Mark of the Unicorn 896HD User's Guide

MOTU 896HD

User’s Guide for Windows

™

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Business voice: [phone]

Business fax: [phone]

Te chnical support: [phone]

Te ch support fax: [phone]

Te c h supp o rt e m ai l : [e-mail]

Web s it e: www.motu.com

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS

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 896HD COULD CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK.

The MOTU 896HD 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 896HD 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

Make sure this is connected to a
known ground.

Adapter

Two -p rong 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 896HD plug.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

1. Read instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before operating the MOTU 896HD.

2. Retain instructions - The safety instructions and owner's manual should be retained for future reference.

3. Heed Warnings - All warnings on the MOTU 896HD and in the owner's manual should be adhered to.

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

5. Cleaning - Unplug the MOTU 896HD from the computer before cleaning and use a damp cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

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

7. Power Sources - This MOTU 896HD should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your location, consult your local power company.

8. Power-Cord Protection - Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be 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 MOTU 896HD.

9. Lightning - For added protection for the MOTU 896HD during a lightning storm, unplug it from the wall outlet. This will prevent damage to the MOTU 896HD due to lightning and power line surges.

10. Servicing - Do not attempt to service this MOTU 896HD yourself as opening or removing covers will expose you to dangerous voltage and other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

11. Damage Requiring Service - Unplug the MOTU 896HD from the computer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions.

a. When the power supply cord or plug is damaged.
b. If liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the MOTU 896HD.
c. If the MOTU 896HD has been exposed to rain or water.
d. If the MOTU 896HD does not operate normally by following the operating instructions in the owner's manual.
e. If the MOTU 896HD has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged.
f. When the MOTU 896HD exhibits a distinct change in performance, this indicates a need for service.

12. 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.

13. Safety Check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this MOTU 896HD, 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°)

AVOID THE HAZARDS OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK AND 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.

INPUT

Line Voltage: 100 - 120 volts AC, RMS (US and Japan) or 220 - 250 volts AC, RMS (Europe). Frequency: 47 - 63 Hz single phase. Power: 7 watts maximum.

CAUTION: DANGER OF EXPLOSION IF BATTERY IS REPLACED. REPLACE ONLY WITH THE SAME OR EQUIVALENT TYPE RECOMMENDED BYMANUFAC­TURER. DISPOSE OF USED BATTERY ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS.

Contents

Quick Reference: 896HD

5

Front Panel

Quick Reference: 896HD Rear

6

Panel

Quick Reference:

7

MOTU FireWire Audio
Console

About the 896HD

9

Packing List and

13

Windows System
Requirements

IMPORTANT! Run the 896HD

15

Software Installer First

Installing the 896HD

17

Hardware

MOTU FireWire Audio

35

Console

Cubase, Nuendo and Other

43

ASIO Software

53

Sonar and other WDM
Software

Reducing Monitoring

59

Latency

CueMix Console

65

73

Performance Tips &
Troubleshooting

III

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
you install the software. Using the software or this documentation indicates your
acceptance of the terms and conditions of that license agreement.

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. (“MOTU”) owns both this program and its documentation.
Both the program and the documentation are protected under applicable copyright,
trademark, and trade-secret laws. Your right to use the program and the
documentation are limited to the terms and conditions described in the license
agreement.

Reminder of the terms of your license

This summary is not your license agreement, just a reminder of its terms. The actual
license can be read and printed by running the installation program for the software.
That license agreement is a contract, and clicking “Accept” binds you and MOTU to
all its terms and conditions. In the event anything contained in this summary is
incomplete or in conflict with the actual click-wrap license agreement, the terms of the
click-wrap agreement prevail.

YOU MAY: (a) use the enclosed program on a single computer; (b) physically transfer
the program from one computer to another provided that the program is used on only
one computer at a time and that you remove any copies of the program from the
computer from which the program is being transferred; (c) make copies of the
program solely for backup purposes. You must reproduce and include the copyright
notice on a label on any backup copy.

YOU MAY NOT: (a) distribute copies of the program or the documentation to others;
(b) rent, lease or grant sublicenses or other rights to the program; (c) provide use of
the program in a computer service business, network, time-sharing, multiple CPU or
multiple user arrangement without the prior written consent of MOTU; (d) translate,
adapt, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise alter the program or
related documentation without the prior written consent of MOTU.

MOTU warrants to the original licensee that the disk(s) on which the program is
recorded be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a
period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase as evidenced by a copy of your
receipt. If failure of the disk has resulted from accident, abuse or misapplication of the
product, then MOTU shall have no responsibility to replace the disk(s) under this
Limited Warranty.

THIS LIMITED WARRANTY AND RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT IS IN LIEU OF,
AND YOU HEREBY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, BOTH
EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE
LIABILITY OF MOTU PURSUANT TO THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL BE
LIMITED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DISK(S), AND IN NO
EVENT SHALL MOTU OR ITS SUPPLIERS, LICENSORS, OR AFFILIATES BE
LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA OR
DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE, OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THIRD
PA R TIES EVEN IF MOTU HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS
WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW
THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Update Policy

In order to be eligible to obtain updates of the program, you must complete and return
the attached Mark of the Unicorn Purchaser Registration Card to MOTU.

Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2003 by Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system,
or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means
whatsoever, without express written permission of Mark of the Unicor n, Inc., 1280

IV

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 NINETY (90) DAYS
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
material for in shipment, and insure the shipment for the value of the product. Please
include your name, address, telephone number, a description of the problem, and
the original, dated bill of sale with the returned unit and print the Return Merchandise
Authorization Number on the outside of the box below the shipping address.

This warranty does not apply if the equipment has been damaged by accident,
abuse, misuse, or misapplication; has been modified without the written permission
of MOTU, or if the product serial number has been removed or defaced.

ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE
LIMITED IN DURATION TO NINETY (90) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE
ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE OF THIS PRODUCT.

THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE
AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
No MOTU/S&S dealer, agent, or employee is authorized to make any modification,
extension, or addition to this warranty.

MOTU/S&S ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY BREACH OF
WARRANTY, OR UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS,
DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE OR REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT
AND PROPERTY AND COST OF RECOVERING REPROGRAMMING, OR
REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA STORED IN OR USED WITH
MOTU/S&S PRODUCTS.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for
incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not
apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other
rights which vary from state to state.

MOTU, AudioDesk, MOTU, Mark of the Unicorn and the unicorn silhouette logo are
trademarks of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.

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.

These meters can be programmed to display either

AES/EBU input or output. Use the MOTU FireWire

FireWire is a “plug-and-play” proto-

col. That means that you can turn

off the MOTU 896HD and turn it

back on (or even unplug it) without

restar ting your computer. Keep in

mind, however, that if you wish to

change the MOTU 896HD’s settings

in the MOTU FireWire Audio

Console, the MOTU 896HD needs to

be plugged in and switched on.

These lights indicate the global sample rate at which the

MOTU 896HD is operating. Use the MOTU FireWire Audio

Console to set the sample rate or to choose an external clock

source, from which the sample rate will be set. When no

sample clock is currently present, these lights flash. For

example, if you’ve set the MOTU 896HD to slave to an exter-

nal clock, such as ADAT, but there is no clock signal currently

being detected, these lights will flash.

This is a standard quarter-

inch stereo headphone

jack. From the factory, it

matches the signal going

to the main outs. However,

via software, you can

program it to serve as its

own independent output.

Audio Console to choose. The LEDs to the right

indicate what you are currently monitoring.

This bank of level meters can be programmed to

display one of three different banks: analog output,

These meters display

ADAT optical input, or ADAT optical output. Use the

MOTU FireWire Audio Console to choose which bank

you’d like to view with these meters. The LEDs to the

left show which bank you are currently monitoring.

These meters can also provide stereo output meter-

the level for the

896HD’s main outs.

ing for the 896HD’s on-board mix busses (by press-

ing the MONITOR LEVEL knob).

The MOTU 896HD provides four

independent mix buses. Via the

included CueMix Console software,

these four busses can be programmed

to mix any combination of the 896HD’s

18 inputs to any output pair of your

choosing. The MONITOR LEVEL knob lets

you control the volume of each mix from

Connect a standard foot switch

here for hands-free punch-in and

punch-out during recording. For

details about how to set this up, see

“Enable Pedal” on page 39.

the front panel. Push the knob repeat-

edly to cycle among the four different

mixes (1, 2, 3 or 4). When you do so, the

analog input meters (1-4) show the

current volume setting, with the red clip

light illuminated over the bus you are

currently adjusting when you turn the

knob. The programmable meter bank

provides live metering for each bus.

If the toggle switch is down, the volume knob affects the headphone out (and the main outs operate at a fixed volume). If

the toggle switch is up, the volume knob controls the main outs and the headphone out. Analog input meters 7-8 display

the current headphone (7) and main out (8) volume setting as you turn the volume knob. Push the volume knob to cycle

through the various settings for the programmable meters (both the 8-channel bank and the stereo AES/EBU meters).

Quick Reference: 896HD Front Panel

0

The light that is illuminated here tells

you which bank (analog in, ADAT in, or

ADAT out) you are monitoring with the

programmable meter bank to the right.

These 10-segment level meters are dedicated to the 896HD’s

eight analog inputs. The top red ‘over’ LED lights up when the

signal reaches full scale—for even just one sample—and

remains illuminated until you clear it in the software. The second

‘over’ LED below only lights up momentarily so that you can

continue to adjust level even after clipping has just occurred.

These level meters can also show you the current volume setting

for the 896HD’s four on-board mix busses. To view the bus

These eight trim knobs provide gain adjustment within a range of about 42dB for

each analog input (when the 3-way switch on the rear panel is set to either MIC

or LINE. If the 3-way switch is set to +4/FIXED, the corresponding front-panel

trim pots is bypassed). Because each input also has a microphone preamp, you

can plug just about anything into them: a microphone, a guitar, a synth — you

name it.

For a microphone or unamplified instrument pickup, set the rear-panel 3-way

switch to MIC, plug in your mic (XLR or quarter-inch plug) flip on 48V phantom

power (if necessary) and use the trim knob as needed to adjust the level.

For -10dB (unbalanced) inputs (like synths) or +4 (balanced) signals, set the rear

panel 3-way switch to LINE and use the trim knob to adjust the level. You can use

either an XLR or quarter-inch plug. (Note: the complete trim range, from all the

way down with the MIC setting to all the way up with the LINE setting is around

55dB total. The MIC setting provides a 40dB range (approximately -37dBu to

+5dBu) and the LINE setting offers a 30dB range (approximately -16dBu to

+15dBu) with some overlap between them.)

If you have +4 inputs for which you’d like to maintain unity gain (for levels up to

+18dBu), set the rear-panel 3-way switch to +4/FIXED. You can use either an

XLR or quarter-inch plug.

volume settings, push the MONITOR LEVEL knob.

This toggle switch provides

phantom power for a

condenser mic plugged into

this input. Up is on.

Quick Reference: 896HD Rear Panel

0

The MOTU 896HD’s eight analog outputs are XLR connectors

with +4 / -10 switchable output (600 Ohm impedance). They

are equipped with 24-bit, 128x oversampling enhanced

multibit A/D converters capable of 192kHz recording.

These eight analog inputs are Neutrik™ combo connectors that accept either an XLR plug or a quarter-inch

plug. They have 24-bit, 64x oversampling converters. Each input is equipped with a 3-way input level switch

with three settings:

LINE: Use this setting for +4dB or -10dB inputs, such as synthesizers or consumer audio equipment. Adjust the

input level as needed with the corresponding front panel Trim control and level meter for this input. This

setting offers a trim range of around 30dB (approximately -16dBu to +15dBu).

+4 / FIXED: Use this setting for +4 balanced inputs for which you do not wish to modify the gain. This position

disengages the front panel trim knob. This setting also provides slightly more attenuation than the LINE

setting, allowing levels up to +18dBu.

MIC: This setting feeds the input signal (XLR or quarter-inch) to the built-in preamp for additional gain. Use it

for any microphone or unamplified instrument pickup. Engage phantom power for condenser mics with the

front-panel 48V switch (up is on). Use the corresponding front-panel trim knob and level meter to adjust the

input level as needed. This setting offers a trim range of around 40dB (approximately -37dBu to +5dBu).

If you are using the MOTU 896HD with an ADAT, use this standard ADAT SYNC INPUT to connect the MOTU 896HD to the end of your ADAT

sync chain. For example, if you have three ADATs, chain the ADATs in the usual fashion (SYNC OUT to SYNC IN, etc.), and then connect the

last ADAT’s SYNC OUT to this SYNC IN. This connection allows you to make sample-accurate audio transfers between AudioDesk (or other

sample-accurate software) and the ADATs. If you have a MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece, make it the master of the ADAT

SYNC chain so that you can control everything from AudioDesk (or your other MIDI Machine Control compatible software).

These ADAT optical digital I/O

connectors can be connected

either to an ADAT or any ADAT-

compatible “lightpipe” device

(such as a digital mixer). ADAT

optical supplies eight channels of

24-bit digital I/O at 44.1 or 48kHz.

It carries 4 channels of 24-bit

digital I/O at 88.2 or 96kHz. (it is

disabled at the 4x sample rates.)

These two XLR jacks serve as

the MOTU 896HD’s main

analog outputs. You can

connect them to a set of

powered studio monitors and

then control the volume from

the front panel Volume knob.

At the 4x sample rates (176.4

or 192kHz), these jacks always

mirror the headphone output.

Use the word clock

input and output for

digital transfers with

devices that cannot

slave to the clock

supplied by their

digital I/O connection

with the 896HD.

The 896HD power supply is

switchable between 110V and

220V operation. It should

already be set to the proper

voltage for your country, but

you can check the setting and

adjust it if necessary with the

red switc h just to the left of

this power cord receptacle (on

the side of the metal chassis).

Connect the MOTU 896HD to the computer here using the

standard 1394 FireWire cable provided with your MOTU 896HD.

Use the extra FireWire port to daisy-chain up to four 896HD’s to

a single FireWire bus. You can also connect a MOTU 828,

FireWire hard drive or other FireWire device. For details, see

These AES/EBU connectors can

handle any supported sample rate

up to 96 kHz, and they are also

equipped with a sample rate

converter so you can input or

output at a different rate than the

896HD. For details, see “Syncing

AES/EBU devices” on page 28. At

the 4x sample rates, (176.4 and

192kHz), AES/EBU is disabled.

“Connecting multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces” on page 33.

Quick Reference:

CHAPTER

MOTU FireWire Audio Console

Determines the clock source for your 896HD.
If you’re just using the analog ins and outs,
set this to ‘Internal’. The other settings are
for digital transfers via AES/EBU or external
synchronization via the ADAT SYNC in port.

If you have a foot switch connected to the
896HD, 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 39.

Check this option if the audio software you
are using with the 896HD does not support
Windows WDM drivers and instead only
supports legacy MME (Wave) drivers. When
checked, this option makes all of the 896HD
inputs and outputs available to legacy Wave­driver compatible audio software.

Click the tabs to access general
MOTU FireWire interface settings
or settings specific to the 896HD
(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 38.

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 t he MOTU tech support
database at www.motu.com.

Click the 896HD tab to access
these settings.

This menu lets you choose what you will hear
from the headphone jack. To mirror the main
outs, choose Main Outs. Or you can mirror any
other output pair. To hear the phones as their
own independent output, choose Phones.

Lets you choose what to monitor with the
896HD’s programmable front panel meters.

If you are running the 896HD interface at a 2x
or 4x sample rate (88.2 to 192kHz), this
option appears at the bottom of the interface
settings. It lets you choose a word clock
output rate that either matches the global
sample rate (e.g. 192kHz) or forces a word
clock output rate of either 44.1 or 48kHz.

Takes the interface off line. Inputs and
outputs are not available to audio applica­tions, and bandwidth on the FireWire bus is
relinquished, freeing it up for other devices.

How to access these settings

There are several ways to access these settings:

■ From the Windows Start menu, choose Programs>MOTU>MOTU

FireWire Audio Console.

■ From within Cubase SX, go to the Device Setup window and click

the Contro l Pane l button.

■ From within other applications, refer to their documentation.

Enables or disables the 896HD’s
ADAT optical I/O. Turning them off
frees up FireWire bandwidth.

Provides several options for the
MOTU 896HD’s AES/EBU sample
rate conversion. See, “Syncing
AES/EBU devices” on page 28.

