Mark of the Unicorn 828mk3 FireWire User's Guide

MOTU 828mk3

User Guide for Windows

™

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Business voice: [phone]

Business fax: [phone]

Web site: www.motu.com

Tech support: www.motu.com/support

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS

CAUTION! READ THIS SAFETY GUIDE BEFORE YOU BEGIN INSTALLATION OR OPERATION. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
COULD RESULT IN BODILY INJURY OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE.

HAZARDOUS VOLAGES: CONTACT MAY CAUSE ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN. TURN OFF UNIT BEFORE SERVICING.

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR OTHER MOISTURE.

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

WARNING: DO NOT PERMIT FINGERS TO TOUCH THE TERMINALS OF PLUGS WHEN INSTALLING OR REMOVING THE PLUG TO OR FROM THE OUTLET.

WARNING: IF NOT PROPERLY GROUNDED THE MOTU 828mk3 COULD CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK.

The MOTU 828mk3 is equipped with a three-conductor cord and grounding type plug which has a grounding prong, approved by Underwriters' Laboratories and the Canadian Standards Association.
This plug requires a mating three-conductor grounded type outlet as shown in Figure A below. If the outlet you are planning to use for the MOTU 828mk3 is of the two prong type, DO NOT REMOVE
OR ALTER THE GROUNDING PRONG IN ANY MANNER. Use an adapter as shown below and always connect the grounding lug to a known ground. It is recommended that you have a qualified
electrician replace the TWO prong outlet with a properly grounded THREE prong outlet. An adapter as illustrated below in Figure B is available for connecting plugs to two-prong receptacles.

Figure A Figure B

Grounding lug

Screw

3-prong plug

Grounding prong

Properly grounded 3-prong outlet

3-prong plug

Mak e sur e th is i s con nec ted to
a known ground.

Adapter

Two-prong receptacle

WARNING: THE GREEN GROUNDING LUG EXTENDING FROM THE ADAPTER MUST BE CONNECTED TO A PERMANENT GROUND SUCH AS TO A
PROPERLY GROUNDED OUTLET BOX. NOT ALL OUTLET BOXES ARE PROPERLY GROUNDED.

If you are not sure that your outlet box is properly grounded, have it checked by a qualified electrician. NOTE: The adapter illustrated is for use only if you already have a properly grounded two-prong
receptacle. Adapter is not allowed in Canada by the Canadian Electrical Code. Use only three wire extension cords which have three-prong grounding type plugs and three-prong receptacles which
will accept the MOTU 828mk3 plug.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

1. Read these instructions. All the safety and operating instructions should be read before operating the 828mk3.

2. Keep these instructions. These safety instructions and the 828mk3 owner’s manual should be retained for future reference.

3. Heed all warnings. All warnings on the 828mk3 and in the owner’s manual should be adhered to.

4. Follow all Instructions. All operating and use instructions should be followed.

5. Do not use the 828mk3 near water.

6. Cleaning - Unplug the 828mk3 from the computer and clean only with a dry cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

7. Ventilation - Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Heat - Do not install the 828mk3 near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or another apparatus (including an amplifier) that produces heat.

9. Overloading - Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electrical shock.

10. Grounding - Do not defeat 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. The wide blade
or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult and electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

11. Power cord - Protect the 828mk3 power cord from being walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them. Pay particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the unit.

12. Power switch - Install the 828mk3 so that the power switch can be accessed and operated at all times.

13. Disconnect - The main plug is considered to be the disconnect device for the 828mk3 and shall remain readily operable.

14. Accessories - Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

15. Placement - Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the 828mk3. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

16. Surge protection - Unplug the 828mk3 during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

17. Servicing - Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the 828mk3 has been damaged in any way, such as when a power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen
into the 828mk3, the 828mk3 has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

18. Power Sources - Refer to the manufacturer’s operating instructions for power requirements. Be advised that different operating voltages may require the use of a different line cord and/or attachment plug.

19. Installation - Do not install the 828mk3 in an unventilated rack, or directly above heat-producing equipment such as power amplifiers. Observe the maximum ambient operating temperature listed below.

20. Power amplifiers- Never attach audio power amplifier outputs directly to any of the unit’s connectors.

21. Replacement Parts - When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions
may result in fire, electric shock or other hazards.

22. Safety Check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this MOTU 828mk3, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in safe operating conditions.

ENVIRONMENT

Operating Temperature: 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°)

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR FIRE

Do not handle the power cord with wet hands. Do not pull on the power cord when disconnecting it from an AC wall outlet. Grasp it by the plug. Do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. Do not place objects containing liquids on it.

AC INPUT

100 - 240VAC ~ • 50 / 60Hz • 20 Watts.

About the Mark of the Unicorn License Agreement and
Limited Warranty on Software

TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT: carefully read all the
terms and conditions of the “click-wrap” license agreement presented to you when
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Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 by Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted,
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permission of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge,
MA, 02138, U.S.A.

Limited Warranty on Hardware

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. and S&S Research (“MOTU/S&S”) warrant this equipment
against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of TWO (2) YEARS from
the date of original retail purchase. This warranty applies only to hardware products;
MOTU software is licensed and warranted pursuant to separate written statements.

If you discover a defect, first write or call Mark of the Unicorn at [phone] to
obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization Number. No service will be performed on
any product returned without prior authorization. MOTU will, at its option, repair or
replace the product at no charge to you, provided you return it during the warranty
period, with transportation charges prepaid, to Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, MA 02138. You must use the product’s original packing
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the original, dated bill of sale with the returned unit and print the Return Merchandise
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LIMITED IN DURATION TO TWO (2) YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE
ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE OF THIS PRODUCT.

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AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
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AND PROPERTY AND COST OF RECOVERING REPROGRAMMING, OR
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This equipment has been type 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 instruction manual,
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 interference to radio
or television equipment reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by any combination of the following measures:

• Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

• Plug the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected

If necessary, you can consult a dealer or experienced radio/television technician for additional
assistance.

PLEASE NOTE: only equipment certified to comply with Class B (computer input/output devices,
terminals, printers, etc.) should be attached to this equipment, and it must have shielded interface
cables in order to comply with the Class B FCC limits on RF emissions.

WARNING: changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Contents

Quick Reference: 828mk3 Front Panel

5

6

Quick Reference: 828mk3 Rear Panel

Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Setup

7

9

About the 828mk3

Packing List and Windows System Requirements

15

17

IMPORTANT! Run the 828mk3 Software Installer First

Installing the 828mk3 Hardware

19

MOTU Audio Setup

33

828mk3 Front Panel Operation

39

Cubase, Nuendo and Other ASIO Software

49

55

Sonar and other WDM Software

GigaStudio and GSIF

61

65

Reducing Monitoring Latency

CueMix FX

71

MOTU SMPTE Console

99

Performance Tips & Troubleshooting

103

Index

105

III

This section provides two ten-segment meters for the two front-panel mic/guitar inputs. The

meters show input levels from -42 to -1 in the first column of LEDs, plus an additional range in a

second column from zero to +12 dB (including clip). Both inputs are equipped with V-Limit™, a

hardware limiter. With the limiter turned off, signals that hit zero or above will clip (a hard digital

clip). However, with V-Limit turned on, signals can go as high as +12 dB above zero with no

FireWire is a “plug-and-play”

protocol. That means that you

can turn off the 828mk3 and

turn it back on without

restarting your computer.

When the 828mk3 is resolv-

ing to SMPTE time code, the

LOCK/TACH LED glows when

lockup has been achieved.

The ADAT and MIDI LEDs blink

when there is optical audio or

These lights indicate the global

sample rate at which the 828mk3

is operating. Use the MOTU Audio

Setup software to set the sample

rate or to choose an external clock

source, from which the sample rate

will be derived. When no clock

signal is currently present, one of

these LEDs flashes rapidly.

5-segment

metering for the

main outs. Use

the MASTER VOL

knob to control

output level.

4-segment

metering for

SPDIF input.

This bank of

input meters

is for the 8

analog TRS

input jacks on

the rear panel.

digital clipping. If the signal then goes above +12 dB, it will clip, even with V-Limit engaged.

These round LEDs indicate

signal presence on the 8 rear-

panel TRS analog and SPDIF

outputs. Their threshold is

The multi-purpose backlit LCD shows

system settings or CueMix FX

settings, depending on which knobs

you turn. The labels above and below

around -42 dB. They do not

indicate clipping in any way;

use your host audio software

level meters to calibrate

the LCD refer to the four digital rotary

encoders to the left of the LCD. These

knobs let you access and program all

settings in the 828mk3.

output levels.

MIDI activity, respectively.

Quick Reference: 828mk3 Front Panel

These two trim knobs provide approximately 53 dB of gain for the lo-Z XLR mic input and the hi-Z TRS guitar/instrument input. Both

inputs have preamps, so you can plug just about anything into them: a microphone, a guitar, a synth — but don’t plug in a +4 signal

here (due to the preamps): use a rear-panel TRS input instead. Use the trim knob and the “MIC” input level meters over in the metering

section to calibrate the input signal level. The meters cover both the TRS and XLR input. These mic inputs are also equipped with the

828mk3’s V-Limit™ hardware limiter, which provides an additional +12 dB of headroom above zero with no clipping or digital distor-

This section controls the 828mk3’s built-in CueMix FX mixer and

effects. There are eight stereo mix busses: each bus mixes all

inputs (or any subset you wish) to a stereo output of your choice.

From the factory, the

PHONES jack is a discrete

output (at 44.1/48 kHz),

tion. See “Mic/guitar inputs meters with V-Limit™ compressor” on page 40 for details.

These XLR/TRS combo jacks accept either a mic cable or

a quarter-inch guitar cable. If you plug in a guitar, flip

the toggle switch up to the “INSTR. TRS” setting; for a

mic, flip it down to “MIC XLR”. Both the low-impedance

You can apply EQ, compression and/or reverb to inputs, outputs

and/or mix busses. The four knobs to the left of the LCD correspond

directly to the four labeled sections of the LCD. Use the CHANNEL

knob to choose the input, output or mix you wish to edit. Push it to

switch among inputs, outputs and busses, then turn it to choose

but it can mirror any other

output pair (digital or

analog). For example, at

88.2/96 kHz, it defaults to

mirroring the main outs.

XLR jack and the high-impedance TRS jack are

equipped with a preamp (so don’t connect a +4 line

level XLR cable!) 48V phantom power and 20 dB pad

can be applied via switches provided. The Precision

Digital Trim™ knob provides 53 dB of gain. Use the rear

the desired channel or bus. Use the PAGE, PARAM and VALUE knobs

to access the mix settings for the chosen channel.

As the primary phone jack,

it has its own dedicated

panel sends to route these inputs to your favorite

outboard gear. Use any rear-panel input as a return.

Push the CHANNEL knob repeat-

edly to cycle among the four

main sections of the mixer: mix

busses, inputs, outputs and the

reverb module. Push the PARAM

knob to enter the SETUP menu,

which provides global 828mk3

settings, such as the global

sample rate, etc.

volume knob.

These switches provide 48V phantom power

and 20 dB pad for their respective micro-

phone input. Down is off; up is on. The third

switch lets you choose between the low-

impedance XLR mic input and the high-

impedance quarter-inch guitar input.

The phone jack labeled (MAIN) is a standard quarter-inch stereo

headphone jack. Its output is hard-wired to mirror the XLR main outs on

the rear panel. From the factory, the MASTER VOL knob above it controls

the main outs and this jack, but MASTER VOL can be programmed to

control any combination of outputs. See “The Monitor Group” on

page 93 for details. Push the knob once to view the current volume

setting in the LCD display; push it again to mute the monitor group; push

a third time to return to the previous volume.Note: if the Monitor group

is programmed to not include the main outs, the MASTER VOL knob will

no longer control the volume of this phone jack, either.

These are quarter-inch analog

SMPTE input and output jacks. Use

them to resolve the 828mk3

directly to time code and transmit

The 828mk3’s eight analog outputs are

gold-plated, balanced +4dB TRS (tip/

ring/sleeve) quarter-inch connectors

that can also accept an unbalanced plug.

Connect a standard foot switch

here for hands-free punch-in and

punch-out during recording. For

details about how to set this up,

time code to other devices.

They are equipped with 24-bit 192 kHz

converters.

see “Enable Pedal” on page 37.

These two XLR jacks serve as the

828mk3’s main outputs. You can connect

These two quarter-inch

balanced TRS send

Equipped with 24-bit 192 kHz converters,

these 8 analog inputs are gold-plated,

them to a set of powered studio monitors

outputs supply the pre

balanced TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) quarter-inch

and then control the volume from the

front panel MASTER VOL knob.

To hear disk tracks in your audio software

on these main outs, assign the disk tracks

(and master fader) to these main outs.

amplified input signal

from the mic/guitar/

instrument inputs on

the front panel. Use

them to insert your

favorite compressor, EQ,

connectors that can also accept an unbal-

anced plug. They do not have microphone

preamps, so they are best used for synthe-

sizers, drum machines, effects processors,

and other instruments with line level signals

(either -10 dB or +4 dB). These inputs are

You can also use CueMix FX to monitor

live 828mk3 inputs here as well.

reverb or other

outboard effect. Use

any TRS input as a

also equipped with the 828mk3’s Precision

Digital Trim™ feature: digitally controlled

analog trims that let you adjust input level

return.

in 1 dB increments from either front panel

LCD or the included CueMix FX software. The

trim can be adjusted over a range of -96 to

+22 dB.

Quick Reference: 828mk3 Rear Panel

These optical digital I/O connectors can be connected either to an ADAT-compatible “lightpipe” device (such as a digital mixer) or to a S/PDIF optical

(“TOSLink”) compatible device, such as an effects processor or DAT machine. Be sure to set the format in the MOTU Audio Setup software (or using the front

panel LCD). (see “Optical input/output” on page 37) for details.) ADAT optical supplies eight channels of 24-bit digital I/O per bank (4 channels per bank

at 96kHz). TOSLink is stereo at sample rates up to 96 kHz.

One special note: you can choose independent formats for each bank, A and B, as well as IN and OUT within each bank. For example, you could choose

ADAT for the optical A IN (for, say, eight channels of input from your digital mixer) and stereo TOSLink for the optical A OUT (for, say, your DAT machine).

These are standard word clock jacks. Use them for a

variety of applications, such as for digital transfers

with devices that cannot slave to the clock supplied by

their digital I/O connection with the 828mk3.

When the 828mk3 is operating at a high sample rate

(88.2 or 96 kHz), you can force the word clock output

rate (via software or the front panel) to 44.1 or 48 kHz.

Connect the 828mk3 to the computer

here using the standard 1394 FireWire

cable provided with your 828mk3. Use

the second FireWire port to daisy-chain

Connect a MIDI device here

using standard MIDI cables.

Connect the 828mk3’s MIDI OUT

port to the MIDI IN port on the

These jacks provide

stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF

digital input and

output at all

The 828mk3 is

equipped with an

auto-switching

international

up to four MOTU FireWire audio inter-

faces to a single FireWire bus. You can

also connect other FireWire devices.

other device. Conversely,

connect the 828mk3’s MIDI IN

port to the MIDI OUT port on the

supported sample

rates (up to 96 kHz).

power supply.

Keep in mind that the 828mk3 uses

more FireWire bus bandwidth when one

or both optical banks are enabled, or

when it operates at higher sample rates.

These operating configurations will

limit the number of devices you can

other device. You can connect

different devices to each port,

such as a controller device to

the IN port and a sound module

to the OUT port. You can also

daisy-chain MIDI devices, but

daisy chain on a single FireWire bus. For

details, see “Connecting multiple MOTU

FireWire interfaces” on page 30.

be sure to manage their MIDI

channels (so that they don’t

receive or transmit on the same

channel).

Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Setup

-

CHAPTER

Determines the clock source for your
828mk3. If you’re just using the analog
ins and outs, set this to ‘Internal’. The
other settings are for digital transfers
via S/PDIF or optical ports, or for slaving
the 828mk3 to word clock.

Check this option if the audio software you
are using with the 828mk3 does not support
Windows WDM drivers and instead only
supports legacy MME (Wave) drivers. When
checked, this option makes all of the 828mk3
inputs and outputs available to legacy Wave­driver compatible audio software.

If you have a foot switch connected to the
828mk3, these settings let you map the
foot switch to any computer keyboard key
for both the up and down position. For
details about how to set this up, see
“Enable Pedal” on page 37.

This menu lets you choose what you will
hear from the PHONES jack. To mirror the
main outs, choose Main Out 1-2. Or you can
mirror any other output pair. To hear the
phones as their own independent output,
choose Phones 1-2 (at 44.1 or 48 kHz. At
higher sample rates, the phones must
mirror any other available output pair.)

Choose the output pair you would like the
main outs to mirror, or choose Main Outs to
operate them as their own independent pair
(at sample rates up to 96 kHz).

The 828mk3 driver provides a stereo return
back to the computer. This return feeds the
signal on any 828mk3 output pair directly
back to the computer, where you can record,
process, monitor or otherwise use it. This is a
great way to “bounce” full mixes, complete
with live audio routed through the 828mk3
only, back into the computer.

Click the tabs to access general MOTU inter
face settings or settings specific to the
828mk3 (or other connected interface.)

Choose the global sample rate for the
system here.

Choosing a smaller setting here reduces
the delay you may hear when listening to
live input that you are running through
effects plug-ins in your software. But
lower settings also increase the strain on
your computer. For details, see “Samples
Per Buffer” on page 36.

This option should always be left on
(checked). There are only a few rare cases
in which you would want to turn it off. For
details, refer to the MOTU tech support
database at www.motu.com.

Click the 828mk3 tab to access these
settings.

Each optical bank can be configured
independently: ADAT or TOSLink. Disable
them when not in use to conserve DSP
and bus bandwidth.

If you are running an 828mk3 interface at a
high sample rate (96, 88.2, 176.4 or 192
kHz), this option appears in the interface
tab. It lets you choose a word clock output
rate that either matches the global sample
rate (e.g. 96kHz) or reduces it to the corre­sponding 1x rate (e.g. 48kHz instead of 192
kHz).

How to access these settings

There are several ways to access these settings:

■ From the Windows Start menu, choose

Programs>MOTU>MOTU Audio Setup.

■ From within Cubase, go to the Device Setup

window, click the MOTU Audio ASIO list item and
and click the Control Panel button.

■ From within other applications, refer to their

documentation.

Device Setup in Cubase

7

8

CHAPTER

About the 828mk3

1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The 828mk3 Rear Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The 828mk3 Front Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

16-bit and 24-bit recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CueMix FX 32-bit floating point mixing and effects . . 13

Host Audio Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

OVERVIEW

The 828mk3 is a FireWire audio interface for Mac
and Windows with on-board effects and mixing
that offers 28 inputs and 30 outputs at 44.1 or 48
kHz. Both analog and digital I/O are offered at
sample rates up to 96 kHz, and analog recording
and playback is offered at rates up to 192 kHz. All
inputs and outputs can be accessed simultaneously.
The 828mk3 consists of a standard 19-inch, single­space, rack-mountable I/O unit that connects
directly to a computer via a standard IEEE 1394
FireWire™ cable.

The 828mk3 offers the following main features:

■

Eight 24-bit analog quarter-inch (TRS) inputs

■

Eight 24-bit analog quarter-inch (TRS) outputs

■

Two combo XLR/TRS mic/guitar inputs with
preamps, individual sends, 48V phantom power,
20 dB pad, and Precision Digital Trim™

■

Two XLR main outputs

■

Operation on all analog I/O at standard sample
rates up to 192 kHz

■

Digitally controlled analog trim for all analog
inputs

■

Two banks of optical digital I/O that provide 16
channels of ADAT optical at 48 kHz, 8 channels of
S/MUX optical I/O at 96 kHz or two banks of
stereo TOSLink at rates up to 96 kHz

■

RCA S/PDIF at sample rates up to 96 kHz

■

Word clock I/O

■

MIDI I/O

■

On-board SMPTE synchronization with

dedicated SMPTE I/O jacks

■

Foot switch for hands-free punch-in/out

■

Two headphone jacks with independent volume

control

■

Programmable master volume knob

■

CueMix™ FX no-latency mixing, monitoring

and effects processing

■

Front-panel LCD programming for the mixer

and all other settings

■

Extensive front panel metering and status LEDs

■

Auto-switching international power supply

■

Stand-alone operation

■

Mac and Windows drivers for multi-channel
operation and across-the-board compatibility with
any audio software on current Mac and Windows
systems

With a variety of I/O formats, mic preamps, no­latency mixing and processing of live input and
synchronization capabilities, the 828mk3 is a
complete, portable “studio in a box” when used
with a Mac or Windows computer.

THE 828MK3 REAR PANEL

The 828mk3 rear panel has the following
connectors:

■

Eight gold-plated, balanced quarter-inch (TRS)
analog outputs (with 24-bit 192 kHz converters)

9

■

Eight gold-plated, balanced quarter-inch (TRS)

analog inputs (with 24-bit 192 kHz converters)

■

Two XLR “main” analog outputs with 24-bit

192 kHz converters

■

Two gold-plated, balanced quarter-inch (TRS)
analog sends (for the front-panel mic/guitar
inputs)

■

Gold-plated balanced TRS quarter-inch analog
in/out dedicated for SMPTE time code

■

Two sets of optical connectors (in and out),
individually switchable among ADAT optical
“lightpipe”, 96 kHz S/MUX optical or S/PDIF
“TOSLink”

■

RCA S/PDIF in/out

■

MIDI IN and MIDI OUT

■

Word clock in/out

■

Foot pedal jack

■

Two 1394 FireWire jacks

28 inputs and 30 outputs

All 828mk3 inputs and outputs can be used simul­taneously, for a total of 28 inputs and 30 outputs
when operating at 44.1 or 48 kHz:

Connection Input Output

Analog 24-bit 192 kHz on bal/unbal TRS 8 8

Mic/guitar 24-bit 192 kHz on XLR/TRS combo 2 -

Main outputs 24-bit 192 kHz on XLR - stereo

Headphone output* - stereo

ADAT optical digital† 16 16

RCA S/PDIF 24-bit 96kHz digital stereo stereo

Total 28 30

* The phone jack below the MASTER VOL knob is
hard-wired to (mirrors) the XLR main outs. The
PHONES output can operate as an independent
output pair, or it can mirror any other 828mk3
output pair, such as the main outs.

† The 828mk3 optical connectors support several
standard optical I/O formats, which provide
varying channel counts. See “Optical” on page 11
for details about optical bank operation.

With the exception of the phone jack on the front
panel labeled “(MAIN)”, all inputs and outputs are
discrete. For example, using a mic input does not
“steal” an input from the TRS analog I/O bank.

Analog

Al l anal og i nputs a re eq uipp ed w ith 24- bit 1 92 kH z
A/D converters. All analog outputs have 24-bit
192 kHz D/A converters. All audio is transferred to
and from the computer in a 24-bit data stream.

All quarter-inch analog inputs can accept either a
balanced or unbalanced plug.

The quarter-inch outputs are referenced to a +4
dBu line level output signal. The inputs have
+22 dB of input gain and -96 dB of cut, allowing
them to accommodate both -10 dBu and +4 dBu
level signals.

Precision Digital Trim™

All of the 828mk3’s analog inputs are equipped
with digitally controlled analog trims that allow
adjustments in 1 dB increments. The mic/guitar
input trims can be adjusted using front-panel
digital rotary encoders that provide feedback in the
front panel LCD with up to 53 dB of boost. All
analog inputs, including eight rear-panel TRS
analog inputs, can be trimmed using the front
panel LCD or using the 828mk3’s included CueMix
FX control software for Mac and Windows. This
allows you to fine-tune trim settings for synths,

10

ABOUT THE 828MK3

effects modules and a wide variety of analog inputs
for optimum levels. Different trim configurations
can then be saved as files on disk for instant recall.

Mic/guitar sends

Before A/D conversion, the pre-amplified signal
from each front-p anel mic/ guit ar input is rou ted to
one of the two rear-panel quarter-inch analog
sends, so that you can insert a favorite outboard
EQ, compressor, amp or effects processor to the
mic/guitar input signal before it is converted to
digital form. The resulting output from the
outboard gear can be fed back into the 828mk3 via
one of the eight TRS analog inputs on the rear
panel, for routing to the computer and/or inclusion
in the 828mk3’s built-in monitor mixes.

Main Outs

The main outs are equipped with 24-bit 192 kHz
D/A converters and serve as independent outputs
for the computer or for the 828mk3’s on-board
CueMix FX mixes.

