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Studio Interface MasterControl
User Manual
56 pgs2.26 Mb0

Alesis Studio Interface MasterControl User Manual

REFERENCE MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 2
FIRST THINGS FIRST: DRIVER INSTALLATION......................................................................... 3
INSTALLING THE OPTIONAL APPLICATIONS............................................................................. 3
REAR PANEL FEATURES.................................................................................................................. 4
TOP PANEL FEATURES ....................................................................................................................6
CONFIGURING YOUR DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION SOFTWARE FOR USE WITH
THE MASTERCONTROL.................................................................................................................. 12
AUDIO INPUTS AND OUTPUTS ..................................................................................................... 29
WINDOWS AUDIO CONFIGURATION............................................................................................ 30
MAC AUDIO CONFIGURATION...................................................................................................... 34
GLOBAL MENUS ............................................................................................................................... 36
MONITORING & CONTROL ROOM FEATURES.......................................................................... 39
DIRECT MONITORING ..................................................................................................................... 40
CREATING A CUBASE LE PROJECT FOR RECORDING ......................................................... 41
IMPORTANT POINTS FOR USERS OF VARIOUS DAWS .......................................................... 44
SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM ................................................................................................................ 49
SPECIFICATIONS.............................................................................................................................. 50
TRADEMARKS ................................................................................................................................... 51
CONTACT INFORMATION............................................................................................................... 51
DEMO MATERIALS........................................................................................................................... 51
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of the Alesis MasterControl!
The MasterControl is Alesis’s most advanced computer recording product to date and designed to be the centerpiece of your studio. Just consider this list of features:
y 24-bit, 192kHz audio interface with analog preamplifiers and line inputs, plus ADAT and S/PDIF
digital audio inputs. Up to twenty-six inputs and six outputs can be used simultaneously. Standard MIDI inputs and outputs are included, too.
y Audiophile performance from 111dB ADCs, 114db DACs, and a high-definition microphone
preamplifier design. All line inputs and outputs are balanced for maximum signal-to-noise (SNR) performance.
y Full featured control surface with 100mm motorized faders, three-row knob control, assignable
buttons, transport control, preview functionality, and a dedicated display to keep you oriented at all times.
y Templates for all the most popular DAWs are included. Call up a preset and use the included
templates to make the most out of your preferred music creation software.
y Sophisticated control room functionality including freely assignable outputs, dedicated buttons
for speaker switching, two independent headphone outputs, and integrated talkback microphone.
y DSP-driven, 26x6 built-in hardware mixer for tracking live instruments and vocals with no
discernible latency.
y Low-latency ASIO, WDM, and CoreAudio drivers for high performance and the lowest possible
latency.
y Steinberg Cubase and Ableton Live Lite Alesis Edition included in the box so you can get
started recording and mixing immediately.
How this manual is organized
This reference manual is designed to get you up and running with the MasterControl fast. After providing an overview of the MasterControl’s physical features, the manual guides you through driver installation and then connecting your MasterControl to your DAW software.
Once you have connected your MasterControl, you are ready to move on to the next step: customizing the MasterControl for your own mode of working. This customization occurs within the GLOBAL menus.
Next, you will learn about the powerful features of the built-in DIRECT MONITORING mixer.
At the end of this manual, there is a quick tutorial for starting a Cubase LE project, followed by a list of unique features pertinent to the various presets.
Enjoy your Alesis MasterControl—the new centerpiece of your recording studio!
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FIRST THINGS FIRST: DRIVER INSTALLATION
IMPORTANT!!! Follow these steps BEFORE you plug in your MasterControl for the first time.
If your computer has Internet access, go to http://www.alesis.com/mastercontrol updated drivers have been posted there since the time the software DVD included with your MasterControl was printed.
. It’s possible that
WINDOWS
If you are using the drivers from the DVD, click to begin the MasterControl driver installer from the DVD’s splash screen.
If you downloaded the drivers from http://www.alesis.com, open them from the location where you saved them.
