JBL Ms8 User Guide

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Though you can leave the MS-8 RF remote control unmounted, JBL supplies two mounting 
provisions to secure the remote, making it safe and convenient to operate. Since the remote 
operates via radio frequency, it is not necessary to aim the remote while using it. NOTE: You can 
also mount the remote to a convenient surface using a Velcro
® strip (not supplied), which allows 
you to remove the remote to change the battery.
Before mounting the remote
Remove its battery-protection strip by pulling it out in the direction indicated by the arrow.
i N sTALLAT iON
Pull strip
out of 
remote
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iN sTALLAT iON
Flush mounting
NOTE: Flush mounting is a custom-installation procedure that 
may require additional materials that are not supplied with the 
MS-8.
1. Find a suitable location with a flat surface that’s large enough 
    for the remote and has 1/2" (13mm) of clearance underneath.
2. Ensure that no hazards or wiring are underneath the 
    mounting surface.
3. Mark the cutout opening using the inside of the trim ring as a 
    template.
4. Cut the mounting surface just large enough to allow the 
    mounting cup to sit flush against the surface.
5. Remove the remote from the mounting cup. Observe the 
    position of the mounting cup’s finger cutout, as shown in the 
    illustration.
6. Secure the mounting cup in place using glue or double-stick 
    tape.
Replacing the battery in the remote control
1. Remove the two screws in the bottom of the remote.
2. Remove the remote’s bottom cover.
3. Use a pencil or similar object to push the battery out of its 
    holder.
4. Replace the battery with a new CR2032 3V battery. 
    NOTE: Insert the battery into the holder with its positive (+) 
    pole facing up.
5. Replace the remote’s bottom cover and screws.
Remote
control Mounting
cup
Finger
cutout
Remote control
Mountingcup
Trimring
MOUNTING THE REMOTE CONTROL
Surface mounting
1. Find a suitable mounting location with a flat surface that’s large 
    enough for the remote. (Note: The remote control is held in the cup 
    by a magnet, so you can mount the cup on a vertical surface if you 
    want.)
2. Ensure that no hazards or wiring are underneath the mounting 
    surface.
3. Remove the remote from the mounting cup. Observe the position 
    of the mounting cup’s finger cutout, as shown in the illustration.
4. Use two (2) of the supplied screws or some double-stick tape (not 
    supplied) to attach the mounting cup and trim ring to a flat surface, 
    as shown in the illustration.
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Usi NG  T he  reMOT e CONT rOL
Volume Up and Down buttons:  Pressing either of these buttons at any time (except during the 
setup/calibration process) will display the MS-8’s  System Volume screen, allowing you to change 
the audio volume. The volume range is between –80dB and 0dB.
Navigation and select buttons:  Use the four navigation buttons (Up, Down, Left and Right) to navigate 
through the MS-8’s various setup and operation screens. The Select button selects or otherwise 
changes the state of a highlighted item.
Back/menu button:  Momentarily pressing this button causes the display to revert to the next-higher 
menu. Holding the button reverts to your default screen (either the Main Menu or Audio Controls screen) 
from whatever screen is active at the time. See Default Screen, on page 40.
Mute button:  Press to mute the sound; press again to restore the sound. (Pressing either the Volume 
Up or Volume Down button also restores the sound.)
Volume Down button Volume Up 
button
Select
button
Left/Right
navigation
buttons
Mute 
button
Up/Down
navigation buttons
Back
button
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CALiB r AT iON/se TUP
DISTRACTION WARNING: DO NOT SET UP YOUR MS-8 WHILE DRIVING. We recommend 
performing these setup procedures while parked at home or after pulling off the road into 
a	position 	that 	you 	are 	absolutely 	sure 	presents 	no 	risk. 	Always 	obey 	all 	traffic 	laws 	while	
driving.
Before you begin
IMPORTANT! The MS-8 will not pass an audio signal through to its outputs until 
you	have	configured	it	according	to	the	setup	procedure	described	below.	
The setup procedure consists of four main parts:
Language selection: You will select the language that the MS-8 will use on the display. 
See , on page 25.
Input setup: The MS-8 will use the included setup CD to analyze and condition the input 
signal for further processing. See , on page 25.
Output setup: You will configure the crossover settings and identify the output channels. 
See , on page 26. 
Acoustic calibration: The MS-8 will automatically equalize the signal sent to the 
loudspeakers and optimize their response for up to four seating positions using the included 
binaural microphone headset. See , on page 32.
