MOTU UltraLite-mk4 User Manual

UltraLite- mk4

User Guide

Title Page

™

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Business voice: [phone]

Business fax: [phone]

Web site: www.motu.com

Tech support: www.motu.com/support

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UltraLite-mk4 (“PRODUCT”)

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

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

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

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

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

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

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

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

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

5. Do not use the product near water.

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

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

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

that produces heat.

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

10.Power supply cord - Protect the product power supply cord from being walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them.

11.Power switch - Install the product so that the power switch can be accessed and operated at all times.

12.Disconnect - The main power supply plug is considered to be the disconnect device for the product and shall remain readily operable.

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

14.Surge protection - Unplug the product during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

15.Servicing - Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the product has been damaged in any way, such as

when a power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the product, the product has been exposed

to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

16.Power Sources - Refer to the manufacturer’s operating instructions for power requirements.

17.Installation - Do not install the product in an unventilated rack, or directly above heat-producing equipment such as power amplifiers. Observe

the maximum ambient operating temperature listed below.

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

19.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.

20.Safety Check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this MOTU product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to

determine that the product is in safe operating conditions.

ENVIRONMENT, HEAT AND VENTILATION

Operating Temperature: 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°). The product should be situated away from heat sources or other equipment that produces

heat. When installing the product in a rack or any other location, be sure there is adequate space around the product to ensure proper ventilation.

Improper ventilation will cause overheating and can damage the unit.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR FIRE

Do not handle the power supply with wet hands. Do not pull on the power supply cord when disconnecting it from an AC wall outlet. Grasp it by

the plug. Do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. Do not place objects containing liquids on it.

DC INPUT

10 - 24V DC • 1.0A max

Contents

Part 1: Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

7

9

UltraLite-mk4 Front Panel

UltraLite-mk4 Rear Panel

10

11

MOTU Pro Audio Control Web App

About the UltraLite-mk4

23

25

Packing List and System Requirements

Software Installation

27

31

Hardware Installation

Part 2: Using the UltraLite-mk4

Presets

39

The Front Panel LCD

43

45

Working with Host Audio Software

Mixer Effects

53

61

MOTU Audio Tools

Part 3: Appendices

Troubleshooting

79

Audio Specifications

81

83

Mixer Schematics

Updating Firmware

87

89

Auto-on Mode

Index

91

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
PARTIES 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 © 2016 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 Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

Limited Warranty on Hardware

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

If you discover a defect, first write or call Mark of the Unicorn at [phone] to
obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization Number. No service will be performed on
any product returned without prior authorization. MOTU will, at its option, repair or
replace the product at no charge to you, provided you return it during the warranty
period, with transportation charges prepaid, to Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, MA 02138. You must use the product’s original packing
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 TWO (2) YEARS 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, Digital Performer, AudioDesk, Mark of the Unicorn and the unicorn silhouette
logo are trademarks of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.

Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S.
and/or other countries.

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.

Part 1

Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

CHAPTER

Thank you for purchasing an UltraLite-mk4!
Follow these easy steps to get started quickly.

1 Download and run the MOTU Pro Audio
Installer found here:

http://www.motu.com/download

2 (Optional) For quick access to the
UltraLite-mk4 from your iPad or iPhone,
download the MOTU Discovery app from the
Apple App Store.

☛ Your iPhone and iPad must be on the same

Wi-Fi network as your computer.

3 Connect the interface to your computer with a
USB cable (included).

4 Switch on the UltraLite-mk4.

5 Open the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app by

doing one of the following:

■ Choose the UltraLite-mk4 from the MOTU

Discovery app menu (found in the Mac menu bar
or Windows taskbar).

MOTU Discovery app menu

■ You should now see the MOTU Pro Audio

Control web app in your browser, as shown on

page 12. If not, visit Appendix A, “Trouble­shooting” (page 79).

6 Click Quick Setup and choose a preset.

Preset Application

Audio interface Operate as a standard audio interface.

Stand-alone mixer Operate as a stand-alone mixer, where all

Interface + mixer A combination of the above two presets.

Live recording with
monitor mixing

Optical Converter Multi-channel analog-to-digital and digi-

inputs are mixed to the main outs and mon­itor outs.

Record a live concert or recording session,
with a full monitor mix.

tal-to-analog converter.

■ Alternately, you can launch the MOTU Pro Audio

WebUI Setup shortcut found on the Windows
desktop or in Start menu> All Programs> MOTU.

■ From your iPad or iPhone, launch the MOTU

Discovery app, and tap your interface.

7

8

UltraLite-mk4 Front Panel

1 4

1. MIC/GUITAR INPUTS. These XLR/TRS combo jacks accept
either a mic cable or a quarter-inch cable, balanced or
unbalanced, from a guitar or line input. Use the controls
to the right (3) to adjust individual preamp gain, instru­ment input trim, 48V phantom power, and an optional

-20 dB pad for each mic input.

2. HEADPHONE OUTPUT with volume control.

3. Individual PREAMP GAIN, INSTRUMENT INPUT TRIM,
switchable 48V phantom power, and optional -20 dB
pad switches for each combo input. The Precision
Digital Trim™ knob provides +60 dB of preamp gain or
+30 dB of instrument input gain. Both gain settings are
retained independently. Turn the knob to see the gain
adjustments in the LCD.

78

2 3 5

4. This portion of the LCD displays level meters for all
analog inputs and outputs. It can also show device
settings, using the knobs to the left.

5. This portion of the multi-purpose backlit LCD shows
digital I/O activity (optical and S/PDIF) and MIDI activ­ity (in and out).

6. This portion of the LCD displays the current sample rate
and clock source, such as Int (Internal clock mode).

7. Push SELECT to enter the LCD menu. Turn SELECT to
scroll through menu options. Push again to descend
into the submenus, if applicable. To choose the current
setting, push SELECT a third time. Push BACK to return
to the previous menu level, and do so repeatedly to exit
the menu altogether.

8. POWER and VOLUME control for phones and main outs.
Push this knob to toggle between PHONE volume and
MAIN OUT volume. The LCD provides visual feedback.
This setting, along with all front panel settings, can also
be adjusted from the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app.
Push to power on the unit; push and hold for three
seconds to power it off.

6

UltraLite-mk4 Rear Panel

1 2 3

8

7 6 5

1. The UltraLite-mk4 operates as a USB MIDI interface, allow­ing MIDI software to communicate with connected MIDI
devices through the USB connection to the computer.
Connect a MIDI device here using standard MIDI cables.
Connect the UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI OUT port to the MIDI IN
port on the other device. Conversely, connect the
UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI IN port to the MIDI OUT port on the
other device. For further details, see “MIDI connections” on
page 35.

2. The ANALOG OUTPUTS provide additional analog output for
secondary studio monitors, surround monitoring, sub­mixes or any other desired destination. These connectors
are balanced (tip/ring/sleeve), but they also accept an
unbalanced plug. They are DC-coupled. Control volume
from the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app or your host
audio software.

3. The MAIN OUT pair provides stereo analog output for
primary (powered) studio monitors or PA speakers, or any
other desired destination. Control volume from the MOTU
Pro Audio Control web app or from the front panel volume
control.

To hear audio playback from your host audio software on
the MAIN OUT pair, use the Audio Interface preset and then
assign audio tracks (and master fader) to these main outs.
You can also use the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app to
route live UltraLite-mk4 inputs here as well.

4. Equipped with very high quality 24-bit 192 kHz converters,
these six analog inputs are balanced TRS (tip/ring/sleeve)
quarter-inch connectors that can also accept an unbal­anced plug (with the ring disconnected). Use them for
keyboards or other line level analog sources. These inputs
are equipped with the UltraLite-mk4’s Precision Digital
Trim™ feature: digitally controlled analog trims that let you
adjust input level in 1 dB increments from the MOTU Pro
Audio Control web app.

4

5. These jacks provide stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF digital input and
output at all supported sample rates (up to 96 kHz). When
connecting a source to the input, be sure to set the clock
source correctly. See “S/PDIF” on page 34.

6. These ADAT optical “lightpipe” jacks provide 8 channels of
24-bit ADAT optical digital I/O at 1x sample rates (44.1 or 48
kHz) and 4 channels at 2x sample rates (88.2 or 96 kHz).
They are disabled at higher sample rates. Alternately, they
can operate as stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) connectors.
Visit the Device tab in the web app (page 14) to configure
the optical jacks.

7. Connect the UltraLite-mk4 to the computer here using a
standard USB cable.

8. This jack accepts any standard 12-18V DC power supply
(1.0A max) with either tip-positive or tip-negative polarity.

MOTU Pro Audio Control Web App

CHAPTER

OVERVIEW

MOTU Pro Audio Control is a web app that gives
you complete control over the UltraLite-mk4.

IT’S NOT ON YOUR HARD DRIVE

The MOTU Pro Audio Control web app is served
from the UltraLite-mk4 hardware itself, therefore it
is not an application on your computer’s hard
drive. Instead, access it from the MOTU Discovery
app (in the Mac menu bar or Windows taskbar),
the MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut
(Windows only) or through your web browser.

USE YOUR FAVORITE WEB BROWSER

The MOTU Pro Audio Control web app runs in any
modern web browser running on the computer
connected to the UltraLite-mk4, or any mobile
device (tablet or smartphone) on the same Wi-Fi
network as the computer. If it can run a web
browser, it can run the web app. You can use any
browser you prefer: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.
The latest versions are strongly recommended.

CONTROL FROM MULTIPLE DEVICES

You can run the web app on multiple host devices
simultaneously.

RUN THE INSTALLER, GET THE APP

Visit www.motu.com/download to get the latest
MOTU Pro Audio Installer and run it on your
computer to install the MOTU Discovery app,
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut (Windows
only) and other software elements. Visit the Apple
App Store to download the discovery app onto
your iPad or iPhone.

MAKE HARDWARE AND NETWORK CONNECTIONS

Connect your UltraLite-mk4 to your computer or
laptop with a USB cable. Make sure your iPad,
iPhone, tablet or smartphone is connected to the
same Wi-Fi network as your computer or device.

LAUNCHING THE WEB APP

To launch the web app, do any of the following:

■ Choose the UltraLite-mk4 from the MOTU

Discovery app menu (in the Mac menu bar or
Windows taskbar) or launch the MOTU Pro Audio
WebUI Setup shortcut (Windows only).

MOTU Discovery app menu

■ From your iPad or iPhone, launch the MOTU

Discovery app.

■ In your favorite web browser, type this URL:

localhost:1280.

You should now see the MOTU Pro Audio Control
web app in your browser, as shown on page 12. If
not visit Appendix A, “Troubleshooting” (page 79).

11

DEVICE TAB

6

7

5

4

9

8

10

11

3

2

12

13

1

Windows only

14

15

16

17

18

1. If you have two or more MOTU inter­faces, the Devices list lets you choose
the one you are currently controlling
with the web app.

2. The Aux Mixing tab lets you view
each Aux bus in the mixer, one at a
time.

3. The Mixing tab gives you access to
the mixing and DSP in the interface.

4. The Routing tab displays a grid
matrix, where you can make direct
connections between inputs and
outputs, your computer and the
mixer.

5. The Device tab has settings for the
hardware itself, such as analog input
and output trim.

6. Expands and collapses the sidebar.

12

7. Lets you create, save, recall and
manage presets for the
UltraLite-mk4. These presets
capture and recall the complete
state of the device (all settings in all
tabs).

8. Click to rename the interface. To
restore the default name, delete the
current name.

9. The Quick Setup button prompts
factory presets used to configure
your interface for a specific applica­tion. See chapter 5, “Presets”
(page 39).

10. Click this device ID button to identify
the unit you are currently viewing
and controlling with the web app
software. The front panel LCD on the
hardware itself will flash the name
of the device, and its name will also
flash in the Device list (1).

11. If an update is available for your
device, and the computer you are
viewing it from is connected to the
internet, you’ll be notified here. Click
More Info to learn what’s new and
start the update process. See
Appendix D, “Updating Firmware”
(page 87).

12. Choose the desired sample rate.
Make sure your host audio software
is set to the same rate.

13. Choose the clock source from the
Clock Mode menu. Your MOTU device
will resolve its digital clock to this
master source.

14. The Clock Status icon indicates that
the current device (1) is successfully
resolved to its chosen Clock Mode
source (13). If it cannot lock for some
reason, this icon flashes red. Check
your chosen clock source, cables, etc.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

15. ( Windows only) Choose the Host
Buffer Size. Smaller values reduce
latency but increase your computer’s
CPU load. See “Host Buffer Size” on
page 28.

16. ( Windows only) Choose a Host
Safety Offset to fine tune host buffer
latency. See “Host Safety Offset” on
page 28.

17. The Input Settings section provides
gain settings for inputs, plus phase
invert for mic and guitar inputs, if
any. You can also toggle the 48V
phantom power and -20 dB pad for
the mic inputs.

18. The Output Settings section lets you
adjust the trim for any output or
output pair which supports it.
Phones and Main outputs provide
full volume control. Analog outputs
provide calibration control (-24 to 0
dB).

DEVICE TAB (CONTINUED)

19

20

Scroll down to view these additional
Device tab settings.

19. In the Input/Output Banks sec tions,
you can disable any banks that you
are not using. Doing so hides them
from the routing matrix and mixer to
simplify operation. Doing so also
helps conserve DSP resources.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

20. The digital mixer in the
UltraLite-mk4 supports up to 48
channels. If you don’t need that
many inputs, you can lower the
number here to simplify mixer and
routing operation and conserve DSP
bandwidth for effects processing.

21. Configure the optical ports for either
8-channel ADAT or stereo TOSLink.
At 88.2 or 96 kHz, the ADAT setting
supports 4-channel SMUX format.
See “Optical I/O” on page 34.

21

13

DEVICE TAB (CONTINUED)

22

23

29

28

24

27

25

26

Scroll down to view these additional
Device tab settings.

22. In the Computer Setup section, you
can specify how many audio
channels you would like to be able to
stream to and from your computer,
up to 24 channels each way, simul­taneously. Map them as desired in
the Routing tab (page 15).

23. Your MOTU interface can resolve to
SMPTE time code, also referred to as
LTC (Longitudinal Time Code), by
choosing LTC from the Clock Mode
menu (item 13 on page 12). From
the LTC Input Source menu (23
above), choose the analog or digital
input that is receiving the time code.
If you would also like to send time
code (LTC) to the computer, where it
will be converted to MIDI Time Code
(MTC) for resolving your DAW or
other software to MTC via OS X Core
Audio (a Mac-only feature), choose
an audio channel you are not using

14

for other purposes from the

Computer Channel for LTC-to-MTC
Conversion menu; other wise, leave it

set to None. Choose the desired
frame format, or use the Enable
Format Autodetect to automatically
detect the frame format of the
incoming time code. When Enable
Jam Sync is turned on, your interface
will continue to operate under its
own clock and continue LTC-to-MTC
conversion, even after it stops
receiving time code. Click Stop Jam
Sync to exit this mode. For further
details about time code sync, see
“Syncing to SMPTE time code (LTC)”
on page 35 and “LTC-to-MTC conver­sion” on page 51.

24. Use Restore Factory Presets to restore
your MOTU device’s factor y presets.

25. Use Set Password to password-
protect the interface. All settings are
blocked, except for aux bus mixing,
as shown above (25). This allows
musicians to access their personal

monitor (aux) mixes from their
mobile devices, while all other
device settings remain blocked. To
clear the password, log in and then
click Clear Password. If you forget the
password, you can clear it in the
Settings menu in the front panel LCD
(see page 44) with either the Clear
Password setting or by doing a
factory reset with the Facto ry
Default setting.

26. The System Information section
displays information about your
MOTU device, including the
firmware version.

27. Use these buttons to manually check
for and install updates for the
UltraLite-mk4. For complete details,
see Appendix D, “Updating
Firmware” (page 87). Updating from
a file can be done offline from your
computer, using an update you’ve
obtained through MOTU’s web site
or tech support department. The
Check For Updates button requires

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

that the computer (or device) you
are using to view the UltraLite-mk4
is connected to the internet through
a local network or Wi-Fi. Updating
from the internet is easy and conve­nient.

28. Click Reboot to restart the interface.

29. When the Computer Volume Controls
option is enabled (a Mac only
feature), the Audio MIDI Setup
utility in OS X provides volume
control for each output channel to
your MOTU audio interface. In
addition, the volume controls for
your Mac (on your computer
keyboard) will control the channels
you’ve designated for computer
output in Audio MIDI Setup, if any.
Be careful when toggling this
setting because sudden changes in
your computer volume can result.

ROUTING TAB

5

3

2

1

19

18

17

16

The Routing Tab lets you route inputs to
outputs. Outputs are listed by row on the
left; inputs are listed in columns across
the top. Simply click in the grid to make
a single connection. Click and drag to
make multiple connections in one
gesture. To route a single input to multi­ple outputs, make multiple connections
vertically in the same column below the
input. To mix multiple inputs to the
same output, you’ll need to use the
mixer (page 16) and the Mix In bank in
the routing tab (16).

1. In its collapsed form, (shown here),
the sidebar displays icons for each
tab.

2. Click this icon to view the Routing
tab, shown on this page.

3. Click here to show or hide the
sidebar.

4. Create, save, recall and manage
routing presets.

5. Locks the grid to prevent accidental
changes. Unlock to make changes to
the grid.

64 8

7

6. Outputs are listed in rows on the left.

7. When you make a connection, the
source (input) signal is listed by
name here in the Source column,
just to the right of the output it is
being routed to.

