLID Digits
Use the CLID (Caller ID) Digits to filter all calls by this record attribute.
Press the Filters soft key; when the Filter window displays, highlight CLID Digits.
The CLID Digits selection window now displays:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The procedure for filtering CLID digits is identical as that for DTMF digits
described above.

When finished, click OK to perform the search by the selected CLID digits.

Displaying Columns
The main screen’s soft key Columns is used to configure which column
information displays on your screen.
•

Click Columns, and the Column Selection window displays:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Select a column type to display by highlighting it and clicking Toggle. To
deselect a column, do the same thing, except with a column heading
already selected.

When finished, click OK, and the records in the database will display with
these selected columns and their associated information.

Creating Playlists from the RECALL Screen
Playlist is a term used to describe grouping calls that share similar characteristics
or attributes. Grouping them allows you to quickly retrieve them as a custom
group. You can easily group several or hundreds of calls from the RECALL screen
by following these procedures
•

When you access the RECALL screen, all calls resident on your recorder
display. (Calls that are in progress display with a red circle to the left of
the channel number). To begin creating a playlist, press the More soft key.
The soft key options listed at the bottom of the screen change to Mark
Protected?, Make List, Show Lists, and More. Select the Make List soft key
(below):

The screen now refreshes in an aqua green background, indicating that
you can make selections for a new playlist.

Note: The Mark Protected? Option is used to give an audio record a status wherein it cannot be deleted
from the recorder’ s hard drive. You may see if a selection has this status by selecting the Mark
Protected option in the Columns selection process (see Displaying Columns).

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Highlight a selection, and click Add. The entry will now display in red
lettering.

When a selected entry is highlighted, the Add soft key changes to
Remove, which permits you to deselect it quickly from the playlist.;

After you select all the entries you wish to include on the new playlist,
press More to proceed.

The soft keys refresh to reflect your progress in this process; from the ones
displayed, click the List Done soft key.

The screen refreshes with a listing of each audio record selected.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Now the soft keys function as toggle buttons to define attributes to the
custom playlist you’re creating. From left to right, the soft keys are
o

Play Silence/Skip Silence. Use this soft key to determine if this
playlist will play or skip silent passages between audio records.

Sequential/Multitrack. This toggle determines whether records
are played in sequence by time recorded, or if records in the
playlist are played progressively by time. Calls that occur
simultaneously or with any time overlap play back concurrently.

VariSpeed/Scrub. This option allows you to play back a selected
record from the playlist at different speeds. Rotate the control knob
to the left to slow down playback; rotate it to the right to speed it
up. Note that playback speed is not an attribute that is saved with
the playlist.

When all attributes for the playlist are defined, press the More soft key to
proceed.
•

A new set of Soft key values now display. Click Save to save this custom
playlist.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

From this screen, use the Backspace soft key to delete the default playlist
title (“Unnamed Playlist”) and enter your own. Use the forward and
backward arrow soft keys to position the cursor to insert a character.

When finished, click Done; your playlist is now displayed with all others
when you click the Show Lists soft key from the opening RECALL screen.

Press the respective soft key to play the playlist, rename a selected
playlist, or delete a selected playlist altogether.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

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3
This section discusses setup and administration of the recorder from the front
panel. On entering Setup mode, the following screen appears. This screen is a
hierarchical menu of available functions. Double clicking on any topic (except
System Shutdown) reveals a submenu. A top level item can also be expanded to
its submenu by clicking the small box to the left of the item. A second click of the
box or double click of the heading collapses the menu.
Any number of top level items can be expanded at once. If the listed items exceed
the available screen area, a scroll bar appears to the right of the screen to allow
access to them.
The Setup menu is
hierarchical. This means
that instead of one long list
of functions, they are
collected in groups, and
each group can be
"expanded" by clicking on
its name or on the small
box to its left. Likewise, the
group can be "collapsed" by
clicking on the box or on
the name of an expanded
group.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

In this example, System
Info has been expanded
into its submenu, which
shows Configuration info,
RAID status, and other
items.

Organization
This Setup section is organized in a manner identical to the Setup menu itself.
Each expandable menu group has an associated subsection, and each subsection
explains the individual menu items in the group. The individual menu items have
headings that allows them to be identified with their location, e.g., the heading
"Setup: System info: Serial number" identifies the serial number explanation as
belonging to the Setup mode, and being in the System info group.

Contents
Table 3 describes the Setup Menu.
Note: If you are in the process of setting up a recorder, the very first thing you should do is set the Time
Zone of the recorder, found in the Clock subsection.

Table 3–SETUP Screen

Abbreviated Description

Provides information on hardware and software configuration of your
recorder, and status of the RAID disk system.

Allows configuration of the archive drives and selects archiving
methods and backup.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Network Archive

Configures unit to allow archiving on an external network.

Configures the hardware recording boards and channels, and selects
how many and how long calls are retained.

Determines user privileges and whether logins are required.

Configures the parameters necessary for the recorder to send email
to selected users for exceptional conditions.

Network Settings

Configures the recorder to work with your network.

Allows recorder time to be set, and synchronization source to be
selected.

Provides methods for saving recorder configuration and "metadata"
info and migration aids.

System Shutdown Provides a controlled, or safe and orderly, shutdown of the recorder.

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System Info provides data about your recorder. This information is especially
valuable if you encounter problems or unexpected operation. If you ever require
technical assistance with your recorder, this is the first place we (and you) should
look for the information needed to help.

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO/CONFIGURATION INFO

This Version Info screen displays the following settings.
Recorder Name: model and serial numbers concatenated. This name also will be
displayed by the optional Eventide remote client software.
IP Address: a 4 octet address for network connections.
MAC Address: the fixed hardware-level address of the recorder.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Release: the software version number.
Time Zone: the recorder’s internal time zone settings displayed as the selected
locale in the main screen. Note that the upper right corner of the display shows
time zone as a three-letter code.
Number of input interface boards.
Total channels of recording capability in the system.
Memory: MemTotal: the total RAM, in kilobytes. (See below: the right-hand scroll
bar accesses this information.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

New for
Release
1.5

Recorder License Key Information

License Key: The recorder license key displays here, along with a list of licensed
features and the number or capacity of licensed components. Licensed features
for this key include analog and digital channels, MediaWorks and MediaAgent
connections, archive drives, and hard disks.
If you exceed licensed features by adding unlicensed components to the recorder,
such as hard drives or boards, the license key will become invalid. You can obtain
a license for these components or remove the components to restore full recorder
operation.
If the recorder does not have a valid license key, it will display alert message #52
or #53, depending upon how long it has operated without a license key. Alert #52
displays if you are within the 7-day grace period, and alert #53 displays if the
grace period has expired.
If the grace period expires, the recorder will continue to record and store
normally, but the following functions will be disabled:
•

Archive: including centralized archive, centralized archiving failsafe, network
attached storage, and DVD, USB, and FireWire (IEEE 1394) drives.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

MediaWorks connection

MediaAgent connection

Add-On Key: This displays any add-on software license keys, which are used to
enable optional features on the recorder. The configuration information shows the
feature names and number or capacity of components licensed for it. Optional
features include MediaCoach connections, GPIO board support, metadata feeds,
centralized archiving, centralized archive failsafe, MDC-1200 decoding, and
support for more than one network archive (NAS device). The configuration
information does not include licensing for custom scripts that contain an
embedded software license key. The licensing for Custom Script Source Files is
embedded at the top of the file and can be viewed under Configuration Files.

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO: RAID STATUS

The RAID Status screen has three sections:
RAID Status enumerates the active and idle drives present in the system, and the
overall health of the storage system.
RAID History shows the number of errors and warnings, if any, which have
occurred since the system was installed.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

RAID Usage (below) shows how full the disks are. In this example, only a tiny
portion of the drives are full. (Calls are stored on the largest “partition” in the
array.) In a lightly-used recorder, it may take months or years to fill the disks. A
recorder with many channels and a high recording duty cycle will show “almost
full” fairly soon after installation, and will remain thus indefinitely, since newer
calls will replace older ones.

Pressing either the Remove or History soft key brings up a screen (above) that
allows you to select a drive. When you do so and select OK, either the history of
the drive will be displayed, or you will have an opportunity to delete the selected
drive. Doing so will degrade the RAID array, and a warning message is displayed.
Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The screen below displays the result of removing and then adding a RAID drive.
Note that the Status now shows "syncing RAID array md0" since the removed disk
must be resynchronized.

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO: SERIAL NUMBER

This is a display-only function and it displays the recorder serial number. (The
grayed-out soft keys are functional only when the unit has no Serial Number,
which only occurs with a new unit.)

