Ecotones

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Note: The online version of the manual contains corrections and updates to the printed manual included with the product. Where differences exist, please use the web version as the authoritative reference.

Location of Controls and Indicators

1. Color Display
2. Up/Down Volume Control
3. Power On/Off
4. Sleep Timer (30, 60, 90 min, unlimited (LCD Off))
5. Mode (Adaptive, Background, and Manual)
6. SoundStory (cycles through SoundStories)
7. Microphone
8. Speaker Grill
9. Headphone Jack
10. Power Connector

Getting Started

Unpacking the Ecotones Unit

1. Remove the top packing material from the unit.
2. Remove the AC power adaptor from the top box.
3. Remove the Ecotones unit from the box.
4. Note the Serial Number on the bottom of your unit and write this number in the section provided at the end of this manual.
   Save the carton and packing materials in case the unit ever needs to be returned for service. Using the original carton and packing materials is the only way to safely repack the unit for shipment.

Choosing a Location

• Chose a stable, level surface for the Ecotones unit.
• Pick a location where the unit’s microphone will not be blocked. The microphone picks up background noise and enables the Ecotones unit to dynamically respond to its environment. If the microphone is blocked, your unit may not function properly.
• Chose a location within easy reach of an AC outlet.
• The location should be out of direct sunlight and away from sources of excessive heat, dust, moisture and humidity.

Installing the AC Power Adaptor

1. Unwind the AC power adaptor cord and extend it to its full length.
2. Insert the small end of the AC adaptor into the plug at the back of the Ecotones unit. (10)
3. Insert the larger end of the AC adaptor into the wall outlet. Make sure to use an outlet that is always “live”. Do not use an outlet that is controlled by a wall switch.

Caution: Use only the AC power adaptor that came with your Ecotones unit. Using any other power adaptor may damage your unit and void your warranty.

Basic Operations

Powering On Ecotones

• Power on the Ecotones unit by pressing the Power button (3). The Ecotones splash screen will appear on the color display (1). When the unit powers up, the previous SoundStory, volume and mode settings are restored. Pressing the Power button again turns Ecotones off. Note, the Sleep Timer button can also be used to power on Ecotones directly into the Sleep Timer mode. See the Sleep Timer section for more information about the Sleep Timer.

Selecting SoundStories

• Cycle through the available SoundStories using the SoundStory button . (6)
• Each SoundStory is described by an image in the color display. (1)
• Ecotones maintains the current operating mode while cycling through the SoundStories. (See the Operating Modes section for more information about the operating mode.)
• The available SoundStories are described in detail in the SoundStories section.

Adjusting the Volume Use the Up/Down Volume control buttons (2) to adjust the overall volume of the unit. A violet bar indicating the overall volume level appears across the top of the color display (1) whenever the volume is adjusted. Note that the Volume buttons control both the volume level and microphone sensitivity of the unit in Adaptive and Background modes. These modes will dynamically adjust the volume up and down while reacting with the surrounding noise environment based upon the user settings.

Violet Volume bar located at top of color display.

Choosing an Operating Mode

• Use the Mode button (5) to select between the different modes of operation. Available modes are Adaptive, Background and Manual.
• The first letter of each mode is indicated in the lower right hand corner of the color display. (1)
• The different modes of operation are described in greater detail in the Operating Modes section below.

SoundStories

Your Ecotones unit comes with 12 high-quality audio SoundStories. Each Ecotones SoundStory is a composition of many related sounds interacting with your environment. Each sound component is recorded in higher-than-CD quality and composed into an interactive audio story by ASTI’s audio experts.

The SoundStory button (6) scrolls through the available SoundStories. Each SoundStory displays its own graphic icon in the color display (1) to identify the selected SoundStory. The SoundStories shipped with your Ecotones unit are:

Some SoundStories work better than others to mask particular background noise situations. Experiment with these selections to find the SoundStory that works best in your particular noise environment.

Operating Modes

Your Ecotones unit has 3 modes of operation. Pressing the Mode button (5) advances to the next mode of operation. Ecotones remembers the previous mode volume setting when changing operating modes. The 3 modes are Adaptive, Background and Manual.

Adaptive Mode

The Adaptive Mode dynamically covers the background noise with a pleasant SoundStory. The unit instantly responds to sudden changes in ambient noise and adjusts the current SoundStory to blend the changes away. Adaptive Mode is the best mode to use when you have ambient noise that includes lots of variation in sound and volume. Adaptive Mode uses only enough volume to mask the annoying background sound, which creates less overall noise in the room than with a continuous volume setting. Because of the possibility of large, sudden volume fluctuations, Adaptive Mode cannot be used when using the headphone jack. When running in Adaptive Mode, a small letter “A” inside a black circle can be seen in the lower right corner of the color display.

