Sound Devices USBPre 2 operation manual
®
USBPre 2
Portable High-Resolution Audio Interface
User Guide
Legal Notices
Manual Conventions
Product specications and features are subject to
change without prior notication.
Copyright © 2016 Sound Devices, LLC.
All rights reserved.
This product is subject to the terms and conditions
of a software license agreement provided with the
product, and may be used in accordance with the
license agreement.
This document is protected under copyright law. An
authorized licensee of this product may reproduce
this publication for the licensee’s own personal use.
This document may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes,
such as selling copies or providing educational services or support.
This document is supplied as a technical guide. Special care has been taken in preparing the information
for publication; however, since product specications
are subject to change, this document might contain
omissions and technical or typographical inaccuracies. Sound Devices, LLC does not accept responsibility for any losses due to the user of this guide.
Trademarks
The “wave” logo and USBPre are registered
trademarks; FileSafe, PowerSafe, SuperSlot,
MixAssist, QuickBoot, and Wave Agent are trademarks of Sound Devices, LLC. Mac and OS X are
trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and
other countries. Windows and Microsoft Excel are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks
herein are the property of their respective owners.
Symbol Description
>
+
i
⚠
This symbol is used to show the order
in which you select menu commands
and sub-options, such as: Main Menu
> Audio indicates you press the Menu
button for the Main Menu, then scroll to
and select Audio by pushing the Control
Knob.
A plus sign is used to show button or
keystroke combinations.
For instance, Ctrl+V means to hold the
Control key down and press the V key
simultaneously. This also applies to
other controls, such as switches and
encoders. For instance, MIC+HP turn
means to slide and hold the MIC/TONE
switch left while turning the Headphone
(HP) encoder. METERS+SELECT means
to hold the METERS button down as you
press the SELECT encoder.
A note provides information and important related recommendations. The
text for notes also appears italicized in
a different color.
A cautionary warning about a specic
action that could cause harm to you,
the device, or cause you to lose data.
Follow the guidelines in this document
or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment. The text for cautionary notes also appears in a different
color, bold and italicized.
FCC Notice
This device complies with part 15, class B of the FCC
Rules.
www.sounddevices.com
support@sounddevices.com
USBPre 2 User Guide • Rev 1-A • August 8, 2016
This document is distributed by Sound Devices, LLC
in online electronic (PDF) format only. E-published in
the USA.
Sound Devices, LLC
E7556 Road 23 and 33
Reedsburg, Wisconsin USA
Direct: +1 (608) 524-0625
Toll Free: (800) 505-0625
Fax: +1 (608) 524-0655
Revision History
This table provides the revision history of this guide.
Rev# Date Firmware
Version
1-A August 2016 v1.03 Initial reformatted & updated, online only publication; replaces
Description
original, old print user guides.
• Updated installation procedure for new v1.20 ASIO driver.
• Updated uninstall procedure for ASIO drivers.
Quick Start Guide section pulled & published in separate
printed QSG document.
• Updated Warranty information in QSG.
• Updated Declaration of Conformity in QSG.
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User Guide
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Table of Contents
USBPre 2 Audio Interface
Front Panel ......................................7
Back Panel ......................................8
Left Panel .......................................9
Right Panel ......................................9
Computer Setup ................................10
System Requirements ..........................10
Setting up Mac OS X ..........................10
Setting up Windows OS ........................12
Installing the ASIO Driver ......................16
Uninstalling the ASIO Driver ....................19
Diagrams and Examples
Setup Examples .................................29
Test and Measurement ........................29
Specifications
Powering ......................................32
Inputs .........................................32
Outputs .......................................33
Updating USBPre 2 Firmware ...................21
DIP Switch Options ..............................22
Inputs .........................................23
Input 2 Loop Source ...........................25
Outputs .......................................25
Adjusting Headphone Monitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Meters ........................................26
Stand-alone Mode ..............................27
Sample Rate ....................................27
High-Performance Playback ....................30
Block Diagram ..................................31
Recorder .......................................33
Physical ........................................34
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User Guide
6
Input Gain Controls
Monitor Mix Control
Phantom Power LED
Output Gain ControlMetering LEDs
Limiter LEDs
Low-Cut LED
15 dB Pad LED Headphone Volume Control
HP Mono Button & LED
Input 1 Split LED
Input Source LEDs
Input Source Button
Meter Source Button
USBPre 2 Audio Interface
The USBPre 2 is a high-resolution,
portable, hardware interface for Macand Windows-based digital audio.
It connects professional microphones,
line-level sources, consumer audio
electronics, and S/PDIF digital sources,
with Mac OS and Windows-based
computers via USB.
With Sound Devices’ renowned preampliers, the USBPre 2 provides the
highest performance in any portable
interface.
i Instructions for quick setup is provided
in the USBPre 2 Quick Start Guide,
shipped with the product and offered
as a free PDF download from the Sound
Devices website.
Front Panel
Topics in this section include:
Front Panel
Back Panel
Left Panel
Right Panel
Computer Setup
System Requirements
Setting up Mac OS X
Setting up Windows OS
Installing the ASIO Driver
Uninstalling the ASIO Driver
Updating USBPre 2 Firmware
DIP Switch Options
Inputs
Outputs
Meters
Stand-alone Mode
Sample Rate
The front panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features:
Feature Description
Input Gain Controls Adjusts input gain. Gain is minimized (not turned off) at full counter-
Phantom Power LED Illuminates when 48 V phantom power is engaged on either mic input.
Input 1 Split LED Illuminates when Input 1 Split is active.
Input Source Button
& Input Source LEDs
clockwise setting. Gain control only affects analog input sources.
