M-audio FIREWIRE 1814 user guide
M-Audio FireWire 1814 - Users Manual
1 Introduction
2 What’s in the Box
3 About the FireWire 1814
4 FireWire 1814 Features
5 Minimum System Requirements
• Windows
• Mac OS
6 Controls and Connectors
• Front Panel Diagram
• Front Panel Descriptions
• Rear Panel Diagram
• Rear Panel Descriptions
7 Driver Installation
• Windows XP
• Windows 2000
• Mac OS X
• Mac OS 9
8 Hardware Connections
• Audio
• MIDI
9 The Software Control Panel
• Global Menus
• Mixer Page
• Output Page
• Hardware Page
• About Page
10 Using the FireWire 1814
• Monitoring Live Playback
• Using the Headphone Source Selector
• Setting Up Your Recording Levels
• Monitoring Your Inputs for Recording
• General Recording Instructions
• Setting the Sample Rate
• Adding Effects While Direct Monitoring
• Using the Aux Send as a Separate Monitor Mix
• Using the Level Controller Assignments
11 Troubleshooting
12 Contact Us
13 Product Specs
14 Default Mixer and Output Configuration Settings
15 Warranty Terms & Registration
1 Introduction
Thank you for choosing the M-Audio FireWire 1814. The FireWire 1814 has been
designed to give you a professional, portable audio and MIDI interface for your laptop or
desktop computer. Using the convenience and dependability of the IEEE 1394
(FireWire) bus, the FireWire 1814 provides your computer with a high-performance,
high-resolution multi-channel interface, as well as sixteen channels of MIDI in and
out—all in a rugged, lightweight, and highly portable design.
The FireWire 1814 was created with the home or portable studio enthusiast in mind. Two
high-quality microphone/instrument preamps, a total of eight analog inputs, plus ADAT
Lightpipe and S/PDIF I/O give unprecedented recording and playback capacity that can be
configured for your particular setup. Its front-panel headphone outputs boast high
efficiency, low distortion amplifiers that deliver the power and volume you need in the
studio or on stage. Dedicated level controls for monitors and headphones help you stay on
top of your mix no matter what is going on around you. Selectable headphone monitoring
sources make the FireWire 1814 a perfect choice for the mobile DJ setup as well.
Even if you’re an experienced sound recordist, please take some time to read through
this owner’s manual and familiarize yourself with the FireWire 1814’s features and
operation. You may also want to refer to your audio software’s documentation to better
understand how the FireWire 1814’s features may be integrated with the program. Your
experience and enjoyment of your FireWire 1814 will be greatly enhanced by a good
working knowledge of your audio software.
2 What’s in the Box
Your FireWire 1814 package contains the following:
FireWire 1814 mobile recording interface
Breakout cable for MIDI, coaxial S/PDIF and word clock I/O
CD-ROM containing driver software and user manual in PDF format
Printed QuickStart Guide
CD-ROM containing Reason Adapted software
CD-ROM containing Delta Live 2.1.2 software
Pro Sessions Sampler CD-ROM
1 meter 6-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cable
1 meter 4-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cable
2 screws for rack tray mounting
12VDC 1000mA power supply
3 About the FireWire 1814
A single IEEE 1394 cable connects the FireWire 1814 to your computer’s FireWire port.
If your PC is not equipped with a native FireWire port, you may purchase a FireWire PCI
card at any computer electronics retailer (On Macs, the FireWire 1814 should only be
used with native FireWire ports).
IMPORTANT: The FireWire 1814 comes with both a high quality six-pin to six-pin
FireWire cable and a four-pin to six-pin FireWire cable. We strongly suggest that you
use one of these cables, or one of equal quality, for optimum audio performance. Your
computer is equipped with either a six-pin or a four-pin interface, while the connector
on the FireWire 1814 is six-pin. The FireWire 1814 requires a six-pin FireWire
connection in order to receive bus power; if your computer has a four-pin connection,
you will need to use the supplied power adapter.
(NOTE: Some computer manufacturers may use a different nomenclature to refer to
their FireWire connections, such as Sony’s “iLink,” or simply “1394” — when in doubt,
consult the owner’s manual for your computer.)
IMPORTANT - IEEE 1394 “FireWire” Users :
Reports have come to our attention of isolated problems when hot-plugging IEEE
1394 (aka “FireWire”) devices. Hot-plugging refers to making 1394/FireWire
connections when one or more of the devices is turned on (including the computer).
