About the Mark of the Unicorn License Agreement and Limited Warranty on Software TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT: carefully read all the terms and conditions of the “click-wrap” license agreement presented to you when you install the software. Using the software or this documentation indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of that license agreement. Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. (“MOTU”) owns both this program and its documentation.
MicroBook IIc User Guide 1280 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 Business voice: (617) 576-2760 Business fax: (617) 576-3609 Web site: www.motu.com Tech support: www.motu.
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Contents 4 Quick Reference: MicroBook Front Panel 5 Quick Reference: MicroBook Rear Panel 6 Quick Reference: MicroBook Top Panel 7 Quick Reference: CueMix FX 9 About the MicroBook 13 Packing List and System Requirements 15 Installing the MicroBook Software 17 Installing the MicroBook Hardware 25 Mac OS X Audio Software 33 Windows Audio Software 37 CueMix FX 47 Troubleshooting 49 Index 3
0 Quick Reference: MicroBook Front Panel 1 2 3 4 1. Plug in your dynamic or condenser 2. Plug in your guitar here using a 3. This is a standard quarter-inch mic here. standard quarter-inch guitar headphone jack. To control cable. This input is designed with volume, push the VOL rotary Use the MIC digital rotary encoder the high-impedance characterisencoder (5) repeatedly until the on the top panel (4) to engage the tics necessary to properly handle phones LED is lit.
0 Quick Reference: MicroBook Rear Panel 1 2 1. Connect to a host computer with a standard USB cable (Type A to Type B). When connected to laptop or desktop computer, the MicroBook IIc is powered by this USB 2.0 connection. 2. This USB 2.0 Micro-B jack is for power only. DO NOT use this port to connect to a host computer. Use it for power when connecting the MicroBook IIc to an iPad. For details, see “Connecting to an iOS device” on page 18. 3.
0 Quick Reference: MicroBook Top Panel 1 1. The MIC digital rotary encoder controls the trim for the mic input. The preamp provides 53 dB of gain. Push to toggle the -20 dB pad; push and hold to toggle the 48V phantom power. Make sure 48V power is turned OFF BEFORE plugging anything in to the mic input. Only engage 48V power when a device that requires it is plugged in. 2. Three-LED metering for the LINE IN jacks. 3. Stereo three-LED metering for the MAIN OUTs. 4.
Quick Reference: CueMix FX CHAPTER Launch CueMix FX (in your Mac Applications folder or in the Windows Start menu under Programs>MOTU>CueMix FX) to control the MicroBook. This chapter gives you a quick overview. For further details, see chapter 7, “CueMix FX” (page 37). 1 2 3 1. Input settings include trim level, mono/stereo toggle, EQ and dynamics. For more input settings (pad, phantom power, etc.) click the Focus button and go to the Channel tab. 2. The MicroBook provides four stereo mix busses.
1 5 4 2 3 1. Click the Outputs tab to access settings for the MicroBook’s outputs. For example, you can choose one of four different mixes for each output. White, or Pink produces a sine 3. If you want to apply EQ or wave or white/pink noise from dynamics processing to the the MicroBook’s signal generaoutput, click here to enable it tor (item 8 on the previous and then adjust settings in the page). channel section (4). 2. Choose the audio source for each output pair from these menus.
CHAPTER 1 About the MicroBook Obtaining your MicroBook serial number The MicroBook holds its serial number electronically in the unit itself. To obtain the serial number, follow the hardware and software installation instructions in this booklet, and then do the following: 1 Launch the CueMix FX software. 2 Choose Devices menu> MicroBook> Setup.
■ Stereo line level analog input on balanced quarter-inch (TRS) or stereo mini connectors. ■ Advanced audio analysis software tools, including FFT “waterfall” display, oscilloscope, X-Y plot, and phase torch. ■ Stereo line level analog main outs on balanced quarter-inch (TRS) connectors. ■ USB audio class compliant operation for plug-and-play operation with all current and recent generation Macs and iOS devices (with a USB camera connection kit). ■ Stereo eighth-inch “mini” line-level input and output.
