Apogee Duet 2 Users Guide Print Version Created: July 2011 This version of the Duet 2 Users Guide is for PRINT purposes only. The latest and most up-to-date Users Guide is available at: http://support.apogeedigital.
Quick Start 5 Introduction! 5 Packaging Contents! 5 Duet 2 Panel Tour! 6 OLED Panel Tour! 7 Connecting to your Mac! 7 Choosing Duet 2 for Mac Sound I/O! 8 Configuring the Input! 9 Using Duet with Logic! 12 Operation 16 Multi-Function Controller Knob! 16 Duet’s OLED Display! 16 Duet’s Assignable Touchpads! 18 OS X System Preferences! 20 OS X Audio MIDI Setup! 22 Apogee Maestro 2! 23 Using the AC Adapter! 23 Maestro 2 25 Devices Sidebar! 25 Device Icon & ID Button! 25 I
Device Settings Tab Window! 28 Mixer Tab Window! 29 System Setup Window! 30 Menu Bar Menus! 31 Low Latency Mixing! 33 Connections 39 Monitors and Headphones! 39 Instrument and Mic! 39 Connecting Two Microphones! 40 Connecting Two Instruments! 41 Powered Monitors! 43 Connecting To A Home Stereo! 43 Applications 44 Using Duet with Logic! 44 Using Duet with Apple’s GarageBand! 47 Using Duet with Avid Pro Tools 9! 48 Using Duet with Apple MainStage! 50 Using Duet with Ableton L
Troubleshooting/FAQs Further Troubleshooting Resources! 55 57 Specifications 58 System Requirements 59 Duet 2 Warranty Information and Legal Notices 60 4
Quick Start Introduction Thank you for purchasing Duet 2. This QuickStart guide describes how to set up Duet 2 with your Mac, connect speakers or headphones to play back music and connect mics and instruments to record your own creations with Apple’s Logic Pro or Logic Express. Duet 2 - The new standard in personal recording Duet set the standard for professional portable recording on the Mac.
Duet 2 Panel Tour 6
OLED Panel Tour Connecting to your Mac System Requirements • Intel Mac 1.5 GHz or faster • MacOS X 10.6.
Install Duet Software 1. Remove the protective film from the front panel, otherwise the Touch Pads will not work 2. Connect Duet 2’s USB port to a USB port on your Mac using the supplied USB 2 cable. 3. Go to http://www.apogeedigital.com/downloads.php 4. Follow the onscreen steps to get the latest Duet 2 software installer. 5. Once you have downloaded the package, double-click the open box icon to run the installer. 6. You will be required to restart your computer after the install is complete.
Check Audio Playback in iTunes To verify Duet 2’s output, open iTunes (found in your Mac’s Applications folder), choose a song, and click Play. Adjusting Volume To adjust the volume, press Duet 2’s Multi-function Controller Knob until the speaker or headphone icon is lit on the display’s Home View and turn the knob clockwise to increase the volume. If you get a message warning about USB current draw, connect Duet 2 to the supplied Apogee AC Power Adapter.
Connect a microphone or instrument to the breakout cable’s combo jack. Open Apogee Maestro 2 from the Applications folder and select the Input tab. Select the Analog Level setting that corresponds to the device you have connected to Duet 2’s input(s). For example, if you have a microphone connected to the XLR input of the breakout cable’s combo jack, select “Mic” from the Analog Level menu.
Note: If you are using a condenser microphone that requires phantom power, then select the 48V box on the Input tab of Maestro 2. Phantom power is indicated on Duet 2’s display by a red dot above the microphone icon. If you have an instrument connected to the 1/4” input of the combo jack, then select “Inst” from the Analog Level menu. Push the Multi-function Controller Knob until the microphone or instrument icon is lit on the Duet 2’s display and turn the knob to raise or lower Duet 2’s input level*.
Using Duet with Logic Warning! Apogee's Control Panel within Logic is not compatible with Duet 2 Go to the Logic Pro or Logic Express menu and choose Preferences > Audio. In the Core Audio pane of the Device tab, select Duet 2 for Output Device and Input Device.
Set the I/O Buffer Size to 128. Click Apply Changes at the bottom of the Preferences window. By selecting Duet 2 input and output labels in Logic, the labels you see in Logic’s Channel Strip input and output slots correspond exactly to Duet 2’s hardware inputs and outputs, making I/O assignment much easier. 1. In Logic, choose Options > Audio > I/O Labels. 2. Select the labels in the Provided by Driver column. 3. Close the IO Labels window.
Now close the Logic Pro Preferences window and select New > Collection > Empty Project from the Trackmenu.
Logic will now ask you to name the project and save in on your hard drive. Click the Record button in the transport control at the bottom of the Logic window.
