PRE™ Guide Version 9.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2010 by Avid Technology, Inc., (hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid.
contents Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 PRE Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What’s Included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements and Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix A. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Appendix B. Pinout Diagram for the PRE DB-25 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 DB-25 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Appendix C. MIDI Controller Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 PRE MIDI Data . . . . . . . . . .
chapter 1 Introduction PRE is designed especially for use with Pro Tools® systems, but it can also be used as a stand-alone microphone preamplifier. When used with Pro Tools, most PRE features can be controlled from within the Pro Tools application. With or without remote control, PRE can be configured manually using its front panel switches and displays. PRE can also be remotely-controlled by other MIDI devices through standard MIDI controller data. See Appendix C, “MIDI Controller Numbers.
System Requirements and Compatibility Information Conventions Used in This Guide When used as a stand-alone microphone preamplifier, PRE is ready to use. All of our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: : For remote control within Pro Tools, PRE requires a qualified Pro Tools system. Avid can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.
About www.avid.com The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and features available. Product Registration Register your purchase online.
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chapter 2 Hardware Overview and Stand-Alone Operation This chapter describes the PRE front and back panels, and includes instructions for using its switches, indicators, and connectors for Stand-alone mode operation. To use PRE in Remote mode (remote control of PRE by Pro Tools or a dedicated control surface), see Chapter 3, “Remote Operation.
Activity LED When lit (green), this LED indicates MIDI data is being received by PRE. The oscillator generates a fixed tone of approximately 1k Hz at +4 dBu (= 1.228 Vrms). Calibration can change with temperature. The output is nominally +4 dBu, but may vary up to ± 0.3 dB depending upon the current operating temperature. Allow the unit to warm up and stabilize the oscillator output before using it for calibration purposes.
MIDI Chan (Channel) Switch and LED Peak Meter This switch activates MIDI Channel selection mode. When lit, the MIDI Chan LED indicates PRE is in MIDI Channel mode, and the PRE’s MIDI channel can be changed with the Gain/Param control. These fourteen-segment LEDs indicate input signal level for any channel that currently has its Select switch enabled. If multiple channels have their Select switch enabled, only the left-most channel will be represented in the Peak Meter display.
Source Switch and LEDs Channel Status Section This switch sets the active input source for individual PRE channels to Mic, Line, or Inst (instrument). The three Source LEDs indicate the active input. Each PRE channel provides switched control for 48V (phantom power), phase reverse, input pad, access to a unity gain insert send/return, and a high-pass filter. In addition, all eight channels have individual Mute switches and signal status LEDs.
48V Switch and LEDs Insert Switch and LEDs This switch applies 48V phantom power to the Mic Inputs. When lit (red), these LEDs indicate which channels have 48V enabled. This switch enables insert points on individual channels. When lit (yellow), Insert LEDs indicate which channels have their insert point enabled. Mic Inputs can provide 48V phantom power for microphones that require it to operate.
Channel Mute Switches and LEDs Line/Inst 1 and 2 Each PRE channel has a dedicated Mute switch to mute input signal. The respective Mute LED lights when muting is enabled. The front panel includes two 1/4-inch balanced/unbalanced TRS jacks, with Tip wired hot (or “+”), Ring cold (“–”), and Sleeve ground. These jacks mirror Line/Inst Inputs 1 and 2 on the back panel. Connecting to the front panel Line/Inst input will break a connection made to the respective back panel Line/Inst input.
PRE Back Panel PRE has the following back panel connectors: Mic Inputs 1–8 Oscillator Output Line/Inst Inputs 1–8 Send and Return Inserts 1–8 Output Trims 1–8 DB-25 Outputs 1–8 MIDI In/Out/Thru Auto-switching power supply connector PRE back panel Mic Inputs 1–8 DB-25 Outputs 1–8 These are balanced XLR jacks, with Pin 1 wired ground, Pin 2 wired hot (or “+”), and Pin 3 wired cold (or “–”). This is a balanced DB-25 connector for line outputs 1–8.
