Alesis 320USB User Manual

 QUICKSTART OWNER’S MANUAL

(ENGLISH) 1 – 8

 MANUAL DE INICIO RÁPIDO DEL USUARIO

(ESPAÑOL) 9 – 16

 GUIDE D’UTILISATION SIMPLIFIÉ

(FRANÇAIS) 17 – 24

 KURZBEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG

(DEUTSCH) 25 – 32

 MANUALE RAPIDO DI UTILIZZO

(ITALIANO) 33 – 40

BOX CONTENTS

Make sure that the following items can be located in the box:

 M1Active 320 USB Speakers
 Power Cable
 USB Cable

READ THE SAFETY & WARRANTY INFORMATION BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT!

INTRODUCTION

Thanks for choosing the Alesis M1Active 320 USB desktop monitors – the perfect audio
monitoring solution for desktop based audio systems.

Our M1Active line of speakers were engineered from the ground up to be the perfect studio
monitor. The biamplified design, active crossover, and carefully matched woofer/tweeter
combination ensures perfectly accurate and uncolored playback of your music. These
speakers are like a “sound microscope” that will allow you to hear every nuance of your mix
and help you make better mixes.

In addition to their superior speaker design, the M1Active 320 USB monitors feature a
USB1.1 2in/2out computer audio interface. Simply plug the speakers into your computer
and you are ready to go. Play audio from your computer or record into your computer from
external sound devices connected to the inputs on the rear of the speakers – no additional
audio devices necessary!

We’ve made this quick start guide as short as possible, but please read it carefully in order
to get the most out of your monitors.

We hope your new M1Active 320 USB monitors will serve you well for many years.

Sincerely,

The People of Alesis

 1/8” Cable
 Quickstart Manual
 Safety & Warranty Information

1

HOOKUP DIAGRAM

Refer to the possible connection scenario for hooking up the M1 Active 320 USB speakers.

LAPTOP

KEYBOARD OR SOUND MODULE

TURNTABLE OR
OTHER DEVICE

POWER
SOURCE

CD PLAYER OR
OTHER DEVICE

FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW

1. VOL/POWER – This knob is used to turn the

speakers on and adjust their volume. To turn
on, simply turn up the knob; you will feel a click
when the speakers turn on. A blue LED light on
the left side of the speaker will illuminate. To
turn off, simply turn the volume all the way
down; the blue LED will turn off to let you know
that the speakers are off.

2. HEADPHONES – Connect your 1/8”

headphones to this output to hear the mix
through your headphones. Note that while the
headphones are connected, you will not be able
to hear sound out of your speakers until the
headphones are disconnected.

2

1

RIGHT SPEAKER

2

REAR PANEL OVERVIEW

4

2

3

5

8

6

3

1

1. POWER – Use the included power cable to connect the speakers to a live power

source. Make sure your AC Voltage Selector (see item #2 below) is set to the correct
voltage for your country.

2. AC VOLTAGE SELECTOR – This 2-position switch sets the AC input voltage for the

speaker. US users should set this switch to “100-120V” whereas UK and most
European users will need to set this to “220-240V.

3. OUTPUT TO LEFT SPEAKER – This is the audio connection to the left speaker. Use

the included 1/8” cable to connect the right speaker to the left speaker.

4. USB (1.1) – Use the supplied USB cable to

connect the speaker system to your computer.
Note that the M1Active 320 USB speakers are
Plug-and-Play so there is no additional driver
installation necessary; the speakers should be
ready to use as soon as they are plugged in.

5. 1/8” STEREO INPUT – Use a 1/8” stereo cable

(not included) to connect external sound
sources to this input.

6. 1/4” TS INPUTS – Use 1/4” TS cables (not

included) to connect external sound sources to
these inputs.

7. RCA INPUTS – Use a stereo RCA cable (not included) to connect external sound
sources to these inputs.

8. BASS BOOST – This 2-position switch allows you to boost the speakers’ bass
frequencies.

7

If you experience problems when
connecting the speakers through a
USB hub, we recommend
connecting the speakers directly to
your computer.