8. Inputs are listed in columns across
the top of the grid, starting with the
physical inputs on the hardware
itself. In this example, the two mic
inputs and six analog (line) inputs
are being routed to the computer
(over USB).

9. The From Computer input bank lets
you route audio channels from your
host audio software to any output,
including the mixer, where you can
mix computer audio with local
inputs. Use the Device tab to choose
how many computer channels are
available. In this example, computer
channels 1-2 are being routed to
both the headphone output and the
Main Outs (L-R).

9 10

10. These input streams are busses that
originate from the mixer, which
supplies the main mix bus, monitor
mix bus, seven stereo aux busses,
three stereo group busses, a reverb
return bus and postFX channel sends
(for sending processed inputs to the
computer or elsewhere). You can
route these mixer busses to any
outputs you wish (6), including
physical outputs, host software on
your computer, or even back in to
the mixer (beware of feedback
loops!)

11. Use these triangles to expand or
collapse groups of inputs. For
example, it might be convenient to
collapse banks that you are not
using at the moment.

12. Click a channel label to rename it.

13. Audio activit y indicators.

14. Here, Computer channels 1-2 are
being routed to the Main Outs on
the UltraLite-mk4.

11

12
13

14

15

15. Click the grid to make a connection.
Click a connection to remove it. Click
and drag to make or break multiple
connections in one gesture. Note:
both the input and output must be
expanded or collapsed (11) when
clicking to make a connection.

16. The Mix In group lets you route audio
to the 48-channel mixer.

17. The To Computer output bank
(currently collapsed in this example)
routes any input to host audio
software running on your computer.
Use the Device tab to choose how
many computer channels are avail­able.

18. Use these triangles to expand or
collapse groups of outputs.

19. These represent the physical analog
outputs on the interface itself.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

15

MIXING TAB

4 5

6

7

93 13 14

8 10 11 12

15

16

2

1

32

31

30

29

28

27

The Mixing tab gives you access to the
48-channel mixer in the UltraLite-mk4,
which provides a main mix bus, monitor
bus, three group busses, seven aux
busses, and a dedicated reverb bus. Use
the Device tab to configure how many
inputs you wish to work with (up to 48).
Use the Routing tab (page 15) to route
channels to the mixer inputs. Channels
can come from any source, such as the
physical inputs on the interface or
channels coming from the computer.

1. Shows and hides the Mixer Setup
sidebar (3), which lets you show and
hide channels, channel strip
settings, effects, and the Legend (6).

2. The Mixing tab selects the mixer.

3. Use the Mixer Setup sidebar to show
and hide elements in the mixer.

4. Shows and hides all elements in the
section with one click.

5. Create, save, recall and manage
mixer presets.

6. This column is the Legend. It
provides labels and controls for
channel strip sections. The menu at

16

the top lets you create, name, save
and manage entire mixer presets.

7. Mixer input channels.

8. This input channel has its Gate and
Compressor enabled. Disabled
effects are grayed out.

9. This is Group bus 1-2. You can send
inputs to this group with their Group
send fader (26). Groups are sent to
the Main Mix with its Main send
fader (25) or aux busses (20).

10. Group buses, the main mix bus, and
the reverb return bus are equipped
with the Leveler, a vintage compres­sor modeled after the Teletronix
LA-2A leveling amplifier.

11. The reverb channel strip provides
the reverb processor. Use the reverb
send on inputs or groups to route
them to the reverb bus, which can
then be mixed in with the main mix
or aux busses. Disable the reverb
processor to use it as an extra group.

12. The Monitor Bus can mirror the
output of any other bus, or it can act
as a separate Solo bus. See page 19.

13. The Main Mix bus is the master fader
for the entire mixer. You can add EQ
and Leveler compression.

14. You can adjust Aux bus output levels
here, or in the Aux Mixing tab shown
on page 17.

15. Click a name to change it, except for
the Main Mix, Monitor, and Reverb
busses, which cannot be changed.

16. Stereo toggle to switch channels
pairs between mono or stereo. Use
the other menus to manage channel
strip presets and to choose audio
sources and destinations for mixer
inputs and bus outputs.

17. Gate processing for inputs.

18. Click the thumbnail EQ graph to
open the full-size, editable EQ graph
(Figure 8-4 on page 55).

19. The Dynamics sec tion provides a
conventional compressor for inputs
and the Leveler for output busses.

20. Reverb and aux sends.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

21. Solo and mute. On the Monitor bus,
the SC button clears all solos.

22. Channel faders.

23. Choose the source for the Monitor
bus from this menu. It can mirror
any output bus or the Solo Bus.

24. When Follow Solo is enabled, the
Monitor bus temporarily switches to
the solo bus when any channel is
soloed.

25. Main Mix sends.

26. Group sends.

27. ‘S’ lets you solo the group. ‘PRE’
toggles the sends between pre- and
post-fader routing, i.e. before or
after the channel fader.

28. Show and hide output busses here.

29. Show/hide all busses with one click.

30. S ame as (27) above.

31. Show and hide inputs here.

32. Show/hide all inputs with one click.

17

18

19

20

21

22

23
24

25

26

AUX MIXING TAB

2

1

17

16

15

14

4

53

6

8

7

9

10

11

12

13

The Aux Mixing tab provides quick
access to the UltraLite-mk4’s mix busses
(aux busses, groups and reverb bus),
viewed one at a time. Choose a bus in
the Aux Mix Target section and then use
the faders to directly mix the send levels
from all mixer inputs, groups, and the
reverb bus.

1. Shows and hides the Mixer Setup
sidebar (3), which lets you show and
hide channels.

2. The Aux Mixing tab (shown on this
page) gives you access to the Aux
busses and groups in the mixer.

3. Use the Aux Mix Target sidebar to
control which aux bus or group you
are currently viewing. You can also
show/hide inputs and group sends.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

4. Click the aux bus or group you wish
to view in the window. In this
example, Aux bus 1-2 is being
displayed.

5. These are mixer inputs (aux sends
from each mixer channel). To
include an input in the aux bus mix,
simply bring up its fader.

6. These are group bus faders.

7. This is the mixer’s reverb bus fader.

8. This is the master fader for the
current aux bus being viewed (4).

9. Indicates if the input or group is
stereo or mono. This indicator is for
display purposes only. To toggle
between mono and stereo opera­tion, use the toggle switch in the
Mixing tab (item #16 on page 16).

10. Solo and mute for the aux bus
master fader.

11. Shows and hides the pan controls
for aux bus inputs.

12. When Prefader is enabled, all send
levels to the aux bus are indepen­dent of the main fader for each
channel. In other words, changing
an individual channel’s main fader
in the Mixing tab won’t affect its
send level to the aux bus.

13. Click the View Personal Mix button
to open a new web page that
displays only that specific Aux Mix or
Group. This is perfect for musicians
who want to control their own
monitor mix.

14. Show and hide mix groups and the
reverb bus here.

15. Use the Groups button here to show
or hide all groups with one click.
Drag this section divider to show
more or less of the group list.

16. Show and hide mixer inputs
(channel sends) here.

17. Show and hide all mixer inputs with
one click here. Drag this section
divider to show more or less of the
mixer input list.

17

MIXER INPUT CHANNEL STRIPS

1

30

29

28

27

26

25

18

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16
17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

2 3 4 5

2

3

4

12

To access a mixer input channel strip, go to
the Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar
(item #3 on page 16), and then show the
input channel you want in the Mixer Inputs
section (31).

To show and hide sections of the channel
strip, such as EQ or the compressor, use the
Contro ls section of the side bar (item #3 in the
Mixing tab on page 16).

1. Click the input channel name to change
it. Delete the current name to restore the
default name.

2. Provides hardware settings for inputs, if
any, such as preamp gain. If there are no
hardware settings for the assigned input,
this icon is grayed out.

3. Choose the source for the input channel.
You can also make this setting directly on
the Routing grid (page 15).

4. Create, name, save and recall channel
strip presets.

5. Toggles the input between mono and a
stereo pair.

6. High Pass Filter with cutoff frequency.

7. Each effect in the channel strip (High Pass
Filter, Gate, EQ, etc.) has an on/off button
on the left and a preset menu on the
right, for managing presets that apply
only to that processing module. For
example, you can create your own EQ
presets for the EQ modules.

8. The Gate processor provides standard
attack, threshold and release controls.

9. The Gate indicator turns red when the
gate is engaged.

10. The EQ section provides four bands of
parametric EQ, each with standard Gain,
Frequency, and Bandwidth settings.

11. The High and Low EQ bands provide a
Shelf filter button for standard high and
low shelf filtering.

12. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it
to open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 8-4 on page 55).

13. The Compressor provides standard
controls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack,
Release and Gain. Normally, the
compressor operates in Peak mode,
where signal peaks determine the input
level. Engage the RMS button to uses
RMS values (a computational method for
determining overall loudness) to
measure the input level.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

14. Input level and gain reduction meters for
the compressor.

15. The thumbnail Compressor Graph
provides a graphic representation of the
compressor, when enabled. Click it to
open the full-size, editable Compressor
Graph (Figure 8-6 on page 56).

16. Aux 1-2 send.

17. Pan for the Aux 1-2 send. This is enabled
in the Aux mix tab (item #11 on page 17).

18. Solo/Mute. Mute affects all sends as well
as the main channel. Pre-fader sends are
not affected by Mute.

19. Move the fader to adjust level. Double­click to return to zero (unity gain) or --∞.

20. Click the dB scale numbers to make the
fader jump exactly to that level. Click and
drag horizontally to jump consecutive
faders to the same level.

21. Click to type in an exact dB level.

22. Channel pan. For mono inputs, double­click to center.

23. Main Mix Slider is used to feed signal to
the Main Mix. Slider is set to 0 dB by
default, so all channel strips are pre­routed to the Main Mix bus. If a channel is
being sent to a Group (which will eventu­ally be fed to the Main Mix), drag the
slider to -∞ so it is not sent to Main Mix
directly.

24. Group sends.

25. ‘S’ lets you solo the group. ‘PRE’ toggles
the sends between pre- and post-fader
routing, i.e. before or after the channel
fader.

26. The input level meter (behind the fader
handle, 19) can display either pre- or
post-fader levels. Toggle here.

27. Clears all solos.

28. ‘S’ lets you solo the Aux bus. ‘PRE’ toggles
the sends between pre- and post-fader
routing, i.e. before or after the channel
fader. The dots let you toggle the Aux bus
between mono and stereo.

29. This side bar, with the section labels in it,
can be shown or hidden using the Legend
switch in the Contro ls section of the side
bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on
page 16).

30. Shows how much DSP power is being
used by the mixer hardware. To free up
DSP bandwidth, try reducing the number
of mixer ins, disabling channel effects,
reverb, etc. See “DSP Usage” on page 59
for more info.

MAIN MIX AND MONITOR CHANNEL STRIPS

1

2

3 4 5 6

3 4

5

7

15

To access the Main Mix and Monitor bus
channel strips, go to the Mixing tab
(page 16) and scroll the display to the right,
beyond the inputs and groups.

To show and hide sections of the channel
strip, such as EQ or the Leveler, use the
Contro ls section of the side bar (item #3 in
the Mixing tab on page 16).

8

9

14

10

11

13

12

1. By default, the Monitor bus serves as a
solo bus. However, it can be set to mirror
the main mix bus, or any other aux bus,
group, or the reverb bus, in addition to
monitoring solo. Make this choice in the
source menu (13). Use the Routing grid
(page 15) to specify the output for the
Monitor bus.

2. The Main Mix bus is the primary stereo
mix.

3. Provides hardware settings, if the
assigned output pair has them. For
example, if the Main Mix bus is assigned
to the Main Outs on the UltraLite-mk4,
you’ll see trim settings for the outputs.
This item is grayed out if there are no
hardware settings for output.

4. Use this output assignment widget to
choose the destination — or multiple
destinations — for the bus. You can also
make this setting directly on the
Routing grid (page 15).

5. Use the preset menus to create save,
recall, and otherwise manage channel
strip presets for the Monitor bus and
Main Mix bus.

6. Indicates that the bus is stereo.

7. The four-band parametric EQ for the
Main Mix bus operates the same as
described for input channels (items 10
and 11 on page 18), including High and
Low Shelf filter options.

8. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click
it to open the full-size, editable EQ
Graph (Figure 8-4 on page 55).

9. The Leveler provides specialized gain
reduction modeled after the legendary
Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier. For
complete details, see “Leveler” on
page 57.

10. Mutes for the Main Mix bus and Monitor
bus.

11. Master faders for the Main Mix bus and
Monitor bus. Use the same techniques
described for input channel faders
(items 19, 20 and 21 on page 18).

12. When Follow Solo is enabled, the
Monitor bus switches to the solo bus
when any channel is soloed. NOTE: if an
aux bus is soloed, then the Monitor bus
carries only the soloed aux bus (any
current channel solos are excluded).

13. Choose the source for the Monitor bus
from this menu. It can mirror the main
mix, any aux bus, group, the reverb bus,
or it can serve only as a Solo bus.

14. The SC button clears all solos.

15. This mid-band EQ is currently disabled
(and therefore grayed out).

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

19

AUX BUS CHANNEL STRIPS

1

11

10

9

2

3

Aux busses can be used to create sub-mixes. An aux
bus can be assigned to any output in the Routing
grid (page 15).

4

5

6

7

8

To access an Aux bus channel strip, go to the Mixing
tab (page 16), reveal the side bar (item #3 on
page 16), and then show the aux busses you want in
the Mixer Outputs section (28).

To show and hide the four-band EQ section of the
channel strip, use the Cont rols section of the side bar
(item #3 in the Mixing tab on page 16).

1. A stereo aux bus.

2. A mono aux bus.

3. Click this dot to toggle an aux bus between
mono and stereo.

4. The four-band parametric EQ module for Aux
busses operates the same as described for input
channels (items 10 and 11 on page 18), includ­ing High and Low Shelf filter options.

5. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the currently
enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to open the full­size, editable EQ Graph (Figure 8-4 on page 55).

6. Aux bus solo and mute.

7. Aux bus master fader.

8. Click to type specific value manually.

9. Click the dB scale numbers to make the fader
jump exactly to that level. Click and drag
horizontally to jump consecutive faders to the
same level.

10. A disabled EQ band.

11. Use these menus (hardware settings, output
assignment, and presets) in a similar fashion as
described for the Main Out bus (items 3-5 on
page 19).

20

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

GROUP AND REVERB CHANNEL STRIPS

1

2

10

9

8

7

3

Group busses can be used to create a mix sub­group, which is a set of inputs you wish to
control together as a group. Groups differ from
aux busses in that they have aux sends, a reverb
send, as well as a main mix send. In addition,
group busses are equipped with the Leveler.

The Reverb bus is a special group bus that
provides a reverb processor. If you disable the
reverb, the reverb bus functions as a (fourth)
regular group bus.

4

5

6

To access the Group and Reverb bus channel
strips, go to the Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the
side bar (item #3 on page 16), and then show
the desired Group busses or Reverb bus in the
Mixer Outputs section (28).

To show and hide the four-band EQ section of
the channel strip, use the Cont rols section of the
side bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on page 16).

1. A Group bus channel strip. Click the name to
rename it. Delete the current name to return
to its default.

2. The Reverb bus. If you disable the Reverb
processor, it can be used as a fourth Group
bus. The Reverb channel strip is twice as
wide as other mixer channel strips to
accommodate the Reverb processor
controls.

3. Group busses and the Reverb bus are always
stereo.

4. The four-band parametric EQ module for
Group busses and the Reverb bus operates
the same as described for input channels
(items 10 and 11 on page 18), including
High and Low Shelf filter options.

5. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to
open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 8-4 on page 55).

6. The Reverb processor. For complete infor­mation, see “Reverb” on page 58.

7. Main Mix sends.

8. Master faders for the Group and Reverb
busses.

9. Mute and Solo.

10. Use these menus (hardware settings, output
assignment, and presets) in a similar
fashion as described for the Main Out bus
(items 3-5 on page 19).

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

21

22

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

CHAPTER

1 About the UltraLite-mk4

The UltraLite-mk4 is an 18 x 22 USB audio
interface with console-style 48-channel mixing,
DSP effects, wireless control , and very high quality
A/D/A conversion at sample rates up to 192 kHz
for on-the-go mobile audio recording.

Powerful DSP delivers large console style mixing
with 48 channels, 12 stereo busses, and 32-bit
floating point effects processing, including
modeled analog EQ, vintage compression and
classic reverb. Matrix routing lets you quickly
patch ins to outs, or split inputs to multiple
destinations.

The UltraLite-mk4 can operate as an audio
interface for a studio workstation (DAW), as a
standalone mixer, or as an auxiliary monitor
mixing system in the studio or on stage. This
chapter provides a brief overview of its main
features and characteristics.

Comprehensive I/O

The UltraLite-mk4 provides a variety of analog
and digital interconnects, all active simultaneously,
designed to provide everything you need for a well­equipped mobile recording studio.

Connection Input Output

Quarter-inch analog on bal/unbal TRS 6 10

Mic/guitar inputs on combo XLR/TRS 2 -

Headphone output - 1 x stereo

S/PDIF digital I/O on RCA 2 2

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

Total 18 22

Universal connectivity

The UltraLite-mk4 can connect to a computer with
high-speed USB 2.0, which is compatible with USB

3.0. It is USB audio class-compliant, which means
that it is iPad compatible (with a camera
connection kit) and does not require driver
installation for USB connection to a computer.