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO: LICENSE KEY
Select the License Key option to view your registration information for your
recorder:

Highlight the License key option from the System Info directory, and press
Select. The screen refreshes with your assigned licensed key listed:

Note: In the illustration above the license key was removed for security reasons.

For all recorders shipping with version 1.4.0 and above installed, a sticker with
your license key will be affixed on the equipment. Users with existing recorders
upgrading to version 1.4 must contact Eventide to get this information.
A recorder without a valid license key will provide you full functionality for the
first seven days, after which it will be diminished until a valid key is entered.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Your license key information also displays on the Config Info screen.

New for
Release
1.5

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO: ADD ON LICENSE KEY
This specifies any add-on software license keys, which are used to enable optional
features on the recorder, such as MediaCoach connections, GPIO board support,
metadata feeds, centralized archiving, centralized archive failsafe, MDC-1200
decoding, and support for more than one network archive (NAS device).

Select it, and enter the value provided to you by Eventide to enable these features.
From the entry screen, you can add, edit, or remove an existing license key.
If the features that require an add-on license key are not installed on your unit,
the License Add-On Keys entry is disabled.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO: VIEW ALARM LOG

The Alarm Log History screen displays important and potentially critical events in
the operational history of the recorder. This is valuable both for diagnostic
purposes and to determine if settings have been changed. These messages can
also be selectively emailed to users.
This log can become voluminous, and the Top and Bottom soft keys along with
the scrollbar speed navigation through the entries.

SETUP: SYSTEM INFO: ENABLE/DISABLE VERBOSE LOGGING

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

This function, when enabled, places additional information in the system logs.
The Enable key toggles the function, and switches the soft key between "Enable"
and "Disable." OK accepts the final decision.

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This section discusses only a portion of the very important subject of archiving. In
particular, it covers the mechanics of setting up the recorder to archive in the
manner and according to the philosophy decided for your site. Additional details
are found in the discussions of actually selecting, using, and recycling archive
media.

SETUP: ARCHIVE : ARCHIVING TYPE
This function selects sequential or parallel archiving on recorders with two or
more archive drives. Parallel archiving produces multiple disks with the same call
data. Sequential archiving begins the subsequent disk(s) where the previous one
finished.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: ARCHIVE: ARCHIVE PROTECTION PERIOD

Entering a number and checking the "Enable protection?" box activates a feature
that allows you to attach a set number of days to a disk during which the disk
cannot be formatted in the recorder. It is intended to guard against unintentional
formatting. When a protected disk is inserted into the recorder, the date of the
latest call on the disk is compared with the current date, as displayed on the
recorder. If the difference between the two dates is less than the number of days
that was set as the protection period, then the recorder will not permit the disk to
be formatted.
Important: The Archive Protection feature must be enabled before a recording on that medium begins.
You cannot add the feature to a disk that already contains recorded calls. Also note that this is a
recorder function only. If you put the medium in a PC drive there is no protection. We recommend using
the "Write Protect" tab on DVD-RAM media for protection of critical archive media.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: ARCHIVE: AUTO-EJECT

Checking "Auto-eject media?" causes archive media to be automatically ejected
when the medium is recorded. This is especially valuable if you are using DVDRAMs with the optional label printer, since you can simply grab the label and
stick it on the cassette. If you are not using the label printer, it may be more
convenient to refrain from ejecting the media, since that way you can use the
Media Info function of the archiving system to give you the start and stop time of
the archive, which may then be manually written on the disk.

SETUP: ARCHIVE: ENABLE/DISABLE LABEL PRINTING

Checking the "Print to label printer?" box causes a label to be printed each time
an archive medium is completed. If enabled, the optional label printer must be

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

connected and powered up, or error messages will appear warning you that the
operation has failed.

SETUP: ARCHIVE: RESUME ARCHIVING ON STARTUP

If "Resume archiving?" is enabled, then a recorder that is turned off while an
archive medium is being recorded will automatically continue recording that
archive from where it left off when the recorder is restarted. If it isn't enabled,
then any archive media in the recorder when power is applied will appear as they
would if they were simply inserted in the drive.

SETUP: ARCHIVE: SET CURRENT ARCHIVE TIME

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

When you start archiving, the first call to be archived is determined by an internal
“archive pointer”. This pointer tracks where you left off archiving with the
previous disk, so that the next disk will begin where the previous one left off. Also,
if you are in the middle of a disk and you stop archiving, for whatever reason,
such as the need to browse calls on the disk, you can resume archiving at the
point where you left off. The goal is to ensure that only consecutive calls are
recorded on each disk, making labeling and searching easier. This pointer is
maintained automatically.
However, there are times when you may want to manually set the current pointer
location. For example, you may have misplaced an archive disk and you want to
re-archive calls. Of course, to do so the calls must still be present on the RAID.
To manually set the current archive time, use the arrow soft keys and the scroll
wheel to adjust the setting. On a touch screen display, select the field and entry
by clicking on the field or the up/down arrows. Press OK when you are content
with your selection. The next time you start archiving, the calls on your RAID
closest to the new archive time setting will be archived first.
When you have completed recording a medium whose starting time you have
selected with the Set Archive Time feature, the time pointer is set to the time of
the end of the medium just recorded. It is NOT set to the end of other data that
may have been archived. Sometimes this is desired behavior, such as when you
want to record more data than will fit on a single medium from the starting time
you set. Sometimes it may not be, such as when you want to continue archiving
from the end of the last medium you recorded in the normal sequence. If the
second is your requirement, you can note the desired time and reset the archive
pointer to this time. If you failed to make a note, you can take the most recent
archive medium, read the “Media info” for that disk, and set the pointer to that
time.
Important: As noted in the display, the Archive time is set in LOCAL time. If you are setting the archive
time to start at the end of a previously recorded archive medium, you will probably use the “Media
Info” feature to check on the end time of that medium. The recorder displays “Media Info” in UTC since
the archives are portable and must be compatible over time zones and different playback hardware.
To dovetail the recorded and new archive times, you must convert your local time to UTC for this setting.
For example, if “Media Info” shows an archive completed at 14:02:00 UTC and you are in the EST time
zone, you would want to set Archive time to 09:02:00.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: ARCHIVE: ARCHIVE FAILSAFE SERVER

Failure of an archive medium or drive isn’t normally a grave concern since the
data remains on the hard drive and can be copied to another medium or on
another drive. However, some installations employ redundant recorders to assure
that failure of one unit will not cause any loss of recorded data. In such
installations, it is normally not desired to make two sets of archives, but the
availability of a duplicate recorder makes another option convenient: If the
primary recorder stops archiving for any reason, the redundant recorder can take
over this function. To implement this, you must:
Confirm both recorders are connected to the same signal sources and have
identical settings.
Designate one of the recorders as the secondary server: Select “Archive failsafe
server” and enter the address of the PRIMARY server in the normal fashion. This
is accomplished in the screen above by entering and accepting (with the OK soft
key) the IP address of the server.
Enable the secondary server to periodically check the primary: using the screen
“Enable/disable archive failsafe,” toggle the Enable box so that is checked, and
press the OK soft key. (See screen immediately below.)
Determine the behavior of the failover mechanism: Select desired “Archive failsafe
behavior” and toggle Archive failsafe error on “out of media.” Checking this box in
effect allows the secondary recorder to act as an extension of the primary recorder
for archiving. Not checking it causes the secondary to take over only in the case of
an archiving failure in the primary. (See the second screen, below.)

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: ARCHIVE: ENABLE/DISABLE ARCHIVE FAILSAFE

See Setup: Archive: Archive failsafe server, above.

SETUP:ARCHIVE:ARCHIVE FAILSAFE BEHAVIOR

See Setup:Archive:Archive failsafe server above.

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The recorder is able to archive not only to its own internal drives and removable
media, it can also use network attached storage (NAS) on a typical Microsoft
Windows network for archiving.

Note: It is required that Hostname and Share Name be configured in order for network archiving to be
enabled.

Setup:Network Archive:Enable/Disable Network Archive
Check to enable or uncheck to disable the Network Archive feature.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:NETWORK ARCHIVE:HOSTNAME

Hostname - the NETBIOS or DNS name of the server where the archives will be
stored. This server must be a Microsoft Windows server or other system that
emulates Microsoft Windows file sharing.

SETUP:NETWORK ARCHIVE:SHARE NAME

Share Name - the name of the share on the server where the archives will be
stored. Microsoft Windows syntax for specifying a network location is
\\Hostname\Sharename

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

For example, if your network administrator has specified that your Atlas Archives
can be stored at
\\BigServer\AtlasArchives
the NAS Hostname should be configured as BigServer, and the Share Name
should be configured as AtlasArchives.

