M-audio PROJECTMIX i/o user guide
Control Surface with Motorized Faders and 18 x 14 Audio Interface
User Guide
English
To access the multi-language version of this manual, please refer to the Driver CD, or visit the Support section of
www.m-audio.com to download the latest edition.
EnglishFrançais
Pour accéder à la version multi-languages de ce manuel, veuillez vous référer au CD des pilotes ou visiter la section
Assistance de notre site internet www.m-audio.fr pour télécharger la dernière version.
Das Benutzerhandbuch in weiteren Sprachen finden Sie auf der Treiber CD oder besuchen Sie den Support-Bereich auf
unserer Internetseite www.m-audio.com um sich die neueste Version des Handbuches herunterzuladen.
Deutsch
Para acceder a la versión multi-lenguaje de este manual, por favor búsquela en el CD de drivers o visite la sección de
soporte de www.m-audio.com para descargar la más reciente edición.
Español
Per accedere alla versione multi-lingua di questo manuale, si prega di fare riferimento al CD dei Driver oppure visitare la
sezione Support del sito www.m-audio.com <http://www.m-audio.com> per poter scaricare l' ultima edizione disponibile.
Italiano
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日本語
ートセクションからダウンロードすることもできます。
CD-ROM
に収録されています。また
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のサポ
© 2005 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change
without notice. Avid, Pro Tools, and M-Audio are registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other
trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. The third party control surfaces and audio software applications
identified in this manual are mentioned solely to identify the optimal settings for the ProjectMix I/O. The manufacturers of these products are
in no way associated with M-Audio or Avid Technology, Inc.
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
What's in the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
About ProjectMix I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Features and Technical Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mac OS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Controls and Connectors Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Controls and Connectors Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Hardware Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The FireWire Audio Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Inputs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Outputs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Mixer Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Output Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hardware Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Global Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
About Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Control Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Control Surface Modes and Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Pro Tools Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
How the ProjectMix I/O Control Surface Works with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cubase Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How the ProjectMix I/O Control Surface Works with Cubase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Logic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
How the ProjectMix I/O Control Surface Works with Logic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SONAR Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Live 5 Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Digital Performer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using MIDI Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Do I Need To Change the MIDI Settings? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
MIDI Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Reprogramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Installing and Running the ProjectMix Control Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mac OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using ProjectMix Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Downloading Current Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
The Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Changing MIDI Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Uploading Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Updating Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
ProjectMix I/O User Guide
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the M-Audio® ProjectMix I/O FireWire audio interface and control surface. The ProjectMix I/O is designed
to be a complete all-in-one recording and mixing interface for your computer-based digital audio workstation. Its integrated design features
a high-resolution, multi-channel interface based on M-Audio’s popular FireWire audio technology combined with a versatile, ergonomically
designed control surface.
The ProjectMix I/O analog mic and line inputs, as well as the ADAT and S/PDIF inputs and outputs provide a high-resolution, 24 bit audio
“front end” for your digital audio workstation. This allows you to record up to sixteen channels of analog audio at 24-bit/48kHz resolution
from your choice of line, microphone or digital sources, while outputting twelve independent audio streams from the host computer. The
unique control surface of the ProjectMix I/O features nine touch-sensitive motorized faders, a set of transport and multi-function controls, a
scrub/shuttle wheel, and a bank of encoder knobs supported by a detailed, backlit LCD which give you direct, immediate communication
with your audio software.
The ProjectMix I/O offers a host of useful features and functions, so to get the most out of your new machine we recommend you read
through this manual before starting your work. While many of the ProjectMix features may be obvious just by looking at the unit, there are
many useful underlying functions that you should be aware of before you start. This manual will show you how to connect the ProjectMix I/O
to your studio equipment, how to use the driver software and how to configure the unit for use with your specific Digital Audio Workstation
(DAW) software.
We suggest you pay particular attention to the special sections in this manual that cover your DAW software. In addition, you may also want
to refer to your software's documentation for a clear understanding of how certain features of the ProjectMix I/O are integrated. A thorough
knowledge of your own DAW software will make using your new ProjectMix I/O an exciting and successful experience.
