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Summary of Contents for Apogee Quartet
- Page 1 Apogee Quartet User’s Guide V1, September, 2012...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Professional audio interface and studio control center for Mac! What you can do with Quartet:! Package contents! The following items are included in the Quartet box:! Software, firmware and the Quartet User’s guide are available online only.! Please download the latest installer here:! Quartet panel tour! Top panel! - Page 3 Contents - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Headphone Output level! Configuring the Input ! Open Apogee Maestro 2 software and select the Input tab.! Operation! Controller Knob! Quartet’s OLED Displays! Adjusting Input & Output Levels! Input level! Speaker Output level! Headphone Output level!
- Page 4 Using Quartet with Logic (continued)! Using Quartet with Logic (continued)! Using Quartet with Logic (continued)! Using Quartet with GarageBand! Using Quartet with Avid Pro Tools (9 or greater)! Using Quartet with Ableton Live! Using Quartet with Apple Final Cut Pro! Version 1, September 2012...
- Page 5 Contents - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Using Quartet with Steinberg Nuendo! Troubleshooting! Further Troubleshooting Resources! Apogee Website! Apogee Support! Apogee Product Repair! Specifications! System Requirements:! Warranty & Notifications! Registration and Warranty Information! Service Information! Warnings! Copyright Notice! Software Notice! Declarations of Conformity! Industry Canada Notice! Declaration of Conformity –...
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Page 6: Quickstart
With Quartet, you have a powerful studio tool that’s easy to use and designed to deliver a difference you can hear. -
Page 7: Package Contents
• Quartet • QuickStart Guide • Power Supply • USB 2.0 Cable QuickStart Guide Power Supply USB 2.0 Cable Software, firmware and the Quartet User’s guide are available online only. Please download the latest installer here: http://www.apogeedigital.com/downloads Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 8: Quartet Panel Tour
QuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Quartet panel tour Top panel Controller Knob User Assignable Touchpads Input Meters Output Meters Input Selection Touchpads Durable Cast Aluminum Body Output Selection Touchpads Quartet panel tour Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 9: Rear Panel
QuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Rear panel Digital Inputs USB 2.0 Analog Inputs Analog Outputs MIDI (USB) Word Clock OUT DC Power Side panel Headphone Output (on right side) Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 10: Display And Touchpad Tour
QuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Display and touchpad tour Input display and touchpads Output display and touchpads Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 11: Connecting To Your Mac
1. Remove the protective film from the front panel, otherwise the Touchpads will not work. 2. Connect Quartet’s Power Supply to the DC power input on the rear panel of Quartet and the appropriate IEC cable to a wall outlet. -
Page 12: Choosing Quartet For Mac Sound I/O
QuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Choosing Quartet for Mac Sound I/O After connecting Quartet to your Mac, a dialog box will prompt you to choose Quartet for Mac sound input and output. Click Yes. Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 13: Connect To Headphones Or Speakers
Connect Quartet’s 1/4” speaker outputs 1-2 to the inputs (balanced or unbalanced) of your active (powered) studio monitors or amplifier. Check Audio Playback in iTunes To verify Quartet’s output, open iTunes (found in your Mac’s Applications folder), choose a song, and click Play. Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 14: Adjusting Volume
QuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Adjusting Volume Speaker Output level To change Quartet’s speaker output level (i.e the listening level of connected speakers), press the Speaker Selection Touchpad to select the appropriate stereo output. Now, turn the Controller Knob to the desired listening level. -
Page 15: Headphone Output Level
QuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Headphone Output level To change Quartet’s headphone output level (i.e the listening level of connected headphones), press the Headphone Selection Touchpad to select the headphone output. Now, turn the Controller Knob to the desired listening level. -
Page 16: Configuring The Input
Configuring the Input Connect a microphone or instrument to one of the combo jacks on the rear panel Open Apogee Maestro 2 software and select the Input tab. Select the Analog Level setting that corresponds to the device you have connected to Quartet’s input(s). For example, if you have a microphone connected to the XLR input of channel 1, select “Mic”... -
Page 17: Operation
Operation Controller Knob Quartet’s Controller Knob allows you to easily adjust the levels of all inputs and outputs and also provides a quick and easy way to mute the outputs. By default, the Knob Push Button is assigned to mute all outputs. Alternatively, you can assign it in Apogee’s Maestro 2 software to mute only the speaker or only the headphone outputs. -
Page 18: Adjusting Input & Output Levels
Input level To change Quartet’s input level (i.e the preamp gain of microphones and instruments): 1) Press the Touchpad corresponding to the desired input. The ring around the selected icon will be brighter than the others after you select it. -
Page 19: Speaker Output Level
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Speaker Output level To change Quartet’s speaker output level (i.e the listening level of connected speakers): 1) Press the speaker output Touchpad. The ring around the selected icon will be brighter than the others after you select it. -
Page 20: Headphone Output Level
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Headphone Output level To change Quartet’s headphone output level (i.e the listening level of connected headphones): 1) Press the headphone output Touchpad. 2) Turn the controller knob to the desired listening level. The controller knob operates in parallel with Maestro’s headphone control. -