Optical

The two optical banks provide 16 channels of
ADAT optical at 44.1 or 48 kHz, 8 channels of S/
MUX optical I/O at 96 kHz or two banks of stereo
TOSLink at rates up to 96 kHz. The banks operate
independently, including input and output,
allowing you to mix and match any optical formats.
For example, you could receive 4 channels of
96 kHz S/MUX input on Bank A while at the same
time sending 96 kHz stereo optical S/PDIF
(“TOSLink”) from the Bank A output.

MIDI I/O

The 828mk3’s standard MIDI IN and MIDI OUT
jacks supply 16 channels of MIDI I/O to and from
the computer via the 828mk3’s FireWire
connection.

On-board SMPTE synchronization

The 828mk3 can resolve directly to SMPTE time
code via the quarter-inch SMPTE input, without a
separate synchronizer. A SMPTE out jack is also
provided for time code generation. The 828mk3
provides a DSP-driven phase-lock engine with
sophisticated filtering that provides fast lockup
times and sub-frame accuracy.

The included MOTU SMPTE Console™ software
provides a complete set of tools for generating and
regenerating SMPTE time code, which allows you
to slave other devices to the computer. Like
CueMix FX, the synchronization features are
cross-platform and compatible with all audio
sequencer software that supports the ASIO2
sample-accurate sync protocol.

Word clock

Th e 8 28m k3 pro vide s s tan da rd w ord clo ck tha t c an
slave to any supported sample rate. In addition,
word clock can resolve to and generate “high” and
“low” sample rates. For example, if the 828mk3
global sample rate is set to 96 kHz, the word clock
input can resolve to a “low” rate of 48 kHz.
Similarly, when the 828mk3 is operating at 96 kHz,
MOTU Audio Setup lets you choose a word clock
output rate of 48 kHz.

S/PDIF

The 828mk3 rear panel provides S/PDIF input and
output in two different formats: RCA “coax” and
optical “TOSLink”. The RCA jacks are dedicated to
the S/PDIF format. The TOSLink jacks can be used
either for either TOSLink or ADAT optical, as
discussed earlier.

ABOUT THE 828MK3

Punch in/out

The quarter-inch Punch in/out jack accepts a
standard foot switch. When you push the foot
switch, the 828mk3 triggers a programmable
keystroke on the computer keyboard. For example,
with MOTU’s Digital Performer audio sequencer
software, the foot switch triggers the 3 key on the
numeric keypad, which toggles recording in
Digital Performer. Therefore, pressing the foot

11

switch is the same as pressing the 3 key. The
828mk3 Control Panel software lets you program
any keystroke you wish.

1394 FireWire

The two 1394 FireWire jacks accept a standard
IEEE 1394 FireWire cable to connect the 828mk3
to a FireWire-equipped Mac or Windows
computer. The second jack can be used to daisy
chain multiple interfaces — up to four MOTU
FireWire interfaces on a single FireWire bus. It can
also be used to connect other FireWire devices
without the need for a FireWire hub. Keep in mind,
however, that the 828mk3 uses more FireWire bus
bandwidth when one or both optical banks are
enabled, or when it operates at higher sample rates.
These operating configurations will limit the
number of devices you can daisy chain on a single
FireWire bus.

THE 828MK3 FRONT PANEL

Mic/guitar inputs with preamps

Individual 48V phantom power and 20 dB pad
switches are supplied for each of two front-panel
mic/guitar combo jacks, which are both equipped
with preamps. Both inputs also include a switch
that toggles between the low-impedance XLR mic
input and the true (high-impedance) quarter-inch
guitar input jack.

Additional or alternative protection can be applied
to the mic/guitar inputs by enabling the 828mk3’s
Soft Clip feature, which engages just before
clipping occurs and helps reduce perceptible
distortion.

Headphone output and main volume control

The 828mk3 front panel provides two independent
headphone jacks with independent volume knobs,
one of which also controls the XLR main outs on
the rear panel. Alternately, this MASTER VOL
knob can be programmed to control any
combination of outputs (analog and/or digital).
For example, it can control monitor output for an
entire 5.1 or 7.1 surround mix.

Programmable backlit LCD display

Any 828mk3 setting, including the powerful
CueMix FX on-board 16-bus mixer with effects,
can be accessed directly from the front panel using
the four rotary encoders and the 2x16 backlit LCD
display.

Metering section

The front panel of the 828mk3 displays several
banks of input and output metering. The threshold
for these lights is approximately -42 dB. The four­and five-segment input meters provide dedicated
multi-segment metering for their respective inputs,
as do the five-segment main out meters.

As explained in “Mic/guitar sends” on page 11, the
pre-amplified signal can be routed to external
outboard gear before being routed back into the
828mk3.

Mic/guitar input overload protection

Both mic/guitar inputs are equipped with
V-Limit™, a hardware limiter that helps prevent
digital clipping from overloaded input signals.
With V-Limit enabled, signals can go above zero
dB (with limiting applied) to as high as +12 dB
above zero with no distortion due to digital
clipping.

12

Two ten-segment meters for the two front-panel
mic/guitar inputs show input levels from -42 to -1
in the first column of LEDs, plus an additional
range in a second column from zero to +12 dB
(including clip). Both inputs are equipped with V­Limit™, a hardware limiter. With the limiter turned
off, signals that hit zero or above will clip (a hard
digital clip). However, with V-Limit turned on,
si gnals can g o as h igh as +1 2 dB ab ove ze ro wit h no
digital clipping. If the signal then goes above +12
dB, it will clip, even with V-Limit engaged.

ABOUT THE 828MK3

The

Clock

lights indicate the global sample rate (as
chosen in the MOTU Audio Setup software). The
LOCK and TACH LEDs provide feedback for the
828mk3’s on-board SMPTE synchronization
features. The ADAT and MIDI LEDs indicate audio
and MIDI activity, respectively.

16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING

The 828mk3 system handles all data with a 24-bit
signal path, regardless of the I/O format. You can
record and play back 16-bit or 24-bit audio files at
any supported sample rate via any of the 828mk3’s
analog or digital inputs and outputs. 24-bit audio
files can be recorded with any compatible host
application that supports 24-bit recording.

CUEMIX FX 32-BIT FLOATING POINT MIXING AND EFFECTS

All 828mk3 inputs and outputs can be routed to the
on-board CueMix FX 16-bus (8 stereo) digital
mixer driven by hardware-based DSP with 32-bit
floating point precision. The mixer allows you to
apply no-latency effects processing to inputs,
outputs or bus ses direc tly in t he 828mk3 hardware ,
independent of the computer. Effects can even be
applied when the 828mk3 is operating stand-alone
(without a computer) as a complete rack-mounted
mixer. Input signals to the computer can be
recorded wet, dry, or dry with a wet monitor mix
(for musicians during recording, for example).

CueMix FX also provides 7-band parametric EQ
modeled after British analog console EQs,
featuring 4 filter styles (gain/Q profiles) to
effectively cover a wide range of audio material.
Low-pass and high-pass filters are also supplied
with slopes that range from 6 to 36 dB. The EQ
employs extremely high precision 64-bit floating
point processing.

The 838mk3’s flexible effects architecture allows
you to apply EQ and compression on every input
and output (a total of 58 channels), with enough
DSP resources for at least one band of parametric
EQ and compression on every channel at 48 kHz.
However, DSP resources are allocated dynamically
and a DSP meter in the CueMix FX software
(included) allows you to keep tabs on the 828mk3’s
processing resources. Each input, output and mix
bus provides a send to the Classic Reverb
processor, which then feeds reverb returns to mix
busses and outputs, with a selectable split point
between them to prevent send/return feedback
loops.

HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

The 828mk3 ships with standard Windows drivers
that allow you to record, edit, play back and mix
your 828mk3 projects using your favorite Windows
audio software.

Effects include reverb, parametric EQ and
compression/limiting. The 828mk3’s Classic
Reverb™ provides five different room types, three
frequency bands with adjustable crossover points,
shelf filtering and reverb lengths up to 60-seconds.

Two forms of compression are supplied: a standard
compressor with conventional threshold/ratio/
attack/release/gain controls and the Leveler™, an
accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical
compressor, which provides vintage, musical
automatic gain control.

ABOUT THE 828MK3

13

14

ABOUT THE 828MK3

CHAPTER

Packing List and

2

Windows System Requirements

PACKING LIST

The 828mk3 ships with the items listed below. If
any of these items are not present in your 828mk3
box when you first open it, please immediately
contact your dealer or MOTU.

■

One 828mk3 I/O rack unit

■

One 6-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 “FireWire” cable

■

Power cord

■

One 828mk3 Mac/Windows manual

■

One AudioDesk Manual

■

One cross-platform installer CD

■

Product registration card

WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

The 828mk3 system requires the following
Windows system:

■

A 1 GHz Pentium-based PC compatible or faster

equipped with at least one FireWire port

■

A Pentium III processor or faster is

recommended

PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!

Please register your 828mk3 today. There are two
ways to register.

■

Visit www.motu.com to register online

OR

■

Fill out and mail the included product

registration card

As a registered user, you will be eligible to receive
technical support and announcements about
product enhancements as soon as they become
available. Only registered users receive these
special update notices, so please register today.

Thank you for taking the time to register your new
MOTU products!

■

At least 256 MB (megabytes) of RAM (512 MB

or more is recommended)

■

Windows XP or Vista

■

A large hard drive (preferably at least 100 GB)

15

16

PACKING LIST AND WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

CHAPTER

IMPORTANT! Run the 828mk3

3

Software Installer First

OVERVIEW

Install the 828mk3 software first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Installing the 828mk3 software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

MOTU Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

MOTU ASIO Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The MOTU WDM audio driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

MOTU GSIF driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

MOTU SMPTE Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

INSTALL THE 828MK3 SOFTWARE FIRST!

Before you connect the 828mk3 audio interface to
your computer and turn it on, insert the 828mk3
software CD and run the 828mk3 Software
Installer. This ensures that all the 828mk3
components are properly installed in your system.

If Windows asks you to locate the drivers

If you’ve already connected the 828mk3 to your
computer and switched it on, Windows probably
issued an alert notifying you that the 828mk3
requires drivers, followed by another window
asking you to locate the drivers on disk. If this
happens:

1

Cancel the driver search.

2

Switch off the 828mk3.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 SOFTWARE

To install the 828mk3 software, insert the MOTU
Audio CD-ROM and follow the directions it gives
you on your computer screen. Also be sure to read
the Read Me file for installation assistance. The
828mk3 ships with the following software and
drivers for Windows XP and Vista:

Software
component Purpose

MOTU Audio Setup Provides access to all of the settings in

CueMix FX Gives you complete control over the

MOTU ASIO Driver Allows Cubase or other ASIO-compli-

MOTU WDM Driver Allows any WDM-driver compatible

MOTU GSIF Driver Allows you to use your 828mk3 with

MOTU MIDI Driver Provides MIDI input and output via the

MOTU SMPTE Con­sole

the 828mk3 hardware.

828mk3’s CueMix FX on-board mixer,
which provides no-latency monitoring,
mixing and processing of live inputs
through your 828mk3.

ant software to do multi-channel input
and output with the 828mk3. Only
required if you are using Cubase or
another ASIO-dependent program.

audio software to do multichannel input
and output with the 828mk3.

Tascam GigaStudio.

828mk3 MIDI ports.

Provides access to the 828mk3’s SMPTE
time code and video sync features.

3

Run the 828mk3 Software Installer as instructed

in the next section.

17

MOTU AUDIO SETUP

MOTU Audio Setup (available in the Start menu)
gives yo u acces s to a ll of the se ttings i n the 828m k3,
such as the clock source and sample rate. For
complete details, see chapter 5, “MOTU Audio
Setup” (page 33).

The MOTU ASIO audio driver is installed by the
828mk3 Software Installer and properly registered
with Windows, so you don’t need to be concerned
about its installation or location.

For details about using Cubase with the 828mk3,
see chapter 7, “Cubase, Nuendo and Other ASIO
Software” (page 49).

THE MOTU WDM AUDIO DRIVER

The MOTU WDM audio driver provides standard
multi-channel input and output for audio
applications running under Windows XP and
Vista. See chapter 8, “Sonar and other WDM
Software” (page 55) for details.

The MOTU Universal Audio Installer CD installs
the MOTU WDM audio driver into Windows for
you.

MOTU GSIF DRIVER

The MOTU GSIF Driver allows you to access the
828mk3 as an audio interface for Tascam
GigaStudio and related products. The GSIF driver
features low-latency multi-channel performance.

Figure 3-1: MOTU Audio Setup gives you access to all of the settings in
the 828mk3 hardware.

MOTU ASIO DRIVER

ASIO

stands for
The MOTU ASIO audio driver allows 828mk3 to
provide multi-channel input and output for
Steinberg’s Cubase software, or any other audio
application that supports ASIO drivers.

The MOTU ASIO audio driver is only required if
you are using Cubase (or another audio program
that relies on the ASIO driver to support multi­channel I/O with the 828mk3).

18

Audio Strea ming Input

IMPORTANT! RUN THE 828MK3 SOFTWARE INSTALLER FIRST

and

Output

MOTU MIDI DRIVER

Th is d rive r al low s you to acc ess the 82 8mk 3’s MI DI
input and output ports. The ports are published in
Windows and are available to all MIDI software.

.

CUEMIX FX

This program provides a mixing console that gives
you control over the 828mk3’s no-latency CueMix
FX on-board mixing and effects processing. For
details, see chapter 11, “CueMix FX” (page 71).

MOTU SMPTE CONSOLE

The MOTU SMPTE Console software provides a
complete set of tools for resolving the 828mk3 to
SMPTE time code, and to generate SMPTE for
striping, regenerating or slaving other devices to
the computer. For details, see chapter 12, “MOTU
SMPTE Console” (page 99).

CHAPTER

Installing the 828mk3 Hardware

4

OVERVIEW

Here’s an overview for installing the 828mk3:

Connect the 828mk3 interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Connect the 828mk3 to the computer.

Connect audio inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Make optical and analog connections as desired.

Connect MIDI gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Connect a controller, synth or control surface.

Connect a foot switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Connect a footswitch to trigger any keystroke.

A typical 828mk3 setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

An example setup for computer-based mixing/FX.

Operating the 828mk3 as a converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

An example of using the 828mk3 as an expander.

Making sync connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

If you need to resolve the 828mk3 with other
devices, make the necessary sync connections.

CONNECT THE 828MK3 INTERFACE

1 Plug one end of the 828mk3 FireWire cable
(included) into the FireWire socket on the
computer as shown below in Figure 4-1.

2 Plug the other end of the FireWire cable into the
828mk3 I/O as shown below in Figure 4-1.

Syncing to SMPTE time code directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Syncing to video and/or SMPTE time code using a

synchronizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Syncing S/PDIF devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Syncing word clock devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Connecting multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces . . . . . 30

Figure 4-1: Connecting the 828mk3 to the computer.

19

CONNECT AUDIO INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

The 828mk3 audio interface has the following
audio input and output connectors:

■ 8 balanced, +4 dB quarter-inch analog outputs

■ 8 balanced +4 dB quarter-inch analog inputs

■ 2 mic/guitar combo jack inputs with preamps

■ 2 quarter-inch sends for the mic/guitar inputs

■ 2 XLR main outs

■ 2 pair of optical in/out switchable between

ADAT (“Lightpipe”) or optical S/PDIF (TOSLink)

■ 1 pair of RCA S/PDIF in and out

Here are a few things you should keep in mind as
you are making these connections to other devices.

Mic/guitar inputs with preamps

Connect a microphone, guitar, instrument or other
analog input to the front panel XLR/quarter-inch
combo jack with either a standard mic cable or a
balanced cable with a quarter-inch plug.

Phantom power

If you are connecting a condenser microphone or
other device that requires phantom power, move
the 48V phantom power switch just to the right of
the jack to the up position (enabled).

Tr i m

Both the low-impedance XLR mic input and the
high-impedance quarter-inch guitar input are
equipped with 53 dB of digitally controlled analog
trim. Use the detented trim knobs next to each jack
to adjust the input level as needed for each input.
The LCD provides visual feedback as you turn the
trim knob.

Figure 4-4: The LCD gives you feedback as you turn the TRIM knobs for
the two mic/guitar inputs.

Figure 4-3: Mic/guitar inputs.

☛ Do not connect a +4 (line level) XLR cable to

the front-panel inputs (because of the preamps).
Use a rear-panel quarter-inch input instead.

Figure 4-2: 828mk3 front panel

20

The 828mk3’s input trims are digitally controlled,
so they allow you to make fine-tuned adjustments
in 1dB increments. You can also adjust trim in the
MOTU CueMix FX software. See “Input trim” on
page 77.

20 dB pad

If the input signal is still too hot with the trim
turned all the way down, engage (flip up) the 20dB
pad switch to the right of the input jack.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

Quarter-inch analog

The eight quarter-inch analog inputs and outputs
(Figure 4-5) are balanced (TRS) connectors that
can also accept an unbalanced plug.

The quarter-inch outputs are calibrated to produce
a +4 dBu line level output signal.

Quarter-inch analog input trims

The quarter-inch inputs are calibrated to
accommodate either +4 or -10 dBu signals and are
equipped with digitally controlled analog trims
that provide +22 dB of gain and -96 dB of cut. You
can use either the front panel LCD or the included
CueMix FX software to adjust the input trim. To
adjust these trims using CueMix FX, see “Input
trim” on page 77. To adjust the trims using the
front panel LCD:

1 Push the CHANNEL knob repeatedly until you
see “I:” (which stands for Input ) in the CHANNEL
section of the LCD (Figure 4-6).

2 Turn the CHANNEL KNOB until you see the
desired analog input or input pair. For example,
analog inputs 1-2 appear as “I:An 1-2”
(Figure 4-6), which means Input analog 1-2.

3 From the factory, analog inputs are grouped in
stereo pairs (1-2, 3-4, etc.) If you need to split a pair
to deal with it as two individual mono inputs, turn
the PARAMETER knob until you see PAIR in the
parameter section of the LCD (Figure 4-6). Turn
the VALUE knob to choose MONO. Then turn the
CHANNEL knob again to select the desired input
you are adjusting.

Figure 4-6: The settings for analog inputs 1 and 2 (as a pair).

4 After splitting the stereo pair, if necessary, turn
the PARAM knob until you see the TRIM
parameter in the LCD (Figure 4-7):

Figure 4-7: Setting the input trim for a TRS analog input pair.

5 Turn the VALUE knob to adjust the trim.

Mic/guitar/instrument sends

Each front-panel XLR/TRS input has a
corresponding send on the rear panel (Figure 4-5).
The output from this send is the pre-amplified and
calibrated signal from the corresponding mic or
guitar input, which you can then route to any other
device, such as compressor, guitar amp, outboard
EQ, reverb unit, etc. Use any 828mk3 input (analog
or digital) as a return back into the 828mk3. From
there, you will be able to route the signal anywhere
in the system, such as to the computer and/or to
any CueMix FX mix bus.

Figure 4-5: 828mk3 back panel

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

21

XLR main outs

The XLR main outputs serve as independent
outputs. From the factory, the main out volume is
controlled by the MASTER VOL knob on the front
panel, although this knob can be programmed to
control any combination of outputs. For details, see
“The Monitor Group” on page 93. In a standard
studio configuration, the main outs are intended
for a pair of studio monitors, but they can also be
used as additional outputs for any purpose.

Optical

The 828mk3 rear panel provides two sets of ADAT
optical (“lightpipe”) connectors: Bank A and B
(Figure 4-5). Each bank provides an input and
output connector. All four connectors can operate
independently and offer two different optical
formats: ADAT optical or TOSLink (optical S/
PDIF). For example, you could connect 8-channel
ADAT optical input from your digital mixer and
stereo TOSLink output to an effects processor.

The 828mk3 supplies +12dB of digital trim (boost)
for each optical input, which can be adjusted from
CueMix FX (“Input trim” on page 77) or the front
panel (“The IN (inputs) menu” on page 43).

Below is a summary of optical formats:

Format 44.1 or 48 kHz 88.2 or 96 kHz

ADAT optical 8 channels 4 channels

TOSLink stereo stereo

Optical operation at 44.1 or 48 kHz

When configured for ADAT “lightpipe”, an optical
connector provides 8 channels at 44.1 and 48 kHz.

Using optical I/O to operate the 828mk3 as a
16-channel expander

When the 828mk3 is not connected directly to a
computer via FireWire, the sixteen optical output
channels can be programmed (via the CueMix FX
mixer) to mirror the incoming signal on any
combination of the 828mk3’s inputs. By
connecting the 828mk3 optical outputs to another
device, such as another ADAT-optical equipped
interface or a digital mixer, you add up to sixteen
additional inputs to your system (or eight inputs at
the 2x sample rates).

To learn how to program the 828mk3 when it is
operating as a stand-alone expander in this
fashion, see chapter 6, “828mk3 Front Panel
Operation” (page 39).

Choosing a clock source for optical connections

When connecting an optical device, make sure that
its digital audio clock is phase-locked (in sync
with) the 828mk3, as explained in “Making sync
connections” on page 26. There are two ways to do
this:

1. Resolve the optical device to the 828mk3

2. Resolve the 828mk3 to the optical device

For 1), choose Inter nal (or any other clock source
except ADAT optical) as the clock source for the
828mk3 in MOTU Audio Setup.

For 2), choose either ADAT Optical A or ADAT
Optical B as the 828mk3’s clock source
(Fi gure 4-8 ). Be sure to cho ose t he opt ical por t that
the device is connected to.

ADAT optical operation at 88.2 or 96 kHz

When configured for ADAT “lightpipe”, an optical
con nec tor prov ide s fou r cha nnel s at 8 8.2 or 96 kHz
(2x sample rates). When using the ADAT lightpipe
format at a 2x rate, be sure to choose either Type I
or Type I I ope ration, a s exp laine d in “ADAT SM UX
Typ e” on pa ge 4 2 .

22

Figure 4-8: Resolving the 828mk3 to an optical device.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

For details about using the clock source setting and
the MOTU Audio Setup software in general, see
chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Setup” (page 33).

Using word clock to resolve optical devices

If the optical device you are connecting to the
828mk3 has word clock connectors on it, you can
use them to resolve the device to the 828mk3,
similar to the diagram shown in Figure 4-18 on
page 29 for S/PDIF devices with word clock. Also
see “Syncing word clock devices” on page 30.

S/PDIF

If you make a S/PDIF digital audio connection to
another device, be sure to review the digital audio
clocking issues, as explained in “Syncing S/PDIF
devices” on page 29.

The 828mk3 supplies +12dB of digital trim (boost)
for the S/PDIF input pair, which can be adjusted
from CueMix FX (“Input trim” on page 77) or the
front panel (“The IN (inputs) menu” on page 43).

One-way MIDI connections

MIDI devices that do not receive MIDI data, such
as a dedicated keyboard controller, guitar
controller, or drum pad, only need Connection B
shown in Figure 4-9. Similarly, devices that never
send data, such as a sound module, only need
Connection A. Make both connections for any
device that needs to both send and receive MIDI
data.

Connecting additional gear with MIDI THRUs

If you need to connect several pieces of MIDI gear,
run a MIDI cable f rom th e MIDI THRU of a dev ice
already connected to the 828mk3 to the MIDI IN
on the additional device as shown below in
Figure 4-10. The two devices then share the
828mk3’s MIDI OUT port. This means that they
share the same set of 16 MIDI channels, too, so try
to do this with devices that receive on only one
MIDI channel (such as effects modules) so their
receive channels don’t conflict with one another.

CONNECT MIDI GEAR

Connect your MIDI device’s MIDI IN jack to the
828mk3’s MIDI OUT jack (Connection A below).
Conversely, connect the MIDI device’s MIDI OUT
jack to the 8238mkII’s MIDI IN jack (Connection
B).

828mk3

rear panel

MIDI

OUT

Connection A

MIDI Device

Figure 4-9: Connecting a MIDI device to the 828mk3.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

MIDI

cables

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

MIDI

IN

Connection B

828mk3

rear panel

MIDI

OUT

MIDI

MIDI Device

Figure 4-10: Connecting additional devices with MIDI THRU ports.

IN

MIDI

THRU

MIDI IN

MIDI

cable

CONNECT A FOOT SWITCH

If you would like to use a foot switch with your
828mk3, connect it to the PUNCH IN/OUT jack.
See “Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Setup” on
page 7 for information about how to program the
foot switch to trigger any computer keystroke you
wish.