The Clip Hol d Time controls how
long the top-most red LED
remains illuminated after
clipping. Choose ‘Infinite’ if you
want to be able to clear the LED
from Digital Performer. The Peak
Hold Time controls how long the
highest illuminated LED remains
lit before going dark.

7

8

About the 896HD

CHAPTER

1

OVERVIEW

The 896HD is a computer-based hard disk
recording system for Mac OS and Windows that
provides 18 separate inputs and 22 separate
outputs (at 44.1 or 48kHz), including separate
main outs and headphone out. All inputs and
outputs can be accessed simultaneously. The
896HD consists of a standard 19-inch, double­space, rack-mountable I/O unit that connects
directly to a computer via a standard IEEE 1394
FireWire™ cable. The 896HD offers the following:

■

Operation at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192 kHz

■

Eight 24-bit analog outputs individually

switchable between +4 and -10dB operation

■

Eight 24-bit analog inputs equipped with
Neut rik “co mbo” ja cks and independent 3-way
level switch for MIC, LINE or +4/FIXED inputs

■

Eight-channel ADAT optical digital I/O

■

AES/EBU with sample rate conversion

■

Two extr a a na lo g main outs

■

Eight mic preamps (one on each input)

■

10-segment LED level meters for each input

■

10-segment programmable LEDs for analog

output, ADAT input or ADAT output

■

10-segment programmable LEDs for AES/EBU

input or output

■

Switchable power supply (110V or 220V)

With a variety of I/O formats, mic preamps, no­latency monitoring of live input and synchroni­zation capabilities, the 896HD is a complete,
portable “studio in a box” when used with a
Macintosh or Windows computer. A WDM driver
is included for audio applications running under
Windows Me/2000/XP. Also included is an ASIO
driver for multi-channel operation with any
Windows audio software that supports ASIO
drivers. The 896HD’s GSIF driver provides low­latency multi-channel I/O with Tascam
GigaSampler™ (and the other Giga family
products).

THE 896HD I/O REAR PANEL

The 896HD rear panel has the following
connectors:

■

Independent 48V phantom power for each input

■

Independent front-panel trim for each input

■

Sample-accurate ADAT sync input

■

Word c lo ck i n put and output

■

Two FireWi re jacks for chaining multiple units

■

Foot switch input for hands-free punch-in/out

■

Front-panel Headphone jack

■

Main volume knob (for headphone + main outs)

■

CueMix™ DSP no-latency monitoring

■

Eight 24-bit XLR analog outputs, each equipped
with an independent 2-way output level switch (+4
or -10dB)

■

Eight 24-bit Neutrik “combo” (XLR + balanced
quarter-inch) analog inputs, each equipped with
an independent 3-way level switch (MIC, LINE,
+4/FIXED), mic preamp, front-panel 48V
phantom power switch, and front-panel trim knob

■

One set of ADAT optical ‘light pipe’ connectors
(8 channels of ADAT optical input and output at

44.1/48kHz and 4 channels at 88.2/96kHz)

■

AES/EBU input and output

9

■

Two XLR m ai n analog outputs with volume

knob (on the front panel)

■

One 9-pin ADAT SYNC IN connector

■

BNC word clock input and output

■

Tw o 1394 FireWire jacks

18 inputs and 22 outputs

All 896HD inputs and outputs can be used simulta­neously, for a total of 18 inputs and 22 outputs at

44.1/48kHz:

Connection Input Output

24-bit 192kHz XLR analog 8 8

includes front-panel trim and switchable 48V
phantom power), LINE (for -10dB inputs with
front-panel trim) and +4/FIXED (for +4 “hot”
inputs for which no gain adjustment in the 896HD
is desired).

Mic preamps

All eight analog inputs are equipped with a mic
preamp on a Neutrik™ combo-style connector that
accepts either an XLR or quarter-inch plug.
Defeatable 48V phantom power is supplied by a
front panel switch. In addition, each input has its
own trim knob, which provides a trim range of
approximately 40dB.

24-bit 192kHz XLR main outputs - stereo

Headphone output - stereo

ADAT optical digital (at 44.1 or 48kHz) 8 8

AES/EBU 24-bit 96kHz digital stereo stereo

Total 18 22

All inputs and outputs are discrete. In other words,
using the main outs does not “steal” an output pair
from the bank of eight XLR analog outputs. The
same is true for the headphone outs.

The ADAT optical ports provide 4 channels of I/O
at 88.2 or 96kHz. They are disabled at the 4x
sample rates (176.4 and 192kHz).

The headphone output can operate as an
independent output pair, or it can mirror any other
896HD output pair, such as the main outs.

Analog

All 10 analog inputs are equipped with 24-bit
192kHz, 64x oversampling A/D converters. All 12
analog outputs have 24-bit 128x oversampling D/A
converters. All audio is carried to the computer in a
24-bit data stream. Each o utp ut c an be individually
switched between either +4 or -10dB operation.
Each input can be individually set to one of three
input levels: MIC (feeds the mic preamp and

Main Outs

The main outs are equipped with 24-bit 192kHz
128x oversampling D/A converters and serve as
independent outputs for the computer or for the
896HD’s on-board CueMix DSP mixes. The main
out volume can be controlled with the front panel
volume knob (when the switch is in the

+ Phones

position).

Main Outs

Optical

The 896HD optical jacks support the industry
standard ADAT optical format, which provides
eight channels of 24-bit digital audio at either 44.1
or 48 kHz, and four channels at 88.2 or 96kHz.

AES/EBU with sample rate conversion

The 896HD rear panel provides a standard AES/
EBU digital input and output that supports digital
I/O at 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96 kHz. In addition, input
or output can be sample-rate converted to any of
these sample rates in situations that call for a
different rate than the 896HD’s global sample rate.
The AES/EBU jacks are disabled at the 4x sample
rates (176.4 and 192kHz).

ADAT sync: sample-accurate synchronization

The 896HD’s standard 9-pin ADAT SYNC IN
connector provides sample-accurate synchroni­zation with all Alesis ADAT tape decks connected

10

ABOUT THE 896HD

to the system—or any device that supports the
ADAT sync format. For example, if you digitally
transfer a single track of material from an ADAT
via light pipe into audio workstation software on
the computer, and then transfer the track back to
the ADAT, it will be recorded exactly at its original
location, down to the sample.

Word clock

The 896HD provides standard word clock that can
slave to any supported sample rate. In addition,
word clock can resolve to and generate “high” and
“low” sample rates. For example, if the 896HD
global sample rate is set to 96 kHz, the word clock
input can resolve to a “low” rate of 48 kHz.
Similarly, when the 896HD is operating at 192 kHz,
the MOTU FireWire Audio Console lets you
choose a word clock output rate of 48 kHz (the

Force 44.1/48kHz

setting).

Punch in/out

The quarter-inch Punch in/out jack accepts a
standard foot switch. When you push the foot
switch, the 896HD 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
switch is the same as p ress ing t he 3 key. The 896HD
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 896HD to
a FireWire-equipped Macintosh 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.

THE 896HD FRONT PANEL

Headphone output and main volume control

The MOTU 896HD front panel includes a quarter­inch stereo headphone output jack and volume
knob. From the factory, the headphone output
matches the main stereo outs. An accompanying
switch allows you to control the volume of the
phones only (down) or both the phones and the
main outs (up). The headphone output can also
operate as its own independent output pair, or it
can mirror any other 896HD output pair, such as
the AES/EBU output. Use the MOTU FireWire
Console to choose the desired headphone output.

CueMix™ DSP no-latency monitoring

The MOTU 896HD provides CueMix™ DSP no­latency monitoring, which can mix all inputs to any
output pair. At samples rates up to 96kHz, four
such mixes can be independently programmed
and simultaneously operated. At the 4x sample
rates (176.4 or 192kHz), two CueMix DSP mixes
are supported.

Input trim knobs and phantom power switch

The front-panel input trim knobs provide
independent trim for the eight analog inputs. The
phantom power switch for each input provides 48V
phantom power. Up is on; down is off.

Metering

The front panel of the MOTU 896HD displays two
eight-channel banks of 10-segment ladder LEDs.
The left-hand bank always shows the eight analog
inputs. The right-hand bank shows one of three
different banks, which you can specify in the
MOTU FireWire Audio Console software: Analog
out, ADAT input, or ADAT output. A status LED to
the left shows which bank you are currently
viewing. These two banks also provide metering
for the four CueMix DSP monitor mixes (when the
front-panel MONITOR LEVEL knob is pressed
and/or turned).

ABOUT THE 896HD

11

The 896HD front panel also displays stereo meters
for the main analog outs and AES/EBU. The AES/
EBU meters can display either input or output as
specified in the MOTU FireWire Audio Console
software. A status LED to the right shows whether
you are viewing input or output.

16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING

The 896HD 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 896HD’s
analog or digital inputs and outputs. 24-bit audio
files can be recorded with any compatible host
application that supports 24-bit recording.

HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

The 896HD system ships with a standard WDM
Windows driver that allows you to record, edit,
play back and mix your 896HD projects using your

favorite Windows audio software. A standard GSIF
driver is also included for operation with Tascam
GigaStudio.

The 896HD also includes a Windows ASIO driver
for multi-channel compatibility with any audio
application that supports ASIO drivers.

A COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM

Regardless of what software you use with the
896HD, the host computer determines the number
of tracks the software can record and play simulta­neously, as well as the amount of real-time effects
processing you can apply to your mix. A faster
computer with more RAM and faster hard drives
will allow more simultaneous tracks and real-time
effects than a slower computer with less RAM and
slower hard drives. Today’s fastest computers can
typically play as many as 72 tracks or more.

12

ABOUT THE 896HD

CHAPTER

Packing List and

2

Windows System Requirements

PACKING LIST

The 896HD ships with the items listed below. If any
of these items are not present in your 896HD box
when you first open it, please immediately contact
your dealer or MOTU.

■

One 896HD I/O rack unit

■

One 1394 “FireWire” cable

■

Power cord

■

One 896HD Mac/Windows manual

■

One AudioDesk OS 9/OS X “Flipbook” Manual

■

One cross-platform CD-ROM

■

Product registration card

WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

The 896HD system requires the following
Windows system:

■

A 500 MHz 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 send in the registration card included with
your 896HD system. As a registered user, you will
be eligible to receive on-line technical support
email and announcements about product
enhancements as soon as they become available.
Only registered users receive these special update
notices, so please, complete and mail this
registration card!

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

■

At least 128MB (megabytes) of RAM (64MB or

more is recommended)

■

Windows Me, 2000 or XP

■

A large hard drive (preferably at least 20GB)

13

14

PACKING LIST AND WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

CHAPTER

IMPORTANT! Run the 896HD

3

Software Installer First

OVERVIEW

Install the 896HD software first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Installing the 896HD software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

MOTU FireWire Audio Console. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ASIO MOTU FireWire Audio Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The MOTU FireWire audio WDM driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

MOTU GSIF FireWire driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

CueMix Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

INSTALL THE 896HD SOFTWARE FIRST!

Before you connect the 896HD audio interface to
your computer and turn it on, insert the 896HD
software CD and run the 896HD Software Installer.
This ensures that all the 896HD components are
properly installed in your system.

If Windows asks you to locate the drivers

If you’ve already connected the 896HD to your
computer and switched it on, Windows probably
issued an alert notifying you that the 896HD
requires drivers, followed by another window
asking you to locate the drivers on disk. If this
happens:

1

Cancel the driver search.

INSTALLING THE 896HD SOFTWARE

To install the 896HD software, insert the MOTU
Audio CD-ROM and follow the directions it gives
you on your computer screen.The 896HD ships
with the following software and drivers for
Windows Me, 2000 and XP:

Software
component Purpose

MOTU FireWire
Audio Console

ASIO MOTU
FireWire Audio
Driver

MOTU FireWire
WDM Driver

MOTU FireWire
GSIF Driver

FireWire CueMix
Console

Provides access to all of the settings in the
896HD hardware.

Allows Cubase or other ASIO-compliant
software to do multi-channel input and
output with the 896HD.

Allows any WDM-driver compatible
audio software to do multichannel input
and output with the 896HD.

Allows you to use your 896HD with Tas­cam GigaStudio.

Gives you complete control over the
896HD’s CueMix DSP feature, which pro­vides no-latency monitoring of live
inputs.

2

Switch off the 896HD.

3

Run the 896HD Software Installer as instructed

in the next section.

15

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

The MOTU FireWire Audio Console (available in
the Start menu) gives you access to all of the
settings in the 896HD, such as the clock source and
sample rate. For complete details, see chapter 5,
“MOTU FireWire Audio Console” (page 35).

THE MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO WDM DRIVER

The MOTU FireWire Audio WDM driver provides
standard multi-channel input and output for audio
applications running under Windows Me, 2000 or
XP. See chapter 7, “Sonar and other WDM
Software” (page 53) for details.

The MOTU FireWire Audio in staller CD installs
the MOTU FireWire Audio WDM for you.

MOTU GSIF FIREWIRE DRIVER

The MOTU GSIF FireWire Driver allows you to
access the 896HD as an audio interface for Tascam
GigaStudio and related products. The GSIF driver
features low-latency multi-channel performance.

CUEMIX CONSOLE

This program provides a mixing console that gives
you control over the 896HD’s no-latency CueMix
DSP features. For details, see chapter 9, “CueMix
Console” (page 65).

Figure 3-1: The MOTU FireWire Audio Console gives you access to all
of the settings in the 896HD hardware.

ASIO MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO DRIVER

ASIO

stands for
The ASIO MOTU FireWire driver allows 896HD to
provide multi-channel input and output for
Steinberg’s Cubase VST software, or any other
audio application that supports ASIO drivers.

The ASIO MOTU FireWire driver is installed by
the 896HD 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 VST with the
896HD, see chapter 6, “Cubase, Nuendo and Other
ASIO Software” (page 43).

16

Audio Streamin g Input

IMPORTANT! RUN THE 896HD SOFTWARE INSTALLER FIRST

and

Output

.

CHAPTER

Installing the 896HD Hardware

4

OVERVIEW

Here’s an overview for installing the 896HD:

Connect the 896HD interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Connect the 896HD to the computer.

Connect audio inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Make optical and analog connections as desired.

Connect a foot switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Connect a footswitch to trigger any keystroke.

A typical 896HD setup (no mixer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

An example setup for computer-based mixing/FX.

Using the 896HD with a mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

An example setup for a mixer-based studio.

Making sync connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

If you need to resolve the 896HD with other
devices, make the necessary sync connections.

Do you need a synchronizer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Sample-accurate sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Sample-accurate ADAT sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Sample-accurate ADAT sync with no synchronizer . . 25

Syncing to video and/or SMPTE time code. . . . . . . . . . . 26

Syncing optical devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Syncing AES/EBU devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Syncing word clock devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Syncing large systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Connecting multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces . . . . . 33

CONNECT THE 896HD INTERFACE

1

Plug one end of the 896HD 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
896HD I/O as shown below in Figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1: Connecting the 896HD to the computer.

17

CONNECT AUDIO INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

The 896HD audio interface has the following audio
input and output connectors:

■

8 XLR analog outputs

■

8 Neutrik™ XLR/quarter-inch analog inputs

■

2 XLR main outs

■

AES/EBU input/output

■

ADAT optical input/output

If you have +4 inputs for which you’d like to
maintain unity gain, set the 3-way switch to +4/
FIXED. Use either an XLR or quarter-inch plug.

Analog outputs

Connect an XLR cable and set the desired output
level with the 2-way level switch (+4 or -10dB).

ADAT optical

Use st andard ADAT optical cables. Reminder:
optical goes OUT to IN and IN to OUT, like MIDI.

Analog inputs

The 896HD analog inputs are Neutrik combo
connectors that accept either a male XLR plug or a
quarter-inch plug. You can use either type of plug,
regardless of whether it is a mic, synth, or whatever.
Set the 3-way input level switch as follows:

For a microphone or unamplified instrument
pickup, set the rear-panel 3-way switch to MIC,
plug in your mic (XLR or quarter-inch plug), flip
on 48V phantom power (if necessary) and use the
trim knob as needed to adjust the level.