There are rare occurrences when, after hot-plugging, either the FireWire peripheral or
the host computers FireWire port are rendered permanently inoperable. While M-Audio
products adhere rigidly to the FireWire industry standard and pass stringent internal
testing, the possibility remains that hot-plugging your M-Audio FireWire interface to
some computers may result in the this type of problem.
We strongly encourage you to protect your equipment by refraining from hotplugging any bus-powered FireWire device, including the M-Audio family of
FireWire products. Connect your FireWire device while both the computer and
FireWire device are powered off. Power on the FireWire device, then turn the
computer on last. If you are using bus power (system with IEEE1394 6-pin connectors)
make sure you make the cable connection first, then turn the FireWire device power
switch on, and turn the computer system on last.
M-Audio is being proactive in investigating any issues that may adversely affect our
customers. Please consult the Knowledge Base in the Support section at
www.m-audio.com for updates on this important issue.
In case your M-Audio FireWire device is not detected by your computer on startup, try
one or more of the following troubleshooting steps instead of hot-plugging it:
1. Turn your M-Audio FireWire device off, wait 30 seconds then power it on.
2. Put your computer into hibernation mode, wait 30 seconds then reactivate it.
3. Restart the computer (don’t turn it off) while the M-Audio FireWire device remains
connected and powered on.
The FireWire 1814 is equipped with eight analog inputs on unbalanced 1/4” TS jacks
and four analog outputs on balanced/unbalanced 1/4” TRS jacks. Optical TOSLink
connectors are capable of handling 8-channel ADAT Lightpipe format signals, 4-channel
S/MUX signals, or 2-channel PCM signals. 2 channels of PCM S/PDIF are also available
on coaxial connectors. That makes the FireWire 1814 a sixteen-input, twelve-output
audio interface capable of high-quality analog and digital I/O in full 24-bit resolution, at
sampling rates up to 192kHz for recording and playback. The S/PDIF digital output also
supports pass-through of AC-3 and DTS encoded multi-channel digital audio (Windows
and Mac OS X 10.3 only). Two standard MIDI connectors also give you sixteen channels
of MIDI I/O, while word clock I/O on standard BNC connectors gives you additional
synchronization options for your digital audio transfers.
NOTE: Only analog inputs 1 & 2 provide 192kHz recording. All other inputs are capable
of 96kHz recording. All analog outputs will play back up to 192kHz sampling rate. Digital
PCM audio over coaxial S/PDIF I/O can record and playback at up to 96kHz sampling
rate. Digital PCM audio over optical S/PDIF I/O can record and playback at up to 48kHz
sampling rate.
The FireWire 1814’s easy-to-use software Control Panel provides you with powerful
routing and mixing control, creating a virtual twelve-channel output matrix for your audio
software. You can route any combination of inputs to the analog outputs, while each
mixer channel supports a virtual aux send for unprecedented flexibility. You can take
advantage of ultra-low latency software monitoring with built-in ASIO drivers, and near-
zero-latency direct hardware monitoring.
Alternative to the ADAT capabilities, the optical input and output can also be configured
individually as S/PDIF ports via your software Control Panel. This allows you to
customize your FireWire 1814 specifically for the devices that you will be connecting to
it. The available channels in your mixer respond to the setup you have chosen, adjusting
from the simplest setup to the most complex.
Two headphone outputs are provided on the front panel with dedicated rotary level
controls. The front panel A/B selector switch is designed to give you control over your
input monitoring, or give you immediate access to selectable stereo monitor
sources—you make the choice from the software Control Panel. The main front panel
rotary encoder can be assigned via the Control Panel to adjust a variety of software or
hardware levels, while the FireWire 1814 can be powered via the FireWire bus for total
portability.*
*Bus powered six-pin FireWire connection only. Use the DC power adapter for four-pin FireWire operation.
Mounting the device to a rack drawer
Holes are located on the left and right of the bottom of the FireWire 1814. You can use
the included screws to mount this device to a rack tray as shown below. The FireWire
1814 is mountable on either the left or right side of the drawer. If you choose to mount the
device to a rack tray, you must first remove the rubber pads from the base of the unit.