23

A TYPICAL 828MK3 SETUP

Here is a typical 828mk3 studio setup. This rig can
be operated without an external mixer. All mixing
and processing can be done in the computer with
audio software. During recording, you can use the
828mk3’s CueMix FX no-latency monitoring to
listen to what you are recording via the main outs,

headphone outs, or any other output pair. You can
control monitoring either from the front panel or
from the included CueMix FX software. The two
front-panel guitar/mic inputs can be routed to
outboard effects processors, such as a compressor,
EQ or reverb, via the rear panel sends.

828mk3

back panel

MOTU 8pre and/or

other optical devices

S/PDIF

guitar

828mk3

front panel

8-channel

ADAT optical

foot

switch

MIDI IN/OUT

mic

sends to

FX unit
(in rack
below)

quarter-inch

analog outs

headphones

other outputs (stage

monitors, surround

monitors, etc.)

send

returns

headphones

monitors

to send returns

Compressor, reverb or

other outboard gear

24

DAT deck

synthesizer

FireWire

PC

Figure 4-11: A typical 828mk3 studio setup.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

quarter-inch analog outs

synths, samplers, effects units, etc.

OPERATING THE 828mk3 AS A CONVERTER

As explained earlier in “Using optical I/O to
operate the 828mk3 as a 16-channel expander” on
page 22, the 828mk3 can serve as a multi-channel
analog-to-digital converter when disconnected
from the computer and instead connected to
another device equipped with an ADAT optical
input. For example, you could connect the 828mk3
optical output to the optical input on another
MOTU audio interface, such as a Traveler, 896HD
or even another 828mk3. The 828mk3 then serves
as a multi-channel expander that adds additional
mic, analog TRS and digital inputs to the interface.

PC

The benefit of connecting the 828mk3 in this
manner (instead of as another FireWire interface)
is that you can seamlessly integrate the 828mk3’s
inputs into the on-board no-latency CueMix
monitor mixing in the interface, since the 828mk3’s
inputs are fed into CueMix via the interface’s
optical inputs.

If the device to which you are connecting the
828mk3 supports 2x optical sample rates (88.2 or
96 kHz), you can also use both banks of connectors
as discussed in “ADAT optical operation at 88.2 or
96 kHz” on page 22.

FireWire

Base

828mk3

ADAT optical In

ADAT optical Out

Expander

828mk3

Figure 4-12: Using the 828mk3 as an optical expander. In this example, it is connected to another 828mk3.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

25

MAKING SYNC CONNECTIONS

If you connect devices digitally to the 828mk3, or if
you need to synchronize the 828mk3 with an
outside time reference such as SMPTE time code,
you must pay careful attention to the synchroni­zation connections and clock source issues
discussed in the next few sections.

Do you need to synchronize the 828mk3?

If you will be using only the 828mk3’s analog
inputs and outputs (and none of its digital I/O),
and you have no plans to synchronize your 828mk3
system to SMPTE time code, you don’t need to
make any sync connections. You can skip this
section and proceed to “MOTU Audio Setup” on
page 33,where you’ll open MOTU Audio Setup to
confirm that the Clock Source setting is Internal as
shown below.

Figure 4-13: You can run the 828mk3 under its own internal clock
when it has no digital audio connections and you are not synchroniz­ing the 828mk3 system to an external time reference such as time
code.

Situations that require synchronization

There are three general cases in which you will
need to resolve the 828mk3 with other devices:

Synchronization is critical for clean digital I/O

Synchronization is critical in any audio system, but
it is especially important when you are transferring
audio between digital audio devices. Your success
in using the 828mk3’s digital I/O features depends
almost entirely on proper synchronization. The
following sections guide you through several
recommended scenarios.

Be sure to choose a digital audio clock master

When you transfer digital audio between two
devices, their audio clocks must be in phase with
one another — or phase-locked. Otherwise, you’ll
hear clicks, pops, and distortion in the audio — or
perhaps no audio at all.

Not phase-locked Phase-locked

Device A

Device B

Figure 4-14: When transferring audio, two devices must have phase­locked audio clocks to prevent clicks, pops or other artifacts.

There are two ways to achieve phase lock: slave one
device to the other, or slave both devices to a third
master clock. If you have three or more digital
audio devices, you need to slave them all to a single
master audio clock.

Master

Master

■ Synchronizing the 828mk3 with other digital

audio devices so that their digital audio clocks are
phase-locked (as shown in Figure 4-14)

■ Resolving the 828mk3 system to SMPTE time

code from a video deck, analog multi-track, etc.

■ Both of the above

26

Slave

Figure 4-15: To keep the 828mk3 phased-locked with other digital
audio devices connected to it, choose a clock master.

Slave Slave

Also remember that audio phase lock can be
achieved independently of time code (location).
For example, one device can be the time code
master while another is the audio clock master. But
only one device can be the audio clock master. If
you set things up with this rule in mind, you’ll have
trouble-free audio transfers with the 828mk3.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

SYNCING TO SMPTE TIME CODE DIRECTLY

The 828mk3 system can resolve directly to SMPTE
time code. It can also generate time code and word
clock, under its own clock or while slaving to time
code. Therefore, the 828mk3 can act both as an
audio interface and as a digital audio synchronizer
to which you can slave other digital audio devices.
You can use the 828mk3 to slave your audio
soft ware to SMPT E as w ell, as lon g as your s oftwa re
supports sample-accurate sync, which is the means
by which the software follows the 828mk3. The
accuracy may not be sample-accurate, but in most
cases it will be very close.

Choose SMPTE as the clock source in MOTU
Audio Setup. This setting can also be made in
the MOTU SMPTE Console (shown below).

SMPTE time code
source

Use this setup if you have:

✓ A SMPTE time code source, such as a multitrack tape deck.

An 828mk3 by itself, OR with another slaved device (such as a

✓

digital mixer).

✓ Host software that supports sample-accurate sync.

This setup provides:

✓ Continuous sync to SMPTE time code.

✓ Sub-frame timing accuracy.

✓ Transport control from the SMPTE time code source.

audio cable bearing LTC
(Longitudinal Time Code)

SMPTE IN

quarter-inch jack

SMPTE

Word

out

Out

audio

cable

Other digital audio device

slaved to the 828mk3

Figure 4-16: Connections for synchronizing
the 828mk3 directly to SMPTE time code.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

video
cable

FireWire cab le

Windows computer running Cubase or

other sample-accurate ASIO software

When lockup is achieved, the
LOCK/TACH light glows.

828mk3 interface

In Cubase, go to the Synchronization window and
choose ASIO Audio Device as the Timecode Base.

Launch the MOTU SMPTE Console and specify the SMPTE Source,
which is the interface receiving the SMPTE time code. Also, confirm
that the Clock Source/Address is SMPTE/SMPTE. For details about the
other settings, see chapter 12, “MOTU SMPTE Console” (page 99).

27

SYNCING TO VIDEO AND/OR SMPTE TIME CODE USING A SYNCHRONIZER

If your host audio software does not support the
828mk3 ’s on -boa rd SMP TE sy nc feature s (be cause
your software does not support sample-accurate
sync), you need a universal synchronizer, such as a
MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece.
These dedicated sync boxes can read video and
SMPTE time code and then convert it into word
clock and MIDI Time Code (MTC). The word
clock goes to the 828mk3 to resolve the audio
hardware, and MIDI Time Code is fed to your host
audio software, which locks to it, as shown below
in Figure 4-17.

Use this setup if you have:

✓ Video and/or a SMPTE time code source.

✓ A Digital Timepiece, MIDI Timepiece AV or other universal

synchronizer.

✓ Host software that does not support sample-accurate sync

(although you can use this setup even if it does).

This setup provides:

✓ Continuous sync to SMPTE time code.

✓ Sub-frame timing accuracy.

✓ Transport control from the SMPTE time code source.

Video deck
or other source for video and/or SMPTE time code

Audio cable bearing LTC
(Longitudinal Time Code)

MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece
slaving to video and/or SMPTE time code

828mk3

Choose Word Clo ck In as the clock source in MOTU Audio
Setup. If you have multiple interfaces connected, be
sure to choose the Word Clock In option that corre­sponds to the interface receiving the clock signal.

Figure 4-17: If your host audio software does not support sample-accurate sync and the 828mk3’s built-in
SMPTE sync features, use a universal synchronizer such as the MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece.

Word OUT

word clock

Word IN

MIDI OUT

MIDI time code

MIDI IN

MIDI Time Code
(Via FireWire)

PC running any audio software

28

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

Set up your audio software to
slave to MIDI Time Code.

SYNCING S/PDIF DEVICES

S/PDIF devices will sync to the 828mk3 in one of
two ways:

■ Via the S/PDIF connection itself

■ Via word clock

S/PDIF devices with no word clock

If your S/PDIF device has no word clock sync
connectors, just connect it to the 828mk3 via the
S/PDIF connectors. When the device records
S/PDIF audio (from the 828mk3), it will simply
synchronize to the clock provided by the audio
input.

On the other hand, when you transfer audio from
the S/PDIF device into the 828mk3, you’ll have to
slave the 828mk3 to its S/PDIF input. If you have
other digital audio devices connected to the
828mk3, and they are not slaved directly to the
828mk3 itself, you may hear clicks and pops
resulti ng from their unsynchronize d audio clock. If
so, just turn them off during the transfer.

S/PDIF devices with word clock

If your S /PD IF d evic e ha s a Word C loc k in put, s lave
the S/PDIF device to the 828mk3 via their word
clock connection. You can then freely transfer
audio between the 828mk3 and the S/PDIF device.

828mk3

S/PDIF

S/PDIF

DAT deck

or other S/PDIF device

Figure 4-18: Two setups for synchronizing an S/PDIF device with the 828mk3. In the top diagram, sync is achieved via the S/PDIF connection
itself. In this case, you have to choose S/PDIF as the 828mk3’s clock source when recording from the S/PDIF device. If you don’t want to have to
worry about switching the Clock Source setting depending on the direction of the S/PDIF transfer, you can slave the S/PDIF device to word clock
from the 828mk3 or vice versa (not shown). The Word Clock connection maintains sync, regardless of the direction of the transfer.

Internal (when transferring from the

828mk3

Clock Source setting =

828mk3 to the S/PDIF device)

828mk3

Clock Source setting = Internal

828mk3

Word Clock Out

Word Clock In

DAT deck

or other SPDIF device

With this setup, in the MOTU Audio Setup window, choose Internal, or any other
clock source setting except SPDIF. The DAT deck (or other SPDIF device) slaves to the
828mk3 via word clock for SPDIF transfers in both directions.

828mk3

Clock Source setting =

S/PDIF (when transferring from

the S/PDIF device to the 828mk3)

SPDIF

SPDIF

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

29

SYNCING WORD CLOCK DEVICES

The 828mk3 word clock connectors allow you to
synchronize it with a wide variety of other word
clock-equipped devices.

828mk3 could be running at 96 kHz while slaving
to a 48 kHz word clock signal. Similarly, the
828mk3 could run at 88.2 kHz and slave to

44.1 kHz word clock.

For standard word clock sync, you need to choose
an audio clock master (as explained in “Be sure to
choose a digital audio clock master” on page 26).
In the simplest case, you have two devices and one
is the word clock master and the other is the slave
as shown below in Figure 4-19 and Figure 4-20.

Master

Word clock OUT

Word clock IN

Slave

Figure 4-19: Slaving another digital audio device to the 828mk3 via
word clock. For the 828mk3 clock source, choose any source besides
word clock, as it is not advisable to chain word clock.

MOTU Digital Timepiece universal synchronizer

Audio

clock

Master

Slave

Figure 4-20: Slaving the 828mk3 to word clock. For the 828mk3 clock
source, choose ‘Word Clock In’.

Word clock OUT

Word clock IN

828mk3

Other device

828mk3

Remember, the word clock signal must be one of
the following:

■ the same as the 828mk3 clock

■ half of the 828mk3 clock

Forcing a 1x word out rate

The 828mk3 can generate a word clock output
signal that either matches the current system clock
rate (any rate between 44.1 and 192kHz) or the
corresponding 1x rate. For example, if the 828mk3
is operating at 192kHz, you can choose to generate
a word out rate of 48kHz. For details on how to
make this word clock output setting, see “Word
Out” on page 38.

CONNECTING MULTIPLE MOTU FIREWIRE INTERFACES

You can daisy-chain multiple MOTU FireWire
interfaces on a single FireWire bus, with the
restrictions described in the following sections.
Most computers have only one built-in FireWire
bus (even if it supplies multiple FireWire sockets).
Connect them as follows:

Don’t chain word clock

If you have three or more digital audio devices that
you need to synchronize, avoid chaining their word
clock connections (OUT to IN, OUT to IN, etc.), as
this causes problems. Instead, use a dedicated
synchronizer like the Digital Timepiece or a word
clock distribution device of some kind.

Slaving to 2x and 1/2x word clock

All MOTU FireWire audio interfaces that support
96 kHz operation have the ability to slave to a word
clock signal running at either one half or one
quarter of their current clock rate. For example, the

30

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

PC

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

Figure 4-21: Connecting multiple 828mk3 interfaces (or other MOTU
FireWire audio interfaces) to a computer.

Multiple interfaces cannot be bus-powered

Do not run the Traveler, UltraLite or other bus­powered interfaces under bus power when
connecting them with other devices on the same
FireWire bus.

Multiple interfaces in MOTU Audio Setup

MOTU Audio Setup displays the settings for one
interface at a time. To view the settings for an
interface, click its tab as shown below in
Figure 4-22.

Figure 4-22: To view the settings for an interface, click its tab.

Synchronizing multiple interfaces

All connected MOTU FireWire interfaces get their
clock from whatever you choose from the Clock
Source menu in the General tab in MOTU Audio
Setup. When you connect multiple MOTU
FireWire interfaces, all of their respective sync
sources are displayed in the menu as shown below
in Figure 4-23.

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

31

Figure 4-23: All MOTU FireWire audio interfaces get their clock from a
single master sync source on any connected 828mk3 (or other MOTU
FireWire interface). After you choose a source from this menu, the
entire system, including all connected 828mk3s, synchronizes to it.

Each FireWire interface in the system gets its clock
from the computer (unless it is the master clock
itself). There is no need to make word clock
connections between multiple FireWire interfaces.

Connecting other MOTU FireWire interfaces

You can add an original MOTU 828 to the end of a
FireWire daisy chain (because the 828 has only one
FireWire port), or you can mix and match multiple
828’s with other MOTU FireWire interfaces using a
standard FireWire hub. You can also add 828mkIIs,
896HDs, Travelers and UltraLites, which have two
FireWire ports convenient for daisy-chaining.

Operating multiple FireWire interfaces at high sample rates

Four MOTU FireWire interfaces can operate at

44.1 or 48kHz on a single FireWire bus, although
you may have to disable optical banks to conserve
FireWire bus bandwidth. At the 2x samples rates
(88.2 or 96kHz) and 4x sample rates (176.4 and
192kHz), you can operate no more than two
FireWire interfaces on a single FireWire bus.

Adding additional interfaces with a second FireWire bus

Third-party FireWire bus expansion products in
the form of a cardbus (“PC card”) adapter or PCI
card allow you to add a second FireWire bus to
your computer. In may be possible to add
additional MOTU FireWire interfaces connected
to such a third-party product, depending on their
performance with your host computer.

Managing the IDs of multiple interfaces

Multiple 828mk3 interfaces are identified by
number (#1, #2, #3, etc.) Interfaces are ID’d (given
a number) by the order in which they are first
powered up after being connected. This
in for mat ion is store d in the M OTU Fir eWir e Audio
preferences file. Once ID’d, they retain the same
number regardless of the order in which they are
powered up. You can disable an interface at any
time with the Disable interface option shown in
Figure 4-22 on page 31. Doing so frees up the
FireWire bandwidth required by the interface
without turning it off. Switching off an interface
accomplishes the same thing. To get the MOTU
FireWire Audio Control Panel Console to forget
about an interface entirely, you’ll see a Forget
button in MOTU Audio Setup. Just click the Forget
button and MOTU Audio Setup will no longer
consider the interface to be present but off line
(turned off).

32

INSTALLING THE 828MK3 HARDWARE

CHAPTER

5 MOTU Audio Setup

OVERVIEW

MOTU Audio Setup gives you access to basic
828mk3 hardware settings, such as sample rate,
clock source, optical format and more.

Accessing the 828mk3 settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

‘General’ Tab Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Sample Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Clock Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Samples Per Buffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Enable Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Wave support for legacy (MME) software . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

‘828mk3’ tab settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Phones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Optical input/output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Main Outs Assign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Return Assign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Word Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Disable interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

ACCESSING THE 828MK3 SETTINGS

There are several ways to access MOTU Audio
Setup settings:

■ From the Windows Start menu, choose

Programs>MOTU>MOTU Audio Setup

■ In Cubase or Nuendo, open the Device Setup

window, click VST Audio System and choose
MOTU Audio ASIO from the ASIO Driver menu as

shown below. Then click the MOTU Audio ASIO
item in the list and click the Control Panel button.

■ From within other ASIO-compatible programs,

refer to their documentation.

■ From the front panel LCD as explained in

chapter 6, “828mk3 Front Panel Operation”
(page 39).

828mk3 tab settings

The 828mk3 tab (Figure 5-1) provides settings that
apply to a specific 828mk3 interface. If you have
several 828mk3 (or other MOTU) interfaces
connected, you’ll see a separate tab for each one.

33

‘GENERAL’ TAB SETTINGS

Sample Rate

Choose the desired Sample Rate for recording and
playback. The 828mk3 can operate at 44.1 (the
standard rate for compact disc audio), 48, 88.2, 96,

176.4 or 192 kHz. Make sure that all of the devices
connected digitally to the 828mk3 match the
828mk3’s sample rate. Also make sure that your
Digital Timepiece, MIDI Timepiece AV or other
digital audio synchronizer matches it as well. At the
4x sample rates (176.4 or 192kHz), all digital I/O
on the 828mk3 is disabled.

Operation at 4x sample rates (176.4 or 192kHz)

At the 4x sample rates (176.4 or 192kHz),
operation of the 828mk3 is restricted, due to the
higher audio bandwidth demands, as follows:

■ All digital I/O is disabled (there is no ADAT

optical, TOSLink or S/PDIF input/output).

■ The 828mk3 provides 8 channels of analog input

and 8 channels of analog output, simultaneously.

■ The stereo return bus, as described in “Return

Assign” on page 38, can only be assigned to one of
the four available analog output pairs.

☛ Mismatched sample rates cause distort ion and

crackling. If you hear this sort of thing, check the
sample rate settings in your hardware and here in
MOTU Audio Setup.

■ The headphone output can only be assigned to

one of the four available analog output pairs.

■ The Main Outs can only be assigned to one of

the four available analog output pairs.

Figure 5-1: MOTU Audio Setup gives you access to all of the settings in the 828mk3 hardware.

34

MOTU AUDIO SETUP

Clock Source

The Clock Source determines the digital audio
clock that the 828mk3 will use as its time base. For
a complete explanation of synchronization issues,
see “Making sync connections” on page 26. The
following sections briefly discuss each clock source
setting.

Internal

Use the Internal setting when you want the 828mk3
to operate under its own digital audio clock. For
example, you may be in a situation where all you
are doing is playing tracks off hard disk in your
digital audio software on the computer. In a
situation like this, you most often don’t need to
reference an external clock of any kind.

Another example is transferring a mix to DAT. You
can operate the 828mk3 system on its internal
clock, and then slave the DAT deck to the 828mk3
via the S/PDIF connection (usually DAT decks
slave to their S/DIF input when you choose the
S/PDIF input as their record source) or via the
828mk3’s word clock output (if your DAT deck has
a word clock input).

If you would like help determining if this is the
proper clock setting for your situation, see
“Making sync connections” on page 26.

Use this setting whenever you are recording input
from a DAT deck or other S/PDIF device into the
828mk3. It is not necessary in the opposite
direction (when you are transferring from the
828mk3 to the DAT machine).

For further details about this setting, see “Syncing
S/PDIF devices” on page 29.

ADAT Optical A / B

The ADAT optical clock source settings (ADAT
Optical A and ADAT Optical B) refer to the clock

provided by the 828mk3’s two optical inputs, when
either one is connected to another optical device.
These two settings only appear in the Clock Source
menu when their corresponding optical bank input
is enabled and set to the ADAT Optical format, as
explained in “Optical input/output” on page 37.

This setting can be used to resolve the 828mk3
directly to the optical input connection. Most of
the time, you can set up a better operating scenario
that uses one of the other synchronization options.
However, there may be occasions when you have an
optical device that has no way of synchronizing
digitally to the 828mk3 or an external
synchronizer. In this case, the ADAT Optical clock
source setting lets you slave the 828mk3 to the
device itself via its digital input to the 828mk3.

Wor d C lo ck In

The Wor d C lo ck In setting refers to the Word Clock
In BNC connector on the 828mk3 rear panel.
Choosing this setting allows the 828mk3 to slave to
an external word clock source, such as the word
clock output from a digital mixer.

S/PDIF

The S/PDIF clock source setting refers to the
S/PDIF RCA input jack on the 828mk3. This
setting allows the 828mk3 to slave to another
S/PDIF device.

MOTU AUDIO SETUP

This setting is also usef ul if you just need to make a
simple, click-free digital transfer between the
828mk3 and another device — where a time code
reference and shared transport control are not
needed — without having to set up an elaborate
synchronization scenario.

For further details, see “Choosing a clock source
for optical connections” on page 22.

TOSLink A / B

The TOSLink clock source settings (TOSLink A and
TOSLink B) refer to the clock provided by the

828mk3’s two optical inputs, when either one is

35

connected to another optical device. These two
settings only appear in the Clock Source menu
with their corresponding optical bank input is
enabled and set to the TOSLink format, as
explained in “Optical input/output” on page 37.

The TOSLink clock source setting refers to the
clock provided an optical S/PDIF device connected
to the 828mk3’s optical input. This setting can be
used to slave the 828mk3 directly to the optical
input connection. Most of the time, you can set up
a better operating scenario that uses one of the
other synchronization options. However, there
may be occasions when you have an TOSLink­compatible device that has no way of
synchronizing digitally to the 828mk3 or an
external synchronizer such as the Digital
Timepiece. In this case, the TOSLink clock source
setting lets you slave the 828mk3 to the other
device via the 828mk3’s optical input.

This setting is also usef ul if you just need to make a
simple, click-free digital transfer between the
828mk3 and another device — where a time code
reference and shared transport control are not
needed — without having to set up an elaborate
synchronization scenario.

For further details, see “Choosing a clock source
for optical connections” on page 22.

SMPTE

Choose this setting to resolve the 828mk3 directly
to SMPTE time code (LTC) being received via the
828mk3’s quarter-inch SMPTE input jack. For
details, see “Syncing to SMPTE time code directly”
on page 27 and chapter 12, “MOTU SMPTE
Console” (page 99).

Samples Per Buffer

The Samples Per Buffer setting lets you reduce the
delay you hear when patching live audio through
your audio software. For example, you might have
a live guitar input that you would like to run

36

through an amp simulation plug-in that you are
running in your host audio software. When doing
so, you may hear or feel some “sponginess” (delay)
between the source and the processed signal. If so,
don’t worry. This effect only affects what you hear:
it is not present in what is actually recorded.

Yo u c a n u s e Samples Per Buffer setting to reduce
this monitoring delay—and even make it
completely inaudible.

☛ If you don’t need to process an incoming live

signal with software plug-ins, you can monitor the
signal with no delay at all using CueMix FX, which
routes the signal directly to your speakers via
hardware. For details, see chapter 11, “CueMix FX”
(page 71).

Adjusting the Samples Per Buffer setting impacts
the following things:

■ The strain on your computer’s CPU

■ The delay you hear when routing a live signal

through your host audio software plug-ins

■ How responsive the transport controls are in

your software

This setting presents you with a trade-off between
the processing power of your computer and the
delay of live audio as it is being processed by
plug-ins. If you reduce the Samples Per Buffer, you
reduce patch thru latency, but significantly increase
the overall processing load on your computer,
leaving less CPU bandwidth for things like real­time effects processing. On the other hand, if you
increase the Samples Per Buffer, you reduce the load
on your computer, freeing up bandwidth for
effects, mixing and other real-time operations. But
don’t set the Samples Per Buffer too low, or it may
cause distortion in your audio.

If you don’t process live inputs with software
plug-ins, leave this setting at its default value of
1024 samples. If you do, try settings of 256 samples

MOTU AUDIO SETUP

or less, if your computer seems to be able to handle
them. If your host audio software has a processor
meter, check it. If it starts getting maxed out, or if
the computer seems sluggish, raise the Samples Per
Buffer until performance returns to normal.