You must complete all four of these steps in the above sequence. If you stop the setup 
procedure before completing all of the steps, the MS-8 will start at the beginning of the last 
complete section when you turn it back on. Be sure to have your completed Configuration 
Chart (see page 11) handy. It will make configuring the outputs easy. 
Start the MS-8 by turning on the vehicle radio or head unit (or turning the vehicle’s key to 
the ACC position if you’ve connected the Rem In terminal to ACC power).
Use the remote control’s Up and Down navigation buttons to highlight items on the display. 
Press the remote’s Select button to select a highlighted item. Use the remote’s Left and 
Right navigation buttons to make changes in items on the display.
Select
button
Left/Right
navigation
buttons
Up/Down
navigation buttons
Back
button
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LANGUAGE SELECTION
The first time you power up the MS-8, the Language screen will appear on the display. This screen 
determines the language the MS-8 will use to display all of its setup, calibration and operation 
menus. When this screen appears, choose a language. The following languages are available: 
English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and 
Finnish. 
NOTE: After the setup and calibration process, you can change the language using the Main 
Menu’s System Settings option. See System Settings Menu , on page 40.
INPUT SETUP
Once you have chosen a language, the MS-8 will display Input Setup .
IMPORTANT:  You must use the calibration CD provided with the MS-8 for this step. If your 
system	does	not	have	a	CD	player,	you	can	convert	the	CD	to	a	.WAV	file	for	use	with	a	
portable	media	player	or	other	audio	source.	The	file	format	you	use	MUST	be	lossless,	
or the calibration process will not be accurate.
•	If	you	are	using	an	aftermarket	head	unit	and have connected the head unit’s front left  
   output and right line outputs to the MS-8’s line inputs 1 and 2, you may select Skip Input 
   Setup and go directly to Output Setup , on page 26. 
•	If	you	are	using	a	factory-installed	stereo	that you connected to the MS-8’s Hi Level  
   input or line inputs, continue with steps 1–3, below.
1. Set the head unit’s bass, treble, balance and fader controls to their “flat” or center 
    positions. If possible, defeat the factory system’s additional processing (Dolby
® Pro 
    Logic® II, Logic 7®, seating-position selector, user-selectable equalization, etc.). 
    Consult your vehicle owner’s manual for instructions on how to do it. 
2. Insert the calibration CD supplied with the MS-8 into the source unit, press the source 
    unit’s “Play” button and select Continue .
    
    While the CD is playing, the MS-8 will analyze the input signal to ensure that it is receiving 
    the correct signal and that both right and left signals are present. The MS-8’s display will 
    show Signal , Level and Balance . An OK must appear next to each one before you can continue. 
•  If None appears next to Signal , be sure that the head unit is outputting a signal (increase the 
    volume control) and/or check the MS-8’s input connections. 
•  If Noisy appears next to Signal , check to see that the head unit’s volume control isn’t all 
    the way up; turn off the car’s engine (if the car is running), but be sure not to turn the key 
    past ACC.
• If High or Low appears next to Level , slowly adjust the head unit’s volume control until 
   OK appears. 
• If Left or Right appears next to Balance , slowly adjust the head unit’s balance control until 
   OK appears.
3. Once OK , OK, OK appear on the display, stop making adjustments to the head unit, and select 
    Continue while the CD is playing. NOTE: Do NOT make any other adjustments to the head 
    unit during the entire input setup procedure.
The display will read Acquiring while the MS-8 analyzes and corrects the input signal. Once the 
procedure is complete (it might take up to a minute or two), follow the instructions on the screen: 
Turn the head unit’s volume down, remove the CD and select Continue .
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OUTPUT SETUP
Next, the MS-8 will display Xover Setup. During Xover Setup, you must tell 
the MS-8 which speakers are connected to the system, and you must select 
the crossover characteristics for all of the system’s speakers. Referring to the 
Configuration Chart that you filled out when you connected the MS-8 will make 
this process easy. During Xover Setup and Channel Selection, you must enter the 
information according to the specific sequence that the MS-8’s display presents.
A note about crossovers
In general, your car stereo’s small speakers are designed to reproduce high frequencies, 
while its large speakers are designed to reproduce low frequencies. Larger speakers do a 
poor job of reproducing high frequencies, and smaller speakers are not able to reproduce 
low frequencies and may even be damaged by them. 
