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MOTU 896HD
User's Guide for Windows
1280 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Business voice: (617) 576-2760
Business fax: (617) 576-3609
Technical support: (617) 576-3066
Tech support fax: (617) 354-3068
Tech support email: techsupport@motu.com
Web site: www.motu.com

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  • Page 1 MOTU 896HD ™ User’s Guide for Windows 1280 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 Business voice: (617) 576-2760 Business fax: (617) 576-3609 Technical support: (617) 576-3066 Tech support fax: (617) 354-3068 Tech support email: techsupport@motu.com Web site: www.motu.com...
  • Page 2 7. Power Sources - This MOTU 896HD should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your location, consult your local power company.
  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Quick Reference: 896HD Front Panel Quick Reference: 896HD Rear Panel Quick Reference: MOTU FireWire Audio Console About the 896HD Packing List and Windows System Requirements IMPORTANT! Run the 896HD Software Installer First Installing the 896HD Hardware MOTU FireWire Audio...
  • Page 4 Return Merchandise That license agreement is a contract, and clicking “Accept” binds you and MOTU to Authorization Number on the outside of the box below the shipping address.
  • Page 7: Quick Reference: 896Hd

    896HD’s programmable front panel meters. The Clip Hold Time controls how long the top-most red LED If you are running the 896HD interface at a 2x remains illuminated after or 4x sample rate (88.2 to 192kHz), this clipping. Choose ‘Infinite’ if you...
  • Page 9: About The 896Hd

    About the 896HD CHAPTER OVERVIEW 10-segment LED level meters for each input ■ The 896HD is a computer-based hard disk 10-segment programmable LEDs for analog ■ recording system for Mac OS and Windows that output, ADAT input or ADAT output...
  • Page 10 LINE (for -10dB inputs with front-panel trim) and +4/FIXED (for +4 “hot” One 9-pin ADAT SYNC IN connector ■ inputs for which no gain adjustment in the 896HD BNC word clock input and output is desired). ■ Two 1394 FireWire jacks ■...
  • Page 11 Up is on; down is off. Digital Performer. Therefore, pressing the foot switch is the same as pressing the 3 key. The 896HD Metering Control Panel software lets you program any The front panel of the MOTU 896HD displays two keystroke you wish.
  • Page 12 ASIO drivers. 16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING A COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM The 896HD system handles all data with a 24-bit Regardless of what software you use with the signal path, regardless of the I/O format. You can 896HD, the host computer determines the number record and play back 16-bit or 24-bit audio files at...
  • Page 13: Packing List And Windows System Requirements

    Windows System Requirements PACKING LIST PLEASE REGISTER TODAY! The 896HD ships with the items listed below. If any Please send in the registration card included with of these items are not present in your 896HD box your 896HD system. As a registered user, you will when you first open it, please immediately contact...
  • Page 14 P A C K I N G L I S T A N D W I N D O W S S Y S T E M R E Q U I R E M E N T S...
  • Page 15: Important! Run The 896Hd Software Installer First

    The MOTU FireWire audio WDM driver ....16 Windows Me, 2000 and XP: MOTU GSIF FireWire driver ......16 Software CueMix Console .
  • Page 16 896HD’s no-latency CueMix DSP features. For details, see chapter 9, “CueMix Console” (page 65). Figure 3-1: The MOTU FireWire Audio Console gives you access to all of the settings in the 896HD hardware. ASIO MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO DRIVER ASIO stands for Audio Streaming Input and Output.
  • Page 17: Installing The 896Hd

    An example setup for computer-based mixing/FX. Using the 896HD with a mixer ..... . . 20 An example setup for a mixer-based studio.
  • Page 18: Connect Audio Inputs And Outputs

    Using an external mixer XLR or quarter-inch plug. (Note: the complete The 896HD can be used with or without a mixer, as trim range, from all the way down with the MIC shown on the following pages. In Figure 4-3 (no...
  • Page 19: Connect A Foot Switch

    A TYPICAL 896HD SETUP (NO MIXER) If you would like to use a foot switch with your Here is a typical 896HD studio setup. This rig can 896HD, connect it to the PUNCH IN/OUT jack. be operated without an external mixer. All mixing See “Quick Reference: MOTU FireWire Audio...
  • Page 20: Using The 896Hd With A Mixer

    USING THE 896HD WITH A MIXER banks of eight-channel I/O. The 896HD’s available While there are many ways to use the 896HD with analog and AES/EBU inputs and outputs can serve an external mixer, typically the 896HD serves as a as an extension to the mixer I/O, but then you will multi-channel “pipeline”...
  • Page 21: Making Sync Connections

    If you have three or more digital audio devices, you need to slave them all to a single master audio clock. Figure 4-5: You can run the 896HD under its own internal clock when Master Master it has no digital audio connections and you are not synchronizing the 896HD system to an external time reference such as SMPTE time code.
  • Page 22: Do You Need A Synchronizer

