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MOTU micro express, User Manual

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Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.

 

 

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.

 

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Business voice: (617) 576-2760

Business fax: (617) 576-3609

Tech support fax: (617) 354-3068

Tech support email: [email protected]

Web site: http://www.motu.com

 

User Guide

 

MIDI Express XT

MIDI Express 128

micro express

micro lite

Summary of Contents for micro express

Page 1: ...sachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02138 Business voice 617 576 2760 Business fax 617 576 3609 Tech support fax 617 354 3068 Tech support email techsupport motu com Web site http www motu com User Guide M...

Page 2: ...erfaceduringalightningstorm unplugitfromthewalloutlet Thiswill uetolightningandpowerlinesurges BMIDIinterfaceyourselfasopeningorremovingcoverswillexposeyouto cingtoqualifiedservicepersonnel BMIDIinter...

Page 3: ...ereturnedunitandprinttheReturnMerchandiseAuthorization Numberontheoutsideoftheboxbelowtheshippingaddress Thiswarrantydoesnotapplyiftheequipmenthasbeendamagedbyaccident abuse misuse ormisapplication ha...

Page 4: ...rs List and Computer Requirements g Your MOTU Interface g the MOTU USB MIDI Software IDI Software microUsers orks nel Presets nization chine Control ces y Synchronization Basics shooting and Customer...

Page 5: ...5 All Users rtI rAllUsers...

Page 6: ......

Page 7: ...aking the time to register your new MOTU ST USB MIDI Interface is shipped with the items any of these items are not present when you box please immediately contact your dealer MOTU USB MIDI Interface...

Page 8: ...RTED e directions in the next few chapters of this guide sfully install and begin using your new MOTU DI interface ARITY WITH YOUR COMPUTER ual assumes that your are familiar with using puter If not p...

Page 9: ...plug into a Type A USB jack on the USB computer keyboard a USB hub or B device connected to the computer that has ype A USB jack The USB cable allows the Mac to communicate with all MIDI devices conne...

Page 10: ...at never send data such as a sound module only need Connection A However if you plan to use editor librarian software with the sound module or if you need to get system exclusive bulk dumps from it ma...

Page 11: ...ct with one another ing additional devices with MIDITHRU ports MIDI CONNECTIONS WORKSHEET Here s a suggestion If you have more than a few pieces of gear connected to your MOTU MIDI interface jot down...

Page 12: ...pass the signal any type of signal processing equipment Use quarter inch audio cables mplete explanation of synchronization see Synchronization page 55 Connecting a SMPTE time code source Connect any...

Page 13: ...recorder so that n subsequently be synchronized to the her examples of a SMPTE time code e systems that have the ability to slave to code such as stand alone hard disk ems digital audio workstations...

Page 14: ...If you would like to convert an audio click to MIDI connect the audio click source to the Pedal input as using a shielded quarter inch audio cable as shown below in Figure 2 8 For more information ab...

Page 15: ...n theory the maximum number of MOTU USB interfaces you can connect to one computer is just over 30 interfaces Practically speaking regardless of how slow or fast your USB equipped computer is you shou...

Page 16: ...in Figure 2 9 them to the hub in the standard fashion as if you necting them directly to the computer If needed onnect multiple hubs to each other to get enough s for your multiple MOTU USB interfaces...

Page 17: ...will run the MOTU USB ller MOTU USB software installer CD in the D drive if you haven t already 4 If the MOTU USB software installer program does not automatically begin running double click SETUP EXE...

Page 18: ...sent to one unit is received by all the devices in the daisy chain that are listening to that same MIDI channel To avoid this sort of unwanted instrument layering go to the front panel of each MIDI in...

Page 19: ...n to get started o learn about the front panel controls er 6 Front Panel Presets page 49 o program your interface with nterface console software is the front end s in your MOTU interface It allows you...

Page 20: ...I N S T A L L I N G T H E M O T U U S B M I D I S O F T W A R E...

Page 21: ...RT nput ports the Sync in out all port is where ime and MIDI Time Code messages will ess of the physical MIDI input jack from TU interface receives them All other will arrive at its input port as appr...

Page 22: ...ent from the computer This is a great advantage as it frees up your computer and MIDI software from having to deal with the mundane and time consuming chore of such processing Just configure your MOTU...