Operation Multi-Function Controller Knob Duet’s multi-function controller knob allows you to easily switch between Inputs and Outputs as well as adjust their levels. Duet’s OLED Display Duet's OLED display provides full color visual feedback and metering.
Input level To change Duet’s input level (i.e the recording level of mics and instruments), press and release the encoder repeatedly until the desired input is highlighted at the top of the OLED display. Then turn the encoder until the desired recording level is obtained (as seen in your recording software). Speaker Output level To change Duet’s speaker output level (i.
Duet’s Assignable Touchpads Duet's two assignable touchpads can be assigned to control many of Duet's settings and parameters. Use them to setup advanced muting functions when recording yourself or to toggle between program and cue during a DJ set. Assigning functions to the touchpads is done on the Device Settings tab of Maestro. Mute outputs To mute the speaker and headphone outputs, assign one of the user assignable touchpads in Maestro 2 to the desired mute function.
Dim outputs The Dim function lowers the output volume by 15 dB. This function is convenient when you want to briefly lower the playback volume in the speakers or headphones in order to hold a conversation without completely muting the output. Sum to Mono The Sum to Mono function is used to examine phase relationships on stereo tracks. When it is engaged, phase errors become more noticeable. See Sum to Mono (as link) for more information.
Clear Meters The Clear Meters function will remove held peak and over indicators on software and OLED meters when Peak Hold or Over Hold (in the System Setup tab window) is set to Infinite. OS X System Preferences The OS X System Preferences Sound window provides settings to choose Duet for Mac sound input and output. If you didn’t choose Duet for Mac sound I/O in step 3 of the Quickstart guide, you may do so in this window. Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences.
Click on the Output tab and select Duet in the Device window. Click on the Input tab and select Duet in the Device window.
OS X Audio MIDI Setup OS X Audio MIDI Setup is found in Applications > Utilities and provides control of Duet’s sample rate and output level, as well as settings to choose Duet for Mac sound input and output. To control Duet’s output level and muting from AMS or from the Mac keyboard, set Default Output to Duet. Setting Sample Rate Duet operates at all standard sample rates between 44.1 kHz and 192 kHz. In most cases, the sample rate is set by the audio application with which Duet is communicating.
Apogee Maestro 2 Apogee Maestro software provides the most complete control of Duet, including; • Control of all settings • Store/recall of configurations • Low latency mixing Using the AC Adapter If the "Connect AC adaptor" warning is displayed on the top panel OLED, or the "USB current limit" warning (shown below) appears on the Mac desktop, connect the supplied AC adaptor between Duet's DC power input and a standard wall socket.
Duet 2 has a sophisticated built-in power management system and will notify you with a message on its display when the use of the external power supply is recommended. In extreme cases (fault conditions, like accidental full volume on headphones) Duet 2 will automatically reduce the headphone output in favor of continued use of phantom power such that a possible running recording session will not be interrupted.
Maestro 2 Devices Sidebar Any Maestro-compatible Apogee interfaces connected to the host computer are displayed in the Devices sidebar, regardless of whether the connection is made via Symphony PCI card, USB or FireWire. Hardware settings are displayed by first selecting one or more interfaces in the Devices sidebar and then clicking on a tab. Device Icon & ID Button A device icon and ID button is placed adjacent to each row of parameters to identify the hardware unit to which the row belongs.
Prefix (A-Z, found in Maestro’s Device Settings tab window) which is displayed on the ID button. Input Tab Window 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above. 2. Analog Level - Use this menu to select microphone, instrument, or line input. 3. Soft Limit - Use this menu to engage Soft Limit. Soft Limit is Apogee’s proprietary analog process for taming transients before A/D conversion.
Output Tab Window 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above. 2. Analog Output Meter - This meter displays the level of the analog output before D/A conversion, in the range -48 to 0 dBFS. 3. Speaker Out Selection - This menu selects the software output that is sent to the speaker outputs. 4. Speaker Out Level - This knob controls the speaker output level. 5. Headphone Out Selection - This menu selects the software output that is sent to the headpone outputs. 6.
Duet's top panel touch buttons may be set to engage Sum to Mono on the Speaker outputs, the headphone outputs or both at the same time. See Device Settings Tab Window. 9. Mute - Engage this to mute the output. Device Settings Tab Window 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above. 2. Peripheral Prefix - Use this drop down menu to assign a letter prefix (A-Z) to each peripheral device displayed in the Devices Sidebar.
Mixer Tab Window Use the Mixer Tab Window to adjust the Mix of input and output signals as well as configure Low Latency Mixing. 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above. 2. Pan - This rotary knob pans the input signal between he left and right sides of the Maestro mixer's stereo output. 3. Input Level fader - This slider sets the level of the input signal in the Maestro mixer's stereo output. 4. Meter - This bargraph style meter displays the pre-fader input level. 5.
