HUI TM Human User Interface for Digital Audio Workstations Reference Guide CAUTION WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT TALKBACK MANUFACTURING DATE SERIAL NUMBER EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
H SAFETY INFORMATION U I REFERENCE GUIDE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Read Instructions — Read all the safety and operation instructions before operating HUI. 2. Retain Instructions — Keep the safety and operating instructions for future reference. 3. Heed Warnings — Follow all warnings on HUI and in these operating instructions. 4. Follow Instructions — Follow all operating and other instructions. 5.
H INTRODUCTION REFERENCE GUIDE Of course we know what you want to do now. You want to bypass this reference guide completely and get right into the business of firing up your new HUI™. And who wouldn’t? So, congratulations. You bought yourself a HUI! Mackie Designs’ HUI — Human User Interface — will make life with your digital audio workstation (DAW) the sweet dream it was always meant to be.
H U I Here’s a flowchart that shows when to use your DAW manufacturer’s software manual, when to use their “combination” manual (Digidesign calls theirs the MIDI Controller’s Guide), and when to use this HUI Reference Guide.
H CONTENTS REFERENCE GUIDE APPLICATION HOOKUPS .............................................. 21 Some Application Basics ...................................... 21 TV/Radio Production Hookup and Diagram ... 21 Tracking/Mixing Hookup and Diagram ............ 22 Surround-Sound Hookup and Diagram ............. 23 Full-On Major League Hookup and Diagram ... 24 TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................................... 25 Troubleshooting Flowchart .................................
U I Take a look at HUI. Lots of buttons, a few funny-looking knobs, some faders, and a big ol’ jog wheel. If you didn’t know any better you’d think you’d run across some sort of supersonic audio mixer. You have — sort of. But HUI is more than that. First of all, HUI was designed to work with digital audio workstations (or DAWs). For purposes of illustration we’re using the Digidesign® Pro Tools® 4.1 audio hardware/software package (eventually other DAWs will be compatible with HUI).
H Though HUI can do many things, there are some things it cannot do. If your DAW software can’t do a particular magic audio trick you’ve always wished for, neither can HUI*. Because HUI works along with your DAW — thanks to the software and MIDI instructions that go back and forth between HUI and your computer — it is at your software’s mercy. This is a good thing, though. If your DAW software is updated with new features or what have you, HUI can keep up with the technology.
H U I REFERENCE GUIDE 6. Turn up the MASTER VOLUME knob, the LEVEL 1 knob, and the LEVEL 3 knob enough to hear sound coming from the speakers and headphones. 7. Set the TALKBACK MIC switch on the rear panel to the INTERNAL position. With the TALKBACK LEVEL knob all the way down, press and hold the TALKBACK button, and slowly turn the TALKBACK LEVEL knob up until you can hear yourself talk in the headphones. Note: TALKBACK is only assigned to OUTPUT 3/PHONES from the factory.
Next: 1. Run a pair of audio cables from your DAW audio interface’s outputs to HUI’s MONITOR INPUTS 1 (L & R). The plugs on these cables will depend on what type of jacks (1/4″, RCA, XLR) you have on your DAW audio interface or sound card; the HUI ends of these cables should be 1/4″ TRS plugs (TS are okay). 2. You’ll need a previously-recorded session to demo. Chances are you’ve either already recorded some sessions with your DAW and can use one of those.
U I Front Panel (Control Surface) Channel Strip NOTE: The functions of some of these switches depend on your particular DAW software. Therefore, you may wish to consult your DAW manual for further details. 1 Rec/Rdy (Record/Ready) switch. This REFERENCE GUIDE H HUI FEATURES AND CONTROLS switch arms or disables the channel for recording. 2 Insert switch.
Welcome to --- HUI--Firmware version 1.0 ASSIGN SELECT SELECT by SELECT MACKIE REFERENCE GUIDE meter bridge, this 40-character wide by 2-line VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) shows up to four Plug-Ins or up to eight Plug-In parameters. The VFD is also used to display general HUI info. Note: You can adjust the brightness of the VFD by pressing and holding the OPT/ALL switch and repeatedly pressing the INSERT/ PARAM switch. This toggles among four levels of brightness.