A crossover is a filter or combination of filters that limit the sounds that are sent to a 
particular speaker so that it receives only the frequencies that it can safely reproduce. 
The MS-8 features a sophisticated crossover system that you can set to get the best 
performance from whatever type of speaker system is installed in your vehicle.
In the MS-8, a crossover (or filter, abbreviated “Xover” on the MS-8 display) frequency 
refers to the frequency at which the sounds sent to that speaker will begin to be 
attenuated. The crossover filter slope refers to the rate at which the sounds will be 
attenuated. The MS-8’s crossover contains two types of filters:
• High-pass filters , which send the frequencies above the crossover frequency to a 
   speaker while attenuating the frequencies below the crossover frequency. This type of 
   filter is used to prevent lower frequencies from reaching smaller speakers.
• Low-pass filters , which send the frequencies below the crossover frequency to a speaker 
   while attenuating the frequencies above the crossover frequency. This type of filter is 
   used to prevent higher frequencies from reaching larger speakers.
A high-pass filter can be combined with a low-pass filter to create a third type of filter, 
called a band-pass filter . A band-pass filter sends the band of frequencies between 
the high-pass and low-pass crossover frequencies to a speaker while attenuating the 
frequencies below the high-pass crossover frequency and above the low-pass crossover 
frequency. This type of filter is used to prevent lower and higher frequencies from reaching 
midrange speakers in three-way speaker systems.
The most important thing that determines your selection of an MS-8 crossover 
filter’s	frequency	and	slope	is	making	sure	that	your	system’s	small	speakers	
don't	receive	too	much	bass,	which	can	cause	the	sound	they	reproduce	to	be	
distorted and can even damage them.
For example, an 80Hz high-pass filter will remove frequencies below 80Hz from the signal 
that the MS-8 sends to a smaller speaker. However, it may not completely remove those 
frequencies; a 6dB per octave filter slope will still allow the speaker to receive 1/4 of the 
signal’s power at 40Hz, while a 24dB/octave filter slope will allow the speaker to receive 
almost no power at 40Hz and will keep the speaker from receiving too much bass. We 
recommend using 24dB/octave slopes between subwoofers and midrange 
speakers and between midrange speakers and tweeters.
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Subwoofer
1. Select Sub (for subwoofer).
2. The MS-8 will then display None, 1, 2 . Use the remote’s Up and Down navigation buttons 
    to highlight one of these options, and press the Select button to select it. Your audio 
    system’s subwoofer configuration determines which option you should select. 
For example, if you have one subwoofer being powered by one amplifier channel (either an 
outboard amplifier or an MS-8 amplifier channel), select 1 . If you have two subwoofers, each 
powered by its own amplifier channel, connected to separate MS-8 outputs, select 2 . If you 
have two subwoofers, each powered by its own amplifier, but those amplifier channels are 
connected to a single MS-8 output, select 1 .
3. If you’ve chosen None , skip to , on page 28.
4. If you’ve chosen 1 or 2 , the display will then read Subsonic Filter . This screen enables you 
    to choose the subsonic (that is, infrasonic) high-pass filter for the system’s subwoofer(s). 
    Use the remote’s Left and Right navigation buttons to display a frequency between 20Hz 
    and 50Hz, and press the Select button to select it. If you’re not sure which frequency to 
    choose, we recommend using 20Hz.
5. The MS-8 will then display Subsonic Slope . This screen enables you to determine the 
    subsonic filter’s attenuation rate. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to highlight an 
    attenuation rate, and press the Select button to select it. If you’re not sure which rate to 
    choose, we recommend using 12dB/octave.
6. The MS-8 will then display Sub/Front Xover . This screen enables you to determine the 
    crossover frequency between the subwoofer and the front left and right speakers. You 
    should determine this frequency by the amount of bass your left/right speakers can safely 
    produce, considering the amount of power that will be applied to them. Use the Left and 
    Right navigation buttons to display a frequency between 50Hz and 200Hz, and press the 
    Select button to select it. If you’re not sure which frequency to choose, we recommend 
    using 80Hz.
7. The MS-8 will then display Sub/Front Slope . This screen enables you to choose the rate 
    of attenuation between the subwoofer and the front speakers. The speakers’ performance 
    characteristics should determine your selection. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons    
    to highlight an attenuation rate, and press the Select button to select it. If you’re not sure 
    which rate to choose, we recommend using 24dB/octave.
