USER MANUAL _MINIFUSE 2
Special Thanks DIRECTION Frédéric BRUN Kevin MOLCARD DEVELOPMENT Jérôme LAURENT Aurore BAUD Lionel FERRAGUT Daire O'NEILL Benjamin REYNIER Nadine LANTHEAUME Timothée BEHETY Arthur RÖNISCH Jérôme BLANC Morgan PERRIER Axel HARTMANN Matthieu BOSSHARDT Emilie JACUSZIN Paolo NEGRI Luca LEFÈVRE Andrew HENDERSON Adán SÁNCHEZ DE PEDRO Marco CORREIA David BIRDWELL Chuck ZWICKY CRESPO Bernd WALDSTÄDT Navi RETLAV George WARE Are LEISTAD Khutornoy Maksim Gert BRAAKMAN Tony FLYING SQUIRREL
Thank you for purchasing the Arturia MiniFuse 2! This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s MiniFuse 2. MiniFuse 2 is a professional-grade audio interface that empowers the recording and production of music and audio content. Whether in the studio, on the road, or at home, we are confident that the MiniFuse 2 will become an indispensable tool in your kit.
Special Message Section Specifications Subject to Change: The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased. IMPORTANT: The product and its software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers, may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss.
Table Of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................................. 2 2. 3. 4. 5. 1.1. WHAT IS AN AUDIO INTERFACE AND WHY DO I NEED ONE? .................................................................. 2 1.2. MINIFUSE 2 FEATURES OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................... 2 CONNECTION DIAGRAM....
1. INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing our compact audio interface, the MiniFuse 2. We at Arturia are committed to delivering excellent products that satisfy the needs of modern musicians and producers - we are confident that the MiniFuse 2 will be a perfect companion to any computer-based music production and recording setup. 1.1. WHAT IS AN AUDIO INTERFACE AND WHY DO I NEED ONE? An audio interface is an outboard device that handles processing of audio input and output.
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3. FRONT PANEL FEATURES The front panel of the MiniFuse 2 provides access to most of the essential features on the unit. 1. The combo jack(s) accept two different kinds of input - XLR and TRS - allowing you to connect a variety of microphones and instruments into the MiniFuse. The type of input is determined by the Guitar and 48V switches next to the input. 2. The Inst switch toggles the high-impedance circuit for the corresponding input.
5. Monitor Volume knob controls the volume of the signal sent to the speakers (outputs L & R on the rear panel). 6. Monitor Mix knob controls the mix of direct input signal (Direct Monitoring) and computer audio playback. Its default position is Fully Clockwise. At minimum position, you will only hear signal from the interface input(s). As you turn up the knob, you will gradually crossfade to computer playback. At maximum position, you will only hear computer playback.
4. REAR PANEL FEATURES The rear panel of the MiniFuse 2 provides access to audio and MIDI connections. 1. Outputs - these 1/4” balanced stereo outputs can be connected directly to active studio speakers or other devices such as amplifiers and mixers. 2. MIDI In - connect MIDI devices to this jack using a standard 5-pin MIDI cable. Devices connected to this input can be used to trigger and control software instruments and effects. 3.
5. SETUP The first time you connect the MiniFuse 2 to your computer, it will appear as an external disk drive. Open the drive to access its contents, and double-click the Click here to Get Started link. This link will open the MiniFuse registration page in your web browser. Follow the instructions there to register your unit and download the MiniFuse Control Center application.
Congratulations, your MiniFuse 2 is now ready to use! For more information and support online, you may visit www.arturia.com/support. For more information on the features available in the MiniFuse Control Center application, see the MiniFuse Control Center [p.20] section of this manual. 5.1. Changing default system audio input and output If you would like to use the MiniFuse 2 as your computer's default audio playback and recording device, please follow the instructions below.
5. If you would like to use a microphone connected to the MiniFuse 2 as the default sound input into your computer, click the Input tab and select the MiniFuse as the default input device.
5.1.2. Windows 10 1. Navigate to Settings. 2. Click the Sound tab. 3. If you would like all computer audio - such as audio from browsers and movie players - to be played back through the MiniFuse 2, choose "MAIN Left/Right (MiniFuse 2) from the Output menu. 4. If you would like to use a microphone connected to the MiniFuse 2 as the default sound input into your computer, choose the input channel from the Input menu.
5.2. Using the MiniFuse 2 as an audio device with your DAW Most audio applications have their own audio settings, where you can select the active audio device. Here we will show you how to configure the MiniFuse 2 with several audio applications. The process will be similar in other audio applications. Core Audio is a native Mac audio protocol. All audio devices are built on top of this framework. Windows contains several available audio protocols. ASIO is optimized for low-latency and high-fidelity.