H Switch Matrix Section U I REFERENCE GUIDE NOTE: The functions of some of these switches depend on your particular DAW software. Therefore, you may want to consult your DAW manual for further details. This section contains switches for global automation enabling, mode selection, group creation, and more. 1 Function (“F”) keys. These keys provide a number of special functions relating to the operation of the HUI. Refer to the table on page 31 in the “Specifications” section for details.
8 Talkback level control. This controls the level of the internal (panel) talkback mic only. 9 Talkback panel mic. This on-board mic allows you to communicate with the talent, slate take numbers into your session, etc. Note: Be sure the INTERNAL/EXTERNAL select switch on the rear panel is set to INTERNAL when using the panel mic. bl Talkback Enable switch. This switch turns on/off the talkback panel mic circuit on both the panel mic and external talkback mics.
H U I REFERENCE GUIDE • LOOP allows you repeatedly play back a section of your DAW session. • QUICK PUNCH allows you to use your DAW’s “quick punch” feature. Similar to the transport buttons on a tape recorder or in your DAW, the third row of transport switches includes REWIND, FAST FWD, STOP, PLAY, and RECORD. 2 Mode/Arrow switches. These switches are used to navigate, zoom, and make selections in the waveform display.
U I REFERENCE GUIDE 1 Power cord receptacle and Power switch. The power cord receptacle is a standard IEC connection for HUI’s power cord. Before plugging the power cord into an AC outlet, be sure it is firmly seated in the receptacle. Note: For safety reasons, the AC outlet must be a “3-prong” outlet with hot, neutral, and ground terminals.
H U I REFERENCE GUIDE 16 Talkback and Mic Preamp Section TALKBACK MIC 2 MIC 1 GAIN GAIN GAIN Another great thing about HUI — TRIM TRIM TRIM if we don’t mind saying so our0 0 60 dB 0 60 dB 60 dB selves — is its talkback and mic +48V +48V +48V preamps. They allow you to add PHANTOM PHANTOM PHANTOM a vocal track, insert slating inMIC MIC MIC structions, and perform other INPUT INPUT INPUT handy tasks, without having to resort to an outboard mixer. 1 Mic preamp Trim control.
When HUI’s 1:1 DISCRETE switch is engaged (the LED will light), the control room section becomes a discrete surround matrix capable of either standard 4.1 surround (L/R/Center/Surround/subwoofer), or 5.1 surround (L/R/Center/ Surround L/Surround R/subwoofer). You can set up your DAW audio output configuration so that the various “stem” outputs correspond to the physical outputs on the DAW audio interface. These outputs are then patched to HUI’s MONITOR INPUTS 1, 2, and 3.
H U I Analog Audio Connections Microphones REFERENCE GUIDE HUI has two stand-alone microphone preamplifiers for connecting mics for use during recording. These mic preamps are of the same high-headroom, low-noise design found on Mackie’s celebrated 8•Bus and SR Series mixing consoles.
H Keyboard (computer) MIDI Mouse In order to operate, HUI must be connected to a MIDI interface. The MIDI interface is in turn connected to the external computer used with your DAW. Connect HUI to a MIDI interface by connecting one MIDI cable between HUI’s MIDI IN port and the interface’s MIDI OUT port. Likewise, the other cable should be connected between HUI’s MIDI OUT port and the interface’s MIDI IN port.
H U I REFERENCE GUIDE Keyboard Mouse 2nd Keyboard/Mouse (optional) Mouse Footswitch Play ON/OFF For Future Products MIDI OUT Footswitch Record ON/OFF MIDI IN Keyboard In Keyboard Thru Expansion Serial Port Mouse In Mouse Thru 1 Footswitch In 2 Relay Out Note: The Footswitch In and Relay Out operations are defined by the DAW software (see DAW MIDI Controller's Guide). This figure shows one example of how they might be used.
