User manual MOTU 896 MK3

[. . . ] MOTU 896mk3 Hybrid User Guide for Windows TM 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. com/support SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS CAUTION!FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN BODILY INJURY OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR OTHER MOISTURE. WARNING: DO NOT PERMIT FINGERS TO TOUCH THE TERMINALS OF PLUGS WHEN INSTALLING OR REMOVING THE PLUG TO OR FROM THE OUTLET. [. . . ] If the material you are recording is suitable, there is a third way to monitor live input: use both methods (Figure 8-1 and Figure 8-2) 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 -- or perhaps with a touch of 896mk3 Classic Reverb. 2. Mic signal is `patched thru' back to the audio interface with reverb or other plug-in effects, if any. 1. Live input (from mic, guitar, etc. ) enters the MOTU interface. Figure 8-1: There are two ways to monitor live audio inputs with an 896mk3: 1) through the computer or 2) via CueMix FX hardware monitoring. When using this method, use your host software's buffer setting to reduce the slight delay you hear when monitoring the live input, but don't lower it too much, or your computer might get sluggish. 66 REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY ADJUSTING THE AUDIO I/O BUFFER A buffer is a small amount of computer memory used to hold data. For audio interfaces like the 896mk3, 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. Buffer size adjustment is made in MOTU Audio Console, as shown in Figure 8-3 via the Samples Per Buffer setting. Figure 8-3: Lowering the `Samples Per Buffer' setting in MOTU Audio Console reduces patch thru latency. But doing so increases the processing load on your computer, so keep an eye on the Performance Monitor in your host audio software. 3. Mic signal is mixed with the main outs, and you can control the volume (relative to the rest of the mix) with the mic's fader in CueMix FX. 2. CueMix FX immediately patches the live mic signal directly to the main outs (or other output), completely bypassing the computer. This signal could be dry, or with 896mk3 effects processing, such as EQ, compression or Classic Reverb. 1. Live input (from mic, guitar, etc. ) enters the MOTU interface. Figure 8-2: This diagram shows the signal flow when using CueMix FX no-latency monitoring. Notice that this method does not process the live input with plug-ins in your audio software. Instead, you can apply 896mk3 effects, such as the reverb, EQ and/or compression. 67 REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead The buffer setting has a large impact on the following things: CUEMIX FX HARDWARE MONITORING The 896mk3 has a more direct method of patching audio through the system. When enabled, CueMix activates hardware patch-thru in the 896mk3 itself. CueMix FX has two important benefits: First, it completely eliminates the patch thru delay (reducing it to a small number of samples -- about the same amount as one of today's digital mixers). Secondly, CueMix FX imposes no strain on the computer. 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. If you reduce the size, you reduce patch thru latency, but significantly increase the overall processing load on your computer, leaving less CPU bandwidth for things like realtime effects processing. On the other hand, if you increase the buffer size, you reduce the load on your computer, freeing up bandwidth for effects, mixing and other real-time operations. If you are at a point in your recording project where you are not currently working with live, patchedthru material (e. g. you're not recording vocals), or if you have a way of externally processing inputs, choose a higher buffer size. Depending on your computer's CPU speed, you might find that settings in the middle work best (256 to 1024). [. . . ] The computer freezes when it starts up If the computer is unable to boot up, it may be a conflict with the WDM Driver. As soon as the computer boots up, Windows will try and initialize the WDM Driver. To determine if the WDM Driver is the problem, boot up in Safe Mode or remove the MOTU Audio software with the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel then restart. If that fixes the problem, visit motu. com to download the very latest drivers and then install them. [. . . ]