Use the buttons to select between the available input types. The LEDs
to the right will illuminate to indicate which source is currently active
for each input.
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User Guide
XLR Outputs
DIP Switches
S/PDIF I/O
HP Mono Button &
LED
Monitor Mix Control Selects the signal source to be monitored in the headphones between
Low-Cut LED Illuminates when low-cut lter is engaged on either mic input.
15 dB Pad LED Illuminates when 15 dB pad is engaged on either mic input.
Metering LEDs 23-segment LED meter. Calibrated in dBFS, with peak + VU ballistics.
Meter Source Button
and LEDs
Limiter LEDs Illuminates amber when limiting is occurring.
Output Gain Control Adjusts gain of AUX output and balanced XLR output.
Feature Description
Toggles between mono and stereo monitoring of analog input audio in
headphones. This is especially useful when multi-track recording and
recording from one input. LED illuminates when mono is active. This
function can be congured to affect PC audio as well.
analog source audio (PRE) and computer audio (PC). Listening to PRE
audio allows zero latency monitoring of analog input sources. The
center position mixes monitoring of both source and computer audio.
The signal at the AUX Output and balanced XLR Output is unaffected
by this control.
i S/PDIF digital inputs cannot be monitored in the headphones. S/PDIF
signal can only be monitored after being processed by the computer.
Switches meter source between input or output signal. PRE or PC
Meter LEDs illuminate to indicate current selection.
Headphone Volume
Control
Back Panel
The back panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features:
i May be congured—via a DIP switch setting—to adjust headphone gain
instead of output.
Adjusts headphone gain.
i May be congured—via a DIP switch setting—to adjust XLR and AUX
output levels instead of headphone gain.
Feature Description
XLR Outputs (L/R) Active-balanced XLR analog outputs. Mic/Line switchable.
S/PDIF Input & Output Optical digital (TOSLINK) input and output connectors.
DIP Switches Use DIP switches to congure various aspects of the USBPre 2.
8
Left Panel
Line Inputs
Mic Inputs (XLR) AUX Inputs (1,2)
Aux Outputs
Headphone
Outputs
S/PDIF Input & Output
USB Port
The left panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features:
Feature Description
Mic Inputs Active-balanced XLR inputs accept low-impedance microphone-level
Line Inputs Accepts balanced line-level signals.
AUX Inputs Accepts consumer-level inputs such as CD players, camcorders, porta-
USBPRE 2 AUDIO INTERFACE
signals.
ble DVD players, and mini-jack from computers via RCA connectors.
Right Panel
The right panel of the USBPre 2 has the following features:
Feature Description
Headphone Outputs 3.5 mm and ¼-inch TRS stereo headphone outputs can drive low-im-
AUX Outputs Audio output to feed powered loud speakers, CD recorders, camcord-
pedance headphones.
ers, or portable DVD recorders. RCA connectors; computer audio only.
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User Guide
Feature Description
S/PDIF I/O Coaxial digital input and output connectors. Input is selected via the
USB Port Standard USB B-type connector for interconnection with the comput-
Computer Setup
Initial connection and setup procedures for the USBPre 2 are provided in
the product’s Quick Start Guide. The following sections provide system
requirements and rmware update procedures. They also have more
information on adjusting sample rates as well as how to ensure that the
USBPre 2 is recognized as the default recording and playback device on
computers with various operating systems.
System Requirements
The requirements below outline the minimum congurations for systems using
the USBPre 2. Software applications used with the USBPre 2 have their own requirements that may be in addition to the requirements of the USBPre 2. Consult your software’s documentation.
front panel’s Input Source button.
er; provides all data and power to he USBPre 2 via USB bus powering.
USB 1.1 and 2.0 compliant.
Feature Description
Operating Systems • Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista, Windows 7 (both 32 and 64 bit)
• Macintosh OS 10.4 or later
• Linux Kernel 2.6.0 or later (Requires standard ALSA snd-usb-audio
module)
USB Audio Device
Class
USB Connection • Full USB 1.1 or 2.0 compliance
i For Notebook Computer users: For proper operation of the USBPre 2, turn off all
power management when using the USBPre 2 for audio recording. Power management reduces processor speed, system bus speed, spins down hard disks, shuts
down displays, or a combination of the above to reduce current consumption and
extend battery run time. The change in state from active to power-saving mode
can disrupt data on the USB bus and cause unintended dropouts.
Sound Devices cannot guarantee that a given computer can be used satisfactorily
with the USBPre 2 based exclusively on the fact that it meets the above requirements.
• Windows, Linux and Mac OS versions below 10.5.8 utilize USB Audio Device Class 1.0 drivers that will limit the USBPre 2 to sampling
rates of 48 kHz and lower.
• Mac OS 10.5.8 and greater utilizes USB Audio Device Class 2.0
drivers that will allow the full range of sample rates that the USBPre 2 is capable of.
Setting up Mac OS X
The following procedure and images depict steps for version 10.6 of OS X; steps
for earlier versions will vary.
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USBPRE 2 AUDIO INTERFACE
To set audio defaults and sample rate in OS X:
1. Select Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup. The Audio MIDI Setup
dialog box appears.
2. Click USBPre 2 to highlight it in the list.
3. Click the Gear icon (as shown) and select Use this device for sound output.
4. Click the Gear icon again and select Use this device for sound input.
i For OS X 10.5 and earlier, check the System Settings section to ensure that
USBPre 2 is selected for both the Default Input and Default Output drop-down
menus.
5. With USBPre 2 still highlighted in the Audio MIDI Setup dialog box, click the
Format drop-down menu options to adjust the sample rate and bit depth.
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