www.solidstatelogic.com Nucleus User Guide Nucleus. This is SSL.
82BN0M01A December 2010 82BN0M01B December 2011 Document History Initial Release Corrected footers and other small typo’s Clarified Mac requirements for USB Soundcard
Table of Contents Introduction Nucleus DAW Control Principles How to use this Manual Conventions Glossary Software Versions Help! 1. Nucleus Overview 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 Channel Strip and Mode Switches 3 Centre Section and Analogue Control 4 Nucleus Remote 4 2. Nucleus Configurations DAWs With Proprietary Soundcards DAWs Without Proprietary Soundcards Multiple DAWs 3. Software Installation Mac Installation Windows Installation 4.
Timeline Functions Transport Master Jog Wheel Function Automation Display (HUI Only) Soft Key Configuration Default Soft Keys User 1, User 2 Soft Keys Transport / Utility Soft Keys Assigning Soft Key Functions DAW Protocol Commands DAW Keyboard Shortcuts Soft Key Menus Renaming Softkey Assignments Assigning Modified Functions to Soft Keys Removing and Replacing Soft Key Assignments Configuring Continuous Controller Layers 6.
Introduction NUCLEUS Welcome to Nucleus, SSL’s integrated DAW controller and soundcard. Nucleus allows you to record audio and monitor your studio software through SSL’s legendary analogue circuitry and converters, while placing full control of your session underneath your fingertips.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL After this introduction, you will find a quick overview of Nucleus, followed by more detailed sections covering installation, use of the Nucleus Logictivity Remote, and general Nucleus operation. Conventions Throughout this manual, the following conventions will be used: • Labels found on the Nucleus control surface are indicated Like This. • Labels and text found either in the Nucleus Remote or other computer dialogues are indicated Like This.
1. Nucleus Overview The diagrams below and overleaf provide an overview of the Nucleus control surface along with the main DAW screen of the Nucleus Remote. CHANNEL STRIP AND MODE SWITCHES Mode Switches Channel meter and record status indicator The Mode switches are not part of the channel in which they are located. In normal operation, they select V-Pot modes. By default only Mode switches 1-8 are assigned. Note that the V-Pot modes are printed beneath the switches, and not shown in the digital display.
CENTRE SECTION AND ANALOGUE CONTROL USER soft key set selectors Analogue control: Monitoring and Mic inputs DAW channel control modifiers DAW computer modifier keys * Channel/bank scrollers Global DAW control keys * Additional DAW Layer selectors Transport control * * Note. The functions of switches in areas with asterisks are defined in the Nucleus Remote. Default functions are shown.
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Using Nucleus’ Analogue IO For soundcards which don’t have digital IO, line-level analogue connections allow you still to make use of Nucleus’ SSL preamps. Nucleus PRE (pre-amp) outputs and EXTERNAL monitor inputs can be used to connect Nucleus to the soundcard inputs and outputs. Monitoring Headphones DAW Computer Recording Sources Ethernet (DAW control and Remote) USB (DAW keyboard commands) PRE Out and EXTERNAL In MP3 Player Mains Power Note.
DAWs Without Proprietary Soundcards For software which can send and receive audio via any soundcard connected to the computer, Nucleus can be connected directly to the DAW using the USB connection. Monitoring Headphones DAW Computer Recording Sources Ethernet (DAW control and Remote) USB (Soundcard and DAW keyboard commands) MP3 Player Mains Power Note.
Multiple DAWs Up to three DAW applications on up to three computers can be connected to Nucleus simultaneously, as described on Page 14. This configuration requires both a Network Router and USB switcher. DAW Computer DAW Computer DAW Computer Network Router USB switcher Ethernet (DAW control and Remote) USB (Soundcard and DAW keyboard commands) Note. Diagram doesn’t indicate socket locations.
3. Software Installation In order for Nucleus to integrate into your working environment, it will be necessary to install drivers and supporting software on your DAW computer(s) and/or studio computer(s). The following computers and operating systems are supported: Mac • Intel only, 1.2GHz or faster • OS X Version 10.5.
6. To uninstall the ipMIDI driver, simply delete the ipMIDIDriver.plugin file from the /Library/Audio/MIDI Drivers folder. USB Soundcard Installation of the USB soundcard is optional; if you intend to connect Nucleus to your DAW using only analogue or S/PDIF audio connections, you do not need to install the soundcard. 7. To install the USB Soundcard driver, locate the USB Soundcard package in the Finder window. Double-click this icon to launch the USB Soundcard installer.
4. Connection and Software Configuration PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS The Installation Guide that came with Nucleus contains important safety information. Please be sure to read that guide before attempting to connect Nucleus. The mains power connection for Nucleus is via a standard 3-pin IEC320 power cable.