Background Mode

The Background mode begins generating a SoundStory once the room becomes quiet. When the background conversation level rises in the room, Ecotones senses the change and gradually shuts down the SoundStory. When adjusting the volume in background mode, the sound will be played even with background noise in the room. Ecotones will return to normal background operation after the Volume buttons have not been pressed for a small duration. Background mode is useful to run in environments where you want a pleasing background sound, but do not want to adjust the volume whenever a conversation starts or the phone rings. This mode is also useful when using the headphones in order for the unit to respond when someone enters the room. When running in background mode, a small letter “B” inside a black circle can be seen in the lower right corner of the color display.

Manual Mode

The Manual mode generates SoundStories at a user-selected fixed output volume. Although the output level is fixed, Ecotones uses Adaptive Sound Technology to reactively insert random sound elements into the SoundStory for a natural listening experience. Manual mode is good to use when you want to prevent Ecotones from reacting to the room environment or want to set a steady level for use with headphones. When running in manual mode, a small letter “M” inside a black circle can be seen in the lower right corner of the color display.

Using the Sleep Timer Your Ecotones unit comes equipped with a countdown Sleep Timer function. The Sleep Timer activates your Ecotones for a set amount of time before turning the unit off. While the Sleep Timer is on, the display (1) is turned off to prevent disturbing your sleep. The Sleep Timer is controlled through the Sleep Timer button. (4) To activate the Sleep Timer, press the Sleep Timer button (4) once. This works if Ecotones is powered on or off. An alternating red and green bar graph will appear across the top of the current SoundStory icon representing the amount of time for the Sleep Timer setting. Each bar represents 30 minutes of operation under the Sleep Timer. The Sleep Timer can be set to run for 30, 60, 90, 120, or unlimited (LCD Off) minutes. Turn LCD OFF If you want the display to be off during normal operation, set the Sleep Timer to unlimited minutes (LCD Off). In this mode, your Ecotones unit responds just as it would in normal mode, but the display will automatically turn off after no button activity for one minute. When the display is on, the unlimited time setting is indicated by a red and green “barber shop” diagonal line at the top of the display.
	Sleep Timer bar located at top of color display
	Sleep Timer bar located at top of color display

When you first enter Sleep Timer mode, the Sleep Timer remembers the time settings from the last Sleep Timer session. If your last sleep session ran for 60 minutes, the next time the Sleep Timer is activated, the default starting time will be 60 minutes. Pressing the Sleep Timer button (4) increments the total timer period by 30 minutes. Pressing the button multiple times cycles through 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 120 minutes, unlimited (LCD Off) timer settings. When the timer reaches the unlimited setting, another button press will reset the timer back to 30 minutes.

When the color display (1) is turned off, pressing any button on the Ecotones unit will cause the display to come on again. Pressing the Sleep Timer button once will turn on the display and show the remaining time at the top of the display. Pressing the Sleep Timer button again resets the timer to the previous setting. For example, if there are 45 minutes left on a 60 second timer setting, pressing the button will reset the timer to 60 minutes. One more button press will increment the Sleep Timer to the next preset time.

To exit from Sleep Timer mode, press the Power button (3) twice. When the system powers up again, it will switch back into normal operation mode. Press the Sleep Timer button again to return to the Sleep Timer mode.

Additional Features

Using Headphones

Located on the back of the Ecotones unit is a standard 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack. (9) Standard headphones can be plugged into this jack to listen to the SoundStories. When headphones are plugged into the jack, the Ecotones speakers are disabled.

Note - Due to the possibility of large sudden volume changes, Adaptive Mode is disabled when using the headphone jack. Both Background and Manual mode operation can be used with headphones. If the unit is in Adaptive Mode when headphones are plugged in, it will automatically switch to Background mode.

CAUTION: Avoid using headphones at high volume levels. Prolonged exposure to high sound pressure levels may impair hearing.

Using an Amplified Audio System

Since Ecotones generates 18-bit (better than CD quality) sound, the Ecotones sounds excellent when amplified through an audio system. Use the headphone jack (9) as input to your audio system. Since the headphone jack is in use, Adaptive Mode is disabled. (See note in last section.) While both Background mode and Manual mode can be used, it is possible for Background mode to pick up the audio system output as room noise. If you experience slow up-and-down fluctuations in the volume of the output when using an external audio system, try running in
Manual mode instead.

Restoring the Factory Settings

If the Ecotones unit behaves strangely for any reason, it is possible to restore the unit to the factory settings. Simply unplug your Ecotones unit from the AC power adaptor for approximately 10 seconds, and then reapply the power. The unit will be reset to the factory settings and will start up in the factory SoundStory, volume and mode of operation settings.

Troubleshooting

Should the Ecotones unit exhibit a problem, please refer to the following table before seeking service.

Care and Maintenance

• Vacuum the speaker grill to prevent an accumulation of dust.
• Do not put liquids directly into the electronics. If a liquid ever gets spilled on the grill, immediately turn the unit up side down to protect from fluid damaging the speakers or electronics.
• To clean this unit, wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
• Never use alcohol, paint thinner or benzene or other chemicals to clean this unit.
• Never use an abrasive on the case.

Specifications