UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid ™ User Guide for Windows 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.
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.
Contents 5 Quick Reference: UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Front Panel 6 Quick Reference: UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Rear Panel 7 Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Console 9 About the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid 13 Packing List and Windows System Requirements 15 IMPORTANT! Run the UltraLite-mk3 Software Installer First 17 Installing the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Hardware 29 MOTU Audio Console 35 UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Front Panel Operation 43 Cubase, Nuendo, Live and Other ASIO Software 49 SONAR and other WDM Software 55
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2. These two Precision Digital Trim™ rotary encoders provide +60 dB and +32 dB of boost, respectively, for the mic (XLR) and instrument (TRS) inputs on the front and rear panel. Adjustment can be made in approximately 1 dB increments. Both have preamps, so you can plug in just about anything: a microphone, a guitar or even a synth. For +4 dB signals, use the rear panel TRS inputs. Use the trim knob and input level meter in the LCD to calibrate the input signal level.
7 3. The UltraLite-mk3’s eight analog outputs are goldplated, balanced +4dB TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) quarterinch connectors that can also accept an unbalanced plug. They are equipped with 24-bit, 128x oversampling converters. 2. These jacks provide stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF digital input and output at any sample rate up to 96kHz. 1. Connect a MIDI device here using standard MIDI cables. Connect the UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI OUT port to the MIDI IN port on the other device.
Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Console CHAPTER Determines the clock source for your UltraLite-mk3. If you’re just using the analog ins and outs, set this to Internal. The other settings are for digital transfers via S/PDIF or synchronization to time code or other audio devices. Check this option if the audio software you are using with the UltraLite-mk3 does not support Windows WDM drivers and instead only supports legacy MME (Wave) drivers.
CHAPTER 1 About the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The UltraLite-mk3 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The UltraLite-mk3 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 16-bit and 24-bit recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 CueMix FX 32-bit floating point mixing and effects. . 12 Host Audio Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
for quick access to all features in one window. Also provides full-screen real-time FFT display, spectrogram “waterfall” display, oscilloscope, X-Y plot and linear or polar phase analysis. With a variety of I/O formats, mic preamps and no-latency mixing and processing of live input, the UltraLite-mk3 is a complete, portable “studio in a box” when used with a Mac or Windows computer.
control software for Mac and Windows. This allows you to fine-tune trim settings for synths, effects modules and a wide variety of analog inputs for optimum levels. Different trim configurations can then be saved as files on disk for instant recall. S/PDIF The UltraLite-mk3 rear panel provides RCA “coax” S/PDIF input and output. MIDI I/O The UltraLite-mk3’s standard MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks supply 16 channels of MIDI I/O to and from the computer via the UltraLite-mk3’s FireWire connection.
The LCD also provides activity metering for all UltraLite-mk3 inputs and outputs. accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical compressor, which provides vintage, musical automatic gain control. 16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING The UltraLite-mk3 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 UltraLite-mk3’s analog or digital inputs and outputs.
CHAPTER 2 Packing List and Windows System Requirements PACKING LIST PLEASE REGISTER TODAY! The UltraLite-mk3 ships with the items listed below. If any of these items are not present in your UltraLite-mk3 box when you first open it, please immediately contact your dealer or MOTU. Please register your UltraLite-mk3 today. There are two ways to register.
PACKING LIST AND WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
CHAPTER 3 IMPORTANT! Run the UltraLite-mk3 Software Installer First OVERVIEW Install the UltraLite-mk3 software first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the UltraLite-mk3 software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MOTU Audio Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASIO MOTU Audio Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The MOTU Audio WDM driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MOTU GSIF FireWire driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MOTU AUDIO CONSOLE MOTU Audio Console (available in the Start menu) gives you access to all of the settings in the UltraLite-mk3, such as the clock source and sample rate. For complete details, see chapter 10, “CueMix FX” (page 61). For details about using Cubase and Nuendo with the UltraLite-mk3, see chapter 7, “Cubase, Nuendo, Live and Other ASIO Software” (page 43).
CHAPTER 4 Installing the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Hardware OVERVIEW IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN! Here’s an overview for installing the UltraLite-mk3: Before you begin installing the UltraLite-mk3 (or any bus-powered device), take these important precautionary measures to avoid damaging the sensitive electrical components in your computer, the UltraLite-mk3 or other devices being connected: Important note before you begin! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONNECT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 INTERFACE Your UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid audio interface is equipped with both a FireWire A (400 Mbit/sec) connector and a hi-speed USB2 (480 Mbit/sec) connector, and you can use either port to connect the UltraLite-mk3 to your computer. This gives you maximum flexibility and compatibility with today’s ever-expanding universe of Mac and Windows computers.
If you are connecting via USB2 Some USB ports on computers are USB Version 1.1 ports, which support low-power, low-bandwidth peripherals such as your computer’s mouse and keyboard. USB 1 ports do not support the highspeed operation necessary for the UltraLite-mk3. If you are not sure if the USB ports on your computer are Hi-speed USB2 or not, check your computer’s documentation. Or check your computer as follows: ■ On the Mac, you can run System Profiler (Apple menu> About This Mac> More Info...