For -10dB (unbalanced) inputs (like synths) or +4
(balanced) signals that may need to be boosted, set
the rear panel 3-way switch to LINE and use the
trim knob to adjust the level. You ca n u se either an
XLR or quarter-inch plug. (Note: the complete
trim range, from all the way down with the MIC
setting to all the way up with the LINE setting is
around 55dB total. The MIC setting provides a
40dB range and the LINE setting offers a 30dB
range with some overlap between them.)

AES/EBU

Connect standard AES/EBU input and output. 2x
sample rates (88.2 & 96 kHz) are supported; 4x
samples rates (176.4 or 192kHz) are not supported.

Main outs

When the 896HD is operating at any sample rate
up to 96kHz, the main outputs serve as a separate,
independent output pair. The main out volume can
be controlled by the main volume knob on the
front panel (when the switch is up). In a typical
studio, the main outs are intended for a pair of
monitors. However, if you are using the 896HD in
other ways, such as in a live performance situation,
you could use the main outs for stage monitors or
for some other purpose.

Using an external mixer

The 896HD can be used with or without a mixer, as
shown on the following pages. In Figure 4-3 (no
mixer), all mixing and effects processing occurs in
the audio software running on the computer. If
you’d like to use external mixing, see “Using the
896HD with a mixer” on page 20.

Figure 4-2: the 896HD rear panel.

18

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

CONNECT A FOOT SWITCH

If you would like to use a foot switch with your
896HD, connect it to the PUNCH IN/OUT jack.
See “Quick Reference: MOTU FireWire Audio
Console” on page 7 for information about how to
program the foot switch to trigger any computer
keystroke you wish.

DAT deck

monitors

sends to

FX unit
(in rack
below)

A TYPICAL 896HD SETUP (NO MIXER)

Here is a typical 896HD 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
896HD’s CueMix™ DSP 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 from the included CueMix
Console software.

other outputs

(stage

monitors,

etc.)

AES/EBU

Headphone jack (on front panel)

Pedal jack (on front panel)

FireWire

PC

ADAT optical

quarter-inch analog outs

quarter-inch analog outs

headphones

foot switch

mic

guitar
(with or without amp)

ADAT

Figure 4-3: A typical 896HD studio setup.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

synths, samplers, effects units, etc.

synthesizer

19

USING THE 896HD WITH A MIXER

While there are many ways to use the 896HD with
an external mixer, typically the 896HD serves as a
mult i-cha nnel “p ipeli ne” between the mixer and
the computer. If your mixer is analog, connect the
analog section of the 896HD to your mixer. If your
mixer is digital, and it has ADAT optical I/O, you
can connect them optically as shown below in
Figure 4-4. Add more 896HD’s for additional

PC

FireWire

banks of eight-channel I/O. The 896HD’s available
analog and AES/EBU inputs and outputs can serve
as an extension to the mixer I/O, but then you will
probably find yourself mixing in two places: the
mixer and the computer. A word of advice: if you
would like to use the 896HD with an external
mixer, use the mixer for mixing. Trying to mix
large multitrack projects in two places can become
very cumbersome very quickly.

20

8-channel digital I/O

ADAT optical

synths, samplers, etc.

synthesizers

digital mixer

Figure 4-4: Using the 896HD with a digital mixer.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

MAKING SYNC CONNECTIONS

If you connect devices digitally to the 896HD, or if
you need to synchronize the 896HD 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 896HD?

If you will be using only the 896HD’s analog inputs
and outputs (and none of its digital I/O), and you
have no plans to synchronize your 896HD system
to SMPTE time code or other external clock
source, you don’t need to make any sync
connections. You can skip this section and proceed
to chapter 6, “MOTU FireWire Cont rol Panel (Mac
OS 9)” (page 45) where you’ll open the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console and set the Clock Source
setting to Internal as shown below. For details, see
chapter 6, “MOTU FireWire Control Panel (Mac
OS 9)” (page 45).

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. Yo ur su ccess
in using the 896HD’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 4-6: 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.

Figure 4-5: You can run the 896HD under its own internal clock when
it has no digital audio connections and you are not synchronizing the
896HD system to an external time reference such as SMPTE time
code.

Situations that require synchronization

There are three general cases in which you will
need to resolve the 896HD with other devices:

■ Synchronizing the 896HD with other digital

audio devices so that their digital audio clocks are
phase-locked (as shown in Figure 4-6)

■ Slaving the 896HD system to SMPTE time code

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

■ Both of the above

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

Master

Slave

Figure 4-7: To keep the 896HD phased-locked with other digital audio
devices connected to it, choose a clock master.

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 896HD.

21

DO YOU NEED A SYNCHRONIZER?

Whether or not you’ll need a synchronizer depends
on your gear and what you will be doing with your
896HD system. The following pages give you
specific information about common sync
scenarios. At least one of them will likely apply to
you. Here are some general considerations to help
you determine if you need (or want) a
synchronizer for your 896HD system.

Yo u don’t need a synchronizer if...

As explained earlier, the 896HD’s digital audio
clock must be phase-locked (synchronized) with
other connected digital audio devices to achieve
clean digital transfers between them. Can this be
accomplished without an additional digital audio
synchronizer? It depends on the nature of the other
devices, and what you want to do with them. You
don’t need a synchronizer if the device has a way of
locking itself directly to the 896HD’s clock (via
ADAT lightpipe, AES/EBU or word clock), AND if
the device carries no sense of location in time. A
digital mixer is a good example: it can slave to its
ADAT lightpipe connection from the 896HD, and
it has no sense of time; it just passes audio through
for mixing.

A stand-alone digital recorder, on the other hand,
does have a sense of location in time, either via
SMPTE time code or via its own sample address.
For example, if you want to fly tracks back and
forth between your computer and an Alesis hard
disk recorder while maintaining the audio’s
position in time, the ADAT Sync port on the
896HD lets you do so without a separate
synchronizer — and with sample-accurate
precision, as long as you’re using sample-accurate
software. Just connect the 896HD directly to the
Alesis recorder (or other ADAT Sync-compatible
device) as discussed in “Sample-accurate ADAT
sync with no synchronizer” on page 25. But if you
also want transport control over the entire rig
(including the hard disk recorder) from your audio

22

software, you’ll need a MIDI Machine Control­compatible synchronizer such as MOTU’s MIDI
Timepiece AV, as discussed in “Sample-accurate
sync” on page 23. If you are simply using a stand­alone recorder as a way to capture live tracks that
you then transfer in one pass into the computer, no
synchronizer is required because the tracks will
remain in perfect phase lock with each other as you
transfer them together. You can simply slave the
stand-alone recorder to the optical output from the
896HD as explained in “Syncing optical devices”
on page 27.

Transport control from your computer

If you have stand-alone digital recorders connected
to the 896HD, and they support ADAT Sync, your
audio software — if it supports MIDI Machine
Control (MMC) — allows you to control the
transports of everything from your computer.
Most advanced audio programs support MMC. To
do this, you’ll also need an MMC-compatible
ADAT synchronizer such as a MOTU MIDI
Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece. Synchronizers
like these allow you to play, stop, rewind and locate
all of your tape decks using the transport controls
in the audio software. If your audio software
supports sample-accurate sync, you can do so with
sample-accurate precision. The following pages
show you how to achieve MMC control, where
possible.

Continuous sync to SMPTE / MTC

If you need to synchronize the 896HD (and your
audio software) to SMPTE time code, this requires
a dedicated synchronizer, which continuously
resolves the 896HD to SMPTE time code, while
simultaneously resolving your audio software to
MIDI Time Code. When the 896HD is
continuously resolved, audio playback will never
drift with respect to the time code. Again, the
MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV and Digital Timepiece
are affordable examples of this type of
synchronizer. The following pages illustrate how to
set up this type of synchronization with various

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

kinds of gear. Regardless of the specific equipment
you have, you can follow the basic connections
shown.

SAMPLE-ACCURATE SYNC

Yo ur 896HD system provides you with the most
advanced, accurate synchronization possible with
Alesis modular digital tape decks and hard disk
recorders — or any device that supports sample­accurate ADAT sync. Figure 4-8 below shows a few
best-case scenarios. Below is a brief explanation of
the benefits you achieve with these setups.

Sample accurate locating

With sample accurate locating, when you transfer
audio between any other sample-accurate host
software and a sample-accurate recorder, the audio
will not drift in time — even by as little as one
sample. This is the tightest possible synchroni­zation between digital audio devices. The timing in
your audio will not be affected in any way by the
process of transferring it between the 896HD and
the recorder.

Is your audio software sample-accurate?

Sample-accurate locating is only possible with
software that supports this feature through the
896HD’s ASIO Version 2 driver.

Transport control from your computer

If you have a MIDI Timepiece AV, Digital
Timepiece or any ADAT synchronizer that also
supports MIDI Machine Control (MMC), you can
play, stop, rew ind and locate all of your ADATs
using the transport controls in the audio software
running on your computer. This includes cueing
features like markers, position bars, playback
wipers, time rulers, etc.

Figure 4-9: Cubase SX and other ASIO 2.0-compatible programs
support sample-accurate transfers with ADAT Sync compatible
digital tape decks and modular hard disk recorders.

Sample

Sync format Software Synchronizer

ADAT Cubase or other ASIO

ADAT Cubase or other ASIO

ADAT Cubase or other ASIO

Figure 4-8: These recommended combinations of hardware and software offer the tightest sync possible between the 896HD and digital audio
recorders in the form of sample-accurate locating between the software and the tape decks. Sample accurate locating is possible even without
a MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece, although you give up transport control from the computer.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

2.0-compatible app

2.0-compatible app

2.0-compatible app

MIDI Timepiece AV
or Digital Timepiece

BRC (or any MMC capa­ble ADAT synchronizer)

None Yes No No

accurate
locating

Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes

Transport
control
from computer

Continuous sync
to SMPTE / MTC

23

SAMPLE-ACCURATE ADAT SYNC

The 896HD can achieve sample-accurate sync with
ADATs, Alesis hard disk recorders or any ADAT
Sync-compatible devices. Sample-accurate
software is required, such as Cubase SX or other
ASIO 2.0-compatible software that also supports
sample-accurate sync. Connect the 896HD to the
end of the ADAT Sync chain and make the software
settings shown below in Figure 4-10. If you will be
using the stand-alone recorder for its analog inputs
and outputs only (you won’t be doing any
recording with it), treat it as an ‘optical’ device. See
“Syncing optical devices” on page 27.

Windows computer running Cubase or

other sample-accurate ASIO software

USB or parallel cable (bi-directional MIDI

connection) bearing MMC transport

commands from the host audio software

to the MIDI Timepiece AV (or other

synchronizer)

FireWire

If you have a MOTU
synchronizer, set its
sync mode to Internal.

Digital Timepiece, MIDI Timepiece AV,

Alesis BRC or any other MMC-compatible

ADAT synchronizer

ADAT

Sync Out

Use this setup if you have:

ADATs, Alesis hard disk recorders or any ADAT SYNC

✓

compatible device(s).

✓A MOTU Digital Timepiece, MIDI Timepiece AV or other

ADAT synchronizer.

✓Host software that supports sample-accurate sync.

This setup provides:

Sample-accurate locating between all ADAT SYNC-compati-

✓

ble devices, the 896HD and your software (Cubase or other
sample-accurate software).

✓With a Digital Timepiece, this setup provides sample-accurate

locating across all devices: ADAT, Tascam and the 896HD.

✓Transport control of everything from the computer, OR

continuous sync to SMPTE time code and other sync sources
(the other source is the transport master in this case).

To s et the 896HD hardware clock source for sample­accurate sync:

1. Run the MOTU FireWire Audio Console.

2. Choose ADAT 9-pin from the Clock Source menu
as shown above.

3. Make sure the Sample Rate setting matches the
recorder and synchronizer.

ADATs

FireWire

Figure 4-10: Connections for sample-accurate ADAT sync.

24

Sync In

Sync Out

Sync In

Sync Out

Sync In

Sync Out

Sync In

ADAT

sync cables

etc.

In Cubase SX:

1. Open the Sync Setup window (Transport menu).

2. Choose the ASIO Positioning Protocol option shown below.

3. Choose the MIDI Machine Control option shown below.

4. Make sure that Sync Online is checked in the Transport menu.

5. Click the play or record button. Cubase will then start playing or record­ing, and the recorder will begin to roll, too, after being triggered by the
MIDI Timepiece AV (or other synchronizer).

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

SAMPLE-ACCURATE ADAT SYNC WITH NO
SYNCHRONIZER

Even if you don’t have an ADAT synchronizer, you
can achieve sample-accurate sync between ADAT­sync compatible devices, an 896HD, and any
sample-accurate software. Just connect the 896HD
to the end of the ADAT sync chain as shown below.
Yo u d o n’ t g et transport control from your
computer, nor can you slave the system to SMPTE
time code. Instead, you have to play, stop, rewind
and cue the system from the transports on your
recorder. If you’re using the recorder as an
additional source of analog inputs and outputs
only (not for recording), see “Syncing optical
devices” on page 27.

Windows computer running Cubase or

other sample-accurate ASIO software

Use this setup if you have:

ADATs, Alesis hard disk recorders or any ADAT SYNC

✓

compatible device(s).

✗ No ADAT synchronizer.

✓ Host software that supports sample-accurate sync.

This setup provides:

Sample-accurate locating between all ADAT SYNC-compati-

✓

ble devices, the 896HD and your software (Cubase or other
sample-accurate software).

✗ No transport control of everything from the computer.

✗ No sync to SMPTE time code or other sync sources.

With no s ynchronizer, the ADAT that is the

master of the ADAT sync chain becomes

transport master over everything, includ-

ing your audio software.

FireWire

ADATs

Sync Out

Sync In

Sync Out

Sync In

Sync Out

FireWire

Sync In

Figure 4-10: Sample-accurate sync without an ADAT synchronizer.

ADAT

sync cables

etc.

To s et the 896HD hardware clock source for sample­accurate sync:

1. Run the MOTU FireWire Audio Console.

2. Choose ADAT 9-pin from the Clock Source menu
as shown above.

3. Make sure the Sample Rate setting matches the
recorder and synchronizer.

In Cubase SX:

1. Open the Sync Setup window (Transport menu).

2. Choose the ASIO Positioning Protocol option shown below.

3. Choose the MIDI Machine Control option shown below.

4. Make sure that Sync Online is checked in the Transport menu.

5. Click the play or record button. Cubase will then start playing or record­ing, and the recorder will begin to roll, too, after being triggered by the
MIDI Timepiece AV (or other synchronizer).

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

25

SYNCING TO VIDEO AND/OR SMPTE TIME
CODE

To sy nc hro ni z e (continuously resolve) the 896HD
with SMPTE time code, word clock, video or
blackburst, you will need a MOTU Digital
Timepiece, MIDI Timepiece AV or any other
universal synchronizer equipped with word clock.
The synchronizer resolves continuously to the
chosen time base, and the 896HD slaves to the
synchronizer via word clock. In addition, the audio
software running on the computer slaves to MIDI
Time Code generated by the synchronizer, as
shown below in Figure 4-11. How accurate will
transfers be between your audio software and other
audio devices? As good as the resolution of MIDI
time code, which — at 30 fps — provides quarter
frame resolution of 120th of a second (367 samples
at 44.1 KHz). But if you are running your

synchronizer under its own internal clock
(triggering it via MMC from your software), you
will probably get even tighter timing than that —
perhaps as good as ±50 samples.

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:

No sample-accurate locating.

✗

✓ 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

Video cable
bearing video
signal

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

word clock MIDI Time Code

896HD

Figure 4-11: Resolving the 896HD to an external time base, such as SMPTE time code, word clock, or video. In this example, an S-VHS video deck
is supplying SMPTE time code (address) and video (as the time base). For examples of other sources, consult the MIDI Timepiece AV manual (or
other synchronizer).

audio cable bearing LTC
(Longitudinal Time Code)

(Via MIDI interface)

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

PC running any audio software

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

26

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

SYNCING OPTICAL DEVICES

The word optical is our short-hand way of referring
to any device that connects to the 896HD via an
optical cable. But we make a further distinction: an
optical device is also one that doesn’t care about
sample location. An example is a digital mixer.
Since a digital mixer is not a recording device, it has
no sense of sample location like an ADAT does. An
ADAT can cue to a specific sample number (e.g.
sample number 43,478, 103) — as can any device
that supports ADAT sync, but most digital mixers
simply mix and process audio digitally, with no
sense of a specific sample location. There are many
other devices that fall into this category, including
digital effects processors, synthesizers, A/D
converters, and many more.