H APPLICATION HOOKUPS U I Some Application Basics DAW audio interface or computer audio card REFERENCE GUIDE One of the first things to consider when configuring your studio with HUI is what type of application suits you best. If you produce commercials for TV or radio, the TV/Radio Production Hookup may be your best bet. If you record and mix soundtracks for surround sound, you’ll probably set up your studio similar to our Surround Sound Hookup.
H Tracking/Mixing Hookup U I REFERENCE GUIDE Scenario: Broadcast, multimedia, audio-forvideo suite, production, home studio recording, mixdown, playback. Source Material: Live audio (vocals, guitars, dog, etc.), samplers, synths, drum machines, prerecorded tracks. Outputs: To DAW interface, mixdown deck, speaker pair(s), headphones, effects loop from inserts. Audio Hookup: Use Stereo Monitor Mode. Tracking: One or two mics are plugged into HUI’s excellent mic preamps (guitar/vocal, vocal duo, etc.).
For 4.1 Surround-Sound On HUI’s rear panel, connect your DAW audio interface outputs to: Input 1 = L/R inputs Input 2 = Center/Mono surround inputs Input 3 = Subwoofer Output assignments (to control room amplifiers) would follow the same basic signal routing paths. Digital Control Hookup: Studio sync as applicable. For further explanation of HUI’s surroundsound monitoring abilities, turn back to page 17. REFERENCE GUIDE For 5.
H Full-On Major League Hookup U I REFERENCE GUIDE • The mixer aux sends, DAW aux send buses (available in Pro Tools 4.1, for example), and HUI OUTPUT 1 feed the external headphone mixer — all for extra and/or remote monitoring purposes. • HUI OUTPUT 3 feeds a speaker selector for A/B comparison of big vs. small speakers, mono level-balancing, etc. • Mics are used as: direct-to-DAW feeds for boosting signals to line level, or as extra mic preamps to feed line inputs on the mixer.
If you’re having trouble getting audio through HUI, check the following: General • Say, uhhh, is the POWER switch turned on? Sorry—gotta ask. • Have you tried re-booting HUI by turning it off, waiting a few seconds, and then turning it back on again? Sometimes this can help alleviate the little burps and hiccups that can occur. (Be sure to turn down the volume on any connected power amps first BEFORE re-booting.
H Bad Input U I REFERENCE GUIDE • Is an INPUT assigned for output to a connected output device? (i.e., speakers or head- phones) • Is the proper FADER up? Is the proper FADER assigned? • Try unplugging any insert devices from the INSERT jacks. • Make sure anything plugged into an INSERT is plugged in correctly (i.e., to first click or second click, depending on what type of plugs you’re using).
H SERVICE REFERENCE GUIDE Service for HUIs bought and residing in the United States is available only Mackie Designs. (Do not contact Digidesign.) HUI owners outside the U.S. should consult their local Mackie dealer or distributor for service. Now then, please follow these instructions: 1. Review the Troubleshooting section of this reference guide (pages 25-26). Assuming you’ve done so, and used up your voluminous reserves of common sense… 2.
H SPECIFICATIONS U I HUI MIDI Implementation Chart REFERENCE GUIDE Function Basic Channel Mode Note Number Velocity Aftertouch Default Changed Default Messages Altered True Voice Note ON Note OFF Keys Channels Program Change true number System Exclusive System Common Song Pos Song Sel Tune System Clock (F8) Real-time Commands MTC Local On/Off Aux All Notes Off Active Sensing Messages System Reset Date: 9/19/97 Recognized 1 Remarks Channel 1 only X X X O X X X X X X O X Not Applicable X X X 00
snd rtn insert MACKIE DESIGNS HUI GAIN DIAGRAM HUI.10/97 -5 0dBu +5 -90 STAND-ALONE MIC PREAMP DCA MONITOR CHANNEL -90 -60 REFERENCE GUIDE -60 -20 level and master gain at minimum balanced/unbalanced outputs 0 dB unbal out +6 dB bal out +10 +15 +20 +25 -20 –6 dB mono mode DCA level and master gain at maximum +22 dB max. unbal. out -15 bal./unbal. line in +22 dB max. in -15 mic pre out +22 dB max. out -10 60 dB gain, trim up 0dB gain, trim down +22 dB max.