    Can this be If you have stand-alone digital recorders connected accomplished without an additional digital audio to the 896HD, and they support ADAT Sync, your synchronizer? It depends on the nature of the other audio software — if it supports MIDI Machine devices, and what you want to do with them.
  • Page 23: Sample-Accurate Sync

    2.0-compatible app Figure 4-8: These recommended combinations of hardware and software offer the tightest sync possible between the 896HD and digital audio recorders in the form of sample-accurate locating between the software and the tape decks. Sample accurate locating is possible even without a MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece, although you give up transport control from the computer.
  • Page 24: Sample-Accurate Adat Sync

    ADAT Sync chain and make the software ✓ Sample-accurate locating between all ADAT SYNC-compati- settings shown below in Figure 4-10. If you will be ble devices, the 896HD and your software (Cubase or other sample-accurate software). using the stand-alone recorder for its analog inputs ✓...
  • Page 25: Sample-Accurate Adat Sync With No Synchronizer

    ✓ You don’t get transport control from your Sample-accurate locating between all ADAT SYNC-compati- ble devices, the 896HD and your software (Cubase or other computer, nor can you slave the system to SMPTE sample-accurate software). time code. Instead, you have to play, stop, rewind ✗...
  • Page 26: Syncing To Video And/Or Smpte Time Code

    Figure 4-11: Resolving the 896HD to an external time base, such as SMPTE time code, word clock, or video. In this example, an S-VHS video deck is supplying SMPTE time code (address) and video (as the time base). For examples of other sources, consult the MIDI Timepiece AV manual (or other synchronizer).
  • Page 27: Syncing Optical Devices

    Computer with 896HD Figure 4-12: Three setups for synchronizing an optical device with the 896HD. You can slave the optical device to the 896HD or vice versa with their optical connections. For more elaborate setups, you can slave both to a digital audio synchronizer like the Digital Timepiece. Don’t use any of these setups for an ADAT or other optical device that records.
  • Page 28: Syncing Aes/Ebu Devices

    Figure 4-13: Two setups for synchronizing an AES/EBU device with the 896HD. In the top diagram, sync is achieved via the AES/EBU connection itself. In this case, you have to choose AES/EBU as the 896HD’s clock source when recording from the AES/EBU device. If you don’t want to have to worry about switching the Clock Source setting depending on the direction of the AES/EBU transfer, you can slave the AES/EBU device to word clock from the 896HD or vice versa (not shown).
  • Page 29 (location). For example, one device can be the time actually be clocked from a number of different sources. In this example, it is resolved to the 896HD system clock. For details about code master while another is the audio clock other possible clock sources, see “Clocking scenarios for AES/EBU...
  • Page 30 Rate Conversion clock. setting: None Figure 4-19: In this scenario, the 896HD and other AES/EBU device are both resolved to one another via a third master word clock source. Clocking scenarios for AES/EBU output The 896HD AES/EBU output can also employ sample rate conversion.
  • Page 31: Syncing Word Clock Devices

    896HD Figure 4-22: Slaving the 896HD to word clock. For the 896HD clock source, choose ‘Word Clock In’ . I N S T A L L I N G T H E 8 9 6 H D H A R D W A R E...
  • Page 32: Syncing Large Systems

    Similarly, the 896HD could run at 88.2 kHz and slave to 44.1 kHz word clock. Conversely, the 896HD could run at 48 kHz and slave to a 96 kHz word clock signal. In all of these cases, the front panel clock LEDs flash both sample rates to indicate that the 896HD is slaving to word clock at either twice or half its own clock rate.
  • Page 33: Connecting Multiple Motu Firewire Interfaces

    FireWire FireWire Figure 4-23: Connecting multiple 896HD’s (or other MOTU FireWire audio interfaces) to a computer. I N S T A L L I N G T H E 8 9 6 H D H A R D W A R E...
  • Page 34 Managing the IDs of multiple interfaces Multiple 896HD interfaces are identified by Figure 4-25: All MOTU FireWire audio interfaces get their clock from a number (#1, #2, #3, etc.) Interfaces are ID’d (given single master sync source on any connected 896HD (or other MOTU FireWire interface).
  • Page 35: Motu Firewire Audio Console

    Panel button. In Cubase SX, open the Devices 896HD tab settings ........40 Setup window, click the VST Multitrack device and Optical input/output.
  • Page 36: General' Tab Settings

    MOTU FireWire Audio Console. Figure 5-1: The MOTU FireWire Audio Console gives you access to all of the settings in the 896HD hardware. M O T U F I R E W I R E A U D I O C O N S O L E...
  • Page 37: Clock Source