Depending upon your computer’s configuration, you will be guided through as few as one and as many as four separate (though similar-looking) driver installations: one for “Alesis MasterControl,” one for “Alesis Firewire Audio,” and two for “Alesis Firewire MIDI.” For each of the installations that occur, you may see the window shown here warning you that the drivers have not passed Microsoft Logo Certification. Click “Continue Anyway,” and follow the on-screen instructions.
Be sure to complete every stage of the installation. Do not cancel any of the installations, as they are all required for proper operation. When all the drivers are installed, you will see a message at the bottom right of your screen stating, “Your new hardware is installed and ready to use.”
These drivers include the two most popular standards for audio interfacing – WDM (the “Windows Driver Model” built by Microsoft) and ASIO (the “Audio Stream Input/Output” standard used by many audio software a
lications).
MAC OS X
Driver installation in Mac OS X is more straightforward, as only CoreAudio and CoreMIDI drivers are installed. From the DVD, nagivate to the appropriate folder for MasterControl drivers. Click the installer program to install the drivers.
Note: Mac OS X 10.4 or higher is required by the MasterControl.
INSTALLING THE OPTIONAL APPLICATIONS
The software DVD that comes with the MasterControl contains some powerful music applications.
If you don’t already have a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) program, install Cubase LE and or Ableton Live Lite Alesis Edition, both of which are provided on the DVD. These programs are a fantastic way to get started in computer-based recording. You may find that they are the only programs you need.
ue to their limited track counts, these programs cannot access all of the MasterControl’s twenty-six inputs at the same time.
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REAR PANEL FEATURES
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1. MIC / LINE INPUTS – These two inputs can accept microphones (using an XLR cable) or an instrument or line-level device (using a 1/4” cable) such as a guitar, bass, sampler, or other audio device. These are balanced, low-impedance inputs. For best results when connecting balanced, line-level gear, use a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) cable to connect to the 1/4" inputs.
2. GAIN KNOBS – The two MIC / LINE INPUTS each have a small dedicated GAIN knob for gain trim adjustment. By sweeping the GAIN knob, the XLR input provides from +9dB to +59dB of gain, perfect for a wide range of microphones. The 1/4" TRS input provides from -7dB to +43dB of gain, allowing you to attenuate overly “hot” signals from line-level equipment.
3. INSERTS – These two inputs can be used to connect a compressor, equalizer, noise gate, or other external processor to the corresponding channel. A channel insert affects the channel’s audio before it is sent to your DAW. Use a dedicated insert cable to connect external gear to the insert jacks.
4. PHANTOM POWER – For phantom-powered mics, depress this button labeled “48 VOLT.” Note that this button applies phantom power to the XLR portion of the combo jacks (not the 1/4" portion of those jacks) for both
To minimize noise, only engage the MasterControl’s phantom power if
ou are using a mic that requires it.
inputs 1 and 2.
5. LINE INPUTS – Use 1/4” cables to connect your instruments or line-level devices to these six, fixed-gain inputs. Like the MIC / LINE INPUTS, these inputs are balanced (TRS). They can be used with both unbalanced and balanced input equipment.
6. MONITOR / LINE OUTPUTS – Connect your monitors and/or external processing gear to these outputs using 1/4” cables. These six outputs function in stereo pairs as follows (and are labeled as such on the rear panel):
y “A” outputs (Channels 1 and 2) y “B” outputs (Channels 3 and 4) y “C” outputs (Channels 5 and 6)
Each of these channel pairs can be enabled individually or in any simultaneous combination via the three SPEAKERS / MONITORS buttons on the top panel. In the GLOBAL MENUS (discussed later), you can freely assign each of these outputs to any of the three stereo-pair outputs that come out of your computer Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software.
7. HEADPHONES – You can connect two sets of stereo headphones to these outputs. Like the “A” / “B” / “C” outputs, you can choose any of the MasterControl’s three stereo output pairs for each headphone output. The headphone volume levels are controlled by the HEADPHONE 1 and 2 knobs on the top panel.
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8. FOOTSWITCH – You may connect a remote footswitch to this jack. This can operate either control option surface or off. Please refer to the GLOBAL MENUS section to configure your footswitch.
