FIRESTUDIO
TUBE
16-input, 24-bit, 96 kHz Recording Interface with
Tube Preamps
User’s Manual
Version 2.0
© 2009, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
PRESONUS LIMITED WARRANTY
PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc. warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a
period of one year from the date of original retail purchase. This warranty is enforceable only by the original
retail purchaser. To be protected by this warranty, the purchaser must complete and return the enclosed
warranty card within 14 days of purchase. During the warranty period, PreSonus shall, at its sole and absolute
option, repair or replace, free of charge, any product that proves to be defective on inspection by PreSonus or its
authorized service represen t ative. To obtain warranty service, the purchaser must first call or write PreSonus at
the address and telephone number printed below to obtain a Return Authorization Number and instructions
about where to return the unit for service. All inquiries must be accompanied by a description of the problem. All
authorized returns must be sent to the PreSonus repair facility postage prepaid, insured, and properly packaged.
PreSonus reserves the right to update any unit returned for repair. PreSonus reserves the right to change or
improve the design of the product at any time without prior notice. This warranty does not cover claims for
damage due to abuse, neglect, alteration, or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel and is limited to
failures arising during normal use that are due to defects in material or workmanship in the product. Any
implied warranties, including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are
limited in duration to the length of this limited warranty. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an
implied warranty lasts, so the above limitation may not apply to you. In no event will PreSonus be liable for
incidental, consequential, or other damages resulting from the breach of any express or implied warranty,
including, among other things, damage to property, damage based on inconvenience or on loss of use of the
product, and, to the extent permitted by law, damages for personal injury. Some states do not allow the
exclusion of limitation of 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 also have other rights, which vary from
state to state. This warranty only applies to products sold and used in the United States of America. For
warranty information in all other countries please refer to your local distributor.
PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.
7257 Florida Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
www.PreSonus.com
© 2009, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
SAFE OPERATION GUIDELINES
To avoid damage to your FireStudio Tube and your other audio equipment please review and adhere to the
following safety guidelines:
Follow the safety guidelines in the manual.
Do not drop your FireStudio Tube.
Do not install the unit near a heat source (radiators, heat registers, ampl ifi er heat sinks , etc.).
Do not expose your FireStudio Tube to liquids. Do not place containers filled with liquids near
your FireStudio Tube.
Do not allow dust particles to collect in excess on your FireStudio Tube. Keeping the unit
covered when not in use is highly recommended and will extend the life of your product.
Protect the power cord from being walked on, wheeled over, or pinched. If the power cord
becomes damaged, purchase a new one.
Unplug your FireStudio Tube when not in use for long periods of time and during electrical
storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other extreme we at her .
Use only the attachments/accessories recommended or manufactured by PreSonus for your
FireStudio Tube.