On-board DSP with mixing and effects

The UltraLite-mk4 is equipped with a powerful
DSP engine that drives both an extensive routing
matrix and a 48-input digital mixer with 12 stereo
busses and effects. The mixer offers familiar
operation modeled after large format mixing
consoles.

32-bit floating point processing

All of the mixing and effects processing in the DSP
engine is handled with 32-bit floating point
calculations, to maintain and deliver virtually
unlimited headroom and the utmost in sound
quality.

Modeled vintage effects processing

Effects include “classic” reverb, compression
modeled after the legendary Teletronix LA-2A
compressor, and 4-band EQ modeled after British
analog console EQs.

Matrix routing and multing

The UltraLite-mk4 provides completely flexible
matrix-style audio routing and multing. You can
route any analog or digital input or computer
channel to any other output or the computer. You
can also mult any single input to unlimited
multiple output destinations.

23

Web app control

You can control the UltraLite-mk4’s on-board DSP,
mixing, device settings and clock/sync settings
from the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app
software running in your favorite browser on a
connected computer or laptop, or from a tablet or
smart phone on the same Wi-Fi network as the
computer. Multiple devices can be used simulta­neously to access any audio interface settings on
the network.

Live mixing with wireless control

With a connected laptop and shared Wi-Fi
network, you can control the UltraLite-mk4’s
powerful mixing and DSP effects from your smart
phone or tablet — great for live sound mixing from
your iPad, tablet, or other wireless device.

ADAT digital input

The UltraLite-mk4 provides 8-channel optical
digital I/O. Connect outboard digital processors,
digital mixers or other gear: 8 channels at 44.1/48
kHz or 4 channels at 88.2/96 kHz. Alternately, the
optical ports can be independently configured to
support stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF).

S/PDIF digital I/O

The UltraLite-mk4 provides stereo S/PDIF digital
input and output on standard RCA connectors.

MIDI I/O

The UltraLite-mk4’s standard MIDI IN and MIDI
OUT jacks supply 16 channels of MIDI I/O to and
from the computer through its USB connection.

Headphone output

The UltraLite-mk4 front panel provides an
indepe ndent hea dphon e jack wit h sep arate vol ume
control. You can program the phones to mirror
another set of outputs or act as its own
independent output.

Precision Digital Trim™

Analog inputs are equipped with digitally
controlled analog trims, adjustable in 1 dB
increments. Analog outputs offer 32-bit trim in the
DAC, also adjustable in 1 dB increments. You can
save your tr im co nfigu rations as a pre set for instant
recall.

Rack mount or desktop operation

The UltraLite-mk4 is housed in a sturdy, metal­alloy half-rack enclosure. Rack mounting brackets
are included for mounting side by side with any
other MOTU half-rack unit.

AudioDesk

AudioDesk is a full-featured audio workstation
software package for Mac and Windows that is
available as a free download for you as an
UltraLite-mk4 owner. Visit motu.com/download
to obtain your copy. AudioDesk provides multi­channel waveform editing, automated virtual
mixing, graphic editing of ramp automation, real­time effects plug-ins with crossfades, support for
many third-party audio plug-ins, sample-accurate
editing and placement of audio, and more.

Comprehensive metering

The large backlit LCD displays all signal activity at
a glance with detailed metering for all I/O. You can
access many hardware settings directly from the
front panel.

24

ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK4

CHAPTER

2 Packing List and

System Requirements

PACKING LIST

the UltraLite-mk4 ships with the items listed
below. If any of these items are not present in the
box when you first open it, please immediately
contact your dealer or MOTU.

■ One audio interface

■ One USB cable

■ One DC power adapter

■ One rack mounting kit with brackets and screws

■ One manual

■ Product registration card

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

■ A 1 GHz Intel-based Mac or Pentium-based PC

(or compatible). Faster CPUs are recommended
for best performance.

■ 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended.

■ OS X 10.8 or later; Windows 7 or later.

■ Available high-speed USB 2.0 (or 3.0) port.

PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!

Please register the UltraLite-mk4 today. There are
two ways to register.

■ Visit www.motu.com/register

OR

■ Fill out and mail the included product

registration card

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

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

■ A large hard drive (preferably at least 500 GB).

25

26

PACKING LIST AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

CHAPTER

3 Software Installation

OVERVIEW

USB 2.0 class-compliant operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Software installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Audio drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

MOTU Discovery app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup for Windows . . . . . . . . . 28

MIDI I/O on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

MIDI I/O setup on the Mac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

AudioDesk workstation software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Working with host audio software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

USB 2.0 CLASS-COMPLIANT OPERATION

The UltraLite-mk4 is a USB 2.0 audio class­compliant device. This means that you can connect
it to your Mac (running OS X 10.8 or higher) with
a USB cable and use it without installing any
software drivers. The computer recognizes the
UltraLite-mk4 as a USB audio device and makes its
inputs and outputs available to your host audio
software. Basic settings, such as the hardware’s
sample rate, are made in either your host software
(Mac) or your system settings (Windows).

☛ In this scenario, the UltraLite-mk4 provides

basic audio input and output, and no software
driver installation is necessary. However, if you
want access to the UltraLite-mk4’s device settings
and mixing capabilities, you will need to run the
software installer, as explained in the next section.

Connection to iOS devices (iPad and iPhone)

Audio-class compliant operation allows you to
connect the UltraLite-mk4 to any iOS device with a
standard camera connection kit adapter. The
UltraLite-mk4 then provides multi-channel audio
I/O to your audio apps. Use your audio app to
configure the number of available audio channels.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

If you don’t want to operate the UltraLite-mk4 as a
USB audio class compliant device, install the
software as follows.

Download and run the MOTU Pro Audio Installer

To download the latest MOTU Pro Audio installer
for Mac or Windows, visit www.motu.com/
download. Follow the directions that the installer
gives you.

☛ We recommend that you run the software

installer before you connect the UltraLite-mk4 to
your computer and power it on. This ensures that
all driver components are properly installed in
your system.

AUDIO DRIVERS

The installer provides USB audio drivers for Mac
(CoreAudio) and Windows (ASIO and Wave).

Industry-leading I/O latency performance

On OS X and Windows, the MOTU Pro Audio
driver provides exceptionally low I/O latency
performance for USB operation. For example, with
a 32-sample host buffer size and a sample rate of
96 kHz, the UltraLite-mk4 produces round trip
latency (RTL) performance of 1.83 milliseconds
(ms) over USB on OS X and 1.84 ms on Windows.
RTL is the measurement of the time it takes audio
to pass from an analog input, through a high­performance DAW host such as Digital Performer,
to an analog output.

27

MOTU Pro Audio ASIO Driver

On Windows, to enable the UltraLite-mk4 in your
ASIO host software, choose the MOTU Pro Audio
ASIO driver.

Figure 3-1: Choosing the MOTU Pro Audio ASIO driver in Cubase.

WDM / Wave driver support

On Windows, the MOTU Pro Audio driver
includes stereo and multi-channel support (up to
24 channels) for WDM (Wave) compatible audio
software.

Host Buffer Size

When connected to a Windows host, the Host
Buffer Size menu (Figure 3-2) is available in the

Device tab (page 12). This setting determines the
amount of latency (delay) you may hear when live
audio is patched through your Windows audio
software. Smaller buffer sizes produce lower
latency, with sizes of 256 samples or less producing
virtually imperceptible delay. Many host
applications report audio hardware I/O latency, so
you can see what happens to the reported latency
when making adjustments to this setting.

Be careful with very small buffer sizes, as they can
cause performance issues from your host software
or PC.

☛ At sea level, audio travels approximately one

foot (30 cm) per millisecond. A latency of ten
milliseconds is about the same as being ten feet
(three meters) from an audio source.

Host Safety Offset

When connected to a Windows host, the Host
Safety Offset menu (Figure 3-2) also becomes

available. This setting allows you to fine tune host
latency. Large r offsets al low th e dri ver more time to
process audio as it transfers to and from the
hardware. Lower settings produce lower latency,
but if you go too low, your host software may
experience performance issues. Generally
speaking, 48 samples should serve as a good
baseline setting. You can then experiment with
lower settings from there. Be mindful, however,
when reducing the safety offset, as this parameter
can have a significant impact on your computer
system’s performance.

MOTU DISCOVERY APP

The MOTU Discovery app (found in the Mac
menu bar or Windows taskbar) locates all MOTU
interfaces connected to the computer, either
directly through USB or on your network, and
displays them in a list. Choose the UltraLite-mk4
(or another interface) to access its settings through
the web app (“MOTU Pro Audio Control Web
App” on page 11).

Figure 3-2: Access the ‘Host B uf fer Size ’ and ‘Host Safet y O ffse t’
settings in the web app Device tab for your MOTU interface.

28

MOTU PRO AUDIO WEBUI SETUP FOR WINDOWS

On Windows, the installer provides a MOTU Pro
Audio WebUI Setup shortcut found on the
Win dows desktop or in Start menu> All Programs>
MOTU. Use this shortcut to access the MOTU Pro

Audio Control web app directly in your favorite
web browser.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

MIDI I/O ON WINDOWS

On Windows, the MOTU Pro Audio Installer
provides a USB MIDI driver for the UltraLite-mk4.
This driver allows you to access the
UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI input and output ports
through its USB connection to the computer. The
ports are published in Windows and are available
to all MIDI software.

MIDI I/O SETUP ON THE MAC

Core MIDI is the “under-the-hood” component of
Mac OS X that handles MIDI services for MIDI
hardware and software. Core MIDI provides many
universal MIDI system management features,
including MIDI communication between your
UltraLite-mk4 interface and all Core MIDI
compatible software.

Audio MIDI Setup is a utility included with
Mac OS X that allows you to configure your
UltraLite-mk4 interface for use with all Core MIDI
compatible applications. Audio MIDI Setup
provides:

3 Confirm that the MIDI interface is present in the
MIDI Devices tab (or window) in Audio MIDI
Setup. If the interface does not appear, or if it is
grayed out, check your cable connections and click
Rescan MIDI.

Connecting MIDI devices to the UltraLite-mk4

Once your UltraLite-mk4 interface appears in
Audio MIDI Setup, you are ready to add devices,
indicate how they are connected, and identify
properties they may have for particular purposes.
This information is shared with all Core MIDI
compatible applications.

To add a device in Audio MIDI Setup:

1 Click Add Device.

2 Drag on its input and output arrows to draw

connections to the UltraLite-mk4 that match its
physical connection.

■ A “virtual” studio on your Mac that graphically

represents your MIDI hardware setup and that is
shared by all Core MIDI-compatible programs

■ A simple, intuitive list of your MIDI devices

whenever you need it in any Core MIDI­compatible program

Launching Audio MIDI Setup

1 Make sure your UltraLite-mk4 interface is
connected (a USB connection is required) and
turned on.

2 Launch the Audio MIDI Setup utility.

This can usually be found in /Applications/
Utilities. If it has been moved, just search for Aud io
MIDI Setup.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

Figure 3-3: Connecting devices to the UltraLite-mk4. In this example,
a controller keyboard is connected to the UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI IN, and
a sound module is connected to the UltraLite-mk4 MIDI OUT.

3 Double-click the device to make settings, such
as input and output channels, that further describe
the device.

29

Figure 3-4: Device settings.

4 Repeat the above steps for each MIDI device
connected to the interface.

5 When you are finished, quit Audio MIDI Setup.

AUDIODESK WORKSTATION SOFTWARE

AudioDesk is an advanced workstation software
package for Mac and Windows that lets you record,
edit, mix, process, bounce and master multi-track
digital audio recording projects. Advanced features
include real-time effects processing, recording,
and much more.

See the AudioDesk User Guide, available on your
computer hard drive as a PDF document.

Your configuration is automatically saved as the
default configuration, and it is shared with all Core
MIDI-compatible software.

30

Figure 3-5: AudioDesk.

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

For further information about using the
UltraLite-mk4 with host audio software, see
“Working with Host Audio Software” on page 45.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

CHAPTER

4 Hardware Installation

OVERVIEW

USB audio interface setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

iOS audio interface setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

A typical UltraLite-mk4 setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Audio connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

MIDI connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Syncing to SMPTE time code (LTC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

USB AUDIO INTERFACE SETUP

Use this setup if you want to use the UltraLite-mk4
as a USB audio interface.

■ Use a standard USB cable.

■ Connect to any USB port (USB2.0 or 3.0).

iOS AUDIO INTERFACE SETUP

Standard camera

connection kit (adapter)

Use this setup if you want to use the UltraLite-mk4
as an iOS audio interface.

■ Use a standard iOS camera connection kit

(adapter).

■ Use any standard USB cable.

■ See chapter 3, “Software Installation” (page 27).

■ See chapter 3, “Software Installation” (page 27).

31

A TYPICAL ULTRALITE-MK4 SETUP

Here is a typical UltraLite-mk4 setup. All mixing
and effects processing can be done in the

Guitar

Secondary

studio monitors

UltraLite-mk4 itself, controlled from your laptop,
tablet, and smart phone — or several devices
simultaneously.

UltraLite-mk4
front panel

Headphones

Synthesizer

Primary

studio monitors

Quarter-inch analog outs

MIDI I/O connected to

keyboard synth, MIDI controller

or other MIDI devices.

UltraLite-mk
4 back panel

Tablet

Smartphone

Local Wi- Fi

Mac

Other outputs (stage

monitors, surround

monitors, etc.)

Home theater

system

8-channel

ADAT optical

MOTU 8pre or other

optical expander

USB

or
PC

Figure 4-1: A typical UltraLite-mk4 setup.

Quarter-inch analog outs

Sy nths, s ample rs, eff ect s un its, e tc.

32

HARDWARE INSTALLATION

AUDIO CONNECTIONS

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you are
making audio connections to your UltraLite-mk4
interface.

input, which is adjusted and saved separately from
the preamp gain setting for the XLR mic input. The
volume range for the instrument input is zero to
+30 dB.

Mic/instrument inputs with preamps

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

☛ Do not connect a +4 dBu (line level) signal to

the mic/guitar inputs without using the -20dB Pad.
It is recommended you connect line level signals to
the quarter-inch inputs on the rear panel instead.

-20 dB pad

Each mic/guitar input is equipped with a -20 dB
pad switch, to accommodate input signals that
could overdrive the input.

Phantom power

If you are connecting a condenser microphone or
another device that requires phantom power,
engage the mic input’s corresponding front-panel
phantom power button.

Preamp gain

The XLR input on each combo jack feeds an
independent preamp, which provides +60 dB of
gain. Use the front panel detented trim knobs to
adjust gain as needed for each input. The LCD
provides visual feedback as you turn the trim knob.
Preamp gain is digitally controlled, so you can
make fine-tuned adjustments in 1dB increments.
Yo u can a lso adju st pre amp g ain in the web a pp. See
“Device tab” on page 12.

Independent volume control for the instrument
input

When a quarter-inch plug is inserted into the
quarter-inch combo jack, its signal bypasses the
preamp. The gain knob on the front panel (and in
the Device tab of the web app) provides
independent volume control for the quarter-inch

TRS quarter-inch analog inputs and outputs

Quarter-inch analog inputs and outputs are
balanced (TRS) connectors that can also accept an
unbalanced plug.

☛ Quarter-inch analog outputs are not

cross-coupled. Therefore, when connecting them
to an unbalanced input, use a TRS plug with the
ring disconnected. Not floating the negative
terminal will short it to the sleeve ground and
cause distortion.

Dedicated main outs

Like all I/O on the UltraLite-mk4, the main
outputs operate as an independent pair (they don’t
share signal with any other output pair). In a
standard studio configuration, the main outs are
intended for a pair of studio monitors, but they can
also be used as regular outputs for any purpose.
With adjustable converter trim, they support a
wide range of industry-standard reference levels.
Main out volume is controlled by the MAIN VOL
knob on the front panel: push it repeatedly until
you see Main 1-2 in the LCD and then turn it to
adjust the master volume output.

Analog trims

All quarter-inch analog inputs and outputs can be
trimmed. This allows them to support a variety of
standards, including EBU-R68, SMPTE RP-155,
+4dBu, -10dBV, 2vRMS, 1vRMS.

The UltraLite-mk4’s quarter-inch analog inputs
are equipped with high-quality, digitally controlled
analog trim that provides a range from -96 to +22
dB in 1dB steps.

HARDWARE INSTALLATION

33

Quarter-inch outputs can be trimmed in the DAC
itself. Range is 24 dB. The Main Outs and Phones
provide full trim range from 0 dB to -∞ (-127).

Trim controls are most easily accessed in the web
app. See “Device tab” on page 12. Trim settings can
also be accessed in the LCD menu.

Optical I/O

The UltraLite-mk4 provides ADAT optical
(“lightpipe”) connectors (one input and one
output). Together, they provide 8 channels of
ADAT optical digital I/O at 44.1 or 48 kHz, or 4
channels of SMUX optical at 2x sample rates (88.2
or 96 kHz). SMUX operation supports two modes
(item #21 on page 13):

■ Standard — for 2x optical connection to

3rd-party SMUX-compatible hardware products.

■ Type II (Legacy) — for 2x optical connection to

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

The optical ports are disabled when the interface is
operating at a 176.4 or 192 kHz.