SETUP:NETWORK ARCHIVE:WORKGROUP

Workgroup - The Workgroup or Domain of the server where archives will be
stored.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:NETWORK ARCHIVE:USERNAME

Username - a valid username that has been granted read/write access to the
hostname and share name where the archives will be stored.

SETUP:NETWORK ARCHIVE:PASSWORD

Password - the Password associated with the Username on the Microsoft Windows
server.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:NETWORK ARCHIVE:SET CURRENT NETWORK ARCHIVE TIME

Set Current Network Archive Time works identically to Setup:Archive:.Set
current archive time. There is no requirement that the local media and the
network archive times be the same. They can be set and reset independently.

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This section discusses how to view and adjust settings on the Eventide Analog
Input Board and the individual channels. The Analog Input Board provides an
interface to analog signals, and is optimized for voice recording of telephone lines.
Eventide offers interfaces to other types of signals, such as digital PBX stations
and high-quality broadcast radio. Contact Eventide for more information, and
check the Appendices to the manual.

Board configuration is used primarily to select the recording algorithm that
digitally encodes the audio inputs. Channel configuration adapts each input to
the characteristics of its signal.
Once you have set the recorder's internal clock, configured the input board or
boards, and configured the channels, the recorder begins recording. There is no
record Start/Stop control; recording begins when the input lines are connected
and the appropriate signal triggers recording. Therefore, the recorder’s internal
clock settings and any board or channel configuration changes should be set prior
to connecting incoming signals to the audio input boards.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: RECORDING: BOARD CONFIGURATION

Board-level settings apply to all channels on the board.

The Board Configuration Screen
To get to the board configuration screen:
SETUP → Board Configuration
The figure to the right shows a system with a single Analog Input Board.
Navigating with the scroll wheel
To scroll vertically turn the scroll wheel (if there is only one board, this will not
apply); to scroll horizontally, press the scroll wheel to select a board and turn the
scroll wheel; after scrolling horizontally, press the "Select Row" soft key to go back
to scrolling vertically.
Navigating with the touch screen or mouse
To select a board, click the board number. To select a cell, click on the cell. Use
the horizontal scrollbar to bring the cell onto the screen if necessary.
The available settings to view or adjust are
•

Type — The field is not editable; it displays the type of board installed.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Tapping Type — The field is not editable; it displays the type of signal
that can be tapped with the board.

Encoding — The field is editable and sets the encoding algorithm for all of
the channels on the board. See the next section for more information. To
set the encoding algorithm:
o

Select the board you want to adjust.

Select the "Encoding" entry you want to adjust by turning the scroll
wheel.

Press the scroll wheel or click on the up/down arrows to change
the setting.

To move horizontally to view other cells in the row, turn the scroll
wheel.

To move vertically to select another row, press Select Row.

To exit the screen, press OK.

Driver ID — A unique identifier for the board for internal use. Not
editable.

Num Channels — The number of recording channels available on the
board. Not editable.

Recorder Ch Start — The first channel number that is assigned to the
board. Editable. By default the board installed in the lowest numbered slot
will be assigned channels starting at Channel 1. The next board will be
assigned channels consecutively starting from where the previous board
left off. For example, the first 16-channel board will be assigned Channels
1-16; the second board will be assigned Channels 17-32. If you want to
reverse the order, you can set the second board to start at 1, and the first
board to start at 17.
Changing the default assigned channels can bring up some issues. Avoid
changing the Recorder Ch Start setting if the new setting will point to the
first channel of a different type of board. If you do that, then you also
might have to change the parameters of each channel. During the factory
install, the individual channel settings are set to reasonable values for the
board. Those settings may not work for a different type of board.
To set the first channel assigned to the board:
o

Select to the board you want to edit.

Select the "Recorder Ch Start" entry you want to edit and click on it
or press the scroll wheel.

Key in the desired channel number and press "Enter."

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

System Ch Start — The first channel number that is assigned to
the board as part of a system of two or more recorders. Editable.
This number defaults to the same number as Recorder Ch Start.
This setting is for future use when multiple recorders can be
integrated to appear as a single recorder to administration clients
and remote call browsing software.

CHOOSING AN ENCODING ALGORITHM
The following encoding algorithms are available:
•

13 kbit/s GSM (factory default)

64 kbit/s Mu Law

The data rate indicates the amount of storage used per second of recording. The
default will give you the most channel-hours. Encoding algorithms always
represent a compromise between storage space and perceived quality. All the
algorithms listed are general-purpose, and are not restricted to voice. You might
want to select either the 32 or 64kbit/s algorithm if your recordings are going to
be used by other decoding equipment, such as with fax recording. Fax in
particular is very sensitive to the compromises made in reduced-bit-rate encoding.
The human ear is much less so.
The encoding algorithm is set on a per-board basis. All channels on a given board
must use the same algorithm. For this reason, you should plan to group all fax or
other special lines on the inputs of as few boards as possible. That way, only
those boards will need to record at a high bit rate, and storage space will be
conserved.
You can experiment with these algorithms to get the best balance between sound
quality and storage space. Be aware that if you change the setting while
recording, a few seconds of audio glitches will occur on the audio currently being
recorded.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:RECORDING:CHANNEL CONFIGURATION
This section discusses how to view and edit settings for individual recording
channels on the Analog Input Board. Eventide offers other interface boards.
Contact Eventide for more information, and check the Appendices to the manual.
If the recorder is networked and you have the Recorder Config administration
client, we recommend you use it to change channel names. In fact, we
recommend it for all configuration tasks. You will find it to be quicker and more
convenient. In any case, if you are not networked and you are going to change
channel names, connect a PS2 or USB keyboard to the recorder. This will allow
entry of alphabetic characters. Other settings can be set with the numeric keypad
on the front panel. You can also use the touch screen or monitor and mouse on
units so equipped.

The Channel Configuration Screen
The figure below shows a 16-channel Analog Input Board with the factory default
settings.
To navigate inside this screen and view or adjust settings, follow these steps:
1) Scroll vertically and select the desired row.
2) Turn the scroll wheel or use the scroll bar to move horizontally; highlight the
desired cell to be edited.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

3) Press the scroll wheel or click on the cell to select the desired cell.
4) If the cell has a "spinwheel" symbol, then adjust the value by turning the scroll
wheel and press the scroll wheel when done. Turn the wheel to continue moving
horizontally. With a touch screen, click on the arrows to raise or lower the setting,
and click Enter or select another cell for the value to take.
5) If the cell is a check box, press the scroll wheel or click on the box to check or
uncheck it. Turn the wheel or click on another cell to continue moving
horizontally.
6) If the cell is a numerical value with no spin wheel, then enter the desired value
using the numeric keypad and press "Enter" twice.
7) When done editing a row, press "Select Row" to scroll to a different row, or
press "OK" to exit the screen.

Important: Before you change channel names...
When you change the channel name and you browse calls on the server, all calls on the channel will
display the new channel name, including calls that existed before the change. Calls browsed from an
archive behave in the opposite way. The channel name in existence when the archive was first created
will be displayed for all calls on the archive, even calls that were recorded to the server with a newer
channel name. Therefore, if you wish to associate the old channel name with the calls that were
recorded when the old channel name was in use, and only with those calls, then archive the calls on a
blank disk before you change the channel name and do not append more calls to this disk later on,
after the change. When you browse the archive you will see the old channel names associated with the
appropriate calls.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Num: Not editable. The channels are numbered consecutively, starting from the
first physical channel of the input board in the lowest numbered slot. So Row
Number 1 of the screen is always associated with that physical input channel.
Name: Editable with an attached or on-screen keyboard.
The Channel Configuration screen is the only place where the channel name is
visible on the front panel. When you browse calls, you will only see the channel
number (1, 2...). The channel names are visible when you browse calls with the
Eventide Remote Call Browser client.
The channel name can be up to 32 characters. It can identify the signal source for
each input channel. Telephone number, radio station call letters, ATC frequency
and function, or any other free-form data may be entered here. While up to 32
characters of data may be entered and saved, display constraints suggest that you
choose the first few characters most carefully. For example, in the Live Monitor
client application, the "Detail View" display only shows the first few characters in
the limited space available, so "Radio Station WABC 770KHz" would be less
useful than "WABC 770 NYC Radio station." There is no requirement to modify
these identifiers. The factory default "Channel 01" ... "Channel nn" may be
serviceable.
Record: This is the Record enable checkbox. This setting is accessed by a client
software feature that permits you to remotely disabled recording temporarily on a
selected channel. This box must be checked in order to enable recording. When
recording is disabled on a channel, it displays yellow on the INFO screen.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

AGC: Activates or deactivates Automatic Gain Control. Automatic Gain Control
assures that recordings take advantage of the full dynamic range of the recording
process. If you record at too high a level, the signal will "clip" and sound very
distorted. If you record at too low a level, the signal will sound very soft and have
a poor signal-to-noise ratio. Enabling AGC gives extra margin when recording
telephone calls where the local party may be much louder than the distant one-it
will boost the gain by up to 24dB when the distant party is speaking. AGC should
be enabled in most cases. It can be disabled in installations where audio levels
are well-controlled (e.g., broadcast radio stations).
BEEP: Enables a “Beep tone” to signify to callers that the call is being recorded.
Activating the beep places a short, distinctive tone on the respective channel of
the input connector. This tone is approximately 65 milliseconds in duration at a
frequency of 1455Hz. It serves to indicate that the call is being recorded, and is
required by some state laws. Of course, the beep will only be audible to the callers
if the recorder is connected directly to the telephone line in question; if an
amplifier or other device is interposed it will serve no purpose. Beep tones are
only generated on Analog Input Boards, not on Digital PBX or T1/E1 interface
boards.
DETECT: This setting determines when an input channel is active and should be
recorded. There following options are available for this parameter:
•

VOX: Starts recording if the audio input signal is above the Vox threshold.