Page 21: Multiple Speaker Set Operation
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Multiple Speaker Set Operation Quartet’s Speaker Set functionality allows you to connect up to 3 stereo speaker sets, each of which can be individually selected for playback output. To set up: 1) Connect your primary pair of speakers to Quartet’s ANALOG OUT 1-2 2) Connect your second and third pairs (if equipped) to Quartet’s ANALOG OUT 3-4 and 5-6... -
Page 22: Speaker Sets
In the Maestro Output Tab, the A and B buttons to the right of the output control knob become active. The C button remains inactive. Clicking button A sends the main output signal to the speakers connected to Quartet’s ANALOG OUT 1-2 and mutes ANALOG OUT 3-4. Clicking button B sends the main output signal to the speakers connected to Quartet’s ANALOG... -
Page 23: Speaker Sets
In the Maestro Output Tab, the A, B, and C buttons to the right of the output control knob become active. Clicking button A sends the main output signal to the speakers connected to Quartet’s ANALOG OUT 1-2 and mutes ANALOG OUT 3-4 and 5-6. Clicking button B sends the main output signal to the speakers connected to Quartet’s ANALOG... -
Page 24: Custom Output Routing
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Custom Output Routing The Output Routing can be freely changed if you have a unique setup. For instance, if you wish to listen to your DAW’s Software Outputs 3-4 and toggle between 3 different speaker sets, you can manually route Software Output 3-4 to Hardware Outputs 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. -
Page 25: Assignable Touchpads
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Assignable Touchpads Quartet's three assignable Touchpads can be setup for quick access to Output functions. Use them to mute or dim the outputs, sum to mono, clear meters or switch between multiple speaker sets with a single touch. -
Page 26: Mute Outputs
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Mute outputs You can assign one of the three Touchpads to mute the Speaker, Headphone or All Outputs. Dim outputs The Dim function lowers the output volume by 15 dB. This function is convenient when you want to briefly lower the playback volume without completely muting the output. -
Page 27: Sum To Mono
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Sum to Mono The Sum to Mono function is used to examine phase relationships on stereo tracks. When engaged, the left and right output signals are combined and phase errors between the two become exponentially more noticeable. -
Page 28: Clear Meters
The Clear Meters function will remove any peak and over indicators in Maestro 2 and OLED meters on Quartet’s front panel. If “Peak Hold” or “Over Hold” (in the System Setup tab) is set to Infinite, all indicators will remain illuminated until “Clear Meters” is engaged. -
Page 29: Midi Input/Output
Operation - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide MIDI Input/Output Quartet’s USB MIDI input/output provides a MIDI connection between class compliant Core MIDI devices such as keyboards and other controllers and Apple’s Mac OS X. A class-compliant MIDI device works with Core MIDI without the need to install drivers or other additional software. -
Page 30: To Setup A Midi Device With Quartet
Window > Environment. In the Environment window, choose Clicks & Ports in the upper left hand corner. Quartet should appear in the Physical Input list. In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices and verify that Quartet appears and is checked. Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 31: Os X System Preferences
OS X Audio MIDI Setup is found in Applications > Utilities and provides control of Quartet’s sample rate and output level, as well as settings to choose Quartet for Mac sound input and output. To control Quartet’s output level and muting from AMS or from the Mac keyboard, set Default Output to Quartet. -
Page 32: Setting Sample Rate
Quartet with GarageBand, Quartet’s sample rate is automatically set to 44.1 kHz, to match the GarageBand song’s sample rate. For those audio applications that don’t include a sample rate setting, such as iTunes, Quartet’s sample rate may be set in Audio MIDI Setup or on the System Setup tab of Maestro 2. -
Page 33: Maestro 2
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Maestro 2 Apogee’s Maestro 2 software provides the most complete control of Quartet, including: • Control of all settings • Store/recall of configurations • Low latency mixing Devices Sidebar Any Maestro-compatible Apogee interfaces connected to the host computer are displayed in the Devices sidebar, regardless of whether the connection is made via Symphony PCI card, USB or FireWire. -
Page 34: Device Icon & Id Button
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Device Icon & ID Button A device icon and ID button is placed adjacent to each row of parameters to identify the hardware unit to which the row belongs. By clicking on the ID button, the corresponding hardware unit’s front panel will illuminate. -
Page 35: Input Tab Window
2. Analog Level - Use this menu to select mic, instrument, or line input. 3. Soft Limit - Use this menu to engage Soft Limit. Soft Limit is Apogee’s proprietary analog process for taming transients before A/D conversion. By gently rounding transients in a transparent manner, it’s possible to maximize level BEFORE the A/D conversion stage. -
Page 36: Output Tab Window
6. Mute - Click “M” to mute the speaker (or headphone) output. Quartet’s top panel Touchpads may be set to engage Mute on the Speaker outputs, the headphone outputs or both at the same time. See Device Settings Tab Window. - Page 37 Sum to Mono engaged - once you have something that sounds good, then disengage Sum to Mono and revel at the beautiful stereo mix you've created! Quartet's top panel Touchpads may be set to engage Sum to Mono on the Speaker outputs, the headphone outputs or both at the same time. See Device Settings Tab Window.