What's in the Box
Before you begin setting up your ProjectMix I/O, please check that the following equipment was included in your box:
< M-Audio ProjectMix I/O
< 6-Pin-to-6-Pin FireWire Cable
< 6-Pin-to-4-Pin FireWire Cable
< External Power Supply
< M-Audio FireWire Series CD-ROM (includes drivers, documentation, and control panel application)
< Printed Quick Start Guide
About ProjectMix I/O
The ProjectMix I/O features a professional quality FireWire audio interface which is capable of 16 simultaneous inputs and 12 simultaneous
outputs. It offers eight mic inputs with high-quality preamps and phantom power, eight line inputs, four line outputs, eight channels of ADAT
lightpipe I/O, and coaxial S/PDIF I/O. In addition to professional features like word clock I/O, the ProjectMix I/O gives you a conveniently
located front-panel instrument input, two front-panel headphone outputs, and footswitch control. A single IEEE 1394 cable connects the
ProjectMix I/O to your computer’s FireWire port. (If your computer is not equipped with a native FireWire port, you may purchase a FireWire PCI
card at any computer electronics retailer.)*
*NOTE: Please check the Product Support page at www.m-audio.com for a list of compatible 1394A PCI and PCMCIA adapters.
The ProjectMix I/O is also a full-featured control surface, with touch-sensitive motorized faders, rotary encoder knobs, and dedicated mute,
solo, select and record switches, as well as banking switches to address all channels of your DAW software. It features a full transport control
section, including jog/scrub wheel, loop and locate buttons, and a full complement of multi-function soft buttons dedicated to work with your
specific audio application.
The easy-to-use software control panel of the ProjectMix I/O provides you with powerful routing and
mixing control. Using the panel you can route any analog or digital input to any output, you can
select digital input and output types, create special headphone mixes and select functions for the
encoder knobs to control a number of other features.
IMPORTANT: We've enclosed two high-quality FireWire cables with your Project I/O – a six-pin-tosix-pin cable and a six-pin-to-four-pin cable. Determine whether your computer is equipped with a
six-pin or four-pin interface and choose the appropriate cable for connecting ProjectMix I/O to your
computer. We strongly suggest you use one of the enclosed cables (or one of equal quality) for
optimum audio performance. Also note that the ProjectMix I/O requires the included external power
adapter; it will not function using only FireWire bus power.
NOTE: Some computer manufacturers may use a different nomenclature to refer to their FireWire
connections, such as Sony's "Link," or simply "1394."
Introduction • What's in the Bowx • About ProjectMix I/O
3
Features and Technical Features
< Eight low-noise mic/instrument preamps with gain controls, signal and peak LED metering, phantom power and 66dB of available
gain
< Eight XLR inputs
< Eight analog inputs and four analog outputs on 1/4" TRS jacks
< S/PDIF I/O on TOSLink optical or RCA coaxial connectors
< Supports sampling rates from 44.1kHz to 96kHz
< Two headphone outputs with selectable source and A/B controls
< Software-assigned rotary encoder knobs for tactile control of monitor levels
< 1 x 1 MIDI I/O
System Requirements
Important: The ProjectMix I/O is supported under Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or later. It is not supported under Windows 2000, Windows 98
or Windows Me. Visit the Windows update web pages to make certain you have the most current updates and fixes supplied by Microsoft.
On the Mac, the ProjectMix I/O is supported under Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later. Earlier versions of Mac operating systems are not
supported.
Windows
< Pentium 3 – 800MHz or higher (may be higher for laptops)
< 512 MB RAM
< Windows XP (SP2)
< DirectX 9.0c or higher
< Available FireWire port or FireWire expansion card
Mac OS
< Macintosh G3 800MHz or G4 733MHz higher (may be higher for laptops)
< 512MB RAM
< Mac OS X 10.3.9 / 10.4.21
< Available FireWire port or FireWire expansion card
*G3/G4 accelerator cards not supported
Before you begin, please confirm that your computer meets or exceeds all of the specifications listed above. If your computer does not meet
all of these requirements, the ProjectMix I/O may not function properly (or at all) with it. We also recommend that you check the minimum
requirements of your DAW software as they may be higher.
4
Features and Technical Features • System Requirements
Controls and Connectors Overview
ProjectMix I/O User Guide
Controls and Connectors Overview
5
Controls and Connectors Descriptions
1. Instrument Input Selector Switch (INST): The INST switch enables the front-panel instrument input (50) and allows you to connect an
instrument-level input (guitar, bass, etc.) to this jack. The front-panel instrument jack shares its input with the rear-panel Channel 1 Line
Input (52) which means that the ProjectMix I/O can receive a signal from only one of these input jacks at a time. To enable the frontpanel jack, press the INST switch to the down position. To disable the front-panel jack and enable the rear-panel Channel 1 Line Input,
press the INST switch to the up position. The Gain 1 (2) control is used to adjust the record level.