4 FireWire 1814 Features
8 unbalanced analog 1/4” TS inputs
4 balanced/unbalanced analog 1/4” TRS outputs
1 x 1 ADAT Optical Lightpipe I/O; ADAT Optical is S/MUX-compatible for 4-
channel 96kHz operation
1 x 1 Coaxial or Optical S/PDIF operation. Output signal will be mirrored on both
S/PDIF ports
high-quality mic/instrument preamps on XLR/1/4” Neutrik jacks have individual
gain control, signal/clip LEDs and 20dB pad, with global phantom power
main output Level controller is assignable to various groups of channel faders via
the Control Panel
independent headphone outputs with rotary encoder level controls
front panel A/B selector switch with status indicator LED; can be assigned as a
direct monitor on/off switch (default) or headphone source switch
versatile mixer/router Control Panel provides near-zero latency hardware direct
monitoring
extremely low-latency hardware/drivers
MIDI I/O on standard 5-pin DIN connectors
word clock I/O on standard BNC connectors
DE15F connector and sturdy breakout cable for word clock, MIDI, and coaxial
S/PDIF
Signal present LED indicators for analog I/O
Valid data LEDs for optical and coaxial S/PDIF I/O, plus ADAT valid data LEDs
two 6-pin FireWire ports
power on/off switch with indicator LED
frequency response: 192kHz: +/- 1 dB, 22Hz – 80kHz; 96kHz: +/- 0.5 dB, 22Hz –
40kHz; 48kHz: +/- 0.1dB, 22Hz – 22kHz
Max. SNR and dynamic range (A-weighted): 105dB ADC, 107dB DAC
THD + N: <0.00301% (-90.5dB)
analog sampling rates – 44.1kHz to 192kHz for analog input 1/2 and all analog
outputs (44.1kHz to 96kHz input on channels 3-8)
digital sampling rates (kHz) – 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 for coaxial S/PDIF in and
out, 44.1 and 48 for optical S/PDIF I/O; ADAT I/O is 44.1, 48, or 88.2, 96 in
S/MUX mode
driver support for ASIO 2.0, MME, WDM, GSIF 2.0, Sound Manager, Core
Audio and MIDI
bus-powered* or powered via included DC power adapter
*6-Pin FireWire port required for bus-powered operation. (Note that some 6-Pin PCMCIA
cards do not supply power)
5 Minimum System Requirements*
IMPORTANT: The FireWire 1814 is supported under Windows XP and Windows 2000 —
it is not supported under Windows 98, 98SE or Windows ME. Also, when running under
Windows 2000, you must be running Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later. For Windows XP, you
must be running Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later. Visit the Windows update web pages to
make certain you have the most current updates and fixes supplied by Microsoft.
On the Mac, the FireWire 1814 is supported under Mac OS 9.2.2, and Mac OS X version
10.2.8 or later. Earlier versions of Mac operating systems are not supported.
Windows:
Pentium 3 – 800 MHz (higher speed CPU may be necessary for Laptops)
256 MB RAM
DirectX 9.0b or higher
Windows XP (SP1); Windows 2000 (SP4) or higher (Windows 98, 98SE, Me &
NT not supported)
Mac OS:
Macintosh G3** 800 / G4** 733MHz (higher speed may be necessary for
Laptops)
OS 9.2.2 w/ 256MB RAM
OS X 10.2.8 w/ 256MB RAM
OS X 10.3 or greater w/ 512MB RAM
* M-Audio suggests that you also check the minimum system requirements for your
software, as they may greater than the above.
** G3/G4 accelerator cards not supported; native FireWire ports required.
6 Controls and Connectors
Front Panel
Front Panel Descriptions
1. Mic/Inst Inputs – These Neutrik hybrid connectors will accept a low-impedance
mic level signal on a standard three-pin balanced XLR or TRS plug, or a highimpedance instrument level signal on an unbalanced 1/4” TS plug.
2. Mic/Line Selector – This switch toggles the unit between the front panel Mic/Inst
inputs and the rear panel Line Inputs. Set to the OUT position, the Mic/Inst inputs
are selected and active, and the Line Inputs are defeated; Set to the IN position,
the Line Inputs are selected and active, and the Mic/Inst Inputs are defeated.
3. Pad – With this switch in the IN position, a 20dB pad is inserted into the input
circuit, lowering the mic or instrument input level. Use this PAD when the input
level of your analog signal is too hot – as indicated by illumination of the CLIP LED
– even with the INPUT GAIN LEVEL at or near minimum.
4. Input Gain Level – This potentiometer controls the input level of its associated
analog Mic/Instrument input. When the Mic/Instrument Input is in use, the variable
gain range is >40dB.