9. MIDI IN / OUT – You can use MIDI cables to connect an external MIDI device to these jacks.
10. DIGITAL INPUTS – This area features an ADAT connection, a configurable ADAT/optical S/PDIF connection, and a coaxial (RCA) S/PDIF connection.
The number of channels available via the digital input jacks changes as you change sampling rates. Refer to the INPUTS / OUTPUTS & SAMPLING RATES section for more information.
11. FIREWIRE – Connect the MasterControl to your computer using either of these FireWire connections. The second jack can be used to daisy chain another firewire device, such as an external hard drive. If computer operation becomes glitchy, remove any other devices connected to your FireWire chain to see if that solves the problem.
12. POWER IN – Connect the included power adapter to the MasterControl here. Only use an approved Alesis adapter. Other adapters may damage your MasterControl.
as a toggle switch to turn the MasterControl’s talkback function on and
Note: These MIDI connections may be disabled when recording at
176.4kHz and 192kHz sam
The digital section is INPUT only. The MasterControl does not have di
ital audio outputs.
as a
le rates.
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TOP PANEL FEATURES
This section breaks down the control surface into its functional areas. The area being discussed is shaded in the accompanying diagrams.
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C
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(A) Analog Input Signal Indicators
(B) DAW Control: Channels
(C) DAW Control: Multi-Function Knobs
(D) DAW Control: Transport
(E) DAW Control: Assignable Button Banks
(F) Monitoring / Control Room Features
(G) Configuration Controls
(A) ANALOG INPUT SIGNAL INDICATORS
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1. SIGNAL / CLIP – There is one LED for each analog input channel. This LED turns green when signal is detected and turns red when the signal nears 0dBFS (zero decibels full-scale, the point where nasty digital distortion occurs). Avoid digital distortion either by reducing the trim on the first two inputs or by reducing the volume level on any equipment connected to the analog inputs.
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(B) DAW CONTROL: CHANNELS
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1. CHANNEL FADER – Use this 100mm, touch-sensitive fader to adjust the volume levels of each channel. The exact level will be shown in the DISPLAY.
2. MASTER FADER – This fader controls the DAW’s master fader. Note that different DAWs control this fader differently. Some DAWs, such as Pro Tools, do not make use of the fader at all.
3. SELECT / RECORD / SOLO / MUTE – These buttons control the corresponding functions in your DAW.
4. PREVIEW – Using this button to keep from becoming “lost” on the control surface. Press and hold PREVIEW and manipulate a control to see its operation and, if applicable, the DAW project’s corresponding track name on the LCD display. As long as PREVIEW is held down, communication with the DAW will be suspended for most controls.
5. < BANK > – Use these buttons to move through your DAW project’s channels in banks of eight. The first and last fader assignments for the selected bank will be shown in the DISPLAY.
6. < TRACK > – Use these buttons to move through your DAW project’s channels one at a time.
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(C) DAW CONTROL: MULTI-FUNCTION KNOBS
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1. TEMPLATE OVERLAY – Place the long plasticized overlay (included) that matches your currently selected DAW preset here.
Remove the plastic protective covering from the template overlay before placing it in the slot. Insert one end first, then bend the overlay slightly upwards in order to slide the overlay into the opposite slot.
2. ROW SELECT – Use the ROW SELECT buttons to select which row of parameters the CHANNEL KNOBS are currently controlling. An LED next to the selected row indicates the currently selected row.
3. 360° KNOB – Turning this 360° knob adjusts the parameter indicated for the currently selected row.
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(D) DAW CONTROL: TRANSPORT
1. REW / FF/ STOP / PLAY / REC – These buttons control your DAW’s transport operations.
2. JOG WHEEL – Use this to scroll the backwards or forwards in your DAW. This has the same effect as the REW / FF buttons.
3. UP / DOWN / LEFT / RIGHT – These buttons serve different functions depending on whether the MasterControl’s Zoom or Scrub functions are enabled.
4. ZOOM – When you engage this button, you can use the UP / DOWN / LEFT / RIGHT buttons to zoom in or out of the selected track in the DAW. Use the LEFT / RIGHT buttons to zoom horizontally or the UP / DOWN buttons to zoom vertically, depending on what your DAW allows.