All three input options are mixed
together as a stereo pair when
recording your external sources into
your computer.

3

SPEAKER PLACEMENT

The placement of your speakers has a huge impact on how well they will perform in your
studio.

Although nearfield studio monitors are designed to be more forgiving when it comes to
placement, you should do your best to make sure they form an equilateral triangle relative
to your head. In other words, make sure that each speaker is equally distant from both
your head as well as the other speaker. Once each speaker has been placed, rotate the
speakers slightly so that the drivers are pointing toward the engineer.

Take a look at the diagram on
the right. Notice that the
distance from the engineer’s
head to each speaker is the
same as the distance between
the left and right speakers. Also
note that the speakers are
turned slightly so that the drivers
are facing the engineer.

This is an ideal setup but if it is
not practical (or possible) to do
this, try to match this setup as
closely as possible.

LEFT SPEAKER RIGHT SPEAKER

The speakers and
listener should be at
the three corners of a
triangle having equal

LISTENER

length sides.

SPEAKER HEIGHT

The ideal height for M1Active 320
USB speakers is so that the

WOOFER/TWEETER MIDPOINT

speaker is parallel to the ground
and that the midpoint of the woofer
and tweeter is at ear-height.

The diagram below demonstrates
the ideal placement height of the
speakers relative to the engineer.
Notice that the engineer’s ears are
directly between the woofer and
tweeter.

If possible, use speaker stands and move the monitors off of your desk (or meter bridge, if
you are using a mixer). This usually results in better imaging since the monitor is
decoupled from your desk and there is less chance reflected sound from the desk (or
mixer) reaching your ears and smearing the imaging of your studio monitors.

4

CONFIGURATION UNDER WINDOWS

The M1Active 320 USB speakers are plug-and-play under Windows XP/Vista so there is no
special driver installation necessary. Simply power on the speakers, connect them to your
computer’s USB port and all the necessary drivers will be automatically installed.

ABOUT LATENCY & THIRD-PARTY ASIO DRIVERS

“Latency” is the delay between the moment when audio is generated and the moment when
you actually hear it. Higher latency means a longer delay.

The M1Active 320 USB speakers feature zero latency direct monitoring so you don’t have to
worry about latency when monitoring input sources connected to the rear of the speakers.
However, latency may become an issue when using software synths and instruments.

Generally, you want to keep latency as low as possible while still allowing your equipment to
operate without glitches. Latency and buffering is usually adjusted in your software’s
Preferences settings.

If you still experience too much latency or “lag” when using software synths and
instruments, you might want to download one of the free and widely available ASIO (Audio
Stream Input/Output) drivers from the Internet. In general, ASIO drivers may perform better
and with lower latency since they create a more efficient communication between audio
devices and software. You may download and install the free ASIO4ALL driver (PC) by
visiting www.asio4all.com

When you first plug the speakers into your computer, you will
see a few messages similar to the one shown on the left. Allow
the process to complete.

Once the process has completed, you will see the
message displayed on the left. Your speakers are
now ready to use.

You may choose to use the M1Active 320 USB
speakers as the default audio output for your
computer. To access your computer’s default audio
preferences, go to Start

 Sounds and Audio Devices and click on the

 Control Panel

Audio tab.

You will see the screen displayed on the right.

To select the speakers
as the default
playback device,
choose USB Audio

CODEC under Sound
Playback.

To select the speakers
as the default
recording device,
choose USB Audio
CODEC under Sound

Tip: While in Sounds and
Audio Devices, we
recommend turning off
Windows system sounds
so they do not interfere
with your audio while in the
middle of a session. You
can do this by clicking on
the Sounds tab and
selecting No Sounds
under the Sound Scheme
pull-down menu.

Recording.

.

