MANUAL
Page 1: ...MANUAL ...
Page 2: ...Instruments NI and associated logos are registered trademarks of Native Instru ments GmbH Mac Mac OS GarageBand Logic iTunes and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc registered in the U S and other countries Windows Windows Vista and DirectSound are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries All other trade marks are the property of their resp...
Page 3: ...nset Boulevard 5th Floor Los Angeles CA 90028 USA www native instruments com NATIVE INSTRUMENTS K K YO Building 3F Jingumae 6 7 15 Shibuya ku Tokyo 150 0001 Japan www native instruments co jp NATIVE INSTRUMENTS UK Limited 18 Phipp Street London EC2A 4NU UK www native instruments com NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH 2016 All rights reserved Contact ...
Page 4: ... Configuration 14 3 1 Selecting the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 as Your System s Default Audio Output Device 14 3 1 1 On Windows 14 3 1 2 On Mac OS X 14 3 2 Using the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 as an Audio Output Device with Music Software 15 4 The Hardware in Detail 16 4 1 Front Panel 17 4 2 Rear Panel 18 4 3 Top Panel 20 5 Advanced Configuration 22 5 1 Advanced Configuration on Windows Control Panel 22 5 1 1 Audio S...
Page 5: ...nt Synthesizer Computer Tapedeck Mixer Line Out 43 6 4 KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 with MIDI Devices 45 6 5 Using the Digital Input and Output 47 6 5 1 Connecting a DAT Tapedeck 47 6 5 2 Connecting a Synthesizer via Digital I O 48 6 6 Direct Monitoring 49 7 Troubleshooting 50 7 1 Solving Hardware related Problems 50 7 2 How to Check Whether the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Drivers are Installed Correctly 51 7 3 Troubles...
Page 6: ...8 Appendix 55 8 1 Technical Specifications 55 8 2 About Latency and Buffers 55 8 3 Different Types of ASIO Windows 56 Index 57 Table of Contents KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 6 ...
Page 7: ...nalog and 2 digital outputs 1 4 TRS jack headphone socket with button to switch between source outputs 1 2 and 3 4 S PDIF Digital I O Up to 96kHz sampling rate 15 status LED indicators for monitoring the interface s connections ASIO and Core Audio low latency drivers 1 1 This is Included in the Box The KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 box contains the following items The KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 audio interface A USB 2 0...
Page 8: ...as etc in the software and paths to locations on your hard disk or other storage devices is printed in italics Text appearing elsewhere labels of buttons controls text next to checkboxes etc in the software is printed in blue Whenever you see this formatting applied you will find the same text appearing somewhere on the screen Text appearing on labels of the hardware is printed in orange Whenever ...
Page 9: ...TE AUDIO 6 on Windows 2 1 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 on Mac OS X Mac OS X No driver installation required On Mac OS X no driver installation is re quired As a class compliant USB 2 0 device KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 uses the operating system s built in drivers provided by Apple To connect the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to your computer Connect the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to a USB 2 0 port on your computer using the USB ca...
Page 10: ...ative instruments com go ka6 If you have already registered your device but need to download the installer again you can find the relevant downloads in the My Account section of the NI website https www native instruments com en my account my products serials Carefully review the installer screens and the suggested installation paths in order to avoid that any unwanted folders are created on your ...
Page 11: ... Locate and double click the Komplete Audio 6 Driver Setup PC exe file to start the installa tion procedure 2 In the installation prorgam s Welcome screen click Next Then follow the on screen in structions Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 on Windows KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 11 ...
Page 12: ...alled and the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 can be con nected to your computer as described in the following section 2 2 3 Connecting the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to Your Computer To connect the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to your computer Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 on Windows KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 12 ...
Page 13: ...t the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to a USB 2 0 port on your computer using the USB cable provided in the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 box Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 on Windows KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 13 ...
Page 14: ...he KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 as your sys tem s default audio output device 3 1 1 On Windows 1 Open Start Control Panel Hardware and Sound Sound 2 In the Sound control panel select the Playback tab 3 Select the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 s pair of outputs Ch A Out 1 2 or Ch B Out 3 4 that you want to set as default by clicking the corresponding entry 4 Click Set Default 5 Click OK to confirm your selection and close ...
Page 15: ... DJ software you will need to set it up as the software s audio output device Most music production and DJ programs pro vide direct access to the soundcard properties in the audio and MIDI setup section of their preferences dialog Please refer to the documentation of your music production or DJ software for more information on how to configure audio and MIDI interfaces Basic Configuration Using th...
Page 16: ...vice which draws power from the USB connection of your computer Thus an external power supply is unneces sary The device provides sound conversion from analog to digital and vice versa playback monitoring from an input device or computer to headphones speakers recording from analog digital inputs into digital data The KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 The Hardware in Detail KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 16 ...