    The Clock Source determines the digital audio from a DAT deck or other AES/EBU device into the clock that the 896HD will use as its time base. For a 896HD. It is not necessary in the opposite direction complete explanation of synchronization issues, (when you are transferring from the 896HD to the see “Making sync connections”...
  • Page 38: Samples Per Buffer

    ADAT optical device. This Samples Per Buffer setting can be used to slave the 896HD directly to The Samples Per Buffer setting lets you reduce the the optical input connection. Most of the time, you...
  • Page 39: Enable Pedal

    Check the Enable Pedal option if a foot switch is the overall processing load on your computer, connected to the 896HD and you would like to leaving less CPU bandwidth for things like real- trigger recording punch in/out (or other software time effects processing.
  • Page 40: Multichannel Wave Synchronization

    There are only a few rare cases in which you would EBU input and output match the sample rate of the want to turn it off. For details, refer to the MOTU 896HD’s system clock. tech support database at www.motu.com.
  • Page 41: Programmable Meters

    This option lets you choose to monitor either AES/ EBU input or output with the programmable AES/ Disable Interface option EBU meters on the MOTU 896HD front panel. You Check this option to temporarily take an interface can also adjust this setting by repeatedly pushing off line.
  • Page 42 M O T U F I R E W I R E A U D I O C O N S O L E...
  • Page 43: Cubase, Nuendo And Other Asio Software

    Consult your software Activating 896HD inputs......46 documentation for details about each topic, if Assigning inputs.
  • Page 44 896HD (you are using the analog inputs and outputs only), and you will not be slaving Cubase to an external clock source, choose Internal. If you are slaving the 896HD to the ADAT Sync or Word Clock input connector, choose ADAT 9-pin or Word Clock In, respectively.
  • Page 45: Choosing The Motu Firewire Asio Driver

    MOTU FireWire ASIO driver. Check the audio system or audio hardware configuration window in your software. There will Figure 6-2: Activating the 896HD FireWire ASIO driver in Nuendo and be a menu there that lets you choose among Cubase.
  • Page 46: Asio Direct Monitoring

    45, choose VST Inputs from the Panels menu (or the Devices menu in Cubase SX) to see the 896HD inputs. To activate them, click the Active light next to each input. If you don’t see the optical inputs and/or outputs, check the MOTU FireWire Audio Console to make sure they are turned on and set to the format you require.
  • Page 47: Assigning Inputs

    Cubase or Nuendo audio channels in the channel mixers in the usual fashion. Figure 6-5: To assign an 896HD input to a Cubase VST audio channel: control-click the input button at the top of the channel strip. For Nuendo or Cubase SX, consult your documentation.
  • Page 48: Assigning Outputs

    In Cubase VST, use the output buttons at the bottom of each channel strip, including the master fader, to assign 896HD outputs to busses. You can then assign channels in the VST Master Mixer window to each bus as desired.
  • Page 49: Changing 896Hd Settings

    CHANGING 896HD SETTINGS connected to it digitally (if any). For example, if To change the 896HD settings at any time, go to the you have a digital mixer connected to an 896HD Audio System Setup window in Cubase VST or the...
  • Page 50 Sample-accurate sync to ADAT or Tascam Nuendo or Cubase SX Cubase and Nuendo, along with the 896HD and its ASIO 2 driver, provide you with sample-accurate transfers with ADATs, Alesis recorders and any other devices that support standard ADAT sample address (ADAT Sync).
  • Page 51: Midi Machine Control (Mmc)

    50 for details on how to set this up. Cubase VST USING A FOOT SWITCH Use a foot switch connected to the 896HD to trigger recording punch-in and punch-out, or any Nuendo or Cubase SX other feature in your host audio software that is assigned to a computer keystroke.
  • Page 52 C U B A S E , N U E N D O A N D O T H E R A S I O S O F T W A R E...
  • Page 53: Sonar And Other Wdm Software

    WDM-compatible software. Just Changing 896HD settings ......57 follow the general descriptions at the beginning of Reducing delay when monitoring live inputs .
  • Page 54: Making Settings In The Motu Firewire Audio Console

    896HD (you are using the analog inputs and outputs only), and you will not be slaving Sonar to external SMPTE time code, choose Internal. If you are slaving the 896HD to the ADAT Sync or Word Clock input connector, choose ADAT 9-pin or Word Clock In, respectively.
  • Page 55: Enabling The Motu Firewire Audio Wdm Driver

    Figure 7-2. Figure 7-3: Make sure you have chosen a 896HD input and output for the playback and recording timing master settings. S O N A R A N D O T H E R W D M S O F T W A R E...
  • Page 56: Number Of Channels

    12 channels for analog I/O (including the ■ 896HD until peaks in the level meter are as high as headphone out) possible without clipping (hitting zero dB). 2 channels for AES/EBU ■...
  • Page 57: Changing 896Hd Settings