All domestic PreSonus products should be serviced at the PreSonus factory in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. If your FireStudio Tube requires a repair, contact techsupport@presonus.com to
arrange for a return-authorization number. Customers outside the U.S. should contact their
local distributor. Your distributor’s contact information is available at www.presonus.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 OVERVIEW
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3
1.2 Features ................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.3 What is in the Box .................................................................................................................................. 5
1.4 System Requirements .............................................................................................................................. 6
2 GETTING STARTED
2.1 Hardware Installation ............................................................................................................................. 7
2.1.1 Installation in Microsoft Windows ................................................................................................... 7
2.1.2 Installation in Mac OS X ................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 Studio One Artist ..................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2.1 Installation and Authorization ........................................................................................................... 8
2.2.2 Enabling the FireStudio Tube Driver ............................................................................................... 9
2.2.3 Configuring Your External MIDI Devices ......................................................................................... 10
2.2.4 Configuring Your Audio I/O ............................................................................................................. 13
2.2.5 Creating a New Song....................................................................................................................... 14
2.2.6 Cue Mix and the FireStudio Tube .................................................................................................... 17
2.3 Sample Hookup Diagram ....................................................................................................................... 20
2.3.1 Recording a Band with a FireStudio Tube ........................................................................................ 20
3 CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS
3.1 PreSonus Universal Control Application Introduction ............................................................................ 21
3.1.1 Universal Control Application Icon ................................................................................................ 21
3.1.2 Launch Window .............................................................................................................................. 22
3.1.3 WDM Settings (Windows PC Only) ................................................................................................. 24
3.1.4 Device Window: FireStudio Tube Mixer ........................................................................................... 24
3.2 Front-Panel Layout ............................................................................................................................... 27
3.3 Back-Panel Layout ............................................................................................................................... 30
4 CASCADING UNITS
4.1 Using Multiple FireStudio-Family Interfaces ........................................................................................... 32
5 TECHNICAL INFORMATION
5.1 Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................... 34
5.2 Specifications ....................................................................................................................................... 36
1.1 INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
PreSonus Audio Electronics has designed the FireStudio Tube utilizing high-grade components to ensure
optimum performance that will last a lifetime. The FireStudio Tube is equipped for professional-quality
computer recording, with 24-bit, 96 kHz converters; 2 tube-based microphone preamplifiers with built-in
limiter; 8 PreSonus XMAX microphone preamplifiers; six line-level inputs; Universal Control compatibility; and
Studio One Artist music-production software. All you need is a computer with a FireWire connection, a few
microphones and cables, monitor speakers or headphones, and your instruments!
PreSonus Audio Electronics is committed to constant product improvement, and we value your suggestions
highly. We encourage you to contact us at 225-216-7887 with questions or comments about your PreSonus
FireStudio Tube. We believe the best way to achieve our goal of constant product improvement is by listening to
the real experts: our customers.
We suggest that you read this manual to familiarize yourself with the features, applications, and connection
procedure for your FireStudio Tube before connecting it to your comput er.
Thank you, again, for buying our product. Enjoy your FireStudio Tube!
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OVERVIEW
1.2 FEATURES
The FireStudio Tube is a powerful and affordable computer recording system. The FireStudio Tube comes
complete with two “SuperChannels” featuring Class A, vacuum-tube-based microphone and instrument preamps
with built-in analog limiter; eight high-quality PreSonus XMAX microphone preamps; MIDI I/O; rock-solid
drivers; and powerful music-recording and -production software.
Summary of FireStudio Tube features
High-speed FireWire (IEEE 1394)
24-bit, 96 kHz sampling
16-input, 6-output, simultaneous record/playback
2 SuperChannels (tube microphone/instrument preamplifier with analog limiter)
8 XMAX microphone preamplifiers
6 balanced TRS outputs
MIDI I/O
Universal Control-compatible
JetPLL jitter control for improved imaging and clarity
High-performance A/D and D/A converters
Mac OS X and Windows compatible
The FireStudio Tube includes PreSonus Studio One Artist recording software, which comes with over 4 GB of
plug-ins, loops, and samples, giving you everything you need for music recording and production.
Summary of Studio One Artist features
Unlimited track count
Unlimited inserts and sends
20 high-quality native effects plug-ins
o Amp Modeling (Ampire)
o Delay (Beat Delay)
o Distortion (Redlight Dist)
o Dynamic Processing (Channel Strip, Compressor, Limiter, Tricomp)
o Equalizer (Channel Strip, Pro EQ)
o Modulation (Autofilter, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, X-Trem)
o Reverbs (MixVerb, Room Reverb)
o Utility (Binaural Pan, Mixtool, Phase Meter, Spectrum Meter, Tuner)
Over 4 GB of loops, samples, and instruments, featuring:
o Presence: Virtual Sample Player
o Impact: Virtual Drum Machine
o SampleOne: Virtual Sampler
o Mojito: Virtual Analog-Modeled Subtractive Synthesizer
Innovative and intuitive MIDI mapping
Powerful drag-and-drop f unc ti o nal i ty for fa ster w orkfl ow
Mac OS X and Windows compatible
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OVERVIEW
1.3 WHAT IS IN THE BOX
Your FireStudio Tube package contains the following:
FireStudio Tube recording interface
6-foot, 6-pin-to-6-pin FireWire cable
6-foot, standard IEC power cable
MIDI breakout cable
Software installation discs:
o PreSonus FireStudio Universal driver
Installer
o Studio One Artist installation DVD
PreSonus warranty card
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OVERVIEW
1.4 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Here are the computer-system requirements for FireStudio Tube and Studio One Artist.