CONFIGURING NETWORK CONNECTIONS Network Wiring To ensure the fastest possible communication between your DAW computer and Nucleus – and to simplify the installation wiring – Nucleus communicates with your workstation over Ethernet using the ipMIDI driver to emulate a multiport MIDI interface. To ensure minimum latency ipMIDI uses multicast UDP rather than TCP/IP. This means that: • The network connection should be short and direct.
Direct Network Connection Configuration (Mac) Connect your Nucleus directly to the DAW computer using a standard network cable, and check that the IP address is set to Fixed in the Nucleus Remote (see previous page). OS X does not currently allow two ports to be used for IP traffic – your main network connection will become unavailable when using Nucleus. 1. On the Mac, open the Network control panel in System Preferences, and use the Location: dropdown to create a new location.
Connecting Nucleus to Multiple Computers Connecting a Nucleus to multiple DAW computers inevitably introduces a little more complexity. Network To connect Nucleus to multiple DAW computers, you will probably need to connect the Nucleus and all the computers via a network switch or router with sufficient bandwidth to cope with the volume of data which is transferred to and from Nucleus. It is essential that you take note of the configuration issues described previously.
IPMIDI CONFIGURATION The ipMIDI driver enables your DAW to send and receive MIDI control data via the network connection, and must be configured to match the requirements of Nucleus before it can be used. Mac Once the driver has been installed and you have logged back in, use the Finder to navigate to the Utilities folder (in Applications). Double-click Audio MIDI Setup, select MIDI Devices and double-click on the ipMIDI icon. Set the number of MIDI ports to 6 in the resulting pop-up.
Logic Pro 9 The DAW protocol used by Logic Pro 9 is the Mackie Control Unit (MCU) protocol. Therefore when a Logic Profile is assigned to a Nucleus DAW layer, in order for Nucleus to control Logic, a Mackie Control together with a Mackie Control Extender must be added to Logic Pro. Click on Preferences then Control Surfaces Setup to access the menu shown below. Both the Mackie Control and Mackie Control Extender provide just eight faders.
USB SOUNDCARD CONFIGURATION Whether using Mac or Windows, the USB Soundcard will require a small amount of configuration to interface correctly to your chosen DAW application. Mac Once the installation process is complete, open the Applications folder and locate the USB Soundcard Control Panel application. Double-click this application and you will be presented with a window similar to the one shown here.
Windows Once the installation process is complete, click on Start, All Programs and locate the Nucleus Control Panel (it may also be residing in the Task Bar). Open the control panel and you will be presented with a window similar to the one shown here; click on DeviceO to access the mixer control buttons. Note that the Nucleus USB Soundcard will be available for other music and audio software you may wish to run on the same computer. Click on the Playback Mixer button to open the pop-up shown here.
5. Nucleus Remote The Nucleus Remote performs an essential role in defining how Nucleus functions, from the control protocol being used to the functions assigned to many of the Nucleus switches. The Remote can be run from any computer that has access to Nucleus over Ethernet. ESTABLISHING THE REMOTE CONNECTION In the bottom left-hand corner of the Remote window there is a Find ( current status of the connection to Nucleus.
REMOTE TABS The row of tabs across the top of the window define what is displayed in the rest of the window. The ‘DAW’ Tab The DAW tab is where most of the action occurs and is used for configuring the selected Nucleus and its control protocol as described in this Section of the manual. The ‘Network Setup’ Tab The Network tab is used for configuring the Nucleus network connection, as described in Section 4.
REMOTE LAYER SELECTION Before adjusting any of the settings in the Remote, the Layer to which the settings refer must be defined. This is done by clicking on the DAW 1, DAW 2 and DAW 3 buttons in the Layer area towards the top of the DAW tab in the Remote window. Note that the only area of the DAW tab which is not Layer-specific is the Transport Master area – see Page 24 for details.
Creating Profiles – Method 2 An alternative way to create new Profiles is to use the Save As button in the Soft Key Setup area which makes up the bottom half of the DAW tab. 1. First select the Profile you want to use as a starting point and assign it to a layer, as described on the previous pages. 2. Click the Save As button in the Soft Key Setup area at the bottom of the window to bring up the Save Profile As pop-up. 3. Type a name for the new Profile into the pop-up and click on OK.
Managing Profiles The Profiles are all stored on the SD card plugged into the rear of Nucleus, not the computer the Remote is running on. Profiles are however easily copied, renamed, deleted and backed up using the browser as well as being physically transferable from one unit to another if required. Deleting Profiles To delete a Profile, click on Edit Profile to bring up the Profile Editor pop-up, select the Profile which you wish to delete, and click Delete.