If you are at a point in your recording project where
you are not currently working with live, patched­thru material (e.g. you’re not recording vocals), or
if you have a way of externally monitoring input,
choose a higher Samples Per Buffer setting.
Depending on your computer’s CPU speed, you
might find that settings in the middle work best.

The Samples Per Buffer setting also impacts how
quickly your audio software will respond w hen you
begin playback, although not by amounts that are
very noticeable. Lowering the Samples Per Buffer
will make your software respond faster; raising the
Samples Per Buffer will make it a little bit slower, but
barely enough to notice.

Monitoring live inputs without plug-in effects

As mentioned earlier, CueMix FX allows you to
monitor dry, unprocessed live inputs w ith no delay
at all. For complete details, see chapter 10,
“Reducing Monitoring Latency” (page 65).

Enable Pedal

Check the Enable Pedal option if a foot switch is
connected to the 828mk3 and you would like to
trigger recording punch in/out (or other software
functions) with it. Use the Set buttons to determine
what keystroke is triggered by the pedal-up and
pedal-down positions. You can assign the pedal to
any two keystrokes you wish. (You are not
restricted to punch in/out.)

Wave support for legacy (MME) software

Windows only exposes the first two channels of a
multi-channel WDM audio stream to applications
which use the legacy (MME) multimedia interface.
The Enable full Wave support for legacy (MME)

software (less efficient) option forces the 828mk3
multimedia driver to expose all channels as stereo
pairs, providing full MME support.

If your host audio software does not directly
support WDM audio and instead only supports
legacy MME drivers, use this option to access
multiple 828mk3 input and output channels.

If your host audio software does directly support
WDM audio, leave this option unchecked for
optimal performance.

This option is only available when the multimedia
driver has been installed, and it defaults to being
not checked.

‘828MK3’ TAB SETTINGS

Phones

The Phones setting lets you choose what you will
hear from the headphone jack. Choose Main Outs
if you’d like the headphone output to match the
Main Outs. Choose Phones if you would like the
headphones to serve as their own independent
output, which you can access as an independent
output destination in your hos t audio software and
as an output destination for the eight on-board
CueMix FX mix busses.

Optical input/output

The Optical input and Optical output settings let
you choose between ADAT optical (‘lightpipe’) and
S/PDIF optical (‘TOSLink’) as the format for the
828mk3’s two banks of optical input and output
(Bank A and Bank B). Choose the format that
matches the device connected. If you are not using
the optical connections, it is recommended that
you turn them off (by choosing Disabled from the
menu) to reduce bandwidth and processing
overhead. Note that you can operate each optical
port independently. For example, you could use the

MOTU AUDIO SETUP

37

ADAT optical format on the Bank A input (with a
digital mixer, for example) and optical S/PDIF on
the Bank A output (with a DAT deck, for example).

Main Outs Assign

Choose Main Outs from the Main Outs Assign
menu to treat the Main Outs as their own
independent output pair. Choose any other output
pair to cause the Main Outs to mirror (duplicate)
the output pair you choose.

Return Assign

The Return As sign men u le ts y ou cho ose a ny p air of
828mk3 audio outputs. The audio signal from this
output pair is then sent back to the computer via
the Stereo Return 1-2 bus. This stereo return bus
from the 828mk3 appears in your host software
alongside all other 828mk3 inputs, wherever your
host software lists them.

The 828mk3 stereo return bus can be used for a
variety of purposes. For example, you could use it
to send a final mix being played through the
828mk3 back to the computer, where you could
record it for mastering or archiving purposes.

Disable interface

You can disable an interface at any time with the
Disable interface option. Doing so frees up the
FireWire bandwidth required by the interface
without turning it off. Switching off an interface
accomplishes the same thing. To get MOTU Audio
Se tup t o forg et ab out a n int erface e ntir ely, you’l l see
a Forget button in MOTU Audio Setup. Just click
the Forget button and MOTU Audio Setup will no
longer consider the interface to be present but off
line (turned off).

As another example, you could use the stereo
return bus to capture tracks played from your host
software, along with live inputs being routed
directly through the 828mk3 hardware via CueMix
FX (with or without CueMix effects processing on
the live inputs).

Word Out

The Word Ou t menu appears when the 828mk3 is
operating at a 2x sample rate (88.2 or 96kHz) or 4x
sample rate (176.4 or 192kHz). This menu lets you
set the word clock output either to match the
current sample rate (System Clock) or force it to the
corresponding 1x rate (either 44.1 or 48kHz). For
example, if the 828mk3 were operating at

176.4kHz, choosing the Force 44.1/48kHz option
would produce word clock output at 44.1kHz.

38

MOTU AUDIO SETUP

CHAPTER

6 828mk3 Front Panel Operation

OVERVIEW

The 828mk3 is the first FireWire audio interface to
offer complete front-panel programming via six
rotary encoders and a 2x16 backlit LCD display. All
828mk3 settings can be accessed via these front­panel controls.

Mic/guitar inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Master vol and (MAIN) phone jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Phones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Meters and status LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Push-button rotary encoders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Multi-function LCD display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

828mk3 SETUP menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Audio menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

CueMix menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Inputs menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Outputs menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Mixes menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Reverb menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Stand-alone operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

MIC/GUITAR INPUTS

The 828mk3 front panel mic/guitar inputs are
equipped with many features to handle a wide
variety of recording situations.

For information about connections and settings,
see “Mic/guitar inputs with preamps” on page 20
in the installation chapter.

For information about the many settings available
for the mic/guitar inputs, see:

■ “The Inputs tab” on page 76

■ “The channel settings section” on page 80

■ “The Channel tab” on page 80

■ “The EQ tab” on page 82

■ “The Dynamics tab” on page 89

MASTER VOL AND (MAIN) PHONE JACK

The phone jack labeled (MAIN) (Figure 6-1) is a
standard quarter-inch stereo headphone jack. Its
output is hard-wired to mirror the XLR main outs
on the rear panel. From the factory, the MASTER
VOL knob above it controls the main outs and this
jack, but MASTER VOL can be programmed to
control any combination of outputs. See “The
Monitor Group” on page 93 for details. Push the
kn ob o nce to v iew the cur ren t vol ume set ting in t he
LCD display; push it again to mute the monitor
group; push a third time to return to the previous
volume. Note that if the Monitor Group is
programmed to not include the main outs, the
MASTER VOL knob will no longer control the
volume of the phone jack, either.

Figure 6-1: The 828mk3 front panel mic/guitar inputs and phone jacks.

39

PHONES

From the factory, the PHONES jack (Figure 6-1) is
a discrete output at 44.1/48 kHz, but it can mirror
any other output pair (digital or analog) or serve as
its own independent output. For example, at 88.2/
96 kHz, it defaults to mirroring the XLR main outs.
At 176.4/192 kHz, it defaults to mirroring analog
outputs 1-2.

As the primary phone jack, it has its own dedicated
volume knob.

As explained in the previous section, the LCD
provides detailed feedback as you turn the knob
(Figure 6-4). To view the current setting without
changing it, just push the knob (without turning
it).

If you would like the (MAIN) phone jack and the
PHONES jack to output the same signal, assign the
PHONES output to mirror the main outs. In this
configuration, both the MASTER VOL and the
PHONES volume knobs control the PHONES
volume.

METERS AND STATUS LEDS

The meters and LEDs (Figure 6-2) provide
complete status and metering information for all
828mk3 inputs and outputs.

Mic/guitar inputs meters with V-Limit™ compressor

The two ten-segment meters for the mic/guitar
inputs show input levels from -42 to -1 in the first
column of LEDs, plus an additional range in a
second column from zero to +12 dB (plus clip).
Both inputs are equipped with V-Limit™, a
hardware limiter. With the limiter turned off,
si gn als tha t hi t ze ro o r ab ove w ill clip (a h ard digi ta l
clip). However, with V-Limit turned on, signals can
go as high as +12 dB above zero with no digital
clipping. If the signal then goes above +12 dB, it
will clip, even with V-Limit engaged. In either case,
the clip LED (above +12) will illuminate. For
further information about V-Limit, as well as
another feature called Soft Clip, see “Overload
protection (mic/guitar inputs only)” on page 81.

Figure 6-2: The 828mk3 front panel meters and LEDs.

40

Analog

input

meters

Analog output activity LEDs Optical bank and

S/PDIF
digital

input

meters

S/PDIF
output
activity

LEDs

Mic/guitar

preamp

inputs with

V-Limit™

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

Main

out

meters

Time code
Lock/Tach

Sample

rate

MIDI I/O activity

PUSH-BUTTON ROTARY ENCODERS

All of the knobs shown in Figure 6-3 are push­button digital rotary encoders. In many cases, you
can either push the knob or turn it to make a
setting or toggle the LCD display (depending on
the encoder and setting).

MULTI-FUNCTION LCD DISPLAY

The LCD provides access to the many 828mk3
settings, as well as visual feedback of the current
parameter being modified.

Parameter “zooming”

For many settings, the LCD temporarily “zooms
in” to display a long-throw meter and alpha­numeric display to give you precise, real-time
feedback as you adjust the setting. For example, if
you change the headphone volume, the LCD will
display a level meter and gain reduction reading
that updates as you turn the volume knob. After a
brief time-out, the display returns to its previous
state before you turned the volume knob.

Figure 6-4: The LCD provides feedback as you adjust volume.

Three global menus

Push the PARAM knob to cycle the LCD among
three global menus, described in the rest of this
chapter:

■ 828mk3 SETUP

■ AUDIO ( set t ing s )

■ CUEMIX (mixer)

When viewing CueMix settings

in the LCD, push the CHANNEL
knob to cycle among four main
mixer menus: MIX, IN (inputs),

OUT (outputs) and REVERB.
Turn it to choose a channel.

Turn the PAGE knob to view settings for

each channel. Push it to jump to the

next section or back to the beginning.

Figure 6-3: The 828mk3 front panel controls.

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

Push the PARAM knob to cycle

among three global menus:

CueMix (mixer), AUDIO

(settings) and 828MK3 SETUP.

Turn and/or push the
VALUE knob to adjust

the current setting.

The LCD is divided into four

sections that correspond to the

four knobs to the left.

41

828MK3 SETUP MENU

To access the 828mk3 SETUP menu, push the
PAR AM k no b un t il you se e 828mk3 SETUP
displayed in the LCD. This menu provides basic
features for managing the 828mk3 hardware. Turn
the PARAM knob to access each setting, explained
briefly below.

LCD Contrast

Turn the VALUE knob to adjust the LCD contrast.

Figure 6-5: In setup mode, the LCD displays a setup parameter in the
top row of the LCD and the current setting in the bottom row.

Save/Name Preset

An 828mk3 preset holds all current CueMix FX
mix settings (everything in the CUEMIX menu).
SETUP menu and AUDIO menu parameters are
not included. Turn the VALUE knob to move from
character to character in the preset name. Turn
PAGE to change the currently flashing letter. Once
you’ve named the preset, push VALUE to save it,
turn it again to choose the desired preset slot you
wish to save it to (1-16), and the push again to
confirm the save. To cancel the save operation at
any time by turning the PARAM knob.

Load Preset

Turn VALUE to choose the preset you wish to load
(1-16) and push VALUE to load it.

All Notes Off

The All Notes Off setting sends a MIDI All Notes Off
message, as well as a MIDI note-off message for
every note on every MIDI channel. This stops any
stuck notes that are currently playing. Push VALUE
to send the All Notes Off MIDI data.

Factory Defaults

Push VALUE to restore the 828mk3 hardware to its
factory default settings. Push VALUE again to
confirm, or turn PARAM to cancel.

AUDIO MENU

To access the AUDIO menu, push the PARAM
knob until you see AU D I O displayed in the LCD.
This menu provides basic settings such as sample
rate, clock source, optical bank format (ADAT
versus TOSLink), and so on. These settings have
corresponding settings in the MOTU Audio Setup
software, as shown below:

Audio menu item Where to find more information

Clock Source* “Clock Source” on page 35

Sample rate* “Sample Rate” on page 34

Phones Assign “Phones” on page 37

Main Out Assign “Main Outs Assign” on page 38

Return Assign “Return Assign” on page 38

Optical In/Out A/B* “Optical input/output” on page 37

ADAT SMUX Type See below. This menu item is only

Word Clock Out “Word Out” on page 38

* If the 828mk3 is currently connected to a computer, this setting
cannot be changed from the front-panel LCD. It must be changed in
MOTU Audio Setup instead. Or, you can disconnect the 828mk3 from
the computer to change the Clock Source from the front panel.

ADAT SMUX Type

When the 828mk3 is operating at either 88.2 or
96 kHz, the AUDIO menu includes an item called
ADAT SMUX Type.

This setting lets you configure the optical ports for
ADAT format operation at the 2x sample rates only
(88.2 or 96 kHz).

There are two choices:

■ Type I — for 2x optical connection to 3rd-party

SMUX-compatible hardware products

available when the 828mk3 is operat­ing at 88.2 or 96 kHz.

42

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

■ Type II — for 2x optical connection to MOTU

products that are equipped with optical ports and
support 2x operation

Turn the VALUE knob to select an optical port and
push the knob to toggle between the Type I and
Type II setting.

CUEMIX MENU

To access the CUEMIX menu, push the PARAM
knob until you see CUEMIX displayed in the LCD.
This menu displays the settings for the 828mk3
CueMix FX mixer.

CueMix mixer basics

It is much easier to navigate the CUEMIX menu in
the LCD if you have a general understanding of the
CueMix FX mixer. We strongly recommend that
you review chapter 11, “CueMix FX” (page 71)
before learning the LCD, especially “CueMix FX
basic operation” on page 73.

CUEMIX menu organization

Mixer settings are divided into four sub-menus,
which correspond to the Inputs, Mixes, Outputs
and Reverb tabs in the CueMix FX software:

■ IN (inputs)

■ OUT (outputs)

■ MIX (Mixes)

■ REVERB (reverb processor)

Navigating the four main menus

To access the four main menus above, push the
CHANNEL knob repeatedly. Then turn the
CHANNEL knob to select the desired channel or
mix.

The IN (inputs) menu

Push the CHANNEL button repeatedly until you
see “I:” in the channel section of the LCD
(Figure 6-6). This is similar to accessing the Inputs
tab in CueMix FX console (“The Inputs tab” on
page 76).

“ I: ” Indicates

the IN (inputs)

menu.

Figure 6-6: The IN (inputs) menu.

The current

channel.

“Pages” are groups of

channel settings, such

as one band of EQ.

Access individual parameters

here, such as the frequency

setting for a band of EQ.

Change the value of the

current parameter here

Choosing a channel

Once you see the Inputs menu (Figure 6-6) in the
LCD, turn the CHANNEL knob to select the
desired input that you wish to edit. This is roughly
equivalent to specifying an input channel strip to
work with in the Inputs tab in CueMix FX sof tware
(Figure 11-3 on page 76).

Choosing a setting to modify

Once you’ve selected an input channel, you can
access the various settings for that channel using
the PAGE knob and PARAMETER knobs.

Turn the PAGE knob to scroll through channel
settings such as individual bands of EQ, the
compressor, reverb sends, etc . Push the PAGE knob
to jump to the next “section” of parameters or to
jump back to the beginning of the list. This is
roughly the equivalent of moving through the
various channel controls in an individual input

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

43

channel strip in CueMix FX (Figure 11-3 on
page 76), as well as the settings in the Channel tab
(Figure 11-8 on page 80).

Turn the PARAMETER knob to scroll through
individual parameters, such as the frequency for
the current band of EQ. This is roughly equivalent
to the parameters in the EQ tab (Figure 11-10 on
page 82), Dynamics tab (Figure 11-21 on page 89)
and Reverb tab (Figure 11-23 on page 92) in the
CueMix FX software.

Adjusting the value of a parameter

Turn the VALUE knob to adjust the value of the
current PARAMETER. Some parameters have
default values. If so, push the VALUE knob to cycle
through them.

Inactive items

If a menu item is ina ctive for some reas on (pe rhaps
it doesn’t currently apply or it is disabled), it is
displayed in parentheses.

“ O: ” Indicates

the OUT

(outputs) menu.

Figure 6-7: The OUT (outputs) menu.

The current

channel.

“Pages” are groups of

channel settings, such

as one band of EQ.

Access individual parameters

here, such as the frequency

setting for a band of EQ.

Change the value of the

current parameter here

Choosing a channel

Once you see the Outputs menu (Figure 6-7) in the
LCD, turn the CHANNEL knob to select the
de sire d out put that you w ish to e dit. T his is ro ugh ly
equivalent to specifying an output channel strip to
work with in the Outputs tab in CueMix FX
software (Figure 11-6 on page 79).

Copying and pasting

EQ, dynamics and Mix Assign settings allow you to
copy and paste settings between EQ bands and/or
channels. Push the VALUE knob to copy, scroll to
the other item and then push again to paste.

Summary of Inputs menu settings

For a summary of Inputs menu settings, see
“Inputs menu” on page 46.

The OUT (Outputs) menu

Push the CHANNEL button repeatedly until you
see “O:” in the channel section of the LCD
(Figure 6-7). This is similar to accessing the
Outputs tab in CueMix FX console (“The Outputs
tab” on page 78).

44

Working with outputs in the LCD

Once you’ve selected an output channel, you can
access the various settings for that channel using
the PAGE knob and PARAMETER knobs. The
knobs function the same as described for inputs in
“Choosing a setting to modify” on page 43 and
“Adjusting the value of a parameter” on page 44.

Summary of Output menu settings

For a summary of Inputs menu settings, see
“Outputs menu” on page 46.

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

The MIX (Mixes) menu

Push the CHANNEL button repeatedly until you
see “MIX 1” (or “MIX 2”, etc.) in the channel
section of the LCD (Figure 6-8). This is similar to
accessing the Mixes tab in CueMix FX console
(“The Mixes tab” on page 74).

The current

mix bus.

Here, choose master fader

settings, reverb settings, and

individual input channels.

Figure 6-8: The MIX (Mixes) menu.

Access individual parameters

here, such as input channel

settings.

Change the value of the
current parameter here

Choosing a mix bus

Once you see the MIX menu (Figure 6-8) in the
LCD, turn the CHANNEL knob to select the
desired mix that you wish to edit. This is roughly
equivalent to choosing a mix in the Mixes tab in
CueMix FX software (Figure 11-2 on page 74).

■ REVERB — these are the reverb send and return

controls for the bus master fader. Access them with
the PARAMETER knob.

■ Individual channels — once you scroll past

MASTER and REVERB, the PAGE knob then
scrolls through all available inputs for the mix bus.
Once you choose an input, access its channel
settings using the PARAM knob and VALUE knob.

Summary of Mix menu settings

For a summary of Mix menu settings, see “Mixes
menu” on page 47.

The REVERB menu

Push the CHANNEL button repeatedly until you
see “REVERB” in the channel section of the LCD
(Fi gure 6-9 ). This i s sim ilar to access ing the Rever b
tab in CueMix FX (“The Reverb tab” on page 92).

☛ The REVERB processor is not available at

sample rates above 48 kHz. Therefore, when the
828mk3 is operating at 88.2 kHz or higher, the
REVER menu does not appear in the LCD.

Change the value of
the current parame-

ter here.

Access individual
parameters here,

such as reverb time.

Working with mix busses in the LCD

Once you’ve selected a mix, you can access the
various settings for that mix using the PAGE knob
and PARAMETER knobs. The knobs function the
same as described for inputs in “Choosing a setting
to modify” on page 43 and “Adjusting the value of a
parameter” on page 44. The PAGE knob scrolls
through the following mix bus settings:

■ MASTER — these are master fader settings,

such as the master fader output assignment, master
mute on/off, and the master fader volume. Access
them with the PARAMETER knob.

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

Figure 6-9: The REVERB menu.

Working with reverb settings in the LCD

Once you’ve selected the REVERB menu, you can
access all settings using the PARAMETER and
VALUE knobs. The PAGE knob is not needed and
is therefore disabled when editing reverb settings.

Summary of Reverb menu settings

For a summary of Reverb menu settings, see
“Reverb menu” on page 47.

45

INPUTS MENU OUTPUTS MENU

CHANNEL PAGE PARAM

INPUTS
mic 1-2
Analog 1-2
Analog 3-4
etc.

INPUT PAIR

EQ
(global)

HPF
(High-pass)

LF
(Low w/shelf)

LMF
(Low-mid)

MF
(Mid)

HMF
(High-mid)

HF
(High w/shelf)

LPF
(Low-pass)

DYN
(Dynamics)

COMP
(Compressor)

LEVELER ENABLE

REVERB SEND

PHASE
L-R/M-S (stereo or M/S)
SWAP
WIDTH
TRIM
LIMITER
LOOKAHEAD
SOFTCLIP

ENABLE
COPY
PASTE
RESET

ENABLE
SLOPE
FREQ

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
SLOPE
FREQ

ENABLE
COPY
PASTE
RESET

ENABLE
MODE
THRESH
RATIO
ATTACK
RELEASE
TRIM

MODE
REDUCE
MAKEUP

SEND PAN (mono only)

Mic
only

CHANNEL PAGE PARAM

OUTPUTS
Main
Analog 1-2
Analog 3-4, etc.

EQ
(global)

HPF
(High-pass)

LF
(Low w/shelf)

LMF
(Low-mid)

MF
(Mid)

HMF
(High-mid)

HF
(High w/shelf)

LPF
(Low-pass)

DYN
(Dynamics)

COMP
(Compressor)

LEVELER ENABLE

REVERB SEND

MASTER MONITOR

ENABLE
COPY
PASTE
RESET

ENABLE
SLOPE
FREQ

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
TYPE
FREQ
GAIN
WIDTH

ENABLE
SLOPE
FREQ

ENABLE
COPY
PASTE
RESET

ENABLE
MODE
THRESH
RATIO
ATTACK
RELEASE
TRIM

MODE
REDUCE
MAKEUP

SEND PAN

TALKBACK
LSNBACK

46

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

MIXES MENU

CHANNEL PAGE PARAM

MIXES
Mix 1
Mix 2
etc.

MASTER ASSIGN

REVERB SEND

MIC 1
MIC 2
(if mono)

MIC 1-2
(if stereo)

ANALOG 1
ANALOG 2
etc.
(if mono)

ANALOG 3-4
ANALOG 5-6
etc.
(if stereo)

SPDIF MUTE

ADAT A1-2
ADAT A3-4
etc.

ADAT B1-2
ADAT B3-4
etc.

MUTE
FADER
COPY
PASTE
RESET

RETURN

MUTE
SOLO
(BAL/WID) - n/a
PAN
FADER

MUTE
SOLO
BAL/WID
WIDTH
FADER

MUTE
SOLO
(BAL/WID) - n/a
PAN
FADER

MUTE
SOLO
BAL/WID
BAL
FADER

SOLO
BAL/WID
BAL
FADER

MUTE
SOLO
BALD/WID
BAL
FADER

MUTE
SOLO
BALD/WID
BAL
FADER

STAND-ALONE OPERATION

All settings, including all mix settings and global
settings, are saved in the 828mk3’s memory, and
they remain in effect even when the 828mk3 is not
connected to a computer. This allows you to use the
828mk3 as a stand-alone 8-bus mixer. You can
make adjustments to any setting at any time from
the front panel.

REVERB MENU

CHANNEL PAGE PARAM

REVERB --- ENABLE

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

TIME
PREDELAY
WIDTH
CUT Hz
CUT dB
ROOM
REFSIZE
REF LEV
LO %
MID %
HI %
LO XOVR
HI XOVR
SPLIT

47

48

828MK3 FRONT PANEL OPERATION

CHAPTER

7 Cubase, Nuendo and Other ASIO

Software

OVERVIEW

The 828mk3 includes an ASIO driver that provides
multi-channel I/O and sample-accurate synchro­nization with Steinberg’s Cubase family of digital
audio sequencers, including Cubase and Nuendo.

What is ASIO? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Run MOTU Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Choosing the MOTU ASIO driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Number of channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Direct monitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Other System dialog settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Viewing and managing 828mk3 inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Viewing and managing 828mk3 outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Changing 828mk3 settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Processing live inputs with host-based VST plug-ins. 53

Working with CueMix FX mixing and effects. . . . . . . . . 53

Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

MIDI I/O via the 828mk3 MIDI ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Using a foot switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

24-bit operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Monitoring system performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

WHAT IS ASIO?

ASIO is an acronym for Audio Streaming Input and
Output. The ASIO MOTU FireWire Audio driver

allows the 828mk3 to provide multi-channel audio
input and output for any audio application that
supports ASIO drivers.

in this chapter. Consult your software
documentation for details about each topic, if
necessary.

