Open Labs Miko LXD, NeKo LX5 Operation Manual
MiKo™ LXD keyboard production station (Gen5)
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 1
MiKo™ LXD
Operation Manual
The information in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, Open
Labs reserves the rights to make changes to the specifications at any time without notice or
obligation to update existing units. The software described by this document is subject to a License
Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this manual may be copied,
reproduced, or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written
permission by Open Labs Inc.
Users Manual written by: James Edwin Rhone Jr.
Editors: Ed Ablan, Christopher Brown, Steve Miller
Super special thanks to the Open Labs Development Team for your efforts and meticulous
attention to detail. You have truly made this a great product.
© Open Labs Inc. 2008. All rights reserved
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 2
OPEN LABS Inc.
4020 South Industrial Drive
Suite 100
Austin TX, 78744
USA
sales@openlabs.com
www.openlabs.com
Using the MiKo LXD safely
Before using the MiKo LXD, it is extremely important that you thoroughly read the following
instructions. This will provide you with the information needed for safe operation of your MiKo LXD.
Please continue reading the rest of this manual for specific information on the use of this unit.
Warning
To avoid permanent health damage, always adhere to these important safety advies:
• The MiKo LXD, in combination with headphones or speakers, is capable of producing sound levels
that can cause permanent hearing loss. Do not submit your ears to long periods of high
volumes. If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an
audiologist.
• Do not open the MiKo LXD or attempt to disassemble or modify the internal parts without prior
guidance and/or instructions from an Open Labs Technician. If the Miko LXD does not seem to
function properly, contact Open Labs technical support.
Caution
To ensure that the MiKo LXD or any device connected to it is not damaged during usage or
maintenance, it is important to adhere to the following instructions.
• Do not expose the MiKo LXD to inclement weather conditions such as heavy rain, or use the unit
in damp or wet conditions. It is unwise to place open containers of liquids near the unit, these
could spill onto the unit. Do not allow any objects or liquids to penetrate the unit.
• Never use or store the MiKo LXD in conditions that are subject to extreme temperatures. This
mostly includes closed in environments where lots of heat and direct sunlight are present
(example, enclosed vehicle).
• Do not place the MiKo LXD in unsuitable locations where the chance of falling could happen.
• Before connecting the MiKo LXD to other electronic components, turn off the power for all
components. Before turning the power on or off for all components, set all volume levels to
minimum. Gradually raise the volume control while playing the Miko LXD to set the desired
listening level.
• Before moving the MiKo LXD, disconnect all cables.
• Be careful not to exert too much pressure on the knobs, faders, or touchscreen,.
• When cleaning the MiKo LXD:
▪ Use a soft, dry cloth.
▪ To clean the touchscreen, use a lint free cloth or soft paper towel, with a small amount of
light window cleaner sprayed onto the cloth or paper towel.
• Do not use paint thinners, solvents, cleaning fluids, or chemical based wiping cloths.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 3
Table of Contents
Preface..........................................................................................................10
Chapter 1 – Introduction...............................................................................11
Open Labs Production Station Components.......................................................................12
Chapter 2 - Getting Started...........................................................................14
Unpacking and Setting up your Open Labs Production Station..............................................14
Rear Panel Layout...............................................................................................14
Audio & MIDI Connections...........................................................................................14
Rear Panel I/O:..................................................................................................15
Front Panel Audio Interface..................................................................................15
Connecting the Cables................................................................................................16
Basic Connection Diagrams..................................................................................19
Turning on an Open Labs production station..................................................................21
About the BIOS..........................................................................................................21
About the Open Labs GUI............................................................................................21
Chapter 3 – First Time ..................................................................................22
The Open Labs GUI In Detail...........................................................................................22
About the MIDI Controllers..............................................................................................25
Mix Edit Panel............................................................................................................25
DJ/VJ Controller.........................................................................................................26
Bump MP .................................................................................................................26
The Track Pad................................................................................................................27
Using USB Devices.........................................................................................................27
Using the DVD/CD-RW Drive...........................................................................................27
Using the Internet..........................................................................................................28
Adding Software to your Open Labs Production Station.......................................................28
New Software Installation Considerations......................................................................29
Chapter 4 – Quickstart...................................................................................30
Steps to Playing Sounds on an Open Labs Production Station..............................................30
Chapter 5 - Playing Sounds - Riff...................................................................33
Before you Begin...........................................................................................................33
Setting up the Audio......................................................................................................34
Setting up the MIDI.......................................................................................................35
Setting up Your Plug-ins.................................................................................................36
Setting up General and Keyboard Options.........................................................................37
General....................................................................................................................37
Keyboard..................................................................................................................38
5a– Riff Architecture.....................................................................................39
A Performance Environment............................................................................................39
Set List Window ........................................................................................................39
Sound Browser (Default View)..............................................................................40
Sound Browser (Advanced View)..........................................................................41
Signal Chain..............................................................................................................43
Instrument Editor.......................................................................................................44
Live Controls.............................................................................................................45
5b– Understanding Riff..................................................................................46
Launch Riff...................................................................................................................46
Set List.........................................................................................................................46
Song........................................................................................................................47
Title Bar....................................................................................................................47
Menu Bar...........................................................................................................47
Title Bar Controls.......................................................................................................49
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 4
Learn ...............................................................................................................49
Edit Mode/Live Mode ..........................................................................................49
Minimize...................................................................................................................49
Close........................................................................................................................49
Play Button...............................................................................................................49
BPM .................................................................................................................49
This is the control for the global tempo. (BPM = Beats Per Minute) Pressing The box
under “BPM” brings up the BPM input window. .......................................................49
Main - Volume Knob ..................................................................................................49
Lower Section Controls...............................................................................................50
Previous and Next Song......................................................................................50
Pick Color..........................................................................................................50
Rename.............................................................................................................50
Status Bar.................................................................................................................50
Tooltips.............................................................................................................50
Audio VU Meter..................................................................................................50
MIDI Indicator....................................................................................................50
CPU..................................................................................................................50
MEM.................................................................................................................50
Signal Chain..................................................................................................................51
Upper Bar Controls.....................................................................................................52
Input........................................................................................................................52
Input Column Controls........................................................................................52