NOTE: The MIC/LINE switch on input 1 must be in the LINE (down) position for the front-panel instrument input to work. If the MIC/LINE switch
is in the up position, input 1 will receive signal from the XLR input on the back of the ProjectMix I/O, regardless of the setting of the INST
switch.
2. Input Gain Control Knobs (GAIN): The GAIN control knobs are analog level controls for the input level of the mic (XLR) and line inputs
1 – 8. It's important to note that the best signal-to-noise ratios are achieved by maximizing the level of analog inputs at the A/D
converters. For best results, levels should be adjusted while paying close attention to not only to your audio software's meters, but also
to the input channels' SIGNAL and CLIP LEDs (4,5).
3. Mic/Line Selector Switches (MIC/LINE): Each of the eight analog inputs has its own dedicated MIC/LINE switch which selects between
the XLR (mic level) input (42) or the line-level input (53). When the MIC/LINE switch is in the out position, the XLR input (42) is enabled
and in the down position, the line-level input (53) is enabled.
4. Clip LEDs (CLIP): When a channel's input signal exceeds its headroom, the CLIP LED will light red. When this happens, lower the input
level using the GAIN knob until it stays off.
5. Signal LEDs (SIGNAL): The green SIGNAL LEDs light to indicate the presence of an audio signal on the input.
NOTE: For best results, turn up the input level with the GAIN knob as high as you can without making the CLIP LED light up. If the CLIP LED
lights up, lower the gain until it stays off.
6. Phantom Power Switch (PHANTOM POWER): When the PHANTOM POWER switch is in the down position, its red LED lights up
indicating that phantom power is now being applied to all of the XLR inputs. This allows you to power condenser microphones
connected to the ProjectMix I/O XLR inputs. Press the switch to the up position to turn phantom power off.
7. LCD Display: The two-line backlit LCD display shows the parameter values as you adjust them and also provides feedback about
channel selections, operating modes, and more.
8. Channel Rotary Encoder Knobs (ASSIGNABLE ENCODERS): The eight rotary encoder knobs (35 through 44) affect the selected
parameter in the DAW software. Typically, they will be used to adjust pan position, aux send levels, and EQ, though they can also
be used to adjust specific parameters within plug-ins and virtual instruments. Any parameter adjustments made with these encoder
knobs will be displayed directly above them in the LCD display.
9. Record Enable Buttons (REC): The REC buttons toggle the recording state of the associated channel. The switch will light red when the
channel is armed.
10. Select Buttons (SEL): The SEL buttons activate the associated channels in the DAW software in order to perform a specific operation.
(For example, when adjusting EQ with the ASSIGNABLE ENCODERS, the SEL switch will be used to choose the channel you want to
adjust.) When a channel is selected, the associated SEL switch's yellow LED will light.
11. Solo Buttons (SOLO): SOLO buttons toggle each channel's solo status on and off. When a channel's SOLO button is selected, its green
LED lights and all of the other channels in the DAW application are muted. While the specific behavior of the SOLO buttons is determined
by the DAW software you are using, you can typically solo multiple channels by pressing SOLO buttons on additional channels.
12. Mute Buttons (MUTE): The MUTE buttons toggle each channel's mute status on and off. The selected MUTE button's red LED will light.
13. Channel Faders: The eight 100mm touch-sensitive motorized faders are typically used for controlling the volumes of tracks within your
DAW software. They can also be used to adjust other settings by using the FLIP switch (35). Because these faders are motorized, they
will automatically move to reflect the current level of the selected channels in your DAW application (corresponding to the channels
represented by the position of the BANK switches (31 and 32)). Any automation recorded in a project will be reflected by the fader
positions. Furthermore, touch-sensitivity allows you to override automation the moment you touch a fader.
14. Master Fader: This controls your DAW software's master channel fader and operates identical to the channel faders (13).
15. Window Button (WINDOW): This button is typically mapped to open and close specific windows in the DAW application. Refer to the
Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
16. Arrow Buttons (ARROW
of the DAW application. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
17. Zoom Button (ZOOM): The ZOOM button is typically used in conjunction with the ARROW buttons (16) to zoom in and out within
windows in the DAW application. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
6
t, p, u, q): The ARROW buttons are typically used to navigate through the Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Controls and Connectors Overview
ProjectMix I/O User Guide
18. Scrub Button (SCRUB): The SCRUB button is typically used in conjunction with the jog wheel (19) to scrub selected audio tracks for
editing and auditioning purposes. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
19. Jog Wheel: The jog wheel is used for various purposes specific to the DAW application, including shuttle and scrubbing functions. Refer
to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
20. Rewind Button (REW): Sends the rewind transport command to the DAW software.
21. Fast Forward Button (FF): Sends the fast forward transport command to the DAW software.
22. Stop Button (STOP): Sends the stop transport command to the DAW software.
23. Play Button (PLAY): Sends the play transport command to the DAW software.
24. Record Button (RECORD): Sends the record command to the DAW software, activating record function for any tracks enabled with the
REC buttons (9).
