Ensoniq ASR-X User Manual

User’s Guide

Version 1.10

ASR-X User’s Guide

Written, designed, and illustrated by: Robby Berman Documentation Management: Bill Whipple Thanks to: Ray Legnini, Bryan Pape

Please record the following information:

Your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer:___________________________ Phone:_______________

Your Dealer Sales Representative:_________________________________________________

Serial Number of Unit:___________________________ Date of Purchase:_________________

Your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer is your primary source for service and support. The above information will be helpful in communicating with your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer, and provide necessary information should you need to contact ENSONIQ Customer Service. If you have any questions concerning the use of this unit, please contact your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer first. For additional technical support, or to find the name of the nearest Authorized ENSONIQ Repair Station, call ENSONIQ Customer Service at (610) 647-3930 Monday through Friday 9:30 AM to 12:15 PM and 1:15 PM to 6:30 PM Eastern Time. Between 1:15 PM and 5:00 PM we experience our heaviest call load. During these times, there may be delays in answering your call.

This manual is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by ENSONIQ Corp. This document may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without prior written consent from ENSONIQ Corp. The ASR-X software/firmware is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by ENSONIQ Corp.

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the text and illustrations in this manual, no guarantee is made or implied in this regard.

IMPORTANT:

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: * Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. * Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. * Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. * Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Part Number 9310 0214 01-B Model Number MM- 155

Changes or modifications to the product not expressly approved by ENSONIQ could void the user's FCC authority to operate the equipment.

In order to fulfill warranty requirements, your ASR-X should be serviced only by an Authorized ENSONIQ Repair Station. The ENSONIQ serial number label must appear on the outside of the unit, or the ENSONIQ warranty is void.

ENSONIQ, ASR-X, Scratch Pad, Patch Selects and SoundFinder are trademarks of ENSONIQ Corp.

Temperature Guidelines

The ASR-X contains a substantial amount of computerized and electronic circuitry that can be susceptible to damage when exposed to extreme temperature changes. When the ASR-X is brought inside after sitting in a cold climate (i.e., the back seat of your car), condensation builds up on the internal circuitry in much the same way a pair of glasses fogs up when you come inside on a cold day. If the unit is powered up as this condensation occurs, components can short out or be damaged. Excessively high temperatures also pose a threat to the unit, stressing both the internal circuits as well as the case. With this in mind, it is highly advisable to follow these precautions when storing and setting up your ASR-X:

• Avoid leaving the ASR-X in temperatures of less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

• When bringing the ASR-X indoors after travel, allow the unit at least 20 minutes to reach room temperature before powering up. In the case of excessive outdoor temperatures (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit), allow an hour or more before power up.

• Avoid leaving the ASR-X inside a vehicle exposed to direct sunlight.

Care and Feeding of the Disk Drive

The ASR-X’s disk drive is used to store sounds, rhythms, and sequencer data. This quad-density disk drive will store your data on a high-density (HD) 3.5” micro floppy disk. You can also store data on a DOS-formatted double-density (DD) 3.5” micro floppy disk.

High-Density (HD) Disk

Disk Window

Write Protect Tab

Double-Density (DD) Disks

No Disk Window

Disks have a sliding write-protection tab so that you can protect your data

Write Protect Tab

against accidental erasure. When the write-protection tab covers the protect window, you can store information on the disk. Sliding the tab so that the window is open will protect the disk against being accidentally reformatted or having files deleted. High density disks can be easily identified because they have an additional disk window located on the lower right corner of the disk.

Floppy disks are a magnetic storage medium, and should be treated with the same care you’d give important audio tapes. Just as you would use high quality audio tapes for your important recording needs, we recommend using high quality floppy disks for your ASR-X. Here are a few Do’s and Don’t’s concerning disks and the disk drive.

Do’s:

• Use either high-density (HD) or double-density (DD) 3.5” disks. Both types are available from most computer stores.

• Keep your disks and the disk drive clean and free of dust, dirt, liquids, etc.

• Label your disks and keep a record of what is saved on each.

Don’t’s:

• Don’t use single-sided (SD) disks. These disks have not passed testing on both sides. While a single-sided disk might work with the ASR-X, it is possible that you will eventually lose important data to a disk error if you try using single-sided disks.

• Don’t put anything other than a disk into the disk drive.

• Don’t transport the unit with a disk in the drive.

• Don’t expose disks to temperature extremes. Temperatures below 50˚ F and above 140˚ F can damage the plastic outer shell.

• Don’t expose your disks to moisture.