CONNECT AUDIO INPUTS AND OUTPUTS The UltraLite-mk3 audio interface has the following audio input and output connectors: ■ 10 balanced quarter-inch analog outputs ■ 6 balanced quarter-inch analog inputs ■ 2 XLR/quarter-inch “combo” analog inputs with preamps ■ 1 pair of RCA S/PDIF in and out Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you are making these connections to other devices.
adjust these trims using CueMix FX, see “Input trim” on page 67. To adjust the trims using the front panel LCD: 1 Push the PARAM knob repeatedly until you see CUEMIX in the LCD display. 2 Push the CHANNEL knob repeatedly until you see “I:” (which stands for Input) in the CHANNEL section of the LCD (Figure 4-3). 3 Turn the CHANNEL KNOB until you see the desired analog input or input pair. For example, analog inputs 1-2 appear as “I:An 1-2” (Figure 4-3), which means Input analog 1-2.
One-way MIDI connections MIDI devices that do not receive MIDI data, such as a dedicated keyboard controller, guitar controller, or drum pad, only need Connection B shown in Figure 4-5. Similarly, devices that never send data, such as a sound module, only need Connection A. Make both connections for any device that needs to both send and receive MIDI data.
POWER OPTIONS The UltraLite-mk3 can draw power from two possible sources: 1. the computer via FireWire, or 2. a DC power supply. If you use USB2 to connect to your computer, you must also use the DC power supply included with your UltraLite-mk3, as USB2 does not supply enough power by itself. Bus power requirements The UltraLite-mk3 draws all the power it needs from the FireWire bus connection to the computer.
Bus power from a battery-powered laptop The laptop is being powered by its own battery, and the UltraLite-mk3 is being powered by its FireWire connection to the computer. So the laptop battery is supplying power to both the laptop and the UltraLite-mk3. This is the most compact and portable operating scenario. Running time is determined by the capacity of the laptop battery. For extended recording sessions, bring extra, fully charged laptop batteries.
A TYPICAL ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID SETUP Here is a typical UltraLite-mk3 studio setup. This rig can be operated without an external mixer. All mixing and processing can be done in the computer with audio software. During recording, you can use the UltraLite-mk3’s CueMix™ FX nomic latency monitoring to listen to what you are recording via the main outs, headphone outs, or any other output pair. You can control monitoring either from the front panel or from the included CueMix FX software.
CONNECTING MULTIPLE MOTU FIREWIRE INTERFACES You can daisy-chain up to four MOTU FireWire interfaces on a single FireWire bus, with the restrictions described in the following sections. Most computers have only one built-in FireWire bus (even if it supplies multiple FireWire sockets). PC FireWire FireWire FireWire 828mk3 or other FireWire device with multiple FireWire ports FireWire Figure 4-11: To view the settings for an interface, click its tab.
Operating multiple FireWire interfaces at high sample rates Four MOTU FireWire interfaces can operate at 44.1 or 48kHz on a single FireWire bus, although you may have to disable optical banks (on interfaces that have them) to conserve FireWire bus bandwidth. At the 2x samples rates (88.2 or 96kHz) and 4x sample rates (176.4 and 192kHz), you can operate no more than two FireWire interfaces on a single FireWire bus.
INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID HARDWARE
CHAPTER 5 MOTU Audio Console OVERVIEW MOTU Audio Console gives you access to basic UltraLite-mk3 hardware settings, such as sample rate, clock source and more. Accessing the UltraLite-mk3 settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘General’ tab Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clock Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
‘GENERAL’ TAB SETTINGS Sample Rate Choose the desired Sample Rate for recording and playback. The UltraLite-mk3 can operate at 44.1 (the standard rate for compact disc audio), 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192KHz. If you have a S/PDIF device connected to the UltraLite-mk3, make sure that it matches the UltraLite-mk3’s sample rate. ☛ Mismatched sample rates cause distortion and crackling. If you hear this sort of thing, check the sample rate settings in your hardware and here in MOTU Audio Console.
S/PDIF The S/PDIF clock source setting refers to the S/PDIF RCA input jack on the UltraLite-mk3. This setting allows the UltraLite-mk3 to slave to another S/PDIF device. Use this setting whenever you are recording input from a DAT deck or other S/PDIF device into the UltraLite-mk3. It is not necessary in the opposite direction (when you are transferring from the UltraLite-mk3 to the DAT machine). For further details about this setting, see “Connecting and syncing S/PDIF devices” on page 22.
The Samples Per Buffer setting also impacts how quickly your audio software will respond when you begin playback, although not by amounts that are very noticeable. Lowering the Samples Per Buffer will make your software respond faster; raising the Samples Per Buffer will make it a little bit slower, but barely enough to notice. Monitoring live inputs without plug-in effects As mentioned earlier, CueMix FX allows you to monitor dry, unprocessed live inputs with no delay at all.