System Setup Window 1. Sample Rate - This drop down selects the sample rate. Under certain circumstances, (for example, when a DAW session is open) this setting will be overridden by software sample rate settings. The following settings determine the behavior of the front panel and Maestro software level meters. 2. Peak Hold - This pop-up menu sets the time that peak indications are held on software and front panel meters. 3.
Menu Bar Menus About Apogee Maestro - Choose this menu item to display version information. Preferences - Choose this menu item to display Maestro’s Preference panel. Check Launch Maestro automatically when connecting a device to launch Maestro when the Mac is started. Check Display Pop-ups to show top panel encoder adjustments. Hide Apogee Maestro 2 - Choose this menu item to hide the Maestro application. Hide Others - Choose this menu item to hide all other open applications.
Minimize - Choose this menu item to minimize the Maestro window to the OS X Dock. Zoom - Choose this menu item to maximize the size of the Maestro window. Choose any of the currently active tabs to open the tab window. Type Command + number to open the tab window.
Low Latency Mixing While recording, if you notice a delay between the moment you play or sing a note and when you hear it in your headphones you are experiencing latency. Maestro’s low latency mixer may help and can be configured by clicking the Mixer tab in Maestro. Maestro Low Latency mixing A bit of background information concerning latency and computer-based digital recording setups will help you better understand these functions.
To illustrate the effect of latency, figure A depicts the typical signal path of a vocal overdub session. A vocalist sings into a microphone, which is routed to an analog to digital converter then to the audio software application for recording. In the software application, the vocalist’s live signal is mixed with the playback of previously recorded tracks, routed to a digital to analog converter, and finally to the vocalist’s headphones.
Working with the Maestro Mixer Do I need the Maestro Mixer? The Maestro mixer serves to provide a low latency monitoring mix while recording. Therefore if you’re using Duet to listen to iTunes or audio from another program, there’s no need to use the mixer. Leave the outputs set to 1-2 or 3-4 to disable the mixer. It’s possible that the latency of your particular recording system is low enough to be unnoticed.
Software monitoring - Because the signal to be recorded is monitored through the Maestro mixer, the outputs of software tracks actively recording should be muted - after all, that’s the source of the latency. Most software applications provide an option to turn off software monitoring of recording tracks. In Logic Pro, for example, the software monitoring option is found in the same Audio preferences window used to select Duet as the hardware device (Logic Pro menu > Preferences > Audio).
Maestro Mixer Settings Initially, set the Input, Software Return, and Mixer Master faders to 0 dB. On the Output tab of Maestro, set the speaker, headphone, or both outputs to Mixer.
After making the input selection and setting gain, the signal should be displayed on both the Input and Mixer Master meters. If the Input’s Over LED lights, reduce the input gain in the Maestro Control window. If the Mixer Master’s Over LEDs light, reduce the Input fader. Now start playback in your recording software. The playback signal should be displayed on the Software Return and Mixer Master’s meters.
Connections Monitors and Headphones Connect powered monitors (Duet will not power unpowered monitors) to the 1/4” outputs with the icons labeled OUT-L and OUT-R on the breakout cable. Connect headphones to the 1/4” output with the icon.
In Maestro, change Input 1 to instrument Connect a microphone to the combination jack's XLR input 2 In Maestro, change Input 2 to Mic Connecting Two Microphones Connect microphone #1 to the combination jack's XLR input 1.
In Maestro, change Input 1 to Mic Connect microphone #2 to the combination jack's XLR input 2.
In Maestro, change Input 1 to instrument Connect instrument #2 to the combination jack's 1/4" instrument input 2 In Maestro, change Input 2 to instrument 42
Powered Monitors Duet is also the best way to listen to audio from your Mac, be it from your iTunes library, an Internet radio station, or CD/DVD playback. To connect Duet's line outputs directly to powered monitors (Duet will not power unpowered monitors), you'll need 2 cables with 1/4" tip-ring-sleeve plugs on one end to connect to Duet's OUT-L and OUT-R jacks and the appropriate connector on the other ends to connect your monitors.
Applications Using Duet with Logic Warning! Apogee's Control Panel within Logic is not compatible with Duet 2 Go to the Logic Pro or Logic Express menu and choose Preferences > Audio. In the Core Audio pane of the Device tab, select Duet 2 for Output Device and Input Device.
Set the I/O Buffer Size to 128. Click Apply Changes at the bottom of the Preferences window. By selecting Duet 2 input and output labels in Logic, the labels you see in Logic’s Channel Strip input and output slots correspond exactly to Duet 2’s hardware inputs and outputs, making I/O assignment much easier. 1. In Logic, choose Options > Audio > I/O Labels. 2. Select the labels in the Provided by Driver column. 3. Close the IO Labels window.