Page 23: ...23 All Users rtII rXT microUsers...

Page 24: ......

Page 25: ...MOTU interface ClockWorks cannot be used with a micro lite or Express 128 interface as these devices do not support MIDI processing or synchronization features When do you need to use ClockWorks softw...

Page 26: ...C L O C K W O R K S Figure 5 1 Click the tabs to access the settings in ClockWorks ClockWorks window Device list...

Page 27: ...mproperly Make sure your cable to the interface match Figure 2 1 and page 9 If you make any adjustments to your hardware choose Refresh Device from the ClockWorks File menu THE FILE MENU Here is a bri...

Page 28: ...in rks If ClockWorks is not the active application mputer a system exclusive message is sent to application is currently active If this application ng incoming MIDI these sysex messages get as well Re...

Page 29: ...wn in the Routings tab Use the Routings tab to make routings directly from inputs to outputs or to make connections between the computer and the ADAT MMC or MTC ports Making a connection To route MIDI...

Page 30: ...ace itself If you would like to send MIDI Time Code from your MOTU interface to devices connected to its MIDI Out ports create a connection from the MTC Out port on the left to the desired device s on...

Page 31: ...nterface itself In other words the interface listens to MMC transport commands from any devices or computer software connected to this port For MMC transport control of the interface from the computer...

Page 32: ...on page 29 and also nnection from your MOTU interface s MMC Out he left to the MMC device s destination MIDI he right ing an MMC controller uld like to control your MOTU interface from a ntroller con...

Page 33: ...am enters the filter and then continues on past the filter with certain types of data removed The filter has simply swallowed the data types that are being muted On a MIDI IN cable data is muted befor...

Page 34: ...channels To mute a data type on all 16 channels for a device drag across its row of check boxes Doing so will select all check boxes in the row selecting all channels for muting Muting on all channel...

Page 35: ...DI OUT port all data s would be sent out on channel 16 since all mapped to channel 16 before the muting nnels 1 8 example Let s say you are mapping all annel 1 and you are muting channels 1 8 y channe...

Page 36: ...ter just inside the socket MIDI data enters the filter on one channel and as it passes through the filter it gets switched to a different channel On a MIDI IN port data enters on a given channel But b...

Page 37: ...ons control the time code generated U interface when it is in Internal mode out eadout provides a running update of the ng generated or converted by your MOTU running update is made possible by MIDI T...

Page 38: ...ate button set the SMPTE o the desired location and then shift click the oints are saved with ClockWorks files Clock mode menu This setting determines the clock mode for your Express interface The cho...

Page 39: ...MMC devices being your MOTU interface ord mode menu has three choices safe ecord can occur in any MMC device Rehearse This mode causes MMC devices to act as if they are recording punching in punching...

Page 40: ...ame messages External time code detect When this status indicator is illuminated it means that your MOTU interface has successfully detected external time code MTC LTC Framelocked This status indicato...

Page 41: ...e by continuing to clock itself off of the incoming time code without stopping or pausing In doing so it continues to convert a continuous uninterrupted stream of frame times based on the time code to...

Page 42: ...use it ensures that your MOTU interface is interpreting and synchronizing to the time code If however you find yourself in a situation where you would like to set the frame rate manually uncheck this...

Page 43: ...ure that it does not match the ID of another ted to it frames s you set the number of frames your MOTU reewheel over when it encounters a time For a complete explanation of see Freewheeling to avoid t...

Page 44: ...audio click into MIDI data in order to slave MIDI hardware or software to the audio tempo source Pedal type menu You have three choices None Momentary Click to MIDI The Momentary setting should be us...

Page 45: ...o click into any he audio click can be played back from a enerated live by a drummer This feature can any purposes Below are a few ideas Recording the click s tempo map into a sequencer Slaving a sequ...

Page 46: ...n a high decay produces a short duration You may need to experiment to adjust these values MIDI message and channel These are set in the same manner as previously described in MIDI message on page 45...

Page 47: ...cribed in the previous e selected system exclusive as the type of the sysex data entry window e the sysex data entry box and type in the y an be up to 27 bytes long including the F0 beginning and end...