Disable Interface You can disable an interface at any time with the Disable interface option. Doing so frees up the FireWire bandwidth required by the interface without turning it off. Switching off an interface accomplishes the same thing. To get MOTU Audio Console to forget about an interface entirely, you’ll see a Forget button in MOTU Audio Console. Just click the Forget button and MOTU Audio Console will no longer consider the interface to be present but off line (turned off).
MOTU AUDIO CONSOLE
CHAPTER 6 UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Front Panel Operation OVERVIEW POWER SWITCH The UltraLite-mk3 offers complete front-panel programming via four rotary encoders and a 2x16 backlit LCD display. All UltraLite-mk3 settings can be accessed via these front-panel controls. Push the VOL knob to power on the UltraLite-mk3. Push in and hold the VOL knob to turn it off. MIC/GUITAR INPUTS Push-button rotary encoders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PHONES MAIN OUT VOLUME From the factory, the PHONES jack (Figure 6-1) is a discrete output at 44.1/48 kHz, but it can mirror any other output pair (digital or analog) or serve as its own independent output. Push the VOL knob twice to view and control the volume of the main outs on the rear panel. When you turn the phone VOL knob, the LCD display provides visual feedback: Figure 6-3: The LCD provides feedback as you adjust Phone volume. Figure 6-2: The LCD provides feedback as you adjust Phone volume.
MULTI-FUNCTION LCD DISPLAY AUDIO MENU The LCD provides access to the many UltraLite-mk3 settings, as well as visual feedback of the current parameter being modified. To access the UltraLite-mk3 AUDIO menu, push the PARAM knob until you see AUDIO displayed in the LCD. This menu provides basic audiorelated. Turn the PARAM knob to access each setting.
wish to save it to (1-16), and the push again to confirm the save. To cancel the save operation at any time, turn the PARAM knob. Load Preset Turn VALUE to choose the preset you wish to load (1-16) and push VALUE to load it. MIDI Thru in standalone Turn VALUE to enable (Y) or disable (N) the UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI Thru feature when the it is being operated stand-alone (not connected to a computer via FireWire). When MIDI Thru is enabled, the MIDI IN jack passes MIDI data directly to the MIDI OUT jack.
The IN (inputs) menu Push the CHANNEL button repeatedly until you see “I:” in the channel section of the LCD (Figure 6-6). This is similar to accessing the Inputs tab in CueMix FX console (“The Inputs tab” on page 66). “ I: ” Indicates the IN (inputs) menu. The current channel. Access individual parameters here, such as the frequency setting for a band of EQ. channel strip in CueMix FX (Figure 10-3 on page 66), as well as the settings in the Channel tab (Figure 10-8 on page 70).
The OUT (Outputs) menu Push the CHANNEL button repeatedly until you see “O:” in the channel section of the LCD (Figure 6-7). This is similar to accessing the Outputs tab in CueMix FX console (“The Outputs tab” on page 68). “ O: ” Indicates the OUT (outputs) menu. The current channel. “Pages” are groups of channel settings, such as one band of EQ. Access individual parameters here, such as the frequency setting for a band of EQ.
■ REVERB — these are the reverb send and return controls for the bus master fader. Access them with the PARAMETER knob. Individual channels — once you scroll past MASTER and REVERB, the PAGE knob then scrolls through all available inputs for the mix bus. Once you choose an input, access its channel settings using the PARAM knob and VALUE knob. ■ INPUTS MENU CHANNEL PAGE PARAM INPUTS mic 1-2 Analog 1-2 Analog 3-4 etc.
OUTPUTS MENU MIXES MENU CHANNEL PAGE PARAM CHANNEL PAGE PARAM OUTPUTS Main Analog 1-2 Analog 3-4, etc. EQ (global) ENABLE COPY PASTE RESET MIXES Mix 1 Mix 2 etc. MASTER HPF (High-pass) ENABLE SLOPE FREQ ASSIGN MUTE FADER COPY PASTE RESET REVERB LF (Low w/shelf) ENABLE TYPE FREQ GAIN WIDTH SEND RETURN ANALOG 1 ANALOG 2 etc. (if mono) LMF (Low-mid) ENABLE TYPE FREQ GAIN WIDTH MUTE SOLO (BAL/WID) - n/a PAN FADER ANALOG 3-4 ANALOG 5-6 etc.
CHAPTER 7 Cubase, Nuendo, Live and Other ASIO Software OVERVIEW The UltraLite-mk3 includes an ASIO driver that provides multi-channel I/O and sample-accurate synchronization with Steinberg’s Cubase family of digital audio sequencers, including Cubase and Nuendo. What is ASIO? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Run MOTU Audio Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you do not have any digital audio connections to your UltraLite-mk3 (you are using the analog inputs and outputs only), and you will not be slaving Cubase to external SMPTE time code, choose Internal. If you have a S/PDIF digital audio device connected to the UltraLite-mk3, see “Connecting and syncing S/PDIF devices” on page 22.
independent output pair. As a result, you’ll see Phones 1-2 as an additional audio destination in Cubase or Nuendo’s audio output menus. Main Out Assign Use the Main Out Assign setting to determine what audio you will hear on the TRS main outs of the UltraLite-mk3. If you would like to treat them as their own separate output pair, choose Main Outs.