Signal Chain..............................................................................................................53
Signal Chain Column Controls..............................................................................54
Stream Processor.......................................................................................................54
Effect Column Controls........................................................................................56
Instrument Editor..........................................................................................................57
Instrument Parameters...............................................................................................58
Exporting and Importing User Patches..........................................................................58
Live Controls.................................................................................................................59
Knob Properties/ Horizontal Slider Properties/ Vertical Slider Properties.............................60
Button Properties.......................................................................................................61
XY Pad Properties.......................................................................................................61
Text Properties..........................................................................................................61
5c– Using Riff: Tutorials................................................................................62
Using the Song Grid.......................................................................................................62
Creating a New Set and Adding an Instrument...............................................................62
About the Sound Browser....................................................................................64
Saving a Set..............................................................................................................67
Rename a Song.........................................................................................................67
Importing Racks, Signal Chains, Songs, Inputs..............................................................67
Exporting Racks, Signal Chains, Songs, Inputs...............................................................67
Using the Signal Chain...................................................................................................68
Adding an Additional Instrument to a Song....................................................................68
Creating Keyboard Splits in a Song (Signal Chain)..................................................69
Adding Effects to an Input or Signal Chain.....................................................................71
Adding MIDI FX..................................................................................................73
Creating and using Audio Inputs...........................................................................75
Edit Mode vs. Live Mode.................................................................................................76
MIDI Learning Hardware Controllers.................................................................................76
Learn Relative...........................................................................................................79
Creating and Using Live Controls.....................................................................................80
Create a New Live Control...........................................................................................81
Using Oscillators with Knobs/Sliders.............................................................................84
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 5
Mapping Live Controls to the Lower Control Section........................................................85
Saving and Exporting Live Controls..............................................................................86
Using Multi-timbral Instruments / Sharing Instruments.......................................................87
Sharing Instruments...................................................................................................88
Song Grid and the Multi-timbral Instrument...................................................................89
Creating Keyboard Splits with Multi-timbral Instruments.................................................95
Advanced Multi-timbral Instruments / Signal Chain.......................................................100
MIDI Input I/O Options Window.................................................................................103
Using Different Preset Sounds with a Shared Instrument...............................................104
5d - Using Bump MP, the Mix Edit Panel with Riff and Guru........................106
Bump MP Assignments..................................................................................................106
Mix Edit Panel Assignments...........................................................................................106
Importing the Bump MP/Guru Song Template .................................................................107
GURU Quickstart: Engines, Pads, Patterns and Graphs .....................................................111
Engines ..................................................................................................................111
Pads ......................................................................................................................111
Patterns .................................................................................................................111
Slicer..........................................................................................................................112
Overview of the GURU Interface ....................................................................................113
GURU LCD...............................................................................................................113
GURU Toolbar..........................................................................................................114
Browser......................................................................................................................115
MIDI Pads...................................................................................................................116
Pattern Keys................................................................................................................117
Sequencer Master........................................................................................................117
Control Conventions and Keyboard Shortcuts...............................................................117
The UNDO button..............................................................................................117
Loading and Saving in GURU.........................................................................................118
Load/Save with Riff..................................................................................................118
Load/Save a Bundle file.............................................................................................118
Load/Save Kits.........................................................................................................118
Load/Save Pattern/Pattern Set...................................................................................118
Creating Beats with GURU: The Basics............................................................................119
Recording Patterns...................................................................................................119
Record-arming..................................................................................................119
Record mode....................................................................................................120
Commit/Undo...................................................................................................120
Patterns and Graphs: GURU’s step-sequencing system......................................................121
Patterns..................................................................................................................121
Graphs....................................................................................................................122
Graph Types ....................................................................................................123
Chapter 6 - Playing Sounds - Karsyn...........................................................124
Key Features...............................................................................................................124
Karsyn’s Control Module................................................................................................125
Output Busses.........................................................................................................125
Adding and Deleting Output Busses............................................................................126
Instrument Modules..................................................................................................126
Adding and Deleting Instrument Modules........................................................................126
Instrument Console..................................................................................................126
Docking and Floating the Instrument Console..............................................................126
Adding and Removing Effects.....................................................................................127
Working with Audio Inputs............................................................................................127
Advanced Performance Recovery....................................................................................127
Preferences.................................................................................................................127
MIDI Input Ports......................................................................................................127
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 6
Remapping or Disabling MIDI Program Changes...........................................................127
Key Range and Transpose..........................................................................................128
Channel Map............................................................................................................128
Continuous Controller Map.........................................................................................129
Toggle Mode............................................................................................................129
Saving and Loading MIDI Configurations.....................................................................129
Setting a Default MIDI Configuration...........................................................................129
Insert Manager............................................................................................................130
Showing Effects Consoles..............................................................................................130
Using Effect Presets......................................................................................................130
MIDI Routing to Effects.................................................................................................130
Insert Effect Automation using MIDI Continuous Controllers..............................................130
Working with Presets....................................................................................................131
Creating Presets.......................................................................................................131
Changing Presets from the Control Module...................................................................131
Changing Presets from a QWERTY Keyboard................................................................131
Presets Tempo.........................................................................................................131