Page 17: ... gear is not affected by this button 2 MONITOR section The ON switch turns direct monitoring on off With direct monitoring ac tivated the unaffected input signal will be heard with zero latency The ON switch also dou bles as a monitor selector switch When held for one second it cycles through three monitor modes monitor signal to outputs OUT 1 2 monitor signal to outputs OUT 3 4 and monitor signal...
Page 18: ...nser micro phones which need this DC voltage to power their active electrical circuitry This feature elimi nates the need for direct boxes or other additional hardware when using a condenser micro phone Be aware that phantom power can cause serious damage to ribbon microphones Check your microphone s manual to see whether it is safe to use phantom power on it If it isn t make sure to disable phant...
Page 19: ...fer the option of additional outputs when setting up 4 channel applications such as surround sound They also make as signing certain instruments to certain outputs output pairs or monitoring with a second pair of speakers possible These outputs have no dedicated volume control the output is always at 0 dB so you will need to control the volume from within your software or the gear they are connect...
Page 20: ...nel of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Volume control knob MAIN VOLUME 1 2 The knob at the center of the top panel provides a master volume control for the main outputs MAIN 1 2 The Hardware in Detail Top Panel KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 20 ...
Page 21: ...on problem Headphones 1 2 Lights orange when there is outgoing signal on the headphone out puts 1 and 2 see 4 1 Front Panel for headphone source settings Headphones 3 4 Lights orange when there is outgoing signal on the headphone out puts 3 and 4 see 4 1 Front Panel for headphone source settings MONITOR 1 2 Lights orange when direct monitoring is activated with outputs 1 2 se lected see MONITOR se...
Page 22: ...shooting Guide which you can access from the Information section of the Control Panel s Diag nostics page or open it directly from the software s documentation folder On Mac OS X To access advanced configuration settings on Mac OS X open the Mac OS X Audio MIDI Set up Proceed with section 5 2 Advanced Configuration on Mac OS X Audio MIDI Setup If you experience problems with your setup please refe...
Page 23: ...1 2 Diagnostics Page for more infor mation on the Control Panel s pages 5 1 1 Audio Settings Page The Control Panel s Audio Settings page In the Audio Settings page you can configure the audio latency and sample rate monitor the device s status enable clock syncing to external devices and activate direct monitoring The Audio Settings page consists of four sections Audio Processing Device Monitor D...
Page 24: ...audio quality however 44100 Hz as used for recording audio CDs is a common setting and absolutely sufficient for most tasks If your final destination is CD you should use this setting or a multiple of it 88200 Hz For a better understanding 48000 Hz is used by DAT recorders and for DVD films recording 96000 Hz and higher rates are typical for DVD HD DVD and Blue ray Disc audio recording You should ...
Page 25: ...stem performance If you experience crackling at the audio output the chosen buffer size is very likely too low for your computer s CPU to cope with as lower buffer size causes higher CPU load Device Monitor Section The Device Monitor section in the Audio Settings page of the Control Panel The Device Monitor section displays information about the audio interface s processing status and your system ...
Page 26: ...al clock at the digital input out put 5 and 6 see also chapter 4 2 Rear Panel If the synchronization request fails the interface switches back to internal clock mode If the synchronization is successful the top panel s Sync LED lights see chapter 4 3 Top Panel Direct Monitoring Section The Direct Monitoring section in the Audio Settings page of the Control Panel In the Direct Monitoring section yo...
Page 27: ...s Page The Control Panel s Diagnostics page The Diagnostics page allows you to monitor performance and detect errors The information provided in this page is more of interest to advanced users however in case of problems with the device you should have a look at this page The Diagnostics page consists of the four sec tions Drop Out Detection Connection Monitor System erformance Test and Informatio...
Page 28: ...nclude too many ongoing background tasks or high CPU usage within a music program Reset A click on this button resets the error count Connection Monitor Section The Connection Monitor section in the Diagnostics page of the Control Panel The Connection Monitor section provides feedback on connected clients and USB data errors It has two displays and a button Number of Clients displays the number of...
Page 29: ...iority tasks such as the basic system tasks to delay lower priority tasks This specific DPC latency is not to be confused with the overall latency ex plained in chapter 8 1 Technical Specifications but it can add to it The section has two dis plays and two buttons Current Latency displays the current DPC latency value Maximum Latency displays the highest DPC latency value monitored since the last ...
Page 30: ...ee the currently installed firmware version here Troubleshooting Guide Click Show to open the Audio Troubleshooting Guide 5 2 Advanced Configuration on Mac OS X Audio MIDI Setup On Mac OS X all advanced configuration settings can be accessed from the Audio MIDI Setup utility To open the Audio MIDI Setup utility Go to Applications Utilities Audio and MIDI Setup The Audio MIDI Setup utility will pop...
