Sound Devices USBPre 2 User Manual
Sound Devices USBPre 2 User Manual

Sound Devices USBPre 2 User Manual

Portable high-resolution audio interface

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USBPre 2
Portable High-Resolution Audio Interface
User Guide

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Summary of Contents for Sound Devices USBPre 2

  • Page 1 ® USBPre 2 Portable High-Resolution Audio Interface User Guide...
  • Page 2 FCC Notice USBPre 2 User Guide • Rev 1-A • August 8, 2016 This device complies with part 15, class B of the FCC This document is distributed by Sound Devices, LLC Rules.
  • Page 3 Revision History This table provides the revision history of this guide. Rev# Date Firmware Description Version August 2016 v1.03 Initial reformatted & updated, online only publication; replaces original, old print user guides. • Updated installation procedure for new v1.20 ASIO driver. •...
  • Page 4 User Guide...
  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Updating USBPre 2 Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  • Page 6 User Guide...
  • Page 7: Usbpre 2 Audio Interface

    PDF download from the Sound Meters Devices website. Stand-alone Mode Sample Rate Front Panel The front panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features: Meter Source Button 15 dB Pad LED Limiter LEDs Headphone Volume Control Low-Cut LED...
  • Page 8: Back Panel

    Adjusts headphone gain. Control May be configured—via a DIP switch setting—to adjust XLR and AUX output levels instead of headphone gain. Back Panel The back panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features: DIP Switches S/PDIF I/O XLR Outputs eature...
  • Page 9: Left Panel

    USBPRE 2 AUDIO INTERFACE Left Panel The left panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features: Line Inputs Mic Inputs (XLR) AUX Inputs (1,2) eature escription Mic Inputs Active-balanced XLR inputs accept low-impedance microphone-level signals. Line Inputs Accepts balanced line-level signals.
  • Page 10: Computer Setup

    USB bus and cause unintended dropouts. Sound Devices cannot guarantee that a given computer can be used satisfactorily with the USBPre 2 based exclusively on the fact that it meets the above require- ments. Setting up Mac OS X The following procedure and images depict steps for version 10.6 of OS X;...
  • Page 11 USBPre 2 is selected for both the Default Input and Default Output drop-down menus. With USBPre 2 still highlighted in the Audio MIDI Setup dialog box, click the Format drop-down menu options to adjust the sample rate and bit depth.
  • Page 12: Setting Up Windows Os

    User Guide For OS X 10.5 and earlier, select USBPre 2 from the Properties For drop-down menu, then in the Audio Input and Audio Output sections, set the sample rate, channel count, and bit depth. Setting up Windows OS This section provides procedures for checking audio defaults and setting sample rates on various Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, Vista and The following procedure and images depict steps for Windows 7 and Vista.
  • Page 13 Select (single click) the device labeled USBPre 2 in the list. Click Set Default. A green Checkmark icon and the words “Default Device” will appear in the list, indicating that the USBPre 2 is now the default play- back device.
  • Page 14 User Guide The following procedure and images depict steps for Windows XP. To set audio defaults in Windows XP: 1. Select Start > Control Panel. The Control Panel view will either be in “Clas- sic view”—skip to step 3—or “Category view”—proceed to step 2. Click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.
  • Page 15 USBPRE 2 AUDIO INTERFACE In the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box, click the Audio tab.
  • Page 16: Installing The Asio Driver

    After installation, the USBPre 2 will be available as an ASIO device in applications that utilize ASIO. If a previous version of the USBPre 2 ASIO driver is installed on the Windows- based computer, it should be uninstalled prior to installing a newer version. The...
  • Page 17 Uninstalling the ASIO Driver. To install the ASIO driver: 1. Go to the USBPre 2 Download page on the Sound Devices website at: www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads/usbpre2-firmware and down- load the latest USBPre 2 ASIO driver, which is a zipped file.
  • Page 18 B. When offered options to install, uninstall, or exit, click Install the Driver. C. A dialog with a status bar appears to show progress. Each time a prompt for confirmation appears, click Install to continue. After the installation completes successfully, disconnect, and then reconnect the USBPre 2 prior to use.
  • Page 19: Uninstalling The Asio Driver

