ICON Ultra 4 User Manual

User manual

USB3.0 Super-speed audio interface

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read this manual thoroughly before using this unit.

2. Keep this manual for future reference.

3. Take notice of and comply with all warnings included in the user's manual or indicated on the
appliance.

4. Follow all instructions included in this manual.

5. Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. Avoid having water or other liquids spilled on this
unit.

6. When cleaning the cabinet or other parts of this appliance, use only a dry or slightly damp soft
cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings or interfere with the proper ventilation of this unit. Install
in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

8. Do not use or store near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other heat­ producing appliances.

9. Do not interfere with the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug
has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. These are designated for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your
outlet, consult an electrician.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or otherwise damaged by items placed on or
against them. Particular attention should be given to the plugs, receptacles, and the point where
the cord exits the appliance.

11. To avoid the risk of electrical shock, do not touch any exposed wiring while the unit is in
operation.

12. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

13. Unplug this unit and all connected electrical equipment during lightning storms or when left
unused a long period of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the appliance has
been damaged in any way or fails to operate normally.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture

Introductions .............................................................................................4

What’s in the package? ............................................................................4

Features ...................................................................................................5

Front/Top Panel ........................................................................................6

Rear Panel................................................................................................7

Mac driver installation ............................................................................... 8

Mixer control panel ................................................................................. 11

Windows driver installation ..................................................................... 12

ProDriver VST ........................................................................................15

Mixer control panel .................................................................................16

Settings (Sample rate and latency settings) ........................................... 18

ProDriver VST hosting rack ....................................................................22

Hardware Connections ........................................................................... 23

Specications .........................................................................................24

Services .................................................................................................. 25

Contents

4

Introductions

What’s in the package?

Thank you for purchasing the ICON Ultra 4 digital audio Interface. We sincerely trust
this product will provide years of satisfactory service, but if anything is not to your
complete satisfaction, we will endeavor to make things right.

In these pages, you'll nd a detailed description of the features of the Ultra 4 digital

audio interface, as well as a guided tour through its front and rear panels, step-by-

step instructions for its setup and use, and full specications.

You'll also nd a warranty card enclosed---please don't forget to ll it out and mail it

so that you can receive online technical support at: www.iconproaudio.com. And
so we can send you updated information about these and other ICON products in
the future. As with most electronic devices, we strongly recommend you retain the
original packaging. In the unlikely event the product must be returned for servicing,
the original packaging (or reasonable equivalent) is required.

With proper care and adequate air circulation, your Ultra 4 digital audio interface will
operate without any trouble for many years. We recommend that you record your
serial number in the space provided below for future reference.

Please write your serial number here for future reference:

Purchased at:

Date of purchase:

● Ultra 4 USB Recording Interface

● Quick Start Guide

● Driver Software CD

 Different language electronic user manual & quick start guide (pdf)

● DAW software – Reaper & KiloHearts VST

● USB 3.0 cable x 1

5

Features

● USB3.0 super-speed connectivity for ultra-low latency

● 24-Bit 192KHz 2-In/2-Out USB Recording Interface

● High dynamic range and S/N ratio:

 DAC: THD+N: -112dB; Dynamic Range: 120dB

 ADC: THD+N: -110dB; Dynamic Range: 120dB

● 2x2 analog I/O full duplex recording and playback

● 2 x ICON innovative unique mic/Line/Instrument preamps with individual gain

control and phantom power switch

● 2 analog balanced inputs on 1/4” TRS jacks

● 2 analog balanced outputs on 1/4” TRS jacks

● 1 x 1 – 16 channel MIDI I/O

● Headphone output with individual volume control

● ICON “ProDriverVST” provided with internal virtual routing for inputs and outputs

● Powerful VST hosting rack built-in with the “ProDriverVST”

● Different VST plug-ins are provided

● Flexible channel routing via the software control panel

● Direct monitoring switch for “Stereo, Mono and PC” with individual volume control

● Supports DirectSound, WDM and ASIO2.0

● Compatible with Mac OS (Intel-Mac) and Windows 7, 8 & 10 (32-bit/64-bit)

● Full duplex, simultaneous record/playback

● Mixer-like layout and design for easy operation and visually friendly

● Rugged aluminum construction

6

Front/Top Panel

1. “Mic/Inst/Line” inputs 1/2

 Unbalanced instrument/Line and mic level inputs. These hybrid connectors will

accept a standard 3-pin XLR plug or a 1/4” TS connector.