TRV: Starts recording if the DC input voltage is lower than the TRV (TipRing Voltage) threshold, indicating an "off-hook" condition.

New for
Release
1.5

GPIO: Uses an input signal from an optional General Purpose
Input/Output (GPIO) board to trigger recording start and stop. The pin
pair that carries the input signal is specified in GPIO Pin column.
Recording starts on a high signal and stops on a low signal. This allows a
variety of external devices to trigger recording.

Scheduled: Uses the Scheduled Recording facility to designate start and
stop recording settings.

Always: Forces the channel to record regardless of input signal or voltage
conditions. Useful if there are periods of silence that need to be
documented, such as dead air on a broadcast station or long periods of
dead silence in a courtroom.

Disable: Disables recording for the channel.

The factory default is VOX.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

VOX Thrsh: If Record Enable Mode is VOX, this sets the trigger level for
recording. Recorders with version 1.1.5 or above software will see a value between
-48dB and 0dB. Units running earlier software versions will see an integer
between 0 and 32767. The factory default is -16dB or 5000.

VOX Hold: If Detect is set to VOX, this sets the number of seconds the channel
will continue recording after the signal drops and remains below the threshold.
The factory default is 8 seconds.
Setting this for too long a value will record long periods of silence at the end of
transmissions; too short a value may break a single call into apparent multiple
calls.
TRV Thrsh: This sets the DC voltage at which a phone line is assumed to be in
the off-hook state and eligible for recording. On a normal, clean telephone line,
this does not have to be set too finely. On-hook voltages are typically 40-55 volts,
off-hook under 10 volts. The factory default of 28 volts will probably be suitable.
Noisy telephone lines, lines at a great distance from the central office, and lines
that are recorded at one location but answered at another can have unusual
voltage profiles and may require adjustment.
TRV Hold: If Detect is set to TRV, this sets the number of seconds the call will
continue to be recorded after the telephone goes on-hook. The factory default is 5
seconds. The on-hook state is then considered to define the end of the
conversation.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

With a line that has normal ringing voltage on it (±105V at 20-30 Hz), TRV will
also respond to the ringing voltage. This means that, with a default of less than
four seconds, each ring will appear to be a separate call. By setting TRV hold to
five seconds or more, with a normal ringing cadence only one call will be logged
from the beginning of the ring to completion of the conversation.
If you have set a channel to TRV, a special (non-programmable) feature will detect
and flag a disconnected line if the tip/ring voltage stays below 3 volts for 10
minutes. If this happens, it generates a severity 2 (warning) alert indicating signal
loss (Alert #9016), and recording is stopped on that channel as long as the voltage
remains below 3 volts. When the voltage equals or exceeds 3 volts, it generates the
corresponding “Resolved” alert for Alert #9016 to indicate the signal is restored,
and normal TRV detection and recording will resume.
Input Gain: Gain (or attenuation) in dB of the input channel - used to set
recording level.
VOX Min/Max/Cur: Real-time display of signal input level - useful for setting
channel gain. This is not an editable item. This cell is an excellent tool for
diagnosing recording problems, such as one call being broken up into multiple
calls.

TRV Min/Max/Cur: This non-editable item shows you the real-time minimum,
maximum, and current value of the DC voltage at the channel input. The current
value will indicate if the phone is on- or off-hook; the Min and Max will show the
highest (on-hook) and lowest (off-hook) voltages seen by the channel input. If the
current value fluctuates over a wide range when you are not using the telephone,

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

it probably means that the line is very noisy. This tool can help you set the TRV
Thrsh value or diagnose problems such as spurious calls.
Activity Timeout: Timeout value in seconds. When set, alert #3001 (“Channel
was active for more than X seconds”) is issued if a channel is continuously active
for longer than the timeout value. The factory default is 0, which disables the
function. The timeout will occur for both VOX and TRV Detect settings.
The alert consists of a red window that pops up on the front panel of the recorder,
with a message that the activity timeout alert has triggered. This setting does not
affect the actual recording of the call. It simply issues an alert.
Activity Timeout is useful for calling attention to open or defective telephone
circuits. When a channel is set for TRV detection, a LOW voltage activates it. If the
circuit is open due to a broken wire, the voltage will always be LOW, and the
recorder will issue an alert if this condition persists. If you are going to use this
feature, then you should set this value to one that is longer than any reasonably
expected call or message to avoid nuisance alerts.
Inactivity Timeout: Timeout value in seconds. When set, alert #3002 (“Channel
was inactive for more than X seconds”) is issued if there is no activity on the
channel for longer than the timeout value. The factory default is 0, which disables
the function.
The alert consists of a red window that pops up on the front panel of the recorder,
with a message that the inactivity timeout alert has triggered. This setting does
not affect the actual recording of the call. It simply issues an alert.
Inactivity Timeout is useful for alerting you to circuits that should have signals
but do not. If you are monitoring a radio channel and the radio is turned off, the
inactivity timeout will eventually call this to your attention. Likewise, an unused
(but active and paid-for) telephone line can be identified with this feature. Of
course, legitimate inactivity can span weekends and holiday periods. Setting
periods too short can result in nuisance alerts.
New for
Release
1.5

GPIO Pin: Specifies a value indicating the input pin pair on the GPIO board that
is used for triggering recording to start or stop. (This field is used with the detect
GPIO setting.)
For the NI PCI-6503 24-channel GPIO board, values are as follows:
0: specifies pin pairs 47+48 (PA0)

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

1: specifies pin pairs 45+46 (PA1)
2: specifies pin pairs 43+44 (PA2)
3: specifies pin pairs 41+42 (PA3)
4: specifies pin pairs 39+40 (PA4)
5: specifies pin pairs 37+38 (PA5)
6: specifies pin pairs 35+36 (PA6)
7: specifies pin pairs 33+34 (PA7)
8: specifies pin pairs 7+8 (PC4)
9: specifies pin pairs 5+6 (PC5)
10: specifies pin pairs 3+4 (PC6)
11: specifies pin pairs 1+2 (PC7)
For the NI PCI-6527 48-channel GPIO board, values are as follows:
0: specifies pin pairs 47+48 (DIG+/-0.0)
1: specifies pin pairs 45+46 (DIG+/-0.1)
2: specifies pin pairs 43+44 (DIG+/-0.2)
3: specifies pin pairs 41+42 (DIG+/-0.3)
4: specifies pin pairs 39+40 (DIG+/-0.4)
5: specifies pin pairs 37+38 (DIG+/-0.5)
6: specifies pin pairs 35+36 (DIG+/-0.6)
7: specifies pin pairs 33+34 (DIG+/-0.7)
8: specifies pin pairs 31+32 (DIG+/-1.0)
9: specifies pin pairs 29+30 (DIG+/-1.1)
10: specifies pin pairs 27+28 (DIG+/-1.2)
11: specifies pin pairs 25+26 (DIG+/-1.3)
12: specifies pin pairs 23+24 (DIG+/-1.4)
13: specifies pin pairs 21+22 (DIG+/-1.5)
14: specifies pin pairs 19+20 (DIG+/-1.6)
15: specifies pin pairs 17+18 (DIG+/-1.7)
16: specifies pin pairs 15+16 (DIG+/-2.0)
17: specifies pin pairs 13+14 (DIG+/-2.1)
18: specifies pin pairs 11+12 (DIG+/-2.2)
19: specifies pin pairs 9+10 (DIG+/-2.3)
20: specifies pin pairs 7+8 (DIG+/-2.4)
21: specifies pin pairs 5+6 (DIG+/-2.5)
22: specifies pin pairs 3+4 (DIG+/-2.6)
23: specifies pin pairs 1+2 (DIG+/-2.7)
PBX NT/TE [Sync, Pbx, Phone]: This column is only important for NGX boards;
it is a tool for installation and troubleshooting. The data will look like this: 1.1 /

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

0.66 [2,1,0]. The first two numbers are signal levels in volts. The first of the pair is
the level of the signal coming from the PBX, and the second is the signal level
coming from the phone set.
The three numbers inside the brackets are the total error counts for the channel
since the last reconfiguration or reboot:
1. Sync errors are more general errors on the channel as a whole.
2. PBX errors are errors in the signal from the PBX.
3. Phone errors are in the signal from the phone.
These errors can signify problems and can affect recording: if the errors are
increasing at a steady rate, it indicates that there is a problem. However, if the
error counts aren't all zero, it might not be an indication of a serious issue: for
example, someone may have unplugged and then plugged back in a phone.
Problems can be caused by:
1. Line issues (bad taps, line lengths, tap lengths etc).
2. Unsupported phone set or line card.
3. The wrong PBX is set in the board configuration.