16-bit and 24-bit recording The MicroBook system handles all data with a 24-bit signal path, regardless of the I/O format. You can record and play back 16-bit or 24-bit audio files at any supported sample rate via any of the MicroBook’s inputs and outputs. CueMix FX mixing and effects All MicroBook inputs and outputs can be routed to the on-board CueMix FX 8-bus (four stereo) digital mixer driven by hardware-based DSP.
12 ABOUT THE MICROBOOK
CHAPTER 2 Packing List and System Requirements PACKING LIST The MicroBook ships with the items listed below. If any of these items are not present in your MicroBook box when you first open it, please immediately contact your dealer or MOTU.
You need your MicroBook serial number to register To register your MicroBook, you need your unit’s serial number. See “Obtaining your MicroBook serial number” below. Be sure to register AudioDesk Be sure to register the included AudioDesk software, which must be registered separately. You can do so online at motu.com/register. Doing so will allow you to be eligible to receive technical support and announcements about software enhancements as soon as they become available.
CHAPTER 3 Installing the MicroBook Software NO SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR iOS DEVICES The MicroBook IIc is a USB audio class compliant device, so it can be used as a simple 4-input, 6-output audio interface (with no mixing or processing features) for iPad and other iOS devices. No software installation is required. Just connect the MicroBook to your iOS device as explained in “Connecting to an iOS device” on page 18, and access it in your iOS audio software as instructed for your audio software.
If Windows asks you to locate the drivers If you’ve already connected the MicroBook to your computer, Windows probably issued an alert notifying you that the MicroBook requires drivers, followed by another window asking you to locate the drivers on disk. If this happens: EQ and dynamics processing. It also provides access to all MicroBook settings. For details, see chapter 7, “CueMix FX” (page 37).
CHAPTER 4 Installing the MicroBook Hardware OVERVIEW Windows users: install the software first . . . . 17 About USB cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Connecting to a computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Connecting to an iOS device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Connect inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Input settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Bus power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONNECTING TO A COMPUTER CONNECTING TO AN iOS DEVICE 1 Plug the MicroBook Host Computer USB cable (Figure 4-1, included) into a USB socket on the computer as shown below. 1 Using a standard iOS camera connection kit cable (purchased separately), connect the MicroBook host USB cable to your iPad or other iOS device, as shown below in Figure 4-5. Mac Camera USB host connection kit cable cable (Figure 4-1) iPad PC Figure 4-5: Connecting the MicroBook to an iPad or other iOS device.
CONNECT INPUTS AND OUTPUTS Here are a few things to keep in mind as you connect other devices. Mic input with preamp Connect a dynamic or condenser microphone to the mic input (Figure 4-7) with a standard mic cable. ☛ Do not connect a +4 (line level) input to the mic input (because it will overdrive the preamp).
☛ Do not use the stereo mini input and quarter-inch inputs at the same time. If you are using the mini jack, unplug the quarter-inch jacks. If you are using the quarter-inch jacks, unplug the mini jack. Further settings for the line inputs, such as stereo pairing and pan settings for mid/side micing are available in the CueMix FX software. See “Input settings” on page 21. Trim The mic and guitar inputs are equipped with 51 dB and 32 dB (respectively) of digitally controlled analog trim (boost).
INPUT SETTINGS To access input channel settings such as 48V phantom power, pad and trim, launch the MicroBook’s CueMix FX software and follow this procedure: Input metering while adjusting trim Use the long-throw, horizontal input level meter (5) at the top of the channel settings section (Figure 4-9) to calibrate the level. 1 Click the Inputs tab (Figure 4-9). 2 Adjust the settings for each input channel as desired. The Focus button exposes further settings for the input in the Channel tab (4).