Output Trims 1–8 Oscillator (OSC) Output The output trims are used to individually calibrate each channel’s output and send level. This is a balanced 1/4-inch TRS jack that outputs a fixed oscillator signal (+4 dBu reference signal at approximately 1 kHz) for calibrating the inputs of gear not connected through the DB-25 output. For more information, see “OSC (Oscillator) Switch and LED” on page 6.
Using PRE in Stand-Alone Mode PRE can be used without Pro Tools as a standalone microphone preamplifier. PRE standalone operation requires power and audio connections. To connect a microphone: 1 Press the Channel Select switch for the Mic In- put you will be using. 2 Change the input source to Mic, by pressing Source one or more times. 3 Make sure the gain is turned down, especially if the monitors are up. Powering Up PRE To use PRE as a stand-alone microphone preamplifier: 1 Connect AC power to PRE.
To connect line level and instrument level sources: 1 Press the Channel Select switch for the 3 Press the Channel Select switch for the Send/Return channel you will be using. Line/Inst Input you will be using. 4 Press Insert. 2 Change the input source to Line or Inst by Repeat these steps for additional connections. pressing Source one or more times.
Adjusting Channel Controls Most PRE parameters can be changed with front panel channel control switches; for a description of each switch, see “PRE Front Panel” on page 5. Input Gain is changed with the Gain/Param control (see “Adjusting Input Gain” on page 16). PRE channel controls can be applied to one or more channels at a time. To change a setting with a channel control switch: 1 Select one or more channels. 2 Press a channel control switch to change its current setting.
Adjusting Input Gain To set input gain on a channel: 1 If the Gain/Param display currently shows a MIDI channel, press MIDI. The display should now show an input gain level. 2 Press the Select 1 switch (for example, for Mic Input 1). 3 If the Source Mic LED is not lit, press Source one or more times until the Mic LED is lit (so that the Mic Input is active). 4 Rotate the Gain/Param control to change the input gain level.
chapter 3 Remote Operation Installation of PRE remote control in Pro Tools includes: • Making audio and MIDI connections to PRE (See “Connecting PRE to a Pro Tools System” on page 18.) • Configuring MIDI (See “Configuring MIDI Studio in AMS for PRE” on page 20 or “Configuring Pro Tools Software for PRE” on page 22.) • Configuring Pro Tools (See “Configuring Pro Tools Software for PRE” on page 22.
Connecting PRE to a Pro Tools System Audio Connections PRE must be physically connected to an audio interface (such as HD I/O or 192 I/O) in your Pro Tools system. To connect a PRE to a Pro Tools system: Connect PRE outputs to analog inputs on your audio interface. (For example, to connect PRE to an HD I/O, use a DB-25 cable to connect the PRE outputs to the Analog Inputs on the HD I/O; for a 96 I/O, use a DB-25 to TRS cable.) For installations with multiple PREs, repeat this step.
Installations with Multiple PREs Powering Up a Pro Tools System To control multiple PREs through a single MIDI port, set each unit to a unique MIDI channel number. Keep in mind that if PRE units are set to the same MIDI channel on a single MIDI port, their controls will operate in a ganged fashion—changing a setting on one unit will change the setting on all units.
Configuring MIDI Studio in AMS for PRE 4 Click Properties. (Mac Only) The following are basic instructions for configuring PRE in the Apple Audio MIDI Setup application (AMS). To configure your PRE with AMS: 1 Do one of the following: • Launch the Apple Audio MIDI Setup (Applications/Utilities). – or – • In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > Studio Setup. MIDI Device Properties for PRE 5 Enable the appropriate Channels for the Trans- mits and Receives options.
8 Pro Tools supports the use of up to nine PREs at the same time. If you use multiple PREs, make sure that none of the PREs are assigned to the same MIDI channel, and that all PREs are daisychained together (as noted in “MIDI Connections” on page 18). 9 Quit Audio MIDI Setup (Audio MIDI Setup > Quit Audio MIDI Setup). 10 Continue with “Configuring Pro Tools Soft- ware for PRE” on page 22.
