How our autoselection works

How autoselection works in the Pureaudio Control Preamplifier.

Our autoselection is designed to remove a redundant element from the user interface. Consider that with most equipment you must select the required preamplifier input, and then press another remote control’s play button, or cue up a vinyl record. If you think about it, just the action of playing a source should indicate your intent. All we need is for the preamplifier to respond to that. Simple.

The Control preamplifier has a music sensor on each of it’s inputs, both left and right channels. In the simplest scenario, when music is detected, the preamplifier will activate the input that the music appears at.

We have refined the operation in several ways to make it as user friendly as possible. Here are the specific details…

Line 1 is a direct input. In the absence of any music inputs Line 1 will be connected. Line 1 is useful for an always on source, perhaps a radio tuner, television sound, etc. For this primary source the autoselection doesn’t even come into play, everything just works, and instantly.

Line 2 through 4 are music triggered inputs and are prioritised. The higher number will always override a lower one. For example Line 4 will override Line 3, or Line 2, or Line 1. You should connect your most important source to the input with the highest number. When a higher priority input is triggered it will switch instantly. This input will also remain selected for approximately 30 seconds after the music stops. This delay is needed to account for silent passages, or very quiet passages in the music, we don’t want the selection dropping out during your listening session. So moving up from Line 1 to 2, or 2 to 3, or 3 to 4 etc is instant. Dropping back down from 4 to 3, 3 to 2, or say, 4 to 1 will see a 30 second delay.

On Line 2 through 4 there is a different sensitivity on left and right channels. This is because of some fine tuning we use to ensure that all sources are treated optimally. For example on vinyl replay the music sensors will respond to the touch down of the stylus in the groove.

Special Note:

Please ensure that you have any turntable and cartridge systems properly grounded so that there is no residual hum. Improper setup will cause the Control preamp to be triggered by any hum present, and in addition, the poor turntable ground setup will degrade the sound of your source. If for some reason you cannot resolve grounding problems in your turntable, and are left with residual hum, please connect this source to Line 1. Line 1 is not auto-triggered so it will ignore the hum.

In Summary:

Initially on casual acquaintance autoselection might seem a little unusual, and some adaptation to its operation may be required. After a time though, it becomes quite natural to use, and owners begin to wonder why something like this hasn’t been done before. In fact it has. In 1987 in an earlier company Gary Morrison created a preamplifier called the “Logic One” which worked like this. Many of these are still in use, some with the original customers.

Our autoselection system, along with our processor or signal-bypass feature, allows some quite clever configuration options which will cater for many system requirements. In use it helps move the system focus away from equipment, and onto the music.

Footnote:

Priority autoselection was introduced mid 2014. Earlier units operated slightly differently. This is described below. Upgrade to priority selection is available by contacting your dealer.

Earlier autoselection:

Line 1 is designated as the default input. In the absence of any music inputs Line 1 will be connected. We recommend using Line 1 for your default digital source. This could be a CD player, the output of a DAC, etc. For this primary source the autoselection doesn’t even come into play, everything just works, and instantly.

Line 2 through 4 are music triggered inputs. The first one of these inputs that sees a music signal will be selected, overriding Line 1. This “captured input” will lock out all of the others while music is being played. This input will also remain selected for approximately 30 seconds after the music stops. This delay is needed to account for silent passages, or very quiet passages in the music, we don’t want the selection dropping out during your listening session.