BUS POWER Examples of bus- powered operation Bus power requirements When connected to a computer, the MicroBook draws all the power it needs from the USB HOST connection to the computer. However, the USB connection to the computer must meet all of the requirements discussed below. Bus power from a desktop computer Your desktop computer is running off of its usual AC power connection, and the MicroBook draws power from the USB cable connected to the computer. There are no limits to running time.
A TYPICAL MICROBOOK SETUP Here is a typical MicroBook studio setup. When using it with a computer, all mixing and processing can be done either in the MicroBook, in the computer with audio software, or both. During recording, you can use the MicroBook’s CueMix™ FX mixer to apply EQ and compression to what you are recording and monitor it via the main outs, headphone outs, or any other output pair. You can control everything from the included CueMix FX software.
24 INSTALLING THE MICROBOOK HARDWARE
CHAPTER 5 Mac OS X Audio Software OVERVIEW The MicroBook provides audio input and output for all OS X Core Audio applications, including AudioDesk, Digital Performer, Logic Pro and GarageBand. Other third-party software applications are also supported, such as Ableton Live, Avid Pro Tools, Cockos Reaper, Propellerhead Reason, Steinberg Cubase and others. Installing the MicroBook OS X drivers. . . . . . . 25 Running CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Digital Performer and AudioDesk Choose the MicroBook as your audio input output device by choosing Configure Audio System>Configure Hardware Driver from the Setup menu. This window shows MicroBook settings such as sample rate and clock source. Pro Tools In Avid Pro Tools, go to the Setup menu and choose Playback Engine. Choose the MicroBook from the Current Engine menu. For information about the H/W Buffer Size setting, see “Adjusting the audio I/O buffer” on page 29. ☛ Pro Tools 9 or later is required.
SAMPLE RATE Choose the desired overall sample rate for the MicroBook system in your host software. Newly recorded audio will have this sample rate. CLOCK SOURCE Some host software may have a “clock source” setting. For the MicroBook, there is only one choice for clock source: Internal. BUFFER SIZE Most host applications provide a Buffer setting, which can be adjusted to reduce the delay — or monitoring latency — that you hear when live audio is patched through your host software.
MONITORING LIVE INPUT There are two ways to monitor live audio input with a MicroBook: 1 Through the computer 2 Via the MicroBook CueMix FX hardware mixer Figure 5-2 below shows method #1, which allows you to apply host-based effects processing via plug-ins in your audio software. See the next section, “Adjusting the audio I/O buffer” for details about how to reduce or eliminate the audible monitoring delay that the computer introduces. Figure 5-3 on page 29 shows method #2.
“CueMix FX hardware monitoring” later in this chapter for details on how to use CueMix FX with your audio software, or with CueMix FX. If the material you are recording is suitable, there is a third way to monitor live input: use both methods (Figure 5-2 and Figure 5-3) at the same time. For example, you could route guitar to both the computer (for an amp model effect) and mix that processed signal on the main outs with dry guitar from CueMix FX. 1. Live input (from mic, guitar, etc.) enters the MicroBook.
Under OS X, audio I/O buffer size is handled by the host audio application (not the MicroBook Core Audio driver). Most audio software applications provide an adjustable audio buffer setting that lets you control the amount of delay you’ll hear when monitoring live inputs or processing them with software plug-ins. Below are a few examples. For more examples, see chapter 5, “Mac OS X Audio Software” (page 25).
Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead The buffer setting has a large impact on the following things: ■ Patch thru latency ■ The load on your computer’s CPU Possible distortion at the smallest settings ■ ■ How responsive the transport controls are in your host audio software The buffer setting presents you with a trade-off between the processing power of your computer and the delay of live audio as it is being patched through your software.
■ It completely eliminates the patch thru delay (reducing it to a small number of samples — about the same amount as one of today’s advanced digital mixers). ■ CueMix FX imposes no strain on the computer. The trade-off, however, is that CueMix FX bypasses your host audio software. Instead, live audio inputs are patched directly through to outputs in the MicroBook itself and are mixed with disk tracks playing back from your audio software.