For ADATs or other devices that support ADAT
sync, synchronize them with the 896HD as
described in the previous sections of this chapter.

For optical devices, such as digital mixers, all you
have to do is make sure that their digital audio
clock is phase-locked (in sync with) the 896HD.
There are three ways to do this:

■ Slave the optical device to the 896HD

■ Slave the 896HD to the optical device

■ Slave both the optical device and the 896HD to a

third master clock (such as a Digital Timepiece or
MIDI Timepiece AV synchronizer)

896HD

ADAT Optical OUT

Digital mixer

or other optical

device

896HD

Clock Source setting =

Internal, or any clock source
setting except Optical. The o ptical
device slaves to the 896HD (via its

optical cable connection).

ADAT Optical IN

MIDI Timepiece AV

set to Internal

Digital mixer

or other optical

device

Digital mixer

or other optical

896HD

Word Clock Out

Word Clock IN

device

bi-directional

optical

ADAT Optical OUT

ADAT Optical IN

ADAT Sync out

ADAT sync in

With this setup, in the MOTU
FireWire Aud io Console, choose
the Optical clock source setting.
The 896HD slaves to the optical
device via their optical cable
connection.

896HD

Clock Source setting =

optical

896HD

Clock Source setting =

ADAT 9-pin

PC

Compu ter with 896HD

Figure 4-12: Three setups for synchronizing an optical device with the 896HD. You can slave the optical device to the 896HD or vice versa with
their optical connections. For more elaborate setups, you can slave both to a digital audio synchronizer like the Digital Timepiece. Don’t use
any of these setups for an ADAT or other optical device that records. Instead, see “Sample-accurate ADAT sync” on page 24.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

27

SYNCING AES/EBU DEVICES

If you would like to transfer stereo audio digitally
between the 896HD and another device that has
AES/EBU I/O, connect it to the 896HD’s AES/EBU
jacks with balanced, AES/EBU grade audio cables.

AES/EBU clock and sample rate conversion

The 896HD AES/EBU section is equipped with a
real-time sample rate converter that can be used for
either input or output. This feature provides a great
deal of flexibility in making digital transfers. For
example, you can:

■ Tr a nsfer digital au di o into the 896HD at a

sample rate that is completely different than the
896HD system clock rate.

■ Tr a nsfer digital au di o into the 896HD without

the need for any external synchronization
arrangements.

■ Tr a nsfer digital au di o out of the 896HD at

double or half the 896HD system clock rate.

Rate conversion does not add any appreciable noise
to the audio signal (under -120 dB).

Digital audio phase lock

Without samp le ra te conversion, when you transfer
digital audio between two devices, their audio
clocks must be in phase with one another — or
phase-locked — as demonstrated below in
Figure 4-14. Otherwise, you’ll hear clicks, pops,
and distortion in the audio, or perhaps no audio at
all.

896HD

Internal (when transferring from the

AES/EBU

AES/EBU

DAT deck

or other AES/EBU

device

MIDI Timepiece AV

set to Internal

Word Clock IN

DAT deck

or other AES/EBU device

Figure 4-13: Two setups for synchronizing an AES/EBU device with the 896HD. In the top diagram, sync is achieved via the AES/EBU connection
itself. In this case, you have to choose AES/EBU as the 896HD’s clock source when recording from the AES/EBU device. If you don’t want to have
to worry about switching the Clock Source setting depending on the direction of the AES/EBU transfer, you can slave the AES/EBU devi ce to word
clock from the 896HD or vice versa (not shown). The Word Clock connection maintains sync, regardless of the direction of the transfer.

896HD

Clock Source setting =

896HD to the AES/EBU device)

Word Clock Out

AES/EBU

AES/EBU (when transferring from
the AES/EBU device to the 896HD)

ADAT Sync out

ADAT sync in

896HD

Clock Source setting =

Clock Source setting =

ADAT 9-pin

PC

Compu ter with 896HD

896HD

28

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

Not phase-locked Phase-locked

Device A

Device B

Figure 4-14: When transferring audio without sample rate conver­sion, two devices must have phased-locked audio clocks to prevent
clicks, pops or other artifacts.

Wit hout samp le rate conversion, 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.

a DAT deck (AES/EBU IN) using SRC. Notice that
with SRC, the DAT deck is not slaved to the
896HD’s system clock. Instead, their clocks are
running completely independently of one another.
But also notice that the DAT deck must still slave to
the sample-rate-converted output from the 896HD
for a clean digital audio transfer (unless it has its
own sample rate converter on its AES/EBU input).

896HD master clock

(master)

Master

Slave

Figure 4-15: Without sample rate conversion, you need to choose a
clock master to which all other devices slave. Each slaved device
remains continuously resolved to the master, meaning that there will
be no drift over time.

Master

Slave Slave

Audio phase lock as show n above in Figure 4-15
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.

Another benefit of direct master/slave clocking
(without sample rate conversion) is that each
slaved device remains continuously resolved to the
master, which means that there will be no gradual
drift over time. This form of synchronization is
best for audio that needs to remain resolved to film,
video, etc.

Sample rate conversion

With sample rate conversion (SRC), an extra level
of master/slave clocking is added to the equation,
as demonstrated below in Figure 4-16, which
shows the clocking going on when you transfer
digital audio from the 896HD (AES/EBU OUT) to

Input

896HD Sample
Rate converter

Figure 4-16: Clock relationships when sending audio from the 896HD
to a DAT deck using sample rate conversion. The DAT deck needs to be
slaving to its AES/EBU input. *Note: the 896HD AES/EBU output can
actually be clocked from a number of different sources. In this
example, it is resolved to the 896HD system clock. For details about
other possible clock sources, see “Clocking scenarios for AES/EBU
output” on page 30.

clock

Output

clock

DAT deck

(slaves to 896HD master clock)

(master*)

(slaves to 896HD SRC output clock)

System clock, AES clock & rate convert settings

When you are setting up AES/EBU input and
output with the 896HD, pay careful attention to the
following settings in the MOTU FireWire Audio
Console (see the quick reference overview on
page 7):

■ Clock source

■ Sample rate conversion

These options are mentioned briefly in the
following sections. For further details, see “Clock
Source” on page 37 and “Sample Rate Conversion”
on page 40.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

29

Clocking scenarios for AES/EBU input

There are three possible clocking scenarios for the
896HD AES/EBU input:

1. Simple transfer (slave the 896HD system clock to
the AES/EBU input signal — no sample rate
conversion).

2. Sample rate convert the AES/EBU input.

3. Use word clock to resolve the 896HD system
clock and the other AES/EBU device with each
other.

These three AES/EBU input scenarios are
summarized below.

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3

Description

896HD clock
source setting

Sample rate
conversion
setting

Required
896HD cable
connections

Are the devices
continuously
resolved?

Is the signal
being sample
rate converted?

Example
application

Simple
transfer

AES/EBU Any setting

None AES In None

AES/EBU In AES In AES/EBU In

Yes No Yes

No Yes No

Simple digital
transfer into
the 896HD
from DAT
deck or digi­tal mixer.

Rate
convert

except
AES/EBU

Transfer from
digital mixer
running at a
different
sample rate.

Use word
clock

Word Clock

and Word
Clock In

Both the
896HD and
other AES/
EBU device
are slaved to
‘house” word
clock.

Some example scenarios are demonstrated below.

Simple AES/EBU input transfer (no rate convert)

Master

AES/EBU OUT

Slave

Figure 4-17: Slaving the 896HD to an AES/EBU device. For the
896HD’s clock source, choose ‘AES/EBU’.

Other device

AES/EBU IN

896HD

896HD clock source

setting: AES/EBU

896HD Sample Rate

Conversion setting: None

AES/EBU input with rate conversion

AES/EBU IN

Other device

896HD

896HD clock source

setting: Internal

896HD Sample Rate

Conversion setting:

AES In

Master

AES/EBU OUT

Slave

Figure 4-18: Rate-converting AES/EBU input.

AES/EBU input with word clock

‘House’ word clock master

(Slave)

Word clock IN

Other device

AES/EBU OUT/IN

AES/EBU IN/OUT

896HD clock source:

word clock

Figure 4-19: In this scenario, the 896HD and other AES/EBU device are
both resolved to one another via a third master word clock source.

(Slave)

Word clock IN

896HD

896HD Sample

Rate Conversion

setting: None

30

Clocking scenarios for AES/EBU output

The 896HD AES/EBU output can also employ
sample rate conversion. The output options, shown
below in Figure 4-20, are briefly summarized in the
following sections. For further details, see “Sample
Rate Conversion” on page 40.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

Figure 4-20: The S ample Ra te Con version option in the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console gives you access the AES/EBU output clock
options. The last option is either “x2” or “÷2” depending on the system
sample rate.

None

To m ake th e AES/EBU output sample rate match
the System sample rate, choose None. No s ample
rate conversion occurs when this setting is chosen.

AES Out x 2 / AES Out ÷ 2

Choose one of these sample rates when the desired
AES/EBU output rate needs to be twice the 896HD
system clock rate (when the system clock is at
either 44.1 or 48 kHz) or half the system clock rate
(when the system clock is at 88.2 or 96 kHz). For
further details about this option, see “Sample Rate
Conversion” on page 40.

SYNCING WORD CLOCK DEVICES

The 896HD word clock connectors allow you to
synchronize it with a wide variety of other word
clock-equipped devices.

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 21).
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 4-21 and Figure 4-22.

Master

896HD

AES Out slave to AES in

To m ake th e AES/EBU output sample rate match
the sample rate currently being received by the
896HD’s AES/EBU input, choose AES Input. This
setting requires a connection to the 896HD’s AES/
EBU input from a device that is transmitting an
AES/EBU clock signal.

☛ Be careful when both the 896HD’s AES/EBU

input and output are connected to the same
external device: this option is likely to create a
clock loop.

☛ When you are using the AES/EBU input as a

clock source for sample rate conversion on the
AES/EBU output, you cannot use the AES/EBU
input for audio input.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

Word clock OUT

Word clock IN

Slave

Figure 4-21: Slaving another digital audio device to the 896HD via
word clock. For the 896HD 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 4-22: Slaving the 896HD to word clock. For the 896HD clock
source, choose ‘Word Clock In’.

Word clock OUT

Word clock IN

Other device

896HD

31

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 a 2x and 1/2x word clock

The 896HD has the ability to slave to a word clock
signal running at either twice or half their current
clock rate. For example, the 896HD could be
running at 96 kHz while slaving to a 48 kHz word
clock signal from a MOTU Digital Timepiece.
Similarly, the 896HD could run at 88.2 kHz and
slave to 44.1 kHz word clock. Conversely, the
896HD could run at 48 kHz and slave to a 96 kHz
word clock signal. In all of these cases, the front
panel clock LEDs flash both sample rates to
indicate that the 896HD is slaving to word clock at
either twice or half its own clock rate. But if the
896HD is running at 96 kHz, it cannot slave to
word clock running at 44.1 kHz.

SYNCING LARGE SYSTEMS

If you are connecting the 896HD to a lot of other
digital audio gear, get a Digital Timepiece. It can
synchronize a wide variety of devices, and it offers
sample accurate synchronization for devices that
support it, such as ADATs. You will also be able to
control everything from the transport controls of
your audio software. If you have even more devices
than a single Digital Timepiece can support,
consider a word clock distribution device, such as
the Aardvark Aard Sync™ video-to-word clock
converter. Products like this offer multiple word
clock outputs and an extremely low-jitter clock.

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

■ the same as the 896HD clock

■ twice the 896HD clock

■ half of the 896HD clock

Forcing a 1x word out rate

The 896HD 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 896HD
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 41.

32

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

CONNECTING MULTIPLE MOTU FIREWIRE
INTERFACES

Yo u c an da isy-chain up to four 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:

PC

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

Multiple interfaces in the MOTU FireWire Audio
Console

The MOTU FireWire Audio Console displays the
settings for one interface at a time. To view the
settings for an interface, click its tab as shown
below in Figure 4-24.

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

FireWire

Figure 4-23: Connecting multiple 896HD’s (or other MOTU FireWire
audio interfaces) to a computer.

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

Figure 4-24: To view the settings for an interface, click its tab.

Using multiple interfaces

All connected MOTU FireWire interfaces get their
clock from whatever you choose from the Clock
Source menu in the General tab in the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console. When you connect
multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces, all of their
respective sync sources are displayed in the menu
as shown below in Figure 4-25.

33

Figure 4-25: All MOTU FireWire audio interfaces get their clock from a
single master sync source on any connected 896HD (or other MOTU
FireWi re interface). After you choose a source from this menu, the
entire system, including all connected 896HDs, synchronizes to it.

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

Connecting an 828

Yo u c a n a dd an or i gi na l MOTU 828 to the end of a
FireWire daisy chain (because the 828 has only one
FireWire por t), or you can mix and match multiple
828’s with other MOTU FireWire interfaces using a
standard FireWire hub. Up to four inte rfa ces c an be
combined on one FireWire bus.

Operating multiple FireWire interfaces at high
sample rates

Four MOTU FireWire interfaces can operate at

44.1 or 48kHz on a single FireWire bus. At the high
samples rates (88.2 or 96kHz), 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”) adaptor or PCI
card allow you to add a second FireWire bus to
your computer. It may be possible to add additional
MOTU FireWire interfaces connected to such a
third-party product, depending on the
performance of the product and the performance
of your host computer.

Managing the IDs of multiple interfaces

Multiple 896HD 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
information is stored in the MOTU Fi reWire 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 4-24 on page 33. 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 the MOTU FireWire Audio Console. Just
click the Forget button and the MOTU FireWire
Audio Console wil l no longer consider the
interface to be present but off line (turned off).

34

INSTALLING THE 896HD HARDWARE

CHAPTER

5 MOTU FireWire Audio Console

OVERVIEW

Accessing the 896HD settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

‘General’ tab settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Sample Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Clock Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Samples Per Buffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Enable Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Wave supp ort for legacy (MME) software. . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Multichannel Wave synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

896HD tab settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Optical input/output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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

Sample Rate Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Programmable Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

AES/EBU Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Clip Hold Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Peak H old Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Disable Interface option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Word Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

ACCESSING THE 896HD SETTINGS

There are several ways to access the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console settings:

■ From the Windows Start menu, choose

Programs>MOTU>MOTU FireWire Audio Console

■ From within Cubase VST, go to the Audio menu,

choose System and then click the ASIO Control
Panel button. In Cubase SX, open the Devices
Setup window, click the VST Multitrack device and
click the Control Panel button.

Cubase VST

Cubase SX

■ From within other ASIO-compatible programs,

refer to their documentation.

General tab settings

The General tab provides settings that apply
globally to all connected MOTU FireWire
interfaces.

896HD tab settings

The 896HD tab provides settings that apply to a
specific 896HD interface. If you have several
896HD’s (or other MOTU FireWire audio
interfaces) connected, you’ll see a separate tab for
each one.

35

‘GENERAL’ TAB SETTINGS

Sample Rate

Choose the desired Sample Rate for recording and
playback. The 896HD can operate at 44.1 (the
standard rate for compact disc audio), 48, 88.2, 96,

176.4 or 192KHz. If you are operating at a sample
rate between 44.1 and 96kHz, make absolutely sure
that all of the devices connected digitally to the
896HD match the 896HD’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 896HD is disabled.

☛ Mismatched sample rates cause distortion and

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

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

At the 4x sample rates (176.4 or 192kHz),
operation of the 896HD is restricted, due to the
higher audio bandwidth demands, as follows:

■ All digital I/O is disabled (there is no optical and

no AES/EBU input/output).

■ The 896HD provides 8 channels of analog input

and 10 channels of analog output (8 XLR outputs
plus stereo headphone out), simultaneously.

■ CueMix DSP supports 2 independent monitor

mixes (instead of 4, as with the lower sample rates).
For details about CueMix DSP, see chapter 9,
“CueMix Console” (page 65).

■ The Mix1 input, as described in “Mix1 1-2” on

page 64, is not available.

36

Figure 5-1: The MOTU FireWire Audio Console gives you access to all of the settings in the 896HD hardware.

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

■ The headphone output can be assigned to any

analog output pair or the Phones setting (as
described in “Phones” on page 40). But at the 4x
sample rates, the Phones output is not available
from the computer. Instead, it is only available as a
destination for the two CueMix DSP mixes. In
other words, it can only take CueMix inputs.