Page 31: ...ckboxes respectively See the following list for more detailed descriptions Clock source In the Clock source drop down menu you can select whether the device uses its internal clock or gets synchronized to the clock of an external device This is relevant when connecting to an external device via the digital In Out 5 6 sockets see also chapter 4 2 Rear Panel The drop down menu holds the following en...
Page 32: ...or recording audio CDs is a common setting and absolutely sufficient for most tasks If your final destination is CD you should use this setting or a multiple of it 88200 Hz For a better understanding 48000 Hz is used by DAT recorders and for DVD films recording 96000 Hz and higher rates are typical for DVD HD DVD and Blue ray Disc audio recording You should be aware that a higher sample rate also ...
Page 33: ...MPLETE AU DIO 6 to your computer The device will not work properly otherwise 6 1 Connecting Speakers 6 1 1 Connecting Active Monitor Speakers KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 setup with active monitors Make sure the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 is connected to your computer as described during the installation chapter chapter 2 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 and is configured as your computer s main audio output device see chap...
Page 34: ...tup with Passive Speakers Make sure the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 is connected to your computer as described during the installation chapter chapter 2 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 and is configured as your computer s main audio output device see chapter 3 Basic Configuration Passive speakers require amplification so there will be an amplifier or powered mixer between the speakers and the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 To...
Page 35: ...me control level until you reach a good listening level 6 2 Connecting Headphones KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 setup with headphones Make sure the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 is connected to your computer as described during the installation chapter chapter 2 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 and configured as your com puter s main audio output device see chapter 3 Basic Configuration To use headphones with your KOMPLETE AUDI...
Page 36: ...E AUDIO 6 in a Recording Setup The following instructions will assist you in using the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 in a recording sit uation for capturing audio to your computer and monitoring the input and result over your speakers or headphones In most cases you will use a third party DAW digital audio worksta tion software or another audio recording and editing software for recording voice or instru ments...
Page 37: ...kers due to a phenomenon called the Larsen effect or audio feedback loop and can seriously damage your hearing and your equipment The greater the distance be tween a microphone and speakers means this effect is less likely to occur To use the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 in a recording setup with a condenser microphone 1 Turn the Volume Control knob MAIN VOLUME 1 2 on the top panel of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to ...
Page 38: ...Please refer to the documentation of your audio recording software for information on how to configure the audio device setup 6 While singing playing an instrument into the microphone adjust the input signal by turning the relevant input channel s GAIN knob gradually to the right Check the input LEDs INPUT 1 and 2 on the top panel of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to make sure your input signal does not cli...
Page 39: ... feedback loop and can seriously damage your hearing and your equipment The greater the distance be tween a microphone and speakers means this effect is less likely to occur Be aware that phantom power can cause serious damage to ribbon microphones Check your microphone s manual to see whether it is safe to use phantom power on it If it isn t make sure to disable phantom power on the interface bef...
Page 40: ...e active Refer to the documentation of your audio recording software for information on how to configure the audio device setup 5 While singing playing an instrument into the microphone adjust the input signal by turning the relevant input channel s GAIN knob gradually to the right Check the input LEDs INPUT 1 and 2 on the top panel of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to make sure your input signal does not c...
Page 41: ...the installation chapter chapter 2 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 of this manual To use the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 in a recording setup with a guitar bass guitar 1 Turn the Volume Control knob MAIN VOLUME 1 2 on the top panel of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to the left end stop to set the volume to minimum 2 Plug a 1 4 instrument cable unbalanced from your instrument into either INPUT 1 or INPUT 2 of the KOMPLETE ...
Page 42: ...mentation of your audio recording software for information on how to configure the audio device setup 6 Make sure that the Volume knob on your instrument is at maximum 7 While playing your instrument adjust the input signal by turning the relevant input chan nel s GAIN knob gradually to the right Check the input LEDs INPUT 1 and 2 LEDs on the top panel of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to make sure your inp...
Page 43: ...rwards until you reach a good listening level Instead of using headphones you could also listen to the instrument sound using your monitor speakers See the relevant chapters for information on how to connect speakers to the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Always make sure the volume is set to minimum when con necting the instrument and gradually raise the volume afterwards until you reach a good listening level ...
Page 44: ...able if you are using a mono device 3 Open the audio preferences of your audio recording software and select the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 as your input and output device you may have to restart your host software for the changes to become active Refer to the documentation of your audio recording soft ware for information on how to configure the audio device setup 4 Adjust the output signal of your connect...