• Don’t dry your disks in a microwave oven.

• Don’t subject disks to strong magnetic fields. Exposure to magnetic energy can permanently damage the information on the disk. Keep

disks away from speaker cabinets, tape decks, power cables, airline xray equipment, power amplifiers, TV sets, and any other sources of magnetic energy.

• Don’t eject the disk while the drive is operating (i.e., when the disk drive light is on).

Clean Up and Maintenance

Clean the exterior of your ASR-X with a soft, lint-free, dry (or slightly damp) cloth. You can use a slightly dampened cloth (with a mild neutral detergent) to remove stubborn dirt, but make sure that the ASR-X is thoroughly dry before turning on the power. Never use alcohol, benzene, volatile cleaners, solvents, abrasives, polish or rubbing compounds.

Polarization and Grounding

Like many modern electrical devices, your ENSONIQ product has a threeprong power cord with earth ground to ensure safe operation. Some products have power cords with only two prongs and no earth ground. To ensure safe operation, modern products with two-prong power cords have polarized plugs which can only be inserted into an outlet the proper way.

Three-prong

PolarizedNon-polarized

with earth ground

Some products, such as older guitar amplifiers, do not have polarized plugs and can be connected to an outlet incorrectly. This may result in dangerous high voltages on the audio connections, which could cause you physical harm or damage any properly grounded equipment to which they are connected, such as your ENSONIQ product.

To avoid shock hazards or equipment damage, we recommend the following precautions:

• If you own equipment with two-pronged power cords, check to see if they are polarized or non-polarized. You might consider having an authorized repair station change any non-polarized plugs on your equipment to polarized plugs to avoid future problems.

• Exercise caution when using extension cords or plug adapters. Proper polarization should always be maintained from the outlet to the plug. The use of polarized extension cords and adapters is the easiest way to maintain proper polarity.

• Whenever possible, connect all products with grounded power cords to the same outlet ground. This will ensure a common ground level to prevent equipment damage and minimize hum in the audio output.

AC outlet testers are available from many electronic supply and hardware stores. These can be used to check for proper polarity of outlets and cords.

AC Line Conditioning

As with any computer device, the ASR-X is sensitive to sharp peaks and drops in the AC line voltage. Lightning strikes, power drops, or sudden and erratic surges in the AC line voltage can scramble the internal memory, and in some cases, damage the unit’s hardware. Here are a few suggestions to help guard against such occurrences:

• A surge/spike suppressor. A surge/spike suppresser absorbs surges and protects your gear from all but the most severe over-voltage conditions. You can get multi-outlet power strips with built-in surge/spike suppressers for little more than the cost of unprotected power strips, so using one is a good investment for all your electronic equipment.

• A line conditioner. This is the best, but by far the more expensive way to protect your gear. In addition to protecting against surges and spikes, a line conditioner guards the equipment against excessively high or low line voltages. If you use the ASR-X in lots of different locations with varying or unknown AC line conditions, you might consider investing in a line conditioner.

Introduction

Welcome to the ASR-X User’s Guide, and congratulations on your purchase of the ENSONIQ ASR-X. The User’s Guide contains a step-by-step tour of the major features of the ASR-X. For more detailed information on the topics discussed in the User’s Guide—and more—see the ASR-X Reference Manual.

The User’s Guide is structured as a tutorial, meant to be read and followed in the order in which it’s presented. This approach will allow you to become familiar with ASR-X concepts and procedures one at a time, and will let you build up your understanding of—and comfort with—the way the ASR-X works. The whole User’s Guide will only take about a half hour to complete. Along the way, you’ll get a sense of how much fun it is to create music on your new ASR-X.

Note: At the end of various sections of the tutorial, you’ll see a “Before proceeding...” section. The instructions in each these sections help set up the tutorials that follow.

What Else is in the ASR-X Box?

The following items are included with every ASR-X shipped from the ENSONIQ factory:

• ENSONIQ X-Audio Sampling CD • ENSONIQ ASR-X User’s Guide Volume 1—Producers’ Mix • ENSONIQ ASR-X Reference Manual

• FDX-100 sound and demo floppy disk • hex wrench

• AC power cable

Getting Around on the ASR-X

The Display and Yes/No Buttons

The display located in the center of the ASR-X front panel will always tell you what you need to know as you do different things on the ASR-X. Many ASR-X procedures will be presented as questions that you can answer by pressing the No or Yes button.

Exit

Tip: When a question is being asked, the LEDs in the No and Yes buttons will flash.