    CHANGING 896HD SETTINGS page 27 and “Making sync connections” on You can change the 896HD settings at any time by page 21. If you don’t have any digital audio devices accessing the MOTU FireWire Audio Console. connected to the 896HD, digital audio phase-lock does not apply to you.
  • Page 58 S O N A R A N D O T H E R W D M S O F T W A R E...
  • Page 59: Reducing Monitoring

    Controlling CueMix DSP from your audio software . . 63 your computer, from when it first enters an 896HD input, passes through the 896HD hardware into the computer, through your host audio software, and then back out to an 896HD output.
  • Page 60: Monitoring Live Input

    Figure 8-1: There are two ways to monitor live audio inputs with an 896HD: 1) through the computer or 2) via CueMix™ DSP hardware monitoring. This diagram shows method 1 (through the computer). 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.
  • Page 61: Adjusting The Audio I/O Buffer

    A buffer is a small amount of computer memory used to hold data. For audio interfaces like the 896HD, 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...
  • Page 62: Lower Latency Versus Higher Cpu Overhead

    Reducing latency with the buffer size setting has another benefit: it lets you route live inputs through Figure 8-3: Lowering the ‘Samples Per Buffer’ setting in the MOTU FireWire Audio Console Window reduces patch thru latency. But the real-time effects processing and mix doing so increases the processing load on your computer, so keep an automation of your audio software.
  • Page 63: Two Methods For Controlling Cuemix Dsp

    CueMix Console setup with your project file. (without the need to use CueMix Console). In most cases, this support consists of patching an 896HD input directly to an output when you record-arm a track. Exactly how this is handled depends on the application.
  • Page 64 R E D U C I N G M O N I T O R I N G L A T E N C Y...
  • Page 65: Cuemix Console

    Solo indicator Input mute/solo Master mute (enable/disable) Input pan Mix output Input volume Master fader Output level Mix tabs Grow box Input section Figure 9-1: CueMix Console is a virtual mixer that gives you control over the 896HD’s on-board mixing features.
  • Page 66: Advantages Of Cuemix Monitoring

    CueMix provides four separate mixes: Mix1, Mix2, Name Mix3 and Mix4. Each mix can have any number of ■ inputs mixed down to any 896HD output pair that Master mute (to enable/disable the entire mix) ■ you choose. For example, Mix1 could go to the...
  • Page 67 The channel strips to the left of the master fader front panel. When you turn it, the analog input represent each input in your 896HD. Use the input meters (channels 1-4) temporarily display the scroll bar to view additional inputs.
  • Page 68: Shortcuts

    Save Preset / Load Preset The 896HD can store up to 16 presets in its on- going to Mix1’s 896HD output pair (and also back board memory. A preset includes of all CueMix to the computer).
  • Page 69: Phones Menu

    CueMix Console to the front will hear on the headphone output, just like the (make it the active application). Phones setting the MOTU FireWire Audio When this menu item is unchecked, your control Console. However, this menu provides one extra...
  • Page 70 Other control surface hardware products If you install other control surface drivers written for CueMix Console, they will appear as separate menu items at the bottom of the Control Surfaces menu, with the same sub-menu items described above. Figure 9-2: Refer to the extensive on-line help for details about config- uring CueMix Console for operation with your control surface product.
  • Page 71: Stand-Alone Operation

    (via the effects processor return or the settings, are saved in the 896HD’s memory, and direct mic input). they remain in effect even when the 896HD is not The ADAT optical connection provides 8 ■ connected to a computer. This allows you to use the channels of 24-bit digital I/O to the digital mixer 896HD as a stand-alone 8-bus mixer.
  • Page 72 C U E M I X C O N S O L E...
  • Page 73: Performance Tips & Troubleshooting

    After power cycling, tape decks often come up Driver. Restart again. configured to record from their analog inputs. You won't be able to record from the 896HD to a tape ‘New hardware detected’ window If you connect your 896HD before running the deck until it is switched to digital input.
  • Page 74 Check to make sure you have the desired optical printed on a sticker placed on the bottom of the inputs and/or outputs enabled in the MOTU 896HD rack unit. You must be able to supply this FireWire Audio Console. number to receive technical support.
  • Page 75 Condenser mic input Force 44.1/48kHz Aardvark Aard Sync Configure interface Forget button ADAT Connecting multiple 896HDs Front panel metering Control Panel (MOTU 828) sync Control Strip module (828) 10, 37 ADAT 9-pin General tab Control surface support ADAT IN/OUT LEDs GSIF Driver...
  • Page 76 Sample Rate Conversion Digital Timepiece connecting Sample rate conversion MIDI Timepiece AV Yamaha 02R mixer Sample Rate Conversion option MOTU 828 Control Strip module 10, 23, 24, 25, 50 Sample-accurate sync MOTU Audio System Samplers bit resolution connecting MOTU FireWire Audio...

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