■ The main outs mirror the phones.

digital clock master. In this case, you would set the
896HD clock source setting to ADAT 9-pin, as
described below.

AES/EBU

The AES/EBU clock source setting refers to the
AES/EBU input connector on the 896HD. This
setting allows the MOTU 896HD to slave to
another AES/EBU device.

Clock Source

The Clock Source determines the digital audio
clock that the 896HD will use as its time base. For a
complete explanation of synchronization issues,
see “Making sync connections” on page 21. The
following sect ions briefly discuss each clock source
setting.

Internal

Use the Inter nal setting when you want the 896HD
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 896HD system on its internal
clock, and then slave the DAT deck to the 896HD
via the AES/EBU connection (usually DAT decks
slave to their AES/EBU input when you choose the
AES/EBU input as their record source) or via the
896HD’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 “Do you
need a synchronizer?” on page 22.

With ADAT dev ices, however, you usually want an
external digital audio synchronizer, such as the
MIDI Timepiece AV or Digital Ti mepiece, to be the

Use th is setting whenever you are recording input
from a DAT deck or other AES/EBU device into the
896HD. It is not necessary in the opposite direction
(when you are transferring from the 896HD to the
DAT machine).

For further details about this setting, see “Syncing
AES/EBU devices” on page 28.

Word Cloc k I n

The Wor d C lock In setting refers to the Word Clock
In BNC connector on the 896HD rear panel.
Choosing this setting allows the 896HD to slave to
an external word clock source, such as the word
clock output from a digital mixer.

ADAT 9-pin

The ADAT 9-pin clock source setting refers to the
ADAT digital audio synchronization format. It
allows the 896HD to slave to an ADAT — or ADAT
sync chain — via its ADAT sync 9-pin connector.
ADAT sync also carries precise, sample location
information, which allows Cubase or other sample­accurate ASIO 2.0-compatible audio software to
transfer audio to and from ADAT-sync compatible
recorders without drifting by as much as one
sample.

Use th is setting when you are using the 896HD
with one or more ADAT-sync compatible
recorders. Make sure the 896HD is connected to
the end of the ADAT sync chain.

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

37

Yo u s ho ul d also use this setting if you have a MIDI
Timepiece AV, which allows you to drive your
entire system from the transport controls of your
audio software.

Yo u c o ul d also use ADAT sync to continuously
resolve the 896HD to SMPTE time code, video,
and word clock via a synchronizer like the MOTU
MIDI Timepiece AV. Word clock can accomplish
the same thing.

For further details, see “Sample-accurate ADAT
sync” on page 24, “Sample-accurate ADAT sync
with no synchronizer” on page 25 and “Syncing to
video and/or SMPTE time code” on page 26.

ADAT optical

The ADAT optical clock source setting refers to the
clock provided by the 896HD’s optical input, when
it is connected to an ADAT optical device. This
setting can be used to slave the 896HD 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 ADAT
optical compatible device that has no way of
synchronizing digitally to the 896HD or an
external synchronizer such as the Digital
Timepiece. In this case, the ADAT Optical clock
source setting lets you slave the 896HD to the
device itself via its digital input to the 896HD.

If the ADAT Optical setting does not appear in the
Clock Source menu, it means that the 896HD’s
optical input is currently turned off. Choose the
ADAT optical format from the Optical input menu
(Figure 5-1 on page 36).

This setting is also useful if you just need to make a
simple, click-free digital transfer between the
896HD 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 about this setting, see “Syncing
optical devices” on page 27.

Other audio interfaces

Yo u m ay s e e ot her audio interfaces in the Clock
Source list, such as another MOTU FireWire
interface, a MOTU PCI-324 or PCI-424 system, the
Macintosh built-in audio, or perhaps even another
third-party audio interface. The 896HD can
resolve to these other audio devices via their
CoreAudio driver. This allows you to play and
record audio with your host audio software via
both interfaces at the same time without their
audio s treams dr ifting apart from one another over
long recording or playback passes. No external
synchronization connections are required for this
setting, as the two devices are entirely resolved via
the software driver.

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 microphone input that you would like to run
through a reverb plug-in that you are running in
your host audio software. Whe n doin g 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 an us 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 Console,
which routes the signal directly to your speakers
via hardware. For details, see chapter 9, “CueMix
Console” (page 65).

Adjusting the Samples Per Buffer setting impacts
the following things:

38

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

■ 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 p atch 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
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 p oint 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.

will make your software respond faster; raising the
Samples Per Buffer wil l ma ke it a li ttle bit slower, but
barely enough to notice.

Monitoring live inputs without plug-in effects

As mentioned earlier, CueMix Console allows you
to monitor dry, unprocessed live inputs with no
delay at all. For complete details, see chapter 8,
“Reducing Monitoring Latency” (page 59).

Enable Pedal

Check the Enable Pedal option if a foot switch is
connected to the 896HD 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 suppor t 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 896HD
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 896HD input and output channels.

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

The Samples Per Buffer setting also impacts how
quickly your audio sof tware will respond when you
begin playback, although not by amounts that are
very noticeable. Lowering the Samples Per Buffer

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

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

39

Multichannel Wave synchronization

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.

896HD TAB SETTINGS

Optical input/output

The Optical input and Optical output settings let
you choose between ADAT (‘lightpipe’) or OFF.
Tur n i ng it off f re es up FireWire bandwidth. In
other words, it opens up resources on the FireWire
bus for other devices connected via FireWire.

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 host audio software a nd
as an output destination for the four on-board
CueMix DSP mix busses.

None

No sample rate conversion occurs. Both the AES/
EBU input and output match the sample rate of the
896HD’s system clock.

AES In

The AES/EBU input locks to the sample rate of the
input signal (whatever it happens to be) and
converts it to the 896HD system clock rate. The
Rate Conversion LEDs on the 896HD front panel
indicate the incoming sample rate and that rate
conversion is occurring.

AES Out slave to AES in

To m ake th e AES/EBU output sample rate match
the sample rate currently being received by the
896HD’s AES/EBU input, choose AES Out slave to
AES in. This setting requires a connection to the
896HD’s AES/EBU input from a device that is
transmitting an AES/EBU clock signal.

☛ Be careful when both the 896HD’s AES/EBU

input and output are connected to the same
external device: this option is likely to create a
clock loop.

At the 4x sample rates (176.4 and 192kHz), the
headphone output can be assigned to any analog
output pair or the Phones setting, as described
above. But at the 4x sample rates, the Phones
output is not available as an output destination for
software on the computer. Instead, it is only
available as a destination for the two CueMix DSP
mixes. In other words, it can only take CueMix
inputs.

Sample Rate Conversion

This option lets you control AES/EBU sample rate
conversion. Sample rate conversion is available
when the 896HD is operating at the 1x sample rates
(44.1 and 48kHz) or the 2x sample rates (88.2 or
96kHz). AES/EBU is disabled entirely at the 4x
samples rates (176.4 and 192kHz). Each option is
explained below.

40

☛ When you are using the AES/EBU input as a

clock source for sample rate conversion on the
AES/EBU output, you cannot use the AES/EBU
input for audio input.

AES Out x 2 / AES Out ÷ 2

Choose one of these sample rates when the desired
AES/EBU output rate needs to be twice the 896HD
system clock rate (when the system clock is at
either 44.1 or 48 kHz) or half the system clock rate
(when the system clock is at 88.2 or 96 kHz). Either
way, the AES/EBU output remains resolved to the
896HD system clock. For further details about this
option, see “Syncing AES/EBU devices” on
page 28.

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

Programmable Meters

This option lets you choose which bank you wish
to monitor with the eight programmable meters on
the MOTU 896HD front panel. Your choices are:
Analog Out, ADAT In or ADAT Out. You can also
adjust this setting by repeatedly pushing the
VOLUME knob on the 896HD front panel.

AES/EBU Meters

This option lets you choose to monitor either AES/
EBU input or output with the programmable AES/
EBU meters on the MOTU 896HD front panel. You
can also adjust this setting by repeatedly pushing
the VOLUME knob on the 896HD front panel.

Clip Hold Time

The Clip Hold Time option controls how long the
top red LED remains illuminated after clipping
occurs (see Figure 5-2 below).

The ‘Clip Hold Time’ option controls
how long this LED remains illuminated.

This LED lights up momentarily.

Figure 5-2: The Clip Hold Time option.

Peak Hold Time

The 896HD front-panel level meters support
standard peak/hold metering, where the LED for
the highest level recently measured on the channel
remains illum inated for a brief period of t ime while
the rest of the LEDs below it remain fully dynamic.
The Peak Hold Time controls how long the peak­hold LED remain illuminated before going dark
again.

Disable Interface option

Check this option to temporarily take an interface
off line. Doing so frees up FireWire bandwidth for
other devices without turning off the disabled
896HD.

Word Out

The Word Out menu appears when the 896HD 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 896HD were operating at 176.4kHz,
choosing the Force 44.1/48kHz option would
produce word clock output at 44.1kHz.

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

41

42

MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

CHAPTER

6 Cubase, Nuendo and Other ASIO

Software

OVERVIEW

The 896HD includes a ASIO driver that provides
multi-channel I/O and sample-accurate synchro­nization with Steinberg’s Cubase family of digital
audio sequencers, including Cubase VST, Cubase
SX and Nuendo. The 896HD requires Cubase for
Win dows Ve rsion 3.553 or higher.

What is ASIO? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Preparatio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Run the MOTU FireWire Audio Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Choosing the MOTU FireWire ASIO driver. . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Number of channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

ASIO Direct monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Other System dialog settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Activating 896HD inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Assigning inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Tri mming the analog inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Assigning outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Changing 896HD settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Processing live inputs with plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

MIDI Machine Control (MMC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Using a foot switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

24-bit operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Monitoring system performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

WHAT IS ASIO?

ASIO is an acronym for Audio St reaming Input and
Output. The ASIO MOTU FireWi re Audio driver

allows the 896HD to provide multi-channel audio
input and output for any audio application that
supports ASIO drivers.

Attention: Cubase VST users

Cubase VST Version 5 is used for the examples in
this chapter. However, there is no significant
difference between the Version 5 examples shown
and what you see in Version 4. The basic
procedures are the same.

Attention: Other software users

The 896HD 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
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 support ASIO,
but instead supports WDM (or legacy Wave) audio
drivers, refer to the next chapter.

PREPARATION

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

■ chapter 4, “Installing the 896HD Hardware”

(page 17).

■ chapter 3, “IMPORTANT! Run the 896HD

Software Installer First” (page 15)

Sample-accurate sync

The MOTU FireWire Audio ASIO driver supports
sample-accurate sync (via the 896HD’s ADAT sync
feature) for applications that support it.

RUN THE MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO CONSOLE

Before you run Cubase, launch the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console to configure your 896HD
hardware. The MOTU FireWire Audio Console lets
you configure your audio interface, and it lets you

43

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 the MOTU FireWire Audio
Console, see chapter 5, “MOTU FireWire Audio
Console” (page 35).

Sample rate

Choose the desired overall sample rate for the
896HD system and Cubase. Newly recorded audio
in Cubase will have this sample rate. Before
running the 896HD at the 4x sample rates, see
“Operation at 4x sample rates (176.4 or 192kHz)”
on page 36.

Clock Source

This setting is very important because it
determines which audio clock the 896HD will
follow.

If you do not have any digital audio connections to
your 896HD (you are using the analog inputs and
outputs only), and you will not be slaving Cubase
to an external clock source, choose Inter nal.

If you are slaving the 896HD to the ADAT Sync or
Word C lo ck i nput connector, choose ADAT 9-pin
or Word Clock In, resp ectively.

For information about the other clock source
settings, see “Clock Source” on page 37.

Figure 6-1: The MOTU FireWire Audio Console gives you access to all
of the settings in the 896HD hardware, including the clock source,
sample rate and optical I/O enable/disable.

For complete details about the 896HD settings, see
chapter 6, “MOTU FireWire Control Panel (Mac
OS 9)” (page 45). The following sections provide a
brief explanation of each 896HD setting for use
with Cubase.

44

If you have digital audio devices connected to the
896HD, see “Making sync connections” on
page 21.

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
896HD hardware and Cubase. For example, you
might have MIDI instruments, samplers,
microphones, and so on connected to the analog
inputs of the 896HD. If so, you will often be mixing
their live input with audio material recorded in
Cubase. See chapter 8, “Reducing Monitoring
Latency” (page 59) for complete details.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

Optical input and output

To make the 896HD optical input or output
available in Cubase, turn them on in the optical
input and/or output menu. If you won’t be using
the optical connectors, turn them off.

Phones

This 896HD setting lets you choose what you’ll
hear from the headphone jack. For example, if you
choose Main Outs, the headphones will duplicate
the main outs. Or you can choose any other output
pair. If you choose Phones, this setting makes the
headphone jack serve as its own independent
output pair (except when running at 176.4 or
192kHz). As a result, you’ll see Phones 1-2 as an
additional audio destination in Cubase’s audio
output menus.

CHOOSING THE MOTU FIREWIRE 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 FireWire 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 FireWire ASIO driver from this
menu.

Cubase VST

To a ctiv at e the 896HD driver in Cubase VST,
choose Audio Setup>System from the Options
menu, and then choose MOTU FireWire ASIO
from the ASIO device menu. Make the other
settings in the dialog as needed for your system and
synchronization scenario.

Nuendo and Cubase SX

To activate the 896HD driver in Nuendo or Cubase
SX, go to the Device Setup window, click VST
Multitrack and cho ose MOTU FireWire ASIO from

the ASIO Driver menu as shown below. Make the
other settings in the dialog as needed for your
system and synchronization scenario.

Nuendo and Cubase SX

Cubase VST

Figure 6-2: Activating the 896HD FireWire ASIO driver in Nuendo and
Cubase.

NUMBER OF CHANNELS

In Cubase, be sure to choose enough channels in
the System dialog (as shown above in Figure 6-2)
to cover the 18 channels of input and 22 channels of
output provided by your 896HD — although the
number of channels may depend on how your
896HD is configured:

■ 12 channels for analog I/O (including the

headphone out)

■ 2 channels for AES/EBU

■ Zero or 8 channels for optical, depending on

whether you have optical turned off or set to ADAT
optical

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

45

For example, if you are using analog only, the
896HD requires a minimum of 12 channels (for 12
channels of output). If you are using analog and
AES/EBU, you need 14 channels.

As another example, if you are using analog,
AES/EBU and ADAT optical, you need 22 channels
(the maximum number of simultaneous output
channels provided by the 896HD).

In Cubase, set the number of channels in the
System dialog (as shown above in Figure 6-2).

ASIO DIRECT MONITORING

The ASIO Direct Monitoring option (Figure 6-2)
allows you to monitor inputs directly in the 896HD
hardware with no drain on your computer and
near zero latency. Whe n you en able this option,
Cubase uses the 896HD’s CueMix DSP monitoring
features whenever you use Cubase’s monitoring
features. For further information, see “Controlling
CueMix DSP from within Cubase or Nuendo” on
page 63.

The “Mix1 1-2” input

In Cubase’s VST Inputs window, you’ll see an
896HD input called Mix1 1-2. This input source
delivers the output of CueMix DSP “MIX1” (the
first mix bus of the four on-board no-latency
monitor mixes in the 896HD) to your computer.
This input serves, for example, as a convenient way
for you to record the 896HD’s MIX1 monitor mix
into Cubase (for reference and archiving
purposes). Further, if you are sending audio from
Cubase to the same output pair as MIX1, you can
choose to either include or exclude the audio from
the computer in the Mix1 stream being sent to
Cubase. For details on how to do this, see “Mix1
Return Includes Computer” on page 68.

The Mix1 1-2 input is not available at the 4x sample
rates (176.4 or 192kHz).

☛ War ning: the Mix1 1-2 input can cause

feedback loops! DO NOT assign this input to a
track that shares the same 896HD output pair as
MIX1.

OTHER SYSTEM DIALOG SETTINGS

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

ACTIVATING 896HD INPUTS

Once you’ve chosen the MOTU FireWire ASIO
driver in the Audio System dialog as explained
earlier in “Choosing the MOTU FireWire ASIO
driver” on page 45, choose VST Inputs from the
Pane ls menu (or the Devices menu in Cubase SX)
to see the 896HD inputs. To activate them, click the
Act ive light next to each input. If you don’t see the
optical inputs and/or outputs, check the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console 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.