TOSLink (optical S/PDIF)

Alternately, the optical ports can be configured for
stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) in the web app
(item #21 on page 13). The optical IN and OUT
banks can be configured independently.

For A, choose Internal (or anything other than
Optical) as the clock source in the Device tab (item
#13 on page 12). Then configure the other device
to resolve to its optical input.

For B, choose Optical as the clock source (item #13
on page 12), and configure the other device to
resolve to its own internal clock.

S/PDIF

If you make a S/PDIF digital audio connection to
another device, the UltraLite-mk4 must be
digitally synced with the other device for a clean,
click-free digital audio stream between them.

DAT decks and other devices with S/PDIF digital
I/O will sync to the UltraLite-mk4 input via the
S/PDIF connection itself. Just connect it to the
UltraLite-mk4 S/PDIF output connector. When
the device records a digital audio signal (from the
UltraLite-mk4), it will simply synchronize to the
clock provided by the signal.

When you transfer audio from the S/PDIF device
into the UltraLite-mk4, you’ll have to resolve the
UltraLite-mk4 to its S/PDIF input.

UltraLite-mk4

S/PDIF

Choosing a clock source for optical connections

When connecting an optical device, make sure that
its digital audio clock is phase-locked (in sync
with) the UltraLite-mk4. There are two ways to do
this:

A. Resolve the optical device to the UltraLite-mk4

B. Resolve the UltraLite-mk4 to the optical device

34

S/PDIF

S/PDIF device

UltraLite-mk4

Clock Source setting =

S/PDIF (when transferring from the

other device to the UltraLite-mk4)

Figure 4-2: The setup for synchronizing a S/PDIF device with the
UltraLite-mk4. Sync is achieved via the digital I/O connection itself. In
this case, you have to choose S/PDIF as the UltraLite-mk4’s clock
source when recording from the other device.

HARDWARE INSTALLATION

UltraLite-mk4

Clock Source setting =

Internal (when transferring from the

UltraLite-mk4 to the other device)

MIDI CONNECTIONS

The UltraLite-mk4 provides MIDI I/O to the
computer over USB. Connect your MIDI device’s
MIDI IN jack to the UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI OUT
jack (Connection A below). Conversely, connect
the MIDI device’s MIDI OUT jack to the
UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI IN jack (Connection B).

MIDI Device

MIDI

OUT

MIDI

IN

UltraLite-mk4

rear panel

UltraLite-mk4

rear panel

MIDI

OUT

Connection A

MIDI Device

Figure 4-3: Connecting a MIDI device to the UltraLite-mk4.

MIDI

cables

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

MIDI

IN

Connection B

One-way MIDI connections

MIDI devices that do not receive MIDI data, such
as a dedicated keyboard controller, guitar
controller, or drum pad, only need Connection B
shown in Figure 4-3. Similarly, devices that never
send data, such as a sound module, only need
Connection A. Make both connections for any
device that needs to both send and receive MIDI
data.

Connecting additional gear with MIDI THRUs

If you need to connect several pieces of MIDI gear,
run a MIDI cable from the MIDI THRU of a dev ice
already connected to the UltraLite-mk4 to the
MIDI IN on the additional device as shown below
in Figure 4-4. The two devices then share the
UltraLite-mk4’s MIDI OUT port. This means that
they share the same set of 16 MIDI channels, too,
so try to do this with devices that receive on only
one MIDI channel (such as effects modules), which
makes it easier to avoid MIDI channel conflicts.

MIDI

THRU

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

MIDI

cable

MIDI IN

Additional device

MIDI Thru when operating stand-alone

The UltraLite-mk4 has a MIDI Thru feature for
stand-alone operation. This can be enabled from
the front panel LCD Settings menu.

SYNCING TO SMPTE TIME CODE (LTC)

The Clock Mode menu (item #13 on page 12)
provides the ability to resolve to SMPTE time code
(Longitudinal Time Code, referred to as LT C ) from
any specified analog or digital input.

When you choose the LTC clock mode setting, the
audio phase lock engine in your MOTU interface
resolves to the incoming time code. (See below for
how to specify the time code input.) This ensures
that audio passing through the interface remains
resolved to time code and won’t drift over time, as
long as the audio is coming from other sources t hat
are also resolved to the same time code. This also
ensures that audio recorded by DAW host software
on a connected computer, or audio playing back
from the DAW, will remain resolved to time code
and won’t drift over time, even when restarting or
cueing the source time code.

HARDWARE INSTALLATION

35

☛ Depending on the stability of the incoming

time code, it may take a few seconds for your
interface to lock to the time code. The more stable
the incoming time code, the faster the lock-up
time.

SMPTE time code (LTC) settings

There are several settings for the time code features
in your MOTU interface. In the web app, go to the
Device tab (page 14) and scroll to the LTC Setup
section, shown below.

Figure 4-5: Settings for SMPTE time code sync.

Computer Channel for LTC-to-MTC Conversion

Choose a computer channel that you aren’t using
for anything else here. It will be used to transmit
LTC from the interface to the computer. If all of
your computer channels are being used, you can
add extra channels using the To c o mp u te r setting in
the Routing tab. See “LTC-to-MTC conversion” on
page 51 for further info about LTC-to-MTC
conversion.

LTC F o rm at

Choose the frame format that matches the
incoming time code.

Enable Format Autodetect

If you would like your MOTU interface to
automatically detect the frame format of the
incoming time code, check this box.

Enable Jam Sync

When thi s op tion i s ch ecke d, you r MO TU i nter fac e
will continue to convert LTC to MTC even after
incoming time code stops being received. Once
Jam Sync kicks in, it will continue generating until
you click Stop Jam Sync.

LTC I np u t S our c e

Choose the input on your inter face that is receivi ng
the time code (LTC). Any input can be used,
including an analog or digital input.

36

HARDWARE INSTALLATION

Part 2

Using the

UltraLite-mk4

CHAPTER

5 Presets

OVERVIEW

Because of its advanced, extensive feature set, the
UltraLite-mk4 can be used for many different
purposes. This chapter discusses common use
cases and their corresponding device presets, to
help you use the hardware for your needs.

Preset menu

The preset menu (item #7 on page 12) contains a
number of presets specifically designed for
common use cases. By loading the corresponding
preset, the UltraLite-mk4’s routing tab and mixer
will be reconfigured accordingly. You can visit the
routing and Mixing tabs to inspect settings and
adjust them as needed.

Audio interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Interface + mixer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Live recording with monitor mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Optical converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Optical converter with mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Create your own presets

You can create presets to suit your specific needs.
The UltraLite-mk4 is highly capable and
configurable, allowing it to perform many tasks
simultaneously.

AUDIO INTERFACE

Choose the Audio Interface preset to use the
UltraLite-mk4 as a standard USB or iOS audio
interface. Hardware inputs and outputs are
accessible from your computer or iOS device, and
the routing and mixing features are disabled.

Computer or iOS device

Camera connection kit (adapter)
required for iOS operation

audio connections to audio gear

Figure 5-1: Using the UltraLite-mk4 as an audio interface.

39

INTERFACE + MIXER

Choose the Interface + Mixer preset to use the
UltraLite-mk4 as both an audio interface and
mixer, simultaneously. Doing so routes all physical
inputs and outputs to and from the computer,
connected through USB. In addition, the following
audio sources are routed to the mixer, which mixes
them to the Main Mix bus, plus three stereo aux
busses for independent monitor mixes:

■ The UltraLite-mk4’s eight analog inputs

■ The UltraLite-mk4’s optical inputs

■ USB channels from the host computer

The Monitor bus is set up as a solo bus.

In this scenario, you can control the mixer from the
MOTU Pro Audio Control web app running on the
computer. You can also run the web app from
wireless devices on the same Wi-Fi network as the
computer.

Laptop

LIVE RECORDING WITH MONITOR MIXING

Choose the Live recording with monitor mixing
preset when you are tracking in the studio. The
setup is pretty much the same as for the “Interface
+ mixer” preset shown in Figure 5-2 on page 40.
All physical inputs on the interface are routed to
both the computer (for recording) and the Main
Mix and Monitor busses in the mixer (for near­zero latency monitoring). USB channels from the
computer are included in the UltraLite-mk4’s mix.
As with the other presets, aux busses are routed to
the UltraLite-mk4’s line outs, for independent
monitor mixes.

OPTICAL CONVERTER

Choose the Optical converter preset if you would
like the UltraLite-mk4 to serve as a multi-channel
digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converter
connected to another device equipped with an
optical port. For example, if you have another
MOTU interface equipped with optical, you could
connect its optical output banks to the
UltraLite-mk4’s optical input banks, or vice versa.
The UltraLite-mk4 then serves as an 8-channel
expander that adds the UltraLite-mk4’s analog
outputs (and/or inputs) to your setup.

Aux

Main

Mix 1

Mix

Audio inputs from stage, studio, etc.

Figure 5-2: Using the UltraLite-mk4 as an audio interface and mixer,
simultaneously.

40

Aux

Mix 2

Other interface

Optical cable

UltraLite-mk4

Analog outputs

Figure 5-3: Use the Optical converter preset to use the UltraLite-mk4
as an optical-to-analog expander for both input and output.

PRESETS

OPTICAL CONVERTER WITH MIXING

The Optical converter with mixing preset does not
route incoming optical audio directly to the
UltraLite-mk4’s analog outputs. Instead, this
preset routes the incoming optical audio to the
mixer. The mixer then distributes separate mixes to
the UltraLite-mk4’s analog output pairs.

PRESETS

41

42

PRESETS

CHAPTER

6 The Front Panel LCD

OVERVIEW

The front panel LCD displays level meters for all
analog inputs and outputs and activity indicators
for MIDI, optical and S/PDIF I/O. The LCD also
provides several navigable menus that provide
status information and basic hardware settings.

Level meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Push-button Knobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Channel focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Main volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Menu Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Device menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Settings menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Presets menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Version menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Clock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

LEVEL METERS

In its default state when the unit is first powered on,
the LCD displays level meter activity for all analog
audio inputs and outputs (Figure 6-1).

Clock section

PUSH-BUTTON KNOBS

The front-panel knobs (Figure 6-2) are push­button digital rotary encoders. Push the knob for
the function labeled in blue.

Figure 6-2: Push the knob to activate the functions labeled in blue.

POWER

Push and hold the power knob (Figure 6-2) to
switch the unit on or off. The LCD provides
feedback as you hold to power down.

CHANNEL FOCUS

When turning a knob to adjust volume or input
gain, the LCD shows the level setting. A few
seconds after you stop turning the knob, the LCD
returns to the previous display. To temporarily
suspend the focus timeout, push the knob while
focused. A “pin” icon appears in the LCD to
indicate that the focused metering will remain on
screen until you push the knob again to dismiss it.

Level meters for

analog I/O

Figure 6-1: Analog metering and activity indicators for MIDI and
optical I/O.

Digital I/O and MIDI

activity indicators

MAIN VOLUME

Push the PHONES volume knob (MAIN VOL) to
toggle volume control between the phones and
main outs. The LCD provides visual feedback.

MENU NAVIGATION

Push SELECT to access the main menu, which
provides settings and status information.

Main Menu

Turn the SELECT knob to scroll through the menu
settings.

43

Push SELECT to enter the selected sub-menu or to
select the currently highlighted parameter.

Push BACK to go to the parent menu.

To exit the menu entirely, push BACK repeatedly
until the menu disappears from the display.

Device menu

The Device menu provides information about the
device, such as its name and connection mode.

Settings menu

The Settings menu provides access to basic
hardware settings, such as Clock Mode, Sample
Rate, and so on.

Setting What it does

Clock Mode Sets the digital audio clock source for the

Sample Rate Sets the sample rate for the device.

device.

CLOCK

The Clock section of the LCD (Figure 6-1 on
page 43) displays the sample rate at which the unit
is currently operating, and the current Clock Mode
setting (item #13 in the Devices tab on page 12).
The Clock Mode setting can also be found (and
changed) in the Settings Menu.

Optical Specifies ADAT or TOSLink, or the SMUX

MIDI Thru When enabled, MIDI data passes directly

LCD Contrast Adjusts the contrast of the LCD.

Clear Password Removes password protection in the web

Factory Defaults Restores factory default settings.

format when operating at 88.2 or 96 kHz.
See “Optical I/O” on page 34.

from the MIDI input to the MIDI output
when the UltraLite-mk4 is disconnected
from USB (running standalone).

app.

Presets menu

The Presets menu lets you recall settings that have
been saved as a device preset. Use the web app to
create and save presets (item #7 in the “Device tab”
on page 12).

Version menu

The Version menu displays firmware version info.

44

THE FRONT PANEL LCD

CHAPTER

7 Working with Host Audio Software

OVERVIEW

The UltraLite-mk4 provides multi-channel audio
input and output for Core Audio compatible audio
applications on the Mac and ASIO or Wave
compatible applications on Windows, including
MOTU’s Digital Performer and AudioDesk,
Apple’s Logic Pro and GarageBand, and other
third-party software applications such as Ableton
Live, Avid Pro Tools, Cockos Reaper, Propellerhead
Reason, Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo, Cakewalk
SONAR, PreSonus Studio One, Bitwig, and others.

AudioDesk is available as a free download for
UltraLite-mk4 owners at motu.com/download.
For complete information about all of AudioDesk’s
powerful workstation features, refer to the
AudioDesk User Guide.pdf included in the
AudioDesk applic ation.

Digital Performer, MOTU’s state-of-the-art digital
audio workstation software, is available separately;
for details about upgrading from AudioDesk to
Digital Performer, talk to your authorized MOTU
dealer or visit motu.com.

Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Run the web app. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Choose the MOTU Pro Audio driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Reducing monitoring latency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Working with the Routing grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Working with on-board mixing and effects . . . . . . . . . . 51

LTC-to-MTC conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

PREPARATION

Install your host audio software first if you haven’t
already done so, and complete these chapters
before proceeding:

■ chapter 3, “Software Installation” (page 27)

■ chapter 4, “Hardware Installation” (page 31)

RUN THE WEB APP

Before you run your host audio software, launch
the web app to configure your MOTU hardware.

The web app lets you configure important settings
in your audio interface, enable the desired inputs
and outputs, and set up audio streams to and from
the computer.

Sample rate

Choose the desired sample rate for the
UltraLite-mk4 (item #12 in the Device tab on
page 12) and your host audio software. Make sure
the rates for the hardware and software match.
Newly recorded audio will have this sample rate.

Clock mode

The Clock Mode setting (item #13 in the Device tab
on page 12) is important because it determines the
master digital audio clock for your system.

If you do not have any digital audio connections to
your MOTU device (you are using the analog
inputs and outputs only), and you will not be
resolving your host software to optical or another
external clock source, choose Inter nal.

If you have devices connected to the optical ports,
see “Choosing a clock source for optical
connections” on page 34. If you have S/PDIF
devices connected, see “S/PDIF” on page 34.

Audio Interface preset

Click Launch Quick Setup (item #9 in the Device
tab on page 12) and choose the Audio Inter face
preset. Your MOTU interface is now set up for
operation as an audio interface with any host audio
software. For details about customizing the audio
routing to and from the computer, see “Working
with the Routing grid” on page 49.

45

CHOOSE THE MOTU PRO AUDIO 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 Pro Audio driver,
which allows your host software to use the
UltraLite-mk4 as an audio interface.

Where to go in popular audio hosts

Here is the location for this setting in various
popular audio software host applications:

Host software Location for choosing the UltraLite-mk4

Digital Performer
and AudioDesk

Setup menu > Configure Audio System >
Configure Hardware Driver

For Mac OS X audio software

For audio software running under Mac OS X, go to
the menu item or preference where you choose the
audio device (Core Audio driver) you wish to use,
and then select the UltraLite-mk4 by name.

For Windows audio software

For audio software running under Windows, go to
the menu item or preference where you choose the
ASIO driver you wish to use, and then choose
MOTU Pro Audio ASIO. If your host audio so ftware
doesn’t support ASIO, choose the MOTU Pro Audio
Wave dr ive r i ns tea d.

Pro Tools 9 or later Setup menu > Playback Engine or Current

Logic Pro Preferences > Audio tab > Devices tab >

Garage Band Garage Band menu > Preferences > Audio/

Cubase and
Nuendo

Live Preferences > Audio tab

Reason Preferences > Audio preferences

Reaper Preferences > Audio prefs > Devices

Engine

Core Audio tab

MIDI > Audio Output/Input menus

Device Setup > Devices list > VST Audio
System menu

Other audio software

Consult your software’s manual for further
information.

REDUCING MONITORING LATENCY

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

Figure 7-1: Choosing the MOTU Pro Audio ASIO driver in Cubase.

46

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 input
on the UltraLite-mk4, passes through the interface
hardware into the computer, through your host
audio software, and then back out to an output.

Monitoring through the UltraLite-mk4

If you don’t need to process a live input with
plug-ins, the easiest way to avoid monitoring
latency is to disable your DAW’s live monitoring
feature and instead use the digital mixer in the
UltraLite-mk4 to route the input directly to your

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

outputs. For details, see “Mixing tab” on page 16.
The mixer in the UltraLite-mk4 even provides zero
latency effects processing (EQ, compression and
reverb), which can be applied to the signal.

