Last Modified: < 2001-10-30

My reverse engineering of Meridian's (Maker of high-end digital audio equipment) MSF file format, used by their Configurator program to configure their products.

  • MeridianDSP33 "Meridian Digital Active Loudspeaker"
    • Node

    A plain text file ending in ".msf". Two space indentations. Values with 

    settings
     node Node
          …
     MeridianType
     MeridianTypeName
          …
    Attribute Type Value Configurator
    Dealer 568 / Owner / Owner / Dealer
    Owner 568 / Owner / Owner / Owner
    Description1 568 / Owner / Owner / Description (/ Line 1)
    Description2 568 / Owner / Owner / Description (/ Line 2)
    Description 3 568 / Owner / Owner / Description (/ Line 3)
    Description 4 568 / Owner / Owner / Description (/ Line 4)
    Description 5 568 / Owner / Owner / Description (/ Line 5)
    Filename 568 / Owner / Advanced / Product firmware / Software
    Types568 Value of Name attribute 568 / userType / Type name
    Name Name of custom user type String 568 / userType / Type name
    In Use This user type is active Int 0 No 568 / userType / In Use
    1 Yes
    Locked Cannot customize setting without a computer Int 0 No 568 / userType / Setup / Lock settings on product
    1 Yes
    OSD position Location of On Screen Display Int 0 Nowhere (off) 568 / userType / Setup / On-screen display position
    1 Low
    2 Medium
    3 High
    Fat displays Display information from other Meridian sources (CD, Tuner, etc.) on OSD Int 0 No 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / Multi-room displays
    1 Yes
    Diagnostic displays Include diagnostics in Display key menus Int 0 No 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / Diagnostic displays
    1 Yes
    Fan Int 0 Not fitted 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / Fan
    1 Off
    2 Auto
    3 On if fitted
    Controller Int 1 Automatic 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / Comms controller status
    2 Controller
    3 Not controller
    System addr For multi-room setups Int 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / System address
    Copy address For multi-room setups Int 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / Copy address
    800 Present Menu keys on remote opperate Meridian sources instead of surround controller Int 0 No 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / Meridian 800 present
    1 Yes
    Analogue oscillators Drive analog outputs? Int 0 Off 568 / userType / Speakers / Layout / various
    1 On
    Main speakers
    Centre speaker
    Side speakers
    Rear speakers    		 Int 0 Small analogue 568 / userType / Speakers / Layout / Mains
    1 Large analogue
    4 Small DSP
    5 Large DSP
    6 Small 96.24 DSP
    7 Large 96.24 DSP
    Output type Int 0 None 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Analog
    3 Digital
    Size How much protection for 5.1 sources. Int 0-31 0 full protection, 9 analog speakers, 19 analog subwoofers, 31 none, for DSP speakers and subs (they have their own protection) 568 / userType / Speaker / Sizes / various
    Bits Resolution Int 0 24bit (Analog and 96.24 DSP) 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    2 ?
    3 22bit (non96.24 DSP)
    Music layout
    Theatre layout
    5.1 layout    		 Bass handeling? Int 0 A, small right left, center, mono sub 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / Advanced
    1 B, right, left, center, center sub
    2 C, right left, right left subs
    3 D, right left, mono sub
    4 E, left right, center, left right center subs
    6 G, left right, small center
    7 H, left right, center, center surround subs
    8 J, left right, center, mono surround subs
    9 K, left right, center, left right subs
    10 L, left right, large center
    11 M, right left
    12 N, large right left, center, mono sub
    Centre type Int 0 None 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Movies only
    2 Movies and music
    Surround type Int 0 None 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 One rear only