Some activities involve a series of parameters and/or procedures. In such cases, you’ll begin by answering “Yes” to a top-level question. From there you’ll encounter parameters and/or further questions presented on sub-displays that relate to what you’re doing. To exit back out to the top level of the ASR-X, you can press the Exit/No button.

The Knobs

Select Track

Paramet er

116

Ente

MIDI Channel

Ye s

Va lu e

Sound

Typ e

Sound Edit Mute

Track

Mix / FX Bus

Solo

Sou nd Name

ENSONIQ ASR-X User’s Guide i

Introduction

In the center of the front panel, below the display are two knobs used during most ASR-X activities. These knobs are known by two different sets of names, since they serve two general purposes.

When you’re selecting sounds for tracks or for pads in the ASR-X, the central knobs should be thought of as the “Sound Type” and “Sound Name” knobs.

Sou nd

Typ e

For every other activity, the knobs will be referred to as the “Parameter knob” and the “Value knob.”

Both sets of names are printed on the front panel, as you can see.

Sou nd Name

Va lu eParameter

Some ASR-X Terms You Really Need to Know

It’s important that you understand the meaning of these terms as you use the ASR-X:

• parameter—This is any characteristic of the ASR-X software that can be changed.

• value—This is the setting of a parameter.

• select—This is the act of choosing a sound for playing or recording, or choosing a parameter to be edited.

• standard sound—A sound is a program that plays one or more digital audio recordings arranged in layers. The recordings, or waves, can be data permanently stored in the ASR-X’s ROM (for “readonly memory”), or something you’ve sampled or loaded into the ASR-X. Standard sounds based on ROM waves can have up to 16 layers; sounds that play sampled waves use one layer for mono waves, or two layers for stereo waves.

• kit sound—A kit is a sound in which each of its 64 notes can play a different standard sound. Since the ASR-X is designed for beats and loops, kit sounds are its most potent sounds.

Tip: See Chapter 3 of the ASR-X Reference Manual to learn more about standard and kit sounds.

Getting Ready to Go

Making Connections

There are a few types of connections you’ll want to make as you set up the ASR-X —all of the jacks necessary for these connections are located on the rear panel of the ASR-X. You’ll want to set up:

• a way of listening to the ASR-X—You can connect the ASR-X’s Left and Right Main Out jacks to a mixer, amplifier or stereo system. If you’d like to use the ASR-X in mono, connect only the Left or Right Main Out jack to your mixer or amplifier, and make sure nothing is plugged into the other Main Out jack. If you’d rather listen to the ASR-X through headphones, you can plug yours in to the ASR-X’s Phones jack—your headphones will need to have a 1/4” stereo plug or adapter to work correctly with the Phones jack.

ii ENSONIQ ASR-X User’s Guide

Introduction

IDI

Main Out

Right Left

Ph ones

Mono Mono

Warning: If you connect the Main Outs to a stereo system, set your ASR-X Volume level carefully, or you risk damaging components of your stereo. See “Setting Levels” below.

• if you plan to use any external MIDI devices with the ASR-X—such as a keyboard, sequencer or computer—you’ll need to connect:

• the MIDI In of the ASR-X to the MIDI Out of the external device.

• the MIDI OUT of the ASR-X to the MIDI In of the external device.

InOutTh ru

Tip: You’ll be able to verify that your external MIDI device is properly connect to the ASR-X by transmitting some MIDI data to the ASR-X —when the ASR-X receives the data, its front-panel MIDI LED will light.

• AC power for the ASR-X—by connecting one end of the supplied power cord to the AC Line jack on the back of the ASR-X, and the other end to a grounded AC outlet.

Powering Up

Warning: Before powering up your ASR-X for the first time, turn its front-panel Volume knob all

the way down (counter-clockwise) before turning the ASR-X on. This will help make sure that you’ve set safe levels for all of your equipment before you make any sounds on the ASR-X.

To power up the ASR-X, press in the top of its rear-panel power switch. When you do so, the ASR-X will start up and display:

ENSONIQ ASR-X Resampler w/ Effects

Setting Levels

When Connected to a Mixer or Amplifier

The ASR-X will produce its best sound when its volume knob is turned all the way up, so the best way to set up your ASR-X levels is to:

1. Turn the volume of the channels to which you’ve connected the ASR-X all the way down. If you’re connected to a mixer, turn down the channel preamps as well.

2. Turn the ASR-X Volume knob all the way up.

3. Play the ASR-X pads with a good amount of force.

4. Set the levels on your mixer or amplifier to a workable setting.

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