25. Locate Buttons (t LOCATE u): The LOCATE buttons are normally mapped to the DAW application's left and right locate points. In most
cases, pressing the tLOCATE button will move the transport to the left or first locate point, while pressing the LOCATEu button will
move the transport to the right or second locate point. Typically, holding the SET button (26) and pressing one of the LOCATE buttons
will store a new locate point at the transport's current location. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software
for details.
26. Set Button (SET): The SET button is normally mapped to the DAW application's Set Marker functions. Typically, holding the SET button
and pressing one of the LOCATE buttons (25) will store a new locate point at the transport's current location. As well, holding the SET
button and pressing in IN or OUT button (27) will typically store a new drop-in or drop-out point for automated recording. Refer to the
Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
27. In and Out Buttons (IN, OUT): These buttons are normally mapped to the DAW application's drop-in and drop-out points for automated
recording functions. In most cases, when either the IN or OUT button is pressed, the transport will move to the stored location. As well,
when the SET button is held and either the IN or OUT button is pressed, it will typically store a new drop-in or drop-out point at the
transport's current location. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
28: Lock Button (LOCK): Pressing the LOCK button will lock the transports buttons. For example, this prevents turning off a loop by accident
or putting the DAW into play mode while you're editing.
29. Loop Button (LOOP): The LOOP button is normally mapped to the DAW application's Activate/Deactivate Loop (repeat) mode function.
Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
30. Nudge Buttons (t NUDGE u): These buttons are normally mapped to the DAW application's Nudge function. Typically, they are used
to move selected audio parts by pre-set increments within an arrangement. The NUDGEu button moves the part forward, while the
tNUDGE button moves it backward. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
31. Bank Select Up/Down Buttons (ttBANK, BANKuu): The ProjectMix I/O channel faders (13) are normally mapped to the channel
faders of the DAW application. Typically, pressing the BANKuu button will shift the ProjectMix I/O faders to address the next bank
of eight faders on the software application's virtual mixer (e.g., if the faders are currently addressing channels 1-8, pressing it once
will address channels 9-16). Pressing the
software application's virtual mixer (e.g., if the faders are currently addressing channels 9-16, pressing it once will address channels
1-8).
32. Bank Single Channel Up/Down Buttons (tBANK, BANKu): The ProjectMix I/O channel faders (13) are normally mapped to the
channel faders of the DAW application. Typically, pressing the BANKu button will shift the ProjectMix I/O faders to address the next
higher single channel fader on the software application's virtual mixer (e.g., if the faders are currently addressing channels 1-8,
pressing it once will address channels 2-9). Pressing the
single channel fader on the software application's virtual mixer (e.g., if the faders are currently addressing channels 9-16, pressing it
once will address channels 8-15).
ttBANK button will cause the faders to address the previous bank of eight faders on the
tBANK button will cause the ProjectMix I/O faders to address the next lower
33. Shift Button (SHIFT): This is a modifier button. When held, it modifies the behavior of other selected buttons. Its behavior is entirely
dependent on the DAW software. In some cases it will replicate the behavior of the associated button on your computer keyboard,
while in others it may address the ProjectMix I/O surface controls. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software
for details.
34. Alt Button (ALT): This is also a modifier button. When held, it modifies the behavior of other selected buttons. Its behavior is entirely
dependent on the DAW software. In some cases it will replicate the behavior of the associated button on your computer keyboard,
while in others it may address the ProjectMix I/O surface controls. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software
for details.
Controls and Connectors Overview
7
35. Flip Button (FLIP): The FLIP button will switch the control parameters of the channel faders (13) and their associated encoder knobs (8).
(Example: if the encoder knob is set to Aux Send function, pressing the FLIP button will cause the encoder knob to control the channel
level, while the channel fader will control the Aux Send function.)