Page 48: ...C L O C K W O R K S...

Page 49: ...be permanently changed If a factory preset is the current preset changes you make to your Express interface s settings will not be remembered unless you save them to one of its eight user presets The...

Page 50: ...the tory LED Y PRESETS factory presets provide you with optimum cable SMPTE and other settings for various common s in which you will use your Express interface factory preset settings are listed on...

Page 51: ...if the controller is connected to MIDI IN port 3 connect it to MIDI OUT port 3 as well If you do so this preset prevents troublesome MIDI feedback loops which happen when the controller sends data ba...

Page 52: ...ts 1 3 routed to outputs 4 6 For the Express XT input 1 is routed to outputs 1 4 Input 5 is routed to outputs 5 8 MIDI Machine for the Express XT This preset provides MIDI data time code and MIDI Mach...

Page 53: ...cenarios Input 3 routes MMC to the micro express only Input 4 routes MIDI data only to output 6 Direct This preset causes your Express interface to function like a simple 1 IN 8 OUT or 1 IN 6 OUT MIDI...

Page 54: ...n Direct mode To restore communi se the front panel controls to choose another RESETS ress interface provides eight user presets which onfigure any way you wish From the factory ht user presets match...

Page 55: ...E SYNC If you are not familiar with the process of synchronizing with SMPTE time code see Appendix B SMPTE Synchronization Basics page 81 before reading this chapter It provides a definition of SMPTE...

Page 56: ...ode Make sure the software is lock to MIDI time code When your Express interface locks to the time code the green LOCK LED on the front panel glows steadily and the red TACH LED blinks regularly In ad...

Page 57: ...ess interface encounters a drop out a series of missing or unreadable frames in the SMPTE time code it freewheels past them pretending that they were not missing by briefly generating its own code to...

Page 58: ...ntinuous time code ress interface has the ability to stay in sync with uous time code that is time code that has no but does have jumps in its frame locations For out how to do this see Frame lock on...

Page 59: ...defeat the n on the track you are recording time code 5 Enter a SMPTE start time 6 Choose the desired frame rate 7 Adjust the SMPTE output volume The goal when striping SMPTE is to get theVU meter on...

Page 60: ...s hot or reliable lockup and weak enough so that it will not bleed into adjacent tracks 3VU is only a rule of thumb though so don t hesitate to use other levels if they work better for you LTC MODE In...

Page 61: ...de while you are copying the ople refer to this process as jam syncing xpress interface receives a SMPTE signal on cable it always regenerates a fresh signal atches the incoming signal and sends it ou...

Page 62: ...ning a SMPTE track e code on your SMPTE track ends too early and to add more code you can use the One time option To do so feed the original track into your Express interface and record the fresh code...

Page 63: ...to transmit MTC from your host pecific MIDI device in your studio it won t DI device because it will get read and y your Express interface Since computer C is not as stable as other forms of time bet...

Page 64: ...S Y N C H R O N I Z A T I O N...

Page 65: ...ands it generates time code to which all other devices and software chase and lock The other devices do not need to be MMC devices as they sync in the usual fashion via time code LTC or MTC A recommen...

Page 66: ...ce does in the recommended scenario d in the previous section You should only really etup if you have a MMC device that does not have y to be a time code slave and therefore must be the MMC and video...

Page 67: ...nations in the right hand monstrated in Figure 7 1 on page 56 Then you are ready to control your MMC device via your Express interface from the computer or a hardware MMC controller PREPARING SOFTWARE...

Page 68: ...ntral stable time code hub he devices in your studio allowing you play stop hem all directly from your sequencer Figure 8 1 Your MOTU interface a MIDI Express XT in this example can serve as a time co...

Page 69: ...evice ID for your ace is 19 If you need to you can change it as Setting MMC device ID s on page 67 MMC routing connection show below from to your Express interface Figure 8 2 To establish MMC control...

Page 70: ...terface serves only a means of n MMC record commands from your sequencer MMC device Just send them directly to the ate Windows MIDI port USING AN MMC CONTROL SURFACE To use any MMC compatible control...

Page 71: ...ts LTC you can simply connect it to nterface sSMPTEinputandsetyourExpress ster sync mode to LTC QuikLock nly transmits MIDI Time Code MTC nection shown below in Figure 8 3 and set nterface s master sy...

