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 II ™ 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 23 Mac OS X Audio Software 33 Windows Audio Software 39 CueMix FX 49 Troubleshooting 51 Index 3
1 2 4 3 Quick Reference: MicroBook Front Panel 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.
1 3. This eighth-inch “stereo mini” jack serves as an alternative input for Line Inputs 3-4. For example, you can plug in an iPod or CD player here, instead of using the quarterinch jacks to the right. DO NOT plug a cable into this mini jack at the same time as the quarter-inch jacks. To avoid ground loop noise, don’t connect a device with another power source (such as an iPod connected to a computer). 2. This stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF digital output mirrors the Main Out. 3 4.
4. Four-LED metering for the MIC input and GUITAR input. In “Guitar Trim Mode” (see below), these meters indicate the input level setting (not signal activity). 3. Stereo three-LED metering for the MAIN OUTs. 2. Three-LED metering for the LINE IN jacks. 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. Push and hold the VOL encoder to enable Guitar Trim Mode.
Quick CHAPTER Reference: CueMix FX 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 39). 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.
■ S/PDIF digital out on RCA (duplicates Main Out). ■ Headphone output on a quarter-inch stereo jack with independent volume control. ■ Operation on all analog and digital I/O at standard sample rates from 44.1 to 96 kHz. ■ Digitally controlled analog trim for the mic and guitar inputs. ■ Digital trim for all outputs. ■ Output volume digital rotary encoder. Push to cycle among three modes: main out, phones, or both. ■ Mic input digital rotary encoder for adjusting trim level, 48V and pad.
recorded wet, dry, or dry with a wet monitor mix (for musicians during recording, for example). Effects include parametric EQ and compression/limiting. Standard compression provides conventional threshold, ratio, attack, release, trim, and knee controls. The 7-band parametric EQ is modeled after British analog console EQs, featuring four filter styles (gain/Q profiles) to effectively cover a wide range of audio material.
12 ABOUT THE MICROBOOK
CHAPTER 2 Packing List and System Requirements PACKING LIST WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 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.
Mac users: be sure to register AudioDesk If you are a Mac user, 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. OBTAINING YOUR MICROBOOK SERIAL NUMBER Thank you for taking the time to register your new MOTU products! 2 Choose Devices menu> MicroBook> Setup.
CHAPTER 3 Installing the MicroBook Software MAC SOFTWARE INSTALLATION To install the MicroBook software: 1 Insert the MOTU Universal Installer disc and launch the installer. 2 Follow the directions that the installer gives you. What does the installer do? The installer checks the computer to make sure it satisfies the minimum system requirements for your MOTU interface. If so, the installer proceeds with the Mac OS X installation. Drivers are installed, along with the CueMix FX application.
Figure 3-1: AudioDesk for Mac OS X.
CHAPTER 4 Installing the MicroBook Hardware OVERVIEW Windows users: install the software first . . . . 17 Connect the MicroBook interface . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Connect inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Bus power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 A typical MicroBook setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 4-2) 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. Line out You can use the eighth-inch stereo mini line out jack for output to desktop speakers or any other line level destination. 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 20.
Input metering while adjusting trim Use the long-throw, horizontal input level meter (5) at the top of the channel settings section (Figure 4-4) to calibrate the level. 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: 1 Click the Inputs tab (Figure 4-4). 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 Bus power requirements The MicroBook draws all the power it needs from the USB bus connection to the computer. However, the USB connection to the computer must meet all of the requirements discussed below.
A TYPICAL MICROBOOK SETUP Here is a typical MicroBook studio setup. This rig can be operated without an external mixer. 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.
CHAPTER 5 Mac OS X Audio Software OVERVIEW RUNNING CUEMIX FX The MicroBook provides audio input and output for all Mac OS X Core Audio applications, including AudioDesk, Digital Performer, Apple’s Logic Pro, Logic Express, SoundTrack 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.
Choose the MOTU MicroBook from this menu, as discussed in the following sections. 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. Exchanging projects with AudioDesk Digital Performer can exchange projects with AudioDesk. To open an AudioDesk project in Digital Performer, open it in same way you would a DP project.