Direct hardware playthrough / Direct ASIO monitoring

When managing your live monitor mix through
the UltraLite-mk4 mixer, remember to disable
your DAW’s live monitoring features, so that you
won’t hear record-enabled tracks in your DAW.
Also note that the UltraLite-mk4 does not support
Direct Hardware Playthrough in Digital Performer,
or the Direct ASIO Monitoring feature (or similar)
offered and other DAWs, which lets you control
no-latency hardware monitoring from within the
host application. Instead, you can use the MOTU
Pro Audio Control web app mixer (“Mixing tab” on
page 16) to make these live monitoring
connections manually.

If you don’t require any effects processing on the
input signal (no reverb or compression, for
example), all this takes is one click in the routing
grid to route the input being recorded to the output
you are using for monitoring.

If you are recording a mono input that you’d like to
monitor in stereo, or if you need to apply effects to
the monitored signal, you can simply route the
input to the mixer in the UltraLite-mk4. This is
done by opening the Mix In group in the Outputs
column along the left side of the grid, and clicking
the tile at the intersection of the input’s column and
the desired mixer input’s row. Once routed to the
mixer, use the input channel, reverb bus, and
monitor bus in the mixer to apply effects as desired,
and perhaps include other channels to the mix, and
then assign the monitor bus output in the routing
grid to the output you are using for monitoring.

In either case (routing directly in the grid or
routing through the mixer), be sure to maintain the
input’s connection to the computer as well, so the

input signal can be recorded in your host software.
In other words, you’ll want to make sure there are
two tiles enabled in the input’s column in the grid:
one tile for the connection to the computer and
another tile for your monitoring output (or a mixer
input, if you are using the mixer to apply effects). If
you need to route the input signal to other
destinations, too, you can certainly do so (you can
route the input to multiple destinations).

Monitoring through your host audio software

If you do need to process a live input with host
software plug-ins, or if you are playing virtual
instruments live through your MOTU audio
hardware, you can significantly reduce latency by
adjusting the audio buffer setting in your host
audio software, as explained in the next section.

☛ It is important to note that monitoring delay

has no effect on the recording, or playback, of
audio data from disk. The actual recording and
playback is extremely precise, it is only the
monitoring of your live input signal which may be
delayed.

Adjusting your host software audio buffer

Buffers are small bundles of audio data. The
UltraLite-mk4 “speaks” to your computer in
buffers, rather than one sample at a time. The size
of these buffers determine how much delay you
hear when monitoring live inputs through your
audio software: larger buffers produce more delay;
smaller buffers produce less.

Adjusting buffer size on Mac OS X

Under Mac OS X, audio I/O buffer size is handled
by the host audio application (not by the
UltraLite-mk4’s Core Audio driver). Most audio
software applications provide an adjustable audio
buffer setting that lets you control the amount of
delay you’ll hear when monitoring live inputs or
processing them with software plug-ins. Here are a
few examples.

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

47

Figure 7-4: In Logic Pro, go to the Audio Driver preferences to access
the Buffer Size option shown above.

Figure 7-2: In Digital Performer and AudioDesk, choose Setup menu>
Configure Audio System> Configure Hardware Driver to open the
dialog shown above and access the Buffer Size setting. Refer to your
Digital Performer or AudioDesk manual for information about the
Host Buffer Multiplier setting.

Figure 7-3: In Cubase or Nuendo, choose Devices menu > Device
Setup. Select your interface (UltraLite-mk4), then click the Control
Panel button to access the window above and the Buffer Size setting.

Adjusting buffer size on Windows

On Windows, the buffer size is adjusted in the web
app Device tab (page 12). See “Host Buffer Size”
and “Host Safety Offset” on page 28.

Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead

Buffer size has a large impact on the following:

■ Monitoring latency

■ The load on your computer’s CPU

■ Responsiveness of transport controls and effect

knobs in AudioDesk, Digital Performer or other
audio software.

■ Real-time virtual instrument latency.

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 monitoring latency, but significantly
increase the overall processing load on your
computer, leaving less CPU bandwidth for things
like real-time 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.

48

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

Figure 7-5: When adjusting the buffer size to reduce monitoring
latency, watch the ‘processor’ meter in Digital Performer or
AudioDesk’s Performance Monitor. If you hear distortion, or if the
Performance meter is peaking, try raising the buffer size.

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

Transport responsiveness

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

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.

WORKING WITH THE ROUTING GRID

The Routing grid (Figure 7-6) gives you a lot of
control over the audio routing to and from your
computer, as explained in the following sections.

Figure 7-6: An example of routing computer channels (from host audio software) to the analog outputs on a UltraLite-mk4, plus the S/PDIF
digital output. Computer channels 1-2 are being split to two pairs of outputs: Phones L-R and Main L-R. The ADAT bank is not being used.

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

49

Enabling and disabling input/output banks

In the web app Routing tab (page 15), you can
enable any input and output banks on your MOTU
device that you wish to make available to your host
audio software. You can disable banks you are not
using to simplify operation.

Specifying the number of computer channels

In the web app Routing tab Enable Inputs/Outputs
sections (Figure 7-6), you can specify the number
of computer channels for streaming audio to and
from your host audio software. You might want
enough channels to cover the following:

■ Physical inputs you want to record on your

computer.

■ The physical outputs you want to send audio

playback to.

■ Any audio streams going to and from the

on-board mixer in your MOTU device.

If you aren’t sure how many channels you’ll need,
visit the Routing tab, as explained below.

Making inputs and outputs available to your host software

In the web app, use the Routing tab (page 15) to
map inputs and outputs to computer channels, as
demonstrated in Figure 7-6 and Figure 7-7.

Configuration presets

The presets menu (item #7 in the Devices tab on
page 12) provides many useful presets for various
host routing scenarios. These presets are a
convenient shortcut for the routing grid setups
discussed in the next few sections.

Naming computer input and output channels

Click on any computer input or output name in the
routing grid (Figure 7-6) to change its name.

Figure 7-7: An example of routing all eighteen physical inputs on the UltraLite-mk4 to computer channels (for host audio software).

50

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

Streaming computer audio to and from the
on-board mixer

In Figure 7-6, you’ll see mixer inputs across the top
of the grid (Main, Monitor, Aux, etc.) These are
output buses from the UltraLite-mk4’s on-board
mixer. To route one of these mix buses to your host
computer software, click the grid at the
intersection of the mix column and desired
computer channel row. Now, the mix bus output
will be routed to the computer via the channel you
selected.

Conversely, you can stream audio from the
computer into the mixer. Channels coming from
the computer are represented across the top of the
routing g rid as inputs. To route a computer channel
to the mixer, click the grid at the intersection of the
computer channel column and the desired mix
input row. Now, that computer channel will be
routed to the mixer input.

Mirroring computer channels to multiple outputs

Figure 7-6 shows an example of mirroring one
stereo audio stream from host audio software to
several outputs. In the example, computer
channels 1-2 are being sent to Phones L-R and
Main L-R. To route a source to multiple
destinations, click multiple boxes in its column,
(see From Computer channels 1-2 in Figure 7-6).

WORKING WITH ON-BOARD MIXING AND EFFECTS

the UltraLite-mk4 provides powerful mixing, EQ,
compression and reverb, which can operate hand­in-hand with your host’s mixing environment. For
example, the UltraLite-mk4 can serve as a monitor
mixer, routing channels to musicians, or it can
serve as an integrated extension of your host’s
mixing environment. You can even save a
particular mixing configuration as a preset for
future recall. For details, see “Mixing tab” on
page 16.

LTC-TO-MTC CONVERSION

When connected to a Mac, your MOTU interface
can convert SMPTE time code (LTC) to MIDI
Time Code (MTC), allowing any MTC-compatible
host audio software to resolve to MTC.

LTC-to-MTC conversion can be done even when
the Clock Mode setting for the MOTU interface is
set to Internal (or any other setting). Note that the
Clock Mode setting does NOT have to be set to
LT C . In other words, the interface can convert LTC
to MTC even when it is not resolving its audio
eng ine to the i ncoming time code. This allows your
DAW h ost softw are to r eso lve to t ime cod e w ith fas t
lockup response.

To set up LTC-to-MTC conversion:

Combining multiple sources to one output

To merge (mix) any channels in the grid (computer
streams or otherwise), route them to mixer inputs
and then use the on-board mixer (“Mixing tab” on
page 16).

Routing grid tutorials

For further info about using the routing grid,
including many useful tips and techniques, visit:

www.motu.com/techsupport/technotes/avbrouting

and

www.motu.com/avb

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

6 Set the interface Clock Mode to Internal (or any
other desired setting).

7 Set the other LTC settings as needed, as
discussed in “Syncing to SMPTE time code (LTC)”
on page 35, including the Computer Channel for
LTC-to-MTC Conversion setting.

8 If you would like MIDI Time Code to continue
to be generated, even after LTC stops being
received, check Enable Jam Sync (Figure 4-5 on
page 36). Otherwise, leave it unchecked.

51

9 Follow the directions for MTC (SMPTE) sync in
your DAW software.

Your MOTU interface driver automatically
communicates with OS X, creating a device in the
computer’s Audio MIDI Setup configuration that
reports its time code port to any MTC-compatible
host software. If your host software requires that
you specify the port, you should see your MOTU
interface SMPTE Sync port as an available option
in the list. In Digital Performer, this is the Sync to
port menu in the Receive Sync settings (Setup
menu), which is set to Any by default (so it should
just work). Here’s a summary for a few popular
DAW hos ts:

Host software Sync settings

Digital Performer
and AudioDesk

Pro Tools Setup > Peripherals > Synchronization

Settings menu > Receive Sync > Sync to
port menu

Logic File > Project Settings > Synchronization >

Live Preferences > MIDI Sync

Cubase Transport > Project Synchronization Setup

General

52

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

CHAPTER

8 Mixer Effects

OVERVIEW

This chapter provides further information about
the effects processors available in the DSP mixer in
the UltraLite-mk4. For basic mixer operation, see:

Mixing tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Aux Mixing tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Mixer input channel strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Main Mix and Monitor channel strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Aux bus channel strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Group and Reverb channel strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Powerful DSP-driven mixing and effects

The m ixer is dr iven by a powe rfu l DSP that delivers
32-bit floating point precision and plenty of
processing bandwidth for no-latency effects,
including parametric EQ, dynamics, and reverb.
Effects can be applied when operating as an audio
interface or as a stand-alone mixer without a
computer. Input signals to the computer can be
recorded wet and/or dry, or recorded dry while a
real-time wet monitor mix is sent to musicians.
Effects include:

High Pass Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

A conventional high pass filter

Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

A standard gate with threshold/attack/release
controls

Four-band parametric EQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Multi-band parametric EQ modeled after British
analog consoles

Leveler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

The Leveler™, an accurate model of the legendary
LA-2A optical compressor, which provides
vintage, musical automatic gain control

Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Classic reverb with tail lengths up to 60 seconds

Advantages over host-based mixing and processing

The hardware mixer in the UltraLite-mk4 provides
several major advantages over mixing and
processing in your host audio software:

■ No buffer latency. The DSP-mixer provides the

same near-zero latency throughput performance as
a conventional digital mixer. Effects processing
doesn’t impact your computer’s CPU.

■ DSP mixing and routing can be maintained

independently of individual software applications
or projects.

■ DSP-driven mixing can function without the

computer, allowing the UltraLite-mk4 to operate as
a portable, stand-alone mixer with effects.

☛ Effects are disabled when operating at 4x

sample rates (176.4 or 192 kHz).

HIGH PASS FILTER

All input channel strips provide a 12 dB per octave
high pass filter. High Pass filters are often used to
remove unwanted mic rumble, for example.

Compressor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

A standard compressor with threshold/ratio/
attack/release/gain controls

Figure 8-1: The High Pass Filter.

53

GATE

All input channel strips provide a Gate module.

Enabling EQ

Each band has an enable/disable button
(Figure 8-3), allowing you to enable as few or as
many bands as needed for the channel strip.

Figure 8-2: The Gate module.

The gate silences the signal when the input signal’s
level drops below the Threshold.

The rate at which the gate responds, (opens to let
signal through) is determined by the Att ack
parameter. With a short Attack time, the gate will
open as soon as the signal crosses the Threshold;
with longer Attack times, the gate will gradually
open, much like a fade-in.

When the input level falls back below the
Threshold, the time it takes for the gate to close
(how quickly the signal is attenuated), is
determined by the Release parameter. Short
Release times will close the gate quickly, abruptly
attenuating your signal, versus longer release times,
which will gradually attenuate your signal, like a
natural fade-out.

FOUR-BAND PARAMETRIC EQ

All mixer channel strips, (except for the Monitor
bus), provide modeled, four-band parametric EQ.

Vintage EQ

Inspired by legendary British large console EQs,
the EQ section (Figure 8-3) models the sound of the
most sought-after classic equalizers. Four bands of
center frequency parametric EQ filtering are
provided, each with a bandwidth control. The
High and Low bands include a shelf filtering
option. With 32-bit floating point precision, the
vintage EQ has been carefully crafted and
meticulously engineered to produce musical
results in a wide variety of applications.

Enable/disable

Figure 8-3: The Four-band parametric EQ module.

EQ filter controls

The EQ filters have three controls:

Control unit range

Gain dB -20.00 to +20.00

Frequency Hertz 20 to 20,000

Bandwidth Octaves 0.01 to 3.00

Double-click a knob to return to its default position.

EQ filter characteristics

EQ is one of the most widely used processing tools
and can be applied to many different situations,
from minor corrective tasks to creative tone

54

MIXER EFFECTS

sculpting. The four-band EQ has been designed to
be flexible enough to cover a broad range of
applications. By adjusting Gain and Bandwidth
together, you can emulate the smooth and musical
character of classic analog EQ circuits, in which the
Gain/Bandwidth dependency was dictated by the
actual circuit design and electrical components
used.

Low and high shelf filters

The Low and High bands offer a shelf option that is
similar to those found in most conventional
parametric EQs.

EQ graph

The EQ graph below the EQ section (Figure 8-3)
provides a thumbnail visual indication of the
current EQ settings for the input channel. It is for
visual reference only and cannot be edited directly.
However, you can click it to open the full-size EQ
graph in a separate window (Figure 8-4), which is
fully editable.

COMPRESSOR

All mixer input channel strips provide a
compressor module.

Figure 8-5: The Compressor module.

The Compressor (Figure 8-5) lowers the level of the
input when amplitude of the signal is above the
Threshold. The amount of attenuation is
determined by the Ratio and the input level. For
example, if the input is 6 dB above the Threshold
and the Ratio is 3:1, the compressor will attenuate

Figure 8-4: The full-size EQ graph.

MIXER EFFECTS

Frequency/Gain

handle

Q (bandwidth)

handle

Peak/shelf

switch

EQ filter

Enable/disable

55

the signal to 2 dB above the Threshold. When the
input level goes above the threshold, the
attenuation is added gradually to reduce distortion.
The rate at which the attenuation is added is
determined by the Attac k parameter. Likewise,
when the input level falls below the Threshold, the
attenuation is removed gradually. The rate at which
the attenuation is removed is determined by the
Release parameter. Long Release times may cause
the audio to drop out briefly when a soft passage
follows a loud passage. Short Release times may
cause the attenuation to “pump”, a term used to
describe the sound of the compressor when the
average input level quickly fluctuates above and
below the Threshold. These types of issues can be
addressed by adjusting the compressor’s
parameters, or applying the Leveler instead. Gain
adjusts the overall output level of the compressor,
post processing. The Level meter (Figure 8-5)
shows the level of the input signal entering the
compressor. It shows either the Peak envelope or
the RMS level, if enabled.

Gain reduction meter

The Gain reduction meter (Figure 8-5) displays the
current amount of attenuation applied by the
compressor, before the makeup gain stage.

RMS mode

By default, the compressor operates in Peak mode,
which uses signal peaks to determine the input
level. In RMS mode, the compressor measures the
input signal’s loudness, using the root-mean­square computational method. When RMS is
disabled, RMS mode will let brief peaks through
because the detector sidechain is only looking at
the average signal level. By contrast, peak mode
wi ll catch those brief peaks. Peak mode is generally
used for drums, percussion and other source
material with strong transients, while RMS mode is
mostly used for everything else.

The level meter shows either the peak level or the
RMS level, depending on the mode.

Compressor graph

The Compressor graph below the Compressor
section (Figure 8-5) provides a thumbnail visual
indication of the current compressor settings for
the input channel. It is for visual reference only and
cannot be edited directly. However, you can click it
to open the full-size Compressor graph in a
separate window (Figure 8-6), which provides
graphic editing of the Ratio and Threshold
controls.

56

Ratio handle

Threshold
handle

Figure 8-6: The full-size Compressor graph.

MIXER EFFECTS

LEVELER

The Leveler™ (Figure 8-7) provides an accurate
model of the legendary Teletronix™ LA-2A®
optical compressor, known for its unique and
highly sought-after Automatic Gain Control
(AGC) characteristics.

Figure 8-7: The Leveler module.

The Leveler is available on the Main Mix bus and
all Group busses, including the Reverb bus.

A model of an optical compressor

An optical leveling amplifier works by shining a
light on a photoresistor. The intensity of the light
source is proportional to the audio signal, and the
resistance of the photoresistor is in turn inversely
proportional to the intensity of the light. Photore­sistors respond quite quickly to increases in light
intensity, yet return to their dark resistance very
slowly. Thus, incorporation of the photoresistor
into an attenuator followed by an amplifier which
provides make-up gain produces a signal which
maintains a constant overall loudness.

devices are essentially glow-in-the-dark paint on a
piece of foil covered by metalized glass or plastic,
and are the same devices used in low-power night
lights. Unfortunately, these devices need high
voltages to operate, and are best driven by tube
circuits which can supply voltage swings of several
hundred volts.