2. 48V phantom power switch

 Press to supply +48V phantom power to the associated XLR input. This phantom

power circuit is suitable for most condenser microphones.

3. Input gain level controls 1/2

 These potentiometers control the input level of their associated analog Mic/Inst/

Line input.

4. “Inst/Line” input switch

 Instrument or Line input switch for input 1 & 2.

5. Master level control

 This potentiometer controls the master output level of the analog outputs.

6. Headphone level control

 This potentiometer controls the output level of the headphone output.

7. Headphone output

 This output jack accepts a standard 1/4″ stereo TRS headphone connector.

8. Direct Monitoring (DM) level control

 This potentiometer controls the direct monitoring output level.

9. Direct monitoring mode switch

 Switch between the monitoring signal from Stero DM/Mono DM to PC signal:

 Stereo: Stereo direct monitoring signal will be routed to the monitoring channel.
 Mono: Mono direct monitoring signal will be routed to the monitoring channel.
 PC: PC signal (i.e. wet signal) will be routed to the monitoring channel.



1 12

5

2

3

4

6 798

3

4

7

Rear Panel

1. USB 3.0 Connector

 Connect it with the provided USB cable to your Mac/PC’s USB connector. Your

Mac/PC must have a USB3.0 connector in order to run the full speed of Ultra 4.

2. Line outputs L/R

 These are unbalanced analog outputs on standard 1/4″ TS connectors at +6dBU

line level.

3. MIDI I/O connectors

 MIDI input and output on standard 5-pin DIN connectors.

4. Power supply connector

 Ultra 4 is USB-bus powered. If your computer does not supply sufcient power,

connect a ICON 5VDC power supply adapter to this jack.



 (Note: You can get the power adapter from ICON distributors/dealers near you.)

3 214

8

Mac driver installation

Please follow the step-by-step procedures below to install your Ultra 4 USB recording
interface and its driver.

1. Turn on your Mac

 (Note: Do not connect the Ultra 4 digital audio interface to your Mac yet.)

2. Insert the Driver CD into your CD-Rom.

 After you have inserted the provided Driver CD into your CD-Rom, a pop-up

window should appear as shown in Diagram 1, then click on the "Mac” folder to

open the installation les list. Click “ICON Ultra 4 ProDriverVST.pkg”.

3. Welcome Screen appears

 Choose "Continue" when you see the

Welcome Screen shown in Diagram 2.

4. Set install location

 Click the "Change install location” button if

you would like to set your preferred install
location, otherwise click the “Install” button.

Diagram 2

Diagram 1

Diagram 3

Mac

Mac

ICON Ultra4-ProDriverVST.pkg

9

Diagram 4

Diagram 5

Diagram 6

Diagram 7

5. Administrator ID

 Input your password for driver installation.

6. Installation conrmation

 Click “Continue Installation”, otherwise

click “Cancel” to abort.

7. Installation start

 The driver installation has started, please

wait until the process has completed.

8. Installation completed

 The driver installation has completed

successfully. Click the “Restart” button.

10

Diagram 8

Diagram 9

Diagram 10

9. Copy the software control panel shortcut logo to your
desktop

 Open the previous “Mac” folder. Copy the ‘ProDriverVST” software panel

shortcut logo and paste it to your desktop.

10. Launch the software
control panel

 Click the Ultra 4’s software control

panel shortcut logo you have just
copied to your desktop to launch
the software control panel.