46

Figure 6-3: Activating 896HD inputs in Cubase VST.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

Figure 6-4: Activating 896HD inputs in Nuendo or Cubase SX.

ASSIGNING INPUTS

Once you’ve activated the 896HD inputs as shown
in the previous section, you can then assign them
to Cubase or Nuendo audio channels in the
channel mixers in the usual fashion.

TRI MMING THE ANALOG INPUTS

The 896HD analog inputs provide trim knobs on
the front panel. To calibrate an audio input, feed
signal to the input, and adjust the input’s
corresponding trim knob on the front panel of the
896HD until peaks in the level meter are as high as
possible without clipping (hitting zero dB).

Figure 6-5: To assign an 896HD input to a Cubase VST audio channel:
control-click the input button at the top of the channel strip. For
Nuendo or Cubase SX, consult your documentation.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

47

ASSIGNING OUTPUTS

Once you’ve chosen the MOTU FireWire ASIO
driver in the Audio System dialog as explained

assignments for the master fader and busses, as
shown below in Figure 6-6. In NuendoCubase SX,

they appear in the VST Outputs window.
earlier in “Choosing the MOTU FireWire ASIO
driver” on page 45, 896HD outputs will be
available in Cubase or Nuendo as output
destinations. In Cubase VST, t he se outputs ap pe ar
in the VST Master Mixer window as output

In Cubase VST, use the output buttons at the bottom of each channel strip, including the master fader, to assign
896HD outputs to busses. You can then assign channels in the VST Master Mixer window to each bus as desired.

The “Phones 1-2” output

If you’ ve chosen to treat the 896HD headphones as

an independent output, you’ll see Phones 1-2 as an

896HD output destination. Audio tracks assigned

In Nuendo or Cubase SX, access the 896HD outputs via the busses in the VST Outputs window.

Figure 6-6: Working with 896HD
outputs in Nuendo or Cubase.

48

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

to this output pair will be heard on the headphone
jack only. For further explanation, see “Phones” on
page 45.

CHANGING 896HD SETTINGS

To ch an g e th e 896HD settings at any time, go to the
Audio System Setup window in Cubase VST or the
Device Setup window in Nuendo or Cubase SX and
click the ASIO Control Panel button, as shown in
Figure 6-2 on page 45.

PROCESSING LIVE INPUTS WITH PLUG-INS

If you patch a live input (such as a 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 8, “Reducing Monitoring Latency”
(page 59).

SYNCHRONIZATION

Cubase or Nuendo can r un under its own transport
control or slave to SMPTE time code. It can also
perform sample-accurate digital audio transfers
with Alesis digital recorders and Ta scam f am ily
digital recorders.

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 chapter 4, “Installing the 896HD
Hardware” (page 17) for the proper hardware
connections. Use the synchronization diagrams in
that chapter to be clear about how you will be
synchronizing Cubase to the other components of
your system.

Running Cubase or Nuendo under its own
transport control

If you do not need to synchronize Cubase or
Nuendo w ith time code or another recording
device, such as a tape deck, just leave its SMPTE
time code synchronization features disabled.

However, even though Cubase or Nuendo is not

slaving to SMPTE time code, you still need to be

concerned with the synchronization of the

896HD’s digital audio clock with other devices

connected to it digitally (if any). For example, if

you have a digital mixer connected to an 896HD

interface via an ADAT optical lightpipe cable, you

need to make sure that their audio clocks are

phase-locked. For details, see “Syncing optical

devices” on page 27 and “Making sync

connections” on page 21. If you don’t have any

digital audio devices connected, digital audio

phase-lock does not apply to you.

Resolving Cubase or Nuendo and the 896HD to

word clock, video and/or SMPTE time code

To r es o l ve yo u r 89 6HD to word clock, video and/or

SMPTE time code using an additional synchroni-

zation device, use the setup shown in “Syncing

word clock devices” on page 31 or “Syncing to

video and/or SMPTE time code” on page 26.

Follow the instructions in your Cubase or Nuendo

manual for slaving them to MIDI Time Code

(MTC). To ensure that your audio tracks don’t drift

out of sync with your MIDI tracks — or t ime code,

use a hardware synchronizer like the MIDI

Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece to resolve the

896HD hardware as well, as explained in “Syncing

to video and/or SMPTE time code” on page 26. A

digital audio synchronizer is required for drift-free

SMPTE/MIDI time code sync. Make sure the Clock

Source setting in the MOTU FireWire Audio

Console window has the appropriate setting for

locking the 896HD to the synchronizer. For

example, in Figure 4-11 on page 26, word clock is

being used to resolve an 896HD interface, so the

Clock Source setting is Wo rd C lock In.

☛ If you have an ADAT sync or a Tascam sync

compatible device, don’t use SMPTE time code.

Instead, use sample-accurate sync as described in

the next section.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

49

Sample-accurate sync to ADAT or Tascam

Cubase and Nuendo, alo ng w ith the 896HD and its
ASIO 2 driver, provide you with sample-accurate
transfers with ADATs, A lesis r ecorders and any
other devices that support standard ADAT sample
address (ADAT Sync).

Similarly, with the help of a MOTU Digital
Timepiece universal A/V synchronizer, Cubase (or
Nuendo) and an 896HD can perform sample­accurate transfers with Tascam digital recorders.

A sample-accurate transfer is one in which the
original location of the audio is preserved in the
transfer, down to the sample.

For details on how to connect your hardware for
sample-accurate sync, see “Sample-accurate sync”
on page 23. Then, set up Cubase as follows:

1 Choose ADAT 9-pin as the Audio Clock Source
setting. In Cubase VST, this setting is in the Audio
System Setup window (Audio menu). In Nuendo
or Cubase SX, this setting is in the Device Setup
window (Options menu).

2 Go to Cubase or Nuendo’s Synchroni zation
window, as shown below:

Cubase VST

Nuendo or Cubase SX

Figure 6-7: Setting up sample-accurate sync via ASIO 2.

3 If you are not using an MMC-compatible

synchronizer (such as a MOTU MIDI

Timepiece AV, Digital Timepiece or Alesis BRC),

choose the settings shown above in Figure 6-7 that

applies to you. In this scenario, transport control is

handled by the ADAT (or other sample-accurate

sync source).

4 If you are using an MMC-compatible

synchronizer (such as a MOTU MIDI

Timepiece AV, Digital Timepiece or Alesis BRC),

set Cubase VST’s Sync Source Timecode Base to

ASIO 2.0 MMC or enable Nuendo’s ( or Cubase

SX’s) MIDI Machine Control option. In addition,

choose the appropriate MIDI port for the MMC

synchronizer from VST’s Output menu or Nuendo/

SX’s MIDI machine Control MIDI Output menu. If

you’re using a MIDI Timepiece AV, you can choose

any of its MIDI ports in this menu. Doing so makes

Cubase or Nuendo send the MMC control

messages to the MTP AV (or other MMC device).

In this scenario, transport control is handled by

Cubase or Nuendo itself.

50

5 In Cubase VST’s Controls window, enable

SYNC. In Nuendo or Cubase SX, enable (check)

the Sync Online command in the Transport menu.

Figure 6-8: Enabling the SYNC button.

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

6 Begin playback from the sample-accurate sync
source (ADAT, DA-88, etc.) Transport control is
handled by the sample-accurate sync source.

MIDI MACHINE CONTROL (MMC)

If you have ADATs (or other ADAT Sync­compatible recorders) and a MMC-compatible
ADAT synchronizer like the MIDI Timepiece AV
and Digital Timepiece, you can control everything
from your computer screen with Cubase’s
transport controls and cueing features (like the
playback wiper, etc.)

Similarly, if you have Tascam digital recorders and
a MOTU Digital Timepiece (or other MMC­compatible Tascam synchronizer), you can control
all of your Tascam tape decks (in ABS time) in a
similar fashion from Cubase.

See “Sample-accurate sync to ADAT or Tascam” on
page 50 for details on how to set this up.

24-BIT OPERATION

Yo ur 89 6HD 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 896HD always

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 896HD hardware.

MONITORING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Because it has so many inputs and outputs, the

896HD may push the limits of your computer’s

processing power. Keep the VST Performance

window open to kee p ta bs on t he l oad on you r CP U

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 the MOTU

FireWire Audio Console to uncheck input check

boxes and set output source menus to None.

USING A FOOT SWITCH

Use a foot switch connected to the 896HD 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
the MOTU FireWire Audio Console. (See “Enable
Pedal” on page 39.)

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

Cubase VST

Nuendo or Cubase SX

Figure 6-9: Keep the Audio Performance window open to keep tabs

on your computer’s processing power and hard disk performance.

51

52

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE

CHAPTER

7 Sonar and other WDM Software

OVERVIEW

The 896HD WDM driver provides standard
multi-channel input and output for WDM­compatible audio software running under
Windows Me, 2000 and XP.

WDM and Wave driver compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Installing the MOTU FireWire Audio WDM driver . . . . 53

Enabling Wave (MME) compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Making settings in the MOTU FireWire Audio Console. .
54

Enabling the MOTU FireWire Audio WDM driver . . . . . 55

Number of channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Other Audio Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Working with 896HD inputs and outputs. . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Changing 896HD settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Reducing delay when monitoring live inputs . . . . . . . . 57

Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Using a foot switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

24-bit operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

WDM AND WAVE DRIVER COMPATIBILITY

WDM is an acronym for Windows Dr iver Model.

The MOTU FireWire WDM driver allows the

896HD to provide multi-channel audio input and

output for any audio application that supports

WDM audio drivers.

Attention: Cakewalk users

Cakewalk SONAR is used for the WDM driver

setup examples in this chapter.

Attention: other software users

Cakewalk’s SONAR software is used for the WDM

driver setup examples in this chapter. However, the

basic procedures are the same and can be easily

applied to any WDM-compatible software. Just

follow the general descriptions at the beginning of

each main section in this chapter. Consult your

software documentation for details about each

topic, if necessary.

INSTALLING THE MOTU FIREWIRE AUDIO

WDM DRIVER

The MOTU FireWire Audio Installer CD installs

the MOTU FireWire WDM driver into Windows

for you. That’s pretty much all the preparation you

need. See chapter 3, “IMPORTANT! Run the

896HD Software Installer First” (page 15).

ENABLING WAVE (MME) COMPATIBILITY

If your host audio software does not yet support

Windows WDM d rivers, enable Wave driver

compatibility in the MOTU FireWire WDM driver

so that all of the 896HD’s inputs and outputs show

up in your software. For details, see “Wave support

for legacy (MME) software” on page 39.

☛ If your host audio software does support

WDM audio drivers, don’t enable Wave driver

compatibility.

53

MAKING SETTINGS IN THE MOTU FIREWIRE
AUDIO CONSOLE

Before you run your audio software, launch the
MOTU FireWire Audio Console to configure your
896HD hardware. The MOTU FireWire Audio
Console lets you choose the audio clock source,
and it lets you enable the optical input and output,
if needed. For details, see chapter 5, “MOTU
FireWire Audio Console” (page 35).

For complete details about the 896HD settings, see

chapter 5, “MOTU FireWire Aud io C onsole”

(page 35). The following sections provide a brief

explanation of each 896HD setting for use with

Sonar.

Sample rate

Choose the desired overall sample rate for the

896HD system and Sonar. Newly recorded audio in

Sonar will have this sample rate.

Before running the 896HD at the 4x sample rates,

see “Operation at 4x sample rates (176.4 or

192kHz)” on page 36.

Clock Source

This setting is very important because it

determines which audio clock the 896HD will

follow.

If you do not have any digital audio connections to

your 896HD (you are using the analog inputs and

outputs only), and you will not be slaving Sonar to

external SMPTE time code, choose Inter nal.

Figure 7-1: The MOTU FireWire Audio Console gives you access to all
of the settings in the 896HD hardware, including the clock source,
sample rate and optical I/O enable/disable.

54

If you are slaving the 896HD to the ADAT Sync or

Word C lo ck i nput connector, choose ADAT 9-pin

or Word Clock In, resp ectively.

For information about the other clock source

settings, see “Clock Source” on page 37.

If you have digital audio devices connected to the

896HD, see “Making sync connections” on

page 21.

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

896HD hardware and Sonar. For example, you

might have MIDI instruments, samplers,

microphones, and so on connected to the analog

inputs of the 896HD. If so, you will often be mixing

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

their live input with audio material recorded in
Sonar. See chapter 8, “Reducing Monitoring
Latency” (page 59) for complete details.

Optical input and output

To make the 896HD optical input or output
available in Digital Performer, turn them on in the
optical input and/or output menu. If you won’t be
using the optical connectors, turn them off.

Phones

This 896HD setting lets you choose what you’ll
hear from the headphone jack. For example, if you
choose Main Outs, the headphones will duplicate
the main outs. Or you can choose any other output
pair. If you choose Phones, this setting makes the
headphone jack serve as its own independent
output pair (except when running at 176.4 or
192kHz). As a result, you’ll see Phones 1-2 as an
additional audio destination in Sonar’s audio
output menus.

ENABLING THE MOTU FIREWIRE 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 FireWire Audio
WDM driver. Check the audio system or audio
hardware configuration window in your software.

Figure 7-2: Acti vating the MOTU FireWire Audio WDM driver in

SONAR by highlighting 896HD inputs and outputs.

Other audio settings in SONAR

There are a few other settings in SONAR that

impact 896HD operation:

1 In the Audio Options window, click the General

tab.

2 Choose a 896HD input and output for recording

and playback timing as shown below in Figure 7-3.

It doesn’t matter which input or output you choose.

Enabling the MOTU FireWire Audio WDM
driver in SONAR

To a ctiv at e the MO TU FireWire Audio WDM
driver in SONAR:

1 Choose Audi o from the Options menu.

2 Click the Drivers tab.

3 Highlight the 896HD inputs and outputs that

you wish to use and unhighlight the ones you don’t
as shown in Figure 7-2.

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

Figure 7-3: Make sure you have chosen a 896HD input and output for

the playback and recording timing master settings.

55

3 In the General tab, click the Wave Profiler
button and run the Wave Profiler.

This process chooses the optimum settings for the
896HD hardware.

Figure 7-4: Running the Wave Profiler in Cakewalk’s SONAR.

NUMBER OF CHANNELS

In the Audio Options window (Figure 7-3), be sure
to choose enough Virtual Mains in the General tab
to cover the 18 channels of input and 22 channels of
output provided by your 896HD — although the
number of channels may depend on how your
896HD is configured:

■ 12 channels for analog I/O (including the

headphone out)

■ 2 channels for AES/EBU

■ Zero or 8 channels for optical, depending on

whether you have optical turned off or set to ADAT
optical

For example, if you are using analog only, the
896HD requires a minimum of 12 voices (for 12
channels of output). If you are using analog and
AES/EBU, you need 14 voices.

As another example, if you are using analog,
AES/EBU and ADAT optical, you need 22 voices
(the maximum number of simultaneous output
channels provided by the 896HD).

OTHER AUDIO OPTIONS

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

WORKING WITH 896HD INPUTS AND

OUTPUTS

Once you’ve enabled the 896HD inputs and

outputs in the Drivers tab of the Audio Options

window (Figure 7-2 on page 55), 896HD 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 the MOTU FireWire Audio Console 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.

Tri mming the analog inputs

The 896HD analog inputs provide trim knobs on

the front panel. To calibrate an audio input, feed

signal to the input, and adjust the input’s

corresponding trim knob on the front panel of the

896HD until peaks in the level meter are as high as

possible without clipping (hitting zero dB).

The “Mix1 1-2” input

In Sonar’s Input Drivers list, you’ll see an 896HD

input called Mix1 1-2. This input source delivers

the output of CueMix DSP “Mix 1” (the first mix

bus of the four on-board no-latency monitor mixes

in the 896HD) to your computer. This input serves,

for example, as a convenient way for you to record

the 896HD’s Mix 1 monitor mix into Sonar (for

reference and archiving purposes). Further, if you

are sending audio from Sonar to the same output

pair as MIX1, you can choose to either include or

exclude the audio from the computer in the MIX1

stream being sent to Sonar. For details on how to

do this, see “Mix1 Return Includes Computer” on

page 68.

☛ War ning: the Mix1 1-2 input can cause

feedback loops! DO NOT assign this input to a

track that shares the same 896HD output pair as

MIX1.