If your audio software doesn’t support ASIO

If your host audio software does not suppor t ASIO,
but instead supports WDM (or legacy Wave) audio
drivers, refer to the next chapter.

PREPARATION

To make sure that everything is ready for Cubase,
install Cubase first (if you haven’t already done so),
and then see these chapters before proceeding:

■ chapter 3, “IMPORTANT! Run the 828mk3

Software Installer First” (page 17)

■ chapter 4, “Installing the 828mk3 Hardware”

(page 19).

RUN MOTU AUDIO SETUP

Before you run Cubase, launch MOTU Audio
Setup to configure your 828mk3 hardware. MOTU
Audio Setup lets you configure your audio
interface, and it lets you enable the desired inputs
and outputs. Only enabled inputs and outputs will
be available to Cubase, so this is an important step.
For complete details regarding MOTU Audio
Setup, see chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Setup”
(page 33).

Attention: Other software users

The 828mk3 ASIO driver also provides multi­channel I/O with any ASIO-compatible audio
software. Cubase is used for the examples in this
chapter. However, the basic procedures are the
same and can be easily applied to any ASIO­compatible software. Just follow the general
descriptions at the beginning of each main section

49

Figure 7-1: MOTU Audio Setup gives you access to all of the settings in
the 828mk3 hardware, including the clock source, sample rate and
optical I/O enable/disable.

For complete details about the 828mk3 settings, see
chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Setup” (page 33). The
following sections provide a brief explanation of
each 828mk3 setting for use with Cubase.

If you do not have any digital audio connections to
your 828mk3 (you are using the analog inputs and
outputs only), and you will not be slaving Cubase
to external SMPTE time code, choose Internal.

If you are slaving the 828mk3 and Cubase to
SMPTE time code via the 828mk3 itself, choose
SMPTE and follow the directions in “Syncing to
SMPTE time code directly” on page 27.

☛ If you are using an ASIO host application

other than Cubase or Nuendo, it must support the
ASIO 2.0 sample-accurate positioning protocol in
order to support the 828mk3’s direct SMPTE sync
(and sample-accurate sync) feature.

If you have digital audio devices connected to the
828mk3, or if you are not sure about the clock
source of your setup, be sure to read “Making sync
connections” on page 26 and “Clock Source” on
page 35.

Samples Per Buffer

The Samples Per Buffer setting can be used to
reduce the delay — or monitoring latency — that
you hear when live audio is patched through your
828mk3 hardware and Cubase. For example, you
might have MIDI instruments, samplers,
microphones, and so on connected to the analog
inputs of the 828mk3. If so, you will often be
mixing their live input with audio material
recorded in Cubase. See chapter 10, “Reducing
Monitoring Latency” (page 65) for complete
details.

Sample rate

Choose the desired overall sample rate for the
828mk3 system and Cubase. Newly recorded audio
in Cubase will have this sample rate.

Clock Source

This setting is very important because it
determines which audio clock the 828mk3 will
follow.

50

Optical input and output

To make a 828mk3 optical inputs and/or outputs
available in Cubase, choose the appropriate format
(ADAT optical or TOSLink) from the optical input
and/or output menus. If you won’t be using the
optical connectors, turn them off.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

Phones

This 828mk3 setting lets you choose what you’ll
hear from the headphone jack. For example, if you
choose Main Out 1-2, the headphones will
duplicate the main outs. Or you can choose any
other output pair. If you choose Phones 1-2, this
setting makes the headphone jack serve as its own
independent output pair. As a result, you’ll see
Phones 1-2 as an additional audio destination in
Cubase or Nuendo’s audio output menus. When
operating at high sample rates, the phones must
mirror one of the other output pairs.

Main Outs Assign

Use the Main Outs Assign setting to determine
what audio you will hear on the XLR main outs of
the 828mk3. If you would like to treat them as their
own separate output pair, choose Main Outs. Note
that when operating at 176.4 or 192 kHz, the main
outs must mirror one of the TRS analog output
pairs.

CHOOSING THE MOTU ASIO DRIVER

Once you’ve made the preparations described so
far in this chapter, you’re ready to run your audio
software and enable the MOTU ASIO Driver.
Check the audio system or audio hardware
configuration window in your software. There will
be a menu there that lets you choose among
various ASIO drivers that may be in your system.
Choose the MOTU ASIO Driver from this menu.

Nuendo, Cubase and V-Stack

To activate the 828mk3 driver in Nuendo or
Cubase SX, go to the Device Setup window, click
VST Audio System and choose MOTU Audio ASIO
from the ASIO Dr iver menu (Figure 7-2). Make the
other settings in the dialog as need for your system
and synchronization scenario.

Figure 7-2: Activating the 828mk3 ASIO driver in Nuendo and Cubase.

Sound Forge

To activate the MOTU Audio ASIO driver in Sound
Forge, go to the Preferences window, click the

Aud io tab, and then choose MOTU Audio from the
Audio device type menu as shown below.

Figure 7-3: Enabling the 828mk3 driver in Sound Forge.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

51

NUMBER OF CHANNELS

In Cubase, be sure to choose enough channels in
the System dialog (as shown above in Figure 7-2)
to cover the maximum 28 channels of input and 30
channels of output provided by your 828mk3 —
although the number of channels may depend on
how your 828mk3 is configured. For example, the
optical banks can be completely disabled if you are
not using them.

In Cubase, set the number of channels in the
System dialog (as shown above in Figure 7-2).

DIRECT MONITORING

The Direct Monitoring option (Figure 7-4) allows
you to monitor inputs directly in the 828mk3
hardware with no drain on your computer and
near zero latency. When you enable this option,
Cubase uses the 828mk3’s CueMix FX monitoring
features whenever you use Cubase’s monitoring
features. For further information, see “Controlling
CueMix DSP from within Cubase or Nuendo” on
page 69.

OTHER SYSTEM DIALOG SETTINGS

Consult your Cubase or Nuendo documentation
for details about the rest of the settings in this
dialog.

Figure 7-4: Creating 828mk3 inputs in Nuendo or Cubase.

Return Assign

In the VST Inputs list, you’ll see an 828mk3 input
pair called Return 1-2. This is a stereo feed from the
828mk3 that matches the output of one of its
output pairs. Use the Return Assign menu in
MOTU Audio Setup to choose which output pair
you would like to hear on this return. This can be
used, for example, to record back a final stereo mix
that includes effects processing from the 828mk3
DSP (such as the Leveler) for reference and
archiving purposes.

VIEWING AND MANAGING 828MK3 INPUTS

Once you’ve chosen the MOTU ASIO Driver in
Device Setup as explained earlier in “Choosing the
MOTU ASIO driver” on page 51, click MOTU
Audio ASIO in the left-hand list to see the 828mk3
inputs in the port list on the right (Figure 7-4). To
activate them, click the Active check box next to
each input. If you don’t see the optical inputs
and/or outputs, check MOTU Audio Setup to
make sure they are turned on and set to the format
you require. If you don’t plan to use the optical
input or output, turn it off to conserve computer
bandwidth.

52

☛ Warning: the Return inputs can cause

feedback loops! DO NOT assign this input to a
track that shares the same 828mk3 output pair as
the returns.

Reverb return

The 828mk3 also supplies a return to your host
software that carries the output of its reverb
processor. This return can be used for any purpose
you wish.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

VIEWING AND MANAGING 828MK3 OUTPUTS

To view and manage 828mk3 outputs, scroll down
below the inputs to see them (Figure 7-5).

Figure 7-5: Working with 828mk3 outputs in Nuendo or Cubase.

The “Phones 1-2” output

If you’ve chos en t o treat t he 8 28m k3 hea dpho nes as
an independent output, you’ll see Phones 1-2 as a
828mk3 output destination. Audio tracks assigned
to this output pair will be heard on the headphone
jack only. For further explanation, see “Phones” on
page 51.

WORKING WITH CUEMIX FX MIXING AND EFFECTS

The 828mk3 provides powerful external mixing,
EQ, compression and reverb, which you can
operate hand-in-hand with your host software’s
complete mixing environment. For example, the
828mk3 can serve as a monitor mixer routing
channels to musicians, or it can serve as an
integrated extension of your Cubase/Nuendo
mixing environment. If you program an 828mk3
mixing and processing configuration that goes
hand in hand with your Cubase/Nuendo project,
be sure to use the file save features in CueMix FX to
save the 828mk3 settings as a file in your Cubase/
Nuendo project folder for instant recall of all
settings. See chapter 11, “CueMix FX” (page 71) for
complete details.

SYNCHRONIZATION

As you read through the following sections to
decide what form of synchronization you might
need with other devices in your studio, be sure to
consult “Making sync connections” on page 26 for
the proper hardware connections. Use the
synchronization diagrams to be clear about how
you will be synchronizing your audio software and
the 828mk3 to the other components of your
system.

CHANGING 828MK3 SETTINGS

To change the 828mk3 settings at any time, go to
the Device Setup window in Nuendo or Cubase
and click the ASIO Control Panel button, as shown
in Figure 7-2 on page 51. Be sure to click the Reset
button after making any changes.

PROCESSING LIVE INPUTS WITH HOST­BASED VST PLUG-INS

If you patch a live input (such as MIDI synthesizer)
through a VST plug-in effect in Cubase, you might
hear a slight delay. There are several ways to reduce
this delay. For details, see chapter 10, “Reducing
Monitoring Latency” (page 65).

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

Synchronizing digital audio connections

If you have devices connected to the 828mk3
digital inputs (optical or RCA S/PDIF), you need to
be concerned with the synchronization of the
828mk3’s digital audio clock with other devices
connected to it digitally (if any). For example, if
you have a digital mixer connected to the 828mk3
via an ADAT optical light pipe cable, you need to
make sure that their audio clocks are phase-locked.
For details, see “Choosing a clock source for optical
connections” on page 22 and “Making sync
connections” on page 26. If you don’t have any
digital audio devices connected to the 828mk3,
digital audio phase-lock does not apply to you.

53

Resolving directly to time code (with no synchronizer)

If your host audio software supports ASIO2’s
sample-accurate positioning protocol, then it can
resolve to the 828mk3’s built-in time code
synchronization feature. Both Cubase and Nuendo
support this. To resolve your 828mk3 directly to
SMPTE time code with no additional synchroni­zation devices, use the setup shown in “Syncing to
SMPTE time code directly” on page 27.

Resolving to video and/or time code with a dedicated synchronizer

If your host software has the ability to synchronize
to SMPTE time code but does not support ASIO2’s
sample-accurate positioning protocol, you can
slave your host software and the 828mk3 to video
and/or SMPTE time code using a dedicated
synchronization device. To do so, use the setup
shown in “Syncing to video and/or SMPTE time
code using a synchronizer” on page 28.

MIDI I/O VIA THE 828MK3 MIDI PORTS

Once you’ve run the 828mk3’s software installer as
explained in “Installing the 828mk3 software” on
page 17, the 828mk3 MIDI ports will appear as a
input source and output destination in the MIDI
input and output menus of your WDM-compatible
host software.

supplies a 24-bit data stream, and when you enable
24-bit operation in Cubase or Nuendo, it simply
uses all 24-bits supplied by the 828mk3 hardware.

MONITORING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Because it has so many inputs and outputs, the
828mk3 may push the limits of your computer’s
processing power. Keep the VST Performance
w ind ow op en t o ke ep t abs on t he l oad on y our CPU
and disk buffers. If the meters get too high, you can
reduce the load by reducing the number of inputs
and outputs you are working with. Use MOTU
Audio Setup to uncheck input check boxes and set
output source menus to None.

Figure 7-6: Keep the Audio Performance window open to keep tabs
on your computer’s processing power and hard disk performance.

USING A FOOT SWITCH

Use a foot switch connected to the 828mk3 to
trigger recording punch-in and punch-out, or any
other feature in your host audio software that is
assigned to a computer keystroke. To trigger a
different set of keystrokes with the foot switch, visit
MOTU Audio Setup. (See “Enable Pedal” on
page 37.)

24-BIT OPERATION

Your 828mk3 hardware fully supports Cubase and
Nuendo’s 24-bit recording capabilities. Simply
enable 24-bit operation as instructed in your
Cubase or Nuendo manual. The 828mk3 always

54

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

CHAPTER

8 Sonar and other WDM Software

OVERVIEW

The 828mk3 WDM driver provides standard
multi-channel input and output for WDM­compatible audio software running under
Windows XP and Vista.

WDM and Wave driver compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Installing the MOTU Audio WDM driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Enabling Wave (MME) compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Making settings in MOTU Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Enabling the MOTU Audio WDM driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Number of channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Other Audio Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Working with 828mk3 inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . 58

Changing 828mk3 settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Processing live inputs with host-based VST plug-ins. 59

Working with CueMix FX mixing and effects. . . . . . . . . 59

Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

MIDI I/O via the 828mk3 MIDI ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Using a foot switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

24-bit operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

WDM AND WAVE DRIVER COMPATIBILITY

WDM is an acronym for Windows Dr iver Model.
The MOTU WDM driver allows the 828mk3 to
provide multi-channel audio input and output for
any audio application that supports WDM audio
drivers.

INSTALLING THE MOTU AUDIO WDM DRIVER

The MOTU Universal Audio Installer CD installs
the MOTU WDM driver into Windows for you.
That’s pretty much all the preparation you need.
See chapter 3, “IMPORTANT! Run the 828mk3
Software Installer First” (page 17).

ENABLING WAVE (MME) COMPATIBILITY

If your host audio software does not yet support
Windows WDM drivers, enable Wave driver
compatibility in the MOTU WDM driver so that all
of the 828mk3’s inputs and outputs show up in
your software. For details, see “Wave support for
legacy (MME) software” on page 37.

☛ If your host audio software does support

WDM audio drivers, don’t enable Wave driver
compatibility.

MAKING SETTINGS IN MOTU AUDIO SETUP

Before you run your audio software, launch MOTU
Audio Setup to configure your 828mk3 hardware.
MOTU Audio Setup lets you choose the audio
clock source, and it lets you enable the optical
inputs and outputs, if needed. For details, see
chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Setup” (page 33).

Attention: other software users

SONAR is used for the WDM driver setup
examples in this chapter. However, the basic
procedures are similar and can be easily applied to
any WDM-compatible software. Consult your
software documentation, if necessary.

55

Figure 8-1: MOTU Audio Setup gives you access to all of the settings in
the 828mk3 hardware, including the clock source, sample rate and
optical I/O enable/disable.

For complete details about the 828mk3 settings, see
chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Setup” (page 33). The
following sections provide a brief explanation of
each 828mk3 setting for use with Sonar.

Sample rate

Choose the desired overall sample rate for the
828mk3 system and Sonar. Newly recorded audio
in Sonar will have this sample rate.

Clock Source

This setting is very important because it
determines which audio clock the 828mk3 will
follow.

If you do not have any digital audio connections to
your 828mk3 (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 have digital audio devices connected to the
828mk3, or if you are not sure about the clock
source of your setup, be sure to read “Making sync
connections” on page 26 and “Clock Source” on
page 35.

If you are slaving the 828mk3 and Sonar to SMPTE
time code, follow the directions in “Syncing to
video and/or SMPTE time code using a
synchronizer” on page 28.

Samples Per Buffer

The Samples Per Buffer setting can be used to
reduce the delay — or monitoring latency — that
you hear when live audio is patched through your
828mk3 hardware and Sonar. For example, you
might have MIDI instruments, samplers,
microphones, and so on connected to the analog
inputs of the 828mk3. If so, you will often be
mixing their live input with audio material
recorded in Sonar. See chapter 10, “Reducing
Monitoring Latency” (page 65) for complete
details.

Optical input and output

To make a 828mk3 optical inputs and/or outputs
available in Sonar, choose the appropriate format
(ADAT optical or TOSLink) from the optical input
and/or output menus. If you won’t be using the
optical connectors, turn them off.

Phones

This 828mk3 setting lets you choose what you’ll
hear from the headphone jack. For example, if you
choose Main Out 1-2, the headphones will
duplicate the main outs. Or you can choose any
other output pair. If you choose Phones 1-2, this
setting makes the headphone jack serve as its own
independent output pair. As a result, you’ll see

56

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

Phones 1-2 as an additional audio destination in
Sonar’s audio output menus. When operating at
high sample rates, the phones must mirror one of
the other output pairs.

Main Outs Assign

Use the Main Outs Assign setting to determine
what audio you will hear on the XLR main outs of
the 828mk3. If you would like to treat them as their
own separate output pair, choose Main Outs. Note
that when operating at 176.4 or 192 kHz, the main
outs must mirror one of the TRS analog output
pairs.

ENABLING THE MOTU AUDIO WDM DRIVER

Once you’ve made the preparations described so
far in this chapter, you’re ready to run your audio
software and enable the MOTU audio WDM
driver. Check the audio system or audio hardware
configuration window in your software.

Enabling the MOTU audio WDM driver in SONAR

To activate the MOTU audio WDM driver in
SONAR:

Figure 8-2: Activating the MOTU audio WDM driver in SONAR by
highlighting 828mk3 inputs and outputs.

Enabling the MOTU ASIO driver in SONAR

As an alternative to the 828mk3’s WDM driver, you
can use the 828mk3’s ASIO driver. Note, however,
that you can only use one audio interface at a time
under ASIO. Go to the Advanced tab and choose
ASIO from the Driver Mode menu:

1 Choose Aud io from the Options menu.

2 Click the General tab.

3 Choose WDM/KS from the Driver Mode menu.

4 Click the Drivers tab.

5 Check the 828mk3 inputs and outputs that you

wish to use and uncheck the ones you don’t as
shown in Figure 8-2.

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

Figure 8-3: Enabling the ASIO driver instead of the WDM driver.

57

Other audio settings in SONAR

There are a few other settings in SONAR that
impact 828mk3 operation:

1 In the Audio Options window, click the General
tab.

2 Choose an 828mk3 input and output for
recording and playback timing as shown below in
Figure 8-4. It doesn’t matter which input or output
you choose.

NUMBER OF CHANNELS

If your audio software requires that you specify the
number of audio input and output channels, be
sure to choose enough to cover the 28 channels of
input and 30 channels of output provided by your
828mk3 — although the number of channels may
depend on how your 828mk3 is configured. For
example, the optical banks can be completely
disabled if you are not using them.

OTHER AUDIO OPTIONS

Consult your sonar documentation for details
about the rest of the settings in this dialog.

WORKING WITH 828MK3 INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

Once you’ve enabled the 828mk3 inputs and
outputs in the Drivers tab of Sonar’s Audio Options
window (Figure 8-2 on page 57), 828mk3 audio
inputs and outputs will appear in Sonar’s input/
output menus, and you can set them up and use
them as any standard audio input and output. If
you don’t see the optical inputs and/or outputs,
check MOTU Audio Setup to make sure they are
turned on and set to the format you need. If you
don’t plan to use the optical input or output, turn it
off to conserve computer bandwidth.

Figure 8-4: Make sure you have chosen a 828mk3 input and output
for the playback and recording timing master settings.

3 In the General tab, click the Wave Profiler
button and run the Wave Profiler. This process
chooses the optimum settings for the 828mk3
hardware.

Figure 8-5: Running the Wave Profiler in Cakewalk’s SONAR.

58

Remember that the main outs and headphone
output can be configured in MOTU Audio Setup to
mirror other outputs. In addition, the 828mk3
optical banks can be disabled or configured as
either ADAT optical or TOSLink. This will affect
how they appear (and if they appear at all) in
Sonar’s I/O lists. See “Optical input and output” on
page 56, “Phones” on page 56 and “Main Outs
Assign” on page 57.

Return Assign

In the Sonar’s list of audio inputs, you’ll see an
828mk3 input pair called Return 1-2. This is a
stereo feed from the 828mk3 that matches the
output of one of its output pairs. Use the Return
Assign menu in MOTU Audio Setup to choose

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

which output pair you would like to hear on this
return. This can be used, for example, to record
back a final stereo mix that includes effects
processing from the 828mk3 DSP (such as the
Leveler) for reference and archiving purposes.

☛ Warning: the Return inputs can cause

feedback loops! DO NOT assign this input to a
track that shares the same 828mk3 output pair as
the returns.

SYNCHRONIZATION

As you read through the following sections to
decide what form of synchronization you might
need with other devices in your studio, be sure to
consult “Making sync connections” on page 26 for
the proper hardware connections. Use the
synchronization diagrams to be clear about how
you will be synchronizing your audio software and
the 828mk3 to the other components of your
system.

Reverb return

The 828mk3 also supplies a return to Sonar that
carries the output of its reverb processor. This
return can be used for any purpose you wish.

CHANGING 828MK3 SETTINGS

You can change the 828mk3 settings at any time by
accessing MOTU Audio Setup.

PROCESSING LIVE INPUTS WITH HOST­BASED VST PLUG-INS

If you patch a live input (such as MIDI synthesizer)
through a plug-in effect in Sonar, you might hear a
slight delay. There are several ways to reduce this
delay. For details, see chapter 10, “Reducing
Monitoring Latency” (page 65).

WORKING WITH CUEMIX FX MIXING AND EFFECTS

The 828mk3 provides powerful external mixing,
EQ, compression and reverb, which you can
operate hand-in-hand with Sonar’s mixing
environment. For example, the 828mk3 can serve
as a monitor mixer routing channels to musicians,
or it can serve as an integrated extension of your
Sonar mixing environment. If you program an
828mk3 mixing and processing configuration that
goes hand in hand with your Sonar project, be sure
to use the file save features in CueMix FX to save
the 828mk3 settings as a file in your Sonar project
folder for instant recall of all settings. See
chapter 11, “CueMix FX” (page 71) for complete
details.

Synchronizing digital audio connections

If you have devices connected to the 828mk3
digital inputs (optical or RCA S/PDIF), you need to
be concerned with the synchronization of the
828mk3’s digital audio clock with other devices
connected to it digitally (if any). For example, if
you have a digital mixer connected to the 828mk3
via an ADAT optical light pipe cable, you need to
make sure that their audio clocks are phase-locked.
For details, see “Choosing a clock source for optical
connections” on page 22 and “Making sync
connections” on page 26. If you don’t have any
digital audio devices connected to the 828mk3,
digital audio phase-lock does not apply to you.

Resolving to video and/or time code with a dedicated synchronizer

You can slave Sonar or other host software and the
828mk3 to video and/or SMPTE time code using
an addit ional sy nchronization dev ice. To do so, use
the setup shown in “Syncing to video and/or
SMPTE time code using a synchronizer” on
page 28.

MIDI I/O VIA THE 828MK3 MIDI PORTS

Once you’ve run the 828mk3’s software installer as
explained in “Installing the 828mk3 software” on
page 17, the 828mk3 MIDI ports will appear as a
input source and output destination in the MIDI
input and output menus of Sonar or other WDM­compatible host software.

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

59

USING A FOOT SWITCH

Use a foot switch connected to the 828mk3 to
trigger recording punch-in and punch-out, or any
other feature in Sonar or your host audio software
that is assigned to a computer keystroke. By
default, the foot switch triggers the 3 key on the
computer keypad. To trigger a different set of
keystrokes with the foot switch, visit MOTU Audio
Setup. (See “Enable Pedal” on page 37.)

24-BIT OPERATION

Your 828mk3 hardware fully supports 24-bit
recording in any audio software that supports it.
Simply enable 24-bit operation as instructed by the
software. The 828mk3 system always supplies the
software with a 24-bit data stream, and when you
enable 24-bit operation, it simply uses all 24-bits
supplied by the 828mk3 hardware.

60

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

CHAPTER

9 GigaStudio and GSIF

OVERVIEW

The 828mk3 includes a GSIF driver that provides
multi-channel I/O with Tascam’s GigaStudio
family of virtual sampler products.

What is GSIF? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Run MOTU Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Choosing the MOTU GSIF driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Enabling 828mk3 outputs & inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Working with CueMix FX mixing and effects. . . . . . . . . 63

MIDI I/O via the 828mk3 MIDI ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Changing 828mk3 settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

24-bit operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

WHAT IS GSIF?

GSIF is an acronym for Giga Sampler Interface. Th e
MOTU Audio driver allows the 828mk3 to provide
multi-channel audio input and output for the
Tascam GigaStudio family of products.

PREPARATION

Install GigaStudio first (if you haven’t already done
so), and then see these chapters before proceeding:

■ chapter 3, “IMPORTANT! Run the 828mk3

Software Installer First” (page 17)

■ chapter 4, “Installing the 828mk3 Hardware”

(page 19).