Macintosh
o Operating Systems:
Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.2 or higher
o Hardware:
Minimum:
PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5 GHz processor
1 GB RAM
DVD drive
Recommended:
PowerPC G5 or better or Intel Core Duo or Intel Xeon processor or better
2 GB or more RAM
DVD drive
Windows PC
o Operating Systems:
Windows XP or Vista
o Hardware:
Minimum:
Intel Pentium 4 1.6 GHz processor or AMD Athlon 64 (Turion)
1 GB RAM
DVD drive
Recommended:
Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz EM64T or better or AMD Athlon 64 3000+ or
better
2 GB or more RAM
DVD drive
NOTE: The speed of your processor, amount of RAM, and size and speed of your hard drives will greatly affect
the overall performance of your recording system. A more powerful system (faster processor with more RAM)
allows for lower latency (signal delay) and better overall performance.
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GETTING STARTED
2.1 HARDWARE INSTALLATION
This installer and driver can be used for any interface in the FireStudio Tube family line (FireStudio Mobile,
FireStudio Tube, FireStudio Lightpipe, FireStudio [26x26], FireStudio Project, and Stud ioLive 16.4.2). For
more information on the Universal Control application and multiple interface integration, please review Sections
3.1 and 4.1.
2.1.1 Installation in Microsoft Windows
After you insert the installation CD into your CD or DVD drive, the FireStudio Tube installer will take you
through each step of the installation process. Please read each message carefully, ensuring especially that you
do not connect your FireStudio Tube until the installer has finished and you have rebooted your computer.
The FireStudio Tube Installer was designed to be as simple and easy-to-follow as possible. Please read each
message carefully to ensure that the FireStudio Tube driver is properly installed.
Before continuing the FireStudio Tube Installation Setup, please close all applications and disconnect your
FireStudio Tube from your computer. If you see any Windows Security alerts, click “Install this driver
software anyway” (Vista) or “Continue anyway” (XP).
At the end of the installation, you will be prompted to reboot your computer to complete the installation.
Click “Finish” to automatically restart your PC. Once your computer has rebooted, connect the FireStudio
Tube. When the Found New Hardware wizard launches, follow the recommended steps. When the sync light
remains solid blue, your FireStudio Tube is synced to your computer and is ready to use!
2.1.2 Installation in Mac OS X
After inserting the installation CD into your disc drive, browse the disc and run the FireStudio Tube installer,
which will take you through each step of the installation process. Please read each message carefully,
ensuring especially that you do not connect your FireStudio Tube until the installer has finished and you have
rebooted your computer.
To begin installing the FireStudio Tube driver on your Mac, double click on the FireStudio Tube logo. The
FireStudio Tube installer requires that your user password be entered as a security measure. Once you have
entered your password, click “OK” to proceed with the rest of the installation.
When the Installer has finished, connect your FireStudio Tube to your computer with a FireWire cable. Once
the sync light is solid blue, your FireStudio Tube is ready to use.
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GETTING STARTED
2.2 STUDIO ONE ARTIST
Every PreSonus interface comes complete with Studio One Artist recording software. Whether you are about to
record your first album or your 50
th
, Studio One Artist provides you with all the tools necessary to capture and
mix a great performance. As a valued PreSonus customer, you are also eligible for an upgrade discount for
Studio One Pro when you are ready to master your work, create a digital version for the Web, or incorporate
third-party VST plug-ins into your recording process. For more details on the Studio One Pro upgrade program
for PreSonus customers, please visit www.presonus.com
.