TIMELINE FUNCTIONS Transport Master Nucleus directs transport commands to whichever DAW is currently selected on Nucleus but if multiple DAWs are being used simultaneously it is possible for one DAW to be made the Transport Master. When a DAW has been set as the Transport Master, Nucleus will then always direct transport commands to that DAW, regardless of the DAW (Layer) selected on the control surface. DAW transports on other Layers will be slaved to the master DAW.
SOFT KEY CONFIGURATION The functions assigned to almost half of the switches on Nucleus are ‘soft’ and can be altered. This is done in the Soft Key Setup area at the bottom of the Remote’s DAW tab. There are four Soft Key Setup pages, selected via the Soft Key Set buttons in the middle of the DAW tab – Default, User 1, User 2 and Transport / Utility. Default Soft Keys The Default soft keys are the 16 switches located above the channel displays on either side of Nucleus.
Transport / Utility Soft Keys The Transport / Utility soft key set comprises all of the assignable switches within the Nucleus centre section. All of these switches (with the exception of EQ and DYN) come pre-assigned to the functions printed on the Nucleus control surface. Due to the constraints of displaying a faithful representation of the Nucleus centre section within the Remote, the layout of switches in the Transport / Utility page of the DAW tab differs from the actual control surface layout.
DAW Protocol Commands To assign a HUI or MCU protocol function to a switch, select the relevant Soft Key Set in the Remote’s DAW tab and click on the on-screen key that you wish to assign. The key will go yellow to indicate that it is being edited. From the drop-down menu which appears, selecting DAW CMDS produces a second drop-down which lists all of the functions and commands available to you within the selected Profile. Note that the list shown below is for Pro Tools.
DAW Keyboard Shortcuts Soft keys can be set up to issue DAW keyboard key presses; either single keys or more complex combinations such as OZG. To assign key presses, first select the relevant Soft Key Set in the DAW tab and click the on-screen button that you wish to assign key presses to. The button will go yellow to indicate that it is being edited.
Soft Key Menus To create a menu under a soft key switch, select the Soft Key Set for Default, User 1 or User 2 in the DAW tab and click on the on-screen key corresponding to the Nucleus switch which you wish to use to access the new menu. From the drop-down menu which appears, selecting Menu sets that switch on Nucleus as a menu selector when the relevant Soft Key Set (Default, User 1 or User 2) is active.
Renaming Softkey Assignments Every time you assign a soft key in any of the ways described above, they are named automatically: - DAW protocol functions are labelled according to the function you have chosen, as listed in the Appendix - DAW keyboard shortcuts are labelled ‘USB n’ where ‘n’ is a number that individually identifies that particular shortcut - Menu selectors are named ‘Menu n’ where ‘n’ reflects the position of the soft key in the top row, counted from the left To rename a soft key, go to the r
Configuring Continuous Controller Layers When a Continuous Controller Profile is assigned to a Nucleus DAW Layer, Continuous Controller (‘CC’) messages are sent on channel 1 of the first MIDI send port assigned to that Layer. These messages can be used to control software instruments within the current DAW by using the DAW’s MIDI ‘learn’ mode to attach messages to instrument plug-in parameters.
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6. DAW Operations This section provides an overview of Nucleus’ DAW control capabilities once Nucleus and the Nucleus Remote have been fully connected, installed and configured. We will concentrate on the three main areas of control: the channel strip, the transport, and additional master controls. You may want to keep a finger in the previous Section (Nucleus Remote), as many of the DAW operations are defined by the Remote.
CHANNEL CONTROL Channel Scrolling On sessions with more than 16 channels, the CHANNEL and BANK switches allow you to choose which DAW channels are controlled by the 16 Nucleus faders. To scroll the Nucleus through the DAW channels in increments of one, use the left and right CHANNEL switches. To scroll in increments of 16 DAW channels, use the left and right BANK switches. Note that a channel scrolling function can also be assigned to the Nucleus jog wheel via the Nucleus Remote.
V-Pot and V-Sel Control The channel V-Pots and V-Sel switches below the digital display fulfill a number of different DAW-specific functions. The V-Pot value is displayed using the LEDs surrounding it and the small red LED beneath indicates that the V-Sel switch is in its active position (as shown right). Turn for V-Pot Press for V-Sel Note that the V-Sel switch is activated by pressing on the V-Pot.
Plug-in Control (Pro Tools Only) Nucleus is able to control plug-ins and their parameters using the standard HUI plug-in editor. This consists of four encoders with integral switches, a two-line 40-character parameter display, plus additional switches to assign and control the plug-ins within a Pro Tools channel strip. Note that the alignment of some of the labels in the Nucleus scribble strip is approximate.
MASTER CONTROL Basic Transport Your DAW’s transport can be controlled from the rewind, fast forward, stop, play and record TRANSPORT switches at the bottom of the centre section. Above the main transport controls are three smaller switches. The functions assigned to these switches are defined in the Nucleus Remote by selecting the Transport / Utility Soft Key Set. Their default HUI functions are printed above them, their default MCU functions are printed below them.