Steps for Setting Levels, Thresholds, and Hold Times
It is undesirable for single conversations to be broken up into multiple calls.
There is a lag between each stop and start, so some of the conversation will be
lost. Setting levels and thresholds properly will help you avoid this condition. This
applies to channels set for VOX detect.
If you are seeing this condition, or if you simply want to check how well the
default parameters match your facility, try this procedure:
1) Disable AGC.
2) Set the Input Gain. It should be set with signals that best match what will be
seen during normal operation. Watch the VOX Min/Max/Cur values and adjust
the gain so that the current value ranges between -6dB and -1dB while a signal is
present.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

3) Enable AGC (if desired). Not recommended for broadcast recording,
recommended for communications or telephone channels.
4) Using the VOX Min/Max/Cur cell, note the VOX Cur value with no signal
present, but with the cabling still connected to account for line noise. Then note
the VOX Cur value with the lowest-level input signal that you are likely to see
during use.
5) Set the VOX Threshold using the values from the previous step. The threshold
should be higher than noise but lower than your lowest signal.
Another possible cause for conversations recorded on multiple separate calls is
Hold time. This would apply to both VOX Detect and TRV Detect. Conversations
with pauses longer than the Hold setting will generate a stop-recording signal.
When the conversation resumes, a start-recording signal will create a second call.
To determine if this is happening, listen to the last several seconds of a call. If you
hear a pause in the conversation longer than the Hold time, followed by a second
separate call of the same conversation, then the length of the pause caused the
stop-recording signal. If you wish, you can increase the Hold time. The downside
is that longer periods of silence will be recorded at the end of EVERY call on that
particular channel. For example, a 15-second Hold time on Channel 3 will cause a
15-second period of silence to be recorded on every call on Channel 3.

SETUP: RECORDING: DELETE CALLS AFTER N DAYS

You can set the database to begin deleting calls after a certain number of days. If
you set this feature to 60, calls over 60 days old will be deleted. The deletion does
Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

not occur immediately; calls start being deleted at the start of the next day (after
midnight). Enter the number of days maximum, or uncheck the "Enable deletes?"
box if you want to keep calls for as long as there remains space on the disk.

SETUP: RECORDING: MAX # OF CALLS IN DB

If the RAID becomes full, calls will be deleted starting with the oldest calls. In this
case the number of stored calls is self-limiting.
You can manually set a limit to the total number of calls that the internal
database will store. After the set number is reached, the oldest calls will begin
getting deleted. Deletion will not occur immediately; calls start being deleted at
the start of the next day (after midnight) as a safety measure. This feature is
enabled by default with a value of 200,000.
To Disable, i.e., to allow as many calls as possible to be stored, select the “Set to
Maximum Allowable” with the mouse or Max soft key.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: RECORDING: AUDIO SEGMENT LENGTH

When audio is received continuously, such as with a radio broadcast, it is
possible to have "calls" as long as the maximum, which is 12 hours. This can be
very inconvenient, and this facility allows you to set the maximum length of any
continuous recording. The minimum length is 1 minute and the maximum is 12
hours, with the entry in minutes. If you don't want to limit segment length,
uncheck the "Enable audio limit?" box.

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At a site where a recorder may have multiple operators and different people are
authorized to perform different functions, both Login and user-privilege security
options are provided.

It is important to remember, however, that complete security is difficult to
achieve, and if the recorder is physically accessible, then the security provided by
keys and passwords may well be illusory!
For best security, keep your recorder in a physically protected area!

SETUP:SECURITY:LOGINS REQUIRED

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Turning on the login feature presents users with a Login button on the front
panel. Users will have to log in to reach other screens. To enable the user login
feature check the box with Enable or the mouse and select OK.

SETUP: SECURITY: AUTO-LOGOUT TIMEOUT

The auto logout feature automatically logs out the current user after a preset
time. To enable auto logout, enter the number of seconds you would like to have
the panel accessible. The minimum is 60 seconds, but this gives you little time to
do anything. In fact, you may find it difficult to disable auto logout. We
recommend 600 seconds (10 minutes), and this is the factory default.
To disable auto logout, log in if necessary and uncheck the "Enable auto-logout?"
box.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP: SECURITY: USER ADMINISTRATION

For many installations, security is an important issue. Who should have access to
the front panel of the machine and what screens and functions should be
available to that user? This section will help you set up users and privileges.
These privileges will apply to the remote clients—that is, the clients will not
bypass the privileges that you set from the front panel.

About Security Groups
Users can be administered by name and password and assigned to one of a list of
built-in "groups." Privileges are associated with each group, and group members
gain those privileges. The privileges associated with each group are set up at the
factory and cannot be modified. There are no user-definable groups.
•

All available privileges, including the ability to create new users.

Browse and play back recorded calls (RECALL screen only).

Ability to archive calls (INFO screen only).

Ability to change system settings (SETUP screen only).

Ability to monitor live calls (INFO screen only).

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Managing Users
To add users, plug a keyboard into the USB connector on the front or back of the
recorder. If you don’t have a USB keyboard, you can plug a PS2 keyboard into its
round 6-pin connector on the rear panel, but it may be necessary to reboot the
recorder for it to be recognized. The keyboard is necessary for inputting
alphabetic characters. With a touch screen recorder, you can also use the
keyboard that appears on the screen, but a keyboard may be more convenient.
For a non-touch screen recorder, follow these steps.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

All available privileges, including the ability to create
new users.

Browse and play back recorded calls (RECALL screen
only).
Ability to archive calls (INFO screen only).
Ability to change system settings (SETUP screen only).
Ability to monitor live calls (INFO screen only).

Archiver
Maintenance
Monitor

1) Press SETUP, scroll to User Administration and select it.
2) Press "Add."
3) Type in a login name for the user and hit the ENT button on the front panel
twice. Use the scroll wheel or the keyboard arrow keys to scroll to the Password
cell, and press the encoder wheel to edit the cell.
4) Type in a password using the keyboard or the front panel numeric keypad. The
password consists of a string of from three to 10 digits. Of course, longer
passwords are more secure.
Important: It is easy to place spaces at the beginning or end of the password accidentally. Please
make sure there are no spaces in the password field.

After typing in the password, press "ENT" twice.
5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 to enter data for the FirstName, MiddleName, LastName,
and Suffix cells, if desired. These cells are descriptive and can be left blank.
6) (Scrollwheel models): For the Channels cell, pressing the scroll wheel to edit
the cell will bring you to a list of channels. Scroll to each channel and check the
box if you want the user's privileges to apply to that channel. Rather than using
the scroll wheel, you may find it easier to use the arrow keys and the F8 key of
the keyboard. F8 will place a check mark in the box. Press OK when done. (Touch
screen/keyboard models): Select the cell and type the channel range(s) as a
comma-separated list with a start and stop channel or a single channel. E.g., “13, 7, 9-10” type in the cell would allow access to channels 1,2,3,7,9, and 10. Press
Enter twice to complete each user entry.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

7) For the group cells (Admin, Research, etc...), choose the group that the user
will belong to and check the box using F8 or the encoder wheel.
8) For the Email Addr cell, type in the user's email address, if desired. This email
address will be used in conjunction with the Email Alert feature (discussed in the
Recorder Settings section). When certain alerts are generated by the recorder, the
user will receive an email message through this address.
Press the OK soft key to save the settings and add the user to the recorder
account.
For a touch screen recorder, or for one with a monitor and mouse, steps 3
through 8 require clicking the individual cells to get the information to “take.” The
horizontal scrollbar is used to bring cells onto the screen as necessary.