5.2.1. Configuring audio in Ableton Live In Ableton Live, go to the Live menu and click Preferences. In the Preferences window, click the Audio tab to access the audio device settings. Select CoreAudio (MacOS) or ASIO (Windows) in the Driver Type menu. Select the MiniFuse 2 in the Audio Input Device and Audio Output Device menus. If you need to enable or disable specific input or output channels, you can click the Input Config or Output Config buttons.
5.2.2. Configuring audio in FL Studio In FL Studio, click the Options menu, then click Audio Settings. In the Device menu select the MiniFuse.
5.2.3. Configuring audio in Analog Lab Our own Analog Lab software can work in standalone or plug-in mode. When using the standalone application, follow these steps to configure it for use with the MiniFuse 2: In Analog Lab, click the Menu button at the top left (three horizontal lines), then click Audio MIDI Settings. In the Audio MIDI Settings window, select CoreAudio (MacOS) or ASIO (Windows) in the Device section. In the menu below, select the MiniFuse 2.
5.3. Recording audio into your DAW Once your DAW has been configured to use the MiniFuse 2 as an input audio device, create a new audio track where you would like to record your performance. Here we will show the process in Ableton Live. It will be similar in other applications. In the Audio From menu, select External Input. In the menu below, select the input channel where you have connected the instrument or microphone you would like to record.
5.4. Using the MiniFuse 2 as a MIDI device with your DAW The MiniFuse 2 features standard 5-pin MIDI input and output ports on the rear panel that can be used to connect MIDI-compatible devices to your computer. While most MIDI controllers nowadays come with direct MIDI-over-USB connectivity, there are devices like synthesizers and drum machines that only feature standard 5-pin MIDI input and output ports.
5.4.2. Configuring MIDI in FL Studio In FL Studio, select the MiniFuse 2, then click the Enable button.
5.4.3. Configuring MIDI in Analog Lab When using our Analog Lab software in standalone mode, you will need to enable the MIDI ports you want to use: In Analog Lab, click the Menu button at the top left (three horizontal lines), then click Audio MIDI Settings. In the MIDI Devices menu, enable MiniFuse 2. You should now receive MIDI signal in Analog Lab.
5.5. Recording MIDI from the MiniFuse 2 into your DAW Once the MiniFuse 2 has been configured as a MIDI device in your DAW's settings, create a new Instrument (MIDI) track. Place a software instrument like a synthesizer or drum machine on this track. In the MIDI From menu select the MiniFuse 2, or you can leave this menu to All Ins to receive MIDI from all connected devices, including the MiniFuse. Click the channel's Record Arm button.
6. MINIFUSE CONTROL CENTER Your MiniFuse 2 includes a convenient control center application that makes it possible to access many of its features directly from your computer. The application can be found in: • Mac: Applications\Arturia\MiniFuse Control Center • Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Arturia\MiniFuse Control Center 6.1. Top Toolbar Clicking on the Main Menu icon in the upper left corner provides access to: • Resize Window adjusts the size of the application for optimal viewing.
On Windows, there is an additional tab in the Gear panel - ASIO Preferences. Here you can select the buffer size to be used when running in ASIO mode, and enable or disable Safe Mode. In some cases, using a lot of processing in a DAW (e.g. with effects or plugins), or setting low buffer sizes on an older PC can cause the CPU load to be very high. A high CPU load can increase the risk for audio dropouts (pops) to occur. In these cases, Safe Mode can be enabled to avoid the risk of audio dropouts.
6.2. Device Controls The central area of the application provides access to various device controls, making it easy to change certain settings directly from your computer. Inst switch toggles the high-impedance circuit for the corresponding input. 48V switch turns on phantom power for the input(s). Phantom power delivers a power current to a connected microphone and may be required to get a good signal out of certain types of microphones.
The light green area of the meter, from -36dB to -6dB, is the optimal range we recommend for capturing a good signal without clipping. See the 3 examples below - the one on the left is too quiet, the example in the middle is too loud and may result in distorted recording. The example on the right shows the ideal volume range to ensure crisp and clean recordings with lots of detail.
7. LOOPBACK RECORDING FEATURE The MiniFuse Loopback Recording feature allows you to record any audio playing on your computer directly into your recording application, without the need for complicated software workarounds. Loopback Recording uses a pair of virtual inputs on the MiniFuse into which you can "plug" any computer audio, vastly expanding the types of sound sources available for recording into your projects. 7.1.