CHAPTER 6 Windows Audio Software OVERVIEW The MicroBook includes an ASIO driver that provides multi-channel I/O with ASIO-compatible hosts such as Cubase, Nuendo, SONAR, Live, Reason, and more. outputs. For a quick overview, see chapter , “Quick Reference: CueMix FX” (page 7). A standard Windows audio driver is also included for multi-channel audio input and output for any audio application that supports Windows multimedia audio drivers. Installing the MicroBook Windows drivers . .
Pro Tools In Avid Pro Tools, go to the Setup menu and choose Playback Engine. Choose the MOTU MicroBook ASIO from the Current Engine menu.34 Other audio software For other audio applications, the procedure is similar to that shown above. Consult your owner’s manual for further information. ☛ Pro Tools 9 or later is required. SAMPLE RATE Cubase and Nuendo In Cubase or Nuendo, go to the Device Setup window, choose VST Audio System and select MOTU MicroBook ASIO from the ASIO Driver menu.
MicroBook settings as a file in the same folder as your digital audio workstation’s project file for instant recall of all settings. See chapter 7, “CueMix FX” (page 37) for complete details. 24-BIT OPERATION Your MicroBook hardware fully supports 24-bit recording capabilities. Simply enable 24-bit operation as instructed in your digital audio workstation’s manual. The MicroBook always supplies a 24-bit data stream.
36 WINDOWS AUDIO SOFTWARE
CHAPTER 7 CueMix FX OVERVIEW CueMix FX is a cross-platform software application that provides graphic, onscreen control for the MicroBook’s flexible CueMix FX on-board mixer and effects processing. For more information For complete information about CueMix FX, refer to the CueMix FX PDF manual, which is placed on your hard drive by the MicroBook installer. An 8-bus mixer with EQ and compression . . 37 CueMix FX versus host mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 CueMix FX installation . . . . . . . . . . .
CUEMIX FX INSTALLATION single stereo audio stream that you can then assign to any MicroBook output pair — or combination of output pairs — that you choose. For example, Mix 1 could go to the headphones, Mix 2 could go to the main outs, Mix 3 could go to a piece of outboard gear connected to analog outputs 3-4, and so on. You can also assign a mix to multiple output pairs. For example, you could assign Mix 1 to the Main Out, Phones, and Line Out.
Viewing one mix bus at a time CueMix FX displays one mix bus at a time in the Mixes tab (Figure 7-1 on page 38). To select which mix you are viewing, choose it from the mix bus menu. The mix name appears above the mix bus master fader, where you can click the name to change it. Each mix bus is independent Each mix bus has its own settings. Settings for one bus will not affect another. For example, if an input is used for one bus, it will still be available for other busses.
THE INPUTS TAB Click the Inputs tab (Figure 7-2) to access and control all of these input channel settings for each MicroBook input or input pair. Use the Focus button (Figure 7-2) to access the Channel , EQ, and dynamics tab settings for each input. Inputs tab Input name Channel focus Mono/stereo paring Invert phase Input trim EQ band selectors LP/HP filter selector Compressor selector EQ/dynamics graph EQ/dynamics controls EQ/dynamics enable/disable Input scroll bar Figure 7-2: The Inputs tab.
THE MIXES TAB Click the Mixes tab (Figure 7-3) to gain access to the MicroBook’s four stereo mix busses. The Mixes tab displays one mix bus at a time: choose each mix from the Mix bus menu in the tab itself. Each fader represents an input to the mix, except the fader on the right, which is the master fader for the mix. To assign each mix to a MicroBook output, visit the Outputs tab. Aux 1-2 Inputs consist of physical inputs on the MicroBook interface (mic, guitar, etc.