5. SCRUB – When you engage this button, you can “scrub” through the audio in the DAW, playing it backwards or forwards at a pitch/speed determined by how fast the play head is moving. To scrub, you can use the LEFT / RIGHT buttons, the REW / FF buttons, or the JOGWHEEL.
Note that ZOOM and SCRUB operate differently in different software programs. These features are not supported by all programs. For instance, SCRUB is not available in Cubase LE4.
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(E) DAW CONTROL: ASSIGNABLE BUTTON BANKS
1. TEMPLATE OVERLAY - Place the short plasticized overlay (included) that matches your currently selected DAW preset here.
2. ASSIGNABLE BUTTONS – These buttons perform functions in your DAW such as SAVE, LOOP, etc. For most presets, you can re-assign the buttons to various functions by pressing EDIT at the upper right of the MasterControl.
3. BUTTONS A / B – Press this button to toggle between the two banks of ASSIGNABLE BUTTONS. When this button is unlit, the ASSIGNABLE BUTTONS are in Bank A. When this button is lit, the ASSIGNABLE BUTTONS are in Bank B. This provides control over 8 x 2 functions.
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(F) MONITORING / CONTROL ROOM FEATURES
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1. DIRECT MONITOR - Press this button to put the MasterControl into DIRECT MONITOR mode. In this mode, the channel strips on the control surface stop communicating with your DAW and, instead, affect the volume and panning for your incoming audio signals. This hardware direct monitoring allows you and your musicians to monitor your incoming audio with zero computer­induced latency.
Use the BANK and TRACK buttons to navigate between the various analog and digital inputs. For more information on this important feature, see the DIRECT MONITOR section later in this manual.
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2. DIRECT MON LEVEL – This knob raises or lowers your entire direct monitor mix. This allows you to blend your direct monitor signals with the audio being played from your computer.
3. OUTPUT 1-2 LEVEL – This knob controls the volume sent out of the analog outputs for any of the analog output pairs that are set to listen to DAW outputs 1/2.
4. HEADPHONE 1 / 2 – These knobs control the volume for the corresponding HEADPHONE 1 and 2 outputs on the rear panel. You can select which stereo channels are routed to these outputs in the Global Menus (see the GLOBAL MENUS section for more information).
5. SPEAKERS / OUTPUTS – These buttons mute or activate output from each of the three physical analog output pairs. To switch a stereo mix between multiple sets of speakers, set each of the three output pair sources in the global menus to OUTPUT 1/2.
6. TALKBACK – Pressing this button will let you speak into the built-in microphone (right above the button) to your musicians. This signal will interrupts any audio that would otherwise be playing. Select which pairs of channels allow talkback, and set the talkback volume, in the Global Menus (see the GLOBAL MENUS section for more information).
7. LED METERS – These meters measure the audio signal level of the Output Source 1/2 sent from your computer software to the MasterControl.
(G) CONFIGURATION CONTROLS
1. DISPLAY – Information related to the MasterControl’s functions will be shown in this display. This includes functions currently being adjusted, pages in menus, knob settings, volume levels, the current bank or track, etc.
2. VALUE / ENTER – Turn this knob to scroll through the various options shown in the DISPLAY. Push the knob to enter your selection.
3. PRESET / HOME – Press this button to enter (or exit) Preset Selection. Use the VALUE / ENTER encoder to scroll through the Presets to find the one corresponding to your DAW. Press the encoder to select the preset. Do this before
you open your DAW. The Presets are as follows:
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y Preset 1: Cubase / Nuendo y Preset 2: Ableton Live y Preset 3: Cakewalk Sonar y Preset 4: Logic Pro y Preset 5: Samplitude y Preset 6: Digital Performer y Preset 7: Alesis HD24 y Preset 8: ProTools y Preset 9: Reason y Preset 10: Soundtrack Pro y Preset 11: Plug-in 1 y Preset 12: Plug-in 2
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4. EDIT – In Edit Mode, you can change the assignments for the A and B banks of the ASSIGNABLE buttons – a total of 16 assignable functions. Upon entering Edit Mode, the DISPLAY will look like the image on the right and the ASSIGNABLE BUTTONS will light up orange. First, press the button whose function you want to assign (the other buttons will become unlit). Then, use the VALUE / ENTER encoder to scroll through the functions. Press VALUE / ENTER to select one. You may assign the same function to multiple buttons.