Chapter 7 – Recording - REAPER.................................................................132
Recording with an Open Labs Production Station..............................................................132
New to Recording? ......................................................................................................132
Opening REAPER for the First Time.................................................................................133
Inserting and Using a VSTi ...........................................................................................134
Setting VSTi Preferences ..........................................................................................134
VST Plug-in Settings ................................................................................................135
Setting up a Virtual Instrument......................................................................................137
Setting up Recording....................................................................................................139
Setting up Track Input..................................................................................................140
Recording in REAPER with a VSTi...................................................................................144
Master Panel Layout and Assignments for REAPER........................................................144
DJ Control Panel Layout and Assignments for REAPER...................................................145
Recording................................................................................................................146
Enable Metronome....................................................................................................147
Looping...................................................................................................................148
Mixing ....................................................................................................................151
Importing Existing Tracks..........................................................................................151
Rendering ..............................................................................................................151
Exporting Tracks......................................................................................................152
Chapter 8 – MimiK Users Guide....................................................................156
What is MimiK?............................................................................................................156
MimiK Suggested Usage................................................................................................156
What is a Preset and a Bank?........................................................................................156
SFZ Format.................................................................................................................156
How to Physically Set Up MimiK.....................................................................................157
Wiring Diagram........................................................................................................157
Setting up MimiK.........................................................................................................158
MimiK Features Guide...................................................................................................160
Options Window.......................................................................................................161
MimiK Tutorial (Quick Start)..........................................................................................164
How to Playback a Sound after using MimiK.................................................................164
Chapter 9 – System Restore, Backup...........................................................166
Chapter 10 – Hardware Maintenance...........................................................167
Please Read.................................................................................................................167
New Hardware Installation Considerations.......................................................................167
Opening your Open Labs Production Station....................................................................167
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 7
Appendix A Pro Audio Primer.......................................................................168
Appendix B - Sound Presets.........................................................................178
VST Instruments / MIDI FX / VST FX Descriptions............................................................178
Appendix C - Audio Interface Control Panel.................................................182
Appenidix D - Making Adjustments .............................................................188
Adding a Second Display...............................................................................................188
Accessing the Intel® Graphics Properties Window........................................................189
Calibrating the Touchscreen...........................................................................................193
Adding a New Program to Launch from the Open Labs Shell..............................................196
Limited Warranty Information.....................................................................197
LIMITED WARRANTY COVERAGE ...................................................................................197
OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE ..................................................................................197
ASSIGNMENTS AND SEVERABILITY ............................................................................198
EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS ................................................................................198
Policies........................................................................................................200
Payment.....................................................................................................................200
Secure Transaction ......................................................................................................200
Shipping ....................................................................................................................200
Damaged Shipments ................................................................................................200
Warranty Returns or Exchanges ....................................................................................201
Backorders .................................................................................................................201
Used Items ................................................................................................................201
Support........................................................................................................202
Product Registration.....................................................................................................202
Contacting Tech Support...........................................................................................202
About Our Support.......................................................................................................202
Online User Forums and Support....................................................................................203
Additional Support for Third-Party Software/Hardware......................................................203
Platinum Services – Year 1..........................................................................204
Product Registration.................................................................................................204
Contacting Tech Support...........................................................................................204
1 Hour “Get to Know Your Open Labs System Training” ................................................204
7 “How To & Usage Training” Sessions (Limit 1 Hr. Each) ..............................................204
Limited 3rd Party Software Support ...........................................................................204
Plus Access to Technical Support on Saturday .............................................................205
Service Description: Open Labs Platinum Services Legal Terms..................206
Terms and Conditions...................................................................................................206
Service Overview.........................................................................................................206
1 Hour “Get to Know Your Open Labs System Training”.................................................206
“How To & Usage Training” Sessions...........................................................................206
Platinum Service How To & Usage Training Sessions .....................................................207
Limited 3rd Party Software Support............................................................................207
Plus Access to Technical Support on Saturday..............................................................207
Refunds..................................................................................................................208
Cancellation.............................................................................................................208
Legal............................................................................................................209
Why we collect personal information ..........................................................................209
What personal information ........................................................................................209
How we collect personal information ..........................................................................209
When we disclose personal information ......................................................................209
How we protect your personal information ..................................................................209
Access to your personal information ...........................................................................210
Collecting other Personal Information .........................................................................210
Open Labs' commitment to children's privacy ..............................................................210
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 8
Third-Party Sites .....................................................................................................210
International Transfers .............................................................................................210
Notices........................................................................................................211
Typographical Errors ....................................................................................................211
Proprietary Notice .......................................................................................................211
WAIVER .....................................................................................................................211
POLICIES ...................................................................................................................211
LEGAL .......................................................................................................................211
SUPPORT ...................................................................................................................211
PLATINUM SERVICE .....................................................................................................211
PRODUCT REGISTRATION.............................................................................................211
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 9
P r e f a c e
P r e f a c e
This Product Manual gives information about the Open Labs Miko LXD production station, as per
Generation 5 specifications.
Manual Organization
The chapters in this User Manual are arranged as follows:
• Introduction: information and overviews of an Open Labs production station.