Configuring Pro Tools Software for PRE Once PRE has been configured in AMS or MSS, it can be declared in the Pro Tools Peripherals dialog and mapped in the I/O Setup dialog, in order to establish communication between Pro Tools and PRE. Declaring PRE in Pro Tools Each PRE must be declared in the Pro Tools Peripherals dialog. To declare PRE in Pro Tools: 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the Mic Preamps tab. 2 Select PRE from the Type pop-up menu.
Declaring Multiple PREs You can configure additional PREs (up to a total of nine) by repeating the above steps. Make sure that none of the PREs are assigned to the same MIDI channel (if daisy-chained) or port (if connected to separate ports on your MIDI interface) in the Pro Tools Peripherals dialog (unless you want them to operate in ganged fashion). Press and hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while making changes to simultaneously apply changes to the selected Mic Preamp and all Mic Preamps below it.
For each declared PRE, the I/O Setup Mic Preamps page includes the PRE path name, and provides tools to map PRE output channels to an audio interface. Channel Mapping Existing PRE paths must be mapped to specific audio interface inputs in the Grid in order for audio and remote control to be available in Pro Tools. To map channels: 1 Choose Setup > I/O and click the Mic Preamps tab.
To remap multiple channels in a path do one of the following: Shift-click multiple channels, then drag the channels to the new locations in the Grid. – or – Marquis-select multiple channels, then drag them in the Grid. Resetting Paths (with the Default Button) The Default button in the I/O Setup dialog lets you: • Reset selected path names to PRE #1, PRE #2, and so on, corresponding to the order that PREs appear in the Peripherals dialog.
Display of Active and Inactive Status Unhighlighted (Italics) Indicates the path is inactive. Highlighted (Non-Italics) Indicates the path is active. This is the default state. To de-activate or activate a path: 1 Choose Setup > I/O. 2 Click the Mic Preamps tab. 3 Set the Active/Inactive control to the appro- priate choice. Default Path Order, Import Settings, Export Settings These options do not directly affect PRE settings, but do change settings on other peripherals in your Pro Tools system.
Mic Preamp Paths When audio tracks or Auxiliary Inputs are created, their mono, stereo, or multichannel format is defined. This format determines the Mic Preamp behavior. Mono tracks control a single channel, stereo tracks control two channels, and multichannel tracks control multiple channels.
Mic Preamp Controls The Mic Preamps view provides all the essential controls for a PRE channel in the Mix and Edit windows. Source and Input Impedance Selector Clicking the up/down arrows in the Mic Preamp window accesses two sets of controls. The top half of this pop-up menu sets the input source for the PRE channel to Mic, Line, or DI (instrument). The bottom half of this pop-up menu sets the input impedance for a PRE channel to 1.5 k, 15 k, or 1.5 M.
Mic Preamp Window The Mic Preamp window provides all the essential PRE controls, plus a gain fader and access to the channel strip Input Selector, as an alternative to Mix and Edit window views. To open a Mic Preamp window: Click the Mic Preamp Window button (labeled mic, line, or DI). To view a different Mic Preamp window: Mic Preamp Window Controls Mic Preamp windows provide standard selectors for PRE controls and other controls in the top area of the window.
Gain Level Fader and Field Mic Preamp gain can be changed by clicking on the fader and moving the mouse, or by typing a valid gain value in the field and clicking Enter. You can enter values that correspond to the gain values in Table 2 on page 38. Other values will snap to the closest permitted value (for example, entering 10 will snap to +9 dB). Adjusting Controls on Multiple PREs When working with PRE controls on multiple channels in Pro Tools, you must select tracks from within Pro Tools.
appendix a Specifications Gain Range 0 dB to +69 dB, in approximately 3 dB steps. With Pad enabled, –18 to +51 dB. Input Impedance (Input Z): 1.5k ohm (low impedance); 15k ohm (mid impedance); 1.5M ohm (high impedance) Frequency Response: ±0.1 dB; 20 Hz to 20 kHz, @ +48 dB gain Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise <0.0005% @ 1 kHz, 0 dB gain @ 20 dB signal; <0.001% (20 Hz to 20 kHz), 0 dB gain @ 0 dB signal Equivalent Input Noise –128 dB @ 66 dB gain (20 Hz to 20 kHz unweighted) 150 ohm Phase Response <2.