RUN MOTU AUDIO SETUP

Before you run GigaStudio, launch MOTU Audio
Setup to configure your 828mk3 hardware. MOTU
Audio Setup lets you configure your audio
interface, and it lets you configure the optical
inputs and outputs. Only enabled inputs and
outputs w ill b e available to GigaStudio, so t his is an
important step. For complete details, see chapter 5,
“MOTU Audio Setup” (page 33).

Figure 9-1: MOTU Audio Setup gives you access to all of the settings in
the 828mk3 hardware, including the clock source, sample rate and
optical I/O enable/disable.

Sample rate

Choose the desired overall sample rate for the
828mk3 system and GigaStudio. This should
match the sample rate at which you intend to
operate GigaStudio.

Clock Source

This setting is very important because it
determines which audio clock the 828mk3 will
follow.

61

If you do not have any digital audio connections to
your 828mk3 (you are using the analog inputs and
outputs only), choose Internal.

If you have an ADAT optical digital audio device
connected to the 828mk3, or if you are not sure
about the clock source of your setup, be sure to
read “Choosing a clock source for optical
connections” on page 22and “Clock Source” on
page 35.

Samples Per Buffer

The Samples Per Buffer setting can be used to
reduce the delay — or latency — that you hear
when playing GigaStudio from your MIDI
controller or MIDI sequencer. In general, you have
better timing accuracy with lower buffer settings,
but the trade-off is that lower buffer settings
require the computer that is running GigaStudio
(with the 828mk3) to work harder. So in general,
you want to keep the buffer size a low as possible
while still maintaining the performance you need
from GigaStudio.

Optical input and output

To make a 828mk3 optical input or output available
in GigaStudio, choose either ADAT optical or
TOSLink from the optical input and/or output
menus. If you won’t be using the optical
connectors, disable them.

Phones

This 828mk3 setting lets you choose what you’ll
hear from the headphone jack. For example, if you
choose Main Out 1-2, the headphones will
duplicate the main outs. Or you can choose any
other output pair. If you choose Phones 1-2, this
setting makes the headphone jack serve as its own
independent output pair. As a result, you’ll see
Phones 1-2 as an additional audio destination in
Sonar’s audio output menus. When operating at
high sample rates, the phones must mirror one of
the other output pairs.

Main Outs Assign

Use the Main Outs Assign setting to determine
what audio you will hear on the XLR main outs of
the 828mk3. If you would like to treat them as their
own separate output pair, choose Main Outs. Note
that when operating at 176.4 or 192 kHz, the main
outs must mirror one of the TRS analog output
pairs.

CHOOSING THE MOTU GSIF DRIVER

Once you’ve made the preparations described so
far in this chapter, you’re ready to run GigaStudio
and enable the MOTU GSIF driver. To activate the
828mk3 GSIF driver, go to the File menu, choose
System Settings and click the Hardware tab. In the
Hardware Adapter section, choose MOTU Audio
from the menu.

ENABLING 828MK3 OUTPUTS & INPUTS

To enable 828mk3 inputs and outputs for use with
GigaStudio, click in the Enable column to put a
check mark next to each input and output you wish
to use. The tables below show how you can identify
each input and output.

Return Assign

In the list above, you see an 828mk3 input pair
called Stereo return. This is a stereo feed from the
828mk3 that matches the output of one of its
output pairs. Use the Return Assign menu in
MOTU Audio Setup to choose which output pair
you would like to hear on this return. This can be
used, for example, to record back a final stereo mix
that includes effects processing from the 828mk3
DSP (such as the Leveler) for reference and
archiving purposes.

☛ Warning: the Return inputs can cause

feedback loops! DO NOT assign this input to a
track that shares the same 828mk3 output pair as
the returns.

62

GIGASTUDIO AND GSIF

Reverb return

The 828mk3 also supplies a return to GigaStudio
that carries the output of its reverb processor. This
return can be used for any purpose you wish.

WORKING WITH CUEMIX FX MIXING AND EFFECTS

The 828mk3 provides powerful external mixing,
EQ, compression and reverb, which you can
operate hand-in-hand with GigaStudio’s mixing
environment. For example, the 828mk3 can serve
as an integrated extension of your GigaStudio
mixing environment. If you program an 828mk3
mixing and processing configuration that goes
hand in hand w ith your Gi gaSt udio proj ect , be su re
to use the file save features in CueMix FX to save
the 828mk3 settings as a file in your GigaStudio
project folder for instant recall of all settings. See
chapter 11, “CueMix FX” (page 71) for complete
details.

MIDI I/O VIA THE 828MK3 MIDI PORTS

Use the MIDI Port Configuration section as
instructed in your GigaStudio manual to use the
828mk3’s MIDI ports with GigaStudio.

USING A FOOT SWITCH

Use a foot switch connected to the 828mk3 to
trigger recording punch-in and punch-out, or any
other feature in GigaStudio that is assigned to a
computer keystroke. By default, the foot switch
triggers the 3 key on the computer keypad. To
trigger a different set of keystrokes with the foot
switch, visit MOTU Audio Setup. (See “Enable
Pedal” on page 37.)

CHANGING 828MK3 SETTINGS

To change the 828mk3 settings at any time, run
MOTU Audio Setup (Figure 9-1 on page 61).

24-BIT OPERATION

Your 828mk3 hardware fully supports GigaStudio
24-bit operation. Simply enable 24-bit operation in
the Hardware Adapter section. The 828mk3 always
supplies a 24-bit data stream, and when you enable
24-bit operation, it simply uses all 24-bits supplied
by the 828mk3 hardware.

GIGASTUDIO AND GSIF

63

64

GIGASTUDIO AND GSIF

CHAPTER

10 Reducing Monitoring Latency

OVERVIEW

Monitoring latency is that slight delay you hear
when you run an input signal through your host
audio software. For example, you might hear it
when you drive a live guitar input signal through
an amp modeling plug-in running in your audio
sequencer.

This delay is caused by the amount of time it takes
for audio to make the entire round trip through
your computer, from when it first enters an
828mk3 input, passes through the 828mk3
hardware into the computer, through your host
audio software, and then back out to an 828mk3
output.

If you don’t need to process a live input with
plug-ins, the easiest way to avoid monitoring
latency is to use the 828mk3’s CueMix FX digital
mixer to patch the input directly to your monitor
outs via the 828mk3 audio hardware. The 828mk3
even provides effects processing (EQ, compression
and reverb), which can be applied on input,
output, or even at the bussing stage, just like a
conventional mixer. For details, see “CueMix FX
hardware monitoring” on page 68.

Monitoring live input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Adjusting the audio I/O buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead . . . . . . . . . . 68

Transport responsiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Effects processing and automated mixing . . . . . . . . . . . 68

CueMix FX hardware monitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Two methods for controlling CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Using CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Controlling CueMix FX from your audio software . . . . 69

If you do need to process a live input with host
software plug-ins, or if you are playing virtual
instruments live through your 828mk3 audio
hardware, you can significantly reduce latency —
and even make it completely inaudible, regardless
of what host audio application software you use.
This chapter explains how.

It is i mpor tant to no te th at mon itor ing delay has no
effect on when audio data is recorded to disk or
played back from disk. Actual recording and
playback is extremely precise.

65

MONITORING LIVE INPUT

There are two ways to monitor live audio input
with an 828mk3: 1) through the computer or 2) via
the 82mk3 CueMix FX hardware mixer.
Figure 10-1 shows method 1, which allows you to
apply host-based effects processing via plug-ins in
your audio software. See the next section,
“Adjusting the audio I/O buffer” for details about
how to reduce — and possibly eliminate — the
audible monitoring delay that the computer
introduces.

Figure 10-2 shows how to use CueMix FX
hardware-based monitoring, which lets you hear
what you are recording with no monitoring delay
and no computer-based effects processing.
Instead, input is routed directly to an output, either

1. Live input (from mic, guitar, etc.)
enters the MOTU interface.

with or without 828mk3-based effects processing
(EQ, compression or reverb). See “CueMix FX
hardware monitoring” later in this chapter for
details on how to use CueMix FX with your audio
software, or with the included CueMix FX
software.

If the material you are recording is suitable, there is
a third way to monitor live input: use both methods
(Figure 10-1 and Figure 10-2) at the same time. For
example, you could route guitar to both the
computer (for an amp model effect) and mix that
processed signal on the main outs with dry guitar
from CueMix FX — or perhaps with a touch of
828mk3 Classic Reverb.

3. Mic signal is
‘patched thru’ back to
the audio interface

2. Mic signal goes immedi­ately to the computer.

PC

Figure 10-1: There are two ways to monitor live audio inputs with an 828mk3: 1) through the computer or 2) via CueMix FX hardware monitor-

ing. 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.

with host-based
plug-in effects, if any.

4. Mic signal (with plug-in
processing, if any) is routed
to the main outs (or other
outputs that you’ve specified
in the software).

66

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

ADJUSTING THE AUDIO I/O BUFFER

A buffer is a small amount of computer memory
used to hold data. For audio interfaces like the
828mk3, 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
you hear when monitoring live inputs through
your audio software: larger buffers produce more
delay; smaller buffers produce less.

Buffer size adjustment is made in MOTU Audio
Setup, as shown in Figure 10-3 via the Samples Per
Buffer setting.

Figure 10-3: Lowering the ‘Samples Per Buffer’ setting in MOTU Audio
Setup reduces patch thru latency. But doing so increases the process­ing load on your computer, so keep an eye on the Performance
Monitor in your host audio software.

1. Live input (from mic, guitar, etc.)
enters the MOTU interface.

2. CueMix FX immediately patches the
live mic signal directly to the main outs
(or other output), completely bypassing
the computer. This signal could be dry, or
with 828mk3 effects processing, such as
EQ, compression or Classic Reverb.

Figure 10-2: This diagram shows the signal flow when using CueMix FX no-latency monitoring. Notice that this method does not process the

live input with plug-ins in your audio software. Instead, you can apply 828mk3 effects, such as the reverb, EQ and/or compression.

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

3. Mic signal is mixed with the
main outs, and you can control
the volume (relative to the rest
of the mix) with the mic’s fader
in CueMix FX.

67

Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead

The buffer setting has a large impact on the
following things:

■ Patch thru latency

■ The load on your computer’s CPU

■ Possible distortion at the smallest settings

■ How responsive the transport controls are in

your audio software

The buffer setting presents you with a trade-off
between the processing power of your computer
and the delay of live audio as it is being patched
through your software. If you reduce the size, you
reduce patch thru latency, but significantly increase
the overall processing load on your computer,
leaving less CPU bandwidth for things like real­time effects processing. On the other hand, if you
increase the buffer size, you reduce the load on
your computer, freeing up bandwidth for effects,
mixing and other real-time operations.

If you are at a point in your recording project where
you are not currently working with live, patched­thru material (e.g. you’re not recording vocals), or
if you have a way of externally processing inputs,
choose a higher buffer size. Depending on your
computer’s CPU speed, you might find that settings
in the middle work best (256 to 1024).

Transport responsiveness

Buffer size also impacts how quickly your audio
software will respond when you begin playback,
although not by amounts that are very noticeable.
Lowering the buffer size will make your software
respond faster; raising the buffer size will make it a
little bit slower, but barely enough to notice.

Effects processing and automated mixing

Reducing latency with the buffer size setting has
another benefit: it lets you route live inputs through
the real-time effects processing and mix
automation of your audio software.

CUEMIX FX HARDWARE MONITORING

The 828mk3 has a more direct method of patching
audio through the system. This method employs
the 828mk3’s CueMix FX digital mixer. When
enabled, CueMix activates hardware patch-thru in
the 828mk3 itself. CueMix FX has two important
benefits:

■ First, it completely eliminates the patch thru

delay (reducing it to a small number of samples —
about the same amount as one of today’s digital
mixers).

■ Secondly, CueMix FX imposes no strain on the

computer.

The trade-off, however, is that CueMix FX
bypasses your host audio software. Instead, live
audio inputs are patched directly through to
outputs in the 828mk3 itself and are mixed with
disk tracks playing back from your audio software.
This means that you cannot apply host-based
plug-ins, mix automation, or other real-time
effects that your audio software provides. But for
inputs that don’t need these types of features,
CueMix FX is the way to go.

On the other hand, if you really need to use the
mixing and processing provided by your audio
software, you should not use CueMix FX. Instead,
reduce latency with the buffer setting (as explained
earlier in this chapter).

TWO METHODS FOR CONTROLLING CUEMIX FX

There are two ways to control CueMix FX:

■ With CueMix FX

■ From within your host audio software (if it

supports direct hardware monitoring)

You can even use both methods simultaneously.

68

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

Using CueMix FX

If your host audio software does not suppor t direc t
hardware monitoring, you run the CueMix FX
so ft war e si de- by- sid e w ith you r au dio sof tw are and
manage your monitor mix in CueMix FX.

CueMix FX allows you to create up to eight
separate 828mk3 stereo mixes, or any other desired
routing configurations. These routings are
independent of your host audio software. For
complete details, see chapter 11, “CueMix FX”
(page 71).

Controlling CueMix FX from your audio software

Some ASIO-compatible audio applications, such as
Cubase and Nuendo, allow you to control
CueMix FX monitoring from within the
application (without the need to use CueMix FX).
In most cases, this support consists of patching an
828mk3 input directly to an output when you
record-arm a track. Exactly how this is handled
depends on the application.

CueMix FX routings that are made via host
applications are made “under the hood”, which
means that you won’t see them in CueMix FX.
However, CueMix FX connections made inside
your host audio software dovetail with any other
mixes you’ve set up in CueMix FX. For example, if
your host application routes audio to an output
pair that is already being used in CueMix FX for an
entirely separate mix bus, both audio streams will
simply be merged to the output.

enable this feature. Once enabled, it should work
similarly as described for Cubase (as explained in
the previous section).

Using CueMix DSP with WDM- or Wave­compatible software

Run CueMix Console (chapter 11, “CueMix FX”
(page 71)) and use it to route live inputs directly to
outputs, control their volume and panning, etc. If
necessary, you can save your CueMix Console
setup with your project file.

Controlling CueMix DSP from within Cubase or
Nuendo

To turn on CueMix in Cubase or Nuendo, enable
the Direct Monitoring check box in the Device
Setup window (Figure 7-4).

Other ASIO 2.0-compatible host software

If your ASIO-compatible host audio software
supports ASIO’s direct monitoring feature, consult
your software documentation to learn how to

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

69

70

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

CHAPTER

11 CueMix FX

OVERVIEW

CueMix FX is a cross-platform software
application that provides graphic, on-screen
control for the 828mk3’s flexible CueMix FX
on-board mixer and effects processing.

CueMix FX can be used independently of host
audio software, or together with it. CueMix
dovetails with the direct monitoring features of
your host audio software, allowing you to
seemlessly mix in both environments.

For information about programming the 828mk3’s
on-board mixing and effects using the front panel
LCD, see chapter 6, “828mk3 Front Panel
Operation” (page 39).

A 16-bus mixer with EQ, compression and reverb. . . . 71

Advantages over host-based mixing and processing 72

CueMix FX installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

CueMix FX basic operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

The Mixes tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

The Inputs tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

The Outputs tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

The channel settings section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

The Monitor Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

DSP meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Solo light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Talkback and listenback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

File menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Edit menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Devices menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Configurations menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Talkback menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Phones menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Control Surfaces menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

A 16-BUS MIXER WITH EQ, COMPRESSION AND REVERB

All 828mk3 inputs and outputs can be routed to the
on-board CueMix FX 16-bus (8 stereo bus) digital
mixer driven by hardware-based DSP with 32-bit
floating point precision.

The CueMix FX mixer allows you to apply no­latency effects processing to inputs, outputs or
busses directly in the 828mk3 hardware,
independent of the computer. Effects can even be
applied when the 828mk3 is operating stand-alone
(without a computer) as a complete rack-mounted
mixer. Input signals to the computer can be
recorded wet, dry, or dry with a wet monitor mix
(for musicians during recording, for example).

Effects include:

■ Classic Reverb with tail lengths up to 60 seconds

■ 7-band parametric EQ modeled after British

analog console EQs

■ A standard compressor with conventional

threshold/ratio/attack/release/gain controls

■ The Leveler™, an accurate model of the

legendary LA-2A optical compressor, which
provides vintage, musical automatic gain control

The 838mk3’s flexible effects architecture allows
you to apply EQ and compression on every input
and output (a total of 58 channels), with enough
DSP resources for at least one band of parametric
EQ and compression on every channel at 48 kHz.
DSP resources are allocated dynamically and a
DSP meter in the CueMix FX software allows you
to keep tabs on the 828mk3’s processing resources.

71

Each input, output and mix bus provides a send to
the Classic Reverb processor, which then feeds
reverb returns to mix busses and outputs, with a
selectable split point between them to prevent
send/return feedback loops.

ADVANTAGES OVER HOST-BASED MIXING AND PROCESSING

CueMix FX provides several major advantages over
mixing and processing in your host audio software:

■ CueMix has no buffer latency. Thanks to the

828mk3’s DSP chip, CueMix provides the same
throughput performance as a digital mixer.

■ CueMix mixing and effects processing imposes

no processor drain on the computer’s CPU.

■ CueMix routing can be maintained

independently of individual software applications
or projects.

■ CueMix routing can operate without the

computer, allowing the 828mk3 to operate as a
portable, stand-alone mixer with effects.

CUEMIX FX INSTALLATION

CueMix FX is installed with the rest of your
828mk3 software.

Channel

focus

Channel

scroll

bar

DSP

resources

MIx bus

menu

meter

Mic inputs Inputs split

Solo
light

Tabs for inputs,
mix busses and

outputs

into mono

channels

828mk3

inputs

Inputs grouped as

stereo pairs

Mix bus

master

fader

Tabs for channel strip settings,
including EQ and dynamics, as
well as global settings such as

the meter bridge and reverb

Channel
settings

processor.

Monitoring/

talkback

section

Monitor

group

metering

Grow
handle

72

Figure 11-1: CueMix FX is a virtual mixer that gives you control over the 828mk3’s on-board mixing features.

CUEMIX FX

CUEMIX FX BASIC OPERATION

Here is a brief overview of the CueMix FX mixer.

Eight stereo mix busses

CueMix provides eight stereo mix busses: Bus 1,
Bus 2, Bus 3, and so on. Each mix bus can take any
number of inputs and mix them down to any
828mk3 output pair that you choose. For example,
Bus 1 could go to the headphones, Bus 2 could go to
the main outs, Bus 3 could go to a piece of outboard
gear connected to analog outputs 7-8, etc.

Many inputs to one output pair

It might be useful to think of each mix bus as some
nu mbe r of input s al l mix ed d own to a ste reo outpu t
pair. CueMix FX lets you choose which inputs to
include in the mix, and it lets you specify the level,
pan and other input-specific mix controls for each
input being fed into the mix.

Viewing one mix bus at a time

CueMix FX displays one mix bus at a time in the
Mixes tab (Figure 11-2 on page 74). To select which
mix you are viewing, choose it from the mix bus
menu (Figure 11-2). The mix name appears above
the mix bus master fader (Figure 11-2), where you
can click the name to change it.

Output channels

The Outputs tab (Figure 11-6 on page 79) gives you
access to settings for each 828mk3 output pair,
including EQ, dynamics processing and send/
return controls for feeding and returning the
output signal to/from the 828mk3’s global reverb
processor. These settings are applied to the signal
just before it is sent to the output.

Channel focus and settings

Click the focus button for a channel (Figure 11-1)
to view channel-spe cific parameters in the Channel
Settings section of the CueMix FX window
(Figure 11-1). Separate tabs are provided for
channel-specific settings (channel strip, EQ and
dynamics), plus the global meter bridge and reverb
processor.

Global reverb processor

The 828mk3 has a global reverb module
(Figure 11-23 on page 92). Once it has been
activated, you can feed signals to the reverb
processor from various points in the 828mk3 mix
matrix via input sends, bus sends and output
sends. Stereo output from the reverb processor can
then be fed back to mix busses or output pairs
using reverb returns.

Each mix bus is independent

Each mix bus has its own settings. Settings for one
bus will not affect another. For example, if an input
is used for one bus, it will still be available for other
busses. In addition, inputs can have a different
volume, pan, mute and solo setting in each bus.

Input channels

The Inputs tab (Figure 11-3 on page 76) gives you
access to settings for individual 828mk3 inputs (or
input pairs), such as phase, trim, EQ and dynamics
processing. Each input also includes a send to the
828mk3’s global reverb processor. These settings
are applied to the signal before it goes anywhere
else (to a mix bus or the computer).

CUEMIX FX

Other features

CueMix offers many additional features, discussed
in this chapter, such as talkback/listenback,
extensive metering, graphic editing of certain
effects parameters, monitor grouping and more.

Widening the CueMix FX window

To view more input faders at once, drag the right­hand edge of the window to the right.

73

THE MIXES TAB

Click the Mixes tab (Figure 11-2) to gain access to
the 828mk3’s eight stereo mix busses. The Mixes
tab displays one mix bus at a time.

Viewing a mix

Choose the mix you wish to view from the mix bus
menu (in the Mixes tab itself, as shown in
Figure 11-2). The menu shows all mixes by name,
followed by the 828mk3 output pair to which each
bus master fader is currently assigned, if any.

Assigning a mix bus output

Choose the desired output pair for the mix bus
from the bus output menu (Figure 11-2). The bus
output menu displays all current available
(enabled) 828mk3 output pairs. If a bus is already
assigned to an output pair, the bus name appears
next to the output pair name to indicate that the
output pair is already taken by a bus. Only one bus
can be assigned to any given output pair. If you
choose an output already assigned to another bus,
that bus output will become disabled.

Naming a mix

Click the mix name at the top of the mix bus master
fader (Figure 11-2) to edit the name.

Mixes

Input name

Channel focus

Input pan section

Input fader

Input mute/solo

Input level meter

Mix bus

tab

menu

Bus fader

The bus fader (Figure 11-2) controls the overall
level of the mix (its volume on its stereo output).
Use the individual input faders to the left to control
individual input levels.

828mk3

inputs

Mix bus 1

master

fader

Bus name

Bus output

Bus Reverb
send/return

Bus fader

Bus mute

Bus level meter

74

Scroll bar for input

channels

Mic inputs Inputs grouped as

Figure 11-2: The Mixes tab.

stereo pairs

CUEMIX FX

Bus mute

The bus mute button (Figure 11-2) disables
(silences) the mix.

Bus level meter

The bus level meter, which is post-fader, shows you
the output for the mix’s output.

Bus reverb send/return

The bus reverb send (Figure 11-2) feeds the output
of the mix bus, pre-fader, to the 828mk3’s global
reverb processor, where it is merged with any other
signals being fed to the reverb. The reverb’s output
can then be fed back into the mixer at various
return points, including the bus return (discussed
below).

The bus reverb return (Figure 11-2) feeds the
output of the 828mk3’s global reverb processor
into the mix bus, pre-fader. This includes any other
signals currently being fed to the reverb. The bus
reverb return is disabled (grayed out) when the
reverb Split Point is set to Output to eliminate the
possibility for feedback loops created by reverb
send/return loops. See “Split point” on page 92.

Input section

The horizontally scrolling area in the Mix tab to the
left of the master fader (Figure 11-2) displays
channel strips for all currently enabled 828mk3
inputs.

Input channel focus

Click the channel focus button (Figure 11-3) to
view and edit parameters in the channel settings
section of the CueMix FX window (Figure 11-7 on
page 80). Clicking the mix bus master fader focus
button brings the assigned output into focus, if
there is one.

Balance

Balance works like the balance knob on some
radios: turn it left and the right channel dims, turn
it right and left channel dims. But the left channel
always stays left and the right channel stays right.

Width

Widt h spreads the left and right channels across the
stereo image, depending on the knob position.
Maximum value (turning the pan knob all the way
up) maintains the original stereo image: the left
channel goes entirely left and right goes entirely
right, without attenuation. The minimum value
(turning the knob all the way down) creates a
mono effect: equal amounts of left and right are
combined and sent to both outputs. In between,
the left out is a mixture of the left input and some of
the right input (and vice-versa) with the effect of
narrowing the field.

Input fader and mute/solo

To add an input to a mix, or remove it, click its
Mute button. To solo it, use its Solo button. Use the
input fader (Figure 11-2) to adjust the level for the
input in the mix. Note that an input can have
different level, pan, mute and solo settings for
different mixes. Input channel level meters are
post-fader.

If any solo button on the current (active) bus is
enabled, the Solo Light (Figure 11-1) will
illuminate.