If you are recording a single microphone or instrument, make the following selections in the New Tracks dialog box: Number: 1 Type: Audio Format: Mono Input: Input 1 Output: 1-2 Check the Input Monitoring checkbox Check the Record Enable checkbox Logic will now ask you to name the project and save in on your hard drive. Click the Record button in the transport control at the bottom of the Logic window.
Using Duet with Apple’s GarageBand Warning! Apogee's Control Panel within GarageBand is not compatible with Duet 2 If you have Duet connected when you launch GarageBand Choose GarageBand > Preferences.
Using Duet with Avid Pro Tools 9 Choose Setup menu > Playback Engine. Choose Duet for Current Engine.
Set the Buffer Size to 128. Click OK.
Using Duet with Apple MainStage Warning! Apogee's Control Panel within MainStage is not compatible with Duet 2 Choose MainStage > Preferences Click on the Audio/MIDI tab Select Duet in the Audio Output and Audio Input menus Set I/ O Buffer Size to 128 Close the Preferences window after making settings. Using Duet with Ableton Live Choose Live > Preferences Click on the Audio tab. Select CoreAudio in the Driver Type menu. Select Duet in both the Audio Input Device and Audio Output Device menus.
Using Duet with Apple Final Cut Pro Choose Final Cut Pro > Audio/Video Settings. Click on the A/V Devices tab. Select Duet in the Audio menu. Click OK.
Using Duet with Apple Soundtrack Pro Choose Soundtrack Pro > Preferences. Click on the Recording tab. Select Duet in both the Input and Monitor menus. Close the Preferences window after making settings.
Using Duet with MOTU Digital Performer Choose Setup > Configure Audio System >Configure Hardware Driver In the Configure Hardware Driver window, select CoreAudio in the topmost menu. Select Duet in the device list. Set Buffer Size to 128. Set Host Buffer Multiplier to 1. Set Work Priority to Low. Click OK.
Using Duet with Steinberg Nuendo Choose Devices > Device Setup In the Devices window, click on VST Audio System. Select Duet in the ASIO menu. Once Duet is recognized by Nuendo, select Duet in the Devices window. Click on Control Panel. In the ASIO Settings pop-up, set Buffer Size to 128 and click OK. In the Device Setup window, click OK.
Troubleshooting/FAQs Q: What does the display of a white Apogee logo "A" on the top panel OLED indicate? A: The white "A" indicates that USB is disconnected. Connect USB, try a different USB cable or a different Mac USB port. Q: What does the display of a purple Apogee logo "A" on the top panel OLED indicate? A: The purple "A" indicates that Duet is loading its firmware. Q: When I press the encoder to select an input or output, the selection is unavailable.
Click on the Devices tab, then the Core Audio tab. Uncheck Enabled, then re-check it. 4) In iTunes, stop then re-start audio playback. Symptom: The touch buttons don't work consistently. Solution: Be sure that the top panel protective film has been removed. Symptom: Duet isn't recognized in System Preferences, Maestro or my DAW application.
Further Troubleshooting Resources If you still haven't found a resolution to your issue, Apogee provides a wide range of resources to help you. Apogee Website For any questions concerning product information, please visit our website: www.apogeedigital.com To peruse Apogee videos, including Symphony I/O Module Installation tutorials, please visit our video section: video.apogeedigital.com For more technical information, including FAQs, User Guides and downloads, please visit the support section: support.
Specifications Features Duet 2 Computer Connectivity USB 2.0 High Speed Roundtrip Latency Performance 32 buffer @ 96kHz = 3.6 ms 64 buffer @44.1 kHz = 5.8 ms Power USB Bus Power (DC power optional Bit resolution/sample rate 24-bit/44.1kHz Input Channels 24-bit/44.
Features Duet 2 Dim Outputs Toggle Headphone Source Core Audio Compatible System Requirements • Intel Mac 1.5 GHz or faster • MacOS X 10.6.
Duet 2 Warranty Information and Legal Notices Registration and Warranty Information Be sure to register your Duet 2, either by filling in the enclosed Registration Card or by completing the on-line registration form at our Web site: apogeedigital.com/account.php If you do so, Apogee can contact you with any update information. As enhancements and upgrades are developed, you will be contacted at the registration address. Firmware updates are free for the first year of ownership unless otherwise stated.
USA: Some states do not allow for the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for incidental or consequential damage, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state. Service Information The Duet 2 contains no user-serviceable components; refer to qualified service personnel for repair or upgrade. Your warranty will be voided if you tamper with the internal components.
Software Notice Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. NOTE: The use of non-shielded cable with this equipment is prohibited. CAUTION: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. Apogee Electronics Corp. 1715 Berkeley Street Santa Monica,CA 90404, USA Betty Bennett, CEO.