2.2.1 Installation and Authorization
Once you have installed the FireStudio Tube drivers and connected your FireStudio Tube, you can use the
PreSonus Studio One Artist music-production software included with your FireStudio Tube to begin
recording, mixing, and producing your music. To install Studio One Artist, insert your installation disc into
your computer’s DVD drive. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process.
Installing Studio One Artist
To Install Studio One Artist, insert your Studio One Artist installation DVD into
your computer’s DVD drive.
PC Users: Launch the Studio One Artist installer and follow the onscreen
instructions.
Mac Users: Simply drag the Studio One Artist application into the Applications
folder on your Macintosh HD.
Create a User Account
After installing Studio One Artist, launch the program, and the Activate Studio
One menu will appear. If you are a new Studio One user, you will need to create a
user account. Follow the Create Account link if your computer is connected to the
Internet. Once you have created your account, continue to Activating Studio One
Artist Online.
If your computer is not connected to the Internet, visit the Studio One product
page at www.presonus.com on an Internet-connected computer to create your
account. After you have created your account, skip to Activating Studio One
Artist Offline.
Activating Studio One Artist Online
Now that you have created a user account, you can activate your copy of Studio
One Artist. Launch Studio One Artist, and the Activate Studio One menu will
appear.
Click on the Activate Online link and enter your previously created account
Username, Password, and the Product Key you received with the Studio One
Artist installation disc. Click on the Activate button to finish the activation
process.
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GETTING STARTED
Activating Studio One Artist Offline
Once you have created a user account, launch Studio One Artist. From the
Activate Studio One Menu, click on the Activate Offline link. Follow the
instructions to log in to your previously created user account, register the
product, and obtain a license file.
Next, copy the license file to the computer on which Studio One has been
installed, and locate the license file as instructed in the Activate Studio One
menu. The activation process is now complete.
Installing Bundled Content for Studio One Artist
Studio One Artist comes bundled with an array of demo and tutorial material,
sampled instruments, loops, samples, and unique third-party content. The Studio
One Artist bundle includes all that you need to begin producing music.
Upon completing the Studio One Artist installation and activation process, the
Studio One Content Installer will appear. If it does not appear, navigate to
Help/Studio One Installation.
At the top of the installation menu, select the source from which the content will
be installed, as well as the location where you wish to install the content. The
source of the content will be the same DVD from which you installed Studio One
Artist. By default, Studio One Artist will point to your DVD drive as the content
source. Listed in the installation menu are separate entries for each available
item. Click in the checkbox next to each item you wish to install, then click on the
Install Packets button at the bottom left of the menu to install the selected
content.
When finished installing content, click on the Done button to exit the menu.
Studio One Artist content can be installed at any time by accessing the
Help/Studio One Installation menu. If you choose not to install any portion of the
content, you can install it at a later time.
2.2.2 Enabling the FireStudio Tube Driver
Studio One Pro and Studio One Artist were designed with PreSonus interfaces in mind. Your FireStudio Tube
is already integrated into Studio One Artist, so setup is quick and easy. When Studio One Artist is launched,
by default you will be taken to the Start page. On this page, you will find document-management and deviceconfiguration controls, as well as a customizable artist profile, a news feed, and links to demos and tutorials
from PreSonus. If you have an Internet connection on your computer, these links will be updated as new
tutorials become available on the PreSonus Web site.
Complete information on all aspects of Studio One Artist is available in the
Reference Manual
PDF located
on the Studio One Artist Installation disc. The informat ion in this manual covers only the most basic aspects
of Studio One Artist and is intended to get you set up and recording as quickly as possible.
9 | PreSonus 2008
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