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Page 38: Device Settings Tab Window
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Device Settings Tab Window 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above. 2. Peripheral Pre x - Use this drop down menu to assign a letter prefix (A-Z) to each peripheral device displayed in the Devices Sidebar. -
Page 39: Output Routing Tab Window
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Output Routing Tab Window In the Maestro Output Routing tab, route Mixer 1 (or Mixer 2) to Line 1/2. If Analog Out Format is set to 2 or 3 Speaker Sets, route Mixer to all the analog outputs in use, as shown below. -
Page 40: Mixer Tab Window
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Mixer Tab Window Use the Mixer Tab Window to adjust the Mix of input and output signals as well as configure Low Latency Mixing. Learn more about Low Latency Mixing. 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above. -
Page 41: System Setup Window
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide System Setup Window 1. Sample Rate - This drop down selects the sample rate. Under certain circumstances, (for example, when a DAW session is open) this setting will be overridden by software sample rate settings. -
Page 42: Menu Bar Menus
Check Display Pop-ups to show top panel encoder adjustments. Hide Apogee Maestro 2 - Choose this menu item to hide the Maestro application. Hide Others - Choose this menu item to hide all other open applications. Show All - If any open applications have been hidden, choose this menu item to reveal all open applications. - Page 43 Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Menu Bar Menus (continued) Rescan - Choose this menu item to re-initialize the link between Maestro software and Apogee hardware connected to the Mac, in the case where the hardware is correctly connected and powered on but not detected in Maestro.
- Page 44 Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Menu Bar Menus (continued) Help - Choose this menu item to open Maestro Help for any Apogee hardware devices connected to your Mac Version 1, September 2012...
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Page 45: Low Latency Mixing
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Low Latency Mixing While recording, if you notice a delay between the moment you play or sing a note and when you hear it in your headphones you are experiencing latency. Maestro’s low latency mixer may help and can be configured by clicking the Mixer tab in Maestro. -
Page 46: Maestro Low Latency Mixing (Continued)
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Maestro Low Latency mixing (continued) Figure A To illustrate the effect of latency, Figure A depicts the typical signal path of a vocal overdub session. A vocalist sings into a microphone, which is routed to an analog to digital converter, then to the audio software application for recording. - Page 47 Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Maestro Low Latency mixing (continued) Figure B By routing the hardware input directly to the hardware output and mixing in playback as shown in Figure B, it’s possible to provide the vocalist a headphone monitoring signal with a much shorter delay.