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Setting these parameters is very similar to the normal email setup procedure on a
PC, e.g., the accounts settings in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. You will
need the same information for these settings as you would for normal email, and
can obtain them from your network administrator (or possibly by looking at your
PC email settings).

All entries requiring IP addresses can use "fully qualified domain names" or
numerical addresses. FQDN (e.g., ) is recommended since IP
addresses frequently change. The recorder does not have to be rebooted for the
email settings to take effect.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:EMAIL:ENABLE/DISABLE EMAILS

Enable/Disable Email globally permits emails to be sent when enabled. Email still
requires further configuration in the Security section to determine to whom it will
be sent.

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP SERVER

SMTP Server. Be sure you are authorized to use the SMTP server in question.
Many are set to disallow “relaying” to prevent “spam.” This is likely to be a
problem if the recorder isn’t on the same network, and may be a problem even on
the same network if the recorder doesn’t have an “account.”

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP PORT

Port 25 is the default used by SMTP servers. If a different port is to be used, it
may be entered here.

SETUP:EMAIL:LOCAL HOSTNAME

This is the hostname of the recorder if one has been assigned by the network
administrator. Example: recorder.yourdomain.com.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP USERNAME

SMTP Username (may be required by the SMTP server-see your administrator).

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP PASSWORD

SMTP Password (may be required by the SMTP server-see your administrator).

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP FROM ADDRESS

SMTP From Address (The address you want to appear as the sender when the
user receives an email, e.g., “Eventide Recorder 2”).

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP REPLY-TO ADDRESS

SMTP Reply-To Address (not required: the recorder does not accept or respond to
incoming email).

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:EMAIL:SMTP ERRORS-TO ADDRESS

SMTP Errors-To Address (not required: an address that can receive "bounce"
messages if the recipient's mail can't be delivered).

SETUP:EMAIL:FORCE TLS ENCRYPTION

Enabling this function forces the recorder to use an authentication algorithm for
outgoing email. Disabling permits the email client to send unauthenticated email
if the SMTP server doesn't provide for authentication.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:EMAIL:SEND TEST EMAIL

"Send Test Email" will send a test email to all of the users with administered email
addresses. We recommend you use this feature to check your settings and
connectivity. Once the test email has been sent, you can confirm that it has gone
out by checking the recorder Alarm Log for a list of recipients, and, of course, by
checking with the recipients as to whether they received it.

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If desired, the ATLAS recorder can connect to a TCP/IP-based Ethernet network.
The recorder includes a 10/100 Mbit/s twisted pair network interface. It is not
strictly necessary to connect the recorder to a data network. However, a
networked recorder provides advantages. For instance, you will be able to use
Eventide's optional remote clients for administration, viewing and playing
recorded calls, monitoring, and other functions. You can set up the recorder to
send email alerts for certain conditions. And you can synchronize to an NTP
server.
New for
Release
1.5

The Atlas recorders support two network interface cards (NICs), which provide
greater flexibility in your installation.

Primary and Secondary network devices are configured separately, but employ the
same gateway. (The gateway will automatically detect the IP address of any
computer residing on either network.)
The recorder is shipped with the following default network settings:

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Select either network device entry to view or modify these settings.
The appropriate settings can be obtained from your network administrator, or
automatically with DHCP.

SETUP:NETWORK SETTINGS:ENABLE/DISABLE DHCP

If your network administrator tells you to use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol), then enable DHCP as follows by checking the box and selecting OK.
With DHCP enabled, the other network settings are set automatically by the
DHCP server and cannot be changed manually. The settings remain readable
since the information, the IP address in particular, may be needed for client
setting.
If you are using the remote administration and call browsing software provided by
Eventide, then you should ask your network administrator to provide a “static IP
address” to the recorder. The client software will be unable to use services
provided by the recorder if the recorder's address changes, as it sometimes does
with DHCP.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:NETWORK SETTINGS:IP ADDRESS, GATEWAY, NET MASK, NETWORK

If you are not using DHCP, then you must set the network parameters manually
from the front panel. There are some considerations in setting these parameters.
The IP address must not be in use by another device. If it is, then the address
may not "take” and even if it is accepted operation will be unreliable.
If you need the recorder to communicate with other devices on the network, such
as an administration client, an NTP server, or the internet, then the devices must
either be on the same subnet, or on a different subnet that can be reached over a
gateway. In the latter case, the address of the gateway must be added to the
recorder.
Speaking of subnets, the subnet is determined by the NETMASK setting. Your
subnet is the result of an AND operation between the 4-octet net mask and the 4octet IP address. Below are two common examples of net masks.
Your facility's network administrator will be able to help you in assigning the
proper IP address, net mask, broadcast address and, if necessary, gateway
address for the recorder. If the recorder will be sending email, one or more DNS
servers must be entered. To set the addresses, simply enter them in the blanks,
using Switch or the mouse to change fields.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:NETWORK SETTINGS:DNS SERVERS

Set from one to three DNS server(s) by entering the correct address and using
Switch to traverse the fields.

SETUP:NETWORK SETTINGS:BROADCAST

Set the broadcast address.

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This section discusses setting the recorder date, time, and time zone, and
synchronizing it with an external time source. This must be accomplished
before you connect your incoming audio lines. If you are installing new software
on a currently operating recorder, you should disconnect your audio inputs until
you have set the time zone or restored the recorder configuration.

The current setting of the internal clock is observed in the display in the upper
right corner of the screen. The time zone is a three-letter code that is factory-set
to UTC (Universal Time).
When using the internal clock or NTP, Daylight Savings Time adjustments are
handled automatically.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:CLOCK:DATE/TIME

The internal clock is accurate to a nominal one second per day.
To initially set the internal clock, first set the time zone to UTC (see below), then
set the time and date to the current UTC time using the knob or arrows and
accept it with OK. If you will be using NTP or an external time source, an
approximate clock setting is all that is necessary.
This site provides the current UTC time:
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?UTC/s/0/java

SETUP:CLOCK:TIME ZONE

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

To set the recorder time zone, first select your continent (above screen), select
Continue, and then select your city or a city in your time zone (below screen).
Finally select OK. (If you prefer to use UTC, simply select Use UTC.)

SETUP:CLOCK:NTP SERVER

You can connect to up to three NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers. First you will
have to set up the recorder on your network. See the "Network Settings" section.
Of course, if you are using an NTP server over the internet, you will need a
reliable internet connection.
Eventide does not provide a default for the NTP server address because it is best
to select one near to you so as to minimize delays and outages caused by distance

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

and multiple network hops. Because the NTP server synchronizes the internal
recorder clock, a continuous connection is not required, but periodic connection
is. Historically, a list of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
internet time servers can be found on the web at:
http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/service/time-servers.html
For example, either time-a.nist.gov (129.6.15.28) or time-b.nist.gov (129.6.15.29)
has been known to work well on the east coast of the United States.
Note: Once you have selected NTP servers the Date/Time menu choice will be grayed out.

After you have activated NTP, wait a few minutes and then view Time sync status
(below) to confirm that the recorder is following the NTP-supplied time.
To disable NTP time synchronization, select NTP Server and delete all NTP server
names. After pressing OK, the Date/Time menu choice will no longer be grayed
out.

SETUP: CLOCK:I RIG-B SETTINGS
IRIG-B
If you have ordered optional IRIG-B support, then the recorder will be equipped
with an IRIG-B time code reader. An IRIG-B time code generator can be connected
to the BNC connector on the back of the recorder.
Note: The date is not affected by the IRIG generator. Set the date using the "Date/Time" menu.

Set the time zone to the desired time zone for normal operation as
described above.

Set the internal clock of the recorder to the wrong time so that time
synchronization will be obvious.

Scroll to "IRIG-B Settings" and select it.

Verify that the checkbox is checked, indicating that the setting is enabled.

Use the encoder wheel or pick a value with the touch screen to set the
offset between the time zone to which the generator is set and UTC. For
example, if the generator is set to output EST time, set the recorder for -5.
If outputting EDT, set to -4. If outputting UTC, set to 0. The purpose of

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

this setting is to convert the output of the generator to UTC, which the
recorder requires for its internal calculations.
•

Press OK to save the settings.

Connect the IRIG-B time code generator to the BNC connector on the back
of the recorder labeled "Time Code Input."

Observe the time display at the upper right section of the front panel
display. Verify that it synchronizes shortly after you have activated it.