36: Channel Info Button (CHAN INFO): The CHAN INFO button is normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW software. Refer
to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
37. Setup Button (SETUP): Pressing the SETUP button will access additional internal parameters, such as LCD Contrast, jog wheel calibration
and factory defaults. To reset the unit to factory defaults (this resets the base running mode to Cubase and resets any data that has
been programmed into MIDI mode), go into the SETUP menu on the device, press the lighted SEL key under the label "Factory Defaults,"
then press the lighted key under the word “Yes.” There will be a slight delay (2 seconds or so) as the unit resets itself, and then it will
restart.
38: MIDI Button (MIDI): When active, the MIDI button will change the ProjectMix I/O control surface to a generic MIDI controller. See the
section toward the back of the manual on MIDI Control Mode for more information.
39. Pan Button (PAN): The PAN button is normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW software. Typically, when the PAN button
is pressed, the encoder knobs (8) control stereo panning for the currently selected bank of eight channels in the DAW application. Refer
to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
40. Plug In Button (PLUG IN): The PLUG IN button is normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW application software. Typically
when the PLUG IN button is pressed, the encoder knobs (8) control a specific plug-in function for the currently selected bank of eight
channels in the DAW application. Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
41. Select In Button (SEL IN): The SEL IN button is normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW software. Refer to the Application
Notes section describing your audio software for details.
42. Select Out (SEL OUT): This SEL OUT button is normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW software. Refer to the Application
Notes section describing your audio software for details.
43. Meter Button (MTR): The MTR button is normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW software. In most cases, you will see the
channel meters for the currently selected 8 channels after pressing the MTR button. Refer to the Application Notes section describing
your audio software for details.
44. Aux 1-5 Buttons (AUX 1 – AUX 5): The AUX 1 – AUX 5 buttons are normally mapped to a specific function within the DAW software.
Refer to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
NOTE: Holding down one of the AUX buttons while powering up the ProjectMix I/O will select from a variety of DAW operation modes. Refer
to the Application Notes section describing your audio software for details.
45. Headphone Level Knobs: The two headphone level knobs regulate the output level (volume) of the two independent headphone
mixes (selected by the headphone A/B button (46)). The headphone mixes themselves are set within the Control Panel software. See
the Control Panel section for more information.
46. Headphone Mix Select Switch (A/B): The A/B switch selects between the two separate headphone mixes, as set within the Control
Panel software. See the Control Panel section for more information.
47. Level Knob (LEVEL): The LEVEL knob controls the level of the software return, input, output, or aux send, as selected in the Control Panel
software. See the Control Panel section for more information.
48. MIDI Channel Display: This two-digit LED display shows different information depaending on which DAW you are using. For example,
the abbreviated mode type is displayed when using Logic.
49. MIDI Activity Indicators (MIDI IN, OUT): These indicator LEDs light when MIDI data is seen at the ProjectMix I/O rear-panel MIDI input
or MIDI output.
50. Front-Panel Instrument Input: Connect an instrument-level input (guitar, bass, etc.) to this jack. This jack shares its input with Line
input 1, and is only active when the INST switch (1) is in the down position. The Gain 1 (2) control can be used to adjust the recording
level of the instrument.
NOTE: The MIC/LINE switch on input 1 must be in the LINE (down) position for the front-panel instrument input to work. If the MIC/LINE switch
is in the up position, input 1 will receive signal from the XLR input on the back of the ProjectMix I/O, regardless of the setting of the INST
switch.
51. Headphone Outputs: These jacks are stereo headphone outputs for connection of standard TRS headphone plugs. These are separate
outputs whose levels are controlled by the two headphone level knobs (45).
52. Mic Inputs (MIC INPUTS): Balanced XLR inputs at +4dBu featuring high-quality mic preamps. These inputs are wired in parallel with
their associated Line Inputs, and selected with the channel Mic/Line switches (3). To use the XLR jack as the input source for a channel,
the corresponding MIC/LINE switch will need to be in the up position.
8
Controls and Connectors Overview
ProjectMix I/O User Guide
53. Line Inputs (LINE INPUTS): Balanced line-level (+4 dBu) 1⁄4" analog inputs. These inputs are wired in parallel with their associated
MIC INPUTS, and selected with the channel MIC/LINE switches (3). To use the Line Input jack as the input source for a channel, the
corresponding MIC/LINE switch (3) must be in the down position.
54. Line Outputs (LINE OUT 1 – 4): Balanced +4dBu line-level outputs on 1⁄4" jacks. Two independent output mixes may be configured
using Outputs 1 and 2, or Outputs 3 and 4, using the Control Panel for routing. See the Control Panel section for more information.