Sound Forge To activate the MOTU Audio ASIO driver in Sound Forge, go to the Preferences window, click the Audio tab, and then choose MOTU Audio from the Audio device type menu as shown below. OTHER SYSTEM DIALOG SETTINGS Consult your Cubase or Nuendo documentation for details about the rest of the settings in this dialog.
☛ Warning: the Return inputs can cause feedback loops! DO NOT assign this input to a track that shares the same UltraLite-mk3 output pair as the returns. Reverb return The UltraLite-mk3 also supplies a return to your host software that carries the output of its reverb processor. This return can be used for any purpose you wish. VIEWING AND MANAGING ULTRALITE-MK3 OUTPUTS To view and manage UltraLite-mk3 outputs, scroll down below the inputs to see them (Figure 7-6).
24-BIT OPERATION Your UltraLite-mk3 hardware fully supports Cubase and Nuendo’s 24-bit recording capabilities. Simply enable 24-bit operation as instructed in your Cubase or Nuendo manual. The UltraLite-mk3 always supplies a 24-bit data stream, and when you enable 24-bit operation in Cubase or Nuendo, it simply uses all 24-bits supplied by the UltraLite-mk3 hardware.
CHAPTER 8 SONAR and other WDM Software OVERVIEW The UltraLite-mk3 WDM driver provides standard multi-channel input and output for WDM-compatible audio software running under Windows XP. WDM and Wave driver compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the MOTU Audio WDM driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enabling Wave (MME) compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WaveRT support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you uncheck this box, WaveRT support is disabled, and legacy WDM driver support is provided instead. MAKING SETTINGS IN MOTU AUDIO CONSOLE Before you run your audio software, launch MOTU Audio Console to configure your UltraLite-mk3 hardware. MOTU Audio Console lets you choose the audio clock source, sample rate, buffer size and other hardware settings. For details, see chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Console” (page 29).
ENABLING THE MOTU AUDIO WDM DRIVER Once you’ve made the preparations described so far in this chapter, you’re ready to run your audio software and enable the MOTU Audio WDM driver. Check the audio system or audio hardware configuration window in your software. Enabling the MOTU Audio WDM driver in SONAR To activate the MOTU Audio WDM driver in SONAR: 1 Choose Audio from the Options menu. 2 Click the Drivers tab. Figure 8-4: Enabling the ASIO driver instead of the WDM driver.
This process chooses the optimum settings for the UltraLite-mk3 hardware. WORKING WITH ULTRALITE-MK3 INPUTS AND OUTPUTS Once you’ve enabled the UltraLite-mk3 inputs and output, UltraLite-mk3 audio inputs and outputs will appear in your host software’s input/output menus, and you can set them up and use them as any standard audio input and output. Return Assign In SONAR, you’ll see an UltraLite-mk3 input pair called Return 1-2.
input source and output destination in your WDM-compatible software’s MIDI input and output menus. 24-BIT OPERATION Your UltraLite-mk3 hardware fully supports 24-bit recording in any audio software that supports it. Simply enable 24-bit operation as instructed by the software. The UltraLite-mk3 system always supplies the software with a 24-bit data stream, and when you enable 24-bit operation, it simply uses all 24-bits supplied by the UltraLite-mk3 hardware.
SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE
CHAPTER 9 Reducing Monitoring Latency OVERVIEW Monitoring latency is that slight delay you hear when you run an input signal through your host audio software. For example, you might hear it when you drive a live mic input signal through an amp modeling plug-in running in your audio sequencer.
MONITORING LIVE INPUT There are two ways to monitor live audio input with an UltraLite-mk3: 1) through the computer or 2) via the Ultralite-mk3’s CueMix FX hardware mixer. Figure 9-1 below shows method 1, which allows you to add effects processing such as reverb and guitar amp effects via plug-ins in your audio software. See the next section, “Adjusting the audio I/O buffer” for details about how to reduce — and possibly eliminate — the audible monitoring delay that the computer introduces.
ADJUSTING THE AUDIO I/O BUFFER A buffer is a small amount of computer memory used to hold data. For audio interfaces like the UltraLite-mk3, buffers are used for the process of transferring audio data in and out of the computer. The size of the buffers determines how much delay you hear when monitoring live inputs through your audio software: larger buffers produce more delay; smaller buffers produce less.
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 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.
Using CueMix FX If your host audio software does not support direct hardware monitoring, you run CueMix FX sideby-side with your audio software and manage your monitor mix in CueMix FX. mixes you’ve set up in CueMix FX. For example, if your host application routes audio to an output pair that is already being used in CueMix FX for an entirely separate mix bus, both audio streams will simply be merged to the output.
REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY
CHAPTER 10 CueMix FX OVERVIEW CueMix FX is a cross-platform software application that provides graphic, on-screen control for the UltraLite-mk3’s flexible CueMix FX on-board mixer and effects processing. CueMix FX can be used independently of host audio software, or together with it. CueMix dovetails with the direct monitoring features of your host audio software, allowing you to seemlessly mix in both environments.