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appendix b Pinout Diagram for the PRE DB-25 Connector DB-25 Connector Figure 1.
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appendix c MIDI Controller Numbers If you do not have a Pro Tools Control Surface, you can use a third-party MIDI control surface to control PRE in Pro Tools. All values are in hexadecimal format and may need to be converted to decimal for some MIDI devices. The following information assumes you have a familiarity with MIDI protocol. Table 1. PRE MIDI Implementation For more information on reprogramming your control surface, refer to its documentation, or contact the manufacturer.
Table 1. PRE MIDI Implementation 36 cc Name 11h Input Impedance 2 12h Pad 13h Table 1. PRE MIDI Implementation cc Name 00h=1.5k, 01h=15k, 02h=1.5M 31h Input Impedance 4 00h=1.5k, 01h=15k, 02h=1.
Table 1. PRE MIDI Implementation cc Name 51h Input Impedance 6 52h Pad 53h Table 1. PRE MIDI Implementation PRE vv Channel cc Name 00h=1.5k, 01h=15k, 02h=1.5M 71h Input Impedance 8 00h=1.5k, 01h=15k, 02h=1.
PRE Gain Step Table Table 2. PRE Gain Steps 38 Table 2.
appendix d Compliance Information Environmental Compliance Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users in the European Union Proposition 65 Warning This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling. Perchlorate Notice This product may contain a lithium coin battery.
EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance) Australian Compliance Avid declares that this product complies with the following standards regulating emissions and immunity: • FCC Part 15 Class A • EN55103-1 E4 • EN55103-2 E4 • AS/NZS 3548 Class A • CISPR 22 Class A Canadian Compliance FCC Compliance for United States This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003 Radio and Television Interference This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursua
Safety Compliance Safety Statement This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and Canadian safety certification in accordance with the specifications of UL Standards: UL6500 and Canadian CAN E60065. Avid Inc., has been authorized to apply the appropriate UL & CUL mark on its compliant equipment. Warning 11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
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index Numerics D 48V switch front panel 9 Pro Tools 28 DB-25 Outputs 1–8 11 declaring PRE 22 Default Path Order 26 A E AC power 12 Activity LED 6 adjusting input gain 16 AMS (Apple MIDI Setup) 22 analog devices, connecting 13 Analog Output DB-25 Pinout Diagram 33 audio connections 13, 18 Export Settings 26 external effects devices 14 B back panel 11 C calibration 14 changing mic preamp settings 30 channel controls 15 channel mapping 24, 25 channel status section 8 Clear Clips switch 7 compatibilit
I MIDI I/O Setup resetting paths 25 Import Settings 26 input gain adjustment 16 input impedance front panel 8 Pro Tools 28 Input Z switch and LED 8 Insert switch front panel 9 Pro Tools 28 Inserts 1–8 11 instrument connections 14 introduction 1 controller numbers 35, 39 data 35 gain steps 38 MIDI Chan switch and LED 7 MIDI connections 18 MIDI In/Out/Thru 12 mixed state operation 15 MSS (MIDI Studio Setup) 20 multiple PRE installations 19 Mute switches and LEDs 10 muting channels 16 L LEDs 9 48V 9 Activi
R registration 2 remapping PRE channels 24 Remote LED 6 Remote Lockout mode 6 remote operation 17 requirements 2 returns 11 S Select switches and LEDs 10 sends 11 settings changing 30 Shift switch and LED 6 SIG LEDs 8 signal connections 13 Signal Preset/CLIP LEDs 8 Source and Input Impedance in Pro Tools 28 Source switch and LEDs 8 specifications 31 Stand-alone mode 5, 13 switches 48V 9 Clear Clips 7 HPF 9 Input Z 8 LEDs 9 MIDI Chan 7, 10 OSC 6 Pad 9, 7, 9 Select 10, 6, 8 system requirements 2 W website 3
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