5

CONFIGURATION UNDER MAC OSX

The M1Active 320 USB speakers are plug-and-play under Mac OSX so there is no special
driver installation necessary. Simply power on the speakers, connect them to your
computer’s USB port and the speakers should be ready to use immediately.

You may choose to use the M1Active
320 USB speakers as the default
audio output for your computer. To
access your computer’s default audio
preferences, go to Applications

Utilities and double-click Audio MIDI
Setup.

Under the Audio Devices tab, select
USB Audio CODEC as the default

system input and output.



CONFIGURING YOUR DAW

Below are some tips on configuring your DAW to work with the speakers.

PLAYBACK

You may need to make sure that the speakers are enabled as an audio output device in
your DAW, if you have not set them to be the default system audio output. This is usually
done in the application’s Preferences dialog.

RECORDING

As you may have noticed, there are several inputs on the
rear panel of the left speaker. These inputs allow you to
record external sound sources directly into your computer.
Note that the three sets of inputs are summed together
before entering your computer as a stereo track. Therefore,
it’s important to ensure that the volume of the input signal
does not clip when using multiple external devices
simultaneously.

To record from the inputs, make sure that the speakers are
enabled as an audio input device in your DAW. This is
usually done in the application’s Preferences dialog.

IMPORTANT: Make sure
that software monitoring is
turned off when recording
from external sound
sources. Otherwise, you
may get feedback and
distortion. To turn off
monitoring on the
recording channel, you can
simply mute the channel in
your software.

6

TROUBLESHOOTING

Please refer to the following list of common troubleshooting scenarios if you run into
problems.

PROBLEM CAUSE SOLUTION

Speakers do not work.

I am only hearing audio from
the left speaker.

I am experiencing distortion
when recording from external
sources.

I am experiencing a lot of
latency or “lag“.

I am experiencing audio
dropouts and glitches.

My software DAW is not
“seeing“ the speakers.

Speakers not plugged in. Make sure that the speakers are

Speakers not turned on. Make sure that the speakers are turned

Speakers not connected to
computer.

Problem is caused by use of a
hub.

Headphones are plugged in. Remember that while the heaphones

Volume is all the way at
minimum..

Right speaker not connected. Make sure that the right speaker is

Gain levels of your input
sources are too hot.

Software monitoring has not
been truned off and is causing
a feedback loop.

Buffer size in your software is
set too high.

The class-compliant audio
drivers are insufficient.

Buffer size in your software is
set too low.

Speakers were connected
after the software was started.

connected to a live power source.

on. The blue LED will be illuminated
while the speakers are on.

Make sure that the speakers are
connected to a functioning USB port on
your computer.

We strongly recommend that you avoid
using USB hubs and connect the
speakers directly to your computer.

are plugged in, the speakers will not
output audio. Disconnect the
headphones if you would like to listen
through the speakers.

Turn up the volume knob on the front to
a suitable level.

connected to the left speaker with the
included 1/8“ cable.

Turn down the audio level of your input
sources. This is extrenely important
when using multiple sources, as the
inputs on the rear panel of the speakers
will be summed together before
entering your computer.

Make sure that your software
monitoring is turned off when recording
from external sources to avoid
feedback and distortion.

Set the buffer size to a lower value.
This is usually done in your software’s
Audio settings or perferences.

Download the free ASIO4ALL driver
from www.asio4all.com. It may help
achieve better results under extremely
low latency settings.

Exteremely low buffer sizes can result
in your computer working harder than it
can, causing unwanted dropouts and
glitches. Select a higher bugger size in
your software to avoid this.

Some configurations require that audio
and MIDI devices are connected prior
to starting any software applications
with which you may wish to use the
devices. Try restarting the application
with the speakers plugged in and
powered on.