Response characteristics

Once the light has faded away, the photoresistor
then decays back to its dark state. The shape of the
decay curve varies depending on how bright the
light was, and how long the light lasted. A general
rule of thumb is that the louder the program, the
slower the release. Typically, the release can take up
to and over one minute. One thing to keep in mind
when using these types of devices is that the typical
concepts of compression ratio, attack, release, and
threshold do not apply. The light intensity is
determined by the highly non-linear interactions
of the input signal, AGC circuit, and ELP, and thus
exhibit a strong program dependence that is
impossible to describe without the mind-numbing
mathematics of statistical mechanics. The actual
results, however, can be almost mystical: even
when you feed the same material (a loop perhaps)
through the Leveler twice, you’ll often see a new
response the second time through a loop, complete
with unique attack times, release times and
compression ratios. Furthermore, two different
input signals with the same RMS levels may be
leveled in a drastically different manner.

Automatic gain control using light

The AGC circuit of the LA-2A uses a vintage opto­coupler known by its model number T4. The T4
contains an electroluminescent-panel (ELP) and
photoresistor mounted so that the emission of the
panel modulates the resistance. An ELP consists of
a thin layer of phosphorescent material
sandwiched between two insulated electrodes to
form a capacitor. Making one of the electrodes
transparent allows the light to escape. These

MIXER EFFECTS

It is precisely this self-adjusting behavior that
makes optical compressors the tool of choice for
smoothing out vocals, bass guitar and full­program mixes without destroying perceived
dynamics.

57

Enabling or disabling the Leveler

The Leveler models the LA-2A so closely, it also
models the time it takes for an actual LA-2A to
“warm up” after it is turned on. Therefore, when
you enable the Leveler, give it a moment to “settle”
before you begin processing signals with it.

Gain Reduction

Gain Reduction (Figure 8-7) sets the strength of the
signal sent to the AGC model.

Makeup Gain

Makeup gain (Figure 8-7) amplifies the output
signal to make up for gain reduction.

Limit button

The Limit button (Figure 8-7) models the original
LA-2A Limit/Compress mode switch. The effect is
very subtle, with the Limit option behaving only
slightly more like a limiter than a compressor. The
switch increases the level of the input to the AGC
model and runs the attenuator at a slightly lower
level. The Leveler then responds more strongly to
transients, but otherwise still behaves like a leveling
amplifier.

REVERB

Use the enable/disable button (Figure 8-8) to turn
the reverb processor on or off. Since reverb uses
considerable DSP resources, it is best to leave it off
when you are not using it.

Routing inputs and groups to the reverb processor

The reverb processor is a single, independent unit
that provides stereo reverb. You can route any input
channel or Group bus to the Reverb processor w ith
the Reverb send on its channel strip. All incoming
signals to the reverb processor are merged and
processed together. The resulting stereo output
from the reverb can then be merged into the Main
Mix bus with the Main send on the Reverb channel
strip (item #7 on page 21).

Reverb Time

Reverb time (Figure 8-8) determines the length of
decay, or tail, of the reverb. The knob’s range is
from 100 milliseconds to 60 seconds.

Predelay

Predelay is the amount of time before the acoustic
energy from the source returns to the listener, after
reflecting off the surfaces of the listening space.
The very first reflections helps you perceive
information about the listening space, (size,
distance, surface type, etc.). In large rooms, it takes
a while (on the order of milliseconds) before the
first reflections return to the listener. Predelay is
useful for adding clarity, as it delays these
reflections, before the onset of full reverberation.
For example, with pre-delay added to vocals, the
reflections won’t start until after the initial sound of
a word has been sung.

Figure 8-8: The Reverb processor.

58

Spread

Spread controls stereo imaging. A position of 12
o’clock produces essentially a mono image.
Turning the control all the way to the left
completely swaps the stereo image.

High and Mid frequency bands

The High and Mid frequency bands let you
independently control the reverb time for separate
frequency bands, relative to the low frequency
reverb time. The High setting represents the
bottom frequency of the High band; the Mid

MIXER EFFECTS

setting represents the bottom frequency of the Mid
band. The Ratio determines the length for each
band specified in a percentage of the low frequency
reverb time.

DSP USAGE

The DSP Usage meter (item #30 on page 18) shows
how much of the available DSP processing power is
currently being used by the mixer for the mix and
for effects processing. If there aren’t enough DSP
resources for all effects to be enabled on a channel,
effects are disabled for that channel and all
subsequent channels.

☛ Unlike other effects, HPF and EQ on a stereo

channel requires approximately twice the DSP
resources as on a mono channel.

MIXER EFFECTS

59

60

MIXER EFFECTS

CHAPTER

9 MOTU Audio Tools

The MOTU Audio Tools application provides
advanced audio analysis tools, which can be
applied to a left channel input, right channel input,
or both.

Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Device menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Analysis menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Left/right input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

FFT and Spectrogram display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Oscilloscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

X-Y Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Phase Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

INSTALLATION

MOTU Audio Tools is a standard software
application installed on your Mac or PC when you
run the MOTU Pro Audio installer or setup app. It
can be found in the Applications folder (Mac) or
Start menu under MOTU (Windows).

DEVICE MENU

If you are working with more than one MOTU
audio interface, the Device menu (Figure 9-1)
displays all interfaces that are currently connected
to your host computer. Choose the device you wish
to work with.

Figure 9-1: The MOTU Audio Tools window with the FFT and Spectrogram Analysis .

61

ANALYSIS MENU

Choose the desired form of audio analysis from the
Analysis menu (Figure 9-1). For details on each
analysis pane, see the following sections of this
guide.

LEFT/RIGHT INPUT

Choose the desired channel(s) you wish to scope
from the Left Input and Right Input menus
(Figure 9-1). These menus display the To Co m pu t er
channels configured in the MOTU Pro Audio
Co ntro l web a pp. The n umber of c han nels s how n is
controlled by the From d evi ce to c omput er setting in
the Device tab. For example, if 18 channels are
specified, you’ll see 18 channels in the Left/Right

Input menus. Use the Routing tab to map desired
audio sources (listed across the top of the grid) to
the To C om put er audio channels, as demonstrated
with the UltraLite-mk4 interface in Figure 9-2.

Figure 9-3: The ‘From device to computer’ setting determines how
many channels you see in the Left Input and Right Input menus.

Figure 9-2: An example of routing audio sources (listed across the top of the routing grid) on an UltraLite-mk4
interface to computer channels (for routing to the MOTU Audio Tools application).

62

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

FFT AND SPECTROGRAM DISPLAY

The FFT analysis pane displays a real-time Fast
Fourier Transform (FFT) frequency measurement
and spectrogram “waterfall”, as shown in
Figure 9-4.

Pause button

View menu

Display options

Spectrogram

The spectrogram scrolls from top to bottom, where
the top edge of the display represents what you are
hearing “now”. Color represents amplitude along
the left/right frequency spectrum. The amplitude
color scale runs from black (silence) to red (full
scale) as follows:

Silence Full scale

Black Blue Green Yellow Orange Red

Figure 9-5: Spectrogram color-to-amplitude spectrum.

View controls

You can show and hide the FFT display and
spectrogram as desired using the View controls
(Figure 9-6).

Y-axis labels
for FFT display

Figure 9-6: FFT view controls.

View menu

This menu provides various options for displaying
the two input channels.

View menu setting What it does

Left Displays the left channel only.

Right Displays the right channel only.

Split Screen H Shows both channels side by side, with the

Split Screen V Shows both channels side by side, with the

Shared Displays both FFTs (left is green and right is

Max The FFT and spectrogram shows the maxi-

Subtract L - R Subtracts the right channel from the left

screen split horizontally.

screen split vertically.

red), and the spectrogram waterfall shows
the maximum level of either the left or right
channel (whichever is greater).

mum level of either the left or right channel.

channel and displays the results.

FFT curve

View
controls

Figure 9-4: FFT and Spectrogram display.

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

Grow handle

Horizontal
controls

Ver tic al
controls

Spectrogram
controls

63

Logarithmic or Linear X-Axis Scale

The x-axis defaults to a logarithmic scale, but it can
be changed to a linear scale if desired. In the View
controls (Figure 9-6), click Logarithmic to access
the x-axis scale options menu. With a linear scale
selected, frequency is constant, but the width of
each octave along the x-axis is different. With a
logarithmic scale selected, octaves are displayed
with a constant width, but frequency is displayed
logarithmically within each octave.

Axes display

The Axes control (Figure 9-6) sets the opacity of
the grid displayed in the graph, from 100% (fully
visible) down to 0% (fully hidden).

Pausing the display

The Pause button in the upper right corner of the
View section (Figure 9-6) allows you to freeze the
display at any time. To resume, click the button
again.

one half of the entire frequency range is displayed.
Pos determines which frequency is displayed at the
center of the graph.

In Min/Max mode, Min and Max set the lowest and
highest displayed frequencies (in Hertz).

Vertical controls (amplitude axis)

The Ve r t i c a l controls (Figure 9-8) operate similarly
to the Horizontal controls, except that they
configure the y-axis (amplitude).

Vertical controls men u

Figure 9-8: The Vertical controls.

In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom sets the display zoom
from 1x to 100x, and Pos sets the center amplitude
of the graph. In Min/Max mode, Min and Max set
the smallest and largest displayed amplitude.

Horizontal controls (frequency axis)

The Horizontal controls (Figure 9-7) configure the
value range of the x-axis (frequency). Click and
drag the values up or down to set them, or double­click to return to the default value.

Horizontal controls menu

Figure 9-7: The Horizontal controls.

There are two modes for the controls: Zoom/Offset
and Min/Max. To change the mode, use the
Horizontal control menu (Figure 9-7).

In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom sets the display zoom
from 1x to 100x, where the number represents the
zoom factor relative to the entire frequency range.
For example, when the horizontal zoom value is 1x,
the entire frequency range from 10 to 24000 Hertz
is displayed; when the horizontal zoom value is 2x,

64

Spectrogram controls

The Floor control (Figure 9-9) sets the amplitude
threshold for the spectrogram display, from -144
dB up to 0 dB.

Figure 9-9: The Spectrogram controls.

The Alpha control (Figure 9-9) sets the opacity of
the spectrogram information displayed in the
graph, from 100% (fully visible) to 0% (hidden).

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

OSCILLOSCOPE

The Oscilloscope (Figure 9-10) graphs the
amplitude of an audio signal over time.

View menu

The View menu (Figure 9-11) lets you choose how
to display the audio channel(s) being displayed.

Amplitude is displayed on the y-axis and time is
displayed on the x-axis. A thick white vertical line
marks where time equals zero; a thick white
horizontal line marks where amplitude equals zero
(Figure 9-10, below).

Level meters are displayed to the right of the graph.
One or two meters are shown, depending on the
current view mode (see “View controls”).

View controls

The View controls (Figure 9-11) provide several
options for the oscilloscope display.

Pause button

View menu

Figure 9-11: View controls.

Measurement

info

View menu settingWhat it displays

Left Left channel only

Right Right channel only

Split screen Left channel on top; right channel on the bot-

Shared Left and right on top of each other; left is

Add Left and right channels’ amplitudes are added

Subtract L-R The right channel’s amplitude is subtracted

tom

green, right is red

together

from the left channel’s amplitude

Display options

The Axes control (Figure 9-11) sets the opacity of
the grid displayed in the graph, from 100% (fully
visible) down to 0% (fully hidden). The Show Ruler
option toggles the measurement items (see
“Measurement information” on page 68).

Measurement

range boundary

Figure 9-10: Oscilloscope.

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

65

Pausing the display

The Pause button in the upper right corner of the
View section (Figure 9-11) allows you to freeze the
display at any time. To resume, click the button
again. The level meters will remain active while the
display is paused.

In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom sets the display zoom
from 1/2 to 100x, and Pos moves the line marking
amplitude equals zero line up or down.

In Min/Max mode, Min and Max set the smallest
and largest displayed amplitude.

Horizontal controls (time axis)

The Hori zontal controls (Figure 9-12) configure
the value range of the x-axis (time). Click and drag
the values up or down to set them, or double-click
to return to the default value.

There are two modes for the controls: Zoom/Offset
and Min/Max. To change the mode, use the
Horizontal control menu (Figure 9-12).

Horizontal controls menu

Figure 9-12: Horizontal controls.

In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom sets the display zoom
from 1/1000x to 10x, where the number represents
the number of pixels per sample. For example,
when the horizontal zoom value is 10x, 10 samples
are displayed in 100 pixels; when the horizontal
zoom value is 1/10x, 100 samples are displayed in
10 pixels. Po s moves the line marking time equals
zero left or right.

In Min/Max mode, Min and Max set the earliest
and most recent displayed time.

Time Units

The Time Units sub-menu (Figure 9-12) provides
the option to view the X axis in Seconds or
Samples.

Vertical controls (amplitude axis)

The Ve r t i ca l controls (Figure 9-10) operate
similarly to the Horizontal controls, except that
they configure the y-axis (amplitude).

Waveform Recognition

The Waveform Recognition option (Figure 9-10)
searches through new audio data looking for a
waveform which most resembles that which was
previously displayed. The region where this takes
place is a small window around the line marking
time equals zero, denoted by the extra vertical
graph lines surrounding it. There are two kinds of
waveform recognition available: Type I and
Type II.

Type I recognition provides the most stable display
of the waveform. It is the most resistant to change.
Louder transients, such as those produced by a
snare drum, are not displayed inside of the
waveform window. Type I is best for observing the
shape of a signal produced by a synthesizer or
observing the tone of a guitar through a chain of
pedals.

Typ e II reco gni tio n is le ss res ist ant t o ch ange . It w ill
include loud transients within the waveform
recognition window. Type II is better for observing
percussive music where the beat itself is to be
centered within the waveform window.

Trigger

When the Tr i g g e r (Figure 9-13) is not enabled (the
Trigger menu is set to None), the graph updates
based on time: after every n samples of the
monitored audio signal, the most recent samples
are displayed. When the Trigger is enabled (set to
any mode other than None), the graph updates in
response to specific conditions in the signal. The
Trigger section defines that criteria and how the
graph will display the events that match.

66

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

Trigger indicator

Trigger menu

Criteria check boxes

Figure 9-13: Trigger settings.

Criteria

The criteria checkboxes (Figure 9-13) determine
the conditions that the trigger is looking for and
where it will look for them.

The Left checkbox causes the condition to be
looked for in the left channel of the signal; likewise,
the Right checkbox looks for the condition in the
right channel. One or both of these can be enabled
simultaneously. If neither is enabled, the criteria
will not be found because the trigger is not looking
at any audio signal.

Enabling the Magnitude checkbox tells the trigger
to look for both positive and negative Level values,
regardless of whether the Level value is positive or
negative. For example, if Level is set to +0.500 and
Magnitude is enabled, the trigger will look for both
+0.500 and -0.500. You will see a second blue line
appear in the display when Magnitude is enabled to
denote the second value.

Holdoff

Holdoff defines a time interval during which the
os cil los cop e do es not trig ger. T he mos t re cent tra ce
will be displayed during that period. When the
period is over, the trigger is “re-armed’, i.e. it will
begin looking for the criteria again.

Click and drag this value up or down to set it, or
double-click to return to the default value.

Tri gg er mo de s

The Trigger menu (Figure 9-13) provides four
modes:

The Pos and Neg checkboxes determine the slope of
the event. When the Pos checkbox is enabled, the
trigger will look for an event where amplitude is
increasing; likewise, enabling the Neg checkbox
tells the trigger to look for an event where
amplitude is decreasing. One or both of these can
be enabled simultaneously. If neither is enabled,
the criteria will not be found because the trigger is
not looking for any particular kind of event.

The Level setting defines the amplitude threshold
that the trigger is looking for. The Level is indicated
on the graph by a blue horizontal line (or two blue
horizontal lines, if Magnitude is enabled). Events
which cross this threshold using the enabled
slope(s) in the enabled channel(s) will activate the
trigger. The response of the trigger is set by the
Trigger mode (see “Trigger modes”, below).

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

Trigger mode What it does

None The Trigger is not active; this is the default mode.

Auto The display is always updating, but when the con-

Normal The display updates only when the condition is

Single
Sweep

The incoming audio signal will be displayed con­tinuously as audio is received.

dition is met, the trigger event will be displayed
centered around the line marking time equals
zero.

met; the last trace will be displayed until the next
matching event is found.

Similar to Normal mode, but the last trace will be
displayed until you manually arm the trigger by
clicking the Trigger indicator (Figure 9-13 on
page 67) or by pressing the spacebar.

67

Tri gg er in di cator

The Trigger indicator (Figure 9-13) displays the
state of the trigger, and also provides a way to
manually interact with it. The Trigger indicator
always displays one of three colors:

Color Status

Green When the current Trigger criteria has been met (includ-

ing when the Trigger mode is None).

Yel-

When the Trigger is armed, but has not yet found an

low

event which matches its criteria. Yellow can also indi­cate that the graph has been manually paused using the
Pause button in the View section (see “Pausing the dis­play” on page 66).