Different functions are available for different DAWs. This depends on what the DAWs support. For instance, an option to rapidly “flip” the faders and knobs, so that, for instance, you can perform panning via the faders, is available for many but not all DAW presets.
5. GLOBAL – Press this to enter (or exit) the Global Mode where you can adjust the MasterControl’s global configuration. Use the PAGE buttons to toggle through the available pages in the Global Menus. Use VALUE / ENTER to scroll through the available options for any page; press it to save your change for each menu. See the GLOBAL MENUS section for more information.
6. < PAGE > – Press either of these buttons to move to the previous (<) or next (>) page in the menu in the DISPLAY.
TOUCH A CONTROL (Enter to save)
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CONFIGURING YOUR DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION SOFTWARE FOR USE WITH THE MASTERCONTROL
Once your MasterControl is connected to your computer, there are three steps to perform to establish audio and control surface communication with your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW):
1) On the MasterControl, select the proper MasterControl preset for your DAW.
2) In your DAW, select the MasterControl as your audio input/output device.
3) Still in your DAW, select the MasterControl as a control surface:
a. Add a “Mackie Control” device as an available control surface (the MasterControl uses
the “Mackie Control”/“MCU” protocol)
b. Choose the proper Alesis Firewire MIDI ports as the INPUT and OUTPUT ports for the
The following pages show you how to set up the Master Control to work with your DAW. The instructions are provided for Windows users in most of the following examples.
Mac users should note that, in all cases, the Alesis drivers should be selected under AUDIO MIDI setup before opening your DAW. In most cases for Mac, it will not be necessary for you to choose the Alesis drivers within your DAW as well.
“Mackie Control” control surface.
SELECTING THE PROPER PRESET FOR YOUR DAW
To select the Preset to match your DAW, press PRESET/HOME on the MasterControl. Turn the ENCODER to select the DAW program that you are using. Finally, press the ENCODER to accept the selection. Do all this before
Important: Be sure to select the proper preset for you DAW! If you use the wrong MasterControl preset with a DAW program, the communication between your computer and the MasterControl will not work correctly.
Your Preset selection will be saved even after you turn your MasterControl off. Therefore, you will only need to change your preset when you switch to using a different DAW.
opening the DAW itself.
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;
The MasterControl uses the industry-standard “Mackie Control” protocol with most DAWs. With Pro Tools, it uses the “HUI” protocol.
∗
For Pro Tools, the “HUI” protocol is used, not the “Mackie Control” protocol. Otherwise, the process is
the same.
For all DAWs except ProTools, be sure to select “Mackie Control” or its equivalent, “MCU” as the control surface — not “HUI.”
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CUBASE AND NUENDO SETUP: SELECTING THE AUDIO DRIVER (WINDOWS ONLY)
This discussion addresses Cubase. Nuendo setup is similar.
1. From the menu bar, go to Devices f Device Setup…
2. Click on “VST Audio System” in the left-hand pane. Then, in the right-hand pane, select “ASIO Alesis Firewire” for the ASIO driver.
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CUBASE AND NUENDO SETUP: CONTROL SURFACE (MAC AND WINDOWS)
1. Again from the menu bar, go to Devices f Device Setup…
2. Click the “+” button on the upper-left corner of the window and select “Mackie Control” from the list.
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3. Under Remote Devices f Mackie Control, select “Alesis FireWire” from the MIDI Input and MIDI Output drop-down menus.
4. Press “OK” to accept this setting.
5. Once the MasterControl is selected as the audio device, individual channels must be activated for use. From the “Devices” menu, select “VST Connections.”
Some versions of Cubase, including Cubase LE provided with the MasterControl, do not allow all inputs to be used simultaneously.
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