55. Word Clock In and Out (WORD CLOCK IN, OUT): Coaxial BNC connectors for input of external word clock signal from another device
(input), or for output of the ProjectMix I/O word clock signal to another device (output).
56. S/PDIF In and Out (S-PDIF IN, OUT): S/PDIF coaxial digital input and also on RCA connectors.
57. ADAT In and Out (ADAT IN / OUT): Fiber-optic input and output to accommodate eight-channel ADAT digital lightpipe format.
58. Kensington Lock Port: This connector is compatible with Kensington security cables to protect your device from theft.
59. FireWire Input: FireWire (IEEE 1394) input for connecting the ProjectMix I/O to your computer.
60. Power Input: Connect the 12VDC power supply to this jack.
61. Foot Switch Input (FOOT SWITCH): Accommodates a standard momentary contact-closure footswitch on 1⁄4" connector. This input
automatically detects the polarity of a connected footswitch upon power-up.
62. MIDI In and Out (MIDI IN / OUT): MIDI input and output on standard 5-pin DIN connectors.
Hardware Connections
Once the ProjectMix I/O driver software is installed and the unit is connected to your computer's FireWire interface, you can connect the rest
of your gear to the ProjectMix I/O.
(Refer to the printed Quick Start Guide enclosed in the ProjectMix I/O packaging for information about installing the driver software.)
Pick the connection options from the list below that apply to the hardware in your studio.
< Speakers: Connect your main monitor speakers to line outputs 1 and 2 on the rear panel of the ProjectMix I/O. LINE OUT 1 is the left
channel and LINE OUT 2 is the right channel. These are both line-level outputs, so you'll need to use powered monitors, such as the
M-Audio BX8a's, or a combination of passive monitors and an amplifier.
< Headphones: Connect headphones to either (or both) of the headphone outputs on the front right of the ProjectMix I/O.
< Microphones: Connect microphones to the XLR jacks (MIC INPUTS) on the back panel of the ProjectMix I/O. Since the ProjectMix I/O has
phantom power, you can use dynamic or condenser microphones.
< Line-level signal: Connect line-level signals such as a drum machine, tape player, or keyboard to the 1⁄4" TRS input jacks on the back
panel of the ProjectMix I/O (LINE INPUTS). You can also use the convenient front-panel instrument input jack to plug in an instrumentlevel signal. (Make sure the INST switch is in the down position and channel 1 MIC/LINE switch is also in the down position (LINE) when
using the front-panel jack.)
< ADAT Optical: Connect ADAT optical cables to the rear-panel optical jacks (ADAT IN and OUT) of the ProjectMix I/O. These jacks can be
configured to accept standard S/PDIF optical signals as well.
< SPDIF: Connect a coaxial S/PDIF device to the rear-panel S-PDIF IN and OUT jacks.
< MIDI: Connect controller keyboards and other MIDI devices to the rear-panel MIDI IN and MIDI OUT plugs.
Hardware Connections
9
The FireWire Audio Interface
The ProjectMix I/O audio interface is capable of several different audio configurations, which are all selectable on the hardware page of the
Control Panel software. (We introduce the full range of functions in the Control Panel in the following section.)
Inputs:
< Analog inputs (XLR / LINE INPUTS 1 – 8) will always appear as audio streams 1– 8.
< When spdif input is selected on the hardware page, the left and right S/PDIF inputs will appear as audio streams 9 and 10.
< When adat input is selected on the hardware page, ADAT channels 1 – 8 will appear as audio streams 9 – 16.
Outputs:
< Analog outputs 1 – 4 will always appear as audio streams 1– 4.
< When spdif output is selected on the hardware page, the left and right S/PDIF outputs will appear as audio streams 5 and 6.
< When adat output is selected on the hardware page, ADAT channels 1 – 8 will appear as audio streams 5 – 12.
These assignments represent the ProjectMix I/O functioning at 44.1kHz or 48kHz sample rate. When you raise your sample rate above 48kHz,
the ADAT ports will switch to S/MUX II mode. In this mode, the number of channels that can be routed through ADAT is cut in half—only 4
channels can be input and output at a time. (When in S/MUX II mode, the first four ADAT streams will carry audio while the other four streams
will carry silence.)