Red When the Trigger is being held off, either because the

Trigger mode is set to Single Sweep or the Holdoff time
is not set to zero.

and the scientific note name. If the measured area is
long enough, the approximate beats per minute
(bpm) is displayed.

Ideas for using the Oscilloscope

The Oscilloscope can be used in many useful ways
during the routine operation of your recording
studio. Here are just a few examples.

Analyzing and comparing harmonic content

The oscilloscope lets you “see” the nature of the
harmonic profile in any audio material. You can
also view two signals side by side (in stereo mode)
to compare their profiles and, if necessary, make
adjustments to the source of each signal and view
your changes in real time.

You can also click on the Trigger indicator to force
certain actions, depending on the Trigger mode. In
Auto and Normal modes, clicking on the Trigger
indicator causes the display to run freely; you may
click & hold to force this to occur for as long as
you’d like. In Single Sweep mode, clicking on the
Trigger indicator re-arms the trigger. When the
Tri gg er mo de i s None, clicking on the Trigger
indicator has no effect.

Measurement information

You can view detailed information about a
particular time range by using the measurement
bars (Figure 9-10).

To adjust the left and right edges of the
measurement area, click and drag the blue bars in
the graph (Figure 9-10), or click and drag the blue
numbers in the upper left or right corners. To reset
them to the default value, double-click the
numbers.

Information about the measured area is displayed
at the center of the top ruler: the duration (in
seconds and samples), the approximate frequency,

Viewing transients such as drum hits

If you loop a snare hit or other similar transient
audio clip and feed it through the oscilloscope, you
can more or less “freeze” the transient waveform in
the oscilloscope frame. This can be useful, for
example, for viewing the results of real-time
compression that you are applying with an effects
plug-in. For example, when you are compressing a
snare hit, as you make adjustment the compressor,
you can see the transient waveform change the next
time the Oscilloscope triggers. For compression,
this can be particularly useful for balancing the
effect of the attack on the transient, relative to the
decay portion of the waveform. Conversely, you
can see the effect of the threshold setting directly
on the decay portion, relative to the attack. In
effect, you can see as well as hear the results of your
compression adjustments.

To view a transient waveform in the Oscilloscope
display, turn off Waveform Recognition and use the
Normal Trigger mode. Adjust the level high enough
to encompass the vertical amplitude of most of the
transient. If the transient pulse sweeps across the
screen, try raising the Holdoff level. Once the
transient is settled in the display and fairly stable,
you may need to adjust the horizontal position to

68

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

center it in the display. You can also pause the
display at any time and adjust the horizontal
bounds to locate a transient.

to see if they are inverted from one another or not.
The Add and Subtract L - R View menu settings are
particularly useful here.

Clip detection

You can use the Oscilloscope to detect clipping in a
digital audio signal. To do so, enable all criteria
(Figure 9-13), choose Single Sweep from the trigger
menu (Figure 9-13), set the level to 0.999 and click
the trigger indicator (Figure 9-13) to arm it
(yellow). As soon as the signal clips, the trigger
indicator will turn red, and the display will show
the offending clip at the line marking time equals
zero.

Viewing timing pulses

If you have two audio signals with recognizable,
timed pulses in them, and you wish to compare
their timing with respect to each other, you can use
Split Screen or Shared view to visually compare the
timing of the two signals. You can zoom in to the
sample level for sample accurate viewing.

Building synthesizer patches

If you are building a synth patch on a synthesizer
(or forming similar highly periodic audio
material), you can run the audio signal through the
Os cill oscope as y ou a dju st i ts s oun d to che ck i n re al
time for undesirable (and possibly inaudible)
characteristics, which are easily seen in the
Oscilloscope display. A good example is DC offset.
If a signal develops DC offset, the apparent ver tical
center of its overall waveform will drift above or
below the line marking amplitude equals zero. Try
setting Waveform Recognition to Ty pe I and setting
Tri gg er to None.

You can also use the Oscilloscope to help you apply
waveform modulation and keep it “in bounds”. For
example, you could easily see if pulse width
modulation is collapsing in on itself to choke the
sound, an effect that is readily seen in the
Oscilloscope display but not necessarily easy to
determine by ear when using multiple modulation
sources.

Guitarists can also visually observe the effects of
their pedals and processing, while playing. With
the Trigger mode set to None and Waveform
Recognition set to Ty pe I, the waveform will be
tracked automatically.

When applying filters and filter resonance, the
visual effect on the waveform can be invaluable in
reinforcing what you are hearing as you make
adjustments.

Another example is waveform polarity. If you are
combining several raw waveforms, polarity is a
critical, yet not always obvious, factor in
determining the resulting sound. You can use the
Oscilloscope to easily view and compare polarities

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

69

X-Y PLOT

The X-Y Plot window (Figure 9-14) graphs the
amplitude of a stereo audio signal on a two­dimensional grid.

For each unit of time (i.e., each sample), the
amplitude of the left channel is displayed on the
x-axis and the amplitude of the right channel is
displayed on the y-axis. A thick white vertical line
marks where left channel amplitude equals zero; a
thick white horizontal line marks where right
channel amplitude equals zero (Figure 9-14).
There are also thick white diagonal lines for y = x
and
y = -x.

Metering

Level meters are displayed above and to the right of
the graph for the left (green) and right (red)
channels, respectively. An additional Correlation
meter (blue) is displayed on the right. This meter
displays the correlation between the two channels.

The higher the meter, the higher the correlation
between the two channels. Below are a few
examples:

Situation Meter level X-Y Plot graph Mathematical

Perfect correla­tion

Zero correlation 0 No discern-

Perfectly out of
phase

+1 Diagonal line

going from
lower left to
upper right:

ible pattern

-1 Diagonal line
going from
upper left to
lower right:

relationship

y = x

None

y = -x

Figure 9-14: X-Y Plot.

70

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

View controls

The View controls (Figure 9-15) provide several
options for the X-Y Plot display.

shown in white and then fades to gray. To adjust the
scale of this color/brightness change, see “Decay”
on page 72.

Pause button

Figure 9-15: View controls.

Pausing the display

The Pause button in the upper right corner of the
View section (Figure 9-15) allows you to freeze the
display at any time. To resume, click the button
again. The level meters will remain active while the
display is paused.

Line/Scatter

Choose either Line or Scatter from the menu in the
View section (Figure 9-15) to plot each point
(sample) as either a single pixel or as a continuous
line that connects each plot point to the next, as
shown below in Figure 9-16.

Axes

The Axes control (Figure 9-15) sets the opacity of
the grid displayed in the graph, from 100% (fully
visible) down to 0% (fully hidden).

Horizontal and vertical controls

The Hori zontal and Ve r t i ca l controls (Figure 9-17)
configure the value range of the x-axis (left channel
amplitude), and y-axis (right channel amplitude),
respectively. Click and drag the values up or down
to set them, or double-click to return to the default
value.

There are two modes for the controls: Zoom/Offset
and Min/Max. To change the mode, use the menu
shown in Figure 9-17.

Figure 9-17: Setting the Horizontal or Vertical control modes.

Figure 9-16: The same X-Y Plot displayed in Line versus Scatter mode.

☛ Li ne m ode i s sig ni fica ntl y mo re C PU inte nsiv e

than Scatter. You can reduce Line mode CPU
overhead on the X-Y Plot by reducing the Length
parameter (described below).

Color/Grayscale

In Color mode (Figure 9-15) the most recently
displayed audio data is shown in red, which fades
to yellow, green and then finally blue, before
disappearing. In Grayscale mode, data is first

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom scales the axis. Pos
moves the lines marking x = 0 left and right, or
y = 0 up and down.

In Min/Max mode, Min and Max let you scale the
grid by moving the -1.0 and +1.0 points along the
axis. Min/Max mode lets you control the graph
boundaries directly.

Persistence

The Pers istence controls (Figure 9-18) affect the
appearance of data from when it is first displayed
until it disappears from the grid.

71

When warp is positive, they contract towards the
origin (center of the grid). When warp is negative,
they expand away from the origin. The further the
warp value is from zero, the greater the effect.

Figure 9-18: The Persistence controls.

Length

Length (Figure 9-18) sets the number of recent
samples to show on the plot. For example, when
Length is set to 10,000, the 10,000 most recent
samples are shown.

Decay

The brightness (in Grayscale mode) or hue (in
Color mode) of each sample on the plot is
determined by a linear scale, with the most recent
sample displayed at the maximum value and the
oldest sample displayed at the minimum value.
Decay (Figure 9-18 on page 72) determines the
brightness or hue of the minimum value. When
Decay is zero, the oldest sample is black. When
Decay is +1.000, the oldest sample is fully opaque
(in Grayscale mode) or red (in Color mode).

Wa r p

Wa r p (Figure 9-18) determines the position of data
points after they are first drawn. When warp is
zero, data points remain in the same position.

Using the X-Y Plot

The X-Y Plot helps you “see” the width of the stereo
field of a mix (Figure 9-19). It also helps you
determine if a mix has issues with polarity, as
follows:

Activity on the X-Y Plot What it indicates

Signal activity occurs mostly
along the x = y axis (lower left
to upper right) and the Corre­lation meter reading is high

Signal activity occurs mostly
along the y = -x axis (upper left
to lower right) and the Corre­lation meter reading is low
(near -1)

Signal activity occurs in a
seemingly random fashion
throughout the grid

Left and right channels are pre­dominantly in polarity (the ste­reo field is relatively narrow)

Left and right channels are pre­dominantly out of polarity (not
in phase)

No phase relationship exists
(i.e. it is probably a wide stereo
field)

If a stereo signal is out of phase, it is not mono
compatible because it can cancel itself out, either
partially or nearly completely, when collapsed to
mono.

In polarity Out of polarity No polarity

Figure 9-19: Checking polarity in a stereo signal with the X-Y Plot.

72

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

PHASE ANALYSIS

The Phase Analysis window (Figure 9-20) graphs
frequency versus phase difference versus
amplitude of a stereo signal on either rectangular
or polar coordinates.

In rectangular coordinates, the vertical axis
represents frequency, and the horizontal axis
represents the phase of the left channel minus the
phase of the right channel (measured in radians).

In polar coordinates, the radius represents
frequency and the angle (theta) from the +y
vertical axis represents the phase difference of left
channel minus the right channel.

Correlation Meter

The blue Correlation Meter to the right of the
display shows the correlation between the two
channels. The higher the meter, the higher the
correlation between the two channels.

View controls

The View controls (Figure 9-21) provide several
options for the Phase Analysis display.

Pause button

Figure 9-21: View controls.

Pausing the display

The Pause button in the upper right corner of the
View section (Figure 9-21) allows you to freeze the
display at any time. To resume, click the button
again. The correlation meter will remain active
while the display is paused.

Figure 9-20: Phase Analysis.

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

73

Line/Scatter

Choose either Line or Scatter from the menu in the
View section (Figure 9-21) to plot each data point
as either a single pixel or as a continuous line that
connects each frequency data point to the next, as
shown below in Figure 9-16.

Figure 9-22: The same Phase Analysis displayed in Line versus Scatter
mode.

☛ Li ne m ode i s sig ni fica ntl y mo re C PU inte nsiv e

than Scatter. You can reduce Line mode CPU
overhead for the Phase Analysis display by
increasing the Floor filter and reducing the Max
Delta Theta filters (see “Filters” on page 75).

Color/Grayscale

In Color mode (Figure 9-21) signal amplitude is
indicated by color as follows: red is loud and blue is
soft. In grayscale mode, white is loud and gray is
soft.

Rectangular/Polar

Choose either Rectangular or Polar from the menu
in the View section (Figure 9-21) to control how
audio is plotted on the Phase Analysis grid.
Rectangular plots the audio on an X-Y grid, with
frequency along the vertical axis and phase
difference on the horizontal axis. Polar plots the
data on a polar grid with zero Hertz at its center.
The length of the radius (distance from the center)
represents frequency, and the angle (theta)
measured from the +y (vertical) axis represents the
phase difference in degrees.

Figure 9-23: Rectangular versus Polar display (with a linear plot).

Above, Figure 9-23 shows Rectangular versus Polar
display with a Linear plot. Below, Figure 9-24
shows the same displays (and the same data) with a
Logarithmic plot:

Linear/Logarithmic

Choose either Linear or Logarithmic from the
menu in the View section (Figure 9-21) to change
the scale of the frequency axis. In rectangular
coordinates, the vertical axis represents frequency,
and in polar coordinates, the radius from the
center is frequency. With a linear scale, frequencies
are spaced evenly; in a logarithmic scale, each
octave is spaced evenly (frequencies are scaled
logarithmically within each octave).

Linear is better for viewing high frequencies;
logarithmic is better for viewing low frequencies.

74

Figure 9-24: Rectangular versus Polar display with a logarithmic plot.

Axes

The Axes control (Figure 9-21) sets the opacity of
the grid displayed in the graph, from 100% (fully
visible) down to 0% (fully hidden).

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

Horizontal and vertical controls

The Hori zontal and Ve r t i ca l controls (Figure 9-25)
let you scale each axis of the grid and offset its zero
point. Click and drag the values up or down to set
them, or double-click to return to t he default va lue.

There are two modes for the controls: Zoom/Offset
and Min/Max. To change the mode, use the menu
shown in Figure 9-25.

Figure 9-25: Setting the Horizontal or Vertical control modes.

In Zoom/Offset mode, Zoom scales the axis. Pos
moves the zero line.

In Min/Max mode, Min and Max let you scale the
grid by moving the end points along the axis. Min/
Max mode lets you set the boundaries of the graph
directly.

Filters

The Filters section (Figure 9-26) lets you control
the density of the Phase Analysis display.

Figure 9-26: Filters.

Floor

Floor (Figure 9-26) determines the amplitude
threshold for the display. When the amplitude of
both channels drops below this threshold, the
signal is not shown.

Max delta theta

Max delta theta (Figure 9-26) only affects Line
view (see “Line/Scatter” on page 74) and sets the
maximum difference in frequency between plot
points in the line plot. For two adjacent
frequencies, if the distance (phase difference)
between the two frequencies is greater than the
Max delta theta, then the line is not drawn.

Using the Phase Analysis

In the polar display (top row of Figure 9-27 on
page 76), stereo material that is predominantly
phase-aligned (correlated) appears along the
vertical axis, as demonstrated in the first column
(Perfectly in phase) in Figure 9-27. If the vertical
line tilts left or right, this indicates general
differences in phase; the more the tilt (delta theta),
the more the phase difference. If the vertical line
points downwards in the polar display, this
indicates that the stereo image is predominantly
out of polarity, as demonstrated by the fourth
column (Inverted) in Figure 9-27. Delays appear as
spirals in the polar display.

The rectangular display (bottom row of
Figure 9-27) also shows a predominantly phase­aligned stereo image along the vertical axis, and tilt
(or left-right offset) from the center vertical axis
represents differences in phase. If a signal is
predominantly out of polarity, it appears along the
theta = -1.0 or theta = +1.0 lines in the rectangular
display, as demonstrated in the fourth column
(Inver ted) in Figure 9-27 on page 76.

Using Phase Analysis for multiple mic placement

The polar display can be very useful when
recording drums or another instrument with
multiple microphones. The slight delays caused by
the differences in distance to the source can often
create a comb filtering (delay) effect between two
mic signals, due to phase cancellation. These comb
filter effects appear as spirals in the polar display. If
you arrange the mics so that the null points (where
the spiral pattern meets the negative y axis) are

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

75

outside the critical frequency range of the
instrument being recorded, you can avoid phase
problems among the mic signals.

Tun in g PA sys t em s

The Phase Analysis window can also be used to
troubleshoot and tune PAs and sound
reinforcement systems by placing microphones in
strategic locations, comparing the two signals in
the Phase Analysis grid and looking for phase
issues at various locations.

Summing to mono

The Phase Analysis window is ideal for checking
stereo audio that needs to be summed to mono.
The Phase Analysis lets you see what frequencies
will be canceled out when summed.

In the rectangular view, any lines in the signal that
touch the +1.0 or -1.0 vertical lines in the grid will
be canceled out at the frequency where they touch,
when the signal is summed to mono.

In the polar view, any signal that falls on the
negative y axis (below zero) will be canceled out
when the signal is summed to mono.

Checking for phase issues in stereo tracks

You can use the Phase Analysis window to check
the overall polarity of a stereo mix. Figure 9-28 is
an example of a full stereo mix that has phase
issues, as indicated by the majority of the signal’s
energy, which is predominantly skewed to the left
side of the rectangular view (left) and spread along
the -y axis in the polar view (right).

Figure 9-28: A stereo mix with phase issues.

76

Polar view

Rectangular
view

Perfectly in phase One-sample delay Twenty-sample delay

Figure 9-27: Two identical audio streams in the Phase Analysis.

Inverted

MOTU AUDIO TOOLS

Part 3

Appendices

APPENDIX

A Troubleshooting

Some or all of my MOTU interface inputs and
outputs are not available in my host audio
software.

Make sure that the inputs and outputs are enabled
in the Device tab (“Device tab” on page 12) and
routed to and from the computer in the Routing
tab (“Routing tab” on page 15). For details, see
“Making inputs and outputs available to your host
software” on page 50.

I have absolutely no audio input or output
happening to or from my interface. Why?

Make s ure th at th e unit has a s table samp le rate (th e
sample rate will flash if the clock hasn’t settled yet).
Tr y s et ti ng t he uni t’s cl ock so ur ce to Internal if you
can’t sync to any external clock sources. Check that
audio is working with Internal sync, and if so, then
work on establishing a stable external clock.