Logic Pro and Logic Express In Logic Pro and Logic Express, go to the Preferences window, click the Audio tab, click the Drivers tab and click the Core Audio tab as shown in Figure 5-4. Choose the MOTU MicroBook from the Output and Input device menus. For info about the I/O Buffer Size setting, see “Adjusting the audio I/O buffer” on page 34. Garage Band In Garage Band, go to the Audio/MIDI preferences and choose MOTU MicroBook from the Audio Output and Audio Input menus (Figure 5-6).
Live In Ableton Live, access the preferences window and click the Audio tab. Choose CoreAudio from the Driver Type menu. Choose the MOTU MicroBook from the Input Audio Device and Output Audio Device menus (Figure 5-8). For information about the Buffer Size setting, see “Adjusting the audio I/O buffer” on page 34. Reaper In Cockos Reaper, access the Preferences and click Devices under the Audio preferences. Choose MOTU MicroBook from the Audio Device menu as shown below in Figure 5-10.
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. For example, you might have a mic, guitar, and MIDI synth connected to the analog inputs of the MicroBook. If so, you will often be mixing their live input with audio material recorded in your host software. See “Monitoring live input” below.
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 5-11 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 5-12 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 5-11 and Figure 5-12) 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.
Under Mac 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 23).
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 as shown in Figure 6-2. Choose the MOTU Audio ASIO from the Current Engine menu.34 ☛ Pro Tools 9 or later is required for operation with the MicroBook. Figure 6-3: Activating the MicroBook ASIO driver in Cubase and Nuendo. Figure 6-2: Enabling the MOTU Audio ASIO driver in Pro Tools.
Reason and Record In Propellerhead Reason and Record, go to the Preferences window, choose Audio preferences from the menu and choose ASIO MOTU Audio ASIO from the Audio Card Driver menu as shown below in Figure 6-5. SONAR In Cakewalk SONAR, you can use the MOTU ASIO driver or the MOTU WDM driver. Note that when using ASIO, only one audio interface may be selected for use in SONAR. Using the MOTU ASIO driver 1 Go to SONAR’s Preferences. 2 In the Audio preferences section, choose Playback and Recording.
5 Check the MicroBook inputs and outputs that you wish to use and uncheck the ones you don’t, (Figure 6-8 on page 36). Other audio settings in SONAR There are a few other settings in SONAR that impact MicroBook operation: 1 In the Audio preferences section, choose Driver Settings. Figure 6-8: Enabling inputs and outputs in SONAR. Using the MOTU WDM driver 1 Go to SONAR’s Preferences. 2 Choose a MicroBook input and output for recording and playback timing as shown below in Figure 6-10.
Figure 6-11: Running the Wave Profiler in Cakewalk’s SONAR. Other audio software For other audio applications, the procedure is similar to that shown above. Consult your owner’s manual for further information. routing channels to musicians, or it can serve as an integrated extension of your digital audio workstation’s mixing environment.
38 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 . . 39 CueMix FX versus host mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 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 40). 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: ■ A brief explanation of the problem, including the exact sequence of actions which cause it, and the contents of any error messages which appear on the screen.
0 Index 20 dB pad 18 24-bit 27, 37 recording 10 48V phantom power 4 A Ableton (see Live) Analog inputs/outputs connecting to 18, 19 Apple GarageBand 25 Logic Pro/Express 25, 30 Soundtrack Pro 25 ASIO 11, 25 Cubase 34 Live 34 Nuendo 34 Reason 35 Record (application) 35 SONAR 35 AudioDesk 15 enabling MicroBook driver 24 exchanging projects with DP 24 Aux 1-2 43 Avid Pro Tools 24, 34 B Balanced analog 18, 19 Bit depth 5, 10 Buffer size 27, 29 Bus power 5 examples 21 requirements 21 C Cakewalk (see SONA
Oscilloscope 48 Outputs line 19 main 19 phones S/PDIF 5 signal flow 44 Outputs tab 8, 41, 44 P Packing list 13 Pad 18 Patch thru latency 31 PCMCIA adaptors 21 Performance 31 Phantom power 4, 18 Phase Analysis 48 Phones (see Headphones) Pink noise Plug-in processing 27 Post-EQ/Compressor 46 Pre/post FX buttons 45 Precision Digital Trim 10 Pre-Effects/EQ/Compressor 46 Pro Tools 24, 34 Propellerhead (see Reason, Record) R Reaper 26, 35 Reason 23, 35 52 Record (application) 35 Registration 13 Return 1-2 4