If you make a mistake
 
If you make a mistake and need to reenter Output Setup information, you must abort 
the Xover Setup process and start it again. To abort the process:
1. Hold the remote’s Back/Menu button until the Main Menu screen appears. 
2. Select Calibration/Setup ; then select Input/Output Setup .
3. When the Warning Message screen appears, select Continue .
4. When the Input Setup screen appears, select Skip Input Setup .
5. The MS-8 will display the Xover Setup , Sub screen. Continue below.
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Front speakers
1. The MS-8 will then display Xover Setup > Sub, Front. Select Front .
2. The MS-8 will then display Front , with the options 1 way, 2 way, and 3 way . These 
    options refer to the number of MS-8’s output channels that will be devoted to driving 
    your front speakers. 
Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to highlight one of these options, and 
press the Select button to select it. The configuration of your system’s front speakers 
determines your choice.
For example: If your front left and right speaker system consists of a pair of coaxial 
speakers (one left and one right), or components with their own passive crossover 
connected to two of the MS-8’s outputs (either speaker outputs or line outputs 
connected to an outboard power amplifier), choose 1 way . If your front speakers 
consist of a component system where the tweeters and the midranges will each be 
connected to separate output channels, choose 2 way . If your front system consists of 
separate tweeters, midrange and midbass, with each connected to a separate 
channel, choose 3 way . 
3. If your audio system does not have a subwoofer, the MS-8 will then display 
    Front Hi Pass . This screen enables you to choose the subsonic high-pass filter for 
    the system’s speakers. Use the Left and Right navigation buttons to display a 
    frequency between 20Hz and 100Hz, and press the Select button to select it. If 
    you’re not sure which frequency to choose, we recommend using 20Hz. Alternately, 
    you may want to use this setting to prevent your front speakers from receiving too 
    much bass, which can cause distortion at higher listening levels. If your front 
    speakers are 6" or larger, we suggest a setting between 20Hz and 40Hz. If your 
    front speakers are 5" or smaller, we suggest a setting between 40Hz and 60Hz.
4. The MS-8 will then display Front Hi Pass Slope . This screen enables you to choose 
    the subsonic filter’s rate of attenuation. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to 
    highlight a filter slope, and press the Select button to select it. If you’re not sure 
    which rate to choose, we recommend using 12dB/octave.
5. If in Step 2 you selected 1 way : Skip to , on page 29.
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Tweeter
Tweeter Mid
Mid
Full Range
Woofer
MS-8 Crossover Configurations
1 way 2 way 3 way
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6. If in Step 2 you selected 2 way
a) The MS-8 will display Front Lo/Hi Xover . This screen enables you to choose the 
    crossover frequency between the front midrange and tweeter (or between a 
    separate midbass driver and a midrange/tweeter). Use the Left and Right navigation 
    buttons to display a frequency between 50Hz and 10kHz, and press the Select
    button to select it. If you’re using separate tweeters connected to the MS-8’s 
    amplifier or to an additional amplifier, we recommend using a setting of 3500Hz 
    or higher.
b) The MS-8 will then display Front Lo/Hi Slope . This screen enables you to choose 
    the rate of attenuation of the filter between the midrange and tweeter. Use the Up 
    and Down navigation buttons to highlight a filter slope, and press the Select button 
    to select it. If you’re using separate tweeters (as discussed in Step 5a), we 
    recommend using 24dB/octave.
7. If in Step 2 you selected  3 way
a) The MS-8 will display Front Lo/Mid Xover . This screen enables you to choose the 
    crossover frequency between the front midbass and midrange. Use the Left and 
    Right navigation buttons to display a frequency between 100Hz and 10kHz, and 
    press the Select button to select it. The design and performance of your front 
    speakers determines which frequency you should choose.
b) The MS-8 will then display Front Lo/Mid Slope . This screen enables you to choose 
    the attenuation rate of the filter between the midbass and midrange. Use the Up and 
    Down navigation buttons to highlight an attenuation rate, and press the Select 
    button to select it. The design and performance of your front speakers determines 
    which rate you should choose.
c) The MS-8 will then display Front Mid/Hi Xover . This screen enables you to choose 
    the crossover frequency between the front midrange and tweeter. Use the Left and 
    Right navigation buttons to display a frequency between 200Hz and 10kHz, and 
    press the Select button to select it. The design and performance of your front 
    speakers determines which frequency you should choose. If you’re using separate 
    tweeters connected to the MS-8’s amplifier or to an additional amplifier, we 
    recommend using a setting of 3500Hz or higher.
d) The MS-8 will then display Front Mid/Hi Slope . This screen enables you to choose 
    the attenuation rate of the filter between the midrange and tweeter. Use the Up and 
    Down navigation buttons to highlight an attenuation rate, and press the Select 
    button to select it. The design and performance of your front speakers determines 
    which rate you should choose. If you’re using separate tweeters (as discussed in 
    Step 7c, above), we recommend using 24dB/octave.