I can't hear computer audio output through my
MOTU interface.

In the Sound panel of System Preferences, the
UltraLite-mk4 should be selected as the output
device. Almost all applications w ill use just the first
two output channels, so make sure that From
Computer 1 and From Computer 2 are routed to the
physical outputs that you are listening to in the
Routing tab (e.g. Phones 1-2 or Analog 1-2).

How do I monitor live 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 mixer in the UltraLite-mk4. Please see
“Monitoring through the UltraLite-mk4” on
page 46.

How do I control monitoring latency?

See “Reducing monitoring latency” on page 46.

The Routing tab (page 15) doesn’t display some of
the inputs or outputs on my interface.

The Routing tab only displays input and output
banks that are enabled in the Device tab (page 12),
so be sure any banks you wish to work with are
enabled there. However, to conserve DSP resources
and help consolidate screen-space in the other
tabs, it is efficient practice to disable unused input
or output banks (optical banks, for example, when
only working with analog banks, or all output
banks when only working with Phones).

I'm getting a “Could not enable this effect because
DSP is overloaded” error. What should I do?

Disable other effects or reduce the number of mixer
inpu ts to c onser ve D SP r esour ces. If the re a re au dio
input and output banks on your interface that you
are not using (such as the optical banks), disable
them in the Device tab (page 12).

I accidentally deleted my factory presets. How do I
restore them?

In the Device tab (page 12), click the Restore
Factory Presets button to restore all factory presets.

How do I factory reset my device?

Push the SELECT knob/button to enter the main
menu. Navigate to Settings > Factory Default and
push the SELECT knob/button twice to reset.

Clicks and pops due to hard drive problems...

If you have checked your clock settings and you are
still getting clicks and pops in your audio, you may
have a drive related problem. Set your Clock
Source to Inter nal and try recording just using the
analog inputs and outputs on the UltraLite-mk4. 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 or there are other drive-related issues.

79

Connecting or powering gear during operation...

It is not recommended that you connect/
disconnect, or power on/off devices connected to
the UltraLite-mk4 while recording or playing back
audio. Doing so may cause a brief glitch in the
audio.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

We are happy to provide complimentary customer
support to our registered users. If you haven’t
already done so, please take a moment to register
online at MOTU.com, or fill out and mail the
included registration card. Doing so entitles you to
technical support and notices about new products
and software updates.

TECHNICAL SUPPO R T

If you are unable, with your dealer’s help, to solve
problems you encounter with your MOTU device,
you may contact our technical support department
in one of the following ways:

■ Tech support hotline: [phone] (Monday

through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST)

■ Online support: www.motu.com/support

Please provide the following information to help us
solve your problem as quickly as possible:

■ The seria l numb er of your MOTU devi ce. Thi s is

printed on a label placed on the bottom of the rack
unit. You must be able to supply this number to
receive technical support.

■ A brief explanation of the problem, including the

exact sequence of actions which cause it, and the
co ntent s of any er ror mes sage s whi ch a ppe ar on t he
screen.

■ The pages in the manual that refer to the features

or operation of your MOTU Device or AudioDesk
with which you are having trouble.

■ The version of your computer’s operating

system.

We’re not able to solve every problem immediately,
but a quick call to us may yield a suggestion for a
problem which you might otherwise spend hours
trying to track down.

If you have features or ideas you would like to see
implemented, we’d like to hear from you. Please
write to the Development Team, MOTU Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, or
use our online suggestion box at www.motu.com/
suggestions.

80

APPENDIX A: TROUBLESHOOTING

APPENDIX

B Audio Specifications

Line Out

Connector Type 1/4” Female, TRS Balanced, tip hot

Output Impedance 100 ohm Per leg

Dynamic Range 117 dB A-weighted

THD+N -101 dB -1 dBFS, Unweighted, 1 kHz

Frequency Response +0, -0.1 dB, 20 Hz/20 kHz Ref. 1 kHz

Max Level Out +20 dBu

Trim Range 24 dB -4 dBu to +20 dBu in 1 dB steps

Guitar In

Connector Type Combo-style, TS female Unbalanced

Impedance 1 megohm

Dynamic Range 101 dB A-weighted

THD+N -94 dB -1 dBFS, Unweighted

Frequency Response +0.05, -0.1 dB Ref. 1 kHz

Max Level In -2 dBu with trim down, +10 dBu with trim up 0.615v to 2.45v

Trim Range 24 dB -12 dBu to +12 dBu in 1 dB steps

Line In

Connector Type 1/4” Female, TRS Balanced/unbalanced, Tip hot

Specification Complies with EBU-R68 / SMPTE RP-155

Impedance Load 10 k ohm

Dynamic Range 110 dB A-weighted

THD+N -102 dB -1 dBFS, Unweighted

Frequency Response +0, -0.1 dB, 20 Hz/20 kHz Ref. 1 kHz

Max Level In +24 dBu

Trim Range 118 dB -96 dBu to +22 dBu in 1 dB steps

MIC In

Connector Type Combo-style, XLR Male, Balanced Pin 2 hot

Impedance Load 3k ohm, 4.5k with Pad

Pad -20 dB, Switchable per channel

Phantom Power +48v, Switchable per channel DIN 45596 / IEC 61938-P48

EIN -128 dBu, 20 – 20 kHz Rs = 150 ohm

Dynamic Range 112 dB A-weighted

THD+N -104 dB -1 dBFS, Unweighted, 1 kHz

Frequency Response +0, -0.1 dB, 20 Hz/20 kHz Ref. 1 kHz

Max Level In +24 dBu With pad

Trim Range 56 dB 0 to +56 dB in 1dB steps

81

Phones

Connector Type 1/4” Female, TRS Stereo Tip Left, Ring Right

Dynamic Range 112 dB A-Weighted

THD+N -94 dB Unweighted

Frequency Response +0 -0.15 dB, 22 Hz/20 kHz Ref. 1 kHz

Drive Max. 80 mw 16/32/55 ohms

Trim Range 128 dB 0 to -127 dB (muted) in 1 dB steps

S/PDIF

Connector Type RCA

Termination 75 ohm I/O

Lock Range 44.1k/48k, +/- 0.5% 1x, 2x

Input Voltage Range 0.2 Vpp/1Vpp With termination

Output Drive 0.5.0 Vpp With termination DC coupled

THD+N In (SRC) -122 dB Unweighted, With SRC

Specification IEC-958/60968-3

Power Supply

Connector Type Concentric barrel, tip positive or negative For external DC power supply (included)

Configuration External power supply

Power Input 12-18V DC, 10 watts

82

APPENDIX B: AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS

APPENDIX

MONO INPUT CHANNEL

C Mixer Schematics

83

STEREO INPUT CHANNEL

+

84

APPENDIX C: MIXER SCHEMATICS

GROUP BUS

+

APPENDIX C: MIXER SCHEMATICS

85

MONITOR BUS

+

86

APPENDIX C: MIXER SCHEMATICS

APPENDIX

D Updating Firmware

MOTU periodically posts firmware updates for the
UltraLite-mk4. These updates may include bug
fixes, enhancements, and new features.

Updates are posted on MOTU’s servers. If your
computer has access to the internet, the MOTU Pro
Audio Control app notifies you as soon as an
update is made available. Otherwise, you can check
motu.com/download periodically for the latest
firmware update.

Updating with internet access

You are now ready to update:

1 Launch the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app
on your computer, as usual.

2 Go to the Device tab.

3 In the New Update Available banner

(Figure D-1), click More Info.

4 After reviewing the list of enhancements, click
OK to start the update.

Updating off-line, without internet access

If the UltraLite-mk4 (and the computer it is
connected to) has no internet access, you can
download a firmware update file from another
computer that does have internet, and then use the
file to update the UltraLite-mk4, as follows:

1 Download the firmware file.

2 Transfer the file to the computer connected to

the UltraLite-mk4.

3 Launch the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app
on the computer, as usual.

4 Go to the Device tab.

5 Scroll down to the bottom and click Update

from File.

6 Locate the file on your hard drive and click OK
to start the update.

7 Follow the on-screen instructions.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions.

Figure D-1: The firmware update banner appears automatically at the top of the
Device tab when your web host has internet access and MOTU posts an update.

87

Viewing the latest firmware version
information

You can confirm the firmware version at the
bottom of the Device tab (Figure D-2).

Figure D-2: The currently installed firmware version is displayed at the bottom of the Device tab.

88

APPENDIX D: UPDATING FIRMWARE

APPENDIX

E Auto-on Mode

From the factory, the UltraLite-mk4 must be
manually powered on by pushing and holding the
PHONES knob on the front panel (Figure 6-2 on
page 43).

However, there may be situations where you want
the unit to power on automatically as soon as
power is introduced. For this situation, the
UltraLite-mk4 circuit board provides a jumper to
put the unit into Auto -on mode. In Auto-on mode,
the UltraLite-mk4 powers on automatically, as
soon as it receives power. No manual intervention
is required.

CHANGING THE AUTO-ON JUMPER

To a cc es s t he A ut o- on ju mp er :

1 Switch off the UltraLite-mk4 and unplug the
unit.

☛ WARNING: be absolutely sure to unplug the

unit before proceeding! Risk of electric shock and
serious injury could result otherwise.

6 Carefully replace the top cover of the unit, with
the MOTU logo facing the front of the unit , taking
ca re to m ake sure tha t th e top e dge s of the fro nt a nd
rear faceplates fit into the grooves on the underside
of the top cover.

7 Secure the top cover with the two screws.

☛ Be sure to fully reinstall the cover as described

above in steps 6 and 7 before attempting to power
on the unit after this procedure.

8 Plug in the unit to confirm that it powers on
immediately, as soon as it receives power.

2 Carefully remove the two screws on the top of
the unit.

3 Carefully remove the top cover of the unit.

4 Find the Auto-on jumper (Figure 9-29), which is

located along the right-hand side of the circuit
board (when looking at the unit from the front).

5 Move the jumper to pins 1-2, as shown in
Figure 9-30.

Figure 9-29: Normal power-on mode (jumper is in position 2-3).

Figure 9-30: Move the jumper to position 1-2 for Auto-on mode.

89

90

APPENDIX E: AUTO-ON MODE

Index

24-bit

optical

2x SMUX mode 13, 34

A

Ableton Live 45, 46
ADAT optical 10

Analog inputs/outputs 33

Apple

ASIO driver 46
ASIO monitoring 47
Attack

Audio

Audio interface preset 7, 39
Audio Tools 61
AudioDesk 24, 30, 45, 46
Aux Mix Target 17
Aux Mixing tab 17
Avid

B

Balanced analog 33
Buffer Size 12, 28

C

Check for Updates 14
Chrome 11
Class compliance 27
Clear Password 14, 44
Clock Mode 12
Clock section (LCD) 44
Cockos Reaper 46
Compressor effect 16, 55
Computer Channel for LTC-to-MTC

Computer Setup 14
Computer Volume Controls option 14
Controller

Converter mode

Converters 10
Core Audio driver 46
Core MIDI

Correlation Meter 73
Cubase 45, 46

CueMix FX

Customer

10

connecting 34
settings 13

making connections to 33

Garage Band
Logic Pro 46

Compressor

MIDI Setup utility

Pro Tools

connecting

setup/example

Audio MIDI Setup
benefits 29

clock source 45
sample rate 45

Devices menu
installation 61

support

46

54, 56

46

Conversion

35

40

61

80

29

14

29

D

DAT

connecting
Device tab 12, 13
Devices menu 61
Digital converter (see Optical converter)
Digital Performer

Direct hardware playthrough 47
Direct ASIO monitoring 47
Direct hardware playthrough 47
Discovery app 7, 28
Driver installation 7, 11
Drivers

installing USB drivers
DSP

effects

meter 59

resources 59
DSP Usage 18, 59

E

Effects 53
Enable Jam Sync 14
EQ 54

enabling 54

filter types 54

frequency 54

gain 54

Q 54

F

Factory Defaults 44
Firefox 11
Firmware

version
Firmware updates 12
Follow Solo 16, 19
Four-band EQ 54
Frequency

EQ
From Computer 15
Front panel 43

menu navigation 43

metering 43

G

Gain

EQ

reduction 56

reduction (Leveler) 58
Garage Band 45, 46

clock source 45

sample rate 45
Gate effect 16, 54
GR (gain reduction) 56

H

Headphone outputs 9
Headphones

connecting
High pass filter 53
Host

Buffer Size

34

45, 46

27

53

14

54

54

32

12, 28

Safety Offset 12, 28

I

ID knob/button 12, 43
Input banks 13
Input settings 12
Inputs

optical

10

S/PDIF (RCA) 10

Installation

iOS connection
QuickStart Guide 7
software 27

USB connection 31
Interface + mixer preset 7, 40
iOS operation 27, 31
iPad

QuickStart
iPad/iPhone support 27

J

Jam Sync 14
Jam sync 36

K

Keyboard controller

connecting

L

Latency 12, 27, 28, 46, 48
LCD

contrast

menu 43
Leveler 16, 57
Lightpipe 34
Limit button 58
Live 46
Live recording with monitor mixing preset

Lock button 15
Logic Pro 46
Logic Pro/Express 45

clock source 45

sample rate 45
LTC

to MTC conversion
LTC Input Source 14
LTC Setup 35

M

Mac OS X 45

input and output names 50

system requirements 25
Main outs

front panel volume control

making connections to 33
Makeup gain 58
Mic inputs

preamp gain/pad/48V
Mic/guitar inputs 33
Mic/instrument inputs 33
MIDI

connections

jacks 10

31

7

35

44

7, 40

51

33

9

35

INDEX

91

overview 24
software setup 29
thru 35

Windows driver installation 29
MIDI Thru 44
MIDI Time Code 14, 51
Mixer

accessing

16

aux bus 20

connecting 32

effects 53

group bus 21

input channel strip 18

main mix channel strip 19

Monitor channel strip 19

overview 16

Reverb bus 21

schematics 83

Setup 13

stand-alone operation 53
Mixing tab 16
Monitoring

thru main outs
MOTU

Audio Tools

AudioDesk 46

Control web app 11

Digital Performer 46

Discovery app 7, 11, 28

Pro Audio

Pro Audio ASIO driver 46

Pro Audio Control web app 7, 11-21

Pro Audio Installer 7, 11
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup 28
MTC 14, 51

N

Nuendo 45, 46

clock source 45

sample rate 45

O

Optical

connectors

S/PDIF 34
Optical Converter preset 7, 40
Optical converter preset

setup/example
Optical converter with mixing preset 41
Optical setup 13
Optimization 48
OS X audio software

clock source

sample rate 45
Oscilloscope 65
Output banks 13
Output settings 12
Outputs

33

61

WebUI Setup

Aux Mixing tab 17
Device tab 12, 13
Mixing tab 16
Routing tab 15

11

10, 34

40

45

optical

10

S/PDIF (TOSLink) 10

P

Packing list 25
Pad 33
Password protection 14
Patch thru

latency
Performance 48
Phantom power 33
Phase Analysis 73
Phone outputs 9
Power supply

Power switch 43
PRE switch 16
PreDelay 58
Prefader button 17
Presets 7, 12

Pro Audio Control web app 7, 11-21

Pro Tools 45, 46
Processing 53

Q

Q 54
Quick Setup window 7
QuickStart Guide 7

R

Ratio

Reaper 45, 46
Reason 45

Reboot 14
Registration 25
Release

Restore Factory Presets 14
Reverb 58-59

RMS mode 56
Routing tab 15

S

S/PDIF 24

S/PDIF (optical) 34

48

jack

10

Mixer tab 16

overview 39

Routing tab 15

Aux Mixing tab 17

Device tab 12, 13

Mixing tab 16

Routing tab 15

Compressor

Propellerhead Reason 46

Compressor

design section 58

enabling/disabling 58

predelay 58

routing to/from 58

time 58, 59

width 59

connection 34

optical 10

RCA 10

sync 34

55

54, 56

Safari 11
Sample rate 12
Samplers

connecting
SC button 19
Schematics 83
Set password 14
SMPTE sync 35
SMPTE time code 14
SMUX 34
Software

installation
Software installer 7, 11
Solo bus 19
Solo Clear button 18
SONAR 45
Sound module

connecting
Soundtrack Pro

clock source

sample rate 45
Stage monitors

connecting
Stand-alone mixer preset 7
Stand-alone operation 43
Standard (optical setting) 34
Steinberg

Cubase

Nuendo 46
Stop Jam Sync 14
Studio setup (example) 32
Synchronization

SMPTE time code
Synths

connecting
System Information 14
System requirements

minimum

recommended computer 25

T

Technical support 80
Threshold

Compressor
Time code 14
Time code sync 35
To Computer 15
TOSLink 10, 13, 34
Trim 33
Troubleshooting 79
TRS analog inputs/outputs 33
TRS connectors 33
Type II (Legacy) optical setting 34

U

UltraLite-mk4

setup example

specifications 81

summary of features 23
Unbalanced analog 33
Update From File 14
USB

class compliance

32

27

35

45

32

46

35

32

25

55

32

27

92

INDEX

installing drivers 27

V

View Personal Mix 17

W

Wave driver 46
WDM (Wave) Driver 28
Width

reverb

Windows

X

X-Y Plot 70

59

shortcut

28

system requirements 25
WDM (Wave) driver 28

INDEX

93

94

INDEX