Each input, output and mix bus provides a send to the Classic Reverb processor, which then feeds reverb returns to mix busses and outputs, with a selectable split point between them to prevent send/return feedback loops. ■ CueMix mixing and effects processing imposes no processor drain on the computer’s CPU. ADVANTAGES OVER HOST-BASED MIXING AND PROCESSING ■ CueMix routing can operate without the computer, allowing the UltraLite-mk3 to operate as a portable, stand-alone mixer with effects.
CUEMIX FX BASIC OPERATION Here is a brief overview of the CueMix FX mixer. Eight stereo mix busses CueMix provides eight stereo mix busses: Bus 1, Bus 2, Bus 3, and so on. Each mix bus can take any number of inputs and mix them down to any UltraLite-mk3 output pair that you choose. For example, Bus 1 could go to the headphones, Bus 2 could go to the main outs, Bus 3 could go to a piece of outboard gear connected to analog outputs 7-8, etc.
THE MIXES TAB Click the Mixes tab (Figure 10-2) to gain access to the UltraLite-mk3’s eight stereo mix busses. The Mixes tab displays one mix bus at a time. Viewing a mix Choose the mix you wish to view from the mix bus menu (in the Mixes tab itself, as shown in Figure 10-2). The menu shows all mixes by name, followed by the UltraLite-mk3 output pair to which each bus master fader is currently assigned, if any.
Bus mute The bus mute button (Figure 10-2) disables (silences) the mix. Bus level meter The bus level meter, which is post-fader, shows you the output for the mix’s output. Bus reverb send/return The bus reverb send (Figure 10-2) feeds the output of the mix bus, pre-fader, to the UltraLite-mk3’s global reverb processor, where it is merged with any other signals being fed to the reverb.
THE INPUTS TAB The UltraLite-mk3 provides many features for managing analog and digital input signals. Some of these features, such as the UltraLite-mk3’s digitally controlled analog trims, are implemented in the analog domain; others are implemented in the digital domain as DSP applied to the digital signal (after the A/D converter on analog inputs). Click the Inputs tab (Figure 10-3) to access and control all of these input channel settings for each UltraLite-mk3 input or input pair.
Invert phase The Phase button (Figure 10-3) inverts the phase of the input signal. For stereo pairs, you can invert the phase for the left and right channels independently. Input trim All UltraLite-mk3 inputs, both analog and digital, offer continuously variable input trim. In all cases, trim level can be controlled digitally in 1 dB increments. This includes the digitally controlled analog trims on the two mic/guitar inputs and the six quarter-inch analog inputs on the back panel.
Compressor graph Compressor meter Compressor selector then be fed back into a mix or output pair. The send occurs after all other settings in the input channel strip (phase invert, EQ, compression, etc.) THE OUTPUTS TAB Figure 10-5: The Compressor controls. ☛ Shortcut: hold down the option key while clicking an EQ selector button to show just that band of EQ in the graphs. Click any selector again to return to viewing all bands.
reverb Split Point is set to Mix to eliminate the possibility for feedback loops created by reverb send/return loops. See “Split point” on page 83. Monitor group assign Click the Monitor buttons (Figure 10-6) to toggle whether the output pair is included in the Monitor group. See “The Monitor Group” on page 84. The output reverb return (Figure 10-6) feeds the output of the UltraLite-mk3’s global reverb processor directly to the output. This includes any other signals currently being fed to the reverb.
THE CHANNEL SETTINGS SECTION The channel settings section in the CueMix FX window (Figure 10-1) displays three tabs for Channel, EQ and Dynamics settings for the channel with the current focus. There are also two global tabs: the Meter Bridge and the Reverb Processor, as shown below. The Channel tab The Channel tab (Figure 10-8) displays settings for input channels. Click any focus button in the Inputs tab to view the Channel tab settings for the channel. Figure 10-8: The Channel tab.
Stereo settings Inputs that have been grouped as stereo pairs in the Inputs tab (Figure 10-3) provide two stereo modes (Figure 10-8): Normal and M/S. M/S mode provides decoding for a mid-side microphone configuration. The Width knob (Figure 10-8) provides control over the stereo imaging, going from a full stereo image to mono (both channels panned equally). See “Width” on page 65. mono input), use the reverb Pan knob (Figure 10-8) to pan the mono signal for the stereo reverb processor.
The EQ tab The EQ tab (Figure 10-10) displays the EQ settings for the input or output channel that currently has the focus. Click any focus button in the Inputs or Outputs tab to view the EQ tab settings for the channel. display provides comprehensive control and visual feedback of the EQ curve being applied. With 64-bit floating point processing, the UltraLite-mk3 Vintage EQ has been carefully crafted and meticulously engineered to produce musical results in a wide variety of applications.
Vintage EQ Quick reference Filter response display: Shows the response curve for the current settings. Composite curve (white line): shows the overall Vertical scale: Lets you zoom the vertical scale of Individual filter curve: Each filter has a color the filter response display. (indicated by its knobs). When filter curves are being displayed (the filter curve option is turned on), each individual filter’s response curve is displayed in the filter’s color.