56

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

CHANGING 896HD SETTINGS

Yo u c an ch a n g e t he 896HD settings at any time by
accessing the MOTU FireWire Audio Console.

REDUCING DELAY WHEN MONITORING
LIVE INPUTS

If you have live audio inputs connected to the
896HD, such as MIDI synthesizers, samplers,
microphones or other live instruments, you might
hear a slight delay when their audio is being
monitored through your 896HD hardware and
your host audio program. There are several ways to
reduce — and eliminate — this audible monitoring
delay. For details, see chapter 8, “Reducing
Monitoring Latency” (page 59).

SYNCHRONIZATION

If your audio software has the ability to slave to
SMPTE time code, then it can take advantage of the
synchronization features in the 896HD.

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 21 for
the proper hardware connections. Use the
synchronization diagrams to be clear about how
you will be synchronizing your audio software and
the 896HD to the other components of your
system.

Synchronizing digital audio connections

If you have devices connected to the 896HD digital
inputs (optical or AES/EBU), you need to be
concerned with the synchronization of the
896HD’s digital audio clock with other devices
connected to it digitally (if any). For example, if
you have a digital mixer connected to the 896HD
via an ADAT optical light pipe cable, you need to
make sure that their audio clocks are phase-locked.
For details, see “Syncing optical devices” on

page 27 and “Making sync connections” on

page 21. If you don’t have any digital audio devices

connected to the 896HD, digital audio phase-lock

does not apply to you.

Slaving to SMPTE time code

If you need to slave your audio software and the

896HD system to SMPTE time code, follow the

instructions in your software’s manual for slaving it

to MIDI Time Code (MTC). To ensure that your

audio tracks don’t drift out of sync with your MIDI

tracks or the time code, use a hardware

synchronizer like the MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV

or Digital Timepiece to slave the 896HD hardware

to the SMPTE (or MIDI Time) Code as well. A

digital audio synchronizer is required for drift-free

SMPTE/MIDI time code sync. Make sure the Clock

Source setting in the MOTU FireWire Audio

Console is set to Wo rd C lock In. For examples of

how to set this up, see “Syncing to video and/or

SMPTE time code” on page 26.

USING A FOOT SWITCH

Use a foot switch connected to the 896HD to

trigger recording punch-in and punch-out, or any

other feature in 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 keyst rokes with

the foot switch, visit the MOTU FireWire Audio

Console. (See “Enable Pedal” on page 39.)

24-BIT OPERATION

Yo ur 89 6HD hardware fully supports 24-bit

recording in any audio software that supports it.

Simply enable 24-bit operation as instructed by the

software. The 896HD 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 896HD hardware.

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

57

58

SONAR AND OTHER WDM SOFTWARE

CHAPTER

8 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 mic input signal through a
reverb 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 896HD
input, passes through the 896HD hardware into the
computer, through your host audio software, and
then back out to an 896HD 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 896HD’s CueMix DSP feature
to patch the input directly to your monitor outs via
the 896HD audio hardware. This is just like bussing
inputs to outputs in a digital mixer. For details, see
“CueMix DSP hardware monitoring” on page 62.

If you do need to process a live input with plug-ins,
or if you are playing virtual instruments live
through your 896HD 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.

Monitoring live input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Adjusting the audio I/O buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead . . . . . . . . . . 62

Transport responsiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Effects processing and automated mixing . . . . . . . . . . . 62

CueMix DSP hardware monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Two methods for controlling CueMix DSP . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Using CueMix Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Controlling CueMix DSP from your audio software . . 63

It is impor tant to note th at monitori ng de lay has n o
effect on when audio data is recorded to disk or
played back from disk. Actual recording and
playback is extremely precise.

59

MONITORING LIVE INPUT

There are two ways to monitor live audio input
with an 896HD: 1) through the computer or 2) via
CueMix™ DSP hardware monitoring. Figure 8-1
on page 60 shows method 1, which allows you to
add effects processing such as reverb and guitar
amp effects 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.

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).

Figure 8-2 shows how to use CueMix™ DSP

hardware-based monitoring, which lets you hear

what you are recording with no monitoring delay

and no computer-based effects processing. (You

can add effects later, after you’ve recorded the live

input as a disk track.) See “CueMix DSP hardware

monitoring” later in this chapter for details on how

to use CueMix DSP with your audio software, or

with the included CueMix Console software.

If the material you are recording is suitable, there is

a third way to monitor live input: use both methods

(Figure 8-1 and Figure 8-2) at the same time. For

example, you could route vocals to both the

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

2. Mic signal goes immedi­ately to the computer (dry,
with no effects processing).

PC

Figure 8-1: There are two ways to monitor live audio inputs with an 896HD: 1) through the computer or 2) via CueMix™ DSP hardware
monitoring. 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 reverb or other
plug-in effects, if any.

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

60

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

computer (for a bit of reverb) and mix that
processed signal on the main outs with dry vocals
from CueMix DSP.

ADJUSTING THE AUDIO I/O BUFFER

A buffer is a small amount of computer memory
used to hold data. For audio interfaces like the
896HD, 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 the MOTU

FireWire Audio Console, as shown in Figure 8-3

via the Samples Per Buffer setting.

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 Console.

2. CueMix™ DSP immedi­ately patches the live mic
signal directly to the main
outs (or other output),
completely bypassing the
computer (dry, with no
effects processing).

Figure 8-2: This diagram shows the signal flow when using CueMix™ DSP no-latency monitoring. Notice that this method does not allow you
to process the live input with plug-ins in your audio software while it is being monitored. You can, however, add effects later — after recording
the live input as a disk track. CueMix™ DSP lets you hear what you are recording with no delay and no computer-based effects.

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

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

61

Figure 8-3: Lowering the ‘Samples Per Buffer’ setting in the MOTU
FireWi re Audio Console Window reduces patch thru latency. But
doing so increases the processing load on your computer, so keep an
eye on the Performance Monitor window in AudioDesk your host
audio software.

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

If you are at a p oint in your recording project where

you are not currently working with live, patched-

thru 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 DSP HARDWARE MONITORING

The 896HD has a more direct method of patching

audio through the system. This method is called

CueMix DSP. When e nabled, CueMix activates

hardware patch-thru in the 896HD itself. CueMix

DSP 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).

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 p atch 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.

62

■ Secondly, CueMix DSP imposes no strain on the

computer.

The trade-off, however, is that CueMix DSP

bypasses your host audio software. Instead, live

audio inputs are patched directly through to

outputs in the 896HD itself and are mixed with

disk tracks playing back from your audio software.

This means that you cannot apply plug-ins, mix

automation, or other real-time effects that your

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

audio software provides. But for inputs that don’t
need these types of features, CueMix DSP 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 DSP. Instead,
reduce latency with the buffer setting (as explained
earlier in this chapter).

TWO METHODS FOR CONTROLLING
CUEMIX DSP

There are two ways to control CueMix DSP:

CueMix DSP routings that are made via host

applications are made “under the hood”, which

means that you won’t se e t hem i n CueMix Console.

However, CueMix DSP connections made inside

your host audio software dovetail with any other

mixes you’ve set up in CueMix Console. For

example, if your host application routes audio to an

output pair that is already being used in CueMix

Console for an entirely separate mix bus, both

audio streams will simply be merged to the output.

Follow the directions below in the section that

applies to you.

■ With CueMix Console

■ From within your host audio software (if it

supports direct hardware monitoring)

Yo u c an ev e n u se b o th methods simultaneously.

Using CueMix Console

If your host audio software does not support direct
hardware monitoring, you run CueMix Console
side-by-side with your audio software and manage
your monitor mix in CueMix Console.

CueMix Console allows you to create up to four
separate 896HD monitor mixes, or any other
desired routing configurations. These routings are
independent of your host audio software. For
complete details, see chapter 9, “CueMix Console”
(page 65).

Controlling CueMix DSP from your audio
software

Some ASIO-compatible audio applications, such as
Cubase and Nuendo, allow you to control CueMix
DSP monitoring from within the application
(without the need to use CueMix Console). In
most cases, this support consists of patching an
896HD input directly to an output when you
record-arm a track. Exactly how this is handled
depends on the application.

Controlling CueMix DSP from within Cubase or

Nuendo

To t ur n o n CueM ix in Cuba se VST, enable t he ASIO

Direct Monitor check box in the Monitoring section

of the Audio System Setup window (Figure 6-2 on

page 45). In Cubase SX or Nuendo, enable the

Direct Monitoring check box in the Device Setup

VST Multitrack tab (Figure 6-2 on page 45).

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

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 Wave-

compatible software

Run CueMix Console (chapter 9, “CueMix

Console” (page 65)) 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.

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

63

64

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

CHAPTER

9 CueMix Console

OVERVIEW

CueMix Console provides access to the flexible
on-board mixing features of the 896HD. CueMix
lets you route any combination of inputs to any
stereo output pair. These mixes can be set up
entirely independently of your host audio software.
CueMix allows you to set up four completely
independent mix configurations with the 896HD.
Yo u c an al so sa v e a nd load mix configurations.

CueMix Console can be used independently of
host audio software, or together with it. CueMix
mixing dovetails with the direct monitoring
(hardware patch thru) features of your host audio
software, allowing you to seemlessly mix in both
environments. CueMix Console can also be
controlled from automated hardware control
surfaces such as the Mackie Control™.

Message center

Advantages of CueMix monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

CueMix Console installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Cuemix Console basic operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Working with a mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Copying & pasting (duplicating) entire mixes . . . . . . . . 68

Message center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

File menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Edit menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Phones menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Control Surfaces menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Stand-alone operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

CueMix Console examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Input name

Input scroll bar

Input mute/solo

Input pan

Input volume

Mix tabs

Input section

Figure 9-1: CueMix Console is a virtual mixer that gives you control over the 896HD’s on-board mixing features.

Solo indicator

Master mute
(enable/disable)

Mix output

Master fader

Output level

Grow box

65

ADVANTAGES OF CUEMIX MONITORING

CueMix Console provides several major
advantages over monitoring live inputs through
your host audio software:

At the 4x samples rates (176.4 and 192kHz),

CueMix DSP supports only two independent

monitor mixes, due to the extremely high

bandwidth demands of these sample rates.

■ CueMix has no buffer latency. Thanks to the

896HD’s DSP chip, CueMix provides the same
throughput performance as a digital mixer.

■ CueMix imposes absolutely 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 896HD to operate as a
portable, stand-alone mixer.

CueMix Console does not provide effects
processing. For information about using your
audio software’s native plug-ins together with
CueMix, see chapter 8, “Reducing Monitoring
Latency” (page 59).

CUEMIX CONSOLE INSTALLATION

CueMix Console is installed with the rest of your
896HD software.

CUEMIX CONSOLE BASIC OPERATION

The CueMix console is simple to operate, once you
understand these basic concepts.

Many inputs to one output pair

It might be useful to think of each mix as some

numbe r of inputs all mixed down to a stereo output

pair. CueMix Console lets you choose which inputs

to include in the mix, and it lets you specify the

level and pan for each input being fed into the mix.

Viewing one mix at a time

CueMix Console displays one mix at a time. To

select which mix you are viewing, click its tab at the

bottom of the window, as shown in Figure 9-1. The

mix name appears in the tab. Double-click the

name to change it.

Each mix is completely independent

Each mix has its own settings. Settings in one mix

will not affect another. For example, if an input is

used in one mix, it will still be available in other

mixes. In addition, inputs can have a different

volume, pan, mute and solo setting in each mix.

Widening the CueMix Console window

To v iew m or e input faders at once, drag the right-

hand edge of the window to the right.

WORKING WITH A MIX

Each mix has the following components:

Four mixes

CueMix provides four separate mixes: Mix1, Mix2,
Mix3 and Mix4. Each mix can have any number of
inputs mixed down to any 896HD output pair that
you choose. For example, Mix1 could go to the
headphones, Mix2 could go to the main outs, Mix3
could go to a piece of outboard gear connected to
analog outputs 7-8, etc.

66

■ A stereo output with master fader

■ Name

■ Master mute (to enable/disable the entire mix)

■ Any number of mono or stereo inputs

■ Pan, volume, mute and solo for each input

These elements are visually grouped together in the

lightly shaded area in the lower half of the CueMix

Console window.

CUEMIX CONSOLE

Viewing a mix

To v iew a mi x, click its tab at the bottom of the
window, as shown in Figure 9-1. The mix name
appears in the tab.

Naming a mix

Double-click the mix name in the tab.

Master mute

The master mute button (Figure 9-1) temporarily
disables (silences) the mix.

When using the MONITOR LEVEL knob to view

and modify the CueMix master fader levels, the

8-channel bank of programmable meters (to the

right of the analog input meters) displays the

output level for each mix bus as follows:

Programmable meter channels Mix bus

1-2 Mix1

3-4 Mix2

5-6 Mix3

Master fader

The master fader (Figure 9-1) 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.

Adjusting master faders from the front panel

Yo u c an ad j us t t he master fader level for each mix
using the MONITOR LEVEL knob on the 896HD
front panel. When you turn it, the analog input
meters (channels 1-4) temporarily display the
current volume setting for each mix. A few seconds
after you stop turning (or pushing) the knob, the
meters revert back to displaying analog input
levels.

The MONITOR LEVEL knob controls each
CueMix master fader as follows:

Action Result

Push the knob To view the current fader levels for all

Turn the knob To adjust the currently selected fader.

Push the knob again To cycle to the next mix bus. The

four CueMix busses.

(This is indicated by a flashing red
“over” LED at the top of the meter.)

flashing red “over” LED shows you
which bus you are adjusting.

7-8 Mix4

Output level meters

The OUT level meters show you the output for the

mix’s physical output, which may include audio

from your host audio software. The clip indicators

clear themselves after a few seconds.

Input section

The channel strips to the left of the master fader

represent each input in your 896HD. Use the input

scroll bar to view additional inputs.

Input mute/solo

To a dd an i nput to a mix, or remove it, click its

MUTE button. To solo it, use its SOLO button. To

toggle these buttons for a stereo pair, hold down

the control key while clicking either channel. The

Solo indicator LED (Figure 9-1) lights up when any

input is soloed (including inputs that may

currently be scrolled off-screen).

Input volume and pan

Use the input fader and pan knob (Figure 9-1) to

adjust these settings for the input in the mix. Again,

all settings within the gray-shaded channel strip

area belong to the mix currently being viewed.

Note that an input can have different settings in

different mixes.

CUEMIX CONSOLE

To a dj ust t he volu me or panning for a stereo input

pair, hold down the control key while dragging the

fader or knob for either the left or right input.

67

SHORTCUTS

Hold down the following modifier keys as
shortcuts:

Shortcut Result

Shift key Applies your action to all inputs in the mix.

Control key Applies your action to the stereo input pair

space bar Applies your action to all busses

Double-click Returns the control to its default value (pan

center, unity gain, etc.)

Save / Load

The Save and Load commands in the CueMix

Console File menu allow you to save 896HD

presets to and from your hard drive. This allows

you to save an unlimited number of 896HD presets

on disk. (Use the Load Preset and Save Preset

commands to get presets from — and save them to

— the 896HD itself.) Choose Save to save the

current configuration; choose Load to open an

existing configuration that you have previously

saved to disk.

COPYING & PASTING (DUPLICATING)
ENTIRE MIXES

To c op y and p aste the settings from one mix to
another:

1 Select the source mix (Figure 9-1) and choose
Copy from the file menu (or press control-C).

2 Choose the destination mix and choose Paste
from the file menu (or press control-V).

MESSAGE CENTER

The Message Center displays fly-over help for items
in the CueMix Console window. It also displays
messages regarding the overall operation of the
896HD.

FILE MENU

The CueMix Console File menu has the following
items.

Save Preset / Load Preset

The 896HD can store up to 16 presets in its on­board memory. A preset includes of all CueMix
DSP settings for all for mix busses, but it excludes
global settings like clock source and sample rate.

The Load Preset and Save Preset commands in the
CueMix Console file menu let you name, save and
load presets in the 896HD hardware.

Mix1 Return Includes Computer

The Mix1 return includes computer item in the

CueMix Console File menu refers to the Mix1 bus

that the 896HD driver provides as an input to host

audio software. This input source delivers the

output of CueMix DSP “MIX1” (the first mix bus of

the four on-board no-latency monitor mixes in the

896HD) back to your computer. This input serves,

for example, as a convenient way for you to record

the 896HD’s MIX1 monitor mix back into your

host audio software (for reference and archiving

purposes).