• Getting Started: information on preparing your Open Labs production station for use.
• First time: instructions on what to expect from the software and hardware environment of your
Open Labs production station.
• Playing Sounds: instructions on how to use Riff and Karsyn to play sounds with your Open Labs
production station.
• Recording: instructions on how to use the DAW REAPER with your Open Labs Production Station.
• MIDI Mapping: information about mFusion, and using mFusion to create MIDI controller
assignments.
• MimiK Manual: instructions on how to mimik keyboards and MIDI sound modules.
• Hardware Maintenance: information regarding the need to make hardware changes.
• Appendix: information about preinstalled software, audio hardware. As well as an appendix for
learning the basics of professional audio.
Useful Suggestions
This manual has a fair amount of information, however, from time to time you may not find what
you need to know in this manual. Every application that comes with an Open Labs production
station has a manual. These are usually in either a .PDF format or HELP file format, and can be
located in their “c:\Program Files\Product Name” folder.
Also, Google or Wikipedia are both great resources for finding more detailed information on the
application you require assistance with.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 10
1
C h a p t e r 1 – I n t r o d u c t i o n
C h a p t e r 1 – I n t r o d u c t i o n
Welcome to the Open Labs MiKo LXD. Please read this manual thoroughly in order to familiarize
yourself with the unit. Please keep this manual in a safe place for further reference.
Open Labs creates the ultimate performance and studio instruments. Based on the OpenSynth™
platform, Open Labs production stations free you from frustrating limitations imposed by closed,
proprietary systems, while still maintaining the virtues of an all in one keyboard instrument.
Open Sounds: Open Labs production stations can emulate almost any instrument ever invented
by hosting industry standard VSTi software synthesizers, samplers, and audio processing plug-ins.
Open System: Open Labs production stations utilize industry standard motherboards and
processors that allow you to run standard operating systems (such as Microsoft Windows), and use
standard PC-compatible hardware.
All in One: Open Labs production stations all in one design eliminates the clutter and confusion of
traditional desktop computer systems, so you can focus on your music.
User Friendly: Open Labs production stations enable you to change settings and access programs
through an easy-to-use interface that shields you from the complexities of the operating system.
Power to Rock: Open Labs production stations can accommodate the fastest processors
available, more RAM, and more storage than any other music workstation.
Low Latency: Open Labs production stations give you near-zero latency even under high
processor loads.
Versatility: Open Labs production stations are so versatile, that they can run virtually any plug-in
or application designed for the Windows XP operating system, including products from Steinberg,
Native Instruments, IK Multimedia and many others!
Bring It!: Equipped with PCI/PCI-E slots that can accept up to full size cards, Open Labs
production stations can accommodate your favorite Creamware. TC, and, Universal Audio cards,
providing unsurpassed power. Open Labs production stations also features PCI-Express (PCIEX1)
slots, offering even greater expansion potential.
Modern Art: With a sleek, modern design incorporating an aluminum chassis, Open Labs
production stations are as beautiful as they are powerful.
Surfboard: An ethernet port allows you to directly access the Internet, and to quickly and easily
download upgrades, sounds, and applications.
The versatility to grow and adapt to every musician’s needs is why Open Labs production stations
are unique. Extreme care should be taken when installing new hardware and software. Installing
the wrong components could cause great instability to your Open Labs production station. Please
contact support@openlabs.com before hardware changes.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 11
Open Labs Production Station Components
DVD/CDRW Drive
Open Labs production stations come standard with a DVD/CD-writer, so that you may use it as a
backup device, or to create audio CDs of your music. The DVD/CDRW drive can also be used to
play CDs, DVDs, or install software.
Hard Drive
The hard drive is the main physical storage device for all your data and applications. Because hard
drives are delicate devices, always treat them with care.
Power Button/Reset Button
The power switch and reset button are located in the recessed area on the right side of the
keyboard.
Audio Interface
Open Labs production stations include a mutichannel audio interface. Please refer to Chapter 2 for
information about the specific audio input/output features of your Open Labs production station.
USB Ports (2)
Two rear USB ports allow connections to USB devices.
Internal USB Port
All Open Labs production stations have at least one unused USB port located inside the chassis.
This is ideal for USB software protection devices.
External Monitor Port
The monitor port allows you to connect any monitor with a standard VGA connector to your Open
Labs production station.
Ethernet 10/1000
The Ethernet port will accept a single high-speed cable connection. This will allow you to share
files, print, and access the Internet.
DIMM Expansion Slots
If your Open Labs production station is currently fitted with less than 4GB of RAM, you can install
additional memory. Open Labs production stations support 240-pin, DDR2 DIMMs. Call technical
support for details about expanding an Open Labs production station’s memory capacity.
PCI/PCI-E Expansion Slots
PCI and PCI-Express slots are for adding additional hardware boards such as I/O cards, DSP cards,
or additional graphics boards. Add-in boards should all be Microsoft Windows XP compatible. If you
are unsure, please call Open Labs technical support.
Performance Controllers
An Open Labs production station’s top panel contains a variety of faders, knobs, buttons, DJ A/B
fader and drum pads. All of these may be mapped to control the functions of various applications,
instruments, sequencing software, etc.
Touchscreen Monitor
Open Labs production stations comes with a touchscreen monitor. The touchscreen can be
accessed using your fingertips, or a plastic stylus. The touchscreen provides an alternative method
of inputting commands. It can be used by itself as the sole source of command input, or it can be
used in conjunction with the built-in keyboard and track pad, or a standard keyboard and mouse.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 12
About the Touchscreen Monitor
Here are a few techniques that will help you get the most out of the touchscreen:
• Rather than using the flat portion of your finger, use your fingernail. By using your nail, you
make contact with a smaller portion of your finger and get greater accuracy.