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Page 48: Working With The Maestro Mixer
The Maestro mixer serves to provide a low latency monitoring mix while recording. Therefore if you’re using Quartet to listen to iTunes or audio from another program, there’s no need to use the mixer.. It’s possible that the latency of your particular recording system is low enough to be unnoticed. The system latency is determined by the recording software’s buffer setting;... -
Page 49: Playback Mix
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Playback mix In your recording software, set up a mix of all playback tracks and route it to the first pair of outputs. If a master fader controls the global output of the mix, it’s suggested to set the fader to 0 dB. -
Page 50: Maestro Mixer Settings
Maestro 2 - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Maestro Mixer Settings Now select the desired input (Line, Mic or Instrument) and set the Input Level on the Input tab; the signal should be displayed on both the Mixer Input and Mixer Master meters. If the Mixer Input’s Over LED lights, reduce the input gain in Maestro Input tab. -
Page 51: Applications
Go to the Logic Pro or Logic Express menu and choose Preferences > Audio. In the Core Audio pane of the Device tab, select Quartet for Output Device and Input Device. Set the I/O Buffer Size to 64. Click Apply Changes at the bottom of the Preferences window. -
Page 52: Using Quartet With Logic (Continued)
Software Setup - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Using Quartet with Logic (continued) By selecting Quartet input and output labels in Logic, the labels you see in Logic’s Channel Strip input and output slots correspond exactly to Quartet’s hardware inputs and outputs, making I/O assignment much easier. -
Page 53: Using Quartet With Logic (Continued)
Software Setup - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Using Quartet with Logic (continued) Now close the Logic Pro Preferences window and select New > Empty Project > from the File Menu. If you are recording a single microphone or instrument, make the following selections in the New... -
Page 54: Using Quartet With Logic (Continued)
Software Setup - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Using Quartet with Logic (continued) Logic will now ask you to name the project and save in on your hard drive. Click the Record button in the transport control at the bottom of the Logic window. -
Page 55: Using Quartet With Garageband
IMPORTANT NOTE! The Apogee Control Panel within GarageBand is not compatible with Quartet. If you don’t have Quartet connected when you launch GarageBand, when you connect the device, the following message will appear. If you have Quartet connected when you launch GarageBand: 1. -
Page 56: Using Quartet With Avid Pro Tools (9 Or Greater)
Software Setup - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Using Quartet with Avid Pro Tools (9 or greater) Choose Setup menu > Playback Engine. Choose Quartet for Current Engine. Set the Buffer Size to 64. Click OK. Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 57: Using Quartet With Ableton Live
Using Quartet with Ableton Live Choose Live > Preferences Click on the Audio tab. Select CoreAudio in the Driver Type menu. Select Quartet in both the Audio Input Device and Audio Output Device menus. Set Buffer Size to 128. Close the Preferences window after making settings. -
Page 58: Using Quartet With Apple Final Cut Pro
Software Setup - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Using Quartet with Apple Final Cut Pro Choose Final Cut Pro > Audio/Video Settings. Click on the A/V Devices tab. Select Quartet in the Audio menu. Click OK. Version 1, September 2012... -
Page 59: Using Quartet With Steinberg Nuendo
In the Devices window, click on VST Audio System. Select Quartet in the ASIO menu. Once Quartet is recognized by Nuendo, select Quartet in the Devices window. Click on Control Panel. In the ASIO Settings pop-up, set Buffer Size to 128 and click OK. -
Page 60: Troubleshooting
A: If you have chosen Mixer for the output then the Software Return fader must be raised to send audio software outputs to Quartet’s outputs. Q: I want Maestro to open automatically each time I connect Quartet. What should I set? A: Open Maestro > Preferences and check the Launch Maestro automatically when connecting a device checkbox. - Page 61 1. In System Profilers Contents column, open the Hardware disclosure triangle and click USB. 2. Find Quartet USB in the USB Device Tree and click on it to display the device's properties. Verify that the properties are the same as shown below: If Quartet doesn't appear in the USB Device Tree 1.
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Page 62: Further Troubleshooting Resources
Troubleshooting - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Further Troubleshooting Resources If you still haven't found a resolution to your issue, Apogee provides a wide range of resources Apogee Website For any questions concerning product information, please visit our website: www.apogeedigital.com For more technical information, including FAQs, User Guides and downloads, please visit the support section: www.apogeedigital.com/support/... -
Page 63: Specifications
Specifications - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Specifications Features Quartet Computer Connectivity USB 2.0 High Speed Roundtrip Latency 32 buffer @ 96kHz = 3.6 ms performance 64 buffer @ 44.1kHz = 5.8 ms Power Supplied DC power supply) Bit resolution/sample rate 24-bit/44.1-192kHz... -
Page 64: System Requirements
Specifications - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Phase Invert Soft Limit Group Inputs 2 groups Mute Outputs Sum to Mono Dim Outputs Core Audio Compatible System Requirements: • Computer: Intel Mac 1.5GHz or faster • Memory: 2 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB recommended •... -
Page 65: Warranty & Notifications
This warranty is void if Apogee determines, in its sole business judgment, the defect to be the result of abuse, neglect, alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel. -
Page 66: Service Information
Apogee. In the event your Quartet needs to be upgraded or repaired, it is necessary to contact Apogee prior to shipping, and a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number will be assigned. This number will serve as a reference for you and helps facilitate and expedite the return process. -
Page 67: Software Notice
Warranty & Notifications - Apogee Quartet User’s Guide Software Notice Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. -
Page 68: Industry Canada Notice
• 73/23/EEC – Low Voltage Directive 89/336/EEC – EMC Directive Declaration of Conformity – Japan Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that Quartet, to which this declaration relates, is in material conformity with the VCCI Class A standard. Declaration of Conformity – Australia Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the Quartet is in material conformity with AN/ NZS standard requirements.
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