Adjusting filters in the display Each filter has a handle, displayed as shown below in Figure 10-12 (in the filter’s color), for adjusting its boost/cut and/or frequency: FFT curve Filter handle Filter Q (red line) Figure 10-12: Drag the filter handle to adjust its frequency and/or boost/cut. Drag the Filter Q handles to adjust the Q. For the EQ filters, when you click the handle, you’ll also see lines on either side for adjusting the Q parameter, as shown above.
Using the full window filter display Choose Show Full Window Analysis from the Filter display options menu (Figure 10-10) to fill the entire CueMix FX window with the filter EQ display for detailed inspection and adjustment of the EQ filter, as shown in Figure 10-16. You can show and hide the FFT display, spectrogram or EQ band response curves as desired using the Display Options menu options (Figure 10-16).
EQ filters The EQ filters have three parameters: Control unit range Gain dB -20.00 to +20.00 Frequency Hertz 20 Hz to 20 kHz Q n/a - see note below 0.01 to 3.00 The following sections describe the character of each type of EQ filter and their suggested applications. In the illustrations for each filter style (Figure 10-18 through Figure 10-21), the settings for the three example curves are the same for the purpose of comparison: Frequency = 1.
Type II Type III Figure 10-19: Type II EQ filter style. The Type II EQ filter produces constant Q response during boost or cut. The Type II style emulates several classic legacy EQs and produces good results for resonance control on drums and percussion because it provides relatively high Q values with more extreme gain or cut settings. Figure 10-20: Type III EQ filter style. The Type III EQ filter increases Q as boost is applied.
Type IV Shelf filters Figure 10-21: Type IV EQ filter style. The Type IV EQ filter is a more extreme form of the Type III filter. It exhibits a high degree of interaction between Q and gain in order to maintain as closely as possible an equal amount of area under the response curve as gain is adjusted. Type IV is the most gentle of the four EQ styles and is ideal for large scale EQ adjustments, especially on sub-mixes and complete mixes.
response corresponds to a second order shelf, still with no overshoot. This is the same response as conventional parametric EQs. In some situations, this form of accurate, clean shelving can sound harsh, especially when compared to legacy analog EQs. To soften the results, the overshoot is increased as Q is increased, as shown Figure 10-22 for Q values of 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00.
The Dynamics tab The Dynamics tab (Figure 10-26) displays the Dynamics processing settings for the input or output channel that currently has the focus. Click any focus button in the Inputs or Outputs tab to view the Dynamics tab settings for the channel. Input level meter Output Gain Threshold level reduction meter meter Trim Dynamics tab Compressor enable/disable Leveler enable/disable Compressor The Compressor (Figure 10-26) lowers the level of the input when it is above the threshold.
Output level The Output Level meter (Figure 10-26) displays the peaks of the output signal. Trim is applied before the Output Level meter. Peak/RMS modes In RMS mode the compressor uses RMS values (a computational method for determining overall loudness) to measure the input level. In Peak mode, the compressor uses signal peaks to determine the input level. RMS mode will let peaks through because the detector sidechain is only looking at the average signal level. Peak mode will react to brief peaks.
It is precisely this self-adjusting behavior that makes optical compressors the tool of choice for smoothing out vocals, bass guitar and fullprogram mixes without destroying perceived dynamics. Compressor/Limit buttons The Comp and Limit buttons (Figure 10-26) model the original LA-2A Limit/Compress mode switch. The effect is very subtle, with the Limit option behaving only slightly more like a limiter than a compressor.
displaying an input meter). Click Pre to view levels before any input channel processing besides trim; click Post to view levels after all channel processing (EQ, compression, M/S decoding, L/R swap, etc.) The Reverb tab The Reverb tab (Figure 10-28) provides access to the UltraLite-mk3’s single, global reverb processor, which provides high-fidelity reverberation and graphic control over its parameters.
Output When the Split Point is set to Output, the sends in Output tab become active and the returns in the Mix bus tab gray out. This allows you to send from inputs, mixes and outputs and return to outputs. Primary controls The Primary Controls section (Figure 10-28) in the Reverb tab provides the following basic parameters for programming the reverb. Reverb Time Reverb time determines the length of decay, or tail, of the reverb. This is a global setting for the reverb processor.
Assigning outputs to the monitor group Any combination of outputs can be assigned to the monitor group. To include an output pair in the monitor group, click its Monitor button in the Outputs tab (Figure 10-6 on page 69). EQ on a stereo channel requires approximately twice the DSP resources as the same EQ on a mono channel. The Compressor (2.5 x 1 EQ band) and Leveler (4 x 1 EQ band) require about the same DSP resources for a mono or stereo channel.
Control room Talkback mic only occurs when talkback or listenback is engaged. Audio playing back from disk (your host software) is not affected. Main outs Talk dim Outs 7-8 (front panel mic input) Live room Headphone distribution amp Listenback mic Listen dim Figure 10-30: Typical hardware setup for Talkback and Listenback.