• To have a “right-click” effect with your finger, tap and hold down on the screen with your
finger. In a moment, the right-click options will pop up for you.
• For fine details, use the supplied touchpad. Either use a finger on the touchpad with a
thumb on the left button for clicking, or use two hands.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 13
2
C h a p t e r 2 - G e t t i n g S t a r t e d
C h a p t e r 2 - G e t t i n g S t a r t e d
Unpacking and Setting up your Open Labs Production Station
The first time you open the box, you should ensure that all the parts are enclosed. Because each
Open Labs production station may be customized with different options, you should validate its
contents with your order. Ensure that all components are included and that none of them were
damaged during shipping.
Select a flat tabletop near a stable power source, preferably one that is surge-protected, or an
uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to unpack your Open Labs production station. Network
availability is also a plus, especially if you plan to transfer work through a local area network
(LAN).
Rear Panel Layout
On an Open Labs production station’s back panel you will find:
1. VGA monitor out port
2. Auto voltage switching power supply
3. Firewire 400 port
4. Ethernet (10/100/1000)
5. Two USB ports
6. PS/2 keyboard connector
7. Audio/MIDI I/O panel
Audio & MIDI Connections
Open Labs production station’s back panel provides six analog outputs, two analog inputs, stereo
S/PDIF digital I/O, and MIDI I/O. An additional coaxial digital output is located to the left of the
stereo S/PDIF I/O connectors. This output can be used to send stereo or multi-channel (up to 7.1)
audio to an external decoder, typically the digital audio inputs of a home theater system.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 14
Rear Panel I/O:
See the end of this chapter for examples of connections to the various inputs and outputs.
Front Panel Audio Interface
There is also an audio interface located on the front of Open Labs production station, providing two
more audio inputs and an output for headphones.
The two inputs on this panel serve as preamps for either microphones or instruments (as opposed
to the rear panel inputs, which are appropriate for line-level signals). Phantom power may be
turned on for use with condensor mics.
Both of the inputs utilize the Neutrik Combo connector, which lets you use either 1/4” phone or
XLR connectors.
The 1/4” connectors are for use with an instrument (guitar, bass, etc.). When an instrument is
plugged into the instrument input, the microphone preamplifier is bypassed and the interface
becomes an active instrument preamplifier.
Note: Active instruments are those that have an internal preamp or a line level output. Active
instruments should be plugged into a line input (located on the back) rather than into an
instrument input. In other words, don’t plug an active instrument into the combo jacks on
channels 1 or 2.
48-volt Phantom Power
Pressing this button will send phantom power to the mic inputs. When on, the button will light up.
Input Gain Control
Each channel has an input gain control knob and associated clip light. The following gain structure
is provided for each channel:
Microphone Input XLR: 45dB of variable gain (+14dB to +55dB)
Instrument HiZ Input TS 1/4”: 45dB variable gain (+8dB to +50dB)
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 15
Clip Indicator: The clip indicator will light up if your input signal from the XLR (Mic) or ¼” (line)
reaches +18dBu (0dBfs). At this level, your mic preamp/line trim signal may not exhibit signs of
clipping such as distortion. However, this level will cause the A/D (analog to digital) converters to
clip. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you do not allow your converters to clip (the clip
indicators to light up) as the sound quality will not be desirable.
Main Level: This knob allows control over the output level. It has a range of -80db to +10dB.
Headphone ¼” Jack: This is where you connect your headphones.
Phones Knob: The phones knob controls the amount of volume going to the headphone output on
the front of the unit. Notice the volume indicator goes to 11 (loud). Use this setting with caution.
Red-Blue Power/Sync Light: This light is a clock (sync) indicator. It lets you know if your unit is
receiving wordclock correctly. Wordclock is the manner by which digital devices sync frame rates.
Proper wordclock sync prevents digital devices from having pops, clicks, or distortion in the audio
signal (due to mismatched digital audio transmission).
• Blue – solid sync
• Red – sync not present.
• Flashing Red and Blue – external sync not present
Please note:
1. Open Labs production stations have cooling vents on the back panel and on the underneath
the chassis. Make sure that none of these vents are obstructed.
2. There should be ample room on the left side of your Open Labs production stations to allow
for the DVD/CD-ROM tray to eject without obstruction.
Connecting the Cables
Open Labs production stations contain all the common interfaces you would find on a computer
workstation. On the back panel you will find two USB ports, one VGA-monitor port, Ethernet port
(10/1000), Firewire 400, PS/2 keyboard, the audio I/O connectors, MIDI I/O and pedal inputs.
Before powering the Open Labs production station:
Connect the system to an uninterrupted power supply. The MiKo LXD has an auto voltage
switching powersupply.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 16
Connect your Open Labs production station’s audio outputs to your monitoring system.
-or-
1. Main Volume Control
2. Headphone volume
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 17
There are two power switches on the MiKo LXD. One is located on the power supply in the rear,
and the other power switch is located on the right side end bell within the recessed area. The
MiKo LXD has an auto switching powersupply.
The main power button diagram
1. Hard Drive Activity Light
2. System Power Indicator - Shows a green light when the unit is powered on.
3. Main Power Button - Use this button to start the Miko. Holding this button down will force the
system to shut down.