11. Audio MIDI setup

 Open the “Audio MIDI setup” window

and check if the Ultra 4 has setup
properly as shown below in diagram 10.
If your Ultra 4 device does not appear
on the system settings. It means
the driver did not install properly,
go through the “Driver Installation”
procedure again.

Mac

11

Diagram 11

2

3
4

5

1

6

7

1. HW Input 1/2 level metering

 Showing the hardware 1/2 input level. (HW In 1/2).

2. HW Output 1/2 level metering

 Showing the hardware 1/2 output level.(HW Out 1/2).

3. Link switch

 Switch to adjust both channels level simultaneously.

4. Mute switch

 Switch to mute the corresponding channel.

5. “0dB” switch

 Switch to instantly adjust the corresponding channel to “0dB” level.

6. Gain control fader

 Slide to adjust the gain level for the corresponding channel.

7. Inputs & Outputs Matrix switches

 Switch to turn On/Off the corresponding hardware input channel route to the corresponding

hardware output channel. The matrix is very useful and makes your inputs and outputs very

exible. You may route any of your input(s) to any output(s).

Mixer control panel

The mixers work like a matrix mixer. Activate and adjust the corresponding input or output

channel level. They are very useful and make your inputs and outputs very exible. You

may route any of your input(s) to any output(s).

12

Windows driver installation

Please follow the step-by-step procedures below to install your Ultra 4 USB
recording interface and its driver.

1. Turn on your computer

 Note: Do not connect the Ultra 4 digital audio interface to your computer yet.

2. Insert the Driver CD into your CD-Rom.

 After you have inserted the provided Driver CD into your CD-Rom, an Installation

screen should appear as shown in Diagram 12, then click "Windows” for the
driver installation".


 Note: If the Installation screen does not appear automatically. Go to the CD

folder and double click "Setup" .

Diagram 12

3. Installation Wizard appears

 Choose "Next" when you see the Welcome

Screen shown in Diagram 13.

4. License Agreement

 Click “I Agree” to proceed.

Diagram 14

Diagram 13

13

5. Select components for installation

 Check mark the components that you would

like to install. We strongly recommend you to
select all components.

6. Preparing installation les

 The installation process started, the process

may take some time depending on your
computer performance, please be patient

and wait for the process to nish.

Diagram 15

Diagram 16

7. Click “Install” to proceed.

 Note: Same message will appear three

times as there are three different drivers
installation.

Diagram 17

Diagram 18

Diagram 19

14

8. Setup completed

 A window as shown in Diagram 20

should appear. Choose "Finish”.



Diagram 20

9. Launch the software
control panel

 You may click the ICON ProAudio

logo on the system tray to launch
the software control panel (Page

16).

Esc

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Diagram 22

Diagram 21

10. Connect your Ultra 4
digital audio interface

 Now connect the Ultra 4

digital audio interface to your
computer's USB port .

15

ProDriver VST

To make the Ultra 4 very versatile and powerful, we have developed a new
technology ProDriver VST - it is our innovative VST rack, plug-in host, and virtual
signal router. Run it in standalone mode or with your favorite DAW. Pull up your
guitar modeling VST and play, or plug in your midi controller and control your favorite
virtual instruments without running through your digital audio workstation.

Diagram 23

Diagram 24

16

15

16

13

12

6 7 8 9 10 11

14

2

4

5

3

10

9

11

1

ⅰ

Ultra 4 Hardware channels (HW In 1/2 & HW Out 1/2)

 These are the hardware input and output channels on Ultra 4.

ⅱ

Ultra 4 Virtual channels (VC In 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6), (VC Out 1/2,

3/4 and 5/6)

 These are the input and output virtual channels that related to the WDM.
 For example: WDM Out 1/2 linked to VC In1/2
 VC Out1/2 linked to WDM In1/2

ⅲ

Ultra 4 Loopback channels (LB 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6)

 These are the ASIO loop-back channels.