3. Next, go back to the Application folder and open the Utilities folder. 4. Open the Audio MIDI Setup application. 5. In the Window menu, select Show Audio Devices. 6. Click the MiniFuse 2 in the left panel, then click Configure Speakers.
7. Now click the menu for the "Left front" speaker, and change its setting to "Loopback Left". 8. Repeat step 7, this time for the "Right front" speaker. 9. Your computer will now play all audio through the Loopback input on the MiniFuse, allowing you to record it into your recording application.
7.1.1.2. Change system audio output on Windows 1. In the Windows taskbar, click the Speaker icon, then click the arrow to expand the view. 2. You will see a menu of available outputs. By default this will be set to "MAIN Left/ Right", which will route any computer audio through the speaker outputs on the rear of the MiniFuse. 3. To route to Loopback instead, select the "LOOPBACK Left/Right" output.
7.1.2. Record audio from specific applications Some applications allow you to set an audio output independent of the system output. If this is possible in the application you wish to record, you can route its audio output to the MiniFuse Loopback output to record its audio into your DAW. Here we will show you how to configure Reason to send its audio to the Loopback output. The process will be similar for other applications. 1. In the Reason menu, click Preferences. 2.
4. In the pop-up window, enable Output 3 / Output 4. This will send all audio from Reason to the MiniFuse's Loopback feature.
7.1.3. Recording into your DAW Now that you have configured audio to be sent to the Loopback output, either from the entire system or a specific application, open your preferred audio recording application. Here we will show the process in Ableton Live. The process will be similar in other applications. 1. In the application's preferences, ensure that the MiniFuse 2 is configured to be used as an input device. 2. Next, create a new audio track in your project. 3.
5. Once you are done recording and wish to set your computer system output back to regular operation, return to the system audio preferences and change the system output to use the Main outputs: • On Mac, go back to the Configure Speakers panel in Applications / Utilities / Audio MIDI Setup, and change the speaker outputs to "Main Left" and "Main Right". • On Windows, click the Speaker icon in the taskbar, and select "MAIN Left/Right" from the menu.
8. A QUICK PRIMER ON DIGITAL AUDIO To get the most out of your computer and audio interface, it is important to be familiar with several key concepts in digital audio. We'll explain these quickly below, so that you understand their impact on performance. Once you are familiar with these concepts, you will know how to best calibrate your interface and computer settings to handle different types of audio tasks. 8.1.
8.2. Sample Rate In the digital realm, analog audio signals are represented by discrete points in time, or "samples". When played back through a digital-to-analog converter, like those in computer soundcards, the digital samples are reproduced into a smooth audio signal. You can think of it like frames in a movie - each frame is a still snapshot, but when played back at a fast enough rate (24+ frames per second) our eyes perceive the sequence of static frames as continuous motion.
8.3. Buffer Size Buffer size is expressed in samples and is usually found in your application's audio settings. Think of the buffer like a bucket. As soon as it fills up with samples, it is carried away to the output. So, the smaller the bucket (buffer) the quicker it will get filled up and sent to the output, and therefore will play back with less latency. The trade off, however, is that smaller buffer sizes require your computer's CPU to work harder.
8.5. How to deal with latency There are several ways to effectively deal with latency depending on the situation. Once you are familiar with the concepts outlined above, you will be able to dynamically adjust your system settings to accommodate various scenarios. 8.5.1. Recording live audio When recording live audio from instruments and microphones, you probably want to avoid latency altogether.
9. SPECIFICATIONS 9.1.
9.2. Hardware Specifications Line Inputs Input impedance 16kΩ Maximum input Level +22dBu Gain range 56dB Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz +/-0.05dB (min gain) Dynamic range 110dB typical (A-weighted) THD+N @ 1kHz -100dB typical (un-weighted) Cross-talk @ 1kHz -116dB Instrument Inputs Input impedance 1.1MΩ Maximum input Level +11.5dBu Gain range 56dB Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz +/-0.
Phones Output impedance 10Ω Maximum output Level +11.4dBu Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz +/-0.09dB Dynamic range 104dB (A-weighted) Power @ 33ohm 137mW Various 38 Supported frequency rates 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.
10. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY USA Important notice: DO NOT MODIFY THE UNIT! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirement. Modifications not expressly approved by Arturia may avoid your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product, use only high quality shielded cables. Cable (s) supplied with this product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions.
11. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT In consideration of payment of the Licensee fee, which is a portion of the price you paid, Arturia, as Licensor, grants to you (hereinafter termed “Licensee”) a nonexclusive right to use this copy of the SOFTWARE. All intellectual property rights in the software belong to Arturia SA (hereinafter: “Arturia”). Arturia permits you only to copy, download, install and use the software in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
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