Input pan section

The input pan knob (Figure 11-2) pans the input
across the bus stereo outputs. If the input itself is
grouped as a stereo pair (in the Inputs tab), two
forms of panning control are provided:

CUEMIX FX

75

THE INPUTS TAB

The 828mk3 provides many features for managing
analog and digital input signals. Some of these
features, such as the 828mk3’s digitally controlled
analog trims, are implemented in the analog
domain; others are implemented in the digital
domain as DSP applied to the digital signal (after
the A/D converter on analog inputs). Click the
Inputs tab (Figure 11-3) to access and control all of
these input channel settings for each 828mk3 input
or input pair.

Input tab settings are global

Except for the reverb send, all settings you make in
the Input tab are applied to the input signal before
it goes anywhere else (to a mix bus or the
computer). For example, if you apply EQ and
compression to the input signal, you will record the
processed version of the signal in your host audio
software running on the computer. If you need to

Inputs tab

Input name

Channel focus

Mono/stereo paring

Invert phase

Input trim

record a completely unprocessed input signal, do
not apply any changes to it in the Input tab. The
only exception to this is the reverb send, which
simply splits the input signal and feeds a copy of it
to the 828mk3’s reverb processor.

Signal flows from top to bottom

Settings in each Input tab channel strip are
generally applied to the signal in order from top to
bottom. Input channel signal flow is as follows:
tr im, ove rload p rote ction, phase , stere o versus M/ S
decoding, width, L /R swap, EQ, dy namics and
reverb send.

Input channel focus

Click the channel focus button (Figure 11-3) to
view and edit parameters in the channel settings
section of the CueMix FX window (Figure 11-7 on
page 80).

EQ/dynamics controls

76

EQ/dynamics graph

EQ/dynamics

enable/disable

Reverb send

Input scroll bar

Figure 11-3: The Inputs tab.

EQ band selectors

LP/HP filter selector
Compressor selector

CUEMIX FX

Mono/stereo pairing

Click the Mono button (Figure 11-3) if you would
li ke an inp ut to be treated as a m ono c hann el. If you
would like to work with it as one channel of a
linked stereo pair, click the Stereo button. Inputs
are grouped in odd/even pairs (mic 1-2, Analog
1-2, 3-4, etc.) Stereo pairs appear as a single
channel strip in the CueMix FX mixer (in all tabs).

Invert phase

Click the Phase button (Figure 11-3) to invert the
phase of the input signal. For stereo pairs, you can
invert the phase for the left and right channels
independently.

Input trim

All 828mk3 inputs, both analog and digital, offer
continuously variable input trim. In all cases, trim
level can be controlled digitally in 1 dB increments.
This includes the digitally controlled analog trims
on the two mic/guitar inputs on the front panel and
the eight quarter-inch analog inputs on the back
panel. Here is a summary of input trim ranges for
each type of 828mk3 input:

Input

Mic/Guitar 0 dB 53 dB 53 dB

TRS analog inputs -96 dB +22 dB 118 dB

S/PDIF (RCA) 0 dB +12 dB 12 dB

ADAT optical 0 dB +12 dB 12 dB

S/PDIF (TOSLink) 0 dB +12 dB 12 dB

Trim
cut

Trim
boost

Trim
Range

The controls in the EQ/Compression section of the
Inputs tab (Figure 11-3) let you edit EQ and
compression settings within the context of the
channel strip. This is ideal when you are comparing
settings among neighboring channels, or perhaps
even applying the same setting across all inputs.
However, for more detailed editing of EQ and
compression settings for an input channel, you can
click its Focus button and view the settings in the
Channel Section of the CueMix FX window
(Figure 11-1). This section even provides graphical
editing of EQ curves and the compressor graph,
allowing you to click and drag directly on the
graphic. For details see “The channel settings
section” on page 80.

The EQ/Dynamics graph

The EQ/Dynamics graph for each input channel
strip (Figure 11-3) provides a thumbnail view of
the EQ curves or Compressor graph for the
channel. This graphic is for display purposes only;
it cannot be edited directly. To change the EQ
settings in this graph, use the two or three knobs
below, as explained in the following sections. If,
however, you would like to edit the EQ curves
graphically, you can do so in the EQ tab
(Figure 11-10 on page 82).

EQ/Dynamics selectors

The EQ/Dynamics selector buttons along the
right-hand edge of the EQ/Dynamics section
(Figure 11-3) allow you to choose what you are
viewing and editing in the EQ/Dynamics section.

Once you adjust the trim levels, you can save them
as a file on disk for future instant recall. See “Saving
and loading hardware presets” on page 96 and
“Configurations menu” on page 96.

Input EQ and dynamics

The 828mk3 lets you apply 7-band parametric EQ
and dynamics processing (DSP) to any input,
analog or digital.

CUEMIX FX

Figure 11-4: The EQ/Dynamics selectors.

Orange
Green
Blue
Red

Yellow
White
Black

EQ band selectors

LP/HP filter selector
Compressor selector

Colored knobs

77

Click the selector (Figure 11-4) for the desired EQ
band, low-pass (LP) filter, high pass (HP) filter or
compressor to view it across all channels.

Compressor

graph

Figure 11-5: The Compressor controls.

Compressor

meter

Compressor

selector

☛ Shortcut: hold down the option key while

clicking an EQ selector button to show just that
band of EQ in the graphs. Click any selector again
to return to viewing all bands.

Using the EQ/Dynamics knobs

Once you have chosen the desired EQ band, or the
compressor, you can modify its settings using the
two or three knobs below the graph. The knobs
match the color of the currently selected effect, to
help remind you of which effect you are currently
editing.

☛ Important: before you can modify the settings

of an EQ band using the three knobs below the
graph, the EQ band must be enabled. This is done
in the EQ tab (Figure 11-10), as explained in
“Enabling EQ” on page 82.

EQ/Dynamics enable/disable buttons

Click the EQ or Dynamics button at the bottom of
the input channel (Figure 11-3) to toggle the effect
on or off. Note that you can program EQ and
compressor settings, even when the effect is
currently disabled. (You just won’t hear the result
until you enable it.)

Reverb send

The input reverb send (Figure 11-3) feeds the input
signal to the 828mk3’s global reverb processor,
where it is merged with any other signals being fed
to the reverb. The reverb’s output can then be fed
back into a mix or output pair. The send occurs
after all other settings in the input channel strip
(phase invert, EQ, compression, etc.)

THE OUTPUTS TAB

The Outputs tab (Figure 11-6) lets you apply EQ,
dynamics and reverb to any output pair, just before
the signal leaves the 828mk3. This is processing
that occurs at the very end of the signal flow, after
everything else (host based effects, 828mk3 input
or bus processing, mixing, and so on). Processing
is done in the digital domain, just before the signal
goes analog through the D/A converter. Output tab
processing is applied to the entire output mix (all
signals being mixed to the output from various
sources).

Signal flows from top to bottom

Settings in each Output tab channel strip are
applied to the signal in order from top to bottom.
For example, EQ occurs before Dynamics, which is
applied before the reverb send and return.

Output channel focus

Click the channel focus button (Figure 11-6) to
view and edit parameters in the channel settings
section of the CueMix FX window (Figure 11-7 on
page 80).

Output EQ and Dynamics

The EQ/Dynamics section in the Outputs tab
(Figure 11-6) works identically to the EQ/
Dynamics section for the Inputs tab (Figure 11-3).
See “Input EQ and dynamics” on page 77.

Output reverb send/return

The output reverb send (Figure 11-6) feeds the
signal for the output to the 828mk3’s global reverb
processor, where it is merged with any other signals

78

CUEMIX FX

being fed to the reverb. The reverb’s output can
then be fed back into the mixer at various return
points, including the same output from which it
was sent (discussed below). The output reverb
send is disabled (grayed out) when the reverb Split
Point is set to Mix to eliminate the possibility for
feedback loops created by reverb send/return
loops. See “Split point” on page 92.

The output reverb return (Figure 11-6) feeds the
output of the 828mk3’s global reverb processor
directly to the output. This includes any other
signals currently being fed to the reverb.

Both the send and return occur after EQ and
dynamics processing, but before listenback and
talkback.

Talkback/Listenback

Click the Ta l k b a c k or Listenback buttons
(Figure 11-6) to toggle whether the output pair is
included in the Talkback or Listenback group. See
“Talkback and listenback” on page 94.

Outputs tab

Monitor group assign

Click the Monitor buttons (Figure 11-6) to toggle
whether the output pair is included in the Monitor
group. See “The Monitor Group” on page 93.

Output name

Channel focus

EQ/Dynamics graph

EQ/Dynamics controls

EQ/Dynamics

enable/disable

Output reverb

send/return

Talkback/listenback

enable/disable

Monitor group assign

CUEMIX FX

Figure 11-6: The Outputs tab.

EQ band selectors

LP/HP filter selector
Compressor selector

79

THE CHANNEL SETTINGS SECTION

The channel settings section in the CueMix FX
window (Figure 11-1) displays three tabs for
Channel, EQ and Dynamics settings for the
channel with the current focus. There are also two
global tabs: the Meter Bridge and the Reverb
Processor, as shown below.

The Channel tab

The Channel tab (Figure 11-8) displays settings for
input channels. Click any focus button in the
Inputs tab to view the Channel tab settings for the
channel.

Tabs for the channel that

currently has the focus

Figure 11-7: The Channel Settings section.

80

Tabs for the global meter

bridge and reverb processor

Figure 11-8: The Channel tab.

Signal flow

Settings in the Channel tab occur just before the
EQ, dynamics and reverb sends in the Input tab
channel strip (Figure 11-3 on page 76). Input
channel signal flow is as follows: trim, overload
protection, phase, stereo versus M/S decoding,
width, L/R swap, EQ, dynamics and reverb send.

Stereo settings

Inputs t hat h ave be en grou ped as stereo pairs in the
Inputs tab (Figure 11-3) provide two stereo modes
(Figure 11-8): Normal and M/S. M/S mode
provides decoding for a mid-side microphone
configuration.

CUEMIX FX

The Widt h knob (Figure 11-8) provides control
over the stereo imaging, going from a full stereo
image to mono (both channels panned equally).
See “Width” on page 75.

The Swap L/R button (Figure 11-8) lets you switch
the left and right channels.

Overload protection (mic/guitar inputs only)

The Overload Protection section (Figure 11-8)
provides two features that help prevent digital
clipping on the two front-panel mic/guitar inputs.
These options are only available on these two
preamp-equipped inputs.

mono input), use the reverb Pan knob
(Figure 11-8) to pan the mono signal for the stereo
reverb processor.

Input meter and bus activity LEDs

When the Channel tab is active (Figure 11-8), the
display above the tab provides a horizontal level
meter and eight bus activity LEDs (Figure 11-9).

Bus
activity
LEDs

V-L imi t™ (Figure 11-8) is a hardware limiter that
helps prevent digital clipping from overloaded
input signals. With V-Limit engaged, signals can go
above zero dB (with limiting applied) to as high as
+12 dB above zero with no distortion due to digital
clipping. Click the Lookahead option for even
better protection against sharp transients.

Additional or alternative protection can be applied
to the mic/guitar inputs by enabling Soft Clip
(Figure 11-8). When enabled, Soft Clip engages
just before clipping occurs and helps further
reduce perceptible distortion.

Ta l kb ac k s ec t i on

Click the Ta l k b a c k or Listenback button
(Figure 11-8) to toggle whether the input is the
Talkback or Listenback input. Only one input can
be the talkback input, and only one input can be
the listenback input. See “Talkback and listenback”
on page 94.

Reverb section

The Send in the reverb section (Figure 11-8) is the
same control as the reverb send in the Input tab
channel strip (Figure 11-3). See “Reverb send” on
page 78. If the input is currently not grouped as a
stereo pair in the Input tab (it is operating as a

Figure 11-9: Input meter and bus activity LEDs.

The input level meter (Figure 11-9) is the same as
the input meters in the Meters tab (Figure 11-22 on
page 91) with the Pre FX button engaged, which
shows the input level on the physical input itself,
be fore any pro ce ssi ng of any ki nd o cc urs wi th in the
828mk3. This meter gives you the most accurate
reading of the actual signal level hitting the input,
regardless of any other settings (such as V-Limit,
Soft Clip and so on). The clip indicator, however,
happens after V-Limit and/or Soft Clip. This allows
you to see when clipping occurs, even with these
overload protection features engaged.

The Bus Activity LEDs (Figure 11-9) show you
which mix busses the input signal is being fed to.
For example, LED #6 will glow under the following
conditions: the input is unmuted in mix bus 6, its
fader is up, and there is signal activity from the
input going into the mix bus.

CUEMIX FX

81

The EQ tab

The EQ tab (Figure 11-10) displays the EQ settings
for the input or output channel that currently has
the focus. Click any focus button in the Inputs or
Outputs tab to view the EQ tab settings for the
channel.

Vintage EQ

Inspired by legendary British large console EQs,
the 828mk3 Vintage EQ section (Figure 11-10)
gives you the look, feel and sound of the most
sought-after classic equalizers. Five bands of center
frequency parametric EQ filtering are provided,
each with four EQ types that provide current
popular EQ styles and vintage analog EQ styles
alike. Two bands include shelf filtering. Two
additional bands of variable slope low pass and

high pass filtering are provided. The filter response
display provides comprehensive control and visual
feedback of the EQ curve being applied. With
64-bit floating point processing, the 828mk3
Vintage EQ has been carefully crafted and
meticulously engineered to produce musical
results in a wide variety of applications.

Enabling EQ

Each input and output channel has a global EQ
enable/disable button (Figure 11-3 and

Figure 11-6). This button enables or disables all
bands of EQ for the channel. In addition, each
individual band of EQ has a Filter enable/disable
switch (Figure 11-10), allowing you to enable as
few or as many bands as needed for each individual
channel.

Filter response
display

Filter curve toggle
Parameter display

EQ tab

EQ filter

EQ Filter types

Shelf filter

High-pass filter

Slope

High-pass frequency

Q handles
(red lines)

Filter

handle

Composite

curve

(white line)

Individual

filter curve

(colored area)

Vertical scale

Filter enable/disable

Low-pass filter

82

Figure 11-10: The EQ tab.

CUEMIX FX

Vintage EQ Quick reference

Filter response display: Shows the response curve

for the current settings.

Composite curve (white line): shows the overall

response curve of the current settings in the
window.

Vertical scale: Lets you zoom the vertical scale of

the filter response display.

Parameter display: Shows the precise numbers of

the parameter you are adjusting (or hovering over
with the arrow cursor). The labels (frequency, gain,
etc.) match the color of the filter being displayed.
When a filter handle is not selected and when the
cursor is not hovering over the display, the
parameter display shows the name of the current
channel being edited (the channel that currently
has the focus), as shown below:

The name of the
channel being
EQ’d.

Figure 11-11: When a filter handle is not selected and when the
cursor is not hovering over the display, the parameter display shows
the name of the current channel being edited (the channel that
currently has the focus).

EQ filter: one of five center bands of EQ that can be

independently enabled and programmed.

Filter t ype: Le ts you choos e fr om on e of fou r or fi ve

EQ styles for each independent band of EQ.

Low/High Pass filter: Bo th a low pa ss a nd h ig h pa ss

filter are supplied with six different slope settings.

Slope: Lets you choose the slope (fall off) charac-

teristics of the low pass and high pass filter.

Q handle: Drag the Q handle lines to graphically

adjust the Q setting for the currently selected filter.
To select the filter, click its filter handle.

Individual filter curve: Each filter has a color

(indicated by its knobs). When filter curves are
being displayed (the filter curve option is turned
on), each individual filter’s response curve is
displayed in the filter’s color.

Filter curve toggle: Shows/hides the colored filter

curves in the display.

Filter enable/disable: Turns the filter on or off.

How the vintage EQ works

The Vintage EQ operates like a standard EQ filter,
but with much more sophisticated processing
algorithms “under the hood”. There are five bands
of EQ, each with their own unique knob color, plus
additional low pass and high pass filters. Each filter
can be set to any center frequency you wish.

Each filter can be independently turned on or off
with the enable/disable button (Figure 11-10).
Each filter can be set to one of four different filter
types (I, II, III or IV). The two top-most filters
(orange and green) provide an extra low and high
shelf setting, in addition to the four standard band
settings. The additional low pass and high pass
filt ers (lower left) have g ray cutoff fre quenc y knobs
and six settings for slope (in octaves/dB).

Frequency response display

The frequency response display at the top of the
window displays the response curve of the current
settings in the window. The (horizontal) frequency
range is from 10 hertz to 20 KHz. The (vertical)
amplitude scale is in dB and is adjustable between 3
and 24 dB using the vertical scale buttons
(Figure 11-10).

Filter handle: Drag this handle to graphically

adjust the filter’s boost/cut and/or frequency.

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83

Showing and hiding filter curves

To view a filter in the display, turn on the filter. The
shape of the filter, according to its current settings,
is shaded in the same color as the filter’s knob(s).
Use the filter curve toggle (Figure 11-10) to show or
hide them in the display.

Adjusting filters in the display

Each filter has a handle, displayed as shown below
in Figure 11-12 (in the filter’s color), for adjusting
its boost/cut and/or frequency:

Filter handle

Filter Q
(red line)

Figure 11-12: Drag the filter handle to adjust its frequency and/or
boost/cut. Drag the Filter Q handles to adjust the Q.

For the EQ filters, when you click the handle, you’ll
also see lines on either side for adjusting the Q
parameter, as shown above.

EQ filters

The EQ filters have three parameters:

Control unit range

Gain dB -20.00 to +20.00

Frequency Hertz 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Q n/a - see note below 0.01 to 3.00

Q

The Q setting does not have a unit of measurement.
Rather, it is the ratio of the filter’s center frequency
to the bandwidth of the filter. In addition, the
actual Q value for the EQ curve being applied is
dependent on three factors: the gain setting, the
filter style, and the Q setting.

Filter types

Each filter can be independently set to one of four
different filter types: I, II, III and IV. These, and the
additional shelf filters for the LMF and HMF band,
are discussed in the section “EQ filter styles”.

Returning to zero (or nominal frequency)

To return a knob to zero, or it’s nominal frequency,
double-click it.

EQ filter styles

EQ is one of the most widely used processing tools
and can be applied to many different situations,
from minor corrective tasks to highly creative
applications. Over the years, many EQs have been
engineered for specific applications or to achieve a
certain sound. The Vintage EQ has been designed
to be flexible enough to cover a broad range of
applications. To that end, several different filter
types are supplied, varying mostly in the way they
handle the dynamic interaction between Gain and
Q. This crucial relationship has been modeled to
emulate the smooth and musical character of
classic analog EQ circuits, in which the Gain/Q
dependency was dictated by the actual circuit
design and electrical components used.

The following sections describe the character of
each type of EQ filter and their suggested
applications. In the illustrations for each filter style
(Figure 11-13 through Figure 11-16), the settings
for the three example curves are the same for the
purpose of comparison:

■ Frequency = 1.00 kHz

■ Q = 1

■ Gain = +3, +10 and +20 dB

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CUEMIX FX

Typ e I

Typ e I I

Figure 11-13: Type I EQ filter style.

The Typ e I EQ filter has the least amount of Gain/Q
interaction, providing the most precision and
control of all the EQ filter types. Even small
ad justm ent s in gai n or re ducti on p rodu ce rel ati vely
high Q. This EQ style is best for situations that call
for precise EQ adjustments requiring the
maximum amount of individual parameter
control. For more general shaping (e.g. full mixes)
or subtle control (e.g. vocals), the other styles
discussed in the following sections might be more
appropriate. This filter type is the most similar to a
standard parametric EQ.

Figure 11-14: Type II EQ filter style.

The Typ e I I EQ filte r produces constant Q response
during boost or cut. The Type II style emulates
several classic legacy EQs and produces good
results for resonance control on drums and
percussion because it provides relatively high Q
values with more extreme gain or cut settings.

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85

Type III

Typ e I V

Figure 11-15: Type III EQ filter style.

The Type III EQ filter increases Q as boost is
applied. Therefore, lower amounts of boost
provide a softer, “wider” EQ effect (since the
affected frequency range widens), while higher
boost tends to sound louder and more “up front”,
due to the increase in Q as the gain is increased.
The more gentle Q curve at lower settings is well
suited for overall EQ fills and more subtle
corrections in instrument and vocal sources.
Boosting or cutting by small amounts will seem to
produce the effect that your ear expects, without
the need to adjust Q. As a result, this filter style, and
similar EQs with this characteristic behavior, are
often referred to as being more “musical”. More
specifically, this style emulates the classic Neve
EQs, their modern derivatives and later SSL G
series EQs. Many current popular outboard
“boutique” EQs exhibit this same gain/Q
relationship.

86

Figure 11-16: Type IV EQ filter style.

The Typ e I V EQ filte r is a more extreme form of t he
Type III filter. It exhibits a high degree of
interaction between Q and gain in order to
maintain as closely as possible an equal amount of
area under the response curve as gain is adjusted.
Type IV is the most gentle of the four EQ styles and
is ideal for large scale EQ adjustments, especially
on sub-mixes and complete mixes. This EQ style is
also ideal for any applications where subtle changes
in the overall character of the sound are desired.
For example, it can be used for mastering
applications, such as the overall adjustments that
must often be applied to entire tracks to match
other tracks on the album.

CUEMIX FX

Shelf filters

response corresponds to a second order shelf, still
with no overshoot. This is the same response as
conventional parametric EQs. In some situations,
this form of accurate, clean shelving can sound
harsh, especially when compared to legacy analog
EQs. To soften the results, the overshoot is
increased as Q is increased, as shown Figure 11-17
for Q values of 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00. This overshoot
region produces a boost in frequencies just above
the cutoff, which compensates in a smooth, more
pleasing fashion for the perceived drop in low
frequencies being cut.

Conversely, when shelving boost is being applied,
overshoot cuts frequencies just above the cutoff to
again compensate in a smooth and pleasing fashion
for the perceived boost in low frequencies:

Figure 11-17: Shelf filter Q parameter overshoot.

When two top-most bands in the EQ tab are set to
their shelf filter setting (Figure 11-10), the Q
parameter controls the amount of overshoot
applied to the response curve, as illustrated in
Figure 11-17. When Q = 0.01 (the lowest setting),
normal shelving is applied w ith no overshoot. This
produces the response provided by a first order
shelf. When Q = 1.0 (the default setting), the

CUEMIX FX

Figure 11-18: Overshoot when low shelf boost is applied.

Overshoot is also applied to high shelf boost and
cut:

Figure 11-19: Overshoot when high shelf cut and boost is applied.

87

Overshoot tends to produce more of what one
would expect to hear when applying shelving and
is therefore considered to be more musical than
shelving without overshoot. This effect, which has
gained tremendous popularity among audio
engineers, was first made popular in original Neve
series EQs and later in the SSL G series.

Slope = 6

At maximum the maximum Q setting of 3.00, the
overshoot peaks at half the total boosted (or cut)
gain. For example, with a maximum gain setting of
+20dB, the loss in the overshoot region is -10 dB.

Overshoot curves are symmetrical for both cut and
boost.

Low pass and high pass filters

The Vintage EQ low and high pass filters are similar
to those found in most conventional parametric
EQs (which usually have a fixed slope of 12 dB per
octave), except that Vintage EQ provides six
different slope (roll off) settings: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30
and 36 dB per octave. This control over the shape
of the “knee” gives you a great deal flexibility and
control for a wide variety of applications.

Slope = 18

Slope = 36

Figure 11-20: The low pass filter with three example slope settings.

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The Dynamics tab

The Dynamics tab (Figure 11-21) displays the
Dynamics processing settings for the input or
output channel that currently has the focus. Click
any focus button in the Inputs or Outputs tab to
view the Dynamics tab settings for the channel.

Input

Output

Gain

level

meter

level

meter

reduction

meter

Threshold

Tri m

Dynamics tab

Compressor
enable/disable

Leveler
enable/disable

Compressor

The Compressor (Figure 11-21) lowers the level of
the input when it is above the threshold. The
amount of attenuation is determined by the Ratio
and the input level. If the input is 6 dB above the
Threshold and the Ratio is 3:1, then the output will
be 2 dB above the Threshold. When the input level
goes above the threshold, the attenuation is added
gradually to reduce distortion. The rate at which
the attenuation is added is determined by the
Attac k parameter. Likewise, when the input level
falls below the Threshold, the attenuation is
removed gradually. The rate at which the
attenuation is removed is determined by the
Release parameter. Long Release times may cause
the audio to drop out briefly when a soft passage
follows a loud passage. Short Release times may
cause the attenuation to pump when the average
input level quickly fluctuates above and below the
Threshold.

These sorts of issues can be addressed by applying
the Leveler instead.

Figure 11-21: The Dynamics tab.