5. Signal and Clip Indicator LEDs – The Signal LED indicates the presence of an audio
signal at the associated Mic/Inst input, and will light when signals reach levels of
–30 dB or higher. The Clip LED will light when the signal is 1dB below the clipping
point. If the Clip LED lights often or stays lit for any period of time, lower the Input
Gain Level on that channel.
6. Headphone Outputs 1 & 2 – These jacks accept standard 1/4” stereo TRS headphone
plugs. Each headphone output has an associated level controller to control listening level.
Only headphone output 1 will respond to the A/B source selection, when the A/B selector
switch is configured for headphone source selection (see the “Hardware Page” section, “A/B
Source Switching” for more information, and also “Using the A/B Selector Switch”). When
using at 192kHz sampling rate outputs 1 & 2 are monitored in Headphone 1 while outputs 3
& 4 are monitored in Headphone 2.
7. Headphone Output Level 1 & 2 – These rotary encoders control the levels of the
individual headphone outputs. These controls are independent of output levels.
8. S/PDIF Input and Output Indicator LEDs – The green S/PDIF In LED will glow
steadily to indicate the presence of a valid S/PDIF signal at the active S/PDIF
input. The green S/PDIF Out LED will glow steadily to indicate the presence of a
valid S/PDIF signal at the S/PDIF output(s). The active S/PDIF input is selected in
the Control Panel, with coaxial S/PDIF being the default selection.
NOTE: When S/PDIF is selected for the digital output port, S/PDIF signals will be sent to
both the optical and coaxial outputs.
9. ADAT Input and Output Indicator LEDs – The green ADAT In LED will glow
steadily to indicate the presence of a valid ADAT signal at the optical input. The
green ADAT Out LED will glow steadily to indicate the presence of a valid ADAT
signal at the optical output.
10. Line Input and Output Indicator LEDs – The green Line Input LEDs will light at 30dB and above. The green Line Output LEDs will light at -60dB and above.
11. A/B Status Indicator LED – This LED indicates the currently selected mode of the
A/B Switch. LED off = A, and LED on = B. In its default setting, the A/B switch
controls Direct Monitoring On/Off, but may be configured as a headphone source
switch (see the “Hardware Page” section, “A/B Source Switching” for more information, and
also “Using the A/B Selector Switch).
12. A/B Selector Switch – This momentary switch turns Direct Monitoring on and off, and may
be used manually or controlled by ASIO Direct Monitoring (see your audio application’s
documentation). LED off (A) = DM off, and LED on (B) = DM on. This switch can also be
programmed to select the monitor source sent to the headphone outputs, in conjunction with
the Headphone Source settings on the hardware page of the Control Panel.
13. Level Controller – The Level controller is a rotary encoder that is set by default to
control the output level of the FireWire 1814’s analog outputs. It can be assigned to
any group of mixer or output faders in the FireWire 1814’s software Control Panel.
The available selections are:
A. SW Return Bus – Levels of sw rtn 1-4
B. Output – Levels of analog 1/2 out; this is the default selection
C. Input – Levels of the eight analog, eight ADAT, or L/R S/PDIF digital inputs
D. Aux Send – Levels of the L and R virtual Aux Send buses
14. Power LED – The Blue Power LED glows steadily when power is applied to the
FireWire 1814.
15. Power Switch – This push-on, push-off power switch turns the FireWire 1814 on
and off.
16. Phantom Power LED – The red phantom power indicator LED will light solid when the
Phantom Power Switch is in the “in” position, sending phantom power to both XLR mic input
channels 1 & 2.
17. Phantom Power Switch – This push-on, push-off switch turns the phantom power on
and off.
Rear Panel
Rear Panel Descriptions
18. Power Supply Connector – Connect the 12VDC 1000mA power supply to this
jack when using the FireWire 1814 with a four-pin FireWire connection. Use only
the power supply provided with the unit or a power supply of an equivalent quality,
with a positive center pin.
19. MIDI – S/PDIF – Word Clock Connector – Connect the 15-pin male end of the
breakout cable included with your FireWire 1814 to this DE15F female connector.
This will provide you with the necessary connections for MIDI (standard 5-pin DIN
connectors), coaxial S/PDIF (RCA jacks), and word clock (BNC connectors).
20. FireWire Connectors – Dual FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports allow you to connect one
to your computer and the other to an external device. We recommend connecting
only self-powered devices to these inputs. Bus-powered devices may affect your
audio performance.