4. Power Reset Button - Pressing this will perform a hard reset of the system.
Power supply power button diagram
1. This is the switch that turns on the power supply, it is necessary to have this in the "ON" position
before the machine will power up. The button itself has two symbols upon it, a circle and a
straight line, the circle is "OFF", the line represents "ON".
Connect to your Open Labs production station any external items you plan to use, such as USB
devices, an external video monitor, additional MIDI-equipped devices, sustain pedal, etc.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 18
Basic Connection Diagrams
The following picture shows examples of the rear audio and MIDI connections.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 19
The following picture shows examples of the front audio connections.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 20
Turning on an Open Labs production station
There are two power switches on an Open Labs production station. One is located on back of the
power supply and the main power switch is located on the right side of the Open Labs production
station within the end bezel.
Please note carefully:
The Open Labs production station's power supply is an auto voltage switching power supply.
The power supply also has a switch labeled “H” for High, “L” for Low, and “A” for Auto. This switch
will adjust the fan speeds of the power supply. As a default it should be set to Auto.
Upon powering up, the Open Labs production station will boot up in two phases: The first phase is
the BIOS phase, or the pre-Microsoft Windows phase. This is when the hardware validates that all
systems are functional within acceptable parameters.
PCI devices, onboard memory, and other system devices run through a short diagnostic routine,
and then the system will begin to load the operating system—Microsoft Windows XP. It is normal
for the BIOS screen to load upside down on your display. Once Windows XP loads, the screen will
rotate to the correct orientation.
Unless you plan to make immediate hardware changes, there is no need to access any of the BIOS
configuration menus. If you do plan to make some BIOS modifications, you can access the BIOS by
hitting the DELETE key when your Open Labs production station first boots.
About the BIOS
System BIOS is a menu where you can configure your hardware settings. The settings pertain to
hardware only, and will sometimes affect your software programs if configured incorrectly. If you
plan to make modifications to the BIOS, it is recommended that you contact Open Labs technical
support.
The second phase loads Microsoft Windows XP. This is an optimized installation of Windows XP,
meaning that it contains all the tweaks that will enhance system performance.
Since this is the “Full Version” rather than the “Embedded” version of the Windows package, your
Open Labs production station has all the potential to be your most powerful sound production
appliance without any hindrance to any computer-driven applications.
Any software supported under the Microsoft Windows XP platform will be supported by your Open
Labs production station. After the system is fully booted, you should be in the Open Labs Graphical
User Interface (GUI).
About the Open Labs GUI
The Open Labs GUI is not a standard part of Microsoft Windows XP. It is a customizable overlay to
the standard Microsoft XP work environment. You can toggle between the two modes by clicking on
the Open Labs icon (located in the lower left-hand corner of the screen), select Quit, and then
select Go To Windows. You can always reinstate the Open Labs GUI by accessing the shortcut
(named “Open Labs Shell”) provided on the desktop.
For more information about the Open Labs GUI, see chapter 3.
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3
C h a p t e r 3 – F i r s t T i m e
C h a p t e r 3 – F i r s t T i m e
The first time you power up your Open Labs MiKo LXD it loads directly to Riff, once you close Riff,
you may realize that the screen looks nothing like Microsoft Windows XP. The look is the Open Labs
Graphical User Interface that will enhance your productivity, especially in combination with the
touchscreen.
The Open Labs GUI In Detail
The GUI, or graphical user interface, is a customizable shell that allows the launching of
applications from a single location. This GUI is optimized for use with a touchscreen and for
musical performance. Traditionally, within the Microsoft Windows environment, you would have to
make shortcuts for applications you use most often, and arrange them on your desktop or system
tray for easy access. Because these items are often masked by open applications and windows,
you may have to reposition your windows every time you wish to initiate a new application.
Starting programs via the ‘Start’ button is also not ideal, because the program groups contain all
installed programs, rather than just those few applications you use the most.
The Open Labs GUI is designed to allow access to the programs and tasks that you will use most
frequently with your Open Labs production station. After powering up your Open Labs production
station, Windows XP will launch, followed by the Open Labs GUI. You will notice right away how the
GUI organizes and simplifies the tasks associated with making music.
Currently active applications will appear on the taskbar. If there are more applications open than
will fit in the taskbar at once, you can scroll left and right using the arrows in the lower right-hand
corner of the screen.
Clicking on the Open Labs icon in the lower left-hand corner will reveal shortcuts to a variety of
applications and files.
The picture below shows the GUI screen, and the first level of buttons displayed when you click the
Open Labs icon.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 22
Starting from the bottom, the icons will be explained.
QUIT
Clicking on this button will give you the following options:
• Go To Windows: This button will close the Open Labs GUI and take you to the standard
Windows XP desktop.
• Shut Down: Use this to turn your Open Labs production station off
• Restart: Use this to restart your Open Labs production station.
CONTROL PANELS
The Control Panels button provides access to utilities that you might need while working on your
Open Labs production station. When you click on the Util button, you will see the following options:
• Audio: The Audio button directs the controls for your sound card. When you click the Audio
button you will see the following options:
▪ Control Panel: Launches the sound card control panel, from here you can adjust latency,
sample rate, and boost input volume.
▪ Mixer: This button launches the sound card mixer panel.
• MIDI: Launches the mFusion Control Panel. See Chapter 6 for information about using mFusion.
• Touchscreen: Use to calibrate your touchscreen and display settings.