Page 72: ...M I D I M A C H I N E C O N T R O L...

Page 73: ...73 All Users rtIII ppendices...

Page 74: ......

Page 75: ...T Cathode Ray Tube The glass screen in TV s computers etc upon which video images are projected Crosstalk Interference on a track from the signal of an adjacent track on a multitrack tape recorder Def...

Page 76: ...ed in phase with an external Guard Track An empty track adjacent to the LTC track on a multitrack tape recorder A guard track prevents crosstalk from another track which can interfere with the time co...

Page 77: ...e A form of time code digitized within the MIDI format that expresses time in hours minutes seconds and frames just like SMPTE time code LTC andVITC Network Two MIDI Time Pieces connected via their NE...

Page 78: ...has two forms 1 an 80 bit audio signal called Longitudinal Time Code LTC or 2 a video signal recorded in the vertical blanking segment of video frames called Vertical Interval Time Code VITC In eithe...

Page 79: ...old is adjusted This area is whereVITC can be recorded Video Field One half 1 60th of a second of a complete video scanning cycle one video frame which consists of 525 video scan lines One video field...

Page 80: ...A P P E N D I X A G L O S S A R Y eo Tape Recorder A device that can record a video to video tape...

Page 81: ...ht along with it When the tape fast forwards to a new location and begins to play the sequencer will jump ahead to precisely the same location and begin playing too Synchronization allows you to freel...

Page 82: ...es called Vertical Interval Time Code VITC WHAT IS LTC Longitudinal Time Code LTC is the audio form of SMPTE Time Code LTC consists of an audio signal that oscillates between two frequencies approxima...

Page 83: ...n The MOTU Digital Timepiece is an affordableVITC synchronizer and video character generator It is both an LTC andVITC synchronizer so the distinction between LTC andVITC becomes important So if you a...

Page 84: ...bers to precisely match the actual elapsed time WHAT IS DROP FRAME Drop Frame SMPTE time code counts frames at a rate of 29 97 frames per second but skips two frame numbers at the beginning of each mi...

Page 85: ...second so that the time is 60 minutes and 3 6 seconds Here s repancy arises the time code that counts the frames shows that one hour s worth of frames has gone by which is 01 00 00 00 on the final fr...

Page 86: ...y around 30 times per second ast enough so that the MIDI device follows the othly Certain phrases are often used to describe synchroni zation The tape deck to which the MIDI device is synchronized is...

Page 87: ...xpress interface to the e tape To do so you need to e with SMPTE e MOTU Express interface to the tape deck MOTU Express interface to convert SMPTE e to see if successful SMPTE lockup has been e discus...

Page 88: ...A P P E N D I X B S M P T E S Y N C H R O N I Z A T I O N B A S I C S...

Page 89: ...o the Express interface If so turn off the drum machine while launching the ClockWorks and then mute real time data on its input cable To reestablish the connection between ClockWorks and interface sw...

Page 90: ...ure in your host MIDI software or via a routing you were not aware of in ClockWorks To solve the problem try to identify from where the extra routing is coming For example switching off the computer w...

Page 91: ...can download the latest version of the nsoles from www motu com TECHNICAL SUPPORT Registered users who are unable with their dealer s help to solve problems they encounter with the their MOTU interfa...

Page 92: ...taken the time to write to heir comments criticism and suggestions for improved versions of our products We thank them many of those ideas have been addressed in our development efforts If you have fe...

Page 93: ...explained 84 E Event Muting window before after channel mapping 35 External time code detect 40 F Factory preset selecting 49 50 Factory presets Express XT 50 micro express 50 File menu 27 Device List...

Page 94: ...MTC sync mode and sending MTC from computer 63 Muting before after channel remapping 35 Mutings tab 33 N Negative polarity 44 NETWORK serial port syncing a device connected to 57 Noise reduction with...

Page 95: ...ty software compatibility 8 Threshold 46 Time code display in ClockWorks 37 freewheeling over dropouts 57 LTC output level 42 Transport controls 37 Troubleshooting 89 92 ClockWorks 27 SMPTE lockup 57...

Page 96: ...I N D E X...

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