7

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Woofer: 3” lightweight, magnetically-shielded,

Tweeter: 1” silk dome

Frequency Response: 80 Hz – 20 kHz

Bass Boost: 4.8dB at 100Hz

Power: 10 W per channel RMS

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 88dB weighted

Inputs: 1/4" TS, RCA, 1/8" Stereo, USB1.1

Input Impedance: 20k ohms

DAC/ADC 16 bit delta sigma, 44.1kHz or 48kHz sampling

Dimensions (W x H x D): 6.0” x 5.0” x 7.5” / 15.3 cm x 12.7 cm x 19.0 cm

Net Weight (total): 7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg

polypropylene cone with rubber surround and high
power handling voice coil. 4 Ohm impedance.

rate

8

CONTENIDO DE LA CAJA

Asegúrese que la caja contiene todos los siguientes artículos:

 Altavoces M1Active 320 USB
 Cable de alimentación
 Cable USB
 Cable de 1/8” (3.175 mm)

¡LEA LA INFORMACIÓN DE SEGURIDAD Y GARANTÍA ANTES DE USAR EL

INTRODUCCIÓN

PRESENTE PRODUCTO!

Gracias por elegir los altavoces USB para escritorio Alesis M1Active 320 – la solución de
monitoreo de audio perfecta para sistemas de sonido de escritorio.

Nuestra línea de altavoces M1Active fueron diseñados por nuestros ingenieros desde cero
para crear el monitor de estudio perfecto. El diseño de doble amplificador, crossover
activo, y combinación de woofer/tweeter cuidadosamente apareado asegura una
reproducción perfectamente precisa y sin pérdida de matiz de su música. Estos altavoces
son como un “microscopio de sonido”, que le permitirá escuchar todos los matices de su
mezcla, ayudándole a hacer mejores mezclas.

En adición a su diseño de altavoces superior, los monitores USB M1Active 320 cuentan
con una interface de audio para computadora USB1.1 con 2 entradas y 2 salidas.
Simplemente conecte los altavoces en su computadora, y estará listo para empezar.
Reproduzca sonido desde su computadora, o grabe sonido en su computadora a partir de
dispositivos de sonido externo conectados a las entradas en la parte posterior de los
altavoces – ¡sin requerir dispositivos de audio adicionales!

Hemos preparado esta guía rápida de inicio de la manera más corta posible; de cualquier
manera le pedimos lo lea cuidadosamente a fin de obtener el mejor desempeño de sus
monitores.

Esperamos que sus nuevos monitores USB M1Active 320 le den servicio por muchos
años.

Sinceramente,

La Gente de Alesis

 Manual de instalación rápida
 Información de Seguridad y

Garantía

9

DIAGRAMA DE CONEXIÓN

Refiérase al escenario posible de conexión para conectar sus altavoces USB M1 Active

320.

LAPTOP

TECLADO O MÓDULO DE SONIDO

TORNAMESA U
OTRO DISPOSITIVO

FUENTE DE
ALIMENTACIÓN

REPRODUCTOR DE
CD U OTRO
DISPOSITIVO

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL PANEL FRONTAL

1. VOL/POWER – Esta perilla se usa para

encender los altavoces y para ajustar su
volumen. Para encenderlos, simplemente gire
la perilla; usted sentirá un click cuando
encienda los altavoces. Una luz LED azul a la
izquierda del altavoz se iluminará. Para
apagarlo, simplemente gire la perilla de
volumen completamente hacia abajo; el LED
azul se apagará, indicándole que los altavoces
han sido apagados.

2. AUDÍFONOS – Conecte la clavija de 1/8”

(3.175 mm) de sus audífonos a esta salida para
escuchar la mezcla a través de sus audífonos.
Observe que mientras los audífonos están
conectados, usted no podrá escuchar ningún
sonido de sus altavoces hasta que los

1

audífonos hayan sido desconectados.

2

ALTAVOZ DERECHO

10

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL PANEL POSTERIOR

4

3

2

5

8

6

3

1

1. POWER – Use el cable de alimentación incluido para conectar los altavoces a una
fuente de alimentación viva. Asegúrese que su selector de Voltaje de Corriente
Alterna (vea el elemento #2 debajo) esté ajustado al voltaje correcto para su país.