• System Backup:
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 23
HELP
The Help button gives you access to various forms of information regarding your Open Labs
production station. When you click the Help button you will see the following options:
• Tutorial Videos: You will find video tutorials that will help you make recordings and play
sounds.
• Manuals: Will take you to a folder containing user guides and manuals.
• Open Labs Forum (Requires an Internet connection): To gain access to the Open Labs on
line community, and technical support forums use this link: (http://forum.openlabs.com).
• Forum access requires registration.
ONSCREEN KEYBOARD
The Onscreen Keyboard button will display a graphical representation of a standard computer
keyboard for touchscreen entry of alphanumeric input.
APPS
The Apps button is a way to access various programs installed on your Open Labs production
station. When you click the Apps button you will see the following options:
• Burn CD-DVD: Launches a CD/DVD burning program.
• Play Media: This button launches Windows Media Player, for the playback of media files.
• Translator: Launches a file conversion program.
• Internet: Launches the Firefox browser for gaining access to web pages.
MIMIK KEYBOARD
Launches the MimiK keyboard cloning software. For information on using MimiK, refer to Chapter 8.
RECORD/SEQUENCE
This button will launch the MIDI/audio sequencer bundled with your Open Labs production station,
which is REAPER. For information about using Reaper see Chapter 7.
PLAY SOUNDS
You can use this button to launch either Riff, or Karsyn. The programs are VSTi hosts, and allow
you to play sounds on your Open Labs production station.
• Information on using Riff can be found in Chapter 5.
• Information on using Karsyn can be found in Chapter 6.
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About the MIDI Controllers
Open Labs production stations offer the following control surfaces:
• Mix Edit Panel (faders, rotary knobs and buttons)
• DJ/VJ Controller (A/B crossfader, knobs, buttons)
• Bump MP
Both of these are actually programmable MIDI control surfaces. Open Labs production stations ship
with MIDI control maps for use with the installed applications (Karsyn, REAPER, and so on), but
you can also create your own custom maps to use with any MIDI application.
Mix Edit Panel
The Open Labs Mix/Edit Panel features two sections of controls:
1. The Mixer Section is designed for mixing, and is laid out like most common third party DAW
controllers. It features eight channel strips, each with a knob for panning, a button for muting,
and a fader for volume control. Plus one fader dedicated to the master bus. Also, the mixer
section features a bank button for quick access to four banks. This gives you 32 channels of
control in Reaper, or any other MIDI mappable DAW you wish to use.
Feedback is provided in two ways. For each bank on the Mixer section (A, B, C, and D) there is
an LED light indicating what bank is selected, plus each bank is labeled 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32
in a color code. Above each fader is the track numbers listed in color code. This gives the user a
visual display on what track channel they are about to adjust. The other method for feedback is
the white scribble strip below the controllers. This will be made material supporting dry erase
markers and lets the user write on the panel. This is useful in a studio environment and live.
For example, some keyboardists like to use faders for draw bar control. With the scribble strip
they can write which draw bars are being controlled.
2. The other section is known as the Edit Section. The Edit section features eight rotary encoders,
four back lit buttons, a four-way bank button (like the Mixer section) and a 40 (8x5) character
LCD display to give you feedback on what you are controlling. You can change the text on the
LCD via Mfusion, and label it as you wish, along with assigning the encoders to a desired
parameter. In the studio, this section will function as a channel strip, giving you access to the
most common used functions such as volume, pan, mute, solo etc. With the push of the Edit
Panels' [Bank] button, the LCD and encoders change to control your selected tracks Gate,
another push of the bank button changes the above to control your tracks EQ, and another bank
button push to control your selected tracks Compressor.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 25
DJ/VJ Controller
The DJ/VJ controller contains 12 buttons, one A-B crossfader, and seven knobs. The buttons are all
freely assignable, but have been designed and labeled to support specific system operations and
software function.
Bump MP
The MiKo LXD offers a new controller, the Bump MP. This controller offers tons of features to give
you a drum machine style experience. Here are some of the features of this fine controller.
• Fixed Level controls
• Note repeat button with quantize knob
• 17 individual drum pads, with the 17th pad being "last pad"
• Chromatic button
• Hold button
• Eight engines that hold 24 patterns, with eight engine buttons to select
• Commit button
• Undo button
• Transport controls
Please refer to Chapter 5d for more information on using the Bump MP.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 26
The Track Pad
Your track pad has two main buttons: left and right. The left track pad button is mostly used to
select objects, or to launch programs. The right track pad button is used to call up auxiliary menus
and properties of objects.
In general, to access or launch an application, double-click the left track pad button while the track
pad pointer is hovering over the desired icon.
To move an object from one folder to another, or to reposition onscreen icons, you can move these
objects by dragging. To drag an object, position your track pad pointer over the icon, press and
hold down the left mouse button, then move the object to its new location. When you release the
left track pad button, your object or icon will be placed in its new location. Dragging does not
always work, and it may be disabled by the program that you are using.
You can also select multiple items by grouping them using the left track pad button. When you
position the pointer over an empty area on your desktop, you can hold down the left track pad
button and proceed to drag a rectangle over several objects. Releasing the left track pad button
will highlight all objects or icons within the area of the rectangle created by dragging the pointer.
Selecting multiple objects allows you to move and assign attributes to all the objects at once
rather than doing each one individually. For example, you may wish to delete four files in your
music folder. You can use this method to select the four items and then hit the DELETE key on your
keyboard to send these items to the recycle bin.