NOTE: The FireWire 1814 provides two 6-pin FireWire ports for your convenience. One port is used
for connection to the host computer. The second port allows other peripheral devices to connect to
the host through the FireWire 1814. The FireWire 1814 can receive bus-power from the host
computer, but cannot supply bus-power to an additional FireWire device using the secondary
FireWire port. You must use a power supply with your secondary FireWire device.
21. ADAT - S/PDIF Optical In and Out Connectors – ADAT Optical or S/PDIF digital
input and output are provided on optical TOSLink connectors. ADAT vs. S/PDIF
operation can be controlled from the software Control Panel.
22. Line Outputs 1–4 – These are balanced/unbalanced analog outputs on 1/4” TRS
jacks with signal up to 2.0dBV unbalanced and 8.0dBV (10.2dBu) balanced line
level. When two-channel stereo audio, the signal being monitored are routed
outputs 1 and 2 by default; any or all analog output pairs may be selected in the
FireWire 1814’s Control Panel. You may also use the four outputs to send
individual or grouped channels to a mixing console.
23. Line Inputs 1–8 – These are unbalanced analog inputs on 1/4” TS jacks operating
at signals up to 2.1dBV line level. Line inputs 1 and 2 are active only when the front
panel “Mic/Line” selector switches are set to “Line.”
24. Kensington® Lock Connector – This connector is compatible with Kensington®
security cables to protect your device from theft.
7 Driver Installation
Windows XP & 2000
NOTE: Do NOT connect the FireWire 1814 to your computer before you have run the
installer application and shut down your computer. If you are going to use bus power, we
recommend that you connect the FireWire cable before turning on the power button.
For the FireWire 1814 to function properly, you need to have installed Service Pack 1 or
higher if using Windows XP, or Service Pack 4 if using Windows 2000. To install a
Service Pack, please consult http://www.microsoft.com for instructions.
Additionally, you’ll need Direct X 9.0b or higher. The FireWire 1814 driver installer will
detect whether or not you have the proper version of Direct X installed. If you need to
upgrade, you will be prompted to do so. DirectX 9.0b can be found on the included
driver CD-ROM.
During the course of installation, messages about the Microsoft Digital Signature for the
driver will appear. Microsoft tests drivers to ensure they work properly with their
operating systems. While driver signing makes installation and operation more
streamlined, it is not a necessity for a device to function properly with the operating
system. Currently, M-Audio’s FireWire drivers are not digitally signed. However, M-Audio
is committed to providing the best possible drivers for our products and we constantly
evaluate and test our drivers to ensure that they work properly. As a result, there is no
need to worry about the driver not being signed.
Insert the Driver CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. From the Start menu,
select “Run…” then click the Browse button. Browse to the CD drive, locate the
“FireWire 1814” folder, then select the FireWire 1814 installer from within that folder.
Double click on the installer icon to begin the installation.
Verify that you have no other programs running, and then click “Next” to begin the installation.
After you’ve read the license agreement, please click the “I accept...” circle if you agree
to the terms. Then click “Next” to continue.
Click “Install” to continue.
The installer will prompt you to enable DVD/CD performance enhancement settings. In
most cases, you should leave these in their default (selected) settings. While Windows is
most likely already configured in this way, these settings will ensure that you will be able
to hear your DVD/CD player’s playback through the FireWire 1814. Click “Next.”
During the installation, you will be prompted with a message warning that the driver
software has not passed Windows Logo testing. Select “Continue Anyway” and proceed
with the installation.
Once the installer has finished copying the files, you will see the Installation Complete
screen. You will then be prompted to shut down your computer. Click “Finish” to proceed.
After the computer has powered off, connect the FireWire 1814 to your computer’s
FireWire port and power it on. Once the FireWIre 1814 is connected, turn on your
computer. Once Windows has loaded, the New Hardware Wizard will open. Choose the
default selection, “Install the software automatically.” Click “Next.” Windows will locate
and install the FireWire 1814 Bootloader files.
During the installation, you will be prompted with a message warning that the driver
software has not passed Windows Logo testing. Select “Continue Anyway” and proceed
with the installation.
The New Hardware Wizard will run a second time to install the FireWire 1814 driver
software. Choose the default selection, “Install the software automatically.” Click “Next.”
You will again be prompted by the “Windows Logo testing” notice. Again, click “Continue
Anyway” and proceed with the installation.
Click “Finish” to complete the installation. Your FireWire 1814 is now ready to use.
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