    2 Two rears
    3 Two rears and two sides
    Music output
    Theatre output
    5.1 output    		 Channel that the output will carry Int 0 None 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Front left (or LFE)
    2 Front right (or front mono sub)
    3 Front center (or front center sub)
    4 Side left (front left sub)
    5 Side right (front right sub)
    6 Rear left (or mono rear sub)
    7 Rear right
    9 Rear center
    Surround option Int 0 Musics "Rears", Ambis "4", Logics "Steered rears", Digital "Rears" 568 / userType / Presets / various / various speakers used"
    1 Musics "Sides", Ambis "5", Logics "Steered sides", Digital "Sides"
    2 Musics "Rears and sides", Ambis "6", Logics "Steared all", Digital "Rears and sides"
    3 Ambis "7", Logics "Mono all"
    4 Logics "Mono rears"
    5 Logics "Mono sides"
    LFE Handle LFE channel? Int <= 0 When under Preset Node, adjustment to LFE channel 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    0 No (Small speaker)
    1 Yes (Large speaker)
    Fronts secure
    Surrounds secure    		 Use MLP? Int 0 No 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Yes
    2 ?
    LFE sub Is there a dedicated LFE sub?(?) Int 0 No 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Yes
    Music subwoofers
    Logic subwoofers
    5.1 subwoofers    		 Int 0 None 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 One - mono
    2 One - center
    3 One - LFE (5.1 only)
    4 Two - mono, surround
    5 Two - left, right
    6 Two - center, surround
    7 Three - left, centre, right
    Bass limit Layout without subwoofer, set the peak-level limit of the bass added Int 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / System address
    Max SPL Layout with subwoofer, sets the peak-level for LFE Int Decibles 568 / userType / Setup / Advanced / System address
    Sub Is the speaker a sub Int 0 No 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Yes
    Sub wide Sub uses it's own crossover. Int 0 No, use the processor's crossovers (prefered) 568 / userType / Speaker / Sizes / various
    1 Yes, feed it all frequencies, let the sub do the crossover.
    Distance From speaker to listener Int Inches 568 / userType / Speaker / Distances / various
    Delay Int Milliseconds, 5 per 6 inches 568 / userType / Speaker / Distances / various
    Metric measurement Display units as metric Int 0 No 568 / userType / Speaker / Distances / Measurement units
    1 Yes
    Aspect ? Int 0 2:1 (Twice as deep as wide) 568 / userType / Speaker / Distances / Aspect ratio
    1 1.4:1 (Deeper than it is wide)
    2 1:1 (Square)
    3 0.7:1 (Wider than it is deep)
    4 0.5:1 (Twice as wide as deep)
    Music crossover
    Logic crossover
    5.1 crossover    		 Crossover between speakers and subwoofer(s) Int Hz 568 / userType / Speaker / Crossovers / various
    Gain Int 0.1dB (-5 = -.5dB) 568 / userType / Speaker / Phase/Gain / various
    Phase Int 0 Positive 568 / userType / Speaker / Phase/Gain / various
    1 Negative
    HS enable Allow HS out options in Configuration program if fronts are 96.24 DSPs Int 0 No 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Yes
    MHR out 96.24 to the front speakers Int 0 No, downsample if necessary 568 / userType / Speaker / Layout / various
    1 Yes, upsampling if necessary
    Centre EQ Timbre Int 0 Flat (none) 568 / userType / Presets / various / Speakers / Centre / EQ
    1 EQ1
    2 EQ2
    3 EQ3
    Rear LPF
    Sides LPF    		 High frequency cutoff Int 0 Off 568 / userType / Presets / various / Speakers / various / EQ
    1 1kHz
    2 3kHz
    3 7kHz
    Audio input Int 0 A1 568 / userType / Sources / various / Audio input
    1 A2
    8 D1
    9 D2
    10 D3
    11 D4
    14 O1
    Channel Int 0 Normal DSP33 / Settings / Setup / Speaker use
    2 Centre
    F.Boundry
    C.Boundry    		 Equalization for use Int 0 Flat (none) DSP33 / Settings / Setup / various
    1 Boundry (within 2 feet of wall)
    2 Sub 1 (80Hz crossover)
    3 Sub 2 (120Hz crossover)
    4 Corner (within 2 feet of corner)