Using USB Devices
The Open Labs production station comes with two USB ports on the back panel. If you require
more USB ports, you can purchase a USB hub. Typically, USB devices also require you to have
Windows XP USB drivers in order for the device to work properly in Microsoft Windows. The drivers
are provided by your USB device manufacturer, and can be downloaded from their support site on
the Internet.
Using the DVD/CD-RW Drive
The DVD/CD-RW drive can be opened by pressing the release button located below the ejection
tray. Because Microsoft Windows supports bootable CDs, it is important that you do not leave any
CDs that are bootable in the DVD/CD-RW drive so that you will not boot the CD accidentally.
Adding CDs into the CD-RW Drive while the Open Labs production station is running will sometimes
initiate pop-up menus. This depends on how the CD was written. For example, typical software
installation CDs have pop-up menus to assist in installation of its software when the CD is first
inserted into the DVD/CD-RW drive. Alternatively, inserting an audio CD into the DVD/CD-RW drive
will initiate CD-Player to play.
The CD drive can be used to burn files onto blank recordable CDs. Recordable CDs are sold at most
computer stores and provide an inexpensive method of backing up your critical files.
You may use any number of programs to burn CDs with your DVD/CD-RW drive. Microsoft
Windows XP will author CDs as well. To use the Microsoft tool, navigate to the “Start” button, and
then double-click on My Computer.
Double-clicking on My Computer will open a window showing all your storage devices. Insert a
black recordable CD (CD-R) into your DVD/CD-RW drive and your DVD/CD-RW drive icon should
change to indicate the presence of a CD-R disc.
Double-clicking on this icon will open an empty window that is empty except for a legend to the
left.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 27
Using the drag-and-drop method, you can place multiple files into the empty area within the right
pane of this window. Files should start to populate this empty area. Keep in mind that the
maximum amount of data you can store on a single CD-R is approximately 700 MB, or 80 minutes
of audio wav files.
When you are done, select: “Write these files to CD”.
Another pop-up will appear and will provide a walk-through with step-by-step instructions to
complete your CD. These step-by-step pop-ups are called wizards. Microsoft loves to use wizards,
and you will encounter many wizards while using Windows XP.
Simply follow the Wizard to the end and your CD will be finished.
Using the Internet
The network adapter allows you to connect a high-speed network to your Open Labs production
station. Depending on your setup, the network could be local area only (just connects to other
computers around you) or to the Internet. Open Labs production stations will support a 10 Mbits or
1000 Mbits network.
Anytime you connect to the Internet, it is vital that you use the same precautions as you would
use with a normal computer. It is recommended that you keep Internet activities to a minimum to
reduce risks of computer viruses, hackers, pop-ups, and other vulnerabilities inherent on the
Internet.
Internet use for the Open Labs production station should be restricted to the following:
• Connection to Microsoft to run updates of service packs. (Please check with Open Labs
support for compatibility of Microsoft updates).
• Technical support with Open Labs.
• Updating virus definitions for your anti-virus protection.
• Collaboration with other musicians in sharing of music.
• Network printing and local file sharing.
Adding Software to your Open Labs Production Station
Adding new software to your Open Labs production station is not unlike adding software to your
home computer. The process still requires that you have the software, either on a CD ROM or
resident on your hard drive from an Internet download. System requirements of your Open Labs
production station should meet that of your software, or installation will fail. For example, you
cannot install Macintosh software in a Open Labs production station, or install Windows 98
compliant software. Your Open Labs production station runs Microsoft Windows XP, and will only
accept software that works on this platform.
As a guideline, most current software sold at your music supplier will work on a Open Labs
production station. It is only with older software applications that you should practice caution
during installation. If you are uncertain whether software applications will work in the Microsoft
Windows XP environment, please contact your software manufacturer.
Instructions for installing software are provided in the software package you wish to install. Please
read the software’s user guide for step-by-step instructions, or visit its website for support.
Be aware that there may be compatibility issues with some third party software. Your Open Labs
production station is extremely stable with the software installed as shipped. Open Labs does not
recommend installing untested freeware, shareware or firmware to your Open Labs production
station. For questions about particular software products, please contact Open Labs support, or the
software manufacturer.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 28
New Software Installation Considerations
If you plan to add your own software, be sure you meet all the following criteria:
• The software you wish to install is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP.
• The software does not conflict with software that is already on your system. An example of
this is having two brands of anti-virus software running at the same time.
• The software you are installing has support. Open Labs does not support software that is
not part of the factory installation.
• Your Open Labs production station meets or exceeds the recommended system
requirements of the software you wish to install.
• Also ensure that you have the necessary disk space needed to install the program.
• System Recovery
• Should you install an incompatible program that compromises the stability of your Open
Labs production station, a hidden recovery partition has been set up for a complete system
recovery. Call or email an Open Labs technician before attempting a system recovery. An
Open Labs technician can be reached by calling (512) 444-6222, or by emailing
support@openlabs.com.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 29
4
C h a p t e r 4 – Q u i c k s t a r t
C h a p t e r 4 – Q u i c k s t a r t
Steps to Playing Sounds on an Open Labs Production Station
1. Make sure the power and audio connections are setup.
2. Check to make sure the powersupply power switch is in the on position.
3. Boot up the Open Labs Production station.
Once the system loads up, you will see Riff.
The opening Setlist of Riff has already been preloaded with instruments for you to play. Each
"chicklet" is called a Song, select a Song by touching the Song, or use the [Previous/Next] buttons.
Read Chapter 5 for the complete Riff manual.
Open Labs MiKo LXD Production Station Manual 30
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