SETUP: CLOCK: RS232 TIME SETTINGS

Time Code Synchronization Over RS-232
A NENA-compliant time code generator (available from Spectracom, ESE, and
other companies) can be connected to the system's serial port. The VR615 has one
serial port. Either the time code generator or a label printer can be connected. The
VR725 and VR778 have two serial ports. The time code generator and a label
printer can be used simultaneously.
The date is not affected by the time code generator. Set the date using the
"Date/Time" menu item as described above.
Important:: Disconnect the RS-232 cable from the recorder when making setting changes. Otherwise
the recorder front panel controls may become unresponsive. Reconnect the cable AFTER all settings
are made and saved.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Set the internal clock using the steps in the section entitled “Internal
Clock” above.

Set the internal clock of the recorder to the wrong time so that time
synchronization will be obvious.

Set the recorder to match the time code source.

SETUP RS-232 TIME SETTINGS
•

Select the "Format" to match the generator's time format. Format 0,
Format 1, Format 2, GORGY, and NIS are available. DISABLE, of course,
will prevent the RS-232 source from being used.

Select the COM port to which the generator is connected.. If the display
uses the notation "/dev/ttySn," then use S0 for COM1, and S1 for COM2.
For the VR615, there is no setting selection. If the VR615 is using a label
printer, the printer uses COM1 and RS-232 time sync cannot be used. For
the VR725 and VR778 with a label printer, the printer must use COM1,
and you should set the recorder to use COM2 for the sync signal. If there
is no label printer you can select either port for the RS-232 time sync.

Match the Baud entry to that of the generator.

Select the Port settings to set the communications parameters for data
bits, stop bits, and parity.

Select Yes for "Source supplies local time" if your generator is on local
time; select No if it supplies UTC.

Press the encoder wheel or OK to save the settings.

Connect the time code generator to the RS-232 connector on the back of
the recorder. For the VR778 with a label printer, leave the printer on
COM1 and use COM2 for the generator.

Observe the time display at the upper right section of the front panel
display. Verify that it synchronizes to the external source shortly after you
have activated it.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:CLOCK:TIME SYNC STATUS

The Time Sync Status screen shows whether the recorder is correctly
synchronized to an external source. The top screen shows that it is not receiving
NTP synchronization. The bottom screen shows the recorder operating in
synchrony with NTP source time.nist.gov.

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These "utilities" are especially helpful for maintaining, backing up, and migrating your
recorder settings.
When you create a disk with recorder information and settings, we strongly recommend
that you immediately label it both with a description of the contents, the date, and the
recorder serial number.
Only DVD-RAM, USB, and REV media can be used for these utility functions.

SETUP:UTILITIES:WRITE LOGS TO REMOVABLE MEDIA

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

The system logs contain many clues and information that can help diagnose
problems with the recorder. Especially if your recorder isn't connected to the
internet, it may be necessary to send this log information to Eventide to assist in
finding a problem.
The procedure for using this function is to simply insert a blank formatted archive
medium in the recorder, select Write logs to removable media, and select "Yes"
when asked to confirm your wish. You must use a separate disk for each different
utility item to be saved.

SETUP:UTILITIES:WRITE CONFIGURATION TO ARCHIVE

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

You can save your settings to an archive disk. If the settings are lost, you can
read them back into the recorder. Settings include your channel names, user
accounts, network settings, and clock synchronization settings). Insert a blank,
formatted archive medium and select "Write configuration to archive." Note the
warning and select "Yes" to continue.
If you have multiple recorders, mark the disk with the recorder's serial number.
You should not read back settings from a disk that has settings from a different
recorder. The recorders may be configured differently and the settings may not be
interchangeable.
Having a backup of your configuration is very valuable, and you should make one
even if you have decided that you do not wish to archive any recorder
recordings. We recommend creating one and putting it in a safe place along with
the spare key.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:UTILITIES:READ CONFIGURATION FROM ARCHIVE

Before reading back (restoring) the settings, make sure the settings on the disk
are appropriate to your recorder. As mentioned in the previous section, you
should not read back settings if the settings are from a different recorder, or if you
have added input boards to the recorder or made other configuration changes
that render the old settings inappropriate.
To read back the settings, insert the DVD-RAM with the settings, and select "Read
configuration from archive." Note any warnings and select "Yes" to continue.

Important: Reboot the recorder. Because some settings take effect on rebooting and some do not, if
you do not reboot, your settings may be inconsistent and may cause the recorder to fail.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

SETUP:UTILITIES:ARCHIVE RESTORE

In the Archiving section of the SETUP mode there is a menu item “Archive
restore.” If you insert previously–recorded archive media into one or more drives,
it will allow you to select that drive with the knob and perform a restore operation,
i.e., copy the calls from that medium back to RAID. Several checks are performed
before the medium is transferred:
•

Does the serial number of the recorder that recorded the archive medium
agree with that of the destination recorder?

Are the channel names of the recorder the same as the destination?

Does the format of the data on the archive conform to that of the
destination?

Is there any problem with or damage to the archive medium to be
transferred?

Are all (or some) of these calls duplicates of calls already on the recorder?

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

And the perennially popular “Are you sure” you want to go ahead with the
transfer?

If none of these are appropriate for the medium, or if you indicated that you wish
to proceed, the archive transfer will commence. All drives operate independently.
You can restore archive media in all available drives, or you can even record
archives on one medium while restoring from another.
A couple of important points:
•

The restoration process cannot continue once the RAID is full, so unless
you have a special reason for doing otherwise, always restore from the
most recent archive backwards.

If you are restoring archives after a new installation, use the Set current
archive time facility to make sure that new archives are only recorded from
the present forward. If you don’t set this and begin new archiving after you
have restored your archives from a previous installation, you might find
yourself “re-archiving” the restored archives.

When you are done restoring your archives, be sure to restore the “metadata”
archive disk as well.

New for
Release
1.7

SETUP:UTILITIES:ARCHIVE RESTORE: PERIOD TRANSFER

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

To restore a subset of calls from an archive, use Period Transfer, also found at the
Archive Restore screen. Set the time period and hit OK, and then proceed as you
would with a full disc Archive Restore.

SETUP:UTILITIES:WRITE METADATA TO ARCHIVE

“Metadata” means data about data, and is just a fancy way of saying that there is
(potentially) some data about calls associated with the calls. For example, when
you use the Browser Client to “protect” a call from being erased, or when you add
“incident” data to a specific call, this is considered metadata. This metadata is not
(and typically cannot) be stored with the call archives themselves. Why? Because
in most instances, archiving takes place contemporaneously with recording, or
shortly thereafter. However, the decision to protect a call, or to add or change
information about a call or incident can occur much later. Therefore, this

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

information may not be present when the archive is recorded and so obviously
cannot be recorded along with the archive.
The “Write metadata to archive” menu item allows you to gather all this laterentered data on one medium, and to restore it to the recorder if necessary. (It will
not normally be necessary, but the purpose of saving it is the same as the
purpose of archiving – backup and safety.)
To create a metadata archive, insert a DVD-RAM medium in an available drive
and format it if necessary. Select “Write metadata to archive” and confirm you
want to do so by pressing the YES soft key. Remove the disk and store it with
your archives.
To restore the metadata to the recorder, insert the metadata archive and
select “Read metadata from archive” and confirm the operation.
Unlike the calls themselves, metadata takes a very small amount of space on a
disk, and the entire recorder can be backed up on a single metadata disk.
Metadata is stored in most cases the equivalent of “forever” and so the most
recent metadata backup will suffice to restore this data to all archives. Therefore,
you should determine a reasonable schedule for making these backups – once a
week, perhaps – and keep only a couple of disks in rotation for this purpose.

SETUP:UTILITIES:READ METADATA FROM ARCHIVE

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Read metadata from archive restores the metadata saved in the above procedure.
After receiving the usual warning, "Yes" deposits the information back on the
RAID and associates it with the appropriate calls.

TOUCH SCREEN CALIBRATION (COARSE AND FINE)
This item only applies to the VR725, or to blank-panel units that may have the
Eventide Touch screen Monitor attached. When shipped with or as part of a
recorder, the touch screen is pre-calibrated. You may need to perform this
function if the adjustment drifts over time, or if you have to replace the monitor.
There are two selections – Coarse and Fine calibration. Coarse allows you to
coordinate the display with the touch screen at four points; fine provides a 25point calibration. When performing this calibration, use the pointer provided or
an object with a reasonably sharp point, as you want to get it as nearly precise as
possible. Select the calibration desired and touch the points as instructed by the
program. Note that you must touch AND HOLD the pointer on the screen until the
program goes to the next calibration point. This is different from normal operation
in which you can just poke an item and have it register.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

S
SE
E TT U
UP
P :: S
S yy ss tt ee m
m S
S hh uu tt dd oo w
w nn
Always use System Shutdown to turn off the
recorder safely! Do not force a shutdown with
the power switch or by unplugging the
recorder, which can result in lost or corrupted
data.