The audio interface of the ProjectMix I/O allows 16 audio streams to be sent to the computer and 12 streams to be returned to the ProjectMix
I/O. The audio input streams are assigned as follows:
The audio input streams are assigned as follows:
< XLR / Line Inputs 1 through 8 > Audio Streams 1 through 8
< ADAT channels 1 through 8 > Audio Streams 9 through 16
The audio output streams are assigned as follows:
< Audio Streams 1 through 4 > Analog Outputs 1 through 4
< Audio Streams 5 through 12 > ADAT output channels 1 through 8
10
The FireWire Audio Interface
ProjectMix I/O User Guide
The Control Panel
Now we will begin working with the ProjectMix I/O Control Panel software that was installed on your computer as part of the driver
installation.
The Control Panel is a powerful tool that allows you to configure a number of the audio interface settings.
To access the Control Panel:
< In Windows XP, double click on the red M-Audio icon in the system tray to open the Control Panel.
< In Mac OS X, open System Preferences in the Apple menu and select M-Audio FireWire control panel in the "Other" section.
Mixer Page
The mixer page is where you will create a monitor mix of the incoming audio signals (click the mixer tab to open this page). The mix can then
be sent to the main output of the ProjectMix I/O and/or to the headphones outputs.
Each column in the mixer page represents a stereo channel of audio entering the mixer. These inputs come from two sources: audio being
fed into the analog and digital inputs of the ProjectMix I/O and audio from your computer's DAW application.
Software Returns
Audio from your computer's DAW software will appear at the software return inputs. There are three software returns in the ProjectMix I/O: sw
1/2 rtn, sw 3/4 rtn, and spdif rtn. Each of these will appear as outputs within your audio software and any audio tracks routed to these outputs
will appear on the corresponding return's meters. (For example, tracks routed to ProjectMix I/O LINE OUT 1 and 2 in your DAW software appear
on the sw 1/2 rtn meters on this page; tracks routed to ProjectMix I/O S-PDIF OUT will appear on the spdif rtn meters.)
You may then route this incoming audio to a number of outputs, including the four analog outputs, as well as its internal aux buses (more on
this in a moment). Select output destinations for the return channels using the buttons at the bottom of the channel (out 1/2 - 3/4). By default,
sw 1/2 rtn is routed to analog output 1/2, which is why the "1/2" button is blue. In the neighboring return channel, sw 3/4 rtn, the "3/4" box
is active by default. It is possible to activate more than one audio output at a time in a return channel. If you activate both the 1/2 and 3/4
buttons in the sw 1/2 rtn channel, any audio you send to output 1/2 from your DAW application will actually be output from both outputs 1/2
and 3/4.
You may also route these incoming signals to the ProjectMix I/O internal aux buses using the aux L and aux R knobs at the top of the return
channels. This aux bus signal shows up on the output page of the Control Panel, where it can be internally routed to the outputs.
As you send audio to the aux bus, keep your eye on the meters of the aux frame at the bottom of the window. If you send multiple channels
to the aux bus, it is possible to exceed the headroom of the bus, resulting in distortion.
The Control Panel
11
Analog and Digital Inputs
To the right of the software returns section on the mixer page are the ProjectMix I/O analog and digital inputs. Analog inputs are labeled with
the prefix "ana," for example ana 1/2 in, ana 3/4 in, etc. Digital inputs are labeled with the "adt" prefix for ADAT lightpipe inputs, or "spdif" for
the S/PDIF inputs. As with the software return channels, you will find output select buttons at the bottom of each input channel.
The mixer page is dynamic, meaning it will change based on the inputs selected on the hardware page. For example, if you have chosen
adat input, the four ADAT inputs will appear to the right of the analog inputs; if you have chosen spdif input, the S/PDIF input will appear there
instead. (You may have to scroll to the right using the scroll bar on the bottom of the window if you do not see all the inputs.)
In addition to output routing selection, you may solo or mute any particular input channel with the corresponding button. You may also adjust
the volume of each channel independently, or link stereo pairs using the LINK button. NOTE: Any adjustments made to the controls on an
input channel will have no effect on the audio being recorded to the computer. These controls only adjust the monitoring of the signals at the
various outputs.
Below the software returns channels are miniature meters for the output buses. These mirror the levels on the output page.
Output Page
The output page is arranged much like the mixer page (click the output tab to open this page). Here you assign the audio output streams to
the ProjectMix I/O four analog outputs, or ADAT digital outputs, as well as regulate the output level of the aux bus and control the headphone
outputs.
Analog Outputs
The first two columns in the output page are 1/2 out and 3/4 out, which refer to the four 1⁄4" TRS outputs on the back of the ProjectMix I/O.