When the Mix1 return includes computer menu

item is checked, any audio being sent from your

audio software on the computer to the same output

as Mix1 will be included in the Mix1 return bus.

When it is uchecked, computer output is excluded.

This menu item is essentially a pre/post switch for

the computer audio insert to the stream of audio

going to Mix1’s 896HD output pair (and also back

to the computer).

EDIT MENU

The commands in the Edit menu let you copy and

paste entire mix bus settings. See “Copying &

pasting (duplicating) entire mixes” on page 68.

68

CUEMIX CONSOLE

PHONES MENU

The Phones menu allows you to choose what you
will hear on the headphone output, just like the
Phones setting the MOTU FireWire Audio
Console. However, this menu provides one extra
option that is exclusive to CueMix Console: Follow
Active Mix. This menu item, when checked, causes
the headphone output to mirror the output of the
current mix being viewed in CueMix Console. For
example, if you are currently viewing Mix3 (the
Mix3 tab is active), the headphones will mirror the
Mix3 output (whatever it is assigned to).

CONTROL SURFACES MENU

CueMix Console 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

Console 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 Console 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 Console
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 Console from the control

surface, just bring CueMix Console to the front

(make it the active application).

When this menu item is unchecked, your control

surface will affect CueMix Console all the time,

even when CueMix Console is not the front-most

application. In addition, you will not be able to

control other host audio software with the control

surface at any time (because CueMix Console

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.

Mackie Control Surfaces

CueMix Consol e includes support for the following

control surface products:

■ Mackie Control™

■ Mackie HUI™

■ Mackie Baby HUI™

Use the sub-menu commands in the Mackie

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 Console. 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 for configuring

CueMix Console for operation with your control

surface product.

CUEMIX CONSOLE

69

Figure 9-2: Refer to the ex tensive on-line help for details about config­uring CueMix Console for operation with your control surface
product.

Other control surface hardware products

If you install other control surface drivers written

for CueMix Console, they will appear as separate

menu items at the bottom of the Control Surfaces

menu, with the same sub-menu items described

above.

Radikal Technologies SAC-2.2

The Radikal Technologies SAC-2.2 can be used via
its HUI emulation mode. Just put the SAC-2.2
hardware into HUI emulation mode, and then
follow the CueMix Console on-line help
instructions (Figure 9-2) for HUI operation.
Consult the SAC-2.2 manual for details about how
put it into HUI emulation mode.

Other HUI-compatible control surfaces

Any control surface that has the ability to emulate a
HUI should be compatible with CueMix Console.
Just put the control surface hardware into HUI
emulation mode, and then follow the CueMix
Console on-line help instructions (Figure 9-2) for
HUI operation. Consult the manual for the control
surface for details about how put it into HUI
emulation mode.

70

CUEMIX CONSOLE

Figure 9-3: An example setup of a system that takes full advantage of CueMix DSP.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION

All settings, including all mix settings and global
settings, are saved in the 896HD’s memory, and
they remain in effect even when the 896HD is not
connected to a computer. This allows you to use the
896HD as a stand-alone 8-bus mixer. You can make
adjustments to the four mix bus master faders at
any time from the front panel.

CUEMIX CONSOLE EXAMPLES

Figure 9-3 shows some examples of how you can
use CueMix DSP:

■ Powe red speakers are connected to the 896HD

main outs. Any input can be routed directly to the
speakers.

■ Microphone input can be routed via CueMix

can be recorded into the computer either wet, dry

or both (via the effects processor return or the

direct mic input).

■ The ADAT optical connection provides 8

channels of 24-bit digital I/O to the digital mixer

(or 4 channels at 96kHz). Any device connected to

the 896HD can be routed to/from the mixer with

no latency. Conversely, any mixer channel can be

routed to any device connected to the 896HD with

no latency.

■ Another example of ADAT optical connectivity

is to use Giga Studio, and use CueMix DSP to route

Giga inputs directly to the powered monitors

connected to the 896HD for no-latency

monitoring of your Giga tracks.

DSP to the effects processor for live outboard
processing during recording. The resulting signal

CUEMIX CONSOLE

71

72

CUEMIX CONSOLE

CHAPTER

10 Performance Tips & Troubleshooting

Why does the start sound not play through the
896HD?

The 896HD will only playback audio at a sampling
rate of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192kHz.

The computer freezes when it starts up

If the computer is unable to boot up, it may be a
conflict with the WDM Driver. As soon as the
computer boots up, Windows will tr y and initialize
the WDM Driver. If this fails, your computer will
hang. To determine if the WDM Driver is the
problem, boot up in Safe Mode or remove the
MOTU Audio software with the Add/Remove
Programs Control Panel then restart. Reinstall the
896HD software and choose only to install the
MOTU FireWire ASIO driver, not the WDM
Driver. Restart again.

‘New hardware detected’ window

If you connect your 896HD before running the
896HD Software Installer CD, Windows will
prompt you that new hardware has been detected.
Cancel this, and run the 896HD Software Installer,
rather than allowing Windows to locate the drivers.

Audio in S ONAR speeds up or slows down

This could be caused by having incorrect SMPTE/
MTC Sync settings when you record audio into
Sonar. These settings are located in the Advanced
Tab i n t he Au d io Opti on s window, accessed from
Sonar’s Options menu. Make sure that you have the
SMPTE/MTC Sync set to “Trigger and Freewheel”
before recording audio while slaved to external
time code.

896HD inputs and outputs are not available in
SONAR

Make sure that the inputs and/or outputs that you
want to use are enabled in SONAR. Also run the
Wave Pr ofi ler in the Audio preferences dialog.

896HD inputs and outputs are not available in

Cubase

Make sure that the inputs and outputs are enabled

in Cubase.

Sound Forge and ‘Smooth Scroll’

If the Smooth Scroll option under the Options

menu is turned on, you may experience clicks and

pops or other anomalies in the audio playback.

This gets worse as you zoom in more to the

waveform while playing. For the best quality

playback, turn this option off.

No input from an ADAT

If you are having trouble recording on your ADAT

from the 896HD, check the Digital input setting.

After power cycling, tape decks often come up

configured to record from their analog inputs. You

won't be able to record from the 896HD to a tape

deck until it is switched to digital input.

Clicks and pops under word clock sync

Many problems result from incorrect word

clocking. It is essential that all digital devices in the

system be word locked. Consult chapter 4,

“Installing the 896HD Hardware” (page 17) for

detailed information on how to word clock your

gear. Whenever there is any weird noise or

distortion, suspect incorrect word lock.

Clicks and pops under ADAT Sync

Sometimes, the ADAT sync cable seems to be

plugged into the 896HD, and partially works - but

it isn’t really all the way in. This can cause clicks

when slaved to ADAT 9-pin. Make sure the cable is

seated firmly.

73

Clicks and pops due to hard drive problems

If you have checked your clock settings sync cable
connections and you are still getting clicks and
pops in your audio, you may have a drive related
problem. Set the 896HD Clock Source to Internal
and try recording just using the analog inputs and
outputs of the 896HD. If you encounter the same
artifacts you may want try using another drive in
your computer. Clicks and pops can also occur
when the drive is severely fragmented, the disk
drivers are outdated, or if you are using a SCSI
accelerator that is not optimally configured for
working with audio.

Connecting or powering gear during operation

It is not recommended that you connect/
disconnect, or power on/off devices connected to
the 896HD while recording or playing back audio.
Doing so may cause a brief glitch in the audio.

Monitoring - How to monitor inputs?

Please refer to the documentation for the audio
application that you are using. If your application
does not support input monitoring, you will need
to use the 896HD’s hardware-based CueMix DSP
monitoring feature. Please see chapter 8,
“Reducing Monitoring Latency” (page 59).

No optical inputs or outputs are available in host
audio application

Check to make sure you have the desired optical
inputs and/or outputs enabled in the MOTU
FireWire Audio Console.

your card, you’ll be placed on our mailing list for

free software updates and information about new

products.

REPLACING DISKS

If your 896HD installer CD becomes damaged and

fails to provide you with fresh, working copies of

the program, our Customer Support Department

will be glad to replace it. You can request a

replacement disc by calling our business office at

[phone] and asking for the customer serv ice

department.

TECH NICAL SU PPOR T

If you are unable, with your dealer’s help, to solve

problems you encounter with the 896HD system,

you may contact our technical support department

in one of the following ways:

■ Te ch support hotline: [phone] (Monday

through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm EST)

■ Te ch sup p or t 24-hour fax line: [phone]

■ Te ch sup p or t email: [e-mail]

■ We b s ite: www.motu.com

Please provide the following information to help us

solve your problem as quickly as possible:

■ The serial number of the 896HD system. This is

printed on a sticker placed on the bottom of the

896HD rack unit. You must be able to supply this

number to receive technical support.

Controlling monitoring latency

See chapter 8, “Reducing Monitoring Latency”
(page 59).

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

We a re happy to provide customer support to our
registered users. If you haven’t already done so,
please take a moment to complete the registration
card included with your 896HD. When we receive

74

■ Software version numbers for the audio software

you are using, the MOTU FireWire Audio WDM

Driver, MOTU FireWire ASIO driver, etc.

■ A brief explanation of the problem, including the

exact sequence of actions which cause it, and the

contents of any er ror messages w hich appear on the

screen.

PERFORMANCE TIPS & TROUBLESHOOTING

02R mixer 27

connecting 20
115V/220V switch 6
1394 connector 6, 11, 17
192kHz operation 36
2408

software installation
2408mk3

Word Clock In setting
24-bit

3rd party software

optical 6, 10

recording 12
24i/o

Word Clock In setting
828

connecting
896HD

expansion

input/output summary 10

installing 17

rear panel overview 9

summary of features 9

Wave driver 53
896HD tab 35

A

Aardvark Aard Sync 32
ADAT

metering

sync 26
ADAT 9-pin 10, 37
ADAT IN/OUT LEDs 5
ADAT lightpipe 27
ADAT optical 6, 10

clock source setting 38

connecting 18

syncing with 37
ADAT Optical Input/Output 7
ADAT Sync 10

connector 6

sample-accurate 23, 24, 25

sync setting 37
adjusting bus levels 5
AES In option (sample rate conversion) 40
AES Out ÷ 2 option 40
AES Out slave to AES in 31
AES Out slave to AES in option 40
AES Out x 2 / AES Out ÷ 2 31
AES Out x 2 option 40
AES/EBU 6, 10

clock source setting 37

clocking 30

connecting to 18

metering 5

Meters 7

synchronization 28
AES/EBU Meters option 41
Analog

input meters

input/output summary 10

inputs/outputs 6

INDEX

33

5

15

37

57

37

34

5

making connections to 18
metering 11
out LED 5
output metering 5

Analog inputs/outputs

trimming in Digital Performer

ASIO 12, 15, 16, 43

ASIO 2.0 option 50

ASIO Control Panel button 35
Audio

bit resolution

AudioDesk

sync settings

B

Balanced analog 18
Bias Peak 12
Buffer Size 38

C

CakeWalk 12
Clip Hold Time 7, 41
Clipping 5
Clock

192kHz operation

Clock source 7, 21, 37

other audio interfaces 38

Clock status LEDs 5
Condenser mic input 5
Configure interface 33
Connecting multiple 896HDs 33
Control Panel (MOTU 828) 35
Control Strip module (828) 35
Control surface support 69
Converters 6
Cubase 12

enabling the 828 ASIO driver 55
Optical input/output 45
synchronization 49
using a foot switch 51, 57

Cubase SX

896HD settings

CueMix Console 62, 65
CueMix DSP 5, 11, 62

output jacks 6

CueMix Plus

output jacks
volume control 5

Customer service contact info 74
Customer support 74

D

DAT

connecting

Digital mixer

connecting

Digital Performer

clock source
sample rate 44, 54
sync settings 24, 25

Digital Timepiece 24
Disable Interface 7
Disable Interface option 41
Disable interface option 34

36

24, 25

36

7

18

19

20

44, 54

Disable option 34
Disk

getting a replacement

Drivers

47, 56

installation

E

Enable full Wave support 7, 39
Enable Multi Channel Wave Synchroniza-

Enable multichannel wave synchroniza-

Expansion 33

F

Feedback loops 46, 56
FireWire 11

connecting 17

connector 6
Follow Active Mix 69
Foot pedal

connecting
Foot switch 11, 39

3rd party software 51, 57

configuring 7

connecting 19

jack 5
Force 1x word out rate 32
Force 44.1/48kHz 11
Forget button 34
Front panel 5

G

General tab 35
GSIF Driver 15
GSIF driver 16
Guitar

connecting

H

HD192

Word Clock In setting
Headphone jack 5, 11
Headphone output 11
Headphones

connecting

controlling output 40

I

Input gain 11
Input level meters 5
Inputs

analog

optical 6
Installation 15

hardware 17

software 15
Internal (sync setting) 37

L

Latency 11, 38, 39, 44, 54, 59, 61, 62

w/3rd party software 57
LEDs 11
Level meters

tion

tion

6

15

7

40

19

19

19

74

37

75

configuring 41
Lightpipe 27
Logic Audio 12

M

Mackie worksurfaces 69
Main outs 10

jacks 6

making connections to 18

metering 5

volume 5
Main volume 5
Metering 11
Metering options 41
Mic inputs

connecting

phantom power 5
Mic preamps 10
Mic/line inputs 18
MIDI Machine Control 22, 23
MIDI Time Code sync 22
MIDI Timepiece AV 24
Mix1 1-2

Cubase/Nuendo

Sonar 56
Mix1 return includes computer 68
Mixing

using an external mixer
MMC 22, 23
Monitor level 5
Monitor Level knob 5
Monitoring 11, 60

thru main outs 18

w/3rd party software 57
MOTU

Digital Timepiece

MIDI Timepiece AV 24
MOTU 828 Control Strip module 35
MOTU Audio System

bit resolution
MOTU FireWire Audio

ASIO driver
MOTU FireWire Audio Console 35

opening in Cubase/Nuendo 7
MTC sync 22
Multichannel wave synchronization 40

N

Neutrik™ connectors 18
Nuendo

896HD settings

Optical input/output 45

synchronization 49

O

Optical

connectors

enabling/disabling 40

overview 10

sync 27
Optimization 62
Outputs

analog

optical 6

19

46

24

36

16

7

6, 18

6

76

18

Over LEDs 5

P

Packing list 13
Patch thru

latency

PCI-324

Peak 12
Peak Hold Time 7, 41
Pedal 11, 19, 39

Performance 62
Phantom power 5, 10, 18
Phase-lock 21
Phones 5, 7, 40

Phones 1-2

Phones menu 69
Power supply 6
Programmable Meters 7
Programmable meters option 41
Punch in/out 11

R

Registration 13

S

Sample rate 7, 36

Sample Rate Conversion 7
Sample rate conversion 29
Sample Rate Conversion option 40
Sample-accurate sync 10, 23, 24, 25, 50
Samplers

Samples Per Buffer 38, 61
Samples per buffer 7, 38, 44, 54
SMPTE sync 21, 22, 26
Software installation 15
Sonar 53

Sound control panel

Sound Manager 12

Studio setup (example) 19
Sync

Synchronization 21

Synths

System requirements

39, 62

Wave driver

3rd party software 51, 57
configuring 7
jack 5

Digital Performer 45
Sonar 55

Cubase/Nuendo

192kHz operation 36
LEDs 5

connecting

Optical input/output 55

rate (bit resolution)

bit resolution 36

sample-accurate

3rd party software 57
Cubase 49
Nuendo 49

connecting

minimum
recommended computer 12, 13

16

48

19

36

23, 24, 25

19

13

T

Tascam

Sync
Tech support contact info 74
Technical support 74
Trim (input) 11
Troubleshooting

U

Unbalanced analog 18

V

Video sync 21, 26
Volume

Volume knob 11
VST 12

W

Wave driver 16, 53
WDM driver 53
Word clock 11, 21, 26, 31

Word Clock In setting 37
Word Out 41
Word out 7

X

XLR connectors 18

Y

Yamaha 02R

Yamaha 02R mixer 27

26

feedback loop

headphone

2x or one-half x 32

connectors 6

sync setting 37

connecting

46, 56

11

20

INDEX