R —3— L/Mono R 1 3 2 +48V Phantom Internal Mic External Talkback Mic Input —2— L/Mono R —1— L/Mono Bal/Unbal Monitor Inputs Trim Trim Right Bus Left Bus Input 3 Input 2 Input 1 External/ Internal Talkback +5V Mono DC voltage Mono Bus Remote Talkbk Trigger 1:1 Discrete To TB ASG 1 To TB ASG 2 To TB ASG 3 TB ASG 1 resistor 3 2 XLR jack 1 Talkback Assign 3 2 TRS jack Trim Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Insert mix stage potentiometer DIM ASG 3 DIM ASG 2 DIM ASG 1 swit
H +5V U I Footswitch In 1 and 2 REFERENCE GUIDE Logic Active Low Max Current: 5mA Footswitch Normally Open (N.O.) FOOTSWITCH IN Block Diagram Relay Out +5V Relay Out 1 and 2 Logic Active Low Max Current: 100mA RELAY OUT Block Diagram +5V Talkback Remote Talkbk Trigger Max Current: 5mA Talkback Bus Footswitch Normally Open (N.O.) REMOTE TALKBACK TRIGGER Block Diagram F-Key Function performed F1 Clears clip and peak holds from the meter. F2 Activates/deactivates Relay Outputs 1 and 2.
U I Signal-to-Noise Ratio Impedance > 92 dB REFERENCE GUIDE E.I.N. Microphone preamp 20Hz to 20kHz –129.5dBm Total Harmonic Distortion Input 1,2,3 Left to Right Channel Crosstalk less than 80dB @ 10 kHz +0/–1dB +0/–3dB Maximum levels 22dBu 22dBu Unbalanced outputs Balanced outputs 22dBu 28dBu DIM level All configurations 60 watts 120VAC 100VAC 230VAC 1.25A/250V Slo-Blo 1.6A/230V Slo-Blo 630mA/250V Slo-Blo Weight 37 lb. (16.8 kg) Height Width Depth Right Side Left Side 6.5 inches (16.
DAW See digital audio workstation. DSP Abbreviation for digital signal processing. DSP can accomplish the same functions found in analog signal processors, but performs them mathematically in the digital domain, with more precision and accuracy than its analog counterpart. Since DSP is a software-based process, parameters and processing functions are easily changed and updated by revising the software, rather than redesigning the hardware.
H U I REFERENCE GUIDE RS-232, RS-422 serial port connection Two industry standard serial communication protocols, requiring different 9-pin wiring schemes. HUI’s RS-232/RS-422 serial port can be used with either type of connection, determined by switching to the appropriate protocol. RS-232 uses unbalanced drivers and receivers, in which one wire is used per signal. RS-422 uses balanced, or differential, drivers and receivers, which require two wires per signal.
H HUI LIMITED WARRANTY U I A. Mackie warrants all materials, workmanship, and proper operation of the HUI for a period of one year from the original date of purchase. If you complete the optional questionnaire portion of the Product Registration Card, the warranty will be extended for an additional two years on all parts and labor, with the exception of faders and fader motors, which retain a one year warranty.
Some of the people at our Woodinville, Washington factory who helped design, build, sell, and support your product. ® ® ™ ® Mackie Designs Inc. 16220 Wood-Red Rd. NE • Woodinville, WA 98072 • USA 800/898-3211 • Outside the US: 425/487-4333 Fax: 425/487-4337 • www.mackie.com E-mail: sales@mackie.
