User guide
Quick Reference: 896mk3 Front Panel
1. These 10-segment level meters are dedicated to the
896mk3’s eight analog inputs. The top red ‘HOLD’ LED
illuminates when the signal reaches full scale—for even
just one sample—and remains illuminated until you clear
it in the software. The ‘CLIP’ LED below only lights up
momentarily so that you can continue to adjust level even
after clipping has just occurred. The remaining LEDs
provide two different scales for operation with or without
V-Limit™, which provides hardware limiting and clip
prevention for signal levels as high as +12dB over zero.
Without V-Limit, the LED scale goes up to -1 dB and clips at
zero. With V-Limit, the LED scale goes up to +12 dB and
clips when the input signal goes over + 12 dB.
2. This bank of level meters can be programmed to display
any input or output bank: analog, optical (ADAT or
TOSLINK), or “digital” (AES/EBU and S/PDIF). Use MOTU
Audio Console or the METERS knob below to choose which
bank you’d like to view with these meters. The LEDs to the
right show which bank you are currently monitoring.
3. The light that is illuminated here tells you which bank you
are monitoring with the programmable meter bank to the
left.
4. These meters display the level for the 896mk3’s main outs.
5. This section controls the 896mk3’s built-in CueMix FX
mixer and effects. There are eight stereo mix busses: each
bus mixes all inputs (or any subset you wish) to a stereo
output of your choice. You can apply EQ and compression to
inputs and outputs, plus reverb to ins, outs and mixes. The
four knobs below the LCD correspond directly to the four
labeled sections of the LCD. Use the CHANNEL knob to
choose the input, output or mix you wish to edit. Push it to
switch among inputs, outputs and busses, then turn it to
choose the desired channel or bus. Use the PAGE, PARAM
and VALUE knobs to access the settings for the chosen
channel.
6. The CLOCK LEDs indicate the global sample rate at which
the MOTU 896mk3 is operating. Use MOTU Audio Console
to set the sample rate or to choose an external clock source,
from which the sample rate will be set. When no sample
clock is currently present, these lights flash. For example, if
you’ve set the MOTU 896mk3 to slave to an external clock,
such as ADAT, but there is no clock signal currently being
detected, these lights will flash.
7. FireWire and USB are “plug-and-play” protocols. That
means that you can turn off the MOTU 896mk3 and turn it
back on (or even unplug it) without restarting your
computer.
8. Use this knob to choose which audio bank you are viewing
with the programmable meters (2).
9. Push the CHANNEL knob repeatedly to cycle among the
four main sections of the mixer: mix busses, inputs,
outputs and the reverb module. Push the PARAM knob to
enter the SETUP menu, which provides global 896mk3
settings, such as the global sample rate, etc.
10. Connect a standard foot switch here for hands-free punch-
in and punch-out during recording. For details about how
to set this up, see “Enable Pedal” on page 43.
11. From the factory, the PHONES jack is a discrete output (at
44.1/48 kHz), but it can mirror any other output pair
(digital or analog). For example, at 88.2/96 kHz, it defaults
to mirroring the main outs. As the primary phone jack, it
has its own dedicated volume knob.
12. The phone jack labeled (MAIN OUT) is a standard quarter-
inch stereo headphone jack. Its output is hard-wired to
mirror the XLR main outs on the rear panel. From the
factory, the MASTER VOL knob above it controls the main
outs and this jack, but MASTER VOL can be programmed to
control any combination of outputs. See “The Monitor
Group” on page 95 for details. Push the knob once to view
the current volume setting in the LCD display; push it again
to mute the monitor group; push a third time to return to
the previous volume. Note: if the Monitor group is
programmed to not include the main outs, the MASTER
VOL knob will no longer control the volume of this phone
jack, either.
13. These eight trim knobs provide approximately 53 dB of
gain for the XLR mic inputs and the hi-Z TRS guitar/instru-
ment inputs on the rear panel. All eight inputs have
preamps, so you can plug just about anything into them:
a microphone, a guitar, or a synth. If you plug in a +4 or
-10 line level signal, use the quarter-inch jack and be sure
to enable the -20 dB pad. Use the trim knobs and the
“ANLOG INPUT” meters in the metering section above to
calibrate the input signal level. The meters cover both the
TRS and XLR input.
Push the TRIM encoder to toggle a -20 dB pad; push and
hold to toggle 48V phantom power.
These mic inputs are also equipped with the 896mk3’s
V-Limit™ hardware limiter, which provides an additional
+12 dB of headroom above zero with no clipping or digital
distortion. See “Mic/guitar inputs meters with V-Limit™
compressor” on page 42 for details.
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