USER KEYS Two soft keys sets are available for users to configure. These soft keys employ the Mode and V-Sel switches in channels 9-16: The two soft key sets are called User 1 and User 2, and are activated by pressing the User 1 or User 2 switch, below the Nucleus logo in the centre section. The top row of the scribble strip display indicates the Mode switch function, the bottom row the V-Sel function. To return the Mode and V-Sel switches to their normal functions, deselect both User 1 or User 2 switches.
7. Analogue Operations Nucleus has two areas of analogue operation: the input section (used for recording sources to the DAW) and the monitoring. RECORDING SOURCES The input section of Nucleus is located in the top right-hand corner of the centre section. There are two input channels, with insert circuits for introducing external processing to the signal.
Mixdown Mode When mixing down, Nucleus can be used to insert external processing to the stereo master by pressing the MIXDOWN switch above the HP LEVEL control. In mixdown mode, the monitor inputs replace the input channels as the source for the channel insert sends. The insert return is routed to the channel outputs in the normal way, allowing the processed signal to be rerecorded within the DAW. Note that in mixdown mode, none of the monitor controls affect the insert send or return.
Appendix TRANSPORT/UTILITY FUNCTION MAP The chart below details the assignments of the transport and utility functions within Pro Tools, Logic and Nuendo/Cubase: Switch Type Transport Utility RTZ END LOOP ONLINE PUNCH PREVIOUS NEXT LAST CUE NUDGE – NUDGE + SHIFT OPT/ALL CTRL ALT ESC ENTER SAVE UNDO FOOT 1 FOOT 2 Pro Tools Logic Nuendo/Cubase RTZ End Loop On-Line Quick Punch Prev Marker Next Marker Last Marker Keypad – Keypad + Shift/All Option/All Control CMD/Alt/Fine Function Key 8/Esc Keypad Enter
DAW PROTOCOL COMMAND SOFT KEY LABELLING The following list details the way in which each DAW protocol command is labelled when the command is assigned to a Nucleus soft key.
Logic Function Track Pan/Surround EQ Send Plugin Instrument Flip Global Name/Value SMPTE/Beats Function Key 1 Function Key 2 Function Key 3 Function Key 4 Function Key 5 Function Key 6 Function Key 7 Function Key 8 MIDI Tracks Inputs Audio Tracks Audio Instruments Aux Busses Outputs User Shift Option Control Alt Read Nucleus User Guide Soft Key Label Track PanSur EQ Send Plugin Instr Flip Global NM/VAL SMPTE F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 MIDITr Inputs AudTr AudIns Aux Busses Outpts User Shift Option Ctrl Alt Re
Nuendo Function Page Down Pan EQ Page Up Inserts FX Sends Flip Edit Name/Value SMPTE/Beats Function Key 1 Function Key 2 Function Key 3 Function Key 4 Function Key 5 Function Key 6 Function Key 7 Function Key 8 Fader Group 1 Fader Group 2 Fader Group 3 Fader Group 4 Fader Group 5 Fader Group 6 Fader Group 7 Fader Group 8 Undo Redo Page 44 Soft Key Label PageDn Pan EQ PageUp Insert FXSend Flip Edit Nm/Val SMPTE F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 FadGp1 FadGp2 FadGp3 FadGp4 FadGp5 FadGp6 FadGp7 FadGp8 Undo Redo Funct
Index ø switch 39 F ∑ switch 40 F1 and F2 37 +48v switch 39 Flip Mode 35 80Hz switch 39 Foot Switches 26 FOOTSWITCH connector 11 A About tab 20 G ALT 37 Glossary Auto Mode 24 AUTO switch 34 Automation 34 Automation Display 24 B BANK BLEND pot 34 39, 40 C 2 H Headphones 39 HEADPHONES connector 11 Hi-Z 39 HP LEVEL 39 HUI 2, 21 I iJack 40 CC Layers 31 iJack connector 11 CHANNEL 34 INS 39 Connections 11 INSTRUMENT 35 CTRL 37 IP address 12 Cursor key
MIDI Controllers (Pro Tools) MIXDOWN 15 39, 40 MODE Display 37 MODE key 37 Mode switches 35 Modifiers (DAW keyboard) 28, 37 MONITOR Connections 11 Monitoring 39 MONO L and R 39 MUTE 35 Soundcards (proprietary) T TERMINAL connector 11 TRACK 35 Track Arming 34 Transport 37 Transport / Utility Soft Key Set Transport Master Network 11, 14 Network Setup tab 20 Network Wiring 12 O OPT 37 P PAD 39 PAN 35 PARAM switch 36 Plug-in Control (Logic) 35 Plug-in Control (Pro Too
Notes Nucleus User Guide Page 47
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