This section describes how to shut down the recorder. For information on starting
the recorder, see “Starting and Shutting Down.”
To shut down the recorder, you can perform a controlled shutdown or a forced
shutdown. In most circumstances, you should only perform a controlled
shutdown. This allows the recorder to close all open files and complete current
database operations before shutdown. A forced shutdown can result in corrupted
files and loss of data. It can also damage any archive media in the process of
being written, and possibly leave either gaps or duplications in your archives. (In
addition, Eventide strongly recommends using the recorder with a UPS to allow a
controlled shutdown in the event of a power failure.)

CONTROLLED SHUTDOWN
To perform a controlled shutdown of the recorder:
1. Press SETUP.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

2. Select System Shutdown.
3. You are prompted to confirm the shutdown. Press the "Yes" soft key, and the
recorder starts to shut down. Please be patient as this can take minutes,
especially if an archive medium is being written.
If for some reason, it is not possible to use this standard method to perform a
shutdown, a controlled shutdown can still be accomplished using the following,
somewhat riskier, alternative.
Use the front panel key switch (VR615 and VR778) or front panel power switch
(VR725) to initiate a controlled shutdown by pulsing the switch for up to one
second, as follows:
•

Turn the VR615 and VR778 front panel key clockwise for up to one second, or
push the VR725 front panel power switch for up to one second.

Do not pulse the switch for more than one second or else a forced shutdown
occurs that can result in lost and corrupted data.

FORCED SHUTDOWN
A forced shutdown should only be performed when a controlled shutdown is
impossible.
Caution: A forced shutdown can result in corrupted files and loss of data.

To perform a forced shutdown of the recorder:
•

For recorders with a front panel power switch (VR725), push and hold the
power switch until the recorder shuts down. For recorders with a front panel
key switch (VR615 and VR778), turn the front panel key switch clockwise, and
hold the key in that position until the recorder shuts down.

An alternative way to perform a forced shutdown is to turn off the power
supplies from the back panel, or unplug the power supplies.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Recorder Operation

STARTING AND SHUTTING DOWN
To start the recorder, use the front panel key switch or front panel power switch,
depending upon the unit. For recorders with a front panel key switch (VR615 and
VR778), insert the key provided, turn it clockwise, hold it for up to one second,
and release it. Do not hold the key in the turned position for more than one
second or it will force a shutdown before the unit completes the startup. For
recorders with a front panel power switch (VR725), the switch is behind the
locked door on which the display is mounted. The switch serves the same
function as the key switch on other models, and the same one-second rule
applies.
To shut down the recorder, you can perform a controlled shutdown or a forced
shutdown. In most circumstances, you should only perform a controlled
shutdown. This allows the recorder to close all open files and complete current
database operations before shutdown. A forced shutdown can result in corrupted
files and loss of data. It can also damage any archive media in the process of
being written, and possibly leave either gaps or duplications in your archives. (In
addition, Eventide strongly recommends using the recorder with a UPS to allow a
controlled shutdown in the event of a power failure.)
Caution: A forced shutdown can result in corrupted files and loss of data.

To perform a controlled shutdown of the recorder:
1. Press SETUP.
2. Select System Shutdown.
3. You are prompted to confirm the shutdown. Press the “Yes” soft key, and the
recorder starts to shut down. Please be patient as this can take minutes,
especially if an archive medium is being written.
If for some reason, it is not possible to use this standard method to perform a
shutdown, a controlled shutdown can still be accomplished using the following,
somewhat riskier, alternative.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Use the front panel key switch (VR615 and VR778) or front panel power switch
(VR725) to initiate a controlled shutdown by pulsing the switch for up to one
second, as follows:
•

Turn the VR615 and VR778 front panel key clockwise for up to one second, or
push the VR725 front panel power switch for up to one second.

Do not pulse the switch for more than one second or else a forced shutdown
occurs that can result in lost and corrupted data.

Eventide does not recommend forcing a shutdown, but if it becomes necessary,
see “Forced Shutdown” on page 127 for more information.

RECORDING
General
Once you have set the recorder's internal clock, configured the input board or
boards, and configured the channels, you are ready to begin recording. There is
no record Start/Stop control. Recording begins when the input lines are
connected and an appropriate signal triggers recording.
When a channel is recording, the channel indicator on the INFO screen will show
flashing red.

RAID
Calls are recorded to a RAID system, which is an abbreviation for “Redundant
Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks.”
The RAID status menu item just below Configuration Info gives information on the
logical RAID type, the partitions, and the physical drives, and additional
information as described earlier. Information included on this screen includes
array status, capacity including percentage filled, and “history.” The Status item
is of particular interest, in that it shows at a glance whether the array is operating
normally, is “Rebuilding” as it will do when a new installation is made or a drive
has been replaced, or operating with reduced redundancy if a drive is defective.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

Some models of the recorder are available with drive “hot swap” capability. That
will also be shown in this display. Complete details on the RAID status display is
found at Setup: System Info: RAID Status.

SEARCHING, SORTING, AND PLAYING CALLS
General
You can view a list of calls on the RAID or on an individual archive. You can add
filters to help you search for a call or group of calls. And you can play back
individual calls through the recorder's front speaker or headphone jack.

Considerations
You may find it more convenient to use the MediaWorks or MediaAgent remote
clients for viewing and playing back calls. The front panel has limited display
space, so, even with filtering, you may have to do a lot of scrolling to find your
calls. Horizontal space is very limited, so you will not be able to display more than
a few columns at a time. And it may take more time for the calls to be retrieved
and displayed from the front panel than from the remote clients. Lastly, the
remote clients have functionality not available from the front panel, for example,
the ability to play back multiple calls with a single command.

Viewing Calls
To view a list of calls, first choose
whether you want to view calls
from the RAID (hard drive) or calls
from an archive. To choose the
RAID, press INFO and make sure
that none of the archives are
displaying the message "Playback."
If an archive is displaying
"Playback," then select it with the
scroll wheel or touch
screen/mouse, and press "Stop Browsing." Then press RECALL.
To choose an archive, press INFO and select the archive drive with the scroll
wheel or click the bar with touch screen or mouse. Press Browse Archives and
wait for the display to indicate "Playback." Then press RECALL.
Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

A list of all calls stored on the chosen medium will be displayed in tabular format.

Filtering and Searching
Using the front panel to scroll through hundreds
or thousands of calls is not practical. To search for
particular calls or groups of calls, you can place
filters on the list of calls. Pressing the Filters soft
key from the RECALL screen brings up a list of
parameters that can be filtered:
•

Outgoing Dialed DTMF digits

Incoming CLID (Calling Line Identification)

If the call is saved, suppressed, or unsuppressed

Filters are additive. If you filter on “Channel 10” and “duration of 5-10 minutes,"
you will only see calls that exist on Channel 10 and have a duration of 5-10
minutes. As you add filters, the list of calls will shorten accordingly. The default
setting is all filters removed.
To filter on Channel Number:
Filters → By Channel → → OK
In the special case of NO boxes
checked, the filter is disabled and
ALL channels will be displayed.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

To filter on Call Length:
Filters → By Call Length → → Switch →
→ OK
The calls displayed will fall between
the two parameters, but will not
include the parameters. In other
words, a range of 51 to 53 seconds
will only display calls with a
duration of 52 seconds, but not 51 or 53. A range of 51 to 52 will display no calls.
To filter on Date/Time Range:
Filters → By Date/Time Range →
→ Switch →
→ OK
Touch screen or Mouse: Click on
field desired and click on up/down arrows to select date/time
To filter on dialed DTMF digits:
Filters → By DTMF digits → → OK
Calls with the string of digits
anywhere in the captured digits will
be displayed.

Atlas Series Server 1.8 User Manual

To filter on CLID:
Filters → By CLID → → OK
Calls with the string of digits
anywhere in the CLID will be
displayed.

Columns
The calls are displayed as a list, with multiple attributes per call. By default, only
the Channel Number, Start Time, and Duration are listed. There are, however,
eight total attributes, any of which can be displayed. These attributes are:
•

Channel – Channel number the call was recorded on.

Start time – The time at which the call was initiated.

Duration – The call duration.

DTMF - Dialed DTMF digits.

CLID - Calling Line Identifier, the telephone number of the incoming
caller, if this data is available from your central office.

Direction - Not used at this time. It will always say "Unknown."

Saved? - Calls can be tagged so that they will not be erased when the hard
disk fills up. If the call is tagged to be saved, this field will say "Y."

Suppressed? - If checked the call has been suppressed.

Unsuppressed? - If checked, the call has been unsuppressed.

To change the displayed columns:
RECALL → Columns →