The bal knobs at the top of these channels are used to adjust the left/right balance (default is center). Below each bal knob is a pair of output
volume controls. By default, the link button is active, so moving one of the volume controls will cause the other to match it. If you want to adjust
them separately, click on the link button to turn it off.
You'll also find a mute button which will silence the output when active. The solo button does the opposite by muting all the other outputs.
Of special interest here is the main button. Clicking this button will make it change to aux (click again to go back to main). This button selects
which bus to use for the output. When set to main, the output channel will use its default bus. Mixer channels assigned to 1/2 will be heard
from LINE OUT jacks 1 and 2; mixer channels assigned to 3/4 will be heard from LINE OUT jacks 3 and 4. When either output is set to aux,
you'll hear the signals routed to the aux bus from these outputs instead.
Aux Channel
The aux output channel contains controls for adjusting the aux bus, such as balance and volume, before it is sent to an output. You probably
won't have to use this too often, but adjusting the volume here for example allows you to match levels when you're switching back and forth
between the aux bus and main outputs with the A/B button.
Headphone Outputs
The two controls to the right of aux are for assigning audio to the two headphone outputs. By default, both headphone outputs are assigned
to use the 1/2 bus as their source. Therefore, anything you hear on LINE OUTs 1 and 2 can also be heard on the headphones.
12
The Control Panel
ProjectMix I/O User Guide
You can create two separate headphone mixes by assigning one of the headphone channels to monitor a different source, such as the 3/4
bus or the aux bus, using the small buttons under "mon" in these channels. You'll also notice that you have direct control of the headphone
volume faders using the two headphone level knobs on the ProjectMix I/O control surface.
Below the output channels are miniature meters for the software return and input buses. These mirror the levels on the mixer page.
Hardware Page
The hardware page is where you configure various options for the ProjectMix I/O audio interface (click the hardware tab to open this page).
This window is divided into four sub-windows, described below:
Sample Settings Sub-Window (sample settings)
The sample settings window has two parameters:
< Sample Rate (sample rate detected) is a display-only value that shows the current sample rate which is set within your digital audio
software.
< Buffer Size (ASIO/WDM buffer size) is only available for Windows users. In this field, you can select the buffer size you wish to work with.
Smaller buffer sizes result in lower latency (the time it takes for your input signal to pass through your audio software and appear at the
outputs), but may not function well with slower systems. The default buffer size setting is 256. This setting may adequately serve your
purposes, but if you wish, you can experiment with lower settings. If you experience stuttering or crackling in your audio playback, try
using a larger buffer size.
NOTE: On the Mac, buffer size adjustment is set within your DAW software.
Sync Source Sub-Window (sync source)
The four radio buttons in sync source select the clock source for the ProjectMix I/O:
< Internal – Digital Inputs Muted Setting (internal – digital inputs muted): This setting uses the ProjectMix I/O internal crystal as the
clock source and mutes the digital inputs. This is useful if you have digital equipment continuously connected to a digital input on the
ProjectMix I/O. In this type of setup, if you switch to internal clock, the external gear will no longer be synchronized with the ProjectMix
I/O resulting in a horrendous noise. In this situation, select "internal – digital inputs muted" as your sync source.
< Internal – Digital Inputs Unmuted Setting (internal – digital inputs unmuted): This setting also uses the ProjectMix I/O internal crystal
as the clock source, but leaves the digital inputs unmuted. This is useful if you have digital equipment connected to a digital input while
the digital equipment is synchronized to the ProjectMix I/O. For example, if you have connected the ProjectMix I/O word clock out to the
word clock input of the external digital device, that equipment will remain synchronized to the ProjectMix I/O internal clock. Using this
option will ensure that the digital equipment's signals remain audible through the ProjectMix I/O.
< External – Digital Setting (external – digital): This setting is used when synchronizing the ProjectMix I/O to the incoming digital clock
of an external device. In this case, the ProjectMix I/O will obtain its clock from the incoming digital stream.
< Word Clock Setting (word clock): This setting is used when synchronizing to a clock signal from a master clock generator connected
to the ProjectMix I/O WORD CLOCK IN.
NOTE: When using either the external – digital or word clock options, the sample rate will be determined by the external clock source. If you
were working on a project with a sample rate of 44,100Hz and sync the ProjectMix I/O to a clock source at 48,000Hz, your project will play
back too fast. Make sure your external clock rates match your project rates.
The Control Panel
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