Mixer control panel

 On the mixer control panel, there are three different main types of ASIO channels that

you can manipulate.

Diagram 25

1. HW Input 1/2 level metering

 Showing the hardware 1/2 input level (HW In 1/2).

2. HW Output 1/2 level metering

 Showing the hardware 1/2 output level (HW Out 1/2).

 By activating different cross points, you may route the corresponding signal to your

desired channels.

17

3. VC In 1/2 (Virtual) input level metering

 Showing the WDM 1/2 output level (VC In 1/2).

4. VC In 3/4 (Virtual) input level metering

 Showing the WDM 3/4 output level (VC In 3/4).

5. VC In 5/6 (Virtual) input level metering

 Showing the WDM 5/6 output level (VC In 5/6).

6. VC Out 1/2 (Virtual) output level metering

 Showing the ASIO 1/2 VC output level (VC Out 1/2).

7. VC Out 3/4 (Virtual) output level metering

 Showing the ASIO 3/4 VC output level (VC Out 3/4).

8. VC Out 5/6 (Virtual) output level metering

 Showing the ASIO 5/6 VC output level (VC Out 5/6).

9. Loopback 1/2

 Showing the ASIO loop-back 1/2 channel’s level metering.

10. Loopback 3/4

 Showing the ASIO loop-back 3/4 channel’s level metering.

11. Loopback 5/6

 Showing the ASIO loop-back 5/6 channel’s level metering.

12. Link switch

 Switch to adjust both channels level simultaneously.

13. Mute switch

 Switch to mute the corresponding channel.

14. “0dB” switch

 Switch to instantly adjust the corresponding channel to “0dB” level.

15. Gain control fader

 Slide to adjust the gain level for the corresponding channel.

16. Inputs & Outputs Matrix switches

 Switch to turn On/Off the corresponding input channel route to the corresponding

output channel. The matrix is very useful and makes your inputs and outputs

very exible. You may route any of your input(s) to any output(s).

18

 Click the “Setting” button to launch the settings window.

Sample rate setting

 Select your desired sampling rate from 44.1KHz to 192KHz on the pull down

window shown in Diagram 27.

Settings (Sample rate and latency settings)

Diagram 26

Diagram 27

19

Latency settings

Diagram 28



● Safe (maximum latency)

● Extra Large

● Normal

● Small

● Very Small

● Minimum (minimum latency)

● Custom

 There are six standard latency settings to select. If you would like to customize

your own latency value, select custom.

20

Diagram 29

Diagram 30

 There are three different settings you can adjust to customize your own latency

settings: These values include:

1. ASIO buffer Size

 You may adjust the value ranging from 32/64/128/256/512/1024/2048 and 4096.

2. Streaming buffer Size

 Adjustable settings: Minimum/Low/Normal/High and Maximum.

21

Diagram 31

Diagram 32

3. Streaming buffer volume

 Adjustable values: 2/3 and 4.

 (Note: If a warning message appears on the “Latency Status” windows, please

adjust a larger latency setting.)

 (Note: If a clicking sound occurs, you should change to a larger buffer size

for the settings. If the largest buffer size has been selected and there is still a
clicking sound. It means your computer performance is not able to handle the
task. (It is not caused by Ultra 4 digital audio interface.)

22

ProDriver VST hosting rack

With the ProDriver VST Rack, you can use any of your VST plug-ins with your DAW.
Or you may use your device as a standalone VST plug-ins effector without the need
to run a DAW.

23

Hardware Connections

Connect the Ultra 4 digital audio interface outputs to your amplier, powered

monitors or surround system. Two-channel stereo operation, the default outputs are
channels 1 and 2.

If you are monitoring through headphones, connect your headphones to the device’s
headphone output.

Connect your microphones, instruments or other line level analog sources to the
device's analog inputs.