Center Speaker
1. The MS-8 will then display Xover Setup > Sub , Front , Center . Select Center.
2. The MS-8 will then display Center , with the options None, 1 way, 2 way . Use the Up 
    and Down navigation buttons to highlight one of these options, and press the Select 
    button to select it. The configuration of your system’s center speaker determines 
    your choice. 
For example: If your center speaker system consists of a coaxial speaker or 
component with its own passive crossover connected to one of the MS-8’s outputs 
(either its speaker outputs or its line outputs connected to an outboard power 
amplifier), choose 1 way . If your center speaker consists of a component system 
where the tweeter and the midrange will each be connected to separate MS-8 output 
channels, choose 2 way . 
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NOTE: The available center-speaker, side-speaker and rear-speaker options will 
depend on the number of MS-8 channels that are available after you have set up 
the subwoofer and front speakers. For example, if you are using two subwoofer 
channels and three-way front speakers, then all eight of MS-8’s channels will have 
been allocated, and the only option that will be displayed for the center speaker 
(as well as the side and rear speakers) will be None . If you have selected a single 
subwoofer channel and three-way front speakers, seven of MS-8’s eight channels 
will have been allocated, and the options displayed for the center speaker will be 
None and 1 .
3. The MS-8 will then display Center Hi Pass . This screen enables you to choose 
    the high-pass filter for the center speaker. Use the Left and Right navigation    
    buttons to display a frequency between 50Hz and 10kHz, and press the Select 
    button to select it. If you’re not sure which frequency to choose, we recommend 
    using 80Hz.
4. The MS-8 will then display Center Hi Pass Slope . This screen enables you to 
    choose the subsonic filter’s attenuation rate. Use the Up and Down navigation 
    buttons to highlight a rate, and press the Select button to select it. If you’re not 
    sure which rate to choose, we recommend using 24dB/octave.
5. If in Step 2 you selected 2 way : 
a) The MS-8 will display Center Lo/Hi Xover . This screen enables you to choose 
    the crossover frequency between the center midrange and tweeter. Use the Left 
    and Right navigation buttons to display a frequency between 50Hz and 10kHz, 
    and press the Select button to select it. If you’re using separate tweeters 
    connected to the MS-8’s amplifier or to an additional amplifier, we recommend 
    using a setting of 3500Hz or higher.
b) The MS-8 will then display Center Lo/Hi Slope . This screen enables you to 
    choose the rate of attenuation of the filter between the midrange and tweeter. Use 
    the Up and Down navigation buttons to highlight a filter slope, and press the 
    Select button to select it. If you’re using separate tweeters (as discussed in Step 
    5a), we recommend using 24dB/octave.
Side speakers (side or rear speakers)
NOTE: If your system has side AND rear speakers, configure the side speakers in 
this section ( Side) and the rear speakers in the next section ( Rear). If your system 
has only side OR rear speakers, configure those speakers in this section ( Side), and 
skip the next section ( Rear).
1. The MS-8 will then display Xover Setup > Sub , Front, Center , Side. Select Side .
2. The MS-8 will then display Side , with the options None and 1 way. (Separate 
    outputs for two-way speakers are not available for side or rear speakers.) Use the 
    remote’s Up and Down navigation buttons to highlight one of these options, and 
    press the Select button to select it.
3. The MS-8 will then display Side Hi Pass . This screen enables you to choose the 
    high-pass filter for the side speakers. Use the remote’s Left and Right navigation 
    buttons to display a frequency between 50Hz and 10kHz, and press the Select 
    button to select it. We recommend using at least 100Hz.
4. The MS-8 will then display Side Hi Pass Slope . This screen enables you to  
    choose the rate of attenuation of the filter between the midrange and tweeter. Use 
    the Up and Down navigation buttons to highlight a filter slope, and press the 
    Select button to select it. We recommend using 24dB/octave.
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