THE OUTPUTS TAB The Outputs tab (Figure 7-4) lets you apply EQ and dynamics to any output pair, just before the signal leaves the MicroBook. This is processing that occurs at the very end of the signal flow, after everything else (host based effects, MicroBook input or bus processing, mixing, and so on). Processing is done in the digital domain, just before the signal goes analog through the D/A converter.
THE METERS TAB The Meters tab (Figure 7-5) serves as a comprehensive meter bridge for all inputs, outputs and mix busses in the MicroBook, giving you a “bird’s-eye” view of all signal activity. Channel meter display The channel meter display (Figure 7-5) provides a long-throw meter for the input or output that currently has the focus in the Input/Output tabs.
SCOPE/RETURN CHANNELS Choose Devices menu> MicroBook> Setup to access the Scope/Return Channel Selection settings below (Figure 7-7). The MicroBook sends two extra return channels to the host audio software running on your computer. This window lets you control the audio source for each channel and whether or not the signal will be processed with the MicroBook EQ and/or Dynamics processing settings via the Pre/post effects menu.
AUDIO ANALYSIS TOOLS CueMix FX provides advanced audio analysis tools. This section gives a brief summary. For complete information, refer to the CueMix FX PDF manual, which is placed on your hard drive by the MicroBook installer. Spectrogram Choose Options menu> Show Spectrogram (Figure 7-8) to superimpose a real-time spectrogram “waterfall” display in the EQ display background: FFT display The Filter response display section in CueMix FX can display real-time FFT and spectrogram information.
right channel amplitude equals zero (Figure 7-10, below). There are also thick white diagonal lines for y = x and y = -x. Phase Analysis To open the Phase Analysis window (Figure 7-11), choose it from the Devices menu. Phase Analysis graphs frequency versus phase difference versus amplitude of a stereo signal on either rectangular or polar coordinates.
APPENDIX A Troubleshooting AudioDesk authorization doesn’t succeed When authorizing AudioDesk, the OK button does not become active until you have entered in your name and a valid keycode. Your name must contain at least 3 characters, and you must enter the keycode provided with your AudioDesk installer disc. Additionally, the AudioDesk installer disc must be inserted. Clicks and pops due to hard drive problems You may have a drive related problem.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT If you are unable, with your dealer’s help, to solve problems you encounter with the MicroBook system, you may contact our technical support department in one of the following ways: ■ Tech support hotline, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM EST: (617) 576-3066 ■ Online support: www.motu.com/support Please provide the following information to help us solve your problem as quickly as possible: ■ The serial number of the MicroBook system.
0 Index 20 dB pad 19 24-bit 27, 35 recording 10 48V phantom power 4 A Analog inputs/outputs connecting to 19 Apple GarageBand 26 Logic Pro/Express 26, 30 ASIO 26 Cubase 34 Live 34 Nuendo 34 Reason 34 Record (application) 34 AudioDesk 16 enabling MicroBook driver 26 Aux 1-2 41 Avid Pro Tools 26, 34 B Balanced analog 19 Bit depth 5, 10 Buffer size 27, 29 Bus power 5 requirements 22 C Cardbus adaptors 22 Channel tab 21, 40 Clock source 27, 34 Cockos Reaper 26, 34 Condenser mic 4 Converters 5 Core Audio
Patch thru latency 31 PCMCIA adaptors 22 Performance 31 Phantom power 4, 19 Phase Analysis 46 Phones (see Headphones) Pink noise Plug-in processing 27 Post-EQ/Compressor 44 Pre/post FX buttons 43 Precision Digital Trim 10 Pre-Effects/EQ/Compressor 44 Pro Tools 26, 34 Propellerhead (see Reason, Record) R Reaper 26, 34 Reason 25, 34 Record (application) 34 Registration 13 Return 1-2 44 S S/PDIF 5, 20 Sample rate 27, 34 Samplers 50 connecting 23 Scope/Return Channel 44 Serial number 9, 14, 44 Setup 14 Sh