Mac

or

24

Specications

Line Inputs 1/2(balanced)::

Frequency Response: .................................... 22Hz to 22kHz (+/-0.1dB)

Dynamic Range: ............................................. 117dB, A-weighted

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:..................................... -117dB, A-weighted

THD+N: ......................................................... -107dB

Crosstalk:........................................................ -107dB @ 1kHz

Nominal Input Level: ....................................... Balanced: +4dBu

Unbalanced: -10dBV

Maximum Input level:...................................... Balanced: +10.2dBu, typical;

Unbalanced: +2.0dBV, typical

Input Impedance: ............................................ 10K Ohms, typical

Adjustable Gain: ............................................. > 50dB

Mic/Inst Inputs 1/2 (Balanced; at Minimum Gain):

Frequency Response: .................................... 22Hz to 22kHz (+/-0.1dB)

Dynamic Range: ............................................. 117dB, A-weighted

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:..................................... -117dB, A-weighted

THD+N: ......................................................... -107dB

Crosstalk:........................................................ -107dB @ 1kHz

Maximum Input level:...................................... -3.8dBu, typical

Input Impedance: ............................................ Inst in: 500K Ohms, typical;

Mic in: 1.8K Ohms, typical

Adjustable Gain: ............................................ > 50dB

Total Gain Range: ........................................... +54dB

Line Outputs 1-2 (balanced):

Frequency Response: .................................... 22Hz to 22kHz (+/-0.1dB)

Dynamic Range: ............................................. 117dB, A-weighted

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:..................................... -117dB, A-weighted

THD+N: ......................................................... -107dB

Crosstalk:........................................................ -107dB @ 1kHz

Nominal Output Level: .................................... Balanced: +4dBu, typical;

Maximum Output Level:.................................. +10.2dBu;

Output Impedance: ......................................... 150 Ohm

Load Impedance: ............................................ 600 Ohm minimum

Headphone Outputs: (at Maximum Volume; Into 100 Ohm load):

Frequency Response: .................................... 22Hz to 22kHz (+/-1dB)

Power into Ohms: ........................................... 90 mW into 100 Ohms

THD+N: .......................................................... <0.06% (-66dB)

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:..................................... -105dB, A-weighted

Max Output Level into 100 Ohms: .................. +2.0dBV, typical

Output Impedance: ......................................... 75 Ohm

Load Impedance: ............................................ 32 to 600 Ohms

25

Services

If your Ultra 4 needs servicing, follow these instructions.

Check our online help centre at http://support.iconproaudio.com/hc/en-us, for
information, knowledge, and downloads such as:

1. FAQ

2. Download

3. Learn More

4. Forum

Very often you will nd solutions on these pages. If you don’t nd a solution, create a

support ticket at our online ACS (Auto Customer Support) at the below link, and our
technical support team will assist you as soon as we can.
Navigate to http://support.iconproaudio.com/hc/en-us and then sign in to submit
a ticket or click “Submit a ticket” without the need to sign in.
As soon as you have submitted an enquiry ticket, our supporting team will assist you
to resolve the problem with your ICON ProAudio device as soon as possible.

To send defective products for service:

1. Ensure the problem is not related to operation error or external system devices.

2. Keep this owner's manual. We don't need it to repair the unit.

3. Pack the unit in its original packaging including end card and box. This is very
important. If you have lost the packaging, please make sure you have packed
the unit properly. ICON is not responsible for any damage that occurs due to
non-factory packing.

4. Ship to the ICON tech support center or the local return authorization. See our
service centres and distributor service points at the link below:


 If you are located in Honk Kong
 Send the product to:

 ASIA OFFICE:
 Unit F, 15/F., Fu Cheung Centre,
 No. 5-7 Wong Chuk Yueng Street, Fotan,
 Sha Tin, N.T., Hong Kong.


 If you are located in Europe
 Send the product to:
 Sound-Service Musikanlagen-Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH

 Am Spitzberg 3
 D-15834 Rangsdorf
 Telephone: [phone]
 Fax: [phone]
 E-Mail: [e-mail]


5. For additional update information please visit our website at:

 www.iconproaudio.com

26

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