Enabling Dynamics

Each input and output channel has a global
Dynamics enable/disable button (Figure 11-3 and
Figure 11-6). This button enables or disables all
dynamics processing for the channel. In addition,
the Dynamics tab has two different dynamics
processors, the Compressor and Leveler, which can
be individually enabled or disabled (Figure 11-21)
for the channel.

CUEMIX FX

Graphic adjustment of the Threshold

The Threshold can be adjusted by turning the
Threshold knob or by dragging the Threshold line
directly in the compressor graph (Figure 11-21).

Input level meter

The Input Level meter (Figure 11-21) shows the
level of the input signal before it enters the
compressor. It shows either the peak level or the
RMS level, depending on which mode is currently
chosen.

Gain reduction (GR) meter

The Gain reduction (GR) level meter
(Figure 11-21) displays the current amount of
attenuation applied by the compressor.

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Output level

The Output Level meter (Figure 11-21) displays the
peaks of the output signal. Trim is applied before
the Output Level meter.

Peak/RMS modes

In RMS mode the compressor uses RMS values (a
computational method for determining overall
loudness) to measure the input level. In Peak mode,
the compressor uses signal peaks to determine the
input level. RMS mode will let peaks through
because the detector sidechain is only looking at
the average signal level. Peak mode will react to
br ief pea ks. Pea k mo de is gen era lly us ed fo r dr ums,
percussion and other source material with strong
transients, while RMS mode is mostly used for
everything else.

The input meters show either the peak level or the
RMS level, depending on the mode.

Leveler

The Leveler™ (Figure 11-21) provides an accurate
model of the legendary Teletronix™ LA-2A®
optical compressor, known for its unique and
highly sought-after Automatic Gain Control
(AGC) characteristics. The 828mk3 Leveler
faithfully models the LA-2A using the on-board
DSP with 32-bit floating point precision.

A model of an optical compressor

The simplest description of an optical leveling
amplifier device is a light shining on a photore­sistor. The intensity of the light source is
proportional to the audio signal, and the resistance
of the photoresistor is in turn inversely
proportional to the intensity of the light. Photore­sistors respond quite quickly to increases in light
intensity, yet return to their dark resistance very
slowly. Thus, incorporation of the photoresistor
into an attenuator followed by an amplifier which
provides make-up gain produces a signal which
maintains a constant overall loudness.

Automatic gain control using light

The the Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuit of
the LA-2A uses a vintage opto-coupler known by
its model number (T4). The T4 contains an
electroluminescent panel (ELP) and photoresistor
mounted so that the emission of the panel
modulates the resistance. An ELP consists of a thin
layer of phosphorescent material sandwiched
between two insulated electrodes to form a
capacitor. Making one of the electrodes
transparent allows the light to escape. These
devices are essentially glow-in-the-dark paint on a
piece of foil covered by metalized glass or plastic,
and are the same devices used in low-power night
lights. Unfortunately, these devices need high
voltages to operate, and are best driven by tube
circuits which can supply voltage swings of several
hundred volts.

Response characteristics

Once the light has faded away, the photoresistor
then decays back to its dark state. The shape of the
decay curve varies depending on how bright the
light was, and how long the light lasted. A general
rule of thumb is that the louder the program, the
slower the release. Typically, the release can take up
to and over one minute. One thing to keep in mind
when using these types of devices is that the typical
concepts of compression ratio, attack, release, and
threshold do not apply. The light intensity is
determined by the highly non-linear interactions
of the input signal, AGC circuit, and ELP, and thus
exhibit a strong program dependence that is
impossible to describe without the mind-numbing
mathematics of statistical mechanics. The actual
results, however, can be almost mystical: even
when you feed the same material (a loop perhaps)
through the Leveler twice, you’ll often see a new
response the second time through a loop, complete
with unique attack times, release times and
compression ratios. Furthermore, two different
input signals with the same RMS levels may be
leveled in a drastically different manner.

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CUEMIX FX

It is precisely this self-adjusting behavior that
makes optical compressors the tool of choice for
smoothing out vocals, bass guitar and full­program mixes without destroying perceived
dynamics.

Compressor/Limit buttons

The Comp and Limit buttons (Figure 11-21) model
the original LA-2A Limit/Compress mode switch.
The effect is very subtle, with the Limit option
behaving only slightly more like a limiter than a
compressor. The switch increases the level of the
input to the AGC model and runs the attenuator at
a slightly lower level. The Leveler then responds
more strongly to transients, but otherwise still
behaves like a leveling amplifier.

Gain Reduction

Gain Reduction (Figure 11-21) sets the strength of
the signal sent to the AGC model.

Bus activity LEDs
(inputs only)

Channel meter
display

Meters tab

Pre/post
processing
switch

Makeup Gain

Makeup gain (Figure 11-21) amplifies the output
signal to make up for gain reduction.

Enabling or disabling the Leveler

The Leveler models the LA-2A so closely, it also
models the time it takes for an actual LA-2A to
“warm up” after it is turned on. Therefore, when
you enable the Leveler, give it a moment to “settle”
before you begin processing signals with it.

The Meters tab

The Meters tab (Figure 11-22) serves as a
comprehensive meter bridge for all inputs, outputs
and mix busses in the 828mk3. This tab gives you a
“bird’s-eye” view of all signal activity in the
828mk3; it is ideal for confirming your signal
routing programming and for troubleshooting.

Figure 11-22: The Meters tab.

Channel meter display

The channel meter display (Figure 11-22) provides
a long-throw meter for the input or output that
currently has the focus in the Input/Output tabs.

Bus activity LEDs (inputs only)

The Bus activity LEDs (Figure 11-22) are present
only for inputs. See “Input meter and bus activity
LEDs” on page 81.

Pre/post processing switch

The pre/post processing switch (Figure 11-22)
affects all input meters (and the meter in the
channel meter display above the tab, if this area is
displaying an input meter). Click Pre to view levels
before any input channel processing besides trim;
click Post to view levels after all channel processing
(EQ, compression, M/S decoding, L/R swap, etc.)

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91

The Reverb tab

The Reverb tab (Figure 11-23) provides access to
the 828mk3’s single, global reverb processor, which
provides high-fidelity reverberation and graphic
control over its parameters.

Low band

(yellow)

Mid band reverb

time handle

High band

(purple)

together. The resulting stereo output from the
reverb can then be inserted into a mix bus or
output using stereo returns.

Reverb sends

The following signals can be sent to the reverb
processor via their corresponding sends (discussed
earlier in this chapter):

■ Mono or stereo inputs (Figure 11-3 on page 76)

Crossover
handle

Reverb
enable/disable

Figure 11-23: The Reverb tab.

Enabling reverb

Use the enable/disable button (Figure 11-23) to
turn the reverb processor on or off. Since reverb
uses considerable DSP resources, it is best to leave
it off when you are not using it.

■ Mix bus output (Figure 11-2 on page 74)

■ Outputs (Figure 11-6 on page 79)

Reverb returns

The stereo output from the reverb processor can be
sent to the following destinations via their
corresponding returns (discussed earlier in this
chapter):

■ Mix bus outputs

■ Outputs

■ The computer (via the Reverb Return bus)

Split point

The Split Point (Figure 11-23) prevents feedback
loops t hat would be caus ed by a s ignal bein g sent to
the reverb processor and then returned to the same
signal path.

Mix

When the Split Point is set to Mix, the returns in the
Mix bus tab become active and the sends in the
Output tab gray out. This allows you to send from
inputs and mixes and return to mixes and outputs.

Routing inputs, busses and outputs to the reverb processor

The reverb processor is a single, independent unit
that provides stereo reverb.You can route multiple
signals to it from various points (sends) in the
CueMix FX mixer, but all incoming signals to the
reverb processor are merged and processed

92

Output

When the Split Point is set to Output, the sends in
Output tab become active and the returns in the
Mix bus tab gray out. This allows you to send from
inputs, mixes and outputs and return to outputs.

CUEMIX FX

Primary controls

The Primary Controls section (Figure 11-23) in the
Reverb tab provides the following basic parameters
for programming the reverb.

☛ Here’s a tip: try using initial reflections

without any subsequent reverb (turn the reverb
time down as far as it will go). You’ll hear
interesting and unusual effects.

Reverb Time

Reverb time determines the length of decay, or tail,
of the reverb. This is a global setting for the reverb
processor. You can further refine the tails by
independently setting the reverb time of three
separate frequency bands, as discussed below in
the Reverb Design section.

PreDelay

PreDelay is the amount of time before you hear the
very first reflections. If you are in a large room, it
takes a while before the first reflections return.
PreDelay is useful for clarifying the original sound.
For example, with vocals, the reflections won’t start
until after the initial sound of a word has been
sung.

Shelf Filter

The Shelf Filter is a low-pass filter that controls the
high frequency characteristics of the overall effect.
Frequency sets the cutoff frequency for the filter
and Cut sets the amount of signal attenuation
applied by the filter.

Early reflections

Initial reflections give a space its unique sound.
The shape of the room, the angles of the walls, even
furniture in the room will produce a series of Initial
Reflections. Think of the early reflections and
room type as the “flavor” of the reverb. You can
choose between several types of rooms. These are
acoustic models for simulating these different
types of spaces. The Size and Level parameters let
you control the size of the room and the strength of
the initial reflections.

Reverb design

The Reverb Design section allows you to
independently control the reverb time for three
separate frequency bands (Low, Mid and High)
with adjustable cross-over points between them
(Low and High). The reverb time for each band is
sp ecifie d in perc ent o f th e ove ral l reverb tim e in the
Primary Controls section at the top of the tab.

You can edit these parameters graphically by
dragging the handles in the graphic display
(Figure 11-23).

Widt h does what its name implies: if you turn this
control all the way up, the result is maximum stereo
imaging. A position of 12 o’clock produces
essentially a mono image. Turning the control all
the way down completely swaps the stereo image.

THE MONITOR GROUP

The monitor group is a set of 828mk3 outputs that
can be controlled with the master Monitor Level
knob in upper right corner of the CueMix FX
mixer window (Figure 11-24), as well as the
MASTER VOL knob on the 828mk3 front panel.

Monitor
group
presets
menu

Figure 11-24: Monitor group volume control from CueMix FX and the
front panel MASTER VOL knob.

Assigning outputs to the monitor group

Any combination of outputs can be assigned to the
monitor group. To include an output pair in the
monitor group, click its Monitor button in the
Outputs tab (Figure 11-6 on page 79).

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93

Monitor group presets menu

The monitor group presets menu (Figure 11-24)
provides several presets for commonly used
monitor groups:

SOLO LIGHT

The Solo light (Figure 11-1) illuminates when any
input in the current (active) mix bus is soloed
(even if it is currently scrolled off-screen).

Monitor group preset Output assignment

Main Outs Main Out 1-2

Stereo Analog Out 1-2

Quad Analog Out 1-4

5.1 Analog Out 1-6

7.1 Analog Out 1-8

If you program your own monitor output group,
the presets menu displays the words user def. (user
defined).

Monitor group meters

The monitor group meters (Figure 11-1 on
page 72) show levels for any/all output pairs that
are currently included in the monitor group. The
wi dth of th e meters s cales proportion ally s o that a ll
current monitor group outputs will fit within the
prescribed space for the meters. If many outputs
are included, then the meters will look fairly thin,
but they will all be included in the meter.

DSP METER

The DSP meter (Figure 11-1) shows how much of
the available DSP processing power is currently
being used by the 828mk3 for effects processing.
DSP resources are allocated in channel order from
the first input to the last output. If there aren’t
enough DSP resources for all effects to be enabled
on a channel, none of them are allocated on that
channel or any following channel.

TALKBACK AND LISTENBACK

CueMix FX provides Ta l k b a c k and Listenback
buttons. Talkback allows an engineer in the control
room to temporarily dim all audio and talk to
musicians in the live room. Conversely, Listenback
allows musicians to talk to the control room.

Hardware setup

Figure 11-25 below shows a typical hardware setup
for Talkback and Listenback. For Talkback, set up a
dedicated mic in your control room and connect it
to a mic input on your MOTU audio interface. For
Listenback, set up a dedicated listenback mic in the
live room for the musicians and connect it to
another mic input (or just use one of the mics you
are recording from). For talkback output, set up a
headphone distribution amp or set of speakers in
the live room, and connect it to any 828mk3
output, as demonstrated below in Figure 11-25.

Control room

Talkback
mic

Main

outs

Analog out 7-8

EQ on a stereo channel requires approximately
twice the DSP resources as the same EQ on a mono
channel. The Compressor (2.5 x 1 EQ band) and
Leveler (4 x 1 EQ band) require about the same
DSP resources for a mono or stereo channel.

94

Live room

Headphone distribution amp

Listenback
mic

Figure 11-25: Typical hardware setup for Talkback and Listenback.

CUEMIX FX

Talkback / Listenback Mic Input

To configure the talkback mic in CueMix FX, go to
the Inputs tab (Figure 11-3 on page 76) and click
the Focus button for the input that the talkback mic
is connected to. Click the Channel tab (Figure 11-8
on page 80) and enable the Tal k button.

Repeat this procedure for the Listenback mic,
except click the Listen button in the Channel tab.

Talk / Listen output

To configure the talkback and listen back outputs,
go to the Outputs tab (Figure 11-6 on page 79) and
enable the Ta l k but ton f or any o utpu t pa ir on whi ch
you’d like to hear the talkback mic. Similarly,
enable the Listen button for any output pair on
which you’d like to hear the listenback mic.

Talkback / Listenback Monitor Dim

Use the knobs next to the Talk and Listen buttons
(Figure 11-26) to determine the amount of
attenuation you would like to apply to all other
audio signals (besides the talkback/listenback
signal) when Talkback and/or Listenback is
engaged. To completely silence all other CueMix
audio, turn them all the way down. attenuation
only occurs when talkback or listenback is
engaged. Audio playing back from disk (your host
software) is not affected.

Engaging/disengaging Talkback and Listenback

To engage Talk back or Listenback, press on the
Talk or Listen buttons (Figure 11-26) and then
release to disengage. Talkback and/or Listenback is
engaged for as long as you hold down the mouse
button. Alt-click to make the buttons “sticky” (stay
engaged until you click them again — so you don’t
have to hold down the mouse). Or use the Talkback
menu items.

If you would like to engage both Talkback and
Listenback at the s ame t ime, e nable the Link button
(Figure 11-26).

Controlling Talkback and Listenback volume

To control the volume of the Talkback and/or
Listenback mics, adjust their input trim in CueMix
FX.

SHORTCUTS

Hold down the following general modifier keys as
shortcuts:

Shortcut Result

Shift key Applies your action to all inputs or all out-

Control key Applies your action to the stereo input pair,

Alt key Applies your action to all busses.

puts in the mix.

even when it is currently configured as mono.

Tal k d im

Listen dim

Figure 11-26: The Talkback/Listenback controls.

CUEMIX FX

Shift-Alt Applies your action to all inputs and mixes.

Double-click Returns the control to its default value (pan

center, unity gain, etc.)

Hold down the following modifier keys as
shortcuts for the EQ tab and controls:

Shortcut Result

Shift click Applies EQ button change to all input or out-

Alt-click Applies EQ enable button changes to all

Shift-Alt-click Applies EQ enable button changes to all

puts.

bands in that input or output.

bands and all inputs or outputs.

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FILE MENU

EDIT MENU

Saving and loading hardware presets

The 828mk3 can store up to 16 presets in its on­board memory. A preset includes of all CueMix FX
settings for all for mix busses, but it excludes global
settings like clock source and sample rate.

The Load Hardware Preset and Save Hardware
Preset commands in the CueMix FX file menu let
you name, save and load presets in the 828mk3.

Peak/hold time

In CueMix FX, a peak indicator is a line
(representing a virtual LED) displayed in a level
meter that indicates the maximum signal level
registered by the meter. The Peak/hold time setting
(File menu) determines how long this indicator
remains visible before it disappears (or begins to
drop). To disable peak/hold indicators altogether,
choose Off from this sub-menu.

Mix1 Return Includes Computer

The Mix1 return includes computer File menu item
ap pli es t o ot her MOT U inter fa ces pro duc ts a nd ha s
no effect on the 828mk3.

Hardware follows CueMix Stereo Settings

This File menu item applies to other MOTU
interfaces products and has no effect on the
828mk3.

Undo/Redo

CueMix FX supports multiple undo/redo. This
allows you to step backwards and forwards
through your actions in the software.

Copying & pasting (duplicating) entire mixes

To copy and paste the settings from one mix to
another:

1 Select the source mix (Figure 11-1) and choose
Copy from the Edit menu (or press control-C).

2 Choose the destination mix and choose Paste
from the Edit menu (or press control-V).

Clear Peaks

Choose Clear Peaks from the Edit menu to clear all
peak indicators in all CueMix FX meters.

DEVICES MENU

If you are working with more than one MOTU
audio interface product, this menu displays all
interfaces that are currently on line. Choose any
device from the menu to edit its settings using the
CueMix FX software.

CONFIGURATIONS MENU

A configuration is a “snapshot” of all settings in
CueMix FX (and therefore the 828mk3 hardware
itself). The commands in the Configurations menu
let you create, save, load, import, export and
otherwise manage as many configurations as you
wish.

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CUEMIX FX

Here is a summary of Configurations menu
operations:

Configurations
Menu item What it does

Create New Lets you name and save a new configuration,

Save Overwrites the current configuration

Save To Same as Save above, except that it lets you first

Delete Lets you choose a configuration to perma-

Import Loads all configurations from a configuration

Export Saves all current configurations as a file on

Configuration
list

which appears at the bottom of the Configura­tions menu.

(checked in the list at the bottom of the menu)
with the current settings in CueMix FX.

choose the configuration you wish to save to
(instead of the current one).

nently remove from the menu.

file on disk.

disk.

Choose any configuration to load it. The cur­rent (last loaded or saved) configuration has a
check mark next to it.

TALKBACK MENU

Choose the commands in the Talkback menu to
engage or disengage Talkback or Listenback.

PHONES MENU

The Phones menu allows you to choose what you
will hear on the headphone output, just like the
Phones setting in MOTU Audio Setup. However,
this menu provides one extra option that is
exclusive to CueMix FX: Follow Active Mix. This
menu item, when checked, causes the headphone
output to mirror the output of the current mix
being viewed in CueMix FX. For example, if you
are currently viewing mix bus 3, the headphones
will mirror the mix bus 3 output (whatever it is
assigned to).

CONTROL SURFACES MENU

CueMix FX can be controlled from an automated
control surface such as the Mackie Control™. Use
the commands in the Control Surfaces menu to
enable and configure this feature.

Application follows control surface

When checked, the Application follows control
surface menu command makes the CueMix FX

window scroll to the channel you are currently
adjusting with the control surface, if the channel is
not visible when you begin adjusting it. The same is
true for the bus tabs: if you adjust a control in a bus
that is not currently being displayed, CueMix FX
will jump to the appropriate tab to display the
control you are adjusting.

Share surfaces with other applications

When the Share surfaces with other applications
menu command is checked, CueMix FX releases
the control surface when you switch to another
application. This allows you to control your other
software with the control surface. Here’s a simple
way to understand this mode: the control surface
will always control the front-most application. Just
bring the desired application to the front (make it
the active application), and your control surface
will control it. When you’d like to make changes to
CueMix FX from the control surface, just bring
CueMix FX to the front (make it the active
application).

When this menu item is unchecked, your control
surface will affect CueMix FX all the time, even
wh en Cu eMix F X is not t he f ront-m ost a ppli cation.
In addition, you will not be able to control other
host audio software with the control surface at any
time (because CueMix FX retains control over it at
all times). This mode is useful when you do not
need to use the control surface with any other
software.

CUEMIX FX

97

CueMix Control Surfaces

CueMix FX includes support for the following
control surface products:

■ Mackie Control™

■ Mackie HUI™

■ Mackie Baby HUI™

Use the sub-menu commands in the CueMix
Control Surfaces menu item to turn on and

configure control surface support, as described
briefly below.

Enabled

Check this menu item to turn on control surface
operation of CueMix FX. Uncheck it to turn off
control surface support.

Configure…

Choose this menu item to configure your control
surface product. Launch the on-line help for
specific, detailed instructions on configuring
CueMix FX for operation with your control surface
product.

Figure 11-27: Refer to the extensive on-line help for details about
configuring CueMix FX for operation with your control surface
product.

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CUEMIX FX

CHAPTER

12 MOTU SMPTE Console

OVERVIEW

The 828mk3 can resolve directly to SMPTE time
code via any analog input, without a separate
synchronizer. The 828mk3 can also generate time
code via its Time Code output. The 828mk3
provides a DSP-driven phase-lock engine with
sophisticated filtering that provides fast lockup
times and sub-frame accuracy. Direct time code
synchronization is supported by Cubase, Nuendo
and other audio sequencer software that supports
the ASIO2 sample-accurate sync protocol.

MOTU SMPTE Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Clock/Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Frame Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Reader section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Generator section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Setting up for SMPTE time code sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Resolving Cubase or Nuendo to SMPTE time code. . 101

MOTU SMPTE SETUP

The included MOTU SMPTE Setup™ software
provid es a c omplete s et of tools t o gen erat e SMP TE
for striping, regenerating or slaving other devices
to the computer.

CLOCK/ADDRESS

The Clock/Address menu (Figure 12-1) provides
the same global Clock Source setting as in MOTU
Audio Setup (“Clock Source” on page 35), but it
includes additional information: each setting
shows both the clock and the address (time code or
sample location), separated by a forward slash ( / ).
To resolve the 828mk3 to SMPTE time code,
choose the SMPTE / SMPTE setting in the Clock/
Address menu. This means that the system will use
SMPTE as the clock (time base) and SMPTE as the
address.

FRAME RATE

This setting should be made to match the SMPTE
time code frame rate of the time code that the
system will be receiving. The 828mk3 can auto-

The Reader section provides

settings for resolving to

SMPTE time code.

Figure 12-1: SMPTE Setup gives you access to your 828mk3’s on-board
SMPTE time code synchronization features.

The Generator section

provides settings for striping

SMPTE time code.

99

detect and switch to the incoming frame rate,
except that it cannot distinguish between 30 fps
and 29.97 fps time code, or 23.976 and 24 fps time
code. So if you are working with either of these
rates, make sure you choose the correct rate from
this menu.

READER SECTION

The Reader section (on the left-hand side of the
window in Figure 12-1) provides settings for
synchronizing the 828mk3 to SMPTE time code.

Status lights

The four status lights (Tach, Clock, Address and
Freewheel) give you feedback as follows.

Ta c h

The Tach light blinks once per second when the
828mk3 has successfully achieved lockup to
SMPTE time code and SMPTE frame locations are
being read.

Clock

The Clock light glows continuously when the
828mk3 has successfully achieved lockup to an
external time base, such as SMPTE time code or
the optical input.

Address

The Address light glows continuously when the
828mk3 has successfully achieved lockup to
SMPTE time code.

Freewheel

The Freewheel light illuminates when the 828mk3
is freewheeling address (time code), clock or both.
For details about Freewheeling, see “Freewheel
Address” and “Freewheel clock” below.

SMPTE source

If your SMPTE time code source is connected to
the 828mk3 Time Code input, choose SMPTE from
the menu. Otherwise, choose the analog input that
is connected to the time code source. This is the
input that the 828mk3 “listens” to for time code.

Freewheel Address

Freewheeling occurs when there is a glitch or
drop-out in the incoming time code for some
reason. The 828mk3 can freewheel past the drop­out and then resume lockup again as soon as it
receives readable time code. Choose the amount of
time you would like the 828mk3 to freewheel
before it gives up and stops altogether.

The 828mk3 cannot freewheel address without
clock. Therefore, the Freewheel Address setting will
always be lower than or equal to the Freewheel
Clock setting, and both menus will update as
needed, depending on what you choose.

Keep in mind that freewheeling causes the system
to keep g oin g for a s lo ng a s the dur ati on y ou cho ose
from this menu, even when you stop time code
intentionally. Therefore, if you are starting and
stopping time code frequently (such as from the
transports of a video deck), shorter freewheel
times are better. On the other hand, if you are
doing a one-pass transfer from tape that has bad
time code, longer freewheel times will help you get
past the problems in the time code.

The ‘Infinite’ freewheel setting

The Infinite freewheel setting in the Freewheel
Address menu causes the 828mk3 to freewheel

indefinitely, until it receives readable time code
again. To make it stop, click the Stop Freewheeling
button.

Freewheel clock

Freewheeling occurs when there is glitch or
drop-out in the incoming SMPTE time code for
some reason. The 828mk3 can freewheel past the
drop-out and then resume lockup again as soon as
it receives a stable, readable clock signal.

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MOTU SMPTE CONSOLE