Page 45: ...is connected to your computer as described during the installation chapter chapter 2 Installing KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 and configured as your com puter s main audio output device see chapter 3 Basic Configuration See chapter 6 1 Connecting Speakers for instructions on how to connect speakers active and passive to your KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 To use the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 in a setup with a MIDI controller 1 Make ...
Page 46: ...IDI output channel of your KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 For in formation on where to find the relevant dialog and how to apply the settings please refer to the documentation of your digital audio workstation software 5 Gradually turn the Volume Control knob MAIN VOLUME 1 2 on top of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to the right until you reach a good listening level To develop this setup further you could now connect the...
Page 47: ...orms via S PDIF For this connection a digital RCA cable should be used although it is also possi ble to use standard RCA phono cables In order for the transfer to work the devices need to be synchronized with each other whereby one of the devices acts as a master and sends a syncing signal and the other acts as a slave and syncs to it The KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 can be set to act as a slave and sync to e...
Page 48: ...plications Utilities Audio and MIDI Setup to open the Audio and MIDI Setup utility From the Clock source drop down menu select External Clock S PDIF The KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 checks for availability of external syncing sour ces If the synchronization request fails the interface switches back to internal clock mode If synchronization is possible the top panel s Sync LED lights see chapter 4 3 Top Panel ...
Page 49: ...ange see also chapter 4 3 Top Panel 6 6 Direct Monitoring In the Monitor section of the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 audio interface you can set the device to bypass any signal processing and send the audio signal from the input directly to the output of the device at zero latency This function is known as Direct Monitoring The Direct Monitoring feature only applies to inputs IN 1 2 and is not available for i...
Page 50: ...is connected directly to a USB port of the computer and not through a USB hub see also 7 3 Troubleshooting Windows Replace the USB cable see also 7 3 Troubleshooting Windows Disconnect all other USB devices from the computer except keyboard mouse if not built in Try using another USB port on your computer see also 7 3 Troubleshooting Windows If none of these tips help please contact our Technical ...
Page 51: ...port If you connect the KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 to another port a standard Windows dialog opens in which you can install the driver to that port If you have previously installed the driver on your computer once Windows will find the right drivers itself once that you start the driver installation procedure If you do not know whether drivers were installed correctly it is advisable to start the setup prog...
Page 52: ...device repeatedly loses USB connection to the computer or behaves otherwise erratical ly make sure you are using a suitable USB 2 cable To learn how to identify USB 2 cables please see this Knowledge Base article http www native instruments com en support knowledge base show 2085 choosing the cor rect usb cable for your ni hardware device 7 5 Getting Help Native Instruments provides various source...
Page 53: ...ould offer as much information as possible about your hard ware your operating system and the software you are running In your description you should mention How to reproduce the problem What you have already done to try to fix the problem A description of your setup including all hardware and software involved The exact model and technical specifications of your computer 7 5 2 Forum Check out the...
Page 54: ...al but this can also transmit and amplify other sounds from the devices connected to the circuit For example one very common problem is that you hear internal clicking sounds created by your computer For information on how to resolve issues related to ground loops please see this Knowledge Base article http www native instruments com en support knowledge base show 250 how to resolve ground loop is...
Page 55: ...A weighted 95dB A weighted Frequency Response 10 40kHz 0 5 dB 10 40kHz 0 5dB 8 2 About Latency and Buffers When converting audio information to digital and vice versa the audio driver needs to store the data in buffer packages audio buffers which are then sent to and processed by the CPU of your computer The larger the buffer the more delay You might experience this as late re sponse between hitti...
Page 56: ...ter latency For Windows users If you cannot get rid of audio dropouts crackles and noises by ad justing buffer size and sample rate settings you might also check your system for DPC latency problems see the System Performance Test section of chapter 5 1 2 Diag nostics Page for mor info on DPC latency using the DPC Latency Checker program which is found on the web at http www thesycon de eng latenc...
Page 57: ... 48 Connecting an instrument 41 Connecting headphones 35 Connecting line level equipment 44 Connecting MIDI 45 Connecting Speakers active 33 passive 34 Contact 52 Control Panel 22 D Digital in out 19 47 Direct Monitoring 17 49 Mac 32 mono 17 selecting the source 17 stereo 17 Windows 26 DPC latency Windows only 29 G Ground loops avoiding 54 H Hardware overview 16 I Instrument mode 17 Index KOMPLETE...
Page 58: ...s 24 Line mode 17 P Phantom power 18 S Sample rate setting Mac 32 Windows 24 SPDIF SYNC 21 Sync Source Mac 31 Windows 26 Syncing to external gear Mac 31 Windows 26 T Troubleshooting 50 Windows 52 V Volume control 20 Index KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 Manual 58 ...