    Features. Windows XP: Click Start > Control Panel and select Add/Remove Pro- grams. Locate the USBPre 2 USB ASIO driver in the list, highlight it, and click Uninstall. Step 2 completes the procedure on Windows XP and Vista computers. For Windows 7 computers, further steps are required.
  • Page 20 User Guide Right-click the USBPre 2 entry and select Uninstall. When the confirmation dialog appears, ensure that the check box titled “De- lete the driver software for this device” is selected, and click OK. In the Device Manager window, expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers...
  • Page 21: Updating Usbpre 2 Firmware

    Open this disk and run the application bearing the same name. Windows users: If the ASIO driver for the USBPre 2 is installed, it must be removed in order to successfully update the USBPre 2 firmware. The ASIO driver can be reinstalled after successfully updating the firmware.
  • Page 22: Dip Switch Options

    User Guide DIP Switch Options The DIP switches on the back panel of the USBPre 2 may be used to control various features. The settings are divided into two groups: A and B. To adjust an individual switch: Carefully move the switch with a slender tool.
  • Page 23: Inputs

    Inputs The USBPre 2 has two available input channels. The source for each input is independently selected using the Input Source buttons on the front panel, and the selected source is indicated by an illuminated LED next to the respective Input Source button.
  • Page 24 User Guide nputs escription • Phantom Power - The USBPre 2 provides 48-volt phantom power Microphone for condenser microphones connected to the XLR inputs. Phantom power can be engaged independently for each input. See DIP Switch Options. Condenser microphones that can operate on phantom volt- ages from 11-52 volts will function properly with 48-volt phantom.
  • Page 25: Input 2 Loop Source

    The LOOP source is useful for test and measurement applications where a refer- ence signal is required to be routed back to an input. Outputs Output connections are located on the right and back panels of the USBPre 2. utputs escription...
  • Page 26: Meters

    Headphone Mono mode is engaged. Meters The USBPre 2 features a 23-segment, 2 channel LED meter. The meter displays both the peak level of source audio and average (VU) levels simultaneously. Zero (0) dB on the meter is calibrated to 0 dBFS signal coming from the com- puter.
  • Page 27: Stand-Alone Mode

    Sample rate is set by adjusting the DIP switch- es on the back panel of the USBPre 2. This affects the internal sample rate of the USBPre 2 as well as the sample rate output from the digital outputs.
  • Page 28 User Guide Locked Sample Rates to External Sources The sample rate of the USBPre 2 may be locked to the sample rate of an external S/PDIF signal. When a digital signal is connected to either the coaxial or optical input, the S/PDIF Input Source LED will illuminate to indicate that the USBPre 2 is locked to the sample rate of the incoming digital signal.
  • Page 29: Setup Examples

    Test and Measurement The high quality preamplifiers and portability of the USBPre 2 make it a perfect interface for test and measurement applications. A requirement for measuring a transfer function is the ability to monitor the output reference signal from the computer.
  • Page 30: High-Performance Playback

    Input 2 set to Loop High-Performance Playback The USBPre 2 can provide high-quality audio output from a computer to refer- ence monitors in a studio control room or a home stereo system. Depending on the connectivity of the monitors, the balanced XLR outputs, unbalanced RCA outputs, or digital S/PDIF outputs can be used to send computer audio to the monitors.
  • Page 31: Block Diagram

    DIAGRAMS AND EXAMPLES Block Diagram...
  • Page 32: Powering

    External Power Supply • USB bus powered. • 5 V (+/- 10%) • 500 mA max current from USB port (USBPre 2 will not function if connected through a passive USB connection or hub) Phantom Power • 48 V through 6.8k ohm resistors. Each mic input supplies 10 mA...
  • Page 33: Outputs

    SPECIFICATIONS escriptioN Input Clipping Level • Mic: -10 dBu (0.25 V rms) • Line: +28 dBu (19.45 V rms) (1% THD) • Mic: (15 dB pad) +4 dBu • Aux: +9 dBu (2.18 V rms) (0.78 V rms) Input Sensitivity •...
  • Page 34: Physical

    User Guide Physical escriptioN Dimensions (H x W x D) • 1.7 in x 7.25 in x 4.25 in • 4.3 cm x 18 cm x 10 cm Weight • 1.13 lbs (without receivers) • 0.5 kg...
  • Page 35 ® Sound Devices, LLC Customer Support Product Information E7556 Road 23 and 33 For more information about products Reedsburg, Wisconsin 53959 Toll Free: (800) 505-0625 and accessories, visit us on the web at www.sounddevices.com. Email: support@sounddevices.com Phone: +1 (608) 524-0625 http://www.sounddevices.com/support...

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