2. AC VOLTAGE SELECTOR – Este interruptor de 2 posiciones selecciona el voltaje de
CA para el altavoz. Los usuarios de los Estados Unidos deben colocar este interruptor
en la posición “100-120V”, mientras que los usuarios del Reino Unido y la mayoría de
los usuarios de Europa deberán colocar este interruptor en la posición “220-240V”.

3. OUTPUT TO LEFT SPEAKER – Esta es la conexión de sonido al altavoz izquierdo.
Use el cable de 1/8” (3.175 mm) incluido para conectar el altavoz derecho al altavoz
izquierdo.

4. USB (1.1) – Use el cable USB incluido para
conectar el sistema de altavoces a su
computadora. Observe que los altavoces USB
M1Active 320 son dispositivos Plug-and-Play,
por lo que no requieren de la instalación de
controladores adicionales; estos altavoces
suelen estar listos en cuanto se les conecta.

5. 1/8” STEREO INPUT – Use un cable estéreo
de 1/8” (3.175 mm) (no incluído) para conectar
fuentes externas de sonido a esta entrada.

6. 1/4” TS INPUTS – Use cables TS de 1/4” (6.4
mm, no incluídos) para conectar fuentes de
sonido externas a estas entradas.

7. RCA INPUTS – Use un cable RCA estéreo (no incluído) para conectar fuentes de
sonido externas a estas entradas.

8. BASS BOOST – Este interruptor de 2 posiciones le permite enfatizar las frecuencias
bajas de los altavoces.

7

Si experimenta problemas al
conectar los altavoces a través de
un concentrador USB, se
recomienda conectar los altavoces
directamente a su computadora.

Las tres opciones de entrada
mezclan juntas como un par
estéreo cuando grabe sus fuentes
externas en su computadora.

11

COLOCACIÓN DE ALTAVOCES

La colocación de sus altavoces tiene un gran impacto en el desempeño que tendrán en su
estudio.

Aunque los monitores de estudio están diseñados para ser mas complacientes en lo que
toca a su colocación, usted debe asegurarse de que formen un triángulo equilátero con
respecto a su cabeza. En otras palabras, asegúrese de que cada altavoz esté colocado a
la misma distancia de su cabeza y del otro altavoz. Una vez que cada altavoz ha sido
colocado, gire los altavoces ligeramente de modo que los drivers apunten hacia le
ingeniero.

Observe el diagrama a la
derecha; vea que la distancia de
la cabeza del ingeniero con
respecto a cada altavoz es la
misma distancia que hay entre
los altavoces derecho e
izquierdo. Observe también que
los altavoces están ligeramente
girados, de manera que los
drivers quedan frente al
ingeniero.

Esta sería la colocación ideal,
pero si no es práctica (o posible)
realizarla, trate de emular este

montaje tanto como pueda.

LEFT SPEAKER RIGHT SPEAKER

Los altavoces y el
escucha pueden
estar colocados en
las esquinas de un
triángulo equilátero.

ESCUCHA

ALTURA DE LOS ALTAVOCES

La altura ideal para los altavoces
USB M1Active 320 debe ser tal

PUNTO MEDIO DE WOOFER/TWEETER

que el altavoz este paralelo al piso,
y que el punto medio del woofer y
del tweeter este a la altura de los
oídos.

El siguiente diagrama muestra la
altura ideal de la colocación de los
altavoces con respecto al
ingeniero. Observe que los oídos
del ingeniero están directamente
entre el woofer y el tweeter.

De ser posible, use soportes para los altavoces, retirando los monitores de su escritorio (o
puente de medición, si está usando una mezcladora). Esto usualmente redunda en una
mejor imagen de sonido, pues el monitor está desacoplado de su escritorio y hay menos
posibilidades de que sonidos reflejados de su escritorio (o mezcladora) lleguen a sus oídos
y afecten la calidad de imagen del sonido de sus monitores.

12