SHORTCUTS Hold down the following general modifier keys as shortcuts: Shortcut Result Shift key Applies your action to all inputs or all outputs in the mix. Control key Applies your action to the stereo input pair, even when it is currently configured as mono. Alt key Applies your action to all busses. Shift-Alt Applies your action to all inputs and mixes. Double-click Returns the control to its default value (pan center, unity gain, etc.
DEVICES MENU OSCILLOSCOPE If you are working with more than one MOTU audio interface product, this menu displays all interfaces that are currently on line. Choose any device from the menu to edit its settings using the CueMix FX software. The Oscilloscope (Figure 10-33) graphs the amplitude of an audio signal over time. Below each device are three signal analysis tools: Oscilloscope, X-Y Plot and Phase Analysis. Choose one to open its window. For details on these features, see the following sections.
Pause button View menu Figure 10-34: View controls View menu The View menu (Figure 10-34) lets you choose how you wish to display the audio channel(s) being displayed.
In Min/Max mode, Min and Max set the smallest and largest displayed amplitude. Waveform Recognition The Waveform Recognition option searches through new audio data looking for a waveform which most resembles that which was previously displayed. The region where this takes place is a small window around the line marking time equals zero, denoted by the extra vertical graph lines surrounding it. There are two kinds of waveform recognition available: Type I and Type II.
Enabling the Magnitude check box tells the trigger to look for both positive and negative Level values, regardless of whether the Level value is positive or negative. For example, if Level is set to +0.500 and Magnitude is enabled, the trigger will look for both +0.500 and -0.500. You will see a second blue line appear in the display when Magnitude is enabled to denote the second value. Holdoff Holdoff defines a time interval during which the oscilloscope does not trigger.
To adjust the left and right edges of the measurement area, click and drag the blue bars in the graph, or click and drag the blue numbers in the upper left or right corners. To reset them to the default value, double-click the numbers. Information about the measured area is displayed at the center of the top ruler: the duration (in seconds and samples), the approximate frequency, and the scientific note name. If the measured area is long enough, the approximate beats per minute (bpm) is displayed.
screen, try raising the Holdoff level. Once the transient is settled in the display and fairly stable, you may need to adjust the horizontal position to center it in the display. These settings are depicted in the example in Figure 10-39. You can also pause the display at any time and adjust the horizontal bounds to locate a transient. Clip detection You can use the Oscilloscope to detect clipping in a digital audio signal.
X-Y PLOT The X-Y Plot window (Figure 10-40) graphs the amplitude of a stereo audio signal on a twodimensional grid. For each unit of time (i.e. each sample), the amplitude of the left channel is displayed on the xaxis and the amplitude of the right channel is displayed on the y-axis. A thick white vertical line marks where left channel amplitude equals zero; a thick white horizontal line marks where right channel amplitude equals zero (Figure 10-40, below).
Choosing a channel pair to display The X-Y Plot follows the currently focused audio input or output. If you focus a mono channel (e.g. Analog 3), its corresponding stereo pair will be displayed (Analog 3–4). View controls The View controls (Figure 10-41) provide several options for the X-Y Plot display. Pause button Figure 10-41: View controls Pausing the display The Pause button in the upper right corner of the View section (Figure 10-41) allows you to freeze the display at any time.
In Min/Max mode, Min and Max let you scale the grid by moving the -1.0 and +1.0 points along the axis. Min/Max mode lets you control the graph boundaries directly. Using the X-Y Plot The X-Y Plot helps you “see” the width of the stereo field of a mix. It also helps you determine if a mix has issues with polarity, as follows: Persistence The Persistence controls (Figure 10-44) affect the appearance of data from when it is first displayed until it disappears from the grid.
PHASE ANALYSIS The Phase Analysis window (Figure 10-46 on page 97) graphs frequency versus phase difference versus amplitude of a stereo signal on either rectangular or polar coordinates. In rectangular coordinates, the vertical axis represents frequency, and the horizontal axis represents the phase of the left channel minus the phase of the right channel (measured in radians). Choosing a channel pair to display The Phase Analysis window follows the currently focused audio input or output.
A/B (stereo audio channels) The View section (Figure 10-47) displays the pair of input or output audio channels you are viewing. See “Choosing a channel pair to display” above. Line/Scatter Choose either Line or Scatter from the menu in the View section (Figure 10-47) to plot each data point as either a single pixel or as a continuous line that connects each frequency data point to the next, as shown below in Figure 10-42.
Horizontal and vertical controls The Horizontal and Vertical controls (Figure 10-51) let you scale each axis of the grid and offset its zero point. Click and drag the values up or down to set them, or double-click to return to the default value. There are two modes for the controls: Zoom/Offset and Min/Max. To change the mode, use the menu shown in Figure 10-51. Figure 10-51: Setting the Horizontal or Vertical control modes. In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom scales the axis. Pos moves the zero line.
outside the critical frequency range of the instrument being recorded, you can avoid phase problems among the mic signals. Tuning PA systems The Phase Analysis window can also be used to troubleshoot and tune PAs and sound reinforcement systems by placing microphones in strategic locations, comparing the two signals in the Phase Analysis grid and looking for phase issues at various locations.
Here is a summary of Configurations menu operations: 3 Type in a name, choose a preset slot and click OK. Configurations Menu item Saving a hardware preset as a CueMix FX configuration To save a hardware preset as a CueMix FX configuration: What it does Create New Lets you name and save a new configuration, which appears at the bottom of the Configurations menu. Save Overwrites the current configuration (checked in the list at the bottom of the menu) with the current settings in CueMix FX.
that is not currently being displayed, CueMix FX will jump to the appropriate tab to display the control you are adjusting. Share surfaces with other applications When the Share surfaces with other applications menu command is checked, CueMix FX releases the control surface when you switch to another application. This allows you to control your other software with the control surface. Here’s a simple way to understand this mode: the control surface will always control the front-most application.
CHAPTER 11 MOTU SMPTE Console OVERVIEW MOTU SMPTE SETUP The UltraLite-mk3 can resolve directly to SMPTE time code via any analog input, without a separate synchronizer. The UltraLite-mk3 can also generate time code via any analog output. The UltraLite-mk3 provides a DSP-driven phase-lock engine with sophisticated filtering that provides fast lockup times and sub-frame accuracy.
auto-detect and switch to the incoming frame rate, except that it cannot distinguish between 30 fps and 29.97 fps time code, or 23.976 and 24 fps time code. So if you are working with either of these rates, make sure you choose the correct rate from this menu. READER SECTION The Reader section (on the left-hand side of the window in Figure 11-1) provides settings for synchronizing the UltraLite-mk3 to SMPTE time code.
U Y L OT N A M PA TI M EN CO FID N CO The UltraLite-mk3 cannot freewheel address without clock. Therefore, the Freewheel Address setting will always be lower than or equal to the Freewheel Clock setting, and both menus will update as needed, depending on what you choose. The ‘Infinite’ freewheel setting The Infinite freewheel setting in the Freewheel Clock menu causes the UltraLite-mk3 to freewheel indefinitely, until it receives readable time code again.
SYNCING TO SMPTE TIME CODE Use this setup if you have: The UltraLite-mk3 system can resolve directly to SMPTE time code. It can also generate time code, under its own clock or while slaving to time code. Therefore, the UltraLite-mk3 can act both as an audio interface and as a SMPTE time code synchronizer to which you can slave other devices.
CHAPTER 12 Performance Tips & Troubleshooting Things seems like they are working fine, but the UltraLite-mk3 then just drops off line, and the computer can’t see it anymore on the FireWire bus. This is a common symptom when the problem is that the UltraLite-mk3 is not getting enough power. Check the power source for the UltraLite-mk3. Make sure that the power connection meets the requirements outlined in “Bus power requirements” on page 23.
CueMix FX monitoring feature. Please see chapter 9, “Reducing Monitoring Latency” (page 55). Controlling monitoring latency See chapter 9, “Reducing Monitoring Latency” (page 55). CUSTOMER SUPPORT We are happy to provide customer support to our registered users. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to register on line at motu.com, or fill out and mail the registration card included with your 8pre.
Symbols +4dB analog input 20 -10dB analog input 20 1394 connector 6, 11, 18, 19 192kHz operation 30 24-bit 3rd party software 53 recording 12 48V phantom power 41 4-pin FireWire 23 6-pin FireWire 23 828 connecting to UltraLite-mk3 27 896mk3 connecting to UltraLite-mk3 27 A Ableton Live 45 Activity meters 12 All Notes Off (LCD) 38 Analog inputs/outputs 6 making connections to 20 overview 10 trim 67 Analog meters 12 Application follows control surface 101 ASIO 12, 15, 16, 43 software clock source 44 Attack c
Front panel 35 LCD display 11 G Gain EQ 76 reduction 80 reduction (Leveler) 82 General tab 29 GR (gain reduction) 80 GSIF driver 12, 15, 16 Guitar connecting 20, 25 H Hardware Follows CueMix Stereo Settings 87 Hardware follows CueMix Stereo Settings 87 Hardware reset 38 Headphone jack 5, 11, 36 Headphones connecting 25 controlling output 32 HUI 102 IIn menu (LCD) 39 Infinite freewheel 104, 105 Inputs analog 6 pan 65 reverb send 68 S/PDIF 6 tab 66 trim 67 Installation hardware 17 software 15 Internal (sy
Registration 13 Release Dynamics 80 Return Assign 32 Cubase/Nuendo 46 SONAR 52 Reverb 63 design section 84 early reflections 84 enabling/disabling 83 input sends 68 mix bus send/return 64, 65 outputs send/return 68 predelay 84 returns 83 routing to/from 83 send (channel tab) 71 sends 83 shelf filter 84 tab 83 time 84 trim (channel tab) 71 width 84 Reverb return 83 Cubase 47, 52 Nuendo 47, 52 RMS mode 81 S S/PDIF 6, 11 clock source setting 31 connection 21 meters 12 sync 22 trim 67 Sample rate 7, 30 192kHz
